Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:55 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Perfect! That settles it then. You, me, back here in three weeks. I'm sure Lise'll have a reply back by then even if she uses snail mail." No, mail did not actually vome by snails, but that was her was of calling especially slow postal delivery. Knowing Ong would be relatively close by was good too. The little arcsnist scratched her chin when he asked if she had a way to keep in touch in case of an emergency. The thought hadn't crossed her mind until now. "Hrmm…let's see… I can leave a message in the sky but that won't work if it's nighttime or cloudy. I think it'd be easier for me to find you instead. I have this thingymabobber that shows me where something is if I want to find it. It's pretty reliable. Or I can have Patchy come get you. How's that?" At the sound of its name, the jackalope fluttered over making warbling noises. Its brightly colored fur and chimeric appearance was truly magical with a dash or two of whimsy. Looking over the goblin man, it made contemplative grunts and murmurs as it flew around. Satisfied, it returned to burrow its way into Myouga's sack.

She then produced the 'thingymabobber' to show him, which was a small pink crystal prism that fit in the palm of her hand. "Here it is! I can use this to find where you are, even if you're moving. But if that's still too hit and miss, then I'll make you something that can also lead you to me! BEHOLD–magical animation!" Taking out some scraps of hide, twine, and paper she made a crude doll with a lopsided smiley face. Wiggling her fingers dramatically, magic enveloped the makeshift doll bringing the professor's rather sad excuse of a toy to life. Unsteadily it stood up on its legs trying to balance with its arms. Then it moved its 'head' as if to see. "Ta-daaaa! Presto change-o! This little guy will go with you. If I need to meet up with you earlier than usual, Mr. Paperdoll will pull on you and bring you to me. He's made with my magic so he knows what to do. And to make sure he doesn't run outta juice, I'll stick this in." Conjuring a smooth stone with a rune drawn on the flat surface, she tucked it inside of the animated doll of scraps. 

"I think I've covered all my bases. Well, time to let you go. I'll meet you at the city gates like promised three weeks from today. I'll be in the city walls so you know where to find me. I can't wait to see Igbo! And hopefully Lise will be here too!" They made plans, said their goodbyes, and promised to see each othrr again. Muouga returned to her room at an inn with a spring in her step and a stomach full of butterflies. Flopping face first into the bed, she rolled around. What a day! First a festival then a new friend! She was so excited that she couldn't sleep.

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:16 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong nodded to Myouga as the afternoon sun begin to glow bright as it set towards the east. He had only come to Namiba to make a quick stop before heading east again but, now he realized he would be heading home. Myouga seemed really excited to venture over to Igbo and look over Onnen. He in turn was happy to assist such a talented magic user and learn what he could from her. She seemed to be very friendly and naturally interested in earning about Onnen. It would be good to have traveling partner and who knew, maybe she would invite along to her land and that would be very interesting. "We could meet at the city gates in three weeks time, if you wish to remain in Namiba for a bit. I will remain in the area until you are ready for your escort to Ibgo, if that is ok?" he replied with toothy smile.

Ong would have love to waited with Myouga but, there were a few things he needed to tend to back east towards Benin. Looking over her frame he would have remained with her as he didnt want her to meet any trouble. He was sure, she was capable of defending herself of course but, the oni was stranger in a land she had one just arrived in. Rubbing his chin, he thought to himself for her well being which, was strange he usually was fine leaving others to their devices. Still… "Of course if you have need of me, is there a way you can contact me before the time we depart?"

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:59 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Hmm…" Myouga contemplated tapping her chin. "I'm not in a rush for anything really. Portals don't take long, so I can send her an 'express message' and see if she'll be able to come when she replies back. She has a big family so gotta give her time to let them know where and for how long she's going. Lise might bring a few of her pets to help out too." Ong's reassurance that he could handle a little melee was good news, to which she grinned. "That's great! Still just as you said, avoiding danger is easier than getting in a full-on fight. I can't wait to meet your family! Hope they don't mind me poking my nose around." The little arcanist said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. Conjuring a journal and quill, she quickly scribbled herself a note to investigate the mud-puppy variant and cannibalistic skyfish later, and a few other things in shorthand. Her handwriting wasn't particularly neat in the book, and her drawings were much worse. In fact, they were downright horrific. Anyway, Myouga was quite satisfied with how things had turned out today. 

As the festivities were winding down, people were packing up and preparing to leave or stay for the night. "I'm going to stay in the city for a few weeks. Rest up, get my bearings, stock up on supplies, maybe chat with the locals. Sending mail will take some time since it's across the ocean. While we wait, I can pop over and grab some of my books from my office and we can compare notes. Buuut~ that'll have to be 'til tomorrow! All this excitement's got me tired." She stretched, covering her incoming yawn with a hand. "Where do you want to meet up again in the city? We should probably keep in touch before I know if Lise is coming or not." Namibia was a big place as cities go, and not being a local meant getting lost wasn't hard. She still wanted to stick to safer neighborhoods if she could help it. 

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2019 10:16 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong's brow raised at her interest in traveling to his village and meeting his people. It had been many years since, he left home to pursue his career as a chronicler. Having walked through so many different regions and meet so many different people, he never got homesick or lonely but, he did miss the beautiful coral beaches. The Marshtoad tribe tended to stay to themselves unless, visited by one of their allied tribes in the region. If, they didnt wish to be found, the shamans had a way of "hiding" the village with their magic but, Ong has spent many years under the tutelage of his father, he could easily find the village on his own. Also, there was the issue of his father and how he'd have to explain bringing strangers. Bel'fong the One Eyed, was one they greatest shamans in the Marshtoad tribe history and Ong's father. He never approved of his sons descision to leave and Ong was sure there would be an argument if he returned.

