I should be getting back into the regular swing of things now, thanks for everyone's patience. I finally dug into Baluder's Gate 3 and wow Karlach is basically a Barbarian version of Maka.
Okay so 5 of us are teleporting into the ruined temple and Fin and Kal are using Transport Via Plant then sneaking their way to us. There are trees inside the camp near the middle where the animated tank caught us and near the top next to the blue pool thing. Kal: Carry companion on Chest Thumper -> Put Thumper statue in pocket -> Wildshape -> Cast plant teleport. I'd recommend wild shaping into a bat. 40ft fly speed, 20ft blindsense, and diminutive size so a +12 bonus to stealth. Fin: Probably best to cast Blend before Kal teleports you. You don't need any bonus to stealth but they never hurt, and if you move half speed you can still hide in plain sight without shadows.
Maka stirred in the early morning hours, her internal clock signaling the arrival of dawn, although not entirely synchronized with the planet's star. She pressed a gentle kiss to Bulvi's forehead before disentangling herself from her lover. Stretching with feline grace, Maka unleashed a yawn that resonated more like a mighty roar, marking the beginning of her morning ritual. With a practiced hand, she reached for a wooden comb, its fine teeth navigating through her raven locks with gentle precision, untangling any knots.
In her customary routine, Maka infused herself with energy, the warmth flooding her body, enhancing her speed, stamina, and strength. She easily surpassed previous limits, a tangible testament to the progress made in her training and the trials of her journey. The additional energy brought about transformative changes, scaling patches of her skin expanding as her draconic features sharpened. Heat and light radiated from her hair, transforming from yellow and orange near the scalp to a deep red, with only the very tips retaining their original black hue, resembling whiffs of smoke atop the flames. Having unraveled the last tangle, Maka shifted her focus to the intricate art of braiding. Her skilled fingers wove the strands into an elaborate pattern, and the flaming energy within her hair flickered in acknowledgment of the connection between the monk and her revered element. With her fiery hair now restrained in a tight braid, Maka adorned herself in the traditional robes of her order. Running her fingers along the embroidered symbols of fire and the teachings of the monastery, she marveled at the surprisingly well-preserved condition of the garments, a result of numerous magical tailorings. As she secured the robe, Maka felt the familiar weight of responsibility and purpose settling upon her shoulders. Exiting her quarters, Maka silently made her way to the outermost chamber of Clucker's current configuration. There, she discovered Finn, moving through his forms clad only in his small clothes. Taking a moment to appreciate the view, her burning eyes followed the graceful movements of Finn's back muscles. "Your form is good, worthy of any disciple of the Dragon's Eye Monastery." she remarked with a toothy grin.
So I actually think the hut is still the safest place for us to camp. The hut itself is basically invincible, and it's a different plane on the inside. That protects us from long range bombing, and Rasputin can't scry and fry us nearly as easily. Plus just having the one entry/exit is a lot easier to defend. If we are going to be outside, let's not forget that Selena has Secure Shelter. Fairy Ring Retreat Is also a good shelter option and can even be combined. As for the scouting and getting into the hellscape, resting a day and letting Kal change up his spells gives us a ton of options. Insect Spies is great for scouting out an area and getting info. The greater version let's Kal easily map the place out. We have a lot of options for getting in, but the defenses are still very much in play once we are inside. Probably best to save the teleports and the like as get out options rather than get in. Wind Walk would make it very easy for Kal+4 to get in and out.
I love archer druids. The Nature Fang druid archetype is one of my favorites. Slayer talents and studied target completely take care of the ranged aspects of the class. Then you have full druid casting, which is just a utility belt full of tools you can change up each morning. Never played an Android in Pathfinder but it's basically all I ever play in Starfinder. I always make one that has some sort of obsession with pop culture. Something about synthetics and pop culture has always scratched some sort of an itch for me. And then of course there is the classic of a synthetic who realizes the inherent weakness of flesh. Humans die in a vacuum and they can't see in darkness. Most of the universe is a dark vacuum! Humans suck and someone needs to call them out for it. Except for that human. That human is perfect a cinnamon bun and if anything happens to them I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself.
Having the action cost associated with the big one shot weapons instead of the arms feels like the better solution. Off hand, an automated computer with a helping hands spell chip creates the same problem as having multiple arms. Obviously I can't speak to SF2 but that's a cheap and easy combo by SF1 standards. Spitballing:
And all that makes me think of using heat as a reverse ammo system. Certain weapons building more heat as a balancing point, which gives room for abilities/feats to make those weapons better. But that's a bit too far off topic.
But we aren't talking about making 6 attacks with 6 limbs. We are talking about making an attack with hand 1 and an attack with hand 3 without having to spend an action to think about. 2 attacks, 2 actions, 2 hands. The fact that you used the ice pistol instead of the fire pistol is the benefit of having multiple limbs. Saying you have to spend an action first but you can buy a feat to not spend an action is creating a problem and selling a solution. Again, if firing hand 1 and hand 3 without spending an action breaks something, it's hard to imagine the scenario where the actual problem isn't something else.
Counter argument, keep BP for ships and also use it for standard gear. Let credits and a figity item economy be left for lore and RP. You get a certain amount of BP per level which you can spend on gear/upgrades/etc as you like. When you level you can completely respend BP or just use the new points for new stuff as you like. Whether you are upgrading the same trusty weapon the entire time or always buying the latest toy is also left to 'lore'. Or maybe just fold all of that under "experience points" that you can spend on skills, physical/magical upgrades, gear, class abilities, etc? Yeah I know, but what if we just had some fun huh?
Look at Rysky and I agreeing on things. Yeah, if your players get an awesome new space ship and their first reaction is "Cool, now we don't have to play anymore" then I think they just didn't want to play the game. In the very least they don't want to play those characters anymore. In literally every game I've ever played or run, a bigger and badder ship just meant they could do bigger and badder things in space. And even if you do somehow break the economy with the space ship, there are few gold sinks as good as a space ship the players own. Repairs, system issues, replacement parts, license updates, I mean you can just come up with a never ending list of excuses for them to have to pour money down the drain. And if they have an emotional connection with that space ship phhh forget about it! They've put a loaded gun in your hand. Anytime you improve your way into a wall, just put that gun to the space ship's head and watch grown adults cry.
Also a Starfinder character can drop 300 credits for a bayonet bracket and not even need to switch weapons. Like half of the two handed advanced melee weapons can be used with that. Or like put a tether on their pistol. And honestly, gear only gets you 10% of your credits back anyway. I'll take a better racial ability and just eat the minor loss if I drop the weapon and can't get it back. It's a pretty niche situation really. And if automatic gear progression is in place I just get that item back when I level.
"It's for game balance" is not the end all be all excuse you seem to think it is. It certainly doesn't make something immune to criticism. Nor is this option the only way to mechanically balance multi-limbs. If they have the advantage of multi-limbs, then they can have the disadvantage of something else. Literally anything other than "they only kinda have multi-limbs". None of the multi-limbed species have options for better senses, or flight, or what have you. You can find a justification for literally anything if you look for and accept one. "I only got two rules. 1: Never kill someone without a reason. 2: You can always find a reason to kill someone." That's a terrible argument and I don't recommend it for future use. Also, if "I use the weapon in arm 1 and the weapon in arm 3" breaks something mechanically, it feels like the deeper issue is with the thing that broke. It's hard to imagine players not coming up with shenanigans that break the thing even worse. And personally, I very much want even more of the alien cantina effect. The less humanoid bipeds the better. Which this sort of mechanical decision making doesn't really seem to lend itself to.
