Derrick caught his breath after completing his first of twenty runs of The Gauntlet. He had to this another nineteen times. What a bother. He almost regretted using Axii on the Crow, if only to spare him the bother of running around this stupid bloody course. Still, he couldn't deny it's effectiveness for training. It was definitely a good workout for anyone. He ought to get the old man to run it, if only to see how he handled it. Wiping a lone bead of sweat off his brow, he put his shirt and armour back on. After all, he didn't say when it had to be done, just that it had to be done. Therefore, he did not per say have to do it now. He could do one run for the next few days, maybe two if he could be arsed. It was easy enough to sort out, that was the bottom line. As he walked back to the man compound through the training area, he saw Veera brutalising one of the poor training dummies. He raised an eyebrow, not having seen her trying to murder an inanimate object quite that much before. He whistled. "I think you killed it." He joked as he approached. "So, what's pissed you off? I'm not one to be so frank to a girl but frankly you look like a ploughing psychopath off to murder someone. Horribly, if the poor dummy is anything to go by." He pointedly glanced at the battered training dummy for emphasis. He leaned against a nearby post with his arms folded, regarding her with a curious eye. Girl looked beat up enough already without smearing her own damn blood over her face with all the scars and shit.
"My name is Boreal, Dale's brother. I am going out to the town to get a place to stay and recover from the ungodly headache I am suffering from because of Sapphire Eclipse and yes, I just jumped out of the window." Borela answered. "You should probably check around a bit. I believe that Mikasa has gone off to stab some of your guild mates, including my brother and was holding a woman named Johanna hostage with me. Mikasa let me out, I let Johanna out after playing her because as it turns out, Mikasa is psychotic and behaves like an idiot. Really, her first mistake was believing me when I said I'd help." Maybe that would be enough to convince the man that he had better things to do than bother him on his way out. After all, this was the farthest that he'd got so far and didn't particularly feel like being thrown in that goddamned cell yet again. "Does that about clear everything up?" He added.
Gexln used Beast Soul Lizardman. Gaius used Quick Blitz. He did 4 damage, but with Strength, Speed and Weapon it dealt 48 damage. Veilen used Cure on Ra. He healed 5 damage, but with Magic he healed 15 damage. Thomas used Thunder. He did 6 damage, but with Magic and Weapon he did 30 damage. Charlotte used Barrier Surge. It did 6 damage, but with Defence she dealt 17 damage. Overall, everyone dealt 95 damage. Mikasa's defence reduced 21, so she takes 74 damage. Mikasa used Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw on Gexln, but Charlotte got in the way. Mikasa HP: (273) (+3) (+9) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) Weapon: Twin Blades (9 - 18 x 2) Manoeuvre Gear (+10 SPD) Abilities: (12) (+4) Sacrifice: Expend HP to perform a single, powerful attack. (50 + Health spent) Sonic Blade: Perform a series of charging attacks that will reach faraway enemies. (55 damage) Curaga: Recover a huge amount of HP. (30MP. 20 healed+Magic Stat) Spark Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy. If it connects, the your weapon will split into beams of light that fly in all directions. (60 damage + 15 damage to other targets) Wind Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy, letting the wind guide it toward your target for multiple hits. (70 damage but will never miss) Chaos Blade: RNG to perform a series of charging attacks that blind, bind or confuse some foes. (45 damage + guaranteed status effects) Poison Dragon's Crushing Fang: The user attacks their target with poison-covered fingertips, from which a poisonous mist trails. (60 damage, extra 20 over 1-3 turns, 100 MP) Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust: The user generates a wave of poison, shaped like a large-fanged snake head, and sends it towards the target, stopping their incoming attacks by having the wave "bite" them (80 damage, extra 30 over 1-3 turns, 140 MP) Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw: The user jumps in the air and, when they are upside down, gathers poison on their legs and kicks the opponent while rotating. This spell is highly reminiscent of the Dragon's Claw Spells employed by several other Dragon Slayers. (100 damage, extra 40 over 1-3 turns, 180 MP) Poison Dragon's Scales: The user swings their arm, generating a very large number of scale-shaped masses of poison, which are rapidly sent flying at the target in consecutive reprises. (70 damage per 1-3 scales, extra 15 damage per scale over 1-3 turns, 200 MP) Dark Firaga: Launch a ball of dark fire that blinds some targets. (18 MP. 30 Damage) Fission Firaga: Launch a ball of fire that explodes when it hits an enemy, catching nearby foes in the blast. (20MP, 35 Damage to target, 15 to others) Triple Blizzaga: Blast enemies head-on with a series of three chunks of ice that cut right through and potentially deal multiple hits. (30MP, 3X16 Damage) Satan Soul (Spell) Titan Items: (10) Skill Ring: Increases Strength, Speed and slightly increases maximum AS (+4, +2, +1) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense (+9, +3) Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense. Equip more to boost effect. (+3, +4) Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense. Equip more to boost effect. (+3, +4) Master Earring: Significantly raises max AS, Speed and Defense. (+4, +1, +2) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Strength: 29 (+4) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) Speed: 4 (+2) (+3) (+1) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+10) Defence: 5 (+3) (+3) (+4) (+4) (+2) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) Magic: 26 Gexln HP: (34/170) (+6)(+6)(+6)(+6)(+3)(+3) MP: (0) (+4)(+4)(+4)(+4)(+40) Weapon: Darkness’ Sorrow: 15 - 25 damage Abilities: (11) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+1) Dark Firaga: Launch a ball of dark fire that blinds some targets. (18 MP. 30 Damage) Curaga: Recover a huge amount of HP. (30MP. 20 healed+Magic Stat) Shadow Dragon's Slash: The user covers their arm in shadows and then punches the target. They can also divide their shadow into numerous thin tendrils to strike the target (80 damage OR 25 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 100 MP) Shadow Dragon's Crushing Fang: The user generates shadows from their hand and unleashes them against the target (100 damage OR 30 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 150 MP) Shadow Dragon's Claw: The user generates shadows from their feet and unleashes them against their target with a kick (120 damage OR 40 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 200 MP) Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash: The user turns their body into shadows and then wraps themselves around the target, assaulting them with a torrent of shadows generated from their hands, becoming tangible once more (140 damage OR 50 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 250 MP) Sand Buster: The user gets down on their four limbs, in a stance which is reminiscent of a real scorpion's, and then points their imaginary scorpion-like stinger at the opponents. A large amount of sand is subsequently fired from it in the form of a powerful sand tornado, which moves towards the target in a line and strikes them with great blunt power; so much, in fact, that even nearby enemies which aren't directly struck by the attack will be thrown to the ground by the tornado's sheer rotatory power (75MP, 95 MP) Sand Bomb: The user creates a large ball of sand which can be used to trap the opponent. (55MP, 45 damage, can’t attack for a turn) Sand Explosion: The user turns their palms towards the target, causing the ground underneath the target to explode and turn into sand, covering them (55 MP, 65 damage) Beast Soul: Beast Soul (45 MP) Beast Soul: Weretiger (45 MP) Beast Soul: Lizardman (45 MP) Stun Edge: Perform a jumping attack that stuns some foes. (30 damage + stun chance) Spark Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy. If it connects, the your weapon will split into beams of light that fly in all directions. (60 damage + 15 damage to other targets) Wind Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy, letting the wind guide it toward your target for multiple hits. (70 damage but will never miss)Treasure Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy. Causes some foes to drop Jewels . (50 damage + 1-50 Jewels ) Break Time: Restore 10% of Max HP and 10 MP each time dependent on RNG score (1-10) PASSIVE: 10% of damage dealt to him is reflected to the enemy - Beast Soul Lizardman Items: (11) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Golem Chain: Raises Strength, Speed and Defense (+3, +1, +1) Strength: 28 (+3)(+3)(+3)(+3)(+3)(+3)(+3) (Total: 49) +10) (59) Speed: 34.5 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)(+3)(+3)(+1)(Total 49) Defence: 6 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)(+3)(+3)(+1)(+10)(Total 31) Magic: 12 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)(Total 20) Gaius HP: (60) (+3) MP: (65) Weapon: Fists (4-8 damage) + 5 speed Abilities: (6) Quick Blitz: Perform a jumping attack. (5 Damage) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Binding Strike: Perform a spinning attack that binds some foes. (20 damage + chance to stop enemies attacking for a turn) Fire: Launch a ball of fire toward enemies. (3MP. Deals 5 Damage) Cure: Recover a small amount of HP. (8MP, 5HP Healed+Magic Stat) Items: (5) Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Speed (+4, +3) Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Speed (+4, +3) Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Speed (+4, +3) Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense. Equip more to boost effect. (+3, +4) Strength: 19(+4)(+4)(+4) Speed: 10(+3)(+3)(+3) Defence: 1(+4) Magic: 5 Ra HP: (-25/60) MP: (116) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+70) Weapon: Mage’s Staff (5-13) +0 SPD Abilities: (6)(+2)(+2) Fire Dash: Cloak yourself in fire, then punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (25 damage + 5 fire damage continuous for 2 turns) Binding Strike: Perform a spinning attack that binds some foes. (35 damage + chance to stop enemies attacking for a turn) Stop: Manipulate time to bring surrounding enemies' movement to a complete halt for 1 round of combat. (15MP) Magnet: Use magnetic force to pull enemies in and deal continual damage.