Posts by softly

agnette grail.

"Agnette Grail: daughter of Aspen and Elizea Grail, apprentice of Rion Katell. As you kneel here before me, blood spilling from the wounds in your palms onto a ground most sacred, can you vow to spend the remainder of your life driven by the needs of your village above all else?"

"Yes."

"And do you further vow to accept the responsibility that entails such knowledge as that with which you will be presented and to use it only for the good of the village?"

"Yes."

"Then it is my obligation as Head Medic - as well as my pleasure - to present you with your first scroll. Carry this with you on your journey and let it guide you as you see fit. And, by the grace of those who have come before you, may you and your companions return home safely in six moons' time."

The previous night's ceremony still ran circles through Agnette's head as, bundled against a brittle morning chill, she trekked purposefully towards Town Square.

This time of day, just before dawn could mar the dusk and the sun could stretch its pale, greedy tendrils across the sky, had always stricken her a touch haunting. It was as if the entire village was by night cast in ice, only to be thawed by the sparse heat of dawn's first light.

A silver cloud billowed from her lips as she yawned. Enthusiastic though she may have been, between her ceremony and the hour it had taken her to get home, she hadn't managed to procure but a measly four hours of sleep. The tea she'd guzzled down before her departure had done little, if anything, to help wake her up; at this point, it was largely in the hands of time that she might perk up before the morning's end.

As she neared the bridge she and the boys had agreed to meet at, there was a glimmer of enthusiasm, a merry little skip of her heart. She couldn't help but pick up her otherwise dragging pace as, through the thin layer of fog that blanketed the surrounding area, she made out their two distinct figures.

At that moment, a realization exploded inside of her. The time had come. This - something she had imagined a thousand times over - was really, truly happening. Turning back was no longer an option, nor would she ever stoop to considering it.

Irrepressible smile broadening across her features, she started jogging, waving a hand through the air.

"Hey guys!" she called out to them. "Sorry I'm late!"

^{CHARACTER A and CHARACTER B are rivals, both of whom graduated at the top of their class at the training academy they attended. For four years, they have been in constant competition, their knowledge and abilities far surpassing those of their peers. For this reason, they were often pit against each other when the time came for class competitions, and they are well acquainted with each other's power.}

^{As you have probably picked up on, this academy from which they graduated is no ordinary school. This is a place where the village's children go to learn, yes, but are also trained in the ancient arts of sparring so that they might go on to take the honored rank of a Guardian. Guardians are those who choose to dedicate their life to the safety of their village , whether it be by means of magic, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, or a combination of the aforementioned methodologies.}

^{A & B are both en route to become some of the town's best Guardians, but graduating from the academy is only the first step. Now, they must journey to a foreign village's upper academy, where they will undergo the long and painful process of training. Each graduate is assigned a partner with whom they must make the five day journey. On their way, they will be expected to defend themselves and each other from rival villages and any other challenges that might arise.}

^{Much to their dismay, A & B find themselves stuck together in a partnership that is set to last them through their journey, until the end of their stay at the upper academy. They will be expected to train together, carry out missions together, and trust each other enough to have each other's backs through countless life or death situations.}

^{Will they be able to conquer their differences for the sake of their lives? Or will they succumb to their petty oppositions and fall at the first whiff of danger?}

^{If you wish to join, post up a bio for your character! You can find Ines' bio HERE. I would prefer that your character be male, however I would not be entirely opposed to a female character. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!}

^{CHARACTER A and CHARACTER B are rivals, both of whom graduated at the top of their class at the training academy they attended. For four years, they have been in constant competition, their knowledge and abilities far surpassing those of their peers. For this reason, they were often pit against each other when the time came for class competitions, and they are well acquainted with each other's power.}

^{As you have probably picked up on, this academy from which they graduated is no ordinary school. This is a place where the village's children go to learn, yes, but are also trained in the ancient arts of sparring so that they might go on to take the honored rank of a Guardian. Guardians are those who choose to dedicate their life to the safety of their village , whether it be by means of magic, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, or a combination of the aforementioned methodologies.}

^{A & B are both en route to become some of the town's best Guardians, but graduating from the academy is only the first step. Now, they must journey to a foreign village's upper academy, where they will undergo the long and painful process of training. Each graduate is assigned a partner with whom they must make the five day journey. On their way, they will be expected to defend themselves and each other from rival villages and any other challenges that might arise.}

