In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
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Post by Taiyō Vermillion on Mar 12, 2021 22:00:45 GMT -5
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[attr="class","dungentitle"]The Ancient Tower of Quinteps
RANK: Junior
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LOCATION: The Fringe
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MIN-MAX PLAYER GROUP: 2-5
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OTHER REQS:
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Only Magic Knights and Rogues can do this dungeon. They cannot join forces. Civilians can only enter alongside one of the two other factions.
Only player characters ranked junior and intermediate can complete this dungeon. Higher ranking players cannot enter unless they are brought along by a player character of the Junior and Intermediate ranks.
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A young Magic Knight shouldn’t usually be asked to go into the Fringe. The territory between the Diamond and Clover kingdoms is a wasteland of thousands of years of war and holds horrible secrets of the past…but when a new dungeon is discovered, so far away from the Capital and news of rogue wizards going to conquer it first spreads...your Captains send you off to intercept.
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The Ancient Tower of Quinteps is a humongous leaning monstrosity of carved rock. It is a mystery where many civilians and knights alike have vanished without a trace. Yet it is not a place with magical portals, or the residence of an evil wizard...What resides within are living fossils of the best and worst kind. These creatures roam about as guardians to the treasured knowledge of their creator, at times snacking on the occasional passer-by with their huge jaws when they get hungry, and retreat back in the ancient tower
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[attr="class","dungenfloor"]Entryway and Arrival:
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As you exit the kingdom and enter the Fringe in search of the Ancient Tower of Quinteps, a dust storm hits you, making you cover your eyes and steering you in an unknown direction to you. By the time it passes, and you uncover your eyes, you find yourself staring at a towering stone structure ahead of you, alongside your partner. Nature seems to have claimed the place, as it covers the door into the actual tower in green lianas. You have to cut through to actually enter. (600 Words Minimum Each)
[attr="class","dungenfloor"]FLOOR #1
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NUMBER OF ROOMS: #1
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WORD COUNT PER ROOM: 600
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FLOOR DESCRIPTION:
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You find yourselves in a large circular room, where the only light enters through the cracks in the old rock walls but the amount of heat is disturbing and you find yourselves sweating a little. The sound of running water instantly reaches your ears and as you lift your feet you find that you’re walking through something akin to a swamp. You can see a few flies and mosquitoes buzzing about. A large limestone staircase arches over ahead of you, leading further into the dungeon.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #1
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
N/A
As you look around your feet start sinking into the dirt. The smell of soil fills your nose and you have to think fast to actually not sink into the floor. If you have over 20 power, you can grab onto one of the lianas and pull yourself out. Magic that permits flying like supplementary constructs and golems can help too. Be smart. You pull yourself out onto the lowest plate of a solid, limestone staircase that seems to head upwards.
[attr="class","dungenfloor"]FLOOR #2
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NUMBER OF ROOMS: #4
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WORD COUNT PER ROOM: #800
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FLOOR DESCRIPTION:
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The second floor spreads over a surprising mass of space and displays several, very different environments, starting off as a dark, warm cave, continuing into a lava-heated jungle with a river before finally ending on the jungle plains with the final boss battle. Its quite the delve into the past.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #1
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
#5 Monsters per player
You climb up the stairs, slipping a few times here and there, but get to the top without much issues, only to find yourselves face to face with several large snail-shaped mushrooms (5 each). They each have one singular red eye that stares at you before narrowing angrily because you enter their territory. They attempt to lash out at you with their dangerous roots, attacking at your feet and arms for [junior damage], trying to pin you down before releasing toxic spores that deal [junior damage] unless you have the wind element. [break][break]
Only once you manage to finally defeat them, do you get some peace and quiet and feel the scent of something rotting wafting through the air. The room you’re in is covered with small mushrooms and moss, with a few small sets of bones from birds and other minor mammals and reptilians lying about here and there were the Snail bodied-Mushrooms were lounging previously. The bad smell seems to be coming from the one…disturbingly unnatural large opening in the wall from your right.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #2
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
#5 Monsters per player
The tower shakes gently as you move into the next room, and you find yourselves underneath the open skies of the destroyed tower. Hot steam wafts into your face as you find yourself staring at a large heated lake. You can infer that there is perhaps some form of lava or molten rock that is the cause of the warmth of this whole tower. Nature here seems to be overgrown as giant azure mushrooms tower over you and tree’s tower and grow around the hot waters. But it would seem that you’re not the only ones here.
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You’re quickly spotted and surrounded by a large pack of furred reptilian mana beasts called Falkhasaurs that, if you’re a total nerd, you’d know are extinct. If you’re a Magic Knight you probably wouldn’t want to straight up kill these rather than knocking them out. If you’re a rogue, you may not care.
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The entire tower shakes much more furiously once the battle ends, and a loud pair of roars makes the environment go completely silent. Whatever cicadas or bees were buzzing about just go completely still. The next room is straight ahead, and the players can choose to either pass over through climbing the trees over a large open river or take the very small narrow path to its side.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #3 River Path
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
1 Monster
Roll a 1d3 in dungeon rolls. If you roll a 1 or a 3, congratulations! You unlocked the terrifying Secret Boss- the Plaeness Mana Beast, one very large [Senior] ranked female river hunter that stalks the near the surface of the water, waiting for a large shadow to bite into. It's silvery scales and horrifying jaws have the strength to crush through human bone with ease as it bets on surprising its victims. Mages with Ki or above 25 sensory can sense its movement under water and can avoid this encounter entirely.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #3 Small Narrow Path
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
N/A
You find that it is difficult to get through the mass of overgrown plants and lianas, but manage to do so with a bit more difficulty. One of the members of your party (your choice) takes junior damage from having one of the thornier plants rip into his/hers/their arm. It’s actually calm otherwise in between these plants. Considering the dangerous you’ve already encountered, you can sit down and take a small rest here without being disturbed by enemies.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #4 [Boss Room]
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
1 Monster
An earth shattering set of roars, at two different pitches shakes you as you enter the next room of the Ancient Tower of Quinteps. Dust instantly flies towards you, blocking your view from a bit before a strong wind dissipates it and you find yourself staring at the encounter of a lifetime. Two ancient reptilian mana beast monstrosities, engaged in a battle to the death. Who you help, is your choice.
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One is a large brown avian mana beast, called a Joatl. It has a sharp poisonous tail and spiky wings that allow it to fly above the ground. The other is a land reptilian with fur on its back and teeth with the durability to bite through metal. This ancient being is known as a Juvasaur.
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Whichever monster you choose to help, the other one remains alive and…while impossible to read, leaves you alive, with a small pile of treasure. The tower shakes no more as you find yourself resting on the warm ground, wet with blood. You’ve brought peace to the tower…now perhaps you should head home reveal what you’ve found to the Wizard King, or take your loot
With their confusingly shaped snail-like bodies, these giant spores elevate themselves onto walls, tree trunks, ceilings and remain steady, hoping to surprise anything moving that comes through their territory. They tend to prefer striking soundlessly with their pink lianas, attempting to restrain their prey while ending them quickly with toxic spores.[break][break]
Stats:
Junior Health[break]
Its lianas and toxins deal junior damage.[break]
Small and cowardly, the Falkhasaurs are very far from the traditional predator. They hunt in large packs, hoping to overwhelm their pray and then fight over the rewards of their hunt. They move fast, and while their jaws are weak, they tend to have very dangerous claws.
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Stats:[break]
Intermediate Health[break]
Their bite deals junior damage and their claws deal intermediate damage.[break]
A sole hunter, Plaeness mana beasts were known to be THE apex predator back in their days, with fossils found throughout all of the kingdoms, deep under beaches and in the oceans. These reptilian submarines could attack both on the surface and in the water due to its elongated neck and horrifyingly strong jaws. Thank god they've gone extinct.
