Azriel Thornblood
In an underground lab—or more like a prison lab—there was a 12-year-old boy chained like a criminal, which he obviously wasn't. His hands were chained, same with his neck. He appeared lifeless; anyone who looked at him would assume he was dead from his appearance alone. His pale skin seemed to absorb what little light reached him, contrasting sharply with his hauntingly beautiful long crimson hair. Despite his captivity, they had strangely left his hair uncut, allowing it to cascade around his thin frame. His eyes remained his most striking feature—the right iris a mesmerizing violet-blue that seemed to hold ancient wisdom, the left a blood-red with silver streaks that gleamed like a predator's in the darkness. Though his eyes were closed now, after some moment, his eyelids trembled, opening slowly to a world that had shown him nothing but cruelty. - { CHP 3 }
"All druids bear a small gem on their forehead," he whispered to himself, recalling fragments of his past. "They use it to channel their abilities—particularly shapeshifters. You can always identify a druid by the gem, even when they've transformed. It's common knowledge; the gem marks them unmistakably." His fingers traced the smooth skin of his forehead where such a gem should be. "I once had one as a child, as did my father. But with time, mine vanished, making me appear more human, save for my unusually long hair that refuses to be cut." He frowned at the memory. "The gems always glow green—the stronger the druid, the darker the glow. Yet I bear no gem now... which leaves the question of what I truly am hanging in the air like a storm cloud." - { CHP 4 }
After sifting through the fragments of memory, Azriel collected himself. Escape was now the only viable option. His gaze fell upon Aria, taking in her appearance with calculating eyes. Her azure hair framed a face of deceptive beauty, matching eyes that sparkled with dangerous intelligence. The oversized lab coat she wore did little to conceal her voluptuous figure—a seductress's body housing a sadist's mind. Though he couldn't deny her physical allure, Azriel knew better than most the madness that lurked beneath her perfect exterior. Her scientific curiosity had long ago crossed into obsession, making her the most enthusiastic of his tormentors, her elegant hands always eager to discover what new limits his body could endure, what secrets his flesh might reveal under her knife. - { CHP 4 }
Azriel methodically opened each cell door, revealing five young prisoners—three girls and two boys. The elven twins appeared to be around sixteen, their pointed ears and identical features marking them clearly as sisters despite their attempts to appear distinct. The third girl seemed older, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, with a wariness in her eyes that spoke of deeper trauma than the others. One of the males presented an odd contradiction—a youthful, almost cherubic face atop a bodybuilder's physique, his age difficult to determine as his developed muscles suggested someone older than his apparent seventeen years. The last boy, also around seventeen, carried himself with quiet vigilance, a jagged scar running down the right side of his face—not enough to mar his appearance, but sufficient to tell a story of past violence that had shaped him. - {CHP 5}
Currency System
Coin Type - Material - Color - Equivalent
| | | |
Copper Coin - Base metal - Brown - 1 (base)
Iron Coin-Hardened iron-Dull gray - 10 copper
Silver Coin - Refined silver - Silver - 100 copper
Gold Coin - Pure gold - Gold - 1,000 copper
Platinum Coin - Rare alloy - White - 10,000 copper
Etherium Currency
Type - Color - Value
| | |
Low-Grade Etherium - Dull Gray ≈ 1,000 gold coins
Mid-Grade Etherium - Light Blue ≈ 10,000 gold coins
High-Grade Etherium - Deep Blue ≈ 100,000 gold coins
Royal Etherium - Golden-Blue = Priceless