Shin

Get Told The messenger stayed silent, unable to quite respond to the odd habits of Wyke nobility. Bowing his head, he quickly slipped out of the door, leaving the group to their antics. He showed at least some interest in the mention of a wedding, but clearly knew his place enough to not linger around. "Thank you for your time, I shall relay the message to my master, Prince Owen." he pitched in quickly, making a quick escape. Quality Shopping Dodgy Pete's wasn't exactly the pinnacle of fine shopping, the store front was in a state of disrepair and by some failure of education, both the words Dodgey and Pete were mispelled. A thick musky odour filled the store, completely devoid of any customers. Dust covered most of the shelves, and a bald man with a rather unsettling grin manned the desk. "Welcome to Dodgy Pete's, I be Dodgy Pete, the dodgiest fella this side of the Myrcian Mountains. If yer need quality goods at a discount rate, just ask and I'll figure out something." he chuckled, almost relishing in his own untrustworthy presentation. "Take a look around, miss. Just don't go hollering for the guards, I've paid a pretty penny for them to turn a blind eye." Dodgy Pete's wares are revealed!

Granted their averages are pretty comparable, but having Marcus junior who eventually goes on to become Marcus's evil twin isn't something many units can claim to do at chapter 17. There is Lowen but I find he doesn't quite make the strength/speed thresholds he needs.

Most likely promoted around 10. Considering how much Marcus can do in FE7, imagine having a second Marcus who only gets better because of his growths. It puts you in a fairly comfortable position, unless you desire the might of Wallace at his peak!

He only really needs to hit about 16 speed when he gets to level 30 promoted. Most enemies weigh themselves down massively and there's only a handful of bosses he can't blitz with the Hero Sword. The speed ring should patch up his speed issues, he's still very much going to be one of your top units.

Lament that, whilst remaining the most handsome man on the planet, I've also become the least handsome man on the planet.

Strictly speaking, Tarquin had never gone to school - all his education was either direct one-on-one tuition or from his own reading. Perhaps with enough time to adjust to it, perhaps he would have liked the idea of it as well? Nikolai was older than he'd expected, there was a good half decade between the two of them but it didn't really bother Tarquin. If anything, that made things easier, he'd always found his own age-group the hardest to deal with. "Maybe you can go to school one day?" Tarquin suggested, assuming that the ANF would be able to make accomodations for Nikolai. He didn't know where or which age group he could hypothetically be placed in, but it wasn't as if Nikolai couldn't function around people if he wanted to. "I never went to school properly, being able to read lets you learn about whatever you like all by yourself. When my schedule was empty, I'd go to my room and read for hours all by myself. The Professor was really nice, he'd get me new books if I asked for them." It had been years since he had been at the research facility, since the move to the training base his contact with his creator had been sporadic at best, he hadn't seen him in person for months. It was strange though, Tarquin hadn't missed him as much as he did when he was first transferred. Was he perhaps adapting to isolation, or did his current companions offer the kinship that he apparently needed? The likes of Elaine and the XO were definitely people he wouldn't miss, but the others had been far more tolerable than when he'd first met them. "I never had any teachers, but there were some grown ups who were good to talk to." Tarquin added, recalling his odd companionship with Bruno. He had been nosy and he hadn't understood everything he'd talked about, but he was the only person at the training base that he didn't resent spending time with. "There was a man called Bruno, he talked a lot and tried to help me in ways I still don't quite understand, but I think he was a good person." Their order was finally ready, the chicken was presumably guarded by its containers, allied with tall cups and what Tarquin could only assume were fries. It wasn't quite what Tarquin had expected, the heat and smell radiating from the banquet was overwhelming. Did people really like this The meal itself could prove the greatest challenge Tarquin had faced all day - even more so than putting up with Melissa's inane ramblings. Picking up the tray carefully, Tarquin soon spotted an empty table in the corner, a perfect location for the duo. "So far so good, I think we can sit down now." Tarquin assured, hoping to get Nikolai as far away from the mascot as possible. - Bill stood himself up, the medical bay floor had proved a formidable foe but the horrors of Dr Amparo's work was no match for the assault of Bill's cleaning armada. A job well done always put a smile on Bill's face, his fleet of floor cleaning fighters always ensured the battle against grime was in their favour. Checking his watch, Bill laughed, it had passed ten already, he'd already gotten halfway through his shift and there was so much to do. "This is Papa Koala, Bandage Land has been liberated, moving to take contractual obligatory break." he reported through his radio. "Will resume activity in fifteen minutes." As much as Bill loved his job, he knew rests were essential. His team were entitled to their own rest breaks, he needed to follow the rules just as much as they did. A mother duck that never stopped swimming would end up drowning her ducklings behind her! - Talia looked across the room, her eyes setting on the book she'd thrown at the floor. Was this all she was capable of any more? She was approaching the end of her teenage years, and she had nothing to show for it. All the heroines in her stories seemed to have done so much more, and at an earlier age to boot. It was true in reality too, the girls in Femme Formation were barely a year or two younger than her and they'd become stars. Where was her fate changing moment, her chance for a new exciting journey? Had she failed hers entirely? Was her crash the end of any hopes she had of a future? Wasn't there anything she could do? She'd worked so hard, she'd been practically made to succeed. All she had were her stories and games, not a single friend let alone any adoring fans or dashing princes. Looking over at a poster on her wall, she looked at the members of Femme Formation, wondering how hard they'd worked to get where they were. "Seung-Min? It must be nice being the best... not having someone around to make you look like a joke." she lamented, flopping her head down onto her pillow. "Do you even know what it feels like to fail?"

