So the probability to roll any given number on a d6 would be .16 repeating, so we can round up to .17. The probability of rolling any number on a d8 would be .125, which for simplicity we'll round up to .13. In order to get a number equal to or higher than a 6 on a d8 it would be about a .38 chance. Basically 6 in 10 rolls on a d8 will be within the value of a d6, but 4 in 10 rolls will be higher.
Now the part we don't need any math for: there is a .0 chance of a d6 rolling higher than a 6. If you want the highest numbers possible then choosing a smaller die will fail you. Not only are the individual odds of rolling a number available on a d6 smaller on a d8 but the d8 has a higher maximum than the d6. There is no real benefit to rolling two die of different values other than for novelty or to abide by a rule, unless you want smaller numbers intentionally.
From within the halls of the grand arena overlooking Crocus appeared two men stepping out onto the stairs from the entrance. Immediately they both noticed the blue streak of flames in the sky passing overhead. "Oi, you think that mage up there saw anything?" the first young man said, pointing up at Tone as he flew away. The other young man watched silently for a moment before answering. "No. They couldn't have seen anything from up there anyways." "Right on, then."
The two began their descent down the mountain's stairs now. "Have someone follow just in case. We don't want some lowlife breaking the news early and ruining the big day." The other young man smirked. "Sure thing, your Highness. Do you want me to bring you back to the palace too?" The crown prince continued walking down the stairs as his companion stopped. "No need, I don't get to be on my own that often. I can walk just fine." "I'm sure ya can, but ya know your father would tell me to-" "Consider it an order then. I'll see you at the palace later, Calidyn." The prince now waved him away as he continued walking. With a shrug the young man named Calidyn vanished into thin air, finally leaving the prince alone.
As he continued down the steps he looked out over Crocus. Even from so far away he could see how the city was even more busy than usual. All due to his festival of course. It's just a birthday, such a pointless thing to celebrate, he thought to himself, his eyes drifting down to his feet. Father is such a dull leader. Trivial things like this aren't truly captivating. Appeasing the citizens with some music and flowers... ha. Honestly, when I'm the king things will be different. Now the prince looked back up to Domus Flau, a grin creeping across his face. I'll give the people something to get excited about all right.
Era
Hidden within the walls of the Magic Council headquarters was a large conference room, separate from the courtroom that is most often seen. A place where the Council convenes to discuss matters of law, military, and general importance. In the middle of the room was the large conference table with a large chandelier overhead as the primary source of light for the window-less room. On one side of the table were all the Councilmembers, on the other were their guests. A collection of six guild masters of the six most prominent guilds of the country. At the end of the long table sat the Council chairman, Boram Siegfried. At the other end of the table was a young man with black hair and clothes of the finest material, the crown prince of Fiore himself was in attendance.
"I must admit, I never thought I would see the day that so many of you would be in the same room together," Boram began, gesturing towards the lineup of guild masters. "These are interesting times for all six of you to be requesting an audience with the Council at the same time." The chairman's introductory speech didn't get very far before someone already interrupted him. "Yeah, because you have been letting that independent guild get out of control," the youngest guild master present, Soryu Shinano of Steel Hydra, spoke up. "That guild is already starting to cut into our clients and our wizards. I thought that if they didn't agree to work for the Council that they would be criminals?"
"Is Steel Hydra really so pathetic that losing a little money would really put them behind so bad?" Soryu glared over at the guild master for Black Curtain, Duncan Nythe. "Ha! Don't make me laugh." The banter was already getting on the nerves of the chairman and he was visibly frustrated. "Masters, cease your squabbling. We are in the presence of Prince Ryokugyoku. We must act befitting of our status." The young prince chuckled loud enough for everyone to hear. "Don't mind me, I'm just observing," Ryokugyoku spoke.
There was a brief silence after the prince, but the chairman cleared his throat and continued. "At any rate, Fenixtear is not under any agreements with the Council but so far they have violated no laws. As rude as their guildmaster has been we will not break our own rules to exact petty revenge, no matter the temptation." The elderly Morgana Lutz, master of Crimson Mare, was the next to speak. "If I may, Boram, I would like to remind the council that the guilds represented here have all been paying their dues. We don't merely abide by your regulations but we provide a considerable amount of taxes and even manpower to remain in the Council's good graces. Fenixtear didn't just disrespect you by refusing to cooperate but has disrespected us all, to operate the way they do without the same restrictions we must face and challenging our way of life." "That's right," spoke up Madame Elaine of Blue Pegasus. "And our guilds have been operating for many years while abiding by the Council and they come out of the woodworks to slay a dragon right on your doorstep? That sounds very suspicious to me."
"Actually, I have been looking into that." The soft-spoken master of Sleuth, Sovereign Minutio, was the next to speak his peace. "Their guild master, Torys Lusitania, has been a public figure for a very long time. I'm sure Ms. Lutz and Mr. Kempest here could testify that Ms. Lusitania was formerly a Wizard Saint." There began a series of grumblings and murmuring among the table after this revelation. "It is true," Oleg Kempest of Obsidian Kite confirmed. "Torys was once among the Saints. It would be uncharacteristic of her, and not within her ability, to summon or control such a monster. But indeed it was no mere coincidence that a dragon would besiege Era like that. It was certainly following the orders of some unknown master with a clear goal in mind." "I came to that conclusion as well. Fenixtear was simply more prepared and quicker to mobilize than any of us were."
"With all due respect, how they got here doesn't really matter so much as what they are doing," Soryu spoke up again. "Something must be done before they deal lasting damage to the economy and disrupt Fiore's way of life any further." "I gotta agree here. They should be disbanded." "Or at least made to follow the Council in the way that we do." As the voices began to grow and overlap, all complaining in one way or another, the Chairman began trying to regain control of the room. "I understand your concerns and loathe as I am to let them walk free they simply haven't broken any of our laws yet. We have been keeping a close eye. If we were to crack down on them while they were so popular and in the spotlight it would reflect poorly on the Council and make the people of Fiore lose trust in us, perhaps even the Kingdom itself."
In the brief quiet after Boram finished speaking the people present finally noticed a tapping sound. The prince was tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically, waiting patiently for a moment to speak up. And now that all eyes were on him he ceased tapping. "It sure seems like you all have your pride on the line," he told them with a cheeky grin. "You masters feel threatened by this new guild, don't you?" Soryu smacked the table and stood to his feet. "With all due respect, your Highness, but the strongest guild in Fiore isn't feeling threatened by these nobodies." A chuckle escaped from Duncan as he removed a pipe from his cloak. "What's so funny to you, Darkness?" "Oh, nothing in particular. It's just cute that the boy thinks he's a big enough man to declare his guild the strongest. Anyone can go kill some bears in the woods." "Don't feel so mighty yourself, boy," Morgana said to Duncan, catching a glare from him in return. "In our line of work we've all had to deal with other mages. You really aren't that special."
