So you want to be a zako? (RP, Mentos Edition) (1 Viewer)

[Shabaz]

Oh, I really loved these!

I hope Henchgirl29 doesn't mind this, but I'm ripping off his poor Leticia... or at least, giving her underlings.

XD

Name: Judith
Age: 19
Background: Judith was a slave, serving the secret breeding program from the nobles of Kafra: actually, she was what happened as by-product, when this program failed and resulted in a magic-less child. Her whole life, she served the likes of Leticia (of Henchgirl29). When Toxin invaded Kafra and were pressed into duty the magic students of the secret breeding program, she didn't questioned the new orders and followed, to protect her masters (and probably siblings)
Class: Soldier
Weapon: Spear


Name: Alicia
Age: 21
Background: Alicia -as Leticia- is the result of the top-secret breeding program from the nobles of Kafra. She always found insulting how Leticia had much more raw talent than her, and despite her studying, she never got to surpass what she secretly considered a rival. As she saw Leticia join Toxin army, she followed her suit, arguing that she did so to protect "that careless Leticia", but actually she secretly hoped to surpass her.
Class: Cleric
Weapon: (Holy) Flail

Name: Capricia
Age: 16
Background: A young student of the secret breeding program of Kafra to produce magic users, Capricia hated studying but loved to blow stuff with her power: after her bloodline already failed before to produce a worthy mage *cough*Judith*cough* the twisted minds behind the program where delighted by her raw power, and decided to overlook her mental instability.
Class: Mage
Weapon: Magic Staff

Name: That Elf Slave caught in a Raid
Age: Who cares, it's an elf
Background: One of the slaves taken in one of the raids to the elven villages: to try to avoid the same destiny as other of the slaves, she was quick to try to sell out and offer her services to the Great Army of Toxin. Her usefulness is yet to be tested, but hopes are low in that regard.
Class: Rogue.
Weapon: A shiv hidden in a very uncomfortable way in the litle clothes that she still have.

Spoiler: The characters

 

[Henchgirl 29]

Oh, I really loved these!

I hope Henchgirl29 doesn't mind this, but I'm ripping off his poor Leticia... or at least, giving her underlings.

XD

Name: Judith
Age: 19
Background: Judith was a slave, serving the secret breeding program from the nobles of Kafra: actually, she was what happened as by-product, when this program failed and resulted in a magic-less child. Her whole life, she served the likes of Leticia (of Henchgirl29). When Toxin invaded Kafra and were pressed into duty the magic students of the secret breeding program, she didn't questioned the new orders and followed, to protect her masters (and probably siblings)
Class: Soldier
Weapon: Spear


Name: Alicia
Age: 21
Background: Alicia -as Leticia- is the result of the top-secret breeding program from the nobles of Kafra. She always found insulting how Leticia had much more raw talent than her, and despite her studying, she never got to surpass what she secretly considered a rival. As she saw Leticia join Toxin army, she followed her suit, arguing that she did so to protect "that careless Leticia", but actually she secretly hoped to surpass her.
Class: Cleric
Weapon: (Holy) Flail

Name: Capricia
Age: 16
Background: A young student of the secret breeding program of Kafra to produce magic users, Capricia hated studying but loved to blow stuff with her power: after her bloodline already failed before to produce a worthy mage *cough*Judith*cough* the twisted minds behind the program where delighted by her raw power, and decided to overlook her mental instability.
Class: Mage
Weapon: Magic Staff

Name: That Elf Slave caught in a Raid
Age: Who cares, it's an elf
Background: One of the slaves taken in one of the raids to the elven villages: to try to avoid the same destiny as other of the slaves, she was quick to try to sell out and offer her services to the Great Army of Toxin. Her usefulness is yet to be tested, but hopes are low in that regard.
Class: Rogue.
Weapon: A shiv hidden in a very uncomfortable way in the litle clothes that she still have.

Spoiler: The characters

View attachment 97214

Hell yeah^^^ More of them >:)

 

[Mentos]

Miasma Battalion:
Soldiers: 10x Archers: 3x Rogues: 3x Mages: 3x Clerics:4x
BOSS: Marla (Dark Mage, ??/F) 50/50 (Level 10)
1: Mary (Archer, 21/F): 12/12 HP (Level 4)
2: Amanda (Soldier, Claymore 24/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3) Items: Ornate Elven Blade: +2 to Attack Rolls
3: Li Ann (Rogue, Kunais 21/F): 13/13 (Level 4) Items: Elven Daggers: +2 to Attack Rolls
4: Leticia (Cleric, Magic Staff 19/F): 8/8 HP (Level 3) (Spells: "Fireball", Heal, Barrier)
5: Tyris (Soldier, Mace 28/F): 25/25 HP (Level 4) Item Acquired: Mysterious Elven Bracelet
6: Fuzzy (Soldier, Gauntlets 18/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
7: Arastine (Soldier, Axe, Short Sword 49/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2), Items: Elven Armor, +1 to Defense Rolls
8: Asreine (Soldier, Javelins/Shield 23/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3) Item: Elven Short Spear, +1 to Attack Rolls
9: McKayla (Cleric, E. Jewelry 26/F) 8/8HP (Level 3) (Spells: Heal) Items: Elven Jewelry, +1 to Healing Spells
10: Moira (Dark Mage, Magic Staff 32/F): 9/9 HP (Level 3) (Spells: Shadow Bolt, Drain Life) Items: Elven Bracelet, +1 to Attack Rolls
11: Tamara (Soldier, Martial Arts 27/F): 15/15 (Level 2)
12: Aura (Archer, Short Bow 19/F): 6/6 HP (Level 1)
13: Terra (Rogue, Axe/Dagger 27/F): 9/9 HP (Level 2)
14: Astrid (Soldier, Fencing Rapier 20/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3), Items: Elven Armor, +1 to Defense Rolls
15: Haggia (Cleric, 19/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
16: Oola (Soldier, Barbed Whip 22/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
17: Kalla (Soldier, 2H Club 35/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
18: Zatrilla (Mage, 19/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
19: Judith (Soldier, Spear 19/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
20: Alicia (Cleric, Flail 21/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
21: Capricia (Mage, Mage Staff 16/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
22: "Kiara" (Rogue, Daggers ??/F): 7/7 HP (Level 1)
23: Rixa (Archer, Longbow 26/F) 8/8 HP (Level 2)

