((I'm making an RP based on ToS, and it takes place 400 years after the events of ToS. It *might* be a bit confusing if you haven't played the game, and I'll keep it as spoiler-free as possible))

The Story:

It has been 400 years since the Chosen and her companions joined the 2 worlds, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, into one. The Great Tree has now grown to it's full size. People have continued on with their daily lives. Everything is fine...or is it? Little by little the winds are stopping, and the seas current is gradually slowing down. What could be happening? What is causing it to happen? Many scientists and scholars believe that the Mana Tree is losing her power due to the machines people have used to channel Mana Energy from the Tree for agricultural and military purposes. Many have requested that the machines should be turned off, but they've been rotting in the dungeons for quite some time. And now a new king has ascended to the throne, and many people believe he is a madman. They say you can see his madness burning in his eyes. Few people have left to see what is going on, but they have never come back. Are you willing to set out on a quest to find out what is happening and why?

And this RP is using "Artes" from Tales of the Abyss instead of "Techs" from ToS.

I WILL be part of the RP as well, playing a character.

Classes: There are several different classes for you to choose from. These are your choices:

Swordsman- Self explanitory, really. You use a Sword as your weapon and use Strike Artes to bring down your foes.
Mage- A magic using class that draws power from Mana Energy to cast Fonic Artes. Not many choices for weapons, usually Staves or Rods, but you may use other weapons.
Healer- Your job is to heal companions with Fonic Artes. You also have a few Light elemental Artes in your repetoire. Your weapon choices are similar to that of Mages.
Archer- You use a Bow and Arrow, basically. You use Strike Artes as well.
Summoner- Summoners have the ability to summon the Summon Spirits sealed within the temples in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. There are 10 summon spirits, but only 8 temples. The Summon Spirits are: Efreet, Undine, Sylph, Luna, Gnome, Celsius, Volt, Shadow, Origin, Maxwell. You also have limited use of Strike Artes and basic Fonic Artes.
Puppetmaster- You use a Puppet to do your bidding, as well as you have limited use of Fonic Artes.
Mystic Warrior- You have use of both Strike and Fonic Artes, as well as the use of melee weapons. Your use of Fonic Artes is rather limited compared to the other classes, though.
Melodist- A Bard/Dancer of sorts. You support the party and enfeeble enemies with Hymnic Fonic Artes. Your choice of weapon is rather limited, though.

List of Fonic Artes:

First Aid- Heal an ally
Heal- Heal an ally, stronger than First Aid
Cure- Heal an ally, stronger than Heal
Nurse- Heal the whole party
Revitalize- Heal the whole party, stronger than Nurse
Healing Circle- Heal all party members within the area of effect
Healing Wind- Heal all party members within the area of effect (Mystic Warrior only)
Healing Stream- Heal all party members within the area of effect, stronger than Healing Wind (Mystic Warrior only)
Recover- Cure a party member's physical ailments
Dispel- Cure a party member's magical ailments
Purify- Cure physical ailments of all party members within the area of effect
Nullify- Cure magical ailments of all party members within the area of effect
Barrier- Forms a barrier which reduces damage
Field Barrier- Form a barrier around all party members, reducing damage.
Sharpness- Raises an ally's alertness, increasing their damage
Acuteness- Raise all ally's alertness, increasing their damage

Fire Ball- Hit an enemy with a fire ball
Stone Blast- Raise stones from the ground to strike an enemy
Wind Blade- Strike the enemy with blades of wind
Aqua Edge- Strike an enemy with blades of water
Icicle- Impale an enemy with an icicle
Lightning- Zap an enemy with a bolt of Lightning
Eruption- Raise a volcano to erupt and burn an enemy
Explosion- Causes an explosive fire ball to explode, damaging nearby enemies
Flame Lance- Causes a spear of Fire to fall from the sky, damaging an enemy
Stalagmite- Causes stalagmites to come up from the ground, damaging an enemy
Ground Dasher- Cause a huge earthquake to damage all enemies
Grave- Causes earth spires to come up from the ground, damaging an enemy
Air Thrust- Cause several blades of air to strike all enemies within the area of effect
Cyclone- Conjur a cyclone to damage all enemies in the area of effect
Air Blade- Cause a huge blade of air to shoot from the caster, damaging all enemies that get in its way
Spread- Cause several geysers to shoot up from the ground, damaging nearby enemies
Tidal Wave- Conjurs a tidal wave to severely damage all enemies
Aqua Laser- Causes a huge aqua laser to shoot from the caster, damaging all enemies that get in its way
Ice Tornado- Causes a tornado, sending huge chunks of ice to damage nearby enemies
Freeze Lancer- Strike an enemy with a huge spear of ice fallen from the sky
Thunder Blade- Causes a blade of thunder to fall from the sky, damaging nearby opponents
Indignation- A powerful thunderstorm strikes all enemies
Spark Wave- Conjur a sphere of lightning to damage all enemies in the rea of effect
Meteor Storm- Cause huge, fiery meteors to fall from the sky, heavily damaging all enemies
Nightmare- A hymnic Fonic Arte which damages the enemy and puts them to sleep. (Melodist only)
Fire Threnody- Sets the enemy on fire and reduces resistance to Fire (Melodist only)
Ice Threnody- Freezes the enemy and reduces resistance to Ice (Melodist only)
Lightning Threnody- Paralyzes an enemy and reduces resistance to Lightning (Melodist only)
Earth Threnody- Petrifies an enemy and reduces resistance to Earth (Melodist only)
Wind Threnody- Stuns an enemy and reduces resistance to Wind (Melodist only)
Water Threnody- Sophocates an enemy and reduces resistance to Water (Melodist only)
Light Threnody- Blinds an enemy and reduces resistance to Light (Melodist only)
Dark Threnody- Poisons an enemy and reduces resistance to Dark (Melodist only)
Hymn of Healing- Heal all allies within range, the farther away the ally is, the less healing they recieve (Melodist only)
Hymn of Spirit- Recover all ally's spiritual energy, allowing them to use Artes more often (Melodist only)
Foe Requiem- Gradually deal small amounts of damage to an enemy (Melodist only)
Hymn of Panic- Damages an enemy and confuses them (Melodist only)

Your Strike Artes are based on your weapon. Be creative.
Also, NO POWERGAMING/GODMODING! That means you can't start out with all of the really powerful spells or any of the summon spirits. You have to work toward those spells.

Character Sheet:
Name:
Age:
Race: (Human, Elf, Half Elf, or Dwarf)
Class:
Appearance:
Personality:
Weapons:
Strike Artes:
Fonic Artes:
Background History: Please be creative, nothing like "he lost his memory in an accident" or something like that.

Name: Lloyd((OK fine I like that name =P))
Age: 16
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Appearance: 1,82m tall, has short black hair wwhich he never combs and he nearly never stands up straight.
Personality: He is headstrong and hardly changes his mind when he sets his mind to something but he is good natured and knows right from wrong.
Weapons: In his left hand a sword with a broken blade and in his right a similar sword but brand new. Lloyd is very attached to his broken sword for some reason...
Strike Artes:
Demon Fang: Sends a wave of energy that slightly damages the enemy.
Charge Attack: Sprints towards the enemy and thrusts his 2 swords forwards with great strength. It has a 50% chance of failure though.
Fonic Artes: - ((Since he is a Human he can't use magic))
Background History: He grew up quite happily surrounded by family and friends. He has a smaller sister and due to the fact that she always gets herself into serious trouble wherever she goes he has trained with his father to perfect his swordsmanship, but his sloppy nature has caused him never to be very good at it. He was sent from his father to go to the Mana Tree. ((I'm putting a little mystery and the reason he was sent is still unknown.))

Wait a sec, I'm remaking my character XD There are a few things I wanna change.

