Strangers in a Strange Land, Prologue

[Ms.Ezra]

We call our world Nomae-Ralo.

Our world is very different from yours. Your world is dominated by humankind, with no room for other sentient life. The menagerie of races that is our world, is only the stable for myths and 'fairy tales' in yours. We have quarrels, and power struggles same as yours. Only we have yet to discover the inner might of a lightning strike, so we huddle around wood and rock fire, or oil lamps when the land is ruled by the night.

And yet here you are, in our world. An otherworldly force has opened a door between our worlds to pluck you from there, and dropped you here.

It's not just you who has come from that world, others were taken as well. They come from across your globe, and even from different times. Some of you lived centuries apart.

At first we just called you all Strangers. Because you spoke a tongue never heard, dressed odd to us, and some of you brought strange weapons. Dangerous weapons. The best of us took you in. The worst of our leaders jailed you for your strange ways.

But rather quickly, you Strangers became two very different groups. The Drifters are those of you who keep your distance from other Strangers and even the natives, preferring to wander in search of something only you could understand.

Then there are The Enders. Those Strangers who passed from your world and have taken it upon themselves to exert their will on the native races, to end their dominion and existence by any means. Maybe something horrible happened to them in their world, why they choose to do this.

In some of you, the passing between worlds granted you unnatural power. Most with this kind of power became an Ender, but the possession of power does not make one Drifter or Ender. Choices do that.

What choices are you going to make in our world?

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Our Cast of Characters

Anne Bonny, The Pirate
Played by Ms. Ezra

Date Yuzuki, The Samurai
Played by Camleen

Albert Rhinegard, The Guy
Played by Ascendant

Craig Wittingham, The Old West Bandit
Played by Goodtvus

Sir Richard Francis Burton, The Explorer
Played by Gands

Felix Lars Helström
Played by Oryx

Grim Manne, The Hunter
Played by Papa Scorch

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CHARACTER INDEX

Current Map​

 

[Camleen]

A Few Miles Outside of the City of Doren

The woman squints and looks away as the carriage just explodes before her, her whole body trembling. Bits of the carriage… and those that were upon it… fall around her in burning shards. She looks down at her naked form, it looking as if it had been burned once more. Her skin charred and smoking. But after a few moments… it seems to heal. Her whole body back to normal. She looks at the burning remains of the carriage, and she stumbles towards it.

She steps into the debris field, coming across a small chest. She went to the carriage looking for something that perhaps could help her, she isn't sure really what she was looking for. Opening the charred chest… it seems to be the belongings of the woman that just exploded all over the place. Without thinking she pulls what looks like an old dress, and she slips it over her head for protection from the elements. She'll find something better to wear later. Something that was more 'secure'. The dress on, she reaches once more into that chest. With a curious look she finds a roll of bandages… perhaps the woman was some kind of doctor or something. She scoops up the bandages and now walks from the carriage debris, kind of stumbling.

She drops to her knees right there in the road, where she first appeared. She absently wraps the bandage around her head, above her eyes. She stares blankly at nothing as she does. Securing it, she tears off the excess and tosses it away.

And then… Ziarla is suddenly there. Sadly, despite her best of intentions, there is no one for Ziarla to save from the carriage. With compassion Ziarla kneels next to her, and she is just still staring ahead at nothing, as if in shock. She hears Ziarla's words when the woman is about 4 sentences in, and she looks in Ziarla's direction. Her whole body is still shaking, her arms just hanging at her sides. The woman's hair is very bright… unnaturally so. She is speaking English, which is something of a surprise to her. Strange powers she says… the woman's lips start to move, as if she wants to speak. But no words come out of her mouth for a few moments.

Until finally… "Strangers…" her voice has a very heavy French accent. "I did as they asked me. I fought for them… and they have… forsaken… me…" her tone starts to get angrier. And it's right about then that a new smell would permeate the air. The air is thick with the smell of burning wood from the carriage… but for Ziarla this new smell would overpower that. It's a distinct smell.

It's the smell of burning flesh.

Tears start to trickle from the woman's tears as she stares at Ziarla, her body trembling faintly. And as she stares at Ziarla… she would see the woman's flesh start to blister. She starts to burn, her skin burning as her eyes widen. "I did all they asked!" she screams angrily, her flesh bubbling and burning away. But… her clothing is unaffected, as is the bandage wrapped about her head. As her skin burns… her eyes flash for a moment… and in the small gap between herself and Ziarla… the air itself suddenly explodes. She cries out as she is thrown back from the explosion, landing in a tumbling roll. She immediately starts to get to her feet, her skin now starting to miraculously heal itself. "I did all!" She screams in anger, staring up at the sky...


Tagging: @Ms.Ezra, @Gands, @TheTechnologicVampire

 

[Camleen]

Yuzuki's eyes narrow a little as she now watches Anne… she doesn't need to speak the same language to tell the woman is suddenly very upset. Her body language… to Yuzuki it conveys anger. She discretely looks in Albert's direction, presuming that's the target of her anger. But more than anger… there is… anguish there. The words Anne speaks tells her nothing… it's their tone and how Anne moves and gestures that tells the story.

Yuzuki scowls a little now… she knows Anne is a bandit, she knows Anne is inherently a bad person due to that choice. I mean… she did jokingly draw real pistols on herself and poor Albert. So everything Anne is saying is true to its core, even if Yuzuki doesn't know she's making Anne's case for her. Even if it is silently. And just because Anne is a bad person (she doesn't even know her yet), that doesn't mean Yuzuki doesn't feel compassion for her. She flinches a little when Anne yells… and she gasps loudly as the very ground trembles.

She leans down as she sits on her knees, her hands pressing to the ground as if to steady herself. "Jishin?!" her word for 'earthquake'. But it's just a single tremor… and then it's gone. And like the Barbin, there is a look of concern on her features for Anne. She hasn't put it together that Anne might have been the source of that tremor… because that's just dumb. The stuff of children's bedtime tales. She thinks as she sits in a hut with a man from the future, a pirate and catlike yokai. And as Anne pushes herself to her feet, Yuzuki immediately does also. Actually 'springs' to her feet would be a more accurate description. Silently she watches as Anne exits… and she sighs gently, her dark eyes moving to Albert then.

