riariadne

"I understand that. Can't exactly go climbing every crag or tree we come across as we traverse the countryside, myself, can I?" Sidney was fine with what Claire started saying, but shook her head when the mage said not to worry about it. "No, no, when everything's finished, if we're all okay, I insist on you visiting the Montana house! It's only fair." Speaking of practice, Cassandra had approached to show progress on what Claire was teaching her. "Well well, we seem to be accumulating new talents rapidly! And Princess, I think it's fine not to worry. Owen's no fool, and has plenty of people to help him, so if you're not up to that right now, then that's what he has so many people for." She pat the princess on the shoulder, smiling. It wouldn't do for her once-chipper attitude to be ruined forever.

Useful Information? Morris shuffled about in the cell still. "I'm s-sorry, there's just nothing else I know about, they r-really didn't mention much to me at all..." He started to panic when the party mentioned him being useless. "I swear I didn't mean to help at first, it's just his powers... his tome, it was golden, if that's helpful, but it wasn't any kind of magic I understood." Ashley crossed her arms, stepping away from the glass. "Whatever he speaks of this control magic is impossible to prove. What we can prove is that he took up arms against the city, so releasing him right away is out of the question, so he'll be transferred to a more conventional jail soon if you're done with him. He certainly doesn't seem to be threatening enough to hold here." She gave the other prisoner a brief glance at that statement. "We prefer not to use here unless necessary. The suppressive magic is effective, but the close proximity to the castle can be troubling, yet there's nowhere better to hold these less trustworthy members of society." Shop Meetings "Staves? Certainly." Nathaniel went down to one of the aisles of the store this time, returning a few moments later with three staves to place on the counter for Kaya. "Here's the Heal staff you mentioned, and I'm sure you know the slightly more advanced Mend if you're already a practitioner. This last one is slightly more uncommon, Physic, but allows for aid from a distance. In that sense it's quite flexible in different situations. Which of them are you most interested in?"

FlavorSaver (TM) Dwight uses Trust on Astin

"Hm? What was that?" Sidney could've sworn she'd seen something in front of Claire, but it didn't last. "Is that some sort of new magic you're practicing? I admit that my knowledge of how that works is rather limited, so even if it was just a new spell of the same type, I wouldn't be able to tell. Certainly not my greatest area of expertise... Anyway, I've been fine. I've been practicing climbing recently a lot myself to be more maneuverable, though I think it needs work still. But, I enjoyed my time in Tytila. It felt nice to be home. Did you like it there? Well, mostly, ignoring some issues anyway... I had meant to invite you to my house, but everything got rather complicated and it fell through."

The earth beneath the tents and blankets was a difficult departure from the coziness of being about to sleep in her own bed, yet it was a necessity to begin the journey for retaking Wyke, just not one Sidney terribly enjoyed. The tension among comrades after the wedding disaster seemed to have been alleviated, mostly, on the bright side, but there seemed little else bright among the war, marching along with the Wykians and larger Raewalden forces. Look at that, Charlotte's found her way working with the Raewalden army years after the original training and deciding she didn't like it. It's a funny world. She was rather drowsy to start the day, and with some of the commanders discussing amongst themselves, instead she headed over to Claire, poking at the mage girl's shoulder. "How are you doing today, Claire? Journey treating you well enough?"

https://pvplive.net/c/dragon-ball-fighterz-may-include-android-17 Interesting, the tl;dr is that Android 17's English voice actor messed up and mentioned that he did his lines for the game in an interview. Probably not a surprise to anyone really, and also means 18 is almost certain too. No actual gameplay of him obviously but good to know

Pressure "Wh-what, I just said what it was!" Morris seemed to be attempting to be hiding even further towards the back of the cell. "He wants to be stronger and have power over everyone! Didn't you hear that lunatic call him His Majesty all the time? I d-didn't get told more than that, he probably didn't trust me that much. I just meant I didn't like blocking the city entrance from most everyone... W-well, Duke Reid and his guard got by, because Weston tried to fight them and got whooped. He complained about Sir M-Maximus's weapon, saying he couldn't possibly beat the Iraxen without better weaponry, but I think he was just worse anyway. A-anyway, best I can guess, the places he attacked he thought had powerful items for him to be collecting so he could make use of those. But, he didn't stick around, cause he wants to be checking on the other places or something. H-he had a weird looking tome he was carrying around, and Dimitriys mentioned he was l-looking for some other ones when Weston was whining again, so maybe he knew about that lance. R-really don't know much more than that." Small Meetings Joviana and Kaya's trip over towards the Sword and Scroll was fairly uneventful, other than a few people staring at Kaya's tattoos. Whatever reputation Joviana had acquired seemed to have faded away to at least a neutral with news of the people that had helped let loose Dimitrius's grip on Fordright. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow at the appearance of the two, a glance lingering on each of them before speaking up again, "Welcome to Sword and Scroll, offering the finest combat equipment here in Fordright. My name is Sir Nathaniel, and please let me know if you need any assistance." Apparently his introduction was at least somewhat consistent.

