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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A recent settlement of small garish-looking creatures has begun feeling overconfident and has started attacking the residents of Hapshass to steal their gold and silver. Help drive them away from the town.
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]Details
Minimum Number of Players: 1 [break]Minimum Word Count: 2000 [break]Location: Hapshass [break]Special Requirements: NA
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]NPC Information
What NPCs are in this mission? Please fill out the template for any notable NPCs. While those you have to socially interact with during the mission are not required any enemy that is presented in the mission must be listed in here. [break][break] Name of NPC: Goblins x 6 per player
[break] [break]Health Limit: Intermediate [break]Physical Speed: 5 m/s [break]Physical Damage: Junior [break]Magic Element and Types: Earth | Attack Creation [break]Combat Style: The goblins are a menace, and attack together in a swarm. Crafty little buggers, they will try to flank you, while having the rest of their group acting as a distraction. They use the earth element, making crude weapons out of them, ranged and melee. [break]Additional Information: NA
No more than two weeks ago, Griswold had undertaken a mission along with Michail from the Ravencrest family that was originally meant to ensure that Hapshass would not fall victim to a rather well structured plan of attack concocted and executed by Goblins from a local tribe. When the two of them had been called here, they came up with a plan that would hopefully keep them from attacking the place by taking out their scouting party. It had been his idea at the time to let one of the scouts escape and make it back to his lair, all for the sake of letting his kin and leader know about what had happened to the others. Because regardless of how things had gone, between the two magic knights, they had massacred over a dozen of the greenskins without really holding back too much. That said, of the two of them, Michail had killed the most of them and actually seemed to like doing so.
Not being aware of whatever history there was between him and Goblins in general, it was clear to see to anyone who hadn’t been born blind that the noble held some kind of grudge towards them. But maybe that was for the best. Because no matter how selfish it might have sounded, Griswold preferred having Michail being the one that did the majority of the killing, just so he would not have as much blood sticking to his own hands. Two weeks ago however, he was still somewhat of a greenhorn, your average rookie who really did not know a whole lot about the world. So while he was in fact older than the average rookie on account of him being a foreigner that had only been in the clover country for about three years now, and had only been a magic knight for little over a month, the amount of things that had happened to him between that massacre was quite the vast list. Too much to accurately recall at this exact moment.
But in spite of that, there were two things that he could actually recall with great accuracy. One of those things was the fact that he was no longer that same person who shied away from every drop of blood and the notion of having to kill something or someone if it meant protecting a lot of others from a similar fate. The other was that he was no longer limited to the same one or two spells he had at the time, which made it rather hard to properly fight a larger number of opponents when all he could do was shoot fireworks from the tips of his fingers that, on a good day, might result in setting someone on fire. But now, after two additional weeks of hard work out in the field and a solid amount of training, he had managed to master a total of five new spells that where a whole lot more potent when it came to fighting either one or several enemies at the same time. So to say that Griswold had become more confident was not that far from the truth.
But none of that really mattered, at least not right now, as the situation they had diffused had developed into something that was not exactly along the lines of expectations. While their combined strategy had kept the Goblins from bothering to attack Hapshass head on, knowing that the place was too heavily guarded for them to realistically take down, it seemed that they had devised entirely new plans of attack. Because the inner workings of a Goblin brain seemed to revolve around pillaging, killing and looting, the setbacks they had suffered when their scouts were killed had seemingly only turned their gaze to smaller targets. While that was at least good news, as it would keep the populace from getting a real good scare when a bunch of Goblins just infiltrated the town and started killing everyone or dragging them back with them to their lairs, it was bad news for the surrounding orchards, quarries and farmlands in the surrounding area around Hapshass.
Funny enough, by the time Griswold had returned to Hapshass in order to make sure that they had remained safe since that time, and to make sure that they had in fact seen Goblins skulking around the outskirts and shadowing the outlying farms and such, they told him that they would very much appreciate it if he could bring a civilian with him. Claiming that she was a potential candidate for a magic knight position that could use a bit of actual experience in the field, as well as spend some time away from the farming community to maybe become less of a quiet weirdo, Griswold was rather iffy about it at first. As he two had spent his fair share of time on a farm before becoming a magic knight, he knew that this person had probably gone through some rather hard labor while growing up. And as far as her being weird was a factor, he imagined that he had not exactly met a whole lot of people he would categorize as being “normal”. That, along with his growing confidence in his own skill made him agree to the terms set before him.
And so, he ventured out of the town of Hapshass with the girl in tow, heading into the surrounding forests so as to take off a bit of the time it would take for them to get to their destination as roads would just curve and bend around places that he would prefer to just go straight through. Besides, it was the same type of road the Goblins would be using, so if they were to run into them early, that would only make it easier for them to dispatch them before they could actually do any harm to anyone else. This time however, he would not allow any of them to go back to tell the tale of what had happened, as it had clearly not turned out the way in which he had hoped it would. What was meant to act as a warning, to tell them not to pull the same crap again had turned into them taking it as a “Oh, so the town is too well defended? Time to go for the farmlands.”. And in case that much had not been made clear yet, that had not been what either Griswold nor Michail had intended.
“So, they say you grew up on a farm. That’s quite a coincidence, I’ve also lived on a farm before I became a magic knight. The name is Griswold by the way, Griswold Cromwell. Do you know what you should be expecting on your first unofficial mission?”
He said as he turned his attention to the girl, even though his eyes would not leave the path in front of him for a second. He did not want to risk tripping over a branch or a root sticking out of the ground, or perhaps walking right into one of the somewhat primal traps set by Goblins to mark their travel routes. Even though they were tiny greenskins, when moving in packs, they were incredibly dangerous.
