Yankee

Cacophony Concord

aмeℓιa

aмeѕ
 aмeѕ

_{HP: 1920/1920 - MP: 1920/1920 - SP: 1920/1920}
^{_________________} _[X]

Inspect User

I want a space here.

CHARACTER (OUTDATED)

Avatar Appearance
Username: Ames
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Height: 176cm | Weight: 69kg

Classes:
Warrior lvl 50 (+10% HP | +10% STR | +10% END)
Animist lvl 50 (+10% HP | +10% MP | +10% SP)
Ascetic lvl 28 (10% MP | 10% DEX)
_{Weapon Proficiency: LVL 4}

Attributes:
HP – 55 (810)
MP – 60 (660)
SP – 60 (690)
STR – 65 (98)
AGI – 52 (74)
END – 50 (65)
DEX – 65 (80)
LUC – 70 (78)

Abilities:
▶ Power Attack _{Actively consume SP while preparing for an attack; unleash for increased damage on attack.}
▶ Combat Stance _{Passive. Increase STR, END, or DEX by 10% at will. Five second cooldown.}
▶ Double Strike _{Active. 25% SP cost. Attack twice with your weapon, dealing incremental bonus damage based off SP consumed. Can be combo'd into from Power Attack.}
▶ Sundering Blow _{Active. 40% SP cost. Strike downwards, causing a burst of energy around you and dealing damage to all enemies. May inflict Stun. Range increases by 5 meters for every 100 SP consumed, starting from a radius of 10 meters. Can be combo'd into from Power Attack.}
▶ Reinvigorate _{Active. 100 MP. Regain 100 SP. Can be used in tandem with Power Attack.}
▶ Fluid Power _{Passive. Power Attack can combo into any offensive skill.}
▶ Harmonic Cycles _{Passive. 5% of HP/SP/MP can be converted into HP/SP/MP. Can be used once per round.}
▶ Art of the Split Soul _{Active. 5% SP and 5% MP per round. Imbue a Weapon or Shield with a portion of your soul, enabling it to float within a 20m radius of you, attacking or defending at your command. This bypasses Equipment slot restrictions. Imbued Weapons or Shields do not grant stats or effects.}

INVENTORY (OUTDATED)

Funds: 15883 Rishi

Item Pouch (Common):

• Ankle Bells (dented)
• Common Health Potion x4
• Common Antidote x2

Equipment

• Main Hand: Water Tiger Hook Sword UC +7 STR +3 DEX
  • Weapon can be used to Grapple while attacking, at 80% efficacy.
• Off Hand: Adventurer's Buckler C
  • No extra effect.
• Head: Battlerider's Cowl R +50 HP +10 AGI
  • Increase [Charge] attack damage by 20%. Increase [Riding] proficiency by 10%.
• Armor: Lacquered Woodplate UC +30 HP, +20 SP, +5 END
  • Reduce damage taken by wind and water attacks by 50. Increase damage taken by fire attacks by 15.
• Arms: Phantom Flame Bangles R +100 HP +3 AGI +5 END
  • Reduce fire damage by 35. Consume 100 HP to enhance your equipped weapons with magical flames.
• Legs: Barbarian Leg Paddings UC +20 HP, +4 STR, +4 AGI
  • 10% resistance to Restraint effects.
• Shoes: Sturdy Sandals UC +5 AGI, +2 DEX
  • 5% resistance to Knockback effects. Mitigates difficulties of movement on slippery terrain.
• Accessory: Divining Rattlebones C +8 LCK
  • No extra effect.
• Accessory: Banner of the Raid Chief R +30 SP +15 STR +10 DEX
  • x% chance of increasing ally’s damage by 10% when they attack. X equals 5 x the amount of party members. This effect does not stack.
• Accessory: Deep Red Cloak C
  • No extra effect.
• Accessory:

Current User Experience

Perception: Fantastic
Gore: Pixelated
Pain Setting: 40%
Clothing Damage: On
Nudity Censor: Personal
Profanity Censor: Off
Combat Action: Stylish
Spell Incantations: Stylish

aмeѕ
 aмeѕ

^{_________________}
Ames' heart was warmed with her friends' words, from the simple praise to the more flattering. "Aw, hehe. You guys will have to keep visiting to see my progress."

