In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
RANK: Senior LOCATION: FORSAKEN REALM MIN-MAX PLAYER GROUP: 2-4 OTHER REQS:
NPCs may not enter the dungeon
Players must come wearing a costume
Only seniors and above may take part in this dungeon.
Description: On the edges of the forsaken region a dark creepy mansion has appeared out of nowhere, causing concern and paranoia to show in those who come across it. From the mansion area, a heavy dark mist flows out and covers an expansive area adding to the feeling that you are being watched by some unseen force. There are those who believe old folktales that the restless spirits of the damned worked together to create this manifestation of their anger towards those who have what they no longer do. Life. With apparent dark forces at work, the haunted house known as the Kabocha Ohaka took form. But was that a fact? What was behind the door?
[attr="class","dungenfloor"]FLOOR #1
NUMBER OF ROOMS: 2 WORD COUNT PER ROOM: 2000 FLOOR BESTIARY
These bat-like creatures band together to take on enemies and would swoop down from the ceiling to attack anyone or thing that disturbs them. They attack by sinking their fangs into their enemies. While one is easy to take down, a swarm can become overwhelming. The Blood-Fangs have been known to use shadow and sound magic. They specialise in attack creation, sensory and hex and curse.
These skeleton foot soldiers stand with pride as they wait for anyone who doesn’t belong in the Kabocha Ohaka to show up. Once that happens, they move from their post and go into a state of defending the room. They will fight with their swords and shields to defeat all those who trespass. Elements they commonly use are either bone or Common metals and specialize in attack creation and defence creation.
These scarecrow defenders will stand as the last line of defense on the first floor and prefers to stay back by the door to the second floor. They are equipped with fire magic to combat any threat that stands before them. Using the attack creation, transformation and restraining, the Strawfright uses its fire to restrain its target and then they go on the offensive.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #1
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
x5 Blood-Fangs per player
As the group enters the house, the door slams shut and all the lights go out which makes it hard to traverse forward unless an item that produces light or someone with magic that can create light is present. Every so often flashes of fork lightning will brighten the room showing a door at the other end of the room. Those with at least 45 sensory or tier 2 Ki would be able to navigate the cluttered and worn room reducing the chance of disturbing the Blood Fangs resting on the ceiling. Every round you are in this room you must roll 1d4 to see if the lightning flashes (Even if it does odd it remains dark) If the lightning flashes then you must roll 1d4 to find out if it disrupts the otherwise sleeping bats. (Even if it will disturb the bats odd it won't.) If the bats hear a noise they will attack in waves so be warned.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #2
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
x4 Bone-Strikers per player [break] x1 Strawfright per player
After entering the 2nd room, the door slams shut like before but candles all around the room will mysteriously light up though the flames are black and give very little aid in regards to vision. The room is filled with jack o’lantern style pumpkins that also light up slightly brighter than the candles adding to the eeire atmosphere. Stationed at the walls are what looked like skeletons in decayed and rusted armour while by the exit of the room are what could only be described as elaborate scarecrows. A cold chill quickly fills the room those without a heat source or heat-based element suffer -5m/s, those with cold-based elements don't take any sort of penalty but they also gain no benefit while those with a heat source or heat-based element will be buffed by +5m/s. As the players get near, the skeletons and scarecrows they would spring into life and ready themselves to face the players.
[attr="class","dungenfloor"]FLOOR #2
NUMBER OF ROOMS: 3 WORD COUNT PER ROOM: 2000 FLOOR BESTIARY[break]
These goblins are quick little guys who are very aggressive and enjoy playing pranks. They attack both individually and in pairs. They don't care what is coming, if they see a target they will engage and attack with their swords as well as their teeth. With an element of oil, they use attack magic, supplementary construct and physical reinforcement.
