Neptune

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest. “I said that they were not nice like me, not that they were slavers. Just because someone isn’t entirely nice, doesn’t mean that they’ll enslave someone. The world isn’t that black and white. My father brought them up better than that, and he wouldn’t put up with that kind of foolishness in his house. And believe me, we don’t like angering our father.” Rowan told her, wondering where exactly that came from as he had said nothing to suggest that his family were a bunch of slavers. He then added, “You must have a very skewed view of the world if you think everyone is a potential slaver. I can pretty much promise you; that is not the case.” He shook his head a little. Her imagination was running completely wild, assuming the worst. Clearly he had to be a little more careful with what he said. While his family had slaves and servants, they weren’t the unwilling kind. They were ones that willingly put themselves into that situation and that was the only kind that King Kail allowed for in his palace. He would no doubt have to explain the difference between those kinds of slaves, and the kind she was to be. But he decided that he would do that later. It was no doubt going to be one of those topics that was going to involve a lengthy discussion. Location: Town of Kalath Once Maedoc was comfortably settled for the night, and happily eating the hay that was provided, Rayvenne collected up her bags and left the saddles. She noticed that Lucky and the wagon was gone, meaning that Luna was undoubtedly in the marketplace. There was still a couple of hours of shopping time left, which meant that she might be able to pick everything up she needed. She slipped back into the tavern, finding that it was empty of both Luna and Alice. It was only Glenn, cleaning a tankard. She came up to the counter and asked, “So what is wrong?” Glenn looked up, glancing around as if to make sure that they were alone before he turned back and said, “I think we have a mischievous critter. In the evenings, during the usual drinking times, we hear bangs, crashes and other sorts of noises coming from downstairs in the basement. I’ve tried to have a look, but I can’t see anything. It’s driving all the customers away, because they think the place is haunted.” Rayvenne frowned a little before she nodded slightly, “I’ll have a look later, Glenn. Hopefully I’ll be able to sort it out.” She said, causing Glenn’s posture to immediately relax as he smiled at her, “Thank you, Rayvenne. That means so much to me.” He said. “It’s the least I can do.” Rayvenne told him before she moved off, opening the door that lead upstairs where she quickly ascended the steps and found the room she had rented with Luna. She dropped her bags down in the corner, next to to the wooden desk. She then paused before moving to one of the bags and pulling out Maed’s old Spell book. Due to its age, it looked a little worn but it was still readable. She moved it over to the desk before opening it up and shifting through it until she found what she wanted. The spell of Familiar Summoning. This was a fairly potent one, as it would cause Luna to enter a dream-like state. At least, that was how it would appear from the outside. However, her soul would be thrust into the Spectral Realm, where she would be allowed to wonder until she found a Soul that was compatible with her. Once she had chosen it, she would then place that soul within an animal of her choosing who would become its vessel. She returned to her bags and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill before returning to the desk and beginning to write down the ingredients necessary to make a single attempt. Whether Luna purchased more than that, was up to her. But she was needed to make a special summoning chalk, if she didn’t already have one so that a summoning circle could be made. Then she needed to decide on what animal, of even creature she wanted. She also needed a special dream catcher that required a special spell to be enchanted on it that would send her to the Spectral Realm as well as anchor her soul to her body so that she didn’t become lost. Otherwise her spirit would forever wander the Spectral Realm and never return to its place. She wrote down the particular materials she needed to make the Dream catcher, such as raven and swan features, as well as spun cotton for the web inside of the actual catcher. The actual ring required a pure ring of gold, as gold was a fantastic element to conduct energy. To wrap around the ring, required a material to wrap around the metal to insulate it. This was a discretion, allowing Luna to pick whatever material she wanted such as suede or velvet. Or even plant-vines if she wanted to make it more natural and in-tune with nature. The brilliant thing about making this dream catcher was that once she had made it, she could use it again. With a slight shake of her head, Rayvenne continued to write down the ingredients list.

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest. “I hope that as well, Natia. I hope that if they are searching for you, they are searching for you as a group.” Rowan told her, trying to put as much assurance into his voice as possible. Of course, there was the chance that her family already thought of her as out of reach, or even dead. It was possible that they could have already given up searching for her. But he didn’t want to be that pessimistic. He barely knew their culture, and thus he didn’t know just how resilient, or determined they were when it came to searching for lost members of their tribe. Of course, if they were searching for her, it might mean that it would be easier to track them down in turn. When they reached the next town, he resolved to speak one of his contacts there so spread the word to those that worked for him to keep an eye and ear out for Natia’s tribe. He hoped that he might be able to track them down and thus assure both Natia and the tribe that each other were alright. While he might not want Natia to return to them, and thus never see her again, he did not want to keep her from her family. That would be cruel of him, and the last thing he wanted to be to Natia, was cruel. He smiled down into her purple eyes, almost wishing that he could kiss that cute little nose of hers before the smile dropped slightly and he said, “And yes… my brothers hate me. A hatred born of jealousy. They are not nice, unlike me. As I said; I am the black sheep of my family. My brothers don’t like the fact that I am so independent. They claim that I am a traitor of the family, because I’m looking out for my own interests. But in doing so, I’m helping my family far more than all of them put together. But I don’t rub that in their faces. I prefer being one that works in the shadows.” He meant that in more than one fashion. He preferred being the shadow of his father, doing the jobs that his father couldn’t do. He was an important part of the Royal Court, and his father knew his importance and thus allowed him to operate as he wished. He got information for his father that his usual channels wouldn’t be able to get. Such as the real opinions of his subjects, not the biased ones that his servants fawned over to give to him. Rowan also kept an eye on all of the activities of his brothers, on his father’s order. Especially the Crown Prince. After all, his father wanted to ensure that he was leaving the throne to the right person.

Her protestations that it wasn’t fair, and that she only wanted her ‘mama’ back, only made him twitch in anger and he had to control himself from using his large hand to grip her throat to strangle her. Instead, he jammed his cock harder into her, slamming it up against her cervix. He leaned down, letting out a low growling sound that reverberated through his chest, “Well, here’s a life lesson for you. Life isn’t fair. The sooner you accept that, the better you can cope with it.” He told her before pulling his mouth back from her ear again. This was a cruel way to learn that lesson, but then life had not been kind in teaching it to Zack either. He had completely lost the respect of his parents before their death, resulting in them leaving nothing to him. And then, the tragedy that had completely changed his life. The death of his daughter, Aimie. He wanted nothing more than to have her back. If she was brought back, it would bring his wife back again. For four, beautiful years, their life had been absolutely perfect before it shattered into millions of tiny fragments. Happiness was like fragile glass. All it took was one impact to forever shatter it, and make it impossible to ever return to the state that it once was. This girl had been naive, just like he had been in his youth. It was time for her glass to be shattered. After the sharp jab with his cock, he paused to allow her to adjust before he moved back into a steady rhythm. It was slow and methodical, as he concentrated in stretching her cunt out and forcing it to accept as much of his cock as it possible could. It also gave her time to adjust, as he wanted her to start moaning as she felt the hard flesh of his cock sinking into her. Just like it was best that she learn the lesson that life wasn’t fair, it was also best that she learn to derive what pleasure she could. It would make doing this job a lot easier on her. Besides, he wanted her to begin to love it. To turn from this innocent little flower into a cock-hungry whore that loved getting fucked by hundreds of faceless, and nameless men to try and satisfy her unquenchable thirst for sex. His hands were pressed firmly on the bed on either side of her head, keeping him upright as his hips moved against hers, gently humping her arse as he continued thrusting his cock into the deepest part of her body.