I want it to not use the PF2 engine.Oh dang, I have some bad news for you :( Oh it's fine, I've been expecting this for awhile now. You can't be disappointed if you aren't surprised, however unfortunate the circumstance.
I want it to not use the PF2 engine.
While Himo went the analogue route for gathering information, DR34-M12 decided to do something interesting with her time. Striding over to the automated music-playing device, the android loaded it with credits and quickly put together a playlist. A slow electronic beat began to click over the bar's speakers. The slow opening gave DR34-M12 time to loudly drag several tables and chairs out of the way. By the time the bass dropped, she had created her own little dance floor and was ready to shake it. Her circuits glowing brightly in a rainbow cascade. Her feat and legs stepped to quickly match the rhythm of the beat while her hands and arms flailed against it.
@Kal don't forget your Will save not to throw up. Hey look, a Fin and Maka fight scene is in the new John Wick
@Quasit, I loved the hangman. Also, imagine putting a 50 gold bounty on someone and then a year later they come back at level 15+.
Bulvi raised an eyebrow. "That can't be normal... just don't make a firey burp while leaning in to kiss me. My rugged good looks can't afford the scorch marks." "No it's pretty normal. It takes a lot of food to fuel all this fire! I once ate a whole boar during endurance training." An odd pride beamed on Maka's face. "But I'll make sure to take care of your looks." Maka said with a toothy grin. He reaches out and jingles the box she had given him earlier. "I haven't given this to Fin yet either. I spotted him training but he seemed really focused so left him be for a bit." Bulvi rolled his neck along his shoulders. "That's okay, just hold on to them. They were a lot of work and I can't be held responsible for keeping track of them." Maka said in a serious tone. "Since we'll be leaving here sooner rather than later I keep thinking there's probably lots of clever things I should pick up that some scholar back home would trade the deeds to a small farmstead for but finding the right item and then the right scholar will probably be more than a little challenging." "I mean...yeah that's probably a good idea." Maka's tone suggested that she didn't think it was a good idea at all. "But we could have Kal just keep writing stuff down for that. Isn't there anything more fun you'd rather do?"
Maka entered the hall, her excitement palpable and a toothy smile spread from ear to ear. One arm was interlocked with Bulvi's while the other waved at the gathered crowd. When Maka spotted Efrixes and Bescaylie, she put some extra oomph in her wave, drawing some attention to the pair. ”To the death of Yrax!”. Then she downs the whole cup in a long swift swallow. Maka unleashed a roar-like cheer before downing her own drink. Once the food was out, Maka grabbed an dragonkin sized amount. Multiple plates balanced precariously on her arms as she made her way back to the table. Though Maka took some care not to dirty her outfit, she still nonetheless began to tear through her meal at an inhuman speed. "OHIt'sSoGood!" She mumbled through a mouthful of food. Bulvi barely had time to get through his appropriately sized portion before Maka had emptied multiple plates and was pulling at his arm to dance.
Maka's dancing often looked more like a martial arts display. An impressive physical performance, but typically lacking in the rhythm and sensual movement associated with a dance. That was not the case this evening. She felt in synch with the music, knew how to move with it and not against it. Her hair and clothing flowed about her, accentuating her every movement. She twisted, tumbled, and thrust about like she had infinite energy. A smile on her lips and laughter in her lungs the entire time. When Bulvi had to stop to take a breather, Maka showed no signs of tiring. Instead she merely moved to find a new partner. Striding over to Quasit, Maka thrust her hand out. "Come on, you owe me a dance before you get tired!"
Falling:
Maka stood at the top of Spurhorn, her hand gripped tightly around a flagpole as she leaned forward. Though she hung precariously over a vast drop, the monk showed now signs of discomfort or fear. Instead she looked out over the vast horizon, a toothy grin wide across her face.
The wind blew sharply, sending her long braid of hair and scarf flapping about. The sun was just beginning to rise, but it was still pitch dark in the shadow of the mountain. Despite the wind, cold, and wearing clothing meant for humid jungles, Maka showed no signs of discomfort. She’d never much been affected by the cold, and even if she were, she was always the best source of heat around. Instead, her full focus was on the rising sun. It was an odd thing, seeing a familiar sun rise on an alien world. Triaxus was further away from the system’s star than Maka’s homeworld of Glorian, especially at Triaxus’ current point in orbit. Thus the sun seemed smaller, weaker, not bringing as much heat and light to the world. Still, Maka could not help but be amazed at the beauty. From her vantage, she could watch the light sweep across the land. See the world wake and come to life right before her eyes. Maka had always been fascinated by the sun. To her it was the pinnacle of her element. The ultimate example that fire could be more than a source of destruction. That, in proper balance, could be a source of beauty and comfort, of life. A source of hope she’d needed in her younger years. During the times she’d feared she was only good for destruction and harm. Though back then it had taken days of camping and hiking to get to a mountaintop to view a sunrise like this. Now, Maka could reach such heights easily. Her mobility training with her flames allowed her to move with ease through the air. She had become proficient enough that flying had almost become a second nature. Releasing her grip, Maka allowed herself to fall forward. Letting her mouth hang open, the rushing air filled her lungs and brought a roar of laughter from the monk. Maka, like most, had long dreamed of flying, but now that she actually could, she had discovered something about herself: She preferred falling. With a practiced grace, Maka flipped, spiraled, and twisted her body; Her aerial acrobatics formed into a sort of dance. On and on this display went, Maka knowing she was in no danger of striking the ground anytime soon. There was a sense of danger, excitement, and freedom from a long fall. Flattening her body out to slow her descent, Maka stared at the slowly approaching ground. She focused on the air rushing past her body, the way her movements shifted how she moved through the air. Maka didn’t think about the air much, but it amazed her how “thick” it was once you really got moving through it. It was almost like swimming. Synchronous explosions from her palms reversed her momentum, sending her hurtling back up. At the apex of her climb Maka flipped and righted herself before thrusting up again with two jets of flame from her feet. Small, rapid explosions from her hands sent her twisting around in the air. Maka could create huge amounts of thrust with her explosions and jets of flame. With training, she’d even been able to gain precise control over her movement. However, there was a limit to the force she could generate. Especially to what she could generate safely, as her final attack against Yrax had proved. But she had been training to help overcome that limitation. By keeping flames at her feet for thrust, Maka could use smaller explosions from her hands to propel herself in a circular motion to generate a cyclone of air. The cyclone helped fuel both the jets of flames and the small explosions, generating even more energy. It was difficult to control, but if done right, allowed her to move through the air at violent speeds. Again and again she repeated this dance: blasting upwards in a fiery tornado, soaring to great heights, a graceful fall down, just to blast back up again. The sun had fully risen by the time she finally safely landed on the stones of Spurhorn. Sweat dripped from her brow, her limbs burned from the effort, and her stomach was both ready to turn inside out from all the spinning and also demanding food for all the fire generated. Collapsing to the ground, her chest heaved as she gasped for breath. The ice and snow underneath her quickly melting and turning to steam from the ambient heat from her body.
Forging:
Maka’s ears perked at the ringing of hammer blows echoing off the stone walls of Spurhorn. ”Ugh finally!” she groaned. The labyrinthine interior, designed to confuse invaders, had successfully kept Maka lost for longer than she cared for.
