The Pathfinder

Poppy get in here.

From Tried's Mouth to the mysterious Tower, the waters around Scalvoris and the island itself hold a vast array of secrets, just ripe for discovery. Here are landmarks, jungles, mountains, forests and islands of note.

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Mercedes
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Sweat poured down the Sorcerers bare flesh as a series of labored breaths took place whilst he made an attempt to strengthen his body. After being viciously attacked by an unknown group of individuals; Merces needed to acquire a new body. His current form did not do him much justice being that he could hardly move without the aid of a Cane. The bastards demanded that he needed to leave Almund and do such a thing swiftly. Therefore he decided to waltz into the wild only to use the clouded leopard totem, and he had already begun the process of shedding all of his clothes. He remained somewhat hidden for the past few trials by migrating around in his other form. The process of transformation took approximately eight to ten bits. The Sorcerer began the process and attempted to slow his breathing whilst he held onto the paw of the clouded leopard.

Bandits, and Pirates alike frequented the area of wilderness he frequented and made several failed attempts to hunt in the past few trials. The agony began, and the process of bone shift started immediately; pain rocketed through the entirety of his being. He felt nausea, a feat of dizziness, and then bewilderment and the sudden need to feed on raw flesh. The Atavistic tendencies intertwined with that of the Leopards. After several bits of agony, a single bit of nothingness had come in short intervals prior to the pain returning with a vengeance.

The trial had still been a young one, and finally in between labored breaths and a series of screams let out by Mercy; his four paws landed upon the moist ground beneath his feet. Blades of grass fell in between his forepaws, and he walked about awkwardly on his hind legs. With a strengthened sense of smell; he allowed air to fill his lungs with an inhalation. However, with a soft exhalation the cold air exited his lips. Despite the snow beneath his feet; he did not feel uncomfortable as the creature had been well equipped to deal with the cold. The Sorcerer had distinct irises that danced with idiosyncratic flames of various cerulean tones. They remained no matter what form he seemed to take on, but that did not matter to him.

What was important was that he find a new body to reside in, and get rid of the totem of self he currently possessed. Merces could no longer be Merces; if he expected to live in Scalvoris and continue to commit crime. His intentions were simply to wreak havoc until The Kennel paid for their actions against him; the man who he killed spoke the truth. Dana, and Gibney however needed to be eliminated quickly, and quietly. The Feline set forward at a slow pace, and attempted to be stealthy albeit he failed multiple times with the crunch of leaves beneath his heels. The form still took some getting used to, but he had been in and out of it several times. Walking on four paws took time to adapt to; as one needed to focus and coordinate all of their steps in order to move properly.

Luckily one of the multiple advantages of being a feline was the smaller stomach. The Clouded Leopard did not require much subsistence in a trial. The Sorcerer carried on and attempted to follow the scent of not one but several humans simultaneously. The scent was difficult to discern, distorted and broken by the harsh cylus wind. Merces had not practiced tracking either; thus he became lost several times along the way to find the group of people. Perhaps he could fetch a new body in the process of the search.

However, the moment he began to move only mere feet away from him a loud crunch took place and halted him in his tracks.

Snap


The sound of a twig as it broke echoed about the vicinity, and The Feline set off in the direction of the sound as to find out exactly what created the noise.
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Poppy
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Race: Biqaj
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Cylus had proven to be one of the wickedest seasons of the Rebirth Cycle this arc. Heavy snow made it difficult to travel outside, harsh winds brought terror to nature itself. Large trees crashing in the late nights and weird strikes of lightning haunted the Scalvoris Town. There were times, however, when the frigid cold and damaging winds subsided and left a peaceful day. Well, a peaceful but sunless day. Many people got depressed due to the absence of the sun and chose to stay indoors even when the weather granted some leeway to explore outdoors. Poppy, unlike the other bums in town, took this day as a chance to stretch her aching limbs and enjoy the winter scenery.

