shadowsaint007

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Jake had gotten complacent with the skeletons that he forgot that the Horned King had more than undead roaming his halls. He was getting closer to finding the pig and getting out of there when he suddenly ran into none other than the little green imp the King had for an errand... thing. When he saw Creeper face to face, he turned and tried to throw his axe at the goblin, only to miss him by a hair as Kaiser Leo slammed into a wall, cracking it open and causing sparks to blast up everywhere.

"BLAST!" Jake swore, summoning Kaiser Leo back in his hand as the Heartless appeared, only to have Reno vanquish them quickly. No sooner had the kid done his little pyrokinetics act than he ran after Creeper, hoping to find the pig.

"KID! COME BACK HERE!!" Jake cried out. However, by then, Reno had darted off, oddly quick for such a slight frame. Jake swore; the kid was impressive, true, but he had the guile and cunning of a brick wall. Normally, Jake would admire that kind of dogged determination; he himself was something of a go-getter when he was younger, still was to some degree. However, with a bunch of civilians slowing them down and them soon to be up to their armpits in Heartless, it wasn't the smart thing to do. Not to mention that Creeper was smaller, more agile, and had a lot more knowledge of the intricacies of the castle than Reno did.

"Alright, change of plans," Jake said, gesturing for the others to follow him. "We need to get out of here fast, cause I don't think the Horned King's messing around anymore. We head for the exit, and we run like we're chased by dragons cause we most likely will be.

"And before you protest," he said to Taran, "we need to get to safety first; Reno can handle himself, but we can't burden him with people who can't fight. We make a break for the exit. If you still want to come back and fight, stick with me after that."

Jake lead the group, taker a hastier route through the castle to the exit, using force and concussive blasts of magic to clear through any mercenaries, undead, Heartless, or other monsters in their way. He stopped once or twice to see if he could still see flashes of lightning from the building, the telltale marks of Reno engaging in another battle.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Jake took a deep breath. He was hoping the old man would be able to help, but the years of prison had taken their toll. Time to make the best of a bad situation and man up.

"Okay, here's the plan," Jake spoke up, maybe a little less than confidently. "Most castles have a back entrance for emergency use in case of war. This particular castle is built on top of some big caverns, but I'm not sure if they actually lead anywhere."

Jake guessed the caverns were there because the atmosphere was a tad more humid than most castles, even evil, dank castles hosting a mad sorceror-king bent on conquest and genocide. There was the problem of no breeze coming from the lower levels, which wasn't encouraging to find a way out.

"If that doesn't work, the other solution is straight up - right into the guards and garrisons. Still, it's possible to avoid most of the guard until we manage our escape.

"Reno, I want you up behind me to cover my back. You with the sword... Taran, right? How good are you with that thing? I want you watching our backs in case something comes up from behind. I doubt there's anyone here with a working brain besides Ol' Horny Toad himself, but best not to take chances. Everyone else, stay together, and be on alert."

He turned to lead the way.

As they worked their way up the castle's levels, Jake's stance was different. Calm, quiet, eager... like a predator stalking the hunting grounds. The castle was old and its passageways myriad and well-trod, but Jake had a hunter's instinct. He could tell by experience which corridors were recently or commonly taken, and where to expect guard outposts. For his size, Jake was surprisingly quiet and stealthy.

For now, though, they needed to find Hen Wen. Jake lifted his finger to his lips, and listened carefully for the squeals of a pig. He made stops to listen every few rooms or so.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

"That's great," Jake said, getting up. "I'd like to try that recipe out sometime myself."

He took a torch off a nearby wall.

"From what I heard, the pig's not so much for creating skeletons as finding a piece of kitchenware that will allow him to raise the dead. Pig's got the power to see the unseen, so I understood. And generally, if the Horned King gets his hands on said cauldron, we'd be looking at hordes of undead that can be replenished easily, and, well, no need to tell you that's a Bad Thing."

Jake rubbed his chest, as though it was still sore.

"Trust me, the Horned Freak could really use a makeover, but no denying he's a tough bastard. Keep your eyes peeled, and let's get moving."

He turned to the other freed prisoners. "Any idea where to start looking?"

With a flick of his wrist, Jake called forth Kaiser Leo, his trusty ax-shaped Keyblade. The thing was almost as big as he was, and glinted a bright bronze and silver in the torchlight. Dangling from its handle was a snarling lion's head the size of an orange.

"Better to be prepared," he said with a wink. He lead the group, taking point with his trusty weapon firmly in hand...

