On a planet that only knows of snow and ice, the rumor of war has rippled across the land.
To thwart it, each nation of the frozen planet must draw forth soldiers to go on a quest of a lifetime....

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One Cold Winter's Night has really always been a story that's lingered in the back of my mind. Everyone always does stories on a planet that already exists, to some extent, and is capable of sustaining life. I want a planet that is unlike any other. There's no beautiful jungles. There's no mountains of shimming sand. There's no tropical beaches to soak up on the sun on. There is only… snow and ice, a frozen wasteland.

Quicce, the planet that our story takes place on, is about the size of Earth's moon, even down to the point where the gravitational pull is almost the same. It is slightly less dramatic but people do have the ability to jump into a tree from the ground (think of this like the world in which Naruto takes place where their hair defies gravity as do their movements). Quicce, as expected, is pretty much a wasteland of nothing but barren land that is coated in a thick crust of ice. Blizzards occur daily and the people that inhabit the planet have learned to how to cope with "survival of the fittest" to its full potential.

The planet is about 7 billion years old, greatly out aging planet Earth. Due to its prolonged existence, it only makes sense that the creatures of the planet, like the citizens, have also advanced far beyond imagination. And yet, at the same time, mythical creatures from the past still plague the planet with their unholy grace.

Dragons, lycan, yeti, and creature of like are of constant threat for the people of Quicce. Thankfully, due to their larger brains, the Quiccians do have measures to prevent their utter extinction, which, back 1 billion years ago nearly happened. It was then when the Quiccians were really put to the test by their almighty god. To their belief, they passed with flying colors, thus allowing their repopulation and continued existence.

About the Quiccians, they are divided into seven distinct nations where each has its own unique features that sets them apart from one another. Pale skin, although stereotypical, is not always the case. Some Quiccians, mainly those of the Iyroco Tribe in the mid-hemisphere, actually have black skin or nearly black skin. Other Quiccian races have blue-tinted skin like those residing in the southern most sections of the planet.

Quicce, much like Earth, is a thriving place, when considering all its not so hot features (no pun intended). It's full of creatures that will mesmerize the mind and others that will bring you terrors in the night. But nothing is more threatening than the Quiccians at war for war among the seven nations will destroy everything….

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If you're interested in becoming a part of the story, please continue reading the provided sections. Should you deem One Cold Winter's Night not your forte, I wish you the best of luck in finding a story that suits your fancy.

INFORMATION CHARACTER INFORMATION

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There is a player cap in effect. Only seven playable characters, each representing one of the nations, are up for grabs. Well, technically six if I decide to steal a role for myself. Should these seven roles fill up, there will be a chance for more characters to enter at a later date as some of the players might drop out of die. If this is the case, a new soldier will be sent into battle.

On the off chance additional roles become added into the mix, only players outside the game will be allowed to enter. Such roles would not require backstory knowledge and would serve as a means for "spicing things up" and making the game "more of a challenge." If you are interested in such a role, please PM me and I will put you to a special list.

INFORMATION REGARDING POSTING

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Regarding in-game rules, it is asked that all parties color character speech to make conversations more distinct. I also ask that you underline/bold other characters in your post. Each person is also asked to write so that the story can be enhanced or played forward. Writing a wall of text for the sake of labeling yourself "advanced" is not a valid reason to post. Post meaningful information, which can be highly detailed. So long as the text is rich and enjoyable and not overly excessive, there will be no writing limitations or concerns.

Do your best to avoid grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. I cannot enforce a "reread what you write" rule as I do not follow this practice myself as I don't believe roleplaying should be critiqued, professionally or academically, as it is a form of entertainment.

Posts should be written in third person point-of-view but first person point-of-view will not be condoned. Write what is most comfortable for you and your character.

Please be mindful of how often you post. Not everyone, myself included, can be on 24/7. If you notice you are prolonging the story without everyone having a fair chance to respond, you are asked to wait. Although I'm not a patient person, I too will do my best to abide by this rule. Far too often people get left behind and lose interest in a story. I do not want this to be the case.

Should you vanish, without warning, your character will fall under my control until your return. Should you not return (as in your account has not been active for one month), your character will be killed off, thus allowing a new player to enter the game. If you give advanced warning for your leaving, your character will still fall into my control but will not be killed off, unless certain circumstances arise.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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Harassment or any forms of user on user attacks will not be tolerated. Should such violations arise, I have the right to remove you from the game and report you to the nearest moderator for breaking site rules.

If, at any point, you feel someone is not doing a role justice or is becoming a burden to the team, you have the right to impeach a player. Each side will have a chance to argue their rationale and the final decision shall be carried out by the GM, me.

Additional rules, if necessary, shall be amended here.

THE PLANET OF QUIICE

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As expected, the planet of Quicce is covered in ice (about 87-percent is ice). The remaining 13-percent is predominately wasteland. There are small green patches here and there but nothing looks like the Bahamas or Hawaii. For the most part, the planet is covered in ice and snow. A large body of unnamed water divides the western hemisphere into two halves. Another body of water, although harder to see is a skinny river that actually forms the Eon nations. Both the body of water and the stream rarely freeze over as the water has a strange property to it that prevents it from freezing (the water is pretty salty tasting too).

The majority of the planet is actually ice and only a small strip of the planet near the equator is actually on solid ground (see the above globe). Although nations live on the ice, the threat of falling through it is very slim as the ice is miles thick. The only nation that has to worry about cave-ins is the Shazirck nation but, in all honestly, this water thriving nation wouldn't protest such an occurrence.

With regard to the climate itself, most of Quicce experiences wintery seasons. When the star closest to them (a sun of sorts) is tilted toward the planet, the planet can sometimes experience a summer season. Granted, that summer season never gets over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, save for the places around the equator which might get up to 60 degrees F. Blizzards and snow fall are very common. Sleet and hail storms are prevalent in the equator belt.

Although a frozen planet, Quicce can support life -- both creature and planet-wise. Creatures include the human-like races as well as creatures that look similar to wolves, foxes, cheetahs, pumas, falcons, ravens, sharks, whales, fish, horses, deer, elk, rams, chickens, bears, hares, and minks. This is not a conclusive list of animals but merely an example of some of the prevalent species. For simplicity's sake, the animals of the planet will be referred to by their Earth names.

Plants that grow on Quicce are far and wide too. Great pines dot the land as do winter ferns and flowers. Harvestable crops include snow corn, winter squash, winter wheat, iceberg lettuce -- the list goes on and on. Like the animals, the food and plants on the planet are similar to those seen on Earth. To keep things simple, Earth terms will be used to express plant life as well as crops. Also, since greenhouses do exist, some of the more tropical foods are able to grow on Quicce.

THE SEVEN NATIONS

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IYROCO TRIBE (Eye-row-co)
Location: Mid-hemisphere located around the equator.
Famous City: Iyroco City. It's located around a large like that was formed by a creator. People flock here for vacations as it's the warmest part of the planet, easily reaching a high into the upper 50s.
Population: ~7k
Appearance: Black skin or nearly black skin. Usually very muscular. Tend to wear less clothing than most due to close proximity to equator. Often times have tribal tattoos covering the entire body. Most Iyrocos have elongated elf-like ears, which helps regulate their body temperature when the season gets too hot.
Attitude: Iyrocos have a very prideful stride to them. They walk a path most cannot follow because most nations do not flaunt their flamboyant nature. Most look down upon others but are more than willing to open their arms to visitors. Iyrocos are known for tolerating and accepting tourists to their nation.


SHAZRICK NATION (Shh-oz-irk)
Location: Southernmost hemisphere located around the south pole.
Famous City: Shaz (Underground). Found under the surface, the underground portion of the Shaz is where the shark people find true happiness. Shaz (Upperground) is the portion of the city that sits on the surface of the ice. Despite being built on ice, the city is highly stable.
Population: ~2.3k
Appearance: Blue-tinted skin is prevalent in these people. Blue skin almost always entails white or silver hair, too. Similar to sharks, the people of this nation have gills on their necks, allowing them to survive in their underwater capital. Webbed hands and feet also identify members of Shazrick
Attitude: Vicious. The people of Shazrick are rather shark-like in nature. They attack anything that's weak and they thrive on chaos. People other than those from Shaz do not visit this nation; it's just not wise to treed in shark infested waters.


WEST EON (E-on)
Location: Eon is broken into two nations due to its population size. West Eon is, as the name suggests, located on the west.
Famous City: Merricton. A highly industrialized city with towering skyscrapers, Merricton is the powerhouse of all things technological. Merricton is similar to Boston, MA.
Population: ~9.4k
Appearance: West Eon is known for being highly industrial so it only makes sense that its people reflect that nature. People here accessorize to no limit. And, to make them even more unique, this people (at least the ones that can afford it) have been enhanced with a technology known as SRIV. SRIV is completely customizable. Some people get SRIV on their legs while others their back. The possibilities are limitless. Most, however, go with their back. Why? Because SRIV allows people to have wings. Although mechanical, they do not freeze in the frozen world. Think of SRIV West Eon's way of survival of the fittest. Other than the wing feature, these people don't really have a distinct look.
Attitude: These folks are usually very busy and very cut to the chase. The whole "time is money" quote fits these people. They are more about the task rather than the relationship so if they act stiff it's not their fault, it's just their programming. But, once you get them outside of work, they are actually a pretty fun group of people. A bit high-strung and fast-paced, but still a rather enjoyable group. Think of them as New Yorkers.


EAST EON (E-on)
Location: Eon is broken into two nations due to its population size. East Eon is, as the name suggests, located on the east.
Famous City: Cheath. Unlike it's sister city, Merricton, Cheath is highly agricultural. The large flat plains that make up Cheath are ideal for growing crops on, which is the main food source for Quiccians. Cheath is a lot like the state Nevada, USA.
Population: ~1.7k
Appearance: Large rolling hills populate this land and the people, like the land, are just as natural. Freckles usually dot their cheeks and they tend to have brunette, sun-kissed, or ginger hair. More often than not, their skin is tanned due to their proximity to the equator. But what makes them different from the rest is their strong backs and sheer strength. These people might not look that strong but they can easily left 200 pounds with ease. Strong, sturdy legs and a short body probably help make this possible. After all, East Eons aren't the tallest of people. Bulky but built, this people rarely get over the height of 5-foot seven-inches.
Attitude: The jolliest people you'll ever met. There isn't a bad bone on them. They've endured a lot and usually live a hard life, but they don't let that get them down. They enjoy being merry and eating food together. Oh and drinking -- they love their liquor. Some people call them "stupid" or say "their brain has been fried" but they aren't as dumb as one would think. They're survivors and know a lot about the land, the weather, and the water. Too bad they're a bit aloof at times and tend to forget things....


THE FEDERATION OF PNEUMIA NATION (Noo-mmm-ee-uh)
Location: The northern most portion of the globe.
Famous City: Havandur. This frozen town is famous for its ability to grow rare spices. Although surrounded by snow and ice, the northern portion of the globe receives a fair amount of daylight, allowing greenhouses to produce plentiful foods and spices.
Population: ~0.7k
Appearance: Despite popular belief, those of the federation are the palest habitants of Quicce. Having fair skin, hair, and eyes, these individuals are prone to name calling (Whities) due to their very distinct appearance. The people of the federation are also very lean and swift due to the fact that they actually stand and run on their tip-toes. When examining their feet, one will notice calluses that allow them the unique ability to run on the snow and ice without foot protection.
Attitude: The people of the federation are a very prideful nation but, unlike some, they do not openly express their narcissistic ways. They are a rather laid-back, carefree civilization who focus chivalry and charity. However, their pride does peak through every now and again, especially when engaging in competitions or "who's better" spats.


LIHPON (Lie-pawn)
Location: Southern portion of the globe located between the two Eons.
Famous City: Alione. Located just below the equator belt on the water, Alione is not what one would expect. It's a thug and rogue hangout. Because the city has no form of security, anyone and everyone can live here. It's sketchy and shady, much like the non-safe streets of New York City. Still, this city is known as the melting pot of the world as interracial marriages are very common. It's, by far, the most accepting place on the planet.
Population: ~4k
Appearance: Since it's the melting pot of the world, there is no one look. People born here can have looks from any of the six nations. However, a true Lihponian is described as having dark eyes and a dark expression on the face. True Lihponians have wide shoulders and strong arms with thick necks and a big nose. One could easily mistake them for a bear for they are quite large and wide and tend to have a full head of hair.
Attitude: As mentioned, Lihpon is the nation of misfits and bandits. Their attitude certainly reflects that. Backstabbers are everywhere and crime is of the hour. Crooked liars and nasty cannibals (yes, cannibals), these people should be avoided at all costs.