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Stats: [break]
Senior Health[break]
The bite deals Senior Damage and as they move they can send powerful splashing attacks with the water at their disposal for Junior dama[break]
Moves at 10 m/s and at 25 m/s underwater[break][break]
Not much is known about the Joatl. The only bones ever found to be proof of its existence were stolen on a museum, and rumors of their resurfacing at the Clover Black market every once in a while remaining unsubstantiated. What is known of them is that they lived high up in the mountains of the Forsaken Region and were a powerful sky predator, with wings the span of two meters.
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Stats:[break]
Senior Health[break]
The Jaw attacks of the Joatl deals junior damage, its wing attacks deal intermediate damage, and its tail attack deals Senior poison damage.[break]
The Juvasaur in infamous within the Clover Kingdom for its size and horrifying jaws. Archaeologists use it to tell horror stories to their children at night as cautionary tales. There are many sets of bones displayed around different museums, where it is displayed as the greatest predator of the plains and valleys.
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Stats:[break]
Senior Health[break]
The Juvasaur deals junior damage with its claws, intermediate damage with its tail and senior damage with its hefty jaws.[break]
Moves at 10 m/s[break][break]
Power
Stamina
Durability
Sensory
Control
Total Stats
60
35
25
45
55
180
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Whomever clears this dungeon receives the Notable Achievement "A Taste of the Past!"
Post by Taiyō Vermillion on Mar 12, 2021 23:03:23 GMT -5
It was a special day for the young Crimson Lion Cub Taiyō Vermillion since it was the day he would embark on his first dungeon. By all notes, he wasn’t doing it alone; even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. That day, he would be accompanied by his cousin Leonard, another member of his squad named Griswold Cromwell and a magic knight from the Blue Rose knights that he hadn’t met as yet. This dungeon request was given to him by the captain of the squad and as such he felt honored that the captain would ask him to do it. The plan was to meet the Blue Rose Knight at the base of the tower they were exploring.
Taiyō was ready for the dungeon or so he thought. He made sure that he had adequate rest before heading off to find his squadmates. Once everyone was gathered, the spacial mage of the Crimson Lions transported them to the location where the tower stood; The Fringe. A dust storm had risen from who knows where, causing Taiyō to cover his eyes. It was a rather strong storm since it pulled him in directions he couldn’t understand. Was this it for him? His first dungeon and he was going to be taken out by a dust storm. He couldn’t go out like that. He was a member of the Crimson Lion Kings and also a member of House Vermillion. He had to bring honor and glory to his home. A dust storm shouldn’t be the end of him. It couldn’t! When the storm had subsided, he wiped his face with his scarf and then opened his eyes. As he did, the location of interest came into view; The Ancient Tower of Quinteps. He looked at the tower and marveled at its size. It was surrounded by plant life. It was as if the vines and the underbrush guarded it,.Taiyō took a mental note to be cautious with the nature around as he didn’t know what lurked in it.
He slowly walked through the wild bush and grass, observing it. He was well prepared for any animal or predator that lurked. When he made it through to the tower, he realized that it was sealed off by mother nature herself.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom have worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
Post by Sol Delothosin✾ on Mar 13, 2021 6:24:44 GMT -5
Sol stretched a bit as he moved the cloak he had gotten for the journey he was about to go on, he had gotten word of a dungeon that needed to be explored and it had caught his interest so he headed out to go explore it. He had heard that others would be there as well since it was normally impossible to go thru any kind of ruin or dungeon with only one person and foolish as well. glancing up at the sky the blood mage noticed that it was just approaching midday which was perfect since it would allow the group ample time to explore should a situation not go south, underneath his cloak Sol had on his normal attire when ready for the unexpected which consisted of a sturdy but comfy pair of black paints along with black boots and a black sleeveless Chinese shirt along with his Katana strapped to his side as well.the cloak the red eyed civilian had on was one that was disposable at best but that didn’t bother the young noble at all since he didn’t pay much for it. “heres hoping the people im working with are better then the last one I had to deal with” he grumbled to himself slightly as he approached the boundary of the kingdom.
The blood user thought back to his time in Kikka and even remembering such a time haunted him. The effect of being submerged in such darkness for that long had given the civilian a healthy dose of paranoia when he was in a pitch dark room with no light. It brought back the fear of snapping jaws and beasts lurking just out of sight. The memory of such a place also brought back irritation at one knight in particular which was Lydia Ravencrest, Sol was still beyond annoyed at her actions while inside since she could have gotten them all killed and she jumped the gun in a very bad way and it was something that the ruby eyed mage had not hesitated to get in her face about. Of course it had ended a bit bad for him since right after he had been detained and questioned on his loyalty which he thought was stupid and a complete waste of time since he wasent a turncoat but he still had to prove his loyalty. Needless to say Sol preferred to avoid the Ravencrest vice captain like the plague since he couldn’t stand her attitude nor her leadership.
As he exited out of the kingdom and into the Fringe the noble thought on the fact he had only been out here once or twice when he was younger to train in tough conditions but he had never really explored the area that much, while the young man was confidant he didn’t let that go to his head as before he knew it a dust storm had suddenly kicked up and was whipping around him making the mage grab the hood of his cloak before he blocked the upper part of his face to shield his eyes from being blinded. Pushing forward Sol moved step by cautious step straining his ears to pick up any noise that could indicate he was in danger and keep his eyes downcast making sure that he didn’t lose his footing nor go potential into an area where he could plummet to his doom. ‘iv heard of some crazy weather but a dust storm suddenly picking up is rather strange to say the least how am I even supposed to find this place when I cant see, if it doesn’t settle soon I’ll be in big trouble’' he thought to himself as he kept moving even if it was at a slower pace.
Sol had no idea how long the storm had lasted and he honestly couldn’t have cared but eventually the dust settled and he let go of his hood and pushed it back as he uncovered his eyes before he looked and saw that somehow he had managed to end up in the very place he wanted to be or at least he hoped that was the case. What stood before him was an ancient stone tower dating back to a time Sol wasent even sure of, the one thing that the Blood mage knew was that this was a major find and while treasure might be found inside the history and magical knowledge that could be hidden inside as well was an even greater prize. Sol took a deep breath before he gently shook his head to get rid of any dust that might have gotten in his hood and gently wiped his face with the inside of the cloak before he dusted himself off a bit. Glancing around and looking for the others before he blinked as he saw Taiyo and he would bow a bit in greeting before he spoke.”Ah I heard there would be others here as well I’m Sol Shinryu I came to explore the tower” he said calmly. The blood mages eyes very subtly glanced over the other mage and instantly knew from the mantle he wore what squad he was from not that he had any problems with the Crimson Lions other then their vice captain.
Moving towards the tower with the rest of the group. Sol quickly unsheathed his katana and started to use it to cut thru the brush and foliage that would block the path before he too saw that the door was covered in vines and he would glance at his team to see how they wanted to proceed with getting the door open weither by cutting it or by breaking thru with magic. The mage glanced at the vines and noticed they were green but they seemed rather tough and no doubt wouldn’t break that easily which would make it tougher to cut thru with just blades alone. ‘hmm to cut them by hand or to use magic it’s a tough call to be sure.’ He mused internally.
WC- 1,007
POWER -034 DURABILITY- 021 STAMINA- 021 SENSORY - 014 CONTROL - 021
Post by Leonard Vermillion on Mar 13, 2021 14:33:11 GMT -5
Leonard was mostly quiet, choosing to focus on the road ahead for the time being. This was his first real outing outside of the kingdom, and the first real steps in dungeon investigation. Granted, there were alot of allies going through the motions just like him, but it still didn't make him feel any better. This expedition was by all intents and purposes a Crimson Lion sanctioned dungeon run, yet the crimson lions on the job weren't exactly who he thought he'd get for this day.
There was that guy, Grimsworlth or something like that. He barely knew the guy, just saw him around headquarters once or twice. He seemed fairly strong in his own right, which to be honest it wasn't really a bad quality to have, but the redhead had no clue what kind of stuff the guy was specializing in. Hopefully, this wasn't going to be the case where opposite elemental mages were paired together and ended up stepping on eachother's toes.