"Say, I just thought of something," the prince spoke up again. By now the guild masters have largely become agitated, and the councilmembers haven't hardly gotten a word in edgewise, so all eyes were on the prince with various glares and gazes. "You guys can't even pretend to get along very well, its clear that you all consider yourselves rivals. And that you all don't like the unwelcome addition of a new rival. If the Council can't go after Fenixtear until it breaks the law, and if you all truly believe that guild is so pathetic, then why not just prove to the people of Fiore who the best really is?" This suggestion was met with silence. "What are you suggesting, your Highness?" An annoyed sigh escaped the prince as he shook his head dramatically. "What I'm suggesting is that we bring back the tournament to decide the strongest guild in Fiore." "You mean the Grand Magic Games." Now all eyes drifted to Oleg. "The Kingdom stopped hosting the Grand Magic Games a long time ago, only in the childhood of our eldest present. That must've been more than sixty years ago." "My grandfather had ended the Grand Magic Games because they served no real purpose anymore. The cost was too high for how little it was rewarding. But I can ask my father real nicely and it can be done again. Then you guys can openly, publicly, destroy Fenixtear and it can be broadcast across the country."
The masters began to murmur among themselves, going over the pros and cons of such an offer. "I have to ask what prompted such an unusual offer from your Highness," Sovereign asked, keeping direct, unblinking eye contact with the prince. "Ah, is it so hard to believe that I would suggest such a thing out of pure altruism? No, I suppose you should all know that I had been considering this idea for some time now. When the people of Fiore think of magic they think of you guys, your guilds. In a way you've become the face of Fiore. And that is unacceptable to me. The Kingdom, the royal family, should be the face of Fiore. And I will be bringing my own team to the Grand Magic Games to represent the Kingdom and show the people exactly why it is us who rule the country." Soryu grimaced, but it soon turned into a grin as he rose up to the challenge. "You're speaking as if the tournament is a foregone conclusion, but don't you need the Council to give permission first? Otherwise you would have a tournament that we aren't allowed to show up to."
All eyes were on the councilmembers and the chairman now. "Well, Mr. Chairman? What will I tell my father when I return from my visit here? What do you say about having a Grand Magic Games?"
Tone
After finding an appropriately sized clearing in the trees, Tone reduced his speed and descended. He was able to precisely land in the clearing without damaging the ground. Well, perhaps it was only minor damage from the impact. After taking a moment to survey his surroundings Tone crossed his arms over his chest. This is lame, training out in the woods by myself has gotten old. I'm not sure how much more progress I could get from striking air or inanimate objects, he thought to himself, plopping down to the ground to sit with his legs crossed. Can't even get a change of view, training pretty much anywhere else is a no-go.
Tone looked up into the sky, staring at one cloud in particular. He tried to find a shape in it but it was too simple to make anything out of. Did I really come this far just to get stuck? Pitch has been rotting in a dungeon getting tortured and who knows what else and I can't find any information on Draco Clamor. My goodness they're supposedly in this country and everyone I've asked about them just looks at me like I'm speaking a foreign language. Nobody seems to have even heard of them. Tone opened his jacket and reached inside to a hidden pocket, retrieving a small dark book. And this stupid thing doesn't have any answers.
On the front of the book were only the words "Draconis Scriptum". The book was clearly worn, Tone himself picked it up off the ground after the battle with Draco Clamor back in Bosco. A little singed but very well intact. Half the thing isn't even readable. I bet the answers are in that half but Torys told me to get rid of this book. How can this stupid dark guild be so important yet so hard to find? It just doesn't make any sense. Tone began to open the book when he detected someone approaching. First by smell but soon he could hear their footsteps. In a hurry he stashed the Draconis Scriptum back in his jacket and jumped to his feet. The person approaching appeared to be some kind of knight, wearing the kingdom's armor.
"Did you follow me out here?" was the first thing to come out of Tone's mouth, confused at how anyone at all would find him, deliberately or not. "Halt, mage," the knight said as he approached Tone. "Let me see your papers." "What? Papers? What are you talking about?" "Your papers. Your guild registration." With a grimace Tone turned away and pulled at his jacket's neckline down over his shoulder, revealing his guild mark. "Will this do for ya? What do you want from me anyways from following me over here?" The knight glared at Tone for a moment. "You were spotted flying over royal property, at Domus Flau." "You gotta be shitting me, I can't believe Zenith was this right..." "Young man, you're not in trouble. It's an unusual circumstance as not many people fly, but you can't be flying over royal property like that."
With a sigh of relief Tone finally relaxed. "Well jeez, there aren't any signs posted anywhere. Guess I'll walk from now on. Sorry for breaking the rules, it won't happen again." The knight then pointed at the ground near Tone's feet. "You dropped something. Wait a minute. Give me that book, right now." At first he was confused but when Tone looked at where the knight was pointing he realized that he had accidentally dropped the Draconis Scriptum somehow. "Oh, you know this book? Could you help me find-" "Give me that." The knight snatched the book out of Tone's hands the moment he picked it up. "Alright alright, have it. But do you know anything about Draco Clamor? Anything at all?" The knight ignored Tone as he retrieved a small device from within his boot, a small magical tool. He placed the device against the book and within a second the book was engulfed in flames.
"What the hell! That was the only lead I had!" Tone shouted at the knight, snatching the flaming book back from his hands. "Watch it kid, I was just told to tell you to stop flying around but if you don't let that book burn then I'll have to put you under arrest." "It's just a book mate, can you listen to me for just a moment? I need to find the guild that made this book." At this point the knight was bewildered that Tone was continuing to hold this flaming book without any signs of pain or discomfort commonly associated with getting burned, but he persisted in his duties. "Put the book down, now!" The knight began reaching for his sword with his free hand now, so Tone grit his teeth and let the book fall to the ground. "Fine, jeez..."
The two watched the book get reduced to ashes in silence, as the knight had to make sure the deed was done. "Consider this your last warning, if you ever find that book again you destroy it or turn it in. Draco Clamor and their religion is not tolerated in Fiore. I understand that you are looking for them but keeping that book will only spread their word and won't help you. Next time you might be arrested." The knight began to walk away now, leaving Tone fuming as he stared at the burning book. His only lead to finding his brother. "So you don't know how to find them, huh," he snarked. "If we did, we wouldn't need to destroy these books."
Torys
The guild master had been paying attention to the man who had been with Vashya. It was clear that he was a social worker of some kind and that the girl has been working with the man for at least a little while to have some kind of trust in him. Torys patiently waited as the two chatted in private, offering a wave and a smile to Ria and Damien as they entered the guild hall during this conversation. Once Vashya and her social worker came back to Torys and filled her in on the situation it all finally made sense.
