Natural Disaster

[X_marks_the_ed]

Rock stares at his watch for quite a while. 'Where are they?' Not here, that was for sure. He began to grow a bit impatient, but attempted to keep his cool. The last thing he needed was more enemies. He could feel a strange tingle n his palm, a sort of circling, but he was not concerned by it. He was just excited, and needed to calm a bit. One question burned in his mind, though. He wondered why no one was here when he was told to come here.

He noticed the patch of forest behind him was dense. Very dense. It would take some actual effort for him to get through this week, that was for sure. 'You will be mapping out this patch of forest, and that is all,' that's what he said, but Rock was beginning to doubt even the Headmaster's words at this point.









Name: Rock Gen - Age 17 - Male
Race: Human, Ransnian Mage
Personality: Held-back egotistical kidsearching for improvement. "Unmovable."
Social status: Dispised long ago, building relationships
Fighter type: Overuse Mage (uses too much power in his spells, sometimes strengthening or drastically weakening spells), slight knife user.
Items: Fire scrolls x 5 (do nothing more than create fire), "Jolie Rouge" (a knife that turns the user invisible when ignited in flame), normal clothing, a few rations (about as much as you would take to go camping).
Skills:
-Summon Golem (25% success rate): Summons a golem of random size and proportion, this spell hard to cast, as the caster must be perfectly calm.
-Rock shield (98% success rate): Creates a shield out of boulders from under the earth, however this only occurs on the side the caster is facing, leaving the back perfectly exposed. This shield itself contains several grooves where rocks don't meet, making it ineffective to most attacks.
-Rock throw (75% success rate): Throws a boulder up to three times the caster's weight without using any body part.
Strengths: Rocks' spells are hard to counter.
Weaknesses: Rock is very clumsy and easily messes up many spells. He is sometimes oblivious and casts spells that the enemy expected. He relies too much on Rock Throw.
Biography: Rock's belief in his older brother led him to believe that only those that fend for themselves succeed. His "redemption" among his peers has made him a semi-accepted member. However, Rock has been known to revert to his negative attitudes from time to time. He was sent by the Headmaster for his monthly task. He was told his job was to aid in mapping out the nearby dense forest.


This RP is open to all that post character info following the above format. I will not be as strict on RP format, but I like participants to try and keep to a regular RP format.

A slight change of rule, to keep the RP going:
I will allow members to control other characters so long as the character's owner does not post within a week of their last post.

[Moosetroop11]

"Rock"

Rock jumped slightly, unnoticably. The last thing he wanted was to appear jumpy. "Finally. Where's everyone else?"

"No idea" admitted Farris. "I understand that this is some sort of test?"

Rock nodded, slowly. "Map making. Supposedly. You any good at that? We're all working together I think."

Farris smiled slyly. "I'm good at everything."

Name: Farris Tankian - Age 18 - Male
Race: Old blood line, human
Personality: Stable and reliable. Has the ability to talk with those who tend not to socialise due to his trustworthy and honest nature. Fiercely loyal to friends.
Social status: Generally liked
Fighter type: Well rounded warrior, profficient with swords, axes, bows
Items: A worn but very well made medium length sword, a short axe, a bow with arrows. Tough clothing which gives him quite a bit of protection to glancing blows.
Skills: No specific 'skills' in battle
Strengths: Can adapt to most situations, has longer endurance in battle than many.
Weaknesses: He has no affinity to magic and is often out of his depth when dealing with a long range magical assault.
Biography: Farris belongs to an old family who enjoy respect as honourable members of society. Many of the members of his family have served in the army and there is a strong sense of military honour in his household. This is not to say his upbringing was horrifically strict; he was encouraged to set out upon the path of his choice and opted to continue his training in this school, or whatever this is.



I'll see how this goes.

[WarxePB]

"Why the hell are we mapping out a forest? Aren't there more experienced people that do that sort of thing?"

Rock and Farris turned to see an olive-skinned man walking from the south, muttering to himself. As he reached the two men, he frowned.

"This is the 'map-making' party, I assume? A couple of scrubs? Bah." He drew a machete from inside his large cloak, and began tying a leather whip to a hole in the hilt. "Well, I'll leave the map-making to you guys - just stay out of my way, and I'll keep all the scary animals at bay."


