𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 ━ ◦ RP ◦ ━

[Kitten]

C O R E B O R N An Arcane inspired Group RP ​ Here lies the official RP thread! When you want to get a player's attention, please @ them in your post. Have fun, be creative, and have a wonderful time! [ RP ] [ OOC / PLOTTING ] [ CHARACTERS ] [ LOCATIONS ] [ NPCS ] ​

 

[Kitten]

(gonna edit this when I get home with visuals and such)

"C'mon, ya'll are too fucking slow." Groaning, Drew spun on the heel of his boots as he raised his arms to lace his hands behind his head, walking backwards. His eyes fixed on the other two trailing behind him, lazily displaying a grin.

"You're the one who's going too fast, Drew." Arianna chimed in as agitation webbed into her words, the sound of hurried footsteps beating against the parched, sunbaked earth - filling the otherwise silent and stale air.

"It's not our fault you agreed to this on our behalf. Now we have to travel to the middle of bum-fuck nowhere because of you. And for what?" Roderic voiced his opinion as he made no effort to increase his stride. Sweat beaded at the top of his brow before trickling down his temple, slowly making its descent to trace his jawline before dripping off. "A stupid rite-of-passage to join a dumbass club." He continued as he drew his foot back, kicking a lone pebble and sending it skittering down an uncoordinated path.

"Hey, do you guys see that?" Lifting her right hand to point ahead with a steady index finger, the girl directed their gaze to follow into the distance where strikes of indigo lightning flashed wildly. Their eyes widened as they blinked in disbelief, wondering if the heat was prompting unwarranted hallucinations - but quickly realized they were all seeing the same surreal sight. "I've never seen anything like that before." She stared - both in morbid curiosity and fear - quietly wondering what on earth could be provoking such an otherworldly display.

"Only one way to find out." Drew casually shrugged, seemingly unfazed by the phenomenon as he began to walk towards the unusual storm without hesitation. Arianna hesitated before peering over her shoulder to give Roderic a regretful glance before scurrying to walk alongside Drew, not wanting to be left behind. Roderic let out a long and weary breath as he slipped both hands into his pockets, trudging after them with reluctant steps.

It took the trio nearly twenty minutes to reach the edge of the indigo storm, noticing that each step forward prompted the air to grow more volatile. It was thick with tension and static, as if the atmosphere itself had transformed into a living electromagnetic field. The fine hairs that riddled their bodies began to bristle, their nerve endings flaring as an instinctive urge coursed through their veins - to run. Rocky debris began to levitate off from the ground, suspended in defiance to the gravity that bounded this world as arcs of purplish-blue lightning crackled against the eerie sky.

"Uh… I don't think this is normal." Arianna voiced the obvious as her head whirled around in each direction, searching for anything that made sense in the area. Her hands curled into fists as she clutched them close to her chest - as if physically attempting to hold herself together.

"No shit." Roderic spat out as irritation barely veiled the unease that creeped beneath his skin. The closer they approached, the more surreal the landscape became, noticing a fissure coming into view as its depths lined with glowing crystals, writhing lightning, and clusters of levitating rock that suspended into the electromagnetic air. Crystal-like formations jutted out from the jagged cracked earth, rising as if they were unnatural spires. The fracture around the indigo quarts pulsated within its depths, as if thumping like a heartbeat. Its eerie light throbbed in rhythmic waves, the unnatural sight rooting the trio in place - a silent agreement passing between them that this was no ordinary storm.

Drew began to sway from side-to-side as dizziness was beginning to settle, while Arianna absentmindedly scratched at her arms - skin tingling with an unusual sensation she couldn't explain. Neither of them voiced the changes they were experiencing, being too focused and drawn into the unusual circumstance as they ventured closer. Roderic, who once trudged along with boredom, now stood on the edge of the crack as his eyes glinted with eager excitement. Leaning his upper-half forward his eyes locked onto the pulsating orb nestled deep within the laceration. "Woah, look! I wonder how much that would sell for!" Childlike wonder erupted from his voice as Drew stepped up beside him, curiosity overriding the caution he should've abided to.

"No way!" Drew laughed in disbelief as he ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes skated over the massive cluster of the very resource they used in Elaris to power their tools and gear - everything that their technology relied on a daily basis. "I need to get a reading on this, there ain't no way…" He mumbled as he reached into his pocket to pull out his scanner. As his fingers danced over the power button, the screen distorted before the device sparked - dying within his hand. "What… it short-circuited." Turning the device over in his hand, he inspected it from every angle before hurling it into the pit in a fit of frustration. "Damn it, I just got that thing!"

