The forum is being really weird tonight. ^^;; Don't worry, you can still post and your posts will still show up in the threads where you post, but the forum is just being tricksy today so it won't show your post until you're actually in that thread. O.o

I'm off to see what's wrong to try and fix it now.

EDIT
Okay, all fixed! I <3 the people at phpBB.com! If not for them, I dunno what I'd do! XD So, yeah, posts will start showing up again as usual as they're posted. ^__^

[Lala! Here I go, moving a thread! This may take a while...mind, this is an open thread that anyone can join! ^__^ Just wait until it's done being moved to post new stuff, and if you don't wanna read over 500 posts...PM one of us for a plot summary! XD]

By Small Wonder

A sick chorus rang through the village square, a song of hatred and impending death, sung to the beat of ravished screams, tearing flesh, leather slapping bared skin, and grim, sometimes excited, shouts welcoming justice's heavy hand. All other sound seemed to be drowned out. Especially those cries which were contrary to the general mood, those cries which were neither anguished nor grim nor excited, but panicked and innocent.

"Stoppit! Lemme go, leggo! Stop! Tha's m' brother, y' gotta stop!" Nahj screamed shrilly, hurling herself against the arms that kept her easily contained, her own hands pinioned firmly behind her back. The woman that held her simply ignored her as she fought, her struggles not budging her an inch. But she was a child, no more than thirteen, and she was a stout, older woman who'd spent thirty years of her life running an orphanage and dealing with brats, and she had the muscles to prove it. Still, Nahj already tried biting and kicking her, and the result had been having her arms pinned behind her where she couldn't so much as twist around without causing herself pain. All she could do was lurch desperately against her hold and hope her grip slipped. Or that she'd bust an eardrum and she'd bleed to death as a result.

"Keani! Please, stop, please--!"

"Be still, Nahj! Or do you want to go back?"

Nahj's breath caught in her throat, and she shut her mouth with a slight clicking of teeth. Oh...it was tempting to take up that offer. However much she hated that orphanage she'd been placed in--her "home" ever since her brother's arrest--it was so much better than here...out here, where she would witness her brother's flogging and execution. No, she didn't want to be here, with the tears swelling up in her eyes, with her heart thundering in her eardrums, safe and unscathed, a ward of the government, while her brother was tormented. But it was what she felt like she had to do, to be there for him until the very end, even if she couldn't do much for him at all but cry. He hadn't even wanted her to come that last time she'd gotten to visit him in his cell, the night before. He'd forbidden her to come. But she felt it was something she had to do, and she'd thrown such a fit that, finally, the matron of the orphanage had taken pity enough on her to allow her to go...under her watch.

She really didn't want to be here. But she also didn't want to leave him.

Sniffling, Nahj shook her head, messy brown hair bouncing about her shoulders.

The matron raised her eyebrows slightly, but her stern exterior softened a little. "This isn't going to be easy. We can leave at any time." She shifted a little, uncomfortable.

But Najh just kept her green eyes fixated to the bloody scene, though her jaw was clenched tightly and she clutched the folds of her dress like a lifeline, a flinch running through her with every crack of the whip.



Stripped bare to the waist, the seventeen-year-old cried out weakly as the whip bit into his back again, once smooth skin a mess of tattered muscle. Keani had lost track of how many times he'd felt the cord's impact; he'd lost track around five, and now all he knew was a rhythmic, never ending agony. He had been sentenced to twenty-five. That was all he remembered. Twenty-five, and then the gallows. Gods, it had to almost be over...it had to...

Funny that he wished it to end. Once it did, so would his life.

Panting, he would have collapsed if it weren't for the support of the post he was tied to. He didn't even feel the post's splinters slide into his face and chest where he pressed against it in his exhaustion, his world swaying and everything blinking in and out of focus. He hardly even heard the rough voices announce that the flogging had been completed, and he was only half aware of his bindings being lifted, replaced by the support of calloused hands. All he could seem to focus on was the overwhelming coppery scent, the feel of hot liquid sliding down his back, the intense, screaming throb that seemed to resonate throughout his entire body.  He felt faint, and his head lolled as he was dragged along, black hair plastered to his sweaty brow and brown eyes clenched shut against the dizziness.

Somewhere through the haze, he thought he could hear a high-pitched cry, and he cracked open an eye tiredly. Sure enough, he thought he could make out Nahj through the jeering crowd, grappling wildly with...someone. His eye slid shut. Damnit...he told her not to come...he told her...what the hell, did she think this was how he wanted her to remember him?!

Go home... he willed tiredly, slumping in his captors' grips as he was dragged toward his death. He didn't want her to see this...fuck, she'd already seen enough...

Far too much...

By WolfKin

WolfKin looked away in disgust as the humans viciously slaughtered one of their own. 'And they call the Clans uncivillized. At least we don't torture those weaker then ourselves.' ~No,~ The other voice in her head replied. ~They just cast people away like they're nothing.~ 'Shut UP!' She didn't need that voice in her head right now. It was dangerous here. Already people were looking at her strangely, her ears and tail giving her away. 'You'd think they'd never seen a lycan before.' she groused. When she turned back to the...stage...she felt her stomache churn violently. 'I can't take this. I'm going to throw up.' And so she ran to the nearest alley, and did just that, blaming it on the torture of the human, and ignoring the other reason by pressing a tight fist again her abdomed with a firmly whispered "No."

By Charcoal Feathers

It was a while before she noticed the absence of her lycan companion. The antics of the crowd were repugnant, yet amusing. Jest at the designation of a fate they would never want for themselves was entirely an act of supreme idiocity even in ignorance. They were no doubt an unlearned lot. They had no idea what this boy would do. A half smile plastered itself on her face to accompany the malignant glint in her eye. They would never have the slightest inkling before he wreaked havoc accross their lands.

Beside her Wolfkin muttered," You'd think they'd never seen a lycan before."

Miriam grinned. " I'd wager they haven't, my friend. They have neither the blood of the Clan or assent of the elders of the Adiba. Save the chosen few. " she shook her head, "How the likes of them bear Eloi I will never understand..."

She glanced sidelong at a small mousy brown haired urchin, "I do not know what to make of her though....Wolfkin?"

Finally realizing she had been talking to herself, she spun on her heal and pushed her way out through the crowd searching for the lycan. Spotting her doubled over figure in a deserted alley she bent down and placed a gloved hand on the former's shoulder. Her expression was grim as she studied the traumatized expression her companion held.

"Oi. He is the one."

Recieving only a grimace as response, Miriam tightened her grip on the lycan's shoulder. Her voice was steely.

" It must be done tonight."

((edit: Eloi--- Chosen one

Adiba ---- Cultured, Refined; Race of Sages, prophets, seers, elders, one that Miriam belongs to.))  

By WolfKin

WolfKin felt a hand on her shoulder and forced her still roiling stomach to calm. Then the words of her companion began to penetrate. He was...this human was...So be it. Kin straightened, her honor not allowing her to do anything but. She nodded grimly at Miriam. "Yes, tonight. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity."