Post by Persephone on Apr 15, 2021 20:51:21 GMT -5
When she had first started her pact of silence, it wasn't voluntary. Persephone just didn't know what to say. She didn't want to laugh, cry, or even speak. All she could do was look out into the fields through her window. She would let her magic flow from her palms, creating poisons that dripped down from her hands and onto the floor. She'd listen to it trickle onto the dirt beneath her, trying to process everything that had happened. She knew that it was her fault, and so did the villagers. Some were spiteful towards her, and others were lenient and caring. At the time, there was no inbetween. Now, that was all there was. The most caring people had given up hope on trying to "fix" her, and the ones that were angry had simmered down.
After the incident, Persephone helped out around the house, and she made sure to take care of her mother through her recovery. Once she got back her full strength, she acted like everything was back to normal again. She took care of the people in her village like always, healing the scratches and bruises the kids had made when they fell onto the ground, helping the elders regain nutrients through her mineralized waters, and she made sure to make homecooked meals for the families who were in more trouble than the others due to a failing side business. It was inspiring to Persephone, and it's what sparked her need for training. She wanted to have the strength her mother had. She wanted to brush off the event she relived everyday of her life. She wanted to have an ambition that would conquer all. Most of all, she wanted to help her mother regain her drive for the magic knights by fulfilling her dream for her. So, Persephone trained on end, hiding away in the forests near her village to fully let lose. To have no burdens on her, so that she could practice her magic in a way that would make her mother proud. A way that would make her laugh, feel inspired, and smile in ways that she hadn't in years. That was her goal. To some of the villagers, they believed that she was wasting her time away, being a failure to the village and Briar. However, to those that saw her come back, they felt her power increase.
Every day she would come back, she always heard them talking about her and her mother. They thought that they were being sly with their words and conversations, but Persephone knew everything. After taking her vow of silence, she'd learned how to focus on the noises around her, rather than focusing on what'd she say next. That's why the questionings of her character, echoed through her head. "It's such a shame. The both of them had so much potential. Briar is still kind like she always was, but her daughter seems to have turned into an odd one." "It's selfish. Letting her mother waste away her days as a commoner, while all she can do is barely help out around the village." "Oh come on now, don't be rude. She has the strength her mother had once had. All she needs is a bit of direction."
Four years after those events had occured, and she still thought about those moments each day. However, her moment to prove herself would come as the time for harvest came near. People had been getting small bruises on the backs of their legs by small creatures in the fields. These small signs of violence then turned into larger ones as scratches were beginning to happen upon the farmer. Due to the harvest coming up, people assumed they were the signs of a rodent running rampant through the fields. However, they saw no signs of footprints, burrows, or anything. It wasn't until the injuries had become a serious enough incident, where even her mother was struggling to heal the wounds, that the village realized what was happening.
The news of goblins dispersing from Hapshass were more prevalent than they believed them to be. They assumed that the goblins weren't interested in the crops Persephone's village had to grow. They were basic and held little value to creatures that mostly sought shiny objects. Even so, it was happening, and the mayor had decided to enlist someone on the job. Someone who knew the lands well, and could help guide a magic knight to the main source of the issues/guide them out if needed. He had decided upon asking Briar, knowing that these types of request were in her domain. However, her refusal had shocked everyone in hearing distance. Everyone had understood the damage her mother took in her battle, but they didn't understand the emotional damage it had taken on her. The people created an uproar, trying to cheer her on to take the challenge. Yet, she said no to all their cries. Instead, she gave up a different solution.
"Let my daughter go in my stead. She is younger than me, and has more power than I could ever hope for. I know all of you see her as a small naïve girl, but she is so much more than that. She is my one love, and the only person who can do what I could." In that moment, everything had become frozen for Persephone. The world had flipped itself on the head. Did her mother know about her training? Was it just blind love that was leading her to believe that her daughter could do something she couldn't? It wasn't until a majority of the people agreed with Briar, that she had realized that she was ready. All her training had led her up to this point, a point where she could make her mother proud, as well as helping the people her mother cared for. So, before she knew it, she was standing next to an older man in her orchid kimono. She was in her resting stature, and she understood that her stance made her seem lackluster. Yet, the man tried to create small talk. He seemed nice enough, but she understood that merely taking on a job wouldn't be enough to redeem herself for her mother. So, she would continue with her oath. She pulled on a piece of the older man's clothing, looking directly upwards at his eyeline. Hoping that his sight would meet with her's, she placed her hand on her throat. She then shook her head, hoping the man would understand that she couldn't speak, but that her answer was no to his question. She truly didn't know what she could expect, especially going alongside someone at his status.
“Charades? How fun. You’re saying you don’t like being choked? Well that is a coincidence, I’ve never enjoyed the idea of getting choked either.”
Obviously he was joking, knowing quite well what it most likely meant. That said, he figured he’d lighten the mood a bit, also as a means of hiding his own displeasure towards the idea that the plan he had come up with along with Michail had more or less succeeded in saving the town from future attacks, but had inadvertently made targets out of the surrounding places that did not enjoy the same kinds of protection. Though he refused to believe that it was their fault, or that they were even remotely to blame for the cunning and depravity that Goblins seemed to be born with, the only thing they could blame themselves for was turning the attention and gaze of whatever greenskin was in charge towards those that had decided to live further from society. But that was something the two of them were going to be rectifying as soon as they encountered whatever scouting party might be hidden away in the forest.
“But all jokes aside, I understand what you’re saying… or not saying. You either can’t talk or don’t want to talk, which is fine I guess. As long as you’re able to understand what I’m saying, I imagine this will be a fun little excursion. After all, we’ll be able to hear myself talk all day. Doesn’t that sound like a fun afternoon?”
