✦𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬✦ 8/8pm if interested

[Stargazer3000]

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tasked by their gods to
investigate - but they are not
the only ones venturing into
the desert.

Legends speak of a fifth god,
a tyrant buried deep in the
heart of the kingdom that she
once sought to rule. Those
who follow her are few in
number but dangerous and
deadly, with warped powers
stolen from the deities. They
twist the words of the
elemental gods into ugly lies,
and have earned the name
Heretics.

The Heretics have been tasked
with a mission of their own, to
find the four heralds in the
desert and deliver a message:
the four patron gods have been
lying to the kingdom and they
must be killed.

As heralds and heretics meet,
the fate of the kingdom and all
her people hang in the balance.

Centuries ago a star fell, blood
was spilled, and magic was born.
Though the details have been
lost to history, the kingdom of
Aster has kept its magic - and its
peace, though that too may soon
be lost.

Aster is a kingdom ruled not by
mortals, but by four giant deities,
one for each element. Together
they guide and educate their
people. Only the most blessed
citizens are born with the ability
to manipulate the elements and
can serve the gods as Heralds.
Those with the gift of water
serve Hyrdis in the north, and
those with the gift of earth serve
Terris in the east. Air wielders
follow Ghalis in the south, and
those who control the flame
serve Fernis in the west.

Recently, there's been talk of
unnatural occurrences coming
from the desert that lies in the
center of the kingdom, so four
powerful Heralds have been

┌────────┐

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x
Discussion Thread
Open/Closed
Heralds,..●●●●
Heretics..●●●●

rules│info│theme

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....

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[Stargazer3000]

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gender rep somewhat even
✦ I reserve the right
to not admit folks
✦ Please let me
know if you have any
questions or ideas, and
have fun!

xxx

x
x

works fine!)
✦ Please follow the posted
guidelines of the elemental
powers, and respect the
fantasy setting (i.e no guns)
✦ There will be some
combat in this rp, so
check in with the other
RPers involved before
any intense action! If you
want to 'write off' a char,
please let me know!
✦ While this is not
a semi/lit roleplay, I'd still
like a minimum
of one paragraph per
post (~7 sentences).
✦ Try to keep the

x
x

✦ Please follow all of
nick + tess' rules here
✦ Only one char per
RPer to start! *I'm
happy to talk about
adding more later
✦ Send reservations
over PM and have
your form up within
48hrs on the discussion
✦ Discord will be
heavily used, so I
recommend having an
account!
✦ No chars under 18
✦ Please use animated
f.c (if you don't want
to, just a description

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x

I will always, always be
down to have more peeps
join, regardless of where
we are or how much has
been written, or what
character slots have been
filled; so if you're really
interested or have any
questions, just PM me -
we'll work something out!

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✦ We'll be starting the rp just as the heralds and
heretics meet in the desert
✦ More information will go here as is necessary

[Stargazer3000]

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_____________________________

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For every thousand humans, one is born with the elemental gifts of the gods. Of them, one in a hundred
survives to serve the gods as adults - some are overwhelmed by their powers, others can't take the
rigorous training, some simply disappear in the night - runaways. Powers manifest with puberty, then
the children are taken to train in the temples of the gods. Over the years they go from trainees, to
devotees, to deacons, then at last heralds. Upon completing their studies they're broken into
different roles - most serve the gods directly or act as soldiers. Only the most talented are paired with
three other Heralds and rove the land providing aid where it is needed.

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𝐅 𝐋 𝐀 𝐌 𝐄

┌─────────┐

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name kazuki
age 22
userdynamxght.

