Paladins Of Grimm

Hosted by...

1: "Alice Liddel," RavenAkuma

2: "Red Riding Hood," KateHardy

3: "Peter Pan and Wendy Darling," Ley

The Paladins Of Grimm: An Overview

The world of Grimm is not as fantastical and whimsy as one would hope. Beasts scour the wilds, greedy nobles often run the cities and towns, and everything from common crooks to wicked witches can wreak havoc on unsuspecting victims. And deep under the earth, in the pits of Oblivion, an ancient evil lies; a demon known only as The Omen, constantly waiting for its chance to cause more harm to the world above. Since banishment, it has escaped twice, both times resulting in mass damage. King Midas and Queen Snow do what they can, but at the end of the day, this is just how life is in Grimm.

This is why the Paladins of Grimm was founded, a guild of elite combatants. Witches, crooks, beasts; they will rise to any threat when called. And whenever the ancient evil tries to escape again -when its hellspawn creep into the lands of Grimm once more- they will be ready…

Note: "Queen Snow" is inspired by the Snow Queen of the Nordic fairytale of the same name, not Snow White

Grimm’s Sub-Regions

Spoiler

The Wastes: A common term for any wild terrain, whether it be open meadows, dense forests, blinding sand dunes, or decrepit ruins.

Mount Stromberg: This region marks the capital city of Grimm. It has many slums, usually portions on the outer edge of the city. They were damaged by the early attacks of the Omen, turning them into ruins as the city fails to rebuild, or even protect them from further harm. Moving deeper into the elevated city, things are still notably bleak, but there is a fair array of metal and mechanical resources to make use of. Magic, however, is very taboo in this region. Of course the best and bulk of the goods are reserved for the highest nobles and royals, within and immediately around Lore Castle…

GoldeneGans Weld: (translates to Golden Goose Woods). This region is very hard to gain access to, as they are very restrictive with who gets in. Nevertheless, this is one of the prettiest regions in Grimm -a place where you would be tricked into thinking this world isn’t so bad at all. The neat towns are built within a brilliant woodland composed primarily of meadowgrass, glorious wildflowers, mighty oaks, and even mushroom trees. White magic is a highly respected and practiced tool in this area, but black magic is extremely taboo, and physical combat training is hard to come by since many inhabitants are pacifists.

Stürmisch Forst: (Translates to Stormy Forest). This region is pretty much open, but not many would want to venture inside. It’s a shadowy forest of towering evergreens and frequent storms. The people are generally solitary and standoffish with any visiting outsiders. Likewise, when traveling, they have a bad reputation for not getting along with others. Due to a high population of beasts in the region, and being the typical grounds for witches, they have to fight to survive. Strength and strategy are a must, and black magic is a very respected tool to use. However, white magic is very hard to find due to a stigma and limited resources.

SommerHöhle and WinterBerg: (Translates to Summer Hole and Winter Mountain). A very stoney region primarily composed of two great cities; WinterBerg is built in and along the surface of the massive mountain, especially around the summit. It’s cold and can get snowy up here. Meanwhile, SommerHöhle is toward the south of the mountain, and it runs underground to form a city out of massive caverns and tunnel passages. An elaborate network of underground heating elements, generated through steam and fire magic, keep the place much warmer. The inhabitants of either city are notorious for getting into spats with eachother, breeding a stubborn and loyal nature in many people. There are some neat tools that people use to endure this region, but magic resources and fancy weapons -while not stigmatized in one way or another- are harder to find.

Teufels Berg: (Translates to Devil’s Mountain). A lonely, uninhabitable mountain far in the Northwest region of Grimm, marked by its black rivers that give the mountain an eerie veiny appearance. There is an ancient abandoned shrine at the summit, dedicated to the evil Omen, and at the mountain’s cavernous core, a black lake is used to spawn its unsightly beasts...

Paladin (Character) Template:

Spoiler

Here is a template for your Paladin. Each character should be inspired by a fairytale character. Once you’ve chosen one, don’t be afraid to get creative! Flip the script in their backstories, make them a fantasy race with cat ears or dragon horns, go all-out on weapons, spells, potions, and any equipment you think they’ll need for their quest in this dark, dangerous steampunk world. The sky’s the limit! There are just three things we wanted to note.

• In hopes of getting as many unique fairytales as we can, we’d rather not duplicate characters. For example, we’d rather not have two characters based on Pinocchio.
  
• We’re trying to stick to fairytales only, so no dipping into other genres please! If you would like some inspiration, there should be a list of available fairytale characters on the first page of the OOC ~
  
• As with any roleplay, please no godmodding, and please be respectful of others’ characters!

Code: Select all

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Team Position:[/b]

[b]Fairytale Inspiration:[/b]

[b]Base Weapons and/or Equipment:[/b] [i](you can add to this later if you want as well!)[/i]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Backstory:[/b]

[b]Other:[/b]

Team Positions:

Spoiler

A Warrior will find themselves great with their weapons, mechanical upgrades, and their fists. Perhaps a bit lacking in magic though, on the frontlines of the fight. Especially if they come from the city, they're likely to upgrade their gear with enchantments and mechanical wonders, whether it be magic-proofed armor or a sword that can fold into a gun.

A White Mage will find themselves great with passive and neutral magic, healing and boosting their comrades along the journey with support roles. By channeling divine power, they can wield spells that allow for healing injuries, shapeshifting, warding dark magic and curses, and even some rarities like time dilation or hypnosis.

A Black Mage will find themselves great with versatile elemental magic, aiding the warriors and also providing support from a defensive role. Their black magic allows them to manipulate elements, from fire, water, and ice to poison, sand, and metal -it all depends on the mage. Black magic also allows them to connect with and possibly influence beasts and dark entities, hence the notorious reputation. Only truly wicked mages -witches- will abuse this power. Most black mages avoid that aspect entirely.

A Bandit will find themselves quick, stealthy, and light on their feet, with unique equipment and capable of slipping in and out of trouble. They generally carry smaller weapons and useful tools -common things like lockpicks and cordage, or even rarities like invisibility cloaks and enchanted compasses. They are great for guiding a team, gathering resources and information, and disassembling danger from the inside. In other words, great for scout roles.

Slots:

A collab with @Ley and @KateHardy

Ashes and fire.