Wyverns, mostly because Trabant is probably one of my favourite characters in the series. A few of the pegs get a little samey, but I generally enjoy the charactersation of Wyvern Riders.

Daddy Dearest Decima stared wide-eyed at Angus, completely lost for words. Her bottom lip quivered, but she couldn't produce any meaningful sounds. Nona looked down solemnly, taking a breath and sighing gently. She looked up at Angus, giving her usual playful smile. "If he's alive, that means they need him for something." she replied, remarkable chipper considering the severity of Angus' message. "We'll have to see what Prince Owen wants to do. Three girls on pegasi can't do very much. Thank you for telling us, Angus, leave Morta to us, we'll let her know." - 17th April 812 - Morning The night had been uneventful, a welcome change from chaos of the previous evening. With no additional news from Queen Ethel or any of her people, it appeared that it was a waiting game. The weather on that morning was fair, cloudy but by no means cold, wet or windy. Despite the impending war, the day was simply another day to the people of Tytila. The Hearthfire Crew had taken shifts watching Emily during the night, there had been no incidents in their absence during the previous evening, but none of them seemed willing to take chances. Insider Knowledge Owen was met by a messenger in the morning, although not one from Ethel. A teenager in formal attire, the chances were he was some noble's servant, had come with a message for Owen. "My apologies for such an early delivery, but my lord instructed me to offer an invitation, Prince Owen of Wyke." he announced, his words clearly very well rehearsed. Standing himself up straight and unfurling a piece of parchment. "Dear Prince Owen, noble Prince of Wyke. I, Earl Solenos, have heard of your country's plight and have a great deal of information regarding it that I would wish to share with you. I apologise for my insolence in requesting your presence, but I truly believe I can aid you. Please meet me this evening at the Nobles' Wards. With sincerest regards, Earl Solenos." The young man stood there nervously, awaiting a response from Owen, whether it be a rejection or a dismissal. Owen and Sidney are free to post! Forgotten Memories Hans and Lars were waiting outside Emily's room, neither looking particularly rested. Lars let out a yawn, giving Hans a nudge as his eyes started to shut. "She don't remember the boss at all, it's like she forgets him every time we mention him." Lars yawned, looking over at his brother. "Don't seem right at all, yer see anything on your watch, bro?" Hans nodded his head wearily, giving his brother a concerned look. "Aye, she's getting muddled about other stuff... don't know much about her, but she's been correctin' herself about things a lot. Itchin' her hands a lot too, don't know what that's about." he replied. "The boss had a hard enough time yesterday, I hope he's got it in him to cope. She got along pretty well with that armoured girl, nice to see she's made a friend." Cass, Adele, Serge and Freya are free to post! Angus and Friends Esclabor and Nelon had gathered with the Valter Sisters, along with Angus, in one of the communal areas. Esclabor appeared to be a in a relatively good mood, sitting casually in an armchair with a grin on his face - even with Angus in sight. Decima was still rather glum, most likely from the news Angus had given her the previous night. Poor Nelon had somehow managed to land himself in a conversation with Morta and Nona, his suffering very apparent, his eyes were subtly darting around the room for a possible escape path. Esclabor raised a hand to Angus, unusually cheerful considering his dynamics with him. "Kearney, good to see you. I'm really starting to figure out you lot, getting to know the mooks and everything." he greeted, a small sack sat on his lap. "That Sergio guy's not half bad, even if his manners are awful. Watched him fight in the arena last night, even put a bet on him... I owe him money, but he earned me way more." His smile faded, his expression becoming more severe and serious. "Arteria was there, she gutted two guys in a supposedly non-lethal tournament. Sergio managed to beat her, messed her up a little too... but I don't feel comfortable knowing her and her nutjob brother are wandering around." Morta looked up at Nelon expectantly, her temper fairly well-controlled for the current moment. "When we get back to Wyke, you'll be able to make a plan to save dad, right, Baron Nelon?" she asked expectantly, stepping between Nelon and her sister. "Prince Owen wouldn't leave our country to become some Deiran colony, as soon as we get there, I'll kill as many people as I need to get him free." Angus is free to post! Dank Dreams Done Dirt Cheap Alain's night had been somewhat unusual, more so than his last few at least. Visions of Malaphar's World had flashed into his sleeping mind. He'd seen the sorcerer strolling around in a hellish field, followed by the shadows of men. He was saying something, but his lips moved and no sounds came out, only for the scene to skip and for him to appear back on his throne of vines. The people bowing down to him were blurs, unclear spectres that he couldn't recognise. Sometime in the middle of the night, he'd been granted one moment of clarity of audibility, a single sentence from Malaphar as he talked to his minion. "How interesting...is it not good to hear your mad ravings about him were not incorrect?" After that there had been nothing, Alain's sleep was not further plagued by surreal sights... but the memories of what he'd seen and heard had remained. Alain is free to post! Claire and Constance are free to post!

