Morning frost, mourning tears. [Open/Roleplay/DE]

[Lucius]

The forests of Earth country are always cold in the mornings. Even in the heat of summer the ground under their boughs is frosty in the time before the pale light of dawn. In one of these forests, near the coast of the country, was a small hollow, and in that hollow were the dying embers of a fire long cold, and a prone figure beneath a bearskin blanket.

The frost on the ground was stiff and cold, fresh, untouched by the feet of men or animals. Icicles hung from the trees, and a few trappings of man were strewn about, including a baldric with a pair of swords, hanging from a low tree branch. The prone figure stirred and a pale hand, covered in a well-worn leather glove, brushed the thick blanket aside to reveal the man beneath.

Lucius had slept in his breeches and undershirt as was his want in the cold lands of the north, and as he stood he stretched, letting his clothes settle back into place. He knelt and pulled some frost from the grass, crushing it between his palms to make a cold powder which he then spread on his face to wake him up and clean the silt from his eyes.

Standing he looked around the clearing and took it all in with a single sweep of his silver wolf-like eyes. His stance was that of someone used to being alone; eyes searching the forest walls intently, arms at his sides, but ready to move if needed, and his posture was slightly slumped. But there was a steel about him that, if you were there to see it, would have made you back away, unsure of why, but scared for your life.

Certain that he was undiscovered he packed his camp up quickly and efficiently, hiding his tracks as he went. Without much time at all the place looked like it was just another part of nature, like he had never been there, like it hadn’t harboured a murderer the night previous. With the light treads of someone who travelled long and often, he set out to the east.

-:-

Lighter town is a tiny fishing port on the coast in Earth country, barely a population of two hundred, it was a place where everyone knew everyone, and the people lived simple lives. On Saturdays the menfolk would meet in the town square and face off with their forefather’s swords for a bit of entertainment, bets were made, fun was had, and no one ever really got hurt. But the competition was fierce, merchants and travellers from around the country often came to this town for its Saturday morning fights as they were famed for many miles around.

While the men of the village very rarely so much as scratched one another the out-of-towners held a separate grade of fighting that occasionally saw fights taken to the death. It was on a chilly autumn morning, a Saturday morning that Lucius arrived in this town. The duels that went on in the town weren’t any kind of secret at all, a waif at an inn at the previous village Lucius had stayed at, a town with no fighters to speak of, had mentioned Lighter town, and Lucius’ interest had been peaked.

As he wandered through the outskirts of hamlet the sounds of clashing steel reached his ears and the battle familiar fighter wended his way closer to the centre of the town. Upon reaching it he was met by the sight of four people fighting in two duels. One was very obviously an amateur’s circuit with weak ham-fisted blows being traded back and forth, the other showed some promise and Lucius quietly made his way over to the stocks to sign up for a bout.

He was barely noticed among the crowd of people, newcomers weren’t unusual in the town by any means, even tall ones adorned with a pair of swords and staring at the fights with haunted piercing eyes. Eyes that showed a flicker of excitement, and a thin tongue that came out to dampen suddenly dry lips.

The bouts went on for several hours, and Lucius watched each with a critical eye. The variety of swords used was immense; there were the curved katanas of the central countries, wickedly edged scimitars from the south, long swords and war swords from the west, and even a single man wielding a rapier with elegant skill.

He held contempt for all of them.

The few who had any skill weren’t using it, merely finishing their bouts quickly for the money they could receive and moving on, and those without skill were taking far too much time to make it look like they did. Moreover, not a single drop of blood had been spilled, time to raise the stakes.

“Lucius versus, Kialo.”

Smoothly the tall warrior from the north rose to his full height and moved towards the fighting circle, shedding his jacket and baldric as he went, leaving them with his pack and taking only his naked sabre into the ring.

The man opposite him was six foot something, the steel in his hands was a katana, not odd at all honestly, many people around these parts used one, what was odd was the expression of determination on his face, typically when Lucius fought someone the expression was something along the lines of confusion, apprehension or fear. The glint in this man’s eye was something Lucius hadn’t seen for many years, it was confidence.

The bout began and immediately the man stepped forwards, his weapon singing in the air as it sliced towards Lucius’ head. A quick flick of the gleaming sabre sent the weapon towards the ground, deflected easily, and a wave of disappointment rushed through the northern warrior, he had mistaken the man’s determination for skill, when really it was just misguided bravery.

Lucius took a single step forwards, his weapon flickering out so fast he was sure his foe missed the movement and a line of red formed on the man’s cheek, then another on his wrist. A moment later the pain set in and the foreigner, already off balance from his missed strike reeled back with a curse on his lips.

Lucius stood motionless, a gleam of disdain in his grey eyes, though he felt his heart rate elevate at the sight of the man’s blood welling up in the two shallow cuts. A shapeless roar was loosed and the man rushed forwards, obviously angered. Lucius sidestepped the hastily blow and opened up a deeper cut on the man’s thigh. The north man’s lips hadn’t yet curved into a sneer, but it was a near thing. He spoke a single word.

“Pathetic”

If possible this enraged the smaller man even more, he turned and slashed wildly at Lucius advancing as he went. Calmly Lucius backed up, swatting his opponent’s weapon aside each time he made another vicious swing.

“Useless, untalented, and devoid of skill, you’re a disgrace.”

He stepped forwards, slashing once at the man’s sword hand slicing two fingers clean from the appendage before slashing once at his calf, severing the ligaments and tendons to the bone. Agonized the man sank to the ground clutching at his hand screaming.

Lucius stepped backwards out of the way of a wild and honestly rather weak swing his opponent made, now more out of desperation than anything. The look in his eyes had lost that determined spark, now it was all fear. He’d tipped over the precipice into understanding that he was already dead.

Lucius’ heart beat wildly in his chest and his breath came in shorter pants as he advanced upon his downed opponent, the katana lying forgotten on the ground where it had slipped out of the man’s grip. The tall northerner placed the tip of his sabre at the man’s throat and leaned down, looking into his eyes and spoke again as he put weight on the weapon sliding it into the man’s neck.

“Pathetic”

As the fallen warrior spluttered around the blood in his throat Lucius held his gaze, taking pleasure from the light leaving his eyes. When at last his head flopped forwards onto the back of Lucius’ sword he drew it free smartly and wiped it on the man’s shoulder, watching as blood pooled over his chest. Without a word he turned and left the ring, disappointed, but still hopeful that someone else would be more of a challenge. He never even heard the man’s body slump to the ground.