Bundled up with her long embellished coat, blouse with bodice, slacks, and leather gloves, Poppy had clear intentions of keeping warm during her adventures. Perched on top of her unruly curls was also her feathered purple hat, the tarnished chains now cleaned and standing out against the dull fabric. Strapped to her waist and hidden from the elements was Lady Black, a stolen cutlass from long ago when a buckling sailor decided to indulge in some midnight company. Poppy always recalled that night fondly as her leather clad fingers brushed against the engraved hilt, relaxing at the familiarity of its hold. It was funny how men could become like hibernating bears once they were fully satisfied. Like nothing else in the world mattered anymore. “Djout qat.” Muttering the insult under her breath, she allowed her mind to wander off as she stepped outside her frozen sloop. Each intake of cold air that chilled her lungs proceeded on releasing a cloud of white as she exhaled, turquoise eyes taking in the towering trees as she stepped into the forest that was located near her home. There was a buzzing frequency in her ears almost like how a person would hear their own heartbeat. Fading in and out and only becoming louder the more she focused on it. She had to be thankful for her initiation into Attunement. It granted her almost a serenity-like bliss as she trudged confidently through the snow covered grounds; not worried about her way as she explored deeper and deeper. She had traversed these woods enough that her body was attuned to the frequencies, recognizing the notes and allowing them to be her compass in the darkness. Much like a defier became close to it’s elements to a kin point, these continuous chords attached themselves to its host similarly. The Biqaj noting how it was almost painful when the notes became silent and she was left with nothing. Everything had a unique sound to it that nowadays silence felt wrong.

Humming underneath her breath, the brunette shifted her focus away from the wavering notes and to the surrounding sounds. Birds were not chirping yet as Ashan wasn’t even on the horizon. Cylus still had its cold grips anchored in for a few more trials. Listening to the crunches of fresh snow underneath her boots as her tongue snaked out, licking her chapped lips. Poppy enjoyed the peacefulness that came from being away from the civilized world. No one to manipulate, no one to try and impress just to gain her own footing in life. She could relax deep within the woods of Scalvoris; barely caring that there were some random people at times who came in and attempt to hunt. Nothing had changed within the frequencies of the forest to alert her that others were close. Wildlife blending into the quiet notes that played a tranquil melody. Perhaps that is why she didn’t recognize the consequences of her actions as she stepped heavy footed on a large twig to her left, grimacing at the echoing sound.

Turquoise orbs shot up however to her right as a new sensation overcame her. It took nearly five bits to open up her distracted mind as she tried focusing in on something. Someone. The pirate lass didn’t have a threshold of notes, however, which caused her to falter short in making a connection from such a distance. An overwhelming wave of uneasiness settling in the pit of her stomach; her previous frequency having been disrupted and no longer with her now. She had not yet adapted well to switching between her active frequencies, including her own, which oftentimes caused these spells of complete silence. No notes, no changing chords, nothing to help her grasp the small sliver of sainty Attunement provided her. Taking in a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, eyes shifting unknowingly to a plum color. She was frustrated at the fact that she could lose her active connections so easily. Practice did make perfect though - even in the face of multiple failures before it.

Still not knowing what was coming in her direction, her left hand slipped from its warm pocket and disappeared under the coat. Feeling the hilt of her cutlass as she swiveled a few times to gaze around her surroundings. Perhaps if it were not for her good eyesight, she would have missed the prowling movements to her right. “Ay’ whose out ‘here?” Being gallant as ever as her voice carried on the heavy Cylus winds; muffling her already slurred words. Even when sober, her full-blooded Biqaj tongue still produced a heavy accent on her common phrases. Only a few bits passed however before her pinched features fell flat and her mouth gaped in surprise. “Y’ got to be bloody kiddin’ me.”

Before her stood a snow leopard! A goddamn fucking animal that got her all in a twist. A mixture of gold flecks swirled within her purple orbs now, amused at how foolish she was. The brunette wasn’t someone to be afraid of animals and this one almost challenged that fact. Breaking her contact from the cutlass and reaching into her pocket once more, Poppy pulled out a piece of jerky from her own food rations. It would be stupid even with her navigating skills to go out without some food on hand; she didn’t have a death wish. Crouching low to the cold ground, her palm turned upwards as she fearlessly held her hand outwards. Such childish tendencies categorized this predator into being merely a kitten - and like most kittens, treats had to be offered. “Hard time findin’ a meal, eh? Cylus ‘s a bitch, ‘ere one of m’ lyat.”

