Character Dig Site

Welcome to the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises allow you to develop your characters in a setting shared by other authors and their characters. No sign-up is necessary; simply look over the last few pages and hop on in. If you need questions answered or a recap, head over to our discussion thread and ask; we’re happy to help.

Our story begins in Egypt...

Marion Rakivata would’ve preferred to have some more of her own people on the dig, but very few of them had the experience she needed, and those that did couldn’t be spared. However, the Internet was a wonderful thing, and so it wasn’t long before she had advertisements up in the relevant places. Given that she was sponsoring the dig, Marion hoped the people who showed up would be halfway-competent.

It went on with all the details: the location of the dig, how to RSVP to Marion or her people and when, various pay grades, the dates of the dig, and so on. There was even a small note saying that those who showed up after the dig was under way and could help were welcome without a prior reply. However, at the very end of the ads, there was a section outlined in bold.

Gambling a bit, Marion posted the ads while inside the dig itself; maybe the cross-universality or whatever of the place would send the ads to different universes. It might not, but hey – why not try? She was losing nothing, and maybe someone would come who did have an idea of cross-universality.

The day came for everyone to arrive, and the sun rose slowly over the dig. It wasn’t much, with very little people to work with, but there was some progress. It was at the end of a wide, somewhat U-shaped wadi about ten miles north-northwest of Luxor. Overshadowed by the Valley of the Kings and the Theban Necropolis not seven miles south, it had been overlooked until now. As it was, there wasn’t much to look at: several intact, already-excavated buildings jutting of the ground like old bones, a mismatched array of tents scattered around, and a worn, recently-excavated temple or tomb – they weren’t sure what, just yet – built into one of the valley walls. Of course, there was also sand. Lots and lots and lots of sand. It got everywhere and was a pain to try and get out. There wasn’t much wind, but at least the heat was a dry one. Tire tracks led out of the valley and towards the main road, worn down by the back-and-forth passage of trucks and left untouched by the lack of wind.

Marion came out of her tent, looked over the site, and nodded to herself; it was good, so far. She was dragonlike, some would say; a winged, just under seven-foot bipedal lizard. Her scales were a dark olive green, overlaid with crisscrossing stripes of something between Cambridge blue and Persian green. She wore practical work boots, a short-sleeve khaki shirt, and a set of cargo shorts. A worn, hardy watch encircled her left wrist; although expensive, it was resilient and useful enough to not be in the look-at-how-much-money-I-have price range.

Marion took a seat in front of her tent, and began looking over the notes she already had, glancing down the valley out to the road every now and again to see when someone would show up.

On the horizon were two figures riding camels. But it was unlikely anybody would mistake them for locals: even at a distance, one could tell the camels were Asian two-humped bactrians, not the single-humped dromedaries of the Middle East. And as one looked closer, it became abundantly clear the two riders were from a very different time and place.

The first camel-rider was a short, lean, sinewy man with skin the color and texture of tanned leather. His fading black hair was worn long and tied into a tangle of crude braids decorated with purple glass beads, and his face bore the marks of having been broken, slashed, and otherwise rearranged many times. Somehow, though, his appearance managed to remain oddly endearing. His left eye was grey, while his right, marked by a scar, was a blind, milky white. His iron diadem, decorated with amethysts and large, iridescent purple feathers, was a clear symbol of authority, but the rest of his clothing suggested he was more at home in an army tent than a throne room: pants of undyed linen, a steel lamellar cuirass, a padded undershirt, a leather quiver full of bronze-headed arrows, and unusually thick riding boots. Attached to his camel’s saddle was a bow ideal for mounted archery, and a steel sword that appeared to be some relative of a scimitar.

From a saddle bag, the feather-crowned man pulled a bronze spyglass and, putting it to his good eye, did his best to make out the figures in the distance. “Looks like a tomb-raiding operation.” Obliviously passing over the gun-toting guards, he added, “poorly armed, as far as I can tell. Not so much as a single spear or bow among them.” Again examining the guns, he said, “just some great, big, ugly clubs, unless they’ve got a surprise somewhere. If only we had some soldiers here... but for now, I say we leave them be.”

