STATUS:
Say "thanks," when they compliment you and smile. Watch more of what's going on around you instead of staying inside your head. If eye contact's hard, stare at her forehead.
19 days ago
Current
Say "thanks," when they compliment you and smile. Watch more of what's going on around you instead of staying inside your head. If eye contact's hard, stare at her forehead.
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like
1 mo ago
@ColdAtlus: Cheems.
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like
2 mos ago
If commissioning an artist isn't possible, could look into using AI and then editing what it puts out. Lots of ppl are salty about AI art so maybe use a disclaimer, but it's an option.
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2 mos ago
1-liners become impossible if you actually write. What're your characters' 5 senses picking up? What emotions/thoughts do they have as they speak? What body language do they show? No bulli, just fact.
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2 mos ago
In the AI era, you can only get ghosted if you choose to be.
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Bio
On CST time, United States. Typically busy most of the week and do most posting/replying on weekends.
"I see..." Lear looked between Scott and Miiba for a few moments, tapping one boot against the ground. "Unless you're both lying to me about knowing each other, and have set up this elaborate plot beforehand...It lends both of you some credence." He turned to the goblin girl. "Miiba was a young girl, and you," he looked back at Scott, "were a teenage boy. And you both came from a world--maybe the same one--with no magic." He rubbed his chin. "I guess I could have tried this earlier, but it only just now came to me after hearing the two of you talk about your worlds not having magic or monsters. Do the terms "arpeeji" or "mongah" mean anything to you?"
He waited a few moments to hear their answers, but it seemed like he already expected what they had to say. He also waited for Scott to answer Miiba's questions as well, then broke in at the next opportune moment.
"Scott, Miiba mentioned a "shadow man" that she saw before she woke up as a Goblin. Do you remember such a figure? Did they give you any kind of...quest? Or...a special ability? Something you haven't seen other monsters use?"
Lear did not seem like the scholarly sort, nor the dishonest one. Yet it was clear the gears in his head were turning, perhaps quite intensely, and he seemed to be reaching a conclusion of some kind. What that meant for Scott and Miiba--and their current relationship status with this man--was anyone's guess.
Monster Party
As the Giant Rat took off with Digbie in tow, Oberon hurled a desperate Fireball high over the rodent's head. It hit the ground a few feet in front of the animal and immediately flared up, consuming several of the bushes and roots along the forest floor. The rat's forepaws scrabbled at the earth as it pulled up short. Light surrounded Digbie as he hung from the predator's jaws and the energies of Shield wrapped around his body. It was good timing, too, as Torrent chose that moment to charge directly through the flames.
She could feel the heat licking her scales; her Fire Resistance seemed to help a great deal, but it still stung. To this conflaguration she added her own patented variation of Fireball, and the rat squealed as the explosion set its greasy, matted fur on fire. In the process it dropped Digbie, just as the goblin was swinging a magically charged kick at its face.
Digbie felt the familiar weight of Earth Mana flowing through his body, and his leg was surrounded by a golden aura as he punted the ROUS square in the nose. There was a crackling sensation in his limb, and though he felt no pain he could tell that the flames around him were swiftly burning away the Shield. Moments later, however, Ash's soothing magic surrounded him and Torrent, healing what little damage they had taken thus far.
The rat thrashed in agony, reared up on its haunches and covering its doubly injured face in its tiny hands. Oberon's Mana Slice caught it just above its ankles, cutting off its back legs as well as its tail. Still burning, the giant mammal gave one last desperate shriek as it tried to pull itself towards the stream...but the pain was too much. The Giant Rat went into shock, as its hide sizzled and smoked. Then it died.
At this point, the sun was well on its way to setting over the mountains. Long fingers of red light fell over the campsite, and shadows were creeping up from the base of the trees. Oberon and Torrent had created a rapidly spreading flame in the brush that made quite the light display...
PixieSlime Party
ERROR. System is already monitoring Health Points and Stamina Points. Command "Full Display" not recognized.
You are taking Poison Damage! The poison is beginning to fade...
Asura wasted no time in immediately trying to capture the Bugbear. As he used his Limited Shapeshift to give his body a "sticky" quality, he still felt the immense weight and impact of the goblinoid's foot as it slammed down on top of him. That poison was still burning through his system as well--if he had to guess, based on how he had felt during past battles, he was probably around halfway through his HP.
But his strategy worked--by Clinging to the ground, Asura was able to trip up the Bugbear. By this time Ardur had ordered Steve to use her webbing, and her upgraded Web Spit had increased its range so that she didn't have to get any closer to the creature than she already was. As the big monster fell forward, it caught itself with one hand--which was promptly stuck to the ground by webbing. While Ardur cast Shield on his fist in preparation, Momma Slime rolled forward at full speed. She clocked the Bugbear right across its chin before bowling on through, rolling in a wide arc so that she would soon be able to repeat the attack.
The Bugbear shook his hairy head and grabbed a Pointy Stick from the back of his hips, where it had been looped through the ratskins he wore. With this improvised spear he began trying to pry the webbing off of his hand in a panic--just before Ardur's powerful strike crunched into his kneecap. The creature let out a bloodcurdling roar.
And then two humans burst out of the underbrush.
The boy was too tall for a child, but too scrawny to be an adult. He lacked facial hair, but had a subtle athleticism and maturity in his features. Most would probably place him somewhere between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. He wore a thick, long sleeved garment that didn't look exactly like wool or cotton, but wasn't made of leather either. It was a dark, earthy brown color, while his trousers were a lighter shade. His gloves and boots were matched, leather laced with rawhide, buckled with metal, and dyed solid black. Over all this he wore a thick cloak colored a rough forest green, patched here and there with bits of brown or other shades of green. It might have been a bad attempt at blending in, but seemed more likely due to the age of the garment. He held a smaller kind of round shield in one hand, and a sword in the other that seemed appropriate for his size, but still a little heavy for him.
The second figure was clearly an adult, tall and broad of shoulder. He wore full plate, with the vulnerable areas covered by maille. Trunks of the chain mesh seemed to be attached to the doublet worn under the armor--of a similar style to the heavy garment the boy wore--and the underarms had small curtains of it actually riveted to the cuirass and pauldrons. The armor had a gothic style with fluted decoration and articulated joints, but it did not gleam in the sun--rather, it seemed to have been painted or burnished with something that kept it smooth, but dulled its sheen. A bit to the opposite that one might have expected, the only places where the metal underneath gleamed in the sun were places where small scratches and pockmarks, perhaps older dents that had been buffed out, showed through under the burnishing. Despite this seemingly impregnable gear, the man also carried a kite-shaped shield. It was split into two colors, blue and cream, and bore a black sigil shaped like a portcullis. Like the boy he wore a sword at his hip, but it was much more splendid in design. At the same time, another loop on his belt held a flanged mace, and hanging from the leather on a chain was a slightly ornate dagger.
"There it is, sir, I didn't lose it after all! But...what?" The boy had his shield held up in front of him, and the point of his sword peeked around its edge as if prepared for a thrust. Slowly, he began edging towards the battle, but he kept a careful eye on all of these different monsters...
"Other predators will take advantage of weakened prey, boy! Watch yourself!" the knight called out. One hand rested on the pommel of his own weapon, but he watched from a little further away as the fighting continued...
Rat Party
As Ed shivered in the wind, nothing yet had happened near his end of the barrow. Up on top of the mound, however, Asteria concentrated her Mana to the tip of her claw and began to trace the strange sigils on the turning plates...In doing so, she caused them to begin to move. As the plates turned, the shadows cast by the large moon overhead fell over each of them. It was a thin, light shadow, for after all moonlight was only a reflection of sunlight. But as Asteria traced the sigils, her own Mana left a tiny spark of its own light...and at one point, she felt--not mechanically, but intuitively--something click. Almost naturally she was drawn to the second panel. Again, after a few moments, it felt right in place. And the same for the third.
Suddenly, some of the symbols began to stand out. Her Mana seemed to linger. And her eyes lost focus for a moment...before she could read them.
It is currently: Year 268 of 3.E. Last Week of Dragon's Season. 5th Day (Kimaday). 07:45 Evening.
In alignment: 1. Adalwulf's Lance / The General
But there was no jingle, no sound of opening doors, no click of a lock giving way. The panels could be moved just as easily as before. They simply refused to make sense in any other configuration...up until about a minute had passed. Then they stopped making sense at all again--until, once more, they lined up properly with the shadow cast by the moon. The only change was that 7:45 became 7:46.
Once she heard Ed calling her and returned, Asteria read the warning on the plaque and then ventured using her Mana Sense...
You used Mana Sense I! You feel an uneasy peace surrounding this place. There is a reverence here. It is as if you are being watched.
Ghost Party
"Gotcha, dum ting!" the spear goblin crowed, but as Danny jerked away it lost its grip on its weapon. The greenskin clenched both fists with a screech. It lunged at the Poltergeist, or it would have, if Jason hadn't picked that moment to deliver a ghostly sacktap full of rage. The difference this time, however, was that as Ghost Touch activated, Jason's misty form actually became visible not only to Danny, but the other goblin as well. It wasn't his entire body, only the dense "fist" he had formed, nonetheless it appeared with a flash of blue-white, flame-like energy surrounding it as it rocketed into the goblin's low hanging fruit. The monster's battle-cry turned into a long, high pitched creen as it froze in place. One eye twitched for a moment, before both eyeballs rolled back into its head and it fell like a log.
Danny brought his stolen weapon around in both hands. The air seemed to ripple around it as he channeled his Lesser Force, in an attempt to swing faster, hit harder...and that soft red outline appeared around the weapon as well as he activated Point Strike. The disarmed Cudgel Goblin tried to block, but it had nothing in its hands.
CRACK!
Chipping a piece of wood out of the cudgel's top, Danny split the Goblin's scalp wide open. The thin skin bled heavily, but the bone underneath was far more important. The monster's eyes bugged out as its cranium was smashed inward, bits of gray matter and dark blood staining the heavy club. Danny had struck it right where the plates of the skull met, and smashed the bone like a piece of pottery. The goblin spun in place with a gurgling convulsion before it dropped like a sack of topapoes.
They couldn't see the one with the net anymore--from the sound of something crashing through the brush, he had high tailed it out of there now that it was clear things were going badly for his party. One fled, one dead, and one...unconscious?
Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force I > Lesser Force II! (2.0) MP Consumption decreased. Range slightly increased. Force strength slightly increased. Rather than more powerful, it would be more accurate to say this skill is now more efficient.
