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3 days ago
Current There's only one relevant question in any Kirby VS topic: Did the opponent steal Kirby's cake?
3 days ago
GM Tip: "What do I want to encourage my Players to do? What kind of person could influence them that way?" Not every NPC needs to be that influence, and don't hamfist it, but it might help!
5 days ago
GM Tip: Every Scene/Session, give Players choices to: Go Cool Places; Talk to Interesting NPCs; Learn New Info; Fight something; and/or Get a Reward. All choices should achieve Plot Progress somehow!
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6 days ago
GM Tip: Don't try to push your players away from edgy cliché backstories. Dead parents under mysterious circumstance? Hometown razed? They've done half the work of coming up with villains FOR you!
8 likes
8 days ago
GM Tip: Have an Open World Sandbox but no direction? Need smaller arcs, or something off-genre b/t Plot Points? Refluff ALL the One Shots. Any TTRPG. Tie NPCs or PC backstory into it. You're welcome!
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Bio

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

Most Recent Posts

Monster Party

When Ash focused on trying to make a stronger effort to draw in the energy, using her Mana Vision to pick out the particles around her, she felt that active draining effect become stronger. It still wasn't as fast a recovery as her Meditation, but if she could use it while being active...Then, she had an idea. Opening up wide, she did her best impression of a vacuum. And...the particles seemed drawn to her at a faster rate! However, she wasn't able to hold this for long. Soon her nostrils and throat felt cold and dry due to trying to draw in so much air so fast, and of course trying to constantly inhale was just as stressful as trying to hold one's breath in for too long. After only a couple of seconds she was forced to stop and breathe normally. She had an odd taste, almost a tingle, in her mouth.

EXP: 10%

Skill Gain: Charisma I (0.9 > 1.0)!
Your personality is almost a magical charm unto itself. You’ll have greater luck convincing others to go along with your suggestions, but only within their own natural reasoning. This skill may not work on those with stronger Wills.

EXP: 20%

Skill Rank Up: Alert I > Alert II (1.65 > 2.05)!
At this Rank, you may use the Passive form of Alert as normal. By Actively engaging the Alert skill, your senses become temporarily sharper and make it easier to find a target even if it is under the effect of Stealth skills. The Active form of this skill may also alert you to environmental hazards.

EXP: 30%

Skill Rank Up: Mana Shape II > Mana Shape III (2.975 > 3.0375)!
At this rank, manipulating more complex shapes becomes easier. You may also move the shaped Mana within a ten foot radius around yourself, though it cannot be used as a projectile. In addition to multiple colors, your Mana can now be shaped to imitate a texture. Making the mana dense enough to become opaque is possible, but increases MP consumption.

EXP: 52%
System:Oberon


Oberon's experiments proved quite informative, but aside from the System he also found that the attempt at making a "saw blade" became much easier now that he had the experience of spells like Light Ring, Mana Shape, Mana Slice, and others under his belt. It still felt too fragile to use as an attack, but it had already used up more Mana than a normal Mana Orb did due to how enlarged he had made its surface.

You used Magic Analysis II!
---Void ???---
An incomplete spell. By using your own Mana to repel all elements and energies away from a point in space, you've created an area of "emptiness" somehow. Repelling all forces equally causes this Void to take a spherical shape. It seems to naturally be drawn towards the same things you are repelling away from it, just like water moving to areas of lower concentration or heat moving to areas of lower temperature.

---Void Blast (Incomplete)---
An incomplete spell. You've created a shadowy void that creates a vacuum force once it interacts with outside forces. Forming it in your mouth allows you to give it a path of least resistance to follow, but letting the atmosphere back into this sealed environment seems dangerous.

---You---

---ANALYSIS COMPLETE!---
System:Torrent


A splitting headache hit Torrent suddenly, like an ice cream migraine. To make matters worse, when attempting that experiment before by containing the void within her maw and letting air between her lips a little bit at a time, the void's collapse felt like it had taken a little bit of her cheek or tongue with it--she could definitely feel a raw and painful spot whenever she ran her tongue around the inside of her jaws. But, still, she had garnered some useful information and had a name to go with the Skill she was developing...

You used Magic Analysis I!
---Mana Orb I (1.95)---
A simple blast of magic. At the moment it only does as much damage as a strong punch on average, unless the enemy is weak to magic. As it gets stronger it becomes a generic, non elemental energy blast. You have the first Rank in this skill but are very close to the second. Your attempts to condense it are making it more powerful, at the cost of more MP.
System:Digbie


It seemed like the Mana Orb was getting denser, but it wasn't concentrated enough to turn "hard" like the Demiblin wanted. Maybe he needed to keep going, add more MP, or do something else besides just trying to shrink it down. He could see Oberon over there practicing with changing the shape of one of his own Mana Orbs, and the Sprite seemed to be on to something from that look of intense concentration on his face...

The horn they had heard before blew again, and it sounded like it was just on the other side of the hill! Rags Nar had believed, yesterday, that the other monsters were somehow Digbie's pets or demon familiars. Did they want him and the other goblins to see them performing their skills or witness them talking to one another, or would they try to hide their abilities for now...?


PixieSlime Party

"And given the short amount of time it's happened in, that "only consequence" is rather notable." Zieglar responded when Asura downplayed what had happened thus far. "We only received the report of the Goblins moving two days ago. If they were preparing for this battle with the "smart monsters," and the many deaths caused by that conflict are what made this Dungeon, it means that in the course of less than fourty-eight hours," he shook Asura's only-slightly malformed hand and looked down intently at the articulate digits, then returned his gaze to the Amorphous Slime. "You, and the other monsters like you, created that Dungeon unintentionally. I shudder to think of the consequences if any of you had actually known what you were doing. Though..." He once again placed a hand on his chin. "You said another slime, like yourself, tried to take over? Do you know if he interacted with the Dungeon Core at all?"

While Asura pondered how to answer that, Ardur spoke up and seconded the suggestion to clear the Dungeon. When he spoke about clearing his conscience, both the Knight and Squire gave each other curious looks. Trent began to rub the back of his head, clearly thinking in a heavy fashion much like his mentor. When Ardur explained that he felt he was being pulled towards the south by the influence of the Divine Spirits, the boy was the one to speak.

"If you just want to know what's that way, it's the Alpin Plains. But the further you go, the more barren the land becomes. Ashyra, the deserts where Dhulfiqar reigns, is beyond the grasslands. If you've been doing something to try and appease the spirits, it's likely he's the one calling you..." Trent's voice cracked slightly as he raised its volume, suddenly more on edge. "What kind of sacrifice did you do!?"

Though he kept a sharp eye on his apprentice and the Hipixie, Zieglar still listened to Asura's answer regarding the other Slime--Jason, of course--and only then gave what seemed to be his final opinion.

"If you really want to risk going back into the Dungeon, then I suppose I could send Trent with you. It would be a good opportunity to have him work in a group that would really push him out of the box, and to nip this problem in the bud right away." He gave the boy a peculiar glare, causing the Squire to gulp nervously. Obviously something unsaid passed between them. What other motive could Zieglar possibly have, to let his apprentice join a party of creatures that were normally hostile to Humans? For the sake of going into an even more dangerous environment? Was he simply that trusting, despite knowing the party of reincarnators for less than an hour and knowing nothing of their abilities? Did he not think any of them were strong enough to take down Trent while the Knight wasn't looking? Or could this be part of some cunning plot...?


Rat Party

You used Mana Sense!
You feel an earthy Mana shifting about, just at the edge of your senses...
System:Asteria


As Asteria spoke to seemingly empty air, the silence of the tomb lay still and cold. But then, a low rumble seemed to pass through a corner of the room...almost like someone laughing...

"A Dire Rat that can talk...I've seen some weird stuff in here, believe you me, but never talking rats..."

Skill Gain: Charisma I (0.95 > 1.0)!
Your personality is almost a magical charm unto itself. You’ll have greater luck convincing others to go along with your suggestions, but only within their own natural reasoning. This skill may not work on those with stronger Wills.
System:Asteria


The packed earth floor suddenly shifted near one corner of the room. A small mound rose up, like a mole getting ready to open up a path to the surface...but as a layer of soil shifted aside, it seemed like the dirt itself was taking shape underneath...A humanoid face like a chubby baby, with eyebrows and hair replaced by scaly layers of stone, blinked with eyes that looked like faceted clear gemstones. The octagonal irises of emerald green and a black pupils of the same shape gazed at Asteria.

"But in any case, that's not part of my contract, sorry. And I don't drink blood, what do you take me for? Why would you do dark magic junk like that on people you were gonna bury right next door to your town?" The head rose higher, until chunky and infantile arms appeared as well, giving the creature a cushion upon which to lay its chin. "My only concern is the barrow. I don't care what happens outside, and far be it from me to get involved in human affairs."

As Ed focused his Beast Sense to enhance his hearing, oddly enough he couldn't pick up on the conversation taking place in the other room. He could, however, make out the sounds of the bandits' breathing. The Kobold had a hissing breath, but very slow and drawn out. The ratman didn't hear this sound often--it seemed the lizard breathed through its slitted nostrils most of the time, and only occasionally sighed through its snout. The two hunched, hooded creatures that he thought might be some form of goblinoid had rougher, faster breathing, but the rhythm was still calm and steady. One of them sounded like he might actually be on the verge of dozing off. He could hear wind rustling the tall grass on the other side of the road, where those other two bandits would be, but once the breeze died down he couldn't hear anything else that seemed to indicate movement. So they were probably still standing where they were before, waiting to ambush whoever passed along the road...

The rodent enhanced his sense of smell next. The scent of woodsmoke tickled his whiskers first, and it was still fairly fresh. That probably meant that, wherever these bandits had their camp, it was probably close by. He could also smell leather, and metal, and oil...freshly honed blades, then? Wood, and something slightly rotted...maybe the rabbit skull on top of that Kobold's staff? A slightly sour, familiar smell...something minty, and also familiar. And then...something that wrinkled his nose with a sharp, acrid scent. It reminded him of the color purple for some reason. He had definitely smelled it before, and he knew it was dangerous. It was coming from the Kobold.

He could still identify each slightly different scent and match it to a bandit, even if he didn't manage to figure out what some of the other smells were. And he knew that the three monsters were still on the side of the barrow, they didn't seem to intend to come within. The other two were still on the other side of the road...but how much could they see from their position? He decided to risk it, and slowly began to creep back outside...Mother Rat followed him as far as the threshold of the barrow, pressing her body flat to the ground just as her ears lay back along her head.

Upon stepping out into the light, Ed could see further down both ends of the road...and before he had a chance to further examine the bandits, a large and dark shape caught his eye.

Coming from the direction of the lakeside town, along the road, sure to pass by the barrow within the next few minutes...a large horse drawn cart, with a few human figures clustered around it.

How long did he have before the bandits spotted it? If he turned and went back into the barrow, would he be risking sight by the thieves? If he didn't go back, would the people on the cart see him first? If he tried to warn them, would they listen? Or meet the Ratman with drawn weapons? If he let them go by, would the bandits attack them? Kill them?

What choices did Ed really have here...?


Ghost Party

"Life? Abandon? Wisdom? The Earth does not give Life. Life learned to use the Earth in order to live. The Earth does not abandon, yet neither is it loyal. Beings place their loyalties in one another. The Earth has no ancient wisdom--it simply Is as it was Meant to be. Beings garner wisdom, and display falsehoods."

In the darkness, Jason began to perceive...something. Was it coming from the mana he was absorbing, filling his spirit to the brim? Was it something from that strange spirit world, the world of gray mists?

The darkness lifted, as a hole opened up. A hand, lifting a stone from the earth. Primitives crowded around as the hands reached back into the hole, digging and churning the dirt with sticks and simple stones. As the earth was stirred, seeds were placed in the holes. As their roots reached through the earth and found nourishment, they opened up their buds and put forth fruit. As long as the earth was there, the plants would grow. As long as the humans had stone, they could build tools and shelter. From grass to animal to predators, through life and death, all made use of the earth and all returned to it.

The moon rose. The night fell. The darkness, the ocean, the sun, the wind, the mountains...they were constant, always there. The stars might fade, but they would always return--and the Earth would always be waiting for them. All of these things and many more existed long before the primitive came out of its cave. What were they? What dangers did they bring? What wonders?

“Beings have given the Earth many names and many meanings. For many Beings, understanding agency, creating reason, forever seeking, and always asking were the methods of their survival. Did the Wind rustle the brush, or the Lion? The Being who assumed Wind did not always survive. If No Man threw the stone, did the Unseen Unknown Being cause the stone to fall? Why is it Unseen and Unknown? The Man who did not seek to understand did not always survive.”

Jason saw the primitives through the hole in the earth again, now wearing clothes made from plants and sitting around a fire. They cooked a slain beast, and carved its flesh with knives made from stone they had taken from the Earth and shaped for that purpose. Their children sat around them as the elders told them what they needed for survival--the tales of sun, and moon, and night, and ocean, and Earth. How they were dangerous and wonderful. How to understand them. But the children did not understand. How could Earth give them food? Why was the Cave safer than the open plain? So the elders changed the tales, made Them “like” other things that the children understood--fathers, mothers, warriors, healers, chieftains. And Earth and Sun and all the Others were not praised--they Were. They always Were. And they were needed to survive. It was necessary that the children understand them.

As Jason watched, the children of the children’s children appeared. They were many and they were different. Some of these children were now Men, and their cities and walls were built of great stones. Their dead were taken to great tombs dug into the Earth, and were sealed up in it with prayers and dances and dedications. They gave thanks to the Earth, for its protection and preservation. They tilled the earth and planted seeds, and buried their refuse. The Earth was “like” a reliable friend, and friends were always there for you no matter what. In return you also had to be a friend to them. But they understood that the Earth gave materials, and food, and rich jewels, and history, so they had to give other things to show their gratitude to the Earth. The others, like Moon and Sun and Wind and Ocean, gave other things, and Men gave them different things in return.

As years passed the stone towers rose higher, and he saw that some of these children were Not Men. One of them, their great king, made fire and water appear from his hands and moved earth with his words. They wanted him to shape the earth at their will, to raise their crops and build their homes, but knowing the limits of his power he instead granted them the strength of the earth. He taught them to make bricks from mud, to make their own stone from loose soil and shape it in the way that they pleased, and to turn it into pots and bowls. Not Men and Men alike began to think and do and be different than they were before as the world turned. The Earth and the Sun and Others stayed as they Always Were.

"Jason. You wish for wisdom, to guide your path. You wish to do things that are good for this world. The Earth Is and Has Been only soil, and sand, and stone. The Earth is only a receiver of That which has spent its power, and become inert. The Earth has Potential, but is not Activated. The Earth cannot give you knowledge, purpose, or morality. But Beings have imposed their Wills upon the Earth for these and many others. What was given to the Earth, the Earth has held in concentration, until gathered Power took on Will. To give and receive Power from another Will--is that your Will, Jason?”

The images around Jason began to crumble like sand. The hole in the earth began to fill, as if he were being buried alive. He was left once more in darkness...but as unseen things moved around him, he felt more than heard the whispers of many voices, echoing through the depths…

“The earth brings forth fruit and vegetables, trees and grass…” “The earth gives and gives but is never used up...its generosity is like that of a man who works tirelessly…” “The earth is firm and hard, but sometimes also soft…” “If the earth brings forth these plants, and generously gives its strength yet never exhausts itself, and is firm and rough but also reliable...the Earth must be a Father!”

Jason saw the voices overlapping, each vibration and tremor taking on a new shape like a three dimensional representation of radar waves. The sound took on form, and he saw a strong, rugged man holding a mattock in one hand and a bundle of grain under an arm.

“The earth sometimes shakes and destroys everything, but is usually so calm…” “No one can destroy the earth, with its great stones we can build invincible walls…” “It is soothing to sit among the mountains or upon the grass, and think deep thoughts…” “If the earth can destroy but remains calm, and is invincible, but soothes the mind in meditation...the Earth must be a Wise Monk!”

This time the voices took the shape of a broad shouldered figure, sitting cross-legged with clasped fingers. A strange ringing sound, like a stroke upon a tuning fork, emanated from an iron bell around the figure’s neck, and the clay beads looped around his arms rattled.

“The earth is slow to move, but always steady…” “The earth hides great riches in its depths, and goes down and down…” “Sometimes, great rifts open up in the earth like a mouth that devours everything around it…” “If the earth is great and cumbersome, but has treasures hidden away like an animal that steals things, and can devour everything else...the Earth must be a Great Beast!”

This form towered over Jason, an enormous...Elephant? Tortoise? Its claws were like ploughs and its hide encrusted with gemstones. Its great head came down over him, and cold air like the draft of a cave blew against him from its nostrils.

There were many other voices, and other Figures, but Jason felt as if he were suffocating or being crushed. Just like a drowning man gasps for air when he breaks the surface of the water, he felt the urge to pull away from the earth. The figures watched him, patiently waiting...or perhaps listening? Waiting for him to call out…

***


While Danny repeated his attempts to learn Fireball, the few embers he had scattered onto the firewood quickly burned themselves out. However, the next time he took aim at the pile of kindling and sticks, his spell suddenly gave a roar. Like throwing a match into a cloud of gasoline fumes, the Fireball made the air rumble as it took shape in front of Danny's hands. When he tossed it to the wood this time, the fuel immediately took light. The original roaring flames soon died down, but the Poltergeist now had a proper fire that quickly ate through grass and straw and stabilized into a steady burn upon the dry sticks and branches.

After meditating and recharging his Source Crystal Shard, Danny attempted to examine his work. He activated his Mana Vision skill, causing his eyes to glow ever so slightly as he lifted the green crystal up...

Skill Gain: Fireball I (0.9 > 1.0)!
The fire-themed version of a basic magical attack. With roughly the same power, range, and MP consumption as a Mana Orb, it has the unique property of being able to inflict a burn on the target. However, as an elemental spell, these same properties render it harder to use in certain circumstances. Non-flammable or elementally opposed targets, for example, will be much less effected. -You used Spell Chant to increase the Parameter: Heat Output of this Fireball. Other Parameters of the Fireball spell include Speed, Direction, Expansion, Concentration, Number, and Efficiency.-

---Fire (Crafted)---
You crafted this campfire using your Fireball spell. It is composed of organic materials such as wooden sticks, twigs, straw, dead leaves, and grass. It rapidly consumes this fuel, but the heat output is high. There is a slight breeze in the forest, creating an airflow that helps feed the fire. Fire generally needs oxygen, combustible material to serve as fuel, and heat to ignite and burn. Carbon is the most common and effective fuel, found in most organic solids. The Quality of the various Items used as fuel for this flame is rapidly degenerating, they will be useless within minutes for other purposes.

Source Crystal Shard has no charge remaining!
System:Danny


Through the crystal, as if looking through a magnifying glass, Danny had also seen a number of...strange, floating squares? Cubes? Blocks with vibrating lines forming psychedelic geometric patterns? The ones immediately around the fire were bright red, though there were a few others that were green or gold or black. He thought he saw a few blue ones and light green ones as well, but they quickly vanished...He wasn't sure what the things were, but after the Crystal ran out of energy he had to really concentrated his Mana Vision in order to see them. Once he was aware of them, however, his attempt to use Lesser Force to draw the red ones in close as he created a Mana Orb caused them to slowly orbit his spell like fireflies....

The Mana Orb turned red yet again, just like it had in that heated, spark-producing, "pre-Fireball" state. Even though Danny wasn't casting that specific spell anymore.


Deep Forest

Femus's Mana Orb began to glow brighter, and its crackling seemed to increase in frequency. As he recalled smell, sight, and sound and tried to channel every memory, each sensation, into his spell, the magic began to take on a neon yellow color. He felt his MP draining...and smelled ozone in the air.

"Shocking force enhance..." The sparks around the orb stopped popping and snapping like flame, and instead began to flicker and buzz, forming distinct arcs from the center of the orb as they latched on to dust motes. Femus felt his filament-like hairs stand on end as his skin tingled.

"Shock Round."

With a final snap, the electrical orb suddenly broke free of his grip. But unlike the Mana Orb, it did not shoot straight ahead on a linear path. Instead, it seemed to float freely, moving back and forth in a zig-zag pattern...until it made contact with a branch of the tree. With a sound like a great drumbeat, all of the energy within the spell was discharged in a nanosecond. The branch flashed red hot, white light lancing through it and splitting like a system of veins, then it burned and blackened and fell off the tree. It left a smoking trail down to the forest floor below.

Skill Gain: Shock Round I (0.8 > 1.0)!
The lightning-themed version of a basic magical attack. With roughly the same power, range, and MP consumption as a Mana Orb, it has the unique property of being able to home in on a target, though it moves slowly and may dissipate after a few moments. However, as an elemental spell, these same properties render it harder to use in certain circumstances. Elementally opposed targets, for example, will be much less effected.
System:Femus


Before the Wisp had unleashed his new spell, however, he had told Nira to find some way to lose their wild pixie follower. Nira made sure to file away the Pixie's appearance for later. The creature had a more feminine shape to its body and limbs, and her skin was almost powder-white with the softest green tinge. Her hair, however, was green as the grass and just as windswept. Big brown eyes peered out of a smirking face, and her gossamer wings had an amber sheen like fresh tree sap. When Nira spoke again, the Pixie turned a flip in the air and giggled.