His companion was a tan, grey-eyed, effeminately handsome young man. He looked to be fifteen, but had a tall, wiry build, and the eyes and posture of somebody who had already become an adult by necessity. His hair was jet black, well-combed, and reached almost to his waist. He was dressed similarly to his companion, but more humbly: he wore sandals instead of boots, his diadem was smaller, unfeathered, and decorated with blue glass instead of amethysts, his pants were of rougher linen, his shirt was sleeved to the elbows, and his the scales of his cuirass were made of hardened leather. Tied to his camel was a sheathed bronze glaive akin to a naginata, and poking out of one of his pockets was a leather sling. “Er, Okul,” he said, “we ain’t got much left in the way of water, and no idea where we are. Might be smartest to see if they might be up for some trade, ‘less they’re slavers. But ain’t likely — city dwellers are superstitious about disturbing tombs. Hopefully they’ve got a sense for hospitality... but even if’n they’re cheap as Yoth, I think we’ve got a few baubles to spare that’ll get us fed. What’re we lookin’ at?”

Okul shrugged and handed the younger man the spyglass. “I don’t know have the slightest idea what I’m seeing, honestly. Look for yourself, Amu. See anything you recognize from one of those books?”

Amu peered through the spyglass, then shook his head. “Er... I got nothin’. No tribe I’ve ever seen or read ‘bout.” Then, returning the spyglass to Okul, he added, “that just makes me curious, though. We oughta see who they are, what they are. Might be able to buy or swipe us something nice. Y’know how those caravans get for weird stuff they ain’t seen before!”

Okul put the spyglass back in its saddlebag and said, “I do not like greeting strange tribes without at least a small army behind me... but very well. Possibly dying at the hands of an unknown culture beats certain death by dehydration.” Then he glanced up and, suddenly turning pale, added, “er, Amu... the sun is wrong.”

Amu looked at Okul, then up at the sun. “Yeah,” he said, with a gulp, “it shouldn’t be that color. I think we might be a bit more lost than we thought”

Okul just muttered, “just remember, trusting a Transcendent One to give us directions was also your idea.”

With that, the pair had their camels make their way to the camp, Okul leading and Amu following behind.

Yes, the spyglass would be anachronistic by Earth’s Technology Levels. There’s a reason for this, but don’t expect Amu or Okul to help much since they stole it. And this is Amu from before his Start of Darkness. Neither he nor Okul have any magic or other supernatural powers.

edited 13th Oct '12 9:01:40 AM by KillerClowns

I changed my mind about bringing the adults. Okay unimportant announcement over.

A blond boy-looking around the age of seventeen-slowly descended to the sandy ground, the flames of his shoes dying down. He then scanned the area, before his eyes found the camp. To his relief, he had arrived. He looked up, covering half his face from the sun.

"Nick! Adam! Come down! I think I've found the place!" He called, a strong British accent in his voice.

The first one to fly down was a brown skinned boy, who looked like he was around sixteen years old. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. "About time. For a second there I thought we were going to die in the heat."

A red head, looking around the age of fourteen, landed right next to the blond. "You sure this is it, Jackson?"

"Of course." He pointed straight ahead, "Just like the invitation said. I know what I was doing, Adam."

Nick restarted his shoes, floating in mid air, "So then why are we just standing here? Let's go!"

Before the others could say anything, Nick flew off.

"Nick! Wait for us!" Adam yelled, flying after him, Jackson in tow.

Could he be patient for once? The blond thought, rolling his eyes in annoyance, Oh well. He can't be helped.

Marion glanced up from her papers and noticed two dark-skinned men entering the valley. At first glance, nothing seemed off — camels were good transportation, here — but when they got closer, she noticed that their clothes and weapons were incredibly outdated. A little closer, and she could make out both humps on each camel; definitely not the single-humped camels of Egypt.

Yeah. This place was definitely interuniversally screwy.

But then, were they coming for work? Probably not. The Internet almost certainly didn't exist where they came from, and they looked a little worn out. Most likely from traveling. They might've just popped in somehow while wandering lost somewhere.