Skill Gain: Dual Cast I (1.0)! Splitting one's focus is a difficult task, but like playing the drums it can be learned. Casting different spells with different effects or requirements increases the difficulty and the MP required, but the caster's mindset can also affect this Skill. A Caster at this Rank may Dual Cast by: (1) Cast the same spell simultaneously, usually within two hands. Example using Current Skills: Fireball. This expends twice the MP cost, and both versions of the spell must be the same Rank, but the Casting time is only that of a single cast.(2) Prepare two spells simultaneously, to be used one at a time. Example using Known Skills: Digbie's Rock Spire and your Fireball. Rock Spire is prepared but not cast; the Earth Mana shines under the targeted area. Fireball is cast at a target, knocking it into Rock Spire's prepared area. Rock Spire is released. Both spells can be no higher than Rank I. Delayed Spells can be held no longer than 10 seconds at this rank. Certain spells that might require rituals, components, or other complexities might not be Dual Cast in this manner even at Rank I. This use consumes twice the MP for a Delayed Spell plus the normal MP cost for the other spell. (3) Cast a single instance of two different spells, usually within two hands. Example using Known Skills: Your Fireball and Ash's Mana Slice. You cast Fireball at a target to your right and Mana Slice at a target to your left, at the same time. This usage expends the sum of both spells' MP cost, and requires a slightly longer casting time, but both spells can be used at the same time or one after the other. Both spells must be Rank I. Certain spells with more complexities may not be Dual Cast even at Rank I. Certain spells that synergize well may increase in power or cause new effects when Dual Cast in this way.
Skill Gain: Stronger I! (1.05) You have grown stronger through tough training! Tear muscles down, and rebuild them anew! Your physical power stats have increased! By gaining at least one rank of Faster, Harder, and Better, Skill Synergy will occurr and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.
Skill Gain: Mana Control I! (1.0) Your precise control over the flow of your own Mana has increased. You cannot change the base nature of a Spell Skill unless you have another Magic Alteration type Skill such as Focus or Spell Chant. However, Spell Interference from enemies is lessened, and your ability to maintain a spell or use it in an unorthodox fashion is less likely to fail. Learning a new Spell based on an already known one is less difficult.
You used Monster Analysis II! You used Magic Analysis III! ---Giant Rat--- Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. When hunting, however, they are extremely vicious. They have lost their fear as a smaller creature, and are now far less likely to retreat. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. This particular target has no active Spell Skills. It is developing Magic Resistance.
You used Monster Analysis II! You used Magic Analysis IV! ---Giant Rat--- Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. When hunting, however, they are extremely vicious. They have lost their fear as a smaller creature, and are now far less likely to retreat. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. This particular target has no active Spell Skills. It is developing Magic Resistance. This creature is vulnerable to Fire, Lightning, and Ice magics. Metal, Earth, and Shadow magics would also be fairly effective. Water, Poison, and Curse magics are less effective. However, the Giant Rat currently has no native magical defenses, so all magics can deal better damage than physical attacks.
As Digbie raced into the camp, the giant vermin hot on his heels, Ash took to the sky. While she was analyzing the creature, back down on the ground Torrent made herself scarce and began to creep around the edge of the clearing to look for an opening. Oberon was the first to attack, while Digbie strengthened his defenses first. The Giant Rat was focused entirely on that enticing gobby rear in front of it, and didn't see the Mana Slice coming at all. The blade bit into its snout right down the middle--it squealed in pain and reared up on its hind legs, as a long red line flayed it open from the top of its nose almost to its forehead. It shook its head madly, but only managed to get blood in its eyes. Immediately it turned towards the attacker and lunged.
Oberon got away clean this time, compared to the Giant Slime from before, and his wings buzzed as he rose out of reach. The rat turned back towards Digbie, but the Demiblin was already rising up on his improved Earth Wall. The Giant Rat stood on its haunches again. The Earth Wall was much thicker now--but still only as tall as Digbie himself. And when standing up, the Giant Rat was big enough that it could juuuuust reach over the top of the stone platform.
Before its claws could sink into Digbie's ankles, though, Ash's Poison Splash came down right on top of its head. Fumes filled its nostrils, acid burned its eyes, and the open wound on its face was now exposed to her magical venom. Again the rat thrashed and creened in agony, a high pitched wailing cry. While it was blind Torrent attacked from another angle, spewing the intense purple flames from her mouth. The Giant Rat's fur, greasy and thick, caught easily. The flames turned red as they began to spread across its flank, but it snorted and coughed and began to buck as the poisonous fumes did their work. The creature's stomach convulsed and it suddenly began to vomit. Oberon observed the beast from above just like Ash had done before, looking for any sign of weakness--although at the moment it seemed the situation was greatly in their favor.
The Rat spun in a wide circle, whipping its thick tail. But Torrent had already disappeared back into the foilage, and re-activated her stealth skills. The Giant Rat brushed its face with its paws to clear its eyes--then its ear twitched. As Ash came down spearpoint first, like some kind of...jumping dragon knight, rather than a Pygmy Drake, the huge rodent pushed off the ground with all its strength. Spinning through the air, it slammed unintentionally into Digbie's Earth Wall just as the Demiblin finished chanting. His Sacred Ground spell felt stronger, and its glow was brighter...But, with none of his allies in the immediate area and Digbie himself not currently suffering from any major injury, its use was somewhat tempered.
In the next moment, however, the enemy made a decision. It bounded straight up, running up Digbie's wall, and came face to face with the Demiblin in mid-air. Snatching him by his Makeshift Robe, the creature's much greater weight dragged Digbie off of his platform--and the next moment, the Giant Rat was breaking into a run towards the tree-line--!
PixieSlime Party
ERROR. You do not meet the requirements for Skill Point Reset. You are still Poisoned! You are taking damage! Your HP is decreasing. You are Well Fed. Your throat is Dry. Your Stamina is steadily decreasing. You are Poisoned.
Current Skills: Shield II (2.2) Lesser Flight III (2.3) Minor Heal III (3.675) Physical Conditioning I (1.0) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS> Fire Resistance I (1.4) Taming I (1.7) Fireball I (1.7) Stronger II (2.15) Crafting II (2.0) Muffle I (1.3) Inspire I (1.1) Guidance I (1.55) Spell Chant I (1.2) Use Light Equipment (--) Meditate I (1.2) Point Strike I (1.05) Monster Analysis I (1.05) Keen Sight I (1.05) Material Analysis I (1.0) <UNUSABLE> Keen Ear (0.3) Alchemy (0.5) Faster (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.7) Mana Orb (0.15) Focus (0.6) Throw Voice (0.1) Mana Strike (0.9) Charisma (0.2) Soothe Song (0.7) Harder (0.1) Alert (0.9) Reinforce (0.6) Throw Item (0.5) Stone Shot (0.6) Iron Gullet (0.5) Soil Manipulation (0.3) Material Analysis (0.8) Rabid Fit (0.5) Lesser Cleanse (0.7) Fire Fist (0.2) Magic Resistance (0.3) Minor Regeneration (0.1) Flame Aura (0.1) Warcry (0.1) Immolation (0.05) Spiritual Awareness (0.4) Overwork (0.1) Lucid Dream (0.1) Blood Drain (0.1) Dextrous (0.1) Mana Sense (0.2) Mana Drain (0.1) Mental Resistance (0.2)
ERROR. Command not recognized, "Prerequisites for Skills."
TRANSFORMATION STATUS: Pixie > Immature Hipixie Currently Known Possible Transformations: 6 1. Adult Hipixie*** 2. Adolescent Imp* 3. Adolescent Sprite** 4. Adolescent Bauchan* 5. Adolescent Brownie*** 6. Adolescent Lampad**
Currently Unknown Possible Transformations: 1
As Asura continued to feel the burn of the Poison, Momma Slime hit him once again with a regular strike. When he told her to use a Smash, she seemed hesitant. She turned her attention to Ardur and waited for several moments...but although the Hipixie was talking about something, she didn't understand. And he hadn't done any more of the glowing stuff to Asura. She turned back to the red slime, and waited a moment more before finally using her Smash skill. It knocked Asura "head" over "heels" and slammed him into a tree. He felt his HP drop significantly, though he didn't get a low warning from the system yet. Momma Slime began to shake as she hurried over to him.
"Ah, Awsoo, Auwa...Asuwa!" she said, after inflating her membrane as if she were taking a deep breath. "Me, my...I. I...I not wanna do dat no more!" Once she had said this, she seemed to settle down. Her resolve was set. "I not like when you gets hurt. Makes I...makes me, feel bad!"
But before anything else could happen, there was a sudden crash from the forest. This was much louder than either the deer or the three frogs--and it had a more distinctive rhythm. Footsteps. Heavy breathing. An actual voice, shouting angrily...
A Bugbear, four and a half feet of solid muscle, barrel chested and covered in matted gray fur, came hurtling out between the trees. He held a long stick, sharpened to a point, in one hand and wore the pelt of a few Dire Rats around his waist. His eyes looked bloodshot and wild, and in the greenish skin around his face he had dark spots as if he had not slept.
"OUTTA MY WAY, OUUUUT!" he roared, charging straight for Asura and Momma Slime--and if he got past them, he would be barreling over Ardur and Steve too...
Rat Party
Skill Rank Up: Rabid Fit I > Rabid Fit II (2.0)! Your rage grows in strength! Your attack power increases slightly more. While you are still extra vulnerable to damage, you gain a temporary increase to resistances for certain status effects, like Sleep or Confusion.
Skill Gain: Mental Resistance I! (1.0) Take less damage from Psychic-type spells or skills, and have a better chance of resisting mind-altering effects such as Confusion or Hypnosis. This counts as an Elemental resistance for the purposes of Magic Resistance.
Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I (1.0) You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.
Skill Gain: Focus I! (1.0) By spending at least 30 seconds focusing before using an offensive Skill or Spell, you can increase its damage or range. At this rank it is comparable to increasing the power by one rank (eg Mana Orb I to Mana Orb II) while also increasing the MP cost by half again (spend 1.5x Mana Orb I's cost).
Skill Gain: Smash I! (1.0) A Physical Skill that consumes Stamina instead of MP. One blunt type attack deals increased damage!
Skill Gain: First Aid I (1.0)! Skill in using Healing items such as herbs or bandages. Increase the amount of HP recovered by yourself or allies when consuming these items, so long as you properly apply your knowledge and experience. Does not apply to healing spells.
Skill Gain: Minor Heal I (1.0)! The most basic of healing spells. In most cases, only surface level wounds are affected. Cannot cure diseases. May even accelerate certain conditions not healed by the body's natural recovery. Cast upon a single target within eyesight.
Nothing but the echo of a pebble answered Ed as he peered into the entrance. Without entering, he could see that the mound seemed to have a double set of chambers at its entrance. The one he was looking into seemed to be small, with a low ceiling barely six feet up, with a little fire pit in the center of the room and four small tables. Two of these tables were set up just inside the entrance, on either side of the doorway. The other two were at the opposite side of the room, on either side of the second doorway leading into that second chamber, which Ed could not see. On these tables were what seemed to be platters, goblets, candlesticks, and a few wilted flowers or other plants of some kind.