She was definitely the type to take those kinds of simulation games seriously. Many hours were sunk into meticulous housing decoration... although there was once or twice when Amelia did indulge in murder rooms or the like. Still it was all for fun, she never seriously considered it as something to pursue in real life. And even now, it wasn't something to think about - maybe once she logged off, but for the moment they were all still in CaCo and had to plan their next attack! Plan it over drinks, as their mage suggested.

"Oh, yeah, one sec." Ames followed Raime into the kitchen area, though she only lingered for a moment to grab a trio of glasses. Britomart was still a bit stiff, and Raime's comment about already having seen them naked had not lightened the mood as he might have hoped, but she was perfectly cordial all the same.

"Not at all. Your expertise is appreciated," she said.

And while the food was being prepared, Ames returned to the sitting area and dropped a few rishi into each cup, where they transformed into amber colored liquid. "It's like cheap stuff, can't really make complex food or drinks this way but, here ya go." She offered a glass each to Amulak and Magpie.

"Once Leif is done doing his doggy business outside, we can plan our next move?"

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 6 - Total EXP: 81/60 ------ Level: 2 - Total EXP: 23/20
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 912 (+2 exp)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Split Mountain

Therion had not moved onto the stone bridge overlooking the massive bell. After Midna had shared her food with him, he'd parked himself on a rock with on knee tucked close to his chest and took his sweet time eating it. The sandwich was delicious, especially after suffering up that huge mountain. He looked at both groups of Seekers, the ones fighting in the air and those investigating the statues, as he munched. He had a good view of both, and he could see the progress that the air team was making on the beast. Honestly he was surprised that the sky serpent hadn't retaliated at all beyond trying to shake them off. He didn't believe for a second that it would be so easy, if everything that the group had said was true. Which... seemed unlikely, to be fair.

"Looks like they might really be doing it," he commented, loudly enough for all of the ground team, statue investigators included to hear. The colossus was thrashing about like it's life depended on it, which is very well did.

It was good news, though very unexpected. Primrose glanced up to see their progress for herself, though only briefly. Her attention was mostly with Jesse and Raz.

"This does all feel very strange," she murmured after Midna and Raz voiced their concern. "Off" was a good way to put it, as most of the world was strange in general. Things didn't seem to quite match up with what she'd been told, and Tora and Poppi's earlier confusion gave credence to the idea that something was not as it should be. She listened to the the other two chat, talking about if they needed to kill the beast in general, and Primrose nodded along to Jesse's words. As far as she understood it, that was the only way to get the world... the whole universe back to normal.

After getting closer to the statues Primrose had a much better understanding of the situation. The statues were spread across a stone bridge, the chains they held wrapped tight around something in the pit underneath. It looked like... a massive bell, with it's clapper being suspended.

Why would that be? Primrose wondered. Her eyes roved over the area, the smooth brass of the gigantic instrument and it's stone captors. A thought occurred to her as Jesse went on. Primrose looked up at the FBC Director. "I think you are right. You mentioned that it should be guarding something, but perhaps that monster is a decoy and the real guardian is..."

She trailed off, unsure of her next words. Was it waiting, safe and sound somewhere and content that no one would ever find it? Or was it sealed away, and this bell was the key to freeing it? If the latter, was it so dangerous that even it's master saw fit to keep it chained up? "...connected to this bell, somehow," she settled on. "Even if it serves as a prison for our enemy, since we need to defeat it... we would have to break it out first." The logic made sense to the dancer, and she gestured to Jesse to let the redhead take the lead in setting the bell's clapper free. She had faltered slightly when "no-collide" was mentioned, only realizing she meant that gun she'd picked up at the museum in Al Mamoon a few seconds after. "Though I'd get off this bridge before any ringing was done," she said as she did just that, making her way off of the stone pathway and back to the mountain's terrain.

As Primrose stepped off of the bridge, she found Therion with the scrunched up expression he sometimes got when he was suspicious of something, but he wasn't sure of why. Primrose had always attributed to his personality, but she could understand his hesitance in this case. Even she wasn't sure that ringing the massive bell would be wise, but she did think that Jesse was on the right track. Therion turned, his gaze finding Redento still shuffling away.

"Hey," the thief called over to the old man, "you know anything about this? Why's the bell chained up, what'll happen if it rings?"