"Awwwiiiiight! Aww! Alllu, riiiiite!"

Then Nira suddenly bolted, causing the wild fae to squeak and hustle after her. As the reborn fairy activated her stealth skill, the already subtle beat of her wings lessened and she weaved between the trees at top speed. It didn't take long for the wild pixie to start losing sight of her, following only by the barest flash of a foot or hair disappearing among the leaves. She let out a frustrated screech as she barely avoided running into a trunk, and in the process finally lost Nira.

But Nira was still not alone.

She burst out of the branches into a small clearing, and noticed for the first time that the sounds of goblins feasting and shouting were closer than ever. She could smell the smoke from their cooking fires. But she wasn't among the camp, at least not yet. In this small clearing, only one Goblin was present. He was a little taller than average, but perhaps a little more slender too. A small pile of bones with bits of meat and gristle still present had been tossed to the side, and now the goblin held a long stick in his hand. But it wasn't just a plain stick--it had been meticulously carved, probably over a long period of time, and even had an edge of sorts and a subtle curve. It looked fragile enough that if it actually made contact with something harder than flesh, that blade would immediately be dulled. Maybe that was why the Goblin kept swinging at empty air.

It couldn't be called "swordsmanship" at all, but there was a definite sense that this greenskin had more skill than his brethren. At the very least it seemed he was getting a workout, as his scrawny muscles were covered in sweat. He raised the sword up high above his head and brought it straight down, over and over again. Every so often he lost his balance, and looked down at his feet as he shuffled back into some imitation of a fighting stance.

So far, he hadn't noticed the Pixie floating above him...


Farmstead

"There ain't never been a Goblin hero before! At least not one that was good to humans!" Reuben said, crossing his arms and trying to look like a wiser mentor to Miiba and Scott. "But if Dad says you guys got brought here, I guess maybe that kinda makes you like a hero...Hmmm, it's really weird." The boy peered out from under the table, but it seemed that the rest of the household was still discussing the message to send to this Adventurer's Guild that had been mentioned a few times. Lear seemed to be in the process of dictating a letter to Mirabelle, mostly just outlining previous events. He hadn't gotten to the part where the mountain exploded yet, only detailing that Geir and Mirabelle had arrived for some kind of weekly guard duty.

"Summoning is like..." Reuben snatched a piece of cheese from the platter of food the farmer's wife had placed on the table, and held it out in his hand in front of Miiba. "Taking something from somewhere," he passed the morsel behind his back, and revealed it in his other hand, "and bringin' it somewhere else! There's different kinds of it--like, if you Summon yourself somewhere, it's called Teleportation! But, since you guys were brought here from another World, that's World Summoning! It's the hardest kind to do, I've heard sometimes ya gotta use a whole team of wizards!" He broke the cheese into three parts and offered two of them to the monsters while he scarfed down the third. Then he held up a finger as his lecture continued.

"There's different kinds of Heroes, too! I like Heroes, so I got Dad to read to me about 'em a lot! And when Adventurers like Geir and Mira come, they tell me lotsa stories!" He pointed at himself. "People from this world, like me and Dad, can be Heroes too! But sometimes, if there ain't enough, Kings and Queens and sometimes even the Divine Spirits have to find people from other worlds and call them over. They're called Summoned Heroes!" Now he held up a second finger. "But whether you're Summoned or not, you might also be Chosen! A person can only be a Chosen Hero if they're specifically blessed and guided by a Spirit, or if they're mentioned in properties...no, wait, pharmacies...no. Uh...Prophecies! Sometimes great sages or priests get these visions or whatever, and they write 'em down, and it's like telling what's gonna happen in the future. If you match all the stuff in there, then you're a Chosen Hero and you're destined to do whatever the Prophecy is about."

One of the chairs scooted closer in to the table, and the slender legs in front of it accidentally kicked Reuben. The boy bumped his head on the underside of the dining furniture as he moved, then pouted and pinched one of the legs. His older sister squealed and kicked out again, but he dodged it this time with a giggle before he turned back to Miiba and Scott.

"And some people, like me, they believe in Reborn Heroes. That's when a person used to be somebody else, but then they die and get re...re-ink...reinstate...aw heck, I forget the word. They die but they don't go to the Spirit World, they come back as a new baby and get to grow up all over again. A lot of people don't believe Reborn Heroes are real though, cause it sounds crazy." Reuben tapped his head and grinned. "But some of the Adventurers, they said Reborn Heroes, especially Summoned ones, just try to keep it secret all the time! They just try to pass it off as being really talented or whatever, and even if they do tell people nobody ever believes them! Although, there have been some crazy guys who try to say they used to be Heroes from a long long time ago just so other people will do what they say." He rubbed his chin, and looked even closer at the pixie and the goblin.

"But I ain't never heard of a Summoned Hero being Reborn as a Monster. That doesn't make any sense. Nobody likes Monsters cause they're bad. Heroes ain't supposed to be bad." He rocked back and forth on his rear, folding his legs underneath him Indian-style. "And if the King of Viskard, or some other important person, or a Divine Spirit, didn't Summon you guys..." He seemed to be trying his best to look intimidating, with his furrowed brow and focused gaze, but it was difficult given how small and scrawny he was. "Then who did?"
Monster Party

As Ash practiced her various moves with the spear and stone, making use of Lesser Force more than her physical body, she could feel the skill becoming more precise. It really was like having an invisible hand that could manipulate an object at a distance, but it lacked the nuance of physical sensation to give her the proper feedback. Nonetheless, practice was in the process of making perfect.

When she tried to use Mana Vision to see how her mindset affected her Meditation, however, it had the side effect of breaking the Meditation skill. It seemed she still couldn't use other skills while Meditating at the same time. Once she could see the ambient mana pixels hovering around, however, attempting to draw them in seemed to have some affect. But she could tell there was a noticeable difference. Meditation seemed like it caused the mana pixels to gather to her, almost on their own. Iron particles to a magnet. This method, however, was more like the Pygmy Drake herself using a pair of forceps to pick at each particle and bring it to her--there was a flow to it, of sorts, but it was because of the suction she was creating, not a natural or passive attraction. A drain, so to speak, on the Mana around her.

Torrent attempted to remove the elements, rather than draw them in. She used her own power to push away the vestiges of everything else within her. In that space within her mouth, there was the air she breathed. There was the moisture from her own throat. There was what little heat her cold blooded body retained. She willed it away--of course, matter and energy couldn't be destroyed, but in a miniscule place within her maw, she pushed everything else to the side to create an emptiness. And she wanted to push her own mana into that emptiness...but then, that would make it something instead of nothing, wouldn't it?

And...it turned out to be almost impossible. When she tried to push her will into the void, she found that doing so meant she couldn't keep the rest of the energy from flowing back in. She could feel the mana, those different elements she had already worked with. Keeping them away from the void took all of her concentration and energy. But, the longer she did that, and the further away she pushed everything...the bigger that ball of nothing became...

When she opened her mouth, she exposed the Void to the Outside, and the Outside was Not Void. Logically, like water flowing into an empty glass, the Outside should have filled the vacuum inside. But Torrent was pushing everything away. Yet those two forces--Nothing and Something--still wanted to be together, to reach equilibrium. So in order to do that, the Void went Outside.

A dark ripple, like the world's most rancid burp yet with no smell whatsoever, floated out of Torrent's mouth like moths out of an empty wallet. It lingered in the air in front of her for just a moment...then collapsed with a sharp pop, because it simply could not keep the Outside at bay.

But it was a start.

You used Magic Analysis II!
---???---
This spell is of the Shadow element, and seems to take the shape of a spherical void that, upon release, is attracted to the closest sources of other elements along the path of least resistance. Once it makes contact, however, the spell collapses in on itself. It is still incomplete.
System:Torrent


Meanwhile, Oberon did a great deal of thinking, as usual. And his in-depth, personal studies of magic seemed to be paying off thus far. Repeating his attempts with shaping a Fireball, this time the method felt much smoother and more natural. When he compressed it, the fire still wanted to move, it didn't want to hold still. The end result was that the elongated shape also caused the flames to spiral in a circle around an invisible "rod" or spear making up the body. When the Sprite compressed this, the spiral grew tighter and spun faster. The spell might have been called a Lance, but it had almost a drill-like quality. And the flames grew brighter, and hotter, their edges turning yellow and their innards white, with sparks of orange and red only crackling here and there. He took aim and let fly, and the bolt moved much faster than a normal fireball. When it struck the stream, the water immediately spat and hissed, boiling and steaming in an almost explosive fashion simply because its evaporation couldn't match the speed of its expansion.

Skill Gain: Flame Lance I (0.7 > 1.0)!
Deal Piercing and Fire Damage. This spell costs significantly more MP than Fireball, but moves at a much faster speed. It doesn't have any area of effect, and also doesn't inflict burns due to the speed at which wounds are cauterized. It may, however, weaken a target's defenses.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 9! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 8

Current Skills:
Minor Heal III (3.0125)
Lesser Flight III (3.1)
Shield IV (4.03875)
Magic Analysis IV (4.4575)
Mana Orb II (2.775)
Mana Shape II (2.975)
Lesser Status Heal (1.2)
Mana Dart I (1.6)
Alert I (1.65)
Monster Analysis II (2.65)
Meditation III (3.08875)
Light Ring I (1.3)
Gather Light I (1.9)
Fireball I (1.85)
Plant Analysis I (1.0)
Material Analysis I (1.0)
Sacred Ground I (1.0)
Mana Slice I (1.25)
Overwork I (1.8)
Keen Sight (1.1)
Minor Heal All I (1.0)
Spiritual Awareness I (1.0)
Minor Regeneration I (1.0)
Spell Chant I (1.1)
Focus I (1.35)
Mental Resistance II (2.3)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
Faster I (1.0)
Aqua Sphere I (1.05)
Wind Break I (1.05)
Wall I (1.0)
Flame Lance I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Charisma (0.9)
Light Affinity (0.8) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS>
Fire Resistance (0.2)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Mana Puppet (0.5)
Earth Wall (0.1)
Mana Drain (0.3)
Stronger (0.1)
Mana Sense (0.2)
Air Read (0.3)
Mana Control (0.1)
Wind Resistance (0.1)
Ice Spike (0.4)
Gravity Well (0.1)
System:Oberon


Error. System is already tracking progress for Quest: Fashion 8 Prayer Beads.

You used [Analysis]!
---Round Quartz---
A small pebble made from quartz. It was probably a larger crystal originally, but the wear and tear of time have worn down its edges and corners. It is now somewhat round. Compared to other stones of this type, one could say it is of Good Quality. It is surprisingly hard to crack, break, or scratch.
System:Digbie


Digbie extended both hands, and sought to use Soil Manipulation...but in both hands, effectively trying to cast the same spell twice. He felt this normally less cost-intensive spell suddenly eat a decent chunk out of his mana, but whereas casting two completely different spells hadn't worked out well thus far it seemed like trying to layer the same spell was much easier even if that Dual Cast skill hadn't triggered yet. A 5 foot cone of ground in front of him rippled and rolled under his magic, turning up stone and soil that had been layered over time. Some of the stones he could tell were from the stream bank, perhaps moved by floods or left in place as the water shifted over time. Many of these, therefore, were much smoother than the rough and sharp gravel pieces he found.

Four stones in particular looked promising. There were two Hard Stones, not quite circular and much too big to be a bead, but maybe he could use them to wear down other stones. There were also two Shiny Stones--they seemed to be made of natural minerals of some kind, nothing super valuable like gemstones or metal, but shiny like marbles. One was white with an orange and brown streak through it, while the other was a pleasant shade of blue. They still weren't quite smooth or circular enough. The last stone, and the only one of the right shape and size to be a bead, was a Smooth Stone a little like the one Ash had found in the Giant Rat's maw, but smaller.


PixieSlime Party

You used Source Crystal Shard!
---Zieglar Blackgate---
Elite Human Male, Knight Templar
All Stats are Far Superior to your own.
Possesses Combat Skills Including but Not Limited To: Slash, Skewer, Cleave, Defender, Blade Charge, Physical Conditioning, Sword Air, Smash, Counter, Skill Release...
Possesses Spell Skills Including but Not Limited To: Minor Heal, Shield, Mana Shape, Mana Orb, Spiritual Awareness, Guidance, Inspire, Holy Strike, Sword Wave, Lesser Status Heal...
Possesses Equipment Including but Not Limited To: Fluted Steel Plate Armor, Iron Maille, Gatekeeper's Kite Shield, Steel Half-Sword, Iron Flanged Mace, Steel Kidney Dagger, Arming Doublet, Wool Hosen, Cotton Shirt, Cotton Loincloth...
---Charge Empty---

You have no MP remaining! You cannot recharge the Source Crystal Charge at this time.
System:Asura


Skill Gain: Lesser Cleanse I (0.7>1.0)!
Refine and purify your own positively charged mana before releasing it to counteract negatively charged mana. Certain non-physical status effects like Curse may be dispelled by this spell, but things like Poison may only be reduced. This spell may also serve to neutralize negative mana build up in an area, such as cleansing a grave to prevent an Undead rising. However, at this rank only small areas can be cleansed, and only a small amount of negative mana can be neutralized. The greater the area, or the density, the less effective this spell will be.

Skill Gain: Alert I (0.9>1.0)!
Though this skill is limited by the strength of your senses, and does not sharpen your senses on its own, it allows you to become more aware of your surroundings. Without conscious effort, you will pick up on signs in your environment more easily, especially if they present some form of danger to you. Essentially this is an anti-ambush skill.

Skill Gain: Mana Strike (0.9>1.0)!
Infuse a physical attack with non-elemental Magic to increase its damage. The attack's physical type of damage is unaffected, but Magic damage is simply added. Thus a creature with Slash Resistance would still take the Magic Damage if this Skill were used with a sword. Like Mana Orb, this technique is malleable and often a starting point for other forms of enchanting skills.
System:Ardur


When Ardur related his vision of the figures and the Sun, Zieglar's expression grew more intense. The knight lifted one gauntlet to his face in what seemed to be a thinking pose, but the fact that it hid some of his features made his emotions hard to read.

"Gods, you say...I assume you mean Divine Spirits? The Mother would be Claidheamh, an ancient Sun Spirit from the Shiri people...though their island is far across the kingdom, to the east. The "king," if you really want to call him that, is Dhulfiqar, a barbaric blood-drinking Sun Spirit whose following is limited to the deserts of Ashyra to the south. The Guardian, the one who protects, the one who brings growth and life. That is Galatine. He is also the patron of my order, and widely revered all across Viskard."

After that, he and Trent both gave their full attention to the two speaking monsters. Every so often they would exchange glances. Quite a few times the boy started to say something, only for his mentor to hold up a hand for silence. When both the Amorphous Slime and the Hipixie had finished speaking, Zieglar looked at Trent and made a subtle motion with his head, as if gesturing for the boy to step back. It seemed a notable shift--up until this point, whether in fighting the bugbear or deciding on the next course of action, the adult and fully-fledged Knight had stayed in the background and barely even offered advice. Now, however, he stood at the fore as he spoke to the four monsters.

"Right then. It's clear to me that you two, and that Poltergeist we met before, as well as any other "smart monsters" who are, or used to be, in that cave, are far from normal. And, if this talk of "other worlds" and "reborn humans" has any weight to it...it means that something very grave is happening. Something that will have far reaching, dangerous consequences, for all of us--Monsters and Men alike." The man pointed to the east. "An old friend of mine has a homestead in these woods. It is fortified, and quite safe. There is food and drink there, and we will be able to send a message from there to others who may be able to help get to the bottom of this. What say you?" He extended a hand to Asura and Ardur, though due to the obvious size and shape difference it seemed less for a handshake and more just a gesture that he would have shaken hands were it possible. "Will you come with us, so that we can continue this discussion, and perhaps help you, somewhere away from these woods and this Dungeon?"


Rat Party

Ed chose discretion as the better part of valor, and picked the darkest hiding place he could find. He expected the bandits to actually come into the barrow, and use it like he and his pack had for shelter...but as time went on, it seemed that wouldn't be the case. They apparently intended to either hide along the side of the barrow or in the grass and ditches along the road, for whatever reason. But how long would they stay here? How much traffic could this road be expected to have?

You used Plant Analysis I!
---Hyrmr Thorns---
A deciduous, woody plant with sweet tasting sap. This sap, when harvested then dried and crumbled, is often used as a spice and has a strong scent. It also has properties that cure many types of infections and can even kill fungus. When burned as an incense it repels insects.
---Sacias Bark---
An evergreen tree that has a strong smell due to a chemical concentrated in its bark. Often shredded for use as a spice. The bark itself can also be eaten but is thick, tough, and has a rough texture. While its strong flavor is useful in cooking, it has limited medicinal uses.
---Esina Flowers---
A flowering plant that also produces small fruits, and is very attractive to insects. The seedbuds at the base of the flower stems can be ground up to produce a pleasant smelling but bitter tasting spice often added to deserts to balance out oversweetening. It can also be fermented, though it takes enormous amounts to make anything close to normal liquor amounts of drink.

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Human Blood---
The blood of a human. Necessary for many bodily functions, responsible for carrying both nutrients and oxygen through the anatomy. Very high Mana conductivity, rich in protein.
---Embalming Mixture---
A mixture of bodily fluids, various spices, and other chemicals. Seems to have drained from the last body placed on this table.
System:Asteria


As Asteria dripped a single droplet of her blood, tingling with mana, into the basin and scattered the cone over it...nothing happened. Save the static-y feeling of magic in her bloodstream, that is. But that soon died away without leaving much visible effect.

However...even without using Mana Sense, or Alert, the Dire Rat suddenly had that hair raising, goosepimpling, blood chilling, cold sweating, shivering feeling...that something was watching her.
Ghost Party

Though it seemed no crafting or potion mixing skill had activated for Jason yet, mixing the strange buds from the sour-smelling plant with the water turned it a slight shade of minty green, diluting the smell until it was almost pleasant. Trying to infuse it with his own Mana caused the water to sparkle ever so slightly, but maybe that was just it reflecting the light of his aura. It soon stopped when he handed the gourd to Danny.

When the Ecto Slime buried himself in the ground--an easy task considering how seemingly intangible he was, although he couldn't use Transparency to fade all the way--he began to meditate. But he had already drained bits of Mana from Danny repeatedly, and drained the goblins, and filled his "stores" up multiple times to the point of receiving that Extra MP notice from the System. He was almost starting to feel "full," although being low on Mana wasn't anything like that ravenous hunger he had experienced before...

Mana Density increased.
System:Jason


He grasped at the earth, briefly activating ghost touch before resuming his meditation. He wanted to remember, to visualize, to imagine the feelings of touching the dirt once more. The sensation of soil on skin--or slime--and the vibrations passing through solid rock and loose dirt.

Down here under the ground, it was dark save for his soul sight. And even that could be forgotten if he wasn't thinking about it. As he meditated, calm and quiet, the darkness seemed to grow deeper. He was going...deeper...down...Like drifting off into sleep without realizing you were nodding off...

So, alone in the depths of the earth as he now found himself, it wasn’t quite clear to Jason when he started hearing things. Or if he heard anything at all. Or if it was really all in his head, a paranoid over-imagination...

“What is the Earth? Why pray to an Earth god? Why seek its stalwart strength?”

Meanwhile, Danny formed himself a Mana Orb and began thinking of a way to transform the raw magic into a fire ball. When Jason healed him before digging himself into a hole, the Poltergeist felt some of his HP trickle back. He examined the strange mixture of flowerbuds and water with a curious eye.

Current Status:
You are Hungry.
Your thirst is Quenched.
You are Somewhat Tired.
Your HP is around half.
Your MP is Full.
Your Stamina is getting lower.
You are Fine.

You used Plant Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I!
---Kilm Tea---
Made from mixing Kilm Blossoms with regular water, this tea inherits pain killing and anti-inflammatory properties from the plant. This particular dose wasn't made with any particular skill and hasn't been heated, so it's rather thick and has a very bitter flavor.
System:Danny


And once again, Jason stole some of his mana. He had to meditate to restore it, and then returned to his experiments. He concentrated, and cast his mind back to more peaceful days--hotdogs over an open fire, on a sunny afternoon...

"Raising the heat of the flames..." The Mana Orb began to crackle as if it were a flame already, but its color and texture did not change, nor did its size. "...so that I can burn the target of this attack to cinders." Danny could feel heat beginning to rise between his palms. The Mana Orb began to lose cohesion, but it wasn't getting weaker. It was becoming more...energetic. "Ignite, Fireball!"

The Mana Orb suddenly turned red. There was a sharp snap, and the orb burst apart with a cloud of embers. The spell wasn't quite complete, but Danny could feel it--he was close to a breakthrough! The embers landed on his little pile of wood and grass, and there were enough of them that soon smoke began to curl up from the kindling. But if Danny didn't do something to help the smoldering flames along, they might soon go out...


Deep Forest

Nira floated to one side, allowing the unfortunate other Pixie to tumble past her. As Femus shrank back into the leaves up above, his attacker was stunned for several moments...and by the time it recovered, it was falling fast enough that it couldn't get its wings turned the right way...and it tried to twist its body but didn't have the time--!

