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 heath ambroise on Dec 12, 2017 22:35:17 GMT
“Boxing.” Heath asserts. “Fencing isn’t common where I come from.” He keenly remembers thinking of fencing as something rich children in books did to pass the time. Maybe he’s stumbled into that story as the unfortunate dummy. It’s fitting though; he’s been nothing but clueless since he moved to Sundial. He looks over at the boar, stunned for a moment at it’s size before looking up at the witch. He quirks a nervously smile as she declares dibbs on next. Haha, fuck that. Milo is already bad enough. Just looking at his opponent was enough to get the feeling he had agreed too quickly to this. Even on the microscopic chance he won, he really didn’t want to. Claire looked just as tough as the other guy. “Sure, this should be quick.” Realistically speaking, he was either about to sit down in the next 30 seconds or lose a finger. Either way it'd end quick for him.
It just depended on how fucked up this was going to be in the end. ‘You’re being pessimistic.’ Sinclair calls unhelpfully inside his head. “I’m realistic.” Heath returns, though it’s nothing louder than a mumble. He just didn’t want to lose a finger ok? There was nothing wrong with accepting realities and being cautious. Milo is ready it seems. Heath inhales a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he prepares for the match. This was a learning experience. He’d never have any practicality for the sword in his life, but it was always good to try new things. Right? He held the sword up, his grip on the handle tight. “Yeah-” There was a flash and all he saw was the sword coming at him. Heath’s heart suddenly bursts with panicked adrenaline and he instinctively moves back from the thrust. His eyes were wide, and his breathing had practically stopped. His only consolation at the moment was there was no one he really knew watching on, and so he wouldn't have to hear about any ungraceful or embarrassing moves later.
‘Move in.’ Sinclair demands as the witch stands there for a second to long. The blonde moves accordingly and makes a horizontal slash against his opponent. Sinclair on vaguely wishing his witch could have left him a few sugar cubes before going into a one-sided fight.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Dec 14, 2017 15:09:52 GMT
“trevil, probably,” comes his companion’s reply, and maddox is inclined to agree. the spar holds a political undertone, as every conversation ultimately does; a statement of power and place behind every action. he supposes he ought to get used to it, recent developments in ranking for his own coven and all ( and he is fairly certain that leviathan is even less tolerant of any defiance than the knights -- one may have a shining reputation to protect, the other, less so ).
his attention lulls, and in that moment he concedes idly, “okay. you’re not a vampire.” his face settles into a mask of neutrality, a twitch of the lips thinly veiled. “you’re definitely something worse.”
in the ring, crimson flames fan out against a barrier, angry and red and inexplicably frozen in time. say what you may about their intentions and pompousness, but it is considerably more difficult to deny their skill at magic. the duel is a showcase of their affinities and elements alike, a scarlet and gold whirlwind encased within walls that, despite its apparent grandiosity, suddenly seem suffocatingly small. he wonders what an all-out fight between witches of such calibre would look like; he decides, quite promptly, that he currently values his life a little too fondly to want to bear witness to such an act. a dagger may have a name etched into its blade, but fireballs were more of ‘to whom it may concern’.
as he watches, once more alert and intent despite himself, there is a subtle shift in the ring. perhaps he had imagined it? a statue comes to life as he watches, stone-grey flickering a vivid green as it does, and maddox is all too suddenly reminded of a particular unsavoury dream ( if it could even be called that ). still, and perhaps this is through the gaze of a maudlin idealist ( and he has never claimed to be otherwise ), but the duel gains a subtle hint of the unexpected, spontaneous spirit of an actual fight. “i think,” he murmurs, a smile making its way back onto his features, “that wasn’t part of their agreement.”
Post by claire fermont on Dec 17, 2017 6:05:35 GMT
"Well, you wouldn't back down anyway, would you?" Claire lightly teases her fellow novice. Oh, but she must correct herself. Milo does take a step back if it is in the best of the intentions. As much as he is headstrong, he knows his priorities. Milo is ready, and Claire hopes that the other guy feels the same, too.