"Forgive me, but I cannot say with any measure of certainty," the pilgrim bemoaned. "Mine eyes are ever affixed upon the path I travel, in accordance with mine order's old precept. Little of what lies beyond me feet is known to me, other than what I may hear during my travels." Redento hung his head. "Yet I have heard that its tolls will resound throughout the earth itself, filling every corner of the world with the magnificence of our most Grievous Miracle."

"Real helpful."

Despite Therion's remark, it sounded almost like a confirmation of their suspicions to Primrose. She glanced at the other Seekers and nodded her head. Her friend stood, meal long finished, and flexed his hands. "You really think it's a good idea to ring that thing if it's going to let something dangerous loose?" he questioned.

"We may not have much of a choice."

"It sounds like it could bring the whole mountain down." His words were a warning to everyone gathered on the ground. "Resound through the earth itself" did not seem like something they wanted to do. The Travelers were split in their thoughts, one for and one against setting the bell's clapper loose, although Therion couldn't really understand what was at stake in his current state.

World of Light

Word Count: 776 (+2 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 40/90
Location: Edge of the Blue

The dark wave that washed over the beach, the island, and the heroes themselves had to signal the true end of the battle. It was just like after the Enderdragon's defeat, especially so when after a few moments of tense patience, nothing else emerged from the surf to stand against the Seekers. There was only the spirit of the Orphan of Kos, presented to the group on a bed of golden-colored hands.

When all was quiet the Cadet began his transition out of battle-mode. With the alchemy barrel empty of contents, it easily shrunk down small enough to stow in the hunter's item pouch. He wasn't sure how the shades had procured it, but he was thankful that they did - and that it didn't disappear after the guardian's defeat. The device was sure to come in handy again. His armor had miraculously held up, though it was dented and had some small punctures in various places. Nothing a touch up couldn't fix. His weapons were safely sheathed, though the lance wasn't salvageable - pieces of it resurfaced on the beach, which the Cadet collected. Who knew, maybe they would be useful somehow. He had tried to take some of the crystalline hands that sprouted up from the sand, but the feeling he got from them was... awful, and dark. Just being around them was hard. They were better left there on the beach.

As the sun started to shine down on the island, the Seekers reconvened. Everyone was exhausted and then some, and there was a sobering feeling hanging in the air. It was dispersed by Nadia with some much needed levity. The Ace Cadet let out a loud snort in response to her pun. Following it was Geralt's rather anticlimatic fusion, which put the Cadet in a much lighter mood. He usually worried for the people fusing, but this was pretty much the best outcome they could have hoped for.

"That's really handy," he said in regards to the Witcher's explanation for the subdued changes. With the area's boss taken care of, the only thing left to do was go home he supposed. The manner in which they did that was in question though. The Atomos was one option, thought several counterpoints were brought up. "Don't think we could all fit in it anyway," the Cadet reminded them, as half of the crew had taken to traversing the sea by ship. Blazermate offered a teleporter, but the Koopa prince was quicker on the draw with his portal-creating art.

Not all of the Seekers were quite ready to leave yet, as it turned out. After Link retrieved the spirit of Delsin, he, Kamek, Sakura, and Rika decided to sweep the island again. Normally the Ace Cadet would join them, but... he was tired, so tired that he felt it in his bones. This whole adventure left him much more drained than he probably had ever felt in his life, between all of the close calls and the new feeling of revulsion he had to grapple with around magic after the Maw. With all the adrenaline fading from his system, he was definitely on team "get the hell out of here."

"I'll go with Junior," the Cadet told Kamek. "The palicoes are pros, but I wanted to check in on everyone they looked after anyway. Better make sure Shippy made it back in one piece too." He did feel some sense of responsibility towards those that the felynes carried away and he was worried about the living sea vessel, but saying it out loud just made his body feel heavier. He could use a good night's sleep and a meal or three. The hunter pinched the bridge of his nose to will away the sleepiness and the headache that was sure to come along with it. Once the painting portal was completed, he shuffled through it with the rest of those eager to leave the Carcass Isle behind.

The relief that seeing the Alcamoth brought washed away the last of the ill feelings brought by the stormy sea and it's beach. Although inviting, he trudged right through on to Limsa. Their path took them through familiar streets and market stalls closed up for the night, including where he and Junior had met those piglets. Nadia wasn't far behind them, heading in the same direction, but beyond some light and brief comments the small group was mostly quiet. The Cadet waved her off as she headed to a room for some well deserved rest. He intended to follow suit, as soon as father and son were reunited and he confirmed the good health of Mirage, Shippy, and her captain.

its been 84 years dot gif

Heck yeah horror and bug enthusiast. Welcome back!

