Izurich

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

--Liverpool - The Galley--

Much to her mild surprise, she was actually enjoying this little deadly waltz of theirs. One would think cooperation between three people who were all strangers to one another would be... a messy affair, but they weren't doing bad at all, and the same could even be said for their opponent, Bone Chime knew how to provide an engaging experience. Even an untrained mutt was capable of thrashing around, but it took a certain finesse to fight and make it entertaining.

It seemed she was going to enjoy working with this English fellow, but first, they needed to impress him.

Splendid, her blood javelin successfully amputated James' eye stalk, and whether through a conscious decision or not, her cohorts appeared to forgo caution in favor of riskier moves, if they bled, so be it, their blood wouldn't go to waste.

Under the Sanguineus Maleficarum's influence, every crimson drop spilled immediately moved unnaturally, flowing toward her instead of splattering haphazardly on the ground. As the fight went on, her reservoir grew ever more. A lesser man would find himself horrified at the sight of mass bloodshed, but not her, not Erzsébet, she thrived in them.

"Heh...~" The blonde couldn't help but produce a quiet giggle at James' taunt. Perhaps he'd soon find out that the blood mage could give as well as take, she could mend the She-Raider's body should it come down to it. This was where Liz was most dangerous, left to her own devices while her loyal meat-puppets allies kept their foes busy. In return, she'd heal the wounds inflicted upon them, let it never be said the Mistress of Crimson never return favors.

Now then, as things stood, James was being slowly but surely pushed on the back foot. Erzsébet figured she should strike while the iron is hot and continue mutilating his mutations. Flexing her fingers and palms, the youthful crone shaped a pair blood chakrams, then launched them on an arc, spinning ominously as they aimed to slice off his curved bone-spike limb-thing!

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

@Izurich I'm really sorry to keep asking you to edit your character, but you brought up a very good point in your initial attack post. There's no limitations on Elizabeth's puppet ability. Meaning you can effectively just Darth Vader all my bosses to kill themselves lmao. Could we come up with a trigger for that spell as well? At first I thought of needing a sample of an opponent's blood, but that is also pretty unstoppable for a blood mage. One scratch and you're dead type of consequences there.

Again I'm really sorry to keep requesting edits and I hope you don't feel singled out!

As a kept bonus ( and to make your first scene canon as well) people with no mana of their own are completely susceptible to the power

@RoseKnightJason

No problem! And yeah, that's a really good point. Fortunately, there's an easy solution for this using your Darth Vader reference. Just like in Star Wars, other "Force users" can resist / repel the Force Telekinesis imposed upon them. Just replace force with mana for our case and voila!

Got it, 'grunt-type' enemies will be completely vulnerable just as they're susceptible to one-hit-KO's from other techniques, haha.

Also, got an idea to not make the power completely useless against a boss. Harkening back to that Star Wars reference, what if it's used against a mana-user, the power can only try to affect a small part of their body for a brief period, sort of to disrupt a single action and it can never be lethal on its own, just like a Jedi vs Sith fight where one uses their force power against the other.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

@LunarParadox The post looks great! I'll have the King teleport you back to Hathforth so everything lines up chronologically.

@Estylwen

Pssst, Eirwen and Melisande Kronos came using the latter's Dimension Door, they can just return using the same spell. 😉

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

--Liverpool - The Galley--

"Oh~?" The blonde mage giggled in curious mirth as the pirate captain was aware enough to respond to her blood arrows, even using the Indian warrior's body as an unwitting shield. Now, while she personally wouldn't feel all that guilty if she committed friendly fire, pragmatic logic dictated one should strive to minimize such blunders as no one would want to cooperate with a rabid dog who couldn't discern friend from foe.

As such, Erzsébet waved her left hand, commanding the crimson projectiles to change course. She then took a moment to analyze the situation. Bone Chimes' fleshweaving power was at full display here, using his extra limbs to compensate going against two melee combatants simultaneously. However, if there was one weakness she could theorize was that unlike her blood objects, those flesh constructs were very much part of James' body, and wounding them would hurt him all the same. It was time to test this hypothesis.

Manipulating her projectiles, they coalesced together to form a single, larger barbed spearhead, then this blood-made javelin would aim to skewer James' oversized eyeball. If the maneuver was successful, hopefully the combination of the pain and disorientation from suddenly losing his extra sense would ensure Shiara's daggers to land a clean hit or two, or her daggers would ensure her spear would land, either would work, all the while Iava continued occupying his primary attention.