I mean, you'd have lost an entire zone of friendship!

Yodel - He's an endgame staffbot, and he's passable filler. You probably won't need him very much but he can at least contribute for his brief existence. 3/10 Karel - His usefulness is really hampered by his awful availability, plus you need to field a loser in his chapter to get him. The last few chapters aren't particularly hard and you generally have good enough dudes already. He's probably better than like Barth, but that's not a high benchmark - 1.5/10 Merlinus - Has a great mustache and Roy treats him like dirt. You can do a few nifty things early when he's forced which lets you convoy things at the right time, and he can also act as bait. He's not really a unit so I'm just going to leave him unscored.

You might as well do Yodel and Karel with this bunch, I can't imagine there's too much to consider for a staff bot and a guy who literally exists for a chapter and a half. Douglas - He can possibly act as filler in Sacae or Ilia, but he's really slow and getting doubled ruins any durability he might have. He's madatory for 16x, but I can't say he helps in any real way but he's better than Barth maybe. 1.5/10 Zeiss - He's not a bad alternative for a flier, but he's outclassed by everyone before him and his level deficit means he needs a little investment. His speed isn't exactly stellar, but his stats are decent for the most part, especially his strength! 4.5/10 Niime - A staffbot who can just about manage in combat. She's not particularly good at dodging and she's really fragile, but she can pick off enemies when she's not using a staff. Pretty much the best user for Apocaclypse, although more for staff hijinks than anything else. She is absent for most of the game, but she can help out when she's present. 6/10 Dayan - Actually really good filler. His growths are pretty trashy, but he can take out Wyverns with a decent bow. He doubles most things except like swordies, and has good ranks. Worse than Shin/Sue and you've used them to get him anyway. 4/10 Yuno - I tried using her in my chumps run, she was awful. She can't deal damage, her durability is poor and she's not actually particularly fast. Easily the worst flier in the game, she's not much better than Tate at base. Whilst she requires no investment, you get almost nothing from her. Even Wendy can be babied to become a bad unit, Yuno is just trash. 0/10

The strange chicken mascot had left them to await their food, freeing both Tarquin and Nikolai from its unsettling presence. Being called a kid was a mixed experience for Tarquin. He knew that physically he appeared young, no doubt even below his chronological age, but was his demeanour and mindset really that of a child? He always found adults easier to get along with, they weren't interested in the same petty things that teenagers were. There were some adults that were more like children than he was. His experiences weren't exactly typical of a forteen year old, even looking around at the people in the restraunt he could see people roughly his age. Talking to their friends, fretting about school, getting in trouble with their parents, all things that Tarquin had never and never would experience. It was probably better he didn't, their world still seemed so trivial and petty, to them, Tarquin probably just appeared as an oddball. "Nikolai, how old are you? I'm forteen, I think you might be a little older than me." Tarquin asked, the thought popping into his head sporadically. It was hard to gauge, mostly because Tarquin's interest in his peers resulted in him completly neglecting them. Nikolai seemed older than him, but by how much was anyone's guess. "If I were like normal children, I'd probably still be in school. How about you?" In addition to his lessons about chicken, Tarquin was rapidly finding his conversational skills were incredibly lacking. Nikolai probably didn't care a great deal about theoretical physics or techtonic plate activity on Earth, but there was the subtle desire within Tarquin to try and continue a conversation.

