Forum Thread

You are ushered into the room, and the man you met ushers you into a separate room, when a lady introduces herself as Tilly, holding her Tanji called D’elaine. “Welcome. All of you. These objects you have just received are called Tanji. They are special items, possessing powers different and unique to each of you. Learn how to utilise them, and use them well. We are going to train you, to fight threats. You are the chosen ones, and the Alacratz are whom you shall have to fight. The Starloom portals are in danger, of which there are three. The Alacratz are trying to close them, and if they do, the Starloom Tanji and it’s wielder will be in danger. The Starloom is the one that made all your tanjis, and without the Starloom you shall all perish.” The redhead paced about, hands clasped behind her back, her boots thudding softly on the carpet”


Faith Wyvernskies sits in a corner, on a plush sofa. She twiddles with her necklace-locket, her Tanji. The man, whatever his name was, had gasped when the Tanji had chosen her, but hadn’t explained why. She curls her hair around her finger, rocking about, waiting for the others to arrive

---

It was strange. Bree had no use for jewelry, she never had an interest in wearing them. But the shop had been calling her name. Without a second thought she had went straight into the store and had chosen a small object the man called the Domberdem. After slipping the ring onto her finger, she felt-... Well, she didn't feel anything at all. She didn't necessarily feel stronger, or anything of that sort. But deep down, she felt like something was different.

After listening to the woman talk- Tilly was her name, Bree almost immediately forgot her name- she stood in place silently. After a brief moment of hesitation, Bree laughs to herself. "If I would've known that I would've been tossed into a dangerous mission, I would've chosen a more useful Tanji" she lifts her hand up, showing off the Domberdem. "What's so special about a ring?" Bree asks, obviously in disbelief that this Tanji would grant her special powers.

Mehul was skeptic enough about all this when he was dragged into the room by the man named Detliander, being handed a sword which he wasn't even allowed to unsheath, and now all this nonsense about magical items and portals and all... He faced the others like him in the room, particularly to Bree, and asked, "Come on, you'll believe all this crap?"

---

So Qing Binghe was pretty sure he was in the wrong place. Now now, don't get all pissy and say how could he have possibly gotten it wrong, people made honest mistakes from time to time. Binghe was only human. The nice auntie down the street had wanted to buy some jewelry for her granddaughters eighth birthday but since she was elderly and getting up in her years, Binghe had gone in her stead to help her buy the gift. So how he got roped into some world saving plot involving jewelry of all things, he didn't know. But then again, it wasn't that odd for him to be caught up in others business so he quietly sat and listened, pretending to be thoughly invested. The Tanji that he had picked up was apparently called The Ongreuktnm but Binghe couldn't see anything special about it. Just like everything else in the shop it looked like any other commonplace stick that could be lost among hundreds of it's kind. Sure it had nice designs that would probably make it worth stealing but in the end there was nothing special about the staff. No point in dwelling too much on it, though. He would return it in due time and leave this matter to other more noble idiots who believed they could save the world. Binghe had no interest in doing that sort of thing.

---

Ramson was surprised, to say the least.

If nothing else, he has gotten a free phone, at the very least. He did not mind entertaining the strangers who are ushering him in somewhere private... waiiiit a minute.

Hoping he would be able to make a run for the exit should 'common sense' end up being true, he kept listening.

At the end of it, he was unsure if he actually was, listening. What he heard was on par with anime in terms of plot. Throughout the explanation he almost felt as though a camera crew would waltz in any moment, claiming to be from some new T.V. show of which we, unbeknownst to ourselves, had become part of. Despite the near-comical situation, however, something told him things were... different. A sort of strange feeling which had enveloped him ever since he had laid his hands on the phone.