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can summon fire
anywhere within 10 ft
of them + manipulate
it. Can make
projectiles, but not
sustained blasts

𝐏 𝐋 𝐀 𝐍 𝐓

┌─────────┐

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name primrose
age 21
user daifuku

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can manipulate plants
and vegetation within
20 ft radius. can grow
plants in most places
but need ground
contact to do so

𝐀 𝐈 𝐑

┌─────────┐

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name nao
age 26
user star

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can summon and
manipulate the air
around them in 10ft
area. Can utilize
projectiles but not
sustained blasts

𝐖 𝐀 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑

┌─────────┐

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name maren
age 25
user humbum

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can summon and
manipulate water
within 10 feet of them.
Can't change water
state, and cannot
manipulate blood

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

_____________________________

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can summon shadow
anywhere within 10 ft
of them + manipulate
it. Can make
projectiles, but not
sustained blasts

┌─────────┐

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name nininan
age 25
user dolce

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𝐒 𝐇 𝐀 𝐃 𝐎 𝐖

can manipulate
stone and sand within
10 ft of themselves.
Must have ground
contact, and does
not work on dirt

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name ezbeharra
age
userInfectedHau

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𝐒 𝐓 𝐎 𝐍 𝐄

can summon and
manipulate lightning
around them in 10ft
area. Can utilize
projectiles but not
sustained blasts

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name zev
age 25
user ash

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𝐋 𝐈 𝐆 𝐇 𝐓 𝐍 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆

can summon and
manipulate ice
within 10 feet of them.
Can't change the ice
state, and cannot
freeze blood

┌─────────┐

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name wolfram
age 22
user bohdi

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𝐈 𝐂 𝐄

───────────────────────────────────────────

For every thousand humans, one is born with the elemental gifts of the trapped goddess. Of them,
one in a hundred survives to serve the goddess as adults - some are overwhelmed by their powers,
others are hunted down by the four gods and their followers. Their powers manifest with puberty,
and most know to hide their gifts, often forced to leave their homes. The ones who are discovered
by other Heretics are taken in to hidden temples and trained in secret. There is no definite end to
their studies, but when deemed ready, with other Heralds they carry out the tasks given to them
by their trapped goddess who whispers to messengers from deep underground.

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

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_____________________________

[Stargazer3000]

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

c
[reserved for kicks and giggles]

[Stargazer3000]

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tagged | mentioned | location
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Heat has its own kind of sound - a low hiss, a simmering hum, the steady pulse of a heartbeat mollified into a sluggish submission. The quiet scratch of claws against stone, the whisper of sand skittering across sand. The sound of heat pressed in on Nao from all sides, deafening in its ceaseless murmur, unrelenting, and if he listened too closely Nao was sure he’d be lost to it. Maybe it would drive him mad - maybe it already had.

Or maybe he was just dehydrated.

From where he was perched atop his pack, Nao absentmindedly swept his gaze across the rolling dunes. The landscape had been reduced to wavering strips, tantalizing glimpses of an incomplete horizon, but still he could not stop himself from scanning it again and again, even as it made his eyes ache and head pound. There was, after all, little else to do as the group waited out the sun.

They’d learned early on that traveling during the day was a waste of water, and ultimately an exercise in futility. Nao still had the burns to prove it. Rocky outcroppings had become his new definition of bliss, but even when pressed up against them as they were now, sheltered from the unrelenting sun, there was no escaping heat. It chased away sleep, and made talking ache, forcing even Nao into pressing silence.

The tell-tale skittering of a bug pulled Nao’s attention from the wavering horizon, and with piqued interest he scanned the rust-red pebbles beneath his pack, blue eyes alight with the prospect of a potential new friend. A glistening black beetle darted out from the shadow of his water gourd, and he regarded it with a sudden intensity as his stomach made itself known with a low gurgle. A beat of silence passed, before he murmured to no one in particular in a voice scratchy from disuse but softened with a playful warmth, as though reciting a secret joke between old friends, “It wouldn’t be the worst I had.” A second pause, and then, “Probably.”

The sun had slipped low on the horizon by the time that the beetle had scurried off, the shadows lengthening, painting the sands around the outcropping a deep red. As it crept ever lower, the landscape seemed to become a roiling ocean, the undulating waves of heat more pronounced than ever. And then, amongst the waves, a flicker drew Nao’s gaze. A beat, the two passed, and there it was again.