Name: Zeta Buute - Male, 22 years old
Race: Parahuman (an umbrella term given to humans with non-natural abilities)
Personality: Emotionally distant, narcissistic, very opinionated
Social status: Unknown
Fighter type: Uses a machete tied to a whip as his primary weapon; he is also proficient with a crossbow. Also has a limited electrokinesis ability (can manipulate electricity and magnetism to a degree, but can't create the forces himself)
Items: Leather whip, machete, a chunk of lodestone, rations. Wears a dark brown fedora, gray shirt, leather breastplate, jeans, worn leather boots and a tattered gray overcoat.
Skills:
-Magnetic Stun (90% success): He can amplify the magnetism from his chunk of lodestone and project them toward enemies. These waves can stun an enemy temporarily, but don't really deal any damage. The success rate of the skill varies with the enemy.
-Crutcher (5% success rate): He swings his whip and ensnares one of his enemy's limbs, and, if timed correctly, the blade at the end can heavily injure or even sever the limb. The skill gets its name from the fact that, if performed correctly, an enemy will require a crutch to get around afterward.
-Sonicblades (50% success): By cracking his whip at a specific angle, the resulting sonicboom is directed through the machete and toward enemies. The shockwaves can break bones and deafen enemies, but it is somewhat difficult to pull off.
Strengths: Zeta's fighting style is unique and difficult to counter, and if provided with electricity, he can attack from any range.
Weaknesses: His weapon is unwieldy, and requires ample space to work. His electrokinesis is useless most of the time. He also tends to resort to extreme (and brutal) methods to defeat his enemies.
Biography: As a parahuman, Zeta was feared throughout his childhood for his powers; even his own parents treated him with caution. This resulted in his narcissistic and emotionally-detached nature - he sincerely believes that he's "better" than everyone else. He has a very "black-and-white" view of the world - either people are "good" or "evil", with no middle ground in between.

[X_marks_the_ed]

Rock takes out his knife. It's already wrapped in a fire scroll from his earlier waiting.

"Is this all?" he asked the others, "Where's the guy that actually hired us? Some one had to have filled out the card at the Guild."

He begins to clean the blade once more.

[Moosetroop11]

Farris laughed. "If I were to go through the expense of hiring a mapmaking party, I wouldn't feel inclined to come with them." He took out a roll of paper. "It sounds pretty simple. I've got a map here of the surrounding area. It's got the outline of the forest and we'll just fill in the blank part, I suppose." He turned to Zeta. "Did they give you any idea of how many of us will be coming? The sooner we start, the sooner we leave this place." He glanced around. "The days are pleasant enough but I hear the nights are pretty cold around here..."

[WarxePB]

Zeta pulled out a roll of parchment from inside his coat, and looked at it. "Says there should be a few more coming. But they probably chickened out - rumor is that this place is haunted, or infested, or some crap like that." He rolled the parchment back up, and stuck it in his coat.

"So, let's get the basics down. Who's the leader of the party?"

[X_marks_the_ed]

"Honestly, I'd just like to get get this task done with so I don't have to pull an old woman's weeds next week. This task was marked with four dots, giving me four weeks of freedom after it. One of you guys can lead, I'll just do whatever I feel like."

He wraps the scroll around his knife once more and slips it back in his pocket. He leans against a nearby tree. As he does, the tree splits and falls backwards at the point of Rock's neck. Rock stumbles back with it.

"Arrgh! The last time I checked, trees didn't break that easily."

He climbed back up, rubbing the back of his neck.

[Moosetroop11]

Farris walked up to the tree. "Sickly maybe? I don't know." He looked up and down it, puzzled. It looked like a normal, healthy trunk. Then again, he didn't know much about trees.

"I'll lead, unless anyone objects" Farris continued, glancing around. "Doesn't sound like you're too bothered about the actual mapmaking... Zeta, isn't it?" Zeta nodded slightly. "I'm not usually one to take the lead but we haven't really been gifted with much choice here. Perhaps that's why they chose us for this mission?"

Farris took a step into the forest. He could see from his blank map and from looking at it from the edge just how large it was. The trees shivered, unwelcoming, their roots rising above the ground and churning the earth into a pitted surface of dead leaves, needles and animal holes. Unexplored places like this were havens for dangerous creatures.

[WarxePB]

"You can lead there, buddy. All I'm here for is the money." Zeta quickened his pace to catch up with Rock and Farris. "Let's try to stay together, hmm?"

As they progressed into the forest, a feeling of uneasiness overcame them. Red eyes glowed in fallen trees, and what grass there was was littered with the bones of small animals. The thick overgrowth blocked out the sun, and the cold wind whistled. The path before them was worn and filled with weeds, and was barely usable.

