It has been a year since the day the towers gave way and the world crumbled into oblivion. The skies are covered in a constant layer of dust causing the sunlight to be barred from entering the dead remains of the world below. Only every once in a while is there a momentary lapse in the dust, letting some sunlight onto the purged, colorless world of Altaera. During the time after the explosion almost all plant life had died out leaving the world a barren wasteland. Any plants left were mutated to survive in the terrible climate, warped out of recognition of their previous ancestors. Constant storms continue to drive around the world, any rain poisonous to ingest and burning to the touch. Much of these storms bring strong winds carrying dust and sand to produce large sandstorms that are known to persist from minutes to days. The oceans are little of their former self, much of the oceans had receded, any marine life mutated to live in the murky waters that are left. The life on land is not much better. %50 of the population of the planet had died during the explosion, another 30% had died within the year after leaving the world even more barren of life. About 8% of these survivors had been mutated in many ways and extents. These mutators are considered scum by most people and banished from any inhabited areas. About 2% of the total population is left with magic. These few are even more feared and hated. Blamed for the downfall of Altaera, they are hunted down and killed. This is the world which the last of humanity must survive, a world of hate and fear digging itself deeper into darkness.

There is a small trading center set up in the remains of an old town. The place is managed by a local gang whose alliance is said to be neutral. There are many trade posts set up around the area in old areas where houses and buildings once stood. The long street leads to an abandoned church at the end of the road. The church once belonged to the reigning religion which was since abandoned after the world fell apart. It is now inhabited by the gang members of the area who oversee the interactions along the trading center. The place has grown increasingly popular and is known to draw many people including thieves, so the place is heavily guarded and watched. Rumors say there is no warning for thieving and the penalty is immediate death, so it keeps most from trying. Due to the disappearance of universal currency any goods are exchanged for others of equal value, some of which can be determined by its value for each person. Just outside the town is a forest, the trees long dead or mutated in odd ways, many of which are said to be carnivorous, snatching unknowing travelers who dare enter. But there are said to be secrets in the forest so many curious travelers are lead to their doom.

(Thank you all for baring with me I had a lot of distractions that left me from posting this up earlier. We are now starting! I look forward to rping!)

The place was quite quiet at this time of morning. The shop owners were just unpacking their goods to be displayed to possible customers. The usual exchanges were food, water, and other form of survival tools. Anything these days that could keep you alive was pretty valuable. Ragnar on the other hand was much more of a hog than most. He wasn't one to visit some of the usual stalls. He didn't have much respect for those than ran them, he was a petty thief if there ever was one. His skills made it easy for him to teleport things away and never be caught. But Taura was a different story. They were known to kill without proof if they had any reason to believe he was the cause for any theft. So he had to play his cards right and stay under the radar, this time of day would be perfect for such operations. While he would steal for items he needed such as food and water some of the most precious items to him were none other than trinkets. In this world he found meaning in collecting items, it was a hobby that kept his mind alive and from other more depressing thoughts. His footstep were unheard as he approached a small tent setup within the walls of an abandoned cafe. The only form of courtesy he has was from those who sold such items, they were much more reasonable and even more decent people to talk to, although in this age no one was ever free of suspicion or truly trustworthy. But many of those who sold what he looked for were much more...tolerable. The shopkeeper immediately looked over at him and jumped slightly in surprise as he had not heard the man entering. The shopkeeper instinctively reached into his coat resting his hand on the hilt of his sword before seeing Ragnar raise both hands up, showing he had nothing in them. The shopkeeper sighed and took his hands back out. "its not smart to sneak up on a man these days, you will find yourself dead."
"Bad habit..." Ragnar mumbled as he looked over some of the stuff the guy was setting out. If Ragnar had wanted to the man would have been dead much quicker than he could have reacted, but Ragnar wouldn't make such comments out loud, he preferred to get on the good side of someone if he wanted a good deal on a sale. "What are your prices..."
The storekeeper looked over at him. "Not open yet, come back later."
"I know, thats why I'm here. A lot easier when there are not others around."
The shopkeeper looked at him calculatingly before nodding even though he was still a bit cautous. "Fair enough."
Ragnar picked up an odd item. It was a necklace laced with beads that finished in an odd looking crystal in the middle. Ragnar remembered such pieces from before the apocalypse even one he had owned, many items like these were not needed and therefore not taken care of which lead to many items disappearing almost into extinction which was what made hunting them down so much fun.
The shopkeeper raised and eyebrow. "Interesting choice...you are the first to take interest"
"I have unique tastes" Ragnar mumbled back.
The shopkeeper knew that most of the people truly interested in his products were of a decent enough type, those that still had a longing for the past and hadn't let the present state of the world warp their mind like it had to so many. The shopkeeper was about to speak before Ragnar beat him to it.
"What do you want in return?"
The man looked at Ragnar skeptically seeing no bag or items with him to trade. The man had pockets, but that was about it, he doubted there was anything in there he was looking for. "I am a shopkeeper I have never been able to travel very far even before...." The words didn't need to be spoken for Ragnar to understand. He put his hand into his empty pocket but suddenly something appeared within his hand. Ragnar had hidden his bag only a few hundred feet away so he could teleport any items from it.
The shopkeepers eyes widened as he looked at the vial in Ragnars hand. "Thats...much more than"
"Don't worry" Ragnar held the necklace in his hand. "This is worth more to me than you know."
The shopkeeper worked in such business so he had learned when someone wanted an item enough, but this man was different, almost unreadable. But he didn't question it and took the vial looking at the contents inside. Without another word Ragnar turned and left like he was never there. By the time the shopkeeper looked back up he was gone.

