darkSpyro

Name: Dex
Age: 25 (human years)
Species: Fox
Good or evil: Neutral (can go either way)
Appearance: Normal looking fox, just bigger (wolf size). Has poisonous fangs (Snake style) which can be clearly seen when he opens his mouth.

Personality: Very tricky, always thinking about himself. Most of the time likes to play nice and look weak. When the opportunity comes loves to stab in the back, especially when making deals (loves everything valuable). Never wants to fight head-to-head, because of not having much physical power. Normally likes to talk, but because of the group knowing him now does not want to do that much.

Weapons: (optional) His only, but a deadly weapon is his poisonous fangs. Those fangs go through almost everything. He can control the poison so that it does not kill, but does make his enemies paralyze and have great pains if he wants/needs to.
Elements: (optional) No really elements, but is immune to poisons because of his own poison in his veins.

History: Dex was born in normal fox den. As he was young he did end up bitten by poisonous snake. His parrents left him being sure he was going to die. He was found and taken care by old man. The poison did make him grow bigger and have the poison fangs. The man knew there was something odd about the fox, but being an old adventurer he was not sure, was Dex just a new species he had never seen. After the man died Dex started to look after himself. He noticed his poisoneus blood while being in forrests and seeing bloodsucking bugs instatly dying after taking his blood. He made his way back to city life after feeling not at home in forrests. He started to steal food, but also valuables. Once he was almost captured and bite a human who died almost instantly. After that he started to make deals with all kinds of creatures which wanted someone dead or something stole. These days he is taking only very well paid jobs, and knows how to deal with many kinds of situations. Many do not know him well, because of his way to work. But Well know as the poison assassin especially in the underworld of Cities. He attacked the group while working for Shade (when he was controlled). Is not sure what he should do now, does not want to interact with the group much, but is starting to show some little signs of caring.

Galaxy Dragon

OOC: Hey cyndergo. Welcome back

Quote: A Guy

Sere sighed. "You cannot reasonably expect me to have Latnok keep his end of the deal if you cannot keep yours. Keep that in mind. I will forgive you for now." Latnok, meanwhile, rolled his eyes under his helmet. "Oh, she's just the most FUN, WHOLESOME, KIND and definitely never BITTER person you will ever see here. She is DEFINITELY not the kind to lie about that sort of thing, TRUST ME. After all, I just warned you of the dangers of this place and did not have a problem with you staying!"
Latnok was certainly wondering how much he would be able to toe the line - but he thought of an even better way. Some Vitality fruit. He was almost out, but he was confident that he could hunt for some food later. He tossed a Vitality fruit to each of the newcomers. "Please, make yourself at home."

"You know what? You're right. I'll let his actions speak for himself." Angora whispered to the newcomers, not needing to tell them. Then Latnok threw the fruit, apparently to make a false image of himself, but Angkra knew it was only a matter of time before he started showing his true colors. She didn't noticed his treatments of the newcomers earlier being too busy with Sere's deal, but she correctly deduced it hasn't been the same one as Slumber.

Now with that comment out of the way, Angora proceeded to answer Sere with her mind.
"I will keep my end of the deal, but only AFTER I see he's keeping his. Do you think I don't know he's been talking trash about me behind my back?" Angora said rather frustrated, wanting Sere to understand once and for all how much Latnok had it for her. She was really going to despise tonight.

Ooc: Sorry for the double. I thought it would be better to have CS in its own post.

Dex was thinking "great more weird things joining, this must be my lucky day"

He then walked to Sere " So just wanted to ask you, where you serious about a payment earlier. For me that was the first comment in a long time that made any sense" Dex said with a normal voice looking at Sere.

Sere, occupied with Angora, was somewhat surprised to see Dex return to him. He nodded in confirmation. "I am serious," Sere answered. "As you are quite aware, I am leader of the Ardent Guardians, and you cannot run an organization like ours for free. Giving you payment will not be an issue." Indeed, the Guardians had no shortage of funding - several human governments offered some funding to them to encourage their presence in certain areas, and they produced high-quality equipment which sold well, with a monopoly on phoenix steel equipment.

