[h3]Monster Party[/h3]
Oberon was getting better over time at guessing the various aspects of different magics, as he became more familiar with various elements and the flow of Mana itself. He had seen by this point that his natural or Energy-type Mana was converted to the Earth element after suffusing the corresponding physical matter, and that in the case of the pebble there was only so much it could hold before ambient Mana simply leaked out. Trying to move it with Lesser Force had accomplished the simple task of getting the object from point A to point B, but hadn't actually unleashed the power accumulated inside it. The intention of throwing it somehow made a difference--would Lesser Force have worked, perhaps, if it could simply generate more force? It was, after all, only Rank I at this point. But regardless, the Sprite had been able to discern the difference and focused his efforts on the parts of his experiments that had shown the greatest results thus far. Concentrate energy, fill the stone, launch it, and release the energy. The next step this time was to overcharge the pebble, in an attempt to perhaps "condense" the power inside it--there was only so much it could contain, but did Mana have the quality of density like air, water, or other fluids that could be manipulated as well?

With a fully charged pebble in hand, Oberon reared back and once again hurled the stone at the ground. This time, however, at the moment of release he tried sending another burst of Mana into the stone to send it on its way.

A golden flash signified the stone's release from his hand, and the entire pebble glowed with the same colored as it rocketed off in a manner reminiscent of the Mana Orb. It shot across the clearing to impact a tree with a loud crack, shredding a section of the bark before the pebble's own surface gave way. Dust and fragments of rock fell back to earth, but so did several leaves shaken free by the impact.

As he spread his wings to restore his mana, Oberon felt the tingle in his hand where he had released the stone. He was starting to recognize some of the subtle differences in feeling between the other types of Mana he had used, and the Earth element.
[quote=System:Oberon]
Skill Gain: Stone Shot I (0.7 > 1.0)!
You have learned to charge a piece of stone with your energy before hurling it at your opponent. This attack does blunt, piercing, and Earth-elemental magic damage. It consumes less MP than most spells, but requires ammunition.

Skill Rank Up: Gather Light I > Gather Light II (1.95 > 2.0)!
Mana Recovery Speed increased, roughly equivalent to Rank I Meditation. Under a full moon, this skill can now activate at half its normal speed. At high noon, this skill's recovery is 25% faster.

New Transformation Option:
(Adolescent) Koropokkuru (Very Low Variant Chance) - A diminutive spirit of the wilderness, associated primarily with the elements of nature and earth but sometimes found near water as well. As they thrive in healthy environments with good soil and many plants, they are said to sometimes help other races capable of agriculture. Typically not that violent, they can nonetheless be dangerous due to their knowledge of the lands and survival crafts.[list]
[*][color=red]Lose Wings[/color]
[*]Increase Earth Affinity (reduced)
[*]Increase Skill: Growth (reduced)
[*]Slightly increase all base stats[/list]
[/quote]

Perhaps Ash should have become accustomed to her never ending quest for knowledge at this point. To answer one question, but open the door for myriad more...was that not simply the scientific process at work? When Robert Hooke first became the father of cellular biology, gazing through the early microscopic lens, coining the term for the "cell," the smallest component of biological life, did that not open the door to the infinite possibilities of evolutionary theory? The mapping of the human genome? The entire field of microscopics? As an accomplished woman of science herself, maybe Ash had begun to take for granted all the foundational knowledge she had in the old world. Here, in this new place, with a new form of knowledge that did not behave in accordance with all the laws of nature--but clearly had some structure of its own--she had to start from scratch. How many of these discoveries she made, were being made for the first time? If someone, or something, else had come across this knowledge, collected it and gathered it...how could she make contact with them?

Putting her dual cast skill to use, she formed the 'Poison Splash' spell in her claw, observing it like she had with Mana Slice. Ash began trying to change its shape, hopefully that Mana Shape skill coming in handy. First, she tried to mimic and copy the shape of Mana Slice into the Poison Splash, first condensing it and cutting down on excess particles in order to give her the same amount in the Mana Slice. Next, she would move the three square particles into position. She would attempt to force those oscillating lines into position if they hadn't already automatically connect, and finally using Mana Shape in order to try and help it maintain its shape.

The spell took the form a purple, crescent shaped blade much like Mana Slice...except that its "edge" was still wavy, not quite solidified. Though she had the bits and pieces of the magic in the same places, they weren't reacting quite the same way...still, by force of will, she managed to hold it. So her Poison Splash spell had taken on a new form...how would this change its function?

