Raiding the Castle

[Sark]

Dungeon Thread arranged here: here
Dungeon approved by Moderator @sugar
Players involved: Bailin, Fletcher, Hirosame, @shadowsaiph, Sark with GM Nisha

Rule Summary
- Players over Level 20 who wish to join this Instance receive a soft cap; their level is temporarily lowered to 20 for the duration of the thread. Tier II+ skills cannot be used.
- AP gained from the dungeon will be collected at the end of the thread, not claimed per post. You will receive a similar amount of AP per post, but the GM also has discretion over rewarding players based on their level of activity. Therefore, the more you contribute or work together as a party, the better your rewards will be.
- GMs reserve the right to intervene or dock rewards if your quest is deemed too easily. Play it realistically and fairly.
- The monster levels scale according to the party's average level (20). So if your party's average level is 15, Goblin Butlers will start at Level 15, Painting will be 16, Tableware will be 17. Note that while this technically means a party with an average level of 17 will fight the same monster ranges as an average level 20 party, bosses will be stronger in the latter case.
- (Presumed Rule) As Nisha is the narrator for us, Nisha will be one primarily controlling monster actions
- (Suggested Rule) That after the most recent post is made, you have 72 hours to reply. If you do not reply in those 72 hours it goes to the next person. You can rejoin later posting rounds of course! :3

A dwarf stood by an old, lichen-covered gate. He was a younger variety of dwarf, still slim-boned and lacking the beard that so nearly defined his chosen race. There was a certain nervous energy apparent about the dwarf, evident by the motions of his restless, overlarge hands. They combed their way through his curly pale green hair and adjusted the wide, four coloured obi that kept his clothes snug about his torso. They checked and adjusted the straps on his sole piece of armour; a set of leather pauldrons which protected his shoulders, neck, and upper arms from glancing blows. The calloused fingers also gently tested the edge of his wedge-like sword. At 4 foot of blade and half that again of handle it was significantly taller than its wielder, and in perfect condition for its level.

In truth the dwarf had reason to be nervous; he was standing at the threshold of the Windsor Castle. A manor in mostly good repair stood before him, squat and solid, looking for all the world like the building equivalent of a grumpy toad. Under overgrown weeds and near to the gate Sark could see the wooden door which had once kept the castle separate. It had been torn asunder during the first raiding group into the castle. That first group of adventurers had apparently done their share of looting, drunk on the power of their newfound adventurer bodies. It was only the appearance of a powerful goat butler that had stopped the initial exploration … in a rather lethal way.

These days the castle was one of the few known dungeons that had been discovered in the new shared universe of Elder Tales, and still had not been fully mapped. Sark had been told by a number of crusty old drinkers that the level 90 elite could clear it, but chose not to. Apparently even these heroes were dropped down to level 20, which took a heavy on both their previously enhanced bodies and their ego. Of course, these same characters also told Sark that guild masters lived in ivory towers and had hacked the system to divert the beginner XP potions directly to themselves, so the dwarf had learned to take their rumours cautiously.

Regardless of what the drunkards said, it was true that Windsor Castle was dangerous. He had skirted around the edges of it once before while assisting a pair of local merchants, and the danger then had been almost palpable. In truth it had been exciting; Sark had felt the thrill of danger alongside the wonder of seeing a rare sight.

The feeling had lingered with Sark for some time, and in the end he had brought it up with his frequent companion, Fletcher. Fletcher was a mature dwarf in both personality and body, often acting as the counterweight to Sark’s own over enthusiasm. Together they had agreed that the castle was an inspiring place, and something well worth exploring further. They had reached out to their friends, and their friends had reached out again. A few others had been making their own plans, giving their mission a sense of providence. The idea had been tossed around and evaluated for a fair while before a party was eventually formed.

Each member likely had their own goals in mind, and Sark was fine with that. What they had was a shared ambition to enter the Windsor Castle and reach the center of the keep; its Throne Room.

Samurai:______ 20 Tailor:________ 20 Acrobat:______ 01

Word Count: 577

Pokes: Bailin, Fletcher, Hirosame, @shadowsaiph, Sark with GM Nisha

OOC: Let's kick this off! \o/

Skill Descriptions:

Chain 01: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken Chain 02: "Flashwave" Shunsen, "Vacuum Slash" Izunagiri Chain 03: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken Adventr.: Spear Break, Aura Swing Miscella.: Emergency Suture, Magic Light Party Up: Unyielding Spirit HP: 100% MP: 100%

[Hirosame]

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So, it was finally time to clear this hell of a dungeon. It had been a real long time since Hiro had been here, thinking all the way back to some of the earlier days. He had tried to clear through this dungeon once before with a few people from his guild, as well as a mad scientist. Said mad scientist wasn't actually insane, more grumpy about a lot of things, which usually meant just about everything. Scoria never was one to talk about what exactly was the problem, though it was undeniable that modern Alchemy owed a lot to his inventions, and how they go about their research now. The others that were in the party were also in the guild, and he was speaking specifically of Midori, Fernweh, and Kazuko, along with himself. Those days seemed to have been so long ago now. How long had it been, almost a year and a half? He couldn't exactly tell how long it had been, though it certainly felt like forever. So much had happened to the Monk ever since then, and while he hates to admit it, he isn't that much different of a person because of it. He's still about as he was, way back then.