UNLIEF (ün-lay-f)
Location: Slightly south of the Federation, Unlief has its territories near the equator allowing for its people to experience all the seasons.
Famous City: Li-Jaun.
Population: ~1.1k
Appearance: Rumor has it that Unlief came about as some living in the Federation were unable to adapt to the frigid weather. Being lanky and tall like those of the Federation, the Unlief even have pale eyes like their northern cousins. Their skin tone isn't always as light and their hair color is completely up for grabs. Depending on the lineage, some have white hair while others have brunette. Perhaps the most defining feature of an Unlief is their unusually long hands and fingers. They are very slender, almost blade-like. With such nimble hands and arms, the Unlief are known for having the fastest hands known to man. They can catch a bullet out of midair and cause no damage to their skin. How is that possible? Well, it's believed that the Unlief actually have bug-like scales for skin, which gives them a shimmering glow.
Attitude: Just as laid-back and carefree as those from the Federation only they aren't quite as rationale. The Unliefs let their emotions guide them and actually practice arts that allow them to really hone in on their inner feelings. Unliefs are also very in-tune with their surroundings and nature, giving them a really natural appeal. One might think of them, in Earth terms, as yoga practicing Native Americans.

THE CHARACTERS

>> The Fennec Fox [TAKEN by Kiyo]
>> The Shark [TAKEN by Duke]
>> The Falcon [OPEN by ___you?___]
>> The Mustang [TAKEN by Darkness]
>> The Cheetah [TAKEN by Xavi]
>> The Bear [TAKEN by Aoi]
>> The Praying Mantis [TAKEN by Crimson]

THE PROFILE SKELETON

Character Name: Full Name
Avatar: Close up of face
Usage: Private
Synopsis: Home Nation (in uppercase)

Description: This section should include nickname, gender, and race. It should also cover a physical descriptions such as eye color, hair color, height, body type, and appearance. Another image of the character can be linked or added in this section. The last thing covered should fall under "other things" such as sexuality and age.

Personality: Regarding this, please share your character's personality traits. What he/she likes and dislikes. Perhaps discuss hobbies and pet peeves. What about his/her demeanor? Are they naturally good or evil? Discuss their acceptance levels as well as how tolerant they are. In other words, will you get along with others outside your race? Or will you try to kill them?

Equipment/Abilities: In this section it would be wise to state what your character has on their person. Bags and backpacks are a must since they will be traveling long distances. Leave the weapons* and powers* section blank. Fill out the abilities and skills portion (e.g. hunter, blacksmith, singer, actor, good at sewing, has excellent herbal knowledge, etc.).

*Weapons and Powers: These will be discussed via PM with the GM. You will submit a list of three weapons you would like to see your character use as well as five powers (powers can include but are not limited to: fire, water, ice, earth, levitation, etc. To see a full list of powers, visit this site. You can also create your own powers too). One weapon and one power will be selected. You will NOT be notified which weapon/power combo you have as it is up to your character to discover it. Upon discovery (you will know as the narrator will post), the GM will update the profile with the correct weapon/power combo.

History: This can be any length. It needs to include their background and why they think they were selected by their nation's animal guardian to partake in the quest. Also comment on their hopes and future dreams.

Extra: Take the following test through the eyes of your character. Share the results here. Also Google the result (should be four letters) and copy/paste the findings in the extra section so others can read about your character. Fee free to post additional information here too.

OTHER STUFF
>> There will be a point where outside characters will come into play. This section will house those characters when they become available.

ACCEPTED CHARACTERS

Valberg Froth - THE FEDERATION OF PNEUMIA WARRIOR

BIRTH FACTS:
Nickname: Froth
Gender: Male
Race: Pneumia

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
Eye Color: Pale red
Hair Color: White with flecks of silver
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 170 lbs
Body Type: Lean and toned
Hair Style: Bangs up front and rather layered
Appearance: Froth's eyepatch is probably his signature mark. His robes, although unique, are highly representative of his people. Dressing much like the samurai of ancient Japan, the people of the Federation do enjoyed the layered look. Able to lose clothing, as needed, Froth can remove the robes and don a slender, skin-tight body suit that is ideal for running at high speeds. Like everyone else of his nation, Froth doesn't wear foot protection and has weathered feet that can ensure walking on the cold ice. Toes painted black just like his figure nails, this warrior is in prime condition and ready to serve his nation proudly.

THE OTHER THINGS:
Sexuality: Straight
Age: Thirty

PERSONALITY

Froth, ever since he could remember, was always one for action and adventure. Although he yearns for it, he does not always jump on it for there is a time and place for such excited actions. He's a logical man who likes to look at things with a rational mindset. Granted, he's not about to nit-pick the finer details. He, in that sense, is a bit against the grain. Rather than abiding by rules and deadlines, he completes as much as he can and doesn't seem to fret over not meeting the expectations. To him, there's no point in stressing over something. So long as it gets done, it gets done.

Another quirk to his personality is that he's laid-back and carefree, more so around people he knows. He's one of those guys that doesn't let bad things or rude people get him down. Emotions, to him, are just a thing to trip over. Although he's had his emotional eruptions, Froth does he best to keep his cool. After all, poise is everything and he wouldn't want to lose that swagger of his. Because of this expressionless/emotionless state he's in, most people would incorrectly label him. Only those that really know him and give him a chance will get to see that his hard exterior is really only there to protect his mushy interior. In a sense, he's only like that to prevent himself from appearing too vulnerable.

Needless to say, people who don't know him will label him a douchebag. And those that know him? They would probably say that too. He's a bit of an ass but not because he's cocky. No, he's just indifferent with certain things. He doesn't share his feelings and he doesn't believe in time. This carefree personality often rubs people the wrong way. And, to top it all off, he's not really one to engage in conversations. To him, a good time is playing games and drinking some liquor with close friends. Why be the center of the party when you can befriend a few really close people?

Overall, Froth is a misunderstood man. He's a good guy with a good heart. He goes out of his way for people and is the first one to get walked all over and taken advantage of. But, being a smart man, Froth is able to discern abuse from friendship and should things go south, he's the first to cut his losses. He's a no bullshit kind of guy that will speak what's on his tongue, not giving a damn if it might be misinterpreted.

EQUIPMENT AND ABILITIES

Equipment: Froth doesn't really like to be over-cumbered by weight and what items he does carry he tries to keep on a scrap or belt. Granted, for this journey, he wasn't about to play it dump so he grabbed a backpack for the road. The backpack is very similar to hunter's backpack. It's spacious and can carry a lot of items. The straps on the outside allow him to attach various items to the outside of the back. Such items include a water canteen as well as a blanket for sleeping purposes. Inside the bag he's carrying small traveling pots and pans for cooking as well as a blank book to record notes in. Another book lies within the bag and continues notes from his father, a famous explorer, about the land and animals. A compass and small hunting knife are stashed away in the straps of the bag too. Some medical balm is also found in a pouch as are matches. Rope and fishing line is also stored in the bag as well as fabric containers for storage purposes. Writing utensils, a pair of tweezers, and medical wraps are also scattered about the backpack.
Talents/Skills: With an explorer for a dad and a medic for a mother, it's only natural he take after them in some regard. With exploring often comes the skill of hunting, tracking, and trapping are things Froth is good at. His tool of choice is actually a bow and arrows; he was never one for spears and guns. Learning medicine from his mother, Froth also knows first aid as well as basic herbal medical knowledge. Running, as expected, is also another talent of Froth's. His vocabulary is pretty good as are his grades. He's a rather intelligent individual as well as an avid reader. Despite his parents best wishes, Froth decided to become an engineer, a mechanic of sorts. He's always had a knack for tinkering and fixing things -- a natural handyman.
Other: When it comes to luck, Froth just seems to have it. He's naturally good at things he does; probably helps that he goes into every challenge with the thought of winning. When he does lose, and he does lose, he is often the first person to get his loss thrown into his face. When he fails, people make it known that he didn't win. Although it bothers him, Froth does his best to not let their teasing tongues hurt his pride.
Weapon: Pending
Power: Pending

HISTORY

Froth's father, Hav, is a famous explorer. He was actually the first person to chart the nameless body of water. Hav also made a map of all the Federation's territory, detailing where specific landmarks are too. Working with others, his father is also credited for helping update the current world atlas.

Mrs. Annie Froth, his mother, is also quite the famous lady. She travels from nation to nation as a medic. People across the land come to her when they need a miracle. She's a highly spiritual woman and has always been one with the heavens. A former priestess turned medic, Annie was actually the one to receive word that the end was near. Rushing home, she informed the other priests who, in the high temple, received the message moments after she told them. During the moment of visions, Annie felt her womb burn with a numbing sensation. Dropping to her knees, her closed eyes received a vision -- her eldest son, Valberg. The moment she saw it, she raced home to find her son and inform him of his newly discovered duty.

Froth and his younger brother, Bodvarsson (Bo), were tucked into bed that night when their mother came bursting through the door. Without explanation, she ripped her son from his slumber and dragged him into the streets to spread the word. Froth, wearing only his undergarments, stood in the center of the town and listened to his mother's story. He had always known he was lucky, but this was pushing it. But, if the gods had chosen him, he knew better than rebel. Accepting the duty, his mother shooed him off to prepare for the forthcoming journey. Froth, little to his knowledge, had no idea of the war that was coming for that piece of information was never revealed. Why? His mother didn't want to taint his journey and give him any idea that a battle between the representatives might occur.

Needless to say, prior to any of the madness ensuing, Froth lived a pretty ordinary life. He attenuated grade school and received mastership from a mechanic in West Eon. Upon graduation, he returned home and, since then, has used his learnings to enhance his homeland. With his help, outdated weapons were turned into guns and horse-drawn plows soon became coal-powered vehicles.

At the age of thirty, Froth has yet to find a new partner. He had found one, seven years ago. The two married after courting for two year. A year later his son was born. Complications during childbirth prevented his wife from having another but Froth didn't let that setback keep them from trying. A miracle happened two years later. Expecting another child, although the greatest moment of his life, was also one of tragedy.

Upon going into labor, his mother noticed an off growth on his wife. After further inspection, Annie Froth identified it as a lethal virus that, if allowed to spread, would contaminate the town.

Doing the right thing, Annie put his wife down and also, to her dismay, had to terminate her granddaughter's life too. Froth and his son underwent a million tests to ensure they weren't infected. To his mother's joy, Froth was infection free. But, his son, was not. Not able to kill his son, Froth removed his son from quarantine one night and hid him deep on the forest. One day, he promised to return. Until then, his son was left in the capable hands of a priestess that was his wife's best friend.

Forever scarred from that day, Froth has never spoke of his son nor has he remarried again. Rumor has it that he hasn't been seeing anyone and that he never will. Still a sexual man, Froth hasn't fallen into the roll of avoidance. After all, every now and again a man needs to lose himself and feel the euphoria that once brought him unexplainable bliss.

Selection: Froth always assumed that his selection was brought on by his mother. Being the son of a holy woman, it only made sense that he would be brought into the game. However, Froth hopes that there's more to his choosing than the DNA that helped bring him into the world.
Aspirations: In a perfect world, Froth would love to go back in time and save his wife. He would keep rewinding time to prevent the illness that forced her to an early grave.

EXTRA - ISTP "The Mechanic"
One Should Avoid...: Calling him anything other than Froth. He hates nicknames, especially ones like Frothy, Scummy, Foamer, Sir Foams A Lot, or any other variation of his last name's meaning.

SPOILERX

Sedna - SHAZRICK WARRIOR

Originally Posted by ISOS Duke

~ BIRTH FACTS ~

~ Nickname ~ Sedna
~ Gender ~ Female
~ Race ~ SHAZRICK

~ PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ~

~ Eye Color ~ Black, no visible separation of iris, pupil, or whites of the eye (like a real shark)
~ Hair Color ~ Silver that fades to light blue on the ends
~ Height ~ 5' 7"
~ Weight ~ 126 lbs
~ Body Type ~ Very slender yet muscular
~ Hair Style ~ Long with choppy layers and bangs that frame her face
~ Appearance ~ Sedna, being a Shazrick, lacks the 'womanly' figure that many other planetary species have been drawn to. Flat chested with small hips, the woman was clearly made for life in the water. Her fingers and toes have a slight permanent webbing to them that seem to grow once the huntress enters the water, the space between her arms and side also have the capability of webbing. Her long hair and choker tend to hide her gills for the most part, though not completely and the woman even has multiple rows of teeth. Her primary chompers are slightly sharpened while the two rows behind that one, that are normally retracted, are razor sharp. These other rows of teeth come into play for eating the raw meats that herself and the other hunters gather as well as during combat. Sedna's clothing allow for ease of movement in water and in combat, they're also made to look bad ass just to add to the threatening look that the Shazrick have made for themselves. She also has a tattoo of a shark who's tail starts at the top of her left shoulder before the head comes to rest on the right shoulder blade.

~ THE OTHER THINGS ~

~ Age ~ Twenty-Seven
~ Sexuality ~ Straight

~ PERSONALITY ~

Much like the creature that this race takes after, Sedna is a solitary person. She can easily work in groups of her own kind, though is normally much happier to be alone. She is a silent type in most situations as she analyzes what is going on, usually coming up with many different options. When she does finally speak up, she's very blunt and can almost come off a tactless at times.

