A Trip in Amethyst (IC)

[Elvwitand]

Amythest, Elvwitand

It was a while until someone took notice of them, perhaps it was the song Aaron sang. He had a good voice, but nothing that would stand out, also like Elijah’s lute playing. Just enough to get by. The lady, who’s long pinkish-reddish-hair captured the eyes of the boys, has asked about the animals in question and were awestruck when she offered 4 gold for three of them, different animals. They looked at their little, dull, misshapen sculptures. There were dogs, cats, ducks, and horses. But nothing of the other animals she mentioned. Unicorns and dragons are not too hard of a problem, as they have read books on them, many years ago with their mother. The Woodland Hippocampi, might be a problem, as they have not seen such animals a lot. For now, Aaron began drawing a transmutation circle, while Elijah gathered three of the sculptures.

“We did make them ourselves ma’am,” Elijah said. “You don’t need to wait. We can make ‘em right now”. With that, both of them clapped their hands on the circle, and once again a light of blue energy shone as the sculptures reshaped to take the form of the requests. Of course, given their age and skill, the they were not as good as ones in the stores, the Hippocampi was terrible to them. All of them were dull and a little deformed.

“I don’t know if this is to be your liking miss,” Elijah stated, holding up the Hippocampi on his dirty, skinny hands. “But I hope it is to your liking”.



“I’ll get on to that, thank you”. She takes the card with the request and heads down the area of the guild. A lot of peoples of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. She was all familiar with different ethnic groups. Her home country has plenty, and though she was not discriminated in the past, Albums (humans) are the majority (again though, no discrimination. The reform acts in the 1800s helped prevent that suffering (apart from magic users, which was resolved in the 1920s)). She walks down and reaches Row G, tent 16. Where she sees the person in question, Soliana Aeyra.

“Excuse me, I hear you are looking for a swordsperson. My name is Rikako Nakashima, and I am a swordswoman and a mage wishing to join a quest”.

Azariah Belon & the Brothers

She kind of giggled at being called ma'am, "Hehehe" It was actually kind of nice because it seemed few took her seriously. "Wow right now that'd be great!" she stood back as the two brothers with some kind of magic created them, though admittedly they weren't the greatest. "Uuuuh...." She really didn't have the heart to say it though, maybe they were like her, trying to prove themselves and live up to someone just as important "Well, ya tried...I mean thank you so much...Uh here, just as promised." She gave them the payment of gold she promised. "Uh can I ask you both something? You're not from the Capital and I'm guessing you're not from the Empire either. Are you from beyond the Unknown Seas? Like way from a land far off? Mmm you both look kind of...." Finding the right words to not be cruel, was kind of lost on her right now as pathetic only came to mind. Plenty found her pathetic too. "Say i'm Azariah Belon daughter Selphe Belon..." Granted they didn't know her mother, but it was old custom to identify your lineage and her family was more old fashioned like that, they'd been around since the previous era, unusually long life for humankind when mostly the other species had longer lifespans. "If you're in a bit of a pinch, why not try going to the Guild for some money? Or you could be taken in by The Church...Oh wait you two even orphans? I mean you look a bit young I suppose but I'm not the best at telling."


Soliana Aeyra

"A swordswoman! Oh perfect timing too! Good to meet you, I'm Soliana Aeyra though I guess you figured that by accepting the quest. But from overseas it seems like? No matter, only curious. Well anyway, I'm glad you're here. I have a simple short quest I need a good woman with a blade with. You see I'm writing up some new incantation scrolls but it requires a special kind of ink. The ink grows just outside the city here. I need time to gather plants and caste the spell so they regrow in a quick manner. That's where you come in, my good lady! You see i need you to protect me from the hostile creatures that'll pounce me, some of it is animals but most of it is feral orcs and goblins. They're not sentient and only want one thing and you won't like it if I tell you so just keep your blade at the ready. All I really need is the ink. Anything of value you kill out there is yours to keep and cash in. Also depending on conditions I may need to caste a special environmental spell. Could be storm, could be ice, heat, really depends on a lot of factors, so if you're up to all that and you can help me, I'd appreciate it!"

"Sure, I'll be glad to join you!" she responded.

"Just call me Autumn," she added, not wanting to burden the girls with the revelation of her status at first; that could come up later in conversation. She motioned towards the four Peacekeepers. "And don't worry about them; they won't bite."

She paused and let off a small chuckle. "Alcohol and I are a recipe for trouble, so it'll be on them to make sure I don't drink more than I can handle."

"Autumn then, pretty name. Then feel free to call me Vellorina."

"Yes, and I am Rasha."

Vellorina giggled a bit at Miss Autumn's comment "They won't but I might. Ehehe sorry, lame joke." She waved away non-nonchalant "Contrary to myth, we vampires aren't predators by nature, only criminals do that. Anyway," She took Rasha by the hand "Let's go, shall we? Not far from here." It was indeed a short enough walk to the pub they had in mind to visit. Cozy and already filled with a decent amount of customers, the ladies could take their table as they pleased without waiting, Vellorina held out a chair for her beloved letting Rasha sit down and Autumn sit down, across the table and Vellorina right next to Rasha. "Welcome to The Lightning Sword Tavern, ladies!" The bar maiden said setting aside a few giant mugs she had colllected from the table "A drink to start you off? Afraid though, Miss, we don't have blood on hand if that's all right."

"That'll be fine. Rasha, black tea? You said you were hungry so if you want food, don't hesitate to ask for whatever you like, it's on me" Vellorina insisted pulling a purse of gold out from her pocket to offer to their server

"Tea and mushroom soup sounds nice."

"Delightful choices miss? Miss Vampire anything I can bring for you? Maybe a very rare meat dish?"

"No, thank you, just regular tea will suffice for me. I'll be eating...later...."

"I see. How about you Madame? And uh well these four here? Anything for you? I can also give suggestions of your two companions haven't already."

DragonsFang
The others followed not far behind Vla'ir, who sighed at the shopkeeper. This wasn't quite what he wanted, least of all the spiral glasses. Who knew another civilization had their own animation quirks, or maybe she just wore those sorts of glasses because they amused her. Could've been anything, but then there was the thunderclap spell, and that was all the confirmation he needed to reach the conclusion of simply eccentric.
"Well," Vla'ir said as the rest of his friends started looking through the shop, "I was hoping to walk into a restaurant, not a potion seller's. You got any directions to a good place to eat?"
"Unless your potions are edible," Kurainos said, opening Vla'ir's palm, just to make it clear that she — his arm — was speaking.
"We are not eating herbs, Kurainos."
"That's because you're not creative enough to cook with them." She reached towards a shelf, while a protrusion of meat grew on her and produced a foreign gold coin. "Here, lemme—"

Before he could respond, D'aillisioux's vortex opened at his side. "The other three—"
"Three?" Vla'ir asked, only for Hunter and the other two to fade into existence just outside of DragonsFang. "Screw me... shopkeep, sorry." At the sight of Hunter, Vla'ir ran out. "Hunter, did you maim someone and we have to take care of their daughters again while we wait for—"
"Oh, shut up." Hunter's right index opened into a web of black, and a strange, oscillating strip flung out at Vla'ir, but Kurainos slapped it to the ground with a wad of meat. "They were in Cao's whale— and also, they mentioned they might know a place to eat."
The mentioned boy slid into the doorway, his shawl ruffling as the creatures below it rose awake. His brief glare faded into calmness. There was a marine scent to them, and they didn't seem like the sort of people who could harm the whale, but still, nobody was supposed to go inside of it but him, because that was his domain. The last thing he needed was someone getting all their grubby hands and fingers over the delicate ecosystem inside and making all the cockroaches panic again.
Garid fluttered over him, his wings flapping with bright yellow winds. "Calm down. I can see your critters getting antsy, you know." He turned to Mayim and Phoon. "But didn't your... parents or guardians or caretakers tell you not to enter every random hole in the ground? Or every random creature? You could've been eaten in there."

Hunter laughed. "They could just be Adventurers."

It sounded like they were more looking for a place to dine rather than a place to buy magic scrolls or potions "Awww, not looking to buy from our lovely shop today? Well every well but --" She was about to suggest something when out of nowhere Mayim and Phoon and a bunch of others materalized in the shop

"Oh my! Oh hey, you were just here half-hour ago! I sure hope our potion is working out for you?"

"Ah we'll let you know in a sec. Phoon, better drink up, looks like we're back on dry land."

"Ah right right!" The mermaid girl quickly drank some but it would be a few moments for it to take effect. "And I really need to talk to Ikand about our lack of teleportation prevention." She sighed. "Uh give the potion a few moments, little Mermaid girl, if it doesn't work I'll redo it no charge."

This did give a moment for the girls to talk to the group "I told her it a stupid" Mayim grumbled

"Yeah it was my dumb fault I admit. But what's the seas without a little exploration huh? Anyway...." She burped as her tail fin morphed into legs. Standing up was a bit difficult but she managed while holding onto the counter "It seems to be working well! Thank you!"

"My pleasssuuuure! Maybe you two gals should help this band of merry travelers huh? It seems they want to go eat somewhere and we only have little snacks that appeal to mostly dragon and sea creature kind."

"Uh anyway, wanting to go eat somewhere? We'd be glad to take you, there's a nice pub just a door over from here, we both wanted to try out. And for kind of barging in on your whale uninvited, why don't we pay for a meal and drinks?"

"Huh? Wait a sec..."

"Pleeeease Mayim, you know I'm good to pay you back for it."

"Oh fine, yeah what she said." She pulled out a little purse that contained a decent sum of gold "Looks like you folks are getting lunch on us."

RTNS Aaka.
Oh, for the love of...
One of the receptionists took care of my request, apparently missing the fact, that I was not that well-versed in her tongue, and led me into the shelves, indeed, to speaking books, or audio books, and demonstrated using one apparently containing an opera.
A crack in her glasses, a bit of self-repairing materials - sadly, the aluminum oxynitride we used for windows and canopies in our spacecraft was not one of those. Still, an impressive achievement for such a primitive culture.
The lass finished speaking like a waterfall, another problem I had, and I gathered, that she was asking me, if she could help me more.
I smiled, bowed, and spoke in Teienai: "I am very sorry, Miss Librarian..."
I rose, continued to smile, as I continued in what I had gathered and clued together in my short time here: "...I not know you speak. I require to..." The word slipped, I tried to lure it back via the word in my own tongue: "...learn... dang..." I waved my hand, as if trying to get my point across anyway. "...you know..."
Who knew, maybe there was a handy spell for that was well?

"Huh, learn, not speak...." She pondered a second but a haughty mature laugh interrupted as from behind the case another mature witch appeared "Miss Liberian try as you might you still have to learn how to handle guests in the Empire."

"Ah Lady Takida! What a surprise." Saymomo Takida, a respected Countess and Witch from the Western realm of Shinzajiro."

"Pleasantries in a moment, dear, let me do this first.

