Vixere@Guardian Angel Haruki I believe it's the bandits' turn. Do you think we could get an update on progress? I'd hate for people to lose interest due to lack of responses.
JBRam2002
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Controlled Chaos
STATUS: The respect one gives is a measure of oneself, not the other individual. 7 yrs ago
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The respect one gives is a measure of oneself, not the other individual.
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Bio
Hey all, JB here.
I'm a DM for a large number of games here on RPG, as well as a player in several others. Many of the games I run are overly complex, or they involve Dungeons and Dragons (which is also overly complex!).
I work 40+ hours a week, and am the proud father of two tiny terrors named Chibi and Chibette and married to my beautiful Wifey. As such, I am quite busy more often than not. I typically write 2-5 paragraphs per reply and try to maintain an excellent level of grammar. If you noticed me glancing at your profile, I probably was looking to see if you would be a good match for my RPing style. Even if I didn't send a PM to you, feel free to send one back!
I enjoy 1x1 RPs and small groups. I'm fond of medieval, steampunk, and futuristic settings, and I'll jump into romance, adventure, and slice of life RPs fairly quickly, although supernatural (vampires, werewolves, etc) RPs get old for me pretty quickly. If you're looking for an RP partner and I've glanced at your profile, then I'm most likely willing to give it a shot, but decided against PMing you because I'm actually kinda shy. But I'm always looking for a new friend!
Please feel free to say hi at any time!
Name/Aliases: JB, JBRam, Jeebs
Gender: M
DOB: June 1988
Location: Maine (East Coast USA)
Hobbies: Ridiculously complex RP ideas involving lots of spreadsheets.
I'm a DM for a large number of games here on RPG, as well as a player in several others. Many of the games I run are overly complex, or they involve Dungeons and Dragons (which is also overly complex!).
I work 40+ hours a week, and am the proud father of two tiny terrors named Chibi and Chibette and married to my beautiful Wifey. As such, I am quite busy more often than not. I typically write 2-5 paragraphs per reply and try to maintain an excellent level of grammar. If you noticed me glancing at your profile, I probably was looking to see if you would be a good match for my RPing style. Even if I didn't send a PM to you, feel free to send one back!
I enjoy 1x1 RPs and small groups. I'm fond of medieval, steampunk, and futuristic settings, and I'll jump into romance, adventure, and slice of life RPs fairly quickly, although supernatural (vampires, werewolves, etc) RPs get old for me pretty quickly. If you're looking for an RP partner and I've glanced at your profile, then I'm most likely willing to give it a shot, but decided against PMing you because I'm actually kinda shy. But I'm always looking for a new friend!
Please feel free to say hi at any time!
Name/Aliases: JB, JBRam, Jeebs
Gender: M
DOB: June 1988
Location: Maine (East Coast USA)
Hobbies: Ridiculously complex RP ideas involving lots of spreadsheets.
Most Recent Posts
MavrosAda watched the disappointing result with pity. "My apologies, but that is the nature of magical items of this power: unpredictable and dangerous. At least we are in the midst of a city where smiths can be found easily. I might suggest getting yourself outfitted before we head off. As for the rest of us, the library is this way..."
Ada placed the Deck of Many Things back in her Bag of Holding and led those who would follow towards the Hall of Mavros, a beautifully gilded building with statues of elves lining the halls. "These are my ancestors, the Kings and Queens of Mavros that made us great until our downfall. In our pride, we thought ourselves impregnable, and did not suspect that we were being destroyed from within. Now, Mavros is under the control of Verrayne, a stark and constant reminder of our own hubris."
Through a great set of open doors, a long hall could be seen with crimson carpet running down the center. At the far end of the hall were a pair of thrones upon a dais, and Duke Vicente sat upon one of them idly. He waved to the group as they passed by the open door, but Ada led them to a side door. Beyond this door was a room nearly as grandiose as the Hall, but this one was filled from floor to ceiling with books, both new and ancient, all guarded by what appeared to be a very old half-elf with grayed hair and bent spectacles. He bowed to Ada as she entered, then looked at her compatriots with a questioning glance. "Eh, how might I be of service, milady?" he asked, evidently either out of the loop with the festivities, or too senile to recall being given such info.
So much fascination with the deck of cards, but so little interest in the crystal ball. Ada listened quietly as the various combatants introduced themselves and voiced their concerns about the cards. "If we are to be this concerned about such an artifact, perhaps I should keep it myself," the former duchess suggested. "But what use is a magical item that we never try to understand?"
