Jack looked at the noticeboard, then to his drink, and back to the noticeboard. Let's see, a new notice placed in by a mysterious knight and a short-eared dog. Probably something dangerous.
Opening his coinpurse, he could count his money with one hand. The bastards skimped out on paying as he apparently damaged the artifact by crushing it with a giant spider, which was a load of dragon dung. The thing was enchanted to be unbreakable, he'd checked using Identify. He may have been a tad upset, as he proceeded to beat the Rava-Loving hell out of them before dragging them to the higher ups of the Guild.
Turns out, they were wanted scam artists, known for tricking adventurers into obtaining artifacts, before claiming they damaged the artifact and refusing payment. Sadly, their bounty was mostly spent on paying fines for assault, even if it was warrented.
Deciding to chance things on this new mission, he got up to take a look. Aaaand it was feck'n bull. No details, just a promise of treasure? I mean, he liked exploring, but seriously this sounded more like a con. He decided to interrogate the knight.
"Okay, what's with the vaguery." Jack askes, sitting down at the Knight's table, "I need actual details about whatever this thing is before I just jump in headfirst. That kind of thinking gets people killed." He unconsciously rubbed his damaged left hand as he said that last part.
Felix darted towards the window, opening it before climbing out. It was fair to say Felix was not particularly in her good graces, especially after blowing up part of the chemistry lab with his and Raph's research. The woman was like a bloody battleaxe.
It was only when he was midway out the window that he remembered an important fact. The music room was on the second floor. Too late to abandon his current act, he gripped the side of the window and used it to launch himself towards the drain pipe. He initially missed, leading to a slight bonking of his head, but soon came to his senses and properly grabbed on.
Following that, he slid down the pipe to sweet, sweet freedom. As he walked away, he further examined the shard.
Return the part to the whole...
Cryptic voices in his head again. You know what, fuck it, he has more important things to worry about right now. It probably would be an idea to check it against a mirror, check it is actually part of one. Maybe should let the others tag along, especially that Devin guy. He's not a hardass for rules like Raph.
Right everyone, me and Jan have come up with a new rule for the RP.
If you do not reply within 3 days of the latest post, we will move on without your imput in the scene. There is an exception however, considering the busy lives everyone leads. If you require an extension, post in the IC to tell us so. This is mostly to check you haven't abandoned the RP.
Jack sat in the corner of the Silver Piglet, downing his (tenth) pint of beer. He was trying to drown out the absolute disaster of the last expedition. How the bloody hell did they miss that a rogue mage was active in the area?
Flashback - One Week Ago
You know, there are probably worse situations to be in than being hung upside down over a magically mutated spider monster, but in the moment other thoughts don't seem to come to mind. The only saving grace was that the one controlling the beast fell into the typical villain pitfall of monologuing.
What was it about these guys and monologues? I mean, here it was probably understandable, the crazed lunatic had probably not had any interaction with people for some time. That tends to happen when you breed spiders that eat people.
He had been caught unaware as he was exploring the temple. Apparently the Spider Mage Bittertooth had chosen to make the remote place his lair. He was completely overwhelmed by the organised arachnids and captured.
While Jack was thinking about this, and ignoring the monologue, he was working away at the spider silk keeping him trapped. Just a little more and... there.
"And furthermore, those League bastards who called me crazy will... WHAM" The Mage was interrupted by a flying kick to the face, courtesy of a now free catman.
"Sorry, but I'm not really in the mood to deal with the ravings of a lunatic."
The mage grabbed his jaw and pulled it back into place. "You dare injure the mighty Bittertooth? DEATHFANG, KILL HIM!"
Oh right, the giant spider. Jack completely forgot about that for a second. Summoning his Shadow Blade, he launched into combat with the monster. Despite the cutting power of his weapon, the creature's carapace was like steel. Fortunately the arachnomancer was merely cheerimg on his creation, so could be put out of mind.
The only real weak spot was the creature's eyes, but he would be damned if he was getting near that. After dodging for a solid minute, he decided to use a Chill Touch to at least partially blind the beast. In his mind, one of the lines from his studies came to mind.
"If you cannot break the stone, let it break itself."
Translation, use the enemies strengths against it. Jumping on the back of the spider, he grabbed it's head and forced it to charge to try and get him off. While he was at it, he finished the job of blinding the creature to put his plan into full effect. The arachnomancer saw what he was doing, but when he tried to heal the creature Chill Touch prevented it.
It took a couple of tries, and some major damage to the walls, but he finally managed to get the giant spider to crush its master. As he did so, the creature and it's brethren let out a sickening scream, as they began to fall apart. As Jack was on top of the giant spider, this naturally meant he got covered in the guts of it.