Name: Michael von Asher
Age: 22
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Appearance: http://suika3.fc2web.com/info/abyss.jpg
Personality: He's pretty hot-headed sometimes, but most of the time he's obnoxious (SP?) and happy.
Weapons: He uses your classic heroes weapon, a sword and shield. But he's not a knight in shining armor....he's FAR from it.
Strike Artes:
-Fang Blade: Sends a shockwave to the enemy by swinging his sword. (Lv 1 SP Attack)
-Blue Storm: Slash the enemy and cause a whirlwind of blue wind. (Lv 1 SP Attack)
-Sword Rain: Repeatedly thrust your sword at the enemy. (Lv 1 SP Attack)
Fonic Artes: -
Background History: Born to the old king's right hand man and his wife, he spent most of his life in his mansion in Meltokio. His father taught him Swordsmanship at a young age, but he still lacks refinement. When he turned 17 his father made him commander of a small unit in the Meltokio army. His father sent him to the Mana Tree to check on the machines to see if they were working properly. He noticed the wind weakened...was this the doing of the machines? He always thought the machines would eventually kill the Great Tree.

I'll allow people to post bios until December 31st at 11:59 PM. I'll start the RP the next day. If we don't have at least 3 or 4 bios posted, I'll extend the deadline by a week, but the RP will still start on January 1st. I would appreciate it if you guys join BEFORE I start the RP.

Name: Casandra Eriis
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Race: Human
Class: Healer
Appearance: 5'8, blue eyes, long blond hair, skinny, wears a white cloak.
Personality: Easily angered, however, she cares for her friends and partners.
Weapons: Wooden Staff
Strike Artes:
Staff Poke/Stab- Literally pokes the opponent
Staff Whack- Literally whacks opponent with staff head
Fonic Artes:
First Aid- Heal an ally
Barrier- Forms a barrier which reduces damage
Background History: Being a former common cleric at a temple in Sylvarant, Casandra was given to the town priest by her sick and ill parents to be blessed and work under as a healer. After abadoning her priority as a cleric, she joined a search team to investigate the mysteries behind the Mana Tree.

Name:Boh
Age:Unknown
Race:dwarf
Class:Mystic Warrior
Appearance:http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r199/hosaku/dwarf.jpg
Minus the bow

Personality:Rarely speaks, likes to keep to himself at most times. This tends to change once he befriends who ever is around him. Would gladly jump into the middle of the fight if would result in saveing a friend.
Weapons:Two steel axes that are strapped to his left and right legs.
Strike Artes:
Berserk-infuses his two axes with the magic he has to creat a powerful blow that could harm even the strongest of creatures
Stun-Stomps the ground with his foot creating a shockwave that stuns the enemy for a few seconds.
Final Reserve-Used only as a last resort if about to die, puts everything he has into one final brutal attack before dying
Fonic Artes: Stone Blast, and Fire ball
Background History:A member of one of the oldest races of the Dwarfs, Boh grew up in a small village of Par where he discovered a foundness of mana and a strong love for the fine art of axemanship. In the year's to come Boh learned and mastered axemanship but has barely began to learn everthing there is to know about mana due to the fact that he was kicked out of his village. From hence on Boh travels from town to town staying only long enough to eat and sleep, then departs on to the next town.

((sorry I'm a bit late, was sort of at a party =())
Name: Demira Omun
Age: 21
Race: Half Elf
Class: Mystic Warrior
Appearance: 6'2, Black medium length hair, covers one side of her face, and is pulled back into a ponytail. Wears black leather clothing, with a crimson jacket over it.
Personality: A bit of a know-it-all, but doesn't brag about it. Though her methods of fighting are particularly cruel, she actually is a kind person. Though, she states nothing but what she thinks is the truth, which often makes her come off cold.
Weapons: A whip of thorns.
Strike Artes:
-Unending Pain: A quick lash of her whip, which poisons the enemy. (Lv 1 SP attack)
-Splendid Design: Holding the hilt of her whip into the air, Demira spins in circles, allowing for multiple lashes of her whip.(Lv 1 SP attack)
-Trap Shot: Lashes her whip into the air, pulling an aerial enemy to the ground for further punishment. (Lv 1 SP attack)
Fonic Artes:
-Lightning
Background History:
Having been alone after her parents died at age 5, Demira lived with her uncle untill age 17. Her uncle was a mercenary, and after having Demira shoved onto him, had to bring her along. She quickly learned how to fight, and was able to fight at his side for most of his work. Soon though, she became interested in knowledge, and began absorbing herself into books and her social life at the library. About halfway through her 12th year with her uncle though, he was struck with illness and died. Leaving her with nobody to live with. So, she set out with her knowledge of survival from the years she spent with her uncle. For a long while, she's been traveling town to town, performing odd-jobs for people, and gaining as much information on various subjects that she can. Though, her curiosity lead her to the mysteries of the Mana Tree, and she decided to go to the number one source of information. The tree itself.

((Edited her Background to reflect her interest in the Mana Tree, and her Strike artes, which I decided could be better.))

((I'm a bit late starting the RP. I'll start it on Wednesday, since I'll be at my friend's house on Tuesday.))

I'm adding bios for some NPCs I'll be controlling throughout the course of the story. More will be added later.


Name: Alexa Grant
Age: 15
Race: Half Elf
Class: Melodist
Appearance: http://namco-ch.net/talesoftheabyss/popup/img/cha_tear03b.jpg
Personality: Usually kind and gentle, but one wrong commnent, and watch out! She also has a fetich for cute things.
Weapons: A Rod that she carries with her for self defense purposes
Strike Artes:
-Pow Hammer:Causes a toy hammer to fall on an enemy's head, damaging them and stunning them temporarily.
Fonic Artes: Nightmare, Hymn of Healing
Background History: She was orphaned at the age of 7. She travelled from place to place, with no permanent home. Byt the time she was 10, she met a young woman, who was a Dancer. She taught Alexa how to dance and showed her the secret of Hymnic Fonic Artes. This woman was more than her teacher, she was like a mother to her. But one day, after practicing her Artes, she came home to find Amoria, her teacher, dead on the floor with a knife in her chest. She wrote a letter to Alexa saying that she commit suicide, but she didn't believe it. She set out to find the person who killed her teacher and teach him a lesson or two. Her search eventually led her to the Great Tree....
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Name: Drake
Age: ?
Race: Human
Class: Puppetmaster
Appearance: http://www.penguinwired.org/images/ffxi/pupaf.jpg
http://www.cesspit.net/drupal/storeroom/misc/puppetmaster.gif
(The first one is him, the 2nd is his puppet)
Personality: No one knows, he's never around people very long.
Weapons: He carries a dagger with him for protection, but Heliosd does most of the work for him.
Strike Artes:
-Wasp Sting: Strikes the enemy with a poison-infused dagger.
-Shadowstich: Slashes the enemy in the eyes, blinding them.
Fonic Artes: First Aid, Heal, Flame Lance, Air Thrust
Background History: He was orphaned at a young age and was raised by a Puppetmaster. His foster father spilled his guts on the art of control. He then made his foster father commit suicide and fled the farm. Now his only purpose in life is to kill people with his great power.
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Name: Garth Herman
Age: 20
Race: Human
Class: Summoner
Appearance: http://ffxi.ogaming.com/gallery/albums/album02/bluemagebody.jpg
Personality: He doesn't usually interact with people unless he's tryin to find more information about the person he's hired to kill.
Weapons: He wields an elegantly curved silver blade in battle. His main tool in assassinations.
Strike Artes:
-Shadow Wings: Cause a flock of Ravens to swarm around the enemy, dealing shadow damage.
-Flash Explosion: Stab the sword in the ground and cause fire to rise from underneath the enemy
-Lingering Time: Cause the sheer force of time to erupt from the sword, damaging all opponents in front of you and stopping enemy movement.
Fonic Artes: Thunder Blade, Lightning, Summon: Wind (Sylph), Summon: Fire (Efreet), Summon: Light (Aska)
Background History: He grew up in a family of assassins, but he was rare and was born with the ancient blood of the summoners coarsing through his veins. He learned the traditional art of deception and assassination, and eventually assassinated his whole family except for his younger brother. He then joined an assassins guild in Meltokio and he and his brother currently live in Mizuho, and has since forged pacts with Sylph, Efreet and Aska.
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Name: Andrew Herman
Age: 14
Race: Human
Class: Archer
Appearance: http://www.gamertag.com/images/gallery/112914015254502.jpg
Personality: He is very fun-loving and bubbly, much to the dismay of his brother, who is more serious.
Weapons: Assassin's Bow, and a knife incase the enemy gets too close.
Strike Artes:
-Piercing Arrow: Delivers an attack that strikes through the enemy's defenses, ignoring it completely
-Barrage: Shoot several arrows at once
-Junk Arrow: Fire a high powered missile, but with low accuracy
-Eagle Eye Shot: Shoot an arrow that never misses
Fonic Artes: -
Background History: He is the younger brother of Garth. After witnessing Garth kill his own parents and whisking him away to Meltokio, he was very traumatized, but Garth told him that it had to be done, for their sake. Garth often went on missions to assassinate people, and Andrew was always left behind. He secretly trained with one of Garth's fellow assassins and learned the art of Archery. He hasn't told his brother yet, though. He travelled to the Great Tree in search of his brother, who hadn't come back from his mission yet.
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Name: Caleb fon Fabre
Age: 25
Race: Human
Class: Swordman
Appearance: http://www.ffxi.blueelephantbrigade.com/images/Linkshell/Izan%202.jpg
Personality: A very noble person. He gets jealous easily, especially of Michael because all of the girls like him because he's good looking.
Weapons: He wields a spear with a long wooden shaft and a Bronze spearhead.
Strike Artes:
-Sonic Spear: Deliver a swift blow with your spear
-Double Thrust: Delivers a twofold attack by thrusting the spear twice.
Fonic Artes: -
Background History: He is a rival/childhood friend of Michael, and is 2nd in command of Michael's unit. He travels with Michael to the Great Tree under his Royal Majesty's orders.

