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Stitia, Plane of 13 Deaths (RPG Style Saga/My First Saga)
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Having been startled awake from the nightmare, it is seemingly impossible for Byro to go back to sleep now. Knowing that his parents' skeletal remains are in the room next door, he has an idea. His father is the first person Byro can recall to incure the plague, maybe he can obtain some answers from the bones and its marrow.
Byro spends the early morning hours going from house to house and shop to shop acquiring anything that looks relevant to his research and survival. He knows that, for now, Gothael is a literal ghost town. Maybe he can clean up the streets and death and decay over time. But, as the times be's, Byro will look for a carriage or wagon that he can use to have some sort of a traveling shop...
Action Phase - HOSTILE ENCOUNTER - A Battle of Bows and Feathers
This is pretty early compared to when I planned on introducing HP, so there won’t be any lethal consequences to players in this encounter. If a player takes three hits, they’ll be forced to retreat.
Verth kneeled before the High Duskelf, offering his aid. So far, this has been the least violent night mission of the year for Verth, who would normally be deep in werewolf territory hunting, normally scoring a body count of three by now, 5 since the Moon of Catastrophes began. Despite a feeling of lust for combat whelping inside his chest, Verth stood formally in the High Elf’s Chambers, negotiating. Little did he know his request for help was being dramatically intercepted, and that hopes for an alliance could be dashed on this very night...
On a clifftop sits a once noble ranger, who once only longed for love. Now, he longs for vengeance, in hopes of striking down his allies before they could betray him. Vyrx. He readies a magic longbow, and a vengeful fire burns within its wielder. A power never felt by him before surges through his body, and his eyes flash as he readies an extremely potent arrow. No one knows what he has prepared for them, or that tonight might be the last night the Duskwood Clan breathes the air of Stitia.
“Your assistance is always appreciated, Verth.” The High Duskelf Chalantra rings. “Your samaritan crusades have helped us a great deal. We currently don’t have any major threats, but we could use some help dealing with the Bloodwood Clan.” Verth obliges. Chalantra walks to Verth and presents a map. “I have here a map of a major attack against our people. Significant casualties are possible, but between your bow skills and your impressive control over lycanthropy, your help could prevent many of them.” Chalantra draws a small marker on the map. On the 15th of June, I’d like to-“
“Madame Chalantra! Move out of the way!”
“Gods save us all!”
Verth looks out the window to see what appears to be a thousand ephemeral arrows cascading towards the territory. A stray one passes through the balcony porthole, striking Chalantra in the neck. The wound is not fatal, but she needs medical help.
“The High Elf is down! Everyone! Battle statio-“
Magic arrows pierce the walls, flaying every elf in the room and barely missing Verth. In his arms, his greatest hope for vengeance against the werewolf Layre was fading away. He would have to tend Chalantra’s wounds himself, but if he didn’t take care of the attackers, he wouldn’t have to worry about it, because the entire Duskwood Clan could die here. Transforming into a wereaven, Verth promised Chalantra he’d be back for her before jumping off the balcony at the top of the Hometree. Scanning the entire territory for enemies, he found no one, before receiving a powerful arrow to his chest. He nearly falls from the sheer force, but the combination of the Moon of Catastrophes and a strong will kept him airborne as he moved in to attack...
D U E L
Each of you is to submit a card to me through private messages, depicting actions you would take, attacks you would perform, weapons you would use, spells you would cast, etc.. Then, the cards will be judged. For every two points below the other player the loser is, they will take a hit. The first to take three hits will be forced to retreat. After each matchup, if both players still stand, two more cards will be asked for.
Criteria
• 2 points for proper rarity
• 3 points for fittingness
• 15 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity
• Remember. You can’t submit a card you’ve already submitted, and you’ll lose five points if your card is not new.
B. Continue the heist.
"Things are looking better," Wosy said as he returned to the table, three glasses in hand. "Good thing I didn't try this by myself. I didn't know about half those defenses."
He slid the first glass over to Pathos, then offered the second to Chertraum. She refused the glass as Wosy knew she would and he started working on the two drinks himself.
"Being in the Beyond is like being in a bees nest," Pathos said. "Everyone is expected to be busy in very specific ways. Going through specific passages at specific times, keeping there eyes on their supposed tasks at all times. Are your people capable of that level of discipline?"
"My lads may enjoy being free spirits, but they enjoy being alive and wealthy more. They will be able to play an angel for a day."
Pathos took a drink. "This is actually very good."
"I know, and I didn't even have to damn anyone's soul to get it, are you sure you don't want one Cherub? It might unwind you a bit."
"No, and my name is Chertraum."
"You sure? You could afford to relax a bit."
"Wosy, stop," Pathos warned.
"Is she in a mood? Or is she always been this way?" Wosy continued unabated. "I think I know what's going on. You just had your first shit, didn't you? Nothing reminds you that you've fallen from grace like shitting into a hole."
In one smooth motion Chertraum tossed the table aside, picked up Wosy by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the wall.
"Wow, wow Cherub. It was just a joke."
Chertraum snarled, held him for a second, and then let him go.
Pathos stood up. "Wosy, would you mind getting broom and pan? We need to clean this up."
"I'm not your errand boy."