Anhara’s praise of her being like a precious little doll made Rose feel cold. She had been called that before, by those much older than her, who spoke it in a tone of platonic affection. How the phrase was soiled and stained by this monster. Rose knew Anhara’s intentions were far from pure and innocent. Every praise and sweet word was poison that sent a shock of pain through Rose. She clung to the thought that perhaps this isn’t the true Anhara. That she had been made this way by the devil who had twisted and corrupted her. Perhaps God had given her the mission to try and save her. To have her atone for her sins and thus be granted God’s forgiveness. She flinched a little when she felt Anhara’s hands running up her side. Rose had to resist the urge to pull away from her, hating the feeling of the other girl touching her. Especially when those hands found themselves on her small breasts. Rose’s stomach twisted, making her feel nauseous. No one, other than herself, had ever touched her breasts and the touch made her want to shrink in on herself. Anhara’s words barely sunk into her mind. What did she mean that she didn’t want to ruin it? What was this monster planning on doing? Try and stain her soul by harming the flesh? Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Anhara grinding up against her, humping into her. Her stomach twisted so hard that she almost vomited over the floor. This was disgusting. So wrong. She was such a sexual deviant. Her body went cold when Anhara claimed that she considered taking off her underwear. The last thing she wanted was to be naked in front of either her or her father. They would do nothing more than look at her in the most sinful of ways. She couldn’t condone that. Her lips trembled a little as she was told to show her to the bathroom. Rose didn’t want to be dolled up like some kind of object. But that was perhaps how she was viewed by Anhara. An object for her to play with. “A-alright…” Rose muttered, hoping that moving would give her a chance to put some distance between her and this monster that was inside of her home. She looked at Shaene and ordered, “Stay, boy.” The canine let out a soft growling sound, not sounding too happy with the order. But Rose didn’t care. It was for his own safety. She didn’t want to give this monster the chance to harm him. She then raised her hand and pointed to the living room door, “It’s upstairs… at the end… of the landing…” She said, not daring to move just yet.

Ruby recognised the area that she appeared in, causing her to frown a little, “What the hell am I doing here?” She asked herself before she noticed that things weren’t quite what they were supposed to be. For a start, it was quiet. She had never known this place to be quiet. She looked around and saw that there was no one moving around. It was completely devoid of life, other than the well cared for plants. It was as if the entire amphitheatre had been cleaned out of people so that she could have it to herself. Her initial thoughts were that she was somehow transported here, but she quickly dismissed that idea. That was ridiculous. She remembered from the tutorial that this HeroOS created a ‘Game Field’ that represented real places but that was all that they were. Representations. Like some kind of holodeck. Her arm computer began to beep and she lifted her arm up and looked up at the projected screen. Just as she had thought, this was the Game Field Stage that she was in. She decided to stick with what she had, as she was too curious about what was going on to bother looking through them all. So she selected the one she current had before the screen told her that she had ‘transformed’ into different clothes. With a startled blink, she looked down at herself only to find that she was wearing her favourite outfit. She was wearing light blue jeans that were artfully ripped and torn down her legs, even on the back of the leg pieces. She had a white mini-tank top on, just covering her breasts and only a tiny bit of her torso. Wrapped around her was a furry coat, light beige in colour. She also had golden jewelry wrapped around the arm of the coat, as well as golden bracelets. She then looked up a little, reading that she was about to meet an AI character that would show her the ropes. She lowered her arm, frowning a little as she looked forwards at the strange door that appeared. She looked it up and down before she tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyebrows raising a little as she heard a grumbling from behind it. When the doors opened, a little of startled surprise crossed her face as she saw the figure that stepped through. She had never seen anything so strange in her life. She looked him up and down before she put her hands on her lips and stared down at him with a faintly amused look, “Well. You’re certainly not what I expected.” She said. She had expected a person, not this… strange individual. What could this person teach her? It seemed so silly.

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest. Baellator let out an indignant snort when Natia told him that he couldn’t have a cute side. His snort died down into an almost rumbling neigh as he tossed his large head. Rowan couldn’t help but to laugh out loud at that, as he felt as if he could almost read the large horses mind, “He says that he most certainly not cute but thanks you for respecting his name.” He told her before chuckling a little more, “Although I think he’s more embarrassed that you called him cute because he feels flattered.” Baellator snorted again, causing Rowan to chuckle even more, “Yes, he’s more flattered than offended, especially since it was you, Natia.” He told her, assuring her that she had done absolutely nothing to draw the huge Aelda’s ire. He kissed her on the top of her head when she leaned back into him, allowing to keep her in a tight and secure hold as they continued moving at a swift pace. His attention was brought back to her when she began to speak, opening up about her life as a child and the expectations that were put upon her by her own father. Rowan couldn’t help but wince in sympathy for her. He was glad that he was so far the line of succession, otherwise his childhood might have been like hers. Full of expectations of duties and responsibilities. He liked the freedom he had right now, the ability to do what he wanted. Granted, he was happy to use his skills to help his father and thus their Kingdom however he would have never handled the stress of being the Crown Prince. He had seen what it had done to his half brother, who had given himself into all kinds of debauchery. He smiled a little, his golden eyes warm as he nodding down at her, “Yes. Yes it is silly. I’m sorry things were like that for you, Natia. I can tell you something; I wouldn’t have been able to handle that. I’m too… rebellious. I’m the black sheep of my family. The odd one out. My father is… a great man. An important one. My entire family is, but I’m the one who goes against the grain. I’ve forged my own life. I’ve only ever let my own expectations define me.” He then gave a rueful chuckle, “Most of my brothers absolutely hate me for it. They’re all a bunch of lazy louts, who do nothing and yet I’m working hard to build my own life that has nothing to do with the duties and responsibilities of my family.”

Rose flinched away from the hand holding the knife, still scared that the other girl would decide to sink the sharp edge of the blade into her pale flesh. Her lips thinned a little at the pecking kiss that Anhara gave her. She wished the other girl would stop doing that. She loathed the kisses. They made her feel helpless, as if her fate was no longer in her hands. And perhaps it was no longer in her control. This… devil's agent had swept in with a sweet smile and a sweet face. Perhaps this was her punishment for not seeing the temptation so clearly set down in front of her. But she was confident that God had not simply abandoned her. His love for her would sustain her, no matter how much this monster made her suffer. She would keep praying to God, and he would give her the strength to continue. Having Anhara slip off of her was almost a relief. She could breathe freely again, as well as move how she wished. Well, as much as Anhara would allow her. Her blue eyes trailed up to look at Anhara before they shifted to look at Shaene who was watching them intently, his canine body tensed as he readied to jump the moment Rose ordered him to. However she didn’t want to risk having him hurt. She loved him far too much. She sat up, making her movements slow and visible to avoid giving this monster the excuse to hurt either of them. Rose shifted, bringing her legs up and forwards so that she was now sitting on the sofa. Her eyes moved up towards Anhara, the blue orbs filled with her helpless anger, before she lowered them again and looked down at the carpet as if she had never seen it before. Rose stood up, her body trembling slightly as she gripped the front of her dress and twisted it in her grip. The bitter taste of humiliation was sour on her tongue. It seemed to spread through her body, prickling her skin like thousands of sharp needles. Her arms moved stiffy in their reluctance as she drew the dress up again and over her head. She brought it forwards, using it to cover her body for a few more precious seconds before she allowed the material to pool at her feet, revealing her bra. Her eyes were fixed on her dress, her eyes scanning along every line and crease of the material. She found it infinitely more interesting than looking up at Anhara. She clasped her hands in front of her like she would at church. The familiar posture did give her some measure of strength. She would weather whatever this girl threw at her. She intended on proving to God just how much she loved him, and how much she was willing to suffer for him in atonement for the sins she had committed in her life.

