darkSpyro

Plot: The world of Anguis is normally a peaceful place. Although it has many inhabitants of all different kinds, they were usually able to get along, or at the very least, go their separate ways to avoid conflict. However, recent events seem to have everyone in an uproar. Many are fearful, some are enraged and ready for war. What has got everyone so worked up?

The reason being is that a large cloud of lime green poisonous gas has been spreading over the land. This gas kills any plant life it touches, and quickly kills any lifeform that breathes it in. Poison elemental creatures, however, are immune to such gasses, but they're being corrupted upon breathing in this gas.

Along with this gas, several Poison elemental creatures are wreaking havoc, causing death and destruction wherever they go. These creatures only seem to be out during the day, however, and only spread this poison gas with them when the sun is out.

At night, the Shadow creatures take over in their place. With them, they bring a black cloud of darkness that blankets the land. This dark cloud has similar properties as the poison gas. It slowly wastes away plantlife, but corrupts any living creature that breathes it in, dark or not.

Chaos is spreading, and the other species of the world are nearly panicking. Some want to run and hide, others want to fight. Either way, the Shadow and Poison dragons are to blame for all this. However, it seems strange that they may be partners, seeing as how their cities are at opposite ends of the world. Could the Shadow and Poison dragons really be behind all of this?

Setting: The world of Anguis. http://i.imgur.com/EUCshgE.png

(Forgive me for the small picture, it was about the only way I could upload it here for you to see. If you have any questions or concerns about it, please let me know.)

(orange square, far NorthWest) Turvaline City: Your journey will be starting here.

* I won't get into which city is which just yet. I'll cover them as they become relevant, as that will be easier on me and also save us time. Just know that each one, aside from four cities, are home to a single elemental dragon kind, and creatures of that element. The map squares are color coded to show this. If you want your character to be from a city other than Turvaline, then talk to me first so that I can tell you which city may best fit your character.

Rules:

I am the GM, hear me roar! Actually, I don't roar, but you get the idea.

No Godmodding, Mary Sues/Gary Stus, etc.

I would greatly appreciate it if everyone tried not to write one-sentence posts and used proper grammar and spelling.

Romance and violence allowed, but keep it PG-13

I will not put a limit on characters, but you have to keep up with all of them. I better not see any left in a ditch somewhere to die. Whether you have one or ten, you better not forget any of them.

This is a medieval fantasy world rp. You can be creative and use any race, but within reason. It should be some sort of mythical creature that would fit in a fantasy world. So no modern technology, and no robots and the like. If you're unsure about something, don't hesitate to ask.

You can not have more than three elements. Yes, you can have your own made up element, as I will be using one myself. However, either on your sheet or in PM, you have to explain what it is and make sure it isn't overpowered.

If you have any ideas, or anything at all you would like to add or discuss, then I'm all ears. You can use OOC, but please also provide actual story content if you do that. PMs are fine as well, and I'm on Skype. So you have no excuse for not talking to me first and asking permission before you do something.

Please don't use a picture for your character that you did not either draw yourself, had drawn for you, or created in a generator. Be considerate of the artist and don't steal their work.

Just a note or reminder, your character should come from another world. They enter Anguis through a portal, summoned to help this world. You should all start in the same place so that you can be explained the situation and get to know your comrades.

Character Sheet:

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Species:

Elements:

Appearance:

Personality:

History:

Other:

My Characters:

Name: Firefly

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Species: Empath Dragon

Elements: Empathy (If you don't know already, you'll find out what this is soon enough)

Appearance: Firefly is a skinny, slender dragon. She appears to almost have no fat or muscle. However, she is a bit tall compared to most dragons her age, and has long limbs. Her skinny frame make her look physically weak and frail. Firefly has bright ruby red scales, with a lighter shade of red for her belly and wing membrane. Her eyes are a vibrant fiery orange. Firefly has six white horns that all curve backwards, with the top two curving slightly upward, the middle two simply curving backwards, and the bottom two curving slightly downwards. She also has a small, white horn at the end of her snout that slightly curves back towards her face. Firefly has small white spikes from the back of her head to the tip of her tail. The end piece at the tip of her tail is small, white, and shaped like a spade.

Personality: Firefly is generally calm and quiet. She can be a bit shy with strangers, but she always tries to be polite and friendly. It greatly upsets her to see someone hurting, and she will do whatever she can to help. She enjoys helping people and making them feel better. Firefly doesn't like to fight, but she is very smart. She is usually quick to think of a plan to get herself out of trouble. Firefly also loves to read books and learn new things.

History: It's a mystery where her egg really came from. The Empath dragons are a rare and little known species of dragon. They were thought to be non-existent or extinct, until Firefly came along. It's unknown what happened to her family, but it is speculated that they were likely all wiped out by someone or something. Her egg was found by someone who was kind enough to take her in and raise her as their own. She just recently arrived in the city of Turvaline, and has only been there for about a week. Ever since her arrival, she seems to spend nearly all her time at the local library, studying.

Other: She travels with the guardian who raised her.


Name: Omen

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Species: Gryphon

Elements: Air and Shadow

Appearance: Omen is a large, muscular gryphon. He is quite buff and bulky. His fur and feathers are solid black. He has a black beak like a raven's, and his front legs are like thick, muscular bird talons. He has the gleaming yellow eyes of a panther, and he has the strong back legs of the wild feline. He has a big, fluffy, furry mane around his neck. Omen's wings are large and strong enough to support his bulky body with relative ease. He has the tail of a panther, with small, black feathers at the tip, almost resembling a lion's tail. Even despite his bulk, he is smaller than the average adult dragon, being around the size of the average juvenile dragon.

Personality: Omen can be a bit anti-social, as he generally rarely cares for social interaction. Still, he always tries to be polite to strangers at the very least. Omen is stubborn and strong-willed. He sticks firm to his views and beliefs, and once he gets an idea in his head, it can be hard to talk him out of it. He can sometimes be a bit prideful as a fighter, and isn't easily intimidated, even by dragons. Omen is very protective of those he cares about, and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe.

History: His life was hectic at times, but generally pretty normal. Omen came from a large family of Gryphons, having several brothers and sisters. He was one of the better behaved younglings, and was often forgotten or left out. He didn't cause trouble or need as much attention, so he was often left to fend for himself a lot of the time, or was forced to look after his younger siblings. He didn't really mind, but the crazy family life just wasn't for him. He had enough of being forgotten, except for when he was needed. So one day, he just left. He just flew off into the world and never looked back. From then on, he was on his own, exploring the world and fending for himself. He quite enjoyed his adventures. While on his travels, he found an abandoned egg. Although he liked being alone, he couldn't leave a poor, defenseless creature alone in the world. He tried searching for the egg's family, but found no one. Omen tried to take the egg to one of the cities, and leave it in someone else's care, but it ended up hatching before he could get anywhere. When the baby dragon looked up at him, nothing but trust and love in her eyes, it became hard to part with her. Even when he tried, she was too attached to him, and he realized that he was attached to her, too. So Omen decided to take care of the hatchling himself, and they've been together ever since.

Other: He is Firefly's guardian, and he travels with her.

See other post for information concerning Raclaw (a fur dragon) and Caelan (a human cursed with lycanthrophy).

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Name: Darin
Age: 21 (or gryphon equivalent)
Gender: Male
Species: Gryphon / Elven (shape-shifter)
Elements: telepathy (see"Other")

Appearance: His appearance varies, depending on his form. Both forms share the same brown eyes as well as a distinctive scar over the left eye.