"Wosy-"
"I get it, I get it." Wosy made his way out. "And you were worried about my mens discipline," he said as he shut the door.
"Chertraum-"
"I know. I'm sorry."
"We need Wosy. Without his-"
"I get OK?" Chertraum began pacing across the floor. "I really do, I just... I hate this."
"You hate what?"
"This!" Chertraum gestured towards herself. "I hate the food. I hate how the water sloshes around in my stomach. My nose is filled with snot. I smell, I itch everywhere, and-" Chertraum yelped and hopped onto one foot. A shard of glass had impaled the other.
"You need to start wearing shoes," Pathos said as he pulled the glass out.
"My feet can't breath in those."
"Sandals then. Take a seat. I'll bind up your foot."
Pathos grabbed his medicine kit and returned. "I get it you know, it was very hard for me too when I first fell."
"How did you handle it?"
Pathos began cleaning the wound. "Not as well as you have been to be honest. I know we've given up a lot. But we've gained some things as well. Food can be delicious you know. Sleep can be restful. Then of course there is sex and drugs."
"All pathways to sin."
"Yes. But they are not inherently sinful in and of themselves. Joy rests in each of those things, otherwise no one would be tempted to sin. We are now going to be tempted in ways we never have been before."
"Unless we decide to lead joyless lives."
"Tell me, why did you hit Wosy?"
"I didn't like him calling me Cherub, and what he said earlier about..." Chertraum trailed off.
"You have navigated tens of thousands of dreams. You must have encountered worse then Wosy. Did you attack them?"
"No. I lost my temper. I've never lost my temper before."
"It will happen again," Pathos said as he pulled out the bandages. "Living a joyless live will not relive you of sin. You lost your temper because you were unhappy, and you needed to direct that unhappiness at something."
"So it's a trap. I sin if I don't indulge myself, and I sin if I do."
Pathos wrapped the bandages around "One thing you'll quickly discover in the next few weeks is the death of absolutes. We are no longer perfect beings and we can no longer live perfect lives. You will have to learn how to find happiness and face the temptations of over indulgence.
"Bold words, for someone entering uninvited in a stranger's domain," answered Xataxji to the vampire's arrogant entrance.
"Your... domain ? And what are you supposed to be, creature ?" snarled back Carla Mal.
The demon gave a mockery of a smile, flashing fangs like kitchen knives. "I name myself Xataxji, and this is the Ziggurat of Jedam, currently my residence," he replied. "You are the second uninvited intruder here in a matter of days. I feel like I'm running an inn or something."
He slithered closer. "Now, if you please, explain your presence, and submit yourself for subsequent termination. I have pressing affairs."
"Why you..." Carla's frown turned to a furious scowl, and she bared her fangs.
"She's an angry one," thought Xataxji, unfazed. Apparently she had just gotten out of a scrap: her clothings were in tatters, her skin criss-crossed with crimson scars.
Then the unthinkable happened. The vampire attacked. If Xataxji had eyes, they would have opened wide in disbelief. The assault was, in fact, ridiculous. He was a Demon of Deals, born of the Twelth Circle of the Abyss, with twenty-nine superior demon souls absorbed in his lifetime. Well, thirty actually, in regard of recent events.
He was one of the top dogs, one of the apex. He knew it. Padetra knew it.
This vampire apparently didn't. She leaped onto Xataxji's coiled body, only for him to spring back with a hiss. He had had enough of tresspassers: with a roar, he conjured a glob of black, oily flames, and hurled it at his attacker. The vampire vaulted over the projectile with disdain, and landed perfectly on the black stone of the balcony, poised for another strike. The flaming orb screeched into the distance.
"Pathetic. Am I in the slums of Padetra, to be gretted by such measly opponents ?"
Xataxji couldn't help but laugh, incredulous at Carla's ignorance of his abilities. This only infuriated the vampire.
"Silence, mongrel ! You will learn resp-"
The flaming orb was back, after a lazy arc in the cold Padetran evening air. The vampire was engulfed in the thick flames, which then solidified in an obsidian-like crystal.
"Finally, some silence !" sighed Xataxji. He summoned his narghile, and settled down to smoke on his balcony, exhaling clouds that his cultits would greedily inhale to experience visions during ceremonies. But right now, he was alone, contemplating the Padetran cityscape.
The crystaline prison had now shrivelled to a minuscule purple octahedron, flickering with the enraged vampire's essence. The demon picked it up between two long claws, opened the top of his narghile, and dropped the octahedron inside, where it landed amongst other similar crystals that were smoldering gently. Xataxji replaced the lid, leaned back, and inhaled the sweet smoke with undisguised satisfaction.
Xataxji is going to take things in hands. He now descends down into Padetra and the world beyond, firmly decided to find who is trying to wrong him, and why in the Fifteen Hells people keep landing on his doorstep and attempt to kill him.
@EpicBoss99 vs. @Bowler218
Vryx Attacking the Duskwood Clan, Verth Counterattacking
Verth rushes in to intercept the attacker. Is it really only this one person? His thought is confirmed as Vryx launches another barrage of arrows, this time aimed in Verth’s general direction. Once again, another rainstorm of fletches pelts on Duskwood territory, and Verth is caught within. He needs a quick solution to this problem. If he can’t take this man out now, who’s to say what will happen next...