As Marion walked over to greet them, she spotted more movement further down the valley. Several people seemed to be dropping in from the sky, propelled by... rocket boots? She snorted. An incredibly risky method of flight. A little imbalance would turn catastrophic without some kind of stabilization. If you can make rockets that small and that powerful, just make a tiny jetpack. At least one of them looked to be teenaged; she hoped it wouldn't be an issue.

Marion stopped a few dozen feet away from the camels and briefly flared her wings to get some attention. "Hey," she called out, "you look lost."

Okul's eyes widened when he saw the winged, reptilian... thing. Large reptiles and winged humanoids invariably brought bad things, in his experience, and seeing the two combined was ominious. "Amu," he said in a hoarse whisper, "do you have any idea what that thing is?"

"Not yet," Amu said. Then, confidently dismounting from his camel and striding over to the lizard-beast, glaive slung across his shoulder as though it were a mere symbol of office, Amu offered a sharp bow and, after a moment of thought to choose his words carefully, said, "we're a little parched and hungry, mostly. Hoping you're smart enough to listen to your shamans and offer strangers a bit o' hospitality to well-meaning strangers. And kinda curious — haven't seen anything quite like you, meaning no offense."

Okul glanced towards the young men who had, in another. He wasn't quite sure of their age — the two seemed a bit older than Amu in body, the third perhaps younger. But all were younger in spirit, he suspected. Immature city folk with strange magics or technology and little sense, or mischievous spirits? It would be devastating to assume too little, so for now, he gave them a curt, polite nod. Then, speaking to all, he said, "I suppose introductions are in order." He considered how much to say, then, recalling the weight of the crown on his head, he realized they'd figure out who he was soon enough anyways. "I am Emperor Okul of the Qexane, and that is my honored vassal, King Amu of the Uelane. As he has said, we come in peace, seeking only hospitality, which I assure you will be returned if ever you or your people have need."

edited 12th Oct '12 6:01:17 PM by KillerClowns

Kaidza thought she was going to be sick.

They've been traveling along in the desert for ages, it seemed. All she saw was dunes and dunes of sand, sand and more sand. The sun, the frigid air conditioning, the uneven bumping of the road was making her road sick. She had a headache, and was starting to feel nauseous. She loosened the hijab that she wore and opened a crack in the window so she could feel the breeze. Perhaps that would make her feel better.

Haruka Murakami was fiddling with the pieces of desert glass, her lips moving, as if she was telling a story to herself. At least she wasn't sick, the lucky bastard. She was in her own world, without a care in the world.

Cain Stellark road in shotgun, in deep thought. Occasionally, the driver would try to strike up a conversation.

"So, what brings you here to this place?"

"Research," was the laconic answer. Stellark never really liked conversation, or connecting with the Human species in general.

The driver seemed to sense it, and dropped the conversation. The rest of the journey was completed in silence, except a small break where they, and another jeep driving behind Kaidza and the crew stopped to eat a late breakfast of pita bread, hard-boiled eggs, falafel and beans. They all felt a sense of rush from their leader, Stellark, and very quickly, they were all on their way.

They soon arrived at their destination.

Stellark was the first to step out. He was a tall, imposing figure at 2 meters (6 feet, 7 inches), with dark hair covered by a white keffiyeh with a black agal to keep it in place. His clothing was modest, and loose—sensible in the desert heat. His appearance made him look like a local—perhaps the result of a union between a British officer and a local, in the minds of the romantic. A breeze tugged at the edges of his clothing, which looked odd when there was no wind. His eyes were the strangest feature of his face—blood red. A rifle was slung across his back.

Haruka, wearing a colorfully patterned hijab climbed out of the car. She too, wore loose clothing, along with a pair of sunglasses. Kaidza was also wearing a hijab and sunglasses, but unlike the girl, she was perhaps even older than Stellark. They both were of Asian decent, but one can easily tell that they were related to each other, with the same black hair, dark, almond-shaved eyes, Mongolian facial structure, and bronze complexion.