These flaming Jack O'lantern head warriors defend the Kabocha Ohaka as a precursor to the boss. They love attacking with their axes which create a flame with each swing that can burn their target. They are not ones to rush into battle and would prefer to wait until the target gets close to them. They are known to use lava or fire elements and specialize in attack creation, Physical Reinforcement and Hex and Curse.
The boss of the Kabocha Ohaka! Dracula is a cunning fighter utilizing Dark and Blood magic. When all of his defenders are defeated, he rises and challenges those who dare fight him. Incredibly intelligent and able to switch strategies at a moment's notice. He specializes in attack creation, hex and curse, Physical reinforcement and Transformation
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #1
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
N/A
After successfully getting to the 2nd floor, the group would notice the air getting thicker making it almost impossible to breathe. A dark smokey mist would be seen rising from the floor and make it near impossible to see through let alone navigate. Those with at least 45 sensory or tier 2 Ki would be able to navigate the mist without complication. Those who don't have the required sensory, Ki or a wind-based element will be forced to face their worst fears until they exit the room.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #2
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
x4 Gobs per player [break] x2 Jack O'Blaze per player
The second room is filled with lit jack O’lantern that also contained candy. One could try to eat the candy if they dared. There was a mixture of good and bad candy with wrappers saying Trick or Treat. The bad candy would give the player a toothache and as a result, they would receive a - 5 debuff to their main stat and a -5 m/s to speed. If they ate good candy, they would receive a +5 buff to their main stat and +5 m/s to their speed. To determine the effects of the consumed candy, a player will roll a 1d10, with even numbers resulting in good candy and odd numbers resulting in bad candy. The effects do not stack if you eat multiple pieces of candy, you can only be granted one effect at a time.
Even if the players don’t partake in the candy-eating opportunity, Gobs will rush out towards them to attack while the Jack O’Blaze defends the entrance to the boss room.
[attr="class","dungenroom"]Room #3 | Boss Room
[attr="class","dungenencounters"]ENCOUNTERS:
x2 Jack O'Blaze per player [break] X1 Dracula
As the players enter the room, they are met by the sound of a pipe organ playing in a gothic cathedral-like room. The room turns bright and it is revealed a tall well put together noble sitting at the organ, playing the Shadow’s Masquerade. As he plays, the Jack O’Blaze that were dormant within the room now move to attack the players. Should the players manage to defeat the defenders, It is then that the noble gets up and smiles, telling the players that he is their final adversary.
Wandering through the darkness, a boy wearing a clanky knights’ armor could be seen making his way towards a spooky mansion. Adorned by a silver cloak that hung from his shoulders down to the ground and even trailed behind him a bit due to his short stature, the ashen haired boy looked rather regal. This was however solely due to the fact that the cloak he was supposed to wear matched incredibly well with the assembled knight armor he had salvaged from his most recent undertaking. Fighting the zombified variant of Charlemagne, the lord of the sword, the armor itself had been intended as a costume to wear to the Spirit Festival so that he might partake in the dress competition, as well as anything else the place had to offer someone such as himself. Truth be told, the boy had had a blast with the pumpkin carving and zombie hunting.
When nearing the end of the festivities, he had heard in passing that a strange building had appeared in the forsaken realm, one that seemed to forcefully evict anyone not wearing a costume that stepped onto the property. It was something people had compared to other places that had just appeared out of the blue, only for them to disappear not a whole lot later, albeit with a fair list of victims. New as he was to what went on within the Clover country, word like that had a tendency of spreading quickly amongst the locals, regardless of class and ethnicity. People talked, that was just human nature, plain and simple. And for people like Gawain who always kept an ear to the ground and his eyes to the skies, people talking amongst one another out in the open for everyone to hear was one of the best ways to get leads on any new jobs.