Breaking into a sprint, she acrobatically danced in between several rhyphorians as she followed her ears to the source of the hammers. Eventually the stone hallway opened up into a large, open space. Several dragonkin and rhyphorians went about their work forging armor and weapons. ”What do you want?” The booming voice of one of the dragonkin rang out. Older than most dragonkin at Spurhorn, he had dark red scales and was wearing a thick leather apron. Assuming this was the forgemaster she was looking for, Maka moved to introduce herself. ”Hi, I’m Maka.” She said with a toothy grin and a wave. ”Are you Thrune?” ”Mmmhmm one of them there aliens what killed Yrax. What do you want?” The dragonkin repeated his question with a snort of smoke from his nostrils. ”Oh, right.” Maka dug into her pack and pulled out the two adamantine hammers. ”We’ve got two of these and we only need one. Do you think you could break one of these down into some arrowheads and knuckle rings?” Thrune picked up the hammers between his claws and brought them closer to his snout for inspection. Giving them a few deep sniffs and running his forked tongue across the metal. ”Hmm adamatine huh? No. We’re not properly set up to work it. It’d take too much time, too much fuel, and we’re behind as it is.” ”Whaaat? Come on!” Maka whined. ”We basically ended the war right? You’ve got time! Besides, I can help.” The dragonkin smith’s eyes narrowed at Maka’s continued badgering. ”Oh, and are you some master smith then? Come to teach us how to do it huh?” ”No!” Maka raised her voice almost to a yell, not liking his attitude. ”But I can help heat it up.” Blue flames engulfed Maka’s hands, the heat noticeable even among the sweltering temperatures of the forge. Thrune scratched his chin with a claw. ”Hmm and how many times can you do that?” ”A whole bunch of times! As much as you need. Don’t worry, I ate before I came.” Maka gave the dragonkin a thumbs up, not considering that such a gesture might be meaningless or even insulting to the alien. Thankfully, Thrune was just confused, but mostly intrigued by the offer. ”Hmm, well I suppose we could give it a try then. Never much get a chance to work with adamantine.” —-- Maka stood in front of the main forge in a low horse stance. With a powerful thrust of her fist, she sent a blast of blue flames into the forge. Taking a deep breath, she reset her position before thrusting another blast of blue flames with her other fist. Rhythmically she repeated this, keeping the forge at a steady but incredibly high temperature. The heat was sweltering, and any not immune or resistant had been forced to leave. Even Maka was struggling, causing her to abandon her clothing. Sweat dripped from her brow and glistened across her entire body, highlighting her muscular form as she continued her work. ”Good.” Thrune’s voice boomed as he pulled a small piece of adamantine from the forge. The metal nearly glowed white from the vast amount of heat it had absorbed. Moving to his massive anvil, Thrune began to hammer away. He and his assistant needed to move quickly, the adamantine would only be workable for a brief period and they still had a good amount of work left ahead of them.They had been able to break the hammer down into several small ‘ingots’, but that had proven to be the easy part. Forging them into usable equipment was an arduous task. Maka took a deep drink of water from a nearby bucket before pouring the remainder over her head, causing a small cloud of steam to form around her. Her arms burned and she wished she had eaten more. However, she knew she wouldn’t be able to take a real break for some time yet. Instead she took the opportunity to stretch and move about while she could. Soon she’d be right back at blasting blue flames. Still, they had made good progress. Fin’s arrowheads were done but for grinding proper edges on them. That would be a task in and of itself, but Thrune was insistent that adamantine arrows barely needed a point to do the job, let alone an edge. Now they were working on a set of knuckle rings for Maka. While the exact specifications for them were beyond what they had the tools to forge, Thrune had come up with a simple hexagon shape that would do the job and they’d actually be able to craft. On their own they might cause more harm to Maka’s fist than her opponent’s face, but she was confident she’d be able to work them into her hand wraps to help prevent that. ”More flames!” Trune barked as he moved the adamantine back to the forge. ”Yup!” Maka responded before resuming her horse stance and sending out another blast of blue flames. Tattoo: Maka laid upon the stone floor of the group’s room at Spurhorn. Several books and scrolls were spread out before her, as well as a pile of papers covered in sketches. A mix of draconic and triaxian, the texts mostly covered astronomy observations. With Triaxus’ erratic orbit, the people of the planet seemed to have a better understanding of the star system and the other heavenly bodies within it.
Though interesting, much of the information was beyond Maka’s intellectual capabilities. Instead, the monk was practicing copying images of the planets into a simple, yet stylized map. There were also several sheets covered in wings that appeared to be made of fire. The workings of a new tattoo she was planning. It had been some time since her last tattoo, not since she’d gotten a party tattoo with Adula and the others. It had been Adula’s first tattoo, and the paladin had gotten suitably drunk for it. With her loosened up, the rest of the group had gone wild. Maka looked at the small owlbear on her wrist with a frown as the once happy memory played out in her head. It was only a few weeks later that the group split up; Torn apart by Maka’s carelessness. Maka shook her head in an attempt to push the bad thoughts away. Only focus on the mistakes of the past to learn from them. Her father’s voice echoed in her head. It was sound advice. Maka had considered her mistakes, had learned and grown from them as best she could. Torturing herself served no purpose. Putting quill back to parchment, Maka continued with her work. The overall design was still rough but was coming together nicely. The map would flow down her spine, ending with the sun at her lower back. The wings of flame would flow from her shoulder blades. She planned for the flames, sun, Glorian, and Triaxus to be done in fire ink; Representing herself, what she strived for, and where she had been. As she traveled to new planets she could get them redone in the glowing ink as well. There should even be room to add symbols for the planes, for when Maka inevitably traveled through them as well. It was important to plan out your tattoos in advance. She’d made sure to get her ‘obstinate owlbear’ small so she’d have room to get a tattoo for future adventuring parties. The fire monk frowned as she looked at a pile of pages containing numerous scribbles and name attempts. That project wasn’t going nearly so well as the back piece. While ‘Absolum Company’ would serve for now, it just wouldn’t do for the group’s permanent name. First, the letters didn’t match. Second, there was no animal! And last of all, Maka just couldn’t think of a way to make that a tattoo. ”Ugghhh it’s so hard! Anyone else having any luck?”
"You eat women?" Sakitu looks shocked. Still blushing furiously, he looks over to Quasit and Maka helplessly…then shrugs… "Don't worry, he's good at it. But you don't have to do anything until you're ready Saki." Maka called back in an honest attempt to be helpful. "Where was I?" Maka asked as she turned back to Bescaylie. "Oh yeah right, and that's when it was time for Yrax to face the wrath of..." Maka’s eyes went so wide they nearly burst from her head as a sickening realization struck her. "Oh..Um actually I just remembered I need to take care of a totally normal and fine thing. Excuse me!" Maka jumped down from Efrixies' saddle and did her best not to run to Quasit. "Hey Quasit!" Maka said in her best casual voice as she looped her arm around her friend. "No problems here just wanted to check on..." Maka rattled in a totally casual manor as she began to lead Quasit away from the others. "QUASIT THERE'S A PROBLEM!" Maka whisper shouted in Quasit's ear. The fire monk's eyes were wide with fear. "We don't have a party name!"
I'm going to spend another 20 gold and have Maka get a glowing tattoo. 10 gold for the glowing ink and 10 gold for the tattoo. A stylized map of the solar system surrounded by wings of flame. The wings are at her shoulders and the map flows down her spine. The wings, sun, Glorian, and Triaxus are in fire ink but the rest is regular black ink. Maka plans to get the rest of the planets redone in fire ink once she visits them.