Where he stood in front of the entry, a plaque could be seen at a human's eye-level set into the outer wall. It read:
Within this Barrow, we citizenry of the Lords of Viska lay our honored dead. In the war against the Alpin Tribals, they laid down their lives to force the enemy over the river and establish the greater borders of Viska. By the Ancestors and the Spirits, we place our protection on this place. Those who lie here have earned their rest; may the earth swallow any who disturb them.
Those who travel and who mourn, if ye sup at the fire within, make offerings unto the spirits what doth guard this place. If ye pray at the altar above, pray for good fortune upon the lands of the Five Lords.
Though just barely, Asteria was able to scramble up the wall of the mound and get up to the top. The dirt packed up here had long ago sprouted grass, and the roots had formed a network that held the soil in place against wind and rain. It felt firm underneath her paws as she progressed upward. She soon found a footpath of sorts, made of round stones set into the dirt, which led to the monolith structure.
Four large pillars sat in a rough square, and a wide, flat stone had been set atop them to serve as a roof. Underneath this roof, a small circle of stone sat with something else at its center. It seemed to be an alter of some kind, made of overlapping plates. The plates each had different symbols on them, and were differently shaped. Each plate was also successively bigger, and the difference in shape of the ones above created spaces for the symbols to show on the ones below. It seemed to be...some kind of star chart or sundial, perhaps? Circles and lines seemed to form a graph of some kind, one plate had images that might be phases of a moon or planet, and another had either some alphabet or a numeral system. Maybe Asteria hadn't noticed yet, since unlike Ed she hadn't read the plaque or seen this world's languages change before her eyes...but these symbols did not change, no matter how long she stared at them.
If Asteria looked around aside from the altar, however, she would find that from the top of the barrow she could now see the surrounding countryside in more detail. Back the way they came, the village was just a smudge on the horizon again, but the mountains were in full view. The setting sun turned the snow at their peaks blood red. Toward the east, in the direction they were going this whole time following that road...
Water.
Another gentle slope from the barrow went down over a distance of perhaps seventy-five, a hundred yards before the plains evened out. From here, the road stayed flat for some distance. It wasn't clear if the elevation began to dip again, or if it just went so far that it created an optical illusion. But the road went on and on, down to what had to be the bank of a great lake. Like, a GREAT lake, not just the kind you went fishing with grandpa at on the weekends. And it seemed there was a river running out of this lake as well, heading towards the south. But along the banks, lights glittered. Not just the last rays of the sun on the water's surface, but flickering lights that could only be candles, and cookfires, and street lanterns. Lights, sitting in big black boxes against the backdrop of that smooth, dark blue sheet...A town.
Ghost Party
Skill Gain: Ghost Touch I (1.05)! A spiritual attack. For Spirit-class Undead, the affected limb becomes physical for the duration of the Skill to allow Physical attacks. For non-Undead, the affected limb becomes capable of physically striking and damaging spiritual beings. MP is expended not only to activate the skill, but in proportion to the strength of the attack used.
Jason could feel his MP decreasing as he ferociously attacked the next goblin, however just as the System told him his Temporary Extra MP had been expended, he used Mana Drain. He was immediately notified that the temporary increase had returned, but the Cudgel goblin struggled spiritually against him. Again memories of a goblin tribe, fishing and mending nets made out of vine on the banks of a river, clashed with his own. But Danny was wrestling with the same Goblin, in an attempt to disarm it. Jason lost his hold as the Poltergeist managed to get the weapon, in the process jerking the goblin far enough off balance that it fell and rolled on the ground. The creature cried out as it swiped its arms in every direction to try and fend Jason off.
"I seen it, I seens it too! It's a, a ghost!" Light bruises were already forming around his eyes, like he had been smacked in the face by two doorknobs. He stumbled blindly in his attempt to get up and fell back to one knee.
Danny now had a weapon, and one of the opponents was on the ground. The other had seemingly run back into the bushes--there was rustling, but they couldn't see him currently. However, while Danny had been focused on grabbing the cudgel, that other goblin had grabbed up his spear again.
With a hefty grunt, the goblin planted his feet and thrust hard at Danny's back. The Poltergeist felt wood bite deep into his shoulder, and heard it crack and splinter.
WARNING! YOUR HP IS CRITICALLY LOW!
Orchid's Tribe
Orchid's process of tanning the leather wasn't quite so refined as she would like, but it seemed like it would work. The System recorded each step of her "Processing" as she removed the hair, blood, and excess fat and skin from the hides, then stretched them out to dry. However, when she went to get the other three hides, she found that these were not so much pelts and skin like the Badger Hide. These Badger Armor Plates were more like scaly, fleshy shells, like an armadillo or maybe a slightly more flexible turtle's shell. These didn't seem like they could be tanned, though some of the excess hair and such could be scraped off of them.
Hustling as she displayed her irritation, the rest of Orchid's goblins did as they were told. Crispy hurried over to her as quickly as he could without jostling his arm too much, and with quick nods that made his ears flap he followed her lead into the forest.
Though Orchid and Crispy would soon leave the camp and thus not see it, while the Hunters took up guarding the camp or sitting around the fire munching on what little food they had left, the Gatherers managed to find a few more things before they settled in to wait on Orchid's return. Added to the growing resource piles were a Hard Stone, a Sharp Stone, a Pointy Stick, a Green Switch, a Lump of Clay the size of a goblin's fists, and an odd piece of hide that bore scales rather than fur. Orchid would no doubt want to look over these things once she got back...
She and Crispy traveled through the woods and stayed close together. In the tribe's greater numbers, most of the forest critters had left them alone. Two goblins, fairly well armed, would probably be considered too risky a prey by most Monsters, but then again one of them was injured.
Orchid was looking for moss. Crispy had mentioned mushrooms, and she knew mushrooms would grow in moist, dark places. So would moss, and it would also give her an idea about where exactly they were, or at least what direction they were going in. Eventually, she spotted some moss growing under a pile of leaves that had built up along the slanted trunk of a leaning tree. Using the position of the sun, it seemed the best guess would be that the moss grew the thickest on the north side of the tree. So she and Crispy were heading north, away from their camp. Their intended destination, the farm, would be back to the east, though possibly a little south as well.
They next came upon a bush of Blue Argeps, several handfuls' worth. Searching under the bushes and leaves where the moss grew, Orchid soon found a place where deeper shadows fell due to the thickness of the canopy. A rotted tree limb had fallen here in some storm long past, and at the thickest end of it near the tree's roots she saw several flat brown, white spotted mushrooms growing on its underside.
"Boss, ovah heah!" called Crispy. He pointed to a skeleton he had found, what looked to be the remains of a Fanged Lizard long ago killed and stripped clean by scavengers. Growing between the white spokes of its ribcage were a few more mushrooms, these bearing red caps with what looked like green beads of sap on top of them.
As they continued to search, Crispy found another Pointy Stick. Though he already had a stone knife in his vine belt and that odd throwing star he had made, he picked it up and carried it with the intent to use it as a small javelin. He got the chance when a large, melon-shaped and colored frog bounded out of the bushes in front of them. With a warrior's screech, Crispy hurled his spear--and missed by a foot as the frog croaked loudly, then leaped away again.
The next useful thing they found was another berry bush...but something else lay in wait for any creature that tried to eat. Another large frog, different in coloration and bearing a tail, poked its head out of the bush just as they got close. It lobbed a large purple loogi at them, and Orchid could hear the poison hissing. Yet before it had even confirmed a hit on its prey, the frog turned and ran back into the bushes just like the last one had...
Nira and Femus
As Femus flashed and darted about, the other Pixie hovering with Nira let out loud whoops and began to clap as it turned circles in the air. When the Wisp darted back into the tree--leaving a hastily woven flower crown behind--the Pixie "oooohed" and darted down to grab the crown. Placing it over its head like a lei garland, it motioned to Nira and began flying and dancing around on the branch, showing off its new fashion accessory.
It then pointed to the higher branches of the tree, where more flowering vines grew. Flying up a few feet, the pixie motioned for Nira to come too and shook its flowers...It seemed like the creature wanted to make more. But now, this raised a question. This Pixie seemed to jump from violence to pranks to flower picking at the drop of a hat...how long would Nira, or Femus, have to play along with its games before it got tired? Or, how long would it take the creature to get bored with its new friends, and decide to go get some more of its bretheren who might not redirect it the way Nira had?
Meanwhile, Femus had escaped persecution for now...but how long could he stay inside this tree? The Pixie hadn't harmed him, but now another creature besides Nira knew where he was. And who knew what it might do when it came back? Would he choose to just stay here, continuing to meditate, and hope that when he needed to defend himself he would be capable? Would he try to get some kind of message to Nira?
You used Magic Analysis I! ---Blue Yill Flower--- The Yill species of flowering plants are adaptable and conducive to magic, so depending on where they grow and what kind of ambient energy is present they often change forms. The Blue Yill has absorbed a great deal of raw mana. ---Hollow Old Kao Tree--- This Kao tree is very old and has been damaged in the past, creating a hollow. It has more magic than other trees in the area, but nothing that stands out too much. ---???--- An altered Mana Orb spell. The magical energy focused within it has begun to change properties. It smells of ozone and seems relatively unstable.
Your MP is Full! You have gained Temporary Extra MP.
Femus chose to ignore the Pixie in the hopes it would go away, and instead experimented with his new analysis skill. Unfortunately, at this rank it didn't seem like it would tell him a great deal of information. But it at least confirmed that the Blue Yill were magical, and that he could probably refill his power from them in a pinch. And it did tell him that something seemed to be working with the Mana Orb.
After meditating to refuel himself--and finding a little bit more Mana than usual in the area, or maybe it was that his techniques were growing more efficient--he headed out to confront the Pixies, two Blue Yills that grew on the side of the tree's mossy bark "clutched" in his Lesser Force.
The Wild Pixie watched in curosity as Nira picked up the wilted, now blackened flower, and cast Shield on it. It tilted its head, and the expression on its face seemed to say what would ya do a stupid thing like that for, but then as Nira circled around it the creature began to follow her. When she motioned towards the flower, then towards the Wisp, the pixie's expression brightened and it began to giggle. With a nod, it flew down along the side of the old tree and began plucking all the flowers it could find. There were a handful of the blue yills, but also some more normal looking white and pink flowers, and the creature even grabbed some of the leaves from the tree's branches.
By the time it came back to Nira, assuming she had gathered her own flowers, they had a fairly decent amount of plantlife between them. As soon as Femus floated out of his shelter, his own flowers in hand, the Wild Pixie gave a squeal of delight and let loose a flood of colored petals over the top of his head. If Nira did the same, Femus would find himself blinded by color and possibly sneezing in a douse of pollen.