(6MP, 12 damage over 2 turns) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Fira: Launch a stronger ball of fire toward enemies. (6MP. Deals 10 Damage) Aerora: Call on the wind to lift enemies into the air and send them flying for more damage. Stuns many foes.(10MP, 16 damage on impact+Stun) Items: (5) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Mage Earring: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+2, +4) 620/300 Jewels Mage Earring: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+2, +4) 620/300 Jewels Strength: 19(+4)(+4)(+4) Speed: 10(+3)(+3)(+3) Defence: 1(+4) Magic: 5 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+4)(+4) Velien HP: (65) (+3)(+1)(+6) MP: (72.5) (+1)(+40) Weapon: Deforcesword (6-12 damage, + 2 SPD) Abilities: (10)(+4)(+4) Cure: Recover a small amount of HP. (8MP, 5HP Healed+Magic Stat) Esuna: Recover from all negative status effects. (10MP) Thundara: Strike surrounding enemies from above with stronger lightning that shocks other nearby foes if it connects.(6MP, 12 damage, deals half to other targets) Fire Dash: Cloak yourself in fire, then punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (25 damage + 5 fire damage continuous for 2 turns) Stop: Manipulate time to bring surrounding enemies' movement to a complete halt for 1 round of combat. (15MP) Magnet: Use magnetic force to pull enemies in and deal continual damage.(6MP, 12 damage over 2 turns) Binding Strike: Perform a spinning attack that binds some foes. (35 damage + chance to stop enemies attacking for a turn) Fira: Launch a stronger ball of fire toward enemies. (6MP. Deals 10 Damage) Aerora: Call on the wind to lift enemies into the air and send them flying for more damage. Stuns many foes.(10MP, 16 damage on impact+Stun) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Items: (6) Energy Bangle: Slightly raises max HP and Defense (+3, +1) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Angel Bangle: Raises max HP and Defense. (+6, +2) Mage’s Earrings: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+4, +3) Mage’s Earrings: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+4, +3) Strength: 11.5(+3) Speed: 2(+2) Defence: 3(+2)(+1)(+2) Magic: 8.5 (+2)(+3)(+3) Charlotte HP: (90) (+9)(+9)(+6) MP: (65) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+4)(+10) Weapon: Hand and a Half Sword (5-14) -1 SPD Abilities: (5) Esuna: Recover from all negative status effects. (10MP) Barrier Surge: Cloak yourself in a barrier and rush the enemy. (15 damage + 1 Round invulnerability) Fire Surge: Rush the enemy while a ring of fire revolves around you, hitting targets multiple times. (30 damage + 4 continuous fire damage) Stop: Manipulate time to bring surrounding enemies' movement to a complete halt for 1 round of combat. (15MP) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Items: (6) Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense (+9, +3) Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense (+9, +3) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) 1000/300 Strength: 15(+1) Speed: 1 (+3) Defence: 5 (+3)(+3)(+2) Magic: 5 (+2) Thomas HP: (60) (+6) MP: (82.5) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+4)(+40) Weapon: Magic Sniper Rifle: (6-12) +2SPD Abilities: (6)(+1) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Fire: Launch a ball of fire toward enemies. (3MP. Deals 5 Damage) Cure: Recover a small amount of HP. (8MP, 5HP Healed+Magic Stat) Thunder: Strike surrounding enemies from above with lightning that shocks other nearby foes if it connects (3MP, 6 damage, deals half to other targets) Quick Blitz: Perform a jumping attack. (5 Damage) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Items: (6) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Strength: 11.5(+3) Speed: 2(+2) Defence: 3(+2) Magic: 12.5 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)
"Not merely perhaps- Serve was an incorrect word to use." Vance corrected harshly, but heard the man out regardless. It seemed that he tried to protect her before. While interesting, it made ultimately little difference. He would not ask this second rate Wizard for help training his daughter unless none of the S-Classes were available to do it. Unless of course, she wanted it. Still, this man did try and help her before and seemed to want to now. He would give him the leniency of asking if she would want this person's help. Although, that didn't stop him from immediately spotting an opening. "Somehow, I am really not surprised that you have no friends. Believe me, that is saying something considering that I am hardly popular here." Yes, he helped Thea, but he was impolite so he would take what jabs he could. Besides, he needed to ensure the man was fully aware of who he was dealing with. "By virtue of your helping Thea, I shall spare you the dishonour of kneeling. I shall even ask if she is willing to consider you an option for training her. But you will give me your name first, and then you will leave me be for now. I am tired of the insolence of people." Vance spoke. He cared not for this fool's philosophies on what was a mage and what was not. He was a nobleman and a politician first and a Wizard second. Matters of wizardry were of no concern to him. As soon as he had done enough here, he would return home and to politics and secure a new age of Dorian dominance on the political spectrum with his adopted daughter and through her, the Strive family on his side. And she would be better than he. Vance knew that little girl had the talent to surpass him in every way. Perhaps not politics, but she could be a better Wizard, a better person, parent... He wanted that for her. Reflecting on that, he felt tired. He wanted to rest. Once he was done here, he would check on Thea and go to sleep. Hopefully Conrad and that Tessa were gone. Then he could have his turn to rest, although he did not put it past them to disturb him out of spite.
Vance narrowed his eyes at the pathetic mongrel before him. Who did this man think he was? He was nothing. He had no right to speak that way to one of his betters. Especially, to a girl and more so to his daughter. "Thea, please go upstairs." Vance spoke, less the gentle father and more the stone cold nobleman. "The adults need to have a talk. I'll be along soon to check on you." He would now address the fool's less impetuous remarks in his daughter's presence before correcting his mistakes. And they certainly needed correcting. However, as always, the nobleman's face was impassive. He would not show his irritation at all. Certainly not in front of Thea. Once she was gone, because she would surely listen. She was a well educated young lady after all. "Thea is my adopted daughter as of recently. I am protecting her from unscrupulous characters who speak of servitude. My daughter, like me, like the other people here is above that. We do not serve this Guild. We are members of it. You would be wise to remember that before you step too far out of your place." Vance answered. "As for what I want? I want you to stop harassing and causing distress to my daughter. I am well aware that she needs rest and I was about to help her up to her room before you intervened. You will stay away from her henceforth, mongrel. You spoke uncouthly to a Strive and now, the Dorian family. Do not invoke our wrath or you shall soon find yourself shorter of friends, fortune and welcome than you already are. Your manner is poor - Lacking in politeness and common decency. You will stay your tongue in my presence and hers and you will from this point on listen to me as due punishment for your insolence. These terms cannot be negotiated." "I have been troubled enough by fools today. Do not add your worthless name to the list. You have not the stature to address me in such a way. I will tolerate it from certain people who are worthy. As you might have guessed, you are not one of them." Vance narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint entering them. "Kneel, lowiife and make your apologies. If fighting is as needless as you claim, then you will surely see that this is the correct course of action. Unless of course, you wish to add Hypocrite to the list of derogatory terms already applicable to you."
