GrueMaster

*Wee-sss-sss-sss...* We'tak laughed as Rameses recovered and promised retribution. However, when the softskin Azuris made the comment that his father, that great and mighty warrior of his pack, had been pink in color, the thri-kreen froze in shock, unable to comprehend what he'd just heard. "Wha-?" *NRAAAAK'TCK!* He shrieked as he lost his balance and fell, landing hard on the ground. This had both fortunate and unfortunate consequences for We'tak. Fortunately, the fall had merely winded him, and nothing was broken. Unfortunately (for the insectoid, at least), he had landed directly in front of his now-sworn (and highly aggravated) opponent. "Oh spirits..." Getting up slowly, We'tak put his arms up in front of him in appeasement. "Oh, Rameses" *Tck* "sorry about that..."*Tcktck* "I think the others may need help in the hunt, see you later!" He shouted this last bit as he made a tactical retreat, fleeing quickly before the eventual reprisal he would surely receive could take place. Leaping and running in the direction he had seen Conall and Argyros go, the thri-kreen followed after his wayward clutchmates. After a short while, he slowed down, not wanting to disturb their hunt if possible, and came across a pond, where he saw his friends... and a strange female speaking with them. Who is that? Seeing that the female was trying to speak with his clutch and seemed harmless, We'tak moved up until he was close and began his verbal bombardment. "A dark pointy-ear?" He said aloud as he sprang up with his usual enthusiasm. "Greeeetingss! I am We'tak! Hi, Conall, Argyros." The thri-kreen put in haphazardly, greeting his clutchmates between breaths. "Does the hunt go well? I thought I might be helpful, so I went after you. So, Sin, yess?" He asked, switching straight back to the dark pointy-ear without pause, having overheard part of her conversation. "Some softskins do smell a little, do they not? Especially during mating season, which apparently can happen anytime. Funny, yes?" His antennae twitched slightly in the female's direction. "You have not cleaned your travel scent for a few nights, have you? Also, I noticed that you have, what do you call it, a 'map?'" We'tak said, switching topics again. "Does it tell you where things are? That is strange. Cannot softskins remember where paths go like thri-kreen? Anyway, it is amazing that you can put memories of places on paper, do you not agree? Oh..." *Chee* He looked at Conall. "Will Dark Pointy-ear Female join uss in our journey?"

"Oh, uh, I am Ardan of, uh, Daithi. A pleasure to meet you, um, madam, uh, knights..." He said awkwardly as he introduced himself to the two knights, not quite sure how to address them. This may take a little getting used to... "So, uh, I suppose we'll traveling together for a while, yes?" Ardan began, trying to recover from his embarrassment. "I don't suppose you'd mind sharing a little more about this-" he waved at the world around them. "-place while we travel, would you? I'm afraid I don't know very much about it, or even you two, for all that matters. I know a little about swords and armors, but beyond that, I'm not too knowledgeable save for my ninjutsu." He scratched the back of his head bashfully, wishing he could remember a little more from those stories he read in high school but failing miserably. "Feel free to call me 'Red,' by the way; most people I knew in school only knew me by my hair, so that's what I became used to being called."

