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Post by Amber on Aug 7, 2020 0:04:30 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince With bated breath, Oswald watched the half-gumiho as she considered his words. When Claibourne spoke up again, she seemed to ignore the fact he was a prince. Surprisingly, her interest wasn't in his status, but in the attack on the party. Maybe he should've left that part out, or maybe her focus on it was a good thing. If she had informarion on the attack... No. Thistle was a crafty woman. While their identities might be safe with her, it was clear the witch had her own agenda. The less help they got from her, the better Oswald would feel about it. Besides, getting disguises from her would be enough. It was unlikely they would need to see her again after this.
She turned her attention to Kiran, giving her the chance to answer. Brown eyes drifted towards his companion as she answered. She didn't lie again, though calling herself the "false prince" did catch his attention. While it might've been true, the princess had never referred to herself as that before. Well, at least not to him. The half-orc continued to glance at Kiran, wondering how she felt about Thistle's words. The woman did have a good point. Why did it matter whether Kiran was a woman or not? The stigma around the gender of an heir always seemed odd to the prince. What did it matter whether or not a son ascended the throne? Like his mother before him and her mother before her, it was always the oldest child who was next in line. Of course, Oswald was use to how things were done in Mithra. He never really considerer how that would be for other places.
His focus shifted as Thistle wandered to the bookshelf and reached up, opening it to another section of the shop. A secret section, of course. Well, he assumed it was secret. Maybe she brought customers there all the time. The primce didn't bother asking, they had other business to attend to. Oswald followed Thistle past the open bookshelf and into another room. It was windowless, but still well lit with various light sources. A table was pushed to one side of the room and on the opposite side, a small bookcase leaned up against the wall. Old books and a few colorful bottles filled its shelves. This was probably where the witch carfted her spells. It would be the perfect place to do it. No one could spy on her as she worked and she could go about her business undisturbed.
"How will this work?" Oswald asked as the shelf closed behind them. Now that they were done with the interrogation, he was interested to watch her work. He had studied magic users on occasion. Wyla had allowed him to watch her a few times and the ones on staff had indulged him from time to time as well. Would she enchant a piece of jewelry with a chosen disguise, or would they gain the ability to cast a spell on themselves? Could she even do that? The prince was unsure, though found himself eager to find out.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief Kellan glanced at her visitor who turned out to be the guard. She raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, though quickly shifted her gaze back towards her papers as the man shuffled in. Why are you here? She wondered silently. Cruva spoke through the brief quiet, noting her work. It had probably only taken her half an hour to set everything up and begin working. Being always on the move made for efficient set up. The quicker she could get to planning, the quicker she could get her work done.
"Yes, they're very helpful," the woman hummed. The rolled up pages had appeared suddenly. Some ended up on the edge of the bed while the others had fallen to the floor. Wisps of smoke had curled around them briefly before disappearing. That's what made her realize where they had come from. Or, rather, who. The man asked if the maps would be enough. Kell shook her head. "No. I'll still need to see both buildings. These maps- while being exactly what I need -tell me nothing about what surrounds the buildings. There's also no information about guard movements, the residents, staff, and other things like that. I need to see that all for myself. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of spending a week watching each place, but I'll work with what I have." Besides, she added silently, working on a time crunch is a fun challenge. Perhaps it'll let me get more skilled at my craft.
Silence settled over the pair as Kell continued to study the pages. Cruva lingered behind her, perhaps watching her work? She didn't exactly care what he was doing, he had been orderd to keep her work secret after all. That didn't stop him from studying and memorizing it for his own benefit, of course. But there was only so much she could do to stop him. The thief shifted her focus, taking a brief glance towards the guard. Didn't he said he was a prince or something? Kell had intended to do some research of her own, however it would be impossible now that she other things to deal with. Besides, it wasn't like she knew where to start. Now that he was hanging around, perhaps it was time to question him.
"Hey, the night I got Ma-...my cat, you you said something along the lines of 'a prince of wrath is only flashy in battle'. Assuming it isn't an elaborate nickname or something, what is a supposed prince doing taking contracts? I would think someone with a fancy rank like that would be above taking jobs from people, especially considering you're serving as a guard to another royal. Than again, being royalty- and by extension nobility -sounds boring. Maybe you're just trying not to die from boredom." It seemed like a logical theory at least. Though her life had hardly been comfortable or easy, Kellan couldn't imagine how boring it would be to have servants attending one's every need as they dealt with with politics and running a kingdom. The thief nearly shuddered at the thought. She didn't need someone hanging around her nearly every hour of the day offering meaningless items of comfort. Kell lightly shook her head beford focusing back on her current work. She did keep an eye on the guard, listening for a reply as she moved around a few papers.
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Post by Myst on Aug 8, 2020 14:23:53 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She had no use for the information other than an accurate record of the world's happenings. It was like an interesting tidbit for her, nothing more and nothing less. Unlike the informant they were working with, she stayed out of politics completely. The attack was just interesting, though, she found it a bit odd. The king had only just been in agreement and sending his sons to join the arrangements for ending the war. As for their identities, they only pertained to her so much. After all, her current home was here in Ereva. The twin princes and the nobles were her concern, as they indicated to her when it was time to leave and remake her home elsewhere.
As she led them into her main area of work, Thistle glanced around as her candles lit and the magic sourced lights came to life. They were almost like floating balls of light, and they worked well enough for her. It wasn't long before she was met with a question from the prince and she turned slightly, looking at him. This... the spell? "There's a couple ways I can make this happen. Enchantments, spells, potions, tomes. I can do it all."
Kiran was taking in the new room in awe, careful not to touch anything but getting as close a look as she could to the bottles and vials, as well as what seemed to be little artifacts. She turned to look over her shoulder at the others when there was an answer. "How do tomes work? I've never really had access to them."
"A spell is created and bound to a book. When spoken, the spell is learned, and can be used indefinitely if that's how it was created, and the book is burned to nothing. However, dear princess, tomes have been known to disagree with champions," the witch answered smoothly. "And your family has always had strong ties to Vistrii, haven't they?" The pout she received in response confirmed what she already knew. The princess had already performed the trial since her father's passing and laid claim to the deity's dagger.
Tails swaying gently, amber eyes glanced between them briefly. "Perhaps an enchanted item would be ideal? Being able to use it as often as needed might be beneficial to you."
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The Summoned Guard He gave a slight nod at her first answer, eyes glancing over them once more. While he wouldn't admit it, he was rather impressed with how much she'd already gotten done. It was rare he saw anybody put just this much thought into what he considered to be a simple task. When she continued on to answer his actual question, he hummed in acknowledgement, wondering what it was like for her. His understanding was that she'd been doing this for a large portion of her life... what was that like? It seemed rather taxing and a bit tedious if you asked him, but he could not speak for her. After all, she'd seemed mildly pleased to be given such a task. He didn't speak on it, however. There was no time limit given, Kiran just wanted to be home. Or, more specifically, no longer in this kingdom, but she still wanted all of her answers.
Conflicting desires, something he would never understand about humans.
From there, Cruva had settled himself into analyzing what she'd already done, making sense of all she'd done and why she had likely done it. After what he assumed was a few minutes, the thief spoke up again with an unexpected topic - his title. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to face her fully as she spoke. It was interesting - not even Kiran had asked what a demon of his status was doing fulfilling a contract.
"It is rather boring," the guard responded, considering her words for a moment. "Demons, like the gods, exist just outside of this realm with the option to come and go as we please. Unlike them, once we enter a short text is brought with us somewhere in the world at random. The summoning spell is created, and if it's found and used, we're bound to it." Pausing, he stopped to look at some of the notes on one of the maps on the wall. Yes, she was very good at what she did, but he already knew that. "No demon is above a summons, unfortunately."
Turning to watch her work idly, Cruva continued. "I grew bored - after removing my two incompetent brothers for my place as the embodiment of wrath encompasses, I dismissed my court and left. After a few hundred years and two contracts, I was bound to Kiran. Not the most exciting job, but the most lenient." He fell silent for a moment, thinking about it. "While I harbor no true complaints, I would agree in saying the job itself is beneath me."
