Sorana

"It is." Althea handed her the blanket, when Karin stepped out of the pool again. "It should work well enough, given how effectively you managed to clean up." Karin's cloths were surprisingly clean for the short time she'd spend swimming, and that without any soap at all. Shapeshifter. Maybe she was able to work with the blood, use it as some kind of fuel. Something else she would have to keep in mind. She pointed at herself, still wearing her normal cloths, her suit over her arm. "I've been searching for a place to change without everybody watching - but so far I failed." Was it prude that changing in front of everybody didn't work for her? But it simply felt wrong. Position and everything aside, she wasn't comfortable with everybody observing her, judging her underware. She discarded the thought as irrelevant and instead looked over at the dead worm. "We should consider to get rid of it. It will poison the water, with its tail still in there and lure more predators to this cave as well."

Althea picked up a blanket of one of the dead employees and offered it to Karin, in case that she wanted to follow Corette's example and wash off the blood as well. She wasn't sure if parading around in a set of wet cloths was approriate or not - but in the end that was something everybody else could decide on their own. Then, she walked over to another backpack, that sat lonely on the floor and fetched a new suit, handed it to the woman as well. "In case that you would like to change." Maybe Karin didn't care about these kind of things, but Althea would have wanted a more or less clean set of cloths, if she was drenched in blood, gore and acid like the other woman. Her eyes rested on Wes for a moment, who was staring at the worm, even peeked inside to see if anybody else was still alive. Nobody was. It wasn't surprising, but at the same time she wished that there were better news for him. But then, it was probably good that the journey had started like that. The sooner he lost his illusions, the better. She noticed the young woman, Wes, observe and looked at her for a moment before she shifted her weight to her other leg and opened her hand, let go of Brashen. Her weapon vanished an shortly afterwards her spren resumed his position of her shoulder, holding on to her hair. Mentally she made a note to keep an eye on this Wes as well. She kept to herself, observed, that made her a lot more dangerous than the loud ones. If only because she saw and remembered things, the others discarded and overlooked easily. @kenod

Temeria followed her inside, closed the door behind her. "I figured he was famous." She replied and raised an eyebrow. Mac had seemed a pretty decent man, god, whatever and she wasn't sure if Alanis was astonished that she knew him, or if she was shocked. Slowly she looked around, wondered how her sister had paid for all of these books, let alone the building. She had to be rich, really rich if she could afford all of this that easily. The air smelled strange, artificial, and there was some kind of machinery in the corner. The machine reminded Temeria why she had come here in the first place and again she wondered if it had been a good idea. To reveal to her sister, that she had no idea where she was, how to act? Her pride made her stand around uncomfortably, unsure if seitting down was some breach of protocol. Storms, she didn't even know enough about this place to avoid giving clues about not knowing enough about the place.

Mike nodded, stepped a bit back. Lusk had seen him unable to do anything. At least Mari had reacted, had done something. He had only stood there, stuttered something about not being a threat. Slowly he stepped towards the room and took a perk inside, tried to see what had happened. @Sherlock Holmes

Shana turned away from James and pulled out her phone. They had easily placed the candles in the water until the two people of the day were here. We're ready. You can show up any time. @ShadowLord_Lith

Gratefully Jessy shot Cheh a quick look, accepted John's explanation regarding ethics. He was right. They weren't perfect. But neither was she. "I am Jessy. I am a soldier, commanded my own starship. I've killed so many in the war, that I can't remember the number. I am rare, there aren't many human Biotics, but I am by no means one of my kind. I liked where I was and I belonged there. When they invited me for my N7 training, I felt like the proudest person on the planet, despite some others being invited as well." She sighed rubbed her face. "The two of you, I can see some similarities, but I just break the picture completely. I am an adult, I had a place I was comfortable with. Willingly I would never have left at all." And I'd love to go back.

Founded this place. Her sister had risen it seemed. High into the very league her mother would have loved. Any yet, while she had switched the topic as well, she hadn't asked her to step inside. Another sign, that she wasn't welcome here. "Mac Thorstenson." She replied and left everything else away. How he had told her, that he was a god and at the same time not a god. But he had refered to himself as a god. It didn't matter anymore. He had left. Her fingers reached out for his coin again, turned it around in her pocket when she realized that coming here had been a grave mistake. Her sister. Of all people to meet here, her sister was running this place. Temeria would have known how to handle an unfriendly man, an arrogant woman, everybody, but her sister - she had no idea how to deal with her. So for now she stayed quiet, tried to see if Mac's name sparked any reaction on Alanis part.

