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 Jun 22, 2018 14:36:04 GMT
he leaves the house in a figurative whirlwind of hastily donned sneakers and a worn-out jacket, a bowl of chips half-eaten and left forgotten on the table ( pearlie lays claim to it soon after maddox is out the door ). the assignment had arrived only moments before, one of those clean-up missions that he inevitably always gets dragged into by virtue of being a purifier. he is running through his repertoire as he makes his way towards the site of the chaos, holding reset spells at the forefront of his mind as he ducks through alleyways and shortcuts.
the place itself is not difficult to find, albeit somewhat removed from the bulk of the downtown businesses. it certainly stands out, considering the fact that the area is almost entirely cordoned off, and that the few old buildings in the immediate vicinity stand somewhat lopsided, as though someone had taken a giant sledgehammer to its side repeatedly.
even from where he stands, just on the precipice of where the barrier enchantments begin, he can spy traces of blackened bricks scattered on the ground, scorched by some sort of flame. the pattern is echoed on a further wall, bold and decisive. whoever the target was, they likely stood little chance.
‘do you think it’s him?’ moosely, viewing the scene through his eyes, is quick to notice.
“i know more than one fire user,” he protests weakly, but he finds himself looking around the scene nonetheless. just in case. you never know, after all.
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jun 22, 2018 15:40:54 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
looking around himself, at the charred bricks, the warped footpaths, the lopsided buildings, kasimir cannot help but feel rather guilty at the destruction wrought. it is not quite his fault - he was not the instigator, and he had been acting with governmental authority - but he is still responsible in part, which is, perhaps, why he has not yet left the scene. a call has been put out for witches to assist in clean up, he knows - the obligation he feels insists he stay back to help.
kirjava ducks into a half-crumbled building to search for any potential people trapped inside, while kasimir drifts over to heal a group of civilians that had been too close to a wall when his opponent had exploded it. the witches erecting barrier enchantments and cordoning off the place shoot him wary looks when they think he cannot see them, and he cannot blame them for it. again, he... regrets, that such destruction was necessary to apprehend his target.
a familiar figure catches his eye, one that he can by now recognise from almost any distance. he picks his way through the rubble towards the man, now confirmed to be his friend(?); "maddox?" he calls once within polite hearing distance. what are you doing here, he almost asks, before he remembers that the man is a purifier, and a very experienced one at that.
abruptly, kasimir becomes acutely aware of his... less than orderly appearance. he has no burns on him - of course not, his fire would never harm himself - but shirt has several tears in it and his hair has half-fallen out of the braid he had put it in. he has dust smeared across his clothes and splatters of blood both his and not painted across his skin. overall, he is unharmed, but his clothes are in rather disarray.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jun 23, 2018 5:24:36 GMT
he ducks under the barrier with a wave to one of the enchanters. in as few words as possible, he gets a briefing on what needs to be done and promptly sent on his way. moosely slips into existence, clattering gracelessly across warped cobblestone as he makes his way towards a pile of rubble, gruffly offering his assistance in clearing the pile. meanwhile, maddox continues to take in the scene around him, standing still among the bustle of the aftermath, partly impressed and partly intimidated by the level of destruction wrought.
the air before him seems to shift, an interface slowly fading into view, loosely rectangular shapes of translucent greens and blues. an analysis is quick to follow, details of the mana in the environment coalescing into a swirling script. only partially paying attention to his immediate surroundings, it isn’t until kasimir walks up that he finally notices.
“so it was you!” somewhere along their telepathic connection, moosely stifles a laugh. the interface fades ever so slightly, flickering at the edges as he turns his attention to kasimir. “thought maybe it was, with the fire and all-” pauses, taking in his friend’s appearance somewhat belatedly. “-holy shit. are you okay? have you seen a medic? do you need a new shirt? is that your blood?”
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jun 24, 2018 15:19:44 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
he feels an exasperated expression spread across his face, though there is a fondness hidden in the depths of his eyes. "i am not the only fire elemental around," he begins, only to pause and blink at the barrage of questions and concern directed his way. it is.... heartening, to know that maddox... cares? even if somewhat baffling considering the fact that he is quite uninjured.