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Post by Amber on Aug 9, 2020 0:52:07 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince It was good to have a verity of disguise possibilities at their disposal, though Oswald wasn't entierly sure what would suit them best. As he considered their options, Kiran asked about tomes. The prince opened his mouth to reply, only for Thistle to beat him to the answer. He nodded along as she explained what it was, as if to confirm her words. He paused as the gumiho easily shifted the topic to champions. As she spoke, Oswald glanced at the princess. She seemed a bit- what he could only assume was -uneasy. The half-orc wanted to say something. Words of comfort or some sort of distraction, but he stayed silent as the half-blood quickly moved on.
A light drifted by as Claibourne offered the suggestion of an enchanted item. It did sound more permanent than the other options. If they went with a tome, they would have to keep it nearby, which would be difficult. A potion could fail at any time and there was no telling how many they would need. As for a spell, Oswald wasn't well studied in how they worked, but knew they varied in power. It would be unpredictable and they needed stable disguises. The prince met Kiran's eyes.
"I believe an enchantment would work best for us. It would be the safest option, I think. What are your thoughts?" Oswald wasn't about to go forward with any plans without the other royal's input. He shifted his gaze towards Thistle, wondering if theh went with that option, what she would give them.
"What would you enchant? Would it be a piece of jewelry or maybe some clothing? I suppose it would depend on what can be enchanted. Can anything be enchanted, or does the size of the object matter? What about the composition, like does wood take an enchantment differently than metal? How would you know what disguise to put into an object? Can you-"
The prince cut himself off as his cheeks began to grow warm. He was rambling again, distracting everyone from the important task at hand. He awkwardly cleared his throat as he waited for an answer.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief As she sat cross-legged on the floor, the thief took all of Cruva's words in. So he was an actual prince with a legitimate title and not some guy with a fancy nickname. That was interesting. What she found even more interesting- and a little humorous -was the fact he had indeed grown bored of his position, which eventually led him to guarding Kiran. Although none of it was super important for her to know, she was curious to learn more about demons and the man himself. She didn't know a lot about them beyond what her brother told her- he was quarter-demon himself -and whatever she overheard in her youth. Even then it was likely riddled with inaccuracies and a lack of understanding. Even if it didn't prove to be useful to her, it still gave her the opportunity to learn about the people.
"So does this text summons thing happen every time you travel to this realm or is it a one time deal?" As she questioned him, blue eyes fixed on a page detailing possible escape routs she had already written on one of the maps. She paused as he mentioned "removing" his brothers. Kell had an inkling that was code for killing them knowing Cruva, though she couldn't be sure. "So you, 'remove' your brothers to make yourself the heir or for some other reason, and then leave soon after? Sounds like you must've been really bored, then. Though, why bother with the 'removal' at all? Why not just dismiss your people and go on with your life? Seems easier to me, at least."
Of course, she added silently, maybe there was some legitimate reason to take them out. She couldn't think of any, but it wasn't her place to judge someone, even if they did kill their siblings. Pushing the thoughts from her head, the woman glanced towards the guard as he contiuned. Two contracts in some hundreds of years sounded impressive, though she doubted that was actually the case. As he finished speaking, Kellan considered his words.
"Why do you think it's beneath you?" She wondered, curious. Kell assumed nobles and royals would find guard duty beneath them because of their position. Did Cruva think the same or was his reasoning different? Of course, it was likely the thief was just overthinking it, but she was still interested in his answer.
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Post by Myst on Aug 9, 2020 22:02:05 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She watched the pair, deciding she would begin setting up for anything. She could only do so much without knowing what they wanted, so there was no point in starting until she had an answer. So, the gumiho resigned herself to waiting silently as they shared a look again.
"I think it's definitely the easiest option in terms of execution," Kiran murmured, glancing down at the little golden reptile wrapped around her finger. Small enchanted items were rather unnoticeable to the untrained eye, and she figured it would be hard to tell if something was of magical use. Plus, she hoped it would need minimal effort on their part considering what they needed it for. After all, working to actively maintain something during a party didn't sound ideal.
Thistle hummed as it seemed they came to an agreement and finally began to set up. The table she started moving things to was simply a large circle with runes carved rather deep into the wood. The carvings glowed faintly as she lit candles that lined a bit of the edge of the table - the portion she considered the 'top' of the table. The head of her workspace. As she moved to collect a couple of small books and a journal she was met with other questions. It was quite a few questions, and they all seemed to come from the half-orc. However, a stolen glance towards them revealed that the princess seemed a tad excited to hear the answers.
"For the two of you, jewelry. I can, however, enchant anything I so please. The size of the object determines how much power you need to enchant it as well as how long it takes." Pausing, the witch summoned a small glass-topped box from the shelf across the room, taking it from the air and looking through it. "Composition gives way to small changes in the process, precious metals require and air of delicacy. The disguise is the wonder of my particular enchantment - I created the enchantment. As a gumiho, I'm able to create any disguise for the enchantment, or give the ability to chose and change disguise at will."
Standing up straight, she set the box on the table and looked at the pair. "I like your questions - I'll admit, you remind me of myself when I was a child."
"Will the disguises change our voices as well?" It was Kiran, and she was grinning from ear to ear with the thought of the experience.
"I can make it happen. What sort of jewelry would the two of you like?"
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The Summoned Guard More questions came, though he should've expected that. Honestly, he was a bit surprised, as this seemed to be the most he'd heard her speak since leaving Zaestro. It was interesting to hear what she wanted to know, and it all seemed like basic information. What he also found interesting was that she was taking him at face value. While he wasn't, he could just as easily be lying to her and she would still believe him. It didn't seem like she had anything to base what he was saying off of, and she didn't question his answers.
Still, he continued to answer her questions as they came. "It's a one-time thing. How many copies get made by the people that find it, however, is generally out of our control." This fact bothered the demon the most. The only thing he could do about any subsequent copies was physically seek them out, destroy them, and hope he'd gotten all of them. Though, that raised the question of another being created once he left and re-entered the realm. He didn't know what would happen in that case, though he hoped that he would remain without any texts. Unfortunately part of him felt that wouldn't be the case.
The guard refocused when the conversation turned to his brothers. Useless creatures, they'd been. "They were unfit. I was much more deserving than them. One could say I simply wanted it more, so when they challenged me they lost." He'd pushed them into a challenge for the title, one after the other. Had he outright challenged them, they would've denied him out of spite. No, he taunted them enough to get exactly what he wanted. Neither battle had been as entertaining as he desired, but he got what I wanted. "My younger siblings were smart enough to let me have what I wanted. As for leaving, I never renounced my title though I had my court dismissed. However, I do plan on returning for what's mine. My leave is only temporary."
Cruva thought on it. When would he go back? Likely a few hundred years more - he still didn't want to deal with his own people yet. No, causing trouble here was much more fun.
Another question, one he thought about from time to time. One he knew the answer to without much thinking in the current moment. "A high ranking wrath demon should be used as a weapon. I've started wars, taken out small armies on my own - I was not meant to perform menial tasks such as acting as a guard." Pausing, he looked at the blonde, watching her for just a moment. "It's rather uneventful guarding somebody who can take care of themselves."
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Post by Amber on Aug 10, 2020 13:47:59 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince Oswald nodded as the half-blood began to set up. While Thistle started her work, he peered from behind her, watching curiously. The round wooden table was large and appeared to be made of oak or maple. It was a beautiful piece with a dark stain, though rather plain and simple. Symbols he couldn't quite make out were carved along the edge of the wood and he thought he noticed a faint glow coming from them as the candles around were lit. It was difficult not to gape at the sight, wide-eyed with interest. As he finished rattling off his questions, the half-gumiho seemed amused. Even Kiran, who also watched beside him, seemed eager to know her answers. She glanced towards them and began to respond.
His blush faded and was replaced with a focused expression as he thought over the witch's words. Jewelry made the most sense. Most of it was small enough to hide if they wanted and would fit right in at a nice party. Of course it made sense that the size of the object would depend on how powerful the enchantment needed to be. Oswald assumed, depending on the spell, a ring wouldn't take as much power to work as a sword, though was glad to finally get a solid answer. The woman paused as she summoned something to her. A small box flew through the air and she caught it as though it was nothing. She contiuned on with the answers, focused on her work. Another thing was confirmed to him. The makeup of the object being enchanted did matter, though perhaps not as much as he once assumed. Claibourne finished by explaining a little about her enchantments. When she was done, the prince gave a small nod of satisfaction as she turned to them.
