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.
[break] Taylan's words seem to flow right past the unusual woman as if they were meaningless to her ears. Her expression changes little from its initial display of rage, shifting only slightly as her brows pinch with added annoyance. [break][break] She seems to be considering how to proceed when Desmond speaks, and then her eyes dart towards him in wide, unmasked shock. "Wóþbora--" she murmers to herself in awe. She eyes his fingers as they cast another spell, but does not intervene. She has seen it cast before, and knows it to be harmless. [break][break] But... as the meaning of his words sink in and the reasons for her being here return to the forefront of her mind, her anger returns, this time with her mouth quirked in a contemptuous grimace. "Heodæg spédig þu, wóþbora... ac mælaaþ wit timlice, þu ongiildest þæt bánweorc." Like before, it sounds like a threat. However, there is little time to talk, and, as much as it pains her heart to admit it, much larger problems than a killer of one person which need to be fixed. She dashes up the stairs (followed by the floating white splinters) and exits into the arena, leaving the two men with one last even glare... [break][break] [break]
Lunacea Joyheart, Helios Knight second in command
[break] “I'll be the judge of that — this is not the time for self-sacrifice,” Lunacea replies to Aiden in a manner which is gentle, yet firm. A pale liquid streams from one of her vials, creating a spattered line across the ground which in turn creates a barrier just in time to block a stray earthen projectile as it hurtled towards them. The brunt of the attack seemed to be aimed higher, squarely hitting the hind legs of a gryphon and eliciting from it a pained screech. (Though, had the girl riding it [Emery] not swerved at the last second, the wounds would have likely taken the creature out of the sky). Lunacea, unfortunately, couldn't take care of every danger at once, so the alchemist rushes over to Aiden and Chrysanthemum, looking them both over and applying some drops of healing potion to only their most serious wounds. "I assume you've been keeping her safe," Lunacea says softly as she applies the potion, "That was very noble, and she will be okay after some rest and care, but please don't try any more heroics today. Just stay right where you are." [break][break] Unfortunately, there were only so many potions which Lunacea carried with her on a typical day, and they would likely not be enough for an entire stadium full of people. She had to use what she'd brought sparingly if she was going to protect as many people as possible. [break][break] "Stay safe," is all she says after the potion is applied and she stands again to continue restoring order. Dashing through the chaos, she utilizes a combination of smoke screens and warding potions to create small areas of safety, healing anyone who appears to be stained with blood along her path. [break][break] [break]
??? Tahlia Vesper, a mysterious threat
[break] Quite unexpectedly, the teal haired woman who was the root of today's chaos suddenly felt an unfamiliar tug in her bones. Well... it wasn't entirely unfamiliar; she'd felt it just once before, and not too long ago, during the night of her return. Considering the rest of the events of that night, including the collapsing buildings and walking dead, she could harbor a guess as to what this sensation meant. With her gaze darting to the top of the stands, where a bi-hair-colored woman just now exits from the stairwell, her suspicions are bolstered: [break][break] Today, in this place, after using as much mana as she already had... it meant she should run. [break][break] But she couldn't just leave her sheep without hope. Oh, no, that wouldn't do. So she projects her voice, a mere whisper, into the minds of all those around: "Do you see? The people who ban you from using your magic cannot protect you. They are weak, hiding behind walls of stone, law, and their own affinities. I am Tahlia Vesper, and I am here to set you free — to let your magic flourish in whatever form it was gifted to you. Though I leave today, all you who also dream for freedom will be able to find me. Follow my voice in the night. I will be there, and I will lead you to paradise." [break][break] [break]
Medeia Trevil, Helios Knight leader and High Priestess