She felt a little guilty about allowing the girl to think her momentary weakness was because of the torture she had seen. The girl obviously didn't know much about Lycans, despite travelling with one. While the violence disgusted her, it was only because it was out of a sense of fun disguised as justice instead of for the hunt. In her normal state, she would have simply beaten the snot out of a few watchers to make herself feel better, even possibly going so far as to kill the human onstage out of mercy, depending on what her honor demanded. ~And what about lying to the one you owe a life debt to? Just tell her that you're-~ 'No. I'm not even sure I am.'

She glanced at Miriam. If she told her, Miriam wouldn't let her participate in the fun tonight. Partly out of concern for Kin, mostly out of concern that it would distract Kin at a crucial moment, and not allow her to do what she must. 'I'll tell her soon. I promise.'

"I know nothing of human cities. You make the plans. You'll be the brains, I'll be the muscle with teeth." She grinned, and managed to look more menacing than anything else.  

By Charcoal Feathers

Miriam tilted her head and studied Kin's grin with skepticism. Though they had been paired together on this quest, and had got along quite well for the most part of their journey, there were still numerous disconcerting things that had sprung up and denied prying, and they both respected such edicts. It irked her to think that there were veils drawn forth even before her sight. But now was not the time to brood over that.

Her lips quirked at the eagerness and energy that quickly replaced the despair on her comrade's face and slipped her arm across Kin's shoulders and ruffled her hair.

"Couldn't suit me better.

"Well then," she grinned, leading her companion away from the alley and into the dispersing crowd, "We better get more meat support for those admirable set of canines; you seem to have lost weight while we crossed the tundra. I sure could use some decent food myself, and there's a shop here Arslan told me ..."

It was amazing how well she could converse with the lycan, despite their differences and their secrets. Back at Samarkand, and no doubt, back at the Clan, there was an indisputable sense of pride and esteem in ones caste, creed and race. In the outside world, the criteria swivelled to character, loyalty, trust and abilities. She had learned to respect the lycan for her sense of justice, her combat skills and her overall ingenuity when times demanded.

"... Damn," She grinned sheepishly, as her stomach grumbled at the wafts of spicy aroma drifting from the food court, "Sure didnt know how much i missed it. They may be fools, but the sure know how to cook."

They made their way through dodging people, engaged in a light hearted conversation. Miriam's eyes locked upon the petite figure of the hysterical girl in her charges grasp. There was a piece of the puzzle that did not fit in so far. Her instincts told her that the squirt would be coming along, and would be valuable. Just how, perplexed her, and she despised ignorance above all else.

Her companion was making some remark but her focus was elsewhere. Her senses were suddenly highly alert, as if they had caught something on radar.

Something had to be involved. This very instant... that something... or someone was....

One moment they were making their way towards the marketplace quite flawlessly, the next, her eyes narrowed and flashed in concentration as she rammed herself and her companion into the passerby walking on their right.

Ignoring the startled cries from both her companion and the lanky, brown haired victim, she mumbled an apology and without sparing the assaulted a backwards glance she started to drag Kin away again, resuming their course just as quickly as she had abandoned it.

"What was tha---"

"Him." She hissed, her teeth gritted. Her eyes glinted as she felt things fall into place. "We will use him tonight."

By WolfKin

She was shocked when Miriam threw her to one side, but quicky recovered. Her companion had the sight, something the Clan looked on as more curse than blessing. If she had been born a Lycan, she might have become a Clan leader, or her parents might have drowned her at birth.

"What do you mean, use him? Are you still talking about that boy?" Sometimes Miriam went places she couldn't follow, and the leaps she took astounded Kin. Knowing she probably wouldn't get an answer anyway, she shrugged to let her partner know it wasn't of any importance. She would do what Miriam asked. She owed her that much.

"So, where are we going to eat? I could eat a cat whole!" She teased. Inside however, her stomach again began to rebel at the thought of food. 'It shouldn't be this much trouble. My mother never had this much trouble when she was...' ~Say it. Pregnant. You're pregnant.~ She shook her head to rid it of such unwelcome thoughts. She felt the blood drain from her face, and forced herself to smile at her companion. "We'll talk about a plan over lunch."  

By Small Wonder

It was almost over, and never had Nahj felt more helpless in her life as she redoubled her efforts to break free, much to the matron's frustration. She didn't even know what she'd do once she did get free...or rather, if she did. What could she do? Run up there and take on the soldiers? Hah, yeah right. But...but...she just wanted to do something! This wasn't right! None of it was!

"Nahj, we're going back!" the matron shouted over the girl's cries, and muttered something under her breath about this having been a horrid idea from the start, that she should have known it would be too much. In response, Nahj dug her heels into the ground firmly and thrust all her weight forward and away from the matron, twisting in her grip as much as she could without pain, as the older woman struggled to try and pull her away. In her annoyance, some part of the matron was tempted to release her grip on the girl and send her pitching forward, but all she did was sigh. She would never admit it, but it seemed she'd finally met her match.

Or, she might have if the girl hadn't suddenly calmed down, her young body going limp and sagging to the ground defeatedly. If it weren't for the matron's grip, her bare knees would have scraped the ground.

"Leggo...please...I gotta help him..."

The matron sighed quietly, and her voice took on a much gentler tone. "You can't. No one can. Get up, Nahj, I can't hold you like this."

Surprisingly to the matron, Nahj did as she was told, sniffing, and jerked her head slightly to toss her hair out of her eyes. Her vision was blurred as she looked back up to the nightmarish scene, where her brother was just starting to be dragged slowly up the gallows' steps, too weak to climb it himself, with the blood still dripping crimson from his assaulted back. Nahj's shoulders shook with a sudden, hiccoughed sob. This wasn't happening...it wasn't...it wasn't fair...

"Come on, Nahj. Let's go. You want to see this no more than I."

Nahj shook her head grimly. She had to be here for him...and even in her defeat, she hadn't given up hope entirely. Silly, girlish hopes, no doubt, from hearing too many fairy tales, but...her brother just couldn't die like this. He couldn't.

He was all she had left.

"I wonder what he did?" she heard a voice close by mutter, and she blinked and glanced toward the voice's source. And it wasn't difficult to find, the voice's bearer was one of the only people in the crowd that looked confused and out of place...and maybe even sickened. Nahj's bleary eyes lit up a little, and she seized her chance. Chance for what, she didn't know, but...but this guy was obviously not one of the sheep, and that was something! And right now, even the smallest, thinnest string was something solid to grasp!

"He didn't do anythin' wrong!" she shouted to the man, twisting slightly so she could face him, tear-stained cheeks and all, as she went on imploringly. "He was protectin' me! Wasn't his fault!"

Well, Siyat was in a good mood.

Make that a really good mood.

