SilverPaw

Blood Drive (Isekai Survival) [Looking for Two New Players]

Amisaki Kyou

【Amisaki Kyou - Kyou-kun】

Large pic

_{~"What are you looking at?"~}

Character Summary

Name: Amisaki Kyou
Class: Average Human
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Member of: Second Year, Archery Club

Appearance

Height: 176 cm
Weight: 66 kg
Build: Wiry
Eyes: Light gray
Hair: Light golden brown

Psychology

Driven * Anxious * Organized * Guarded

Sexuality: Demisexual. Considers himself straight, but not interested at the moment.
Personality:
A withdrawn, quiet introvert, Kyou doesn’t make friends easily – or at all. He has some friendly acquaintances, but beyond his family, there aren’t many people he lets in. He can be a bit passive in social situations, going along with the will of the majority and joining a conversation only if someone else coaxes him into one. His tense posture, dispassionate expression, frowning glare, and sometimes blunt words give him an almost inapproachable aura. Though strangers might occasionally categorize him as a delinquent based on his appearance and anti-social demeanour, those who have known him at least for a while will observe that he’s actually a rather helpful sort of a person – though indirectly. He willingly solves identified problems if he can, and pitches in without being prompted when something needs accomplishing, but he just isn’t the sort of person who could easily offer help verbally.

Kyou has heard classmates describe him as confident, because he doesn’t give easily read clues of being nervous for tests, oral presentations, etc., but he’s actually often anxious – to the point that he’s developed several coping mechanisms that work for him. Acting as an aloof, seemingly disinterested, and non-caring person is one of them. Simple breathing techniques, squeezing his stress-ball, nibbling on his pencil, or fiddling with a nearby small object (e.g. an eraser, his hoodie string, the edges of his sleeves) are a more obvious example of coping, though others may mistake his actions for a simple habit borne out of boredom. Organizing and planning his activities beforehand is one of the best ways Kyou has found to keep his anxiety at bay. Of course, unexpected situations still occur, and when they do, it takes all his will, effort, and experience to keep from being overwhelmed. If he's feeling out of sorts in a social conversation (which isn't that uncommon), he can be rather rude. While he's never actively cruel, he may still inadvertently hurt someone in a moment of stress by snapping at them.
Habits:

• Spinning a pen, pencil, or some other writing implement in between his fingers if one is available when he’s sitting down. Noticeable when he’s studying, writing, drawing, or listening to a lecture in class.
• Fiddling with his stress-ball.
• Staring at a neutral spot and concentrating on his breathing when he wants to calm down.
• He speaks in a monotone when nervous.
• Occasionally nibbles on his pencil, but he’s making an effort to notice and stop himself from doing so.

Hobbies:

• Jogging
• Drawing
• Working out
• Gaming

Fears:

• Getting seriously ill and/or injured
• Worrying his parents
• Missing an important event due to being ill

Likes:

• Spicy food
• Reading
• Learning
• Fresh air and rain
• Stars and stargazing

Dislikes:

• Bullies
• Unnecessarily loud people
• Gossiping, esp. if it’s about himself
• Being anxious, nervous, or afraid
• Having to make direct eye-contact

Cards On The Table

Attributes

Strength: Average.
Vitality: Weakness.
Mobility: Forte.
Intelligence: Average.
Supernatural: Average.

Skills:

• Meditation
• Drawing
• Archery

Equipment:

• A black face-mask. He gets colds often, so he’s learned to always carry one with him, even when healthy. That he always buys black ones is simply a style choice. The strategy of pulling up his hoodie and putting on a mask also works decently in repelling people from approaching him when he wants to be alone.
• Worn dark-gray stress ball. Helps with nerves and boredom. Always kept in a pocket.
• A leather-bound journal. A gift from his father for his last birthday. Circa a fourth of it is filled with various doodles or drawings already. The rest of the pages are blank.

Identity

Your Story Thus Far:
Kyou is the only son of a white-collar worker father and a stay-at-home mother, but though that is an extremely average description, there is the slight deviation of his mother being rather sickly. It isn’t that she has some sort of chronic condition, her immune system is simply too poor for her to realistically be able to keep working. Staying home and keeping to her own schedule is just what’s best for her. As for Kyou, he’s inherited a fair bit of his mother’s constitution, and he gets colds at least twice as often as the average kid. He bruises more easily and his recovery time is always on the long side. As a child, he’s had the bad luck to fall ill on the first day of school or during the testing period or the day of some other important even more than once, a fact that frustrated him immensely. He often preoccupied himself by retreating into an imaginary world and drawing – an activity he’s kept up with to this day. On a memorable occasion, he’s been accused of faking a cold; he remembers that day well because it’s one of the rare times where he lost his temper and even got into a fight (to his own detriment, of course). Ever since discovering that he was considered a “frail child”, he’s been determined to overcome his shitty immune system, all the while grateful that he didn’t have to deal with the likes of, say, leukemia.

