[OOC] Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

[Majoraa]

@Ponn

You remember what Amanda said, that they havent found the Witch of Nightmares yet?

Yeah....that's her.

[twave]

@Majoras End Forgot to tag you in my post. But Shane spotted your characters that entered the Sanctuary.

[Ponn]

@Majoras End Am I correct in assuming that Amanda is going through the portal with the rest of Maura's girls?

[Majoraa]

@Ponn

Honestly idk, depends on if Connie, Mia, and MDP want to help.

[Ponn]

@Majoras End

That's kinda why I was curious about what Amanda was doing, lol.

MDP would definitely go if Amanda went, but if she stayed at the beach, MDP would probably stay too.

Connie would be afraid, but would still want to help (especially if Amanda and MDP were going), although both Gaia and MDP would probably be able to talk her into staying at the beach.

Plat's already told me that Mayra is staying at the beach as well, if that makes any difference.

[Majoraa]

@Ponn

Well, unless you want Maribel to meet Connie, MDP and Amanda could team up!

[Ponn]

@Majoras End An Amanda and MDP team up sounds like fun.

[Ariamis]

Free time has now started, and hunts may be started or continued.

[PlatinumSkink]

Deni and Eli

Name: Deni and Eli. Real names, Denise and Elizabeth Walton.

Age (Magical Girl): 11

Age (Before Magical Girl): 15

Gender: Girls

Gender (Before Magical Girl): Girls

Appearance: Deni and Eli are a pair of underdeveloped 11 year old little girls. Currently when transformed Deni gets a flowing blue and white outfit reminiscent of that which is archetypical of the samurai to wear, albeit it ends short and shows her thighs over her high, black, uh, long-shoes? Eli meanwhile gets a long red skirt topped by pink fabric of typical Japanese inspiration. Tell them otherwise apart by their eye-colours, Deni is orange, while Eli's are green. Both wield katanas in their respective theme-colour sheet, Deni's is blue, Eli's is red.

When untransformed, Deni still likes to wear little dresses and make herself look pretty. Eli, on the other hand, wears a uniform fit her age to blend in and wears a pair of glasses to further hide herself. Neither has horns or anything monster-like which it looks like in the below image. They look considerably normal for their age.

Untransformed

Eli to the left, Deni to the right.

Specialization: Air and Reinforcement. With their new form came an affiliation for the element of Air. They're not very powerful, but can shoot average blasts of wind, adjust their own movements and still modestly glide as they once could when they had wings. They might figure out more uses as we go along.

They're experienced Reinforcement specialists, capable of boosting the performance of themselves and others. They can also form small barriers to block what they cannot dodge, heal small wounds and slowly cleanse an area of curses or negative energies.

Weapon: Melee/Mystic. The swords, formed from who knows what, are a pair of katanas that are sisters much like their wielders. Not only are they powered by the reinforcement specialization and will match enemies with considerable sharpness, but double as a pair of wands, strengthening their magical abilities when the two are together. Thanks to Martial Training, Deni and Eli wields them with magnificent skill, too.

Power: Twin Soul and Third Eye. Deni's power is what lets them exist like this instead of as the split personality they once was. Once a day, Deni can clue Eli in on her exact location. Eli, meanwhile, is gifted with a Third Eye, allowing her to see magic, determine specializations and unearth magical secrets, given time.

Perks:
Dual Weapon: Their swords double as wands.
Flexibility: One way or another, bending out of the way as if they were still made out of jelly still comes naturally to the two~
Martial Training: Their minds are filled with the proper usage of the swords they carry, along with advanced techniques to stay alive on a battlefield.
Get out of Jail: Deni and Eli's days of having their hands tied are DONE. They've found a shortcut in Reinforcement magic that actually allows them to teleport, but only if they're backed into a corner.
Big Damn Heroes: They have two tokens which they can leave with one person and one place. If the person/place is in danger, they'll be notified in time to get there.
Super Map: A perk Mariette bought for Eli because the portal girl herself was full on perks. It allows Eli to see the layout and where allies and enemies are, including names. It's fooled by the simplest of enchantments, however.

Patron: Solo

Patron Benefits:
Free Agent: They're free!
Genki Girl: Deni’s always been an inexhaustible girl, she basically cannot get tired.

Patron Drawbacks:
Alone: Having lost their backer, it's kind of hard for them to get support.

Fighting Style: Together, always. With tiny stats Deni and Eli team up against the world, counting on each other to overcome a foe. With Reinforcement they can heal wounds, boost themselves, block small attacks and run in mid-air. With Air they can redirect themselves or enemy attacks, startle foes with wind-blasts and can sense disturbances in the air. This, while trusting their Martial Training to keep them one step ahead of their foes, as far as it can carry them. Skill is one of their best attributes.

Stats (Untransformed):
STR: 4
AGI: 4
VIT: 4
MAG: 4
LCK: 3

Stats (Transformed):
STR: 7
AGI: 7
VIT: 6
MAG: 7
LCK: 4

Personality: Deni’s an excited person who wants to head out and do things. She’s mischievous, playful and all-around happy. She likes to tease and look good, and there’s a certain style to her current appearance that she really likes.
Eli is a calmer, shy and naturally analytic person, although she can be a lot more confident alongside her sister. She can be a touch playful, but she’s determined to achieve her goals, if a bit more likely to get scared than her sister.

History: Denise Walton was born with two personalities within her, the other being named Elizabeth for simplicity. They enjoyed one another but struggled to live in the same body. They prayed that something would separate them… and Asengav answered, splitting them up while also making them monster-girls fighting under his command. They had no idea their minds were being bent to follow his orders as they headed off with Mariette as her underlings. So it continued… until Deni was consumed by Caroline von Visceral, drained from reality and abandoned by Asengav. Not wanting his essence consumed by the blood-soaked Father, Asengav disconnected himself from the doomed Magical Girl.

… Except, after he pulled away, an unknown Platinum Coin was spent, one Asengav had not given. The coin was one (accidentally) given by the caring Puchuu Kousai, the refreshing power enough to restore the young girl back to her original, intended shape. While very surprised at first, Deni was quick to adapt to her new form and embarked on a quest, one of collecting allies and gathering supplies, until the battle at Mariette's mansion where she finally managed to save Eli from Asengav's clutches.