As much as Hiro wanted to go in there alone and mess everything up, he knew that he very well couldn't. It was an instance, which required him to lower his level upon entering. While he didn't mind it all that much, he also didn't very much care for it. Hiro was okay with the drop in levels as well as the decrease in power, though he liked having all the skills he had access to. It made things all that much more fun. However, he wouldn't gripe about it, since that's just how this dungeon worked, as well as many others. That being the case, though, he knew a few of the names on the registrar that had been there for signing up. Sayha, one of his guild members and a very close friend of his, had decided that she would also come along on the escapade. After having cleared through the tunnels under London, as well as having staved off further calamity in Lune, the two thought that it would be a good idea to do something different for a change. Then again, it was still combat, but that's beside the point. The point was for them to go along and do something that Hiro had yet to complete, because of how difficult of a venture this whole thing was.

Along with Sayha, Hiro had also seen Bailin's name on the registrar, giving him a rather decent feeling of security. Hiro knew Bailin from days long past, and knew that he was a very well respectable man, as well as a staunch ally when it came to fighting. Granted, Hiro hadn't seen the Warden fight for a long, long time now, the last time having been that make-shift 'Rescue the Leaders' mission. Fletcher, Hiro didn't know all that well, except for him having requested to join the guild. He had been introduced through Sayha, though Hiro knew admittedly little about the man. Sark, on the other hand, Hiro was familiar with. As irony would have it, he could see the Samurai just up ahead, but he would greet him when he got closer. Hiro and Sark had begun their whole Celestial Arms quest together, though due to a few people deciding to drop out at the last minute, they had to head back. Hiro felt guilty for having left Sark back then, while he continued with the quest line on his own. Hopefully, this wouldn't render an awkward situation between the two of them. That would be preferable, in the grand scheme of things, since the two would be on a team, working side by side, in this dungeon.

As Hiro got closer to the entrance of the building, he found himself getting mildly nostalgic. He remembered standing inside the lobby of the dungeon, waiting for everybody else to show up, and then they all had gone inside together from there. After that, shenanigans ensued, though they eventually had to call it off, not too long afterwards. He let that memory sit for a little bit, as Hiro walked a little closer to the Samurai, a smile upon his face. "So, this is it, huh?" Hiro began, looking up at the building. "It's about time somebody finds out what's inside, and live to talk about it." His eyes fell upon Sark, as the smile stayed the same. "Lookin' forward to a good run with ya, Sark." Hiro extended his hand for a handshake, though whether Sark accepted it or not was up to him. Hopefully, the dungeon would be an entertaining run, especially since the people that he would be here with all seemed to be rather laid back, though willing to fight it out, when the going gets tough. That being the case, Hiro would also begin to wait for others to show up. He would find himself looking up at the building some more, wondering what all the others from his time were up to. Wondering where they'd gone.


Bailin, Fletcher, @shadowsaiph, Sark, Nisha

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∝: 871
♫: Dungeon 1A
✏: Let's do this. \o/
@: Tags in post.

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[Deleted]

It had been a while since Sayha signed up for a group to clear the Windsor Castle Dungeon… to be honest, she had almost completely forgotten about it. She had signed up for it back when she was… level 13 or something like that. She was 55 now, but she knew that it wouldn’t make too huge of a difference. She heard about the “soft cap” of being only level 20 during the dungeon, and she wouldn’t be able to access any of her higher ranked skills. It didn’t concern her a great deal though since she knew most of the other dungeoners.

Sark was designated as the leader of the dungeon which Sayha was okay with. She knew him first from buying some tailored items from him and later on when they had done the Londinium Underground dungeon when they were working on the train system.

Fletcher was a good friend of Sayha’s, and he had just recently joined her guild Aprocrypha. He was a great healer, and she knew that with him in the party they would have a very good shot at clearing it altogether.

Bailin: Sayha only knew briefly. He had been at the guild leader’s meeting when the train discussion had happened, and Sayha had been there assisting Hiro during the meeting. She didn’t know anything for than that about him though.

Hiro was the final member of the team. He was a close friend of hers as well as her guild leader. Sayha had been on many adventures with Hiro by then, and she trusted him with her life.

Sayha had finally made it through the Windsor Greatwoods and was now at the entrance of the dungeon. Both Sark and Hiro had already arrived so she walked over and stood next to Hiro, “Well, this should be interesting. Hopefully everyone else will be along shortly.”

