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Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:54 am
by Hector
TIMESTAMP:7 Calid March, 122
NOTES: -
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On days where he had no obligations but his companion did, Hector often found himself out wandering the streets in sometimes vain attempts to find some semblance of entertainment. Typically, his default was to wander off to the library closest to his apartment. Given the rather wealthy area of town that he lived in, the nearest one was just as grand as one would expect and had an effectively endless supply of things to read.
Now, whether one would enjoy every single text found within is debatable, but one would certainly find at least several years worth of assorted things of interest. Hector himself was partial to books relating to assorted magics, anatomy, medicine, myths and legends as well as a variety of fiction. Of these subjects, there were plenty to be found.
It was early enough in the morning that few people were yet on the streets. Those who were going to work were already there and most consumers were still asleep. Fitting as well that the sky would be so grey today, too. If it were to rain, might as well be doing something indoors.
The mage wore nothing that would stand out in this setting, though the entire ensemble was dark. The contrast of light lavender hair and pale skin against dark fabric was enough for some of the more boring folk to stare, but this is…how he'd always looked. Thought he was used to this behavior, perhaps he was simply noticing it more now because he was far less comfortable in this city than he had been back in Zaichaer.
Whatever the case, he continued on his way to the library. As he neared the rather lovely example of fine Gelerian architecture, there was a problem. Well, more of an annoyance, but still. Somehow, he had managed to get a pebble or a bit of bark or something equally obnoxious in his shoe. O, woe, what a tragedy indeed.
Instead of, say, attempting to remove this debris by removing the heel of the shoe and extracting it with his hand, Hector opted for a choice many would consider to be…perhaps a bit bizarre. With the sleeves of his shirt already rolled to his elbows, he raised his right hand to the top side of his left forearm. In this single motion, an astute observer would notice the nail on his right pointer finger both sharpen and extend. Then, just as quickly, he drew it across his arm, breaking the skin…and yet this strange elf did not bleed. Once the wound was opened, the claw would recede back to how it was before.
Ever more strangely, from the wound emerged an extension of bone. Something akin to a small pick, it was. Snapping this growth off, the wound would then magically seal itself. The elven mage would then take this strange, makeshift tool and use it to free his shoe of the pebble's dreadful curse. Once he'd succeeded, the very pick itself would appear to absorb back into the flesh of his hand.
To him this was simple. An easy series of casts, a few fluxes of aether, problem solved. He'd looked around prior to doing this and the only person nearby was a young woman– everyone else would be too far to notice. Plus, was anyone even paying attention? It's also not as if he doesn't have a license to practice magic.
This bizarre series of things that Hector just did were all made possible by his Vitalis rune; more specifically, the spells Vicissitude and Crystallize. Would the young lady who may or may not have seen this possess the audacity to inquire about precisely why he'd chosen such an elaborate fix for his problem? Or simply move on with her day?
None of these were questions the elf was thinking, however, as he believed that she did not see a thing. Continuing on his way, the young man would open the heavy door of the library and disappear within, the wood closing with an oddly quiet click behind him.
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
Aidolon Speech
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:48 pm
by Kayleigh
Improvised Tools 7th of Calid March, 122nd Year, A.o.S.
Nights at the apartment were still difficult though. Kayleigh had spent the first week trying to conquer her own demons, convincing herself that the abominations of Zaichaer would not follow her here. She had remembered the rumors that spread like wildfire about that day, and she also remembered the moment she'd seen her home as well as the rest of the Western District rise up in smoke. That dreadful hole in the sky... How anybody with magic could've orchestrated such an attack was beyond her.
And so just like any other night when she struggled with a full night's rest, the refugee awoke in sweat once more during the wee early hours of the morning. Gods she had hated her dreams lately... Nothing she couldn't pull herself out of though when she regulated her shallow breaths with some well deep ones. Before too long she had been up out of bed to grab what few ingredients were available in her icebox, and then proceeded to start her day with at least a mildly healthy breakfast.