"Oh, of course," she spoke up, clasping her hands together. "I'll help Vashya here. She'll be in good hands here at Fenixtear, we're like a big family." Now she turned her smile to Vashya. "So who could it be? Oh! I bet it's... Actually, never mind that. The whole point of the arrangement is to make you comfortable so I won't pry where I'm not wanted. Welcome aboard, Vashya." The guild master gave the social worker one more smile before putting a hand on Vashya's shoulder and leading her back towards her office. She expected the social worker would stick around at least a while longer but if Vashya was going to join she'd need a Guild Mark. "So, Vashya, have you thought about where you want to put your guild mark? Gotta let the world know you're one of us... and proud!"
The small party hadn't reached the door to the office yet when the front door to the guild opened. On instinct Torys looked back over her shoulder to see who was returning but was immediately surprised to find a new face. It was a serious looking man, with blonde hair and some kind of covering or half-mask over his right eye. Not one of the usual young types that would be looking to join so he probably meant business. Torys took her hand off Vashya and fully turned to face the man across the guild hall. "Well hello, stranger. I can be with you in a few minutes, I just have to help our newest member get started," she told him, already turning away to continue into the office. "Actually, I was looking to join your guild as well."
This made Torys completely pause before turning to face the man again. There are some in the guild who are older, like Grasidia and Marduk, but a man appearing to be in his 30s asking to join still took Torys by surprise. Most mages at that age are already established within a guild or community. "Oh, two in one day huh. And here I was thinking that things were starting to slow down again." The man stepped forward into the hall, not even glancing at the other members around the room as he came closer to Torys and Vashya. "My name is Ronan." He gave a polite bow to Torys with his formal introduction. "Nice to meet you, Ronan. Show me what you can do. What kind of magic you got?" There was an awkward pause before the man spoke up again. "Actually, ma'am, I don't have any magic. I'm not a mage."
Now Torys was shocked. "I'm sorry, you don't know any magic?" Ronan shook his head. "No, I am incapable of magic. But I do have these-" "Well this is a mage guild, Ronan. I've never heard of someone who can't perform magic joining a mage guild. Perhaps your talents might be more suited to a trade guild." Despite the interruption his expression didn't change, he only patiently waited for Torys to finish speaking. "I had always wanted to join a mage guild, since I was a young boy. I've spent many years cultivating skills to make up for my inability to use magic. I can perform many tasks exceptionally and can defeat monsters or even mages in combat if necessary. Other mage guilds have turned me away but I heard that Fenixtear was not like other guilds."
Torys felt a bit guilty now, but she couldn't just let a non-mage join. Not only would it risk making the guild look bad but it could be putting this man in danger. "You would be correct, we are not like the other mage guilds. But we still are a mage guild, Ronan. You might be put in danger by working with us and I can't accept that in good conscience. I sympathize with you, I truly do, but..." The man looked down at the floor for a moment, his expression as neutral and unchanging as ever yet it could still be seen that he was in thought. "You're right, I apologize for wasting your time. Thank you for your consideration." And just like that he began walking towards the door. Torys watched silently, still taken aback by the whole thing. But when she looked down at Vashya the guilt returned. She was setting a bad example for this girl.
Turning people away is completely counter the point of being a family. If she could turn this man away over danger it would be no different from turning away Vashya, or anyone else really. Being a mage was just dangerous sometimes no matter the ability of the mage. "Wait," Torys spoke up just as Ronan reached the door. "How small-minded of me. Ronan, I believe you could make an excellent addition to our guild." For the first time since he arrived the smallest form of a smile could be seen on the corners of his lips. "Thank you, ma'am. I won't let you down." "Enough of this ma'am thing, you can call me Torys. Now come along, I can give you your guild mark right after I give Vashya here her guild mark." Torys motioned for Vashya and her social worker to follow into her office as she opened the door, revealing a fairly simple room with a desk in the middle with a pile of papers stacked in the middle. Along the walls were various filing cabinets and bookshelves, with the only standout feature being a large safe behind the desk. "If you don't mind waiting a few minutes longer, perhaps the others here can acquaint themselves with you," she told Ronan before closing the door to the office to create some privacy while handling the business side of signing up a new member. Ronan gave a simple nod in acknowledgement to the guild master as the door closed, and only now did he seem to actually look around at the others around the hall.
He approached the bar, near Trinity, and gave the girl a polite nod. "Good morning, my name is Ronan," he greeted, introducing himself formally to Trinity and everyone else nearby. "I hope you all will enjoy working with me in the future."
Birthday: January 14, X872 I suppose this would belong in the extra section.
Art of the Gunslinger focuses less on fancy and overt shows of magic power and more on transforming that magic power to turn already lethal enchanted bullets into an inescapable force of deadly justice through various trickshots using magical and enchanted bullets and attacks that literally sounds like fancy and overt shows of magic power. It achieves this through well trained magic control, physical shape and mental strength. As a result, many have claimed it combines other magics to gain the required effect, but it is simply the effect of training non-stop for years on end. A user of Art of the Gunslinger can perceive even a target using High Speed magic at higher levels than the average user can. This high perception allows them to use their trickshot attacks, such as the Blinding Binder, a trick shot that combines the Blinding Shot with the Binding Shot to capture a room full of mages while simultaneously blinding them so they can’t launch an accurate counter attack. Likewise, this high level perception allows them to use their magic attacks from their pistols while constantly moving themselves and accurately hit targets. Gun-fu
Charged Shot-Charges an unenchanted bullet with either ice or fire magic depending on if the round is fired from Feuer or Eis. Typically, if fired from Feuer, a large fireball is fired that explodes in a 10 meter radius on impact while charged shots from Eis tend to freeze multiple targets. Can this be spammed? How long does a charge take? A second, couple seconds?
Burst Beams-When there are no rounds in the revolvers, Arthas can focus his magic energy to fire shotgun like blasts of magic energy in beams a short range. No element to them unless he chooses to. To my understanding of his magic, if he's just expelling his energy I wouldn't think he could make this spell have elemental effects because he himself doesn't exactly have elemental magic. The obvious answer would be "he enchants it" but based on a previous conversation we had I was under the impression that his enchantments were typically done in preparation for combat rather than during. Also: I think you forgot to switch out "revolvers" because Eis and Feuer aren't revolvers lol.
Lancer- A beam of magic energy with a range of 20 meters. Not particularly powerful, but still has a punch to it if unprotected.
Enchanted Scattershot- Focusing some magic energy into the empty ammo clips in the two pistols, Arthas can fire a short range scatter shot attack to try and buy him space. If the shots come from Feur, you get set on fire. If from Eis, you get frozen and frostbite. This just sounds like a more concise version of the Burst Beams spell. I like this one more.