Words: 311 | Total Words: 311
Sark Hirosame Fletcher Bailin Nisha
Coding by Sayha of LH

[Fletcher]

How long had it been since he had first lay eyes on Windsor Castle? The place struck him as foreboding, unforgiving domain for the undead given the monsters that lurked and skulked around the grounds. On the inside though, unknown wonders and dangers no doubt awaited them given that no party to his knowledge had cleared the place and come back with details as to what waited for them in the furthest reaches of the castle. The throne room seemed to be the place of interest to Fletcher, hearing that there was something there from the vague whispering of the spirits and from the strange pull that he had to the place ever since calling upon summons under the influence of the Pebble of Philosophy. Was it possible that another pact was awaiting him in this dark and abandoned place?

Fletcher pulled at the opening of his coat nervously as he made the journey from Londinium into the greatwood. The party that he was to go into the dungeon with were all people he seemed to have strong ties to. Whether or not this was planned or just some fortunate coincidence, Fletcher went through the roster that he’d be playing as Operator for. First there was Sark, a companion from many adventures and reliable fighter on the front lines. While he was a samurai, and generally stereotyped as being a tank, Sark’s skillset and mindset made him more of a heavy DPS unit more than a tank. Next up there was Sayha, another companion from a few adventures and admittedly the pair of them had gotten to know each other well enough from their interactions in parties. She was an assassin and would be one of the party’s main sources of damage output from just how fast she was able to put down enemies at close quarters. Hirosame was likely to be their tank, although even as his new guild leader he knew very little about the man. As a monk it was possible for him to be the party’s tank, but in all honestly, that alone was not much to go off of. Then there was Bailin, who was a Warden and his accountant. Fletcher hadn’t seen what Wardens could do in combat, but from the exchanges he had had with the man was that he was handy with a gun, possibly another DPS role.

Then there was Fletcher, a summoner build for healing and support. There were many ways one could be a summoner and that all depended on what summons one found themselves creating pacts with. They weren’t usually known as the best healers, but Fletcher’s own style of party maintenance was something that he had not only received praise for, but had saved his parties from a few tight situations. A lot of that credit had to go to Carbuncle, the spirit fox that seemed to be the main summon of choice for those looking to keep party HP levels high, but the coordination was all him. The foliage was dense around him as he trudged along the path leading through the wood, stopping before a signpost that he’d found himself before once long ago. To his right led the road that would snake itself down towards Savill Flower Grove and to where a bunch of weaker monsters called home. As for where he needed to go, the path to the left led to where undoubtedly his party was waiting for him. Fletcher stuck his hands in his pockets and took the road to the left, the path winding further into the woods.

From behind the trees he could see the monsters roaming around the grounds, but they wouldn’t touch him. At level 53, his sheer presence would deter many of the lower levelled monsters from engaging him unless he went out of his way to aggravate them first. Up ahead he could make out the forms of Sark and Sayha, along with one other man who he had yet to meet in a formal manner. That means it would have to be Hiro given he’d met Bailin before. If it was indeed Hiro though, then that was also his guild leader, so he’d need to be respectful just in case. He approached, looking like a tried old man meaning business as he stepped out from the shade given to him by the foliage. He was frowning, but not from disappointment or anger, but from focus, ready for what will come before them in the dungeon. ”Are we all ready? Equipment checked and potions stocked? It’s good to see you two well, though.” The corners of his moustache curled upwards as he smiled, directing his attention to Sark and Sayha. He turned to Hiro, wearing the same slight smile before continuing. ”Am I right in assuming you are Hiro, then? Pleasure to make your acquaintance at least.” He stuck out a hand to shake Hiro’s, greeting the man proper.

Word Count: 823
Bailin Nisha

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Pre War Luger (lvl 20) LH: Fall Back Option (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 384 TWC: 384 Tags Nisha Sark Fletcher @shadowsaiph Hirosame Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

Silently the warden observed as the party slowly gathered round and exchanged pleasantries. His feet slightly apart from each other and his hands gently folded on the lower part of his back. His face was stern and cold as ever, his one eye staring into the emptiness of the void, whilst he listened to what his party members chatted about. It took a short while for everyone to exchange the formalities; apparently Fletcher and Hiro had never met before. For the warden it was a first of everything. He knew of the people gathered here today, yet he had only fought on one occasion alongside Hiro. He had spent quite some time with Fletcher, mostly discussing finances and the construction of certain devices. Sayha and Sark he had met once before… possibly, probably, though he could not recall from where he knew Sark, if he knew him at all. Sayha the warden had met during the meeting in the train yard. It would prove quite the interesting party and adventure. [break][break] Gently Bailin took out his Luger, the one Hiro made for him for this particular run. Whether it were game mechanics or not, the weapon felt comfortable in is hand and as he pulled back the slide on the top-side of the pistol it moved smoothly, just as the weapons were known for. His next weapon was his trusty bayonet, one sharp edge and on the back teeth like a saw. During the Great War, if one was caught with such a device it meant immediate execution due to its cruel nature, though it was originally designed as to be an engineer’s back up weapon, as well as a tool. Lastly was his trusted sabre. So far the warden had never had the need to use it, yet it was always with him, a proper back up weapon was never unwanted and the warden had two. Both sabre and bayonet were made by the Funeral Parlor and were of very fine craftsmanship. [break][break] Once he was done checking his gear, including a double check on his entropy cartridges and purity core, the warden broke his silence: “Do we have a formation, a plan of attack and backup plan, as well as an escape routes? Who will perform what role?” he asked of his party members. [break][break]