From the other jeep, 5 men crawled out, all in the get up as a worker. A close inspection would reveal that each one of them carried guns.

Haruka was the first to break the silence.

"I was in purgatory," she said in a dramatic voice, "Now I'm in Hell."

Kaidza frowned. "Stop quoting dusty old novels and help me find who's in charge of this operation." Her hands clenched even tighter on the piece of paper—the invitation.

Haruka pouted. Everyone knew that she didn't want to go the desert, which annoyed Kaidza to no end. No, she wanted to go to Italy and gorge on pasta. However, Kaidza was excited. A real archaeological dig. She loved archaeology. She could hardly restrain herself from grabbing Stellark's arms and dancing in circles when he decided to go to Egypt.

Even with the lackluster scene of tents, tents and a few holes in the ground, she was still excited. There was adventure here, and she couldn't wait to get started.

Yep. Definitely interuniversal. Can't place the era, assuming they're from Earth.

Marion did something that was somewhere grinning and showing her teeth. "None taken." She pointed back over to the camp. "We've got plenty of food and water back over there. Come on, you and your friend can help yourselves."

She gave Amu and Okul a more thorough look-over. Strong and weathered. Good. And people wouldn't carry weapons like that if they didn't know how to use them, and use them well; she thought glaives looked awkward and unwieldy. They could be security if need be, even though Marion hoped it wouldn't come to that. From their diadems, they might've been either after treasure or ready to jump at the chance for some. That would be useful. Money makes the world go 'round.

Marion glanced over her shoulder at the jeeps that had just pulled up. Their passengers looked like they were well-prepared and waiting for someone. Of course, the fact that they already had their guns equipped didn't bode well; that "someone" might be hostile and/or not her. In any case, they'd be useful for more security.

Dammit, I hope I get something besides security.

Dimensional transition didn't feel like anything, which still disappointed him a bit.

A hand gesture spread the three forms out. Two of them were obviously humanoid, their helmet design suggesting vaguely armored European knights, but really they seemed to have been explicitly designed to fit through a standard-sized door more than anything else. And they would, but only because most doors were taller than real people. The other was larger and might fit through a double door, only slightly taller but much broader, a hulking shape with thin folded wings folded down behind it, jet intakes and weapons tubes in the shoulders, and a heavy rifle-type weapon the others didn't have.

Another hand gesture got them moving forward, a little wary but not trying to stay in cover or otherwise actively expecting someone to start shooting.

The...dragon, well, okay. Dragon. Still, he'd give the K-12Z an even-money shot against a full-size dragon and this one was much more manageable. The camels, on the other hand, were far from home. But maybe somebody just liked particular camels. Back to basics or pretending it wasn't entirely uncommon in this part of the world. The rocket boots people were pretty neat, though. Have to ask about that; might be useful.

In other direction one person in a loose black outfit appeared and sighed. "Egypt. Of course." Heavy exasperation, sure his family was Saudi, but he'd never been fond of home. "Well, they asked for magic experience. They get magic experience. Whether they like it or not." He started at quick walk towards the trailer, materializing a small nametag that read "al-Faddil" in white block lettering from nowhere. He apparently completely blew off everything weird, or didn't find it weird at all; either way he didn't react.

The two K-14As are free for the use of everyone in their postings who needs something to move big things or stand guard, unless otherwise noted.

Delth Hakiner threw up, something about the area was off and it wasn't the fact that it was Earth. It tilted his conscious, felt like his mind had been squeezed like a sponge and his senses had drowned. Get used to it, he ordered himself, swallowing back and clutching his head. His skin was a dark grey, though for his kind he was quite pale. The fingers that most creatures would have were supplanted by four thumbs on each hand, connected by his large, foreboding body that he had the tendency to tense up. Around seven-feet tall, he was topped of by his elongated head, heavily scarred to his right side.

Let's get this over with, any second in a world free of Human scent would be welcome. Without reaching the ground, he buried his former stomach contents beneath the sands that he stirred to his will. Despite how much he despised Earth, he did enjoy the many deserts reminding him of home. He overlooked the site up ahead, examining it from a distance and making notes by lining up the grains of sand at his feet that weren't noticeable through simple sight.

