K'nahli

Every time I visit the forum, this just makes me squint with uncertainty....

So far I have just been predetermining an outcome and then doing whatever I see fit along the way. People I don't know make me nervous, especially since in the beastmen situation I tend to believe that they are highly competent foes that are not taken down easily by even adept fighters. It's difficult for me to get along with other people on that aspect because I can't turn around and tell them: "No, I don't like that". I'll always be nervous with unfamiliars I guess but I had a great time RP'ing three villains that attacked a caravan on it's way to Gridania a long time back. Despite their indivisible strengths and talents every one was very fair and never overpowered the three characters I made which made it very fun and exciting. I truly enjoyed that scene.

Some NPC in the Ul'dah back alleys(or wherever you call that place where the poor people beg) tried to sell K'nahli and Clover drugs on one occasion. *relevant*

Well excuse me. I guess I will stop trying and marking your assailants then since its obviously such an embarrassingly pathetic effort on my part and not worthy of even acknowledging as "anything" =w=

I'm not overly fond of those types that seem to have a predetermined decision that they want to romance someone's/anyone's character. In most cases, especially games like FF where you are mostly dealing with randoms, it seems like you are stripping your own character's free will and preferences and altering them(even if only minutely) just for the sake of engaging in something that frankly isn't necessary or all that interesting(at least not in every single case). Don't get me wrong, romance is undoubtedly a great thing to RP but it's not the centre of the universe when it comes to having fun while RP'ing or getting some interesting plot. People like that should really try to see how interesting they can make their RP without resorting to a cheap move like "and then they fall in love" just for the sake of spicing up the story or shipping their character. Not everyone is built for romance and frankly those that prove to play the exception interest me more personally, in general anyways.

Oh please, your 'mighty' company's entire armadas' creation was only made possible through the massive imports you accepted from our "little, hippy commune". Without us you would have nothing and even with it you are still held with about as much regard as the seven moon's worth of caked up, fermented dung that clings to the boots of a grisly chocobokeep. Go boot out another harmless race of beastmen from their homelands why don't you? It might make you feel more powerful and mighty.

K'mih is so pretty. Your edit on the first Black Shroud one is really beautiful. I love what you did with the background and that specific setting you chose(tree, sky, light, weather). It's really gorgeous. And of course I can't save it yet and will only end up forgetting ;;;;;;;;

Every company behaves the same way. The only reason the Maelstrom keep winning is because they are actually professional at being uncultured brigands that have no respect for order & authority and therefore have the upperhand at being effectually chaotic. As a result, they are going to get ahead of themselves and think of themselves as top dogs when really they still belong at the bottom of the food chain. [align=center][/align]

Occasionally. The lack of comprehensive skills among random teammates is rather off-putting though. Is there anyone here that would be willing to form some sort of group among the Adders during an EU-friendly time? I honestly couldn't care if we lost eighty times over so long as everyone was communicating and cooperating to the best of their ability.

So outdated and so irrelevant.