Thistle spoke about her youth, mentiong how Oswald reminded her of herself. The half-orc smiled lightly at the comment. Most people disliked his barage of questions and thought he spoke too much. He was usually inclined to agree, though it was nice to receive answers without the annoyed comments. His eyes flickered to Kiran who asked about a voice change. Oswald nodded, he didn't even think about that possibility. Unsurprisingly, it seemed the half-blood could manage it. With that out of the way, it was time to figure out what jewelry they would be given. Oswald looked at the snake ring on his finger. Another ring would probably distract from the piece he already had, though he didn't like rings. He wasn't big on wearing jewelry in general, as it usually got in the way or was all around useless, but rings were especially annoying to him. Something to wear on his wrist or ankle would probably do.
"I would prefer a bracelet or armband, if you don't mind." It seemed to be the most logical choice for him. Mostly out of the way and it would be diffcult to take from him. If he chose to, he could also hide it beneath his clothing. He glanced at Kiran once again, wondering what she would pick.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief Kellan quietly hummed in reply, though her eyes were glued to a page of her notes as she triple-checked them. It was interesting information to know. She was being educated on a topic she knew too little about- and was usually too busy to study on her own -while also getting to know more about the guard. He seemed to be honest in his responses, though it was hard to tell. Even then, there seemed to be little reason to lie about most the of the things she asked. Assuming he was lying, it would still provide her some insight on the man. Demon, human, elf, fae. It didn't matter what someone was, one could tell a lot about people in the way they spoke about most things.
The answer of her next questions drew Kell out of her thoughts. The woman raised an eyebrow as he spoke, finding it odd about the way he talked about his brothers. Of course, it seemed the guard- and perhaps most demons -wasn't the most sentimental of people. He contiuned on, explaining how his other siblings didn't challenge him and that he still held his postion, just not those who served him. Unsurprisingly, he had no plans on sticking around forever. The question was what did he define as temporary? Seeing as demons were functionally immortal- that was one thing she'd already known about them -temporary could mean anywhere from another year to another couple hundred years. The topic shifted to his perception of his summons. Kell contiuned to listen as she shuffled through her papers, organizing them to keep track of her work so far.
"That's fair I suppose," she eventually replied. Kiran was a rather independent woman. She could certainly take care of herself. Though that did beg the question of why she had summoned the guard in the first place. "Is that what you want, though? To be used for other's visions? Seems...restrictive." And boring, she silently added. Another thing that made her glad she wasn't nobility or royalty. She didn't have to worry about failing people's expectations of her. It was one of the good things about being a thief; people only expected her to steal. No grand schemes were pre-planned from even before her birth. She didn't have anyone breathing down her neck to meet a deadline. There were no worries about what shame she could bring upon a family name if she behaved "wrong". Sure, she had other concerns, but there was still a freedom she had that most people didn't.
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Post by Myst on Aug 17, 2020 9:59:57 GMT -5
(They keep changing my schedule and it’s really screwing with my free time - thankfully I have two days off in a row this week so either Wednesday or Thursday I’ll get a reply up)
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Post by Amber on Aug 17, 2020 11:59:53 GMT -5
(Yay for two days! With that said, hopefully they'll give you something consistent to go off of soon. Not getting a straight/consistent work schedule isn't great.)
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Post by Myst on Aug 17, 2020 12:15:30 GMT -5
(Yeahhh it kinda blows - I’m sitting at the desk right now trying to open my schedule to see if these are the days I’ll just have off or if they’re changing it again)
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Post by Amber on Aug 17, 2020 12:36:21 GMT -5
(Ugh that's sounds so annoying. They really should give you a straight answer. It's rude and really not fair to be messing around with your schedule like that. And if they're having trouble with scheduling, they should at least talk to you about it. Anyway, good luck and I hope they sort it out.)
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Post by Myst on Aug 19, 2020 11:35:52 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She hadn't even though to change their voices until the princess brought it up. She should have given the circumstances, though her focus had quickly gone to answering other questions while she prepared. It'd been quite some time since somebody had wanted to know more about her work in such a way, and while she wouldn't admit it, she loved it. Sure, she had others inquire about how she made her spells and enchantments, but they had often been rivals, those looking to understand how she worked so they may 'perfect' it. Oswald's and Kiran's questions stemmed from genuine interest, which was a very pleasant change for her. It felt normal, in a way - reminded her of when she would bombard her mother with questions.
With one answer on preferred adornment, Thistle plucked an iron armband from her box, no thicker than two of her fingers together. "Iron is common in the valley - nobody will bat an eye when somebody wears a cuff like this. Very common for scholars should they want to keep their sleeves out of the way." Placing the metal on the table, she glanced towards the shorter woman, wondering what she would like. She seemed the type to like rings, though she was unsure what she needed to be disguised as. Without knowing what she wanted she couldn't begin to guess what she would as for.
"Can I get a cuff for my ear? I've seen traveling mercenaries wear them, and it's the most out of the way," Kiran said, meeting the witch's eyes. As much as she loved rings, she'd want to mess with it. Take it off and put it back on repeatedly, which certainly wouldn't do for what they needed it for.
The half-blood nodded slightly, looking back down at the box and pulling out a smaller piece. Three copper cuffs each attached to a small chain meant to line the outermost part of the auricle. "You've got a keen eye - most don't notice these. I'm sure you're a wonderful archer." Setting the newly introduced piece on the table next to the armband, she closed the box and it sent it back to the shelf. It was just about time to do the main bulk of the work, though there was one more pressing question.
Looking to the pair once more. "So, so you like to be able to change disguises or have one set disguise?"
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The Summoned Guard Wrath demons weren't really keen on being sentimental. No, they were far too violent for that. Still, it didn't mean they were totally lacking - he just didn't care much for his siblings to begin with, much to his father's dislike. It'd been requested that he at least wait until challenge day, to get along with his siblings for the time being. Of course, he hadn't listened, and still, things had worked out for him. In a more general sense, He'd never been very sentimental or attached to anything. At least, up until maybe three years ago. Since thing, he'd grown abnormally fond of his summoner. Should their contract ever be nulled he'd surely send a watchful eye to her.
Despite how much he'd grown to like being around her, the contract itself was bland outside of the past three weeks. Though, even now he'd grown a bit bored. When the thief spoke up again, Cruva gave a low hum in response. "No, I'm not a fan of being a tool. If one should summon me, though, it should at least be entertaining." Pausing, he thought on his previous summons. Maybe 150 years ago, a very small battle had broken out between rival settlements prior to the agreement that the unclaimed land would remain just that, unclaimed. One of the settlements was quickly reduced to ash by his hand. The contract was short-lived, and so was his summoner.
"And what of you? Seems you're finally getting into that bit of power you have," Cruva commented. It was an idle comment, sure, but he wanted to know exactly what she'd been up to. More so, he wanted to know just how much she'd gotten to work with that resulted in rapid energy fluctuations that he'd come to deal with recently.
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Post by Amber on Aug 19, 2020 18:37:13 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince The half-orc nodded along as Thistle pulled out an armband and explained its use in the valley. Oswald was glad to hear it was a common thing people wore, especially scholars. He had worn similar things before, though they weren't nearly as simple. Gold, silver, platinum, and even a pair made entierly out of Indra's Blessings were what he was used to. Oswald hesitantly picked up the piece of jewelry. As expected, it was cold to the touch and had some weight to it. He rubbed his thumb over the metal, going over some ornate details. Various lines and dots were groved into the metal, though the prince didn't know if it was purely decoration or if it had another purpose. As he turned it over in his hands, the half-blood focused on Kiran and what she wanted.
An ear cuff? He nodded as she explained her reasoning. It made perfect sense. She could hide the piece behind her hair if she wanted to, though with it being so small, it wasn't likely to be noticed often. He cocked an eyebrow curiously at the witch's archer comment. Was it in reference to Kiran's sharp eyes or did archers tend to wear those types of earrings? The prince didn't dwell on it as something else caught his attention. He set the armband down just before the box was sent back to its original place. The gumhi eyed the pair again.
"So, so you like to be able to change disguises or have one set disguise?"
"Wait, you can tie more than one disguise on these things?" The prince asked with amazement. "How many disguises can you fit in these objects? Does the size affect it? What about the material? I assume it doesn't have a big affect like with what you can enchant, but I don't know for sure. How different can the disguises be? Also, how long do they last? Is it an infinite amount, or do they decay over time? Does it depend on how powerful the enchanter is as well? How drastic can the disguises be? Could I take on the look of a halfing even though they're vastly smaller? Could I take on the appearence of a woman? Could you make minor changes to my appearance, like changing my eye or skin color, but giving me a drastic change in, say, something like height?" Oswald asked another volley of questions, though he didn't stop himself short this time. Thistle seemed willing and even interested in answering his inquiries. Beaides, it wasn't like he was giving away information about himself. Those were all simple questions. He assumed as much, at least. After a moment, he cleared his throat, reddening slightly. He didn't even answer her question.
