the wind talks back
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#1
Amalia
I took the stars from our eyes and I made a map
I knew that somehow I could find my way back
Together they make their way through the snow, huddled and shivering against the cold. Amalia chooses her leopard shift, sorry for the silence it creates between herself and Phoebe but grateful for its comfort in the harshness of this place. Never before has she seen a land to apt, so fitting for her first new skin; it is strange, then, how uneasy it makes her, given how right the leopard feels.

Or perhaps that uneasiness comes with their task. Amalia cannot say she is enthused to be taking these next steps, especially knowing who it is they are likely to meet as they arrive. The Lauceleyns, a chapter she thought behind her- what likelihood could there possibly be, that they should listen to reason? That they should care for the cause presented, to guard the rest of the world from decay? She cannot imagine a world in which Zariah is sympathetic. A world in which the battle they have been tasked with becomes easier, by this fight. She cannot imagine anything she would like to do less than stand before the woman again and try to hold her temper.

Except, of course, for letting down her gods.

Amalia shifts back to her human form as they come before the walls, pulling shield and staff from her bracer, her expression fixed and stern. Behind it, though, anxiety rests, enough that Remi and Jigano will be able to find it easily should they look. Upon her shoulder Jyoti coos soothingly, starlight circling around the pair as they gaze up at the castle. She has gotten them here, but now that they are so close, girl finds herself frozen, glancing uneasily between her companions.

She does not know how it is one calls for royalty to appear.
Then I heard your heart beating,
you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
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#2
Some chose fur while others chose scales to brave the frigid cold of Halo's bitter climate. It had taken Remi and Amalia both to coax Jigano through the portal, the bard's courage sorely taxed from his last encounter in that room, but once through he had shaken off his human form and stretched feather-scaled wings as he leapt into the snowy sky, feeling cold air cut across his skin like a caress. The silver dragons of his homeworld were mountain-dwellers as well with an affinity for cold, often in conflict with the white and red dragons who vied for similar lairs, but he had a home already and felt nothing more than an odd sense of comfort in his new form as he rose up to find the marked path, then returned to the ground to walk beside Amalia and Remi, gleaming silver against the snow and marred only by the large bag he carried in his jaws, filled with the gifts Ingrid had warned him to bring.

Isuma rode Amalia's shoulders, her snow leopard-and-snowy owl fur and feathers fluffed out for maximum warmth as she snuggled into her big sister's ruff while they trekked to the Citadel. Upon reaching it Jigano set his bag down and coiled up behind Amalia, resting his large head beside her on the snow and crooning softly in support as he tilted it to brush his cheek against her. Courage, he murmured through the Attuned bond to her and Remi both before he shifted back to his human form and raised his orator trained voice to cut clear through the wind and weather.

"Hello the Citadel! Travelers from the Hollowed Ground seek entrance, and an audience with Neron Launceleyn!"
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
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#3



phoebe
Unlike the others, Phoebe had no fur or scales upon which to rely in this situation. Instead, she was bundled in furlined garb, heavy boots, and so on to keep the chill at bay. Even so, the cold of Halo was breathtaking - and not in a good way. But thankfully, she was able to arrive on the back of ManticoRemi, the fur of his mane keeping what little of her exposed face from freezing off in flight. Even Pim wore a fur-lined sweater of sorts to keep some of the chill at bay from his scales.

The dragonling roared as fiercely as he could upon landing, still displeased with the cold. He wanted in now. Phoebe shushed him quietly through her scarf as she carefully slid off MantiocRemi's back. Hopefully the Warden would greet them quickly.
pink is my favorite color
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 15 - Strg: 68 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 100 - Luck: 93 - Int: 3
ORIA - Mythical - Spriggan (Ghost)
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#4
& i sing hallelujah, ripped through my veins
Unable really to speak to Phoebe as they flew, the pair had to rely mostly on crude forms of sign language (or grunts on Remi's part). Luckily the alchemist more or less knew the way they were meant to take and needed little guidance.

Landing near the gates where Jigano and Amalia had already gathered, the alchemist waited a moment before opting to shift back into his normal body. While a manticore might have been an intimidating silhouette to see, the man within was anything but. He'd not have the group made out to be brutes on his account. Courage. Remi thought back, sending mental pulses of affection and an unfettered nervousness to Jigano and Amalia, before nudging Phoebe affectionately with his shoulder.
i heard the hammer drop, my blood in the rain

Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Neron Launceleyn
the Hailstorm
Barman at the VlamVloed

Age: 29 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 5 - Strg: 19 - Dext: 19 - Endr: 23 - Luck: 14 - Int:
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#5
NERON
show me how defenceless you really are
The Portal Guardians came, they called outside the gates... and they waited. And waited. Then waited some more. A couple of heads peeped up from the top of the walls, then scurried off through the battlements to find the Warden they called for. Because of course he wasn't conveniently sitting by in order to answer their call - not that they had been expecting as such, presumably. It was still some time before the doors to the Citadel began to crank and groan, and a snowy gale escaped them in a flurry to reveal a lone figure in black, striding out towards them.