It near went completely against his rationality to dare and peek out from behind the tree once more. The trundling shuffle of the Ixali as they crushed fallen, yet solid branches beneath their great talons had grown so close now that it had almost sounded as though they were right on top of them - a concern that would prove to not linger very far from the truth. Though the creatures had initially been pushing in their direction, at some point while Andre wasn't looking, they seemed to have stemmed away from where they had initially been traveling and instead hugged closer to the road that lay a little uphill from their position. It wasn't much consolation considering how close danger yet loomed, but it had certainly earned them a little time at the very least. That one, tiny blessing had been just enough to help restore the hyur's slowly, rekindling nerve. He watched for a moment as the creatures' pace slowed, their depthless eyes eagerly peering along the fallen foliage for any signs of prior disturbance. The pace at which they moved suggested impatience and so too did the hunters make little effort to conceal their own presence from any quarry that may, and in fact was, lurking nearby. Their gnarled beaks aggressively sucked at the air as they searched through it for any tell-tale scents that could lead them in the right direction. The pair grunted and snorted violently every few seconds as though they continued to find anything of interest. To Andre it was unnerving, listening to them as they mocked his concerns for having left any sort of trail for them to follow and wondering if each short exchange of indecipherable dialogue was a plot against surprising their newly, detected foes. "They're looking for us... but they may yet think we have escaped entirely..." Andre turned back to whisper quietly to the girl once again. "We cannot risk moving rashly" he warned her while bringing his lips even closer to her ear. His whispering allowed his voice to come with a sedated softness. If not for the context in which he spoke, then one could have almost assumed that he were merely afraid of disturbing the silence under which the two concealed themselves. The girl had likely seen his dismay already, there was no way to hide it, though at the very least he had fought off any anxious tremor that would have sough to infect his voice. He owed it to the girl to at least try and sound assured that he could bring her out of this alive and safe. Andre tilted his head slightly until he made eye contact with the girl. Her eyes were as pure and as clear as crystals, leaving her fear absolutely nowhere to hide. The vibrant shade of green that had once imbued her irises with a purity comparable to fine emerald had now drained until all that remained was an unvarnished reflection of the carpet of grey above. That innocence, one that radiated from a girl who knew nothing of this world that offered only death and anguish... it no longer had a place out here. Perhaps that fear of which her widened gaze failed to conceal was only natural. Any man's logic would testify to that, any one, that is, except for Andre. No, to him it was only one thing; a reflection of his failure. Her fear existed solely because he could not hide his own. That lack of confidence, experience and hope that could potentially see her through this only stole from her the belief that things can and will turn out for the better. His sickening show of incompetence tore at his own heart. He needed to be in control. He needed to salvage this situation so that not only they, but the others could see their way to safety once again. If he couldn't do at least that much then he was only further supporting the chances of Clover and the others getting hurt. It was time to stop. Andre blinked again, reaffirming his grip on Clover before guiding her eyes down toward the ground with his own, gently shuffling his feet to bring attention to the carpet of leaves and twigs that would quickly see to their detection were they not careful. "We must seek cover beneath their own movements lest they hear us" he continued while gentle readjusting his feet once again so as to not make a sound from his movement. "Do you understand me?" he asked her while meeting her gaze once again, awaiting a gentle nod of verification. His expression had grown notably more stoic now as the confidence that he wanted to display mostly for Clover's sake had finally begun to infect himself. His eyes quickly rolled over to his left, once again leading Clover's gaze toward a fallen, moss-infested tree that lay a short distance away - though a distance that would almost feel impossibly far were they to avoid detection. "That's where we need to be..." he continued to whisper before gently taking his arm away from Clover's abdominem to reach up and tear a metallic button away from his shirt. He rolled it between his fingers analytically, taking it's weight and density into account before presenting it before Clover's eyes. "When the Ixal run... so do we..." he explained quietly. Andre carefully peered around the edge of the tree again as he took a brief moment to confirm the creatures' locations once more before committing to his next move. Luckily they had moved just a little further from their location but were still far too close for any sense of comfort. Andre pulled himself back behind the tree with a soft exhale, satisfied that this was as good as it was going to get. "Get ready......" Positioning the button carefully between his fingers and thumb, Andre slowly raised his arm to the extent that the tree cover would reasonably allow before flicking his arm swiftly to send the object flying hastily through the air towards a large tree. ...... ............ .....*klack*.... The two Ixali raised the heads unison as the tinny sound reverberated beautifully agaisnt the solid, oak tree a distance away - successfully garnering both of their attention. They paused for only a second to exchange glances with each other before hurrying off in the direction of the sound, noisily tossing up leaves, twigs and branches in the process. They Ixali had hardly even begun to run, however, before they both had nearly entirely closed the distance on the tree they sought out. The window of opportunity had unfortunately proven to be incredibly narrow. "..now.. hurry!" [align=center]Due to a trip and it's preparations, a small hiatus may need to be taken with this scene. It will be continued as soon as possible. I'm sorry for the further delay and inconvenience.[/align]