The crunch on the forest floor signaled the end of the thieving Pixie's life, and its mangled body twitched only once before going still.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 5! Your Max MP has increased! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 5

Current Skills:
Monster Analysis I (1.3)
Mana Orb II (2.325)
Lesser Force I (1.3)
Levitation (--)
Meditate I (1.6)
Magic Analysis I (1.55)
<UNUSABLE>
Shield (0.6)
Suppress Presence (0.7)
Alert (0.6)
Faster (0.3)
Harder (0.1)
Soil Manipulation(0.1)
Mana Shape (0.8)
Mana Control (0.6)
Muffle (0.3)
Stealth Kill (0.1)
Charisma (0.3)
Mana Drain (0.5)
Iron Gullet (0.1)
Mana Sense (0.4)
Keen Smell (0.1)
Mana Dart (0.1)
Mana Burst (0.1)
Shock Round (0.5)
Fireball (0.1)
Plant Analysis (0.2)
Crafting (0.2)
Keen Sight (0.1)
Wisp Flash (0.1)

YOUR BODY IS BEGINNING TO CHANGE! You are undergoing Transformation! Based on your life experiences, your ability to survive, and the strength of your will, new paths have appeared! Choose carefully--there is no going back! WARNING. THIS PROCESS WILL LEAVE YOU TEMPORARILY VULNERABLE.

OPTIONS (* Indicates Suitability):
***(Adult) Wisp - More magical manifestation than biological creatures, Wisps nonetheless possess physical bodies. Their ability to cast spells from range makes them a foe that should not be underestimated by the novice. Wisps are magically oriented monsters, normally possessing two spells.
  • Slight increase to all Base Stats
  • Increase HP
  • Increase Potential


*(Immature) Poltergeist - This monster is still fueled by Magic, but its hold on the physical world has become stronger. Though its chubby, infantile body isn't particularly large, its grasping limbs, levitation ability, and its manipulation magic make it quite the prankster. However, its defensive abilities don't grow as fast as some other species. For the already physically frail mage-types, this can be a dangerous weakness.
  • Gain Arms w/Hands, Legs w/Feet, Head w/Eyes and Mouth
  • Increase base power-stats (reduced)
  • Increase Lesser Force (reduced)


***(Immature) Mana Spirit - A straightforward transformation for the Wisp, increasing their mastery over the fundamental spells that they use for their base interactions. At the same time, their physical body becomes more unstable. Rather than saying the body is weaker, it is more like...the fundamental self becomes more subject to change. Many mistake these creatures for true Spirit-type Undead, or Ghosts, due to their appearance.
  • Increase base Magic stats.
  • Increase Lesser Force (reduced)
  • Increase Mana Orb (reduced)


(Immature) Slime Mage - An unusual transformation for a Wisp. Their spherical body swells almost grotesquely, and they develop a slimy membrane as their former body dissolves. Slimes are normally of limited intelligence, but every so often one somehow learns magic. With its poor magic stats its casts are limited in number, but few expect a Slime to have such abilities. Having transformed from a Wisp instead, however, a Slime Mage's magic might be much more effective.
  • Increase all base Defense Stats
  • Increase Mana Orb (reduced)
  • Increase Shield (reduced)
System:Femus


Meanwhile, Nira slowly approached the other wild Pixie, which peered at her from behind a leaf. Why had it become suddenly shy?

"Can you understand what I'm saying?"

The Pixie tilted its head at her with wide eyes. Slowly, it opened its mouth.

"Caaaaahnyeeew? Kahn yeew?" It worked its lips several times, making gibberish sounds, then clapped its hands over its cheeks and laughed. It fluttered out towards Nira again and gestured at her, apparently listening intently for other words she might say. It seemed highly unlikely it had ever seen a fellow Pixie speak any kind of language before. Even if it couldn't understand, though, it recognized these sounds as some form of communication--maybe because it had seen or heard Goblins talking in their raucous voices. So now what would Nira do? Could she possibly teach this Pixie to talk, so that they could finally communicate?

Did she want to do that, considering how mischievous the creature seemed to be?
Farmstead

Skill Gain: Charisma I (0.9>1.0)!
Your personality is almost a magical charm unto itself. You’ll have greater luck convincing others to go along with your suggestions, but only within their own natural reasoning. This skill may not work on those with stronger Wills.
System:Miiba


"Hey, don't feel so down. Everybody starts somewhere." Lear said as he noticed Miiba's ears droop. "And you've still got a big head start on lots of other goblins. If you really were the first goblin hero," the big man grinned and patted her head, "Then I guess I'd be famous too for taking you in, huh? Ha!" The farmer smiled as Miiba became excited about the possibility of Scott being her friend. But the three talked a little more as the gate closed behind them, and they approached the house.

"Yeah, I plan to tell them, Scott." Lear said. "Mira's a smart cookie with proper Mage training, she might be able to figure out more of this mystery than I can. And I've gotta report this to the Guild--I'll try not to throw you guys under the ox-cart, but the fact that someone tried to perform a World Summoning means something big has to be afoot."

They entered the farmhouse to find Gwyn and the children gathered near the fire, with Geir and Mira patrolling near the windows with grim faces. When they saw Lear, everyone breathed a sigh of relief--until they saw Scott behind him.

"Sir, a Pixie followed you in. I've got it." Gier said, almost lackadasically as he grabbed a piece of firewood and held it like one might hold a rolled up newspaper to swat a fly...

"I'm aware. His name is Scott and he's like Miiba." The farmer held up one broad hand. The two Adventurers' jaws dropped, and the other family members looked confused and, in the eldest girl's case, a little scared. Reuben poked his head out from behind his mother's skirts to look at the Pixie with curiosity.

"Oh, great. More Demonspawn, then? That would explain why a mountain blew up." Geir growled. "Probably out here trying to breed itself an army..."

"No. From what they've both told me, I think they were Summoned here." At these words from Lear, Mirabelle's jaw dropped even further and she almost lost her glasses when she tried to adjust them with shaking fingers.

"Summoned? You mean, they're someone's Familiars or Tamed Beasts? Or..."

"No. I think it was a World Summoning...except their souls didn't end up in the right bodies." Lear held out his arm, and for the first time Miiba and Scott found their attention drawn to the kitchen, where a large white hawk had made himself a perch on top of one of the cabinets. The bird flew to the farmer with a trained precision and held out one leg, upon which a letter was already tied.

"I, I reported the explosion, and th-the general state of affairs." Mira stammered out. "I, uh, mentioned that we had captured an unusual Goblin that needed to be studied, but I didn't write anything about her...having a name...or any of that story she told us."

"Well, sit down and get some more parchment. We'll need to send another report." Lear motioned for Scott and Miiba to make themselves comfortable, while he plopped down in one of the heavy wooden chairs around the dining table and yawned. After several moments, as the others gathered around, he began to recount Scott and Miiba's shared tales and his speculation on what it might mean...

"Psst...hey! Psst!" Reuben poked Miiba and Scott in the back, leaning out from under the table and then disappearing like...well, like a child hiding under the table while the adults talked about important things. "If you guys got Summoned here, does that mean you're Heroes? Are you the Chosen Kind? Or the Re, reee...rebornded kind? Didja get to talk to the King?" The rapscallion's eyes glittered with interest.


Deep Forest

When Nira called for Femus to do something, her companion suddenly turned to look at her with an expression of shock. This was probably the first time it had ever heard a fellow Pixie speak anything like an actual intelligible language. It was so shocked, in fact, that it forgot it had to make the tilt and fly upward to continue pursuing the thief. With a soft thump, it hit the older Kao tree back first, then went for a short tumble through the branches.

Up above, the thieving fairy looked back over its shoulder to laugh at its clumsy pursuers--and then, its hair was painfully grabbed. The creature let out a yelp, just before Femus's Lesser Force slammed into its groin. The high pitched squeal it let out seemed to indicate that this one was a male, though you wouldn't really be able to tell from its doll-like form...did they have pouches like lizards or something? Where even was...nevermind. Somehow, Femus actually managed to manifest his anger in a color--he didn't just flash like many Wisps would, letting his natural color shine through, but turned an actual shade of crimson! Maybe this was a natural Wisp ability...but it was the first time he had managed it on his own. Between the blow and the blinding flash, the pixie was surprised...and began to plummet towards Nira down below, just as her first pixie follower was emerging from the leaves of the tree, still staring at her in surprise...


Ghost Party

As Danny searched for firewood, he mostly found only dry twigs and brown leaves on the forest floor. This was probably better anyway, considering he couldn't have hefted larger logs even if he did find them, and he had no axe with which to chop wood. He did find three larger sticks, however--two Forked Sticks and another Curved Stick. The curved stick was much like the one he already had, a decent length and width to be used as a short club or to be thrown like a boomerang, though it wouldn't likely come back. The forked sticks were roughly Y shaped, and a little longer than the curved sticks. These might be useful for crafting something, like a weapon, or propping up food once he had this fire built. Which was a question in and of itself. How would he even light what little kindling he found?

Minor Heal - This skill seems to involve attempting to use Mana to heal oneself or others somehow. Without a physical body it is difficult to stimulate natural healing energies.

Skill Gain: Air Read I (0.9 > 1.0)!
A sensory skill associated with the element of Wind. At this rank, you must remain still and activate it using MP. Using air currents around you, you will detect various objects or creatures. If there is no wind, this skill's effectiveness is vastly reduced. Depending on the strength of the wind or the sensory input (scents, for example) this skill may reach beyond the range of your other senses.
System:Jason


Jason approached the strange blossom he had noticed, and tore off the sap-filled buds from the stalk. His Ghost Touch skill caused his pseudopod to manifest with a shimmering aura like blue flame, but it didn't cause the plant to burn. Grinding it in his grip, he pressed it to the wound in Danny's back. The Poltergeist would feel a numbing chill pass through his wound, but then Jason began to chant.

"Earth guide my hand. May your will merge with my own." The Ecto Slime could feel his mana flowing into Danny. "Let this blessed union of nature and soul heal this wounded body." As he stated his intent, the ghostly blue flame increased in brightness. As the sap from the flower soaked into Danny's skin he felt the pain from his wound abating. The blood flow stemmed--soon it would dry, though it might be scabbed and itchy for a while.

Skill Unlocked! Spell Chant I (1.3) is now functioning again!
System:Jason


But while Danny had focused on gathering sticks, and Jason had ignored the Poltergeist's request to watch the goblin, the former spear-toting greenskin came to with a moan. Rubbing his head, the goblin pushed himself to a sitting position. As soon as he saw Danny--and the glowing blue form produced by Jason--he gave a start and jumped to his feet. Staggering like a drunk, the spear goblin turned to attempt to run into the bushes, leaving behind both his weapon and the corpse of his companion--!


Rat Party

Creeping quietly down the other side of the burial mound, Ed was able to avoid raising any alarms. The creatures were gathered up along the stone walls forming the burial mound's base, and against the flat face of its entrance they wouldn't see him unless they peeked around the corner. He could just barely see the tip of a snout and the hem of a cloak around said corner himself, thanks to the difference in elevation...

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Kobold---
Small, reptilian creatures with odd primate characteristics like upright spines and grasping limbs. Quite similar to Goblins, often competing with them for the same territories and resources.
---???---
You aren't sure what this creature is. Its voice and manner of speaking, as well as its height, suggests a Goblin...but isn't its build a little too broad or tall for that?
---Analysis Complete!---
System:Ed


The Ratman safely made it inside, just as Asteria was investigating a golden coin on the ground.

You sense a faint, earthy Mana from this coin. It was not made by the coin itself, which has little Mana but seems to conduct it naturally.

Skill Rank Up: Muffle I > Muffle II (1.95 > 2.0)!
You are now even more effective at remaining unseen passively. Activating this skill by using Stamina will noticeably reduce, but not eliminate, the sounds of your movement.
System:Asteria


Perhaps that meant the Mana trail was left from whoever--or whatever--had left the coin here? But...how did it get in and out of the barrow without triggering the Rats' Alarm skill? Was it just that sneaky? Or...?

Mother Rat nudged Asteria as if to draw her attention to Ed's entrance. She couldn't see far enough outside the doorway from where she was for her Analysis to trigger correctly, the System gave her an error message. Then the larger rat scurried over towards one of the darker corners of the room, no doubt seeking a place to hide. Based on what Ed had seen, it was likely that these bandits were just going to wait here until an unlucky target, perhaps a trader or lone traveler, came up the road from that lakeside town, or else from that village out in the plains...


PixieSlime Party

The knight let out a boisterous guffaw, and grinned at Asura before he answered.

"Indeed! Lectured by a Slime--have you ever heard the like, Squire?" The knight crossed his arms, taking them away from his weapon for the time being. "Well met, Asura. Forgive my assumption that you would not be well mannered. It's not often I meet creatures such as yourselves. I am a Templar, Zieglar of House Blackgate, and this is my Squire, Trent Bondeman of Bloominfield Village." The boy bowed at the mention of his name, but the movement jerked as he realized halfway through he was showing respect to monsters. He gave his mentor a confused look. But the knight had now turned his attention to the Hipixie, which was giving orders to its tamed spider.

“I am Ardur the Mighty, I serve the sun. Tell me what is your interest in Rattleskull?” Trent and Zeiglar looked at each other, some unspoken communication passing between them. The knight turned back to Ardur and seemed to take note of how intensely the Hipixie was staring at both of them.

You used Material Analysis I!
---Light Gambeson (Well-Made)---
A padded defensive jacket, worn separately, or combined with armor. It also doubles as a winter coat for wearers. Produced with a sewing technique called quilting. Usually constructed of linen or wool.
---Breeches (Average)---
Clothing covering the legs, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Normally closed and fastened about the leg, along its open seams at varied lengths, and to the knee, by either buttons or by a drawstring, or by one or more straps and buckle or brooches.
---Leather Gloves (Worn)---
A garment covering the whole hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb.
---Leather Boots (Worn)---
A type of footwear and a specific type of shoe. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip.
---Thick Patched Cloak (Repaired, Heavily Worn)---
A loose garment worn over clothing that serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Many climates favor wearing a full-body garment which is easily removed and does not constrain the wearer with sleeves.
---Leather Targe (Above Average)---
A smaller concave shield fitted with straps on the inside, one adjustable by a buckle, to be attached to the forearm, and the other fixed as a grip for the left hand. This one is fashioned from hardwood and covered with padded leather.
---Iron Arming Sword (Average)---
A straight, double-edged weapon with a single-handed, cross-shaped hilt and a blade length of about 70 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 in). Possibly divided into further subtypes based on blade shape, taper, cross-section, and other factors. This one is fashioned with a larger ratio of iron; technically it is made of "steel," but lower in quality.
---Fluted Steel Plate Armor (Excellent Quality, Repaired, Enchanted, Full Set)
Armor made from iron or steel plates, which overlap in various pieces. A fully assembled suit will cover almost the entire body. Contrary to what one might think, properly fitted armor is not heavy at all, and allows the user full range and speed of movement. Fluted plate is not only decorative, but also reinforces the plate against bending under slashing or blunt impact. This offsets against the tendency for flutes to catch piercing blows. This armor seems to have some sort of magic cast upon it. You will need to Analyze this Item more closely to learn information on each Piece of the Set.
---Iron Maille (Well-Made, Enchanted)---
A type of armor consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. Some call it "chain mail," but this is redundant in most cases. A better identifier would be the metal from which the rings are fashioned. Greatly reduces slashing damage. This armor seems to have some sort of magic cast upon it.
---Gatekeeper's Kite Shield (Excellent Quality, Repaired)---
A large, almond-shaped shield rounded at the top and curving down to a point or rounded point at the bottom. At least three feet high, it is constructed of laminated wood, stretched animal hide, and iron components. This one bears the banner of House Blackgate.
---Steel Half-Sword (Excellent Quality, Enchanted, Enhanced)---
A sword with a blade length equivalent to that of an Arming Sword and a similar style of guard, but a grip that is long enough to be used with either one or both hands. Sometimes called a "bastard" sword, especially the more its style differs from the traditional blades. This one is made from good steel. This weapon has been treated with some material to enhance its attributes, and has had some sort of magic cast upon it.
---Iron Flanged Mace (Well-Made Quality)---
A type of club that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful blows. The head of a military mace can be shaped with flanges or knobs to allow greater penetration of plate armour. The length of maces can vary considerably. This mace is made of lower quality steel with a higher iron content. It is quite heavy.
---Steel Kidney Dagger (Above Average Quality)---
A type of dagger with a distinctively shaped hilt, with two oval swellings at the guard. Those who are less proper may also call this type of knife a "bollocks" or "ball" dagger. The guard is often in one piece with the wooden grip, and reinforced on top with a shaped metal washer. Carried as a last resort in battle, but sometimes considered a part of the belt and codpiece worn for status.
---Analysis Complete!---

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 5

Current Skills:
Shield II (2.225)
Lesser Flight III (2.325)
Minor Heal III (3.6875)
Physical Conditioning I (1.0) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS>
Fire Resistance I (1.4)
Taming I (1.85)
Fireball I (1.7)
Stronger II (2.2)
Crafting II (2.0)
Muffle I (1.3)
Inspire I (1.15)
Guidance I (1.6)
Spell Chant I (1.2)
Use Light Equipment (--)
Meditate I (1.2)
Point Strike I (1.1)
Monster Analysis I (1.4)
Keen Sight I (1.1)
Material Analysis I (1.7)
<UNUSABLE>
Keen Ear (0.3)
Alchemy (0.5)
Faster (0.6)
Magic Analysis (0.7)
Mana Orb (0.15)
Focus (0.6)
Throw Voice (0.1)
Mana Strike (0.9)
Charisma (0.4)
Soothe Song (0.7)
Harder (0.1)
Alert (0.9)
Reinforce (0.7)
Throw Item (0.5)
Stone Shot (0.6)
Iron Gullet (0.5)
Soil Manipulation (0.3)
Material Analysis (0.8)
Rabid Fit (0.5)
Lesser Cleanse (0.7)
Fire Fist (0.2)
Magic Resistance (0.3)
Minor Regeneration (0.1)
Flame Aura (0.1)
Warcry (0.1)
Immolation (0.05)
Spiritual Awareness (0.4)
Overwork (0.1)
Lucid Dream (0.1)
Blood Drain (0.1)
Dextrous (0.1)
Mana Sense (0.2)
Mana Drain (0.1)
Mental Resistance (0.2)
System:Ardur


"The sun, eh? And just how does a Hipixie come to follow the likes of my Lord Galatine?" As Zieglar spoke that name, it sounded strange...but only to Ardur's ears. As he looked up at the knight, the fey reincarnate found himself distracted for just a moment. Then the knight shifted his weight subtly, causing a glimmer of sunlight to reflect from his armor. As Ardur blinked, the moment broke. It had lasted less than a second, and the knight was still speaking...

"But, nonetheless...Rattleskull, eh? And you, Asura, said you understood the Bugbear?" Zieglar turned his head to look at the puddled red slime. Trent walked over to stand by his teacher, but the boy was beginning to look less wary and more curious by the moment. He stared especially hard at Asura and Momma Slime, as if comparing the two. "Sorry, no need to answer--I'm thinking to myself. Allow me a moment." The knight cleared his throat, then began his tale anew.

"Rattleskull, if I am not mistaken, is also a Bugbear from this area. Though our last reports would indicate he was stronger than this one here." Zieglar pointed to Bear-Ate's corpse. "In the cave not too far from here, there was a tribe of Goblins. Between their natural predators, conflict with other tribes, and the general difficulty of survival out here in the wilderness, they usually weren't too much trouble. But, Rattleskull proved to be one of those Goblins who survive long enough to Transform into a stronger Monster." Zieglar's eyebrow quirked momentarily. His eyes shifted back from Asura to Ardur. "There are Humans called Adventurers who often come this way. To keep Monsters--no offense, I suppose--away from Human settlements, they make sure the Goblin tribes don't become too powerful. Rattleskull's tribe had been whittled down quite a bit despite his leadership...then, we had reports from a hunter traveling through the area that he and his Goblins were making camp outside of the cave. My Squire took on a request from the Adventurer's Guild to find out what Rattleskull was up to. If the Goblins were leaving the cave to go join another tribe or migrate, all the better so long as they don't come closer to town."

"And if they were preparing for a raid," Trent broke in, "I could bring warning and help everyone get prepared, or even bring out a suppression force before the Goblins got ready."

"And instead, we found that the Cave had been Transformed as well. When magic energy and other things change a place like that, make it more dangerous, we call it a Dungeon." Zieglar leaned in, looming over the party with a glint in his eye. "So, Ardur the unusual Mighty Hipixie, and Asura the unusual Amorphous Slime. How much of this did you already know?"


Monster Party

During the night, Ash observed the shape of the Mana Slice spell. When the spell began to take shape, she noted that for an instant it looked exactly like a Mana Orb. But as the crackling energy blossomed from her paw and took on its blade-like shape, a cube-like particle took its place at the center just like when she had adjusted the density of the original orb. But rather than form a second-rank Mana Orb, the Mana Slice caused two of the oscilating lines to attach to the "nucleus" particle. And these lines began to vibrate, faster and faster. The orbiting cloud of particles all began to shift along those lines, instead of floating freely like they did in the Mana Orb. The effect appeared somewhat like that of a chain-saw--perhaps that, and the increased density, explained the Mana Slice's ability to cut into objects?