And of course, should any of them bleed, that'd just mean more fuel for Erzsébet to utilize. After all, blood is mana and mana is blood.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

I too haz an NPC to apply:

Suzanna Tearmoon

Suzanna Tearmoon

"I've stopped counting." (100+) | Female | Lilim
@Izurich

Description: The Tearmoon Coven's (self-proclaimed) Alchemist Primus. Hubris aside, the fact remains that Suzanna "Suzy" Tearmoon is one of the best alchemists ever to grace the Province of Arrowfell. Eccentric, insufferable, and yet unquestionably brilliant, she's a walking definition of a 'genius savant'. It's not difficult to see that she isn't right in the head, for good or ill.

Furthermore, in a society where its Lilim members are encouraged to have a husband, preferably multiple husbands, Suzy is a shamelessly asexual rebel. She has zero interest in any sort of romantic relationships as anything and everything that distracts her from her work is simply not worth her time, romance included.

Between that and her unabashed delusions of grandeur, no covenmates in their right mind would vote her to be the next Matriarch, resulting in her niece - Jezebel Tearmoon - to take the throne. Not that Suzanna could care any less, her place is in her workshop with her ingredients, tools, and potions.

Assorted Powers (Spells, Seed, Skills, Artifacts, etc.):

❖ Alchemical Master: Potions, tonics, elixirs, salves, all manner of products produced through glorious alchemy, brewed at a quality matched only by a scant few. The Tearmoon Coven may host many alchemists, but there's only one Alchemist Primus.
❖ Substance Analysis: Through various methods from examining them to outright ingesting the product herself, Suzy can discern the properties of a specific alchemical product, then eventually replicate it.
❖ Drug Tolerance: Being insane enough to imbibe various unidentified solution over many decades, Suzy's metabolism has adapted to her risky lifestyle. She's able to endure the adverse effects of consumables far better than a common person can.
❖ "Begone, Harlot!": The Lilim has no time, nor desire to engage in promiscuity. Suzy is completely immune to any charm effects, magical and mundane.

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

--Liverpool - The Galley--

Now that all four of them were properly inside the makeshift - and enchanted - arena, the little recruitment trial could begin.

As James would discover, briefly after he brandished his bone-picks from his flesh, the few drips of blood he leaked began to... move on their own, swirling and flowing toward the sanguineus maleficarum's right palm. In fact, the same thing could be said to what remained of the "suicidal" ruffian's spilled blood, all of them coalescing into a literal blood orb floating by Erzsébet's hand. They were hers now.

"Then, shall we dance?" She inquired with a sweet, cordial smile.

While the Raider Warrioress took the frontlines as she expected her to do, clashing her peculiar weapon with James' bone spikes, the Spirit Channeler was surprisingly a close combatant as well. Beth had to admit she didn't expect her to be wielding daggers instead of slinging necromantic spells, or maybe it depended on which particular spirit she bonded herself to, just so happened it was a dashing rogue in this particular instance.

Regardless, this left Erzsébet as the primary ranged fighter in the group, a good balance if she could say so herself. Now, while she could try to simply commandeer Bone Chime's veins like puppet strings, it would defeat the purpose of the spar even if it worked, as the point was to gauge their abilities, she should treat this more like a... jousting competition than an actual fight to the death, even if (temporary) death was on the table.

With that in mind, the Magus of Crimson decided to start small, the intro before the rising action. The blood orb by her right ebbed and flowed as some of its bulk began splitting off to form scarlet arrowheads, which were promptly loosed toward Bone Chime, homing at him from various angles, including his flank.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

@Estylwen I believe it's time to move these three together with Duke Arthur Willowsteel. 🪦

roleplayerguild.com/posts/5532545

A Sea of Spells [Chapter 1: A Scrap in The Galley]

I was so hoping someone would demand further proof of the spell working the way James said it would. For Elizabeth to test it herself is so like her lol

@RoseKnightJason

Whaddya mean? Maybe the ruffian just had the sudden urge to do a lil' bloodletting. 😙🎶

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

But you only read it because half the cast of Lightseekers are involved in this one. I accept no other hypothesis. 😏

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Consent is overrated. 😎 Evelyn would agree.