Tome of Ambia: An Original RP

[Shoe]

I always thought it would be fun to try this, and forgive me if the rules are overly detailed or "long." But it is necessary. Tome of Ambia is a series of novels, the first of which I'm currently struggling with, and I plan on publishing them. I suppose there's pretty much no goal in this particular RP, just your own goals. I implore you, don't be afraid to be creative with your character(s)'s storyline(s). Create your own story in a fantastic world called Arke consisting of several races that is ruled by angels and elements.

Here's the low down about what just "ambia" is:

Ambia is not magic; it is not an otherworldly power that only wise old men with pointy hats can use, or can only be called upon by mention of a secret word. Nor is it supernatural. Ambia is, in fact, the very essence of nature itself. Through the six trees (one in each territory of the world) the people of Arke are able to manipulate nine elements of the fifteen. However, the world of Arke has a law of balance, and however much ambia is drawn from the roots of these trees, an equal amount of strength must be given up so the trees will not wilt.

The manipulative elements:

Natural Ambia
Gale
The ambia of air.
Mist
The ambia of vapor.
Flame
The ambia of heat.
Frost
The ambia of cold.
Thunder
The ambia of sound.
Stone
The ambia of minerals.
Global Ambia
Tempest
The ambia of sky and storms.
Nature
The ambia of forests and oceans.
Core
The ambia of gravity and lava.

The elements work like this:

Flame, Gale, and Thunder are light based elements where as Stone, Frost, and Mist are dark based. They have an opposing system:

Flame opposes Frost
Gale opposes Stone
Thunder opposes Mist

If one trains themselves well enough to become an Alchemist, then this is how it works:

Flame and Stone create Core
Thunder and Frost create Tempest
Mist and Gale create Nature

Of course, Shadow and Radiance are opposing but only "higher" knights are able to manipulate those elements.

The six races:

Huum
Much like humans, they are a simple and fascinating race fascinated by the simplest of things. They love to explore and discover new things in the world of Arke. They are masters of the element of Gale and are usually Archers, but are also well known for their Paladin militia in some parts of the world.
Dragis
The Dragis are very strong and have a great sense of honor, though they would rather train their bodies than their minds. They have thick skin armored with thicker scales, and a pair of horns upon their head. They are seen as kings and queens the way their horns trace around their heads like crowns, but they do not see themselves as such. They are the masters of the element of Flame and are well known for their graceful and artistic style of fighting.
Blidridi
The Blidridi are the wisest race and are very proud. They wrote millions upon billions of books containing their vast knowledge of the laws of the universe and shared them with the world. They have feathered bodies and wing-like arms, and though they are weak and fragile, they are very swift and nimble. They are the masters of the element of Thunder.
Merna
The Merna are very similar to the Huum, though they have scales, fins, and gills. They have a more "secretive" personality and are also a very proud race. They are the masters of the element of Mist.
Eldrears
The Eldrears are a rodent-like race who like to mine. They have large eyes, long ears, and long but broad tails and are covered head to toe in fur. There are very few of them, but they have no problem repopulating. They are rodents after all. They are the masters of the element of Frost and they are the only race that use hammers as well as other weapons.
Simans
The Simans are an ape-like race and have even more fortified bodies than the Dragis. Where as the Dragis are more offensive, the Simans are more about defense. They often stand in the front lines during battle, taking the blows of their foes but receiving hardly a scratch. They are the masters of the element of Stone and use large and heavy weapons.

The classes:

Knights
Heavily armored soldiers who are the basic swordsmen, spearmen, or axemen. Swordsman are quick and accurate, axemen are slow but powerful, and spearmen have a longer range and are about mid-speed.
Paladins
Holy knights endowed with the ability to manipulate the Spiritual element of Radiance. They often use lances or claymores and are an important asset to any group, as they can heal even the most horrid of wounds very effectively.
Atrumiles
Dark knights endowed with the ability to manipulate the Spiritual element of Shadow. They mainly use spears or greataxes and hinder foes weak or dazed through the power of Shadow.
Archers
Archers, especially those who are masters of the element of Gale, are great at accuracy and long range. Using the element of Gale, they can control the direction and speed of an arrow for a surer hit. They use bows as their primary weapons and daggers for close ranged combat. Naturally, they are very nimble.
Rangers
Rangers are a step up from Archers just as Atrumiles and Paladins are step ups from Knights. Rangers are much quicker and use crossbows as well as longbows.
Elementalists
As the name implies, they are those who primarily use the elements of ambia. They are very knowledgeable regarding the elements and know when to use the right element and whether to use defense or offense in battle. They use staves made from the branches of the ambial trees with crystallized gems of the sap from the trees mounted on the end to better their use of ambia.
Alchemists
A step up from Elementalists, Alchemists combine the lesser elements to create more powerful ambia which was once forbidden to be used by mortals. They use staves as well, but also rods which are similar, but are made of drakite (the strongest metal in the world which has elemental properties).
Musketeers
Musketeers use firearms as their weapons. They can also use ambia as a source of ammunition, but otherwise they use gunpowder and spherical lead bullets. There are rifles and pistols.

