xenon

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zapdos@Zool

I've seen this before. The Druid. I know your game.

Zigmund summoned not just a water blade but dual blades of water that turned into steel. With his full power, water-absorbant roots would not be enough.

What!?

And yet as he cut them, he still felt pain. Water blades upgrade-transformed to steel and yet the roots could still absorb his life force. This Druid attack was 3x more powerful than last time. No... 5x more powerful! But it was a mere bit of pain and his blades cut away any root that tried to entangle him, before jumping up, backwards and out of the root growth.

And then in mid air... before he could even land... he was forced to- CLASH! -block.

The Ranger. Fast. Faster than before. Her dagger presses my blade. Not so easily brushed away as before. How is she so strong?

Zigmund and MacKensie were practicly stuck together as gravity brought them to the ground. His head tilted sharply to one side to dodge her close-range shot. And when they landed, Zigmund put more effort in to break her pressure and shove her dagger aside.

Then, in a split-target combination, he attempted to stab her with his 2nd of his dual blades, skipped backward, then turned and hurled one blade at the Druid.

It's been a week. How are they so much stronger?

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009@Dark Cloud

After freeing the Temple of Hades from the grasp of the Drath'tuthan, the Greater Wraith, the combined efforts of each party members' ways and means of dealing with the former cult members brought a considerable sense of hope and relief. James Sirius' announcement was powerful, smart enough to use the high religiosity of Mytherians to get across important points. Adam Phillips' willingness to try to understand how people were feeling, in spite of their atrocities, came across genuinely to the guilty. Fenna Postma's kindness and reassurances, in spite of her tiredness, was felt and appreciated. The one man Zell had bothered to give a stern approach to, was suprsingly empowered.

Most of the former cult members chose not to stay, and left in the night to go home, sticking to the roads and large groups for safety. A quiet had fallen on the temple by a time shortly after midnight, leaving a decent amount of hours for sleep.

But it was not a full sleep, and therefore Second Chance would only regain 70% of their health, and any injuries would heal well, but would not FULLY heal without visiting a hospital that had departments specializing in Source Crystal technology, such as Valhiem's hospital.

Also, any spells that would usually recover each day, would only replenish by +1. However, any gains from the recent Ascension would be fully available.

......................................

___________________________________________________________________

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In the early hours of the morning, just before sunrise...

Zigmund Mugba-Zarak: Elite scout unit of General Saladin's Forces, was stood at the bottom of Temple Hill.

His visor, much like the rest of his armour, was a steel-alloy mix of foriegn technology and Dark Domain Source. Through it, he scanned for Source Crystal users in the area. As he looked up to the summit Temple Hill, there he saw someone looking back.

"The Ranger," he said to himself.

There were two Rangers, he remembered, but while one managed to pester him like an unswattable fly, that was not this one. This was the weakling he had dealt with effortlessly, even almost managing to kill her at one point, if not for the chaos of the battlefield inside The Mazy Hillocks. He'd made a terrible error to confront them in such unpredicatable terrain. But this time would be different.

"I'm coming."

He flew like the wind, needing no steps or steady inclines. Up the hill he went in the virtually straight line, powerful strides, leaps and sprinting. But it wasn't the smallest hill. It took a little time to scale Temple Hill, but once at the top, it was quiet and clear. No distractions. Nowhere to run. Nothing would save them this time.

"Once a party of 9," he recollected to onlookers as he stood, feet apart, arms open in mockery, welcoming an attack. "There are less of you now. And the wizard girl will sadly not be joining you again either. We had an intimate chat on the roads outside Valhiem." Lillianna, presumed dead. At the very least, left to die in a ditch. "I had a lot of fun with her. A shame that her fragile wizard body could not last longer."

Oh how Zigmund would savor this revenge. His ego had been bruised so badly in The Mazy Hillocks. Aurok the Maneater had ruined everything. And he made Lillianna pay dearly. But his pound of flesh would be taken from them all.

"I saw how you survived Aurok. One of you gave your lives. I seem to remember snapping the neck of one of you too. Hmmm... consider those weaklings the lucky ones. Back then...? I was at less than half of my real strength."

"NOW WITNESS THE TRUE POWER OF ZIGMUND MUGBA-ZARAK!"

Within seconds, water droplets formed in the air, making a circle arcing over his head and touching the ground. The droplets grew massive, then transformed into various weapons: Swords, axes, javelins, halberds... all kinds. Then they became water droplets again and flew back into Zigmund's body.