Rubbing his chin he looked over to Myouga, perhaps, Myouga might impress them with her magic? No…no… It wouldnt be that easy. Perhaps, he could just introduce her to the few friends he had in the village that were willing to meet her? Perhaps Sahel or a neighboring tribe of Goblins would do. Maybe he could lead her to the Efte mountains but, even as he though of other destinations, his amber eyes met hers and he could help but, blush a bit. "Igbo it is..Igbo…is a great selection. I will introduce you to my tribe" he said in rather bold yet peculiar tone. What are you thinking, Ong? You have met a great mage and she's willing to teach you a new skill. When your old man sees what you can do after fifteen years, he'll be chewing on his headdress. thought Ong.

"If your looking for other species there is smaller species that hibernates in the mud for half the year until, the rainy season. There are also larger ones off the coast of my home, they prey on the little ones" he replied nodding to her. "I'd be happy to wait for your student here Namiba but, if you wish to get an early start and meet her at Mamjaku we could also do that. Which would you prefer? Also don't worry about danger, I know you said physical combat may exhaust you but, I have martial skills as well though, we would best avoid danger. How soon would you like to embark?

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2019 12:55 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Hmm…well there's no trick behind it, just the way you think about using magic. There's lots of ways people do it, like yours." Ong pointed out their current location, Namibia. It was pretty close to the center of Onnen in general. The area around Namibia was a savanna, and northeast separated by a mountain range was the lake region. South was a marsh which he said was dangerous, and she nodded to show she understood. Ong's hometown was westward, which was where Myouga determined to see next. "Ok, got it! Lots of new names I've never heard of, but that means more fun for later. Sotho and mysteries sound right up my alley, buuut I wanna see your village first! If you don't mind I'd like to record your tribe's culture and language for future generations. There's lots of cultures that have been lost to time, so I want to keep a record of everything." She knew some people might find her enthusiasm a bit intrusive, and some cultures didn't like outsiders recording things about them. There wasn't any malicious intent behind her actions, just an honest to goodness interest in preserving the cultural diversity of the world. After all if everybody was the same, wouldn't the world be boring?

When Ong pointed out her catch of the day, she nodded. "Yup, I am! I've never seen one before coming to Onnen! Over there fish don't fly and I've always wondered how they could do that here. We don't have skyfish in the other continents, y'see." At the mention of there being more varieties of skyfish, the arcanist's eyes lit up. "There are? That's so cool! This'll be great for a first year study to send back home! Aside from magic theory and magic circles we professors study pretty much anything. I'd love to see how regional differences have developed due to the isolation of populations or due to factors from the environment!" Catching one was enough for her today, as she had yet to determine the differences between male and female skyfish. The last thing she wanted would be to send a second skyfish over that was the opposite gender and create an accidental population boom of a foreign species. When she had better equipment on hand she'd send back more samples, as she was confident the other professors could keep her first specimen contained.

"If I'm going to be catching more, I'll need to call for some backup. I have a former student of mine who has better equipment for containing live specimens. I was her teacher for a few years, so she can be your tutor on stuff you don't get!" She hadn't seen Lise in a while, but she was sure the idea of discovering new plants and animals on the new continent would convince her to visit. "I'll send her a letter and ask her to come meet with us either here or in Mamjaku. How's that?" 

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 8:03 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"You…use magic around you?! How are you able to perform such a feat? I suppose, I've never really tried doing so myself…is their a trick to it?" asked the Half Goblin with great interest.


As Myouga wrangled the fish in her bag, Ong looked down at the map and placed a finger down on there position. "We are here in Namiba, one of the central points of the Savannah. If we head west we may encounter a few other site but, we must be careful as we traverse. The local tribes can be pretty hostile in the area and I can't promise they will be to kid to us. If we head Northeast along the Weylatya mountains, we could make our way to Benin. Its a lovely place full of Waterfalls, lakes and ponds. It also has very beautiful beach within a cavern" he said looking down over the map. Ong pulled away and looked up to the west and then to the east. The could cross the Savannah potentially without threat but, as he looked back to Myouga he decided not to risk her safety by, simply crossing. She proved to be a master mage but, as her guide she was under his charge now. Ong scratched his bald head and began to think of ways westward should she choose to head west. "If the west does appeal to you we must cross the Savannah until we come upon Cameroon and evenutally upwards through Sahel until we come upon my ancestral lands"


Ong returned his finger to the map and traced downward through south of the continent. "If we head South, we will come upon a great marsh and eventually the ancient city of Kanuri. I really dont advise we go there, it can be dangerous". More skyfish flew above them, one even nearly nipping Ong on the ear. He batted the creature away, as it hissed and flew off. There breeding season was very fruitful this year and their natural predators stayed clear of this particular region. He looked over to Myouga's bag with curiosity. Was she collecting them?  "Southeast, there are lands I still have yet to visit, such as Lower Sotho, though great mysteries surround this region, it could be worth investigating for your studies, perhaps?"

Ong himself, was curious as to wait lay to the lands of the south but, he would leave the choice to Ms. Myouga. He was fortunate enough to have made her acquaintance and she could teach him much before, the end of her journey. Maybe, if he'd proven a capable study she, would invite him along to her land. What great mysteries await him there, he could dream of. 

"By the way, I'm curious but, are you collecting skyfish? If so, we have other species in different parts of Onnen."