Collab with FreemasonGamer up... We has a cheeky bugger on our hands here. XD

We'tak looked at Maydiira strangely as she flicked her wrist at him, then... *SCREEEEEE!!!* He shrieked shrilly, flailing frantically at the blue flames engulfing him and then rolling on the ground in an attempt to put it out. Then, as he heard his clutchmates laughing, the thri-kreen noticed that he didn't feel any heat... in fact, he wasn't burning at all. *Chee!?* He stood up and looked at the blue flames burning yet without hurting... "This iss faerie fire?" *Chee...* "That is amazing..." His amazement died down a little as Rameses' laughter increased and the fireskin declared him bewitched. With narrowed, compound eyes, We'tak studied the fireskin with false pique. "Bewitched, you say? Then you can be, too!" The young thri-kreen launched himself at Rameses, trying to tackle him at the waist in an attempt to spread the flames to his clutchmate. Not anticipating the thri-kreen's incoming tackle, Rameses hardly had a moment to internalize Wet'ak's words before the collision struck him with what felt like the force of a horse's kick. The fire genasi suddenly landed on his back upon the earth, the wind knocked out of his lungs from the youngling's playful yet powerful act of roughhousing. As his laughter swiftly ceased, Rameses coughed once with We'tak on top of him and managed to exclaim, "We'tak, that fire isn't going anywhere!" We'tak chittered anxiously as he realized his clutchmate's words rang true, the flames refusing to spread onto his friend. Knowing the fireskin was likely much stronger than him and could probably defeat him in a physical contest, the thri-kreen did the only thing he could: He bit him. Not deeply or severely, but it would be enough... Just beginning to recover from the unexpected crash, Rameses yelped in modest pain and extreme shock when We'tak bit him near his left shoulder. "What was that for?!" He quickly demanded while his brows crunched together, his crimson szuldar flaring with vibrant agitation. When the genasi moved to wrap his arms around the thri-kreen's gangly form to defend himself in their escalating brawl, he discovered how his muscles were starting to tighten with his accelerated heartbeat. Attempting to heave We'tak off of him, Rameses huffed desperately for breath as the thri-kreen venom began to seize his body, and his runic szuldar marking flared like a wildfire all the while. We'tak released Rameses and stood over him in triumph as his bite's venom began to paralyze him. *Cheecheechee!* He seemed to chirp maliciously, a mischievious glint in his eyes as his mind began working at high speeds. "You cannot move? You must be bewitched, too." *Cheecheechee!* As the fireskin slowly lost the ability to move, the thri-kreen looked at the rest of his clutch, particularly at Abby and Eirene. "So... what should we do to him first?" He asked seriously, masking his laughter; he had actually bitten Rameses out of accident, but this had turned into something entertaining now. Rameses was lying on the ground, motionless and unable to speak as the paralysis restricted him when Eirene emerged from her tent to witness the clamor. Seeing the genasi rendered immobile as a result of We'tak's antics, who himself was still illuminated with Maydiira's faerie fire, the Mulhorandi widened her eyes and was nearly at a loss for words. She merely remarked with her left hand over her mouth in utter surprise, "Oh dear... He will not be happy when this wears off..." "Probably... we do not have long until the venom wears off..." *CHEE!* "I know!" He ran over by the fire and grabbed a charred stick, and, making sure it was cooled down first, began drawing random little squiggles and shapes on Rameses' face. After a few breaths, the thri-kreen had his friend's face covered in char drawings. Just as the venom began to wear off, We'tak finished with what looked like a crude shape of a softskin being drawn on by a laughing thri-kreen on his clutchmate's forehead. *WEE! CHEECHEECHEE!* We'tak laughed heartily, before jumping up a tree and climbing to a branch that would be out of reach from Rameses, where he continued to chitter happily. "Fireskin is a Drawing-Skin, now!" *Sss-sss-sss-sss!*

"Oh, uh, thank you very much." Ardan said with surprise; he actually wasn't expecting the lady to share with a stranger. "Yeah, I'd like a Coca-Cola myself." He scarfed down the proffered candy bar, and though it wasn't much, it did help a little. "Heh, I guess I better get to earning that trust, yes? " He gave a slight chuckle, before looking at the two knights Kat identified as Gawain and Dinadan. "Wow, that is cool..." he murmured, impressed by the armor and horses. Ardan had always been a fan of medieval weapons and armor, and here he was looking at the real thing. Then he remembered these were the folks waiting on them. "So... who wants to say hi first?"

If it were possible for We'tak's compound eyes to open any further, it would have happened at Maydiira's revelation. "Faerie fire?" *Chee?* He could only marvel that such a thing existed, even more so with Rameses' description of it. He began to ask the dark winged pointy-ear if she could show him such fire, but Leif's explanation left him with another question. "'Magic?' Is this what softskins call the blessed power of the spirits? Interesting..." The thri-kreen mulled over this, going quiet for once as this information began to instill a strange sense of dread. Is there a difference between this magic and the divine spirits' blessings? They do not mean the forbidden blood-power, do they? Not wanting to consider such a thought, the fireskin's comment about the hard bread gave We'tak the distraction he needed. "Softskins can use food as weapons? Very useful! Thri-kreen try to find multiple uses for things, too!" He exclaimed, before pulling out one of his chatkcha. The three-pointed throwing wedge had a rough elegance to it. To non-thri-kreen, it looked much like a throwing star, albeit a much larger one, made of a strange crystal material. "This is a chatkcha, a throwing weapon of thri-kreen, often used for hunting. We make it from dasl, which is made by mixing thri-kreen venom and sand, and then it is shaped like this so it is strong and sharp." Wanting to show off the craftsmanship, We'tak hurled the chatkcha at a nearby log. It struck with a solid thunk, and when We'tak retrieved the wedge, it had no breaks and still had its edge. "See? It may be made of venom and sand, but it is as strong as stone! So thri-kreen venom is useful in many ways, too!"