Again, he was clearly joking with regards to the situation, even though there was really not a whole lot to joke about, not with what awaited them likely within the next hour or so. Not really expecting to hear much of a response on account of her not speaking, he just kept looking around and listening for anything he might be able to pick up. More than that, he also tried his best to sense whatever kind of magical presence he could locate with his innate sensory capabilities. As was the case with a fair amount of his abilities at this point, it had done quite a bit of growing that made it that much easier for him to find his query while making the chance of actually being sneak up on that much smaller. So as much as he was working on throwing around some jokes and remarks, Griswold was actually quite busy looking for footprints, listening to the surroundings noises of the woodlands, sniffing out potential sounds that might be related to their prey, and making sure they would not trigger any traps. This continued on for the better part of forty minutes without really stopping anywhere to take any short breaks to figure out what to do.
It was around that time that the first faint prints showed, though the Goblins had done a good job in treading lightly. Still, their body odor was left behind wherever they went, which was something someone with well developed sensory abilities would easily be able to pick up on. So as they followed the trail to a small clearing, Griswold and the girl would be able to get a good look at the group from with the treeline. Counting twelve of them, it seemed that the party was just as big as the one they had taken out last time, give or take one or two. It made him wonder whether they one they had left alive the last time was among them, though he could not actually tell. Whether it was considered racist or not, Griswold really could not tell one Goblins apart from the other unless one of them had some kind of outrageous haircut, interesting bits of clothing, a cool tattoo or some real manly kind of scar. Turning to the girl real quick, he had one thing that needed to be said before he could go about taking some action.
“Hold on, and be sure to keep an eye out for what happens next. If your aim is to one day become a magic knight, this is the kind of business you will at time be confronted with. So… don’t look away!”
With that, he stepped out of the treeline and wandered out into the open where the Goblins were currently conversing with one another in their strange little language. Even though it sounded rather simple and primal in nature, Griswold himself had not exactly been capable of figuring out what most of their words meant, let alone figure out the meaning behind a full sentence spoken at a decent pace. However, with the girl watching him for the time being, he wanted to clearly set out what it meant to be a magic knight. One of the things he had come to figure out in his first week as a magic knight was that it was at times an incredibly brutal world that would show no mercy to the unprepared. For instance, when he had been out to get a drink and some food, he had been caught in the middle of a ruthless assault between a psychopathic criminal and a store owner. Watching the store explode and the owner quite literally get torn into pieces, he himself fought the criminal until she got cut to pieces by the vice-captain of the Crimson lions right in front of him.
On that day, he had witnessed humans dying for the same time, and actually twice within a time frame of roughly five minutes. It was an unkind world that was even more unkind to those that came unprepared. So the least he could do for a potential new magic knight recruit would be to show exactly how unforgiving and cruel the world could be to those that were not prepared for it. With a twirl of his finger in the air, his grimoire popped open before the twirling finger pointed towards a single Goblin that had noticed him and started barking orders at the others. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, a rocky projectile glowing with a faint orange hue shot through the air, penetrating and catching the Goblin in the mouth and knocking it about two meters back. Several its spine and killing it on impact, the corpse was instantly nailed to the nearest tree behind him by the same earthen rod. Frightened and confused by the sudden attack, all of the Goblins came swarming out and formed up at a distance of roughly ten meters from him, making all kinds of distasteful sounds and noises.
“Yo, greenskins. A birdy told me you guys were planning on raiding a farm, but that can’t possible be true, can it? Not after I allowed some of you to leave with their lives last time. What kind of rotten manners are those? Is that how your kind shows gratitude?”.
POWER 46 DURABILITY 1 SENSORY 26 STAMINA 31 CONTROL 28 MANA 110 (90)
Name of Spell: Sunshard | Moonshard Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40 meters | 20 m/s Mana Cost: 20 mp | 10 mp sustain Stats Effected: +4 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: Moonshard is a spell by which the user focuses his attention on a given direction and fires off a sharp shard of moonstone. Focusing on pure penetrative force rather than any other shenanigans, this shard that is roughly 30 centimeters in length uses the speed by which it was fired and the sharp yet sturdy tip to punch through most unreinforced walls with relative ease. For every 20 control, the user is capable of firing an additional Moonshard in the same salvo, thus following the "ammo" rules. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
Post by Persephone on Apr 19, 2021 21:55:56 GMT -5
Gris's jab at Persephone's hand gesture made her blush a bright red. However, trying not to let him see it, her posture seemingly collapsed in on itself even more. Her shoulders were positioned inwards, as her head and hands followed suit. She never did like people making fun of her gesturing. It was something she did to honor her mother, and she wished that it was easier letting people know that. Except, it wasn't possible, and it shouldn't be possible. If she was going to sacrifice her voice for her mother's sacrifice, then she would have to deal with every consequence, no matter how awkward it made her feel. That was why she had to suck it up. She was on a job for her mother's sake, and if she ran from it just because she didn't feel comfy, then she should just give up on everything all together. Though, she couldn't do much to combat her emotions. Instead, she would just have to stay that way until something picked up, whether it be a different topic, or an introduction of small green gremlins.
After a few moments of silence, Gris spoke back up assuring Persephone that it was just a joke, even if a bit tasteless. She understood his need to lighten the mood, and she actually felt a bit thankful for it. Most people who talked with her usually kept quiet with themselves, choosing to not push past the language barriers. It left her lonely quite a lot, and that might've been why her mother sent her on the job. After all, who would want to ally with a weirdo like her? She shook that thought out of her mind and instead focused on what was being said in front of her. It seemed like Gris was trying to make another joke that was more oriented towards him, which made her feel more comfortable with talking to him, allowing her to loosen up her stance back to normal. So, she gave out a slight giggle, nodding her head at his question.
As they were getting closer to the center of the forest, Gris scrapped conversating and became intent on looking for the signs of the goblins. Persephone tried to look around for any footprints or signs of magic from the goblins, but it seemed hopeless. It was obvious that Gris was a lot stronger in power than Persephone. His senses allowed him to spot the tinier things that Persephone couldn't. He helped guide the way more easily than Persephone could've on her own. This was what she expected a magic knight to be like. He was what her mother aspired to be when Persephone was younger. She was most definitely stronger than he was, but there was something about him that made him unique. It wasn't his title, but it was his intent on trying to fix something that was hurting people he didn't know. It didn't seem like he was doing it for the glory. He was doing it to fulfill his own goals, and that's where Gris and Briar were similar. Despite any other obstacle, they will do whatever's possible to help people feel safe.