Elven form - In his elven form, he's average height for his race (whom are taller then humans) and has light brown hair. He wears leather armor for light protection and is capable of handling weapons in this form. In this form, he has a simple hunting bow and a scimitar. The former is mainly used for hunting while the can be used for close quarter combat. [image credit to "LotR Scene Maker"]

Gryphon form - In his gryphon form, he's average size for a gryphon and is tan/white/brown. His scar is more obvious in this form and allows others to recognize him. [Image credit to adoren]

Personality: He's brave, tends to strategize, and is quite loyal to his friends. However, he's cautious around new people and is more or less fearful of the humans. He's comfortable for serving as the occasional mount, but only with those he truly trusts. Being 2/3 gryphon, he greatly prefers his gryphon form especially when alone or with friends. He may use his elven form with strangers or certain social situations such as selling his kills.

History: Darin comes from a universe with many humanoid races (humans, elves, others) and many mystical races (gryphons, used to have large[r] dragons). Darin's land, in particular, is Torphen and is bordered to the north by Falaben (dwarven) and Talath (human). The elven land of Torphen has mostly elves and gryphons. Half-elves are also somewhat abundant and humans are less common. The human and dwarven lands are just south of Baug, a vile place where cold-hearted people thrieve and where slavery is common. In a land where dragons are no more, gryphons have become the best best next thing to "obtain" (aka enslave) and this profitable trade is greatly aided by some of the evil-minded humans.

Darin is a gryphon/elven shape-shifter and originally lived in/nearby a small village. His history, however, begins with an elven shape-shifter (his mother) and a gryphon (his father). His mother was capable of shifting to that of a gryphon and managed to help a male gryphon in its time of need. The gryphon fell for her and the shape-shifter was known for spending an unhealthy amount of time as a gryphon. It became her means of protecting herself and her gryphon instants sort of took over. That was how Darin was born and two accepted each other-- as gryphons. They originally lived the human land of Talath, but attempted to travel to Torphen. They managed to find a small isolated island, but the peace did not last long. Within a year, humans showed up hoping to set-up an illegal base of operations. When they encountered two gryphons and their cub, they attempted to capture them. They first caged the cub and the father became furious. While he attempted to fight them off, the shape-shifter mother grabbed a hold of the cage and flew to the mainland. She dropped the cage, half-breaking it due to impact and immediately flew back for the father. She wanted their cub to be safe above all else, but couldn't bear to leave the other gryphon. In their attempts to fight back, their lives were lost but the cub survived.

Tiger-like gryphons found Darin on the side of an old dirt road. These gryphons resided deep within the Calen Forest near the village of Eryn. He had amnesia and had only remembered his name. They took him in and raised/trained him for many years. At the age of 14, a half-elven hunter accidentally shot an arrow through one of his wings and caused him to crash as he was flying overhead. As the hunter pulled out the arrow, something triggered in him and he shifted to his original elven form. This hunter, whom went by the name of Logan, ended up becoming his adopted elven father. After being brought back to Eryn, he was mainly raised by the half-elves. Being raised/trained as a gryphon for much of his life (about 2/3), he was a natural hunter and tracker. This translated to his Elven specialization in the use of the bow. He later gained a scimitar for close quarter combat, but often served as a ranger/archer for the occasional bandit. Despite this, he had never forgotten his gryphon form and even still slept in that form. [image credit to "Create a Griffin"]

Eventually, he really went back to his roots and moved back into the woods. He found a nearby cave and began to hunt again in his gryphon form. From this point on, he more-or-less became the protector of Eryn and watched over it via the air. One night, a group of human outlaws (slavers?) managed to find his cave and attempted to capture him for their own unlawful purposes. They failed, but not without a cost. He received his scar and became blind in his left eye. [Note: He can still see out of his right eye.] Before the outlaws attempted their capture, though, they first came as traveling merchants. One of the villagers knew them and believed they could be trusted. After the incident, both Darin and his people became distrustful of all humans and their kind became truly unwelcome. Eventually... humans were again allowed in the village, but only if they were passing through and under very close watch. Darin wanted nothing more to do with their kind and often stayed away from them out of fear.

Other: Darin is 2/3 gryphon and 1/3 elven. His strengths include the ability to shape-shift, knowledge of the woods, swiftness, & his hunting/tracking skills. However, these strengths are paired with weaknesses. These include the fact that he can only shape-shift a few times a day, his claustrophobia, and the fact that he is completely blind in his left eye. If mounted in his gryphon form, his speed is also lessened. Another thing worth noting is that Darin's means of communication is slightly limited while in his gryphon form. While he can speak to animals and other creatures with no issues, his only means of communicating with people is via telepathy. This ability results from his shape-shifter origins and is necessary due to the gryphon's natural inability to speak the common tongue.

Name: Borris Geraleo Dilla

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Species: Kiralovast (ICE)

Elements: Ice, Healing

Appearance: He looks like this.

Personality: Borris is a tenacious, independent, warmhearted Kiralovast. He goes out of his way for people, and has a strong sense of duty. Though he is goofy, rash, blunt, cold, and clueless, he makes sure his allies are protected. People could say he's a guardian.

History: Borris was raised near the outskirts of the city. He and his two other siblings, Donavin and Casey. Borris’ parents, Geraleo and Asylum, left home to complete their mission that they have had when Casey was one. They have had this mission since the day they were born, alongside two others; but once they left, they never returned. Borris, and what was left of his family, left to see Sheila, an old friend of Asylum. She took care of them, until Borris was old enough to support them on their own.

Borris moved to the city of Polark. They found an apartment in the middle of the city, near the Citadel. Borris had many jobs around the area, mostly work like heavy lifting and delivery. He earned enough to support them minimally, but he knew he wanted to do more. The Citadel had openings for the Knighthood, and so Borris took the opportunity. Borris passes the Exam and is accepted as a Knight, along with three other friends, Jack, Tiger and Arter. Each with their own reason, Borris spent most of his knighthood chasing down thieves and others who cause disturbances in the city or area.

As he worked, he was finally promoted to the title of "Elite Knight" and was given his new armor. Now he leads raids with the lower ranking knights, raids that clear bandits and secret organizations.

Other:

• Borris loves sandwiches.
  
• He has two forms. A Heroic Form and an Elemental form. Heroic is a form where a spirit becomes the user's armor and increases certain abilities depending on the spirit. For Borris, his speed and strength are heightened. For the Elemental Form, his elemental abilities are heightened depending on the environmental conditions. For Borris, Hail or Snow would make him be able to activate this form. Both forms are a last resort, for both of them put massive strain on the user, can cause them to lose conscious, and also makes them very vulnerable to death for their defenses are completely dropped for damage.
  
• The gloves he wears under his armored arm and his left arm help control his elemental power. Without them he can't control his powers since his powers are volatile and versatile in power. His power could range from powdered snow to an ice age(over-exaggerated).
  
• Borris hates theives and bandits. He hates the idea of theft. Stealing one person’s hard earned belongings is a very big no no. He will, and I repeat, he will try and kill you, or nearly kill you. He doesn’t like them at all, he thinks of them very lowly. Like spiders. He hates those too, but not as much as thieves.
  

See other post for information concerning Darin, a gryphon/elven shape-shifter.

NOTE: Raclaw used to be named "Bikil" before being reinvented.

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Name: Raclaw
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Species: Fur Dragon
Elements: Fire & telepathy

Appearance: He has feathered wings and a furred body. He has a thick adjustable collar made of genuine leather. [Temporary Image WITHOUT collar]

Personality: Raclaw is a curious dragon and a tad timid. Still somewhat tame after his time with the humans-- he chooses to be a little gentler, but can be serious when he needs to be.