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Sorry it took so long to post. Partly the new job so I don't have the time as much anymore.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

Another quite day for Jake, or so it seemed. Sit in the cell, wait for the meal of the day (if the guards felt that generous), trick Creeper into abusing himself (he'd feel guilty about it if the little thing weren't so odious and unlikeable), get ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

To be honest, it would probably be a bit more bearable if he hadn't been responsible for his own predicament. You don't walk into a man's domain and start causing trouble. Of course, he wouldn't have had to cause trouble if the guy wasn't such a colossal prick, but it also turned out he was also a pretty powerful magician.

In retrospect, Jake should have taken it easy with the drink; fighting the Horned King drunk was a less appealing proposal when sober, especially given where he ended up.

Oh well, live and learn, he guessed. He just needed to try and come up with a way out of this prison. The company are nice, but the hosts are condescending at best, the lodgings aren't so hot, and don't get him started on the food. Plus, he was getting a bit stir-crazy.

Still, there was the issue of the reinforced jail cell and the wards designed to keep him in. He sighed as he leaned back against the wall.

"Dammit, Gabe, I hate it when you're right," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Even when you're not here. 'Don't go around picking fights, try to think your way through things for a change...' Damn, I miss those days."

He suddenly stopped, his body rigid. He thought he heard footsteps coming his way. Not the heavy footsteps of some flunky, the dry rattling shuffles of a skeletal warrior, or the fumbling, soft treads of the diminutive Creeper. This seemed to be a more lively step. Like a young man or a boy.

Jake tried to look out of his jail cell and grab a peek of the newcomer. To his surprise, he was not met by a new guard or a new prisoner, but rather of a young, healthy, if skinny young boy. But what's he doing here? He raised his eyebrows when he saw the Keyblade in the boy's hand. Looks like this was his lucky day.

"Hey kid," he said, "mind helping me out here? I think I'd like to check out of this hotel, but I think management forgot to assign me my room key."

Renose said He did the same thing to the boy's cell and then went over to the other 'special prisoner's' cell and unlocked it as well in the same manner, the magical barrier being no problem for both Reno and his Keyblade. After their cells were unlocked Reno's glove suddenly vanished from his hand and in front of him appeared a very large book, his glider. The book actually opened and Reno literally jumped into the pages, his body sinking into the pages as one would sink into a body of water. Not but a minute later he returned, floating up from the pages as one would emerge from water as the book closed. Around him were floating several plates of one of Reno's favorite dishes, pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes to be precise. There were enough plates for everyone floating around him. On them all were a stack of four pancakes that all had both syrup and butter on them as well as a fork, knife, and napkin on each plate. One plate floated towards each of them, including the dog. "I made you all pancakes, you should eat up. I heard prison food tastes awful in the game I was talking about". Again, he just gave a kind, innocent, childlike smile as he passed them the plates, which now floated in front of them waiting to be taken and eaten. The pancakes both looked and smelled delicious and if they were eaten they would also taste delicious as well.

Once free from his cell, Jake cut up and took his first step out of the cell, stretching almost blissfully, a wide grin on his face as he flexed his arms and legs, cringing a bit as his joints and sinews made cracking noises, fighting the cramps that had accumulated in his captivity.

"Thanks for the assist, kid," Jake said, sighing in relief. "Hoo, man feels good to be out of there... Though I think we need to get moving. I don't think management likes the idea of visiting hours."

Then he noticed the sumptuous meal of chocolate chip pancakes.

"On second thought, we really can't do much on an empty stomach, can we?" he said, giving a wide grin as he sat down to eat with the group.

If Renose had a healthy appetite, Jake's appetite could only be compared to a dragon's. He was putting away food like there was no tomorrow, only too glad to have such delicious fare after a few weeks of weak or stomach-turning gruel. His grin became more confident, and he was soon chatting casually with the rest, including the Keyblade wielder, whose name he found out Renose.

"Oh, no," Jake replied with a chuckle. "Prison food isn't as bad as you think - it's worse. Seriously, I think that Creeper spits in the food or something. I would say the others do too, but the mercenaries and orcs don't waste food, and skeletons don't have salivary glands.

"I'm Jake, by the way. John Grendell, but my friends call me Jake. You know, it's a shame you summoned these. I'd love to get the recipe for these later - well, when we get out of here.

"Speaking of which, what's the plan? You got into this prison to free us and all, and that's great, but I'm thinking we need to get cracking soon or the guards might suspect something."

