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1 day ago
Current Trailer for MonHun Wilds shows the Player Character speaking and having a personality. It's gonna SUCK.
1 like
3 days ago
Using "before:2023" or "-AI" usually removes them from my Google searches. Don't know if other engines like Bing have any other ways to filter them out.
3 likes
5 days ago
GM Tip: A "puzzle" isn't always a locked door or pushing blocks. For example: PCs hunt a monster, it leaps over a ravine w/ no bridge. How do they get across? Describe hints for their options!
6 days ago
Roses are Red / Weapons against me won't prosper / With this Sacred Treasure I summon / BIG RAGA, THE OPP STOPPAH
7 days ago
GM Tip: Villains w/ "good intent" are all the rage now. But they CANNOT be right. Have them share traits w/ your Players, taken too far. They could've been the hero, if not for...? Too far gone now.
3 likes

Bio

On CST time, United States. Typically busy most of the week and do most posting/replying on weekends.

Most Recent Posts

@Product
Rather than calling people out in the topics, I'd suggest using the PM function. Just be straight up with them, not rude but don't dance around it or be passive like "We'd all REALLY like it if you came back" or whatever. In the few times I've been a GM people seem to respond well to that method and it saves them the embarrassment of having to come into a topic and sign out.
D R I F T E R

Down the Well, Into the Storm



Sure enough, as wind whistled past his ears, he realized he was falling too far and too fast. The drifter grimaced. He sucked in a deep breath, the cold air rushing up his nose, then thrust out with both feet. Being flexible was important for any kind of athlete. Warriors, too, but one didn't really need to be able to do the splits in order to absorb blows through plates of armor. The drifter, however, was not the usual type of warrior. He wasn't a gymnast, nor a contortionist, but he could certainly do the splits.

He still clenched his teeth and screwed one eye shut as the weight of his fall continued to drag him down the slippery walls of the well, his boots grinding against the stones on either side. With a pose that would have made Jean Claude Van Deku (a famous stage performer) proud, the drifter came to a stop with his groin just inches from the water.

"Oof!" He breathed out, and pushed now with his arms against the walls so that he could--very slowly--bring his legs back underneath him, and then lower himself to the water. It wasn't that deep, but he still had to wade through it onto the stone pathway, and did so like a man who has just ridden a horse for the first time, and for several hours at a stretch. That is to say, bowlegged, hunched, and considerably sore.

But when he saw the blood, he stood straight as a post. One hand tightening its grip on his closed umbrella, he slowly approached the crumpled figure. The man wore the armor and colors of the Castle Guard. The torch was fresh--had this man placed it there before he fell? Had he been coming down here to get something...or to get away from something?

Queen Zelda has gone into labor, and is in danger. She fears her husband. Friends await me at the bottom of the well...

Could this be the friend? But Zelda has used the plural. Had this man come down here to wait for him, then been butchered? Had he been wounded beforehand, but still struggled to meet those called by his Queen? Too many questions. The Drifter needed only a few answers.

He knelt next to the wounded man. It was just as dangerous to move someone this badly injured as it was to try and treat them without the proper tools. As much as he hated to let life slip away, Drifter did the only thing he could. He grabbed the man's hand in his own and held it firmly.

"Hear me first, Friend." the swordsman said in a low voice, looking towards the locked door at the end of the passage for a moment before he turned back to the guard. "By Queen Zelda, for an unborn heir, I am here." Speaking too much, asking too much, would aggravate the man's wounds. Queen Zelda had called him here. She wanted him to do something for her coming child. The King was not to be trusted, therefore an enemy. Therefore those he commanded, those loyal to him, could also be enemies. So the only answer the Drifter needed...

"To whom shall I entrust the child?" Who could he trust? Where did Zelda want him to take the baby, if anywhere--and if he wasn't supposed to take the child anywhere, who, at the least, could he trust as a fellow ally? Therefore, not just whom could he trust, but whom could he trust with the child, or to give him further information, if Zelda did not make it through her labors as she feared. This way, the Guard need say only one thing, and all their energy could be put into surviving this grave wound--though that, too, seemed too great a labor. But the drifter needed only one answer. A name.

He continued to hold the man's hand, and looked him in the eyes. At the least, the man would not die alone and forgotten.
@Product
Still present, will be working on a post now if that's not going to be a problem with anyone else.
@ghastlyInc
Accepted!
Ah, drugs and alcohol, the perfect past time for those with no real ambition! Why conquer worlds, unearth new knowledge, be a hero, or raise a family when there's that sweet sweet pleasure rush just waiting for you? At least you were the one dealing and not the one downing the drinks.

Ha, the drinks downed you. Haha.

Skill Gain: Barter I
Like other charismatic skills, your personality is almost a magical charm of its own. You are better able to convince merchants and customers of your own to buy and sell at rates beneficial to you.
The Demon King


Xiao Mei, Asteria, Edward, Lorek, Danny

Exploring Near Crystals and Cave Walls
@SilverPaw@Jobst@Bishop@Searat@Duthguy


As the two female rats finished off their meal, before they left the lizard nest their Mother finally seemed to shake off the result of the mother lizard's poison. She too joined in the feast, quickly slurping up the contents of several eggs with gusto. With their bellies sated and their mother safe, the rats departed to explore the rest of the cave. Watching them curiously, nose twitching, their mother followed a few paces behind. She seemed to be observing them, and let them lead the way without interference, though she kept an eye out for danger.