"I see. Thank you very much. I suppose I should see what Thea thinks when she is better suited to thinking about such things." Vance said formally. He noticed Thea standing up and walking away and once he'd said his piece, Vance turned to follow her. "I must go now. Thea will probably need me because of her fatigue." Incidentally, the man he was talking to seemed to be distracted with this Leo character's relationship status so there was no point in staying around. Thea needed putting to bed. He walked briskly to catch up, then spotted someone talking to her. Judging by the look on his face, the way he regarded her, the body language, the look behind the eyes... That was no friendly look. If this man had a problem with Thea then he would deal with Vance Dorian too. It seemed that he knew her name, that meant he knew her from somewhere. His suspicions heightened. A grudge perhaps? "What do you want with my daughter?" Vance demanded, looking straight into his eyes. He was ready to set alight the Phoenix Coat at will. "I guess there must be. I wonder if they're all as weird as yours." Alessia replied. She folded her arms and leaned back, thinking about Virgo's apparent weirdness. Something struck her. Back in her town, there were a few spiritual people who talked about star signs. She was almost certain that was one of them. "Hey, Zephyr. You ever heard of zodiac signs? They're star signs. Weird kind of superstition really, I don't know if there's any magical relation but, Virgo is one of them. Pretty sure apparently my mom was one. Something about when you're born? Could be something to do with that. If you're right and there's more then, if they're the same thing, then there's probably a key for every spirit." That was her best guess at what was going on with it. She didn't remember which one she was meant to be though. She only remembered her mom's because she was always talking about what that meant. She didn't get it really. Some people's superstitions were weird, but if she'd learned anything at the Guild, it was that superstition came from somewhere. "Well, clearly I don't know him given that I never knew you before you joined this Guild. As a matter of course, what Guild were you in?" Caliborn asked. He didn't exactly believe Jack's story thus far. The man was an average Wizard - At best, from what he could sense. There was definitely nothing to give the impression of actually being powerful enough to warrant being second in command. Which made him wonder, which guild was he part of? It couldn't be a particularly large, or even important one. With his skill, he wouldn't have made it anywhere near the top. Also, what the hell kind of guild was he in that didn't even have many wizards? From what he could gather from what the man had been saying, only he, Varrik and this other man were the wizards in the Guild. Could that even be considered a Wizard's Guild? "I'm sorry to hear that your other guild mates died. If Varrik is indeed alive as you say, then where is he? And surely, you are no longer relevant. You're not part of that Guild anymore- You left that behind when you joined Sapphire Eclipse. This person, whoever they may be, should leave you alone now. Besides, even if they do come here, we have Evanora, myself and other powerful wizards. They won't be an issue."
Derrick laughed as Veceslav finally figured out what was going on. He didn't take it in any better humour of course, but that was nothing new was it? "Heh, you noticed quicker than last time. I'm not doing anything wrong, just a bit of extra training for me and you." Derrick laughed, not even trying to be convincing. It was however, true, but still. He was doing it primarily to screw with the old man and he admitted to himself, to show off a bit. "But if it'll make you feel better Vec, I'll run it. And don't worry, I'll fetch the new kid." Derrick turned around to glance at Olivia quickly. "Be right back!" With that, Derrick sprinted off towards the Gauntlet. It was more time consuming than difficult, he felt. Twenty times would take a while and frankly he just didn't want to do it. Unfortunately. he didn't exactly have much of a choice otherwise he was going to find himself put through the ringer against the hold man and that wouldn't be pleasant. Despite the nickname, Veceslav had the bite to back up his bark. He knew that personally from another time he'd pulled the same trick. It didn't take long for him to arrive and find Aaron starting another run. He considered not telling him about not having to do it, but Aaron was new and he wasn't that much of an *******. Well, he was. But that was another matter entirely. "Hey, new kid! Don't let me stop you doing another run if you want but the old man wants you!" Derrick called. He took a leaf out of the other guy's book and took off his armour and shirt, leaving him with his trousers, boots and gloves. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. "Guess who's turn it is? I've gotta run twenty of these things. Turns out, Vec hates it when you Axii him." Derrick chuckled and began his run of The Gauntlet. Just as he remembered - It was a pain in the ass.
An Operatic Tragedy: "A sacrifice!" Clarissa exclaimed. "Without my crown what shall I be? I can't!" Clarissa pondered. "But I've got to know, please show me where to go." Clarissa awaited her answer Snow White: "The handsome Prince knelt down beside the young girl. Who could have done this? A thought that must have been going through the Prince and his Advisors head." "Meanwhile..." "Snow White' found herself cloaked in darkness, her body admitting the light. She looked ahead of her to see the Spirit Of The Mirror, no longer attending to the Queen."
Meanwhile the chaos was occurring with Mikasa and everyone was generally distracted, Boreal was left alone in his cell. Well, he did make a deal with Mikasa. He played along, then he got free. Well, he played along and he saved Johanna so really he figured that whatever way he spun it, he was probably a free man. Besides, if Mikasa was half the handful that he thought she was, then everyone would be far, far too busy dealing with her to be worrying about little old him trying to claim some freedom around here. Honestly, these crazy Wizards were way, way, way more stressful than he thought. He supposed he'd have to go somewhere and he had considered joining up with them, but he got the impression that he was quickly running out of welcome. So, he did what any reasonable person in his situation would do: He looked out the window and judged the distance. Since Johanna had flown out, he figured he'd follow suit. Boreal climbed on to the windowsill and threw himself out. The feeling of the wind rushing through his hair was wonderful. He engaged his magic again and formed up wings on to his back. They glittered off the setting sun and he slowly glided down to ground level. He didn't want to attract too much attention by flying away, so he decided to take the ground route. As he touched down, he heard the doors of the Guild Hall opening and someone very angry appearing outside. He sighed. He didn't recognise this one, but they could feasibly have been sent after him. After all, this guild was bloody huge. He began to back away, watching the man suspiciously for any signs of aggressive action. "Do you want something?" Boreal demanded, stopping a few meters away. Ice began to run up his arms from his hands to prepare himself.