Then there was the weird edgy guy in black with the curved sword. Quite the stereotypical bad boy type too, judging from the way he was going about his own business. He wasn't even a magic knight, just a run of the mill civilian. Just like the Grim-guy, this one looked fairly capable as well, thought the Vermillion couldn't help but wonder why the guy was there at all. The only thing he could make out before their departure to the fringe was that the knight from the other squad wanted him to be there or something. Weird.
Then, there was the Blue Rose mage. Honestly, he was glad there was at least someone who could give a different view on things...though he hoped she wasn't like the stories and gossips he heard about the Blue Rose squadron. He certainly had no patience for elitist bulshit and all the other stuff some people had the nerve to preach like some sort of gospel truth.
Leonard grabbed his Crimson Lions mantle, making sure it wouldn't fly off in the coming sandstorm that was rapidly approaching. He'd make sure to cover his mouth and nose so that he could be shielded from the sand blowing their way. He didn't mind it much, but he also didn't really like the prospect of getting his hair full of sand and gunk even before arriving to the stupid tower they were supposed to explore. Looking over to his right, he could spot the spiky bush of hair that was his little cousin Taiyo, looking pretty excited as usual. He always had been trying to get outside the capital, let alone the kingdom. He had also grown alot from their first times, yet the older Vermillion couldn't help but think that Taiyo still wasn't ready for this. He was still wayyy to gun ho about going out and getting into trouble, even for a Vermillion. Thankfully, he was there to make sure his troublemaker of a cousing wouldn't get himself killed. That was the main reason he had asked to go with him and the rest in the first place.
"Hey." Leo chimed, gloved hand extended towards his relative's shoulder. "Don't bugger off on your own, lil bro. We need to stay together okay?" The vermillion would add, looking up at the tower rising high up in the sky above them. "Can't leave the others behind. With a sandstorm this size, getting ourselves lost should be the last thing we should do."
He wondered if he should have tried to sneak into their armory and smuggle grandpa Leonidas' armor outside so that he could wear it for the dungeon. He didn't know why...but he had a hunch the place wasn't going to be as peaceful as it looked. It was almost as if something was already following them...
For someone such as Griswold, who had come from essentially nothing and made his way into the Crimson Lions, being picked for something as interesting and potentially life-threateningly dangerous as a recently uncovered dungeon seemed unreal. Supposedly being located somewhere within the fringe, it did not feel like much of an excursion to the elf just yet as it was more or less the same place from which he had originally come before making his way over to the Clover kingdom. That said, he was quite well aware of how there were several different kinds of climate within the fringe alone, as well as strong magic regions that could suddenly send something frightening into one’s direction. Still being in Hage at the time of the summons, Griswold did his best to listen to everything he was being told by the spatial mage with regards to his assignment.
Registering the location he was told to head over to, as well as the people he was supposed to be meeting there, the first thing to slip through the cracks of his bored mind were their names. Because he had never been able to push himself into really socializing with the rest of the squad on account of his growing dislike towards nobles, he figured just avoiding it would be better for everyone. Besides, he had constantly been taking on missions and assignments that took him as far away from the royal capital as possible. To him, helping the people from the common and the forsaken realms was far more important than trouncing around the city like a trained dog. One would never find him in the midst of babysitting some spoiled noble’s child while the parents were off to some fancy ball or whatever it was the people with too much money to spend did with their time.
In the four or five weeks he had actually spent as a junior magic knight, he had been protecting farmers and their livestock from wolves, had ventured into an accursed forest where civilians from the forsaken realm were disappearing, had taken care of problems arising regarding trolls snatching people up and even went after goblin scouting parties. Though most of it had happened alongside other mages that had a similar mindset, some of them he had handled on his own. Being quite proud of his achievements so far, the main reason he was still around Hage after more than a week had passed was due to him aiding in the reconstruction of several buildings that had collapsed or were halfway done collapsing and still posing a threat to surrounding buildings and nosy children. Believing that a newly uncovered dungeon was more important, he let the villagers know that he had been called away, but would return at a later time.
Hopping on his broom and riding out towards the fringe, he did his best follow the directions he had been given. Not really feeling all that great about having to leave the people while they were still in need of aid, Griswold knew quite well that if another nation or a band of rogues were to find something dangerous and powerful, the forsaken region would be the first to feel it as they were on the forefront of everything bad the outside world had to offer. So with that in mind, it did not take him incredibly long before he made his way over to where they were supposed to gather. When a sudden dust storm suddenly kicked up, flying the rest of the way was made impossible as the magic knight made his way over to the ground. Trying not to get any of it into his eyes, ears, mouth and nose on the way down, landing became a lot harder than he would have liked.
But regardless of how he had done it, he had made his way to the ground and gradually continued on foot with his broom dragging behind him through the sand. After what felt like several minutes of wading through the storm, Griswold finally made his way over to a place where the storm was no longer raging. Shaking himself off like a wet dog just to get most of the sand from the places one would not want sand to be at, he took note of the other magic knights that had already gathered up at the front of a gargantuan tower of interesting architecture that had, for lack of a better description, seen better days. Giving everyone a quick glance, it seemed that they all had some fairly unique features about them that would make it easier for him to keep them apart after they went about their business here. Still, a word of introduction couldn’t hurt.
“Yo, I’m Griswold. Griswold Cromwell, and I imagine you guys are my compatriots. You’ll have to excuse me as I quite honestly forgot your names while trying to remember the coordinates for this place. I’ll remember you as Spikes on account of the hair, you’ll be Slits because of the eyes, and I’m gonna call you Cubs on account of you being just about the most textbook definition, poster-boy looking Crimson Lion I’ve ever seen.”
Making a couple of jokes in regards to their appearances and how he’d be remembering them the easiest, he knew well enough that most people did not appreciate given nicknames by strangers. That said, the goal was for them all to delve into this dungeon, or tower in this case, and come out alive on the other end. If he was expected to remember the names of three other people he had never met before, it would all just turn into one massive hassle. So for now, he would be going with these nicknames until he could make their actual names stick. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he looked up to the tower and back down, hoping to get some idea as to what they might be expecting from such an impressive looking piece of old world architecture. Approaching the entrance with the rest of them, he took a good look at the thick vines that were keeping them from entering before holding out his finger and firing several bolts of fire at it. While it wasn’t much, he figured most plants did not enjoy magical fire.
“Alright, that should do the trick. So who wants to lead this merry band of dungeon delvers?”
Waiting for the fire to start getting to work on the vines, he just looked around to see what the others would be deciding on. He himself was not much of a leader. He knew well enough how to take care of himself, how to survive out in the wilderness on his own and had come a long way in the few weeks in which he actually had his grimoire and became a magic knight. His leadership skills however were not exactly well developed, so he’d just go along with whatever the rest decided.
POWER 27 DURABILITY 0 SENSORY 10 STAMINA 30 CONTROL 20
MANA POOL 100
Name of Spell: Firebolt Elemental Type: Fire Rank & Spell Type: Junior - Attack Creation Range & Speed: 25 meters - 10 m/s Mana Cost: 10 mp- 5 mp sustain Stats Effected: +4 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: About as simple as the name suggests, it is a spell that requires Griswold to either point the palm of his hand or a finger of his choosing into a desired direction, using it as a conduit through which to unleash and direct his fire magic in the form of a small shot of flame. Capable of causing first degree burns/junior rank damage on impact, an additional bolt can be shot for every 10 control the user has.
Post by Taiyō Vermillion on Mar 16, 2021 13:22:40 GMT -5
Taiyo was ready to explore the dungeon. The surrounding green was there holding the tower in place. In all of his years of adventuring, he’d never seen such a sight. As he prepared to move, he heard the words of his cousin. He was glad to see the new sights with him but he also knew that Leo would keep him at bay from doing too much exploration. He probably only joined up to keep the younger Vermillion safe. Either way, he was glad he could fight and explore with his closest family member. He smiled and nodded. ”No need to worry big brother, I’m not stupid. If I do wander off, I’ll drag you with me.” The young Vermillion chuckled. ”That’ll be enough to keep us both safe. I’m not looking to do that. The mission will show us a lot of beautiful sights anyway. Now, let’s bring glory to the Crimson Lions and House Vermillion!”
