CHALLENGE #1

[PANDORA RUE VERYN]

WAITING FOR A HERO ,

1) PM this account with an IN CHARACTER roleplay
2) In the reply, tell me what your character would do the situation below
3) There is no required length
4) The winner will be whichever reply I enjoy the most
5) IF the reply is really good, I may make it an actual spot in the LORE & LEGENDS, giving your character the real glory of having that greatness to his/her name.

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As you wander through the wilderness around Aeroch Nor, you soon meet a familiar face, who treats you to a meal in exchange for willing ears. The old priestess, Oola, waits until the crowds has drawn away from you before telling you any news beyond small talk. Finally, the tale begins.

Recently, there has been kidnappings of local children. This obviously has many locals concerned. Rumors say it is the work of a marauding dragon, but none know the truth. It's up to you to get to the bottom of the controversy and learn what it means for all the folk and lands around the spot in the road. In exchange for your aid, you'll gain local land and some money as well as additional accolades as hero of Aeroch Nor.

Additional Award : Member of the Month

CLOSES ON OCT. 8TH

[PANDORA RUE VERYN]

AND THE WINNER IS...
S A G A !
Congrats on winning the very first Challenge!
Winning roleplay is found below <3

His stomach was full and his body felt warm after the meal that the old woman had given him. But the words that she had spoken to him had sent a cold chill through his spine and dampened the satisfaction that he had felt inside of him. His heart instantly went out to the families of the children who had been lost and would possibly never return. That rugged, little hero inside of him that was pressing so hard to get out started to bubble up, begging and nagging for adventure and the opportunity to be called a savior even to just one child. His common sense was trying to get the better of him though, urging him to pick the safe path; the path back home. And there was no doubt that his mind was filled with doubts and fears of the unknown. Bravery did not always come in large doses for the young elf.

After he had thanked Oola for the meal and wished to her the best of luck for the town, he started on his way back to the city Aherdaur. He was not carrying much on him aside from the usual bow and arrows along with a dagger at his side for protection. His only miscellaneous items were a pouch of water, a smaller one of precious stones, and the clothes that he wore on his back. The dark green cloak that he had found in his father’s luggage was also slung over his back, not quite pulled up all the way. It did its job and kept him warm and out of the cold night air (its color also seemed ideal for his hunting status), but he always started to feel like his mind was drifting when he pulled the hood over his head. The more he wore it, the more this happened. He tried to think nothing of it though. It was only a cloak and he was only tired. He had much on his mind now, after all.

As his feet continued to step lightly down the dusty path, Fallon Oak Genesis soon found himself coming to a complete stop. The cool blue eyes shifted away from the dark path through the forest ahead and back toward Aeroch Nor.

It was the children, the rumors of a destructive dragon… and the chance to be noticed. All of that lay behind him now as his toes pointed toward his home city of the elves. The priestess Oola and her kindness toward him… could that have been his cue? Was that his opportunity to do something and prove to this troubled world that even those who were young were willing to make a difference? Was this a chance to be something great in the eyes of his family and community? He could do something and help change the lives of these people yet he stood here on the pathway home, running away from something that his mind had convinced him was too much for him to handle.

Fallon was young. Fallon was inexperienced. Fallon was only a hunter. Fallon was average. Fallon was nobody.

He had no name in this world.

His heart accelerated. A rush of overwhelming emotion taking over him and flushing his face for an instant as he tightened his lips and turned his body back toward Aeroch Nor. He wasn’t sure if the next steps he took back in that direction were out of pure bravery or simple stupidity that would vanish as soon as he saw the face of old Oola again. He didn’t know, but his feet kept going.

The evening was readying itself to turn into night. The sun was now only leaving a few rays up in the sky casting dark blues and purples. A few shimmering flecks of light dotted the sky. The thought of night sent a twist through his stomach. But his mind seemed to be spreading and all the thoughts were scattering, causing the fear to dissipate.

There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary in the tiny spit of a village. Things were quiet and calm as the night fell upon the land though mixed feelings of fear seemed to be thrown around whenever Fallon’s eyes fell upon a face of a villager hurrying by him to get to their home. There was a lone standing figure in an opening to one of the roughly built homes. It was the slender figure of a female. He could not make out much more than that from where he stood for his eyes would not allow it. Her slim silhouette blurred in and out of focus and her features were hidden to him. He could see the candle being held high in her right hand though and he could hear a voice calling out a name.

Fallon, come home. It’s time to come in, Fallon.

The elf boy slammed his palm up toward his forward, squinting his eyes against the pain in his skull from both his hand and an unknown force. His nails scraped lightly at the skin of his face trying to tear the voice away. And it did. The familiar sound of his own mother was drowned out by this woman calling the same words almost exactly. But the child she was looking for was not named Fallon.

“Francis, come home! It’s time to come in, Francis!”

Unknowingly he had started to make his way away from the frantically calling mother. Her voice starting to shake more and more after every chance she called her son’s name. Fallon had already started toward the uninhabited parts of this land. Common sense was begging him to turn on his heel and go ask the woman more about the child and where he could have been. But something else was stirring his mind, numbing that part of him. He was a hunter after all. It shouldn’t have been too difficult to hunt down a child.

The sky was hiding now behind the branches of treetops as Fallon entered the covering of forest. This was his comfort zone. This was where he could work. He was mediocre and the same as every elf hunter that walked through the forest though. He was simply simple. A simple nobody, was a better way to put it. And for once he found that it enraged him.

His fingers buried themselves into his knuckles. Then there was a sound; a rustling sound, followed by heavy, continuous breathing.