Most people think magical traps within clothing or even on rocks when they hear enchantment. This magic gives the bullets it’s inscribed upon varying effects, ranging from disabling a mage’s magic to freezing them in place, along with countless others. However, the enchantments must be inscribed into the bullets in order for them to work well.
Blinding Shot- A timed shot, the enchantment on the bullet detonates into a blinding flash at a certain range from the end of the barrel after fired. Radius is about the size of a small room, and the effect can be lessened or prevented by closing your eyes, taking cover or not looking at it in general.
Binding Shot- Perhaps the only truly non-lethal shot in a Mage Hunter’s arsenal, this bullet turns into a magic nullifying binding on impact, enabling targets to be brought in alive, though not necessarily unharmed.
Explosive Round- A simple enchantment powered bullet, explodes on impact, often destroying whatever it impacts with. Powerful mages can shrug off its effects for a short time, but eventually, they’re gonna lose a limb or two, best case.
Freeze Shot- Fires a bullet with a freezing enchantment that usually freezes the target on impact. Can be a full body freeze if the chest is impacted or a partial freeze, such as the legs or feet, if shot at the feet.
Feuer and Eis-Twin pistols used for close range engagements, chambered in .45 caliber for both stopping power and knockdown potential. Named Feuer and Eis due to each having been enchanted to give standard rounds burning and freezing effects respectively.
Hunter’s Edge-A knife used by all mage hunters, it’s blade is forged from a special metal that makes it hard for a mage to focus and use magic if cut by it. Used when Arthas needs to be within kissing gross distance of a target and needs to slow down their casting rate.
Magic Level: A
History: The name Drenmur was, for many years, relatively similar to Dreemurr, from popular game Undertale unknown. They all had their quirks and differences, but nothing about them stood out. That changed just over a hundred years ago, when Argon Drenmur, son of Drake and Amanda Drenmur, freed the Darkheart Blade ominous from its resting place sealed inside a cave. Local Rune Knights were told by the lone survivor from his home village who had done it and the name Drenmur went down in history as a name belonging to an evil and vile person who’s only interests in life were personal entertainment at any cost and women.
Arthas’ direct ancestor was the sister to the father of Argon we call those "aunts", who kept tabs on him and his family even though she lived miles away in Crocus, and in journals passed down through the family, noted with concern Argon’s darker tendencies. While she wrote that he should be getting help for them, her brother insisted on dealing with it at home. It had worked eventually, but in the end, nothing could stop fate from running it’s course. Skip forwards a few years, and magic’s reputation is in the mud, torn asunder by an attack by Zeref, with good mages on the run while those with less wholesome intentions ran rampant, despite the best efforts of the Royal Army and Magic Council to keep them in check. With their options running out, they turned to the populace for a solution. In an effort to repair the family reputation, destroyed by Argon and his actions, Arthas’s great-great-great grandfather stepped forward with the proposition for Mage Hunters, mages who would use their skills to bring in or put down those who’d chosen the path of darkness. The order used to stand over two hundred strong, bringing down dark mages across Joya now that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time and other countries, but not anymore.
Arthas is last of the order and his family, who had been hunted down by powerful dark mages with grudges, dark guilds looking to take out some of those who would police them and other such foes, though most fell to the man who had tarnished his family name to begin with, Argon Drenmur, and a Dark Mage who had seemingly made a pact with a demon after the order had wiped out his guild. Arthas is still haunted by the screams of his family as Argon caught up with them after thirty years of cat and mouse. His father and brother had put up a valiant fight, Arthas too young and wounded from an earlier attack to be of help, but they eventually fell, leaving his mother and younger sister at Argon’s mercy as she pushed Arthas down the coal slide. He was 12 at the time and already well versed in the order’s arts; though it did him little good when the demon possessed dark mage attacked him and his family just days earlier. Searching for revenge, he knew, was a waste of time now THAT is a plot twist. The last of his father’s teachings now rested in him and he would honor his father’s legacy.
Since then, he’s grown to be strong both physically and mentally, while his magic has become stronger the longer he’s practiced alongside it all. He’s also become a nightmare for dark mages and assassins everywhere, hunting them to the point of exhaustion before bringing them down. He’s crossed paths with Argon twice since his family was killed and both encounters ended in draws, both men incredibly wounded. For now, however, he continues his hunt while hoping to find a worthy successor to the Mage Hunter legacy.
Personality: Hard and seemingly cold, a lifetime, short as it is, spent hunting the dark mages of Fiore has made him unconcerned with much anymore. If it hasn’t got to do with the Hunt or him personally, leave him out of it. This section is a lot shorter than I remembered it being in the earlier draft I saw. Gonna need a bit deeper of a dive into his character here.
Guild and guild mark location: N/A
Team Members: N/A
Three Strengths: (Not just combat) Survivalist- Spending as much time on the hunt as he does, knowing one’s way around the wilderness is crucial. Burger Connoisseur- Knows a lot of things about burgers and can make the best Burger you’ll ever eat. Based and Burger-pilled? Skilled Fighter- Be it with his rifle, his pistols, or his knife, it’s hard to find a flaw in his technique, since he’s been training since he was young.
Three Weaknesses: (Make them Applicable) Last of the Hunters- Mage Hunters were high value targets to Dark Mages and as a result, their order has dwindled to him alone, so he can call on no help. Make some friends then. Marked- Being the last of the Mage Hunters, Dark Mages everywhere want him gone and will pay good money to see it happen. Distrustful of mages- While not all mages seek to do harm, those few who do have sullied his ability to trust Light Guilds and their mages.
Greatest Love: Duty
Motivation: The Safety of Non-mages
Appearance: Stands at an intimidating 6’5” that is intimidating with sweeping black hair and piercing blue eyes set in a face bearing a faint five o’clock shadow and medium high cheekbones to frame a handsome face. Only wears light armor underneath a brown leather duster with his pistols holstered on each thigh.
So I've gathered he will be in the class of "joining the guild in IC" as opposed to "already joined the guild"? Anyways, I don't have any dealbreaking issues with Arthas but I would like some clarifications that I mentioned in his magic as well as some more explanation to his personality. Once you do that, unless Rose gives you any objections from her perspective, you'll be good to post him in the characters tab.
Trinity Algretto
Age 19
Guild Mark Location Left clavicle
Magic Type Energy Make - Trinity can form her magic into solidified kinetic energy and mold it. She can manipulate her Make by using magic power within 5 feet of her, including moving and molding it. The properties of the Make can be altered, from stiff to flexible to fluid, a property she uses to make many of her Make designs more compact. Things like heat "excite" the Make, causing it to get brighter and stronger, but also harder to control. Things like cold and earth cause it to darken and become brittle. Fairly standard Maker Magic stuff.