Ardan raised his eyebrows as Merlin responded to his confusion. "So... everyone has been gender-blended?" He dead-panned softly, before once again struggling to withhold his laughter. Good Lord, and here I am laughing. No wonder Dad printed off that ticket to Hell for me... He watched as Rose (That was her name, right?) handed a Snicker's Bar to the sorceress and found himself nearly breaking. "Um, I don't think she's not herself because she's hungry, Rose..." The red-head brought a hand up and covered his mouth, and after a moment finally managed to quell his building laughter. Ardan became serious again and paid attention as Merlin explained the task ahead of them and handed them magic amulets that would let them understand any language. "Wow... never would have thought these would exist...," he murmured, "though I suppose she probably has more than 6 levels in Wizard, now, wouldn't she...?" As he put on the amulet, he found that he was rather calm for all this. In fact, Ardan found he was looking forward to this adventure. At least I don't have to worry about that bloody paper now... He turned and started following after the others, actually eager to begin their travels. "So Britannia, huh? Never thought I'd end up here. Heh, I wonder if we'll be traveling on horse-back, or with coconuts..." Ardan said aloud, before chuckling softly and shaking his head at himself. "Bugger all, I'm hungry... Anyone have any food?" He asked no one in particular with a sheepish smile. "Say, Rose, right? You wouldn't happen to have any more candy bars, would you?" His stomach growled a little. "Sorry, I only had a bowl of ramen and a muffin today..."

We'tak was entertaining brief thoughts of softskin breakfasts when Leif came along and shared his "way" of lighting a fire. *SCREEE!* He shrieked, jumping back a little from surprise. "You are blessed by the spiritss with power, too!?" The young thri-kreen looked at his clutchmate with bewilderment. "Are most softskins this way?" This actually gave We'tak a moment of self-consciousness; why wasn't his people so greatly blessed by the spirits' power? Not used to such flashes of envy, the hatchling was discomforted, but quickly shook such feelings away. These were his clutchmates, and all are blessed with their own unique abilities from Mother Moon as She wills, so he would not harbor these thoughts. Though it would be good to learn more of my clutch... he thought. I am still being surprised by their strengths... Since they were on the topic of fire-starting and his mind on his clutchmates' skills, We'tak quickly shot back into his usual habit of questioning, Maydiira now being his target of inquiry. "Dark Winged Pointy-ear?" *Chee?* he asked, sidling up to her. "How do winged pointy-ears make fire? Do you use fire stones, too? Or perhapss the spirits help you?"

*SSSSS!* The young thri-kreen gave a disapproving hiss at Conall's words. "What kind of person does not appreciate good tools, and does not do their own work? It makes no sense! How do such softskins even survive?!" We'tak added a string of what was very likely thri-kreen curses before chittering away in frustration. Maybe I will just play strings... Luckily, there were other things to distract the thri-kreen. He looked at Maydiira, mixed feelings apparent on even his alien face. "Arrest? Do you mean that dark winged pointy-ears are punished? What for? You do not seem to disrespect the land or the spirits, and you definitely do not seem like a clutch-breaker..." This train of thought was immediately replaced by the discussion on giant rats, the prospect of new prey appealing to him. "Your 'rats' sound very large and fierce. Do they make for good prey?" However, when Kellak shaped a hut from the very earth, We'tak could only stop and look in awe. "You're a druid?!" he exclaimed, having only heard of such magic being possessed by the sages of his people, who commune with the land's spirits and work with them. "That is amazing!" His poor attention span did not allow for much more focus, as he saw Eirene return and then she and Rameses made amends. "See! Clutchmates always are understanding in the end!" *Chee!* We'tak whistled happily, giving first the dark softskin and then the fireskin powerful hugs as he felt they would get along a bit better now. "Oh, I will help with wood!" And thus the bouncing insectoid went about helping gathering wood, chee-ing a formless tune without realizing his eclectic behavior just now.

Ardan simply stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him, trying to process all this new and rather dramatic information out loud. "Merlin... as in, the wizard of King Arthur's Camelot? THAT Merlin? And you need us to save the world?" He stifled his building hysteria as best as he could, finding this entire situation highly amusing and ironic, despite its supposedly grim outlook. Hey, Ma, Pa! Look at me, I'm going to save the world! He thought to himself, his muffled laugh nearly making him choke as he imagined telling his parents what he was up to. Wiping the smile from his face, Ardan calmed himself and looked at the ancient woman before them. "Magic, eh? Well, I always believed there was something behind the legends of my Irish Celtic ancestors, so I think I could wrap my head around this to an extent. Although...:" the red-head looked down at himself. "I don't know quite what a ninja-wannabe could possibly add to things, as Ben pointed out." His forehead creased with mild bewilderment, though, as he looked at Merlin with a raised eyebrow. "Wait a moment... isn't Merlin supposed to be a guy? I mean, no offense, but..." Ardan gestured towards the wizardess. "You don't quite fit the descriptions we have of you."