Nonetheless, his proneness to getting colds or sprains or bruises was more than a hassle to deal with. Especially his mother was always worried for him, and accompanied him to a doctor more than once. The advised treatment was simply to be especially mindful to keep a balanced diet and to exercise regularly. Perhaps it was her worry that induced his own anxiety, or perhaps it was simply that it wasn’t uncommon for him to be bullied – which was something he avoided telling his parents, and dealt with on his own (by running away, hiding, etc.). Once he embedded himself a bit more into a social group, the bullying became rarer, but his fearfulness remained. And though his mother was averse of Kyou participating in too strenuous or violent of an activity, she did acquiesce to him pursuing certain sports. In elementary school, that was track and field. Since early teen years, Kyou has devoted himself to archery, because it’s an activity that not only requires focus but one that he can focus on single-mindedly, without being distracted by his usual worries or fears. He’s not sure why, and seeing how helpful it is to his mental state, he’s never questioned it. Daily jogging and an attempt to build up some muscle were added a couple of years ago, mainly because he’s long since discovered that appearing weak was a key component of being picked on. Meditation and breathing techniques were something he taught himself with the help of internet, and he’s used this know-how to great effect for the past three years.

Relationships:
⟢ 🎆Respects ⟡ 🌓Neutral ⟡ 👋Acquaintance ⟡ 🙇It's Complicated ⟣ 💛Friend ⟡ 💙Good Friends ⟡ 💜Best Friends ⟡ ❣️Ex-Friends ⟡ 😈Frienemy ⟣ 💘Infatuation ⟡ 💓Loves ⟡ 💕Basically Family ⟡ 💞Family ⟡ 💔Ex-Lovers ⟣ ♨️Tense ⟡ 💀Dislikes ⟡ 😡Hates ⟡ 👿Enemy ⟡ 👹Absolutely Loathes ⟣

• [💛Friend] Hase Saki
• [🎆Respects] Kimura Toru
• [🎆Respects] Minamoto Katsu
• [👋Acquaintance] Yoshimoto Natsumi
• [💀Dislikes] Abe Kou

_{*By submitting this CS in its completion I am stating I have read all the rules for this Rp and am agreeing to follow them to the fullest with respect and courtesy.}

Blood Drive (Isekai Survival) [Looking for Two New Players]

Amisaki Kyou

【Amisaki Kyou - Kyou-kun】

Large pic

_{~"What are you looking at?"~}

Character Summary

Name: Amisaki Kyou
Class: Average Human
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Member of: Second Year, Archery Club

Appearance

Height: 176 cm
Weight: 66 kg
Build: Wiry
Eyes: Light gray
Hair: Light golden brown

Psychology

Driven * Anxious * Organized * Guarded

Sexuality: Demisexual. Considers himself straight, but not interested at the moment.
Personality:
A withdrawn, quiet introvert, Kyou doesn’t make friends easily – or at all. He has some friendly acquaintances, but beyond his family, there aren’t many people he lets in. He can be a bit passive in social situations, going along with the will of the majority and joining a conversation only if someone else coaxes him into one. His tense posture, dispassionate expression, frowning glare, and sometimes blunt words give him an almost inapproachable aura. Though strangers might occasionally categorize him as a delinquent based on his appearance and anti-social demeanour, those who have known him at least for a while will observe that he’s actually a rather helpful sort of a person – though indirectly. He willingly solves identified problems if he can, and pitches in without being prompted when something needs accomplishing, but he just isn’t the sort of person who could easily offer help verbally.

Kyou has heard classmates describe him as confident, because he doesn’t give easily read clues of being nervous for tests, oral presentations, etc., but he’s actually often anxious – to the point that he’s developed several coping mechanisms that work for him. Acting as an aloof, seemingly disinterested, and non-caring person is one of them. Simple breathing techniques, squeezing his stress-ball, nibbling on his pencil, or fiddling with a nearby small object (e.g. an eraser, his hoodie string, the edges of his sleeves) are a more obvious example of coping, though others may mistake his actions for a simple habit borne out of boredom. Organizing and planning his activities beforehand is one of the best ways Kyou has found to keep his anxiety at bay. Of course, unexpected situations still occur, and when they do, it takes all his will, effort, and experience to keep from being overwhelmed. If he's feeling out of sorts in a social conversation (which isn't that uncommon), he can be rather rude. While he's never actively cruel, he may still inadvertently hurt someone in a moment of stress by snapping at them.
Habits:

• Spinning a pen, pencil, or some other writing implement in between his fingers if one is available when he’s sitting down. Noticeable when he’s studying, writing, drawing, or listening to a lecture in class.
• Fiddling with his stress-ball.
• Staring at a neutral spot and concentrating on his breathing when he wants to calm down.
• He speaks in a monotone when nervous.
• Occasionally nibbles on his pencil, but he’s making an effort to notice and stop himself from doing so.