She winces a little as he, too, hits the ground. But he doesn't seem to be terribly upset, not like Anne was. Nowhere near like Anne was. So why is he doing that? Is he throwing a fit or something? Again, she hasn't made the same connection Albert has about Anne's ability. Her confused look turns slowly to one of compassionate concern once more as she watches the man. "Shōrai, nani ga ima?" ("What now, man from the future?") But as that last word leaves her lips… a shrill sound fills the air. She ducks down a little in surprise, looking upwards and around herself. She, too, holds her hands to her ears, gritting her teeth. It's a loud and obnoxious sound… but another sound accompanies it, almost drowned out by the bagpipes. Howls of pain from those outside of the hut, from all around the hut. "Kih!" She exclaims softly as she scoops up her naginata and strides to the hut door. She looks out, seeing all of the cat people in excruciating pain, holding their ears.

Her brows furrow as she watches them, as the sound falls to nothing. She feels her breath catch in her throat, and she says in a loud tone. "Sore wa kōgekidesu!" ("It is an attack!") She now grasps her spear with both hands, glancing over her shoulder towards Albert as she continues. She tries to speak slowly, so he can at least partially understand her. "Josei to kodomo o atsume, anzen ni tsuki nasai!" ("Gather the women and children, get to safety!") She doesn't know where or what 'safety' would be… but it's about that moment she hears someone yell from the forest. And she knows a battle-cry when she hears one. Her gaze lingers on Albert… and she wants to tell him to die well. Amongst her class that's considered like saying 'good luck'. She's not sure how he would take that though. He might think she's hoping he dies or something. And that's pretty much furthest from the truth. She just gives him a quick nod… and she moves through the doorway.

And the moment she steps out of the doorway… she sees men coming into the village. Along it's edges. She looks around herself… every single one of the catpeople are down, in some kind of tormented agony. They can't fend for themselves. The men are armed with war hammers and axes… melee combat level weapons. Heavier, slower. But when they connect, they destroy. And as her mind puts together a strategy, she takes an abrupt step back. One of the men was able to get close to her, and he is in the process of swinging his axe down at her. She didn't even see him, she didn't even know he was there… but she knew to move. Sadly, not fast enough to get away scot-free. The heavy one-handed axe he wields clangs against the wooden shaft of her spear, driving its tip into the ground. She hears and feels the spear fracture, if only slightly. But that slightly is enough to render it useless to her. It would break before she could use it with enough force to do damage. The man's eyes are wide, shocked that he missed this woman. Shocked he didn't bury his axe into her head as he wanted. Her hands let go of the spear, her gaze snaps to that man and she suddenly drives her elbow into his head right between his eyes. He cries out in pain as he drops his axe, his hands coming to his face as blood pours from his nose. Smoothly and quickly she turns to face him, both hands grasping him by the shoulders. She rolls backwards and flings him away, using her momentum to throw him. She springs back to her feet, her right-hand snapping across her waist as the men now move in. She sees 14 men… and one of them she just took out of the fight, so that makes 13 she accounts for. They are going for the catpeople… they start to kill them.

"Watashi wa kore o zokkō suru koto o kyoka shimasen!" she cries out passionately, staring at the men as they now start to spread out. She says she isn't going to allow this to continue. She shouts it loud enough for the whole of the men to hear… as if to get their collective attention. To focus on her and not those that cannot defend themselves. 1 against the 13 men she sees. Not good odds, abysmal odds. But still she wants to be the focus of their aggressions. Even if it kills her in the process, she can maybe allow some of the catpeople to escape. She can, in the least, buy them time. Even if she is paying for it with her very life.

There is no greater honor for her. And it is a death she would welcome with open eyes.

With a soft click she draws her katana from its scabbard, and she dashes towards the men as they look towards her. She picks her targets… the ones furthest from grouped enemies first. Picking off the strays, as it seems. Man2 (that's what we'll call him for now) grins as Yuzuki dashes towards him. She holds her katana pointed up, about at shoulder length with both hands grasping the handle. It's the Hasso-no-kamae stance. An aggressive, and yet at the same time passive stance. One she favors a lot. Man2 spins around and swings his hammer at her as she comes into range, and she shifts her body to lean to her left as she changes her sword stance. The draws her arms down low, her knees bending also as she moves. The hammer moves right by her head and shoulder with a deep 'whoom' sound. She is now inside of his defenses, and she thrusts her sword upwards. Her blade drives into his neck and out the back of it. Another man charges at her, letting out what sounds like a roar or something? Is he trying to intimidate her? Or just telegraph his attack so poorly she could probably avoid it in her sleep.

Keeping her center of gravity low, she draws her sword from Man2 as Man3 comes up behind her. Man2 falls backwards, lifeless, and Man3 swings his axe now at Yuzuki. But as the axe is coming down, Yuzuki is already right there beside him. In her eyes, these men fight with power. She fights with speed. As she moves towards him, her blade is drawn backwards… and she then slashes forward as she passes the man, ducking right under his axe swing. Her blade slices him open horizontally, and he crumbles as she skids to a stop passed him, her katana fully extended.

Now more of the men have taken notice of her… since she's the only one putting up a fight. And killing their pals. Her brown eyes flicker towards the group of men, and she shows no fear. She turns to face them, holding her katana in front of her with the blade held at an upward angle. Chudan-no-Kamae, the middle guard stance. The men seem to be thinking about what to do… but in that split second of hesitation, Yuzuki acts. She charges towards them as she lets out a loud battle cry of her own. "rrrrrrrrrraugh!" Man4 is the first to react as Yuzuki closes the distance between them very quickly. He swings his axe down at her, and she leans to one side abruptly to avoid the blow. She swings her katana at his side, but he's fast enough to put his battle axe in the path of the blade. With a loud clinking sound her blade stops, and Man4 seems very proud of himself. But her sword stops only for a split second. She spins around suddenly, drawing her sword upwards in mid-spin. And at the end of that spin she swings the sword down, slicing cleanly through both of the man's forearms, effectively removing them. He screams in agony as he falls forward, curling up a little, losing consciousness quickly.

An angered look upon her features, she turns to face the rest of the men, once more moving into the Hasso-no-Kamae stance, her katana held upwards at her side. As if silently daring one of them to make a move against her.