She then formed Poison Splash, and took note of its magical structure that she had created before. Pulling the purple, pixellated atom into the center of the spell, the first difference she noticed was that the change in density was different compared to the Mana Orb. That spell shrank, as if it were being compressed. The Poison Splash, however, became...droopy? Almost like a semi-solid, or perhaps liquid mercury. It wanted to roll and flow, and didn't seem to float so well anymore. And when she tried to make it form the shape of a Mana Slice, it wouldn't "stick," it always just returned to its droopy state. Maybe she just needed to adjust the shape? Or perhaps creating a cutting force with Poison Mana would require a different structure compared to "normal" Mana?

Oberon used Magic Analysis as Ash formed the Poison Spell, as well as on the Pygmy Drake herself. Her eyes had begun to glow--was that a different skill or spell?

You used Magic Analysis IV!
---Poison Splash I---
Much like other elemental spells collecting trace elements, surrounding impurities and toxins are synthesized with Mana as a catalyst to produce this sphere of liquid poison. A creature capable of and familiar with producing poison within its own body might also use this spell to increase production without biological fuel, essentially substituting Magic Power for Stamina. Its nature as a poison causes severe nausea, vomiting, and caustic tissue damage. Upon impact, it splashes for a small Area of Effect. It may poison an organic target, and deals corrosive damage to most objects. If a target ingests the poison, the amount of damage it inflicts is roughly the same but the chance to inflict Poison damage over time rises greatly. If diluted with water or contaminated with other elements, especially earth, the poison's effectiveness can be greatly reduced. Attempting to burn the poison may cause volatile reactions.
---Ash---
Stunted, pesky cousins of greater drake species, the Pygmy Drake has a poisonous stinger on its tail rather than a breath weapon and glides more than it flies. Nonetheless it is somewhat clever, and mages sometimes keep it the way someone might keep a pet bird. They are more magically inclined than some other low ranking reptile species. You know this Pygmy Drake as Ash, a fellow Reincarnator. Ash has a number of Spell Skills and other magically oriented abilities, including Lesser Force, Magic Analysis, Meditate, Tremor Sense, Mana Orb, Shield, Mana Slice, Mana Shape, Mental Resistance, and Minor Heal. It seems like she is developing some kind of skill or spell to sense mana, and perhaps to see it as well, and her control over her magic is much greater than before. She is also developing several other Spell Skills, most of them offensive in nature like Mana Dart or Fireball.

A Pygmy Drake, being a creature capable of flight, is somewhat vulnerable to Wind, Lightning, and Ice magics. Its scales render Metal and Earth magics slightly less effective, but the creature's defenses cannot be compared to those of a true dragon. Ash's origins as a Poisonous creature render those magics much less likely to affect her even without a Poison Resistance. Her Dragon Affinity allows her to learn magics associated with Dragons, such as breath abilities, much more easily.
System:Oberon


Inspired by what he had seen from everyone else, Oberon set to one more experiment before he turned in for the night. Like Torrent, he decided to attempt Shadow Magic--and, though he hadn't seen what happened to the Lesserwurm, he experienced a similar fate. When he tried to draw in the shadows, even while standing in the darkest corners, there was a moment where he felt like it was working. A great pressure began to build within his outstretched hands. But when he tried to harness the shadows themselves...

---???---
An unknown spell attempting to draw in everything in the surroundings. You are attempting Shadow Magic but this is not Shadow Magic. Warning, this spellcraft is unstable--
System:Oberon


It felt like his eardrums burst and his throat spasmed all at once, as if he had tried to belch and breathe at the same time. He felt a strange resonation within his Mana, like a shortage in an electrical circuit. This seemed rather dangerous...and would require some thinking. What exactly was he doing wrong? Why was Shadow different from other elements?

Meanwhile, Torrent watched Oberon's attempt at using Shadow Magic and Analyzed him as well. She got much the same message as the Sprite had moments before he, too, was seized by some odd bodily hiccup. Had they both made the same mistake? Could they perhaps share their experiences and figure out what had gone wrong?

But, for now, rather than focus on her failure she decided to try something new. The Lesserwurm began playing with her more earth-aligned skills, perhaps unknowingly mimicking some of the spells that she had seen Digbie and Jason use at different times. Her earthen spikes, through fragile and small, held their form as they were launched up. They didn't fly very far though, and upon impacting the earth soon fell apart. They needed to be more solid, more earthen...rocks, rather than soil, perhaps. They needed more force behind them, too...what else could she adjust? Their shape? Their number? Would just trying to launch one work better than three?

You used Magic Analysis II!
---Soil Manipulation (Development)---
You are using the Soil Manipulation spell to shape earth into spikes, and attempting to launch them as an offensive spell. You have heard Digbie use a similar spell before, called Rock Spire. This Spell is now Developing.
System:Torrent


Ash was now back in the cave. Dipping her claws into the poison and scraping them along the wall had much the desired effect, though perhaps lesser than Ash would have hoped. Still, it was obvious that just like her regular liquid poison, the magically created venom could still be used to coat a weapon, or in this case her natural blades. Her claws still couldn't cut stone yet--she felt they were like a very large, very angry housecat, or perhaps a larger predator like a lynx. Good for gouging out eyes and drawing blood, but not yet capable of rending stone.

Her last experiment saw an attempt to project some form of her senses outside of her physical body using magic. With her eyes closed and her breathing steady, Ash could mentally put together an image of her surroundings, but this was solely from memory. She knew where everyone else was, based on where they had been when they laid down. She knew the shape of the cave, the position of the moon shining through the doorway, and the general look of the area. Just her imagination was enough to bring the vivid details out of the environment. Feeling the magic flowing through and around her body, however, did seem to bring these images into greater clarity. Even despite the lack of light, it seemed like everything had a soft glow...

And before she knew it she was asleep.

Torrent and Digbie both had a dream-filled night, and Oberon woke up with a very unsettling feeling in the middle of the night.

You used Magic Analysis IV! You used Monster Analysis II!
---Torrent---
Related to dragons, but still a cold-blooded reptile, the Lesserwurm burrows through the earth and fills the enclosed spaces around its prey with poisonous fumes. Its lengthy body is quite fast and deceptively strong, and its ability to shed its skin somehow allows it to heal more quickly. You know Torrent is a Reincarnator. Torrent has lower MP than you do. Lesserwurms can use magic but aren't particularly talented at it during their lower levels. Torrent has developed several spells and magically oriented skills including Fireball, Fire Resistance, Meditate, Tremor Sense, Soil Manipulation, Magic Analysis, Mental Resistance, Spell Cancel, Wurm Breath, Aqua Stream, Fog Breath, Wind Breath, and Frost Breath. She's also developing skills like Spiritual Awareness, Spell Chant, Focus, Gather Light, and others. She is also developing Dragon Affinity, which makes certain types of spells like breath weapons easier for her to learn. Being an underground creature, Torrent is more susceptible to spells of Light, Water, and Metal elements but more resistant to Fire, Lightning, and Wind elements. Her natural venom also makes it much harder to poison her even without a Poison Resistance skill. A strange force surrounds her as she sleeps, but she is unharmed.
---Digbie---
Demiblins are Goblins that have been influenced by demonic energies, often committing acts that even make their brethren pause or else have been influenced by a greater demonic being. They are roughly the same size as normal goblins but tend towards the taller and more muscular side of the average. Their skin darkens until it becomes almost ink black, and they often develop strange magical sigils on their skin. They show increased aptitude for magic. Digbie is a fellow Reincarnator like you. There is something off about him, but oh well. Digbie has gained the Stone-Hardened variance, imbuing him with powers of the Earth element. He has also gained the Mystic variance, imbuing him with powers of pure Mana. Because of his Earth Affinity, Digbie has a vulnerability to Wind, Ice, and Metal. Because of his Mana Affinity, Digbie has a vulnerability to Taint. Because of his Demon Affinity, Digbie has a vulnerability to Holy, but it is very low because his Demon Affinity has not yet activated. His Earth elemental spells are strong against Fire, Wind, and Wood.

Digbie has several magical skills, almost all of them associated with the Earth element, and much higher MP than usual for a Goblin--in fact, his MP is almost as high as yours. He has spells and magically oriented skills like Stone Shot, Tremor Sense, Soil Manipulation, Sacred Ground, Rock Spire, Earth Affinity, Meditate, Earth Vein, Spell Chant, Magic Analysis, Mental Resistance, Mana Orb, Shield, Mana Affinity, Earth Wall, Minor Heal, and Guidance. He's developing spells like Fire Resistance, Spiritual Awareness, and several others. The developing skill Demon Affinity will make it easier for him to learn certain types of skills and spells. A strange force surrounds him as he sleeps, but he is unharmed.
System:Oberon


***


The next morning Ash rose early, and went outside to practice with her spear. Using Lesser Force to wield the weapon, after a few thrusts and swings she tried to pick up the Smooth Stone at the same time. However, doing this consumed MP much faster than usual and was clumsy, even reducing her ability to manipulate the spear. It felt as if, without the Dual Cast ability, such a thing probably wouldn't even be possible. And even then, it was like learning to become ambidextrous.

After Torrent recovered from her dream, she remained within the shelter and once again tried to draw the shadows unto herself. Once again, she pulled at the Mana around her, searching for the distinct feel of a dark aligned element...and once again, her body convulsed and her Mana shorted out with a snort and a cough.

You used Magic Analysis II!
---???---
You attempted to use Shadow Magic again, but this is not Shadow Magic. This is similar to what Oberon tried last night. You were creating an area of localized pressure by drawing in the Mana around you, but there was nothing you would recognize as a "Dark" or "Shadow" Mana. This method feels wrong.
System:Torrent


So, she had failed twice and Oberon had failed once--all with the same method. So...what did they need to do? Trying to draw in the "darkness" wasn't working, the way that drawing in water or air and pushing it back out had. Or the way that visualizing a growing heat within the body had produced fire. Why? Was there a reason the typical elemental manipulations didn't work on Shadow specifically? What were they doing wrong?

Oberon was the next up, slaking his thirst at the stream and shivering in the early morning chill. He asked the System to show him several bits of information...

Current Skills:
Minor Heal III (3.0125)
Lesser Flight III (3.0625)
Shield IV (4.03875)
Magic Analysis IV (4.4575)
Mana Orb II (2.775)
Mana Shape II (2.9)
Lesser Status Heal (1.2)
Mana Dart I (1.6)
Alert I (1.65)
Monster Analysis II (2.625)
Meditation III (3.08875)
Light Ring I (1.3)
Gather Light I (1.9)
Fireball I (1.8)
Plant Analysis I (1.0)
Material Analysis I (1.0)
Sacred Ground I (1.0)
Mana Slice I (1.25)
Overwork I (1.8)
Keen Sight (1.1)
Minor Heal All I (1.0)
Spiritual Awareness I (1.0)
Minor Regeneration I (1.0)
Spell Chant I (1.1)
Focus I (1.35)
Mental Resistance II (2.275)
Sensory Resistance I (1.0)
Faster I (1.0)
Aqua Sphere I (1.05)
Wind Break I (1.05)
Wall I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Faster (0.5)
Charisma (0.9)
Light Affinity (0.8)
Fire Resistance (0.2)
Spell Cancel (0.1)
Mana Puppet (0.5)
Earth Wall (0.1)
Mana Drain (0.3)
Wind Break (0.7)
Flame Lance (0.7)
Stronger (0.1)
Mana Sense (0.2)
Air Read (0.3)
Mana Control (0.1)
Wind Resistance (0.1)
Ice Spike (0.4)
Gravity Well (0.1)

EXP: 92%

Party Information:
Current Members: Ash [Pygmy Drake], Torrent [Lesserwurm], Digbie [Demiblin].
Currently all Members seem to be in Good Health.
Increase Party Bond to access more Party Information.
System:Oberon


Digbie awakened from his own dream feeling none-too-rested, despite whatever his Status said. Gathering his things and breaking his fast with a small few morsels before he left, he went a ways down shore from the others to have some privacy. Placing the book and effigy in front of him, the little goblin clasped his hands began to pray...

"Maiden, I have fallen to the taboo, and am no longer worthy of being called your child." The morning felt very still, and quiet. No birdsong, no wind...even the stream's babble became a whisper. "Though I am only a demiblin, I wish to receive your holy guidance and blessing..." As Digbie went on, the blue morning fog seemed to be clearing out faster than usual...the golden rays of the sun raced over the mountains to the west. Warmth fell across his back like a mantle. "...to purge this taboo out of my body, for my own safety, and the strength to provide the same safety to myself and my friends."

Digbie opened his eyes...and, sitting on the bank of the stream, right there in front of him, was a white, dove-like bird. It simply stared at him, ruffling its feathers just once. And when the Demiblin finally let out a breath, the bird startled and took flight...dropping something from its beak.

A small, almost perfectly round bead of something similar to glass, but not quite. Quartz or some other mineral, perhaps? The sight of it, and perhaps this whole situation of prayer and liturgical books and praying to a holy maiden...and perhaps, something else?...brought an idea to Digbie's mind...

A Quest is yours to receive: Fashion 8 Beads of Prayer

  • Beads can be made from a number of materials: stones, clay, gems, even wood.
  • Beads should be strung along a sturdy string or rope.
  • Wearing them around the wrist or neck is the most convenient method to keep them close


Do you wish to receive this Quest? Y/N
System:Digbie
Deep Forest

Using Fresh Tree Bark pulled from the Old Kao Tree, covering them in Fresh Kao Sap, and then wrapping them in Green Kao Leaves, Femus was able to create...something. The sticky wads of greenery would harden if he let them air dry, turning the sap into a sort of resin, but other than that...what had he really created here? He didn't receive any type of notice from the System. Still, maybe that didn't mean whatever these things were was useless. Maybe he wasn't finished crafting yet. As he slowly made his way up the tree, carefully conserving his Mana, he watched Nira and the other Pixie.

As the two made more flower crowns, Nira soon began feigning a need for naptime. The other pixie noticed this and began fluttering around the girl, before pantomiming eating food and looking at Nira expectantly. It seemed to think that maybe if she ate something she wouldn't feel tired anymore--hovering closer, it tugged at her arm for a moment.

But just then, yet another problem revealed itself. A third pixie flying by took notice of what was going on. Swooping in with a laugh, it grabbed the half-finished flower crown dangling from Nira's hand and yanked it away. Nira's "friend" gave a screech of displeasure, but the newcomer only laughed and zipped upwards--inadvertently heading towards Femus.

The pixie turned to Nira, shaking its fists and growling, and pointed after the thief. Waving for Nira to come on, the angry fairy launched into pursuit...


Monster Party

You used Material Analysis II! You used Mana Sense I! You used Magic Analysis III! You used Monster Analysis II!
---Deceased Giant Rat---
Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" behaviors of vermin due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. When hunting, however, they are extremely vicious. They have lost their fear as a smaller creature, and are now far less likely to retreat. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. This particular target has no Spell Skills. It was developing Magic Resistance before its death. It was killed by a combination of blood loss, trauma-induced shock, and poison. Its fur has been badly burned in places, significantly reducing its value as a Material. Its bones, fangs, and claws are larger and stronger compared to the Dire Rat and thus make much hardier Materials. Its meat is edible, but very tough, gamey, and smelly unless prepared by a skillful cook. Extracted bile from its liver, kidneys, bladder, or stomach could make powerful poisons, due to the typical rodent's diet composition. Garbage, scavenged kills, bacteria, and all manner of things have festered inside this creature for who knows how long. The Mana you sense from this creature is quickly fading. It has a heavy presence, but otherwise nothing about it stands out.
---Giant Rat Bone Plates x3 (Average Quality)---
These three plates of bone once formed the: Sternum. Right Shoulder Blade. Left Shoulder Blade.
Though they are larger and thicker than the corresponding bones of a Dire Rat, their density has not increased quite as much. Compared to the bones of many other beast types, these are not so tough, but their size makes them easier to work with. Bone does not typically hold an edge very well, but the increased surface area of these plates would give much more material to work down to a sharper blade. They might also make worthwhile plates of armor.
---Giant Rat Bone x1 (Average Quality)---
This long bone once formed the: Forearm. The two back legs were severed, rendering them too fragile to be of use. The other forelimb splintered too much during the process of removal.
Though they are larger and thicker than the corresponding bones of a Dire Rat, their density has not increased quite as much. Compared to the bones of many other beast types, these are not so tough, but their size makes them easier to work with. Bone does not typically hold a point very well, but the length of this piece gives more material to work down to a sharp needle. It might also make a good club, though it is brittle. Because bone splinters easily, however, it is easily fashioned into needles or carved into hooks.
---Giant Rat Spine x1 (Average Quality)---
Though they are larger and thicker than the corresponding bones of a Dire Rat, their density has not increased quite as much. Compared to the bones of many other beast types, these are not so tough, but their size makes them easier to work with. Coming from a vermin, this spine has a great deal of flexibility, and in some ways acts more like a coil of rope than a bone. The individual vertebrae are smaller and not too strong, so it is difficult to carve or change their shape.
---Giant Rat Hide x2 (Poor Quality)---
Two large sections of hide. The third portion of the Pelt was too Burned to be of use.
Quite smelly, but the Giant Rat's thick fur makes these hides well insulated against the elements. If properly cured, low-quality leather could be made. Stripping the fur from the hide, however, would reduce it to clumps of short, bristly fibers too brittle to weave and too short to use as anything more than weak strings.
---Giant Rat Fang x1 (Average Quality)---
One of four larger canine teeth. The other three were too Broken to be of use.
Though they are larger and thicker than the corresponding bones of a Dire Rat, their density has not increased quite as much. Compared to the bones of many other beast types, these are not so tough, but their size makes them easier to work with. Much like even a mundane rodent species, the Giant Rat's fangs do not stop growing. Constant gnawing keeps them worn down, but also incredibly sharp. This fang would need no processing to act as the tip for some form of tool.
---Analysis Complete!---

Obtained Other Loot:
Edible Giant Rat Meat, x26 pounds - Other Meats and Internals rendered unsafe due to Poison.
1 Smooth Stone - A stone that is smooth and shiny. Found in a pouch inside the Rat's cheek, likely collected for nesting material.

EXP: 80%
System:Ash


As Ash began cutting into the Giant Rat's corpse with her claws, splitting its hide and exposing its guts, it seemed like this specimen might not be quite so useful as the Rubber Frog. Their battle had done quite the number on this creature. Digbie's kick and Oberon's Mana Slices had rendered its skull and back legs too damaged to be of any real use, save a few pieces here and there. Torrent and Ash's combined poisons and flames had damaged the outsides and corroded some of the insides, and while the two reptiles might have some resistance to their own venoms it probably wouldn't be safe for Oberon or Digbie to consume any of the tainted meat.

Pulling up her Experience tab, however, showed a shocking and enormous result. She had just leveled, and at that time had already been 20% closer to the next level. Since then, all she had done was distribute her Skill Points and fight the Giant Rat. And now she was more than three-quarters of the way to the next level. The Giant Rat was certainly a stronger enemy than most of those they had faced in the cave, but like the Giant Slime it hadn't been a match for a party of four significantly stronger than average creatures. Immediately before it attacked, however, using her points had caused at least 4 of her skills to rank up. Learning skills had already proven to contribute to leveling up, but what other conclusions could Ash draw from this rapid growth?

While Ash dissected their kill and Oberon questioned her about the nature of her new Poison Spell, Digbie enthusiastically began to show off all the things he had found. He also tried to show off the new skill he had been trying to develop--the key word being "tried." While trying to Dual Cast, it was difficult to focus on the two spells at once. The Mana Orb he attempted to cast in one hand kept flickering in and out like a lightbulb about to blow. With the other hand, his attempt at Soil Manipulation couldn't actually "manipulate" the soil--it just lifted it in clumps that rapidly fell apart. Still, at this point it seemed like a matter of practice.

Torrent used her newly acquired Aqua Stream spell to control the accidental forest fire, and luckily while it had quickly caught the underbrush, the flames weren't intense enough to reach up the sides of the trees. Soon, the clearing had a small expansion of soggy, blackened and charred dirt. If anything, maybe burning back some of the lower shrubs would help the trees. Though, had it been Torrent's imagination as she prayed? Or had those last dying flames cast a larger, dancing shadow among the looming woods?

The Lesserwurm thought to try one more experiment. Working off of instinct and feeling alone--which, granted, had served her very well--she tried to draw the power of darkness into her body. She imagined it forming as a sphere within her jaws, just like the Fireball...

With a sensation that could only be described as "a sneeze in reverse," the tunnelling reptile felt her breath catch. She choked and sputtered for just a moment--again, no longer than a sneeze. Her Mana, too, felt like it had tried to imitate a buzzer on a game-show. After a moment, everything stabilized. Torrent was left to shake her head and figure out what had just happened, as the sun drifted below the horizon.