His drives led the both of them right to the goblins. Twelve of them to be exact. Each of them holding a shiny item that they likely captured from their excursions throughout the areas around Hapshass. As Gris was talking to Persephone, she nodded with a serious facial expression, letting him know that she was ready for whatever was going to happen. She knew that the creatures would most likely end up dying, and although that was a bit hardcore for Persephone, she understood that the way things go are the way they go. Her mother fought restlessly, even with the doubts of all the farm folk and her own daughter. She made sure that her village would be safe whether she died or not. If it weren't for her strength, she could've lost her life, or even her own connection with mana itself. She worked herself to the bone, and Persephone was going to do the exact same.
So, she held back as the magic knight went forward towards the goblins. From the spot Persephone was in, it was seeming to look as though the goblins were having a meal made from the crops they stole. However, none of those crops were cooked in the slightest, creating an unsavory sight of green creatures with tomato juice dripping from their mouths. Not only that, but it seemed like they were trading wares, bargaining the crops they made with the shinier objects on the goblins themselves. It was odd to see them behaving in a human way. After all, they were just tireless monsters, right? Yet, they were having fun, laughing, and having a feast like humans did. Though, this kind of introspection would have to wait since Gris broke up the Goblin's communion with stone to one of the creature's chest.
Seeing it made Persephone inaudibly gag from behind. She didn't like the sight of blood, and she didn't expect to ever feel comfortable with it. Her magic was one that didn't require her enemies to gain large wounds, unlike Gris. So, she expected to avoid the sight. Then again, that was probably extremely stupid of her. If she truly believed in what she said earlier, she wasn't going to allow herself to be phased by the sight. She stood up and wiped off the dirt on her kimono and went into a more confident stance. Her shoulders were back and relaxed, as her head was held up high. Her posture was more open, and everything fell into place. In that moment, she transformed herself into someone beautiful. Her arms were stretched out, allowing her kimono to create the silhouette of a butterfly before her left arm extended outward. As her hand moved to an arch position, she focused on the space between, allowing the mana concentrated inside of the formation to form into the shape of purple butterflies. She then closed her hand into a fist, sending 3 butterflies fluttering towards the startled goblins. After seeing their friend pinned up against the tree behind them gave her the opening she needed, and as the butterflies landed on their arms, her poisonous magic infused into their skin. She saw as a purple sheen went through their veins, and if it worked, the goblins would be reaching their hands over their eyes, realizing that they wouldn't be able to see.
This was her first act of violence towards another living being, and she didn't enjoy it. She felt confident in her strength as her attack lowered the inhibitions of her enemies, but she didn't like the idea of physically hurting them. A few moments before, she was thinking about how human they seemed, and now she was using her magic to kick them down a peg. Worry began to spread throughout her body, and she was wondering whether or not she could keep up her confidence. She was as fragile as a butterfly, and if she couldn't do something about her protruding thoughts, she was going to cave in on herself. So, she looked towards Gris for some sign that she was doing well. Something to make her stabalize.
POWER 020 DURABILITY 005 STAMINA 015 SENSORY 010 CONTROL 020 MANA 40/50 STAT POINTS GAINED 002
Name of Spell: Flutter Elemental Type: Poison Rank & Spell Type: Junior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 25 meters, 10 m/s Mana Cost: 10 Stats Effected: N/A Applicable Perks: WOUNDING ATTACK Description: Persephone extends her fingers outwards into an arc, butterflies made of liquid poison begin to form in the space between her fingers(amount is based on ammo rules). They have a wingspan of 7.62 cm, and glimmer from the mana coursing through the spell. As she clasps her fingers together, the butterflies flutter towards any hostile mana source. If they are able to land on a living creature, they stick, fusing themselves into the natural mana in the victim's body, damaging them for junior ranked damage. If the poison is able to overtake the enemy's mana, they disrupt it, causing the enemy to become blinded for 1 post(Flavored way of saying blinding rules are at play).
Last Edit: Apr 19, 2021 21:59:01 GMT -5 by Persephone
Even though he was not exactly able to see her when he attacked the first of the Goblins and pinned his dead body to a tree in the same go, he knew that it would likely be a lot for an untrained person to see. As a rookie magic knight himself, he had often shied away from various kinds of violence aimed at living beings such as wolves, wargs, bears and other such creatures. But he had come to find out the hard way that sometimes, one had to do the kind of things that they would rather shy away from in order to keep other people safe. Because at the end of the day, a wolf was still a potentially dangerous creatures that could easily rip out someone’s throat, especially when attacking as a pack. It was one of the things they did best after all, especially if it meant bringing down prey larger than themselves.
But dealing with wild animals was one thing, dealing with sentient beings was a whole different cake entirely. Having dealt with Goblins before, he could tell the girl all about how they were an especially dark race of creatures that were even more focused on expanding and ruling than humans were. More importantly however, they seemed to delight in the suffering they caused along the way, as merely taking things for themselves was not enough. Being devious and cunning enough to come up with their own language while at the same time being capable of understanding and emulating human language, they would often use one of them to draw people’s attention away by having it asking for help and making a sad face while the others from the same band would sneak around them in order to violently murder those dumb enough to believe a Goblin asking for aid.
Imagining that this could happen to every kind hearted human being, it just went to show just how black hearted the average Goblin truly was. As such, he had learned not to take pity on them anymore, which was particularly true for these ones. After all, he had dealt with this specific tribe once before with the help of another magic knight, and they had actually allowed one of them to escape back to the lair alive in order to tell the others that this place was off limits. But instead of learning the right lesson from it, they learned the lesson they wanted to learn by skipping over Hapshass entirely and just going after the unprotected farmlands surrounding it. So this time around, he would not be making that same mistake again, the time for showing compassion towards creatures that seemed systemically incapable of such gestures was over, and only the process of exorcising them from this place remained.