Verth finds an opening in the barrage, and feigns injury, catching some of the arrows, but making it seem as though he was impaled. In his bloodthirsty rage, Vryx takes the bait. Letting out a battle cry, Vryx’s body begins to literally seethe with rage, as though he has been possessed.
“That’s right, little werebird! Get out of the way and stay out!”
Verth’s original plan would now be more effective than before, given the extra arrows. Rolling behind a tree and transforming back into a human, he climbs the tree, quickly rigging up an elaborate trap to distract the deranged bowman. With how powerful the archer was, there was no way a sniper duel would be even, so Verth nested the arrows into his longbow, used three of them to secure it, and then carried his plan into action...
Transforming into his wereraven form, Verth attempts to intimidate the archer before swooping in to attack. "Alright buddy! Here's the deal! Leave now, or suffer the consequences! I'm not one to give second chances!" Then, in a blur, Verth cloaked himself, moved in, and sprung the trap. A small volley of arrows came in towards Vryx, and he was forced to dodge, breaking aim. He quickly reset himself, firing a focused volley towards the location of incoming fire. But then he noticed that no one was-
*SNAP*
Verth underestimated the power of his strike. With a great kick, bones and arrows alike broke as Verth’s kick impacted Vryx’s quiver. Even for Verth is was bloodcurdling. Vryx fell to the ground, paralyzed. The kick broke his spine. Verth doesn’t realize this, and perceives the blow as fatal. He goes to pick up the seemingly limp body of Vryx, when suddenly, a spirit appears before him and stops him in his tracks.
“Stop this now!” Arlin... all this time, she has been following Vryx, aiding him in his battles, but now, she appeared, a spirit. “You monster! You have no business with us!”
Verth corrects her, as he just moments before swore his allegiance to the Duskwood. This was just as personal for Verth as it was for Vryx. Both had come here with the goal of securing vengeance, but on different terms and in different ways.
“You won’t do harm to this man any longer! Begone with you!” Arlin shields Vryx from any further harm as she carries him off to safety. Verth searches the perimeter for any more signs of intruders, and finds absolutely none. Satisfied that the threat to the Duskwood has been neutralized, Verth flies back to the top of the Hometree and begins mending Chalantra’s wounds. Hopefully he’s not too late...
Interaction Result: The Duskwood Clan is safe from the threat of Vryx. Paralyzed, Vryx is carried away by Arlin so he can be healed.
Ouch... I was expecting this battle to be close, but a miscalculation cost @Bowler218 the entire bout. If HP were enabled at this point of the saga, it would of nearly left Vryx with a fatal injury. To add to the pain, @EpicBoss99 Once again nailed a perfect score, leaving Bowler absolutely no room for error.
Score Comparison
Verth wins, landing 4 hits in a single attack with an 8 point round one win.
Distracting Arrow Trap: 20/20
• 2 points for proper rarity
• 3 points for fittingness
• 15 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity (Note: Minor miswording not judged)
I see what you tried to do with this spell. It’s very much balanced, but a better way to trigger the trap cost is to trigger it when the power/toughness of an opponent’s creature is changed, and to have the ability prevent all other changes to its power and toughness from spells, abilities, and counters this turn. Other than that, I get what it’s supposed to do, and it gets a perfect score.
Vryx’s Ambush 12/20 (Miss)
• 2 points for proper rarity
• 3 points for fittingness
• 7 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity (Very undercosted, overpowered) (note: minor miswording not judged)
This should cost a good six mana at least. It was very hard to find any comparable cards, but what I did find concerned me. If this grants a +1/+1 counter upon dealing combat damage to a player, it would cost seven. If this is supposed to grant an unblocked creature +1/+1 until end of turn, it would cost six. I like the card, don’t get me wrong, but it should definitely cost significantly more.
As you anchor up at Nutheport, you are greeted by a small group of devils. “Teegar! Big buddy!” You haven’t gotten used to the tall stature of your demonic victim, and the devils seem relatively small. Once, you could look one in the eye if you were sitting, but now, it’s like you could accidentally crush one if you stepped on it.
You try to dig through Teegar’s memories. You don’t want to say the wrong thing to these people. Then, you remember... pretty well, in fact. These were Teegar’s best friends, and they frequently spoke in foul tongue. It hurts you, but you let out a trademark phrase of Teegar’s, filled with more profanities than you’d like to think about.
“You haven’t changed one bit, have you? C’mon! We were just about to head to the Slamming Door!” The Slamming Door? Ah... a dive bar. You tell them you’ll be a little late, since you need a clear head to make the right choice.
Action Phase, Challenge 1
You walk into the market Teegar usually does business with, but it’s abandoned. It looks like a major fight broke out here. You read the sign posted on the wall. In fine print, it reads “No window shopping! Customers only. No leaving without a purchase, or it’ll be shakedown time!” You look down, and a small sign rests against the wall. Painted in blood, it reads “Closed indefinitely due to unforeseeable circumstances.” Must of been major. Suddenly, you hear a bell jingle behind you.