Incantation: Deni: Harmony and courage, take a stand, support me as I head to where my life gains meaning! Deni! Here I go!
Eli: Kindness and discipline, light my way, hold me as I fight to where our love will blossom! Eli! Here I go!
Both: Harmony and Courage, Kindness and Discipline, Take a Stand, Light my Way, Support me as I Head, Hold Me as I Fight, To Where My Life Gains Meaning, To Where Our Love Will Blossom! Deni and Eli! Here we go!

Coins and Items: Infiltrator - A device that detects and lets you infiltrate Interdimensional Homes when close to the entrance. Deni currently owes Veronica 9 silvers. 2 silvers obtained from hunting goblins.

Additional Info: Deni still possesses the ability to change her body-shape at will from that time when she made a wish to the Djinn sisters. She’s not able to fight when in a different shape, this change is purely for the sake of style and appearance, though she can make herself look like an adult or a stranger to avoid people looking for her. She has to be transformed for it to work. In order to fight, she has to revert to her base appearance, though she could possibly use it for ambushing or so. She likes being an adult occasionally, so it’s mostly for that.

this 100% makes sense

I rolled again for Red Coin, and get to pick if I switch or not.

Age 7 or 11. Chose 11.
Underdeveloped or Average body. Stick with under.
Air or Reinforcement. Sure. Air.
Melee or Ranged. Melee gives more stats.
Skimpy or Flowing or Elaborate. Flowing, for both.
Twin Soul or Tentacles, Duplication or Third Eye. Twin Soul and Third eye.

I could pick if I wanted Deni’s perk, Eli’s perk or newly rolled perk.

Perk 1: Martial Training, Dual Weapon or Gifted. Picked Dual Weapon.
Perk 2: Flexibility, Wings or Hammerspace Handbag. Picked Flexibility.
Perk 3: Fated, Martial Training or Big Backpack. Picked Martial Training.
Perk 4: Get Out of Jail, Flexibility, Fated. Picked Get Out of Jail.
Perk 5: Big Damn Hero, Sorcery or Familiar. Picked Big Damn Hero.

Perk 6: Super Map. Eli has it since before.

Okay. 3 in all stats, because twins (4-1).
Str: 3+1(melee)+1(martial)=5
Agi: 3+4(air)+1(flexibility)=8
Vit: 3+1(melee)=4
Mag: 3+1(under)+1(dual)+1(hero)=6
Lck: 3+1(jail)+1(map)=5

2 silvers, 3 bronze total coins, because smug.

1 silver each to raise Vit to 6. 1 bronze each to lift Str to 6. Last bronze to Deni’s luck stat to match Eli’s +1 luck for Super Map, because identical stats give me life.

Then, Platinum and Ruby Coin used to give both Reinforcement. -2 Lck, -2 Agi to both.
Reinforcement: +1 Str, +1 Agi, +1 Mag, +1 Lck

Final stats:
Str: 7
Agi: 7
Vit: 6
Mag: 7
Lck: 4

[BrokenPromise]

Forget if I ever showed their full sheets to GMs, so here they are now.

Spoiler Character

Aria Rizzo

Age: 60/14 | Gender: Female/Female | Reinforce
Wand | Hammerspace, Killing Blow | Reinforcement
Gifted, Wings, Blood Magic, Overcity Shift, Familiar, E. Outfit, Sorcery, Healing Artifact

STR: 03 | AGI: 03 | VIT: 04 | MAG: 05 | LCK: 03

STR: 05 | AGI: 08 | VIT: 08 | MAG: 20 | LCK: 04

Description:

Aria is of Average build with an Elaborate new year's kimono as her magical girl outfit. She has amber eyes and short, pink hair that doesn't fall below her shoulders. In her human form, her eyes turn a dull brown, and her hair is black. She appears to be from Europe (+1 AGI,MAG)

Example of her untransformed state

Specializations:

Reinforcement: Reinforcement magic, the magic of choice for autistic levels of stat boosting. Aria tends to forego barriers and relies on her more unique form of spellcasting that enables her to create ethereal butterfly familiars. These familiars can cast spells on her behalf, merge with something for a huge stat boost, and can be created well in advance. (+2 MAG, +1 STR, AGI, LCK)

Weapon:

Teck-X Wand: The best tool for artificing. Aria's a bit biased since she made it herself. (+1 MAG)

Power:

Hammerspace: For holding ingredients for her artificing, mostly ores and gemstones. Her hammerspace itself is tied to a ... gourd.

Killing Blow: "Get Dunked On!": (Gold Coin) Aria has decided to retain her old signature attack. While her old weapon has been long departed, she can cause her butterflies to surge together before she dunks on her target harder than Patrick Ewing or Sans. The target feels such shame that they cry until their body is completely devoid of any nutrients, effectively killing them. (+1 MAG)

Perks:

Gifted: No artificer is complete without the power to summon butterflies. (+1 MAG)

Wings: She can give herself butterfly wings, but usually doesn't. (+1 MAG)

Blood Magic: She works really hard on her spell slinging. Sometimes too hard. (+1 VIT)

Overcity Shift: Yes, being able to get in and out of the overcity is helpful for someone who use to live there. (+1 MAG)

Familiar: She has a single, massive butterfly that is as wide as her shoulders. His name is 'Rupy', and while he can't talk, he can take on a war form and assist in fights. (+1 MAG)

E. Outfit (Emergency): Alicia made that look useful (+1 MAG)

Sorcery (Emergency): Artificing, yes that is an important skill for an artificer to have. (+1 MAG)

Healing Artifact (Gifted Item): An item granted to her by the monarch. She's since overclocked it to the point where it actually a very efficient healing tool, but is not that much stronger than a typical healing artifact. (+1 VIT)

Patron: The Monarch

Patron Benefits:

Job Satisfaction: Aria is a bit happier than most girls regardless of what she's doing. So long as it helps kill monsters, she's protected from the horrors of her job as a magical girl.

Well Connected: The Monarch has eyes in every major organization in and around Penrose. It also has an expansive network of non-magical girls and can provide Aria virtually everything she needs.

Chatty: The Monarch freely shares its secrets.

Gifted Item: See healing artifact.

Patron Drawbacks:

Expendable: The Monarch isn't too careful with its girls.

Distracted: The Monarch has so many connections that it often forgets to maintain the one it has with Aria. While it is quick to respond to Aria's queries, it will not actively inform her of anything.

