Now that all four of them were properly inside the makeshift - and enchanted - arena, the little recruitment trial could begin.
As James would discover, briefly after he brandished his bone-picks from his flesh, the few drips of blood he leaked began to... move on their own, swirling and flowing toward the sanguineus maleficarum's right palm. In fact, the same thing could be said to what remained of the "suicidal" ruffian's spilled blood, all of them coalescing into a literal blood orb floating by Erzsébet's hand. They were hers now.
"Then, shall we dance?" She inquired with a sweet, cordial smile.
While the Raider Warrioress took the frontlines as she expected her to do, clashing her peculiar weapon with James' bone spikes, the Spirit Channeler was surprisingly a close combatant as well. Beth had to admit she didn't expect her to be wielding daggers instead of slinging necromantic spells, or maybe it depended on which particular spirit she bonded herself to, just so happened it was a dashing rogue in this particular instance.
Regardless, this left Erzsébet as the primary ranged fighter in the group, a good balance if she could say so herself. Now, while she could try to simply commandeer Bone Chime's veins like puppet strings, it would defeat the purpose of the spar even if it worked, as the point was to gauge their abilities, she should treat this more like a... jousting competition than an actual fight to the death, even if (temporary) death was on the table.
With that in mind, the Magus of Crimson decided to start small, the intro before the rising action. The blood orb by her right ebbed and flowed as some of its bulk began splitting off to form scarlet arrowheads, which were promptly loosed toward Bone Chime, homing at him from various angles, including his flank.
I was so hoping someone would demand further proof of the spell working the way James said it would. For Elizabeth to test it herself is so like her lol
Whaddya mean? Maybe the ruffian just had the sudden urge to do a lil' bloodletting. 😙🎶
Amongst the unwashed masses assailed by England's infamous downpour, a certain figure appeared to defy the will of nature itself as she glided through the mud-drenched streets of Liverpool. Though her visage was concealed by the red-tinted hooded cloak she wore, one could see that she was wearing an emerald teal dress, one more fitting for the daughter of a duke than than the lowborns who called these slums home. Furthermore, her build suggested she was a maiden of no older than thirteen summers. A rebellious noblegirl who ran away from home after another altercation with her father, perhaps? A plausible theory at first glance, however, upon further inspection, things might not be as they seemed to be...
The droplets fell on her yet they didn't touch, it was almost as if something was repelling them from clinging on her frame. The same goes for the brown mud underneath her bare feet, wherever she was about to set a foot down, something alive, flowing, and crimson cushioned her steps.
At the porch of a tiny humble home, a small child was innocently curious enough to stare at the dress-wearing girl's face, and then as if she knew, for the briefest of moments, the hooded lady angled her neck just enough for their eyes to meet...
Promptly, the child widened his eyes, whimpered, then began crying profusely, as if Baba Yaga herself was coming to take him away.
Immediately after, the girl disappeared into a backalley, for she had arrived at where she was supposed to be.
--Liverpool - The Galley--
Entering the pigsty of a tavern, Erzsébet made herself comfortable - as much as she could given the wanting accommodations - by claiming a seat, seemingly heedless to the stares she might have received.
After whisking down her hood, she watched in measured silence as James commanded his musclebound necromancer to literally break his neck. "Aha...~" The girl couldn't help but let an amused chortle slip, a subtle grin curling at the corner of her small lips. The execution was excellent, though she'd personally prefer if a little more bloodshed was involved.
The little performance worked wonders, so many outlaws, hoodlums, and ne'er-do-wells showed, yet only a handful remained. Unfortunate, those fodder could've served as blood bags for her, but she supposed they still needed to be fed and sheltered until it's time for 'harvest', a hassle that their would-be captain was unwilling to deal with, understandable.
Then, those who remained must be brave, insane, or both, enough to consider working for Bone Chime to be worth it. Fortunately for him, she was one of them. As for the rest, two of them caught her particular attention, both decidedly not of European descent.
One of them carried the stench of death with her, as if she was a walking tomb. Ah, one of those 'wise women', spirit channeler, those who served as a medium for the departed. Hopefully, she loved conducting funeral rites because there'd be plenty to recite once the Blood Witch was done with her enemies.
The other dark-skinned woman carried the presence of a raider through and through, one of those bandits who actually knew what they were doing instead of the more common simple-minded thugs. If there was anyone here who'd fit the stereotypical image of a pirate the most, it'd be her. This made her magic all the more curious, Liz couldn't sense anything malevolent from it, she had what appeared to be a purely supportive discipline. Curious indeed...
And last but not least, their oh so charming host, the infamous Bone Chime himself; shapeshifter, fleshsculpter, the handsome brigand who reigned over skin, flesh, and bone. Not too far off from her own specialty if Beth could say so herself. He issued a challenge, three against himself, she'd say it was a case of unchecked hubris if not for the enchantment set up prior.