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 1:35 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Watching the half-goblin have his first taste of  a 'danish', Myouga nodded in serious agreement. "I know, right? I swear puff pastries are magic." When Ong started to explain his experiences when using magic she listened carefully. She noted the casting time, method through which the magical energies flowed, and mode of magical translation. "Hmm, very interesting! Your description sounds a lot like the sorta techniques used in ascetic training, developing one's inner energies and expanding internal mana reservoirs. That's good! That means you might be better at mastering defensive and self-enhancing magic since you already have some experience. Since the flow of your power comes outward from you the most important thing would be to boost your magical output and speed up magic recovery. Using a conduit works very well as it helps you to focus that energy where you want with more finesse. That's why lots of magic users carry staves, wands, or other foci." She was dipping into jargon again, showing a more professional attitude compared to her carefree silliness earlier.

"For me, instead of magic coming from inside out my magic directly works on what's around me. Like when I used that wind spell to fly the kite I spun the air around and used that to give it a lift. Conjuring and summoning are a lot easier for me because of that. I guess if you want to make it specific, different types of spells require different mindsets. Conjuring and summoning are more 'specific goal-oriented' as they're designed to do one certain thing. Using elemental spells like casting fireball or lightning requires more imagination as you need to direct your magic to control what happens and where it goes. Your channeling technique will be suitable for that. Anyway, even if the way you use your magic is different you can still learn the same spell as somebody else! It'll just feel different from your perspective that's all. The most important thing is to try, that's how you learn." 

When Ong brought out a map to show her, she eagerly pored over it. As this was the first time seeing a map of Onnen, she wasn't going to let a chance like this pass her by! "Ooh~ Wow! A map of Onnen, this'll be great! Hrm…well if you ask me, anywhere I haven't been yet interests me! I wanna see it all, at least before the end of my life that is. Let's start with places you're familiar with; it'll be safer and you can show me what you know!" The jackalope familiar warbled and she looked up to see a few skyfish dancing around the kite. "Oh! Perfect! I gotta get this one quick!" With her wand, she cast a spell on a skyfish, and suddenly it began to sink towards the ground! The creature was flapping its fins and wriggling trying to fly up to no avail. As it descended rapidly, Myouga was right under it with a bag–snagging it in a successful capture. "YES!! VICTORY!!!"

Holding the captured skyfish in the sack above her head she did a little dance before she opened a small portal. Carefully she positioned the bag's mouth in front and the skyfish now relieved of the reversed gravity spell darted straight in. She closed up the portal immediately and looked quite satisfied. Meanwhile across the world, a small portal opened up in the Mage Academy's staff room and the skyfish was zipping about sending several professors into a panic trying to contain the strange thing. Opening a portal to the same location again, she tossed in a hastily scribbled note stating Professor Ryou had sent an express delivery of a live specimen straight from Onnen. 

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 11:28 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong's brows rose as she produced a quick treat for him to eat. She was rather kind, especially for one from a foreign land.  Ong wasen't so used to most folk welcoming him or offering him much without some type of compensation. Full tended to treat him as an outsider and some human tribes frowned upon him. Occasionally, however, he would come upon a village in need of a shaman or spell caster and he was happy to help in exchange for food. Other times, he would find himself in a bid for land from rival tribes looking to raid the others. This meant he would fight along the side that gave him homage, it was how he made a living traveling on the road by himself. He smiled at her with a true toothy grin and took the bun from her hand. "Sweet is fine. Thank you for this Ms. Myouga"

Ong took a deep bite into the sweet bun; slowly shutting his eyelids as he did so. Pausing, he allowed the sweet flavor to roll over his tongue. "Mm..mmmm, this…this…is….AMAZING" he shouted before beginning to scarf down the rest. He licked his fingers as she mentioned the beginners guide to conjuring. He looked over and thought about what she said before answering. He imagined being able to conjure small animals for other locations, that might be easy enough but, something larger hmm… definitely risky if he tried using his method. He rubbed his chin and looked up to her as even though, she was small she still stood slightly taller than him.

"Well my magic comes from my core so to speak. I channel it from stomach and it flows through my body for example: Casting elemental spells require a few seconds before, I launch them through a conduit. In my case, my conduit is my wand but, I can also use weaponry as well. Do you think I'll be able to master conjuring easily? Im sure one of your talents  has another way of using magic right, Ms. Myouga?"

Ong he reached into his satchel and produced to small old map again to hand to her. "Oh by the way, I bought this old map awhile ago, its a map of Onnen. So far I, I have stayed around the center but, I have yet to visit the south. Is there an area that interest you?"

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 8:32 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"It's a deal!" Myouga said, causing her kite line to wiggle a little. "Oh whoops, gotta stay still… That'd be perfect for me! You show me around and I'll show you some stuff I can do!" Ong's stomach started talking and Myouga knew just the way to keep it quiet for a little while. "Nah that's nothing to be embarrassed about! That's why I keep a bunch of snacks handy in case I need to eat something. Gimme a minute. Hey, Patchy! I got something fun for you to do!" At her call a strange creature with bird wings, deer antlers, a rabbit like body and a long fluffy tail emerged from her travel sack. Looking at her, the familiar warbled and she handed the skyfish rod to it. It was clearly magical as fitting the little arcanist's job, and it hovered in the air while its paws clung to the glorified stick attached to a kite. Sticking her hand deep into her bag, she made faces as she tried to search for something. "Aha!" Triumphantly she pulled out a small hand mirror, then stuck her hand into the surface of said mirror.