History: Raclaw originally lived with a human family, first as a pet and later as an sort of guardian. Found as a young "pup" and abandoned shortly after birth-- these humans raised and took care of him for a time. He was not treated like a slave nor was he caged, but rather he was collared and treated like an outdoor pet on the family farm. For the protection of both the family and nearby neighbors-- his collar had special gems embedded into it and an complicated latch system that only an human could use to remove the collar. These gems blocked both fire and telepathy, preventing him from ether harming others or even controlling others. He often played with the family dog, often playing rough and requiring the family to wear protective gear from time-to-time. Later on, the dog died due to unknown causes.

When he approached his mid-teens, he started to want more and his "family" soon released him into the nearby woods. As they removed the collar, he thanked them via his newly found telepathic abilities. However, he also pleaded to keep the collar so that he would always appreciate the ones who raised him. It was then that they modified it-- removing the gems, simplifying the complicated latch system, and removing the identification recognizing him as a pet.

For a little while, he kept close keeping an eye on his formor owners but soon went off to live his own life. He discovered more of his own kind in a nearby land, began to learn and master his own abilities, and occasionally visited his old human family from time-to-time. They were mere farmers in what he thought was a safe community, not needing much in the way of protection. Unfortionly for him, this wasn't entirely right. One day, he came back for a visit only to find dead bloody bodies and strange hairy beasts running off in the distance. Later identified as werewolves, these creatures has raided his farm and killed off those he considered family. Upon returning to the land where he had discovered his own kind, he became a guard. Feeling guilty for not being there for his family, he swore to never remove his old collar and to do all he can to protect others. His collar would forever remind him of the ones who raised him and the ones he lost.

Other: Unknown to him, he has a close connection to a dragolet named Shade. He had actually been secretly brought to the farm by this dragolet, after Shade had discovered him alone and abandoned.
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Name: Caelan
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Species: Human / Werewolf
Elements: Lycanthrophy

Appearance: Due to his recently acquired curse, Caelan now has two forms.

Human form - In his human form, he's average height for his race and has black hair. He wears heavy armor for protection and is capable of handling the sword. [image credit to "LotR Scene Maker"]

Werewolf form - In his werewolf form, he's black(ish), covered in fur, and has extremely sharp claws. His initial were form is anthro and his light green eyes have a glow to them.

Personality: As a werewolf, Caelan will be forced to manage two personalities. There's his normal self and the feral beast within him. As the full moon approaches, this personality will slowly come out and a forced transformation will occur when it arrives. Otherwise.. he's brave, loyal, and will do anything to help those who need it. However, he may be cautious of what other people think of him and what people will think of his condition.

History: Caelan was raised by ordinary farmers in the land of Talath, whom planned to teach him in their ways. However, it didn't take long for him to realize that he wanted to do more then merely tend the land. So.. he went along with it and waited until he became of age. When this occurred, he left and went off to join the local guards. He trained and was eventually sent on his first real mission. One of the local villagers was having an problem with his livestock being killed off and tracks were left leading into the nearby woods. Assumed to be a bear or perhaps a wolf, he was sent to find whatever did it-- and kill it. Unknown to them, there was something much more dangerous out there. It got dark and he proceeded to follow the tracks deep into the woods. They led him into a cave and there was the strong smell of something dead inside. Just barely able to see thinks to the brightness of the full moon, Caelan went further inside and confirmed his suspicions. Something definitely died, but it wasn't livestock and it wasn't the bear's doing. He came across the bloody corpse of the bear and wasn't able to see any further into the cave. Lighting a torch, he continued and that was when he came across it.

It was dark, furry, and wolf-like. Yet, it was anthro and stood upright albeit at a slight angle. It was a werewolf and a werewolf whose attention he had just caught. Unprepared to face such a beast, he almost backed himself against a wall and attempted to defend himself as the beast slashed at him. He needed room and waved the torch in his other hand at the thing. It worked-- and the beast backed up. Caelan temporary gained the upper-hand, dropping the torch and even managing to do some damage to the thing. He found an opening and attempted to strike at its heart. Right when he did that, he felt a surge of pain go through his shoulder as the thing bit into his shoulder. He screamed in pain and his sword fell to the ground. Just then, the beast let go and fell to the ground as well. He caught one glimpse of a hunter before passing out. The next morning, Caelan awoke to find his wounds bandaged and that same hunter looking at him with concern. The hunter hesitated before informing that he had been bitten by a werewolf and that he would likely transform upon the next full moon. Among other things, the hunter warned Caelan to keep his new condition a secret and that he would not hesitate to do what he needed to do-- if he had to.

Other: As of now, he has yet to transform into a werewolf. When his first full moon finally arrives though, his inner beast will come out with a great amount of aggression. This will repeat on every full moon afterwards, with varying degrees of control.

ooc: These are two other characters that I will be using. Putting them here because they won't fit in my previous post. Anyway, we can start if everyone is ready.

Name:Nadia Pryde

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Species: Weretiger

Elements: None

Appearance: As a weretiger, Nadia has three forms; human, hybrid, and animal.
Human form: She is a little taller than average for a human, and she has an atheletic, muscular build. She has jet black hair that she always keeps fixed in a raised ponytail. She has navy blue eyes. She is dressed in all black. She wears a leather jacket, pants, and steel-toed boots.
http://i.imgur.com/AkikcLi.png
Credit: http://www.dolldivine.com/adventurer-maker.php
Hybrid form: This is her anthro tiger form. She is large and powerful, like a feral tiger would be. She looks a little more tiger than human, but her body type is humanoid enough to allow her to comfortably walk on two legs in this form. She is also able to run on all fours. Her front paws are in the shape of human hands, allowing her to grasp things.
And her animal form is simply a regular, orange, Siberian tiger.

Personality: Nadia generally seems anti-social, as she tends to act like she doesn't care about other people and that she wants nothing to do with them. She can be intimidating and tends to have a bit of an attitude. Her short-temper makes it easy to annoy her and get on her bad side. She can be highly aggressive once angered. Although befriending her is no easy task, she can be a rather good friend. Nadia is very loyal and protective. She will do everything she can to keep someone she cares about from getting hurt.

History: Nadia was born and raised in a woodland camp full of all kinds of werecreatures. She was taught how to hunt and fight from an early age. She trained with her father every night, striving to be as strong as him one day. Due to a war between her kind and the vampcreatures, she lost her parents at the age of 13. She fled the camp with her younger sister to find a new home. They moved from camp to camp, just trying to get by and avoid trouble. Nadia and her sister tend to not stay in one place for very long. Most of the werecreatures that have heard of and know Nadia tend to dislike her for her temper and aggression. They generally see her as a liability that causes more harm than good.

Other: Nadia is always with her younger sister. Because of the war and the fact that she lost her parents, Nadia hates vampires and vampcreatures of all kinds. She considers anything that drinks blood to be some sort of vampire and is pretty bent on killing any vamp she finds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Abigail (Abby) Pryde

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Species: Werecat

Elements: None

Appearance: Abby has three forms; human, hybrid, and animal.
Human form: Abby has a petite body type and she tends to look a little young for her age. She has chestnut brown hair that goes down to her waist, with bangs that cover her forehead. She has sky blue eyes. She wears a blue dress that goes down to her ankles, with long sleeves.
Hybrid form: This is her anthro cat form. She has solid white fur and sky blue eyes. Like Nadia's anthro form, Abby's is a little more cat-like than human-like. She can comfortably walk on four legs or two, and her front paws are more like human hands. However, her anthro form is nowhere near as large or muscular. Much like her human form, Abby is still rather petite when she shifts to her anthro form.
Her animal form is simply a short-haired, solid white domestic cat with sky blue eyes.

