A Silent Murmer, Prologue: Whispers of Darkness
 

OOC: Alright! This is the RP thread. Let’s get down to it shall we?
BIC:
Centi for “The Forbidden”, Garah’han lay stretching lazily into the distant horizon for as long as one could see. Centuries of war have not marred the mysterious forest, its green foliage never failing to give birth to primitive life forces. Even when the new rule settled around her borders, Garah’han never stirred. Even when refugees fled the steady onslaught of their people, Garah’han slept; a great beast slumbering upon the world the Races called Catharsis. The purged world.

Deep within the forbidden forest, hidden within the thickest, lushest foliage, a dreamy campfire sizzled in a small clearing as the first of a million raindrops spattered down from the heavens. The dying flames danced and struggled, before being extinguished by a steady drizzle.

Swallow yawned, showing inhuman canines in her human face. She reached a taloned finger up and scratched an exotic crown of dark plumage. Her wary eyes forever scanned the forest, even as a moaning wind rustled the leaves above her head. As the rain drizzled downwards relentlessly, the hybrid unfurled brilliant, dark raptor wings flecked with pale ochre. They stretched over her head like an awning, protecting her lower body from the cooling weather. The water ran down her oily feathers in rivulets. It was a pity the fire went out, but it was a risky luxury, anyway.
Her slitted pupils widened slightly as the skies above her dimmed further, her feline senses picking up a violent storm brewing.
Swallow yawned again, before the slight rustle in the bushes announced another being in the premises. She inclined her head slightly, her some short hair feathers brushing her cheek.
“… Are they coming?” Swallow’s lilting accent was absorbed quickly into the forest, addressing the hidden being. There was a pause, before the branch above her moved, showering her wings with collected water. Drakan landed with an audible thump in front of her, his powerful sinews coiled and bunched to take the impact. The draconian halfling was up and striding with a purposeful step towards the hybrid griffon even before most of the impact was absorbed. Swallow arched an elegant, dark eyebrow as the draconian captain paused in front of her.
“They will be here soon.”
“Good,” Swallow nodded, “station the watchers* and set the traps. Kill the Centi escort and bring the others bound and gagged.” Draken nodded and turned to go. A light touch of Swallow’s talon stopped him.
“Be careful, alright? There’s… a special individual in this convoy of slaves. I wish him unharmed.”
“Do you want him bound like the others?”
“Yes.”
“I will see what I can do,” and with a slight nod of his head, he melted into the woods.

Swallow sighed as the rain grew heavier. This raid must not go wrong. Too many lives were lost last time we failed. Must not fail again. Raising a small whistle to her mouth, she blew hard.

To that of human and Centi ears, no sound came forth, but to her and her kind, a shrill shriek rose and spread like wildfire through the forest, arousing the backup party to rise and be ready, lest something bad happens.
Then, she stretched her wings, lowering them from above her head. Her midnight tail lashed behind as she beat slowly on the moist air. Ascending slowly, casually, she shifted her position and literally shot up into the sky. A dozen winged beings followed suit.

The Raid began.

OOC: I must say, Krylo, if you wish your character to be that *special* person, it’ll be cool. That way, three of us are in one place.
Others may start off in another place and slowly make their way into the overall plot and story.

note: *Watchers are another word for an ambushing party.

Pyre K'tarian hadn't seen so many people before. He had walked into the gates of Darek, 'looking for work' again, and gawked, trying not to seem like a tourist to the Centi...well, those who have been enslaved. He imagined for a moment the Lady Catharsis, crying out with the pain of her enslaved people. He had come a long way, and idly wished he could find a place to rest that wouldn't give the Centi another slave and more money.

He remembered again that he had volunteered for this, to check out the wild world and try to heal it. The abbot had given had given him a choice. He could of tended the grounds or signed up directly with the rebels and try to shed Centi blood directly. He sighed at the thought. Empires lived entirely by swords, they expected such. However, if you slipped a little poison into the empire's decandent food...

Pyre shook his head to clear it of the mullings and went to the city square, hopefully to find rumors of the goings on of the city, or barring that, where he should go next.

OOC: OOO, instant battle, eh? Let's rock!

BiC:

This was a day unlike any other, Drakan thought to himself. Something strange is about to happen, and Drakan could feel the winds of change blowing from every direction. Hidden within a thick and berry-filled bush, Drakan had always been one of, and one with the forest. Anything the forests spirits felt or knew, so would Drakan. Such was the blessing of his strange heritage.

Yes......heritage. For Drakan Snakeskin is like no other being. In fact, he probably is the only one of his kind - a Half Draconian/Anthromorph, or preferably called a Dracomorph. His mother was the daughter of large Draconian clan, and his father........well, his father's Anthromorph heritage is so mixed that Drakan could not determine what kind of breed his father was. Drakan's father was the sole survivor of an ancient clan long dead after the terrible wars that ensued after the fated Melding.

