Shifting Sands

COJISTO

As Cojisto staggered to his feet outside the arena, he suddenly felt a weight in his pocket, and discovered himself to be 500 gold richer. The only explanation, he presumed, was that he fought so well in his last fight that it had impressed the gods. Might as well try it again, he reasoned.

The man in the booth looked him over as he approached.

Attendant: Back for more? It's 50G per fight, now that you have one under your belt.

AMBER

Horace led Amber to the gaping entrance of the Graw Mines. A pitiful wooden sign hung on a chain across the opening. "DANGER: No Entrance" was scrawled on it in red paint. Horace lifted the sign up and beckoned for Amber to go in, which she did after a moment's hesitation.

The inside of the mines was dark. Amber squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, or lack thereof. It would be difficult to see where they were going in the depths. There was a flash of light behind her, and she turned to see Horace holding a blazing torch.

"Helps to see where you're goin' down here," he said grimly. "Follow me, I'll show you to me worksite. It's down about three levels." He set off into the darkness, Amber following on his heels. The mines were creepy, and not just the normal kind of creepy. They felt oppressive; the air was heavy and their footsteps echoed abnormally around them.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a cavernous opening. Old, dilapidated workbenches lined the walls. It looked as though the place had been abandoned for far longer than a month.

"Me work area's over here," Horace said, and pointed into the corner. "I had left the letter on the bench, but I think you can see why I needed you." Amber looked over Horace's workbench: it was empty. She did NOT, in fact, understand why Horace needed her. But as she turned to say so, she saw he was pointing not at the workbench, but below it, where a set of shuffling footprints led off into the darkness of the tunnels.

Horace: Those ain't mine.

DYVILTSI

OOC: I hate you for changing his name from the easily-spelled Mal to this D-monstrosity. XD

Dyviltsi kicked and struggled, but the guards held him fast. That is, until the bracers they wore on their arms suddenly started sizzling. Both guards holding Dyviltsi dropped him instantly as they struggled to pull the red-hot metal off of their forearms. Sensing his opportunity, Dyviltsi made a break for it. He dashed off towards the relative safety of the buildings. Houses in Dankron were built close together, making the alleyways between them a veritable maze, and the perfect hiding spot. He made it to the closest building, not looking behind him until he was obscured by its walls. He had no way of knowing how many guards were after him, though he assumed the two whose armor he'd cast the spell on were still incapacitated.

Dyviltsi tried to steady his breathing, but just as he'd begun to calm down, there was a noise to his left. He peered around one of the buildings to see a lone guard, sword drawn, heading his way.

OOC: Fight or flight?

WADE

Wade strode into Lorell, the sun glinting brightly off his sword. He was here to answer a call for aid; the mercenaries that patrolled Ambersol's trade routes were short-handed, and they had posted Help Wanted posters in every town in the country.

The ads said to apply at the Lorell Inn, so that was where Wade was headed. The mercenaries were easy to spot; they were sitting at a table in the rear of the Inn, a blank sign-up sheet lying on the table in front of them.

Cojisto drew himself up as he eyed the attendant. It was simply preposterous that they could charge him more now than he had before. He paused, had he paid before? It seemed like an awfully long time. He felt both stronger and weaker now. He ran his hands through his hair, then decided it simply didn't matter.

"Back for more? Back for more, he asks, as though wondering if I'm some kind of man awaiting punishment of my own design." Cojisto flourished his cape. "Sir, you stand before Rednell's finest adventurer and you dare ask of me if I'm 'back for more' as though I were some sort of boiled pasta? Well," he paused. "The answer is yes, sign me up for another fight." Cojisto tossed the 50G onto the booth.

"Say," he spoke. "Any chance I can get a pair of candlesticks instead?

When Wade entered the inn there was a brief silence as the occupants eyed him over to judge his worth. They must have found him lacking, as the room became noisy once again. He suffered their disrespect in silence and walked toward the mercenaries table.

He regarded the men warily, there was a chance that his life might soon depend on their skills. He didn't like the thought, but they were likely viewing him with the same mindset. Such was the life of the mercenary. With any luck his service would be brief.

He went to go sign his name.