We'tak listened to Conall and looked at first Eirene and then Rameses, antennae and arms drooping as his enthusiasm deflated in the face of their comments. "Why do softskins make everything to be so complicated..." he grumbled at first, but the thri-kreen was at least given something positive to think on. "So... what gifts are good for softskins?" he asked aloud, becoming animated once more. "Crafted items and tools, and captured prey are good gifts among thri-kreen, so maybe something like that?" He scratched one mandible absentmindedly, already considering what he would bring and pondering aloud, chittering away in his native tongue. Meanwhile, while We'tak debated out loud about presents, he was actually mulling over Eirene's strange response earlier. Why would Dark Softskin Female fear Mother Moon so much? He thought with concern. He could surmise that some of the softskin fear of the night would be from their sleep cycles, and during their rests, they were weak, but this seemed to go on much further than that. What great fear stalks her?

"I guess we're not in Ohio anymore..." Ardan murmured as he listened to Rose speak of being in New Mexico just before being, well, where ever "here" was. And Kat... "A diner, eh? Food sounds really good right now..." The college student was starting to actually be uncomfortable now; He was cold, aching, hungry, and stuck inside some place that apparently no one knew of. Just great... Stopping for a moment, Ardan spoke up to no one in particular. "Don't mind me, folks, just want to grab something real quick..." Feeling the need to be prepared, Ardan shrugged his backpack around and pulled out his kunai after digging around for a bit. It was more of a tool than a weapon, but the worn grip and bladed edge gave him a small sense of reprieve and security from recent events. Zipping his pack shut and giving the dagger a spin on one finger, he was ready to move again. "I'm all set... let's see about finding someone now... and maybe some food along the way..."

As the days passed, We'tak, almost like clockwork, bombarded the others with the odd question here and there about the softskin world, still wanting to know as much as possible, especially since Maydiira joined them. However, despite his usual enthusiasm and outward appearance, the young thri-kreen was growing...uneasy. What is bothering clutchmates so? he thought, having picked up various, nigh-imperceptible changes in his clutch. Several of his clutchmates seemed to be ill at ease, to various degrees. Abby, though she did not speak of it, seemed to be having something troubling her in her sleep; though incredibly hard to detect, her pheromones had a slight tinge of stress to them after waking up. Rhaine had some concern over something, but it did not appear to be serious. The fireskin Rameses would often wander a little ways by himself, pondering deeply, though since he still smiled often, We'tak didn't pay it too much attention. Kellak was silent, and We'tak didn't mind that; with the way the short softskin had acted towards Maydiira, whom the young thri-kreen had taken an immediate liking to (despite her decision to wear more cloth), he wasn't going to go out of his way yet to ask about Kellak's behavior. The dark softskin Eirene, however, was the clutchmate that worried him the most. Lately, it seemed that she grew more and more anxious with each passing night, glancing up at Mother Moon as She crossed the sky with something akin to... fear? Why would she fear Mother Moon? We'tak couldn't help but wonder incredulously. And why is Conall and Argyros wary of her? It wasn't helping matters that Conall kept looking at the dark softskin female with suspicion and Argyros kept sniffing at her. The thri-kreen also picked up on the fact the werewolf was also keeping a watchful eye on him, too. "Eirene?" he asked cheerfully, deciding that such suspicions were not good for the clutch and that the female needed reassurance. "Are you excited for the full moon? I am looking forward to it!" *CHEE!* "I am going to be two moons old, then!" *CHEE-CHEE!* Giving Eirene a quick hug in his elation, We'tak kept pouring out enthusiasm, even though his birthmoon was still several nights away. "We will get to celebrate and enjoy the night together, and you will get to hear me play strings!" *WEE!* Suddenly remembering his strings, the thri-kreen chirped excitedly. "Oh, I know!" Speaking aloud to the clutch, he shared his idea. "These "weddings" are big important celebrations, like birthmoons, yes?" He looked at everyone, compound eyes reflecting his eagerness. "We should play music and bring gifts for it!"