While the group had the capability to light a fire, perhaps to cook their freshly acquired ingredients or just to give them light to work by, the darkness that now settled around them was a trigger to their tired bodies. The need for sleep began to nag at each one in turn, and the small opening of their shelter beckoned. Presumably, each would seek out rest in their own time...

***


Whenever they decided to go to sleep, it didn't take long to drift off. The party of little monsters, not quite so little anymore, had certainly had a long day full of excitement, inconvenience, adventure, terror, and many other things.

But for some of them, even sleep was not peaceful.

***


Digbie stood behind a horde of creatures. All of their figures were cast in shadow, black as ink. Only the gray light of their eyes, narrow under slanting brows and smoldering with anger, illuminated this empty void. Directly ahead of him, and to either side, were Goblins. They were small and scrawny...but like baby snakes, their venom flowed without restraint. Their hatred for everything that was not themselves was palpable. Digbie stood behind them. They left him, marching forward...

Up ahead, at the end of the Goblins' march, were other creatures. Digbie saw a broad back that, with a shiver, reminded him of Rattleskull. Other figures still looked like Goblins, but were taller, and their fury had become more refined. Some, despite their greater height, were hunched and even skinnier. Their fingers ended in long claws that grasped at the earth as they shuffled along like monkeys on all fours. Some had a hint of color to their inky bodies, red or blue.

And further, beyond them, were creatures the size of humans. Some were built lean, some thick, but all had considerable muscle. They wore armor and held vicious looking weapons. The light in their eyes was brighter. Some even bore horns, or spikes, or had a glowing aura that writhed across their bodies.

On and on the hordes went, growing more vast in their differences. Some were enormous, others were smaller. Some were rough, others so delicate as to seem weak. Some flew through the air, others tunneled beneath the earth. Some were fiery, and others ice-cold.

But behind Digbie, the shadows disappeared. There was light. It was warm, and welcoming...and so bright that it blinded Digbie. So bright that it was painful. And while it was warm, here at its edge, the heat grew more and more intense towards the center of this golden white blaze. If he got too close, would it burn him? Would it kill him?

Digbie could not know. Because while the shadows in front of him stretched on endlessly, taking so many different forms, in the light behind him there was nothing. Only him. If he chose to turn away, and walk on into it...

Yet the longer he stood, the further he could see into the light. And, though it was narrow--a single beam among the myriad rays from this radiant sun--he could see what might, just maybe, be a path. And at the end of that path...something small, and scrawny, but standing as tall as it could stretch...

A hand touched Digbie's shoulder. It was one of the silhouettes, another Goblin. Though faceless, it looked at Digbie...expectantly. Though its eyes glowed, their hate was not directed at him. The other Goblin gestured, and pointed towards the marching herds of creatures. It wasn't saying "come on!" or "hurry up!" Instead, it looked out over all of these various creatures, each making their own way into an unknown world...


***


Oberon did not dream, but more than once that night he awakened to a strange feeling. It felt as if something, perhaps someone, was inside the shelter with them. But no matter where he looked, he could see nothing against the hazy moonlit entrance of their tiny cave. Nor could he make out anything unusual in the shadows of his sleeping friends. Their breaths were slow and steady. Eventually, each time, Oberon would drift off once more...

***


In the Old World, shadows were...nothing. They had no mass, no true form. Shadow, darkness, was simply the absence of light. Despite all the superstition, a shadow was merely the displacement of light brought about by a body betwixt the light source and the surface upon which the shadow lay.

But in this world, in Torrent's dreams, the shadows danced. Standing next to her own sleeping form, she saw the moonlight drifting in from outside the cavern. And she saw how the shadows shrank away from it, as they circled the walls of the shelter until they had drawn up, up above her head. Looking up at them was like looking down into a dark, dark hole.

"What is the Shadow? Why pray to a Shadow goddess? Why seek its hidden gaze?"


***


The next day dawned in a dim fog, rolling through the forest to shroud the roots of the trees in damp gray. The birdsong was muted and sparse--in this season, it did not seem right for the breeze to chill and the mists to reach out with clammy, swirling fingers. If one looked up, over the treetops, they could even see the fogbanks literally rolling down the side of the mountain up above. Perhaps the avalanche had displaced enough snow down to the warmer climes that, as it melted, it caused this wave of unexpected moisture?

In the distance, to the north, a horn bleated just once. The sound was long and loud...and not terribly far away...


PixieSlime Party

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Bugbear---
Bugbears are an evolved form of the Goblin. Less suited to the natural cleverness or deftness of their smaller cousins, they more than make up for this with their toughness and strength. Their thick fur allows them to withstand the elements of many environments.
---Young Male Human---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with civilization, history, and culture. WARNING: DANGEROUS!
---Adult Male Human---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races, considered truly sentient. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with a fully functioning civilization, a varied history, and distinct cultures. WARNING: VERY DANGEROUS!
---Analysis Complete!---
System:Asura

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Bugbear---
Bugbears are an evolved form of the Goblin. Less suited to the natural cleverness or deftness of their smaller cousins, they more than make up for this with their toughness and strength. Their thick fur allows them to withstand the elements of many environments.
---Young Male Human---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with civilization, history, and culture. WARNING: DANGEROUS!
---Adult Male Human---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races, considered truly sentient. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with a fully functioning civilization, a varied history, and distinct cultures. WARNING: VERY DANGEROUS!
---Momma Slime---
You know this Adult Slime as "Momma Slime." You are very familiar with this monster. Slimes are amorphous creatures more similar to undeveloped egg yolks, yet they are able to move on their own and digest prey. Their bodies are highly resistant to physical damage and malleable. Momma Slime seems stronger than average. This monster seems to be a deviation from the norm...
---Steve---
You know this Tamed Oculus Spider as "Steve." You are very familiar with this monster. A low-ranking Arachnid-class Insect-type Monster. While it possesses venom, it is not that much more potent than a normal spider and thus it is virtually harmless to humans save in very large doses or in the case of specific allergies. However, because it has adapted to Mana in its environment and thus become a Monster, it has gained a large eye that works differently than its normal eyes. It will swing from a web in a hypnotic manner to entice prey.
---Asura---
You know this Amorphous Slime as "Asura." You are very familiar with this monster. Slimes that have a preference for shape-shifting sometimes develop a weaker membrane. Their defensive abilities stop increasing so quickly compared to other Slime species, but their shapeshifting and movement skills rise much more quickly. These slimes avoid water, as it has a much stronger diluting effect on them. Asura is a former Human like you.
---Analysis Complete!--
System:Ardur


As Asura released the Bugbear's leg, the creature jerked its injured limb away from the slime. Ardur's attack hadn't dislocated the joint, but a dark bruise was already forming and as the Bugbear tried to put its weight on the leg it made a painful popping sound. The monster spared a glance towards the humans with panicked eyes, and continued to try and wrench free of Steve's webbing with its pointed stick...

"Ardur...could really use that heal now..." the slime growled as he moved back. The younger human immediately took notice, and stopped inching towards the group of monsters. Ardur turned and stopped in midflight, slowly descending with a blank look. In a dumbfounded voice, he only managed to say, "Humans?" Steve stayed behind Ardur, and well away from both the humans and the Bugbear. She crouched low to the ground to reduce her profile, and hissed lightly between her fangs. Momma Slime slowed down as she rolled back towards the Bugbear, and this distraction allowed the creature to swing its free hand at her before she made contact. The back of its big fist bounced off of her without doing much damage, but it had enough force to knock her to one side. She bounced to a stop at the edge of the clearing, away from both her party and the humans. She turned towards them with a low burbling noise, her membrane rippling as she shivered.

"Mother Slime, get back to the burrow." Asura began to change his shape, a human-like torso rising out of the puddle of goop. Ardur cast Minor Heal on him, though it didn't quite fully restore his HP. The armed child bristled as the magical sparkles appeared, and the knight standing behind him raised his visor slightly.

"M-master! There are more of them, like that Poltergeist!" The human boy's eyes shifted between the Bugbear and the Amorphous Slime, Hipixie, Slime, and Oculus Spider. Asura took up a neutral stance, holding up his "hands."

"It's yours if you want it. I've no desire to come against you lot." Asura stated. Ardur began talking and gesturing to Steve, and slowly both he and the Spider were backing away. The Hipixie grabbed their stuff, though he never took his eyes away from the two humans.

"Well then. Something is certainly afoot here." spoke the knight. His visor was fully up now, revealing a face that Asura and Ardur would see as an odd balance of Caucasian and Asian features that somehow still seemed unique to this world. His face was on the paler side of complexion, and his hair was light brown. He had stubble across his strong jaw, and was only just showing signs of age around his face. His eyes narrowed. "Stay where you are, monsters--or at least, those of you who understand me."

"Master, do you think they all came from the cave?" the boy piped up. "They might be related to the Dungeon--"

The knight suddenly gave his charge a pointed look, just as the Bugbear freed itself with a loud roar. It lunged at the young adventurer, stabbing at him with its pointed stick like an ice pick. The boy turned with a gasp as he realized the mistake in taking his attention away from an opponent. The knight didn't move in his ward's defense, but the youth got his shield up just in time. The wooden spike's tip wasn't properly sharpened, merely tapering and splintered where the Bugbear had broken it. It struck the rawhide covering the shield, and pushed against the padded wood beneath, but left only a small pinprick before its tip crunched and bent. Still, the muscle behind the Bugbear's arm forced the boy a step back. He planted himself--and placed the tip of his sword just over the rim of his shield.

"Skewer!"

That red flash was bright, even brighter than Asura's Smash, but it was all focused at the sword's point. Without dropping his defenses the squire stabbed forward, and the Bugbear only managed to avoid getting stabbed in the face by sacrificing its other arm. The blade bit deep into its raised forearm, piercing all the way through between the bones. Both combatants yanked away from each other, and though his weapon was now caked in blood and fat the boy managed to hold onto it and leave his enemy with a gaping wound.

"Youse be Rattleskull?!" The apprentice shouted, curling his lips into a snarl that looked unnatural on his face. His voice had thickened somewhat and had an accent, like he was mimicking someone else. To Asura and Ardur, it didn't sound...quite right, yet they still understood what the child was saying.

"No, ya stupid human!" the Bugbear roared, clutching its wounded arm. "I'm Bear-Ate! I left dat dum tribe long time ago!" The boy began to circle as the gray furred beast bared its fangs, the only weapons left to it now.

"I'm not sure, sir, but I don't think this is the right one! It definitely said no!" The squire's voice sounded normal again. "Then, uh...an insult, maybe? And something about eating an animal?"

"That's the second time you've gotten distracted, boy." The Knight's firm voice scolded. His charge immediately shut up, just in time for the Bugbear to charge him again. This time the creature went for a full-body tackle. The Bugbear's four-and-a-half foot height was actually a little shorter than the boy's, but in body mass it surely outweighed him. Its brawny shoulder slammed against the youth's shield--yet surprisingly, the human held his ground! A soft, gold-white aura began to glow around his body, and both knight and squire let out a surprised "huh?"

"Hey, kid." Ardur had spoken up, raising a hand. "May the sun protect you and guide your blade." The Bugbear froze for a moment in shock, and though the boy could only look at Ardur with a slack jaw he soon recovered. With a grunt, the boy twisted and used his shield to help leverage his opponent's mass. As his boots ploughed at the ground, he actually reversed their deadlock, and the goblinoid's eyes went wide as it was shoved to one side. A desperate arm lashed out with a wide haymaker, and the young swordsman ducked under it with timing so smooth it seemed like his opponent was moving in slow motion.

"Slash!"

Up from below, that sword flashed crimson once more. The aura of Ardur's Inspiration flared brightly. A blow to the back of the knee that would have hamstrung the foe instead sliced right through, taking off the Bugbear's lower leg entirely. Dark blood covered the ground as the boy continued past his opponent. The light cloaking his body disappeared. The Bugbear spun in place on its remaining leg, arms windmilling before it fell onto its back with a wretched cry. That patched, dark green cloak whirled as the squire turned back and jumped, his shield arm shifting so that both hands could hold his blade. He landed hard on the monster's stomach, driving the air out of it with his knees. The adventurer practically fell forward, and his whole body weight slammed the tip of his sword through Bear-Ate's sternum. The furry brute screamed and choked, flailing with both arms. These feeble blows had no real power behind them, and as the young man ducked his head and braced his shoulders the creature failed to budge him. The sword dug deeper as the boy worked it back and forth, until its hilt stopped an inch from the flesh. The Bugbear's last breath escaped in a bubble of red froth, and it lay still.

"Sloppy, boy, but it'll do for now!" The Knight turned back to the Slimes, Hipixie, and Spider. "That was the Inspire spell! If you creatures can really talk, do you have names? Who are you, and who do you serve?"

He had taken his hand off of his sword, and now stood with both fists on his hips. The boy was cleaning off his weapon--not something one would do if they planned to keep fighting. It seemed like, at the moment, neither of these two planned to hurt the party. Earlier, the knight had only wanted them to stay where they were...but he also had not made any attempt to block their path or catch them. If they wanted to turn and run...maybe these two wouldn't risk pursuit? It seemed like they were content to just try and communicate--if Asura, Ardur, and the others didn't want to talk, though, and the humans didn't plan to detain them, maybe they could just get the hell out of Dodge...?


Rat Party

The ratpack chose to camp in the barrow for the night, though not without making an offering to the spirits of the place. There were no coals or fire starting materials inside the entrance chamber, so unless they used the firestarting flint they had stolen from the village there was no way to cook their bugmeat or their offering. Still, Asteria tossed it into the pit with a whispered prayer.

You still sense that the Mana here is uneasy...but it has relaxed somewhat. You sense a heavy, slowly shifting Mana in the earth all around you.
System:Asteria


With the remains of their prey and dewdrops from the grass, the party was able to sate their hunger and thirst at least for the time being. In scavenging around the area, Asteria found 3 more Nullven Cones. Once they had actually entered the barrow's entrance, they found that the second room still cast in deep shadows was open as well. From around the firepit, they could see through the doorway...though a sense of foreboding might keep them from placing even a paw over the threshold. Still, this second chamber looked much the same in shape and size as this first. The difference was that a large table could be seen dominating the center of that room, and the walls had several shelves. At one end of that table was a drain, with a great basin underneath it--and all of these things bore black, sticky stains. The metallic scent was unpleasant to the rat's noses, but they could also catch a whiff of something much better, heady and herbal. Cloves of some kind of leaves or perhaps some other plant matter could be seen hanging from the ceiling.

Beyond this second chamber was the first real door they had seen. Made of a dark colored wood, braced with iron bands, a padlock had been placed upon it...though it looked rusty and none too strong. If the entrance to the second chamber felt foreboding...this door felt outright forbidden.

Still, the rats managed to sleep, taking the watch in shifts. Mother Rat seemed to sense Ed's fear, and didn't seem much at ease herself. As Asteria took the first watch, the older Dire Rat huddled closely with the Rat Man inside the barrow.

Gathering plants, practicing her skills, and replenishing her Mana, Asteria made her time on watch pass quickly. She watched the moon rise, large and pale and somewhat less full than the previous night. She could see the lights of the distant town twinkling, until many of them began to wink out one by one. Before midnight, the vast majority of the town had turned pitch black.

She eventually switched duties with Ed, and the Ratman was left to stand atop the Barrow and see much the same as Asteria had from that higher vantage. The town, the lake, and the river all bathed in moonlight some distance away. He tried to gather his magic and manipulate it in some way to warm himself...and ever so slightly, perhaps simply by imagining warmth, it seemed to help.

Out here on the plains, it was hard to pick up on the movement of other creatures. Back in the forest, a twig would snap underfoot, or bushes would rustle. The long grass, however, would give way under the slightest sigh of wind. Unless something moving through it was large or fast, you couldn't determine whether a swaying patch had been touched by the breeze or was being moved by a small critter. It was also much quieter, moving through grass. If other creatures burrowed like the Myrminors they had already seen, it was also possible that Ed wouldn't be able to pick up on them at all until he developed some kind of ability to sense things underfoot.

Surely, his senses and his Alert skill could be trusted to some degree. Nothing ever jumped out of the night at him to scream "danger!" So the moon kept on its gradual trek across the sky, the stars twinkled, and the night passed...

***


Ed came awake with a start, only just realizing that he had dozed off sometime after the sky started turning from a midnight pitch to a more subdued, misty hue. But the sun still wasn't up yet--everything was still dim and hazy, and the dew was cold and fresh. But the Alert skill seemed to buzzing dully in the back of his mind...

There, he saw it. Or rather, he saw them.

The first one wasn't very good at moving stealthily, at least not with that dented iron helmet that stuck out like a sore thumb above the tall grass. The second at least kept himself low, and was already shorter. But he was fatter than the first, and being out of breath kept him from being completely hidden.

The third actually would have escaped Ed's sight, had he not been carrying a staff topped with a rabbit-like skull and a ring of red feathers. Even so, it was easy to lose track of his movements whenever that shamanistic tool disappeared in the grass. The last two were hard to catch as well, but their hooded cloaks turned their forms into larger blocks of color that could be picked out better whenever they moved from one position to another.

The figures seemed to have come from the direction of the forest, and were making their way towards the road and the barrow. The first two were definitely humans. The one with the helmet also wore a thick, padded garment of some kind that looked to be made of layered linens. It was like a long shirt, cinched at his waist with a belt and covering his upper arms and upper thighs as well as his torso. At his side hung a sword, and slung across his back was a metal shield. He wore a hood, just a singular garment made of cloth with some fastenings to mantle it across one's shoulders, but for some reason hadn't worn it to hide the reflection of his helmet.

The fatter one was dressed in layers, but his clothing seemed much more civilian in nature. He wore a long sleeved undershirt beneath a dark dyed tunic, and over that had a light vest that looked to be made of a tanned animal hide. The clothing was all dirty, and torn or patched in a few places, like this man had been on hard times for a while--though you wouldn't know it to look at his weight. He had a large knife, like a butcher's, on his belt.

The third figure, however, was clearly some kind of monster. Its clothing had been woven without much skill from vines and grass, giving it a tribalistic appearance. Its snout was somewhat thick, like that of a dog...but its entire body was reptilian and covered in scales, and its fingers and feet were tipped with scales. Its yellow eyes "blinked" two different times, as multiple lids slid in an out of place.

Ed couldn't see well enough at this distance to tell whether the last two were short, maybe young, humans...or if they were some other kind of creature. They kept their hoods up, and their cloaks seemed a size or two too large for them. So even their limbs were wrapped in the indistinct folds of cloth.

The figures had reached the road now, but they looked cautiously from one side to the other and stayed in the ditch along one side. Ed couldn't make out what they were saying, but his enhanced senses picked up the voice of the one in the helmet giving orders of some kind based on his tone. The fat one stayed with him, and the other three crossed over the road. They hurried and scurried, backs bent and heads low. They were headed for the side of the barrow, but as they hadn't looked up yet they had not noticed Ed crouched atop it. Once they were hidden along the wall of the mass grave, they pressed themselves against the cobblestone base and began creeping closer to the road again.

"Still say dis plan dum!" hissed one of the hooded figures. "We bes too close to da town!"

"Sshut yor fayshe!" The reptilian's voice was harsher, like a bark, but it also seemed to have a natural lisp of a sort. "Shinsh thuh mownteen blowed up, bound t'be Advenshurrs comin' t'see wat happun!"

"Or dem vill'jers runnin' away, dey gonna go to da town for help. So we's gonna get 'em by s'prise!" The other hooded figure didn't agree with his compatriate either.

Back along the road, the man with the helmet unsheathed his weapon. Ed caught sight of its gleam, and for some reason remembered his dream from the previous day...the sound of steel rasping on leather. Figures, huddled around a fire.

Behind the well-armed man and the fat fellow, in the distance, that lonely hill could be seen just poking out of the treeline. There wasn't a column of smoke rising up behind it now.

"Even if it is gud idea...which it not!" protested the first cloaked thing, "we still gots ta sit here for long, long, looooooong time..."

"It'll go fashter if you sshut yor fayshe!" The reptile put a finger to his snout and hissed at both of them. Then the three hunkered down, eyes toward the road. One of them lifted a hand to the side of his head, clearly listening intently...

Could Ed get down and back into the barrow without any of these would-be-bandits noticing?

Meanwhile, inside the barrow, Asteria and Mother Rat were awakened by hushed whispers, coming from outside. Still groggy from slumber, they hadn't yet deciphered what the voices were saying, but they knew for a fact it couldn't be Ed among them. As Asteria picked herself off the ground, one of her paws touched something cold and metallic.

A single gold coin, that most certainly had not been there before, next to the fire pit.


Ghost Party

Obtained Loot:
Dire Rat-Hide Loincloth
Small Hollow Gourd (Half Full of Water)
Wooden Cudgel
System:Danny


He had already stolen its weapon, and now Danny took everything else the dead goblin had owned. Which wasn't really much. Its loincloth smelled rather rank, but taking it off did reveal that a small gourd had been tucked inside it. It had been dried and hollowed out, and its top had been partially cut off to make a sort of lid. The goblin apparently used it for a water bottle.

When Jason tried to drain the Mana of the two goblins, he quickly emptied out the sleeping one without resistance, but found that the dead one gave him only a trickle of Mana which was soon cut off completely. It seemed that dead creatures, even recently killed ones, rapidly lost their Mana somehow...maybe it was being absorbed by the environment, or dispersing into the ambient atmosphere? His own Mana, however, was back to Full and once again he received the notice for Temporary Extra MP.