Thinking how this was likely a good thing for the girl to witness now, before she would actually take steps towards becoming a magic knight or anything of the sort, Griswold was not going to go easy on these things. Because as much as he wanted her to see exactly what kind of violence could be found within this world, he also wanted to show how there was no need to stretch out their suffering, believing the best thing to do would be to eradicate them all at the same time. But for previously stated reasons, if one of these Goblins was the one who had previously survived and was now present in another raid, he at least wanted it to experience the fear of messing up this badly before it would kick the bucket. That said though, there was still a one in twelve chance that the Goblin he wanted to impress was the one he had already pinned to a tree, in which case it was all for nothing anyway. Hoping to be wrong, he saw something rather interesting take place.
Beginning to take notice of how strange little butterflies were suddenly fluttering about in the area, his senses told him that they were magical in origin, which could really only mean one thing; the girl. Having most likely decided that it was her moment to act since she did not want to just stay back and watch how Griswold went about butchering some Goblins on his own, the butterflies moved towards some of the greenskins, landing on their skin and for a moment dazzling them. They had clearly not expected someone like the elven mage to pop up and just go about destroying one of them out of the blue, though the sudden appearance of these butterflies seemed to have them a bit flabbergasted as well. But that was good, as it would draw their focus away from Griswold. So as the butterflies went about doing what they did, which seemed to be some sort of internal attack that made their veins bulge and discolor, it seemingly also disoriented them quite a bit as those affected were seen reaching with their hands as though they had lost their sight or their sense of depth.
Looking over his shoulder towards the girl, he held up his thumbs, which clearly meant “Good job”. With that gesture taken care of, it was time to truly take care of business. So as he held up both of his arms, a sphere of solar mana formed in the palm of both of his hands. Though arguably not his most powerful spell, it was the one that was most fit for the job of taking out various enemies at once. Bringing both hands down into two separate directions, he released the orbs of mana towards the ground where the most Goblins were located. As soon as it hit the ground, the otherwise condensed amount of mana would now erupt into a torrent of flame that easily swallowed up all of the Goblins in the area by incinerating them almost all the way to the bone. It was likely that they would only momentarily feel the pain of his attack, as such intense heat from all directions would quickly make short work of most nerve endings while the pain would overwhelm the brain and just make the whole thing shut down.
Mere seconds after activating the spell, nothing would be left of the Goblins but smoldering black remains, almost looking like statues. Being quite content with leaving them here to serve as a reminder to the other Goblins that places such as these were off limits, he stomped out the remaining cinders in the grass so as to not be the cause of an eventual forest fire, as such a thing would probably hurt more people and animals than this particular scouting party could have done in a single raid. Once he was sure that there was nothing left of his attack that might trigger such a thing, he returned to where he had left the girl. Hoping that she had learned at least something about the brutality that came along with being a magic knight, he also hoped that it would not have dissuaded her from trying to actually become one herself. After all, the land could use some more magic knights who hailed from a farmland rather than some snooty noble family.
“You did pretty good there kid, I like seeing people figure out interesting ways of utilizing their magic, and yours seemed like it was well up there as far as creativity goes. So tell me, what kind of magic do you actually use, because it seemed like those butterflies applied some kind of poison or venom.”
POWER 46 DURABILITY 1 SENSORY 26 STAMINA 31 CONTROL 28 MANA 110 (75)
Name of Spell: Solar flare | Lunar swirl Elemental Type: Solar Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate – Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40 meters (20m AoE) | 20 m/s (AoE does not extend out of Max rank range) Mana Cost: 20 mp | 10 mp sustain Stats Effected: +4 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: A spell that was not so much designed to be used in one on one combat, but rather to limit the amount of terrain advantages one might have over the user. By compressing and firing a small bolt of sun(moon)fire similar in appearance to “Sun(Moon)bolt”, this spell either travels its given distance or collides with a solid surface, causing it to erupt in a burst of flame. As it sets flammable terrain, objects and living beings on fire, it can quickly turn a building used by someone to hide or hole up in from a safe haven into a furnace one will want to quickly escape. For every 20 control, the user is capable of firing an additional sphere in the same salvo, thus following the "ammo" rules. During the day, the spell takes on an orange hue, taking on a silver blue hue after dark.
Last Edit: Apr 25, 2021 17:48:09 GMT -5 by Griswold
Post by Persephone on Apr 22, 2021 18:29:05 GMT -5
Persephone was frozen in time looking right at Gris. Luckily enough, he gave her a dorky thumbs up. It wasn't the answer she was looking for in the slightest, yet it seemed to help her calm down a bit. She was still startled by the clear pain of the goblins, but she was positive that this was what she had to do. She has to be able to deal with hurting hostile creatures. They inflicted wounds that would leave scars upon the people she grew up with. For some, their only passion in life was to create the biggest farm and provide for their family. Due to the creatures before her, they wouldn't get to pursue what they love for weeks. Briar had gone through the same thing, except she wasn't able to ever fully stand back up. Knowing that her mother fought with someone more vicious than that of these goblins made her realize that the creatures before her needed to be dealt with before their needs destroyed others.
So, she reached out her palms in the same form one more time in preparation of her most damaging spell. Before she could unleash the spell, though, a gust of hot air blew into Persephone's face. After a matter of seconds, her hair was back down in front of her face, causing her to recline back into the spot she felt most comfortable. The sudden burst of magical power made her feel inferior, and she didn't know what to think of it. She knew that the magic knight in front of her was strong, but his power was something she didn't know was plausible. In a quick instant, the goblins she once pitied were turned into charred corpses stuck in time. None of their facial expressions were clear, but she could see the clear fear and pain the goblins felt before they died. Though, the pain was quick enough to where their brains probably couldn't register everything until it was too late. She was thankful for that, yet she still felt sorrow for them.
