this is Salem, a land filled with magic and maladies. It is a place where witches and their elemental familiars gather, a home to legend and
lore that predates time itself. Yet of all the wicked and wonderful stories the past can tell us of, the most magical are the ones yet to happen.
This is Salem - this is the start of your very own journey. Welcome to starfall
Starfall is an animaga witch roleplay set in mostly modern times. Members play as witches in a world plagued by monsters, where the only safe spots are walled cities. Starfall strives to be a character-driven roleplay with expansive lore and a highly interactive plotline. We want to allow members to
create and look back on a magical journey, and mold the site and its plot as their characters grow.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Aug 27, 2018 11:43:14 GMT
there are many ways to form first impressions. given the implications of a reputation and a rank, there are also many ways to ruin first impressions. with a bowl of popcorn on his lap and one hand absently scratching a puppy under its chin, he doesn't quite strike the respectable or imposing figure that a leviathan adept might be.
to be perfectly honest, maddox isn't quite sure what people as a whole expect of him, much less the coven. what constitutes a good leviathan witch? who knows? not him. he certainly doesn't let it bother him at this moment -- we'll burn that bridge when we come to it -- and instead, tries his best to turn his attention to the matter at hand: a meeting with an apprentice for some training. thankfully, there hadn't been any need to look for training facilities; the black widow's numerous rooms below deck would suffice just fine. a sparring room is a decidedly more informal setting than his office, and he's grateful for it.
the door creaks open just then, signalling the arrival of someone new, just as the puppy decides to scramble up and sprint for the door, barking ( squeaking ) excitedly in greeting. "goose, you can't just- goose!" the puppy, blissfully, pays him no heed. setting the popcorn aside, maddox darts after the canine, carefully scooping the puppy up before it runs out the door. "i'm, ah, really sorry about that. i've just been trying to get her used to everything so i'm taking her around and all," he says, gesturing vaguely with a hand before trailing off.
"anyway." he smiles, then, apologetic and sheepish. goose is silent now, though her eyes are bright and inquisitive, examining the stranger intently. "jelly parim, right? is there anything in particular you'd like to work on?"
She'd been waiting for this very moment for a long time.
Jelly was a proud witch of her coven, now under the title of apprentice Leviathan. She'd made a lot of mistakes when she was a fledgling, though, like when she unwittingly decided to reveal her coven to people she didn't even know about. Of course, she hasn't told anyone that anymore. Now she knows that telling others about your coven isn't allowed and you would be considered reckless.
That's just one of the things a Leviathan witch should not practice, though.
Today, she is going to learn more about how to become a good Leviathan witch, if she may say, so as a she opens the door of the S. S. Black Widow, she feels excited. Very much elated to see his trainer, that is. When she comes inside, though, she was startled by a puppy's sudden bark and voice reprimanding it. Jelly looks up and blinks, then grins in awe.
M-Maddox Rothscus, one of the adepts in the coven...!
Once Maddox speaks and addresses her name, she nods excitedly and bows in front of him. "Y-Yes, right, sir!" She stutters, then tries to face the adept again. "Uhmm... I'm not really sure, but I've always wanted to work on my spells and skills, especially the new techniques I have learned... and also some more information about how to act like a true Leviathan, sir."
...Was she supposed to talk like that in front of the adept? Oh well... at least she's going to get some more blunt answers if she's ready for it... While she may not be one to lay on stereotypes that much, Maddox has a really higher standing than her, so she'll be ready for anything that comes from his mouth if she can.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Sept 26, 2018 6:18:14 GMT
“just ‘maddox’ is fine, really,” he says, with no shortage of amusement. he understands the feeling of being face to face with someone of a superior rank, having been in such a position not too long ago, but oh boy does it feel odd being on the receiving end. he huffs out a short laugh, prays that it channels friendly vibes, before bending down to securely tie the puppy’s leash around a nearby chair leg. “you can relax, honestly. i’m uh, not big on all that formality stuff.”