Monster Party (Rejoined by Digbie!)
You used Magic Analysis II! You used Mana Sense! You used Mana Vision! ---Poison Splash--- Much like other elemental spells collecting trace elements, surrounding impurities and toxins are synthesized with Mana as a catalyst to produce this sphere of liquid poison. Its nature as a poison causes severe nausea, vomiting, and caustic tissue damage. Upon impact, it splashes for a small Area of Effect. It may poison an organic target, and deals corrosive damage to most objects. If a target ingests the poison, the amount of damage it inflicts is roughly the same but the chance to inflict Poison damage over time rises greatly.
This is your own Mana, but it has an incredibly forboding sense of danger. Its coloration itself almost seems to serve as a warning. It feels sickly or unsafe, like a plant that causes an unpleasant rash to deter herbivores.
STRUCTURE: M?W?N?E?F? = P3
Skill Rank Up: Mana Analysis II > Mana Analysis III (2.975 > 3.0)! Gain more detail about observed magic skills, objects, etc. Lose less effectiveness when using this skill on other things, even if they aren’t magically inclined. When analyzing a spell you have seen at least one time before, you may learn information such as its element or function depending on various factors.
LEVEL UP! Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 9! Your Max MP has increased (this will not restore current MP levels)! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!
Unspent Skill Points: 8 ((3 from last time, 5 from level up))
Current Skills: Stun Stinger II (2.05) Poison Spray II (2.025) Alchemy II (2.85) Overwork III (3.2625) Charisma I (1.65) Venom Shot II (2.0) Crafting I (1.65) Lesser Force I (1.8) Magic Analysis III (3.0) Alert I (1.3) Lesser Flight I (1.3) Muffle I (1.55) Monster Analysis II (2.35) Material Analysis II (2.25) Meditate II (2.2) Poison Glob I (1.2) Poison Breath I (1.05) Plant Analysis I (1.05) Tremor Sense I (1.05) Mana Orb II (2.175) Shield I (1.05) Mana Slice I (1.6) Mana Shape I (1.5) Analysis (--) Rabid Fit I (1.05) Mental Resistance I (1.5) Mana Vision I (1.6) Mana Sense I (1.4) Minor Heal I (1.075) Prehensile Tail (--) Poison Splash I (1.1) <UNUSABLE> Blunt Resistance (0.2) Scribe (0.6) Faster (0.3) Intimidate (0.6) Acid Volley (0.1) Venom Claw (0.2) Dragon Affinity (0.45) <CANNOT BE INCREASED WITH SKILL POINTS> Stronger (0.95) Dual Cast (0.8) Slash (0.3) Fireball (0.2) Dextrous (0.5) Mana Dart (0.4) Mana Control (0.8) Use Light Equipment (0.05) <UNSUITED FOR CURRENT SPECIES> ---
EXP: 100% > 20% You are Tired. You are Peckish. Your throat is Dry. Your HP is Full. Your MP is Very Low. Your Health is Fine.
TRANSFORMATION STATUS: Fanged Lizard > Immature Pygmy Drake Known Currently Possible Transformations: 3 1. Adult Pygmy Drake* 2. Adolescent Lesserwurm* <THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED> 3. Adolescent Kobold**<THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED>
Unknown Currently Possible Transformations: 3
Previous Transformations Lost: 1 1. Tailed Frog
After taking in all of this information, as Ash Meditated to regain her Mana she also experimented with the slow, calming exercises of Yoga. However, as soon as she felt any muscle strain from the movements or her breathing became harder than normal, her MP would stop increasing. If she found a position she could easily hold without moving, Meditate would begin working again...but, if such a thing were so effortless, then what would be the point of Yoga? In order to get the full effect of Meditation, at least for now, it seemed like physical exercise had to be done separately.
Her next experiment with a new Mana Orb, after several minutes to refuel her MP, was to break apart the various elemental pieces orbiting the raw magic and see what happened to the environment.
The gold, silver, and darker green particles once again gravitated to the floor and disappeared into the ground. The lighter green particles, and blue particles, merely floated around...though they did seem to be pulled by a draft current towards the outside of the shelter. Once they left the cavern, the wind particles were swiftly carried away while the blue particles began to drift down lower to the ground. Once they dipped into the stream, they disappeared completely. The red particles seemed to orbit around Ash herself, near the core of her body. A few were caught up with the other pixels and floated outside, at which point they seemed to pointedly move away from the blue squares. Neon purple particles were drawn to different places--sometimes they moved with other magical atoms in groups, other times they moved to a wall or the ground. Whenever they made contact with something solid, they seemed to lose their glow and disappear. The very few purple pieces Ash had been using previously drifted to the ground, but then simply rolled along it rather than sinking into it.
Watching all of these different particles disperse became more and more difficult after the first few seconds, though. They were so small, and some of them moved quite quickly--and in addition, there were other squares all around Ash. Most of the other energy particles she could see were gold in color, but looking around with her Mana Vision was starting to get trippy, to the point that making out the actual landscape was becoming difficult...
Eventually she had to blink, whether because of dry-eye or because of the hallucinogenic colors swirling all around her.
Or maybe it was that loud scream that sounded suspiciously like Digbie...
You used Magic Analysis I! ---Gather Light--- This skill allows the user, under full sunlight, to convert solar energy to Mana.
Skill Rank Up: Magic Analysis I > Magic Analysis II (1.95 > 2.0)! Gain more detail about Magic oriented Skills and Spells. Lose less effectiveness when analyzing Monsters, Materials, etc so long as they are magically inclined.
As Torrent tried to produce the Gather Light skill for herself, she found the experience of sunning to be quite pleasant. Her reptile body didn't seem quite so sluggish as lizards and snakes back in her Old World, but maybe that was just because the temperatures here were warm enough that she could stay comfortable. Still, either she was cold blooded, or it was just nice to lay here for a little while.
Her entire body felt shrouded in warmth, and she could feel her MP increasing...though it was hard to tell whether or not it was just her normal Meditate skill. Maybe if there were a way to absorb more sunlight, or to do so faster? But, what could one do to "absorb" more light, like a plant or...some other object that could take solar heat?
Meanwhile, Oberon attempted to do the opposite--to remove heat, to create an absence of energy better known as cold. His Aqua Sphere floated in his hand as he imagined the flow of thermal energy, and tried to pull it with his will. He soon noticed that the Aqua Sphere's smooth blue surface rippled a tiny amount. He felt his fingertips, then his palms, getting warmer. It seemed his theory was spot on. However, as he "pulled" at the heat, he was also slightly pulling at the Sphere it seemed. Maybe the flow of energy was producing a current. Whatever the cause, the water was no longer a perfect orb--it had begun to lengthen, being pulled towards Oberon, and became more of an oval or elipse shape. He could feel his palm growing warmer...and then, where the liquid barely touched his fingers, it was indeed a few degrees cooler than before.
And then both Lesserwurm and Sprite were shocked out of their thoughts by a familiar voice.
"TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"
Flashback to a few moments ago. Digbie had managed to duck under the Giant Rat, and as he lunged away he barely avoided getting knocked over by its bulk even as its jaws missed him. He took off running for everything he had, though he spared one glance back to try and Analyze the creature.
You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I! You used Material Analysis I! ---Giant Rat--- Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. Their fur is very thick and, once cleaned and treated, actually sells for a decent price. Their bones, being much larger than some animals, and their teeth, being much sharper, make decent materials for primitive societies. Bone ornamentation made from their teeth is present in many Unenlightened tribes as a symbol of strength.
But that single glance back nearly ended him--he nearly tripped over a piece of low scrub growing out of the ground. In a panic as he tried to cast earth wall, he called out to the Maiden of Mercy.
Skill Rank Up: Earth Wall I > Earth Wall II (1.9 > 2.05)! MP Cost increased. Maximum thickness increased by 6 more inches. A second wall can now be created without destroying the first, but the mass of both walls must be maintained by the same total. Example: You make a wall half the normal height and width that is six inches thick. The second wall can thus also be half the normal height and width, and also six inches thick, or it could be even smaller. The wall can also be shaped differently so long as total mass is still conserved, but only basic geometric figures.
The Giant Rat's body made a heavy thud as it crashed into Digbie's newly thickened wall, and he just barely managed to keep himself from falling. As he ran, he could hear the objects in his newfound satchel rattling around--that wooden effigy he had found sounded like a taiko drum as it beat back and forth. Despite his perilous situation, as Digbie ran he felt himself gaining a second wind of sorts--adrenaline rushed through him and it felt like his vision sharpened, so that he could more easily avoid tripping again and make his way through the forest.
But the Giant Rat was soon on his heels again--it had lost quite a bit of ground after crashing into the wall, but it was a simple thing to go around the construct. Its heavy body didn't accelerate quite so fast as Digbie's, but once it got going its powerful muscles propelled it at speeds nothing that size should have been able to reach. There was about ten feet between it and the Demiblin as they ran along the bank of the stream...
Digbie burst back into the clearing where the others had made camp. He could see Torrent and Oberon standing near the stream, and Ash was probably in the shelter or off looking for materials.
The Giant Rat was about five feet behind him.
"TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"
PixieSlime Party
ERROR. System is already monitoring Skill Growth. Skill Progression is already visible.
Skill Gain: Slash Resistance I! Take less damage from Slashing attacks.
Skill Synergy Has Occurred! Pierce Resistance I, Slash Resistance I, Blunt Resistance I have Synergized! You have gained Physical Damage Resistance II (2.0)! Reduce damage from all Physical attacks! Pierce Resistance I has degraded (1.55 > 0.55). Slash Resistance I has degraded (1.0 > 0.1). Blunt Resistance I has degraded (1.95 > 0.95).
--- Charisma (0.5) - This skill seems to develop by learning how to interact with others, and using your force of personality to get a favorable outcome from said interactions. Dextrous (0.8) - This skill seems to develop when you use fine-tuned or precise motor skills, which proves difficult due to the nature of your species. Soil Manipulation (0.6) - This skill seems to develop by moving soil when digging or constructing. Stone Shot (0.55) - This skill seems to develop when using small stones as a projectile weapon, especially when you put all your energy into it. Slime Coil (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when attempting to use your body to restrain a target. Magic Analysis (0.6) - This skill seems to develop when you are observing magical phenomena. Bounce (0.6) - This skill seems to develop after taking heavy impacts that move your entire body, or by bracing yourself against attack. Muffle (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you attempt to be stealthy. Poison Resistance (0.3) - This skill develops as you recover from taking poison damage. Dash Attack (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you move fast while attacking. Spiritual Awareness (0.2) - This skill seems to develop as you experience supernatural phenomena. Intimidate (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you interact with others in a forceful manner. First Aid (0.2) - This skill seems to develop when you try to help an injured ally. Acid Spit (0.4) This skill seems to develop when you spit acid from your body. Fire Resistance (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you recover from burning. Water Resistance (0.0125) - This skill seems to develop when you recover from taking water damage. Focus (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you take extra time to put effort into another skill. Alert (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you stay aware of your environment. Fortify (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you construct free standing structures. Point Strike (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you strike accurately at weak points. Cleave (0.2) - This skill seems to develop when you use a heavy, edged attack meant to split a target. Crafting (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you make things. Material Analysis (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you carefully observe different materials. Telepathy (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you attempt to communicate non-verbally. Defender (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you brace yourself for attack. ---
Skill Rank Up! Blunt Resistance has been restored to Rank I (0.95 > 1.0)! Take less damage from Blunt attacks.