Reaching into the innards of her kimono she pulled her wand giving it a small wave it should cast a brief simple translation spell "There now we should be able to understand each other. Welcome to the Imperial Library,"

"I believe that's my line, Milady...."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe you had another kind of book in mind, a book to learn the languages of the land, rather than books that actually speak out. Those would be on the other side over there, I'd be glad to pick out a good one for you. "

"Again...My job....?"

"Heheheh, Miss Librarian, your sister is occupied and I need a book from the Restricted Section." She pulled a scroll out to hand it over, "Might you grab it for me? You would know better than I where that one is."

"Very well Milady, I'll leave her in your care then."

"Now, rather than walk down and up the stairs, I'll do a quick hop with us if you don't mind. Anything for someone wearing such a cute yukata. Glad to know other places have similar dress and manner to our own, though I'm sure we're plenty different in other ways." She offered a hand, should she take it she'd leap her across to the other side, all in all saving about 45 seconds of walking but a second saved is a second earned, right?

The armored figure turned its head first, then subtly adjusted the path it'd been taking to vaguely bring it into proximity of Azla-Beth. The woman followed suit, and a few moments later both of them stood before - or rather, towered over - the diminutive resident. Motes of light flickered on and off behind the visor, forming complex patterns for the briefest of moments before fading away once more. Perhaps they were something akin to eyes. Their dance synced up with modulations in the creature's voice, every spike and fizzle corresponding to some shift in the light-arrangement.

"That we are! Truth be told, this was a bit of an unplanned trip. This place looked interesting, so we dropped by!"

The woman turned a disapproving stare towards her companion, but didn't seem to elicit any kind of reaction. Thus she sighed, and directed her attention back to the native who'd addressed them.

"Yeah, we're here for sightseeing, and boy have I seen sights. Mind directing us to wherever you're keeping the amat, so we can fuck off-"

She was interrupted with a none-too-gentle rap to the top of her head. The armored figure shook its head disapprovingly.

"We're being welcomed. Be polite."

"Motherfuck- tone down the servos at least! Not all of me's metal."

"You had a skull-plate somewhere, didn't you? In any case-"

The faceplate was once more turned towards Azla-Beth. Neither expression nor tone were clearly (or at all) discernible, but there may have been something vaguely apologetic in the figure's motions and words. It even gave a tiny mock-bow.

"What my charming companion was trying to say is that we'd very much appreciate some pointers towards interesting places. We don't have much knowledge of the area. All very impromptu, you know."

"Oooh tourists hey? Well I guess that's really what you wanna see. Lots o'folks who come on to the capital like to see the Great Castle! There's also lots of shops or pubs to explore. If you need to wash there's the baths, I'd probably suggest Lady Havensnow's establishment she's got the biggest one if you don't wanna share with girls or nothin. That's on Lidend Road in Ari-Wa District. Ooooor" She grinned and pulled out her giant broadsword "If it be some sport ya wanna see, then come with me to the Battle Arena! That's where I'm heading actually, gonna fight and see if I can become the next champ! Failing that at least win a Few Hundred Gs outta it. Well that's what I have to suggest, what do you think, anything sound interesting to ya? If you wanna see a bunch o'l boring witches learn magic I guess there's the Witch Academy, bit ol' yawn if ya ask me!"

This was by no means the first time Sartana Ninakatari had traveled like this but it was the first time in awhile that she'd be traveling alongside fellow Scornerse ab's for a similar purpose at least since her last Olympiad.

With her were the Aguilar sisters, Estella and Carissa, along with Celia Ramirez. In a crowd with magical creatures they didn't stand out as much as they otherwise would, but looking at them it wouldn't be too difficult to guess that they weren' heading toward the battle arena only intending to watch the gladiator fights.

Among them the shortest of the four Carissa, who herself was nearly six feet tall. Even though their casual wear, it was clear they all had strong builds.

"Sure you remember how to wield a sword, Sartana?" Carissa asked with a mocking smile as they walked toward what looked like the arena entrance.

"Well enough to cut you down, Celia is the one you should be asking." Sartana responded turning to the tallest woman of the group.

"I'll be fine, I might not be a fencer like you three but I'll find a weapon I can manage, even if it's just gauntlets." Celia responded.

"I'm surprised you even wanted to come her, despite your skill you never seemed to like fighting with weapons much." Celia continued.

"When we're back home, sure, but I wouldn't miss an opportunity to swing around swords with protection enchantments like in this magical place." Sartana replied.

"Ah. Magic, I love magic. You know. We should really go out in the city and explore, there's so much we can experience here that we'll never get to experience back home." Said Estella, spinning around and taking in the sights. Of the four of them, Estella was the youngest, the only blonde and easily the most whimsical, but by no means was that indication of soft innocence.

Not only was Estella a world class archer, she was easily one of the best martial artists around, having won a gold in both Judo and Taekwondo in her previous Olympiad. Sartana would be hard pressed to admit it, but of the three women, the Estella, was the one she considered most threatening. Growing up with her, Carissa was plenty familiar with getting slammed and kicked by her sister for mocking her girly habits.

"Sure, sis, but we'll need to at least find out where to sign up for the tournament first, even if we don't stop to watch a match or two." Carissa said as the four headed approached the arena entrance.

The excitement in the air as folks were filing in to the Battle Arena to see or participate in the matches. Who would be the next champ if anyone? That was the guess. For now the new arrivals were welcomed at the box office "Welcome to the Battle Arena! Participants should see the Match Register to join, viewers can get in for just a Gold! What say you today?"

"Uh well, yeah sure!" Aina agreed, actually it would be nice to hear from a captain from a way far off land, especially of an old sailing vessel like this. Often times, it was like AHSCA was the only ones using such primitive forms of transportation but that's the culture for you. Granted this place was kind of in a world of its own, a strange sort of place where logic of their home didn't really apply yet did at the same time. "What do you say, Yuzu?"

"Yeah, it'll be great!" She nodded at Aina and looked back up at the good Captain welcoming them "We'd be delighted, thank you Captain! And we have not had dinner yet so, I think we'd be glad to take you up on a meal."

"Yeah, certainly!"

"Ah delightful, than please come on up!" She waved her arm to summon the two fox women up to the wheel house, gently setting them on the ground again, "Follow me, just below here." She opened up a little hatch with a latter they could climb "Oh, do hold on, my Captain and Crewman, it'll be a bit rough at first, I have a storm enchantment going that simulates rough seas." She had them climb down a little ways and indeed inside the captain's cabin it was like a different world suddenly from outside as it suddenly seemed like the ship was being tossed in a violent squall at sea, the rocking motions of a cabin as a ship would roll and pitch in waves, lightning streaming in through port windows, objects rolling about, the loud creaking and sounds of waves pummeling. "Sorry about this, my dear mate wanted it to rest, she does enjoy the rocking motions of a stormy voyage! I'll remove the charm in just a second here just hold tight. Unless you like it then I can keep it going but I think we'd like a little calm and quiet!" She still removed the charm anyway, easy enough to put up and now it was quite. From a hammock hanging above poked out the Captains' first mate and lover, Ukneha Ame "Whaa the storm is over? Aawww"

"Hahah, Ukneha come on down we have a couple of visitors."

"Oooh guests from the West? Ah that rhymes huh?" She rolled out of her hammock somehow landing perfectly on her feet. She too was a dark elf like her captain companion and certainly undressed. "Ooh suppose I oughta put somethin' on huh? Sure sure."

"They're actually not Imperial citizens but sailors from a far off land. That big steamship in the harbor must belong to them."

"There be two of 'em Capy! Which one is it?"

"The Yuzu you said it was good Captain Indou? May I call you Aina actually? You can call me Runze. Captain seems more reserved for crew in our commands not fellow seafarers about to have a nice meal together."

"Heeey yous fox folk! Nice to meetcha both! I'm Capy's First Mate and her partner in life and the seas!" Ukneha emerged now dressed in a simple tunic.

Four happy Sky Reavers walked through the moonlit night streets of Imperial Capital, drinking and bursting into laughter everytime one of them tells a joke or a life story. Right now, they debated about which one of four major factions would win if a civil war between them breaks out, arguing for their respective factions. Vadim would insist, that the winner would be the Syndicalist faction, as they control a large part of heavy industry. Jane in her turn vouched for Neoners, as they are the most technologically advanced faction. Seth belived, that Chillax Dudes would win, thanks to the cultural influence. And Jose... she belived, that Cowboy Republic would thanks to thier weapon industry. Discussion ended with deciding, that all factions are roughly equal in power.

Their looks and dress could have attracted some looks and stares, as they walked through the nightly streets.

Vadim was wearing baggy jeans with additional pockets for tools, steel toed boots and bulletproof vest with a red emblem of Syndicalist faction, that resembled crossed wrench and torch inside gear. He wore it as if it was sleeveless shirt. A ponytail resided under a military helmet with a cigarette pack and several joints strapped to it. An old, but trusty VOX-21 assault rifle with a bayonet was slung behind his back.

Beside him, walked Seth LeBarge, who wore cargo pants, sandals and black t-shirt. That's more ordinary things on him. He also wore a steel shoulderguard, bulletproof vest decorated with shiny steel plates, and pyramid stud wristbands. And an ammo necklace made of five 5.56 rounds. On his forehead, he wore a light blue bandana, that was partially hidden by his long hair. He also wore blue warpain in Celtic swirl style. One could also spot a bastard sword behind his back.

Jane was perhaps the most colorful of them, with her bright green and red one sided hairdress. Her outfit was of a cybergoth and was complimented by her shining cybernetic arm. One of her eyes was also cybernetic and emmited slight green glow. Her weapon of choice was an elegant tanto.

As for Jose, he looked like a mexican cowboy with his sombrero and poncho, that partially hid his shirt. On his belt, he had a machete, he used for many different purposes.

They were like this, because they just came fresh from long military exercises abroad. On their way back home, they decided to have a vacation in Amethyst since it was an interesting place, that is also close to a route. And so, a transport VTOL made a quick turn and dropped them off nearby before flying into the darkness. After hearing rumors about firearms not working, they left them in VTOL to comrades for safekeeping. All except Vadim, who still took his trusty rifle with him. After all, it also works as a short spear if bayonet is attached to it.

Four Sky Reavers noticed, that they didn't take too much money. They had enough to enjoy some pleasures, but they wanted lots of exotics and after hearing a rumor in one of the local pubs about hunter's guild, they decided, that they could earn something there. They don't know much about it, but went there anyway to try and find out if they could get money and trophy after the successful quest.

-"Hey there! We heared, that there is open season for some big game and that one could hunt for some nice trophy! If it's open, we could aid ya' for some booze money and nice trophy! Don't you worry, we are four tough folks and know how to handle ourselves in hunting and fighting, tovarisch!"-Vadim said in thick Russian accent.

"Welcome to the Hunter's Guild! Looking for a quest for big game huh? We have plenty to chose from depending on your skill level. Perhaps you're interested in taking out the Mocking Night Stalkers corrupted warewolves intent on terrorizing villages? Or if it's really big game you seek, we do have an opening with a party to take down the Terra Cotta Troll that lives in caves of the nearby Shipmond Bluff. Reward is 1,000 Gold for anyone who can defeat it and bring the head for the requestor. Or you can take a look at the board and see what is available."