"Do your best," Claire says at the blond. "Charge for the experience."
Claire steps back to give the competitors adequate space. As Claire watches, she begins planning for her moves for in the next fight. Her arsenal is quite packed for a witch of her caliber, but she must admit it is still lacking. She has heard of the many enchantment and augmentation scrolls out there, stacked inside some dusty library. She knows the name, but not the content, and how Claire wishes she can study everything in one night and be good at it the next day.
Swords, huh, Claire muses. Unfortunately she does not have the way of the sword--all she has is brute strength. Charging head-on, never looking back. Why she chose to practice enchantment is to aid that fighting style. Something to undermine them while someone is barreling towards them. With someone as flexible as Milo, Claire figures the Criss Crosser Jinx would work well on him. He has complete control over his body. It would sure be a surprise if he suddenly finds himself facing a direction his mind did not dictate.
But just messing with his movements would not be enough to defeat Milo. To fight him on something he is skilled upon, she, too, must know it. A perfect decoy would be the Automation Charm... though perfecting it would quite a feat, especially if it's casted upon something as complex as a sword. It would the perfect decoy, something to rattle him.
If Milo still manages to get to her--which he most probably can do--then Claire must stand her ground. Her mind shifts to the idea of Augmentation--Claustra to be exact. Skeletal Augment would be quite useful, though Claire can't exactly tell their difference.
It's petty, yes. It's dirty and deceiving, definitely. But what needs to be done must be done.
Well, if Claire knows them. Without them, however...
Guess she'll have to invite the stranger for their grieving loss.
[attr="class","gearcore"] "Hah! Only if they let me join," Zeph mirrors Ling's concern, "Some'd consider usin' any kind o' magical item that ain't a wand as cheatin', but that'd make it a struggle for me just t' move around." He taps the side of one of his thighs covered by a metal plate from his prosthetic to highlight his predicament. There was also, of course, the issue of his coven sponsor (or, more accurately, his lack thereof). Sometimes having only an occupational witch license just didn't cut it.
Before Zeph could say any more on the subject, they were interrupted by a young witch. Turning to face him, Zeph was struck by a vague recognition, as he felt they'd met at least once before. No name came to mind, however, though the place of their meeting sprung to mind as Ling offered for him to sit down. "Ah! We'd met briefly goin' into the southern forests t' go after that streak in th' sky, yeh? How've you been holdin' up? I know it got a bit more dangerous than we'd been intendin'..." From his shoulder, Spock offers a friendly wave. In the back of their shared mind, however, they note that this almost-stranger is very likely a Knight. Zeph had been able to account for the Leviathans, Jesters, and at least two Silvers during that excursion; the Helios Knights were the only ones he'd been wholly unfamiliar with.
"Man, b'tween pranks n' near death experiences, we're just two terrors, huh?" Zeph notes to Ling. In addition to the aforementioned events, Zeph had done his fair share of pranks, and Ling had probably made more than a few witches fear for their lives with one of her (unintentionally) exploding runes. It was a shame most of their magic was reliant on preparation -- something not at all conducive to competitive dueling.