Rakahi X Common
OOC
Djout = Lowlife; petty, filthy
Qat; Man
Lyat; Woman/Girl
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Mercedes
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The Feline approached, and dug its forepaws into the ground before him as he attempted to stop. He slid upon the ground until he came to a halt before he reached the target with food. She came with an offer of nourishment for him; while he did not require a meal he did not know when his next one would come. Survival instincts took over, and rather than allow himself to think before the offering had been taking he hesitantly raised a right paw. The Leopard extended claws from in between the depths of skin folds, and swiped the jerky away from the strange woman. If she paid attention; she may notice that his irises danced with iridescent flame. Merces could have easily set her ablaze, but he did not want to experiment with the possibility of overstepping as a feline. He could very well get stuck in this form, or perhaps worse; never be capable of human thought processes again.

With an open maw, Merces delivered a well placed bite to the meat that fell into the snow, and chewed away without a second thought. After he practically swallowed the “meal” in a swift series of gulps; he set sight directly upon her, and hissed. Why had she offered him food without reason; did she have any intention on hunting him down? Perhaps she simply had a love for animals, and took the cold weather into consideration. However, Merces did not offer many chances, but in this case he had no choice other than to be affectionate.

The Leopard crept forward with a bowed head as to show a lack of aggression toward the young woman with strange eyes. As he approached; The Feline took the opportunity to brush its moderately thin hide against her hands. Several deep purrs exited his esophagus as to thank her for the kind gesture rather than assume she would later become a threat to him. Why had he become so paranoid, and aggressive at the sight of another being that walked on two legs? That had been the direct result of an ambush due to being a well known high-profile criminal. People wanted Merces dead, but if he were to acquire another body by chance; he certainly could create a new life for himself. If the opportunity arose he would not hesitate to slay the woman before him, or anyone else if it meant to become a new person.

The life of crime had been a fast one filled with thrills, intense action, and fun. However, it was a difficult way of life; why barely survive when one can thrive though? The Sorcerers nose twitched heavily; a new combination of scents entered the air, and all of his attention had been directed toward the wind. There were a multitude of visitors off in the distance, and he walked away from Poppy. Only to notice what appeared to be two large marks indicative of a large object being dragged across the surface of the snow.

However, when he darted around the circumference of a large Tree; he discovered that the traveler had been a single man. He rode atop a steed which carried the weight of a large wagon and had been clad in several layers of thick clothing. The mysterious man had hair which appeared to match the starry night sky, and a somewhat thin layer of facial hair which connected his sideburns, mustache and beard. The Cat walked right over to the moving target, and the Horse panicked only to rear its owner off. The owner fell, and then rose to face the Feline in a crouched position.

Here it is.... My chance


Merces thought to himself as he approached slowly; with his tail pointed straight up, a subtle indication of aggression.
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Poppy
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Race: Biqaj
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Perhaps it was out of mild curiosity or simple hunger but Poppy’s eyes lightened to turquoise as the feline accepted her jerky offer. Despite the fore warning hiss that escaped the beautiful creature, she felt no reason to actually fear it. On the other hand though, she knew this snow leopard had a reason to fear for its own life. Many races, especially during the cold seasons, hunted animals in order to provide for themselves and family. The Biqaj had no reason to resort to such efforts though as her meals were provided to her through Scalvoris’ multiple taverns; sorry souls typically falling for a pair of tits and lovey dovey eyes any given night. There was an intense respect inside the brunette for nature’s children and unless no other choice was given to her, she wouldn’t harm the purring kitten in front of her. A soft gleam of understanding pointed towards the animal as it came back from its agitated state of mind to a much calmer one.