Personality: Abby is sweet, friendly, and genuinely loves people. She will go out of her way to help someone or simply cheer them up. She tends to look on the bright side of things and likes to provide others with some sort of hope that things will get better. Abby can be rather talkative at times and seemingly never runs out of things to say. She has a tendency to ramble. Abby may seem childlike and innocent, but she is also highly intelligent, and knows when to be mature. Her main profession is healing, but she will not hesitate to pick up a book and learn a new skill that she may need.

History: Like Nadia, Abby was born in a were camp. She spent more time with her mother, learning about health and medicine. She tried to learn all she could from her mother, but unfortunately Abby lost her before she could master her skills as a healer. However, her mother had written some books on healing in case something like that would happen. Abby studied the books extensively, but she still chose to have a mentor to teach her as well. Having a reckless sister gave her some extra experience as well.

Other: Abby is Nadia's sister. Abby does not share Nadia's hate for vampires. Instead, she rather have the war between the races stop altogether. She dislikes fighting in general, prefers to not take part in it, and simply refuses to kill.

It was a cool, cloudy day in Turvaline city. The sun couldn't be seen through the thick clouds, and there was a chilling breeze that blew through the town. Although it seemed like it would rain, not a single drop of water had fallen from the sky yet. The residents of the city went about their day as usual, paying no mind to the current weather conditions.

The residents consisted mostly of various types of dragons. Since the closest cities to Turvaline consist of Shadow, black dragons that have control over darkness, and Psion dragons, purple dragons that have psychic and magical powers, they are a common sight within the city.
Fire dragons are rather common as well. Most of the soldiers and guards tend to be Steel dragons, a species that specializes in metal-morphing and melee combat. Various kinds of gryphons can be seen on occasion, as well as some species of anthro animals.

Turvaline city was known for being one of the safest cities in Anguis. It was built entirely out of tough, thick stone that was rather hard to break. A high wall surrounded the city, with watchtowers scattered around the border. There were always at least two guards in every watchtower, with other guards paroling the border. There was only one gate in and out of the city, and it was always guarded.

The city itself was rather large and heavily populated. Towards the entrance were the barracks for the guards and soldiers of the city. There were also a couple of Inns close to the entrance. The marketplace was also towards the entrance, and it stretched deeper into the city, leading to the local museum, library, schools, etc. In the heart of the city was the castle for the local king and queen, with houses for the higher class citizens located nearby.

The library had been sort of closed for the day on the account of an event that was taking place inside. In the middle of the library stood a large purple dragon. They were rather tall, but they had a slender body type. The dragon had very little muscle definition. Their belly and wing membrane were violet. Their eyes were a pale blue. They had two short, white horns.

"It is time." She said in an elderly voice. The main doors of the library swung open. A red dragon came rushing in, while a black gryphon paused to close the doors. They both soon met up with the purple dragon.

"Ah, Firefly, Omen. You're late. Now we have no time for excuses, so if you both are ready, we can begin. Just stand back and make room for our guests." She paused to give them a chance to get settled. They backed up a bit closer to the entrance to give the elderly dragon some room.

"Aperta Ianua." The dragon chanted. Several portals began to open in a circle around the dragon. The portals would serve as a gateway to other worlds, bringing forth a group of heroes that were being summoned to help.

Here I am. Sorry it took me long, but I'm finally here

Name: Marco

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Species: Marsh Dragon

Element: Earth, and a little poison

Appearance: Resembles a Wyvern with a mild nature. He has plant life growing in his body, has wings attached to his front legs and a horn on his chin. His tail looks more like a fin. He is seen all the time with a crow he formed a symbiotic relationship with.

Personality: Very peaceful and lonely. He loves plants more than anything else and has proven to be very trustworthy and reliable to those few he considers friends. Due to his distance from other animals, he tends to be naïve. However, he is very cunning when he needs to be and displays an unusual sign of intelligence when the situation demands itl.

History: His parents were traveling constantly to find a stable home, but had no choice but to abandon Marco in order to keep migrating. He took a long time to learn to fly, but he befriended a rook crow that became his wings and eyes. He hunted and shared with her, though he grew tired of red meat and now prefers fish and vegetables. When he finally learned to fly, he still gave the crow comfort and protection, while in exchange, she took care of the insects and parasites. He also develops large fondness for gardening, which is why he was summoned to the troubled land.

Other: He is actually a reddish brown color, but the plant life growing on him makes him appear his greenish color.


Name: Kira

Age: 39 (in crow years)

Gender: Female

Species: Rook crow

Element: None

Appearance: A crow with somewhat a white face

Personality: She is barely seen talking. Is also quite narcissistic and very proud to have a powerful animal like a dragon as her protector, not to mention, free food. She is oblivious to the fact that Marco considers her his best friend.

History: She got separated from her family in a storm and ended up in the marshland, where she meet Marco. When she quickly discovered he had no ill intentions, she decided to help the then flightless dragon in order to have a guard and never be afraid of anything.

Other: She tends to show-off with the other birds about the great guardian she has, which is why she is considered annoying and none of them want to do anything with her (not that she cares).

Soon after, another head poked through the portal and another dragon was spat out into the library. "What the--," Bikil said as he got up. The fur dragon was lighter, not causing nearly as much damage as the previous dragon. Bikil had discovered the portal while patrolling the land and peeked his head in out of curiosity.

---

Meanwhile, another creature was entering through another portal. It appeared to be a gryphon and proceeded to walk, not crash, into the library. "Where am I-- and why do you call to me?!", Darin shouted. He willingly entered, but only after being called and wasn't entirely happy about that fact.

Not very far from there, Marco the Marsh Dragon was around, being sucked into a portal, far away from his wetland home. Kira was dragged along, but since she was too busy feasting on some dragonflies, she didn't even realized what happened.

"Aw what? Oh no, I... I don't know this place. That portal came out of nowhere. Where am I?" he said, looking at his surrounding. That place was too unfamiliar.
"This place... I have never seen something like this before." he exclaimed, ignorant to the fact that his feathered friend wasn't even paying attention.

Marco was too distracted looking at the library to notice he wasn't the only one going through that odd situation. Kira however, noticed the two weird strangers, and began to flap her wings to alert Marco.
"I know. Weird structure this is. I wonder if there is a way out..." the marsh dragon said cautiously, thinking that Kira's excitement was because of the building...

Sorry for getting here late. I rarely have time to get on DS anymore, but this'll hopefully keep me coming back. I'm gonna try this, and apologize in advance if I fall behind or have to drop out. Sorry, too, for interrupting the RP with character sheets.

Name: Annabelle Rivers

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Species: Elf

Elements: Light

Appearance: Annabelle is a taller than average woman with long brown hair and dark eyes. She is a natural beauty, and knows it, not hesitating to bat her long eyelashes at a handsome face. She wears a tight white, long-sleeved shirt to show off her form, brown trousers, and carries with her always a brown satchel that holds all the belongings she has, which obviously isn't very much. The only belonging she doesn't carry with her is any money, which she hides in a secret location at all times. Over her outfit, Annabell wears a set of leather armor, except for the boots, and only because she has to. She carries a dagger, preferring to fight up close and personal, and also a sword given to her from the school she attends, along with her armor. Annabelle doesn't care about her appearance, except when it's convenient to her. She'll sometimes be seen in other apparel that she's come across, but will always go back to this. When she needs to remain unseen, she'll wear a long, hooded, brown cloak. She wears no shoes, preferring bare feet, if not only because she can't afford shoes, then also because she can move more stealthily that way.