They rained from the sky in hues of gray and orange, down from the ominous Teufels Berg -the lonely Devl's Mountain. The black rivers cascading down its lifeless stone surface carried debris of ruin and blood sacrifices, as any blue in the sky was blocked out by suffocating smoke.

Alice Liddel, one of the captains among the squad of about thirteen Paladins, knew that it was all another grim foretoken of a sleeping threat. There was always the odd beast lurking in Grimm, even ones that had originally spawned from the wicked core of this cursed mountain, but these ones -including the wyvern responsible for the flames- seemed fresh. Not born innocent like humans and humanoids, but a thrown-together amalgamation of darkness, ready to kill.

Her grip tightened around the Vorpal Blade as she blocked out the memories this stirred. Surely, she would be mad to think that it was happening again? Surely, indeed, it was just a crack in the seal; a minor inconvenience to be repaired by the Paladin Mages. Only this, and nothing more.

She chuckled to herself, mumbling, "Don't lose your head, Alice. Don't go tumbling down another rabbit hole..."

Peter Pan flew into view, his green trousers glimmering a slight gold in the sunlight. Wendy ran below him, her burgundy brown curls bouncing at her shoulders, "We're here, we're here! Sorry, Peter was--"

"Oh, Darling, shush for just a second!" Peter glanced around them and took everything in, "Something's coming. Something big."

Alice flinched from their sudden arrival, interrupting her ramblings. "Nope, no, they're supposed to be here. Calm yourself, Alice..."

Hoodd inched ahead to the front, grumbling as usual at having to take center stage in battle, standing out in her bright red cloak. "Of all the times, they had to pick this one. Urgh. Halfway through an apple pie. The respect they have for us I sw..."

Then, Alice heard it; the distinct sound of wind faintly whistling around razor-sharp wings.

"Get back!" She snapped.

The Paladins scrambled, and she narrowly rolled out of the way in time.

'CRASH!'

Before them, a wyven had landed. Black tar oozed between its scales, which were a green so dark that they were almost black, themselves. Its eyes burned red, its long tail lashed like a whip, its sharp wings flew up in a menacing display, and its head -with sharper fangs than any common forest beast- was aimed down at what lay pinned under its feet.

One of the young Paladins, with pure-white hair, vibrant ice-blue eyes, and finely detailed silver armor. Fear flooded his eyes as he lay completely paralyzed. His long four-barreled flintlock, with a long bayonet more like a sword, lay next to him, but he had no will to grab it anymore.

From nearby, a Paladin with burning gold armor, a lion's tail, a full lion's mane, and a face and ears reminiscent of the large feline, flew into a panic.

"Jack!" He roared with fury, charging into the battle.

"Aslan, get back!" Alice snapped.

She tried to intervene, but it was too late.

The wyvern smacked the lion Paladin aside, slamming him against a rock. Even though the pinned Paladin panicked, using ice magic in a desperate attempt to freeze the beast, it broke through.

'CHOMP!'

Jack's body lay limp, as his head sank down the wyvern's long throat.

Another paladin -a tanned man with cat ears and a cat tail- was crushed beneath the wyvern as it slammed into him, and before they knew it, their little army was starting to diminish. This was going to be much harder than they thought.

"Dammit," Alice growled. "Hoodd, Pan, Darling! They're dropping like flies, Frost and Puss are already down! I knew they weren't ready. What made me think..." Her eyes went wide and she smirked a bit. "Have I gone mad again?"

Peter stayed levitating over them, watching as Darling scoped out the damage, "No, no, you haven't!" he said, eyebrows scrunched together in concentration, "Darling! Wendy! Don't stray too far--"

Hoodd grumbled. "I just need this thing to keep its mouth open for like ten more seconds preferably without a paladin inside."

"I got it!" Wendy yelled, "Alice, distract it! Get that thing away from us, I'll run and hold its... well, maybe not, but I can try!"

"No, Wendy, you stay here!" Pan yelled desperately, "I have height! I can move closer, jam a log in it's throat, and that should buy you enough time, Hoodd!"

Before Pan could even move, Wendy was already sprinting towards the Wyvern, her hands held out in front of her as if she was going to defeat the Wyvern in one single blow. Pan cursed under his breath, "Goodness, Alice, do something!"

Alice ripped the feather out of 10/6 (her trusty top-hat), revealing its sharpened stiletto blade, then hurled it toward the wyvern. The thin blade sank into its eye, making it screech with agony and whip its head back.

Its tail knocked down Darling, and she fell to the floor with a loud and audible thump. Pan raced to her aid, and somehow forged the large, rotten log into the Wyvern's mouth, "Hoodd, now!"

She brandished the largest fruit from her basket, before reconsidering and promptly emptying the entire basket in the dragon's direction. Several apples and a banana fell to the floor, but a good chunk of very poisonous fruit flew right down its throat.

The Wyvern fell almost instantly, red and white foam spewing out of its mouth as its tail fell directly next to the unconscious Wendy. Pan instinctively shielded her, and his eyes moved around the battle with a deep sense of anxiety, "Is that all? Why do I feel like this is not all we're in for, here? Something doesn't seem right. I can smell it!"

Alice ripped the feather-blade out of the wyvern's eye, flicking off the blood. "Agreed. So I'm not mad? Hm..."

All of their attention was suddenly drawn to the figure standing on one of the jagged overlooks, higher up on the mountain. A man in a dark suit, black with burnt-orange pinstripes, and orange streaks throughout his black mane and short beard. His yellow eyes glowed brightly against his tanned skin, and he stood with the utmost confidence.

Something about that man. Something wasn't right.

As the man kicked a stone off the mountainside, sending it whistling down like a bullet, Alice reacted on instinct; she tipped off 10/6 and used it to deflect the stone. It made a metallic 'clang' as the stone struck it, and deflected into the ground.

Then, Alice whipped her flintlock out from the hat; her brassy firearm with six revolving barrels. She aimed for the man and fired.

'Boom!

The man extended his hand, and the bullet exploded against it. As the smoke cleared, it revealed a translucent shield, formed from misty gold magic with glowing cryptic writings.

"These golden spells," Alice muttered to herself, finding them familiar. She donned 10/6 once more and paused to think.