[Legokiller]

OOC: Day update before an introduction of the dragon trio.

Tale of Utena

“Just call me Utena.” The gunmage replied. “And for your second question: just a curious visitor. I am already booked with my selection of academies and teachers. So it's a little difficult to fit a new one without a ton of cash.” Although in truth Utena was satisfied with her education at Aurora Academy and Catherine to consider another option. Outside of a student exchange program, the country is still new on the radar for Silverdale.

When it came to the subject of Saint Innes, the curious mage then looked over to Bellona. “The founder of all Witch kind in Amethyst? Oh, that is quite interesting? So how did Innes develop the craft? Did they find some master or patron from a worldly source?” She asked as she looked around the Rose Garden. “Oh my… Well, if my wife comes over, maybe a guest romance or… ahem.”

Utena blushed. “Nevermind! You heard nothing alright.”

Tale of Sundae

Sundae gave an innocent look at Sophitia. “Well, it’s an inquiry about Lady Amethyst and her divine light upon this land. If you wish to indulge, I wanted to ask about your goddess and her grand works.”

[Zerotaxia]

"Autumn then, pretty name. Then feel free to call me Vellorina."

"Yes, and I am Rasha."

Vellorina giggled a bit at Miss Autumn's comment "They won't but I might. Ehehe sorry, lame joke." She waved away non-nonchalant "Contrary to myth, we vampires aren't predators by nature, only criminals do that. Anyway," She took Rasha by the hand "Let's go, shall we? Not far from here." It was indeed a short enough walk to the pub they had in mind to visit. Cozy and already filled with a decent amount of customers, the ladies could take their table as they pleased without waiting, Vellorina held out a chair for her beloved letting Rasha sit down and Autumn sit down, across the table and Vellorina right next to Rasha. "Welcome to The Lightning Sword Tavern, ladies!" The bar maiden said setting aside a few giant mugs she had colllected from the table "A drink to start you off? Afraid though, Miss, we don't have blood on hand if that's all right."

"That'll be fine. Rasha, black tea? You said you were hungry so if you want food, don't hesitate to ask for whatever you like, it's on me" Vellorina insisted pulling a purse of gold out from her pocket to offer to their server

"Tea and mushroom soup sounds nice."

"Delightful choices miss? Miss Vampire anything I can bring for you? Maybe a very rare meat dish?"

"No, thank you, just regular tea will suffice for me. I'll be eating...later...."

"I see. How about you Madame? And uh well these four here? Anything for you? I can also give suggestions of your two companions haven't already."

Autumn took her seat across from the two young women who sat together; the four Peacekeepers remained standing and watching vigilantly over them.

She was a bit caught off guard when the bartender referred to Vellorina, one of the women, as "Miss Vampire" and mentioned blood, but quickly dismissed it as nothing out of the ordinary; she had seen much weirder things on her many trips to distant worlds after all.

Vellorina declined to order any food, just a cup of tea; Rasha, the other woman, ordered a bowl of mushroom soup.

Next it was Autumn's turn; she was not particularly hungry but could certainly use a hot soup and cup of coffee. "Sure, I'll have what she's having please. And would you happen to serve coffee as well?"

"We're fine, thank you," responded 1 on behalf of 2, 3, and 4. It was impossible to tell if this was a male or female; they talked with a digitally altered robotic voice and never removed their visor.

[The Selkie]

[...]
"Huh, learn, not speak...." She pondered a second but a haughty mature laugh interrupted as from behind the case another mature witch appeared "Miss Liberian try as you might you still have to learn how to handle guests in the Empire."

"Ah Lady Takida! What a surprise." Saymomo Takida, a respected Countess and Witch from the Western realm of Shinzajiro."

"Pleasantries in a moment, dear, let me do this first.

Reaching into the innards of her kimono she pulled her wand giving it a small wave it should cast a brief simple translation spell "There now we should be able to understand each other. Welcome to the Imperial Library,"

"I believe that's my line, Milady...."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe you had another kind of book in mind, a book to learn the languages of the land, rather than books that actually speak out. Those would be on the other side over there, I'd be glad to pick out a good one for you. "

"Again...My job....?"

"Heheheh, Miss Librarian, your sister is occupied and I need a book from the Restricted Section." She pulled a scroll out to hand it over, "Might you grab it for me? You would know better than I where that one is."

"Very well Milady, I'll leave her in your care then."

"Now, rather than walk down and up the stairs, I'll do a quick hop with us if you don't mind. Anything for someone wearing such a cute yukata. Glad to know other places have similar dress and manner to our own, though I'm sure we're plenty different in other ways." She offered a hand, should she take it she'd leap her across to the other side, all in all saving about 45 seconds of walking but a second saved is a second earned, right?

[...]

RTNS Aaka.
The arrival of the older witch in a kimono, which was similar to my own by its cut, surprised not only the librarian - of course, my sensors had detected her, but her actually getting involved into our conversation was the surprise.
I bowed in respect and gratitude.
She did understand my request and after pulling out a translation spell, I understood her sending Miss Librarian out on a fetch quest and taking me over. She offered me a hand to leap me across the library towards a different section with, indeed, language learning books.
I bowed again. "Thank you for your assistance, Lady Takida.", I spoke in my native tongue, hoping, that the spell worked both ways, "I am RTNS Aka, vessel of the Navy of Her Majesty, The Empress of Teienai. I arrived here last night on a research mission and cobbled my current knowledge of the local tongue together by listening to what was said on the streets." I rose and gave her a small smile. "I am grateful to all the spirits and the gods, that I did not use an indecent word."
And then, I lifted off the ground, merely a few centimetres, not much, but with a noticeably hum.
"Cosmo Heavy Industries CHI-82/9 Manoeuvring Thrusters.", I explained, then pulled my legs into a Yokozuwari-position, sitting sideways in the air, on eye-level with her. "Please lead the way."
With the translation spell, she gave me a glimpse into her skills as a Witch. Now it was my turn to give her a glimpse into my skills as a shipgirl.

[Sky Reavers]

"Welcome to the Hunter's Guild! Looking for a quest for big game huh? We have plenty to chose from depending on your skill level. Perhaps you're interested in taking out the Mocking Night Stalkers corrupted warewolves intent on terrorizing villages? Or if it's really big game you seek, we do have an opening with a party to take down the Terra Cotta Troll that lives in caves of the nearby Shipmond Bluff. Reward is 1,000 Gold for anyone who can defeat it and bring the head for the requestor. Or you can take a look at the board and see what is available."

"Alright. Both Trolls and Werewolves are interestin' to say at least... Could ya' provide us intel on troll and these werewolves, so we know, what are we going against? I mean, what resistance should we expect? Specifically, we would like to get intel on the weak spots of werevoles and troll and what to expect from them? I suppose, that this troll gotta be large and tough as hell and might have damn thick skin. As for werevolves, I belive, their behaviour is like of a regular wolfpack, but they possess better intelligence. I also wonder, what damage did this troll do to get such a bounty on his head?"-Vadim asks as he gulps from a bottle.

-"You say, these wolves are corrupted. Is it possible to cure them? Or the only cure is euthanasia?"- Jose wonders.

"Well, either way, we gonna show these creatures, what we have learned during the military exercies! Gotta admit, we never went up agaisnt such a foe before... We don't have trolls and werewolves back home. But no need to worry, cuz we are four fine Black Army members. Now, where are these werevolves?"-Seth reassures.

[Shwe Tu Colony]

It sounded like they were more looking for a place to dine rather than a place to buy magic scrolls or potions...

DragonsFang
Cao sighed at their explanation. "I mean, you could've just asked me or the attendants or the whale itself instead of prying around. But it's..." He pushed down one of the snakes under his shawl while a writhing tentacle pushed up from his other side, holding a crystal that projected a magical hologram above him that shimmered with hundreds of lines and tabs. "It's whatever."
At the mention of teleportation prevention, though, Vla'ir glared at Hunter. "Dude, ask people next time you teleport them— you could've kidnapped them."
"What can I say?" He shrugged. "I was in a hurry. Oh, and girls, I don't know if your teleport protection would've worked, because that wasn't a teleport. It's more... Vla'ir can I—"
"Don't play with me like— hey!" Suddenly, he was floating, hooked from above by a torus that went through his head, but there was neither blood nor pain. Only irritation.

Hunter, meanwhile, bent himself backwards, his head vanishing and then reappearing next to Vla'ir. "See, I'm a, uh... creature of sorts. This body of mine isn't actually my real body," Hunter said. "It's just a physical vessel so I can interact with this place. Like the blueberry over there." He tilted his head, and a line of orbs faded in, grew, and faded out towards D'aillisioux. "So it's more like I'm moving things around in my place rather than this place, because it's easier than opening gaps in space or traveling through people's dreams." He smiled as the rest of his body came to where his head was, but the old body was still there. A quick flick of his wrist dissolved it in a series of trapezohedrons. "Sorry about that. But hey, I could be lying. Still I'm not one to test the rules. Usually I make them. You should try someday, it's fu—"
Kurainos slapped him with a quick flick of her arm. "Dude, not everyone inherits a position of eldritch power."
"Oh boo, you're one to talk." The torus inside Vla'ir disappeared. "But anyway, I'm not too bothered by the whale thing, so don't worry about..." His eyes glazed over, and he cleared his throat. "On second thought, I appear to actually be broke."

D'aillisioux sneered. "What did you spend it on? Skins for your gu—"
"Oh." His voice no longer synced with his mouth, and a few more strange shapes flickered in and out of form near him. "Shut up before I help an ant cross you inside-out, blueberry." He cleared his throat, but nobody else looked struck at all by what he had just said, like it was a normal thing to threaten each other. "Sorry! Don't know what came over me there. How about we do get a meal, and maybe I'll smash something later to pay us back. I'm not the sort of guy who likes being in debt."
"Speaking of debt," Kurainos began, "you girls sure you can afford for all... six of us?"
Vla'ir shrugged. "Two of us eat for fun."
"Yeah, but Cao and I can probably outeat what those two would."

"Hey." The chains, serpents, hagfishes, worms, and other legless, slithery things flared up from his shawl, then returned under. "They're not that hungry."
Meanwhile, Garid left the store. He was about ready to leave and stare at meals, trying to estimate how much he could safely eat; Bürkhed like him hardly had the stomach space for anything too large, but he still wanted to be there with them.
Nonetheless, he smiled. "If we eat too much, I'm sure we can sneak our way into their equivalent of our Adventurers Guild, assuming their age minimum is... D'aillisioux, how old—"
"Physically twelve."
Garid tilted his head back and forth. "Hmm, whatever, I'm sure we can just sneak him in after."

[A m e n r i a]

Yali took a moment to simply admire the magnificent view of Amethyst below her from her hotel balcony. Stone buildings towered over the streets and the citizens passing by. Walkways streched from one structure to another, banners suspended to their side, displaying regalia seen around the city. Yali took a picture with her phone. First of the view, then after that a selfie with the city behind her. "I wonder if they got users here..." she mumbled to herself, as she typed a caption and added hashtag to her draft for her first post from the city to her SNS. "Eh, I'll add some anyways. #Amethyst, #Elvwitand #Castlecity, and...post." She pressed the send button before putting her phone back in the right pocket of sweatpants. After throwing on her socks, shoes, and jacket, she grabbed her backpack and slinged it over one shoulder.