Satisfied Suffering The crowd let out an unsettled cry as Serge's brutality took the tournament to a whole new level. Arteria let out a few stifled grunts and winces, but for the most part she generally tolerated Serge's smackdown. Smirking as he leaned to whisper to her, she let out a few uncomfortable chuckles. "I won't forget at all..." she replied, the arena attendants arriving to take her away. "I'll remember every little piece, just for you." "There we have it, Serge has taken first place! Nobody had even heard of him when he first arrived, but we'll be sure to remember him for a fair while!" the announcer called out, the crowd cheering one last time for their winner. Much of the crowd had gotten up to leave, his comrades and subordinates remaining seated for a brief moment. It could have been a trick of his eyes, but there was a glimpse of Apellon in the crowd, slipping between people casually after a second or two of staring at Serge. There didn't appear to be any sort of after ceremony, or at least nothing that people wanted to watch. Unsettling Display Esclabor wiped his brow, sitting himself back down after Serge's victory. There had been a brief moment where he'd looked at Cass' cry to spare Arteria, but he hestitated from responding to it. "Little bugger nearly got himself cut in half, he could have at least finished her off. Even if she comes back, it'd put her out of action for a while." he complained, still somewhat on edge from the match. "It's a shame he beat Shaggy, looks like I owe him some gold. A bet's a bet, no point trying to cheat someone who risked everything to get it." He didn't appear too unhappy though, Esclabor looked over at Nelon and gave him a wry smile. "Earned me a whole lot more thanks to you, Ceirch. If you hadn't talked me out of it, I'd have blown everything on Shaggy." Nelon nodded gently, visibly worn out from the intensity of the last match. "There was the scenario where Serge could have beaten Shaggy but lost the final. A fair deal of risk was still involved, but at least we were to benefit from two of the possible outcomes." he replied. Nelon however seemed to have the courage to speak up. "Princess, what is your relation to this Arteria? I cannot say that I find her particularly pleasant, especially with her desire to slay members of our group." Looking over at Adele, Esclabor gave her a grin. "I have to commend your choice in recruitment. He's a little strange, but he's netted me a good few grand. Maybe I'll get him dinner along with Shaggy." Esclabor boasted. "Shaggy winning would have netted way more, but coming away with nothing would have been terrible."

I think light-hearted pranks that don't cause emotional harm or any physical harm can be OK, as long as you gauge it properly. I'm rather fond of more jovial pranks, but anything where anyone thinks they're in danger or get seriously upset are a definite no-no. It's all about knowing your audience, it's pretty cruel to do something that you know would be unpleasant to someone. The first two are pretty OK, although it's a little unpleasant to jump-scare total strangers. However, when a prank makes something believe they're in a legitimate terrifying situation, it goes past the point of being funny. In short, if it makes someone upset instead of having them laugh afterwards, you've probably harassed them instead of pranked them!

We are Number One It wasn't long before the final had arrived, Serge was to face Arteria - a woman who had brutally killed her last two opponents. The swordfighter looked across at Serge, her expression as diabolical as ever. Esclabor and Nelon watched intently, the two men silent as they kept their eyes on the fighters. The crowd had gone quiet, the intensity of the final match up had even affected them. "This is the final, can Serge, a surprising challenger fend off the brutality that Ither has shown us? Will he find himself on the floor... or will Ither finally abide by the rules?" the announcer called out, trembling with excitement. Arteria was ready, the chances were she wouldn't show Serge any more mercy than she had Abdul or Octon. The battle was a flurry of blows, Arteria seemed almost calm fighting Serge, far different to her usual mad energy. The odds seemed overwhelming, but Esclabor called out to Serge from the crowd. "If you die I'm using your corpse as a scarecrow!" he shouted, leaning out of the stands. Even Nelon was cheering for the mercenary. Slowly but surely, a group around them had started making noise. Hans, Lars and Larissa were all behind the nobles in the stands, cheering for their leader. A few swift slashes had put Serge ahead, his last attack causing Arteria to drop down on one knee, looking up at him as she dripped with blood. "Wonderful... Serge... I can see why my brother picked you..." she cackled, amused at her own defeat. "You should kill me... before I find my second wind... I would die a dozen times to fight you again." Coughing up blood, she spread out her arms, offering herself as a target for Serge's blade. "I'll only come back scarier and stronger if you don't... and maybe if you do as well... I've had lots of fun either way." she added, looking Serge right in the eyes. There was no fear in her gaze, death didn't appear to bother her at all. Serge may choose to slay Arteria or spare her!