Flexing her fingers downward as the spotted feline approached her, leather ran across the smooth hide that was graciously presented before her. Poppy hadn’t expected such a nice welcome in return to her generosity but she took a few minutes to rub against the fur. Warmth radiated through the thick material of her glove as her fingertips scratched casually behind the pointed ear of the feline. Heavy purrs indicated that she hadn’t caused any aggression which was lucky on her part. It had taken her a few bits however before the mind rattling silence, minus the random purrs echoing in her pointed ears, had faded back to a familiar hum. Just like before the pirate tried making a connection to the creature in front of her. She had miserably failed and felt the draining consequences the first time but now it was much easier considering the proximity of this fresh attempt. Within five bits to where the creature had shown her affection before meandering off to the east, Poppy shivered as a new frequency infiltrated her senses. Waves of complex notes suddenly dizzied her momentarily as her curiosity got the best of her. Exploring the depths of what was happening in this creature too quickly. Prior to this moment, her usual connection to the forest was like a melodic lullaby that was quick to relax her. Familiar in all senses. Now? This “cat” - if one feline could even produce this much noise - had a few layers of notes that seemed to ooze potential knowledge. Laying underneath the initial loud noises, the sound resembling loud pings as if rain was hitting a tin roof, was a calmer hum. Deep and quiet, her own attuned ears having trouble even detecting the hidden note that seemed almost to rumble like thunder. Another note crackled in her ears, quite literally. A loud, fire-like crackle overtook the other frequencies as she dimly noticed that another person had now entered the area these two shared.

While the brunette had been busy sorting through the unfamiliar notes that came with her newfound frequency, she had failed to notice how the leopard had actually moved towards a new target. Its predator-like presence causing a steed to rear upwards and throw another object into the air. Perched upon the fresh snow banks was a rather attractive young male, she noticed, with hair that seemed to shift like a starry sky. There was an instantaneous moment where she felt obligated to help the man out as the feline prowled closer, even lifting herself to her own feet after a few trills, but close after her gaze shifted to the right. A large covered wagon had been left behind after the startled horse ran off and abandoned its master. “Bloody ‘ell.”

An internal dilemma occured as her own morals became once again skewed, the gnawing tendencies of her own greediness leading to a final decision. The merchant of a man seemed to be alone and there was an unfortunate creature who was needing a more hearty meal than just jerky, wasn’t there? Not to mention, dead men tell no tales, and whatever was hiding under the thick cloth on his wagon was too tempting for the pirate. As if compelled to do so without her full knowing, her gloved fingers searched around the snowy ground for another weapon. While her cutlass could have been used, it was too far tucked away in her buttoned coat to bother wasting time on. Instead her hand finally came in contact with a decently sized rock; finding that it fit nicely in her palm and allowed reasonable leverage.

Creeping forward as the male was distracted with her new “friend”, Poppy was mindful and slow in order to not create any unnecessary noises. It was difficult considering the soft crunch of snow on her boot and the many twigs that threatened to give away her position. Without actively focusing on the feline in front of her allowed her mind to be freed from the chaotic frequency that came from it. All focus was now on the crouched figure in front of her; or more specific, the back of his skull. It hadn’t been the first time Poppy killed anything. Instant flashes of controlling, and then proceeding to slashing down, a walking corpse filled her mind along with the few stray rodents that she also killed. All for the purpose of her damned other spark. But the rock weighed heavily in her palm at the realization that she never actually killed a live person before. How was one suppose to go about such a thing? Quickly by bashing the rock at the softest point in the skull? Efficiently by caving his head in with multiple hits to ensure death? A strange bitterness caused her mouth to water heavily with saliva as each quiet step drew her closer to the idea of actually committing a murder. No. She didn’t have to commit a murder, did she? A swift knock to the noggin could simply make the fellow blackout out and then the hungry leopard could finish him off. Easy day with little blood on her hands and hopefully a good loot-worthy filled day.

With the idea that she could escape this without any large dent in her already bashed moral compass, Poppy eyed the leopard momentarily as her position remained hovering above the male with a rock tightly gripped in her left hand. Unknowingly to her, the attractive man had begun turning his attention to the figure behind him; the wavering shadow against the snow giving Poppy away. “Shit.”

Almost without hesitation, as his face was just about straight towards her own, her hand came down with surprising force. A sickening crack echoed for what seemed like miles-though in reality wasn’t even that loud- and another followed suit. And another. And another one after that. Four heavy handed throws of her rock downwards were received on the poor man's skull and after the second, the noise resembled more of a squishing sound than the initial loud crack of the first hit.

If a body falls dead in the middle of a forest and no one is around to witness it, does it make a sound?

