Mana P2y1s03

Mana: And so it was written: Pokiehlember 2nd, Year 1, Gnome's Day. Deep within the earth, just outside the Spear of God. Somewhere, far above, the sun has finally finished rising over Titania.
Toth rubs a hand over his beard. "Well… while we're here, mind checking out the Great Stone Hall? I haven't seen the inside of it, even after it was created right before my eyes."
Toth: "It both exists and didn't exist, and yet it was always there."
Theodore: "Man, how do you see a whole new world made right before your very eyes and not go run around in it? Yeah, I'm in."
Xsaieta: "After everything I've heard about it? I've been hoping to get the chance. Honestly, I'm almost jealous she got the drop on me as far as pullin' places outta thin air."
Toth: "Ah, well, Rigo was running low on drink, Wilhelmine was…" He shrugs and shakes his head, he's got no idea. "And I was after the both of them, to explain it to me."
Toth: "Just a coincidence we didn't go in, really."
Xsaieta: "…but, that sounds more or less in line with what my sproutling said to me. I mean, I was reading between the lines, a little, but…"
Theodore folds his arms over his chest, then gives a nod to Toth after as few moments, while gesturing for him to lead the way with his head.
Toth nods back. "So it goes with sproutlings. Actually, I don't know, I've only met the one, once, and why I blindly accepted what they said…"
Toth shakes his head and heads back into the tunnel.
Mana: The empty aisle leads forward towards the white room and the Great Stone Hall. The antechamber isn't quite as you left it - there's no Dispassionata, for one, simply a concrete depression in the earth where once it sat - and the mannequins lying to either side of the room have tumbled about, falling into formless piles more than their intricate poses.
Mana: Which, you know, is a little bit of a relief.
Mana: The Great Stone Hall, proper:
Mana: A tremendous, metal double door has been swung open, leading inwards to a natural-seeming, brown-stone cavern. A deep darkness, its floor has been meticulously smoothed.
Xsaieta: "Well, sproutlings tell the truth, you know?" He tromps on alongside, peers at the mannequins for a second and sniffs the air, eyebrow raised, then shrugs and moves on.
Mana: Running down the middle of the hall - well, what you see of it - is a dusty velvet rope, one end connected to a tarnished brass pole.
Theodore: "Huuuuh."
Toth: "Think there used to be a wait list?"
Aurora glances about, frowning at the askew mannequins. "…Mayhaps."
Xsaieta: "People just linin' up to go deeper into the big mysterious stone hall."
Theodore: "The real question is, was this some kinda hoity toity measume, or the kind of club as person *actually* goes to."
Mana: As you head deeper, past the other end of the rope, you come to a river, flowing with dark water. The cavern rises high overhead, the round stalactites gleaming with flecks of blue crystal.
Toth: "Word is, it's the land of the dead."
Toth: "Or, well, used to be."
Toth: "Until the way to Paradise was opened."
Mana: At the edge of the river, there's a rowboat, whose ferryman is napping by it, curled up against the side.
Mana: And ferryman, boat, and all, are all in the shade of a drooping pear tree.
Theodore: "So… the kinda club no one wants to go to."
Mana: The ferryman is wrapped in a black shroud, his paddle laid over his lap. You see a twitching, furry rat-like nose poke out of the hood, though.
Xsaieta: "Well, I guess I can see people lining up for that, too. Just, you know…" -and he makes a gesture with his fingertips.
Toth: "It -used- to be the cock of the walk, I suppose."
Toth crouches next to the ferryman. "G'mornin!"
Xsaieta then tiptoes forward, slowly, tail lashing back and forth- aw, Toth ruined it. He straightens up, grins.
Mana: He bolts upright with a start, paddle falling away from him as he clambers to upright - all two feet of upright. "Afraghr-fr-fr… gr'mornin."
Mana: Red eyes shining within the hood swivel as he looks around.
Mana: "…Well…"
Mana: "…You don't look dead."
Toth: "We're not, sorry."
Toth: "How could you tell?"
Xsaieta: "If I were dead, would I really be -this- fine?"
Mana: "I'm the ferryman, Charon. I convey dead souls to the land of the dead."
Mana: "…Not that anyone's died lately."
Theodore: "That's… good?"
Mana: He shrugs. "Well, if you like living. Gather most do."
Theodore: "Well, I mean, what do you even do when you're dead?"
Mana: "Well… you get tied to a chain, and then the chain gets slung underwater, and you dream there for all eternity."
Theodore: "Yeah that sounds *super* boring."
Mana: Charon shrugs. "None of my business."
Toth: "Is it this…" He waves to the river, and then gives it a slightly disgusted expression, before turning back, "-river that they dream?"
Theodore: "Still, that's kinda weird though isn't it? Isn't there a disease going around? And aren't people still getting too old?"
[OOC] Toth: * this
Xsaieta: "Man, I can think of way worse things to have happen when you die. Like just… stop existing, even? Unless they're bad dreams, in which case… anyway."
Xsaieta: "Probably there's a different place people go when they die now, is all."
Mana: "No, you cross this river. And there's all these vault pools."
Mana: "You know. For keeping the dead."
Xsaieta: "Right."
Toth: "Can you get us across?"
Mana: "Tourists?"
Toth: "Something like that."
Mana: "I can get you across. I'll take two trips, though."
Mana: "None of you eat eachother when alone, do you?"
Toth smiles. "Hah."
Toth: "More interested in getting across than feeding."
Aurora: "…Isn't that a reference to a riddle or such?"
Mana: "Yup."
Theodore blinks, glancing at Aurora.
Xsaieta looks like he's gonna say something devilish, but then he looks around, ears twitching. "-where'd Cruz go, anyways? Ah well."
Aurora: "Maybe he had another delivery?"
Toth: "Possibly. Hope he shows up to the funeral."
Mana: "Anyway. Two lucre. Each."
Toth: "Return fare the same rate?"
Mana: Charon reaches into his hood and cleans out one of his ears.
Theodore shoves a hand into one of his pockets, digs around a bit, then hands over two coins.
Mana: "…Return fare is free, I guess."
Toth chuckles softly, and hands over two lucre.
Mana: Charon picks up his paddle, climbs into the boat. "You two, then you two, then you two…" It actually takes him quite some time to scull across the river one way, and back.
Mana: The black, almost-silent water gleams like starlight.
Theodore leans over the back of the boat, staring down into the water as they pass.
Mana: After a few trips, he brings you all to the other side.
Mana: The architecture is all black ionic pillars and low ceilings. Geometric engravings on stone walls.
Mana: Square pools with giant chains running out from them, hooked into the wall.
Xsaieta: "So like… what would happen if you yanked on one of those chains and pulled it up?"
Mana: You're alone, deep in the hall. There's no one to answer you. You're lit by green flames flickering in iron sconces.
Toth: "Wouldn't you fish up a soul?
Theodore scratches at the back of his head.
Xsaieta is allowed to ask questions out loud even with nobody listening! It's a pity the echo didn't answer, though.
Toth: "Why would you tie one to a chain, anyway?"
Aurora glances at the other three… then shrugs and starts pulling up the closest one. "Maybe we could ask one."
Toth glances to Aurora, slightly surprised at her initiative.
Mana: That one's heavy. Strength 50?
Theodore: "Man I don't even know." Theodore pauses, glances between Aurora and the pool of water she's near. "You sure?"
Xsaieta: "Well, I mean… if this place never existed slash always existed I wonder what the souls would-" -he dashes over and gives Aurora a hand.
Aurora rolled 1d100 and got 77 ( Total: 77 ) for 60, Aptitude II
Toth: "Well… it was explained to me that, to non-Pure Hearts, this was -always- here."
Mana: …Yeah, you're probably going to need to get everyone pulling this one.
Aurora tugs at one. "…They're heavy, a little help?"
Toth: "Just- nobody really noticed it wasn't. Because it was always here."
Toth: "It makes -less- sense the more I think about it, really." He moves to help Aurora.
Aurora: "I guess that's being Pure Hearts for you."
Xsaieta: "It… makes sense to me, I don't know what you're talking about."
Theodore lets out a breath. "Well it wouldn't be the first time I've done something morally questionable and potentially dangerous in a strange place for a cute girl." Theodore rolsl a shrug, then moves over to help haul up the chain.
Mana: After arduous effort, you manage to begin hauling some of the chain out, spooling the wet metal out onto the stone floor beside the pool.
Aurora: "Oh… It wouldn't, huh?"
Mana: You manage to raise a soul out of the drink - she's wrapped in white cloth embroidered with flowers, head to toe like a cocoon, blue cloth blindfolding her, dripping with water.
Mana: Her skin is gaunt, but youthful.
Mana: "O," she speaks, after spitting up a mouthful of water. "You have awakened me."
Theodore: "Well, no, but you're definitely cuter and obviously more important."
Toth: "Ah, yeah, sorry about that."
Toth: "We're looking for information."
Aurora: "So we have."
Mana: "Your apology accepted. Information about what?"
Xsaieta glances at Toth.
Toth: "Do… you know why souls are affixed to a… oh, sorry, where are my manners."
Toth: "I'm Mr. Toth. Only 'Toth,' please."
Toth: "Do you know why souls are affixed to a chain in this place? Presumably if something is to be for eternity, you'd make it a little more… permanent?"
Toth: "(Granted, it did take four of us…)"
Theodore: "Man I duno, that was *really* heavy."
Mana: "It's quite heavy." The soul explains.
Theodore pauses for a second, then lifts the woman's blindfold up to her forehead.
Mana: Are you going to let go of the chain to approach her?
[OOC] Toth: wouldn't we haul her all the way up, first
[OOC] Theodore: can't think of a reaosn she and the chain wouldn't be on the ground so… yeah?
Mana: Well, there's more chain beneath her. Possibly more souls. It just continues on past her.
[OOC] Toth: by beneath, you mean connected?
[OOC] Mana: Yup! So like, you need to actively be holding her up if you don't want all the weight beneath her to pull her back down.
[OOC] Theodore: oh. yeah that … changes things. Nevermind then :D
[OOC] Mana: Happy to clear things up!
Theodore: "Do they uh … just … keep adding people to the chain?"
Toth pauses to see if there's more to that explanation.
Mana: "Yes. They do."
Aurora: "And what do you dream about in there?"
Theodore: "Well, there you go. Easy enough to attach new links to a chain." Theodore makes a face briefly, then shake shis head. "Do they sort it by, like, family or something or?"
Mana: "It's not sorted."
Toth: "Is there anyone else here, besides the souls, the ferryman, and us?"
Mana: "There are monsters, occasionally, to help people onto the chain."
Mana: "I woke up from a dream of buying things from the market. I haven't kept a journal, so I don't remember too many of them."
Theodore: "Weird."
Aurora: "…I imagine it'd be hard to keep a journal when you're wrapped up like that, and always asleep…"
Xsaieta: "It could be a dream journal."
Toth: "What if it's a dream… journal."
Xsaieta: "You know, a journal that you dream abo-"
Xsaieta cuts off, stares at Toth for a few seconds.
Aurora blinks, and giggles. "…That's terrible, both of you."
Mana: "Ha-ha."
Toth looks at Xsaieta and grins.