The territories/continents:

Ede
The green continent home to the the Huum and Merna. Windale, the forested northern territory of Ede is home to the Huum as well as the tree of Gale, Windal. Undia, the southern territory consisting of the Merna Sea and a ring of islands is home to the Merna as well as the tree of Mist, Plu.
Sepul
The hot continent home to the Dragis and Simans. Incendia, the eastern territory of black earth and rivers of fire is home to the Dragis as well as the tree of Flame, Exur. Icus, the western arid territory of sand and rock is home to the Simans as well as the tree of Stone, Tera.
Aethera
The cold continent home to the Blidridi and Eldrears. Thorda, the mountainous territory where thunderstorms are constant is home to the Blidridi as well as the tree of Thunder, Levius. Frosia, the cold territory of snow and ice that is home to the Eldrears as well as the tree of Frost, Glacius.

Cities:

Windale Cities
Midgarde
Ruled primarily by the Church of Midgarde, it has walls made of the strongest metal known in the world (white colored drakite) and has an impressive militia of paladins. It is the capital.
Rolan
The old race of the Huum that remained while the others left to build Midgarde. Primarily archers who stick to traditional ways and are still in tune with nature; so much that they literally commune with it.
Undia Cities
Port Orca
A city on the northern shores of the northernmost island of the rings of islands called the Encompassing Isles in Undia. It consists of Huum and Dragis as well as half bloods and is a major port for both sea ships and airships.
Merna Empire
An underwater empire whose buildings are made of coral and pearl where only Merna live.
Incendia Cities
Forn
Due to its extremely hot temperatures, this territory has only one city. Forn is home to the Dragis and is made of the black earth that also makes much of Incendia.
Icus Cities
Fort Mas
A great fortress city whose walls are made of diamond located in the Siman Desert. It is home to mainly Simans but also Dragis and Huum alike.
Thorda Cities
Pierce City
Located in the heart of Mount Pierce, the tallest mountain in the world, Pierce City is connected to the outside world by a complex system of caves and mines. Eldrears and some Blidridil ive here, but like Port Orca, many different people appear to trade and commune.
Azure Island
A floating island that was made by the angel Ethen, the Deity of Tempest for the Blidridi during a dire age. Only Blidridi live here, but it is visited by many others who seek knowledge.

Extra Rules
Updated Monday, July 21st: I ask that you allow all players to post their scenarios before continuing, unless of course, the conversation between Player1 and Player2 has nothing to do with Player 3 and Player4 who are also conversing, for example. Also, time yourselves while conversing with each other. Allow at least ten minutes between posts in case another player wishes to get involved. Thank you~

---

That's all the information needed I think! Let's say...about five people join before we get started on this. As I said, be creative with your storylines and characters. Let's keep the limit at two per person so it doesn't get too crazy. As an example, you may have one character that is evil and one that is good, or one that is neutral or good, or two that are neutral or good or bad...you decide! Then progress their stories as you like. Actually ROLE PLAY. I may actually just make a separate forum for this sometime in the future if anyone likes it enough. We can have tea parties!

Characters
I'll play the role of a male Blidridi who is just entering adulthood named Dlarid who is a musketeer and he uses two silver pistols. He flies a golden airship all over the world and is very adventurous. He is intelligent and has a carefree attitude, but sometimes he can be imature. As with most of the Blidridi race, he has a lot of pride, unfortunately, and can be selfish at times, but if you somehow earn his friendship, he'd risk his life for you. He may do it regardless, if you're lucky enough.

Since I am the creator of this RP, I will also play as Liphia; an Archangel who appears to be a child, but she is really the same age as the world. She is basically a "god mode" character, but don't worry, I won't use her to do anything over the top. She's just there to narrate and guide anyone who is lost. If one becomes lost, all they must do is pray to her and she will show them the way, sometimes in her own way. If you die, she is the one who brings you back to life back at your home city after a period of talking to her after your spirit ascends into the Divine Realm. If you're in a jam, she may or may not get you out of it. It depends on the odds, and really, my judgement on the situation. I'll try to make it as far as I can. It doesn't matter if you're evil or good, she knows the laws of balance more than anyone, and so your fate is up to her.