[Nisha]

A single goblin waiter raced through the halls, worried looks thrown outside of the castle. For whatever reason, he was wearing rabbit ears, giving the ugly thing an eerie look to boot. For whatever reason, he had a feeling he was rude to the people outside. Guests as they were to die and enjoy themself in here. And yet, nothing was prepared yet and everyone was acting all relaxed, some stupid things like the huge surprisingly tumb goat servants were spinning their own rounds still. Another goblin, a maid this time was sharpening her claws, having tossed her shoes away and looked into a freshly broken mirror, most likely fantasizing more about herself than whatever she had seen before. He had even seen one of the paintings asleep. What kind of greeting was that? Running, the adventurers would only see glimpses of the white rabbit ears drawing closer and closer to the front door through the cracked windows. Screeching to an audible halt in front of the door that would most likely alarm the adventurers to his presence even without any hearing aiding skill, he tugged on the rope dangling hidden behind a piece of cloth that had most likely been some kind of curtain. If the screech of his well tread upon soles had not been enough, now bells rang all over the place, some small, some high up in towers. The song they played inviting people to their doom and rattling the defenses of the castle awake. Whereas the mansion they would enter had looked somewhat normal, it suddenly would have another quality as activity was clear as day. Smaller goblins rushing through the floors, gargoyle eyes looking down at the adventurers with a red glow, laughter from unknown sources, gears and mechanisms falling and heaving away as traps came alife and the clanking of gear being put into it´s proper place since the last group of adventurers had failed miserably. Sniggering, the goblin faded into a secret corridor and left the foyer open for business.

The castle was ready for it´s visitors.

The doors were slowly opening with creaking noises.

Everything was prepared. Hopefully the adventurers would be too or this would be an awfully short adventure if they did not take it seriously.

---

GM Notes:
Tags: Bailin Fletcher Hirosame Sark @shadowsaiph

Ready yourself and enter at your convenience or do whatever you like, splitting up is not encouraged, but can happen. Please state any passive skills as well as any skills used extra. This might be your last chance to turn back, so choose wisely. There will be no multiple choice since I think everyone is smart enough to plan accordingly. Good luck and try not to die -evil laughter-

Mood music: Enter please

[Sark]

It was not long until another member of the squad joined. This was Hiro; a powerful and influential monk who Sark kept bumping into. The man was a friendly and kind soul, but his many responsibilities often left him leaving in the middle of things. Seeing him again caused a familiar smile to crease his face. After some early banter they shook, renewing their friendship once again. Unless the man was called away on other business his skills, and his knowledge, would be crucial to their success.

It did not take long for another member to join their ranks. She was quite a surprise; she had been someone that Fletcher had first suggested as a capable and coolheaded assassin. Sark had thought that the other dwarf had been referring to a raven haired lady they had both battled with in the train systems, but he was clearly mistaken. This woman had a more lively spark in her eye, and wore her clothes with an unconscious pride. A rueful look passed over Sark's face as he contemplated what Fletcher really meant when he'd said that she was a 'damn fine killer.'

The final two gentlemen appeared to round out their party. Another stranger; this one tall dark and mysterious. Sark got a strange vibe from the man, reminding Sark of TV depictions of WWII Germanic officers with their stiff posture, meticulous care and logical frame of mind. The final member was Fletcher. He was Sark's most trusted companion and a truly skilled summoner.

The party explained pleasantries and began to nut out their plan of attack. Although Sark was technically the party leader he saw himself more as a cheerleader than a mastermind. He was there to keep everyone's motivation strong and support people. The actual split of roles and formation of plans he would leave to those who specialized and enjoyed such activities.

One thing he knew he would have to do though though, was point out his role. At an appropriate moment he explained that while he was a tank class - Samurai - he was part of the alternative striker build. He used burst damage techniques to overpower his enemies. At a pinch he would work as an off tank, but lacked the aggro-holding techniques to be truly helpful in that role.

"Oh, and I never got around to buying potions. Is that going to be a problem?"