Nice new forum, I see

I came in at the end of the previous forum, so I didn't do much there. Hopefully this will be different.

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

So anyways, since this is a continuation, I just wanted to say I'm still here. IIRC, Jake is currently in Pyrdain, in the Horned King's prison, right?

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

My character sheet again, and sorry for the delay. Subscribed to the thread, so I won't lose it again.

Name: John “Jake” Grendell
Age: 36
Quote: “ORRRYYYAAAAA!! Ah, that gave me quite the appetite! Who’s up for some chili?”
Likes: Cooking, chili, fishing, stories, fighting
Dislikes: Spiders, settling down
Appearance: Jake is 6’1” and 181 lbs, with a very muscular build. He has scars on his torso and back, and tattoos down his arms from the shoulder-blades to the wrists, with the right arm containing the words “WILD BOYS” with six names in a different colors underneath it, Jake’s name being last. On the right arm, there is a design containing many of the beasts Jake has vanquished, whether Heartless or monster.

Jake has neck-length dirty-blonde hair, dark hazel eyes, and a perma-stubble on his lantern jaw, and a scar on the bridge of his aquiline nose. He often has an amused, easygoing expression in everyday life, but that changes rather quickly to a ferocious grin when fighting.
Clothes: Jake wears dusty old travel boots and pants, with a broad belt decorating his waist. On his arms he wears bandages from just below the elbows to the second knuckle on the fingers. He wears several rings on his fingers (four on the right, five on the left including his thumb). He carries a worn-out hide cloak around his shoulders, and carries his things in an old leather knapsack. Around his neck is a tarnished silver necklace, which opens up to reveal an old picture of himself with his friends.

((Alternate outfit: http://lparchive.org/NIER/Update%2003/40-nierender.jpg))
Equipment: He carries around two fishing rods and a length of spare string, lots of rope, a hunting knife, a wood axe, spare rations, steel and flint, some spare clothes, and toothbrush.
Keyblade: “Kaiser Leo” - Kaiser Leo is a keyblade in the shape of a double-bladed greataxe about 3’10” long and 2’6” across the broadest point of the blades. The handle is made of gunmetal gray steel, and about 1’8”, while the blade edges are bronze-colored with large notches to resemble key bits. In the middle of the axe head on one side is a full profile of a golden-bronze lion, his mouth open in a roar, while the other has a winged heart of silver. Connected to the end of the handle is a footlong chain ending in a bronze lion head the size of an apple.
Combat Style: Jake is heavily focused on close quarters combat, tanking, and dishing out as well as he receives, making him a good protector of the less durable members of the group. He is, however, prone to rashness and can get carried away in the heat of battle, but always keeps an eye out for his comrades. While he enjoys fighting, he’s also a combat pragmatist, willing to do anything to save his friends and allies, and emphasizing protecting his friends over slaying a foe.
Personality: Jake is relaxed and easygoing, always ready with a good story or a good joke to get a conversation going. He’s pretty informal when talking to his colleagues and friends, and isn’t much for authority or authority figures, which means he’s going to have awkward moments when having to be an authority figure. However, he is an excellent pillar of support to any group he’s in, and can dispense some homespun wisdom for any situation. Jake enjoys comradeship, and likes to talk things over with his fellow party members.

Jake enjoys a good fight, and as such can switch from easygoing to hot-blooded when a good fight is on. He enjoys a good brawl or scrap to alleviate the boredom, though he’s not above fighting dirty when someone’s life is on the line. Even his tone of voice changes, going from relaxed and friendly like an uncle’s to hot-blooded and quite the large ham. He enjoys taunting or challenging a worthy foe, and enjoys a decent duel every once in a while.

He’s also a spirit struck by wanderlust, never really sitting down in one place for long. He seeks to find the next testing grounds, the next adventure, so that he may test his mettle, see new sights, experience more. However, he’s been wondering for a while now if he’s merely just delaying the inevitable; he’s become a ‘Lost Boy’ in a way, never truly settling down or willing to commit to anything, something that has resulted in him becoming a bit distant from others despite his gregarious nature. The rest of his original party, the ‘Wild Boys’, had settled down and decided to raise their own families and/or train the next generation of Keyblade wielders. As a result, he’s been wondering whether he should settle down like the others.