Hobbies:

• Jogging
• Drawing
• Working out
• Gaming

Fears:

• Getting seriously ill and/or injured
• Worrying his parents
• Missing an important event due to being ill

Likes:

• Spicy food
• Reading
• Learning
• Fresh air and rain
• Stars and stargazing

Dislikes:

• Bullies
• Unnecessarily loud people
• Gossiping, esp. if it’s about himself
• Being anxious, nervous, or afraid
• Having to make direct eye-contact

Cards On The Table

Attributes

Strength: Average.
Vitality: Weakness.
Mobility: Forte.
Intelligence: Average.
Supernatural: Average.

Skills:

• Meditation
• Drawing
• Archery

Equipment:

• A black face-mask. He gets colds often, so he’s learned to always carry one with him, even when healthy. That he always buys black ones is simply a style choice. The strategy of pulling up his hoodie and putting on a mask also works decently in repelling people from approaching him when he wants to be alone.
• Worn dark-gray stress ball. Helps with nerves and boredom. Always kept in a pocket.
• A leather-bound journal. A gift from his father for his last birthday. Circa a fourth of it is filled with various doodles or drawings already. The rest of the pages are blank.

Identity

Your Story Thus Far:
Kyou is the only son of a white-collar worker father and a stay-at-home mother, but though that is an extremely average description, there is the slight deviation of his mother being rather sickly. It isn’t that she has some sort of chronic condition, her immune system is simply too poor for her to realistically be able to keep working. Staying home and keeping to her own schedule is just what’s best for her. As for Kyou, he’s inherited a fair bit of his mother’s constitution, and he gets colds at least twice as often as the average kid. He bruises more easily and his recovery time is always on the long side. As a child, he’s had the bad luck to fall ill on the first day of school or during the testing period or the day of some other important even more than once, a fact that frustrated him immensely. He often preoccupied himself by retreating into an imaginary world and drawing – an activity he’s kept up with to this day. On a memorable occasion, he’s been accused of faking a cold; he remembers that day well because it’s one of the rare times where he lost his temper and even got into a fight (to his own detriment, of course). Ever since discovering that he was considered a “frail child”, he’s been determined to overcome his shitty immune system, all the while grateful that he didn’t have to deal with the likes of, say, leukemia.

Nonetheless, his proneness to getting colds or sprains or bruises was more than a hassle to deal with. Especially his mother was always worried for him, and accompanied him to a doctor more than once. The advised treatment was simply to be especially mindful to keep a balanced diet and to exercise regularly. Perhaps it was her worry that induced his own anxiety, or perhaps it was simply that it wasn’t uncommon for him to be bullied – which was something he avoided telling his parents, and dealt with on his own (by running away, hiding, etc.). Once he embedded himself a bit more into a social group, the bullying became rarer, but his fearfulness remained. And though his mother was averse of Kyou participating in too strenuous or violent of an activity, she did acquiesce to him pursuing certain sports. In elementary school, that was track and field. Since early teen years, Kyou has devoted himself to archery, because it’s an activity that not only requires focus but one that he can focus on single-mindedly, without being distracted by his usual worries or fears. He’s not sure why, and seeing how helpful it is to his mental state, he’s never questioned it. Daily jogging and an attempt to build up some muscle were added a couple of years ago, mainly because he’s long since discovered that appearing weak was a key component of being picked on. Meditation and breathing techniques were something he taught himself with the help of internet, and he’s used this know-how to great effect for the past three years.

Relationships:
⟢ 🎆Respects ⟡ 🌓Neutral ⟡ 👋Acquaintance ⟡ 🙇It's Complicated ⟣ 💛Friend ⟡ 💙Good Friends ⟡ 💜Best Friends ⟡ ❣️Ex-Friends ⟡ 😈Frienemy ⟣ 💘Infatuation ⟡ 💓Loves ⟡ 💕Basically Family ⟡ 💞Family ⟡ 💔Ex-Lovers ⟣ ♨️Tense ⟡ 💀Dislikes ⟡ 😡Hates ⟡ 👿Enemy ⟡ 👹Absolutely Loathes ⟣

• [💛Friend] Hase Saki
• [🎆Respects] Kimura Toru
• [🎆Respects] Minamoto Katsu
• [👋Acquaintance] Yoshimoto Natsumi
• [💀Dislikes] Abe Kou

_{*By submitting this CS in its completion I am stating I have read all the rules for this Rp and am agreeing to follow them to the fullest with respect and courtesy.}

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

Asteria

---

---

Asteria took the parts she’d gathered from the scout, and left its body alone. She sniffed at herself cautiously, wary that she’d got too much of its scent on herself. It would be terrible if she’d once again managed to lead the ants to them once they moved out of carelessness. While Ed was still asleep, she experimented a bit with the part. The exoskeleton plates could be used as an armor if they weren’t too heavy, but first, she needed to drill some holes into it somehow. The best candidate for the tool were perhaps the mandible she’d managed to tear off. Not exactly precise and likely not to work, but this wasn’t something she could do with a hatchet, and there were no other tools available to try this with. So, she gripped one mandible with both paws, set it against a corner of one of the exoskeleton, held the plate still by crouching on the other part of it, and began drilling by hand. Really, she was just slowly turning the mandible in both hands, observing the effects on the plate. She gave it a few minutes to see the effect, taking care not to crack the plate on accident.