He noticed the other mage that showed up. He looked as the man bowed before giving his introduction. Sol Shinryu. What an interesting name for an interesting man. His name meant sun but was he a sun user like himself? Taiyo’s curiosity was displayed with his smile. ”Greetings, Sol. I am Taiyo Vermillion of the Crimson Lion Kings and this here is my cousin, Leonard Vermillion. It’s a pleasure.” He would give a small wave before watching Sol move towards the tower, unsheathing a katana. Taiyo figured the man was going to clear the path to getting inside by cutting his way true. While Sol sliced through the bush, Tai got lost in his mind about weapons. He remembered a conversation he had with his dad about swords and such. Surely, when he was younger he was fascinated by many different things, one of them being blades. He obviously had no need for one but still he wanted to have just because it was cool. Maybe his fascination with owning a blade was similar to that of his cousin wanting their grandfather’s armor. Regardless though, he would get his blade sooner or later.
The other member of their dungeon team had arrived and was looking at them. He was a member of The Crimson Lions just like Taiyo and Leonard were but Taiyo didn’t exactly know the guy. He had seen him a couple times around the Headquarters but other than that, he knew nothing. From looks, Taiyo could tell the man was strong and probably had terrifying magic. He had finally spoken and gave them weird names. Which one was he? Spikes or Cubs? Both applied to him and he figured out of them he was probably Cubs but he could also be Spikes since both Leonard and him were the definition of what a poster-boy Crimson Lion cub would be. He didn’t mind either. It was better than being called a name that carried tremendous weight to it like his grandfather’s name, Leonidas. He watched the man burn the vines with his fire magic and he smiled at that.
Come to think of it, there wasn’t a leader of the group. Just a bunch of mages with the same mission. Taiyo could take the lead and use the little things he picked up from his time working with Hania but he didn’t think the others would just let the youngest of the group lead. Then there was his cousin, Leonard Vermillion. Leo was there to protect him, no doubt. Would he be fit to be the leader or was he more interested in following someone else as long as he kept Taiyo safe? Then there was Sol. The guy looked more like a loner than anything else but looks could deceive. Was he leader material or was he there to be another follower with a goal? Last was the strong man, Griswold. He didn’t come over as a leader, well not to Taiyo at least. He would probably ask who was supposed to lead the charge. ”Now everyone is here, do we know who supposed to be in charge?” As he asked his question, the doors to the dungeon opened, revealing the path ahead.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom have worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
Post by Sol Delothosin✾ on Mar 17, 2021 1:41:57 GMT -5
Sol glanced up at the tower in awe as he had seen some amazing and terrifying things already but this was new for him and something he made sure to remember for stories later in his life, as he had approached one of the knights he would be working with he saw another one appear as well and gave a small scolding to what he guessed was a family member. Sure enough his question was answered as the two were introduced by the young man who said that his name was Taiyo and that his cousin was named Leonard and they were bother members of the Vermilion household. At that the blood mage blinked in surprise and then gained a very small smile, the two seemed very professional so far and also were courteous which was good in the nobles eyes. “a pleasure to meet you both I have yet to work with anyone from the Vermilion clan I look forward to working with both of you” he said his tone and body language were friendly but professional as he unsheathed his blade and got to work on clearing a path for them. So far the group seemed like it would work well together so Sol was in a good mood as long as nothing went sideways.
As his Katana cut thru the brush easily Sol idly wondered what kind of magic the two had but he figured they could find out each others strengths and weaknesses when they got to the entrance of the tower since doing it while they were In the thick of a dungeon would be foolish and potentially fatal, as they reached the tower and he was wondering what to do about the doorway covered in woody vines another voice caught the mans attention and he turned to see the final member of the group approaching and the ruby eyed civilian felt a vein in his head throb at how disrespectful the newcomer was even if he was a magic knight there was such a thing as civility and Sol took a moment to exhale softly and calm his temper. As the knight named Griswold decided to designate them with nicknames Sol resisted the urge to shake his head at the absurdity of it. He found calling the vermillion pair cubs bad enough but his nickname Slits was pushing the bar in all the wrong ways. Sol took a step forward before he spoke. “those nicknames are extremely disrespectful if your going to call us anything call us by our actually names, I’m Sol and this is Taiyo and Leonard now you know” he said as he pointed to himself then at the two Vermilions. While Sol was not against working in a group he found the level of disrespect that Griswold showed to be something he extremely disliked and it showed as when he spoke to the newcomer his tone was sharp and no nonsense in it which was a stark contrast from when he had spoken to Leonard and Taiyo.
As Griswold shot fire from his fingers to start burning away the vines blocking the path Sol made a mental note of the mans element before he heard the question of who should be the one to lead, Sol quickly delivered two slashes to the burnt vines turning them to pieces and opening the path wide for them to enter before he flicked his katana to get rid of any dirt or sap before sheathing the blade and speaking.”I suggest that any decisions we need to make are done by popular vote that way we know each others opinions and the best thing to do moving forward” he suggested before he spoke again.”Also we should know what our elements and specialty's are before we enter the tower so we know how we can function in combat, my elements are Blood and Solar and my specialty's are Curses, Restraining spells, and Golems so I function well as support” he explained as Sol would then look to the group to know what to expect from them going forward. He was not one to take chances like he used to especially after what happened in Kikka.
He had put his trust in the words of a Demoness and she had been honorable but that would not always be the case to which he knew that the words of the Crimson Lions Vice captain were true now that he remembered but it still hadn't excused her actions by jumping the gun and getting himself Joseph and Verena in hot water with her actions. This time Sol would be observing and analyzing the situation and foes the best he could so he could perform the best possible actions he could for the group. The blood mage knew he was prepared but he was unsure about the other three. while he got the feeling the Vermilion siblings would be up to the task and seemed ready to tackle the dungeon the third member Griswold was the one Sol was unsure about, the man seemed confidant but at the same time it almost bordered on arrogance to him which was dangerous since it could easily get someone killed if they were not careful. Sol was not in the mood to have to carry anyones corpse back to the kingdom and would do his best to keep it from happening but the man didn’t delude himself in thinking he could always keep his teammates safe but he would use all his power that he had to try. Idly Sol wondered who would be chosen to lead the group into the tower, he didn’t expect himself to be chosen since he was only a civilian while the other three were magic knights but only time would tell what the others thought. Glancing at the tower he narrowed his eyes a moment.’I wonder how many floors are inside this ancient place given its size I imagne it has to be a decent number.’ He mused as he waited on the answers.
wc- 1,009
total wc- 2,016
POWER -034 DURABILITY- 021 STAMINA- 021 SENSORY - 014 CONTROL - 021
“Alright alright, mister grumpy-pants, I’m sorry for being inconsiderate. If we make it out of here, I’ll be sure to make up for it and leave you a colorful bouquet and a complimentary gift basket. You know, the one with the chocolate hearts.”
As soon as he made that statement, he walked past the group of people with both his hands raised to the sky as if yelling “sue me” in a non-verbal manner. Since the flames had eaten their way through the plant growth that remained after grouchy had used his katana to cut another portion away, thus no longer keeping them from actually entering the place, he took it upon himself to open the door and lead the rest of them in. As soon as he pushed the door open, a wave of warm air moved out of the tower and went straight towards and past the mage, making it feel like he walked straight into a wall of heat. Feeling droplets of sweat forming on his forehead as he ventured in through the now opened door, his nose was greeted instantly by the smell of damp soil. Had he not known that they were in fact inside of a building, he would not have believed the things he was seeing.