Tilly chuckles, a tinkling laugh that somehow reverberates through the entire room “I can assure you, these are not mere playthings nor are they just silly human objects. Ah ah— Don’t worry, you guys are still wonderfully and wholly human, at least mostly. These tanjis, possess different skills, should you learn properly how to master them. It all seems very confusing, of course, but you will learn in due cause. Outside the Portal realm of the Starloom, exists a hundred thousand more worlds, each with their own varying complexities. The Alacratz, are fully Tan’are, which means they are not human. Their belief is that only Tan’are should wield the Tanji, which is utterly ridiculous. As you interact with your Tanji, you will find that you hate it when your Tanji is in other people’s grasp, or when it is away from you. Let’s just say it is like a child, your child. These Alacratz, want to destroy the portal, to unleash chaos, and ‘purge the world of those unworthy to wield the Tanji’ This basically means, mass genocide for those who do not possess anything Tan’are blood. Which means at least half of you, or most of you, will die, as well as the non-Tan’ares on the other hundred thousand planets.” Tilly doesn’t look the least bit fazed at presenting this large chunk of news all at once to them.




“Now…let’s see. The Ankrah, for Kanae Lawrence
a box allowing you to see one of the two hundred possible futures
Weakness- Many tend to do things based on the future, and eventually lose their minds. Keep it mind, that this is just a “possible” future. You should never depend on it.” Tilly runs her hand along the grooves of the box “A masterpiece if I do say so myself. May the odds be in your favor”

“The Tandem for Kahiri who isn’t here yet
a butterfly necklace allowing you to warp into the earth, harnessing it’s might to create creatures with you inside, to fight. However it takes a lot of energy, and you have to make sure you reform correctly, otherwise you will suffocate. The wielder commonly uses it to travel long distances fast and make sneak attacks, or pass through solid objects”

“The Domberdem for Bree Wilson
a ring that grants its user the ability to heal, revive and shield their allies. It’s a very powerful object, and each ability has a cool down of 1 hour. The healer and the person being healed must be stationary for the period of healing” Tilly examines the ring, “Interesting choice, young lady, given your disability. May you use it well, and it will do you good to remember, that your disability can become a advantage when used well. Do not look down on it”

“ The Tomberlane for Ramson Holce
it is a small, phone like device that when used, grants the user the ability to enter a cyberspace. However, they must stay within their chosen devices’ boundaries, and not travel to another device like from a laptop to another laptop. The boundaries are illuminated with a faint blue glow. When in the boundaries, the user can manipulate the computer however they wish, in a short period of time” Tilly takes the phone from Ramson, balancing it on a finger and flipping it, before handing it back. “If I may suggest, I don’t really think you should run off with it, you know. You might get killed, by the Alacratz”

“The Grendulas for Mehul Shah
it is a katana like sword. Slashing it in front of you, in a oddly specific direction, explodes anything it touches, except for Obsidues, a rare piece of material. The wielder must remember to put it safely back in its Obsidues-made casing.” Tilly inspects the casing. “Unless you want this building to explode, I suggest you don’t unsheath it. There’s explosives here.”

“The Zukihili for Faith Wyverskies
perhaps the most powerful, but also the most dangerous. Opening this locket enables you to wield the power of Gods, but will have a 95% chance of killing you each time round. It, when simply worn around the neck, grants you the power to wield the the elements, air water fire and earth, but you can only use one of them at any one time and each has a cool down of three hours.” Tilly peers curiously at the locket. “Ah, this is a very interesting Tanji. The Gods grant you wisdom to use it. The history of this Tanji has been splattered bloodily, many deaths, you know”

“And finally, The Ongreuktnm for Binghe
it grants the ability to tamper with light and darkness within a specific area of a specific amount of time. Multiple can be cast, but the greater the number the more drained the person will be. The most skilled can grant light to solely their allies, but once again, it is draining.” Tilly tosses said staff into the air, before handing it back. “No, it is not a mere stick, and you also should not go around whacking people with it, or use it to play fetch with a dog”

---

At the mention of 'healing,' Bree raises a ringed hand onto her face and gently places it over her eyes. She didn't know what to expect, in her head, everything Tilly said was completely unbelievable and crazy. Still, a small part of her wanted to at least humor her. After a moment, a buzzing sensation seemed to rip through her hand. It felt like that static feeling in your limbs when they fell asleep. It wasn't necessarily painful, it wasn't even uncomfortable, it was just odd. Bree gasps at the feeling and her eyes widen in shock. But the moment passes by quickly and soon it was over.

