Haeo

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

I was planning on waiting for Flood to post before posting again. But, I have this feeling that I might not get the chance to escape the awkward moment... or even make it worse, if I don't post in the next day or so.

Any thoughts?

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

I'd reply and get the awkward conversation going... as much as it's likely to at this point, but I don't want to choke other people out or leave them behind. Besides, there's a vigilant bodyguard in the area who hasn't had a chance to notice Trace's moves yet... and I think it would be out of character if he didn't.

Now... I just need to take the intervening time to figure out how Trace would broach the subject of his new.. 'acquaintance' joining the ranks of mercenaries... or at least accompanying him for awhile. It'll probably sound ridiculous to most people for him to just offer to work with her if she joins up. But, armies travel long distances and encounter large numbers of people. Since she lacks leads at present, it could be better than nothing. Also, traveling alone in a wartorn country is... dangerous.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth
Garleton Plaza

Trace heard nothing of value. The only noise that drew his attention at all was a brief altercation between gamblers. The winner left, unharmed and still cocky, while the loser was restrained by the others at the table. It was an odd scene but not terribly important. The most valuable things he learned during his meal had to do with the lack of quality in the drink, the lack of knowledge among the patrons, the lack of any rumors from the battlefront, and the fact that good music was so out of place here that it managed to cut through the din of the tavern even at some distance. He paid his bill and left the unfortunate inn behind as he followed his ears. It didn't take him long to find the source of the music. The lively tune was unfamiliar and the dancer was exotic as well as lovely. He took a moment to watch before he remembered the feel of the lance haft in his hand and turned his attention to the crowd. They were entranced. Many of them gaped openly at the spectacle. For all the dancer's looks and grace, she couldn't hold Trace's gaze for long. Such forms of beauty just reminded him of his mother. However, there was one figure in the back of the crowd that drew his eye more firmly. Dressed in striking black robes and carrying a book, the young woman stood out from most of the drab and rough crowd. She actually might be about his own age, though he wouldn't ask unless it became important. She seemed... magical. It had been a long time since Trace had practiced magic but he could still recognize those who did often enough. It was a skill that had earned him a bit of coin in the past since mages were often in need of fighting hands to keep their enemies at a tidy distance. Furthermore, they could usually bring down foes that his spear had trouble with. The combination simply worked well. This one didn't seem like she was a mercenary but she also didn't look like she was waiting for anyone. If she was looking to travel alone... she might find more trouble than she could handle. If he hadn't already signed up to join the prince's army as a mercenary he would simply offer his services straight away. But, in this situation, as attractive as the idea of having a mage at his back was... he couldn't think of a way to convince her if she already had other plans. Then again... he saw a shift in the crowd. It was a small shape, lurking in the alley shadows near the young mage. Trace began moving quietly through the crowd. He was careful to not disturb the front row of people watching the show but he also avoided exiting the crowd entirely. He needed the cover to get close enough. It took a couple minutes but he eventually got close enough to get a better look at the situation. It was a thief, a small knife flickered briefly in the light before being pulled under a tattered cloak. From the physique, the thief seemed quite young and thin. Trace took a deep breath as he stepped out of the dense portion of the crowd, acting like a man just looking for fresh air. The thief twitched, moving toward the mage's book and purse while hugging the wall in an attempt to avoid being noticed. Trace's spear twirled with a momentary rush of air before the butt end thumped into the thief's gut. The thief dropped to the ground and dropped the knife before quickly stumbling away into the shadows while gasping for breath. He wasn't the hero type and he didn't like talking much but this was a situation that called for all his charm and social wit. So, Trace mustered his social muscles, nodded blandly as though nothing had happened, kicked the tiny knife away from where the kids in the crowd might find it, and spoke gloriously. "Good day, miss." The words were calm and flat, neither warm nor cold. In fact, they were almost irritatingly without flavor. But, they were accompanied by him taking a place against the same wall, his eyes casually flitting over the crowd. It actually looked like he was her bodyguard and he had just shown up to work.

_________________________ Status: Alive & Well Class: Recruit Inventory: Iron Lance Vulnerary

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth
Ashen Chain

Wow, this is nice... but really finicky indeed. Getting the hang of this will take a bit. On another note... How many people are still deciding who to form initial support with? Posted again to better position Trace for interaction. The young mage girl would be Artemisia, in case that wasn't clear enough. However, whether or not she responds is a matter that I leave entirely to @Lugubrious	_________________________ Status: Alive & Well Class: Recruit Inventory: Iron Lance Vulnerary

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

I know. I'm just tempted. We need heavies... lots of heavies.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

...... The weapon balance problem tempts me to create another character who uses axes and wears heavy armor. I don't want Trace to be the only person holding the line... He's not bad for an off-tank but... main tank he isn't.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Recruit>Soldier>Halberdier>Warmage> UNKNOWN at present. Looking to become a true lance master with some secondary options and possibly a mount later. It depends on what happens as we go along.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth

Trace Retloth had just signed up as an unaffiliated mercenary. Since he didn't belong to a company he could be assigned anywhere. He was quiet and only said what was needed. There was no point attracting undue attention from a new employer so he kept his skill to himself. Besides, there were many in the world who were better than him. Of that, he was still certain. If notoriety and fortune were to come his way, they would come on the battlefield.