The cry that she let loose the moment his cock slid into her, seemed filled with not only physical pain, but her anguish and sorrow. Sorrow for the part of her that was now forever lost. Clearly she felt that her virginity was as precious as he had once thought it was, before meeting Silvia. The love of his life. Now… now he didn’t care about this girl and the value she held to it. The longer he spent with her, the more she seemed so similar to Silvia. It made a flash of white hot anger surge through him, and he had to control himself to avoid just slamming himself into her. Under normal circumstances, he would have certainly stopped a long time ago. But his mind seemed to have settled into a state of rage. Rage that he had been bottling up for years now, directed at Silvia. However it was this young whore that was unlucky enough to have put herself in the firing range and was now going to be the object in which he let out steam on. After all, he couldn’t do this to Silvia herself. He didn’t know if he could stomach it. But this girl was a nameless stranger, and they were unlikely to ever met again after they left this room. He didn’t care what happened to her. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself even deeper, her white hot insides gripping his cock tightly. It felt as if her cunt was trying to pull him deeper, and yet push him out at the same time as if her body was conflicted on what it wanted. But considering her protestions, he wasn’t surprised. Her body wanted it, but her mind wanted it to stop. Right now, though, he didn’t give a flying fuck what she wanted. All he wanted was to get this rage out of his system. With a faint grunt, he pushed himself into the deepest part of her. He could feel pressure against the head of his cock as her cervix prevented him from being able to delve deeper into her body. He looked down, seeing that only half of his cock was inside of her. Well, hopefully that would not last long. He hoped that by the time they were done, she would have taken at least most of his cock. He leaned forwards, pressing his hands to the bed on either side of her head. As she was so small compared to him, it was easy for him to lean over her, his lips brushing against her ear as he cruelly reminded her, “You’re the one who came to me. Offered to get fucked for money. A deal, is a deal. Even a bad one.” He said before he chuckled softly before pulling away from her ear. He then rolled his hips, pulling his cock out until only the tip was inside of her. The cool air of the room brushed against his cock, rapidly cooling the pussy juices that were clinging onto him. He pushed back inside of her, welcoming the hot depths of her body as they gripped him tightly. The feeling was so intense that it made his head spin. It drive his hips to keep moving, pulling back before pressing back into her body. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stop himself. Her pussy felt so good that his hips wouldn’t be able to pull his cock out. Every instinct was driving him to keep fucking her. She didn’t seem to have noticed that he wasn’t wearing a condom and honestly, he didn’t care if she got upset over that fact when she finally noticed. He was glad that he wasn’t wearing one. It felt so good to feel the velvety flesh of her pussy gliding over the hard flesh of his cock. He just hoped that she was using some kind of contraception, because he had no intention of pulling out either. Her cunt felt too good. It was made to get fucked. And that was exactly what he intended on doing.

Daedrin didn’t tear his eyes from the direction that the scream came from, but he was still able to reach out and grip Izanagi’s arm in a swift reassurance, “I’m fine, Izanagi.” He assured him before allowing his hand to fall to his side again, “I apologise for not saying anything beforehand, but I couldn’t.” Finally, he took his eyes off of the distance and fixed them on Izanagi’s face, “Your actions attracted far worse attention than the angels. We have no real name for their species, but we call them ‘Cloaked Harvesters’. They are creatures that hide from sight, and hide from ears and minds. They watch, and observe. And if you get their interests… then they will harvest you for whatever they can. You see, they use organic components from living people in their technology. We’re nothing more than parts to them, like a nail or piece of wood. It started following us while we were in the cave. It must have been closeby when you lost control and turned into the Wrathful Blazerker. I could feel it watching us, like eyes in the back of my head. But I couldn’t say anything because it was watching us closely. If I had said anything, it would have killed us both. And despite all of your power, my friend, you would have stood no chance against it.” He looked out into the night again, which had fallen silent once again, “So… I called for someone who could take care of it. So it’s gone now.” He said, reaching up and gripping his necklace before he tucked it back into his clothes. He hoped that he didn’t have to do that again, as the summoning should only be used in the most dire of situations. It was also something that he didn’t particularly want to explain to Izanagi, but he knew that if the man asked questions, he would likely try and explain as best as he could without revealing too much. He wasn’t even sure if Izanagi would even believe him. After all, most of peoples God’s were invisible, and never took part in worldly affairs. And Izanagi didn’t strike him as a particularly religious man, and Daedrin had never asked on his opinions on Gods. Odium had seemed pretty scornful where they were concerned, but that was to be expected. After all, in most Holy texts, demons were considered evil and thus were hunted down. So it was understandable that Odium would not only be scornful, but wary.

Location: Town of Kalath “Of course, little lady.” Glenn said, responding to Luna’s request for a glass of milk. He moved to the remains of Rayvenne’s meal, picking up the plate before moving over to Luna and Alice and piling the plates on top of each other before he disappeared out back. Rayvenne picked up her tankard and sipped at the cool liquid before frowning as Alice admitted that the things she spoke were cataloged but she never read those things. To Rayvenne, that was a serious flaw. If one didn’t know what one was facing, then it could end easily in ones death. When dealing with dangerous monsters, it was best to prepare yourself so you can keep yourself alive long enough to take care of them. It was one of the reasons why she did so well despite being a solo operative. Because she always made sure to know what she was getting herself in form. Of course, not everything went according to plan. But she was good at thinking on her feet, an ability that had helped her with numerous encounters in the past. As Alice explained that she was used to guarding villagers from monsters, Glenn came back in with a glass of milk which he placed down in front of Luna. Rayvenne turned her head a little to look over at Alice, her eyebrow raising a little as she switched from ‘we’ to ‘I’. When Alice clarified that she meant that the adventurers guild might have run into some, but not her, herself, Rayvenne looked back into her tankard, assuming that when Alice spoke of ‘we’, she spoke of the guild and yet when spoke of ‘I’, was talking about her own personal experience. She seemed to zone out a little when the subject shifted to talking about Luna’s past. Rayvenne hoped that it was one that wouldn’t continue. She was certainly not going to talk about her own past. It was no business of anyone’s but herself. She looked off again to the side when Alice encouraged Luna’s optimism. Her pessimistic side thought it would be a good idea, especially if the reality was as bad as she thought it was likely to be. But she said nothing and just turned her attention back to her drink. She drained the last of the liquid from it and put it down on the counter, “I’m going to unsaddle Maedoc and bring my bags in.” She then said to Luna, giving Alice a slightly suspicious glance of warning not to do anything funny, before slipping off of her stool and moving over to the front door where she slipped out into the warm afternoon air. She moved over to Maedoc, patting his neck as the animal nickered towards her. She untied his reins from the pole and instead lead him around to the stables. She lead him into one where she began to strip the saddle and reins from him.