Kayleigh knew she only had at least three or four chapters left in her current fixation, My Emperor Can't Be This Hot! - Trapped In Another World With Our Dreamboat Sovereign, which had been quite an interesting read ever since she visited the library across the bridge. Though the Gash or whatever that giant hole terrified her, Kayleigh felt determined to overlook it for the sake of more reading material. So when she finished her breakfast and her book, the lady dressed out of her nightgown and into a simple blouse with a pair of cargo shorts tightened at her waist by the belt. She didn't really care if the fabrics looked a little baggy on her, much less what the locals up at this hour would think of her outlandish attire here.
Quite honestly the idea of it made her grin a little, as her mother would've especially chastised her, for dressing up like some "country bumpkin" or whatever insults she would've cast. It had taken her a while after getting ready but she eventually reached the library, where the flat of her heels lightly clicked against the white cobblestone she walked across. She arrived on the scene with the book in her right arm, tucked close to her chest as she strolled toward the entrance. That was when she noticed another who appeared to be going into the library, only he seemed to take note of a pebble caught on the underneath of his shoe. Totally innocent and normal according to her eyes.
But the flash of a nail that drug across flesh led her to stop and realize what the man was doing... wasn't exactly normal. Self-inflicting a wound on his arm yet there didn't spill a single drop of blood, instead, he simply pulled a bone out from the wound, and that alone sickened the poor girl. Having frozen in the place she observed, horrified no less, as that same plucked bone was used to pop the pebble from its wedge. Her stomach turned... and for a moment she about dropped her book from the wrenching she felt in her gut. The Zaichaeri did her best but it was no use, the contents of her breakfast threatened to rise and she, at last, dropped the tome onto the ground; if only to quickly make a break for the alleyway nearby and lose her meal.
Eggs and buttered bread were not as delicious when they came back up. But after that first wave of nausea had passed, the girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before looking down at the mess with disgust. "ugh..." Thank goodness the book wasn't in her midst... Oh no! She'd placed the book down earlier and now it had likely been dirtied! Though shaky within her hands the woman quickly turned, her hand still on the wall for moral support before she started to return back to the front of the library.
"Keep your hopes up high, and your head down low."
"Dialogue" Thought
"Common" "Kathalan"
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:35 am
by Hector
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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Shortly after he'd entered the library, Hector stood still, crystalline gaze scanning the entryway as he thought about what section to peruse on this fine day. It was also now that the oblivious elf had the vague realization that the woman had…well…definitely seen him and to assume otherwise was entirely delusional. She was right there, and, as he was walking into the building, he'd heard her scuffle into an alleyway. Why?
Hector wouldn't quite understand the level of alarm a common person, a non-mage, would feel should they have bore witness to what he did. From before he'd even hit puberty, he'd seen examples of gore and contortions of the body that would turn the stomach of the average person courtesy of growing up in the Cult of Mending. Menders were a macabre sort by nature, and in the case of Hector, he saw more at earlier ages than others due to his natural curiosity with the Vitalitasi and his parents willingness to allow him to learn from them.
He blinked, sighed, and turned around to leave the library and go make sure that this poor girl wasn't going to run to some kind of authority about his…questionable use of magic. While it was, ultimately, legal due to his status, Hector would really like to avoid the headache of dealing with a situation like that. The Imperium had so many rules, so many regulations and very specific processes for everything that would very likely make such a thing, even for a minor incident, tedious as best.
Stepping back outside into the dim light of an overcast morning, he saw her. She looked…ill. The expression on his face shifted to something akin to confusion, impatience, amusement and the smallest bit of sympathy– if only shortly. These emotions were but a flash across his features before he put on a look far more polite then moved to approach her.
One needn't get too close when one has clearly made somebody uncomfortable, and so the elven mage stopped his movement a few feet in front of her.
"You look…unwell. If such a thing is my fault, apologies," he spoke with somewhat of a grimace and a slight laugh. He definitely did feel just a little bit bad despite not understanding her disgust at all. It's just…how sick she looked was a tad extreme to him and he found that funny.