^{Much to their dismay, A & B find themselves stuck together in a partnership that is set to last them through their journey, until the end of their stay at the upper academy. They will be expected to train together, carry out missions together, and trust each other enough to have each other's backs through countless life or death situations.}

^{Will they be able to conquer their differences for the sake of their lives? Or will they succumb to their petty oppositions and fall at the first whiff of danger?}

^{If you wish to join, post up a bio for your character! You can find Ines' bio HERE I would prefer that your character be male, however I would not be entirely opposed to a female character. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!}

firstname lastname.

^{Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent risus massa, vestibulum quis viverra ac, gravida sit amet arcu. Vestibulum tristique pretium mauris eget lacinia. Phasellus tristique sagittis augue, vel bibendum lectus congue ut. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nulla quis ligula in nibh imperdiet aliquam vel a est. Mauris ac convallis eros. Fusce purus dui, fermentum id scelerisque feugiat, euismod sit amet nunc. Phasellus quis scelerisque neque, a venenatis ligula. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Suspendisse eleifend, ante quis semper elementum, velit leo pulvinar nibh, in aliquam turpis ipsum eget mauris. Sed maximus risus sit amet dui consequat sagittis. Ut condimentum lacus eu eros bibendum dapibus. Maecenas et vehicula arcu.}

ines vance.

^{basics. ines vance. eighteen years old. intp. heterosex heterorom. one hundred and thirty pounds. five feet and five inches tall.}

^{appearance. cutting hazel eyes. brown skin sunkissed by a plethora of freckles. small snub nose. muscular beneath a soft build. straight, smoky brown hair that falls in a tousled bob around her face. high cheekbones. short, stubby fingers topped by bitten fingernails.}

^{personality. cool and collected exterior despite intensive academic strains. sickened by people who show weakness. stubborn to her very core. a touch of a god complex with underlying anger issues at its core. manipulative and selfish. impatient and easily frustrated by error. fears include failure and incapacitation. strengths include memory, flexibility, and speed. weaknesses include magic, selfishness, and overconfidence.}

^{history. in the wake of her parents' murders when she was still in her infancy, ines was adopted and raised by a trainer at the academy. she had a relatively happy childhood despite the social and academic pressures of being a trainer's child. she grew up reading and training in her free time, pressed by an intrinsic need to outdo her classmates and prove herself in the eyes of her village.}

^{a one hundred word minimum would be ideal, but i'm not especially picky. just as long as the post furthers the plot and has some substance, we're all good!}

^{alright, awesome! and if you need any kind of reference for your bio, you can find the link to ines' bio in the first post! (:}

ines vance — “ there will be a day when you can say you're okay and mean it. ”

^{Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent risus massa, vestibulum quis viverra ac, gravida sit amet arcu. Vestibulum tristique pretium mauris eget lacinia. Phasellus tristique sagittis augue, vel bibendum lectus congue ut. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nulla quis ligula in nibh imperdiet aliquam vel a est. Mauris ac convallis eros. Fusce purus dui, fermentum id scelerisque feugiat, euismod sit amet nunc. Phasellus quis scelerisque neque, a venenatis ligula. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Suspendisse eleifend, ante quis semper elementum, velit leo pulvinar nibh, in aliquam turpis ipsum eget mauris. Sed maximus risus sit amet dui consequat sagittis. Ut condimentum lacus eu eros bibendum dapibus. Maecenas et vehicula arcu.}

^{he looks awesome! i'm going to go ahead and start on the first post -- it should be up within the hour!}

ines vance — “ there will be a day when you can say you're okay and mean it. ”

^{Ines was determined that she not be deterred by such a minor setback as with whom she would be making the journey to the upper academy. She had roughed out thirteen long, hard years of school for this day, spent hours wasting away with her nose between the pages of dusty, old books. For her to allow his presence to ruin everything for her would not only be childish, but sheer ludicrousy. It was this logic that finally convinced her that polite civility would be the most effective manner of communication were they to survive the five days stretching out ahead of them.}

^{Even so, just thinking about it was enough to make her gut twist.}

^{Chewing idly at the end of her pinky nail, she made a short visual sweep of the surrounding area. They had agreed to meet at that bridge at the crack of dawn, but, having been unable to sleep the previous night, she had resigned herself to restlessness and taken an early leave of her apartment.}