Location: Town of Kalath At the girls acceptance of the threat, Rayvenne turned her eyes back to the remains of her bread, eating the remains as the stranger finally introduced herself as Alice Harper. Her eyebrows furrowed a little at the mention of the Adventurer’s Guild. She had heard of it in passing herself, but to her it seemed to be nothing more than a guild of hopeless romantics who thirsted for travelling around. And like many other places, they were unlikely to accepted a freak like herself. At least not truly accepted her. Merely used her, like everyone else tended to do. She was useful. Nothing more. She rubbed her thumb along her fingertips to rub the bread crumbed from her fingers and into the now empty bowl. She felt satisfied, as the soup had really hit the spot. It was just what she needed. She looked up again when the woman inquired how long they had known each other, but she decided to just let Luna answer that. She stood up and moved over to the bar, slipping onto a stool next to Luna as she asked Glenn, “Ale please.” She put a few coins on the counter, watching as he pulled out a tankard and filled it with the amber liquid before he placed it on the counter in front of her while taking the money. She picked it up and sipped it, before pausing at Alice’s question. She put the tankard back down on the counter, “I have seen a dragon. A few times in fact. Killed one or two as well. As for what they’re like… it depends on what kind of dragons you encounter. Red dragons, black dragons, green dragons, gold dragons, Eldyr Dragons, Wyverns, Faerie dragons, Pixie dragons… Isn’t all of this in your little Adventurers guidebook?” She started off explaining before realising that for adventurers this should be basic knowledge especially for those that travelled Craethiel, “While rare, they live around certain areas of Craethiel like the mountain peaks of Enutpen’s Glory and the Rosayia Forest. We’re heading to the mountains for the dragon that Luna wants to find. I think she’s being a little too optimistic, since most dragons are either feral or want nothing to do with other species.”

Daedrin looked up when Izanagi spoke, letting him know that if there was something bothering him, he was willing to listen. He watched with dark red eyes as the man settled himself to sleep in his own bed. He felt a little bad at keeping the trouble a secret from Izanagi, but he couldn’t risk talking about it. Not where it could hear him. The moment it was aware that they knew about it, it would attack and eliminate them so that they didn’t spread the word further. It was the way that they loved to operate in secret, out of the thoughts and minds of those that they were stalking. He stood back up and moved a little way away from the camp, staring off into the pitch blackness of the night. Daedrin opened his mind up, lightly touching the minds of the creatures around them as he looked out for any signs of trouble. He even brushed lightly against Izanagi’s mind, but not enough for him to be aware. It was to confirm that he was deeply asleep. When he was sure that his friend was, he moved away from the camp and the watchful eyes of the Harvester. He slipped behind a rock, pressing one hand against the cool surface, feeling the coolness through the material of his glove. He reached up and took hold of the golden chain around his throat before tugging on it to pull it out from underneath his clothes. It pulled out a pendant, that was primarily gold in colour. However there was the design of a tribal dragon made of what appeared to be black gold. It was curled up around what looked like a star, made from a purple gold. He gripped the pendant in his hand and closed his eyes as he muttered, “My Lord, He of Life and Soul. Please hear my pleas, for I am in need of your help.” He fell silent for several moments before he opened his eyes again to find someone standing in front of him. The figure was tall, far taller than he was. At least eight and a half feet tall. They were wearing a heavy deep purple cloak with a hood pulled up to hide their face. The hood was far down enough that the same symbol on Daedrin’s necklace was visible on the hood. A deep voice emerged from the hood, the sound like silk, “What is it, son?” Daedrin pressed his hand to his chest above his heart before be bowed deeply. When he straightened, he said, “Father. I need your help. We have a Cloaked Harvester following us, and I fear that it will cause trouble for us.” The figure was silent for a moment before saying, “I will see to it. Return to your camp.” Daedrin bowed his head and obediently turned and returned to the campfire. The sensation that he was being watched returned, which confirmed to him that it was Izanagi that the hidden enemy was interested in. When he got close enough, he turned and sat back down, crossing his legs as he waited patiently, his body tensed. Several long minutes passed with nothing happening. The screech of an owl pierced the silence before falling silent once again. There was a suddenly flare of energy, powerful and potent off to the right of where their camp was. Daedrin turned his head in its direction but he couldn’t see anything. But those watchful eyes seemed to leave him, causing his muscles to relax and his stomach unclench. However he jumped a little as there was a flare of purple light, with a loud wooshing sound before there was a loud scream that pierced the night. He jumped to his feet, his mind reaching out, ‘My Lord?’ He asked. ‘It is dealt with.’ The deep voice said, before Daedrin felt his presence vanish. He remained standing where he was for a moment before he turned and looked at Izanagi, sure that the scream had woken him up.

Location: Along with Ageon River, North of Rosayia Forest. Rowan chuckled at Natia’s suggestions of a nickname. He felt an impression of a mild indignation and amusement from Baellator as the huge beast continued to move at a brisk trot before speeding up into a rolling canter that would easily eat up the miles before them and allow them to reach the nearby town, perhaps by mid-day. Rowan caught more impressions from Baellator, almost like flashes of understanding. With his ear still close to her ear, he said, “The name amuses him, but he prefers his full name. It means ‘The Mighty Protectorate’. The name Bael would simply mean ‘The Mighty’ to him. So cute it may be, I think it takes away from the full meaning of his name, which is quite important to him.” Rowan said, trying to explain what Baellator had tried to show him. He then said, “I believe Baellator is what we would call a War Horse, but he doesn’t see himself like that. He sees himself as a protector, a defender of those that cannot. He’s quite prideful in that regard. I think that’s why he was so eager to jump in and help us; because he wanted to protect us from the Hounds.” His arm tightly wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to him as the other gripped the dark fur of his mane. The canter was a little uncomfortable due to the lack of a saddle to cushion the bouncing, however he knew it was the quickest way to get to the next town. He knew it was going to be a nervous experience for Natia, but he would do what he could to ensure that she was comfortable. Location: Town of Kalath Rayvenne froze when attention was suddenly brought to her by Luna who insisted that she had a hand in the decision of letting this complete stranger come along on their journey. Slowly, she picked up the last piece of her bread and tore it in half to scoop some of the remains of her soup from the bottom of her bowl as she let out a sigh. She raised the bread a little, before it lowered slightly as she rested her elbow on the table as her dark eyes shifted back over to the other two. They actually looked like an odd pair, and yet there was a tentative friendliness between them as they seemed quite eager to talk of adventures with one another. After a few moments she said, “If Luna thinks it’s alright that you come along, then that’s fine with me.” He eyes continued to bore down into the stranger, “But I warn you; you try anything foolish towards Luna or myself, I will not hesitate to deal with you.” She paused to make sure her words sunk in before she then added, “If you have no intention of doing anything like that, then you shouldn’t have to worry.” She turned her attention back to her food once again and asked, “My name is Rayvenne. Freelance Monster Hunter. What is your name, stranger?” She then took a bite of her bread and chewed on the soup soaked loaf as she waited for an answer. Rayvenne hoped that the stranger took her promise seriously. It would be massive headache if she decided to try and stab them in the back later. Due to her small size, and the fact that she was a woman, people often underestimated Rayvenne. While at first it was amusing to prove them wrong, it had long become tiresome.

