Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 3 (Owen's Party)

[Frostivus]

Three mages. Three targets for Malaphar.

She wondered if she could still call it her kill if she landed an arrow on whatever resembled a body after Malaphar's attack.

"And I thought the Baron's skull was thick," she mused as Owen dismissed the cranium-cracking shockwave of a spiked maul crashing into his temple with a massaging rub, "I guess wearing a crown all the time is finally proving its worth in weight of gold, eh?"

"Your Majesty, once this battle is over, I'll teach you the bard's most sacred power," she punctuated her statement by slamming her fist into her palm, eyebrows knit sternly, and then she seamlessly equipped her Gattling Bow, "Talking is a free action."

It came easier to most people. She, for example, gabbed more than she breathed. Sometimes she could have minutes of inner monologue when barely a split second had passed. She supposed it had something to do with her line of work.

"Scuttle to (9,12), equip gatling bow."

Scuttle to (9,12), equip gatling bow

Edited September 11, 2016 by Frostivus

[Xinnidy]

"Huh?" He wasn't entirely familiar with Scuttle's voice yet, so it came as a surprise to be addressed by the bard amidst a battle. Something about the bard's sacred powers? Owen wasn't quite getting her point. I suppose this is all a matter of personal experience, huh? "Uh, very well, Miss Scuttle." He had something else catch his sight --It seemed like a confrontation between Malaphar and the cultist remnants was about to start --no, they might ignore him to attempt potshot at their group. Going against Malaphar was akin to suicide at best. Those unfortunate souls.

That said, Owen wanted no part of the initial sorcery-slinging.

Sebastian to (10,11), trade-equip emmet his crossbow and equip his throwing knife;

Owen to (11,11).

Edited September 12, 2016 by Xinnidy

[Shin]

Adele moves to 10,10!

Adele equips her Hand Axe and Round Shield!

Scuttle moves to 9,12!

Scuttle uses her action to speak!

Nah, just kidding, she equips her Gattling Bow.

Sebastian moves to 10,11!

Sebastian helps Emmet equip his Crossbow!

Sebastian equips his Throwing Knife!

"Prince Owen, I feel this might be beneficial for you."

Sebastian casts heal on Owen!

Sebastian gains 6 XP!

Sebastian gains 2 Staff WEXP!

Sebastian grows to level 2!

(28 33 13 90 61 8 95 98)

HP up!

Strength up!

Magic up!

Speed up!

Luck up!

Owen moves to 11,11!

ENEMY PHASE

"This is it, we either die fighting him here... or let him find and torture us later. If he gets that book... I fear for our cult."

Mage #1 moves to 10,8!

Mage #1 attacks Adele with Balor!

10 Atk, 47% Hit, 2% Crit

(35 98)

Adele takes 10 damage! (23/34 HP remaining)

Adele counters with her Hand Axe!

19 Atk, 80% Hit, 22% Crit

(42 94)

Adele deals 19 damage! (10/29 HP remaining)


Adele gains 10 XP!

Adele gains 1 Axe WEXP!

Mage #2 moves to 8,10!

Mage #2 attacks Emmet with Balor!

6 Atk, 60% Hit, 4% Crit

(43 60)

Emmet takes 6 damage! (29/36 HP remaining)

Emmet counters with his Crossbow!

14 Atk, 68% Hit, 2% Crit

(83 31)

Emmet misses!


Emmet gains 5 XP!

Emmet gains 1 Bow WEXP!

Mage #3 moves to 7,11!

Mage #3 attacks Emmet with Balor!

7 Atk, 63% Hit, 5% Crit

(54 2)

Ouch! Emmet takes 21 damage! (8/36 HP remaining)

Emmet counters!

14 Atk, 67% Hit, 1% Crit

(80 68)

Emmet misses again!


Emmet gains 5 XP!

Emmet gains 1 Bow WEXP!

Traliard considers his options!

"He'll kill me without a second thought... he's no man, he's a monster..."

Traliard moves to 7,8!

OTHER PHASE

"A monster? Let me show you a true monstrosity."

Malaphar moves to 6,7!

