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Chris looked around the group one last time, then nodded and began to walk. "Come on people, we're wastin daylight!" she called over her shoulder, trusting that everyone would follow.

Andy started moving as soon as Anna, Jamie and Fay were on their way, positioning herself between Mira and Theo, to have the best coverage for front and back. Besides,  marching order could be reformed later. As if inspired by Leo, she started to whistle a song, not feeling the need for stealth as yet.

((sorry for group gmod. Blaze told me to get things moving since Chris does leadership position))

With the marching order established,  Andy strolled over to the people she'd be sharing a line with, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement to get moving. For some reason she couldn't describe, it felt right to be here. She slung her pack (it was really more like a satchel,  probably so it wouldn't interfere with the bow or quiver), back over her shoulder, and held the bow comfortably.

Chris looked around the group carefully. It was quite possible that not everyone would make it home. She'd do everything in her power to prevent that, but they were being thrown to the wolves with basically no training besides whatever they'd learned at home.
"Right. If everyone's in agreement about their positions, we should head out. If anyone's getting to the point where they can't continue, just speak up and we'll do whatever is possible to help you out." She said, shrugging her shield down her arm and into her hand.

Chris nibbled her lip in thought. They're right. Besides,  if Leo's on the front line, and Fay were on the back and got hurt there's the chance he couldn't get there in time. If Theo and Mira are in the back, they can provide cover, and the bear, Jasper I think, can act as sweeper if Theo is willing. Fay can be in range to cover them from return shots, and heal if required. I want the thie- rogue, to be where Anna can keep an eye on him, when he's not scouting. Hm. Mocedad and I can cover Leo, and he's more suited for melee than distance so he needs to be here. Anna can take out things that threaten Fay, while she keeps the back rank at least healthy. I should have realised the possibility of us getting blindsided from behind. She thought rapidly,  then nodded curtly.
"You're right. Mira, Theo, can you two run back rank with Andy? Fay, you're willing to be in the middle of the party?"

((I'm headcanoning that he played the Song of Time from OoT))

Andy took the notes back, and replaced them in her pack. She saw the others seemed to be fully ready, then looked at the warrior, who'd seemed to take point position.

Chris glanced around the group, then spoke up. "Jamie, can we trust you to be a forward scout? You seem to be the best among us for stealth. And thieves have sharp eyes and steady hands." She said, then continued.
"Mocedad, Leo, would you be willing to stand with me as front rank? Theo, Anna and Mira, are you willing to be our middle rank? Fay, can you and Andy form our back line?"

"Well.. it might be possible to make practice weapons if we can find some decently long pieces of wood. I don't know how to imitate an axe with that method though..." Chris suggested mildly, looking briefly at the weapons she could see, and trying to guess their respective lengths

With Leo and Moceda's reassurances, Chris felt a lot better about the decision she'd made. When Theo suggested that a proper leader shouldn't be chosen at this point, she nodded agreement.
"I'm happy to take point, being the one with a shield, but we're a group of complete strangers. You're probably right that we shouldn't trust just one person for the nine of us." She acknowledged thoughtfully.

At Anna's question,  Andy nodded slightly. "Yeah. My dad has a property in the mountains. He taught me how to shoot a bow. He never really held with guns. Always said that anything you're hunting should have a chance to avoid getting hit. I've got a thing of notes if you want to read over them? They might be more help to you."

Noticing that there didn't seem to be anyone willing to move forward as yet, Chris nodded to the two clerics, and began to move around the group,  passing roughly the same message around the group. "Check your kit, finish any introductions you need to. We'll head out as soon as everyone's ready."

She finished her circuit of the group back at Leo and Fay. "Hope you guys don't mind that I've done the head off call."

Andy heard her name, and put the parchment pages back in the bag. She felt a leather roll as she did, and she had a sneaking suspicion what was inside it. Time enough to sort that out later. She wandered over to Anna, pretty sure that the other archer had been the one to say her name, and nodded acknowledgement, pointedly ignoring Jamie.
"Nice to meet you Anna." Andy said, mildly uncertainly.

Chris shrugged the pack off of her shoulders, undoing the toggles quickly. "Hrm. Bandages, whetstone. Flint and steel, this feels like trail rations. And some kind of  'Swordsman's Manual' it looks like it says." Chris mused, pulling out the book in question. Sitting in the bottom of the bag was a scroll in a case, but when Chris tried to open it, the case didn't budge.