Wessex had come to see Neron and had informed him about the, ah, change of power. And now four strangers rocked up and asked for an audience with him. How fortuitous. He, of course, assumed this was the new rule rocking up in the Hollowed Grounds, and so his steel eyes flickered between Amalia and Phoebe.

"Welcome to the Citadel," he said. His voice carried like a chime through the snowbanks to them, though he seemed impossibly small against the backdrop of mighty doors and steep walls. "Which one of you might I call Rexanna, Queen of the Hollowed Grounds?"
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#6
Amalia
I took the stars from our eyes and I made a map
I knew that somehow I could find my way back
The man who greets them takes a good amount of time doing it- and in that time Amalia's steeled nerves begin to crumble and bend, leaving her shivering and terribly uncertain as she stands there in the cold. Fur has returned to cover the few exposed parts of her body (and some of the unexposed parts, too); still she feels the chill in her bones, biting and worse than anything she's known before.

At last, though, their presence is answered. Amalia cannot help the sigh of relief that escapes her at the sight of the man: at least it isn't Zariah, she thinks, silently thanking Safrin for this smallest of mercies. Oh, she knows the name that must go along with him, has been warned by Loren about this twin with a different face- but she feels less abject fear in the face of him than she does the Tyrant, and with her friends behind her Amalia swallows, slowly stepping forward.

"Are you Neron Launceleyn?" Amalia asks, before shaking her head at his question. "No, we... we aren't here on Rexanna's behalf. Or the Hollow Grounds at all. We came - the Old Gods have given us a task. To try to keep the portal system from being used by the Voice."
Then I heard your heart beating,
you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
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#7
They waited. And waited. And Jigano finally did what Amalia so often and so casually did: sprouted fur, soft and thick, hidden beneath his layers to trap what remaining warmth he could. When the doors finally opened he was just turning to Phoebe with concern and a murmured: "If you're getting frostbite, I can Heal it?" but hopefully the approach of the Warden meant they'd be reaching warmth soon.

Or not, as he came to them rather than having them led inside to attend upon him, as Jigano had been expecting. Blue eyes appraised the dark-clad man from within the bard's own many layers, only the thin strip of skin between hats and scarves visible. The mention of Rexanna had him raising a hidden brow; clearly Neron was better informed of their goings-on than he'd expected. But Amalia gathered her courage and stepped forth to speak for them, as their most pious member and therefore defacto leader, and he sent his encouragement to her as she faced the Warden and spoke the truth in simple and forthright terms. He could only undermine her authority by adding anything more, so he stayed where he was, a stalwart presence at her back, supportive and ready to help should she ask it.
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 15 - Strg: 68 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 100 - Luck: 93 - Int: 3
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#8
aúsi, nos paramas // & still we stand
Remi remembered Neron. Only just, but the memory was there.

A sign. Some declaration against Bellamy. And he'd torn it off in an unlikely outburst of loyalty to the Master Chief. Neron had been there along with the other blue bloods, and thanks to the lawyer Remi had nearly found himself in jail. Delphine was the only reason he'd managed to walk away.

The memories of that day were almost as chilling as the frigid air around them, and the pulse of gratitude he sent towards Amalia for having the tongue to speak didn't even begin to scrape the surface of how he felt.

THE
ALCHEMIST

Table coding by Sky
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
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#9
I believe that the darkness reminds us where light can be
It was cold, bitterly cold. And the longer they stood there, colder she grew. Unlike her companions, she had no fur to sprout to help, and even layers of warm clothes eventually became ineffective in the icy wind. But Phoebe was smart enough to keep moving, if only slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to another. At Jigano's question she smiled a little but shook her head. She was frigid cold, but no frostbite quite yet.