Isolated: The Monarch has many connections, but few puchuu and magical girls to call to Aria' aid. She can't rely on him to find help of this nature.

Fighting Style: Aria isn’t too different than most reinforcement girls. She uses her butterflies to cast enchantments and heal, and tends to stay in the back row of the fighting line.

Though she’d really prefer to stay home and artifice things.

Stats (Untransformed):

STR: 03
AGI: 04 (body type)
VIT: 03
MAG: 05 (sorcery)(gifted)
LCK: 03

Stats (Transformed):
STR: 05
AGI: 08
VIT: 08
MAG: 20
LCK: 04

calculations

Base (4)
Spec (+1 STR)
Total (=5 STR)

Base (4)
Body shape (+1 AGI)
Spec (+1 AGI)
2 copper (+2 AGI)
Total (=8 AGI)

Base (4)
Blood Magic (+1 VIT)
Healing Artifact (+1 VIT)
2 copper (+2 VIT)
Total (=08 VIT)

Base (4)
Outfit (+1 MAG)
Weapon (+1 MAG)
Killing Blow (+1 MAG)
Spec (+1 MAG)
3 silver (+6 MAG)
6 perks (+6 MAG)

Total (=20 MAG)

Base (4)
Total (=4 LCK)

Personality:

Aria Rizzo is one part adorkable scientist, one part savy buisness person. While she can come across as aloof and scatterbrained at times, this is just you falling for her tricks. She always seems to have a bit more control and know a bit more than what she’s letting on.

She’s also very enthusiastic about gossip, and loves to tell people things they don’t know. You can see a faint light at the back of her eyes when people react to her knowledge. Though one has to wonder how authentic it is. Both her expression and the “intelligence” she shares.

History:Aria Rizzo runs "Winged Monarch Artificing" in the overcity. She uses enchanted butterflies to make all sorts of items. Like Brittany, she's content to leave the fighting to the magical girls who buy her products. If you need something special or just don't want to deal with Brittany's smug face, try Winged Monarch Artificing!

Aria has since relocated to Penrose. Few know about her far back past, save one girl who probably doesn’t even recognize her.

Incantation: "In the name of the king, spread your wings and fly!"

Extra:

Spoiler Patron

Type: Puchuu

Name: The Monarch

Personality:

Few have met the monarch. Those that do seldom remember their interactions. While most butterflies command attention, the monarch always seems to be in the past, hiding in the recesses of your memory.

That is to say they tend to not show their face much.

History:

Just a puchuu interested in the distruction of monsters. The Monarch is different in that they have always been about taking an indirect approach. Their girls are often smiths, enchanters, and other workers who aid in the fight against monsters indirectly. Their creations have been held by all manner of magical girls, from Mint to Beacon.

Resources:

Raw resources needed to create, literature on creation, and lintel about everything going on in the multiverse. While The Monarch does not concern itself with the every day antics of magical girls, it is very interested in trends that have been going on over the decades. His girls seldom want to know how something is made or what happened in the past. Though some would argue, in fairness, that perhaps The Monarch spends a bit too much time looking back and not enough time looking at the present.

[AtomicNut]

So, a preview of what's to come.

Cruel Psychopomp

Name: "Sanngridr" Cassandra Turner (Formerly William Turner)
Age (Magical Girl): 12

Age (Before Magical Girl): 18

Gender: Lass. Odin took his spear.

Gender (Before Magical Girl): A lad

Appearance: Body Type: Average, Outfit : Uniform

Mortal Guise

Valkyrie of Cruelty

Specialization: Spirit and Reinforcement

Weapon: Sword- Valkyrie's Tear. A sword annointed with the former William's tears, consecrated by Odin, granted as replacement once Gram Replica was deemed not worthy of him.

Power:
1- Copycat : Upon becoming Sanngridr, she gained the power to duplicate opponent's powers for the duration of the fight, the stigma that the red coin granted, but a boon nonetheless. It is unironically fitting for the Valkyrie of Cruelty.
2- Evil Eye (Third Eye): What became of Sanngridr's tainted black coin power after Odin took the regeneration from her, having deemed that the former Reaver was too overreliant on it. It functions like any other Third Eye, except it's nauseating to look at once it is active, and causes discomfort.

Perks:

• Power Artifact- The Witch Queen's Crown (+1 Str): A Psychic Artifact. It grants mental warding to being scried on... but for monster girls it also has the side effect of estabilizing them a great deal and make them less likely to act on their impulses.
• Wings:
  
  • Enhanced Wings:(+2 Agi): As part of her Monster Girl Mutation, the wings granted by her transformation and the wings granted by the monster girl mutation fused in two mighty limbs full of strong pinions. No longer she is clumsy at flight, and has enough lift to raise an adult into the air alongside with her (albeit with difficulty).
• Soul Jar (+1 Vit): As part of her new body, her soul now resides in a tiny jewel, making her much more difficult to kill via massive body trauma.
• Gifted(+1 Agi): Reincarnation has granted Cassandra additional insight in the use of magic. Now, Cassandra is able to bring forth the most battle-worthy of Spirits, the Einherjar, who will fight besides her. Cassandra is also able to Revive people if they're recently slain, by calling their souls back with Spirit and using Reinforcement healing to mend their bodies.
• Martial Training(+1Str): Odin allowed for Sanngridr to retain her martial prowess in weapons and tactics.
• Enhanced Transformation (+1 Mag): A carryover of her time as Reaver, this skill now serves her to use her mortal guise more effectively, no longer reverting when unconscious.
• Overcity Shift(+1Mag): Another carryover. Self Explaining.
• Sorcery (Runes) (+1 Mag): Odin also has allowed Sanngridr to retain her arcane knowledge. The Runes allow for a different variety of effects , but they're not as powerful as proper specialization magic. Runes can be taught to other people.
• Awareness(+1 Luck): Keen senses can be the difference between victory and defeat, and Sanngridr's knows that. She has honed her senses to be sharper than most.

Patron: Ebon Mint

Patron Benefits:
Black Coin(Spent on Second Power)
Non -Exclusivity: The Mint does not care for taking multiple jobs, as long as you pay what's due.

Patron Drawbacks:
Even More Debt: The Red Coin favour was costly, and it has made her debt increase even more
Betrayal: Choose who you befriend carefully, for the Mint will get rid of you if it does not serve their interests.