Malaphar attacks Traliard with Inferno!

19 Atk, 66% Hit, 0% Crit

(20 10)

Malaphar deals 19 damage! (16/35 HP remaining)

Traliard counters with Adhan!

9 Atk, 54% Hit, 3% Crit

(60 23)

Traliard misses!

Malaphar chooses not to attack!

Chapter 6A - Turn 8

SPREADSHEET

Traliard was noticeably scorched from Malaphar's spell, the intense heat could even be felt by Owen and his companions. The man seemed to be looking for an escape route or at least a way to take down the mighty sorcerer - but even he knew that his time left was limited. Malaphar stared at him coldly, readying his tome once again.

"You could have given it to me, perhaps then I would not have needed to decimate your filthy little group. I know where you're keeping it, you've outlived your usefulness to me." Malaphar soothed, the harsh content of his speech completely contrasting his tone. "The world... my World... has no need for those who worship false idols, whether they be Engel or Belial. You were unfortunate, you just happened to be the scum at the bottom of my boot."

Traliard was trembling, his own spell had failed to stop or even harm Malaphar, was this his foe? "Monster! We had women and children! You killed them all! Do you even know how many of their lives you destroyed?" he cried, the morale of his group having plummeted.

"No, I see no use in counting something with no value. One grain of sand... a hundred grains of sand. A beach would not miss either quantity." Malaphar retorted. "Pray to your deity, for even he won't be able to save you from what you deserve."

[Xinnidy]

Owen cringed as he felt the magical heat. The cultist was bound to be a char of his former self at that point, but, for whatever reason, Malaphar preferred not to finish him off immediately. What is he doing? Does he just intend to torture the man, keeping him at death's door? The content of his speech made the prince's heart sink at his decision. Perhaps these men weren't so wrong, but to a man of twisted ideals to have amassed this much power... this is unfortunate.

How does this man know of my father? Where in the life of a King of Wyke would such company be acceptable? The prince balled a fist in frustration.

"This... if only I knew better." Owen spoke under his breath, "I don't want to see this any longer. I'd rather their end be swift and hold a speck of honor. Everyone--" He unsheathed a simpler sword than his regal one, "...Let's not extend this." There wasn't really a prettier way to put it in his mind, he was just aiding a slaughter, even if they believed a different deity. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can go. Maybe it wouldn't gain him any points with Malaphar. Maybe it would. The prince wasn't sure which was worse.

Owen to (9,8), stab mage #1 with iron sword.
Sebastian to (8,11), stab mage #3 with steel sword.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Xinnidy

[Shin]

Owen moves to 9,8!

Owen attacks Mage #1 with his Iron Sword!

13 Atk, 100% Hit, 7% Crit, 11% Astra

(47 51 36)

Owen finishes!


Owen gains 27 XP!

Owen gains 2 Sword WEXP!

Owen reaches C Swords!

"One moment, please."

Sebastian moves to 8,11!

Sebastian attacks Mage #3 with his Steel Sword!

16 Atk, 96% Hit, 6% Crit

(90 5)

Dinner is served!


Sebastian gains 6 XP!

Sebastian gains 2 Sword WEXP!

Edited September 13, 2016 by Shin

[Frostivus]

Scuttle could never be like Javier.

Every fibre of muscle in her body wanted to object to this madness. The aim of her bow wobbled, unsure of the target. She clenched her jaw until her teeth grit audibly, fighting the urge to scream.

Youth made her stronger than her mentor. Quicker. More reckless.

But she could never have his bravery. His integrity.

Women and children? Grains of sand in the beach? Just what kind of god complex festered in this wizard's mind? Javier would have stared him straight in the eye and calmly advised against it. He would have planted his feet and stood his ground. That was just the kind of man he was. Market trips became lessons about humanity. She wished she had been more receptive to it.

Maybe now she would have had the strength to oppose Malaphar.

Instead she bowed her head, ignored the bloodstains on her hands, and fired.