[attr="class","lucystars"]“surely, some of it is,” he responds lightly to his companion’s musings. “i doubt they would let something this important go completely without some guidance.” it would be an unwise decision to go about anything vaguely important without a plan, he supposes in a brilliant moment of ‘do as i say and not as i do’, not when an entire coven’s reputation is being held at risk. it teeters on the edge of a cliff, on the cusp between falling and not-falling -- though perhaps, for them, there is a safety net at the bottom. a luxury that others may not be able to afford.[break][break]
the duellists continue in technicolour brilliance, shining examples of the magical prowess and endurance that they have to offer. ninos is unfamiliar with both transfiguration and summoning in practice ( frankly, he has little experience with most magic in practice, even his own, mainly out of a self-imposed lack of practice ), but it does little to bar appreciation. there is little room for anything else -- shephard’s sudden attack, flames licking at an invisible barrier, has him abruptly reminded of alchemist everhart’s notoriously fickle concoction flask of flame, though what he thinks of is admittedly for defensive purposes. [break][break]
idle consideration leads him to the idea of potentially taking up transfiguration. a reality check as the witches whirl away for another attack: he can hardly deal with his own affinity at an elementary level let alone another as complicated as transfiguration, too preoccupied by errant memories running rampant in his mind to muster up any real focus.[break][break]
in the ring below, a statue is animated; the transfigurer’s handiwork is larger than life, with flickering viridescent eyes, but he is more intrigued by trevil’s response. a summoning circle glows bright beneath her feet. in the breath between her preparation and attack, an archer priming for a shot, he asks, “what do you think that is?”[break][break]
SCROLLS MENTIONED: EVERHART’S ELIXIRS #2: FLASK OF ENDURANCE /[break] EVERHART’S ELIXIRS #6: FLASK OF FLAME
Post by percival grayreme on Dec 19, 2017 3:52:29 GMT
[attr="class","percy"]
[attr="class","percy2"]
[attr="class","percy3"]
[attr="class","percy4"]
@no one in particular scrolls mentioned: Scrollbook, A Subtle Touch
[attr="class","kikan"]
“
The explosion jolts Percy out of his reverie.
He withdraws his gaze from the sky to the scene below. It looks like Rowvenna and Medeia is having a showdown. Suddenly the sky is engulfed in flames, fading, then burning again. Familiars clash, spells collide, the competitors' eyes calm and ease. Percy could see the expertise in both of the witches.
While Percy could not care less about the fight--it is nothing of excitement, considering that this is all a show and not a fight to death--but he decides to make the most out of it by simply observing.
Up until now he has not considered his second affinity. Novice seems so far away as a fledgling, but now that he is one, the time spent actually seems so short. Now he's at a loss. Where to go from here? Novice is such a huge milestone, now Percy is unsure what to make of it now that he's reached it. It isn't as fulfilling as he thought it would be.
He considers specialising solely on illusion. But he worries his arsenal would be too limited if he only focuses on his current affinity. Illusion is hardly an offensive ability. When he would have to be up with stronger witches he worries he would wither out with only deception in his sleeves. If all goes naught, then he'd just have to rely to Seraph for offense.
Percy recounts some of illusion's scrolls. A particular scrollbook he is interested in is that of the Subtle Touch. More than the strength of the scrolls, what he enjoys the most is the variety of the collection. If by chance he manages to collect all of the scrolls then he'd be able to get a play running in the middle of a fight. A play of paranoia, anxiety, depression, and a plethora of mental atrocities--it would be magnificent.
Now, don't get Percy wrong. He's a good egg--he really is. He's a socialite, a loyal companion. He reserves such kinds of manipulation for... the very special people. The list has been empty for a while. Ashanti Verna would feel privileged to have her name the first one to be charted on that list.
Percy's eyes darkened, everything goes quiet at least in his mind.
Post by raven delacroix on Dec 19, 2017 5:07:36 GMT
[attr="class","ig"]
[attr="class","ninety"]
[attr="class","joker"]
[attr="class","game"]
@no in particular scrolls mentioned: Constellar Grimoires Ursa Major and Orion, Faulkheit's Grimoire Scrolls 1 & 2
[attr="class","kikan"]
“
Raven is halfway down the steps when she turned back and ascended once again. There is Dai, looking at her, as if he's expecting her. Raven raises and eyebrow then motions for him to come down. And so he does.
Step by step, side by side, both the witch and familiar descends to hell.
"You need to practice," Dai says, disagreement already behind him, shaping the best future for Raven already in mind. Raven nods. "I've had a couple of scrolls in mind."
Raven knows the drill. She does have a good grasp on her affinity, and can positively work her way through even though she is of the lowest rank. Granted, she has very limited knowledge, but the scrolls she know, she knows to heart and mind. Starcalling is an affinity with a bam--it is not meant to be concentrated. But it can be, and when it is indeed concentrated, it would produce a more surprising, though not particularly stronger spell.
