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.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
The howling just got louder and louder as Saki traveled down the path, a horrible sound that rattled all the bones in her body; even making it difficult to think as she got close and approached a small rock outcropping that allowed a bit of vision into the next area without blindly stumbling into it. At first she tried to warn Seren to get off of her broom for a moment vocally, but the maddening howling made it so that no sound was able to be carried. She instead decided to try and wave her down as a warning, hoping the noise of whatever was on the other side of this area would be enough to prove her intention. With that done, she crouched down and took a look at what was going on on the other side.
Monsters, pretty gruesome ones at that. Hulking things that hunched down low, with this bulbous sack of flesh hanging from their throats that she could bet all of her Yul was where the sound was emanating from. What's more, was how many of them there were. Saki counted at least fourteen alone on the ground, with six above, crawling into what looked like a bloodstained cave entrance. She grimaced at the sight. She was all for a fight, but she knew when not to engage in an obviously hopeless endeavor. If nothing else, it provided her a new revelation on what laid within the desert. Madness, was what. A little bit of a wake up call if there ever was one.
Perhaps she was dumb for going down this path? Saki cursed, hating what would almost certainly be the smugness of her new guide, having been interested in a fight but then suddenly changing her mind, but she could swallow her pride and kill her desire for a fight for a little while. She could take the L. He'd be correct in feeling that way, anyway- if somebody had done the same thing she'd be smug as shit. That temple would probably have more than enough fighting inside of it, anyway. Less chance of a fight to the death. To that end, she sucked in a breath and motioned back to Seren, nudging her if the girl was unable to hear her. "No. Back." Saki would mouth, sticking to single words as she began to stalk backwards out of the danger zone.
She'd do the same for the other three when she got to them, stalking back their way in an unconscious effort to stay as hidden and as out of the way as possible. In the meantime, she look at her surroundings, just in case they all had a stroke of bad luck and needed to fight- Saki would immediately begin looking for a closed off area where she could lock down, filter in the monsters a few at a time and make the fight more manageable. Getting into a grand melee was suicide. If she found one, she'd motion for the others, doing what she could to gain their attention and maneuver them in.
She could try and save face for this mistake later, but right now she needed to survive.
Post by Pángǔ Shēngxiào | 生肖盤古 on May 25, 2020 13:05:32 GMT -5
[nospaces] It seems that Seren wasn't the only one that was interested in the Green Mantis. Pangu was surprised when Hinota joined in on the conversation. She didn't seem the type that would be interested in reformed criminals or their Squad, but she proved him wrong. “You'd be right in saying it's a Squad of second chances, Hinota. You wanna know the ironic thing though? My mother ended up marrying one of the Purple Orca that used to arrest her constantly.” He chuckled to himself at the thought. [break][break] Pangu frowned when Hinota mentioned that the temple was lost to time. He was getting tired of people leaving out information lately. He was lucky that Toby didn't say anything, but then again he had more important things to worry about. He was glaring at Saki intensely and his body language showed that he was just as frustrated as Pangu, if not more so. He mouthed a 'sorry' to Toby. Both for the inconvenient, and stupid, detour, and him not knowing the full story. Pangu didn't believe that there would be anyone to save at the end of this path, but he couldn't let the others run off to their death either. [break][break] Sometimes a howl was just a howl and soon enough Pangu was proved right. As the group flew closer to the source of the eerie sounds a shiver ran down his spine. The howls were getting louder until they drowned out everything else and rattled the bones in his body. When Saki tried to call Seren off her broom he could hear nothing, but he was able to see when she motioned for them to stop. Whether or not Seren would stop her advance Pangu popped off the broom regardless. He paid no mind to the sound he could make as it would be drowned out anyway. If anything were to happen he'd be able to defend himself much easier on the ground than on the broom. [break][break] However, he would not stand idly by while Saki, and maybe Seren as well went ahead and investigated on their own. Like Saki had just moments before Pangu crouched down and stealthily crept forward until he got to a point where he could see what she was looking at. What he saw caused his entire body to tense up. Pangu was right in assuming that these weren't coyotes or wolves. They looked like a cross between a porcupine, a wolf with mange, and a bullfrog. The mere fact these abominations existed filled him with dread. The blood dripping from what he assumed to be their home sent a clear message. 'Go back. Anything that was alive here isn't anymore.' [break][break] Once he realized what he was looking at he gave a sideways glance at the Green Mantis girl. Her lust for combat could have gotten them killed if they weren't careful. She had just become a liability to the team. She had put the team in danger just to satiate her blood lust. Pangu scowled at her as she walked back towards Hinota and Toby. He could tolerate the whimsy and silliness of Seren, but endangering the group was unacceptable. Once they got to an area where they could hear themselves think Pangu would have to give her a loud talking to. Hopefully the trip back would give him some time to cool down. [break][break] Pangu would slowly creep away from his hiding place a few feet behind Saki. He looked over at Hinota and Toby, wherever they may be at this point, before pointing at Saki and running his index finger horizontally over his throat. He didn't care much if Seren saw, but hoped that she'd be smart enough not to run her mouth just this once. Pangu hopped back onto the second broom and awaited Seren's departure. There didn't see any survivors and whatever was in that cave wasn't worth dying over. It was time to move on. [break][break] WC: 654 | TWC: 3683 [break][break]
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | N/A[break] Class & Type: Mundane Weapon[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A staff as tall as Pángǔ himself given to him by his mother on the day he gained his Grimoire. The staff is primarily red with a foot of yellow on each end. There are four bands of yellow an inch wide each.[break] Abilities: N/A
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | Ember[break] Class & Type: Magical Trinket | Enchanted[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A glass eye with the Shēngxiào family mark engraved on it in red. It was crafted by his father and given to him when he was 13 to replace one that no longer fit.[break] Abilities:[break] Fatherly Protections
Type & Uses: Enchanted | N/A[break] Rank & Specialization: Junior | N/A[break] Mana Cost: N/A[break] Range & Speed: 5 meters | N/A[break] Stats Affected: Junior Rank Endurance Buff[break] Description: Due to the Magic used to Enchant this glass eye it gives it's wielder a Junior Rank Endurance Buff.[break]
Post by Hinota Yuiee✾ on May 25, 2020 17:52:39 GMT -5
Hinota looked back at Toby for a moment a frustrated look on her face, she watched as the young man who was but a year younger than herself gripped the broom they were both on and facepalmed. She could only imagine what was going through his head when it came to the four of them. Her words remained true that if there were indeed people who required aid as magic knights they were required to try to help them, it was times like this she felt divided in her duty. She knew that she should be concentrating on the task that she had been assigned to but at the same time if she could save even one life it would be worth it, wouldn't it? It had seemed like she and Toby weren't the only ones who weren't overly amused by the situation they had found themselves in as she turned her gaze to Pangu as he spoke. The irritation was written over the male's face and she couldn't really blame him either as he not only wasn't a magic knight but he hadn't signed on to do anything but take Toby to the temple and assure his safe return. Before they entered the corridor of likely death she caught what Pangu said to her and chuckled hearing the ironic twist to his tale.