Verdict Arteria raised her sword, basking in the vicious atmosphere the crowd had created. Giving Cass one last smirk, Arteria gave her sword a twirl, pointing it down at Octon's chest. "It's nothing personal, your last attack was wonderful." she hissed, running her tongue along her top lip. "However... one good bite makes a meal not... and one good attack does not make a worthy opponent." Driving her sword down into his chest, Arteria let out a mad cackle. Octon let out a final gasp, blood spurting from his wound. Reaching his hand up feebly, he looked to the side, vaguely looking in Serge's direction. "I couldn't... if only I ... a little stronger..." he mumbled, his arm dropping down as the life faded from his eyes. The crowd weren't even shocked by Octon's death, they were ecstatic from Arteria's performance, wilder than after any other match in the tournament. Esclabor looked furious, visibly shaking with anger at the crowd's admiration for Arteria's vicious finish. "They wouldn't be cheering if they knew who she was." he snarled, being eased back into his seat by Nelon. "I've watched a lot of people die, through my mistakes too... how can they cheer for someone so vile?" Nelon looked up as Adele returned, her expression sour enough to ruin any bowl of oatmeal. He didn't say anything to her, but his gaze at the recently deceased Octon was enough. "Ither goes to the final to fight Serge!" the announcer cried out, barely audible over the crowd. Arteria smirked, walking back to the locker room as Octon's body was dragged away. "There will be a few minutes before the final round, let us hope that it's one to remember!" Tea Total The herbalist quickly returned to her desk, reaching under the counter and pulling out a small paper bag. It wasn't particularly ornate or decorated, but the vessel was presentable enough. "Here it is, I'm still working on making the package look nice, but the tea leaves will do their job regardless!" she informed, scribbling down some writing onto a piece of parchment. "It's not hard to make but I'll give you the intructions just in case! I really hope you can find out the truth!" Sidney gets some Tea Leaves?

Fa - She can kill stuff in the final chapter sometimes, otherwise she's not fantastically useful, kinda like having a general who can nuke dragons. Her weapon uses aren't a concern because her ability to expose herself to enemies sucks and she functions fine at base. 2/10 Percival - He's basically Alance combined, and even if he's not used regularly, his bases are good enough to take to endgame as filler. He's absent for half the game, but he really makes life easier for you. Other than Miledy or a staff user, I can't think of anyone who'd use a slot better than him. 8.5/10 Igrene - She's another Klein, and I guess she can potshot Wyverns. She doesn't really last in the long term, and is quickly overshadowed by all three nomads. I actually prefer Klein because being able use silvers is probably more valuable than any extra speed she has for her lifetime. Passable filler if you're hurting for bow users. 4/10 Garret - Oddly enough, he's pretty useless for the first few maps after you get him, he's not great in Sacae and even Ilia's shaky. However, he's a good candidate to put on mountains with a Killer to bait Wyverns, since they can't hit him even with his trashy speed. Probably worse than a promoted Gonzo/Geese but he requires no investment, no Hero Crest and it's super easy just to bench him after that chapter. 3/10 Hugh - He's kind of a middle ground between Lugh and Lilina, except his stats aren't the best even with the dosh you spend on him. He doesn't quite have Lilina's mega-chip and he misses out on doubling things Lugh could manage, nor does he have good staff utility. He's better than Sophia and maybe Ray, but he's low down for the Guiding Ring, and he doesn't have many levels to work with unpromoted. However, as bad as he is, he's kinda funny and not ginger. 2.5/10

My advice would be to try and get a feel for how games are run, as well as figure out what's expected of you. If you've got your own world and characters, that's great, but as GM your role is to facilitate a story for your players. I've seen multiple GM's struggle when they're trying to indulge their own tastes over their players. It's a fair bit of work, but it's really rewarding when you see players actively engage in the world you've created for them, and also watching how they affect the world around them! Remember, you need to provide NPC's for their story, not have them as NPC's for your own! If there's a lot of aspects that you're uncertain on, I'd also recommend being a player in a game before hosting your own. You can learn a lot from good GM's, but also a lot from less stellar ones! If you have any specific questions with regards to hosting, feel free t send me a message. However, all I can do is try to answer in a way I feel is right, some things need doing with your own two hands.