Due to a busy schedule this weekend on my part, we may not get this started until Saturday, maybe even Tuesday. But then again, we may. Let's just see how many join by then. Until then, if you have any questions regarding anything above, say so and I'll fix anything that needs fixing or answer anything that needs answering.

I hope that wasn't too much to absorb, but you're all a bright bunch! Hope you enjoy it, and don't get too crazy. ;D

[red.yoshi]

No apologies needed for the long introductions, but its a lot of information to remember =). Its all good though. I'll try it out, but I'll probably do most everything wrong >,<.

I'll play an adolescent Merna named Kauhane. Kauhane hasn't been trained the arts of a specific class, but aspires to be an Elementalist. He is very shy despite the rest of his race, and only has a select few friends. Kauhane has an artifact that was given to him by a powerful alchemist long ago on the outskirts of the Merna empire. Its an old ring with gold that has the luster of the rising sun and the full moon. A large ruby is fixed in the ring which is rumored by specialists to contain magical properties, but Kauhane has yet to unveil its mysteries. An ancient language is carved in gold circling the ruby, and a powerful dragon has been engraved on either side. Kauhane strives to become a great alchemist and uncover the secrets of his ring.

[Shoe]

Very interesting character! Very detailed description especially of the ring, I could picture it quite vividly. Real quick though, and don't worry about spelling it wrong, but it's Merna with an "n." I need to fix my description a bit too...

[Sanjo]

If this is still going on, I'd love to join!

I will play Kyniderus, a young Dragis and a master of the Flame ambia. He is known to be an elementalist in pursuit of great power. He started to be trained for the ambia, Flame, when he was of a very young age, but he finally mastered it in a remarkable ten years. Like his forefathers, he is hot-headed most of the time. However, unlike most of the Dragis, he acts more on his class stereotype and thinks everything through before he acts. He visits Exur everyday, hoping that by at least staying near it, it would somehow give him even more knowledge and power for his Ambia. His stave, carved and endowed with Exur's own power, is his most treasured belonging. He also bears a large scar near his heart, a reminder to him and to all of his tragic accident with lightning casted by a lone Blidridi.

Hope I don't epically fail at this >,<

[DanteEX]

Hey, I never noticed this. I'll join too.


I'm going to be a 14 year old Huum named Miku. Ever since he was a boy, his father tried to train him to become the best archer who ever lived. His father would have a hard time because Miku didn't like to fight, he was a kind, soft kid. But one day when studying fossils in a cave, something, still unknown, had killed him. Now Miku tries to fight to become the best archer there is so he could advenge his father's death. He lives with his mother in Icus. Miku trains with her sometimes but mostly with the Dragis living there because of their great strength. He has a couple of friends but is too busy to talk to them most of the time. He holds a job at staff making to help stay in Icus.

[Shoe]

Oh, hey, some people are actually interested! Well, I suppose we can get this running along then! I also have made a board for this RP, however it is still under heavy construction and it won't lift off for a while due to me working on the actual books. But, there's an OOC part of the board where you can talk about people things, as well as some things that don't require you to go into the RP. So, if you would like to go there, just ask me and I will give you the link. Now then, I must say, you all have very interesting characters indeed. I think I'll narrate in first person for Dlarid; that sounds like fun. Speaking of, don't worry about screwing up, just enjoy yourselves!

IMPORTANTE: To avoid a traffic jam, let's let all the players post their scenario before continuing. Unless, of course, the conversation between Player1 and Player 2 has nothing to do with Player3 and Player4's interactions for example. Also, try to allow at least ten minutes between posts when conversing, in case another player wishes to get involved. Hopefully, that will work out. Though, since we have very few characters, that should not become too much of a problem.

Also, it's fine to take control of an NPC if need be. Such as a shop merchant. As long as you don't get carried away with that NPC's story and all that. Now for my introductory post...I warn you, I love to write:

"Blooded piece of trash," I mumbled as I hit the side of my airship with the oily wrench that I had just used to attempt to fix the rear middle rudder which had become jammed in the crash. "You hit a little turbulence and what? You throw me in the middle of this godforsaken desert!"
After I was finished shouting, I rubbed by forehead and sighed, "Right, I guess it won't do me much use just complaining as I boil away in the sun." Since I am a bird, I have a natural sense of direction, of course, and that is what makes us blidridi such excellent navigators. I spread my arms out and took off into the air. My biological compass lined up and I faced north until I spotted Fort Mas off in the near distance with my mind's eye. I sighed, "Great, now I have to deal with a bunch of hardheaded jerkies who don't know a book from a rock. Oh well, it beats roasting away here, I suppose."
Before leaving, I covered the entire ship with a layer of mud by gathering the water in the air with the sand from the desert, so to protect it from the sun and disguise it from robbers. Then, I took off towards Fort Mas, and before long, I could see it rising up on the horizon like a great mountain. "I admit, it is an impressive structure."
I landed gracefully in front of the large diamond gate and I heard a guard call to me from high atop a watchtower, "Who treads the sand? Friend or foe?"
"Depends!" I replied, "Your name wouldn't be Blarit, would it?"
The guard was silent for a moment, evidently confused. No surprise there. Finally he replied, "Uh, no."
"Friend, then, now let me in, please! My feathers are beginning to frizz!"
Another rather long moment passed before the gates finally opened. I took a step in and headed immediately to an engineer shop. "How much for a mid-rudder for a model G-3 Triptwiller?" I asked a rather burly looking huum man sitting outside the shop.
"A G-3 Triptwiller? Never heard of it!"
"That's because it's one of a kind. Fine then...an S-3 Swiper?"
"Ah, I'd say," he paused as if he was making up the price, "For you, two hundred twenty pieces."
I sighed, reached in my backpack, then pulled out a small, but pure gold bar. "This will do, won't it?"
The man's eyes sparkled, "Yes, yes, it will do quite well!" He then disappeared into his shop and brought back what I desired.
"Just hold it, I'm going to see if there's anything to do around here."
"Right you are, here is your receipt for when you come pick it up."
I took the receipt and sighed, "I know what a receipt is for, thank you."
I then began to wander the streets, hoping someone would notice a blidrid walking amongst them. A few approached me asking me for gold, but I quickly shooed them off.
"Come on, I want to see some excitement! Some adventure!" I thought aloud, hoping someone would hear me.

[Sanjo]

I woke up abruptly to a large boom outside of my house. My eyes widened as the dark room soon became visible. Reaching out to the closed window, my claws grabbed hold of a small ledge near it so that I could get up without using too much energy."

The sun was near its peak when I began to walk through Forn. Everything seemed to be usual, even a little too calm. "Where was that noise com-" suddenly, the large boom sounded again, forcing me to cover my ears. I looked over to where it sounded, and I saw a small group of younglings trying to throw boulders as far as they could. Though they did not look that strong, their own will, determination, and pride sent the massive boulders flying through the air and landing with a loud thud on the black earth. Their strength alone would do the job, but it takes the true honor and pride in a young Dragis to accomplish a large hurl of those boulders. It looked to be a game they were playing, and the one who threw it the farthest would be the most honorable and the strongest. "I wish I could be that young again..."
"You wish you what?" An old dragis was nearby, overhearing my muttering. I felt embarrassed and, like every Dragis should do, I bowed to my elder. "I'm sorry, I was simply thinking out loud. I apologize if I disturbed you." The elder nodded its head and turned its body away, the scales reflecting in the sunlight. I sighed in relief, knowing that one small fault on my end would be the end of me. I continued to walk through the city, everything and everywhere black, electing not to reflect the light that was beaming down it, but instead, let it pass through it as if it were nothing. The ground beneath me was even hotter than the air was. "The ground must be weak..." I thought.
As time flew by, I made my way to the mighty Exur. Just being around it gave me even more strength than ever. It's presence felt like it pierced through my body and gave me energy and power. It also gave me a sense of security; a sense of safety. I found myself to feel like I was unstoppable whenever I was around this tree.
"Kyniderus!" A female Dragis was running towards me. She was a good friend of mine. She used to train with me until I finally surpassed my mentor. She reached me, her head low and her arms by her sides. "So, today is the day you finally leave, huh?"
"...Yeah... It is..."
"...Do you really think you'll find your attacker in Fort Mas?" I lowered my head, my eyes closed and my mind whirling with unanswered questions. I had been trying to block them out so that I can find a little peace on my last day at home, but thanks to her, it didn't work. I rubbed my pointed horns that rested on my head, a small nervous habit I have always had. "...I don't know... I hope so..."
"Well, take care. And good luck... destiny is a funny thing, you know... it may very well be that the one your looking for is in fact the one you'll get along best with..." I smirked at her comment, sensing her sarcasm. "Well, then I guess I'll find him or her fast and I'll be back home, soon." And with that, I gave one last final wave and began to head to the outskirts of Forn and into the foreign lands.