"People find love in the most strange situations, it must have been your mother's destiny to be caught at that point then." she said warmly to the other as she took a deep breath and slowly entered the canyon behind the others.
As she had Toby on her broom and wasn't able to attack or defend she remained a safe distance away from the others just in case she needed to make a quick escape. She knew between the three of them that they would be able to handle themselves until she found a safe place to put Toby before helping them with the only thing she was good at. Hearing a blood-curdling noise she stopped in her tracks she really didn't want to move forward, she was a pacifist but at that point in time, she was willing to make two exceptions in regards to Saki and Seren for putting them in this situation. She hadn't even seen what was ahead of them but seeing Saki returning she knew that it was a bad situation and knew that it would be a fool's errand to even attempt to move even a millimetre forward down death canyon.
It wasn't that long before Hinota felt a poke on her shoulder and looked back at Toby who motioned to go back the way they came and she nodded in agreement turning back to take what would be the safer path for the group. Between Saki's need for fighting, Seren's hiding information from them and her own lack of offence or defence all five of them could have ended up being food for whatever what the hell was down that path. She silently cursed herself realising that perhaps this really wasn't a good life for her but she was locked in until certain things happened, she didn't want the first and she didn't see her captain allowing the other two so she was stuck as a magic knight within her order for now. Due to her currently, be at the front with Toby as they had been at the back when going the wrong way she didn't see the motions that Pangu had done to Saki but stopped in front of the path they were meant to be going down awaiting the others so they could regroup before heading forward once more.
Name of Golem: Apropos: Broom, “Hollow Furnace” Spell Element: Ethereal (Oddity- Explosion) Spell Rank: Intermediate Mana Cost: 20, 10 (sustained) Type of Golem: Balanced Range and Speed: 40 meters, 20 m/s, 2 people 15 m/s (as transport) Health of Golem : Senior Applicable Perks: Lightfooted Golem Description:
Grimoire flashing with a mysterious glow, Seren conjures forth an odd broom-like golem composed of ethereal energy. Capable of emitting explosive thrusts to propel itself, Seren enjoys riding this broom around, zipping this way and that, while leaving trails of aurora in the sky. A mode of transport as well as a last line of defense in emergencies.
Striking or ramming with this golem will attempt a knock-back effect of 4 (+ 5 for every 10 power) meters the golem possesses.
Seren may create 1 additional golem for every 20 control she possesses. These additional golems will typically follow the original like train cars but may serve additional functions as needed
Golem Stats:
Power 20 Durability 20 (-10 +40) = 50 Sensory 20 Stat Pool 40
2)
N/A
3)
N/A
***
It didn't take much miming for Seren to hover to a stop and pull lower to ground level, down to where Saki was hiding. One glance at the fighter's back was enough to tell her something was up. Her posture had completely changed, and her mouthed words only confirmed it. Nodding, Seren peeked out the same as Saki, and what she saw made her heart sink. It wasn't so much the the sight of the beasts as it was the blood that seemed to form a veritable welcome mat to their den.
...there's nothing I can do here...
It was the first thought that entered the witch's mind. Seren bit her lip as she slipped back into cover.
...the sand swimming monsters were more than enough to explain things... but adding this on top of it... well... I think this might conclude my report... not that I'm the least bit happy about it... ...I don't think it was people, at least, this time... there's just way too much blood for that... but considering the environment----It's not anything at all like the forest back home----food here has to be way way scarce... and if it is.... then there's just way too many creatures in this colony... there's no way there should be that many... which means... they have to have been encountering some extra food somewhere...
----what was----and from where----did this extra source of food come from?
------I feel like I already know the answer.
Seren's heart only sank further into the pit of her stomach. She couldn't confirm it, but a thought nagged at the back of her mind: just how many lives had these things claimed? She hoped it was zero. If things stayed as they were, however, the number of victims would likely not remain at that hopeful zero for very long.
...culprits or not, this is an ecological nightmare, I need to make a note of it and come back with greater numbers, Niho~ or they're going to start hitting the villages in the area when their need for food exceeds their territory...
Nihaha~ what a pain~
Staying at walking level, Seren hovered on her broom sideways following the party back the way they came. She hovered sideways for two reasons, the was first to keep an eye on where she was going and avoid making any kind of noise, and for the second, Seren did not dare turn her back on the creatures in the den...