Earlier that morning, one of the guys she shared quite a few classes with--an annoying freak that she just knew wanted to sex her up, because he was quite...forward in his advances--had made the awful (for him) mistake of pinching her bottom in the hall. Poor guy. If only he had known that she had just been waiting for him to do something like that, because it was just the excuse she needed to bash his skull in. Which was exactly what she'd done. As soon as she'd felt those slimy fingers of his pinch the skin of her right cheek, she'd brought her left leg up and around in a swinging high kick that had connected dead on with the right side of his head.

Needless to say, he had gone down and hadn't gotten back up.

Gods she never realized how good that would feel!

And what was even better: nobody but other trainees had witnessed it, and she just knew that bastard wasn't going to squeak a word to any authorities! For one, if he ratted her out, then it would be fair and good for her to mention why she had felt the need to smash him down. Not to mention that, knowing him and his mountainous ego, getting taken out by a girl in front of his peers was bruising enough to his pride. He'd shape up for a good while, and hopefully start leaving her the hell alone.

In any case, she'd been in a good mood for the rest of the day since then; it was difficult to wipe the smug smile off her face, and she practically skipped as she made her way toward the mess hall for supper.

She didn't even know why so many guys were so...weird around her. It wasn't like she was attractive. At least, she didn't think so. She wasn't like one of those fair, virtuous princesses that handsome heroes gave their lives for in battle. Nah. She didn't want to be one of those, anyway. She wore her dirty-blonde hair cropped short and wild, like a boy's, save for a section in the back that was braided and travelled along down the middle of her back, reaching just above her waist. And fair? Her skin was a healthy, natural bronze, and her eyes were blue-green. She was built tough and hard from her training rather than thin and fragile like a storybook princess, and virtuous? Well...she didn't think fairy tale princesses beat the crap out of potential suitors.

Hah...suitors...ahem. Riiight.

Nah, it wasn't like she didn't like guys. Just the ones that she hated were always the ones that liked her. And there seemed to be a lot of those types around. Figured.

Oh well! If nothing else, it made life interesting! And she couldn't say she didn't enjoy a good brawl...even if they could be rather one-sided. Siyat was a competitive soul, and always had been.

She grinned and continued off on her way. She really couldn't wait to go down to supper. She couldn't wait to see if he was there, because she was really interested in seeing how that bruise was coming along.

[oi, teh crappiness! Is it obvious I didn't know what I was doing with her? XD I hate introductory posts, they're always so difficult for me! Bah!]

Empathy is a good thing. The ability to put yourself in another's shoes, to imagine what they must feel in a given position...it is a useful skill, one that the whole of the world could do to possess. If more people could attempt to understand what those around them feel and experience, if more people could recognize that, no matter how different, culturally, physically, and mentally one person is from the other, they are all feeling, emotional entities with the same basic desires, fears and dreams...if more people could do that, the world would probably be a better place for it. There would probably be less wars, fewer arguments, and fewer divisions, because instead of just whipping out a sword when a conflict came up, people would attempt to view the issue from all angles and work it out that way. After all, sometimes, a whole war could be the result of a simple misunderstanding or cultural difference.

Yet, Jeya's problem was not due to too little empathy, but way too much of it.

Laying in bed with a pillow over his head, Jeya had his eyes clenched shut as he attempted to will away the headache that had spawned. He'd been dismissed from class early today after...a lesson in magic gone wrong. Knowing that his main weakness was his ability as an Empath, one of his instructors had been working with him to set up a block that would at least shield him from the constant bombardment of foreign emotions. Indeed, while being an Empath was also a great strength, it was the fact that he couldn't yet control the ability that was problematic. He picked up on the emotions of anyone that was nearby, and while for the most part he was used to the constant swirl and hum of feelings, and had learned to differentiate between what he was feeling and what someone else felt, and while this meant he could, under normal circumstances, ignore the other emotions...some instances could be hell on him.

He dreaded crowds. A few people at a time could be dealt with, but a swarm of people could be downright intolerable and overwhelming. And give him a killer headache. Or make him sick to his stomach or just plain depressed if the people around him were feeling all weepy or stressed. It was a real mood killer at times.

So, that was what he needed to work on. A lot. He needed to learn how to filter the emotions of other people, and then learn how to identify which emotion belonged to who. Right now, he could do neither. Well, sometimes he could identify individual emotions if only a few people were around him...

Most of the time, he tried to ignore the emotions, though. It always felt like he was invading their privacy, and sometimes, he didn't like what he felt.

In any case, today the instructor, a fellow Empath though obviously far more advanced in her ability than he was, had tried to help him set up a block and, of course, after setting it up, they had to test it out. Bad idea. Jeya sucked at holding the block, and the wave of emotions she lashed out at him with crippled him. She'd chosen a dizzying medley of emotions ranging from insanely happy to suicidally depressed and everything in between. Not a fun combination.

He had to be helped back to his room by a fellow student, head reeling, temples pounding and nausea threatening to solidify into something even less pleasant.

And, that's where he'd been for the last hour and a half, waiting for his senses to return and the ickiness to die down. Thank goodness it was starting to ebb now.

It was a good twenty minutes more before he could finally lower the pillow away from his face and sit up, still a little woozy, but one hell of a lot better than he had been. But what was worse was the embarrassment. Even at seventeen he was praised for the skill he displayed during spars, for he seemed a natural when it came to handling a weapon. And yet, a simple, invisible attack, a strong surge of emotion, could turn his world upside-down and disorient him--or, in this particular demonstration, send him spasming on the ground like an epileptic.

In fact, he'd been the poster child for what not to do and what could happen if you lowered your guard. There were other Empaths in the class, but they seemed to have no problem whatsoever with erecting a mental block and keeping their emotions safe and separate. It just came naturally.

His ability was simply too strong. He didn't know how to control it, and it was a source of constant frustration for his professor. And himself.

He could weild a sword and hit a moving target dead-on with an arrow, but what good were any of those skills if it came down to actually using them in a real battle? He'd be useless as a soldier. He'd be crippled by his opponents fear, stress, hatred, exhileration...or any combination of them. And in a battle...those emotions would be multiplied by the hundreds. Emotions ran strong when lives were on the line.

Scooting slowly to the edge of the bed, sweat-dampened, red-streaked black hair hanging dully in his scarlet eyes, Jeya sighed and rubbed along his forehead. He'd get it...eventually.

He had to.

I added even more areas to SotE! Particularly the kingdoms. They now have their own military academies! Information regarding them can be found here, and if you have any ideas or imput to add regarding them...speak up! Also, Necromantia now has a labyrinth, a mysterious and dangerous location beneath the major cities that may be responsible for some strange disappearances occuring there. Dun dun DUN! The information for all the kingdoms has been updated to include all the new additions. ^_^

*ahem* Also, I added some new affiliates! Whoo! Much love to them! <3 Go check 'em out!

