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Vanilla Cryptid
Captain

Timid Bloodsucker

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:55 am


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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.

User Image "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."



User Image 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: Lumena
Objective: Respond to the lifting of the fog, the shudder of the earth, and when prompted, the attack of the Riftborn. 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 Blackhearts.

Throughout time, it had been kept the darkest secret of the Blackhearts 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?


 
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:04 pm



He was restless. He absolutely hated that feeling. He could have sworn the earth shuddered; and that had awoken him very suddenly from a deep nap.

Now unable to remain still,
Azra`iel prowled through the streets of Lumena, moving toward the castle. The Knight moved at a ground-eating pacing, using every inch of his long legs to propel him forward. Reaching the barracks, he nodded to the others on duty about the yard and swiftly moved to climb the ladders leading to the observation decks. A strange and suspiciously-familiar fog had started to cover the sky; he needed to be higher to see where it originated.

Climbing to the highest deck, Azra'iel turned wary golden eyes toward the heart of the fog spiraling out, slowly dispersing over the countryside. Hand tightening on his sheathed sword, which he had not taken the time to belt on, he leaned out over the railing, eyes narrowing as though he could bring the Riftwood into closer focus without assistance.

He did not know what or why, but he knew something was very wrong.

Kiareii
Crew

Seeker


Miidnight Melody

Feisty Bunny

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:19 pm


The day has begun . . . odd to Folkvardr. The spiritus could feel it down to his old bones throughout is day as it made his skin crawl, the fur on his tail bristled upward, and his ears twitching to no end in capturing every single sound in the air but he tries to shrug off this brooding feeling. There was work to be done over at Lumena that needed his attention more. In fact, he was looking forward to it for hopefully it can distract him of his brooding thoughts. He walked out into the bustling city in seeing some of the familiar people that he knew from day after day as he heads towards to the castle. It was relatively normal; perhaps his mind was playing tricks with him after all and the stress from the overwork and nothing more.

But then, from the corner of his icy eyes, he saw some sort of smoke off at the distance which was odd. Fol didn’t smell any smoke or fire so it can’t be that. The strange dilemma and perked the curiosity of the spiritus and suddenly, his eyes widen, remembering now what the smoke was. It wasn’t smoke . . . it was fog; the fog that use to be his home centuries ago when he first arrived to this realm when he was a young pup. Memories flickered before his eyes as he remembered those ancient times. It was close to the end of the war as he arrived not as the soldier to his ‘once’ king but to seek for his own gains and the Riftwood. The earth shook beneath his armored boots but nothing can compare to the spiritus who is trembling. He can feel the darkness, spiraling and surging, fulfilling him that feels like ecstasy that it made him bare his sharp canines. He growled fiercely but the enchanted chain that floats around him tightened around his neck like a noose and bounds his arms together. “Damn . . . calm down, calm down . . .” The spiritus chanted to himself and slowly the enchanted chain had loosen around him as he can move again once he has his control. This was something so dire seeing how tightly he clenched his fist tightly of his clawed gauntlets; preparing himself for the worse.
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:22 pm


★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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It had been a relatively casual day for the leader of the Blackhearts, Sibelius, as he relaxed in Lumena. It wasn't often that other blackhearts were here, due to their common disdain for the knights, which was why he enjoyed it. Not many would recognize him, no kiss-a** here. It was pleasant, a long way to go to simply sit on a park bench reading a smut novel, but it suited his tastes.

So calm was he, that it took him a moment longer than everyone else to realize all were staring up at the sky, quiet, dumbfounded. At first, he expected to see an abnormally large flock of birds, or perhaps a rainbow -- but his expression hardened immediately as he saw the stormy fog spiraling destructively upwards from the direction of the Riftwood, and he knew immediately what it was, and his heart leapt into his ********> was the only word he could manage as he stood, book dropping to the ground as he stared not in awe or curiosity, but in pure horror. He quickly glanced around, looking for other traces of panic that did not come from the tremor alone, but saw only a few. Then again, they wouldn't know what lay dormant...or had lain dormant, deep within the fog.

He had to get back to Poena Privus. This couldn't be right....That thing in the Riftwood couldn't have been unsealed! This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't.


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Vanilla Cryptid
Captain

Timid Bloodsucker


Halcyon Flight

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:52 pm


It was the first time Brighid had dared to venture near a settlement since finding her way out of the Riftwood, and she sincerely hoped it would be her last. In the past weeks she had wandered rather aimlessly, giving any villages she came across a large berth... But by now she had grown curious about the new world she found herself in. Clutching a stolen cloak to her, she prowled around a little distance from the city's entrance as she debated how best to proceed.