EDIT: Tomorrow I will add more Hymnical Fonic Artes to the list.

((Mmm...hopefully the RP will start soon, or at least that's what I understood from SorenEmblem. Oh and about the number of NPCs you control, isn't it a little exagerated? That's my opinion anyways. Start the RP soon!))

I'm officially starting the RP. You guys need to post first, so I can introduce each of the key characters in the story according to your characters' current state of affairs. Once a couple of you guys post, I'll post and introduce my character along with a couple of the NPCs.

((Since we have to start the RP I don't think we can put that much detail and stuff about it...but I'll try...))

Three weeks...Three weeks had passed since Lloyd was kicked out of his village because of that unfortunate incident. Two weeks ago he was pondering on what to do and since he had limited money and food on him he had to decide quickly. Luckily one evening at a hostel he heard an old geezer say that he needed help on something or other. Lloyd engaged him in conversation and after much debating convinced the old man that he could take care of it. The job was pretty simple, go to the Mana Tree and check on the health of the Tree and it's surroundings. After that he had to return to him and inform the man, which called himself Girt about what he had seen. The job was payed well, 1000 Gald to begin with and an extra 2000 Gald on completion.
I was lucky...but once I finish this my luck will change at some point...
Lloyd thought on what he could do next, taking care of these odd requests didn't seem like a very good idea to him since it was hard enough to convince an old stubborn geezer that he could fight... His words still rang in his head You don't even stand up straight and on top of that one of your blades is broken!
Finally Lloyd fell asleep after estimating another 2 day of journey to get to the Mana Tree...

(( I hope I did it ok and the parts in italic are when he's thinking or recalling something that someone said. ))

The faint scent of blood that escaped from Casandra's throat burned it harshly. She had'nt remembered the last time she ran this fast, nor did she have time too.
But now, her life was nearly yards away from dissapearing. The sound of horse hoofs and metal foot steps trailed behind her, their clanky armor mixed with sweat, grass, and dirt came came closer for every step she ran.
For a minute her breath paused, and for a second her brain stop functioning.
The next thing she knew was the path she followed faded, and her body was diving towards a deep blue river.

Demira was laughing... laughing at herself..
Why? What was the point of making this trip?

She sat atop a rock, facing the oh-so-great mana tree. So people had told her, anyhow. Yet, she saw nothing special other than its sheer size, but she had expected something this big. It loomed over her, to the point where lifting her head, to the full extent even, didn't really do the trick. Even with all of the rumors about the mana tree losing its "almighty power", its canopy was extremely lush. Stretching out almost to the point where Demira wouldn't be able to sprint its length, without being in extreme pain. Yet, none of this really impressed her. She had expected that the tree would be casting off mana so great, that it might even be visible. Maybe she had been too excited, after all, she didn't actually know anyone who had SEEN pure mana. Sure, it could be felt, but..

Then it hit her. If this was the mana tree.. The tree that possesed ultimate power, the tree that was the source of all mana.. Why couldn't she feel enormous power? Surely, she should feel somehing leagues beyond her power..

Immediately, she jumped off her former nest, and closed in on the tree. Could it be? Could the mana tree actually have become so weak that all she could feel was faint? She reached the base of the tree, and reached out, something she would regret. Immediately after her hand touched the tree, images assaulted her mind in violent torrents. They moved so fast, she had no time to comprehend even one of them.. She didn't need to though, to see that they weren't pleasent. For the most part, they consisted of black, orange, and crimson. They stopped as soon as they started, leaving Demira in a world of black.

Where the.. am I.. dreaming? Or...

A blue light appeared in the distance, faint as any other light at first, but as it approached, it became that more brilliant. Soon, it became apparent that there was someone in that light, carried with it. A black profile of a woman, who as she arrived, reached her hand out to Demira with a "take my hand gesture". Which is exactly what Demira did. She gave her hand to this stranger, something she wouldn't do under almost any circumstance, but she saw no other option in this case. As soon as her hands clasped, a light flashed between them, illuminating the woman's body for a splt second.

Demira woke up at the base of the "great" mana tree. Bewildered, she sat up in order to get her thoughts about her. As she did so, she felt something roll off her stomache onto the ground before her. It was a single spherical crystal, which looked like it were cut this size in order to be a bracelet, or necklace.

And she remembered.. In her "dream" she had caught a glimpse of the woman before her. She was wearing a necklace with this bead, or at least Demira thought it was the same bead.

So it wasn't a dream... But.. What is this..? A reminder maybe?

Then, she heard footsteps approaching her and the tree. Quickly, she hid nearby, behind the same rock she was once perched on.. Better not to take chances.

(( This is really only my third or fourth time actually rping.. So, sorry about any mistakes I make :P.))

After being banned from the town Boh was staying in for stealing some food, he found his way to a small little village in the shadow of what looked like a huge tree. As Boh entered this town he quickly relized that noone was walking up and down the streets, buying various objects on a streetside market or go to the local pub to get a drink like he was accustome to in all the other villages around here.

" i wonder where everyone is?" Boh said to himself

Boh looked around and soon found a building that looked a old worn down inn. As he walked in he smiled to himself as he stood there looking at a whole bar full of different ales, and liqour. Boh walked over to a shelf and picked up a bottle of ale, walking over to a chair he found he sat down and started to drink, waiting to see if this truely was a empty town or empty for the time being.

"I bet that giant tree i saw on my way in to this town is that mana tree i've been hearing about, hmmm well it wont hurt if i stay here for the night and have a few drinks until heading out in the moring to check out that tree" Boh thought to hisself.