"Heh" Bree lowers her hand and tries to hide her disappointment. "It didn't work." She sighs and shakes her head, now looking irritated. What did she expect to happen anyway? This wasn't a movie, this was real life. There were no superpowers in real life. "Well, this sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my schedule is pretty booked. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you guys on this whole save the world mission, I'll just-" she pauses. For some reason, she didn't want to take off the ring. The thought of losing the ring was quite unbearable- as if she were losing a part of herself. "I'll just pay for this and go?" She finishes weakly.

"Why it wounds me to hear that an esteemed lady such as yourself would dare think that I would use such an important artifact for a hound's plaything. Rest assured that A-di will not get his paws on such a treasure nor will it grace the top of woefully empty craniums." Binghe smiled, shaking his head forlornly as he lazily examining the supposedly amazing Tanji. Light and darkness, huh. Was this the heaven's way of laughing at him? Well, if anything it gave credence to Tilly's words that these weapons were specifically made for the owner. A light spin of the staff showed that it had perfect weight, the wood glimmering as it balancing on the thin precipice of his nail. It also felt right to hold the object as he snatched the rod and held it back out to Tilly. "So in order to preserve the sanctity of such an important object, I return it to your care, ma'am. A fool such as I am not worthy of holding such an object and will be on my humble way. Many thanks for humoring one such as I."

He willed his hand to let got of Ongreuktnm, peeling fingers away from the decorative stick, but for one reason or another his hands refused to listen to him. In fact it only gripped the weapon tighter as if sensing it's owners intent and protesting vehemently against it. A dark scowl passed over his face, contorting it in disgust for a moment before his expression returned to its former light air and sheepish smile. If his hands did not want to physically hand the item over that was no skin off Binghe's back. There were other ways around such troublesome matters so he turned his hand over, letting the staff simply rest palm up and offered back to Tilly.

---

“If you really wish it to be so” Tilly says, smiling, before taking, or rather, wrestling the staff from Binghe. She places it back in its case, locking it and putting it on a shelf. “The items cannot be paid for, Miss Bree. The Tanji is worth a lot, more than your life in fact. Would you like me to perhaps show you it’s power? I guarantee you, you won’t like it. I assume you can already sense the connection. Whether you want to anot, the war is coming. You can choose not to fight, but be aware that it has its serious consequences. The fate of the world is in your hands”

---

No pressure though Bree silently adds. The invitation to drop all of this and leave it behind was tempting. But there wasn't a lot she would be returning to. She never enjoyed her quiet life. It felt wrong to, if Tilly was right, cower away while the world was attacked by these Alacratz. Also, the idea of leaving the Tanji behind felt like it was completely out of the question.

So she does something that was almost laughable. She hesitantly extends her ringed hand out, she moves slowly, as if she were afraid that Tilly would suddenly snatch the ring from her finger. She silently hopes that she was extending her arm out in the right direction. "Alright, show me this 'power' that you claim the ring is giving me" she challenges.

Nodding in satisfaction, Binghe stood up and made to exit the shop. He would simply have to go to another jeweler to fulfill the Auntie's request. Preferably a shop that didn't sell weird magical artifacts and touted weird stuff about alien races. But the oddest thing happened. With each step that he took away from where he knew the staff was locked away in, the more his mind berated himself for letting such a familiar object go. He had to remind himself again and again that the object did not truly belong to him and that it was better to leave such ridiculous notions and daydreams up to those who were easily tricked. Wandering around town for a moment, Binghe couldn't quite keep his mind off the weird encounter. The image of Ongreuktnm and its intricate perfection was engraved in his mind like a piece of his heart that had finally come home. It was an odd feeling to have such thoughts about an item. In fact it was odd for Binghe to have such feelings about anything. The only thing that he could conceivably have such strong feelings about would be A-di and that was a very very adorable dog. Not a decorative stick.