Xsaieta: "One tries one's humble best."
Veracruz headscratches "But would a journal you dream about remember anything you wrote on it?" he's just behind Xsaieta
Xsaieta shifts his stance a little - holding up a chain's hard work - and then yelps and almost drops it, flailing his tail and hitting Cruz on the nose with it. "Hey! There you are. That's basically the point, though, yeah."
Toth: "Any word as to why there haven't been any newcomers?"
Theodore jumps up slightly, then spins around and points at Veracruz liek he's about to say something for a second, then shrugs and lets his arms drop.
Toth: "Coming in, it's really… bare. Even caught the ferryman sleeping."
Aurora glances over her shoulder at Veracruz. "…Glad you could join us."
Theodore then immediately puts his hand back on the chain after realizing how hard trying to support that with one arm is.
Veracruz looks at Theodore, helps him the party with the chain
Mana: "There isn't much news, you understand."
Toth: "'s true, but it's not like there's nobody here."
Toth: "Should make the unusual stand out a bit more- but it's -also- deep into those pits, so I wouldn't blame you."
Veracruz: "Well, do people get attached, like, one after the other?"
Aurora: "Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone new lining up… for who knows how long."
Veracruz: "Maybe the last one down the line knows something?"
Mana: "The first to die, you're thinking."
Xsaieta: "Last in, first out, more like."
Veracruz: "Oh, I see"
Theodore: "I uh… man, how lo0ng would thta even take?"
Aurora: "Depends on how many are in there…"
Xsaieta: "Number of souls on a chain times how much time it takes us to pull one person up, make introductions, apologise for the bumpiness?"
Veracruz: "Probably a very long time. Though given aren't there a lot of pools"
Theodore: "Yeah 'a long time' is mostly what I was going for."
Aurora: "Might be a project for a day we don't have an appointment at a funeral?"
Toth: "Maybe, yes. I was hoping there'd be a…" He shakes his head. "Head reaper or somesuch."
Theodore: "…Probably not on the chain."
Aurora: "Maybe if we looked around some more?"
Veracruz: "Though I am wondering"
Veracruz: "If now that this place is here, if there aren't like, two different afterlifes competing or somesuch"
Veracruz: "Since it seems like - was it Wilhelmine? - made this one"
Toth: "There are. I don't know the -nature- of competing, but if a KKC student is to be believed…"
Toth: "Well, no- The Great Stone Hall has always been here."
Veracruz: "I wonder if we can go to the other one for a visit too"
Veracruz: "Hrm… Well-"
Veracruz: "I don't know about it but i'll take your word"
Xsaieta: "This place has always been here! Just… happens to have stopped bein' used some time ago, it would seem?"
Theodore: "So uh do we just…?" Theodore makes vaguye, lowering chain motions.
Veracruz: "Aha. I guess- And yeah, I think the lady here would like to get back to dreaming?"
Toth: "Yes, let's let her be. Good twilight, madam."
Toth: "But yes- the Great Stone Hall both always having been here, and that is what the populace remembers, and having not been here, us unable to access it, are both correct."
Peter: "Might as well." The lady says.
Aurora: "Well, before we do… who were you in life?"
Xsaieta: "Keep saying that makes perfect sense to me." And then he bows as elaborately as he can while still holding the chain. "I wish you the most pleasant of dreams, my lady."
Peter: "I was a senator of Verenice."
Veracruz looks at Toth, raising an eyebrow "Well… It… Does make it's degree of sense"
Aurora: "…Verenice? Where's that in relation to Titania?"
Mana: "To the far south."
Aurora nods. "I think that's enough, thank you."
Theodore waits until just enough moments of akward silence hang in the air, before begining to lower the chain back into the water.
Xsaieta oofs with exertion, slowly lowering her back in.
Veracruz slowly lowers the chain back in "Sorry for the delay, by the way"
Veracruz: "I noticed something missing in my bag and had to go back pick it up"
Aurora nods, helping lower her down. "It's fine."
Peter: The chain runs back down -
Peter: Sploosh!
Veracruz takes a deep breath "Wow, that was heavy. Can't imagine how many souls are there, though"
Aurora: "More than we probably want to think about."
Toth: "In any case… let's take a quick look around, then."
Mana: (if you look down, into the dim water - it goes for ages.)
Veracruz: "Let's see if there's someone else around. Maybe an overseer, I think that'd make sense"
Xsaieta: "I dunno, Cruz… this place seems pretty dead to me."
Toth looks at Xsaieta.
Toth nods once.
Theodore: "Something about monsters."
Veracruz stares at Xsaieta right in the eyes for like six seconds, then nods at Theodore "Aha"
Aurora shakes her head, giving Xsaieta a look. "Seeing some monsters really wouldn't surprise me at this point."
Llywelyn: fuck you too espernet
[OOC] Llywelyn: Goddamnit
Toth whips his staff around and rests it against his shoulder. "Let's stir up some trouble."
Theodore: "As long as it's trouble that wraps around to fixin' stuff, yeah."
Mana: The halls continue on for some ways in all directions - rows upon rows and rank after rank of square stone pools.
Toth purses his lips and walks on.
Mana: However, on one far wall, flanked by two fountains that glimmer with green light, there's a stone archway, barred by a boulder.
Theodore: "…Only place that looks any different at all seems like a good starting point."
Mana: As you approach, with a splash and a splash, two bug-eyed, dark-scaled fishes with toothy grins burst out of the water and swim through the air towards you.
Xsaieta: "And these would be the monsters we've heard such good things about."
Theodore: "Man that is the most backwards fish,:
Aurora: "…Water and air?"
Xsaieta: "Unless of course you're friendly receptionists that just happen to look, unfortunately, like monsters, in which case, accept my most sincere apologies." He draws his sword!
Mana: No, definitely monsters: Xsaieta [F]:0 Theodore [F]:2 Veracruz [F]:2 Aurora [F]:3 Lethifish B [F]:3 Toth [F]:4 Lethifish A [F]:4
Mana: Status for Lethifish A [F] : [==========]
Mana: Status for Lethifish B [F] : [==========]
Mana: Xsaieta!
Xsaieta will allow the monsters to accept his most sincere apologies for slashing one of them across the everything, then - [Attack D50 vs. A]
Xsaieta rolled 1d100 and got 46 ( Total: 46 ) for 5/85
Xsaieta rolled d12+100 and got 1 ( Total: 101 )
Mana: Slash! Hits for [101]! Theodore! Veracruz! The cut to the fish streams a trail of smoke like ink billowing out itno water.
Theodore spins his staff around twice, before swinging at Lethifish A like it's a baseball! [42D]
Theodore rolled 1d100 and got 36 ( Total: 36 ) for 80
Mana: Thwack - it's a hit!
Theodore rolled d10+64 and got 10 ( Total: 74.0 )
[OOC] Mana: 74]! Veracruz!
Veracruz stares at all the fishes, and pulls out his knives, painting "Burning" and "Heat" on them, and hits them on the ground, setting them aflame [Flame Sheath, 42D]
Mana: Aurora, now!
Aurora [Beckon]s a hand towards Lethifish B, sword at ready. [36D]
Aurora rolled 1d100 and got 16 ( Total: 16 ) for 70
Mana: It snorts a few bubbles, turning towards Aurora! Provoke … (4)?
[OOC] Aurora: Yes, 4
Mana: Lethifish B squirts a water from its lips at Aurora! [Water Shoot]
Veracruz: (Mana - 1d100) 1
Veracruz: (Mana - d8+42) 50
Mana: Hitting for 50 physical Undine damage and Amnesia (4)!
Mana: Battle order: Toth [F]:0 Lethifish A [F]:0 Lethifish B [F]:34 Aurora [F]:35 Theodore [F]:40 Veracruz [F]:40 Xsaieta [F]:46
Mana: Status for Lethifish A [F] : [=== ]
Mana: Status for Lethifish B [F] : [==========] Provoke(3)
Mana: Mr. Toth!
Toth attempts to smash the Lethifish (A!) down before it can act! [43D]
Veracruz: (Theodore - 1d100) 13
Veracruz: (Theodore - d10+80) 86
Mana: Hits for [86]! It collapses into bones!
Mana: Lethifish B attacks Aurora, swimming up to it and flicking its long, tendrilly fins into her!
Veracruz: (Mana - 1d100) 11
Veracruz: (Mana - d8+42) 50
Mana: Hitting for 50 physical damage! [Suppression: Struck targets have -20 CoS to hit you on their next action. I forgot this after Water Shoot, not that it had a chance to come in.]
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 292/386, MP: 338/338, SoS: 96 - Amnesia (4)
Mana: Battle order: Aurora [F]:0 Theodore [F]:5 Veracruz [F]:5 Toth [F]:8 Xsaieta [F]:11 Lethifish B [F]:32
Mana: Status for Lethifish B [F] : [==========] Provoke(2)
Mana: Aurora!
Aurora goes for it anyway, sword slashing as it comes closer. [Attack, 44D]
Veracruz: (Aurora - 1d100) 47
Veracruz: (Aurora - 1d10+80) 85
Mana: It barrel rolls out of the way, fins flapping as it evades!
Mana: Theodore! Veracruz!
Theodore spinds his staff around before slamming it into the ground! His bracelt under the sleeve begins to glow intensely. [CT20] [4/5th Defense Factor]
Veracruz runs straight at the last fish, running weirdly low, dragging his knives on the ground and leaving at trail of flames as he goes along. He runs around the fish and when he's behind him, backflips and lands on it, knifes-first, on a handstand [Blindside, 39D]
Veracruz: (Veracruz - 1d100) 9
Mana: Hits! Weak against fire! Also I misread Aurora's 85 as her to-hit roll, so I'll just go ahead and put [85] on the fish now.
Veracruz waits for half a second to get his balance and kicks his feet, spinning away and deepening the cut [Power Strike]
Veracruz: (Veracruz - 1d8+48x1.5) 76.5
[OOC] Veracruz: +54 Piercing
[OOC] Mana: including the weakness, yeah?
[OOC] Veracruz: Yeah
[OOC] Mana: 76]! Fire burns into it - [54]!
Mana: Battle order: Toth [F]:0 Xsaieta [F]:3 Theodore [F]:17 Lethifish B [F]:24 Veracruz [F]:36 Aurora [F]:36
Mana: Status for Lethifish B [F] : [= ] Provoke(2)
Mana: Mr. Toth!
Toth‘ pauses. [18D]
Veracruz rolled 1d100 and got 4 ( Total: 4 )
Mana: Xsaieta!
Mana: Battle order: Xsaieta [F]:0 Theodore [F]:14 Toth [F]:15 Lethifish B [F]:21 Veracruz [F]:33 Aurora [F]:33
Xsaieta rushes up to the Lethifish, tapping Cruz on the shoulder before batting it straight up into the air with his sword - [Battle Rain D53]
Mana: It’s resistant to Undine! Boosted by Blindside!
Xsaieta rolled d12+100,75% and got 5 ( Total: 78.75 )
[OOC] Mana: 78]! It's slain, and showers down as energy! [+121 MP to who?
Xsaieta lets it fall right onto his sword, then points his sword at Veracruz dramatically!