Even though there were many advantages that he had acquired through his mixed heritage, Drakan sometimes wished that he had been more.....pure. If he was, he would not have to hide his face as he now did to avoid the rude stares of others, friend or foe. Only few in the world of Catharsis would accept him as a common being.

Drakan winced as a sudden drop of rain water splattered on his face without warning. And with that single drop, millions of others followed as the darkening clouds finally gave way to nature and begin to rain drops of water on the ground below. And shortly behind the rain, the inevitable flash and booming noise of lightning began to follow. Drakan sighed. He absolutely hated storms, even minor ones.

However, before he could even muse further about the annoying storm, a slight thrashing noise nearby indicated the presence of another. Cautiously, Drakan peeked out of his hiding place to look at the newcomer.

"Are they coming?" A voice whom Drakan recognized as belonging to the "lady" Swallow, the leader of a rather small rebel group that inhabited the "The Forbidden" forests. Swallow was truely a fearsome sight. Like Drakan, Swallow belonged to a mixed heritage, half of which is human. Swallow had the size and structure of a human, but all resemblence to humanity ended there. Bronze-skinned and muscular, a sweeping plumage of exotic black feathers adorns the crown of the hybrid griffon instead of the traditional human hair. A pair of black, raptored wings flecked with pale ochre rose majestically from her back and a midnight, slightly kinked tail lashed about the air behind her. Swallow's face might have been once considered a treasure, but a puckered, crescent-like scar on her face distorted what little beauty the eagle-like being had left. On her powerful legs, the slight markings of Black Panther spots could be seen by those who observe hard enough, followed by a slightly elongated ankle and foot with padded soles. Strong, bronze arms with strong nail-like claws mount her massive shoulders, ready to rip apart anything that annoyed her.

"They will be here s-soon," Drakan replied as he rose from his hiding place to greet her in the traditional Draconian manner. Indeed, Drakan had spotted a small contigent of Centi forces guarding a caravan - which Drakan surmised to be containing various slaves - passing through the forests. That was partly the reason why he hid in the slightly uncomfortable bush just a moment ago, to wait for a chance none other than to ambush - and slaughter - them.

"Good," Swallow replied with a slightly satisfactory nod. "Station the watchers and set the traps. Kill the Centi escort and bring the others bound and gagged...." Drakan nodded in understanding and began to rise.

"Be careful, alright?" Swallow suddenly stopped in his track with a pat of her talons on his shoulders. "There’s… a special individual in this convoy of slaves. I wish him unharmed.”

"Do you want him bound like the othersss?" Drakan asked without turning.

"Yes." Came the reply.

"I will s-s-see what I can do." Drakan assured her in his serpent-like tongue. Then he leapt to the top of a nearby tree and left the area.

Moments later, Drakan stopped at a small clearing in the middle of the forest. Drakan had specially reserved this patch of treeless ground just for "emergencies" like this situation. Silently, he took out a golden, figurine that was in the shape of a dragon. With his free hand, Drakan began to rub the smooth edges of the Dragon Idol.

"Inferno...." Drakan whispered. "I need you....."

Suddenly, a wisp of smoke flowed out from a small hole on the top of the figurine, and began to gather at the center of the clearing, until it formed the shape of a winged serpent. Then, in a bright flash, a young wyvern with fiery red scales covering it's body lay on the ground where the smoke had gathered before.

"Yessss....." Drakan hissed with anticipation of what he was about to do next. "It'sss time to hunt, my fiery friend...."

OOC:Yay, it finally started!
In Faya' hal Duke was in the form of young slave. He tip-toed up to the wall that seperates everything centi- from everything human. He looked around, no one was watching. He then proceeded to leap over the wall, he landed on a tall ,golden colored building ,which appeared to be the "city hall". He hung from the roof ,looking into a window. He saw an incredibly beautiful woman (probably a centi) bathing. He continued to watch until a centi saw him from the ground ,and summoned the guards. Duke leaped off the building and turned to a dragon form. Wings sproted from his shoulders, claws ripped from his feet and hands ,as his skin turned hard, and scaly. He breathed fire on the attacking guards as they bombarded him with arrows . He turned into a human wearing golden armor and a dragon-head shaped helmet. As he drew his katana the centi reverted to their ugly forms .Three rolling black balls of spikes and tentacles came at him. He then impaled one on his blade and hurled it at another ,killing them both as they rolled off of the wall they were fighting on. The last guard centi came at him, Duke then slashed it with his katana then reverted to a dragona swiped it with his claws ,he was switching
back and forth between a human ,slashing it then a dragon striking it. He stirked the centi each time he changed forms ,a dragon then a human ,dragon then human. The centi fell on to the ground 300 feet below them. Duke then proceeded to slash the wall in half with a leaping strike. He landed as the wall crumbled and turned towards the city. He sent legions of fire balls and bolts of lightning at the golden city. As the city was reduced to dust, the army of centi ran at him each with their own weapons and ugly forms. Duke: Alright , I didn't want to do this ,but you leave me no choice! SEE YA! Duke then turns into a cheetah and runs like hell. He runs into the forest, looking back to see if they followed him "they didn't" he said with relief. Then ,WHAM, he ran into a woman/ griffin. Hey you wouldn't happen to be, Duke reads a peice of parchment, "Swallow" would you?