Spells Emergency Shield - She can quickly form a personal-sized barrier to intercept attacks. But how good is the shield?
Tools - Trinity uses Energy Make instead of carrying tools around. By expending magic power, she can add torque can't wait until she figures out she can probably do that with weapons. She can even make power tools, though those tend to be power hungry.
Roller Boots - She forms boots with low-profile wheels in the bottom. The design allows her to roll even on dirt. Hell yeah.
Energy Arrows - Not normally too special, but her mother's quiver allows her to make certain elemental arrows. I'd normally gripe about the lack of description on exactly what elements, but I already read ahead and know it's fire and wind. Still might want to add them here too for clarity's sake.
Amplifier - She spent a few sleepless nights feeling this one out. She's managed to form her Make into a small amp she can plug an instrument into.
Magic Rank B Honestly, she might even be C rank. Her resume here, combined with her aversion to combat, puts her on the weaker side. But I suppose if the "quality" of her energy make constructs is high then that would make her about B rank.
Equipment Her mother's quiver. Normally used with Arrows Magic, which she cannot use, it can be set with lacrima to increase its capabilities with a wider variety of arrows. Trinity can similarly use those lacrima with her Energy Make to alter its properties. She had to sell some of the lacrima RIP, leaving her with wind and fire. She cannot use Requip, and must plan to use it and bring it with her.
Strengths Intelligent - Trinity has a very sharp mind. Her analytical abilities had served her well in her years of repair servicing. She remembers how the machines work, as well, keeping a vague blueprint in her mind to try it out with her Make later and see what corners her Make lets her cut. In a world of magic and monsters, where do patents and copyright laws fit in?
Magical Intuition - Trinity is very in tune with her magic, able to feel out how to get things to work.
Dextrous - Trinity is very good with her hands ha, able to hold many small things in separate groups in one hand. She can manipulate tools and other objects held in her hands with ease, and is also adept at applying her body in unorthodox ways ha.
Weaknesses Reckless Outburst - Though normally cautious, to avoid situations where she might need to fight, Trinity just can't stand to see her friends taken advantage of. Animals are included.
Weak - Physically meager, Trinity frequently needs to apply a bit of power for that extra torque she needs when she's working.
Battle-Shy - Trinity fears combat, and dislikes adrenaline. First, she'll avoid conflict. She won't ditch her friends, but if she's alone, she might just run away instead. Second, there are definitely some of the guild that seem like they get in more fights. She avoids them. Just axed like a third of the guild RIP
Personality She's a smart girl who likes to show off a little when she can. She's the diligent sort who prefers to do the job right. She does her best to remain cheerful, and can't help but worry if she's seen a friend upset. Normally calm and sweet, the temper that overpowers her fear of combat gets her real mean.
History/Bio Trinity had a happy life as a young child big mistake. She lived with her mother and father, experiencing the childhood of a normal little girl in a small village. Her father was a farmer, her mother a musician. She spent a lot of time with her mother, learning to play music with her, and learning the history of her mother's family. Her mother's family was originally from Minstrel, and there were a number of traditions her mother wanted to pass down to her. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to teach her everything. When Trinity was 14, her village was attacked in the night by what appeared to be a man shrouded in writhing shadows. Much of her village was destroyed. A path of destruction was cut into the village, stopping abruptly at her room, in her home. Her parents' room had been in the path. She awoke to crashing in her home, before the wall to her room was shredded to bits, and there he… it... stood menacingly. She can't remember what happened next, but she awoke the next day perfectly fine. She found herself unable to use the magic her mother taught her, Bard's Legerdemain legit though, I can only guess at what that magic is by the name but it has a dope name, which she had previously enjoyed, but instead discovered a new magic in its place. Energy Make. She spent time, after that, living with the remainder of the village. She'd stay with one family or another, but she always felt poorly about it. She felt like she caused the strife in hey community, and eventually, this stress caused her to leave at the age of 16. She struck out by enlisting in a guild of repairmen, using the flexibility of her Make to her advantage in the wide variety of tools she could produce. After three years of bouncing around between various technical guilds in several locations, she eventually grew tired of the lack of appreciation she felt for her useful magic and sharp mind. She decided to try something different when she heard about a guild that was different. An old school, traditional guild. Maybe things would be better there? It was worth a shot, so she found her way to Crocus to join. That was the day they left, she just missed them. she's been taking repair jobs and other technical work since, spending most of her time working. So she missed them the day they all went out for a few hours and its been weeks without her checking back? She didn't just check back the next day or even later that night? Torys would love to have someone around with infinite tools.
Extra She collects instruments and records I didn't think about it until now but magical music players makes perfect sense, and enjoys using her magic in her everyday life. She has the instruments that survived from her village that were her mother's, as well as her mother's quiver.
I've got very little to complain about here. Just address the couple things I pointed out and she'll be good. I'm still a bit confused on how you plan to introduce her to the IC because of how the end of her bio is written. Will she be joining in the IC or did she already join?
"Ah, I see..." Tone mumbled, still looking over at the arena in the distance. If they couldn't use it then they couldn't use it, but it still seemed like a fun locale. The idea of fighting in an official arena reminded him of home; how he would train and spar with his family. Of course the dragon Bothynus couldn't fit in the fighting pit they had but he would sit above it and help guide Tone and his brother during training. They were some good memories. "Maybe another time then..."
With that he looked back towards Akemi. "If you two had plans you should've said so! I just figured that if you guys were out walking around doing nothing that you'd be free." He crossed his arms over his chest now and began slowly tapping his foot. "Dang, I'm all warmed up now and nobody wants to have a go. I'll find those training grounds and blow off some steam, I'm not trying to intrude on your date. I'll take you up on that spar whenever you're ready." Now he unfurled his arms and gave Zen and Akemi a quick wave as he took a few steps back away from them. Once appropriately distanced from his guildmates, and any passerby, Tone leapt straight into the air. Once he cleared the rooftops two jets of flame burst forth from his feet, quickly propelling him through the sky. Those on the ground likely felt the burst of heat but Tone had paid heed to Zen's words and made sure to hold himself back enough to avoid damaging the nearby rooftops.
However, once he gained more altitude the jets increased in their intensity and more jets of flame were released from his hands. With this he was truly shooting through the sky over Crocus. Of course, Tone didn't know exactly where the training grounds Zen mentioned even were. And if he was going to go searching then he may as well start looking around in the forest past Domus Flau. That way he'd get a better look at that place to sate his curiosity. As he flew over the arena he slowed down to admire the statues overlooking it, as well as the size of the arena itself. Man, I'd want to kick ass in there some day, he thought to himself. But he didn't want to linger because if he got in trouble it'd just ruin his chances of getting a real spar out of Zen later, so he continued on past Domus Flau and lowered his altitude as he began a process of circling the city to find the alleged training grounds. Really though, I'm sure most anywhere in the forests would be fine. Not everything could be private property...