[quote=System:Ash]
You are experiencing a Rapid Rate of Skill Progression.
[/quote]

[quote=System:Digbie]
You have consumed Rat Jerky. Your hunger is now Sated.
Your thirst has now been Quenched.

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.

Skill Gain: Spiritual Awareness I (1.0)!
You have become more aware of the spiritual side of the world. This will affect your interactions with certain types of spiritual monsters such as non-corporeal Undead. At this rank, you can only detect a hint of the spiritual world. There may also be other affects of this ability... --This Skill syngergizes with your Guidance. The signs of Major Spirits may become clearer...

Skill Rank Up: Guidance I > Guidance II (1.9 > 2.0)!
You have prayed or otherwise sought the guidance of higher powers on a frequent basis, and some of those powers may recognize your piety. The signs of Major Spirits may become clearer--the more specific your prayers, the more help you may find. --You know of the Divine Spirit, [ [color=antiquewhite]Maiden Redeemer Jehanne[/color] ]. --You possess the Skill Spiritual Awareness, increasing your ability to percieve the signs.
[/quote]

Digbie allocated all but one of the Skill Points he'd gained by leveling up, and refreshed himself before he sat down in ordered fashion. Like a proper acolyte preparing for a great ritual, he readied himself. He had made his decision. Like in his dream, where he had seen the potential of all the different beings that rose from a Goblin's path of transformation, he now chose the bright, beautiful...and unknown light. He was stepping into new territory. The Palablin, until this moment, seemed to have never existed before. What could this hold in store for him...and for others of his kind?

[i]"I'm going to evolve into the Palablin. Jehanne... please protect us as I evolve, as I cannot do so for my friends in this short time."[/i]

And as soon as Digbie closed his eyes, his body slumped. His breaths deepened, but his muscles began to twitch every so often, like a dog that kicks its feet in its dreams...

He had never been able to recall it with true clarity the first time, but now that he was once more floating upward, the visions of his first transformation all came rushing back to the Demigoblin's mind. The things he had seen back then--the cavern's interior, the forest, the curling smoke trails, the deserts and mountains, all of it--even those terrifying [i]things[/i]--were crystal clear for this moment in his mind. But now things had become so different...

They were farther North, so he could no longer see the cave where he had been reborn. He could still see all the trees of the forest, far below him. To the east, a particularly large tree glowed a light green color, bright enough that it seemed like a lighthouse beacon from here. Even further north, he could almost feel the same clouds of cold and snow he could see, and the howling winds that spun them round and round an even darker and deeper forest.

To the West, he could see the small shape of Guze and his captives making their way up the mountain ledges--and then immediately his vision swept up to the great scar across the mountains. It was as if some blade of impossible size had sheared off its tip. The rocks there were blackened yet smooth, with a glossy appearance. Within this smoking crater, many lights glittered. He had risen even higher by this point, so he couldn't pick out any details among the small figures moving in groups along the slopes and the ring of structures they had erected along the lip of the black crater...

Still higher he went, drifting through clouds. To the north, not as far as the ice and cold, a river meandered down out of the mountains. To the east, beyond the forest and the emerald glow, a sparkling lake. Even further in the west, and somewhat to the north, over the ridge of the mountains there was a tower like a mighty tree reaching up to the heavens. Its roots, too, stretched deep, deep into the earth. So far to the east that it became west again, a lonely, cold, desolate island where red lightning split the sky. Further beyond that, marshlands and mountains and untamed, wild lands.

He rose higher. A world, a planet, rotated thousands of miles an hour, yet from this distance appeared as no more than a soap bubble. A great city, too far from here to see, had called for him before but now it was silent. The island's red skies still held him in sway. And a bright, comforting light from the stars far above seemed to reach out for him...

He was more aware now than he had been the first time he had seen this vision. Aware enough to know things were different. Aware enough to try and put something together. Aware enough, perhaps, to [b]do[/b] something...?

[quote=System:Torrent]
Skill Gain: Gather Light I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Under full sunlight, convert solar energy to Mana. You may move at a slow, relaxed pace while using this skill. Any blockage of sunlight will immediately cancel this skill, and it may not be used in conjunction with Active skills. Its Mana Recovery is slightly slower than Meditate.
[/quote]

As Torrent sought to recoup her energy, something finally clicked. She felt the light warming her scales trickle inward, as if hot water was running down her body...from the inside. And now, like with Meditate, she could feel her Mana pooling somewhere in her spiritual center and recovering. This must be the same skill Oberon had gained, being able to use the sunlight as a power source. For a cold-blooded creature, it seemed quite suitable. 