12x Elven Slaves acquired
4000 gold acquired

The raid on the Elven village is a partial success. Miasma Battalion has succeeded in defeating the village's defenders, however in the ensuing battle half of the village catches on fire. As a result, the Battalion is only able to salvage about half of the supplies they normally would. Though not enough to please Marla, it's at least enough to ensure she doesn't outright kill them. This time, everyone escorts the loot back to the Temple, and everyone arrives safely. Their numbers have grown, and thanks to Arastine, they've even acquired an elven ally, although her usefulness remains to be seen.

Upon arriving back, the group is surprised to see Rixa, who's reported back to Marla the whereabouts of the Elf, Shara, that lead the ambush on her party. The Elf and the runaway slaves appear to be hiding in a nearby cave, which is being hidden by some sort of magic artifact, keeping the cave out of sight of normal eyes. The runaways are holding put for a few days to regain their strength before they head back into the forest and regroup with the Elven army further deep within the forest. Marla says that it's imperative they stop those Elves before they become out of reach, and that they steal whatever artifact they're making use of. She locks the captured Elven slaves deep within the bowels of the basement of the temple, which she has been using for her experiments. What's actually going down there is anyone's guess, but you know better than to ask questions. You have your orders, and tomorrow you set out for the Elven cave.

Returning back to the temple, you suddenly miss all the raiding. The easy looting and exploitation of Elven villagers is a thing of the past, and the army returns back to their regular duties under Marla's tyranny.

The night before the raid, Mary is on sentry duty with Fuzzy at the bottom of the temple steps. The nights in the forest are cold, and Mary's misery as she patrols the upper level of the temple is compounded by being forced to listen to Fuzzy's annoying ramblings.

"Did you see me and Tamara pound that one Elf? Whoosh! Whack! She thought she could stop us with that stupid spear? No one stops the great Fuzzy and her iron fists! Hey, how many Elves have you killed so far? I'm actually starting to lose count of my kills. Maybe I'll start over?"

Mary doesn't respond, doing her best to ignore the creature. Having been raised a huntswoman, Mary is usually highly aware of her surrounds, however Fuzzy's non-stop chatting proves to be a distraction. As Fuzzy carries on her patrol, rambling and not even noticing that Mary has stopped listening, a thin razor sharp wire suddenly loops around Mary's neck. The archer lets out a quick and choked gurgle, however Fuzzy is too busy chatting to notice, and continues walking along. Mary tries to claw at her attacker's face, however this Assassin is no amateur. She kicks Mary's legs, from under her, bringing her to her knees. As Mary writhes and gurgles unintelligible noises, legs buckling uncomfortably under her body, the Assassin gives the wire one last sharp tug and breaks Mary's neck painfully, letting her fall to the ground.

"Oh you know who else is a total badass! That Arastine! Did you see what she did to that elf in that last bat-"

As Fuzzy turns around to look at Mary, a sharp throwing blade suddenly cuts into her forehead, slicing into her brain and ending her life without a sound other than her body falling to the dirt floor. The assassin grabs both bodies and piles them in a nearby bush before beginning to climb the side of the temple. (Mary and Fuzzy have died)

Upon climbing to the upper level, she finds a Cleric with what appears to be a large Orc standing guard in front of a large door. The Cleric attempts to communicate with the Orc as start up some small talk, however she finds herself being ignored. Scowling, the Cleric leaves her post and walk to the banister at the top of the Temple, unknowingly standing directly over the assassin.

As Alicia admires the view, she takes a deep sigh. She begins to wonder if following Leticia all this way was really worth it. The food sucks, no one cares about her background, guard duty is the worst, and to top it all off she's stuck with these stupid Or-

Alicia's thoughts are cut short as the Assassin, who had been hanging underneath the banister grabs her feet and pulls her off the edge. Before Alicia can scream, she's caught around the throat by the Assassin's nubile and lithe thighs. Alicia is relieved to find herself not falling. Unfortunately that relief quickly fades when she feels the Assassin's powerful thighs squeezing the life out of her. Unable to scream or reach her weapon, Alicia's throat is crushed in between the Elf's legs. Upon feeling her struggles cease, the Elf unclenches her thighs and let's Alicia fall all the way to the bottom of the temple. The time for stealth is over. (Alicia has died)

The Elf jumps over the banister and takes Kalla by surprise. Kalla lets out a battle roar and charges the Elf, raising her heavy 2 Handed Club over her head. The Elf easily dodges the clumsy swing though, and with a brutal stomp of her foot, the smaller woman easily snaps the Orc's ankle. As Kalla drops her weapon to grab her ankle in agony, the Elf thrusts a quick dagger into Kalla's backside. The Orc lets out an anguished and pathetic cry, before the Assassin then kicks her in the backside and sends her flying off the balcony edge.