[break] Everything is falling apart. An enemy has attacked at her coven's heart on two levels: their arena (physically) and their unity (spiritually). Cracks are doomed to start forming in the unshakable foundation which her coven had worked so hard to build up over the course of centuries... and for what? A competition? A reaffirmation of their image? A reaffirmation of her own image? [break][break] Despite the barrier against physical movement which she'd used to entrap Claire, Medeia could see the young Knight's ice seeping out and forcing small cuts though the barrier itself. The barrier holds, but, at the moment, Medeia can't bring herself to fix the imperfections forming in the spell. Everything else was falling apart -- a few cuts were nothing in comparison. [break][break] A soft curtain of light catches her eye as Lunacea's first barrier potion goes up -- Lunacea was here! Medeia would recognize that barrier spell anywhere. Thank Merlin for small miracles. Medeia could see her second in command doing damage control on the ground, despite the odds, and is moved to speed up the finishing touches of a summoning circle meant for her own flavor of counterattack. [break][break] Soon enough, a bark-skinned earth atronach shimmers into existence... then another... and another... With the mana boost granted from her earlier spell, she is single-handedly replenishing the numbers of her allies. "Protect the people in this arena. Do not let anyone die. Do not let anyone leave," she commands, and the summoned atronachs rush to obey as even more of their kin appear through the high priestess's circle. As they do, she casts yet another spell, causing vines to burst from the arena's earthen floor, wrapping tightly around anyone fighting on the ground (aside from Lunacea, of course), and encircling over anyone who looked grievously injured. If only it was easy to tell friend from foe, when everyone had been under the former category mere minutes ago. [break][break] [break]OOC IMPORTANT NOTE!claire fermont , Billy Kasparian , and Zephyr Hart , please do not post in this round before you receive a PM with more nightmare details.
[break][break]The next (and last!!) staff post will be in a minimum of 6 days. No new characters are allowed in this thread at this point.
[break][break] Bad things are much more likely to happen to characters if they fail to post for 2 consecutive rounds.
[attr="class","gearcore"] This wasn't working... The more they tried to beat the wraith down, the more ferociously it lashed back.
Billy was getting assaulted by ever-growing and ever-multiplying limbs, and Claire had barely made a crack in the wraith's entrapment. And he knew how strong they both were -- they hadn't gotten in the Empyreal Cup's finals for nothing. Billy had survived countless ill-planned adventures with him without suffering so much as a missing limb, and Claire had survived that deadly nightmare they'd shared a few months back, plus a few dangerous missions here and there.
Something about these half-formed thoughts causes the crafter to pause -- feeling he'd just stumbled over a missing piece to the puzzle of what the hell was going on. The guards who'd attacked him and Billy outside the stadium had been dreaming. And, stadium crowds don't appear faceless and bones didn't scream unless there was strong illusion magic involved... or, if the whole scene which they were part of was a dream. The latter seemed more likely, given the context. And, if they were having a dream like the Knight guards, then their real bodies were probably wreaking havoc...
Shit... So much for not causing a scene.
He grabs another gate from his belt and makes sure it doesn't lead anywhere close to Leviathan territory before tossing it to Claire, using his ability to lift metals to slip it through the cracks she'd made in the wraith. "Ey! Stop attackin' and get as far away as ya c-- fuck" he shouts, nearly finishing before writhing limbs of muscle and bone burst from the ground, thoroughly restraining him. His prothetic legs grind and whir as he struggles to stand against the grapple, and his stomach struggles to stop flipping over itself at the sensation of the pulsing, half-dead flesh pressing up against his limbs.
To his surprise, before he even has the presence of mind to cast a counteractive spell, large metal hands burst from the ground and begin to grab at the muscly tentacles, pulling them away. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he takes advantage of every inch of leverage the metal hands grant him to try to activate one final gate for himself, to get him back to one of his labs.
Outside of the dream, Zephyr gives a disgruntled look towards the escaping gryphon, but doesn't launch another attack. Instead, he magically navigates a gate through the cracks in Medeia's barrier to reach Claire, keeping the gate near Billy floating in place as well.