Angora listened to the conversation with interest as she lied down, using part of her rag to cover her eyes. Seemed like Dex was quite the greedy creature. Even though he had a similar appearance to Star, he didn't look at all benevolent. What's more, he was a venomous fox according to him. Orion really seemed to attract the most oddball of creatures. We had a bunch of dragon subspecies, including one with fur and feathers, taller than usual humans, these bizzare creatures called Pokemon, a machine that talked, and her, a troll with a condition. Couldn't get any more weirder than this.

"Well? Does he have an estimated time on the storm?" Latnok asked. "I'll free his legs if this first prediction is correct." It looked like the group would be pinned here a bit longer. Latnok was running low on food - he had to hunt soon, but would have to wait for the storm to subside before he did. Then, he recalled something...
"So do you think another one of those storm claws will come here? Because I'm not going to be able to keep another web of that size up - we will probably have to kill it if it attacks us."

The troll tried to sleep, but the scene before her was too interesting to ignore. This storm claw was not a mindless animal. It could reason if it was able to take to Raclaw, even if it was only through mind. She doubted it would want to help being all tied like that, but she would wait to see how everything will play out. In the meantime, she didn't want to get in any trouble, so she did not interfered, at least for now. However, she did feel quite sorry for the beast, and watched Veris to see how he was acting. She knew that sad little bone wasn't enough to distract him from his hunger, and she knew he wanted to snack on the creature. She really couldn't understand how a single animal could eat so much. She got a bellyache just thinking about it.

Occ: Thanks. I will be active and less active because of things in life, but it is good that Dex is like he is, makes long times of less activity easy to deal with

Dex was like a different creature all of sudden. He gave a approving nod to Sere and said " Name is Dex, better known as the poison assassin. My talents are best suited for assassination and theft, but I am open to other kinds of Jobs too. So what might you want for me? I usually do not work before the payment is clear, but in this situation I am willing to make a exception. I must tell that I always get my payment for the job I have done, betrayal will Lead to great problems. And now when thats out of the way I will be listening" his speech was like he had never talked with Sere before, and it was pretty clear that it was some sort of meeting a customer speech, which seemed like automatic.

Sere seemed quite pleased with the fox's change in tone. "Good to know. Your talents may perhaps be useful for scouting lands ahead; there is a storm coming, though, if the storm claw is correct, so you should stay put for now. As for anything else, see what Latnok needs from you; if I need something from you, I'll let you know. I'll let him know of the arrangement." Sere was usually satisfied delegating responsibilities to his subordinates when he had the faith that they could accomplish them - it gave him more time to work on things that they could not.

Veris paced back and forth, seemingly restless, eyes trained on the storm claw. He spotted Angora as he moved on; he made no attempt to move away from her, as he did last time.

Angora shook her head slowly at Dex's reaction, finding him too predictable. How quickly his demeanor changed when there was a reward promised. It amused her quite a bit, but she said nothing about it, leaving them to their deal. She already had a deal with Sere herself, and if he was more honorable than Latnok, her reward was going to be far better than anything material.

After amusing herself for a while, Angora started to look at Veris. She was quite pleased to see him not avoiding her as much as before, which motivated her to keep her end of the deal, even if she knew she was going to hate it so much. Still, it would be worth it if it meant Latnok would leave her alone and that she could talk and ocasionally vent with Veris from time to time, that is, if he wanted to. She felt awful for being such a jerkass to him earlier, especially since his distancing wasn't even his fault. It still irritated her how obedient and greedy Veris was, but considering he has been like that all his life, especially since he was probably being raised by humans from the egg, Angora believed he was starved most of his life, and that his obedience and large appetite was something he most likely though was all natural.

Quote: A Guy

"Well? Does he have an estimated time on the storm?" Latnok asked. "I'll free his legs if this first prediction is correct." It looked like the group would be pinned here a bit longer. Latnok was running low on food - he had to hunt soon, but would have to wait for the storm to subside before he did. Then, he recalled something...
"So do you think another one of those storm claws will come here? Because I'm not going to be able to keep another web of that size up - we will probably have to kill it if it attacks us."

"If they can detect the storms, than they can probably detect each other as well. As long as we have him-- we'll probably be safe.," Raclaw said inadvertently encouraging the continued captivity of the poor thing. One captive creature was a better alternative to five dead creatures at least.