Nine times out of ten, she would sooner start an attack on a person from another nation than just calmly letting them go by. That doesn't mean that she is out to kill them, but rather she wants them to know just where they stand with her. She's not afraid to act out against those that say something she doesn't not agree with and has been known to share words as sharp as her teeth.

Sedna very easily comes off as cocky with how she portrays and holds herself. She does tend to hold herself higher than those around her and has been known to see nothing but failure in others. Her quiet demeanor does not help with this portrayal as she doesn't tend to open up with people. For others to learn more of you means that they hold a weakness in their hand which can be used against you in the future. She seems distant even among her own people, but her loyalty to them goes without question. She would go to the ends of the world and back to ensure that her people are safe and will not question going after those that have done them wrong.

Yet even on top of all that, Sedna seems to hold a deep caring emotion deep within her that remains locked up. Among her own people, she is reaching towards the end of her prime breeding (though that's not to say that she will be too old to conceive in the future). There have been a few males that had tried to court her and failed to keep up with her which only ended with them being humiliatingly chased from her quarters. Ever since then, many of the males have tended to avoid her in anything that has to do with mating and courting. Yet, she can still feel that pull in her mind, much like a mother watching over her pups. Those around her she is constantly watching over and protecting where she can, though at times she wished she could just squash that feeling.

~ EQUIPMENT AND ABILITIES ~

~ Equipment ~ Sedna carries very little on her person and most of which she carries is kept in a small bundle of fishing net that she carries around as a bag. Within the bag is the bladder of a local fish to her people that is used as a water canteen; its rubbery nature allows it to hold more water than a traditional 'human' canteen and when it's empty, it is much smaller and more light weight to carry. The hide of a seal folded up tightly and bound by a a chord; the hide used for sleeping while the chord could suit various purposes. The Shazrick woman also keeps a spear on her back as well as other bits of chord and sharp stones and daggers on her person to be used as weaponry or for hunting should such supplies be difficult to find in the given terrain.

~ Talents/Skills ~ Sedna takes after the most skilled warriors and fighters of her tribe. Not only is she ruthless on the battlefield, but she can turn just about anything she picks up into a weapon of some kinda. She is keen to using spears or other native weapons, though does not fear hand-to-hand combat as many rows of sharp teeth do tend to play an advantage in that. Even with her past, Sedna does have the capabilities of fishing more than well enough for survival; one could just say less cleaning is needed on the fish she caught.

~ Other ~ The woman just has a way with words, especially for being the silent type. Who would guess that the shark woman avoiding a group of individuals (not of her kind) would open her mouth just for vile words to come out? Sedna has no qualms with being harsh with her words, nor does she fear people coming to dislike her for what she says. That is not to say that she only says cruel things, but her 'kind words', depending on what they are about, can be very awkward to listen to and the listener could feel just as awkwarded out hearing what the Shazrick huntress is saying as she feels saying them.

~ Weapon ~ TBD

~ Power ~ TBD

~ HISTORY ~

There wouldn't be many to peg the fisherman's daughter to be so highly aggressive, even in terms for the Shaz. At a young age, Sedna would help her father with harvesting the fish for her village and for many years he had been trying to break the girl of her over zelliousness when it came to how she would catch the poor things. The girl was never fully 'cured' of this issue, but those watching and helping have seen the transformation she went through and the strides she now goes to, to not completely obliterate the village food.

Sedna had taken more than one group, over the last few years, deeper into the frigid waters of their homeland just to see what other fish and food could be found. Many times, that led to her little group having to fight something that wasn't too pleased with having the shark folk in their territory. Even if a few of them would come back bruised and wounded, the village never seemed to show any anger towards their 'chosen one'.

The Shaz hold very sacred rituals in worship to their Shark god, their aumakua. It is believed among the Shazrick people that once an ancestor dies, their spirits return to the shark, a more 'primitive' form of their people that is there to protect them even after they leave the group. The ritual itself had died out for many years, but when the shark population seemed to be dieing out, the old Spirit Speaker said it was time to begin the ritual once again to save the beast.

Even before the ritual begins, those that are 'chosen' to take part in calling the sharks are tested and go through a two day fasting and purifying process. After that process is complete, the callers must go into the deep frigid waters to call forth one of the massive ice sharks; during the call, it is not uncommon and is considered a privilege to be killed in combat against the massive shark. After combat is over, the dead shark is brought back to the village where it is prepared for the ritual. Every part of the shark is used in some way, everything except for the brain and heart are used for everyday life. Those remaining two items are combined to make a paste that serves two purposes; half of the paste is burned in a ceremonial fire and the Spirit Speaker drinks the other half. With that, he is able to speak to the spirits of those that resided in the shark and tell their message.

The first time this ritual was brought back, Sedna was but a child and had recently come back from her first annihilation, or rather, attempt at fishing. The ceremonial fire seemed to explode in excitement as its blue flames left their home to dance around the young child. She is the one that will save us, the spirits had told the old Speaker. This child is pure in the old ways, cultivate her and encourage her behavior. She will return the Shazrick to their former glory and with it, return the way of the Shark.

Each time the ritual is performed, the Spirits would go into more detail before finally telling the Speaker that it was time to send the huntress out to perform her duty as the chosen one. At first everyone was skeptical that the child that wouldn't bring back a fish in one piece would save them, but as the years went on and the child learned to hone her skills, the shark population very slowly started growing, but not enough to prove that they were saved.

~ EXTRA - INJT "The Scientist" ~

SPOILERX

Introvert(44%) iNtuitive(12%) Thinking(50%) Judging(33%)

You have moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (44%)
You have slight preference of Intuition over Sensing (12%)
You have moderate preference of Thinking over Feeling (50%)
You have moderate preference of Judging over Perceiving (33%)

As an INTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.

INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others.

INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against their current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.

INTJs spend a lot of time inside their own minds, and may have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. Unless their Feeling side is developed, they may have problems giving other people the level of intimacy that is needed. Unless their Sensing side is developed, they may have a tendency to ignore details which are necessary for implementing their ideas.

The INTJ's interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that they encounter into an understandable and rational system. Consequently, they are quick to express judgments. Often they have very evolved intuitions, and are convinced that they are right about things. Unless they complement their intuitive understanding with a well-developed ability to express their insights, they may find themselves frequently misunderstood. In these cases, INTJs tend to blame misunderstandings on the limitations of the other party, rather than on their own difficulty in expressing themselves. This tendency may cause the INTJ to dismiss others input too quickly, and to become generally arrogant and elitist.

Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive the INTJ as being rigid and set in their ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the INTJ is committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement their ideas. The INTJ is usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.

When under a great deal of stress, the INTJ may become obsessed with mindless repetitive, Sensate activities, such as over-drinking. They may also tend to become absorbed with minutia and details that they would not normally consider important to their overall goal.

Claes Keoni - LIHPONIAN WARRIOR

Originally Posted by Aoi Kazuya

BIRTH FACTS:
Nickname: Keoni
Gender: Male
Race: Lihpon

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
Eye Color: Black iris fading out to a silver-blue
Hair Color: Black with a blue tint
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 185 lbs
Body Type: Mesomorph
Hair Style: Bangs that fall over his eyes and medium-ish length
Appearance: Bandages are an everyday accessory he has to cover up the injuries he sustains from daily scuffles. There's a sleeve tattoo down his left arm that serves as his identification in his hometown. Keoni dresses in mainly black, grey, and blue-grey hues to blend in with the shadows he sticks to as much of the Lihponian population does. Bright colors make one an easy target for attack. His clothes are light, making it easier to move around without detection. His skin is also tinged grey.

THE OTHER THINGS:
Sexuality: Bi
Age: Twenty-five

PERSONALITY:
A quiet character by nature, he never really had a reason to need to create noise. If anything as he got older his ability to stay quiet has lead to rumours of him being mute. Never one to care for such trivial matters, Keoni never refuted nor confirmed these rumours, instead taking advantage of it to keep transactions short and to the point. Time is money. Quite literally to him.

Due to where he grew up, he knows how to create temporary treaties and can break them instantly if the need calls for it. He has a sense of loyalty to himself and possibly to his parents, but he switches loyalties among others on a whim. That is to say, he isn't a bad person, but he does what he has to to survive.

He would rather stay in the background and pick up information rather than be in the center of the crowd. He's also very secretive. A backstabber himself, he knows not to let out too much of himself at risk of being backstabbed in return.

Despite these things, Keoni is actually a very accepting person. He may act indifferent or just not acknowledge someone who is speaking with him, but he will not go out of his way to make anyone feel threatened by him. Nor will he discriminate based upon race or such things. Another's bad attitude on the other hand is a different thing altogether.

Equipment/Abilities:
Equipment: Keoni doesn't often carry things beyond medical supplies with him, but to make this journey he's brought a duffel bag filled with a blanket, waterskin, and plenty of medical supplies. There is also a coil of rope, a compass, a pair of binoculars, and a dagger.
Talents/Skills: As an observer, Keoni is a natural information gatherer. As an adept thief Keoni can get into and out of tight spots and situations easily. His affinity for silence also makes it hard for him to be detected. He is physically strong, though he doesn't seem to fight much. He can also use anything in his vicinity as a weapon if need be. Due to having to take care of the many scrapes he finds himself getting into, he has a vast knowledge of medical know-how.
Other: Keoni adores flowers. And he may or may not be masochistic.
Weapon: Pending
Power: Pending

History:
Growing up was an accomplishment in itself. Keoni learned from a young age to defend himself from the others his age. If he wanted to finish a day of school without trying to survive on an empty stomach he had to be able to fight off the others who would try to steal his food. It was the same for all of them, just because he wasn't pure Lihponian didn't earn him extra hate. He had reason to believe he was a quarter Pneumia from one of his grandparents, but he'd never met them and he had never been bothered to ask about it.

His mother, Naria, got him started on his medical training, teaching him about different balms and treatments. His father, Lluc, got him started on fighting. Or that's the way he reasoned it out in his head anyway. His mother taught him those things because his father had taken to randomly throwing sharp objects at his son whenever he had a bad day at work. It soon switched over to physical beatings when Keoni had gotten too good at dodging the weapons. It had never been explained to him why, so at a young age he learned to accept it and possibly had it ingrained into his thought pattern that he deserved to be hurt, forming some sort of pleasure from the pain. His father wasn't always like this and Keoni never saw him hurting Naria, so it never alarmed the boy.

When he got to be of age, his father initiated him into the family by personally inking his son. Then Keoni, along with the others his age, was sent to the town center where they were to be fully initiated into society.

The ceremony required that the youngsters defended themselves from attacks made by the older generations. If they survived that, they were sent out throughout the city to retrieve certain predetermined valuables. That year though, the ceremony had been interrupted when a large bear had crashed its way into the center. The people watched it warily as it sniffed about, seemingly sizing each of the youngsters up as it passed them. When it got to Keoni, it stopped and matched gazes with him, a low rumble starting in its throat before it stood on its hind legs and growled threateningly at him. Keoni stared back, standing his ground. They remained at that stalemate for a few tense minutes before the bear nodded and fell back onto its paws, leaving the people in shock as it lumbered back the way it had come.

Keoni had been whisked away by the priests of the city to an undisclosed location where they revealed to him his fate. He took it all in silently and said nothing about it to anyone when he was finally let back into the public.

After a couple years had gone by and he had grown in skill and mind, he was out on a late night assignment when he was visited once more by the bear, this time it was watching him from the shadows of a building. He had stopped in his pursuit and followed it deeper into the city to the temple. He stayed there for a fortnight. When he reemerged, he was set to start his journey.

Hopes and Dreams: Keoni is honestly a pretty simple person in terms of dreams and hopes for the future. He would like to one day be able to see his parents again and possibly have a family of his own one day.

EXTRA: INTJ "The Scientist"

SPOILERX

You have strong preference of Introversion over Extraversion (89%)
You have moderate preference of Intuition over Sensing (50%)
You have moderate preference of Thinking over Feeling (38%)
You have marginal or no preference of Judging over Perceiving (1%)

As an INTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.

INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others.

With Introverted Intuition dominating their personality, INTJs focus their energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. Their mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. They are tremendously insightful and usually are very quick to understand new ideas. However, their primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way.

INTJ's tremendous value and need for systems and organization, combined with their natural insightfulness, makes them excellent scientists. An INTJ scientist gives a gift to society by putting their ideas into a useful form for others to follow. It is not easy for the INTJ to express their internal images, insights, and abstractions. The internal form of the INTJ's thoughts and concepts is highly individualized, and is not readily translatable into a form that others will understand. However, the INTJ is driven to translate their ideas into a plan or system that is usually readily explainable, rather than to do a direct translation of their thoughts. They usually don't see the value of a direct transaction, and will also have difficulty expressing their ideas, which are non-linear. However, their extreme respect of knowledge and intelligence will motivate them to explain themselves to another person who they feel is deserving of the effort.

INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against their current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.

Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive the INTJ as being rigid and set in their ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the INTJ is committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement their ideas. The INTJ is usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.