[Rena]

[current appearance]

It was cold. During all of the years that Rena spent upon the earth’s crust, never before did she bother tolerating the horrid sensation. The further north she traveled within the Land of Earth from her escapades within the Land of Rain, the worse and worse it got. For heaven’s sake she had to buy clothes of all things- She never wore clothes! It was one of the many benefits of her bloodline, to shape an outfit of her own flesh. As strange as it was, it was also very convenient, especially when having to change appearances quickly. Not to mention it was very, very cheap compared to having to buy the blasted things at all. The main problem was that the clothes she created herself didn’t provide any actual protection, which led to a problem: She was cold.

Despite the thick and long skirt, stockings, boots, sweater, gloves, and coat- dressing a fair bit warmer than the locals did- she experienced particularly annoying shivers when the wind happened to pick up. Near aimlessly she wandered the countryside as she searched for the adventure that sounded so promising back in the Land of Rain. But then again, they were things she overheard in a tavern for people who were quite intoxicated, in reality coming here was mostly just a whim, one of the many she got and followed all too easily.

The first shred of any information Rena came across was just under a week of her wandering, the topic of a coastal town called Lighter popped up along with words like ‘fighting’ and ‘bets’ and that was really all she needed. The temporary brunette found her way quite easily after some simple questioning, the locals happy to help a traveler like herself. Despite having an actual goal she still took her time, refusing to go past a settlement since she didn’t want to miss out on the warmth of a bed, not particularly paranoid because it was incredibly unlikely for anyone to recognize her as she hadn’t used this particular face in quite some time several countries away.

Finally as she reached Lighter, she couldn’t help but smile despite the little puffs of white that she exhaled with every breath. It really wasn’t difficult to find what she came for either, lucky enough to arrive on a day hosting the bouts. The clamorous mixture of metal against metal and groans of pain filled the air and Rena was all too happy to follow, excitement reflecting so clearly in warm chocolate eyes. While she wasn’t exactly the usual attendant, it was still quite easy for her to blend into the crowds thanks to her small stature, standing at a mere five foot, four inches and nearly sinking beneath the rest.

For a while she seriously considered registering herself, but in the end decided against it since one of her most defining features was her fighting style. It was something that she really didn’t want to reveal to the public, so instead she settled with simply observing, but she was quite disappointed in how weak the lot of them seemed to be… Well, right up until one particular little incident made her grin like mad and she felt warmed to the bone for the first time in days. Her gaze darted around as she watched how skillfully the monster of a man disarmed his opponents, a shiver coursing down her spine when she heard the scream as amusement filtered into her previously dull expression.

“So harsh,” the little brown haired woman commented as he left the ring, having to tilt her head back to look up at him as he passed by. “You’ve got to be some sort of sadist, right? I mean, you could have ended him so much more quickly,” Rena paused as she took up to following him if he continued walking, sounding far too happy considering the gruesome scene that had just played out before her, “That’s something some girls can really appreciate, you know.” Those teasing words came with a smirk and a wink, she really wouldn’t be having fun if she wasn’t playing with fire. Some sort of dangerous- that’s what she saw, and it was more than enough to thoroughly pique her interest.

Rolling her shoulders as she relaxed a bit despite the bloodthirsty man, the rifle crossbow and quiver strapped to her back shifted a bit with the movement of her shoulder blades, a hundred bolts rustling as well in their container. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in her demeanor or expression or aura or anything- thanks to that weapon as long as the utility belt holding her skirt up that was hidden just barely under the hem of her coat. The bulge was likely unnoticeable for the most part thanks to it being a bit large on her, probably keeping the contents of twenty-two knives, 171 senbon, and a compass baseplate secret.

[Lucius]

“So Harsh”

The words of a young girl passed over his head like so much wind, the mutterings of harshness were common amongst the bystanders and one more phrase of speech wasn’t about to make him turn around to listen. But the girl didn’t stop there.

“You’ve got to be some sort of sadist, right? I mean, you could have ended him so much more quickly”

For some reason amongst all the other background chatter those words took hold, this girl wasn’t just talking about him, she was talking to him. He turned to her, stopping on the cobblestone town square, still ankle deep in slush from the night’s snow. Eyes alighting upon this new face he immediately revaluated her age, her light, lilting cheerful, voice and diminutive stature (At least in counterpoint to his own height) had suggested to him a girl, perhaps a teenager.

But this girl, no this woman, had an ageless quality and he doubted he could have guessed her age if he’d tried. Her eyes were alight with a bright honest mirth, but also a slightly hidden joy, for some reason she had enjoyed the spectacle of that idiot’s death and was now trying to converse with him about it.

Lucius briefly considered ignoring the woman, moving on into the crowd and waiting for his next bout, but something about her made him stay put and listen to what she had to say.

“That’s something some girls can really appreciate, you know.”

The teasing quality of the woman’s voice had so little effect ton Lucius’ demeanour and mood it might as well have been water smashing against the cliff face of a long forgotten island. But the northerner looked beyond the woman’s tone and into her intent, thinly veiled though it was. She had enjoyed the spectacle of the foolish fighter’s death, perhaps it was the bloodshed, or his display of skill. Maybe even the enjoyment had come from watching the other man suffer and flounder about.

Ultimately to Lucius it didn’t matter, his sword still hungered for blood and he wanted to fight again, but he had to wait. He was many things, but at his heart Lucius was an honourable man, he would not breach this community’s rules simply to slake his bloodlust. He would wait and he might as well have company while he did so.

For the first time he really looked at the young woman, she had a thick stocked crossbow slung over her back and a heavy quiver of quarrels, sitting neatly in ordered rows. Her clothes were not worn, indeed they looked nearly new, but there was an air of familiarity about her that suggested that she not only fit the clothes, but they might as well have been made for her.

Her doe eyes and equally brown hair were nondescript, and her smile was, while cheerful, noncommittal, as if this encounter didn’t really matter to her. His gaze darted downwards passing over her womanly attributes without pausing to take in her entire being. There was a faint bulge at her waist, barely hidden by the hem of her jacket, but to someone like Lucius who lived by being observant it was plain as day. Her calfskin boots were somewhat sturdier than usual and he wondered if she expected to travel far in them.