Pulling it back out, she had a delicious flaky berry danish wrapped in paper. "You like sweets? Here, it's some of the stuff you can find in bakeries across the ocean! If sweets aren't your thing I've got something salty on the other side." Thinking about this gave her an idea on how to answer Ong's question on conjuring her hat. "Hmm…so there's a few basic rules when it comes to conjuring things. It varies on the spell, as the spell determines the purpose. If you want to bring something that belongs to you that isn't in your line of sight, conjuring picks it up wherever it's from and drops it where you are. This sorta thing is easy if it's small and lightweight–like a hat or a pair of shoes. But the bigger and heavier the thing you want is, the more difficult it'll be. This is totally different from summoning–which is when you bring a pet or friend over to your current location. The distance between you and your friend sometimes matters when summoning, conjuring not so much. Describing how it feels like is kinda…hrm." 

The small oni mumbled to herself as she worked out a less complicated and wordy way to say it. "Well for me I sorta think about what I want, focus my magical energies, and poof! There it is!" She waved her arms about as if hand gestures would help. "How do you feel when you use magic? It might sound silly but everybody has different ways of activating spells and making things happen."

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:31 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong scribbled in his small journal, trying to make sure he recorded as much as Myouga was willing to share. Oni, Kujishoku…all new groups of folk he had yet to encounter. This would be beneficial to him should he encounter more Myouga's folk in Parvpora. She was a professor as well, and curious about Onnen perhaps, he could show her around until she had to return home. There were parts of Onnen, even he had not ventured such as the lands to the south. Looking to the sky he say a few fish surround her lure with curiosity. He watched the them fly around and get closer with ever increasing curiosity. "I see, so over the year of mixed coupling your form resembles a human but, your still very much oni. Fascinating!" His stomach grumbled as one fish soared around the lure. "Forgive me, I have not yet had lunch" he said patting his grumbling stomach.

Ong looked Myouga over as she mentioned have a hereditary disorder. She looked to be a normal human girl unless, you inspected her further. "I see, well I myself have no great strength to boast of myself. I know how to wield a blade but, more so relying on speed than strength." he replied. Ong scratched his chin as she mentioned the academy. He thought to himself it would be nice to visit such a place someday. However, Ms. Myouga could probably need a guide or a least someone willing to show her more of Onnen. He set his journal in his sack and nodded to her as she mentioned staying for awhile. "Perhaps, we could help each other? I have venture across Onnen and could show you more of it. Though, I will admit there are areas I have yet to visit. I would be happy to accompany you on your studies. In exchange maybe you could show me some of your magic skill? Perhaps, how you where able to conjure your hat?

Ong smiled at her in a natural wide grin before, his stomach grumbled loudly. He quickly clutched his belly and gave an embarrassed look. "Also, if you have any more questions, I will be happy to answer them"

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 5:42 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Yep, pretty much. To be fair, there isn't really any clear definition of what is or isn't anything once you move away from the basic categories like humans. Most races are just groups of individuals who share a lot of the same characteristics under a fancy name. Like in Canelux people call anything that has horns and isn't an animal a demon, while other areas differentiate based on moral alignment. It's super complicated." She once tried to participate in a debate panel about cultures and race as a professor. But when they came to this topic it was like splitting hairs or deciding the 'right way' to pronounce tomato. At the end of the day her head hurt, and she decided not to do that ever again. Ong was very willing to share about himself, giving both the traditional name and translation of his tribe. He explained where his tribe typically lived and went into more detail about his ancestry, another fun tidbit for Myouga. "Ooh neat! You're the first half-goblin I've ever met! Both my parents are oni, though actually my great-great-great-great-great…." This list of 'greats' proceeded to trail on for a bit until she finally came to the end, "–grandparents originally came from Kujishoku. A lot of oni you see out in Nisshoki are distant descendants of the original oni who emigrated to Ataiyo and intermarried with humans. And then those kids married with other half-oni, Kujishoku oni, and humans 'til you have people like me!"

Ong's turn to ask a question was up and he started with the topic of how her height and magical ability were related. "You're half right there! Actually I was born with a rare congenital disorder–that's just fancy speak for 'abnormal condition'–that affected my physical growth rate. Compared to other kids my age I didn't have a lot of stamina or strength and I would grow reaaally slowly. But on the upside it gives me big plus in learning and using magic! Casting big spells isn't as hard and easy spells are no problem, even after firing several times in a row. That's why I wanted to become a professor, it's a job I can do without having to worry about doing any heavy work." Moving on she gave more of her personal background. "Right now I'm a professor at Iria's Mage Academy! It's another place in Parvpora, south of where I live. It's the place where people go to study magic on the continent, we even get transfer students from Canelux. Unfortunately I'm not teaching any classes right now since I'm working on learning more about Onnen. I got picked to come so here I am! I'll be staying for a while, probably several months at least before I gotta go back and do paperwork."

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully with one hand, she rolled the idea of taking a foreign exchange student in her head. "You know…I don't mind giving you a few pointers about what I know. My area of expertise is alchemy and the fundamentals of magical theory. Every place has different ways to make their magic work, but once you get the basics down it opens up a lot more possibilities to experiment with. Soooo~ Whaddya want to know first?"

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:13 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong smiled at her with a toothy smile as she mention her home. He rarely revealed his teeth as they appeared as sharp as daggers though, in truth, he had round molars as a full bloodied human would. He didnt mean to frighten anyone but, the woman naturally intrigued him with her skills at magic. His mind was far beyond scaring and more interested in her abilities. "Parvpora! I've met some traders in the savvanahs that came from there. It sounds like a wonderful continent to explore, I can only imagine the lore surrounding it. The east you say? An oni?!" he replied as she hoisted her rod in the air to catch some skyfish. "Well, from your size, I'm sure most would consider you human. However, you are a master of magics and your able to tame such peculiar creatures, I suspected perhaps you may have been a fae folk of some type. Then again most foreigners seem to think Im some sub-species of Goblin. They are partial right but…my lineage is rare". One looked above him to notice to tiny bumps on her head, she stood slightly taller than him so he had to stand his toes to examine them. Remarkable he thought, as he returned the map to his satchel and pulled out a tiny journal to begin scribbling.