Tagging: @Ms.Ezra, @Ascendant

 

[TheTechnologicVampire]

Ziarla cocked her head to the side, unsure what the woman was saying. "What do you mean 'Did all I could'?" She asked, confusion spread across her face. "Do you mean something that happened on Earth?" This woman was quite strange. A power that she could spontaneously explode things and speaking of something that Ziarla did not know of.

Whatever it was, that did not matter as Ziarla noticed the smell of burnimg flesh and she reeled back from the stink, scrunching up her face and putting a hand over her nose, trying to get as far away from the smell as possible. "Is that you that the smell is coming from... miss...?" The orange-haired rally driver noticed the woman's skin burning away and her eyes shot open wide. "Oh shiii....!"

She didn't have time to react as the ait between them suddenly exploded. Digging the heel of her right foot into the dirt, Ziarla crouched down and put an arm over her face and head, shielding herself from the blast. She felt the brief heat of the explosion tickle her skin, but with her being further away after reeling back from the smell, the explosion didn't burn her beautiful tanned flesh.

Standing back up from the explosion, Ziarla rushed over to the woman's side again to make sure she was ok.

(Tagging: @Ms.Ezra @Gands @Camleen )

 

[Ms.Ezra]

=============
Sir Richard and Ziarla
@Gands @TheTechnologicVampire
=============
Outside the City of Doren, Kingdom of Gatecia, Day
​

The trio come out of the gates onto the trade road that cuts through the rougher, mountainous terrain that surrounds the city. They could just see the burning caravan, and the two figures but no detail, when another explosion echoes through the area and they witness a small area around the two ignite.

"Cover!" Genessa orders and the three take separate cover using the various rock formations and vegetation. Genessa had grabbed Richard and pulled her along with him to hide behind a large rock. Bernard would keep his distance nearby. She held the rod to her chest, as she evaluated the situation. "In the Bowie Report, it was said Strangers could have explosive devices of immense magnitude. Or it may be a special ability, to ignite the air...." Genessa shook her head, unsure "Could be either, or neither. What do you say, Mr. Burton? Have something that can give you a better view without getting closer?"

=====================
Anne, Albert, and Yuzuki
@Ascendant @Camleen
=====================
Barbin Village, Day​

The Leader could have cloven Anne in two with one mighty swing of his Claymore, her being on the ground and stunned momentarily, but he didn't give her any mind except to step over her as he walked then ran to join his men in the slaughter of the Barbin. "Demons! Inhuman monsters!" He cried out as he immediately cut down two adult Barbin one after the other. He saw a young one in the arms of his mother, who was enduring the pain of the noise to cover his ears with her hands while huddled on the ground. He had made one step toward them, when he heard the commotion and screams as his men were being cut down.

At first he suspected one or more of the 'Demons' had endured the pain enough to fight back. But when he turned too look, he witnessed a young, small woman standing alone against his men. The man turned away from the mother and child to charge the woman. "Stand down wench! These demons need to be wiped from the earth!" He yelled at her, both hands on his Claymore, back and ready to swing.

In an odd new development, Yuzuki would have no issue understanding every word this man said. She would hear it in her native language and even dialect. Meanwhile the remaining men cheered on their leader in a language she could not.

As this was occurring, the fleeing Albert would not make it far out of the village before he ran face-first into a member of this raiding party who was a little late to arrive. Late because he was quite massive and slow, as the smaller man bounced right off his armored chest as if hitting a wall of muscle.

"Who are you?" (In a grunting language he would not recognize) The man asked, heaving a war hammer over his shoulder while looking at him. The man had a black beard that was thick enough to conceal most of his face, except his bald head and beady eyes. "Their pet?!" He joked and laughed then advanced on Albert. "Then you die too!" He lifted his hammer high.

Then the bagpipes were silenced, as an even louder crack-boom was heard through the village, coming from behind the large man that had been about to hammer Albert. The man's face practically exploded, splattering a little gore onto Albert. The giant man fell forward, his hammer hitting the ground next to him. This revealed standing a few feet behind him had been Anne, hat missing with her pistol barrel smoking. She looked at Albert with contempt.

"Oi Future Man, ya runnin'?" Anne said walking by Albert. She looked ready to spit on him as she passed, but didn't. Instead she holstered the spent pistol, tossed him a knife, and brought out her cutlass "You'll need that if yer goin on the run, ya coward." The woman said with spite.

The gun going off had only stopped whoever were playing the bagpipes for a few moments. The unseen people resumed their blasting, paralyzing the Barbin once again. It had also had the same effect on the leader, who hesitated for a few precious moments mid-swing in front of Yuzuki.

While Yuzuki dealt with their leader, Anne had gained the attention of the other warriors. Four converged on her. The first swung at her with an axe, which the woman avoided narrowly but he couldn't dodge a quick slash of her cutlass that severed his femoral artery. Turns out the kilts were a bad idea. The second got too close after the first and literally tripped on the man's dying body. This gave Anne the chance to slash at the back of his neck. Her newfound strength allowed her to behead him in that one stroke.

"Ya call these people demons!?" Anne screamed as she met the third head-on, literally headbutting him so hard he fell back with a bleeding forehead. The fourth went at her with an axe, wailing his battle cry over Anne shouting "I'll show ya a goddamn demon!" She wove around his clumsy swings easily enough, being used to swordfighting with faster movements, and spun around him to slit his throat, kicking him forward to bleed out on the ground.

Now there was the leader, and four men left.

 

[Ascendant]

Albert Rhinegard

The impact with the warrior sent Albert falling to the ground, clutching his head. Everything was chaos as he looked up and noticed the warrior lift his warhammer, Death number two, I guess. At least my glasses are alright, for now. But it was not to be, as the man's brains and blood found themselves sent into the air, falling partially upon his body and face.

Wiping some of the gore away, Albert looked at Anne and muttered a simple reply as he grabbed up the knife she had tossed towards him, "Rather live than die in a futile fight." And in his own mind, he was truly useless to these people. Even armed with a knife, Albert was probably more of a liability.