Raven ignores the open doors. She ignores the excited crowd, the blazing spells and incantations. She heads to one of the libraries of the Knights dedicated to Starcalling. Given the hearty amount of Starcallers within the coven, it is only logical for the Knights to erect a collection of scrolls exclusive to Starcalling. The doors are painted a vibrant night sky, and in order to enter one must trace any three constellation. Raven raises her finger pointer and lightly traces the constellation of Ursa Major, the Orion, and the Aquila.
The many stars light up, and the doors swing open.
Raven wastes no time. She heads towards the vast collection and picks out two of Faulkheit's Grimoire, namely Stardust as Plasma Scrolls 1 & 2. Dai pulls out a chair for her with his antlers, and Raven fluffs his dress before sitting down.
At most she has two weeks to study. Maybe three if she's lucky. She has been studying Faulkheit since immemorial times, and she hates to admit it but she finds the man's Grimoires very hard to master. She grits her bright white teeth and bites her cherry red lips.
Her red velvet eyes remain focused on the scrolls for the rest of the day.
Before the younger Silvertongue had a chance to reply, roaring infernos erupted from the arena, sending flame and plumes of smoke spiraling into the sky. Though Desmond seems largely unfazed, expression remaining neutral and muscles lax, his eyes do flick over towards the center of the activity. He's just in time to see the eyes of the statue come to life. Just in time to see the queen of the Helios Knights give pause, albeit just briefly. Rowenna just couldn't let go of that drive to win of hers, could she? Even after falling from grace and retreating into the world of diplomacy, the Wraith Huntress was still very much alive.
He supposed he wasn't too different. There was only so much someone could do to escape their own nature.
"You could always go back to just divining..." noted Grendel quietly in his mind, clearly having more to say, but working through the words as they went.
"And you could go back to staying silent, but that seems unlikely." came the diviner's curt, wordless reply. He eyes the duplicated equine in the arena, and can't help but imagine the chaos that would cause were it to be used on Grendel. The clattering of bones from their dozens of scuttling legs would sound like nothing less than a rainstorm.
The immaterial arachnid does, in fact, remain silent for a brief while. However, meekly, he adds another brief note: "I don't think this is the best way to do things... and I think it'd make Lan Ya upset if--"
And with that, Grendel crossed a line which he'd known he shouldn't touch. Before he could finish the thought, Desmond wordlessly demanded the familiar's silence, slamming his true name through their mental link. In the material world, his eye twitches slightly. Otherwise, life remains unchanged.
no one in particular scrolls mentioned: none this time
Last Edit: Dec 20, 2017 12:17:32 GMT by Desmond Grey
[attr="class","much_text"] ◥◤ A familiar voice pulls him out of his cowered form, a shimmer of gold cascading as he tilts his head up. Mr Borchardt, they had called him; a customer then. A blink of faded lashes against the blinding skylight has him narrowing his eyes to focus on the silhouette. Standing up, hands moving to smooth the creases on his dress pants, he peers shyly at the other male through his fringe. Recognition passes through silvery-blue and he places a name with face; Mr Grey. Gloved hands come to clasp politely in front of him and he inclines his head in a small bow.
[break][break]( Sigrún stands firm in between them, although not quite intruding. )
[break][break]Smiling gently, a semblance of poise, he greets softly, "Mr. Grey." The man is a common sight in his boutique and he lets himself relax a little; Desmond Grey is a comfortable presence. His expression becomes strained when his predicament is pointed out and he looks away, embarrassed, "I—yes. It's not an environment I often immerse myself, since I have to look after my shop and things like that."
[break][break]His hands fidget ( unattractively, he thinks ), fingers clutching and un-clutching before leaving them clamped tightly. "I have a free day today and I thought this might be w-worth looking at." He's not so sure about that any more.
[break][break]The raucous noise from the duel causes him to flinch every once in a while, the loud sounds not sitting well with him. His heart is in his throat and he's sure that his skin pales every time a bang occurs. Desperate for a distraction, he puts on another brave front, blushing lightly, "What brings you here, Mr. Grey?"
