Red Hood

[The Grand Duchy] Echoes of the Verdant Heart

Asset Goal: See Church E

(I think I just barely qualify)

And just like that, it was over.

Esther couldn’t monitor the entire battlefield, but she trusted everyone was doing what they could to ensure no one else got hurt. Did Severin just capture that thing? That didn’t matter right now. With the immediate threat removed, they needed to tend to the maid. Or at least, make sure she was okay.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

As much as Esther wanted to rush up to the maid and help her up, she also knew that wasn’t a great idea at present. It would be best to observe from a distance for now.

"Because if you are, we should probably get going before something else decides to corrupt us."

What a crazy adventure. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, but it did look like they might all get out of here. They even managed to rescue that girl, so technically the size of their party would be even larger once they got out of here.

She still had questions of course. Many of them would likely remain unanswered for a long time, but she was even curious about her companions. Liu the dapper skeleton, Severin the scholar, the now silent maid, Lily, and-

Was Vetreus still stuck?

With a sigh, Esther turned to look at the haughty man and the floating noodle trying to pull him out of the vines.

"My lord, might I suggest you add a gardener to your court? You don’t seem suited to the task yourself."

She approached the dragon pair to offer her assistance.

[The Grand Duchy] Echoes of the Verdant Heart

Asset Goal: Maybe having a little property would be nice. Maybe some connections with slightly influential people? Oh, what’s that?

"My word!"

That was all Esther could offer to the frantic scene before her. Spells were abound, and in the frey, Liu was using his legs to do what Severin could not. For Esther the temptation was to run, but even a novice mage understood the dangers of running while trying to cast a spell. That was only for those with special training, and Esther’s focus simply wasn’t there yet for a spell of this magnitude. But while she had been spared from the attack, Vetreus had not. But that was okay. Griselda would free him in time. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted. They would free the maid, and tif they couldn’t help themselves, Esther or one of the others could offer help. But she hoped it would be her, because she had something smart she could say.

Or at least, that was the idea.

It seemed like there might be an opening to do something. Esther Scuffed her way to the side of the entity and attempted to reach through the fog with the limited range of her magic. It looked like the maid might be struggling with the curse that gripped her. She might have an easier time fighting it if they just freed her.

It was worth trying, anyway.

actions

#1 Move and reposition near the entity.

#2/3 Strum Combo: Magic F, Harp E, Intelligence D, Focus F, Flexible Affinity F(Disarm, or peel away the roots) - Grade F - 0 post cool down

Total base effectiveness: Strum 6 + Combo 1 = 7

CD E: 1/1

[The Grand Duchy] Echoes of the Verdant Heart

Asset Goal: We’ll just have to see, won’t we?

There was no time to quip. Not even a chance to ask why Severin had destroyed the scrying orbs.

Shortly after confirming the girl’s status, both Esther and Severin were attacked by the creature. There was no time to assess what the others were doing. Hopefully they would help in their own way, be it spiriting away the child or tending to Maid’s overgrowth.

Against such an opponent, it was important for the team to not overextend themselves and maximized their effectiveness. The temptation was to go all in on the roots attacking Severin, but the encroaching vines could have taken them both out of the fight. Could she do something about all of it?

She wasn’t skilled enough to play anything complicated on the run, so she stood her ground. Even with Severin’s menacing aura and the situation being what it was. She began to play, and her music took shape. A single ribbon of light attempted to intercept not only the roots but the vines that swarmed them. It was fast and precise, and narrowly avoided hitting any of her allies. From a distance, it might have looked like a giant dome of yarn made out of light was forming. She played furiously, attempting to keep up with the creature’s quickening tempo.

actions

#1 Counterattack - Disharmony: Magic E, Harp E, Intelligence D Range F, Targets F (Excluding allies), AoE F, Flexible Affinity F - A Ribbon of magical sheet music flies from the harp in a jagged, indirect approach. It can travel 30 feet to an area that erupts into a 15 foot area of light and unpleasant sound. Up to 5 targets can be excluded from the attack, which just hear the pleasant strum of a harp. - Grade E - 1 post cooldown

#2 Counterattack Combo - Strum: Magic F, Harp E, Intelligence D, Flexible Affinity F, Energized F - Esther continues to play, causing her music to strike a nearby target/incoming attack. - Grade F - 0 post cooldown

#3 Counterattack Combo - Strum: Magic F, Harp E, Intelligence D, Flexible Affinity F, Energized F - Esther continues to play, causing her music to strike a nearby target/incoming attack. - Grade F - 0 post cooldown

Total base effectiveness: Disharmony 7 + Combo 2 = 9

[The Grand Duchy] Echoes of the Verdant Heart

Asset Goal: We’ll just have to see, won’t we?

Well that escalated quickly.