It had been a long time since Sidney had significant interactions with the noble houses of Raewald, and usually she was with her father- never with him at a completely different part of the table from her. But here she was, sitting with the Prince of Wyke and the other people traveling on this journey, while Marquess Montana was a few seats from Queen Ethel. There were other people she recognized as well, and she was sure they recognized her, but with the order of the queen she at least felt safe- but still she was nervous enough that she wasn't completely focused on the two speeches, glancing at people across the room. Marquess Gallahan is here... I wonder if Ferdinand is. Well, he's probably not important enough to be invited alongside his father, so I'm likely worrying over nothing.

Prisoner's Dilemma Morris drew towards the back of his cell as the four began speaking to him. "He... he was so convincing. I went to the city walls at first, because I thought I had a chance, as a mage to defeat Dimitrius in his armor... but, his boss was talking to him. Then, he waved his hand, and I found myself more interested in his side. I didn't understand, but he said there was plenty of money, since they had no need, and that it would be for the best- for the greater good for him to gain power. He said it was power that was rightfully his." He nervously shifted to the side. "Slowly I started to not like the plan as much after he left, and I never saw him come back, b-but I wasn't really about to turn against the armored guy when I was all amidst those sand... things. S-so I just went along with it and patrolled around. I didn't even hurt anyone, I just couldn't ever fight back... why'd you lock up me and not the other two? The armored one was in charge here, a-and Weston was crazy! Dimitrius almost kicked him out when he kept trying to duel the sand creatures that had swords. They're the kind of people who should be locked up in here with that guy..." Ashley glanced at the other prisoner with a frown before looking back at Morris. "Dimitrius had access to teleportation magic. As for Weston, he was apparently crafty enough to escape during the havoc caused by the battle. And of course, there's nothing to be learned from magic sand creatures. So as it is, you are the only attacker to find their sorry self in the position of being arrested. Perhaps when they are done interrogating you, regular jail would do better. But for now, you shouldn't be complaining that they were kind enough to spare you at all." The mage turned his head down towards the floor. "Fine, but really, I wasn't let in on that much... and I've been telling the truth, I promise." Uncompromising Despite her mumbling, Nathaniel didn't budge until Telmara put the requisite gold on the counter, and he counted it silently before sliding the book across the counter to her. "Nine hundred gold, then. Consider it yours." His expression softened somewhat with that out of the way, though not that much. "Is there anything else you have interest in here?"

Thwomp approached the spirit of Oswald suddenly, having been hidden even better next to his armored colleague in the brush, whom he had become fast friends with by not talking to her at all. The value of silence was clearly something she understood, too. "Most gardens not feature Thwomp or Freya. Not likely reason that who Eowa is like them." Despite not speaking a word with the woman, her name seemed obvious. Their heavy armor in unison lead to a better understanding of each other, one that transcended such things like words. Meanwhile, Malaphar sneered at Owen's announcement. "Revered guests? How amusing." Still, the prince was busy not paying attention. Surely with how poor he was at keeping track of his underlings, now would be a prime opportunity to take his revenge upon those who had injured him, starting with a certain mage. He appeared behind her using his signature mysterious villain magic, jabbing at Claire's shoulder. "You have nerve even appearing at a party that I, Malaphar, was invited to! It is time we contest each other once more to settle our grudge."

Sidney couldn't help but laugh at Cass's prediction of what Owen ordered. "Sibling bonds, hmm? It seems like you underestimated Cass's recollection, Owen." She took one of the plates with the lemon and her own with strawberries, handing the prince his once they were seated again. "Well well, don't these just look delicious?" She wondered who the man who had served them was- what the old woman had said implied he was some sort of criminal, but she didn't really recognize him. I guess just because I was in jail doesn't mean I know every lowlife in Raewald, nor do I really aspire to. Contemplating could wait, anyway, the food was more appealing, and it did indeed taste quite good once she took a bite. "Mm. What a fortunate coincidence we all visited somewhere so nice."