One would also be hard pressed not to notice his distinctly Zaichaeri accent, warped ever so slightly on some of his vowels and other vocal sounds a bit by Vallenor, his actual mother tongue.
"...but, ah…don’t worry about what you saw. I do have a license to practice magic and, lest you wonder, what I did really didn't hurt." He paused, crossing one arm over his chest, taking his other elbow in that hand and then tapping his chin in thought with a finger. "Are you from around here, actually? I've done things like that before and the…typical Grandel citizen is, perhaps disturbed, but usually indifferent and shrugs it off as weird mage shit since…magic is legal here." By this point, his voice was more indifferent with somewhat curious undertones.
Tilting his head a bit like a bird, he noticed the book she carried. Funnily enough, he actually recognized it.
"Oh-..! That's funny. I've read that, too, actually. Have you finished it?"
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
Aidolon Speech
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 1:53 pm
by Kayleigh
Improvised Tools 7th of Calid March, 122nd Year, A.o.S.
Kayleigh bent over to pick it up with a released sigh once she straightened back up, her eyes doing a brief inspection of the cover to make sure no damage was caused by the concrete below. All good. She had a bit of relief there but before she could really enter, the bozo who broke his bone earlier just for fun seemed inclined to return. Oh no. She smiled nervously when she saw him come back out, his friendly demeanor received with a cautious stare while she listened.
He apologized for the display since he seemed to notice how sickly the sight of it made her, the gentle reminder enough to unsettle her stomach again while she held her book close for moral support. "Oh, no, that's fine, it just took me by surprise. That's all." She answered quickly under the pretense that what he did seemed 'normal' in general. Truth be told she'd grown a little curious, only a little, at how he could do such a thing without hurting any if at all. Magic had been one of the few things she'd always been too afraid to approach before, but ever since what happened that fear had slowly stooped to curiosity.
It was magic after all that destroyed her home, their home if the stranger's accent was anything to be trusted, as Kayleigh would notice a pure-bred Zaichaeri when she heard one. The stranger even justified the action with the reasoning behind it being 'technically legal' for him here, and that no real harm or foul had stemmed from the little trick he'd pulled. Indeed she could see the merit to that, since the Imperium utilized magic more as a tool than an entity. Thinking of that now, only spurred her curiosities further, all while she generated a reserved smile for the stranger when asked if she was from around here.
"Zaichaer actually." That would probably be why she, unlike other citizens here, grew sick from just the grotesque sight of what he'd done. For all, she knew that wasn't even the real extent of what he could do, and just the thought of that brought chills to her skin as she still smiled at him. "Kind of sounds like you came from there as well, if I might be so bold as to point out... I'm glad you've found freedom to explore things our homeland considered taboo once." Once being the operative word now, since they no longer shared that home. Though, from what Kayleigh could surmise, she and the stranger would both be sharing a new home in Gel'Grandal.
But then the book was brought up. A question that briefly astonished the reader before she genuinely smiled, and glanced at the cover once more before she briefly laughed. "Just not too long ago actually! One of the library keepers suggested I read it earlier this week." The color also returned to her cheeks finally as she continued. "Truth be told his 'ambitions' in this book were a bit... morbid in some situations. I will admit though, the author did really well describing some of the things the Emporer does." The use of verbs and analogies was superb in that novel really, even if the material wasn't ideally what Kayleigh sought to read in the first place.
"I'm Kayleigh, by the way, it's nice to meet you." That almost came out apprehensively but the scholar kept a smile going strong, while she reached out a hand from her book to allow Hector to shake it. "You like to read as well?"
"Keep your hopes up high, and your head down low."
"Dialogue" Thought
"Common" "Kathalan"
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 4:29 pm
by Hector
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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When she did respond, her voice gave her answer away in regards to her place of origin before she even said it. She, too, had made her way over here from Zaichaer. To him, this was fairly interesting. He didn’t really find many others from Zaichaer in Gel’Grandel, given the distance the two cities had from one another and the fact that it’s not as if the two nations were exactly best friends. He’d only even arrived here by chance; the airship he’d escaped on had business in the city and he and his companion didn’t really want to go off board in any of the other cities they’d stopped at along the way. So here they were…but what was her story, then?