"My tribe?! Oh yes! I came from a tribe of Goblin's known as "He'hemy'Da" in our language but, others call us the Marshtoad Tribe. There Territory covers southern Igbo and a strip of Sahel. There rather reclusive and normally only trade or ally with the local tribes who offer them protection in exchange for potions, salves or those in need of shamanic talents. Its how my parents met you see… I am only Half Goblin, I am also Half Human." replied Ong to her question.

He took a small pencil began to write down notes. This was the first time, he had encountered an Oni before and he was excited to learn she was a talented mage. Ong himself, had learned mostly from his father but, after leaving his village he had only himself to practice with. Without magic, he may not have survived long on the road on his own. He endeavored to be a mage of Myouga's talents. The fact she was an instructor, maybe she could mentor him for a time? Perhaps, he should travel to Parvpora himself and embark on a new journey there. What talents would he gain? What lore would he learn and record?

"I see, so your stature also affects your talent for magic? correct. That is interesting! Your a professor you say? Do you teach at a school of some sort? Are taking any students? Will you be staying in Onnen long?"

Ong looked up into the sky to see a group of fish swarm closely to the rod.

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:14 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

It was always good to meet other mages, people who didn't run away screaming 'witchcraft' at the sight of anything they didn't understand. When Ong took out an old map of his she couldn't help eye it curiously. Well she was here to learn more about Onnen after all, even if she had a habit of mixing work with play. Since she had to stay still mostly when fishing–something that was hard enough for somebody as impatient as Myouga, she was all ears to anything he had to say. "I'm from Parvpora! It's not the one you meet when you leave from the eastern shore. It's pretty big and there's a savanna too but not as big as Onnen's. I guess there are a lot of tribes there, though I don't know how many off the top of my head. Most people living cities like this one and a few live on their own. Mmm…I don't really have a 'tribe', but my family identifies as oni. Betcha thought I was human didn't you? Look–see?" Shifting the rod into her left hand, she flipped up her bangs above her eyes to reveal two small pointed bumps from her forehead. 

"We got horns! Mine are kinda smaller than everybody else's and that's also why I'm short. But~ I'm better at magic 'cause of that! Most people in Parvpora and Canelux identify by where they were born or their ancestry if they're city-dwellers. You should visit sometime! And now it's my turn to ask a question. So what's your village like? Asking people about their lives and how they live is all part of my job. When I'm not out seeing the world, I teach classes in Iria." Being a professor was something she was proud of. It was probably Myouga's greatest achievement, next to the creation of her first plant-animal chimera. The various varieties of goldfish plants were coming along nicely, and she was thinking of adding some Onnen plant material into the mix. The entire continent was literally magical! Since she wasn't technically importing a non-native species, there wouldn't be ecological repercussions…right?   

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:35 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong pulled out his book and wrote down the name "Krampus Corgi", as well as features he noticed about the strange animal. Evil goat men? Demons perhaps, he surmised. Ong had traveled across Onnen and read about such creatures in the books, he collected from merchants but, never had he met one up close. As for the woman, her talent in magic seemed to surpass his own knowledge. He studied her ad bit before bowing his head to her again. "A pleasure to meet you Ms. Myouga" he smiled before returning his book to his satchel. "Indeed, I am a native of Onnen though, I can't say I have ventured around the entire continent nor, made acquaintances of all its tribes. I left Igbo many years ago and have not returned since. I primarily have ventured in the Sahel Understory, Cameroon, The Grasslands, Eft Mountains before gradually coming her too Namiba." Ong reached back into his satchel and produced a small old map of the continent with marks of the areas he had visited. "I feel fortunate to have found a fellow scholar, I too practice some magic though, probably not at your level" he smiled to her with a toothy grin.

Another school of fish flew above them and his brow raised at the mention of hunting them. Ong smiled at the invitation to join her on her hunt. "I would love to join you in your hunt. I have not yet supped and flying fish are quite the delicacy if, you can catch them. I'd love to chat…come let us hurry after them before, they fly away." Ong pointed to the direction of the last school of fish. "I do have a question, what continent do you come from Ms. Myouga? Are their many tribes? Do you have a tribe?"

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:58 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Yep, it's a corgi. A krampus corgi to be exact. Guess you guys don't have any of those around here huh? Krampus, I mean. They're kinda like…evil goat men?" Explaining 'demons' and 'fiends' were kind of hard without going into culturally established biases, which was something she wasn't going to enforce. And as soon as the goblin man complimented her hat summoning, she had a silly grin plastered on her face. He introduced himself, and corrected her guess. So he was a local after all! Who would've thought? "Aww, thanks! I'm the great and magnificent Myouga–arcanist extraordinaire!" The small oni said proudly, doing a twirl. "Making stuff appear is easy-peasy!" It was true, after all she was a professor at Iria's Mage Academy. "Oh so you're from Onnen! A hit and a miss. Igbo…doesn't sound like anywhere close by. Maybe I'll go have a look-see sometime! I've got my list all planned out and I've still got half the continent left to go!"