Veracruz points his right knife at Xsaieta's blade, the energy sparks gathering into it. He tosses his knife up and catches it again
[OOC] Veracruz: [SHP: 50] HP: 350/350, MP: 350/350, SoS: 87
Toth: "Well done."
[OOC] Mana: Got 6 AP. 60 EXP. 15 Lucre.
Theodore: "…Guess they used all their lucre on the way over?" Theodore rolsl a shrug as the light form his bracelt abruptly dies down.
Veracruz: "If they're commuting, that's probably a lot of lucre they lost"
Toth: "Now, about this…" He walks forward, tapping the boulder with his staff.
Xsaieta: "May I?"
Toth: "Go ahead."
Theodore: "Go for it."
Toth‘ backs up.
Xsaieta lets out a shockingly sudden roar, somewhen having exchanged his sword for his hammer, jumps into the air, and brings the hammer down on the boulder!
Mana: The boulder shatters into two halves! A passageway leads inside.
Theodore lets out a cheer!
Toth: "-Also- well done!"
Veracruz scratches behind his head
Veracruz: "Oh well I wanted to do that"
Veracruz: "but okay"
Veracruz creeps in the passageway, carefully, to see what’s inside
Xsaieta hits the ground and the boulder, then looks at Cruz and scratches behind his own ear for a moment before going over and giving him a friendly hug. "Sorry! I'll let you have the next one, I promise."
Aurora whistles softly. "Impressive."
Xsaieta: "It was just… there, y'know? I had to smash it." Anyways, onwards.
Mana: A long passageway - the stones inlaid with brass. Iron sconces line it - unlit, lighting with green flame with a fwoosh as you head down, pair by pair.
Xsaieta: "Now that's a nice touch."
Veracruz: "Neat indeed" he crosses his arms for a moment "Hrm…" shrugs and moves on
Mana: About halfway along the tunnel, you hear a clatter of footsteps on stone, a faint flapping of cloth, the sliding of wood on wood. Or… something like that.
Theodore: "Yeah it probably wouldn't look as nice with orange flames."
Mana: A clinking-like-glass noise.
Veracruz: "Guess we woke up someone"
Toth‘ weighs his staff in one hand as he proceeds, on alert now.
Aurora: "It’s certainly… atmospheric."
Theodore: "Weren't being *that* loud."
Xsaieta: "Could roar louder, if you'd like, just to make sure."
Theodore: "Hold onto that thought until we see it."
Veracruz: "Well, who knows how lightly the dead sleep"
[OOC] Mana: Blackstone Chamber
Mana: A woman, cradling a white mask in her fingers, waits for you in a throne at the opposite side of this chamber. Her nails are long and painted bright red - she's barely dressed in a black cloak, and gazes at the new arrivals with her best affectation of a look of mere, slight, passing interest.
Mana: Her hair is long and black, except for a single curly strand that's out of place and poking up to one side.
Mana: There's a curtain drawn across one of the walls, hiding what seems to be another chamber. You notice that a bunch of empty bottles have been really quickly shoved behind it.
Theodore pauses for a second, opens his mouth, closes it and takes a long look at the woman on the throne.
Toth confidently approaches.
Mana: "Ah, humans. How long it's been since any have sought my audience."
Toth: "Very long, if the ferryman is to be believed. I'm Mr. Toth."
Xsaieta saunters in, bows - nearly kneeling in a single graceful motion - to the mysterious woman.
Theodore: "Who uh, were we seeking an audience with again?"
Veracruz bows
Aurora dips a curtsey to the lady as they approach. "Aurora, of the Order of Solar Knights."
Mana: "So that great order still survives. Interesting."
Theodore rests his hands on the back of his head. Doesn't seem like he's big into formalities.
Xsaieta: "Yima Xsaieta. It is truly a pleasure and an honour to meet you." Of -course- he's into formalities.
Mana: "So my reputation still precedes me in some places, I see."
Veracruz: "Veracruz, at your service"
Aurora blinks, frowning. "…Survives? Commander Apollo formed it over a decade ago… maybe he took an old order's name…"
Veracruz looks at Aurora, now that is interesting
Mana: A fat, grey cat pokes her head into the curtain from behind it, creating a cat-head shaped depression in it. She begins purring and rubbing her face against it.
Mana: "But… of course." The woman says. "Ten thousand years ago, there was an esteemed order that carried that self-same name."
Mana: "Is it coincidence? Did he dredge it up from history books?" She smiles, mysteriously, turning away from the cat.
Mana: "Or is there something stranger at work?"
Mana: "Almost… almost… interesting."
Aurora shrugs, shaking her head. "That's a good question… he is rather fond of stories and histories, though…"
Mana: The cat rolls over on its belly and begins paddling with its hind-legs at the curtain.
Mana: Back, I mean. Belly facing upwards. You know. Cats.
Theodore glances over at Xsaieta with a 'you're just rolling with this right' sort of look.
Xsaieta: "I'd put lucre on there being something stranger at work. Life's more interesting when there's a story to something, I imagine death's the same way." He squats onto his haunches, then, and taps his fingertips against the floor, beckoning her cat for scritchles behind the ear.
Xsaieta twitches an ear at Theodore, joyfully.
Toth clears his throat. "Sorry. But I'm newer to this side of Titania."
Toth: "And with enough wandering one tends to simply -go- places."
Mana: The woman sighs a little as the cat happily races over to Xsaieta, going thump thump thump as she bounces across the floor.
Mana: "All wanderers come here eventually, you see. But with such color in your skin, don't you find it a little early?"
Veracruz: "We found a different pathway here than the pathway taken by most"
Mana: "Still, I would be… happy to have you." She turns, laughing into a free hand.
Toth: "Yes, but that didn't stop us."
Theodore: "Yeah we're not dead, just… exploring. Didn't really come here for any particular reason other than curiosity."
Veracruz: "So we are still somewhat unsure where we ended up, to be sincere"
Toth: "Why hasn't there been anyone in a while?"
Xsaieta: "Even if the precise contours of knowledge have been lost to time, my lady…" He reaches out, scritchles the cat's ear, purrs back at it momentarily. "Can you fault us our desire to cheat a little, and meet you early?"
Aurora smiles, kneeling down beside Xsaieta, stroking the cat's back.
Mana: The cat just sort of rams her face into Xsaieta's palm and begins purring madly into it. She arches her back against Aurora.
Xsaieta understands cats, you see.
Mana: The woman pauses, looking off, lifting the white mask to her lips for a moment.
Mana: "Could I fault? But curiosity, and yes, even sweet trespass, clothed in innocence as you may be… one finds certain fates associated with that, does one not?"
Mana: The cat starts licking Xsaieta's palm.
Theodore: "Naw, not really."
Mana: "Not faulting…" She turns, smiles mysteriously. "But one may well witness… consequence."
Mana: She looks down her nose at Theodore. "Or one may not. We shall see, shan't we?"
Veracruz raises an eyebrow at her for a moment, then readjusts his face "Pure hearts are good with consequences, they tend to be good ones, though"
Theodore: "Well I mean, there's always gunna be consequences. S'why anyone does anything. S'not quite the same thing as fate though."
Xsaieta smiles at her, radiantly. "Fate is such an ugly word for an ugly thing, isn't it? Consequences, now… consequences are exciting."
Mana: "Let me bring this knowledge back to the light of the world - I am Xerelle, of the Dark places, Ruler of Death and the Dead and Empress of the Dark Heart."
Mana: She curls her fingers around the edge of her mask, one of them tracing a circle around its eye.
Mana: "And they are, aren't they?"
Theodore: "- Dark Heart? That anything like a Pure Heart?"
Theodore: "(Theodore, by the by.)"
Mana: "Its dark mirror of inverted humors, shot through with obsidian, dredged up from the ruin of time."
Theodore: "So that would mean… rather than going to a whole new world… you'd… end old worlds?"
Veracruz is feeling like this conversation is stepping too far into Xsaieta-land, still Theodore asks a good question
Mana: "Of course. The cruel, but necessary romance of falling leaves."
Theodore: "Huh. Interesting."
Mana: The cat flops over onto its side.
Toth: "When has a world outlived itself? When there's no more story to tell about it?"
Mana: Her tail straightens out.
Theodore: "I guess if Pure Hearts just kept making stuff it would geta bit crowded, huh?"
Aurora: "…Do those old worlds include an afterlife that no one comes to anymore?"
Xsaieta scritches the cat's chin, glancing up at her through half-closed eyes. "Is it really cruel, though? To destroy something that shouldn't exist any more, I mean."
Theodore points to Xsaieta, "More like erase than destroy. Make so it never was."
Mana: "Well, clearly, someone comes to it- ah-" She turns to look at Xsaieta, instead.
Xsaieta: "To me, that sounds a lot like kindness. I'm not sure I could tell the difference!"
Mana: "You have a naive kindness, if you can call the touch of these blood-red nails anything but cruel, traveler."
Veracruz: "Well… Leaving a rotting body behind does no-one no good, really I think"
Veracruz: "I mean sure a nice funeral and all but, you know, still not helping anyone, even the dead one"
Xsaieta smiles with utter innocence: "Oh! You- thought I was talking about you. I'm sorry."
Mana: "Hunting for consequences, are you?" She laughs.
Theodore: "(I'd probably go with weird rather than naive and kind, but…)"
Veracruz: "(I think you're right, Theo)"
Xsaieta continues petting the cat. "You're either hunting for consequences, or you're somewhere like here for good, aren't you?"
Mana: She smiles, cooly tucks the stray hair back into place, eyes serenly shut. "Are you confessing that you're here for bad, then?"
Xsaieta: "No, we're here because we're alive. And because we're curious. And because we're the cause and not the effect."
Xsaieta: "I don't… -think-… any of those things are 'bad'."
Mana: She traces a finger up the arm-rest of her throne. "Death can be sweet, as well. Perhaps you'll have the opportunity to find that, sometime…?"
Mana: "But I'm not sure how much of your curiosity I can quench before you get burned, so to speak. Some things cannot be explained, you see."
Theodore: "S'fine, we were mostly just… looking around."
Theodore: "OH! OH OH OH OH OH!"
Mana: "…Yes?"
Xsaieta: "I imagine so." He smiles. "When it's time, let's meet again? But… not today, no."
Veracruz looks at Theodore that was… That just was
Theodore dance sin place for a minute, then shakes his head. "How do you know when it's time to erase a world? Do you like have a day planner for that sort of thing? We actually have some questions about a world that in the process of uh…" he gestures vaguely, "Going away."
Veracruz stares deeper at Theodore, then looks at her again "There is that, yes"
Mana: Xerelle looks at Theodore.
Mana: She pauses, turns her head, seems to soften a little. She lifts the mask to her face, holds it there.
Mana: "…Oh." She frowns, in a melancholy way.
Mana: "…This is… serious, isn't it?"
Veracruz: "Quite serious"
Toth: "Seven degrees of serious."
Theodore: "A little yeah, but that's no reason for reason to get frowny about it."
[OOC] Theodore: for us to^
Mana: "Ah. Well…"
Mana: "…The bit about the dark heart, that was just… hm…"
Mana: "…Let's call it poetry."
