[h3]Monster Party[/h3] As Ash practiced her various moves with the spear and stone, making use of Lesser Force more than her physical body, she could feel the skill becoming more precise. It really was like having an invisible hand that could manipulate an object at a distance, but it lacked the nuance of physical sensation to give her the proper feedback. Nonetheless, practice was in the process of making perfect. When she tried to use Mana Vision to see how her mindset affected her Meditation, however, it had the side effect of breaking the Meditation skill. It seemed she still couldn't use other skills while Meditating at the same time. Once she could see the ambient mana pixels hovering around, however, attempting to draw them in seemed to have some affect. But she could tell there was a noticeable difference. Meditation seemed like it caused the mana pixels to gather to her, almost on their own. Iron particles to a magnet. This method, however, was more like the Pygmy Drake herself using a pair of forceps to pick at each particle and bring it to her--there was a flow to it, of sorts, but it was because of the suction she was creating, not a natural or passive attraction. A drain, so to speak, on the Mana around her. Torrent attempted to [i]remove[/i] the elements, rather than draw them in. She used her own power to push away the vestiges of everything else within her. In that space within her mouth, there was the air she breathed. There was the moisture from her own throat. There was what little heat her cold blooded body retained. She willed it away--of course, matter and energy couldn't be destroyed, but in a miniscule place within her maw, she pushed everything else to the side to create an emptiness. And she wanted to push her own mana into that emptiness...but then, that would make it something instead of nothing, wouldn't it? And...it turned out to be almost impossible. When she tried to push her will into the void, she found that doing so meant she couldn't keep the rest of the energy from flowing back in. She could feel the mana, those different elements she had already worked with. Keeping them away from the void took all of her concentration and energy. But, the longer she did that, and the further away she pushed everything...the bigger that ball of nothing became... When she opened her mouth, she exposed the Void to the Outside, and the Outside was Not Void. Logically, like water flowing into an empty glass, the Outside should have filled the vacuum inside. But Torrent was pushing everything away. Yet those two forces--Nothing and Something--still wanted to be together, to reach equilibrium. So in order to do that, the Void went Outside. A dark ripple, like the world's most rancid burp yet with no smell whatsoever, floated out of Torrent's mouth like moths out of an empty wallet. It lingered in the air in front of her for just a moment...then collapsed with a sharp [i]pop[/i], because it simply could not keep the Outside at bay. But it was a start. [quote=System:Torrent] You used Magic Analysis II! ---???--- This spell is of the Shadow element, and seems to take the shape of a spherical void that, upon release, is attracted to the closest sources of other elements along the path of least resistance. Once it makes contact, however, the spell collapses in on itself. It is still incomplete. [/quote] Meanwhile, Oberon did a great deal of thinking, as usual. And his in-depth, personal studies of magic seemed to be paying off thus far. Repeating his attempts with shaping a Fireball, this time the method felt much smoother and more natural. When he compressed it, the fire still wanted to move, it didn't want to hold still. The end result was that the elongated shape also caused the flames to spiral in a circle around an invisible "rod" or spear making up the body. When the Sprite compressed this, the spiral grew tighter and spun faster. The spell might have been called a Lance, but it had almost a drill-like quality. And the flames grew brighter, and hotter, their edges turning yellow and their innards white, with sparks of orange and red only crackling here and there. He took aim and let fly, and the bolt moved much faster than a normal fireball. When it struck the stream, the water immediately spat and hissed, boiling and steaming in an almost explosive fashion simply because its evaporation couldn't match the speed of its expansion. [quote=System:Oberon] Skill Gain: Flame Lance I (0.7 > 1.0)! Deal Piercing and Fire Damage. This spell costs significantly more MP than Fireball, but moves at a much faster speed. It doesn't have any area of effect, and also doesn't inflict burns due to the speed at which wounds are cauterized. It may, however, weaken a target's defenses. LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 9! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Unspent Skill Points: 8 Current Skills: Minor Heal III (3.0125) Lesser Flight III (3.1) Shield IV (4.03875) Magic Analysis IV (4.4575) Mana Orb II (2.775) Mana Shape II (2.975) Lesser Status Heal (1.2) Mana Dart I (1.6) Alert I (1.65) Monster Analysis II (2.65) Meditation III (3.08875) Light Ring I (1.3) Gather Light I (1.9) Fireball I (1.85) Plant Analysis I (1.0) Material Analysis I (1.0) Sacred Ground I (1.0) Mana Slice I (1.25) Overwork I (1.8) Keen Sight (1.1) Minor Heal All I (1.0) Spiritual Awareness I (1.0) Minor Regeneration I (1.0) Spell Chant I (1.1) Focus I (1.35) Mental Resistance II (2.3) Sensory Resistance I (1.0) Faster I (1.0) Aqua Sphere I (1.05) Wind Break I (1.05) Wall I (1.0) Flame Lance I (1.0) Charisma (0.9) Light Affinity (0.8) Fire Resistance (0.2) Spell Cancel (0.1) Mana Puppet (0.5) Earth Wall (0.1) Mana Drain (0.3) Stronger (0.1) Mana Sense (0.2) Air Read (0.3) Mana Control (0.1) Wind Resistance (0.1) Ice Spike (0.4) Gravity Well (0.1) [/quote] [quote=System:Digbie] Error. System is already tracking progress for Quest: Fashion 8 Prayer Beads. You used [Analysis]! ---Round Quartz--- A small pebble made from quartz. It was probably a larger crystal originally, but the wear and tear of time have worn down its edges and corners. It is now somewhat round. Compared to other stones of this type, one could say it is of Good Quality. It is surprisingly hard to crack, break, or scratch. [/quote] Digbie extended both hands, and sought to use Soil Manipulation...but in both hands, effectively trying to cast the same spell twice. He felt this normally less cost-intensive spell suddenly eat a decent chunk out of his mana, but whereas casting two completely different spells hadn't worked out well thus far it seemed like trying to layer the same spell was much easier even if that Dual Cast skill hadn't triggered yet. A 5 foot cone of ground in front of him rippled and rolled under his magic, turning up stone and soil that had been layered over time. Some of the stones he could tell were from the stream bank, perhaps moved by floods or left in place as the water shifted over time. Many of these, therefore, were much smoother than the rough and sharp gravel pieces he found. Four stones in particular looked promising. There were two Hard Stones, not quite circular and much too big to be a bead, but maybe he could use them to wear down other stones. There were also two Shiny Stones--they seemed to be made of natural minerals of some kind, nothing super valuable like gemstones or metal, but shiny like marbles. One was white with an orange and brown streak through it, while the other was a pleasant shade of blue. They still weren't quite smooth or circular enough. The last stone, and the only one of the right shape and size to be a bead, was a Smooth Stone a little like the one Ash had found in the Giant Rat's maw, but smaller. [hr] [h3]PixieSlime Party[/h3] [quote=System:Asura] You used Source Crystal Shard! ---Zieglar Blackgate--- Elite Human Male, Knight Templar All Stats are Far Superior to your own. Possesses Combat Skills Including but Not Limited To: Slash, Skewer, Cleave, Defender, Blade Charge, Physical Conditioning, Sword Air, Smash, Counter, Skill Release... Possesses Spell Skills Including but Not Limited To: Minor Heal, Shield, Mana Shape, Mana Orb, Spiritual Awareness, Guidance, Inspire, Holy Strike, Sword Wave, Lesser Status Heal... Possesses Equipment Including but Not Limited To: Fluted Steel Plate Armor, Iron Maille, Gatekeeper's Kite Shield, Steel Half-Sword, Iron Flanged Mace, Steel Kidney Dagger, Arming Doublet, Wool Hosen, Cotton Shirt, Cotton Loincloth... ---Charge Empty--- You have no MP remaining! You cannot recharge the Source Crystal Charge at this time. [/quote] [quote=System:Ardur] Skill Gain: Lesser Cleanse I (0.7>1.0)! Refine and purify your own positively charged mana before releasing it to counteract negatively charged mana. Certain non-physical status effects like Curse may be dispelled by this spell, but things like Poison may only be reduced. This spell may also serve to neutralize negative mana build up in an area, such as cleansing a grave to prevent an Undead rising. However, at this rank only small areas can be cleansed, and only a small amount of negative mana can be neutralized. The greater the area, or the density, the less effective this spell will be. Skill Gain: Alert I (0.9>1.0)! Though this skill is limited by the strength of your senses, and does not sharpen your senses on its own, it allows you to become more aware of your surroundings. Without conscious effort, you will pick up on signs in your environment more easily, especially if they present some form of danger to you. Essentially this is an anti-ambush skill. Skill Gain: Mana Strike (0.9>1.0)! Infuse a physical attack with non-elemental Magic to increase its damage. The attack's physical type of damage is unaffected, but Magic damage is simply added. Thus a creature with Slash Resistance would still take the Magic Damage if this Skill were used with a sword. Like Mana Orb, this