^{Dawn, however, was steadily approaching. She could sense its crisp sweetness weaving its way through the air around her, and as it arose, so heightened her apprehension of the journey ahead.}

ines vance — “ there will be a day when you can say you're okay and mean it. ”

^{It had long been nailed into Ines' head that traveling light was essential for traveling effectively. For this reason, her backpack included only such necessities as soap, food, water, a change of clothes, and a first aid kit for the instance anything were to go wrong. On her other shoulder, she carried her sleeping bag, rolled into as compact a cylinder as she had been able to get it.}

^{Harnessing a stray gust of wind that had blown her way, she leaped with the effortlessness of a bird in flight onto the iron fence that separated the bridge's travelers from a thirty foot drop. From this vantage point, she had a much better view of the area beyond the bridge. Not that it mattered. A careful scan of the area told her that August was nowhere in sight. Somewhere among the nearby trees, a bird erupted in furious screeching, a near perfect echo of her own sentiments.}

^{Where was he?}

^{With a short huff, she lowered herself down onto the metal bar upon which she had previously stood. She wasn't below taking off and making the whole damn journey on her own were he to take too much longer. At least, that was what she told herself over and over again as she made do with such activities as counting the dead leaves that lay forlornly about the bridge's surface or tossing one of her knives into the air and catching it.}

ines vance — “ there will be a day when you can say you're okay and mean it. ”

^{Through narrow, mossy brown eyes, Ines watched as the familiar outline of a figure slowly manifested from the mist.}

^{"August," she spoke, her voice shattering the silence of the morning like a fist through glass. She couldn't bring herself to scowl or roll her eyes at the sight of him as, under other circumstances, she almost certainly would have. Leaping down from the fence, she appraised him through indifferent, if not faintly apprehensive eyes. "Good morning. You took your time, so I'll take it I can trust that you're ready?"}

^{Their bitter rivalry could wait a few hours, she decided, although not without a deal of resentment. Now, what they needed to focus on was getting an early start so that they might reach the first village, Namara, by noon. There, they could have some lunch without having to worry about using any of their own resources quite so soon.}

^{That is, assuming they didn't come across any trouble first. Patrols from the neighboring village of Hanariki had been straying from their own territory at an alarming rate as of late. Graduates had been warned to stay as far away from Hanariki as they could, but it was inevitable if they were to pass through Namara that they would come within several kilometers of the village.}

^{With any luck, however, they would be able to avoid patrols and move on to their destination without incident.}

ines vance — “ there will be a day when you can say you're okay and mean it. ”

^{// awesome! let's do this! //}

^{Ines was determined that she not be deterred by such a minor setback as with whom she would be making the journey to the upper academy. She had roughed out thirteen long, hard years of school for this day, spent hours wasting away with her nose between the pages of dusty, old books. For her to allow his presence to ruin everything for her would not only be childish, but sheer ludicrousy. It was this logic that finally convinced her that polite civility would be the most effective manner of communication were they to survive the five days stretching out ahead of them.}

^{Even so, just thinking about it was enough to make her gut twist.}

^{Chewing idly at the end of her pinky nail, she made a short visual sweep of the surrounding area. They had agreed to meet at that bridge at the crack of dawn, but, having been unable to sleep the previous night, she had resigned herself to restlessness and taken an early leave of her apartment.}

^{Dawn, however, was steadily approaching. She could sense its crisp sweetness weaving its way through the air around her, and as it arose, so heightened her apprehension of the journey ahead.}

^{It had long been nailed into her head that traveling light was essential for traveling effectively. For this reason, her backpack included only such necessities as soap, food, water, a change of clothes, and a first aid kit for the instance anything were to go wrong. On her other shoulder, she carried her sleeping bag, rolled into as compact a cylinder as she had been able to get it.}

^{Harnessing a stray gust of wind that had blown her way, she leaped with the effortlessness of a bird in flight onto the iron fence that separated the bridge's travelers from a thirty foot drop. From this vantage point, she had a much better view of the area beyond the bridge. Not that it mattered. A careful scan of the area told her that Levi was nowhere in sight. Somewhere among the nearby trees, a bird erupted in furious screeching, a near perfect echo of her own sentiments.}

^{Where was he?}

^{With a short huff, she lowered herself down onto the metal bar upon which she had previously stood. She wasn't below taking off and making the whole damn journey on her own were he to take too much longer. At least, that was what she told herself over and over again as she made do with such activities as counting the dead leaves that lay forlornly about the bridge's surface or tossing one of her knives into the air and catching it.}

INES VANCE.