"If they aren't yours, could they be a fellow miners?" Amber asked him, looking pensievely. He seemd on ednge, so she drew her bow, aimed it in front of her and started to walk. "Walk ahead of me, I can easily shoot past you, if we come into trouble."

When the got closer to the prints, she knelt down to examine them, to see if she could decipher their owner, and how in danger they might be,

COJISTO

The man stared at Cojisto blankly. Cojisto took this to mean 'yes' and sauntered casually inside. His spirits dropped, however, when the girl within showed him the wall of weapons, and the candlesticks he had asked for weren't on there. He felt gipped, but nevertheless picked up a pair of knuckles and strode into the arena.

Quote :

Cojisto vs. Fencer METAL (+) WATER Arena Knuckles (-) (ATK3 --/--) Arena Sword (+) (ATK3 --/--) 17/17 HP MP 15/15 4 STR DEF 4 4 MAG RES 3 3 SKL SPD 7 17/17 HP MP 10/10 4 STR DEF 4 4 MAG RES 2 3 SKL SPD 6 Inventory: --- Loot: ---

Cojisto lunges at his opponent and slashes him with his candlestick knuckles. 4 DMG! (13/17)
The Fencer tries a retaliating blow, but Cojisto jumps out of the way. MISS! (17/17)

Yelling a warcry at the top of his lungs, Cojisto leaps at the Fencer... and misses him completely! MISS! (13/17)
But as Cojisto passes, the Fencer slashes him with his sword. 3 DMG! (14/17)

Cojisto lands hard on the ground and attempts to kick the Fencer as he approaches... but the Fencer dodges! MISS! (13/17)
The Fencer tries to impale Cojisto! Cojisto rolls out of the way, but the sword cuts his arm. 3 DMG! (11/17)

Enraged, Cojisto leaps onto the Fencer's back, scratching at him with his knuckles. 4 DMG! (9/17)
The Fencer turns his sword around and shoves it under his arm, into Cojisto's side! 3 DMG! (10/17)

But Cojisto just won't let go of his opponent! He gets another hit in. 4 DMG! (5/17)
The Fencer, trying to shake Cojisto, stumbles into the wall of the arena. He turns around and slams the Pugilist against the wall! 3 DMG! (7/17)

Cojisto slides off the Fencer, onto the ground, but shoves his fist towards the man's back, embedding his knuckles deep within him! 4 DMG! (1/17)
The swordsman cries out in pain and swings his sword at Cojisto, who anticipates and dodges. MISS! (7/17)

Cojisto confidently strides up to the doubled-over Fencer and goes for the killing blow... but the Fencer blocks it with his sword! MISS! (1/17)
The Fencer lashes out with his foot and kicks Cojisto square in the stomach. 3 DMG! (4/17)

Cojisto moves to tackle the man, but the Fencer sidesteps. MISS! (1/17)
The Fencer extends his sword into Cojisto's side. 3 DMG! (1/17)

Dear lord, if you don't win this...

Cojisto spins around, ripping the sword out of the Fencer's hands! He steps towards the now-defenseless opponent, and shoves his knuckles into the Fencer's stomach! 4 DMG! KO!!

Thank god.

(+30 EXP)

Cojisto strolled out of the arena, bleeding from the wound in his side, but not minding too much, as he pocketed his winnings.

+150G, health set to 8/17

AMBER

The footprints were... strange. They looked like a human's, but they were facing all different directions, almost as if the person who left them had been spinning as he or she walked.

"I dunno whose they are," Horace said, "Just that they lead down into the mines, and I ain't goin' down there without some backup."

Horace: Somethin' weird's goin' on in these mines, I'd bet my bonnet on it... and I don't even have one of those.

DYVILTSI

Dyviltsi waited as the guard rounded the corner slowly. Then, all of a sudden, the area went dark. Dyviltsi leaped forward towards the spot he had last seen the guard in and felt his arms close around the man's torso. He held on fast as the guard tried to throw him off, but with all the strength he could muster, he pried open the man's mouth and shoved one of the sleeping pills down his throat.

As the light began to return to the alley, Dyviltsi hopped off and slammed the guard's head into the brick wall, knocking him out to let the sleeping pill take effect.

OOC: You are one lucky bastard. That pill move was a difficult check, and you not only passed, you aced it (which is why you knocked the guard out as well).