The sight of the two Ixal suddenly speeding in their direction was enough to make the hyur's blood run cold. How could they have possibly known? He had taken every precaution to remain out of sight of the assailants whilst attempting to eavesdrop on the scene above, there was just no conceivable way that they could have known where they had been. Had they known from the beginning then they would long-since have made their move, but this was unacceptably sudden. Was it sheer luck? Or had someone else offered them guidance? Regardless of the answer, it mattered little right now. Andre blinked furiously as he shot his head forward once more, his grip growing increasingly tighter around the likely, oblivious Clover's fragile form. Both he and the girl were unarmed and in great danger. If they weren't careful now then they too could end up captured, or worse... Andre swallowed hard against the surmounting sense of confusion and panic that was steadily tearing him apart from the inside out, his mind suddenly bombarded with a thousand, agonizing thoughts that rained down upon him like cannonfire. He tried to analyze the events around him but rationality was not born from the impulsive thinking that the situation demanded. His mind immediately succumbed to the options he faced in a worse-case scenario; if they were located. After all, was death truly the worst outcome? If they were found then should they submit to capture and risk an existence that would break even the stoutest of warriors? Or should they refute the chance of liberation and life in order to avoid what could prove to be but a short-lived hardship? The young knight became flustered as his lack of experience quickly caught up on him. His body twitched excitedly as it begged him to move, to act... while his mind demanded that he remain still until it was absolutely necessary to. Each deep breath he drew sought to steal back the control that he was continuously losing over his body - but it would not be so easily pacified. How does one make such decisions for not just themselves but another? Could he really take responsibility for signing over Clover's life... or for bringing about her unnecessarily, early demise? Such poisonous thoughts seemed impossible, utterly unfeasible and reprehensible.... but it was not something that he could just wish away, nor one that he could run away from this time. His expression convulsed fiercely as though he were vehemently struggling against revealing an excruciating pain that tortured him relentlessly, bringing the male to the point where a cool, trickling sensation could be felt surfacing within the corner of his eye - effectively serving as yet another, subtle reminder of his own mortality. Andre blinked again to rid his vision of the droplet and quickly peered out from the far side of the tree at an angle where the incoming Ixal would not be able to detect him. He exhaled sharply with what little relief he could manage to express in that chaotic moment. The main force of the Ixali seemed to be departing ahead of the others, and with them, all of their archers. He quickly withdrew once more as his eyes jumped widely around himself in search of something before leaning in to briefly whisper a hastily spoken instruction to the girl that he held tightly within his arms. For now there was only one clear choice that had to be adhered to, one that stood out amongst all of the other binding questions that held his body and numbed his mind. Only one true objective whose importance seemed to scream within his own skull, almost deafening him to all sound until all that could be heard was the piercing and ceaseless ringing that echoed loudly within the depths of his ears. ("Just until they are out of earshot...... it will be enough... I will make sure it's enough.....") he echoed quietly to himself repeatedly as though the simplicity of the idea would somehow help him regain his nerve. ("....Do not be detected").

I am such a massive Clover fan and seeing this simply destroyed me. I'm not even exaggerating.... THIS was what I went through....