***
If they the party made it cleanly back to the fork in the road where they had come from Seren would first push her sensory to her limit to ensure the group wasn't being stalked by any icky monsters, the ones they'd spied on or otherwise. Waiting in silence, she would at last breath a sigh of relief after a couple minutes. Taking out her journal, Seren noted everything she had seen, the location, and what numbers she could count. She'd have to leave it at that for now, and so, trying to banish the gore from her mind, Seren put on a brave face and prepared to face the music.
Yeesh~ those're some grumpy faces~ I told them not to come but I bet if I say that they'll get SUPER MAD~ Niho~ it was just out of the corner of my eye but it looked like Pangu was so grouchy that his neck turned itchy~ that's kinda weird~ but all Cloverians are just a little weird to me~ Niho~ I suppose I should be happy that we're all in one piece~ Noooow~ what should I say~
Seren took a deep breath... and slowly tilting her head to the right, she raised her right hand and placed it behind her head. As she did so, the witch cocked her left arm at the elbow and gave the the party her best finger gun as...
"~Tee~hee~♪~"
...Seren stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth.
"Nihaha~ Sorry~ Sorry~ Nihaha~ I'm really really sorry kay~? ~~~uuuu~ don't look at me like that Tobyyyy~ you're already like a little brother to me and I don't even know what that is~ big sister Seren is very sorry okay~? ~I know~ want a candy~? ~You don't hate them right~?"
Elbows bowed, Seren held up both hands as if to shield herself or soothe a wild animal.
"Uuu~ I don't know if being yelled at or ignored is more painful~ Niho~ This is a very complicated feeling~~~"
When all of her collective lectures were finished, Seren figured there would be at least one, Seren considered how she might repair things with her contractor. Trust would be very important if she was going to see him through this unharmed.
Niho~ he might hate me now~ what should I do~ ahhhh~ it's the thing~ you do that thing for these kinds of people~ this is actually very important information anyway~ sage's insight~
It was a technique that she had learned to employ anytime a very studious and very serious compatriot witch of some acquaintance of hers from back home had taken to yelling at her. By asking that very proper witch to explain the point of contention it would for some reason sometimes quell her rage and make her more cooperative. Seren wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe deep down all living creatures held a need to be understood. Or maybe it was something simpler. Maybe that witch enjoyed burying Seren deeper and deeper with her logic, cornering her, as though their argument were a game of witch's chess. Truly did that witch love herself some witch's chess. It was a last resort gamble to be employed when a conversation wasn't going to get better anytime soon. Once that witch was done, Seren would just have to say sorry and try to avoid stepping on that same landmine for at least a month. In essence, the point of this aside is that Toby somewhat reminded Seren of this very particular witch. If all went well she'd receive a sigh of exasperation and the words "honestly..." for her trouble. Could it be that the satisfaction of being right could quench the flames of anger?
Seren decided to try. Dropping her playful demeanor down a notch, Seren motioned for anyone who was going to ride with her or on her spare broom golem to hop on as she directed a question at Toby.
"What were those things?"
-----This was her saving throw and something she very much needed to know regardless.
Combat Summery: Attempted super low altitude hover sneaking away with the party.
Toby rubbed his temples; he was getting a headache from the loudness of these familiar monsters. When he saw the original two idiots turning around and motioning for them to follow back to the path he TRIED to guide them through he sighed and glanced up at the sky when Hinota turned their broom around. [break][break] Once they were back from where they started, Toby’s anger had simmered down a little. He glared at Saki and Seren quietly, even as the witch apologized to him. He planning on ignoring them for the rest of their travel until the girl called him her “brother” and referred to herself as his “sister” and lost his grip on the broom for a split second, almost plummeting to the ground, before catching himself last second and turning to the Blue Rose and softy telling her to “Please never refer to herself as (his) sister.” His anger seemed to have vanished for those few seconds before Seren asked what those creatures they saw were.
[break][break] “Blood Howlers are the thing of nightmares for caravan travellers. Their howls are loud enough to inflict deafness as well as partial insanity. And you tend to move away from them as fast as possible because they travel in packs of at least 15.” Toby explained flippantly.
[break][break] As the group of Magic Knights are either walking around or riding on brooms, Hinota and Seren would notice that some of the rocks are weirdly shaped, and glisten suspiciously under the sun. As they continued down the path that Toby led them towards the rocks started looking more and more as if they were carved…as did the path they were walking on. Saki and Pangu would spot that the walls of the canyon seem to be growing closer and closer together…before long, like a mirage, a large towering structure stands before them. A temple of pure gold so large, that some would wonder how it would could have been hidden under the sand dunes in the first place. Huge metallic spikes, with intricate designs like gold Damascus steel jut out of the outer walls of this building. Are they to warn adventurers? Or to simply to display the lavish conditions behind the owner of this temple?
[break][break] There is an old misshapen staircase that leads up to a huge door carved out of obsidian which has a lit brazier from each side.
[break][break] “So this is it…” Toby would mutter, his eyes filled with determination as he dropped off of the room and approached the staircase.
[break][break]
Requirements for this part:
[break][break]
For the observant adventures, there’s an obvious contrast happening between the very bottom step of the staircase, which is extremely roughed-up, and the last, which is carved out of dark, volcanic stone. [break][break] When the party steps in front of the bottom of the staircase, large written cursive letters of pure fire will appear before them, saying “Be humbled.” [break][break] Feel free to write out your characters reactions to this whole...well everything. I'm not gonna put a word count minimum or maximum. If you are noble, however, and Hinota and Pangu are, you will have to roll a d20 in dice rolling channel and tag me to your results. Saki and Seren will also have to roll, but they only have to roll a 1d4, as they are commoners (And still tag me their result). Whoever rolls has to post first and can’t post again until the other members of the party have posted. [break][break] You will keep rolling until you get the number required, but each roll you make has to take place in the post as you guys trying to figure out the challenge behind the words. (This is why there's no word count max or min.) This section may take longer than 48 hours depending on how quick you guys get the answer, so I'll be a bit looser with time this once. [break][break] [break]Think of it as a game of quick fire. Who knows, maybe one of you will get it instantly.[break][break]
You're only allowed to roll again once the other members of your party have rolled.