When Anhara pulled away from her lips, Rose gasped, taking in a lungful of air that she desperately needed. Her chest rose and fell a few times as she tried to get her breath back. Her blue eyes then focused on Anhara when the girl spoke again. She shook her head a little when the girl stated that they could be sisters, or best friends or even mummy and kitty. There was no way Rose would accept her as a sister. No one could replace the sister that she had lost long, long ago. The thought of Anhara taking that place made her feel sick. She then froze at the idle threats that were thrown her way. Her face, if it was even possible, became even more pale at the thought of this monster causing harm to her family. She herself would gladly put her life on the line to protect them, but she didn’t want them in danger because of her. She stilled, gulping a little as the girl seemed pretty confident that she could deal with the police as well. At the next question asked, Rose’s breath froze in her throat, and at first she didn’t know how to answer. Her body trembled a little as she watched the knife shift and move closer. Her eyes closed when it came close to her throat and for a moment she was terrified that Anahra was going to slit her throat. But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, she heard the tearing of cloth and her eyes snapped open as she looked down to see her dress being cut open. Her trembling increased, and she began to find it hard to breath once again. Normally, she wouldn’t be too bothered about being in her underwear in front of another woman, however Anhara was different. Rose knew it wasn’t anything innocent with her. It made her feel dirty, and disgusting. And yet her thoughts went back to Anhara’s threat. Granted, with the clothes she was wearing, she didn’t look to be able to hide much. But Rose knew that someone monstrous enough, resourceful enough, could find plenty of things around the house hold that would prove fatal. So she did the only thing she could think of to make sure this monster didn’t harm her family. She muttered, “I-I’ll be good…” She moved her hands slowly so not to spook Anhara, before she gripped the front of her dress before she began tugging it up. As it had no zipper, or buttons, due to it being a slip on dress, she was having to pull it up. Anhara’s weight was making it a little difficult, but she tugged hard enough to pull the dress up so that it pooled around her waist. Her knickers were, as Anhara had predicted, white briefs with a pattern of small flowers. Her bra, still hidden, was matching but due to her position it was hard to wiggle the dress off of her.

Zack didn’t respond to her sobbed pleas, but a smirk tugged on the corner of his lips. She sounded truly terrified of what he might to. He had no intentions of hurting her, at least on purpose. But he found that he rather enjoyed the fact that she was terrified of just what he could do to her. He wondered if she had scenarios running through her mind, imagining the kinds of things he would do her. Things her fear would amplify into the impossible. It was almost as satisfying as the humiliation that rolled off of her in waves. He just chuckled softly, the sound filling the room as he looked back down at her pussy, his hand groping her arse cheeks gently. He then shifted closer, his cock mere centimetres away from her soaking wet pussy. He could feel the heat that radiated off of her body, and he had to control himself to stop from just plunging balls deep inside of her. He smirked wider before finally responding to what she had said, “I can’t promise that. Because this will hurt. At least at first.” He then moved his hands to her hips and pressed the head of his cock against her pussy lips. He could feel the wet, hot flesh giving against him, the pussy lips shifting to wrap around the head of his cock as if eager to allow him inside. He took that invitation, pushing into the entrance of her pussy. He felt resistance against him, for a few moments, before it suddenly gave way and allowed him to slide deeper into her. He had to bite down on his own groan, as the feeling of her pussy around his cock was incredible. The hot muscles twitched around him, gripping his cock with its tight heat. All his body wanted to do was to just slam deep inside of her, regardless to her feelings. However he didn’t actually want to hurt her. It would run counter to corrupting her. He wanted to show her just how good sex felt. So that she would go on and continue being corrupted until she was nothing more than a mindless fuck machine. When he was several inches inside of her, he pulled back slightly before pushing back in again. Each time he did this, he began getting deeper into her body as he slowly stretched her open. He let out a soft grunt, “Fuck. Your cunt feels so good. You are going to make a lot of men very happy.” He told her, keeping a firm hold of her hips to keep her in place as he slowly fucked her. His cock was getting coating in her abundant juices, which was making it easier for him to slide in and out of her, indicating that he had been prudent to make sure that she was soaking wet before doing this. Otherwise it would have certainly hurt more for her.

Location: Town of Kalath One of Rayvenne’s eyebrows rose when the stranger stated that what she wanted, neither of them could provide. So, she was getting something out of it, but she wasn’t been too clear on what. But what she said next, made Rayvenne wonder if she was someone who slayed monsters and made her money by selling their parts for use by various people, including alchemists or magic users. She straightened a little, watching the stranger for a few moments before she said, “Fair enough.” She then turned her attention to her soup. Of course, this didn’t mean that she trusted the stranger, and she would make sure that she kept an eye on her. If Luna wanted to drag her along, then it was her decision. Rayvenne was merely a guide and bodyguard. She had no final say over who accompanied them. And it seemed that Luna, as what seemed to be usual for her, was quickly warming up to her and making a new friend. Lorna gave the woman a small smile as she put the plate of soup and bread down on the table beside Luna, “You’re welcome. I hope it tastes as wonderful as it smells.” She said, bowing her head a little before she retreated back into the kitchen, the door thudding close behind her. Glenn remained silent, watching the three women with a curious glance. The only other customer in the tavern let out a loud belch before he stood up and stepped away from the table, “Thanks, Glenn. I’ll be seein’ ya’” He said in a rough and gravelly tone before he left through the front door. Rayvenne glanced towards the man before she turned to her own meal, picking up one of the slices of bread and tearing it in half before dipping it into the hot liquid of the soup before biting down on it. While she decided to remain out of the conversation between Luna and this stranger, she still paid close attention. She was ready to jump up the moment the stranger posed Luna any sign of danger. She twitched a little when she heard the sound of slurping, feeling her throat tighten in reflex irritation as the sound made her want to cringe as her skin seemed to crawl. But she swallowed the feelings down and quietly continued to eat, leaving the last piece of bread to scoop out the remains of the soup.