You now have an Ally! Mother Rat has joined your party!
System:XiaoMei_Asteria


They soon came across Edward, though they didn't yet know his name, staring intently at the Mana Crystals on the wall. As the male rat watched the Crystals, he couldn't really divine anything about them aside from the fact that they didn't seem to be any kind of metal or mineral that he knew of, and they glowed all on their own for some reason. But as three of his own kind approached him--possibly his own relatives--he would find their scents in his nose and what little sound they made on their tiny paws in his ears. Who were they, and what did they want?

And that same question would likely apply to and for the two Wisps that came floating closer to the group of rats. As Lorek looked for crystals that the Goblins or other monsters hadn't already taken, he came upon the same cluster that Edward was staring at. He arrived at around the same time as the rats did, but he was floating a couple of feet above them and nearer to the wall. The Dire Rats might not end up being a threat to him, and if he knew that they didn't have any magic of their own he might realize that they probably wouldn't care if he took or used the crystals. Meanwhile, however, Danny was floating along the same rock face, looking for a crack in the wall where he could take shelter away from the reach of most other monsters. He would soon see the odd, black-tinted Wisp coming from the other direction, as well as the four Dire Rats down below, one of whom was a fair bit bigger than the others.

[[If you're interacting with each other, you don't have to wait for my updates to post as long as it doesn't get spammy. Collab if you'd like, or if you're not interested at all just react as necessary and tell me what other actions you'd like to take in a post.]]


Asura

Unknown Location [[Possibly near Mourningstar, Digbie, Oberon, and Orochi? Or Rain and Jason?]]
@Kazemitsu
Skill Gain: Magic Resistance I!
Magic damage from lower level spells is reduced, regardless of its element. Whenever you gain Elemental Resistances, their threshold will be used first before Magic Resistance is activated. Obtaining at least one level of all Elemental Resistances will cause Skill Synergy and automatically increase Magic Resistance by one rank.

Į̨ͯͯͪ͗͟͏̩̙̺͓̗͇̭͔͙͎̞͉̭͎̻̰͈Ņ̨̩͓̟͍͖̰̜̣̻̲͈͎̭̏͊̃̇̽̉̈̐ͮ̿ͣ̅ͮ̊̊͡V̴̶̘̫̦̠̥̗̠̓͗ͫ̏ͥ̏ͮ̓̊ͥ̀̉ͪͦ͘͞A̢̨̫͕̪̲̒ͪ͐̒̎ͣ͋̐ͤ͞͞L̶̶̘̙̞̠͇͍̹̬̗̱̫̭̘͊̏̍͋͑̅͋͆̈͊͐̏͋̆I͚̫̻͔̜̙̫̰̖̬̍̇̆ͯ͆̆̌̈̄͊ͭ̑͌̓ͯͭ̀̀̚̚D̛̬̼̘̦̞̟͍̭̻̰̮̰̹̦̪̝ͯ̔ͬ̔ͯͬ̇ͦ́̓ͨ́͞͝͞ ̸̎ͫ̈́͆̉̐͐͒ͤ̅̄ͯ̓ͣͤ̍̓͌̚҉̜̗̥̞̫̞̪̪̳̭̲Ć̸̡̨̨͖͈̯̞̝̮̱̹̪̲͎ͩ̆ͯ̋͊͗̂ͫ̃̓̓̔̈͟O̵̟̘̩̖͎͓͉̩̭̯̪̤̺̞̬ͯͣ͗͗̕M̅̒ͣ͒̈́̒ͮ̐҉̭͉͔̗͖̬͙̪̖͝M̡̡͓̞̱̲̻̠̜̖̫̹͇̤͉͗͌ͬ̄̇ͫ̐͑̅͆͌̌̈́͜ͅͅA̷̧̼̯̰ͫ͋ͤ̓ͮ͋̒̂ͮ́̕ͅN̷͎̦͈̙͔̳͚̮̗̥̘͚̩̙̼͒͂̂̌ͬ̒̏̂̽͊̾̉͗́͡D̢̡͕̫̭̼̱̱̄̾ͩ̒̉͞
System:Asura


As Asura attempted to call up some sort of menu like he had seen in his games, a sudden screeching like static on a TV turned up too loud combined with feedback on a microphone combined with dial-up internet, and a rippling pain throughout Asura’s entire being, or “mind,” considering he didn’t have a separate head or brain.

Consuming the two Healing Herbs helped him feel better, but from the dull pains all over his membrane he could tell he wasn’t at Full HP yet either. And that Pierce Resistance Skill hadn’t popped up either, despite being at a full rank instead of a decimal...


Jason, Rain

The Hole in the Wall


Just as Rain was getting comfy in her hiding spot and thought she might start to rest for the night, a strange series of sounds came to her as muffled noises and slight vibrations through the wall. Was that the same slime she had helped earlier, digging away again towards whatever it was he had found?

Indeed it was. As Jason continued his efforts, a sudden notice interrupted him.

You have learned a new Skill!

