Saiyan

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

As the stranger sighed in response to his question, Zell smiled and rested an arm on the back of a bench. The things a woman can make a man feel, eh, he thought as he waited patiently for the other man to find the words his heart was looking for, enjoying the meaningful silence, and the fact that even such a scary-looking individual could be captured by the power of love. It was both heart-warming and hilarious to the ex-frat boy.

When words finally came, they were beautiful. Zell nodded slowly, the smile never leaving his face, and while he was in the moment with the stranger, listening intently to the description of the woman in the letter, it was another woman who was clear in Zell's mind.

“...She’s the kind of girl who makes you…”

"...makes you want to be a better man," Zell finished quietly and confidently.

They shared a warm silence for a moment and Zell looked out onto the park. It was only a short description the man had given, and it was clear by the tone that his feelings towards this woman were far more advanced and developed than Zell's own were for the woman on his mind. But nevertheless, he felt a kinship to this stranger, simply for being on the same page. Whoever this stranger was, the first thing out of his mouth was 'caring-giving' and 'pure heart' - he'd chosen these words, exposing his own values - and that alone demanded respect, as a man. Zell could relate - as strange as it might sound from the shallow, foolhardy Englishman. University had been full of beautiful women, smart women, talented or popular women. None had kept Zell's attention for long (granted the dumbass had a short attention span but still...)

“What about you? You said love is up for debate, as of recently. Tell me about her, if you don’t mind.”

Zell sighed, then laughed as he realised he'd perfectly mirrored Barracker's reaction to the question. He swore and shook his head, then let out another breath. "Too good for me, mate," he started. "Virtue and honour in human form. Stiff as a plank of wood," he chuckled, "but that's part of her charm. Underneath that she's steadfast, fierce, brave..."

This was too much seriousness and honesty for Zell Brooks!

"And christ; she's hotter than a furnace in a volcano," he blurted out loudly. "Slap-bang in Hell in the middle of a heatwave." He laughed at the stranger. "Bloody gorgeous." He shook his head, disappointedly and with a smile. "Fuck - look at us two, eh... hopeless. Give me Aurok the Maneater and a sword - let a simple frontliner do his job," he joked. "Speaking of swords: That's a beauty right there," he nodded at the other man's giant-ass weapon. "Claymore, right. I'd guess about ten pounds, but that looks heavier than most." He hoped the man would help change the subject and talk about his weapon in more detail, Zell was all ears. "You've gotta be packing some kinda muscle to wield that one-handed while rockin a tower shield."

If the other man was into weaponry, Zell would be happy to hand over his own for show. The scabbard of steel-banded, brown leather had a slit at the top to make for easy drawing off the back. The drow-made katana inside was of high craftmanship and just as nice to look at.

"Where are my manners," the Englishman would finally remember; "We haven't even been introduced properly. Zell Brooks," he offered a hand to shake. It took him a moment to remember that he should add. "...Of Second Chance."

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

<Snipped quote by Zapdos>

It took me a minute to remember... Adam has been waiting for what seems like forever to thank James for the first battle.

<Snipped quote>

This is from Page 3 - 7 months ago! And I'm pretty sure there were other mentions of Adam wanting to thank James for this moment, later in the story.

I'm proud of Adam for getting around to it! In context, it was only 72 hours ago for the characters lol.

@xenon

I respect the length of the setup

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Saiyan: Probes GM for something to do.

Xenon: Sets up some interaction.

Saiyan: Runs off towards Jay009.

@XenonThat was a longer post than expected lol let me know if any edits are needed

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Zell eyed The Brass Monkey, taking note of the underworld-vibe of the place. Having seen enough for now, he was about to turn around and walk off, when he heard the call-out from the man in the front yard.

"Mind your own fucking business, pal," he said back, sticking his chest out a little.

A few pairs of eyes were drawn to the altercation, particularly to Zell who was the outsider in the situation. And now the Englishman didn't want to walk away for fear of looking scared.

Ugh, this is so annoying, he thought as he paused, then was compelled to walk into the yard and up to the entrance. As he passed the thug who was mean-mugging him, he kept eye contact just long enough to show he wasn't at all afraid, and also just long enough to notice that the thug's eyes briefly flicked down to Zell's left hand. Yeah, I've got superpowers you retard, try something.

Inside, the atmosphere was rough and rowdy, with gambling of all kinds at many different tables, drinks aplenty, and various degrees of tension in different areas of the room. Zell was no stranger to this kind of place, but he much preferred the vibe at places like The Mended Drum. Happy drunks were much more fun to be around. (They also spent more money on drugs, which had always been a nice bonus.)