Limbs stiff from sitting too long, with jerky movements Nao pushed up the tinted glass that obscured his eyes, protecting them from the worst of the sun’s glare. He squinted, and again the flicker cut through the waves, solidifying into something undeniable. Something moving. A glance confirmed that his companions had seen it as well, and Nao rose his feet, groaning in relief at the movement. "My money is on a pack of flesh eating lizards. Or human-sized spiders. That just feels about right."

[vash the stampede.]

█ ████ ⸻ ✦ 𝐾 𝐴 𝑍 𝑈 𝐾 𝐼 ✦𝑀 𝐴 𝑇 𝑆 𝑈 𝑆 𝐻 𝐼 𝑀 𝐴
✦✦✦✦➥ flame herald || he / they || location - desert || tags - xx || mentions - the heralds

if there was anything he was used to - it was heat. he nearly spent his entire life surrounded by it. but the desert?
that was its own category of heat. if he didn't know any better, he would've thought he died by now. teeth dug int
o the skin of his lower lip as kazuki, for the millionth time, wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his ha
nd. he tried to steady his breathing, making sure to keep his breaths shallow for the most part, amber eyes flutte
ring as another bead of sweat clung to his lashes. letting go of his lip, he swiped his tongue across the upper, in ho
pes to relieve it of the dryness, but to no avail.

kazuki took a moment to keep his eyes toward the sky, laying flat on the sand, which at the time he did it, he tho
ught was a good idea. but now in hindsight, he knew he was gonna clear sands out of his garments, for days. after
a moment, his eyes began to wander along the group, briefly taking in the other three's forms, before his gaze set
tled on naoki. he had the bright idea, sitting on top his pack like he was. genius, the copper top thought before tu
rning his eyes back towards the sky, watching it change color as the sun lowered in the sky. he blinked slowly befo
re he turned back toward nao, noticing the other's lips moving, but unfortunately kazuki wasn't able to make out
what the blonde was saying over the pounding of his heartbeat within his ears.

[InfectedHau]

Ezbeharra Priyani||Stone Heretic||She/Her||The Desert|| Tagged: The Heretics (Mentioned)

A towering figure strode across the dunes, flanked on either side by its companions. Its face was shrouded in cloth wrappings, two empty black pits where its eyes should be. Its robes billowed in the hot desert winds, trailing behind it like streamers as it led its party across the vast expanse of sand. Around it, sand flowed like water, gathering at its feet, compacting and hardening into a flat, stony surface, then dissipating as it passed, becoming one with the desert once more. It seemed unaffected by the sun, continuing to walk at the same slow, measured pace, as the sand bent itself to its will.

Ezbeharra was concentrating very hard. Using her power like this took a lot of effort at the best of times, and now she had to do it and walk? She wanted to check to make sure her companions were keeping up; she didn't want to drop anyone into the sand accidentally, but it was taking most of her concentration just to make the next platform. Not that she was complaining, it was good to get the practice in, but frankly she was sweating enough in this heat. Still, it was better than struggling through the sand, looking very undignified as she tried not to sink. Probably her least favorite part about the desert, though she still reasoned it was her favorite place to be. Sure, it was hot, but at least it was dry hot. The air in Fernis in the summer took on a consistency akin to a thick soup, at least here she could breathe.

In the moments between finishing one platform and forming the next, Ezbeharra's eyes flicked up beneath her tinted lenses, scanning the horizon. The lenses were an invention of the desert tribes, something that helped prevent sand-blindness if one had to venture out during the day. A marvelous creation, though one that could definitely be improved upon. While they did keep the sun out, they also somewhat limited one's visual acuity, which became much more of a hindrance once the sun went down. Reaching up to take them off was unfortunately out of the question, as doing so would require taking off her entire headdress, which was much to involved to do while still making the path. Hopefully the moon would be out soon, that would at least make seeing easier.

A rocky outcropping shilouetted itself against the darkening sky, and the path curved slightly as Ezbeharra adjusted her course to aim for it. They'd been told the Heralds had been coming this way, but actually finding them was a bit of a needle in a haystack. Still, she reckoned that would be a likely spot for them to make camp, it would provide both shelter from the sun during the day and a source of heat at night. If they weren't there, then at least it would be a good place to scout from.