Skill Gain: Tremor Sense I
You can feel vibrations through the earth within a 30 foot radius or so around you, whether they be footsteps, tunneling creatures, etc. You have already learned through your previous experimentation that you can also produce these vibrations to a very limited degree.
System:Jason


And just like that, he suddenly had a more complete picture of his surroundings. As in monochrome he saw the vibration traveling outward from his body, and when it entered the solid black earth, distinct shapes and lines and layers became shades of gray...and then, he saw it. An open chamber in the rock, evidenced by all the gray around it and then nothing but solid black in a roughly circular shape. With this information his digging became more efficient, now that he knew where to go.

He suddenly broke through the last bit of dirt, showering himself in dust and soil, and found himself facing something brand new.

On this side of the chamber, he could see that blue veins of something--like the Mana Crystals, but a bit smoother, as if it were some sort of actual ore rather than just the crystalline clusters--ran across the rocks in chaotic, vein-like circuits. And where they converged, a crystal roughly two or three times the size of a normal Mana Crystal sprouted from the earth. It looked harder, too, more stable, with many facets like a cut gemstone. It also seemed...deeper. It was only about a foot or so in diameter, but when you looked through one of its many surfaces it seemed like you were looking into a deep tank of water, growing darker and darker until it became pitch black. Also, unlike the mana crystals, this one was a deep emerald green.

But there was one more thing Jason saw as he looked through the crystal. The rocks on the other side, of course.

MATTER. SOLID. MINERAL. ROCK. STONE. IGNEOUS. GRANITE. LAYER. WALL. EARTH.

Č͌ͯͩRͨ̉̊ͮ̂̑̿͏͉͕̺̺̩Ů̹͚̠͕̀S͕̠͇ͅṮ̺̼͚̻̪̘͂ͣ̑̊̉.̷͐͐́̌̄ ͫͨ̾̃ M̨̻̰̦͉̲ͪ̈́̅̉̋À͍͊Ñ̨̤̜̘͎̖͔̖͕̇͋T̴͓̲̑̌̍̓̃̆̾̋L̢̫̰̝̬̖̗̪̼̓ͬ̀E̛͕͚̒͊͢͝.̜͖̹͚̳͍ͯͬ͐̎̌ ̛̈́҉͏̮̙͉̤̺T̡̗̮̿͑̂̏͢Ė̹̭̭̾͌̊ͣ̀̕͢C̟̤̟̻͈̠̎̉͝T̩̥̆̎ͩ̅ͥ̍͐͒͟O̸͎̟͉̯̫ͣ͆͋͝N̶̖̠̗̬̤̥͙̩̓ͭ̆͊͂́͟I̶͂͒̐ͩ͆͝͏̩̩͇͔C̦̪͖̼̪ͫ̍̏͑ͧ̍͜ ̷̧̬̻̞̬̦̣̲͛̈́͛̋̈̚͝P̵̷̨͙̫͎̀͗ͅĻ͍̭̿ͮA̱̯̫̼͔ͨ̏ͯ̕T͎͓̻͔̯̺̼̻̈ͥ̔ͨ̌̄ͥͮ͘E̡̞̪̪̳̾̿̌ͤ̈́ͬ́́.̶̬̖̟̫̻͖̞͔̉͛͆ͮͥͪ̀ͅ

̢̡̤͚̻̪̗̜̪͎̿͐̎ͪ̕ Cͣ̓́͆̂ͣ̈́̆̇̂̈́͒̕҉̴̡̰̻͚̦͚̝͈̤̣Ơ̶̢͇͎̜͎͚̐ͬͪͩͬ̑̀͋ͫͦ̇̿̃̏̈́ͪͥN̴̞͇̙͓̩̱͇͍̰̳̣̻̲ͣͫ̀͋͟͜Ţ̞̺͇̰̗̝̯ͫ̎͌̅̓̀͢I̤̫̖͔̼͚̗͙̥̞̫͉̞ͬ̃͐͗ͧͪͨ̂̿ͫ͗͢͠Ņ̨̲͓̰̬͎̠̯͔̰̤͈̯̒ͦ̒ͣ͂ͣ̀͜Ë̷̸̢̹͖̫̰̦̳͎̫̞͈͇́̍̀̐͂̆́͝N̒̇̄̏̉̂ͮ̇͏̸̴̢͓̬̝̪̳͢T̛͎̞̗̖͚̩͎̙̪̳̙ͥͩ͛ͤͥ̆ͨͫ͒̐͋̍͂̓͗ͨ͆͠ͅ.̂̋ͥ̍̂ͣͦ̋͡͏̵̨̼͓͕̝̯̠͓͇̠̹̣ ̴̠̫̜͖̺͍̳̥̲̘̾̏͋̓̏͒̈̀͠W̸̝̗̠͖̗̗̞̮̪̹̞͓̱̭̠̣͒̌ͨO͎̝̗͕̪̭̗̘̬̘̗̱͔͑ͯ̿̊̀̎̑̽̉̾̑͌̌́̚͡͞R̡̢̥̬̼̮̬̳̯͙̤̜ͤͣ͌͑ͥ͝L̢̢̦̥͔̗̯͍̿́̎͊̾̕͢D̢̡̨̖̻̼̗͕͒̏̀̔͆ͣ̂̍̊̃̒̊͑͗̂.̨̧̂͗̅͋̽̓ͤ̓͗́̓̄ͮ̊ͯ͏̡͏̟͙̰̠̝̳͔̠̤̗̟͕̤̤̦̖̦̘ ̸̵̦̯̫̲͉̖̽̄̽̇̊̑͛͛ͬͯͪ̀ͬ͗̀́͝P̸̴̧̢̜̻̤̻̬̳̭͚͚̦̖̟̠̲̪ͦͫͯ̐̾͊̉ͦ͗͝Ļ̶͓̙̬̗͈̙̣͋ͭ̈́ͣ̽ͫ̔̂ͨͣ̋ͬ͂͐͜͢A̸̸͎̠͈̰̭̅̆͊ͮ̔ͯ̔̊͆̓̿ͮ̇͂̔ͯ͒̓̀̚N̡͕̥̬̺̘̻͕͇ͪ̇ͯ̎̆̓ͦͪ͌̉͆ͥ̒ͯͪ̇̃͘͝ͅḘ̵̢̘̣̹̟͉̩̘̯̙͕̻̺̗ͣ̊̑ͫͣ̈ͯ͒͊͋͗ͬͪ͐̎̚͘Tͫ̓̋ͯ̀̿ͮ͆ͮ̿̓̃̈ͥ̋ͥ͂҉̸͏̵̯̪͇͉͜.̢̛̲̞̥̩͚̹̼ͪ̿̋̊̎ͤ̈͑̂̇̾́ͭ̋̉̔̕͞ ͓̣̣͚̱̘̘̭̲̬̱̬͖̜̖͉͉̜́ͨ͌́ͯ̒͠
System:Jason