NPC Characters. This post highlights some important NPCs that any character visiting or working at the Heptite Guild may encounter during their time there. Guild Master Name: Aedan Longton Age: 57 Rank: Guild Master Race: Taru’zenari Will have sex with Singers: Not at this time. Sexuality: Hetero-sexual. Description: Aedan is a quiet, strong man. He's very calm in stressful situations but he is always friendly to all staff on Ballybran. However he can be stern if a Singer has errored and will not let anyone get away with causing trouble. But he makes himself available to anyone that has any problems. He's quite open-minded and is always aiming to improve the Heptite Guild. Kira Longton is his sister. Chief Doctor Name: Kira Longton Age: 51 Rank: Chief Medical Officer/ Chief Doctor Race: Taru’zenari Will have sex with Singers: Not at this time. Sexuality: Hetero-sexual. Description: Kira is a kind, compassionate woman. She treats all medical situations seriously. Even when a patient is having severe convulsions, she will remain calm and clear headed. She works in a very efficient manner, and doesn't like people getting in the way when she's trying to work. She's very friendly, making friends easily and her calm and compassionate nature makes her someone easy to talk to. She's not judgemental and accepts everyone for who they are. She is Aedan's younger sister. Sorting Officer Name: Amy-Leigh Jefferson Age: 62 Rank: Chief of Sorting. Race: Kitsune Will have sex with Singers: Definitely. Sexuality: Bi-sexual, but much prefers men. Description: She's a fun, bubbly person who loves a good chat and having many friends. She will happily sit with people, chat and have a good time with them. She is also quite promiscuous. When it comes to her job, she is completely serious and does not tolerate foolishness or incompetency and will quickly tell someone when they're doing something wrong. Student Tutor Name: Dale Trueman Age: 110 Rank: Tutor. Race: Human. Will have sex with Singers: Yes. Sexuality: Homo-sexual. Description: Dale is a very serious man, and doesn't appear to have any kind of fun. When dealing with students, he is very calm and does not react to hostile questions or joking. He is like a walking encyclopaedia and can recite almost everything that is on their computers. He will do so in a manner that is almost robotic, as he had an eidetic memory and simply recites things from memory. Crystal Singer on the Shankill Moon base Name: Ebony Keywood Age: 52 Rank: Crystal Singer. Race: Neko. Will have sex with Singers: Yes. Sexuality: Bi-sexual. Description: Ebony is a quiet, sultry woman. She likes to flirt, but not the giggly girl kind. She gives off an air of confidence, and is not afraid to say what is on her mind. She has a dark sense of humour, but doesn't laugh that often. She is not a submissive woman, but is willing to have sex with students. She is usually found on the Moon base, Shankill, introducing new applicants to the career of Crystal Singing.