Post by Pángǔ Shēngxiào | 生肖盤古 on May 26, 2020 21:48:30 GMT -5
[nospaces] When Hinota commented on fate he'd smiled back at her and say “Sounds like something my mother would say.” [break][break] Seren's idea to hover sideways while backing away was smart. If she could hear him he would have commended her, but his annoyance was quelled for only a short time before Seren began to speak. When she did her little head tilt Pangu just glowered at her until he was momentarily distracted by Toby's reaction. He seemed to be fine though so he returned his attention to Seren but this time with a neutral face. [break][break] “Seren I understand why you did what you did. If I had the chance to make more money off this gig I would have. However, steering us towards eerie sounds without evidence that anyone had even gone in that direction was careless. Anyone coming in here would either have to be comfortable enough with the desert to know to avoid that area and the sounds or have a guide who would ward them away. Both you and Saki ran in without thinking either out of fear or bloodlust. Don't let it happen again.” [break][break] Pangu listened intently when Toby instructed Seren on the nature of the creatures. Soon after he'd begin to realize that the canyon walls were getting closer. Toby was leading them down a narrow path. Not long after he'd get a glimpse of the temple they were meant to find. He was awestruck. It outclassed everything he'd seen up until this point. [break][break] As they got closer Pangu noticed the odd staircase. Many people have tried to enter the temple, but very few made it to the top if any. He approached the stairs with the group and saw the letters appear before him. 'Be humbled.' A trick? A puzzle? The bottom step was weathered away so it was safe to assume whatever punishment would ensue wouldn't kill him. The only way to know for sure was to try. [break][break] He bowed his head and gave a quick prayer in Wuxian before quickly jumping onto the bottom stair. [break][break] WC: 343 | TWC: 4026 [break][break]
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | N/A[break] Class & Type: Mundane Weapon[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A staff as tall as Pángǔ himself given to him by his mother on the day he gained his Grimoire. The staff is primarily red with a foot of yellow on each end. There are four bands of yellow an inch wide each.[break] Abilities: N/A
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | Ember[break] Class & Type: Magical Trinket | Enchanted[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A glass eye with the Shēngxiào family mark engraved on it in red. It was crafted by his father and given to him when he was 13 to replace one that no longer fit.[break] Abilities:[break] Fatherly Protections
Type & Uses: Enchanted | N/A[break] Rank & Specialization: Junior | N/A[break] Mana Cost: N/A[break] Range & Speed: 5 meters | N/A[break] Stats Affected: Junior Rank Endurance Buff[break] Description: Due to the Magic used to Enchant this glass eye it gives it's wielder a Junior Rank Endurance Buff.[break]
The hell was that supposed to mean? Be Humbled? Saki inwardly groaned, realizing that whatever bastard built this damn thing either had the ego the size of the country she lived in and was an arrogant fuck to boot, or was a noble with an inflated sense of importance. Oh wait, that was the same thing. Saki growled under her breath, staring down the gaudy monument. It even looked like something a noble with an overblown ego would build. It was made out of pure gold, with golden spikes made out of some kind of wickedly sharp looking steel. He was either some kind of evil overlord or a noble with an ego.
Oh, who was she kidding. Those two were one and the same.
She approached, or rather, stalked towards the stairs, eying it with a scowl. It didn't look very good, roughed up and cracked in several places that eventually turned to volcanic rock- wait, it looked like all of the stairs were like that and the lower set of stairs had been exposed to foot traffic. Or whoever fucked up this lame ass secret test of character got a lightning bolt from the heavens for their troubles. That seemed like something that a egomaniac would do. "Judgement from the Heavens" and all that. She stared down the stairs, as if daring it to do something. Be Humbled. Fuck, this thing wanted her to kneel or some shit, didn't it. 'Rightful place of the peasantry.' Wait, that wasn't what a mage with a god complex would think.
'Proper place of the lower lifeforms', more like. Well this thing could kiss her ass, Saki wasn't kneeling for nobody. Not even for pleasure's sake. Oh, she'd mock kneel if she felt it would irritate somebody she disliked, but actual, genuine humility? Never heard of it.
Damn it. She was really going to have to do some stupid shit like that, wasn't she? God damned arrogant self-fellating piece of shit bastard. She hoped his fucking corpse was in this place so she could do horrible things to it once she found it.
Fuck.
It was like pulling teeth, forcing herself to the ground to kneel. God help whoever was dumb enough to open their stupid mouths after this, Saki swore. Head low and crackling with electricity like some pissed off lightning bolt, hissing like a broken steam vent, she knelt.
"Damn it. Let's just get this fucking shit over with already."
As Pangu jumps on the staircase’s lowest step, ignoring the glowing firey words, he feels himself enter some sort of barrier of magical aura that immediately goes off like a trap. His his body bursts with Intermediate fire damage, chucking him back 10 meters in the process. [break][break] Saki, you feel Toby pause as you kneel, lowering your head low. “Well shit. Of course…” You hear the blond boy mutter from behind you as you look up. The black obsidian doors seem to have started pulling open for you and the word are no longer visible...for you. [break][break] The others still have the words glowing in front of them, but the doors are visibly pulling apart for everyone. [break][break]
Requirements for this part:
[break][break]
This is and RP section to what just happened. Those two (Seren and Hinota) who didn't get to roll get to do their own reactions once seeing what Pangu and Saki did. Your post has to be 500 words minimum. Pangu and Saki can post after Seren and Hinota, and once you all post, I'll reveal the next section. [break][break]
Hint: Don't forget to kneel before you start climbing the staircase. If you do, you take intermediate fire damage as you're blasted with a fireball.