The guild master had just finished pinning a new job to the job board when she was approached by the energetic child. Vashya wouldn't let Torys get a word in edgewise, giving no chance to answer the first, second, or third question that came out of her mouth. "Well I'm not all that old..." she muttered to herself as Vashya redirected her attention elsewhere. In a matter of seconds the girl managed to make a mess of the place using her magic. "Oh... and Zen just left a bit ago too..." The rampage of tentacles continued for a few seconds before the girl realized what she was doing and ceased, letting all the dishes and miscellaneous objects crash to the floor.
Torys stared at the mess on the floor for a few awkward seconds of silence, as if she was contemplating her life choices, before looking back up to Vashya. "You know, I've seen you around. Your name is Vashya, right?" She didn't really need an answer, she already knew. Thus she continued speaking before the girl could answer. "Of course you'd be welcome to join, we're accepting anyone with the right spirit! Buuuuuut you are a bit on the young side. I wouldn't want you getting in any trouble by joining so I think you'll need adult permission first. And I mean another adult, not me. Perhaps your caretaker over there would have an opinion on the matter." The seemingly young woman looked up at Vashya's warden with a strained smile. While always happy to see an enthusiastic young person join her family it would appear that the mess was still on her mind.
Tone
While Tone wasn't particularly shocked that Zen was able to dodge the low kick it did take him by surprise when the S-class mage bounced off his head afterwards. The sudden weight briefly took him off balance but he recovered and spun around with his fists already up. But Zen wasn't behind him. He was standing on a nearby streetlamp. "What are you..." That was when Zen began to scold him for trying to spar in the middle of the city. Tone now realized that Zen didn't intend on sparring just yet, he was only agreeing to the idea of it.
"Oh. My bad," Tone apologized, relaxing out of his fighting stance and standing up straight. "I didn't really wanna fight here anyways cuz I can't really go all-out with all these buildings and people and stuff." He looked over to Akemi and shrugged. "Guess we'll have to beat him up somewhere else." Zen did seem pretty cool right now but Tone could sense that he was angry over this. Don't know why he seems so harsh. It wasn't like I was gonna hit any bystanders or anything... It didn't really occur to him that Zen would be more worried about the possibility than the intention, because in Tone's mind it was obvious that he wasn't trying to cause any problems for the guild. Or himself. "Well, do either of you have any plans in mind? I don't think there's any good place to do this in the city. Unless you wanted to go out into the woods or something..."
Tone's gaze drifted past Zen and Akemi and looked past them into the distance. Then he suddenly perked up as if he had noticed something. "Actually, do you reckon we could use that arena-looking place?" He pointed past the two and if they turned their heads they would realize he was talking about Domus Flau, the coliseum atop the mountain to the west. "I've been here for a little while and I've never seen anyone going in or out of that place. Bet it'd be perfect for a little rough-housing..." Tone had no idea about the history or purpose of the arena so to him it seemed like a good idea. It didn't even occur to him that the Kingdom itself owned the place and that they may be trespassing if they went there. "Whatcha think?"
Grasidia
The arrival of yet another mage caught Grasidia's attention. That's the one that looks like Kaden, she thought as she listened to Markovis. The other mages relented at his suggestion, leading her to believe he must also be S-class and respected among the guild. "Don't have to ask me twice," Johan mumbled, bringing his mug to his lips to sip on his beer. "Of course, Markovis. You know I couldn't resist greeting such a fine lady. My apologies if I made you uncomfortable, Grasidia," Arvin spoke up, giving a polite bow towards Grasidia before moving seats to avoid crowding her. "Um, its fine."
Markovis' offer to show her around the guild seemed like a good idea to follow up on. The other mage that briefly explained the job desk didn't explain much else. If she was going to be staying here a while then it'd be wise to learn how to fit in here. On top of there being more people than there usually were at Fenixtear the atmosphere felt very different. The processes were different, the rules were different. If she couldn't fit in then people would start asking questions, or perhaps Duncan would grow tired of covering for her. These people needed to be convinced that Grasidia is just a normal human being. "Actually..." Grasidia spoke up, standing from her seat at the table as she did so. "I think I will... take him on his offer..." The other mages at the table looked up at her. "Go nuts." "Well if you ever decide you want someone closer to your age to show you around then you can always find me, unless I'm on the job."
With that she gave a brief, awkward wave and navigated across the guild hall to the table Markovis had seated himself at. He was the only one there, perhaps he also preferred solitude to some degree like Grasidia did. And though he appeared fairly youthful it was clear that this man had to be in his late 30's or early 40's, much closer to Grasidia's actual age than Arvin could've possibly realized. She couldn't think of exactly what she wanted to say as she approached the table, creating an awkward silence as she simply stared at him with a neutral expression. After a moment of this she figured she should at least sit down and picked the seat across the table from his. "You look familiar," she finally decided on. "Do you have... a son named Kaden? You bear a striking resemblance to a Kaden I know."
"Well, uh, I wouldn't say I ran out of the guild..." Tone sheepishly muttered to himself. He had already completely forgotten about the horrendous stench that almost made him sick. In fact, that was Akemi's drink! With that realization he looked back down at her with a slight look of fear. She must be quite strong. Stronger than she looks to stomach something like that! And while Akemi was perfectly willing to go along with the sparring idea it was Zen who proposed a revision to Tone's original idea. Not before giving Tone some criticisms first. "Hey I pay attention to my surroundings," he complained, pointing a thumb back at his chest. "I bet I can work with a team just fine! I used to work with my brother all the time!"
"Oh no, wait, actually we only ever trained together. But in theory I can do some teamwork." With that Tone dropped into a stance with his knees bent, his elbows in, and his hands clenched into fists. Akemi and Zenith would both immediately feel his magic power rising and likely realize at about this moment that Tone was intending on starting the spar right now, still in the middle of the street. "Alright Akemi, let's get stronger!" Jets of flame erupted from behind his limbs just as before, propelling him through the air towards Zen. But unlike before the flames entirely ceased once he reached striking distance and his feet touched the ground, where Tone immediately dropped into a low stance and attempted to sweep Zen's legs and bring him to the ground. In his mind he just assumed that Akemi would be right behind him and be perfectly able and willing to follow up on the opening strike, but much like how Zen criticized him earlier he did not actually check to see if she was ready or even on the same wavelength as him.