Ellenara's comment drew her attention next. "You all might be surprised to learn that I have heard much about each of you, or at least of your deeds. My people have seen most of you coming, and have learned all they can about you. Some of you are easier to learn about than others, such as Marcus of the Hammers. And some of you have kept your deeds hidden from public eye, which is no less intriguing." She looked closely at the deck, then back to James.
"I can definitely sense magic in this deck of cards, and powerful magic at that. More so than one would expect from even a Deck of Illusions. I am only quoting what our sages have determined about the Deck. The House Mavros has held it for a few generations, and none have attempted to wield it out of fear. I believe that fear does naught but paralyze us from action." With that said, she stepped forward to James. "If you doubt its power, or wish to test it for yourself, feel free to draw a card. Once you have done so, we can proceed to the library, or perhaps to our keep's smiths." The last phrase was said with a nod towards the Warforged.
ZaseisWell, this is just lovely. Mila looked around at the others who had been forcefully relocated. This wasn't exactly how she had planned to spend her evening. In fact, she wondered whether the poor sap who was still tied up in her room would have someone rescue him soon. In either case, it wasn't her problem anymore. This was her problem now.
Five others had been summoned, and whether they were friend or foe was yet to be seen. A halfling who was rather cute carried a shield and little else, but she didn't look like she was exceptionally strong like one might expect from a barbarian. That was intriguing, to say the least, and likely spoke of some deeper abilities that Mila shouldn't toy around with yet, as did the giant mechanical frog near her. On the other hand, the human woman who stood tall and proud over the others wielded a spear with obvious strength, unarmored as well. Definitely a barbarian, if she'd ever seen one, although a unicorn was an interesting choice for a barbarian's mount. Next was a gnome woman, also unarmored, but wearing robes similar to her own. Definitely a mage of some sort, as only magi could wear these robes, but the blackness of her robes belied the darkness in her heart. She would be a fun one, if they were not meant to kill each other.
The only male of their group, a stocky dwarf wielding a shortsword and shield caught Mila's eye for being another who was hard to pin down. Such a light weapon would make her think of a rogue or monk, but she didn't know any monks who used a shield. Perhaps another barbarian, then? And the final combatant, a triton woman with a fierce gaze and a battleaxe, seemed to be the strongest of them all. If she had been called into a battle royale against three barbarians, a monk, and an archmage, she would have to rely on her wits to keep her alive.
Mila clutched her shield, and ran her fingers lightly across the strings of the lyre that had been grafted into the item. "It was wonderful to meet you all, but I think I would prefer to return to what I was previously doing now," she said, and with a final strum, poofed out of view. This was not a fight she wanted to take, definitely not head-on.
Chains are meant to be broken,
as are those who would forge them.
And I will be the one that breaks those chains.
as are those who would forge them.
And I will be the one that breaks those chains.
Infernal Tiefling Hexblade Warlock 14 / Lore Bard 6
Ming flashed a grin, sharp teeth and all. "No objections!"
With Chung Po's extra offer, Ming hummed in thought while unclasping her various armour plates. "Uh...You know, I do not actually know at what point one of us wins." She tossed aside her bracers onto the nearby table. "Is it first to giving up or do you have different rules on this island? People are really touchy about rules in Quain. Some people like to pin. Some to knockout. Some until they confess that they have a face like a horse..."
"Oooh, maybe, hm..." Ming added. "Do you like music, Chung Po? What if the loser has to play a song in the winner's honour?"
"The first to give up or be knocked out is the loser," Chung proclaimed. "Pinning would be too simple." The suggestion of music seemed to intrigue him, and he guffawed loudly. "A song it is, but you may have to excuse my singing, should you be fortunate enough to win. I shall never turn down a song in my honor, though! The stakes are set and agreed to! Is there anything else?"
Ming peeled off her cuirass. Less armour only made her look smaller. "I don't mind! Do your best if I win, okay?" She peered up, pausing before putting the next piece of armour aside. "Do you mind if Daikitsu helps me? She likes to help me when I fight."
Chung looked down at his opponent. His grasp on Daikitsu wasn't strong, but it was fairly likely from her holy symbol and the question that Ming was either a paladin or cleric of the kitsune goddess. A paladin could be dangerous to fight, but Chung couldn't recall seeing any paladins of Daikitsu.
On the other hand, it could be a ruse. Nothing else the girl had said so far seemed suspect, but he had to be sure. "If you plan to use magic, it is only fair that I be allowed to similarly prepare myself," he replied. "But I see no objection."
Ming got to work on the armour on her lower body. She let out a high grunt as she reached for the straps securing the lowest plates. "Go ahead, then. I might be..." She stepped to keep her balance. "Another minute maybe..."