Taking a few steps inside to truly get a good look around, he saw the same kind of growth that had caused the door to grow shut coming down from above. Along the side of the wall, a staircase went further up into the tower, though that did not exactly pique his interests just yet. Due to his heightened senses, it was not all that hard to get lost in all the sounds and scents that washed over him as he looked and ventured around this room. The sound of running water, small wings of mosquitos, flies and dragonflies moving about in an aerial cat and mouse game, the strong scent of damp soil and foliage that was only further strengthened by the temperature that seemed much higher than outside. And that was when it hit him. This particular room, along with the vegetative and insectoid life inside of it, it was all part of an anthropogenic biome. Whoever had made this tower had made this room in a way that it could house and foresee the things living in it with all it needed in order to flourish.
When one of the dragonflies buzzing about landed on his sleeve, Griswold got to take a good look at the creature, seeing that it had some similarities with those he had seen in the outside world, yet was vastly different at the same time. For some reason, it was as if the insect had never had to grow or evolve beyond a certain point in time, leading him to believe that it had no natural enemies here that it needed to adjust to and could easily get all the nutrients it needed the way that it was now. Now Griswold was not exactly an archaeologist, though even he could tell that this particular bug was much older than those that lived in the swamps he had visited. Which was when the second realization finally set in, along with what could only be described as a pair of wet trousers and shoes filled with dirt. The insects thriving, the heat, the plants coming down from the ceiling but not up from the ground. All of it was because they were inside of a swamp based biome with a floor made up of quicksand.
“Ah shit…”
Without really thinking about it twice, he looked around for the tougher, rougher looking vines coming up from the ceiling and towards the staircase by his side. Grabbing hold of it with both hands, he lifted himself up from the marshy soil and towards the ceiling. Thankfully, Griswold had never been the kind that skipped out of any training exercises, likely working harder at maintaining a strong physical form than most others that were capable of wielding magic. With a few leaps and bounds, the Crimson Lion eventually made his way over to the staircase, landing on top of it with very little grace, if any at all. As soon as he did, he turned himself towards the door through which he had entered the tower, making sure that if they had not been watching what had been going on, they’d know not to step on the ground and use the vines to move.
“I hope you guys did not skip out on your arm exercises, because you’re gonna either need to do a bit of climbing and swinging, or a bit of flying… or a bit of drowning. Just pretend like the floor is lava and you can’t touch it without dying a horrible death!.”
Entryway: Complete Floor 1: 810/600 Total WC: 1977
[attr="class","silasreescroll"] Taiyo smiled towards Sol and nodded. ”I look forward to working with you as well. Hopefully we won’t disappoint.” He felt a sense of comfort from the friendly way Sol responded to him. Even so, he knew the other man was still very professional based on the actions that followed the greeting. He chuckled at Sol’s reaction to the nicknames they were given. He did bring a valid point on the fact that their real names would be best suited for this type of team seeing that they weren't exactly old friends who gave each other nicknames of endearment. They were mostly strangers who served the same kingdom with the exception of Taiyo and Leo who grew up together since they were cousins as close as siblings.
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Griswold's response and sarcasm didn’t paint a professional picture but Taiyo didn’t let that put him on his bad side. Taiyo needed to know that they were going to get along because if not that could end badly for them. He sighed as he thought up the smartest way forward. Knowing the abilities of everyone would be a good start.
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”Before we proceed, we should figure out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. For me, I’m a solar mage so I have sun magic. My current spells allow me to attack enemies directly with solar power. I am also limited to three spells, two attack creations and one physical reinforcement. Now I got that out of the way, mind telling us what you can do?” The question he asked was directed to everyone since they needed to know each other. ”And as for the leader, I’ll let you guys vote first since I’m the youngest in the group.”
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He would enter the now open doors of the tower and look around at the state of the first floor. There were cracks in the wall; small cracks. These cracks, however, were big enough to let light permeate through them. The green lianas that blocked the door on the outside, filled the room. ”This place is full of nature. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen.” He marveled at the sight, stepping inside slowly. ”It’s a bit hot, too hot but also not hot enough. The only problem I have is these mosquitoes.” He turned his attention to his cousin, Leo. ”You wouldn’t happen to have insect repellent on you, right?”
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As he continued moving, the floor started feeling weird to him. That’s when he looked down and realized that they were walking through quicksand. ”It’s quicksand! Quick, Sol, use a golem for us to get across the room! The golem would stop us from sinking!” Taiyo was a quick thinker when he got focused. He also took the words Hania told him, on a mission they shared in Raque, to heart. As he waited on Sol to spawn the creature, he watched Griswold use his arms to pull himself free from the sand. Given his current strength in comparison to Taiyo’s or Leo’s, he could perform such a feat but the two Vermillions would not be able to pull themselves free so having a golem would work for them.
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Was Griswold teasing them? Just why was he in such a rush to get ahead? ”That’s easy for you to say and in terms of lava, I think Leo here would prefer such a thing to this stupid quicksand!” He looked at the strong man Griswold and thought about the team. Griswold was too much of a rush to be fitted as a good leader of the squad. It would still come down to popular vote but Taiyo figured his quick thinking would be a good asset to the team whether he was the leader or not. ”How are you holding up, big bro?”
Post by Leonard Vermillion on Mar 26, 2021 13:56:24 GMT -5
Floor 1 Room 1Leonard observed the banter around him half mindedly, considering he was more focused on getting through the dungeon without death. He didn't mind Grim-whatever's shenanigas, nor Sol remars and general know it all attitude. From the way the guy moved about, he could dare say he remided him of some people from the Silver Eagles. Either way, it was clear that the guy had some sort of magic knight training.
"As my little brother has said, I'm Leonard. If you need to name me something for the sake of brevity, calling me Leo will do. I'm a main house Vermillion representative and my magic is lava based." He stated, turing his forcus towards the entrance to the tower. No point in wasting any more time there. The faster they would get this done the faster he could go back to his training and other duties. Unlike some around here, he didn't have the luckury of loafing around as he pleased. "Be advised that my specialty is offensive transmutation and area control. I would not advise to stand before me milords, you could get caught in my crossfire." He would add, knowing full well some people were all hero like and loved doing the whole "I stand in front of the group because I am a cool guy" thing. "If there isn't anything else of not, I would urge you all to push forward. This dungeon will not be clearing itself out on its own."
With the banter dealth with, Leonard set off with the group towards the dungeon, treading ever so lightly and weary of possible traps.
The tower reeked of old. Mushy, decrepid walls and plants everywhere. It was clear that it had been abandoned for a loong time, thought the Vermillion would have to wonder who exactly would build a tower there of all places. What use could someone have for such a structure in the middle of nowhere. Not only that, but what exactly would cause that same someone to just up an leave the thing they have built? Perhaps it wasn't simply a metter of leaving things and more of a leaving in the worse variety. Could it be that the original owner of the structure had long succumbed to death's embrace, therefore leaving the tower unattended and exposed to the elements for all eternity until eventually it'd be too old to stand and crumble into dust.
He would need to take particuar care to observe around the place. He wouldn' want to lead Taiyo into a room ready to bury them both alive. Nevertheless, it seemed that they would be soon confronted by trouble the moment they stepped into the tower proper. The very first room of the tower was already not solid enough to allow them safe passage. He was trailing behind the group, self absorbed into his own machination, when is kin shouted about quicksand and asked Sol for help with it. Knowing little about golems, he did not know if those things would be able to sink of float in quicksand. Even then, he didn't have the luxury of pondering.
What pissed him off though, was Grimswhatever's jab at him. He glanced as the guy simply brute forced his escape by using his brawn an leaving everyone else on their own devices. He was sure that his duty as a knight wasn't about berating others but helping them. He would make sure that particular detail would be inside his own report. He would get back to the smug guy in due time
Before Leonard's boots would sink an inch, the mage's grimoire flew to his master's side. He was about to turn the floor into lava so that he could safely walk to the other side, before reconsidering his course of action. While he could walk around lava unimpeded, the others wouldn't be so okay with it. Damnit. He needed to study a way to get others to ignore the detrimental side effects of his spells.