Katia Deidra Perseus - UNLIEF WARRIOR

Originally Posted by CrimsonShadow

Character Name: Katia Deidra Perseus
Avatar:
Usage: Private
Synopsis: UNLIEF

BIRTH FACTS:
Nickname: Katia
Gender: Female
Race: Unlief

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
Eye Color: Palest silver
Hair Color: Shimmery white
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 130 lbs
Body Type: Toned and curvy
Hair Style: Long, big waves. Her hair is parted down the middle and it falls to her mid waist. She often does her hair in intricate braids
Appearance: Katia’s clothing changes with the season. In the dead of winter she usually wears thick leggings and thick sweaters with tall leather boots, lined with fur. During the warmer months she could be caught wearing dresses, pants and thinner shirts.

THE OTHER THINGS:
Sexuality: Straight
Age: 27

PERSONALITY:
Katia is a very laid back person. She has a nurturing nature and accepts most people. She is one to give advice and one to help others. Katia has a yearning to learn everything, she likes to study and then practice the new talent or knowledge.

Though don’t get her wrong, if she is threatened she is quick to action. She has mastered many fighting techniques and is deadly with knives or a bow. Deep down Katia is a good person and tires to get along with everyone.


EQUIPMENT/ABILITIES:

Equipment: A leather backpack that holds simple and light items. A leather skinned canteen for water, utensils, a fur pelt to sleep on (rolled up and usually between the straps). It also holds a small hunting knife, some bandages and ointments.
Talents/Skills: An expert at flexibility and meditation. Katia is also an excellent dancer and painter. She has high senses because she connects to the earth. She is also a good fighter and skilled with knives and a bow.
Other: People tend to be calm around her, well sometimes. She has this aura about her that is soothing.

Weapons: TBD
Powers: TBD


HISTORY:
Katia grew up in a loving family. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a mechanic. They weren’t the richest family around but they were very well off. She grew up to love knowledge. Her mother supplied her with all the books she could ever read and he father taught her about life. Between the two of them they created a bright child.

Meditation was common practice in their household as was connecting to nature. When Katia was 18 she did a bit of traveling and studying before coming back home. She still travels, finding knowledge wherever she goes. Katia is very well known in Unlief. If anyone is looking for anything they go to her. She is the keeper of a vast library, with books on just about everything.

The white haired woman doesn’t have much of a personal life you could say, her parents are still alive and she often visits them. Mostly she submits herself into helping the people of her nation. This is why she thinks her nations animal guardian chose her for the quest. Katia is a grounded and clear headed person, who loves her people with her whole heart.

Katia tries not to think about the future or her hopes and desires much. But when she does she often thinks about having a family of her own. That’s her greatest wish.

EXTRA:
ENFJ
http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFJ.html

Senshi Yūgure - IYROCO WARRIOR

Originally Posted by Kiyoto

Character Name: Senshi Yūgure
Gender: Male
Race: Iyroco

Physical Description:
Nickname: Yū
Eye: Ruby
Hair: Black
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 61.235kg
Body Type: Fit and Defined

The Other Things:
Sexuality: Bisexual
Age: Twenty-One

Personality:
Senshi has always been a complicated man to figure out. He has always enjoyed learning, seeking out knowledge of the world around him as well as the people who inhabit it. At the same time, he seems to dislike people prying into he himself, unwilling to give to much information away about himself. He can be kind and caring when he desires to be, though he can also be stern and slightly cold. He has a strong personality and will, refusing to give up whenever he is faced with a challenge. Part of that is thought to be of the pride that his people have in themselves and their people.

He is confident in himself, as well as his abilities. He is quick witted, and sharp on his feet. He carries himself with the usual confidence and stature of his people. He has a hobby of reading, tying back in with his thirst for knowledge. He also has a habit of training himself, keeping in shape and fit as typical of his people as well. He has a typical strong sense of justice, those who walk a path of dishonor or darkness are typically met with the colder side of his personality. He finds it hard to simply walk away from situation where he is able to help. He hates when people make fun of or address his appearance in a negative manner.

Many of his personality traits are a mystery to people outside of his own tribe. He can be at times a hot head, though it takes a lot in order to get him riled up enough. He is a born leader and warrior as well, known by many of his people for this fact, he often takes part in many of the more political or defense/offense positions of his land when needed. His views on people are complicated as well. He tolerates many, giving them a chance to prove themselves and show what they are made of. He is not one to judge others on false pretenses though, believing everyone should have a chance to carve their own path and make a name for themselves. He has a tendency to be diplomatic or the like due to his father being a politician.

He is constantly evolving and changing, which is a major reason his personality is so hard to pin down.

Equipment/Abilities:

Equipment: Senshi carries with him a bag on journeys. Within the bag, he typically carries with him various useful items. A compass and map allow him to keep tabs on and knowledge of the land around him. He has a blanket to keep warm, as well as a form of lighter to create a fire if needed. Inside the bag is a canteen like bottle in which water can be carried. He keeps with him easy to carry cooking utensils such as a pot, plate etc. He keeps medical supplies with him for the trip, knowing it could be highly dangerous. Rope, line, a knife and some hooks also reside within the bag. He has a journal with him and things to write with, as well as a flute he seems to be fond of. There is space in order for other objects to be added if needed.

Abilities: Senshi is smart and cunning, able to adapt to his surroundings and use them to his advantage when needed. He is good at tracking and hunting, able to think on his feet and get what needs to be done done. He is good with maps and compasses, which tie back in with his tracking skills. He is an adapt warrior, skilled in combat, both weapons and physical. His body is well endowed for it strength wise. He has medical knowledge, as well as many other knowledge facts due to his love and curiosity of learning. He is skilled when it comes to locks and odd things as well, he has various talents that come in handy when needed. He is good with conflict, able to help as a mediator and to sort things out, having a good head on his shoulders. He is a good listener and often sought out for advice.

Weapons and Powers:

Weapon: Pending
Power: Pending

History:

Senshi grew up with a relatively nice life. His father was involved a lot with the heads of his tribe, dealing with many political things that took place within the nation. He rarely saw his father though due to these reasons, when he did, his father often spoke about or was still working. His mother during this time took it upon herself to work with the more peaceful side of their people, helping out with those who sought help or refuge from their land. She was kind to everyone, even those who seemed only to have darkness in their hearts. His father was thought to be the opposite in many ways, strong and a bit cold. He was stern and expected a lot out of his son.

Senshi grew up with a lot of pressure on him and at the same time a lot of people watching him for his future and expecting a lot out of him due to the accomplishments of his people. He never showed the pressure on the outside though, keeping himself working and moving forward. He felt pride in himself and as his people. He was proud of what his parents were doing for his people as well as the good of the world, though it was not exactly times to be branching out. Though most of his life was public, at the same time much of it was in secret as well, so a lot of his past is unknown to people.

Selection: He believes he was chosen for this task because of his parents for the most part. Their influence and his heritage making him a prime candidate to carry the future of his people as well as to do what needs to be done. He is unsure a bit if he is truly qualified, but all seem to have such faith in him that he hates to let them down.

Hopes and Dreams: His hopes for the future is to help build a strong and just world. One where people can live in harmony and peace without the need for violence and war. He wants a family of his own one day, and a future to truly call his own.

Extra: Senshi seems to have a love of music, it has a calming effect on him. He can usually be found in a quiet place, playing his flute or listening to "the music around him."

SPOILERX

The Scientist
As an INTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.
INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others.
With Introverted Intuition dominating their personality, INTJs focus their energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. Their mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. They are tremendously insightful and usually are very quick to understand new ideas. However, their primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way. Unlike the INTP, they do not follow an idea as far as they possibly can, seeking only to understand it fully. INTJs are driven to come to conclusions about ideas. Their need for closure and organization usually requires that they take some action.
INTJ's tremendous value and need for systems and organization, combined with their natural insightfulness, makes them excellent scientists. An INTJ scientist gives a gift to society by putting their ideas into a useful form for others to follow. It is not easy for the INTJ to express their internal images, insights, and abstractions. The internal form of the INTJ's thoughts and concepts is highly individualized, and is not readily translatable into a form that others will understand. However, the INTJ is driven to translate their ideas into a plan or system that is usually readily explainable, rather than to do a direct translation of their thoughts. They usually don't see the value of a direct transaction, and will also have difficulty expressing their ideas, which are non-linear. However, their extreme respect of knowledge and intelligence will motivate them to explain themselves to another person who they feel is deserving of the effort.
INTJs are natural leaders, although they usually choose to remain in the background until they see a real need to take over the lead. When they are in leadership roles, they are quite effective, because they are able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and are adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. They are the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against their current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.
INTJs spend a lot of time inside their own minds, and may have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. Unless their Feeling side is developed, they may have problems giving other people the level of intimacy that is needed. Unless their Sensing side is developed, they may have a tendency to ignore details which are necessary for implementing their ideas.
The INTJ's interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that they encounter into an understandable and rational system. Consequently, they are quick to express judgments. Often they have very evolved intuitions, and are convinced that they are right about things. Unless they complement their intuitive understanding with a well-developed ability to express their insights, they may find themselves frequently misunderstood. In these cases, INTJs tend to blame misunderstandings on the limitations of the other party, rather than on their own difficulty in expressing themselves. This tendency may cause the INTJ to dismiss others input too quickly, and to become generally arrogant and elitist.
INTJs are ambitious, self-confident, deliberate, long-range thinkers. Many INTJs end up in engineering or scientific pursuits, although some find enough challenge within the business world in areas which involve organizing and strategic planning. They dislike messiness and inefficiency, and anything that is muddled or unclear. They value clarity and efficiency, and will put enormous amounts of energy and time into consolidating their insights into structured patterns.
Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive the INTJ as being rigid and set in their ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the INTJ is committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement their ideas. The INTJ is usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.
When under a great deal of stress, the INTJ may become obsessed with mindless repetitive, Sensate activities, such as over-drinking. They may also tend to become absorbed with minutia and details that they would not normally consider important to their overall goal.
INTJs need to remember to express themselves sufficiently, so as to avoid difficulties with people misunderstandings. In the absence of properly developing their communication abilities, they may become abrupt and short with people, and isolationists.
INTJs have a tremendous amount of ability to accomplish great things. They have insight into the Big Picture, and are driven to synthesize their concepts into solid plans of action. Their reasoning skills gives them the means to accomplish that. INTJs are most always highly competent people, and will not have a problem meeting their career or education goals. They have the capability to make great strides in these arenas. On a personal level, the INTJ who practices tolerances and puts effort into effectively communicating their insights to others has everything in his or her power to lead a rich and rewarding life.

Videre Lapis Kruos - THE LOST EIGHTH NATION

Originally Posted by sadrain

~|BIRTH FACTS:
|Name: Videre Lapis Kruos
|Gender: Female
|Race: Subsolanea

~|PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
|Eye Color: Dark - black around edges of iris, becoming dark grey-silvery around the pupil. Reminds of a crystal
|Hair Color: Naturally, dark gray, nearly black at roots. However, she dyes her hair with extracts of crystals and herbs, giving them a shimmer and teal tint. It is sign of her status as Seer
|Height: ~5'10"
|Weight: ~135 lbs
|Body Type: Tall, slender, would be thin if not the good amount of muscles on her arms, legs, abdomen
|Hair Style: Bottom of her shoulderblades length. Styled only for ceremonies, usually left open, held back from falling in face by leather headband with crystal worked in the middle of it. Gathered in thick braid when hunting or working
|Appearance: Subsolaneans have skin colors raging from snowy white to nearly black, but Videra's is in the middle range - soft grey.
In her appearance, there are multiple things that in her community point at her high seer status. One of those are the tattoos around her eyes, dark color reaching nearly up to her eyebrows in fashion similar to eyeshadow in human world and a thin line running down from middle of her eye accent her eyes that see more than others. Videra's hair color is another status symbol, as is the hairband. The crystal also holds emotional meaning to her, she would never part from it willingly.
In body shape, she strongly takes after unliefs (heritage from mother's side) - tall and slender, with long arms and legs, fingers also long and frail looking. She isn't flat-chested, more so in the middle.
Lapis prefers to wear comfortable, but appealing clothes, adding details to otherwise simple leather and fur outfit. Such things can be particularly beautiful collar, a pendant.

~|THE OTHER THINGS:
|Sexuality: Heterosexual
|Age: Twenty-three

~|PERSONALITY

|Strong points: Thoughtful, caring, sweet, compassionate, tolerant, creative, intelligent, observant, friendly (to certain extent), patient, usually has positive outlook on things, diplomatic, merciful, mature and wise beyond her years
|Weak points: Tends to overthinks things and bottle up emotions, lets feelings cloud rationality, can be secretive and reclusive, sensitive, indecisive at times, sometimes relies on visions and intuition too much, dislikes excessive violence, the type to forgive, but not forget. In the end, inexperienced

Videra can be rather hard to understand, but once you realize that despite her best efforts, her emotions overrule her logical thinking, you will have grasped the basics. She realizes how important is planning and well thought actions, but in the end, when emotions come in, the reasons usually fly out of the window. This is one thing that can get her go against the ancient traditions that she would otherwise obey (if she finds that they have a good purpose).