And, the last order of business would be...characters SotE is in need of! Yes, there are some character types that we need. Amazingly. O.O

Needed Character Types
1. Mordecai. We need some Mordecai for Connlaoth, because, currently, we only have four (Kuro, Tyne, Beatrid, and Alcee). So, we need some more. Not a HUGE ammount, since Mordecai are supposed to be somewhat scarce, but if anyone wants to play one...go for it. ^_^
2. Dragons, gryphons, wolves, horses, and the like. The packs, herds, flocks, and the like are very lonely. ;_;
3. Soldiers and students for the academies! All of 'em! And teachers.
4. Thieves for the Thief's Guild! They also need some leaders.

Hmm...I think that's about all! ^__^ Oh...and advertise if you get a chance! <3

EDIT 11/17/05
I was a goof last night and screwed up on Connlaoth's information. Ahahah. I meantioned a class among the soldiers of mages, which...of course was wrong. XD Oops. Brainfart. I also added a bit more information about the Mordecai in Connlaoth and fixed some spelling errors that I found on some of the kingdom pages. But all is well now! Yay!

Encountered a funny, dramatic, uplifting, or just plain cool quote somewhere on SotE's forums? Well, then, go ahead and share 'em here! It doesn't have to be actual character dialogue; quotes can also consist of description/action, dialogue, or a combination of both. XD Just be sure to include the author, a link to the thread, and the character doing the speaking/action! Then the quote will be stuck in a random quote generator thingy for SotE's pages. 'Cause I'm working on a new layout now and shiznit.

You can submit quotes from your own characters/threads or quotes that you've read from other people's threads and stuff. Don't be shy!

So, that's it! Submit and share away!

Well...they'd found a village.

That was a good thing. They'd been wandering a good while now, and sleeping in the bush when night fell with no sign of civilization in sight, so the sight of homes and other humanoids was a welcome sight. Or, at least, it would have been had Niaaki felt welcomed in return. He just wasn't getting that vibe here, though...quite the contrary. He felt like...like...well, like he was glad Yuuki, his friend and guardian, was there, because if the other man wasn't, he had a feeling he might have gotten jumped. That was just the sort of vibe he was getting.

Frail and fragile though he looked, with his fine-boned face, large, silvery-blue eyes, shoulder-length silver hair, and slender body, he could hold his own if he was threatened by one person, maybe two if he was having an especially good day. He could try taking on more if he wanted to, but that involved risks he wasn't sure his body could handle, and then Yuuki would probably get mad at him. Defending himself would leave him tired and weak, though, for he was no physical fighter--magic was his thing, and though it was powerful, it was horribly draining on him. Such was his luck. Luck had seemed against him even since his birth--which had almost killed him, and had killed his mother. That was why he was so weak now, he'd been told, because he'd had such a rough start and had been sickly as a child. Still, he managed. Weak in body, but strong in spirit. He'd persevere.

What he couldn't do, Yuuki could.

Still, Niaaki shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably and paused right on the threshold of the village, worrying his lip and tightening his grip on the old, ragged doll that he hugged to his stomach. It was nothing special, in fact it was falling apart, with one blue button eye lost and all but a few strands of dull, yellow yarn hair missing. The doll didn't even have any clothes anymore, and there were stitches in random places where it had apparently been torn and sewn back up again. Still, he held it protectively, and it was the only object he carried other than the travel-worn clothes on his back. It must have been an odd sight to see, a young man like he carrying an old doll like a child. Yet, something about his own vulnerability was child-like.

"Wow...friendly lot, are they not?" he said, voice soft, partially because it was just naturally soft and partially because he didn't really want to be overheard by those folks. Yet even for all his obvious uncertainty, there was a strange natural grace beneath all his actions, even when he was clumsy--most of the time. He wasn't all human, so perhaps grace under pressure was one of those faint leftovers from his ancestors generations and generations back. "This...is not exactly where we were supposed to end up, is it?"

His instincts told him they should probably move on. This place seemed to breathe negativity as tangibly as dragons breathed flame, and some sort of massive construction seemed to be going on throughout. Overall, it just seemed like they'd come to a bad place at a bad time. But he didn't say anything to Yuuki, deciding the other man would be better qualified to decide whether it was safe to stay or whether they should just keep walking and not take their chances here. Maybe his friend even had an idea of what this place was where he did not.

Either way, whether they stayed or continued on, he was tired and in need of rest and drink. Ages ago, he may have once been one of those picky and spoiled nobles that now annoyed him so much, but he'd come to learn that it didn't really matter whether he slept in a bed or in grass--sleep was sleep. Same with food and company.

Well...so he did sometimes lapse into old habits and behaviors...but...that didn't count!

Welp, the Light Mage and Dark Mage Villages finally have real names, thanks to Gold, who made up a big list of names for me to choose from! XD The Light Mage Village is now La'marri, and the Dark Mage Village is now Zantaric! Yay for real names!

I also gave both areas their temples, as had been discussed for a while on the General Discussion Board. ^___^ So, those would be the new areas: the Temple of La'marri and Temple of Zantaric! W00t! So go! Fly and visit them! Give them the attention they crave!

And, if you ever get any free time...help us grow! New members are always fun because they mean new ideas and new characters! So spread the word. The more the merrier, and more people = more activity = more posts = more plots. XP

Anyway, hope ya like the new areas and names and stuff. ^_^

Ahahah...weeell, it's come to my attention that there are some bugs, particularly where it comes to the newsfeed code that sends topic from this board to the SITE UPDATES section of the site. Meep. It's only supposed to show the first post of the topic...not any comments! XD Very odd, since it worked perfectly when I tested it all out, but now it's being spazzy and showing Annoth's post. Feel special, Annoth, the site loves you! XP

So...off I go to smash some bugs. ^^;; Hopefully I can figure out why it's deciding to be spazzy all of a sudden. *stabs code*

EDIT
Fixed! I think. XD

Yup!

New layout! Whatcha think?

Will post more later...tired...must go to bed. XD Still gotta tweak it some, but...that's for tomorrow. ^^;;

'Night all!

EDIT October 11

Speaking of tweaking the layout...a few bugs have reared their heads, even though I had tested everything prior to applying the layout to the whole site. *twitch* This is weird. Welp, off I go to smash some bugs!

[hah, pardon the lame title. XD I fear I'm notorious for them... ^^;;]

It was a good few hours of brisk travelling before Kyras, not even looking a bit fatigued even while carrying his own slave, began to slow his pace to a more leisurely stroll. They had long since crossed out of Adelan territory into the span of woods that no kingdom laid claim to and no laws reached: the borderlands, a span of land notorious for criminals and danger to the unwitting traveller, a span of land Kyras never felt more comfortable in. Lawless of not, though, it didn't mean lawkeepers and soldiers still didn't make an effort to keep the place clean, at least where it was closest to their own borders, nor did it mean there weren't scouts sent out to keep an eye on things where they could, but with the woods as dense as they were and the land as vast, it was a futile effort.

And Kyras' home was far deeper into the area.

He navigated easily through the woods, using unseen landmarks to guide him. To anyone unfamiliar with navigating a woods, each tree could look deceivingly similar to the one nearest it, each scent just as indistinct as any other forest smell. But to Kyras, the forest was a map of distinct landmarks and scents...but, as a Cerenai, he also had an accute sense of smell and sight, and it was easy to take it for granted that that was something not every creature had.