"Lord Sol, would you mind using your golems to lift us up so that we can grab the vines" Would be all he said to the other on his right as he seconded his brother's idea. It wouldn't need to hold them both forever, but it would give him more than enough time to get to the limestone stairs. If worst came to worst, he would have to actually transmute the floor in lava. Something as trivial as quicksand was the last thing that would bring him down.
Turning over to Taiyo, Leo folded his arms on his chest. "Can you manage and grab a vine?" He asked. He was ready to help if Sol didn't already had taken care of things himself thanks to his skills.
Post by Sol Delothosin✾ on Mar 27, 2021 4:34:08 GMT -5
As soon as Griswold started talking Sol could feel a vein in his forehead throbbing in annoyance, the mans attitude was so cavalier and brash that the blood mage knew that he was going to cause trouble later down the line.’I hope Captain Ardere didn’t personally bring him into the squad, with how he is behaving he might not even survive very far into this tower’ he thought to himself as he heard Taiyo give him an upbeat affirmention that he looked forward to working with them as well. as the crimson eyed noble heard that Leonard could attack directly and change the environment around them with lava and Taiyo was able to attack directly with his solar magic Sol nodded. “perfect that covers my shortcomings and I can provide back up by restraining and cursing targets so they are easier to take out", after they finished speaking Griswold had already moved on ahead which was already a bad idea but the other two moved as well with Sol following them. The first thing that Sol noticed once they got inside was that it was hot almost unbearably so and the humidity made the smell from the water rather unpleasant. As they got inside and stepped into what appeared to be swampland Sol suddenly noticed something was off when he sank into the water deeper they should have for such an area. ‘ this floor is way to soft to just be water and dirt unless… crap theres no bottom to this floor at all !’
However before he could voice it someone already had, it appeared that Taiyo had caught on and Sol quickly spotted the vines hanging before his grimoire floated out and flipped to a page before casting a spell, instantly a ball of blood started to form before Taiyo and Leonard and grew to the size of a beachball before it started to shift and shape itself. From the top formed a corset of hardened blood with a beautiful woman appearing as well though her arms were less then pretty with razor sharp claws on one and piercing spear like claws on the other.The golem was finished as three long tendrils of blood tipped with hardened blood thorns formed as the woman looked to Sol for guidance.as spell was being cast Sol grabbed the vine above him before using his arm strength to get him out of the quicksand.” Pick the two of them up gingerly and get them to the staircase” he stated before he would swing himself to the staircase that Griswold was on and watched as the blood golem would wrap two of its tendrils around the two lions very carefully and would slowly pull them out so the thorns wouldn’t dig in to badly before carrying them over to the staircase and setting them down. With its job down the Blood Countess Sol summoned would remain by his side looking beautiful yet terrifying as it hovered beside him as its tendrils curled slightly under it so it didn’t hit any off the other mages by accident.
As the two were released from the tendrils Sol approached.”You two ok im sorry if my summons thorns got you at all I told her to be very ginger about lifting you” he stated with concern in his voice as he gently looked over where the tendrils had been to make sure they hadent been pierced by accident. Once he was sure they were ok he turned to Griswold with narrowed eyes.”Would you have really let your squad mates drown in the sand? So far your acting like the most brash and foolish magic knight iv ever seen especially going forward without waiting for the rest of us. It could have resulted in you dead weight corpse in the quicksand and us having to complete this one man short” he reprimanded looking at the other crimson lion with a scathing look with his slitted eyes seeming to glow eerily. “at this point we should move as a unit no one straying to far from the others” he stated as he looked back at the other two afterwards. So far Sol had no issues with either Taiyo or Leonard since they had been very cordial with him and he in turn had been polite to them as well but Griswold was another matter entirely, from the moment he had met the group his attitude had been atrocious at best and it was hard to believe that the man was from the same squad as the other two and Captain Ardere since Sol had met the Captain before and found him to be a very courageous man as well as having a good head on his shoulders this lion on the other hand not so much.
Internally Sol knew that Griswolds behavior would come back to bite him either here in the tower or most likely when he got back to his squad hq since the Noble was certain neither Taiyo or Leonard would let what he had been doing slide. “now since we managed to avoid the first death trap shall we head up towards out goal?” he asked the group. Once the rest of the group were ready they would move as a group towards the stairs Sol Slipped a few times on the way up but managed to catch himself each time.”careful theres no traction on these steps last thing we need is for one of us to go falling back to the bottom” he said as he looked to his teammates. ‘So far no enemies but we still need to stay on guard that quicksand at the bottom could have been a game ender for a few of us if we hadn’t had golems to get us out of this mess. One wrong move and any of us could lose our lives’ he thought to himself as he focused on his surroundings making sure they didn’t get caught off guard by anything behind them.
Name of Spell: Blood Countess Spell Element: Blood Spell Rank: Intermediate Mana Cost:20/10 to sustain Type of Golem: Balanced Applicable Perks: Puppet Master Description: A golem that is beautiful yet terrifying. it is another example of Sols increasing power and mastery over his elements. While this one is less frighting to look at it is still no less deadly. When cast a orb of blood the size of a beachball forms before Sol before starting to shift as it takes the actual shape of the golem.
The blood shifts and manifests into a beautiful looking woman made of blood that stands at 2.1 meters or 7 feet tall from the waist up with a corset made from blood to give her modesty, however that’s where the beauty ends as from the arms are sleeves that come down to hands tipped with bloody claws on one for slashing and grabbing and longer spear like claws on the other better suited for impaling, from the waist down the orb is still visible but gains flowers made of blood sprouting around it around those are three large tendrils of blood tipped with razor sharp hardened blood thorns which can slice and constrict easily, these tendrils can strike at anything in a 3 meter radius around the creature Since this creature does not actually touch the ground it levitates slightly and can move with frightening speed This Golem is rather balanced but its better suited for offense then defending so its only able to attack and it has many ways of doing so. From slashing and impaling with its claws or protrusions to constricting and whipping with its tendrils this creature is elegant and deadly all around. Its attacks deal Intermediate damage and for every 30 Control the user has they can make another Blood Countess capping at four Type Power Durability Sensory Range Speed Health Balanced 35 +3 35 +3 35 +3 60 m 12 m/s Intermediate
Stats
POWER -034 DURABILITY- 021 STAMINA- 021 SENSORY - 014 CONTROL - 021
“Obviously not. If I wanted people to die, I would not have gone in first, not to mention quite literally warning all of you to grab onto a vine. Besides, I would have dragged you out of the mud by your ears if I had to, though I very much wanted to see how you guys would manage on your own. To get a good idea of what kind of what I could expect from you in terms of quick thinking and quicker action. Besides, none of you actually asked me for help.”
Not really needing to think for a second about what he had to say in response to just about everything the three tossed into his direction, it was all quite straight forward and simple. Since nobody seemed up to the task of claiming leadership or making any actual decisions, he had decided to move on ahead on his own. Once he had started sinking, he had used his own strength to get himself out, which was something he had worked hard for for many, many years. Ever since he had been a child, the fact that his magical prowess was sub-par to that of the other kids he grew up with, he had been trying to make up for it by increasing his physical prowess. Not skipping out of that routine was why he could pull himself out, could have pulled the others out and did not actually need to ask anyone for help himself. Even though he had given his answer, there was still something he had to say.
“But rest assured, none of you were in any danger of actually drowning here. That said, I don’t think the captain would have sent any of you here if he didn’t think you could handle a bit of inanimate wet sand..”
That last part was actually a bit of a jab, though he could not exactly fault them for thinking he was a jerk. He could have made an attempt at getting them out, though in his defense, not a single one of them had asked for it. Another thing none of them really wanted to mention was that his little stunt had clearly pushed the golem guy to step up to some extent. He made the decision for all of them to move together, and to move up the stairs, which was just about the only real option they had here unless they wanted to move down the stairs and drown in mud. As that clearly wasn’t an option, he shrugged a bit and did as instructed. Moving up the stairs that had literally no traction whatsoever, one wrong step could very much cause one of them to shatter their neck on the fall, thus still allowing the mud to claim them in the end.