"i am fine," he reassures as best he can. "the blood is not mine." mostly. but what maddox does not know will not harm him, especially now that the evidence has been healed. eager to change the topic, kasimir looks about them with a slight grimace, once again taking in the sheer destruction he and his opponent had wrought. outright battles between a fire witch and an explosion expert are... not particularly advantageous to the continued survival of surroundings. "you are here to aid in the cleanup?"
there is a drawn out creak, and the building kirjava is in chooses this moment to give in to its fight with gravity and structural damage; it huffs out dust from the shattered windows, spits out plaster from its doors, then crumbles into a pile of charred brick and rubble. his familiar dematerialises as soon as the first instabilities give in, thankfully reporting of no people inside; the enchanters on site yell a bit in panic before erecting a barrier so that the building can collapse in peace.
kasimir... just sighs. "the council should just stop sending me after equally destructive witches," he mutters.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jun 25, 2018 2:22:25 GMT
he crosses his arms, almost petulant, frowning still at the blood ( apparently not kasimir’s ) and at the state of his clothes. “if you say so,” he says dubiously. he doubts he can persuade him to leave now and get some rest, but at least clean-up shouldn’t be too strenuous.
the interface beside him flares into a flurry of activity, just as the structural integrity of a nearby building gives way, the few strands of mana helping to hold its form together finally snap. the enchanters scramble to contain the damage, clouds of dust and shattered brick bouncing off a translucent shield. “unfortunately,” he says, wincing a little as he watches this happen, “i am.”
shields and barriers are the territory of enchanters; his own job is to make theirs a little easier. turning to face the building, he stretches out a hand, letting mana unfurl from outstretched fingers, casting a full reset with careful, practiced motions. it isn’t a particularly wide radius right now, so it only takes a brief moment -- the barrier flickers, becoming somewhat more opaque, and an enchanter towards its corner turns back and gives him a nod in acknowledgement. maddox responds with a cheery thumbs-up before turning to kasimir once more.
“i mean, i’m sure the council chooses you for a reason,” he shrugs, “witches of your calibre and effectiveness aren't exactly easy to find.” there’s a crash of rocks in the near distance where moosely creates a miniature landslide in his attempt to clear some rubble; to his credit, there is indeed a space devoid of rubble where he stoods.
“what are you doing?”
‘more than you!’
maddox stares. contemplates. wonders why his familiar is like this. then he says, to kasimir, “so, which part did you guys wreck the most? i guess i might as well start there.”
#items: operationalization of magic, volume 1 full reset
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jun 29, 2018 14:28:33 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
he feels the mana smooth out into vast, placid ocean with maddox's spell, like the calm after a fierce storm. even the air feels clearer. in times like this, staring the aftermath of destruction in the face with no ability to help save perhaps lending a hand with any healing required, kasimir cannot help but be quietly envious at the functionality of a fundamentally non-destructive affinity. perhaps, in another life, in another world, he might not have been forced to forge himself into the blunt tool of calamity as he is today.
there is an odd sort of silence after the collapse of the building, a suspension in time where everyone holds their breaths to see if anything else will fall. everything is still. kasimir stares at the rubble, still half-obscured by the dust flung into the air. a half-wry half-bitter expression twists his lips. "a few more scenes like this and surely they will stop," he murmurs, almost too low to be heard. a weapon forged in fire, too damaging to actually use. to avoid an aftermath like this, he does not think he would actually mind.
features slipping back into bland neutrality, kasimir glances at moosely then offers maddox a vaguely dry look, pointing to a half-upright building to the right. the roof has all but caved in and the walls are charred, just a strong gust of wind away from crumbling into charcoal. "we fought for while near there. he destabilised the earth, and i called upon fire." a pause. "i am worried," he admits, frowning slightly in the direction of the building indicated. "there is a basement beneath."
without another word, kirjava slips back into materiality and makes her way over to the entrance, darting inside in a flicker of black and gold. he watches her go with worried eyes.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jun 29, 2018 14:53:39 GMT
kasimir points out the building to him, and maddox has to take a moment to marvel at the fact that it is, in fact, still standing. it looks less like an actual building and more like a pile of ashes swept into some semblance of a structural, boxy form. it is probably not safe to go in there. it is probably safer to stay and wait for further assistance. "frankly, that looks like shit," he says, with a bluntness that echoes his familiar.