Spock almost -- almost -- stops screaming, but her confused anger at her witch swiftly turns to a furious rage at whoever was casting that fucking vine spell. Tugging forcefully at the link of their shared elemental mana, she casts many Hands of Gaia around where her witch was being restrained, attempting to crush and pull them away.
Post by heath ambroise on Jun 22, 2019 19:04:03 GMT
The little drone hovered above the chaos, slowly but surely loading up an aerial view of Billy and the battlefield between then. Heath could clearly see the walls of ice spikes Sinclair had desperately sprung up out of the ground as well as the white hot strings of light and the steam drifting away. The chaotic magical attacks had deterred any sleepers from cornering either of them, most likely after easier prey at this point. The pinkette gestured at his drone slightly, having it inch closer to the ground to get a better view of himself.
It was weird, almost like an out of body experience. Except, Heath was very much conscious of himself. Seeing himself however gave him a bit of confidence and he found himself jogging properly and leaving the wall he had been using as a crutch. He swapped back to his eyes blinking quickly as the remainder of the blinding faded away into white spots in his vision. "Im back Sin-!" he stumbled halfway through his words before picking himself and breaking into a full sprint. "Get us out of here!" His familiar screeched, clinging to him. Heath blinked back into the drone's sight before swapping back almost as fast. "Somethings-" he caught sight of Ninos and felt a surge of relief.
"Thank you!!" He shouted as his friend tried to hold back Billy, the persistant fuck. At least, this was very in character. As usual he was on the receiving end of it. Better not provoke anymore. As Madeia boomed and Tahlia lectured, the journalist took one last look at it all before his feet glowed softly and he raced forward towards Ninos, cutting the distance between them carefully. "Hey," he huffed skidding to a halt, panting. The exertion visible on his face and how his hands were starting to tremble. "I'm not sticking around for cleanup. You coming?" He asked as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder, eyes clouding over and he swapped to the drone one last time. This time the little bastard zipped upwards taking in a quick view of everything before slowly zooming in on Zeph, Billy, and Claire. He paused for a minute noting the gates before nodding. They were making a break for it.
He'd punch Billy later. Right now, if they were fine and the terrorist was making a break for it then he'd leave and rush back to the office and type up a report of this immediately for his boss. He was sure they were already flipping their tops. "I'm not in a generous mood, but I'll make an exception for you." He added flashing a tired quirk of a smile at the other jester before Sinclair shrieked, "CAN WE LEAVE NOW? YOU'VE GOT YOUR DAMN STORY ALREADY!" With that, the coati vanished hiding away in the other strata. His witch gave one quick glance around before calling back his drone to hang close and find an exit before the knights blocked them in. He nodded at one that still seemed stable and abandoned before beginning to make his way there.
spells used: atheneum: biological metrics, the modern atheneum: drones techniques used: spiked in items used:
That stupid horse thing just won’t go down. He really hates this game. It’s not fun at all and is getting in the way of his desires. Shadowy forms rise up as his wires get destroyed and go slack. Annoying. He can see the sinewy strings of muscle and flesh wrapping around the other boys legs as shadowy appendages take hold of his own.
Zephyr Hart is calling out for them to run. Seems like he has some idea of what’s going on or something. Well he is a smarty pants despite how... well we all know how he looks right? Right. “Alrighty Zephy. If you say so.” The young man grips a potion from his collection. A large burst of bright light comes from the potion thanks to his mana infusion.
He throws down the potion on the ground below him. Assuming the potion was not interfered with or anything a bright light portal would open below the male witch. The portal would lead to whoever Siobhan Kasparian was currently. Thank you Ringmaster Potion.
In reality... we’ll assuming the same thing was happening he would do the same thing to try and escape the odd attack of ninos knight trying to hold him back from heath ambroise or something.
Billy seemed to be done with all of this. Like literally this was not a fun time at all. Like this is just so annoying not even he enjoys it.