With some help, Ming was eventually wrought to nothing but a sleeveless wrap shirt, a pair of tight shorts, her smaller trappings, and her well-polished bucker. She stood up straight, bouncing up and down on one foot with how light she felt. "Almost ready..."
Ming bowed her head and smiled softly. A pause elicited a quick glimmer from her holy symbol, a glimmer that made the eyes of the fox on her shield twinkle like they had a trick to play.
>Used one channel energy to activate Vindicators Shield. +6 sacred to AC until next struck in combat. (Sacred bonuses also apply to CMD). 9/10 channels remaining today.
Next, once she was sure Chung Po had finished his own preparation, Ming slid her foot forward and around behind her body, weaving a magic more conspicuous than the first. With a murmured prayer and a hand flicked like the tail of a fox, Ming's arms shone softly. They trailed an orange light with their movements.
>Cast Divine Favour. +3 luck to attack and damage rolls for 1 minute.
Ming held her buckler forward, her fist back and dropped into a fighting stance. Her eyes narrowed. "Ready."
>Quick Mafs!: AC 22, CMD 28, CMB +12. (Divine Favor: 10 rounds remaining)
>Flat Footed AC 20, CMD 26(edited)
As Ming stripped the armor off, Chung reached into a satchel he carried and withdrew a trio of potions. The first potion had the effect of hardening his skin until it took a rough texture, like tgat of bark. The second immediately made his movements serm more graceful and agile. Finally, the third potion created a shimmering, magical field around the monk. Seeing that Ming was ready, Chung nodded. "Then now we fight!"
23 - Hanani
15 - Chung
8 - Natsumi
3 - Ming
Chung immediately goes on the offensive, shifting his feet into a stance resembling a turtle before snapping his fists towards Ming. The attack hits, dealing 16 nonlethal damage, and Chung immediately grabs on with a grapple CMB roll of 47. "Your move!" he calls out.
>Ming has been struck in combat (loses Vind. Shield) and grappled (-4 Dex, -2 to hit).
>Quick Mafs!: AC 14, CMD 20. (Divine Favor: 10 rounds). Unarmed Strike Nonlethal: +10/+5 (1d3+3)
The strikes landing true snuff the light from the eyes of the fox on Ming's buckler. With a crazed look in her eyes, she pulls off her bulky cestus and flails wildly with her bare fist.
>Free action to drop Cestus. Full attack action with unarmed strike because I until now forgot that you can't make AoOs while grappled anyway :P (unless this tetori has hax).
>Rolls to hit: 17/17
Ming was unable to find purchase on the monk as she flailed away, and her attacks didn't seem to deter Chung from his next move. Using Greater Grapple, Chung expends a move action to maintain the grapple, rolling a CMB of 51. Using Rapid Grappler, Chung then attempts to Pin as a swift action, rolling a CMB of 36. Finally, Chung uses his standard action to use Stunning Fist, hitting with an attack roll of 20 for 15 nonlethal damage. Due to Pinning Knockout, this damage is doubled to 30 nonlethal.
Crashing into the scene with a boistrous call to the entire patronage was a table-straddling monk. With the conversation interrupted, Natsumi turned on the railing, leaning his light weight upon it to look on at the scene unfolding before him. "Hold that thought, dear," he said, as he watched Ming accept the man's challenge. It wasn't much longer after that the girl found herself pinned to the ground, leaving Natsumi to wince slightly at the immediacy of it. With some flowing motion of her fingers, masked by an adjustment of his hair, and the arcane vowels muffled by the cheers of other onlookers, he conjured a slick sheen around Ming's form. The woman glistened as she discarded her gauntlet, as if fully bronzed and oiled within an instant.
>Cast Grease on Ming with a 21 Sleight of Hand to mask it.
The force at which Ming was slammed onto the wooden floor made her wheeze in her next breath. She reflexively pushed at Chung Po's arms and found them sliding freely. "Huh?"
She had little idea why she was suddenly covered in oil but she was not done fighting yet.
>Ming is Pinned (-4 to AC, loses Dex bonus, can't do much)
>Quick Mafs!: AC 10, CMB to escape grapple +20
>Roll to escape the grapple: (10)+22 = 32
Hanani, seeing what was going on and a bit sad that she seemed to be having less than an easy time with the monk, which made him want to have a small bit of fun all his own. Of course, he would not hit the Monk, nor would he use any spells on him as that would be cheatting, so he opted for something a little more fun. Moving around the wrestling pair silently, he slowly inched up to the monk and the moment his arms slipped free of Ming, the Magus poked the Monk on both his sides, right where most people were ticklish, and whispered 'boo' right in his ear before rolling back as if he had never really been there to begin with.
