Turn 28:
Turn 27
Neophytos the Sole Survivor, Psychic Pain Spider (randomgenericusername)
"Knowing when to run and kill? Thanks for the hint. Lef me give you one, to return the favor: Never correct your opponent while he's commiting a mistake."
Fly higher and taunt it, trying to trick the wasp into following me. Continue dodging attacks in the sky and firing mind blasts back while trying to distance the fight from our starting point until we're away from the energy field.
Taunt:Easy-Moderate 8: [8]
Outcome: [1] -Success-
The heat of the fight had caused both of you to be easier to provocate. The Elemanoptera lost some of its cool, and followed you.
Dodge:Moderate 10: [3]-4 (Pain, Fatigue and Wound)
Outcome: [2] -Critical Failure-
Tri-elemental Volley:(Pow 3 vs Res 1): [14]-3 (Slight Fatigue, Rage) vs [1]-4 (Pain, Fatigue and Wound)
Critical: [-] -Critical Hit-
Damage: [10]*2=20
Saving Roll: [3]
The enraged Elemanoptera unleashed a volley of elemental bolts on your position. There were too many projectiles. Your body felt heavier than the minutes before, and you couldn't dodge in time.
You nearly lost consciousness from all the overwhelming pain.
Mind Blast:(Pow 1 vs Res 0): [2]-6 (Fatigue, Critical State) vs [8]-3 (Slight Fatigue, Rage)
The blast "brushed off" its mind. The Elemanoptera started charging another volley.
Was it the end?
Luck Roll: [6]
Just as you thought your hour had come, the Surger fired its attack in another direction, striking a winged shadow. Then several Bird and flying Insect monsters attack the Surger, while a Beast monster with the appearance of a mongoose appeared above you.
"Hang in there!"
He started carrying you away. He was one of the civilians you met fleeing. These birds and insects too...
Why?
Why did they come back?
The Surger was striking them down effortlessly one by one, and the area was still charged...
Nearby Monsters:-Elemanoptera Tri-Surger
[Hostile]> Field of elemental energy
-8
HP: 1/15
MP: 4/12
Essence: 2 + a small amount
Status:
Critical Wound
Critical State
Tired
Location:
-North Savarde Jungle - Arachnastinian Territories
Skee, the Insect Parasite (Legendary Marksdorf)
((Did the Banera fall too, or only the Makralians ?))
The beast is vulnerable now, keep attacking and use vicious bite, aiming for the Banera's neck.
Bite Neck:(Str 1 vs Con 2): [2]+2 (Rallying Cry, Group) vs [6]-2 (Badly Wounded)
Critical: [4]+2 -Normal Hit-
Damage: [4]*(2/3)=[3]
The Banera roared, furious and in pain. The spots on its body started glowing with a menacing red light.
Banera:(Str 3 vs Con [1,1,1,1,1]): [8]+0 (Enhancement, Badly Wounded) (Rallying Cry, Group) vs [7,8,10,10,11]+2 (Rallying Cry, Group)
Critical: [4] -Normal Counterattack-
(Str [1,1,1,1,1] vs Con 2): [11,3,6,4,4]+2 (Rallying Cry, Group) vs [6]+0 (Enhancement, Badly Wounded)
Critical: [7] -Normal Hits-
Damage: [12]*2/3=[8]
The Banera's might suddenly increased, and it attempted to shake you off by slashing you with its tail. But you all managed to dodge the tail, and counterattack with even more vicious bites!
The Banera was on the verge of death, you were actually close to defeating it!
Nearby Monsters:-4 Adult Makralians
-Black Banera:
[Hostile] [Badly Wounded]> -35
HP: 10/10
MP: 10/10
Essence: 1/2
Status:
-Fine
Location:
-North Savarde Jungle - Heading for the Reunion spot
Host: Adult Makralian
HP: 15/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: -/10(Not awakened)
Status:
-Fine
Attributes:
Str 1
Con 1
Pow -1
Res 0
Int 1
Ind 1
Known Skills:
-Rallying Call
-Vicious Bite
-Fur Hardening
-??