Maka was lucky enough to get a loving and supportive parent and grow up in a vaguely socialist superhero school. Gave her a good foundation despite the evil dragon cultist start. But there is definitely a world out there were Maka is a big bad in a campaign. As for the frog, I like to think he found his calling in monastic training.
Yeah having a different physical feature to display emotion gives you a lot to play with. It's one of the things I like about Starfinder Androids. I'd also second seeing Kal's reactions to the group. Nice to get the 3rd party perspective as a group of powerful aliens show up, disrupt a war, then leaves without elaboration. Going for a number of levels in Slayer would be good, probably finishing out the rest of your levels in it. Although for studied target, a lot of time you are better off just getting another full attack off then spending the move action. You might consider Ankou Shadow. It trades out studied target for an all day mirror image. Stacks with the sniper archetype and goes well with shadow dancer. The one thing I don't like about pbp, I have trouble getting into character. It takes time to truly get into that mindset, but with pbp you write something quick snd then you're done for the day. Well you don't have to write something quick. I often will get something down then come back to it. It's easier to build things up from there. And then usually for the background or longer posts you can spend days on. Speaking of which Daughter: Zhen Na’shota kneeled next to his adventuring companions in the brush. Silently, they observed a group of bandits sorting through the ill begotten goods from their most recent attack on a caravan. There had been a growing number of attacks on merchant and settler caravans in recent months, and Zhen and the others had been hired to investigate and put a stop to the attacks. Unfortunately they had arrived too late to help. The fire and smoke that had brought them to this location had nearly ceased, and only a small handful of bandits remained. Vos, a skilled tracker and woodsman, made the decision to wait and observe, hoping to follow the bandits to the rest of their gang. While it did not sit right with Zhen to simply sit and watch, he could not argue with the wisdom of the tactic. Putting an end to these bandits, no matter how deserving, would not stop the next attack. Taking a deep breath, Zhen steadied his thoughts. Now was the time for patience, not for conflict. He did his best to meditate, to calm his mind, until finally the bandits finished picking meat from the bones and moved out. Zhen followed closely behind Vos and the others. Their quarry took care to conceal their tracks, but it mattered not. Vos and the others were experienced woodsmen, and though Zhen was not as experienced at “bushwhacking” as his companions, he was far more adept at moving lightly and swiftly than his massive form would suggest. For some time the group followed the bandits, deep into the woods. The sun was beginning to set when they finally arrived at their destination; A long abandoned fort the bandits had reclaimed. However, Zhen maintained the vigil on his patience. He and his companions would not be able to simply storm the fort. They would need to study the area, to find the right place to strike and wait for the right moment to do so. Zhen sat down and leaned his back against a sturdy tree. Taking a deep breath, he began to prepare his mind for what was to come. As the darkness of night took hold, it was held at bay by the firelight that danced off the fort walls and tree tops. The smell of roasting meat and the sounds of revelry filled the area; No doubt the bandits celebrating their latest raid. The group moved in silent unison, each knowing their tasks. Zhen was to take out the sentry posted in the fort’s watch tower. A simple task, but one he needed to time and execute flawlessly, lest the others be revealed. After 50 heartbeats, Zhen released his breath and stepped into the space between spaces, disappearing and reappearing behind the sentry. Zhen wrapped his massive arm’s around the sentry’s neck, snapping it as easily as most would snap a twig. Quietly and quickly he laid the body down before taking a crouched position to view the area. His eyes went wide as he took in the sight before him. An emaciated gold dragon, bound in massive chains. The poor creature had been butchered, its wings and limbs missing, the stumps wrapped in dirty canvas to staunch the bleeding. Ragged breathing confirmed the creature was still alive, if only barely. Zhen clinched his teeth to remain silent, his orc tusks barred in full display. What madness could cause such cruelty? Almost as if on cue, he got his answer. A gout of flames filled the area with light, strong and big enough that Zhen could feel the heat even from afar. Its source was a large woman at the center of the feast, the apparent leader of the group. The flames poured from her agape mouth as if she were a dragon herself. ”Another fine haul huh?” She shouted as she thrust a mug of ale to the sky, which was met with a roar of applause and approval from the bandits. Bringing mug to mouth, she downed its entire contents in a few gulps. ”Ezra! Ezra! Ezra!” The bandits cheered their leader’s name before downing their own mugs. ”Now there were those who didn’t want this haul. No! Old Greta and her boys thought we shouldn’t be greedy, that we would attract too much attention!” Ezra motioned to 3 people tied to posts, an older woman and two middle aged men. Boos echoed off the walls of the fort as the bandits displayed their displeasure, several mugs sailed through the air, striking one of the men in the head. The man fell limp against his bonds as blood dripped from the wound, causing a roar of laughter amongst the bandings. The old woman screamed something, but her words were muffled by the bindings covering her mouth. ”That’s right, that’s right! BUT…” The crowd grew quiet as the leader yelled. ”But there were those who wanted more, who believed… Where the f@+# is Bryon!? Get him up here!” One of the bandits rose and began to make his way to Ezra. One of the younger of the bandits, he nonetheless stood a head taller than most. The crowd cheered him on as he made his way up. Ezra grabbed him as soon as he was within reach, throwing an arm around his shoulders and violently shaking him back and forth. ”Now f%$~ing Bryon here is a believer! He wants more! And he’s willing to work and sacrifice for it!” The leader continued to work the crowd up as she went on. ”Bryon here has eaten of the flesh, Bryon here led the raid today! Bryon here thinks he can replace me!” The mood suddenly shifted as Ezra snarled in Bryon’s face, a hush fell over the crowd. Brion stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do. ”...Bryon here is getting f$$*ed with!” Ezra finally broke the tension before roaring with laughter, which was nervously followed by Bryon and the others. ”And now, Bryon here is getting his reward.” Picking up a goblet marked with strange runes, the woman approached the dragon, driving a curved dagger deep into its flesh. A low moan escaped the tortured creature as its dark, glittering blood flowed from the wound. Filling the goblet, the Ezra took a deep drink before walking back to Brion. ”Now, drink and give these traitors the attention they are so afraid of.” Bryon cautiously took the goblet in hand, pausing for a moment, hesitant to drink the blood. But Ezra’s heavy hand on his shoulder and the cheering crowd pushed him on. Pain flooded his body the moment the blood touched his lips. Summoning all of his will, he swallowed as much as he could before falling to the ground. Prepared for this, Ezra caught the goblet, careful not to spill any of its precious contents. Bryon coughed and choked on the blood he couldn’t swallow as he writhed on the ground. The pain was the only thing Bryon could feel. It filled his entire world, blinding him. Until, just as suddenly as it came, it left. Leaving behind a warmth in his stomach and a feeling of power like he had never known. Coughs and fits of pain turned to laughter as Bryon rose off the ground. Taking in a deep breath, Bryon threw his head back and roared a gout of flame, bringing forth a wave of applause and cheers from the bandits. A young woman, one of the few among the bandits, ran forwards to embrace Bryon. As the pair locked lips, the crowd hooted and hollered, the few couples among the crowd joining in their own embrace. Eventually the crowd began to call for the execution to continue. The female bandit rejoined the others as Bryon looked to Ezra for approval before making his way towards the 3 bound captives. ”Bryon! Bryon! Bryon!” The bandits cheered as Bryon took another deep breath to unleash his new power on the prisoners. However, as he opened his mouth it was not a roar of flames that came out, but a roar of pain. Patches of his skin