( finally resigned to the fact that today will not revolve around her, the puppy settles down, head perched on paws, watching the two witches curiously. )
“techniques and skills,” he begins, straightening up. “we can work on that easily enough.” he can comfortably take a hit or two from an apprentice, no problem. he’ll probably hold off on returning any blows, though; today is about teaching jelly how to use her techniques, and they aren’t necessarily as skewed towards defense as his are.
“as for ‘acting as a true leviathan’, as you put it,” he continues, then pauses. thinks. “what exactly do you mean?” he beckons jelly towards the centre of the room, where the floor is lightly padded for sparring purposes. “like, i act in ways completely different from say, people like fane, or even percival. i need a little more to work with, here.”
he waves his hand dismissively though, almost like an afterthought. “nevermind that till later, though. first step to being a good witch -- and a good leviathan, if you would like, is to have control over your magic.” his teeth gleam bone-bright in a wicked grin, his arms spread wide.
He tells her that it's fine to call him just Maddox. Jelly nods, but wouldn't it be weird to call someone of a higher rank than you by just their name? Well, he did say he isn't into formal stuff, and she finds herself the same, so she nods anyway. "R-Right... Maddox," She says, still with a hint of formality in her voice. Jelly is more relaxed and calm as well.
Jelly watches the puppy behave from the side and she smiles and waves to it, before turning to Maddox as he starts answering to her requests. Jelly listens intently to the adept, nodding with every word, but finds herself confused about what he meant about what she means about being a true Leviathan. "W-Well..." She begins, not quite sure how to reply, "By true Leviathan I mean... well... being good as a witch in the coven perhaps..."
She does not continue her sentence further when Maddox waves his hand dismissively, telling her about control over her magic. The pinkette moves over to the center like what he gestures her to do, watching Maddox as he grins and spreads his arms.
The pinkette gulps down, nervous. What if she can't hit him correctly? Then a sudden spell comes to mind and she grins, opening her hand and letting mana surround her. Darkness suddenly engulfs the girl, butterflies surrounding the said barrier; she closes her eyes and hurls the butterflies to the adept, travelling to speeds that were fast, but not fast enough to hit him easily.
Well... maybe because she didn't want to hit him that much so she could hear what he thinks. It's not like he'll get affected that much anyway... he's stronger than her.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Nov 19, 2018 7:46:38 GMT
logically speaking, there probably is a certain type of witch that the coven would want them to strive towards. all he can think of, though, are individual traits that he can’t really help train. secrecy, for one. short of genuinely subjecting someone to unsavory conditions and drilling up resistance bit by bit, he’s pretty much at a loss for how to do that. ( it’s probably why no one’s put him in charge of actually training people. he’s terrible at it. )
there’s a moment of silence as nothing happens and he raises an eyebrow in anticipation, watching the apprentice think up a plan. and it’s a pretty decent one, as far as straightforward attacks go, as shadow coalesces into two dozen elegant wings, streaking through the air towards him. it’s not bad, per se, but there’s no real drive behind it and the force behind the technique is lacklustre. he’s pretty sure she could do better than this.
he stays perfectly still until they are but a few inches from his skin, and only then does he wave a hand and revert the mana swiftly, the darkness crumbling to ink-dark harmless smoke. “oh come on,” he says, with a hint of a laugh. “i said your best shot.”
The butterflies do not hit him, which is what Jelly had predicted; only a few seconds from impact and she sees them all dissipate into black smoke with only one wave of his hand. Jelly hears him urge her to give her best shot after all that, and at first Jelly remains stunned, standing and blinking. Left to wonder: how is she even supposed to give this man her best shot, when she knows he's already stronger than her?
But he wants the strongest hit she could do with him. Jelly does not like passing up that chance to flaunt her strength. So just as the smoke almost comes to disappear completely, a smirk forms on her face and she reaches out a hand towards him, mana surrounding the palm of her hand again. It travels toward the acolyte as quick as lightning, the shadows materializing and following where the mana will travel.
She moves her hand upward, and then to the right; the shadows then start to form a Cage of Shadows, and they are expected to trap him from within. It is much larger in width and much taller in height, bars large enough to keep him in and not let him out. Her other hand remains steady and holds the cage in place; her other hand starts collecting mana from the other side.