Name of Golem: Apropos: Broom, “Hollow Furnace” Spell Element: Ethereal (Oddity- Explosion) Spell Rank: Intermediate Mana Cost: 20, 10 (sustained) Type of Golem: Balanced Range and Speed: 40 meters, 20 m/s, 2 people 15 m/s (as transport) Health of Golem : Senior Applicable Perks: Lightfooted Golem Description:
Grimoire flashing with a mysterious glow, Seren conjures forth an odd broom-like golem composed of ethereal energy. Capable of emitting explosive thrusts to propel itself, Seren enjoys riding this broom around, zipping this way and that, while leaving trails of aurora in the sky. A mode of transport as well as a last line of defense in emergencies.
Striking or ramming with this golem will attempt a knock-back effect of 4 (+ 5 for every 10 power) meters the golem possesses.
Seren may create 1 additional golem for every 20 control she possesses. These additional golems will typically follow the original like train cars but may serve additional functions as needed
Golem Stats:
Power 20 Durability 20 (-10 +40) = 50 Sensory 20 Stat Pool 40
2)
N/A
3)
N/A
***
Seren was a little sad at Toby's gentle rejection which left her heaving a tiny little sigh of whimsy. The aw shucks kind.
"Awww~ i was rejected ~Niho~ oh well~ Mr. Toby it is~"
Seren grinned a thousand watt smile as the party continued and came upon a great and grand and golden spikey spire. Seren's neck craned as she looked upward to take it all in.
"Nihaha~ well the good news is that our destination seems to exist~! And the bad news is~~~ that our destination seems to exist~! ~Whatever's in this picky picky goldey dungeon is probably going to be a major major pain~ Niho~"
Following along while using her sensory to try and find anything that might leap or fly at them from the great spire, Seren spared a moment to glance at the stairs as the others puzzled over them.
Be humbled~? I wonder what it means by that~ Niho~ I am probably very humble~ or at least I think I am~ but because I am wise I know that one should always confirm the meaning of the important words between two parties before acting on them~ Measure twice cut once~ Niho~
Seren's eyes returned to their surroundings as another thought ran through her mind: If the blood howlers are out there... is it because there was something worse in here...?
Whatever happened first with this dungeon, Seren was certain that she wanted to be the one to take the first shot. She didn't want to take any chances with any nasty ambushes from who or what knows what.
"!"
And open fire she almost did as she saw Pangu get blasted back by a trap.
"-----Ether Cannon Magic~~ Or not~!"
Eyes opening wide, Seren at first thought the party was under attack as numerous green shards formed around her and fizzled just as quickly. Seeing Pangu fly, however, Seren readjusted her reaction as she took off on her broom to intercept the young man’s trajectory. Skidding, she hopped off her broom and used it as a brace against her back as she slid off her Blue Rose mantle and spread it in an attempt to catch the young man and pat out any smoke she saw. Whether her aim was any good however, was itself another great riddle. Regardless of outcome,
"----Hinny~!"
Seren called out requesting Hinota to come and appraise the damage.
"Nihaha...~ I guess everybody gets one~? Um~~~~~~~~you're not dead...right~? ...~Niha...~? ~... please don't be dead...~? ...~Captain Lazuli is already going to kill me for getting my mantle all smokey~ Niho~ but if you're dead my sacrifice will be for nothing...~"
Seren cringed at the smokey youth. It looked very ouchy. If Hinota did not heal Pangu, then Seren would go ahead and give her best shot at it.
***
Once that was all settled and dealt with, Seren would see Saki kneel. A light bulb went off in Seren’s mind as she confirmed that the meaning behind the words ‘be humble’ was probably the more straightforward and obvious one. ...But what if it wasn’t?
~~~hmmmm~~~ like I said to myself before~ I think I am very humble and I do not mind very much kneeling at all~ but doesn’t that make it too easy~? One can be arrogant in their humility yes~ the almighty humble brag~ and that could be very dangerous and not humbly at all ~~~Humu~ maybe that is the secret~ to be humble is to show respect while doing something you very much do not want to do~ Because I am wise I can tell Saki did not want to kneel~ her humility was shown in how she was willing to kneel anyway~! That’s right~! ~Saki kneeled in spite of the fact that she has very achy joints and did not want to do it~ she gritted her teeth through the pain and did it anyway~ yes~ which is why she made that face~and why it was so very respectful~! ~Because she cannot hold the position for long it shows her commitment to the maximum level of respecting~! Niho~! This I have seen for I am wise~!
“Niheh~hehn~ It all makes perfect sense in a way that makes me perfectly sad…~ Niho~...”
Approaching the steps, Seren dismounted her broom and tossed it into the air behind her where she had it hover until she needed it again. Then, Seren knelt at the bottom/ first step. Sitting on both her knees, Seren reached behind her and into her pack and produced a fresh bag of lemon rock candies. Staring at them with pursed lips that quickly revealed a forlorn sigh, Seren poured them upon the step where her fingers began their regretful work. Slowly, shakily, she stacked them until they formed a little pyramid. Completing her task, her head only sank further until it almost seemed to disappear into her chest. Another sigh.
“Niho…~ if you guys are going to be humble you better mean it~ this was my second bag of rock candies~ the one for the trip back home~~~ when nothing is quite as exciting and the heart gets sad because it is almost time to say goodbye and become fond memories…~~~ but with only the pickle juice it will only be bitter and not at all sweet~~~ I will have to ration my precious candy from here~ this is a grievous blow~ and my show of respect and humility~”
Rising, Seren stepped to the side of the rock candy pyramid with a few small shaky steps as if she were somehow taking her last contemplative steps from some mortal wound, and from there, the 'wise' witch proceeded in her attempt to pass the trial of the stairs.