Then, she noticed Ed had stirred. “Oh, hey, great to see you up. Let’s gather all our things and head to the other side of the village. I don’t want risking more ants or more humans. Though I’m not sure we’ll be able to carry this all…” she glanced around. The bloodingfly stinger was still lodged in one of the ant’s neck, and she went over, pulling it out, and inspected its structural integrity. If it was too battered, she’d leave it be. Next, she stashed the Bloodingly’s stinger, as well as the proboscis and its needlelike end that were still lying around into the jar with next to the leather, four horned goat, and hex cat eye. It barely fit. So, if Ed takes all his items that leaves me the jar, the hatchet, and the assorted leftover ant parts. She could carry the jar and the hatched, as proven before, but the Myrmidor plates, mandibles, and legs…that would be a bit of a challenge. She tried wrapping the plates with the insect legs, a rather macabre endeavor. But what else could she use for rope? She’d seen the villagers had some rope items, but she wasn’t entirely sure how to make some herself. Hemp…fibre…Plants? She might muddle together something if she gave it a go, but making something usable might take too long. For now, she decided to harvest the nearby plant, and bundled the plates, legs, and mandibles with its stalk as best she could. This third bundle was something that Mother rat could carry, perhaps.

“Ed, will you take the last Healing herb and Nullven cone?” She directed absentmindedly as she waddled over to mother rat with the recently harvested Scout parts bundle. Putting a paw on the other rat in a soothing gesture, she made an enquiring squeak. She carefully put the bundle first on her back, wrapping the tail around it, looking at Mother rat as she demonstrated. Then, she moved the bundle to Mother’s back, and still looking at her, tapped the fellow rodent’s tail, chattering at her, and attempting to guide it to wrap around the items as she’d showed her. “Come on, hold it like this,” she muttered. Once the items were somewhat in position, she released Mother still observing her. If the Mother rat held onto the items, she would send a warm affirmative feeling through telepathy. Next, she went to grab the items she’d designed as hers – the hatchet and the jar – and turned back to Mother expectantly, watching whether she still held onto the bundle Asteria had put on her or not. If she did, then they could finally leave. If not, she’d try to get mother to carry the items once again. As soon as Ed was ready, however, she’d urge them all to leave.

Actions summary

Takes scout parts away from scout.
Checks herself for lingering ant scent (with Beast Senses II).
Tries drilling a hole in one corner of a exoskeleton plate, using a mandible as her tool.
Suggests moving away to Ed.
Stores the Bloodingfly stinger (if it’s not too damaged) and the needle-ended proboscis into the jar, somehow managing to cram it in with the previous items.
Makes a Scout parts bundle, wrapping the plates and mandibles first with the ant legs, then with a plant stalk.
Takes this latest Scout bundle to Mother rat and attempts to get the other rodent to carry it; shows how to do so by example and using positive reinforcement (via telepathy) to help.
Takes jar and hatchet for herself.
Examines Mother rat to see whether she’s still holding onto the items.
Once they’re all packed and ready to go, she’ll lead the way around the village, avoiding the humans as best as they can while heading to the other side of the settlement – not sticking too close, but not so far that the village would be out of sight.

Blood's Jewels (High Casual Fantasy Revolution)

Jandar Varan

&

Faeril Ashkevron

Cliff staircase, Askavi

---

---

Jandar huffed and re-sheathed the knife he’d pointed at Jassen. No, he didn’t think the man wanted to bring the harm to Fatima, but his preconceptions and reckless actions might just do so, no matter how well-intentioned he might be. Instead of saying that, however, he simply hissed out a low “Fine.” He focused fully on the three opponents, assessing their strength. This might be a theoretical three-on-three, but Faeril was exhausted (and not a warrior, as she’d pointed out), and Jassen certainly couldn’t be counted on to act. “Either help or don’t get in our way, then,” Jandar added to the older male, dismissing his presence for the moment.

The Kaeleeran Warlord readied his Red jewel, waiting for Faeril’s sign on how to act…but then the Black Widow turned to him to answer, and Jandar’s eyes widened as he saw the Sapphire Warlord Prince lunge for Faeril. Though ready to counter-act, the Warlord Prince was faster, manifesting a sapphire shield between the kidnapped Faeril and the two wingless males on the other side, and Jandar barely prevented himself from slamming face-first into the shield. He growled, summoning his sabre as he watched the goings on in frustrated horror. Faeril poisoned the Sapphire Warlord Prince, which was good, but that didn’t prevent his maniacal rambling as the other two men pinned down the Black Widow.

