[h3]Farmstead[/h3]
[quote=System:Danny]
Skill Gain: Charisma I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Like other charismatic skills, your personality is almost a magical charm unto itself. You’ll have greater luck convincing others to go along with your suggestions, but only within their own natural reasoning. [color=red]This skill may not work on those with stronger Wills.[/color]
[/quote]
[quote=System:Jason]
Skills [Limited Shapeshift I (1.6)] and [Tremor Sense II (2.425)] have been unlocked!
[/quote]

“Don’t worry about it, Miiba...not knowing about those things may actually be good for you.” Lear said, again patting the goblin girl in a reassuring manner. He looked at Danny and Jason and chewed his lip for a moment. When Jason mentioned Onogoro’s name, Mira and Geir looked at each other with surprise, and the Farmer raised his eyebrows. However, for now that wasn’t the thing he wanted to address. “But, if none of you have any idea what I’m talking about...and did you say there were [i]ten[/i] others like you three? Yeesh.”

“A cave on the edge of the forest...I’d bet anything that’s the cave where that goblin tribe lives. The one that Bugbear and the fire-variant took over a few months ago?” Geir said. He idly twirled his knife in one hand, but he didn’t seem as on-guard anymore. The young man was still far from friendly, but the gears in that stubborn head of his were starting to turn. “I haven’t been there since I was a Brass-plate.” His eyes narrowed. “Guild training be damned, and that rules-lawyer Trent too. Me and Wulf knew we should have wiped that whole place out.”

“Sir Lear, were you thinking about who might have performed the Worldcalling Ritual, to try and summon heroes?” Mira put away her Source Lens and smoothed out her dress and cloak. “But...there’s so much here that doesn’t make sense. How do we even start to figure this out?”

“We don’t. I learned that in the army.” Lear knocked against his head with his knuckles as he winked. “You report it to somebody smarter up the chain and let them figure it out. Although, we do know enough to make some educated guesses....but I don’t think it’s best to talk about that right now. It’s late.” He looked back at the various monsters. “Come on, Miiba, unless you’d like to stay in the shed with your friends. Let’s get them some leftovers too, I suppose. Adventurers! We’re gonna alternate shifts tonight, and don’t forget about checking the wall.”

[[The Farmstead Group, if I remember correctly, is still on Day 5 while most other groups are nearing the end of Day 6. To try and resolve timeline issues, catch Miiba up a bit, and give Jason and Danny some time to recover after their hectic adventures, let’s figure out what the group would like to do for a time-skip before the next update. In the meantime, everyone’s free to do/gather/speak/whatever they need to before sleeping.]]
[hr]
[h3]Monster Party[/h3]
[quote=System:Torrent]
You used [Analysis]!
---Ash, (Adolescent) Mystic [Winged] Kobold---
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. Kobolds on average are more intelligent than goblins, but if goblins lack empathy and impulse control, Kobolds are much more lacking in emotional content and personality. Some individuals have other characteristics--the Winged Kobolds are often said to have Draconic power in their veins, and are often revered in their tribes. Ash has gained the Mystic variance, increasing her affinities for various magical skills. She has many magical skills, some of which you also have, and several of her skills use Poison.
---Oberon, (Adult) Sprite---
A highly territorial, but otherwise relatively friendly type of creature. Quite similar to Pixies at first glance, they are much more empathetic and even altruistic than other types of Fey. Unless an enemy presents a threat to their homes and families, they often prefer to flee rather than fight, but if something enters their nesting area they are known to swarm much like wasps. Sprites are aligned with the light element and their wings have scales similar to some types of moths. When these scales fall they sometimes glitter, and the Sprite's body is often covered with them. Oberon has many magical skills, some of which you also have, and his array of elemental skills is quite diverse.
---Digbie, (Adolescent) Mystic Stone-hardened Palablin---
A never-before seen Goblin-subtype, created under circumstances that have not been replicated. It may be impossible for other Goblins to achieve...or is it? If the Demiblin is a Goblin that has garnered the favor of Demons, this Goblin has instead gained the favor of something else. However, even if it is not a Demon, there is always a price for power. Fair trade is the means by which two parties prosper. The Palablin's skin will lighten, from greens to whites or yellows and in between, or a lighter hue of any other pattern such as that of a Blue- or Redcap. They are of a similar size to hobgoblins and demiblins, but their eyes seem to gleam with a greater intelligence. Digbie is more magically inclined than many goblinoids, and has a particular affinity for Earth-elemental skills.