Personality: Annabelle is fierce and unafraid. She'll rush into almost anything, though most times she just watches. She's sneaky and subtle, unless the situation calls for something more. She's unafraid of getting her hands dirty, and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She's a survivalist, and doesn't want much more than that. She lives for the moment, refusing to worry about the future or fret about the past. She can also be a bit proud and will often times show off. Her biggest pet peeve is rude and ignorant people, as well as injustice of any kind. Upon seeing these things is when she'll act the most rashly. She loves to read and study, and is very much a loner, though that doesn't mean she isn't outgoing and talkative. She's actually quite a social person, but has put up walls, not wanting to get close to anyone - not trusting them. She also hates the wealthy and well off, and is quite sure of herself, though that doesn't necessarily mean she's confident.

History: Annabelle grew up on the streets after her parents died when she was twelve years old. She still remembers them, and keeps them close to her, but refuses to talk about them to anyone, preferring to leave the past in the past and forget what happened. She was taken in, at first, by a tavern owner, where she quickly learned not to trust anyone. He only wanted to use her for her good looks, caring nothing about her well being. She escaped and fled, finding herself in another town where she found a new way of living by becoming a bandit. She made a home for herself in the woods, being quite comfortable by herself in nature. She never held a job, never found love, and didn't mind. Living one day at a time, getting by, she was happy. But everything changed in recent months when she snuck into a training session in the local arena. She watched eagerly, as she always did, wanting to learn to fight, but not being able to afford going to the schooling herself. Watching the warriors being trained to someday, perhaps, join the royal guard, she was able to pick things up easily and train herself later. But on this fateful day, she was, for the first time, caught. She fought off her captors, easily, and they were quite impressed. The head of the training school happened to be there that day, and he stopped her from leaving, much to her shock. She'd always dreamed of meeting him, but not like this. He was somewhat of an idol to her, along with some of the heads of his class. But instead of bringing her death, he offered her hope, the first glimpse she'd seen since before her parents' deaths. He offered her a place in the school, free of charge, much to everyone's shock. She had potential, he said, and he wanted to give her the chance to hone the skills he saw in her. Unable to process what had just happened, she accepted, joining the school and proving her skill day after day, though she isn't always as dedicated as she should be, growing bored if the lessons aren't anything new and exciting.

Other: Though Annabelle has light magic within her, she refuses to admit it, and never uses it. Magic means nothing to her, and she'd much rather fight with steel. She is sometimes referred to as 'Rivers.'

Name: Thomas Culley

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Species: Elf

Elements: Life and Poison

Appearance: Thomas is a tall, tan-skinned man with medium-length, wavy brown hair. He has clear brown eyes, and a charming smile. He wears leather armor over comfortable, soft clothing made of greens and browns. He wears thick brown boots, and carries a steel sword, as well as a bow and a quiver of arrows.

Personality: Thomas is a calm, quiet man, but he isn't afraid to take charge. He's rather wealthy, coming from a very rich family. They got their money by hard work and dedication, and that's how Thomas was raised - to work hard - and he does that every day. He puts his heart and soul into that which he does, and can be a bit of a perfectionist. Rather than joining his family in their business, he decided to take up arms, believing it to be his calling. He loves people and wants to help them in any way he can, and this, he feels is the perfect way to do that. He is very observant in any and every situation, always laying out a plan. He's a strategist, and plans every detail of his life. Like his family, he doesn't flaunt his wealth, but rather uses it to help those less fortunate, as he is very compassionate. Due to his loving and compassionate nature, he can be a bit too trusting of people, and due to his perfectionism, he can be a bit too hard on himself. He is a very content, though driven, individual. He's sure and secure, though lately has begun to doubt himself and his abilities.

History: Thomas grew up with a normal childhood, and upon coming of age, he joined a training school for warriors, where he worked to become his best. It was a perfect fit for him, and everything seemed to be falling in his lap. Each year, he was top of his class and gained more and more responsibilities. He felt blessed and was quite pleased. It was around this time that the school found a new student - one who just sort of fell in their lap. Thomas was taken by the fierce young woman who seemed so sure of herself, and her skill. He watched her daily and was quite impressed with how she progressed. Soon, he was tasked with watching over her, as her personal trainer. They became friends, each glad for the other, and he was filled with joy when she was promoted to the same rank and level as he. No longer was he her personal trainer, but together they trained those under them. Several months passed, and Thomas found himself growing restless. After all the success he had found, he only wanted to continue to grow and get better, so continued to work hard, but nothing more opened up for him. Nothing more fell into his lap. He felt stuck, and though he knew he should be happy and content where he was, he still longed for something more. Sadly, something more came, but not what he was expecting. His new friend and colleague, Rivers, was promoted yet again. It was hard for him to accept that she was promoted and he was not, though he had been told that it was nothing against him. He was truly happy for her, but the rut he was in only pushed against him more tightly. He began to wonder where he was meant to be and what he was meant to be doing. He was eager to graduate his training and join the royal guard, but knew that was still a few years off, so he remained in his rut. It wore at him, and it was very difficult to work alongside Rivers. It grew worse when the head of the school learned Thomas had poison magic within him. It was a threat, and none with poison magic would ever be permitted to graduate and join the royal guard. Thomas would have been expelled instantly if Rivers hadn't stepped in. She threatened to leave if he did. This was hard for him, especially when he learned that the reason she did it was because she looked up to him. The school didn't want to lose her, so they allowed Thomas to stay, but he would never graduate. Not knowing what he would do if he did leave, but also knowing no one wanted him there, Thomas stayed on as a trainer. His rut had become a hole.

Other: As an Elf with Life Magic, Thomas can control plants of any kind. He can also commune with animals and other creatures and due to this can gain their aid and assistance. Though he could, he would never willingly control them. Far from Life Magic is that of poison, and though it seems impossible that an Elf with Life Magic would also posses Poison Magic, for Thomas, it is true. He still doesn't know how he gained this Elemental Magic, and has never used it, but still he knows it's there, begging to be utilized. He calls Annabelle 'Rivers,' and in turn, is called 'Culley' by her.

Bikil saw the flash of something hiding, not quite catching who or what it was. 'More creatures.,' he thought at he noticed the others.

"So I'm not the only one.," Darin said in the same tone as before.

---

A couple minutes later, another creature popped out of a portal-- the same one Darin came out of. It appeared to be a humanoid figure-- a human. The gryphon almost growled as he noticed the new figure. If he wasn't happy before, he certainly didn't appear to be now.

'A human?,' Bikil thought.

Kira could hear the whisper of several others around, but as she was alerting Marco, he became so distracted reading a book that he completely ignored his feathered friend's hysteric flutter...

Thomas stood before the portal, studying it's oddity. It wasn't as if he'd never seen a portal before, but this one was different. It was the first time he'd been sent to investigate one since he'd been told he couldn't graduate.
"Well, what do you think?" A feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. It was Rivers, who had been sent along with him to investigate the portal. Well, 'sent' wasn't exactly the right word.
"I think it doesn't matter. You and I both know why they sent me to investigate this one." With a sigh, he looked deep into the portal. "They want to be rid of me."
Rivers shrugged. "Perhaps... But they don't want to be rid of me, so if this is dangerous, they wouldn't have sent us."
"They didn't want you to come! You just tagged along!" Thomas blurted, feeling suddenly agitated.
"Of course I did," Rivers responded, nonchalantly, studying the portal from many different angles. "We're partners!"
"We're not partners!" His anger was rising. "You're my superior! You were promoted, remember? The partner thing is over. You're the only one in the school still holding onto it."
Rivers' brows creased and a sadness crept into her eyes. "You mean, you don't want our partnership anymore?"
Thomas regretted instantly what he'd said and how he said it. "No, Rivers... It's not like that. I..."
But before he could say more to explain, Rivers frowned, crossed her arms over her chest, and stepped through the portal.
"Rivers!" He called, worried for her safety. There was no telling what awaited them on the other side of that portal, which was why they were there to find out. With a sigh of regret and a shake of his head, he followed her through the portal. What he saw on the other side surprised him.
They seemed to be in a library. Many other creatures were about, but they didn't seem threatening, nor threatened. In fact, they all seemed to be just as confused as he felt, and they all stood in front of portals of their own. Perhaps the portals were sent to summon them all. But for what purpose? Instinctively, Thomas glanced to Rivers. She stood next to him, taking in her surroundings as silently and observantly as he. He continued to glance about, taking in first and foremost the creatures nearby. Some were creatures Thomas had seen before, others were not, but his eyes were drawn to the three creatures who did not stand in front of a portal.