Jandar drew on the power of his Red, wrapping a tight coil of his power around the sabre, making it shine and buzz with power. He slammed the weapon forcefully into the shield with both arms, one palm wrapped around the hilt and the other helping by pushing onto its pommel. The physical force combined with his craft managed not only to crack the shield, but shattered it entirely. The Warlord thought his success may have been helped by how hasty the Sapphire Warlord Prince had been with placing the shield. Snarling, Jandar lunged at the male who was positioned over Faeril and threatening to mutilate her. His sabre was poised to slash at the male’s arm, intending to disarm him – in either meaning of the word.

Haelendar had cut the bitch's finger quite deeply as he felt the shield shatter. He had expected the two men to fight, but had not realized one of them wore the Red. Turning away from the witch, he swung his dagger up and with a show of skill vanished it and called in the deadly Eryien warblade to knock aside Jandar's attack. Swinging a punch that collided with the Dhemlan's head in a glancing blow. The Opal who was pinning Faeril's wings called in his own blade, intent on damaging the witch's wings. He managed to slice a nasty cut down the leathery membrane of one before Jassen tackled the man. The two tumbled onto the stairs in a tangle. With her wings free and bleeding, Faeril jerked and fought to run as the Blood Opal Warlord Prince held fast.

Jandar hissed at the blow to his head, but retaliated with a sweep of his legs, attempting to unbalance his opponent. Though he was concentrated on his own fight, he did notice peripherally that Jassen had joined the fight to help Faeril. He was honestly surprised; he’d have to re-evaluate his opinion of the male. He didn’t expect the old man to stand up for the Black Widow whom he’d not long ago attempted killing, the Eyrien female who was practical enough to suggest killing or wiping the drunk’s memories. If they all got through this, he’d certainly have to thank him for the back-up if nothing else. Inhaling with a flare of his nostrils, Jandar summoned his heather shield for extra protection against the Warlord Prince’s warblade. Recognizing the other as a skilled warrior, he approached cautiously, and yet attacked with no hesitation as he tested for the Eyrien’s weaknesses.

The leg sweep against the larger male did nothing as Haelendar snarled and brought the warblade down on the heather shield and he would have cleaved it if not for the Red shield that spun the attack to the side, courtesy of Faeril. "It will cut bone as well as flesh with ease! Do not be fooled!" The woman warned as she flung the Warlord Prince she was dealing with off the stairs and into open sky with her own Blood Opal. Sagging against the wall the woman staggered up the steps. Fighting was not an option for her at the moment. So her next option was flight by foot. The bastards had cut her wing and she didn't feel like risking more damage by trying to fly. Already tired from the the walk and the drain on her jewels, the witch scrambled up the steps desperate to escape the slaughter. For it would be a slaughter.

Jassen and his opponent were in a tangle. He had not joined the fight for the Black Widow. In truth, he had not considered the poisonous woman at all. Rather he was more intent on not letting news of his Queen reach the wrong ears and theses men were a threat to that. He would say it was to protect his Queen, but that was only a partial truth. Fatima's mother had been his Queen. He would have and had done anything for her. For Fatima he would protect the girl per the wishes of his Queen, but also to save his own skin. The First Circle would bear a brutal punishment for hiding a witch of such great power. So he fought. It was a ugly and brutal struggle. It did not end until there was a sickening crack, then the Eyrien rose from the ground and left the broken form of a member of Fatima's Court on the ground, his head at an odd angle.

Jandar frowned at having to be saved by Faeril, but coated his wooden shield with a double layer of Red shielding of his own in response. So, he would have to rely more on evasion and the power of his jewel against the warblade. He circled the Eyrien carefully, poking at slashing at various points of his body at various angles, his eyes primarily focused on his opponent’s eyes and only peripherally on his warblade. Glancing at the direction one moved or attacked in was rather involuntary, so if he could predict or perceive the Warlord Prince’s attack path, he could take advantage with a swift counter-attack. Of course, Jandar himself also had to keep an eye on the terrain and where he aimed with his sabre, so it might take him a bit to learn enough of the enemy’s patterns.

And while theoretically the Sapphire-wielding Eyrien would get weaker over time due to the Black Widow’s poison, he did not have the luxury of prolonging the time – mainly because just then a crunch and a swift glance to the source of the noise alerted him to the fact that Jassen had been killed off already. Faeril might distract one of the trio for a short while, but she was in no state to fight, so he'd soon have to face three Eyriens by himself. Grimly determined not to be spooked or distracted, Jandar baited the Sapphire Warlord Prince by pretending to freeze for half-a-second or less upon seeing the Blood Opal Prince killing Jassen. It was a believable reaction, and yet also risky. Jandar was prepared to side-step if his enemy decided to take the opening and strike at him, but it was a gamble. Even if he evaded swiftly and successfully, he'd still have to kill in one counter-strike to reduce the number of enemies. He had to. He did not know if he could, but wasted no time on hesitation or worry. He was simply...decisive. Putting it all on this chance to dispose of one enemy before the other two were able to attack him as well.