Although speaking of the enchantment... call her paranoid, but Erzsébet decided to err on the side of caution. She curled her fingers, flexing them as if they're holding invisible puppet strings...
"Fucking psycho, damn not worth the job-...?!!" One of the ruffians who decided to raise anchor and left suddenly went rigid. His body stiffening as his pupils constricted, "W... what in the devil's name-aaargh!" Despite his bewilderment, he began shambling toward the little alcove that Ade enchanted. Going by his movements alone, it could be assumed he was taking up James' offer to fight him, but his terrified expression and trembling voice betrayed his true intentions.
Regardless, he stepped into the marked area... then promptly brandished his dagger to tear his own jugular open. "Guuuurghck-...?!!" Blood sprayed like a fountain as astonished onlookers watched on. The ruffian unceremoniously flopped forward, twitched pitifully on the bloodstained floor, then bled out... before he was then promptly resurrected by Ade's magic.
"Haaa-...?! Y-you people are goddamned lunatics!!" After catching his breath, he didn't even bother figuring out what just happened and instantly bolted away from the tavern. Safe to say, he wouldn't be returning, ever.
"Impressive. It appears you've put coins where your mouth is, Sir Bone Chime." Erzsébet quipped after the man left, a distinct Magyar accent audible in her tone, "With that, I've asked my question and you have answered."
She rose from her seat as her shoeless feet carried her into the 'arena', alongside the Spirit Summoner, her spectral companion, and the Indian tribal warrior, "Sanguineus Maleficarum Erzsébet, at your service."
I wasn't quite sure if your ability did EVERYTHING a doctor might need it to. I know you got us in the stitching up wounds department but treating poisons, infections, illness, isn't covered by its effects correct? I read it as more of a combat medic spell
Oh, that's a good point. Hmmm... yes, let's go with that. She basically has magical sutures and blood bags, but stuff that can't be treated by those things will be beyond her magic, she'll need - ugh - mundane stuff to compensate such as antidotes, antibiotics, etc, like a normal doctor.
Assuming Alice does decide to go for the dedicated healer concept, then maybe their char can do that, we'll see when they get back to us.
Elizabeth is probably the most intelligent of the group (of only for her age), and is mainly specialized for combat. I think this makes her a shoe in for first mate.
Being an old hag (in a child's body) notwithstanding, Beth is educated like a noble and witch would, which is a privilege in an age where being literate is still something to brag about.
She's also more of a ranged jack-of-all-trades rather than a damage specialist. She can tank (with her blood constructs), heal, damage, and crowd control. The tradeoff being that she's not as potent in any one thing compared to a specialist.
Furthermore, considering she's also a skilled physician even without her blood magic, she can alternatively serve as the crew's doctor, or if we're keeping the first mate decision, then the backup doctor in case the main doctor is unavailable for one reason or another. After all, you can't have too many doctors.
---
Nice opener, GM! I already have some ideas on how to respond, let me see what I can cook up! 😁
@imia@Izurich I didn't see anything about mind reading on Iava's sheet. It's just a mana connection, isn't it? Because if it's mind reading, Shiara is probably going to hard pass. ^.^;;
Oh, the way I see it, it's less Mind Reading and more Mind Sharing, everything is consensual, kinda like telepathy imo.
The bond can share everything from senses, perceptions, physical abilities, emotions, thoughts, and even memories between two parties. For instance, if someone knows how to do a specific motion that Iava doesn’t know herself, the knowledge required to do so can be shared and learned instantaneously through the connection. The extent of what is being shared depends on each party. As an example, someone could choose to only share the memories they have up until their fifth birthday. But it's not always a concrete choice - when the bond is made, both parties already have a predetermined idea of what they want to share. It’s similar to a conversation; you aren’t just going to tell someone all your traumatic experiences, your deepest darkest secrets & greatest fears for no reason. Thus, those memories that don’t want to be shared, and the thoughts and emotions associated with them are essentially “locked away,” to the point where Iava herself has no idea they exists.
Thing is, Liz can share pretty... questionable stuff. There's always that risk. 🫢
I'm a fuckin' weeb, but one of my great-grandparents was Japanese and a Japanese can't be a weeb by definition so...
[h3]7/8 Weeb[/h3]
...[s]kill me.[/s]
[sub][i]Avatar drawn by [url=https://www.patreon.com/vayreceane]Vayreceane[/url][/i][/sub]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I'm a fuckin' weeb, but one of my great-grandparents was Japanese and a Japanese can't be a weeb by definition so... <br><div class="bb-h3">7/8 Weeb</div><br>...<span class="bb-s">kill me.</span><br><br><sub><span class="bb-i">Avatar drawn by <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.patreon.com/vayreceane">Vayreceane</a></span></sub></div>
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