Azarian, the Imbued Thoughtling (Dustan Hache)
Carefully search the area. There must be something nearby, be it monsters or relics.
Search: Memories of the ShamanEasy-Moderate 8: [17]
Outcome: [1] -Success-
You kept following the memories of the Shaman, walking through these ashen hills. First you found the remains of an Ogre camp. It was probably the place they rested in before they reached your place. The memories you had stopped here, so you explored the surroundings randomly.
You eventually found a tower in the middle of nowhere. It was similar to a lighthouse, and its front door had been smashed apart. There was an Ogre-sized hole instead. Inside the Tower were stairs leading upward and downward.
You climbed the decrepit stone stairs of the tower, on your guard for any presence. At the beacon, there was some sort of large magical tool of some sort, taller than an ogre and large enough to occupy most of the room.
Now only the levels underground were left to explore.
HP: 17/17
MP: 17/17
Essence: 5/20
Status:
-Fine
Location:
-South-Easternmost Nepkeros
> Control Tower
Gray the Unstable Prismetal Blaster (Beirus)
((Aww man, missed another turn. Oh well, at least I'll make the next one))
Split off two more 1 HP parts and have them use the Staff and Solid glyphs to shape the light and shadow into a something hopefully cool I can use.
Following Hinrab's advice, you split off two more bodyparts and had them form a Shape (Staff) glyph and a Solidify glyph.
Glyph Magic -Multiple Activations-:[Shape (Staff)], [Solidify]
Moderate-Hard (11): [3]+4 (Focus)
Outcome Roll: [5] -Partial Success-
Glyph Magic -Multiple Activations- (2nd Try):[Shape (Staff)], [Solidify]
Moderate-Hard (11): [11]+4 (Focus)
Outcome Roll: [2] -Success-
-4MPIt took you a little longer for your mana flow to stabilize. The glyphs activated, and the light and shadow coiled into the shape of a simple staff.
You grabbed it. It was a very interesting sensation. The solid light felt like smooth glass, while the solid shadow felt like dry mud.
"A staff? An interesting choice... Ah what am I saying, amazing performance! You succeeded in a spell of element-shaping, which is quite an intermediary level of spell. Time for some extra lesson on elements! You used glyphs to create Light and Shadow elements, which are classified as immaterial and non-energetic elements. By using a shaping glyph and a solidify glyph, you turned these two elements into their solid material forms."Hinrab made a long lecture about elements and magic. Elements summoned through most spells didn't persist and would be converted back into mana after a varying duration. Your staff, for example, would last a hour or two.
Elements were classified in three categories.
The material elements, Earth, Water and Air. They could be felt and had a weight, unlike other elements.
The energetic elements, Fire, Thunder and Cold.
The etheric elements, Light, Twilight and Shadow.
The energetic and etheric elements could assume a material form. These material forms occured extremely rarely in nature, and magic allowed to easily create these material forms.
In the case of Light, "solid light" had barely no weight, was razor sharp and pretty solid. "Solid shadow", on the other hand, was extremely heavy and sturdy.
As he finished the lesson, you both noticed how late it was. You returned to sleep, hoping you would actually manage to wake up the next day...
[Timeskip...]
You and Brown will have the opportunity to live in Farune for a few days, maybe even two weeks. What will you do during your stay?
As a big city of Ashafan, Farune possesses several libraries, its arenas, various stores and more...
Nearby Humans:-Hinrab, Masen disciple: FriendlyHP: 18/21 + 7 split parts
MP: 2/18
Essence: 20
Status:
-Excited
-Very sligh loss of cohesion
Inventory:
-Cloak of the Disciple (worn)
-Desert Traveler Gear (M)
Note:
[Martial Art knowledge increased]
[Magic Knowledge Increased]
[Combination attack development in progress]
Location:
-City of Farune
> Hinrab's House
Companion: Brown the Dirt Protector
HP: 20/20
MP: 14/14
Status:
-Exhausted
Inventory:
-Cloak of the Disciple (tied around)
-Desert Traveler Gear (XL)
Go'Von, the Strangler Ooze (Puppyguard)
Go'Von
Scale a ceiling and hunt.