Post by Hinota Yuiee✾ on May 30, 2020 13:51:53 GMT -5
Hino had carefully and quietly went back to the fork in the road awaiting the others to meet up with herself and Toby, she honestly didn't want to go down the other route but she was aware enough in herself to know she had absolutely no way to defend or attack had trouble arisen and she hadn't seen any of the others use healing magic so she was unsure they would be able to tend to injuries if she wasn't there. In her mind, Toby had, had every right to be upset at the group as it seemed like he was paying them to do a job he never asked them to do while also putting his life in danger. It was true that magic knights had a responsibility to give aid to those in need but whatever had caused those blood-curdling howls down the other path obviously wouldn't have left any survivors, they would have been risking their lives for corpses. This journey was dangerous enough without having to go down the path of death when their patron and tour guide had pointed them down the safe road.
She cleared her mind and thought about it logically, only three of the five were magic knights so it was instantly endangering two civilians. Boy, that was going to get them in trouble when their captains found out, but she continued thinking it out. Even if they had left Toby and Pangu while they went to check it, it again would have been endangering them which would have gotten them in just as much trouble as taking them with them. Even if there had been survivors it was clear they wouldn't have been strong enough to save them just by the noises those nightmarish things made and by the time they got in contact with any others any survivors would have been dead. She gripped the broom tightly as she felt something bubble, she remembered this feeling when she had went to train with her captain and didn't want to feel it again and so closed her eyes humming quietly in the hopes to settle herself; if what he said was true then she really couldn't afford to let that become her normal.
Hino looked to Pangu as he spoke to her, she smiled bowing her head a little to his words "I will take that as a compliment Pangu, your mother sounds like a wise woman who raised a brave and intelligent son." she said warmly to him, it was clear her intentions were not to insult him or his mother with her words.
She was about to open her mouth and chew both Saki and Seren for what they had done but Pangu had beat her to the punch and pretty much covered everything that she would have said to them bar the fact they'd all be in trouble if their captains found out they had attempted something so stupid. Well, she knew her captain likely would have, she wasn't too sure about how Seren and Saki's captains would have acted but she guessed around the same type of way Zaven would have. She wanted to facepalm as Seren knocked her head like she had made a small goofball mistake, it wasn't a small mistake and she hoped that due to Pangu's words she would realise it before she ended up putting them or other people in the future in the same predicament. All in all, she couldn't chastise her as she was just doing what she believed right but Hinota honestly didn't want to be some monsters lunch if she could help it.
It was then she heard the next words out of Seren's mouth that really caught her off-guard, it seemingly had the same effect with Toby and so had stopped the broom as he almost fell off. They knew nothing about their patron other than what they had been told by their captains and by Toby himself, for all any of them knew he could have had a sister and she might have passed away. To the doll-like mage, it was insensitive, unwarranted and unprofessional but held off her words as she didn't want to cause any more friction than there already was currently. It also seemed as if Toby had that situation fully in hand anyway so just remained quiet as she began to move forward. She understood that Seren was a good person and just wanted to make things right but sometimes that was just saying sorry and moving on, she was starting to question what her age was as she seemed to be like a hyper child hyped up on caffeine and sugar constantly; it honestly made her wonder if she'd eventually have a sugar crash, that was a frightening thought that could end really, really badly out here if they didn't all keep their wits about them she was sure.
As they began to move down the quiet path she listened to Toby explain what the things were down the road of doom, although she personally had started moving back before she had seen them as by how he was describing them she could live without that nightmare fuel lodged in her head at night. Her eyes started to look around the canyon taking in the odd shapes of the stones and how they glistened under the blazing sun, carefully but remaining within range of the others she moved to get a closer look and tilted her head, it reminded her almost of obsidian she took a mental note to inform her captain or perhaps the captain of the Azure Deer before rejoining the others at the bottom of what seemed to be the reason for this journey. Hinota didn't stop Toby from getting off if he wanted although did observe everything about the place trying to put as much detail into memory as possible. While she had however it seemed as if Pangu had decided to not heed the warning on the bottom step and get thrown back like a ragdoll, at this point she would warmly ask Toby to get off the broom if he was still on it before getting off herself and heading quickly to Pangu's side to check over his wounds and winced a little, watching the others out of the corner of her eyes just in case something ended up happening.
Kneeling down she checked him over fully before biting her bottom lip as she raised her hand in front of her but aimed it down towards Pangu, soon after a magic circle appeared starting out as red but changed to be a baby blue, from the circle red and pink rose petals would start to flow forth and dance around Pangu as if trapped in an invisible or nonexistent air current, the strange thing was these petals didn't smell like roses but strawberries, soon they had split off to dance around others. She, however, kept her focus on Pangu knowing not only would it heal over time but if there was any adverse poisons, venoms, hexes or curses that might have been in the fire that she might have been able to cleanse them too. With the damage that had been done, she knew it would be a few minutes before she could stop the spell as she wanted to be sure that he was fully healed. For now, she couldn't attempt the first trial of the temple.
Name of Spell: Petal Dance Elemental Type: Flower Rank & Spell Type: Junior ¦ Healing Range & Speed: 25 meters ¦ 10 m/s Mana Cost: 10 ¦ 5 Stats Effected: N/A Applicable Perks: Elemental Oddity ¦ Archangel's Blessing Description: Hinota is naturally skilled with healing magic and she uses this to her benefit. By merely raising her hand in front of her gracefully she holds her hand out creating a magic circle that starts out red and changes to a baby pink, the aroma of strawberries seem to come from the circle as deep red and baby pink rose petals come forth towards the person she has aimed at. The rose petals start seemingly dancing around the target as if trapped in an air current. By using the ammo rules this allows they petals to split off from the original target to heal additional allies, while these petals are dancing around her allies it will continue to heal them over time while attempting to remove any hexes, curses, poisons, venoms until fully healed or she ends the spell.