>stealth roll for the sneaky sneak - 33
>Acrobatics roll for the... well... Roll - 38
Distracted only a moment by the odd tickling, Chung returned his attention to his pinned quarry. "You may give up at any time," Chung chuckled. "This... oil will not help you." His grip seemed to tighten as he spent a ki and his swift action to use Inescapable Grasp to remove the bonus to CMD/Escape Artist. With his move action and Greater Grapple, Chung then rolls a CMB of 56 to maintain his Grapple, and an attack with Stunning Fist and Pinning Knockout for 13 nonlethal damage, doubled to 26. Ming must make another Fort Save vs DC 17 or be stunned.
>Ming fails fortitude, is stunned: (4)+10 = 14
As hard as Ming tried, she had no chance against Chung Po's rock solid arm-lock. The last pull on her joints made lights flash in the corners of her vision. She yelled out in pain.
"AAAAH! Ahtatatata! Let go! You win! You win! Ow..."
Immediately, Chung Po released his grasp and raised his arms victoriously as cheers erupted throughout the Noodle House. "A valiant effort, friend! But Chung Po has bested you this day. Your arms and armor have become a crutch to rely on, and even your trusty shield did not save you!" The monk seemed to be addressing the whole room with his proclamation, but now he bent over to help Ming to her feet, handing her a potion of Cure Serious Wounds (worth 750 gp, heals 3d8+5 hp). His voice lowered so that only the cleric could hear amongst the cheering. "You have promise, follower of Daikitsu. If you wish to be trained as a monk one day, seek out Chung Po of the tetori monks. I will gladly train you."
Ming accepted Chung Po's hand. She nursed her nearly-broken arm all through his tirade. Despite her serious pain, she gave Chung Po a smile. She was never great with arms and armour anyway.
As for the potion, Ming took one sniff of the contents of the flask and her face dropped in regret. The promise he made, however, took her by surprise. She looked up at him with big eyes. "Oh, uh...thank you, Chung Po. Thank you so much. I, um..." She held out the potion. "I'm allergic, though. Don't worry, I can help myself." She tried a grin. "If you give me just a minute or two, I can play you your song."
"Also, sorry Hanani tried to poke you," Ming added. She stuck out her tongue at Hanani accusingly.
Chung Po evidently did not expect that kind of reaction to his gift, but he left the potion with a shrug. "It is a gift already given. Perhaps an ally would find it useful. I assure you it is not poison, but I understand if you do not trust someone who just beat you in a challenge."
He then stood up on the table once more, shouting over the din. "Per our agreement, the loser shall buy everyone a free serving of noodles, then grace us with a song!" He chuckled as the house erupted into cheers again, punctuated only by Yon Loi shouting, "Git off the damned table!"
Among the eruption of cheers was the voice of probably the cutest person in the room (other than Natsumi and Hanani; Kyoumi), "Noodles!" The victory of the cuddlemonk distracted her sufficiently from the fact said cuddlemonk was either into really rough cuddles, or he was seriously actually interested in hand-to-hand combat. Both were disappointments. She judged quite wrongly.
However, to her, the fight was rigged anyway, and also made their group look quite pathetic. Even after the noodle distraction, she was contemplating ways to take Chung Po down if she had to, if for no other reason than humiliation of the group, or more importantly that he didn't give her a good answer before moving on to the next challenger, like she was back home or something. She was pretty sure it didn't look as bad to turn down a challenge here, though.
With Chung Po's extra offer, Ming hummed in thought while unclasping her various armour plates. "Uh...You know, I do not actually know at what point one of us wins." She tossed aside her bracers onto the nearby table. "Is it first to giving up or do you have different rules on this island? People are really touchy about rules in Quain. Some people like to pin. Some to knockout. Some until they confess that they have a face like a horse..."
"Oooh, maybe, hm..." Ming added. "Do you like music, Chung Po? What if the loser has to play a song in the winner's honour?"
"The first to give up or be knocked out is the loser," Chung proclaimed. "Pinning would be too simple." The suggestion of music seemed to intrigue him, and he guffawed loudly. "A song it is, but you may have to excuse my singing, should you be fortunate enough to win. I shall never turn down a song in my honor, though! The stakes are set and agreed to! Is there anything else?"
Ming peeled off her cuirass. Less armour only made her look smaller. "I don't mind! Do your best if I win, okay?" She peered up, pausing before putting the next piece of armour aside. "Do you mind if Daikitsu helps me? She likes to help me when I fight."
Chung looked down at his opponent. His grasp on Daikitsu wasn't strong, but it was fairly likely from her holy symbol and the question that Ming was either a paladin or cleric of the kitsune goddess. A paladin could be dangerous to fight, but Chung couldn't recall seeing any paladins of Daikitsu.