he follows kirjava to the entrance. the doorframe itself is knocked crooked, pale panels of wood slanted and splintered. gingerly, he ducks under a partially dislodged ceiling beam to enter the building, narrowly missing hitting his head and half expecting the building to collapse immediately. he holds off on purification just yet: he doesn't want to accidentally dismantle whatever remnants of architectural enchantments that may very well be holding this ruin up.
when it does not, he takes a few more steps in, letting his eyes adjust to the swirling dust of its interior, the acrid scent of fire still strong in the air. "mind your head," he calls out to kasimir. wisely, moosely does not follow: a familiar of that size does not do well in a space like this.
the interface sheds a dim light on the upturned ground, its flat screen ever updating with a swirling script. his eyes dart between it and the ground intermittently, until he points out after a short time, "that part of the ground there is barely holding on." the scan informs him of heavy earth manipulation involving dirt and rock alike, and likely a large part of the basement ceiling.
"if there's anyone down there," he says, taking a cautious step back from the aforementioned area so as to not accidentally destabilize it further, "we better get down there quick."
#items: operationalization of magic, volume 1 full reset
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jun 29, 2018 15:16:55 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
he offers maddox a sardonic look to the frank comment. "he was rather fond of explosions," he says dry as the desert wind, resisting a pointed look around at the decimated landscape. not that kasimir did not contribute, of course. fire is not the most orderly of elements, and neither is summoning to magic. not the summoning kasimir finds himself increasingly proficient in, anyway.
kirjava's wariness flickers in the back of his mind as he follows maddox to the door. it does not look like anything a sane person should walk through, and into. and of course, as soon as he opens his mouth to caution against going in, his partner ducks underneath the splintered wood and steps inside. he resists the urge to sigh. well, at least he has spells to mitigate damage should the whole building collapse in on them.
( mana flickers around him, then fades into the barest glimmer of light twisting around his brow. a halo, ready to flare out into a protective aura for the both of them at the first indication of disaster, but faint for now to conserve what mana he has left. and to avoid further impact on the already strained environment, too )
he sidesteps the area maddox indicates with light feet, barely daring to make noise for fear of even the slightest tremor destabilising the fragile balance that so holds the building yet upright. each passing second brings with it a growing unease and the desire to move back to safety and send clones or summoned sprites into the building to search for them. but then, a message from kirjava filters through, and resignation pools through his veins.
"kirjava says there are two people trapped down in the basement," he reports, and wonders if he would be able to blast their way out should they become trapped inside. "that way, i think."
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jun 29, 2018 15:40:29 GMT
from outside, he can sense nothing more than moosely helping to shove rubble out of the way. it is routine and monoton, and apart from the slightest hint of concern he can detect through their emphathic bond, the familiar seems indifferent. it's calming, in a way that they've come to develop over the years.
then kasimir informs him of what kirjava has found and maddox remembers that he's standing in a building ready to collapse on a moment's notice. "oh," he says, "lead on, then."
he sidesteps fallen pieces of miscellaneous building pieces carefully, all of which he finds charred and unrecognisable. there's the blackened remains of what must have been a dining table laying splintered and broken in the corner of the room, part of it obscuring a stairway that hasn't fared too much better off. its railings crumble under his fingers as soon as he makes any attempt to touch it ( he freezes ) but its steps seem solid, somewhat, as he makes his way down.
the bottom of the stairs is in complete disarray, enough to make him carefully skirt the edges of it; he's fairly sure that some of those splinters are big enough to cut through his boots. looking up, he sees the two that kirjava had pointed out earlier: small forms huddled in a corner, barely visible in the dim light from whatever filters in upstairs.
“we’re here to help,” he calls out, in a voice he hopes is calming. “don’t move, we’ll come to you.”
#items: operationalization of magic, volume 1 full reset
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jun 30, 2018 6:42:35 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
the descent down the stairs is hesitant, suspenseful. tension hangs in the air like a flimsy sheet of glass, poised on the blade-edge of a moment ready to shatter with a single wrong move. breathless, hyperaware, they slide through the ash and dust, carefully sidestep the rubble strewn across their path, walking through the halls as if treading upon a nightingale floor.
the glimmer of light encircling his brow flares up as a banister disintegrates beneath maddox's fingers; but nothing else happens, and it subsides again.