As the spirit scanned their environment for any helpful herbs, he prayed to the unnamed spirits of the earth for some form of guidance. Then he sat there and...waited. Jason continued to look around, but nothing really caught his eye among the trees...and the dirt...and the grasses...and the shrubs...

Only one plant stuck out to him, and that was just because it was the first time he'd seen this particular flower in the woods. It had been there the whole time, it just stuck out now because he was actually looking at things in detail. The flower had blue and yellow blossoms, but it smelled a little unpleasant. Its stem and leaves were thick, and the leaves in particular had veins that stood out prominently to imply the flower was full of sap.

The spear goblin started to stir with a groan...


Farmstead

Lear looked suspiciously at the leaf that Scott handed him. Then, he raised his other hand to his mouth and bit down hard on his thumb. He didn't break the skin, but a clear indention of his teeth caused the skin to swell and redden. Then he crushed the leaf in the same hand and watched the result. He did glance over at Miiba as she talked about "games" and "picture books," then nodded to himself.

"That confirms it then. You two were Summoned here, probably from the same world. There's a world in particular that a lot of Summoned people end up being from--not that I really know why. But they often talk about those things. A "game" or a "picture book" that the people of that world use to tell stories." He shook his now healed thumb and crossed his arms. "The things they talk about aren't always the same, but the gist of it is that they only have fictional imaginings of monsters and magic. Always sounded pretty twisted to me--not that I've met one, mind you." He looked around at the forest surrounding them, and then up at the mountain that had exploded less than half an hour ago. "Why come up with stories about things like that? If your world didn't have Demons, why would you make them up, you know? No offense."

Then he pointed at Scott.

"But what you just did is throwing me for a loop. That's a spell called Scribe. It's not something a Pixie could normally cast, I'm fairly sure...but it's also not anything impressive, at least not at that Rank. Why would your Summoner, especially if it was a Spirit, give you something like that and not like...a Lost Spell, or some kind of Unique Skill?" He looked at Miiba now. "Miiba has way more Skills than a Goblin her age should be capable of, as well. Yet none of them are really...good, in all honesty. They're just bog standard stuff almost anyone could learn."

Lear motioned for the two to follow him, and headed back towards the wall and the farmhouse.

"As for this shadow man...Hm." The big man tilted his head from side to side, literally wracking his brain. "Black hair...that's fairly common in some places. I've heard just about everyone from Yamajima has black hair. Red eyes, though...it's rare for a pureblood Human to have that eye color. Unless...well, a World Summoner wouldn't be your run of the mill Mage, after all...Hmm..." He looked back to make sure Scott and Miiba were following.

"Either way, I think if you two intended something bad at this point I'd have picked up on it. And, again no offense, both of you are too weak to be a real threat. So, as long as you behave yourselves, I'll let you stay here too, Pixie. And Miiba, just because you have a friend now, don't forget our deal. Everybody plays nice, and maybe we can figure out what's going on here." He snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "Oh, and uh...Scott. There are two Adventurers working for me right now. Geir and Mirabelle. Both of you should be very careful around them until they learn to trust you."

The perimeter seemed clear, and the smoke from the mountain had died down. Though the forest was uneasy, things were once again calm. Lear opened the gate, and ushered both Scott and Miiba inside...
@Vinsmoke Goji@June Billson@Capt0blivious

I'm very sorry, especially to those of you I'd already requested a CS from, but as of late I've begun to feel that I've reached my limit in the number of players I'm able to make quality posts for in a timely fashion. As of now, both to the most recent applicants and the former applicants to whom I originally extended the re-invitation, apps for this RP are once again CLOSED. If a character hasn't already been approved and isn't already in the character tab, they can no longer join in the RP.

If you've enjoyed reading the RP, by all means continue to follow along on this adventure with us, and maybe at some point in the future I'll feel confident enough in my work schedule and my skill as a GM to open up applications again. But I can't promise anything, and at this point I feel like I wouldn't be doing anyone a favor, especially not my current players, by continuing to encourage new applications.

So again, my apologies, but we will no longer be accepting applications.
Farmstead

"I see..." Lear looked between Scott and Miiba for a few moments, tapping one boot against the ground. "Unless you're both lying to me about knowing each other, and have set up this elaborate plot beforehand...It lends both of you some credence." He turned to the goblin girl. "Miiba was a young girl, and you," he looked back at Scott, "were a teenage boy. And you both came from a world--maybe the same one--with no magic." He rubbed his chin. "I guess I could have tried this earlier, but it only just now came to me after hearing the two of you talk about your worlds not having magic or monsters. Do the terms "arpeeji" or "mongah" mean anything to you?"

He waited a few moments to hear their answers, but it seemed like he already expected what they had to say. He also waited for Scott to answer Miiba's questions as well, then broke in at the next opportune moment.

"Scott, Miiba mentioned a "shadow man" that she saw before she woke up as a Goblin. Do you remember such a figure? Did they give you any kind of...quest? Or...a special ability? Something you haven't seen other monsters use?"

Lear did not seem like the scholarly sort, nor the dishonest one. Yet it was clear the gears in his head were turning, perhaps quite intensely, and he seemed to be reaching a conclusion of some kind. What that meant for Scott and Miiba--and their current relationship status with this man--was anyone's guess.


Monster Party

As the Giant Rat took off with Digbie in tow, Oberon hurled a desperate Fireball high over the rodent's head. It hit the ground a few feet in front of the animal and immediately flared up, consuming several of the bushes and roots along the forest floor. The rat's forepaws scrabbled at the earth as it pulled up short. Light surrounded Digbie as he hung from the predator's jaws and the energies of Shield wrapped around his body. It was good timing, too, as Torrent chose that moment to charge directly through the flames.

She could feel the heat licking her scales; her Fire Resistance seemed to help a great deal, but it still stung. To this conflaguration she added her own patented variation of Fireball, and the rat squealed as the explosion set its greasy, matted fur on fire. In the process it dropped Digbie, just as the goblin was swinging a magically charged kick at its face.

Digbie felt the familiar weight of Earth Mana flowing through his body, and his leg was surrounded by a golden aura as he punted the ROUS square in the nose. There was a crackling sensation in his limb, and though he felt no pain he could tell that the flames around him were swiftly burning away the Shield. Moments later, however, Ash's soothing magic surrounded him and Torrent, healing what little damage they had taken thus far.

The rat thrashed in agony, reared up on its haunches and covering its doubly injured face in its tiny hands. Oberon's Mana Slice caught it just above its ankles, cutting off its back legs as well as its tail. Still burning, the giant mammal gave one last desperate shriek as it tried to pull itself towards the stream...but the pain was too much. The Giant Rat went into shock, as its hide sizzled and smoked. Then it died.

At this point, the sun was well on its way to setting over the mountains. Long fingers of red light fell over the campsite, and shadows were creeping up from the base of the trees. Oberon and Torrent had created a rapidly spreading flame in the brush that made quite the light display...


PixieSlime Party

ERROR. System is already monitoring Health Points and Stamina Points. Command "Full Display" not recognized.

You are taking Poison Damage!
The poison is beginning to fade...
System:Asura


Asura wasted no time in immediately trying to capture the Bugbear. As he used his Limited Shapeshift to give his body a "sticky" quality, he still felt the immense weight and impact of the goblinoid's foot as it slammed down on top of him. That poison was still burning through his system as well--if he had to guess, based on how he had felt during past battles, he was probably around halfway through his HP.

But his strategy worked--by Clinging to the ground, Asura was able to trip up the Bugbear. By this time Ardur had ordered Steve to use her webbing, and her upgraded Web Spit had increased its range so that she didn't have to get any closer to the creature than she already was. As the big monster fell forward, it caught itself with one hand--which was promptly stuck to the ground by webbing. While Ardur cast Shield on his fist in preparation, Momma Slime rolled forward at full speed. She clocked the Bugbear right across its chin before bowling on through, rolling in a wide arc so that she would soon be able to repeat the attack.

The Bugbear shook his hairy head and grabbed a Pointy Stick from the back of his hips, where it had been looped through the ratskins he wore. With this improvised spear he began trying to pry the webbing off of his hand in a panic--just before Ardur's powerful strike crunched into his kneecap. The creature let out a bloodcurdling roar.

And then two humans burst out of the underbrush.

The boy was too tall for a child, but too scrawny to be an adult. He lacked facial hair, but had a subtle athleticism and maturity in his features. Most would probably place him somewhere between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. He wore a thick, long sleeved garment that didn't look exactly like wool or cotton, but wasn't made of leather either. It was a dark, earthy brown color, while his trousers were a lighter shade. His gloves and boots were matched, leather laced with rawhide, buckled with metal, and dyed solid black. Over all this he wore a thick cloak colored a rough forest green, patched here and there with bits of brown or other shades of green. It might have been a bad attempt at blending in, but seemed more likely due to the age of the garment. He held a smaller kind of round shield in one hand, and a sword in the other that seemed appropriate for his size, but still a little heavy for him.

The second figure was clearly an adult, tall and broad of shoulder. He wore full plate, with the vulnerable areas covered by maille. Trunks of the chain mesh seemed to be attached to the doublet worn under the armor--of a similar style to the heavy garment the boy wore--and the underarms had small curtains of it actually riveted to the cuirass and pauldrons. The armor had a gothic style with fluted decoration and articulated joints, but it did not gleam in the sun--rather, it seemed to have been painted or burnished with something that kept it smooth, but dulled its sheen. A bit to the opposite that one might have expected, the only places where the metal underneath gleamed in the sun were places where small scratches and pockmarks, perhaps older dents that had been buffed out, showed through under the burnishing. Despite this seemingly impregnable gear, the man also carried a kite-shaped shield. It was split into two colors, blue and cream, and bore a black sigil shaped like a portcullis. Like the boy he wore a sword at his hip, but it was much more splendid in design. At the same time, another loop on his belt held a flanged mace, and hanging from the leather on a chain was a slightly ornate dagger.

"There it is, sir, I didn't lose it after all! But...what?" The boy had his shield held up in front of him, and the point of his sword peeked around its edge as if prepared for a thrust. Slowly, he began edging towards the battle, but he kept a careful eye on all of these different monsters...

"Other predators will take advantage of weakened prey, boy! Watch yourself!" the knight called out. One hand rested on the pommel of his own weapon, but he watched from a little further away as the fighting continued...


Rat Party

As Ed shivered in the wind, nothing yet had happened near his end of the barrow. Up on top of the mound, however, Asteria concentrated her Mana to the tip of her claw and began to trace the strange sigils on the turning plates...In doing so, she caused them to begin to move. As the plates turned, the shadows cast by the large moon overhead fell over each of them. It was a thin, light shadow, for after all moonlight was only a reflection of sunlight. But as Asteria traced the sigils, her own Mana left a tiny spark of its own light...and at one point, she felt--not mechanically, but intuitively--something click. Almost naturally she was drawn to the second panel. Again, after a few moments, it felt right in place. And the same for the third.

Suddenly, some of the symbols began to stand out. Her Mana seemed to linger. And her eyes lost focus for a moment...before she could read them.

It is currently:
Year 268 of 3.E. Last Week of Dragon's Season. 5th Day (Kimaday). 07:45 Evening.

In alignment:
1. Adalwulf's Lance / The General


But there was no jingle, no sound of opening doors, no click of a lock giving way. The panels could be moved just as easily as before. They simply refused to make sense in any other configuration...up until about a minute had passed. Then they stopped making sense at all again--until, once more, they lined up properly with the shadow cast by the moon. The only change was that 7:45 became 7:46.

Once she heard Ed calling her and returned, Asteria read the warning on the plaque and then ventured using her Mana Sense...

You used Mana Sense I!
You feel an uneasy peace surrounding this place. There is a reverence here. It is as if you are being watched.
System:Asteria



Ghost Party

"Gotcha, dum ting!" the spear goblin crowed, but as Danny jerked away it lost its grip on its weapon. The greenskin clenched both fists with a screech. It lunged at the Poltergeist, or it would have, if Jason hadn't picked that moment to deliver a ghostly sacktap full of rage. The difference this time, however, was that as Ghost Touch activated, Jason's misty form actually became visible not only to Danny, but the other goblin as well. It wasn't his entire body, only the dense "fist" he had formed, nonetheless it appeared with a flash of blue-white, flame-like energy surrounding it as it rocketed into the goblin's low hanging fruit. The monster's battle-cry turned into a long, high pitched creen as it froze in place. One eye twitched for a moment, before both eyeballs rolled back into its head and it fell like a log.

Danny brought his stolen weapon around in both hands. The air seemed to ripple around it as he channeled his Lesser Force, in an attempt to swing faster, hit harder...and that soft red outline appeared around the weapon as well as he activated Point Strike. The disarmed Cudgel Goblin tried to block, but it had nothing in its hands.

CRACK!

Chipping a piece of wood out of the cudgel's top, Danny split the Goblin's scalp wide open. The thin skin bled heavily, but the bone underneath was far more important. The monster's eyes bugged out as its cranium was smashed inward, bits of gray matter and dark blood staining the heavy club. Danny had struck it right where the plates of the skull met, and smashed the bone like a piece of pottery. The goblin spun in place with a gurgling convulsion before it dropped like a sack of topapoes.

They couldn't see the one with the net anymore--from the sound of something crashing through the brush, he had high tailed it out of there now that it was clear things were going badly for his party. One fled, one dead, and one...unconscious?
Monster Party

Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force I > Lesser Force II! (2.0)
MP Consumption decreased. Range slightly increased. Force strength slightly increased. Rather than more powerful, it would be more accurate to say this skill is now more efficient.

Skill Gain: Dual Cast I (1.0)!
Splitting one's focus is a difficult task, but like playing the drums it can be learned. Casting different spells with different effects or requirements increases the difficulty and the MP required, but the caster's mindset can also affect this Skill. A Caster at this Rank may Dual Cast by: (1) Cast the same spell simultaneously, usually within two hands. Example using Current Skills: Fireball. This expends twice the MP cost, and both versions of the spell must be the same Rank, but the Casting time is only that of a single cast.(2) Prepare two spells simultaneously, to be used one at a time. Example using Known Skills: Digbie's Rock Spire and your Fireball. Rock Spire is prepared but not cast; the Earth Mana shines under the targeted area. Fireball is cast at a target, knocking it into Rock Spire's prepared area. Rock Spire is released. Both spells can be no higher than Rank I. Delayed Spells can be held no longer than 10 seconds at this rank. Certain spells that might require rituals, components, or other complexities might not be Dual Cast in this manner even at Rank I. This use consumes twice the MP for a Delayed Spell plus the normal MP cost for the other spell. (3) Cast a single instance of two different spells, usually within two hands. Example using Known Skills: Your Fireball and Ash's Mana Slice. You cast Fireball at a target to your right and Mana Slice at a target to your left, at the same time. This usage expends the sum of both spells' MP cost, and requires a slightly longer casting time, but both spells can be used at the same time or one after the other. Both spells must be Rank I. Certain spells with more complexities may not be Dual Cast even at Rank I. Certain spells that synergize well may increase in power or cause new effects when Dual Cast in this way.

Skill Gain: Stronger I! (1.05)
You have grown stronger through tough training! Tear muscles down, and rebuild them anew! Your physical power stats have increased! By gaining at least one rank of Faster, Harder, and Better, Skill Synergy will occurr and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.

Skill Gain: Mana Control I! (1.0)
Your precise control over the flow of your own Mana has increased. You cannot change the base nature of a Spell Skill unless you have another Magic Alteration type Skill such as Focus or Spell Chant. However, Spell Interference from enemies is lessened, and your ability to maintain a spell or use it in an unorthodox fashion is less likely to fail. Learning a new Spell based on an already known one is less difficult.

You used Monster Analysis II! You used Magic Analysis III!
---Giant Rat---
Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. When hunting, however, they are extremely vicious. They have lost their fear as a smaller creature, and are now far less likely to retreat. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. This particular target has no active Spell Skills. It is developing Magic Resistance.
System:Ash


You used Monster Analysis II! You used Magic Analysis IV!
---Giant Rat---
Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. When hunting, however, they are extremely vicious. They have lost their fear as a smaller creature, and are now far less likely to retreat. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. This particular target has no active Spell Skills. It is developing Magic Resistance. This creature is vulnerable to Fire, Lightning, and Ice magics. Metal, Earth, and Shadow magics would also be fairly effective. Water, Poison, and Curse magics are less effective. However, the Giant Rat currently has no native magical defenses, so all magics can deal better damage than physical attacks.
System:Oberon


As Digbie raced into the camp, the giant vermin hot on his heels, Ash took to the sky. While she was analyzing the creature, back down on the ground Torrent made herself scarce and began to creep around the edge of the clearing to look for an opening. Oberon was the first to attack, while Digbie strengthened his defenses first. The Giant Rat was focused entirely on that enticing gobby rear in front of it, and didn't see the Mana Slice coming at all. The blade bit into its snout right down the middle--it squealed in pain and reared up on its hind legs, as a long red line flayed it open from the top of its nose almost to its forehead. It shook its head madly, but only managed to get blood in its eyes. Immediately it turned towards the attacker and lunged.

Oberon got away clean this time, compared to the Giant Slime from before, and his wings buzzed as he rose out of reach. The rat turned back towards Digbie, but the Demiblin was already rising up on his improved Earth Wall. The Giant Rat stood on its haunches again. The Earth Wall was much thicker now--but still only as tall as Digbie himself. And when standing up, the Giant Rat was big enough that it could juuuuust reach over the top of the stone platform.

Before its claws could sink into Digbie's ankles, though, Ash's Poison Splash came down right on top of its head. Fumes filled its nostrils, acid burned its eyes, and the open wound on its face was now exposed to her magical venom. Again the rat thrashed and creened in agony, a high pitched wailing cry. While it was blind Torrent attacked from another angle, spewing the intense purple flames from her mouth. The Giant Rat's fur, greasy and thick, caught easily. The flames turned red as they began to spread across its flank, but it snorted and coughed and began to buck as the poisonous fumes did their work. The creature's stomach convulsed and it suddenly began to vomit. Oberon observed the beast from above just like Ash had done before, looking for any sign of weakness--although at the moment it seemed the situation was greatly in their favor.

The Rat spun in a wide circle, whipping its thick tail. But Torrent had already disappeared back into the foilage, and re-activated her stealth skills. The Giant Rat brushed its face with its paws to clear its eyes--then its ear twitched. As Ash came down spearpoint first, like some kind of...jumping dragon knight, rather than a Pygmy Drake, the huge rodent pushed off the ground with all its strength. Spinning through the air, it slammed unintentionally into Digbie's Earth Wall just as the Demiblin finished chanting. His Sacred Ground spell felt stronger, and its glow was brighter...But, with none of his allies in the immediate area and Digbie himself not currently suffering from any major injury, its use was somewhat tempered.

In the next moment, however, the enemy made a decision. It bounded straight up, running up Digbie's wall, and came face to face with the Demiblin in mid-air. Snatching him by his Makeshift Robe, the creature's much greater weight dragged Digbie off of his platform--and the next moment, the Giant Rat was breaking into a run towards the tree-line--!



PixieSlime Party

ERROR. You do not meet the requirements for Skill Point Reset.
You are still Poisoned! You are taking damage!
Your HP is decreasing.
You are Well Fed.
Your throat is Dry.
Your Stamina is steadily decreasing.
You are Poisoned.
System:Asura


Current Skills:
Shield II (2.2)
Lesser Flight III (2.3)
Minor Heal III (3.675)
Physical Conditioning I (1.0) <CANNOT INCREASE WITH SKILL POINTS>
Fire Resistance I (1.4)
Taming I (1.7)
Fireball I (1.7)
Stronger II (2.15)
Crafting II (2.0)
Muffle I (1.3)
Inspire I (1.1)
Guidance I (1.55)
Spell Chant I (1.2)
Use Light Equipment (--)
Meditate I (1.2)
Point Strike I (1.05)
Monster Analysis I (1.05)
Keen Sight I (1.05)
Material Analysis I (1.0)
<UNUSABLE>
Keen Ear (0.3)
Alchemy (0.5)
Faster (0.5)
Magic Analysis (0.7)
Mana Orb (0.15)
Focus (0.6)
Throw Voice (0.1)
Mana Strike (0.9)
Charisma (0.2)
Soothe Song (0.7)
Harder (0.1)
Alert (0.9)
Reinforce (0.6)
Throw Item (0.5)
Stone Shot (0.6)
Iron Gullet (0.5)
Soil Manipulation (0.3)
Material Analysis (0.8)
Rabid Fit (0.5)
Lesser Cleanse (0.7)
Fire Fist (0.2)
Magic Resistance (0.3)
Minor Regeneration (0.1)
Flame Aura (0.1)
Warcry (0.1)
Immolation (0.05)
Spiritual Awareness (0.4)
Overwork (0.1)
Lucid Dream (0.1)
Blood Drain (0.1)
Dextrous (0.1)
Mana Sense (0.2)
Mana Drain (0.1)
Mental Resistance (0.2)

ERROR. Command not recognized, "Prerequisites for Skills."