Her next experiment with the Void Blast spell would see that it took less effort to accomplish what she had worked so hard at before. "Creating" the void by separating all the elements within a space now happened much faster--and with some focus, she tried to use her Mana not to add or take away from the void, but simply to separate the Nothing from the Everything. Like drawing on plain white paper to create a definition of a shape, she formed a sphere of Mana around the Void, and released it into the world once more.

A black, spherical, yet ever shifting emptiness floated out of her mouth. It made a howling, sucking noise, and the barely-visible sheen of her Mana bubble cracked like glass. With a rushing noise and a pop, the Void imploded in a crackling black mist. But this didn't seem like a failure, really--a large amount of air and dust had been displaced over the stream. What might have happened if a target, or a creature of flesh and blood, had been in the vicinity of that implosion?

[quote=System:Torrent]
You used Magic Analysis II!
---Void Blast (Incomplete)---
An incomplete spell. You've created a shadowy void that creates a vacuum force once it interacts with outside forces. It does not seem to destroy matter or energy, but it nonetheless eats away at whatever it interacts with at a rapid pace to create a limited implosion.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! Your Max MP has increased! You are now Level 10! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unused Skill Points: [color=red]16[/color][[OOC: 5 left over from last level up, +5 normal level up, +5 for Christmas/NewYear/Hiatus bonuses, +1 for 1500 posts bonus]]

Current Skills:
Stun Fang II (2.325)
Muffle III (3.0875)
Poison Spit II (2.0)
Poison Glob II (2.1)
Fireball II (2.0375)
Stealth Kill I (1.2)
Minor Recovery I (1.0)
Fire Resistance I (1.25)
Rabid Fit I (1.05)
Meditate I (1.7)
Tremor Sense I (1.9)
Soil Manipulation I (1.55)
Underground Movement I (1.55)
Monster Analysis I (1.725)
Magic Analysis II (2.55)
Material Analysis II (2.1875)
Plant Analysis I (1.1875)
Scale Shift I (1.7)
Overwork I (1.0)
Analysis (--)
Mental Resistance I (1.25)
Spell Cancel I (1.05)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
Dual Cast I (1.1)
Guidance I (1.15)
Wurm Breath I (1.35)
Aqua Stream I (1.15)
Fog Breath I (1.05)
Wind Breath I (1.0)
Frost Breath I (1.1)
Blunt Resistance I (1.0)
Breath Beam I (1.0)
Gather Light I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Crafting (0.2)
Alchemy (0.4)
Alert (0.5)
Warcry (0.3)
Poison Fang (0.3)
Smash (0.2)
Magic Break (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.9)
Spiritual Awareness (0.6)
Prehensile Tail (0.1)
Fortify (0.5)
Spell Chant (0.4)
Focus (0.9)
Flame Burst (0.5)
Slash (0.2)
Curse Word (0.3)
Stronger (0.1)
Dragon Affinity (0.7)<CANNOT BE INCREASED BY SKILL POINTS>
Air Read (0.4)
Faster (0.2)
Rock Spire (0.6)
Lucid Dream (0.2)
Mana Drain (0.4)
Mana Sense (0.2)
Mana Vision (0.1)
Gravity Well (0.1)
Void Blast (0.9)
Silhouette (0.1) 
Deception (0.1)
Throw Voice (0.2)
Quake (0.1)
Mana Shape (0.5)
Plasma Ray (0.025)

YOUR BODY IS BEGINNING TO CHANGE! You are undergoing Transformation! Based on your life experiences, your ability to survive, and the strength of your will, new paths have appeared! Choose carefully--there is no going back! [color=red]WARNING. THIS PROCESS WILL LEAVE YOU TEMPORARILY VULNERABLE.[/color]

OPTIONS (* Indicates Suitability):
**(Adult) Lesserwurm (High Variant/Low Variant/Low Variant/Very Low Variant/Very Low Variant Chance) - Related to dragons, but still a cold-blooded reptile, this creature burrows through the earth and fills the enclosed spaces around its prey with poisonous fumes. Its lengthy body is quite fast and deceptively strong, and its ability to shed its skin somehow allows it to heal more quickly. [list]
[*]Increase Potential
[*]Slight increase to base speed-stats
[*]Increase Minor Recovery (reduced)
[*]Increase Poison Breath (reduced)[/list]