“Hey! It’s freaking Teegar! So sorry the shop’s closed pal, but it’s a good thing I decided to carry my cart through here! I take it you were here to suit up for a contract? Whose getting a crab claw through their chest this time? Tell me! Please?” You tell you need to load up to take down a caravan carrying corpses to Padetra. “Ah! The main man’s got you workin’ hard, I see! Then you’re gonna need an armory. Thankfully, I’ve got what you’re looking for.”
This man, Crobar, has the tools you need for the job. You have 1200G (twelve mana) to spend on three things. You need:
• A powerful weapon to assault the caravan
• Heavy Duty combat armor
• Three copies of a fairly inexpensive weapon you can arm your crew with (you must be able to afford at least three of these) -OR- A heavy weapon multiple members of your crew will use.
Criteria:
• Your weapon and armor both need to be equipment.
• If you are giving your crew three of a single inexpensive weapon, it must be an equipment as well. Otherwise, it has to be an artifact.
• Do not take equip costs into account. Only the casting cost of the cards count towards your 12 mana limit
Your overall score will be ranked based on the average of you three scores. Effectiveness of the weapons and armor will be judged by how balanced the cards are, but you will still be judged on if it would feasibly do anything.
Scoring Criteria:
• 3 points for proper rarity
• 3 points for fittingness
• 4 points for response to threat
• 10 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity
• Remember. You can’t submit a card you’ve already submitted, and you’ll lose five points if your card is not new.
This time, as the maximum score is 20, you will miss if your overall score is less than 13.
“So, Madame Mastiffa. We have evaluated the... ‘work force’ and the, would you say, ‘logistics’ of your plan. We’ve sent allies to scout the areas, and we may have found prime locations to start your indenture- Erm, heheheh... Adventure.”
Choose a Prime Location to start the first branch of your business. For reference is the threat level and potential of each. In order to run the business, you’ll need money and blood, so take these into account.
- Abandoned Market in Etsane (Threat Level Medium, Potential PC [Player Character] Interference, High Profit Potential, Medium Blood Potential): “This area actually cleared out... quite recently. A possession, according to eyewitnesses, killed one of the owners and two of the guards. You may face gang harassment and the potential return of the business owner, but in Etsane, ownership means nothing. I’m sure they’ll get over it when we hang them feet-first from a hook!”
- Ghost Town in Ystheria (Threat Level Low, Potential PC Partnership/Interference, Low Profit Potential, High Blood Potential): “There’s a town area that’s been long abandoned in Ystheria due to the plague, but we managed to find a safe area people will be willing to go to. Plus, I’ve heard rumors that... the Plague Doctor moved back in. Perhaps you could get some business from him.”
- Abandoned Cathedral in Nasita (Competition, Threat Level Moderate, Medium Profit Potential, Highest Blood Potential): “It’s risky, but you can always rely on business from a friendly, neighborhood demon! They’re a lot less ‘desperate and willing to pay any price’ and more ‘used to paying with blood’. So at least you won’t get any shady faces when you post that blood is the preferred method of payment!”
- Inn for Sale in Yrntrn (Threat Level High, Potential PC Partnership/Interference, Highest Profit Potential, Moderate Blood Potential): “I’m pretty sure the seller won’t argue if we take this off their hands for a small amount of blood. It’s been for sale for over a decade! I know, sales work the other way around! The payment to him is his life! Or, we just gut the sod and call it a day. Anyways, we’ll have to watch out since the land of angels is right across the water, but if you want the most G for your services, this is where you’ll find it!”
Scholars are noting a dramatic increase in the number of divine beings abandoning their duties, including the Lord Arbiter Rafael and the last Retributionist, Arne. People are beginning to question the gods...
We are providing a service within other service, doesn't matter how desperate a person will be, there will be a grade of hesitation and, if unchecked, would back down on the deal. The inn should be the place where we show the benefits of our business, I don't want any kind of patron and our service staff must be young and beautiful, our food must be a milestone of local cuisine and our beverages... I will not allow to be less than perfect.
This is our plan:
1. Scout the lands for beautiful men and women, offer them a deal too, they must WANT to work with us. Most important: Don't take childrens nor younger ones.
2. The dwarves must have a brewery, we need a steady flow of kegs.
3. I adore the elven and human cuisine, we need a couple of cooks. Try them to be a couple in love, or make them think they are in love, that will add an extra to the food.
4. I let the decoration of the inn to you.
(Hit! There was nothing significant you missed during the day.)
As you fly over the turnstiles, you notice that the security of the museum is basically nonexistent. A single guard stands in front of the place, and you easily just fly around him, out of his field of view. A vast open area stands before you, and you are awestruck at just how big the place actually is. Replica spirit lanterns, supposedly enchanted and cursed weapons from holy wars, urns said to contain the spirits of the dead...
As you search the museum, you find a lot of things to be neat and interesting, although you do have another encounter with a not-so-fake spirit lantern in a lockbox. So far, though, your search has not been that fruitful. This place seems to be a sort of tourist trap. You thought that maybe, just maybe, you could find some insight on “The Six”, but the closest you’ve found is the Holy War of 666, where the gods were forced to intervene directly, and supposedly, one of them betrayed and was killed, being replaced by Conse..... something... doesn’t seem right about that. You read the last paragraph over and over and over...