glowed before bursting in flames. In a moment his entire body was engulfed. None of those previously cheering for him stepped forward to help. Only his lover ran forward, collapsing to her knees and screaming in helpless anguish. All watched as Brion’s entire body was consumed, leaving behind only a pile of ash. Quiet filled the fort for a moment, broken only by the grieving moans and tears of Bryon’s former lover as she grasped at his ashes. None dared move or say anything, freezing the scene in time before, finally, being broken by Ezra’s harsh laughter ”Hahahahaha! Another who doesn’t have the strength of my baby girl.” Ezra’s cruel voice echoed off the walls as she walked back to her table, soon the others nervously joined in the laughter, leaving the young bandit alone to her grief. Erza scooped up a young girl of maybe 2 or 3 into her arms, nuzzling her in clear affection. The visual similarity made it clear that the child was Ezra’s, but unlike Ezra, the child appeared to have draconic features. Most notably, the child appeared to be growing scales in patches. Ezra held the goblet to the child, who began to drink the rest of the blood without sign of pain or discomfort. As the child finished the last drop, her golden eyes began to glow with power. ”Nothing like mother’s milk!” Ezra again roared into laughter while the others nervously joined in. ”Now then, who else…” Ezra was cut off as Vos’ arrow pierced through her cheeks. Followed by another to her shoulder and thigh. At the same time a volley of arrows and explosives struck the gathered bandits, sowing confusion and death. The instant the final arrow landed, Zhen exited the space between spaces and was among the bandits as a whirlwind of attacks. Striking harder than a mace, bones and armor crumbled underneath the force of his blows. Despite her injuries, Ezra moved with surprising speed, using her own body as a shield to keep her daughter safe. Two more arrows struck into Ezra’s back before she slid behind a wagon. Placing her daughter behind cover, Ezra grabbed the arrow stuck through her cheeks and ripped it out before rising and unleashing a gout of fire at the rooftop Vos was loosing arrows from. The ranger dived forward just as the roof exploded. A mass of web formed on the ground beneath him, cushioning his landing. ”I told you to be careful!” Trictor, the group’s spell caster shouted ”I got out of the way didn’t I?” Vos shouted back in a thick Nirmathan accent. ”Kill them! Kill them all!” Ezra commanded her remaining minions as she walked forward, seemingly unaffected by the numerous arrows jutting out of her. Zhen disengaged from the bandits he was fighting and ran towards Ezra. A few careless attacks went his way, but were easily dodged. The remaining archers of the group could finish the bandits off, the leader was the clear and present danger. Focusing his ki into his legs, Zhen jumped into a flying kick aimed at Ezra’s head. While his aim was true, Ezra dashed out of the way with a burst of fire. Caught off guard, Zhen’s kick instead smashed through a wooden support pillar, leaving him exposed to Ezra’s flaming counter attack. As a fireball came hurtling his way, Zhen quickly twisted and kicked off a piece of the pillar. His aerial acrobatics avoided the worst of the attack, but the force of the explosion still sent him hurtling backwards. He struck the ground with enough force to bounce twice before he limply rolled to a stop. Before Ezra could gather the power for another attack, several more arrows struck into her as Vos freed himself from the webbing. At the same time, Trictor animated vines which wrapped around her. Yet despite the strength of the vines and having taken enough damage to kill several men, Ezra was not finished yet. Her neck strained against the vines as she sent a gout of fire at the spellcaster. Trictor raised a magical shield, but underestimated the power of his foe.The shield exploded as the fire struck it, sending the spellcaster flying backwards and crashing into Vos. The ranger struggled to get up as the unconscious body of Trictor pinned him down. With the caster down, the vines loosened and Ezra began to break free. Flames gathered as she roared in anger. Several cracks rang out as projectiles bounced harmlessly off the gathering energy. Just as Ezra was ready to unleash enough flames to burn the fort down, Zhen stepped out of the space between spaces behind her. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders and gripping her neck, Zhen pulled back with all of his might, sending Ezra’s attack upward. Blinding light and blazing heat filled the area. Pain overwhelmed Zhen’s every sense, as even the ambient heat of the blast seared his flesh. The two stayed that way but for a heartbeat or two, yet it felt like an eternity of struggle. And then, with a soft thud, two arrows struck Ezra’s heart. Her flames sputtered and died as her life’s blood flowed from her. Zhen released his grip, allowing Ezra’s body to fall limp against her bindings. As darkness took her, Ezra lifted her eyes to the wagon her daughter was crouched behind. One last time, mother and daughter locked eyes. Ezra looked deep into her daughter’s glowing eyes, seeing the power burning inside. With the last of her effort, Ezra stretched a hand towards her daughter. ”You’ll…burn it all!” She sputtered her final words before her hand dropped limp and the breath left her body. Seeing their leader defeated, the last few remaining bandits turned and fled. The distinctly loud crack of a firearm rang out as Ruby began to pick them off. ”You okay?” Vos asked as he walked up to Zhen and the body of their fallen foe. Zhen took a step back and looked at his burned hands. The injuries were severe. On his own they would be concerning, but were ultimately nothing that magic and time could not mend. ”I’ll be fine.” He replied. ”Good... Vos was interrupted by Ezra’s head exploding as one last crack of Ruby’s rifle went off. ”Gods dammit Ruby, why!?” Vos yelled in frustration at his younger sister as he wiped bits of brain off of his face. ”Always gotta double tap monsters like that!” Ruby yelled down to her brother with a laugh. Vos sighed before turning back to Zhen. ”That girl ain’t right. Anyway, Zhen you earned your pay, I’ll tell you what!” He said with a friendly smile. ”I’m not doing it for pay.” Zhen replied. ”I’m not doing it for pay.” Vos replied at the same time, his tone mocking but friendly. It was clearly a conversation they had had before. ”Yeah I know, I know. Still, you earned it.” Turning around, Vos took a moment to take stock of the group. Zephyr was already pouring a potion down Tricktors throat, who began coughing as the healing magic took effect. Zephyr gave Vos a thumb’s up to signal the spellcaster was alright. Once everyone else was accounted for, Vos let out a sigh of relief. ”Okay folks, let’s clean up. You know what you need to do so do it. Trictor, figure out if we’re saving this dragon or putting the poor bastard out of its misery!” Turning back to Zhen, Vos mulled on an offer he’d been planning to make for a time. ”I know you’ve got your own ‘quest’ or whatever but if…” Vos’ words were, again, cut off as a small ball of fire struck his face. The dragonic child stood out in the open, her hand’s ablaze with fire and fangs bared. A look of pure hatred was locked in her eyes. ”Sonovab+@$&!” Vos called out in pain before reflexively grabbing and loosing an arrow. An arrow that would have found its mark had Zhen not stepped out of the space between spaces and yanked the child out of the way at the last moment. The child struggled with all of her might to break free, growling and throwing out ineffective bursts of flame. Even so, she stood no chance against Zhen’s strong grip. Frustrated, the child sunk her teeth into Zhen’s hand with all of her might. Despite the pain flaring from his injuries, Zhen couldn’t help but be impressed by the little one’s spirit. With a swift chop to the back of her head, Zhen knocked the child unconscious. ”What do you think you are doing!?” He angrily shouted at Vos, an unusual display of emotion for monk ”What am I doing!? What in the 9 hells are you doing!?” Vos extended his arms in exasperation. ”Saving a child.” Zhen replied, his normally calm demeanor returning. ”Oh you mean that monster’s child? The one that was being fed dragon bits? Which went so well for that bastard Bryon.” Vos paced back and forth in frustration. ”Yes.” ”Yes. Okay, great.” Vos rubbed his eyes and thought for a moment. ”And I guess you’d take offense to Ruby double tapping that there ‘child’.” ”I would.” ”Uhm, can we take a vote on if Ruby will double tap any children?” Ruby called down from her perch. ”No we can not take a vote because this is not a rutting town hall!” Vos called back up. ”And I take it you ain’t keen on just…leavin’ the kid here or somethin’ long those things? Don’t bother answerin’ that.” Vos