The man smirked. His menacing chuckle could be heard even from their much lower position, as if amplified by this evil mountain.

"Three out of ten, terrible performance as usual." He shook his head, like he was genuinely disappointed, "Even if you had the power of each realm, nothing can stop me from doing this, young ones. You shall feel my rage and power, and be obedient. This is just the beginning."

Then, Alice saw it, and she immediately knew. The memories hit her. Horrible, haunting memories. Fire, blood, and ruin everywhere. The desire to escape, to retreat to Wonderland, oh how strong it was...

One step ahead of her, the other captains made the call, but the Paladins blindly charged forward, eager to fulfill their duty. Aslan, at the head of the group, was too eager to get revenge for his fallen comrades. Brave and pure of heart, yet so blind.

Oh, so blind -they all were.

Snapping from her trance, Alice cried, "No, get back! Change of orders, change of orders!"

There was nothing to be done. As an ancient rune manifested, glowing gold above the man, she charged back and ducked for cover.

The shockwave shook the earth, as glittering golden flames flooded the area like a tsunami crashing against a vulnerable shore. Alice watched them flare around the boulder, charring the sides and leaving embers in the blackened dirt. The heat was enough to suffocate her.

It felt like it took minutes on end for them to finally die back, but it was likely closer to a few seconds. She looked around for the others, her eyes constantly switching toward the distant woods as she thought a white rabbit would pop up to take her away from this hell at any moment.

Pan was, as expected, shielding Wendy. She was still unconscious, but now smoke and tar covered her face, only her body clean from where Pan was. Peter's eyes were squeezed shut, as if he was already waiting for his untimely demise, "Are we alive?" he asked, voice slightly shaken.

Alice popped out from behind the boulder, thoroughly inspecting the area. "Eh? Oh, yes. Looks like the wyvern corpse blocked..."

She trailed off as she realized the obvious, yet nonetheless tragic situation.

All thirteen Paladins, Aslan and his blind followers, were reduced to charred bones and black cinders.

Pan's eyes opened reluctantly, and his face paled when he surveyed the damage. He slowly rose to his feet, "I... They're all dead. We're the only ones left."

They all looked up toward the stoney overlook. The man in the suit was still standing there, as if nothing had happened, with that chilling sinister grin.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Hoodd's face was a tapestry of horror, but it looked like she was just about holding it together at the moment.

"To Wonderland?" Asked Alice.

Hoodd frowned. "I don't think we're in need of any more paranoia at the moment. Wonderland sickness is no joke."

"What paranoia?" Alice mumbled, actively glancing over her shoulder.

"Or Neverland," Pan interjected, "We'll be safe there, too. Though... Captain Hook might still be lurking. I haven't quite figured out how to get rid of that ugly man yet. Maybe Wonderland would be our best bet."

Alice shook her head clear. "No, wait, headquarters! That's right, we have headquarters, they'll work just fine. Um, Mount Stromberg -we need to go to Mount Stromberg."

"I wish Tink was here," Pan mumbled, "she could--"

"Did someone call for some Pixie-dust?" a small light dashed in front of them, "Oooh!" the little voice rang from it, as if it was bells chiming, "What happened, here?"

"Tink, thank goodness you're here!" Pan exclaimed.

Tinkerbell hovered over Wendy, and soon enough, glitter surrounded her body in beams. Her body raised off the floor, levitating to become Peter's height. The pixie then made her way over to Alice and Hoodd, enchanting them with the same, fine powder. Pan rose off the ground, twirling around in a little circle, "Does anyone know where Mount Stromberg is?"

Hoodd pointed roughly southeast. "That way I believe. About twenty minutes as the crow flies."

As the captains made their quick escape, Alice having a bit of trouble as she struggled to aim herself forward, the man just watched with contempt. No more attempts to attack them, no more bitter words, just one clear thought;

He had won this fight.


\\\\\\


After a long flight back to the Mount Stromberg region, specifically the Paladin headquarters near the lavish center of the harsh city, the captains -and only surviving members of the Paladin unit- were recollecting.

In the small room, with maps of Grimm and countless research papers haphazardly scattered across the shelves and tables, it took a long time before anyone was willing to speak.

"This is bad," Alice muttered as she paced rapidly. "That magic -it was a sign. Those golden spells can only come from a chosen vessel of it. And Aslan was the strongest Paladin we've had in a while, even if he wasn't the most critical thinker. Frost, he wasn't at the top of his game, but he shouldn't have gone down in one gulp -to one damn wyvern! Not good, not good at all..."

Pan was pacing with her, a hand on his chin, "Not good is right. We need more recruits. More people. But who would sign up for this, knowing that the magic could wipe out an entire army?"

"Yes..." Alice cracked a grin as her eyes lit up. "They would have to be mad to join, at this rate, wouldn't they?"

"There's always a few willing. Either out of a sense of duty or just a little hint of madness, it's hard to tell the difference sometimes."

"Possibly..." Pan met Alice's gaze, but smirked after a while with her, "But what if... what if we enticed them? We could offer some benefits, maybe a reward..."

"I SEE!" Alice suddenly exclaimed. "Yes, yes, Pan, you're a genius!"

She eagerly threw her Vorpal Blade into the wall, pinpointing Mount Stromberg on the map.

"Paladins refuse to come to us anymore," Alice murmured. "But that does not mean we cannot go to them."

Peter raised an eyebrow and leaned against the nearest wall, "Keep talking."

"We need a unit," Alice explained, looking over the map. "Warriors obviously, then mages for support and to handle that monster-spawning lake within the mountain, and to aid us in getting around that cocky freak on the mountain, some more bandits. We already know the general regions that spawn the best-of-the-best for any of these classes. I say we start scouting, size up their game a bit..." She turned her head, revealing her cheshire grin. "What do you say?"

"Sounds like a solid plan!" Pan exclaimed and threw a fist into the air.

Hoodd groaned. "I suppose you have a good point. We can go to them."

"Brilliant..." Alice pried her blade from the wall. "Then let's get to searching..."

"Let's."

Nestled deep within the quiet woods in the GoldeneGans Weld, Cinderella spent the early hours of the morning at her mother’s grave with her animal friends. Humming softly to herself, she gently cleaned the dirt and grime out of the headstone while the little mice and lizards languidly watched her.