Ardan looked around trying to tell where he was. Torches? he wondered. Are we in a castle or something? Before he could study the place more, a group of people showed up, a blond-haired woman in front introducing herself as Kat. "Oh, hello, ma'am. I'm Ardan Daithi," the young man said as he returned the friendly wave. "Shame, that," he lamented calmly at the lack of peroxide. Figures, with my luck... Anyway, back to the more important matter... "Pleased to meet y'all," Ardan gave a polite nod to everyone, before turning to Kat. "Well, that's strange that you wouldn't have anything. I still have my backpack..." He slung the pack around and gave it a heft. "Yeah, feels like everything is here... Anywho, as to where we are..." he glanced around, throwing one hand up in the air. "All I can say is: Elsewhere." Ardan said this last bit with equal parts seriousness and whimsy, "I was hoping y'all might know. Well," he turned towards one of the torches and lifted it from the sconce. "I suppose there's someone in this place that would know. I don't think these things got here on their own, yes? Wanna find them and ask?"

We'tak looked at Hazel and chirped in great enthusiasm. *CHIR!* Finally, someone willing to share! "Oh, I would like that very much, Hazel!" The thri-kreen exclaimed as he ran. Before long, he reached his excited clutchmate and came to a slow stop, watching as Rhaine and the dark winged pointy-ear hugged one another. A dark winged pointy-ear female? She seems... familiar... He thought, curiously, but did not interrupt the moment, feeling that this was a very special event in some way for the two softskins. Finally, the two females came over to the rest of the clutch, where Rhaine introduced the new arrival as Maydiira. *CHEE!* "Hi, I am We'tak!" the hatchling said more excitedly than usual. For some reason, this dark winged pointy-ear felt close to him somehow. Before anyone could say another word, We'tak rushed forward and nearly tackled Maydiira in a strong embrace and rubbing his cheek against her, not unlike a cat rubbing up against its owner affectionately, chee-ing happily all the while. After a breath or two, he finally released Maydiira, not sure entirely why he reacted in such a way, but felt glad for it all the same. But no longer than had We'tak let go did yet another wave of questions began. "You came back to life? Is Eilistraee that strong? She must be a great spirit blessed by Mother Moon herself for such power. You don't seem to wear a lot of clothes like other softskins. Do you feel that so much cloth is strange, too...?"

Ardan was walking home from the dojo when it started raining suddenly. Wonderful... Normally, he wouldn't care, and enjoy the refreshing shower on the way home. However, he still had his notebooks and laptop from class earlier in his backpack, and it was looking to storm soon, so the college student began running. The college student gave a sigh of relief as he stepped into his small apartment; even though he ran, Ardan was still soaked. He left his backpack by the door and went to change his now-sopping-wet ninja robes, changing into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt of an arm-less, leg-less knight boast about how he was merely scratched and tossing the wet clothes in the dryer. It was then he remembered about his just-as-wet backpack and gave a slight groan before picking up his belongings. Great... they're soaked, too... He thought as he saw the state of his class notes, clearly ruined by the rain and ink running down the pages. His ninja gear was still okay, being made to resist such conditions. Hopefully my computer is still okay, to- huh? Ardan paused for a moment as he processed what was in front of him, before tossing the notebooks across the room with a loud expletive. "CRAP!" he yelled again, as he realized he had left his laptop back at the dojo. "That's just freaking great, Ardan!" He muttered to himself, the thought of having to go back through this storm again annoying him greatly. He didn't have a choice in the matter, either; he had a paper due online later tonight, his laptop had all of his work stored on it, and he couldn't afford another failed grade in class. Grabbing his backpack (and a bag to wrap his computer in to keep it from getting wet, Ardan went back outside. He soon regretted it, however, as the wind had picked up greatly, and lightning was beginning to come down as well. He was second-guessing his decision to retrieve his laptop when a strong gust of air knocked him over. Ardan began to get back up when he saw a lightning bolt flying towards him, and then- BOOM! Blackness... ============================================================================== Ardan woke up to darkness around him, and pain throbbing in his head and body. "Ow... that felt great..." he quipped sarcastically as he groaned, picking himself up and taking stock of his belongings. Well, at least I'm alive... and still have my ninja gear... Just as he was wondering where he was, he heard voices somewhere ahead. "Hello?" The young man called out. "Excuse me, but could someone tell me where we are?" He grimaced as he stood, his clothes rubbing against the scrapes he had gotten earlier. "And would you happen to have any peroxide?"

