« cut the strings [Marionette] : //

[kai]

Marionette

Soaring Shadows and Divine Lights. For one to exist, there must be the other.


In the beginning of time »
the planet Verity was created by seven selfless elemental gods in the center of a divine galaxy. They worked day and night to make sure everything was just right so Verity could give birth to new life, for the planet they had created could not support such an intricate commodity as life itself.

The balance was delicate, but the task was completed nonetheless; the perfect combination of each of the gods' seven elements kept each of the others in check. Merciless gales calmed themselves to subtle breezes, violent volcanoes from which molten rock poured day and night went dormant, and the swirling seas held back so that their powerful waves were no longer miles high. The excess energy went to the seven gods, who resided in their sacred stone pillars across globe, living under conditions that proved to be the epitome of secrecy so that they could watch their beautiful creations blossom. They gazed upon their youthful planet with delight, nurturing the first dainty ferns until they grew larger than their hallowed obelisks. It was only a matter of years until all of Verity was covered with all forms of life, big and small, and it was only a matter of time before said life would need to be governed.

Again, the gods worked. Soon, they created a race that they believed could reign over the chaotic beings of Verity with a sympathetic fist and eye for true justice. They made sure that they would punish those who deserved it and let the innocent free. The gods told their people that nothing could go wrong; they said to follow the new race like they were of the same caliber as themselves. Worship them, the gods said.

And so all of Verity devoted themselves to the new race, loyal to the kind gods that had brought them the most precious gift of all - life. It was just too bad that the species didn't turn out like they thought.

The gods gave them too much power, and they would pay, along with their beloved planet.

The race was named Shoukaze. With their human-like qualities, ebony wings, and blood red eyes, the Shoukaze were everything but what the gods had wanted - in fact, the complete opposite. The Shoukaze hungered for power, power beyond their wildest imaginations, more than the gods had already given them. And obtaining such dominance would be an easy task, for there was only one way to get it, and it wasn't that hard, for they had in their possession the location of every last thing they needed. To acquire the power they so desired, the Shoukaze had to merely destroy each of the god's seven obelisks and the spiritual artifacts inside. For the seven gods to remain on Verity, they had to compress their divine beings into an earthly artifact, which they hid inside their sanctified towers. He who destroyed the relic would gain control over the element of the god it contained, and the god would be lost forever.

The leader of the Shoukaze ordered his minions to seek out and bring to him the seven sacred artifacts so that he could shatter them all at once. The gods heard of this plan and were forced to relocate. When the Shoukaze arrived at the first tower, they were not pleasantly surprised. The soldier cried out in rage when he found that the relic was nowhere to be found.

The gods were frantic. They couldn't be found, for if they were, the Shoukaze would surely distroy them and bring endless pain to Verity. In their haste, the only answer they could find to their dilemma was to create yet another race, the Kouenki. The Kouenki were much more like their first intentions; pale as angels with crystalline eyes bluer than the clearest skies. The gods were tired, for the creation of the Shoukaze had taken much of their strength. They were forced to feed off of the energy stored in their planet's animals, fusing their seraphic creations with an animal that they so desired. There were only seven Kouenki, one to protect each god. They were the celestial warriors, part-animal, part-human, all magical. The gods entrusted each one with their relics, telling them to guard them with their lives, offering them elemental powers with which they could fight off the Shoukaze. The relics were embedded within the Kouenki, meaning for someone to retrieve it, it had to be removed from inside the Kouenki. Removal of such a sacred artifact would cause sure death. They were nicknamed the Marionettes by civilians, referring to their ties with the gods; they were considered Verity's puppets.

The Kouenki were told to seek out the leader of the Shoukaze and assist the gods in planning their demise. The Shoukaze, as predicted, were angered by this. A war ignited, the victor to decide upon the fate of Verity.