The Battle Arena

The grand coliseum stood mighty before Yali, with even more of the banners she saw earlier hanging from its walls. Excited spectators weaved through the halls like shoals of fish. The Amenrian lady went up to the nearest guard. "Hi, this is the arena, right? Where do I go if I want to participate? I'm Yali, from the empire of Amenria." She produced her passport from her backpack and showed it to the guard.

Green: spoken in Chinese
Blue: spoken in English

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

Elvwitand HUMINT Task Group(Bureau of Naval Intelligence / Abwehr) | Imperial Capital, F.S Denali

"Watch your step, Missus Chałubińska." The uniformed ship-spirit offered her arm to her compatriot as she came off the gangplank. "Wouldn't want you sufferin' accidents on day one."
"Considerate as always, Denali." The nature-spirit smiled. "Your pronunciation is getting better, too."
"I am pleased to hear that." Denali's face remained firm. "We best get going. I believe it would be best to arrange for accomodation first, unless you would wish to stay aboard my hull for the night?"
"Oh, that would be wonderful." Cecylia nodded. "I'm no good with the sea."
"Understood." Denali began to move at a brisk pace. "Best keep up, Ma'am."
"Oh!" Cecylia chuckled as she kept with her co-worker. "What was that tryin' to keep me from suffering accidents, now?"
"Time is limited."
"Ah, what's the hurry?"

Denali halted, and turned to Chałubińska. Her eyes narrowed. "I'll not spend a day more in Gods'-Country than I'll need to."

"Ah-hah." Cecylia's smile drained from her face. "It's that, isn't it."
"This is a 'magically-inclined' monarchy. An absolute one, from what little the boys back in Regensburg have gathered. You know our stance on those."
"Yes, I am well aware." Chałubińska replied, with a glare. "And it is generally a good idea to conduct oneself politely, is it not?"
"Tact does not have to imply a kow-tow. Have your own nation's diplomats not practiced the same? Did they not refuse to bow to the Tyrant of Goetterland, time and time again?"
"No." Chałubińska replied, evenly. "But neither did we seek to piss on her rug. Now, you mentioned seeking accomodation?"
"Right, yes." Denali turned away, frowning. Both ship-spirit and nature-spirit scanned the streets; an inn of any sort would do, for now.

If an Inn one seeks, there are plenty of those around the city. The closest to them in particular Stonemann Inn a quaint inn, affordable to any weary traveler, family ran, basic but simple for those needing a warm bed for the night. Just outside the door, one could see one of the said runners helping out by sweeping away dust and dirt away. "A fine day to you!" She'd greet any passerby, it often was a good way to attract new customers and just polite in general.

"A fine day to you too!" Cecylia replied, her smile returning. She looked up and down the inn, and turned to Denali. "Well? What do you think?"

"Bed and breakfast. Saybrook-style." She muttered. "Two-stories high. Cost-effective. Most likely possessing of an excellent staff. Optimal lodgings for any traveller."
"...Shall I take that as a yes?"
"Affirmative."

"Well, then!" Cecylia turned back to the runner. "Again, a good day to you. My companion and I would like to know if there is a room open, and what the going rate for a night is?"

[Dyste]

Deck of the Katoomba

Tysteus was no stranger to travel; as a daughter of the Adventurer-King, adventuring was in her blood; ever since she was young growing up on her mother's ranch she learned to swing an axe, and when she was old enough, had signed up to the Adventurer's Guild and made waves at the Auram Arena in Dyste. Throughout her many years, she had ventured to new lands, either by herself or with friends and family, and just recently had been given a cushy role with her half-sister at the castle. But politics and meetings just weren't her thing! She was glad to support her family, but she still preferred the life of adventure and exploration, drinking at bars, fighting in arenas, all the fun in life. So naturally when she was given leave, she managed to catch wind of a land with a similar feel to her own, with its own tournament, and she knew it had to be. Hitching rides on a series of ships, she had her final one be on the Katoomba.

In spite of her heritage, one would be forgiven to just think she was purely a Cattle Beastling, or Bovinian (never Minotaur); the redheaded warrior didn't outwardly have any draconic signs from her father's side of the family, at least at the moment; when people thought of Dyste, the first image were the 10 foot tall Draconic beings known as Draconids, or the little reptilians known as kobolds, but in fact many species made the island nation their home. As she slung her axe Asterius over her shoulder, she took a look outside, "Heh, not a bad lookin' place, I'll say that much. Reminds me a bit of th' capital back home. Guess I better figure out th'sites here, huh? Long as there's fightin' and drinkin' at least, I think I'll have a damn good time here."

Saint Innes Academy

As Utena had arrived, so too another via portal, half an hour later. Lux had told her wife that she wished to spend some time handling some matters back home and would be busy for a while, but in reality she just wished to surprise her. Looking at the pair, they would seem drastically different; while Utena had darker skin, silvery hair and blue eyes, Lux had pale skin, black hair and grey eyes. Compared to her wife, she was over a foot taller, with a stronger build; not the type one would expect to have an interest in a magical academy like Saint Innes, but magic ran in her family bloodline. One that helped them meet, in fact, about a couple of years ago.

Of course, in no small part she just wished to look out for her wife and keep her out of too much trouble, but nothing said she couldn't have a lot of fun along the way, right? Knowing her, she'd definitely check out the Academy first, so she took a moment to wait and stake out the place. She did have to admit the beauty of the place, reminded her of her homeland of Dyste; it had been quite some time since she'd been home, for the last few decades she had been traveling throughout realms and serving the Dragon Queen Brasa, but she did always have a fondness for her home. Maybe she needed to talk to her father next time she could, make sure he hadn't caused any problems himself...

But before she could be left too long with her own thoughts, she saw Utena arriving at the academy. She took the opportunity to hide; in spite of her striking presence, she had grown up learning not magic, but the arts of stealth and subterfuge. Granted, Utena was always a little bad at spotting other things when she was too deeply focused. Waiting, she followed her in, waiting for the perfect opportunity... and it happened when she heard Utena mention 'when my wife comes over' did she spring up, giving her wife a surprise hug, "Someone called for me? So glad you happened to, I might not've ever shown up if you didn't make a wish," she joked.

[Legokiller]

The Strange Dragon Trio

Arena! Arena! Arena!

A famed quote that echoed in many games since the time of the Shadow War and beyond from a great adventure princess. A draw for many fighters of all backgrounds from the nobility, commoners, adventurers, soldiers, warriors, and even a few outsiders as well. A chance for glory, wealth, and fame within the sun itself. For one group of candidates, a potential for faith itself and something to rest the muscles.

In one of the streets of Amethyst, a portal opened from the windy grand sky expansive and the cold wonderland floating continent of Misty Joy for a humanoid fluffy white dragoness to emerge. Arcane let out a look of wonder and thought for a moment about how they’ll respond to an adventurer weredragon like herself. The one natural prediction is acceptance. Although that is from a glance and there is further information required to understand the nation she decided to visit and the people themselves.

In this grand adventure in the world beyond her homeland, Arcane took the time to invite two legendary twins.

“Well, then my honored guests.” Arcane smiled. “This is the land of Elvwitand.”

The first twin, a pale-purple humanoid dragoness with scaly legs and a tail, gasps at the site of the town. Her violet eyes examined the palace and swayed her bob hair. “Hm, so this is the land where everyone is coming for the arena? Heheh, well I hope it provides a bit of a challenge.” Vupur chirped.

The darker scale one with long flowing gray-white hair snorted. Her red eyes shined a little in amazement, but to keep a cool stare. “Perhaps. Then again, amateurs will make it a dull experience.” Enda said.

Arcane gave a smile at the equally well-built and imposing stature of the curvaceous dragonesses. All wore a few basic simple ‘I love dragons’ t-shirts and short pants. “Ahem, we might get a glimpse of our curiosity by visiting the arena itself. Some of the fighters might be already posted.”

“I hope so! Otherwise, I have to hope that the Arena brings some of Tyroth’s children there to brawl.” Vupur then grinned. “I know it lures them in, and Tynah or one of her siblings want to prove themselves against me.”

“Yes, Vupur.” Enda chuckled. “Then again, a combine dragon and gigantic strength are difficult to beat.”

The Battle Arena

The trio made their way to the Arena as fast as possible to take a good look at the architecture and advertisement. This of course caused Vupur to leap forward and rush to the box office to sign all of them into the matches. ” Calm down sister. There is another in line.” Enda said telepathically.

”Fine…” Vupur grumbled. The two had a telepathic bond since birth to share their thoughts and memories with each other. A trait that was passed down to a not so great twin-headed vile father who shall not be spoken by name.

“Oh my…” Arcane looked at Yeli and the office. “It appears another potential gladiator is here.”

[Democratic Exodian Territories]

The Katoomba

A pale, well-build man in his thirties, a stylish mop of jet-black hair just above his eyes and a thin beard surrounding his lips, made his way up onto the deck of the grand old ship, dragging behind him a pair of fat leather suitcases and briefcases strapped to them. Dressed in casual summer formals- cream-colored button-down shortsleeve with brass cufflinks, a beige lapeled double-breasted vest with gold buttons, and a daisy yellow tie, he flicked out a pair of gold aviators in the sunlight as he peered out at Amethyst's skyline.

Wishing under his breath he'd been a real boy reading real picture books of fairy tales when he was younger, he sidled up near Capt. Vuvriroh and her crew, who were in the midst of talking to a few other people, as he unashamedly gazed at the form of a red-skinned Amazonian with a cow's horns and tail. He retrieved a cigar and its lacquered rosewood-and-porcelain holder, though refrained from lighting it.

[Elvwitand]

OOC: Day update before an introduction of the dragon trio.

Tale of Utena

“Just call me Utena.” The gunmage replied. “And for your second question: just a curious visitor. I am already booked with my selection of academies and teachers. So it's a little difficult to fit a new one without a ton of cash.” Although in truth Utena was satisfied with her education at Aurora Academy and Catherine to consider another option. Outside of a student exchange program, the country is still new on the radar for Silverdale.

When it came to the subject of Saint Innes, the curious mage then looked over to Bellona. “The founder of all Witch kind in Amethyst? Oh, that is quite interesting? So how did Innes develop the craft? Did they find some master or patron from a worldly source?” She asked as she looked around the Rose Garden. “Oh my… Well, if my wife comes over, maybe a guest romance or… ahem.”

Utena blushed. “Nevermind! You heard nothing alright.”

Tale of Sundae

Sundae gave an innocent look at Sophitia. “Well, it’s an inquiry about Lady Amethyst and her divine light upon this land. If you wish to indulge, I wanted to ask about your goddess and her grand works.”