Kalla's initial roar had alerted the rest of the guards, and as they had all gathered at the bottom of the temple to investigate the noise, they saw the screaming form of Kalla suddenly fall towards them. While most of the soldiers are able to jump out of the way, Leticia is unlucky enough to have 230lbs of Orc muscle drop on her head from 50 feet up. She lets out a quick scream before every bone in her body is pulverized. (Kalla and Leticia have died).

The assassin, brandishing her daggers charged into the previously guarded locked room only to be sent flying back out by a jolt of lightning. Her body collides with one of the upper level pillars before landing back on the ground, smoking.

"Honestly" said Marla, twirling her stave and walking out of the room. "Did you really think you could just walk in here and kill me? What kind of hero are you?"

As the Elf regains her footing, she launches a barrage of knife throws at Marla, however each of the, rebounds off some sort of invisible magic shield protecting the dark wizard. Marla raises her staff and another jolt of lightning strikes the elf, this time sending her tumbling down the stairs.

The Elf, now badly wounded, attempts to escape, however a lucky bow shot from Aura finds the back of her head, and the Assassin is killed mid-jump. (1 Elite Kill for Aura)

Marla orders the elf stripped and brought to her chambers. She fights back the urge to punish her guards for letting an intruder get that close to her, but she figures the corpses should suffice for enough warning. And besides, she'll need all the muscle she can get for the upcoming fight with Shara.

 

[RyonaGuy]

Wow another decimation of the zako girls until boss lady steps in! Oola and Zatrilla are shocked at how easily their de facto leader was dispatched but are more determined than ever to punish the elves for what they have done! They give Kalla a quick burial (after Zatrilla removes the large orcs fangs and adds them to her ingredients pouch.


Oola is something of a fan girl of Li Ann and proposes they train/fight together due to their acrobatic styles.


Meanwhile Zatrilla pretends to study magic while fantasizing about sitting on a helpless elfs face and using her hair as a seatbelt...


*open to some dialouge rp with any of the other zako who are willing :) *

 

[Severity]

As she charges up to the upper level, Arastine thinks of Fuzzy, and hopes that she's somehow managed to miss all the commotion, and that's why she's not here.
Arastine is the one to find the bodies. She takes Mary's corpse back to the area that is becoming a too-full graveyard, still in denial, hoping that somehow it's not Fuzzy in the bush back there, that it's someone else.
It isn't.
Arastine spends a long time hugging Fuzzy and crying. Then, slowly and carefully, she carries Fuzzy to her final resting place.
...With her eyes closed, she looks... almost... asleep. This prompts several more tears.
Arastine takes one of Fuzzy's gauntlets, and replaces her shortsword with it. She'll leave her shortsword with Fuzzy, and avenge the poor bear-girl tenfold. Arastine is now far closer the person she used to be, the person her people exiled for her litany of crimes. A being of rage and hate. Any Elf assailant had better aim for the head, because not much else will stop her now.

Arastine's rage is tempered, a bit, by help from her new... friend? Slave? The Elf she saved, named Mireille. She helps Arastine dig Fuzzy's grave, and uses her skills as a craftswoman to make a long-lasting stone tombstone for Fuzzy, complete with an engraving of a large war-bear below her name. Arastine's a bit suspicious still, but this has gone a long way towards earning her trust.

Mireille, meanwhile, doesn't really know what happened. She managed to understand that, the night the village burned, the fire was started by the raiders, which wasn't too nice of them. But then Arastine, uninvolved in setting the fires, had saved her from them, and then again saved her from whatever purpose Toxin wanted Elven slaves for. This was enough for her to be (for now) happy to help out Arastine. She decides that she'll try to convince any Elven warriors to take Arastine alive if she can, as thanks for Arastine's quite humane treatment of her.
She still gives the mages dirty looks, and especially dislikes the traitor-Elf who betrayed her own people, "Kiara". She may find a knife in her back sooner rather than later, if Mireille can get a knife.


Asreine, meanwhile, is very curious about both Elves and Orcs, and with the death of one Orc has decided to pester the other with her questions before both Orcs die.
"Is that really your natural skin? Can I touch it? Are your ears extra sensitive in... 'that way'? Can you hear better than me? Are you a child-Orc, and the big one an adult? What about the really small one? Why do you have those earrings?"
She doesn't really think that mentioning Kalla might irritate Oola, given her recent death. She's always been curious about the greater world, and in Kafra there weren't many times she could learn about non-Humans, or even other Human cultures, other than by observing the patrons of the tavern she worked at.
Since she could die any day now, why not ask away?