The rapid, near instantaneous, appraisal of the woman’s figure ended swiftly and his eyes darted back up to meet hers, his intense gaze, broken by the occasional blink, bored into her own. He stood there for perhaps five seconds, letting the silence stretch between them. He was impressed when she didn’t break it. Finally he spoke, turning and walking to where his coat, pack and baldric still lay.

“A sadist, I guess I am. Truly it is the skill of battle I enjoy, and I hold a great deal of contempt for those who lack it, he didn’t have an ounce of skill in his body, he deserved to be toyed with, to be shown that he was nothing.”

It was perhaps the greatest number of words he had spoken in a single sitting in several years. Few people approached him; fewer still chose to engage him in conversation, until now not a single one had provoked a response. He did not look back at the woman as he leaned against the wall of the building he was resting against in his shirt sleeves unconcerned with the biting cold, choosing rather to look at the fighting rings again, idly observing the unskilled combat happening there.

“Perhaps I should return the question. You seemed to enjoy watching that almost as much as I enjoyed doing it.”

[Lucius]

Lucius waited patiently for a reply and was dissapointed when the ageless woman merely stood and stared at him as if she were struck dumb. Disdainful he focused on the bouts and quickly forgot about her as she was swallowed by the crowd. Time stretched and Lucius began to feel boredom. He briefly considered simply leaving the backwater of a town but something made him stay.

He couldn't say for sure what it was but there was a quality to this place that set his mind humming with excitement, and his blood roiling with fervor. Outwardly he was calm, bored, and generally uninterested; but inside he was alert and watchful. Each bout was carefully observed, not the amateur ring but the out of towners. One fighter caught his eye, female, tall and elegant, not brutish in any respect but carrying a presence of power that Lucius usually only associated with soldiers.

She wielded a long bladed falchion, it was broad and sharp and for the first time outside of his own battle, blood was shed. She didn't kill her foe but her blade had clearly seen bloodshed, it was not a duelist's weapon, but a killer's. Lucius knew instinctively that he would fight the swarthy woman with outlandish clothes, it was only a matter of time.

His name was called again and he nearly spat on the ground at the sight of his next opponent. A boy, no older than Lucius himself, but with none of his battle tempered inner strength. His father's long-sword in one hand and a dented buckler in the other were his armaments and Lucius could tell simply by looking at the boy he'd never swung the weapon in anger. This was barely worth the effort.

He stood though, aware of the fact that the boy knew he could die in the ring with him, he didn't mind spilling a little blood regardless. Though it was always sweeter when it put up a fight.

-:-

The crowd hushed as Lucius approached the ring again, he stood head and shoulders taller than the whelp and the spectators still had fresh in their minds the image of Kialo's corpse after the monstrously tall northerner had dealt with him. He had missed the whelps name and spoke softly in inquiry.

"Tell me your name, I missed it when it was called."

The vocal reply was incongruously deep and Lucius raised a thin eyebrow at the tone.

"Timothy."

The voice, while deep, was obviously fearful, and cracked at the edges like stressed wood. Lucius sent the boy a penetrating stare, hoping to frighten him from the ring. It wasn't that he felt sorry for him, he honestly just didn't want to waste time with him.

"FIGHT"

The call rang out and Lucius moved forwards in a quick dash; going from standing upright to a half crouch, then propelling himself forwards with a minute grunt of exertion. His Sabre flicked out and Lucius felt a tug against the weapon as he passed the boy, the clang was completely unexpected and he felt his weapon twist in his grasp as he passed, bouncing slightly off the boy's buckler.

He turned in the same motion, ending up behind his opponent and came to a halt as Timothy turned on the spot, shield still raised, he must have brought it up just in time. His eyes were filled with terror and the knuckles of his right hand were white where they gripped the long-sword. Lucius wondered if the boy would strike back, but he couldn't be bothered waiting to find out.

He lunged forwards, the point of his Sabre piercing straight through the thin metal of the aged buckler and stabbing straight between two of the boy's ribs. He coughed once, splattering Lucius with flecks of blood as, like before, Lucius kept eye contact with his victim.

There was no surge of pleasure from the act this time though, he felt vaguely dissapointed at the pitiful gulp the boy gave as he tried to speak. Lucius' other hand gripped the wrist of the boy's sword arm and twisted it, keeping the point of the still deadly weapon away from him as he supported Timothy's weight on his blade.

The long -sword dropped to the snowy cobbles with a muted clang and slowly the light left his eyes. After a moment, when Lucius was sure he was dead, he brought his foot up and used it to shove the boy off his sword, sending his corpse to sprawl in the slush.

He ignored the announcer proclaiming his victory and stalked from the ring, a bitter mood filling him.

Such a waste of time.

[Rena]

Somehow the temporarily brunette woman lost track of her own thoughts. Rena ended up just staring blankly at some random point, some amount of time passing that she herself couldn't even figure out. Finally when she did snap out of it, her chocolate orbs blinked a few times as she shook her head. A frown pulled down at the corners of her lips when she realized that she had just spaced out completely, sighing in annoyance at herself as she recomposed herself. After a moment she looked around for the man she had just been speaking to before she shrugged and turned to leave, not seeming to be too bothered by it.

[exit]

[Lucius]

[Just OOC a moment]

This thread is now DE, I'd prefer to fight other c ranks, but I don't mind going higher, or lower for that matter.

[Deleted]

somebodyloveme

I CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IF ONLY YOU'D GIVE ME A CHANCE

THE COAST OF DHARMA still held the whimsical little panda boy; his new fascination with the idea of 'coastlines' attached him to it, and he kept it most always in sight during his constant adventure-seeking trek.

Strange things were happening to his body, to be sure; it seemed the further he traveled, the more it grew. Flashes of memory - like poorly preserved film - became accessible to him, and the insidious, imperious voice grew in volume. He saw men bowing before him, saw a woman with the most immense chest he'd ever chanced to imagine and piercing mauve eyes not unlike his own. The memories filled him with the most peculiar sense of belonging. If ever Lilith considered the people about him to be people, it was growing more and more difficult. It was safe to say that his ego was growing at more than twice the rate of his physical body.

Utterly at random, the boygirl came upon yet another town in his wanderings, the name of which he knew not, but it looked a pleasant enough little place, or so he reckoned at first glance. As he ventured along the frosted cobblestone of its streets, he glanced about in awe. "Where is everybody?" He wondered aloud. It was then that the clash of steel reached his ears, and his head swiveled in the direction of the noise.