Yet as Albert began to regain his spacial awareness, he realized something: Yuzuki and Anne alone had managed to cut the group down to five enemies in total, Wait, they're winning?! How is that possible?! No one should be able to stand up to those kinds of odds! Returning slowly to his feet, he simply stood there, dumbstruck as the pair of them fought surprisingly well, Yuzuki moving like some kind of lethal dancer, Anne acting as the brute she clearly was. Albert stood there for a few moments, watching them, rubbed his chin, and shrugged, They've got this.

Deciding that the battle was essentially won, Albert returned to the hut that the group had previously been inside, gathered a bit more meat, and proceeded to sit far from the fighters in relative safety, munching on the food and trying to ignore the annoying fucking bagpipes while watching the warriors duke it out.

He found it interesting that this leader spoke English when he clearly looked like might be Celtic in origin, whilst glancing at the dead man Anne had taken care of earlier. Clearly none of the other warriors spoke English for some reason. Looking at them all carefully, Albert's eyes suddenly noticed the medallion swinging back and forth on the leader's chest, Hmm. Cat people. Strange people from multiple time periods. Who's to say magic doesn't also exist. I need to have a look at that medallion and the man's body when he dies. Kind of wish I could interrogate the dude beforehand though...

Interactions: Anne, @Ms.Ezra

 

[Gands]

Sir Richard

Burton pulled out his field glasses handing them to the young woman.

" That didn't sound like ordinance to me. Either way, there will be a person behind it. I am heading that way. Stay here, under cover ".

Burton took off at a jog, pistol in one hand sword in the other.

@Camleen @TheTechnologicVampire @Ms.Ezra

 

[Camleen]

'Young, small woman' is a good description of precisely what Yuzuki is. While she is young in years, she has seen so much battle and strife. More than enough for a few lifetimes.

She remains in that same stance, her katana held vertically at her side shoulder high, her elbows tucked in a bit. Her dark eyes dart back and forth between the men facing her, showing zero fear as she stares them right in the eyes. She makes sure her gaze meets each and every one of their gazes, to silently tell them she is ready for them.

But it isn't those men that come for her… instead it is their leader. Well, Yuzuki can't know the man wielding that claymore is their leader. But the other men, they seem to fall back a little as the man wearing war paint calls out to her. Yuzuki's lips part a bit in utter shock as she hears the man speak Japanese. And fluidly, his dialect spot on. As if he had been speaking it all his years.

And he calls her a wench, which she just doesn't appreciate. In battle, she would kill him for that insult alone.

But now circumstances are different. He speaks Japanese… he's clearly been here a while (he couldn't have gathered these forces otherwise (unless those forces came with him from Earth, she can't know that either)), and so that means he knows a bit about this world. Certainly more than she. If she were to question him… she wouldn't have to rely on a translator (even a hesitant one like Albert (she had started to feel bad putting him in that role)) for the answers she needs.

Yuzuki quickly relaxes her stance, drawing her katana downwards. Her left hand grasps part of her kimono, and in one smooth motion she draws the blood off of the blade. She keeps her eyes on the claymore man (that is a big sword) as he starts to charge her. She slides her katana back into its scabbard, her left hand grasping the top edge of the scabbard, her right resting on the handle of her sword, her fingers relaxed and open. Her knees bend a little (her sandaled feet about shoulder length apart), and she puts most of her weight on her left foot. The man moves in slow motion, it seems, to Yuzuki.

Her knees bend slightly more as he closes in on her… and there is what she was looking, right there.

That split second of hesitation on his part. He loses his focus for about the same amount of time. But in battle with Yuzuki, that split second might as well be whole minutes. She is in sudden motion towards him, the grass at her feet kicking up gently. Instead of drawing her katana this time… her left hand tightens around the top of the scabbard and she thrusts it right towards what she perceives as the man's dominant arm (judging by how he holds his claymore). The butt end of the handle of her katana slams into the joint between his arm and his shoulder. This would make him at least lose grip of his sword, it would definitely stop his swing. And when she strikes him there, she takes a sudden sliding step back. She strikes, and moves. She pulls her scabbard from her sash, now her right hand grasping the handle of her sword. It's now the scabbard itself she uses as a weapon.

"RIIIIYAAAAAAH" She swings the scabbard towards the side of the man's head, and with a loud crack it hits him. Hard. He stumbles to one side as his world goes dark. He drops the claymore and falls to the ground, consciousness gone before he hits dirt. He's out for the count, she has managed to take him down and keep him alive.

With a soft clicking sound and a flash of metal she draws her sword now. She holds it in her right hand, her scabbard held in her left. The 'young, small woman' stands over her much larger and very unconscious opponent, and her gaze snaps to the remaining fighters, holding her katana up in front of her vertically. "Iku! Nigeru!" Though they can't understand her words… her intent seems clear. She wants them to leave. She doesn't want further bloodshed if she can help it. She's giving them a chance to flee… Mercy is one of the hallmarks of her code…

Yuzuki's Katana (Aki no Ken)

Tagging: @Ms.Ezra, @Ascendant

 

[Camleen]

In another situation, (literally) in another lifetime… the woman would have appreciated Ziarla's attentiveness. Her compassion. But now is not that time. Quite the contrary.

Ziarla once more moves close to her as she stands staring at the sky, her arms suddenly falling to her sides. She continues to stare up at the beautiful sky… and she starts to laugh. There are sobs mixed in with the laughter. "Did… something happen… on Earth…" she starts to laugh louder, it starting to feel like a forced and strained laugh. A laugh bordering on unhinged. "Did something happen on Earth?"

She now looks towards Ziarla, her head kind of leaning to one side. "They told me what I should do. Support the king. Support France. And I did." She now steps back from Ziarla, her slightly battered dress swaying a little as she does. "I lead the armies to victory." Her tone is one of anger, of anguish. "Over. And over. And over. And over. And in the end… this is the reward for my faith!" Once more Ziarla would start to smell burning flesh. The woman's skin starts to blacken and bubble. She trembles as this happens, feeling herself being burned alive all over again. "Those COWARDS tied me to a post and burned me! They called me a witch, and they were right! God damn them! They were right!" Some of her flesh starts to simply slide off of her bones, as if it were being liquified.


"I WAS Joan of Arc! Now I am The Burned Woman!"