Jason suddenly felt as if the entire rock wall was pressing down on him from all sides, crushing him to the density of a neutron star, and at the same time something was ripping apart his mind in every direction, pulling at him until his sense of self threatened to stop existing. It was like opening your eyes right after waking up, and having a bright light thrust into your face before you could adjust. At the same time it was like being in a room with a thousand people all carrying on different conversations and all at different pitches and volumes. At the same time it was like listening to a TV on static that had been turned up to loud and a microphone on a feedback loop and dial-up internet. Ą̹̜̼͆͗̂ͭ͂t̴ͣ̓̀̉ͨ ͬͩ̾͆ͤͣ̂͏͓̠̣͉̝ͅṱ̿́ͨ̂ḩ̠̟̳͓͋ͤͪ͋̒ͪe̫̠͕͘ ̤̠̫̼̏̐̂ͪ͆͝ͅs̟̟̜̝̯̯̑̅̔̾͡aͧͨ̊͒̇̓̊m͚͇̍e͎͚͓̯̖͉̋̾̑̚ͅ ̯̲͊̋͛ͬͥ͟t͇̠͚̂͆͛̒̈ĩ͉̫̝̼̟̮͂ͦͧ̀m̺̳͇̠ͪ̒͋͢ͅe̴̘̾ ͖̻͙̭̖̏̊ͧͩḯ̏̚͏̩t̰̙̞̪̫̲ͅ ͈̗̰̯̻̖̒͊͗̄͗͌̋w͕̗̘̗̪͉̰̾ͮ̒̈̉̾a͕̲̘̜͇͡s̘̆ͩ̏ͤͪͣ́ ͈̬̥͕ͭ.......

It finally stopped, though Jason found himself somewhat puddled upon the ground as if he had been unconscious.

Now, what to do with this..."treasure?"


Orchid, Ash

On the Hunt
@Rune_Alchemist@Lucius Cypher


As Orchid skinned, dissected, and then made use of the Dire Rat, she was soon left with a few notable items.

1 Raw Dire Rat Hide in Inventory. This Item may rot if not preserved.
2 Dire Rat Fangs in Inventory. This Item can not be used as a weapon by itself due to the size difference.
4 Dire Rat Bones in Inventory. This Item is a Material.
System:Orchid


Eating the poisoned meat, meanwhile, did not seem to affect Ash in any negative way. She felt some stamina returning, though also now that she had a full belly her instincts told her it might be a good idea to find a place to rest. For the moment though, there was still time to help Orchid find something for herself.

[[Please continue in your collaboration post and consult with me as necessary, thanks!]]


Digbie, Mourningstar, Oberon, Orochi

The First True Party!?
@King Cosmos@CriticalHit@Gardevoiran@floodtalon


As Mourningstar tried to analyze the corpse of the Wisp, she got a definite result--just perhaps not quite what she was hoping for.

You used Magic Analysis I!
Magic Analysis I had its effectiveness reduced by 50%. This is a Monster.

Wisps are magically oriented monsters. This Wisp possesses three Spells.
System:Mourningstar


As she tried to shape her mana, she could tell that there was definitely potential here, but as it was she just couldn't seem to get the shapes to remain stable. Maybe she needed more practice, or to pour more mana into it. But to do that would require more crystals, which seemed to be getting scarce.

Oberon approached her as she practiced, curious about what she was doing. His results were similar to Mourningstar's own experiment, but perhaps slightly more useful as he stayed and watched her until the end of her tests.

You used Magic Analysis I!
Magic Analysis has had its effectiveness reduced by 75%. This is a Monster using Magic.

Wisps are magically oriented monsters. This Wisp possesses three spells and one magic oriented skill. This Wisp possesses the magically oriented skill Magic Analysis at Rank I. This Wisp is attempting to cast ????? Mana (Unknown Skill).
System:Oberon


Meanwhile as Ryuu, or now Orochi, tried to use his Scribe skill, he had much less success. Or none at all, rather.

