[h3]PixieSlime Party[/h3] [quote=System:Ardur] Skill Gain: Meditate I (1.0)! By concentrating and calming oneself, increase the regeneration of Magic Power and Stamina. This skill cannot be used in battle. Any distractions in the environment will drastically decrease the effectiveness of this skill. This skill cannot be used in conjunction with other skills. Skill Gain: Point Strike I (1.0)! With a discerning eye, take aim at an oppenent's weak point and concentrate your own power into a single point of attack. Slightly increase the power of any attack, and gain an increased chance for a Critical Hit. Using this Skill in conjunction with other attack Skills, however, may cause it to lose effectiveness. Steve learned Web Spit II (2.0)! Stamina Consumption of this skill has decreased. Range of this skill has increased. Steve learned Thread Control I (1.0)! 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. [/quote] [quote=System:Asura] Skill Rank Up: Overwork I (1.8) > Overwork II (2.0)! Stamina consumption increased. Self-Buff increased. When Stamina is fully consumed, this Skill can be kept active by sacrificing HP. This skill will automatically de-activate when HP reaches dangerously low levels. Skill Gain: Mental Resistance I (1.0)! Take less damage from Psychic type spells or skills, and have a better chance of resisting mind alterting affects such as confusion or hypnosis. This counts as an Elemental Resistance for the purposes of Magic Resistance. Skill Gain: Stronger I (1.0)! You have grown physically stronger, increasing your base power stats! Developing Skill: Slime Shell This Skill appears to progress when you enter the corpse of another monster, though it may possibly have an effect when you attempt to use a hollow object as a container or shelter. [/quote] With Asura's digging and Steve's webs spread over the ceiling of the burrow, they were able to progress quite fast without worrying about collapsing the earth up above them. Momma Slime couldn't fit inside the entrance at first, but began to gather up the loose dirt the others were shoveling out and deposited it somewhere else before shuffling back to the burrow. Ardur meditated until his MP was finally restored, feeling the unique sensation of Mana in the atmosphere entering his body. It felt like fresh blood pumping into his veins, like the exhiliration of working out but without the increase in heart rate and the soreness of a muscle. It was short lived, but once he had his magical power restored he could tell a definite difference. Like breathing fresh air after emerging from the cave. Once he rejoined the digging effort things went even faster, and soon the burrow had been enlarged enough that Momma, once she used her own Limited Shapeshift skill to compress herself, was able to get in. It was still a tight fit--but maybe sleeping this close together would help ward off some of the chill from outside, as night fell deep and black. Back towards the cave, it sounded like someone was...chopping wood? Nonetheless, the quartet soon drifted off... [[[b]PixieSlime Party now enters Day 5[/b]]] [quote=SYSTEM] [color=red]Asura[/color] Your Stamina is Full. Your HP is Full. Your MP is Full. You are Peckish. You are Thirsty. [color=purple]Ardur[/color] Your Stamina is Full. Your MP is Full. Your Mana Burn has subsided. Natural Mana Regeneration returns to normal levels. Your HP is Full. You are Peckish. You are Parched. Your Tamed Creature is Hungry. Your Tamed Creature is Thirsty. [/quote] The next morning, they could hear the chirp of birds as they awakened. The rising sun had yet to fully emerge over the horizon, but a few rays of its golden glow spilled around the tree trunks. The air smelled clean and clear--being outdoors seemed like it certainly beat the heck out of the cave, when it came to simple pleasantries like this. As dew dripped somewhere, Momma Slime trembled lightly and then split her "mouth" wide open with a burbling yawn. Then something big stuffed its face into the hole. A long snout, tipped by a big black nose, poked into the burrow. Moments later a large foot, toes tipped with a hard, black covering, pushed through the dirt and began to paw and dig. Was it reaching for one of the group? The creature huffed and snuffled with the purpose of something looking for food--! [hr] [h3]Ghost Party[/h3] [i]"Oi, wat you be talkin' bout, Ja-Soo--"[/i] Jason offered a prayer to the earth