'you should probably get ready to do some healing when you get here,' kirjava informs him, and he suppresses a grimace. concentrating on two spells simultaneously is doable, certainly, but decidedly not desired in a situation like this wherein reflexes are vital should the roof cave in. still, there is nothing that can be done save accepting the situation as it is.
the amber-gold of his familiar's eyes glow like smokey lamps in the dim light, and beside her he spots two children huddled together - a boy and a little girl. it is an instant, automatic connection - for a moment, he sees saskia and krystian from many years past; for a moment, he sees saskia and himself - he falters, frantically attempting to regain his mental equilibrium as maddox steps forwards and addresses the children.
the boy stares at him with wide, frightened eyes. the little girl does not move at all. kirjava flicks a glance their way, then turns to face the children directly. "this is maddox, and my partner kasimir," she says in a far gentler tone than anything maddox will have heard from her before. kasimir is not the only one seeing links to their history, their past, evidently. "he can heal her, and we can get you both out of here."
preferably before the building loses its fight against massive structural damage and gravity, and collapses into a pile of rubble, hopefully.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jun 30, 2018 15:02:19 GMT
his eyes adjust to the darkness -- he sees that they are children, injured and frightened. he relays the information to moosely, who does not say anything save for a blunt remark. 'you're terrible with kids, and terrible with injured people. so injured kids, absolutely abysmal.'
he lets kasimir take the lead on this one, nodding the summoner forward and falling into step behind him. "focus on healing the kids, i've got your back." he hopes he sounds more confident than he feels. maddox chances a glance upwards, to where the ceiling is far closer to him than comfortable. there are cracks apparent, fault-lines running jagged across the dark surface, spider-webbing beyond even what he can see.
coming down here was a terrible decision after all. not that there had been any other viable option. so he simply waits, almost afraid to breathe, standing watch beside kasimir as he works. for a long moment, there is nothing.
and, just then, moosely's voice chimes in. "and, oh, there goes another building." a rumble begins once more, distant and muffled, but growing ever louder. "you aren't in that one, are you?"
he lunges towards the strangers in the corner, calling up a wall of wind over their heads and wings to hasten the motion -- roars, with panicked ferocity, with alarm straining his voice -- "move!"
#items: operationalization of magic, volume 1 full reset
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jun 30, 2018 15:28:05 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
the little boy stares at him for a long, tense moment before he nods, small and scared but with a too-familiar desperation shining in his eyes. shoving all of the dredged-up thoughts to the back of his mind, kasimir moves forwards as soon as he sees the nod, carefully kneeling by the girl's side and trusting maddox to keep an eye on the building.
there is blood trailing down her temple like a river of sanguine red and she does not even stir when he places a gentle hand on her head; kasimir cannot diagnose wounds exactly, but he does not need to. silver-white light flares between his fingers and seeps into her skin, seeking out all injuries to heal; if he looked closely, he would be able to see skin knit itself back into place to leave an unblemished surface behind. it takes time, though; the tug on his mana indicates serious injuries, and he is not practiced enough at healing to speed the process up.
time that they do not have - a rumble and a spray of plaster is their only warning before the building gives up and begins to collapse in on itself.
he grabs the children and shoves them between maddox and himself with hands made rough by haste; selenity's mercy fades as kasimir calls upon a brilliant luminous halo and desperately attempts to surround all four of them with its light. and then, there is nothing he can do save wait the collapse out.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jul 1, 2018 9:00:52 GMT
light shines stark across their features, carves shadows deep and turns dust motes bright as the ceiling finally gives way. he stretches the shield as far as he can across the group, spreading it as thin as he can afford, the winds screeching as they deflect debris in a wide arc. the earth splinters, his blood roars in his ears; they are standing, still, as the building falls around them.
distantly, he thinks that perhaps one day he ought to look into better shielding mechanisms, or maybe get aeris to craft an actual shield. the wall of wind is something he is comfortable with on the battlefield, typically used to further moosely's battering-ram tactics; this level of defense, however, is something else entirely.
he can feel it, the pressure of each individual piece of rock and brick that glances off the shield. one small piece bounces off and catches him briefly in the side; startled, his concentration wavers and the shield flickers; he grits his teeth and doubles his efforts, and the shield surges back to full strength. he does not want to know what may have happened if kasimir had not summoned that light as well.
at some point, his knees have buckled under the impact, until he is kneeling on the ground with his hands raised to support the shield, like a supplicant in prayer to an unknown god. he can feel moosely pacing the periphery of his mind, flippancy abandoned for genuine concern.
and eventually, the collapse does stop. if he squints through the dust, he can vaguely make out what must have been sections of the walls that have fallen against each other, now propped up in some semblance of a structure. he says, under his breath, "well, that sucked."