Lilith was equipped with his eternal attire; rose undershirt dressed over top with ebon waistcoat, a panda-esque hat with mittens attached (but not worn) by long pieces of cloth. His lavender bangs mostly masked the giant black patch around his right eye. Below the small of his back was a xiphos lying in its mahogany scabbard, a weapon the boy had stolen from an exquisite smith before he had left the Lightning Country. On his left hip lay his butt bag, storing a single baseplate compass, ten common knives and fifteen smoke pouches.

Lilith pranced into the town square, the clangor rising in volume as he approached. The scene he found was an interesting one; men were circled about what seemed to be perfectly well-respected sword-fights! Lilith blinked rapidly, wondering at what these men had done that they were being made to fight to the death!? Or... not to the death, perhaps. Some were merely sporting bleeding wounds, but they were definitely animate. Still, from where Lilith was standing he could make out where a couple of dead bodies had been dragged to the side of a building. Curious, Lilith made his way over to the pile.

There were only two, thus far. Everyone present was too preoccupied with the matter of the current spars to pay the morbid androgyne any mind. He pulled up one of the man's hands, and found that they were missing fingers. Lilith found himself sucking his own thumb idly, as if in new appreciation of the digit. After a second, he heard a kerfuffle from behind him, and rapidly stepped away from the bodies. Two men gave him a curious, disgruntled glance; between them they carried a boy, younger than the other fallen. Lilith watched them load on his unmoving corpse without inflection, still with his thumb in his mouth. The two men stared at him as they went to rejoin the crowds, but said nothing. After another moment, Lilith began to venture again about the circle.

I want to kill something, said an inner voice, almost too subtle to be conscious. There was a stall-like area, complete with somber-looking seated persons and paper. Lilith recognized it as a place of organization, and he approached it with intention. "Can I fight too?" He asked them straightforwardly, truly wondering if he qualified; if they would let him. The representatives glanced between each other, probably wondering if it was wise to let the gender-ambiguous child participate. His case was not helped by the fact that he was still chewing the nail of his right thumb.

"How old are you, boy?" One of the men behind the desk - the oldest - asked. "Umm, fourteen. Wait, no, seventeen. Yeah!" He responded, smiling brightly. The concept of age was a weird thing to the boy, so he was just reciting numbers that people had assigned to him in the past. He didn't get what the big deal about 'age' was anyway. It was just how old you looked, why did it govern so much of what you were allowed to do?

The senior gulped, but dipped a quill in ink and passed it over to Lilith, along with one of the lists, and indicated a place. "Sign your name here, then," He asked, and Lilith did so, hastily scrawling down the name with precision that befit that of an eight year old. When Lilith returned the paper, the man squinted at it. "Li...lith?" He asked. Lilith nodded happily. He loved that name. "Erm, are you a male, or a female?" The man asked. Lilith responded by staring at him for a long moment, before he smiled airily and left, trusting that the inscribing of his name would bring him new intrigue soon enough!

He found himself straying quite a ways outside the assembled crowd, nonetheless. Nobody else was really out here. Well, except for that one really tall guy, leaning against a building as he was, all by himself. Lilith liked people who didn't like other people. Well, sometimes. Occasionally, the little boygirl would give him a very pointed glance, hiding his mouth behind his panda paws, which he had donned. This was his utterly improper way of attempting to get the figure's attention. Eventually, he grew tired of waiting for the stranger to move, and, with a pointed huff, he moved over to the colossus himself, removing the paw from his right hand.

"Hello!" He squeaked from a full two feet below the giant, extending one skinny, frail hand out in greeting, like he knew people did. His lips were squashed together in a smile that was halfway innocuous and halfway suspiciously forced, though his wide lavender eyes betrayed absolutely nothing.

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE

[Lucius]

Lucius absently brushed away some snow that had fallen into the valley of one of his scars while he watched the current, unskilled, bout. He was on the verge of simply abandoning the village as useless to him when a small figure greeted him with a minute squeaky voice that came close to annoying the taller man.

He barely moved, his bare chest seemingly frozen in place despite remaining limber, only his head tilted downwards where he fixed what looked like a teenager with a sharp penetrating gaze. The child's eyes betrayed nothing at all, they were essentially dead and it made Lucius internally grumble. People with dead eyes were rarely fun to kill.

His gaze drifted slowly, deliberately, down the teenager's body. It was not a sexual observation, Lucius wouldn't know the meaning of the phrase, rather it was one of disdain, as if to say; 'is that all?'. He was internally surprised at the occurrence of a second interested party, a second child no less, in the same day.

The child was garbed for travel and had a large sword, almost too large for his frame really, strapped to his back. All manner of other pouches accompanied the weapon and Lucius very much doubted if he didn't have more instruments of death hidden away.

There was an agelessness to this child, much as there had been with the other one, Lucius noticed a theme. This was softer though, the agelessness was less physical and more mental. While the other comer was something of an enigma of body, and straight forward in mind, this one was nearly unreadable in person, but very obviously a teen in body.

Lucius himself was of course bare chested, but his coat and shirt were nearby, his saber was at his belt, back in it's scabbard, and his lengthy war sword in it's harness was draped over a fence. A pouch at his waist contained the sixteen caltrops he rarely used and the knife holster strapped to his chest held it's single payload snugly. Finally a rounded buckler sat next to his pack. It was not in immediate reach but simply moving towards it would take but a moment.

The snow began to fall thicker even as he observed the child and it pooled around his leather travelling boots. His breeches were untarnished by the snow, but probably not for long. He brushed at them absently, a very human action, but a deliberate one.

His intense stare did not move the child and he figured he'd need to at least appease it before it left.

"Greetings child. Do I know you?"

He did not, that was clear. But it was polite. He pointedly ignored the outstretched hand.

[Deleted]

somebodyloveme

I CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IF ONLY YOU'D GIVE ME A CHANCE

THE TALLER MAN silently declined the handshake, though Lilith kept his hand extended for quite a while, not having encountered the phenomenon of such rejection before. Eventually, he figured that the man was not going to respond, and his hand fell slowly to his side. Lilith raised his opposite, gloved hand to his mouth, instantly thoughtful. What a strange person, he was, that he did not wish to engage in the mien-revealing exchange. Lilith looked at the hand he had offered. No: it was definitely pristine, unsullied. So what was the matter?