My HP is still at 6 for some reason. Must be a temporal anomaly!
Hunt Roll: [2]
Roaming the cave on that comfy ceiling, you didn't manage to find any prey.
Event Roll: [3]
Eventually though, nothing happened. This smooth cave seemed curiously empty, but you didn't feel danger of some kind there.
[Timeskip...]
You have been hanging around the caves for a while. You will be there for a while longer too, what did you do during the following days?
Were you trying to find a particular place, such as the Surface, or deeper caves? Did you hunt, and was there something you absolutely wanted to do during this time?
Nearby Monsters:-None
HP: 15/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: 3/10
Status:
-Invigorated
-One arm lost
Location:
-Underground, Cave Network
> Smooth Rock Cave
Eximius Res, the Rusty Ring (Hawk132)
"... I've made a mistake. We're getting the hell out of here! Kid, grab Veras and run!"
Activate Blink and Limiter Release. We're noping away.
[Also, I've actually read the previous turns properly now instead of skimming them and I noticed a thing. Liel seems kinda similar to a certain other character in here.]
"Understood!"Prias reacted immediately to your words.
Blink:
-2MPLimiter Release:Easy 5: [8]
Outcome: [1] -Success-
A great power coursed through Prias' body and his physical abilities increased greatly. He grabbed Veras and made a run for it.
Escape: Limiter Release+BlinkEasy 5: [3]
Outcome: [4] -Critical Failure-
Prias started running at inhuman speeds, when something suddenly grabbed his ankles. With his momentum and Veras weight, he slammed on the ground with such force he probably would have died if he were not under the effect of Limiter Release.
-4HPYou saw that rock hands had emerged from the ground. It was a spell casted by the Royal Guard.
Dispel: -4MP(Pow 2 vs Pow 1): [5] vs [1]
Outcome: [2] -Success-
Veras reacted immediately despite the shock, dispelling the rock hands.
"GO!" he shouted.
Escape: Limiter Release+Blink Badly WoundedEasy 8: [1] -Critical Failure-
The moment it took for Prias to get up and start running again, the Royal Guard had closed the distance with a monstrous sprint. It thrust it halberd.
Royal Guard Halberd Thrust:(Str 4 vs Con 1): [1] vs [12]-2 (Limiter Release, Badly Wounded, Previous Failure)
Critical: [4] -Normal Counterattack-
You and Prias have no idea how it happened, but your host managed to deflect the attack with the bow. Not willing to waste this occasion, you resumed running.
Escape: Limiter Release+Blink Badly Wounded+Close EnemyHard 12: [2]
Outcome: [1] -Critical Failure-
Royal Guard Halberd Slash:(Str 4 vs Con 1): [3] vs [5]-2 (Limiter Release, Badly Wounded, Previous Failure)
Critical: [3] -Normal Hit-
Damage: [9]*2.5=23
Saving Roll: [4]
The Eternal Royal Guard chained a powerful slash, which Prias could not dodge. The ornate blade sliced easily through the man's flesh, severing his right arm and destroying his right side.
Through a miracle of resilience, he was still alive.
Teleport:Hard 15: [3]
Outcome: [1] -Critical Failure-
Veras attempted to cast his trump card, but before he could finish focusing his mana, the Guard's halberd had impaled him.
Final Escape Attempt:Impossible 18: [20] -Critical Success-
All hope was lost. You were going to lost another host. Maybe you were actually going to die, too.
Then something suddenly changed in Prias. You felt it. It was familiar. It shouldn't be possible. A great power flowed through Prias, and he moved at an impossible speed, as if Blink was constantly active on him. He took Veras, dodged the Royal Guard's attacks, and ran all the way to the entrance of the ruin...
...and as soon as you exited, now safe, he collapsed and all that power was gone.
Nearby Monsters:-None!