Thomas used Fire. It did 4 damage, but with Magic and Weapon it did 31 damage. Gexln used Shadow Dragon's Claw. It did 127 damage. With Strength, Magic and Weapon it did 221 damage. Gaius used Binding Strike. It did 16 damage. With Strength, Magic and Weapon it did 44 damage. Veilen used cure. It healed 5 damage, but with Magic it healed 10 damage. Charlotte used Fire Surge. It did 29 damage, but with strength and magic and weapon it did 56. In total most of Team King with special guest Gexln did... 352 damage! Her defence reduced 30 damage. So basically they did 322. "RAWR take that Gexln! You think you can take me?" Mikasa continued to yell generic angry things at people because she was pissed off and really, she just had a really bad temper. Also my ear hurts so screw writing a good post. Ra took 19 damage off DoT. Mikasa used Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust. It did 74 damage, but with Strength, Magic and Weapon it did 156 damage. Gexln's defence reduced 20, making her deal 136. Mikasa HP: (347) (+3) (+9) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3)Weapon: Twin Blades (9 - 18 x 2) Manoeuvre Gear (+10 SPD) Abilities: (12) (+4)Sacrifice: Expend HP to perform a single, powerful attack. (50 + Health spent) Sonic Blade: Perform a series of charging attacks that will reach faraway enemies. (55 damage)Curaga: Recover a huge amount of HP. (30MP. 20 healed+Magic Stat)Spark Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy. If it connects, the your weapon will split into beams of light that fly in all directions. (60 damage + 15 damage to other targets)Wind Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy, letting the wind guide it toward your target for multiple hits. (70 damage but will never miss)Chaos Blade: RNG to perform a series of charging attacks that blind, bind or confuse some foes. (45 damage + guaranteed status effects)Poison Dragon's Crushing Fang: The user attacks their target with poison-covered fingertips, from which a poisonous mist trails. (60 damage, extra 20 over 1-3 turns, 100 MP)Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust: The user generates a wave of poison, shaped like a large-fanged snake head, and sends it towards the target, stopping their incoming attacks by having the wave "bite" them (80 damage, extra 30 over 1-3 turns, 140 MP)Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw: The user jumps in the air and, when they are upside down, gathers poison on their legs and kicks the opponent while rotating. This spell is highly reminiscent of the Dragon's Claw Spells employed by several other Dragon Slayers. (100 damage, extra 40 over 1-3 turns, 180 MP)Poison Dragon's Scales: The user swings their arm, generating a very large number of scale-shaped masses of poison, which are rapidly sent flying at the target in consecutive reprises. (70 damage per 1-3 scales, extra 15 damage per scale over 1-3 turns, 200 MP)Dark Firaga: Launch a ball of dark fire that blinds some targets. (18 MP. 30 Damage)Fission Firaga: Launch a ball of fire that explodes when it hits an enemy, catching nearby foes in the blast. (20MP, 35 Damage to target, 15 to others)Triple Blizzaga: Blast enemies head-on with a series of three chunks of ice that cut right through and potentially deal multiple hits. (30MP, 3X16 Damage) Satan Soul (Spell) Titan Items: (10) Skill Ring: Increases Strength, Speed and slightly increases maximum AS (+4, +2, +1) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense (+9, +3) Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense. Equip more to boost effect. (+3, +4) Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense. Equip more to boost effect. (+3, +4) Master Earring: Significantly raises max AS, Speed and Defense. (+4, +1, +2) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Strength: 29 (+4) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) Speed: 4 (+2) (+3) (+1) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+10) Defence: 5 (+3) (+3) (+4) (+4) (+2) (+3) (+3) (+3) (+3) Magic: 26 Gexln HP: (34/170) (+6)(+6)(+6)(+6)(+3)(+3) MP: (200) (+4)(+4)(+4)(+4)(+40) Weapon: Darkness’ Sorrow: 15 - 25 damage Abilities: (11) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+1) Dark Firaga: Launch a ball of dark fire that blinds some targets. (18 MP. 30 Damage) Curaga: Recover a huge amount of HP. (30MP. 20 healed+Magic Stat) Shadow Dragon's Slash: The user covers their arm in shadows and then punches the target. They can also divide their shadow into numerous thin tendrils to strike the target (80 damage OR 25 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 100 MP) Shadow Dragon's Crushing Fang: The user generates shadows from their hand and unleashes them against the target (100 damage OR 30 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 150 MP) Shadow Dragon's Claw: The user generates shadows from their feet and unleashes them against their target with a kick (120 damage OR 40 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 200 MP) Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash: The user turns their body into shadows and then wraps themselves around the target, assaulting them with a torrent of shadows generated from their hands, becoming tangible once more (140 damage OR 50 damage with 1-5 tendrils, 250 MP) Sand Buster: The user gets down on their four limbs, in a stance which is reminiscent of a real scorpion's, and then points their imaginary scorpion-like stinger at the opponents. A large amount of sand is subsequently fired from it in the form of a powerful sand tornado, which moves towards the target in a line and strikes them with great blunt power; so much, in fact, that even nearby enemies which aren't directly struck by the attack will be thrown to the ground by the tornado's sheer rotatory power (75MP, 95 MP) Sand Bomb: The user creates a large ball of sand which can be used to trap the opponent. (55MP, 45 damage, can’t attack for a turn) Sand Explosion: The user turns their palms towards the target, causing the ground underneath the target to explode and turn into sand, covering them (55 MP, 65 damage) Beast Soul: Beast Soul Beast Soul: Weretiger Beast Soul: Lizardman Stun Edge: Perform a jumping attack that stuns some foes. (30 damage + stun chance) Spark Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy. If it connects, the your weapon will split into beams of light that fly in all directions. (60 damage + 15 damage to other targets) Wind Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy, letting the wind guide it toward your target for multiple hits. (70 damage but will never miss)Treasure Raid: Throw your weapon at the enemy. Causes some foes to drop Jewels . (50 damage + 1-50 Jewels ) Break Time: Restore 10% of Max HP and 10 MP each time dependent on RNG score (1-10) Items: (11) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Omega Arts: Raises max HP, Strength, Speed, and Defense. (+3, +3, +3 +3) Golem Chain: Raises Strength, Speed and Defense (+3, +1, +1) Strength: 28 (+3)(+3)(+3)(+3)(+3)(+3)(+3) (Total: 49) Speed: 34.5 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)(+3)(+3)(+1) Defence: 6 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)(+3)(+3)(+1) Magic: 12 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2) Gaius HP: (60) (+3) MP: (65) Weapon: Fists (4-8 damage) + 5 speed Abilities: (6) Quick Blitz: Perform a jumping attack. (5 Damage) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Binding Strike: Perform a spinning attack that binds some foes. (20 damage + chance to stop enemies attacking for a turn) Fire: Launch a ball of fire toward enemies. (3MP. Deals 5 Damage) Cure: Recover a small amount of HP. (8MP, 5HP Healed+Magic Stat) Items: (5) Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Speed (+4, +3) Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Speed (+4, +3) Titan Chain: Significantly raises Strength and Speed (+4, +3) Heartguard: Raises max HP and Defense. Equip more to boost effect. (+3, +4) Strength: 19(+4)(+4)(+4) Speed: 10(+3)(+3)(+3) Defence: 1(+4) Magic: 5 Ra HP: (-25/60) MP: (116) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+70) Weapon: Mage’s Staff (5-13) +0 SPD Abilities: (6)(+2)(+2) Fire Dash: Cloak yourself in fire, then punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (25 damage + 5 fire damage continuous for 2 turns) Binding Strike: Perform a spinning attack that binds some foes. (35 damage + chance to stop enemies attacking for a turn) Stop: Manipulate time to bring surrounding enemies' movement to a complete halt for 1 round of combat. (15MP) Magnet: Use magnetic force to pull enemies in and deal continual damage.(6MP, 12 damage over 2 turns) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Fira: Launch a stronger ball of fire toward enemies. (6MP. Deals 10 Damage) Aerora: Call on the wind to lift enemies into the air and send them flying for more damage. Stuns many foes.(10MP, 16 damage on impact+Stun) Items: (5) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Mage Earring: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+2, +4) 620/300 Jewels Mage Earring: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+2, +4) 620/300 Jewels Strength: 19(+4)(+4)(+4) Speed: 10(+3)(+3)(+3) Defence: 1(+4) Magic: 5 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+4)(+4) Velien HP: (65) (+3)(+1)(+6) MP: (88.5) (+1)(+40) Weapon: Deforcesword (TBD) Abilities: (10)(+4)(+4) Cure: Recover a small amount of HP. (8MP, 5HP Healed+Magic Stat) Esuna: Recover from all negative status effects. (10MP) Thundara: Strike surrounding enemies from above with stronger lightning that shocks other nearby foes if it connects.(6MP, 12 damage, deals half to other targets) Fire Dash: Cloak yourself in fire, then punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (25 damage + 5 fire damage continuous for 2 turns) Stop: Manipulate time to bring surrounding enemies' movement to a complete halt for 1 round of combat. (15MP) Magnet: Use magnetic force to pull enemies in and deal continual damage.