"I think having an extra disguise or two wouldn't be such a bad thing. Could prove to be useful, actually." He glanced at Kiran, wondering what she thought. She would likely agree and even if she didn't, he would probably request for an extra one anyway.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief The woman nodded slightly, though kept quiet. She hadn't expected the demon to actually care about his own volition. She assumed as long as he was doing something with his skills- likely something destructive and/or violent -he didn't care what he was used for. Apparently she was wrong with that line of thinking. Before Kell could dwell more on his words, Cruva spoke again.
"And what of you? Seems you're finally getting into that bit of power you have"
Kellan froze, the shuffling of her papers ceasing in an instant. He knew about her powers. Oh, who was she fooling? Of course he knew about her new found abilities. He probably knew about them since the party, his comment from before suddenly making more sense. The thief could lie, maybe place the blame elsewhere, but he would know. Demons had a knack for detecting that sort of thing. With a sigh, Kell glanced towards his direction before shifting her gaze back to her work.
"Yes, I have," she answered carefully. She wasn't fond of confirming his suspicions, but lying was ultimately pointless. Besides, maybe she could learn something more from the guard.
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Post by Myst on Aug 27, 2020 22:36:13 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She paid no mind as the pair picked up their chosen items to examine them. While the prince seemed interested in the design, it seemed the princess was ensuring it would fit and stay on her ear. The good thing about the cuffs was how thin they in terms of thickness - it allowed for slight adjustments so it would be comfortably tight around the cartilage. Soon enough both items were being returned to her workspace and more questions were being posed. Well, one to start, that is. One turned to many, however, and that slight grin returned to her visage.
"Traditionally, one disguise is bound to an item. In my case, however, I can do as a please, as I've created my own spell." Thistle thought on the questions for a moment. Most of them could be answered all the same, but she did like the pair, and while Oswald was certainly more prone to seeking answers, she could see the interest dancing in his companion's eyes. She wanted to know the answers just as much as he did. "Type, number of, intricacy, and duration of a visage is dependent on the enchantment. I'm able to set limits or leave it limitless if I'd like. The size of the object didn't affect what you can do, though that may be a product of my spell.
"Disguises can be infinite. In fact, the ring you bought for Jaree had my very first custom enchantment. With the ring on, he'll be able to take on the look of anybody he touches." Another pause as she set the ear cuff aside and moved the armband to the table. She summoned three small jars to the table, opening them before looking to the pair again. "I can make you look like anything so long as it's humanoid. Height, skin, hair, it's no matter. Anything from a gumiho to a halfing can be done."
"Would it have to be somebody we've seen or something we can just think of?" Kiran finally spoke up after processing all the new information regarding the art of disguises. Hopefully it was the latter - showing up to the party as somebody they'd seen could have consequences that she wanted to avoid.
The witch hummed in thought, sprinkling pre-ground herbs from each jar around the armband. "I can do the latter. Much easier to maintain in my opinion."
Nodding, the princess looked to Oswald as he answered the proposed question. "I agree. We may have more than one event we need to get into, so I think being able to change it up would be beneficial."
Nodding, Thistle looked down at the table in thought. Everything was ready, she just needed to decide on one or two parameters. It wasn't too hard, though it seemed their limits were rather vague. "The enchantment will allow for three visages - wearing it without change for 10 minutes will, for lack of better wording, make it permanent in the enchantment. You'd be able to cycle between them at will, of course, and each one will last until for as long as you so desire without fail. I'm assuming this suffices."
------
The Summoned Guard He'd caught her off guard, it seemed. For a brief moment, the blonde ceased movement, no longer focused on her work. Perhaps she was considering her options, whether or not to respond to his statement. Or maybe she was trying to decide if lying would be worth it. Of course, it wouldn't be, he would know. It would be a waste of energy on her part.
After a moment and a brief glance, she answered him. It was short and to the point, though he couldn't say he was surprised. No, she never seemed keen on sharing or talking since they left. Still, part of him wanted to know exactly what she was capable of and if he was meant to be concerned about it. After all, it was likely that once they left this kingdom they would all return to their own lives, which meant for him that he was back on proper guard duty. With this in mind, it would turn her into a bit more of a threat.
Then again, the chaos she'd be able to create was enough to pique his interest as well.
"Anything interesting? Or can I assume you haven't gotten too far in exploration?" Based on what he knew already, she'd found quite a few new skills, though he had no way of knowing what they were. What he did know was that she hadn't quite figured them out yet, and what she knew of thus far didn't feel particularly powerful to him. Of course, he didn't assume these were her limits. No, he still heavily suspected she carried a god's blood, surely there was more.
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Post by Amber on Aug 28, 2020 17:22:53 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince Her own spell?! From what he understood about magic, creating a spell was rather diffcilt to accomplish. There were plenty of factors that went into the creation of one, and that wasn't even accounting for the dangers of testing it out. Of course, for magically inclined creatures like gumihos, it was likely easier to achieve. That didn't mean it was just something one could shrug off. It was still quite an impressive feat. He watched as the woman moved the pieces closer to her, as she continued to answer his questions. A part of Oswald regretted not bringing something to copy down down his observations, though another part was glad to watch it in the moment. Hopefully he would remember enough to write it down later. Maybe some of it would even prove helpful to Wyla and the other wizards they had in the court.
Claibourn had placed their chosen items beside each other and had now summoned three jars. Oswald studied them for a moment, though they containers were nothing special. Simple metal lids over a glass jar was about as common as anyone could get. They each held herbs that had been ground up, though it wasn't incredibly fine like sugar or sand. His studies in botany weren't great, but given the right resources, he probably could figure out what they were eventually. The prince shifted his focus back to the witch's explanations. Wait, Oswald let Thistle's previous words sink in, Ga-Julei, or whatever he calls himself, can just look like anyone he chooses?! His stomach twisted at the thought. What would the elf do with such a thing? Would he and Kiran be safe? What about Cruva, or even that thief? Surely the informat wouldn't try anything with the demon around, right? The prince gave himself a little shake to try and relax. That was something he could discuss with Kiran later.
He glanced at the princess as she voiced another question. It was a good point he hadn't thought about. Oswald looked at the half-blood curiously. She confirmed they could do either, though creating someone entierly new would be their best option. The prince was inclined to agree. It would be easier to get a disguise from scratch than to try and impersonate someone. He couldn't imagine trying to learn their history or find out what they knew. It would all be too complicated, and risky, to try. Kiran agreed with having multiple disguises at their disposal. It would be good in case they needed to switch faces for whatever reason. The witch nodded, looked over the table briefly, before turning her attention to the royals. She described the enchantment further before asking if it would work. Oswald nodded, a slow smile forming on his features.
"Yes, that sounds good to me. What about you?" He asked, glancing at Kiran. After a moment he turned his attention back to Thistle. "Now what? Do you want us to describe our disguises to you or is it something you come up with for us?"
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief The guard was trying to tease answers out of her. Did this mean he didn't know what exactly she could do, or was he simply trying to figure out how far she had gotten learning with her abilities? Did it even matter? What's your motive? She wondered, suspicious. Was it general curiosity? Was he trying to gage how much if a threat she could be, perhaps? Or was there something else she didn't consider? Although she had a few questions, the thief wouldn't voice any of them. At least not now. If the oppertunity came to ask them later, then maybe that would be a better time to say something. For now, she would only keep to short, percise answers. Against her better judgment, Kellan eventually replied.
"I haven't had much time to test them out, so you assumption is correct," she answered simply. Despite her reluctance in telling him much, perhaps talking to the guard wasn't that terrible of an idea. She'd only just discover her abilities and still didn't know what that meant for her. If it meant she would ultimately get some answers for herself, then perhaps revealing some things wasn't all that bad. Besides, it wasn't like he was asking about...her past. Kell quickly forced the thoughts from her mind and shifted her focus elsewhere.
"How long have you know?" She asked after a moment. Had it been back at the party that he was certain something was up, or was it more recent with that little stunt she had pulled in town? She kept her eyes forward on her work, though she was hardly paying much attention to it now. Though she would hate to admit it, the conversation was somewhat interesting.