Not long after their discussion finished a sudden dissonance struck up at the castle. Bells clashed against their clappers, sending a riot of motion across the lawns. Casually strolling monsters sunk into their combat stances while half-seen motions flashed through various windows across the mansion. Slowly, the door began to open. Sark took a slow glance about his comrades; this was when their dungeon was about to begin, and a time to celebrate.

"Let's ... Go!"

The boy swung his weapon down with a flourish, pointing it directly to the doors.

Samurai:______20 Tailor:________ 20 Acrobat:______01

Word Count: 491

Pokes: Bailin, Fletcher, Hirosame, @shadowsaiph, Sark with GM Nisha

OOC:

Skill Descriptions:

Chain 01: "Lightspeed" Denkosetta, "Steel-Cutting Blade" Zantetsuken Chain 02: "Flashwave" Shunsen, "Vacuum Slash" Izunagiri Chain 03: "Blade Clone" Tsuguri Bunshin, "Divinity Slash" Seinaru Shinken Adventr.: Spear Break, Aura Swing Miscella.: Emergency Suture, Magic Light Party Up: Unyielding Spirit HP: 100% MP: 100%

[Hirosame]

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Not all that long after Hiro had arrived on the scene, Sayha had also shown up. He felt his face flush up just a tad, as the Assassin walked up and stood next to him, though it went away as he turned his attention back to the dungeon before them all. It would be fairly easy to clear through the dungeon, however with Sayha being there too, he felt both more confident, as well as more anxious. If anything started to go towards her, Hiro knew that he'd likely force himself to charge over and soak up whatever damages needed to be soaked up, for the better of the team, or for their detriment. Sure, he would feel a little guilty of such an action, but he would much rather that Sayha was okay than the dungeon go 100% perfectly. Besides, spicing things up always made them more fun, in the end! Why not give everybody else a little jump once in a while. As he thought about that mischievous hint, he sidled just a little bit closer to Sayha, reaching over and gently holding onto her hand for a moment. His eyes drifted down and to the side to look at her, after which he gave a small smile, and let go. He moved back the little ways after that.

As more people started to show up from here, though, another had shown up. Fletcher, a Summoner who had just recently joined Apocrypha, had offered to be the team's healer. Hiro was mildly skeptical of the notion, as a Summoner had yet to prove to the Monk that they were a capable healer. However, if they were allowed to go along on this dungeon exploration as the healer, regardless of their class choice, he would go with it for the time being. Besides, he knew a fairly quiet Shaman who had made a very convincing Tank, so he was open to the idea of others doing silly things. He nodded to the Summoner in greeting, after their piece. He accepted the Summoner's handshake, taking the man's hand in his own, before returning to a neutral stance once more, as his gaze turned toward the road. After that, he recognized another face that had shown up to the party. It was always a good day to see the stalwart Warden, Bailin. Hiro let a smile appear on his face, greeting the Warden. As the man requested knowledge about a formation, Hiro stepped forward and punched his right fist into his open left palm before him. "Formation: Same as always. I'll keep 'em mad, you guys mess 'em up."

Hiro was about to strike a rather victorious pose and then triumphantly proclaim something about not needing to run, but the gates to the manor opened before them. His attention had drifted back to the target at hand, looking on as the doors slowly opened up. The creaking sounds was rather ominous, though it held a certain twinge of nostalgia to the Monk. He recalled the time when he and the others from days long past had attempted to clear through this dungeon before, having been made witness to the same kind of thing. His memory was cut off, as Sark had announced that he was all set to go. He recalled that the Samurai mentioned that they weren't able to grab any potions, to which Hiro simply shrugged. Potions weren't all that needed, provided the healer could keep up with everything. At this point, he would have to leave his life in the hands of the Summoner nearby, as apprehensive as he was to do something like that. He had to shake the thought from his head, though, to keep from being prejudiced. He'd keep his thoughts to himself, since he didn't know how effective Fletcher would be. Only time would tell, for the time being. Without much else to do, and the thought of backing down from this challenge being erased from his mind long ago, he turned back to Sayha, giving her a nod and a smile. Hiro would begin to enter the building from there, taking up his position in the front of the party.

@shadowsaiph , Fletcher , Bailin , Nisha , Sark

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∝: 697
♫: Beyond
✏: ---
@: Tags in post.

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[Deleted]

Sayha studied their group as the remaining members appeared. Fletcher approached the forming group. He asked right away if everyone else was ready and greeted Hiro. Sayha recalled that Fletcher had joined the guild but hadn’t officially met Hiro… and of course Fletcher was more proper than she. The last person to arrive was the Warden Bailin. He offered no greeting and asked right away about formation, plans, and roles.

Hiro answered that the formation would be him tanking and everyone else doing their job… which was true but rather vague. “Hiro should be at the very front,” Sayha said, glancing at Sark who was rather over-eager to plung head-first into the dungeon, “Sark and I should follow him up as vanguards with Fletcher and Bailin coming in last. Fletcher, you should probably be Operator since you’ll be healing. Bailin would probably be best as Field Monitor since he seems to be going ranged damage, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. Also if needed, I can scout ahead since I have stealth and <Silent Move>.”