WADE

After signing his name to the piece of paper, Wade waited in a corner of the bar for about half an hour. Eventually, one of the mercenaries approached him.

"Well," he said, "You're one of the only ones foolish enough to sign up. But, we need all the help we can get, so come on, I'll let you meet the rest of the team." The man led Wade outside the Inn, where 6 other men stood waiting. "Call me Shadow," he said, "and these are my men."

Shadow was an intimidating figure, standing well over six feet tall, in solid black armor, with an intimidating greatsword strapped to his back. The other mercenaries were clad in matching armor, except for one.

"This here's George, Carver, Alonso, and Bjorn." Each nodded to Wade as Shadow pointed them out. "And this here's Lug." He motioned to a man leaning against the wall of the Inn, picking his nose. "He's dumb as a rock, but my god, it's like he doesn't even feel pain sometimes. And lastly, our other new recruit, Nathaniel."

Nathaniel looked strangely nervous, but the rest of the mercs actually looked like pretty capable fellows. Bjorn was the only archer, but the others all looked like they had seen their fair share of fights.

"I've got some armor for you two; you're going to wear it for as long as you work with us."

Shadow: You have any questions, or you ready to go right now?

Cojisto smiled as he walked out of the arena. After a good win like that, he deserved a fresh meal. He removed his cape as he walked in order to pull off his shirt. He paused, glancing around. To the left of him was a bench, and he threw his cape there for a moment. Sitting, the Pugilist began ripping his shirt into strips which he then wrapped around his wound. Once the dirty work was done Cojisto set his cape back upon his shoulders, flourished it grandly, and made his way to the restaurant.

It was a high scale joint, Cojisto could tell by the hobo standing outside asking for change. On the way in, he tossed a coin into the old dodger's hat (-1G) and parted some sage wisdom. "When the mood strikes you, sir, I recommend making some money at the arena. It's good earnings and a good day's work." It didn't occur to Cojisto that the man wasn't fit for any sort of physical activity, and that's why it was a tip. (Tip: Something you hope you get a lot of in as little time possible)

He seated himself near the door as the serving wench noticed him. She gasped as she saw his wound. "Good sir, are you alright? You seem to be bleeding something fierce!"

Cojisto looked down at his makeshift bandages and scoffed. "This? I'm slowly becoming a prize fighter down at the arena. It's important to give the people here in Rednell something to believe in. I'm not the hero that Rednell deserves, but they're cheap so they're stuck with me." He glanced up, noticing that the woman was looking at him funny. "Yes, I suppose I should order." He glanced over at the table next to him. "I'll have some of what he's having. Except not something that looks that bad."

The woman blinked and slowly began to walk away from the crazy person. Cojisto minded his own until she came back. It looked just as disgusting as the other man's meal, but he ate it anyway. He could feel his wounds start to heal, scarring over as the food's (not very) magical properties overcame him. The man liked the bloody look, though, so he didn't bother taking the bandages off. He laid his money on the table as soon as he finished the plate (-25G) with a small tip for the woman (-4G) that ensured he would have a clean number at the end of the tally.

"Well, Teetering Wilson, we've better get going. I'm sure they'll have another fight lined up for us." Cojisto paused. "Me, anyway. You've been doing suspiciously little since our little quest." The Pugilist and his imaginary friend who lived in his left hand walked back to the Arena without fail and back to the booth. "Hi, I'm sure you remember me. I'm here to find another fight. Yes, so soon. But I have exactly one question and one request." Pausing for a moment as if he expected the man to form a response, Cojisto continued when there wasn't one. "Am I allowed to use magic in the arena? And can you announce me as 'Rednell's Finest Adventuer, Cojisto' for my next fight?"

Cojisto didn't plan on using magic, but the knowledge on whether or not it would be acceptable would be nice. It might just save his life in the arena one day.

(Giving you the okay to use magic if a well timed Flash or Serenity spell would give me an advantage, Bagel)

Amber chuckled at his joke, smiling her rugged smile. "Always a good plan, following your gut." She looked up from the tracks, "Now, to be honest, I'm not from these parts, so I don't know much about culture, or miners culture, but these prints here, they're almost as if who..or what..ever made them was spinning. Any mining myths I should be aware of?" She took out her bow and aimed it in front.