He produced another polite smile, and looked back up at the figure, almost having to crane his neck to see him eye to eye. "Nooo-o...!" He said, with a sing-song rise of pitch. "But you're big and tall, taller than anyone else, and you look bored, like me! You're kinda scary, though." A lock had curled to itch at the boygirl's cheek; he brushed it aside with his naked hand, briefly revealing the black patch over his eye, before he returned the hand to its mitten. "Why don't you like shaking hands with people?" The question was innocent, but as was occasionally the result of Lilith's incomprehension of social norms, it may well have been jarring. People reacted weirdly to some questions, but Lilith didn't really care. He wanted answers. He liked answers.

He had best be given answers.

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE

[Lucius]

Lucius raised a single thin eyebrow.

Why didn't he like shaking hands?

He didn't honestly have a good answer for that, if he was an intellectual man he would have said that it was because touching other people made them more real, and ever so slightly harder to kill, and that was something Lucius didn't like. But Lucius wasn't an intellectual man, he was a killer, so his mind went elsewhere, like how delicate the child's fingers were and how much pressure it would require to remove them with his saber. It was a few moments before he realized the child was still waiting for a reply. He didn't deign to give him one, instead he asked a question of his own.

"Why are you here? Is your father fighting?"

Something about this accursed child made him talk. It was an annoyance he would examine later.

[Deleted]

somebodyloveme

I CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IF ONLY YOU'D GIVE ME A CHANCE

AGAIN, THE RESPONSE Lilith received was sorely lacking, failing to live up to the smaller boy's expectations. A crack appeared in his mask of cordiality: his smile straightened at the edges. A low 'ooooooooohh!' came up from the crowd at the panda boy's back, though he cared not what for. The taller man was not even looking at him anymore, instead surveying Lilith's hands. Perhaps reckoning with his own lack of willingness to shake them, as Lilith deserved? Nay, his riposte was a question unto itself, completely having evaded the previous inquiry.

"Why are you here? Is your father fighting?"

And there it was again; the corners of Lilith's mouth curled up, though his eyes were more unsettling than ever. Lilith didn't have a father, or he hadn't met him yet, so the assumption meant nothing to him. Or did it? Slowly, he shook his head once. His paws crept further up his face, hiding the grin, moving to obscure even his nose, creating a platform for those vast mauve oculi...

"I am," He whispered. A shout could be heard over the top of the townspeople's dying racket.

"Lucius versus, Lilith!"

When those words, apart from anything else, inevitably attracted the interest of the man before him, Lilith thought that this day was perfect.

I will remember what it is like to kill.

...Remember...?

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE

[Lucius]

"I am"

Of course he was

"Lucius versus, Lilith"

That got his attention, he raised his head wearily to look around, when the only response he got was staring he looked down only to see the child smiling

Of course he was

Resigned to the coming slaughter he decided to mix things up a bit and calmly slid his warsword free of it's harness and unsheathed his saber, letting the belt fall to the ground from where it was loosely fastened about his waist. Thus attired he moved smoothly to the fighting arena, he rarely used his buckler and honestly couldn't be bothered taking it with him, likewise he doubted his caltrops would find use in the bout. Especially if the child fought with the sword.

He doubted that somehow though, he looked far too thin to fight with such a weapon, it was likely more of a prop. Far more likely he would wield witchcraft to try and deceive or obliterate him

One of those things he could circumvent, the other he could not.

He stepped into the arena calmly and turned to face the child who was trailing him, deliberately, and calmly, he raised his saber and brought it down vertically across his own chest in a slow slice. He remembered the words of his mother, long ago.

"Pain is a weapon my son, it is the ultimate weapon, use it to focus your mind and block out all but the object of your offenses. The singular target of your mind shall be your sole focus, excluding all others whilst pain girds your mind."

And so it was, the moment he split his own skin to the open air and added another scar to his tapestry, blood flowing freely from the deep but nonthreatening cut, he was focused, he was deliberate. He was a Killer.

He spoke nothing, he did nothing, simply let the thin flow of hot, thick blood run down his chest and drip to the snow.

It smelled Divine.

[Deleted]

somebodyloveme

I CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IF ONLY YOU'D GIVE ME A CHANCE

THE CROWD PARTED at separate sections to allow the two competitors passage into the arena. Whether as Lucius drew his weapon of choice - a longblade - immediately, Lilith's own xiphos remained sheathed for the time being, though as he walked, he did touch his chest; it looked almost as though he was attempting to slow his own beating heart, though he was - surprisingly enough - already calm. The blue ether that began to subtly emanate from him could almost have been mistaken for the watery afternoon sun reflecting off the snow.

They stood in the circle, now, facing one another from a distance of fifteen meters apart. Without even extending his energy outward to absorb the feeling from the souls of the crowdspeople, he could sense the apprehension they were feeling. Of course they were! Lilith was small, and this man was very big. It's okay. I'm big too, really.

Lilith watched from afar, surreptitiously ungloved his hands and raised one to force a part of his soul outward to latch invisibly onto this man - 'Lucius' - who was to be his victim. At least, he would be Lilith's victim so long as he did not make it within range of the boygirl's small, undeniably fragile body, but Lilith knew how to reject incursion upon his personal space in a way that the introverted and anti-social of the world would surely envy.

The androgyne's eyes remained relatively blank as Lucius scarred himself, drawing a vertical cut out of his exposed chest. What a strange man: He declined social interaction and cut himself on purpose. How archetypal.

Now there was nothing surreptitious about the raised hands; it had been extended far too long, and his other hand yarely traced a little circle in the air at his chest. What was Lilith doing, one might ask? Why, he was forcing mystical energy outward into the giant's body; were one watching closely, they could almost see the way the blue light danced across the space, though by that point it may well have been too late to intervene; Lilith's mastery of the ether was such that the projectile traveled a full twenty-five meters per second, moving from caster to target in just over half a second, had said target remained perfectly in position.

He had not drawn his weapon as of yet, but in his expressionless and nigh on motionlessness, he would have increased his physical speed, rendered himself impossible to approach in physical combat, and perhaps even disabled his opponent completely for a matter of seconds. If Lilith had the presence of mind to examine the setting, he might have understood that such an action was - if not explicitly forbidden in the rulebook, perhaps (smallfolk knew little of the kind of ancient power that Lilith possessed) - clearly not in the spirit of things. Dishonorable, as it were.