OOC to INSANE: Isn't that something really out of character to do? Just coming in like that and killing off all the beasts just like that without even letting Rhiya make some response, and coming in saying, "I am Duke I was sent from S.H.A.E.(the hell?) to help you destroy the centi once and for all."

Man, that's just so lame. LOL

OOC: buh, The winged beings were my party. You just slaughtered my party. *sob?*
And for goodness sakes, put in some punctuation and actually READ AND THINK about what I've typed.

I'm asking for your sake and mine and perhaps for the whole of the rp story's sake to edit your post and maybe THINK a little bit more on your next post. I mean, my rp isn't THAT cryptic, is it?

OOC: Ok its edited.

IC: Duke introduces himself as the woman replies with a yes to his inquiry of her name. He then saw winged things in the distance, He puts a hand on is Katana, only for Swallow to tell him they are her friends. Duke: I was sent from S.H.A.E. to help a woman named "Swallow" defeat the centi. I assume that your that same woman.

OOC: I might also start with the rebels. And Insane, you really need to read what's happening and tone down your actions, a lot.

Xyhiris too waits in the trees, the shapeshifter's long, thin limbs firmly anchoring him to the branches and his hide mottled to blend in with the leaves. He is watching for the Centi convoy to come and help spring the ambush the rebels were planning. As the rain pours from the grey sky, dripping off leaves and running of him in little silver rivulets, he thinks back to when he had first joined this rebel group.

He had been posing as a Centi, as a guard for a small caravan much like the one they were waiting for. He had assumed many such false identities since the Centi had conquered Catharsis, simply being a shapechanger was punished by death under their rule. Usually he grew weary of such deceptions and the necessity of remaining in the same form or had even been almost discovered and so returned to the great forest for a time, the only place the Centi still feared to tread. That time the caravan guards had been quite overconfident, not expecting to be attacked by the few rebels that lurked in the outer reaches of Garah’han.

They had been wrong, dead wrong. When the ambush had been sprung Xyhiris realised that the Centi could not hope to win this battle and he had no wish to fight those that his race had allied with of old. So he had changed sides, shifitng his Centi form into the anthromorph form he tended to use: leopard headed, sinewy and swift. He hadn't wanted to take the chance that some of his more exotic forms might be mistaken for enemies. The Centi had been shocked to find a shapechanger hiding amongst them, almost as shocked as the rebels. This had added to the confusion and the rebels had won decisively while barely suffering a scratch.

Then he had met her. Swallow she was called - a hybrid between a human and a griffon, something rare even before the Centi came. The Centi barely tolerated hybrids. Perhap they were afraid of the potential they held. Her dedicate had inspired him. The thought of working for more than just day to day survival lit a fire inside him. Right then, in the wreck of the caravan he had asked her if he could become one of her rebels.

His admiration for her had only increased as time went on. Swallow was an inspiring leader. He had changed the form he used for flight to a form similar to her as a subtle mark of his respect. He tended to emulate those he admired.

Xyhiris wrenches his mind back to the present. His golden eyes can see the vague outline of the caravan through the thick foliage of the trees and grey drizzle of the rain. The shapeshifter feels his body shift in anticipation of the coming battle, hands and feet becoming talons, hide thickening and muscles swelling with strength. Legs become like those of some sort of big cat, allowing him to leap into melee from his high perch with ease. He signals to the other watchers around him with a claw, using sign language to preserve the silence. Still like a statue, he waits for the signal to attack.

The centi caravan came into view as the rebel group hid in the trees. Duke stepped out to stop the caravan as he drew his katana ,he others leapt out of the trees. They attacked the caravan, Duke carved upthe carrage and hurled a wheel at the centi. The centi were smacked in the head by the wheel as they were being slaughtered. A bolt of lightining ,summoned by Duke, killed one of the centi. As the centi's numbers were reduced, there were about 12 left at this point, they started to attack back. They turned into giant winged monstrositys as everyone leapt /flew up to hit them ,they breathed acid. Missing all but Dukes leg. Duke quickly bandaged it and jumped back into battle.

OOC: My GOD! Let's stop here right now and address the issue. INSANE, for god's sake, stop ruining the RP!

Rhiya, I think you should impose the one post one round rule, and also make sure that people don't simply "god-mod" or do "out-of-character" stuff....