The sound of liquid splattering against the ground reverberated in the air, causing Drew and Roderic's attention to be drawn to the sound in an instant. Snapping, their heads whipped around to the sound, only to find Arianna hunched over and retching violently as the contents of her lunch spilled from her opened mouth. The putrid scent of stomach acid quickly filled the air as the girl spat the remnants out, her nose wrinkling from the scent. "I don't… I don't really feel so good, can we head back?" The girl used the back of her hand to clean the liquid off from her lips, her cheeks flushing with heated embarrassment for vomiting in front of them.

"Dude, we just found this gold mine, ain't no way we're leaving without taking something." Roderic didn't register Arianna's discomfort as his attention was solely consumed by the glittering trove in front of him. Bending down, his fingers gripped along the jagged edge as he was preparing to squeeze into the narrow fissure when a faint flicker of light caught his eye. Pausing in mid-motion, his gaze drifted towards his hands, watching as a faint eerie glow traced the veins on the back of his hands. They pulsed in rhythm to the crystals below, causing the man's entire body to go rigid - the thrill he once experienced now shifting into something horrific.

"Uh…" Drew stumbled back a few steps as a sinking realization began to take shape, his vision still swimming in a sea of dizziness. His eyes darted between his friends as unease sharpened in his gut, making him want to vomit with Arianna. "Guys. We need to leave. Now." His tone was assertive, leaving no room for argument. "I have a feeling it's this place… something about it is messing with us. I don't want us sticking around to see how much worse it gets." Leaning down as he reached for Roderic's arm, he urged him to stand from the fissure's edge, the man not resisting as his gaze remained locked onto his glowing veins. Arianna quietly trailed behind as a lone hand pressed against her mouth, fighting back another wave of nausea.

——

By the time the trio made it back to Elaris, the radiation had already taken root. Drew continued to stagger due to being unable to find his footing as waves of dizziness grappled his head. Roderic's veins pulsated with an unnatural neonglow beneath the skin's surface, while Arianna's arms shimmered with crystalline scales, slowly spreading like frost over flesh.

Fear and uncertainty grappled the trio, and out of fear for their lives they sought out a local doctor. Stunned by their condition they wasted no time in reporting the incident to the Accord Division, who then quickly spread the word to travel up the chain, making it reach the ears of the Lumen Circle itself.

Reluctant at first and hoping they could keep the discovery to themselves, the trio eventually had to reveal the location of the fissure. Their confession set off a chain reaction of activity, where teams of scientists, engineers, scholars, and other specialists were dispatched off to investigate the disturbance, aiming to uncover the source of the anomalies. The trio themselves quickly became test subjects, studying their symptoms while offering a rare glimpse into the unknown phenomenon’s lingering effects. Through them, they could better understand how it altered the body, how long the mutations lasted, and what risks it posed to others that would be studying it on site.

Since the discovery, Elaris officially designated the site as The Fracture Zone, while the radiant orb throbbing within its center was named The Core. Quickly it became clear that proximity was a major factor in accelerating the stages of mutations, prompting researchers to quickly develop specialized suits that warded off the Core's volatile energy in order to investigate the source. In spite of the dangers, there was also a remarkable breakthrough that the Core provided. It managed to power equipment with unprecedented efficiency, and in rare cases, was able to grant individuals unique abilities without any visible side effects.

Word traveled fast as it reached the shadowed depths of Virelow, where many saw opportunity in an attempt to claim a piece of the prize for themselves. Violent skirmishes broke out as many scavengers and opportunists attempted to ransack the Fracture Zone, only to be repelled by Elarian soldiers - declaring control over the territory. For a time the chaos was relentless, but eventually the conflict began to simmer down.

Rumors continued to travel as whispers spread through the undercity and Elaris. There was talk that someone within Elaris was secretly funneling gragements into Virelow, while others stated that a new fissure opened somewhere within Virelow, having access within their own borders. Whether it was truth or myth, one thing was certain…

That the line between risk and reward began to blur, and was beginning to evolve into a promise of untapped potential if they played their cards right.

Since that day, five months have passed.​

 

[Kitten]

Interactions - @Pontiff & @KaeganofAmber

"Tyr, can you pass me the Quantum Flux Stylus?" Luneth asked with a calm but focused tone, examining a fragment held delicately within her thumb and index finger - sheathed in resonance gauntlets inside a sealed glass chamber. The shard pulsed faintly within her grasp as her SpectraScope Lens Strapped against her head flickered with data, reading back the intensity.