((sorry if its not the best of intro's, not used to starting out a rp without the thread maker makeing the first post))

(( Since everyone seems to be so close to the Mana Tree I'll post once more before SorenEmblem. ))

"What a nuisance..." Lloyd said after slaying a wolf which took him for prey. He had encountered about half a dozen and, even though he had never fought against wolves before, he quickly got used to their pretty high speed.
Even the 2 or 3 monsters around my home town don't attack someone unless their tired...is this why Girt wanted me to get the info? Even though Lloyd had continued his travel early in the morning he still couldn't see the tree and, from what he had heard it wasn't very hard to see it from miles away. Suddenly there it was, it was as if a giant hand just dropped it there. It's shear size frightened him...A tree that big can't be natural...can it? After a few seconds he no longer felt surprised but puzzled...How can a tree, even if it were to be that big, produce enoguh mana for the whole world? I have so many questions...and yet I have no answers.

5 hours later the sun finally set and Lloyd lit a campfire from old branches and twigs. By tomorrow afternoon I should be there, late morning at the best of times.

((Good job, guys. And Judgement, the currency is Gald. ^^))

Michael and Caleb were walking along a long dirt road. He could see the Mana Tree now. His troupe pressed onward, hoping to make it to the tree by nightfall. He noticed the monsters were more aggressive than usual....they never attacked travellers unless they hungered for human flesh....now it seems ALL monsters have the same bloodlust...
The sun was setting and they were almost at the Mana Tree now. He noticed some of his soldiers were tired. "Just a little further, we must press onward!" He said to his comrades. They kept walking onward. They were very close to the Mana Tree shortly after nightfall. They set up camp there and took time to rest...
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Meanwhile, Alexa Grant was camped near a river, hoping to make it to the Mana Tree by morning. She then heard someone running behind her. She looked past the tree and saw a white cloaked woman running from a group of soldiers. As soon as she saw the woman jump toward the river, she realised That river is too deep! If she jumps in there, she'll die!, she thought. She jumped out shortly after the woman jumped and caught her and landed in the river. Soon after, she managed to swim to the surface and put the now unconcious woman on the ground at her camp. She then turned around to the soldiers and took out her rod. She took a deep breath and began to sing "Ne me se fon yo he te". Instantly, the soldiers fell into a deep sleep. "That should do them for a while". She noticed the woman was beginning to awake. She ran over to her. "Thank Martel, you're alright. What's your name? And why were those soldiers chasing you?"
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Garth was climbing up the tree to see if he could spot his victim. He took out his binoculars and saw a boy that matched the description perfectly. A young man with short red hair and wearing a white shirt that seemed to cut off at the lower stomach. "The duke has always been good at giving descriptions". He smirked to himself. But then he semmed to notice the man was being accompanied by the duke's soldiers. "That will make things harder..." he thought to himself. "I suppose the Duke won't mind if I killed a few of his soldiers..."
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Andrew was running toward the Mana Tree. He had to find his brother, he HAD to. He had a feeling that something bad would happen to Garth...he didn't want to lose the only family he had left. He noticed that monsters had been more....vicious lately. Maybe this has something to do with the Mana Tree? He didn't know, and he didn't care. All he cared about was Garth. He should be at the tree by morning...

Can I still join?

Name:Pixell
Age:3
Race: Puppet
Class:Puppeter
Appearance:
Personality:Shy
Weapons: A big puppet
Strike Artes: none (still)
Fonic Artes:none (still
Background History: Made in a factory where they make toys for little kids. When the manager saw this puppet wasn't good they threw it away and an old man found it who raised it and talked to it. When the man died he gave the last of his live to his puppet. After 3 years the puppet began to walk and slighty on he began to talk. With a dream in his mind of bringing all puppets to life and take over the world he began learning the powers of puppeting

((Sure you can. ^^ The story hasn't gotten very far ahead, so I'm still accepting new RPers))

((Soren thanks for currency and although this isn't up to me I'de like to ask ReGainMadness to add a little more detail since from what I understand your character is a puppet and he uses a big puppet as his weapon -_-. Does that mean he uses himself or can somehow control another puppet? Anyways here I go))

"Finally...the Mana Tree." It was morning and Lloyd had finally arrived to the Mana Tree. He took out pen and paper and started to make notes about the surroundings. He also noted down the fact that all the monsters in the surrounding area seemed to be more aggressive than any he had seen before. There are huge machines as well...The noise they make is infernal. Lloyd continued to inspect his surroundings although there wasn't anything else that caught his attention. 3000 Gald for this? There has to be some kind of twist...Or maybe the old man's crazy... Lloyd sat down under the tree's cool shade and looked up at the clouds drifting by. Suddenly he felt really lonely and realized how vast the world was and how little he knew. I can only go back to my village when I'm stronger, and then again they probably won't want me there. He could feel a tear run down his cheek Hannah...

Boh woke up about mid afternoon with a bad hangover. He tiredly rubbed his eyes before looking around his surroundings to remeber where he was. As the fuzzenes went away from his vision he quickley remembered he had stayed up all night drinking the many different types of ale's and liqour this bar had for some reason. Boh quickly put on his armour and strapped his axe's to his sides, before going out to find something to eat for breafest. After about a hour's search he found someting that was eatable.much,cruch,much,cruch, was the sound Boh made as he ate his breafest. He ate what little meal he had very quickly before standing up and stretching.

""well I guess i should head on out to that weird tree" thought Boh to himself.

Boh made sure the fire he had cooked his meal was out before heading back to the pub to put what ale there was left in his pack incase he might grow thirsty on the way to the Mana Tree. It was nearing dusk before Boh could see the atcual bark of the tree and not just its shadow. Boh pulled out a bottle of ale he had taken with him and took a drink before headed on to the tree.

"I really hope i make it to that god forsaken tree soon, im getting really hungy and this damn headac isn't helping me" Boh said out loud creating a echo of sorts.

Demira had watched the brown haired young man for a while now. He seemed to be doing the exact same thing she had been doing. For why, she hadn't a clue. But, after she'd observed him a bit, she deemed that he was no threat to her. Which calmed her down, and let her make her decision as to what she should do next.

She came out of her sad excuse for a hiding spot. As she did, she realized how stupid she had been in picking a rock. If it had been someone after her, she would have been found easily. Though, that hardly mattered now.

As she approached, she noticed that the man didn't seem to even notice her. She was behind him, sure, but had he not heard her move? Or had she just been that subtle? She couldn't even remember now. So, she decided to speak up.

"Dissappointing, isn't it?" Still, she got no answer from the boy, he hadn't even turned around. With that, she decided she'd take the direct approach. She circled around him, and stood in front of his face. Yet, he didn't even look directly at her. Instead, he kept his eyes as they had been. Staring up into the endless sky.

At first, she saw it as insanity. Nothing more than a crazy person, who had wandered over to the mana tree so that he could stare into the sky. Probably did it every day... For all she knew. But then, she noticed the knife. It was lodged into his back up to the hilt. How had she not noticed it as she approached? It was directly in his back. Hardly something missable, especially Demira, who was known for her keen eye.
But, then she noticed that he was wearing a night gown. Which she could have sworn wasn't there earlier. Quickly, she glanced back at his face. But it was no longer the stranger she had seen before. It was her uncle. Demira gasped, and jumped back, tripping over a stump behind her. It just wasn't possible. He had been dead for four years. She stood back up, to look again, half in disbeleif, half in hopes that he wouldn't be there. But he was, and this time, he wasn't staring into the sky. His eyes stared deep into her own, not a look of malice, or anger. But instead, he gave her a look that only a father can give a daughter. Then, he spoke.

"Don't worry Demi, I'm ready.. Ready to soar into that deep blue sky.." And then he litterally exploded into light before her eyes. She cried, as soon as he had said it. They were his final words to her, as she stood by his bed during his final moments. And they struck her as hard this time, as they had then. The light enveloped her suddenly, and she felt as if she was being tossed around like a rag doll under a powerful wave.

She was back. Back to reality, where she stood just out of her makeshift hiding place, staring at the young man. Who this time, was staring back at her.

"Dissappointing, isn't it?" Was all that escaped her lips as she began moving toward him again.