Letting out a soundless shout of frustration towards the heavens for burdening him with such an unnecessary task, Binghe made up his mind to return to the jewelers store. This was ridiculous but Tilly was right in saying that he simply couldn't stand the idea of leaving Ongreuktnm in someone else's hands or even letting the staff stay locked up in the top shelf all alone. Cursing heaven and hell and back again for this, Binghe spun on his heel and marched towards the troublesome shop.

---

Kahiri slowly approached the chattering group, extremely aggravated that he was late and no one had told him, before a necklace with a butterfly fused to it was draped round his neck. He frowned in a thought, then looked up, opening his mouth to speak then closing it. If the people hadn’t thought to wonder about him, he wouldn’t worry about them. He sat on the floor, muttering to himself about being upset and how rude the strangers were for not knowing he wasn’t there, how rude of them to not know who he was!

---

"The Grendulas. Explodes anything I touch." Mehul pondered if the words could actually be true. He had seen a lot of movies, and many of them started this way. So either this was all a big hoax and made up, or that he had gotten himself in serious trouble. He saw how the man, Binghe had just returned it. He wanted to, evermore so now that it was acclaimed to do something not physically possible, but something in his mind told him it was true, and told him that this weapon was for him, it was his. He wanted it. He was really curious, he wanted to unsheathe it, see it, his sword. But the women had warned him against it, and if he wanted to find out the truth he'd better wait than have em all killed. Still he looked at the katana through its sheathe, trying to memorize it's shape, it's hilt, and its sheathe, which was supposedly made of a rare material called obsidues!

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excuse this post. a mistake

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“Well…” Tilly unsheathes her dagger, slashing a gash in her arm, before guiding Bree’s arm over it. A powerful hum radiates from it, and a soft glow covers the gash, and moments later, it’s as if the gash was never even there. Feel that?” Tilly asks. She turns to Binghe and smirks, opening the case and handing him back the Ongrektum. “You’ve finally decided to honor us with your presence, I see, Mr Kahiri. But this kind of greed can get you into trouble” Tilly says in a sing song, slightly sarcastic voice.

Faith gets up, before frowning at the locket. “What is this…and why is the history of this bloody?”

Tilly lets out a knowing “ah” before speaking “As I told you, none have succeeded in unlocking the power of the Gods. Attempting to use it cost them their lives”


“As for you. You may test it in due time, do not worry” Tilly turns to Mehul

---

What a curious day indeed. Bree didn't need to be granted the power of sight to know that Tilly had been telling the truth. The sensation was small and very faint. But for a second, Bree could sense that Tilly had injured herself. Was that what she meant by her disability becoming an advantage when using this Tenji?

But that could just be her imagining that feeling out of hindsight. But what was that buzzing feeling? This was the second time that she felt it. That would have to be an impossible coincidence for that buzzing feeling to happen twice when Bree was intentionally trying to heal somebody.

She takes a few steps back, cupping her ringed hand with a bewildered expression. She was silenced by her shock. This is real! No.... It's impossible. But then how did I-? She gulps, then raises up her head so that she could better pay attention to Tilly's voice. Now, she knew that she had to listen to Tilly seriously this time. It felt like life or death not to.

"D-do-" she pauses to take a deep breath, her voice was shaky due to the shocking news. "Do these Alacratz have any powers or weapons that we should know about?"

Despite the humble taking of the staff with both hands and a grateful if a bit sheepish smile that graced Binghe's face, the child was in fact cursing Tilly quite loudly in his mind. She was a willy one, purposefully letting him go in order to humiliate him. It was the perfect chance for her to make an example of the words she had spoken and it was quite the successful example at that. Kneeling down, Binghe closed his eyes to focus on the staff as he ran a reverent hand over the wood. Each dip and curve in the wood carved in and the raised knobs were as familiar as the shape of his own body. Even the grain of wood was a comforting as running his hand through A-di's fur. Familiar, warm, and right. A feeling that Binghe didn't quite know how to deal with.

