Haeo

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

@Zeroth @Stabby

Femus was gratified and relieved that Nira had finished the slime off, though he hoped that she still had more time before her evolution. He would have to wait till she came back to find out whether or not the countdown had started for that. So, he busied himself with more practical concerns while trying to ignore the residual shakes from his… flashback. The implications of him having flashbacks were not something that he had time to examine right now.

However, the implications of having completed his Growth skill were far more important. It seemed that Growth functioned a bit more like a minor enchantment than a healing spell, augmenting a single aspect of the affected plant so long as it received a sustained flow of mana. With that, it would allow exactly what he had wanted. He would be able to encourage his Blue Yill flowers to go to seed so that he could cultivate them… and possibly make other things from them as well. But…

At this point, he realized that his mana was depleted. He also noticed the approaching young goblins. He never would have thought, in his previous life, that he would find the information exchanged by quarrelsome goblin teenagers to be fascinating. But, knowledge is knowledge, regardless of its source. The petty squabbling was largely worthless but there were several worthwhile pieces of information in the argument.

First, there were sources of metal in the North as well as colder temperatures. This meant that any tool using creatures in this area with methods of resisting the cold would probably head there to find such valuable materials. After all, the ability and techniques necessary to refine metal from ore was probably unknown within the bounds of this forest.

Second, there was a river with fish to the East that also happened to be on the border with another goblin tribe… though the gobs here thought that it was a weaker one. Food, water, and weaker surrounding enemies could be a good thing, but it wasn’t likely that something like this tree would be a common occurrence. Moving away from here would have to be a… calculated move.

The goblins were coming closer. They couldn’t see where Nira was yet but they didn’t seem to be looking for something as small as a pixie just now. Still… they needed to be watched. Femus meditated as efficiently as possible until his mana was restored. Then, he focused on reducing his aura, as well as his glow. He sought to deaden even his thoughts so that they would not stand out and control his mana circulation to make him seem absurdly average. In this way, he manually used Suppress Presence to hide himself while continuing to observe. For all that he wanted to gain power, carelessly slaughtering enemies that have some kind of intellect would be foolish. It was just he and Nira. They did not need the enmity of a group that they weren’t strong enough to destroy or flee from.

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

Trace Retloth
Inside the Fort

With the common bandits in the southern room finished off, the only local threat was the heavily armored bandit. His armor had proven its worth, saving his life several times against the attacks of both the rookie archer and the wyvern rider. Still, he was bloodied and cautious after these exchanges and his attention seemed heavily focused on the rider in front of him. His back was open. Trace continued his pace, swinging around behind the armored bandit and examining his armor for weaknesses. The underarm, neck, hip, and the back of the knee were all places were the armor was weak. Of those locations, the underarm and neck were the most likely strike points to produce an immediate kill. The hip and the back of the knee were likely to cripple but less likely to kill. Trace intended to kill. This enemy needed to die before he could do more damage to the wyvern. The neck would be difficult to strike with a spear because of the shape of the armor. But, the underarm was exposed whenever the armored bandit attacked. Trace focused on the armored bandit's movements and struck for the armpit with a strong lunge. If his strike landed properly it would be in line to pierce the enemy's neck on the far side, severing several major passages in the body where blood flows in abundance. It could easily kill in moments... if it hit.

_________________________ Status: Lightly Injured Class: Recruit Inventory: Iron Lance 2/3 Vulnerary 3/3 Exp:85

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

@Stabby@Zeroth
Femus smiled a little as his level 2 Magic Analysis skill delivered greater information than before, valuable information at that. This tree was even more amazing than he had initially thought. It also meant that there was a strong source of natural mana in its immediate vicinity... possibly beneath... or inside it. The data on the Pixie species, by contrast, was not a surprise.

Gaining the first functional level of Suppress Presence was a boon that added to the wisp's smile. That skill could easily save his life in a tough situation. He would have to develop it further, in addition to Stealth Kill. The combination of those two had obvious value. But, contemplating his next level of growth had to wait, he was looking for Nira.

Then he found her.

There was so little time for thought or planning. It all happened in an instant. He saw the slime make a whip-like pseudopod and strike at Nira. He also saw his sister's hair being grabbed by the officer of the Cult of the Eye. He felt that helplessness from when he had to watch, on his knees, as his sister was taken away. He fired. His heart beat with a single pulse of desire. He needed, absolutely needed, to cut off that arm... that pseudopod.