The Academy

She giggled, "I get ya, it's our secret. And Utena it is then! Good to meet you! And feel free then to call me Bellona if you so wish! There, now that we're all acquainted, continue following me I'll take you inside the school itself and answer your questions." The next several steps lead through a side door leading into a hallway now filled with students moving along to classes or activities and some just heading to bed (those who had nighttime work like astronomy) "To answer your question, not all Witch kind in this city specific and not quite all witch kind in the nation either, but you're not far off. For as long as recorded history, many in the nation have been able to use magic but Saint Ines was a special kind of witch who did refine a lot of modern magic. Creation of scrolls for instance, spell books and even the first known potion making guide, though scholars are split about how much she had to do with that as some attribute to a great chemist named Phraan Yestris.

Now back on Saint Ines, she's actually from a state named in her honor, Innes, which in the first millennia of the Empire was named Iogisia, for the particular form of rocks found there. But this school was built here as this is the Imperial Capital after all, so it just makes sense. We have a smaller annex branch school back in Ines which caters to students who maybe don't have the immediate means to travel to our main school here but they get prepped for here. Some instructors here also will train there. Keeping up so far, any other questions pressing?"

The Temple

"Ah you wish to understand the work of the Divine. But that's quite the broad question, but maybe a few basics to start. Goddess Lady Amethyst, doesn't matter how you address her, Lady, Goddess, Divine, well she's the creator of elf kind. In the days of the formation of the land, she and other Goddesses descended to make the massive land you see here today. Long before the first stone made the first building, from the earth emerged elf kind and so on with the other species to come along. Of course strict order is made to appease her Divinity, that matter has changed over the centuries with new revelations. We sisters and Holy Priestesses who maintain her gospel are charged with that."

Autumn took her seat across from the two young women who sat together; the four Peacekeepers remained standing and watching vigilantly over them.

She was a bit caught off guard when the bartender referred to Vellorina, one of the women, as "Miss Vampire" and mentioned blood, but quickly dismissed it as nothing out of the ordinary; she had seen much weirder things on her many trips to distant worlds after all.

Vellorina declined to order any food, just a cup of tea; Rasha, the other woman, ordered a bowl of mushroom soup.

Next it was Autumn's turn; she was not particularly hungry but could certainly use a hot soup and cup of coffee. "Sure, I'll have what she's having please. And would you happen to serve coffee as well?"

"We're fine, thank you," responded 1 on behalf of 2, 3, and 4. It was impossible to tell if this was a male or female; they talked with a digitally altered robotic voice and never removed their visor.

"All right, that's two bowls of our fine creamy mushroom soup! Excellent choices ladies on a brisk evening like tonight, sure to warm yer bones! And indeed we do have coffee for you, Madam, I'll be glad to bring you some with the tea." The strange guardians responded but well they were mannered so who was the waitress to complain. "I'll get those right out for ya." She excused herself to take care of their orders.

"So, Autumn you said it was," Rasha engaged in a bit of conversation "What's brining you to Amethyst if I may ask? And are you just staying in the Capital or you planning on venturing deeper into the Empire?"

RTNS Aaka.
The arrival of the older witch in a kimono, which was similar to my own by its cut, surprised not only the librarian - of course, my sensors had detected her, but her actually getting involved into our conversation was the surprise.
I bowed in respect and gratitude.
She did understand my request and after pulling out a translation spell, I understood her sending Miss Librarian out on a fetch quest and taking me over. She offered me a hand to leap me across the library towards a different section with, indeed, language learning books.
I bowed again. "Thank you for your assistance, Lady Takida.", I spoke in my native tongue, hoping, that the spell worked both ways, "I am RTNS Aka, vessel of the Navy of Her Majesty, The Empress of Teienai. I arrived here last night on a research mission and cobbled my current knowledge of the local tongue together by listening to what was said on the streets." I rose and gave her a small smile. "I am grateful to all the spirits and the gods, that I did not use an indecent word."
And then, I lifted off the ground, merely a few centimetres, not much, but with a noticeably hum.
"Cosmo Heavy Industries CHI-82/9 Manoeuvring Thrusters.", I explained, then pulled my legs into a Yokozuwari-position, sitting sideways in the air, on eye-level with her. "Please lead the way."
With the translation spell, she gave me a glimpse into her skills as a Witch. Now it was my turn to give her a glimpse into my skills as a shipgirl.

"Indeed the spell is effective both ways. A vast nation with so many kinds of people it's really needed. Anyway, Aka, if I may call you Aka, then come with me. I am Sayomomo Takida and you may call me Sayo, Momo or my whole name if you like, your preference is yours." Indeed it was a hop skip across one section of the library to the other. "Let me see, last time...Aha! Here we go, Languages of the Empire, Volume 1, the perfect guide to begin a study. Now, before I leave you to it, do know that I am a Professor, granted of advanced magical charms but with experience in Primary Education as well, I'm in no hurry as I'm waiting on the Librarian already with my request. I'd be glad to be of assistance to you in your quest to learn. Unless you'd rather be left to your own independent study, than I shall respect that as well. "Maybe you can tell me about yourself, first time I'm meeting a ship girl after all."

"Alright. Both Trolls and Werewolves are interestin' to say at least... Could ya' provide us intel on troll and these werewolves, so we know, what are we going against? I mean, what resistance should we expect? Specifically, we would like to get intel on the weak spots of werevoles and troll and what to expect from them? I suppose, that this troll gotta be large and tough as hell and might have damn thick skin. As for werevolves, I belive, their behaviour is like of a regular wolfpack, but they possess better intelligence. I also wonder, what damage did this troll do to get such a bounty on his head?"-Vadim asks as he gulps from a bottle.

-"You say, these wolves are corrupted. Is it possible to cure them? Or the only cure is euthanasia?"- Jose wonders.

"Well, either way, we gonna show these creatures, what we have learned during the military exercies! Gotta admit, we never went up agaisnt such a foe before... We don't have trolls and werewolves back home. But no need to worry, cuz we are four fine Black Army members. Now, where are these werevolves?"-Seth reassures.

"The troll in this case is a big and lumbering sack that has little regard for the settlements it comes across. All teracotta trolls in and this is no exception have very thick skin so it takes a lot to really take them down. Best way is to blind them by going for the eye but do know they have a speedy recovery so smack them around as fast as you can. They hit hard and fast too so keep an eye on their movements. Indeed, the wolves do typically behave as a pact and will try to swarm and leap on you from any given side. Easy to get surrounded if not careful on a solo outing. Sad to say they have no way to be cured, it's like they're stuck in a permanent metamorphism with no way to regress or be tamed. They only have the natural animal instinct but whatever left of man there is is gone now. If you desire to join a party they can always tell you more information on any given quest or you may form your own. It sounds like you desire to go onto the wolf quest, very good, the client has asked to clear them from Kerrograve Forest, which is just outside the capital here. There is a berg there that's been having issues with the wolves and has asked the Guild for help. If you accept, I shall register you then."

text

"Wow that's pretty cool! Well I'm a mermaid, but you probably figured that out already. Mayim here, she's a Siren with a delightfully lovely singing voice to match."

"I wouldn't be much of one if I didn't. Yeah we can afford it, the owner owes me a favor so I'm sure he'll discount the bill. Come, we only have so long for Phoon's potion to last. Oh..." She pulled out a couple of pieces of gold for the clerk "Apologies for our intrusion."

"Not at all, it's always fun to meet new folks! Come again!"

Indeed it was only a door down there was a local pub The waitress running drinks and food to patrons gave a smile "Well well, our favorite Aquatic girls have returned. And you brought us more customers? You are good!"

"Uh yeah, it's a long story, Hayj but we promised we'd treat them to a meal. Think Mr. Dorlar might slash our bill? We're good for anything else, just don't have a lot on us."

"For you, he'd do anything! Take a seat and I'll get Ena with you! Yo, Ena, got ourselves some VIPs, take care of 'em will ya!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" A small fairly young elf girl leapt from behind the counter with a tray in hand as everyone took their seats at the table. "Let's see, uh what can we start with? Drinks, alochol, teas, coffees, wines, water? Or you want to jump straight to food I can get orders done too."

Yali took a moment to simply admire the magnificent view of Amethyst below her from her hotel balcony. Stone buildings towered over the streets and the citizens passing by. Walkways streched from one structure to another, banners suspended to their side, displaying regalia seen around the city. Yali took a picture with her phone. First of the view, then after that a selfie with the city behind her. "I wonder if they got users here..." she mumbled to herself, as she typed a caption and added hashtag to her draft for her first post from the city to her SNS. "Eh, I'll add some anyways. #Amethyst, #Elvwitand #Castlecity, and...post." She pressed the send button before putting her phone back in the right pocket of sweatpants. After throwing on her socks, shoes, and jacket, she grabbed her backpack and slinged it over one shoulder.

The Battle Arena


The grand coliseum stood mighty before Yali, with even more of the banners she saw earlier hanging from its walls. Excited spectators weaved through the halls like shoals of fish. The Amenrian lady went up to the nearest guard. "Hi, this is the arena, right? Where do I go if I want to participate? I'm Yali, from the empire of Amenria." She produced her passport from her backpack and showed it to the guard.

"Welcome to the Battle Arena, love!" The booth operator pointed her the direction for Arena Participants where another woman would be there to greet her "Welcome, you wishing to participate in Open Arena competition? It is free to join today but do you have the necessary equipment to fight? Magic, weapons, armor, shields?" Sure the days of duels to the death may be over, but like any physical sport there still were risks of injury, and that meant those participating had to be fully informed. "First timers, we'd suggest they watch a match to be sure they're ready to participate. We have some real high competition today!" She smiled still, who was she to deny enthusiasm and well sometimes it was best to learn even the hard way. "If you feel ready, I'll register you."

"A fine day to you too!" Cecylia replied, her smile returning. She looked up and down the inn, and turned to Denali. "Well? What do you think?"

"Bed and breakfast. Saybrook-style." She muttered. "Two-stories high. Cost-effective. Most likely possessing of an excellent staff. Optimal lodgings for any traveller."
"...Shall I take that as a yes?"
"Affirmative."

"Well, then!" Cecylia turned back to the runner. "Again, a good day to you. My companion and I would like to know if there is a room open, and what the going rate for a night is?"

"Certainly so! We have a room at the ready just freshly cleaned out, linens replaced and everything, and our rates are 10G A night. Includes a free meal prepared by our delightful kitchen. If you're interested, I'd be glad to book you in right away." She put her broom aside ready to help if needed.

Deck of the Katoomba

Tysteus was no stranger to travel; as a daughter of the Adventurer-King, adventuring was in her blood; ever since she was young growing up on her mother's ranch she learned to swing an axe, and when she was old enough, had signed up to the Adventurer's Guild and made waves at the Auram Arena in Dyste. Throughout her many years, she had ventured to new lands, either by herself or with friends and family, and just recently had been given a cushy role with her half-sister at the castle. But politics and meetings just weren't her thing! She was glad to support her family, but she still preferred the life of adventure and exploration, drinking at bars, fighting in arenas, all the fun in life. So naturally when she was given leave, she managed to catch wind of a land with a similar feel to her own, with its own tournament, and she knew it had to be. Hitching rides on a series of ships, she had her final one be on the Katoomba.