On the other hand, it could be a ruse. Nothing else the girl had said so far seemed suspect, but he had to be sure. "If you plan to use magic, it is only fair that I be allowed to similarly prepare myself," he replied. "But I see no objection."
Ming got to work on the armour on her lower body. She let out a high grunt as she reached for the straps securing the lowest plates. "Go ahead, then. I might be..." She stepped to keep her balance. "Another minute maybe..."
With some help, Ming was eventually wrought to nothing but a sleeveless wrap shirt, a pair of tight shorts, her smaller trappings, and her well-polished bucker. She stood up straight, bouncing up and down on one foot with how light she felt. "Almost ready..."
Ming bowed her head and smiled softly. A pause elicited a quick glimmer from her holy symbol, a glimmer that made the eyes of the fox on her shield twinkle like they had a trick to play.
>Used one channel energy to activate Vindicators Shield. +6 sacred to AC until next struck in combat. (Sacred bonuses also apply to CMD). 9/10 channels remaining today.
Next, once she was sure Chung Po had finished his own preparation, Ming slid her foot forward and around behind her body, weaving a magic more conspicuous than the first. With a murmured prayer and a hand flicked like the tail of a fox, Ming's arms shone softly. They trailed an orange light with their movements.
>Cast Divine Favour. +3 luck to attack and damage rolls for 1 minute.
Ming held her buckler forward, her fist back and dropped into a fighting stance. Her eyes narrowed. "Ready."
>Quick Mafs!: AC 22, CMD 28, CMB +12. (Divine Favor: 10 rounds remaining)
>Flat Footed AC 20, CMD 26(edited)
As Ming stripped the armor off, Chung reached into a satchel he carried and withdrew a trio of potions. The first potion had the effect of hardening his skin until it took a rough texture, like tgat of bark. The second immediately made his movements serm more graceful and agile. Finally, the third potion created a shimmering, magical field around the monk. Seeing that Ming was ready, Chung nodded. "Then now we fight!"
Initiative:
23 - Hanani
15 - Chung
8 - Natsumi
3 - Ming
Chung immediately goes on the offensive, shifting his feet into a stance resembling a turtle before snapping his fists towards Ming. The attack hits, dealing 16 nonlethal damage, and Chung immediately grabs on with a grapple CMB roll of 47. "Your move!" he calls out.
>Ming has been struck in combat (loses Vind. Shield) and grappled (-4 Dex, -2 to hit).
>Quick Mafs!: AC 14, CMD 20. (Divine Favor: 10 rounds). Unarmed Strike Nonlethal: +10/+5 (1d3+3)
The strikes landing true snuff the light from the eyes of the fox on Ming's buckler. With a crazed look in her eyes, she pulls off her bulky cestus and flails wildly with her bare fist.
>Free action to drop Cestus. Full attack action with unarmed strike because I until now forgot that you can't make AoOs while grappled anyway :P (unless this tetori has hax).
>Rolls to hit: 17/17
Ming was unable to find purchase on the monk as she flailed away, and her attacks didn't seem to deter Chung from his next move. Using Greater Grapple, Chung expends a move action to maintain the grapple, rolling a CMB of 51. Using Rapid Grappler, Chung then attempts to Pin as a swift action, rolling a CMB of 36. Finally, Chung uses his standard action to use Stunning Fist, hitting with an attack roll of 20 for 15 nonlethal damage. Due to Pinning Knockout, this damage is doubled to 30 nonlethal.
Crashing into the scene with a boistrous call to the entire patronage was a table-straddling monk. With the conversation interrupted, Natsumi turned on the railing, leaning his light weight upon it to look on at the scene unfolding before him. "Hold that thought, dear," he said, as he watched Ming accept the man's challenge. It wasn't much longer after that the girl found herself pinned to the ground, leaving Natsumi to wince slightly at the immediacy of it. With some flowing motion of her fingers, masked by an adjustment of his hair, and the arcane vowels muffled by the cheers of other onlookers, he conjured a slick sheen around Ming's form. The woman glistened as she discarded her gauntlet, as if fully bronzed and oiled within an instant.
>Cast Grease on Ming with a 21 Sleight of Hand to mask it.
The force at which Ming was slammed onto the wooden floor made her wheeze in her next breath. She reflexively pushed at Chung Po's arms and found them sliding freely. "Huh?"
She had little idea why she was suddenly covered in oil but she was not done fighting yet.