Name: Ni Zoumond
Age: 20(human years)
Race: Elf
Class: Summoner
Appearance: Short, cropped silver hair. Standing near six feet, he has a slender build. He wears thick, dark hooded robes over his plain white shirt and brown slacks, wearing boots for his shoes. He has a single glove over his right hand, covering something.
Personality: He doesn't understand why he was born into this role in life, and he has no eagerness to take on the responsibility of being a summoner. He acts mysterious towards those he doesn't trust, but quickly opens up to those he does. He will also never leave someone in need.
Weapons: Short sword and shield.
Strike Artes: Spirit Blade: Uses the power of a summon spirit to infuse his blade with an element.
Fonic Artes: Lightning
Background History: Born to a large, poor family, he lived his early life on the streets, stealing and cheating his way through life. It wasn't until his sixteenth birthday that he realized his power. Upon looking down at his hand the night of his birthday, he saw that it had many small, glowing symbols, one for each spirit, signifying his power. He had made the mistake of showing people, one of which was a soldier he met on the street. The soldier informed his superiors, who knew the value of an untouched summoner, especially on the black market. His family was slaughtered, and he was forced to flee, moving from place to place, being forced to learn how to defend himself. When he reached eighteen, he began to have strange dreams, telling him to travel, and so he has been for two years.

((In a bit of a creative slump at the moment, may edit it later.))

((Oh right I was the young man lol. I knew that....))

"Dissapointing isn't it?" Lloyd looked up, there was a strange woman there. The first thing which caught his eye was the weapon she was carrying, it was some kind of whip. He got up quickly ready to defend himself in case she meant any harm to him. "If you're talking about the Tree then not really." Suddenly Lloyd was puzzled, there wasn't suppossed to be nearly anyone around the Mana Tree according to Girt, he wouldn't tell him why though. "Why are you here and what do you want?"

((Ok I've sightly changed my post.))

It was damn near dark by the time Boh reach the base of the Mana Tree. With out a moments hesitation he quickly started a fire and put what looked like a rabbit on a spic over the fire and sat down with his back touching the tree. He stared up at the big old ageing brances of the Mana Tree waiting for his food to get done. He soon found his gaze glued to the branches above as he saw different colors swirl around, like they were playing with each other. Boh would have easily been hypnotized by this tree if it weren't for the smell of his rabbit being burnt. Boh cursed loudly as took the rabbit off the spick and looked it over.

"Hmm, just a little burnt, wont hurt anything if i eat it like this." Boh said as he bit into the rabbit meat.

Boh sat back down by the tree, he could feel the welcoming heat from the fire as he sat there eating the rabbit meat.

"Wow! This is such a strange place, yet inviting and comforting."Boh said puzzled.

((sorry its not that great but its all i could think off, And yes i really hope this isnt dead, its a really good rp))

((Ehh, I'm so confused now xD, just read spirit's post.. now he's at the dree to.. and it's dark.. o_O oh well, editing this to respond to Judgement's..))

The man quickly faced Demira, and she watched his hands move to the hilt of his weapons. "If you're talking about the mana tree, then not really.. Why are you here, and what do you want?"

"Jumpy.." Demira thought aloud, as she walked over to the young man. His grip seemed to get tighter as she walked, so she decided to be safe, and back off of him. "I don't even get a "who are you?"" She sighed before she spoke again. "I'm Demira.. Demira Omun.. And I came here for seemingly the same reason you did. Out of curiosity. Everyone's been talking about the mana tree lately. You hear about how it's losing its power no matter where you go. Then, you hear the rumors about the machines that are causing it. Fact is, I don't think anyone knows one thing about it. So, I came to decide for myself.." Demira stopped to touch the trunk of the tree. ".. But, after all the hype about how wonderful this tree is.. I have to say.. I don't understand how you don't find it dissappointing." She began walking toward him again, "As you can see, I don't mean you harm.. So If you'd let go of your weapons.." She put her hands in her pocket, to show she wasn't about to reach for her whip. As she did, her hand hit something, and she suddenly remembered all that had happened to her after she touched the tree.

Maybe you weren't so dissappointing, after all.. she said, as she continued toward the man.

((I'm sooo sorry, FFXI is just too damn addictive! >.< Especially since I unlocked BLU...I'll post tomorrow. I'm tired, and it's almost 3:00 AM here.))

"I'm Demira.. Demira Omun.." she said
"As you can see, I don't mean you harm.. So If you'd let go of your weapons.."
"Fine, but I don't trust people easily so don't get too close. I guess I have to introduce myself now...I'm Lloyd Brown ((I know bad surname XD)) and I didn't come for curiosity even though I don't regret having come here. I came for business and I'll be on my way soon."

((Meh no idea on how to continue this...I might edit later if some thing does come to mind.))

"Oh don't get me wrong.." Demira said in response. "I don't trust you, but I figure, if you're stupid enough to attack me, you'll at least be slow enough for me to stop it." Demira continued forward, but stopped short of the man, as per his request. "Anyhow, I'd like to know what you DON'T find dissappointing about this tree. As I said, out of curiosity." Though she really didn't mean it. He probably wasn't quick enough to notice that there was no mana power coming out of the tree. Or at least she couldn't feel any.. She really just wanted to know if he had had a vision like hers.

She clutched the bead in her pocket. What exactly is happening to this tree? She now knew, without a doubt, that there was something wrong. But she had no guess as to what.

((as to it being dark when i reach the tree, that simply means i reached the tree by the time it turned dark, not meaning it was dark when you were there.))

Boh finished off eating what was left of his rabbit before pulling out a half empty bottle of a oddly colored looking ale. He took a big gulp out of the bottle and wiped off any that was in his beard. Boh stood up and put a few twigs he saw on the ground in his fire to keep it burning for a while then sat back down and looked up at the leaves and branches above him and let his mind wonder"

"Theres something off about this tree...." pondered Boh before dazing off which soon turned into a deep sleep.

"I don't trust you, but I figure, if you're stupid enough to attack me, you'll at least be slow enough for me to stop it." Lloyd could feel a nerve bulge on his forehead at this remark...he knew he wasn't a great swordsman or anything but it couldn't be THAT obvious...he was tired of being underestimated. He clenched his fist and stopped himself from attacking her. "Anyhow, I'd like to know what you DON'T find dissappointing about this tree. As I said, out of curiosity."
"Well for starters it's just as big as people say it is. And although I haven't really given the Mana Tree that much thought I find it surprising that this Tree managed to create this much mana for the world for this long even though people call it the Tree of everlasting Mana. I always thought that one of these days the Great Tree would wither away and die but, as I said, I haven't given it much thought." Lloyd sat down with his back to the Tree but ready to get up in case she should attack. Damn it...it's dark and I'm starting to become sleepy but I can't sleep near her... "And what do YOU find dissapointing in this tree?"

Demira was half-laughing in her head at this point. So he really wasn't here out of curiosity, as she had first thought. Otherwise, he would have thought a bit more.

Not one to deny an answer to a question though, Demira answered. "You don't think it strange.. At all.. That there doesn't seem to be any mana coming from this tree at all?" She stopped to let the rhetorical question sink in, before she began again. "This, the tree that is supposed to be the source of all mana, the life force of the world. And yet, there seems to be little to no power coming from it." Demira then turned away from the man to look back at the tree. "I just don't see how that's possible. If a tree was that powerful, you'd think you would see, or even feel something..You know... what.. I mean?" Suddenly, Demira lost her balance. She had a sudden need to sleep, but she hadn't the slightest idea why. She hadn't done anything out of the ordinary except.. The crystal.. Demira couldn't help what would inevitably happen. Her world went spinning, and she fell to the ground.