Nezul's eyes shot deeply into Siha's, not wavering for even a moment as she spoke. His threat had to be made clear. Deceit would never be tolerated. For both her sake and her allies, she needed to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear. Her voice stuttered and shook with what seemed to be a typical fear that her kind was so quick to indulge the Ixali with when met face to face. It was a good start but he would not be sold on mere dramatics. Many a fool, arrogantly thinking themselves as would-be-heroes, had attempted the same trickery in the past, believing that their lies could not possibly be proven even when their direction yielded no results. Their 'bravery' was often quickly regretted. Her persisting fear and reluctance was a positive sign in one sense. Normally it would lend one to believe that only truth was pouring from their lips, though the skeptical Nezul was not entirely convinced. She may have been grovelling at their feet earlier, but there was more to this miqo'te than met the eye. She placed her own self in danger in exchange for the mere possibility of Simba's well-being. Her words were not to be taken lightly. Even were it the case that the two were merely bound by blood, her altruism was a trait than could not be overlooked. Her compassion and morality both had to be drowned beneath a crushing sea of fear. Nezul snorted with uncertainty as the girl finished speaking. Not for a moment did he take his eyes away from her, even when she motioned past him to indicate the alleged direction which they had taken. He drew every so slightly closer, allowing his large and sharp fangs to reveal themselves to the young miqo'te once more. He growled menacingly. It had seemed that he had come to his own conclusion. The girl was a liar. "Traitor!" "No! How could you?!" "I won't let you take them too!" The unexpected voices of the two males spoke aloud suddenly, the emotion and perhaps sincerity carried with them succeeding in distracting Nezul from the girl whom had come very close to earning his wrath. The archer's head quickly swiveled back and forth to bring both men into view as they interjected in protest against the girl's 'betrayal' as they saw it. He blinked once and then twice before returning his eyes to focus upon Siha yet again. A subtle, twisted smile formed across the creature's face as the corners of his mouth peaked upwards with delight. Perhaps her direction was indeed worth pursuing. Nezul slowly rose to his feet with a faint sigh of intrigue that hissed out of his leathery throat. "Good. In that case, let us...-" he began to speak as another booming clap of thunder from the encroaching storm rolled through the tainted ceiling of cloud overhead in warning to all who dwelt within the forest below - and with it, followed the low and commanding tone of their superior's authority. "Nezul" Kuzal, their leader, spoke placidly though with a distinct voice of direction toward his Second. Nezul turned to look in his direction, the evident appearance of joy soon fading from his expression as though he knew what was coming, before indeed being met with a dismissive shake of Kuzal's head. "Why would you deny us further bounty? We can surely find them without trouble!" he retorted quickly while taking an unintentional step of belligerence towards Kuzal. His response was eager and almost pleading though it was not intended as a challenge of authority. "..They could not have traveled far. Their rotten stench still corrupts the air.." he added a little more calmly while drawing in a large, nasally breath through his distorted beaked that he hiked up to better catch the breeze. "We have wasted enough time here. The wind travels fast and with it our deeds here will surely be carried to the Gridanians" Kuzal replied wisely before, he too, gently tiled his beak upwards and sampled the air with a more discreetly drawn breath. "...Someone is already pursuing us..." he added after a brief pause with a voice that betrayed a subtle hint of contempt. He blinked slowly, taking a moment to withdraw himself into his own thoughts. Nezul snarled in irritation as he drove a powerful, clawed fist into the side of the caravan with a tremendous crack. The sturdy wood creaked and groaned under the weight of where his fist had landed, the force in turn startling the anxious chocobos once more and sending them into yet another chirping frenzy. The archer's features furrowed and frowned with dissatisfaction. His leader's direction was infuriating... though, ultimately, he knew that he was correct. Such rich fortune was not something they should test in exchange for but a little more. "Dispatch a couple of scouts if you so wish, but we are returning. Come" Kuzal replied after looking on for a short moment longer, before then proceeding to descend from the hill. Nezul drew in a deep breath with as he came to accept Kuzal's order. His eyes opened once more to stare absently through the fine grains that laced through the wood's surface before, with a quick glance over his large shoulder, he then focused his stare on two of his idle brethren. "Go" His blunt instruction was acknowledged with a brief nod from each of the two Ixali before they both hastened down the path in the specific direction that the girl had pointed toward earlier. Their weapons were drawn and readied for any encounter they may stumble upon. This situation was different from the one prior. If they encountered anything they deemed too much of a threat to attempt to subdue and capture alone... then they would instead choose to slay it.

My sunseeker is confined to the desert and my hyur has no reason to leave Gridania with exception to events which is arguably meta anyways. Its not that I don't want to. I initially had a character that would be able to go anywhere but I never got his plot going. Its a shame in a sense I guess. Feels like I am wasting the world's RP potential but that's the way it is. Maybe in the future though, when I make a dual blade class... whatever that is called; rogue?

K'nahli would play the banjoooooooooo. Nah, she'd just sing... but only to herself.