It was evident that something had taken control of Penny’s body, and was reluctant to release her. Furthermore, it was reluctant to let any of them go. A more pragmatic individual would say that Penny brought her fate onto herself, and that now would be the time to flee. But Esther was not a pragmatic person, and did not think that she was in the company of pragmatic people either.

"She finally speaks, and it’s to be the mouthpiece of some deranged spirit." Esther looked out of the corner of her eye at Vetreus. "Lord Draedora, you can handle monsters, but do you think you can handle a maid? If not, perhaps Griselda can help you." He did well with that other monster, but he wasn’t trying to spare its host’s life.

She addressed the other two. "Severin, is it possible to remove the maid from that growth? You were able to move all the debris off of everyone. Fei? Are you well enough to protect us?" That was quite the shot he took. If he was badly hurt, there was no point in sending him to a true death. She really didn’t understand how familiars worked. "If not, then protect the child. I’ve seen how you move." If they managed to free the maid, they needed to make sure it didn’t get a hold of the child.

But before Esther went to try to fight that thing, she had one other thing to check.

"Don’t be scared," she told the little girl. "We’ll keep you safe. Can you tell me your name?"

She snapped her fingers, and her hand glowed.

Actions

Appraisal F on child

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Asset Goal: Fae See Church F

The expression “too much information” usually refers to when someone is told more information then they needed. But the rapid fire details that were flashing across Esther’s mind was a different problem that could be summed up the same way. Rapid fire details about every fragment of debris in her surroundings was not especially helpful. Fortunately, Severin had a spell that was a bit more useful, and moved all of the debris off to the side. Esther’s eyes flicked across everything, from Liu’s scattered parts to Vetreus and Griselda’s positions. The latter two appeared to be okay, but Liu’s condition seemed to be a bit troubling. He was shattered like humpty dumpty and, much like his white counterpart, was unsure if he could be put back together again. There were so many bones, and left and right were hardly distinguishable from one another. She took his head and placed it on his shoulders, just to see if anything would happen.

But Esther didn’t get much further than that when she, and everyone else, heard the sound of a child yelling. Or was it a baby?

"Did the crystal regress her age?”

Everyone was accounted for aside from their mute companion. Regardless if this was some sort of transmutation or a new child just spontaneously appeared here, it was no place for them. Provided there really was a child and this wasn’t some sort of auditory hallucination, Ester was going to find them.

Actions

1: Regret life choices.

2: Attempt to assemble Liu, then get distracted.

3: Find Child. Maybe pick them up/cradle them if small enough.

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Asset Goal: Fae See Church F

Esther remained crouched down beside the sulking skeleton, even when he stood up to his full height. He confirmed that he was fine, twice, before entering the shack.

"I see. You’re welcome.”

But she didn’t see.

She had confirmed that there was something off about Severin and Liu, and that it didn’t have anything to do with the spores. But that was the extent of her search. Given that Severin was back to his old self and Liu seemed agitated, she could only speculate as to what happened. Liu had to have been rattled by something, and maybe Severin as well. But then why did Severin recover so much faster? Furthermore, what was it about him that made her, the students at the luminary, and even a cat tremble in their boots? Too many questions, and it was starting to overshadow the mission.

Ester approached the doorway and looked inside. She really didn’t feel like everyone had to be in there, which was one of the reasons why she had kept her distance. But also, the anomaly being a crystal was less interesting to her. She was unsure if it was the source they were looking for, as it didn’t look like a wounded entity to her.. Though that changed when Liu and Vitreous examined it closer. The way they spoke about it was like it was some living creature.

"So this is it, then? We’ve found it? Then I imagine our scrying devices are collecting information on it as we speak.” The parental figure in her started to speak up. "Whatever you do, don’t touch it! If that thing corrupted the forest, who knows what will happen if-”

Esther cut herself off as the featherduster closed the distance. It was too late to do anything.

Her only recourse was to fly backwards, and not by the power of her weak yet beautiful wings. No, it was a magical cataclysm that sent her flying.

She was one of the lucky ones. A field of corrupted grass and soil was far softer to tumble across than being shoved into a shelf full of wooden dolls.

The barrier had long dissipated, so Esther had to deal with the rough landing herself. She bounced once, then landed on her side and skidded through some mud. She had just enough time to watch Severin fall beside her. Her eyes shifted back to the shack.

"Well that’s not good!” Esther’s joints were sore, but urgency wouldn’t let her remain still. She tucked her harp under her arm and offered a hand to Severin. If he needed a hand, she’d offer it. If he dropped his cane, she’d pick it up and hand it to him. As suspicious as he was, nothing he did had been malicious. That, and there was no guarantee that the danger had passed. His expertise might prove useful in such a situation. "Come on! Let’s find the others.”

Unless Severin was willing to move at a decent pace, Esther was fully committed to fast walking him over to the collapsed shack. "Is that Liu’s torso? Liu? Liu, Zelda!?” She didn’t have the time to slow her thoughts and say his name correctly.