Delth put his cloak back on again proper, flipping up the hood to hide the scars. He approached the camp, refreshing himself with his own brief howl of the wind.

"Fuck. My. Life." This was only an approximate translation of Okul's words upon seeing Delth, but it captured his general emotional state. He dismounted, walked over to Amu, and said, "I think we may have another Transcendent. Please, try not to..." whatever Okul was about to say was cut short by an elbow jab to his unarmored thigh.

Okul scowled at Amu, but dropped the topic. He then considered the more mundane — relatively speaking — individuals. The first group: a man taller than even the Red King, though not quite as massive overall, and far less ugly. With him were two women who were more modestly and practically dressed for the desert than most. Friends or wives, he wondered. Only one seemed pleased to be here. And the five comparatively unremarkable guards carrying the same... club-things he'd seen before.

There was then the man with the two iron guards. Speaking of the Red King, I doubt even he could take those monstrosities on! The man they guarded seemed quite confident of himself as well.

Okul sighed, turned to Marion and said, "you are in charge here, yes? That seems to be the case. So, we looting that big tomb or what?"

Amu quickly added, "not that we mind. Dead ain't using their gold, city-dweller superstitions be damned."

edited 13th Oct '12 9:01:54 AM by KillerClowns

"We're not looting," said Marion. "We're reclaiming abandoned property." Are all of their people loot-happy? "Although I suppose you could say we're robbing the dead, but..." She briefly flared her wings. "It's a hell of a lot easier than robbing the living."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and walked back to her tent. A quick glance around told her that still more people had appeared. Should've set up some kind of check-in. Ah, well, too late to worry about that now.

Of course, she still needed to actually know who could do what. Sensing a bit of magic, Marion turned towards a human in black. He looked bored, and that was as good a place to start as any. Marion headed over to him, quickly spotting the nametag. Good. Someone with some sense.

"Excuse me, Mr. al-Faddil," she said in her business voice, "but I assume you are answering the advertisement I sent out, correct? I am Marion Rakivata, sponsor of this excavation, and I was wondering what services you have to offer."

Kaidza lost her patience with Haruka. She left her with the guards, made up of four burly men and a muscular, no-nonsense woman, and she and Stellark approached the person who looked like she was in charge of everything. She was dragon-like, with green scaly skin and wings. She was even taller than Stellark, which was saying a lot of things.

Even though it was early morning, it was already getting warm, and she was sweating, but Stellark wasn't. If anybody noticed that he wasn't sweating and his clothes were rustling from a non-existant wind, people would ask questions. She loosened her hijab more, but didn't take it off. Her dark hair would get so hot in the sun, you could pratically fry an egg on her head.

The dragon-like lady, was busy talking to two very eccentric looking folks wearing diadems on their heads, and camels that were in the wrong continent. Well, apparently she wasn't kidding when people from other universes and dimensions would come to this place.

"Excuse me," Kaidza said, "My name is Kaidza, and we're here to work on the dig here. This here is my boss, Cain Stellark. I'm one of his lieutenants. He and another both know magic, as you are looking for people who can use magic."

Cain simply nodded, and said, "Hello." His voice was soft, and rather high-pitched for his size, but it was definately masculine. Close up, he looked as if he were just out of high school, or college-age. His brow and long nose was more flatter, softer, than most Caucasians or locals, pointing towards Hazaran heritage. There was a hard, unempathic look in his eyes, and he held the rifle as if he knew how to use it very well.

edited 13th Oct '12 12:25:27 AM by Tehpillowstar

"You'd be correct." He nodded. "Mage. Better than a decade's experience. Done several previous digs, as either general help or a specialist, mainly for render-safe with enchantments that either aren't working correctly anymore or were always intended to be harmful." He looked around and grinned vaguely at the obvious powered combat suits. He'd always had a fondness for the concept, though it wasn't necessary where he was from. "And though I doubt you'll need it, I've also got some combat experience."

Nick was the first one to land near the tents. After both of his friends landed right next to him, Jackson's first response was to slap him on the back of his head. "OW!"