Zeta laughed a bit. "Bah, this forest is all bark, no bite. There's nothing to worry about, guys."

[X_marks_the_ed]

Sure enough, Zeta's statement seemed to hold up. But every know and then, his brother's voice seemed to haunt Rock. 'Going to get yourself killed like father, are you, you idiot?' He paused for a moment. Something wasn't right, not like anything wrong would stand out here, but it chilled him. The others didn't seem to notice he stopped, and continued onward a bit. His right foot was forward, his left foot was back. He stomped once with his right foot, then once with his left. Twice more with his right, and twice more with his left. It was definite, the ground was firmer under his right foot. Noticing the others were getting farther, Rock sprinted back up to them, running into Zeta by accident.

[Moosetroop11]

Farris glanced back. "Mm? What's wrong?"

[Dragonium]

Whatever, I'll join in.

Name: Cathrag Trude - Age 33 - Male
Race: Human, Weapons Academy Instructor
Personality: Stern but fair. Is a mature and reliable figure. Greatly dislikes those who are complacent or unwilling to learn.
Social Status: Respected and generally liked by students.
Fighter Type: Warrior, very proficient in sword use.
Skills: Prefers not to use magic (he feels it is dishonest). Has no specific skills, apart from skilful sword use.
Items: A long, slender sword to be used with two hands. Wears reasonably light plate armour (bronze-coloured with some red and black decoration). Also carries a small selection of first-aid supplies.
Strengths: Fights very well one-on-one. Leads and gives instructions well.
Weaknesses: Dislikes fighting multiple opponents. Prefers to be in control at all times.
Biography: Forced to learn to fight from an early age (he was raised in a country in the centre of constant warfare), Cathrag became a proficient warrior. He took many mercenary and contract jobs to earn a living, and by the age of 20 he was one of the most sought-after warriors in the world. Knowing that his luck in battle would eventually run out, he chose to retire as a mercenary, and took a position at a Weapons Academy, teaching students how to fight skilfully. He is generally revered as a master of swordcraft.

~~~~~

"Excuse me!"

The group turned as Cathrag strode in, crossing their path. He was a tall, imposing figure, with blonde hair tied back and a watchful stare, and he walked with one hand on the hilt of his long blade at all times.

"Headmaster told me I'd find you here", he muttered thoughtfully. It had seemed odd that the Academy's Weapons Instructor would be asked to accompany a group of students on a map-making excursion, but he had not thought to ask. "Is this everyone?"

Cathrag surveyed the group. The furthest member was probably a student, he decided, though not one of his own. Weapon usage was probably not his chosen path. The next member was an olive-skinned man who Cathrag did not know. Finally he scanned the nearest man, and smiled.

"Farris Tankian", he said with a tinge of pride. "Always nice to see a former student".

(Ed, if I misunderstood your "Headmaster" thing, I apologise. Please correct me. xD)

[Moosetroop11]

"Sir!" Farris bowed, smiling. To most, Cathrag was a little frightening, but his students grew to revere him and rely on his judgement utterly. "Glad to have you with us." He turned to the other two. "This is master Trude, if you have not met him."

Rock and Zeta nodded towards the teacher. Few under the headmaster had missed stories of the former mercenary. They offered their names.

"I am a little confused about the mission, I admit" continued Farris. "Do you know why they have sent us here? We seem to be an odd group for a mapmaking exercise."

[X_marks_the_ed]

Rock began to feel a little off, as if something was......that was it. Behind Cathrag, barely noticable, something was indeed moving. Passing by the others as they talked, he placed his foot on the moving object. It was very long, almost cylindrical, yet getting thinner at one end, almost like a stretched-out cone. He looked at the thinning end to find it was behind another tree. He released his foot, and it merely continued slowly dragging itself away.

"Hey, you guys should see this."

("Headmaster" only really applies to Rock, he attends a Guild that pays for itself by sending its students and members to perform tasks the nearby lands pay for, each student has to do one every week, but Rock explains that after this, he gets four weeks off, as explained to him, the "Headmaster" is the big man of the guild, the owner and operator of it. The other characters were called for reasons of their own.)

[Moosetroop11]

(Oh. XD I assumed we were all students. Well, Farris is now, at least. Or a former one.)

Farris turned and looked. After a moment he noticed the object. "What on earth? Is that a snake of some sort?" He walked up and stood next to Rock. "Surreal..."