Esther rose her harp and strummed. A crackle, like an ice cube breaking apart in warm water, filled the area. Since Esther had good luck using her magic to detect the presence of spores inside people, maybe she could apply the same logic and find her allies that were hiding inside the shack’s rubble. It would also be beneficial to appraise Severin and see if he was under the effect of anything, but that was a far, far distant objective compared to locating everyone else and parts of everyone else. Liu was a skeleton, so it was possible he just needed to be snapped together. Unless…

She hoped for the best, prepared for the worst, and started moving debris.

Actions

1:Drag Severin to the shack like an overeager child who wants to show their parents their drawing.

2: Song of Search: Magic E, Area F (15 feet), Appraisal F (Attempting to detect all of Liu’s body parts and other allies… and inspecting Severin), Artisan Artificer E (mark debris with special runes if they are covering an ally) - Grade E - 1 post cooldown - Ability E (2) + Catalyst E (2) + Intelligence D (3) = 7 base effectiveness

3: Dig through rubble.

Note: I’m aware that Esther shouldn’t be able to move and cast such a strong spell, so let’s say she waited a few seconds to better center her mana and cast her spell properly. A few seconds probably doesn’t matter here, right? Hehe… HehehehehehehHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Asset Goal: Fae See Church F

Esther was starting to get a handle on how everyone behaved, so Vetreus and the sulking murder noodle received little attention from Esther. Zelda’s grandstanding and insistence on using a nickname that didn’t bother her was part of the package that made up the noble. The mute maid was harder to figure out, but given that she largely kept to herself there was no real reason to acknowledge her. It was curious how she was trying to clean the shack up, but given that the woman was dressed like a maid, she decided that it might be a calming ritual. To do something that she had done hundreds of times before to better cope with the horrors of her situation. Come to think of it, everything she had done since she first appeared seemed like something a frightened person might do. Give away her food, refuse to speak, and do chores in an unusual environment.

Though the bulk of Esther’s attention was taken up by Severin. She didn’t imagine it would be hard to get him to speak, but the professor verged on the territory of giving a lecture, even as he walked around a glowing, possibly volatile magical crystal. This was the level of confidence she expected from such an individual, and wasn’t at all surprised that it was happening. But that was something to return to thinking about shortly, as Esther used his dramatic pause to answer him rather than allow his silence to dominate the conversation.

"You know, I don’t think I ever gave magic’s presence much thought. Like the air we breathe, I’ve just sort of taken its presence for granted."

The old adage goes that X and Y are two sides of the same coin, and you can’t have one without the other, but Esther had found that you can have one without the other, having its opposite just makes it easier to notice. A rich politician is disconnected from the plight of the impoverished because they do not understand that side of life. While magic should have felt alien to Esther, so did this entire world. She had enough questions that she didn’t feel she needed to approach the nuances of how one unseen force worked over another. But the talk of a primordial god did make Esther think of the first person she saw before arriving here. A benevolent god she could hardly remember that beckoned her to make the world a better place than it currently was. Surely this was the creator of everything that Severin sought, but she hesitated to mention him so hastily. Partially because it wasn’t something she could prove, but also partially because she didn’t think it would be a good idea.

"I never thought about it like that, but it makes sense…"

It felt like everyone was avoiding the glowing crystal in the center of the room, and the temptation to inspect it herself was there. But there were enough people in the shack still, and it seemed like Liu was having a bit of a breakdown of sorts. This did not seem in character for the normally reserved skeleton, so it warranted an investigation. She kneeled down beside the skeleton.

"Are you alright, dear?"

She wasn’t even sure if spores could affect something without a nervous system, but it was worth noting their presence if they were there. So again, ribbons of her magic sprung forth, but this time they searched Liu’s body for the hallucinogenic spores.

Actions

Actions:
Look : Magic F, Energized F, Appraisal F (Attempting to detect the presence of spores in Liu’s body) - Grade F - No cooldown - Ability F (1) + Catalyst E (2) + Intelligence D (3) = 6 base effectiveness

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Asset Goal: Fae See Church F

While the shack did not spew forth untold horrors when it opened, it did house quite the interesting sight. Something had been set up some time ago and it potentially turned the forest into what it was now. As curious as Esther was, this did seem like a job for someone a bit more durable. She did not have the means to protect herself in such a small space, and felt that she would be better suited to assisting from the outside.

And there were no shortage of interesting things happening outside either. While Liu’s behavior seemed a bit off, it was at least understandable given the circumstances. Severin was acting very strange as well. The entire time they had been in each other’s vicinity, he had always held himself with a sort of unshakable confidence. He was the first to do everything, from leave the Luminary’s briefing room to entering the cursed forest. But he had gotten behind everyone when Esther had "opened" the door. Surely someone with such potent protective magics, who confidently strode everywhere, would not choose now to stand at the back of the line? Then there was his chilling aura. Esther had been under its effect for so long that she had started to become accustomed to it. But it hadn’t been active for a time. Though now it was, and she was reminded of how unsettling it was.