Seeing that other people had started having a proper look through their packs, Andy did the same. She wasn't worried about the bow, not when her dad had been having her use one since she could draw the small hunting bow he'd given her as a kid. The knives however...
"Hrm. Spare bowstring, beeswax, whetstone. Sewing kit, pot of some kind of salve..." At this point, she'd pulled out the small pot and stuck her finger in the green goop, raising the finger to her nose. Her face squinched at the bitter herbal smell. She replaced the salve, and continued her inventory. "Resin glue, some fletching grade feathers. Roll of canvas, some rope... Ah." At this, Andy pulled out a sheaf of parchment, reading it quickly. Clearly her class master had known he wouldn't have very much time, do had tried to give her thorough notes.

Chris looked over the group,  then meandered over to the two healers. "Look, I wanted to apologize for putting you guys on the spot. I'll make every effort to not put more of a burden on your shoulders than is already there." She said, hoping that Fay and Leo wouldn't mind the interruption.

Andy meanwhile, was partially considering going over to the other archer (Anna she reminded herself) but ended up deciding against it. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate the other girl. Absently, she started to beat out a rhythm on her leg, watching the rest of the group with blatant curiousity.

"So we've got a viking,"
"Oi! I'm not a german pirate!" Chris said with a halfhearted glare.
Andy continued as if she hadn't heard, "A healer, some kind of dragon slayer? A mixed melee and healer type, a nature mage, a walking ego with knives, and two archers. And some kind of unknown? Seems balanced, I guess?" Andy shrugged,  looking at each party member as she mentioned their classes. Mira she gave a quizzical look to, unsure of the other girl.

"Well he was a real charmer, wasn't he?" Andy said dryly, as soon as the knight seemed to be out of earshot.
"And he didn't state the obvious at /all/. How was I supposed to know to try not to get hit if he hadn't been so helpful as to tell us." The voice Chris put on was both sarcastic, and poking fun at the blonde stereotype.

Andy cracked a smile at the blonde girl, and turned to look over the rest of the group. "My name's Andy. I'm not the best socially, but I can promise I won't murder you guys in your sleep."
"I'm Chris. 'parently, my job is to be in the front line and keep you guys safe. Guess I'll be getting most of the healings from the cleric." Chris said with a slight smile, noticing with mild amusement that she topped over most of the group by at least a couple of inches.

Grumble grumble growl growl.  Stupid char limit. Starter post going here since it with the form broke the character limit.



Starter Post: Sitting in the car, she remembered the one major issue with going to her father's property in the mountains. The hours of driving required. Only an hour into the trip, Andrea Roberts sighed deeply as she looked out the window. The view almost instantly bored her, and she began to tap out a rhythm on the safety glass.
"Miss Roberts, I must insist that you don't go through with this. Your school work will suffer, and you risk failing. And for what?" The driver asked impatiently.
"For the fact that my father's back in town for the first time in at least a year, and if I don't get out of the city, I'll probably end up murdering someone. Albert, I know Mum's paying you to keep me on track, but for Chris'sake, it's three days, not a month." The young woman said impatiently, and the driver sighed.
"Your mother is worried that your father might involve you in one of his... Less legal operations."
"Dad's operations are always legal. Some only just but... And anyway, Mum's got her fingers in just as many pies as Dad." Andy said calmly, and she saw the ghost of a smile on the driver's face in the rear view mirror. "I'm going to try and get some rest. You know Dad's gonna have me gallivanting across the property pretty much as soon as we get there."
"Of course Miss Roberts. I'll wake you when we cross the property line."
 
"Chris, we'll see you later, alright? We just need to get ready for tonight."
"Sure. I'll see you guys at the scout hall." Chris grinned to the other three girls, who nodded and went their separate ways. The blonde began to walk back to the little apartment, planning to take the shortcut through the construction site on Memorial Drive.
The crimson SUV came out of nowhere. The driver looked young, maybe too young to be driving. Chris could see his expression as he realized he wouldn't be able to brake in time. She felt the impact echo through her core, felt herself go flying. Then... Nothing.