Which, of course, only further reinforced his idea of innate superiority.

However, before too long, a strong scent came up that even the weakest nose could recognize, a sweet floral scent that grew stronger and stronger as they neared its source. And then, picking up his pace slightly, Kyras broke through into a hidden clearing...

And onto a scene that looked like the site of a slaughter.

Blood was everywhere, soaking into the soil, splashed onto the foliage, the scent drowned out and muted by that strange, sweet smell that's source soon became apparent, for there had been a rose bush there, and its legacy remained in sliced up bits and pieces. Thick, thorny vines remained behind, their half an inch to an inch long thorns tipped with crimson liquid, and their petals were crushed and scattered about, red as the blood that soaked the area, though a few whole rose-heads remained. But the huge plant was decimated nonetheless, uprooted and torn apart, and Kyras could only stare in confusion.

His prey, however, though its blood was everywhere, was nowhere to be seen.

Seemed another had taken it before he could retrieve it, because there was no way it could have escaped on its own. He had made sure of that, had blinded it with his own claws before he'd left it here, hidden away, unconscious, and tangled in the thorns that would bleed it for him and mask the blood-scent from other predators.

But whatever had taken his prey hadn't done a very good job at hiding its work. As Kyras looked, he could make out a blood trail leading out of the clearing...

He'd have to track it down later. He couldn't care less about his actual prey, though he had looked forward to having another demonâ€"it had been so long since his last. What he did care about was being stolen from. That was an issue he did not take lightly, not at all...and there would be a hunt later, to be sure.

For the first time during this whole trip, he glanced back at Elinsha. "Apologies for the delay...I had to check up on an earlier snare I set, but it seems my prey was taken by another. We are close to my home, though. It will be just a bit longer."

Um...yes. Random idea which I thought could be both fun and, whenever the need arises, boredom relieving randomness! The idea came up because SOMETHING kinda similar happened in one of the old threads at random back at the old forums, and then Tal was joking around in an MSN convo about SotE Survivor and SotE: The Real World, so...um...yes. XD

This is a thread where you can post out of character with your characters in character! XD If that makes any sense. Bwah.

Have fun. XP Knock yourselves out.

[Moved thread! This is all Xxerth!]

<font color=red>The gray clouds that covered the sky held the sun hostage, allowing not a single ray of light to directly pass through their hold. It was almost as if the weather itself was hinting at the darkness and evil that consumed the land. Yet the sun was relentless, and soon its rays would pierce through the oppressive barrier of the clouds and bring brilliance to the land. This symbolized the coming of a true hero to purge the evil and restore light to...this...land...

Yeah right. That would be a good opening, wouldn't it? But...
"You see, as it is now," said Nehru, "I'm getting my ass kicked."
"That's because you have a lot to learn," replied Sama as she lit up another cigarette. "Humor me: Who are you talking to this time?"
--Nehru was an older adolescent, female youth with straight, dark purple hair slightly past her mid-back and bright teal eyes. Not surprisingly, she wore a hot pink nehru-styled longcoat (slender and fitting in shape with silver buttons from the collarbone down to the waist and a high collar that hides much of the neck). Also, she had a pair of sleek and shiny black boots.--
Nehru pushed herself back up to her feet from the alley floor and shook her head some. "No one in particular, I guess."
"Monologue," Sama stated the word more than asked. She pushed her rectangular glasses up a little with her index finger.
"Why do I have to learn to fight, anyway? How's that have anything to do with what I wanna do?" questioned Nehru as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Because," Sama started simply as she blew out a load of smoke, "all big epic quests have action sequences of some form or another, there's no escaping it. You'd best learn how to pull off grand and spectacular feats of superhuman strength, speed, agility, and dexterity to put on a good show. And don't give me that look, I didn't make up the rules, I just know them all."
"It would actually be impressive if you didn't know something..." Nehru murmured to herself as she brushed off her pink coat, becoming just slightly annoyed with the haughty mentor.
Sama took another savory drag on her cig and took out a long parchment from her pants pocket, more or less ignoring the comment. "Alright then, let's run through the checklist before we begin lessons again..." She unraveled the monstrosity of paper and began reading down from the top, "Have you ever successfully punched someone through a brick wall before?"
Nehru scratched the top of her head, "Um...I don't recall-"
"Cracked a brick wall by punching someone into it?"
"Nope."
"Deflected an oncoming attack nonchalantly with your trusty sword without even seeing it coming?"
"Ooh...that would be cool."
"Floored a bunch of bad guys during a gunfight with incredible, one shot-one kill accuracy and without taking a hit yourself?"
Nehru's eyes widened and see whistled in awe, "Da-mn..."
Sama narrowed her eyes a little, "Destroyed an entire company of highly-trained soldiers with a single attack?"
"Oh come on now, don't be silly. That sort of thing only happens in...I don't know, Online Fantasy Messageboard Role-Playing Games...or something like that," replied Nehru while crossing her arms.
Sama sighed frustratedly and rolled up the long list back into a scroll. "We...have a lot of work to do, kiddo."

--

Sama pocketed the list of action-oriented feats and began to saunter out of the back alley. "Come on, let's go."
Nehru cocked her head to the side, wondering where they were going, and jogged briskly to catch up with Sama. "Where are we going?"
Wasn't that blunt?
Sama exhaled another stream of smoke and stated impassively, "Incorrect usage of 'we'; While I will be going somewhere, you will be practicing."
Nehru looked disappointed. She used the big, sorrowful, puppy-dog eyes on Sama and said woefully, "Aww...but that's not fair..."
The mentor's half-closed, bored-looking eyes scrolled over to meet Nehru's own. "Too bad, kid."
Now that they were out of the alley and on the sidewalk of one of the streets of Adela, Nehru took the moment to face Sama and pressed, "But how am I going to practice while you're gone??"
Sama took her cigarette from her lips, tossed it to the ground, stamped it out, and glanced at Nehru. "Whine that good must be mighty expensive." She threw her overcoat back on. "Now observe."
After she was done fitting her arms into the coat's sleeves, Sama wrapped the overcoat shut and waited for a moment's passing. She then reached into her coat, and from it, produced a life-size dummy on a stick.
Nehru gawked in awe and puzzlement at her mentor's display. "What the...how in the world did you do that? How were you able to store a dummy that big in your coat??"
Sama sighed, somewhat annoyed by Nehru's lack of knowledge. "I utilized the Principle of the Untold Detail. I never told you that I did or did not have a life-size dummy stored away in my coat, nor did the narration make that clear distinction either. So, therefore, the dummy was both there and not there. That is, of course, until I made the clear distinction that the dummy was, in fact, stored away inside my coat by pulling it out. Of course, all of this was done at and for my convenience, you see."
Nehru was even more confused than ever now. "Principle...Detail...narration?? Huh?"
Sama placed the dummy on a stick firmly into the ground and slapped her hands down on Nehru's shoulders. "Listen, the Principle of Untold Detail is very useful, especially for someone with such a large coat. I suggest that you learn it at the earliest available opportunity."
"Okay..." she replied, still not understanding completely. And it was then at she noticed, "Hey...that dummy looks a whole lot like me. Are you trying to say something about me?"
Upon not so closer inspection, Sama's practice dummy did look a lot like Nehru: Pink longcoat, purple hair, teal eyes, the whole kit in a kaboodle (does anyone else ever use that phrase anymore?).
A smirk crawled up Sama's face as she turned around and started walking away. "How could you ever assume that I would do such a heinous act?"
Nehru's eyes narrowed and rolled to her right. "Oh it wasn't that hard, you know..."
Sama continued to call out instructions as she distanced herself from Nehru. "Just practice on the dummy until I get back. If you get lucky, a traveling master might see you and take pity on such a poor sight and decide to give you lessons just so his or her eyes will stop burning."
As Nehru was straightening out her look-alike dummy, she glanced over at the retreating figure of Sama and murmured quietly to herself, "A traveling master...oh come on, how often does that happen?"
"More often than you would expect," were Sama's last words that she called back before rounding the corner of a building to head down another street.
Nehru perked her eyebrow some; did she hear everything within a twenty-mile radius or something? People like that were annoying...