Heptite Guild Home of the Heptite Crystals; helping innovation throughout the galaxies. The Heptite Guild is a Company, that is under the umbrella of the ExoSinian Eldyr Corporation that operates in the Epsus Galaxy. Despite having a parent corporation, the Mining Guild is quite independant and runs things how they like. They mine special crystals that are used in various pieces of technology. Due to the rarity of the crystals, they are usually quite expensive to purchase. The Guild itself does not sell the crystals. Instead, they are delivered to the Trading Station in the Vestibule of Enlightenment system where they can then he purchased by anyone who has the credits to do so. The system itself is guarded by ExoSinian Corporate Security, with at least six ships at a time on patrol. They do not take kindly to pirates, or those who make any kind of hostile moves towards any of the facilities or workers on the planet or moon base. Thus the main Guild is not easy to attack and pirate. The Heptite Guild is open for individuals to come and apply for membership. They can be quite welcoming, and their hospitality is well known to be good. Now for information regarding the actual planet where the Heptite Guild is location, which will give more information regarding the actual Guild, its History and facilities. Planet Name: Ballybran. Native species: Humans were the first to colonise this planet, however there are many species living there. Solar System: Ballybran is the Fifth planet of the star, Scoria [G type star] which is located in the Regulus II sector, Andromeda Galaxy. Scoria is a star with a high amount of sun-spot activity which contributes to the weather on Ballybran. Planet Statistics: Ballybran has Gravity slightly lower than the galactic norm for human adaptability, a breathable atmosphere, more oceans than land mass, tidal complications caused by three moons, as well as an exotic meteorology stimulated by sunspot activity of the star, Scoria. Atmosphere Makeup: 76% nitrogen, 22% oxygen, a variable amount (average around 1.247%, National Centre for Atmospheric Research) water vapour, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and traces of hydrogen, helium, and other "noble" gases. Natural satellites: Ballybran has three natural satellites, Shankill, Shillmore and Shanganaugh. Shankill is the largest of the three moons and is home of the Shankill Moon base. Shanganaugh is the smallest of the three and has an unmanned meteorology station. Shillmore also has a meteorology station, but it is manned by technicians who observe the weather on the planet every hour of everyday. Due to the orbits of these three moons, it causes tidal complications that make navigating the water extremely dangerous. It also contributes to the violent weather seen on Ballybran. When in a particular position around Ballybran, it causes the storms to become extremely violent, even to Ballybran’s standards, a period called “Passover.” Unnatural Satellites: There are 16 satellites orbiting the planet scanning the atmosphere for changes in the systems that influence the weather on Ballybran. Natural and Species History: - Natural history: Little is known about the natural history of Ballybran and how the Crystal Ranges were formed, but it is theorised that the extreme heat and the stress of the three moon’s gravitational pull on the planet forced the crystal to the surface. - Colonisation history: In a routine explore and evaluate search for habitable planets for colonisation, the planets around the sun, Scoria, were scanned. Only one of the planets had a suitable atmosphere and suitable gravity for human habitation. It also gave evidence of crystal and quartz in its inverted ranges. A team was dispatched with a man called Barry Milekey as its leader. The initial findings of the geologists indicated that Ballybran was a planet of immense potential, and samples were rushed back to Sector Research. The first crystal sample to be analysed was a blue porphyry type, proved that, due to peculiarities of its composition, a marvellous optical storage device. It allows computers to have instantaneous access to improbably large volumes of data stored in matrixes of exceptionally small dimensions. For example, the crystals fine grain synapse structure enabled even a 1cm3 piece to store up to 10 Zettabytes of data which is equivalent of 10,737,418,240 Terabytes. It was Milekey's discovery, however, of the so called black quarts, which, under normal circumstances is neither black nor quartz, which led to the complete revolution of interstellar communications. Owing to its thermal characteristics, black crystal is a pigmented rock crystal, is translucent in natural light. Under certain types of magnetic stress, black crystal, for lack of better description, absorbs all light and seems to become matte black in colour, which attributes to its name. Milekey had observed this phenomenon when he chipped the first lump from the black crystal face. Again by accident, while being examined by the crystallographers, the substance's true properties were discovered. If two identical segments of black quartz were subjected to synchronized magnetic induction, a two-way communication link was established between the crystal segments. When investigators increased the distance between the samples, it was discovered that, unlike other electromagnetic phenomena, black quartz eliminated the time lag and allowed for instantaneous communication between the two points in space. Concurrent with the laboratory discoveries and proposed applications of the new crystals, there came the first of several problems to be solved in the mining of this rich source. The first investigation team had only gathered up loose chips of the various types of crystal, or such larger chunks as had already been fractured from the crystal faces. In attempts to cut with ordinary carbon-10 blades, the crystal had shattered. Laser cutters were tried, but they shattered, melted, or damaged the crystal. The habit of one of the crystallographers of singing as he worked led to an unexpected solution. The man noticed that some crystal faces would resonate to his voice, and he suggested the use of a subsonic cutter. Though not completely successful at first, experiments along this line finally produced the sophisticated audio pickup that resonated, amplified, and reduced the required note to set the sub-sonic diamond blade. Once the problem of wrestling unblemished crystals from the face was solved, Ballybran was opened to private miners so that they could make a small fortune selling the crystals to the open market. During the next spate of storms, those miners who heeded the warnings for oncoming storms, promptly retreated from the crystal ranges and reached the sheltered valley sustained no injury. The ones who ignored the warnings were discovered in the storm's wake, either dead or completely mad. Storm winds blowing across the resonant crystal range coaxed enough sonics from the sensitive rock to shatter unprotected minds. Keenly aware of the unexplained deaths of the nine miners, everyone became conscious of previously ignored physical discomforts. The meditechs began filing reports of disorientation, hypo- and hyperthermic spells, erratic sense perceptions, muscular spasm and weakness among the minors and anyone living on the planet. No one in the several base camps escaped the minor ailments. Most of the symptoms passed within a week, but some victims found one sense or another, in most cases hearing, to be affected. The medical team was hastily increased in size to deal with the situation, and everyone was put through exhaustive tests. At first, crystal was suspected of inducing the symptoms. However, those handling the crystal off-planet appeared unharmed by contact, while meteorologists and support technicians who never touched the crystals on Ballybran, were also affected. Crystal was determined not to be the source of the strange ailments affecting the planet inhabitants. The planet's ecology then became the prime target for intensive examination, and this area of investigation proved positive. The spore producing the symptoms was soon isolated, and the planet Ballybran was placed on Code 4 as a preventive measure to prevent anyone from landing on the planet and never being able to leave. The Heptite Guild was established on the planet surface, with a Moon Base being built on Shankill to act as the planet’s landing point. The Heptite Guild was established to help people adapt to the planet and the spore while supporting the Crystal Singers who mined the crystal. Due to the dangers and the fact that many people going down to the planet surface will never leave again, the Heptite Guild is banned from active recruiting. Currently, only Singers are allowed to leave the planet (Providing they mine enough to afford to go off-world). Support staff cannot leave the planet surface as they do not have enough credits to do so. They are also not subject to the same stresses that Crystal Singers go through. The Guild in recent years, was purchased by the ExoSinian Eldyr Corporation who immediately got to work improving the facilities of the Guild to make the mining safer for the miners as well as to make life more comfortable for those that live their life on the planet. They now also provide the system protection, as the Guild was subject to frequent raids by the NRSA. Planet Surface: Ballybran has a lot more ocean to land mass, with a vast majority of the landmass being made up of the crystal ranges over twelve continents. There are some sections of the landmass which is dedicated to research, facility buildings and farming. Ecology: The ecology of Ballybran is Silicon based, and not Carbon based like many planets and species. Plant Life: The local plant life is inedible due to its silicon based ecology. However Carbon based plant life can be grown on the planet. Animal Life: There is little to no animal life on Ballybran. Insect Life: There is little to no insect life on Ballybran. Sea Life: There is little to no Sea life on Ballybran. Microbiological Life: The most known about microbe on Ballybran is the spore, which is a microbial symbiont. This Spore can form a symbiotic "bridge" between carbon based lifeforms and the silicon based life forms of Ballybran as it is a carbon silicate, able to work with both carbon and silicon based life forms. The formation of the bridge is usually metabolically traumatic: a "Transition Sickness," as it is called, however some recruits have a Milekey Transition which shows no symptoms and allows for maximum adaptation. They are also sensitive to black crystal, but such adaptations are extremely rare (Do NOT have your character have a Milekey adaptation unless it is approved by me). The transition sickness can affect the recruits between ten to twenty days since first day on the planet. When they fall ill, they are immediately taken the medical facility to make them as comfortable as possible as their body adapts to the spore. Anyone going through the adaptation will experience a high fever, flashes of hot and cold, severe convulsions, blinding headaches and coughing fits that will leave you exhausted. Many do not remember much while going through the adaptation illness due to their fevered state. Someone who refuses to allow the spore to establish itself risks death, however deaths are rare in the Heptite Guild as their medical staff are fully trained on how to lesson the risk of death. After adaptation, it can take up to twenty weeks for the spore to establish itself properly within the host’s body. Occasionally after passing through the adaptation, one or more senses may be weakened and reduced, but others may be greatly amplified such as a significant improvement in visual acuity, tactile perceptions, nerve conduction and cellular adaptation. Depending on how the spore affects the senses will determine what position the recruit is placed in. The symbiont affects the DNA/RNA pattern of the body; extending the life span considerably (Some can live more than 200 years. In fact some crabs and worms in the research labs are 400 years old) as well as giving the host regeneration abilities and heal much quicker than other humans/species. It also increases tolerance to extreme heat, cold and pain. Some of the side effects that the symbiont has are that the eyes can see into the UV or IR spectrums, with an