Mana: "What are you?"
Theodore sighs.
Xsaieta: "I already answered that, sweetheart."
Toth: "Pure Hearts."
Toth: "If it's selfish to say we're -more- alive…"
Xsaieta: "Alive. Curious. And the cause, rather than the effect."
Theodore: "Don't answer 'yes' if you don't know what a person is talking about! It makes you look a little silly. But uh. Yeah, Pure Hearts. We make stuff that never was / always has been."
Theodore: "Y'know the more times that gets sound out loud the more diefic and rediculous thta starts to sound."
Veracruz: "Basically, yes. As far as we know (we don't actually know everything) we are Pure Hearts. We don't seem to quite die either, and it looks like we have a lot of problems to solve"
[OOC] Theodore: -sound +said
Mana: "Well…"
Toth: "Yeah, it's not just me- vocalizing it just makes problems."
Mana: "…No one has died in quite some time. I mean, a long, long time."
Veracruz: "Hrm… Well… Not reaaaaally?"
Toth: "People have died, they've just gone elsewhere."
Veracruz: "I mean am led to think that there's another afterlife they're going to"
Xsaieta: "Are you sure, Toth?"
Mana: "I do, you know, rule over death. That's real and actual. I know when someone dies. There was actually a close call, two nights ago…"
Xsaieta: "I mean… she'd know."
Theodore: "Naw I mean - conceptually it makes sense but it's… definitely not a mortal sounding… gift?" Theodore pauses. "I know we can't died but is that… like a wide spread thing? How long as it been since someone died? Alex said he killed someone two days ago."
Xsaieta: "People aren't dyin' when they're killed, they're going somewhere else…"
Veracruz: "But Alex also died like the same day, though"
Toth: "I'm as sure as things that I've heard and seen."
Veracruz blinks, looks at her "Wait, a close call. I don't think she is talking about Alex, but his target"
Toth: "Those holes in the walls were filled with bodies, and I held one myself as they expired."
Theodore: "Yeah, he killed someone, then someone killed him. And then he woke up. But I thouoght the waking up thing was juast a Pure Heart thing."
Mana: "Hmm…"
Veracruz furrows his eyebrows "Something is definitely off here"
Toth: "No, it's because of Paradise, but I don't know the how or why."
Toth: "I can probably guess the latter, but."
Xsaieta nods to Mr. Toth.
Mana: "Paradise…"
Mana: "So, someone's stealing deaths, then."
Xsaieta: "That's what they call it, anyways."
Mana: "Interrupting the process, spiriting the souls away to elsewhere."
Toth: "That kind of thing is possible, huh?"
Xsaieta: "It's happening, so it must be possible."
Veracruz: "That seems like the case"
Toth: "More rhetorical and narratively said."
Xsaieta: "Ah, of course."
Theodore: "Titania: still weird."
Toth: "I don't know anything about the actual death process, other than, I assume, no heartbeat. And maybe your brain dying. Don't know about souls."
Toth: "And how they get from A to B."
Mana: "The essence of a person - the memory of shape. The heart, the passion, flickering out without lives to fuel them, draining out into the world."
Mana: "It can be twisted into a monster - it can survive as a ghost, walking through the same steps -"
Mana: "Or, most sweetly, it can die…"
Mana: "…Perhaps lingering in my garden, a little, first."
Xsaieta glances at her. "Out of sheer curiosity, do you have any idea of how long it's been? Old Charon out there was napping against the pear tree."
Theodore: "This is kind of off topic but I gotta ask: what's the deal with the chains and pools of water anyways?"
Mana: "You mean, why keep the dead lingering in such strange bondage?"
Toth: "That'd be it."
Theodore: "Yyyyeah."
Aurora nods.
Mana: "If death didn't have a certain sad horror to it, how would we mourn?"
Mana: "If the dead lived on in a pale mirror, happily, how could we look at the world around us and be happy? How could we say that it was a tragedy that they were lost?"
Theodore: "Why mourn, rather than celebrate what was?"
Mana: "Life has loneliness, I think."
Veracruz: "With all due sincerity"
Mana: She moves the mask to one side, smiling.
Mana: "We hang the dead from chains so that they might be pulled back up."
Veracruz: "One people who feel lonely are those who overthink things"
Theodore considers for a moment, rocking his head from side to side, then eventually nods and returns the smile. "Good enough for me."
Toth gives a strange look to Veracruz.
[OOC] Veracruz: -one +only
Toth turns back to face her. "And yet, that's what it sounds like happens."
Xsaieta sits back on his heels, grinning. "Oooh. I like that. I mean, I could probably argue against it, but… I like it." Back to scritchling the cat; he'd gotten momentarily distracted.
Toth: "But not much feels like it changed, other than the frequency of executions, perhaps."
Mana: She moves the mask back into place. That may be a proud smile she's hiding.
Mana: "…The frequency of executions?"
Aurora: "So… Do they stay down there for eternity, or what?"
Toth: "There was one just yesterday. The Sage Joch."
Toth: "And the guillotine is nothing if not accurate."
Toth: "Something about inflated charges or whatnot…"
Toth: "Well, it happened all the same, so any such trial is long done."
Mana: "But if no one's dying, it's not… really an execution, as such."
Mana: "They bisect the mortal shell, and ship him off to some strange prison."
Xsaieta: "You can't really say a guillotine is accurate if people aren't… actually…" -he gives her a slow thumbs up.
Xsaieta: "You got it."
Toth looks like he was about to say something, and then- stops, in that dawning of realization.
Toth: "Hm."
Toth: "Ceremony's really a stickler."
Theodore: "So you people in Titania do, like, anything right?"
Xsaieta: "Is it ever."
[OOC] Theodore: Do^
Toth: "Sure. Have you had a Wisp Wrap yet?"
Toth: "Though they are fairly overpriced, so you may still yet have a point."
Veracruz: "They don't seem to do a lot right, really"
Veracruz: "Hrm… Well, guess we can add that one on the list as well, I guess. Seems like someone's tampering with death"
Aurora: "…I guess that's what we're here for."
Xsaieta: "Aren't we all starting with a certain particular definition of 'right' and then talking and talking until we're blue in the face…"
Xsaieta: "…ah, well."
Toth: "Regardless, you've got me curious as to just when you'd know someone died. But that's in the details- I can leave that to you."
Toth: "Well, yes- you have to push up against your boundaries to know how strong they are."
Toth: "If I didn't weigh anything against what I thought I knew, what good would it be?"
Theodore: "That is exactly what I'm doing, yeah, Xsaieta. Tlakin' my version of right." Theodore grins, just a little.
Xsaieta: "And this is why we're bros. I was talkin' about all of them, though." He grins, just a little.
Mana: Xerelle traces a finger across the mask's lips, holding it near her neck. "Some of your boundaries might well be thinner than you imagine."
Mana: "So many are… so easily pierced."
Toth: "Now -that-, you can leave to me."
Veracruz: "Definitely can't leave that Xsaieta"
Theodore laughs quietly.
Xsaieta grins.
Mana: "Is that so? Is he… attached to his?"
Mana: The cat decides to get up and run off elsewhere.
Veracruz: "More like he's got none"
Xsaieta wiggles his fingertips goodbye at the cat, glances up. "What's the worst thing that could possibly happen to me? I wake up in my bed the next morning."
Veracruz: "Someone else could wake up in your bed next morning"
Veracruz: "Not certain you'd dislike that, though"
Toth: "I think that may end up being a win condition."
Theodore: "Yeeeeah."
Xsaieta: 2 "Naw, Cruz, that's a win cond-" -stare at Toth.
Mana: Xerelle lifts the mask to her face, as if this has somehow all gotten away from her.
Toth stares at Xsaieta.
Toth nods once.
Veracruz: "Well-"
Toth turns back to Xerelle.
Veracruz takes a deep breath
Xsaieta looks back to Xerelle. "Sorry, sorry."
Mana: "…Anyway, so… fake deaths."
Veracruz goes nowhere with that well
Mana: "Um."
Veracruz: "Is there… Has there been anything"
Veracruz: "Hum… Weird? I mean- Do you have a memory of when the last death was?"
Veracruz: "Maybe, just maybe, there is something out there that happened at the same time that can give us a hint"
Theodore places a hand on Veracruz's head.
Xsaieta: "Gonna bet it was…"
Xsaieta deliberately trails off.
Mana: "…Seventy years ago."
Mana: "…About the same time that this chamber was sealed off."
Veracruz: "Hrm… Well… That is interesting"
Theodore glances to Toth.
Toth: "…is that so."
Theodore: "Wait no that was the other direction."
Theodore: "Although like -"
Xsaieta: "…yup."
Theodore: "Do you think whoever sealed off the artist sealed off…. uhhh…. What'd you call this place again, Miss?"
Toth: "He sure is a lonely guy, isn't he?"
Xsaieta: "Almost certainly."
Veracruz blinks "Wait"
Veracruz: "Who sealed this chamber, ma'am?"
Mana: She turns to one side, keeping her mask flat, facing out towards her audience.
Mana: "…I was asleep. I woke up, and there was a rock there."
Veracruz: "Hrm… This is really weird. Seems like everything happenedat the same time"
Toth: "It's gone now, just so we're absolutely clear."
Xsaieta: "I bet it's gonna be real obvious to us inside of a day or so, though."
Mana: "Thank you, for that."
Theodore: "Who'd of figured you could stop death just by putting a boulder in front of the Empress of Death's door."
Mana: "…Do I owe you mortals a favor, then?" She lowers the mask, smiling over it.
Aurora: "…Seventy years ago. About when the Emperor… came into power."
Mana: "How-"
Mana: "I'm… sure it involved something else, too!"
Mana: "-…interesting."
Theodore pauses, blinks and double takes in Aurora's direction.
Toth: "Sometimes… most of the time, the simplest answer is the correct one."
Toth: "Case in point."
Theodore: "…Actually that sounds about in line with all the other weird stuff he's doing."
Veracruz pokes Theodore
Veracruz: "(You forgot how this place came to be?)"
Xsaieta snaps his fingers at Aurora. "Inside of a day! Like I said."
Theodore: "It was always here dude, try and keep up!"
Aurora: "At least, that's about the time he put the Jewelery ban in place."
Veracruz: "If you don't quite believe Toth"
Veracruz: "But yeah, seems like more of the emperor's strange occurances"
Toth: "No, no, it was always here. But you couldn't get here until it was created. Ask anyone, they'll tell you it's been here."
Toth: "Anyway- yes."
Veracruz: "Yes it's what i'm saying, Toth"
Veracruz: "That is the something else she must be talking about"
Toth: "To be fair… thinking about it, what else to be continued to be in custody of the city, than for them to remove your physical shell and entrap your soul."
Theodore: "Didn't what's her face say that the jewelry ban was fifty years back? I duno that whole thing was bizzare. Anyways."
Toth: "Stealing it from even death."
Toth: "Call it Paradise or however. I've only heard, not… seen."
Xsaieta stares at Toth for a few seconds and then frowns and looks back at the Lady. "Now what did you say happened to people who didn't die properly?"