held his hand up to stop Zhen, already knowing the monk’s response. ”Look I don’t know what kind of magical shenanigans they were up to here, but it wasn’t nothin’ good.” ”Maybe.” Zhen replied. While he hadn’t been certain of the group’s reaction at first, he was fairly certain of what was going to unfold. Vos cared for his people, and he wouldn’t harbor any threats to their safety. ”Maybe…well I don’t operate on maybe’s.” ”I know. And I would not ask you to. I’ll take the child and take my leave. You still have business to attend to and a reward to claim. But my journey was never going to take me back with you.” Cradling the child’s small form in his arms, Zhen turned to leave. ”Zhen…” Vos raced to catch up to the monk. He wanted to argue, to try to get the monk to see reason, but he knew better. Instead he handed the monk a pouch of healing potions. ”Good luck.” He said with a sigh. ”To you as well.” Zhen replied calmly as he took the potions and continued to walk. ”Mark me though, nothin’ good will come of it.” Vos said before turning back to his group. Zhen looked down at the small form in his arms. ”Maybe.” He said softly to himself. —------------------------------------- The smell of smoke woke Zhen. Bolting upright, he quickly looked around the room for the source. Unsurprising, he found the child crying in front of her burning pallet. Leaping up, he grabbed the bucket of water he now had to keep on hand and quickly doused the flames. With the danger averted, Zhen sighed in relief. He gently reached a hand out to the child, but she backed into the corner, her eyes wide with fear. Zhen held his hands up in his best attempt to show her it was okay before taking a seat back on the bed. It had been a month since he had left Vos’ group, and such fiery events had become common. If the child wasn’t setting something aflame in a fit of rage, she was doing it in her sleep due to nightmares. Not that Zhen could blame her for that, not after what she had been through. He wished he could just talk to her. He wasn’t sure how old the child was, but it was younger than he’d initially thought. An orc child of her size would soon be training to fight, but she needed assistance feeding and cleaning herself. Much to Zhen’s initial embarrassment. And while she could speak and understand some words, she couldn’t manage anything approaching a conversation. Certainly not the one they needed to have. He wasn’t even sure how much of the situation she understood. Not enough to grasp what had happened, he knew that much. But enough to be angry and terrified, enough to have nightmares. Yet she hadn’t tried to run away from him, had let him know when she was hungry or needed to ‘potty’, as she put it. He was her caretaker for the moment, and that was that. Pulling himself back and against the wall, Zhen took a meditative stance, careful to take up as little space as possible. Closing his eyes, he attempted to clear his mind and waited. He honestly had no idea what was to come in the journey ahead, but he knew there would be many new challenges for him, far greater than any physical fight. ”But can I rise to such a challenge?” The thought struck him as deeply as Ezra’s flames had. He honestly couldn’t remember a time when such doubt had entered his mind. But then, when was the last time he’d faced a challenge that could not be overcome with dedication and hard work? The turbulence in Zhen’s mind suddenly settled from a gentle movement on the bed. The child, her fear subsided and sleepiness again taking priority, had decided to approach Zhen. Climbing onto the far side of the bed from him, she crawled under the blanket before settling into a comfortable position. In a handful of heartbeats her breathing began the steady rhythm of sleep. Daring to open one eye and take the scene in, her tiny, sleeping form soothed his worried heart. ”Patience is Key.” The wise words of Master Isa echoed in Zhen’s mind. —------------------------------------- Zhen kneeled over a whining dog, cleaning and bandaging a fresh burn on its shoulder. Pouring some healing potion in his hand, he let the dog lap it up before scratching it behind the ears. He was becoming quite versed at tending to burn wounds. While purchasing fresh supplies for their journey, Zhen had lost focus on the child for a moment. Yet a moment was all it took when it came to children, as he was starting to learn. Especially this child. ”Nothin’ good will come of it.” Vos’ final words echoed in Zhen’s mind. Was the ranger correct? Had Zhen made a mistake? ”Again, I’m so sorry!” He apologized to the owner, a dwarf who had long gone white in the beard. ”Oh stop apologizing!” The old woman grumbled. ”I had a child who manifested magic young, these things happen. You learn your lesson and you move on. Don’t just fret or you’ll never stop fretting!” The dwarf turned to look at the child, who was sullenly eating some snacks the old woman had kindly provided. ”Come here sweetie.” She said with a gentle wave. ”It’s alright you aren’t in trouble.” The child seemed unsure, but still rose and approached, cautiously taking the old woman’s outstretched hand. ”That’s a good girl. Okay, Rango shouldn’t have nipped you and you shouldn’t have burned him huh?” The old woman nodded, and the child, either through understanding or mimicry, nodded along. ”That’s okay, see this?” The dwarf pulled a piece of cheese from an apron pocket. ”This here is cheese, and it’s Rango’s favorite thing in the whooole world! Let’s give him some, yeah?” Pulling the girl close with one arm, the old dwarf used the other to place the bit of cheese in the girl's hand. ”Okay, Rango, if you can not be a Grumpy Gus you can have it.” Both the child and the dog seemed uncertain of the situation, but at the old woman’s instance, they played along. With a cautious few steps, Rango sniffed at the cheese. Then, once certain there was no trickery, gently ate the cheese before beginning to lick the flavor off of the child’s hand. The child began to laugh, and all tension was released. ”Good.” the old woman said as she gently petted the dog. ”Good.” The child repeated as she mimicked the old woman’s motions in petting the dog. A toothy grin spread from ear to ear on the child’s face. ”So, is she yours?” ”No…I found her…there was…” Zhen was the quiet sort, but was not typically one to be at a loss for words. Yet how could he even begin to explain the situation to this kindly elder? As luck would have it, he would not have to. ”It’s alright, I understand. We live in dark times, too many orphans…” The elder seemed to want to say more, but decided not to. ”Do you have a plan for her then?” Zhen didn’t respond at first, instead simply watching the child play with the dog. ”No…I’m headed back home. I guess I’m bringing her with me.”’ ”Oh. Well then she is yours.” The dwarf stated matter of factly, as if announcing that it would soon rain. ”Might want to think of a name for her then.” Zhen blinked a few times, trying to grapple with the simple wisdom of the elder. ”I…I guess I should then.” The old dwarf smiled, glad to meet a youngin’ who saw her wisdom for what it was. ”And make it a nice one. A bit of good luck since she’s had a hard start.” Zhen considered for a moment. ”Maka…it means “favored one” in my home tongue.” ”Well now, there’s a pretty name. Make sure she’s ‘favored’ then, hmm?” Zhen merely nodded in agreement. —------------------------------------ ”Dad! Dad! Daaad! I found a talking frog!” An older, but still quite young, Maka ran up to Zhen holding a bulbous frog above her head. ”Look look look!” Maka jumped up and down in an attempt to bring the frog as close to her father as possible. ”Hello wise monk. I serve as guardian to a pond which was besieged by a flock of feathered beasts most foul. ” The frog ribbited out. ”See! He talks, and real funny too.” Maka said with a giggle. ”Some birds were being mean to him” ”Yes, I can see that. And did you help him?” Zhen asked as he patted Maka’s head. ”Yeah.” Maka replied while hiding her face behind the frog. ”Help indeed! This precocious child chased them away with flames most fierce! You should be a proud father!” ”I am.” Zhen said with a smile. ”Come Maka, lets escort the frog home.” ”Okay, but you need to teach him how to kick in case the birds come back.” Maka quickly followed behind her father. ”Nothin’ good will come of it.” Vos’ final words echoed in Zhen’s mind, for the first time in years. Thinking back on the situation, on the fear and doubt Zhen had harbored over the decision, the monk couldn’t help but burst into laughter. ”It’s not funny! The birds were really mean!” Smoke snorted out of Maka’s nostrils, a clear sign of her seriousness. ”I know, I know. I was laughing at something else, don’t worry, we’ll teach him how to kick.” Zhen patted his daughter’s head, love and pride beaming on his face. ”I shall be forever in your debt, master monk!” The frog ribbited.