However, as part of her seer path, she has learned to meditate and contain her feelings, creating order in her life and things around her. In fact, she likes when things are neat, orderly and smoothly going, no reason for doubts and uncertainty. The girl spends too much time pondering about possibilities and their outcomes as it is. Lapis is very observant, often seeing and figuring connections others don't, her guesses and theories about causes of someone's actions or their reaction usually hit nail on the head.

Often coming across as the thinker, not doer type at first Lapis takes people by surprise when she suddenly takes action. She can be slightly indecisive at times, but when she has decided something from bottom of her heart, she will most likely stick to it through, come hell or high water. She will do the same for the few who have earned her unwavering loyalty, but the girl is generally kind, generous and helpful, rarely refusing to help if she feels sympathetic to their plight. However, she is rather good at figuring people out and is not so gullible and naive, she will probably know if your motives aren't as good as you say.

Although very emotional and with quite clear opinions about most things, she has issues with expressing either because of social norms. Therefor, she remains cool and reserved to others for a long while. Eventually, the ice breaks and Videra eases up, but it's often still only the tip of iceberg that she shares with acquaintances, often playing all pain and troubles off on playful note. She actually likes to joke and laugh, given proper situation and can appear rather social. In fact, she can act even slightly immature at times when feeling comfortable, so balancing the otherwise rather mature attitude.

Videra is a curious being who loves to learn from written and verbal information sources. She absorbs the knowledge easily and prefers to listen over telling, fearing her explanations will not be clear enough, but she's actually good at saying things in simple way, if she tries to.

She isn't conceited or even particularly proud of her accomplishments, but has certain confidence in her abilities. At times, she will follow her visions and intuition blindly, dismissing everything else. And she's proud of her heritage. But she respects other cultures as well and is rather curious about them. She has no racial hatred, judging most individuals separately and can be sweet, compassionate to all of them. At first, she respects every person as well, but they may lose her respect, acting stupid, hatefully, cruelly. Anger and hate, whether coming from others (no matter if they're directed at her or not) or herself deeply affects her, makes her unhappy and even ill. She can hate, yes, as unlike her it may seem. She does not take betrayal lightly or lies for that matter.

~|EQUIPMENT AND ABILITIES

|Equipment: Leather and fur outfit, some spare clothes from same material. Leather backpack. Light wooden box with three crystals - one for healing, another for meditation and final one for seering. Few leather pouches with medical herbs, crystal dust and some crystal shards. Some bandages, small pliers, scissors, thread and needle in 'medical kit'. Smaller leather bag for water. Dried food and mushroom rations. Weapons as listed below. Few scrolls with maps and other important information. Some necessities.

|Talents/Skills: Lapis has learned some rituals how to heal and lessen pain with crystals, experiments with crystal and herb usage together. Has basic first aid knowledge, mixed with seer wisdom.
She's a good hunter, moderately strong and rather fast, perhaps because of the unlief blood her reflexes seem to be particularly quick.
In fight, she prefers her bow and arrows or the staff, especially the last since it is not so directly lethal. When out of other means, Videra will use her knives. She has basic knowledge of hand to hand combat as well. Altogether, she is capable of both defending herself and taking a life.
With artistic inclinations, she likes to sew and sing and does so decently (you can actually enjoy her singing).

|Other: She does not withstand cold as well as most other nations do. In fact, even most subsolaneans take it better than her. It causes her problems during hunts, but the girl has learned to put up with it.
Videra sees much better in dimmed light and near-darkness than bright environment. Her eyes are very sensitive and are one of her weak points - sudden flashes, bright sun or fields of snow hurt them, may even blind her momentarily at worst and leave her disoriented at best.
She also lacks deeper experience of actual fight, hunting alone, surviving in the wilderness.

|Weapon: Hidden~!

|Power: Not telling~!

~|HISTORY

As many of subsolaneans, Lucena (her birth name) was born in 'mixed' marriage, where only her father's line had lived in Velvitrum for many generations. But unlike most other from the surface, her mother chose to join him in the underground, after they met during unexpected blizzard on the surface.

So, Lucene grew up loved. Her father, rough and powerful hunter always did his best to spoil his ladies. From early age, Lucene showed great affinity with the crystals, preferring them to any other toys and talking of things she saw within them. It didn't take seers long to notice that - she was taken from home at age of 7, earliest possible age. During the 3 years of initial study, she was allowed to meet her parents once a week, after that the regime became less strict as subsolaneans strongly believe that bonds only make one more powerful.

After first complete study cycle, at age of 12 Lucena assumed her new name, only keeping the surname and began spending her life between the seer-house and her home. Always the restless spirit, she often took part in the hunts on surface, despite her father's and elder seer objections. There she honed her skills with weapons and proved to be capable hunter, eventually one of the hunters offering to train her personally which the girl gladly agreed to. It all did not hinder her growth as a seer, her connection to crystals clearer than any seers born in the last three generations. She also took interest in the healing aspect of the crystals and their combination with certain herbs later on.

At age of 20, Videre was youngest 2nd rank seer, training weekly with her old hunter teacher, taking part in the great monthly hunt and actively helping out the healers. Her parents watched her with worry, wondering when the young woman would bend and start to show signs of exhaustion from all the tasks she had taken up.

The break happened when her mother unexpectedly passed away from illness. Lapis did everything in her power and beyond to save her, but it was just out of the reach and the girl felt as if all reason to keep on improving had been torn from her hands. She was a prodigy, yet she couldn't foresee this, couldn't stop the sickness. Deep sorrow of her father struck another blow to her heart and Videre retreated to solitude deep within caves, having lost all faith in her abilities.

What she went through in those caves is unknown. Some rumor she found the caves of First crystals - the most powerful crystals of all, strong enough to change the one interacting with them. The myth tells that these were the crystals that gave the ability to connect to crystals to subsolaneans, but corrupted most of them with their power. However, those might as well be rumors. What is known is that she returned shortly before her 22nd birthday, settling back in her old life although taking things more slowly. She seemed calm, but as if held in suspense, not wanting to get involved too deeply with anything, like she was waiting for something.

When the crystal showed her vision of the gathering, she knew her time had come and simply told seers and father she would be leaving soon. It was shocking news, none of the subsolaneans had left the caves for more than hunt and she was their powerful seer they feared to lose in any way - especially to those from surface. Seers tried to talk her out of it, saying that it was not yet time for anyone to learn of their nation, some elder warriors expressed opinion of letting the other nations fight their own wars so that they could finally reclaim some part of land that was no less their as any surface nation's, but Videre was unwavering in her decision. And so, she left her safe home for the adventure she had never particularly craved.

~|EXTRA

|Relationships: Due to the immense workload always on her shoulders, Videre always lacked social interactions outside her family and seer circle nor she seemed to crave them. She appeared to be closer to the 'imaginary friends' in crystals than children around her age, although she did make one friend - boy from the next house. The two remain close to this day, although recently a rift was made when the girl realized he harbors more than friendly feelings for her. Her loyalty requires to accept them, but she doesn't quite feel the same - or doesn't think she does.

Also, it turns out that the 'imaginary friends' she speaks of since early childhood are actual people she sees through the crystals. Most of them are unaware of these observations, but those with keener 6th sense or similar gifts to hers might realize someone watches and emotionally follows their life events. She is emotionally attached to these people, she has cried for them, shared her secrets with them, although they most likely have not heard a thing from all that.

|INFJ - "The Protector"

SPOILERX

Introvert(44%) iNtuitive(12%) Feeling(62%) Judging(78%)
You have moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (44%)
You have slight preference of Intuition over Sensing (12%)
You have distinctive preference of Feeling over Thinking (62%)
You have strong preference of Judging over Perceiving (78%)

Main INFJ profile. Another INFJ profile.

Originally Posted by BrotherOfDarkness

Character Name: Diantana Zohn
Avatar: Close up of face
Usage: Private
Synopsis: EAST EON

Description:
a.k.a D.Z or Dian
Female
Eonian
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...s/image-13.jpg
D.Z has dark ebony black skin, and it seems to shimmer in the light. She has silvery white freckles that cover her face, and make their way down her neck, arms and spine. Her eyes are a metallic silver, reflective almost like a mirror. Her nails and teeth are the same. She has a warm friendly face and is usually smiling, she almost has laughter lines constantly. When the light catches them, dimples can be seen too. Her hair and eyebrows are a bright fiery red, she has a slight hair growth of soft hair almost like a trail of fur down her spine that begins just beneath her shoulders and becomes slightly thicker creating a very small tuft just above her buttocks, almost like the remnants of a tail.
Naive about her sexuality, so does not know.

She is twenty years old.

Personality:
Diantana is overall a friendly person, her outlook on life is always positive, in most situations. She has been quite content with her lot, her life in general and does not strive to necessarily achieve anything great for herself. But as she loves many and most around her, not just her family and friends but strangers and nature. Because of this she likes to help,others and improve things and life for others rather than herself. Due to her low self motivation she can be very laid back along with the rest of East Eon, they get the job done, but play hard too. And Diantana is no exception although she is young, they are brought up around partying and festivities, Diantana can drink and and use other substances with the best of them despite her age. She dislikes very little, anyone that could come across as stuck up, stubborn, or perhaps too strict will suffer Diantanas critique, as she does not have a social filter and will say what she thinks, and that can be very I politically correct, even if it is not meant to be offensive, it will usually be down to her ignorance, being raised in a tight community, with little outside interaction. She is very confident and holds herself accordingly, as she is yet to suffer any form of embarrassment with outsiders. She is rather tolerant of others views and opinions, she doesn't care as long as they do not effect her, but will still say what she thinks of them, very frankly.
She has lived within a small community where everyone seems to know everyone and what they are up to, this has meant she has lived a very childlike existence and pretty innocent, despite being ignorant of many things including social interaction and attention from the male gender. Few outsiders bother to visit their rural and rather undeveloped community, apart from usually maintenance of the complex farming machinery and buildings. She finds it hard to pick up on ques from others or understand emotions, and deal with them.

Equipment/Abilities:
living in a rural community dealing in farming she has very practical but very little in technical or advanced equipment, and would probably be a bit baffled if not disturbed by most technology. She wears usually leather type straps made from hides and particular reed type plants. As where she lives is relatively warm compared to to the rest of the world. But she does have a long water proof poncho, made from a single large hide sewn onto cloth, it is big enough to stretch out to make a simple basher or shelter, or can cover her completely.
She is used to dealing with husbandry of large creatures, either farming, hunting or riding many types of animals and is confident with and around them. She has a very good knowledge of the different plants that are edible or poisonous throughtout the habitable areas. If it useful or edible the east eons know about it, and they know about the plants that may mistaken for those. She is a keen hunter, but not necessarily an expert, as they hunt for sport and hunt the predators that may harass their flocks and herds. But do not need to hunt for survival. Due to this confidence in facing large creatures and the raucous and hustle tussle nature of their culture and festivals, she has always been good and comfortable with hand to hand fighting. And improvising weapons from everyday objects, usually bottles and bar stools! She is able to use fibres from plants and animals to make crude cordage, or plait hair to make rope.

Weapons and Powers:
TBD

History:
D.Z being an east Eonian they are very rough and tumble people, although friendly they like to eat drink, be merry and fight. She was the youngest in a large family of males, seven older brothers to contend with, she soon grew to be tough, short rugged like other East Eonians, but as they are a smaller community everyone knows everyone's else's business, so they try their best to get along, and so she shares the friendly outlook the rest of her people do.
But she exelled at combat more than others did, and it was through bouts with others at a very young age that she showed her prowess.
D.Z never strived to be more than anything that was expected of her, but she has always been confident, so would not want to disappoint her family or friends and do any duty given to her by her people.

Extra:
The Caregiver

SPOILERX

UPDATES AND STUFF

Wondering about the "niceness" of the nations? This is typically how they are viewed on a scale from nastiest to nicest: Shazrick, Lihpon, West Eon, Iyroco, Unlief, the Federation, and East Eon. This doesn't mean someone won't deviate from the norm, though.


We can begin our posting! I recommend writing this first post as an introduction for your character. Use your character's location to determine how long it'll take to arrive at the spot. The spot is close to the IYROCO TRIBE, but a bit more south. The place will not be frozen. In fact, it'll be a tropical paradise. Most of our characters have never seen such beauty before so, when you do arrive, you'll probably want to marvel over that. Once everyone gets their intro post in, everyone can begin to post their arrivals. Iyroco and Shazirck will probably arrive first (1 to 2 days to get there). Liphon next (2 to 3). The Eons after that (4 to 6). Depending on the location of the person in Unlief, they could arrive anywhere from third to sixth (4 to 7). And, of course, the Federation will be the last to arrive (9+). Poor Froth has to come from the north pole. XD

RESERVED

RESERVED AGAIN

OPEN - ACCEPTING CLOSED AS ALL SLOTS ARE FILLED

The snow was deep this time of year. Unusually deep. The average was usually a few feet but had already surpassed that number two weeks ago. They were now about eight feet deep in the snow. The lower layers were frozen over with the top coat being powdery fresh. Still, with the sky a blinding white, the snow continued to fall. Why the spirits hadn't waited until the warmer season was beyond him, but the pale man didn't let it deter him from his thoughts. He needed to leave immediately if he didn't want to get left behind. But the thought of being a straggler appealed to him. It wasn't that he was lazy, it was just that he didn't fret over being the first or last to arrive. He would merely arrive when it was time to. Luck had a funny way of working out in his favor so he doubted his arrival would be anything but perfect.