Again, she felt a battle of her inner wills. Both were fighting against each other and causing the same turmoil that would stop her from being able to be fully present in the world. All she could hear was the constant battle of words within her mind. Her more compassionate side was telling her that she should give time too the creatures that died, while her avenging side caused her to feel a sense of coldness towards their deaths. In the end, all she could do was shut down her emotions. She didn't want to feel them. They were too much for her to handle on her first job, let alone her first interaction with someone like Gris. Though, she didn't want to seem so closed off as to be awkward with Gris, but it was either that or something much worse. So, she took in a deep breath and walked over to Gris in a slow and wary fashion. She tried to smile towards him, but she realized that he most likely wouldn't be able to see most of her face. She soon scrapped that and instead waited on what he would say next.
To his question, she felt herself warm up to him a bit more. She nodded quite excitedly as she prepared her trick she was working on. That was one of the first times anyone had ever seen her magic at face value, and she was proud of it. Her control was one of the most important parts of her magic, and having him compliment her on it gave her a genuine smile. Although he wouldn't be able to see her smile, it was almost as if her whole body had perked up itself. Everything seemed like it was being pulled towards the sky rather than towards the center of her body. She still looked awkward as hell, but it at least seemed like she was starting to stand like a normal person. As she reached out her arm, she laid her arm out into a palm as mana flowed from the area around it to create an iridescent yellow butterfly. This was the least dangerous poison she had, having no affect on others. Though, when mixed with her other poisons, it's able to dissolve them into itself and neutralize their effects. She didn't quite know what to expect from Gris, but she didn't want to make a physically lasting impression on him. If he were to try and grab at her butterflies, then she wanted it to be something safe.
The butterfly had finally fully formed into a shape that resembled a piece of rubber that was formed into a butterfly. The poison itself became gelled as soon as the shape hit Persephone's palm. Soon after, it had begun to crawl up her arm. The physics of the butterfly itself wasn't technically sound, but the looks of it was accurate. At the sight of the butterfly, her smile became even bigger. She was getting better. One day, she would be able to show her mother her work, and physically speak to her about it, but she couldn't share this with her. Not when she was still so much weaker than she needed to be. For now, Gris would have to do. Though, she needed more pizazz to her routine. Knowing this, she threw the butterfly off her arm and into the sky. It's wings then flapped up and down, making a circle around her and landing back onto her outstretched arm. She then finally made one final motion with her hand, palming it into a fist. The butterfly then liquified, spilling onto the ground beneath her.
After her routine, she did a tiny jazz hand before instantly pulling her hands back in, instantly regretting the decision she made. She felt embarrassed that she had done that, but her ability to be proud in herself was improving. Before, she would've never been able to portray herself in a manner that was confident or fun, yet Gris helped her feel like she could let loose for a tiny bit. It wasn't enough for her to go full out, but it was enough to make her feel happy. That was why she bowed down her head the next moment in gratuity for him. She then tilted her head to the left, looking up at his eyes with a questioning look on her face. She wanted to ask him about what he thought about everything, but her speech barrier stopped her from doing so. Hopefully she'd get the answer at some point if it wasn't now.
“Ah, so it was some kind of poison magic after all. I have to say, the butterflies so give the whole thing a lot of extra flair, especially when considering the last thing those guys saw was a pretty little butterfly landing on top of them. I imagine there are worse ways to go, especially since the vast majority of them probably only felt the heat, rather than seeing an inferno coming their way and turning them into a lump of coal.”
Stating his verdict with regards to the way in which the girl utilized her poison magic in a way that made it seem awfully cheerful for such a potentially fatal type of magic, he believed that it was actually quite cool. Aside from also believing that it was likely too good a thing for the Goblins he had just killed in spite to his history with their kind, he could also imagine how all of this would look for the girl. After all, it had not been all that long ago since he was still a rookie himself, a junior magic knight that had just managed to pass the trials and became a member of the esteemed Crimson Lions. Truth be told, he had never truly felt completely at home with them because they were mostly nobles with him as the only commoner to exist in the entire squad, though that had changed considerably after he had actually gotten to the point of meeting most of them in the field. Because he had never really heard or seen a whole lot of good come from noble folk, the Lions had at least shown themselves to be different.
Sure, there were always some rotten apples, one of which he had met during a dungeon delving mission that took them all into the Fringe, someone who managed to infuriate him to such levels that he was either going to deck the guy right in the teeth and risk a dishonorable discharge for attacking a fellow magic knight, or doing another dishonorable thing by leaving the dungeon instead. Having decided on the latter of the two, it was most likely always going to remain a stain on his reputation, though it had allowed him to keep doing his job at protecting the peasants and commoners of this country that did not have the funding or the means to help themselves. Still though, if he was to ever run into the guy in a social setting where he would run his mouth at him again, he would not hesitate to toss his ass across the room like a sack of rotten potatoes. Scum like him deserved it, and scum like that rarely ever changed their ways as they would always deem themselves to have been correct, regardless of any fallout.
Luckily, the amount of good people within the squad that he had met far outweighed those that were just gross douche bags, and they managed to push up the amount of respect Griswold had for the average noble by quite a bit. Where some of them had managed to provide more to him and his growth than others, there were a few of them that had gone above and beyond, either as a means of letting him join the squad in the first place, saving his life at some point and another by pushing him through a harsh training regiment that had made him a fair bit stronger in not a whole lot of time. In a way, each of them had made some level of impact on him, whether it was for physical reasons, mental reasons or both. It was for that same reason that he had decided to take the girl along with him for today, both as a means of showing her what the world of a magic knight was truly like, showing her exactly what kind of threats lurked in the seemingly lovely looking forests, and to help her make a bit of coin.