Even with Prestidigitation, it took five tries to remove the smell of spider guts from his clothing. Fortunately the rest of the mission was simple, and he retrieved the Cursed Blade Skulltaker. He also made a note to kick the arse of the region's scout for missing the fact that a bloody Raid Class threat was in the temple. If the creatures hadn't been linked to their creator, he'd have been in deep shit.
A fragment of a mirror? Now we just need the smoke for this bloody magic act.
Okay, lets think about this logically. The music room is on the second floor, and the only exit leads out to the hall. Considering a lack of blood from the dismembered hand of the victim, they somehow exited another way. Why are there mirror shards though...
'The victim screamed'
What? Why would that... wait! In the other circumstances there had been no warning of the attempted killing, or possibly kidnapping seeing as there was no body. The victim saw the killer and reacted, meaning these shards were part of something the killer was using to enter and exit. But how could a mirror help someone move a body?
'Mirrors are magical'
Well yes, the fact that a surface can perfectly reflect the surroundings was magical to earlier cultures. An obscure myth was that if you stood between two mirrors you'd end up trapped. And of course everyone knows that when you break a mirror it's bad luck, but he always put it down to the fact mirrors were quite expensive in a pre-industrial world.
'Breaking the mask reveals what lies beneath'
Okay, maybe he should be taking those anti-psychotics. He just realised he was having a conversation with a voice inside his head. Slipping the mirror shard into his pocket, the voice began to quieten, but it seemed almost desperate.
'Remember... what you... are'
Turning around to the person investigating the locker, he walked up to share what he had found so far.
@World Traveler"Find anything about the victim? Considering my time getting here, the killer couldn't have gotten out the main door. I also think the victim managed to fight back against them, these shards probably came from something the killer was holding. Just confused why someone would walk around with a mirror of all things, especially when committing a murder."
@Ypnosi I mean they are both travelling around for reasons, so they could potentially have encountered each other. Jack has been active for 14 years, and has been to at least three of the regions due to his work as a treasure hunter.
Rather than inquisitive, it could be a reason of responsibility, trying to corral her more reckless classmates before they get in danger. She'll probably get dragged into the shenanigans anyway, but at least she can say she tried.
Appearance: Standing at 5'7", he has a naturally lithe build. His body is covered in a layer of dark grey fur with black spots. His hair is black, and forms a shaggy mane, with his ears sticking out the side. His face looks mostly human, though with a cat nose instead of a human one and catlike green eyes. His left hand has an amulet made from a diamond encased in silver embedded in his palm, and some of the fingers on that hand are crooked like they've been badly broken in the past. His legs are digitigrade, like that of a cat, and he refuses to wear shoes. In terms of clothing, he wears a pair of brown pants that are cut off below the thigh, a green long sleeved tunic, and a brown cloak, with a belt holding his bolt quiver, his hand crossbow, and his sword sheath. His armour consists of a pair of knee pads, a leather cuirass, a pair of leather shoulderpads, a leather bracer, and the Gauntlet of the Hunt. The cuirass also has a bandolier to hold his knives.
Equipment: -Artificial Mana Heart: A coin sized amulet found in a ruin that stores magical power which the wearer can then draw on, similar to a Mana Heart. Due to circumstances involving an idiot and a crushing trap, the Artificial Mana Heart is now embedded into his left hand. -Gauntlet and Sword of the Hunt: A paired set of magical items, a silvered shortsword with a design of a wolf's head on the guard, and a steel gauntlet with a mechanism to stab the user. By drawing blood from the user, via the gauntlet, the sword becomes imbued with a magical aura that increases the damage it deals. -4 Regular Daggers -Silvered Dagger -Hand Crossbow -Quiver with 20 Regular Bolts and 5 Silvered Bolts -A Set of Leather Armour with Metal Reinforcement -A Set of Travelling Clothes -Spellbook -Backpack -Rope -Lockpicks -Crowbar -Coinpurse
Backstory: Jack was orphaned at a young age. His family were travelling merchants, but on their way through Levis they were caught in a rock slide. He only survived due to the actions of his mother, who threw him under a thorn bush which prevented him from getting crushed. Later he was found by the dwarves who were clearing the road. Seeing as he was an orphan, one of the dwarves in a happy, but childless, marriage decided to adopt him. They named him Droigheann, or Thorn in their tongue, after where he was found. Raised in the dwarf way, a lot of alcohol and fighting, Thorn grew up with both a high endurance and an appreciation for the past. For a time, he tried becoming a priest of Rava, but the wanderlust he inherited from his birth parents made staying in one place unappealing to him. The head priest informed him of a job he could take, that of a treasure hunter. Retrieving fragments of the past and shedding new light on it. He was 15 at the time. Over the next 14 years, he made a name for himself as a Treasure Hunter. He began to refer to himself as the Jack due to the size of his magical heart being too small to be more than adapt in magic. Due to some errors in literacy, The Jack Thorn became Jack Thorne when he signed up to the League. Seeing as dealing with the paperwork would be too much effort, he decided to keep the name. He felt it suited him. During one of his excursions, he came across an artifact designed to mimic a Mana Heart, allowing him to be a more effective caster. It became a permanent part of his body during a delve into a ruin with a greenhorn. The idiot activated a crushing trap, killing him and trapping Jack's arm. Though he managed to disarm the trap with his Legerdemain spell, his hand had been crushed and the amulet forced into it. While not the first time he had failed, it was the closest he had come to death so far, and it wasn't even down to his actions. Since the incident, he has been working alone, unwilling to put up with the bullshit of other people.