It had been three days since the last night of the ball, and the whole region was still buzzing about the mysterious woman who had captured the prince’s heart during the dances. It was all her stepsisters could talk about, torn between admiration and jealousy for her beauty and charms. Cinderella gave them her apt attention, but it took everything within her not to reveal through looks alone that she was the woman who had danced with the prince. She had returned the beautiful gown her mother’s spirit gave her after she escaped from the mansion for the last time. It was bittersweet, leaving again when she was just starting to fall for him. Dancing with him had been the first time she had felt truly happy, and she hadn’t felt that way since before her mother died.

A little bluebird flew down from the branches and tweeted urgently, gently picking at her hair and gesturing upwards. Through the green leaves on the trees, the sky was quickly becoming bluer.

“Oh,” she gasped as she hurried to grab her stuff. “I’m sorry, Mother, but I need to start cooking breakfast." Cinderella gathered the supplies and the little animals into her basked and stood up. “I’ll see you as soon as I can. I love you.”

As she walked away, the woods started to wake up with the day. Wild animals peaked out from their homes as they rubbed sleep from their eyes, and the wind rustled through the bushes, shaking dew. Cinderella breathed in the scent of her surroundings, her connection to it growing deep within her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a patch of chamomile and, most notably, echinacea. Echinacea only grew in certain parts in the region, and she obtained them from merchants coming to town. She had no idea they grew here. Grinning, Cinderella picked out those plants and carefully placed them in her basket before going on her way again. These would be very good for relaxing or stopping inflammations on the ailing person. With the help of Cinderella’s own magical abilities, they were much more effective than a regular person using them.

The first step Cinderella made into her yard was the very moment that the rooster opened its beak to crow. She briskly walked across her little garden and entered the kitchen at the back of the house. After she turned the oven on, she carefully put the basket on the windowsill and set to work making biscuits for breakfast. The lizards scurried away toward outside, but the mice stayed where they were, their noses on the edge of the basket, watching her. Giggling, she gave them breadcrumbs to munch on. A chunky white and brown mouse named Gus. Gus immediately started eating it.

“Cinderella? What in Grimm’s good name are you covered in?” said a stern voice from behind her.

Cinderella gasped and turned around. “Oh, Stepmother! You startled me.”

The older woman sniffed in disapproval. “My dear girl, have you been playing in the mud? Look at your dress! And, oh, have you been cooking in that too?”

Cinderella sheepishly glanced down at her dirty blue dress. “I’m sorry, Stepmother, I—”

“You foolish girl, think of all the germs you’ll get on the biscuits. Your sister is already so frail.”

Her stepsister had been “so frail” for the past 10 years but was always well enough to dance a full night’s worth with whatever boy caught her eye. Cinderella, of course, did not say this aloud.

Her stepmother sighed. “Has your mother never taught you sanitation? What am I to do with you, Cinderella?”

Cinderella said nothing.

“Well, we’ve run out of cakes for our guests tonight. I need you to run into town and get more. Can you handle that?”

“Yes, Stepmother. Cinderella bowed her head as the older woman left the kitchen.

Cinderella sighed, smiling ruefully at the mice. “Never a dull day’s work, huh?” she told them. The skinny brown mouse, who she named Jac, wrinkled its nose.
___________________________________________________________________________
With the cakes in tow, Cinderella left the bakery, leaving behind the wonderful scents with it. She started to make the way home. Gus attempted to sneak himself a piece, but she gently swatted him away with her free hand.

“I’ll give you a piece later if you’re good,” she promised him. She walked by a small child playing with her puppy and smiled at the sight.

Suddenly, the little girl tripped over the dog and fell, hitting her head on the ground. She started crying. Cinderella gasped and ran over, kneeling down.

“Poor dear, are you alright? There, there,” she cooed, helping the girl sit up. There was a large welt on the side of her head, and blood ran down. “It’ll be alright,” she said. Cinderella put her hand over the injury and concentrated, just like her fairy godmother taught her.

Blue magic lit up, and the welt and blood seamlessly went away, leaving the girl’s head as good as new.

“There we go,” Cinderella said. “Feel better?”

The girl gingerly felt her head and beamed. “Yes! Thank you, Cinderella.” She hugged her tightly around the waist. The puppy barked happily.

“You’re very welcome, honey,” Cinderella said. “Make sure you’re playing more carefully from now on, okay?” The girl nodded.

As the child ran back home with her puppy, Jac nudged Cinderella’s cheek. When she looked at him, he pointed to the alley next to the bakery. Standing in the shadows was a tall, young woman wearing a red cloak, and staring at Cinderella. Or, at least, Cinderella thought she was staring at her. The hood cast a deep shadow over the woman’s face, but the feeling was still there.

“Cinderella, are you alright?” the baker asked, touching her shoulder.

She blinked and stood up. “Oh, yes, I’m quite fine. Erm, do you know who that woman is, wearing the red cloak?”

“Who?”

“Over there— oh!” Cinderella pointed to the alley, but it was empty. She whirled around, searching for a hint of that red cloak, but she saw nothing. “I know I saw someone there.”

The baker shrugged. “Well, if I see her, I’ll let you know. You have a good day, now.” He tipped his hat to her.

“Thank you, you as well,” she said. But her mind was still on the mysterious woman.
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Two days later, Cinderella had all but forgotten the red-cloaked stranger. The rest of the family was out calling on her stepmother’s old friend in the next town over, so she was dutifully cleaning the house until their return. Despite the huge list her stepmother gave her to do, her animal friends were helping dust and wash too, making the work much more fun, especially since she didn’t have to hide them.

As she and the birds dusted and sang, they heard the doorbell rang and the letter slot open. Cinderella put down the duster and wiped her face clean with a rag before going to the door. An envelope sat on the floor. Probably for Father, seeing how “official” it looked. She picked it up and opened the door to say thank you to the post officer—

But there was no one there. She pursed her lips and looked around, but the front yard looked empty. Odd. She closed the door and turned the envelope over and started.

It was for her. It was addressed to her. In all the years since her father remarried, she had never gotten a letter that was addressed to her. The return address stated, Captain Red Riding Hood: Paladins of Grimm: Headquarters: Mount Stromberg.