You have no Spells to Scribe.
System:Orochi


Digbie too, made use of some of his skills, but these were not the capital S skills of this world, merely his own abilities at digging. By the time he had finished he had worked out quite the tunnel into the wall, enlarging the already somewhat enlarged crevice into something that could have easily been used as a sort of shelter. It was only walled in on two sides, but if he bothered to shore up the dirt he had been digging out into a ramparts of sorts around it, he might have just made a little base camp for his party. Or at least a hole they could sleep in.

[[If you're interacting with each other, you don't have to wait for my updates to post as long as it doesn't get spammy. Collab if you'd like, or if you're not interested at all just react as necessary and tell me what other actions you'd like to take in a post.]]


Ardur

A Pixie to the Bonfire
@ReusableSword


"Dey calls me dat, cause when I grabs ya by da head I makes ya skull rattle!" boomed the boss as Ardur continued to flit about stealthily--however, the much bigger monster now seemed to be turning his head in the right direction, and his eyes were darting this way and that. "What? Qweschurn?"

“If you are the biggest and baddest here. Why do you stay? You won’t grow stronger if you stay here. You will never truly be mighty if you stay in this place. So why stay?”

"Cause it's my cave!" Rattleskull boomed, slamming one big fist into his chest. He turned and this time caught Ardur's movement, just not his shape or features. "Dis my home! Ain't nobody gonna take it from me! I'm gonna rule it!"

“Are you afraid? Are you a coward? To hide in fear against whatever might be stronger than you outside?”

"No! You dumb!" Rattleskull spat on the floor. "When I takes over da whole cave, I starts on the outside! Dat's cause I'm smart!"

“There’s a storm coming, Skull. When it comes, you have a choice. You can run and hide from the winds and rain or try to stay and whether the storm. But you will find that your numbers will continue to diminish the longer you stay here.”

"Now you REALLY dumb!" Rattleskull laughed. "Can't rain inside caves, idiot!"

Satisfied with his absolute domination of his weakminded adversary in the sophisticated field of academic debate, Rattleskull turned on his heel and started ambling towards the bonfire with a renewed sense of vigor.
@Kangutso
Accepted! Be aware that you are among the last batch of characters I'll be accepting.
You weren't a swordsman, nor a ninja, nor a wizard. What use did you have for the smithy, for crafting?

You have arrived in a world of countless tools. Thousands of blades, piles of swords. This is where many paths will cross. Where many desires will flow. Where a second death awaits. This chance could end in a single swing.

Where is the heart of your blade?

Skill Gain: Crafting I
Your knowledge and understanding of mechanics, workmanship, and other such things enable you to craft better items. The process of creating items is still an unknown to you, and your current species doesn't support many items, but if you ever succeed in such a creation its Sub-Stat Enhancements will be higher than normal.
The Demon King


@ghastlyInc@CollectorOfMyst
You can still join, but after this latest batch of people I'm going to close the RP. What classes you choose are up to you, even if it seems like we have a lot of that species already--if you want to be more unique or fill a certain role that's fine, I don't expect everyone to make a perfectly balanced party.

@ShwiggityShwah
I'm sorry I haven't been around to answer questions and the like, I've had a busy couple of days at work. You can still join if you'd like, and I'll try to answer any questions you have--your initial character concept, the obsessive mother, sounded fine to me.

Everyone, please be aware that while this final batch of players submits their CS applications, I'm going to go ahead and close the RP to new applications. Right now I feel like we have enough players that I'm on the verge of not being able to put the proper amount of focus on everyone as a GM, so I'm going to shut 'er down until we have a good rhythm going again.

To the new players, we are still in the "Noob Cave" type area, not a lot has happened in terms of plot and story. Most characters have simply been surviving by hunting, gathering resources, fighting off other monsters, and exploring. They have discovered information on the Boss and his second-in-command, the Mana Crystals and Healing Herbs are getting low because they have been harvested so much, and the entrance to the cave has suffered a partial cave-in. Other than that it's been mostly character interaction and combat.
D R I F T E R

From the Rooftops to the Underground



The heavy bang of a wooden door made the drifter glance back towards the alleyway. A heavy set, but not entirely uncharming woman invited those who were gathering into the tavern. Was she just opening for business? A lot of those people didn't seem like regular clientele of a bar in this part of town...especially the knights and the ones who, like himself, were clearly from out of town. A Goron, and a man with a cane in traveler's garb--although something about that one rankled the swordsman's senses. His face...wasn't right. Or rather, it was too right? Something.

But ultimately, though curious, it was none of the drifter's business. And he had an adventure to go on. His umbrella still playing its pitter-patter against the backdrop of the storm, he turned back to the overgrown lot in the rear of the bar. He closed his eyes.

The smell of dark and dank, an enclosed space with dirt and moss that rarely went completely dry. The slight whistle of the storm's breeze passing over a narrow entrance, like a village band blowing over the lips of their moonshine jugs. The scrape of branches and leaves, grown cramped and close together, over stone and mortar. The sound of rain hitting water--but water that was far deeper, under the drifter's feet.

He tossed his umbrella straight up. It spun, slinging a ring of droplets, but the man below it remained dry even as he pushed aside his cloak and reached for a handle made of wood...