Two first level Mana Orbs flew from his concealed position, driven to reach the distance and sever the pseudopod from the slime's main body. In the next breath, the past again receded from the present and he realized that he had exposed his position and had forgotten the most important thing. He concentrated, focusing his will and attention on controlling the mana inside him to further extend the reach of his spell and its power. Then, with this investment, he cast Shield 1 on Nira. Knowing that he would probably be nearly out of mana, if
completely out, Femus then concentrated on meditating, tuning out all distractions and drawing in magic from all nearby sources. Again, the image of a whirlpool of mana formed in his mind as he sought to become the low place where it would flow to. He didn't even look at the outcome of the battle until his mana was full, though that wouldn't take long.

In his meditation, the thought occurred to him that he hoped his attack hadn't killed the slime. Nira needed experience more than he did, especially since she was developing her first attack spell. He was confident that at least one of his Mana Orbs would hit the slime, whether or not they managed to sever the pseudopod. Weakened, the slime should easily fall prey to Nira's own skills.

Of course, this set of thoughts only took a moment and were not enough to disrupt his meditation in any noticeable way.

After his mana was full again, Femus opened his awareness again and checked on Nira. So long as she was still in good shape, he would concentrate on the tree. It had been shuddering before but the injury had been healing as well. Femus was thinking of two skills at the same time. Nira was a pixie, pixies had a healing spell. Femus had tried to grow an artificial plant, he had started to train the Growth skill. With both of these concepts in mind, he began to make himself into a conduit, funnel, filter and lens for the surrounding free mana. He drew it in, made it match the traits that the tree seemed to need for rapid healing, growing replacement material, and soothing discomfort, then he channeled it into the tree and focused it on the injured spot and the immediate area. This time he was prepared for the shuddering and simply remained patient.

Nira would return victorious, with food in hand or not. Her dress was ready so it didn't matter so much. The tree would heal. And, whatever other presence he and Nira had felt... would hopefully not take offense and swat the two of them. Still, nothing ventured... nothing gained.

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

Trace Retloth
Inside the Fort

The sound of an arrow striking home decisively punctuated Trace's footfall as he closed the last of the distance between his first target and his second. This time, he didn't strike in a straight line. The next bandit was too close to the heavy armor for a straight line approach to be smart. Instead, Trace curved his path further north and west before lunging in for the leading blow. This way, the bandit was between him and the heavy. It wasn't much protection, but it was better than nothing. Also, the heavy was looking at the wyvern rider. If possible, Trace would strike him from behind while his attention was elsewhere after his archer companion finished off this second bandit. If it didn't look like he'd be able to do much good against this heavy then he'd head across and assist the other lancer with the remaining bandits. With the fast pace of the attack, Trace hadn't had the chance to check on how the lancer who had gone right after passing the door was doing. As soon as his blow was complete, however it turned out, he kept his feet light and glanced toward the other side of the room to check on that other lancer. He really didn't want to be flanked at this point.

_________________________ Status: Lightly Injured Class: Recruit Inventory: Iron Lance 2/3 Vulnerary 3/3 Exp:85

Epithet Erased - A down-to-earth modern adventure with funky powers

I lack the time to commit to this but I have been keeping an eye on things here.

A thought that came to mind for me was to use the opening of a resort or high-rise restaurant as the event. This kind of event attracts both new and old money as well as powerful people from both sides of the law. Furthermore, the general public and media are almost always invited to such events to bolster the reputation and further business success of the operation.

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

@Zeroth@Stabby

Femus found that, once again, hard work and deep thought paid off. The bark that he needed to remove was difficult to detach but the tremor in the branch only affected him as much as that feeling of having someone walk over one's grave. A chill and a moment's hesitation. But, he knew that this tree was unusual and that he would have to cause a little damage to do what he was doing.

Eventually, he was finished with the dress. It wasn't much... really, it wasn't much at all. But, it would cover the important bits and leave Nira's wings free to flap and her legs and arms free to kick and punch as needed. He laid it down on the leaves with part of it held down by the Great Kao Bark he had removed. It wouldn't do for wind to steal his first attempt at dressmaking.

More importantly, he had received the notification that his Crafting skill was now functioning. It had a noticeable effect as well. That dress would have been so very much worse if not for his Crafting skill. He would have to encourage Nira to train her own Crafting skill. The lack of appendages actually lowered his ability to craft in a direct way. That thought made him frown... until he saw the branch shudder under his healing attempt.

He stopped.