The town was glutted with people and vibrant with noise. Trace had known battles quieter than these pre-battle markets. He longed to return to his tent outside the walls. It was at least a little quieter there, though the other mercenaries were fairly rowdy. Even though the money was good in war, mercenaries had to consider their odds of living to collect. Looking around, Trace had seen a lot of mercenaries who didn’t seem likely to. In fact, most of the bigger name companies didn’t seem to be here. At least, he hadn’t seen their markings or names in the camps outside just yet.

He hoped that they weren’t trying to join the Lyonesse. It would be tough going without having to face veteran mercenaries from the same lands. The numbers here weren’t very great. They weren’t as bad as they could be, but the people weren’t leaping forward to defend the Emperor and the Empire. Then again, if his mother wasn’t buried near Edinburgh… maybe Trace would have sought other sources of fortune a long time ago.

But, for now, there was only one reason why he was still suffering with the crowded streets of Garleton. His whetstone was getting pretty worn and he didn’t want to go off to battle without one. He still had a few coins from his last job, enough to last a few weeks or so if he camped in the wild and only bought food that he couldn’t hunt or trap. But, the way prices go in places like this, he would be lucky to find a used whetstone that he could afford. He was forced to check the small merchant stalls that were hidden and out of sight. These places often charged less in an effort to attract customers to their less suitable locations. However, they also frequently offered lower quality.

It took over an hour before he finally found a tiny shop run by a poorly dressed teenager who had an assortment of poor quality daggers, knives, and a few serviceable tools that had likely been stolen from craftsmen and soldiers as they walked through the crowds. Among the motley assortment was a chipped whetstone. Aside from the chipped corner, it seemed to be in good shape but the boy was offering a fairly low price for it. It could have been one of his highest value items. After all, most of the stolen tools and weapons had some kind of small markings that would allow the owner to identify it later. The whetstone did not have any and could be purchased more safely.

Trace showed interest in a dagger as well as the whetstone and began to haggle over the price. He favored lowering the price of the dagger at first but eventually, with apparent reluctance, gave up on getting it and took the whetstone for about three-fourths of its listed price. Then he moved back into the crowds before allowing his disappointed expression to fade back into stoic neutrality. He had what he came for. The quiet called to him.

Then he heard the raucous noise of a bustling tavern by the road and remembered that he hadn’t eaten or drunk much for the past couple days. More than that, he hadn’t heard many rumors worth hearing. As much as he longed for a quiet moment at his camp, dying because you don’t like the noise of the places where information flows… would be embarrassing.

He headed into the tavern, paying no heed to the sign above the door, and found one of the very few empty seats. It wasn’t as remote as he would like but it was at a table midway between the wall and the center of the room. It would do.

Trace didn’t stand out much. Most of his gear was leather and his lance was simple iron and unadorned. So, it took a few moments before a hustling serving girl to notice him and take his order. He only ordered a little food and an ale. But, he kept his ears open. He wanted to gather rumors of the Lyonesse army, if there were any, as well as any news of the bigger mercenary companies. He hoped that it wouldn’t take him long to get some information worth hearing.

The ale… wasn’t very good… even for the price.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@Sho Minazuki Is that "tavern just down the road" inside the walls or is it a roadside tavern closer to the mercenary camps?

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby@Zeroth

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I (1.0)!
You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.

System:Femus

Femus failed to properly duplicate the shield spell, perhaps his lack of understanding was hindering his progress. However, it felt like he might be practicing something too advanced for his current level. With a new set of words flashing in his awareness to remind him of the past few level up experiences, he found it fairly easy to understand that the words said exactly what they meant. He was developing a skill quickly. His methods were bearing fruit, whether or not it was the fruit he aimed to get. In any case his newly acquired analysis skill would definitely come in handy.

In fact, Femus began using it immediately. His first target was the nearest blue flower. It wasn’t magic but it was closely related and he knew that its mana restorative properties were something that he needed to better understand if he was going to cultivate them in the future. The next target was the tree in which he sat.

After using these uses to gain a practical understanding of the function of the skill, and hopefully some useful information, Femus began reforming that mana orb and trying to alter its attributes to reflect the memories, feelings, and knowledge he used before. This time, he repeated a simpler series of images and concepts in his mind like a chant to crystallize the concept into a more cohesive idea. He closely observed the orb’s changes in behavior as well as how it made him feel, seeking to strengthen the previous effects and continue the skill’s ‘rapid progress’. He also turned his Magic analysis on this developing skill, seeking to push the skill as far as he could and gain specific information about the component parts of the spell.

After this test, regardless of outcome, he meditated back to full mana and turned his attention outward. He heard chittering. It was fairly faint, likely due to some distance, but it was definitely Pixie chatter. Either that pixie was gathering help closer than he remembered pixies gathering or else… it had disturbed Nira. In that case… who could possibly know what was going on out there. At least, he didn’t hear any sounds of fighting yet. Maybe, just maybe.. he could use this time to try another approach… or store extra mana for a possible fight.

Survival first.

He meditated, concentrating as much mana as he could and trying to compress it in an effort to improve its quality within his body. He also thought about the tree around him. It was old and lived slowly. A great deal of power flowed through it but it must flow slowly and be closely guarded. He tried to open himself to the tree, not seeking to pull mana from it but seeking to draw mana that felt similar to the tree from the surrounding air into himself. If he could, he would seek to keep it distinct from the regular mana but circulate it through his body in tandem.

However, if any loud noise or violent change became audible outside he would immediately stop his activities. Femus would also grab two of the blue flowers, letting them orbit himself as he headed outside to see what was going on.