>Ming is Pinned (-4 to AC, loses Dex bonus, can't do much)
>Quick Mafs!: AC 10, CMB to escape grapple +20
>Roll to escape the grapple: (10)+22 = 32
Hanani, seeing what was going on and a bit sad that she seemed to be having less than an easy time with the monk, which made him want to have a small bit of fun all his own. Of course, he would not hit the Monk, nor would he use any spells on him as that would be cheatting, so he opted for something a little more fun. Moving around the wrestling pair silently, he slowly inched up to the monk and the moment his arms slipped free of Ming, the Magus poked the Monk on both his sides, right where most people were ticklish, and whispered 'boo' right in his ear before rolling back as if he had never really been there to begin with.
>stealth roll for the sneaky sneak - 33
>Acrobatics roll for the... well... Roll - 38
Distracted only a moment by the odd tickling, Chung returned his attention to his pinned quarry. "You may give up at any time," Chung chuckled. "This... oil will not help you." His grip seemed to tighten as he spent a ki and his swift action to use Inescapable Grasp to remove the bonus to CMD/Escape Artist. With his move action and Greater Grapple, Chung then rolls a CMB of 56 to maintain his Grapple, and an attack with Stunning Fist and Pinning Knockout for 13 nonlethal damage, doubled to 26. Ming must make another Fort Save vs DC 17 or be stunned.
>Ming fails fortitude, is stunned: (4)+10 = 14
As hard as Ming tried, she had no chance against Chung Po's rock solid arm-lock. The last pull on her joints made lights flash in the corners of her vision. She yelled out in pain.
"AAAAH! Ahtatatata! Let go! You win! You win! Ow..."
Immediately, Chung Po released his grasp and raised his arms victoriously as cheers erupted throughout the Noodle House. "A valiant effort, friend! But Chung Po has bested you this day. Your arms and armor have become a crutch to rely on, and even your trusty shield did not save you!" The monk seemed to be addressing the whole room with his proclamation, but now he bent over to help Ming to her feet, handing her a potion of Cure Serious Wounds (worth 750 gp, heals 3d8+5 hp). His voice lowered so that only the cleric could hear amongst the cheering. "You have promise, follower of Daikitsu. If you wish to be trained as a monk one day, seek out Chung Po of the tetori monks. I will gladly train you."
Ming accepted Chung Po's hand. She nursed her nearly-broken arm all through his tirade. Despite her serious pain, she gave Chung Po a smile. She was never great with arms and armour anyway.
As for the potion, Ming took one sniff of the contents of the flask and her face dropped in regret. The promise he made, however, took her by surprise. She looked up at him with big eyes. "Oh, uh...thank you, Chung Po. Thank you so much. I, um..." She held out the potion. "I'm allergic, though. Don't worry, I can help myself." She tried a grin. "If you give me just a minute or two, I can play you your song."
"Also, sorry Hanani tried to poke you," Ming added. She stuck out her tongue at Hanani accusingly.
Chung Po evidently did not expect that kind of reaction to his gift, but he left the potion with a shrug. "It is a gift already given. Perhaps an ally would find it useful. I assure you it is not poison, but I understand if you do not trust someone who just beat you in a challenge."
He then stood up on the table once more, shouting over the din. "Per our agreement, the loser shall buy everyone a free serving of noodles, then grace us with a song!" He chuckled as the house erupted into cheers again, punctuated only by Yon Loi shouting, "Git off the damned table!"
Among the eruption of cheers was the voice of probably the cutest person in the room (other than Natsumi and Hanani; Kyoumi), "Noodles!" The victory of the cuddlemonk distracted her sufficiently from the fact said cuddlemonk was either into really rough cuddles, or he was seriously actually interested in hand-to-hand combat. Both were disappointments. She judged quite wrongly.
However, to her, the fight was rigged anyway, and also made their group look quite pathetic. Even after the noodle distraction, she was contemplating ways to take Chung Po down if she had to, if for no other reason than humiliation of the group, or more importantly that he didn't give her a good answer before moving on to the next challenger, like she was back home or something. She was pretty sure it didn't look as bad to turn down a challenge here, though.
EloraAs the others peeled away from the group, Maiko's attention was drawn towards the group of monks near the stairs. It had been some time since she had met up with other monks, and she would always relish the opportunity to chat with other orders and compare notes. Not wanting to have Elora feel left out, she motioned for the archer to follow her as she approached the group.
"Hey there!" Maiko greeted the group. "Is it just me, or are there an awful lot of monks here? Any of you students of the Perfect Style?"
The group of monks bowed in acknowledgment to Maiko. It seemed some of them were members of a rival team, and others were dressed in the crimson robes of the Ruby Phoenix. "I am Bokan," said one of the monks. "No, that is not the style we have chosen, but we have heard of it. I suppose you are monks as well?" Bokan looked towards Maiko and Elora and raised his eyebrow in question.