S'imba's words held no weight with the Ixal archer. His arrogance deserved no acknowledgement, no response. He continued to trudge slowly forward, his towering stature likely appearing even larger than before to the grounded miqo'te. His fellow Ixal continued to merely look on, consumed by the waters of uncertainty but seemingly absent of intention - leaving Nezul to commit to whatever he had truly wished to do, with no-one moving to argue with his motives. That was, until the briefly forgotten Siha made her presence known to them once again. Nezul drew to an eventual halt as the female miqo'te thrust herself between him and the wounded male. His eyes quickly fell upon her but the girl's sudden invasion of the scene failed to provoke even a flinch from the archer. He looked down upon her pleading form as the thick poison that was his contempt pumped fervently throughout his entire being. Such a despisable act was an inconceivable notion for the proud Ixal. They would sooner embrace an agonizing death than suffer the disgrace that came with but a single plea for mercy. Though opposite seemed to be the case for featherless ones. Often was he met with such pleas, such exaggerated cries for mercy or freedom in exchange for ransom or information. It was so sickeningly pitiful. Regardless, Nezul made no attempt to impede the girl. Silently he stood and listened to her every word, little did they seem to phase him however. S'imba may have caught him and his brothers off-guard with his retaliation but no such thing would happen a second time. This female, no matter how strong she may otherwise prove, could offer no meaningful resistance before she would find herself in the same place as the male miqo'te she shielded. Defeated in the dirt; as was the true place for any who would stand against the Ixal and their deity. As for ensuring the male's cooperation, the concept was almost laughable. It mattered little to Nezul how strong the pugilist believed himself to truly be. He would break; just like all of his featherless kin prior. They always did, for their kind knew nothing but weakness. He watched in silence as she quickly turned away and sought to tending to her ally's wound. Her work was swift and clean, impressive even, succeeding in both partially sealing the wound around the rigid arrow and stopping most of the bleeding. A temporary fix but one that was both necessary and effectual nonetheless. Her decision to rise and perform such an action without permit was a risky endeavour on her part, but one that would luckily see the girl come to no harm. Death was the last thing either of them wanted for the wounded male. "What use would we have for yet another of your kind that stole no breath?" Nezul hissed venomously once the girl had returned to face him. "Even the wolves cannot find savour in your kind's worthless flesh" He took another slow step forward before lowering himself into a crouch to bring himself in front of the female's humble form. Slowly, he drew a finger beneath her chin, allowing the sharpened tip of his claw to prod uncomfortably into the flesh that canvassed beneath her lower jaw. With a careless nudge, he forced her head to tilt further upwards until she had no choice but to meet with his glare. "If you wish to take responsibility for that waste of meat then so be it... the next arrow will be for you" he warned darkly as his misted, pearl-like eyes pierced deeply through her. The threat was undoubtedly genuine, but it was the male whom remained behind her that was the true target of Nezul's words. The Ixal continued to eye the girl fiercely as a very brief moment of silence followed. His gaze upon her seemed to grow ever deeper as though he were trying to read her very thoughts. A faint snarl escaped out of the creature's distorted beak as he unintentionally bore his ferocious fangs once more. "I will, however, make you a deal, female..." he spoke once again. His gaze was unrelenting and the danger as close as ever. "...Tell me where the others went and I will spare you and your allies further torment" he continued with a more subdued tone, perhaps the closest the creature could actually come to sounding somewhat genuine and friendly. His gaze briefly wandered around him, meeting with both the lalafel whom remained bound and held behind him and the miqote who lay subdued to her rear. "And spare me your deceit... lest the concern you displayed just now was naught but a farce" he added with warning while bringing his gaze back to her once more. The danger this time echoed from the ferocity that fueled his glare rather than mere words, though it was just as real as before. No, even moreso.

K'lyrhi's assistance with carrying her father had earned a quick glance from K'nahli but even the unfamiliarity she felt from looking upon her face seemed to phase the girl little. Her mind was too far away from even conceptualizing that another outsider had arrived. Had she taken a second glance she would have certainly recognized it as any face that she had seen or even associated with around the camp, but she didn't; that wasn't important now. The girl took another step forward, her face contorting with second-hand pain as she could feel her armour gently pushing against some of the nuhn's open wounds and burns. It was unavoidable and a regrettable notion to have herself voluntarily hurt her father further than he already had been... but the man had been close to collapsing when he had emerged from the tent, what choice did she have? Her concerns were cut short, however, for without any prior warning, K'yohko suddenly threw himself forward and away from the support of the two girls, coming to a stop but a few steps ahead of them before he revolved on the spot with a dizzying stagger. "Don't touch me!!" he spat with venom toward her and the stranger both. The girl froze to the spot briefly as she fell prey to her father's unwarranted anger. Both K'nahli and the other girl whom had joined her had merely acted out of compassionate concern for the wounded nuhn. What was ignorant... inconsiderate about that? It was difficult, so very difficult for the girl to not take his rejection personally and critically. She could feel that familiar sense of rebellion churning in the pit of her stomach as his words sliced through her. She couldn't deny that she was having a difficult time with facing him since their last encounter. It was a very seldom occurrence where she would find herself allowing her emotions to surface and, in turn, expose her vulnerability. And yet now, when she had seized the opportunity, as it had so willfully presented itself, her father merely threw his daughter's concerns right back into her face as though it has been a handful of sand. She clenched her fists tightly, her mind wholly consumed by her own frustrations - though not enough to shield herself from hearing the warning that was carried with her father's vicious order. ("Amalj'aa? Here?") Puzzlement and anxiety both mixed together to paint the girl's expression. She stared at her father for what felt like the longest time as she searched for meaning in his words. That couldn't be right after all. Amalj'aa? This far south? Had she even heard him right? Her doubts were soon quelled, however, as her maroon stare met once again with the fierocious glower that glared out from amidst her father's determined expression. No, she had heard him correctly. Reluctantly, the girl took a step backward, her eyes still focusing on her father for a moment longer before she turned on the spot and proceeded with a hastened stride toward her tent to retrieve her bow without so much as passing that second glance sideward to see who had actually been assisting her up until now. That was not important now.