Patron: Deity- Wotan, The Allfather

Patron Benefits:
Divine Competence: Odin is a god of many things, so a lot of abilities have a little bump above the norm as an extra. This includes War and Healing.
Paragon (+1 Physical Stats): A honed body is the body of a warrior.
Mana Overload: Odin really opened the floodgates to see what happened to Reaver, and a transformation ensued.

Patron Drawbacks:
Rites: One must praise Odin and bring him sacrifices regularly, lest he becomes spiteful.
Monstrous Form: The increase in divine power has changed the once black knight into something not quite human.

Monster Girl Mutations:

• Devourer: Must feed. Fresh and flailing if preferably.
• Second Specialization (Reinforcement): Sanngridr is once again able to channel her old magic thanks to her monstrous nature.
• Wings(+1 Agi and Wings Perk): As she transformed, she gained a second wings upgrade that fused with her suit ones to become enhanced mighty limbs.
• Broken Reincarnation: Her soul is so strained now, that it's doubtful she'll be even whole when killed and resurrected.
• Destroyer: Nothing is eternal. Destruction will happen sooner or later. Embrace Ragnarök.

Fighting Style: Sanngridr now is more cautious about receiving damage, and attacks preferably in swooping movements, favoring aerial superiority. If an opponent proves too tenacious, she switches to commanding an army of spirits and use combined arms tactics to triumph over foes. She will also copy advantadgeous powers to even out the field.

Stats (Guise):
STR:6
AGI:6
VIT:6
MAG:6
LCK:6

Stats (Valkyrie):
STR:10
AGI:12
VIT:10
MAG:20
LCK:6

Personality:Gone is the superficial appeasing to base desires in the form of being subservient to domineering girls. Cassandra is a barely contained cauldron of rage, fueled by a deep maddened misanthropy which makes almost any moment of her life to stay in a semipermanent livid state. With her source of debauchery gone, Cassandra has turned her sights on what deep down, she really wants besides carnal pleasure which she can no longer get as she is no longer a man. To see everything burn, and feast and dance in the world's end.(Devourer And Destroyer mutations)

History: Born the son of a coroner, and with a missing mother, William's household was rather different to what one consider normal. Always haunted by the absence of a motherly figure in the household and the grim ambience that sometimes his father's job brought at home, young William grew with less than optimal social skills. He was once a gifted academical student, which spent too much time dreaming about fantasy, mythology and games, and seeing girls as that strange being that would only look at them with disgust. Still, when he heard a strange rumour about certain collectives being able to grant magical wishes, he jumped at the oportunity. He could do better than any of these silly broads, alright. So he took the contract, and chose one of his favorites. Wotan, Odin. He was an awesome god of war and many things, so he went to swear servitude to him at the drop of a hat.

Nevertheless, something was missing. Being a warrior chosen was alright, but despite his remade appearance, he wasn't getting enough to satisfy his cravings. Power had corrupted him, and he had found a beauty in being under the heel of a good-looking girl. He wished to fight more, to attract more, and he gave in to darkness. He signed a contract with the Ebon mint. Perhaps, by embracing this dark persona he would bring fulfillment to his unbalanced life.

And yet... it never fully worked out. Sure, there were some girls but they ended dead or causing much trouble. And his...agreement was found to be quite subpar. After deciding to make himself scarce after showing much of his black knight swag, he attempted a renegotiation via red coin, only to find out she had been punished to become a valkyrie.

Well, she had better become a fine chooser of the slain, else she would be serving mead to horny Einherjar for eternity... if the increased Mint debt did not catch with her up at first.

Incantation: "..."

Additional Info: It's only by Odin's influence that she doesn't lose her shit and attacks everything in sight like a monster Queen.

Rolls: 6,12,4,1,3,4,20,17,17,5,20. Origin has been changed to Contract. Spent 1b to Shift Interdimensional Home to Gifted. Bought two perks with Gold Coin. Spent 3b 3s on stats upon creating. Spent 2g 8s in +1 Boosters to Agi (+1) and Mag (+3).

Magical Coins: 1b

Patron

Type: Deity
Name: Wotan, Woden, Odin, Allfather, you know the drill.

Aspect

Personality: Well, one has to take a guess that Odin has been a little of everything. Sometimes a thunderous warrior like his son, sometimes a master of trickery like his sworn brother Loki. Odin is wise, and it's very difficult to read. He grants good boons but, asks for effort in deeds as an exchange. As the Lord of Valhalla, he despises cowardice, and likes people who are ready to die in battle against impossible odds.

History: We all know his story, even though his worship has dwindled due to the encroach of other gods. He sacrificed an eye to achieve wisdom, and did many a deed. Usually alongside Loki, whom he appreciates and hates.

Resources: Quite a few, but are spread thin. What Odin can offer is power and ancient weapons of an olden era, of epic fights and men stronger than steel. Sorcery and Healing are also his turf, and he can provide resources for those readily.
Goals:
Fight to the Death without cowardice.
Kill people from other factions as Sacrifice to the Allfather.
Increase Number of Norse Mythos/Religion Believers

Additional Info: LOOOOOKIII.

[Flamelord]

Alright, so coin turnout for this period of open bounties.

Aurelio - 2 Silver or 8 Bronze
Lily & Alex - 1 Gold, 4 Silver, or 16 Bronze
Sann = 1 Gold, 4 Silver, or 16 Bronze + 1 Silver or 4 Bronze
Sakura - 2 Silver, 8 Bronze
Deni/Ronin - 3 Silver or 12 Bronze
Shane - 3 Silver or 12 Bronze
Gaia - 1 Silver or 4 Bronze
Rose/iris - 3 Bronze
Mariette - 3 Bronze
Oros - 2 Silver or 8 Bronze
Shion - 2 Silver or 8 Bronze
Hilaria - 1 Gold, 4 Silver, or 16 Bronze + 2 Silver or 8 bronze
Aria - 2 Silver or 8 Bronze
Melisa - 1 Silver or 4 Bronze
Anaya - 1 Silver or 4 Bronze

Any complaints about the payout for C rank bounties should be taken up with Ariamis, since he's the one who settled on that value :P

[BrokenPromise]

There's been some interest in the Lord of Change's game, so I'll put some deets here so that they don't get buried in memes and everyone has a chance to see them.