She had been overconfident in the past, and it had landed her in her current situation. While she wasn't foolish enough to show these witches hostility on their own turf, she had no idea how they would react to her... Even hidden in her long, coarse cloak and fully humanoid (with the exception of a reptilian tail she was clumsy without), she was paranoid that they would know what she was on sight.

Hissing at her cowardice, Brighid forced herself to stalk towards the city gates; not noticing that her tail swished the fabric back and forth as she did so. And yet, she almost made it all the way down the road without mishap... Almost.

The sudden tremor almost made her trip over the hem. Eyes wide, she froze stock still until it passed before standing as straight as she could and looking around widely; until her gaze settled of the black could billowing up from where she had come... Riftwood. Her eyes narrowed, uncertain as to what it could be but knowing that it couldn't possibly be good.
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:53 pm


Deep within the Riftwood, the ground trembled more violently than in Lumena. Under cover of the dense miasma of fog, a great hand reached out from the chasm in which it slept, slapping the ground with tremendous force. Its fingers clutches the crust of earth, giving way as if it were merely sand. Heaving, huffing, a giant riftborn dragged its massive ape-like body as if crawling out of the depths of hell.

"Huh huh huh.." it huffed through the toothy grin spreading across its face, whose skin was drawn so tight it looked nearly skeletal. Thick horns protruded from its skull, threatening to puncture anything foolish enough to stand it its path. The rest of its body was also covered in bony protrusions sticking out from mounds of muscle.

It shook its head, its ashy mane becoming more and more disheveled. All that slumber had left a crick in its neck.

It knew not how long the seal had kept it there, locked within the Riftwood, nor did it particularly care. All it knew now was that it was free, finally free!

The monster reared its head and stretched in ecstacy, reaching up to the fog-filled sky. To its eyes, it was a beautiful, welcome sight. An opinion not shared by the denizens of this world.

Yes..it had been far too long, years and years and years of simply..nothingness. The Riftborn then abruptly slammed its fists down, its whole body shaking from its own force, and let out a deafening roar.

Satisfied, it lunged forward, picking up speed. Faster and faster, the riftborn menace sprinted on all fours, its knuckles leaving divots in its wake. All four of his crimson eyes focused on Lumena.

It chanted but one word as it trampled through the fog:
"Kill..."

elufae
Crew

Adventuring Hunter


Vanilla Cryptid
Captain

Timid Bloodsucker

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:55 pm


★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Sibelius had intended to vacate the city, head back to Poena Privus and make plans to assess the situation -- but should he notify the knights? Would they even believe such a tale? Just as he was debating this, a woman in a cloak trudged past, and he would have not thought another thing about it, save for a glance at a reptilian tail -- his cold eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms haughtily.

"My, what a clumsy spiritus you are, woman." He should execute her -- would have, any other day, but now was definitely not the time, not if what he thought happened truly did. "Best to hide such a scaly appendage when in the city, less you end up in the frying pan." His fingers twitched eagerly -- a habit everytime he stumbled upon potential battle, but no, now was not the time to be picking frivolous fights with wayward Spiritus or witch eaters. Deciding against fleeing the city, he loosened up a bit, and shook his head so that several strands of dark and pale hair covered his eyes.

"Better watch yourself. Feels like violence in the air, don't you agree? See ya." he wave a small wave, turning and loping off. He'd at least attempt to warn the knights of this, before leaving. Hopefully they believed him...


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:49 pm


It was one of those rarer days that Cedar Rayne came to Lumena. But there were some things one could only find in certain areas, Lea was suppose to be meeting her here in the park. He wanted to 'spend time with her', probably trying to make up for what happened the other day at the shop. She couldn't stay mad at him for long... So she invited him to accompany her to Lumena to go shopping. However there was a small shake of the earth and with a look around to make sure it wasn't just her 'feeling things' she saw that others had, but their eyes were all quickly looking to the sky.

This hadn't ever happened before. Life was predictable and this was out of the ordinary. As Cedar went to glance to the sky the wind blew swirling about her legs, the forest was in a panic. The hand that held her list clenched, crinkling the paper. Something indeed was very wrong and the voices didn't make sense. It was as if everything came in a rush of a language she couldn't understand.

Turning to walk quickly toward the forest she overheard a Black Heart addressing a female who seemed to have a reptilian tail. But that was known of her concern. Live and let live was her general moto. But she had to understand why the forest was so frightened. So she walked right past them with a quick side glance.