Theodore turns back to Xerelle. "You don't *need* do do anything for us, I don't think, but… if you wanna return the favor, if you have any jewelry laying around, or any cool weapons…."
Veracruz chuckles at Theodore
Xsaieta: "Because you gotta ask yourself, who benefits from lumping all that dead-people into one big pile somewhere…"
Mana: "A piece of jewelry…?"
Mana: "You're after magic!"
Toth: "It's hard to come by, these days…"
Xsaieta: "Is there anyone in the history of anywhere ever that -wasn't-, really?" He smiles.
Theodore: "Yup! Emperor sort of banned the stuff and it's hard to come by now. Which is a problem, 'cause we're trying to save the world."
Aurora: "I guess… we might be? I don't really see why the Emperor thinks it's a bad thing…"
Toth: "You have to admit it's great for opposing others."
Xsaieta: "Magic… means power."
Mana: "And whoever do you plan to oppose?" She smirks, hanging the mask off one finger through an eye.
Xsaieta: "Emperor wants to condense all the power in one hand, so much that he couldn't stand the idea of even death having any power."
Theodore: "Goblins, Fiends, Angels, Invadors…"
Toth: "Anyone who would destroy the world. The… universe."
Theodore: "And some abstract concepts."
Xsaieta: "Anything I have to."
Veracruz: "Man Theo now that you say it"
Veracruz: "It's certainly a long list"
Theodore: "Seven and a half long yeah!"
Mana: She rises, tightens her robe about her, smiles.
Mana: "I'll have to liberate something from my collection."
Theodore: "Thanks, we appreciate it!"
Xsaieta: "I don't make lists of things I gotta tear apart, or might have to tear apart. What happens if some day somethin' needs torn apart and it's not on your list, you have to stop everything you're doing, mark it down on the list…"
Xsaieta: "…too complicated."
Toth: "It's appreciated, Xerelle."
Theodore: "Naw, dummy. You just add it to the list after the fact, before you turn it in."
Aurora mods… then covers her mouth as she giggles at Xsaieta's comment.
Xsaieta: "Why do you have to turn it in, though? There a recording angel ready to say, 'hey, you smote this, but it's not on the list…'"
Mana: She slips behind the curtain, lets her mask fall behind her. "I'll just be a moment."
Veracruz: "Well, no"
Veracruz: "If there's a recording angel it needs smiting too"
Xsaieta: "…what's it going to do to me? I'll just destroy him too, then."
Xsaieta highfives Veracruz with enough force to bowl him over.
Theodore glances at Xsaieta for a moment, then lunges at him and puts him in a headlock while hanging fomr his back.
Veracruz high fives- sprawling on the floor
Mana: Xerelle pokes her head out of the curtain: "…Not interrupting anything, am I?"
Xsaieta: "I love how we're all on the same wavele- acck!" And then the three of them were all in a tanglepile.
Theodore: "Naw not really."
Veracruz: "Nothing serious!"
Toth chuckles, waving off Xerelle. "They'll romp around a bit. They'll be okay."
Aurora: "…Just my entertainment, apparently."
Mana: "Just yours, lady Aurora?"
Aurora: "Well, everyones's here."
Theodore: "Oh, this is doin' it for ya?"
Xsaieta eyebrow wriggle.
Mana: Xerelle turns away for a moment, raising what she brought from her chambers - a lace-patterend choker, made of fine black iron with a leaf-and-thorn motif, inlaid with bipyramidal black stones and carved coral flowers.
Aurora: "It's amusing watching you boys play, yes."
[OOC] Mana: Rosenghost, Cassiterite - Mystic Invasion / Restore Heart. R: Shade, W: Wisp, Salamander.
Theodore: "But naw, I am totally givin' Felix a bill when it's all said and done. Might only, like, charge him a cake or something. But a bill is defintiely getitn' turned in. And hey if it's helpin', Aurora…" Theodore trails off, then glances over to Xerelle. "Neat! What kind? Ooooh, that kind!"
Toth: "Excellent. You have our thanks."
Aurora: "Now that's a pretty one…"
Xsaieta purrs appreciatively.
Veracruz stands up and dusts himself, looks at the Rosenghost "Ooh, that's neat. It would go well on Aurora. (though I don't think it quite fits her skillset)"
Theodore lets go of Xsaieta, then slides over to take the choker. "I could definitely get some use out of this. Duno about right this very second, but, like, in the near future definitely."
Mana: Xerelle lets it pool down into Theodore's palm with a smile.
Toth: "One day, we'll hopefully have a whole hope chest full of 'em."
Theodore: "Haha yeah." Theodore gives Xerelle a nod and a smile.
Mana: "Well, when you come back to my domain, we'll see how it looks on you."
Mana: "No matter how far away that twilight hour is."
Xsaieta reluctantly allows Theodore to extricate himself, then Cruz, bounds up and dusts himself off too since the cat went away, and gives Aurora a hand up while he's at it.
Theodore: "Depends on how far your your domain reaches. And if Pure Hearts can die from old age? But yeah, definitely."
Mana: "I find everyone passes through my fingers in time."
Mana: "…(Well, usually…)"
Theodore wasn't going to say it.
Veracruz: "Who knows- Although it would be a polite thing to come warn her on the situation of Paradise is solved"
Toth clears his throat.
Aurora nods. "Until next we meet, then."
Veracruz blinks, nods at Aurora and then bows at Xerelle "Well, then, until such times comes"
Mana: "Until such sweet times."
Toth: "Be seeing you. Enjoy the uh… fresh air."
Mana: "By whatever fashion they come to arrive."
Aurora gives Xerelle a deeper and more polite curtsey this time.
Xsaieta bows as gracefully as he did when they entered. "Truly a pleasure."
Theodore gives her a wave, before turning and heading out, spinning the choker around on one of his fingers as he goes. "Take care," over his shoulder.
Toth waves and confidently strides out.
Veracruz follows after Toth
Mana: She smiles, locking her teeth around an upwards-pointed finger as her audience departs.
Theodore: "Y'know without the full body hood and scythe, she's kinda cute." Pause, "Although not *quite* as cute as you."
Toth: "I do wear a mean suit."
Veracruz: "(Cat still left me kind of speechless)"
Xsaieta: "Personifications of abstract concepts aren't allowed to have cats?"
Theodore: "Have you… never seen a cat before?"
Toth: "What's wrong with the cat?"
Theodore: "Was pretty normal as far as cats go."
Veracruz: "Yep"
Veracruz: "I was just dumbfounded for no reasons"
Veracruz: "All in all she was a pretty nice one"
Theodore places a hand on Cruz's head, ruffles his hair.
Aurora smiles softly, shaking her head to try to cover up a light blush. "It was a pretty cute cat, yes."
Mana: The Great Stone Hall.
Toth: "Remind me, where is the funeral to be held, again?
Theodore: "In the uh… weird garden place in Jinn?"
Veracruz: "That garden in Jinn, yeah"
Veracruz: "We'd need to take the long route there"
Theodore: "Wonder if that dude fell back asleep."
Aurora: "Sneak our way in from underneath, you mean?"
Veracruz: "Yeah"
Toth: "Know of a hidden path?"
Aurora: "Well, Alexander showed us a way in from… Shade."
Toth: "Oho?"
Veracruz: "We're kind of already here, so not vrey fast"
[OOC] Veracruz: Very far
Toth: "Let's not be late."
Theodore: "Oh right, after the bit of impromptu theater."
Aurora: "Yes, near the Kuro Kuro Caceri."
Toth: "Lead on, then."
Mana: Across the river - Charon carries you for no fare - back through the hall.
Mana: Out to the entrance of Hexagon Land, that sloping, foggy highway.
Mana: Which way was it to the Dreaming City, again?
Toth: Up.
Mana: Upwards, through the fog.
Mana: Heading along the highway, you hear a girl humming, somewhere up ahead.
Aurora tilts her head, listening.
Toth casually looks ahead.
Theodore rests his heads behind his head as they approach.
Mana: Something light and peppy. There's a sillhouette in the fog - carrying a parasol in one hand, a mallet in the other.
Toth 's stare hardens, and he brings his staff around, step step thunk.
Theodore: "Hmm?"
Xsaieta flicks an ear up and glances at Toth.
Mana: It's her, alright - a smiling woman in a pink-and-orange sundress (with matching, cheery sunhat)
Veracruz blinks, looks at Toth, raising an eyebrow
Veracruz: "Oh, uhn- I feel like this is the one you spoke of?"
Toth stops.
Mana: Platform boots, eyelashes too long to be natural. She bunches the handles of her mallet and umbrella together and waves at Toth.
Theodore waves.
Mana: "Oh! You and your friends!"
Toth: "That'd be correct."
Toth: "Hello, Nara."
Toth: "What've you been up to, hm?"
Xsaieta glances her over. Definitely a fashion disaster.
Aurora: "Umm, hello."
Mana: "Just getting back from your Salamander district." She presses her elbows together, slumping a little in some kind of faux-sympathy.
Mana: "It's really a mess in there, you know. I'd do something about it, but… you know!"
Xsaieta grits his teeth.
Mana: She smiles, brightly, at Aurora. "And hello!"
Toth: "Just getting back? What else could you do if not be stirring the pot?"
Theodore: "Yeah, big goblin fire and all."
Mana: "No, silly! That was yesterday."
Theodore: "Something happened… today?"
Mana: She leans to one side. "Actually, I'm steering clear of the goblin guy. Doesn't he strike you as a little dangerous…?"
Veracruz: "Take it you were making a new problem for them?"
Toth: "We haven't met him- or have we? Are we talking about the same goblin?"
Mana: "Yeah, one of your gangs got in a scuffle with your guards, and it just sort of… didn't stop…"
Mana: "The one that's a spitting image of -"
Mana: "Err, really glam hair, fur coat?"
Xsaieta: "Oh, him. -wait, goblin?"
Theodore: "Wait hold on they make human shaped goblins now?"
Toth: "You've got to be kidding me…"
Veracruz: "Him?"
Xsaieta: "Damn, I didn't know goblins came in sexy."
Veracruz: "He's a nice guy, don't worry about him"
Theodore: "I *knew* he was creeping me out but I thought he was just a… you know." He gestures vaguely.
Mana: "Well, he's human. Just, you know. Goblin-themed."
Mana: "Um… but anyway! I've gone on and on without introducing myself."
Aurora: "…Goblin. Themed. Uh, sure."
Theodore: "Oh. Well that's totally different."
Mana: She reaches into one of the pockets of her dress.
Mana: "I'm Nara Odeheimer! A Justification, the fourth service!"
Mana: She throws a pinch of confetti to one side.
Mana: She throws a pinch of confetti to the other side.
Veracruz blinks
Theodore: "You should put some confetti on the umbrell,a then spin it."
Aurora: "Uh, nice to meet you? Aurora of the Order of Solar Knights…"
Xsaieta frowns, though. He knew Salamander was a powder keg, but that doesn't make it any easier, and so he misses the chance for a remark on the confetti.
Mana: "Hey! You're right. I'll do that next time, just for you."
Theodore: "Theodore, by the way. Wayward Hero extraordinare."
Theodore gives a thumbs up.
Aurora glances at Theodore. "That's new."