Abilities: (Physical, Magical, or Both) As a Panther Half-Beast, Jack has the natural bonuses that come with his race. Namely he has enhanced reflexes and flexibility, claws that allow for easy climbing, and enhanced night vision. He is also ambidextrous. His constitution is higher than average for his species, due in no small part to being raised by Dwarves and their lax stance on alcohol. He was trained to play to his strengths, being weaker but more agile than the Dwarves, coming up with an aggressive style that aims to keep opponents off balance. As a treasure hunter, he has a wide knowledge of history, able to identify the purpose and the builder of most ruins he enters. He also has a vast knowledge of magic, born out of necessity considering the sheer amount of magical bullshit he finds himself encountering in his profession. Initially he had some training as a Priest of Rava, but with his decision to become a treasure hunter he moved into learning more generically useful magic. He has a series of spells he can cast, along with a few rituals. His magical heart is about 70% the size of his heart, with the artificial one he has being about 33%. Combined, he has enough power to be considered a magus, but he lacks the training of others with a naturally larger heart.
List of Spells: -Spare the Dying A spell designed to stabilise a wounded person. It won't cure the wounds, but will prevent death by bleeding out. -Legerdemain Summons a green spectral hand that can turn invisible, work lockpicks, and lift up to 10lbs. -Chill Touch A borderline necromancy spell. Creates a ghostly hand that drains vitality, dealing damage and preventing healing on the target temporarily. -Prestidigitation This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical Effects. • You create an Instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odour. • You instantaneously light or snuff out a Candle, a torch, or a small campfire. • You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot. • You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour. • You make a colour, a small mark, or a Symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.
[The Following are more Energy Intensive and can only be used a few times a day]
-Cure Wounds Imbuing holy magic into a person, the caster enhances the users healing ability, allowing them to more quickly recover from injuries. This magic does deal damage against creatures who are unholy, such as undead. -Feather Fall The Caster causes up to 5 targets to slow their descent to a quarter of their speed and acceleration. -Shadow Blade The user forms a blade out of darkness. This weapon deals more damage than a regular weapon.
List of Rituals -Identify Takes ten minutes to complete. When used on a magical item, it can reveal what it can do. -Detect Magic Takes ten minutes to complete. Creates a magical pulse that heads out 300 meters. For an hour, any magical items and spells within the range are revealed to the caster. -Find Familiar Takes an Hour to complete. Binds either an elemental or a demon into the form of an animal that is bound into the service of the caster. The user can telepathically communicate with the familiar while it is within 100ft and can share it's senses.
Other: Edgar: Jack's familiar, a minor demon trapped into the form of a raven. Practically indistinguishable from a normal raven save for the fact that instead of cawing it goes "SOULS".
Took some time, effort, and plenty of bodies, but finally got my CS done.
Name: Droigheann / Jack Thorne
Gender: Male
Species: Half-Beast (Panther)
Age: 29
Nationality: Lezin
Appearance: Standing at 5'7", he has a naturally lithe build. His body is covered in a layer of dark grey fur with black spots. His hair is black, and forms a shaggy mane, with his ears sticking out the side. His face looks mostly human, though with a cat nose instead of a human one and catlike green eyes. His left hand has an amulet made from a diamond encased in silver embedded in his palm, and some of the fingers on that hand are crooked like they've been badly broken in the past. His legs are digitigrade, like that of a cat, and he refuses to wear shoes. In terms of clothing, he wears a pair of brown pants that are cut off below the thigh, a green long sleeved tunic, and a brown cloak, with a belt holding his bolt quiver, his hand crossbow, and his sword sheath. His armour consists of a pair of knee pads, a leather cuirass, a pair of leather shoulderpads, a leather bracer, and the Gauntlet of the Hunt. The cuirass also has a bandolier to hold his knives.