With a wave, he turned to face the white world before him. A look of courage was on his face as he blinked several times due to snow gathering on his long, black lashes. With a final look over his shoulder, his head nodded back toward his mother. She gave him the strength he needed to endure what the world cast him into. He had been chosen to represent his nation in the calm before the potential storm. War was rumored and the spirits that guided the seven nations seemed against the idea. To prevent utter destruction, they spoke to seven representatives from each of the nations. The spirits urged them to find connections and peace, but warned that differences and corruption might lurk in the darkness. It was up to those seven to either save the world or destroy it. But the meaning behind either was up to the individual. To this northern nation, peace meant all the nations living and trading in harmony. To another nation, peace might mean total domination over all. It amused him with how differ one's view could be. He was glad he could rationalize the differences though, as it might be useful later on.

As he marched forward, the doors of his neighbors opened. A warm, honey color light poured from the dwellings and long shadows cast on the white snow. Dropping to their left knee and crossing their right arms over their chests, bowed heads saluted the white haired man known as Froth, Valberg Froth. He was to be their protector in the unknown future that had a potential of turning dark with clouded hearts and corrupt minds. But the people of the Federation had no reason to distrust their chosen warrior. Froth was level-headed and calm. He was a thinker and very capable of carrying his own. Although compassion was not an outward facing feature to those who first met him, everyone in the nation knew that he was capable of forming everlasting bonds of friendship that was steer war from their humble nation in the frozen wasteland. He was probably their most diplomatic man and he was the only one worth sending. Even his mother, a well-respected woman, wouldn't have the strength to survive the tests that were sure to come.

Within the hour, Froth felt the warmth of his nation fade. He was no longer in the village and he was on his way toward the southern location that his spirit directed him to. Hand on his heart, Froth would make one quick pit-stop before stepped into the dead lands between his home and the neighboring nation.

"How is he," his voice was calm as a female pulled open a door to welcome him in.

"Daddy!" A child reeled out of nowhere and instantly tackled the tall man to the ground. "Daddy, daddy, I heard you're going to be a hero!" Froth's eyes moved to the priestess that guarded his son. "So it is true! She was right! You are a hero!"

"Not yet," his hand rested heavily on the small boy's head. "Daddy has to make sure the others see eye-to-eye with me."

"I believe in you," the kid whispered before wrapping his arms around the man who looked like an older version of he. "I know you'll make us all proud. I can feel our spirit cheetah smile down on you as you begin this quest."

With a laugh, a kiss was placed on the boy's cheek. "Behave yourself. And don't grow up too fast," he warned before venturing back into the cold. With a shiver, his crimson orbs squinted in the dark light. A storm was moving in. He would need to have haste if he wanted to make it to the forest before being swallowed alive by this blizzard. Placing his bare feet in the snow, he hunkered down some. Eyes closing and breathing stopping, he focused.

"Now."

Eyes opening and body lunging forward, the Federation's warrior zipped forward. With the speed he had achieved, it was not hard to see why the cheetah was their deity. He was fast and his face wore the marks of a cheetah -- black rings surrounded his eyes and raced toward his nose. Within no time, he would be one day closer to his destination. Still, he had a good nine-plus day's journey before him. Arriving first was impossible, especially in this storm. Still, he would press on and not waver for he didn't want to delay the inevitable.

It was time. For a moment, the world around him was silent, everything standing still as he looked out at the land before him from the edge of the city. A hand slid over his shoulder, causing him to look back at an elder man who had been his teacher for awhile now. The man smiled, even in his age he held himself upright and strong as he met Senshi's eyes. "Good luck young one" he said, "you have much to learn but much to give on this journey...your people are counting on you." His eyes wavered over a group of people who had gathered to see him off. All of them standing strong there as they certainly expected him to. They were an intellegent and strong people indeed.

He would not allow a simple threat as a war or other nations to cause him to faulter. He gave a slight incline of his head to the elder as if to acknowledge him as well as a sign of respect. For one about to step off on his own, his heart and breathing were calm. He was not afraid, not when he had the strength of his people on his side. If not in person, his brothers would be with him in spirit and that was enough. He would not allow himself to fail. He couldn't. He turned without a word, there was little need for goodbyes, he would come home safe, and things would be better when he did. For a moment he wondered how many of the others within this task had left their homes yet.

Were any of them afraid or worried? People of this land could be so foolish and blindsided, all of the different nations were just that...different. He kept his eyes forward, not allowing himself to look back. There was no point in it now. He had taken the first steps, now he would need to see this through. From behind however, he could feel one pair of eyes burning into his back. The eyes belonging to his father, most likely from appart from the crowd. He could feel the unspoken weight they placed on him on top of what was already there. Faliure would reflect rather badly not only on him, but his father as well.

He had suspected the other had had a hand in his being chosen, but the stubborn man seemed insistent on telling him it was of his own pride and strength that stood out to the people. He sighed, moving farther away. He knew where he was heading, it was not to far away from their boarders and land. Why a spot so close to their homes had been chosen he was unfamiliar with the reasoning. He supposed it went along with keeping potential friends and enemies close. He was familiar with the land, possibly more so than the others would be. If need be, he would have advantage on a few levels. A breeze ruffled his hair a bit, causing him to pause and be pulled from his thoughts. Odd, he had just left and already his mind was at work analyzing the situation and outcomes.

He felt the corner of his mout tug into a smile. He would need to be less focused within his own head where he was going. Learning these people and the task at hand was more important indeed. He glanced up at the sky, it was still nicer here than in most of the land, so close to their territory. He allowed his eyes to close for a moment as mentally he seemed to be connecting himself to the land and to the strength and ancestors of his people. It was quite an odd sight, anyone would have asked what he was doing standing there in the middle of the land like that. He felt a lot better now though, the strength inside him seeming to itself strengthen. His eyes on the world ahead, he advanced on his quest.

The frigid wind of the south pole had been blowing snow across the desolate ice tops that made up the Shazrick nation for weeks now; the shark people having taken to the lower parts of their city within the water and inside the icy city that lay beneath the water's surface as well. If one found a clear patch in the surface ice, the could see fires roaring deep below and ventalation in other parts of the ice would allow the heat to rise through and from time to time, the smells of whatever the shark people had thrown into their fires.

It wasn't that the surface city was uninhabitable that time of the year, but this year was different as the Shaz people were preparing to send one of their own out into the world to fight for them and to save their kind. A deep beating rythym could be felt throughout the ice as the blue skinned people danced and celebrated, not only honoring one of their own, but sending blessing and prayers her way as others packed a traditional hunting net bag for her to take on her travels.

Once preparations were complete, the tribed moved with their champion towards the water. Aquanis Sedna was a proud huntress of the Shazrick and a pride swelled up within her chest as the beating of the drums and chanting from the warriors echoed through the ice caverns as the large group made their way to the waters. Women with young children stayed back, as did the edlerly that rarely ventured into the waters during the cold months of the year; those that were fit enough dove into the icy depths with the pale haired woman. Upon entering the waters, a thin membrane grew between the woman's fingers and toes, the gills on her neck flaring with the greeting of the icy waters.

The beating of the drums could be felt through the waters as the local sharks followed the group, almost as though they were creating a barrier around them. The other hunters and warriors were letting out a low rumble, one that was typically only used when the groups were headed into the heat of battle, only this chant was meant for the sole woman that was chosen to fight for them. As with custom, the woman led the group in a flurry of speed; as they distanced themselves from their home, small groups parted off at different areas depending on who could actually follow the woman the longest. The first to leave were some of the elders, others were obligated to continue on. Afterwards were the men that had their own families to take care of, followed by the single men and women of the tribe, and lastly the leader of the village as well as the highest rank elders and their first born children. Such a promanade was and honor was held for ambassadors from other nations as a sign of respect, but with very few travellers and political talks being held up with the shark people, this was the first village farewell in many years.

Once the last of the village was gone, the number of cold water sharks swelled around the woman and even with them around her, their numbers were slim and they parted suddenly. The blacked eyed woman felt that feeling of pride swell up once again, though there was no music this time. Rather, a ghostly visage began swimming along side her. It was a large hammerhead shark with tribal deigns, matching the woman's large tattoo between her shoulders. The woman watched the beast in awe, her speed slowly only slightly as she continued her way through the frigid waters. The beast turned its massive head to look at the woman as she fell behind, something within her compelling her to speed up, which she did.

Traveling through the waters was much quicker than by land, or at least that's what Sedna believed and from what she was gathering from those sharks that had taken place of the others that parted to stay within their territory, she should arrive at the meeting place within a few hours. With the large shark spirit personally guiding her, she was in no threat of getting off track.

A nation of criminals though they might be, even they understood the concept of camaraderie. Which is why Keoni found that he was not making a completely silent getaway like he had thought. He dropped into the town center from a ledge he had been perched on as the elders of the city stepped forward. He knelt and gave a short bow of his head, before his unreadable gaze was once more trained on them. He rose fluidly from his position when one stepped forward to give him the bag of supplies that had been packed for him. During this exchange, the dark-haired man was hyper-aware of all the eyes watching him from the shadows and all manner of nooks and crannies available to the people that called Lihpon home.

Yes, they were backstabbers. Traitors. And all manner of other nasty things, but he was one of their own. And he was to be their hope. Or whatever hope existed in a city like theirs anyway. As he stepped away and walked through the streets, for once not traveling by the upper highway like he was used to, the sounds of feet following him echoed throughout the silent city. There was no celebration or loud commotion for his leaving, only a silent farewell. How fitting.

The closer he got to the edge of the city and farther away from the center, the smaller the number of footsteps echoed from following him. They were slowly falling away, one by one, like the bonds that you learned to severe in order to keep from being hurt by a betrayal.

As he walked, Keoni raised his eyes to the sky, noting how it was a rather still day. There were no winds and the clouds in the sky rolled by lazily. He was heading out into more open territory now, he wouldn't have very many physical places to hide anymore. But that was alright, he could learn to adapt. If anything, these people he was to meet with couldn't possibly be worse than the crowd he normally dealt with, though he would keep a wary eye out nonetheless.

Two figures waiting for him at the edge of the Lihponian territory had him slow his pace until he stood still, a few feet away from his parents. He'd moved out of the family home shortly after his first visit to the temple. He hadn't been expecting to have them see him off. He was silent as he stared across the space at the two who had raised him. There were no exchanges of words though. No tears or anything of the sort. This was supposed to be an honor, not a sad event. Keoni nodded and received one in return from his father. His mother gave him a small smile, and then he was off, aware of their gazes boring into his back even as he walked out of the city's territory.

A short way aways he was joined by the same bear that he had seen before. It seemed to have been waiting by the side of the road for him, falling into step beside him, occasionally bumping a thick paw into his leg. Keoni appreciated the guide as he was sure that there would be much to distract him and draw him off his path on his way to the wherever he was headed.

Letting out a deep sigh Katia looked it the mirror, studying her pale eyes and face. When her mother walked through the door a few moments later she was still studying herself. Through the mirror she watched her mother walk over to her and start to braid her long and wavy hair. The two almost identical people were silent for a moment before her mother spoke up. "I'm so proud of you Katia. I know you are going to do amazing things." She finished the braid, tying it off with a small piece of leather. "I'm just going to miss you so much." Katia sprang out of her seat and embraced her mother. "You're going to see me again, believe that. I love you." She kissed her mothers cheek and stepped out of the embrace. It was time. Walking over to her bed she grabbed her thick fur jacket and put it on.

Underneath she was wearing her winter clothes, extremely thick leggings and a long sleeved shirt. Over the shirt she was wearing a thick sweater that fell down to the tops of her thighs. On her feet were wool socks and over them she had on her knee high boots that were lined with fur. Her mother helped Katia put on her leather backpack. Grabbing her knit muffler she put it on and pushed it past her mouth so she could speak freely. The next two things were her knit headband to cover her ears and her gloves, those items she didn't put on yet. Sticking her hand out to her mother the clasped hands and walked out of the room.