But it was not like he cared. He had not even drawn his sword, as was the standard of the competition: He was not interested in fighting this man, he only wanted to satisfy this strange craving he had to dominate the colossal, impressive being, to the point where he saw the light die in his eyes, the redness leak from multiple orifices. It has been too long... and he is far too arrogant.

Only then would Lilith opt to reach his hand around and touch the hilt of the blade he had never yet chanced to use, drawing it from its scabbard.

ACTIVE: Used this turn

SPOILER: Click to show

-speed effect [1|3] (12 Seals: 1.3 Movements)
rank: "b"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: the user gives a target a haste effect that lets the target gain 2 movements.
special: ---
drawback: technique does not work with chakra gates.
description: by speeding the actions of the user's soul or a target's soul, the body and mind speeds up as well. by touching the target it speeds up their movements for 3 rounds. those affected by this technique will have a small blue glow until the technique stops.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

-harm thy soul [1|12] [Affected creature is LUCIUS] (4 Seals: 0.44 Movements)
rank: "d", "c", "b", "a", "s"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: user targets a creature and forbid it from getting to close to the user.
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: user performs this technique on an opponent at up to 20 meters away by shooting a ray like attack that's invisible to the naked eye. the opponent doesn't feel the effects, however the opponent's soul and the user's soul reacts in a repelling manner. whenever an opponent reaches 2 meters of the user they are quickly repelled 10 meters. this technique lasts 2 rounds per class level and each rank the user learns the technique. each rank the user learns equals the class level the user may repel. so if the user who is "c" class knows only the "b" rank version they may only repel a "b" class user or lower for 10 rounds.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

-searing soul [known x4, 35m distance, 25 mps] [note MODIFIER] (8 Seals: 0.88 Movements)
rank: "c"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: user can assault the soul of another.
special: ---
drawback: may learn multiple times. this attack has no effect on constructs.
description: this attack is a 15 meter ray of soft blue light. the user attacks one person by extending their arm out. this attack hits the insides of the user, affects their very life force. at first it doesn't cause much damage however the higher the more the user learns the deadlier the technique becomes. the attack leaves no physical damage, but creates internal damage against the user's life line. people said it feels like having a heart attack while having lost of breathe. each time learned the user is capable of shooting this technique 5 meters extra. technique may travel 10 meters per second plus 5 meters per class level.
after 50 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
after 100 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
after 150 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
cap of this technique is 200 meters.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

PASSIVE: Constantly Active & Miscellaneous Information

SPOILER: Click to show

TRICKSTER
the user gains a +1 trait bonus to their class level when determining the duration, range, and area of all jutsus from figments and glamours. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

WHO, ME?
user gains a +4 heritage bonus on all saves against any effect who's are alignment-dependent. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

MASTER ILLUSIONIST
user gains a +1 trait bonus to their own genjutsus against others and a +1 trait bonus to their saves in order to disbelieve genjutsu. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

IMPECCABLE WILL: 0
ENCHANTMENT FOCUS: 0
ILLUSION FOCUS: 0
HANDSEALS PER TURN: 63
MOVEMENTS PER TURN: 5 (+2)
HANDSEALS PER MOVEMENT: 12.6 (9)
HANDSEAL REDUCTION: 1/3

-empath: permanent charm
rank: "a"
skill: genjutsu
effect: user's charm justus last until the target breaks free of them.
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: the duration of charm jutsus performed with this jutsu becomes permanent until escaped. this does not include compulsions. most charm jutsus have both a maximum duration and a means by which the target can escape the jutsu, i.e. a save made when asked to do something they oppose doing. this jutsu eliminates the duration. performing a charm jutsu with permanent charm increases the handseals by 1 rank than normal. a jutsu like charm person could create a permanent friend if the user never asks the target to do anything they would not do. however, a jutsu like enthrall will end when the user stops speaking or singing or if an audience member is attacked. the duration of most charm jutsus lasts for hours or days. this jutsu cannot be applied to a jutsu whose duration is less than 1 hour.
limit: must know the charm perception. automatically gained once mastered charm perception.

-enchanter: disenchanter
rank: "a"
skill: genjutsu
effect: user gains better protection against all enchantment jutsus (including charm and compulsion).
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: the disenchanter gives the enchanter a +4 bonus to all saves against enchantment jutsus (including charm and compulsion) and a +2 bonus to saves against other mind-affecting effects.
limit: must know the enchantment perception. automatically gained once mastered enchantment perception.

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE

[Lucius]

Oh, so it was the other type of witchcraft then

He should have seen it coming. The irony was that his mind was free, he was perfectly aware of what was happening, he was straining mentally against himself, but his body refused to move. He was like a statue, he didn't want to die this way, it was pathetic really. This child wasn't defeating him, not in the noble sense. This was deception, trickery, false.

But he couldn't do a thing about it, so he satisfied himself by standing in place, and relaxing his mind, going over prayers of his homeland, preparing his mind for the afterlife, even if his body would never reach Valhalla.

Soon it would be all over, and the river of blood a million leagues broad would end with his own.

He hoped the child was happy, because all Lucius felt as his body betrayed him was dissatisfaction.

[Battle Moderator 1]

One thing I will state for future reference,

Every technique, every type of attack, takes up one movement no matter how long it takes to perform the handseals or other preparation gestures. The exception is anything that states unique movement use, such as Shunshin.

There is a handseals-per-round limit. However, that doesn't govern movements. Handseals take place, then the technique itself takes up 1 movement.

Movements don't take up the same amount of time. A quick punch and a complicated monster construction both take up a movement, but how long it takes to finish each action is based on what people find to be reasonable.

So no .# movements, next time.

[Deleted]

[OOC: right. That system always seemed counterintuitive to me, but oh well.]

somebodyloveme

I CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IF ONLY YOU'D GIVE ME A CHANCE

LUCIUS WAS NOT MOVING; Lilith had seen his spirit bolt hit him, so all signs pointed towards him being affected by it. The taller man would not be able to move for a matter of seconds, Lilith was sure. He could feel it. As such, there was no haste in the way he drew his blade, hissing, from its scabbard. Around about this time, the townspeople realized something was amiss; there was confused whispering, which rose in volume as Lilith stalked slowly, patiently forward and raised his blade to point horizontally at the man's left kidney, gleaning no reaction from him whatsoever, though the crowd began to shout their consternation. 