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Post by Myst on Sept 5, 2020 9:09:30 GMT -5
(Got my teeth out, and I’ve just ordered a keyboard for my iPad so I’ll be able to reply a bit more regularly!! c: )
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Post by Amber on Sept 5, 2020 9:48:49 GMT -5
(Sounds ow, but at least it's done. Also sounds good!)
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Post by Myst on Sept 5, 2020 9:49:30 GMT -5
(Yeahhh it’s taking a toll on my jaw but everything seems to have gone well!)
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Post by Amber on Sept 5, 2020 9:54:30 GMT -5
(That's good at least! And now you don't have to worry about it anymore.)
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Post by Myst on Sept 5, 2020 11:00:15 GMT -5
(Yeahhh - It’s a really weird feeling just kinda having this empty space in my mouth but honestly?? I’m thriving
Also the keyboard should be here today!)
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Post by Amber on Sept 5, 2020 11:26:53 GMT -5
(Thriving's always good and hey, it's over and done with. Also, again, sounds good!)
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Post by Myst on Sept 5, 2020 15:22:32 GMT -5
The Half-Blood Creating the spell had admittedly taken a few years. Creating one simply failed to be an easy task, even for somebody like herself. Her mother was too irritable to do so, so she had honestly been no help. After some many failed tests, too many materials wasted, and a few small massacres to stave off her anger, Thistle had managed to create her own spell. It was one that fed from her inherent knowledge of how gumiho shifted. It was also why it cost so much - the spell was very dear to her, almost like a child. One that occasionally made her a very sought after witch, whether it be for purchase or attempted extortion. The latter never worked, of course, as the spell was to precious to divulge. No, this spell would go to the grave with her.
As she continued to prep the objects for enchantment, she listened for an agreement or proposed alterations to what she had proposed would be done. Oswald agreed easily enough, and Kiran voiced her agreement as well. Good, that meant she could proceed. Sending the jars away to clear up a bit of space, amber eyes lifted as it seemed one last question was posed. “No need - you’ll create them for yourself once the items have been enchanted,” she murmured, looking down to the table once more. This particular enchantment wouldn’t take her too long - the objects were small, and it was one she was rather familiar with.
“How does that work? I thought it would be something you needed to know before hand?” It was the Zaestrin that spoke up, head tipped slightly in confusion. How could something be enchanted if not all the details were known?
The half-blood’s ears twitched in recognition of the question. She should have expected it, in a way. After all, they didn’t seem to be magically inclined. “The nature of my spell is to work within the mind’s eye. The way I shift,” she paused, taking the time to change her visage. While the ears and tails stayed, she took on the look of an elf, skin dark with large, slanted blue eyes. She’d never seen an elf with blue eyes, but she thought they’d look quite good with them. “Is the way you’ll shift as well. I’ll assist you with creating your first visage, if you’d like. Though, you’re on your own for the other two.”
Kiran watched in amazement as the woman changed before her eyes, mouth slightly ajar as the woman who’d only had an inch or so on her grew just a bit more, turning into a person she’d never seen. It was so odd, watching it happen yet thinking it wasn’t possible. “You get to do that all the time? That’s amazing!” ’I wouldn’t even know it was her if not for her tails... she thought. Looking to her companion, she grinned slightly. “I think it would do us good if she helped with the first one.”
———
The Summoned Guard Truth be told, he hadn’t even expected her to answer his initial question based on how closed off she’d been the entire journey. Still, he would’ve found out eventually, in some way, depending on how much longer they were on this journey together. After all, she’d drawn a bit of curiosity from him which took a bit. So, he wanted to know what she knew. He wanted to know exactly how powerful a descendant of a deity could be. While they shared a realm, they were still much different from demons and angels. They were the creators, after all. All that was and all the would be, they had a hand in. To know they interacted with humans this closely was... interesting. It was something he would avoid if he were them.
But he wasn’t.
An answer to his question drew Cruva from his speculations about the god’s interactions with their people. It wasn’t much of a surprise to him that she hadn’t had too much time to work with whatever she had discovered. After all, the four had practically been together since leaving the deserts. “That’s unfortunate,” he murmured after a moment. It was never much fun not knowing what oneself could do. Their limits, their potential. Or, at least he’d felt that way when he was younger. He’d been elated when he realized he could summon his own weapons. While he didn’t do it often, he remembered testing just how many he could summon at a time, how large they could be. While he was still working on it, illusion magic had been fun for him as well. Creating things that weren’t there, making others believe that they were a reality... He still didn’t know his limits there.
Soon enough she followed up with a question of her own, caused the demon to glance down at her. “The party. Your energy was a bit hard to miss.” For a few more moments, he was silent. He wanted to know the extent of her skills, what the god’s gifted her with. “You have all the time you need, you know. As much as Kiran would like to leave, she prefers a job of high quality. No sense in rushing it.” What he was really saying was she had time to mess around with her abilities should she so please. Of course, this really came down to him getting what he wanted, which was knowing.
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Post by Amber on Sept 6, 2020 0:01:36 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince With a small nod, the half-orc flickered his eyes to Kiran as she voiced a question. As she had been doing throughout their meeting, Thistle answered swiftly. She briefly talked about how the spell connected to her own nature, Oswald watching the half-blood eagerly. With a smooth motion, the woman had begun to shift. Her skin bevame dark while her ears, nose, and chin grew more pointed. Her once amber eyes melted into a soft blue, something that he hadn't seen of elves before. Her characteristic ears and tail remained, surprsingly. Though he supposed that made sense. He had read something about their inability to hide thse features. The prince stared at her for a moment, wide-eyed.
"That was amazing," he breathed. Either the woman didn't hear his comment or chose to ignore it as she continued on. She, of course, offered to help with their first disguise, though the remaining two would be up to them. Hopefully it wouldn't be too challenging. Though if it came to it, perhaps Cruva would be able to help. The demon seemed knowledgeable in the subjects of magic and supernatural occurances. It made sense he supposed, seeing as what he was. Oswald's attention turned back to the room as Kiran spoked to him.
"Yes, that would be the wisest choice," Oswald agreed with a nod. "So what do we need to do? Should we imagine up a new person? Do we need to draw a picture to better visualize our disguises? Also if there are any flaws, can we change it later?"
He hoped they wouldn't need something like a drawing. His artistic skills were terrible, though he did wonder if that would help strengthen the disguise. Though he wanted his first two questions answered, the last inquiry was especially important to him. If there were any flaws in their disguises, it could prove to be a fatal mistake. He was sure there were plenty of people who would pounce on the oppertunity to kidnap, slaughter, or even torture him and Kiran if they knew they were there. The thought sent a chill down his spine. What would they do in the event that happened? If Cruva or Ga-Julei and his minions couldn't save them? Oswald forced the thoughts from his mind, there was no point in thinking that way. Thistle Claibourne didn't get her reputation for nothing. Her spells would work and they would be fine. Though despite his efforts, they still lingered.
Drawing in a breath, the prince leaned closer to the table to study their chosen objects and spell components. "So, where do we begin?"
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief Kell quietly hummed in reply. She did agreed that it wasn't ideal she hadn't much time to practice and study her powers. It was important to find out all she could do and figure out how they could help her in the future. The possiblities seemed almost endless, though there were some concerns that whispered in her head. Sure she could get good at using her abilites by herself. She could get to know them better, become stronger. However, there was only so much practicing by herself could accomplish. If she became idle in expecting everything to be easy with what she discovered, that would make her foolish and even lazy. What she needed was someone- or a few someones -to train with and hone in her powers.
With someone to practice against, she could figure out what each ability did more in depth. Perhaps there were some things that would only work against other people. Though the thought made her a little uncomfortable, Kellan knew she couldn't find out those answers on her own. Better yet, she needed a mentor. Someone expierenced who could help her figure everything out, though she wouldn't know where to begin that search. In Mithra was the obvious answer, considering it was tied to the glowy stones. The only problem in that was not only finding the right people, but also time restraints. The longer she held it off, the worse off she would probably be. Her focus snapped back as he answered her question. Once more, she simply hummed in reply. She expected that was the case.
There was a brief bout of silence before Cruva spoke up again. His next comment drew her attention. A 'job of high quality? 'No sense in rushing it'? What is he trying to say? She thought with slight irrtation. Kell calmed herself before answering. She didn't want an issue to arise because his words annoyed her some.