LunaRei_SilverBlood


elufae
Crew

Adventuring Hunter

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:15 pm


The hulking mass of rage could see Lumena clearly now. It could smell them, those little fragile things. The scent was sweet, savory; an aroma that easily made its stomach rumble and saliva dribble down its chin, falling helplessly aside in the wind rushing past it.

The Riftborn picked up speed, its chest heaving with anticipation at what delicious morsels he would find.

Blood, bones, hearts, guts, magic, life, light. The creature would devour it all.

Working itself into a frenzy, the world in its vision blurred with every thudding leap and bound it took.

"Kill..Kill...Killl...." it continued chanting, like some dark and vicious mantra. Its words like gravel forcing its way out of the monster's throat, grew ever more intense until finally, it reached the city.

Like an unstoppable force, the Riftborn had built up so much speed that even stone and iron gates were nothing to its momentum. It took one great leap, lifting massive fists in front of it and like a battering ram, burst through them. The gates shattered as if from an explosion, sending shrapnel in all directions.

The Riftborn continued on, still pummeling through the town, smashing anything, anyone that foolishly stood in its path. Carts filled with vegetables were flung aside like wooden toys. Sturdy houses found themselves missing whole sections as he tore them about. Destruction.

Then it saw her, the sweet young thing with pretty, auburn hair. She looked so innocent, so appetizing. The gigantic riftborn licked its lips as it made a bee line for Cedar. All its eyes zeroed in on the young witch as the ground shook harder and harder the closer it got to her. The creature's path threatened to trample her, leaving nothing but a smear and dust to settle.

But the Riftborn suddenly came to a screeching halt, skidding and sending rocks flying. Just a few feet away from her, it lunged and let out a bone-breaking roar. Dinner was served.
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:30 pm



She didn't hate Lumena. Not at all; in fact, the shopping there was excellent. However, she despised traveling there. Having been on the road from the outskirts of Poena Privus since she had awoken that morning,
Étaín was already not in the most pleasant of moods. An earth tremor and rush of cold, disgustingly familiar fog was not helping to improve it.

Having been raised near the Riftwood both when living in Midgard and Makai, Étaín would know that oppressive smog anywhere---and the fact that she could feel it pressing down on her here, near Lumena, could only mean bad things. The girl did not remember much of her journey through the Rift, she had been young and was relatively certain her mother had done something to suppress those memories; but she was more than alright with that. The Rift was not something she wanted to remember, neither were the Riftborn.

Moving into the woods as she neared the city, Étaín had chosen to come in through the park to go directly to the city center encountering the fewest being possible. But as she entered the trees, she felt a rush of cold and heard a nightmarish voice growling, panting, and then a petrifying roar...and stopped cold as she saw what could only be a Riftborn lunging at a girl in the market.

Kiareii
Crew

Seeker


Kiareii
Crew

Seeker

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:31 pm



Only feeling more ...anxious as he watched the fog continue to dissipate, Azra'iel wondered if there was something to be done. None of his commanders were out and about, yet, and the remaining Knights in the vicinity were mostly castle guards, not those generally assigned to missions abroad. Seeing no one he knew or recognized on the grounds, the light witch decided to start back toward his home to get his full armor and other weapons... just in case.

His sword and chest plate were the only things he had grabbed on his way to the castle, and there was a strange, violent undertone on the wind.

Climbing back down the stairs and ladders on the decks, he moved back the way he had come with the same determined stride. Many more people were out and about keeping a nervous eye on the skies than he had originally noticed on his way toward the castle. Instead of continuing through the uneasy crowds starting to gather in the streets, he moved to take a shortcut through the park. His home was just on the other side.

Hearing screams and crashes however, drew his attention away from home and toward a nearly indescribable creature bearing down on a young witch just blocks away. Drawing his sword and slinging the scabbard over his back, he ran full tilt toward the scene of destruction.
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:53 pm


Brighid turned as a less-than-cordial voice addressed her from behind and took a step back, mind numb with shock as she was instantly identified by the stranger. She did naught but stare at him and blink, though- she would prefer to avoid a fight when she had no idea what situation she was in. The twitch his fingers did not go unnoticed by the spiritus; but when he ran off after giving her a warning she just gave a little growl of annoyance... And coiled her tail around a leg as best she could with something akin to embarrassment.

If one could instantly spot her, perhaps a venture into a city of witches wouldn't be such a great idea... She did value her hide, after all.