[attr="class","inkpost"]it’s chaos, still, and it feels as though his attention is being split a dozen different ways at once, his heart working in overtime somewhere high up in his throat as his gaze darts from miro, to heath, to billy, to everything else around. there’s a voice in his head, suddenly, quiet yet demanding, even as he wrenches his focus back to heath.[break][break]
“i’ll come with,” he says, in a voice breathless and laced with relief, chancing a glance over his shoulder when attacks seem to slow. they were leaving, then. “not my kind of scene.” [break][break]
miro skirts around the edge of a vine, eyes wide and wary. around them, the ground riots under trevil’s command, and ninos can only hope that they seem unassuming enough to be left untouched for now. the adrenaline keeps him standing for now, but his hands are starting to shake ; maybe he should have eaten breakfast before leaving this morning. “here.” he hands heath a vial before he grabs another for himself, uncorking and downing it as he jogs towards one of the abandoned exits. “just so neither of us pass out in the streets. i ain’t carrying you.”[break][break]
tl;dr abandons attack on Billy Kasparian once he opens the portal ; attempts to exit stadium w/ heath ambroise[break][break] items used: [break] (1) CHANGELING’S SCROLL[break] (2) KNOCKERBACKER[break] (3) SHEERFIRE DUST[break] (4) TRANSFIGURATION 101, SCROLL #6[break] (5) FLASK OF ENDURANCE
Desmond's lips part to reply, but he quickly thinks better of it and seals them in a hard line. There were a few too many overpowered witches in this city for his taste, and getting in the middle of their quarrels was something he aspired to avoid.
(Though, he is bitterly aware that it's a bit too late to try escaping it now...)
He watches the woman leave the stairwell and stares longer than necessary at the door she exits to be sure she's gone. He probably should have showed some sort of repentance, or at the very least explain his actions... As things stood now, he had a sinking feeling that this wouldn't be the last he sees of her.
With an audibly disheartened breath, he prods Taylan's side with the blunt end of his staff. "Move faster... I can't keep up this spell forever," he mutters, not voicing his other concern of getting away from the woman who was almost certainly a necromancer as swiftly as humanly possible.
ooc taylan karga spells used: guide (adv), heirloom wand (staff of the eternal depths), dreamcatcher (adept item), tongues, rosetta stone
[attr="class","i1scroll"]he follows desmond’s lead, edging slowly to the side to clear the path, eyebrows drawn together and eyes narrowed in undisguised puzzlement. taylan doesn’t need to be a genius to figure out that he’s punching above his weight, now. between the stranger’s expression and desmond’s words, he reads the situation well enough to attempt to make himself as amiable and non-threatening as possible -- a somewhat challenging endeavour in most circumstances, but when standing behind the seer and his blood-stained scythe, less so.[break][break]
the words that follow are wholly foreign to him, so he does his best to infer what he can from her changing expressions and the tone of her voice. whatever it is, she isn’t happy, but she does take her leave ; taylan carefully leans away from the floating white splinters as the stranger darts up the stairs. he stares after her a second longer, trying desperately to make sense of whatever interaction had just transpired, only to be interrupted by a jab in the side. [break][break]
“right,” he says with a decisive shake of the head, readjusting his grip on the knight and striding forward with renewed purpose. “where are those bloody knights when you need them-”[break][break]
[break] Despite the combined formidable presence of Medeia and herself, Lunacea didn't like their chances of ending this with everyone in a stable condition. She had limited potions on her, and there were a lot of people here, civilians and low-ranked coven-members alike. The alchemist downs a small vial which causes her figure to become a blur of speed before continuing her tactic of dividing the hostile crowds and healing the physically injured. Given the circumstances, it's all she can do. [break][break] The mental manipulation is a separate issue which she wasn't currently prepared for, though it was something she'd expected to encounter again after its initial demonstration. (The night when crazed and furious words slithered into the minds of hose across the city? Or before, when people from all walks of life were dragged into shared nightmares with real and lethal consequence? Even she wasn't entirely sure when this all started). Although she'd been able to heal those who'd been under the dreamweaver's influence prior to today, but she wasn't confident in her ability to continue finding effective antidotes if Tahlia's magic and delusions