You used Magic Analysis II!
---???????? Earth---
Ash seems to be using her magical manipulation skills to try and force an Earth-elemental spell into the right configuration. Something is lacking, but she seems to have a lot of energy packed into it and has the necessary skills to manipulate it. Maybe it has something to do with the properties of the Earth element itself, and how it differs from other Elements?
---Gravity Well---
Within 30 feet of the caster, create a spherical area with a diameter of 5 feet. Magical force infuses the physical phenomenon of gravity, increasing its effect upon the target at the center of the sphere. The target experiences a crushing force roughly equivalent to a fourth of its own weight concentrated into a single instant. Oberon’s experimentation and analysis has likely given him a greater understanding of this skill than your own.
---Rock Spire---
A basic Earth-aligned spell that creates a sharp spike of stone by drawing loose or broken fragments of earth out of the ground. It deals more damage than most level one spells for the same MP cost, but requires that solid earth be within the user’s range of sight or perception. Solid earth can include soils and sands, but if the ground is too soft or solid it increases the MP cost of the spikes as new fragments of stone must be broken off or compressed. The spike is created beneath the targeted area, object, or creature. One drawback of this is that the flash of Mana produced as a side effect of driving the energy into the earth might alert the opponent. Does Piercing and Earth Magic damage. Digbie has somehow amplified the spell by adding physical force to the projection of his Mana in an unusual technique, but the process seems fairly exhausting as well…
---All Analysis Complete!---
[/quote]
 
The Forked Snake learned quite a bit about her allies’ newly evolved forms, and what they were practicing. Digbie’s, in particular, seemed to be something that this world had actually never seen before...given some of the odd g̶͔̣̋̂̀̀̏̎͜͝l̶̄͜ǐ̵̧̬̥͇̼͎͜ţ̶̟̰̦͔͕͝c̷̹͎͕̒̊̾͒̓͠͝h̷̡̳͍̥̺̙͎̉̿̈́̌̿̐ë̴̝̉͋̀̃̚̕ś̷̞̪̰̤̥̦̈ they had experienced with the System up until now, was it actually possible that the group of Reincarnators might somehow be changing this world?

While she watched, Torrent would also see the other reptilian of the group continue to struggle with her new spell. Ash forced more Mana into the glowing yellow, geometrically shifting orb. The tiles had seemed too big, so she tried to make them smaller...condensed. They needed to be further condensed, in order to fit the slots? What shape were the tiles even going to make? A cube, perhaps, instead of a sphere? Digbie’s yelling about his Rock Spire was a reminder that the Earth element spells she had seen--Soil Manipulation, the spire, Sacred Ground--usually worked within defined areas. Circles, cones, triangles, geometric shapes with defined vertices and sometimes three dimensional volume.

Something “clicked.” The Mana Orb, changed by her Mana Control and Mana Shape into Earth-elemental Mana, became a cube that didn’t quite fit together right. She had put much more Mana into it than most of her spells required at this point, and it was still getting smaller as she condensed it to try and perfect the fit…And as it got smaller, it got...heavier? How could energy with no physical mass get heavier? Ash was starting to lose her concentration. She could feel her eyes straining, and her MP draining, and now she had to physically make the effort to keep holding onto this damned stubborn spell-in-the-making! The golden glowing cube dropped toward the earth, almost magnetically drawing in dust motes around it.

Then she blinked and it all disappeared.

"Holy crap, it worked!"

Digbie grabbed his new quest item, and looked for the remains of that glowing circle. It was gone, now, but with it still fresh in his memory he could just barely imagine the general shape and size of it. He asked the System to create a new Skill…

[quote=System:Digbie]
ERROR. You do not meet the Prerequisites to Create Skills. Proposed Skill:Bore denied.
[Bore] not recognized as Developing Skill. You are Developing the Skills: Rock Spire, Spell Chant, Focus, Mana Surge, Mana Control, Mana Shape, and Condense Earth.

You used Monster Analysis II, Magic Analysis II, and Material Analysis II!
---Torrent, (Adolescent) Stone-Hardened Forked Snake---
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. You know Torrent to be a Reincarnator like yourself, and it seems she has gained a variance. She has a multitude of magical skills, some of which you also know. If her Hide were to be harvested, it would likely make a strong leather. Her fangs would also make good material for weaponry or armor.
[/quote]

As Oberon hit the tree with his shielded rock, the shield shattered immediately upon impact. The bark was left with a deep gouge, and when the Sprite hit the tree in a different spot with the same rock, the damage wasn’t as great--and the rock, a simple stone of something like quartz or maybe shale or basalt, given their proximity to the mountain, cracked. The stone had, of course, been fine while shielded, so the defense increasing properties were confirmed for non-organic targets. So, by extension, an object that was harder to damage...was it really able to hit harder as a result? Or did that depend on the object being “reinforced” in question?