TRANSFORMATION STATUS:
Pixie > Immature Hipixie
Currently Known Possible Transformations: 6
1. Adult Hipixie***
2. Adolescent Imp*
3. Adolescent Sprite**
4. Adolescent Bauchan*
5. Adolescent Brownie***
6. Adolescent Lampad**

Currently Unknown Possible Transformations: 1
System:Ardur


As Asura continued to feel the burn of the Poison, Momma Slime hit him once again with a regular strike. When he told her to use a Smash, she seemed hesitant. She turned her attention to Ardur and waited for several moments...but although the Hipixie was talking about something, she didn't understand. And he hadn't done any more of the glowing stuff to Asura. She turned back to the red slime, and waited a moment more before finally using her Smash skill. It knocked Asura "head" over "heels" and slammed him into a tree. He felt his HP drop significantly, though he didn't get a low warning from the system yet. Momma Slime began to shake as she hurried over to him.

"Ah, Awsoo, Auwa...Asuwa!" she said, after inflating her membrane as if she were taking a deep breath. "Me, my...I. I...I not wanna do dat no more!" Once she had said this, she seemed to settle down. Her resolve was set. "I not like when you gets hurt. Makes I...makes me, feel bad!"

But before anything else could happen, there was a sudden crash from the forest. This was much louder than either the deer or the three frogs--and it had a more distinctive rhythm. Footsteps. Heavy breathing. An actual voice, shouting angrily...

A Bugbear, four and a half feet of solid muscle, barrel chested and covered in matted gray fur, came hurtling out between the trees. He held a long stick, sharpened to a point, in one hand and wore the pelt of a few Dire Rats around his waist. His eyes looked bloodshot and wild, and in the greenish skin around his face he had dark spots as if he had not slept.

"OUTTA MY WAY, OUUUUT!" he roared, charging straight for Asura and Momma Slime--and if he got past them, he would be barreling over Ardur and Steve too...


Rat Party

Skill Rank Up: Rabid Fit I > Rabid Fit II (2.0)!
Your rage grows in strength! Your attack power increases slightly more. While you are still extra vulnerable to damage, you gain a temporary increase to resistances for certain status effects, like Sleep or Confusion.

Skill Gain: Mental Resistance I! (1.0)
Take less damage from Psychic-type spells or skills, and have a better chance of resisting mind-altering effects such as Confusion or Hypnosis. This counts as an Elemental resistance for the purposes of Magic Resistance.

Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I (1.0)
You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.

Skill Gain: Focus I! (1.0)
By spending at least 30 seconds focusing before using an offensive Skill or Spell, you can increase its damage or range. At this rank it is comparable to increasing the power by one rank (eg Mana Orb I to Mana Orb II) while also increasing the MP cost by half again (spend 1.5x Mana Orb I's cost).
System:Ed


Skill Gain: Smash I! (1.0)
A Physical Skill that consumes Stamina instead of MP. One blunt type attack deals increased damage!

Skill Gain: First Aid I (1.0)!
Skill in using Healing items such as herbs or bandages. Increase the amount of HP recovered by yourself or allies when consuming these items, so long as you properly apply your knowledge and experience. Does not apply to healing spells.

Skill Gain: Minor Heal I (1.0)!
The most basic of healing spells. In most cases, only surface level wounds are affected. Cannot cure diseases. May even accelerate certain conditions not healed by the body's natural recovery. Cast upon a single target within eyesight.
System:Asteria


Nothing but the echo of a pebble answered Ed as he peered into the entrance. Without entering, he could see that the mound seemed to have a double set of chambers at its entrance. The one he was looking into seemed to be small, with a low ceiling barely six feet up, with a little fire pit in the center of the room and four small tables. Two of these tables were set up just inside the entrance, on either side of the doorway. The other two were at the opposite side of the room, on either side of the second doorway leading into that second chamber, which Ed could not see. On these tables were what seemed to be platters, goblets, candlesticks, and a few wilted flowers or other plants of some kind.

Where he stood in front of the entry, a plaque could be seen at a human's eye-level set into the outer wall. It read:

Within this Barrow, we citizenry of the Lords of Viska lay our honored dead. In the war against the Alpin Tribals, they laid down their lives to force the enemy over the river and establish the greater borders of Viska. By the Ancestors and the Spirits, we place our protection on this place. Those who lie here have earned their rest; may the earth swallow any who disturb them.

Those who travel and who mourn, if ye sup at the fire within, make offerings unto the spirits what doth guard this place. If ye pray at the altar above, pray for good fortune upon the lands of the Five Lords.


Though just barely, Asteria was able to scramble up the wall of the mound and get up to the top. The dirt packed up here had long ago sprouted grass, and the roots had formed a network that held the soil in place against wind and rain. It felt firm underneath her paws as she progressed upward. She soon found a footpath of sorts, made of round stones set into the dirt, which led to the monolith structure.

Four large pillars sat in a rough square, and a wide, flat stone had been set atop them to serve as a roof. Underneath this roof, a small circle of stone sat with something else at its center. It seemed to be an alter of some kind, made of overlapping plates. The plates each had different symbols on them, and were differently shaped. Each plate was also successively bigger, and the difference in shape of the ones above created spaces for the symbols to show on the ones below. It seemed to be...some kind of star chart or sundial, perhaps? Circles and lines seemed to form a graph of some kind, one plate had images that might be phases of a moon or planet, and another had either some alphabet or a numeral system. Maybe Asteria hadn't noticed yet, since unlike Ed she hadn't read the plaque or seen this world's languages change before her eyes...but these symbols did not change, no matter how long she stared at them.

If Asteria looked around aside from the altar, however, she would find that from the top of the barrow she could now see the surrounding countryside in more detail. Back the way they came, the village was just a smudge on the horizon again, but the mountains were in full view. The setting sun turned the snow at their peaks blood red. Toward the east, in the direction they were going this whole time following that road...

Water.

Another gentle slope from the barrow went down over a distance of perhaps seventy-five, a hundred yards before the plains evened out. From here, the road stayed flat for some distance. It wasn't clear if the elevation began to dip again, or if it just went so far that it created an optical illusion. But the road went on and on, down to what had to be the bank of a great lake. Like, a GREAT lake, not just the kind you went fishing with grandpa at on the weekends. And it seemed there was a river running out of this lake as well, heading towards the south. But along the banks, lights glittered. Not just the last rays of the sun on the water's surface, but flickering lights that could only be candles, and cookfires, and street lanterns. Lights, sitting in big black boxes against the backdrop of that smooth, dark blue sheet...A town.


Ghost Party

Skill Gain: Ghost Touch I (1.05)!
A spiritual attack. For Spirit-class Undead, the affected limb becomes physical for the duration of the Skill to allow Physical attacks. For non-Undead, the affected limb becomes capable of physically striking and damaging spiritual beings. MP is expended not only to activate the skill, but in proportion to the strength of the attack used.
System:Jason


Jason could feel his MP decreasing as he ferociously attacked the next goblin, however just as the System told him his Temporary Extra MP had been expended, he used Mana Drain. He was immediately notified that the temporary increase had returned, but the Cudgel goblin struggled spiritually against him. Again memories of a goblin tribe, fishing and mending nets made out of vine on the banks of a river, clashed with his own. But Danny was wrestling with the same Goblin, in an attempt to disarm it. Jason lost his hold as the Poltergeist managed to get the weapon, in the process jerking the goblin far enough off balance that it fell and rolled on the ground. The creature cried out as it swiped its arms in every direction to try and fend Jason off.

"I seen it, I seens it too! It's a, a ghost!" Light bruises were already forming around his eyes, like he had been smacked in the face by two doorknobs. He stumbled blindly in his attempt to get up and fell back to one knee.

Danny now had a weapon, and one of the opponents was on the ground. The other had seemingly run back into the bushes--there was rustling, but they couldn't see him currently. However, while Danny had been focused on grabbing the cudgel, that other goblin had grabbed up his spear again.

With a hefty grunt, the goblin planted his feet and thrust hard at Danny's back. The Poltergeist felt wood bite deep into his shoulder, and heard it crack and splinter.

WARNING! YOUR HP IS CRITICALLY LOW!
System:Danny



Orchid's Tribe

Orchid's process of tanning the leather wasn't quite so refined as she would like, but it seemed like it would work. The System recorded each step of her "Processing" as she removed the hair, blood, and excess fat and skin from the hides, then stretched them out to dry. However, when she went to get the other three hides, she found that these were not so much pelts and skin like the Badger Hide. These Badger Armor Plates were more like scaly, fleshy shells, like an armadillo or maybe a slightly more flexible turtle's shell. These didn't seem like they could be tanned, though some of the excess hair and such could be scraped off of them.

Hustling as she displayed her irritation, the rest of Orchid's goblins did as they were told. Crispy hurried over to her as quickly as he could without jostling his arm too much, and with quick nods that made his ears flap he followed her lead into the forest.

Though Orchid and Crispy would soon leave the camp and thus not see it, while the Hunters took up guarding the camp or sitting around the fire munching on what little food they had left, the Gatherers managed to find a few more things before they settled in to wait on Orchid's return. Added to the growing resource piles were a Hard Stone, a Sharp Stone, a Pointy Stick, a Green Switch, a Lump of Clay the size of a goblin's fists, and an odd piece of hide that bore scales rather than fur. Orchid would no doubt want to look over these things once she got back...

She and Crispy traveled through the woods and stayed close together. In the tribe's greater numbers, most of the forest critters had left them alone. Two goblins, fairly well armed, would probably be considered too risky a prey by most Monsters, but then again one of them was injured.

Orchid was looking for moss. Crispy had mentioned mushrooms, and she knew mushrooms would grow in moist, dark places. So would moss, and it would also give her an idea about where exactly they were, or at least what direction they were going in. Eventually, she spotted some moss growing under a pile of leaves that had built up along the slanted trunk of a leaning tree. Using the position of the sun, it seemed the best guess would be that the moss grew the thickest on the north side of the tree. So she and Crispy were heading north, away from their camp. Their intended destination, the farm, would be back to the east, though possibly a little south as well.

They next came upon a bush of Blue Argeps, several handfuls' worth. Searching under the bushes and leaves where the moss grew, Orchid soon found a place where deeper shadows fell due to the thickness of the canopy. A rotted tree limb had fallen here in some storm long past, and at the thickest end of it near the tree's roots she saw several flat brown, white spotted mushrooms growing on its underside.

"Boss, ovah heah!" called Crispy. He pointed to a skeleton he had found, what looked to be the remains of a Fanged Lizard long ago killed and stripped clean by scavengers. Growing between the white spokes of its ribcage were a few more mushrooms, these bearing red caps with what looked like green beads of sap on top of them.

As they continued to search, Crispy found another Pointy Stick. Though he already had a stone knife in his vine belt and that odd throwing star he had made, he picked it up and carried it with the intent to use it as a small javelin. He got the chance when a large, melon-shaped and colored frog bounded out of the bushes in front of them. With a warrior's screech, Crispy hurled his spear--and missed by a foot as the frog croaked loudly, then leaped away again.

The next useful thing they found was another berry bush...but something else lay in wait for any creature that tried to eat. Another large frog, different in coloration and bearing a tail, poked its head out of the bush just as they got close. It lobbed a large purple loogi at them, and Orchid could hear the poison hissing. Yet before it had even confirmed a hit on its prey, the frog turned and ran back into the bushes just like the last one had...


Nira and Femus

As Femus flashed and darted about, the other Pixie hovering with Nira let out loud whoops and began to clap as it turned circles in the air. When the Wisp darted back into the tree--leaving a hastily woven flower crown behind--the Pixie "oooohed" and darted down to grab the crown. Placing it over its head like a lei garland, it motioned to Nira and began flying and dancing around on the branch, showing off its new fashion accessory.

It then pointed to the higher branches of the tree, where more flowering vines grew. Flying up a few feet, the pixie motioned for Nira to come too and shook its flowers...It seemed like the creature wanted to make more. But now, this raised a question. This Pixie seemed to jump from violence to pranks to flower picking at the drop of a hat...how long would Nira, or Femus, have to play along with its games before it got tired? Or, how long would it take the creature to get bored with its new friends, and decide to go get some more of its bretheren who might not redirect it the way Nira had?

Meanwhile, Femus had escaped persecution for now...but how long could he stay inside this tree? The Pixie hadn't harmed him, but now another creature besides Nira knew where he was. And who knew what it might do when it came back? Would he choose to just stay here, continuing to meditate, and hope that when he needed to defend himself he would be capable? Would he try to get some kind of message to Nira?
Nira and Femus

You used Magic Analysis I!
---Blue Yill Flower---
The Yill species of flowering plants are adaptable and conducive to magic, so depending on where they grow and what kind of ambient energy is present they often change forms. The Blue Yill has absorbed a great deal of raw mana.
---Hollow Old Kao Tree---
This Kao tree is very old and has been damaged in the past, creating a hollow. It has more magic than other trees in the area, but nothing that stands out too much.
---???---
An altered Mana Orb spell. The magical energy focused within it has begun to change properties. It smells of ozone and seems relatively unstable.

Your MP is Full! You have gained Temporary Extra MP.
System:Femus


Femus chose to ignore the Pixie in the hopes it would go away, and instead experimented with his new analysis skill. Unfortunately, at this rank it didn't seem like it would tell him a great deal of information. But it at least confirmed that the Blue Yill were magical, and that he could probably refill his power from them in a pinch. And it did tell him that something seemed to be working with the Mana Orb.

After meditating to refuel himself--and finding a little bit more Mana than usual in the area, or maybe it was that his techniques were growing more efficient--he headed out to confront the Pixies, two Blue Yills that grew on the side of the tree's mossy bark "clutched" in his Lesser Force.

The Wild Pixie watched in curosity as Nira picked up the wilted, now blackened flower, and cast Shield on it. It tilted its head, and the expression on its face seemed to say what would ya do a stupid thing like that for, but then as Nira circled around it the creature began to follow her. When she motioned towards the flower, then towards the Wisp, the pixie's expression brightened and it began to giggle. With a nod, it flew down along the side of the old tree and began plucking all the flowers it could find. There were a handful of the blue yills, but also some more normal looking white and pink flowers, and the creature even grabbed some of the leaves from the tree's branches.

By the time it came back to Nira, assuming she had gathered her own flowers, they had a fairly decent amount of plantlife between them. As soon as Femus floated out of his shelter, his own flowers in hand, the Wild Pixie gave a squeal of delight and let loose a flood of colored petals over the top of his head. If Nira did the same, Femus would find himself blinded by color and possibly sneezing in a douse of pollen.


Monster Party (Rejoined by Digbie!)

You used Magic Analysis II! You used Mana Sense! You used Mana Vision!
---Poison Splash---
Much like other elemental spells collecting trace elements, surrounding impurities and toxins are synthesized with Mana as a catalyst to produce this sphere of liquid poison. Its nature as a poison causes severe nausea, vomiting, and caustic tissue damage. Upon impact, it splashes for a small Area of Effect. It may poison an organic target, and deals corrosive damage to most objects. If a target ingests the poison, the amount of damage it inflicts is roughly the same but the chance to inflict Poison damage over time rises greatly.

This is your own Mana, but it has an incredibly forboding sense of danger. Its coloration itself almost seems to serve as a warning. It feels sickly or unsafe, like a plant that causes an unpleasant rash to deter herbivores.

STRUCTURE:
M?W?N?E?F? = P3

Skill Rank Up: Mana Analysis II > Mana Analysis III (2.975 > 3.0)!
Gain more detail about observed magic skills, objects, etc. Lose less effectiveness when using this skill on other things, even if they aren’t magically inclined. When analyzing a spell you have seen at least one time before, you may learn information such as its element or function depending on various factors.

LEVEL UP! Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 9! Your Max MP has increased (this will not restore current MP levels)! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 8 ((3 from last time, 5 from level up))

Current Skills:
Stun Stinger II (2.05)
Poison Spray II (2.025)
Alchemy II (2.85)
Overwork III (3.2625)
Charisma I (1.65)
Venom Shot II (2.0)
Crafting I (1.65)
Lesser Force I (1.8)
Magic Analysis III (3.0)
Alert I (1.3)
Lesser Flight I (1.3)
Muffle I (1.55)
Monster Analysis II (2.35)
Material Analysis II (2.25)
Meditate II (2.2)
Poison Glob I (1.2)
Poison Breath I (1.05)
Plant Analysis I (1.05)
Tremor Sense I (1.05)
Mana Orb II (2.175)
Shield I (1.05)
Mana Slice I (1.6)
Mana Shape I (1.5)
Analysis (--)
Rabid Fit I (1.05)
Mental Resistance I (1.5)
Mana Vision I (1.6)
Mana Sense I (1.4)
Minor Heal I (1.075)
Prehensile Tail (--)
Poison Splash I (1.1)
<UNUSABLE>
Blunt Resistance (0.2)
Scribe (0.6)
Faster (0.3)
Intimidate (0.6)
Acid Volley (0.1)
Venom Claw (0.2)
Dragon Affinity (0.45) <CANNOT BE INCREASED WITH SKILL POINTS>
Stronger (0.95)
Dual Cast (0.8)
Slash (0.3)
Fireball (0.2)
Dextrous (0.5)
Mana Dart (0.4)
Mana Control (0.8)
Use Light Equipment (0.05) <UNSUITED FOR CURRENT SPECIES>
---

EXP: 100% > 20%
You are Tired.
You are Peckish.
Your throat is Dry.
Your HP is Full.
Your MP is Very Low.
Your Health is Fine.

TRANSFORMATION STATUS:
Fanged Lizard > Immature Pygmy Drake
Known Currently Possible Transformations: 3
1. Adult Pygmy Drake*
2. Adolescent Lesserwurm* <THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED>
3. Adolescent Kobold**<THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN ALTERED>

Unknown Currently Possible Transformations: 3

Previous Transformations Lost: 1
1. Tailed Frog
System:Ash


After taking in all of this information, as Ash Meditated to regain her Mana she also experimented with the slow, calming exercises of Yoga. However, as soon as she felt any muscle strain from the movements or her breathing became harder than normal, her MP would stop increasing. If she found a position she could easily hold without moving, Meditate would begin working again...but, if such a thing were so effortless, then what would be the point of Yoga? In order to get the full effect of Meditation, at least for now, it seemed like physical exercise had to be done separately.

Her next experiment with a new Mana Orb, after several minutes to refuel her MP, was to break apart the various elemental pieces orbiting the raw magic and see what happened to the environment.

The gold, silver, and darker green particles once again gravitated to the floor and disappeared into the ground. The lighter green particles, and blue particles, merely floated around...though they did seem to be pulled by a draft current towards the outside of the shelter. Once they left the cavern, the wind particles were swiftly carried away while the blue particles began to drift down lower to the ground. Once they dipped into the stream, they disappeared completely. The red particles seemed to orbit around Ash herself, near the core of her body. A few were caught up with the other pixels and floated outside, at which point they seemed to pointedly move away from the blue squares. Neon purple particles were drawn to different places--sometimes they moved with other magical atoms in groups, other times they moved to a wall or the ground. Whenever they made contact with something solid, they seemed to lose their glow and disappear. The very few purple pieces Ash had been using previously drifted to the ground, but then simply rolled along it rather than sinking into it.

Watching all of these different particles disperse became more and more difficult after the first few seconds, though. They were so small, and some of them moved quite quickly--and in addition, there were other squares all around Ash. Most of the other energy particles she could see were gold in color, but looking around with her Mana Vision was starting to get trippy, to the point that making out the actual landscape was becoming difficult...

Eventually she had to blink, whether because of dry-eye or because of the hallucinogenic colors swirling all around her.

Or maybe it was that loud scream that sounded suspiciously like Digbie...

You used Magic Analysis I!
---Gather Light---
This skill allows the user, under full sunlight, to convert solar energy to Mana.

Skill Rank Up: Magic Analysis I > Magic Analysis II (1.95 > 2.0)!
Gain more detail about Magic oriented Skills and Spells. Lose less effectiveness when analyzing Monsters, Materials, etc so long as they are magically inclined.
System:Torrent


As Torrent tried to produce the Gather Light skill for herself, she found the experience of sunning to be quite pleasant. Her reptile body didn't seem quite so sluggish as lizards and snakes back in her Old World, but maybe that was just because the temperatures here were warm enough that she could stay comfortable. Still, either she was cold blooded, or it was just nice to lay here for a little while.

Her entire body felt shrouded in warmth, and she could feel her MP increasing...though it was hard to tell whether or not it was just her normal Meditate skill. Maybe if there were a way to absorb more sunlight, or to do so faster? But, what could one do to "absorb" more light, like a plant or...some other object that could take solar heat?

Meanwhile, Oberon attempted to do the opposite--to remove heat, to create an absence of energy better known as cold. His Aqua Sphere floated in his hand as he imagined the flow of thermal energy, and tried to pull it with his will. He soon noticed that the Aqua Sphere's smooth blue surface rippled a tiny amount. He felt his fingertips, then his palms, getting warmer. It seemed his theory was spot on. However, as he "pulled" at the heat, he was also slightly pulling at the Sphere it seemed. Maybe the flow of energy was producing a current. Whatever the cause, the water was no longer a perfect orb--it had begun to lengthen, being pulled towards Oberon, and became more of an oval or elipse shape. He could feel his palm growing warmer...and then, where the liquid barely touched his fingers, it was indeed a few degrees cooler than before.