both continued spiraling out of control. [break][break] In approaching Zephyr Hart, whom she quite distinctly recognized from his tendency to show up at disastrous events, Lunacea finds that the symptoms aren't too different from before: glazed, unfocused eyes, and out-of character actions. Unfortunately, just as she approaches to stop him from breaking out of Medeia's vines, the similarities start to break apart. His struggle against his restraints stops abruptly, and his familiar flashes out of physical existence without warning. For a moment (however brief), it looks like that will be the end of it. [break][break] That is, until she notices blood start to trickle from his eyes and his limbs go limp. [break][break] The crafter's body falls at the same time as the Gates he was levitating, causing one of the mind-controlled champions, claire fermont, to vanish from the arena. Lunacea is at his side in a flash, carefully checking for vitals and any apparent cause of injury. She's seriously considering the idea of starting to bring people back to her lab for treatment, but has her train of thought interrupted by movement to her side. Another barrier potion is spent as she blocks off the area between her and it, and is shocked to see, on the other side of the shimmering wall of mana, what looks to be a giant serpent's skull rising from the ground... [break][break] [break]
???, a half-young stranger
[break] Although she'd brought her own shards of bone in case of emergency, apparently the mana signature she sought had led her to a stadium filled with a plentiful source for skeletons of ferocious beasts slain long ago, buried deep. But she could feel them, despite them being so deep and cold, and she could call them back from their eternal slumber. [break][break] The ground trembles and shifts as all manner of skeletal beasts claw their way to the surface. [break][break] The tug in her chest becomes more insistent as the person she seeks moves further away, and she is quick to move her undead puppets towards the various exits. Some, along the way, drop down over those with weapons, encaging them in the top of a skull or between a set of ribs. [break][break] Unfortunately, neither she nor her puppets can find her target, and the distance between them grows. [break][break] [break]
Medeia Trevil, Helios Knight leader and High Priestess
[break] The thrum of mana rushes through her as a river's rapids, crashing through the arena as twisting vines and inhumanly strong atronachs. It quickly becomes apparent that in her opening duel with Rowvenna, she was holding back. They were both holding back. [break][break] But now, she feels the mana flow falter, as if someone was diverting it away. It wasn't difficult to guess who, since the sudden menagerie of skeletons was difficult to miss. Medeia knew that her magic was strong, and her ability to control mana was rivaled by few. But now, some anonymous necromancer was fighting her for control of the mana in the area. Others would likely be able to feel it, too -- the drain from too many powerful spells being cast over the same area. Even @emery's gryphon can feel the danger in it, and glides down to land on a rooftop away from the arena, stumbling only slightly when too much weight is put on one of its injured legs. [break][break] It looks like Claire and the other champion, Billy Kasparian, managed to escape early enough to avoid it, and she can only hope that the majority of the other spectators made it out safely as well. [break][break] The Helios Knight leader casts a second summoning of vines, bursting up and entangling the animated bones, halting all... or, at least most of the necromatic beings. And then, when she sees a woman with a half-white head of hair jump atop a floating skeletal chimera and tactfully evade the vines, Medeia is quick to summon a pair of radiant wings and pursue. [break][break] Both dart past ninos knight and heath ambroise, departing through the same exit which they were moving towards and vanishing into Sundial's winding city streets. [break][break] [break] Less than a minute later, the mind-controlled witches stop their fight. Many just sit there with a glazed look, while some others collapse with bleeding eyes and on the verge of death (if not already past that point). But, most distressingly, a large portion of them are physically gone, having left in the crowd of people looking to escape. Valerus Blaze is among the missing. [break][break] A bit later in the day, Medeia returns with a bad case of mana exhaustion, and, unfortunately, nothing to show for her efforts. Neither the woman called Tahlia Vesper nor the necromancer are anywhere to be found. [break][break]
[attr="class","stafftemptitle"]ooc notes
[break]OOC IMPORTANT NOTE! This is the last staff post! You can post once more if there's anything you want to resolve, but at this point posting is entirely optional!