Lena nodded. "I think so, yes." She placed the note on the table and used the broken beer bottle to weigh it down. Strange to call everybody together again, really strange. She started to eat a banana and looked around the place again. "We used to spend so much time here. Maq's eleven, or were we twelve? I can't even remember." Leaning against a wall she looked around, the familiar place. "We should have used this spot earlier. It might come in handy for some other things we do. Maybe we should try to separate certain activities from the forge at one time or the other." It would be safer for Mart if they did. With another grin she turned towards him. "Let's maybe hang it up in the Odd job tavern as well? I don't know how many still are around here. And I wouldn't mind some other heads to bounce ideas around, or to lend a hand." =================== @Darth Woodrack @bees? @Ark1002 @Silva @Voidus @xinoehp512

"The pleasure is mine, Gati." she smiled at him and was about to add something, when Price mentioned the boy. The boy she had killed. He had been dead, she had said the words herself. she had checked. She knew, that he had been dead. "How?" She asked Price quietly, stared at the form of the boy sitting next to them. He was right, he was alive, she could see the tell-tale signs of his chest moving. Undead. "What is going on here?" She added, her hand closed around the handle of the tomahawk again. If only she had her armor, her sword. then she could face them all, but without them she felt vulnerable like a child. Fear grabbed her heart when she looked at the travellers again, slowly putting piece to piece. "What did you do?" She asked, her voice rising slightly. "Zura is acting strangely, I can't remember your names, but I know that I would have asked." she needed a name to say the last words. And it was impolite to sit down together without sharing names. "And the boy is alive again." Slowly she shifted her weight in order to get up quickly should they proove to be dangerous. @AonEne @Archer

"Good to see, that you survived." Althea nodded at Karin, her words honest, despite the fact that they lacked warmth. "I wasn't sure if, you'd make it." She didn't add any kind of reference to their earlier conversation, left it to Karin if she wanted to tell everybody about her powers or not. Instead she turned to a woman that had joined them. She hadn't learned her name yet, but that could be changed. "There are ways to survive immense damage to the body." She explained, made sure to stay with general facts instead of hinting at Karin's nature or her guild. She didn't know hoch much the woman knew about her. "Stormlight, or feruchemical gold, to name two examples. Additionally some epics from eath also have immense healing abilities, to name an example from outside the cosmere." Turning slightly to Wes she made sure to soften her voice a bit. "We can check for other survivors. Maybe some of them didn't reach the acid part of its stomach yet. They might have a chance." @Rushu42 @kenod @I think I am here.

"Karin." Althea exclaimed and rushed over, exteneded a hand to her side while running. Brashen formed in her hand, her hand reached out for the shaft of her helbard. Whisps of mist surrounded the blade for a moment, then Brashen solidified and she closed her fingers around her weapon. As usual it was huge, looked scary, and she still had only a rough idea how to wield it. Devaan had shown her a little bit and it had helped, but showing a little bit didn't make up for years she should have spend training with it. She stopped in front of the knife or tooth and then took a huge step to the side. Then another one. She took Brashen in both hands and slammed him down, easily cutting through the meat. There was no soul left to cut. A gush of blood and acid and other things rushed on the floor and the stink of the mixture made her gag. Althea stopped breathing, trusted the stormlight to keep her alive and slowly started to cut towards the place where she suspected Karin. She took her time, knew that if Karin got cut by Brashen it would have severe consequences she'd prefere to avoid.

Like Fur said, one surge fabrial is 15 per surge. Regarding the physical enhancements: F-Gold (50) and A-Pewter (45) are close to that. Given that both are more versatile than stormlight, since you can e.g. flare your pewter. I'd go with something around 65-70 for the physical enhancements. But please keep in mind, that a Radiant is like a package, it's hard to only take a part of it, without taking the rest as well.

Mike yelped in surprise when suddenly a gun was pointed at him. Mari attacked, but instead of reacting, he lifted his hands in defense. "What?" he asked, "I'm not a threat." His voice sounded weak, insecure. He wished for Porcupine, she would know what to do, but instead nothing came forward. There was only a slight feeling of peace, of another way, but the pistol, the fear in his chest immediatly overlay that feeling and he tried to figure out what to do. @Sherlock Holmes

Against the three of us. The words hurt, even more because she saw, that they were true for Alanis, and she closed her eyes for a moment, had to sort her thoughts. "The three of us never existed for me." She replied quietly, wanted to get it all of the table. "I wanted to belong to you, but you never took the time. It was only when he was gone, that you let me close. And I never could fill in the spot her left." Her hand toyed with the handle of her sword when she looked at her sister again, tried to fit the person standing in front of her to her memories of her sister. It fit, but the picture was off. But it wasn't Alanis, it was her. She had changed so much, had ended up such a different person, she would have to get to know this Alanis again. The new Temeria and the new Alanis would have to meet. "Scholar's guild?" She asked after a while. "It fits you. I was send her, for some information about this world. What to do, what to leave. Where to go. Things like that."