There was a wooden click as he pushed the handle flush against the rest of the scabbard. He reached up almost lazily and caught his umbrella as his cloak settled back into place. As he turned to face it, the woody shrub's branches fell apart, each one cut clean through to reveal a cracked well of stone bricks arranged in a rough circle. A runner of ivy emerged from the depths and crawled over the lip before its leaves became too heavy and it drooped to the ground. Drifter wasn't sure if the vine could support a person's weight or not, but the well's opening was certainly large enough to fit him. With one last glance back at the bar--as the now unlocked door shuddered somewhat against the wind--the wanderer decided to see where the rest of this adventure was going to take him. He closed his umbrella, and before the rain could soak him he hopped over the edge.

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.

He didn't so much fear any caves or tunnels, though, as he feared the drop might be too long.
K E N I C H I

Heading towards the Dorms

@Feyblue@Silver Carrot



"Ah, Yoshida-san, right? Nice to see you again!" She greeted cheerfully. Kenichi returned her smile, but it was somewhat tight as he tried to stand straighter and not look so beat-to-hell despite the various bandages all over him. "Well, Kasuke thinks she's probably still here in the dorms, but I was going to visit her myself so we could plan some outings this week before Harukaze and I head back. If you want to see her, why not wait here? I'll text her and ask her to come down."

"If she's--" He started to say, "if she's too busy with something, it's not big deal." But, as the fluffy cookie would have probably said, "That was wrong." If he told her not to come if she was busy, he imagined what she would do--she would probably look around wherever she was, her ahoge-tenna pointing upward for maximum reception, and then come to some conclusion like "I'm currently taking an action like carrying books/doing homework/caramelldansen (why did that even pop into his head, but now that it was there he thought it was pretty cute) therefore I'm busy and I shouldn't go meet with him."

"As long as she's not already down for the evening or in the shower, could you tell her it's Yoshida--or Kenichi--and he'd really like to talk with her?" he finally said. But Asuka was already typing, so he figured it would turn out okay one way or the other. Not wanting to seem rude, he turned to Mina while he waited for Fumika's response.

"Ah, Kasuke-chan..." He had almost actually called her -san, because the few times they had interacted she'd been kind of curt, and he himself had decided once after seeing a conversation between her and Jett that she was a little bit on the rude or blunt side. But habit won out, which might be a good thing in this case? At least it might not tip her off immediately that his treatment was a little different than his other classmates. "We, uh, haven't spoken much, huh? I think I remember hearing somewhere that you do Karate?"

Honestly he would have never guessed, seeing the lightness of her build, but then again martial arts were meant to make weaker people able to overcome bigger or stronger people, right? Maybe her kind of karate was less of the "breaking tiles" kind and more of the "beat hardness with softness" kind...but then again wouldn't that be something else? Aikido or something? Kenichi wondered if either of those would be fitting martial arts for him to learn...his entire style thus far was just instinct, throwing out punches and kicks when it made sense to throw them, dodging however he felt he could dodge, and using his pure power and speed to make things hurt more. He didn't realize it on an intellectual level, but the boy was also making use of his quirk to reduce his opponent's ability to read his movements--not just through all his bouncing around, but through the fact that his sheer speed made any telegraphs much less useful if the opponent couldn't react. But, much like Fumika, if they could predict rather than react, his style was still far too easy to defeat.
@Bishop
The herbs are "thin" because several characters have been picking and gathering them--like when a resource node runs out in something like Monster Hunter. If they're picked too clean, along with the Mana Crystals, it'll negatively impact everyone's ability to heal themselves and restore their MP--which is the only thing that has kept some of them alive thus far.

Also pixies are roughly a foot tall. Small, yes, bite sized...depends on what's biting.

@Jobst
She'll recover from the paralysis shortly, more than likely even in my next post. Now that the poison's activated she isn't seizing anymore, just laying there kind of numb and breathing lots of short, shallow breaths.

0th Post has been updated!
Xiao Mei
@Jobst
As Xiao charged forward, it was the lizard’s turn to be ambushed. It had been focused on Mother and didn’t realize the other two rats were even there until Xiao’s flurry of claws and gnashing teeth came flying at it. Mother’s bite had taken a chunk out of its snout, and now Xiao Mei drew blood from one of its beady black eyes as the reptile scuttled back in the enclosed space, hissing and thrashing. With the dark purple fluid hindering its breathing and its sight, the lizard couldn’t see or react in time when Xiao Mei’s sister suddenly circled around and sprang on it from behind. The other rat’s jaws came down on the back of its throat, right under the scales of its head. Again the lizard hissed and began to shake from side to side, but Asteria only held on all the tighter, as much choking the other monster down as much as bleeding it.

In a matter of moments that seemed to last an eternity, the lizard succumbed to the three rats’ fangs and fell, its tail twitching. It turned its own snout, with a strangled, shrill cry, towards the clutch of eggs. It strained with all it had left, touching just one of the leathery shells with its blood soaked face and leaving a purple stain.

Then it died.

Asteria
@SilverPaw
As Asteria’s sister charged forward, it was the lizard’s turn to be ambushed. It had been focused on Mother and didn’t realize the other two rats were even there until the flurry of claws and gnashing teeth came flying at it. Mother’s bite had taken a chunk out of its snout, and now Xiao Mei drew blood from one of its beady black eyes as the reptile scuttled back in the enclosed space, hissing and thrashing. With the dark purple fluid hindering its breathing and its sight, the lizard couldn’t see or react in time when Asteria suddenly circled around and sprang on it from behind. The other rat’s jaws came down on the back of its throat, right under the scales of its head. Again the lizard hissed and began to shake from side to side, but Asteria only held on all the tighter, as much choking the other monster down as much as bleeding it.