Name: Umbra

Age: Unknown, though when choosing to take a human form he is akin to that of a 22 year old.

Gender: Male

Species: Shadow Being (Can take any shape, including that of someone's Shadow.)

Elements: Spirit, Shadow

Appearance: Umbra has many forms due to being a Shadow Being, meaning he never has one true form that he is always in. However, Umbra does have a 'human' form where he takes the likeness of a human being. When in this form he stands at 5'11 and has the appearance of a slim, though toned young man. He has spiked black hair and is Caucasian with a slight tan. He wears a long sleeved white shirt with a red, plaid shirt on top and a blue jean jacket. He wears grey pants and black cowhide shoes, he also wears an earring in his right ear that is crystal-like and in the shape of a thunderbolt and black fishnet gloves. His Jean Jacket sleeves are rolled up most of the time so you can see the white sleeves underneath.
(Just realized this is pretty much what Bender from the Breakfast Club wears....Damn, oh well, I like the style and it fits.)

Personality: Umbra is arrogant at times and can be quite sarcastic. He has a bit of an attitude problem and dislikes when he can't be in charge. Whenever Umbra decides he dislikes something or finds something to be boring he usually will go his own way, making his own decisions rather than staying with a group and going with their plan. Though Umbra can act as a dick at most times deep down he does care about what happens to the people he is around and cares about, though being banished from his home realm didn't exactly contribute to this aspect of him, but more took away that of his trust which is why he is quite quick to judge without even knowing a person.

History: Umbra was a part of the Royal Shadow family but went against them when they found out they were planning to fragment shadows to create an army if they needed one, something which Umbra was against as it took away so much personality and so many memories from a Shadow when fragmented and though they were Shadows pain was still something that occurred greatly in the fragmentation process. Umbra led a rebellion against his own family along with several other Shadows who opposed the idea of even conceiving to go to war with anyone considering the Shadow Beings generally lived in secrecy and no one who knew about them particularly held a grudge against them anyways. Unfortunately for Umbra and his rebellion they lost due to a mole in the operation that had leaked information to the Royals, leading to the exile of Umbra and others. Umbra was forced to leave his home, leaving him corrupted by anger and hatred.

Other: Though Umbra is able to take any form due to his shadow-like appearance he always possesses the same amount of power, However his power can change when he unleashed his 'Final Form' so to speak, where he drags in the powers of the Spirit and Shadow world to aid with his powers. Umbra can speak to Spirits and other Shadows at his own free will. Umbra cannot be killed completely, he can however be captured, but only in something that would cast no shadows, something akin to that of a mirror. It is possible to tear him into smaller fragments of shadows but they would still retain a part of Umbra and if brought together could form again to recreate his full self.
Shadow Beings are different from Shadow Creatures, they are not related species wise so hopefully there will be no confusion there.

Having grown impatient, Kira grabbed Marco's snout and pulled until his head moved towards where Shade, Thomas and Rivers were meeting. Marco was a little startled. The trio of odd creatures, including one that resembled a dragon like himself but evidently wasn't one, made him very nervous. The tension of that meeting, he could feel it. He could also tell that neither of them took notice of his presence, so he hid behind a bookshelf and spied on them to see where all of that was going...

Nadia and Abby fell through the portal, hitting the ground with a thud. Having never encountered anything like that before, they had been sucked in against their will. When they pulled themselves together and got back on their feet, they took a moment to survey the room they were now in. They saw that they were in a library full of strange creatures that they had never seen before.

While watching the creatures closely, Nadia gently pushed her sister behind her. She then reached for the hilt of her sword. "When I move, run." She whispered.

"But to where?" Abby whispered back in confusion. Nadia didn't reply. She quickly unsheathed her sword and began rushing towards the purple dragon. With a growl, she prepared to attack.

The purple dragon turned her head sharply, narrowing her gaze on Nadia. Her eyes glowed violet and Nadia's actions were abruptly stopped. She was lifted up into the air and left to levitate there at the dragon's eye level.

Without even opening her mouth, she spoke to Nadia, and also allowed the others to hear her words. She used telepathy to communicate with her. "I applaud your bravery, my dear, but this is foolish. Now is not the time for that, and I am not your enemy. Still, I will leave you here to make sure you behave, and to set an example to the others." The elderly dragon stated calmly.

She then turned her attention to the others, glancing at each of them. She continued to use telepathy to communicate in a way that everyone would be able to understand her. "Do not fret everyone. You are not in danger here. You all are welcomed here as my guests. I personally summoned all of you for a very important task."

"You see, my homeland, this world of Anguis, is in peril. There is a plague that looms over the horizon that threatens this world and those who live in it. The source and reason for its existence is currently unknown to us. The uncertainty causes fear. This fear leads to rash accusations that put even allies against each other."

"No one knows what is the best course of action, and I can not trust the judgement of those who are crippled by their fear. So I have summoned all of you. I need you all to find the true source of this plague and eliminate it. You all are to work together as a team. I have chosen two allies for you that will guide you down the right path and lead you all to victory, the red dragoness, and the black gryphon over there." She gestured to them with her paw.

"They will get you anything you need to be successful. They will show you the inn you will be staying at and tell you anything you need to know. You should start preparing for your journey and getting to know your comrades. You have today to get ready, and tomorrow you will set off on your quest. And once your task is complete, I will reopen the portals and send you all back home to your respective worlds."

"He has a point! Calling us all here and forcing us to take part in your little adventure may very well leave other worlds at risk. Like him, I have a world to protect and people who may not last without me.," Darin said-- the gryphon's anger being fueled by the dragon's demand. He sort of growled at Caelan midway during his statement.

Caelan appeared nervous, especially after the gryphon's action.

Whilst the purple Dragon communicated telepathically to all the creatures located in the library, Umbra was nowhere to be seen, he'd come through the portal, quite pleased for a way out of the realm he called home and was hiding in the shadow of the one known as Abby. How ironic.. The being thought to himself as he received the telepathic communication. One minute you're leading the rebellion and the next you're a member of one, how quick the tables turn.
After the Dragon completed its message he promptly revealed himself from the shadow of the young Werecat. "Y'know, this is all so interesting but I don't see the point in it for me..." With great speed he jumped from Abby's shadow and merged himself with the wall, sliding through the whole of the library until he jumped to the shadow of the dragon who spoke, emerging from the ground and becoming three dimensional and human-like. "I mean, you want us to help and yet we have no real motivation...So explain to me, my good madam, why us and why should we?"

He folded his arms and stared up at the dragon. "And shame on you, not even offering us a meal before we go to our deaths." He clicked his tongue and shook his head mockingly. "Tsk tsk tsk" A large white brimming smile upon his young looking face. Quickly he went Shadow and climbed up a bookcase, becoming corporeal once he'd reached the top. He sat at the edge, his legs hanging off and swinging back and forth. "I really don't think you've got the right guys, I mean, look at these losers, you'd have a better chance finding hay in a needle stack."