In a weird turn of events, Gawain found himself heading out this time as a member of one of the more esteemed magic knight squads, the Silver Eagles. Initially, the teen had only signed up as a sort of joke, to see whether or not he could get in, given his background as someone who wasn’t even considered a commoner. His parents were dead, he had been raised for half of his life across the ocean in the land of Skjaergard, then spent some time in a Cloverian orphanage, only to escape and be trained by a former Black Bull. All things considered, he still felt it odd that he even managed to get in, given their rather strict rules when it came to primarily only accepting blue bloods and other kinds of nobles. Perhaps it was because the Captain had seen the same thing Griswold had seen, his potential to become one of the most powerful knights in the country. He did possess a four-leaf Grimoire after all.
Approaching the mansion and crossing the threshold, Gawain noticed that he was not actively being repulsed or barred from getting any closer, meaning that whatever had set the strange boundary rules of needing to be in costume had accepted his attire as such. This meant that he was free to enter and do what it was that he did best, to fight against strange otherworldly beings and deadly combatants to see what his current limits were, break the ones that could be broken and take literally everything that wasn’t boarded down with him to sell at the black market. While the magic knight’s pay check was a fairly hefty one, he was still very low on the ladder, and he also needed to eat and pay for lodgings.
[attr="class","haniascroll"]The ice mage had spent some time within the spirit festival, he wasn't one for people in general but he did attempt to seem somewhat socially engaged when he needed to. It wouldn't look good if the head of the Ravencrest decided to remain locked up in a library when he wasn't dealing with familial matters or his duties as a knight. To be honest, if he could get away with it he would never leave his library, but alas, that wasn't in the cards. After he had socialized a little he decided he had enough of the noisy and overly energetic atmosphere as he preferred things calm, quiet and orderly. He himself looked like an onmyōji dressed in white and ice blue shōzoku vestments his hair tied back neatly. There had been many ghost stories spoken as he moved around by elders in the hopes of scaring the youth but he already knew sometimes there was truth in the words.
He found his curiosity piqued thinking of one story in particular that he had heard as a child when he started understanding the Cloven language. He was usually busy at this time of year dealing with the bureaucracy that came with his social station, he hated going to the masquerade balls with a passion, it felt like just another day with the only difference being that the masks were visible for all to see. This year it seemed as if the royal family were allowing the Green Mantis to steal the stage so no ball had been planned, he had to wonder what the reason was but he was sure that the complaining would start about it soon enough. How he wished he would be able to tell them to shut up as if it was that important one of them could have hosted but optics were a thing.
Eventually, he noticed a dark mist which made him pause for a short second, he realized this was likely to build paranoia and make people run in the other direction. He guessed it worked a lot of the time or the stories wouldn't be around, he, however, had been through worse than a creepy dark mist and so wasn't deterred by it. "I see the creepy carpet has been rolled out for us." he said calmly to the ice spirit that was perched on his shoulder as he began to walk forward once more. "Is this an amateur haunted house or something?" the spirit would ask him causing the mage to shrug. He felt the familiar feeling of having unseen eyes on him "I feel like I'm at court again." he whispered in complaint, if he wanted to deal with this feeling he'd go deal with nobles.
At first, he did feel a sort of pushback, but it was short-lived as he continued forward "It had some sort of requirement?" he seemed confused, he had been through several dungeons and other odd predicaments and he had never felt such a thing before. It made him wonder if that meant this dungeon was sentient in some sort of way. The only way he would find out that answer was if he continued forward. It wouldn't be long before he saw something shining that caught his eye and paused mid-step as he attempted to determine if it was someone or something that he should be concerned about. After a moment he began to move forward once more seeing it was indeed a corporal being "Good evening, did the folklore pique your curiosity?" he would ask the other as he stopped by the male's side. "My name is Hania, do you mind if I accompany you on your journey?" he would ask his voice calm as he spoke.
Rank & Element: Junior ¦ Light Class & Type: Relic ¦ Accessory (bracelet) Magic Specializations: Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Appearance & Lore: A simple bracelet made out of reinforced glass with an opalite charm dangling from it almost like a pendulum, that gives off a dull light during the day and a bright light during the night preventing any natural shadow from forming.