"Storm... thank-you. My name is Raclaw and you can talk to me anytime you like.," he said politely thanking the Storm Claw. "Now listen-- this is very important. The humans require a time frame and only then will they be willing to start with the first step; that is... freeing your legs. Can you tell me when or how long 'till the storm hits? They also have another concern and this may affect you as well. While you are here, what are the chances of another of your kind showing up? If you can keep them away, this will very important particularly for their own well-being.," Raclaw then said to Storm also inquiring on the secondary matter. If Storm were to attract another of his own kind, than he could do very little to ensure this other Storm Claw's safety.

Dex gave a nod To Sere. Then Walking To Latnok and said to him with normal voice " We could always use the one we have, tell this one to warn others. And if others show up we Will make this one pay and kill the other. They must have somekind of way To communicate with their own" looking at Latnok and waiting for response.

"That won't be a issue-- Storm has just informed me that the storm is 5 minutes away and that other Claws won't attack while he is around. In addition, he has also relayed some additional information. His wings are not used for flying, but rather balance during high winds. His claws, on the other hand, are both used for running and for climbing. I will relay any additional useful information.," Raclaw said looking at the others and hoping that the Storm Claw's honestly (trust?) would make things better for itself. At the very least, it was willing to trust him and was a start. "Thank-you Storm. I know these aren't the best of circumstances, but just know that I appreciate what you are doing to help us so far.," he said to the Storm Claw trying to politely reinforce its good behavior and keeping things civil between them.

Ballora rolled her eyes at Latnok suddenly being friendlier. She ordered Glale "Come on Glale. We need to figure out what we can help with." She curtsied to the group.
Glale finally ceased his blizzard of ice-related puns, and Star stopped too. When Ballora looked through the Treasure Bag she always carried with her, he asked "Got any Reviver Seeds? Oran Berries?"
"Yep, yep..."
"Clear Gummis?"
"You wish, but we're out of Gummis."
"Dang."
Star's head tilted, making him look even more puppy-like. Then he noticed Dex. "Well, look who's back."

"Sounds decent enough," Latnok said. "I'll free its legs for now, though it won't be able to move too far with its arms bound. I will free its arms when I see the storm arrive at the predicted time." With that, he dispelled the magic on the arrows keeping the storm claw's legs restricted - it would be able to move somewhat, but its range of motion would be limited until its arms came free.
"I wouldn't worry too much about Dex," Latnok assured Star. "SOMETHING tells me that we'll be able to count on him. I dare say, he might prove to be worth his weight in GOLD."

By this time, Angora had lost interest in the scene before her. The new creature's bantering was getting on her nerves, and Latnok taking wonders about Dex when he has done far less than her really irritated her. Plus Veris, as obedient as ever, was now ignoring her, so having nothing else to do, she tied part of her cloth over her eyes and ears to try and have some peace and quiet. She wanted to compensate the sleep she was going to miss tonight, so she intended to force herself to sleep in those hours to be ready for the dumb night watch tonight...

"As promised-- my friends have freed your legs and shall free your arms, should your prediction come true.," Raclaw said now looking at the partly free Storm with a gentle smile. Although he kept his focus on the Storm Claw, he occasionally glanced at the newcomers intrigued with their unique appearance and still curious as to what Star's Pokédex devices would say about everyone-- including himself.

OOC: I've updated the Oriondéx to include the two newcomers and added a little bonus thing to the resource folder. For anyone curious how Raclaw's collar operated in the past, I've included a sub folder just for that. "Locked" is from when he was still on the farm, while "Overridden" is before Vellune unlocked it.

Dex quickly looked at Star " I come and go, kind of a habit of mine". He said with clear sarcasm in his voice
Then he turned back to Latnok " I think we can finally agree on something. Thats a good start for a Job contract. I think this might be a GOLDEN opportunity for both of us" Dex said with a little grin. He then took his usual place bit away from everybody, but this time not turning his back at them and making sure he would hear what was talked about.

In the meantime, Angora was trying very hard to get a shut eye, but all she managed to do was doze off. Everyone was being too scandalous, and she hoped that if this storm did indeed came, it would drown out everyone's noise. It was going to be a harsh night for her, but every storm doesn't last forever. She put Latnok to the test and demonstrated he was a failure keeping his word, but now, it was Sere's turn to prove himself. Angora didn't think Veris would pay much attention to her after she completes this talk, but she was more interested in having Latnok leaving her alone so she could finally prepare for the big battle ahead without interruptions and offenses.