"Perhaps I am pushing it a little," she acknowledged. "But, it will still be excellent work. Anyways, it's unwise to question my methods seeing as they've worked near-perfectly in the past. Even if it seems 'rushed' as you put it, I know what I'm doing." There was more of an edge to her voice than she intended, but it was better than snapping at him. Besides, it was a little insulting for him to insinuate that she would produce inadequate results.
(Cruva: *Genuinely curious about her powers and just kinda interested to see where this goes* Kellan: *Inner thoughts* What are you masterminding? What are you trying to find out from me?)
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Post by Myst on Sept 6, 2020 10:46:38 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She’d heard his compliment, but she’d grown rather used to it. Her transformations weren’t nearly as pleasing as her full-blooded counterparts. They were able to mask all their features, and even had three base forms. She, unfortunately, did not have this luxury. No matter what she did, she would stick out due to her ears and many tails. Should something go wrong, it made her a very easy target to find, though she would never be easy to kill. No, that wouldn’t be the case for her.
“The former will be fine - no need to waste materials on drawings and such,” Thistle answered, shedding her temporary visage. While she enjoyed the questions, it was starting to seem that they were used to things being complicated. They were making this whole thing harder than it had to be for themselves - it was a simple process. Or, perhaps it was just that way to her, seeing as she grew up with the ability she planned to grant them. “You’ll have ten minutes to perfect which ever of the three visages you’re working on before they set. Once they’re set they cannot be changed.”
Surely ten minutes would be enough, right? The princess didn’t protest this, however it seemed Oswald was a bit more worried than she. In fact, it was starting to seem that all he did was worry. “Humanoids are full of imperfections, you know. Whatever you probably see as imperfections, they’ll se as normal. You worry too much.”
With that, she turned her attention back to the table before her, eyes scanning her work space in effort to double check everything. ’So, where do we begin?’ Who was we? There wasn’t anything for them to take part in until her part of the work was done. “I suggest taking a step back - the process is a bit bright. Should only take me a few minutes per piece.”
———
The Summoned Guard If he could push her to practice somewhere, he could satisfy his own curiosity. It would then satisfy his need to know just how much chaos she would be able to create in the world independently of him. If his suspicions were correct and she was of godly blood, he wondered what it would be like to possess her, or if it would even be possible. It was rather hard to possess angels, and the gods themselves were out of the question. Descendants, on the other hand... well, he’d never met one. He wondered how much they could deal with before he was either rejected or until they gave in. He wondered what he’d have access to if he was able to possess a descendant.
Her own response pulled him back to the present, and he raised an eyebrow. It seemed he’d struck a nerve - while not his intention, it amused him. The thief seemed to take a large amount of pride in her work, which was extremely apparent now, and even the slightest statement that could be an insult seemed to irritate her. Well, at least he’d found away to push her buttons if he got bored.
Cruva leaned down slightly, head next to hers but eyes trained on the map she’d was currently working from. “All I’m saying is you have time to go there. After all, you said it yourself; the maps will only do so much.” Pausing, he cast a brief sideways glance at her. “And what better way to test new skills than on the job, hm? Kill two birds with one stone.” Casting his eyes to the map once more he looked it over briefly. It didn’t look like anything special, just another complex set of buildings owned by nobles. One with too many rooms and not enough people. “But, suit yourself. I suppose looking at a sea of maps is just as fun.”
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Post by Amber on Sept 6, 2020 15:38:47 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince "Alright," the man hummed as he continued to watch her. That was a relief. He didn't know about Kiran, but he wouldn't draw to save his life. Okay, that qas a little unfair. He had drawn the decent recreation of a plan or animal from time to time, but he had never successfully drawn a person. Thistle returned to what was normal for her, then explained their time restraints. Oswald nodded. Ten minutes was pelnty of time to properly imagine a new person. She went on to explain how most humanoids had various imprefections if his own, trying to ease his worries. That wasn't what he really meant. He was worried about more incomplete flaws that could make somone suspicious, though she did have a good point. Obvious flaws to him would likely be mundane to most.
He reddened at her comment about his worrying. While that was probably something he should work on, one could never be too worried, right? If no one in their little group worried, then where would that leave them? Kiran was too focused on their task to worry much. Her mind was dead-set on solving the mystery and even vengeance. Tempest was relaxed and even uncaring about the whole oredeal. As for Cruva, he didn't seem to have the ability to worry about anything. Besides, he followed Kiran's orders without thought it seemed. So that left Oswald to take up their slack. Someone had to be there to make sure they didn't get into too much trouble.
He tuned back to the half-gumiho as she warned them of the brightness. Oswald nodded and turned away from the table, not wanting to get blinded. He glanced at Kiran, excitment in his brown eyes. This was going to be interesting.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief She hadn't noticed how close the guard had gotten during their conversation. It was only when he leaned down and his head was level with hers that she realized he had. While he wouldn't have done anything, it was sloppy work on her part by not paying attention. Kellan continued marking up the maps as the guard spoke. One escape rout here, a point of interest there, possible points of entry, notes about invisible people like messengers. It was the typical sorts of things she looked for when scouting out a place. A moment after he was done talking, Kell spared a glance towards him before returning her gaze to her map.
"Actually, studying maps is rather fun. Though, I'm not surprise you wouldn't understand seeing as it requires thinking things through. I fear if I asked you to do such a thing, you'd hurt yourself." Kellan smiled at her own comment as she shuffled through a few pages once again. Yes, the thief did enjoy the act of sneaking into a place undetected. She loved the way a plan worked out perfectly, just as she planned it. And of course, there was the thrill of of getting away with whatever she had stolen. However, studying things like maps was part of the fun of it too. It help make up a puzzle she was simply eager to solve. The thief briefly paused a moment to study him, though only glanced his way. Kell had misjudged the guard. He wasn't nearly as creepy or intimidating like she had once assumed. He was just a little annoying and liked making brash decisions from time to time.
"What a wonderful idea," she eventually continued. "I'll just go out in broad daylight, brazenly travel to a city roughly an hour away, all while still not knowing how to use my abilities well. Clearly, you're a genius." There was some sarcasm in her voice, though unlike before she had a friendlier tone. "With that said, I suppose one could argue you have a point about testing them out and all. Though even with that in mind, I can't help but notice how eager you are about all this. Why the sudden interest if you've known for a few weeks now?"
She couldn't help but be a little suspicious of his motives. It was simply in her nature to do so. Besides, it was a little odd that he waited so long to confront her about this. Had he waited because he wanted her to slip up, but had grown tired of it? Did he want to give himself time to figure out how to approch the subject? Although she didn't know the answer, perhaps she'd get lucky and find out soon.
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Post by Myst on Sept 6, 2020 16:22:02 GMT -5
The Half-Blood The princess returned the excited look the prince gave her as she turned just slightly away. She still wanted to see what would happen. She’d never gotten to watch something like this in person, but she’d always imagined that it was a spectacular process.
When it seemed the questions had finally come to an end, the witch turned her full attention to the table. The incantation itself was short, maybe only a few seconds, though it was managing the energies that took up most of the length. She waited an extra moment as if to be sure neither of them would speak up again. When neither of them did, she finally got to work. Her spell was written in the old tongue of the original gumiho, an extra security measure she’d taken when creating the spell. Within the first few words, the flames lighting the candles shot upwards, roaring as is part of a bonfire. The symbols on the table shown brighter than before as the crushed herbs around the pieces crackled as if being burned themselves.
She doubled down on the incantation, finding it easier to do both pieces at once, and the flames danced and weaved as she bent the magic around her to her will. When she was done, the candles put themselves out suddenly and the tables glow died down significantly. The armband and ear cuff themselves glowed a light blue very briefly before the light dimmed. With a snap of her fingers, the candles lit once more, bringing warm light back to the room once more.
“Come over, then. They’re ready for you.”
———
The Summoned Guard A short chuckle escaped him at her comment. “You must be mistaken - I would leave without injury,” Cruva responded, standing upright once more. “Besides, we both have different forms of execution. It’s not a matter of thinking things through.” He simply liked to derive energy from his jobs while he was at them. A demon’s nature was almost inherently reckless, sure, but not him. Not most of the time, anyway. No, he couldn’t afford to be reckless even at the best of times. Messy and reckless were two different things, and he would proudly admit to the former. Leaving a mess lead to more chaos in his experience, and in this way, what he did was rather well thought out.