ERROR. You do not meet the requirements for Skill Point Reset.
You have been Poisoned! You are taking damage over time!
ERROR. Target "player" not recognized. Defaulting to recognized target "Ardur."
NOTE: INFORMATION MAY BE OUT OF DATE.
Name:
Ardur
Gender:
Male
Species:
Pixie
Appearance:
Ardur looks like a small person with light fair skin, shoulder length green hair, Golden glimmering eyes, and wings that look similar to green leaves. A few things stand out on his person. There are three round dark spots on his chest and back. Also his hands are stained purple up to his wrists.
Goals:
Ardur simply wishes to be Strong. Strong enough to protect others and take care of them. He will do what he must to push others so they can also grow and be better.
- become worshiper of the sun and spread its influence.
New personality traits: Impulsive, Slightly crazy, Inquisitive, Courageous, Maybe a bit stupid, Opportunistic, lacks empathy towards most others.
Ardur was once known as Travis Smith and worked and lived in the weird city of Portland Oregon. Now Travis had a rather normal upbringing with nothing too significant happening to him. He had parents that worked in industry. His father, worked with shipping containers as a foreman. His mother, worked with air cargo as a manager. Both did rather well for their family and kept them in a modest home. He had two younger sisters, twins actually. Both were dead set on joining the navy after they graduated.
Now Travis learned early on through volunteer work with his high school, that helping others was what he wanted to do. So instead of joining up with the military, was able to get a few scholarships and went into paramedic courses and physical trainer classes. Both of which he excelled at, finding his purpose in helping others. He did adopt a strange and sometimes dark sense of humor through this to deal with the stressful work environment of a paramedic. he filled his down time with listening and singing along to a variety of different modern and classic music as well as watching nature documentary's to help him relax.
For a time his life was good. He did what he could to help others through work and volunteering. Travis learned more about himself then he expected too. Working one week on one week off was a bit of a pain but it allowed him to work with some local athletes in his free time. Travis eventually found himself to be quiet in the company of others, always with a smile on his face. He did tend to be a bit pushy toward the people he was working with. He wanted to see them grow and be great. Somehow he adopted a protective side to him as well, especially towards his friends or the people he loved. This protective instinct would eventually lead to his down fall.
Travis, now 32, was going to be married in three months to a beautiful short red head named Sara, who just so happened to be a couple months pregnant. Sara was the one person who could really light a fire under him and get him to do anything. She was his motivation to be better, she was his muse. The last night he would be working was a stormy one. Just past midnight with rain, wind, and thunder. A strong winter storm. He was called out with his partner to a domestic. Apparently the husband beat his wife up pretty bad then ran out into the night.
The two paramedics didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t the first time they had been called out to something like this and it wouldn’t be the last. The police officers that stayed at the residence called out that the scene was safe as they approached. A severely beaten female sat on the hood of one of the police cars. Travis and his partner approached her and began to asses her injuries. The police officers were nearby interviewing some neighbors when it happened. He saw him out of the corner of his eye. A man brandishing a revolver came at them from in between a few houses intent on killing the woman.
Travis didn’t think he only reacted. Grabbing the woman and turning away from the man he tried to push her away and around the ambulance. He remembered hearing thunder and a scream. The thunder rang out three times but all he felt was cold as he hit the wet pavement. Several other flashes of lights and thunder rang out into the night as the last thing he remembers was thinking that Sara was going to kill him for this. The blurry and muted voice of his partner and the other officers continued in his head until everything faded, and he was alone and cold.
Then suddenly there was light and a voice talking about rebirth and demon kings. He thought he was hallucinating and thought this was just some sort of way his body dealt with the sudden loss of function, so he decided to play along. So many choices he wondered which one would suit him? The slime seemed nice but strange, the dire Rat just reminded him of filth and garbage. Then there was a wisp it seemed more of a loner and mysterious.
The goblin simply reminded him of stories of greed and madness, both things he dealt with regularly before and wasn’t too keen on continuing that. The serpent seemed interesting but seemed more designed to inflict lasting pain or torture and that wasn’t what he stood for. Finally, he was introduced to the Pixie. A strange creature sure, weaker than the others but a healer. Something that supports groups without inflicting too much pain. This is what he decided on and in an instant he felt cold again but also strange like waking up from a bad dream.
Tamed Creature Status: Name: "Steve" Gender: Female Species: Oculus Spider - A low-ranking Arachnid-class Insect-type Monster. While it possesses venom, it is not that much more potent than a normal spider and thus is virtually harmless to humans save in very large doses or in the case of specific allergies. However, because it has adapted to Mana in its environment and thus become a Monster, it has gained a large eye that works differently than its normal eyes. It will swing from a web in a hypnotic manner to entice prey. Appearance: Abilities:
Level 4
Web Spit II - Spit a glob of sticky web at an opponent. Deals very little damage, but may Slow an enemy's movement. >> Stamina Consumption of this skill has decreased. Range of this skill has increased.
Doze I - For the Oculus Spider, this spell is cast using their eye as a catalyst. May inflict Sleep on a single target.
Thread Control I - Manipulate threads, wires, hair, etc with unnatural skill by channeling power through it. At this rank, only one simple manipulation can be passed through a single medium, for instance causing a strand of web to change direction once. Depending on the quality of the material, this skill may cause it to break or degrade.
Transformations: Common Spider Species > Oculus Spider
Inventory: Stomach Sac - 0/3 Slots Filled. Small Items only.
Level: 6 Shield II (2.2) Lesser Flight III (2.3) Minor Heal III (3.675) Physical Conditioning I (1.0) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS> Fire Resistance I (1.4) Taming I (1.7) Fireball I (1.7) Stronger II (2.15) Crafting I (1.95) Muffle I (1.3) Inspire I (1.1) Guidance I (1.55) Spell Chant I (1.2) Use Light Equipment (--) Meditate I (1.2) Point Strike I (1.05) Monster Analysis I (1.05) Keen Sight I (1.05) <UNUSABLE> Keen Ear (0.3) Alchemy (0.5) Faster (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.7) Mana Orb (0.15) Focus (0.6) Throw Voice (0.1) Mana Strike (0.9) Charisma (0.2) Soothe Song (0.7) Harder (0.1) Alert (0.9) Reinforce (0.6) Throw Item (0.5) Stone Shot (0.6) Iron Gullet (0.5) Soil Manipulation (0.3) Material Analysis (0.8) Rabid Fit (0.5) Lesser Cleanse (0.7) Fire Fist (0.2) Magic Resistance (0.3) Minor Regeneration (0.1) Flame Aura (0.1) Warcry (0.1) Immolation (0.05) Spiritual Awareness (0.4) Overwork (0.1) Lucid Dream (0.1) Blood Drain (0.1) Dextrous (0.1) Mana Sense (0.2) Mana Drain (0.1) Mental Resistance (0.1)
--- Skill Gain: Material Analysis I (0.9 > 1.0)! You have developed an eye for determining the qualities of inorganic or non-living objects. At this rank, you will only be able to gain surface information about an object. When used in conjunction with a crafting skill, it may help discover more compatible items.
Skill Rank Up: Crafting I > Crafting II (1.95 > 2.0)! Crafting Complexity Increased. Stamina Requirement Decreased.
Obtained Item: Cooked Bowhorn Meat! Cooked Bowhorn Meat is currently Processing into a new item...
As Asura formed himself a shield using his new shapeshifting abilities, he found it helped significantly and he could manipulate it just like having an actual shield strapped to an actual arm. Momma Slime's heavy blows reverberated against it, though Steve's fangs didn't seem to make much of a dent--although he could still tell by the prickling sensation that some of the spider's venom was getting through. As they attacked him repeatedly, the next time Ardur healed him it seemed that Momma Slime's attacks had pushed his Blunt Resistance to the next level...or rather, it would have, but it seemed that Physical Damage Resistance had drained his other resistances in Rank! Still, he had some progress left over in each skill, and his actual resistance hadn't seemed to decrease. The attacks were still doing less damage than before.
Up until Steve bit an area of the shield that Asura had relaxed just a little too much. The red slime felt the burn spreading up his pseudopod, as a cloud of poison inside his membrane began to spread like a nasty bruise...
And in addition to that, after all that information the system had given him, he suddenly had a crippling headache. Like those really sharp migraines that feel like your eyeballs are going to explode, even though he didn't have eyes.
Meanwhile, Ardur spent some time cooking up the meat they had taken from the Bowhorn deer, and did some information gathering of his own. Yet he too, was not ready for the flood of images and words and other sensory information that overloaded his mind. Like Asura, a skull splitting pain rocked his body. Steve immediately left off attacking Asura, seemingly not aware that she had poisoned him, and ran to the Hipixie as her mouth parts hissed in concern.
"Ahsoowah? Wut happun?" Momma Slime asked, coming close and putting a pseudopod on Asura's "head" as if she were checking him for fever.
Rat Party
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max HP has increased (this will not restore your current HP). You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Note: You are very close to your next level!
Unspent Skill Points: 5
Current Skills: Beast Sense II (2.775) Rabid Fit I (1.9) Stronger I (1.7) Muffle II (2.275) Use Light Equipment (--) Alert I (1.15) Faster I (1.05) Harder I (1.0) Dynamic Eye I (1.1) Smash I (1.3) Dextrous I (1.15) Monster Analysis I (1.25) Overwork I (1.35) <UNUSABLE> Material Analysis (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.9) Warcry (0.7) Tremor Sense (0.05) Mental Resistance (0.9) Telepathy (0.1) Mana Shape (0.7) Focus (0.8) Shield (0.5) Mana Shell (0.4) Soil Manipulation (0.7) Crafting (0.6) First Aid (0.1) Meditate (0.4) People Sense (0.3) Plant Analysis (0.2) Swift Swimmer (0.4) Charm (0.025) Repel (0.025) Stealth Kill (0.3) Blunt Resistance (0.1) Prehensile Tail (0.5) Mana Strike (0.6) Minor Heal (0.05) Iron Gullet (0.4) Taming (0.1) Suppress Presence (0.5) Use Medium Equipment (0.4) Inspire (0.2) Point Strike (0.3) Strengthen (0.3) Pierce Resistance (0.2) Double Skill (0.1) Deception (0.2) Lucid Dream (0.2)
Skill Rank Up: Beast Sense II > Beast Sense III (2.975 > 3.0)! Senses are further sharpened. Passive senses are now equivalent to the enhanced sense of Rank II. Focusing on a single sense at a time will still enhance it, now to a level beyond that of Rank II.