Though he seemed not to give a **** in the least he was indeed very intrigued by the fact that this Dragon was able to find the power to open so many portals from so many different realms and bring all of these beings together, though how she picked who she wanted to come through the portals was unbeknownst to him and that was the exact reason why he was sticking around, he just wanted to figure out what would make her tick, and if he found out anyone else's annoyances along the way he wouldn't complain about that either. He didn't exactly work well with people but he'd be willing to give it a try if it weren't boring. Maybe this'll be fun... Or at least he hoped, he'd been living in dark and desolate part of his realm since he'd been exiled from his hometown in the Shadow realm.

Abby jumped when the shadow being was revealed. She didn't realize that anyone was behind her. Due to being startled, she impulsively shifted to her feral cat form and climbed up the nearest bookshelf. She sat up top, watching everyone in the room closely.

Nadia had noticed the shadow being after Abby jumped, and immediately gave a threatening growl. She glared at him as he moved around the room, wishing she wasn't stuck levitating in the air.

The purple dragon seemed unfazed by their reactions. Her expression was a blank, and for a moment, she said nothing. "None of you are being held captive. I have no interest in imprisoning any of you. But I also can not simply send you all back home without first partaking in this journey."

She then sighed before continuing. "As I said, my world is in danger, and I need your help to save it. With so little information being known about this threat, there is no telling what it is capable of. It likely will not stop until Anguis is destroyed. And then what would become of it after that?"

She paused briefly. "I believe it would not stop there. I am not the only being in this world that could have the power to open portals. This threat could very well make its way to each of your worlds and attempt to destroy them as well. There is strength in numbers, and you have a better chance of defeating this threat if all of you work together."

"Now as I had already stated, if you need anything, be it supplies, food, or a place to stay, then it shall be provided for you. The red dragoness and the black gryphon will aid you with anything you need. They will be your guides. They will join you on your quest. So you should direct your attention to them and get to know them. I am merely the one who summoned you. My job here is done, until you defeat the threat."

"And what made you choose us? I mean... out of all the people in our various worlds, why us?," Bikil asked out of curiosity. He glanced at the cat now sitting on top on the bookshelf.

//I don't wanna seem like a butt but the OP says not to use one sentence posts//

The Shadow Being shrugged and jumped off the bookcase, it was relatively high and to a normal being the fall would have hurt somewhat but it was nothing to Umbra, though that wasn't to mean he couldn't feel pain, it just meant he wasn't exactly prone to injuries or pain in the same fashion that other beings were. Pain was an odd concept for a Shadow Being, the worst kind of pain was that of when being fragmented, torn apart into multiple entities and yet still the same, every single time a Shadow Being was fragmented a part of it was taken away, whether it be a memory or a personality trait or even an emotion.

Umbra dusted off his clothes though there wasn't any dust on them considering they were illusions, but it looked cool so he thought he might aswell. "Well...I still have questions but I can tell you're not gonna just spill the beans, I'm in though, haven't had fun in awhile..." He paused for a moment, a smirk growing upon his face. "As for food....I'd like a dozen burgers to go please!" It was hard to tell when he was being serious or not and sometimes it was even hard for him to distinguish himself, though this time he was clearly just messing around. Umbra strolled over to where the Empath Dragon and the Gryphon stood. "So...What's the deal with you guys? What makes you fit to be our "Guides"? I mean, I assume this means we're all traveling together? Iunno, kinda boring, clustered, I'm a bit of a claustrophobe, hate people around lots of people, I feel like I can't breath, then again I don't exactly have lungs, so scratch all that." Umbra stretched out his arms, restless to get started.

Omen gave a sigh as he was addressed and asked a question. He was sort of hoping that he wouldn't have to talk to them too much, and wouldn't have to explain things. He didn't really even want to be left in charge of the group.

As he opened his beak to answer, he was cut off by the red dragoness beside him. "Yes, in fact we will all be traveling together." Firefly answered.

Normally her words would have been nothing more than quiet growls and guttural sounds to any humanoid that didn't understand animals, but the purple dragon had telepathically created a sort of 'psychic link' between everyone that translated their words for them so that everyone could understand each other.

"And we were chosen to be your guides for a reason." She continued. "You see, we've done quite a bit of traveling in the past, so we know the land quite well. Plus, I have maps in my satchel just in case. So you won't get lost with us. I also know quite a bit about this world, so I could answer any questions you may have."

Omen cleared his throat to chime in. "And we are no novices to the battlefield. We will also be aiding you in the fight as well. I personally will see to it that we succeed and I will do my best to make sure that each of you survive the fight to make it back home." He spoke with a certain air of dignity and pride.

"If your world is truly in peril, I cannot ignore it. I will do what I can-- and I encourage the rest of you to do the same.," Darin said as he stepped up and looked at the rest.

"I cannot ignore a troubled world and I accept your plead. Might even be fun.," Bikil said being inspired to step up.

Caelan remained silent, though he doubted he had any choice. He came here to get away, though he might as well help.

Thomas watched silently as things unfolded about him. The shadow being surprised him the most, but it was easy to see that he was probably going to be the biggest problem. None seemed eager to join the quest, though some, with enough prodding, had given in. He was eager to join, having nothing to do at home. Perhaps this was just the break he needed. A new destiny. He had no idea what he'd do when it was all over, but that was most likely a long way off, and honestly, if he didn't survive, it didn't matter much at this point. He took in the creatures about him once more. The Dragon had told them to get to know each other, and he could learn a lot just by watching. The creature who had changed forms and was now sitting as a cat on top of a bookshelf seemed shy, the dark colored Dragon who had been summoned seemed nervous and jumpy, and the dark Gryphon seemed quite sure of himself. It was obvious why he had been chosen to be their guide, though he seemed he did not want to fully embrace it. He moved up to those who would serve as their guides, smiling kindly at them. "So, what are your names? I go by Thomas." He bowed before them in greeting, then cringed, glancing back, as he heard Rivers speak. What would her response be?

"What exactly is this threat? This plague? I understand that a lot of it is shrouded in mystery, but surely you know a bit more than you're saying. If you would have us help you and prepare ourselves, we must know how to do so."

She sounded frustrated to Thomas, and he wondered how much of it was still at him because of their conversation before coming. It was just like her to not rush into anything before knowing more. He turned back to those before him, waiting for their answers, knowing Rivers' question was valid, if spoken roughly.

Marco was still hidden among the bookcases, being very careful to not being detected. He didn't want to be part of whatever war or "little adventure" as the gryphon called it, but whoever communicated with all of them telephatically, didn't seem like one willing to give them second opinions.
Kira didn't hear what the voice said, since she wasn't mythical, but could sense the tension of the place. Just what was everybody talking about?

Omen gave a slight bow of his head to Thomas. "I am Omen." He then turned his gaze to the dragoness beside him. "This is Firefly."

Firefly smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you." She then glanced at Shade, Darin, and Bikil. "Thank you. We appreciate your help."

The purple sighed and looked to Rivers. "We unfortunately do not know much ourselves. What we do know is that two different substances have been blanketing the land as of late. By day, a sort of lime green gas spreads over the land, killing off anything it touches. By night, a cloud of darkness spreads and seems to have a similar affect. Not only that, but various creatures are often seen with these gasses, causing destruction wherever they go. We don't know where they came from or what is causing these gasses to spread, but we do know that it must be stopped."

"Agreed. We must be well prepared.," a reluctant Caelan said as he slowly approached. Darin instinctively growled in his presence, though he tried to ignore him. Caelan backed up slightly, giving space between him and the gryphon.

"These.. these creatures, do you know if they came before the darkness or if they came in the aftermath?," Darin then asked. "Like the chicken and the egg-- which came first?," Bikil added to the gryphon's question somewhat jokingly.

Firefly looked to Shade. "I know of a skilled blacksmith in the city. You can obtain weapons and armor from him."