Ong having explained a little about where to start in skyfishing, she crammed the rest of her food in her mouth and swallowed. "Alright, no time like the present! Since you've given me a few pointers, it's time I caught some nice skyfish for myself! As delicio–er, mysterious as they are I wanna bring one back home to show Nick and everybody else. Gotta be careful it doesn't escape or else I'll be releasing a non-native species." Running to get herself a fishing rod, she returned with one having a bright pink and yellow kite. With a spin of her finger, she sent it flying up into the air with a puff of wind. "Whoosh~ Fly little kite, fly free!" Watching it spiral up, she was quiet for a while until she turned, smiling still to Ong. "Wanna chat a bit? How about you ask me something and I answer, then I ask you something next? Whoever runs out of answers last wins!"  

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Tue Apr 9, 2019 7:36 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong looked over the woman and looked down to her pet. "Cute" wasen't exactly what he'd call the strange animal but, if it was indeed a dog then, it was unlike any breed he'd ever seen in his life. He lowered down to examine the immobilized creature before the woman produced a snow globe and summoned back in. His brow lifted in amazement as she shook the globe. "So it is indeed some type of canine? Certainly not a hybrid from the looks of it. Your telling me its a Corgi?" he asked. His hand shuffled to his small journal and wrote down some notes to what he saw. He was intrigrigued by the creature and wrote down the time, date and features of the creature before, looking over back to the woman. "Apologies" he said before turning back to her. "I am simply intrigued by your….dog. I never seen such a creature before".

 Ong returned his journal to his sack, before looking over to see the woman conjure her hat. He rubbed his chin and approached her curiously. "You must be quite the talented magician to conjure so easily?". Ong looked up as a school of sky fish flew passed overhead headed west of their position. "If your looking to sky fish, there in abundance it seems." The smell of cooked fish tickled his nose and found himself salivating. He hadn't had his breakfest and the smell cooked fish made his stomach rumble loudly. Bracing a palm over his stomach he tried to cover the sound. I suppose, I could go for some myself he thought.

He bowed his head to her as a form of greetings. "My name is Ong Porrys, I'm something of a traveler yes but, I am native to this continent. I come from a village in the Igbo region but, it has been along time since I have been there. And you miss? Might I have pleasure of your name?"

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Tue Apr 9, 2019 6:58 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

[OOC: Starting from this post I will be solely posting with this character, so other posters who have joined will not need to wait for Chrysanthe and Mira to reply!]

Well she should've known yelling so loud would've brought a crowd. At least they didn't wreck anything, so it was all good. The snow globe was ready and she was about to send her dog back into 'time-out' when a goblin came up to her. "Pardon me miss, is this your…pet?" Myouga turned to him and put her hands on her hips, grinning from ear to ear. "Yep! Isn't he cute? Sorry about the mess, I still gotta train him. At least he's not a picky eater though." On the contrary, her krampus corgi was absolutely hideous but she didn't seem to realize that. Hyenas were more photogenic than the stubby-legged mutt. "Hold on, I gotta put him away before he wakes up. I'm not gonna be able to knock him out twice like that in the same day." The arcanist mumbled, rubbing her throat. Shaking her magical snow globe, the sooty dog was sucked in leaving behind a pile of coal dust and shed fur. She wiped her brow with a sigh of relief. "Maaan, corgis sure are tough to handle. When the 'Beginner's Guide to Dog Breeds' said they weren't for first-time owners they weren't kidding! …But he's so cute though. It's so hard to say no to that fluffy stub-tailed tush and big ears!"

The crowd that had gathered was now dispersing, the ruckus over. She had to admit she was sweating a little back when she was getting hauled along like a kite. Patting her head, she realized something was missing. "Hey where's my hat?" Looking around she didn't see it, then shrugged her shoulders. With a snap of her fingers she conjured it back into her hand and put it on. It was a white one made of soft cloth that resembled a large puff. Taking a bite out of her remaining skyfish skewers, she thoughtfully rubbed her chin while thinking of what to do next. "Hmm…what was I going to do before Kuroguro ran off? Oh yeah–skyfishing!" The plan had been to tie some jerky to a pole and see if she could steer the dog around while on his back, using him to herd skyfish to a basket. But with the mess they both made earlier she'd rather not have to go through that again.

Looking back at the goblin at last, she smiled mischievously. "So, what're you here for–buddy ol' pal? Sightseeing or taking advantage of free lunch? You look like you're from over yonder across the sea. Lemme guess–Canelux or Parvpora?" Unlike other professors, Myouga was the chatty type. If she thought somebody was interesting, she'd pester them until she got them talking. And above all else, she didn't like feeling bored.

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Tue Apr 9, 2019 4:48 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong watched on as the strange "dog", feel to the ground at one someones command. It was the first time he had ever seen such a peculiar creature and his minor irritation of the dogs saliva landing his new edition of "Lands Beyond Ours" turned into curiosity. Where did this creature come from? What type of diet did it have? Did it have the behavior of a normal dog? So many questions yet, he if wanted to get answers he would need to examine the beast itself. Shuffling past a group of onlookers, he made his way towards where he believed the dog had fallen.

"Pardon me, excuse me" he said as he walked around the onlookers. Ong may have been part human but, he was still only slightly taller than the average goblin. He hated having squeeze through large crowds of tall folk but, he needed to have his curiosity sated. Is a demon? A new species of dragon? A mutant? He couldn't wait to write about it in his journal. Ong pushed through a curious merchant who seemed rather annoyed at an elbow pushing him aside. "Watch it there, little green man!" the merchant exclaimed. He made his way around a group what seemed to be noble women from another land staring at him with curiosity. He bowed his head to them before moving on.