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max MP has increased (this will not restore your current MP). You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! LEVEL UP! Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!
Unspent Skill Points: 10
Current Skills: Beast Sense III (3.0) Faster II (2.275) Monster Analysis II (2.7) Dextrous II (2.175) Poison Resistance I (1.0) Crafting II (2.175) Muffle I (1.95) Mana Sense II (2.075) Mana Drain I (1.65) Magic Analysis I (1.3) Stronger I (1.45) Prehensile Tail (--) Alert I (1.4) Telepathy I (1.65) Plant Analysis I (1.4) Use Light Equipment (--) <UNUSABLE> Charisma (0.95) Mental Resistance (0.1) Soil Manipulation (0.9) Overwork (0.7) Lesser Status Heal (0.1) Minor Heal (0.3) Meditate (0.8) Smash (0.8) Strengthen (0.2) Scribe (0.1) Spell Chant (0.15) Lesser Force (0.1) Stone Shot (0.3) Lucid Dream (0.4) Spiritual Awareness (0.2) Swift Swimmer (0.1) Suppress Presence (0.5) Alchemy (0.7) Tremor Sense (0.2) Throw Item (0.3) Stealth Kill (0.1) Material Analysis (0.4) Iron Gullet (0.3) First Aid (0.9) Quicken (0.1) Skewer (0.4) Point Strike (0.2) Warcry (0.1) Mind Wave (0.2) Curse Word (0.1) Rabid Fit (0.2) Mana Gift (0.1)
The trio of rodents made their way across the plains, staying some distance away from the road but within sight. Soon, the village was out of sight behind them. The treeline of the forest, however, grew a little closer. They were still heading away from their starting point, but it seemed that around here the forest's edge had extended a little more to the south, so they could once again see the thicker wilderness a much shorter distance to the north. There were also a few rising slopes near the forest now--one of them looked particularly rocky and rose up a little higher than the others.
The rats could see a column of smoke rising up from behind it, not thick enough to be a chimney but perhaps a campfire. Ed was reminded of the smell of leather, smoke, flames, and metal from his dream, and the humanoid figures crouched around it.
The plains, too, began to slope. It was a much gentler rise, however, one that the rats hadn't really even noticed until a backward glance showed that they could see the village much more clearly now due to its lower elevation. They had left it far behind at this point, though, and it was only a dark collection of shapes in the distance. The grass was still long, and they were more than far enough away that the humans shouldn't be able to see them.
Oddly enough, given their luck lately, no wild creatures bothered them for quite some time. They didn't see anyone on the road either, though as they kept going at one point they saw a place where someone had recently made camp. It was set just a little off the road, enough to be out of the way of any travelers who might pass. All that was left now was a campfire, responsibly covered over with dirt, and the footprints of the people who had been here.
They looked the same as the footprints Ed and Asteria had found the previous day, back when they first left the forest. This seemed to be the place where they had left the road, though they had taken that wide, sweeping arc before entering the forest...had they been avoiding those hills, where the smoke had come from?
The smell of water was growing stronger. The landscape had dipped again somewhat, and now the rats headed downhill again. But as they reached the lowland, they noticed that up in front of them was another rise--this one much sharper in slope. And...it also seemed a bit unnatural.
As they got closer, they soon noticed that this wasn't just a grassy knoll. Rocks had been stacked up and mortared into a fairly sturdy wall, forming a long rectangle of sorts. Earth had been layered up overtop it, producing a smoothly rounded mound where grass grew thick and green--natural grass, not the thatch of a rooftop. It seemed more like a man-made mound of earthworks rather than a dwelling. Up on its top, a small structure made of megaliths--large stones, carted from who knew where--had been set up. They couldn't see what it consisted of from here, as one of the large, flat stones was obstructing the view.
Maybe if they climbed up there they would have a better view of the surrounding lands--the amount of moisture their noises were picking up had definitely increased. But what exactly was this huge mound for? Why would people--presumably people--have built it?
There was an entrance to the mound, though the rats would have to make their way around to the side facing the road in order to see it. It had no door...it was simply an archway in the earth, peering into the darkness...
The day was getting late. The red sun was dipping in the far distance, and light was beginning to fade from the sky...
Ghost Party
Your MP is Full! You have gained Temporary Extra MP!
Jason's punch actually seemed to push the goblin away, and the vision of Limbo broke as Jason's Transparency bounced him away from his target's body. He felt like he had been slapped in the face, but it was clear the goblin had taken a much heavier hit from the backlash. It fell to the ground as it had been punched hard in the gut, and writhed in agony as it struggled for breath. Its soul was still there, though diminished, and it wasn't glowing as brightly--had Jason drained all of the Goblin's MP?
"Heeeeeeeelp!" the Goblin cried pitiably, getting to all fours and trying to scramble back into the bushes. "Dun wanna diiiiiie!"
Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force II > Lesser Force III (2.9 > 3.0) Range increased, total radius is now 5 feet. Power extended at this range is the same as Rank II. Power at arm's length is now stronger.
With a unique use of his Lesser Force power and his beetle armor, Danny was able to deflect the Spear Goblin's attack without even touching it--the stick barely scraped his shell coated forearm, and the goblin itself acted as if it had run into a wall. It stumbled back as it thumped invisibly against Danny's magic. In this brief lull the Poltergeist checked on his ghostly friend, and could see that Jason was okay--better than okay, actually, as the Ectoslime seemed to brimming with magical power.
Danny then used his levitation skill, and though it was much heavier than before his body lifted off the ground. Moving like this wasn't as easy as when he was a wisp, more like swimming than flying, but the Spear Goblin was just now getting back up. He delivered a heavy kick to the off balance greenie, with both feet. He heard and felt bones crunch from the impact as the goblin lost its grip on the fishing spear, and the monster tumbled backwards head over heels.
However, the cudgel goblin got the drop on Danny from behind, and swung for the stadium! Danny's side exploded in pain as he was knocked out of the air and to the ground--if he hadn't yelled out "Take this!" when he attacked the spear goblin, no doubt the air would have been knocked from his lungs. Still, he was somewhat dazed...and his opponent approached with a toothy grin, raising the club up for another attack...
Digbie managed to carefully cross the stream with little problem, especially once he used his Earth Wall to block the current. However, using his Tremor Sense in the water produced an entirely unpleasant effect on his equilibrium, much like being drunk. Still, the stream was too shallow and the current too weak to sweep him away even if he did stumble a few times. Once on the other side, he continued in the direction of the shelter. He would probably be there shortly, even though walking while reading was an activity that took a little bit of care...
The next few pages weren't in good shape. Blood smeared over what seemed to be some kind of calendar for holy days, but a few of the names Digbie could still pick out matched what was mentioned in some of the earlier liturgy. A page with what seemed like the start of more prayers for different times of day had been largely torn and badly crumpled. A few more pages had been ripped out completely, leaving behind frayed strings from the book's bindings. But finally, Digbie came to another legible piece.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CANTICLES
Many followers of Jehanne seek nothing more than Her divine acceptance and forgiveness. This in and of itself is admirable, as all struggle to make sense of this world the Maker has created. There is nothing wrong with those who choose this simple life. However, many of the more ardent members of Jehanne's flock will pursue diligent studies to gain further blessings. Like most other organizations dedicated to the Spirits, Jehanne has bade us to do Good Works where we may. The Maiden's Church has many branches devoted to charity work, militant action focused around the defense of Her believers and their communities, healing, missions to spread Her teachings, and the various fiscal and bureaucratic needs that make all of the aforementioned things possible. Depending on where a parishioner wishes to apply their talents, the local Avatar should seek to guide them in their training as best they may. This may include teaching the Canticles.
Simply speaking, to be elborated on by further reading here or in other volumes, Canticles are the Skills and Spells compiled specifically for the purpose of Jehannen woshippers. Many of these abilities are not tied to Jehanne herself, but they are considered Canticles due to their widespread use by the Church. One should take care not to confuse these Canticles, or their usage, with other lists compiled by other doctrines. There will often be a great degree of overlap, but in the same way that our manner of dress or speech may identify us, those who follow Jehanne should strive to understand these magics and techniques using the context of Her teachings. Conflict between the teachings of Spirits is a dangerous thing and should be avoided lest there be no other retort to wrongdoing.
Guidance Also known as the Guiding Ritual, this Canticle is performed by the simple act of prayer itself. It is recommended that one be sure of themselves before they attempt to discern the Lady's signs. Preferably, one should be righteously cleansed and freshly clean, dressed in appropriate attire, and in a calm, quiet place. When praying, be firmly confident that the requests are made with an honest and just heart. Praying for the misfortune of others, for selfish personal gain, and for other evil things--even if one has deluded oneself or tries to ignore the wriggling desires of a demonic heart--will have thoroughly dire consequences. But Jehanne hears our honest desires, and though She sometimes withholds from us that which we most covet, it is always for our own good.
Before one begins to pray, enter a calm state in which one feels the flow of their Magical Power. As Mana progresses through the body's Meridians, some believe that certain physiological rhythms help Prayer. Those who speak prayers aloud may imbue their words with Magic Power; indeed, this is the origin of many hymns and songs used in praising the spirits. Magical Power should be offered up with strong intent. When Jehanne has received the offering and heard the prayers, Her follower must be open-minded and discerning in order to receive Her signs. This can be difficult for those who have difficulty with the abstract. At the same time, the follow must not assume they know the workings of Our Lady, lest they see signs in places where there are none. Indeed, Demonic Powers may be at work to trick the worshipper in such a way.
However, throughout the centuries, the Great Avatars of our Maiden have done much study and debate to compile some of Jehanne's signs that seem to be commonly interpreted in the same ways. Through this, they do not presume to know Jehanne's will, but rather to give the uneducated and unexperienced acolyte a place from which to start. These signs are as such: Fire Visions, Vode in Flight, Musical Sounds, especially if produced by a woman, Movements of the Effigy, and Undue Peace.
There are other Signs listed in other liturgy, and the Scriptures describe many Signs throughout Jehanne's works, but these are often specific in nature and context. The above signs are some of the most general and most common, and many members of the Church, even those who do not practice magic or pursue deeper understanding, have reported them with accurate meanings and results.