Blood's Jewels (High Casual Fantasy Revolution)

Jandar Varan

Cliff staircase, Askavi

Jandar smirked at Faeril, though his eyes narrowed automatically at her insult. Yet, he released the slight tension; sarcastic banter he could do and even enjoy, he just hadn’t expected it. “Yes, our dear companion here does need looking after,” he retorted nonchalantly, redirecting the drunk and dim comments to fall both on Jassen, though he was very much aware the dim part was meant for him. “But then again, that wouldn’t have been necessary if you had chosen to deal with him already,” he added on a sigh, as if he were the one most inconvenienced by Jessen. Truthfully, he was just poking at Faeril – both for hesitation of not simply killing the man (though of course he understood why she hadn’t chosen that route) as well as for being unable to alter his memory, which he suspected was due to the exhaustion the Inkeeper had hinted at. The Warlord wondered if the Black Widow was the kind to stab (or worse, poison) him if she were irritated enough. As they continued the ascent, however, she found something much better to wound him – mentioning how SaDiablo was either a conspirator or prisoner of the Hyallian Queen. Jandar frowned, continuing on in a thoughtful – and admittedly somewhat sullen – silence.

Apart from brooding, he spent the rest of their journey observing Jassen. The old drunkard was obviously beyond enraged. Would he attack the Black Widow again? Given how foolish the male was, it was certainly possible. He really did have to wonder why Faeril hadn’t killed him. Was it simply to curry favor with Fatima? Or was it some sort of odd hidden kindness of hers, as unlikely as that was? Jandar didn’t know, but he’d keep an eye on Jassen in any case. At the top of the cliff, the silence was interrupted by Faeril swearing quietly – Jandar was once again somewhat impressed by her sharp tongue and coloured words – and spread her wings to prevent Jassen and himself from passing forward. With a glance at their opponents, Jandar drew the knife still sheathed at his back and pointed it at Jassen’s back, his actions obscured from their enemies’ sight by Faeril. “Listen, old man,” he hissed quietly – Jassen and Faeril would be able to hear him, but the three opponents facing them were unlikely to catch what he was whispering. “I would like to hope you realized on your own we need to co-operate for this, but just in in case you haven't...Dare to even try anything, and I will skin you alive before ripping your heart out. Are we clear?” he gritted out in an undertone, his attention split half between Jassen and the three intruders. If he had to, he’d incapacitate the inconvenience first, then help backup the Black Widow. “Faeril, direct attack, diversion, or deception? I’ll follow your lead,” he added in a murmur, not expecting the female Eyrien to answer him verbally. He was ready to summon his weapons and draw on his Red jewel if he had to, however.

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

Asteria

---

---

Asteria sent a telepathic message of relief and welcome as Mother rat recovered, then huffed a laugh at her worry over Ed. “He’s just asleep,” she muttered, leaning a head closer to him to listen to his breathing and heart-beat – just in case, and also to show Mother how she could ensure his wellbeing on her own.

Asteria knew her fellow human needed his rest, but they needed to move as well. It was possible the explosion had confused and deterred the ants as well as it had the humans, but they couldn’t count on that. And when the humans regained their wits, they might come back – if nothing else, to dispose of their corpses, perhaps. With that in mind, Asteria moved to the den, ruffling among their belongings. An item in there might turn out to be helpful on the situation, and if not…she had another idea as well. Firstly, she inspected Ed’s belongings, mainly the crystals that she had up until then not inspected yet. Though she doubted they’d be useful for this situation, she wasn’t entirely certain when and for what they could come in handy, and she could certainly remedy that. So, she used magic analysis on both a tainted crystal and the flame touched crystal.

With a quiet “Hmm,” she moved on to her own items. The jarful or antlers, an eye, and the leather was largely an unknown. Seeing as all the things were technically parts of the monsters, she used Monster analysis on each. She also unfurled the leather scroll, examining its length and width, then put it all back into the clay jar when she was finished. She realized the move would be easier if Ed were awake for it but…How to wake him up? And moreover, they still needed food – which they had in form of insects – and water, which was rather scarcer than she’d prefer. Making her way to the insects, Asteria used Mana drain on both to refill her mana, and also ate some of their flesh to satiate her hunger. As for the water…she could attempt to dissect one of the Myrmidors, but the worker had a poison gland somewhere in there, and while it could be precious to get…Well, if Ed doesn’t wake up, I’ll have nothing better to do, will I.