“On that fateful Hour, the Decider, Ramesos, turned against his fellow gods, as the Retributionist Sith had warned them would happen. An awe inspiring conflict of power ensued, as the Pantheon warred against itself. Cities were destroyed. Land was reshaped as a huge section of Stitia broke away from the once singular mass of land. Sprot entrapped Ramesos in a great flurry of giant stalks as Nohel cleansed his mind. Zythl wiped him of his immortality as Faer arose with twin blades that shook the plane as they struck. And finally, as his weapon came crashing down, Conse ended Ramesos’s life, casting his essence to another realm so that it may never plague Stitia again. With a power vacuum formed, the gods decided that Conse was most worthy of the role of Decider, promoting him with their power, and electing Sith as a god.”
Why does this paragraph haunt you? This story mentions something about Ysa. He was alive at the time, so maybe he can shed some light onto this... but how would you find him?
Action Phase - Challenge 1
You continue you search for knowledge, when you feel a strange sensation. As if the world around you is warping.
“What-... we do, now that-...“ Is someone coming?
“I-... we se-...” No. No one is coming. Echoes ring inside of your head as reality continues to warp.
“Very well. We need to-...“ Disembodied voices. Who are they? What are they? Suddenly, everything goes silent, and you find yourself in an empty room...
“Begone, outsider of this world! This is a Realm in which you don’t belong!” A slash that cuts through your very being. This time it’s real. A shadowy figure in dark cloth, armed with an ephemeral blade. You sense tremendous power coming from her. She’s no ordinary ghost hunter, that’s for sure...
“You must be the one. One slash of my blade should have killed you,”
“But you won’t survive two!”
You are being attacked from both directions, and you attempt to strike down the attackers. But you can’t. They are both wearing sigiled amulets that are protecting them from your attacks.
The Challenge: Make a card that can deal with Yr Dra and a token copy of her. Both of them have +1/+1 and indestructible. You can submit up to three cards this way, with the average being used to determine effectiveness. This time, spell effectiveness will be judged mainly by how balanced the card is, but you will still be judged on if it would feasibly do anything.
• 3 points for proper rarity
• 3 points for fittingness
• 4 points for response to threat
• 10 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity
• Remember. You can’t submit a card you’ve already submitted, and you’ll lose five points if your card is not new.
This time, as the maximum score is 20, you will miss if your score is less than 13. Misses will not cause significant harm to you at this point in the Saga.
(So three cards right, there are my options:
1st path: Rafael closed his eyes as he tried to control his overwhelming emotions, and he fortunately succesful in doing that because Arne told him to stay on the right path, right before he collapsed into unconsciousness. The fallen angel, empowered by the power of a Retributionist, then chose to empower himself by using the aspect of righteousness of the said power, to turn himself into Rafael, the Angel of Justice.
2nd path: Rafael closed his eyes as he tried to control his overwhelming emotions, and he failed in doing that because Arne collapsed too fast into unconsciousness. The fallen angel, empowered by the power of a Retributionist, then overwhelmed by his anger, as he transformed himself by using the said power to turn into Rafael, the Lord of Vengeance.
3rd path: Rafael closed his eyes as he tried to control his overwhelming emotions, but the enemy gave no time to him as Arne's parallel struck him too with a death spell. The fallen angel was dead, but the given power of a Retributionist was still lingered as it returned Rafael back to life, but the power was also tainted by the dark magic that was cast by the parallel, causing the fallen angel to be transformed into Rafael, the Hand of Death.
It seems as if reality is having a hard time keeping up with the actions of combat, and somehow, past, present, and future have merged. Rafael is pierced before the blessing can finish, as it finishes, and soon after, all at once, and suddenly disappears.
“I was powerless at the Six’s side. I always was. And now, the lion shall feast upon the kitten...”
With Rafael out of the picture, Arne’s parallel prepares to strike Niyan, when suddenly, reality seems to have decided. An omnipresent blade blocks the parallel right in its tracks. “What in the name of-“
Out of nowhere, Rafael emerges, but not in any previously tangible form. The sheer power of the gods flow through him, threefold, and it’s uncontrollable. Never before had a living being been so powerful. He may even be capable of slaying gods, but right now, all of that power is directed through a longblade towards Arne’s parallel. Life, death, and pain. Light, dark, and fire. The purifying light of the Beyond, spliced with hellfire as it breaks open the doors of damnation.
The blade pierces the parallel’s dark aura as it shatters into a million pieces. It whips through the hair of Niyan’s parallel, causing some of it to fly off from the sheer chaotic energy. The beast lets out a mighty roar, not to intimidate, but from the sheer pain of the blade as it impales him. “How?! This shouldn’t be possible! I am more powerful than all of you! You may have been made by the gods, but I am their descendant! I will prev-aaack.....”
The next slice of the longblade hits the parallel’s throat, and he begins coughing up blood as he struggles to breath. Rafael knows that a killing blow is all that’s needed. As he raises the blade down to decapitate the beast, something happens. The blade bears through its neck, killing it, but both it and the beast fizzle. Suddenly, both are less grand in stature as another blade falls, killing the beast again. But the third time is the parallel’s charm, as the blade of a pure, but far less powerful angel breaks over its neck. The beast had died in two realities, but in this one, it still lives, and Rafael is out of luck as the parallel’s tail pierces him, incapacitating him, but not killing him.
