[h3]Pool Party[/h3] [@Searat][@Kazemitsu][@Guy0fV4lor][@SilverPaw] [hr] [quote=System:Jason] Your efforts have culminated in a new Skill! Skill Gain: Telepathy I! Channeling Mana through thoughts creates Psychic-type abilities. At Rank I, this skill can only be used when you are in physical contact with another creature. This skill can only send simple thoughts or emotions. This skill is currently only one-way transmission. This skill is an Active Non-Offensive Spell and consumes MP. [/quote] [quote=System:Asura] Your efforts have increased your ability with a Skill! Skill Rank Up! Limited Shapeshift I > Limited Shapeshift II! Stamina drain decreased. You can now project your body at longer ranges (up to five feet). You can now increase the “mass” of a shape, though your total mass and weight cannot change--as an example, you could form a dense blob at the end of your pseudopod to strike an enemy with. You can now create slightly more complex geometric shapes. [/quote] [quote=System:Ed] You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression. [/quote] Just as it seemed Jason really wasn’t getting anywhere, even after attempting to use all of his MP and force the skill through, something felt like it just…[i]clicked.[/i] Jason formed a thought, visualized the travel of that thought through himself and into Ed, and he placed Mana within that visualization. Thought became reality, and magic became mentality. “Test!” said Jason’s voice, [i]inside[/i] Ed’s head. Ed’s own experiment seemed to be having some results, but as of yet he didn’t feel anything [i]completely[/i] different...there did seem to be, however, a warm tingle flowing through his body, almost like feeling his pulse...But this certainly wasn’t the beating of his heart or the pumping of his blood, he somehow knew instinctively. Asura, too, seemed to have finally achieved some headway in his manipulation of his shape. He had, of course, been practicing for a while with the way he rolled all around the cave...and his stunt with the whip seemed to have been that final bit of oomph he required. Mother Rat seemed to sense that something was going on with Ed, and moved closer to Asteria, looking between her offspring and their fellow Dire Rat. She sniffed the air tentatively once more, then looked pointedly at Jason, following the connections of his pseudopods back to Ed. She let out a whuffling sigh. [hr] [h3]Orchid’s Party[/h3] [@Lucius Cypher][@ReusableSword] [quote=System:Orchid] You have faced dangerous odds, and survived. Your experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 3! Your Max HP increases! You have new Skill Points you may distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 5 Current Skills: Use Light Equipment (--) Pacify Animal I (1.0) Stronger I (1.5) Crafting III (3.125) Material Analysis I (1.2) Monster Analysis I (1.1) Muffle (0.7) Deception (0.6) Charm (0.3) Charisma (0.2) Alert (0.2) Stone Shot (0.3) Slash (0.3) Warcry (0.2) Pierce Resistance (0.4) Blunt Resistance (0.1) Blood Drain (0.3) Taboo (0.5) Smash (0.5) Skewer (0.2) Mental Resistance (0.1) Fireball (0.2) Mana Orb (0.2) Focus (0.2) Magic Analysis (0.1) Faster (0.1) Overwork (0.1) Intercept (0.2) Defender (0.2) Rabid Fit (0.1) Paragon (0.3) [/quote] [quote=System:Ardur] You have faced dangerous odds, and survived. Your experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 2! Your Max MP increases! You have new Skill Points you may distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 5 Current Skills: Shield I (1.3) Lesser Flight II (2.45) Minor Heal II (2.6) Keen Sight (0.1) Keen Ear (0.1) Muffle (0.5) Physical Conditioning (0.9) Alchemy (0.5) Crafting (0.3) Taming (0.3) Faster (0.2) Magic Analysis (0.4) Mana Orb (0.1) Fireball (0.1) Focus (0.3) Throw Voice (0.1) Mana Strike (0.4) Point Strike (0.1) Charisma (0.2) Dextrous (0.2) [/quote] As Orchid and Ardur fled the battle, once they were out of range of the other monsters--or at least it seemed they weren’t being pursued anymore--system messages suddenly appeared to them. While they decided what to do with this information however, there were other pressing matters of concern. “Youngling? Who you whisperin’ to!?” Crispy shouted, looking around this way and that despite being temporarily blinded. He uncovered his eye for a moment--the splinter Ardur had stabbed him with was gone, apparently not being deep enough to lodge itself in his sight organ, but the eye was still covered in blood. He might not be blind forever, but it seemed it would take a while to heal...unless maybe the Herbs could do it. But now, the goblin and pixie would find themselves less than a hundred yards from the entrance to the cave. All of the fallen rocks and dead bodies of monsters caught up in the landslide had been cleared away. The sunlight was almost blinding, and warm in a way much more comforting than Crispy’s bonfire had been. Three goblins were standing under the archway, apparently in conversation