This one certainly did. The larger framed male had released a gurgle which was barely heard in Poppy’s muffled ears before scrunching down on his final resting place. It wasn’t a loud thud for he was already close to the ground in his crouched position but it still resonated loud to her. She didn’t need to be attuned to this place in order to note how it’s frequency would now change due to the recent death.

Black swirled around the outer rim of her iris and around the gold flecks in her eyes as labored breathing indicated how much force she had put behind her blows. “Aye, fucking ‘ell, so much ‘r not killing em.” Speaking to herself as the rock tumbled from her hand and hit the already bloodstained snow. Such contrast stood out even in the moonlight of Cylus and caused a few shivers to torment her spine once again. Poppy really hadn’t meant to deliver such a gruesome end to the man before her but was it really her fault? She thought not. He was the one to turn around and startled her! It was her own reflexes that damned her into ending another life so be it.

Grimacing at the damage actually done to the unsuspecting victim now. While the placement of each blow was not exactly in the same spots as the others, a thick crimson substance oozed out of an open wound in the skull, just above the temple of the once pretty face. Blood began matting down his already dark hair and soon created a puddle beside her heeled boots. Already a sickly metallic smell haunted her nostrils before she took a few steps back, shifting her gaze to the leopard and then towards the wagon of potential goodies. Hopefully. Why was it that she hardly felt bad though for what she just did? Wasn’t it wrong to kill another being who had done her no wrong? With a short roll of her eyes, the pirate kicked away the murder weapon with a scuff. “Always liked animals better.” And with that, Poppy left what she thought was a potential meal for the kitty and moved to her new prize.

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word count: 1597
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Mercedes
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The Feline aimed to kill the target, but in a moments notice the heavy lifting had been done for him. Poppy secured a large stone with a clenched fist, and by the time he turned to look at her she struck him. The beautiful, and attractive mixed-blood man fell to the ground and shook violently before he succumbed to the effects of the stone. A large wound had been left where the impact took place, and Merces simply went to work while she struck him down. As he fell and shook, Merces stood idly for a moment until the motion ceased. As it did, the Feline simply took to gnaw away at the largest toe on his foot. After several trills of chewing; the carnivore had torn away the toe and separated it from the foot. The Feline took the toe, and simply waltzed off behind Poppy, boarded her ship, and used the remainder of the trial to take on the new form. Why had she been so kind and generous to a feline, and perhaps she did indeed enjoy the company of animals. She sided with a Leopard before a man; what were her morals like? Who was she, and what possessed her to help a lowly creature of the forest as opposed to saving a man? She had stolen something from him, but that had been the least of Merces concerns. The horse had been freed, and galloped off into the brutal Cylus cold, and the corpse had been left to rot.

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The Pathfinder

Hey, both. Interesting thread which seemed cut really short. Technical stuff first: I haven't awarded you any knowledges, as it's up to you to request them in this system, as you know from your previous reviews. The same thing is true of the item - the purpose of the review system is to have our peer reviewers check that rewards are appropriate. I have awarded Poppy an item, but this can't be something that is habitual. Also, the rule is that XP can only be used for magic when it's been sufficiently used that it leads to a knowledge award. I would urge you both, next time, to make sure that you request Knowledge. Also, please be aware of your skill level - with such a low level in Attunement, Poppy, and yours in Becoming, Merces, your pcs should be being hit with some significant overstepping. However, since you can't use the XP for magic and are getting no knowledge from the thread, I'm not putting that consequence on you.

Now, in terms of the thread - it was interesting and well written - and you have some lovely descriptive bits in there. I would have liked to see the story fleshed out more - it felt rushed at the end, but I know you were under a time pressure to get your totem going. Lovely inner dialogue and I enjoyed Poppy's speech / manner of speech a lot. Enjoy your rewards and drop me a pm if you've got any questions.
Merces

Points

XP: 15 (may not be used for Domain Magic)

Renown: None (no one witnessed it)

Loot

1 x totem

Knowledge

None requested.


Poppy

Points

XP: 15 (may not be used for Domain Magic)

Renown: None (no witnesses)

Loot

1 x intricate silver hand held mirror (value: 20gn)
1 x mother-of-pearl inlaid and silver hairbrush (value: 30gn)

Knowledge

None requested.
word count: 315
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~~Red in hoof and claw... ~~
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