In a matter of moments that seemed to last an eternity, the lizard succumbed to the three rats’ fangs and fell, its tail twitching. It turned its own snout, with a strangled, shrill cry, towards the clutch of eggs. It strained with all it had left, touching just one of the leathery shells with its blood soaked face and leaving a purple stain.

Then it died.

Orchid
@Lucius Cypher
When Orchid and Ash had made their plan, they acted with a combination of natural hunger and intent to kill. As Ash fired three smaller, quicker shots of poison, only one hit the mark--but oddly, though it didn’t seem to burn the rat as badly as usual, the creature almost immediately began to look more sickly, its features twisting in pain and drool beginning to drip from its mouth as it heaved. Its movements slowed, and then Orchid took aim and let fly.

The poisoned beast was hit head on by the blunt side of the rock, causing a splatter of blood to paint the rocks. It convulsed and kicked on the ground from a mixture of pain and the venom coursing through its body, and the goblin girl closed in to skewer it through the belly with her stick. It screeched, vomiting blood with one last convulsion, and then was still.

Now came the part where Orchid would probably wonder if she could eat something that had just been dosed full of poison.

Danny
@Duthguy
It seemed, for now, that Danny was safe. As the cave grew darker with the coming of night, many monsters seemed to be heading for nests and hideaways to sleep in some form of safety. As he had already shown he could eat the Healing Herbs, he might not need to hunt. He could remember seeing more of these green things near that large pool of water elsewhere in the cave; if other monsters were gone now then he could probably safely gather a few of them. However, had he noticed that they were dwindling compared to the last week?

Figuring out his magic, figuring out how to fight, learning how to use items, how to speak, seeing the system messages...it seemed there was a lot to do in this new world. But ultimately it would be up to Danny to decide what he wanted to do...

Ardur
@ReusableSword
“Huh?” Rattleskull turned this way and that, looking for the source of the voice. It didn’t seem he had seen Ardur yet...but he didn’t seem entirely unaware of his surroundings either. “Who dat? Come out wheres I can see yous!” Pulling the stone celt from his belt of vines, the hairy creature gave it a flourish. “My name’s Rattleskull! I’m da biggest and da strongest around here! Ya better not be tryin’ to be funny with me if’n ya know what’s good for yous!”

As it continued to darken in the cave, the light of the bonfire began to grow brighter. It sounded like Crispy was yelling at other goblins to throw the wood they had collected earlier into it…

Rain
@Old Amsterdam
Rain’s sneak attack was a success, but perhaps more importantly, so was her method. The Fanged Lizards in the rest of the cave didn’t usually hang on to prey--they would bite to inflict the first dose, then move away to see if it took effect. Less chance for them to be struck by wild flailing of whatever they attacked, less chance for the strategy to backfire if the poison was resisted. But not only did Rain take those risks to pump more venom into her adversary, she also shook her head violently back and forth. Dogs in her old world had done this for a reason, even with their toys.

The rat’s neck gave way with a snap.

By the time she let go, the creature would have been suffocated even if its bones hadn’t broken or the venom hadn’t paralyzed it. But as it was its limbs had been frozen, its vertebrae snapped, and ultimately its heart stopped.

But though she ate well, Rain did not intend to cut her hunt short here. Now she was on the hunt for Goblins…

But it didn’t seem she would have much luck finding any of them that were by themselves right now. With night falling and the cave growing darker every moment, most creatures were heading for shelter. The goblins were marching in groups of anywhere from two to four back towards Crispy’s bonfire, which seemed to be growing bigger and brighter.

Ash
@Rune_Alchemist
When Orchid and Ash had made their plan, they acted with a combination of natural hunger and intent to kill. As Ash fired three smaller, quicker shots of poison, only one hit the mark--but oddly, though it didn’t seem to burn the rat as badly as usual, the creature almost immediately began to look more sickly, its features twisting in pain and drool beginning to drip from its mouth as it heaved. Its movements slowed, and then Orchid took aim and let fly.

The poisoned beast was hit head on by the blunt side of the rock, causing a splatter of blood to paint the rocks. It convulsed and kicked on the ground from a mixture of pain and the venom coursing through its body, and the goblin girl closed in to skewer it through the belly with her stick. It screeched, vomiting blood with one last convulsion, and then was still.

Ash’s strategy had paid off extremely well, though whether because of luck or because her attempt with changing the properties of her Poison Spit had some kind of unknown side effect was up for debate. But the question was, would her ally be able to share a meal if it was full of poison? Was there some way to clean the corpse?

Also:
LEVEL UP!

Your experiences have culminated into new power. You have earned Skill Points to be distributed as you please.

Unspent Skill Points:
5

Current Skills:
Stun Fang (1.0)
Poison Spit (1.5)
Overwork I (1.0)
Alchemy I (1.6)
Charisma I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE> Muffle (0.5) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Crafting (0.3) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Alert (0.3) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Venom Shot (0.3) <UNUSABLE>
System:Ash


Asura
@Kazemitsu
As the rat’s fangs tore a piece out of Asura’s body, he felt more pain than usual--not as much as Jason’s Stone Shot, but more significant than other attacks he had taken. Did he remember what the Demon King’s information had said about the Dire Rats having much stronger jaws and sharper fangs, and that the beast type monsters usually specialized in raw physical attributes?