-The Lord of Change is giving everyone a chance to enjoy the Christmas party with a long departed friend, be they separated by distance or death.

-Everyone received a text message from one such friend of theirs. If I did not write one for you, you can assume they got one anyway. If they never knew any of my departed characters, they got one from someone else. If they don't have a cell phone, they do now. Causality warping horrors and their antics

-The friend that they wish to join the party does not have to be the one that sent them a text message, nor does it have to be one of my characters. But I'm only going to play my own characters at the party.

-The game itself has yet to be explained, but there is a roller cage present.

-The exact number of friends that will join the party will depend on the number of participants and how varied the requests are.

-The Lord of Change can be further questioned to learn more.

[BrokenPromise]

If you’re interested in playing the Lord of Change’s game, here’s the OOC rules.

PARTICIPATION:

-Each character can vote on a single magical entity they would like to attend the party. That includes magical girls, patrons, monsters, etc. It does not matter if they are dead or alive, though ideally it would make sense for your character to vote for them.

-Posting who your character voted for IC isn’t mandatory. In fact, I discourage it! (though you can still do it if you’d like to. uwu)

-Best way to ensure your character’s vote is counted is to send me a DM on discord. I just need to know the character(s) that voted and who they voted for.

-NPCs and PCs can vote, so long as they are at the event.

-On the 26th (or sooner if everyone miraculously votes) Voting ends and we see who joins the party.

PICKING WINNERS:

-The votes will be divided into batches, which will be turned into “loot tables”, with a number assigned to each one.

-Each loot table will be rolled once via RPG dice roller to determine which character joins the party.

-The loot tables will be created in such a way as to allow the player characters a better chance at getting their dream friend into the RP. As an example, if Platinumskink enters all of his NPCs into this, they will be regulated to a single table as to not interfere with the chances of player characters.

-If it gets big enough, the player loot table may be rolled more than once. There may be more than one player loot table!

-Should a friend get drawn that doesn’t want to play their character, that table will be re-rolled without said friend on the list. If this happens more than two times on a single list, the loot list is discarded.

-The banner for this Gacha event is “BP’s characters.” So there is a 100% chance that you’ll pull at least one BP character from this event. How this will be achieved depends on how everyone votes.

If you have any questions, I'm on discord, like, every day.

[BrokenPromise]

Yesterday, on the Magical Girl Discord Server: Broken “Zucc” Promise collects the opinions of Magical girl players…

AND NOW THE RESULTS ARE IN!

I was kind of on the fence about deciding where to post these. Erode posted all of his surveys forum side, so I’ve decided to do just that.

So just to reiterate before I roll out these results, here’s what happened.

I ran a google form survey to collect the tasty data opinions of everyone. We got 9 responses out of 10-11 active roleplayers, so I feel this is an accurate sample size. I also collected e-mail addresses to dissuade people from logging fake surveys. I can show the E-mails, but would rather not do so on a semi-public area like an OOC forum post.

The results are as follows:

There’s a pretty even spread here, with roughly half of the votes landing on one side or the other of 3. But do remember that we had 2 long time members leave the RP this season, and I’m sure their votes would have fallen to the left side of the scale. These aren’t really good numbers to have. We’re almost 4 years in, and by now everyone should have reasonable expectations for the RP.

So why do people have this opinion of Darkest Before the Dawn?

I can’t say these results surprised me. The necromancers were mixed, but each encounter was treated a bit differently. Billy was taken on by a group of Players, Mr Bulk was a weird mix of GMNPCs and PC, and Endsinger was a cut scene with a fight against Lupa going on in the BG. Hard to get much from these results alone. The Beacon trial is a bit more polarizing, and I don’t really have much to say about it. The rave is easily the most hated event in the RP, while the park horror event didn’t score nearly as badly. It is hard to vote the park event because while it did have a cool fight scene, it wasn’t totally divorced from Cindy killing herself. Meanwhile, the Seige on Mariette’s mansion is among the most acclaimed GM events this season, with the sanctuary one being pretty meh/disliked overall. Time skips remain the most enjoyed part of the RP. I’m noticing a trend here, but let’s keep this in mind and continue.

I think the only thing that surprises me here is that more people didn’t hate the Ascendancy. They’re a boring, invincible, almighty army that no one can hope to beat in a fight. Though they are easy enough to avoid by just staying out of their way. They definitely don’t have a favorable score, but it’s still a lot higher than I expected.

Can’t say the same for the rest. Sanctuary is pretty polarizing for reasons I’ve already discussed. Justine was half baked and voted accordingly, and the widespread accessibility of purification potions is polarizing, but leaning towards unfavorable just like Sanctuary.

The new story beats might have been a bust, but at least the homebrew content scored well.

As a joyless internet gremlin, I do get an odd warming sensation in my cold dead heart when I see that both cradle and the red coin are well recieved by the RP as a whole. The white coin isn’t too far behind, and is clearly a better item than the potions. Perhaps the potions give players too much freedom in how they are purified? Suppose you could have a good discord discussion about that.

The modded red coin and Amaryllis’s sword patron I think were mostly unknown. I’m not even sure why I included them. Guess I was just checking awareness.

Now I bring to you my favorite part of the entire survey: where we talk about what we enjoy and don’t.

The data speaks for itself. There’s a clear outcry for more smaller scale fights as well as ones against monsters, and some time for non-magical and slice of life stuff would be cool too. It’s also clear that most players have had enough of the bloated spectacle fights and patron antics.

I also find some of the “other” options interesting. A call for less collabs and loose ends. I do wish I had done a collab check box for that one, as well as a rivalry one. Suppose there’s always next time.

And lastly, let’s see what everyone’s most interested in.

That one about the cradle broke my heart. Me too fam, me too </3

Now if I’m going to make an OOC update this long, why not make it even longer with some stuff that’s coming down the pipe?

TO THE NORTH

Someone who took the survey said that they wanted to see fewer loose ends. Well it’s your lucky day pal, To the north is just for you!

To the north is a bunch of hunts made by yours truly. Unlike normal hunts, these will see you venturing to the north of Penrose where all of my characters like to retreat to. In order to join one, the hunting party will need a specific character to be present to go on the hunt. This is because these hunts are a bit more story driven in nature and require specific characters to work properly. If you want to know what became of Lupa or see how Regina is making out, you’ll need to take on these hunts.