"Tell me about the Monastery where you trained? In my minds eye I've always imagined it on some barren cliff edge overlooking a stunning valley... maybe carved into the volcanic rock. But for all I know it could be located in a city or distant island where waves thunder against the rocky shore. Does everyone learn to harness the elements their or just those with curiously exotic ancestries?" Vudrani: Maka perked up at the chance to talk about her home. "The monastery is located in the northern part of the island, which is all mountainous forests and jungle. The main part is at the base of a mountain, but there are parts of the monastery spiraling all the way to the summit." Maka's eyes glistened as she fondly remembered her home.
"Some of it is carved or tunneled inside the mountain, sort of like Spurhorn. Grand Master Isa lives at the top, but that's just because it's more comfortable for his true dragon form up there. There is not a ranking system from bottom to top." Maka waved her hand dismissively, seeming to have a negative view of such systems. "Also he can get up there real easy. It can take days to get to the summit on foot." "As for the elements. Well, elemental combat techniques and magic are pretty common. Most famously, the 3 houses of perfection focus on air, earth, and fire. But they are hardly perfect if you ask me. They just try to beat everyone into a mold! Real perfection is..." Maka took a breath to calm herself. Though she had plenty of opinions on the Houses of Perfection, it was a philosophical and political topic. One of which her lover had no context nor a reason to care about. "Anyway, but not everyone has a connection to an element like I do. There were only 4 of us at the monastery: Admani, Suji, Suji's mom Master Zaci, and then me. Admani has a connection to earth and Suji and Master Zaci have a connection to water. Oh, and actually there's also Master Gyatso who has a connection to air! But he's never at the monastery, I've only met him a handful of times. There is a village not far from us. We get most of our supplies from them in return for chores. It used to be just a small fishing village but trade has been picking up and its getting pretty big. When I was leaving Admani was rebuilding all the roads. The forests around the monastery and village are well maintained, but once you get past the monastery the forest turns to thick jungle. The edges are similar to other jungles but the heart..." Maka struggled to find the words. "..I've never been anywhere else like it. The plants and animals are infused with energy, many of them literally glowing with it. It's never really dark there. And it's really dangerous so you have to be alert all the time which just...forces you to take it all in? I don't know, I can't say it properly. I wish I could give my memories to Quasit and have her describe them for you." The more direct solution of giving her memories to Bulvi not coming to her.
Okay loot sheet is updated. I put all of our crap in the "Party Stash" tab. The loot from this adventure is in the "loot" tab. I've noted which items are being kept by who and which are being sold, feel free to update. @DM What were the prices for Yrax's jewelry?
"You begin to annoy me, insect," Yrax snarls as he twists his neck around to bite Maka. The speed at which such a large form moved was eye straining. Even Maka's trained reflex's reacted too slowly, and pain flooded her body as Yrax's teeth dug in. With a flick, Yrax send Maka's mangled and bloody body flying through the air. But powerful as he was, the dragon had made a mistake, the same one his "bodyguard" had made; Underestimating the damage Maka could endure. Twisting in the air, Maka stopped her movement with a quick explosion from her palm, hovering in place with small jets of flame from her feet. A toothy grin spread from ear to ear, stained red with blood. "Then you'll love this!" She replied calmly before taking in an inhumanly deep breath of air. Her chest swelled and flames began to seep from her throat. But instead of exhaling her normal flame breath, Maka continued to focus her attack. The flames began to burn blue, filling her mouth before starting to swirl. The flames continued to build, condensing down into a turbulent orb. Small at first, but swiftly growing in size and intensity. The light turning from blue to white until it hurt the eyes to look at it. Maka drew every bit of power she could possibly contain before unleashing her attack with a mighty roar. The force of Maka's attack was enough to throw her backwards, and the jets of flame from her hands and feet flared in a struggled to keep her in place. An initial giant burst of flames quickly narrowed into a focused beam of energy that slammed into Yrax.
Dragons have blindsight so invis probably won't help. So 1 casting of Haste from Saki hits everyone.
That would be +2 atk, +1 AC, +1 Ref, +1 Will(fear saves) and +30ft to all modes modes of movement for the group. And of course an extra attack with full attacks. The spell page of Draconic Reservoir would be good on at least Bulvi. Because we are taking ice damage this fight. We have some True Frost Elixirs To help bypass cold resistance/immunity. Saki and/or Selena chugging one wouldn't be a bad idea. Kal, after you get your spells off going into wildshape would be good. Looks like you'd be at Plant Shape 3 now. Assuming Thumper is a summer and not winter companion, otherwise it's huge ice elemental.
During her fight, Maka's draconic features had grown. Canines elongated, her scaled patches of skin had grown, and her glowing eyes glowing as bright as the sun. As Cesseer yielded, a deep anger flooded Maka. She didn't want to stop fighting, she wanted to keep going. To not hold back and unleash her flames with all her might. To roar and let all know her and her power. But she didn't. As strong as that anger was, it wasn't anything new, though she hadn't experienced such intensity since her youth. Taking a deep breath, Maka found her center, causing her dragonic features to return to normal. She was glad for the blood on her face, hoping it might hide the red from her embarrassment. symbol of surrender, then bowing to Maka. "Well fought. It has been too long..." Maka returned Cesseer's. "Well fought. I can't remember the last time I had a fight that good. At least when my opponent isn't trying to kill me. So...this means we can be friends now right?" Maka's said, her body language telling her friends above that she desperately wanted to hug Cesseer.
Maka quickly closed the distance between her opponent and herself. The fire monk thought herself ready for her opponent's opening move, but Cesseer moved like the ocean in a storm: Powerful, unpredictable, and a violent grace. Movements that allowed Cesseer to break through Maka's defenses. As Maka blocked Cesseer's blade with an armored, the battle flower followed up with a round kick squarely to Maka's chin. Maka's neck snapped to the side as her brain rattled inside her skull. But Maka's brain was used to being rattled, liked it even. The pain of the blow brought things into focus, time seemed to slow. The cheers of her friends a distant sound. For the moment, the entire world consisted of nothing but her opponent and herself. Spinning into the momentum of the blow, Maka slammed her elbow into her opponent's nose before following up with 2 fiery jabs to Ceesseer's core. Ceesseer responded with a flurry of blows that seemed to come at Maka from all angles. Not so long ago, Maka would have been unable to defend against the attacks. However, her recent training afforded her the mobility to change her momentum in an instant, to add leverage no matter the angle. Could dodge without interrupting her attack. The pair clashed in a deadly dance. Maka's entire world remained focused on her opponent. Maka didn't dedicate her life to training and combat simply because she enjoyed it, though certainly she did. No, fights were a thing of purity. You could learn more about yourself and your opponent in a few moments than you otherwise could in years. Maka sensed a kindred spirit on the impossible path of perfection. With a toothy grin, Maka launched herself forward to learn more about her opponent.