(6MP, 12 damage over 2 turns) Binding Strike: Perform a spinning attack that binds some foes. (35 damage + chance to stop enemies attacking for a turn) Fira: Launch a stronger ball of fire toward enemies. (6MP. Deals 10 Damage) Aerora: Call on the wind to lift enemies into the air and send them flying for more damage. Stuns many foes.(10MP, 16 damage on impact+Stun) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Items: (6) Energy Bangle: Slightly raises max HP and Defense (+3, +1) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Angel Bangle: Raises max HP and Defense. (+6, +2) Mage’s Earrings: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+4, +3) Mage’s Earrings: Highly increases maximum AS and magic (+4, +3) Strength: 11.5(+3) Speed: 2(+2) Defence: 3(+2)(+1)(+2) Magic: 8.5 (+2)(+3)(+3) Charlotte HP: (90) (+9)(+9)(+6) MP: (65) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+4)(+10) Weapon: Hand and a Half Sword (5-14) -1 SPD Abilities: (5) Esuna: Recover from all negative status effects. (10MP) Barrier Surge: Cloak yourself in a barrier and rush the enemy. (15 damage + 1 Round invulnerability) Fire Surge: Rush the enemy while a ring of fire revolves around you, hitting targets multiple times. (30 damage + 4 continuous fire damage) Stop: Manipulate time to bring surrounding enemies' movement to a complete halt for 1 round of combat. (15MP) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Items: (6) Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense (+9, +3) Gaia Bangle: Significantly raises max HP and Defense (+9, +3) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) 1000/300 Strength: 15(+1) Speed: 1 (+3) Defence: 5 (+3)(+3)(+2) Magic: 5 (+2) Thomas HP: (60) (+6) MP: (88.5) (+1)(+1)(+1)(+4)(+40) Weapon: Magic Sniper Rifle: (6-12) +2SPD Abilities: (6)(+1) Sliding Dash: Punish faraway enemies with a charging attack. (18 Damage) Fire: Launch a ball of fire toward enemies. (3MP. Deals 5 Damage) Cure: Recover a small amount of HP. (8MP, 5HP Healed+Magic Stat) Thunder: Strike surrounding enemies from above with lightning that shocks other nearby foes if it connects (3MP, 6 damage, deals half to other targets) Quick Blitz: Perform a jumping attack. (5 Damage) ~Blitz: Perform a series of jumping attacks. (1-5 attacks, 5 Damage) Items: (6) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Magic Armlet: Slightly raises max MP and Magic. (+1, +2) Crystal Crown: Raises max HP, max MP, max AS, Strength, Speed, and Defense. Also enhances Magic. (+6, +4, +1, +3, +2, +2, +2) Strength: 11.5(+3) Speed: 2(+2) Defence: 3(+2) Magic: 12.5 (+2)(+2)(+2)(+2)
Derrick spotted a young lady talking to him, although it took him a couple of seconds for it to click as to who it was exactly. It was Olivia, someone he had not seen for some time. Presumably both of them had been busy so they hadn't encountered each other. He had almost forgotten that she existed up until when he saw her arrive earlier, possibly yesterday, It seemed that she was getting a bit of a grilling from Vec, just as planned. The old man needed to get better at spotting when he had been Axii'd. "Yes Olivia, it's me. Fear not, for I have returned from my adventures. And with plenty more cash in hand." Derrick gave her one of his winning smiles and tapped his coin pouch which to be fair, did have a fair amount in. Not that it was his only one. Don't keep all your coin in one place. Harder to steal it all that way. He'd learned that off a pickpocket in Novigrad one time. Admittedly, he'd managed to catch the guy and he left the city dead via the river, but that was a whole other issue. Giving Olivia a quick appraisal, she'd matured a little since they'd last met and it had only been for the better. Many people would say his particular habits weren't necessarily right. He wouldn't disagree, but equally, he was sterile so there were no risks. Besides, Witchers had excellent resistances to diseases and such. He saw no problems. Not that he particularly considered such a thing with Olivia. She was too... Childish for his tastes. Girl needed to grow up a little. Those thoughts aside, he put a hand up. "Hang on, Vec's calling." "I'll catch up." Derrick said, suddenly all business. Trusting his medallion and his instincts to guide the way, His enhanced eyes tracked the prints left by the light dirt covering the sorcerer's boots. It wasn't so hard to follow and he caught up, but remained behind him, just enough to be out of sight. Eventually, after he'd had a little wander around and did nothing harmful, the man teleported away. With the bizzare sorcerer gone, Derrick returned to the library and gave Veceslav a cheery wave. "G'day to you Ve- sir. How are things?"
As the Goblin King fell, Julius could only smirk in satisfaction as his level counter dinged to 6. He dramatically sliced his halberd to the ground and the goblin blood sprayed off the spearhead and on to the ground, disappearing in bright blue sparkles. The players seemed exhausted, but that was to be expected. It was a first fight, and he felt fatigue too. He sheathed his sword and clutched his chest a little. Julius looked down at himself a moment and saw an array of cuts and bloody wounds that he hadn't noticed before. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and Cú Chulainn came over with a slight chuckle. "Should probably chug one of your health pots like I do beer." The Irishman spoke, leaning against his spear implanted in the ground with a cheeky smile on his face. The player looked at his Summon with a vaguely disapproving look. The Hound of Ulster shrugged. "Hey, I'm not the one freaking out about a non-lethal battle injury." "It may not be non-lethal. I believe that there may be a blood loss system in game, although I could be wrong." Julius pointed out. The other man shrugged again while Julius drank his health potion from the glass vial. The red liquid seemed to soothe his entire body as he drank it. As he watched, it seemed that the injuries were knitting up while he watched and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to be fine. "So, now that you're in perfectly good health, what's the plan?" He asked. Julius nodded. It was actually a sensible question. Arguably the most sensible thing he had said. "Now, it's time to further the Legio Julius of course." Julius answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Cú Chulainn merely rolled his eyes. "Still shilling that thing huh? What, you styling yourself as a Roman general now or something? Going to square formation your way through the game?" The Summon teased. Julius merely nodded. "Huh, fair enough. Well, so long as there's fighting to be found frankly you could sit there with your finger up your backside most of the day and it wouldn't matter to me. This sounds a great deal more interesting than that though, so don't do that." "Damn, I'll have to cross that idea off." Julius cleared his throat and stood in the centre of the battlefield near where the Goblin King had fallen. "Here goes." "Players of Summon Arc Online! Today, is our victory day!" He declared. "Today, we have shown what the combined might of SAO players can achieve! The Goblin King has fallen and we are one step closer I am sure to getting out of this insane game alive! But we will not survive a fight like that again in disorganisation! Why fight and lose friends when you can fight and lose nobody at all? That is why I invite every single one of you here, for you are all heroes, all brilliant and powerful in your own right because you have shown the tenacity to achieve victory! You are heroes, all of you! And I invite you to join me, join the Legio Julius! Become heroes with me! We shall march on Summon Arc Online, an army of heroes unseen since Sword Art Online and we shall reign victorious! We have come! We see! We! Will! Conquer!" Julius raised his Halberd into the air for dramatic effect as he spoke the final line. "WHO IS WITH ME?" "That guy is unbelievable...." Cassandra noted. Joan looked about to ask a question. "I'm not joining him. You know I play solo." She nodded and sheathed her weapon, the battle over. It had been a successful fight. Her constant sniping had assisted greatly in defeating the Goblin King. Joan had kept the Goblins off her and overall, she had been effective she felt. She knew she had helped. And felt that it was a lot, having consistently shot the man in the head. It was pretty unlikely that they knew who it was doing that though. "Cassandra, congratulations." Joan spoke. It was heartfelt, but she didn't know why she even said that. As she was about to ask, her question was soon answered. "You've reached Level 8. Congratulations. And we have conquered the first of this game's many foes that stand in your way." She glanced at the status bars, not quite believing what she was hearing. It was true alright. She was level 8. She beamed at Joan and hugged the woman. Even though she was digital- They were both digital really- It felt real. The feeling of another person being with her filled her with no small amount of joy. She held Joan a little longer before releasing her. The Maiden of Orleans looked a little surprised. "I couldn't have come this far without you Joan. We're going to beat this game. Together." Cassandra said. "Truly, you did much of this yourself. You achieved your level, I have merely assisted with my battle prayers and protecting you." Joan bowed her head humbly. "You've reassured me. You've inspired me even. Without you, specifically you, I don't think I would have had the will to do this. So thank you." Cassandra added. Joan nodded and curtsied. "Thank you for your kind words Cassandra. I did not expect to be Summoned at all, let alone by a player like you." Joan replied. Cassandra's smile widened and she nodded. Her hand fell to her belt and she reloaded her Sniper Rifle. She set the safety off and began to walk out the encampment away from the crowd of people still there. The world of Summon Arc Online was in her sights. It was up to her to take the shot.