Shifts in personality, what could cause such strangeness? It didn’t take Esther long to suspect the hallucinogenic spores. She would need something stronger to examine everyone, and she herself was not an expert on such matters. But maybe she could detect the presence of the spores if she tried hard enough. Of course the first act of diagnosing anything was to check your own equipment, so Esther examined herself with her magic. She strummed her harp, and some glowing musical notes hovered around her body.

"Doctor Vaust." Esther addressed him while she examined her person. "I imagine it’s quite difficult to become a scholar of magic. What made you interested in becoming a scholar of religion as well?"

Actions

Actions:
Look : Magic F, Energized F, Appraisal F (Attempting to detect the presence of spores in her body) - Grade F - No cooldown - Ability F (1) + Catalyst E (2) + Intelligence D (3) = 6 base effectiveness
Look really hard = + 1 base effectiveness (7)
Look even harder = + 1 base effectiveness (8)

Note: I have no idea if base effectiveness has any impact on appraisal ability, in fact, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.

CD E 1/1

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Before Esther could agree with Liu’s suggestion, Vetreus just sort of made the choice for everyone that no, we were going to fight the big tree monster first before we did anything else. He didn’t do this through careful reasoning or solid logic, but by attacking the creature while it was distracted. And that seemed to work? Esther didn’t want anyone to get hurt, but it was almost anticlimactic how easily the creature was bested. They made it look even weaker than the stalkers.

"That takes care of that. Good job, Griselda, you kept everyone safe."

Now all that was left was the shed. Since nothing had come out of it, Esther would have been fine leaving it alone, but it seemed like everyone else wanted to investigate. Everyone who was capable of speech anyway.

It did surprise Esther that Liu seemed so agitated. When the haughty noble was ribbing him before, he took it in stride, and seemed exceptionally well mannered. But his sarcastic tone didn’t seem quite in character for him. Had this last act pushed him over the edge?

"Hopefully he’s not that fast with the woman in his life." Esther said more to herself than anyone else as they approached the door. "I’m going to pull the door open. Get ready."

Rather than let whatever was in there ambush them, Esther figured she could stand a good distance away and open the door that way. Then everyone could look inside without any surprises. Alternatively, whatever was going to ambush them had some ground to cover before they got attacked.

Or maybe Zelda would run in there swinging his sword before she could conjure her spell. The children tended to play him bold and brash too.

Actions

Actions:
Diminuendo: Magic E, Flexible Affinity F (Pulling door handle), Range F - Grade E - 1 post cooldown - Ability E (2) + Catalyst E (2) + Intelligence D (3) = 7 base effectiveness

CD E 0/1

[The Grand Duchy] Labyrinth of the Primordial Bloom [FINISHED]

Liu likely didn’t need the help, but why take a chance?

With everyone here with their fantastical spells and flashy attacks, it was easy to feel removed from what was going on. Seeing a mute girl try to suplex a stalker, Zelda cut through his foes with a shining sword, or any of the destructive powers Severen or Griselda brought to bear all looked like attacks you’d see in a tv show. But it was different with Liu. Yes, giant skeletons don’t typically walk and talk, but his way of fighting was just as savage and unglamorous as the real thing. When he caved the creature’s head in, the sap splattered like blood. Esther’s outfit might have been soiled by it if the barrier protecting her didn’t catch it. Regardless of the method, the end result was the same. It was hard to pity such twisted creatures, but it was a reminder of what was going on here. This wasn’t a a show, it was reality now.

Esther jerked her head when Severin suggested they go on. "Ah, yes. No point in dallying here." It was a shame she didn’t have water magic. Liu looked like he could use a washing. Well, that would come later.

…

…

…

"Good heavens!"

Esther managed to keep her voice down, but that thing looked a bit bigger than the stalkers. "Well, if we don’t deal with it now, we may have to deal with it later. But if those things are hiding about, they may try to attack us while we’re distracted." She looked to the shed. "It’s always good to know one’s surroundings. If anyone feels confident in their ability to avoid detection and investigate the shed, I think that would be the ideal thing to do. Otherwise, maybe someone swift enough to get there and return in a timely fashion." She stared at the shed a moment longer. "I doubt whatever’s in there is friendly."

She turned and looked between Liu and Vetreus. "You two seem to be the fastest among us. I feel like Liu would be more resilient to any poisonous plants that might be growing in there, but Vetreus might have an easier time dealing with any creature that’s inside." She scrunched up her face. "Well, I’m not going to tell either of you what to do. What do you think?"