Althea watched the worm die, glad that it was over, and even more glad when she felt the rioting and the soothing stop pushing her mind this way and that way. She lowered her hand, took a moment to collect herself and then she walked over to the group Wes had joined. "Hello." She greeted them. "My name is Althea Tenira." It was about the same she had said when she had greeted Wes and Karin earlier - Karin. She was still trapped inside of the worm. If there was a chance, that she was still alive, she had to try to get her out. Althea looked towards the worm, and then back at the four in front of her. She could do it on her own, now that the worm was dead, she could simply soulcast all of it's flesh away, but she had decided to greet them, to come over. That also meant, that she would have to work in a team. A team. She wasn't entirely sure if she liked the thought, she didn't knew them, to trust them - no working together didn't mean, that she had to trust them. Trust could come later. "Would some of you be willing to help me try and see if Karin is still alive?" She gestured towards the worm. "If she isn't, then it will be a mess for nothing, but there might be a chance." It depended on Karin's investiture and a lot on the fact if Althea's suspicion was right or not. "I just think, that we should try? I can cut it's hide open easily, now that it doesn't move anymore, but it's huge and I think some aditional pairs of hand could be vital. The more time passes, the lower her chances are." She added without mentioning anything about her hunch towards Karin and her abilities. @ZincAboutIt @I think I am here. @I Rashek @TrailRunnin

Regarding the power level, what about 300? Double than what we have now? Of course characters could only be used in that thread.

I like that idea a lot!

So plot wise, anybody got preferences?

"Why do you suddenly even care where I am, or what I do?" Temeria shook her head, noticed the way Alanis looked at her sword. Interesting. So her sister hadn't learned how to defend herself. Poor girl. "Is he here as well? As usual the two of you together against the rest of the world?" Her words were seeped with anger, fueled by a long hidden pain. She had tried to belong, had tried to get into the close bond between her siblings, but she had always been the 'beloved one', left to deal with their mother on her own. Of course the position had had its perks, her life had been good. But it had been lonely. Temeria looked at the woman, tried to see the teen in her that had left her behind. Scholar's guild. It fit her always-reading sister, the one who had risked everything teaching a boy how to read. It fit very well. And she looked like their mother. It was the way her eyes looked at her, the posture, maybe the way the hair fell. Temeria couldn't pinpoint it, probably it was more that her memory of her mother was overwritten with Alanis face, that she searched for clues that this person really was her sister. That she was family. Family. With family here she wasn't alone, she had someone to take her along. A lifeline. Someone to explain, to take her hand and to guide her - and yet she felt nothing but contempt. Alanis had never cared about her, there was no reason she would start now.

Althea didn't question his words, the part of her still able to think knew that he was right. Wes rushed off, but she didn't care, didn't even notice the worms tail moving towards her, when it rushed towards a different prey. She was breathing in and out, tried to stop herself from crying, from breaking down completely, only her fear to embarress herself keeping her standing. She had to be strong, she was who she was, she represented - the tail hit her square in the chest and flung her over towards some boulders. Althea hit them with a sickening sound, pain blazed through her arm and somehow she still registered that most likely it was broken. And yet, the pain was almost inconsequential compared to one inside. Curling up she pressed the piece of metal against her forehead, closed her eyes and prayed that Wes had been right. He had been right. Of course he had. Investiture resists Investiture. She felt the rioting lessen, the same way the soothing lessened as well. Not completely, but enough that she could think again. That she could push the memories away. Althea slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, tried to get an overview over the situation, held her arm close to her chest. It was strange. She had been in so many battles, but she still lost track of who was where, doing what. Another deep breath, close eyes, open them again. Take a breath. Calm down. Slowly her throat felt less constricted and she leaned against the boulder, took a closer look at her arm. It was broken. Still shaking she inhaled more stormlight and looked up at the worm. They were killing it, because it was killing them. Gently she touched her connection to Max and froze when she found it weak, like a thread about to vanish completely. Investiture resists investiture. Assuring herself, that he was still there, she decided to count to ten and get up, walk over to the others and see if she could help. Counting was nice, it offered structure, a point when you had to act. The bendalloy was warm from the contact with her skin and she knew that she had regained her mask, her fears and pain carefully hidden. Ten. Althea knew why she was here, but at the same time, she wished she had stayed behind, stayed in familiar territory. All these new people, she hated to talk to strangers, to meet them. Nine. She was always afraid that, they would look down on her, laugh at her. It was easier to hide everything. Even after all these years, she still expected to be laughed at. Eight. And she had to live up to her position, had to make sure she didn't damage their reputation. Had to appear strong to ward off possible attacks. Seven. If she wanted to make a difference she would have to talk to them at one point. Six. It would be easier to follow her oaths, if she simply talked to them. Five. She could always wear her mask. It would make interacting with them easier. Four. Nobody requested her to open up. She could take her time, hide her emotions. Three. She was strong, she was better than this mess lying on the ground, memories dragging her down. Two. She had sworn to accept her emotions, but maybe she had to accept the memories as well. The burning cities, the falling stones. The desperation. But the desperation hadn't been hers. Neither had the fear. She could push them aside. One. Althea inhaled, felt her bone knit itself back together. She could do this, she forced herself to look past the shadows the memories cast. Althea got up.