"Bloody 'ell Gordon!" Dave Buttle exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the table. The bowls rattled and Bertha shrunk back in surprise. His son looked ashamed and cast his eyes down at the table. "Why dint ye tell us that Matilda was tarrying with one of the ploughin' Black Ones?" He exhaled deeply, rubbing his eyes. He set his elbows on the table and held his face in his hands. "Am sorry da'." Gordon apologised. He seemed to shrink in the tense air of the house. It wasn't an overly impressive house, truth be told. It was one large room with a fireplace and table in the middle and four beds, two on each side of the rectangular house. Then there were cupboards for clothes and personal items between the beds, or on either side in the case of Dave and Bertha's double bed. "So, when'd ye last see 'er?" Bertha asked, picking up where her husband had left off. Gordon turned to look at her. "T'were nay a coupl'a hours ago." Gordon answered. "I seen her walkin' off with one of 'em t'wards Siegaard I think." He looked sheepish, and there was something else clearly on his tongue, but something was holding him back from saying it. Dave looked up, his eyes wide with worry. "What's it? Come on, out with it." Dave said weakly. Gordan shifted nervously in his seat and wrung his hands together before answering. "I think they was off to be married da'." "By the bloody spheres boy!" Dave howled. "Why'd ye not say sooner?" "She didn'a want me to say nothin'." "Look Dave, what's done is done. All 'e did was try ta be a good brother. She'll come back to tell us I'm sure." "I 'ope so. It'd be a cruel thing not to see her, or meet the bloke she's gone off with. S'pose e's gonna be me son now." "Come on Dave, it'll sort itself out. I've done some silly things in me youth I did." "I guess. Come on Gordon. Let's finish the porridge and get working. Farms don't bloody farm themselves do they?" The rest of the meal continued in awkward silence. Gordon and Dave got up and headed out to begin the day's work while Bertha grabbed the bowls and stuck them in a basket and headed towards the river. In the meantime in Pontarsfork, life went on. Bowen set out on his morning hunt, The sounds of ringing metal echoed from Wilfred's forge and the Gilberts opened the tavern.
"So, let me get this straight - Your Celestial Spirit in that key in a maid who may or may not clean, digs tunnels and fights?" Alessia summed up. "That is a weird combination of stuff. I would have thought those things summoned knights and powerful ancient wizards, not battle maids." Magic, she realised, made no sense sometimes. She didn't get this whole Celestial Spirit business at all. How did they even work? Why were they bound to the key? What did the key even do, did it unlock something? You know, I'm just going to keep things simple when I expand my magic. Air is enough for me, I don't need any of this weird spirit stuff that doesn't seem to make that much sense. "Anyways, yeah. You should go find Evanora or one of the S-Classes, maybe they'll tell you how to make it work. I have no idea." She suggested. She also felt a little less suspicious about the spirit now. She mentally told herself off, knowing that it was somewhat irrational to be suspicious of it in the first place. It wasn't as if she- Oh. Right. That explained it. "I see. So, somebody killed your master then, and you think that they're going to come after you?" Caliborn said, trying to confirm what he was being told. Jack told it a little confusingly, truth be told. Why would he have held back when trying to kill Jack after killing his master? And people he was with...? Something about this doesn't make an awful lot of sense. "Honestly Jack, I doubt that this individual that killed Varrik will return to finish you. You said that he was probably holding back before. If he was holding back then, he probably didn't want to bother killing you. He won't be back. Most people tend to get their business sorted there and then. But, eventually, I am sure that you'll be able to find some people to take to deal with this man if you think that you need to." He didn't know enough about the situation to judge, but murder was murder. Dealing with the one who killed Varrik was probably a good idea. Vance blinked in surprise a couple of times as the man at the bar began to give advice. Vance stayed quiet and listened to his explanation. He hadn't a clue as to what was best, so he deferred to the man's knowledge. It also occurred to him that this must be one of the S-Classes, given that only they and Johanna ever handled the bar. What the man was saying was interesting for sure. The root of it could have been in the past. Immediately, Vance thought of what Thea said had happened to the Strive family. The whole place burned down when her magic went haywire. That was probably part of the problem, but even still was that just it? It sounded like things weren't stable, even before that. But who was going to teach her to control it? Could he do it? He wasn't all that sure, to be truthful. He did accidentally cast spells when he was frustrated, most embarrassingly in that trade meeting. He shivered when he remembered that. They had to settle for less and actually give a minor reimbursement because of that. Still, in helping her control her serious issue he could perhaps learn to deal with his own minor one. "Thank you for the advice. As you correctly noted, I am new to the Guild and had no idea where to start with helping Thea control her magic." Vance replied. "Is there anyone at the Guild that you recommend asking for help from? If there was someone good at teaching control, I'd rather ask them than try myself and exacerbate the issue."
Derrick stretched his arms out and yawned. He had slept in late again, which he largely attested to his late arrival back at Kaer Morhen. Last night he had been finishing an annoying job of clearing up a small nest of Necrophages that had cropped up on the site of a recent skirmish. it seemed that the Nilgaardians were still meeting resistance throughout Velen. The majority of the casualties from what he could tell were of course, not the Black Ones, but the fools fighting them. Supposedly the so called 'Bloody Baron' at Crow's Perch was behind that sorry lot, but he had no interest in it. His interest in worldly politics died with Henselt and Kaedwen. He didn't begrudge the killers, it simply didn't matter to him any more who won or lost. After all, his country was gone and there was no sign of it coming back. He wasn't inclined to trust Radovid's claims of re-establishing the borders after the Nilfgaardians were dealt with. Putting on his armour and strapping his swords to their customary position on his back, he almost as an afterthought brought his crossbow with him and made his way downstairs. Kaer Morhen was old and it needed a bit of work done. Apparently it used to be nicer. He could imagine it being quite grand in its prime, but that certainly wasn't today. Old Veceslav downstairs had recounted the time that a horde of peasants stormed the Kaer. It made a grim tale and quite effectively explained the mess. Interestingly, as he thought of the old man's story, it was his voice that he heard echoing in the halls. He wondered which poor sod it was this time. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed in that he was grilling a certain individual. More disconcertingly, there were a few clear non-Witchers here too whose presence confused him. One of them, quite obviously, seemed to be some kind of sorcerer, judging by the Medallion's vibrations. "Looks like we've got visitors to the Kaer huh?" Derrick spoke generally as he walked in. Looking at Vec's face, they weren't meant to be here either. He raised an eyebrow and his voice took an almost mocking tone. "... And unwelcome. My, my, my. Well then. Ve- I mean sir, would you like me to escort our surprise guests out?" He hastily caught his slip of the tongue. He was not in a position to be so casual with Veceslav. As it happened, 'Sir' was fewer syllables than his whole name which was a plus but it felt so impersonal. Admittedly, Vec had never seemed the personal type to him.