At that point, Sayha pulled out her scythe from her inventory and held it in her right hand, “As for potions, I can make lower-leveled healing potions and such if the need would arise… though my Pharmacist level is pretty low so I can’t guarantee anything I make would be very good.”

Once she finished talking, she turned her attention to the door that creaked open upon the parties arrival. Sayha activated <Hearing Aptitude> right away to see if she could hear anything else. For the time being, it was silent… eerily silent. She instantly went into defensive mode, especially since she wasn’t sure what to expect. Through past whispers, she had heard that many parties had attempted to conquer the castle but none of them had succeeded. There was a lot of work that would need to be done if the group were to survive.

Hiro turned, nodding at Sayha, and Sayha nodded back. As Hiro headed towards the open doors, Sayha followed behind. Her mind tried to wander to think about other things, but she stayed focus on the task at hand. As she walked, she moved her scythe so that she was holding it with both hands. She angled the scythe carefully in front of her, her left arm holding the part of the scythe that was skimming the ground in front of her while the right hand and arm were at a ready position of the need for her to attack or defend would arise.

Words: 427 | Total Words: 738
Sark Hirosame Fletcher Bailin Nisha
Coding by Sayha of LH

[Fletcher]

It did not take long, and in no time after his arrival Bailing brought up the rear, bringing their numbers up to five and making up the entirety of the team they were to brave the castle as. He pulled out a gun and checked it, inquiring about party roles. It was a tough call given they all had some special thing that they found themselves got at, but Fletcher was under the impression that most of that had been sorted already. If it hadn’t, then perhaps Bailin was only referring to the roles of Field Monitor and Operator? Before Fletcher could chime in to clarify what Bailin had asked, Sark had covered the topic for him, pointing out not only his build’s focus on damage but also the lack of potions. Hiro seemed to have this down pat, and for someone of his level there was no doubt that he was well versed in how these things usually went; he was going to be playing the part of main tank.

Sayha filled in the blanks, calling the marching order and assigning Operator to Fletcher and Field Monitor to Bailin. It made sense to the dwarf and Fletcher gave Sayha a thumbs up of approval with one hand, flexing his hand with his other as Sayha pulled out her scythe. He didn’t realise that she’d made the jump from daggers to a scythe, although perhaps that was just another thing she changed when she changed her appearance. If anything, it made Fletcher wonder if he should shift from his usual standard of calling out his azure blue fox for all his summoning needs. There was Sylph he could use instead if he was after a follower that could provide healing support, but Salamander was just there for raw damage output; at least for now. He had other plans for the flame dragon along the same vein as when he helped Dorian with his culinary practise.

The doors creaked open, almost beckoning them to come inside although no one was there to welcome them and issue them admittance. It was quiet and eerily so, the inside shrouded by a looming darkness of a place long since untouched and mostly unexplored, perhaps mostly unexplored given the unknown nature of what really lurked inside. Fletcher at the very least knew he was ready for this, and had assembled a small armoury of tools to employ in this place, mostly revolved around strengthening his core asset and skillset of assisting others. While his Sigilmaking was lacking, and mostly lagging behind in levels compared to his main class, it still offered something. From the space over his shoulder, Carbuncle coalesced from the mana woven in the space from Fletcher’s outstretched finger, the fox taking its perch on his shoulder, courtesy of Sark’s ingenious and well thought out design.

Hiro took the lead and Sayha made to follow, with Fletcher and Carbuncle following suit soon after then. He didn’t want to be last in if he could avoid it, but moving a four foot dwarf out of the way wasn’t going to be very hard if someone wanted it more than he did.

Word Count: 527
Bailin
Active Effects:
Party Max HP +5%
Party Max MP +5%
Party Magic Defense +5%
Party Accuracy +5%
Party Cooldowns -5%

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Pre War Luger (lvl 20) LH: Fall Back Option (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 283 TWC: 667 Tags Sark Hirosame [break][break]  @shadowsaiph Fletcher Nisha Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

As the party was complete the doors swung open, Sayha gave the most useful response to the warden’s question by, pretty much, assigning tasks to people as she thought they would fit their classes and builds best. Hiro would take the front, keeping the enemies focussed on him whilst the others did damage. Their party leader Sark, whom had hardly said a thing on the matter, and Sayha would back Hiro up. Fletcher and Bailin were to remain as the rear guard, Fletcher as healer, Bailin as a glorified look out. And that was it. There were no further orders, or instructions, no rules of engagement; though that wasn’t too odd for a dungeon as it would surely end up with a general Search and Destroy ANYTHING; but there were no set objectives, no conditions for resting or retreating. It felt as if they were about to embark on a journey which would be a small step for an adventurer but a grand step for the soon to be dead and reborn. [break][break] Placing his left hand on his sabre the warden silently closed the ranks as he followed the rest of his party, the Luger Hiro had made for him loosely by his side in his right hand, though his grip was firm and steady. The supple metal of the gun made it a very nice weapon, great for shooting things, like monsters or people or monstrous people corrupted by miasma… Somewhere deep down the warden was rather curious about what they’d find inside this dungeon, but it would probably be something that would give information, be it known, common or new, and information was something that always came through as being useful. [break][break]