But she did want to at least make an attempt to accelerate his resting, if nothing else. Approaching, she held a paw on his head, closed her eyes, and concentrated. She established a thin, unobtrusive telepathic link. Carefully, she fed a sensation of peace, rest, pleasantness, and passage of time over the link alongside miniscule amount of mana. As she did so, she breathed deeply, meditating, focusing on a calming sensation. Convincing another’s brain that it was resting sufficiently would, if nothing else, require her to feel at peace and detached from time. So, she focused on her breath, and kept the telepathic link up until she almost ran out of mana. Then, she slowly opened her eyes, inspecting Ed. Unsure if he was waking up yet or not, she moved to her next task – recovering back the mana she’d lost, and then dismantling the ants. For the former, she closed her eyes, and focused much the same as she had when she’d tried to speed up Ed’s rest. She knew meditating was a skill, and she’d bite her own tail if that skill didn’t help in recovering mana. Using the miniscule amount of remaining mana she had from her experiment with Ed, she also used Mana Drain to draw some energy in from the surroundings; something that had worked in the past, if not exactly effectively.

When that was done, she took a moment to listen to their surroundings, trying to ascertain whether the humans – or something else – would approach them. Regardless, Ed did have to wake up first, and so she took the hatched, a rock, and moved to a Scout. She used her own claws to attempt prying off the most damaged part of its exoskeleton first. Only if that would not work would she use the hatched – carefully, as she did not want it destroyed so soon. Her target was its abdomen. She took time and care to study it as she opened it up. The abdomen was where most of its organs would be. It might hold half-digested food. What she was really after was any sort of liquid. The hemolymph should theoretically suffice for now, should it not? And, by dismantling a Scout, she would learn enough to hopefully safely remove the poison gland the worker possessed.

Action summary

Uses Telepathy to celebrate MR’s recovery.
Reassures MR Ed is sleeping; shows her how to listen to his breath and heart-beat.
Uses Magic analysis on the Flame touched crystal and the Tainted crystal.
Uses Monster analysis on the antlers, eye, and leather inside the clay jar.
Unrolls the leather to check its size, then rolls and stores it back.
Eats from the insects and uses Mana Drain to top her mana off.
Establishes a telepathic link with sleeping Ed, attempts to convince his brain that he’s been resting well and for longer than he has been. Feeds some mana to him as well.
Stops when she has only a spec of mana left.
Rests, attempting to recover mana, also using Mana Drain to draw in the surrounding natural energies.
Listens to the surroundings with Beast Senses II.
Takes the hatchet and rock, uses it alongside claws to begin dismantling the dead ant Scout.
Opens up its abdomen. Pokes around. Tries to get at some of its hemolymph for a refreshing drink. Mm.

Blood's Jewels (High Casual Fantasy Revolution)

Jandar Varan

Cliff staircase, Askavi

Jandar’s gaze jerked to Fatima when she asked the Markov Warlord Prince to carry her off and fly, but although he frowned heavily at the situation, he didn’t obstruct them from departing. Instead, he turned to catch up with Fatima. Jassen followed as well, though much more sullenly, and the Kaeleeran Warlord determined to keep an eye on the old drunk. Fatima might trust him and be fond of him, but clearly his idiotic tendencies were to be wary of. “I see,” Jandar said, relieved yet frustrated that there was no clear evidence as to what SaDiablo had been up to and what his future role may be. “Meeting him might clarify the situation,” he needled mildly. “Do you know where he is?” Privately, he contemplated what the something the Black Widow referred to might be. However, if she didn’t know, he was unlikely to guess. And surely, she’d had speculations of her own. Yet…they had only met. That, and the nature of her caste made it all the more understandable why she wasn’t forthcoming. “Hmm, shame you can’t carry us as well,” he teased Faeril as she loudly cursed the male Eyrien who’d gladly taken off with Fatima. That would be a sight, Jandar mused – an Eyrien female struggling to lift two males and fly with them. Jandar shook his head with a chuckle; even with craft, there were limits to what was possible, and a trio flying up a cliff on a single set of wings was one of it. Keeping an eye on Jassen, he ascended the stairs with the Black Widow.

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

Asteria

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Asteria picked up the two Nullven, curling her tail around the plant bundle, when an explosion roared into being. The dire rat peered into the distance, observing the light as it struck the mountain. Though she was certain she’d get no info once again, she strained her eyes to get a good look at it and used Magical Analysis on it. Then, convinced the humans would be distracted by the loud rumble, bright flash and following smoke, as well as the minor tremors caused by the explosion, she quietly traversed back to their base. However, as she did not know the humans’ positions, she did not go straight back; instead, she weaved her way through the grass left and right, slowly spiraling back in the general direction of their mini dugout. She switched her beastly senses to hearing, wary of the slightest rustle – both on her part, as that might redirect the humans’ attention back to her, as on the part of the humans, for the obvious reasons. It was likely that more of them made their way of the village to investigate the explosion – similarly to how they’d done with the magic that’d put out the flames previously.

Hopefully though, this latest incident would mean they wouldn’t care to look for a trio of rats and the possessions they’d stolen from them. When she was close to their base, Asteria closed in with exceeding caution. If any of the humans were still nearby, she’d wait in cover or even distance herself, but if not, then she had to hurry over there and make and antidote for Mother rat. Awaiting such opportunity in tense silence, Asteria darted to the hole as soon as she judged that the humans were far away and distracted enough by the explosive distraction. She quickly took the remaining Medicinal salve, mixed in one Nullven, and applied the Antidotal salve to mother’s poisoned injury. She crouched lowly by the hole, intensely inspecting the other dire rat, while also flicking her gaze here and there, paranoid of any unwelcome surprises.