Otter

Welcome~!

Qualia: Mission Sub Rosa

There were so many details about this case; some big, some small, some straight forward but most confusing. As interesting as the mystery was, and the island and it's inhabitants in general, Inti was actually looking forward to the night's sleep. Detective work, as it turned out, was much more involved than riddles or thought experiments. Getting the chance to go over everything again after this would be good. Not that the present company was unpleasant or anything, but between all the new flavors of food and people alike it was hard to focus only on the case. But Inti did his best.

After listening to the presentations, Inti looked over Bang's diagram again. He titled his head, thinking that some things didn't quite add up in regards to their gunman. Everyone, including himself, had assumed that the assailant was targeting Jeanne. But now...

"It's almost as though..." the Abya Yalan began, considering how to best phrase his thought. "As though they weren't firing at Jeanne. Bang mentioned that they wouldn't have been able to see her - but what if they saw the manbat, got spooked and tried shooting at it?"

Inti scratched the back of his head and gave the group a half shrug. "An... 'amateur?' Yes, that's the word. One that was startled, maybe there by coincidence." That would make them purely a witness, though it was unlikely. It would also explain how they could have missed a bullet while they collected the rest of their shots, assuming the other bullets weren't already confiscated by Bermuda's security force.

There was also the possibility that the shooter had been there on purpose, and was hunting the same target that Jeanne herself was only to fail miserably. None of these conjectures got them closer to the gunman's identity, though Inti still thought it best to at least mention the possibility. "Or if the gunman had really been on the island for a while already, maybe they weren't there by coincidence but actually after that Egoist too. Not just a witness, but an ally," he suggested, voice growing upbeat as he went on.

As for Nazca's photographs, Inti hadn't a clue. The diamondesque shape was completely unfamiliar, at least in how it appeared in the photo, all dark and smudgy. He told them as much. There were still a couple of days left for the investigation, so hopefully it would become clear. That everything would become clear.

What Are You Listening To?

Cacophony Concord

aмeℓιa

aмeѕ
 aмeѕ

_{HP: 1920/1920 - MP: 1920/1920 - SP: 1920/1920}
^{_________________} _[X]

Inspect User

I want a space here.

CHARACTER (OUTDATED)

Avatar Appearance
Username: Ames
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Height: 176cm | Weight: 69kg

Classes:
Warrior lvl 50 (+10% HP | +10% STR | +10% END)
Animist lvl 50 (+10% HP | +10% MP | +10% SP)
Ascetic lvl 28 (10% MP | 10% DEX)
_{Weapon Proficiency: LVL 4}

Attributes:
HP – 55 (810)
MP – 60 (660)
SP – 60 (690)
STR – 65 (98)
AGI – 52 (74)
END – 50 (65)
DEX – 65 (80)
LUC – 70 (78)

Abilities:
▶ Power Attack _{Actively consume SP while preparing for an attack; unleash for increased damage on attack.}
▶ Combat Stance _{Passive. Increase STR, END, or DEX by 10% at will. Five second cooldown.}
▶ Double Strike _{Active. 25% SP cost. Attack twice with your weapon, dealing incremental bonus damage based off SP consumed. Can be combo'd into from Power Attack.}
▶ Sundering Blow _{Active. 40% SP cost. Strike downwards, causing a burst of energy around you and dealing damage to all enemies. May inflict Stun. Range increases by 5 meters for every 100 SP consumed, starting from a radius of 10 meters. Can be combo'd into from Power Attack.}
▶ Reinvigorate _{Active. 100 MP. Regain 100 SP. Can be used in tandem with Power Attack.}
▶ Fluid Power _{Passive. Power Attack can combo into any offensive skill.}
▶ Harmonic Cycles _{Passive. 5% of HP/SP/MP can be converted into HP/SP/MP. Can be used once per round.}
▶ Art of the Split Soul _{Active. 5% SP and 5% MP per round. Imbue a Weapon or Shield with a portion of your soul, enabling it to float within a 20m radius of you, attacking or defending at your command. This bypasses Equipment slot restrictions. Imbued Weapons or Shields do not grant stats or effects.}

INVENTORY (OUTDATED)

Funds: 15883 Rishi

Item Pouch (Common):