"Uh-huh." Latnok notted, quite satisfied at the creature's prediction. Pulling two of his arrows to him, the creature's wings became bound to its body, rather than to the walls as they were previously. Latnok walked up to the creature, entwining the two arrows so that the web kept the wings bound to its body, while at the same time dispelling the web at the creature's arms. "Well, I'll keep my end of the deal. Raclaw, make sure to let the creature know that it's wyvern meat if it tries anything. As for its wings... do you guys have any suggestions as to when I should unbind those? They're the only thing keeping it from escaping."

In her corner, Angora finally managed to get some sleep, but she was twitching and turning all the way. Soon, she started to grunt, as if she was struggling with something. Was it a nightmare? A memory? Nobody could know at the moment, and it was hard to tell with her face if she was angry or afraid. It has been a long time since Angora had any sort of dream. Usually, she was bold and carefree, with her instincts only acting up whenever there was danger. This afternoon was different, though it's no wonder considering the many tasks she had ahead of her...

"Latnok-- Storm's wings are incapable of flight and they do little more than help keep him balanced. If he wanted to escape, he could've done so already.," Raclaw pointed out giving a nod to the creature. He wondered if Storm Claws once had the ability to fly, but evolved overtime to suit their environment and evolution simply forgot to remove them. It was interesting how certain birds and other winged creatures were in fact flightless, despite the usefulness it provided and something that dragons such as himself took for granted.

He recalled a time long long ago when he had just started to gain use of his wings-- and could only hover and glide. Even then, he took his limited flying abilities for granted... until he gained full control over his own flight and could fly/hunt to his heart's content. He recalled such times with a certain fondness-- back when he didn't have to deal with mental links, corruption, or a million other things. There were times when he would follow the wind, without a single care in the world. Eventually, he would have to land and return to reality. Every fur dragon needed the occasional break though. He briefly daydreamed, getting lost in his thoughts for a moment.

"Very well, then..." Latnok said. He dispelled the last of the web, and the arrows fell harmlessly to the floor. "I'm trusting you, Raclaw. And we'll be keeping an eye on the thing. Make sure it knows that if it tries anything even once, balancing in the wind will be the least of its problems. But, it shouldn't have to come to that, should it?" Latnok surveyed the scene - the group was definitely noticeably larger. "Food is going to be an issue here. We need to hunt. Not while this storm is persisting, though."
"Water, at the very least, will not be, with the constant rain..." Sere said, joining the rest of the group at last. "In addition to the water on the ground, it'll make it easier for me to condense water, though I will primarily be using that for Veris - producing enough water for everyone in the group would be much too difficult for me."
"Well, nothing we can do for now," Latnok said. "I'm going to catch up on some sleep. Make sure that storm claw doesn't try anything." Latnok was already on his way to one of the walls - he wasn't even intending to take his armor off before sleeping. Veris looked on at the storm claw intently, still salivating at the recollection of its last meal of a storm claw, but held his place, identifying that the others didn't seem to have any intention of hurting it at the moment.

Raclaw stood between Veris and Storm, knowing that he was putting himself at risk should ether of the two large creatures try anything. By his count-- the group now consisted of seven dragon-like creatures (including himself), two humans, two fox-like creatures, Angora, and two Pokémon who really didn't resemble any normal creature. The cave, although initially large enough, was only getting more crowded by the day and now he stood between almost-primal beasts-- one of whom he was now personally responsible for. He gave a nod to Latnok and Sere, indicating that he would watch over the appropriately named Storm Claw. And so he laid down where he was, wanting to keep an eye on both Storm and Veris.

"I'm responsible for you now, so please don't try anything. Otherwise Veris over there is very hungry and will eat you on command. And there's no saying how fast I can manage to get out of his way once he starts charging.," Raclaw gently warned Storm not wanting anything to happen on his watch. He vouged for the Storm Claw and Latnok wouldn't exactly let Storm simply go with a stern talking to. He knew that once the order was given; that Veris would charge and that he would very much be in the way. He would also keep the connection open, just in case Storm wanted to talk to him or ask him questions. Although limited in vocal capability and vocabulary, it was clear that these Storm Claws (or at least this Storm Claw) weren't as primitive as they initially seemed. He was perfectly willing to hold a conversation with Storm-- and it wouldn't be the first time he did such a thing.