“A surprise,” he chuckled at the sentiment. He was sure it was, given the revelation of where she had come from, especially.
“...but you would be right. I am from Zaichaer. The transition from there to here has been…interesting, but yes— I can say I certainly do appreciate the magical freedom. Even though I’d operated within the Covens before, it’s not as if that meant much in the eyes of the average person.” Speaking of Zaichaer, the mage’s tone dropped to something a bit more somber. He offered her a soft smile and a tilt of his head; most people were like her. They feared magic.
Within Zaichaer, his parents were a part of the Kindred. They'd given him a Summoner's rune when he was young and his parents actually held great loyalty to them. Hector, on the other hand, mostly used his connection to the Coven as a veil of protection for being a mage. The only evidence of this rune, at the moment, would be if the other had magic sight or perhaps noticed that his shadow was an inky black void, absorbing any light cast into it. However, noticing that alone wouldn't exactly tell her why that was. In truth, it was his aidolon; the young mage often had it with him when he was out now simply because he could. That, and should he ever need it, he wouldn't have to take the time to summon it.
Most of the rest of the city was not like those in the Covens. Hector, for one, understood why magic would scare those who didn’t understand it. That was the thing, though. The problem was their ignorance. Magic is a tool, not a malignant force by nature. So to condemn it outright? He thought that was misguided at best and utterly despicable at worst.
When she responded to what he’d said about the book she carried, curiosity returned to his expression and levity to his voice. “That so? I suppose you and I have, ah…” he clicked his tongue, “Rather different definitions of the word morbid.” The elf punctuated this sentence with a soft, almost embarrassed laugh. He very much did not doubt this to be the case given…the story of his existence and everything he’d been witness to as a curious young Mender.
“I picked it up because the title and cover art piqued my interest. It’s funny how much people here…idolize him, is it not? The writing was surprisingly competent; kept me interested ‘till the end, at least.” Much as all of this was true, he did have a bit of a weakness for books of this genre.
“Ah, yes. I go by Hector,” it is so easy to forget introductions, “Lovely to meet you, then, Kayleigh! And yes, I do. Since I came here, I have had less time for it than in the past, than I’d like, really. I’ve a new job to train for and the friend that arrived here alongside me has been insisting more and more upon hands-on training with our magics–which…is very much the best way to learn– but I nonetheless find the time when I’m not busy.” By now, his voice rang mostly as amiable, though with threads of caution woven between the words. He couldn't, well, no, he shouldn't be that much more specific than Necromancy in regards to the magic he and his companion shared.
Hector was always one with a tendency to ramble on, so perhaps standing out in the street wasn’t the best place to converse?
“...but if you want to talk, there are areas of the library better suited to quiet conversation than standing out here.”
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
Aidolon Speech
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2022 3:32 am
by Kayleigh
Improvised Tools 7th of Calid March, 122nd Year, A.o.S.
What that cause was Kayleigh failed to understand, but maybe one day she would finally come to see it. Either way, she couldn't let the prejudices of her old home sour her opinions now, besides it wasn't like the destruction of her home didn't smash the foundation of those prejudices into pieces. She'd noticed the remarkably dark tint to the boy's shadow, but didn't pry too deep into it for the sake of being polite. There was a moment of levity where the click of the tongue sparked her interest, noting the bit of humor found in this one's observations when she'd chosen a particular word.
From where I'm standing morbid doesn't even begin to describe you, sir. She casually noted to herself with a polite smile still present, before she gave Hector a brief laugh when he pointed out the Emporer's reverence throughout Gel'Grandal. "He does seem like a great leader, yeah." She agreed but not in a fan service kind of way, having noticed the prevalence of the Emporer's influence throughout the Northside. At the offer to go inside with him she eyed the door, realizing she'd come here to return her book in the first place, as well as pondering what her next novel would be.