Again, he spun Ongreuktnm in his hands and wondered what kind of training would be needed to master both light and darkness. Being two-faced came naturally to him, an ever revolving mask painted black and white but never changed with the light shown to the world and a hidden darkness. How poetic, Binghe should take up literature classes. Gently tapping the butt of the staff against his palm, the shadows flickered for a moment, dancing and sliding to a tune only they could hear. They settled after the brief moment, unnoticed by Binghe himself as he listened in to what Tilly had to say.

---

“Do they? Do they? But of course, Ms Wilson. All of them, a thousand or more, wield their own Tanji, though most of them are much weaker. A select few, of maybe 10, can use their Tanji properly.” Tilly comments airily, as she carelessly waved her hand to conjure up a huge, tall giant— a proper Alacratz. “These are the Alacratz, all muscles but very little brain. Easy to fool, but stubborn determined creatures. The select few I mentioned are the only ones with any proper brain.”

“Now, training is important, but I suggest you nourish yourselves first.” She claps her hand, and a buffet table filled with all sorts of food comes crashing onto the ground, through the celing. Nothing breaks, or spills over. Everything remains in perfect spick-and-span order, apart from the fact that, well, the table came flying from the celing out of nowhere. Tilly yawns, picking up a piece of purple-pink fruit, splits it open and begins eating. Some foods were foreign, probably Alacratz food, but most were familiar. “I recommend all of you eat at least one of these. It gives you energy, and soothes— not heals, minor scratches.” Tilly then holds up another purple fruit, this one rhombus shaped with dark blue soft spikes.


Faith browses through the shelf, before taking one of the shelf, and scanning through the pages before putting it back. She then takes a bag of dried fruit, and begins eating. She also takes one of said spiky rhombus fruit, and leaves it for later. She also takes a drink, something a fizzy dark green she hadn’t seen before. It smelt of apples, though.

---

Binghe eyed the food warily but gratefully took whatever was closest to him. It was a orb the size of a golf ball, flaming red and translucent as the liquid held within the capsule sloshed to and fro. Conscious of the company around him, Binghe delicately bit into the skin of the strange whatever it was before slipping the rest of it into his mouth discreetly. He immediately regretted it, however, when the liquid burned like liquor, alighting his mouth and throat as he swallowed painfully. But under the bitter spark of alcohol was a sweet balm that soothed over his scalded tongue. Despite the passive expression Binghe wore during the whole experience, only a light grimace and polite cough showing the sheer oddity of the food, he didn't mind it all that much. The sweetness was nice and made the whole experience more bearable in his opinion but definitely not on the top of his list of things that he would love to eat.

Brown eyes picked up the sight of a small loaf of bread. That was safe enough and Binghe took it, ripping off small pieces to eat delicately. Appearances were important after all and the teen took the time to cast his gaze over the assembled group and assess each person's way of presenting themself. After all, some people said that one can discern the character of others just through their eating habits. How greedy they were, what their preferences were, the nature of their upbringing, so much information tucked away into such a mundane activity.

---

Mehul shuddered when the cut healed so quick in the ring's vicinity. Whatever all this was, it was no joke, no random play that random teens got to be a part of. This was serious stuff. And if what the lady said was true, his tanji, his sword, was a really really powerful weapon. He wondered if he could even come to use its might. And the lady said he could test it shortly. It just made Mehul all the more excited yet wary. Though he might not have listen to the first speech quite well, he paid attention carefully to this one. Each of them had magical weapons- no, items, he had a katana but the other items looked nothing more than a common household item. Well, a magical item is no less of a weapon. If this was all real, which he started to believe, he could be in great danger. But he was in. If the world needed help, and if he was selected to do so, even if by some random weirdos who gave teens magical items without any warnings, he wouldn't back out. When he saw the food drop, he didn't pay it much attention. The back of his mind thought it was just some magic trick, but all he was thinking then was how hungry he was. When he had been beckoned into the room, he was just returning home from his piano classes. That made him wonder how his mother would be worried about him. He forgot the food, and went approached Tilly, "If you say we are to save the world, and that we are to train and stuff, what about our family? My mum would be waiting for me-"

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