Her eyes widen with a flash of red… and the air just in front of Ziarla once more explodes violently. She stumbles back with the pressure wave from the blast. The explosion having a blast radius of almost 4 feet this time. Her hands clench into fists then as she breathes heavily, her skin once more healing itself miraculously quick. She has yet to notice the spectators... otherwise they would be her targets...

 

[Takashi]

Kassim woke with a start, remembering some of his master's words. Alsafar alkhafifat walnawm 'akhaf waznana, he recalled. It meant 'travel light and sleep lighter', which Kassim apparently had not done in this instance. Still, he was fresh now and found himself awakening at dusk. Perfect for covering distance in the desert, except that Kassim also felt... foliage around him?

He sat up quickly, not used to seeing this luscious greed color outside of rich mens' gardens and courtyards. He took it in for a moment, but then smelled something. The scent of smoke filled his lungs, burning. He never did like that smell. Wherever he was, whoever was here, this was unfamiliar territory and they were close. Kassim quickly threw on his pack and drew one of the dual knives from its sheath, creeping slowly towards the smell.

As Kassim drew closer, he noticed by the glow shining through the greenery, that whoever was here hadn't even bothered to put their fire out. Once he was practically beside the fire, Kassim could see the man who had started it. He was dressed much differently and held some kind of metal contraption in his hand. Kassim moved around the fire pit, slowly and silently toward the man until he was no more than five feet away. Kassim crouched down, still brandishing his knife, and spoke a single word. Hopefully loud enough to rouse the strange man. " 'Ayqiz. (Wake up.)"

@Goodtvus

 

[Antiheld]

A New World

The last thing Felix could remember was the harsh trek through an American winter, which wasn't actually that bad when compared to other places. To someone who was already frail though, it was quite harsh. Now he had awoken in a strange world that was completely alien to him, but he was fairly certain that he should be dead.

Felix had spent his first couple of hours in this new place simply sitting in the grass, taking in his surroundings. He'd quickly discovered that the horrid weakness which kept him bedridden was gone, though he still had trouble moving. He thought it was nice not being bogged down by illness and actually able to enjoy being outside. There was a lot of time spent trying to figure out where he was, when he was, how he was but the answers eluded him. When Felix tried to walk, he was met with difficulty and a lack of coordination which then led to frustration.

Hours went by as Felix tried to get himself moving, hours that were filled by a lot of falling and swearing. The more he tried, the better he got but Felix still found himself incredibly frustrated. Occasionally, he would feel a sort of force envelope him and help him along but it wasn't permanent. As time went on, Felix found that as he would try harder the force would return.

"Hmm." Felix couldn't help but let out a curious vocalization after forming a strange hypothesis. But after learning to walk again, Felix had other things on his mind as his stomach began to growl. He knew that he had to find food, or someone with food, because he knew nothing about hunting or cooking. So off he went to wander through the forest.

The sun had set as Felix wandered, his stomach still letting him know that food was a necessity. The dark wood had him a little off put and he was beginning to get very tired and the force that was helping him walk had been getting weaker as he walked. In the distance, an orange glow danced around illuminating the area around it. As Felix grew closer he could make out more of the area, which showed a sleeping man who looked like he was from the a time long before Felix lived. Next to the man was someone dressed much differently, which made Felix feel uneasy. He approached the camp as quietly as he could and attempted to hide himself in the foliage, and the shadows cast by the fire made this easier than it should be.

He was ready to test this new 'hypothesis' if the situation turned hostile, but he hoped that it wouldn't.

@Goodtvus @Takashi

 

[Goodtvus]

A strange tide of meetings-


It wasn't long into Craig's sleep that he had heard a man say something to him in some foreign language. Slowly opening his eyes to the sight of a man in strange clothing brandishing knifes in a crouched position five feet away from the fire. Almost startled Craig keeps his composure and slowly pulls back the hammer of his revolver. Looking at the man Craig also noticed a sound from the foliage. Were there possibly more of these men? Thinking to himself....

"Maybe that fire wasn't a good idea" Craig thought to himself while face to face with a stranger? Or a native? Craig did not know.

Realizing violence this early in the game would get him nowhere Craig slowly puts his gun back into it's holster and raises his hands above his head to try and indicate peaceful.

"There's more out there as well, two at least" Craig thought as he kept his arms in the air, "Big knifes you got there" Craig says jokingly secretly testing if this stranger knew English at all.

Craig would hope this wouldn't end in conflict, but if it did he wouldn't fall so easily.

 

[Ms.Ezra]

================
Anne's Crew / Albert's Harem
@Ascendant @Camleen
================​

The remaining fighters, after seeing their human tank , leader, and the bulk of the raiding party downed by two women were not inclined to deny what they could figure was a chance to run. They ran, yelling over the din of the bagpipes, which prompted the players to stop and flee as well. They made no effort to even collect their dead.

"Thas right! Run! We'll give ya a headstart!" Anne yelled after them as they ran north into the woods. The pirate sheathed her cutlass and holstered her pistol as she looked around the scene. The Barbin were coming to, some with bleeding ears. Those were the lucky ones. They'd been too late to save a dozen men and women, but Anne was thankful it appeared none of the children had died. Although that was little consolation to a couple young ones who had lost a parent. One kitten with black hair and ears knelt before what had been his....father? Older brother? Only his anguish was for certain. Anne bent down, and though the boy was startled, allowed himself to be picked up. Couldn't be more than a year old, and so light.

"There there kitten, the bad men are dead or gone...." She held him so his face was looking over her shoulder and rubbed his back. Her words were soft, but her face was a mix of boiling anger and sorrow. These people had taken her in, made her feel more than welcome, even worshiped. Like they already knew her somehow even though she'd been terrified of them at first sight.

A female Barbin came running up, arms out for the child she held and mewling with teary eyes. Anne handed the boy over. "I'm sorry...I was too late. I'm so sorry." She tried her best to apologize, and the woman appeared to be understanding her sentiment, her face. Her eyes took in the the rest of the village before resting on Yuzuki and the fallen man. She took out her pistol again as she marched over. "Move over! This one's gonna scream, then he's gonna talk! And then he's gonna scream some more till he begs for one between the eyes!" The woman trained her pistol down at the man, cocking the hammer back.