((Hello!!! Can I play? =D ))

Name: Nivita Arsalonis
Age: 22
Race: Celestian
Class: Mage
Appearance: She was not a tall woman at all when viewed and very petite in stature but fully grown to be exact. She contained the hour-glass like figure of a woman under her magi garments that settled upon her body. She has bright red hair that flows gracefully about her lower back and often covers her bright green eyes.
Personality: Nivita is not the charming sort. In fact she is very tomboyish in nature and would have everyone recognize her ability to mame as well as entertain. Having no recollection of her own past always made her thirst for knowledge and her curiosity consume her all the more and she would have it no other way. Although deamed as nosy at times, she is one that can always be found willing and ready to be at the head of any battle.
Weapons: Nivita carries with her a set of four, meaning, two circlets for magic usage and two daggers which she wears often under her robes to grab quickly thrusting them into any appointment she may have.
Strike Artes: Wheels of Flame: A Fire combo attack that is created by combining a simple fire ball spell with her dancing rings. It causes enough damage to the enemy if done properly
Symphony of Needles: A dagger attack that increases her speed in her dagger usage. Although it is a rapid attack, it is fairly weak due to her lack of practice in battle.
Fonic Artes: Fire Ball,Flame Lance, Meteor Storm, Eruption, and Heal

Background History:

Nivita is not the charming sort. In fact she is very tomboyish in nature and would have everyone recognize her ability to mame as well as heal, but she is always quick to jump in her place when her mistress was around. Having no recollection of her own past always made her thirst for knowledge and her curiosity consume her all the more and she would have it no other way. Raised as a fire dancer, Nivita wanted to do more with her abilities to control such power and ran away from the caravan she called home.

Her talents are many within the arts, from dancing to singing, which was something she could always be caught doing when not ducking and dodging trouble. Her bright red eyes and her olive-celestial skin would always be under attack of ocean since spending days on the beach in the night to cool her fiery spirit. If Nivita would be known for anything, it would be her ability to spark interest within any person who greets her...and her hot-tempered tongue...not to mention her willingness to char and burn without thought.