Mana: She stands ramrod straight for a moment and snaps Theodore a salute before relaxing her stance.
Theodore: "Well I mean, I didn't know what I was doing here until yesterday! But now I get it, yeah?"
Aurora: "Fair enough."
Veracruz: "Hrm… Well, you're still not where you're from so guessing Wayward still applies"
Mana: "Anyway, happy to meet all of you! Let's take good care of one another in the new world."
Veracruz scratches his head
Toth: "We're still not letting that happen."
Veracruz: "If you wanna join in on this one feel free"
Veracruz: "That works too"
Xsaieta: "What's with everyone today and existing to destroy a world?"
Aurora: "We rather like this world, sorry."
Theodore puts his hands back behind his head.
Veracruz: "I think it's the sort of crowd that Pure Hearts attract, Xsai"
Theodore: "I don't think anyone would mind people just, like, normally immigrating here though."
Theodore gives a small smile to Nara.
Mana: "Mm, so nice! But this world, honestly, has a lot of serious problems."
Mana: "Like, you're beginning to figure that out, right…?"
Theodore: "It's true!"
Veracruz: "That is definitely true"
Theodore: "There's a whole bunch. We're fixin' 'em though."
Veracruz: "It'd help if you stopped being one of them, we're trying to fix them"
Theodore: "(It's what Heroes do, you know?)"
Mana: "You can't just spackle glue over it, you know! This world's almost all glue anyway."
Theodore: "Glue is for chumps. We got somethin' way better."
Mana: "Uh-huh?"
Veracruz: "'course it ain't just glue, ma'am. We're going to fix it pretty good, going to be brand new"
Mana: "Well…" She finally takes her umbrella into her other hand, closes it with a snap, points it at Cruz.
Theodore: "We got…" Theodore's hands drop, as he leans in closer to Nara, "…Super magic ultra glue."
Mana: "…That's what we're doing, though."
Theodore: "Yeah Cruz you definitely lost that one."
Toth hangs his head. "You weren't exactly winning, yourself."
Veracruz: "You're more or less doing the opposite"
Veracruz: "Like, from what I hear you're kind of breaking things"
Theodore: "No, no. I had three modifiers in front of it. That's way better."
Theodore: "They're like, exponential."
Mana: "Killing people, you mean?"
Mana: "…So, what happens to people when they die in your world?"
Mana: "Not you guys. But, you know, people!"
Theodore: "You make Xerelle really sad, is what happens."
Veracruz: "Well, there seems to be multiple afterlifes to choose from"
Aurora: "From the sounds of it, I don't think people are getting a choice…"
Veracruz: "Except there seems to be a problem somewhere in the system, yeah"
Mana: She tilts her head towards Veracruz.
Mana: "A… problem?"
Mana: She turns, looks upwards.
Mana: "We can walk together, if you'd like. For a bit."
Toth: "No time."
Toth: "We've somewhere to be."
Veracruz: "Well, we just figured that out and we're adding it in the list of problems to solve"
Veracruz: "And yeah, we're a little short on time"
Toth: "I told you I'd come back."
Mana: "So we can walk and talk, is the thing. Instead of stand and talk."
Mana: "You know?"
Mana: She turns around, points upwards with her umbrella.
Aurora: "That works, I guess…"
Toth: "I know and I'm refusing!"
Theodore raises an eyebrow, glancing between Toth and Nara.
Mana: She leans forward over her mallet.
Theodore: "Guess he really doesn't like you very much, huh?"
Mana: "So you're gonna stick around here and keep me company 'cause you got a busy schedule?"
Veracruz: "No I think he's meaning to say he doesn't likes talking to you"
Veracruz: "And would rather go on"
Toth: "Leave us be, or we can put an end our correspondence right now." He spins his staff into both hands.
Xsaieta: "Well, the thing is… generally speaking… when someone declares themselves your enemy, you don't… really… want to be sharing all your information with them."
Xsaieta: "This isn't the kind of story where everyone can just hug and be friends."
Theodore: "Man, I kinda really like knowing what my enemies know, though."
Mana: "I think Theodore has a point, you know." The Justification offers.
Aurora …slowly nods.
Mana: "But, um, if you wanna bring it, then bring it. Do you know what I could get done with you guys outta commission for a day?"
Theodore: "Could probably go for Cruz sayin' a smidgen less, but like." He rolls a shrug.
Toth: "The problem is when that works both ways."
Veracruz: "I definitely slipped there, I admit"
Toth: "And yes, Veracruz tends to talk too much, so it's not even optimal at the moment."
Veracruz: "So I think we're at a the point where i'd rather just say goodbye and go along?"
Xsaieta: "Haven't… actually heard thing one from you outside of 'Salamander's blowin' up', which is something I'd guessed already, so keep trying."
Xsaieta: "Or, you know… go whatever way you're goin' and we go whatever way we're goin', that would also work."
Aurora: "We have a funeral we're supposed to attend, however."
Mana: "Up in Wisp?"
Veracruz: "Yeah"
Toth: "…where did you take them? The wrapped and drained."
Mana: "Into our world, of course!"
Mana: "If they decide to work as services, you might see them again."
Mana: "…Though, if they don't end up as Justifications, you probably won't notice…?"
Aurora: "In Jinn, actually."
Theodore: "Not that we'd recognize them, of course."
Mana: "They won't recognize you, either!"
Theodore: "Probably for the best, really."
Mana: "Do you guys know how weird you looked before I became a Service? It's pretty wow."
Theodore: "How weird?"
Aurora: "…No?"
Mana: "Super weird."
Toth taps the front of his staff against the ground, twice. Clack, clack.
Theodore: "Describe it to me."
Toth: "Regardless… I've had enough."
Mana: "All tangled vines and stitched together patchwork and flopping cloth."
Mana: "And some of you are sort of…"
Mana: She turns to Toth. "Oh, sorry."
Toth: "You might be able to accomplish a lot in a day with us gone."
Theodore: "Man, I think you mean sproutlings. Not us."
Toth: "But we've a lot on our plate, and we'll have to tackle it sooner or later."
Toth: "Now, it's sooner."
Toth steps forward and assumes a fighting stance!
Mana: "Thought you'd never ask!"
Xsaieta draws his sword like he's been waiting for Toth to say that.
Mana: She throws both her weapons up into the air and claps, catching them on the drop.
Aurora steps forward as well, holding out an arm in front of Toth. "Is this really the time for that?"
Mana: Two spheres, shimmering, golden, with eyes that gleam violet, appear from a line of light behind her.
Theodore: "So what are your plans for the day after you beat us into a pulp anyways?"
Toth: "I can't think of a better way of help saving the world than to confront our problems, given a chance!"
Xsaieta: "Sometimes… you gotta destroy what you've decided shouldn't exist any more!"
Mana: Battle order: Justification [F]:0 Theodore [F]:1 Xsaieta [F]:2 Toth [F]:2 Veracruz [F]:5 Aurora [F]:5 Satell Eye Y [B]:5 Satell Eye X [B]:6
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye X [B] : [==========]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [B] : [==========]
Mana: "Well, move us into our new digs, of course!"
Mana: "We've got our eyes on a dis~trict."
Aurora: "…All four of them?"
Mana: "We got lots!"
Theodore: "That'd only take a day?? But - oh? Which one? I'm kinda partial to Undine, myself."
Aurora shakes her head, stepping back and drawing her sword. Looks like there's no way to avert this now.
Mana: "Well, I don't want to offend…"
Mana: "…That's why I was gonna do it when you're out of town."
Mana: The Justification points her umbrella forward, towards Theodore. "Nothing personal - [Potentia Minima]!"
Mana: Light and shadow bend in towards Theodore. [When someone misses, Theodore takes 112 Shade damage!]
Theodore: "Ah, you're into Undine too? Right on, right on."
Mana: She rushes in and lays into Mr. Toth with a strike of her mallet.
Mana rolled 1d100 and got 83 ( Total: 83 ) for C80-Evasion
Mana: But he parries!
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Xsaieta [F]:1 Toth [F]:1 Veracruz [F]:4 Aurora [F]:4 Satell Eye Y [B]:4 Satell Eye X [B]:5 Justification [F]:49
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye X [B] : [==========]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [B] : [==========]
Mana: Theodore!
Theodore: "But I mean, that's cool." Theodore nods in understancing, spinning his staff twice and taking a swing at Satell Eye X. [42D]
Theodore rolled 1d100 and got 50 ( Total: 50 ) for 80
Theodore rolled d10+64 and got 9 ( Total: 73.0 )
[OOC] Mana: 54] vs. back row!
Mana: Xsaieta! Mr. Toth!
[OOC] Toth: humor me with an HP check
Mana: Battle order: Xsaieta [F]:0 Toth [F]:0 Veracruz [F]:3 Aurora [F]:3 Satell Eye Y [B]:3 Satell Eye X [B]:4 Theodore [F]:41 Justification [F]:48
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye X [B] : [======== ]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [B] : [==========]
Xsaieta rushes at Satell Eye X, viciously! [Slam Attack D55]
Toth holds his staff like a halberd, and Wisp mana begins to gather at the tip! The entire staff glows! [CT 50]
Xsaieta rolled 1d100 and got 5 ( Total: 5 ) for 5/85
[OOC] Xsaieta: glooooooria
Xsaieta rolled d12+125,225% and got 5 ( Total: 292.5 )
Mana: Nara leans out of the way as the eye takes a smash! It buzzes and chirps angrily. A critical hit against the back row!
[OOC] Mana: Do you have another 25% or did you forget it's a back row target
[OOC] Xsaieta: I mixed up +50% and +25% oops
[OOC] Mana: 260]! It explodes!
Theodore: "Hey, Nara. How do you do that thign where you attack so fast it's like your goin' twice as fast anywho? That's a super cool trick."
[OOC] Xsaieta: [SHP: 50] HP: 256/350, MP: 320/350, SoS: 87 - Rampage (U)
Mana: "It's the privilege of batting on the away team!"
Toth: "You'll need it- but it won't help you in the end."
Mana: "Monsters do it, robots do it, even all the little Services do- oh, gosh!"
Veracruz pulls out both of his knives and a paintbrush, he carefully writes "BURNING" in one and "BRIGHT" in the other. He puts away the paintbrush and hits his knives against eachother, lighting them both on fire [Flame Sheath, 42D]
[OOC] Veracruz: [SHP: 50] HP: 350/350, MP: 290/350, SoS: 87 - Flame Sheath (S)
Mana: Battle order: Aurora [F]:0 Satell Eye Y [B]:0 Theodore [F]:38 Veracruz [F]:42 Justification [F]:45 Toth [F]:47 Xsaieta [F]:52
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [B] : [==========]
Mana: Aurora!
Theodore: "Hmm, guess I dropped down on the wrong side for lightning reflexes then, huh? Ah, well."
Xsaieta looks towards Nara, fang glinting in what light there is.
Mana: "Well, I'll show you sometime!"
Veracruz: "Well, you get competent party members instead"
Theodore: "Although like, that means *I'm* not fighting Aurora and Xsaieta, and, honestly, that's probably a way better perk."
Mana: She pats her remaining Satell Eye with her parasol.