He raised his lavender eyes to stare into Lucius's own silver, and smiled. "You were very rude to me," He chided, before he pushed the blade forth into the muscular being's gut, reinforcing his sword arm with his opposite hand, such was the resilience of this figure's tissue. The way his flesh gave would be satisfying; Lilith's airy smile endured through it all, watching the man's eyes as he began to bleed, before he looked instead towards the wound, and the trickling red rivers that appeared as he resurrected his blade. Then, again, he inserted it in a different place, grunting a little bit with the effort. 

"What the hell?!" "Why did you just let him do that!" "Shinobi tricks!" "Did you see him perform any seals?!"

The crowd was now in an uproar, and Lilith knew that soon they might turn on him, so as he drew his bloodied weapon from the man's flesh he dropped it to the snow and whirled around, knowing that the giant would be incapable of fighting back and would - despite his inability to move voluntarily - likely find the strength in his limbs gushing out of him - proportionate to his lifeblood - and sink to the cold ground. He no longer required attention. 

He had not, in fact, used conventional shinobi hand-signs, but he knew that an aggravated mob quickly began to overlook such details in their harsh condemnations! As such, he would begin to weave hand-symbols, causing the surrounding people to break rank, but before they were upon him, his chakra spilled forth into the air, washing over all of them within a twenty-five meter radius, including whatever remained of the dying Lucius (not that he was a target of concern by this point). 

"WAIT!" He yelled out, and they all abruptly stopped. He smiled around at them. "He was only impressed by my bravery! I beat him fair and square." That seemed convincing enough, did it not? They were under no threat from him, so they were like to take his words at face value, now that he had opened their minds to his will. Their anger quickly subsided, and Lilith smiled encouragingly at them as they began to step back.

This done, he turned his attention to Lucius's dying body. Had he yet passed? Lilith meditated quietly upon the scene. His ungloved hands came up to cover his mouth. It was nice to be reminded, some part of him said. Still, it hadn't been nearly as satisfying as said voice had promised him. He grimaced.

Oh well!

ACTIVE: Used this turn/Recently

SPOILER: Click to show

-charm person, mass [25m distance] (12/63 Seals)
rank: "b"
skill: genjutsu
effect: this jutsu functions like charm person, except that mass charm person affects multiple people within the area.
special: "handseals"
drawback: ---
description: a mind-affecting technique. affects 1 or more creatures, no 2 of which can be more than 10 meters apart. the user is able to perform this technique at a distance of 7 meters plus 6 meters per class level. the duration of this technique is permanent. this technique may be negated. this jutsu functions like charm person, except that mass charm person affects multiple people within the area.
limit: must know the charm perception.

-speed effect [2|3]
rank: "b"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: the user gives a target a haste effect that lets the target gain 2 movements.
special: ---
drawback: technique does not work with chakra gates.
description: by speeding the actions of the user's soul or a target's soul, the body and mind speeds up as well. by touching the target it speeds up their movements for 3 rounds. those affected by this technique will have a small blue glow until the technique stops.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

-harm thy soul [2|12] [Affected creature is LUCIUS]
rank: "d", "c", "b", "a", "s"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: user targets a creature and forbid it from getting to close to the user.
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: user performs this technique on an opponent at up to 20 meters away by shooting a ray like attack that's invisible to the naked eye. the opponent doesn't feel the effects, however the opponent's soul and the user's soul reacts in a repelling manner. whenever an opponent reaches 2 meters of the user they are quickly repelled 10 meters. this technique lasts 2 rounds per class level and each rank the user learns the technique. each rank the user learns equals the class level the user may repel. so if the user who is "c" class knows only the "b" rank version they may only repel a "b" class user or lower for 10 rounds.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

-searing soul [known x4, 35m distance, 25 mps] [note MODIFIER]
rank: "c"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: user can assault the soul of another.
special: ---
drawback: may learn multiple times. this attack has no effect on constructs.
description: this attack is a 15 meter ray of soft blue light. the user attacks one person by extending their arm out. this attack hits the insides of the user, affects their very life force. at first it doesn't cause much damage however the higher the more the user learns the deadlier the technique becomes. the attack leaves no physical damage, but creates internal damage against the user's life line. people said it feels like having a heart attack while having lost of breathe. each time learned the user is capable of shooting this technique 5 meters extra. technique may travel 10 meters per second plus 5 meters per class level.
after 50 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
after 100 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
after 150 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
cap of this technique is 200 meters.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

PASSIVE: Constantly Active & Miscellaneous Information

SPOILER: Click to show

TRICKSTER
the user gains a +1 trait bonus to their class level when determining the duration, range, and area of all jutsus from figments and glamours. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

WHO, ME?
user gains a +4 heritage bonus on all saves against any effect who's are alignment-dependent. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

MASTER ILLUSIONIST
user gains a +1 trait bonus to their own genjutsus against others and a +1 trait bonus to their saves in order to disbelieve genjutsu. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

IMPECCABLE WILL: 0
ENCHANTMENT FOCUS: 0
ILLUSION FOCUS: 0
HANDSEALS PER TURN: 63
MOVEMENTS PER TURN: 5 (+2)
HANDSEAL REDUCTION: 1/3

-empath: permanent charm
rank: "a"
skill: genjutsu
effect: user's charm justus last until the target breaks free of them.
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: the duration of charm jutsus performed with this jutsu becomes permanent until escaped. this does not include compulsions. most charm jutsus have both a maximum duration and a means by which the target can escape the jutsu, i.e. a save made when asked to do something they oppose doing. this jutsu eliminates the duration. performing a charm jutsu with permanent charm increases the handseals by 1 rank than normal. a jutsu like charm person could create a permanent friend if the user never asks the target to do anything they would not do. however, a jutsu like enthrall will end when the user stops speaking or singing or if an audience member is attacked. the duration of most charm jutsus lasts for hours or days. this jutsu cannot be applied to a jutsu whose duration is less than 1 hour.
limit: must know the charm perception. automatically gained once mastered charm perception.

-enchanter: disenchanter
rank: "a"
skill: genjutsu
effect: user gains better protection against all enchantment jutsus (including charm and compulsion).
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: the disenchanter gives the enchanter a +4 bonus to all saves against enchantment jutsus (including charm and compulsion) and a +2 bonus to saves against other mind-affecting effects.
limit: must know the enchantment perception. automatically gained once mastered enchantment perception.

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE

[Lucius]

Lucius wished he could speak, he wished he could curse this child to a lifetime of boredom, if only to make his own last moments worthwhile.