Name: Mumei Kaji (first name: Kaji); commonly called Kaji-kun GENERAL INFORMATION: Gender: Male Race: Human (subrace: elemental, fire) Age: 22 Class: Wu Jen/ Elemental Savant Alignment: Chaotic Good Deity: N/A; spirits of fire APPEARANCE: Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lbs Hair: Short, messy red hair Eyes: irises the color and intensity of bright embers Skin: Fair Handedness: Right Scars/Tattoos: Kaji has a tatoo of a burning heart on the palms of his hands. General physical description: Kaji is smaller than the average male human (something that he dislikes being pointed out). He has a mostly-plain, smallish face, with slight, high cheekbones suggesting of a noble birth, and a small nose. Small laugh lines are visible, hinting at a light spirit, yet he also at times possesses an angry countenance when irritatedor provoked (which occurs more often then not), and this is only enhanced by his slight, narrowed eyes. His angry expression is further bolstered by the burning ember-like irises he has due to his prolonged association with fire elementals. His master believed in training physically in addition to mentally, so Kaji has a wiry dexterity as well. Voice: Kaji, when he is calm, has an excitable, humorous tone to his baritone voice, and at times shows his prideful self, which is especially noticable when it raises in pitch during bouts of boasting or bravado. When angry, though, it takes on a more gutteral, almost growling and feral tone. Disabilities: Due to the nature and source of his arcane power, Kaji must follow certain taboos, or else be stripped of his spellpower for the day. In Kaji's case, he must wait for others to introduce themselves to him first before he can speak, and must refer to himself as an inferior and others as superior. He also cannot swim (due to a bad experience from a dare to swim in a river). EQUIPMENT: Clothing/Armor: Kaji wears a sleeveless tunic and leggings deep-red in color, with a burning heart insignia emblazened on the front. These clothes have been enchanted slightly to help provide a small amount of protection. However, Kaji relies more on a set of enchanted bracers and his spells to protect him in melee. Weapons: Kaji has a quarter-staff enchanted with fire for use in close-quarters. Due to his elemental knowledge and nature, he can also use his own fists to burn and punch his foes. Othewise, Kaji uses his spells for combat. Other magical equipment: Aside from his spell component pouch, Kaji does not possess much else in the way of materials besides some blank scrolls. PERSONALITY: Positive personality traits: Kaji is very, very fun-loving and friendly (when he isn't getting into fights, that is), and can be accepting of strangers. Optimistic and brave, the wu jen would wade into any fight with confidence and no second thoughts. Since he has rarely made friends, though (his fiery personality, abilities, and background putting people off), he understands the value of friendship and longs for it, and so is extremely loyal to those who befriend him. Negative personality traits: If Kaji had a weakness, it would be his pride. Proud to the point of irritating, many of the fights he has gotten into could have been avoided if he didn't boast too much or take offense at the smallest slight against his honor. Also, he can get rather angry easily at times, and is provoked easily. His combative nature and stubbornness does not help, either. Likes: FIRE! Pranks (except when he is the recipient), friends, adventure, good fights Dislikes: Disloyalty, people who act superior to others, insults to his ability Fears: Water (can't swim) Attitude towards friends/strangers: He loves his friends, though can be a little competitive at times. Strangers he treats cordially, though his combative-self is far less controlled. Opinion on the world: "Let's go see it!" HISTORY: Birthplace: Kara-tur wilds Family/Relationships: Kaji considers his sensei to be almost like a father to him. Friends: Hi-chan, his fire elemental familiar Enemies: N/A; anyone who threatens his friends. Background: It was uncertain when exactly Kaji was born, having been left at the entryway of a poor village on the western borders of Kara-tur and left with only the word "Kaji" written on a simple sheet of paper, thus he was named, and given the surname of "Mumei," or "Nameless." From an early age, it was clear that Kaji had a penchant for getting into trouble, and on more than one occasion had to do extra duties as punishment for all the pranks and fights he would pull as a juvenile. This was largely due to the fact that the villagers would sometimes look upon him with pity or contempt for his unknown background, something which he despised and acted out against. This social isolation only grew when he showed magical talents, especially when he managed to control and befriend a small fire elemental that had gone rampant in the village, something that drove most of the villagers to fear him and not want him in the village. This drove Kaji to despair and fear, and he nearly faced a vigilante mob who wanted to kill him. Luckily, though, the village elder, recognizing the boy's abilities, contacted a fire master wu jen nearby to help Kaji control his power. The man, who only identified himself as "Sensei," befriended Kaji by explaining his magical power politely (though not before rebuking the boy's foolish behavior harshly), and the boy instantly took a liking to the man, the first to truly treat him with respect. The two soon left the village, traveling across the land to help Kaji learn more of the world. Now, with much training and experience, Kaji has become a powerful fire mage, somehow managing to unlock some of the secrets of the Plane of Fire, becoming closer akin to that fire elemental he had summoned so long ago, calling it Hi-chan, and has moved on from his sensei, eager to explore the world on his own, and has gone west, coming to a strange land called Faerun... OTHER INFORMATION: Languages spoken: Common, Ignan, Draconic, Elven, Dwarven Pets/Animal companions: His familiar, Hi-chan, a small, shy fire elemental that (often) points out flaws in his logic.