[DanteEX]

"Great shot!" Lagoon, Miku's adoptive grandfather, complemented. Miku smirked. "Thanks I've been practicing all night." Miku lifted up his bow again and aimed at the smallest moving target. He let the string go and the arrow bull's-eyed it. He started over to pick up the arrows that had been launched. "Don't you have your own training to do, Grandfather? The fight with your rival is only three days away." Lagoon sighed. "I'm at my limit, Miku. I've been training maxium for eight weeks, and I haven't gotten any stronger." Miku dropped the arrows he had picked up. He shook his head disappointingly as he made his way over to Lagoon. "Remember what you told me, Grandfather? 'One can always get stronger.'" Lagoon stood there shocked for a moment, then laughed. "I taught you a lot, Miku. Hey, tell you what, since you haven't slept in two days, why don't you go take a nap in my bed?" Miku smiled. "Thank you." He jogged over to Lagoon's cabin.

"Hey Miku!" A voice shouted from the cabin window. Miku opened his eyes and saw Kaju, Anna, and Hulgian. They were his best friends. Kaju was a Huum, and was considered as a "cool guy". He likes to show off and he fights with his fists only just to impress the ladies. Anna, was also a Huum, and she fights using a staff that Miku made for her. She is the nicest out of all four of them. Hulgian, was a Dragi. Although he was overweight, he was good at fighting. He fought using an axe. He was the "muscles" of the group. Miku sat up in bed. "Oh hey guys, why'd ya wake me?" Hulgian walked through the front door. "We wanted to see if you will come with us to that cave we discovered a few months ago." Miku sighed. "Please, every time we go there, we always end up chickening out." Kaju jumped through the window. "This time'll be different. We're gonna force Anna's little brother to go in." Miku chuckled. Anna wrapped her fingers around Kaju's neck. "You said we were using your little brother!" Anna yelled. Kaju broke out of Anna's grip. "I was just kidding... man..." Miku jumped outta bed. "I'm guessing we'll get some little kid to go in?" He asked. Hulgian shook his head, "That's not the plan we had in mind, but it's better." Miku tilted his head. "What did you guys have in mind?" Hulgian closed his eyes. "Well, lets just say it involved a plastic bag, a rope, and country music...."

(Miku's three friends won't be part of the story, they're just here for the beginning. Also, I'm gonna change Miku to 14. That's okay, right?)

[Shoe]

(Yes, that's fine. Just don't get too carried away with it. We need some player interaction sooner or later. The following is directed towards all players: That's kind of what Dlarid is doing; waiting for a player to do something about him. Don't feel like you have to interact with him any time soon, or at all really, he'll just be wandering around the streets of Fort Mas looking for trouble. After a few turns, he'll probably get bored and leave. Also, I was holding back because I had underestimated everyone's writing potential! I'm impressed! ;D Also, if you want to join the forum, ask me via PM rather than telling me here. Thank you, Sanjo, for pointing that out.)

[red.yoshi]

Kauhane's eyes opened. He looked around, and filled his lungs with the salty water, filtering it out with his gills. He sat up in bed, muscles cracking and popping. He stretched, flexing his muscles, pulling his skin taunt like a shriveled, steamed hide. Kauhane retrieved his ring from his bedside table and admired it in the pale light that shone through his window. The ruby's glow danced across his face and around the floors of his shack. It made him feel warm inside. He slipped the ruby ring on, and swam to the kitchen.

Kauhane searched his shelves, and took out varies of grasses which he mixed with a sauce and found appetizing. He sat at the table, and consumed the greens very mannerly. He took a utensil, which looked like a prong, and began lifting the grasses to his mouth. He chewed with his mouth closed, and savored each bite, enjoying the texture and nutrients. He reached over for the slab of stone which sat on a nearby stool, and scanned over it. Information about his elementalist training. He finished the grasses without taking his eyes off of the stone slab. Kauhane had to retrieve some items for his master. "A branch from a kumu tree, kai berries, a slab of pule stone. . .how will I ever manage to get this?" wondered Kauhane allowed. He had only ever heard of the kai berries; they grew everywhere around here.

Kauhane neatly cleaned his eating area. He took the slab of stone with him outside. The light blinded his eyes, and shone on his body, making his loin cloth radiant and almost majestic. Kauhane didn't need to, but wore the loin cloth anyway. The Merna reproductive organs were concealed by the body unlike those of the huum. Kau found it etiquette to wear the cloth over his groin, although the other Merna went naked as the other races called it. Without reading the slab, Kauhane swam over to a kai berry bush, and began collecting handfuls of berries. He stored them in a tight satchel which he fastened to his cloth, and paused for a moment to gaze at the Merna empire.