#items: operationalization of magic, volume 1 full reset
Post by kasimir burovski ✨ on Jul 1, 2018 10:09:20 GMT
blue moon
you saw me standing alone
his heartbeat pounds in his ears till it almost drowns out the tortured wail of a building collapsing, the crash of walls and wood and steel around them rumbling like a terrible symphony of thunder and rage. he is vaguely aware of the little boy shaking from where he is pressed against kasimir; perhaps he is screaming, perhaps not. wind howls above them, a shield of storm and willpower sustained by maddox's magic and might; concern spikes fierce and needle-sharp as his partner collapses to his knees but all he can do is attempt to force more mana into his own spell and pray to gods he does not believe in for mercy.
exhaustion carves its runes upon his bones as his mana drains away - having just been in a major fight, his reserves are not what they usually are; he does not even want to consider what might have happened had maddox not been here also.
and finally, finally, the earth stops shaking; the collapse stops. the pull on his mana subsides with the stoppage of rubble and kasimir folds to his knees with limbs that refuse to stop shaking, with a heartbeat that will not stop racing. his halo falters, fades, and they are left in the dark with dust draped heavy in the air and a wreckage trapping them beneath the ground. there is silence, ringing, deafening; and stillness.
maddox breaks the silence. "well, that sucked," he says, and it is so maddox that kasimir resists the inappropriate urge to laugh. "indeed," he responds drily after he finally convinces his tongue to work. the rest of his body is still proving to be rather stubborn, unfortunately. "are you injured? how are your mana levels?"
it is only then that he remembers the children - one of them clinging to his arm tight enough to bruise, and the other curled up between maddox and her brother. his shirt is wet, kasimir realises with a small amount of surprise. oh, wait. tears. ( to be fair to him, mana exhaustion is quite a drug ). the boy is evidently awake, aware, but still has not said a word - shock, perhaps? or fear? in the dark, it is difficult to tell.
"are you hurt?" kasimir asks him as gently as he can manage, and tries to nudge the child to a truly epic fail.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Jul 1, 2018 14:44:02 GMT
he dismisses the shield with a half-hearted flourish that sends a few remaining smaller pieces of rock and wood scattering to the sides. the barest hints of a breeze swirl away the worst of the dust, clearing the air within the small area that they now all sit in. the silence that follows the collapse is deafening. all he hears is the rapid drumbeat of his heart between his ears, and ragged, frightened breathing. then, softer still, one of the children stifling his panicked sobs.
"i'm okay," he says eventually, slowly lowering his arms to his sides. shoulders stiff, hands shaking, a superficial cut on his side stinging, but otherwise perfectly alright. he looks over kasimir to the best of his ability, which in the dark is none at all, and responds dryly, "don't worry about my mana levels -- i wasn't the one who had to fight off another witch before this."
with the immediate danger past, he regards the children with equal parts concern and helplessness. he is no healer, not at all, but that is what they need most right now. he calls up the atheneum interface, wills it brighter until it sheds a dim blue glow over them. maybe this, at least, could possibly help in the meantime.
'so. you guys alive?' moosely's voice is faint, and maddox realises belatedly that his familiar must have felt the strain on the mana as well, despite not having been directly involved.
"we're alive," he reassures moosely, "get some people to help us out, though. two injured kids."
"moosey's gone off to get help," he says out loud now, as the familiar wrangles / shoves / intimidates others into helping them. taking a moment to gather his focus once more, he frowns in concern at the unresponsive child, the dim glow of episkey appearing as he attempts to heal whatever minor wounds he can reach.
#items: operationalization of magic, volume 1 full reset episkey