In spite of her heritage, one would be forgiven to just think she was purely a Cattle Beastling, or Bovinian (never Minotaur); the redheaded warrior didn't outwardly have any draconic signs from her father's side of the family, at least at the moment; when people thought of Dyste, the first image were the 10 foot tall Draconic beings known as Draconids, or the little reptilians known as kobolds, but in fact many species made the island nation their home. As she slung her axe Asterius over her shoulder, she took a look outside, "Heh, not a bad lookin' place, I'll say that much. Reminds me a bit of th' capital back home. Guess I better figure out th'sites here, huh? Long as there's fightin' and drinkin' at least, I think I'll have a damn good time here."

Saint Innes Academy

As Utena had arrived, so too another via portal, half an hour later. Lux had told her wife that she wished to spend some time handling some matters back home and would be busy for a while, but in reality she just wished to surprise her. Looking at the pair, they would seem drastically different; while Utena had darker skin, silvery hair and blue eyes, Lux had pale skin, black hair and grey eyes. Compared to her wife, she was over a foot taller, with a stronger build; not the type one would expect to have an interest in a magical academy like Saint Innes, but magic ran in her family bloodline. One that helped them meet, in fact, about a couple of years ago.

Of course, in no small part she just wished to look out for her wife and keep her out of too much trouble, but nothing said she couldn't have a lot of fun along the way, right? Knowing her, she'd definitely check out the Academy first, so she took a moment to wait and stake out the place. She did have to admit the beauty of the place, reminded her of her homeland of Dyste; it had been quite some time since she'd been home, for the last few decades she had been traveling throughout realms and serving the Dragon Queen Brasa, but she did always have a fondness for her home. Maybe she needed to talk to her father next time she could, make sure he hadn't caused any problems himself...

But before she could be left too long with her own thoughts, she saw Utena arriving at the academy. She took the opportunity to hide; in spite of her striking presence, she had grown up learning not magic, but the arts of stealth and subterfuge. Granted, Utena was always a little bad at spotting other things when she was too deeply focused. Waiting, she followed her in, waiting for the perfect opportunity... and it happened when she heard Utena mention 'when my wife comes over' did she spring up, giving her wife a surprise hug, "Someone called for me? So glad you happened to, I might not've ever shown up if you didn't make a wish," she joked.

Emerging from the lower decks was a dragon girl, Iono Iroha and native to the nation, though not to the city itself but no stranger either it was good to be back. The whole trip was a lot of ups and downs, sides to sides as well when the ship tossed and turned in the angry seas at times. Hardly one to be put off by a little chop, she still couldn't deny it was good to be back. She'd been abroad, spending time to see the world as a recently come of age young woman! On the seas, she largely kept to herself though but the good woman Tysteus really caught her attention! Somehow she was just interesting maybe just her species being different than the usual sorts who travel aboard. "Sure will, ma'am! Sorry to but in a bit, just heard your first time here! I'm a native of sorts, maybe I can help you out?"

A pale, well-build man in his thirties, a stylish mop of jet-black hair just above his eyes and a thin beard surrounding his lips, made his way up onto the deck of the grand old ship, dragging behind him a pair of fat leather suitcases and briefcases strapped to them. Dressed in casual summer formals- cream-colored button-down shortsleeve with brass cufflinks, a beige lapeled double-breasted vest with gold buttons, and a daisy yellow tie, he flicked out a pair of gold aviators in the sunlight as he peered out at Amethyst's skyline.

Wishing under his breath he'd been a real boy reading real picture books of fairy tales when he was younger, he sidled up near Capt. Vuvriroh and her crew, who were in the midst of talking to a few other people, as he unashamedly gazed at the form of a red-skinned Amazonian with a cow's horns and tail. He retrieved a cigar and its lacquered rosewood-and-porcelain holder, though refrained from lighting it.

"Need a light?" A voice of a vampire woman offering a match ready to flick a light as needed. "Just arrived?" Like the dragon above her, she too had arrived after being abroad but for her it was the colder snowy regions, just how she liked it.

[The Selkie]

[...]

"Indeed the spell is effective both ways. A vast nation with so many kinds of people it's really needed. Anyway, Aka, if I may call you Aka, then come with me. I am Sayomomo Takida and you may call me Sayo, Momo or my whole name if you like, your preference is yours." Indeed it was a hop skip across one section of the library to the other. "Let me see, last time...Aha! Here we go, Languages of the Empire, Volume 1, the perfect guide to begin a study. Now, before I leave you to it, do know that I am a Professor, granted of advanced magical charms but with experience in Primary Education as well, I'm in no hurry as I'm waiting on the Librarian already with my request. I'd be glad to be of assistance to you in your quest to learn. Unless you'd rather be left to your own independent study, than I shall respect that as well. "Maybe you can tell me about yourself, first time I'm meeting a ship girl after all."

[...]

RTNS Aka.
Following her with my trusty thrusters, I was impressed.
She seemed to know the library as much as the librarians did and directed me to Languages of the Empire, Volume 1, apparently a good start into the local languages.
I smiled and carefully took the book, then sat it down.
She offered me her aid in learning, but left that for me to decide, and asked me, if I couldn't tell her about myself and my being as a shipgirl, considering, that I was the first shipgirl she met. For me, it seemed a fair deal.
She aided me in finding a book, and a series, apparently, to work from, I'd help her in enhancing her knowledge.
I nodded.
"Gladly, Lady Takida.", I told her, "As mentioned, I am RTNS Aka, vessel of the Navy of Her Majesty, The Empress of Teienai. That means, that I am the personification or spiritual manifestation, the term in our language is actually tsukumogami..." I paused. "...I wonder if your spell translated that... anyway, I am the manifestation of the Satsuki-class Construction Ship RTNS Aka, which is in orbit. A hard-working little construction ship - not one of the big and fancy cruisers or even a carrier, but important in my own right, if I may say so."
I let a beat pass.
"As a shipgirl, I have full access to the abilities and specifics of my hull, including..." I smiled and reached into my Kimono's sleeves. I pulled out two strips of paper - but not any paper. Inscribed with symbols and sigils of our own folk magic, these strips of bamboo paper were charms. And, with a bit of concentration, it revealed, what these charms did.
A small flame erupted as I threw one into the air, forming into a small, yellow... pod. It was destinctively mechanical, dark-tinted windows obscuring the look inside. Two small clamps jutted out in the front, but underneath, a small bulge hid something more important.
The other also erupted into a small fire, but the thing coalescing out of the little red flame was different: Long wings jutted out from a main hull, twin booms extending backwards and covering air intakes. The pilot's cockpit cantilever jutted forwards. The canopy was not opaque, but translucent, a small, chubby fellow sitting in it, in a red, skintight suit and a helmet on his head. A large dish sat on the craft's back.
With a small whirr, the second craft's engines powered up and the craft lifted up to hover, while the yellow thing used a blue beam to open the book.
"...the yellow thing is a Hoseki X95H Workerbee, the one with the dish an Aozora D133A Eagle.", I explained, "I can call upon my small craft complement - luckily a bit more freely then what I currently have aboard." The workerbee flipped the pages open, while the Eagle hovered over them. The dish spun. "And I can call upon data they gather and my ship's systems. In this case, the workerbee flips the pages, the Eagle scans them and transmits the book into my mainframe, where it is analyzed and where I process it, learning the language."
I let that sink in.
"Sometime in the near future, Lady Takida, I will ask you to cancel the translation spell and then I'll try my new language skills.", I told her with a smile.

[Zerotaxia]

"All right, that's two bowls of our fine creamy mushroom soup! Excellent choices ladies on a brisk evening like tonight, sure to warm yer bones! And indeed we do have coffee for you, Madam, I'll be glad to bring you some with the tea." The strange guardians responded but well they were mannered so who was the waitress to complain. "I'll get those right out for ya." She excused herself to take care of their orders.

"So, Autumn you said it was," Rasha engaged in a bit of conversation "What's brining you to Amethyst if I may ask? And are you just staying in the Capital or you planning on venturing deeper into the Empire?"

Crap, what do I tell her, Autumn thought. She did not yet want to drop the ruse; for now she was content to act the part of a weary tourist. It would save her the trouble of having to explain planets, galaxies, and the Commonwealth.

"Just taking a break from work, that's all. Boss has been on my ass about getting that report done, but I'm just so burned out right now and really need a rest. I'd like to see more of this world, but my schedule won't allow it unfortunately. I only have two days off; then I must head back to the office."

[Obrela]

Shava entered the cosy tavern, weaving gracefully through the crowd before reaching the bar. Dropping some money on the counter, she took her ale and went to find a secluded table to reflect on the day.

It had started fairly normally. Just finding a portal to a whole other world while in the woods, but to be honest that wasn't unusual for her at this point. Upon going through it, she had found herself in a strange city, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Sipping her ale absent mindedly, she thought about her plan of action. There was no hurry to get back through her portal of course, but Shava disliked being in and around large crowds. She hadn't chosen the very corner table for no reason after all. She had seen so much in only a few hours, temples, street bards and markets and many a cosy looking tavern. That reminded her...
Stifling a sigh, she made her way back to the bar, "Got any rooms?" She put down some change on the counter and watched the barkeep expectantly, praying that no-one was watching the interaction.
"Certainly miss!" She replied, gesturing to the stairs, "Right up there."
Shava silently thanked the barmaid and, leaving her empty glass on the side, climbed the stairs to her room.

The next morning, she was up at the crack of dawn. Paying her nightly fee at the tavern, she slipped out into the streets of Amethyst. If she was going to be here a while, she might as well meet people, or at the very least learn their names.

[Democratic Exodian Territories]

"Need a light?" A voice of a vampire woman offering a match ready to flick a light as needed. "Just arrived?" Like the dragon above her, she too had arrived after being abroad but for her it was the colder snowy regions, just how she liked it.

"No need." A deep voice in a clear, rough accent remarked. He grinned, producing a brass-plated lighter from his pocket. Grateful for someone to talk to, however, he pressed on, eyes taking note of her style of dress. "I have just arrived, actually. Pretty far-off, if I can say so myself.
Say, what's a tourist like me to look for around these parts? Anything interesting, any must-sees?"

[Dyste]

Deck of the Katoomba

As Tysteus looked over the sights of the city from the ship's deck, she couldn't help but notice a few eyes on her, including that man in the gold sunglasses. Not that she minded the looks at all; for adventurers and gladiators alike, being able to be easily recognized was a boon, it made them easier to remember and to be sought out for commissions, matches and quests, making their livelihood easier. She even flashed a smile in his direction before looking out again.

Of course, her sight-watching was interrupted by the little dragon girl! She was actually quite happy to meet a local, her own knowledge of Amethyst was rather limited, after all. "Heh, yeah, I'm new in this place. Name's Tysteus, and I'm guess y'don't see people who look like me a lot? But yeah, I'm hopin' t'look around this place, just enjoy th'sights an'take it all in. I'm an adventurer an' warrior by trade, so I'd imagine there's places that deal with people like me?"