(Sorry for the long post, my first one is always a doozy but the rest won't be close to this bad haha!)

A strange man wearing the outfit of a revolutionist stumbles into town, falling in front of Ragnar the man says. "Help...me...monsters......in...woods......" He staggers and collapses, barely breathing, onto the cracked and ruined pavement. The man suffers from a massive snakebite on his arm, many bloody gashes ripped across his chest and shoulders, his entire torso is covered in bruises and his clothes hang in rags. Ragnar has no way of knowing what damage was done on the inside but it is likely the man has many broken bones and a damaged lung.

Then a strange man wearing the outfit of a revolutionist stumbles into town, stumbling into Ragnar the man says. "Help...me...monsters......in...woods......" He staggers and collapses, barely breathing, onto the cracked and ruined pavement. The man suffers from a massive snakebite on his arm, many bloody gashes ripped across his chest and shoulders, his entire torso is covered in bruises and his clothes hang in rags. Ragnar has no way of knowing what damage was done on the inside but it is likely the man has many broken bones and a damaged lung.

Oops, double post. Sorry 'bout that.

Ana walked into the shopping area, stopping when she saw the horribly wounded man. He was crumpled up underneath another man. She looked around, but it didn't look like there had been a fight or anything. She walked closer, Curious.

The man coughs up a mouthful of blood and spit. "Monsters!" He screams "She wants me to die!" He yells loud enough for the entire town to hear "Are you all monsters too!?" The man coughs again "She said she wanted..." The man is racked by a coughing fit as blood and saliva pools beneath his frothing mouth and the bite on his arm looks poisoned or infected. "Revenge...she wanted...revenge" The man whimpers, laying on the cold stone pathway.

((Sorry for being so gruesome, I just want to show how bad a shape the guy's in))

Ragnar looked at the man in disgust before knocking him out with one swift kick of his foot. A few people winced and looked at him. Ragnar had already gained too much attention. "It was for his own good" he mumbled. "There are reasons they tell you not to enter that forest...i suggest you heed them." Ragnar was hard headed and it would take a bit more than that for him to go into the woods. The idea of something hidden there had intrigued him but going in alone was almost sure death. It would not be smart. Ragnar was now just focused on getting some attention off of him. He couldn't steal thing with so many eyes on him, the best skill a thief had was to keep hidden, now that that had been blown he would have to change his strategy and now seemed a good time. While a few people went over to the man, no one seeming to really take any initiative to help him, Ragnar snuck by a few stalls and teleported away some of the items.

(No worries, but people around here will see this stuff all the time due to the world they are in. Ragnar will need some more convincing at the moment. He isn't a coward he just isn't stupid lol, as long as he can meet someone else he may be able to be convinced to go in, if nothing more than for the treasures inside.

Ana walked forwards. "Is...Is he dead?" She asked to the people around the man quietly. She wondered what he did for some...Thing to take revenge on him. Apparently monsters have a gender, too. It sounded pretty cool. But it's in the forest... She then thought about the guy who kicked him. He seemed cold and ruthless. She wondered where he went. Probably to go shop or something.

Grimm had been watching this man he knew the woman who had inflicted the wounds by looks only but knew the venom from experience because the few times animal's would slip from her grasp they would come to him to be fixed he had seen the whole exchange threw the eyes of a bird he spread his huge black wings jumping from the tree he called his home he winged his way in and out of the winding trees with the acrobatics of any bird he headed at toward town his huge wings sending gust of wind to the earth as he flew waking dozens if sleeping animals and disturbing the ones hunting

he landed a few meters out side of town and summoning his magic split him and his hawk familiar from one another.

the magic was simple and not very strong but he could make it last for 2 hours if he really pushed he just couldn't get very far from his hawk. He walked into town hawk on his shoulder he made no effort to talk or even look at anyone he headed straight for the man on the ground and checked to see if he was still alive

he tried his best not to draw attention but he was quiet handsom and many of the ladies took notice

Upon inspection Ana can tell there is a very faint magical signature coming from the man's poisoned bite, whatever savaged him wasn't a normal snake (if the snakes nowadays could be called normal). Unfortunately, because of some of the effects of the poison, the kick to the man's head killed him, as his unconscious mind wasn't able to cope with his crushed lung and impaired breathing.



((Sorry to take advantage of your character and her magical powers but my only guy to "RP" with has died and my actual character hasn't shown up yet :p also, Esstella, I hadn't seen your post when I wrote this))