She mouthed the name. Red Riding Hood? The image of the woman in the alley flashed into her mind. She was a captain? In Mount Stromberg? That was where the capital city in Grimm. It was also extremely dangerous. And why write to Cinderella? Hands slightly shaking, she opened the letter.

Twigs snapped under the heel of Vivienne' sepia leather boots, the same ones that had already carried her miles and miles through the Wastes. The trees loomed, tall and forboding before her as she got closer and closer to Stürmisch Forst. High above, another storm had already begun brewing, flashes of lightning rippling through the massive dark clouds that blocked the once crystal blue sky. As Vivienne got closer to the towering evergreen trees, she took a moment to thread a portion of her skirt through the skirt hike at her waist to avoid sticks getting caught up in it. It was her last white dress after all.

Echos of howling wolves could be heard somewhere deep in the forest as she approached the edge. The beasts who roamed this region were fearsome, especially considering how close the forest was to Teufels Berg, but it was nothing Vivienne couldn't handle. Excalibur bounced familiarly against her hip as she trudged through the pine cone ridden terrain, reassuring her that she could take on anything that came at her. The last time a beast had attacked, she had managed to fend it off well, suffering only a singular bite which she had healed quickly enough with the last of an elixir. However, even with the swift healing, it did not save her dress from the stains of battle, hence why she was down to her last pristine white one.

Raindrops soon began to fall from the heavy clouds above, pattering almost rhythmically against the ground and trees. Vivienne would have minded the rain any other day but right now she was on a quest. From using the last of her elixir on her wounds, she needed to make more and in order to do that, needed a certain ingredient. The rain helped keep the land moist and allowed what she needed to grow so this time she didn't mind it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Vivienne spotted a brief glimpse of bright tealy blue which instantly caught her attention. The plant she sought stood before her, hidden just under the low boughs of an evergreen tree. The bright flowers bowed their dainty heads, curving the stem in which they grew on just enough to be seen peeking out from behind the needles of the sturdy fir, as if calling to her.

Vivienne walked over to the delicate plant, ducking underneath the tree's branches. She knelt down and carefully examined the orchid's petals, leaves, and stem. The leaves appeared slightly wrinkled and not as plump or firm as they should've been, their typical dark glossy green changed to a dull pine green. The flowers as well were beginning to droop and wilt along the arched stem but luckily hadn't wrinkled quite yet. She knew this particular plant wouldn't make it much longer as even though this area was shaded enough for it to grow, it wasn't getting nearly enough water from the cover of the fir.

After granting a quick glance around the area, Vivienne's keen eyes which just so happened to be almost the same color as what she was looking for, landed on another, healthier patch of the same orchids nearby. With the patch in mind, she knew it would be okay to pick this one since it was likely to perish anyway and more could spread to better areas from the patch.

She carefully pulled a small dagger from where it resided at her belt and with extreme care, cut the orchid as close to the ground as she could get in order to be able to use as much of the plant as possible. Once she had the delicate plant in her hands, she gave a small satisfactory smile. It was perfect and would suit her needs well. Now she just had to set up a camp to use it while it was fresh.

Luckily enough, nearby stood an outcropping of rock that would work perfectly as a shelter. Vivienne gathered a bit of still dry wood and needles from below the trees before making her way towards it. One of the rocks seemed to jut out of the ground at an angle, creating a splendid roof while earth fell around the sides of the stone and acted as makeshift walls, keeping the wind and rain from the storm out of the small sheltered space.

Setting the wood down in the most dry spot and the orchid in the most wet, which happened to be a puddle that collected near the edge of the shelter, Vivienne set her pack down and got to work making herself at home. She set her sleeping roll farthest back in the shelter where she would be most protected when sleeping then began taking care of more important business, starting a fire.

Near the edge of the shelter while still keeping it protected from the rain, Vivienne created a small nest from the evergreen needles to kindle a flame. From her pack she pulled out a set of flint and steel and began striking one against the other in hopes the sparks would be enough to light the needles aflame.

To her, that was one of the most annoying things about being a white mage. She had all of these fantastical powers and yet she still had to light fires the old fashioned way if she wanted to cook anything or even make herself a cup of tea.

Soon enough though, the needles finally caught the sparks and with a small woosh then the sound of crackling, lit on fire. Vivienne carefully stacked the dry wood up around it to feed the flame then set about collecting rainwater in a small cauldron which more often then not, doubled as her cooking pot since it was larger then the other one she had. Once it was full, she carefully set it over the flames to boil while she pulled out other ingredients, some of which were for the elixir while others were for a meal and possibly a cup of tea.

While she waited still, Vivienne carefully cut up dried strips of meat into small pieces and mixed it with a combination of dried barely, lentils, and other mixed grains as well as fresh edible greens from around the area in the smaller cooking pot. She allowed the rain to fill it with water as well and mix with the ingredients before she set it beside the cauldron on the fire and cook, effectively creating a makeshift soup.

The soup was something she ate often, especially when in the need of something warm on a dreary rainy day such as this. It was easy to make, and the ingredients could practically survive for years upon years which made it perfect to stuff in a pack. All she had to do was put it in a pot, add water and whatever else she could find, and boil it for a few minutes. Super simple.

Speaking of boiling, by now, the water in the cauldron had begun to boil, audibly bubbling. Vivienne carefully pulled it off of the flames and poured a bit of the hot water in a cup for her tea before grabbing the orchid and beginning to brew the elixir. She had made this specific elixir enough times that she had no need to measure out the ingredients anymore and simply tossed them in how she saw fit.

The elixir turned from teal, to bright violet, to a cloudy white until it it reached Vivienne's desired color, a nearly clear liquid that shone with white pearlescence. She set it aside to cool, and pulled out a couple identical small glass bottles which once the liquid cooled would be poured into them and capped for future use.

As for now though, the delicious smell of the soup wafted through the air of the small shelter, overpowering the surrounding scent of petrichor. Vivienne's stomach growled as the scent hit her, she couldn't really remember when the last meal she had that day was but all she knew was she was hungrier then she had previously thought.