[Sky Reavers]

"The troll in this case is a big and lumbering sack that has little regard for the settlements it comes across. All teracotta trolls in and this is no exception have very thick skin so it takes a lot to really take them down. Best way is to blind them by going for the eye but do know they have a speedy recovery so smack them around as fast as you can. They hit hard and fast too so keep an eye on their movements. Indeed, the wolves do typically behave as a pact and will try to swarm and leap on you from any given side. Easy to get surrounded if not careful on a solo outing. Sad to say they have no way to be cured, it's like they're stuck in a permanent metamorphism with no way to regress or be tamed. They only have the natural animal instinct but whatever left of man there is is gone now. If you desire to join a party they can always tell you more information on any given quest or you may form your own. It sounds like you desire to go onto the wolf quest, very good, the client has asked to clear them from Kerrograve Forest, which is just outside the capital here. There is a berg there that's been having issues with the wolves and has asked the Guild for help. If you accept, I shall register you then."

"Ten four! Register us! We gonna be our own party. After all, we are from one squad."-Vadim says and then prepares a speech to his party.

-"Alright, people! Tonight we gonna try everything we learned during the exercises and score some good money to spend on booze! Werevolves and troll are tough, not gonna lie, but we are also an experienced squad! Now, let's create a plan for two operations."-Vadim and his companions started to draft plans for the hunts, they would commence this night, that promises to be fun.

First - Operation "Terra Cotta", a codename for troll hunt. On the way to the marked cave, Reavers planned it, discussing various ideas to hunt him. After several bottles of beer, they have agreed to dig a small pit with an enternching shovel and other tools they have at hand, put some sharpened wooden stakes in it for extra damage and cover it with branches and grass. Plan is to lure the troll to the pit, disorient it with flashlights on strobe mode and then the pit would hopefully make troll either fall and trip or just fall through, in which case it will still be easier for Vadim to strike right in the eye with a bayonet due to troll being on somewhat lower ground. After falling through, troll would be either blinded by Vadim's strike, or just disoriented with strobe flashlights, while all four Reavers would attack from different sides. Seth would attempt to hit troll in the back with his warclub, attempting to damage it's spine. Seth belives, that displaced spine could neutralize even fast regenerating creature. If they manage to kill troll, they would gather it's head, hand and blood sample, and then plan an operation against werewolves.

Reavers went to the location of troll, where they would try to execute the operation.

[A m e n r i a]

"Welcome to the Battle Arena, love!" The booth operator pointed her the direction for Arena Participants where another woman would be there to greet her "Welcome, you wishing to participate in Open Arena competition? It is free to join today but do you have the necessary equipment to fight? Magic, weapons, armor, shields?" Sure the days of duels to the death may be over, but like any physical sport there still were risks of injury, and that meant those participating had to be fully informed. "First timers, we'd suggest they watch a match to be sure they're ready to participate. We have some real high competition today!" She smiled still, who was she to deny enthusiasm and well sometimes it was best to learn even the hard way. "If you feel ready, I'll register you."

It had been a long time since Yali actually had to use weapons in battle. Years, perhaps, as she could barely recount the time she had her machine pistol in hand. She has since gotten stronger, and more comfortable with her fighting style, with her Megaton Punch able to shatter walls like glass. She had gone a long time without using armour in battle either, as being a Regenerator meant that as long as she had enough Qi and enough time, she could always get herself back in fighting condition. However, this was a show, a chance to try something different before an audience, or to surprise opponents without prior knowledge of her. The only concern she had left was her powers, and there was one surefire way to make sure hers wasn't somehow disabled in this universe.

"Well..." Yali said, before she detached her head from her neck and held it up to her chest with both hands. "It looks like my powers still work. As for weapons and armour, have you got anything I could borrow?" She put her head back at the stump of her neck and reattached it where it belonged. "I guess I'll take your suggestion though, is it possible for me to watch a match or two before I get in the fight?"

She took a glance to her side to see some...Lizardpeople? No, these weren't members of that species, not ones that look typical to her, at least. She waved her hand to them and turned to the one closest to her. "Oh hey, you here to fight too?"

[Shwe Tu Colony]

"Wow that's pretty cool!"

At the mention of food, Cao's wriggling-things all shuffled below his shawl. "Ah, down you guys..."
Next to him, Kurainos butted up against a hagfish. "Look at this little guy," she said. "Imagine being this motivated by food." It slapped her back, coating her in slime, and Vla'ir yanked her away with his partial control of her. He grimaced as the slime splattered around both of them, onto his clothes. "Did you really have to pick a fight with that, of all creatures?"
"Now, now, Vla'ir, when have I made a claim at being smart? Plus, it's fun to bully them."
"Gods, you just want a fight, don't you?" Cao said.
"True indeed, true indeed."

Indeed it was only a door down there was a local pub...

Now in the restaurant, Cao's shawl flew open, revealing the menagerie for a moment before a forceful wind from Garid shoved the shawl down. With that done, most of the group took their seats easily, except for Garid, who stayed flying above his chair, and Hunter, who was reaching for the seat and pulling it out one second, and then suddenly gone, like he had never been there the next. At that, D'aillisioux sighed. "Give me a moment..." he said, diving into a vortex of fabric.
Cao adjusted his shawl as the critters below it stirred awake, hungry. "Hunter really needs to design a sitting pose for his model one of these days." A snake rose out from below and set its head on the table.
"You know I can still hear you, right?" His voice came from a sphere around the party. "And besides, it's always fu— ow, quit it, blueberry!"
They both popped right back into existence in the air, both dropping onto the chair, but as quickly as they landed, D'aillisioux's vortex opened back up, swallowing him. Just before Hunter fell in, it closed, letting him land flat on the floor, arms crossed and pouting. "Blueberry," he said, getting up, "you're no fun." He turned to the waitress. "Ah, so sorry you had to see all that. I'll have... I think I'm feeling like lamb today, if you folks have it. And coffee."

"Something light," Garid said. "Quail, maybe? And maybe just a light wine."
"I'll have a bit of..." Kurainos began, "how about some tea? Something spicy and warm, that kind of tea, if you have it."
Vla'ir glanced at Kurainos. "I think I'll have a menu first. I'm not sure how everyone's ordering without a menu."
"Sheer guesswork, Vla'ir, sheer guesswork."
D'aillisioux shrugged. "Some sort of calming tea, like mint. I'll also be needing a menu before I can figure out food and all."

Last was Cao, whose shawl was flying up and around as he struggled to push his beastly nest downwards. By the time the waitress had come, his shawl was a blossoming, fabric roof above a thrashing menagerie of unsightly worms, snakes, hagfishes, all sorts of legless, wriggling creatures. Amidst them were a few chains, some carrying sharpened hooks and spear-points, and at the sight of the waitress, the boy grinned sheepishly. "All right, um, I don't know if this is something that you can prepare or... you know..." He nervously chuckled as the snakes faced her. "I... I think I need a whole hog to feed everything— but if you don't I can, uh... find food somewhere else." He turned to Mayim and Phoon. "Sorry, I'll make this up to you somehow — a quest or something, I don't know — but they're all very hungry."
Kurainos laughed. "Good thing I don't do that with you, huh, Vla'ir?"
"You do," he said. "You eat all my chicken."
"So I do." She sat herself down on the table. "So I do."

[AHSCA]

"Ah delightful, than please come on up!" She waved her arm to summon the two fox women up to the wheel house, gently setting them on the ground again, "Follow me, just below here." She opened up a little hatch with a latter they could climb "Oh, do hold on, my Captain and Crewman, it'll be a bit rough at first, I have a storm enchantment going that simulates rough seas." She had them climb down a little ways and indeed inside the captain's cabin it was like a different world suddenly from outside as it suddenly seemed like the ship was being tossed in a violent squall at sea, the rocking motions of a cabin as a ship would roll and pitch in waves, lightning streaming in through port windows, objects rolling about, the loud creaking and sounds of waves pummeling. "Sorry about this, my dear mate wanted it to rest, she does enjoy the rocking motions of a stormy voyage! I'll remove the charm in just a second here just hold tight. Unless you like it then I can keep it going but I think we'd like a little calm and quiet!" She still removed the charm anyway, easy enough to put up and now it was quite. From a hammock hanging above poked out the Captains' first mate and lover, Ukneha Ame "Whaa the storm is over? Aawww"

"Hahah, Ukneha come on down we have a couple of visitors."

"Oooh guests from the West? Ah that rhymes huh?" She rolled out of her hammock somehow landing perfectly on her feet. She too was a dark elf like her captain companion and certainly undressed. "Ooh suppose I oughta put somethin' on huh? Sure sure."

"They're actually not Imperial citizens but sailors from a far off land. That big steamship in the harbor must belong to them."

"There be two of 'em Capy! Which one is it?"

"The Yuzu you said it was good Captain Indou? May I call you Aina actually? You can call me Runze. Captain seems more reserved for crew in our commands not fellow seafarers about to have a nice meal together."

"Heeey yous fox folk! Nice to meetcha both! I'm Capy's First Mate and her partner in life and the seas!" Ukneha emerged now dressed in a simple tunic.

A lot really was happening in a short time, as the captain warned the ladies, indeed it suddenly felt like they were in the middle of a big storm. Though offered to leave it on, they respectfully declined "Well honestly, we've had our share of the rough seas for a while, thank you." Aina gave a humble thanks to the captain for letting off the charm. Strange folks but otherwise seemingly nice. "Well, sure I don't mind. Runze. If you don't mind, Yuzu?"

"Not at all, I guess we're only visitors, after all. And to answer your question, our ship is fittingly named the S.S. Yuzu, she's the paddle wheel steamer! Seems a Phibeta steamer is also in the harbor huh?" The ladies bowed a little for their new guests, getting their introductions "Sounds a bit like us, although I'm not an officer or first mate aboard our ship, just a regular sailor aboard. But Aina is captain."

"In time, I can see Yuzu becoming an officer though. I'm sure at some point some of my Officers will have a desire to be Captains themselves. "May we sit?"

[Legokiller]

Utena

“Awesome! Now let’s get going-”

Utena let out a squeak as Lux lunged forward and hugged her. The aasimar dwarfed the smaller woman as she blushed hard. Right in front of her tour guide. “Oh, h-hello sweetie.” The gunmage let out a sigh as she snuggled up in an embrace. “I hope Alice didn’t keep you too busy.” She teased. “But it’s good to see you. So far I was about to get a whole tour of this whole witch academy! This is far more different than the secluded and secret covens back home.”

Utena knew that in Silverdale, there are groups of magi who made grand deals with star entities from the giantess goddess Tilina to more esoteric and obscure entities. Some proclaim to hold vast amounts of knowledge, and information that even stretch into the ‘Grand Database Collective’ that lurks within the plane of Mechanus itself. The trouble is that those people don’t love to share it. Even get vague and secretive. Hence Utena found herself approaching Tilina’s priests, and her temples to obtain any clear answers.