Coming upon the front door Katia stopped before rushing forward and launching herself into her father arms. Her caught her and crushed her to him. "I love you kitten," he whispered into her ear. "I love you to Papa," was whispered back. After placing a kiss on her forehead he set her back on the ground. "You will do amazing things kitten, I've always known that. Just be safe please and come home when you can. Your mother and I couldn't be any prouder and we love you with our whole hearts." Nodding once she gripped both of their hands before placing her headband on and slipping her fur-lined leather gloves on.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out Kaita opened her front door and stepped outside. What she saw shocked her and made her stop. Her whole town from the looks of it and maybe people from towns over were waiting in front of her house. She glanced around before taking a step forward. "I will do us proud and I will protect our people." It was all she said, there was no need for a long speech. Her people stayed silent, the only thing that mattered was they all bowed their heads to her and placed their palms together over their heart. It was a very old gesture of their people only used on extreme occasions. For them to do it to her caused tears to well up in her eyes. Straitening up gave the gesture right back, then started to walk through the crowd. They parted right down the middle to let her through. After a few steps she turned back to her parents who were pressed side to side and giving her the same gesture as her people. Smiling she turned back around and continued on.

After finally walking through the last of her people she looked around, she was at the edge of town and now had the long hike before her. Since she was in the northern part of Unlief she had a good 6 to 7 day walk to get there. She pulled her muffler up to cover her face just under her eyes and pulled the hood of her jacket up. Steeling herself she pushed onward.

Feeling something land on her shoulder she looked down and smiled. It was her nations guide, the preying mantis. "Thank you for joining me," she said softly before falling silent. The two were off.

---

About four days into her journey Katia ran across a family stranded in the cold without the proper clothing. Running up to them, the preying mantis had vanished for now, she knew she couldn't just leave them. After conversing with them for a minute she found out that their home had been destroyed by a beast and they barely managed to escape. Their were two little ones and the parents. The mother could barely walk and the little ones were just about frozen. After telling the father to carry his wife she took off her coat and wrapped it around the two little girls then scooped them up in her arms. There was a town about a day away. They would have to go there. So they set off.

When they finally reached the town Katia went directly to the local medicine man whom she actually knew. After entering with them and explaining what happened to the old man he welcomed them in with open arms. The family would be safe and taken well care of her. Katia placed the two little ones in a bed and carefully slipped her jacket from around them, she was absolutely freezing. Placing it on, her friend then made her sit and eat some warm soup. She would take two hours to nap and them she would be off again. Helping them and put her back about two days but she didn't care. She couldn't have just left them.

After waking up from her nap and being given a few medicinal things and food from her friend she kissed him on the cheek, thanked him and went on her way once more. Her guide was back on her shoulder, making her smile.

"Oh bloomin mustang help me" Diantana sat huddled beneath bundles of thick soft furs, brown, whites and blacks, some coarse and some extremely soft, from various different creatures Giant snow bears, Bison, Fox. she appeared to be simply a head amongst a large fluffy mass. She shuddered violently to the side, the sled ride was an uncomfortable one "slow down please!" Her head throbbed, and the wolves pulling the sled seemed to have no sympathy nor the old man guiding them. They raced across a temperate flat plain, the sled taking off every time it hit a boulder on the trail, with the wolves jumping ahead then landing gracefully, unlike the sled. Close by were rolling hills all covered with bright and clean white snow, and speckled with dark green trees.

She rubbed her temples hard in circles, pushing her fingers deep with a groan swaying with the sled with her eyes shut tightly. She then ran her fingers over her eyebrows and through her thick long bright burning red hair. It was slightly wavy, she knew how curly it could get when cut short and very much hated it, she never thought it was flattering no matter how much people, mostly family said she looked 'sweet'. Suprisingly this morning it was a lot less tangled than she has feared, it smelt of a mixture of sweet berries and nectar, along with the odour of stale honey mead and whisky! She stretched out as far as her body could manage, easily for her small stature in the back of the sled, only just reaching over about four and a half foot from head to toe.

She stretched with a yawn and kicking back her duvet of furs allowed the coverings to fall away revealing her slender waist, but wider than expected hips with strong legs, and thighs, her coal black skin like her face speckled with silver freckles like some kind of moon dust. People had sometimes said she looked like a astronomers chart. Her father had remarked that if he held her up at night as a baby he could barely see her against the stars, and if she was ever to be lost she could match herself to the heavenly bodies and find her way home. It hadn't worked she tried once when she was younger and it had taken the rest of the town two days to find her. Adorning her body, green tattos spiralling around her body. Around the side of her face, around her upper arms, and over her pelvic area just above her groin. Appearing like vines and plants creeping their way across her skin. The dye itself was made from illuminescent extracts from rare spiritual plants, that caused the patterns to almost glow themselves. She began to rub her newest addition, an extra branch stemming from a vine, but rather than a leaf or flower, it was the head and body of a mustang.

The mustang a horse like creature that roamed the plains around Cheath, like the East Eonians were once a domesticated creature, that had gone back to the wild and nature. The East Eonians had turned away from much of technology, and adapted a more symbiotic relationship with the fauna and flora, making them the perfect farmers. Back in her town a few miles from Cheath, they did have large vertical farms and greenhouses, but they were usually maintained by their cousins from West Eon. The mustang had adapted too like the East Eonians, the mustang had a sturdy nature and soft insulating white hair. The East Eonians too were sturdy, and were the only peoples that could seem to ride the mustangs, but the creatures would still not allow themselves to be domesticated again. Diantana would have given anything to rather be riding one of the beasts, in control, higher up and soft fur against her legs, guiding the mustang easily with small twitches in her muscles, rather than being dragged along unceremoniously behind the wolves, that would tend to defecate while on the paw.

She rolled and laid on her back for a second, it had become so hot beneath the furs, and she was clammy and sticky from sweat, she felt awful.
"I'm never drinking again!" She declared, the old man glanced back and just have a toothy smile. His skin very dark but freckleless, but nowhere as pitch black as hers. Very few Eonians had her pigmentation, and just as few had the soft red fur at the bottom of her spine, something that she now actually quite liked, and would absent mindedly play with and twist, but had suffered so much teasing as a child for, the boys grabbing and pulling on her hair when the local children played in reservoir. She had almost tried to shear it off,if it hadn't been for her grandmama who caught her and stopped her, she would have succeeded, and now that she was very confident in her own skin she was glad she hadn't.

She fumbled around pushing her limbs around beneath the furs, kicking and reaching with her hands, and began to grab her clothing. Pulling together her thick leather and reed straps, she lifted forward her hips and pulled the belt like staps beneath her backside and around again to her front hitching it together, then pulling down straight the loincloth. All before tiring the straps around her top almost like a harness, and began to fasten it securely, adding her assortment of pouches and utensils, and tools. She crouched as best she could with the movement of the sled, and then tied her poncho around her rear. She managed to grab around and obtained a wine skin of sorts, and almost lost it with another jolt. But caught a strap before it flew out. She popped open the lid and breathed in the rich strong aroma of the herbal liquid within, a thick plantain smell caught her nose. She necked a large gulp, the taste wasn't pleasant but it was an aquired one. A large proportion draining down her face and neck, not being able to keep the spout of the container against her lips. Wiping her face with the back of her hand and licking her lips before letting out a long belch, she instantly started to feel better, she knew initially it was just in her mind, but eventually the salts and minerals as well as the concoction of herbs would awaken her. The memories of the nights before started to come back to her.

There had not been a long goodbye this morning when she set out as the great star had already begun to rise, only having probably fallen asleep in the early hours, after three days of festivities, which included drinking, singing, fighting, dancing challenges and shows, fighting and more, fighting. They're weren't blood thirsty affairs that's not what the East Eonians have a mindset towards, but they do like a ruckus, and having a laugh, and when you mix that with alcohol and other substances then it can get very wild. Diantana herself had played a fire juggling game with one of her uncles, throwing blazing torches at each other attempting to catch them and throw them back. She was sure she remembered trying to ride a bucking Bison, and doing rather well, but much of the times had become a whirlwind of images in her mind. There had been many speeches and toasts, and many a farewell too. She was as ready as she would ever be, just a Shame about the headaches that she had to rid herself of now.

They were heading towards West Eon, and from there they would get a transport to travel on from. It was a longer route but would be quicker than keeping to the sleds, and Diantana would for once in her short life be glad to get away from traditional technology and methods and use something advanced. No more rickety sled or smelling wolves. Just as she had thought this a large lump, of excrement flew at her face, she grimaced and wiped it using one of the furs 'and no more wolf crap'

It was probably about mid-day when Froth decided he needed a break. He was already well into his journey, having only four days left to arrive. But he was hungry and desperately needed something more than beef jerky or stale bread. Something to drink would be nice, too. He really wanted mead or something of that nature. It had been a while since he last had it and he knew this town would carry it. He'd had a swig of it here before.

Froth probably only rested for an hour. He stuffed his belly full of wild fowl and fresh vegetables. Why, he even had some gravy over his potatoes and enjoyed dipping his bird in it from time to time. He did get his honey sweet meat to start and eventually finished his meal off with warmed cider. It was a bit sour, but he thoroughly enjoyed its taste. It cleansed his palate and left him feeling ready to take on anything. Gathering up his gear, he purchased some more jerky at a local keep and moved his way across the town.

As he wandered through town, taking his sweet old time to take in the sights, he saw two little girls throwing pennies into a fountain. A smile came to his features. He was dying to know what they were praying for. Sure enough, the two little lasses saw him and immediately started giggling. What was an old, silly man with cat eyes doing here, they probably wondered. His paws spread out on the glazed over payment and he wobbled his way to them. Apparently, this whole area was an ice skating rink and he just feel victim to these not-so-innocent girl's trap. Slipping to their location, he let out a groan before glancing down at them.

"Was your wish to have my trip?" He watched them chuckle and grin. "It's a good thing cats always land on their toes, right?" He could see the wonder in the girl's eyes spread and glow as they finally identified him as a Federation fellow. "I don't know about you two, but I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt. Might be wise to stop wishing for slipping and falling, okay?" The girls nodded in unison. "Good." Patting their blond little curls, the cheetah warrior skated away on his paws, doing as such to show off to the girls who happily cheered and clapped after him. "Be good!" he called back before hopping off the ice and making his way through the rest of the city.

"Crazy kids," he mused. A smirk followed as did an increase in speed. He'd wasted enough time today. It was time to get to the proper location and learn the truth about everything.

---

Just two days away and Froth had a feeling in his bones that something was off. Something was following him. This person had been on his tail since he left the southern town in the Eons. He noticed them out the corner of his eye two evenings ago. The stalker was female, a female with snowy white hair and matching pale skin. She was careful about her steps and proximity, only she wasn't super cautious as to hide her scent. You see, being a warrior for the Cheetah Spirit had its perks, excellent senses, especially scent and hearing. He could taste the woman on his lips and he could hear her faint breathing. She was trying to keep herself at a decent speed and pace, but seemed to be having issues keeping up with him. Froth thought about slowing, but knew better. The further the distance, the better. Who knew if she was a hunter!

They were almost always a good quarter of a mile to a half mile away. Froth didn't think it a coincidence that she was following him. Other people had followed him, but this one really followed him. She never peeled off or left for long. It made him wonder why. There was no way she was heading to where he was. She looked to be from Unlief and she should have arrived there by now. In fact, she should have arrived today, or yesterday. It was still a three-day walk for him. Any chosen warrior wouldn't squander away that much time. Would they? He shook off the thought. There was no way she was like him. She was clearly a hunter and he was her pray.

Another day had passed and Froth was growing weary of this chick. He decided it was time to give this "whatever" the slip. Speeding up to a speed none could match, he zoomed away from his stalker-of-sorts. Only, he didn't move too far ahead. In fact, he looped around behind and spent the rest of the day stalking his stalker. There was no way he was about to let this girl give him the slip! Or even track him like that. Froth made certain he was silent and well-hidden, not wanting to alert whoever followed him.

It was just coming to the night of his eight day of traveling. One more day and he would be at the meeting location. He wouldn't set up camp for the night until he saw her put up a fire. Only, it didn't seem to come. The moon was already high in the sky and Froth was beginning to worry. Had she been frozen to death? It didn't seem possible. To him, this weather was far milder than anything he ever had. It was probably in the thirties, rather than the negative temperatures he was familiar with. Groaning, he sped ahead in search of his stalker. Sure enough, he found her as she fumbled to light a fire. Her hands were shaking and he looked cold. She hadn't even noticed him standing just a few feet from her.

Dropping a lit match onto her pile of wood, he let the flames reveal him. Froth looked down over the licking orange fire and smirked.

"What's a woman like yourself following me for?" She was in no predicament to attack him. Froth had the upper ground. If he didn't like what she had to say, he would take her life right then any there. "Well," a growl came up with his words.

Katia felt like she had walked forever. She was use to traveling but this time it was different. She was heading toward something that was going to change her life, something that was going to change everything.

As she continued on Katia found herself chatting away with her guide. Sure she knew it couldn't talk back to her but it was calming, to talk to something in the dead silence. She had been walking for awhile when up ahead she saw a figure. At first she didn't actually follow the figure, maybe he was going to a town up ahead. But after awhile when the two seemed to be on the same path Katia got curious, so she..stalked him.