With the others having trickled away already, and with her inability to properly find footing with conversation as easily as her colleagues, she obliged Maiko’s gesture and followed the girl as she approached a group of monks. Thank Saranrae that she had a bowl of noodles in her hands to busy herself with while the monk of her team initiated conversation. Elora, seemingly absentmindedly, slurped at her noodles, though was very intent on the going-ons of her surroundings, particularly noting her other allies busy with their own talk.
Her gaze continued to peruse the scenery until one of the strangers spoke, and the elf waited until she had appropriately licked her lips clean of any residue the free meal had left and responded quite matter-of-factly: “This one is - I am not.”
"I'm Maiko, and this is Elora," Maiko said, introducing them. The monks nodded, although asides from Boram, none of them felt it necessary to share their own names. "So, you're not dressed like all the rest of the monks. Are you in the competition? What did you do to get here?"
"We're the Monks of the Enduring Spirit," Boram replied simply. "At the previous ceremony ten years ago, we helped uncover the plot that nearly unraveled the Ruby Phoenix tournament, and were given an invitation to compete in this tournament as part of our reward."
Another of the monks piped up. "If it weren't for Marthysan the Righteous, we may never have figured out the plot. I wonder if the Sisters Wu still hold a grudge... it's only been ten years."
"Ten years is a long time for many people who lack patience," Boram reminded the other monk. "In any case, I haven't seen either of the Sisters Wu yet. We should be fine."
Still quietly slurping at her noodles, Elora let her gaze wander away again as Maiko introduced them. Truth be told, she wasn't at the tournament to make friends, but even she knew to stop herself from pointing out the obvious; still, it slipped out under her breath, just lowly enough to reach her friendly monk's ears. "Taking the glory, hm?"
Then, clearing her throat a little, she spoke at her normal volume: "Why would these Sisters hold a grudge?"
"You haven't heard, then?" Boram asked with quiet surprise. "You must still be fresh off the boat. In the last Ruby Phoenix Tournament, a sorceress from Lingshen was disqualified just prior to the final round for cheating. She and her twin sister were swapping places while the other received illegal healing from the mainland. She swore vengeance upon her competitor, the de facto victor Marthysan the Righteous, who is sitting right over there."
The monk pointed towards a quiet-looking man who had been watching the room with interest, his gaze lingering on the members of the party. As Maiko met his eyes, Marthysan smiled and nodded at her. Before Maiko could comment, the other monk continued blabbing on. "I've been listening to the rumors all day today. While some people believe she may strike soon, the event happened a decade ago, and many believe the sorceress has forgotten about the perceived slight or moved on. I am in the former camp. Loxas here seems to be in the latter."
"Surely the organizers wouldn't allow cheaters to return to the next games, right?" Loxas replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "There's nothing to worry about!"
Elora raised her eyebrows slightly, unable to deny the cleverness of the plot. Her eyes followed the monk's finger to the man, and after his acknowledgement of Maiko, gave him a polite nod of her head in return for his smile. She kept her gaze lingering in his general direction as they continued to speculate on the situation, taking an idle sip from her bowl.
"There's never nothing to worry about," she said in reply to Loxas, wiping the corners of her mouth with a thumb. To Maiko, she cleared her throat a little, and wondered aloud. "Might be nice to ask him if he's concerned, at all."
Maiko nodded in response. "It certainly sounds suspicious," she replied before turning back to the monks. "Thank you all for greeting us! Good luck in the tournament!" The monks bowed their heads towards the duo before returning to their gossip.
"Let's go talk to this Marthysan guy, then!" Maiko suggested to Elora, but at that moment, Chung Po had announced his challenge. "Ooh, this looks fun! I wonder if they know what they're in for..."
As the group expressed their plans and recollections, Ada watched and listened. The groups seemed to be forming naturally amongst themselves, with weighty conversations being shared between the greatest combatants in the world as if they were considering which tunic to don this morning. It was an interesting juxtaposition between the extreme danger they all found themselves in, such that most men would never stand a chance, and the confidence that each had in their own abilities. Ada prayed silently that this confidence would not be their downfall before answering some of the questions tossed her way.
"Our library is not extensive on every subject, Seeker, but we do have many ancient tomes on several subjects," she replied to the druid's question, evidently already knowing her title before being introduced. "It seems the messenger neglected to give us any further information than direction, and there is a lot of land to the North and West. Perhaps we can determine a more exact location with the aid of research."
Ada then turned towards Kethan, bowing graciously to receive his gift. "Uncle, it has been far too long," she said before enclosing the elderly man in an embrace. "I am glad you answered the call, and I envy those who will receive your instruction to the West. Our library had been missing astronomical studies, so this book should be quite useful." With a smile, she placed the tome inside her bag for safekeeping.