Last Edit: Jun 1, 2020 5:22:05 GMT -5 by Hinota Yuiee✾
Post by Pángǔ Shēngxiào | 生肖盤古 on May 30, 2020 15:17:28 GMT -5
[nospaces] Pangu smiled at Hinota's comment. In a roundabout away she had just complimented both him and his mother. She seemed to be a decently nice person and was reasonably attractive, but he was sure that she wasn't trying to flirt. Even if he thought that she was his answer would still stay the same. He placed a hand over the center of his chest and faked a small gasp. “Why thank you, Miss Hinota.” He'd say in a soft effeminate voice while batting his eyelashes. [break][break] Pangu had expected some form of violently hostile reaction in response to his actions, but being blasted back wasn't part of his plan. He'd assumed that he'd just be able to hop onto the staircase and THEN he'd get assaulted. Instead, now he was flying back through the air without a way to stop himself. Luckily for him, Seren was paying attention and moved to intercept his flight path. [break][break] Shortly after Seren caught him she began to panic and call for Hinota. He was glad that the big sister of the group was patting out the flames and checking on him, but it was starting to get annoying. Pangu groaned in frustration as both Seren and Hinota attempted to inspect. Once he got his bearings he began lightly swatting at them in an attempt to cause them to back off. [break][break] He growled before he stood up. “Enough already! I'm not dead and I'm perfectly fine!” Pangu then looked down to take note of the injuries. He already knew the extent of the damage done wouldn't be enough to phase him. His Eye would reduce the damage and his natural healing capabilities would restore him to perfect health in a few moments. Still, the girls tried to help him. [break][break] Pangu looked back over at the staircase and remembered the message. Humble was not a feeling that came to him easily. He frowned and brushed himself off while Hinota surrounded him with a sweet-smelling Spell. The scent of strawberries was familiar to him although he rarely ate them. Pangu enjoyed strawberry flavors but didn't enjoy eating actual strawberries. The seeds got stuck in his teeth and he would spend hours picking them out. Somehow the same couldn't be said of sesame seeds, however. [break][break] He mumbled a growly “Thank you” through gritted teeth before making his way back over to the staircase. With Saki and Seren's guidance, he was able to get the answer. He knelt before the staircase and said a silent prayer. The prayer was a meditation technique he used to clear his mind. If all went well and Pangu no longer saw the warning message before him he'd begin to climb the staircase. [break][break] WC: 448 | TWC: 4474 [break][break]
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | N/A[break] Class & Type: Mundane Weapon[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A staff as tall as Pángǔ himself given to him by his mother on the day he gained his Grimoire. The staff is primarily red with a foot of yellow on each end. There are four bands of yellow an inch wide each.[break] Abilities: N/A
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | Ember[break] Class & Type: Magical Trinket | Enchanted[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A glass eye with the Shēngxiào family mark engraved on it in red. It was crafted by his father and given to him when he was 13 to replace one that no longer fit.[break] Abilities:[break] Fatherly Protections
Type & Uses: Enchanted | N/A[break] Rank & Specialization: Junior | N/A[break] Mana Cost: N/A[break] Range & Speed: 5 meters | N/A[break] Stats Affected: Junior Rank Endurance Buff[break] Description: Due to the Magic used to Enchant this glass eye it gives it's wielder a Junior Rank Endurance Buff.[break]
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NOTES: Pangu would have just healed with his Regenerating Skin Perk. Darn girls too overprotective.
It wasn't too long after Saki had...knelt...that the doors began to slowly open outwards for the group, the flaming letters in front of her fading away. Almost immediately, she shot up, trudging up the stairs with a growl until she got to the final and top floor, at least until some other effect popped into her vision, in which case she'd stop. "Alright, that's fuckin' over with. Let's get into the dungeon proper, right?" She muttered to nobody in particular, "Hopefully no more of this 'humility test' bullshit happens again. If it does I'm gonna get violent."
With that said, and with no more bullshit tests hopefully popping up in front of her as she climbed halfway up, she would stop at the top and wait for the others to climb up. She'd huff, leaning along the wall of the doors as she waited, content to rant inside her mind of the stupid test that occurred and the knowledge that even more kinds of this bullshit awaited inside, because why would you have just one of these damn tests? It was probably a whole character test nonsense going on about the building, since it was clearly made by some egotistical, moralizing asshole.
'There'd better be a reward for all this', Saki thought. If it was just some character testing and nothing else, with the reward being something dumb like 'friendship', she was gonna be pissed. She didn't need a dead guy and a giant, overgrown tomb telling her how to make friends. She did that all the time. She'd seriously think about just sending this entire damned temple sinking into the sand if it turned out that would be the reward. Didn't matter that she didn't have quite enough punch to her magic yet. She'd figure out something. There'd better be something to swing at, too, now that she was thinking about it. She didn't attack those scary looking fuckers because there was like, a bazillion of them, but she needed something to swing at now that she was pissed off.
The thought of this temple just being filled with empty nonsense and puzzles almost depressed Saki. This would be the kind of place to pull that crap, wouldn't it? Some kind of egotistical mage, with some kind of hard on for people who know their place; wouldn't be too far from the mark for these kinds of people to believe violence was below them, or some shit. Sounded right up their alley.
Saki sighed, before leaning back off of the pillar. By this point the other three would have caught up, or may have even done so while she was too busy getting depressed by what was almost certainly the 'main event' of the dungeon.