"Like I said, keep the light ahead of me, or walk in front of me, I can shoot past you, and tell me as we move forward." She edged for, bow at the ready, just in case.

Wade had nothing to ask so he simply changed into his new armor and waited for the group to leave. He had little trust for any of the men, but he decided that the one named Lug might not have it in him to be deceptive. Wade wore a faint grin on his face. For the first time in a long while, he felt excited about the future to come.

COJISTO

"Magic is grounds for automatic disqualification in the arena," the man replied in monotone, "So as to keep the playing field level for all competitors. Also, you are limited to two fights per day - liability issues. I'm afraid I can't let you back in until tomorrow."

OOC: This is simply because battles take a bunch of effort to do, plus if I let you just keep fighting in the Arena over and over, you'll end up MUCH stronger than the other characters who are off on Quests and take a week or two (real-time) to level up. Sowwy.

OOC2: Basically, you just have to do something that constitutes one "day." Embark on a Quest, sleep at the Inn, etc.

AMBER

"I ain't never heard of no stories about spinnin'," Horace said nervously. "Man, I really hate this place."

He cautiously moved forward, down the tunnel, Amber's bow at the ready behind him. She kept glancing down at the footprints to make sure that they were still following them. They led deeper and deeper into the maze of tunnels. Eventually, Horace came to a stop. Amber looked past him. The flickering torchlight illuminated a deep shaft, hewn out of the rock. It was clearly not carved by mining tools; the edges were too rough and uneven, and there were no support beams or even a mechanism with which to get down it. And yet, the footprints ended here, as if their owner had simply jumped down the shaft.

Horace stared down the hole. The torch in his hands lit up about five feet, but beyond that, Amber couldn't see.

"It could be just a ten-foot drop," Horace said, "Or it could be fifty feet. I dunno about this, this is really startin' to creep me out. We passed a tunnel a minute back, maybe we should try to find our way down through that one."

OOC: Jump down the hole, try the other tunnel, or come up with a more creative solution. Your call.

DYVILTSI

Disguised as a Dankron soldier, Dyviltsi headed for the city limits, as casually as he could. He was almost out of the backwater town when a voice rang out behind him.

"Hey!" Dyviltsi turned to see another figure clad in Dankron guard armor calling to him. "Where do you think you're going? General Jorges needs all of us searching the city."

Soldier: What's your name, anyway?

OOC: Remember, the Dankron militia is TINY. They probably know each other fairly well.

WADE

As the group of mercenaries started walking, Shadow handed Wade a map and said, "We don't usually have a specific destination, but there's been a whole bunch of recent activity in the Raven Passage - it's circled on the map - so that's where we're headed."



---

The group of eight arrived at Raven Passage without incident. It was an intimidating place - boulders and rock outcroppings soared into the sky on either side, allowing just enough room for a single caravan to pass through.

"You can see why the bandits chose this spot for ambushes," Shadow said. "One way in, one way out. Cover them both, and there's no escape." He pointed up the slope of the western spire. "There's a small trail heading up the rocks over there. Leads to Raven Lake. If we send a team up that way, they can cover us when we get ambushed. However, the trail is extremely dangerous - could be more dangerous than the bandits."

At this, Nathaniel piped up. "Er... WHEN we get ambushed?"

"Well, how else do you expect us to find the bandits, boy? Ask them nicely to come out and surrender?" He shook his head in disgust. "Anyway, Bjorn will lead three of you up the path towards the lake. The other three will come with me into the passage. We want small numbers to make us more appealing to the bandits." Nathaniel paled. "One of the newbies will go with each group; we don't want to be weighed down by both of them. And since Chicken-Shit here is pissing me off, I'm going to let Newbie Number Two decide."

Shadow: Wade, was it? You want to help bait the trap, or set up the counter-ambush?

"The other tunnel is definitely an option, but first, an experiment. I'm going to see if I can estimate the depth" Amber told Horace. She stepped forward, until she was at the edge of the hole. She pointed her arrrow down, and shot one. She then counted the seconds, "1...2...3..." until she could hear it fall. She would use this information to try and calculate the distance down was. If it was more than 10ft or so, she would go to the tunnel. If it was ten feet or less, she would jump.