Aurora points her sword at Nara, lining her in a [Corona] of light! [34D] (6) for 40/120
Mana: "Well, they're okay. They're good at fighting monsters."
Xsaieta growls: "I'm glad you're on our side, myself."
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 292/386, MP: 249/338, SoS: 96
Theodore: "They are, yeah. They're also pretty fun to look at, which is definitely a bonus."
Mana: "Oh, no, I mean… the Eyes are okay. Your crew is definitely a lot better, though."
Mana: Satell Eye Y begins glowing a deep violet - [Dark Stare, CT10]
Theodore: "(You're wearing a little too much make up for my taste, personally.)"
Mana: "(I wear it cause I like it.)"
Mana: …And it fires a lance of violet umbra through Xsaieta!
Mana rolled d10+60 and got 5 ( Total: 65.0 )
Theodore: "(That's way more important than my tastes, yeah!)"
Mana: 65 magical Shadow damage! Shadow clings to Xsaieta, weighing him down - [-20 CoS, -25% damage if your next attack targets the Justification!]
Aurora: "Well, I for one like your dress and hat."
Mana: Battle order: Aurora [F]:0 Theodore [F]:4 Veracruz [F]:8 Satell Eye Y [B]:10 Justification [F]:11 Toth [F]:13 Xsaieta [F]:18
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [B] : [==========]
Mana: Aurora!
Mana: "Thank you!" She does a little spin.
Aurora follows up by [Beckon]ing the remaining Satell Eye closer! [36D]
Aurora rolled 1d100 and got 45 ( Total: 45 ) for 70
Theodore: "Hey - what happens when *you* guys die, anyway?"
[OOC] Aurora: Provoke (4) and Pull into the front row
Mana: It buzzes and hovers into the front row. Provoke (4)!
Aurora: "You're welcome."
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Veracruz [F]:4 Satell Eye Y [F]:6 Justification [F]:7 Toth [F]:9 Xsaieta [F]:14 Aurora [F]:32
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [F] : [==========] Provoke (4)
Mana: Theodore!
Mana: "Well, I don't really know…"
Mana: "…I mean, the lower ranks can just leave…"
Theodore spins his staff around his body a few times, then slams it into the ground! The bracelet under his sleeve begins to glow intensely. [CT20] [4/5ths Defense Factor]
Mana: "…And I'd have to scoop the Dispassionata out…"
Mana: Veracruz!
Mana: Battle order: Veracruz [F]:0 Satell Eye Y [F]:2 Justification [F]:3 Toth [F]:5 Xsaieta [F]:10 Theodore [F]:16 Aurora [F]:28
Theodore: "Hm, well. If you come back, lemme know it's you, yeah? Feels kinda rude to take you out like this, but whadda ya gunna do?" Theodore rolls a half hearted shrug in Toth's direction.
Toth: "Rude…?!"
Toth exhales.
Theodore: "We were having a nice conversation!"
Toth steadies his aim, keeping it level.
Veracruz runs towards the the Satell Eye, spinning his knives leaving behind a spiralling trail of flame. He throws his left one as he approaches and jumps over the eye, spins around in a circular slash, leavhing a half-moon-shaped line of flames in the air for a moment [Attack, 32D]
Toth: "One that no doubt would have gone until Viglum."
Theodore: "Well I mean we still are, but now we're hitting each other two."
Xsaieta: "Theo, I have got to take you down to Luna district sometime. Just… throwin' that one out there."
Veracruz rolled 1d100 and got 19 ( Total: 19 )
Veracruz jumps over it, grabbing the knife ht threw
Mana: Hits!
Theodore: "What's over in Luna?"
Veracruz rolled 1d8+48 and got 5 ( Total: 53 ) for +36 Piercing Salamander damage
[OOC] Mana: 53]! [36]!
Xsaieta: "All kinds of weird shit. Think you'd probably have fun there, is all."
Theodore: "Ahah, right on."
Aurora: "…Sounds like it could be a fun time."
Mana: The Satell Eye begins charging [Dark Stare - CT10]!
Mana: The Justification looks down at the corona of light around her, hefts her mallet up, and rushes forward, striking at Aurora twice!
Mana rolled 2d100 and got 24, 98 ( Total: 122 ) for 80-Evasion, Critical 1-30
Mana rolled 1d12*2+120*2 and got 9 ( Total: 258.0 )
Mana: Clocking her for 258 physical damage!
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 54/386, MP: 249/338, SoS: 96
Theodore winces sympathetically.
Theodore: "Holy cow, Nara."
Aurora staggers back, that hurt! "…Ow."
Mana: Battle order: Toth [F]:0 Xsaieta [F]:5 Satell Eye Y [F]:7 Theodore [F]:11 Aurora [F]:23 Veracruz [F]:27 Justification [F]:48
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Status for Satell Eye Y [F] : [======= ] Provoke (4)
Mana: Mr. Toth!
Theodore: "Kinda wish I was chargin' a different spell now!"
Xsaieta growls..!
Veracruz: "That was seriously nasty"
Aurora is just glad the first one knocked her out of the way of the follow-up
Mana: "Guys, you're all carrying swords and stuff…"
Mana: "…Isn't that a little hypocritical?"
Theodore: "Huh? I was sayin' that was impressive as all get out!"
Mana: "Oh!"
Mana: "Ehehe, sorry!"
Toth raises his staff and points the pulsing, now humming staff at the Satell Eye Y, and lets loose a large beam of Wisp energy! [Last Striking of Creation's Orchestra ~ Da Capo Aeternam, 43D]
Veracruz: "Yeah- That definitely hurt a lot. Going to have to return that soon enough"
Theodore: "I can't be like, *too* nice about it though since I kinda like Aurora."
Mana: Hits the weakness!
Toth rolled 1d12+300,150 and got 1 ( Total: 451.5 )
Mana: Incinerates it to the tune of [451] damage!
Mana: A pile of dust falls onto the floor.
Aurora whistles. "…That certainly did it."
Mana: Battle order: Xsaieta [F]:0 Theodore [F]:6 Aurora [F]:18 Veracruz [F]:22 Toth [F]:38 Justification [F]:43
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Mana: Xsaieta!
Xsaieta: "You fight for your cause… I fight for mine. Nothing hypocritical about it…!" He takes a running leap at the Justification! [Slam Attack D55]
Xsaieta rolled 1d100 and got 100 ( Total: 100 ) for 5/65 and pray
Theodore: "…Man, that's almost a waste. Although Better to keep Aurora up an - OW!"
Mana: She parries! Xsaieta's weapon blurs - motes from it fall in towards Theodore for 112 shade damage!
Theodore: "…Wait hold on."
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Aurora [F]:12 Veracruz [F]:16 Toth [F]:32 Justification [F]:37 Xsaieta [F]:49
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================]
Theodore: "You cna get the sealed magic off of gems??????"
Mana: "Y…yeah? I'm carrying one now."
Theodore lets out a bretah and the light form under his sleeve burst out, then shows the party in healing sparkles. [Cure Light] [32D]
Theodore rolled d8+80 and got 7 ( Total: 87.0 ) for everyone
Aurora: "…Is there anyone important in this world who doesn't carry them?"
Mana: Battle order: Aurora [F]:0 Veracruz [F]:4 Theodore [F]:20 Toth [F]:20 Justification [F]:25 Xsaieta [F]:37
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================] Corona(5)
Mana: Aurora!
Veracruz: "Someone we will invariably have to defend from someone who does"
Aurora braces herself! [Steelguard, 44D]
Theodore: "I uh… huh. No, no. It's not that she has a gem. it's that she learned one of the sealed spirit abilities."
Theodore: "I thought only we could do that."
Mana: Veracruz!
Theodore: "…Althuogh I *was* wondering if they had Pure Hearts too…"
Toth: "Where'd you hear that?"
Mana: Battle order: Veracruz [F]:0 Theodore [F]:16 Toth [F]:16 Justification [F]:21 Xsaieta [F]:33 Aurora [F]:40
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================] Corona(5)
Xsaieta: "Naw, I'm pretty sure that's a thing other people can do, too."
Toth: "That's why the guards didn't have jewelry on them."
Theodore: "I didn't hear it, I just inferred - The people that put the jewelry plan in place thought that without any on you, you couldn't cast spells. Figured they just… didn't know about the sealed ones."
Aurora: "…Oh, they didn't?"
Toth: "Sadly no. We would have told you first thing."
Veracruz runs towards the justification, jumping around her and slashing at her, but missing completely. Each swipe leaves a trail of flames that hangs in the air, he continues that for a moment or two a before suddenly spinning around and delivering a powerful kick to her side and into the flames [Blindside, 39D]
Veracruz rolled 1d100 and got 38 ( Total: 38 )
Mana: Hits! She's resistant to Salamander!
Veracruz then suddenly jumps and delivers a spinning heel drop to her head [Power Strike]
Veracruz rolled 1d8+48,150 and got 4 ( Total: 78.0 ) for +18 Piercing Salamander
Mana: She falls back to her knees away from the blow, rolling to recover, springing back up to her feet. [78]! [18]!
Mana: Theodore! Mr. Toth!
[OOC] Theodore: inits plox
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Toth [F]:0 Justification [F]:5 Xsaieta [F]:17 Veracruz [F]:23 Aurora [F]:24
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [====================] Corona(5)
Mana: Status for Justification [F] actually : [=================== ] Corona(5)
Theodore: "Hmm… you're gunna beat the shit out of her if I don't… hm. Bah." Theodore slams his staff into the gournd again and the bracelet begins glowing once more. [CT15]
Mana: Mr. Toth!
Toth dashes after the rolling Justification, and he attacks with sweeping strikes! [Attack, 43D]
Toth rolled 1d100 and got 35 ( Total: 35 ) for 80
Mana: It's a hit!
Toth rolled 1d10+80 and got 7 ( Total: 87 )
[OOC] Veracruz: +25% from Blindside
[OOC] Toth: oop
[OOC] Toth: 108
[OOC] Mana: 108]!
Mana: Battle order: Justification [F]:0 Theodore [F]:10 Xsaieta [F]:12 Veracruz [F]:18 Aurora [F]:19 Toth [F]:38
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [================== ] Corona(5)
Mana: The Justification rushes in, doling out one slap of her parasol to Theodore and one to Aurora!
Mana rolled 2d100 and got 88, 77 ( Total: 165 ) for C80
Mana: But she can't catch either!
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Xsaieta [F]:2 Veracruz [F]:8 Aurora [F]:9 Justification [F]:15 Toth [F]:28
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [================== ] Corona(4)
Mana: Theodore!
Mana rolled d8+84 and got 8 ( Total: 92.0 )
Mana: Hitting Aurora for 92 physical damage, actually!
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 98/386, MP: 249/338, SoS: 96
Theodore: "Dang, *so close* to being perfectly efficent. Hang in there, Aurora!" He gestures towards her with a hand, covering her in healing magic. [Pinch Heal] [27D]
Theodore rolled d12+120 and got 6 ( Total: 126.0 )
Mana: Xsaieta!
Mana: Magic restores [+126]!
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 224/386, MP: 249/338, SoS: 96
[OOC] Xsaieta: hang on a sec
Aurora: "I'm hanging in there, don't worry."