She moved the soup off the fire as well to cool a little but left the fire burning to ward off the cold of the rain and as soon as her soup cooled down she poured it into a bowl and happily dug in. It tasted like the best thing she had eaten in ages however it was probably just because she was hungry. After a moment, she remembered she also had tea as well and sipped it once she finished her soup, getting comfortable near the back of her little camp where her sleeping roll was to see if she could wait out the weather.

There was a rather loud sound of a twig snapping and what sounded like a faint call. She couldn't make it out over the rain but it did get her attention. She carefully got up with one hand on Excalibur's hilt, setting her tea by the fire to keep it warm while she investigated.

There was the sound of branch snapping now, and a clearer voice.

"V---IANNN."

Vivienne blinked at the sound of hearing her name being called and left the little shelter despite the rain before climbing to the peak of the rock that acted as the roof to get a better view of the surrounding land. In case it was a trap, she took the precaution of putting up a ward around herself before calling back.

"Hello?"

There was nothing visible quite yet but there was a reply now, much clearer than previous. It was coming from somewhere off to the left.

"HELLO!"

She quickly wheeled in that direction once she determined where the calls were coming from and drew Excalibur.

"State your name and business before you get any closer."

There was the sound of something heavy shifting. "RED RIDING HOODD. NEED TO TALK. TROUBLE. COULD USE HELP. PALADINS."

Vivienne's interest was instantly piqued and she began quickly heading in the direction of her voice. "Come this way! Are you alright?"

The call was a little quieter now but the sounds of breaking twigs intensified. "Coming! I'm good, but we all may not be. Not for long."

Vivienne nodded wordlessly and followed the sound of breaking twigs and branches until she caught a brief glimpse of red between the trees. "Over here!"

"I think I see youu!" came the reply as a figure slowly popped out of the trees, dressed in a very recognizable red cloak, cradling a large basket of fruit close to her.

Vivienne sheathed Excalibur upon seeing her and waved a bit to better gain her attention. "There you are! How urgent is it?"

She waved back, jogging up to Vivienne. "Hello! I'd say its just a little bit urgent. We may have lost nearly all of our captains not more than a couple of days ago."

Vivienne blinked slightly, caught off guard by the news. "That's... not good in the slightest. However, I feel there is much more to the story and the reason you're here. I have a camp set up not far from here if you wish to get out of the rain. We can talk more there."

"Oh that would be lovely actually! It has been really hammering down today. This cloak is only doing so much. Its not a story to be told standing up."

She simply nodded. "I assumed so much. It's not too far, follow me."
Vivienne began heading back the way she came through the trees, expertly navigating the terrain until the rocky shelter came within sight once more, the small campfire flickering at the entrance.

Red followed her closely. "Oh that's quite the cozy place you've got there!"

A small smile played across Vivienne's lips. "Thank you, I was quite fortunate to find it before the rain got too bad. It's very convenient."

"It certainly looks quite homely in this weather." Red smiled back.

Vivienne happily nodded and ducked inside. "It is very much so. Feel free to have a seat if you like and dry yourself by the fire. Would you like any tea?"

"Thank you, that would be lovely! I could use something warm right about now. Its been a trying few days."

"I can understand that." Vivienne replied sympathetically, carefully pouring the elixir into the jars so she could rinse the cauldron and heat more water for tea. "There is still some soup in the pot as well if you're hungry, I made a little too much earlier."

"Oh I might take you up on that offer," she nodded again, with a small smirk. "You're a hard woman to find. It has been a bit of a journey."

Vivienne chuckled as she washed the cauldron and filled it with water once more. "I like to keep it that way. If everyone knew where I was I would have people practically lined up to see if they could be the next great wielder of Excalibur."

Red chuckled along. "No doubt."

She began heating the water and gathering a few things to make another cup of tea. "Mhm, and I like having it by my side again so I tend to make myself scarce. exciting things tend to happen in the Wastes anyway. You never know what you're going to get."

"I can imagine. I've had to use this basket twice just on the trek here."

"That's actually one of the main reason's I'm here now actually." Vivienne finished the tea and handed Red the steaming cup before retrieving her own from beside the fire. "I needed an orchid to make more healing elixir since I used the last of mine after an attack."

"Ahh. Yeah you run through those quite fast out here."

"Mhm, you sure do." She finished tidying around her little camp before settling somewhat near the fire, having gotten a little soaked when she had gone out to find Red.

Red let out a small sigh, taking a small sip of tea. "Well thank you kindly for the hospitality but I should get down to the matter at hand."

Vivenne nodded, taking a sip of her tea as well. "Of course, I'm curious as to what happened."

Red nodded. "Well, it started out as all things do. With a wyvern."

Vivienne sipped her tea and nodded silently, curious and not wanting to interrupt.

"It was odd. New. Like a fresh beast of the darkness. Not like the stragglers we clean up usually in forests much like this one."

Her brow furrowed slightly. "odd indeed..."

"Very," Red nodded with a small sigh, "it was. It was terrifying. Black tar oozing out from between its scales." She shuddered. "I've had nightmares ever since."

"Sounds like it was fresh... straight from the heart of that cursed mountain."

"That about sums it up. It was a grisly affair, we lost Jack and many years of our lives but we just about felled the beast."

"you lost Jack just from the wyvern?" There was serious concern etched across her features now.

"Yeah," nodded Red, her face etched with worry, "and then the man arrived. Dark suit. Lots of orange in his suit and hair. And magic. Golden spells. Powerful."

Vivienne frowned now and slowly took another sip of her tea. She could tell where this story was going.

"It was a massacre. He launched this horrible spell. The corpse of the wyvern blocked it. Saved me, Peter Pan, Wendy and Alice. That's it. Everyone else. Every captain. Charred to ash." She visibly shook.

Vivienne's eyes widened as she carefully set her tea down. "By the light of dawn... Everyone? Just by one spell?"

Red looked older than Vivienne herself in that moment. "One spell. One moment. All of them. Just ash."

"I'm so sorry... That's terrible." She shook her head solemnly before looking at Red again. "Are you doing okay?"

Red nodded. "Well I'd be lying if I said I'm completely okay, but I've...I've entered this point where I just want that man gone. Then I can mourn. I have to be okay right now. For everyone."

"I understand. That's half the battle being a warrior or in your case, a paladin. I know all too well."

Red nodded. "I'm glad. And well that's what brings me here. We retreated as quick as we could and made the only choice we had left. Recruit more paladins." She managed a small smile. "You were one of our bigger hopes."