Prayers are best when they come from the heart, but of the many ritualized prayers contained within this book, those recommended for Guidance are--
And here again a long rip distorted the page. And more pages after this had become blood spattered. Digbie didn't have a great deal of the book left--perhaps enough for three or four more complete readings, though he might have to piece together various bits to understand them based on what little he already had...
But now, a sudden loud chuffing sound caught Digbie's attention! His Tremor Sense warned him, but not fast enough--whatever this creature was, it had a knack for sneaking around on light feet. A huge mass of dark brown fur came out of the bushes, lunging down the bank of the stream!
Goblins were around three and a half feet tall. Dire Rats were larger than normal rats, so comparing them to Goblins was like comparing a large dog to a normal human. Digbie was a Demigoblin, and thus roughly a foot or so taller than your average greenskin. Thus, comparing him to a Dire Rat would be like comparing a normal human to a medium sized dog. And comparing him to this Giant Rat would be like comparing a normal human to a brown bear.
The Giant Rat leaped with more agility and speed than one would think its large size could generate, and as it closed the distance its enormous jaws opened up. Those massive yellow teeth looked like they could go all the way through Digbie's throat--!
Would he fight? Run? Cry? Was he close enough to the shelter that the others could hear him? Would something else in the woods hear him?
@June Billson At this point, I suppose so. If you're clear on the new character creation process (since the new players are using a slightly different system) go ahead and make an app and I'll check it out. Let me know if you need any info or assistance!
As Ash attempted once more to change the nature of her Mana Orb, she repeated the same process from before. The Mana Orb was created, excess elements she did not want were discarded, she created a nucleus from the purple particles, and tried to find as many of that same type as she could. However, she had left behind other elements this time. Greens, blues, golds, and reds. The first two were in more abundance--there were many golds too, but something told her she didn't need quite so many of these.
The Mana Orb's color became a deeper purple. The green and blue orbs seemed to naturally be drawn towards each other...the gold and red, as well, but their attraction didn't seem as strong.
She began forcing the green and blue squares together in the nucleus. Once she had several of them crammed together, it got hard to pick out specific ones in order to count just how many she had, or how many pairs she could make...then, the particles began merging together! Oscillating lines began to form in the nucleus! But, how many did it take? What order did they merge in? What were the ratios!? How many blues to a green did it take to make purple, or vice versa?!
It began happening too fast for Ash to keep track of, given that she was already splitting her attention between the Mana Orb spell and the Mana Vision spell and this process of shaping and holding her magic in the way that she wanted it. She did know for sure, however, that the blue and green particles were merging to make purple. The purple became more concentrated around the nucleus. The gold and red floated in closer, but were not drawn all the way in, as if they were heavier...or perhaps they had less of a "charge"?
The orb became a deeper purple--but it also stopped glowing so brightly. Instead, the orb seemed to become denser, more solid, more opaque...
A hissing sound emanated from the sphere, followed by fumes that swirled around it. The way it "sat" in Ash's paw suddenly changed--it had shifted from a state close to that of plasma or pure energy, and now seemed like she was holding a bead of liquid of mercury! She couldn't adjust in time, and it fell out of her hand to splash on the floor--!
Splash?
The orb landed, and indeed splashed in a small puddle on the shelter's floor. And it sizzled as it began to eat the layer of dirt over the rocks...
Skill Gain: Poison Splash I (1.0)! Much like other elemental spells collecting trace elements, surrounding impurities and toxins are synthesized with Mana as a catalyst to produce this sphere of liquid poison. Upon impact, it splashes for a small Area of Effect. It may poison an organic target, and deals corrosive damage to most objects.
Outside, Ash's companions were playing with poison as well. At Oberon's request, Torrent launched a Poison Glob at his still-incomplete Wall. The Lesser Wurm used her Magic Analysis to detect what was going on.
Skill Gain: Blunt Resistance I! Take less damage from Blunt types of attacks. If you gain the skills for Slash and Pierce Resistance, skill synergy will produce Physical Damage Resistance.
Skill Rank Up: Poison Glob I > Poison Glob II (1.75 > 2.05)! Stamina Cost increased. Chance to Poison Increased. Damage Increased.
You used Magic Analysis I! ---Wall (Incomplete)--- Oberon is developing the Wall spell. It seems to be focused on creating a wall with Mana for defensive purposes...
TRANSFORMATION STATUS: Fanged Lizard > Immature Lesserwurm Known Currently Possible Transformations: 3 1. Adult Lesserwurm** 2. Adolescent Pygmy Drake** 3. Adolescent Kobold <THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED>
Unknown Currently Possible Transformations: 4
As the Glob hit Oberon's Wall, it clearly wasn't big enough to cover all of the poison. What was left dripped over it and hit the ground--hissing loudly as foul smelling fumes spread all around. Oberon could feel the wall rapidly burning away. Not only was Torrent's attack more powerful, it was also a constantly applied form of damage, as the acidic liquid seemed to stick where it had struck on the magically charged structure. But this was too fast, would he really learn anything if the Wall burned away so quickly?!
To make it resist an attack better...the only thing that immediately, instinctively, came to mind in the few seconds he had was just to push harder, to recreate the Wall with more Mana before it could be completely overrun...With one last burst, Oberon focused his energies.
Skill Gain: Wall I (0.9 > 1.0)! Use a dense field of Mana to create a barrier and repel attacks. This spell requires significantly more MP than many first-rank abilities. But as a result, the Mana is sturdy and can repel or reduce most spells of the same rank to some degree. At this rank, the Wall may only be created within two feet of the caster's body. It may be only created in two dimensional, simple geometric shapes of roughly 1-inch thickness. It cannot cover a total area larger than the caster's body--thus, at this rank it can only defend in one direction at a time. Attempting to cast a second Wall spell will remove the first Wall.
The blue-white square, with gold at its very edges, grew in size! It hardened with a sound like frosting ice, even though it soon began to hiss. It flickered like a hologram as the Poison Glob ate through it--but, in the end, none of the poison got on Oberon himself and a great deal of it had evaporated before the Wall was finally eaten all the way through. Nonetheless, he had done it!
PixieSlime Party
All Skills are Progressing. Skill Progression is based on life experiences, environmental adaptation, natural consequence, and higher interventions.
Skill Rank Up: Limited Shapeshift III > Limited Shapeshift IV (3.9 > 4.0)! Two properties of your body, not including color, temperature, or base material, can now be altered in the same manner outlined at Rank III. Unlike Rank III, these properties can be maintained simultaneously. Your body, or an extension, could become Sharp AND Hard, or gain a Texture while maintaining another property. Your ability to shift fine details with your base form is increased. The ability to shift fine details with extended forms, such as pseudopods, is now the same as the details on the base form from Rank III. If you alter only one property of a form, such as Sharpness, that property is greater than it was at Rank III. Your maximum reach with extensions remains the same. Forms that are most commonly used or associated with earlier Ranks now cost less Stamina to maintain.
Skill Gain: Skewer I (0.9 > 1.0)! Using Stamina, a single Piercing type attack becomes more powerful!
Skill Gain: Slash I (0.8 > 1.0)! Using Stamina, a single Slashing type attack becomes more powerful!
LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 8! Your Max HP has increased (this will not heal current damage)! Your Max Stamina has increased (this will not restore current stamina)! You gain skill points to distribute as you please!
Unspent Skill Points: 7
Current Skills: Physical Damage Resistance I (1.86) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH POINTS> Overwork II (2.0) Blunt Resistance I (1.95) Limited Shapeshift IV (4.0) Smash II (2.25) Pierce Resistance I (1.5) Faster I (1.8) Magic Resistance I (1.1) Harder I (1.35) Counter I (1.25) Cling I (1.2) Slime Whip I (1.4) Throw Item I (1.0) Rabid Fit I (1.0) Iron Gullet I (1.5) Monster Analysis I (1.35) Stamina Furnace I (1.15) Mental Resistance I (1.0) Stronger I (1.1) Slime Shell I (1.25) Blood Drain I (1.0) Earth Resistance I (1.05) Skewer I (1.0) Slash I (1.0) <UNUSABLE> Charisma (0.5) Dextrous (0.7) Soil Manipulation (0.6) Stone Shot (0.55) Slime Coil (0.4) Magic Analysis (0.6) Bounce (0.6) Muffle (0.3) Poison Resistance (0.2) Dash Attack (0.4) Spiritual Awareness (0.2) Intimidate (0.3) First Aid (0.2) Acid Spit (0.2) Fire Resistance (0.3) Water Resistance (0.0125) Focus (0.4) Alert (0.3) Fortify (0.1) Point Strike (0.3) Cleave (0.2) Crafting (0.3) Acid Spit (0.2) Material Analysis (0.1) Telepathy (0.1) Slash Resistance (0.8) Defender (0.1)
As Asura's self-made Karambit pierced his slimy flesh, then cut deep, he felt the blade's path suddenly become more smooth. Two more skills appeared, although the System still didn't seem to understand what he was asking it. After Ardur's healing, he was back to full HP again. While practicing his shapeshifting, his torso looked flabby and didn't seem to stand up properly without putting a lot of effort into it--had he fully formed each different piece correctly? The human body was a conglomeration of so many working parts, did he have the anatomical knowledge to mentally envision, and then recreate, each specific part?
Nonetheless, however, as he formed the last finger of the last hand he suddenly felt as if something clicked. He looked like a crash dummy...but a properly made crash dummy, at the very lesat. He still wouldn't pass for human to anything with eyes, not even in baggy clothes or a cloak, but...it was more than good enough that he could, perhaps with practice, use a weapon or tool...
Then, the System informed him of another Level Up!
Meanwhile, with his items completed, Ardur attempted to communicate with Steve telepathically. As he thought intensely at her, the spider turned and tilted her head as if listening for something. She did not, however, turn three times in a circle. But whenever he spoke to her verbally, she seemed to understand. And she seemed to be able to get some kind of general "feeling" of what he wanted sometimes--she would often help in battle without being told, she had followed him about during that whole debacle in the cave with Jason, and so on. So did the Taming Bond have to get to a higher Rank in order for them to communicate mind-to-mind? Or would the Hipixie need to forge himself a new skill?
As he meditated, the southern winds died down. Clouds passed overhead, obscuring the sun for just a few moments. It didn't seem like it was going to rain or anything--the wind had just picked up, for whatever reason. The weather was pleasant, for now anyway. The group still hadn't moved much...would they return to the hole they had enlarged once night came upon the land?
It would take several minutes for Ardur's mana to be fully restored. As of yet, no other creature had approached the four of them. Momma Slime still seemed deep in thought about something...and while Asura was still pondering his latest level up, Steve once again walloped him with her stone flail.