The Medallion

===========================
Richard and Ziarla
@Gands @TheTechnologicVampire
===========================​

"What? Mr. Burton!" Genessa yelled after the man as she tried her best to catch up. She was an athletic young woman, but this Stranger was something else. It was a real taxing thing for her to get on his heels. "Sir! I really must advise we keep our distance!"

But the pair would come within a stone's throw of the Burned Woman. Genessa huffed, but her legs held strong and she held the rod out in front of her as she declared herself. "Ladies! I am Genessa Orlock, Senior Operative of the Red Shield Guild, Doren Branch. We come in peace!" She held up her left hand as she directed her attention at the woman in distress.

"Miss....Arc was it? I understand you're very confused and scared, but we can help you if you could please calm down, and come with us."

 

[Ascendant]

Albert Rhinegard

Albert quietly watched the men run off as he finished his meal and wandered over to Anne, who seemed intent on heinously torturing the unconscious man. Crouching in front of the body, Albert rolled the leader over to get a good look at the orb-like medallion on the man's chest, poking it a few times with one of the meat sticks from earlier, No explosion thus far. He then touched it with his finger, which caused no pain, Alright, so if it's magic, it isn't reacting negatively to me, therefore it's not locked to him.

The young man then proceeded to slip the metal necklace off the leader's neck, promptly putting it around his own, If I'm right, this man should speak some kind of Celtish that we won't understand anymore, and Yuzuki will probably understand everything I have to say.

Standing once more, Albert clapped his hands together in a manner meant to convey both a job well done and cleaning them off. Looking towards Anne, he motioned for her to put the gun away, "He's unconscous. Drag the body inside."

His glasses seemed to gleam for a moment as he looked off into the village, muttering to anyone who heard, "And bring me a chair if possible, some rope, cloth, and a bucket of water." With that, Albert strode back into the village, hoping Anne, Yuzuki, and possibly the cat people would follow his orders.

Interactions: Anne, @Ms.Ezra , Yuzuki, @Camleen

 

[Camleen]

With a calm gaze Yuzuki watches the remaining men, her eyes making contact with each of them one by one. Slowly. Intently. She turns her body slightly by sliding her sandaled feet along the ground, keeping her blade held up between herself and the men. She sees it in their eyes. They have all, every one of them, lost the will to fight. Seeing what she presumes was the strongest amongst them be taken down by her, it broke their fighting spirit.

She pushes herself to her feet fully, keeping an eye on the edge of the forest to make sure they don't come back. She tucks her scabbard back securely into her sash, and she once more wipes the blade of her katana. She really needs to care for it when she has a damn minute. And slowly then she sheathes her weapon, it resting once more in the scabbard with a soft 'click' sound. She breathes slowly and deeply, allowing herself to catch her breath. Over her shoulder she looks as she hears Anne yell… probably a taunt or something. Anne seems the type.

A gentle sigh escapes her lips as then she turns, seeing the carnage around her. The humans (she doesn't know they aren't human) laying dead… some of the catpeople murdered. And that's what it was, murder. Not killing, murdering. In her mind those are two very different things. Her gaze drifts along the scene, and near her one of the female Barbin struggles to get herself up. Immediately Yuzuki moves to her side, kneeling down and grasping her arm very gently. The catwoman lets out a low hiss of warning as her gaze snaps to Yuzuki, but the human girl just smiles gently back to her as she helps her. A genuine smile, a compassionate gaze. The Barbin calms, her furred features falling as she looks around at the devastation. Once the much taller Barbin is stable on her feet, Yuzuki pats her arm softly, as if trying to be reassuring. The Barbin looks to Yuzuki, smiling faintly. The Barbin starts to move off, still seeming a bit dazed. 2 other Barbin move to her side immediately to help her. Yuzuki watches as they move away, and then her gaze moves to Anne.

Just as Anne picks up and comforts the child does Yuzuki see her. She didn't see the bandit till right at the end… and she wonders where the woman was. There's no way to know what happened, of course. Yuzuki can't even speculate. She hears Anne's words… no… she hears the tone, inflection of her words to the Barbin female as she hands over the child.

Anguish.

She knows that tone. She has heard it before, a dozen times. To many times. Her father once told her… often time after a battle, no matter which side emerges victorious, you often wonder who really won. As she stares wordlessly at Anne (wishing she could properly express the anguish in her own heart)… she sees the woman's mood flick over to something more… primal. The brown haired girl starts to walk back towards her fallen foe just as Anne reaches for her pistol, knowing what's on the woman's mind. Revenge. Pure and simple revenge.

Just as Anne draws her gun down on the man, Yuzuki is suddenly there. She stands between the barrel of her flintlock and the man, her chest inches from Anne's gun. She stares into the woman's eyes as she stands there, making it clear she isn't going to let this happen.

She really… really… hopes Anne relents.

She feels her breathing coming slower and deeper as she tries to keep herself calm, her brown eyes watching Anne's eyes intently. Once more, she doesn't have words to express to Anne that this isn't going to happen. For one the man is hurt enough… in Yuzuki's opinion… and he is their prisoner now, so it's their obligation to treat him right. Yuzuki fully intends to tend to the man's head injury, the one she caused. And there's the fact Yuzuki needs to man for information. He speaks Japanese, so he's the only one that can communicate verbally with her.

And then Albert communicates verbally with her.

She stares at Anne, and her eyes widen as her gaze flicks over her shoulder toward Albert. She turns as Albert tells them to drag the body inside, seeming to forget there's a gun trained on her. ("I… had thought you did not understand Japanese well. Were you feigning?") To everyone else she speaks Japanese (as she has this whole time), but Albert would understand her perfectly. She watches him walk off, hearing him tell her to get him some items. She looks to Anne, a dumbfounded look on her face.

But after a moment she turns, and she kneels down obediently. She scoops her hands under the man's broad shoulders, and with a straining groan she lifts him up. He is much bigger than she is, and pretty heavy. A few of the Barbin that seemed to hear Albert move to help her, one on either side of her to help with the load. A couple more Barbin move towards the man's feet to pick those up. She looks to Anne, a stupefied look still on her face. She motions Anne to the man's feet, hoping she will help also. Though Yuzuki is going to put that into the 'not likely' category. And plus… she heard Albert speak Japanese, and nothing else. So she presume she's the only one that heard his request. She can't know that his words were heard in the separate languages represented here.