[break][break] tag:Desmond Grey [break]ooc: -wheezes in a corner-
[attr="class","alive_mucha"]
[attr="class","alive_much2"]-- Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.
congratulations! you have successfully generated 20 tickets for the raffle, and the staff has decided to pronounce a total of nine winners who may or may not have their names repeated. the following list is final. we hope you enjoyed our TEC teaser. the preliminary duel tournament (preceded by an official announcement regarding duel regulations) as well as our side-by-side event for those unable to participate in TEC will be running soon. [break][break]
[attr="class","stafftempstore"]
[attr="class","stafftempitem"]GUIDE (BAS) | Charani Petrov and Desmond Grey When concentrating, some seers can see colored paths. It is not always clear where they lead, but even an experienced seer can tell a very bad path apart from a very good path, making this skill quite useful when lost.
[attr="class","stafftempitem"]WI-STOR #4: MAGIC | iolani kótsyfas The largest database of scrolls, at your disposal. Using this scroll enables the user to access thousands of possible techniques and skills and use any ONE. The technique may or may not be the perfect one for the job, and it may or may not be successful depending on the athenian’s magical capacity. More experienced athenians will be able to pick more well-suited scrolls from the database, and will be more likely to be successful in their attempt. Once used, will act as a random scroll the witch is able to use (but does not have).
[attr="class","stafftempitem"] FAULKHEIT’S GRIMOIRE: OFFENSIVE CAPACITIES OF STARDUST | Aisling Fei A witch can now force stardust to explode in a burst of light and heat. Stardust explosions, while stronger depending on the witch’s rank, are really minor when compared to the explosions wrought by other affinities and are usually used as a distraction for a quick escape.
[attr="class","stafftempitem"] DEADRIC SUMMONING: STORM ATRONACH | milo tremerie An atronach, in general, is a being made of a single, pure, substance. They are made up of what would normally be inanimate material, and they appear to be humanoid in form. Atronachs generally move by walking or hovering. They are believed to be moderately intelligent and act as bodyguards for the summoners who conjure them. They are known mostly for use in battle where they attack their summoners enemies, but are relatively docile when there is no one who is an immediate threat. Because of this there is a large debate on whether or not atronachs can be used in studies. Storm atronachs are formed of lightning and water, and can be summoned by either elemental summoner. They can use water and lightning attacks, but favor harsh spurts of ice cold water and lightning bolts as their attacks. They are incredibly testy with anyone who isn’t their summoner and have been known to lash out. They can last only upwards to thirty minutes due to their volatile nature.
[attr="class","stafftempitem"] AUGETE: CLAUSTRA | claire fermont One of the few surviving scrolls that were retrieved from the ruins of the coven that founded augmentation, this scroll dabbles in reinforcing and barricading items or living beings. A practitioner can learn how to reinforce armor or themselves, thus increasing their pain threshold or reducing the frequency and extent of injuries inflicted upon them. As such, this technique is sometimes considered a healing technique of sorts which deals with precaution rather than cure. Masters of the art can fortify themselves by several fold and make themselves impenetrable to attacks for short bursts of time.
[attr="class","stafftempitem"] CONSTELLER GRIMOIRE: URSA MAJOR | raven delacroix By calling upon Ursa Major, the user can receive the blessing of strength from the stars, finding that their physical attributes are all enhanced for as long as the caster can maintain the image of Ursa Major in the sky. The blessing can also be given to another witch.
[attr="class","stafftempitem"] TEAM SPIRIT | laurent borchardt When multiple witches have access to this skill, they may mentally speak to each other over distances. However, communications lines may get wonky if the distance is stretched too far.
[attr="class","stafftempitem"] EVERHART’S ELIXIRS #2: FLASK OF ENDURANCE | ninos knight When ingested by the witch, it enhances their overall pain tolerance considerably, pushing themselves to perform feats otherwise thought of as unlikely. Like with the rest, caution is advised when using this: while the witch may not feel the strain of pushing themselves that far, they are likely to feel its effects as soon as the elixir wears off. Inexperienced witches typically injure themselves far more than experienced users who know where their limits are.
[break][break] the next round of TEC will be coming to you shortly, thank you for your participation!