• Ankle Bells (dented)
• Common Health Potion x4
• Common Antidote x2

Equipment

• Main Hand: Water Tiger Hook Sword UC +7 STR +3 DEX
  • Weapon can be used to Grapple while attacking, at 80% efficacy.
• Off Hand: Adventurer's Buckler C
  • No extra effect.
• Head: Battlerider's Cowl R +50 HP +10 AGI
  • Increase [Charge] attack damage by 20%. Increase [Riding] proficiency by 10%.
• Armor: Lacquered Woodplate UC +30 HP, +20 SP, +5 END
  • Reduce damage taken by wind and water attacks by 50. Increase damage taken by fire attacks by 15.
• Arms: Phantom Flame Bangles R +100 HP +3 AGI +5 END
  • Reduce fire damage by 35. Consume 100 HP to enhance your equipped weapons with magical flames.
• Legs: Barbarian Leg Paddings UC +20 HP, +4 STR, +4 AGI
  • 10% resistance to Restraint effects.
• Shoes: Sturdy Sandals UC +5 AGI, +2 DEX
  • 5% resistance to Knockback effects. Mitigates difficulties of movement on slippery terrain.
• Accessory: Divining Rattlebones C +8 LCK
  • No extra effect.
• Accessory: Banner of the Raid Chief R +30 SP +15 STR +10 DEX
  • x% chance of increasing ally’s damage by 10% when they attack. X equals 5 x the amount of party members. This effect does not stack.
• Accessory: Deep Red Cloak C
  • No extra effect.
• Accessory:

Current User Experience

Perception: Fantastic
Gore: Pixelated
Pain Setting: 40%
Clothing Damage: On
Nudity Censor: Personal
Profanity Censor: Off
Combat Action: Stylish
Spell Incantations: Stylish

aмeѕ
 aмeѕ

^{_________________}
The decision was unanimous, for once.

"Great! Then let's get going," she said. "It's about halfway between here and Nyu-Taro. Bri, we're coming back! Make room for six!" Just after Klein suddenly blinked out of the world and his status showed Offline. "Um, make that five!"

The squire's response was only heard inside of her head. There was no doubt that it was an affirmative, as Ames motioned for the party to follow her and began leading the way back to the inn. It wasn't too long of a trek, and thankfully there were no ambushes along the way. Eventually they approached the sunny open spot Ames and Britomart had chosen, and where the Sweet Maid currently stood.

For some of the group, the wooden exterior of the Maid was familiar. It's construction, though ultimately fantastical, called to mind the Eastern cultural elements that Horogi was based on. It's design was simple, rectangular with a ground floor slightly smaller than it's upper level, which made it look almost like two tiered cake flipped upside down. Sloped gabled roofs spread wide over the top of the inn, with a matching covered porch under which sat a duo of tables and chairs. In several areas of the wall were wooden slats that made for simple windows, and from one side the scent of something mild cooking wafted out. Though unlit now, a few lanterns hung from the corners of the building's roof. There were a few cutesy signs posted around the inn that didn't quite fit the aesthetic of the whole thing, reading the establishment's name and it's status. There were a couple of steps leading to the entrance, and at the front door hung some welcoming messages and a swatch of rich red cloth.

Britomart herself stood beside the entry, dressed in her waitress ensemble. The closer the party got the more awkward the squire seemed to become. The girl fidgeted slightly at her post, perhaps unused to so many people seeing her without her armor at once.

"Welcome back, my liege," she said, bowing her head as Ames lead the group up. "And honored guests."

"Don't have to be formal with them. Anybody that hasn't met Britomart yet, she's the 'maiden of the castle' and she's the best." Ames gestured to the girl, and Bri bowed again. She appeared slightly flustered by her lord's words, but her voice didn't betray it. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

With the quick introduction out of the way, it was time to get inside and relax. Ames paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at the group.

"I'm still kind of like, trying to figure out how I want the inside to look so it's... well it's like a work in progress, um..." The animist seemed a bit embarrassed as she spoke, and she ended by bringing a fist up to her mouth with a quick cough to cover the reddening of her cheeks. "But it's gonna look really good soon. Just don't get our hopes up right now."