Vivienne smiled a little as well at the offer. "I would be more then honored to join you."

"I'm glad to hear it." Red took another sip of her now cooling tea. "Thank you."

"Of course. Even with traveling, I have begun to get restless and search for a greater purpose. Hopefully this is it." She smiled a bit and sipped her tea as well.

"It may very well be. It certainly is our greatest purpose at the moment."

Vivenne nodded, finishing her tea and setting the now empty cup down once more with a small chuckle. "I would very much hope so. The fate of Grimm more often then not rests on your shoulders."

Red chuckled. "I wonder if we should be trusted with that on some days."

"Fate has it's ways, whether pleasant or not with how things resolve. You are doing what is right and trying your hardest. That is all that matters."

"Thank you. I... I needed to hear that." Red downed the rest of her tea in one go. "Thank you again."

Vivienne smiled more. "Of course. Do you plan to head back to the paladins or do you wish to wait out the rain? Either is fine with me however having company isn't so bad so if you choose to leave now I will probably accompany you."

"Uhh. I know speed is of the essence but I may take you up on the offer to wait out the rain. Then we can make our way back together? Hopefully before nightfall."

"I quite like that plan. Worst case we can travel through the night or leave first thing in the morning." Vivienne leaned back against the earthen wall of the shelter as she cast a kind smile towards Red. " As for right now, you deserve to rest at least a little with how much you've been through."

"That's a good idea. Thank you once again." Red nodded with a small appreciative smile.

"It's my pleasure." Vivienne replied softly.

The fire crackled, warming the shelter as the rain outside continued to pour down, rivulets of water running through the grass. Even with the darkness that loomed from Teufels Berg and the news of the fallen paladins, there were still places of peace in the dangerous land of Grimm.

And Vivienne was determined to keep it that way.

Aurora took a long breath, savoring the lovely smell of breakfast. That combining with the wonderful scent of the morning air coming through the open windows was just the most heavenly combination that she could think of.

It was a beautiful day to be up and about. The air was rich, the air was clean an it brought it with it the scent of every little flower that had bloomed up in the brightness of this morning. It was the best background to be gently cooking breakfast in.

Aurora was alone at the house today, hence why she was only cooking up just the one portion of bacon and three eggs for herself, frying them gently in the butter that she'd made just this morning. It was a simple fare, but she knew it would be delicious, especially knowing where every single one of those ingredients had come from. Well besides the salt. She didn't make her own salt.

Flipping the bacon around, she moved to quickly grab the plate she'd washed up and readied earlier. This was not the kind of meal that waited for you if you were too slow. One second too slow on the eggs and they were not going to be perfectly runny like she wanted them to be.

Reaching with her spatula, she gently took them right off, slipping them onto her plate, spreading out her bacon just a little more to give them some more space to finish up the cooking. Humming softly, she broke out into a little song.

It was in some sense the middle of nowhere, so when she was alone like this, singing at the top of her lungs when most people tended to still be asleep was perfectly reasonable and if there was one way to make a wonderful like this morning better, this was it. She resisted the urge to break into a little dance as she grabbed her pepper pill, grinding just a little touch over the two runny eggs.

As the sound of the bacon changed just slightly, that smell reaching that perfect peak when she new it was done, she reached in with her spatula again, flipping it out an onto the plate. Moving quickly, she turned off the heat, gently setting the pan by the sink to cool off until it was reasonable enough to wash. Picking up the plate, she headed towards the small back porch they had.

There was a cosy little table there, positioned just perfectly to look out onto the field of flowers and she practically waltzed her way there, doing maybe one more twirl that strictly advised when carrying a plate of hot food in one hand and a fork and knife in the other. Especially while singing at the same time. But Aurora didn't really care. There was no one to tell her off about it, and this morning was just asking for it.

Setting the plate and cutlery down, she done one last little twirl in front of the table and did a little bow to all the beautiful little flowers that had been paying attention. Finally taking a seat, she began to dig in, still humming quietly along.

Then, in the distance, a strange figure broke through the treeline. One wearing a chaotic blue dress and tophat getup, and surprisingly for the region, a silver shortsword was sheathed to her hip. Strangely, she kept rapidly glancing over her shoulder as she approached, as if terrified of being followed.

Aurora frowned slightly. Well that definitely wasn't anyone she spotted normally coming up that path. She peered a little closer, breakfast forgotten, trying to make head or tail of this. Surely the person wasn't headed straight here? And why did she look so uneasy, on a morning like this no less.

After one more glance behind her, the odd woman suddenly charged toward the house at an alarming rate, ducking behind one of the larger ferns as she reached for her sword.

She cocked her head toward Aurora. "You see them? Huh?"

"Uhh? The flowers?" She was rapidly getting more confused, but this woman seemed to be in some sort of trouble, and it wouldn't do not to help. She got up slowly, trying not to startle the woman.

"Not the flowers," the woman argued. "Wheelers- I swear I heard them. All around those woods. Awful things, you know, they like to creep in from Oz and cause all sorts of havoc. Then they start mingling with the beasts and..." She shuddered. "It's enough to drive someone mad. Not that I would know."

Aurora politely refrained from commenting that of all the people she'd ever met, this stranger was perhaps the closest bet to someone who would know what it was like to be mad.

"Wheelers? They sound... circular. Umm.. and beasts you say? Are they following you?" She blinked slowly. Was this some sort of invisible menace?

The woman nearly jumped out of her skin. "Wait, they're following me?!"

"Oh no. No. Not. Not from what I can see." She quickly backpedalled. "You just seemed quite concerned about them. So I was wondering if they were. You were glancing behind yourself quite a lot."

"Oh..." The woman smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. Forgive me, it's the mark of Wonderland you see. Heightened senses, I think. I seem to...experience things when nobody else does. Not in a mad way, you see, it just...happens."

"Uhh.. so like. You see thing no one else can see? Or you're just sensing them from further away that most people would be able to?"

"I'm...not entirely sure. It just happens..." The woman perked up and stepped forward. "But that's enough of my rambling. If I'm not mistaken, you are Aurora, are you not?"