As she continued, he raised an eyebrow though didn’t look her way again. “For somebody who plans so much you don’t think far ahead, do you? You forget I’ve been added to your arsenal of tools for the time being.” The demon’s voice fell flat for a moment as he said it. He was wondering how she was missing so many obvious points. They were obvious to him, so why not to her as well? “I’ve been to these buildings on official business, I could easily send you there and retrieve you to eliminate travel time. You’ve taken it upon yourself to assume I meant broad daylight, a mistake on your part. Their night rotation is generally less populated, and offers natural cover.” Looking over his shoulder, he eyed her. “Should I go with you, a little illusion magic goes a long way. They’d never know you were there.”
His motives were still selfish. He was bored, looking for something to do, and more importantly wanted to know what she could do. When Tempest finally questioned his motives, he huffed. “I’m bored, and you’re easily one of the most interesting people I’ve met in the past hundred years,” he responded smoothly. “This is simply the best opportunity I’ve had to indulge my curiosity. Had it not been for the basilisk attack I would’ve brought it up sooner.”
After a moment, the guard turned back to the maps on the walls. He’d learned enough about champions and how they interacted with their patrons. He had a good idea of the extent of their granted abilities, and what they could withstand. This was a unique opportunity that could add interest to this trip. Outside of this, he wasn’t sure he actually cared. Had their interactions stopped after the party, he would’ve found another way. A more invasive way to find out. Or, he’d have asked his seer to find out for him after they reconnected later as she said had been meant to happen.
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Post by Amber on Sept 6, 2020 20:51:29 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince The man shielded his eyes as Thistle began her enchantment. He found that to ultimately be unnecessary, his curiosity forcing him to watch her work. The candel flames burned in fiery beams, shooting into the air. The markings around the table began to glow, a soft blue light emitting from the carved runes. Breath caught in his throat, Oswald couldn't pull his gaze away from the display. He had never seen something so spectacular before. Of course, he didn't spend much time around his sister of the court wizards as they trained- his questions were often distracting of their studies, though they would never outright say it -so perhaps he was just missing out on things like that.
His eyes moved onto the chosen objects, which almost appeared to have a daint glow to them. Both the armband and ear cuff seemed to be taking to the enchatment, though it was hard to tell. He was untrained in the ways of magic. Along with the endless flames and blue shine, the witch spoke some sort of incantation. The words were unfamiliar to him, likely in some other tongue. He knew it wasn't the mage script he was veaguly familiar with, so it was likely something in her own language, whatever that may be. The quickness of her words made it diffcult to really make out what she was saying. The rushing fire and his distraction with the eaf cuff and armband didn't help either.
The orange glow of the candles filled every corner of the room, only interrupted by the blue glow around the table. The leaves around the objects being enchanted almost seemed lie they were burning. Upon closer inspection, it actually appeared to be an effect of the magic. For a few more minutes, the near-overwhelming ritual continued on. Eventually, the blazing candlelight, strane words, and blue glow began to fade. The candles dimmed, nearly going out while shining of the table runes disappeared. The ear cuff and armband briefly glowee a bright blue, before that faded too. The room had now grown darker, though they weren't in pitch blackness. With a snap of her fingers, the half-blood summoned back the candlelight and motioned them forward. Their enchantments were ready.
Oswald cautiously joined the witch, though his eyes were fixed on the jewelry that laid before her. They looked the same as they had before. Had he not witnessed the enchantment himself, he would've assumed nothing had changed. But of course, he knew thag wasn't true. He had just witnessed something amazing.
"Now what?" He finally asked. "Do we put it on and imagine our disguises?" It seemed like the obvious answer, though he didn't want to try anything without her blessing. There was no sense to risk messing up the chance to create a disguise just because he was eager to move forward.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief Kell raised an eyebrow at his words. From what she had observed, the opposite was true. Of course, she also hadn't spent much time around him. Perhaps that was an unfair judgement on her end. It wasn't the first time she had made one. She wouldn't voice her thoughts, but also understood that was something to keep in mind. Cruva pulled away and stood up. He remained behind her, peering over her shoulder as they spoke. It wasn't surprising as he seemed interested in her work. Or wanted to study it. Or, at least, was taking his orders to help her if needed seriously. Or a combination of all three. That last ideas made the most sense. Considering the nature of a summoner/demon relationship- what little she knew about it at least -he had to follow Kiran's every word more or less. It also made sense he would take the oppertunity to find out more about how she operated. It's what she would do, so it wasn't a stretch to assume the true could be said for him. His next comments caught her attention. Kell snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Contrary to your belief, I think plenty far ahead," she corrected. "I also know I could use you, I'm just choosing not to. I can do all the work myself. Except the map collecting I suppose. Though even then, I would've been fine on my own. I certianly was when scouting out your princess' palace." She paused for a moment and glanced back at him. "Though perhaps I should reevaluate my previous decision. You could actually be useful for...something."
What was that something? She had no idea yet. However, he did have a point about being potentially useful for her. While she typically worked alone, and liked to, it would be a waste to leave someone who could appear virtually anywhere on the sidelines. Not to mention there were the possible added benefits of illusions as well. Kellan continued on after a moment. "Anyway, fair enough on the daylight thing. I suppose I did make a mistake there, especially because doing something like- for this mission at least -at night would probably be more logical. Still, it would be good to see both places during the day," she added, mumbling.
He answered her about his sudden interest in her abilities. The woman nodded, it actually made sense. For whatever reasons, the thought was also rather humorous. The 'I’m bored, and you’re easily one of the most interesting people I’ve met in the past hundred years,' comment caught her attention. She couldn't help but feel a little pride at that description, though didn't let it show. "Fair enough. Guess we all get like that sometimes. Anyway, if you're really so bored, I suppose I could figure out something for you to do."
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Post by Myst on Sept 11, 2020 21:09:35 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She’d always loved performing these sorts of enchantments. They were her favorite, and she knew she was a bit biased in this opinion. To her, though, they were the most eventful. It was one of the few spells she considered beautiful. The way the flames danced and the items glowed always took a different look, or at least to her they did. The crackling of the herbs were almost a soothing sound for her, one that let her know she was in a good place.
Before long the pair had joined her, one more cautious than the other. Kiran was leaning as close to the small pieces of metal as she could, eyes wide as if she was trying to spot the difference. It amused her a bit to see somebody so interested in what had just happened. Her focus shifted as Oswald spoke up, though she only offered a slight grin. While he seemed hesitant, Thistle found he the man may have been a bit eager to continue this process. Right then, she supposed it was time for them to get a move on and proceed with whatever they had planned.
Amber eyes looked to the table once more as she picked up each piece carefully between her claws. She held them out to the pair, looking between them briefly. “That is the next step,” she murmured. Part of her wondered what features they would take to, how drastic the changes they would make would be. “I’ll be near by should you need help - do keep in mind ten minutes without changes will make it permanent.” She paused as the ear cuff was removed from her grasp, watching as the princess as she began to hook and close the copper bands around the upper cartilage of her ear. “And I suppose I can offer a re-enchantment if you’re displeased. But only one - I’m not known for my friendly favors.”
Kiran nodded as she secured the last band, smiling from ear to ear. She got to it immediately, taking the appearance of a tall, pale elven man. Decently muscular, though nothing compared to her guard, and with near white blonde hair kept short just on the left side of her head, though the rest fell past her shoulders, and their classic green eyes. “Oswald this is so cool!” She exclaimed, looking down at herself.
———
The Summoned Guard “You also had a friend on the inside at the palace - you should give him more credit. He escaped the gryphons, you know,” Cruva responded smoothly. No, he hadn’t forgotten about the missing servant where as his summoner had. While he wouldn’t go out of his way, he’d surely kill the man if they ever crossed paths. Not by order, of course. It would be for his own pleasure. As she continued he hummed lowly. “Of course I am. A useless demon is a dead demon.” While not entirely true, it was a personal standard of his, and it stood for more than demons. A useless being was a dead being, which was to say he had a tendency to murder those who were no longer useful if they happened to be in the way.
Right. Seeing the buildings in daylight would be advantageous... It wasn’t something he’d ever had to do. She had a point, then. Even still, it was stupid to consider travel time the way he saw it - he could simply send her there. In general, though, it seemed like she was all work and no play for the time being. While he respected this, it just didn’t quite fit with what he wanted right now.