technique is malleable and often a starting point for other forms of enchanting skills. [/quote] When Ardur related his vision of the figures and the Sun, Zieglar's expression grew more intense. The knight lifted one gauntlet to his face in what seemed to be a thinking pose, but the fact that it hid some of his features made his emotions hard to read. "Gods, you say...I assume you mean Divine Spirits? The Mother would be Claidheamh, an ancient Sun Spirit from the Shiri people...though their island is far across the kingdom, to the east. The "king," if you really want to call him that, is Dhulfiqar, a barbaric blood-drinking Sun Spirit whose following is limited to the deserts of Ashyra to the south. The Guardian, the one who protects, the one who brings growth and life. [i]That[/i] is Galatine. He is also the patron of my order, and widely revered all across Viskard." After that, he and Trent both gave their full attention to the two speaking monsters. Every so often they would exchange glances. Quite a few times the boy started to say something, only for his mentor to hold up a hand for silence. When both the Amorphous Slime and the Hipixie had finished speaking, Zieglar looked at Trent and made a subtle motion with his head, as if gesturing for the boy to step back. It seemed a notable shift--up until this point, whether in fighting the bugbear or deciding on the next course of action, the adult and fully-fledged Knight had stayed in the background and barely even offered advice. Now, however, he stood at the fore as he spoke to the four monsters. "Right then. It's clear to me that you two, and that Poltergeist we met before, as well as any other "smart monsters" who are, or used to be, in that cave, are far from normal. And, if this talk of "other worlds" and "reborn humans" has any weight to it...it means that something very grave is happening. Something that will have far reaching, dangerous consequences, for all of us--Monsters and Men alike." The man pointed to the east. "An old friend of mine has a homestead in these woods. It is fortified, and quite safe. There is food and drink there, and we will be able to send a message from there to others who may be able to help get to the bottom of this. What say you?" He extended a hand to Asura and Ardur, though due to the obvious size and shape difference it seemed less for a handshake and more just a gesture that he would have shaken hands were it possible. "Will you come with us, so that we can continue this discussion, and perhaps help you, somewhere away from these woods and this Dungeon?" [hr] [h3]Rat Party[/h3] Ed chose discretion as the better part of valor, and picked the darkest hiding place he could find. He expected the bandits to actually come into the barrow, and use it like he and his pack had for shelter...but as time went on, it seemed that wouldn't be the case. They apparently intended to either hide along the side of the barrow or in the grass and ditches along the road, for whatever reason. But how long would they stay here? How much traffic could this road be expected to have? [quote=System:Asteria] You used Plant Analysis I! ---Hyrmr Thorns--- A deciduous, woody plant with sweet tasting sap. This sap, when harvested then dried and crumbled, is often used as a spice and has a strong scent. It also has properties that cure many types of infections and can even kill fungus. When burned as an incense it repels insects. ---Sacias Bark--- An evergreen tree that has a strong smell due to a chemical concentrated in its bark. Often shredded for use as a spice. The bark itself can also be eaten but is thick, tough, and has a rough texture. While its strong flavor is useful in cooking, it has limited medicinal uses. ---Esina Flowers--- A flowering plant that also produces small fruits, and is very attractive to insects. The seedbuds at the base of the flower stems can be ground up to produce a pleasant smelling but bitter tasting spice often added to deserts to balance out oversweetening. It can also be fermented, though it takes enormous amounts to make anything close to normal liquor amounts of drink. You used Monster Analysis I! ---Human Blood--- The blood of a human. Necessary for many bodily functions, responsible for carrying both nutrients and oxygen through the anatomy. Very high Mana conductivity, rich in protein. ---Embalming Mixture--- A mixture of bodily fluids, various spices, and other chemicals. Seems to have drained from the last body placed on this table. [/quote] As Asteria dripped a single droplet of her blood, tingling with mana, into the basin and scattered the cone over it...nothing happened. Save the static-y feeling of magic in her bloodstream, that is. But that soon died away without leaving much visible effect. However...even without using Mana Sense, or Alert, the Dire Rat suddenly had that hair raising, goosepimpling, blood chilling, cold sweating, shivering feeling...that something was watching her.