A rough hand was shaking her shoulder. Andy's eyes flicked open, and she saw an older gent's face, with a scruffy salt and pepper beard. His face was mostly obscured by the cowl he wore. When he saw Andy's eyes open, he stepped back. She saw that they were in a dimly lit room, and that there was a bundle of objects on the table next to the rough cot she'd woken up on.
"There is not much time. What is your name, gel*?" He asked, in a rough voice.
"Andrea Roberts." She answered hazily, her eyes already flickering about the small room.
"I guess you'll have to do. Andrea Roberts, as your superior in the Ranger Corps, I am assigning you a mission. In the distance, there waits a mansion. Within this mansion, a mage intends to use the power of the dark crystal to tear this world apart. Your quest, and the quest of the others who you will soon meet, is to prevent this from happening. In that bundle are a Ranger's tools, as well as some clothes that will help you to blend into this place." The man said, and Andy's eyes widened.
"Okay. So where am I? And for that matter, why can't other members of the Corps attempt this venture?" She asked, already starting to unwrap the bundle.
"We have tried. We lost good men in the attempt." This caused Andy to look up in surprise. "Attempts have been made. They have all failed. No matter who attempted, all have died either at the mansion's gates, or on the way. Why you lot might be different, I don't understand but... I follow my Queen's orders."
Andy barely nibbled her lip, before nodding and turning back to the bundle. The grizzled man nodded sharply, and Andy heard the door close. Clearly he was trying to give her some privacy to get changed into the new clothing.
She found it to be both scratchy, and comfortable (and disturbingly well fitted). In a last minute burst of insight, she remembered to take the white bottle of pills out of her pocket (she couldn't help but wonder about this. Her pills had never shown up in a dream before), and shove them into a small pouch on the leather belt. There was a knock on the door, and the grizzled old man came in with barely a pause. Now that her eyes had adjusted, Andy could see that the old Ranger looked... worn down. Like an old soldier who had just finished fighting one war, and was just about to be shipped off to a new one.
"Good gel. Don't forget your weapons." He said gruffly, and she noticed the bow first, beautiful in it's simplicity. Then she saw the knives, and her eyes widened. Clearly they belonged in the double scabbard at her hip. She hefted one, and felt the superb balance, causing her to smile. There was a small leather pouch, and when she picked it up, it was quite heavy. Curious, she looked inside, and saw two leather and brass rods, almost the thickness of a roll of quarters. She buckled the pouch to her belt, and gently picked up the quiver full of black fletched arrows, laying the strap diagonally across her torso.
"They say a Ranger holds the lives of twenty-four men in his quiver. Do us proud, Ranger Roberts."
Last came the bow, and the sweet smell of beeswax on the string made Andy's heart sing. Her father always insisted on using wood bows, rather than the more modern fiberglass variations. She remembered her father carefully running a lump of beeswax up and down the string, to help protect it from harm.
She was about to sling the bow over her shoulder, when the Ranger held up a hand. He pointed to the bundle, and Andy saw the cloak, which in the dim light seemed to ripple and move. When she picked it up, it was heavy, and she realized why it seemed to move. The dye pattern formed a rudimentary camouflage effect, breaking up the outline of the cloak, especially in the dim light. She pulled it on, and instinctively flipped the corner back from her quiver. Before shouldering the bow, she also noticed the stiff leather cuff that was the arm guard, and slipped it on with a wry smile. She'd forgotten to use one once, and had never forgotten since.

With the bow simply held now, the Ranger nodded, and lead Andy out of the room, and down a series of turns. He lead her to a set of stairs, and she could see sunlight beyond them. Gently, he grabbed her by the shoulder, and said, very quietly, "In that garden, your companions wait. Each has their own skills. But understand this. If you die here, then you die in your own place as well. People will underestimate you, because you're a gel. Use that. Stealth and speed will be your allies. I'm sorry I couldn't have trained you more."