Ames' words were made obvious as soon as the group stepped inside. The aesthetic of the interior was very... confused, to put it lightly. There was a mix of Eastern design elements that better fit the exterior's aesthetic, with the Western fantasy that the Sweet Maid's proprietor was more familiar with. To the inn's righthand side was a wooden bar counter that claimed most of the wall, and beyond it the kitchen where various ingredients hung from rafters and waited on countertops. A sizeable winerack sat closer to the bar, and further back was a stone oven and cast iron utensils. On the lefthand side was a sizeable irori and various kinds of seating ranging from chairs to cushions to a couch, as well as the staircase that lead up to the second floor. The rest of the first floor was taken up by a stage that didn't seem to have been touched yet, besides a few boxes of supplies tucked away toward the back of it. It was certainly an interesting looking tavern, but with some work it would probably look cute.

Britomart entered once everyone else was inside, making her way to the kitchen.

"I took the liberty of baking bread for your arrival, it should be ready soon."

"Aw, yay!" As Britomart went about her task, Ames swept her arms to the space at large. "So there you have it. Once I get some more money I'm gonna give the place an overhaul _^again, just gotta decide which way I wanna go."

After all there were probably many inns with an Eastern aesthetic in Horogi, so maybe one that didn't match would be more interesting. Then again, when in Rome, right?

New and Excited.

Happy Twosday! Welcome to the site!

World of Light

^{____________________________________________________}
Level: 6 - Total EXP: 79/60 ------ Level: 2 - Total EXP: 21/20
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●● ---------------------------- 𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●
Word Count: 1101 (+2 exp)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Split Mountain

It didn't sit well with Primrose that they would move on without a search for the teens, but if Necronomicon didn't sense them and their fellow Phantom Thieves were fine with continuing, then who was she to tell them otherwise? After a few seconds of lingering she turned and followed the example of the others. Just one foot in front of the other, focus on going up, and believe that the missing from their party were alright. It was just as slow, but even more miserable.

After a little while Therion felt a hard pull on his hand that nearly dragged him down into the snow. Bewildered he looked to find Primrose, fallen to her knees and shrinking in on herself to protect against the cold, still clinging to her friend as a life support.

"Oooh no," Therion started, tugging at Primrose's hand. "You d-don't get to give up now after d-dragging me all this way."

Primrose scoffed at him. She said some words that he couldn't hear over the storm, though he imagined it was probably something like "I'm not giving up." "C-come on, no keeling over." Therion pulled her up and the dancer stumbled to her feet.

"You know I won't die here," she told Therion, fighting to stop her teeth from chattering and giving him a smile. There was too much she had to do, in this world of light and back in Orsterra. If Primrose was anything, she was a stubborn survivor. With some effort she took a step forward. Then another. Back to pushing against the blizzard. The sound of Big Band's music was long gone by now, though neither Primrose or Therion noticed. The kept moving through the white out, chasing glimpses of Split Mountain's peak and gradually growing slower. It felt like a long time with little progress made. Several times the Travelers had to press their stinging eyes shut against the wind and push on, and at one points after opening them again Primrose realized they were no longer moving.

"Therion?" This time it was Primrose looking back and seeing the thief collapsed, with snow already beginning to cover his body. He didn't stir when his name was called, or when Primrose squeezed his frozen hand. When she knelt down to check on her friend, she had the feeling that she wouldn't be standing back up. She denied that feeling even as her eyelids grew heavy and her body grew numb. With shaking hand she raised her palm to her chest, planning to withdraw a friend heart to give the thief, but her movements were stiff. She let out a sigh.

---

When she next awoke is was to a vision, and flight, and then suddenly she was on the mountain top alongside the other Seekers. There was no storm here as they were above the clouds, with a breathtaking view of mountain tops and floating scenery. It looked similar to that sky spa she, Midna, Sectonia and Yoshitsune had visited. Much chillier though, of course. There was no trace of fatigue or frostbite on her person either, and the rest of the group looked just as healthy. She glanced at the white haired head of her friend just to be sure he was alright too, and was relieved to find that he was. Besides looking very uncomfortable and more than a bit queasy, Therion was also in top shape. He waved Primrose's attention away from himself and towards Skull and Panther, and her relief just about doubled. After some regrouping, the Seekers continued on in much higher spirits. The landscape was really a sight to behold, with the cloth bridge reminiscent of the scarf Primrose had thought she'd lost in the blizzard - turned out that along with their vitality returning, any belongings lost had returned to their owners as well. If this was it's origin of the scarf, perhaps there would be more to find? It was a passing thought, as most of her attention was on the mountain and it's surrounding sky. As for Therion's attention, it was planted firmly on the wide backs of their largest members are they went forward, still disoriented from the near death experience followed by flying up to the summit. Plus they were very, very high up.