"God damn it, Nick." Jackson said, crossing his arms, "Why didn't you slow down?!"

"Like I was gonna walk across the desert. Are you crazy?" Nick chuckled, which only made Jackson hit him again-this time in the arm. "Ow!"

Adam stepped in between both of them. "Guys, please stop. Can we please not start the day with fighting?" He turned to Nick, "Besides, we're gonna help Jackson test out his inventions for the digging. Remember?"

Nick sighed. He was right; Jackson really wanted to see how good his inventions were, and needed his friends' support. Fighting wouldn't do anything.

"Alright." He said, taking off his bag and putting it on the ground, "You wanna use those gloves you made, Jackso?"

Jackson twitched his left eye. "For the love of God, if you value your life, don't call me that."

Nick chuckled.

edited 20th Oct '12 8:25:50 AM by Masterofchaos

Neither Amu or Okul quite got the difference between "looting the dead" and "reclaiming abandoned property," though Amu did suppose the latter sounded more palatable.

And then there was the self-declared mage, and the man whose robes danced without wind. Okul did not have the "kill on sight" policy of the Elasane towards mages, and even employed them: the tactical advantage they provided was simply too great to ignore. But the mages he knew of were dangerous, scheming creatures who too often bargained with the Transcendent and channeled the capricious Power of the Void, and Okul saw no reason to assume otherwise of al-Faddil for now. He hoped a shaman would soon appear to counter him, just in case. Still, a mage was a useful creature if properly watched. And the man whose robes moved without wind...

Amu, being Amu, promptly walked over to Cain and said, "neat trick with the robes and no wind, but uh, ain't it kind of a 'kick me' sign for every shaman from here to the Shell Coast?" He quietly hoped to get some gauge of where he and Okul with the reference to the Shell Coast, and whether or not the name was recognized.

edited 13th Oct '12 9:14:32 AM by KillerClowns

"Good," said Marion, nodding. "We haven't come across anything like that yet, but I think that's only because we're not deep enough in, yet. There have been small hints of magic here and there; nothing too major, but where there's magic, there's magic protection. I have a few people who could do that, but they take too long."

She glanced at the combat suits and grinned herself. "And, I have to say, those are impressive. Maybe I could take a look at one of them when we have some down time." Or try to buy it off of you. How much would something like that cost? Probably a lot. She was rich, but nowhere near obscenely so. The suits might not be in her price range, assuming they were for sale at all.

Marion turned to Kaidza. "Actually, I didn't say that. The ad specifically said that experience with magic was useful..." She briefly flared her wings for emphasis. "...but not necessary. If I just wanted people with magic, I wouldn't need to send out the ad. What I need is someone like him." She jerked a thumb over at al-Faddil. "He can through protective enchantments. What can you do that's relevant to this dig? I don't want someone who can call down a firestorm." She mentally sighed. Why won't anyone read anything anymore? Maybe mentioning magic at all was a mistake.

Wait... dammit, are there any linguists coming? I need a linguist. I can't read any hieroglyphics, and this place will be almost useless without a linguist if there's nothing in there. Fingers crossed, then.

"Rikos... what are those things?" This wasn't exactly how Mori intended to feel young again. But, in this strange world of contradictions, that was apparently how elders felt, since technology was moving so fast. Somehow, Rikos was managing to keep up, as evidenced whenever he looked over and saw his old friend using that thin, almost arcane device no bigger than his hand that could apparently hold maps inside. Mori had long given up attempting to understand it.

Rikos, as he was evidently called, followed his friend's line of sight to the camels, about to patiently give an explanation on Earth wildlife yet again, when he noticed that they were Asian camels. Instantly, he sighed. It was going to be one of those days again. Why did this have to happen every time he attempted to travel?

Sensing that Mori was about to take his exasperated reaction the wrong way, he conjured up an answer. "They're camels. People use them much like horses, as mounts and beasts of burden. They store fat in the hump that they can use in the occasion that they have to go without food. Alas, the one-humped variety that the locals use and the two-humped variety found in parts of China are separated by bodies of water and a few thousands of kilometers of land. Ergo, we're experiencing what the ad promised. Already."