"Uhhh." Aurora wasn't sure if she wanted to follow up more on the creatures only this woman could see or try and see how she knew her name. She decided the second one was probably more relevant to her. "Umm. That is my name, yes. Although I can't be sure if I am the Aurora you're looking for."

The woman stepped forward, almost slamming a small notebook down onto the table. The notes inside were sporadic and made almost no sense.

"Aurora -middle and last name redacted, famous in some regions of Grimm for rumors of charming your way out of a curse from an infamous Black Mage. A very serious curse no less. Since then it seems you've tried your hand at White Magic and drawn even more attention -good attention to clarify- from locals. Not a lot about any prior upbringing, but even in recent years, you've made a lot of progress."

Aurora blinked. "Umm. I don't know about infamous, but my aunt is pretty cool. Honestly I think she just accidentally made that curse when she was a little hangry. You're not yourself when you're hungry." She shrugged. "And I. I mean. I've healed a few colds. The odd bruise. Its rather delightful magic. Makes you feel all warm an fuzzy."

The woman smirked and leaned closer. "Aurora, that mage was put on watch from King Midas himself because of the seriousness of her prior offenses, especially in the realm of Black Magic. They say she walked the path of a Witch, a fate that immediately darkens the heart of anyone who dares it, and some even rumored that she made a deal with a beast from the Black Lake. I don't know if you know what any of that means, but in short; very bad, very scary, very dark. Of course, she's clearly fallen off the radar and I'm sure she's a lovely woman now -after all, it was our job to keep tabs on her. That's how we found out about you, and that's why we're here."

"Umm...I mean that does sound quite scary when you put it like that." Aurora hummed. "Auntie does have a preference for black. I never understood it. Like the color just sucks the life out of things sometimes you know? I suppose I could see it. But how does that bring me into the picture?"

"You were the key to redeeming her," the woman explained. "No average human could change the heart of a Witch. It takes someone with a great natural affinity for White Magic and healing energy in general. Intentionally or not, you healed her -you convinced a powerful witch to give up the darkest of arts, and that's no small feat. I think, with a little bit of pointers and someone to give you direction, you could be of great service to us."

"O..oh. I. Wait. Really? Y..you're saying I. I helped her? I mean she talks a lot about how my smile is her headache medicine or something like that. You're telling she wasn't joking?"

"Nope," the woman replied. "Which brings me to the next point."

She extended one hand and tipped her tophat with the other.

"Name's Alice Liddel, Captain for the Paladins of Grimm. I'm on a mission to find mages with high potential right now, and you fit the bill."

"Ohh. Ohh. Ohh. You're like. Alice. From Wonderland. The Alice. The one with all the stories? T..that Alice?"

"Huh, guess I'm more infamous that I thought," Alice murmured. "Well, I am Alice and I spent some time in Wonderland, so I'm going to say yes to that assumption. Now, then..."

Alice whipped out a letter. The parchment was yellowed and the red wax seal had a stamp with a rabbit wearing a top hat.

"If you're interested, the other captains and I would very much appreciate it if you joined us for a consult. You'll have your chance to walk away if you find it's not your calling, but if you have any urge to heal, serve, and protect the people of Grimm, I think you'll want to hear us out."

"Oooh. Healing and protecting the people of Grimm sounds like a wonderful thing to do. I love healing people. There's something wonderful about that relieved and very genuine smile you can see on a person's face as their pain goes away, you know?"

"You're talking to a magic-less warrior here so not exactly, but I get the idea." She slid the letter forward. "I won't lie or sugar-coat it, there will be some danger involved. But it's a job with high payoff in gold, accolades, adventure, and just as you describe, a sense of fulfilment. Our consult will be held in a week's time, at our headquarters in Mount Stromberg. Can I count on your arrival?"

"Uhh. Well I'm not too sure what I'll do with gold, but the rest of that sounds positively amazing. I think I could find my way to Mount Stromberg but uhh is there something I need to know to find your headquarters or is it one of those that stick out fairly prominently and I'll be able to find with ease?"

"It's pretty easy," Alice replied. "Instructions are provided in the invitation, and if that's not enough, you can ask pretty much anyone in the city area."

"Ooooh that sounds lovely. In that case, I will in fact make it there. I assume the exact time and date are on it too?"

"Yup," Alice replied. "So can I take your questions as a 'yes' to this invitation?"

"Yess. I will be accepting it. Yes," Aurora nodded, smiling widely. "I will have to tell a few people but I very much doubt they'll stop me and this seems like an absolutely wonderful invitation."

"Great!" Alice tipped her hat. "Well, I'll see you there. Have a good day then..." She turned and walked only a couple of feet before rapidly glancing back with a suspicious expression and whispering, "And keep an eye out for Wheelers, eh?"

Aurora promptly stepped up and swept her into a hug. "I will. Thank youu. Have a good day yourself. Be safe out there. You look like you've been through a few tough times to be so careful." She patted Alice's shoulder gently.

"What's the-?! Ah- oh, no, a hug, that's right..." Alice kindly -and somewhat awkwardly- patted her head. "Good then. Farewell."

Aurora beamed. "Farewell. I look forward to thiss! I hope I am as good as your reports have said I could be!"

Alice nodded, then proceeded back toward the woods. It didn't take long for her to break into a sprint and duck into one of the bushes, possibly afraid of finding some kind of beast or being followed. Even though the woods were still completely silent and peaceful -as they had been the whole time.

Aurora shook her, just a little bit amused at ALice's antics, but also the slightest bit worried. Alice had warned her of dangers to encounter and while Alice was just a little bit eccentric, she wasn't foolish enough to ignore the fact that something had definitely scared Alice. And quite recently too at that.

As she turned back to her now long forgotten breakfast, she ran a few of those words throug her mind. Lots of black. Scary and these wheelies and beasts. Certainly things worth looking into. She shrugged, taking her breakfast inside. She'd warm it through again before finishing it.

Aurora would have to find out quite a bit at this headquarters it would seem. She took a small deep breath, starting to hum again. She would worry about that when it was time for it. There was no reason to waste the rest of this beautiful morning worrying about something she didn't entirely know. Maybe her stepmom's would know something more. She really needed to get out and into the village more.

Aurora did a little twirl as she set the plate by the stove again. She'd find out. Then she'd help. Helping people would always be her favorite thing.