At the bar he ordered a non-alcoholic beverage and decided he'd stick around for ten minutes before leaving to continue his city tour. It wasn't a bad idea to come inside and take note of the place, anyway. Who knew what the future would bring? Perhaps he would need to delve into the other side of the law, for whatever reason. (He may have already began flirting with contraband, with his new weapon.) Zell was never one to shy away from trouble.

"Excuse me miss," he said loudly, grabbing the attention of a serving lady. She was a buxom woman, with a face unperturbed by the flavour of patron around her. In fact, her air suggested she was more than willing to break up a fight, or spit venom back at anyone giving her a hard time. Zell gave her some silver. "Would you do me a kindness and take a beer out to the gentlemen at the middle table on the right, in the yard?" She checked the money in her hand. "And a drink for your yourself, darlin." Unmoved by the gesture of good will, she simply nodded. "He's wearing a red bandana. Got a teardrop tattoo on his cheek. Do me a favour and tell him; 'Baby-face sends his regards.'"

She repeated the description, the message and nodded before heading to the bar, then went outside. When she returned, she gave Zell a thumbs up from across the room, then went on to other duties. Satisfied, Zell nursed his drink for a while before deciding he'd lingered enough, downed the rest of it and left the building.

Outside, he passed by the tables without a word but was stopped by that same gravelly voice.

"Had enough already, have ye, baby-face?"

His back still to the man, Zell smiled, then he turned about to walk over to the table. "Just passing through to see a man about a dog."

"Is that what the kids call it these days?" was a third man, which got a laugh from everyone including Zell.

"You're no local," the teardrop-tattoo man inquired.

"I'm about as un-fucking-local as it gets, pal," Zell replied. "How about you?"

"Born a ways down south. Followed the money and found meself in Valhiem. I'm guessing you don't want my whole fucking biography."

"You wouldn't be worth writing about, you ugly bastard," Zell bounced back. Again, all three laughed. The Englishman nodded pointedly at the tattoos. "Decent ink you've got there. You've got an artist who knows what he's doin."

"Me and a mate of mine did eachother. Why? You planning on marking yourself up?"

"And ruin this pretty face?" Zell rubbed a finger down his jawline. "Not a chance. But I might have a friend whose interested."

"No need to ask if you've got the coin. You adventurers are usually good for it."

Zell smirked. "We've either got money or we're dead."

"Sounds like my line of work."

It didn't take much imagination to speculate on what kind of work that might be. Nothing nice, to be sure. The swordsman decided to leave it at that. "Well alright then." He walked away a bit before stopping and turning about once more. "Didn't catch your name."

"I didn't fucking throw it," was the reply. The man enjoyed his joke for a moment then answered. "Devon."

"Zell Brooks."

"Baby-face," Devon corrected.

Zell didn't fight it, simply saluting and walking off, back south down the street. Devon. He'd made a potential contact into whatever underworld there was in Valhiem, and that may or may not be useful at a later time.

...

After walking all the way back down the long road to the intersection, another look at the grand establishment that was The Nightingale suddenly gave him a fantastic idea.

"Ha," he said aloud to himself as he passed it. "Perfect."

He stored the idea in the files of his mind. No need to rush that one. An opportunity would present itself at some point, he was sure.

His stroll took him into Golden Tree Park where he enjoyed the tranquility of the environment. Children played, people walked their dogs... this world was eerily similar to his own world. Aside from the aesthetic, of course the magic, and the various talking creatures that lived alongside humans, it really wasn't that different at all, in the big city. People remained quite the same, and that fact would help Zell see something of a possible future for himself, in this world, if he was indeed stuck here. He'd just need to learn this adventuring business, see this Witch Queen defeated and he'd be confident in settling down and adjusting to his new life. Even becoming a success.

After nearly making a full lap around the park, he ended up going over to a bench, one hand unbuckling the sword straps at his chest to unequip his weapon and sit down. There was someone else at the other end of the bench, and Zell looked around contentedly before regarding the man sidelong. His smile didn't waver as he noted the appearance of the other man, nor did he fail to notice the HUGE greatsword and tower shield leaning next to him. At this point, freaky looking people had already lost their novelty. He battled with a metal ninja, seen Aurok the Maneater close up. Hell, he'd been patched up at Valhiem's hospital who looked like a cartoon devil come to life. The only thing particularly eyebrow-raising was just how fucking cool the man's leather armour was. It had a hood and everything.

This other man was reading a letter with a look of dreamy romance on his face. As if he was off somewhere else, floating on Cloud Nine.