"Very well-- carry on. Please let me know of any important developments and I will inform the others.," Raclaw said to Storm while giving an approving nod. It was very ironic that he would be the one taking charge of the Storm Claw, seeing as he himself was once in a very similar position albeit under different circumstances. He had once been under the influence of human 'masters' just as Storm now was. Unlike his circumstances, however, this new 'pet' at least had someone to translate and relay its direct thoughts to its new masters-- as well as someone to talk to if it so desired. Storm was at least somewhat fortunate in that regard, even if it's freedom was now uncertain.

OOC: It's time...

After almost an hour of seemingly agonizing, Angora stopped moving and continued sleeping soundly, with the rag still covering her eyes and ears. She breathed what almost sounded like a cougar's purring. She was sleeping soundly at last, recovering the time she was about to lose eight he watch.

Near the entrance of that forbidden realm, there was a hooded figure, watching a map that looked centuries old. The hood had painted eyes and teeth, and connected with a cape that also has drawn eyes. Unable to see well with the hood, the figure pulled it behind his neck to reveal a firery headed young man with a very youthful face and innocent eyes. He was 5'9, but looked smaller with his complections.
"Oh woe is me. I think that hermit fooled me with this map. Where is the gate? He said something about a gate that will ask you for a reward. Y ahora donde?" the young man asked himself, being hopelessly lost. From a whole life at sea, he has adapted to a life on land, but it was still hard to navigate through it, and the stars were usually covered with clouds and dust in that strange place. He has heard of a very unique fauna beyond the place that needs rewards, and he believed that if he visited this place, he would find things nobody else have, that would be perfect for him to sell and be a successful traveling merchant...

Latnok and Sere watched the scene play out before them - apparently the storm claw just escaped? "Yeah, last time we trust those things," Latnok grumbled. "Just ends up leaving as soon as we untie it. Next time, we're keeping the thing tied down. Whatever... I was going to sleep, but guess I'm going hunting." Grabbing his bow, he eagerly rushed out of the cave, looking forward to surveying the land and what creatures he could bring back meat of.
"Raclaw, did the storm claw say anything about coming back?" Sere asked. "I feared as much might happen, but I was hoping things would work out anyway. It would seem we may have to be a bit more assertive in our capture efforts."

As Angora slept pleasantly, the young man was getting more lost, and it looked like a storm was about to pour down. It wasn't until the wind brew up his map that in his attempt to follow it lead him to what appeared to be a mountain with a very particular road. There wasn't exactly a gate, but it did looked like a border.
"Am... am I here?" he asked himself, having heard a lot about this place. He didn't know what to expect, but was ready to defend himself in case the wildlife there was hostile.

OOC: I'll leave the rest to you SC.

"It said the storm was clearing up and that it was going hunting for itself. It suggested we do the same.," Raclaw said looking at Sere. With the Storm Claw's limited vocabulary, its first statement could be interpreted as one of two things. The first was that the storm itself was going away, while the second interpretation implied that Storm himself was going away. Raclaw had wanted to believe and chose to translate the first interpretation. For Storm's sake, he really hoped that he was he right for he knew that Latnok wouldn't be very lenient otherwise.

The young man was startled, but didn't take a step backwards. He was a pirate once, and he was taught that one single step backwards could make your enemies misunderstand that you were weak.
"Good afternoon... My name's Maverick. I came to find the realm to ask rewards under tumors about many wonderful wildlife and minerals that aren't found anywhere else in the world. I promise I won't damage anything. I just want to see what the place has and pick up anything that won't be needed." Maverick said as he took one tiny step forward, being truthful but not trusting. He didn't like the idea of a voice without a body.

"Welcome back.," Raclaw said pleasantly surprised and with a gentle nod. He had waited next to the entrance, just in case Storm did actually decided to come back. "Storm's back! And he brought food.," he said to the others not wanting the Storm Claw's intentions to get misunderstood or for Storm to get punished for leaving so unexpectedly. "You worried us for a moment there, but don't worry. I let the others know what you told me and that you were going hunting.," he then said to Storm wanting him to be prepared for any harsh reaction on the Guardians' part-- in particular that of Latnok's reaction.