Chris felt something press against her back. She expected pain, but couldn't find any.
"You're late, cadet! Everyone else is here already!" A male voice said, and Chris shot up in instinct of the command voice,  reminiscent of her father's. "Good lass. Now take these and get changed." The man shoved a armful of clothes into Chris's arms.
"Where am I?" Chris asked quietly,  and the man grumbled something,  then spoke.
"The armory. You're the second one to show up in here and not know. Now hurry up and get changed!" He said sharply and Chris' instincts took over, honed by years of living with a military father. She pivoted, turning her back to the man. She caught a glimpse of the room,  light glinting off of shaped metal.
Quickly she changed, and when she turned back, the man gave her an approving nod. He handed her first a long shirt of chainmail, then a breastplate that glinted in the torch light. A gorget and armour for her arms followed. With impatience, he helped  Chris get the armor on and fastened. He then handed her a belt set with two scabbards. With it fastened, a younger man handed her a simply adorned longsword, and a dagger that was just about the length of her forearm.
"What is this about anyway?" Chris asked, and the man sighed.
"You and the others,  who you'll meet soon, are to be sent on a quest. There is a distant mansion.  From within,  a great evil stirs. For some reason, it's believed that you lot will be able to prevent it. You are a knight, strong and true. You will battle on the front lines to keep your allies safe." he said, as another squire came, carrying a large pack, a shield,  and a dark blue rolled cloth, which were handed to Chris.

With everything carefully positioned,  Chris looked at the man, who seemed puzzled, before realising something. He handed her a hood made of a stiff dark material, and then produced a conical helmet. Chris pulled the hood on first, following it with the helmet, which left her face mostly bare, but for a vertical bar that extended to the tip of her nose.
"I suppose that's as good as it can get. Come, I'll lead you to the garden. While you are here, have caution. You are just as mortal here as you are where you come from." He cautioned, and then began to lead Chris, who was feeling the added weight already, to a brightly lit garden area.

Except for the second half of Chris' starter, I'm done. But it's 5.46am here, and I've yet to sleep. I'll finish ASAP. But for now, that's what I've got.

Character form:
Name: Andrea  'Andy'  Roberts
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Appearance:  Andy stands at about five foot two, with a wiry build.
Her curly black hair is kept clipped boyishly short (since it's impossible to manage otherwise), revealing angular bottle green eyes, set in a narrow face. A spray of freckles arches across the bridge of her nose. The skin on her face and arms is sun darkened.
Upon entering the 'dream', she's given a light linen tunic, light breeches, soft boots, and a mottled green and grey woolen cloak. She wears her quiver slung across her torso and has a double scabbard on her belt for her knives.
Personality: Andy is a very intense person. She has a habit of focusing on one thing to the exclusion of others, when it's an interesting subject matter. In most circumstances, she has issues sitting still (she fidgets a lot), or quiet, however, when she is intent on it, she can be both silent and still for long duration.
Not entirely used to being around people consistently, Andy might try to distance herself from others. She doesn't like it when people are cruel to animals. She also has a habit of acting angry at someone for much longer than she tends to actually be angry.  She also has a tendency to want to learn any secret that people have, even if it might be dangerous.
Class: Ranger
Weaponry: Longbow, quiver (holds 24 arrows), two knives (one shorter and balanced for throwing and the other longer (about the length of a short sword) which is designed for melee although can be thrown at an opponent), and a pair of leather wrapped brass rods weighted at each end (about one and a half times the width of her palm) called strikers.
Other: She may or may not get more hyperactive as the rp goes on (it all depends on how long her meds last). Also, I apologize in advance if I misrepresent ADHD.


Character form
Name: Christiana 'Chris' Cordom
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Appearance: Chris stands abnormally tall for a female at 6'2". She's bulky in build with wider shoulders than is normal for a seventeen year old.
With her shoulder length ash blonde hair and dark grey eyes, people tend to believe that Chris comes from a Viking lineage (as she will neither confirm nor deny this it's hard to tell).
The armor she is given is half plate, which protects her torso and arms, but not her legs. Underneath it, she wears a thick linen tunic and light woolen leggings. Over the top of the plate is a tabard marked with a grey lion on a blue background. Her shield is marked with the same crest. Her sword rests in a scabbard on her left hip. The dagger has a smaller scabbard on her right hip.
Personality: Chris is one of those people who can slip between roles with moderate ease. One moment she can be the brainless muscle, the next she can be the patient teacher. Without a role to play, Chris is a fairly mellow person, who will only fight to protect others.
Chris is generally open and friendly, and will always at least attempt to befriend people she'll be in close proximity with.
Class: Warrior
Weaponry: Longsword and a kite shaped shield. Also carries a dagger for when combat gets too close for the sword.
Other: Not that I know of