Also a character page for Mireille
Name: Mireille
Description: A bit shorter than most Elves due to a food shortage in her village during her growth years, Mireille's shoulder length blue hair has a distinctly... Elven texture. Her figure is, as with most elves, pretty full, and she's very glad that Arastine doesn't seem to be interested in women, since if she was, poor Mireille would be a dream come true.
Age: Early 20s, but in Elf years.
Background: A craftswoman in the second village Miasma battalion attacked, she'd recently arrived there from her own village, much further North in the forest. Nobody's really asked, though. They all seem... busy.
Class: Arastine's non-combat assistant. She will go into combat, but won't fight. She'll just... stand around near the back. With her ears very clearly out and displayed.
Weapon: None, she won't fight. Maybe a kitchen knife, if she can get her hands on one eventually.

 

[dinomoneymaiden]

No one mourned Fuzzy other than Arastine. Most people always just found her to just be an annoying loony.

Astrid spends time bullying Kiara, shoving her around and throwing elf slurs at her.Her hate of elves being subconsciously amplified after the death of Nia.

Tyris spends time with Oola. Turns out orcs make fantastic drinking buddies. Li Ann seemed as disinterested in the bracelets Tyris found as Tyris herself did and said to "give them to someone else," so Tyris decided Oola was the best bet. "Here, Li Ann said to give these away and I'm sure she'd like you to have them," Tyris said to convince her.

Hell yeah^^^ More of them >:)

That sure didn't age well! lol
Edit: Well I guess there's still Shab's two others and that's more than one but umm... shut up. I no math good.

 

[RyonaGuy]

No one mourned Fuzzy other than Arastine. Most people always just found her to just be an annoying loony.

Astrid spends time bullying Kiara, shoving her around and throwing elf slurs at her.Her hate of elves being subconsciously amplified after the death of Nia.

Tyris spends time with Oola. Turns out orcs make fantastic drinking buddies. Li Ann seemed as disinterested in the bracelets Tyris found as Tyris herself did and said to "give them to someone else," so Tyris decided Oola was the best bet. "Here, Li Ann said to give these away and I'm sure she'd like you to have them," Tyris said to convince her.


That sure didn't age well! lol
Edit: Well I guess there's still Shab's two others and that's more than one but umm... shut up. I no math good.

Oola gets on well with Tyris she is impressed too this girl drinks like a greenskin!!! Their friendship is cemented by Tyrris' gift, *Oola considers herself in Tyris" debt* this is not something orcs take lightly and it appears tyris is quickly filling the Kalla shaped void in Oolas heart


Despite Oola not paying much attention to asreine, Zatrrilla is enthralled by her, she is delighted that someone is paying soo much attention to her and does not hesitate to strip naked when Asreine enquires about touching her skin.


With their new found friends Kalla isnt being mourned by the green girls at all

 

[Gunsmith12]

Gonna submit a character finally. I'm pretty busy lately with real life and getting things together for my own game thread zako writing thread, so I'm shamelessly recycling.
Please welcome Aria again, joining the dark mage's army because she was imprisoned by the elves for trying to drug their prince with love potion! She managed to escape prison and is joining with Marla to try and eliminate all trace of her crimes. She can brew all kinds of contraband, poisons, truth drugs, narcotics, or her specialty, love potions!
Her worst fear is getting drugged with her own love potion, getting stuck in a loop where she willfully drugs herself out of love for whoever she's fallen for.
EDIT: She's a cleric, I probably should have mentioned that. She heals people by throwing glass bottles at their head.

Spoiler: Old kisekae pic

 

[dinomoneymaiden]

getting things together for my own game thread zako writing thread,

Ha, funny, but just in case you are I wanted assure you not to feel bummed about your thread becoming more of writing thread than a full on RP game thing due to the activity, because it's still a great thread, just in a different way.

 

[Shabaz]

Ah! Truly it is the Curse of "Paired" characters! I tried to pair mine to Henchgirl29, and resulted in dying both characters XD It will be up to Judith to bury Leticia and Alicia!

 

[Zanduras]

Ill toss one into the mix just for fun, not a ton of time so just going to keep it to one for now.


Name: "Red"
Age: ?
Background: One day Red just appeared in Marla's camp, like she had been there all along... maybe she had and had just blended into the background. Surely though you would have noticed her raven black hair, bright red highlights, and a deep reddish gash running down her face from some long previous encounter? You could not quite place her age but for some reason she looked younger. She talked little and nothing about herself, the only conversation she ever made was to answer pointed questions from superiors. Red wasn't even her real name it was just what everyone started calling her due to her hair and scar...

Red seems to want something however, and she moves with purpose; though what she wants is only known to her...

What will Red's ultimate fate be? More scars, a gruesome death, or will she just fade away into the background again?

Only time will tell.

Class: Rogue
Weapon: Dual Baselards

Spoiler

 

[ViridianShine]

Like the other guards further down the parameter, Aura only showed up in time to see a body fall, some lightning being cast, and what appeared to be their assailant tumbling down the long flight of stairs leading up to the temple.

The battle is over already! Good, I can just stand-by, then.

"She's wounded!"

"Quick, rush her!"

Voices began perking up around her, some battle cries, and random orc noises. Everyone seemed giddy at charging at an enemy that was already dying or half dead.

Or...maybe they were afraid of Marla?

Aura cursed her bad luck. Surely, there was a chance Marla could just see her, idling around as everyone else nearby ran in blood-crazed to get the kill on their single wounded enemy. Aura looked down at her arm carrying her bow, and held it upright, reading an arrow as she did.