There is nothing of major historical importance or deep story into where this item came from. The white-haired heir of the Ravencrest family has suffered from terrible day and night terrors since he was young and still does to this day. When asked what is wrong he brushes it off telling people not to worry it was a condition he had. He will never go into the terrible things he sees, in fact, he personally wishes he could forget he quickly realized that his perfect memory was a double edge sword and at times he truly wished he didn't have it.
His elder sister Lydia was the first to realize that it happened more when he was in an emotional state or surrounded by darkness. She also realized that he refused to sleep unless every light source he could find was active or he would sleep outside under the sun during the day, this wasn't optimal as he was to be trained to take over the family if anything were to happen to Lydia. Still, there wasn't much anyone could think to do to help him as he refused to open up but even if they could that came with a different set of hurdles they had to get over. Hania earlier in his life wouldn't take things from people due to his treatment before being adopted.
It took a while but Lydia finally found a way to help her younger brother, she had a crystal made with light inside and told him to use it when he sleeps. She said it was hers and she just wanted to see if it would help. He was reluctant but she said it only had to be a few days so he accepted. Throughout those few days, he slept somewhat peacefully so it was clear that it helped but not enough, she could only guess that the light wasn't strong enough. She realized this would be fine for a normal child afraid of the dark but it was clear to the pink-haired woman that this wasn't a normal situation.
She personally designed what she believed would help him the most, she chose the materials, their appearance even the opalite that dangles from it. As the bracelet was being made she slowly started to imbue her own element into the glass beads and the opalite as the former was created and the latter was shaped. It took close to a year to complete but Lydia seen it as something that should be done slow and steady, this was to make sure that it was done right the first time and that no matter what it would be near indestructible for whatever he may face in life.
On what is now classed as Hania's eighth birthday after a certain incident happened, she gave him a box, within it laid the bracelet. He was told to keep it with him always as she would be there to keep the darkness at bay and watching over him so he could be at peace while he rested. From that moment he has always kept it with him even if he hasn't always worn it.
Type & Uses: Trigger ¦ 4 Uses Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 mana per trigger ¦ 15 recharge Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10 m/s Stats Affected: +4 Control Description: The pendant starts to pulsate and hovers into his hand, holding almost as if it was a pen or calligraphy brush he writes the name of the person he wants to heal in the air as if he was writing on paper. It seems to stay for a few seconds before disappearing, the moment it does a gentle and warm light forms around the person in question healing them for junior rank damage. With the use of ammo rules, additional peoples names can be written per trigger. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds
Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 uses ¦ 2 cooldown Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10m/s Stats Affected: +2 Speed (wielder only) Description: Runes of light appear up the outside of the user's legs and arms this allowing them to move 2 m/s faster than they could naturally. The runes give off a warmth that is able to heal for junior rank damage, with the use of ammo rules, the wielder need only hold the pendant and speak a person's name to have it be able to heal them. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds.
Type & Uses: NA Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement Mana Cost: NA Range & Speed: NA ¦ NA Stats Affected: -- Description: In the beginning, this ability is inactive, it is only with the use and bonding of the item itself a deeper understanding allows the hidden secret left by a sister wanting to protect the younger brother they've treasured for close to thirteen years. This ability will become an imbued speed buff when it ranks to intermediate.
For what it was worth, mist, smoke and fog no matter how dark in nature barely did anything to scare the young man, not after the one he had witnessed as a child. When his father, as well as a lot of other relatives of his died, their killers had come in with an unnatural mist to obscure them from any that might have detected them through magical or visual means. It took years before Gawain had figured out that one of the men that had come along with the raiding party had been capable of conjuring up these unnatural fog banks, rather than it being a natural occurrence these people had made clever use of. Once he had seen it be used, part of the mysticism and fright that surrounded such eerie mist had faded away forever. It was the kind of thing that made one’s nightmares less scary. Though no amount of insight into the machinations of the Villtsung raiders would ever bring his parents back.