spirits, and focused his will. He wanted Bonie to leave--he wanted to split them apart. He wanted the earth to take her--he wanted to seal her up. He wanted to force her to pass on. He wanted her gone. Sudden cold swept through Jason's being. The churning, nauseous sensation he felt during those moments after his death, the flash of memory as he had been tossed about between the mists of fading souls in that black and white void...it now returned with a sudden vengeance, a lightning bolt of ice splitting him in half. The Ecto Slime's body ruptured, and from within it spilled two masses of gray, swirling vapor. Just like the forms he had seen in that realm of the dead, the forms within the fog struggled to take their own shape. An old, wrinkled arm, spattered with paint and carved with tattoos, pulled another form from the mass. [quote=System:Jason] [color=red]WARNING! YOUR MP IS LOW![/color] [/quote] Jason drifted down against the ground, feeling as if the breath had been driven from his lungs. As if from a hundred miles away, he heard a shrill scream. Their flesh was translucent, constantly shifting between leering skeletons and twisted imprints of their former selves. They were blurry, indistinct, and losing cohesion. Bonie held Teef by the top of her head, long nails digging into the other goblin's eyes. [i]"Sorry youngling, but it Ja-Soon's fault. Let's both curse him."[/i] And she tore out the other spirit's throat with her teeth. Like taking a deep breath, Bonie devoured the wispy remains of Teef's incorporeal body, and her own form became more concrete. She had no lower body, and the details of her form were nowhere near as clear to the eye as before, when Jason met her in the cave. To describe her as a shadow would have been accurate, though her form was still silver-gray in color just like Jason's. [i]"Ya think ya so smart, it make ya dum, Ja-Soon."[/i] The spirit hag grinned, her eyes glinting red as she drifted backwards, away from the Ecto Slime who only now began to regain his senses. [i]"But even old Gob like me lern a few tings. Gud luks to yas!"[/i] And she raced off through the forest--passing through Danny as she did so. The Poltergeist had been meditating while Jason inadvertently released the other spirits he had amalgamated into himself. He had fully recovered his MP, and looked towards the last direction he had seen Jason. Using his Magic Analysis repeatedly, he tried to detect something from the Undead without using the Source Crystal Shard... [quote=System:Danny] You used Magic Analysis I! ---No Target--- You only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter. You used Magic Analysis I! ---No Target--- You can only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter. You can sense a subtle shift in Mana somewhere... You used Magic Analysis I! ---No Target--- You can only pick up the ambient magic in the area. There are few sources of raw magic here. Most of it is concentrated within living matter. You can sense a subtle shift in Mana. Something you can't see is happening, there is a change in ambient Mana levels... [/quote] Though he couldn't see him, he could tell from different spots that felt cold that Jason was at least around. He asked whether the spirit wanted to stay here for the night, or if they should keep moving. He had just started walking towards the East. And then a cold gust of wind suddenly whirled around him. It felt like someone had just grabbed hold of his heart and squeezed. His body reacted instinctively, moving away from...whatever this was. Was it Jason? Was Jason attacking him? Whatever it was, it followed him--and then it was gone. [quote=System:Danny] Some of your MP has been Drained. Your MP is Low. [/quote] By this time Jason had gotten "back to his feet" and used Mana Drain on his surroundings--once again, it seemed like it was slow going to get back his MP, considering that just the act of existing as a spirit ever so subtly expended it. He saw the last flicker of Bonie's spirit disappear towards the West... [hr] [h3]Orchid's Tribe[/h3] At Orchid's shout, Jezee and Tiddies rushed to help Bigs and Wej put out the fire on their bodies. It wasn't too bad since Crispy's explosion didn't have the kind of raw heat to make things flash-ignite, and they weren't wearing a great deal of clothing or equipment that would catch from the flames. Unfortunately it looked like Wej would finally lose that scrap of shield