Kauhane's village was on the outskirts, and most of the residents were older. He believed the master must be the eldest for the frail form of his Merna body. Kau decided to ask around his village for advice on where to find the other two items he needed for his master. He wouldn't think his master would appreciate Kau asking him for advice, so he shied away from the idea of visiting him. He started swimming to the other homes built out of the titanic oceanic cliff he called home.

[Shoe]

I decided since I couldn't find any attention, I would attract it. It was one of those rare occasions where I didn't think before I acted. I flew high up into the air (which grabbed enough attention already) and as I threw my head back, and using the ambia of thunder, I let out a lethal scream, sending shockwaves into the air, though directed towards the clouds which parted as the noise hit them rather than the ground below. I'm not that crazy.

Yup. That did it...but not the way I might have liked. Several dragi knights were now below me, and several more huum archers had their arrows pointed at me. But, I had the attention of everyone.

"You there!" a booming voice called to me from below.

I looked down; to them, I must have looked like a small bug flying in the air, but to me, I could see them very clearly, even the details of the scales on the faces of the bewildered dragi people who were staring at me.

"You're under arrest for disturbing the peace!" the loud voice called.

I had to think of an excuse fast. Naturally, as smart as I am, I thought of one very quickly, "I'm sorry, there was charges building up in this vacinity, probably due to the dry atmosphere, and to stop it, I had to blow the clouds away that were contributing to said charge."

Everyone looked at each other, whispering amongst themselves, while others lowered their weapons with a dumbfounded expression. I sighed, "Me save city. Lightning bolt go zap and people go splat if I didn't."

"Oh," shouted the voice, which I by now identified as the Captain of the Guard who was standing amidst the armored soldiers below me. "Well then, thank you. Carry on!"

"Bunch of ingrates, these Masians," I said as quietly as I could as I descended back down to the streets. But, perhaps I got the attention I wished for. I certainly had the attention of the crowds who were wide-eyed. Ha, some even applauded. I knew it was a rather bad thing I did, but hey, I don't have time to spend in a bloody cell...that adjective was probably literal too.

So, I continued waiting, sitting atop the statue in the center of the city so everyone could see me.

[red.yoshi]

Creek. . . The driftwood door opened as Kauhane pressed it in. Viera sat inside by the window, gazing out. She was an old Merna, and very wise from the years. "Viera." Kauhane took a bow gracefully with elegance. He then stood erect and opened his pearly sapphire eyes. "What is it you seek, young one?" asked Viera. There was an air about her voice that made her attractive; possibly a lethal weapon for wary soldiers.

"Viera, I want to learn how to become an elementalist. Master has asked me to retrieve three items. I have obtained one, but seek the other two." Viera closed her eyes. "What are these. . .items you seek, young one?" Kauhane's eyes didn't blink, and his mood didn't shift. "I have already gathered the kai berries Master has asked for. I require a slab of pule stone, and a brance from a kumu tree. Where would I be able to retrieve such items?"

Viera didn't open her eyes. "Long ago a meteor fell from the skies and fell to the ocean floor, this same ocean floor of which we inhabit. . ." Kauhane's mind began to shift, the power of her voice over coming him. She is so beautiful for her age. . .her skin is taunt and her figure is that of a young Huum. . .her hair flows in the water as if it were dancing. . . He failed to notice that she was engraving maps for him in stone slabs for his journey. "The kumu tree is. . ." Images of a secret love with Viera clouded Kauhane's mind. She gracefully swam over to Kauhane with the stone slabs. "Do you understand?" she asked him. He snapped out of it, and nodded his head, blushing under the gills. She smiled at him. Such perfect teeth and such young features. . . "You best be going now, young one."

Kauhane remained graceful as he made his exit, thanking Viera with a concealed tone. As soon as he left her little house he could feel the cooler water wash over his face and clear his thoughts. He regretted becoming lost in thought, and wish he had listened closely to Viera. He wanted to smash himself against a large rock for thinking such thoughts. He pulled the first map of the pule stone in front of his eyes and began scrutinizing it. Viera had drawn the map perfectly including tiny details and important points in the ocean so he wouldn't get lost.

With a look back at his home, he began to set out towards the pule stone. It hadn't crossed his mind to how he would get a slab of it, or how he would carry it. The power of becoming an elementalist was too overwhelming.

[Shoe]

(All righty, real quick, that was beautiful, Red. Marvelous. Onto business though. Taking turns doesn't look like the best idea. It's your own adventure. I forgot that and Red made me realize it. Anyway, the conversation thing still sticks though. Sorry about that, everyone.)