***(Adolescent) Pygmy Drake (High Variant/Low Variant/Low Variant/Very Low Variant/Very Low Variant Chance) - Stunted, pesky cousins of greater drake species, this creature has a poisonous stinger on its tail rather than a breath weapon and glides more than it flies. Nonetheless it is somewhat clever, and mages sometimes keep it the way someone might keep a pet bird.[list]
[*]Slight increase to all base stats
[*]Increase MP
[*]Increase Lesser Flight
[*]Increase Mana Orb and Dragon Affinity (reduced)
[*][color=blue]Gain hindlimbs, Gain wings[/color][/list]

*(Adolescent) [Snaketail] Kobold (High Variant/Low Variant/Low Variant/Very Low Variant/Very Low Variant Chance) - Small, reptilian creatures with odd primate characteristics like upright spines and grasping limbs. Quite similar to Goblins, often competing with them for the same territories and resources. Some individuals have other characteristics--the Snaketail Kobolds are often said to have the power of Greater Serpents flowing through their veins. Their lower bodies are replaced with long, muscular tails that are still capable of upright locomotion. While this is different from the draconic origins most Kobolds claim, it still gives them greater potential to rise in stature within a tribe. [list]
[*]Slight increase to speed-related stats
[*]Increase Light Equipment Skill (reduced)
[*]Gain Access to Job System: 0th Tier[/list]

**(Adolescent) Forked Snake (High Variant/Low Variant/Low Variant/Very Low Variant/Very Low Variant Chance) - A deceptive creature, said by many to be a degenerated form of the various multi-headed serpents like Hydra, or even the great Balaur. At first glance, it appears to be a snake with three heads--but two of these heads are actually modified forelimbs. While they have some use as sensory organs, they do not contain an actual brain or their own wills. They lack fine motor skills, but can still be used for some forms of grasping and grappling prey. Like a mundane lizard's tail, in times of crisis they can be detached and will eventually grow back. They also have working mouth and digestive parts, and can even be used for Breath attacks.[list]
[*]Increase HP
[*]Slight increase to base-power and base-defense stats
[*]Increase Minor Recovery (reduced)
[*][color=red]Lose fore claws[/color][/list]

*(Adolescent) Drake (High Variant/Low Variant/Low Variant/Very Low Variant/Very Low Variant Chance) - A subspecies of dragons that many believe was once domesticated in the past, bred to be manageable by their tamers but still retain some of their ancestor's power. However, this comes with a drawback that its body is not as heavily muscled and its scale layers are lighter. It is quadroped and lithe in nature, comparable to foxes or wolves.[list]
[*]Increase base-defense stats
[*]Slight increase to base-speed stats
[*]Increase Chosen Breath (Options: Poison, Wurm, Fire, Water, Frost, Beam, Acid, Mana)(Reduced)
[*]Increase Dragon Affinity (reduced)
[*][color=blue]Gain hindlimbs[/color][/list]

**(Adolescent) Knuckerling (High Variant/Low Variant/Low Variant/Very Low Variant/Very Low Variant Chance) - A juvenile form of the Knucker, a type of lower-rank Dragon. Knuckerlings, like their larger cousins, tend to inhabit wet and underground environments. They are of an almost amphibious nature, akin to a mundane salamander (not the elemental Monster), and breathe through their skin. The biggest difference between them and a true knucker are their sizes and the lack of wings.[list]
[*]Slight increase to base-power stats
[*]Increase HP
[*]Increase Poison Breath (reduced)
[*]Increase Dragon Affinity (reduced)
[*][color=blue]Gain hindlimbs[/color][/list]

*(Adolescent) Hearthwurm (Variant Chance) - A fiery reptile that has basked in ambient Fire element Mana, and adapted to be more suitable to those environments. They will find the warmest spot possible to absorb energy before they engage in a period of activity. If the surroundings are warm enough, they can even go without sleep for extended periods of time. Dwarves and other races with established metallurgy find them especially annoying as they can clog the workings of various forges and machinery in their search for heat.[list]
[*]Increase Fire Affinity (reduced)(slightly boosted)
[*]Increase Fire Resistance
[*]Increase Fireball
[*][color=blue]Gain hindlimbs[/color][/list]
[/quote]
[hr]
[h3]PixieSlime Party[/h3]
"Ah..." Trent looked sheepish for a moment. "I, um, don't guess I've ever really practiced with throwing weapons..." In the moments after he cut the slime in two and Steve had trapped the pixie, while Asura dealt with the rat in the tunnel, Trent bent low and planted his torch in the dirt. This freed his shield hand to grab a rock, which he hurled at a Wisp just as it started to swoop down. The boy missed, true to his statement, but it caused the Dungeon's assimilated minion to loop-de-loop back out of range instead of launching its own attack.