Username: Just look at the bloody side thing. Seriously. (It's al215) Character Name: Derrick of Kaedwen Age: 39 Gender: Male Race: Witcher Appearance: Here Bio: Derrick originally came from Kaedwen, prior to its fall. He, as all Witchers were, was taken to Kaer Morhen for training. His parents wanted little to do with him because he was an accidental child and they didn't have the money to support him properly. The timely arrival of a Witcher and Derrick's interest made the perfect excuse to offload him. It turned out that he had some talent and was trained accordingly. While swordplay came easily, the use of the Signs did not. Axii was the first Sign that he was able to use effectively and focused on training it. Next he developed Quen as a method of self defence, as with Aard. His Trial of the Grasses was difficult for him, but he did not come out on the brink of death as many had before. After that, once he was ready, Derrick went back out to Kaedwen, his homeland to not only help, but find his mother and father. He did eventually find them. They were scared of his new appearance, with the signature cat's eyes of the Witchers rather than proud of his achievements. In anger, he unleashed his Axii sign upon them and demanded that they pay him back for abandoning him. They did so. They sold off most of their possessions and handed him the cash, leaving them all but destitute. His father even handed over the sword he used to fight with when he was not only a knight, but wealthier. Derrick took it all, but a sense of guilt forced him to stop and do something for them at least. He took his steel sword, given to him by the Witchers at Kaer Morhen and stabbed it into the ground in front of the house with the scabbard next to it. Then, he left. He claimed no last name from those parents, instead naming himself 'Of Kaedwen', unwilling to credit the people that abandoned him. After that, he stayed away from that village. He stayed around Kaedwen until the death of King Henselt, at which point he left, fearing the worst for the country and unwilling to be caught up in an invasion. Sure enough, Kaedwen fell, but he was already elsewhere. He travelled, making his way towards Novigrad and Oxenfurt, leaving a string of troubled lives in his wake. His abuse of the Axii sign gave him better prices for his work and allowed him to take advantage of the occasional young woman that crossed his path too closely for her own good. However, it also made him a good mediator and helped arranging peace between quarrelling people and even the Aen Seidhe. Occupation: Witcher Weapons: Silver sword of the Griffin school. Steel Kaedweni Black Sword. Secondary Weapon: Crossbow, unremarkable. Powers: Skill in Signs Weakest to Strongest: Yrden, Igni, Aard, Quen, Axii. Derrick's skill in Axii is above average for most Witchers and specialises in its use. In terms of his talents with Axii, he could be compared to a far senior Witcher, if not better in some cases. Other: The Village of Pontarsfork Location: The Descent on the fork of the River Pontar, North of Siegaard Garrison Role: Primarily a farming/logging village. Contains independently run and set up Tavern and Blacksmith. Living Villagers: Character Names: Matilda and Gordon Buttle Age: 19 and 18 respectively Gender: Female and Male Race: Humans Appearance: Matilda has her mum's hair and her dad's face. Gordon shares his mother's stocky build but his dad's hair. Brief Bio: Gordon grew up helping tend to the farm and thus is a handy person to have around. So far, he has not found any womanly company in his life but does not overly mind, given that he doesn't know much better. Until recently, Pontarsfork did not attract many other visitors and so only recently has really started to learn about the world outside. Matilda is much the same, except for the fact that she spends a lot more time in the tavern getting to know some of the outsiders. It is rumoured that she has a Nilfgaardian soldier for a boyfriend, but nobody is really certain. Weapons: Gordon has his farm equipment, Matilda has a small dagger given to her for self defence. Character Name: Boenn Cerbin Age: 97 Gender: Male Race: Elf Appearance: Tall and thin, often wears a dark green tunic. He has long wiry blond hair and some scraggly facial hair. Brief Bio: Bowen is Pontarsfork's main hunter. He has a small hut in the logging camp area where he skins and tans his game, as well as carves up the meat to share among the villagers and sell to the tavern. He occasionally runs a hunter's trading post when he has gathered an excess of material that he can afford to sell. Weapons: His bow and arrows, knives he uses for skinning and carving meat etc. Character Name: Wilfred Hoover Age: 64 Gender: Male Race: Dwarf Appearance: Wilfred has a long brown knotted beard. He is never seen without his blacksmith's apron on. As a result, it is covered not only in white burn marks from the forge, but also food and alcohol stains. He has big bushy eyebrows with conspicuously singed ends. His nose looks to have been broken more than once. Brief Bio: Wilfred was attracted to Pontarsfork because they were looking for a blacksmith and were willing to pay. He was not local, however decided to try somewhere new. Pontarsfork, he discovered, was becoming a rapidly profitable investment. Not only did he get pay from the villagers for his services (and he did some work for free as a way of thanking them for putting him up), but occasionally Nilfgaardian soldiers came to him for goods that they couldn't get done at the Garrison smithy. Weapons: Whatever he has in stock. Also, his trusty axe, Shinbreaker (Other, ruder names are spoken). Dead Villagers (DAMN YOU SOLOMON!!!): Username: It's still me. What, do you think it's going to change halfway through the post? :p Character Name: Dave Buttle Age: 43 Gender: Male Race: Human Appearance: Here Bio: Dave has lived in Velen his whole life, for better or worse. His ma', his da' and their ma's and da's have always lived there in various villages that have grown and disappeared over the years. Dave struck out with a few friends from another village that had recently been trampled by the warring Northern Kingdoms prior to the Nilfgaardian invasion to found Pontarsfork. The village grew and attracted some attention, inciting a tavern and blacksmith to appear to handle the village's needs. It is a primarily farming village, although there is a logging camp just outside of the village that Dave set up so that they could get some wood to build up the village with. Dave, as the unofficial village mayor is often the one that deals with soldiers, outsiders and other people. Occupation: Village mayor, farm hand. Weapons: Ol' Rustbucket, a rusty longsword. Farm equipment. Other: Character Name: Bertha Buttle Age: 41 Gender: Female Race: Human Appearance: See Dave. Brief Bio: Betsy married Dave back when they lived in another village. They founded Pontarsfork together and contributes to farming the land. She also cooks for Dave and the kids, and thus has a shorter time out on the fields. She, Gordon and Matilda manage the sale of the village's goods when Dave isn't available to. Weapons: None. Character Names: Corwyn and Delaine Gilbert Ages: 32 and 34 Gender: Male and Female Race: Humans Appearance: Both of them are average height and share black hair. Beyond that, Corwyn has thick mutton chops and blue eyes whereas Delaine has wide green eyes and no facial hair. Corwyn's hair is kept short whereas Delaine has grown her's to her shoulders. Brief Bio: Entrepreneurs from Novigrad, the pair set up the tavern in Pontarsfork as a way of making money. While most people lament the war, these two welcome it because it provides great income from the bored Nilfgaardian soldiers that come over. They've also recently, with the help of the villagers, added on a room of crude fur sheets for beds that people can stay in. It is used primarily for soldiers that are far too drunk to get back and they do charge for it, but the arrangement seems to work out. Weapons: Corwyn has a large wooden club that he calls "Peacemaker" and a Mace that earned the nickname "Facefixer" for an occasion where a brigand attempted to threaten him. As one might guess, his face got a radical rearrangement. Delaine carries a dagger that she keeps for self defence, but is not known for using it. If she is seen to reach for it however, it is generally a sign that trouble is not only about, but serious.