Once the stylus was passed over to her, she slipped out of the gloves to place it into the chamber carefully before wielding it inside. Her fingers began to work as she etched careful symbols with precision into the crystal-like surface. Each mark shimmered faintly under the watchful lens - a coded system for the Lumen Council to later identify, categorize, and safely disperse according to its properties.

"Annnnnnnd, done!" The Noctari girl scooted her chair back as she let out a satisfied ground, stretching her limbs outwards as if attempting to shake off the weight of the entire day in the single movement. "That was the busiest day yet, phew…" Slumping back into the seat, she exhaled dramatically. Relaxing for a fleeting moment, a soft thud filled the air as her boots found the floor again, her hands quick to gather the tools and returning each one with practiced ease to its proper place on the workbench.

"Mind getting the fragments into the transfer bag for me?" Casually she asked Tyr as her eyes focused on organizing the area rather than waiting for a response. "I'm seeing mom today so I can drop them off myself this time around." Her tone was easy, almost hinting that she was absent-minded - yet her hands moved with intention.

Once finished, Luneth happily took the containment pouch form Tyr, feeling the fragments shift and rattle inside - like marbles clashing against each other in a cloth bag. "Honestly, I still don't feel great carrying this, even with the protective pouch." Her voice was tinged with caution as she admitted Her concern, knowing all too well that despite the advanced technology with the Core, there were still flaws that could arise due to how new it was.

"Whelp, I'll be off then! See ya later in class or in the lab. And, if you need anything, don't hesitate to message me." With that, she spun on her heel and headed for the door, her steps purposeful with each stride as she made her way towards the Lumen Circle headquarters - within the heart of the Apex Spire Forum.

Walking inside of the building, the young woman offered polite nods and brief smiles to those she crossed, many of them being people she'd known and grown up seeing since she was little. Despite her history with her mother, the Lumen Circle headquarters felt like a second home - its towering halls filled with history and purpose.

Before she approached the stairs, a familiar figure caught her peripheral vision. "Hey, Augus!" Calling out, her free hand waved enthusiastically, jogging over to close the distance once their eyes met. "We got a lot done today, I was dropping these off with mom so you guys can start distributing them in various sectors." Augus was no stranger, instead he was someone she had crossed paths with plenty of time growing up, especially since his late parents held positions with the Lumen Circle. Their shared history made conversation seamless and natural, even amidst the high-stakes work surrounding the Core.

 

[KaeganofAmber]

Interactions - @Kitten @Tenzai

"One quantum flux stylus." Tyr replied, relaxed and observant as he'd watch Luneth's diligent, near tunneled work. Her focus to the task was admirable, even if there was ideal, haphazard spoken bander involved. In a way, that was the charm of his classmate, especially during lab work. It made otherwise mind numbing days go by quicker, which was always a relief. As Luneth worked, he'd jot down the neccessary filing, and ledgers of the production, all legally necessary for the production and transfer of fragments such as these.

Well ahead on the matter, Tyr listened to Luneth speak her mind, brewing a pot of coffee that left an ambient aroma of the fresh brew floating about the room. He'd pour some into a mug, taking a sip, his eyes clearly showing some fatigue. When she finished with a cheer and stretch, Tyr set the mug down, beginning to gather the fragments into a transfer bags. Each one gave him a rather... 'peculiar' feeling before they were sealed. It wasn't the usual ambiance of such, the spark of it's odd energy, but oddly, almost indescribably, a feeling more equivilant to a when you know somebody is stood behind you without looking.

With the bags and case prepped, he'd put the paper work into a sleeve for Luneth to take, setting a travel cup with coffee nearby for her. "See you later. Don't forget, they're doing a fragment Ambient Field Test tomorrow. It'll look good on a resume." He'd say nonchalantly, taking his mug as he'd wave her off. Once Luneth left, Tyr exhaled, sipping his coffee, then sat in her seat, pulling out a pair of gloves, before reaching under the table for a fragment he had hidden in a bag under the table with some tape, then pocketed it in his coat, downing the coffee, then walking out the lab.

Crossing cities was usually done during fixed sunlight hours, at least, for the geveral populations. Of course, one could attempt to sneak in, smuggle themself in, bribe a guard, or apply for a pass that allowed travel at any hour, though the least trouble was a simple daytime transit. Less attention, less likely to be suspect. With the fragment in tow, Tyrphanis entered Virelow, dressed in rags and robes fitting the city's aesthetic. Then, it was a matter of waiting at the Havenwall for his contact's blackmarket doctor, chemist, mixed bag. Whoever he recommended, they better be good, and willing to experiment on a core frag.