"I know that look," Zell said. He shook his head. "That's the look of a man in love. So familiar. Seen it in friends, of course. Not me. I don't love these girls," he stated proudly, looking away briefly as a rapid-fire montage of beautiful women's faces flickered through his mind. But it ended abruptly with one woman's face who stayed firmly in his mind's eye, and the Englishman's tone changed. "Well... that might be up for debate as of recently, but never mind that." Getting back on track. "The point is: I know that look all too well."

Zell's welcoming smile and particular brand of charm had a certain way of getting people to open up and talk to him, strangers and associates alike. Whether it would work on the demonic looking man at the other end of the bench, was yet to be determined. Zell nodded pointedly at the letter.

"What's she like?"

@Jay009

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Take Vor, Baphomet.

Zell walked the streets of Valhiem with his new custom-tailoired scabbard keeping the black katana firmly fixed on his back. Three dark brown leather straps, over the shoulder, under the arm and around the other side of his torso met in the center of his chest where an adjustable buckle made the scabbard easy to adorn and take off. Without the rest of his armour pieces, it was easily visable over his white shirt, and the hilt of the sword peeked menacingly over his right shoulder, ready to be drawn in a flash.

Speaking of flash...

He whispered, "Teleport," as he tried to activate his ability again, attempting to apply Adam's lessons. No success.

He hadn't bothered buying a shield. It turned out that there was a perfect one in store for him - an enchanted buckler that was capable of blocking magical attacks - but it was too expensive. He would have to either borrow money from a comrade or wait to get his share of the next reward once they'd taken care of this wraith in the temple of Hades. After seeing the enchanted buckler, the rest of the shields paled in comparison, so he decided to revisit Gildor Hammerfist at a later date.

At this moment, he was simply taking a walk into the east side of Valhiem. There were two spots on the map that piqued his interest. A place labelled The Nightingale and another labelled The Brass Monkey. The latter sounded like a tavern name, for sure, but he was still interested in checking out both.

As he walked directly down the main street from The Bazaar, he could see what was the city park on his right, so he knew he should come across The Nightingale soon enough. He would check it out briefly before taking a left at the intersection beyond the place, then head north up to The Brass Monkey.

@xenon

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

After asking around in the commercial district, Zell was directed to the most prestigious Arcane Blacksmith in the city - Gildor Hammerfist. The shop was located on the edge of the Bazaar, by the water, and had it's own front yard complete with a fully stocked forge. Gildor however was inside the shop, where a plethora of weapons and armour of high quality filled the racks. shelves and dummies. Gildor Hammerfist wasn't too tall, but an incredibly heavy-set man, with hands like shovels, a jaw and chin like a concrete block, and a messy mop of jet black hair. His skin was light brown and his green apron covered his working-man's clothes. Rolled up shirt sleeves showed his massive, hairy forearms as he appraised the sword stolen from the metal ninja.

Zell had his hands on a shiny shortsword. He tested it's balance, then looked down the length of the blade to make sure it was straight. The craftmenship was of a very high standard. When Gildor started talking, Zell put the shortsword back and went over.

"The alloy is orichalcum and a dark-iron known as Earthbone," said the deep-voiced blacksmith. "A rare blade. Strong."

"Oh yeah?" Zell chimed in. "Orichalcum n Earthbone... That'll be drow-made then?"

"Mmm," Gildor agreed. He didn't look too pleased.

"What's with the sour face - something wrong with that?" Zell asked.

"As if you don't know," Gildor said. Actually, Zell didn't know whatever it was that had bothered the blacksmith. He knew a lot about the swords of this world but nothing about the makers of them. "The dark elves are a nasty lot. Not bad craftsmen, aye, but I don't usually mess with wares from the Underdark. Especially enchanted wares."

Zell leaned in and looked at the ninja's sword, rubbing his chin. The black steel gleamed a hint of purple. It did look nice... but ominous too. "Don't worry," Zell assured. "It'll be out of your hands soon enough. Just do this 'Identify' thing you were talking about and I'll be on my way."

Gildor seemed to weigh his options for a few moments before he finally looked at Zell and said, "Fine." The blacksmith cast an Identify spell on the sword, but nothing happened. "It's a high level enchantment. A regular Identification spell isn't gonna cut it." He snorted a breath and then looked at the Englishman. "That's gonna cost extra."

Zell tilted his head in concession so Gildor proceeded to retrieve a rather large magnifying glass the size of a tennis racket. The blacksmith cast a spell on the magnifying glass and then went on to chant some magical words for a high-level Identification spell. Zell watched, mildly interested in the magic but more anticipating what the actual result would be. If this sword was so powerful that it required high-level magic just to figure out what it could do, then Zell would be very happy to wield it. The magnifying glass glowed brightly and it looked like Gildor was reading something through the glass. It took about half a minute before the glow disappeared and Gildor put the magnifying glass down. He did not look happy at all.