Characters »

Kouenki - Marionettes
God - Element - Animal
Akane - Fire - Lion
Mayu - Water - Flying Fish
Ken'ichi - Earth - Mountain Goat
Haruto - Wind - Peregrine Falcon [taken by Blood]
Yukito - Ice - Arctic Fox [taken by Kai]
Mitsuko - Light - Rabbit [taken by Phoe]
Ryou - Shadow - Screech Owl

Animals may be changed as you please - these are only suggestions. If joining as a Kouenki, please specify which element you would like; only one person per element.

Shoukaze
Soldiers
Traitors [those who secretly help the Kouenki]


Please ask to join. I won't say no, but I need to know who you're playing.

[/center]

[F e n i]

||May I join, Kai? =)
As a Traitor and Mitsuko?

Question about the Kouenki though... Do they all need to look similar to your description?||

[Darkpidgeot]

(I would get into an argument that ice is a sub-element of water but it's not my plot.

Placeholder.)

[kai]

[[ Aye, but I like the number seven a lot better than six.
I hate even numbers. o3o

You may join, Phoe-chan. The Kouenki don't have to fit the description, but you know. Maybe one part? Like, blue eyes or white hair or white skin. *shrug*

Whatever you want, I guess. ;3 ]]

[F e n i]

||I always base my characters around some I already made. To think about it, I only have three main characters I use. (Another one has been used only once.)

I was thinking she be really pale and have some white hair.
Like, Kiseki =33
But cloned for this rp. >D||

[kai]

[[ Dude. Kiseki would be freakin' scaryyyyyy.
83 Do eeeeeeeet.

/workingonintro. ]]

[Ari-chan]

ooc: Sounds like fun. I'll definately join as one of the Shoukaze.
I might also claim one of the Kouenki, but I'm not sure which one. ^_^'

[chi the mighty !]

ooc;

" Sounds like fun. I'll definately join as one of the Shoukaze. "

Anna~~? I'm debating on joining as a Shoukaze. I'll letcha know when I decide~. (:

[Ari-chan]

"Anna~~? I'm debating on joining as a Shoukaze. I'll letcha know when I decide~. (:"


ooc: *nodnod* Can't you picture her as a power hungry god-type-thingy? ^_^

[Darkpidgeot]

(Hm...I think I should grab it before someone steals. Has I be Haruto for wind?)

[F e n i]

||The first names there are the deities, right?
The creators of our characters?||

[Ari-chan]

ooc: Oh, and Kai, are the Shoukaze's wings bird like? Or can they be, er, bat like?

[kai]

[[ Yes, Phoe, the names up there are the names of the deities. You don't have to name your character after their god. ;3

They can be either. As long as they're somewhat black and scary. 83

Bloodeh ish nao Wind. ]]



In the dead of night, only the sound of a cool breeze rustling thickets of wild grasses could be heard. In the deep, consuming darkness, few things could be seen, for the broad canopy of stars offered little light without their moon. Hundreds of trees dotted the vast field, sheltering a small village with their rugged branches and abundant leaves. Warm orange lights poured from the ramshackle windows, slowly dying to a mere glow as the night went on, sending the quaint hamlet into serene quiet.

Chilling waters trickled slowly under a wooden footbridge and drained into a larger river a few yards away before meandering through the dense foliage. A single lamp hung from an ornate oaken pole, casting it's eerie yellow glow upon the face of a ghost perched atop the sturdy railings. The pale white fur that enveloped her entire being developed a strange luminosity in the pallid starlight, accentuating the limpid azure of her large eyes. From her head sprouted two large, ivory ears, fox-like in comparison to those of a human, and a bushy tail swished from in between the folds of coarse cloth that made up the creature's outfit. From her appearance alone, one could deduce that she was none other than one of the sacred Kouenki, watching over the village of Moriko like a mother would her child.