For the first time in his life Lucius felt regret; he hadn't managed to so much as scratch the pasty sprite before it's witchcraft had taken hold. He tried to move one final time but was unable. Submitting to his own mortality at last Lucius felt the warm fingers of death creep up around his heart and he embraced them fully.

In his mind he vowed calmly, not in panic, or fear, but in a simple promise.

"I'll come back Lilith. And one day, I'll tear you to pieces."

With that final mental vow Lucius slipped into the void.

[Deleted]

somebodyloveme

I CAN BE BEAUTIFUL IF ONLY YOU'D GIVE ME A CHANCE

"VICTOR: LILITH!" 

The townspeople were complying conveniently. Lilith smiled warmly at them all before he turned to the body sinking down into the thin snow. His eyes were still alight, but fading fast. Not wasting any time waiting for the man to perish, Lilith picked up his own weapon, wiping its crimson into the damp ground before replacing it in his sheath. Thereafter, he picked up the far more massive longsword that his opponent had carried. It is not as though the guy himself would be using it any time soon! He also reached into the man's back pockets - he had fallen upon his front - and found a good deal of money within. Lilith had observed that blood was the life force of people, but paper seemed to be the life force of the earth.

Whilst still crouched, Lilith rigidly waved a hand to Lucius. "Bye, mister!" He whispered secretively, before standing and dragging the blade away; it created a rut and a muffled grating in the snow where he walked. He bypassed the crowd; they opened their ranks for him, not quite sure what to make of him in both their artificial and very real confusion. Lilith saw a lot of people despondently, bemusedly handing money over to other people, and wondered at it. He left, however. He was not overly happy with having murdered that person, contrary to what he had expected. One gloved hand sat at his mouth in reflection as he dragged his prizes off out of the town of... whatever.

[Looted x1 Longsword, all Ryo]

[Exit]

ACTIVE: Used this turn/Recently

SPOILER: Click to show

-charm person, mass [25m distance] (12/63 Seals)
rank: "b"
skill: genjutsu
effect: this jutsu functions like charm person, except that mass charm person affects multiple people within the area.
special: "handseals"
drawback: ---
description: a mind-affecting technique. affects 1 or more creatures, no 2 of which can be more than 10 meters apart. the user is able to perform this technique at a distance of 7 meters plus 6 meters per class level. the duration of this technique is permanent. this technique may be negated. this jutsu functions like charm person, except that mass charm person affects multiple people within the area.
limit: must know the charm perception.

-speed effect [3|3]
rank: "b"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: the user gives a target a haste effect that lets the target gain 2 movements.
special: ---
drawback: technique does not work with chakra gates.
description: by speeding the actions of the user's soul or a target's soul, the body and mind speeds up as well. by touching the target it speeds up their movements for 3 rounds. those affected by this technique will have a small blue glow until the technique stops.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

-harm thy soul [3|12] [Affected creature is LUCIUS]
rank: "d", "c", "b", "a", "s"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: user targets a creature and forbid it from getting to close to the user.
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: user performs this technique on an opponent at up to 20 meters away by shooting a ray like attack that's invisible to the naked eye. the opponent doesn't feel the effects, however the opponent's soul and the user's soul reacts in a repelling manner. whenever an opponent reaches 2 meters of the user they are quickly repelled 10 meters. this technique lasts 2 rounds per class level and each rank the user learns the technique. each rank the user learns equals the class level the user may repel. so if the user who is "c" class knows only the "b" rank version they may only repel a "b" class user or lower for 10 rounds.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

-searing soul [known x4, 35m distance, 25 mps] [note MODIFIER]
rank: "c"
skill: ninjutsu
effect: user can assault the soul of another.
special: ---
drawback: may learn multiple times. this attack has no effect on constructs.
description: this attack is a 15 meter ray of soft blue light. the user attacks one person by extending their arm out. this attack hits the insides of the user, affects their very life force. at first it doesn't cause much damage however the higher the more the user learns the deadlier the technique becomes. the attack leaves no physical damage, but creates internal damage against the user's life line. people said it feels like having a heart attack while having lost of breathe. each time learned the user is capable of shooting this technique 5 meters extra. technique may travel 10 meters per second plus 5 meters per class level.
after 50 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
after 100 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
after 150 meters user must train an extra 10 tp per tech - tp does not go down by class level.
cap of this technique is 200 meters.
limit: must be a soulcaster.

PASSIVE: Constantly Active & Miscellaneous Information

SPOILER: Click to show

TRICKSTER
the user gains a +1 trait bonus to their class level when determining the duration, range, and area of all jutsus from figments and glamours. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

WHO, ME?
user gains a +4 heritage bonus on all saves against any effect who's are alignment-dependent. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

MASTER ILLUSIONIST
user gains a +1 trait bonus to their own genjutsus against others and a +1 trait bonus to their saves in order to disbelieve genjutsu. this trait replaces 1 freebies.

IMPECCABLE WILL: 0
ENCHANTMENT FOCUS: 0
ILLUSION FOCUS: 0
HANDSEALS PER TURN: 63
MOVEMENTS PER TURN: 5 (+2)
HANDSEAL REDUCTION: 1/3

-empath: permanent charm
rank: "a"
skill: genjutsu
effect: user's charm justus last until the target breaks free of them.
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: the duration of charm jutsus performed with this jutsu becomes permanent until escaped. this does not include compulsions. most charm jutsus have both a maximum duration and a means by which the target can escape the jutsu, i.e. a save made when asked to do something they oppose doing. this jutsu eliminates the duration. performing a charm jutsu with permanent charm increases the handseals by 1 rank than normal. a jutsu like charm person could create a permanent friend if the user never asks the target to do anything they would not do. however, a jutsu like enthrall will end when the user stops speaking or singing or if an audience member is attacked. the duration of most charm jutsus lasts for hours or days. this jutsu cannot be applied to a jutsu whose duration is less than 1 hour.
limit: must know the charm perception. automatically gained once mastered charm perception.

-enchanter: disenchanter
rank: "a"
skill: genjutsu
effect: user gains better protection against all enchantment jutsus (including charm and compulsion).
special: ---
drawback: ---
description: the disenchanter gives the enchanter a +4 bonus to all saves against enchantment jutsus (including charm and compulsion) and a +2 bonus to saves against other mind-affecting effects.
limit: must know the enchantment perception. automatically gained once mastered enchantment perception.

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE

[Nekomata Minh]

Approved