We'tak seemed utterly fascinated, consumed, even, as he listened intently to Rameses and Eirene explain softskin mating rituals. It had seemed the topic was getting to the good parts when Eirene suddenly objected to Fireskin's remarks, and, though she did still answer some of the thri-kreen's answers, she didn't answer them all, and even then, only vaguely. *Tcktcktck...* "I am not some immature hatchling!" We'tak muttered in thri-kreen, quietly reproaching the dark softskin female's reasoning. Well... at least you know that softskin hatchlings are called babies and are born live, now... After mulling a while over mysteriously bashful softskins when it comes to mating, the thri-kreen turned towards Eirene once again with another question. "Eirene? Why do you object so much to talking about certain parts of mating? I have seen that many softskins are like this, about such things as mating, and sometimes painful times... Does this mean that mating is painful or a bad experience, perhaps?" He looked at the dark softskin female with a curious tilt of the head, one antenna twitching slightly. "Did you have a bad mating experience?" Before that apparently-dreaded question could be discussed further, Rhaine suddenly galloped head with all speed. *CHEE!?* "Winged Pointy-ear!?" The young thri-kreen screeched, before dashing after her as swiftly as he could.

Name: Ardan Daithi Gender: Male Age: 22 Physical Description: Ardan doesn't strike a very imposing figure, standing at just under 5'11" and weighing at 150 lbs. Though slight, growing up in a rural farm community has given him a wiry strength, and Ardan possesses excellent balance and mobility due to his fascination with ninjutsu whilst away at college. Blue-eyed, pale, and with short red head, Ardan would likely stick out in a crowd more often if not for his unassuming, quiet nature. Neither ugly nor handsome, he has a rounded face, with a larger-than-average nose with a nigh-imperceptible crookedness, and soft laugh lines and dimples from smiling a lot (a testament of his Irish ancestry). Equipment/Clothing: Ardan is often found wearing casual jeans and t-shirts with some random, humorous (to him, at least) quote or image on it, with a pair of worn tennis shoes. As he has been practicing a lot lately for an upcoming ninjutsu convention, Ardan has been carrying around a backpack with some of his ninja gear, which includes a kunai, a couple of shuriken, some rope, and a modern ninjato sword. Background: Ardan is the middle child of 7 brothers and sisters, and grew up with his parents and siblings in a rural community. Though he was easy-going, intelligent, quick to laugh, hardworking, and graduated among the top students of his high school class, Ardan preferred spending time in the outdoors and with his books as opposed to playing sports or joining school clubs, and was never particularly ambitious. Largely due to this last attribute, he has had some trouble in recent times after managing to enroll in college, one of the first in his family, and has been struggling to maintain his grades as he tries to choose a degree to follow. When a friend, seeing as to how stressed he was, introduced him to the ninjutsu club to help bring some focus and balance to his life, Ardan took to it with a passion, finding the stealth-based martial art suitable to his introverted nature, and has gone on to earn a black belt and some stability in his life.

At first, We'tak was too enthused by the inside of the tall stone hut to pay attention to the initial conversation between Sir Gregor and Rosalinde, but as certain as the phases of the moon, he was soon enraptured by what was surely a part of the softskin mating ritual. So fascinating! He thought with excitement, very softly chee-ing at the scene before him. What's a 'wedding?' The young thri-kreen pondered, but kept silent, not wanting to interrupt this interesting ritual. He could barely keep that silence, though, when his clutch was invited to partake in this wedding, and the dam of questions and enthusiasm poured forth once the group was outside of earshot of the tower. "That was so exciting to watch!" *CHEE!* We'tak spoke, practically bouncing with excitement. "Are all softskin mating rituals so dramatic?" He asked of the group and Conall primarily, prancing alongside the werewolf as he entertained thoughts of whimsy. "Say, what are weddings? Are they as complex as this part of mating? Are softskins like many animals and simply mate right there, or go to special nests for it? Also, how do softskins mate? Is it for life, or do the mates part ways? Are they like many warm-blooded animals, or do they lay eggs?" *TCKTCK!* He suddenly chattered, an idea popping up suddenly. "Those two mentioned getting a priest to marry them. If softskin priests are like thri-kreen druids, does that not mean Winged Pointy-ear is a priest?" He looked over at Rhaine. "If so, would it not be great to have Rhaine marry Rosalinde and Gregor?" *Chee!* "Oh, it would be so exciting to see! Don't you think, Rameses? Eirene?" *CHEE!* The young thri-kreen gave a slight flailing of the arms as he hopped with enthusiasm for events to come, barely able to wait for the celebration ahead.