Phoebe had never met Neron, but she knew he was from the same world as her, and had an idea she thought of the sort of customs he would expect. And as Amalia answered him, direct, without using titles or introduction and stumbling over her words for clarity, she felt her stomach sink. This might not go over so well with one of noble background like Neron, and so she stepped in. The midwife drew on her finishing school training and dipped her head respectfully to Neron, lacking a skirt with which to curtsey at the moment. "Thank you for your welcome, it is an honor to meet you Warden Neron. If I might introduce, I'm Phoebe Steadman, Dean of the Hollowed Grounds Medical College, this is Amalia Chandrakant, the Shield of Safrin, Jigano Silversmith, the Sage and Provost of the Loreseeker's Guild, and Remi Taliesin, Founder of the Artisan's Guild and our resident Alchemist. As Amalia said, we come on a task from the Old Gods regarding the portals, and hope you'd be willing to discuss partnership in this." she said softly, choosing her words carefully.
phoebe


Coding base by Sky!
Neron Launceleyn
the Hailstorm
Barman at the VlamVloed

Age: 29 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
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#10
NERON
show me how defenceless you really are
Neron glanced between the two women as they spoke - one frugal with her words, the other talking entirely too much - and recognised in Phoebe the marks of Northaven. (They were not difficult to distinguish). But whatever customs the former duke might have been used to, once upon a time, Halo quite frankly had no time for that sort of pomp, and was more interested in staying alive through Deepfrost. Still, the names and titles were greatly appreciated, and he nodded to each of them as he matched faces to introductions. Less appreciated was the fact that they were not the queen he had come to expect.

And they arrived on a quest from the old gods, no doubt. Tilting his head, he considered them in silence for a long moment, feeling no need to confirm his identity given that he had all but been recognised, apparently. "I suppose you had better follow me, then, and tell me more." Turning on heel, he walked back through the gates and motioned for the guards to keep them open and allow the group to follow.

"Why is it important, that the Voice is prevented? And how do you expect a partnership with me to contribute to this?" he asked as they entered the Citadel.
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 15 - Strg: 68 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 100 - Luck: 93 - Int: 3
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#11
aúsi, nos paramas // & still we stand
The alchemist followed, feeling entirely out of place as he had done the last time he'd meant Neron in a world far, far away from this one. Still, he was part of this collective whether he wanted to be or not. Still, he had to bite on the inside of his lip to keep his lips from twisting into a rueful smirk at Neron's first question. Why indeed.

Hands folded behind his back and lingering at the back of the group as long as he could, the alchemist would merely listen. There was probably nothing he could contribute that Jigano couldn't say better, Amalia could say more pointedly, or Phoebe could say more passionately.

THE
ALCHEMIST

Table coding by Sky
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#12
Amalia
I took the stars from our eyes and I made a map
I knew that somehow I could find my way back
Evidently her greeting had been rather insufficient, if Phoebe's interjection was anything to go by. Insecurity flushes in her cheeks, luckily already rosy from cold; she falters as he spins around to lead them into the Citadel, not sure if she ought to (or wants to) maintain her position as unofficial leader of their ragtag group.

The stalwart support of both Remi and Jigano that propels Amalia forward, though her voice is distant when she speaks again. "I... don't know how much you know of the Voice, or her effect on the lands she's taken an interest in." She's peering at what scant foliage she can find, looking for signs of Blight and wondering how anything could thrive somewhere so harsh. "In her efforts to open a portal in the Greatwood she and her Ascended spread a Blight that corrupted all the living things it touched. They then felled a sacred tree, despite the protest of the Fae. Five of the Fae died as well."

Somber, Amalia turns her dark eyes back to their host. "Have you seen anything unusual in the plant life here? Or the people? Any... blackening, or corruption?"
Then I heard your heart beating,
you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
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#13
Amalia and Phoebe had the important points covered, for the most part. The Shield had answered Neron's question and given their reason for coming, and the Dean had handled introductions. Jigano followed along, staying near the middle of the group as he listened to Neron's rather pointed question and considered the land they had passed through. A bleak, cold, hungry place, not without a certain brutal beauty, but likely unforgiving of mistakes.

Likely not too keen on charity, either, with so few resources to go around.

He waited for Amalia to list the violent steps the Ascended had taken so far in exploring and opening new portals, nodding acknowledgment. "They also killed a Guardian of Rae, set to prevent Ascended from using the portal within the Hollowed Grounds," he added quietly. "Though I suppose in order to find what common ground we have I would ask this: how are the gods, particularly the Old Gods, viewed in your land?" If the Old Gods were held in little regard, then asking the Halovians for help might indeed be a moot point.
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
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#14
I believe that the darkness reminds us where light can be
Phoebe fell silent and followed, Pim walking in step with her. Quietly she listened as Amalia and Jigano explained the situation with the Voice; the dangers she posed and harm she had done elsewhere. While she didn’t exactly wish to overwhelm the Warden with more information, given how much had been loaded into the few sentences her comrades spoke, she did note that neither seemed to address his second question. ”And as you are the Warden of Halo, we thought if any could influence restriction on travel here, it would be you.” she added simply to make sure the Warden’s questions were covered in full.
phoebe


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