If the group wanted to hunt, they would need to do so in swift fashion. The sun was already turning orange and red where it filtered through the trees, and night would be upon them soon…
[hr]
[h3]Deep Forest[/h3]
[quote=System:Nira]
Skill Gain: Charisma I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Like other charismatic skills, your personality is almost a magical charm unto itself. You’ll have greater luck convincing others to go along with your suggestions, but only within their own natural reasoning. [color=red]This skill may not work on those with stronger Wills.[/color]
[/quote]
[quote=System:Femus]
You used Monster Analysis II! You have analyzed this creature before, effectiveness boosted!
---Pixie x3---
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. They communicate mostly through body language, but are quite moody. Their mating pairs don’t stay together long after the birth of the young, nor do they stick around to raise their offspring, but like humans they don’t have a designated estrus cycle so their reproduction is constant. The superstition of “fairy rings” and wild dancing inside them is derived from pixies getting...rather frisky, as a swarm.

You used Plant Analysis I!
---Healing Herb---
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.
---Wild Kele---
A long cylinder of bundled leaf sheaths surrounding a seed pod. Once established, Kele is hardy; many varieties can be left in the ground during the winter to be harvested as needed. The leaf sheaths, especially those closer to a cream white in color, are the most edible part of the plant with a somewhat mild flavor. 
---All Analysis Complete!---
[/quote]
The pixies were absolutely mystified by Nira’s magic, letting out oohs and ahhs and clapping their tiny hands. The blue and green haired fairies began trying to touch the droplets of water as they materialized, condensing from the air, before they were drawn into the orb forming between Nira’s palms. The red one seemed more wary, but circled around as if observing Nira’s movements from every angle.

Femus learned quite a bit from his analysis, and correctly identified which of the plants might be useful as medicine--as well as finding one variety mixed in among the herbs that would be edible. Speaking of edible, there was still that crispy-lightning fried Hobgoblin over there.

But, as the sun drifted lower and cast fingers of red through the trees, a birdcall from somewhere startled the three pixies. Waving and chattering at Nira, they pointed at the trees on the far side of the clear, and then headed off in the opposite direction. It seemed they had been sufficiently entertained, at least, so nothing bad had come of their interaction. Femus and Nira hadn’t really seen any nocturnal predators yet, but logically they had to exist. 

However, night time might also be a good time to make use of their stealth abilities and scout around, perhaps...Would they further explore the remainder of the goblin camp, since it seemed the warriors still hadn’t come back? Or would they head for the treeline to try and scout beyond the clearing itself? Or would they simply eat and go to bed, after a long day of training, fighting, and discovering more about this world?
[hr]
[h3]Rat Party[/h3]
The Hobgoblin lunged with his Stone Knives, and managed to carve a chunk of the Scout’s chitin from its side. The insect had managed to get hold of one Bugbear’s leg, however, and its mandibles drew blood as the brute screamed. The third bandit brought his club down hard on the Monster’s midsection, forcing it to release its grip with a squeal of pain.

By this time the second Scout and the Worker had joined the fray, and Asteria had crept back to the Savage Troll’s cage. She looked for the locking mechanism, and quickly found it. It was made of wood, unskillfully carved, but actually seemed very similar to a pin-and-tumbler padlock. No doubt a wooden key would be needed to unlock it...however, this lock was much bigger than the typical metal padlocks, even the cartoonish ones a person might expect this “middle ages” world to have. Unless one had tiny, dextrous rat paws.

She was able to reach inside and push at the three pins inside, until they finally clicked! The padlock popped open, and the troll immediately turned its head. Being blind, it was probably more sensitive to sound.

Asteria’s Faster Skill carried her out of there. Moving at higher speed made her Muffle and Suppress Presence skills less effective, but at this point it didn’t seem to matter much. The Troll practically slammed itself through the now-open door, swinging it wide open and tumbling out onto the grass.

Meanwhile, the wounded Scout had already been killed by the Hobgoblin slamming his knives into the segments of armor between its body and head, crushing the tiny neck. Ed had noticed, while watching him, that he often tried to cripple or wear down his target instead of going for a killing blow. His two knives were fast, but didn’t offer much in the way of fighting defensively. The Worker, however, used its bulk to knock the smaller goblinoid over, and they wrestled as it tried to eat his face. The two bugbears grabbed it and heaved it into the wooden fence, stunning it with the force of the blow. The Ratman could easily see they had little in the way of strategy, merely brute force. Still, the two seemed to work well together, perhaps because they were brothers or from the same tribe? Fighting both together would be harder than fighting one alongside the Hobgoblin, perhaps. The other Scout harassed them, circling and biting, and now both of them had bloody ankles and calves and moved slower.

The sounds of snapping jaws, angry yells, and the thud of weapons on bodies drew attention from two sources. A Hobgoblin wielding a bow peeked over the edge of that rampart Asteria had spied earlier. And the Savage, Blind Troll let out a bloodcurdling roar before charging towards the fight.

“Th’hell’s goin’ on down dere!?”

“Who let dat big fug out!?”

“Gaaaah, me leg!”

Chaos had erupted, the lights inside the cliff’s caveside entrance began to flicker with movement...