he had left, but other than that the two were quickly brought back to their feet. Meanwhile, Orchid met the Armored Badger's claw with a two handed swing of her club. The creature's plated forearm clashed with the weapon, stone shards digging into the scaly hide and drawing blood. It roared as it pressed forward with its greater weight, almost overcoming Orchid's enhanced strength-- The Sigil of the Hellish Fiend lit up like a beacon, and Orchid felt its burn spreading throughout her hand. She pushed back, and the badger's stubby legs began to lose their balance. It snarled, snapping at the air in front of the demiblin's face. When she drew back her fist, it was able to press harder against her one remaining arm, and it lunged to try and tear out her throat with its fangs-- Her fist burst into flames that seemed to trail up her entire arm. Orchid's punch seemed to grow larger and brighter as it exploded forward. She thrust almost half her forearm into the beast's jaws, and even as she felt teeth scrape her arm protector and tear it, she felt the intense heat reach her own skin even through her Fiend's Protection and the thud of flesh against flesh. The Armored Badger fell back, still on two legs. It screeched and writhed in agony, front paws swiping the empty air. Flames shot out of its mouth and smoke singed its nostrils. It thrashed from side to side, but its eyes were still bright and full of rage-- "Slaaaaaash!" Yoona darted in from the side with his Stone Knife, and its edge glinted with crimson light as he ran past the Armored Badger's back. He cut another furrow across its hide where Clod had originally scarred it, drawing a deeper spray of blood! Sqwal leaped at the badger's legs, slamming his wooden club into its knees with both hands. The creature turned to try and swipe at him, but it was too blinded by the flames still scorching its face and now spreading to its chest. It fell over, and Clod actually rushed forward and jumped on top of it, driving the breath from its belly with both feet. "SLASH!" He brought his stone sword down with a berserk gleam in his eyes, right down on the badger's snout. The bright red flash intensified the puff of embers coming out of its fur. The badger's last roar was cut off by a wet gurgle, and as Clod wrenched his sword free of its face and throat the blood spattered across his chest. "WE KILLED IT! KILLED DA BADGER!" Crispy crowed, throwing up his good arm with a cackle. "KILLED DA BADGER! KILLED DA BADGER!" The cry was soon taken up by the whole tribe. Clod held his sword by each end and pumped it up and down over his head, stomping on the corpse and screaming. Yoona jumped in circles around the fallen beast and whooped, slashing with his knife at the air. Sqwal began to beat on a tree trunk, the thumps echoing loudly into the night. Tiddies and Jezee were chanting from around the burning bush Orchid had set alight, tearing other nearby plants out of the ground and tossing them into the blaze to make a proper campfire. Bigs and Wej high fived each other with both hands in a game that soon turned into a slapfight when one of them missed. "KILLED DA BADGER! KILLED DA BADGER! KILLED DA--" [quote=System:Orchid] LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 6! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: [color=red]10[/color] Current Skills: Use Light Equipment (--) Pacify Animal I (1.3) Stronger II (2.025) Crafting V (MAX) Material Analysis II (2.1) Monster Analysis I (1.3) Smash I (1.6) Charisma I (1.6) Taboo (0.3) Faster I (1.0) Fireball I (1.3) Muffle (0.9) Deception (0.7) Charm (0.3) Alert (0.6) Stone Shot (0.4) Throw Item (0.4) Slash (0.8) Warcry (0.9) Pierce Resistance (0.7) Blunt Resistance (0.3) Slash Resistance (0.1) Blood Drain (0.4) Skewer (0.4) Mental Resistance (0.4) Mana Orb (0.2) Focus (0.2) Magic Analysis (0.2) Overwork (0.4) Intercept (0.3) Defender (0.7) Rabid Fit (0.5) First Aid (0.3) Intimidate (0.7) Counter (0.5) Shield Slam (0.6) Poison Resistance (0.1) Fire Resistance (0.8) Dust Blow (0.1) Magic Resistance (0.3) Spell Chant (0.3) Fire Fist (0.3) [/quote] "Oi!" Bigs called out. "Any udda gob just ding!?" Affirmation followed from most of the others--Clod grew strangely quiet very quickly, looking straight up at the sky and blinking rapidly. The goblins looked among each other in slight confusion for a bit--and then went right back to screaming and dancing. "WE DINGED! WE DINGED!"