Taking point in front of the two Vermillion boys in the knowledge that he was likely one of the stronger members of their party, he followed behind the golemancer. While he could have passed him by on the stairs, he had decided against doing such a thing, even if it could have saved them some time in the end. There was no need to aggravate them more than they already were, even though it was quite bothersome to be moving this slow with pretty much no plan at all. It was also for the sake of not twisting their panties any further than he already had done that he had decided to leave certain things unsaid. Doing his best to keep himself from slipping, he knew that he was quite well at sneaking about and doing surveillance, a thing that had been his job before he came to the clover kingdom and became a magic knight.
It was something the others could have benefited from if they hadn’t carelessly stomped into the swamp after him, in spite of his warnings. Aside from being fairly strong physically and having a good supply of mana, Griswold possessed heightened senses that allowed him to hear, smell, taste and see better than most humans could, which was also in part why he had been in the business of sneaking and surveillance. When the end of the staircase was approaching, he could feel how the temperature had not really changed much at all, meaning it was likely going to be this hot throughout the entire tower. Though, speaking of “tower”, the space ahead seemed much more like a natural formation than a piece of man-made architecture. It was truly quite interesting, though it provided them with potential threats as well.
“Hold on for a bit. The terrain is changing up ahead, and since we’re doing the whole “What are you good at” thing, I throw fireballs and have very acute senses and a background in doing surveillance. So if you’d sit tight by the stairs for just a moment, I’m going to scout ahead just a bit to see if we’re walking from one swamp into the next or not.”
Though he was still unsure as to whether or not these guys were going to be willing to listen or not, he figured that it was their idea to do a round of questions to see who was good at doing what. And since this was something that he was actually good at, Griswold believed that they’d actually listen this time. Shortly after mentioning that they should wait for him by the top of the staircase in case they would be forced to make a quick retreat while remaining within visual range, he snuck around Sol and left the final piece of stairs for what was clearly a cavern of some sort. While it did not seem to be man-made, there was something about it that was strange and unnatural, something he could not exactly figure out. But that did not matter right now. What did matter was that there were plenty of large rocks and roots sticking through the place that he could easily hide behind.
Once he was roughly seven meters ahead of them, his ears picked up on something before his eyes could. From behind a rather large rock formation by the side of the cavern wall, Griswold was alerted to there being something along the ceiling, something alive. Due to their placement against the dark ceiling, it was rather hard to properly make out their exact body shape and total numbers, but there was certainly something shivering by the ceiling. Because these things barely moved at all, he had only really noticed them when a breeze from outside caused the lianas hanging from the ceiling to move a bit, causing them to retract a bit before sinking back into place. Causing Griswold to believe that they were attached to whatever creatures were up there, he turned around and gestured towards the group to follow him with his hand.
Placing his index finger over his mouth so as to tell them to remain quiet during their approach, he pointed his finger up to the ceiling to make them aware that something was up there. Waiting for the rest of them to get to his position, which could have been done both swiftly and safely if they moved through the area he had passed through during his initial approach, he tried to keep communications short and as free of sass as he could possibly manage. After all, making needless amounts of sound might alert whatever these things were to their position, in turn meaning they could strike at them first. As that was really no situation to be in, Griswold believed now would be the time to come up with a plan.
“Alright. So far, every room we stepped into, no matter how nice it might have looked at first has tried to kill us. Now, there is something attached to the ceiling up ahead, something that seems to be alive and waiting. Unless we dig a tunnel underneath them, we’re going to need to pass through that spot if we are to get out of this tunnel. So we either walk past and pray for the best, or we take no chances and strike first. I for one vote for the latter, as I rather enjoy being alive.”
[attr="class","silasreescroll"]Taiyo stood next to Leo as he basically introduced himself and stated what his magic was. As they moved into the first room and started sinking and Sol used his golem, Leo would ask him if he could grab the vines however that was unnecessary due to the golem taking him over to the stairs one time. He smiled and bowed respectfully. ”Thank you for your concern, big brother.” He then turned his attention to Sol who had carried him over with the golem. ”Thank you muchly, Sol. Don’t worry, your golem was quite gingerly. I was unharmed.” He then watched Sol call out to Griswold and scolded him on leaving his team behind. Griswold’s response was rather rude and unbecoming. Did he really think that they would have to ask for his help before he came to their aide? What if they couldn’t call out to him? Would he have left them to suffer and die? Taiyo was already starting to not like Griswold very much and Taiyo liked practically everyone. He viewed this guy as a rather selfish guy with strength but that wasn’t a good quality.
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Sol had declared that they would move together and Taiyo couldn’t agree more. Taiyo had made up his mind that Sol was logically the most fit to lead the team even though he wasn’t a magic knight. He was level headed and showed care for his teammates. He also was experienced from what Taiyo could tell. He had asked if they were ready to advance to which Taiyo nodded. ”I think we’re more than ready to keep going. There is nothing more to see on the first floor other than sinking sand. At least from this point forward, we will have each other’s backs.” He then turned his attention to Griswold and decided to make a jab of his own at him. ”Right, Griswold? We can depend on you, right?” He began advancing up the slippery stairs cautiously and slowly. He didn’t want to slip and cause the others to either worry about him or have to save him. He did slide a bit but caught his balance before it became a detriment to him and the team. As the terrain changed, Griswold would tell them to hold on a bit as he scouted the room. ”What do you mean sit tight? We go together.” Taiyo would follow close behind as he didn’t see it necessary that they split up. As they got out to the next floor, he would stand behind Griswold but wouldn't see anything since the room would be dark.
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”What has you so spooked that you think we should run away, huh?.” Taiyo would use his solar magic to illuminate the dark room so they could see better. It would be better than trying to sneak around in the dark and running into whatever trap the room had to provide. He would then the snail-like creatures and looked at them curiously. ”Fascinating , Leo are you seeing this? It looks like a snail. You think it's harmless or harmful?”
Post by Leonard Vermillion on Apr 6, 2021 15:00:42 GMT -5
Leonard was quite thankful for the help that the Sol guy gave to both him and his little troublemaker of a cousin. The whole thing stung a little not only because of the thorns of the golems but also because he didn't want to look so weak to other people. He really needed to find out a way to work out his own magic in a way that wouldn't be a problem for others inside enclosed spaces. Perhaps that was what was holding him back from becoming stronger. Hell, in this situation his magic was straight up a liability and more extreme measures had been taken to ensure both him and Taiyo would get out of the sand pit.
WC- 120
Floor 2 Room 1 Once they all had become unstuck from the gunk in the first room, they would travel up the stairs. Leo was still a little sore for the less than ideal help needed for the quicksand. Thankfully, his mana was unlike the others around him. Much like the real thing flowing in the beating heart of their world, his own mana was always flowing around him. While he could feel the thorn had scraped off a good chunk of his own Maka Skin, he could also feel it slowly beginning to build back up to what it normally used to be.
"AT-TAT-TAT!" The older Vermillion clicked, grabbing Taiyo by the collar. "Going together does not mean you scurrying away from the group. We do not know what's in there. Don't you go in and step on a pressure plate or some kind of other weird thing that could end up locking us up somewhere." He would add, turning back to look for Sol and the other guy. "The first room had weird death floor. From this point on assume any room is booby trapped and watch your step." Leo then concluded. Then there was the matter of addressing the other guy, that Girs-something.
"Even if we dig, we would just fall back down into what seems more death sand considering we are up a floor." Leonard would state, always checking that Sol-guy wouldn't have objections. "From here on out it just looks like we need to clear room for room until we get to the top of the tower." The Vermillion would finish, hearing Taiyo saying something about slugs. The room they were about to enter was dim so he could hardly tell what things were moving inside but he trusted his little brother for all things that needed a new shine on.
"I wouldn't know about that, but I would advise not to touch any slug that might have venomous slime on them. Taiyo, I'm counting on your magic to give us light in here you got that? We can worry about whatever is inside there after we know what, where and how many of these would be slugs are here. You do your best, we will handle the rest."