Taking on northern hunts can also unlock special events called “raids,” which is just as gnarly as they sound. Depending on how negotiations go with the GMs, these will either occur during events or will be special multi-party hunts where several hunting parties have to work together, but also split up to bring down a powerful threat. Think about events like the graveyard or the necromancers, only with parties of two.

And we’ve also got something else.

GOLDEN TROVE EXPANSION

Some of you have already seen it, and the GM’s seem to be on board with the idea. I just wanna make things a bit more ready before letting you guys see it again. Someone else might wanna add more stuff to it, so that's cool. Once everyone’s had a second look, I’ll probably pass around another survey like I did for S3 to collect feedback.

Well that was a good use of my weekend. Gunna lay down now.

[Majoraa]

"Quick warning! Any characters bearing similarities to other characters in different Realm of Patronses and/or obscure universes are purely coincidental! It ain't our fault if you feel like making a reference or two, our handler's just not that fuckin' creative. You've been warned! :D" - Oliver

Finn Vanhorn

Name:
Finn Vanhorn

Age (Magical Boy):
15

Age (Before Magical Boy):
???

Gender:
Male

Gender (Before Magical Boy):
Male

Appearance:

Untransformed

Christmas

Specialization:
Beast

Weapon:
Melee: Briar Rose
Finn's trusty cane-sword. It has a subtle rose motif on the sheath and blade.

Power:
Power of Friendship:
Alot of people like him for some reason. If anyone can get even the most obscure allies, it's Finn.

Regeneration:
Well, it's not the Immortal perk, but he's still hard to kill. Not only does his mana recharge faster than most, but he can persist through almost any injury. Decapitation of the head? Not so much...

Perks:
Disguise Artifact:
A matching brooch to his magical boy uniform. Perfect for infiltrations, given they take no more than two hours.

Enhanced Transformation:
Ain't nobody got time for drawn out transformation sequences!

Big Damn Hero:
One person, one place. If either one is given a token, Finn can be aware of anything that is or will be in danger, and arrive there just in time to sort things out.

Masculinity:
He gets to retain his manhood, lucky bastard.

Overcity Shift:
How big even is the Overcity? Does it span across different universes?? Questions aside, he's able to head in and out of the Overcity...given he doesn't stray too far and end up in a different place entirely.

Flexibility:
Guess those gymnastics classes payed off.

Hammerspace Handbag:
Finn mostly uses this to store smaller, mundane weapons like handguns.

Ouju-Sama:
He's got a butler too. His name is Laplace.

Snowbun:
A pet Snowbun, can be summoned anywhere and anytime!

Patron:
Maura Natalie (Crimson Cradle)

Patron Benefits:
Cradle Supply - Got somethin' that might interest ya! Heheh!
_{Paradiso & Inferno - A pair of twin blades, made from the vengeful, restless spirit of a Monster King. Lightweight, sharp and agile as they are, their wielder can feel the same bloodlust the spirit once had. They gain the warrior mental mutation so long as they have it equipped.}

Connected - You know the drill. Magicoms, red halo, I don't need to say it twice.

Physical Prowess - Gotta balance these stats somehow.

Encore - Finn's been around for a long, long while, ever since Maura kept him from dying. With the current situation in Penrose, he's been called back to help get things back in order.

Patron Drawbacks:
Exposed - Your thoughts aren't safe anymore.

Mercy - Maura. Stop being a mother hen for five minutes. Please.

Solo Performance - He refuses to explain further, but since growing a distain for betrayals and tragedies, Finn prefers to be alone for the most part. Not that he'd complain if anyone approached him, but he won't bother people unless it's needed.

Fighting Style:
Finn tends to take his time durning combat. He likes to make the most of his abilities, from taking some hits with his Regeneration, to borrowing aspects of animals with his Beast spec. Oddly enough, he rarely uses his animals themselves. Save a flock of ravens or crows.

He and Oliver tend to work on par with each other, bouncing strategies off each other to eliminate their target easily, or overwhelm them. Finn acts as offense, Oliver acts as support. If paired up with other teammates; separately or otherwise, they both switch to a more supportive role until the situation calls for them to intervene.

Stats (Untransformed):
STR: 3
AGI: 5
VIT: 3
MAG: 3
LCK: 4

Stats (Transformed):
STR: 11
AGI: 12
VIT: 12
MAG: 13
LCK: 11

Personality:
At first glance, Finn can come off as intimidating. A clean suit, stoic expression paired with sharp eyes belonging to nothing short of a professional. He's often blunt, but willing to hear others out. Stubborn, with a low tolerance for mindless bullshit.

He's actually a pretty chill person, usually outside of work. Due to how long he's been around, Finn acts as an older brother type of friend around those he knows. His Power of Friendship ability does help with this, and he always looks for a compromise. He's also quite a curious person with a thirst for knowledge, especially when it comes to the magical world. If a topic comes up around Finn that catches his interest, you can expect him to be all ears for a while.

He's also an easily excitable dork, but he wouldn't admit it outright.

History:
A researcher and investigator in his past life, Finn always had a sixth sense for the paranormal and such. He was always aware of the existance of magic, and those who possess it. However, he got too ambitious dealing with things he shouldn't have. And in the end, it costed him his life.

Almost costed him his life.

See, Death had taken notice of him. For some reason she; who he'd soon know as Maura, felt a strange remorse for him. Neither of them knew why, but Maura felt that he didn't deserve that kind of fate. So she used some of her magic to make him into a magical boy.

About a month passed as he got used to his newfound powers, when he ran into Maura again. But something seemed off. The poor woman appeared shaken by something. Once she explained what happened between her and her coven over his circumstance, Finn suggested to her about becoming a patron from what he had gathered about being a magical boy, get more manpower if her sisters decided to retaliate. Though he also told her to choose carefully, as some people could take advantage of such power, and Maura herself to some extent.

It took awhile, but they did convince several people to become magical girls (and boys, of course). Maura even revived a ghost into a monster boy so they'd have an advantage against a monster attack. This would be Finn's old friend and current partner-in-crime, Oliver.

Over all, life carried on as they worked. Conflicts arose; both magical and mundane, changes big and small occured, and relations were made. Though for the far latter, some relations were...not so good. As disorienting as it all was, Finn grew used to it, eventually not bothering with other people asides his teammates. Asides from Oliver, or Maura.