And then both Lesserwurm and Sprite were shocked out of their thoughts by a familiar voice.

"TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"

Flashback to a few moments ago. Digbie had managed to duck under the Giant Rat, and as he lunged away he barely avoided getting knocked over by its bulk even as its jaws missed him. He took off running for everything he had, though he spared one glance back to try and Analyze the creature.

You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I! You used Material Analysis I!
---Giant Rat---
Giant Rats are rodents of such unusually large size, many people don't believe they exist. Their behaviors are virtually the same as the Dire Rat, but they often shed many of the usual "prey" animal behaviors of rats due to their much greater size and strength rendering them difficult for predators to bring down. As a result they can often be quite calm, and some humans even keep them as pets. They lack magical power and usually don't develop any magical abilities unless their environment is very rich in ambient energies. Their fur is very thick and, once cleaned and treated, actually sells for a decent price. Their bones, being much larger than some animals, and their teeth, being much sharper, make decent materials for primitive societies. Bone ornamentation made from their teeth is present in many Unenlightened tribes as a symbol of strength.
System:Digbie


But that single glance back nearly ended him--he nearly tripped over a piece of low scrub growing out of the ground. In a panic as he tried to cast earth wall, he called out to the Maiden of Mercy.

Skill Rank Up: Earth Wall I > Earth Wall II (1.9 > 2.05)!
MP Cost increased. Maximum thickness increased by 6 more inches. A second wall can now be created without destroying the first, but the mass of both walls must be maintained by the same total. Example: You make a wall half the normal height and width that is six inches thick. The second wall can thus also be half the normal height and width, and also six inches thick, or it could be even smaller. The wall can also be shaped differently so long as total mass is still conserved, but only basic geometric figures.
System:Digbie


The Giant Rat's body made a heavy thud as it crashed into Digbie's newly thickened wall, and he just barely managed to keep himself from falling. As he ran, he could hear the objects in his newfound satchel rattling around--that wooden effigy he had found sounded like a taiko drum as it beat back and forth. Despite his perilous situation, as Digbie ran he felt himself gaining a second wind of sorts--adrenaline rushed through him and it felt like his vision sharpened, so that he could more easily avoid tripping again and make his way through the forest.

But the Giant Rat was soon on his heels again--it had lost quite a bit of ground after crashing into the wall, but it was a simple thing to go around the construct. Its heavy body didn't accelerate quite so fast as Digbie's, but once it got going its powerful muscles propelled it at speeds nothing that size should have been able to reach. There was about ten feet between it and the Demiblin as they ran along the bank of the stream...

Digbie burst back into the clearing where the others had made camp. He could see Torrent and Oberon standing near the stream, and Ash was probably in the shelter or off looking for materials.

The Giant Rat was about five feet behind him.

"TORRENT! OBERON! ASH! HELP MEEEEEEE!"


PixieSlime Party

ERROR. System is already monitoring Skill Growth. Skill Progression is already visible.

Skill Gain: Slash Resistance I!
Take less damage from Slashing attacks.

Skill Synergy Has Occurred!
Pierce Resistance I, Slash Resistance I, Blunt Resistance I have Synergized!
You have gained Physical Damage Resistance II (2.0)! Reduce damage from all Physical attacks!
Pierce Resistance I has degraded (1.55 > 0.55).
Slash Resistance I has degraded (1.0 > 0.1).
Blunt Resistance I has degraded (1.95 > 0.95).

---
Charisma (0.5) - This skill seems to develop by learning how to interact with others, and using your force of personality to get a favorable outcome from said interactions.
Dextrous (0.8) - This skill seems to develop when you use fine-tuned or precise motor skills, which proves difficult due to the nature of your species.
Soil Manipulation (0.6) - This skill seems to develop by moving soil when digging or constructing.
Stone Shot (0.55) - This skill seems to develop when using small stones as a projectile weapon, especially when you put all your energy into it.
Slime Coil (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when attempting to use your body to restrain a target.
Magic Analysis (0.6) - This skill seems to develop when you are observing magical phenomena.
Bounce (0.6) - This skill seems to develop after taking heavy impacts that move your entire body, or by bracing yourself against attack.
Muffle (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you attempt to be stealthy.
Poison Resistance (0.3) - This skill develops as you recover from taking poison damage.
Dash Attack (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you move fast while attacking.
Spiritual Awareness (0.2) - This skill seems to develop as you experience supernatural phenomena.
Intimidate (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you interact with others in a forceful manner.
First Aid (0.2) - This skill seems to develop when you try to help an injured ally.
Acid Spit (0.4) This skill seems to develop when you spit acid from your body.
Fire Resistance (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you recover from burning.
Water Resistance (0.0125) - This skill seems to develop when you recover from taking water damage.
Focus (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you take extra time to put effort into another skill.
Alert (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you stay aware of your environment.
Fortify (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you construct free standing structures.
Point Strike (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you strike accurately at weak points.
Cleave (0.2) - This skill seems to develop when you use a heavy, edged attack meant to split a target.
Crafting (0.3) - This skill seems to develop when you make things.
Material Analysis (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you carefully observe different materials.
Telepathy (0.1) - This skill seems to develop when you attempt to communicate non-verbally.
Defender (0.4) - This skill seems to develop when you brace yourself for attack.
---

Skill Rank Up! Blunt Resistance has been restored to Rank I (0.95 > 1.0)!
Take less damage from Blunt attacks.

ERROR. You do not meet the requirements for Skill Point Reset.

You have been Poisoned! You are taking damage over time!
System:Asura


ERROR. Target "player" not recognized. Defaulting to recognized target "Ardur."

NOTE: INFORMATION MAY BE OUT OF DATE.

---
Skill Gain: Material Analysis I (0.9 > 1.0)!
You have developed an eye for determining the qualities of inorganic or non-living objects. At this rank, you will only be able to gain surface information about an object. When used in conjunction with a crafting skill, it may help discover more compatible items.

Skill Rank Up: Crafting I > Crafting II (1.95 > 2.0)!
Crafting Complexity Increased. Stamina Requirement Decreased.

Obtained Item: Cooked Bowhorn Meat!
Cooked Bowhorn Meat is currently Processing into a new item...
System:Ardur


As Asura formed himself a shield using his new shapeshifting abilities, he found it helped significantly and he could manipulate it just like having an actual shield strapped to an actual arm. Momma Slime's heavy blows reverberated against it, though Steve's fangs didn't seem to make much of a dent--although he could still tell by the prickling sensation that some of the spider's venom was getting through. As they attacked him repeatedly, the next time Ardur healed him it seemed that Momma Slime's attacks had pushed his Blunt Resistance to the next level...or rather, it would have, but it seemed that Physical Damage Resistance had drained his other resistances in Rank! Still, he had some progress left over in each skill, and his actual resistance hadn't seemed to decrease. The attacks were still doing less damage than before.

Up until Steve bit an area of the shield that Asura had relaxed just a little too much. The red slime felt the burn spreading up his pseudopod, as a cloud of poison inside his membrane began to spread like a nasty bruise...

And in addition to that, after all that information the system had given him, he suddenly had a crippling headache. Like those really sharp migraines that feel like your eyeballs are going to explode, even though he didn't have eyes.

Meanwhile, Ardur spent some time cooking up the meat they had taken from the Bowhorn deer, and did some information gathering of his own. Yet he too, was not ready for the flood of images and words and other sensory information that overloaded his mind. Like Asura, a skull splitting pain rocked his body. Steve immediately left off attacking Asura, seemingly not aware that she had poisoned him, and ran to the Hipixie as her mouth parts hissed in concern.

"Ahsoowah? Wut happun?" Momma Slime asked, coming close and putting a pseudopod on Asura's "head" as if she were checking him for fever.


Rat Party

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max HP has increased (this will not restore your current HP). You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Note: You are very close to your next level!

Unspent Skill Points: 5

Current Skills:
Beast Sense II (2.775)
Rabid Fit I (1.9)
Stronger I (1.7)
Muffle II (2.275)
Use Light Equipment (--)
Alert I (1.15)
Faster I (1.05)
Harder I (1.0)
Dynamic Eye I (1.1)
Smash I (1.3)
Dextrous I (1.15)
Monster Analysis I (1.25)
Overwork I (1.35)
<UNUSABLE>
Material Analysis (0.5)
Magic Analysis (0.9)
Warcry (0.7)
Tremor Sense (0.05)
Mental Resistance (0.9)
Telepathy (0.1)
Mana Shape (0.7)
Focus (0.8)
Shield (0.5)
Mana Shell (0.4)
Soil Manipulation (0.7)
Crafting (0.6)
First Aid (0.1)
Meditate (0.4)
People Sense (0.3)
Plant Analysis (0.2)
Swift Swimmer (0.4)
Charm (0.025)
Repel (0.025)
Stealth Kill (0.3)
Blunt Resistance (0.1)
Prehensile Tail (0.5)
Mana Strike (0.6)
Minor Heal (0.05)
Iron Gullet (0.4)
Taming (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.5)
Use Medium Equipment (0.4)
Inspire (0.2)
Point Strike (0.3)
Strengthen (0.3)
Pierce Resistance (0.2)
Double Skill (0.1)
Deception (0.2)
Lucid Dream (0.2)
System:Ed


Skill Rank Up: Beast Sense II > Beast Sense III (2.975 > 3.0)!
Senses are further sharpened. Passive senses are now equivalent to the enhanced sense of Rank II. Focusing on a single sense at a time will still enhance it, now to a level beyond that of Rank II.

LEVEL UP! Your combined experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! Your Max MP has increased (this will not restore your current MP). You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!
LEVEL UP! Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 8! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please!

Unspent Skill Points: 10

Current Skills:
Beast Sense III (3.0)
Faster II (2.275)
Monster Analysis II (2.7)
Dextrous II (2.175)
Poison Resistance I (1.0)
Crafting II (2.175)
Muffle I (1.95)
Mana Sense II (2.075)
Mana Drain I (1.65)
Magic Analysis I (1.3)
Stronger I (1.45)
Prehensile Tail (--)
Alert I (1.4)
Telepathy I (1.65)
Plant Analysis I (1.4)
Use Light Equipment (--)
<UNUSABLE>
Charisma (0.95)
Mental Resistance (0.1)
Soil Manipulation (0.9)
Overwork (0.7)
Lesser Status Heal (0.1)
Minor Heal (0.3)
Meditate (0.8)
Smash (0.8)
Strengthen (0.2)
Scribe (0.1)
Spell Chant (0.15)
Lesser Force (0.1)
Stone Shot (0.3)
Lucid Dream (0.4)
Spiritual Awareness (0.2)
Swift Swimmer (0.1)
Suppress Presence (0.5)
Alchemy (0.7)
Tremor Sense (0.2)
Throw Item (0.3)
Stealth Kill (0.1)
Material Analysis (0.4)
Iron Gullet (0.3)
First Aid (0.9)
Quicken (0.1)
Skewer (0.4)
Point Strike (0.2)
Warcry (0.1)
Mind Wave (0.2)
Curse Word (0.1)
Rabid Fit (0.2)
Mana Gift (0.1)
System:Asteria


The trio of rodents made their way across the plains, staying some distance away from the road but within sight. Soon, the village was out of sight behind them. The treeline of the forest, however, grew a little closer. They were still heading away from their starting point, but it seemed that around here the forest's edge had extended a little more to the south, so they could once again see the thicker wilderness a much shorter distance to the north. There were also a few rising slopes near the forest now--one of them looked particularly rocky and rose up a little higher than the others.

The rats could see a column of smoke rising up from behind it, not thick enough to be a chimney but perhaps a campfire. Ed was reminded of the smell of leather, smoke, flames, and metal from his dream, and the humanoid figures crouched around it.

The plains, too, began to slope. It was a much gentler rise, however, one that the rats hadn't really even noticed until a backward glance showed that they could see the village much more clearly now due to its lower elevation. They had left it far behind at this point, though, and it was only a dark collection of shapes in the distance. The grass was still long, and they were more than far enough away that the humans shouldn't be able to see them.

Oddly enough, given their luck lately, no wild creatures bothered them for quite some time. They didn't see anyone on the road either, though as they kept going at one point they saw a place where someone had recently made camp. It was set just a little off the road, enough to be out of the way of any travelers who might pass. All that was left now was a campfire, responsibly covered over with dirt, and the footprints of the people who had been here.

They looked the same as the footprints Ed and Asteria had found the previous day, back when they first left the forest. This seemed to be the place where they had left the road, though they had taken that wide, sweeping arc before entering the forest...had they been avoiding those hills, where the smoke had come from?

The smell of water was growing stronger. The landscape had dipped again somewhat, and now the rats headed downhill again. But as they reached the lowland, they noticed that up in front of them was another rise--this one much sharper in slope. And...it also seemed a bit unnatural.

As they got closer, they soon noticed that this wasn't just a grassy knoll. Rocks had been stacked up and mortared into a fairly sturdy wall, forming a long rectangle of sorts. Earth had been layered up overtop it, producing a smoothly rounded mound where grass grew thick and green--natural grass, not the thatch of a rooftop. It seemed more like a man-made mound of earthworks rather than a dwelling. Up on its top, a small structure made of megaliths--large stones, carted from who knew where--had been set up. They couldn't see what it consisted of from here, as one of the large, flat stones was obstructing the view.

Maybe if they climbed up there they would have a better view of the surrounding lands--the amount of moisture their noises were picking up had definitely increased. But what exactly was this huge mound for? Why would people--presumably people--have built it?

There was an entrance to the mound, though the rats would have to make their way around to the side facing the road in order to see it. It had no door...it was simply an archway in the earth, peering into the darkness...

The day was getting late. The red sun was dipping in the far distance, and light was beginning to fade from the sky...


Ghost Party

Your MP is Full! You have gained Temporary Extra MP!
System:Jason


Jason's punch actually seemed to push the goblin away, and the vision of Limbo broke as Jason's Transparency bounced him away from his target's body. He felt like he had been slapped in the face, but it was clear the goblin had taken a much heavier hit from the backlash. It fell to the ground as it had been punched hard in the gut, and writhed in agony as it struggled for breath. Its soul was still there, though diminished, and it wasn't glowing as brightly--had Jason drained all of the Goblin's MP?

"Heeeeeeeelp!" the Goblin cried pitiably, getting to all fours and trying to scramble back into the bushes. "Dun wanna diiiiiie!"

Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force II > Lesser Force III (2.9 > 3.0)
Range increased, total radius is now 5 feet. Power extended at this range is the same as Rank II. Power at arm's length is now stronger.
System:Danny


With a unique use of his Lesser Force power and his beetle armor, Danny was able to deflect the Spear Goblin's attack without even touching it--the stick barely scraped his shell coated forearm, and the goblin itself acted as if it had run into a wall. It stumbled back as it thumped invisibly against Danny's magic. In this brief lull the Poltergeist checked on his ghostly friend, and could see that Jason was okay--better than okay, actually, as the Ectoslime seemed to brimming with magical power.

Danny then used his levitation skill, and though it was much heavier than before his body lifted off the ground. Moving like this wasn't as easy as when he was a wisp, more like swimming than flying, but the Spear Goblin was just now getting back up. He delivered a heavy kick to the off balance greenie, with both feet. He heard and felt bones crunch from the impact as the goblin lost its grip on the fishing spear, and the monster tumbled backwards head over heels.

However, the cudgel goblin got the drop on Danny from behind, and swung for the stadium! Danny's side exploded in pain as he was knocked out of the air and to the ground--if he hadn't yelled out "Take this!" when he attacked the spear goblin, no doubt the air would have been knocked from his lungs. Still, he was somewhat dazed...and his opponent approached with a toothy grin, raising the club up for another attack...
Digbie

Digbie managed to carefully cross the stream with little problem, especially once he used his Earth Wall to block the current. However, using his Tremor Sense in the water produced an entirely unpleasant effect on his equilibrium, much like being drunk. Still, the stream was too shallow and the current too weak to sweep him away even if he did stumble a few times. Once on the other side, he continued in the direction of the shelter. He would probably be there shortly, even though walking while reading was an activity that took a little bit of care...

The next few pages weren't in good shape. Blood smeared over what seemed to be some kind of calendar for holy days, but a few of the names Digbie could still pick out matched what was mentioned in some of the earlier liturgy. A page with what seemed like the start of more prayers for different times of day had been largely torn and badly crumpled. A few more pages had been ripped out completely, leaving behind frayed strings from the book's bindings. But finally, Digbie came to another legible piece.


AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CANTICLES

Many followers of Jehanne seek nothing more than Her divine acceptance and forgiveness. This in and of itself is admirable, as all struggle to make sense of this world the Maker has created. There is nothing wrong with those who choose this simple life. However, many of the more ardent members of Jehanne's flock will pursue diligent studies to gain further blessings. Like most other organizations dedicated to the Spirits, Jehanne has bade us to do Good Works where we may. The Maiden's Church has many branches devoted to charity work, militant action focused around the defense of Her believers and their communities, healing, missions to spread Her teachings, and the various fiscal and bureaucratic needs that make all of the aforementioned things possible. Depending on where a parishioner wishes to apply their talents, the local Avatar should seek to guide them in their training as best they may. This may include teaching the Canticles.

Simply speaking, to be elborated on by further reading here or in other volumes, Canticles are the Skills and Spells compiled specifically for the purpose of Jehannen woshippers. Many of these abilities are not tied to Jehanne herself, but they are considered Canticles due to their widespread use by the Church. One should take care not to confuse these Canticles, or their usage, with other lists compiled by other doctrines. There will often be a great degree of overlap, but in the same way that our manner of dress or speech may identify us, those who follow Jehanne should strive to understand these magics and techniques using the context of Her teachings. Conflict between the teachings of Spirits is a dangerous thing and should be avoided lest there be no other retort to wrongdoing.

Guidance
Also known as the Guiding Ritual, this Canticle is performed by the simple act of prayer itself. It is recommended that one be sure of themselves before they attempt to discern the Lady's signs. Preferably, one should be righteously cleansed and freshly clean, dressed in appropriate attire, and in a calm, quiet place. When praying, be firmly confident that the requests are made with an honest and just heart. Praying for the misfortune of others, for selfish personal gain, and for other evil things--even if one has deluded oneself or tries to ignore the wriggling desires of a demonic heart--will have thoroughly dire consequences. But Jehanne hears our honest desires, and though She sometimes withholds from us that which we most covet, it is always for our own good.

Before one begins to pray, enter a calm state in which one feels the flow of their Magical Power. As Mana progresses through the body's Meridians, some believe that certain physiological rhythms help Prayer. Those who speak prayers aloud may imbue their words with Magic Power; indeed, this is the origin of many hymns and songs used in praising the spirits. Magical Power should be offered up with strong intent. When Jehanne has received the offering and heard the prayers, Her follower must be open-minded and discerning in order to receive Her signs. This can be difficult for those who have difficulty with the abstract. At the same time, the follow must not assume they know the workings of Our Lady, lest they see signs in places where there are none. Indeed, Demonic Powers may be at work to trick the worshipper in such a way.

However, throughout the centuries, the Great Avatars of our Maiden have done much study and debate to compile some of Jehanne's signs that seem to be commonly interpreted in the same ways. Through this, they do not presume to know Jehanne's will, but rather to give the uneducated and unexperienced acolyte a place from which to start. These signs are as such: Fire Visions, Vode in Flight, Musical Sounds, especially if produced by a woman, Movements of the Effigy, and Undue Peace.

There are other Signs listed in other liturgy, and the Scriptures describe many Signs throughout Jehanne's works, but these are often specific in nature and context. The above signs are some of the most general and most common, and many members of the Church, even those who do not practice magic or pursue deeper understanding, have reported them with accurate meanings and results.

Prayers are best when they come from the heart, but of the many ritualized prayers contained within this book, those recommended for Guidance are--


And here again a long rip distorted the page. And more pages after this had become blood spattered. Digbie didn't have a great deal of the book left--perhaps enough for three or four more complete readings, though he might have to piece together various bits to understand them based on what little he already had...

But now, a sudden loud chuffing sound caught Digbie's attention! His Tremor Sense warned him, but not fast enough--whatever this creature was, it had a knack for sneaking around on light feet. A huge mass of dark brown fur came out of the bushes, lunging down the bank of the stream!

Goblins were around three and a half feet tall. Dire Rats were larger than normal rats, so comparing them to Goblins was like comparing a large dog to a normal human. Digbie was a Demigoblin, and thus roughly a foot or so taller than your average greenskin. Thus, comparing him to a Dire Rat would be like comparing a normal human to a medium sized dog. And comparing him to this Giant Rat would be like comparing a normal human to a brown bear.

The Giant Rat leaped with more agility and speed than one would think its large size could generate, and as it closed the distance its enormous jaws opened up. Those massive yellow teeth looked like they could go all the way through Digbie's throat--!

Would he fight? Run? Cry? Was he close enough to the shelter that the others could hear him? Would something else in the woods hear him?
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