"This is probably the best that I have," She states, lifting the other hand slightly up. "What do you think... so far?"
She stops talking and only a smirk follows. She hears the sound of a blade slicing through the air and flying towards Maddox vertically; he would be able to avoid the axe if he was quick enough, even though it is travelling through quite high speeds.
--
- TECHNIQUE: FEAST OF THE BUTTERFLIES - TECHNIQUE: CAGE OF SHADOWS - AFFINITY: NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES, SCROLL #2
I-- I tried my best to describe how magic is performed, sorry ;_; also do tell me if I seem to be god-modding, I'll change the post right away if I do!
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Dec 15, 2018 12:02:59 GMT
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[attr="class","m1top"]
[attr="class","m1write"]
[attr="class","m1scroll"]there is a spark of something come to life — he isn’t sure what exactly he is looking for, at this moment. he knows the rothscus way to power ( of which is bloodlust, honed to the fine edge of an executioner’s axe ), but he is uncertain what works best for one jelly parim. ink-dark mana darts from her palm and streaks across the air, and he supposes he will find out.
a storm-grey gaze remains fixed on the witch’s hands, not the cage that coalesces around him. it encroaches on the corners of his vision; he doesn’t need to look at it to know that it is there. the key lies in watching the witch: their words, their hands, or their eyes — one will betray. all you have to do is look, and then you have to see.
“not bad,” he calls out, with an echoing smile. but a cage can’t just be it, can it? he waits — watches — ah. jelly falls silent, and suddenly all he hears is the shriek of an axe hurtling through the air.
again, he raises his hand and, with another brief motion, dispels the illusion. the cage, though, he leaves. curiously, he raises a hand to tap the bars. sturdy.
“see, that one was good!” there is genuine praise in his voice now as he looks up towards jelly, grinning. “the combination of affinity and element — that's always pretty handy.”
“you’re going to want to watch your cues. not that it’s important in a straightforward fight, but the thing with us is that we’re rarely that straightforward. so make use of cover, confuse your enemies, or even stun them with some good ol’ fisticuffs.” he raps a knuckle against the side of a bar. “use everything you can to your advantage.”
he pauses for a moment, awaiting any questions she may have.
Jelly expects him to block the axe attack from behind. With a move of a hand, the axe disappears, and Jelly is left staring at the weapon as it fades into oblivion. Not even attacks from behind could defeat this man... however, the cage is still there. She is still able to hold on to it. So she isn't bound to let it go now. Her arm is quivering, but she can still hold out. Just a little more. Let him speak. His comments are absolutely important.
She hears Maddox talk about the structure of the cage, even giving it a little knock. A smile is evident on the pinkette's face. Sturdy? She didn't expect that! She thought the bars would bend right when he goes to touch it. So she has improved... however, her battle attacks are not considered to be assets. Her spells did not affect Maddox from a while earlier. She has to have full control of that.
And she has to remember that not all strong witches could hold on for long. After a few moments, her arm finally falls, her other hand holding on to that arm to try ease the pain. The mana held by her palm quickly spreads out and fades out into the air. She stops a tentative groan from escaping her throat. Don't show any weakness... it has become a personal rule to herself.
Maddox speaks again and she perks her head up to listen. Cues... right. She's always been bad at that. Timing is especially not in her special skill, either. Too be honest, she's bad in all things defensive, but listening to the higher-up she finally has a reason to change her resolve. Cover, confuse, stun... it all proceeds to get stuck in her head as she listens to Maddox's lecture.
Then the room is suddenly enveloped in silence, and Jelly assumes it's her turn. She still has a lot of questions. For some reason, though... her mind suddenly drifts to her familiar, Obelisk, who is currently at home.
"I have another question!" She raises a hand, then quickly withdraws it to hold on to her tired arm again. "It's a sudden thought, but about familiars... could they conjure spells by themselves even without their witches?"
--
SPELLS/SCROLLS USED - TECHNIQUE: FEAST OF THE BUTTERFLIES - TECHNIQUE: CAGE OF SHADOWS - AFFINITY: NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES, SCROLL #2