At that moment, there was no wind. It would be a common instinct to doubt one's own senses if one thought that they had seen a tree move. But, magic... magic changed everything. If the Great Kao Tree was not just alive as a plant but also partially or completely animate, more like a beast, then staying here could be far more dangerous... or valuable than Femus had thought initially. And, if it were able to move and was sleeping, then he would have to take pains to avoid disturbing it further. But he had to know more.

Femus diminished his presence as much as possible, dimming his glow as well, and began to observe the tree and all its parts. He sought to understand the plant as a living thing, the possible uses for its parts, the kind of interaction it had with the surrounding life in the forest, and anything else that would expand his knowledge about the Great Kao Tree. He also used his Magic Analysis skill on the tree as a whole as well as on each part that he could see from his elevated position. However, most of what he could see was leaves, bark, branch, trunk, and the inner bark, sap, and wood that he could still see through the small hole he had made. He also studied the injury to the tree, seeking some sign that it had both stopped leaking sap and also begun to heal.

When he finished his study of the tree, he turned his eyes outward to things that were farther away. Refocusing his eyes to study the pixies and anything else that moved with his Monster Analysis skill and his own observational skills, and keeping himself as unnoticeable as possible at the same time, wasn't as hard as doing some other things. But, it was important. He also sought to quiet the flow of his mana, like calming a stream so that its flow produced no ripples or sound.

The leaves limited his view of the ground and he didn't move around much, just levitating quietly a few inches above the leaves on the same branch. He was simply gathering knowledge up to this point. He'd meditate on it later. The next thought that entered his mind was that Nira was out there alone, possibly distracted, and lacking equipment.

She did say that she'd almost finished developing an attack spell. However, as Femus had just experienced, there was a definite gap between an incomplete skill and a complete one. Also, she was still an unevolved pixie. There were a lot of things in this forest that could eat a pixie and still be hungry.

Femus stayed in the branches but moved around the tree to follow the direction of Nira's flight. Once in a good vantage point, he began to look for her. By now she would be some little distance away. He calmed himself and tried to keep his presence suppressed, but he directed his mana into his eyes and ears. He remembered the artificial kao buds and was very gentle in his direction. He was hoping to strengthen and expand his senses, not damage them. Besides, he had seen an unusable skill in his list related to sight and wanted to make progress in training it. Even if he couldn't spot Nira, he could get better at finding things in general while he waited.

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

This is my last post before the Updoot... really. I mean it. The others were just chatting.

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

@Zeroth@Stabby

Femus let out a sigh as Nira flew off. A brief pulse of pink mingled with yellow would have revealed how awkward those prior moments had been and how hard it was to repress that tension and sympathetic embarrassment... if another wisp had been watching. With Nira gone, however, Femus was quick to shake off his feelings. There was work to be done.

First on the list was to collect materials that he would need for the design taking shape in his head. Femus was no tailor or dressmaker but he knew what skins look like and clothes are supposed to do that same job... sorta. They have to be removable and not get in the way while protecting the body's sensitive and delicate parts as best they can.

So, for this project, he would need leaves. Specifically, he would prefer to have two leaves that were each big enough to make a one-piece bathing suit with plenty of material to spare. Failing that, he would need a set of leaves that he could 'tailor' together for the same result. Also, it would be better if the leaves had strong internal structure. It would make them easier to work with... kinda, as well as more resilient in general.

The leaves were readily available but without anything to bind them they would have little use. Femus set to work finding a weak piece of bark on the branch and pulling it off. It only needed to be big enough to allow him access to the inner bark underneath. Once he had the outer bark piece set aside, he began working at the inner bark, gathering some of it and separating it into fibers. The fibers would be braided into twine. Meant for clothing, it did not need to be strong enough for proper armor. But, the dress that he would make would become the basis for the armor that he was designing.

Braiding the fibers together with Lesser Force was both easier and harder than what he remembered of the braiding process. Riba, Femus' sister, had braided her hair whenever she had to work with the meat. She could braid her hair in just a few minutes because of how much practice she had. Her hair had hung all the way to her waist. It had caught the eye of more than one man in the neighborhood.

She cried when the officer ran his gloved fingers through her hair.

The twine of braided fibers dropped to land softly on the leafy branch as Femus began to tremble. His concentration fractured by the sudden surge of memory, grief, loss, rage, and hate. He had avenged his parents, his brother, and himself before his last life ended. But, he hadn't even been able to say goodbye to his sister. Now, he was much too far away to ever help her again, even if she still lived.

Pain, white and crackling, tore through his mind.

Femus sank until his body rested on the leaves, his light dimming to a faint and sullen red glow.