--

Well...why not?
Nehru stayed where she was for a good hour, practicing some punches and kicks on a life-size dummy that looked like herself. The local citizenry of Adela watched from afar as they passed by in the their daily routines, but dared not go close for fear that whatever was apparently wrong with the girl in the long pink coat was contagious.
Nehru was feeling quite good; she could beat herself up pretty well! She juked left and right with shifty feet before the dummy and jabbed a few times at it.
Then a drop of water landing right on the very top of her head.
Nehru stopped suddenly and glanced up.
Cloudy.
Before she knew it, she became soaked.
Rain.
!!!!
Uh oh! Sama said something earlier about the rain. She was looking through a book...a book that she gave Nehru...dang! Where she'd put the book??
Nehru snapped her fingers and focused her sight on the dummy of herself in front of her; the book was there and not there...the book was there and not there...the book was in its coat and not in its coat...
Nehru lunged forward abruptly and fished through the dummy's coat with her tongue sticking out...
Aha!
She extracted a yellow book with the title "Epics for Dummies" from the dummy's coat. Who would have thought...?
Nehru feverishly flipped through the pages of the book, looking for that section that talked about the rain in epics...
And what she found was a simple entry: Rain + Epic Quest = Bad = Run foo'!!
!!!!
BOOM...
BOOM...
BOOM...
Nehru's eyes shot wide open and she snapped the book shut. That wasn't thunder, loud and sudden noises during a storm were never thunder. They were usually bad too.
"I have you now! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" came a loud and appropriately scary voice from behind Nehru.
She timidly looked over her shoulder with a boggled look on her face.
An extremely tall and burly man who wore a big, flowing cape and whose face save his eyes was hidden by a full helm stood there, his finger pointed right at Nehru. "I am Zoron!! MASTER OF DESTRUCTION AND CHAOS!!!"
Nehru tried flashed a goofy smile and waved awkwardly, "Hi, I'm Nehru, a very scared and fragile little bunny rabbit right now..."
Zoron held his arms up towards the darkly cloudy sky and yelled, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO-" He stopped abruptly, lowered his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Bunny rabbit...?" He shook his head, got back into the evil nemesis spirit and once again raised his arms up towards the darkly cloudy sky and yelled, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL, NEHRU!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Lightning flashed to punctuate his thunderous speech. Oh like you didn't see that coming...jeez...
Nehru began to back away from the hulking figure of Zoron and glance frantically to her left and right. "Sama...where are you...?" she murmured nervously to herself.
Zoron started to take big steps toward Nehru as he boasted, "No one has EVER beaten ZORON in a duel!! I have CRUSHED every opponent that I have EVER come across!! AND NOW!!! It's your turn Nehru! FACE ME IN A DUEL-"
Zoron balled his huge right hand into a fist and thrust it forward-
Nehru shrieked and shielded her head with her arms, looking away-
!!!!
....
Nehru noticed that she was still standing, and that she still had all her teeth! What happened?
She slowly opened her eyes and lowered her arms, seeing Zoron's unmoving fist right in front of her.
He concluded his speech, "OF ROCK, SCISSORS, PAPER!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!"

--

To say that Nehru was incredulous right now would be an vast understatement.
She let her arms sag to her sides and just gazed blankly at Zoron and his big fist. "You wanna play a game of...rock, scissors, paper?"
"DUEL!!!" Zoron bellowed, causing the ground to shake and the que lightning to strike again (which struck a conveniently placed chicken dinner and fast-fried it instantly. Mmmm...chicken dinner). "A DUEL OF ROCK, SCISSORS, PAPER!!"
"Oh, yeah, duel, my mistake," said Nehru as she looked away and scratched the back of her head. She summoned up her determination then and stuck her own fist out, "Ok, I'm game!"
Zoron smacked his helmeted forehead and spoke like a frustrated teacher, "Not like that! You're doing it all wrong!"
Nehru blinked. "Huh? Doing what wrong?"
"You're supposed to reply to my mighty challenge with a heroic response!" Zoron began to gesture with his hands. "You know, like 'I accept! I will avenge my people, Zoron!!'"
"But, I don't need to avenge my people-"
"Oh, really?" Zoron scratched his chin and thought for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. You look like more the magical girl type. How's about, 'For Love, Truth, and Justice, I will vanquish you evil Zoron!!'"
Nehru cupped her hand around her chin and considered that line. "Ok, I like it." She cleared her throat and then pointed her index finger at him. "For Love, Truth, and Justice, I will vanquish you evil Zoron!!"
He made an 'O.K.' sign with his left hand and then resumed his evil, bad guy atmosphere. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!! YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME!? I WILL CRUSH YOU, NEHRU!! LET US FIGHT!!"
Zoron narrowed his eyes in concentration-
Nehru narrowed her eyes in concentration-
ROCK - SCISSORS - PAPER - SHOOT!!
Nehru = Paper : Zoron = Scissors (Ownage!!)
!!!!
Nehru was suddenly lifted off her feet and thrown across the street by an invisible force, crashing into a building across said street and landing ungracefully on her rear end.
"HAHAHA!!" gloated Zoron as he held his hands on his hips. "FEEL THE PAIN!!"
"Ow!! My pinky finger!!" Nehru exclaimed as she flapped her throbbing left hand about. She glared back at Zoron and demanded, "Hey! I thought this was just a game of rock, scissors, paper! What gives??"
"DUEL!! DUEL OF ROCK, SCISSORS, PAPER!!" pressed Zoron. His tone became informative again as he explained, "Don't you know? Action scenes have to be spectacular and exciting to be any good."
"This is an action scene??" Nehru asked, her mind boggled.
"Yes! Yes it is!" Zoron cleared his throat and put his evil, bad guy atmosphere back on. "HA HA!! READY TO GIVE IN, NEHRU? IT'S FUTILE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE!!"
Nehru clenched her teeth and forced herself back to her feet amidst the pouring rain, despite the rather unimpressive pain pulsing not quite so unbearably throughout her left pinky finger. She furrowed her eyebrows determinedly and responded forcibly, "Never! I will never quit until I end your evil ways Zoron!!"
"YOUR MIS-" Zoron blinked and complimented, "Hey, that was a good one. I'll have to remember that."
"Thanks," replied Nehru with a big smile.
Nehru put on her heroically determinded face again and Zoron cleared his throat, "YOUR MISTAKE, NEHRU!!"
They each extended their fists toward one another.
Zoron narrowed his eyes in concentration-
Nehru narrowed her eyes in concentration-
ROCK - SCISSORS - PAPER - SHOOT!!
Nehru = Paper : Zoron = Paper (Stalemate!!)
"Ok," said Zoron. "This is where we compliment each other's abilities."
Nehru blinked and cocked her head to the side. "Why?"
"Because!! In all great duels the two combatants each realize that their opponents possess worthy strength!" Zoron cleared his throat yet again. "NOT BAD, NEHRU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN I EXPECTED..."
Nehru replied simply, "Too bad you suck though."
"WHAT???" Zoron roared. "THAT'S IT! THE TIME FOR GAMES IS OVER!!"
Nehru blinked and stated blankly, "This is a game."
"DUEL!!" He pressed.
Zoron narrowed his eyes in concentration-
Nehru narrowed her eyes in concentration-
ROCK - SCISSORS - PAPER - SHOOT!!
Nehru = Rock : Zoron = Scissors (Punked!!)
"NOOO!!!" exclaimed Zoron as he went flying down the street, propelled by the same, irrational force that tossed Nehru earlier. The evil lord rolled to a stop in which he lay face-first on the ground.
Nehru smiled like an idiot and shot a peace sign into the air with her right hand; she won one!!
"YOU HAVEN'T WON YET, NEHRU!!" bellowed Zoron as he pushed himself back up to his feet. "Because I have yet to unleash...MY TRUE FORM!!!!!! MWHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Nehru's eyes widened and she murmured, "Uh oh..."