@Aggroman15 “Fair leonin... it’s all up to you...”
Action Phase - Challenge One
“That’s a lot of ranks...” Kia is apparently surprised as you attempt to familiarize her with the thousands of ranks among the divine. You’re an Archangel, and a Divine Scholar. She’s a Denizen Angel, and a Divine Freshman. The assistants in the temple are many ranks, ranging from mere Archcherubs going through adolescence to the Guardian Angel... the position you used to hold.
It’s very apparent that you never expected to be sitting here all day, reading rankings from a giant book and familiarizing Kia with them. Thankfully, it’s over, and that’s the lesson for the day. As you close the book, Kia seems mildly unamused. “Is that all? We don’t get an assignment?” An assignment... right... something to enforce her knowledge and encourage her to remember. You didn’t come prepared for this...
The Challenge: Create a creature card depicting any of the following divine beings. You can submit up to three cards this way, with the average being used to determine effectiveness. Each card will be judged mainly by how balanced the card is. This is a noncombat scenario, so the main factor here is just making sure the card is realistic.
• 3 points for proper rarity
• 7 points for proper flavor, card feel, and staying within the color pie
• 10 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity
• Remember. You can’t submit a card you’ve already submitted, and you’ll lose five points if your card is not new.
This time, as the maximum score is 20, you will miss if your score is less than 13. Misses will not cause significant harm to you at this point in the Saga. However, it could mean missed growth for your ally.
Here are the figures you can choose from —
- Miana, a famous blue and white Divine Scholar, said to have invented writing.
- Charter, a white and green Angelic Surveyor that created the map of Stitia.
- Sery, a notorious white and black Fulfiller of Blessings that stole donations from the High Church of Hitcherald.
- Ari, a white and red Warrior Angel hellbent on vengeance
- Hearu, a monowhite Divine Arbiter who died as a martyr during an attack.
//You made a choice involving chance. There’s a 25% chance you can find a cart you can wheel around without a horse and a 25% chance you can find a horse-drawn wagon (minus the horses). This leaves a 45% chance that there will be no operational vehicles you can use. Let’s see what you find... (the other 5% is left for a miracle)
As you look up and down the streets of Gothael, you search for some kind of vehicle you can use to make a traveling medicine shop. Your search proves fruitless, as dryrotted and molded carts and wagons lay around, useless. You find a cart that seems to be in good repair, until you go to wheel it, when the axle snaps and the bottom of the cart crumbles.
You’re about to give up. In a bit of frustration, you feel the need to kick something, so your foot finds a rock and sends it flying. You hear glass break. Startled, you look, and find a merchant’s wagon in seemingly new condition, minus... blood and corpses, plus the window you accidentally broke. The merchant on board is dead, as well as the horses that drew the wagon. It seems they died from the plague. You go to empty the cabin, when suddenly, you hear a moan. A man, also wearing a death mask. Another plague doctor?! You rush in to investigate.
“Ahhhhhh... someone... help me...” The man’s voice is raspy from dehydration, and he bears a high grade fever. Another plague victim. Try to escort him out, but he refuses to leave. “Don’t try to heal me. Water... water...” You give the man some water to drink. Not much, as the nearest source of potable water is a few miles away, and purifying water is a pain. “Thank you... B-Byro.” The man draws back his mask as he goes to take a drink. It’s Reggie, an old friend of yours. You thought he was dead. You weren’t far off.
“Why did you come back?” You came here looking for answers, and a better way of life. A way to make a more direct impact, and to carry out your research in solitude. “You... made a terrible mistake. I came here in search of answers. I hoped to one day... finally rid this place of its curse. I thought I was immune like you. When everyone died, I still lived. I never got the plague. But here I am. I rode in here days ago... healthy and ready to solve this once and for all. But now... it’s over Byro. If... you really want to stay on this path... I have some research papers in the back. Take my belongings. I have two amulets... supposedly, they’re supposed to... bring people back from the dead. Do with them as you please, but... don’t use them on me. Goodbye, old pal. I’ll... see you... on the other side.”
You bid Reggie farewell as he passes away. Those amulets... there... are two horses for the carriage, but then... there’s so many other things you could do with them. It is your choice what you do with them.
Any time you come across a dead significant character, you may use one of your amulets. There is only a 25% chance they will work, however.
Will you attempt to use the amulets to revive the horses?
Chertraum is limping as she tries to walk. It’s apparent that she’s in major pain as you and her walk out of the bar. “I guess Arne was right... I shouldn’t of argued with you.”
You knew he was right. You might not know him well, but you know his history. 429 years watching over this world must have played a lot on his mind. All it took was about a third of that time for you to snap. And yet, part of you envies him for being able to go on so long, willing to be a puppet as hundreds of thousands of people he could of saved die. You’re getting off track, so you try to think about something good to say to Chertraum, but you notice she isn’t following you anymore.
“So, Cherub-“
“Don’t call me that. In the Beyond it’s derogatory. You’re basically calling me a baby.”
“I- I’m sorry I’m a bit off the rocker. What is your name again?”
“Chertraum.” Chertraum is now sitting at the bar. You turn to look at her, and she doesn’t realize you’ve noticed her yet.
