Nokamata: The Birth of Roma's Hand

[15:58] Romulus Aethern asks, "Do you think we should name our group?"
[15:59] Selena Nokamata says, "Of course. Though, as we are... I don't exactly know how we'd carry ourselves."
[15:59] Selena Nokamata says, "A name should cover that much. That way, when people hear of us, they know what exactly we intend."
[16:00] "Selena and friends?" He'd chuckle before shaking his head. "But well, there is that one name that was haunting me for a while..."
(Romulus Aethern)
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[16:01] Mid-swing, she turned her head towards the latter bit of Romulus' spiel, slamming the pick into an ore vein to split the stone from her prize.
"Oh? --and what was that exactly?"
(Selena Nokamata)
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[16:07] "Well... My name actually came from my father's dreams, long before I was born." He said with a light chuckle, praying that the woman won't think he's clinically insane. "He dreamt of Roma, a city-state that never was. Founded by a man that never existed. I... I want to make his dream come true. Build a society where no invention would be forgotten, where we'd finally get over our primitivism." He'd let out a long sigh as the wave of doubt washed over him. "Forget it."
(Romulus Aethern)
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[16:29] Selena buried her pick into the stone once more, liberating her prized lump of copper. Without much hesitation, she buried the lump into a sack on her person, all the while hearing Romulus out.
He briefly spoke of a dream for a city-state devoid of the troubles, feeling herself grow sympathetic towards the man.
Surely, he could dream, and likely such a dream would never come to light.

"No." He answered, "If I intended to forget it, I wouldn't have bothered asking you in the first place." she assured of him.
"Roma. It's something. Though, as it stands, not a soul would see it come to light. It's new and threatening to those in positions of authority and power." She reached for her pickaxe, and walking cane in the opposing arm to move onward.

"If 'Roma' is a dream, then certainly one could reach for it. Unfortunately, that would also mean the many that seek to refuse it would have to be stood against, antagonized and all." She assured.

She stood so far away, yet, her voice seemed to coo as though she were right beside him. In this dim darkness, her eyes shined much brighter, perhaps in reverence to the torchlight fastened to her walking cane. The flame to her torch began to dwindle, but her gander upon Romulus did not...
In fact, the shadows sought to hug her every crevices, choking out her façade until they'd have her... Leaving naught but those crimson hues locked upon the Aethern.

"We'd need coin... We'd need support... But mostly, we'd have to remain in the shadows until the moment was right." Her voice spoke out to him... But... From where? He could approach where she once stood, but he'd find no one. There seemed to be a warmth emanating from his right side... No, behind him. A subtle breeze, almost like a hand softly cradling her face sought to pivot his attention over.

She was closer now, slowly reaching out to embrace him from behind -- discouraging his magus aura to prevent from buffeting away her touch.
She picked her cane-torch up to stab it at the stone ground before Romulus, reached around him.

"Think about it." The staff didn't quite pierce much into the earth, but it stood adamant, refusing to simply tip over. All the while, it was easily presumed that Selena was using the man's body to keep herself upright. Her, now freed up right hand spanned out before him, swaying slowly across them as though to invoke his imagination on the matter.

"The vision behind Roma, being enabled by a group that work in the shadows. Surely, it would be vigilantism, and some evils would be necessary, but we can make it a reality in the end. We can serve, not quite like brutish mercenaries, but as agents in the dark: fulfilling our agenda, without a soul to trouble us along the way. We recruit through the stealthy arts, and spy on our enemies... Until our small claims can grow into something greater." A pause, thought put behind the matter, emphasized by the curling of her fingers.

"Roma's Hand." Her digits spanned out once more, painting the metaphorical picture for him.
For just a moment... It was faint, but the image of a city-state -- the structures, buildings... the various peoples of assorted origins, similar yet not quite that of Osrona, Nysea nor the others. Was it not simply the man's imagination following suit? Going buck wild even?! At the end of the day, did anyone truly want to invest so much thought into the literal, when they could focus on what it represented?

"That would be it... What do you say?" she spoke through her breath for Romulus' ear, grinning all the while. She paused for his answer, before retracting her hand for her cane-torch construct, and pushing her body off from his to support her own weight.
(Selena Nokamata)
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[17:20] Roma... Roma wasn't an utopia. Humans were the way there was, there was nothing that could change it. Yet her reassuring voice, her wonderful eyes yet again reflecting the light in this one, very special way, he felt scared but at the same time it made him believe her every word. "That... That was my plan all along!" Aethern said, smiling like and undergrounder child seeing the sky for the first time as she went about keeping the society hidden for the time being. He really didn't want conflict at this point.

The reality felt distorted yet again, her voice basically pouring into his head as he gazed into her ruby eyes. Both of them started to fade into darkness, Romulus felt the feeling of fear creep over him, but it was mixed with something else. Something pleasant he couldn't really put finger on it. Her presence wasn't just in one place. She was everywhere, enveloping him in her psychedelic warmth.

He felt her soft arms wrap around him, it was a strange sensation, a mix soothing warmth, calmness, all mixed with a hint of sense of danger. Aethern just realised how his heart was thumping, how he's cheeks gained some color. He listened to Selena's angelic voice, her words dripping, straight into his mind. Young man lacked will to do anything to resist her in any way. He midly panicked as h was losing control.


He felt corrupted. Evil was in essence... Evil. Yet the vision of Rome, the vision of the prosperous city entering the industrial era. But, it's not like he'd have to kill, not just yet, right? And, and no bystenders would get hurt! Right? He then saw it. The city of Roma.

Tall buildings made of brick, steel and glass. Laboratories making easily available medicine. Artists and scientists enjoying the true freedom. Factories creating large quantities of goods for it's workers and other citizens. Alchemists making breakthrough after breakthrough. Studentsgathering knowledge in academies. It... It wasn't perfect. Crime did take place, but it was all managable. No kids were homeless, education was common, drugs and powders were a rare sight and frowned up. He watched it all from above, like a proud father seeing his children wor for the better future.

He gasped for air. "Roma's... Hand..." He repeated. Breathing heavily, heart nearly jumping out of his chest, cheeks burning. It was all intense. He knew that whatever was about to happen was wrong and yet he absolutely couldn't help himself. He turned around and gave her a scared, somewhat sheepish look before smiling widely. An independent, peaceful state. Everything else was a fantasy, but if he could achieve at least that much he'd be completely content. "I... Count me in, ma'am." He took another breath.

(Romulus Aethern)
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[17:37] "Then, so it shall be."

The nameless group not only had a short term goal, but a long term vision for the future. One that followed the lines of a utopia: Perfection, for all to live in harmony. One dubbed 'Roma'... Thus, it was only fitting that the faction would grow to adopt the name:

Roma's Hand.
On this day of 1755 AC, the faction was born within the shadows.
"Let's head out and continue our search for other members. The last thing we need to do is announce our presence before we're able to properly fend for ourselves." She claimed, pushing herself onward for a general direction, presumably for the cavern's exit.

They were done here.
It was time to sell their earnings and get to work.
(Selena Nokamata)
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