Her attire: An array of what it seemed to be, shorter than normal shorts with a trench-coat like garment the barely covered her chest leaving her mid-drift opened. A high collar and bell-sleeves attached to it, the colors of the sun dancing upon a deep black material in flakes. That is Nivita, a scruffy tomboy in the dress of a maiden.
~~~~~~~~

Nivita approached the tree carefully not not wanting to disturb the others just yet as she watched them closely over hearing their conversation for some time as she stood there in the clearing before the giant Mana tree. Her hooded cloak swung gently about her as she hid her face from the others. It's size amazing before her eyes as she gasped lightly wondering what would come next in this new adventure.

((Nivita it's up to SorenEmblem to decide if you can join or not but he hasn't posted in a while...so you might have to wait...))

As Demira answered Lloyd's question he continued to ponder on what to do for the night, then suddenly there was the answer. Demira suddenly fell to the ground, at first Lloyd kept his distance as it was common for people to fake fainting and then once you approached attack you. But after a few minutes Lloyd got bored of waiting, he wasn't the patient type. So he got closer slowly and shaked her. She really had fainted. I guess this does solve my problem but...uh...what a burden. Lloyd picked up some of the Mana Tree's dead branches, there were in abundance and started a fire. He moved Demira closer to the fire, he might not trust her but he wasn't inhuman enough to just let her lie there freezing. Lloyd checked his bag and took out 2 apples, he wasn't very hungry...and he had other plans for the evening. After eating he got up and through the apples in the air and cut through them swiftly. He was quick, but not as precise as he would have hoped, the apples' pieces went flying in all directions and in different shapes and sizes. Lloyd went toward a nearby apple tree and took around 10. He continued this exercise and although he did improve very slightly he couldn't quite get the grasp of it. Lloyd practised with another 15 or so and put his blades away. He sat down next to the fire and watched it crackling...

((Aww...ok. *sniffles lightly as she waits, then decides to return to her Celestian world in the meantime))

While lyold was sitting next to the fire a little guy was standing behid a tree. He thought about his dream of puppets taking over the world. He maybe never killed someone of flesh and blood but this time was the time. But he couldn't he stayed behind the tree and looked into the fire.

((Soren thanks for currency and although this isn't up to me I'de like to ask ReGainMadness to add a little more detail since from what I understand your character is a puppet and he uses a big puppet as his weapon -_-. Does that mean he uses himself or can somehow control another puppet? Anyways here I go))
About that, he uses a really big puppet who just walks mindless behind him.

((Whoops, didn't end up posting. :S After the whole Mana Tree thing, I'm going to remove most of the NPCs from the story. Also, Nivita and Lefos can join the RP. A creative slump? I could never give a better description of a character's appearance!! The history is good, too.))

Michael and Caleb awoke from a rather uncomfortable sleep. They looked up at the tree. "We have to shut off the machine soon." Michael said. "I have a bad feeling that something is gonna happen...."
The two walked around the tree and began to hear voices. He looked around the corner to see a young man and a woman talking. He walked out from his hiding spot. "Halt! What business do you have at the tree??" Caleb asked them. "We are the Knights of the Red Lotus. Identify yourselves!!" Michael said. "They might ruin the plan!" Michael whispered to Caled quietly. "We can't let anything go wrong."
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Alexa awoke to a gentle breeze. She hummed a gentle tune to the birds as she readied herself for the road ahead. She began to explore the tree then she saw some soldiers confronting a pair of people. She walked up to them. "I am Alexa Grant, may I ask what is going on??" she took a battle stance, just in case.
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Drake watched silently, throughout the whole ordeal. But gave Helios a mental signal. Helois then ran out and started running around in circles, distracting everyone. "A puppet!? Than that means..." the woman said. But it was too late. The man dove into the group of soldiers with his dagger outstretched. He killed the whole troupe except for the commanders in a single blow. The one man quickly jumped on the now-defenseless Drake's back and held him down with his lance.
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Garth watched as several people gathered around his victim. "Ugh...." he thought to himself. But then, another person came into the picture....his brother!? "Andrew, you fool!!" he whispered. He jumped down above the commander's head, sword unsheathed.
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Andrew saw a big commotion going on. He ran to the scene and saw a man holding down another man with his spear. A man standing beside him with his sword unsheathed, a woman and a man standing next to each other talking, and a woman standing silently. He ran in to see what the commotion was all about, but then heard a rustle in the tree's branches. "Must be a monster" he thought to himself. He nocked an arrow into his bow and fired the moment the thing came down from the tree, but to his horror, he struck his brother in the shoulder!! "No! Garth!!" he ran over to Garth and bentr down next to him. "This can't be happening....."

((Yay Soren! From now on I hope you'll be a little more active lol, you're post was a little confusing but I think I got the picture.))

Lloyd could hear noises coming from around the Tree, Sounds like armor...why would soldiers be in this area? He looked up and saw a whole troop gather infront of him, one of the soldiers, presumably the commander said "We are the Knights of the Red Lotus. Identify yourselves!!". Lloyd had never heard of the Knights of the Red Lotus but, then again, he wasn't very knowledgeable. So he stood up and removed some grass from his body, but before he could answer a young woman, around his age showed up and said, "I am Alexa Grant, may I ask what is going on??" This is becoming pretty troublesome...Lloyd thought. Everything that happenned next was too quick for him to accept. ((I won't explain anything, just read SorenEmblem's post...)). When the commotion seemed to be over all Lloyd could do was fall to the ground and clench his fists. He had never witnessed the death of anyone and, to see a whole slaughter right infront of your eyes is frightening to say the least. The soldiers that were still alive cursed and it seemed to him that none of them were at all scared, nore was Alexa...He got up and tried his best not to show his fear, Things are really starting to take a turn for the worst...

As the young man slaughtered the soldiers, Alexa readied a Fonic Hymn. She began to sing, and the young man fell to the ground. "Huh?? What did you do to him?!?" Michael exclaimed. "He's not dead, he's asleep. I used a Fonic Hymn and put him to sleep." Michael stood there with a stale expression on his face. But then ran over to the young boy standing beside a wounded man. "Garth!!" The boy shouted. "You fool...." the man said to the boy. "Haven't I told you NOT to follow me on my missions??" "I'm sorry, Garth...." the man known as Garth gazed into the boy's gleaming eyes. "It's alright, Andrew. I'm ok. Nothing that Aska can't clear up. I just need you to take out the arrow." Andrew grabbed the arrow and gave it a soft tug. Garth winced in pain but then sat up. "And since when did you learn Archery??" he asked Andrew. "Kuchinawa has been teaching me in secret..." Andrew replied. Garth let out a sigh and slowly stood up. He then chanted an incantation under his breath and thrusted his right hand onto the ground. Suddenly, a light flashed in the sky. And a golden bird elegeantly flew towards Garth. Caleb gasped, "The summon spirit of light....Aska." He said. "He must be a summoner."
"How may I serve you, master?" Aska said in a caring tone. "I am wounded, would you care to heal me?" Garth replied quietly. "Understood, master." The two of them chanted at the same time, "Summoning art, Gleaming Feathers!!" Aska flew up into the air and sprinkled feathers onto Garth. The feathers then surrounded him in blinding light. Once the light disappeared, his wounds were recovered. "You are dismissed, Aska." he said to the summon spirit. Aska then flew up high into the air and disappeared with a flash of light. An awkward silence followed. "A summoner....amazing...." Alexa said and broke the silence. "Wow...." was all that Michael could say. He knew nothing of the Summoning arts, but it sure looked cool. Andrew was still crying. "Andrew, stop crying!! Everything is alright!!" he shouted. "You don't have to be so harsh!" Alexa said. "I have to be, or he won't listen." Another awkward silence. "Well, anyway, we must ask that you leave, because we are performing an operation. We will not hesitate to kill any trespassers." Michael said. "Oh?" Garth said. "And I won't hesitate to kill you. The Duke put a hefty price on your name." Michael gasped in shock. "What!? The Duke hired you to assassinate me!? I'm his son!!" Michael shouted in disbelief. "Michael, don't let it get to you, we will sort this all out after the operation is complete." Caleb said in an attempt to reassure Michael. Just then, the young puppetmaster awoke in a daze. "What are you people doing here??" the man said. "Who are you?" Caleb demanded. "I am Drake, a puppetmaster and a death-dealer." the man said coldly. "You're coming with us, you have some explaining to do." Michael commanded. The remaining guards surrounded him. "I guess I have no choice...." Drake sighed.

Demira had only been awake for a small amount of time before everything took a turn for the worse. She had only been thanking this, Lloyd, or so he called himself, before soldiers came from around the tree. She didn't know how long they had been there, being in her short coma. But she was somewhat disappointed in Lloyd for not hearing them while she was sleeping. As if that wasn't enough, a woman had to jump in between them. Seemingly thinking that she was helping, but Demira was the last person to want to be saved by a stranger.

But none of the actions really struck Demira as much as the words did. One of the soldiers had said "Red Lotus" and she couldn't stop thinking about it. She had read about them once, and though she knew not what, something had scared her about them. She knew she would have to get away, but they were staring straight at her.

Demira contemplated her situation as the soldiers and the woman confronted one another. And in every way, it wasn't a good situation for her to be in. Suddenly though, by some amazing amount of luck, a distraction was caused. The soldiers all ran around in a frenzy, and Demira saw what would be an assasin get taken down. And a second jump from the tree itself, only to be shot by an arrow. It made for a perfect distraction, and she was about to run. But then realized, that she owed something to Lloyd.

She looked over to him, and saw his face. The face of someone not experienced in seeing death. She had only guessed before, but now Demira knew that he was at least SOMEWHAT of a rookie. As quickly as she could, she grabbed his hand, and muttered in his ear. "We have to go, now. I don't really have time to explain, but the Red Lotus is not to be messed with.."

Demira then pulled him up, let go of his hand, and began running into the underbrush. Hoping they'd get far enough away before the soldiers noticed their absence. And hoping Lloyd had followed.

Boh was awoke from his sleep by what he thought were voices.. lot's of voices a t that. Boh stood up and quickly kicked dirt on the fire to put it out hopeing none of the people close by had seen the fire. Boh looked to his right hearing the sound of rushling bushes, and started to run towards that way figureing they didn't want to be found by who ever the group of people was close by.

((Hmm finally my character meets up with everyone XD))

((....this is getting complicated XD but I'm happy that everyone posted again.))
"We have to go, now. I don't really have time to explain, but the Red Lotus is not to be messed with.." Demira said, but before he could answer she ran off. Without thinking Lloyd followed her...*sigh*What did I ever do to deserve this? Lloyd didn't like complicated things, he was very simple, maybe too much for his own good but he couldn't help it... Lloyd followed Demira in the forest and while he did he noticed a tuff of smoke coming from close by...Don't tell me it's someone else who means business...this really isn't my day... Lloys continued to follow Demira hoping that she knew what she was doing, since he didn't really.