“Look. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I’ve always been a kinda jester, always takin’ my sick sense of humor too far. Normally there’s no one around to give me an axe to the neck.”
“Um... u-um... Wus...y?”
Wosy laughs. Chertraum doesn’t even realize what she just said. “It’s Wosy, darling. Wosy.”
“Wosy. I-I-i... I’m sorry for what I did earlier.”
“Apologies accepted. I’m sorry too.” He leans in to whisper, but you can still hear him. “See, you’re learning. The last angel I knew that was in your kind of predicament kept actively trying to murder me, so you’re definitely on the right track.”
You chuckle a little, and Chertraum realizes you’re listening. She blushes.
“Now don’t be embarrassed, Cher- er- ertraum.”
“I- um- uh- I- was... just... apologizing- to Wosy! I’m coming!”
“Hahahah! Look at you lying! I can tell it’s your first time, you’re redder than a devil! You came back here for your drink, didn’t you?”
She did, didn’t she? You sit down next to her. “Yeah... I guess...”
Two hours later...
Welp. You didn’t expect this to happen.
“Pathos? Pathos? Could... you stop breathing on me...?”
As you fly across the city to the safehouse Wosy lent you in Etsane, you are carrying Chertraum. She broke down and decided to have a drink, and of course, now she’s intoxicated. You told her she shouldn’t of tried the house special. You learned that the hard way.
“Uh... look at me. LOOK AT ME. I came here... a week ago... to save you, and now I’m DRUNK. What am I doing?”
As you land on the rooftop of an inconspicuous building, you put Chertraum down on her feet, and she begins to fall. She tries to use her wings to stabilize herself, and all she does is leave you laughing uncontrollably as flies off the rooftop and headfirst into the window of an adjacent building. You fly over to get her, as she is stuck. This time, you set her on the ground, and you notice that her beautiful silk dress is now colored an unsightly yellow. You quickly rush to get her into the safehouse in time...
The next day
“Well, I’ll be! You got her here in one- um... did I choose a bad time?” Wosy comes around the corner to you attempting to wash Chertraum’s dress. “Heheheh... I warned her not to try the house special. I did that too the first time I drank it.” You don’t even want to know.
3/3
"These are three powerful angels I admire somewhat. I would like you to research them. I will review your discoveries tomorrow."
Action Phase - Challenge 1
“Anyways...” Wosy Crot begins. “I was talking to the crew. We’ve got a major problem keeping us from even starting preparations.” Wosy throws a piece of paper on a table nearby. “Even though the fat cats have been well overthrown here, there is still a legal system. See, some prissy tongue from Ystheria was in the bar yesterday, eavesdropping. I tried to get the son of a gun and he bloody fled. However, I was able to brand him. My sources report that he’s with Ystherian authorities, and he’s meeting with the governor of Etsane later today. If we don’t knock this guy off, he’ll rat, and then Wosy Crot is getting hunted down. We’ll need a plan.”
Chertraum comes into the room in her robe, still a little woozy from yesterday. “So, from what I heard, you’re asking us to kill him?! We can’t do that!”
You correct her. Oh yes... you definitely can. “That’s right, Chertraum. We need this guy to become a corpse, and we need to make sure he ain’t comin’ back!”
“Not coming back? Pretty sure if he’s dead, only a necromancer could bring him back to life. Right? Right?”
“Ohohoh... alrighty. History lesson. Sometimes they just spring back to life. Sometimes, they’re reborn as lower beings. But no matter what, if someone gets murdered, dies a death of sin, or gets killed by, let’s say, a contract killer, they come back to life. It’s called the Cursed Rebirth... and it’s ugly. Some of us are born with a natural resistance. Others earn it. Chertraum. I think it’s time you became a Triskaidian.”
“Tris.. kaidian?”
“Yeah. For some reason, the Cursed Rebirth scars those who witness it, or who are unlucky enough to be around when it happens.” Wosy lifts his shirt to reveal a strange symbol on his abdomen. You remove the gauntlet on your left hand to reveal the same symbol, imprinted on your palm. You’ve seen it a lot from the Beyond. People dying, only to get back up. It’s bizarre. What’s also bizarre is that, although she has watched over many a person in her sleep, she hasn’t become a Triskaidian yet.
“When this mark carves itself into your skin, damnation comes knocking on your door, but in return, you have the power to stop it. Some random kid I knew watched his mother get killed, then get back up. Never had a talent before. Suddenly, he became a freaking lithomancer. Trust me, not as a demon, but as a friend. As a mortal, the power is worth the curse.”
“It’s not worth me killing someone.” Chertraum insists.
“No one said you had to do the killing...”
The Challenge: “Anyways, Pathos. Here’s the deal. You’ll need a silent way to deal with this guy. He’ll be meeting the governor... on a rooftop, stupidly. You’ll need to stay out of sight, out of mind. No one will suspect an angel, but they WILL suspect an angel who’s flying over top of them with a bow. Any questions?”
Choose an approach, then make a card depicting your plan of action
1. There is an angel that looks similar to you guarding the target. With a minor glamour (appearance altering magic) you could fit the bill. Make a card to deal with the angel. Both lethal and nonlethal actions are a go, but the angel will not be alone, so it must be subtle and inconspicuous.