Scuttle to (9,9), fire at mage #2 with her Gatling Bow

Edited September 13, 2016 by Frostivus

[Ether]

Was there any point in this continuing? No, Adeltrudis didn't think so. As much as she'd like to talk to this sorcerer, figure out what the hell was going on... Malaphar would kill him anyway. The least she could do was put him out of his misery. Stepping towards the cowering man, she brought her Nacht down on him, hoping to end it without any unneeded torture.

"There, we're done with this lot, Malaphar. If you already has what you needed of them, I would hope we only came this way for lack of another path."

Adele to 8,8, Nacht Traliard

[Shin]

Adele moves to 8,8!

"Stop, can't you see you're working with a monster?"

Adele attacks Traliard with Nacht!

(10 17)

Totally dead.


Adele gains 93 XP!

Adele gains 2 Axe WEXP!


Adele grows to level 11!

(77 23 19 37 46 31 91 50)


HP up!

Strength up!

Skill up!

"May Belial curse your eternal soul... to side with a man like him..."

MAP COMPLETE

Traliard fell lifeless as Adele hacked into his neck, the wizard's expression full of horror as he died. The remaining mage attempted to flee, but Malaphar didn't appear to have mercy on his agenda. Swiping his arm forwards, his target suddenly set ablaze, letting out a pained cry as he burned to death before the eyes of Owen's group. It took only a few seconds for him to drop to the floor, joining his leader in death. Looking down at the corpse of Traliard, Malaphar seemed rather content with the situation.

"His people were vile, their rituals were cruel and took the lives of those uninvolved... the world's a better place without the likes of his people." Malaphar announced, lacking any sort of empathy for the cultists. "After Magonsaete, they were planning to spread to Wyke. You've saved your country from something unpleasant. With the cultists disbanded, your group should be able to progress to Raewald unhindered."

-

Sebastian approached Adele slyly, looking rather concerned. "Lady Adeltrudis, I'm sure you've noticed, but our... acquaintance used our group for his own ends." Sebastian warned, replacing his dagger to his belt. "His magic is rather potent, I think it would be best to cut ties with him whilst he still has no reason to incinerate Prince Owen."

Chapter 6A Complete!

Traliard killed

[spoiler=BEXP]

Owen gains 40 BEXP!

Owen grows to level 11!

(99 19 6 74 4 96 94 69)

Strength up!

Magic up!

Speed up!

Adele gains 20 BEXP!

Emmet gains 50 BEXP!

Emmet grows to level 11!

(8 46 70 40 3 0 65 63)

HP up!

Skill up!

Speed up!

Scuttle gains 50 BEXP!

Scuttle grows to level 11!

(39 70 71 10 35 88 83 17)

HP up!

Skill up!

Speed up!

Resistance up!

Sebastian gains 15 BEXP!

All players are free to post!

[Jotari]

Emmet desperately tried to get his crossbow working as the mage attacked. He successfully launched a bolt but it flew wide by nearly six feet. At the same time the mage's attack hit, launching the archer off his feet. "Damn" he grunted. That hurt at least three times more than I was expecting. There a slight smile on the cultist's face as they prepared to attack again. Without wasting time getting to his feet, Emmet abandoned the crossbow in favor of Pinaka. "You think you can kill me" he muttered. "I'm the mage killer. I won't be defeated by a paltry cultist who got lucky." Despite his bravado Emmet hesitated to fire. He wasn't in a good position and he was certain another attack would kill him. He had to make sure this attack hit. Just as he was about to launch the arrow, out of nowhere Lady Adele's butler appeared and killed his foe. Emmet dropped Pinaka and sighed. "Oh praise Engel" he muttered. He lay on the ground resting for a few more seconds before slowly getting to his feet. I must be loosing my edge. Either that or it just wasn't my lucky day.

Emmet as lady Adele and Malaphar dispatched the last two foes. "Was that last kill really necessary" Emmet asked the sorcerer. "He was fleeing. I would have rather liked to capture him alive. I think you've only been giving us one side of this story."