Rage, dull crimson and grey, flowed through his blood. It burned and grew, slowly and relentlessly pushing past his attempts to control it... to push it back down. He was losing. He reached for something, anything that might be able to hold it... to give him a place to cage it again. What he found with his grasping will... was his mana.

Pulling it out, Femus pushed and pulled. He sought to force the flowing pain and rage to leave him and enter the mana gathered in front of him. Searingly hot and cloyingly thick like lava but sickening like something diseased or corrupted beyond mere rot, his suffering did not readily obey him. But still he pushed, unrelentingly tenacious in his need to purge this uncontrollable sludge of wrath and vengeance out of his body and into the mana.

His eyes were shut, his mind turned inward and focused on his efforts. In this state, slowly, his control began to recover and he began to calm. When he was again in control, the suffering reduced to a deep and throbbing ache, he opened his eyes and took one look at the mana before him. Then he cast it at the forest floor, unable to bear looking at it anymore... this proof of his weakness and failure. Then he meditated, regulating the flow of his mana and gathering his strength until his mana was again replenished.

This was the only mercy he allowed himself.

The work still needed to be done. He again turned his attention to the twine, braiding it determinedly until he had enough for to reinforce the edges of the dress as well as the stitching that the back would need and the cord that would go around Nira's neck to keep the thing from exposing her without warning. He also made some extra, in case of mistakes.

With the twine ready, Femus put his emotional episode out of his mind for the moment and focused on finding the largest leaves he could find on the branch. Once he had a couple that were big enough, he began making a few necessary tears and then folding the first leaf into the form of the dress. It would be backless and short but it would let Nira move her wings, arms, and legs without obstruction. With the folds made and the corrections and adjustments done to the best of his ability, Femus took sap from the place where he gained the fibers for the twine and used it as a glue to secure the folded parts of the leaf and reinforce the structure of the dress. He also used sap to seal both ends of the braided fibers and resist fraying both there and along the length. It would become less sticky as it hardened and make the dress less flexible but it should also add to its strength. With this done, he began using all his concentration and focus to push small holes through the leaf dress so that he could thread the twine through it to further bind the folded lower edge of the skirt and neckline as well as the edge that would frame Nira's back and wings... whatever that was called. The final steps involved 'sewing' the skirt parts together in the back, where the folded edges overlapped each other, knotting and breaking the twine where it needed to be tied off, sealing the knots with sap, threading some of the remaining twine through the fold at the neckline like a drawstring and knotting it on either side of the neckline to keep it from slipping out with enough slack to allow Nira to tie the free ends behind her neck.

Femus's concentration had been extreme. If Nira returned before he finished, he probably wouldn't notice have noticed her... and if he had, he wouldn't have stopped to talk. This dress should suffice for modesty while providing just a little protection. It had also given Femus quite a few ideas for what to do next. But, there was one last bit of tidying up to do.

He had a growth skill. It wasn't ready to use but it was close. He didn't like the idea of leaving that hole in the bark. It seemed... rude, somehow. So, he drifted over to it and thought of his Growth skill in the making, the slow movement of mana and the healing and growth of plants as he gently... so very gently, began guiding his mana into the injured part of the tree. His only goal, to help it stop 'bleeding' and heal faster.

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

@Stabby @Zeroth

Femus was glad that Nira was so intelligent and could come to decisions quickly. It made many things easier. He was also glad that she was continuing her own skill development and making progress. He was less glad that she suddenly started developing a speech impediment and began hiding behind foliage like an embarrassed teenage girl who was just caught with something inappropriate by an authority figure. Trying to hide behind leaves just makes a person want to look for what's being hidden.

Fortunately, Femus was intelligent as well. He was intelligent enough to only take a few long seconds to realize what Nira was hiding and why she was hiding it. Unfortunately, this realization made him feel remarkably stupid.

However, with the obvious next step in the conversation being dependent on his response, Femus was in the position to think for a little bit. This gave him the time to come to a decision that should solve several issues and foster the growth of their little partnership at the same time. But, explaining things to an embarrassed girl can be dangerous at best. Delivery is important.

He made himself roll slightly one way, just a little. It was a mimicry of a person cocking their head to one side. It didn't quite work as a glowing, floating, fuzz ball but it might help. Then, he decided to open his mouth.

"That reminds me. You're pretty unnecessarily exposed to attack right now. I don't really know much about making armor but... maybe I should hone my crafting skills by making you a dress first. It's going to take time though, and we're both hungry and thirsty. How would you feel about going foraging alone while I get started preparing materials for an outfit?"

Waterworld

Given the available options... and my inability to take the GM role... I take option 3.