2. The balcony the meeting will take place on is damaged. If you had a way to take it out from a distance, the target would be helpless. Create a spell or weapon you can use to destroy it. It must either have a long enough range to reach from an inconspicuous location, or be unnoticeable.
3. The governor always serves tea during his meetings. Make a card that depicts how you will poison the tea without being noticed.
4. Find a way to knock the target off the balcony without being noticed.
5. Make a different card capable of killing the target without you being detected.
You can submit up to three cards depicting the process of your assassination, but only one can be the card depicting the elimination of the target. The average score of the entries will used to determine effectiveness. This time, spell effectiveness will be judged mainly by how balanced the card is, but you will still be judged on if it would feasibly do anything.
• 3 points for proper rarity
• 3 points for fittingness
• 4 points for response to threat
• 10 points for card effect and balancing, excluding rarity
• Remember. You can’t submit a card you’ve already submitted, and you’ll lose five points if your card is not new.
This time, as the maximum score is 20, you will miss if your score is less than 13. Misses will not cause significant harm to you at this point in the Saga.
New Rivalry Opportunity:
@EpicBoss99 That archer... who was he? You’ve seen the master archers among the Duskwood, and yet non have performed such feats, let alone out of pure violence. If there’s a chance of this happening again, you’ll need to hunt this man down, or else he could be a worse threat than Layre.
@Bowler218 That was no ordinary werebird. Lycanthropes frequently have little to no control over their forms, especially considering the Moon of Catastrophes. You’ve heard of intelligent lycanthropes like Layre, but this one was able to hold intelligent conversation. To understand the concepts of ally and enemy... as long as this werebird still lives, your hopes of vengeance against the Duskwood are dashed.
Either of you can choose to escalate this encounter into a rivalry.
Rivalry Ended
@ElMagici You hear a scream in the distance, and it sounds vaguely familiar. An hour later, one of your servants come to speak with you. “Madame Mastiffa! I have most wondrous news! The threat you fought last week, that wretched vampire Carla. She is dead! The Mal bloodline is no more.”
With Xataxji’s killing, your rival’s life comes to an end.
There is a way I can do this without killing the entire clan, but you would still protect them wouldn't you?
As you lie still in a mental prison, you finally feel something. Movement. A minor bump on the back... and pain... extreme pain... you suddenly feel everything, with an exception. Everything from your abdomen down is empty. Just painful. But every other part of you feels the bumps and the rattling. You open your eyes, and see two doctors. A solution of alcohol is being used to numb you, but it doesn’t do much.
“Kevlar, he’s awake.”
“Good. That’s means he’s alive. Sir. Can you speak?”
You attempt to speak, but words won’t come out. You try to shake your head no, and it won’t move.
“This isn’t good. Try raising your hand for me please.”
Your hands are motionless and still. You can’t move anything, and your eyesight is limited to what’s right in front of you. Only your lids function.
“*sigh* Can you understand me? Close your eyes.” You close them. “At least we have that. Now open them.” You oblige. “Okay. We’re looking at a case of potential full body paralysis. Let’s hope it’s not too late for divine intervention.” You are barely able to move your eyes as you see a luminous glow in the far corner of the wagon. A familiar face stares back. Arlin...
You are arriving at Allschurch, Ystheria
“What is the matter with him? My clerics will be in momentarily.”
“Full body paralysis, caused by an incredibly powerful blow to the middle back. Werebird.”
“Conse almighty, get him out of here at once!”
“At least heal him first!”
“We need to inspect him. He could be infected.”
“*sigh* Please don’t let him die...”
As the clerics prepare to perform a healing ritual, the priest inspects your wound. A plethora of arrows splintered into your back, and it’s hard to tell if there are claw marks or not...
Turning Point - Affair of Feathers
Tomorrow, a coin will be flipped to decide your fate. No matter the case, things could take a major turn...
Byro puts the amulet around a horse’s neck, and it begins to work its magic. The corpse begins to reanimate, and he can see the horse struggling to rise as power seeps into it from the amulet. Its eyes glow, and it kicks the dirt around, and Byro is shocked as it manages to make it onto its legs. However, it’s incredibly weak. Limping, it takes a moment to survey its surroundings before collapsing back to the ground for good. The amulet is out of power, and the glow fades from its eyes as the amulet crumbles into pieces.
"Oh well, it was worth a shot." Byro mutters to himself.
With that, he gathers all the rest of Reggies useful gear, and Reggie himself for that matter. He doesn't remember the last time he had such a fresh corpse, nor one that has come from the origin point. Byro does the best he can at getting everything back to his family house to really set up shop. The traveling shop will just have to wait 'til he can find some fresh horses.
On his trudge back to the house, Byro ponders on his nightmarish of a dream and the just recent death of his friend. The dream showed him, a man presumably immune to the plague deaths, sickened by the plague. Then shortly later, he runs into the dying Reggie, whom he thought was also immune. Was the dream for-shadowing Reggie, or was it an omen of Byros demise?
Mastiffa: Good, find who did it and extend my gratitude.
// (Sorry I couldn’t do this yesterday. Have to start getting up earlier due to physical therapy.)