"Well?" Zell asked, eager to hear.

"The sword will enchance any melee fighters defensive strength for parrying attacks. It will also increase your damage - including damage on any class abilities you might have. But it also comes with a Star-Tier Power: Once per day, the sword will ignore all armour and resistance for a single strike, so long as the wielder invokes the name of the sword." Gildor deleayed, unsure he even wanted to say the words. Zell was waiting with baited breath. "'Take Vor, Baphomet.'"

"'Take Vor... Baphomet'," Zell repeated. He thought about it for a second. "Sounds a bit errr... demonic... don't you think?"

Gildor bowed his head in leui of agreement. "That's because it is." A heavy silence fell on the two. Each of them glanced at the sword and back at eachother. Neither looked particularly scared. But Zell look unsure of himself. And Gildor looked annoyed he'd been dragged into this. "The sword is strengthened with Source of the Dark Domain. If I was you, I'd report this to the Citadel..." Zell was already reaching for his money. "...hand it in. Could be illegal. Most definitely trouble."

Zell started putting gold pieces onto the counter, one at a time in a steady and purposeful pace. "I'll be the judge of that, eh." He continued to place gold pieces down. "How much for your trouble, and your silence on this matter?" He kept placing gold pieces down, until Gildor raised a hand. "Ppreciate it, Gildor. You're a good man. Now I'll be out of your hair just as soon as I get a scabbard that will fit the weapon. Oh and can I take a look at your bucklers and kite shields, my mate?"

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

By the way, if anyone has any cool ideas for plants that would be useful in combat, let me know! Adam will be looking into these (see my last post for the set up) and any inspiration would be appreciated!

@Zapdos

Tangling thorn bushes as like 3x3 ft traps or even rows. Hinders the enemy, slows them down

Giant Venus flytraps

Poisonous bulbs that burst with dust clouds of sleep posion or death poison or pepper spray when the enemy steps on them

Tree trunk spears. Grow a tree trunk, grind it like a pencil sharpener against rocky surface until you have a sharp point. Throw it at the enemy

Flowers that make animals go berserk. Grow them in the right environment, lure the beasts and cause chaos

Grow some bark gauntlets, stick hands in, break them off the ground and start swinging

Thats all I got for now

Escape from the Prison Mine

Damn, I had some fun ideas planned for Titus

Escape from the Prison Mine

One of our group has been banned lol damn

Anyone else aside from Expendable and Zora still playing?

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Zell was never the brightest bulb in the box, plus one might even consider himself a little narcissistic, which would explain why he rarely ever considered any negative reaction to him a product of his own doing. Some people, in his position, would've noticed Lillianna's cold non-response to his introduction and joke upon their first meeting. Most would've at least realised something might be amiss when she ignored his call for the team to gather round when he gave them all their first formation, in spite of the life/death importance of it. Or when he greeted her the prior morning and offered a hand to help her up and she ignored it. And now, as she joined them at the table, neglected to respond to his greeting and then proceeded to ignore his question... the average person might realise that maybe, just maybe, the wizard didn't like him.

Wow, she's hungry, the swordsman thought with a grin.

Zell didn't notice a thing.

MacKensie was the one to respond, bouncing back a little banter. "...Let me guess: Late to classes? Late with assignments? Too busy with extra-curricular activites?"

"Ha! Ye know me too well, already." He scratched the back of his head with a cheeky grin. The truth was that he was starting to get his act together in school, the last few months. He'd curtailed any ambitions of scaling up his drug-dealing operation. He was starting to attend all of his lectures without exception. He'd even delegate money-counting, pill-packaging and other duties to more of his boys while he sat in the room and studied for upcoming exams, even yelling for 'quiet' at times when idle conversation was distracting him. Zell was starting to be serious about getting his graduate degree.

After Fenna had sorted plans with MacKensie and Lillianna, Zell nodded. "Sounds like a good time." Then he stood up. "Well, I'll leave you lovely ladies to it, then. Have fun, will ya."

With that, he left them to go to his room and grab ninja's sword. He left his armour pieces and his his own sword in his room, only taking his satchel with his money, then he went back downstairs, throwing a hand up in leui of a wave to his friends as he went across the bar-room floor before exiting the establishment.

As the door shut behind him, he placed his hands on his hips and took a whiff of the air as he looked around. A tour around the city might be a good idea - check out what these Mytherians like to call 'leisure.' He'd also not forgotten MacKensie's warning that; the Witch Queen's war might be hitting the city soon. Information regarding or tangential to that might be worth sniffing out. Lucy Bottrill might be a good source, on that front, was his first thought.

But first; to business. This sword wouldn't appraise itself.