The two strode up to the edge of the crowd, though keeping their distance until it thinned out when they spotted what must be the head of the dig. A reptilian woman. He looked over the others, noticing some automatons and a trio of average teenage boys. Joy.

Both men clothed themselves in tan-colored traveling cloaks, but the similarities stopped there.

Mori was the older-looking one of the two, a rough, sun-beaten peasant with a short, light-colored beard, the rest of his hair tied back and vanishing into the hood of his cloak. His clothes were simple and sturdily built for the farm, though lightly dyed and made out of a breathable cotton that helped against the heat, and he had to make do with holding his cloak together with a rope. He kept a drawstring canvas bag of supplies on his back, and a well-used knife and purse on his belt.

Everything about Mori's friend, though he was dressed in a modern, Western style, seemed intended to communicate power, or perhaps an unlikely friendship. He was clean-shaven, sharp, angular, impressive-looking, almost a head taller than his friend, yet lanky as though his muscles had to he stretched to their limit over a too-long frame. His cloak was held together with a metal chain that attached to a twisting, palm-sized clasp of sorts, sized perfectly to hold a dark blue crystal medallion. For all intents and purposes, he could have been just Mediterranean, bearing the hallmark olive skin and dark hair, had it not been for the thin, infamous eyes of his family, whose blood-red hue contrasted against the light blue of his modern button-down shirt. At his side was a messenger bag and a black, rolled pouch,*

edited 12th Jan '13 4:08:42 PM by CrystalGlacia

Delth continued to observe the site as he approached, noticing the various new employees. Many of them didn't quite fit with his knowledge of the country or culture of the time period but it was easy to realize that, just like himself, they had come from multiple universes. The whole thing was easy to understand yet still toyed with his brain like it was a puppet.

He noticed that quite a few had been approaching the one with some similarities to the western myth of Dragons, so it was reasonable that this would be the employer. He walked towards her and wiped his mouth clean, "You're the employer," he spoke up and quieted down a little as he got close, "aren't you? I'm talented at telekinesis as well as much Human history, though I lack the magic referred to in the work ad. I'll be willing and able for any job you'd require, no payment necessary."

Cain glanced at Amu. Who's this asshole? Fortunately, he didn't blurt that out, instead giving a warm smile, and said, "I use wind magic and ice magic to keep myself cool in the desert. It's quite useful." As for irate shamans...He didn't feel like that would be a problem.

Kaidza scowled, and said, "I read the ad perfectly, thankyouverymuch. Our company can help you with both physical labor, any magic needed and guarding, and I have a degree in archaeology too. I can be a research assistant, if you'd like"

Amu looked up at Cain, considering. Ice was something Amu had only read about — water so cold it turned solid, sometimes found atop the highest mountains of Yoth. Amu noticed that, aside from admitting himself a mage, which was fairly obvious anyways, Cain had offered no information of use. But Amu decided that, given how confident of this place he seemed, he was still worth talking to. If nothing else, the fact that Cain was manipulating the physical realm without a focus, or at least a visible one, was a curiosity. "So," he asked, "how'd you go about getting your magic? I don't think it's any sort of magic I've ever heard of, and I'm pretty well lettered."

Okul, meanwhile, watched Delth warily. Though he remained silent as he watched the creature, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion and thought to himself, no payment necessary? The services of somebody who says that are frequently very expensive in the end.

edited 13th Oct '12 1:56:19 PM by KillerClowns

Cain shrugged. "Innate Gift." The exertion used to keep himself cool and dry was very minimal compared to the full extent of his powers. He definitely could do this all day and still be able to raise an army of the dead, kick some ass and go to the nearest convenience store to buy some gum.