After waiting for a while, I finally decided this was going to get me nowhere. I returned to the engineer's but found him asleep. I sighed and tapped him on the head, which was resting in his arms on a crate. He snorted and looked at me sleepily, "What can I do ya fer, sir?"
"I need someone to carry this, please."
"Oh, of courz, sir," said the man with a yawn. "Where to?"
"Out in the desert, it's about a mile. If you just follo-"
"Oy, now wait just a dern minute! I ain't a goin' to no mile walk fer the likes a you!"
I raised my brow and leaned forward bearing a scowl on my face, "Excuse me?"
"I saw ye! Don't think ye can get away with somethin' like whatcha did."
"I don't understand."
"Ya think yer so smart, ain'tcha? Well, I know a thin' or two 'bout the weather patterns 'round here, and there ain't been a natural lightnin' strike here for as long as I can 'member."
"Then you're mistaken," I said solemnly.
"Do it yerself!"
"Fine, but you'd better hope I never see your face again," I said, then added with a sarcastic tone, "Sir."
I heaved the large rudder and struggled as I carried it with me towards the gates. I was soon stopped, however, by a young dragis who asked, "'Scuse me, mister, but that looks heavy!"
"It is," I replied with a huff.
"Well, do you need help?"
"Sure," I sighed as I handed it to the boy who lifted it with ease. I stared at him for a moment, wondering how in the world such a small boy could lift such a massive object. It was about as tall as the man who sold it to me, and he was the biggest man I've ever seen. By huum standards anyway.
"Uh, mister?"
I snapped back to my senses and pointed my wing towards the gate, "This way."
I began walking, and the boy followed without a word. I'm not sure why he would want to help me carry something like that all the way to the desert, but hey, no skin off my beak.
We were about half way there when the boy asked, "How far is it, mister?"
"We're not far from it, I can see it from here," I lied. I couldn't see it at all, but I was sure it was over the large dune that rose up above the sands ahead. And so, we continued walking, and I was a little worried since I could not see the airship. But, it was there, though the mud had by now hardened and was flaking off.
"This is it, thanks..."
"Klain"
"Thank you, Klain. Here's something for your trouble," I said as I handed him a few gold pieces after he set the rudder down in the sand. He smiled and bowed, then started back towards the city. I didn't watch him as he left. Instead, I pulled the dried mud off of the airship and got right to work on the rudder.
"Now, where's that wrench?"

[red.yoshi]

(Thank you =).


Kauhane swam fast and began taking the routes Viera had sketched for him. He had never been so far from home in his life, and feared the dangers of the deeper and darker waters. He wasn't at all trained to fight or assault an enemy. I suppose I'll need to stay low, or brave my opponent with some sort of trickery.

Kauhane began swimming faster, and noticed the first mark on the map. A lovely coral wreath. It was so beautiful, and Kauhane had to stop to admire it. It wasn't far from home, as Kau had only traveled a short few hours, but it was a safe haven that resided in the mouth of the ocean cliff. He figured that he would stay here for the night since the waters were becoming darker. They cast shadows across the ocean life which made Kau drowsy has he watched them. He decided to swim to the wreath and learn its ways.

Kauhane entered through a large opening and found that the wreath was huge on the inside. Caverns into the rock led to houses of fish and even some Merna. The walls were of still sea life which danced gracefully to the current of the ocean. The dome wreath was illuminated by fish that glowed and fish that glimmered under the ocean. He began swimming towards the center. The fish which inhabited the wreath had little to none intelligence and didn't acknowledge Kauhane's arrival. Each Merna that he passed gracefully bowed to him. He returned the bow with much elegance.

Kau was shy to ask for a place to stay. He didn't want to trouble anyone, and he didn't want to have a cloudy encounter like that with Viera again. He was still embarrassed by how he reacted to her. He decided that, even though the wreath was so welcoming and beautiful, he would sleep outside near the entrance. He swam back to the door, and dropped a few hundred feet to the ocean floor. He swam close to the wall of the wreath. The still ocean life blanketed his body and was quite warm.

He thought about love and about his age. He was afraid to find love for several reasons, and afraid of the reactions of his body at this age. He didn't want to interrupt his journey to becoming an alchemist. Then he laughed out loud. "As if I'll ever become an alchemist." Elementalist is more like it he thought. But why was he so into women all of the sudden? The encounter with Viera must have sparked something he thought. To clear his mind, he took out the map to the kumu tree and began looking over it. It began at the pule stone, led all the way to Port Orca, and a little beyond.