Just one shot. I'll just...shoot it over her head. I can do at least that, right?

The elf had already leapt to her feet and began to dart away. The other rangers had already fired their arrows, some barely grazing the assassin, and some just hitting the ground beside her. They were really close, but Aura didn't need to do such a thing. If she ever killed an elf, it was self-defense, or she had to.

So Aura did what she needed to do, and fired the arrow way high above the fleeing elf.

Until the elf leapt over a soldier in the way. Right into the path of her arrow.

Aura visibly cringed, standing in shock as her arrow pierced through the assassins skull. And with a thud, she dropped from her height and died without another noise.

"Great shot!"

"Wow, nice one!"

"...That hit?"

Voices began surrounding her again, as Aura just stood in place, dumbfounded and stunned. She began mumbling "no" under her breath, over and over, as she just stared at where she fired her bow.

"...Good job," McKayla's voice came from behind Aura, as she casually strolled in front of the girl, "you're getting better at this aren't you, elf killer? I knew you had it in you. What's that now, two?"

"No, I-I...no...no..."

 

[Skinny73]

Moira doesn't miss the exchange between Aura and McKayla, or the look of distress on Aura's face. Godsdammit, the last thing this rabble needs is for one of us to have a nervous breakdown in the middle of combat--or worse, in front of Marla. After McKayla leaves, Moira takes Aura aside. "Hey, look at me." The archer doesn't respond, until Moira grabs her by the shoulders. "Look at me!" Slowly, Aura looks up until her wide green eyes meet the mage's violet ones. "You did what you had to do, okay?"

"What?" Aura shakes her head slightly. "B-but, she was r-running away."

"Yes, after killing five of us! That could be you and me over there with broken necks, instead of Mary and Alicia. And gods only know what Marla would have done if that bitch had gotten away," Moira rubs the smaller woman's bare shoulders in what she hopes is a soothing way. "So, repeat after me: 'I did what I had to do.'

"I... I did w-what I had t-to do," Aura stammers.

"Again. Like you mean it this time."

"I-I did what I had to do."

"Louder!"

"I did what I had to do!" Aura half-shouts. Moira nods.

"Good." Moira looks over Aura's shoulder. Now that the commotion was over, the rest of Miasma battalion was wandering off or returning to their posts. Marla's guards had finished stripping the assassin and were now carrying her corpse off to Marla's chambers; Moira figures it would be better for the archer's state of mind if she didn't see that. Once she returns her attention to Aura, Moira suddenly realizes the green-haired young woman is actually quite attractive. She has a slim, athletic body and a cute, heart-shaped face. Well, why not? She's pretty enough. And gods only know if either of us will survive the next battle. Like you said, it could be you and her lying dead over there. Moira smiles. "Listen, Aura... I don't think we'll be needed for anything else tonight. Why don't we head back up to my room? We can share a bottle of Elven wine and... maybe I can help you take your mind off things?" Moira begins to caress Aura's hair, but stops when the young archer flinches. "Or, we can just share a bottle of wine," Moira adds quickly. "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. Promise." Moira smiles again. "Soooo... what do you say?"

 

[Henchgirl 29]

What a humiliating end for Leticia, doesnt matter how powerful you are when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time (and when you're an ultimately disposable zako) >:).... so much for there being more of them lol

Spoiler: Leticia's Fate (kisekae)

Li Ann decides to start training with Oola... despite their differences it seems that both have things they could teach to each other.

 

[ViridianShine]

Distracted by her previous actions, she didn't realize her new emerging predicament until it had reared its head right in front of her. Now, with the red-dressed mage looming over her body, Aura began to shrink away as her heart sounded inside her ears.

"I-I d-don't-" she wanted to keep speaking, but something about Moira's mere presence completely enveloped her. The bright red of her outfit completely taking over Aura's vision.

If that wicked cleric McKayla was a God, messing around and having fun, then Moira nearly felt like the devil herself. And for her own safety, she couldn't refuse that.

Why do I...keep ending up like this...?

Aura nodded slowly, "I-I'll...go with you. To your room."

===

McKayla stood under the dark shadow of a tree nearby cross-armed, watching Aura leave together with Moira. She shook her head. Would that girl find an ally to out her second face? Or perhaps another had found her prey as delectable as she did. It already bothered McKayla enough that the mage likely caught her speaking inappropriately.

"Moira, huh? Hmph, perhaps this will be interesting..."

 

[Skinny73]

At first, Moira thought it was a mistake to invite Aura up to her room. The young archer sat stiff as a marble statue on Moira’s bed, with a white-knuckle grip on her wineglass, while Moira did all the talking. Every once in awhile, Moira managed to coax her into taking a sip, or giving a monosyllabic response to a question or statement. But for the most part, the green haired young woman just listened as Moira talked about herself (her favorite subject, admittedly), the campaign, their compatriots, the finer points of dark magic and some of its more obscure applications, or whatever else popped into her head. Moira talked a little of the Elves, but soon dropped the subject after she realized it seemed to make Aura even more uncomfortable than she already was.