Action summary:

Picks the two Nullven.
Watches the magical light with Beast Senses II: Sight, attempts to use Magical Analysis I on it.
Makes her way back to their base carefully.
Focuses the Beast Senses II on hearing as she weaves her way back stealthily.
Once close enough, she wait a few seconds, taking the time to locate the humans.
Await an opportunity when the humans are the furthest away from their dugout, then goes to Mother rat.
Makes Antidotal salve (saving the healing herb and one Nullven for now, but using up the rest of the Medicinal salve) and applies it to Mother rat.
Observes Mother rat while also on the lookout for the humans or other danger.

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

Asteria

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The Worker finally died, but now humans – two of them, by the sounds of it – were approaching. Damn. Always all the misfortune...Consequences, consequences. Even if Ed and Mother rat were in no state for it, Asteria would suggest relocating if it weren’t for that. As it was, she’d prioritize healing Mother rat. “Yes, I’ve heard,” she replied distractedly to Ed in a whisper. Asteria ushered mother rat into the dug out hole, then stuffed all their items next to her; the jar, hatchet, Bloodinglfy stinger, the last healing herb, the left-over Medicinal salve on the stone, and even the other things Ed had on him. “I hope you don’t mind,” she muttered. “Wouldn’t want them looting you if they find you…On that note, I’m going to try and find some Nullven. It’s part of the recipe for Antidotal salve. Just in case something happens, this is the recipe,” she swiftly, accurately, and in a hushed tone recounted to Ed the ingredients and the method for making it, all the while keeping an ear out for the approaching humans.

“And if something happens on your end, give a shout, and I’ll come running,” she ended with that instruction. Then, wary of where the humans were, she sneaked out into the field, keeping down, her steps silent, her senses fully alert. She used her Mana Sense, focusing on the burning sensation she remembered to be indicative of the Nullven. She also sharpened her eyesight, on the look-out for Nullven’s purple petals. She remained sneaking, but was of a mind that if the humans did see them, she’d lure them away from Ed and Mother rat with a squeak or two. Actually, if she happened to hear the humans going to where she knew her companions were, she’d imitate some sort of a growl or something.

Action summary

Relocates MR to the hole, hides all items next to her.
Conveys the Antidotal salve recipe to Ed.
Begins sneaking away into the plains as swiftly as she can.
Activates Mana Sense II, attempting to locate the burning, prickling sensation of the Nulven.
Sharpens her eye-sight with Beast Senses II to catch sight of the purple petals of the Nullven.
Keeps on high alert all the while.

Blood's Jewels (High Casual Fantasy Revolution)

Jandar Varan

Winged Boar Inn, Askavi

Jandar glanced at Fatima moments before she replied to his suggestion, which is why he got the sense that she was…disturbed. However, her words were measured enough, and her expression didn’t give away whatever she may have been concerned about. The Kaeleeran Warlord frowned. Perhaps he would ask her later. He turned to the Black Widow as she spoke; the woman claimed her resting was irrelevant and yet she suggested (or rather, ordered) that they all walk to what he could only assume would be her base of operations – her home. He blinked as she requested a word with him, cocking his head to the side curiously. He turned to Fatima, giving her a reassuring look.

“I will be but a moment, my Lady,” he said to the queen. Jandar knew she was uncomfortable with SaDiablo, but…he had to know. The Warlord simply had to find out what had happened to the man in Terreille. The information he’d came upon in Kaeleer had never been so ominous as what Fatima’s fear of the man had implied about the Warlord Prince. Certainly, some back home believed him a traitor (if they even thought about him in the first place, that was), but there’d never been true cause to believe that, in Jandar’s opinion. Now, however, he may just be proven incorrectly by the Black Widow. However, he was determined to reserve judgement until he met and spoke to the man himself. Jandar left Fatima’s side with a reassuring look, stepping up to the Black Widow. Outside the tavern, the Eyrien woman asked whether he was looking for the sadist. Whatever had SaDiablo done to earn such a nickname?

“I am,” he asserted, though not as confidently as he would have liked, as a frown had already made its way onto his face. “Are you…are you implying that he is a part of the corruption?” he questioned cautiously. “If- If you have any information on him, I would be thankful should you choose to share it with me,” he added, gazing at her imploringly. SaDiablo had been his hero, still was, but even the Black Widow seemed to have her reservations about the strongest Warlord Prince alive. What in the name of Hell’s blazing fires had happened?! Jandar was both frustrated and slightly despairing as to what he might discover. Even if it was the worst of news, he would still want to face the man directly - though whenever such a thing would be possible, he wasn't certain.