[Shin]

Cleansing

Malaphar turned slowly towards Emmet, almost considering if he cared about his opinion. "And I felt like I didn't want him to survive. It appears we have differing opinions, scholar." he retorted, looking down at the corpse with disgust. "Tell me, who would you rather listen to, the man who has aided your passage through these barbarian plains... or a group who dedicated their lives to worshipping an idol so evil that most of the known world shun it?"

Traliard's corpse interested him more, Malaphar leaned down to reach into his satchel. After a moment or two, he'd produced a familiar looking vial - it was identical to the one that Owen had recovered from Baleros. "How interesting. I think that may explain a few things, am I not correct?"

[Jotari]

"I like to know all the facts before-" Emmet stopped dead as he saw when Malaphar took from the cult leader's corpse. He tried to control the shock on his face. That hue. It's even in the same sort of container. It has to be! But why? He turned to prince Owen. "Your highness, can I speak to you privately for a moment?" He tried to keep some anger in his tone so Malaphar might assume the issue was killing the last cultist. Something Emmet had almost immediately stopped caring about the moment he seen the vial.

Edited September 16, 2016 by Jotari

[Xinnidy]

He says these people are vile and their actions were better off without, but it does not clean the words he just uttered a few moments prior. Owen squinted a stern glance at the corpse of the last cultist, still making sure that this was the same Malaphar that spoke to him before. I'll judge things as I see them, Malaphar.

The vial Malaphar retrieved from the cultist's corpse, however, pulled Owen away from his conflicted thoughts, raising an eyebrow as he eyed the liquid with surprise. "So these people--" Emmet adressed him before the prince could finish his thoughts, "Ah... please be brief, Sir Emmet." He nodded, the man must have realized what the contents entailed to just as quickly. "Malaphar, that's rather interesting... but I take it there's more you're looking for here?" It was a wild guess by Owen, but surely the vial wouldn't necessarily lead Malaphar closer to the fountain on its own.

[Jotari]

"Lady Claire asked me to research a vial just like that" Emmet whispered to the prince. "I assume at your behest. I'm certain it's the same liquid as she is carrying. The one Malaphar directly referenced yesterday as dangerous."

Edited September 18, 2016 by Jotari

[Ether]

As Sebastian approached, clearly uneasy, Adeltrudis couldn't help but nod, stepping somewhat away from Malaphar as he spoke to Owen and Emmet.

"Well, you aren't wrong... I'll talk to Owen about it, see what he has to say on the matter... if he chooses to stick along with him, well, his safety is what matters in the end. I'll be sticking with Owen, whatever his decision might be. I only hope it's not too late to act on that feeling... I fear we've not a chance to break away until we've re-united with the others..." Adele replied solemnly, looking over to Sebastian with a frown.

"My apologies for putting you through this, Sebastian. I suppose this wasn't what you were expecting when you took this job."

[Frostivus]

[spoiler=Her final memory]Outside the pavements of the Orphanage of Good Hope, an angry woman unleashed a flurry of kicks onto a lone wooden lamp pole.

It was strangely therapeutic, encountering something in her life more helpless than what she was feeling now.

You’re not coming back, are you?

Scuttle kicked at the pole like the wrath of gods could flow out from her into it, and made it her own personal lightning rod of hate. She kicked at it until her soles bled, and kicked some more. Unfettered bursts of blinding, screaming rage that ill-concealed how powerless she felt.

When all she could really do to effect the world was make a wooden pole slightly more crooked.

You shouldn’t have to go!

Her throat was hoarse from agonised screaming. She breathed ragged breaths, acutely aware of which drops trickling down her face was sweat and which were tears.

A familiar dulcet voice rang out from behind her. The last and only voice she had wanted to hear.

“I imagine quite a few swallows are going to be displeased this evening when they return to find the state of their nests.”

Scuttle took a deep breath, letting the spider like redness around her vision cool. Broken straws and sticks lay scattered about the wooden pole. Swallow nests. They must have been dislodged when she was kicking the pole.

She didn’t want to turn around to face him.

“Yeah, well, I guess they have to just deal with it,” she huffed, wiping the sweat from her face with her sleeve.

“Such is life, yes. But perhaps it was just the nudge those swallows needed to find a real tree to nest in. A lamp pole is no home for young chicks.”