No Sell "I almost wish that I could let you fight that Ither, a good beating would do you some good." the attendant replied, visibly growing tired of Adele. "The next match is probably starting now, but I'll get yer minion. Don't go acting like yer entitled to anything, I'm just doin' this because I'm sick of looking at yer face." A second attendant had appeared at the side, heading off after a simple gesture from the one at the desk. "He should be here sooner or later, I'd prefer if yer found somewhere else to talk to him." he added, just to get another word in. Sourpuss "I take what I said about him back, Ceirch. I hope he gets gutted next round." Esclabor grumbled, displeased with Serge's foul glance at them. "We could hire Steve from the first round, nobody would be able to tell the difference." Nelon smiled, shaking his head. "Perhaps it is too early to form an opinion of him?" he suggested, amused by his companion's mood. "It was ambitious to think that nobody would see through my instruction of Shaggy, but it proved reasonably effective nonetheless. We shall have to see how Serge fares in the final, I am almost certain that Octon will fall to Arteria." Cass' return did little to lift Esclabor's mood, the defeat of Shaggy had visibly annoyed him. "The runt threw sand in his face, gotta commend his lateral thinking but I still hate his guts for doing it." Esclabor complained, leaning forward on to the edge of the stand. "I don't know what's worse, the fact Shaggy lost or the fact he could win this. Commoners are really something else." Summoning Octon and Arteria were ready to leave for their match, an attendant had stepped in to call them through. However, the man also looked over at Serge, beckoning for him to follow. "Yer boss wants to speak to yer. Got a real bee in her bonnet, but taker yer time if you feel like it. Maybe even watch the next match if yer want." he recommended, in no real rush to fetch Serge himself. Neither of the two fighters said a word, their faces were enough to tell the story. Arteria's cruel smile and Octon's determined glare signified their conflict, as well as their difference in ideologies. Death by Horror Octon and Arteria stepped out onto the field, standing opposite each other as the announcer riled up the crowd. "Octon and Ither! The winner goes through to challenge Serge!" she shouted, gesturing to the two combatants. "Will Octon's ability to fight against the odds be enough to avoid falling to Ither? Will Ither show the same mercy she did to Abdul... or pay attention to the tournament rules?" The crowd laughed, almost callously as they started chanting Ither's name - or at least the name they knew. Arteria looked up at the crowd, giving Cass a fiendish grin. Ready to start the fight, Octon had his sword prepared to strike Arteria. The battle was quick, having taken barely a dozen strikes. Octon charged Arteria, swinging at her wildly as he roared in fury. Stepping to the side, Arteria slashed across his chest, tearing deep into his flesh. "Such a worthless plaything, even your friend was more fun than this." she mocked, content with her apparent victory. Gasping for air, Octon grit his teeth, raising his sword one last time and catching the swordfighter off guard. "Just one attack!" he roared, his vigor returning for a brief moment. A childlike surprise filled her eyes, the blade slicing into her shoulder and leaving a trail of blood. "Not bad... but a shortlived pleasure." she cackled, watching as the young man dropped to the floor. Standing over him, Arteria looked down at Octon, the man staring back up at her. The crowd started chanting again, only their choice of words had become more unpleasant. "Finish him! Finish him!" they roared, the audience having been engrossed by the sheer violence Arteria had provided for them. Arteria looked up at Cass again, visibly cackling as she struggled to contain her depraved joy. Esclabor clenched his fist, the sight of Arteria's domination of Octon clearly angering him. "I've changed my mind again, I want Serge to make her last moments living hell." he growled. "Attacking her's suicide, but part of me just wants to jump down there and cut her head off." Fragrant Promise "Oh? You're just browsing?" the woman asked, perhaps hoping that Sidney were ready to make a definite purchase. "We've got all sorts of medical supplies if you're that way inclined. However, the tea leaves are really popular nowadays. Girls your age like brewing them with their beloved... some say that it can show the strength of the bond between the two people who make it! The better the tea, the stronger the bond! It's a sweet superstition, but you end up with tea afterwards, which never goes badly." Leaning on the side, she let out a sigh. "To be young again, once your husband loses his leg and you have three mouths to feed, the family life becomes so much less romantic." she lamented. "You should use your youth to explore yourself, otherwise you'll regret it when you get to my age!"