--

[Insert short, tension mounting commercial break here]
....
....
[Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...]

"Now you will see...MY TRUE FORM!!" bellowed Zoron as he pushed himself back up to his feet. "MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Nehru's eyes widened and she murmured, "Oh no..."
She narrowed her eyes and glanced to the left and right. Wait...didn't that last exchange just happen last post? Stupid commercial breaks always make things repeat...
"BEHOLD!! My true form AND...your DOOM!!!" Zoron announced as he pumped both of his arms like a professional body-builder.
And then suddenly...
"John Basedow??" Nehru exclaimed.
John appeared out of no where and stepped out beside Zoron and pointed at him. "If you want buff arms, ripped abs, and an all-around hard body like this, then try my new Better Bod-"
Zoron pushed him away and shouted, "Get! Get outta here! The commercial break is over! I'm trying to morph into my true form!" He cleared his throat and pumped his arms again, "NOW THEN!!!"
Multiple que lightnings struck behind Zoron as his whole body became black for no good reason. He grew even bigger than he already was (OMFG!), sprouted demonic horns (OMFG!), grew bat-like wings (OMFG!), his feet changed into hooves (OMFG!), and his normal eyes changed into EVIL RED GLOWING PUPILESS OCS OF DOOM!!! (Lame, everybody has those, jeez. And who the hell uses the word 'ocs' to describe eyes, anyway? That's pretty dumb too)
"HAHAHA!!! ARE YOU AFRAID, NEHRU!?" asked the new-and-improved Zoron. "I SACKED MY CHARISMA SCORE FOR A MEGA BOOST OF STRENGTH, CONSTITUTION, AND DEXTERITY!!!"
Nehru frowned and replied, "You aren't kidding, min-maxer. You could at least put a bag over your head or something."
"WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!!"
Nehru put on a randomly generated pair of sunglasses and said firmly, "It ends tonight, Zoron."
(Play music: Nehrudämmerung)
She started running down the street in spectacular slow motion towards her adversary amidst the pouring rain, her coat billowing out behind her.
Zoron started running down the street in likewise spectacular slow motion towards his adversary amidst the pouring, wearing a big scowl on his face.
Nehru made a fist with her right hand and arched it back-
Zoron made a fist with his right hand as well and arched it back-
ROCK - SCISSORS - PAPER - SHOOT!!
Nehru = Rock : Zoron = Scissors (Big grand finale prawnage!!)
"NOOOO!!! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!!!" Zoron howled as he grabbed his head and slunk down to his knees.
"Best two out of three, Zoron! You lose!" announced Nehru with a grin.
Zoron pulled himself together and gave his wings a mighty flap, launching himself high up into the air. He hovered up there and pointed his finger down at her, "AND I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT TOO IF IT WEREN'T FOR-"
"Wrong cliché," informed Nehru scholarly with a finger held up.
Zoron smacked his head. "Oh, my mistake." He cleared his throat and thundered, "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME, NEHRU!!"
With that, he threw his cape around himself and vanished.
(Que funny record-switching noise)
The rain immediately stopped and all the dark clouds sped away at the speed of light. The sky was once again blue, the sun popped back out, a rainbow formed, and two cute rabbits hopped by Nehru.
She blinked. "Wow. Things sure got better fast."
Nehru decided to consult her copy of Epics for Dummies and see what it had to say.
She found a short entry: Wow. That was fast.
"Hey! You're supposed to tell me why it was so fast!" Nehru demanded of the book.
She turned the page and found another entry: Everybody knows when the danger is over the rain suddenly stops and the sun comes back out. Didn't you?
"Wise guy..." she mumbled.