Incantation:
"Memento Mori."

Additional Info:
- No one really knows how long Finn's been a magical boy, but assuming the remaining Witches have been around for centuries, it's estimated to be around the Victorian Era.
- He used to give some of his earned coins to newer recruits under Maura, to give them some support.
- 5 Silver, 2 Bronze spent on Ouju-Sama
- Gained the Snowbun Perk from winning the Wacky Downhill Race

Magical Coins:
0 Ruby, 0 Platinum, 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze

Oliver Kyle

Name:
Oliver Kyle

Age (Magical Boy):
15

Age (Before Magical Boy):
He's been dead for a long time.

Gender:
Male

Gender (Before Magical Boy):
Male

Appearance:

Disguised

Christmas

Specialization:
Oddball: Chemicals, Spirit

Weapon:
Ranged/Melee: Rememdium
Oliver's rifle. He's made it to where it was chemical-proof, just in case. Looks a bit old.

Power:
Duplication:
Can't be a true haunting with only one ghost!

Perks:
Dual Weapon:
Oliver's rifle has a bayonet knife attached to it. Nothing that eye-catching.

Ally:
As much as I tried to avoid this perk, looks like Finn and Oliver are stuck with each other.

Big Backpack:
Oliver carries a satchel, with all the necessities of a usual big backpack. He also uses it to store chemistry books, for his magic.

Masculinity:
Him? A girl?? Over his dead body!

Blood Magic:
Somehow he can use some of his own vitality to cast spells. Overdoing it won't end well, makes him nauseous.

Enhanced Sustenance:
Does he even need to sleep? Well regardless, he's able to persist without eating much or breathing. The latter's a bit weird, concidering his circumstances.

Awareness:
Oliver's harder to sneak up on. Better know what you're doing before you try attacking him.

True Sight:
Any environmental blinders that affect normal magicals don't work on him and his enhanced sight.

Phylactery:
No one else knows, but he stays by Finn for a reason. If he dies, Oliver goes down with him. They can be separate from each other, so long as they reunite once a year. Maybe it's that mental mutation keeping him from straying too far...

Possession:
One of the hallmarks of ghosts. With a bit of willpower, Oliver can take control of another person's body, even if it's for a minute. If the person he's possessing dies, he's supposed to die too. But with the intervention of a phylactery, who knows?

Intangibility:
Another of the hallmarks of ghosts. Oliver can phase through objects to travel or avoid attacks. Not too much though, it gets disorientating otherwise.

Sixth Sense:
Just cause he's more alive than before, doesn't mean he can't mess with other souls stuck here! With some concentration, he can touch the other spirits, and those astral projecting. And maybe allow them to poke back. Just don't get too touchy.

Patron:
Maura Natalie (Crimson Cradle)

Patron Benefits:
Cradle Supply - Well, Oliver doesn't have an artifact so...
_{Lil' Slugger (Melee/Mystic) - A strange monochrome baseball bat, salvaged from an abandoned universe equally strange. It's most effective against corrupt enemies, and can even hit hard against the unliving. However over time, it'll start to attract more vicious monsters.}

Connected - Cause normal telepathy's too easy.

??? - ????

Magical Overload - It took alot to bring him back from the dead. A whole lot.

Patron Drawbacks:
Exposed - Maura doesn't really like proding her agents for information, but that doesn't mean your thoughts are safe.

Mercy - Genocide is overrated.

??? - ????

Monstrous Form - Something might have gone wrong with his revival. Oliver became a revenant.

Fighting Style:
Oliver's approach to battle is a bit more complex. With his Spirit specialization and Duplication power, he's able to provide alot of back-up for his teammates. Though complicated, his chemical specialization can be used to hinder the target, if not set them on fire. (A usual strategy Oliver uses, that he's aware of.) It's hard to sneak up on him. It's even harder to blind his vision.

And of course, he can always possess them. But is it worth the risk?

Finn and him tend to work on par with each other, bouncing strategies off each other to eliminate their target easily, or overwhelm them. Finn acts as offense, while Oliver acts as support. If paired up with other teammates; separately or otherwise, they both switch to a more supportive role until the situation calls for them to intervene.

Stats (Disguised):
STR: 3
AGI: 3
VIT: 5
MAG: 3
LCK: 4

Stats (Undisguised):
STR: 10
AGI: 10
VIT: 12
MAG: 12
LCK: 12

Personality:
If Finn's the left brain, Oliver is the right. He's more upbeat and laidback than his partner, and alot more mischevious. He can be smug at times, whether it's taunting his enemies or teasing his friends, but he's usually the one to break up any fights between the latter. Oliver can get bored pretty easily, and he's willing to improvise; Much to his dismay of getting an Oddball specialization.

Though as much of a little shit as he is, Oliver does know when it isn't the time to joke around. As his Mental Mutation suggests, he's especially protective of his friends, putting them first before him. He does try not to get too protective of them. It'd turn weird.

History:
A some point in Maura's past history as a patron, the town they resided in at the time was attacked. Apparently a Monster King had been driven over the edge, and was admant on killing everyone and everything in sight. Of course Maura's chosen few were among those who decided to fend him off, but he and his cronies proved to be quite the challenge. They had to get back-up.

Maura managed to get a couple of people contracted, but most went to other patrons before she could do anything. Then her first recruit, Finn Vanhorn, had an idea.

He had an old friend, one Oliver Kyle, who worked with him until his sudden death few years back. (well, few years at that time.) Something Finn wanted to know is "Can a patron forge a contract with the dead?" He and Maura went to Oliver's final resting place to test that theory.

They did manage to revive Oliver, but not only did it take alot out of Maura, but he became a monster boy. Not to mention he was still a ghost in a way. But in the end, the Monster King was put down. Maura had to be out of commission for awhile after to regain her strength.

What they didn't realize at the time was that to keep Oliver grounded to reality, Finn was made into his Phylactery. Once they caught onto it they made sure not to let anyone else know, and the two decided to stick together, just as they did once in the past.

Life went on. And in the now, it seems things have changed again. In response to the trouble brewing in Penrose, the duo were called in to help keep things in check. And definetly not to help Maura get used to running an official organization.

Monstrous Mutations:
Noncorporeal:
Well, he is undead.