It went without saying that the approach of another mage had not gone unnoticed by him, considering how his guard was up about as far as it could get whenever he approached places such as these. And for good reason. So far, whenever he had ventured close to a location that had been marked by the populace as a ‘magic dungeon’, he had ended up fighting against all manner of strange and sometimes marvelous things. Intricate golems made out of household items, spider-women, assassins, knights, zombified knights, goblins, even eldritch beings conjured up by a vengeful piece of headgear locked away inside of a mansion not unlike this one. It made him wonder what people were thinking when constructing these kind of places, or why they allowed them to exist in the first place. Surely powerful mages would be able to seal them away or blow them to kingdom come.
At the end of the day, he was quite glad they existed though. Because aside from the civilian casualties and the like, they made for a good and fun way of challenging himself. Not to mention the fact that looting them was always worth his while.
“Greetings, I’m Gawain, and I would not mind that one bit. I’ve never really entered into one of these on my own, not really at least. Besides, this is my first time doing anything as a proper magic knight, so I could use some pointers.”
Not really beating around the bush when it came to being a rather fresh magic knight, the fact that he was also only fifteen years old and quite new to magic in and of itself made for a lot of firsts and seconds this day. Looking over this new individual, one of the things he noticed was the fact that they both possessed a rather similar hair color, which was not something he encountered all that much. Usually the people he met had dark brown, black, blond or even red hair, which made this yet another one of firsts this day. Feeling somewhat excited about this new place and getting to enter as a member of one of the more esteemed knight squads, Gawain bent through his knees a bit. Extending and crossing his right arm in front of him while making a fist with his left, he struck a rather strange pose as he hyped himself up to go in.
“Let’s Go!”
FLOOR 1 | ROOM 1
Rushing into the building through the nearest door, the boy entered into a room that seemed very much unlike what he had expected. He had imagined the place would be rather tidy, given this place was still very much a mansion similar to the estate of some nobles he had seen. Sure, it might have seen better days, but this room in particular was just in real bad shape. Judging by how quiet it was, it seemed quite likely that they were going to be jumped by something. It wouldn’t be the first time, as the massive walking tree golem had several rooms in which he had been attacked out of nowhere by golems that just came into being without any notable trigger he could think of. Not to mention the time when he believed himself to be done fighting, only to be attacked by assassins once he reached the door. Needless to say, that had made him a bit more careful.
Using his Ki to scope out the room for as far as he could reach, he could feel the presence of something along the roof, though he could not really make out what it was very well yet. The vague outline suggested that it was a cluster of something, though of what was anyone’s guess at this point. For now, it did not seem like these things were going to be attacking him, meaning it might be worth trying to just press on and make their way out. While the door remained open, what little light came in from the outside let him see most of what this room had to offer, as well as showing the door that would more than likely be taking them into the next one. For now, Gawain believed it would be best not to call out to Hania, as he would more than likely be able to figure out the situation they were in once he set foot inside of the place on his own.
Instead, he would just slowly begin to pace himself across the room, trying not to trigger whatever was on the ceiling to come down and begin attacking them, as it was very much a living thing. Or rather, multiple living things. And the thing with living beings was that when someone uninvited disturbed them within their ‘home’, they had a tendency of attacking in self defense, trying to remove the interlopers so they could return to their resting place. Truly, Gawain was very interested in seeing exactly the kind of things that had made a place such as this their home, and honestly, he was starting to get a good idea of what it might be. Judging by the overwhelming scent of shit, as well as the less than pleasant feeling he got whenever he moved his feet across the floor, the only thing he could imagine him walking through was just that: Shit.