Hey, I am indeed, however, your previous sign up attempts had several problems with them. If you are sure that you can try and work with the feedback you were given, I'm willing to give you a chance. I do implore you to take some time considering the comments I gave, and also remember that single one-liner posts are nowhere near acceptable within this RP.

Ray - His bases are kinda lame, but he has some promise with his growths. The problem is that Lugh and even Lilina are probably better than him by the time he appears and he doesn't really stand out in any way. 2/10 Cath - A pain to recruit and massively redundant, she's as bad as Chad except she comes half the game later where you can get chest keys. Her only saving grace is that she comes with the stuff she's stolen. 1/10 Miledy - Probably the best unit in the game when she promotes. She can fight and fly, which is a real boon. She's really thwompy, so she doesn't actually care too much about going to Sacae. However, she is absent for a good portion of the game, but I guess she sets the benchmark. 9.5/10 because she's ginger. Cecilia - Basically a poorly trained Clarine. She can fight a little, and kinda functions as a mobile staffer. Worse than a well trained Clarine, and Saul's staffing outshines her but she's if anything passable filler and a back up staffer. 4/10 Sophia - Unlike Wendy, she has the potential to be passable, but the amount of effort it requires is incredible. She does at least come with her own promotion item, but every other mage outclasses her and her bases are so poor that training her is really not worth the investment. 1/10

Blindsided Shaggy had been taken by surprise, turning around and following Serge. "Blast, Shaggy can't follow if he's not looking." Esclabor lamented, clenching his fist. Looking down at the seated Nelon, he could tell things had gotten bad. "Ceirch? What are the odds of Shaggy pulling through this? I'm glad you still have plan B." Nelon simply shook his head, putting his hands down. "It is unlikely that Shaggy will be able to respond suitably on his own, the match is likely to end with the next strike." And that it did, Serge's final sword strike had been clumsy, but it had done the job. The flat of Serge's blade bonked Shaggy on the head, causing him to collapse in a pile on the ground. The crowd cheered, Serge's narrow victory had kept them on the edge of their seats, even with his underhanded tactics. The announcer clapped her hands loudly, whilst her attendants pulled Shaggy away. "There we have it, Serge will be going through to the final!" she proclaimed. "Will this newcomer surprise us all with a first time victory? Only time can tell!" Afterthought Contender The attendant looked at Adele as if she were mad, stupid or somewhere in between. He appeared to think even more poorly of her request than he had of Cass'. "Yer really don't understand how things work around these parts, do yah?" he lectured, visibly irritated by their demands. "If you don't want yer mook beaten up, go ask him to drop out. Just because yer got the liberty to prance around and tell yer servants what to do... it don't mean you can get yer way wherever you go. If yer want to fight her so badly, do it afterwards, we'll even keep the arena free for yer."

Blinding Dunes Shaggy hadn't expected Serge's proclamation, although by the looks of things, he never really seemed to pay much attention to any of his surroundings. The cloud of sand had completely blinded him, allowing Serge to cleave in with his attacks. Shaggy made a decent effort of trying to avoid them, but without his vision, it appeared he couldn't quite predict where the mercenary was coming from. The crowd cheered as Serge's underhanded tactic put him back on a level playing field, giving him a chance at the battle. Jumping back, Shaggy managed to clear his vision, wiping the sand from his eyes and getting back into a less vulnerable position. Esclabor was practically climbing out of the stands, raising his hand and shouting at his fighter. "Don't let that little toilet cleaner put you down, Shaggy! If he tries it again, you know what to do!" he proclaimed. Nelon nodded in agreement, carefully watching the battle as he appeared to count on his fingers. Brain Power "Sometimes even smart opponent forget things." Thwomp remarked, lowering his colossal axe to the ground with a heavy thump. "If enemy smart and strong, then things hard. However, if opponent know they smart and strong, they make mistakes. If they see opening and take it, they can leave themselves open. Or if they underestimate opponent. Everyone have weakness, it just matter of finding it."