Finally, he made his way to the strange creature which seemed to be immobilized. Looking around he saw a figure approach them. She stood slightly taller than himself, which was rare among most folk he encountered. Her looks compared to that of a young human girl but, not quite he surmised. Either way, she may have been the creatures owner. "Pardon me miss, is this your…pet?" he asked politely.

Author: Hanaoni, Posted: Tue Apr 9, 2019 3:56 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Dear diary, training Kuroguro has been going really slow. I've got the part on getting him to come on command down but I think it's because I'm holding food. I dunno how the krampus did it–but maybe they didn't even train them at all. Anyway I'm still looking to see if anybody can get him to sit when they say so. That'll be really helpful…" One of the best things about being tenured is that you could go on your own and study while still getting paid. She got first choice for starting the research on Onnen, beginning with local cultures of the largest settlements in the land. Really it was just another excuse to travel, but for a good cause! Khoisan had been fun, Mamjaku was pretty plain as the starting camp for everyone else, and there were tons more she still hadn't checked off yet. And when everybody else started getting invitations to a big 'ol cookout in the biggest city how could she say no? 

This place was great! Food, snacks, shiny things to buy and send home, and people to chat wi–er, interview! Something nice about Namibia was that all sorts of people were here and nobody thought you were weird if you looked a little different. Most of the people actually looked a lot different from people back home, so that was a plus. Unfortunately nobody here was familiar with the terms 'dwarf' or 'halfling' so again she was denied from drinking whatever strong stuff was local. Just because everybody was so tall they thought she was a kid! I mean it wasn't fair that a lion-man was like six to seven feet! She could totally drink more than the humans here altogether! Myouga didn't have much time to dwell on that though, as she was too busy stuffing her face with the free food for the festival.

Skyfish were pretty tasty–like grilled eels. She had some up in Khoisan, but apparently they were pretty rare elsewhere. From her time observing the flying wigglers, they liked making homes in cliff faces and crags like eels underwater, and when they needed to eat or move they'd leave their hidey-holes. Skyfish were pretty famous in Fulani too since that was a major breeding spot for them. Being semi-aquatic sure was convenient, they could breed pretty much anywhere with enough safety and water. They preferred bodies of water on land though. The sky rivers weren't as safe with few spots to duck into. The small oni wasn't the only one who thought the skyfish were delicious; as soon as she let her krampus corgi out of the 'time-out globe', it went berserk.

Like regular corgis, the krampus variety loved chasing things. Especially shiny, flying things. He tried to bite a little girl's shiny ball like a toy, then saw the skyfish in the skies. Kicking up smoke, Kuroguro saw a swarm up above and made a beeline for it while the orb was still in his mouth. And unfortunately Myouga didn't have enough time to send him back into time out before the leash yanked her along. Hacking and wheezing at the dust trail the mutt was making, her hands were literally full with the half-eaten skyfish skewers she was chowing on. It was a mad dash of trying to get her bearings while spinning like a kite in the breeze. The little girl Kuroguro stole from was mad and coming after them, but she couldn't get the dog to stop! At the mercy of the corgi's whims, all Myouga could do was hold on. His spastic attention span eventually wore out and found a thing to chase, his jaws loosening and dropping the pilfered ball. While the little girl finally got back her thing, Myouga was still being towed straight into a food stall.

People were shouting as her pet made excited snuffles and growls. This wasn't good, they were going to get in too much trouble! Inhaling as much air as she could into her lungs, Myouga blasted a shout that made her throat hurt: "KUROGURO–SIT DOWN!" The shockwave of the bellow stunned her dog and shook the tents. The ugly mutt fell to the ground with swirls in its eyes while his owner caught her breath. Downing a potion, she cleared her throat before tying her four-legged troublemaker up. "Whew…Works every time. We gotta get you trained someday or I'll never be able to take you anywhere." The arcanist frowned at her unconscious krampus corgi.

Author: Badgergoblin, Posted: Mon Apr 8, 2019 5:23 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

Ong's ears pricked at the sound of a girl shouting in some language all to foreign to him. He head darted away from the book he was reading and up into the sky just in time to catch what appeared to be a young girl fighting over a toy with a odd looking creature. From his vantage point he faintly caught a small glimmer in the sky.  Ong immediatly pulled away the book from the table before, a large clear substance hit the table. Curious; the Half Goblin poke a finger into th substance only for it to trail from his finger. "Saliva… Dog drool to be more precised". He hastily reached into his side satchel for a handkerchief and wiped the disgusting substance off his hand.

Looking above him, he could see the child plummeting towards the ground.  He didn't know where she would land but, it would not be on top of him. Hastily, he shoved the book in his satchel and hopped from his seat. Opposite of the girl, he could see the creature fly off after a fish in the air. Turning his head about, he could see the girl floating in the air. Remarkable he thought as he watched her float in the clouds.

Author: Vajra, Posted: Mon Apr 8, 2019 3:53 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"¡Perro malo! ¡Devolver mi orbe!" Mira shouted as a black and ugly dog knocked her over, snatching away her precious thing in its drooling jaws. If there was one way to make her angry, it was that! A white hat of soft fabric flew at her face, and she pulled it off to see the dog drag away not only her treasure–but a poor girl as well! The girl in a white dress with white shoes was holding onto a rope attached to the thieving mutt, yelling words at it. Mira gave chase, flying into the air after it with a frown on her little face. She was going to get her orb back! The dangling girl was trying to get the dog to stop but it wasn't listening. Just as Mira thought she had the dog cornered, suddenly a whole school of flying eels swarmed past her. "¡Ah!" Shielding her face, she hovered mid-air until they were gone–only to find that the dog was now heading straight for her! Instead of running, the child balled up her fists and puffed out her cheeks, ready to take it on.