The Amorphous Slime mutilated the Dire Rat's corpse and destroyed the center of its nervous system in both the base of the neck and its brain. The black miasma that had been gathering around its body caused it to twitch once, then faded away...only to condensate above the tunnel's opening just as Asura oozed out. A Ghost Wisp flickered into existence as the slime was dodging the three Poison Spits, then blasted him with its one and only Mana Orb from behind before it too faded. The pain from this magical attack distracted him, and the Zomblin's poisoned javelin struck his Bowhorn Shell head-on. A piece of the orbital socket broke away, taking a fragment of the cranium with it. With a grunt Asura hurled back the javelin he'd taken earlier, spearing the assimilated Pixie just before it could pull itself free of Steve's webbing. The creature screeched as it died--but immediately began to pull the pointed stick out of its own chest as its purple eyes turned black and its muscles twitched unnaturally. 

Then Steve used her legs to pull two tiny, barely visible threads. Its Thread Control skill activated, and the Web Spit she had used to trap the now-Zombified Pixie before began to tighten. The Oculus Spider used her other six feet to slowly pull herself back, but even that was barely enough with the arachnid's strength. Still, the pixie's throat, shoulders, and knees began to collapse inward--and with a final jerk and pop, Steve managed to strangle and mangle the body before it collapsed. A pixie's limbs were no more sturdy than those of a human doll, perhaps, given its size, and the spider monster had succeeded in essentially popping all its extremities off.

[quote=System:Asura]
HP is at 95%. Your Slime Shell's durability is at 40%. 
SP is at 10% > You used Throw Item.
Your Stamina is Low! If Stamina is not restored, Overwork will soon begin HP conversion.
[/quote]

Two Zombie Lizards joined the front row of battle now, and one of them lunged at Steve while she was distracted with the Zombie Pixie. The Oculus Spider and the reptile rolled over and over in a tangle, and it was unclear who had the advantage amongst all their hissing and biting. The second tried to engage Momma Slime, only for her to roll faster than something her size should have been able to do. Wheeling around its lunging fangs, she latched onto the creature's tail.

"Dum lee-zard!" she burbled, before her pseudopod began to whip the creature back and forth, slamming it against the ground repeatedly like an angry green giant with a puny god in hand.

The green slime that Trent had cut in half earlier was beginning to flow back together, but the color of its membrane bubbled and darkened in a sickly way. From behind the group, two Ghost Wisps launched Mana Orbs at Asura, and these did not fade away after the first attack. Another Zombie Lizard, this one more decomposed than the others and bearing a pointy stick through its ribs, was scurrying up to engage the group from the rear. 

Up front, from the middle and back rows, another spray of Poison Spit from lizards. Another single Mana Orb from a Wisp. And yet another Javelin from that accursed Zomblin, though he couldn't have many left at this point. And more and more monsters were coming...

Meanwhile, Ardur folded his wings and dropped straight down into the pool. The Mana Orbs flew every which way over his head, and he had precious few seconds before they realized he was in the water and began to fire in that direction. In that time he went deeper, hoping the water would hide his figure in the darkness. Undine cut down another Wisp from behind.

[color=lightblue][i]"I have enough Mana now for small spells, on the level of your own, but to be of any real help in this fight I must accrue more power!"[/i][/color] The sword moved around Ardur like a fish, and the flat of her blade pressed against him to show him the way towards shore. Once he was on his way she turned back to the cloud of Wisps.

One of them dove into the water to try and find Ardur. Undine killed it. Another only skimmed the surface of the water to look for the Hipixie. Undine pointed herself straight up, and killed it. One of them launched a Mana Orb in the direction it thought Ardur had gone, and Undine breached the surface and killed it. Its fellows were already following suit, however, and as the Hipixie surfaced for breath the crackling bolts were peppering the water around him. One of them struck him in the back, knocking him under for the space of a breath as he continued to kick out and swim for his life.