--

"Want a hint? Stop talking to books you nitwit," came the haughty, all-knowing voice of Sama.
Nehru's eyes bulged wide open in surprise. She wheeled around to find her mentor casually strolling up to her, a lit cigarette hanging out her mouth.
Nehru began stuttering like a political candidate whose mind blanked out during a televised debate (<- Blatant Election Day Joke). She finally hid the book behind her back and said innocently, "Book? What book?"
Sama proverbially threw that fish back into the sea of topics and changed subject. "Well, congratulations on your first victory on your epic quest. You're well on your way to destroying the evil, all-powerful ring in the fires of Mt.-"
"Wait a sec," Nehru interjected. "I'm not on a quest to destroy a ring. And where the heck would you get an evil ring, anyway? Windsor Jewelors?"
"Ok then," said Sama as she exhaled a puff of smoke. "You're well on your way to sailing back home after annihilating the city of Troy-"
"Hey! I'm not doing that either!" Nehru crossed her arms.
"Well excuse me for trying to give you ideas that are actually interesting. Your loss though..." Sama inhaled on her cigarette.
"Well?" inquired Nehru expectantly.
"Well what?" Sama played along.
"Did you send Zoron over to fight with me?"
"Heavens no," scoffed Sama, blowing out some smoke roughly. "He's a second-rate open contract villain. He got a few gigs in the past, but mostly he just bumps into would-be heroes and challenges them. Tough break for you, kiddo."
Nehru scratched the back of her head. "Then...what kind of help did you go and get?"
"Guidance," replied Sama as she took a drag. "Because you couldn't find your car in a parking lot the size of a palm pilot if it was the only one there."
"Hey!" Nehru interjected. "At least I can find my way around a really, really big tree!"
"That's because all you have to do is go around in circles, genius," countered Sama as she blew some smoke out of her nose.
"People like going around in circles! Why do you think racing is so popular?" Nehru pointed her finger at Sama for added effect to her question.
"Why do you think the I.Q. level of the average person is declining so dreadfully?" Sama toyed around with her glasses.
Nehru sighed and started waving around a small, white flag.
"That's what I thought," Sama tossed the cigarette over her shoulder. The burning butt landed in the back pocket of Ingus, a Snarvian and the last of his kind, and incinerated him instantly, making Snarvians officially extinct. "Now then, as I was saying, your guidance..."
Sama produced a small doll that resembled an old man out from behind her back. "Say hello to Old Plot Device Prophet," she said impassively.
"He's a doll?" asked Nehru incredulously as she leaned forward and poked it.
"A puppet to be a exact," explained Sama. "Because he and other tools like him are often employed by unscrupulous authors and writers as a quick and easy means to get from point A to point B."
Sama takes a glance at you (yes, you, the reader) and remarks, "Just try to convince me that you're not guilty of this."
Nehru perked an eyebrow, "Who are you talking to?"
"No one important." She handed the puppet to Nehru and instructed, "Pull the string and see what he has to say."
"Ok," and Nehru complied.
The doll rattled a bit as the string was slowly reseting to its original position, and it said in a funny voice like a creaky door, "</font><font color=gray>You can do it, Nazune, my child, darling. I'll guide you every step of the way-</font><font color=red>"
"What the crap was that?" asked Nehru with a raised eyebrow.
"Just some stupid plot device of Xxerth's," Sama grabbed Old Plot Device Prophet by the throat and shook it around some. "Try it now."
Nehru pulled the string again, and the puppet and rattled and spoke once more, "Nehru...you must travel to the city of Serendipity. There you must seek out the Melovingian. He will tell you what you must do..."
"There you have it," said Sama as she clapped Nehru on the shoulder.
Nehru just blinked. "Wha...why do I have to go to Serendipity? Why do I have to talk to this dude? What's he have to do with anything?"
Sama took out another cigarette and popped it in her mouth, "I'm not the one on an epic quest." She lit the cigarette and finished, "You figure it out."
"Great..." said Nehru as she started to trudge off in the direction she hoped led to Serendipity.


[And so, after defeating the evil and sinister Master of Destruction and Chaos Zoron, Nehru set out on her journey to far away land of Serendipity, which she would arrive at if only she turned at a fifteen degree angle to her left and kept on straight from there.
[To be continued.... <font size=1>(mwhahahacapitalismhahaha)</font>
....
[That good? Alright, and cut! That's a wrap folks. Fantastic people, fantastic...]</font>

http://www.sloganizer.net/en/

Type in a word or name, and it'll turn it into a slogan!

And, since I'm an easily amused dork that needs a quick laugh in the midst of evil school work...I had fun with SotE charries. Ones I got:

"The goddess made Hatame." [and don'tcha forget it, Sakki! XP]

"Sakkata - you see this name, you think dirty." [...and yes...I did get the Sakkata and Hatame ones right after each other. O.o I nearly died.]

"Can you feel Nakaris?" [........no comment.]

"Darlig - living innovation." [hoo boy...]

"Niamh - whiter than the whitest." [*dies* And...and...she's a Solisi...and...]

Oh jeez...I am WAY too easily amused by simple things. XD

So, here's how this game works:

Take the last letter of a band or music artist and make it the first letter of your answer. So, if I were to say Nirvana, someone could say Alkaline Trio, and then the person after would say a band/artist that started with the letter "O". ^^

Let's see how long we can go!

I'll start with...Gackt (of course XD).

http://www.deviantart.com/view/18129533/

There's Kiade! Normally, he wears a robe to cover up and stuff, but that's how he's dressed beneath.

http://www.deviantart.com/view/18135543/

And then we have Nakaris...in the buff, beat-up, and with his hair down. XD Post-dungeon, from the looks of it. *twitch* Wasn't originally where I was going with this pic, but...it just...kinda meandered that way.

YES! I am SO over my artist's block! *dance*

(please read the sticky first!!)

This check covers all Nomadic characters. So, if you have any such characters, post 'em here!

Just post the following, and you're done!

+ Name
+ Species
+ Gender
+ Location
+ Rank (if applicable)
+ Stats page (if applicable)

(please read the sticky first!)

This check covers all of the kingdoms and independent civilizations (Serendipity, Adela, Connlaoth, Necromantia, Thief's Guild, Orphanage, Sirena Island, Light Mage Village, Dark Mage Village). So, if you have any characters that dwell in those areas, post 'em! Nomads are not included in this check; there's a separate check just for them! ^_^

So, just post the following, and you're done!

+ Name
+ Species
+ Gender
+ Location
+ Rank (if applicable)
+ Stats page (if applicable)

(please read the forum stickyt first!)

This check covers the Wolf Packs, Herds and Flocks, Gryphon Eyries, Untamed, and Young Ones. So, if you have any characters that dwell in those areas, post 'em! Nomads are not included in this check; there's a separate check just for them! ^_^

So, just post the following, and you're done!

+ Name
+ Species
+ Gender
+ Location
+ Rank (if applicable)
+ Stats page (if applicable)

It's that time again--that time when I check to see which characters and members are still here in order to update the members' pages and clean up stuff and whatnot, heh.

So, here's how it works:

Any charcters joined after December 6 do not have to be posted to the activity check. However, any characters joined on or before December 6 must be posted to the activity check!

As for the check itself...it's a three-parter, and there will be three threads to post under:

+ Check # 1 covers the Wolf Packs, Herds and Flocks, Gryphon Eyries, and Untamed.

+ Check # 2 covers all of the kingdoms and independent civilizations (Serendipity, Adela, Connlaoth, Necromantia, Thief's Guild, Orphanage, Sirena Island, La'marri, Zantaric).

+ Check # 3 covers Nomadic characters.

So, for each check, just post your characters to the appropriate check and list the following:

+ Name
+ Species
+ Gender
+ Location (not current location, but where the character actually lives, the country, pack, etc. that the character is a citizen of. This isn't applicable to nomads [unless they decide to settle down] and a character can always decide to move later on, of courseâ€"and if they do, please PM a moderator or myself to let them know of the changes.)
+ Rank (if applicable)
+ Link to stats page (if applicable)

And, that's it! You have until January 6.

<3