Hard Life The attendent dismissed Cass' response, he'd probably dealt with his fair share of complaints and unhappy nobles. "It's a tough life, kid. People ain't as lucky as you with money and friends in decent places. A lot of these folks have nothing if they die, fightin' here is the only chance they got at getting something done. There's dozens of people out there looking to fight, losing a few don't hurt nobody." Cursed Hair It wasn't long until Serge and Shaggy were called, a match that would decide the outcome of the mercenary's wager with Esclabor. The crowd cheered, having recovered from Arteria's display and Lilith's shocking defeat. "Here's Serge! Will he give us another thrilling fight? Will Shaggy's lightning fast reflexes be too much or will he come out on top?" the announcer called out, shortly followed by another roar from the crowd. Esclabor looked down at Serge smugly, confident in his man's prowess. Even Nelon was getting involved with the atmosphere, but was markedly less expressive than those around him. Shaggy, as usual, seemed totally out of it, slowly turning his head to get a glance of Serge. The match began quickly, with Shaggy rapidly circling behind Serge for his first strike. His agility was frightening compared to his shambling walk outside of combat. Glancing a blow past Serge's shoulder, the mercenary would have to work to stay in the fight for long. Serge may request any information available to him and perform a minor action before the next round of combat! Earthy Smell Ferdinand grinned smugly as Sidney retreated, not at all disheartened by the rejection of his offer. "Take care, I hope you have a pleasant evening..." he muttered, turning back to his friends. "Charlotte..." The herbalist's hut was dimly lit, and a rather suspect smell filled the room. It was definitel some sort of herb, but which one was anyone's guess. A woman, probably somewhere near thirty, was tending to a few pots lined across a counter, but things appeared to be winding down - there wasn't anyone present in the store. "We're closing up shop in about half an hour." she called out, looking over her shoulder at Sidney. "If there's something you want, just let me know, otherwise it might be easier to come back tomorrow."

Official Business The attendant looked at Cass dismissively, not visibly affected by her emotional plea. "Sorry, girly, I ain't the kind who takes demands from fancy pants who squirm when they see blood. We get an odd death here or there, but everyone knows it's a risk, even when people are told to be careful." he replied sternly, unbudging in stance. "The waitin' room's specifically for participants, an' the only person who makes calls like that is our manager... and he don't like bein' told what to do either." Lost Angel Esclabor nodded firmly, taking Alain's free hand and shaking it. "Shame about your girl, I thought she'd win for sure. Can't be helped though, that Octon surprised us all." Esclabor replied, giving him a confident smile. "If anything her loss saved her from dying to Cass' girlfriend... well, the slightly less sane one. Got a good show out of her too, feel free to invite her back for Ceirch and me if you have time. Drinks will be on me after Shaggy's taken first." Nelon didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of that, sinking into his seat as if he hoped he would disappear. Esclabor laughed, shaking his head. "Hey, we're both survivors of Nona, Ceirch. You can survive some good company, there won't always be a chimney for you to escape up through." Esclabor added, patting Nelon on the back. "I'd be more afraid of the Princess if I were you, she's mad enough to go prance around a foreign nation trying to find her insane friend." Turn Left "It's not far from here, maybe two hundred yards or so down from the castle gates." the second guard replied, pointing his free hand in that general direction. "Guarding nobles is never easy, they always think they can do what they want and everyone else will follow... but at least it's work. Mind you, your Princess is a real fruit, a smidge too close to her friend if you catch my drift." Sunset Octon shot Serge a determined glance, walking past him to face Arteria. Pointing at the woman, he took a deep breath, ready for his declaration. "Even if I die in doing so, I'm making sure you suffer as much as Abdul did when you killed him." he proclaimed, unflinching against the seated psychopath. "Just because you don't value life doesn't mean that the rest of us don't, I'll be ready to-..." Arteria yawned, clearly uninterested by Octon's speech. "I don't bother pretending to be right or just, my little champion of justice." she replied, stifling another yawn. Her mouth curled into a cruel little smile. "Call me foul or vile, disgusting or inhuman... but it doesn't change how much your friend squirmed and gasped for air when he died." The young man couldn't even find a response to her, clenching his fist, he visibly held back the temptation to strike the woman. Glaring at Arteria, he sat himself down on the opposite side of the waiting room - where Shaggy had been standing, completely ignorant of the heated atmosphere.