Sentinel:
They've been hurt too much. Why can those jackasses leave scot-free while those he cares about are left scarred and broken? Why should he stand by and do nothing about it while they keep getting hurt? No. He cares too much to let this slide. He'll keep his friends safe.

Broken Incarnation:
Of course, there had to be a drawback to his circumstance. If he ends up dead (double dead??), his reincarnation's a bit...wonky. It may take awhile to get him back completely.

Second Specialization:
Boo.

Additional Info:
- Nothing else to note.

Magical Coins:
0 Ruby, 0 Platinum, 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze

[Ariamis]

Here's the list for the gifting:

White Elephant Gift Exchange

Chooser order randomized and gifts were selected using a wheel of names to see which they would grab.
The gifts may be traded between characters.
Please direct any questions regarding a gift to @twave

Recipient	Gift	Traded
Eli	A golden ticket to have a fantastic meal and a happy ending. May bring a single guest.	None
Lily	A magic battery. It can store extra magic and shorten the time needed to recover mana.	None
Sakura	An Interdimensional Tourist takes an interest in their plight and seeks to provide their needs.	None
Amanda	An orb of magic sits inside. Looking at it you can tell that it will become the item you most desire.	None
Kimble	Posters for a match of you against a worthy opponent.	None
Mariette	A coin with Melisa's face engraved upon it. It acts as a Hero Token and the doll will be alerted in your time of need. She will arrive just in time to provide aid.	None
Dina	A crystal ball with a shifting image inside. It has the power to make one dream come true.	None
Summer	A coin with Emily's face engraved upon it. It acts as a Hero Token and the girl will be alerted in your time of need. She will arrive just in time to provide aid.	None
Melisa	A large box of chocolates containing every chocolate flavor. Each one has a unique shape.	None
Elora	A set of keys to a home just outside the city. It is magically enchanted to prevent uninvited guests from entering or scrying events inside.	None
Rachel	Inside is a pristinely kept Yakuza jacket.	None
Shane	A 1-Night Stay card for the Golden Trove.	None
Connie	A key to an Interdimensional Home. It is themed how you like and completely safe. If you already have this perk then it upgrades to a full size house.	None
Viva	Three invitations that can be passed out. You will have temporary PoF during that one meeting with those who accept the invitations.	None
Dan	A book of inspirational quotes. Reading the book relieves stress and worry.	None
Penny	A ornate gem with the power of healing, a Healing Artifact.	None
Aria	A magic MP3 player with all music that can adjust its playlist to your mood.	None
Valerie	A small scroll sits inside. Reading the scroll will give you a condensed memory of a single day of your life had you not become a magical person. It doesn't have to be a happy experience, but regardless, it should be moderately cathartic. It's either a gift to know "I'm better off now" or, through the happiness of the memory, it becomes a gift that way. If it's someone who'd just die pretty quickly, then make the memory one from an alternate timeline.	None
Deni	Inside is a big bucket of KFC's finest chicken. It is delicious.	None
Violet	A book of wisdom. Reading through the book grants the Intuition perk.	None
Goblina	A card with the name and number of someone that could be a friend or lover.	None
Betty	A larger box filled with the latest and most powerful parts to build a new computer.	None
Rose	A pearl charm bracelet. It gives a +2 boost to your LCK stat.	None
Aurelio	A reservation to a prestigious restaurant in the Overcity. Some of the best cuisine the multiverse has to offer. May bring a single guest.	None
Silhouette	A collection of luxury teas from around the world.	None
Cassandra	Two all expended paid round trip tickets to wherever you'd like. The trip will feel like a week, but only a day will pass in reality.	None
Kayli	A ticket of resurrection. Use will call Cassandra to resurrect a magical girl with her patron's power at the cost of a Gold coin. Single use.	None
Shion	A box of the best tea ever made.	None
Oros	A gift card that grants you access to any venue in order to have a memorable night with someone special.	None
Alicia	Finds a DVD containing every single season, movie, TV special and videogame of Sailor Moon inside the box.	None
Hilaria	A heart shaped candy. Eating the candy causes one dream to come true.	None
Emily	A pin shaped like a four leaf clover. It gives a +2 boost to your LCK stat.	None
Alex	A magical wand that is able to turn into anything small that you may be needing at this moment. Like the key to the door you're next to, a flashlight, a microphone, a telephone, a transmitter, anything of decently small size that is mundane. You don't need to understand how whatever it turns into works, it just needs to be small enough, and not a weapon. The item denies weapons. Tiny shields are fine, though. If whatever it's turned into needs electricity or some other form of power, assume it has it, although even if each time it transforms it recharges it doesn't have an infinite amount of it.	None
FanFan	Inside is the most delicious cake you've ever had.	None
Mia	A big red button. Pushing the button moves the user far out of the current danger to prevent being followed or easily returning. Functions like Retrieval.	None
Iris	The small box contains a super comfy sweater. It is magically enchanted to be everlasting.	None
Eliza	A toga. However it actually can change it's appearance to any kind of clothing the user wants.	None

[Ariamis]

Keijo tournament rules:

-The winner of the tournament gets the Black Mirror as the prize.
-16 participants are allowed to apply at maximum, with 8 as the minimum.
-Matches are played in brackets, with the winner of one bracket moving on to the next one.
-If participants number at exactly 12, the first bracket is played as a 1v1v1.
-The final match will be played vs Rachel.

Keijo combat rules:
-No use of offensive/weaponized magic. However, magic applied on the player or the environment that doesn't directly attack the opponent are allowed.
-You can only touch your opponent intentionally with your chest, Or your rear. Hips can make non-prolonged contact, for example for a strike or parry.
-Allies are exempt from this rule, and can be touched with hands and legs.
-Falling from the platform into the water or being knocked out is a loss.
-The last person standing on the platform is the winner.
-The time limit is 5 minutes, with exceptions decided by the judge.
-Mandatory swimsuit dress code.

[BrokenPromise]

-The time limit is 5 minutes, with exceptions decided by the judge.

@Ariamis

So is this just some IC flair, or does this relate to the number of weeks/adds/pages of the keijo collabs in some way?

[Ariamis]

@BrokenPromise

It's there as a safety measure in case a match ends up dragging for too long, for example in the last tournament's finals. Usually matches don't last that long, so no worries.