HP: 15/15
MP: 4/12
Essence: 5/10
Status:
-Ring Form
Location:
-Safara (Eastern Village of Nepkeros)
-Unnnamed Ruined Nepkeros Magical Facility
Host: Prias, Human Villager of Safara
HP: 3/10
MP: 10/10
Status:
-Badly Wounded
-Bonded
Internal Scars
Gear:
-Large Composite Bow (6 Arrows)
-Heavy Steel Shield
Inventory:
-Lot of survival stuff
Attributes:
Str 0 (1)+1
Con 1+1
Pow 0
Res 0 (1)
Int -1
Ind 1
Notes:
-Locked Potential (True and acknowledged)
-Ancient Combat Techniques (Bonus to combat)
Companion: Veras, Human Archeomancist
HP: 1/10
MP: 9/25
Status:
-Critical State
Estimated Attributes:
Str -
Con -
Pow +
Res +
Int +
Ind =
Notes:
-Investigated Prias "restraints"
-Known Villagers:
Veras: the village's mage
Sandra, Septor, Iseis: Prias's close friends
Eten, Luaros: villagers on townwatch
Ulkas, the Horned Demon (Sarrak)
"Well, getting here was quite interesting... Some thanks go to Radasars for reminding us about our persistant weakness, but finally having power to change that feels great. Do you see any worthy prey here, my Queen?"
(Liel, how far are we from the beacon? And how goes your information gathering?)
Essence: Lesser to Ulkas, all Medium to Astrosa.
See how we may continue and hunt some more. Share information gathered within our group, if any of note. See if Liel may offer any more pointers on our efficiency.
(The beacon is near, 12km to the north-west. The data I obtained from our travel proved valuable, especially after sending them to Xatares. While the Essence concentrations of this world are lower than in our time, its volatility is incredible. That would explain why it is so easily absorbed by the beings of the present.)Liel analysis:Moderate 10: [18]
Outcome: 2 -Success-
(Your battle data is promising too. You two sport great compatibility and coordination, greatly increasing your potential together. However, the strength of your duo is also your weakness. If you get separated, your chances of winning greatly decrease, and I could provide advice to develop countermeasures against such strategies.)
(Unrelated to this, there is an odd observation I noticed. The sky have changed since our time. More accurately, several constellations of that didn't exist before appeared, and these shine even brighter than the others.)After traveling with you, Liel had started picking up the Monstrous Tongue. This language was new to her, and fascinated Xatares. It seems it didn't exist in the old world, so something must have given birth to it somehow.
"What about my battle performances Liel?"Liel replied to Astrosa with detailed reports of her combats. Ever since Astrosa had come to understand the value of knowledge, she had started working on developing more battle tactics. Liel helped her a lot in that regard, offering advice and observations.
Hunt:Moderate 10: [14]
Outcome: 6 -Overshoot-
You started walking toward your destination, and passed through one of the "holes" of these plains. Those were actually curious areas of low elevation, hidden from the sun for most of the day. Inside them could be found a whole new ecosystem. Tall trees reaching all the way to the sea level, and more importantly, monsters.
Hunting one of these monsters, you ended up in an ambush. A dozen monsters looking like humanoid lizards with dozen insect-like eyes.
Astrosa smiled, and so did you. They were trapped here with you.
Analysing enemy capabilities.Nearby Monsters:-14 Skalruogs:
Stage 1
Max HP 15
Max MP 12
STR 1
CON 1
POW -1
RES -1
INT 1
IND 0-1
[Poisons detected]
[No magic affinity detected]
-2 unknown lifeforms
HP: 21/29
MP: 48/48
Essence: 100/120
Status:
-Fine
Gear:
-Xatares Adaptative Suit
-Xatares Mining Armor
-Xatares Shielding Device (Glove)
Inventory:
-Ashafan Journal about the Taes ruins.
Contents: partial map of the early levels of the Taes complex. Expedition log.