“Oh no, don’t go out of your way. I’m bored, not desperate,” The guard responded. He could just as easily find something to do on the outskirts of town, or perhaps make a run back to the palace. That would take quite a bit of energy on his end... “Let me know if you’d like to eliminate travel time or have something to run tests on. You know how to find me, yes?” He didn’t want for an answer, teleporting out of the room almost immediately. The demon felt that Kiran had made it rather obvious how one was to find him.
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Post by Amber on Sept 12, 2020 11:43:51 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince Thistle answered him as she plucked the pieces from the table. Oswald eyed the armband as she held it out for him. Meanwhile, Kiran eagerly snatched it from the woman's fingers and almost immediately began to put it on. The prince carefully grabbed the iron band from Claibourne and turned it over in his hands. After a moment, he rolled up his sleeve and slipped it on just beneath his elbow. It fit comfortable and was surprisingly cool to the touch. He assumed it would've had some warmth to it considering the enchantment he just witnessed. Another note to copy down for the future. The man stared down at the piece. Now what? He wondered. The answer was obvious; create a disguise, of course. However, he didn't know how to go about it. Where did he start, imagining the face? Coming up with which one of the common peoples he wanted to be?
"Oswald, this is so cool!" Kiran's appearence had changed. No longer was there a short, tan-skinned woman next to him. Instead he was faced with the familiar green eyes of an elf. The person who stood before him was masculine and tall, maybe even a little taller than him. The handsome elf had a half-shaved head of near-white hair and pale skin, free of the familar freckles he had grown accustomed to. The man blinked for a smile.
"Wow, the disguise looks great! If I didn't know it was you, I would've just assume you were just another elf. I mean, that's probably obvious, but I think you know what I mean. Anyway, how do we go about changing our voices? You said we could, but what's the process? Do we have to imagine that as well?" Although he hoped that wouldn't be the case, it also wouldn't surprise him if it was. That would likely prove even more diffcult than trying to come up with an entierly new person. Hopefully the witch would have a few tricks for that. Oswald looked back down on his arm. Right, he had to get a move on with the whole disguise thing.
The prince closed his eyes. He envisioned a man, though the image was blurry and had an almost distant feel to it. He squeezed his eyes tighter, as if squinting to try and get a clearer look at the figure. He appeared to be mostly human, unlike Oswald himself, with dark hair. He had similarly squarish features and a somewhat muscular build like Oswald's own. Did this disguise look too much like the prince? Uncertian, the half-orc tried to imagine various details of the man further. Unlike his pale skin with its greenish tint, this man had a darker skin tone. The eyes would be another thing to change. For that he, surprsingly, took inspiration from Tempest. The disguise got blue eyes, similar to hers. Lastly, there was his height. He made the figure taller, giving the disguise an extra three inches so it reached a full six feet.
Oswald finally opened his eyes. He looked down at himself, hands out in front of him. Dark, olive-toned skin had replaced his typical light complexion. His hands had gotten smaller, fingers now longer and slimer. Of course, closer to a human's hands. He had imagined the disguise to be just that. Despite some of the differences, he knew it was probably still close to his true appearence. Turning to Kiran, he took anothet look at himself.
"What do you think? Do you think I could pass as a scholar?" Unconsciously, he glaced at the gumiho, as if expecting an answer out of her. Hopefully he looked different enough to fool everyone. It would be diffcult to recognize him when he looked like a full human, right? Maybe the thief and Cruva, who hadn't seen them yet, would help answer that.
Kellan, the Reluctant Thief "Fair, though 'friend' is certianly a generous term. I suppose you're right about that other thing, however. He got me a map and the server's clothing, though it didn't fit me well. Still, it would've been a little more challenging without that. Anyway, good to hear he escaped," she replied with a smile. Of course, she already received word that he slipped away to who-knows-where the night of the party. They worked out a deal. She would get all she needed to get into the castle undetected that night and he would get safe passage out of the city. That had been particularly diffcult to achieve, though it was the least she could do considering his punishment if he got caught. She simply shrugged at his next comment. It sounded like he was being dramatic. Of course, there was always an outside chance that being useless would actually end up with him dead, though she doubted that. He began to insist that he wasn't desprate, which Kell replied with a snort.
"Could've fooled me. You sounded at least a little bit desperate," she mused with a grin. The guard said little more before he up and poofed away. How rude. He didn't even give her a chance to reply. She also didn't care much. It was an interesting conversation at least, and it did give her a few things to consider.
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Post by Myst on Sept 13, 2020 14:35:00 GMT -5
The Half-Blood She watched the paint with interest, wondering what they would come up with, if they would have trouble coming up with anything. It seemed where one was eager the other was hesitant - it had become abundantly clear to her to ran through anything that could go wrong to keep everyone else in check. Or, tried to keep everyone else in check.
Eyes trained on the princess, it was rather apparent that she would’ve been a natural shifter. She took to a new visage rather quickly, and part of her wondered if she’d been thinking about this previously. It had come together rather seamlessly, although it seemed she hadn’t gotten around to her voice yet. Still, it was rather impressive that she’d even gotten this far without help. As she spoke up, Thistle allowed her gaze to drift to the young man who seemed he was just slightly surprised with her sudden change, but over all pleased. While he hadn’t started yet, he posed a fair question, one that drew hazel eyes towards herself. Ah, yes, she had said they could.
A low hum escaped her as she considered the best method with him. Perhaps he had trouble with visualizations... perhaps something more hands-on would be better? “Yes, and no. It’s as simple as thinking you want a higher or lower pitch - the enchantment will follow these basic thoughts. It may help if you speak out loud until you get your desired result,” the gumiho responded, watching him carefully. From the corner of her eye, she could see Kiran nodding.
She turned slightly, most of her attention going to looking for one of her journals though she kept an eye on the half-orc. It seemed he was finally getting to it. It took a bit, but it seemed he had a final product within a good time, and it was quality. Watching as he looked himself over, raised an eyebrow as he asked for thoughts.
“It looks really good!” Kiran responded, grinning at him. “I think you’d pass for a wonderful scholar,” she added, glancing down at herself once more. It seemed her voice was still a problem.
Thistle nodded slightly, turning to face them once more. “Very fitting - it’s come together quite well for the two of you.” Amber eyes gave each royal another good once over. “Now it’s just the voice.”
Kiran spoke up once more, “Is this good?” She asked. Her voice sounded a bit closer to her guard’s, though not quite as deep. This received a nod from the witch. It seemed the pair were doing quite well without to much assistance from her end.
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Post by Amber on Sept 13, 2020 19:15:35 GMT -5
Oswald, the Mithran Prince The prince nodded in response. Talking out loud would certianly make things easier for him, especially because he wasn't the most imaginative person. Oswald closed his eyes and began to work on his disguise. Once he had that down, he looked at Kiran, asking for her thoughts. The woman responded positively. The half-orc grinned in reply. It seemed his disguise was pretty good then. That was good to hear. Surprsingly, Thistle answered as well, echoing Kiran's response. The witch eyed both of them before bringing up the issue of their voices. Right, that was something they still needed to tackle. Barely a moment before Kiran was asking if her new voice of good. That was fast, he thought with an impressed nod.
"Yeah, it sounds great! Can't even tell it's you anymore." Her voice had deepened some, enough for it to surprise the prince. Of course he expected it to be different, though it was odd to hear. He pulled his focus away from the woman and to his own voice. He already had some semblence of what he wanted to do, though nothing was set in stone.
"Okay, I'm going to try and work on my voice now," he announced. It wasn't really to let them know, but more for his own benefit. He wanted to see what he sounded like first. His voice felt too deep. Not that it was exactly a bad thing, but a higher pitched tone would probably work better for a scholar. Oswald focused and began to speak.
"How does this sound?" No, still too deep, though there was a noitcable change. He straightened his stance. Perhaps shifting arpund would help some. "Is this better?" His voice sounded a little higher. It sounded different enough from how he normally sounded, though the change wasn't drastic. It was a perfect fit for him. With a nod of satisfaction, he was done.
"Is that it?" He wondered. "How do we summon and dismiss the disguises when we're done with them? Do we just have to imagine it?"
(Where do you think we should go from here?)
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Post by Myst on Sept 16, 2020 20:29:23 GMT -5
(I’m not entirely sure. I don’t think I want to jump right into the party cause I feel like that’s some time later, but I’m not entirely sure what to do with the group as a whole. I’d you’d like, we don’t have to focus on everyone at once for a bit or if you want we can move forward to the party)
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