The System "It is my pleasure to tell you about our historic city. As for the nobility, well, that's a tougher problem... some of them are without heirs. Some have suitable heirs, but whether or not they would follow in the path of their family is unclear. Some don't need replacing- I'm not saying everyone should be stripped of power, just that a change seems necessary to me. My uncle was too trusting as his greatest flaw, which sadly ended with him agreeing to Ursula's reign and then dying during it." Ashley shook her head, sipping more from her wine glass. Just before it looked like she would continue on another lengthy tirade, one of the guards- Sir Ronald from earlier- approached through the doors, catching his breath. "Duchess Mazzarin, the prisoner has awoken. I came as quickly as possible to inform you and our guests of this." He bowed, bringing a smile to the Duchess's face anyway. "Well, our young mage Mr. Hale has himself quite some explaining to do, doesn't he? If you were all interested, I can lead you the way- shall we?" She started on her way, leading through winding corridors of the extensive castle, until they came to a room with several glass doors that lead to smaller rooms. One of them held the man inside, staring at Ashley and the four. Only one other room had anyone in it, but their features were harder to note. "Brilliant, isn't it? The power of magic allows for extraordinary things, and it is quite difficult to break despite its look, yet easy to adjust with the proper key. I'm afraid you won't be casting any spells today, Morris. Now which of you said you wanted to speak with him first?" "What do you want me to say?" Morris spoke up, his voice rather squeaky. "I'm sorry! I made a mistake following him! D-don't torture me." He seemed quite terrified of all of them, though especially of Mikhaila's mask. Tired Magus "More important things such as sleeping," Regus agreed. "Magic makes staying awake for so long simpler, but it is still something I'd rather avoid... so I grow wary. Once, Noctus had a theory for a spell to allow for less sleep time, but it ended up being a false positive with his absurd endurance. Of all the amazing power that magic has and how destructive it can be... the need for rest has not quite been figured out. Anyway, I am glad to have been of assistance. If you've nothing else to say, then I'll take my leave to rest." He turned towards the inn, walking slowly and holding to his staff still, the crowd that had dispersed before starting to flitter back into the town square.

Alright, I'm mostly finished with the setup, then role PMs will take a couple days, when do people actually want this game to start? If anyone has start date preferences let me know since I'm pretty flexible. Also starting soon I will put actual signups in the op so we can get something concrete

"On it as we speak, Captain," Dwight spoke up, sitting at the navigational computer and inputting their destination. "Indeed, the base's name is quite poor... years ago, probably before you were even born, somehow a proposal to rename the base to something more sensible and at all relevant to the location managed to fail. How anyone objected to Little Rock Base is beyond me. But, I imagine something like fixing that isn't as much of a concern currently... not that it would take effect terribly quick, anyway, with how long the bureaucracy can take." As Roxanna entered the bridge, he gave a curt nod, but opted not to comment on her previous breakdown- at this time, it was very unlikely to do anything but cause trouble.

Artifacts "If you wish to hear about more of the Gifts, maybe some of the other travelers would know that. There are some who arrived from Vespen before Dimitrius started blocking the east entrance- if you encounter any here, they might have something useful to let you know," Regus suggested to Joviana. "It was mentioned to me that a cloaked man had a particularly foul attitude about his adventures in the mountains, but hadn't escalated to the point of violence, so I have simply been watching for signs of trouble as a precaution for now. Perhaps he would be someone to talk with- he was near the river marketplace." He looked to the scale Kaya presented to him. "Why, it's a dragon's scale, of course. It seems quite genuine, and this dragon seems to have been particularly strong magically. What were you expecting to use this for? By itself, a dragon scale requires refining to be of real use, but it can be a part of powerful artifact if you know the right person to do so, and have other items to compliment it. Using this with normal materials would be a waste of potential, but perhaps you'll find more unusual items in your journey to create something greater." The Duchess "You've all done plenty to earn such hospitality! If you want to look at the library yourself, it's on the west side of the third floor," Ashley informed Raz, sipping from a cup of wine. "I wouldn't recommend most of the buildings near here if you don't want to speak with the nobles. They're all so stuffy and old fashioned, but the world we live in is constantly changing. I say it's time that we strip some of them of their titles and pave the way for a fresher generation of people more in touch with the current world, but my husband doesn't like stepping on toes. Duke Therum was my uncle, and I am his closest living relative, but there was some opposition to Reid assuming the title. I can hardly think who they would suggest in his place what with how most of the nobles act, and going without a leader was clearly not an option- just see how hectic Madrigal is." She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm sure this is all terribly boring to you, I often get carried away by conversation. If you are wondering about entertainment, there is a special fighting tournament in Mattias Square Garden, I believe it starts today. Not my personal cup of tea, but it's very popular, so if that's of interest to you then it is a rare occasion. Other than that, Fordright has many historic sights to see, such as the Watcher's Den. Quite the climb! I've only scaled it once by foot, I usually rely on the transporters who use magic to assist the journey." No Nonsense Business Nathaniel eyed Telmara, his neutral expression hardening into a frown. "If you wish to haggle, the market or places like MadrigalMart are for that... unless you can offer an equivalent service or good, the price is listed for a reason. That price is nine hundred gold." He mumbled something quieter about not liking his sister's more random way of business.