^{basics. ines vance. female. eighteen years old. intp. heterosex heterorom. one hundred and thirty pounds. five feet and five inches tall. rank e: graduate.}

^{appearance. cutting hazel eyes. brown skin sunkissed by a plethora of freckles. small snub nose. muscular beneath a soft build. straight, smoky brown hair that falls in a tousled bob around her face. high cheekbones. short, stubby fingers topped by bitten fingernails.}

^{personality. cool and collected exterior despite intensive academic strains. sickened by people who show weakness. stubborn to her very core. a touch of a god complex with underlying anger issues at its core. manipulative and selfish. impatient and easily frustrated by error. fears include failure and incapacitation. strengths include memory, flexibility, and speed. weaknesses include magic, selfishness, and overconfidence.}

^{history. in the wake of her parents' abandonment when she was still in her infancy, ines was adopted and raised by a trainer at the academy. she had a relatively happy childhood despite the social and academic pressures of being a trainer's child. she grew up reading and training in her free time, pressed by an intrinsic need to outdo her classmates and prove herself in the eyes of her village.}

^{specialties. wind magic. speed. knife throwing.}

^{theme songs. secret for the mad by dodie. are you satisfied by marina and the diamonds. my heart goes bum bum bum by flatsound. agnes by glass animals. where i come from by passion pit.}

ATLAS BENZI.

^{basics. atlas benzi. male. ninenteen years old. esfp. bisex birom. one hundred and fifty two pounds. five feet and eleven inches tall. rank e: graduate.}

^{appearance. hair so black, it appears blue in certain lighting. it falls just below his ears in small, spiral curls. cognac brown eyes and eyelashes so long, they curl just a little at the ends. he is of a fair complexion and always brands a number new of scrapes and bruises. he has a sort of rigid, muscular composure and always appears as though trying to square somebody up.}

^{personality. fun-loving and free-spirited. can usually be found carrying alcohol on him. he's always down for a party and seems not to take his responsibilities seriously. kind of selfish in the same way that a child is selfish. usually has the best intentions, but finds himself straying from the task at hand. has difficulty concentrating on any one thing for too long.}

^{history. raised by his amiable and laid-back father after his mother left, atlas never spent much time focusing on growing up. most of his life has been spent chasing that next high, a high that, if left unfound, he is oft to replace with alcohol - a habit grown upon by that of his father's. all in all, he had a happy childhood and, so as to provide himself with a more fulfilling life, is determined to become a guardian before he turns twenty five.}

^{specialties. hand-to-hand combat. erratic and unpredictable fight style. illusion magic.}

^{theme songs. everybody loves me by onerepublic. why do you feel so down by declan mckenna. clint eastwood by the gorillaz.}

ARES SUREN.

^{basics. ares suren. male. twenty six years old. intj. asex arom. one hundred and sixty three pounds. six feet and four inches tall. rank a: guardian.}

^{appearance. sandy brown curls that fall to his chin and are prone to getting in his eyes. muscular undertones hidden by a lanky build. pale blue, almost grey eyes, one of which remains purposefully hidden behind his hair. long fingers and an olivine complexion, scarred by missions gone awry. can usually be found carrying around a wooden staff.}

^{personality. mystery wrapped in an enigma. takes pleasure in messing with people's heads. remains unrelentingly inscrutable, which is just how he likes it. you're lucky to get a smile or nod of approval from the guy. he's willing to suffer fools if only they're willing to prove to him their worth. loyal to the village and all its people, however unlikely his shiftiness may make it seem.}

^{history. an orphan prior to training at the academy, ares spent most of his childhood alone, his nose buried in books about ancient magics and fighting techniques. he graduated top of his class and it didn't take him but three years to climb the ranks and claim the position of a guardian. he has made a name for himself as an especially unsympathetic trainer; however, this spawns from his determination to bring out the best in his students.}