Rat Party
Current Skills: Beast Sense II (2.75) Rabid Fit I (1.9) Stronger I (1.65) Muffle II (2.275) Use Light Equipment (--) Alert I (1.15) Faster I (1.05) Harder I (1.0) Dynamic Eye I (1.1) Smash I (1.3) Dextrous I (1.1) Monster Analysis I (1.25) Overwork I (1.3) <UNUSABLE> Material Analysis (0.5) Magic Analysis (0.9) Warcry (0.7) Tremor Sense (0.05) Mental Resistance (0.9) Telepathy (0.1) Mana Shape (0.7) Focus (0.8) Shield (0.5) Mana Shell (0.4) Soil Manipulation (0.7) Crafting (0.6) First Aid (0.1) Meditate (0.4) People Sense (0.3) Plant Analysis (0.2) Swift Swimmer (0.4) Charm (0.025) Repel (0.025) Stealth Kill (0.3) Blunt Resistance (0.1) Prehensile Tail (0.5) Mana Strike (0.6) Minor Heal (0.05) Iron Gullet (0.4) Taming (0.1) Suppress Presence (0.5) Use Medium Equipment (0.4) Inspire (0.2) Point Strike (0.3) Strengthen (0.3) Pierce Resistance (0.2) Double Skill (0.1) Deception (0.2) Lucid Dream (0.2)
For now, it seemed that while giving the village a wide berth, the rats would move to the East. Ed sniffed for water, and Asteria did the same but also used her Mana Sense in the hopes that perhaps a large body of water would produce similarly charged magical energy.
Water itself did not truly have a "sense." What even a human nose could detect, however, was the amount of moisture in the air. Perhaps the sea would have the smell of salt and fish, or a stagnant pond could carry the scent of algae and decay, but most of the time the first indicator of significant amounts of water was the increase in moisture and, perhaps, a change in barometric pressure. The rats' noses, being much more sensitive than that of a human, were thus much more capable of detecting even slight changes...
There was definitely water somewhere in the village, but it would very likely be too close to where the people were gathered. Nonetheless, simple tribal peoples like this had to have a well of some sort if they had permanent houses. None of the structures they had built looked nomadic in nature.
There was...just the faintest hint of water. They could only detect it when the breeze blew a certain way, or if they poked their head much higher than was probably safe above the grass stalks. It was coming from the south. However, there was also something else in the air...dust? Sand? Whatever it was, it made one sneeze.
Towards the east, away from the village, they caught a much stronger scent. Yes, this was definitely water. And they couldn't see it even with their enhanced senses, so it had to be far away, a few miles at the least. Yet for it to be this strong...did that mean it was a significantly large body of water, like a lake? Surely they weren't close to the edge of whatever continent they were on already...?
They were also on the lookout for a road, or a path. And as they continued east, they soon found such--an actual dirt road! It had proper ditches dug on either side of it, and looked well worn. There were even ruts from the passage of carts, and hoofprints from livestock or horses of some sort! All the tracks were dry and shallow, so whatever had passed here hadn't done so recently...the path headed further to the east, but also had just the slightest gradation towards the north...
Ghost Party
As Danny clashed with the cudgel wielding goblin, he found that despite being the shorter of the two, he was actually ever-so-slightly stronger than the Goblin! However, Danny's chubby body did not have any of the coordination of the greenskin, nor was he faster. This greater speed and...somewhat better technique, allowed the impish savage to clash evenly with the Poltergeist. They were both forced a step back.
But now the spear wielding Goblin was coming in hard and fast to stab at Danny, and he was still off balance--an attempt to strike back again would be too awkward and slow! What else could he do!?
Meanwhile, Jason continued to harass the net-toting Goblin. As he once again slammed his spiritual form into its physical one, their wrestling match moved into Limbo. Jason's misty hands wrapped around the goblins' throat--
"Yore name gonna be Kakky Oin." He had lived long enough to get a name! The tribe elder handed him a net and a fishing spear. "Youse big 'nuff now ta catch fish--so gets out dere!" The bearded goblin--Jason couldn't help but think of it as peach fuzz, from his perspective--kicked him into the water, and he spluttered as he went down. But Jason remembered this, he had been taught to swim just last week! He struggled to paddle, but when he felt the soft mud under his toes he managed to kick off the ground. He emerged from the water, gasping for breath--
A birth, many others, lots of brothers and sisters. A tribe by a river. Fish, fish, more fish, all there was to eat was fish, but there was a lot of fish. Had to get bigger, stronger, bigger! Jason remembered all of it, it was all flashing through his mind...because he was dying, right? This thing had him and it was killing him, he had to summon up all his will and fight back before his enemy killed him! He needed to push the thing away, not keep squeezing--!
Nira and Femus
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression. You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression. You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I (1.0)! You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
As Femus tried to replicate the Shield spell, he first simply tried to spread his Mana around himself. When the spherical aura that formed failed to trigger anything as a clear effect, he thought more deeply about what he was trying to emulate. As he shaped the energy again, he tried to make it push outward, to resist any incoming force. However, it seemed that maintaining an aura like this was quite draining. When he felt his MP had dropped significantly he returned to meditating.
For now, it seemed the Wisp was actually going to just ignore the wild pixie that had showed up...Instead, he became caught up in his thoughts and theories on magic. Another attempt to produce a Shield was followed by an experiment with his Mana Orbs. Could he produce some kind of charge, that would explode on impact? Could he change the elemental nature of the Orb solely by his will? He used his memories, his imagination, and his will as the fuel to visualize heat, burning, speed and more. He tried to compress the orbs, tried to imagine them doing as he wished.
The change was so subtle, Femus might not have even noticed. The white glow of the Mana Orb took on a slightly yellow hue. And a warm tingle prickled his body, causing the tiny, filament like hairs all over him to stand up and wave, like he had been rubbed with a rubber balloon...
As he pondered the nature of Magic, however, the System suddenly announced that he had gained a new Skill! It had only done this a few times since he woke up in this world...and until now, he hadn't yet gained one of these "Fast Skill Progress" notices. What could that mean?
Meanwhile, Nira practiced Meditation the exact way that Femus had told her--and even strove to improve on it. She could actually feel her mana as it increased, much more rapidly than it had in the past save for the times when she used the Blue Yill flowers. But she hadn't been casting that many spells today--her MP was soon full all the way to the top! She began to try and draw more Mana into her body...then, she noticed the giggling visitor.
Flying after the wild pixie as it flitted about, she attempted to communicate. A meaningless chitter, meant only as a sound that might come across as happy or non-hostile, caused the other fairy to turn and look at her curiously. Then it laughed, putting its tiny hands over its mouth. Flitting over towards Nira, the other pixie pointed at the hollow in the tree--or more accurately, at Femus inside it. Then the tiny fey flew in several loops around Nira, before gesturing towards Femus again and then waving its fist aggressively with a maniacal grin...
Farmstead
"Hmm..." Lear seemed to believe Miiba, but rubbed his chin thoughtfully for several moments. Finally he crossed his arms and sighed.
"Alright, Pixie. I'll help you--but before I bring you into my home, you'll answer her questions." He pointed to Miiba. "And one more of mine. If your story is like Miiba's...then, do you know why you two are like this?"
In the skies behind them, a white hawk appeared in the sky and began to circle. It was heading for the farmhouse, weaving in and out of the smoke column slowly rising from the chimney. For now, the rest of the forest had calmed--Scott must have lost those goblins, and no other creatures had emerged from the wilderness.
You used Monster Analysis II! ---Goblin--- Goblins stand between three and three-and-a-half feet tall on average, and while their physical strength isn't to be underestimated, they are much like human children. However, their natural cunning and viciousness is far more vile, and while they can use tools they have a limited intelligence. They tend to form savage tribes with little in common save for the constant drive to survive, and a lack of emotional control that causes them to do whatever they feel necessary to satisfy any primal craving they happen to feel at any given moment. ---Analysis Complete!---
As Danny's Mana Orb formed, growing brighter and denser as he activated its second rank, the goblins began to hesitate. They couldn't see Jason as he floated towards them, full of malice, but watched with wide eyes as Danny stretched the Mana Orb out between his hands. The magic felt surprisingly malleable in the Poltergeist's hands--but keeping it in the shape he had chosen felt like holding a rubber band at full extension. He had to constantly exert an effort to make it keep this form, and the simple cylinder he had created felt as fragile as a flourescent light tube.
But the goblins didn't balk for long. The one holding the spear rushed forward with a cry and tried to stab the small, pale creature before him. Danny swung the "mana stick" to try and block whatever he could, and when the two clashed there was a slight smell of burning wood and an electrical crackle in the air. Danny's shaped spell shattered like glass in his hands, tiny particles of light scattering all around him and quickly dissipating. But it had still knocked the goblin backwards, and he examined his spear for a moment to see that it had been slightly damaged by the exchange. The goblin holding the net began to twirl it, ready for a throw.
Cold like ice passed through its body, and its breath caught in its lungs. The goblin let out a choked gasp. The world went black and white, and Jason once more stood face to face with a goblin in the misty world in-between. As Jason's form shifted between man and slime, an unstable hand clenched towards the goblin. A sparkling trail was drawn from the monster to the ectoslime as Mana Drain activated. The goblin screamed; in the real world, it shook its head and began backing away as it jerked and thrashed.
"Sumpin's got me, sumpin's got me!" it began to cry, distracting its bretheren for a moment. Danny might have a chance to get off an attack if he was quick...
Jason's telepathy sent a loud, echoing wail through the monochrome void, and outside the goblin screamed too and began flailing in the area where Jason floated, even though he couldn't see the spirit. Like pushing away a leaf floating on the water, the contact between them was broken. Jason felt almost as if he were knocked off balance, and would have to pull his ethereal form together again before he could make another assault.
The distraction lasted only a moment. Whatever Danny had done in that short time, now the goblin with a cudgel charged forward and swung hard at the Poltergeist. That thick tree limb looked like it would hurt at least as much as being hit with a baseball bat, if not more...
@Bright_Ops Sorry, don't want to make ya feel like you have to do a ton of extra work. Even just a placeholder with like, the tutorial guy or something would be more than fine. I just didn't know if that's what your plan was or not.
By the way if anyone has trouble coming up with cool Orc names, I don't remember where I found a few rules on Black Speech (Tolkien's languages are meticulously constructed, the man himself was a linguistics professor) but I did find this site with a long list of words and their Uruk equivalents. I don't know how legit it is, but most things seem to match up with what you can already find on the Shadow of War and LotR wikis.
@Bright_Ops Also, did you want me to wait until you had a zeroth post or another post in the Character tab? Depending on what your plans are, maybe having a first CS post with the names of prominent NPCs--like those captains we're trying to usurp--would be convenient?
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