And as this is happening, the Barbin slowly start to gather. They start to move the dead towards one particular area, keeping them together. And they arrange the bodies in a circle, the heads of the bodies all next to each other. They are silent as they work, more than a few Barbin off to the side letting out low and mournful wails and mewling. They arrange the bodies in two separate groups, both the same way. They arrange the bodies so they, together, resemble their interpretation of the sun. With its rays shining outwards.


Tagging: @Ms.Ezra, @Ascendant

 

[Ms.Ezra]

========================
Anne's Crew / Albert's Harem
@Camleen @Ascendant
========================
​

"This damned gash..." Anne seethed when Yuzuki came between her and the man. It would have been nothing for Anne Bonny to shoot a stranger like this to get her revenge. Before she came here. Before she saw this woman defend the cat people, and she'd not done anything against her personally. Even that moment when her blade had been at Anne's belly, that was on Anne.

"Fine. Yer prisoner, yer problem." Anne aimed her pistol up and carefully put the hammer back.

"Oi, who ya think ya are now? Givin' orders after almost makin' a run fer it?" Anne asked, indignantly while holstering her pistol once again. To her wonder though, the Barbin followed his direction as if they fully understood. Those not arranging the dead, or helping to carry their prisoner, were gathering his supplies as best they could. There was nothing akin to a chair in their village, but they did bring a long length of thick rope and a pair of the males were dragging over a heavy log behind them. Anne scoffed and grabbed the leader by the feet, telling everyone "Step aside. I have him."

The woman flexed her muscles, and effortlessly yanked the man from their grasp and dragged him from behind Albert, setting him to rest where ever the man from the future deemed it.

"There. Now what?" Anne said, throwing him onto the log face up, spitting on him.

The man stirred, and would have jumped up and started fighting again, had Anne not jumped on top of him, practically straddling him as she held his arms and legs down with her own. The man grunted, straining against her grip with a bewildered look on his painted face. (In Old Scottish) "What the hell are you? Are you a succubus? A spirit come to suck out my soul?!"

"I don't understand a damn word ya just said. Why's that?" Anne asked looking down at him. "Hurry and tie him up! I....feel....weaker." She said, her strength failing her. The Barbin quickly tied him to the log, Anne jumping off and collapsing to the ground. "Damn....bring me...that booze fruit...I feel.." She started shaking, her head going down and knees coming up. "...cold all a sudden...need my medicine."

======================
Craig's Posse
@Goodtvus @Oryx @Takashi
========================​

When Felix sought refuge in the foliage around the campground where Craig and the other Stranger met in the fire light, he would put his foot right into, of all things, a wicker basket of food. He had stepped on a hunk of fresh deer meat, but missed the odd sweet-smelling fruits within.

Whatever the origin of this basket, it would be a good token of good will should it be presented. Or by all means Felix could try to make off with it alone.

 

[Ascendant]

Albert Rhinegard

Albert looked back at Yuzuki as she spoke to him in seemingly perfect English and smiled wildly, It's real! Magic is real here! The man chuckled as he entered a hut, waiting and watching as Anne and the cat people brought the leader inside, tying him down. At Anne's words and actions, Albert merely readjusted his glasses and spoke to one of the nekos, "Bring her the basket of booze fruit. She's suffering withdrawals clearly."

What he didn't mention is how the fruit seems to act as a kind of fuel, That's very interesting. Perhaps everyone who comes here from another world has some type of ability that involves their personality or past life. Anne was clearly an alcoholic. So what is Yuzuki's ability, I wonder? Ah well, more pressing matters.

Albert looked over at one of the cat people, "What is the name of your people?" Receiving the simple answer of 'Barbin,' he was satisfied. Finally, he could speak with anyone and figure out what the hell was going on. The Barbin would surely have plenty of information, but first, Albert looked at the leader struggling in the ropes and smiled mischievously, water and cloth being brought inside the hut next to himself.

Unfortunately, the medallion did not enable Albert to hear the speaker's original language, so that couldn't be used for clues unless it was removed. Overall, the item was an enormous boon however. His body brimmed with excitement as Albert practically giggled, So many implications! So many possibilities! This world isn't some humdrum boring as fuck planet where you work like a slave for life and then die!

Finally, he slapped his hands together to get the attention of all those in the room, "First of all, anyone who has compassion for this man should probably leave. Second, this medallion is clearly a magic universal translator. Third," Albert looked at the large man, grinning widely, "tell me your name, where you came from, and what you know of this world. If you don't answer, I will motion for one of these Barbin to place this cloth upon your face and pour a small amount of water onto it." At this, Albert leaned forward, speaking almost directly to the man's face, "In my world, this is called waterboarding. It makes you feel like you're drowning, but don't worry, you should survive. Now tell me everything you know, because I know you know things. And no, she's not a succubus as far as I can tell, though they may exist here."

 

[Antiheld]

A Peace Offering?​

The glow of the fire continued to hide Felix as he moved ever closer through the brush, he'd occasionally stop to plan his next movement or to avoid making noise. His final movement was met with a soft squish under his left foot which didn't make noise but was enough for Felix to frown in disgust. Crouching even lower, he inspected the basket.

A food basket? I wonder who it belongs to, because if it belonged to either of them I imagine that they'd keep it close by, rather than behind a tree. Interesting. Felix thought to himself as he looked through the contents of the basket. The various odd fruits looked like they were still good and edible, as his foot hadn't landed on any of it. The meat had a nice imprint of his shoe, which wouldn't really affect it after it was cooked, and with how hungry he was he didn't care.

The two people in front of him continued to make him uncomfortable, especially after the cowboy put his hands up. He was unsure if the other odd person was going to attack, nor could he understand what he was saying. Judging by the statements that the cowboy made, they were both unsure of this person's intent. Felix felt that he should act but he knew that he didn't have very much leverage, nor did he have a means to defend himself from an attack.

He looked down at the basket of food once more, pondering his options. The food could be used as an offering, but the two odd people could very easily see him as the weakest and attack. Felix also wondered if he could make off with the food himself, noting that he had just gotten the hang of walking and running would be even more difficult.