"To think that we would be blessed with a Hammer of Grimjaw," Ada said to Markus, sending a smile his way. "Tyr may indeed have useful insight for us heading to the North, and although you speak true when you advise haste, we still have many preparations to make. Our research in the library may take some time, and the Duke has bestowed upon me the opportunity to present gifts to the party as well. Before we dig into the research, let me present to you all our gifts from the Mavrosian Vault."
From her bag were withdrawn a handful of peculiar items, all of which were noticeably magical once the party got a better look at them. "First, we present a simple magical item to each of you: an Earstone of Communication. These stones clip to one's ear, and allow you to communicate through closed doors and walls up to a range of 300 feet. Useful if we ever get split up. There is enough for each of us to take one." Ada presented a clip to each party member with a bow and a smile of gratitude. The stones were of various colors, although they seemed to not serve any special purpose other than decoration, and each person was able to choose a color of their preference. Clipping the stone to one's ear was only mildly uncomfortable, but the sensation quickly dissipated over time to be nearly imperceptible.
"Next, to keep our parties in touch over long distances, I present a pair of Sending Stones," Ada announced, handing a simple smooth rock to Markus. The figure of a face was etched onto one side, but otherwise, the stone seemed as mundane from a distance as any rock on a beach. "These are only usable once per day for a short message, but when in need of immediate aid or if useful information is found, these stones can be vital." Ada herself seemed to keep the other one, and the etchings on the stones were identical mirrored images of the other.
"And finally, our vault had two items of great legend that I wish to share. Items this powerful have the potential of great power, but also of great destruction. I trust that we know to use them well and safely." From her bag, she withdrew a crystal ball and held it out for the group to see. "This crystal ball allows the user to scry on a target and also to sense their thoughts, making it even more powerful than a standard scrying spell. Of course, we first need to have a target." She then hesitated a moment before withdrawing a deck of cards from her bag. "And this item... we have been counseled not to use it except in dire need, for many things can happen once a card has been drawn, both of good and ill fortune. I present these items to you to use as you see fit."
Those knights didn't look pleasant to deal with, and Jill had allies that would be much more effective near them. Speaking of allies, Jill whispered a few encouraging words towards Dyn, brushing her hand gently along one of his tentacles. However, seeing that Koan was hurt, Jill retreated slightly to cast a curing spell on the drow, leaving Dyn to man the frontlines himself.
@The Grey Dust - Noriam moves two spaces to the east of Dyn and draws his Shadowblade.
Cynthia sees the enemies and grins back at the group. "Time for some fun!" she calls out before giving out a primal yell, beginning a Rage, and dashing forward. As she approached, both Templars were able to use their Attacks of Opportunity to hit her. One of them scores a crit as she wasn't expecting such an attack, dealing 22 damage, reduced to 11 from her rage. As she rounded the corner, her eyes widened. "Shit! It's a kraken!" she called back.
The two Templars whirled their glaives about, each attacking Cynthia three times. Out of all six attacks, only one managed to pierce her defenses, dealing a paltry 6 damage, halved to 3.
Mentions: @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu
21 - Koan - @Gordian Nought
21 - Kraken
15 - Jill - @JBRam2002
15 - Noriam - @The Grey Dust
14 - Cynthia - @JBRam2002
13 - Gearforged Templars
8 - Adrevz - @Zverda
6 - Dyn - @Hekazu
5 - Alexis - @Guardian Angel Haruki
Adrevz - @Zverda is up next!
@The Grey Dust - Noriam moves two spaces to the east of Dyn and draws his Shadowblade.
Cynthia sees the enemies and grins back at the group. "Time for some fun!" she calls out before giving out a primal yell, beginning a Rage, and dashing forward. As she approached, both Templars were able to use their Attacks of Opportunity to hit her. One of them scores a crit as she wasn't expecting such an attack, dealing 22 damage, reduced to 11 from her rage. As she rounded the corner, her eyes widened. "Shit! It's a kraken!" she called back.
The two Templars whirled their glaives about, each attacking Cynthia three times. Out of all six attacks, only one managed to pierce her defenses, dealing a paltry 6 damage, halved to 3.
Mentions: @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu
Initiative
21 - Koan - @Gordian Nought
21 - Kraken
15 - Jill - @JBRam2002
15 - Noriam - @The Grey Dust
14 - Cynthia - @JBRam2002
13 - Gearforged Templars
8 - Adrevz - @Zverda
6 - Dyn - @Hekazu
5 - Alexis - @Guardian Angel Haruki
Adrevz - @Zverda is up next!
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