OC: So I'm kinda busy with school stuffs so it's kinda crappy, but at least the tale can go on

[Nisha]

Lamenting and planning, the goblin butler did not really know what it was about always. It was as if they could not just be like the old timey adventurers. Storming into a castle, laying waste and burning everything down, raiding the treasure chests and important rooms and then leave. But NOOOOOO, not the new kids on the block. Did they think he had all the time of the world to wait around for them? Tch. He was watching from high up, a hidden stairway behind the hidden curtain allowed him to bridge up towards the first tower where he was looking down from, filing his nails. Suddenly he heard heavy snuffles, the sound of the brawn of the castle. Three goat servants, each elite in the castle on their own, but together. Well, this could be interesting. Rushing over the roof, tiles and debris were spraying away under their heavy hooves as magic swords came to live around their right arm.

And then they jumped

Straight into the group of adventurers

A terrifying bleat roaring out as shockwaves rippled beneath their feet, spreading like spiderwebs.

---

GM Notes:
Tags: Bailin Fletcher Hirosame Sark @shadowsaiph

Everyone loses 20% hp, Sayha may dodge the shockwave from their attack alone due to hearing aptitude or rescue someone else from it. Everyone hit by the shockwave is dizzy and will do half damage with half accuracy for one post.
I allow people to have two actions or 5 seconds in total per fight round, so look how long the activation of your skills take and how long the cooldown is.
And again, I will only take note of skills put below your posts.


Told you guys to get in and not stand in the open. Good luck and try not to die -evil laughter-

Mood music: ROUND ONE, FIGHT!

[Fletcher]

The inside of the castle awaited them like the mouth of a hungry beast. It was cold, dark, slightly dank from the lack of air that seemed to get in from the front door; perhaps the other areas would fare better assuming someone had left a window cracked. He couldn’t hear anything, and from the looks of things the others saw it safe to continue on the inside of the castle, not motioning for any of them to stop. It was odd though; usually, and especially so for dungeons tailored to beginning players, there’d be a long stretch of nothing with the first encounter off in the distance to give some sort of conveyance and guidance on which way to go. This however was no longer a game, and the same rules didn’t apply.

They were in the castle foyer, a large and expansive entrance to an equally grandiose place. The floors were tiled, or rather paved with highly polished and smoothed stone, alternating between a white marble and another variant of the same stone but in a brown colour. Either side of them, stretching into the furthest reaches of what they could see from the entrance were statues, although it was hard to make out exactly what they were aside from being described as hunched over and winged. Light filtered in from the high windows around them, accentuating the darkness in the places the light didn’t touch, and casting an eerie glow on the places it did. The tapestries and other pieces of decorative cloth pieces that hung from various points on the ceiling looked to be old and worn, although preserved from deterioration completely, showing only the signs of discolouration from sunlight. Everything was still otherwise, shy of the small dust particles that danced in the sunlight.

There was an odd silence that Fletcher felt disconcerting, and the lack of any enemies so far put him on edge. If it stayed this way, he would’ve thought there was another team already in here carving the way forward for them, or perhaps this was just an abandoned place with nothing left for them. Either way would’ve proven interesting, but would’ve robbed him from the enjoyment of an adventure he’d thought about the many times he’d trekked past the place on the way to Sarum from his home in Londinium. ”So…” His voice broke the silence in the castle around them, spoken in a calm and quiet tone to no one in particular. ”Anyone see anything?” Carbuncle’s ears perked up to listen to the place around them and grew restless, picking up on something but from a quick look by his summoner proved that the fox wasn’t sure what it was hearing.

They were upon them in a flash, and before any of them could really do much about it. Fletcher found himself flung back, the party thrown apart from their formation as no less than three bulky bipedal goats crashed down into them. They bleated at them, perhaps calling the shockwave or perhaps that was just the force that they had landed with. Where had they come from, and why hadn’t he heard anything until now? Perhaps it was some ability they had, or perhaps a lingering magic in this place that concealed them; clearly the standards of beginner dungeon design wasn’t going to apply. He felt dizzy, and everyone’s HP was all over the place given the surprise attack, but it was fixable, he just needed to get to work. Hoping that Hiro, Sark and Bailin were all going to be on the ball with grabbing enmity from these goats while he got to work, Fletcher began casting. He had to have faith that they’d protect him, he was their lifeline as much as they were his, so while they tanked, he would heal. Tendrils of wind coiled around the dwarf’s fingers as they twitched mid-incantation, building into a mass before the dwarf. Carbuncle alone wasn’t going to be able to keep pace from three sources of damage, not at this level and with his enchanted gear not operating at peak efficiency from the level synchronisation the place had imposed upon them. He did have more than one ally to call from though.