Stepping out from the brush with the basket of fruits and meat in hand, Felix let out a sigh. There was a sinking feeling building in his stomach that could have been from his nerves.

"H-Hallå? Prata svenska?"(Hello? Speak Swedish?) Felix asked the two, attempting to take their attention off of each other. "Or m-maybe... speak English?" He followed up with heavily accented English which was spoken with apparent difficulty. Felix held out the basket in hopes that it would show that he meant no harm and he felt the strange force enveloping his arms as he held out the basket.

 

[Camleen]

With something of a pensive gaze, Yuzuki watches as Anne (seemingly) takes a majority of the weight herself. She is… really strong. Deceptively so. She helps the small group get the man into the hut, and that's when he starts to stir. Her eyes widen and she moves with the Barbin to get him secured, moving quickly, efficiently to make sure he's not going anywhere.

Yuzuki quickly looks to Anne as she goes down, and she moves to the woman as fast as she can. She sits on one knee next to her, one hand resting on her back, the other on her arm. She studies the woman's face, genuine concern upon hers. "Gōtō,-dōshita?" ("Bandit, what is it please?") She looks towards Albert as he speaks once more, and remembers those odd tasting fruits from before. The kind she seemed to relish. Booze? She's never heard the word…

One of the Barbin females brings a small basket of them, and Yuzuki smiles in gratitude to her. She reaches for one of the fruit, holding it up to Anne as she speaks softly. "Koko de, kore o totte kudasai." ("Here, take this please."). Anne, of course, can't understand her words. But her intentions and tone are fairly obvious.

Albert gets everyone's attention with the loud clap, and Yuzuki's brows furrow in concern as she looks towards him. Her eyes flicker to the prisoner when Albert speaks of compassion… uh oh she does not like where this is going. She looks back to Anne… the woman she would have gladly gutted not terribly long ago… and she pats her arm reassuringly as she pushes herself to her feet. Magic… he seems certain it's magic. The works of witches. Well why not. She's hip deep in yokai… Albert is talking her language well suddenly… the bandit is having some kind of withdrawal from the fruit. So why not take that extra step right off the edge of sanity and bring magic into it? Yuzuki listens carefully to Albert describe what he's going to do… and she narrows her eyes at him.

The water torture technique… is that what he's describing? She was told about it by her master. The Chinese did it extensively, apparently.

Albert seems to be enjoying this. All the more reason to stop.

("Albert.") she says in a low, firm tone, stepping towards him, her left hand grasping the top edge of the scabbard tucked into her sash. ("I do not know what passes as acceptable in whatever world you hail from") she stops a few feet behind him, her tone unwavering. ("But I will not allow you to torture this man, if that is your intent. He is our prisoner… he is my prisoner. He will be treated with dignity and respect.") She narrows her eyes at him, her head bowing down slightly. ("Do not challenge my word on this.")


Tagging: @Ms.Ezra, @Ascendant

 

[Dunruffle]

Grim sighed as the enraged mother bear charged towards him, the coward noble running away after pushing him over. Resigning himself to his fate, Grim simply wished he could have revenge on the noble who killed him. The bear tore into him with teeth and claws. For a few moments, Grim experienced terrible agony as he was ripped to shreds. Then darkness overtook him and he felt nothing.

The sound of birds chirping woke Grim, making him grumble in confusion. Sitting up, he looked at his surroundings. "Is this heaven?" He was on a small grassy patch at the base of a small mountain, the sun was high and it was warm. Patting himself for injuries, he found he was wound free. Laying next to him was all of his gear. His heavy crossbow with bolts, hatchet and knife, rope, and leather sack. He was dressed in the same hunting armor as when he died.

Thoroughly confused, Grim collected his gear and stood up. The sun shined brightly overhead causing Grim to growl in annoyance and shade his eyes. His unkempt black hair and beard gave him a wild almost feral look to anyone looking at him from afar. Suddenly an explosion echoed in the distance. Grim immediately crouched down and drew his crossbow. Having never heard an explosion before, Grim wondered if god had just smited someone. Deciding to go and check, Grim set off towards the noise.

Stalking through the forest, Grim began to sweat and huffed in annoyance. He was used to the cold climate of the north and his armor was meant to keep him warm. Now he was somewhere that was actually warm and his armor was becoming a burden. But Grim was stubborn and simply soldiered on through the woods. Occassionally he would stop and examine the ground as he came across various animal tracks. So far all the tracks looked exactly the same as they should, a relief to the hunter that at least the local game is familiar.

Coming to the edge of the forest, Grim crouched down in the shade of a tree and looked towards the road. Two women were sitting on the road and were being approached by a broad shouldered man and official looking woman. The woman in red held out a rod and began speaking in a foreign tongue making Grim furrow his brow. Deciding not to take chances, Grim simply stayed in the shade and watched. His crossbow was loaded and ready but he simply held it in his lap as he usually was not one to initiate combat unless needed. Anyone with sharp eyes could see the shadowy figure under the tree from a distance but any distinct details would be obscured unless they got closer.

@Ms.Ezra

 

[Takashi]

Once Kassim heard the foliage behind him rustling, he immediately drew his other knife and flipped the first into reverse grip, pointing it toward the noise. There were more of them? And then the man's metal contraption made a clicking noise. Kassim wasn't sure what that meant, but he was sure it wasn't exactly a welcome. Kassim was surprised though, when the man put away the... he'd have to learn the name later, and put his hands in the air. Kassim may not have understood a word he said when Craig spoke, but he did get the gesture.

Kassim's attention was redirected once more when the source of the rustling foliage stepped out and showed himself. It was a man, he couldn't have been much older than Kassim either. When the man held out a basket full of fruit, Kassim was even more confused. These men weren't hostile, it would seem. But yet again, Kassim had absolutely no idea what the man said. Kassim slowly sheathed both knives to show that he also did not want to harm them if it wasn't necessary. And then he stood and addressed both of them, or tried to at least. "Hal tatahadath alearabiat 'aw alfarsia? 'Aeni la darar 'iidha kunt la. (Do you speak Arabic or Persian? I mean no harm if you do not.)"

@Goodtvus @Oryx