A woman walked over to get the door, opened it. Something felt off about her, about the way she moved the way she looked at her. Temeria followed her movements with her eyes, looked her up and down, tried to find out why she seemed so familiar, who she reminded her of. The face, the hair, everything about her. No thought sparked, there was only the feeling that she did know her, maybe she had met her on the streets somewhere. Or she was a traveler as well. That meant she could have met her in Hallandren. It was only when she spoke that it clicked, the way her face moved, how she walked, how she held herself. Mother, no, too young- Dread filled her when she realized who was working for this guild. "Alanis." She replied her voice growing cold. Alanis. The coward. The one who had left her behind and fled. The one who had never even bothered to try to talk with her, instead she had taught their brother how to write. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, stared at the woman, the one who had damned her. But she had fled, took their brother with them and left her behind. "That has to be a joke." @Voidus

Lena turned around another corner and smiled when she saw their old safe house. It had been a while, she wasn't even sure, if it was still being used. "We don't need to pay them." She replied a bit belatedly. "They can sell what they steal. Just like we did with Alleyzon. We go there together, work together, share the revenue and then we part ways." Slowly she headed towards the back of the house and then slipped through a small door to its side. Dust was lying all over the place, but apart from that, it looked just like they had left it. There were some signs of use, a cleaner part here and there, only noticeable if you looked closely. It had been a while since a larger crew had met here, but somebody still now and then used this place. She sat down on a stool and grinned when she saw the broken beer bottle on the ground. It seemed like whoever had been here, hadn't bothered to clean up. @I think I am here.

Since Itiah already approved her, I added the edited version to the character list.

Althea was waiting for the Underling's reply when someone else stepped out of the Elevator and looked around. A woman, judging her cloths and the way she moved. Althea turned back to the monster, inhaled more stormlight and reached out for the first ACE employee to get them out of the way of the monster, when a rioting hit her. She recognized it immediatly, the familiar touch on her emotions, the way they changed, how she suddenly was alert, taking in details she had missed earlier. With a groan she lifted a hand, pressed it against her head. Who was it? Someone here had to be a Rioter, another one. Just like Max. But Max touch was different. She closed her eyes when the world started to spin when her memories surged again and this time she here, she was alert and unvoluntarily welcomed them with open arms. Remembered. The screams, the burning city. The storm, someone ripping her apart. It was the same, it was always the same, only the faces changed, but the feeling stayed the same. Again. Somebody was playing with her again, tricking her, hurting her. She screamed, opened her eyes in time to see the worm snatch up another employee of the ground and reacted on instinct, shaped the air across the head of the beast into a large stone spike, dropping it on its body. She didn't really aim, couldn't think clear enough to aim and calculate where to create the stone, but it was better than doing nothing. The worm moved, nearly avoided the stone, but it still left a gash in its side, before it hit the ground with loud, ground shaking noise. The noise. A build was crashing down, flames all around, engulfing them, the screams. Her screams. The woman's screams. They mixed became one and Althea placed a hand against a nearby structure, not seeing what it was to remain stading, tried to fight the memories back. "Just stop." She whispered, "Stop it." Brashen gently hugged her hand, when she tried to look past the rioting, past the memories that so easily surfaced again. She hated herself for being weak, for breaking so easily. Everybody was fighting and she was freaking out, freaking out again. Her hate only added to the mix, added to memory of desperation and pain, of darkness consuming her thoughts. Again it was dark around her, the storm was raging, no she had closed her eyes. Her chest constricted when breathing became difficult, when she slowly lost a fight. A flickering light reminded her of fire, the beast's movements, sounded like stone moving over stone. She clung to the post, forced herself to breath in and out, wished that it would finally stop, that whoever did this was finally satisfied and would let her go, let her escape her past, the feeling of mind being ripped apart. @TrailRunnin @ZincAboutIt