About as soon as the others decided to make their move, everything just began cascading towards a huge mistake. Personally, he had been trying to do his best to use the skills he himself possessed in order to find a safe way for them to sneak up on whatever it was that had been hiding in the dark corners of the ceiling, mostly because his ears had managed to locate the threat to some extent. Because of how everything had gone down in the previous room, a place where half of their party had nearly drowned due to their own inability and lack of patience, he had decided to give it one more try here. Because if he could find the right angle from which to catch these creatures by surprise and get them into a position from where they could just go ahead and get rid of them before anyone got hurt, maybe that would change the way they looked at him too.
Sure, he liked to crack a joke now and again, though his intention had never been to let anyone drown. Hell, if they had just waited a moment and let Griswold scout the first room, doing as he had told them and using the lianas to get across the quicksand, there would have been no need for anyone to get saved in the first place. So when the joke had been made regarding how people could count on him, he had considered it as nothing more than that. A joke. What did however bother him was that this time, he was again kept from doing what he did best because apparently “they had to stick together”, as opposed to remaining within line of sight for a minute or two at best while the elven mage figured out the best possible way to travel without triggering any of the creatures stuck to the ceiling. Even if it had been meant as a joke, the fact that he was instantly questioned regarding his decision and followed all the way made things much more problematic.
As much as he wanted to tell the guy off, he knew that being loud right now would just trigger the things above them into attack mode, so he had to bite down on his lip and go along with it. Moving just a little bit ahead until he reached a remotely safe spot from which he could get a decent look as to what they were dealing with, the elf saw something he had never seen before in the outside world. Whether they were creatures created through magic by the same person that had been responsible for the creation of the tower, or if these were more creatures of the past such as the bugs in the swamp area beneath them remained to be seen. As he was no archaeologist nor a biologist, there really wasn’t a way for him to figure such things out, unless he dragged one of them into the outside world and allowed someone who was actually versed at these things to do some kind of research on them. But seeing as that was not something they could just do, he’d have to make due with not knowing.
And truth be told, this just added to his frustration as there were not a whole lot of creatures out there that he hadn’t at least heard of or knew how to deal with to some extent. Listening to the others as they spoke, it just made him wonder why they would not just be quiet. Wanting to share a thing or two with the lot of them, it seemed that the two lion cubs were too busy with one another to truly pay attention to the matter at hand, with one going as far as to request that the other would use his magic to illuminate the room, thus completely eliminating any chance they’d have at catching any of the creatures off guard. And catching them in such a situation was likely their best bet at passing through this place without risking too many injuries. The fact that he seemed to be the only one that realized this however was alarming to say the least. It proved that these guys were not ready for the kind of mission that had been assigned to them.
After their little discussion, it seemed that one of them had decided to follow him up ahead to the spot from which Griswold had originally intended they would move onward. If they could all take on a strategic position from somewhere within the darkness, he was entirely confident in the fact that they could take care of this issue in one go. Because if there was one thing that seemed like a sure thing right now, it was the fact that this was likely not going to be the last location along the way to their final goal. So if they could cross it without anyone getting maimed or brutalized, poisoned or stuck in quicksand, crushed under a pile of rocks or straight up eaten by ceiling monsters, that would be considered a huge boon to their cause. They were magic knights after all, not some kind of daycare for aspiring knights with a ball-pit, a seesaw and a pre-determined time for naps. The way he saw things right now, only he and Slits…. Sol, were actually taking things seriously.
Shortly after making his plan known, telling those that were willing to hear it that it would likely be best if they were the ones who attacked first so as to catch their enemies off guard and stay alive for a little while longer, the first thing he heard in response to his plan was the question as to what had him so spooked that he thought they should run away. Clearly all of the things he had said and tried to plan had fallen on deaf ears if that was the kind of thing this particular lion cub wanted to learn from it. The idea of running had never been a serious notion as much as it had been a joke, a part of the rhetoric. But that just went to show exactly how much these guys actually listened to anything he had to say. If they were to actually pay attention to his plans and ask what he meant by it, they could have very easily begun taking their positions by now and started the process of eliminating the things that stood between them and whatever possibly dangerous artifact this tower might be protecting.
But just as he was slowly beginning to collect his calm cool, that was the moment when something immensely idiotic just straight up stupified him for a few seconds as his jaw almost fell open. When suddenly a burst of light actually did illuminate the room, followed by the origin asking whether or not they were seeing what he was seeing, that was when the dam that was keeping Griswold contained had finally reached the point of bursting. Not only had this guy just destroyed any chances of them catching any of the strange snail looking creatures off guard, it had also just awoken every single one of them and informed them of their location. And as was usually the case with any creature that got woken up or spooked, it would result in them being much more hostile rather than potentially skittish as they had likely never seen human beings before all that often.
“This. This is exactly why I work alone. If I screw up in any way, at least I can blame only myself for it as I’m the one who has to experience the fallout of my own choices. But this? This is the kind of move that takes the snail-filled cavern cake. Because as they say, play stupid games, win stupid prizes. And this was pretty goddamn stupid of you.”
Even though they had made this much clear to him before, the fact that none of them appreciated him for his efforts or his plans was constantly reiterated again and again. And at the end of the day, despite also being an elf, he was only human, and everyone had a point that when reached would bring out the worst in them. With the creatures on the ceiling beginning to stir and prepare their assault, he could still hear one of the dumbest sentences ringing between his ears as if it had become stuck inside of his skull. “You think it’s harmless or harmful”. Had it not been for the literal burst of light that ruined whatever he might have come up with to see them all through the cavern safely, it might have been one of the dumbest things he ever heard. And that just went to further fuel his incredibly pissed off attitude towards one team member in particular. If they were not about to have to fight all of those snails up on the ceiling, chances were that he would have punched the guy right in the teeth. Instead, he just turned around and wandered over to the staircase before looking at the other two magic knights.
“I hope you guys manage to somehow get yourselves, and him, though this whole shitshow alive, I really do. But all of this only did one thing for me, it confirmed that I’m better off on my own.”
So without saying much else, Griswold moved passed the group and slid his way down the slippery stairs before reaching for the nearest liana. Using it, as well as a good hard swing with all the force he could muster, he swung himself towards the entrance of the tower, only hitting the quicksand with one of his boots. Freeing his leg from the swamp rather quickly, Griswold had no intention of sticking around for even a moment longer than he had to. The thought of having given up on helping the people of the Forsaken realm for the time being, just so he could take part in this dreaded mess of a mission was perhaps the most infuriating thing of all. So when he reached his broom and made his way back to Hage, he really hoped that he would never have to worry about seeing most of those guys in a life or death situation ever again. If this was what the Crimson Lion squad had to offer, maybe he had overestimated what it meant to be picked to become a member. For now, he just wanted to get out of here and continue the process of rebuilding the peasant village. Once that was done, he imagined he’d have plenty of time to reconsider his position as a magic knight.
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Small and cowardly, the Falkhasaurs are very far from the traditional predator. They hunt in large packs, hoping to overwhelm their pray and then fight over the rewards of their hunt. They move fast, and while their jaws are weak, they tend to have very dangerous claws.
A sole hunter, Plaeness mana beasts were known to be THE apex predator back in their days, with fossils found throughout all of the kingdoms, deep under beaches and in the oceans. These reptilian submarines could attack both on the surface and in the water due to its elongated neck and horrifyingly strong jaws. Thank god they've gone extinct. 
Not much is known about the Joatl. The only bones ever found to be proof of its existence were stolen on a museum, and rumors of their resurfacing at the Clover Black market every once in a while remaining unsubstantiated. What is known of them is that they lived high up in the mountains of the Forsaken Region and were a powerful sky predator, with wings the span of two meters. 
The Juvasaur in infamous within the Clover Kingdom for its size and horrifying jaws. Archaeologists use it to tell horror stories to their children at night as cautionary tales. There are many sets of bones displayed around different museums, where it is displayed as the greatest predator of the plains and valleys.