[attr="class","haniascroll"]The ice mage watched the younger male dressed like a guard from the royal courts and listened to his words. "I am glad that you have accepted my company on this task." he said with a calm tone his eyes turning back to the manor in front of them both "I wouldn't be surprised, no one is permitted to enter a dungeon on their own for safety reasons." he said somewhat thoughtfully, he was assessing the situation entirely, it wasn't a drastic jump to believe that this place had indeed either become a dungeon or had always been one. It was when he commented that he was still a greenhorn within the magic knights. "Sometimes pointers don't really do justice to things, more often than not things come with experience." he said truthfully. It was true that while the white-haired mage believed everyone an idiot to some degree he did give the benefit of the doubt regardless.
It was then that the youth did something that he wasn't expecting which gave him pause, he struck an odd pose 'What on earth was his captain thinking?' he thought to himself in disbelief 'I don't think they were.' Amostia sent back to him causing the ice mage to look at the spirit from the corner of his eye. With a silent sigh, he nodded "Indeed, I doubt our hosts would wish to be kept waiting for us." he said watching as the armour-clad male ran off into the manor of a dungeon before walking behind him at a steady pace. He still had that off-putting feeling that the dungeon was trying to portray, there had to be more to why it was showing this surely as no other dungeon had ever felt this way in his experience.
Floor 1, Room 1
Where Gawain had rushed towards the nearest entrance he was pacing himself "I would be careful rushing head first into things." he said offering some friendly advice, just because he was young didn't mean he wasn't skilled in things such as ki or sensory but there would be times that such things could fail a person and it could end up being tricky if not deadly. Sighing watching as the youth entered he would follow shortly afterwards. As the ice mage walked in he turned his attention towards his new surroundings. He hadn't even really noticed that the door had slammed behind him as he had entered, they were cheap parlour tricks as far as he was concerned and not worth his time. The spiritual bird on his shoulder nipped at his ear and indicated for him to look up. His head not moving he indeed moved his eyes up to see the shadowed outline of bats in slumber.
"What a mess. It would seem as if our host wasn't expecting company this evening and so didn't think to clean the place." he would say looking at Gawain "Not to mention their pets are still sleeping, due to the darkness of this place I would speculate that we are dealing with some sort of bat due to the size of them. I could, of course, be wrong." he said his tone remaining neutral on the matter. He could have clarified what exactly was on the ceiling and just how many there were but he didn't quite see the point of it at current. He watched as the other began to pace around the room, he looked less than happy at the situation "I'm guessing you can smell the guano from the bats in the air, if you spend time walking around in that muck it may start corroding your armour." he commented.
Bringing up his left sleeve a little he allowed his bracelet to be seen, the small gemstone dangling from it glowing semi brightly illuminating the room, but it still wasn't enough to disrupt what was dangling from the ceiling. He then looked up once more at the ceiling "What do you know, I was right." he said calmly, then again it wasn't as if he was attempting to explain the art of war to a noble who had no idea about the matter. That was something he would rather avoid if he could help it. He noticed that there was something sitting dead centre of the room and instantly understood that it was going to be a problem. The only reason why he thought that was because where everything else was decaying, rotten and broken this thing stood alone and was in one piece.
He raised his left hand up a little so he could see the bats better and began to count, once done he brought his hand down once more. "There are eight of them, even if they wake up they shouldn't give us much trouble." he said once again looking around the room that he realized was cluttered. His inner clean, neat and orderly self wanted to fix this place and then go for a bath to get rid of whatever germs or potential diseases he may end up getting from being in a place like this. "I have to wonder if the owner is a hoarder." he honestly didn't believe that the person they would meet further in was an actual person but given it was the season of ghosts and ghouls he guessed he'd play along. He would have to do the same when he got home anyway.