"I think I have that already taken care of." Maverick said with a small frown, having endured too much in life at this point. Even though he managed to stay positive despite the ordeals, and even though he wanted a chance in happiness, he was ready for whatever misery was thrown to him. He had plenty of experience, and despite the odds, he has managed to stand on his feet again and turn his life around for the better, so he firmly believed he was ready for whatever test this new realm had planned for him...

"And so you are. Don't worry-- I understood your intentions even if some of the others feared you had ran off.," Raclaw said to Storm with a slight reassuring smile. It seemed that so far at least, the Storm Claw was truthful to its word. He would just have to reassure Latnok of that fact, for he knew that the Guardian was just waiting for the opportunity to show off their more assertive methods.

As Angora slumbered peacefully, she went into a much different stance than before. Instead of moving and moaning, she was... smiling. It was a much pleasant dream. The day she flew on Veris' back left her with the sensation of flying. What a wonderful feeling that was! Being able to see everything below you, letting the wind hit your face until tears flew off. It was a beautiful feel. It made Angora wish she could fly, or at least have someone that would help her with that. Once again, unable to do so by herself was just another perk of being a troll. Almost everyone in that group could fly, yet she was one of the few who had to stay on the ground every time.

Maverick was confused. The hermit that told him about the place said the guard of the real, would ask something in exchange for entrance.
"But... just pass?" he asked, rather confused, but he was ready to enter without payment. He did have many things to give in his special bag just in case he wasn't going to have things that easy...

Maverick sighed rather forcibly, glad to know the hermit didn't lie about that detail.
"Fine. It shall be. Now then... what sort of payment? I got mucho. A lot of things. Let's see now..." the man placed his hyperspace bag on the ground, taking things that would be impossible to fit with a bag that small. He has many kinds of clothes, food, precious stones, fishing nets, jewels, knives, arrows, figurines and even bigger things like wheelbarrow wheels, bird houses and a small step latter. He also had a wizard's hat and something that looked like a device with buttons.

"Now then voice of beyond... someplace, what is it that you shall request? I have many other things in my bag, but it will take me a while to take them all out. What is it that you need?" Maverick asked, not minding to part with any of those stuff. He had plenty in his special bag already, and he knew that whatever the voice took, it would be a small prize compared to the wonderful things he was certainly going to find in that special realm.

As Storm returned with the spoils of his hunt, Veris eyed the meat, excited at the prospect of devouring it. "You have had quite enough for now, Veris," Sere said sternly. "Any more and you will not be able to fly." In a somewhat relieved tone, he said "It's good to have him back. He appears to be staying true to his word, for now."

Latnok continued his search, having begun following some larger tracks of some pawed beast. They seemed to be leading downhill, for now. Based on how wet they were, they had to be freshly made. With trepidation, he shadowed the tracks, keeping wary of unusual sounds and having his axe ready, and activating his combat prescience.

"Is that it? Maverick replied, rather pleased.
"Well, in that case, take this. I don't know what this thingie is, but I'be tried using it and it doesn't do anything." Maverick said as he offered the broken device with buttons, having no idea why he accepted such a useless item in the first place. But at least this was his chance to get rid of it. He could barely wait to see what was in store for him in this uncharted territory...

Latnok slowly crept following the tracks, until they suddenly disappeared. He then looked up the trees surrounding him - whatever it was most likely climbed. He scanned for signs of disturbed foliage on one of them...
...and then, with his combat prescience, he saw something - some odd mix of a lion and a wolf, with horns - lunging at him from the tree behind him. It was quick - he might have been dead, or at least injured, if he didn't see it coming. Quickly, however, he sidestepped, while spinning to land a powerful axe strike as the creature landed. His attack hit home - it hit right under the neck.
Bright, vivid red blood came out in spurts, staining Latnok's armor. He knew the signs - arterial bleeding. The catwolf was as good as dead. Realizing that its target was not as easy as it seemed, it tried in vain to escape. After a few paces, it collapsed, succumbing to its wounds. "Well, that was simple enough..." Latnok muttered, somewhat disappointed.