"This is where you all die."

He rushed forward, jumped into the air and summoned a massive battleaxe in the air - first water before turning to solid steel. It was the size of Valhiem's biggest statues.

The attack was unblockable and targeted MacKensie Trydant and anyone within five feet of her. The steel battleaxe came crashing down smashing not just the ground but destroying the temple entrance too. The attack was completely unblockable.

A direct hit to MacKensie and ANYONE within five feet of her would deal incredible damage. Those who managed to dodge would still feel the pain of the explosion of earth and stone that happened from the impact.

As Zigmund landed, he got ready to attack his next target............................

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

UPDATES TO LORE TAB

Due to @Loksfjoer, we now have a whole section under Magic detailing the industry of the creation of magic items. So if you want to know just how your future non-ascension, non-sidequest powerboosts are made, it's all on the Lore Tab. Maybe shoot a little thanks to our friend, who already does such great work on RPGuild with her site-wide Writer/Poetry Competitions!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the list of Valhiem's important NPCs list is growing as our players send in the extra information I needed. I'll also be finding pictures and creating space for important NPCs created by former group members, so their contributions are not lost, and those players can live on in our RP through our use of their shops.

(I know UPDATES would normally be in the Group PMs but I was already here so sue me!)

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009@Dark Cloud

Reginald De Wran, Valhiem's Director of Advanced Magical Development, stood with his hands behind his back upon the hilltop, looking with his perpetually stern gaze onto the epic scene of the city of Valhiem. A city that had been advanced on by a gargantuan military army of The Witch Queen. Such a monumental force of evil. Such numbers. And yet they had set upon the city with very little notice.

It was as The Academy had predicted: The Witch Queen would learn that The WellSprings were malfunctioning and that teleportation between cities was not available. All reinforcements had gone north of the Fortress of Fornost; the most tactically key location that seperated East from West. Any call for aid would likely be met with too late a reply. Doom was lurking for one of Mytheria's most central economic hubs. And the army that had come to Valhiem was clearly not to imprison the city. It had come to wipe it off the map.

She's played her hand well, Reginald thought with disdain. He did not let fear cloud his thoughts. Nor did he let it cloud his concetration on his current task.

"Director Reginald, sir," came a voice of one of his advisors. The gnome, Reginald, had a presence so much more powerful and larger than his actual body. He did not turn from his pose. His advisor would know he was listening. "Every soldier and scout we have sent into The Mazy Hillocks has not returned. We have even lost contact with, the adventurer party, The Flail."

"Useless," Reginald spat. "All of the powerful adventurer parties have been sent north to Fornost, leaving Valhiem full of the Gold and Silver Tier riff-raff. Good help is so hard to find."

"We cannot afford any more losses here, or our academics will be left without a bodyguard."

Now Reginald turned from his hilltop view of Valhiem, noting with grim displeasure as Lizard Cavalry Units of the enemy were riding around the city outskirts to surround the place and make sure that any evacuation of the Valhiem citzenry would not go unpunished. His ice cold gaze fell onto his subordinate. It seemed that they would not find the corpse of the adventurer known as Arthur Baker. Well, at least they had located the other.

"Very well," Reginald ordered sternly. Then looked to the wizard contingent he'd brought along on the expedition. "Lay out the corpse of Clive Michel. We will begin immediately."

It was about this time that one of the wizards was courageous enough to stammer his concerns about what they were about to do.

"Director. Are you sure about this? Ressurection is highly illegal without expception. Punishable by death," he explained. Not that anyone here needed that explaining to them. Much of the Dark Domain Source Spells were illegal or highly regulated. But this was Dark Domain Galactic-Tier Ritual Sorcery. A giant no-no. "We are committing the highest of crimes by going through with this."

The President of the Academy and The High Septum, Areleth, had used their security classification to employ the Code Readers to look into the Wellsprings and figure out who, what, where and how Second Chance had appeared in this universe, and where their path had taken them. It had become their theory that these people who claimed they were from another world had something to do with some kind of drastic measures taken in Capitol City - some kind of top-secret plan that invoked Universal-Tier Ritual magic only written about in the oldest tomes from The Mythic Age. But something must have gone wrong.

And with that theory, and no way to confirm it, due to the Wellsprings limiting communication around Mytheria, Valhiem's top brass had no choice but to take matters into their own hands. Clarissa Shields, Director of Reasearch and Technology would continue to study the mysterious cube that Second Chance had brought to her, and desperately hope to figure it out enough that it might help them in the Witch Queen's coming seige. Reginald, Director of Advanced Magic Development, would try to recover the 'damaged goods.'