Even with the arrival of S'imba, the two creatures that had leered over the lalafel did not allow the situation to distract them to the point of losing focus. The creature wielding the rope snatched Rurutani's relatively, tiny and frail arms and tugged them behind his back to meet at the wrist before fastening them tightly together. Upon finishing, the Ixal that had committed him to his bonds gripped the back of his head firmly and shoved him forward into the side of the caravan, pinning him there with the strength of a single arm as he moved his attention to the pressing matter of the miqo'te that threatened his kin but a few yalms away. The archer's glare fell upon the miqo'te as he announced his intentions to resist with a remarkable passion. It was an intriguing sight to behold, enough to bring a wry smile to the creature's face. Though the amusement he found within the miqote's words was short-lived. His brothers had all but expected the man - whom laughably defied their dominance - to actually lay such blatant assault to them. Before they had even found true reason to ready themselves to fend off their foe, the miqo'te had already launched himself forward and lain each them down with quick and skillfully landed blows. The archer's smile faded as the first of his brothers was grounded - and had distorted into a grimace by the time the second had been struck down; though before the third and final member of his kin had fallen to join his incapacitated brothers on the soil below, his bow was drawn once more. The Ixal snarled viciously as his long and gnarled fingers released the immense tension that was placed upon his bowstring, sending an arrow soaring past his brothers to slice through the fleshy thigh of his pride-driven victim. A thin spray of crimson droplets rolled through the air like an unfurling whip and splashed into a linear design across the ground behind his prey as the arrow pierced through this leg cleanly. His muscles served as a constricting snake that instinctively clenched around it's helpless prey from the sheer pain the grievous wound had induced, trapping it effectively. "Insolent scum..." The aggression rumbled low out from of the archer's throat. His eyes locked on to his victim that lay immobile and confined to the ground a short distance away. "I would see to it that you scream for a mercy that will never come.." he croaked darkly as a distant clap of thunder echoed from the distance. The malevolent Ixal slowly pushed himself forward. The soft soil squelched loudly beneath his large feet as he slowly stalked toward the downed miqo'te. The animal hide that clothed the midsection of his bow groaned with discomfort as the Ixal's grip around it grew even more intense. A low and continuous growl gurgled from the pit of the beast's throat all the while as his rising anger soon began to earn him various, silent stares from his brothers-in-arms. Some appeared to share his sentiment, others looked to fear needless slaughter, for that was not their objective; though not one would voice an opinion that contested whatever intentions he truly harboured. The leader's presence on the hillside had been one of perpetual silence. He lay but a short distance behind the others that had moved to become involved with their targets' apprehension, his eyes following his Second closely, though with an attitude that suggested mere indifference to the archer's dangerous levels of agitation. Calm was this particular Ixal's nature. It was as though he foresaw everything that has and had yet to happen, unmoved by both the worries that had caused his kin to stir with anxiety and the rage that had silently rallied for the archer to show death to the man who slew their brethren. "Kuzal.." the voice of a nearby subordinate quietly called toward his leader with a detectable hint of anxiety. "Will you say nothing? Nezul will kill him on the spot" Kuzal's glance remained on the large back of the fearsome archer, the one known as Nezul. His formidable size and exceptional archery skills had easily seen him to a level of great respect among his kin. As a result, he was not one whose opinion would be openly contested. Only a superior could rightfully do that without the fear of causing disrespect. Only Kuzal could challenge the archer's opinion. The temperate Ixal offered his concerned clan's member no response. A slow blink, at best, seemed to acknowledge that his concerns had at least not fallen upon deaf ears, though even his glorified leader's calmness failed to fully convince him away from the shores of uncertainty and apprehension. Nezul was, and always had been, a loyal and obedient follower, but so too was he strong-willed and passionate for their unified cause. Without Kuzal's intervention it would be naive to assume that he was not capable of making his own decisions.