Jake also has a weird fear of pink-haired girls with blue eyes. The initial reaction to seeing one would be a sudden start and referring to the lady in question as ‘ma’am’. This reaction fades once Jake gets to know the girl better, but has its roots in the team sage for the Wild Boys, and one of the two girls in the group. She was very strict and ran a tight ship, often terrifying the usually slovenly, laid-back Jake into following her orders or if he pushed her too far.
Back-story: Jake is a veteran Keyblader, with a story that goes back more than two decades. When he was a young man, he lived in a medieval fantasy world under the protection of King Mickey and his Keybladers, where was the second oldest of four siblings, and the oldest son in the household. As such, when his father was away, it was up to Jake to tend to the farm and the animals. It was a hard life, but Jake did his work and never complained. However, he would always dream of seeing faraway lands, wondering what lay beyond the familiar. He was also a bit of a gourmet, and while he never complained about the bland food, he wished he could taste food abroad.

When Jake was 15, however, Jake’s home was attacked by monsters that slaughtered livestock and burned down crops. He got his family to safety in the house, and tried to fight off the monsters with his tools and axes. Nothing would hurt the monsters; either the attacks bounced off their thick hides, or went right through them harmlessly like smoke. Just as Jake was going to be overwhelmed, a pair of mystic heroes wielding strange weapons suddenly appeared. They cut through the creatures of darkness like a scythe through wheat, dispersing them like a fog before a strong gale. They saved Jake and his family, yet asked for little compensation. Jake, enraptured, found out that the two, Gabriel and Yomi, were kids no older than he, yet were self-proclaimed ‘Keyblade wielders’, who fought the monstrous ‘Heartless’ wherever they could find them. Despite his mother’s apprehension at him joining a pair of young wizards, he decided to join them. They managed to help him unlock his abilities as a Keyblade user, but his style emphasized combat strength rather than magic.

As time went on, Jake became an excellent fighter, becoming the heavy combatant of the team. However, an incident where he was still somewhat illiterate resulted in him misspelling his name as “Jake” rather than “John”, and thus the name stuck. Another time, he managed to get the group so sloshed they thought his suggestion of “Wild Boys” for a team name was a good idea (sobriety and the hangover convinced them otherwise later on, but by then it was too late to change it).

It was a time of adventures, a time of journeys, of mischief and heroics, and a time Jake would cherish forever. They had their triumphs and their torments, but the Wild Boys always managed to come out with their heads held up high.

However, as with all good things, it had to come to an end. Jake realized that the group had changed somehow. The others weren’t as excited to go on a new journey, or were more willing to take it slow. While they still wanted to fight the Heartless, they were getting concerned about their own lives. Some wanted to raise a family, others wanted to train their successors so they could carry the torch. Only Jake remained insistent on adventuring. Even Gabriel, the first Keyblade hero of the group, had settled down somewhere to raise children and train the younger Keyblade wielders.

So it was that Jake kept roaming the worlds, seeking the Heartless wherever he can, fighting them. It has been years since he last talked to his friends, practically eight years since he’s been travelling alone. Yet even he wonders if it isn’t time he tried to settle down, or how long he can keep up walking his paths alone.
Skills: Jake has excellent cooking and food preparation skills, though he seems to have a preference towards making spicy food that can burn a hole through your mouth. He’s a good tracker and hunter out of experience, and can make a good bargain at a shop (generally out of necessity). He’s also an experienced fighter with two decades of combat under his belt.
Abilities: Jake is an impressive physical specimen. Long years of working out and travel have made an already rather athletic young man into a strong warrior. He is strong enough to snap through unenhanced chains, and is a skilled brawler/fighter even without his Keyblade skills. He is fast, but not quite as nimble as he used to be, and as such has shifted to a power-based fighting style.
Stats: Attack Haste, Critical Plus, Defence Boost, Defender, HP Boost, MP Rage
Support: Air Combo, Plus, Berserk, Combo Plus, Once More, Second Chance, Second Wind/Hyper Healing, Synch Blade
Defense: Aerial Recovery (Smash Recovery), Defender, Guard/Block (Blade Bash, Block-Counter, Perfect Block, Round Block, Sliding Block), Dodge Roll, Dark Screen
Magic: *none*
Movement: Quick Run, High Jump, Air Slide
Offense: Aerial Dive, Aerial Sweep, Blitz, Combo Master, Counterguard, Explosion, Finishing Leap, Finishing Plus, Round Break, Sonic Strike, Upper Slash
Summon: Titan

Kingdom Hearts: Signs of Zodiac

So as I see, this is a continuation, not a restart? Meaning we continue where we left off?

Just wanted to be clear; I was concerned that all the forum data had been deleted, so I thought maybe it was a restart...