"Very well!" Vance said enthusiastically. He held Thea's shoulder to steady her, making sure that she didn't fall. He could see the exhaustion in her little frame. I suppose the magical outburst must have run her body dry of energy. He guided the little girl towards the doors of the Guild Hall and opened them, bringing them both inside. Immediately, he spotted a new man behind the counter of the bar. He didn't recognise him - Not that it mattered. It meant that Thea could get a drink. Then, she could decide what to do. She hadn't said anything about the going to sleep bit so he assumed that just getting a drink would be enough for now. He took her over to the counter and put her on one of the stools with a grunt. Yes. Definitely need to get stronger. Once she was sat down, he took the seat on her left and looked at the barman, then back at Thea. "Good day to you sir. What would you like to drink Thea? And a glass of water will suffice for me." "Pink hair, and a maid outfit? These Celestial Spirits sure are strange..." A look of deep suspicion crossed her face. Celestial Spirit? It sounds like something that should be incredibly powerful, capable of magic unknown to humans and feats of great strength, like heroes. Instead, it summons a maid. Wow, talk about an anticlimax. "Does it you know... Fight? Does it just clean? What's the point of a maid spirit?" There was also something vaguely bothersome about the idea of a boy having access to a woman in a maid outfit at will. Well, he would, if the key actually worked. That felt prone to misuse. Surely Zephyr wasn't one of those kinds of people, was he? Of course not. She reassured herself. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do anything like that. He seems too nice. "Ugh, Zeref on a flying fuckin' broomstick! Me head!" Edric groaned as he came to. It looked like he had drank himself silly while he was out and well, he supposed he'd passed out. Immediately, Edric checked his pockets to see if some nosy bugger had taken a rifle through and nicked something, but for all intents and purposes it all seemed fine. With that, he got up and stretched his stiff limbs. It looked like he had been put into one of the corner seats, nice and out of the way and also, safe. He made a note to thank the fellow who did that, it was probably the guy he was talking to earlier. What was his name? Springy? Springing? Springan? Spriggan? "Cheers fer movin' me, mester spreenging." He called out a little dazedly, waving his arm vaguely in a gesture of goodbye before leaving the tavern behind. Maybe he'd come back? The place and the people seemed alright so, he didn't have all that much to complain about. Apart from the whole place also being a brothel but, he could get over that. Sometimes the rough places were the fun ones. These were the thoughts on Edric's mind as he made his steady way back to the Guild Hall, straightening out his clothes and fixing his hair so he didn't look like a total mess.
"I don't think Conrad is lying. I think that people simply do not understand." Vance answered as they walked back to the Guild Hall. Upon reflection, he was probably right which meant that Vance was doing everything wrong. Since Thea believed that was the way that things should be, he considered it himself. After all, wisdom could often come unwittingly from children. He was short on friends in the Guild, he wouldn't lie to himself. He knew that he wasn't popular. Perhaps he did need to stop judging people based on their status as he had been doing. He'd have to at least try if he were to get some friends. That would make Thea happy, because then she wouldn't have to worry about him. Maybe in the process, she would find friends as well. Ultimately of course, he wanted help with the mysterious green witch that was coming for him. In turn, that reminded him of his encounter with Shani and Florica at the tavern. They weren't like him at all, really. Earlier, he was trying to justify the encounter to himself by saying that they were just like him, but of their social group. He didn't truly believe that. Vance scowled. Was it so wrong to be the way he was? Were the values he was brought up with so truly out of touch with the rest of the world? In the midst of his thinking, he completely missed what she was saying about the police but was roused by her stumbling and pulling his arm. It was all that he could do to not be pulled over by her and keep standing up straight. Good Gods I need to get fitter, and stronger. I am so weak. "That's fine Thea, just hold on. We'll be back at the Guild Hall soon. When we arrive, shall I get you a drink of some kind, and maybe tuck you into bed?" He wasn't at all sure if that was right, but it seemed like a good idea. It seemed that there was a lot going on in Jack's head, that much was clear to see from the words he spoke. He appreciated the help that Jack offered, but really he didn't want it. There was nothing that Jack could do to help him deal with Mikasa's many, many issues. He wondered if that was a lost cause. Maybe there simply was nothing he could do for her. That might be true enough. "Thank you for offering Jack but truly, it is something that is sorted. We resolved that particular difference a while ago." That one at least. But he needed fear not, because there were plenty more. It seemed that recently her condition appeared to be deteriorating severely. It wouldn't be too long now before she flew off the rails. Perhaps the influx of new members was causing her some stress? That would make sense. "In any case Jack, if you need assistance with something I am happy to help. It sounds as if you've had a lot of trouble in your life."
As he raced up the steps to the tower he saw something approaching the window. Fearing the worst, he prepared to dodge aside as Boreal fired off an icy projectile at him. Instead, the bird flew inside and quickly shifted into Johanna who threw her arms around him. His face lit up and he drew his arms tightly around her waist. The tension in his body melted away as he felt the girl he loved pressed against his chest. He felt her face close to his, and high on his elation he felt a surge of confidence. In that moment, he felt that there was only one thing that he could do. He kissed Johanna on the cheek and squeezed her a little bit harder before relaxing his hold on her. "Thank God, Johanna... You're alright..." He smiled at her, looking into her eyes. Her dress was a little dirty, but that was it. She didn't look like she had been harmed that much. She asked what was happening and he released her, his smile fading, replaced by a serious look. "We're reining Mikasa in. She told me that she was going to kill you, or hurt you, so I grabbed the others and we rushed back to stop her. It looks like she's finally lost it and now they're fighting as we speak. She was always unstable Johanna, but she's gone way too far now. I should probably get back and help once I've got you somewhere safe." Dale clenched his left fist at his side while explaining the situation. Even if he was keeping his face neutral, she would know him well enough to see the anger boiling below the surface reflected in his eyes. Story Time!!! "What do you think you're doing girl, flee into that forest and you shall perish! Whatever you may believe, I do not wish to see you dead!" Vance Braxton Prendergast exclaimed. He whipped around and drew his blade on the impetuous fool (Zephyros, still impetuous and still a fool even in the story). "You shall pay for this mongrel! Denying me my prize and sending her to her death? Hah, you're worse than the man you claim me to be!" Vance assaulted his opponent with a flurry of furious blow from his rapier. Back in the real world "Listen Thea, this is why you're at this Guild now. I, as well as the other wizards shall teach to control your magic. When we are ready and our magic is controlled, we shall move on and live normally. I may return to my family when I have mastered my own abilities, we shall get you formally adopted into the family and then Thea, then you will have your normal life. Some of my associates have daughters your age and you can play with them, or with boys if you particularly want to. Things will be fine, I promise you that. We will train you Thea. I will help you. When I took you on as my daughter, I did so with the implicit promise of giving you a good life. It is hard now, but that is the nature of life." Vance spoke, stroking Thea's hair to try and comfort her. "I have learned recently, that our lives are different to many others. Just as they do not understand us, we do not understand them. Some are envious, others are indifferent. People might dislike us now, but there are people that do like us. You have some friends in the guild I believe. Conrad and I are solving our differences. We will have a place in this Guild while we are here, because we will make one for ourselves. I'll make one for you." After that, Thea apologised and she looked up, clearly exhausted. He smiled a little as the barn burned and collapsed. It was hard to believe that so much destructive power was contained within the little girl in his arms. "It is fine. Come on, I shall get you back to the guild. But please, try not to burn down any more public property otherwise we might have other problems." Vance picked her up and started to carry her back to the guild, however not a couple of minutes later, he set Thea down again with a somewhat embarrassed look. He was trying to carry her back like a proper father would, unfortunately he lacked the physical strength and his arms were aching. "Actually Thea, do you think you could walk the rest of the way? It's been a long day and I am tired." Yeah, that was totally the reason he couldn't carry her. "Huh, figures. Maybe the S-Classes will kn- Wait, it's a girl?" Alessia looked at the key suspiciously with a hint of irrational irritation. Why she felt so... Personal about it was beyond her. It wasn't like the key even listened to him anyway so what did it matter? Her eyes returned to his face. "What did she look like? I mean, long hair, short hair, tall, short, eye colour, other stuff?"
Dale heard Johanna scream and his eyes narrowed. He'd have to rely on them to deal with Mikasa, for now it sounded like Johanna was somewhere else and he had to get to her fast. Mikasa had made some mention of Boreal, which infuriated him further. He had to get Johanna away from him. The implications of the witch's words were not lost in him. He had to protect the girl he loved. "I need to go find Johanna!" Dale exclaimed and sprinted out of his room towards the tower that he knew Mikasa spent a lot of her time in. If Johanna were anywhere, then she would be in there. And so would Boreal. That was the last straw. His half-brother had already tormented him enough, now it was too far. The first time they had met it was Boreal that had tried to kill Dale. This time, Dale would kill him if he was even laying a finger on her.