After over an hour, Aura evidently decided Moira was not in fact going to brutally murder her and hide the corpse in her closet. She began to loosen up, allowed Moira to pour her a second glass of wine, and even chuckled a bit at one of Moira’s hideously tacky jokes. Moira smiled and moved to sit next to Aura on the bed, leaving a small gap so as not to crowd her. “See? This isn’t so bad, is it? A little wine, pleasant company… All that’s missing is the lively music, and we would have the makings of a good dance. And by “we,” I mean “you.” I was blessed with two left feet and the rhythm of a drunken goose, so I mostly like to watch.”

Aura laughed this time, a good belly laugh that cut off when an elven slave entered the room—without knocking, Moira noted with annoyance. Some people just have no sense of propriety, she thought. “Here’s your laundry, milady,” the elven maiden said as she dumped Moira’s spare gowns and other articles on her dresser. If not for her present company, Moira would have taken great pleasure in… chastising the pretty slave for her rudeness. But, conscious of Aura’s sensitivities, Moira decided to indulge her other great pleasure: sarcasm. “Oh, thank you ever so much,” she said, honey-sweet, to the elf’s back as she turned to leave. “Just put them anywhere, I’ll take care of it.”

After the elf left, Moira returned her attention to Aura. The green-haired archer was subdued again, eyes on her wineglass. Moira swirled the wine within her own cup around for a moment. “So, how long did you live among the elves?”

Aura looked up sharply, her eyes going wide. “What?! H-how did you…”

Moira shrugged. “Wasn’t all that hard to figure out. After the raid on Mythra, you were just there, all of a sudden. No one could recall seeing you before, except McKayla.”

The mere mention of the strange cleric seemed to make Aura wilt, before she turned her attention back to the wine in her glass. Moira pretended not to notice. “McKayla found me. Hiding, during the looting after… after the raid. She… said I’d be okay if I just did what she said.”

“You must be very grateful to her,” Moira remarked. “Sticking her neck out like that, for you.” Aura nodded jerkily, before taking a long swig of wine, draining her glass. Moira scooted closer, closing the space between her and Aura, and lowered her voice. “Or perhaps, you’re feeling less grateful now? Now that you know what McKayla really is?”

Aura looked up, her eyes wide and fearful. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t have to. Her reaction alone confirmed what Moira had started to suspect: skilled healer or not, McKayla had a dark side to her. Can’t really begrudge her that, Moira thought to herself. We all have our little… indulgences, after all. Still, it was always nice to know who could be trusted. Moira raised a single finger to her lips, and then pressed it against Aura’s lips. “Shhh…” She smiled. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Moira caressed Aura’s hair, and this time the archer didn’t flinch away. She slid her hand through Aura’s forest-green curls and around to the back of her neck. Then Moira pulled her close, until their lips met…

 

[Mentos]

Miasma Battalion:
Mission 4: Assault on the Elven Cave
Difficulty: 2/5
Soldiers: 8x Archers: 2x Rogues: 4x Mages: 3x Clerics: 3x
BOSS: Marla (Dark Mage, ??/F) 50/50 (Level 10)
1: Amanda (Soldier, Claymore 24/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3) Items: Ornate Elven Blade: +2 to Attack Rolls
2: Li Ann (Rogue, Kunais 21/F): 13/13 (Level 4) Items: Elven Daggers: +2 to Attack Rolls, Mysterious Elven Bracelet
3: Tyris (Soldier, Mace 28/F): 25/25 HP (Level 4)
4: Arastine (Soldier, Axe, Short Sword 49/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2), Items: Elven Armor, +1 to Defense Rolls
5: Asreine (Soldier, Javelins/Shield 23/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3) Item: Elven Short Spear, +1 to Attack Rolls
6: McKayla (Cleric, E. Jewelry 26/F) 8/8HP (Level 3) (Spells: Heal) Items: Elven Jewelry, +1 to Healing Spells
7: Moira (Dark Mage, Magic Staff 32/F): 9/9 HP (Level 3) (Spells: Shadow Bolt, Drain Life) Items: Elven Bracelet, +1 to Attack Rolls
8: Tamara (Soldier, Martial Arts 27/F): 15/15 (Level 2)
9: Aura (Archer, Short Bow 19/F): 10/10 HP (Level 4) Item Acquired: Black Bow, +3 to Attack Rolls
10: Terra (Rogue, Axe/Dagger 27/F): 9/9 HP (Level 2)
11: Astrid (Soldier, Fencing Rapier 20/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3), Items: Elven Armor, +1 to Defense Rolls
12: Haggia (Cleric, 19/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
13: Oola (Soldier, Barbed Whip 22/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
14: Zatrilla (Mage, 19/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1) (Spell: Fireball)
15: Judith (Soldier, Spear 19/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
16: Capricia (Mage, Mage Staff 16/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1) (Spell: Fireball)
17: "Kiara" (Rogue, Daggers ??/F): 7/7 HP (Level 1)
18: Rixa (Archer, Longbow 26/F) 8/8 HP (Level 2)
19: Aria (Cleric, Poisons) 5/5 HP (Level 1)
20: Red (Rogue, Baselards) 7/7 HP (Level 1)

The Elf Assassin is brought to Marla's chambers. Rumors begin to circulate as to what the dark mage would want the corpse for. While no one has any evidence, there are rumors going around camp that what appeared to be some of the Elves who for sure had died during the temple siege had been seen wandering around the camp. These rumors were quickly dismissed with a nervous laugh though. Summoning the dead? There's no way Marla had that type of power...