Michael watched as two of the peolple ran away into the forest. "After them!" Michael shouted. "Bring them back alive." The soldiers nodded and ran after them. "Now, if you will excuse us, we must inspect the Mana Chanelling Machine."
"You're going to shut it of, aren't you?" Alexa said. "Huh? How--"
"I have the ability to read minds. There's nothing you can hide from me."
"Fine." Michael confessed. "We're turning it off to keep the Tree alive."
"Hmm....the wind HAS been weakening lately....."
"Exactly. That's why we need to keep the tree alive."
"I'll go with you. The roads aren't safe."
"I'm going, too." Garth said
"Me too." Andrew declared.
"I have no choice..." Drake sighed.
"Alright! Then it's decided!" Michael said. "Everyone is coming, I suppose." Just then, the soldiers returned with not two, but three people. "We found the Dwarf in the woods with them." "Good work. You three are coming with us." Michael commanded. "Don't worry, we just need your assistance, you aren't in trouble." Caleb assured them. They headed toward the machine.

Upon arriving to the machine, Michael and Caleb got to work in turning off the machine. But once they turned it off, the ground began to shake....
"Dammit! A techtonic shift!! I thought this was gonna happen..." Alexa said. After the earthquake, a voice began to speak....

I am the Mana Tree. Heed my words closely, young ones.

Everyone fell silent.

I must thank you for turning off the device which was draining my energy. But there is something much, much more dreadful about to happen...

400 years ago, when I was first planted, the young heroes thought they destroyed the evil Lord Yggdrasil by destroying his EX-Sphere. But he instead became a wandering soul, killing the helpless in hopes of returning to his former self. When the angel Kratos purified Derris-Kharlan, he sealed away Yggdrasil in a seed. Once I had grown large enough, Kratos planted the seed inside of a Crystal inside of me. But what he didn't know was that Yggdrasil would germinate from his seed. He began germinating 100 years ago. He has been sapping my energy to speed up the germination process. He wishes to unleash the fear and horror that people felt 400 years ago when the Desians walked the earth. You must reach my central core and kill Yggdrasil before he fully germinates. Martel will guide you through the tree. Kratos is in the core watching over Yggdrasil. You must hurry. If Yggdrasil fully germinates, I will die, and the world will fall into another depression. But be careful not to destroy the crystal, for it is my power source....

Suddenly, a door opened at the base of the tree. The band of adventurer's went inside in hopes of saving the world....

((Judgement and Destini, you will have some time for dialog before the soldiers find you, sorry if I kinda messed up your post. :S))

The earthquake had tripped Demira in her escape attempt. She heard a voice follow. It was the mana tree itself, and it had reached her despite the distance she had made between them. It spoke of saving the world, and though she had no intent to do so, Demira knew that somehow she would be wound up into this.

The sound of soldiers behind her broke her trail of thoughts. Lloyd's hand appeared in front of her, he was reaching out to help. Demira attempted to move her hand, but she couldn't. Not that she didn't want to, but something held her onto the ground.

As the sound of running soldiers grew louder, Demira started to panic. Making every attempt she could to just get herself on her feet. At the moment, that entailed squirming around on the ground, almost as if she was experiencing a seizure. She soon realized it was no use, she was stuck under whatever kind of spell this was, and obviously, she wouldn't be the one to break it. She looked up at Lloyd, in hopes that he might know a bit about curses. He wasn't looking at her though. He was staring just past her in dibeleif. In reaction, Demira twisted her head as much as she could to see what was happening.

The crystal from the tree had moved out of Demira's pocket. It now sat suspended in air, emitting a faint purple light. Suddenly, it flew between the two of them, both of whom had their eyes locked upon it, no longer listening to the clanking around of the soldiers. The soldiers! Demira realized, and she looked back. They were in view now, slowly closing in on Lloyd and her. As if on cue though, the Crystal exploded into light, which enveloped Demira and Lloyd.

Demira felt free of restraint again, and suddenly, she was upright, but all she could see was a large screen of white before her eyes. She felt as if she was floating in midair, yet at the same time, being pushed delibrately toward somewhere specific.

As soon as it had blinded her, the light gave her vision again. She looked around, not at her surroundings, but for Lloyd. He had tried to save her, and she would rather be killed than let him be captured. But her worries were over, as when she glanced to her left, Lloyd stood, looking almost as confused as Demira herself. And between them, was the crystal.

The crystal made a second sudden movement. This time in front of the both of them. They both anticipated what would happen next, and covered their eyes. Once again, the crystal exploded into light. But this time, it was over much faster. When she looked back up again, she saw the same woman as she had seen in her vision earlier.

Things were definately getting complicated..

((I moved us inside of the Mana tree, by the way. There had to be a reson we got back, and I doubt a door leading into a tree would stay there for long :P))

((ok im really confused now..XD, ill try my best at this post))

The clanking of armour caught Boh's attention, as he emeraged through the bushes in front of him fear stroke deep within hisself as he saw hundreds of Red Lotus soldiers running towards something. Before Boh could comprehend the scene a blindy white light flashed for a moment before going away as quickly as it had came. Boh brandished his two axes and ran towards what seemed to be two people in the middle of the white light.

((Alright, I hope it's not too late for my first post. Life is starting too look up, so I feel like writing a wee bit.))

Ni awoke from his perch in a tree, thinking he heard something. He had been hearing voices for quite some time, but he had learned too tune them out. "Friggen' spirits. I don't care what you want, leave me alone." He said quietly, knowing what the voices were, and that they could not here him. He flung himself out of his tree, landing lightly on the ground, making barely a noise, for noises attracted attention, something he did not want. He felt a strong feeling pulling at him, urging him to head south. "Fine, fine. You win." he muttered too himself, deciding too give to the voices and feelings today.

On his way, Ni felt that something was very wrong. There was a strange disturbance in the worlds mana flow, something that never meant good things. Ni couldn't help but wonder if the increased soldier presence had anything too do with it. There were troops everywhere, and it made hiding a rather difficult thing, he couldn't even sleep in towns because of them.

He stopped suddenly, noticing the gigantic tree in the distance. "Is that...the Mana Tree?" Ni whispered too himself, knowing full well the answer. "So, this is where you were leading me. I guess it's time, then..." It was time to embrace his destiny, he could no longer run from it, and his being lead to this tree proved it. He knew there would be soldiers in his path, so he unsheathed his blade, and began to run towards the tree. Something had called him here, something that was more important than he could grasp, and he would know what. He had many questions which he was sure could be answered, and he would have his answers before the days end.

Near the trees base, he saw what appeared too be a group of soldiers surrounding somebody. But what? His eyes said it was a group of people, but he thought that was foolish, so many soldiers for only them. There was a brilliant flash of light, and he heard a blood-curdling cry and saw a dwarf unsheathe two axes, and charge the lights source.

((Not at all. After the whole Mana Tree business, I will not be excepting anymore bios, and all who haven't posted will be removed. Waiting on Judgement to post. I'll post after he does. >_>))

((Ok I'm pretty much confused because according to SorenEmblem we got taken back by soldiers but according to Destinizish we got taken back by a flash of light....so confused.))

What happened in the next minute or so took a long time for Lloyd to comprehend it...2 consecutive flashes of light blinded him and Demira for a few seconds. After the second flash of light there seemed to be a woman standing infront of them...Things couldn't be any worst...

((I hope that's acceptable since I wasn't too sure of what to write.))

((hmm just a question but is this tread dead? been a couple of weeks since someone has posted anything))

((I hope it isn't since I've been waiting for someone to post back. I'll PM Sorem Emblem to remind him to post.))

((Do you guys think you could continue on without me? I'm far too busy with school and stuff to post. >.< Terribly sorry.))

Name: Shadowperil
Age: 16
Race: ELF XD
Class: rouge:p
Personality: Dosn't talk much>_>
Weapons: Daggers , Throwing knives , poisons>>:(
Background History: Abbandoned as a child and became a rouge because he
was fast but had no other way to make money:(

Hates humans :-/

Name: Kratos Aurion
Age: 28((real age 4028))
Race: cruxis angel
Class: ((huh?))
Personality: smart,talkative
Weapons: long sword and sheild
Background History: killed his wife when she was transformed into a monster.Had to abbandon his only son Lloyd.

Name: Kratos Aurion
Age: 28((4028))
Race: cruxis angel
Class: ((what?!?))
Personality: talkative,smart
Weapons: long sword and sheild
Background History: Killed his wife because she had been transformed into a beast and she begged Kratos to kill her.Is Lloyd's real father.

Name: Kratos Aurion
Age: 28((4028))
Race: cruxis angel
Class: ((what?!?))
Personality: talkative,smart,kind.
Weapons: long sword and sheild
Background History: Killed his wife because she had been transformed into a beast and she begged Kratos to kill her.Is Lloyd's real father.

I hope it wasn't too late for me to join!

Name:Zeke Asakura
Age:1000(reincarnated 3 times)
Race: Human
Class: Pupeteer
Appearance: http://www.animegalleries.net/albums/shaman_king/hao/sk_hao0052.jpg
Fire Spirit's Appearance(water): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/61/Spirit_of_Water.jpg/180px-Spirit_of_Water.jpg
Personality: Mysterious, Deep
Weapons: Fire Spirit, Fists
Strike Artes: Flaming(normal)\Freezing(water)\Shocking(earth)\Sl icing(air) Smash Punch(Fire Spirit)
Fonic Artes: Sonic Punch(Zeke), Eat(disables use of spirit temporarily)(eats a large animal somewhere close to get stronger) (Fire Spirit)
Background History: Evil Shaman reincarnated through time with a Fire Spirit he controls at his will, Fire Spirit can take on the power of all 4 elements

Hi i hope i can still join plz plz can i? :(

Name: Janus Belorn
Age: about 24
Race:Human
Class:Mystic Warrior
Appearance:Not too skinny not too chunky Long brown hair, blue eyes, armor is pretty well made because he has lots of money (refer to background to find out why).
Personality:Sunzoo is like a lone warrior he hates company and will most likely kill any other person in his path because he hates the world(refer to background to find out why)
Weapons:In his right hand is a dagger and his left an iron claw.
Strike Artes: 1. Dagger Thrust: you thrust your dagger through the enemy with great force.
2.(this is sorta strike and fonic)Fiery Strike: youe claw slashes the enemy with the element of fire.
Fonic Arts: ( this is made up i hope thats ok) Fire Weapons:powers up your weapons with the element of fire for 2 minutes.
Background History: Janus lives in a kingdom very far from the mana tree but he has heard rumors about whats happening to it.Anyway he is next in line for the throne in his kingdom as his father is king (which explains his armor) but he was falsely accused of murdering his father's closest friend Belenus and was banished from the kingdom and was to be sentenced to execution if he came back.(which explains personality). So then Janus wandered and wandered and his adventure began when he reached a town......

Sorry guys, but the RP kinda died....:/

Maybe so, but Zeke's appearance is still hilarious.

Well... your idea seems to be very great...