Quickly he moved close to the trunk of a tree, laying his side against it as he drew his bow and a single arrow held in his drawing hand. He closed his eyes (as they were almost useless in seeing far off anyways) and focused on the sound. His breathing stopped and all that could be heard from Fallon was the slow beating of his heart. He was covered by complete calm and his pointed ears managed to pin point exactly where the sound was coming from.

He swung around the tree, kicking off the large outermost parts of the roots and landed with not even a sound before a boy not too much younger than himself who looked completely terrified. The fact that Fallon now had an arrow aimed straight toward the center of his head was not helping. But Fallon kept his aim up and his eyes narrowed to keep focus, there was not much consideration for this boy, Francis. However, Francis was already more afraid of the rumbling behind him to stop for some puny elf. The human lunged forward almost stumbling passed. But Fallon’s reflexes were quick to act and his fingers caught hold of the boy’s coat, making him trip over his own feet though he did not fall.

Fallon yanked him over next to him and then pushed him back toward the brush. “Don’t move,” he advised Francis in a low voice. But Francis was in a panic, twitching and squirming, fighting to get out of Fallon’s grasp. It was all very irritating. “Look at me!” Fallon spoke under his breath, giving Francis a shake. “You need to calm-“ And that was when Francis froze. His eyes were wide, face went pale, and his mouth hung open, giving him the look of some kind of zombie. Fallon simply stared at him for a moment, watching his eyes. There was a faint reflection in them, a glimmer of silver. It was like looking into two pairs of eyes. It was almost mesmerizing.

Crack! The moment of silence came to a sudden end when a pair of dangerously sharp claws ripped by them, clearing a dying bush clean from the ground beside them. Fallon tightened his grip on Francis and then darted away from the tree. He pushed the other boy away, allowing him to stumble into the brush in front of them where he turned and scurried around in shock. Finally Fallon had the opportunity to turn and face the monster, his hand drawing a fresh arrow.

It indeed was reptilian and it truly was something monstrous. Its size was not as massive as the trees surrounding them but it was bigger than a large horse. It had scales like night, giving it easy chances to blend with the shadows that fell all around them. Its eyes were what stunned Fallon the most; they were like stars, bright silver. He couldn’t look away from them.

The serpent was heavy and slow as it moved toward Fallon, dropping its head down law so that the elf could get a good look at all the teeth it bared at him. It seemed to have no worries though. It took its time and had already sized him up. Fallon would not be a problem and he had long forgotten about the boy stunned in the brush. If this elf boy was going to try to stand in its way then it would simply swallow him up first.

Suddenly it snapped its jaws out toward Fallon giving him barely just enough time to scramble backwards and ready his aim at the dragon. He pulled the string back, feeling his fears trying to overcome him again as the cloak on his shoulders shifted back, loosening. Out of dread of the beast Fallon let the arrow fly. It struck the creature in the head, slipping off.

The scales of a dragon were powerful… he knew better. Despite this, he readied another arrow and the dragon rushed toward him in a burst of speed. Fallon whipped around, taking off toward the cover of closer trees. He usually only used his ranged weapon and picked things off from afar. The spear that was resting against his back was rarely pulled forth and he had never been adequately trained with it. He doubted it would come in handy now.

As he continued to run he spun around a moment and aimed his arrow up toward the dragon again. It was still coming at him as fast as it could, causing the all the foliage around them to shake. He had pulled back his drawing hand, ready to fire away but fear again got the better of him and he turned and ran, careless of where his arms went. And just for that one mistake he paid. As he turned into the thickets for a better cover the bow stopped him, yanking his body back with it. He dropped the weapon from the surprise of falling back onto the ground and shot back up to his feet and continued to run.

His dirtied hands knocked sharp sticks aside, abundant with thorns. The dragon continued to rip right though like it was running through a meadow or something. Finally the thorns wanted to keep Fallon and snagged onto the cloak. His struggle to get free only seemed to tighten the fabric around him. Everything started to get fuzzy, his heart pounded faster in a panic, and his mind seemed to slip away from him. Everything felt so empty and lost. But his body suddenly felt as though it was unstoppable.

Fe froze from his struggle, calmed and pulled the cloak safely back around him, easily pulling it away from the thorns. Then as the black as night dragon lunged at him again he drew the spear from his back and plunged it forward. A loud wailing cry buzzed in his ears as the pointed stone skidded and then embedded itself beneath the dragon’s tongue. The dragon yanked its head back and Fallon was tugged toward with it. His fingers were clenched around his weapon, all fear lost. As the beast shook its head to try and rid itself of the small problem in its mouth, Fallon let go (getting flung into the thickets a bit from the trashing the dragon was doing). The elf sprinted by, sliding onto the ground. Fallon crawled through the dirt, dodging the dragon’s heavy steps as he reached out and took his bow back up into his hands. From there he rolled onto his side, drew another arrow immediately casting it open the dragon’s underside. This one stuck and it was followed by another irritated cry.

Fallon wasted no time on the ground. In an instant he was back on his feet, running alongside the dragon while it whirled around in attempt to snap at him. But this time the dragon was too late. An arrow found itself a spot on the underside of the dragon’s neck and for a moment everything was still. The silver eyes seemed to sink into the back of the beast’s skull and a puff of steam seeped from its nostrils, making the leaves around it curl. Then it fell to the ground with a hard thud.

Fallon could see that its heart had stopped. Francis was scrambling along in the woods crying.

Fallon paced over to the front of the beast and retracted the spear from its mouth. The wood was hot from the dragon’s breath that had been spewed against it as well as drool. He ignored it though and proceeded to kick out one of the dragon’s teeth; the only prize he would be able to carry back to the village alone.