Post by Hinota Yuiee✾ on May 31, 2020 14:23:44 GMT -5
Hinota looked to Pangu as he placed his hand to his heart and batted his eyes at her while replying in a feminine like voice, she brought up her left hand and giggled lightly "You are welcome Mister Pangu." she replied to the other, she had to admit he was quite attractive in her opinion but this wasn't the time or place to think on such things and she knew it.
It wasn't that long before Pangu hadn't taken heed of the warning on the bottom step of the temple and was shot back that the doll-like mage had used her petal dance spell to help in the recovery process of her fellow noble, only to be swatted at alongside Seren for their current actions. She pulled back and dropped the spell hitting her bottom lip lightly, she could only really help in one avenue unlike the others and when she got a chance to put her talents to use she was told to stop. She couldn't help but feel as if perhaps she had been overbearing to the other and so stood up before dusting herself off.
"I'm sorry Pangu, but you were injured. I wanted to help you heal." she said her voice gentle but quiet as he walked off to the step for a second attempt of getting up the steps.
Hinota followed both Seren and Pangu to the steps. When she reached the bottom she moved to her knees once more, placed her hands in front of her and placed her forehead to the back of her hands whispering something gently under her breath with her eyes closed. She remained like this for a long moment before once again standing and dusting herself off before attempting to make her own way up the steps without receiving the same fate that Pangu had only a few moments beforehand.
The adventurers step into a dark room, which lights up the moment the obsidian doors behind them close. Braziers, like the two outside pop and light up with wild hot red fire revealing that they are on an elevated bridge that leads to a circular platform in the center of the room. On the other side there are another pair of shut obsidian doors.
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The platform is littered with small piles of stuff. There are gold pieces, large jewels, daggers, statues, paintings, bones, weapons that seem to glitter with powerful mana…
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Requirements for this part:
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When the party steps on the central platform, another set of words would be written in the air in front of them, stating “Present your offering.”
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How the adventurers handle this can vary significantly and it is up to the DM’s discretion to decide whether the offering is worth it. The offering can be placed anywhere on the circular platform.
It is open-ended.[break][break]
Each adventurer must present something by placing it on the circular platform... [Minimum 500 word count]
Post by Pángǔ Shēngxiào | 生肖盤古 on Jun 1, 2020 7:34:41 GMT -5
[nospaces] Pangu hadn't expected the picture-perfect mage to mirror his actions. Perhaps she wasn't as uptight as she seemed to be. Just like Saki may not have been the brainless oaf that he initially thought she was. Despite her recklessness, she found the correct answer to let the group pass by the trap. [break][break] When the burning letters disappeared from the bottom of the staircase Pangu began to climb his way forward. He felt bad about earlier when he got frustrated and snapped at the two girls that were trying to help him. What better time to apologize than when they've got nothing else to do? He'd look around to make sure Hinota and Seren were within earshot before he began speaking. [break][break] “I'd like to apologize to you both, Hinota and Seren. I was much harsher than I needed to be earlier. I understand your concern for my well being, but it was unnecessary. The conversation about our abilities was cut short earlier so I never got the chance to tell you what I can do.” [break][break] After he said that a breeze came through that lifted his baggy shirt. This caused it to flutter around him before he used his staff to keep it in place by pinning it to his body. Pangu cursed the annoyance slightly as he trudged up the stairs. Anyone behind him would likely be able to see twelve black marks in a shape almost like a clock face on his lower back. Where the 1 would be on the clock is a clear black monkey, but the others were faded into obscurity. [break][break] Pangu let out a huff before he continued speaking. “I have an item I carry with me that provides me a certain amount of defense against attacks. When I was attacked by that Land Shark before I didn't take any damage. The blast from the staircase took a small chunk out of my Mana Skin, but nothing more.” [break][break] “Not only that but also over time I've conditioned my Mana Skin to regenerate over time. If you hadn't healed me my shields would have fully recovered by now. While I appreciate the effort made to protect me, as I said before, it was unnecessary. Unless I get swarmed by multiple foes it'll be hard to finish me off. So looks like you're stuck with me for a while.” [break][break] By the time Pangu was done with his spiel, they were at the top of the staircase. Once they entered the palace he took some time to examine his surroundings. More fire. More obsidian. However, the room they found themselves in was quite unusual. A bridge inside of a palace with a large central platform. [break][break] As Pangu moved forward over the bridge he'd poke at it with his staff to make sure none of the boards were loose. Somehow the group managed to make it to the center of the room without the bridge breaking. When the words appeared before them Pangu growled again. More tricks and riddles. [break][break] The only items he had on him had great value to him. If possible he would like to keep them. Pangu sighed and scratched at the back of his head. “Does anyone have anything they'd be willing to give up?” [break][break] WC: 542 | TWC: 5016 [break][break]
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | N/A[break] Class & Type: Mundane Weapon[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A staff as tall as Pángǔ himself given to him by his mother on the day he gained his Grimoire. The staff is primarily red with a foot of yellow on each end. There are four bands of yellow an inch wide each.[break] Abilities: N/A
[break] Rank & Element: Junior | Ember[break] Class & Type: Magical Trinket | Enchanted[break] Magic Specializations: N/A[break] Appearance & Lore: A glass eye with the Shēngxiào family mark engraved on it in red. It was crafted by his father and given to him when he was 13 to replace one that no longer fit.[break] Abilities:[break] Fatherly Protections
Type & Uses: Enchanted | N/A[break] Rank & Specialization: Junior | N/A[break] Mana Cost: N/A[break] Range & Speed: 5 meters | N/A[break] Stats Affected: Junior Rank Endurance Buff[break] Description: Due to the Magic used to Enchant this glass eye it gives it's wielder a Junior Rank Endurance Buff.[break]
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