[bohdi]

❄xxxxxxxxxxxx𝐖 𝐎 𝐋 𝐅 𝐑 𝐀 𝐌 𝐄 𝐋 𝐑 𝐈 𝐂
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​🇮​​🇨​​🇪​ ​🇭​​🇪​​🇷​​🇪​​🇹​​🇮​​🇨​ | ​🇹​​🇦​​🇬​​🇬​​🇪​​🇩​ - ​🇭​​🇪​​🇷​​🇪​​🇹​​🇮​​🇨​​🇸​ | ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇩​​🇪​​🇸​​🇪​​🇷​​🇹​

The immense heat weighed on his shoulders, drooping them forward like a wilted flower. The wide open sky was beautiful yet frightening; it stared down at him with contempt. Under different circumstances, he might thoroughly enjoy lying down, staring into space, and imagining what else life could offer besides what he was dealt. His sense of duty and loyalty led him onward, the task at hand more important than pondering "what ifs." With a shake of his head, Wolfram changed his attention to the platform under his feet. His comrades were picking their way over the hardened sand slowly, all their eyes on the horizon for any sign of the group they were tracking. Even with Ezbeharra's gifts, it would be a long crawl through the desert to find these heralds. The town grew small and silent behind them, dusk casting it in shadows as the group continued on their way. The heretics had passed through earlier, spending most of the scorching day in the shade of alleys. A rumor had spread that the heralds were seen around town, bargaining for supplies. While the heretics knew to avoid traveling during the day, some townsfolk had reported seeing the heralds leaving amid the afternoon. He had let out a laugh when the group had learned of this. Maybe it was their first time embarking on such a trek, not knowing better.

Wolfram and company had started out into the desert just before dusk, following in what they hoped was the right direction. Despite the night fast approaching, the heat still pressed down on him. He had been out in the waste before, and each time was the same experience. He much preferred cooler temperatures and prayed the night offered relief. The ice wielder felt rather useless, out of his element. His abilities never lasted long in this environment; it was always better at creating wet sand than helping him with any issues. It made him anxious, and when he was anxious, he seemed to be more of a nuisance. "Have they shown themselves yet?" he groaned aloud, knowing the answer would be no, much like the other five times he had asked. His hood had fallen back when he was walking with his face to the sky; he tugged it back in place, shielding his face once more from the setting sun. He stammered over his words, his mouth dry and his tongue sticky. He threw his arms up in despair, huffing a frustrated breath. "You'd think they'd be easy to find with literally nothing out here!"

He trudged along Ezbeharra's path, following her without much thought outside making it to the next one. "You know, Ezzie, this is a genius. Where were you when I needed this kind of brilliance three seasons ago?" He paused a moment to bend down and poked the sandstone platform. He much preferred this method of traveling to slipping all over the sound. "How long can you keep this up for?" He didn't really expect an answer, he was more chatting to fill the deafening silence around them. As they journeyed together, he knew Ezbeharra wasn't one for many words, so he doubted she would engage in many conversations. As much as he knew talking might make them more tired and dry, he grew wary of the absence of sound. For hours, it had just been shifting sounds, a few insects. It was maddening. Maybe Ninian and Zev would pick up the colloquial slack.

As he prepared his next onslaught of bothersome babble, he took a scan of the horizon. He sucked in a relieved breath, spotting the rocky outcrop at the same time as his companions. The landform alleviated them from his pestering, even if it was momentarily. "Thank the stars!" His exclamation came with a little hop, the idea of shade rejuvenating his limbs and energy. Such a deformity was a welcome sight after seeing expanses of sand for the last few hours, and Wolfram took off towards it in a jog, slipping along the path without waiting for his compatriots.

[daifuku]

✧ ─── 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗘 )

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗗. 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗧. 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗗𝗦.