“But I do understand how you feel, though I doubt that makes things any better right now. The first time I met these unsightly little fiends, I also believed that they were sentient like us, meaning they could be reasoned with like us. That however did not really seem to be the case with them, so at least sixteen of them ended up dying in what I can only recall as being a complete and utter massacre. They believed that because they had the numbers and would be able to overpower us as there were only two of us. Guess they were not aware that the other guy was capable of summoning predatory golems.”
Thinking back at how much that particular encounter had managed to change how he looked at the job they were supposed to do at magic knights, he imagined the one he had just shown to the girl was actually surprisingly tame. Whenever he thought back at it, he remembered all of the blood they had shed there, all of the mangled corpses and the deafening screams of greenskins being torn limb from limb. While he himself was on top of a bird golem flying above the scene, he had seen the lion golems goring up the bodies of those they assailed, how other bird golems were picking up Goblins and dropping them to their deaths once they had reached a certain height. While it was something that they needed to do, mostly because Griswold’s own magic had been entirely useless during battles like that, it was something that he would never forget. All of those sights, all of those sounds, not to mention the feeling of weakness for not being able to give them a more humane death like the one he had granted those standing around him right now.
“At the time, I only got to wound a few of them, hoping they would either retreat or just surrender. Out of all of them, only one of them managed to survive because we believed that at least one of them should return to his tribe and tell the tale. We figured it might keep them from coming back here, that it would keep them from trying to attack Hapshass again, knowing that a good number of their kin fell in an effort to raid it. But you see before you the result of that.”
This had in fact been a part of their actual battle plan, to leave a single one of them alive so that they could return to their lair and tell the others just how dangerous it was to assault human settlements. Had they been humans, they would have most likely taken the hint and gone with it, though Goblins were far from human. At their core, they were far more relentless and cunning, smart to degrees most humans could only dream of, though their intellect and resourcefulness was clouded by the urge to expand their domain and inflict pain upon all those who crossed their path. He would never forget how they would even put their defenseless children along merchant routes, letting their screams and cries draw in those traveling down those roads and see if they could help. These stories always ended in the same way however, with the one dropping whatever they were doing to try and help the infant Goblin, only for the mature ones to sneak up on them and mangle them to death with crude weaponry made from wood and stone.
“As much as I would have liked to believe that these creatures were capable of change, of seeing the error in their ways, it seems that this is not the case, at least not the way I had hoped. Because you see, those that survive, they learn alright. But they learn from failure, meaning next time, they will do better and make sure not to take the same risks and make the same mistakes again. They learned from that massacre, which was why this time around, they decided not to attack a town head on, but to go for the much less protected farmlands and orchards in the surrounding regions. And we can both see the results of that.".
Clearly this was not what they had in mind when they made their plan the way that they did, because had they known the depths of Goblin depravity, he would have gone along with the other’s plan to just annihilate every single one of them without having to hold back. It was a mistake that had been made once, and a mistake that was never going to be made again if he had any say in it. That said, he could only control his own actions, as well as teach those he met how to handle the little buggers. But at the end of the day, it would always be up to them to figure out how they wanted to handle themselves and their own assignments should the day ever come. For now, all he could really do was see exactly how his words and actions had managed to impact the girl, as anyone who shied away from this kind of thing was not going to be the right fit for just about every other magic knight squad. But what was not present right now might still prove to be there some day, as it might still need to surface properly as had been the case with him personally.
“That said, all of this would have either dissuaded you from ever attempting to become a magic knight, or it will have allowed you to confirm your resolve. Either way, I can’t say that I’ll be able to fault you for whatever decision you make. Because as much as they might try to say otherwise, the life of a magic knight is not one that’s all flair, praise, pay and respect. Maybe in some squads, as I guess that depends entirely on whether you’re assigned to stay within the city limits or not, but for the majority of us, it’s a rough and brutal life that will force you to put your life on the line more than once. And in the worst case scenario, it may also require you to take some lives too, which is something you will need to be able to reconcile for yourself, as you won’t find reconciliation elsewhere, unless you’re a church-goer that is.”
Not really having anything against those that went to church, he had always felt it odd that someone would go to a place of worship and praise the very spirit the captain of the Crimson Lions had with him as a companion. Not believing in any kind of religion or possessing any kind of fanatic belief, he had really only come to believe that spirits were actually a real thing when he had seen the frost spirit with his own eyes and heard about how his captain was the one teaming up with the great fire spirit called Salamander. That, and he had only just come to learn how demons were not just something people talked about in order to scare their children straight or make those superstitious folk in the furthest reaches of the country fall in line with the beliefs of the church. Though he still needed to actually meet someone who had bound their life to the church, he always considered people who did so were dealing with the kind of issues that they could not actually deal with, which was why they turned to exterior forces for forgiveness and guidance they could then fill in as they pleased. Safe to say, it wasn’t his path to wander.
“It is basically the same lesson my Vice-Captain taught me a month or so ago when she took out a psychopathic murderer that wished to kill me, and had already claimed another life before trying to do the same to me. At the time, I fought not to kill but to contain, which was not a sentiment my attacker shared, so it was a rather hard situation altogether. So when the Vice-Cap stepped in and murdered her, she more or less told me the same thing I’m telling you now… though I imagine my explanation is a lot more wordy and filled with examples. Hmm… well I at least hope half of it registered before it turned into a ramble.”
He realized quite well how long he had been talking far, and how doing such things might result in people not listening anymore after a certain point. Still, he hoped that the things he had said had at least reached her for the most part, as he considered such things to be quite important. As someone far wiser than himself had once said, the best teachings were passed on by the survivors, and if he was anything, it was a survivor. What with having to fight Goblins, Wargs, Banshees, Wraiths, Bandits, Psychopathic murderers running around in crowded streets or quiet towns, Trolls, Mandrakes, Hags and a whole castle filled with cursed foot soldiers and their king, he had managed to survive enough threats to the point where he could almost go about writing a book about his experiences. That said, he really did not think such a thing would be turning into a best-seller any time soon, and he already knew that he would never have enough free time to go about sitting down and actually writing for extended periods of time. So a book was likely not going to happen any time soon, if ever.