It was much longer until they ran into an old man who tipped them off to the beast, and then said beast's conspicuous appearance. It was the biggest creature either Traveler had ever seen. Their eyes widened at the sight of it, in awe not just from it's sheer size, but also the grace with which it twisted through the air. After a few second they thanked the gods that the monster didn't initiate a battle with them, even as Sectonia tried to start one with it.

"This is the monster you all were after? You're expecting to kill this thing?" Therion asked, incredulous, as the portstone was activated and several other people appeared, some even posing much the same question. He could sympathize with Raz, even if he wasn't afraid so much as incredibly skeptical. Poppi's answer to whether this was their actual goal or not didn't inspire much confidence in the thief. Primrose considered what the artificial blade said, but having not encountered the kind of enemy they were after before all she could do was take Poppi's word for it.

She leaned over to Therion. "We did help H'aanit against the dragon in the Whitewood, compared to that this monster is... almost cute," she told him, to which he shook his head and replied, "and about three times as big."

Since the colossal creature didn't appear to be immediately hostile the group took some time to... not think all that hard about a plan, it turned out. Primrose didn't have the firepower to break through the monster's defenses, and wasn't so keen to try an fight in midair just yet anyway, so she remained behind. Therion had his glider but he refused to even consider flying up at the monster. "If those gas bags keep it flying then they might be able to get it down here," he said, pointing out the sacs that Sectonia had already punctured. Until that happened he'd gladly wait on the mountain with the others rather than take to the sky. He glanced at the generous Midna, figuring they did have better things to do than just wait around, and some food would be nice. "I'll take whatever that old guy didn't want," he said, palm already open.

As far as investigation went, Primrose nodded. Their air force flew off a bit to quick to be able to dance for them, so until they were back in range she'd help out. "Let us give them a look," she said, picking a path that seemed safe enough starting down it toward the statues.

---

Word Count: 1326 (+6 exp)
Level: 9 - Total EXP: 112/80 -> 38/90
Location: Edge of the Blue

LEVEL UP!

A new power: Hunting Style: Alchemy Style. A type of hunting that specializes in using alchemy to make new items that can be used to help them during a hunt - specifically through the use of an Alchemy Barrel. The barrel is a miraculous device that can not only grow and shrink, but combine different kinds of items to produce a separate desired item or effect by putting them in the barrel, activating and shaking it. The longer the activation time, the more options for creation, with the most complex creations taking the longest. In order of complexity the basic things that can be made with the Alchemy Barrel are: food, ammo, arrow coatings, earplugs, a sonic-bomb effect, an explosive fireball effect, and a healing effect that also cleanses status conditions.
***

The Ace Cadet had really thought that with the Orphan's head disconnected from it's body, that would have been the end of the battle. He could feel relief, hesitant but there all the same, start to radiate out from himself and the other Seekers. Once it's body collapsed forward and began disintegrating the monster hunter let out a puff of air that was half a sigh, half a chuckle. Congratulations were in order, and Princess Peach handled them. When Hat Kid popped out of her ice form the Cadet offered the girl a high five, and then leaned heavy on the lance. When they got back to Limsa he was going to eat and drink up a storm. Sleep one too. Maybe even ask a certain someone out on a non-life threatening date. He didn't really think about how they were going to get back there across the ocean, only what would come after.

Even that would have to wait though, because apparently the fight wasn't over. An eerie feeling came over the beach - well, an even eerier one than it already had anyway - and along with it, pools of tar began welling up through the sand. As the black substance spread it sucked rocks large and small down beneath the earth, trading them with man-made structures that it brought forth.

The sight was so surreal and baffling even after all that the Cadet had seen over the last couple days that he didn't even really register that they were in danger until the Witcher barked out his command to move. Then in the next moment the Cadet was backpedaling away from the ocean and the massive, ghostly being that emerged from the fog. It was spooky, but not the most immediate problem. That would be the quickly spreading pools of sludge, though it seemed like their newest enemy (or newest evolution of the same enemy?) would be upon them sooner rather than later. The tar was faster, and as it took over the beach the Cadet found himself not quite able to outrun it. He could feel himself slowing and sinking down. With lance already in hand he tried to pry himself from the muck, only for it to get just as stuck. "Come on," he complained, casting his gaze about for any kind of salvation that he could pull himself over to. Working the near broken weapon until he could at least take one more step, the Cadet aimed his clutch claw at the shattered mast of a decrepit, barnacle covered ship. The claw's anchor wrapped itself around the rotted wood, and then the coil snapped taunt and began trying to drag the hunter out of the tar.