"Per day? Per day!?" Cojisto exclaimed before shaking his head and backing down. "No, no, I've already done the repeat what you said today. Even though time is relative, everyone knows that time stops when you eat. Very well, I will give in to your ways despite the magical properties of my left hand." With a flourish of his cape Cojisto turned and walked his way out of the arena's main foyer.

He needed something to keep him busy. It was then that he noticed a crowd of people around a board labeled "Quest Board." Cojisto stroked his beard, despite not actually having one. But if he did it would be magnificent. He pushed through the crowd, justifying his presence with the assurance that he was, in fact, the finest adventurer ever. Making it to the front of the line he perused the board. A lot of quests were happening in Luxor, causing him to think that maybe something is happening there. Or something is going to happen there. Perhaps they have some sort of poltergeist?

"That one!" Cojisto yelled suddenly, scaring many of the less experienced adventurers as he pointed at a specific Quest. "Purging the Darkness, that is mine because it is close and I can probably get back to Zelloviah's arena before anyone can forget me!"

Without a second thought he spun on his heel and began his journey to Lorell to gather information on this so called forest!

COJISTO

Cojisto arrived in Lorell in record time. The forest in question was due north of the city, according to a strangely nervous chap that Cojisto had asked. Granted, he had asked with his hand around the man's neck, but that was only because he had claimed that he had never heard of Cojisto before.

The man had also told Cojisto that the forest was a veritable maze, and he should find himself a guide through it if he planned on exploring.

OOC: Listen to him and find a guide, or Leroy Jenkins this bitch?

AMBER

Sure enough, it didn't take long for the arrow to hit the bottom of the hole. It was definitely feasible to jump in, so Amber motioned for Horace to follow her and did just that.

The fall took longer than Amber was expecting, and her legs crumpled as she hit the ground. It hurt, but it caused no lasting damage. She called up to Horace, who dropped the torch down the hole. Amber deftly caught it and stepped out of the way as Horace followed.

Amber swung the torch in front of her and looked at the ground. Footprints identical to the ones they had been following were everywhere down here; this tunnel was obvious frequented very often. She raised the torch to see three different paths in front of them, each hewn out of the stone as roughly as the hole they had just come through.

OOC: Door number 1, 2, or 3?

-2 HP for the drop.

He looked into the guard's eyes. "My name is Dyviltsi," he stated, casting Deluminate and lunging into battle.

Amber handed the torch back to Horace, looking at all the footprints. She pulled out her bow and headed to seemingly the most frequently traveled pathway. She prepared her bow, and motioned Horace to go first, down the most traveled path with the light. After a few minuts of studying, "They all look the same.....lets go through the left door."

"A guide? I don't need a guide with you along, good chap. I'll pay you 10 gold pieces for your company." Cojisto grabbed the man by the sleeve and began heading towards the forest. "You're traveling with Rednell's Finest Adventurer, Cojisto! Do not fear for my safety, or your own."

Wade was glad he was not to be paired with Nathaniel. He did not envy the group saddled with that burden. His choice was simple enough, if he was to die he'd rather it be by the sword rather than some loose rock or wild animal or whatever dangers could be found on the trail. There was also some appeal in playing the sheep for some unsuspecting fools.

"I'll wait for the bandits with you."

COJISTO

"Wha- no!" the man shouted as Cojisto dragged him towards the entrance of the forest, but it was no use. The duo (trio if you count Teetering Wilson) plunged into the trees and disappeared from view.

The forest around them was dark and oppressive. It looked like a normal forest, but the air was heavy and there was absolutely no noise. Even the normally unflappable Cojisto was startled by the lack of sound - leaves crunched under his foot, but there was no ambient noise. No falling leaves, no wind, no birds or other animals... nothing.

Cojisto's captive guide looked at him, terrified.

Man: This place ain't natural, man. P... please let me go?

AMBER

The pair set off down the left-hand tunnel. Their footsteps echoed around them, the only sound permeating the darkness. They walked in silence for about 3 minutes, when suddenly, Amber started to notice something.

There was a third set of footsteps echoing alongside theirs.

Amber stopped, and put her hand on Horace's shoulder, stopping him as well. Sure enough, although they were standing still, footsteps still sounded from just down the passageway. Horace and Amber glanced at each other nervously.