^{specialties. weaponry (in particular, his staff). water and illusion magic. speed.}

^{theme songs. seven nation army by the white stripes. blood on my name by the brothers bright. how far we've come by matchbox twenty. you're gonna go far, kid by the offspring. kingdom come by the civil wars.}

^{CHARACTER A and CHARACTER B are rivals, both of whom graduated at the top of their class at the training academy they attended. For four years, they have been in constant competition, their knowledge and abilities far surpassing those of their peers. For this reason, they were often pit against each other when the time came for class competitions, and they are well acquainted with each other's power.}

^{As you have probably picked up on, this academy from which they graduated is no ordinary school. This is a place where the village's children go to learn, yes, but are also trained in the ancient arts of sparring so that they might go on to take the honored rank of a Guardian. Guardians are those who choose to dedicate their life to the safety of their village , whether it be by means of magic, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, or a combination of the aforementioned methodologies.}

^{A & B are both en route to become some of the town's best Guardians, but graduating from the academy is only the first step. Now, they must climb the ranks until they reach the top. There are four ranks that all Graduates must overcome in order to reach the level of Guardian, and those ranks are as follows:}

^{Rank E: Graduate}

^{Rank D: Second Years}

^{Rank C: Middle Men}

^{Rank B: Defenders}

^{Rank A: Guardians}

^{Each rank has missions of a particular difficulty that they can be assigned by the village's Head Council, and before they can move on to the next rank, they must prove themselves capable of handling it. Graduates are not expected to do this all on their own, of course. At graduation, each Graduate is placed in a group of three and assigned a Guardian to oversee their missions and further their training.}

^{Right as they began to think they could finally get away from each other, CHARACTER A & CHARACTER B find themselves stuck in the same group, where they will remain until they reach Guardian level.}

^{If you are interested in joining this thread, I ask that you please be capable of roleplaying at a semi-advanced to advanced level. That means I expect each post to have a minimum of 100 words. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to shoot me a PM or post them down below. In order to join, all you have to do is post a bio and wait for me to accept it - from there, we will begin!}

^{I will be playing as three of the thread's central characters. Ines Vance, who will be my CHARACTER A, as well as the Guardian who will train them and the other member of their team. If you want to see the kind of information I would like for you to include in your bio, you can find the characters that I will be playing in THIS thread here.}

^{CHARACTER A and CHARACTER B are rivals, both of whom graduated at the top of their class at the training academy they attended. For four years, they have been in constant competition, their knowledge and abilities far surpassing those of their peers. For this reason, they were often pit against each other when the time came for class competitions, and they are well acquainted with each other's power.}

^{As you have probably picked up on, this academy from which they graduated is no ordinary school. This is a place where the village's children go to learn, yes, but are also trained in the ancient arts of sparring so that they might go on to take the honored rank of a Guardian. Guardians are those who choose to dedicate their life to the safety of their village ,}

^{A & B are both en route to become some of the town's best Guardians, but graduating from the academy is only the first step. Now, they must climb the ranks until they reach the top. There are four ranks that all Graduates must overcome in order to reach the level of Guardian, and those ranks are as follows:}

^{Rank E: Graduate}

^{Rank D: Second Years}

^{Rank C: Middle Men}

^{Rank B: Defenders}

^{Rank A: Guardians}

^{Each rank has missions of a particular difficulty that they can be assigned by the village's Head Council, and before they can move on to the next rank, they must prove themselves capable of handling it. Graduates are not expected to do this all on their own, of course. At graduation, each Graduate is placed in a group of three and assigned a Guardian to oversee their missions and further their training.}

^{Right as they began to think they could finally get away from each other, CHARACTER A & CHARACTER B find themselves stuck in the same group, where they will remain until they reach Guardian level.}

^{If you are interested in joining this thread, I ask that you please be capable of roleplaying at a semi-advanced to advanced level. That means I expect each post to have a minimum of 100 words. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to shoot me a PM or post them down below. In order to join, all you have to do is post a bio and wait for me to accept it - from there, we will begin!}

^{I will be playing as three of the thread's central characters. Ines Vance, who will be my CHARACTER A, as well as the Guardian who will train them and the other member of their team. If you want to see the kind of information I would like for you to include in your bio, you can find the characters that I will be playing in THIS thread here.}