[quote=System:Ardur]
Skill Gain: Faster I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Your base physical speed is increased! By gaining the skills Harder, Better, and Stronger, Skill Synergy will occur and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.

[color=red]WARNING! YOUR HP IS LOW![/color]
[/quote]
[hr]
[h3]Rat Party[/h3]
[quote=System:Asteria]
You used Magic Analysis I!
---????---
A strange magic is being used in the surrounding area. It feels calming, and within its area of effect seems to be cleansing both physically and spiritually. You think you might have seen something like this before, back in the cave in the aftermath of the goblin fights.

---Soil Manipulation---
You possess this Skill, but its current usage seems much higher in rank. Using magic, one manipulates loose earth. This individual seems to be moving much larger amounts, at greater distances, than you are currently capable of moving yourself. Their mastery seems advanced enough that even larger or denser clumps of soil can still be moved.
[/quote]

The trio of rodents were much better prepared to both see their enemies coming and move to avoid them now. With stealth skills and higher senses, the party moved through the tall grasses of the plains without the Myrminor Scout becoming ever the wiser. Their journey continued until they were almost within the tree line of the forest again, and soon they could see what was on the other side of the hill. [[OOC: Do they go over the hill, around, etc? Describe in post.]]

What Ed had assumed to be a shack was actually an extension of the hill, into a rocky outcrop that could be more accurately called a cliff. It reached up almost above the tree tops, though the forest had cloaked it in greenery over long years. It sharply sloped downward on one side, but another face was relatively flat and cracked. And it looked like someone had been at work on these cracks and crevices, widening them out until a proper cave of sorts--though nowhere near as large as the cave the rats came from--had been created. In this dugout, which seemed to have more than one level on the inside of the cliff, were moving lights and figures...

On the ground, in front of the cliffside's entrance, a campfire burned. Sitting around this fire were three figures. One looked to be another Hobgoblin, wearing black dyed clothing over most of his form. A hood, with holes cut for his ears, covered his head and strips of cloth had been wrapped around his lower face, his arms and legs, and his upper body. Pants held in place with a rough drawstring clothed his legs, and a black cloak that had more holes and torn bits than it did whole ones draped his shoulders. He was sharpening a knife made of stone in the light of the fire. The other two figures were still goblinoid, but bigger, more muscular, and hairier. It was like looking at Rattleskull all over again--Bugbears. They were even armed very similarly to Rattleskull. Planks of wood had been lashed together to form awkward shields, and they were wearing boxy armor that looked to have been made from more planks over their torsos. Woven vines and straw made primitive belts, sandals, and headbands. Each of them had a thick stick of wood in hand, mounted with a sharp wedge of rock.

Further away from the fire, the entire campsite had been fenced in with simple logs and sticks planted in the ground or tied together with vines. It wouldn't keep any livestock in and could be easily climbed over or rooted under, but it seemed the point was just to slow down any attackers before they reached the base. 

Within this fence, but to the right side of the trio at the fire, a much sturdier wooden cage had been built. And in this cage was a single occupant, a creature that neither Asteria or Ed had ever seen before.

Its mottled green-gray skin was pale, and while it was a little bit taller than the bugbears it was also lanky, almost emaciated. Its ribs were visible under the skin. Its long arms reached past its knees, and even if the cage hadn't been too small for it, the creature had a hunched, crouching posture. Its fingers were long and tipped with savage looking claws; its feet were broad with rough soles and thick heels. It had long black hair falling down its shoulders, but the mane had obviously never been washed and rarely even brushed. A crusted, blood stained blindfold covered its face. An iron collar was shackled around its neck and chained to the bars of the cage. A big stone had been chained to each of its legs as well, and while they currently dangled freely, there were chains on its wrists as well. The monster was chewing on an old bone, occasionally sniffing in the direction of the fire where the others sat. If it ever made too much noise, one of the other three monsters would spit a curse at it, or throw a coal from the fire. The pale beast would lurch from even a spark of the flame with a snarl and whimper.

Inside the entrance of the cliff, another thin plume of smoke wafted out. There was a smell of something cooking, probably meat. This smoke must have been winding its way inside the cliff's passages as well, as about 15 feet up on the left side of the rocky outcrop another trickle of gray ash wafted up. There was a balcony of some kind built of ramshackle wood here, and a rough-hewn stairway going up onto the cliff's flat top. The rats could just see the edge of something over the plateau, something that looked a bit like a pile of straw.