“Now, it’s time to head on home, I imagine the people of Hapshass would like to know what happened here, as I imagine the wizard king’s office might also like an update. Given the speech thing, it might be helpful having me around for the former… as well as the latter as they might consider it odd for a civilian to come in for a debriefing.”
With that said, he would begin leading the way back to Hapshass so the two of them could inform the civilians of what had happened, and that a raiding party had been taken care of permanently. Believing it to be best if he was to go with her personally as she seemed to be rather challenged when it came to speaking, he could imagine that the people of the town wanted to hear things straight up rather than having to play charades for it or wait until the girl could write her answers down with pen and paper. Besides, it would allow her to really reflect on what had happened here today and whether she would still maybe want to become a magic knight or not after all of it had come and went.
Post by Persephone on Apr 26, 2021 22:41:49 GMT -5
Listening to Gris explain the deaths of the goblins so casually made Persephone truly wonder if this was exactly the job magic knights were made for. Causing pain or death upon creatures that didn't know any better, didn't seem right. After all, it was only the goblin's way of being raised. None of them would ever get the chance to be better, because each and every one of them were burnt to a crisp. She'd feel sorrow for them in a way that wasn't visible to Gris. She made sure that it wouldn't be. He was brash for a magic knight. His beliefs were stubborn and firm, and no amount of reasoning would ever be able to change that. Her mother was different. Before, she believed that there weren't any differences between the two. Both were equally strong, and both fought for their beliefs, but that's where their similarities ended. Now, she realized that her mother knew of many ways to diffuse situations, while Gris seemingly only knew one. Her mother was adaptive, and sympathetic to whoever stood before. Gris's first decision, however, was to give them a "merciful death." The way the both of them used their elements showed this.
Her mother's element was water. She would heal anyone that needed it, especially those that she wanted to give a lesson to. She always told Persephone that people were like water. Their phases waxed and waned, with every experience of life affecting their physicality and mentality, just like heat turning water to steam. Everyone deserved a chance to go back to their purest form, and the only way to do that was through counteracting the impurities that made them who they were. Those filled with anger and hatred needed a calm mind to direct them, while those who were desperate for attention needed a bit more sternness. Her mother was able to take on any form she needed to help people heal their souls as well as their wounds.
For Persephone, she needed to learn control in order to be truly pure. She remembered how her mother had dealt with her as a child. She knew what Persephone had done to the crops by running through them. She did her best to cleanse the plants of Persephone's magic, but its power couldn't be controlled. It spread too quick for her to cleanse each plant. So, all she could do was weed out the plants that showed signs of clear poison. Yet, it wasn't enough. The unhappy ending would always remain true. However, to stop Persephone from messing with the fields, she had to redirect her attention. She needed to be able to cage Persephone's need for adrenaline.
Her mother had started a garden. A place where delicate care was needed. If Persephone's magic became uncontrolled, then it would spread through the garden like a wild fire. If she was able to control it, then the flowers would be able to live on. What her mother hadn't expected was that Persephone would learn to use the powerful toxins as a way to develop plant growth. The colors of her poison varied in the ways of the flowers that grew around her house. Each one had a different affect, and she made sure that her mother understood their capabilities, because she didn't want anyone to be hurt
That was her first memory of control, and it's what allowed her to understand that control is everything to her. It's why she reacted so harshly to her mother's accident. She didn't have control of the situation, and nothing she could've done would've helped. All she could do was watch. She wasn't strong enough to take on the mercenary, and her mother had made it clear. She didn't want Persephone to get hurt. So, she caged Persephone with her water magic. Her mother's magic was strong. The constant flow of it stopped her magic in its tracks. The poison she created would meld with the water, sinking down to the ground beneath her. After trying again and again to help her mother, she in turn poisoned the ground beneath her, moving its way to the garden.
After that day, the garden was never able to become as full as it was. Looking back at it, it helped Persephone to realize that trying to hurt someone wasn't always the option. Yet, she also learned that patience itself wasn't either. If her mother had only been able to use attack magic, and if only Persephone was strong enough to bypass her mother's strength, then everything would have been okay. There were certain people who couldn't be saved through mental habilitation. Seeing Persephone's mother go through the pain she did, didn't stop the mercenary from attacking. He was raised on the principles of money, and without it, he wouldn't stop till his employer was fulfilled.
Persephone has the opportunity to do what her mother couldn't. She can use her magic to hurt and to heal. She didn't need to be confined to one way of living as a magic knight. She had the oppurtunity to do both, and she wasn't going to let her mother, or Gris influence her decisions. She was still learning the best things to do at certain times, and although she could agree that this was an appropriate time for harm, she couldn't possibly believe that this was the only option. Not even after Gris had revealed his past history with the goblins. History wasn't important to her. She took on her mother's principles on being able to redeem yourself to heart, because that was what she was trying to experience herself. If these goblins aren't able to change their ways, how would she be able to change her weakness?
These things swirled through her mind as Gris was talking. She understood him clearly, but she was going to stand out from him in due time. She would do things her way, and it was likely that she would take on the principles that combined his own with Persephone's mother's own principles to form something that her mother had once called beautiful. Something that stood on the edge of volatile and restorative, just like her magic. It was something that she understood more clearly now, and she believed that that was the first step in becoming an outstanding mage, being able to form a bond with your magic. After all, the spells and element chosen for each person were an extension of that person themselves. Without that knowledge, Persephone probably would've been stuck after this job. Yet, she still had more fight left in her. Knowing this, she would look back up at Gris and nod at him, showing that she was ready to get back to her little village