The sudden arrival of Zenith, with Akemi in tow, got Tone's attention immediately. "Hey man, I was just walking here," he defended himself, opening his hands from his fists to put up a defensive posture. "Then this guy started it." The other mage grimaced, only sparing Zen a single glance. "Sorry but your friend Tone here just hit me in the face. My nose might even be broken! That is unforgivable!" With no further regards to the interruption he threw the fireball at Tone, the fire suddenly growing into a massive torrent that washed over Tone entirely in an instant. "Danse Inferno!"
There were several gasps from the crowd and many stepped even further back to avoid the wave of flames that had engulfed Tone, but the fire didn't spread any farther. Instead the inferno began shrinking, quickly catching the attention and confusion of the mage that cast the spell. "What!?" As the fire continued diminishing it soon became apparent what was happening. From within the depths of the flames everyone could now see Tone inhaling the fire around him like a vacuum. The mage was dumbfounded and just watched in awe as the flames were entirely consumed, leaving only singed marks on Tone's clothes as the only sign they were ever even there. Tone himself was completely, surprisingly, unharmed. "Look, now he's setting me on fire and stuff. He has it coming to him," Tone complained to Zen, motioning towards the mage. "Meteor Dragon's..." Tone dropped into a combat stance, not unlike one taken in karate, drawing his right hand back at his midsection and tightening his fist. "Wait, hold on!" The fire mage was already sweating in fear, taking a single step back as he brought his arms up in a defensive stance.
"Crashing Fist!" Jets of blue flames erupted from Tone's arms and legs, propelling him forward in the blink of an eye. The intensely focused flames made a pitched "scream" almost as he flew through the air just a few inches off the ground towards his target. And just as he reached striking distance the flame propelling his right arm increased in intensity and his fist blasted upwards in an uppercut, creating a resounding boom for everyone to hear as his fist broke the speed of sound. But despite the incredible speed in his almost instant gap close and attack, Tone's powerful uppercut only hit air. As he came to a halt and the flames on his body vanished, Tone looked down to see the mage was on his back on the ground unharmed. How did he... "Greetings." Standing next to the fallen mage was a young man with blonde hair and glasses. "My apologies for intervening but I realized your attack might have done considerable damage to my comrade."
"Ah, so you want a piece too?" Tone suggested, putting his fists back up in another stance. "Negative. You seem to have misunderstood me. I do not wish to fight you either, but we at Blue Pegasus pride ourselves on our fashion and our beauty. Had your attack connected you may have damaged some expensive clothing or caused scarring that would damage our reputation with our clients." At this point Tone was confused and his stance dropped slightly. He looked over to Zen, hoping perhaps that his guildmate might understand what was going on better than he did. "Uh... Alright then?" The newcomer reached down and held out a hand, helping his comrade back up to his feet. "Sorry, Jimmy. He hit me right in the nose." "It looks bad, but I don't think it's broken. We don't need to fight today." As the two began conversing Tone couldn't help but take a few steps away from the weird mages and stand next to Zen. "Do I just let them go?" he whispered to Zen, still unsure of whether he was still in a fight or not. He had a feeling the fight was over but it was so strange that he couldn't be certain.
And that guy must be insanely fast, he thought, keeping his eyes on Jimmy. He knocked the other guy out of the way in a split-second. I didn't even see him. After the two Blue Pegasus mages finished their conversation the elder one turned back to Tone and Zen one last time. "My sincere apologies for this event. Even for a guild that prides itself on its manners we, too, are imperfect beings and make mistakes from time to time." "Hell of a mistake." "And it will not happen again. I hope you can enjoy the rest of your day, sir." The two Blue Pegasus mages made their way back into the crowd, which itself soon began dispersing and going about its business like normal. After a moment of silence Tone looked over to Zen and Akemi. "Well anyways, I was looking for you earlier Zen but I decided to take a walk first," he began, completely casual as if the fight that just broke out never even happened. "I been thinking and if I'm ever gonna stand a chance at getting my brother back then I need to be duking it out with strong people to train rather than taking mellow jobs with little action. You wanna go a round sometime? Akemi can join in too, I wouldn't mind. The worse odds the better."
The tall woman was the first to step out of the guild master's office for everyone to see. It was official now; her Fenixtear guild mark on her abdomen had been replaced by a Black Curtain guild mark. Behind her expressionless face was a strange emotion she hadn't felt in a long time, decades perhaps. It was small and hard for Grasidia to understand but she would soon come to realize the strange sensation she was feeling was guilt. She briefly touched the new guild mark, once again confirming that this was real, before looking back over her shoulder at the guildmaster standing at the door.
"Kurt, could you see me in my office real quick? I've got to discuss that last job you took," he called out. The man named Kurt was sitting at the bar, he was young with red hair but seemed oddly battle hardened. He had a few small scars and a grizzled look in his eyes but he was presently being jovial with some buddies and some beers. At his summons he finished off the mug in his hand and stood up. As he walked over to Duncan he looked over at Grasidia and the two locked eyes. In that moment she could see something in his eyes, and she could see that Kurt could also see something in her eyes. The two spoke no words but as Kurt stepped past Grasidia, mere centimeters from touching her, they could both finally feel in no uncertain terms what their exact suspicions were.
As certain as the two were of the other, they both knew that the other knew as well. There was no fear, no distress, but the tension as Kurt continued walking behind her was almost electrifying. While there were surely some eyes on them in this busy guild hall it was unlikely that anybody would make anything out from Grasidia's expression or posture to detect that tension, but from behind her at Duncan's perspective he could see that Kurt was still glancing over his shoulder at her as he neared. Ah, so he's already figured it out, the guildmaster thought. I was hoping I could explain the situation my way but I didn't think he'd figure it out so fast...
As Kurt stepped into the office and Duncan closed the door behind the two Grasidia finally looked over her shoulder at the closed door. So that's how it is, she thought as she turned away from the door. He's going to have this Kurt person watch me. To keep me in line with whatever he's plotting. She began walking away and scanning the faces of her new guildmates. I should've known there would be no way he would trust me. How many threats does he think he needs to control me? As she scanned the hall she noticed a key difference from Fenixtear already: there was no job board. After this realization she took another look around to confirm her observation. Rather than a board that anyone can approach and assign themselves jobs there was an additional counter with what appeared to be a few clerks behind it and a whole lot of cabinets and paperwork. Before Grasidia could approach to investigate she was stopped by a young man, possibly still a teenager.
"Grasidia, right? I wouldn't bother with trying to get a job yet if I were you," he spoke, before holding out a full mug of beer as an offering. "It usually takes a day or so to get you properly in the system so that they can start assigning you jobs." This seemed very foreign to Grasidia. She gently lowered the offered mug in a polite, or so she thought, refusal. "The system?" Her question only got a puzzled look from the young man. "Yeah. Ya know, the job system. Didn't your guild do jobs?" She looked back over to the job counter. "There was... a board. Torys would put the requests on it and... we would choose a job." "Huh. That's a pretty old school way of doing it. Well here in the modern world most guilds have what they call a 'database' that keeps track of its members for jobs and stuff. Once they put you in that system they'll assign you jobs to take. Easy as that." Grasidia looked down at the young man now. "And I'm not in that database yet?"