Ok she wasn't actually stalking him, they were going on the same path. It wasn't like she could go the other way. But her actions, yeah borderline stalker. Katia made sure she was always at least a quarter of a mile behind him, something a bit farther. She had a deep feeling that he was going to the meeting and was one of the representatives. But she had to be careful, because he could be a hunter acting like one of them. So she wasn't going to approach until she was completely sure.

He was fast, and it was getting harder for her to stay behind him. She was exhausted and was longing for a break one morning when he sped up and disappeared. Letting out a huff of air Katia shook her head. So much for her plan, there was no way she could catch him. She wasn't use to going at this pace and it had drained her of a lot of energy.

So she continued on by herself, well she thought she was by herself. When night fell she stepped off the path to set up camp and start a fire. She couldn't continue on, she was beyond exhausted. Her guardian left for the moment, as it did from time to time. After laying down her pelt and collecting wood she pulled out her matches and tried to light one. Her fingers were shaking from how tired she was, she didn't even really feel the cold at that moment. The second her fire lit she let out a curse at the man standing near it. She hadn't even heard him approach. She really needed some rest.

Hearing his words she let out a soft peal of laughter. "A woman like myself? What's that suppose to mean? No need to growl, it's impolite." Her voice was soft and she let out another laugh. "I'm like you, I represent Unlief. I'm on my way to the meeting. I would have already been there had I not come across a family stranded in the middle of nowhere without the proper attire." As she finished speaking her guardian hopped up onto her shoulder, almost as if to prove to the man before her that she was no threat. Smiling Katia glanced down at her friend. "Thank you," she whispered to her. Looking back up she studied the man before her. "I'm guessing your from the Federation. I'm Katia." Shifting on her pelt, she took off her gloves and pulled down her hood to take off her knit headband before sticking her hands close to the fire. Then she waited.

The waters began to warm, almost immediately so after about a day of swimming. The sudden change caused Senda to stop suddenly, her eyes staring bewilderdly in front of her as she was not used to such a thing. The waters of her homeland were cold, frigid even, but these were nice and strangely pleasant to the skin; the blubber and fats that the village had packed for her would not be needed in such a climate. Even though she had hesitated, the large, ghostly visage of the hammerhead shark continued swimming, turning its head to look at the woman until she continued on after it.

As Senda continued swimming, the waters continued to warm and started to become more shallow as she neared the island. The closer she got to the island, less of the shark was visible until it finally disappeared. The disappearance of the shark was missed by the Shazrick woman as a school of brightly colored fish swam by, the woman apparently not being of any threat to them as they didn't scatter around and away from her.

The woman then poked her head above the water's surface as her feet were nearing the seafloor. She winced slightly for a moment, lifting a hand above her eyes to shield them from the bright light rays. The scene of the tropical island before her caused her to stop, swimming in place as she took in the sight of large leafed foliage both growing high in the air and low to the ground. Around her was not a speck of ice to be seen, nor hint of a winter storm.

Once her eyes were finally adjusted to the bright light, Sedna returned it back to the water as she slowly made her way towards the sandy shores. Looking to the sky, not a cloud dot the vast blue expanse, the bright yellow sun rest high in the sky, much higher than with her own homeland. The breeze that blew by carried with it the sweet scents of unfamiliar foods, laced with the familiar saltiness of the waters she swam in.

Surfacing and taking a seat on the sand, it was soft and warm, hot almost to the touch and almost blinding under the sun's rays. A chorus of critters could be heard in the darkness of the dense folliaged forest behind her, the air considerably more humid back there than where the woman sat. "Oh how my people would enjoy such a climate," she said to herself as her fingers dug into the sand; sharks and Shazrick would much prefer the warm waters out here she told herself, a small content smile on her face.

Seven Spirits form a circle, heads bowed. Great Crystal Core reaches for sky in middle. Spirits wake and approach Crystal. Pattern is broken, earthquake strikes. Spirits move chaotically, they search, but from this distance, new patterns can be seen.
Stability is regained, new paths are found. Hope is strong. Familiar faces merge with Spirits. Doubts, questions, stone-solid determination - colorful swirls on the snow beneath feet of Spirits - their tracks. But path ahead - not determined.
Falcon and Mustang join in one, remaining each on their own, yet connected.
Dance continues, it approaches Crystal.
Cheetah raises paw, Praying Mantis bows. Cheetah hesitates...
Shark circles, but not on Hunt.
Soon, new Circle will be locked and Crystal will wake. Time draws near.

Clear, silvery eyes opened. Yes. Great weave will start soon and it shall go according to vision. Smile spread on her lips.

Oh my, this lady was rather chatty and it caught Froth off guard some. The fact that she was so willing to reveal that she was heading to a meeting bothered him. Although, based on their travels, it was pretty obvious that they were heading the same way. Giving a sigh, the Federation warrior extended his hand toward the woman. His dark nails were perfectly cut so that the nails formed points. It wasn't a thing he did for fun. No, he did it for a last ditch defense, assuming he ever got himself into that much trouble.

With her name out of the way, Froth figured it was only proper to offer up his own. "Froth." He said no more and no less. Just his name would suffice for now. However, with how the weather was acting, they might need to work on seeking better shelter. A rip roaring wind came out of nowhere and it sent a chill down his spine. It was at times like these that Froth he wished it was more cheetah than human! Although, cheetahs were savanna animals and probably wouldn't fair well in the color. Perhaps a snow leopard would be more fitting? It was odd that the god his people clung to was a cheetah. Were their heads too far up in the clouds to realize how silly they looked? And, now that he thought about, his nation's guardian did look more leopard like than cheetah. Maybe a mix of the two? Oh, what did it matter anyway!

"Looks like we've hit a bout of bad weather." His lashes fought off the flakes that clung to them. "We'll need to borrow some." Sinking his hands into the snow, he dug out a four foot drop in the snow. It was enough to hunker down in and stop the wind from eating them to the core. All that snow that he dug out was propped on the side that the wind came from. But how was it to now blow down into their hole? Froth was a step ahead of the game, already working on solidifying the mount by using some bark and twine he carried with him.

Thankfully the snow that fell was light and fluffy, nothing that would bury them alive. With that bit of luck on their side, Froth coaxed his stalker into the cut-out with him. At first, things were a tad awkward, but he eventually voiced his opinion on the matter. "If we want to keep warm, we've not choice but to huddle together." And, with that, he tucked his nose into the nape of her neck and spent the night holding onto the Unlief woman. He positioned their bodies so that Katia was closest to the mount of snow he stacked up, which left his back to the wind that occasionally flooded their little make-shift den. Whenever the wind got to Froth too much, he would press his face further into Katia's neck, finding both warmth from her hair and heart to be enough to fight off the hypothermia that could have crippled them both.

---

A light dusting covered their bodies by the time the sun started to crest the sky. Shivering, the Federation warrior sat up and tried to rub the numbness from his body. Giving a good shoulder roll, his plates slid back into place and the warmth seemed to came back to him. Blowing lightly on the extinguished fire, he tugged out two flint stones and revived the fire pit. Within moments, the two strangers were warming their hands over the fire.

"Here," his hands dove into his pack and retrieved two slabs of smoked meat. Eating it gingerly, as if he was worried this might be the only meal to feed him for the day, Froth stayed silent. In that silence though, his ears were busy listening to the world around them. All seemed still, which meant the light storm had passed. If the snowfall hadn't accumulated much, the two could walk on the crusted over snow that had become ice during the previous day's rays of the sun.

"How much do you weigh?" The question came out of nowhere. He could almost see her recoil in shock to it. A man was never to ask such questions, right? "You're too slow. If you're not overly heavy, I'll be able to carry us a good mile or two at a fast pace every two hours. It will shorten our travel time significantly."

Hearing his name Katia looked up and smiled at him. Though her smile quickly fell when he mentioned the weather. She couldn't help but notice it now. Shivering huddled closer to the fire and watched him start digging into the snow. Burrow? Surely he didn't mean for them to actually burrow in the snow.

But oh yes of course he did. He had to coax her but Katia knew it was their only chance at not freezing to death. Grabbing her pelt she threw it in the hole so they could sit on something other than snow. She unwound her hair so it could fall around her face and put her headband and gloves back on. Grabbing her hood she raised it above her head.

It was completely awkward. When Froth spoke again she glanced at him for a split second then nodded. He was right, it was for the best. The moment his cold nose touched her neck she shivered but soon her body heat warmed it up. They spent the night like that, keeping each other warm. Katia couldn't help but think that had he not come to her, she probably wouldn't have made it through the night.

---

When morning came and they broke apart Katia tried to work out the kinks in her numb body. She stretched as best as she could and then stuck her hands over the fire Froth created. Taking the offered meat and thanked him quietly. She would bring out some of the food in her pack for them later.

His question caught her off guard, making her head snap up. "Umm.." she paused for a moment before shaking her head. "I weigh 130 pounds, my pack weighs about 8 or so. Clothing..let's say over all 145?" Katia paused and studied Froth. "Why would you do that for me?" It was a good question. They along with the others were going to have to work together. So why not see what the chosen one from the Federation was about? Now was as good of as any a time.

Katia took of her gloves and headband for a moment. She grabbed her hair and made a quick braid. After tying it off her placed both items back on and once again raised her hood up.

"Heh," his head looked away for a moment to collect his thoughts. He didn't want to sound overly cold but he didn't want to let compassion find a place in his tone. Opting for a monotone response, he explained. "We both know what lies in our wake. We've a journey ahead of us and, the slower we move, the further we'll delay that journey. A minute wasted here is a minute of loss to our future." He hadn't even noticed that his hand was now balled into a fist below his chin. "The future is what we must ride on. It's what we need to protect."

Katia was far too heavy to carry; had she been under 100-pounds, he could have managed, but she was well over that number. Pacing, he finally landed on a suitable solution. Using the bark that once sheltered them from the wind, he wrapped the twine around them to create what looked like a boot holster. "Slip your feet in there and," he looked at his leftover supplies. He had ample rope he could use to make a harness and a leash. It felt odd, having a cat pull a praying mantis, but it would work. Looping the rope around him and finding a few belts in his pack, he readied himself for the trip.

Adding the final touches, he picked up his previous conversation. "And you'll hold this. You'll want to squat rather than stand. It'll be less resistance for me, which means I should be able to move slightly further." Tossing the reigns in her hands, Froth murmured something to himself. It was a bit hard to hear, but Katia might have made out the words: son, fun, and sledding.

"Brace yourself," he instructed while looking over his shoulder to make certain that the Unlief woman was ready to go.

When she was, he would press hard for a solid hour before slowing his pace to a walk. This gave him time to recover and her a chance to stretch her sore legs. Every other hour they would flip what they did, until it came to be noon. Too tired to run, he decided they might make a small stop and nap. The nap was more for Froth's benefit. The poor guy was coated in sweat from head to toe and he was panting with his mouth open, much like a cat.

"I need to take a cat nap," he stated before circling a few times and laying on the ground. The snow cover here was far less than their previous locations. It was clear that they were nearing their tropical location.

GM MESSAGE

---

We are timing skipping. All warriors are now at the gathering point. We shall now begin our quest and our journey. Feel free to post.

Senshi had been keeping a bit of his distance, looking out from where he was standing at the others who seemed to be doing their own things at the moment as well. He had watched them arrive one after another. So far, he had avoided confrentation with them, but he doubted that would be lasting much longer. A slight sigh escaped from him, as he turned his head to look up at the sky above. They were here for a reason, and that ment there was little time to be getting so chummy.

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He stepped away from the tree, and along a path nearby. He needed some time to mull over everything and think clearly. His people were counting upon him being here. He had spent the last few days waiting for the others, getting to know the location. There was strength in knowing the land around you, and in such cases it could mean the difference in any fight. Not that he was expecting a fight, he was merely covering his bases.

It wasn't like he had much else to do either, waiting here for the time being. He had been the first to get here, considering the close proximity to his home. The land was known by him, but it never hurt to have a refresher. It was going to give a slight edge, though he wondered if it would make some nervous. He closed his eyes, allowing the slightly more chilled air than back home run over his skin. He was glad that he had remembered to bring something heavier to wear just in case, but he would not use it unless needed in the end.

He was much more comfortable and happy in typical attire of his home. He sighed slightly, there was a bit more of that pride slipping through, he would have to watch that around the others. It would not be wise to lable himself arrogant or anything of the like here, but he would not compromise himself to much merely to make others happy. He would never bow down or bend to another's will. That was just one aspect of his pride that would stick to the end.

He continued his little walk, wondering how this little meeting would go over. Would they get along? Would it end in even more distance between them than started with? Ugh, there were so many variables and factors within this. Perhaps he was overthinking things? Placing to much strain on himself and his mind before things even truly began was not wise at all. He decided he would calm himself, take it one step at a time. With that, he found a spot beside some large rocks, sitting on top of one of them, he closed his eyes.

He allowed sounds to fade from around him, as he attempted to sort through his thoughts and feelings, to calm himself as he waited for the others to settle in and for something to begin.