In a rare display of Marla showing any positive emotions to anyone, she bestows upon Aura a Black Bow, as a token of appreciation for her excellent shot on the Assasin. The young girl looks dismayed, but before she can protest, Moira puts a hand over her mouth

One thing was for certain, between the caravan ambush and the failed assassination attempt, these elves were beginning to become quite the nuisance. Marla, having had enough sitting around and waiting to have her soldiers killed, wanted to launch another offensive strike. Fortunately, Rixa had returned back to the village and tipped her off to the location of not only where the missing supplies and slaves went, but the Elven Ranger who had done the deed. As an added bonus, said Ranger seemed to be in possession of an Artifact that concealed their location to most people. Most people not including a keen Archer such as Rixa who lived in this forest the majority of her life.

The Elven Ranger, Shara, was holed up in a cave along with the runaway slaves. The cave was hidden by what appeared to be a waterfall, but was no more than silly Elvish magic. Rixa swore on her life that this waterfall was never there before, and this is where she happened to lose sight of the Elves. She leads Miasma Battalion to the sight of the waterfall. Marla, who before this had been preoccupied with whatever experimentation she was conducting on the slaves, has decided to accompany the group. Her presence adds an extra layer of tension to everyone. While Shara single-handedly killed six of them, it's hard to say whether they fear her or Marla more.

The group arrives to the location of the Waterfall, with Rixa leading them.

"This is it. The tracks end here, that waterfall isn't as it appears." says Rixa

Marla, who had stayed close to her the entire time, studies the archer, her plague mask concealing any facial cues.

"For your sake I hope you're right. Do you know what happens when I rip a soul out Rixa? It means you can never move on to the afterlife. You belong to me for eternity, my plaything to torment and do as I please. You'd suffer untol-"

Marla is suddenly cut off from her tirade, and she suddenly shifts her focus on the "waterfall."

"Hehehehe...it seems you're in luck girl. You'll get to avoid this fate...at least for today".

Marla claps her hands, and with a dark cloud, the waterfall vanishes, leaving an ornate vase in its place and revealing a cave with a wide opening. Yelps and panicked noises can be heard within, with the sound of arms being drawn.

"It looks like they're ready for us to go charging in..." says Asreine, though without much enthusiasm. The prospect of raiding a dark cave with a homicidal ranger inside holds very little appeal for anyone present.

"Hmm...it's awfully dreary in there, no? Perhaps our new friends would rather come join us out here? Terra! Grab me that vase. You mages, throw your fireballs into that cave!"

As two Fireballs from Zatrilla and Capricia go flying over her head and into the cave, Terra quickly retrieves the vase, and runs back to hide behind Marla before any wayward arrows can catch her.

Smoke begins to bellow from the cave, and it's not long before the slaves start pouring out, along with Shara. Of the 10 slaves that had escaped originally, only 7 make it out of the cave, with 3 burning to death. (3 Kills for Zatrilla and Capricia)

"So! You're Shara?!" says Marla, cradling the Artifact that Terra retrieved for her. "A little birdie told me you had been looking for me? I hope you don't mind if I brought some friends along?" giggled Marla.

vs
7 Elf Slaves (10/10 HP)
Shara (Ranger, Bone Longbow) (50/50 HP) Level 7

The slaves, some of which are clad in the gear they'd stripped from the fallen Miasma Battalion members, are dismayed at the current predicament. Most try to drop their weapons and plead for mercy, however they'd come to the wrong place for that. Arasteine punches one girl into her stomach so hard she plants her directly into the ground, snapping her spine (1 Kill for Arasteine). Judith runs another through with her spear, impaling her (1 Kill for Judith). Two Elves try and rush the party, however Tamara quickly appears in front of one, grabs her neck, and with a sharp twist and a quick plea for mercy, Tamara snaps her neck. (1 Kill for Tamara) The other Elf has her dagger expertly parried by Astrid, and is the run through (1 Kill for Astrid)

The remaining three elves, attempt to escape. One is shot down by Rixa once her back is turned (1 Kill for Rixa). Another is intercepted by Red, who kills her with a quick flurry of stabs until she drops dead (1 Kill for Red). The final elf finds a whip tangle around her neck mid flight. She's dragged back by Oola, kicking and writhing in the dirt. She tried to remove the whip from her neck, however Oola firmly plants her foot on the poor girl's neck, and breaks it. (1 Kill for Oola)

Shara is helpless to save anyone as she finds her self surrounded by the more experienced members of the Battalion. She attempts to get a shot off at Marla but finds Li Ann, Terra and Tyris assaulting her with a flurry of melee blows, that she's only partially able to block with her long bow (-15 HP Shara). Amanda misses a swing with her sword and receives a boot to the stomach, knocking her over. Shara swings her longbow, shattering Li Ann's right arm. Terra's ribs and Tyris's nose, sending the three girls flying. Before she can recover, an arrow from Aura hits her in the leg (-10 HP). Shara turns her attention to the timid girl, making her elicit a scream and drop her brand new Black Bow. She takes aim, however the shot doesn't even make it more than a few inches as her strength begins to be sapped by Moira's Drain Life spell (-5 HP).