He clapped the rat on either side of its head, forcing the creature off of him. It lunged again shortly afterward and he met it with a slam of his own. They exchanged attacks, but it seemed Asura came off the worst for it as far as damage. Would his HP hold out?

In the next exchange, the Dire Rat proved it was just the slightest bit faster than him as well--when he lunged to counter it, it changed direction rapidly and attacked from another angle. Then a fourth exchange, and although Asura caught it this time, he received an answer to his question.

WARNING! Your HP is low!
System:Asura


The rat steeled itself once more, but it looked like it had taken one blow too many as well. A bit dazed from constantly being slammed headfirst, the rat was slower to start this time, but its fangs dripped with saliva as they threatened to tear Asura’s new life away--would this exchange kill it? Even if it did, would the rat still kill him? Kill or be killed! This was it!

If Asura had a buttocks, he might have clenched it. Deep in his heart he screamed!

You have learned a new Skill!
Smash I: A Physical Skill that consumes Stamina instead of MP. One blunt type attack deals increased damage!
System:Asura


A sudden red crackle of energy passed over Asura’s body like electricity dispersing over water. His body slammed into the Dire Rat, completely shattering those sharp teeth before crushing the skull behind them. The rodent was thrown to the earth hard enough to bounce--and then lay still.

LEVEL UP!

Your experiences have culminated into new power. You have earned Skill Points to be distributed as you please.

Unspent Skill Points:
5

Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.66)
Overwork I (1.0)
Blunt Resistance I (1.05)
Limited Shapeshift I (1.05)
Smash I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE> Pierce Resist (1.0, Regeneration Required) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Earth Resist (0.6) <UNUSABLE>
<UNUSABLE> Magic Resist (0.8) <UNUSABLE>
System:Asura


Jason
@Guy0fV4lor
Skill Gain: Rock Spire I
A basic Earth-aligned spell. It deals more damage than most level one spells for the same MP cost, but requires that solid earth be within the user’s range of sight or perception. An earthen spike is created beneath the targeted area, object, or creature. Does Piercing and Earth Magic damage.
System:Jason


Jason had quite the productive day. He had gathered materials, made friends, defeated enemies, grown in power and skill, and even built himself a temporary shelter. After sucking so much Goblin blood his green body had become more of a purple color, but as he digested it that would soon return to normal. With night falling across the cave most other creatures seemed to be following his example and seeking shelter, so he was probably safe for the most part from any other hunting creatures.

However, as a certain Wisp hovered outside his mini-cave, the light the creature produced made it a little hard to sleep. And it was making noise…

"B.. bananah, ring, dinnur."

Edward
@Searat
As Edward struggled with his returning memories, the headache soon subsided but now he was left with all of this baggage to sort through. At least, for the moment, that moment of vulnerability hadn’t gotten him in any trouble. If he had collapsed like that when there were monsters out hunting, it could have been bad. As it was now, though, most monsters had begun to retire for the night. But this was the moment he had waited for, to explore and to search! Where would he go first? Those odd blue crystals on the walls had been mostly used up over the past little while it seemed, but there were still a few rare clusters here and there. The pool of water, and all the green plants around it (though it looked like these too had been heavily picked through) seemed pretty much deserted at this time. The distant light that was presumably the cave’s entrance, however, had disappeared almost completely. The only thing left was the goblins’ bonfire, but even before his memories had come back it was very clear that place was dangerous.

What he did was up to him...there was still a whole cave to explore, after all…

Lorek
@Bishop
Lorek’s first few days were spent experimenting in every way he could think of, and although many of them were abject failures, a few at least showed him the limits of his capabilities. His Lesser Force was very weak, not suitable for attacking outright, and his Mana Orb was a simple attack that moved in a straight line. He could only use it twice, however, before he ran out of MP and had to use one of the crystals.

But that too became a problem. Over the week, Lorek had used so many crystals he was starting to notice that there were almost none near where he made his home anymore. And unfortunately for him, by the time he realized that he would need to find a new area with more resources, the goblin miners and other creatures seemed to have been using the Mana Crystals to absolute exhaustion. Only a few rare clusters existed now, standing out all the more starkly in the pitch black cave now that night had fallen.

And thanks to his experiments for the day, Lorek was once again out of MP. He had been neglecting to get food for himself too, so he was practically starving and felt too weak to even levitate higher than his default height. The pool seemed relatively uninhabited at this time so he could probably get some of those green plants to eat...but those too were starting to look pretty thin…

Oberon
@King Cosmos
Jacob couldn’t be sure his attempts to specifically target his migraine with Minor Heal were working, but after three attempts he ran out of MP and had to use a crystal to restore it. Before he ran out again, however, his head had stopped hurting and he couldn’t hear that odd screeching sound anymore. Whether this was because he actually had healed the migraine, or it had just worn off on its own, wasn’t quite clear.

But now, where were his friends? What had they been doing? And when had the cave grown so dark? Not to mention, the crystals he kind of depended on seemed to have been heavily depleted...only a few rare clusters stood out now, and only because their pulses were easily noticeable even from across the cave due to how pitch black the night had become.
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