But he would not explain himself to a subordinate.

"You are not paid to think or ask questions, Melery." Reginald turned to the other wizards. "Have the spells been prepped and charged?"

"Yes sir," was the answer in unison from all four of the best wizards in his department.

"Then let us begin."

And so, spaced out around the exhumed corpse of Clive Michel, Hero from the Sky... Five wizards, Five for the Quinity, Five to represent the Domains except Dark. Dark would be represented by the corpse. Dark Domain Source would be the conduit for everything.

The ritual began. There was no going back. Without a pardon from the Emperor himself, they would all be trailed and executed for this abominable crime of defying the cycle of Life and Death, defying The Quinity. Defying Source itself.

And Clive Michel would awaken.

@Saiyan@Zapdos

Somewhere miles and miles north of Valhiem, the Diamond Tier famous party, True Grade had set up camp. Chatting, cooking, preparing magical trip wires around the camp so that there would be no need for a watch and all could sleep well.

"So this loudmouth is stood on a table, actually taking credit for killing Aurok the Maneater." The deep voice of Braxus represented his 6'6" massive frame of hulking muscle. "And there are others in the tavern actually confirming his tall tale, saying that the Source Code spoke it true, and they got the reward from the Guild."

"Must've been pretty powerful. I wonder why his party isn't being sent to the frontlines. Maybe it was some low-Platinum party that just got lucky. What did you make of him, Braxxus?"

"I cast identify and I swear, I've seen stronger Vodka's made with pisswater."

Everyone chuckled. Glee John Artorius, the party Druid did too. He was one busy cooking. He was also one of the more thoughtful and less ego-driven in his party. And this didn't add up. Just like someone else, he'd met in Valhiem, who didn't add up either. Adam Phillips, he remembered. How could he forget? It wasn't everyday you bumped into a unatural prodigy who was so unbelievabley talented, it made one question the laws of the universe. "Hey, Braxxus?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you get the name?"

"Umm... yeah. Punk always introduced himself as 'Zell Brooks - tell your friends.'"

Wesphalia laugh was musical. "I kinda like him. Sounds like an asshole," she commented.

"Yeah, that's your type," Glee jeered at his friend. Then back to Braxxus. "But I was talking about the name of the party he was with."

"Oh... ummm... oh yeah - Second Chance."

Glee dropped the ladle into the pot and looked at Braxus. "Really?"

"Why, you know them?"

Glee recovered from his sense of surprise and continued to cook. "Well, gather around children, it's storytime with your favourite Druid."

_____________________________

The legend of Second Chance was just beginning. The heights such a legend would go, had yet to be determined. But considering that Diamond Tier parties - the strongest adventurers in Mytheria - were now telling campfire stories about them... it was clear that Second Chance were something truly special.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

"Post-Cut Clarity." ... ... ...

Feel better soon, brother!

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@TeyaoLooking at the original list of blessings you came up with for all the gods, I am trying to figure out which blessing James got when you rolled the dice. Some of them are so wild! You have me intrigued, sir

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zapdos

George was contrite and extremely nervous as he faced Adam. It was maybe that he simply took Adam's awkwardness for some kind of disdain. Or maybe he was just projecting his own self-hatred onto the righteous man who stood strong in front of him. He played with one end of his mustache and kept his gaze lowered for the most part.

“I believe this is yours. You had it when we, uh, met earlier.”

"Ah, uh, yes," he bumbled, then thought of a better idea. "Why don't you keep it, Druid," he said instead. "A gift from me. For freeing us of this nightmare we've been trapped in. For dispelling the darkness that plagued our homes."

He reached out with both hands. One closed Adam's fist around the wand, then the other placed itself on Adam's fist. He bowed his head with gratitude. "The wand is tied to the Air Domain, so it would be best with one of your companions who have an affinity to it. But even if none of you do, I'm sure you can get some use out of it. Or perhaps even sell it for a good price in the city."

George bid Adam farewell and started the journey back to the town of Chelis, a couple of miles north of Temple Hill. Facing Adam was hard enough, but facing his hometown after the things he'd done... the crimes he'd committed... would be the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life.