"But what abou-" We'tak did not get to complete his objection to Eirene leaving before answering his questions as Sir Gregor suddenly took off towards the tower, followed soon after by the his clutchmates. *TCKTCK!* "Wait for me!!" He shrieked, before leaping after his rushing friends. Oh well... the young thri-kreen thought with bemusement. At least I will get to see what that great stone hut is like!

We'tak looked at Sir Gregor in askance. "Rank? Would you mean as how a hunter is to its prey? But such thingss are easily reversed, as the hunter can become the hunted if not careful... Softskins make things so complicated... Among thri-kreen, there are druids, those responsible for keeping the spirits appeased, and there is the alpha, the one who leads the clutch, pack, or clan, but beyond this, all are equal, and all partake in and are responsible for the well-being of thri-kreen." Before he could continue chattering about thri-kreen social structures, the rest of his clutch finally returned. "Eirene! You have returned!" *CHEE!* "What was the great tall stone hut like?! How did things go? Oh, where are the others, by the way?"

"Titles?" We'tak looked at Rameses, head tilted in confusion. " Very sstrange... so 'sir,' 'king,' and 'captain' are all terms of respect for softskins? Hmm... thri-kreen simply give respect to those worthy of it. No such need for extra names or 'titles.' Do softskins not know this?" Yet, despite his own reasoning, the young thri-kreen was still deeply interested in the topic, and thus continued in his usual curious manner. "So with these 'titles,' would I need to use them for everyone to show respect?" He asked, slight trepidation in his tone; if he had to call every single softskin he knew by 'sir,' now, it would likely just end in confusion for him at best. When Hazel mentioned Rameses as becoming Sir Rameses, We'tak began to add another question. "Sir Rameses someday? But, does Fireskin not receive great respect already? Should you not be called with 'sir' already?"

*SSSsss....* We'tak gave an indignant hiss at being refused at first, but simmered down once Conall explained things. "Oh, there is a season to hunt for all things, yes?" he attempted to translate the werewolf's softskin saying into a thri-kreen equivalent, understanding reflected in his posture. Though still slightly disappointed he wouldn't get to participate in the jousting, the thri-kreen still listened to his clutchmate and stood aside to watch. His disappointment, though, quickly turned into shock and awe as Conall and Sir Gregor smashed their lances against one another. On second thought, the thri-kreen thought as he reconsidered, I probably should not joust... that looked like it would CRUSH my chitin... His enthusiasm now gone (for the time being), We'tak stood there half-listening as he came up with ways to counter such a foe in the future. He did not get far in his musings, though, before he overheard Sir Gregor mention he was cursed. "Cursed? By a softskin female?" He couldn't help but look at Conall in question. "How many softskins are blessed by the spirits with such power!?" His confusion only grew as Rhaine decided to go to the tower, but was only taking Lucas, Eirene, and Aera with her. We'tak wanted to go as well, but he didn't want to go against Winged Pointy-ear's wishes, either. As the small group left for the tall structure, he slumped against his gythka. "And I wanted to ask Eirene more questions, too..." He looked over at Conall once more, determined to ask him more questions as Rameses went to joust and gain more knowledge; the thri-kreen still had much more to ask, after all, and Conall seemed full of the wisdom he sought. "Sir Conall? I thought your name is Conall Whitefang? Why does Sir Gregor have the same name?"

Feeling the thump as the tower finally made it to the wall followed by Mirchaud's shout, Aidan stopped pushing and began his own ascenhorsemant. Though he figured Bellatrix would join the assault, he was still surprised to find himself beside her as they pressed forward. "How did I guess?" he shouted off-handed to her, a sardonic grin flashing quickly on his face as the mass of soldiers pressed slowly forward. "I thought you said weren't one to be making the same mistake twice?" This disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, as a couple of horsemen fell in front, with a few bold Nords now trying to push forward and stop the momentum of the attackers. Time to plug the hole... Rushing forward, Aidan deflected an ax blow to the side and swung his knight-hammer in response, battering the lead Nord as he was thrown off-balance with enough force to swat him from the ramparts head-first, the man not even having time to scream before he impacted and broke his neck. The smith swung again, this time upward, clipping the second defender in the chin as the Nord was too slow to raise his shield in time. The second Nord tumbled back into the third and both fell back into the mass of soldiers ahead. The defenders' push dulled for the time being, Aidan took his place in the gap, doing his best to hold his place in the formation. This is getting to be intolerable... he thought grudgingly as he deflected yet another ax. This needs to change soon...