"You know what, sure, I wouldn't mind checking out books with you." It wasn't often she invited a stranger to come along on such a personable trip, but it also wasn't something so momentous that Kayleigh had to make a big deal out of it either. Whether Henry would open to hold the door for her or not, the scholar would resume entering the building with him. It was perhaps noticeable now that an eagerness resided in her step, when she first when inside to check in her book at the front desk.
"Keep your hopes up high, and your head down low."
"Dialogue" Thought
"Common" "Kathalan"
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 8:26 am
by Hector
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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A witch of the Covens. Formerly, unfortunately. Although, it's not as if he could still consort with them even if he wanted to. The likelihood of finding another Coven mage, much less one of the Kindred, here of all places was…likely extremely slim. His other affiliation, that of the Menders, he did not doubt their presence whatsoever, but he hadn't the slightest of ideas regarding where one would look to find them. His own chapter in Zaichaer was secretive enough, he couldn't imagine how underground one here would be, especially given it would no doubt be smaller.
Once she'd agreed to walk with him, though, he responded, "I was a witch, yes! Although, upon accepting my new job, I was forced to drop old allegiances." Hector paused, if only briefly, "...not that that was even a big deal…my loyalty to institutions has always been, ah, iffy. People? Different story. Being here, though, I've lost all ability to contact anyone I affiliated with back home aside from the one with whom I arrived. In truth, I'm only upset about that in regards to my family. I do hope they made it to the markets…ah, I didn't, and that's why I'm here. I was injured to a point that gallivanting through the city was no longer an option and…then we ran across an airship. My companion insisted we take that and run, especially since we did not have a method to verify the state of the markets anyways."
Hector stopped himself here abruptly, not wanting to talk on and on; he couldn’t exactly tell how much she actually cared. He was often oblivious to when he'd lost a person's interest. The elf really could keep talking, though. It's hard to stop oneself when one lacks a typical understanding of social boundaries in many regards, and his tendency to overshare was a great example. It was almost too easy to get him to talk about a myriad of subjects, regardless of how personal they were, provided the inquirer was polite and empathetic about certain subjects.
When they approached the door, he got to it first mostly due to his longer strides. Wanting to be polite to his new friend, he did opt to hold the door for her. She indicated she wanted to go and quickly return her book, and so he walked over to lean against a wooden pillar near the entrance to the greater part of the library.
When she finished and met back up with him, "Did you come looking for anything specific or just to return what you had? I really didn't, though I did want to find something with more detail about the body's nervous system or the rune of Animism." His voice was lowered to a softer pitch so as not to disturb other patrons and was woven with threads of genuine, friendly curiosity.
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Aidolon Speech
'Thoughts'
"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:13 pm
by Kayleigh
Improvised Tools 7th of Calid March, 122nd Year, A.o.S.
Not that Kay could honestly blame him. The treatment mages received there could be most cruel, even for those who were certified by the state from what she heard. The bookworm nodded at the portrayal of events Hector shared, able to compare them with her own from when the first initial plume of smoke could be seen. From her house, it was an eerie if not wondrous sight to behold, a sure tell omen of what awaited her and the rest of her family if they had lingered.
"I hope your family made it out alive and well too." She expressed at the thought of her parents, and how her father's familial branch went out like a snuffed flame. While both he and her mother toiled day and night to get the citizenship and business forms sorted, Kayleigh herself couldn't help but wonder if they were going to stay in Gel'Grandal for very long. Not that she wanted to. Because of events, she found herself wanting to leave the nest now, eager to build her own life from the ground up if she could.
A momentary pause came when he opened the door for her, earning Hector a warmer smile as she held her book close and thanked him softly on the way inside. It would not take long for her to march right up to the front desk, where she would briskly approach the librarian clerk and offer it to him patiently. "Well hello again! Goodness!! Did you finish that one already?!" The dark-haired clerk inquired with raise of his eyebrows, his green eyes magnified behind the spectacles he wore when he looked up from his paperwork.