The wand was expensive and advanced in magical production. Unfortauntely there were none in Second Chance that could explore the various spells that it's maximum potential could produce. However:

Anyone using the wand could at least cast a high-powered Wind Blast which would fire a narrow cone high pressure to knock opponents off their feet. In combination with environments such as spikes or cliff edges, it would yield even better results in combat.

With a small amount of study under a competent teacher, or excessive training, even someone without a Source Crystal might be able to charge the air and create some kind of electrical spell.

Again, without affinity in the Source Domain of Air, the amount of spell charges a person could hope to get out of the wand before it needed recharging would be maybe 10-15. After that, a specialist would be needed to be sought out to 'refill' the wand.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009

Each of them would feel the hum of their Source Crystal - The Gift - as it called out to the very fabric of existence. The lifeforce of their enemies faded. George's ambush squad outside. The fight in the library. The battle with Drath'tuthan. Lifeforces aplenty and two so powerful.

Once again, their crystals overflowed, reaching the limit of their current level, and shone purple to signify:

Ascension - With the exception of Barracker, the adventurers had ascended to a new level of strength. Their class-specific attacks would be innately, significantly more powerful. Their bodies could handle more damage, and their resistance to slashing, peircing, crushing or elemental injuries was considerabley higher too. Their current abilities would grow, new capabilities would be born, and a higher capacity to learn more powerful things was apparent.

Ascension - The true power and realisation of The Gift of the Source Crystals.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009

Drath'tuthan

In Capitol City's Colosseum, where many duelists take part in one-on-one combat for fame and fortune, there is a well-known saying:

"An opponent is most vulnerable right before they are delivering the winning blow."

-The first adventurer to say this is up for debate

No saying in all of Mytherian history was perhaps more apt than this one, at this time, in the ritual chamber of the Temple of Hades. Seconds before the powerful spell BoneWracker was cast, a hail of weaponry bathed in the light of holy fire was launched upward. Drath'tuthan could not move or do anything to stop the attacks. Perhaps it thought that it had the constitution and toughness to take a few hits, in this moment. It would be logical. It only needed a few more seconds to deliver a table-turning irrecoverable blow to the adventurers. Surely a moment of vulnerablity was worth it? However, the burst-damage of so many heavy-duty primary weapons powered up with Holy Fire, the ultimate weakness of Hellish entities... the Greater Wraith did not anticipate such a wave of power.

First came the Enchanted Spear from another world. Connected to the soul of the wielder, it's power both in level and consistency was a reflection of the woman's background, her personality and her inner strength. When it struck Drath'tuthan, the wraith flinched and balked. The holy fire burned.

Second was the sword possessed by a core aspect of The Devil, Baphomet. This power was very familiar to Drath'tuthan. It tasted of Oblivion Plane. And Devils were of the highest rank and status in that dimension. The sword landed and Drath'tuthan twisted in agony.

Third came a simple dagger, thrown with such accuracy that it bullseye'd right into the open wound that the first two weapons created. Coated with magic, it was enough to add to the pain and damage.

Fourth and Fifth landed at the same time. The Claymore launched last but due to distance and power, hit in sync with the Anchor. Frost and Fire, blessed by divine power. Undaya, Hades and Iris forming a trinity of power growing beyond the sum of it's parts. This final blow was simply too much for Drath'tuthan. The Greater Wraith would not get to see it's powerful spell realised.

The screech of the Greater Wraith as it died was not like the Lesser ones. The noise was deeper, louder and so distorted, that the thin cosmic fabric that seperated dimensions was twisted, enough that the world around Second Chance briefly flickered between a ritual chamber in Mytheria to a barren wasteland in Hell. It did not last long though. The final moment of the Greater Wraith's life ended with an explosion of non-destructive energy that rippled out past the walls of the ritual chamber and covered the summit of Temple Hill. The sphere of influence was destroyed along with Drath'tuthan.

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009

There was a small silence after the explosion, but that silence was quickly filled as cultists in the corridor became not cultists but regular people. Village folk and townsfolk from all around Northern Central Mytheria.

"It can't be!"

"What have I done!?"

Screams, shouts of denial, crying and horror as so many innocent people were hit by the unbrainwashed realisation of everything they'd done.

"I'm a monster!"

And more.

It was terrible. Deeply saddening. So much death, destruction. And so many former cultists who would have to live with the trauma of their actions. Generations of the populace tormented. Some villages crippled. Such was the destruction that just one single entity from the Oblivion Plane could unleash. Just one single, regular, weakling from Hell where walked titans of pure evil.