The fox-girl's sharp eyes roved over the vegetation, jumping at the sound of rustling through the underbrush. She was slightly embarrassed to find the source of her surprise had been nothing more than a small rodent. The Kouenki felt her face grow hot, more than happy knowing that there was no one awake to have seen her screw-up. Sighing, she tilted her head back to gaze up at the stars once more, losing herself in their simplistic beauty.

The female's name was Rin, or more formally, Kouenki Yokito, divine protector of the Ice Deity. But within the boundaries of her old-world her home, she was no more than Gatekeeper.

Rin, Gatekeeper of Moriko.

[~Chinchii~]

[[Since Phoe prodded me over here.. Might I join as Fire? Part lion would be bloody cool.. A Kouenki, o'course, and I could double if you need me too ^^

To all new members: I haven't met you guys yet, so hi! XD]]

[kai]

[[ Join away! 8DDD You can double if you'd like, but if you were to, I'd probably only take a request for a Shoukaze.
ILUPHOE.

/needs to fix awful intro. ]]

[chi the mighty !]

ooc;

i are joining as a shoukaze. though i dunno if nate will be overly mean or whut. dusk will probs decide for me. <:

[kai]

[[ Join away. 83 ]]

[F e n i]

||Fail fail fail fail.
I'm so bored though T^T||

Kiseki liked the silence. The town at night contrasted the bustle of the village in the daytime. The wind was the only thing which disturbed this odd tranquility. Her arms wrapped around herself, rubbing up and down her sides. This night was colder than usual, but she needed to stay outside and watch.

It was her job as one of ‘those’. Kouenki were the guardians of this world, and Kiseki was just one of the few. White fur spread over the length of her body. A tuft of this sat right above her behind, wiggling every-so-often. Two large ears poked up out of the top of her head, and a few white bangs framed the pale face. The rest was a deep ebony which spilled over her back and past her hips. The low light brought out her bright golden irises, a great difference between her and the rest of the other holy beings. These jewels matched those of a rabbit’s irises, wide and filled to the brim with innocence. A pale snow-colored kimono wrapped tightly around the petite form, but it didn’t look like it helped too much.

She was the Kouenki of the deity Mitsuko, the goddess of light. To say the least, Kiseki wasn’t too experienced in battle. However, her strong heart and will helped keep the evil Shoukaze away. Or, at least, most of them. (Her healing skills kept her comrades alive, too.) The golden irises scanned the edge of the forest she was watching for. Now just where… Her ears perked up as she heard a sudden rustle in the foliage ahead. Kiseki steeled herself, creating a small ball of light in her right hand. Shoukaze were known to traverse near this border.

“Hikari, you can drop it now. There’s no need to use your magic against me.” The baritone echoed from within the forest. At this sound, the Kouenki immediately relaxed. In a rush of wind, black feathers wrapped around the small female, warmth following that. Calloused dusky hands folded over her shoulders and pulled the animal-like person to the source of heat. Her sensitive ears caught the faint thump if a heartbeat.

“Yami, I wasn’t expecting you to arrive so soon. Where in the world did you find a way to escape the drills?” the Kouenki asked. The only response she received was a deep chuckle.

“I help run the place. Only a few of the other Shoukaze are stupid enough to try and defy my will,” Yami responded. He turned the rabbit around and pulled her close again. Raven-colored hair barely slipped past his shoulders. Black khakis adorned his lean legs, and a blood-colored tank top showed off toned muscles.

Kiseki paused, staring up at him defiantly. “Is that ALL? We haven’t met for over a month, and that’s all you have to say to me? Shame.” The Kouenki even pouted at the human with wings. Yami laughed again before turning toward the path which Kiseki had come from. “No, I don’t have any news either. But I DID want to say that I missed you.”

“Don’t worry, Hikari. I can take care of myself. It’s only a matter of time, though, until the others plan to attack. I’m afraid for you and the others,” Yami whispered in return. He placed a small kiss on her forehead. “I don’t want to put you in anymore danger than you already are in. I’ll have to stop coming here.”