Turning around, she began to quickly walk away when she heard it: Kill... Kill... Kill..., and the sounds of a great beast tearing at whatever stood in its path. How could she not have noticed it before? It was a great beast indeed, and a rabid one at that. As much as she wasn't particularly fond of witches or humans, she couldn't let a beast like that run rampant.

And who knew, if she helped them they might be obliged to return the favor. Letting her hands turn to their natural state as blade-like claws, she charged at the beast with a roar.

Halcyon Flight


Miidnight Melody

Feisty Bunny

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:27 pm


The Fenrir spiritus couldn't stand still now. Not when the dark fog began to disperse in the air above them. The Knights would understand if he's not there; especially with the sound of ruptured earth echoed to his ears. In the skies, he could see what has erupted from the ground and he gasped softly in surprise to see such a creature here. The crowd shriek in fear of the riftborn at sight and Fol pushed himself through the sea of people, growling in anger for they are too slow, until he stopped and saw the sight of what appears to be a young brunette witch who happens to be in sight of the creature's eyes. He saw his fellow Knight, Azra`iel, off the distant and with his sword at hand. But Fol made a dash towards to the scene; not to the riftborn but to the witch. His armor was soon being encased with ice as his magic was released to give him the extra defense when he leaps forward to grab the young witch and carry her away to safety . . . if they can make it. A reckless move but Fol has to protect her.
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:30 pm


OOC: When addressing me, please put my character's name in bold, or a description of him that I will know, in bold. Otherwise, I will miss your post.

Mischa had been pressing his scythe to a whetstone, over and over, sharpening it into a maddeningly dangerous point. His sewn-on smile made him look much happier than he felt today. He'd been benched... Careless? Reckless? How dare they... So what if he accidentally killed a few feeder witches? They were supplying a majin with hearts! They were as bad as the majin was... Majin were are vile... Like ticking time bombs, all of them.

As he pressed the whetstone against his scythe again, a shudder in the earth caused him to miss, slicing the flesh of his hand. He growled, licking at the blood as it oozed from the wound. He'd have to dress that later... But first...

He looked up into the sky, seeing the dark fog. he said as he allowed his gaze to linger just a bit more.

He jumped down from the rock he'd been sitting on, near the outskirts of Lumena, heading toward the city. He had to inform any Blackhearts about. Benched or not... Something baaaad was happening, and the Blackhearts were the only ones who wouldn't be caught with their asses hanging out... or so Mischa hoped.

"s**t..." he said as he saw what he seriously wished he didn't see coming straight for the city. "I'm going to bloody murder you, you ******** son of a b***h." He dropped his whetstone, his shadow magic enveloping his body as it created pictures of monsters against his skin, occasionally moving to hover over him, like ghouls. Sometimes it had a mind of its own...especially when Mischa was angry.

He saw the creature stop in front of a young witch with earthy colors as her attire. Though that wasn't his main concern at the moment for a man with ice magic seemed to be doing fine with removing her from the situation. What was, was the spiritus who'd revealed herself charging at the demon. To watch? Or to involve? That was the question. Mischa wasn't good with acting without orders... Welp...

He shrugged, running toward the massive beast. If he was going to die... Wouldn't this be the most interesting way to do it? Still...he wanted someone to give him an order...

Infinite Nebulae
Crew

Fashionable Fatcat


baby_gwing

Fanatical Raider

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:37 pm


A victim of his tendency to oversleep, Lea hurriedly made his way to the park where he was supposed to meet Cedar, a very displeased look on his face though it was really directed more to himself than anything else at the moment as he hoped against hope that he wouldn't put her in a foul mood with his being late. He was nearly there when he stopped to flick his gaze to the sky, a low growl arising from the back of his throat at the unmistakeable shaking of the earth that accompanied the rapidly darkening skies overhead.

Unnatural.

Things that defied what had already been defined as ordinary were rarely good and that spurred him to press on. She wasn't where she was supposed to be when he reached the designated meeting spot and that started to worry him, a sickening sensation in his stomach as he scented the air then started off in search of her whereabouts. He eventually found her, albeit in the worst of situations as something huge and monstrous was about to make her its prey.

There wasn't enough time for him to make a dash and attempt to pull her away to safety, so he tried to do what he could, summoning a few icicles with his magic and hurling them at the creature in the hope of diverting its attention if only briefly, so as to spare Cedar further harm while hoping that the Spiritus (Fol) would be able to reach her in time.
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