The beastman snorted with satisfaction as the lifeless form of the driver crumpled into a heap atop the dirt road. Exchanging the pitiful life of just one was worth quelling the possibility of any disobedience and rebellion in advance of their return. The murder of at least one person had in fact been a premeditated act by the group of Ixal; the offer of freedom and safety on the other hand was naught more than a mere mockery of their captives and a revelation to the shallows of their mercy. "Face away, featherless cub" an Ixal spat toward Rurutani threateningly as he drew the tip of his sword within ilms of the lalafel's neck. Another followed not two steps behind the first, this one however, held a short but evidently strong length of rope within its clawed hands. It drew continuously closer without even waiting for it's quarry to submit to direction. Little did he fear that an unarmed foe of his stature could do anything in such circumstances. If he would prove defiant then he would show him and the others their place, for it was they who were in control now. "Turn! Now!" another Ixal, this one bearing down on Siha, echoed the same command as he and his brothers moved to close off all possibilities of escape for the young mage. Similarly, this group wasted no time awaiting their quarrys' cooperation. They moved swiftly yet carefully forward, their every action seemingly practiced to perfection. It was clear that this was far from their first capture and ambush. Nothing was left untended to. Everything had been coordinated to perfection even without the need to exchange words. "I said..-" Another sound from the distance suddenly caught the Ixal's attention and cut him off mid-sentence. The patter of feet from a little further downhill dashing across the leaf-lain road toward them. The beasts hardly had a chance to respond before the source of the movement had arrived before their very eyes. The Ixal that had been closest to Siha recoiled slightly in surprise as another male appeared before him, defending the small distance that lay between him and the girl he sought to capture. The creature's beady eyes quickly scanned over the target that had presented itself before him. The miqo'te was armed and ready. It was clear that he had intended to put up some form of resistance on his own. Though, the Ixal wondered, how could he so willingly thrust himself into a hopeless situation like this? Had he eluded their immediate perception then why not flee? No doubt he understood that he stood no chance against such numbers, yet even still and more importantly.... what was that expression? That arrogant and insolent smirk he wore on his face as though he actually stood a chance against he and his clan. The Ixal's face contorted with an angry snarl. Such confidence, no matter how ill-placed, was a despicable insult to him and his kin. "YIELD!!" he snapped savagely while jerking his weapon high into the air in opposition to the male. The large and fibrous muscles that lay just beyond his leathery skin contracted viciously as the creature restrained against his overwhelming desire to strike down the man before him - for he knew that he could not turn against their true objective, especially when it was so blatantly unnecessary. He had to resist the temptation. Not to cave in to the overpowering bloodlust that was consuming his weakened mind. ------------------------- He could hear her voice, though her question fell unanswered. All he understood was that it was still there, she was still there; heard but not understood, presenting the peace of mind that she was still safe in his arms for now. The sensation wasn't enough. His eyes were too busy analyzing the little dialogue he could salvage amidst the many noises that sought to swallow their context whole. He couldn't take his eyes away. He had to constantly reassure himself that inaction was for the best. That it wasn't cowardice or selfishness or plain stupidity. He had to fight off 'what ifs' with reason for every second a new one would pop up at the back of his mind. Clover at least was still there. He could not see her. He could hear her voice, feel it as the fragile resonance with each syllable passed through her body and into his. He was protecting at least one person. A bird in the hand... This was the right choice. It was. What else could be done? Was he missing something? Was he..? OOC Note:

That footman actually only needs to be hit once to get him to stop calling Goooooobies but I was in one party where the tank marked him because he had "more health" or something. I didn't quite understand why that deserved a mark but I didn't really question it, haha.

Eva wrote it better than I could have. It's just one of those things that I view as solely developed for the players but was given a LITTLE lore piece just for the sake of making it less random, but not something to be taking seriously; the same way that the job classes in some cases just all happen to be in a situation where they will begin recruiting/teaching again... and to random people of all things.

Ohhh! I never noticed that, thank you for letting me know ^^ Haha, I like your analogy. This was kind of my mindset too but I think I'll consider returning to doing it anyways since many have stressed that they prefer it regardless ^^

I guess I am pretty ignorant to that then. I honestly didn't think such a thing could cause so much trouble in a game of this timeline(IF we were to humour the concept that it can be related to Earth, but I respect your argument that such a comparison should not be made). Thank you for your reply ^^

How do you make a marking macro? Do you just AoE the group and have it select everything in your enemy list? Also why do people care about the gremlins in Amdapor? I thought all they did was raise vulnerability. (Also, at this point in the game marking would not be to help me maintain enmity personally since Shield Oath makes it very easy but rather for the sake of the party).