“So darling, let’s continue the tour and see what the Academy has to offer,” Utena said. She then focused her attention to listen to Bellona’s explanation of the vast matters and fields. “A split between who earns the credit? So were Saint Ines and Phraan Yestris rivals by any chance? As in the inventors who square off? That being said, I know Silverdale for example, who is the creator of magic, and those who modernize it get far more difficult. I can say for certain Aurora made much to the magical community alongside Sharena with gun magic, but the founder is more questionable. The best we got is a half-dragon half-cow woman Kiara who founded magecraft, or the style of blades and magic together, in prehistory!”


Sundae: The Temple

“So a local creator of the people here I see,” Sundae noted. “I must inquire, given your patron is in these lands, how do you view other goddesses said to hold domains over elvenkind?”

The Strange Dragon Trio

“Eeyup.” Vupur spoke up. “Here to show the might of the twins! Part giant and part dragon ready to shake up the arena.”

“Vupur is a little too eager to brawl.” Enda clarified. “But yes indeed.”

“That’s a surprise.” Arcane then shrugged. “Although I do wonder if there are different classes to account for those with skills, body physical differences, and prowess. My two companions can handle a mere human wrestler without any issues.”

[The Grand Western Empire]

Octavian, Dominan, and Lucian

Octavian sighed and crossed his arms. Lucian shook his head silently. Dominan simply stood stockstill, staring down the street with the Katoomba behind him. "How does Julius disappear so quickly?" Octavian asked no one in particular.

"I have no idea," sighed Lucian and he facepalmed. "I look away from a splitsecond and he somehow ends up halfway across the continent."

Dominan stayed silent, his steel gaze looked like it would break the building it fell upon. "Are we sure he can't turn himself invisible? That would explain his vanishing acts," Dominan grumbled in a coarse voice. Him breaking his quiet facade quietly shocked Lucian. Dominan looked down at Octavian, who was significantly shorter than Dominan. "You're the emperor. Has he told you about such a power?"

"At this point, I'd believe he can go invisible," Octavian shook his head and sighed again. "But not like he'd ever tell me that. He guards information zealously. He might have been too good of a choice for spymaster."

"I agree," Lucian and Dominan said in unison and nodded. They both looked at each other before kind of smirking.

"He is probably stealing some sacred artifact of immeasurable value as we speak..." Octavian mumbled. "I swear I'll skin him alive if I find him in a jail cell."

"I believe this may be a new record," Lucian shook his head. "How long did it take him to disappear this time? Fifteen seconds?"

"I don't know," Octavian mumbled. "No point in talking about this any longer. Where are you two going?" He uncrossed his arms, his metal gauntlets scraping against each other.

"The arenas. Nowhere is as good a home as the heat of combat," Dominan laughed. It was a grating, deep sound that sounded almost animalistic. He cracked his scars muscles and rolled his shoulders. At that moment, he looked like a barbarian who loved killing more than anything, but that was the polar opposite of Dominan. Despite his immense size, being nearly 8'6 and two feet wide, and thrice scarred face, he was not some child who had been raised in the fires of war. He was a high-ranking lord whose martial prowess was venerated by every warrior in his homeland. He was a strategist of great proportions.

"I mourn for whoever fight you," Lucian shuddered. He had fought Dominan once in a wrestling match. He still had some scars from the fight. "When we fought, you broke five of my ribs, my left arm, dislocated my jaw, and bruised me all over. Try not to do the same to any poor sap who meets you in combat."

Octavian laughed, "Try not to kill them, Dominan, but also try not to lose."

Dominan nodded and walked off, his full plate armor clanking against the stone street. The midday sun shined off the polished wargear, illuminating many grand engravings across the breat plate. He had forgone a weapon in case carrying one was illegal, though he had pondered taking his double-headed axe for a while. Soon, he had taken a turn and was out of the sight of his two friends.

"I'm going to pay the captain of the Katoomba a quick visit. The journey was smooth, so I didn't end up hunched over the railing and giving the sea my lunch," Lucian groaned.

Octavian laughed again. "I still remember the third expeditionary fleet. You spent three hours vomiting nearly continuously. I thought you were going to die for a little while!"

Lucian grumbled something under his breath and mounted the gangplank to the Katoomba. He dodged an elf who was disembarking and stepped onto the deck.

Octavian watched the elf walk by him without a second glance. The feeling was still unusual. Octavian unconsciously reached his hand up and brushed his fingers against his pair of obsidian horns that protruded from his forehead. Dominan had a similar pair, but Lucian only had one. Those horns earned nothing but scorn where they were from, but in Amethyst it was different. No one seemed to care. Not even the elves...

Octavian lowered his hand to his coat and reached inside. His had brushed against the chest plate beneath his clothes as he grabbed something in a hidden pocket. Slowly, Octavian pulled his arm out and the contents of the pocket began to shine in the sun. A golden wreath. It was older than Octavian by more than a thousand years. It was called the Imperial Crown and was made of solid gold. Strange runes were carved into its side. They gave it a magical barrier that shielded it from all damage. When Octavian was crowned emperor when he was merely sixteen, he was told to never let the Imperial Crown leave his person. So, despite being in a foreign land, he kept the golden trinket close to him. He slid it back into his pocket and made a mental note to guard it at all costs. Consciously, he rapped his fist against a hidden short sword concealed by his coat. It was only to be drawn in an emergency, he reminded himself.

"I suppose I'll go to Caerleon..." Octavian mumbled to himself. "Seeing a foreign palace may be interesting..." With that, Octavian marched off, his leather boots tapping against the sidewalk and black hair shining in the sun.

Julius

"So close..." Julius groaned. He ran the moment when he fled his friends' company with mock melancholy. "My record is fourteen seconds...it took my sixteen to escape..." The reason for Julius always leaving like that wasn't because he disliked his comrades. It was because it amused him. Everything he did was for his own amusement. He would often pickpocket, steal, and prank people because he found some strange form of entertainment in doing so. It was a troublesome aspect of his personality, but Octavian let it slide because Julius was a master spy. He commanded hundreds, possibly thousands, of spies across an entire continent.

Julius pushed himself off an alley wall and walked into the street. He looked left and right, absorbing the appearances of various races he hadn't seen before because they were extinct where he was from. He catalogued each appearance in his mind. 'I wonder what they carry in their pockets...No, no! I can't steal here or else Octavian will execute me in a heartbeat.' Julius shuddered before cackling to himself. Realistically, Octavian couldn't catch Julius if they ended up enemies, but the fear of having the emperor and his entire empire against him was a scary prospect. The Western Drahian Empire was a militarist state that covered a third of its continent. Even Julius, with all his magic and abilities to flee, probably wouldn't escape the prying eyes of the Empire's army and people.

"But if I can't steal...What to do?" Julius muttered. "I know!" He loudly proclaimed, attracting confused stares from people on the street. "Maybe I'll go to a pub and see if I can start something with a drunk...No, I shouldn't do that either. I'll just get a drink then go to a temple to see the hilarity of religious dogma." Having finished speaking to himself, Julius bounded down the road, taking care not to steal anything, no matter how badly he wanted to.

[The Second Order of Life]

Gelhard, in a discrete laboratory of the Order

Immaculate walls of white, followed by complex and intricate technologies glowing in blue. Vespa was visibly uncomfortable, sunk eyes and trembled posture, giving away her lack of confidence in the endeavour. In front of her, a round portal of blackness, almost completely still, as if it were a rift into the very fabric of reality. Behind her, another Artificial stood, fiddling with the consoles and holographic projections which emanated from the equipment just a few metres away from the portal. She had been chosen by that very person to conduct this experiment, to be the first sapient to cross into this weird dimension which had just been discovered, and... she felt pressured to accept. By all standards she was not particularly special, and it was a surprise to her that such a prestigeous member of society would make that choice.

"I sense your lack of faith, Vespa" he said, continuing to ready the portal for use "We have sent plenty of invisible drones into it, we know where you'll end up on, I have already told you that." She was unconvinced, and he noticed, sighing audibly in frustration. He stopped his work, apparently being finished with it, and walked up to Vespa, pushing her forward. She protested, but eventually she was successfully coerced into the very edge of darkness, feeling the void slowly pulling her inside.

Both stopped making effort. A moment of tension ensued, quickly broken by him: "I know you are afraid, you are still quite young, but you must trust me when I say that I chose you for good reason." She looked back, barely seeing the face of the person behind her, and then forward once more, facing the blackness ahead which compelled her forward. "Amethyst is a magical place. You will see. When you are ready to go back, deploy the beacon." He stopped for one moment, looking back at the white metallic walls of the laboratory.

"There will be plenty of fun to be had, trust me. Pubs, libraries, guilds, castles, even magic!" A spark shined in her eyes; curiosity. He continued: "I have even noticed that the local population is holding some type of strength-based tournament, and... I have heard that you just graduated from some prestigeous fencing school in Gelhard?" She fixed her posture, and could not help but plant a sly smile on her face. He noticed, and chuckled gently at her reaction. "Make the Ancients proud" he said, shoving her inside the void, to only the Ancients know where. The truth is that he didn't have a clue about where she would land in Amethyst, and had just hoped for the best. Such was the eccentricity of the Ruler of the Order.

Amethyst, In a random alleyway

Night had fallen. A loud crashing sound rang throught an alleyway of the city. "Off to a great start" she thought, as she lifted herself from a trashcan, wiping off her white metallic skin the stains of things that she'd rather not know the origin of. She didn't really know where to go, as the "moron" which had just thrown her into a trashcan had also forgotten to provide her with a digital map of the capital. Without much options left, she walked forward, following the peculiar red light which emanated from the streets ahead. She wondered what it was about.

[Obrela]

Amethyst, In a random alleyway

Night had fallen. A loud crashing sound rang throught an alleyway of the city. "Off to a great start" she thought, as she lifted herself from a trashcan, wiping off her white metallic skin the stains of things that she'd rather not know the origin of. She didn't really know where to go, as the "moron" which had just thrown her into a trashcan had also forgotten to provide her with a digital map of the capital. Without much options left, she walked forward, following the peculiar red light which emanated from the streets ahead. She wondered what it was about.

Shava walked quickly through the darkened alleys of Amethyst. Her cloak hood was up, and her hand rested on a dagger strapped to her thigh. Her green eyes were alert and watchful, not fazed at all by the pint of ale she had just downed. Elves had a much higher alcohol tolerance than humans, and sometimes Shava hated that. Nevertheless, it was fun to see humans get drunker and drunker as the evening went on.

Lost in her own musings, she didn't see the person coming out of the next alley before it was too late. Crashing into a hard body, she whipped around, her dagger out of its sheath in an instant and pointing at the... Well the... Well she didn't know what it was. A strange humanoid stood before her. They had glossy white... Skin? It seemed too much like armour to call it skin, and the parts it didn't cover showed wires and metal, she knew that much. Great blue eyes stared at her, the lack of pupils deeply unsettling.
"Who or what are you, and what are you doing here at this time?" Shava fought to keep her voice steady, ignoring the fear that rose up at the sight of this, almost unnatural creature.
((OOC: Hope you don't mind me starting an RP, I don't really know what to do here ))