-Xatares Shatterer
-Xatares Collapser
Location:
-South of Copper Desert, Levemite Ruins "Xatares" Outside
Companion: Astrosa
HP: 63/63
MP: 39/39
Essence: 130/300
Attributes:
STR 6
CON 2
POW 0
RES 0 (+2) (Bracelet
INT 0 (+1)
IND 3
Status:
-Nothing
Gear:
-Xatares Adaptative Suit
-Xatares Mining Armor
-Xatares Shielding Device (Glove)
Inventory:
-Electrum Bracelet of Magical Protection (+2 Res)
-Xatares Shatterer
-Xatares Collapser
Companion: Liel
-Data still pending-
Status:
-Worn [Special]
Squelchy, the Omnislime (Coolrune206)
Squelchy thanks the oozeless dragon immensely, and gives it a brief synopsis of the events the slimes have been through in the last few days. He then asks about Jeruga's words; does this dragon know any of the "nice places" Jeruga mentioned. Squelchy had a worrying suspicion that the area they were in right now was one of them, and considering it was already inhabited, the rest may be too.
The dragon listened your story attentively.
"Mmh, you met Jeruga. He was a spring guardian too, long ago. He was probably speaking of the Sacred Springs when he spoke of nice places. If he told you of them, it means you were worthy of living in their vicinity. Sorry about your losses, my comrade who attacked you couldn't know."The dragon snapped his tongue as a sign of annoyment.
"Mmh. Unfortunately, the lands under the protection of the spring guardians are no longer safe. The jungle changed too much, power was granted to too many of its denizens. The guardians can barely protect their spring after all."
"Ah, my name is Xorosk. You are?"Nearby Monsters:-Xorosk, 'Spring Guardian' Superior Miasma Dragon
FriendlyHP: 10/17
MP: 11/17
Essence: 6/20
Status:
-Fine
-Full
-Slightly Tired
Location:
-Savarde Jungle - North Area
> The Sacred Spring
Terrence the Bone Baron - (ironsnake345)
Ok, there's a lot of them, but if we get the first strike and whittle down their numbers from the start, we can probably take them...
Terrence picks a hole and attemts to store himself compactly hidden inside, ready to jump out! Have Artomal step back a bit, putting Terrence between himself and the many-armed barbarians. Have Vel try to hide between the other two, off to one side, forming a triangular formation. When the barbarians arrive, wait for them to either A: get more or less surrounded with in our triangular formation or B: discover either of the hidden fighters. When either of those conditions happen, leap out of hiding and attack!
(of course this is all under the assumption that Artomal is willing to fight. If not, that changes things a bit...)
Hide!: Easy-Moderate 9: [12]
Outcome: [2] -Success-
You begin the improvised battle plan. Both Vel and you manage to hide appropriately, while Artomal decided to act as a decoy to fool the assailants.
The specter taunted his pursuers, and they took the bait. Rushing toward his position, they ended up within your triangle. Both you and Vel sprung out of your position, while Artomal summoned a spectral rapier.
Ambush!:(Str 1 vs Con 1): [4]+6 (Bonesword2, Ambush!4) vs [12]
No CounterattackYour opponent displayed a surprising dexterity, deflecting your strike with its dagger like claws!
Vel: Ambush!:(Str 1 vs Con 1): [8]+6 (Sword2, Ambush!4) vs [5]
Critical: [1] -No Critical-
Damage: [3]+1=[4]
Vel on the other hand, managed to land a clean hit on his target!
Artomal started dueling one of the Rippers, managing to land several strikes.
Nearby Monsters:-Artomal, 'Gentleman' Specter
Ally-8 Undead Rippers (humanoid, 4 to 6 clawed arms, no armor)
> one to -4
> one to -5
HP: 15/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: 5/10
Status:
-Fine
Inventory:
-Bone Broadsword [Wielded]
Location:
-Deadland of Easenval
> Fog
Companion: Vel[/color]
HP: 15/15
MP: 12/12
Essence: 6/10
Status:
-Not fine at all hohoho
Inventory:
-Rusty Arming Sword [Wielded]
[/list]