Haruka was helping to pitch up a tent. To prevent from making people uneasy, she did it all by hand. By the time she was done, she was hot, sweaty and a little cranky. She took a cold bottle of water and downed half of it, wanted to dump the rest on her head, but knowing that water was such a precious commodity here, it would seem too wasteful. Instead, she loosened her hijab and hoped that there would be a bit of a breeze.

edited 14th Oct '12 7:07:58 PM by Tehpillowstar

Marion nodded. Better. Still not perfect, but better. "You should've mentioned that earlier, as it's, y'know, what I was actually looking for. Any branch of archaeology in particular, or just archaeology in general?" She briefly flared her wings again. "As for a specific position, we'll get you sorted out when we have something more substantial set up." Maybe a little hotheaded. Hopefully that won't get in the way of her duties. Have to keep an eye on her to be sure she can stay focused.

She glanced over to Delth. An unusual specimen, to be certain. Nonearthling physiology, and so possibly nonearthling psychology. Gauge reactions to all situations. "Simply a knowledge of history probably won't do much good on its own. However, if you know ancient Egyptian history, that'll help us find the historical context of this sight. What's the scale and range of your telekinesis? Can you move large boulders or rubble from far away?"

Something occurred to Marion, and she said to both Kaidza and Delth, "By the way, either of you any good with languages? As of yet, we seem to be remarkably short of linguists, so any help either of you can offer is a plus."

"I studied ancient Egypt thoroughly in my research, they had interesting interpretations of the world." Delth looked around the site once more, now being in a completely different position and shifting the sand beneath his feet to map it accordingly. "Why yes, my telekinesis is capable of such acts at a fairly decent range. I can also turn that thing," he pointed up towards the sun that scolded the desert and its inhabitants, "off. I should note that larger acts can take some toll on my body, so I may require periods of rest."

"My linguistics are a tad basic, although I may be able to roughly translate some hieroglyphs." Delth sized up the person that the employer also asked, along with what appeared to be her group. He let his grasp of the surroundings loose, letting it all soak in. Feeling their blood being pumped and something else about what appeared to be their leader. Simple targets, he thought, but no need for distrust. Yet.

Amu looked puzzled. Magic wasn't an innate gift — it was bargained for, bought from... well, entities like the Transcendent. Being born with magic... Amu had never heard something so absurd in his life. "Wait, you mean you were born with it?" he said, his incredulity clear. "The amount of mental discipline needed to control magic... how did you not accidentally destroy yourself when you were a child?"

Okul considered the grey-fleshed... thing. Whatever it was, extinguishing the sun struck Okul as preposterous — even if it were possible, actually doing so seemed a certain way to earn the wrath of an entire world. The creature was powerful, but arrogant. Even the Transcendent knew when not to display the full extent of their powers so blithely. Okul wondered how long it would last.

He shook his head, having had enough of mages and creatures, and considered what services he and Amu had to offer. Finally, he said, "we are no mages. But I am skilled with bow and blade, and am as swift a rider as you shall ever hope to find... though I doubt this last will help. Amu knows his glaive and sling well, and escaping his servitude under the Red King taught him many things about traps and locks." And other skills that these people didn't need to know about, Okul decided. He continued, "we are both leaders of warriors, though we are not averse to listening to counsel or even following orders from a worthy leader if they know something we do not, and neither of us have anything to fear from shamans and others who can unravel the arcane."

Then he looked over at the tomb. "And if you don't mind, I should like to examine the tomb a bit myself. Anything I need to know before seeing what I can make of the place?"

edited 13th Oct '12 7:38:47 PM by KillerClowns

After setting up their tent, the boys finally put on their silver gloves, ready for work.

"Where to start?" Nick asked, crossing his arms.

"Small." Jackson said, looking at the others, "It seems that they had already found a spot. Best thing to do is to give them some space. Hopefully we won't cause too much of a ruckus." He picked up a rock from the ground, holding it in his left hand. "Let's test these babies out. Step back."

Adam and Nick stepped away as Jackson threw the rock in the air. Before it hit the ground, the blond punched it into tiny bits, pieces of it nearly hitting all three of them. As the remains flew in different directions, Nick glanced over at Jackson, who seemed stunned.

"Well...it worked...at least." Was all he could manage to say.

"Just hope it doesn't hit anybody." Adam said, worried. "It won't hit anybody. ...Right?"