Kau had never seen a Huum before, except for in the stone books he read in the library of the Merna Empire. They were similar to himself, but he was still afraid to cross one for the same reasons of love and delay. He finally gave up, and let his thoughts drift to a love life with an imaginary female Merna, and drifted to sleep.

[DanteEX]

Miku pulled the covers off and got out of bed. He stretched his arms above his head and make his way to the door, grabbing his trusty bow-and-arrows on the way. As walking outside he set the strap around his neck and under his right arm. He carefully set his arrow hold and then his bow between the strap and his back. Miku kept thinking about the day when- "Hey Miku, you're going in, right?" Miku was startled. He turned around to see Hulgian talking to him. He had forgotten they were still following him. "I thought we were going to force a kid in there." Miku tilted his head, confused. Kaju held his hand over his shoulder and stuck out his thumb. "Since Anna doesn't want her bro going in there, it'll be one of us." Miku turned back to the trail, watching the ground.

Golly, it sure isn't as fun when you're the one doing it. Miku thought to himself, worried of what might happen. He felt his stomach ache from nervousness. He would have used this as an excuse but he knows his friends very well. Kaju and Hulgian would just call me names and make chicken noises for a month or two, and Anna would believe me. Still not worth it. Miku wished Lagoon had found him right now and asked for a training session, but he was out of luck. He wished it was like the old days, when he and his dad went boar hunting. And every time he would not kill and let it go. His dad never got mad, he knew his son wasn't ready to experience death yet. He loved his son. When Miku was with his mom they made pancakes and cookies. Miku could bake the best pancakes, according to his friends, but with cookies not so much. Now-a-days, his friends say his pancakes, "suck Eldrears". Miku looked up from the ground to see the small and only mountain for miles, where the cave was located, coming up in the distance.

He looked down and thought about happy times again. Before his father had died, they didn't live here in Icus. They lived in Undia, where the air was cool and fresh, unlike Icus where it's hot and murky. They just couldn't afford to live there anymore though, so they moved to somewhere cheaper, Icus. Miku didn't even like Icus much. It had too many Simans. He didn't mind the Dragis because they weren't as big and were kind of nice. But the Simans were kind of rude and were huge.

Miku sighed as they approached the cave. They ducked low trying not to get spotted by and guards. The cave was off limits to everyone, and the guards would maybe even have to kill someone before going in there. Despite that, Miku and his friends are pretty dull and would do anything if someone dared them. Kaju pushed him towards the entrance. "Go on, Miku. Get in there." Miku nodded. He slowly walked into the dark cave. He felt a spider web catch on his face as he entered. He rubbed it off and continued. Miku kept going until the exit had disappeared and looked around. It wasn't so dark to him. He could see the rocks and thingy roaches on the ground. He wondered why this cave would be off limits. Miku was going to continue when he heard a big loud howl....

[red.yoshi]

Kauhane woke early before the rays of the sun's light pierced and penetrated the ocean's floors. He began to travel, following the stone tablet, to his next destination. His mind was clear and free as he swam. Kau thought about nothing.

After an hour or two he arrived at the next land mark and sat down before the wonder of it. A field of sea grasses, shimmering and dancing in the currents of the ocean. The sun was rising in the sky above the waters, rays illuminating the grasses, colors dancing wildly across the ocean floor. Kauhane wondered if Viera was sending him on an indirect route to see the wonders of the ocean. He stood in awe, enjoying the ocean to its fullest.

He continued through the grass cautiously. He didn't know what kind of beasts lurked here, and he didn't feel like making his self fully visible by swimming above the grasses either. Along the way, he would uproot the grass and have a snack, not so much enjoying the new sensations to his taste buds, but more to fuel him along. He was too afraid and nervous to delve into the delicious new sensation of different grasses.

By day's end he had made it to the other side. The sun was now setting and Kauhane remembered morning. He remember how similar this sensation was on the opposite side of the grasses. He watched the colors dance on the sea floor. It was so very enchanting and beautiful. Just like Viera. . he thought for a brief second, but shook his head quickly.

Kauhane needed to find a place to sleep for the night. He swam as far away as he could from the grasses, traveling as much as he could before the sun went down, but it was barren ocean floor. No where to sleep or hide. Kauhane felt the bottom of the ocean. Calm and warm. He picked up a handful of sand, and let it sift between his fingers. He decided this is where he would sleep.

Using his arms he began to dig. Soon there was a hole about the size of his body. He curled up inside, and covered himself with the remaining sand. Fortunately the fears and adventures of the day had worn him out enough to doze right off to sleep. No thoughts at all tonight. Kauhane was out not even a second after closing his eyes.