He ended up having to sacrifice the lance, sending the nose of the sharq deeper into the muck and hoisting himself up as much as possible, and eventually the clutch claw's cable worked to reel him in. The Ace Cadet landed on the deck of the ship started to get his bearings back immediately. It was great to see that everyone else had also made it to safety. He'd just caught the tail end of Nadia unsticking herself from the giant and thankfully landing without too much issue thanks to Geralt. Where she'd extracted herself on the giant began to turn gold, in stark contract to the rest of it's dark body - hopefully that meant it was hurt. That seemed to be the case, as what the Cadet could only imagine was a defense mechanism started with the release of equally dark and tar-like jellyfish.

The guns on his rigging focused upward, and they let loose in order to shoot down any of the jellyfish that looked like they were getting too close to the Seekers. There was a veritable gun volley already taking out the dark balloons, and with his own added in it was just more security. This would certainly be a long range battle, as Nadia's earlier stunt had shown that the titan's body was just as sticky and tar-like as the substance covering the beach. Back to the bow! The Cadet drew the greatbow and fired at the big glowing eye in it's chest. The range was fine, and his target was slow moving, making striking it a simple thing. Unfortunately he didn't fire as many arrows as he would have liked, as it started sending golden ghosts to dive bomb the group.

He and his mini guns shifted focus to the golden enemies, moving from ghoul to ghoul and plugging them until they dropped out of the air. It was only a matter of time until one slipped by though, rushing through the air and tackling the Cadet off of his current perch. He caught hold on the edge of the ship with one hand, and the blades on his ship rigging ripped the ghostly being off of him and send it into the pit below.

He pulled himself back up onto the deck, now coming face to face with a few shadowy specters. Initially he was on guard, but their silhouettes were familiar. Feminine shadows with mechanical pieces, and they didn't move any closer to him, just staying on the opposite side of the ship. Ah, ship... weren't they the navy's ship girls?

One of the specters, with long hair, a cap and a half cape, sparked a greater sense of recognition when she took a step forward and tossed something to the hunter.

"Oh my wrog, this is...?!" He had no idea how an item like this had turned up on this beach, or why these spirits had it, but at the moment he wasn't about to look a gift Kirin in the mouth. In his hand he held a small wooden barrel with a bright indicator light harnessed to it's side. With a press the barrel expanded until it was full size.

"My heart of justice is practically fluttering! Time to get to work. Thank you!" he said to the specters. They were already fading out, though he could have sworn he saw the shade of Jamaica smirk before she disappeared.

The monster hunter was pretty excited, even given the circumstances. He knew how Alchemy Barrels worked, had seen them in the field with other hunters and had used them himself a couple of times. That style wasn't his first choice, but as far as he was concerned he was about to become an expert. With the guns on the rigging covering him from any other attacks from the golden spirits he ducked behind the ship's mast and popped open the keg. If recalled correctly it could make a pretty mean fireball. So while the other Seekers threw all of their long range attacks at the BT, the Cadet chucked a couple items into the barrel. That siphon grenade, the dragonfell berries, dung pod, and his sonic bomb, figuring that was enough to get the explosion cooking. He messed with the indicator and re-secured the lid. Now it just had to stew, and be shaken. It felt like much too long of a time to wait and not be helping with the fight. In between hefting the barrel and shaking it the Cadet would peek out from his spot just to make sure everyone was still alright, and when finally the violent concoction was complete he lifted the Alchemy Barrel and emerged from behind the mast.

He probably looked pretty silly, holding a barrel that was steaming and almost pulsating in his arms and pointing it at the titan, but fighting with the Sharq Attaq had already proven that he didn't mind looking kind of absurd in battle. Aiming this was hard enough as it was, but the Cadet would take just hitting the creature close to it's weak point so long as it helped. Once it strode a little closer he shook the wooden keg until it was literally about to burst, then let the "bazooka" fly.