"I did, yes." She confirmed in a manner hopefully not too chalant. "It was an interesting read, so thank you for that sir!"
"Cameron Valentin's work is immaculate in my opinion! But... did you have something else you wish to read?" The librarian inquired as he graciously accepted the book, checking the contents to make sure it was still in pristine condition. Kayleigh always looked after her things of course, so the condition of the book hopefully remained satisfactory to the examination.
"Actually, I'm here with a friend today. So I think I might just browse for a bit. Thank you though!" The clerk graciously nodded his head and then waved for her to carry on, and moved about in his chair to shelve the book she returned among the other books waiting to be reshelved. While Kayleigh gradually returned to Hector's side with arms tucked behind the small of her back, she returned his question with another polite smile before answering in turn. "I'm not quite sure..."
The remark led to her thoughtfully gazing throughout the library, more or less the massive shelving units that housed all the books available. Hector's interests were peculiar but not surprising, given how magic-oriented he seemed to be. Kay had never really heard of what Animism is, only what the public teachings of the Inquisition gave about it. Which wasn't very colorful in comparison to what Hector might've had to say, still, it did stoke the embers in her heart when she thought about magic in general as a point of research. Perhaps she could learn more about what caused the explosions in Zaichaer, and better understand magic for what it was, rather than the teachings that had been passed down to her so religiously.
"I'm actually quite curious, is the material on magic here available to the general public?" She then inquired with a thoughtful glance back to Hector, uncertain if it was just him who had access, or if people, in general, could read up on some of these tomes.
"Keep your hopes up high, and your head down low."
"Dialogue" Thought
"Common" "Kathalan"
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 10:37 am
by Hector
TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -
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Hector stared blankly forward for a moment, a twinge of sadness and longing pulling at him when he thought back to his family again. His parents and what few others of his elven kin had lived in Zaichaer had been nothing but loving to him; they'd gone out of their way to encourage him with both his studies and his magic, even if his interests were considerably macabre. Their ties as Menders certainly helped with this, but nonetheless, he was very young for what they allowed him to play around with. That being the case, Menders and witches had higher than average chances of survival– yet there was no way for the boy to know at this point.
"I…yes. I really hope they did, too. Of all of them…I think I'm the least worthy to have been spared." He blinked a few times fast, realizing what he had said was unusually morose compared to how he had been speaking. ]"They were…just wonderful people, you know? And…for an elf I'm very young. The elders of my kin dying would leave so much knowledge lost compared to me, is…is all." Hector tried to justify, trying to sound more positive and even to smile somewhat, but the façade was easy to see through.
Nodding to her as she looked inclined to go return her book, Hector waited with patience for her to return. The only thing of note was the surname 'Valentin'; he knew a man whose name was that, but twice. Maybe they were related?
Upon her return, he looked markedly more chipper than prior, having had time to gather himself. Her query made him realize that he'd likely given away a bit of his security clearance. The boy laughed, albeit awkwardly. "...No, actually…they aren't. Um…I didn't say this as first because I didn't want to get off on the wrong foot, I suppose, but they did take note of my magical prowess upon my arrival and the new job I was granted was, er…recruitment by the Inquisition, so I have access to more than the average person. I can get you some of those texts if you've an interest in anything specific, the book just can't leave with you and I'll have to put it back, but I don't mind; I was going to stay here awhile." He made this admittance awkwardly, though his delivery was intended to be friendly, not wanting to scare her away.
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Aidolon Speech
'Thoughts'
"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
Re: Improvised Tools [Kayleigh]
Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 10:01 pm
by Chronicle
Name: Hector
Points: 10
Magic: These points can be used for Vitalis.
Knowledge: 8
Injuries: N/A
Loot: N/A
Name: Kayleigh
Points: 10
Magic: These points can be used for Vitalis.
Knowledge: 8
Injuries: N/A
Loot: N/A
This was a fun thread actually, I look forward to the next meeting between Hector and Kayleigh