Shara attempts to back away and retreat, however she finds herself surrounded by Amanda, Li Ann, Terra and Tyris, all of whom had their wounds healed by the Clerics. They quickly disarm her and force her to the ground while the rest of the battalion cleans up the area.

"Go ahead and kill me you bitch!" screams Shara. "I may fall, but there are Elves even stronger than me in this forest, and they'll all be coming for you!"

"Hmm? You say something?" says Marla, admiring her newly collected prize. "Honestly I just came for this thing, whatever it is. I don't really care what happens to you." She quickly bonks Shara on the nose with her boot before walking off

"Excellent work, Rixa dear. I'll leave her fate to you. Hurry up though. I'd like to be back to my chambers before sundown!"

Choice for Rixa:
You walk towards Shara. She's completely unrecognizable from your first encounter. The proud, strong Elvish warrior lays in the dirt, batter and bloodied, your fellow soldiers mocking and jeering at her. You pick up her Bone Longbow, admiring it. The weapon is yours now. Every fiber of your being wants to kill her for what she did to Sylvia. However, Shara did spare your life. What should you do?
A: Kill Shara
B: Ask Marla to torture her
C: Ask Marla to spare her (you'd better have a good reason)
D: Write-in option

Group Choice:
Whatever experimentation Marla is working on has been keeping her busy, and she doesn't have time to babysit everyone. She wants to select a Lieutenant to serve as her right hand woman and guide the rest of the Battalion in her absence. She leaves it up to the group to decide who it should be. Whether they win by voting or brute force she doesn't care, but she wants a name soon. Certain soldiers believe they are more suited for leadership than others, and some are certainly more qualified. Who should the "lucky" soldier be though...?
A) Amanda
B) Tyris
C) Arastine
D) Moira
E) Astrid
F) Write-in option

(Whoever is chosen for Lieutenant will give the group a buff depending on their backstory and class. Choose wisely!!)

 

[Zanduras]

Red looks around and bends over the corpse that she has created. Carefully Red wipes her blade off on the slave's rags and then reapplies a substance to them when she sees that no one is looking.

Red then steals a long glance at the object that has been brought out of the cave by Marla and a very imperceptible smile creeps onto her face while her eyes stare at it hungrily.

Red quickly searches her kill for any valuables, making sure to search those... special places... that only fools would think would be safe from a proper search.

She then stands up and waits to see which way the wind is blowing for leadership... she will court that power that will assist her in getting closer to Marla and her ultimate goal...

 

[Severity]

After the fighting is over, Asreine decides to check the cave for any possible valuables. While walking over, she's glad that she didn't end up using any of her javelins. She sees the faces of the two elves she's killed in her sleep, and the things they say aren't getting nicer.
Quickly, she returns, and vomits near a bush. She's not used to this whole thing yet, and charred corpses are just a bit too much for her right now.
After she recovers, she pointedly avoids looking at any of the dead elves and seems more subdued than normal. Once they return to camp she's unable to look any elves in the eyes.
She seems very effected by the events of the day, though it's not clear quite how. Time will tell whether or not she recovers from this.

Arastine, hoping for a friend for Mireille, tries to hit one of the fleeing elves in the stomach. Unfortunately, she's not used to having Fuzzy's gauntlet on her left hand in place of her shortsword, so her punch ends up killing the poor elf.
At least it was quick, thinks Arastine, her brown eyes flitting down to the dead elf. She decides to not mention most of what happens here Mireille, who would probably take it... poorly.
She has little interest in becoming a lieutenant. She'd be fine with becoming the Miasma Battalion counselor/team mom, but doesn't want to make any leadership calls. That's not the sort of thing she does well, and she tells anyone who brings up the subject just that.

Mireille is very uneasy as the battalion leaves on their mission. All the slaves, including her, have been locked up before the invaders left.
'I want to be free, but... what if the others think I'm a traitor? What if they... think I....'
Doubt and worry runs through her mind. She doesn't know what to hope for.
'Maybe, if the tall woman... Arasteine? Maybe if she's only taken prisoner...'
She gets to thinking about Arastine.
'I... I'm lucky she saved me. If she hadn't... or if someone else had... I'd...
Everything that's happened... it starts to sink in. That she's a slave. To a strange woman. In an evil army. She begins to cry. Hard.
She begins to hope for Arastine's return, if only to have someone to talk to. Telling her about all this... If she's beaten or killed, then she'll be free from her isolation, free from this lonely misery. If Arastine understands, maybe she'll be released...

Also I'd like to add another combat character, is that OK?

 

[RyonaGuy]

(Wow another great addition! Thanks Mentos)

My greenskin girls are delighted at their first kills (escecially zatrilla who has never been in battle before) The 3 foot goblin girl squeaks in delight at the carnage she and her allies have caused. Zatrilla uses her small stature to search the hidden nooks and crannies of the cave after she has done this she makes it a point to approach her fellow teen mage Capricia "nice work!" Exclaims Zatrilla as she offers her hand out to Capricia "I love the smell of charred elf in the morning" she giggled as as reaches up an slaps Capricias butt playfully.


Oola untangles her whip from her victims neck and grins at her handiwork she sits down and admires the scenes before her the chaos and disarray is all the reward she needs. She winks at her little goblin pal Zatrilla who is no longer a 'battle virgin'



As for the new lieutenant the greenskin girls put their vote in for Moira, having seen what a skilled dark mage is capable of first hand!