You may exchange this item in the staff notification thread for any existing non-MAS spell or technique of your choice for your character. You may request a randomized spell/technique if you don't want to pick it yourself. This may not be traded or exchanged between characters.
[attr="class","item"]
BARRIER RING
REUSABLE ITEM - UNIQUE
This silver ring with a milky-blue centerpiece creates a magical barrier around its wearer when they are in physical danger. The wearer's entire body is protected from physical blows and magical spells alike, though it only lasts for a few seconds. When the ring's effect wears off, it will immediately begin recharging, and can activate again after a few hours. (Protects your character from harm for 1 post. Can only be used once per thread. Will not work against all types of damage, such as from poisons.)
OF ALL OF YOU THAT BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE RIGHT, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, BUT ARE YOU RIGHT?
[attr="class","frniknaktop5"]
THE JUDGEMENT MAN HOLDS MY FATE. AS I GAZE AROUND THE ROOM, THEIR EYES ARE LIKE KNIVES: COULD DECAPITATE.
[attr="class","frniknakmid"]
Gallardias is going to fall. Gallardias is going to fall. Gallardias is going to fall.
[break][break]But Emery is wrong. Ardi doesn't fall.
[break][break]Instead, the female gryphon, with a little pained grunt, keeps flapping her wings, finally arriving at a certain elevation that keeps them away from the rubble and mess. That is where Gallardias falls; Emery topples out of the gryphon's back, and Raven might have been tossed over to. Emery would have to check on the other Knight later; for now there is Gallardias to take care of.
[break][break]"Hey girl, hey..." She mumbles softly, crawling over to Gallardias and stroking her fur; but crawling is a pain to her impaled legs and she flinches, but she doesn't mind for now. "You did so well, girl... you saved us." She keeps whispering, smiling at the young gryphon, who chirps weakly in response. "Let's get you to a medic, quick. Oh, would you look at that thigh..." She cringes at the sight of the gryphon's bleeding thigh; Emery then remembers that she still has Aiden's healing scarf, so she removes it from her knees and proceeds to tie it to where the thigh is bleeding.
[break][break]She listens to the poor gryphon's quiet squawks of pain, but the only reaction she gets is Ardi's slight raising of the head and tail moving up and down slowly in anguish. "Relax, Ardi, relax..." She coos at the creature, focused on finishing the job. "It would heal your thigh slowly, so that should be enough time for you to not completely bleed out before you get a chance at the medic."
[break][break]Emery feels the gryphon's worried look searing through her, and she shakes her head. "No need to worry about me, Ardi. I'll be fine... eventually." She tries to stand but stumbles back, the pain on her knees still making itself evident, albeit faintly. So much for reassuring her gryphon that she'd be fine. Ardi immediately stands and through limped steps, she helps Emery up.
[break][break]"I'm fine, Ardi. Let's get you to the clinic." She rubs the gryphon's head to reassure her further. Emery turns to the white-haired Knight and approaches her with limped steps, extending a hand to help her up. "Thanks for helping me today. You're free to join me in the clinic if you want."
[break][break]If either she would accept the hand or not, she would run up to Ardi and take one last glance at the arena. Everything has become so complicated and Emery is not too sure what to make of it anymore... but she hopes the disaster is fixed.
[break][break]One last look, and she runs off with Gallardias on tow.
Taylan's words seem to flow right past the unusual woman as if they were meaningless to her ears. Her expression changes little from its initial display of rage, shifting only slightly as her brows pinch with added annoyance.
Everything is falling apart. An enemy has attacked at her coven's heart on two levels: their arena (physically) and their unity (spiritually). Cracks are doomed to start forming in the unshakable foundation which her coven had worked so hard to build up over the course of centuries... and for what? A competition? A reaffirmation of their image? A reaffirmation of her own image?