as they were turned away from Orchid at the moment and huddled together. They looked to be standing guard, or at least on lookout… [hr] [h3]Rain/Mourningstar’s Party[/h3] [@Old Amsterdam][@Gardevoiran][@King Cosmos][@CriticalHit] [quote=System:Rain] You have faced dangerous odds, and survived. Your experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 3! Your Max Stamina increases! You have new Skill Points you may distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 5 Current Skills: Stun Fang I (1.9) Poison Spit I (1.5) Muffle II (2.4) Crafting (0.2) Alchemy (0.4) Alert (0.3) Stealth Kill (0.25) Poison Glob (0.9) Fireball (0.025) Warcry (0.1) Poison Fang (0.1) Blunt Resistance (0.1) Smash (0.1) Rabid Fit (0.3) [/quote] [quote=System:Digbie] You have faced dangerous odds, and survived. Your experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 2! Your Max MP increases! You have new Skill Points you may distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 5 Current Skills: Use Light Equipment (--) Tremor Sense II (2.05) Soil Manipulation (0.8) Stone Shot (0.6) Quake (0.5) Rock Spire (0.5) Stronger (0.5) Crafting (0.3) Fortify (0.1) Point Strike (0.2) Smash (0.1) Throw Item (0.2) Monster Analysis (0.1) You have equipped a Woodland Pickaxe! This item consists of a Curved Stick and another type of stick bound together with vines. It can be used as a weapon, but is more effective as a tool. Allows you to dig and harvest materials from the earth more effectively. Power up. Weapon durability up. [/quote] [quote=System:Oberon] You have faced dangerous odds, and survived. Your experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 3! Your Max MP increases! You have new Skill Points you may distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 10 Current Skills: Minor Heal I (1.5) Lesser Flight I (1.5) Shield II (2.9) Magic Analysis II (2.1) Mana Orb I (1.2) Meditation (0.2) Mana Shape (0.2) Focus (0.2) Lesser Status Heal (0.3) Monster Analysis (0.3) Material Analysis (0.1) Plant Analysis (0.1) Mental Resistance (0.2) Wall (0.1) Faster (0.2) [/quote] [quote=System:Orochi] You have faced dangerous odds, and survived. Your experiences have culminated into new power! You are now Level 2! Your Max Stamina increases! You have new Skill Points you may distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 5 Current Skills: Stun Fang I (1.3) Poison Spit I (1.4) Scribe I (1.0) Monster Analysis (0.2) Crafting (0.2) Alchemy (0.4) Muffle (0.4) Stealth Kill (0.2) Pierce Resist (0.1) Slash Resist (0.1) Faster (0.2) Rabid Fit (0.1) [/quote] [b][[Everyone in the party has leveled up, but I’ve only responded to those who have posted so far in the interests of post length and number of mentions.]][/b] Though Mourningstar and Oberon were separated from the others somewhat, it seemed like the entire ambush group had survived the encounter. The three goblins were all very much dead, and though Crispy had escaped he was at least wounded. The battle showed that the monsters, while perhaps lacking individually, could be a formidable force together. And now, even individually they would be more powerful, according to the System… But Crispy had been having trouble feeding his fire this morning because of the cave in. And now, after the battle, the bonfire had begun to die down, leaving a rather large and deep pile of ashes around the firepit...along with something that glowed ever so slightly not with the deep red of fire, but with a calming blue color… [hr] [h3]Ash’s Party[/h3] [@Duthguy][@Rune_Alchemist][@CollectorOfMyst] As Danny looked at the Pixie after analyzing the dead Goblin, he received another message just before he turned away to retch. [quote=System:Danny] Used Monster Analysis I! Effectiveness at 100%. Pixie A tiny humanoid Fey-type Monster. While somewhat intelligent, they lack empathy towards one another even compared to beasts like Goblins. Capable of flight and healing magic, but not physically strong or skilled enough to fight or use weapons well. [color=red]This one is unusual. [/color][/quote] Meanwhile, Ash took a more forcible stance with the wild lizard. As she slammed its head into the dirt it’s tail thrashed for just a moment. But finally it seemed to understand its predicament, and kept its snout shut. Remaining perfectly still, even after Ash lifted her claw, it seemed to be waiting. It obviously didn’t want to be hit, and so far every time it had been hit had been after interacting with the female lizard. It watched her warily, but didn’t dare provoke her wrath again. [quote=System:Ash] You have temporarily dominated a Fanged Lizard! Fanged Lizard reluctantly joins your party! Dominated creatures will only remain under specific conditions. [/quote] Scott called out for Ash not to hurt the beast, and even as he approached it didn’t move, though it’s eyes and tongue flickered in his direction. If it were possible for reptiles to sweat this one likely would have been dripping.