“No!” Kiseki screamed. “As a Kouenki, I know what I’m up against. Our first feud was a sign of that. You’re the one in more danger than me, and I refuse to leave you alone now. Come on, we’re going to talk to the others.” With a small growl at the protest from the Shoukaze, Kiseki grabbed his hand and began to lead him towards the outskirts of Moriko.

[Darkpidgeot]

(Gree...)

It was cold. I don't know why. The wind gave a certain chill that seemed to cut through anything. I ruffled my feathers before pulling my cloak closer to my body. I kept a good grip on the wall I was crouched on. Moriko...the town seemed so serene...so quiet...so normal? No that didn't seem right. Then again, it was in the middle of the night. My eyes weren't meant for the darkness, not like another of my sort.

Kouenki...we were Marionettes to our gods...protectors of a sort. Shoukaze...what were they? Winged demons? No that wasn't an accurate description. They wanted power, that was the bottom line. There were probably few of them that didn't desire power like most but still...

My left arm...or wing really...was wounded. At least knowing that my speed could outrun the Shoukaze had saved me...for now. I tightened the crude bandages tighter, wincing slightly. There was probably more to this world then anyone could ever imagine.

My eyes closed. I awaited the sun of morning...

(Beh...short. But whatever.)

[kai]

[[ Lawl. Sorry about the wait. It won't happen again. 8DD
Prejudiced Rin is prejudiced. ]]

"Who's there?"

Two azure eyes roved through the ancient oaken forest and meandering underbrush, only finding darkness among the endless verdure. A single feminine voice echoed throughout the wistful forest, weaving its way to Rin's sullen fox ears. Chime-like, it was one of the most beautiful voices she'd ever heard, relieving some of the tension brought upon by the burden of her taxing chore.

Exactly what any monster would want. Pulling her hessian cloaks closer to her slender ivory body, the Kouenki grasped a small switchblade hidden deep within the folds of cloth. Once more her rich blue eyes narrowed, browns knitting together in concentration and slight annoyance at her inability to identify the mysterious being that roamed her forest.

However, her target could not hide from nocturnal eyes forever. Rin leaped from her perch atop the bridge's railing and landed sinuously a few feet from a couple amidst an embrace. Her previously calm breath caught in her throat and a chill rocketed up her spine, shaking Rin's whole body.

A Kouenki, the first she'd ever seen besides herself. And with her, holding her tight like a beloved child or benevolent lover was a Shoukaze, in all his inky black glory. Every last wispy white hair on Rin's body stood on end, soma frozen in utter shock.

The weapon was no longer hidden. The wooden hilt of Rin's ancient blade was grasped tightly in her ivory fist, outstretched and unsheathed. Fury bubbled up from the pit of her stomach, twisting her words into chilling snarls.

"What are you doing here?"

The question slid from her lips like velvet, but pierced the heavy air like icy daggers. The blade was pointed at the neck of the Shoukaze, mere inches from vital areas, gleaming dangerously in the light of the moon that fell through the green canopy in ribbons. The expression that transformed Rin's face told more than any combination of words could. It told stories of ruthless hatred and infinite loss that were rooted deeply in Moriko's ravaged history. The darkness in her eyes contrasted with her pure white skin; a corrupted angel.

It wasn't just the Shoukaze that disgusted her, but the compassion that was apparent in her comrade's eyes, the Kouenki he held in his arms. Rin fought against the revolting bile that rose in her burning throat.

"Your kind isn't allowed here. I will never let you pass. Leave us now. You've taken enough."

The breeze rustled the trees, loosened leaves dancing around the trio in a flurry of green and brown, Rin an unmoving statue. Somewhere inside, she felt remorse and regret for acting so rashly, but the Shoukaze had earned Moriko's hate. The ones with black wings were greedy, cruel, heartless creatures unworthy of the power they had been granted. Surely Rin could not grieve over her disrespect towards a Shoukaze and his accomplice, no matter who or what she was.