Jon Gringot, The Listener

Burned by light beams from the Cleric that had outsmarted him. Hammered by the robust oak trunks of the Druid that stood in the distance. Jon Gringot was defeated before his master, but the nature of his zombie-like body gave him enough time alive to see the mess he'd made. Just his head and part of his spine being in tact was enough for his consciousness to remain and be unbrainwashed.

His life flashed before his eyes.

A life of dedication. Philanthropic and charitable deeds. A life given to the service of the people. What a reputation he'd built. Loved and respected by all. Trusted by all. There was not a single household that wouldn't leave their door unlocked for Jon Gringot. He'd been there for so many of them. Worked tirelessly to keep the fabric and threads of communities strong. Kept ties to the big cities in the region, maintaining a flow of govermental infrastructure and amenities to the lesser known parts of the continent. Roads, schools, hospitals, law enforcement... Jon Gringot made sure every life in towns and villages was as comfortable as a life in the city. On top of that he still found time to serve Hades and give sermons to the people.

And he'd ruined it all with a single moment of weakness. After having his will ground to dust, he gave in to whispers from the dark.

Tears fell from his eyes as he lost consciousness and passed away. What afterlife awaited was anybody's guess.

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009

All threats were diminshed. Master and Listener were dead. The cult was no more. Second Chance had completed their task.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009

Jon Gringot, The Listener

Jon could not help but be furious.

His esteemed Lord Drath'tuthan would have launched the BoneWracker spell by now had it not been for that blasted Cleric at the back, delaying the process with a puny Counterspell. James must have known that he couldn't have hoped to interupt The Master's charging but he was smart enough to buy extra time, and what little of it was bought was threatening everything the cult had worked for.

And speaking of; that very blasted Cleric would be easily out of the picture right now if it wasn't for that meddling Druid. No Druid should have been so powerful, cut off from the very earth and green that fuelled them. But this oddly dressed one had managed to smuggle entire trees into the temple with him.

Where was everyone? Could they not hear the alarm? Why had only the sentries answered the call? The reason had become clear far too late. The entrance was barricaded. The tall one. With the smart mouth. Damn him. Now Lord Drath'tuthan and The Listener would have to concede that they were vulnerable.

The Listener held his head once more as Drath'tuthan screeched in pain. One of the pests had broken through! The one with the spear. But Jon was sure he'd seen her go down. Why were these wraiths not doing their jobs? She should be dead. And they should all be dead to BoneWracker now. How was this happening!?

Drath'tuthan

The Greater Wraith's body had a dimensional tear through it, where Fenna's spear tip had risen with burning, peircing and slashing damage. In retaliation, Drath'tuthan drew a sword from invisibility, pulling it out of thin air. A massive laser-blue, smoking greatsword. Then it swung a wide and low blow at the woman, aiming to cut her in half for her insolence.

Then he lifted the sword in the air and used it like a wizard's staff to summon 6 more wraiths all around him for protection. Each ghost moved quickly and aggressively, matching the anger (and maybe the fear?) of their master.

When all of Second Chance's weapons erupted with holy fire, there was no question that both Lord and Listener felt fear. Drath'tuthan was so close to finishing BoneWracker, which would most certainly turn the tide back in their favour. So distracted by the holy fire was he, that he barely acknowledged MacKensie flying overhead. In a bid to gain more time, the Greater Wraith levitated high, up to the ceiling, where he could hopefully be out of reach for long enough to have his revenge.

@Zool@Loksfjoer@Saiyan@Teyao@Zapdos@Jay009

When MacKensie destroyed the phylactery, Jon Gringot clutched his chest where his heart had once been. A picture of agony, he writhed and then fell to the floor, convulsing and coughing black blood. He did not die, but he had weakened considerably. He struggled to his hands and knees.

"Arrgh!" Jon was struck by James' first light beam, in the arm, causing him to fall flat once again. The necromancer managed to turn onto his side and cast a ward to block the remaining light beams.

The expert swordsman and the spearman were not doing exceptionally well against Zell and Sil, but were at least handling themselves well enough to survive, now reinforced by the 6 Wraiths.

At the entrance to the ritual chamber, the barricade started shaking as cultists tried to ram their way in. A piece of door was blasted off, leaving a hole near the top of the entrance, letting in the shouts of cultists and showing their moving shadows in the corridor. They would not be held off for long.

And at the ceiling, the loud magical buzz and crackle of the charging Bonewracker began to grow even louder than the temple alarm as the spell became less than thirty seconds away from activating............................