How many bandits were in this camp? How many were humans and how many were monsters? How well did they work together? What kind of threat did the represent?

And what were the rats going to do about it?
[hr]
[h3]Deep Forest[/h3]
As Nira cut 3 sizeable pieces of Black Dyed Cloth from the cloak, Femus looked over the corpse of their enemy. Just from what he had seen before with the other Hobgoblin that ruled the tribe--which raised the question of where this one had come from and what its status was in the tribe?--the Wisp could tell that this creature had probably been a bit smarter than the average gobbo. It would have ambushed him, if not for his Alert skill. Most Goblins weren't that sneaky about their hunts, or if they tried to be they often weren't very good at it. It was rather odd, in some way, that the creature was using another goblin's skull and arm as its own weapons or accessories. Now that Femus thought about it, he had never seen any of the skirmishes between the goblins become fatal. They killed other creatures without abandon, but any match between fellow greenskins never went past first blood in the majority of cases. So how had this one even gotten the bones in the first place? Maybe that was why he hadn't seen it in the tribe before now--was it some kind of goblin criminal? Did they even have the concept for such a thing?

[quote=System:Femus]
You used Monster Analysis I!
---Hobgoblin---
These advanced goblins develop darker skin colors, their former green bodies turning a shade of the forest or changing tint slightly to blues or browns. They are a foot taller than goblins on average, and while their proportions are similar their extra mass shifts towards a more wiry, muscular form. With greater intelligence but about the same level of maturity, if Goblins can be compared to vicious children then Hobgoblins could be mean-spirited teenagers. Their faces become slightly less ugly, and they grow more hair much like various humanoids.

You used Plant Analysis I!
This green herb does not thrive on sunlight, but on ambient Mana. With good nutrients and clean water in its surroundings, it will synthesize pure healing energy. Low-grade item.
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The herbs that smelled slightly of mint seemed to be the ones that had healing properties,  and at first glance it was hard to tell them apart from just any old plain fern or leaf. But there was definitely a subtle difference to them apart from the scent. Drinking dew from the plants finally seemed to quench the Wisp's dry throat, but it still wasn't a prime source of fresh water. And with the day rapidly approaching noon, most of the dew was dried up at this point.

The Blue Yill had not produced any seeds yet, but just how fast could he have pushed its growth with his magic? After all, it often took real crops an entire season to go to seed. But the presence of magic in this world kind of threw a wrench into "regular" common sense. The blue flower had sunlight, good soil, he had boosted it with magic...what hadn't he done yet that might speed up its cultivation?
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[h3]Farmstead[/h3]
[quote=System:Jason]
Skill Gain: Earth Vein I (0.9 > 1.0)!
By remaining still and in contact with the earth by at least two solid points of your body for a short amount of time, you can begin passively drawing Mana from the Earth to refill your MP. Moving other parts of your body can drastically decrease the effectiveness of this skill. This skill cannot be used in conjuction with other Active skills. --Your lack of a physical body drastically reduces the effect of this Skill.
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"What's going on, Miiba!?" Mirabelle and Geir came into the back yard, both looking equally out of breath. In Geir's case it was likely because of the struggle he'd had with Jason, while in Mira's it might be chalked down to the fact that the magic user was just not so physically fit as her companion.

"You!" Geir suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Miiba by the scruff of her potato-sack dress, picking her up off the ground. "You said you didn't have any goblin buddies, huh!? Well these two say different!" He held her up until she was practically looking Danny in the eye on top of the chicken coop. "One of you is lying about the goblin raid, and I don't trust either one of ya!"

"Geir, wait!" Mira was fishing in her pouch for a green lense, much like a more refined version of Danny's Source Crystal Shard. "Where's the undead? And you!" She pointed at Danny, and Jason would be able to see her aura intensifying. She seemed a far more accomplished magic user than ol' Crispy had been. "Why did you attack this place? If you're like Miiba, then you should know some kind of human sensibility!"

As always, this situation could rapidly go very badly, very quickly. The magic user seemed to have some method of finding Jason, who was relied on his invisibility for a great deal of his battle advantage. And her spells would likely do much more damage than Geir could swinging an axe. At the same time, the big lug hadn't gone down nearly as easily as most targets Jason tried to soul-fight, and could probably kill Danny in one good shot if it came down to it. This Miiba goblin was like them, a reincarnator, but she seemed incredibly young and despite being allowed to shelter here, obviously wasn't fully trusted.

What would each Reviver do?