ability in some to sense magnetic fields. Increased tactile sensitivity (Which has allowed some artistically inclined Singers to produce some of the most treasured art of modern times) is also another effect of the spore adaptation. There is no way to predict what effect the spore will have on any individual. The Symbiont is also an inbuilt warning for whenever there is going to be a mach storm, alerting the host so that it can get out of the ranges and into the safety of the guild. The disadvantage to this is that the older the host, the less likely the symbiont is of warning the Singer as it becomes less effective through age. If the spore does not adapt properly to the carbon based biological system of humans and other species, then death of the host occurs and the body crystallises. Also, when adapted to the spore, it makes the host irreversibly sterile as the genetic code of the host [the parts of the DNA that deal with heredity and propagation] are chemically altered, increasing personal survival traits as opposed to racial survival. If the Singer were to leave the planet, they must return within 400 days [The very maximum they can stay away. It is always recommended to have 250 days away] to allow the spore to recharge otherwise the host will die an unpleasant death as the death occurs from the host aging within a period inversely related to the host’s elapsed life span )As in they age in a very short amount of time. They suffer fever and convulsions before they die). Not long after adapting to the spore, and first cutting crystal, the spore affects the memory of the Singer. It is not long before Singers forget where they come from, who are their friends and family. This can take up to a few decades to affect them. Singers usually keep a log, which is voice restricted so only they can access it. The memory loss occurs more when the Singer is mining crystal. When a Singer has been mining crystal for too long, they get what is called a “Crystal Resonance.” This makes any non-singers (Even support staff on Ballybran) very uncomfortable around the Singer. It can make the body hair for non-singers to stand up on end. This can cause the Singer to become even more irritable and tense. Only going away from Ballybran for an extended period of time can cure this. As well as lots of Radiant Baths. Planet Access: Warning: Unauthorized landing on Ballybran interdicted by Heptite Guild, section 907, code 4, paragraphs 78-90. No ship can land on the planet directly, and will be required to land on the Shankill Moon Base. Applications for consideration of membership to the Heptite Guild requires physical fitness test SG-1, Psychological Profile SG-1, Education level 3 preferred but not required. Perfect and absolute pitch both in perception and reproduction of the tonal quality. Application made only through Heptite Guild office(s): Shankill Moon Base in the Main Reception Facility and the Andromeda One Space Station in the Main Reception Facility. While no longer under the rules of the Earth Alliance, the Heptite Guild require full disclosure of all dangers inherent in profession to prospective candidates once physical, psychological and aptitude tests have been passed to the satisfaction of the Guild Examining Board.. If, after all the dangers of Ballybran have been disclosed, the recruit decides not to go through with the recruitment process, then their memory of what they have been told is wiped and the memory is replaced with one of oversleeping and having a leisurely breakfast. Meteorology: The weather on Ballybran can have the same patterns as planets such as Earth; however there are a couple of exceptions. Mach Storms: Extremely violent storms that have powerful winds that resonate across the crystal in the ranges, causing strong sonics that shatter any unprotected minds and leaves anyone caught in it mad or dead. As the ranges of Ballybran extend downwards, some would think that going down would protect against the storms wrath, however that assumption is incorrect as it traps the person and it will not protect anyone from the sonics created by the wind. Passover: When all three of the moons orbits are briefly synchronised. Along with the stars sunspot activity, this causes extremely violent mach storms where the sonics can penetrate deep underground where all the singers and the support staff live. Any singers that can get off the planet are encouraged to do so; however most do not mine enough crystal to get the required amount of credits to get off world at Passover. Before Passover, the symbiont becomes very demanding, causing the host to become extremely hungry every couple of hours and able to consume huge amounts of food during one eating session. Once Passover begins, the hosts appetite dies down and they ‘hibernate’ throughout the whole Passover, although that alone does not protect the host entirely from the Passover sonics. Political stance: Ballybran is run by the Guild Master who is in charge of the Heptite Guild and deal with all decisions. It is a mining Guild so does not have any political government and deals in the mining and selling of its unique crystal. Urbanisation spread: There is not much urbanisation on Ballybran as the planet’s landmass is mainly crystal ranges. There are, however, farms dedicated to growing Carbon based crops. There are not many buildings on the surface of Ballybran, only going up a few stories, as most of the buildings are dedicated to sled hangers and sorting areas for the crystal. Most of the structures are underground where the singers and support staff live. The higher the rank, the lower down their quarters are. This is because the sonics from Passover mach storms can reach deep under the surface. Protective measures are put in place such as sound mufflers worn over the ears. And for some being placed in radiant baths in the medical facility with hearing cut off just to make them comfortable, however they do not cut out everything. The last measure is usually for new Singers who have done their first cut near Passover. Biomes: Seas and rugged crystal ranges as well as farm lands are the kinds of biomes encountered on the planet. Inhabitants: The Heptite Guild is led by the Guild Master, with Chiefs of all sections coming underneath him. Then the Crystal Singers rank underneath them. There are currently 4,352 Crystal Singers living and mining on Ballybran. There is 20,632 support staff that keep the Singers in the ranges. Recruits: The moment they decide to go through with joining the Guild, they are subject to being charged for any training that they receive. They are charged for the flight down to the planet, the instruction that they receive from their instructor, flight training, accommodation, their first sled and their cutter. They do not have to pay up front, and can work their debt off. It is usually paid off during the first two years of their employment, which, considering how long they will live is not long at all. If there is an incoming storm, recruits will be rallied to help unload the ships and then to help sort the crystal. And then afterwards cleaning the sleds for the Singers to go back out to the ranges. They get paid for the unloading of the crystal, and even danger pay for it due to the dangers involved. They get paid for sorting the crystal and cleaning out the sleds, both subject to a bonus if done quickly. These can help eat away at the debt of their recruitment. The smallest class the Guild will teach is 30 students, so any applicants will have to wait until there are 30 in the class before they will be moved on. When taken down to the planet surface, they are giving a class designation. The designation is the number of which class they are now (For example Class 425 is the 425th class to be taught on the planet). They are shown to a recruits lounge which has enough seating for the class, a catering unit and private sleeping quarters down a corridor, complete with en-suite bathroom. Technology: They have the standard Galactic technology with space ships, Moon base, shuttles, catering units, etc. The Singers each have their own personal flying vehicles, called Sleds. It’s like a shuttle. It contains the pilot’s cockpit, sleeping area, catering area as well as the reinforced storage area that contains the cartons that the crystals are placed. One of the Singers favourite pieces of technology is the baths, which can be found in both recruit and singer quarters, with the Singers baths having more options. The baths can be set for various bath types, including a type called a ‘Radiant’ bath. It is a yellow goo like substance that cleans deeply as well as ease the ache out of very tired muscles. Crystals and Crystal Singing: The crystals are mined from the ranges, from large crystal deposits on the surface. To be mined, a special sonic cutter is required. Each Singer has their own cutter that is made personally for them and cannot be used by anyone else. The cutter works by the Singer singing and tuning the cutter to the tone and pitch that they have set (Like A minor). They then cut the crystal in the desired shape. The crystal is tuned to the note that the Miner Sung (So if they sung an A minor note, then the crystal will become A minor). Crystals that come in sets that fit together are more valuable and bring in more credits, especially if they vary in notes (Like A minor, A Major etcetc). Each Singer ‘Claims’ a place where they mine their crystal, through use of using a special paint painted on the rocks that indicates that there is an active Singer there. Singers are not allowed to jump claims and mine crystal in another’s claim. Doing such a thing is subject to being punished severely. Singers can mark where their claim on the computer of their sled (Providing it is not damaged beyond repair), although the mach storms and Passover can change what the ranges appear so it is not 100% reliable. Although after Singers have cut a claim, they can sense when they are nearby as they are attuned to the crystal. To find a crystal face in the first place, the Singer will need to search in the sunlight since sun warmed crystal create sounds and sing which a Crystal Singer can hear. Crystal can react to the singer if they talk, sing, hum or laugh. It is also easier to cut the crystal in the sunlight as it is easier to see the crystal as well as setting the tune. As soon as they have cut, they must wrap the crystal and place it in the carton. Otherwise the Singer will end up communicating with the crystal for hours on end. When communicating with the crystal, the Singer is unaware of the passage of time. This link can be broken by a cloud passing over the sun or by the sun setting. The sled that they own have many warnings that are both loud and annoying whenever a mach storm is incoming. The best warning that a Singer has is their symbiont as it warns the Singer of a storm hours before the warnings in the sled go off. When they come back to the Guild, their precious load is immediately unloaded by any staff available (Which is a dangerous task if the storm is above them as it makes it dangerous to fly so sleds can crash and the ferocious wind can knock people over). Over the next few days the crystal is sorted and the credits counted for each crystal. What is wanted/needed by the market will determine how much each crystal is worth and therefore what each Singer gets. After the total amount of their crystals is calculated, a 6% tithe is given to the Guild. This is required to keep the support staff paid and also to keep their medical treatment free. When they are fresh from the ranges, Crystal Singers have an extremely short temper and are prone to snapping and irritability. They tend to look gaunt and haggard as they are so involved with mining crystal that they forget to eat. Most also forget to bath. Code 4: Ballybran has several dangers which must be revealed to all hopeful applicants. There are three main dangers to Ballybran. The Mach storms (Passover is included in this), crystallisation through death after a failed adaptation, and death through fireballs: The crystal ranges can build up localized high-voltage and sonic charges near which ordinary comm units do not operate properly, nor do other types of electrical equipment, some of which are necessary to the operation of sleds and conveniences. Fireballs can occur. And, despite all the precautions, a Singer can be volatilized into vapour.