"Well, that's certainly nice to hear you've been fine." Sidney gave a nod towards the guard, as the Gaffney siblings talked of their brother and his sword, which she was not entirely unfamiliar with, but had little to comment on since she'd never spoken to the man herself. Food, on the other hand, was something she understood more, patting Cass on the shoulder as she approached the counter. "I'm sure you'll like them even if you've never had pancakes, Cass, they're rather delightful. And don't worry, we're your friends here, princess."

"Really! If it's not to your liking, then I'm sure Baron Nelon wouldn't mind extra helpings," Sidney commented at Morta's displeasure. But Copperbottom's idea seemed excellent to her. Why didn't she just get something she liked if they have such good food here? "Oh, pancakes! Sure, I'll have some- Owen, you should try them, they're quite delicious. Can I get some strawberries on the side?" she asked, surprised when there were three more familiar faces arriving. "Cass, Claire, Freya? Isn't this the popular stop today?" She was quite cheerful, though seeing Cass was a bit awkward after they hadn't in some time. Even after what I said to Prince Owen, it's not so easy... grr! Why is being conventionally sociable so difficult? "Little did we know, what we thought would be a quiet little spot to start the morning with would be where everyone else had the same idea. How are you all?"

"Ensign Calvin." Dwight gave a nod to the younger man after he was finished using the speakers. "Captain Gefalscht was busy after the meeting, but I would expect that she shouldn't be too long. It was a fairly urgent call, so her not coming to the bridge as quickly as possible would be quite uncharacteristic." He opted not to explain any of the details involving Russia just yet- if the Captain wanted those to be known, she would tell them herself.

shinori joinmygame This game is also now approved by PAPERBLADE who I have referred to as someone to bounce balance off of. All the more reason for everyone to play

"As you wish, Captain. I'll get to it immediately." Dwight saluted, but didn't waste any time with pleasantries, moving quickly to the bridge, and after taking the short elevator ride, pressing on button for the ship's main speakers. "This is Dwight Howard speaking on behalf of Captain Gefalscht. We will be leaving towards Great Lake Base, preparations for which begin now. All pilots, consider yourselves on standby, effective immediately. Takeoff will occur as soon as all preparations are completed. Thank you"

"Ooh, now isn't this place just lovely? I knew we would be well off to like somewhere quiet" Sidney giggled as her and Owen entered the shop, giving a small wave to Morta and Ceirch. "You've never seen oatmeal, Morta? It's not my favorite, I think it's a little bland to have too often, but it's not so bad that I'd compare it to Kearney." She approached the counter, smiling at the old man who seemed strangely familiar; maybe she had been here as a child and not remembered. "Good morning! Hmm, I think me and Owen would like to know what's available. Do you have anything sweet or fruity?"

there still are I think this game is going to be 17 players based on modest interest received. I am still iterating on the setup, so this may change, and if interest goes up or down that is also a factor. It will be some time before this starts still basically.

"Well, that wouldn't be much fun at all! Unless you want to spend most of the time hiding around the city, looking for opportunities to go anywhere... maybe it would be fun, just in a different way." Sidney teased. "I would have to teach you all the shortcuts in Tytila! Or just how to be sneaky in general, which I think it's safe to say you don't think you have much experience with- sorry, dear." She squeezed Owen's hand, then started with him out the door. "Whether or not that would be interesting, there's no need for it, so let's just make the most of our time instead." Walking past the guards, Sidney swung her arms slightly to the side, making sure that they noticed exactly whose hand she was holding. I think that should put any concerns about me to rest! "Anyway, I'm only hungrier now that I've been thinking of all this. There are lots of nice, small stores, hidden little places amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. I'm sure we'll find somewhere we both fancy soon enough." Sidney leads Owen to some breakfast place that isn't the Golden Experience

oh

it's not full signups and some people have expressed interest but not in the thread @kirsche