I had also been considering an operative pilot but it looks like we are set for both of those. Instead I'll retool on old character I think would fit with game. Android exocortex combat mechanic who aims to misbehave.
"Right, let's search these guards. See if they have any badges or insignias that mark them as part of the garrison here. Or items that let them communicate with the inside, or magical tokens that open the gate. Anything interesting." Maka quickly pulled the bodies past the threshold and began looting through them for anything interesting.
"You just couldn't go with the note could you!? No. You just had to question the note and be evil and work for an evil dragon that's evil!" Maka's frustration was evident as she tossed through her foes' things.
"Thoughts? Suggestions? Brilliant spells that might aid us?"
Maka's face lit up as an idea suddenly came to her. Digging through her bag in a hurry, she pulled out some ink and paper and set to work. With intense focus she moved her ink soaked brush in loose, uneven strokes. The end result being an odd, scratchy writing that, to Maka's estimation, looked like it had been written by a large, clawed creature. Draconic Letter:
Maka took a moment to study her creation. Something about it not quite seeming right about it. After a moment she crumpled the paper in her hand before unfolding it again. "Perfect! Here use this." Maka said before handing the "orders" to Quasit. Her face beaming with pride.
"Selina, you're always going on about snow stuff. Do some snow stuff."
"I feel like a pretzel." she says in a scratchy voice around her toothbrush. "I know some stretches that will help!" Maka said with far too much energy. "First is Mukha Vrksasana, it's real easy! With a practiced grace, Maka fell forward. Catching herself with her hands, Maka pushed into a full handstand, toes pointed toward the ceiling of the cavern. "Then you want to switch to Vrschikasana." Arching her back and pushing her core out, Maka bent her legs and pointed her toes to her head. "Okay so from Vrksasana just bend one knee with a straight leg overhead. Then, drop your chest and lift your head up and back. Now, bend the straight leg and try to touch your head with your toes." "Hold that for a bit, and when you feel ready move back to Mukha Vrksasana, then on to Pada Bakasana." Unbending herself and moving back to a handstand, Maka pulled her knees in to rest just over her arms. With a deep breath she pointed one let straight out while resting her weight on her other knee. Releasing her breath, she stretched out her other leg. "Point your toes and pull your heels to your butt. Then suck in your gut and spread your shoulders while you point your leg up." After alternating legs several times, Maka pushed herself off of the ground and back onto her feet. "That way you stretch basically everything real quick."
Below is a broad valley, snow-covered but with the sparkle of flowing water at the bottom. Maka took a deep breath of fresh air. It was good to be out in the open again. Below them lay the enemy they had long heard of and searched for. Smoke exhaled from her nose in anticipation of the coming fight. The enemy movement in the air especially caught her attention. "I don't think we'll be able to fly in. What do you think Fin?"
"It depends on the people left behind, honestly. Some lay the dead out somberly while others 'dump' them as you say. Though there is resurrection and reincarnation on our world, as there likely is on ours since you also know of it, most know if its going to happen quickly. If it's not then the person who was in the body is gone and is not coming back. There is little need to treat the body with reverence. It is no longer the person..." "Well reverence should still be given. Most things deserve at least a little reverence. Like forks are a simple thing but they help keep your hands and your food clean, which makes people sick less." Maka pulled out her eating utensil, holding it gently in the flat of her hand. "Thank you fork." Maka bowed her head before returning the fork to her bag.
"I kind of agree. All things are a part of the cycle of life and death. But even if the nut is gone, the tree isn't. Celebrations and grief of death are for those who remain, not those who passed. For my people we celebrate, we shout to the world and gods that the person was here, that they were loved, that they will be missed..." Maka paused as she stared out at the empty graves in the ice. She thought of the numerous funeral celebrations she had taken part in. The first time she had assisted with cremation had been the first time she had truly felt that her flames could be used for more than harm. The pain in Maka's stomach grew beyond hunger. Tears welled at her eyes as, for the first time, the fire monk truly felt homesick. She missed the celebrations of her people. She missed food actually being spicy. She missed Suji's curly hair and Admani's stupid, immaculate beard. She missed her father's headpats, who was seemingly the only person on two worlds tall enough to continue to do so. She missed home. After a few moments that seemed to stretch an eternity, Maka snapped back to reality. "...Sorry!" The monk rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Anyway the ashes have all kinds of uses. They are put to use and around us just as the soul will be cleansed and put to new use." He contemplates Maka's question, as well. "We do have magic that can bring people back, including reincarnation. There would be little way of knowing if one that 'failed' actually succeeded and just sent someone's spirit to be reborn on another world but, from the other side, I have never heard of someone claiming to have been from another world and reincarnated here, so it seems there is something about the planets that keeps the spirits close if they are going to come back." Maka joined Kal in his contemplation, happy to take her mind off home. "Hmm are there any planets without people or plants on them? I wonder if the magic would still work on one like that?"
Oh no! Hope you feel better soon.
Fin let’s out an heartfelt laugh. ”Maka, not sure your mouth could compare to that wormy behemoth’s gaping maw…but perhaps we can think of ways to make me less tasty…” Maka joined in her friend's laughter. "Yeah I guess stuff has been pretty big huh? Hmm you smell pretty good too, we should work on that as well. Maybe some kind of...reverse bath? One to make you all dirty and smelly."
"I don't like this though. You seem to be getting hurt more. You need to hide better or something." "Don't worry Saki, Fin can take a beating! That's like the first thing we trained on."
As the creatures rose over the crest, a pillar of blue fire erupted beneath their feet.
An eruption of flames shattered the ice around Maka and sent the fire monk racing towards the remaining dragonkin. Small explosions from her hands and feet made her movement erratic, looking to avoid any counter attack from her foe. Though her arms were covered in wounds from fire, ice, and halberd, that did not make the fiery flurry of her attack did not waiver.
Iron Gods or Jade Regent would be my first choices, but I'd second Hell's Vengeance.
The speed at which dragonkin could move their huge forms was truly terrifying. In the blink of an eye the general had closed the distance Maka, the glowing blade in her clawed hands biting deep into the fire monk. The icy magic of the blade left Maka partial encased in blood red ice, impacting her movement. But it was not fear that the general saw in Maka's eyes, but anger and determination. Taking an unnaturally deep breath, Maka's chest ballooned before a gout of blue flames erupted from Maka's throat in a thunderous roar.
Maka braced herself as blue flames gathered in her hand. Without concern for herself, Maka summoned as much fire as quickly as she could. Her blood burned as she was unable to safely direct the energy, but she paid the pain no mind. The blue flames condensed in a sphere the burned as bright as the sun. Thrusting her arms forward, Maka sent the sphere of fire blasting forward with enough force to push the fire monk back. Hurtling through the air, the sphere found it's mark and the explosion momentarily illuminated the battlefield.
I was having trouble keeping track of the rules so organized them into a document. I figured other people would find it useful.
With a few small bursts of flame, Maka easily evaded drake's attacks. In a flash Maka flanked behind the drake, using the built up momentum to delivery a fiery kick with enough force to send the drake crashing to the ground.
Agreed with the others, great writing Q.
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