His eyes went back to the contraption in the centre of the room as it seemed like it was charging up, this gave him pause as he honestly didn't know what to expect. From what he gleaned it was lightning-based. That wasn't going to do the other mage too well considering he was a walking tin can. "I would get out of that armour if I was you." he said quickly expecting the lightning to shoot off at any moment, he was quite sure if it did then he was sure it would likely disrupt the sleeping bats. As he said it wouldn't give them much trouble if they did wake up, he would just rather avoid it if they could as he didn't feel like getting covered in blood, guts and whatever else they had.
Just as it looked as if it was going to discharge the magical build-up, it did something he wasn't expecting, it fizzled out. "Well, that was disappointing." He sounded so confused as he spoke as he cautiously walked forward towards it dodging boxes, broken chairs, broken tables moth-eaten rugs and other assorted furniture as he wanted to inspect what this thing was and to see if he could disarm it. It was then he actually decided against it as he could see the door on the other side of the room and pointed towards it to Gawain "We should press forward, my bracelet should give enough light so you can avoid the guano on the floor." he said with a slight smile as he himself had been making sure not to touch the stuff though he had to admit that was near impossible. He had to wonder just how long this place had been around and what created it.
Combat Summary
[attr="class","haniascroll2"]
TL;DR Using mapmaker (-6% of the wc needed per room) Using sensory reduction (-25 words from Gawain -130 from Hania)
Rank & Element: Junior ¦ Light Class & Type: Relic ¦ Accessory (bracelet) Magic Specializations: Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Appearance & Lore: A simple bracelet made out of reinforced glass with an opalite charm dangling from it almost like a pendulum, that gives off a dull light during the day and a bright light during the night preventing any natural shadow from forming.
There is nothing of major historical importance or deep story into where this item came from. The white-haired heir of the Ravencrest family has suffered from terrible day and night terrors since he was young and still does to this day. When asked what is wrong he brushes it off telling people not to worry it was a condition he had. He will never go into the terrible things he sees, in fact, he personally wishes he could forget he quickly realized that his perfect memory was a double edge sword and at times he truly wished he didn't have it.
His elder sister Lydia was the first to realize that it happened more when he was in an emotional state or surrounded by darkness. She also realized that he refused to sleep unless every light source he could find was active or he would sleep outside under the sun during the day, this wasn't optimal as he was to be trained to take over the family if anything were to happen to Lydia. Still, there wasn't much anyone could think to do to help him as he refused to open up but even if they could that came with a different set of hurdles they had to get over. Hania earlier in his life wouldn't take things from people due to his treatment before being adopted.
It took a while but Lydia finally found a way to help her younger brother, she had a crystal made with light inside and told him to use it when he sleeps. She said it was hers and she just wanted to see if it would help. He was reluctant but she said it only had to be a few days so he accepted. Throughout those few days, he slept somewhat peacefully so it was clear that it helped but not enough, she could only guess that the light wasn't strong enough. She realized this would be fine for a normal child afraid of the dark but it was clear to the pink-haired woman that this wasn't a normal situation.
She personally designed what she believed would help him the most, she chose the materials, their appearance even the opalite that dangles from it. As the bracelet was being made she slowly started to imbue her own element into the glass beads and the opalite as the former was created and the latter was shaped. It took close to a year to complete but Lydia seen it as something that should be done slow and steady, this was to make sure that it was done right the first time and that no matter what it would be near indestructible for whatever he may face in life.
On what is now classed as Hania's eighth birthday after a certain incident happened, she gave him a box, within it laid the bracelet. He was told to keep it with him always as she would be there to keep the darkness at bay and watching over him so he could be at peace while he rested. From that moment he has always kept it with him even if he hasn't always worn it.