”Summon Follower: Sylph!” Bursting from the coccoon of wind that had coalesced on the battlefield, a fairy dressed in a floral spring dress and flowing red hair graced the party with her presence. There was no time to delay though, and Fletcher got to casting his next spell. The three of them had practised this formation before, and as the main healers in Fletcher’s arsenal they had everything from sustained HP regeneration to debuff removal making them a good asset in any party. The downside to being a Summoner and being tasked with being the healer however is that he had no revival spells. There were no second chances here, so it was imperative that he was on top of HP maintenance as soon as it left the magical number of 100%. As the words left Fletcher’s mouth, his second spell swept across the battlefield and tagged Hiro, bringing up his HP back to full with the boosted potency from his accessories.

As for the two summons, Carbuncle had prioritised putting defences on its summoner knowing that its existence was tied to Fletcher’s HP, and the coming spells was sure to draw some unwanted attention. An azure barrier formed around the dwarf after the small fox spent a few seconds in quiet meditation; it wasn’t as strong as the Shaman’s counterpart, but it was going to be enough to curve some of the damage Fletcher might take in the coming exchanges. As for Sylph, a quick flick to the status of everyone’s HP told her everything she needed to know. Knocking back enemies wasn’t what was needed here, it was a quick top up of everyone’s HP. Clasping her hands together she began to whisper to herself, and soon enough a gentle soothing wind enveloped each of the party, bringing their health back to them if only a little.

With the sudden offset to the damage they had collectively caused, the goats turned on Fletcher, brandishing their glowing swords showing that they meant business; they weren’t holding anything, but their weapons were mounted to their arms with magic, or at least that’s as far as Fletcher could make out. It’d be up to the others to step in now, for until his cooldowns wore, he wasn’t going to be able to do much of anything.

---

POST SUMMARY:
Fletcher Action 1: Summon Follower – Sylph (2 Seconds)
Fletcher Action 2: Phantasmal Heal (1 Second, Targeting Hiro, Boosted by Accessories)

Carbuncle Action: Minor Damage Intercept Barrier (Targeting Fletcher)
Sylph Action: Healing Breeze (Minor[+10%] AoE Heal + debuff removal)

HP: 1587/1764
MP: 2258/2625

Active Effects:
Party Max HP +5%
Party Max MP +5%
Party Magic Defense +5%
Party Accuracy +5%
Party Cooldowns -5%
Carbuncle: -1% MP per Round
Addition Summon Sylph: -10% MP per Round
Cooldown: Phantasmal Heal (3 seconds)

---

Word Count: 1090
Bailin Hirosame Sark @shadowsaiph

[Deleted]

Something was wrong, Sayha realized as soon as she began walking forward. Something, or someone, was watching them. Sayha stopped immediately as soon as she heard something. It was a good thing she activated her <Hearing Aptitude> when she did. What was it that she heard? Scuffles? Shuffles? Where was the noise coming from? There was nothing around them, at least no monsters that Sayha could sense. Sayha returned to walking forward, staying acutely aware of her surroundings.

That was when she heard something come right for them. “Somethings coming!” Sayha yelled as she quickly dove out of the way. Hopefully the others would not be caught off guard. A shockwave rippled through the floor, hitting the others. Dang it, Sayha had not warned them in time. She quickly took stock of what was going on. Three giant goat like monsters now stood in front of the group. Fletcher was the first to get back on his feet, and he quickly summoned a Sylph and began to heal. The group had taken quite a bit of damage so hopefully he would be able to boost everyone else up. Sayha would have to be careful not to take too much aggro before the tanks attacked.

Sayha crouched down slightly, quickly activating <Trinket Work>. Her body glowed purple with the activation of the skill. Now she wouldn’t draw too much aggro from the monsters. Now she could attack. She focused her attention on the monster that was furthest on the right. She twirled her scythe with her hands before slicing the air in front of her, activating <Splitting Fang>. A white projectile formed and flew at the targeted monster.

---

(Personal Note: Main Level 55, Tracker Level 20); Sorry for the belated post ^^;

Active Abilities: <Hearing Aptitude> <Trinket Work>
Abilities Used: <Trinket Work> Cast Time: 2 seconds, Duration Remaining: 35 seconds, Cooldown 60 seconds
<Splitting Fang> Cast Time: 1.5 seconds, Cooldown 6 seconds

Words: 277
Sark Bailin Hirosame Fletcher Nisha
Coding by Sayha of LH