Xsaieta just slogs in for an [Attack D50]!
Xsaieta rolled 1d100 and got 81 ( Total: 81 ) for 5/85
Mana: It's a hit!
Xsaieta rolled d12+100 and got 6 ( Total: 106 )
[OOC] Mana: 106]!
Mana: Battle order: Veracruz [F]:0 Aurora [F]:1 Justification [F]:7 Theodore [F]:19 Toth [F]:20 Xsaieta [F]:44
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [================= ] Corona(4)
Mana: "You guys have actually got a ton of tricks, don't you…?"
Mana: "I'm impressed!"
Mana: Veracruz!
Veracruz looks at Aurora "Want a set-up?"
Theodore: "Well, like, the two on the gem and then … some sealed stuff."
Aurora shakes her head. "Not while I'm target number one."
Theodore: "Barely scratching the surface, really."
Toth: "And it's only been a day."
Toth: "We're going to save the world."
Aurora: "Multiple times, from the sound of it."
Veracruz nods and just walks towards the justification, and lunges at her- It's a feint however, asking for a parry or a riposte, which he reponds with quickly diving between her legs and behind her, putting his hands on the ground and springing backwards with his feet straight on her back [Attack, 32D]
Veracruz rolled 1d100 and got 80 ( Total: 80 )
Mana: It's a hit!
Veracruz rolled 1d8+48 and got 1 ( Total: 49 ) for +18 Piercing Salamander
Mana: She stumbles forward. [49]! [18]!
Mana: Aurora!
Aurora continues to brace herself. [Steelguard, 44D]
Mana: The Justification takes a step back and opens her parasol, hurling it up into the air - as it floats gently down, she points her thumb upwards, and her pointer finger forward. [Fireball in CT15]
Theodore: "YES!"
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Toth [F]:1 Justification [F]:3 Veracruz [F]:13 Xsaieta [F]:25 Aurora [F]:26
Mana: Theodore!
Theodore dashes forward, slamming his staff into Nara's arm. "I have been waiting for two days for someone to fire a spell with their hand like a gun! Thank you." [42D]
Theodore rolled 1d100 and got 42 ( Total: 42 ) for 80
Mana: Hit!
Theodore rolled d10+64 and got 9 ( Total: 73.0 )
[OOC] Mana: 73]! Mr. Toth!
Toth follows after Theodor, attacking Nara's other arm! [Attack, 43D]
Toth rolled 1d100 and got 75 ( Total: 75 ) for 80
Mana: Hit!
Toth rolled 1d10+80 and got 2 ( Total: 82 )
[OOC] Mana: 82]!
Mana: The Justification fires a fireball straight upwards, hefts her parasol, and then dashes to deliver a slicing thwack to Theodore!
Mana: As she turns away, a fireball falls down onto him.
Mana rolled 1d100 and got 51 ( Total: 51 ) for 80-Evasion
Mana rolled d8+84 and got 8 ( Total: 92.0 ) for soaked by Corona
[OOC] Mana: 0] - Corona absorbs it!
Mana rolled 1d12*1.5+132*1.5 and got 12 ( Total: 216.0 )
Mana: Fireball hits a Salamander weakness for 216 magical Salamander damage!
Mana: Nara Odeheimer spins her parasol in hand - it begins glowing. Brave (2)!
Mana: "Um, not really into Undine, no. Sorry!"
Mana: Battle order: Veracruz [F]:0 Xsaieta [F]:12 Aurora [F]:13 Justification [F]:15 Theodore [F]:29 Toth [F]:31
Mana: Status for Justification [F] : [============== ] Corona(3) Brave(2)
Mana: Veracruz!
Theodore: "HOW DID YOU -"
Theodore: "That's cheating!"
[OOC] Xsaieta: blindside blindside blindside blindside blindside blindside? :DDDDDD
Theodore: "The spell is supposed to connect first!"
Toth: "(What is he going on about…?)"
Xsaieta: "(I've got no idea.)"
Veracruz starts bouncing on his feet "Well, Salamander's not a really good place to be right now either" he runs towards the Justification, tossing both of his knives at her. He proceeds to deliver a full body ram, tossing her on the ground and rolling to a stand pulling his knives out as he does it [Blindside, 39D]
Veracruz rolled 1d100 and got 83 ( Total: 83 ) for 80 CoS
Mana: The knives miss - and blur, and Theodore takes 112 Shade damage!
Theodore: "Augh okay NO MORE MISSING."
Mana: Battle order: Xsaieta [F]:0 Aurora [F]:1 Justification [F]:3 Theodore [F]:17 Toth [F]:19 Veracruz [F]:27
Mana: Xsaieta!
[OOC] Theodore: HP: 75/362, [TMP: 30] MP: 282/362, SoS: 90
Veracruz: "Augh, i'll tr"
Mana: The Justification does a little fist pump. "Love the payoff!"
Theodore makes a face.
Theodore: "Cheating's not fair!"
Theodore: "Like okay I realized it's like five to one, but still!"
Mana: She winks. "But still!"
[OOC] Xsaieta: Ice do I need to take a Defend until you can get your shit together
Theodore: "Okay you totally owe me for that. So: Do you guys actually *have* Pure Hearts?"
Mana: "Of course!"
Theodore: "I *thought* so! How high up are they?"
Xsaieta scoots over to Theodore, takes a candy out of his pocket, unwraps it and then pops it into his mouth for him while he's flirting with the demon lady. [Item D30]
Mana: "Sorta mixed in everywhere, really. It's hard to tell the difference, with how we work."
Mana: Battle order: Aurora [F]:0 Justification [F]:2 Theodore [F]:16 Toth [F]:18 Veracruz [F]:26 Xsaieta [F]:29
Mana: Aurora!
Theodore very carefully does not bite down on Xsaieta's fingers while candy drops are being inserted into his mouth, but doesn't seem phased by the ordeal.
Aurora braces herself again. [Steelguard, 44D]
Theodore: "Huh, really? You don't have them like, dedicated to cracking open gates and stuff?"
Theodore: "- Hey these things aren't half bad."
Mana: "Nope!" She hurls her parasol up into the air and cocks her finger-gun again.
Mana: "Anyway, here it comes!"
[OOC] Mana: Soul Steal in CT15
Mana: Battle order: Theodore [F]:0 Justification [F]:1 Toth [F]:2 Veracruz [F]:10 Xsaieta [F]:13 Aurora [F]:28
Theodore: "Crazy, that's definitely what I'd use a Pure Heart for if I was invading another world."
Mana: Theodore!
Theodore spins his staff around in the air, then slams it down into the ground. [CT20] [4/5Th Defense Factor]
Theodore: "You should definitely hit someone else though because showing up to someone elses funeral is just -0 going to make things super awkward for everyone."
Mana: She trains her finger-gun thing on Theodore. "Hey!"
Mana: "You wanna call a ceasefire, that's fine by me."
Toth: "Rrgh…!"
Mana: She tilts her head. "So…?"
Aurora: "I'd be more than fine with it."
Xsaieta balances on the balls of his feet, glancing at Mr. Toth.
Veracruz looks at Toth "Your call"
Toth grinds his teeth together… and stands down.
Toth: "…cease fire."
Mana: She spins on her heels, fires off her shot up into the ceiling, and grabs her parasol.
Mana: "Fine by me."
Mana: "So, you do your fixes, we do ours…"
Xsaieta sheathes his sword, looking as if he's chewing on a lemon whilst doing so.
Mana: "…But if you mess with the Services, I'll come after you!"
Veracruz sighs
Mana: "…But let's be friends instead, okay?"
Aurora lets out a breath, sheathing her sword. "…And someone'll win in the end, one way or another."
Toth: "Then we'll be seeing each other again."
Veracruz: "Well, now we know how to call you up for a rematch"
Mana: She balances her parasol on her shoulder, walks past the group into the depths, waves a little at Theodore as she passes.
Mana: Her mallet goes click, click, click against the stone.
Veracruz makes a noisy "Tsk"
Toth waits until she's left… he moves over to Theodore and Aurora. "Are you okay?"
Veracruz: "That was close, we definitely can't keep up with her magical damage like that"
[OOC] Mana: Got 4 AP. Got 360 EXP. Got 72 Lucre.
Theodore shake shis head abruptly, then spins around and his hand sover his mouth. "HEY, THANKS! THAT WAS SUPER CLASSY!"
Mana: A call, back, from the fog - kinda quiet.
Theodore: "Uh, yeah. I think so. Just was kinda… you know, Away for a moment."
Mana: "YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO SOUND SINCERE WHEN YOU SAY THAT, RIGHT?"
Theodore: "CAN'T BE HELPED I WAS SORTA OUT TO LUNCH AND SHOUTING DOES A SUPER BAD JOB OF CONVEYING TONE!"
Xsaieta: "PRETTY SURE HE MEANT IT, THOUGH."
Mana: "WELL, SEE YOU GUYS!"
Xsaieta grits his teeth, glances at Aurora worriedly, but she seems like she'll be okay.
Aurora nods slowly, a light smile on her lips. "For the most part, yes."
Toth: "Mm… I'm glad."
Toth turns to face the road once more. "…we should get going. Buy a few candies on the way, or… stop at the springs legally afterwards?"
Veracruz: "Yeah, it's good you're alright. We should take a proper stop at the springs, though"
Xsaieta: "Sounds like a good idea."
Veracruz: "Wnat you all to take a bath, it was great"
Theodore: "Waaaay too poor to be binging on candies at any rate."
Toth: "…right, I hope nothing happens at the funeral."
Aurora: "Most if not all of the Pure Hearts are gathering there… That might be a bit much to ask for."
Theodore: "Well, I still got enough juice and Xsaieta is around, so. Just couldn't take the mallet and the fireball both to the face at that exact moment, is all. Haha."
Veracruz: "Yeah, we need to solve just that problem, she can pull a big hit out of nowhere"
Toth: "I suggest using some of it now, before anything -does- happen, Aurora is right."
Veracruz: "Ahaha, those times I wish I had a more defensive ability"
Theodore: "I duno I'd figure a crowd of… nine would be a big deturrent but."
Theodore glances Aurora over.
Toth: "Or a perfect time."
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 224/386, MP: 249/338, SoS: 96
Xsaieta: "They say the best status to put an enemy in is 'knocked out', you know, Cruz."
Theodore fires off another cure light into the air.
Theodore rolled d8+80 and got 1 ( Total: 81.0 ) for for everyone
Toth: "Well, whatever… the city's not too much farther." He starts on ahead, obviously gloomy about the situation.
Xsaieta: "Don't worry about it. We'll get as vicious as we have to to win."
[OOC] Aurora: HP: 305/386, MP: 249/338, SoS: 96
Veracruz: "Yeah, don't mind it too much. We just gotta figure out one or two new tricks! If we could have handled, what, two more salvos"
Veracruz: "We'd have put her down"
Mana: Past the Gnome Gate… along Whisper Causeway… and eventually, to the Dreaming City.
Mana: From there, it's a simple ascent into the Jinn gardens.
Mana: (There is a strange little palace halfway up that ascent, but that's a matter for a later chapter.)
Mana: And so it was written.