The purple dragon turned her attention to Darin. "We're not entirely sure of that. We can clearly see these gaseous substances from a good distance away as they approach, but we usually do not notice any creatures until it is too late. They seem to appear and attack at random, almost out of nowhere. The clouds make it difficult to see, so we can't tell where these beings are coming from."

Nadia was still stuck levitating in the air and was unable to move, but she could still hear everything and voice her opinion on the matter. "And what do you expect us to do with a magical cloud? Stab it to death? Can I punch it? Do I just blow it away or something?"

"No. You find what is causing these clouds and eliminate it."

"Well, THAT sure answered my question." She huffed sarcastically. "If you're so smart and magical, then why don't you just go do the job yourself? Don't see why a giant freaking lizard couldn't handle a little fog."

The purple dragon huffed and narrowed her gaze. "I am simply too old to go off on potentially dangerous adventures. That is why I summoned you."

"Oh, sure, like I'm going to risk my life for some strange reptile. I don't even want to be here! I got my own life back home and I'd like to get back to it. So count me out. Just open up the stupid portal and send me and my sister back."

"And you do not care if the cloud makes its way into your world?"

"It's a freaking cloud! What's it gonna do, rain on my parade? A magical cloud sounds like bullcrap to me. Besides, my only concern is keeping my sister safe and getting back home. So open up the portal already!"

Abby then jumped down from the bookshelf. She shifted back to her human form and walked over to the purple dragon. "Don't mind her. She can be difficult, but she will be of help to you. We both will."

"Abby! Don't go making promises for crap we didn't sign up for!"

The werecat turned her head sharply and gave a mild glare to her sister. "Hush! They need our help, so we're going to help them and that's that!" She then looked back at the dragon. "You have my word. And I'll make sure she behaves." She smiled.

"Look. None of us wanted to be here, but none-the-less we're here. The sooner we complete this, the sooner you can go home.," Caelan said looking at the bickering weres. With all these creatures around, fights and arguments were bound to occur from time-to-time. He only hoped that none of them got anyone killed. He was already angering the gryphon somehow, even though he hadn't actually done anything yet.

Marco was getting in the spirit of helping as well, but he was still too timid to show himself to the group. Kira was almost reading his intentions, and once the marsh dragon turned his head towards her, she shook her head. Those strange creatures didn't seem as friendly as her mellow guardian...

Firefly nodded. "Oh, sure. I can take you anywhere you want to go."

Omen cleared his throat and took a step towards the others. "Does anyone else need to see the blacksmith, or go anywhere else for that matter?"

Firefly glanced over at the others. "We can take you to the market so you can do some shopping. There's a few restaurants, too, if you'd like something to eat. And the Inn, I mean, you'll need a place to sleep."

The purple dragon released Nadia, setting her down on the ground. "If all of you plan on leaving, then I suppose my job here is done for now. I will leave a psychic link up so that all of you will still be able to understand each other, even when I'm not with you. Now if anyone needs me, I'll be in the back of the library." She then started walking towards the back.

Abby went over to her sister. "Why don't we go with them?" She asked quietly.

Nadia still hadn't sheathed her sword yet. "Are you crazy?! Why would I want to go anywhere with those.... Things?!"

She sighed. "Nadia, they're going to a blacksmith. They'll be weapons and armor there. I thought you would be excited."

"I already have my own weapon, and I still plan on using it."

"But they might have something better. Besides, you don't have armor. Aren't you even a little curious?"

Nadia huffed and started grumbling to herself. She sighed as she looked over her sword. She hesitated to sheath it. She groaned as she put her sword away and then crossed her arms. "Fine. I'll go see what they got. But I'm keeping my distance from the crazy people and all the weird creatures."

Abby smiled. "If you say so. But I think it would be hard to keep a safe distance from yourself." She giggled.

"What is that suppos--Hey! I'm not the weird one here! They got talking magical lizards and you think I'M weird?!"

Abby just giggled. "Come on, let's just go meet up with everyone." She then started walking over to the others.

Nadia grumbled under her breath as she followed her.

Everyone was going away, and Marco was planning to follow them, still without letting his presence known. He was so distracted thinking of what could lie ahead that he didn't feel Kira clawing his back, begging to go the other direction...

"A pleasure to meet you," Thomas replied to Omen, then turned to listen to the purple Dragon's explanation. At the mention of a green gas covering the land, his stomach suddenly dropped to his feet. He had a good idea he knew what it was, but couldn't be sure. Not yet. The commotion suddenly going on about him couldn't shake him from his suddenly sour thoughts until he heard Firefly telling them she could take them wherever they needed to go. Good. He felt suddenly claustrophobic in the room. He needed air.

Turning to Firefly, he said, "Is there anywhere nearby that would give me a good view in many directions? I'd like to get a feel for your land before doing anything else."

Though it was true, he also just wanted to be alone somewhere where he could clear his head. As the purple Dragon released the floating human, he couldn't help but overhear her conversation with the one she'd apparently come with. He was beginning to wonder if she was right. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to help so quickly.


-------------------------

Anna eagerly turned to Firefly when she heard her mention shopping and the restaurants. She wasn't one to typically enjoy shopping, but the mention of it raised her curiosity. "Shopping? Restaurants? And just how are we supposed to afford these amenities? I don't suppose our currency will be accepted here."

It was a valid question, though she asked more for personal gain than for any other reason. She purposely ignored Culley, who would know in a heartbeat what she was after. Thankfully, he seemed a bit distracted by something, most likely the quest at hand. He always took such things so seriously.

"Shopping? A restaurant? Where? I'm starving." Marco said, finally leaving the bookcase and letting himself show. He was hungry after that trip, and since everybody didn't show signs of hostility, he decided that it was about time to stop spying on them. All those creatures were just as confused, and in someway, ordinary like himself. Kira thought otherwise, and hid behind Marco's head.

The Shadow Being gave a small chuckle, he'd heard the story and just couldn't help but find the irony in them bringing him along. "I assume you know our stories seeing as you called us here, I couldn't possibly care less about my home since what happened, I'd welcome death upon the inhabitants, they're not even themselves anymore...." He didn't seem like the one to get emotional but it was a touchy subject for him. "Whatever, I'll do it..." While he wouldn't say it he considered this as a second chance

After his agreement to join the party of fighters the Shadow made his way over to the two sisters, Abby and Nadia, he closely followed behind and soon was back to his douche y ways. "Y'know, I agree, stay away from the creeps and weirdo's, especially that weird Shadow guy, bad news."

Firefly glanced at Thomas. "Well... There isn't really a good place within the city that would serve as a good place to look around. At least not one that's open to the public. A high wall goes around the edge of the city, and the city itself is quite large. The best lookout points that I know of would be atop the king's castle and the guard towers, but you wouldn't be allowed at either one. You would really have to leave the city to really get a good look of things."

Omen cleared his throat once more. "As your guides, we are expected to pay for anything you need with our own currency. We will supply you with whatever you would require to be successful on this journey. So don't worry about anything. We will take care of it."

The gryphon then paused. "Now as for food and shopping, you may all have different priorities, so we may split up for the time being. If you care more for eating first, then come with me to a resuraunt. If you rather shop first, then you'll want to go with Firefly. She'll show you to the marketplace. After we're all satisfied and well prepared, we will meet up at the Inn we'll be staying at. Understood?"

Nadia whirled around and growled at the Shadow being. "Enough with the creepy stalker crap! You better stay away from my sister if you know what's good for you!"

Abby grabbed her sister's arm and started to pull urgently. However, Nadia didn't budge as she continued to glare at the Shadow. "Come on, Nadia, I want to go explore the city." She insisted, wanting to keep her sister out of trouble.