The young man chuckled to himself now. "Of course not! You only just joined. Jeez, you're like an old woman that can't grasp simple stuff." She gave him a quick glare before turning away and sitting at the nearest table. "Oh hey wait, you can't sit there!" But it was already too late, or rather Grasidia chose to ignore his warning. "That table belongs to-" He was interrupted as a tall, pale swordsman with white hair seemed to appear out of nowhere at his side. "To the S-class mages," he spoke, his voice soft and his speech slow. "... or so they say." The man took a seat at the table, setting down his mug before him. From what Grasidia could tell just by looking this table appeared as any other in the hall so perhaps it was a tradition more than a rule. "But I suppose you are also an S-class mage." "Oh, that's right. Kinda hard to believe that the master would give a newcomer the title of S-class on day one." "Indeed."
It was already a struggle coming to understand how Black Curtain worked. Grasidia imagined it would be just like Fenixtear but with different people, but the dynamic was already confusing her. "I suppose. They called me S-class in Fenixtear too," she told them. "You must be an accomplished mage for Duncan to grant you that title here. My name is Johan, by the way." "Oh, and my name is-" "It must be a culture shock to come from such a small guild to one as big as this. If you're feeling overwhelmed just relax and kick back. That's what I do." The teenager seemed clearly irritated by his senior interrupting him but he held his tongue and waited. "Anyways, I'm-"
"I see that our newest mage has already found herself at our little winner's table," another young man said as he sat down directly next to Grasidia. "Wow, you look even more beautiful up close... Ah, forgive my momentary lack of manners. You can call me Arvin." This was far from the first time a human attempted to flirt with Grasidia, and just like every other time she gave no particular reaction to the attempt. It was easy enough to understand for her that humans will find other humans attractive and attempt to form intimate relationships, but she just couldn't muster up any particular emotion whenever one mistakenly identified her as a potential mate. It wasn't annoying, it wasn't flattering, but it always puzzled her that humans would sometimes base their judgement solely on appearances. "I can see right away that you must be quite strong. You handled Dan like he was a toy doll, you have scars from innumerable battles, and your stride is full of confidence and power. I didn't need Duncan to tell me that you're the real deal." Already Grasidia was beginning to feel a bit trapped by the amount of people she was attracting. "I suppose..." She should've known that her arrival would garner attention but she imagined there would be far less people. How full such a large guild hall could be really highlighted to her the differences from Fenixtear...
Tone
After taking a moment to appreciate the fresh air devoid of any putrid smells, Tone let out a sigh of relief. Well, I suppose I should give them some time to air the place out, he figured, taking a look around the alleyway. The nearby streets were quite populated and bustling, a result of the festival that recently started. Something about celebrating the crown prince's birthday. I never heard of a birthday celebration festival before back in Bosco. But we are in the capital. Might as well check it out instead of just standing around here.
With his new short-term goal in mind he set out into the crowd, silently trekking deeper into the capital city. Merchants were selling jade themed decorations and nick-knacks, Tone figured it must be the royal family's gemstone or crest, and sometimes he would see children with little paper crowns on their heads. The people here must really like their king, Tone thought to himself. Must be a swell guy. Now that I think about it I don't even know the king's name. Or the prince's name. Or any of their history. Hell, I don't even know who the king is in Bosco... Is there a king in Bosco?
As Tone was lost in his thoughts he accidentally bumped into something. The minor jolt got his attention and he looked down to see that he had bumped into a shorter teenager. "Oops, sorry man," the kid spoke up first. "No worries, buddy. I wasn't watchin' where I was goin'." As he began to walk away the kid spoke up again. "Hey wait a minute. Aren't you from that Fenixtear guild?" "Oh yeah. Just came from over there. What's up?" With that confirmation the kid let out a scoff, his friendly tone having immediately shifted to condescension. "Nothing man, I was just wondering why you'd be such an airhead and that explains it."
Tone already looked irritated with the kid. "Hey buddy I was just walking. If you got a complaint why don't you go submit it to the guild or something." He began to start walking away again but the kid began chuckling as he walked away. "Did I say something funny? I don't recall cracking any jokes." "It's just funny that you think anyone would even bother to go to your guild even to complain. Once your fad is up and Fenixtear dies off then everyone will start going back to the real guilds like mine." Tone turned around now to face the kid. "Oh? So you're a mage, huh? What guild are ya from then?" "Yeah I am, I'm from Bl-"
A fist landed squarely right in the kid's face, knocking him backwards and sending a few drops of blood spraying from his nose as he landed on his back against the cobblestone road. "Then I ain't gonna feel bad for asking ya to shut up," Tone told him as he stood above. "What the hell?" The kid grabbed his bleeding nose as he scrambled to his feet and backed away from Tone. "You think you're gonna get away with this?" Holding his free hand to his side, a ball of flame ignited in the air above his palm. At this display of magic the crowd around the two began to spread out, giving the two mages room. Upon seeing the fire Tone smirked before cracking his knuckles. "Didn't your parents teach you not to play with fire?"
Because people say their RPs aren't as popular anymore, that they few ignored, or have the impression that the Guild is dying somehow. I wanted to see the truth about that and, as you all can see, what appears to have happened is that was a wild, almost ridiculous explosion of new topics created around Summer 2017.
We have been on a gradual decline back to the original stable numbers of the Guild ever since then. What I theorize that is the cause of complaints of lack of activity is people who joined around the boom and aren't used to the old pace being slowly reestablished. So yeah, it's not anyone's posts that are particularly bad or anything like this, it's just that we are going back to the near flatline pace that was between 2014 and late 2016.
I want to point out that RPG has existed a lot longer than since 2014. In early 2014 the website was entirely deleted and by the time Mahz rebuilt it on a new server it lost a massive amount of users and activity. It was actually originally made in 2007, I myself having joined it in 2008. I don't know how easy it would be to get the data from before the Guildfall, or if its even possible, but going off my memory alone the activity RPG gained once it was back up was a shadow of its former self. Don't know how I would compare it to the activity data you presented, but I'd reckon that "usual" RPG activity was probably comparable or greater than the 2017 spike you observed.
It's already been mentioned about the bot invasion that year, but also worth noting is that in 2017 that Mahz returned from a long break and continued working on the site as well as the creation of the site's Discord. Both of these could've contributed to the elevated levels of activity, as the bot invasion wouldn't explain why there wasn't an immediate drop in activity after it was resolved. I think that year a few rival sites changed their policies about accepting new users to make it "invite only" and that may have contributed as well.
Member
Auz