They were not alone.

DYVILTSI

"Dy... what?" The guard took a step forward, and then everything went black.

Quote :

Dyviltsi vs. Guard FIRE (+) METAL Steel Lance (+) (ATK4 34/35) Iron Blade (-) (ATK3 30/30) 18/18 HP MP 9/11 5 STR DEF 4 4 MAG RES 3 3 SKL SPD 5 20/20 HP MP 6/6 6 STR DEF 6 2 MAG RES 3 3 SKL SPD 3 Inventory: Herb Extract (6) Sleeping Pills (2) Loot: ---

Dyviltsi comes flying out of the darkness and tries to stab the guard, but only nicks his arm. GLANCING BLOW! 2 DMG! (18/20)
The guard whips out his sword and slashes at Dyviltsi's back. 5 DMG! (13/18)

Dyviltsi, now able to see as the darkness clears, thrusts his lance towards his opponent. 4 DMG! (14/20)
The guard brings the hilt of his sword down on Dyviltsi's helmet. 5 DMG! (8/18)

Dyviltsi crumples to the ground, but as the guard approaches, the cavalier sticks his spear into the guard's arm. 4 DMG! (10/20)
The guard cries out, and slashes Dyviltsi across his leg. 5 DMG! (3/18)

He shouldn't be able to hit you this easily, man...

Dyviltsi retreats and quickly applies some Herb Extract to the cut. +5HP! (8/18)
The guard charges Dyviltsi and tackles him into a pile of logs behind one of the houses. 5 DMG! (3/18)

Dyviltsi again splashes some Herb Extract onto his wounds. +5HP! (8/18)
As they wrestle on the ground, the guard punches Dyviltsi in the face. 5 DMG! (3/18)

OOC: This is starting to look like a vicious circle. Keep fighting and hope the dice roll a bit more in your favor, or come up with another solution? Your call.

WADE

"Then it's settled," the man called Bjorn said. "Carver, Alonso, and Nathaniel will come with me. Lug, George, and Wade, you wait here with Shadow. Give us ten minutes to get in position, then start walking."

"Act casual," Shadow added as the other four disappeared down the path. "And hide your weapons. Remember, we're supposed to be travelers." He pulled a cloak over the giant sword strapped to his back as he talked.

Ten minutes passed, and Shadow finally signalled for the group to move. They casually strolled into the Passage, George looking around them warily. After only about a minute of walking, George pulled closer to Wade and whispered, "Don't look now, but we've got a tail."

George: We could probably take him out pretty easily if we jumped him now. What do you think?

"This is getting bad," Dyviltsi thought as he was punched in the face again. "When did these guys become... competent?"

If he ran, the guard would alert the others. There was little he could do.

"I'll keep applying herb extracts until I catch a break, then I'll try to mess him up by grabbing his hands and casting Broil. If it gets to the point where I'm fucked, I'll attempt to burn his eyes out."

"Let you go back? Nonsense, I've got 10 gold on you. Besides, do you really want to try and traverse the forest all on your own without my protection? What if something unnatural were to assail you? Like a werewolf, or a wraith, or a rabid mailman? No, I can't in good faith let you wander back on your own, nor can I turn around now." Cojisto stopped and turned, facing the man and putting his hand on the man's shoulder. "Serenity," he cast to calm the man down.

After that, he turned around and began walking again without holding on to the man. "You know who I am, but who, good sir, are you?" Cojisto began whistling, removing the silence to the best of his ability. And that ability was great indeed.

Decding they needed a little bit more light, Amber put a finger to her lips to Horace and cast Torch. She looks around, trying to spot the third person.

Killing the tail carried the risk of alerting the bandits to their presence, thus causing them to lose the advantage of surprise. Still whether or not they were suspicious of the four, they couldn't know about the other four. Leaving the tail alive allowed the bandits one extra member in the fight to come, in any extended battle that would amount to far more damage than the loss of surprise could cause.

"We need to eliminate the threat while we still have the advantage. I'm confident in my speed, if he attempts to run I will pursue him and cut him down."

If Shadow gave the go ahead, Wade would cast Furor and go into battle.