With her entire being she shouted: "¡Magnífico Cabezazo!" Faster than a peregrine falcon, in the blink of an eye–Mira rocketed off towards the incoming dog with the grand-master of all headbutts. Two unstoppable forces would soon collide, forcing one to fall from the sky… Or so it was supposed to happen. Right at the last second, the lure of shiny moving skyfish caught the krampus corgi's attention and it veered out of the way! Charging into empty air, Mira's anticipation turned to frustration. No, she wasn't going to give up! Not until she got her precious treasure orb back from the ugly thief-dog! "GAHHHH!!! SIT! STAY! EGGS AND BACON!!! KUROGURO STOOOOP!!!" The white-dress wearing girl shrieked. The smell of smoke mixed in with cooking meat wafted up from below, forcing the fiendish dog to slow to a halt. The girl holding the leash swung from the momentum, still desperately clinging on like a spider dangling off its thread. The snaggle-toothed mouth of it began to salivate, and with a much more interesting and delicious target in sight it finally let go of the orb. 

Like a shining falling star, the blue-purple sphere plummeted with Mira swiftly snatching it back up into her arms. The sound of the poor dog owner being dragged down by her ill-behaved pet trailed away as Mira was reunited with her precious treasure once again. Fussing, she began to wipe and polish it off where the dog had left slobber. Peace and quiet returned to the little child's world, floating among the clouds and rivers in the sky.

Author: Chrysanthe, Posted: Mon Apr 8, 2019 2:28 PM, Post Subject: Off to the Races [O][Event]

"Come on Strelitzia!  We need to get there before mom arrives!" She shouted, grinning on the back of her kalangitan. So far she'd been on the road mapping out routes and learning more about Onnen's wildlife on her own. It was rare for her to stay put in one location for more than a month, but Namibia lived up to its name by being the safest place in the entire continent. As the city of the savanna came into view, suddenly swarms of something whizzed by her mount's wings. They weren't hostile, but she couldn't quite make them out in the bright noonday sun. "Those aren't birds, are they? They kind of look like flying snakes." They were too fast for her to catch, but they were beautiful. "I wonder what they're called?" The flat open land was perfect for Strelitzia to make a smooth landing, and she got the attention of people walking about. Finding a stable for her was harder than she thought, so Chrys found her a nice covered area to rest out of the sun. 

In the city there were more familiar faces. People from Canelux and Parvpora were visiting for the first time and it was a scavenger hunt to pick out faces she knew from the crowds. Along the way she saw a familiar airship which she recognized. "Oh, Cyril and Belen's mom came? Maybe I'll see them around. If Efrain's here too they must've bribed him with something pretty valuable to leave the house." Climbing up to a higher vantage point, she pulled on her hood to shade her eyes. Squinting, she watched people mill about, looking at the stalls full of souvenirs and food. Just when she thought she should check the airship again, her mother's curly blonde hair popped up in the sea of heads. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Chrys hollered at the top of her voice: "MOM! OVER HERE!" When they made eye contact the girl waved before sliding back down.

They hugged, then she pulled away to look around. "Did Lys come with you? What about dad?" Nerine shook her head. "I haven't seen them yet. Hopefully they do come. Everyone received these invitations from Lady Angela and Mrs. Kyrie. If your older brother does show up I'll likely be with Poppy." When they were back by Strelitzia, they picked up a few refreshments and food. "So how's my little brother and uncle Walter?" He wasn't really her uncle, but they all called him that. She missed him after she decided to stay in Onnen and the tracker chose to roam the wilderness of Canelux. It was a place he was familiar with, but she couldn't send him letters like she did with her family in Arri. "Efrain's doing fine in his studies, not much else has changed though." Her mother said disappointed. "Is he giving dad a hard time? He doesn't like bothersome things so I'm sure he won't get into trouble on purpose." "No, though your father is still lamenting over his lack of interest towards social etiquette." Her mother said with a sigh. "So same as usual, huh?" Chrys mumbled, taking a sip from her canteen. 

The swarm of winged creatures passed by again overhead, casting shadows below. They were hard to see due to how well they blended in with the sky; it was almost like their bodies were reflecting light like a mirror. Down on the ground there were locals and visitors alike flying kites attached to fishing reels moving along with the swarms. "What're they doing over there?" Chrys pointed. "It's called 'skyfishing'. I'm not sure how they manage to catch anything with those kites, though hooking one of those doesn't seem possible either." Her mother mused. "So are they fish? We flew through a bunch of them before I found you. Their wings are more like an insect's than ones with feathers. I didn't get a clear look, but their bodies sort of look like big worms." Her mother wasn't able to say much either, until they saw a lizard man cheer to his tribesmen holding up a live skyfish in his hands. The body was long, lined with shining fins sort of like a fish. It wasn't biting the lizard man, just struggling vainly to get free. "I does look like a snake, a little. You know, that's what they're cooking at the fire pit in large batches. I heard they're commonplace in Onnen but hard to catch, so everyone is taking the chance to try them before they move on."  

The sound of a brass bugle rang out as something–or someone took off into the air upon a stubby-legged dog cackling like a hyena. From elsewhere around the festival grounds there were other flyers on beasts or wings of their own following after the krampus corgi's trail of smoke. The sooty canine was making swirls in the air as it chased the agile swarms of skyfish keen on staying away. On its back was a small girl who lost her white hat in the wind while attempting to steer and bark commands to her unruly pet.