───

it couldn't have been more than a few hours since they departed from the village, but judging by their dampened mood, it seemed that all the heralds wished they hadn't left.

trudging through the sand was another brand of tiring; her feet sank into the sand with each step and the flimsy grains provided no resistance to power her steps. but now, leaning against the rocky wall, she had nothing to distract herself from the rest of the desert's delightful discomforts. her hands were sweaty between her gloves, yet she refused to take them off. she had developed a headache from squinting against the bright sun. her hair clung to her neck, but she had brought nothing to tie it back with. she was used to heat on the grasslands, but for the desert, she was woefully unprepared.

however, she hadn't nearly lost it as much as a certain pair of her teammates.

she turned to maren with an incredulous look on her face. "what are they doing..." she mouthed, jerking her head in the direction of naoki and kazuki. though, after a month of travelling with the other heralds, she supposed she shouldn't be surprised at anything that was going on.

by the time the sun began to set, she was sitting down and whittling away at her latest project. the rough shape of a butterfly wing took form; rose wanted to test how thin she could carve without breaking the wood. when it had just gotten slimmer than her pinky, the wing snapped. she quickly sheathed her knife with an annoyed click of her tongue, raising her eyes back up to the horizon.

she snapped to her feet, having spotted the flicker of movement in the distance as well. while she rolled her eyes at the notion of flesh-eating lizards and human-sized spiders, she studied the far-away shapes with growing anticipation.

───

[Ashton_99]

《✧𝓩𝓮𝓿 𝓣. 𝓛𝓪𝓼𝓴𝓪𝓻✧》
《✧Lightning Heretic ✧ He/Him ✧ Tags:Heretics ✧ Location:Desert✧》

There was a catharsis in the endless heat of the desert, in the sloping sands and rolling dunes. The distant buzz of the sand-dwelling insects sang in time with the buzz perpetually present under the lightning heretic’s skin. The persistent thrum was all that kept Zev moving, a slow but steady crawl in pursuit of the goddess’s last whispers. Zev felt almost more at home in the vast rolling dunes of the desert lands than he ever had in Terris.

He kept a mild pace, near the edge of the group of heretics but well within range of their fateful stone wielder's abilities as she soldiered across the silken sands. Zev had not spoken for hours, an uncommon occurrence fueled by the passive draw of his own thoughts. He snorted as Wolfram asked once again if the heralds were near. Thus far their search had proven rather fruitless. Miles upon miles of empty desert between towns that were hardly more than a couple of buildings made searching for the heralds a near-impossible task The heralds, wherever those idiots were, must have been wandering blind once they’d left the tiny desert town they’d last been spotted in. Zev was trying not to let the lack of progress spoil his mood, only half successful in the endeavor.

Gnashing the end of the straw in his mouth between his teeth, the lightning heretic only watched as Wolfram darted off ahead. It was amazing how the other man still had enough energy to manage such a move despite having been groaning in despair only moments earlier. “Oh, aaaaand there he goes.” Zev snorted, casting a half-amused glance at Nininan. It was actually a little impressive, the way the ice heretic pushed ahead despite slipping across the sand like he was. Despite his being impressed, Zev felt zero desire to copy the move. Content to keep at Ezbeharra’s pace, he was enjoying the less straining walk she provided with the use of her abilities.

While they caught up to Wolfram, Zev took a deep breath, face tilted up towards the darkening sky. The air that filled his lungs was dry and there was not a cloud in the sky. Yet, in spite of the emptiness, Zev felt a storm brewing deep in his gut. The feeling killed any sense of lightheartedness Zev had been fostering, drawing his brow down into a glare. Habitually a hand fell to the sheathed sword at his side. Despite not having needed to use the blade as a medium for his abilities for years, Zev still preferred to wield it in tandem with his lightning more often than not.

In time they reached Wolfram at the outcropping, but it did little for the tension in Zev’s shoulders. He trusted his instincts more than anything, and he wasn’t going to second-guess that feeling while they were out in the middle of nowhere of all places. Zev squinted out into the horizon, using the low light of the sun to try and pinpoint what it was that was setting him on edge.