Equipment: -Artificial Mana Heart: A coin sized amulet found in a ruin that stores magical power which the wearer can then draw on, similar to a Mana Heart. Due to circumstances involving an idiot and a crushing trap, the Artificial Mana Heart is now embedded into his left hand. -Gauntlet and Sword of the Hunt: A paired set of magical items, a silvered shortsword with a design of a wolf's head on the guard, and a steel gauntlet with a mechanism to stab the user. By drawing blood from the user, via the gauntlet, the sword becomes imbued with a magical aura that increases the damage it deals. -4 Regular Daggers -Silvered Dagger -Hand Crossbow -Quiver with 20 Regular Bolts and 5 Silvered Bolts -A Set of Leather Armour with Metal Reinforcement -A Set of Travelling Clothes -Spellbook -Backpack -Rope -Lockpicks -Crowbar -Coinpurse
Backstory: Jack was orphaned at a young age. His family were travelling merchants, but on their way through Levis they were caught in a rock slide. He only survived due to the actions of his mother, who threw him under a thorn bush which prevented him from getting crushed. Later he was found by the dwarves who were clearing the road. Seeing as he was an orphan, one of the dwarves in a happy, but childless, marriage decided to adopt him. They named him Droigheann, or Thorn in their tongue, after where he was found. Raised in the dwarf way, a lot of alcohol and fighting, Thorn grew up with both a high endurance and an appreciation for the past. For a time, he tried becoming a priest of Rava, but the wanderlust he inherited from his birth parents made staying in one place unappealing to him. The head priest informed him of a job he could take, that of a treasure hunter. Retrieving fragments of the past and shedding new light on it. He was 15 at the time. Over the next 14 years, he made a name for himself as a Treasure Hunter. He began to refer to himself as the Jack due to the size of his magical heart being too small to be more than adapt in magic. Due to some errors in literacy, The Jack Thorn became Jack Thorne when he signed up to the League. Seeing as dealing with the paperwork would be too much effort, he decided to keep the name. He felt it suited him. During one of his excursions, he came across an artifact designed to mimic a Mana Heart, allowing him to be a more effective caster. It became a permanent part of his body during a delve into a ruin with a greenhorn. The idiot activated a crushing trap, killing him and trapping Jack's arm. Though he managed to disarm the trap with his Legerdemain spell, his hand had been crushed and the amulet forced into it. While not the first time he had failed, it was the closest he had come to death so far, and it wasn't even down to his actions. Since the incident, he has been working alone, unwilling to put up with the bullshit of other people.
Abilities: (Physical, Magical, or Both) As a Panther Half-Beast, Jack has the natural bonuses that come with his race. Namely he has enhanced reflexes and flexibility, claws that allow for easy climbing, and enhanced night vision. He is also ambidextrous. His constitution is higher than average for his species, due in no small part to being raised by Dwarves and their lax stance on alcohol. He was trained to play to his strengths, being weaker but more agile than the Dwarves, coming up with an aggressive style that aims to keep opponents off balance. As a treasure hunter, he has a wide knowledge of history, able to identify the purpose and the builder of most ruins he enters. He also has a vast knowledge of magic, born out of necessity considering the sheer amount of magical bullshit he finds himself encountering in his profession. Initially he had some training as a Priest of Rava, but with his decision to become a treasure hunter he moved into learning more generically useful magic. He has a series of spells he can cast, along with a few rituals. His magical heart is about 70% the size of his heart, with the artificial one he has being about 33%. Combined, he has enough power to be considered a magus, but he lacks the training of others with a naturally larger heart.
List of Spells: -Spare the Dying A spell designed to stabilise a wounded person. It won't cure the wounds, but will prevent death by bleeding out. -Legerdemain Summons a green spectral hand that can turn invisible, work lockpicks, and lift up to 10lbs. -Chill Touch A borderline necromancy spell. Creates a ghostly hand that drains vitality, dealing damage and preventing healing on the target temporarily. -Prestidigitation This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical Effects. • You create an Instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odour. • You instantaneously light or snuff out a Candle, a torch, or a small campfire. • You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot. • You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour. • You make a colour, a small mark, or a Symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.
[The Following are more Energy Intensive and can only be used a few times a day]
-Cure Wounds Imbuing holy magic into a person, the caster enhances the users healing ability, allowing them to more quickly recover from injuries. This magic does deal damage against creatures who are unholy, such as undead. -Feather Fall The Caster causes up to 5 targets to slow their descent to a quarter of their speed and acceleration. -Shadow Blade The user forms a blade out of darkness. This weapon deals more damage than a regular weapon.
List of Rituals -Identify Takes ten minutes to complete. When used on a magical item, it can reveal what it can do. -Detect Magic Takes ten minutes to complete. Creates a magical pulse that heads out 300 meters. For an hour, any magical items and spells within the range are revealed to the caster. -Find Familiar Takes an Hour to complete. Binds either an elemental or a demon into the form of an animal that is bound into the service of the caster. The user can telepathically communicate with the familiar while it is within 100ft and can share it's senses.
Other: Edgar: Jack's familiar, a minor demon trapped into the form of a raven. Practically indistinguishable from a normal raven save for the fact that instead of cawing it goes "SOULS".
GubGar