“This isn’t one of your stupid parables again, is it?” she snapped back with a groan.

“… no. But coincidentally, this little mishap may have a silver lining after all. What a strange and yet all too familiar situation.”

“Engels above! Javier!” Scuttle threw her hands up into the air, “I don’t give a flying hoot about the bloody birds!”

She turned to face him, to stab an accusing finger into his chest, and there he was. Grey and wrinkled, crowned with age. Twelve years of his profession had taken so much out of him. And now he was going to go back.

“Get lost! Leave! It’s okay, I’m used to it by now, being an orphan and all! It only hurts the first time!” It was getting harder to string the words together. She pummelled him, but her body was weak from the sobbing and kicking. The lightness of her blows betrayed the weight of her burdens.

Two arms wrapped around her back and pulled her into an embrace. She collapsed into it, exhausted, delirious with tears.

“I’m sorry, Scuttle. But I have to do this.”

She buried her face into his collar. The old man always smelled of cologne.

They stayed embracing for what felt like eternity. Her chest heaving tremulously into his, replete with dying sobs, the wind making tangible her misty breaths. Scuttle tried to capture as much as she could into memory. Her final memory of Javier.

“When all this is over, I promise you, all of Wyke will know your story.”

“No, Scuttle.”

Javier pulled her head back, and raised her chin up. He was old, but those eyes burned with a smoldering fire.

He smiled the same smile he did when he found her by the park twelve years ago.

“Tell the world your story.”

Scuttle gave the butler a suspicious, knowing glare as she sauntered up to the rest of the group. "Oh, I'm sure he knew full well what he was signing up for," she muttered under her breath.

She quickly caught onto the topic of discussion. A vial?

Scuttle had a strong talent of sieving stories from conversation and an even stronger memory for storing them. Her mind played back the conversation Malaphar had with Owen the day before. Whispers of a rumour of a secret fountain of life. And a warning never to consume it. One could only assume this was what was in the vial.

Suddenly Farmer Joe's complaints about zombie badgers eating his crops grew a lot more credibility.

"Well, it's in safe hands now, right? I mean, surely the bandits weren't clever enough to drink the vial themselves. Or we'll all be in big trouble!" she jested, then quickly whispered through the edges of her mouth, "Plus the sooner we ditch the wizard with fire for hands, the better."

Edited September 18, 2016 by Frostivus

[Jotari]

Emmet glared at Skuttles. "There are some things bards are better off not eavesdropping on" he said in a low voice, hoping to still mislead Malaphar though he doubted it was possible at this point. "This doesn't concern you, or anyone else for that matter." Though Emmet spoke sternly, he did not speak cruelly. Instead opting ot use a more direct and neutral tone.

[Shin]

Legacy of Jeeves

"It's quite alright, Lady Adeltrudis. Mister Jeeves had been through far more than I have." Sebastian replied, putting his service ahead of his own well being. "As long as you are safe, I think I can take a few cuts and scrapes. Thankfully, I'm still able to recover from those."

It was a grim reminder of the fate of Jeeves, his mentor had used his last moments in life to keep Master Graham safe. In reality, he really shouldn't have gone on the Dettard expedition, but there had been no persuading him. Sebastian remembered the last words he'd been told, they were etched into his memory. Some things are more important than one's own life. Those who you cherish go beyond anything else. It was only after his death that the phrase made sense, had he predicted his own fate?

"Prince Owen may need you to help steer his guidance, Lady Adeltrudis. You are perhaps his oldest friend, I'm sure he would be able to depend on you." Sebastian added. "If there is any way I can aid you, it will be my pleasure."

Reunion

There had been enough sentimentality for Malaphar, it was time to reunite with the rest of Owen's group. "Come now, Prince." he soothed, facing the hills they'd approached from. "It is best that you don't ponder this too hard, the future of your country and the continent should come first. Your passage should pose no threats for the remainder of your journey."

PLEASE AWAIT THE NEXT THREAD BEFORE POSTING, A TIMESKIP WILL OCCUR REUNITING THE GROUP.