COJISTO

The man had stopped struggling, but he still looked worried.

"M... my name's Moakley. Joseph Moakley," he said as Cojisto let him go.

Moakley: ...Why are we in here, anyway?

AMBER

The spell lit the tunnel only about two feet farther than the torch had, but it was enough. As the light expanded, Amber caught a glimpse of a leg disappearing into the stifling darkness beyond.

DYVILTSI

OOC: Broil only works on metal and other surfaces that can conduct heat. However, should you get the opportunity, I might have you cast it on his sword.

Quote :

Dyviltsi vs. Guard FIRE (+) METAL Steel Lance (+) (ATK4 31/35) Iron Blade (-) (ATK3 25/30) 3/18 HP MP 9/11 5 STR DEF 4 4 MAG RES 3 3 SKL SPD 5 10/20 HP MP 6/6 6 STR DEF 6 2 MAG RES 3 3 SKL SPD 3 Inventory: Herb Extract (4) Sleeping Pills (2) Loot: ---

Gasping, Dyviltsi shoves the guard off of him and applies another Herb Extract. +5HP! (8/18)
The guard rolls as he hits the ground, then charges at Dyviltsi, who sidesteps! MISS! (8/18)

FINALLY.

Dyviltsi rushes the guard and slashes his spear across the the guard's side. 4 DMG! (6/20)
The guard shoves Dyviltsi back into the logs. 5 DMG! (3/18)

Dyviltsi uses yet another Herb Extract. +5HP! (8/18)
The guard jumps on Dyviltsi, but Dyviltsi points his spear at him and he maneuvers out of the way at the last second! MISS! (8/18)

Dyviltsi lunges at his opponent and runs him through with his spear. 4 DMG! (2/18)

Here we go, rolling to see if you do something really freaking awesome...

As the guard backpedals, Dyviltsi casts Broil. The spearhead begins to grow red-hot, causing the guard to scream out in pain! 2 DMG! KO!!

+35 EXP

Dyviltsi, breathing heavily, carefully extracted his spear from the guard's body.

SIDEQUEST: Murder in Dankron (**)
Apparently, someone murdered the local judge, and the prime suspect is... YOU! Clear your name, or else you'll become a wanted man the world over...

WADE

Shadow nodded, giving Wade and George the go-ahead. The two stopped to "examine" a plant on the side of the road. As their tail drew closer, they jumped him.

Quote :

Wade vs. Bandit WATER AIR (+) Slim Sword w/Earth Orb (ATK3 20/20) Iron Axe (ATK2 30/30) 17/17 HP MP 8/8 5 STR DEF 4 1 MAG RES 3 6 SKL SPD 8 20/20 HP MP 11/11 3 STR DEF 3 1 MAG RES 1 2 SKL SPD 4 Inventory: Herb Extract (3) Loot: Tonic of Speed (1) George EARTH (+) Iron Blade (ATK3 30/30) 19/19 HP MP 12/12 5 STR DEF 3 3 MAG RES 1 6 SKL SPD 4 Inventory: ---

Wade casts Furor! +1 STR!
George lunges at the man, who somehow anticipates and side-steps! MISS! (20/20)
The bandit draws his axe and slashes George. 2 DMG! (17/19)

Wade joins the fray, swinging his sword towards the bandit, who dodges! MISS (20/20)

Er... the fuck is going on here?

The Bandit stabs Wade as he passes. 2 DMG! (15/17)
George jumps on the bandit from behind. 6 DMG! (14/20)

Wade recovers and stabs the bandit in his arm. 7 DMG! (7/20)
The bandit headbutts George in the chin to escape. GLANCING BLOW! 1 DMG! (16/19)
George slashes the man viciously across the chest! 6 DMG! (1/20)

OOC: He's about to draw his last breath. Finish him off (which would garner more EXP), or restrain him?

"Joe, my good sir, we're here in order to find out the mystery of this forest. It's, as you said, unnatural for a forest to become this quiet. So either something is eating all of the things that make noise, or they all went on vacation." Cojisto had thoroughly convinced himself that there was something eating the wildlife. This was irrefutable, and any suggestion to the otherwise would be completely ignored. Unless it was impossible.

"Tell me, have you heard of anything weird lately? About the forest, I mean."