Type & Uses: Trigger ¦ 4 Uses Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 mana per trigger ¦ 15 recharge Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10 m/s Stats Affected: +4 Control Description: The pendant starts to pulsate and hovers into his hand, holding almost as if it was a pen or calligraphy brush he writes the name of the person he wants to heal in the air as if he was writing on paper. It seems to stay for a few seconds before disappearing, the moment it does a gentle and warm light forms around the person in question healing them for junior rank damage. With the use of ammo rules, additional peoples names can be written per trigger. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds
Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 uses ¦ 2 cooldown Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10m/s Stats Affected: +2 Speed (wielder only) Description: Runes of light appear up the outside of the user's legs and arms this allowing them to move 2 m/s faster than they could naturally. The runes give off a warmth that is able to heal for junior rank damage, with the use of ammo rules, the wielder need only hold the pendant and speak a person's name to have it be able to heal them. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds.
Type & Uses: NA Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement Mana Cost: NA Range & Speed: NA ¦ NA Stats Affected: -- Description: In the beginning, this ability is inactive, it is only with the use and bonding of the item itself a deeper understanding allows the hidden secret left by a sister wanting to protect the younger brother they've treasured for close to thirteen years. This ability will become an imbued speed buff when it ranks to intermediate.
Tracking through shit both fresh and old, the light that was being made by the other mage’s bracelet made it slightly easier to see what was going on in the room. Keeping the light dim enough not to disturb what were in fact sleeping bats, part of him wished he hadn’t been able to see the floor at all. There was something about just wading through shit and having to wade through shit he could actually see that made the whole affair that much more unattractive to him. Still, he would do what needed to be done to get out of this mess. The one good thing about the light was that he could now see the spots where he could actually put his feet without stepping in crap. From that point on, that was exactly what he was going to be doing so as to not have to slog through any more of the excrement. Listening to the mage’s assessment of the room, there wasn’t a whole lot of room for him to disagree.
It was also true that rushing straight into things was most likely not the best idea when it came to dealing with places as potentially dangerous as this one, though Gawain knew quite well what the limits of his own abilities were. Strangely enough, he had gotten quite adept at thrusting everything that got too close for comfort away a considerable distance, which also had a tendency of turning them into prime targets for his other more offensive spells. And while he was still getting used to his current level of spells, the boy had come to figure out that he had more than enough mana in him to lay down a sizeable barrage of lesser attacks. It was a tactic that he had first utilized in another dangerous location entirely, though the amount of damage he had been able to pull off just by laying down the hurt on a small area proved a solid tactic. But just because it had worked once did not mean it was always going to keep working, which was all the more reason for him to get stronger.
“Let’s just get out of here first. I want to get out of this suit, though I’d rather not have to go through the trouble of killing a bunch of dumb animals. It’s not their fault they chose such poor lodgings.”
Making it clear that he did not possess any intention to kill these animals, them being weak or strong hardly mattered to him. He had been taught to respect nature, or at the very least the animals that were part of nature, so that was something he would die right up until the moment they actually injured him. That was when they could expect a proper walloping. Though that much could be said for any who would try to injure or kill him. Making for the door without spending too much time as the noise they made just made wake the bats at some point, he slipped through without wasting any more time.
FLOOR 1 | ROOM 2
Once he shoved the door open and made his way through, the first thing he did was unclasp the buckles that were holding his armor together. Figuring there was indeed no longer any need for him to wear a costume now that he had been accepted inside and made his way through the initial room, he let the armored plates clatter down to the ground without so much as a care in the world. In so doing, he even took off his boots now that they had been stained in bat shit, believing he’d be better off not tracking that stuff all over the place and more importantly, having to smell it every step of the way. Dropping the whole mess along the ground, Gawain instantly felt a lot less restricted in his mobility, having let an actual weight fall off of his shoulders to be left here for anyone to find. With that much shit on it, no one was going to want to buy it anyway. Damn bats.
“That’s a lot better!”
Continuing on in the shirt, socks and slacks he wore under his armor, he looked a lot like he had just stepped out of bed and wandered in here by accident. Clearly this was not the case though, as he believed these kinds of clothes provided by far the most mobility when it came to fighting, not to mention that it was light and could be replaced easily if it got torn up. But as he took off his armor and took two more steps forward to get away from that smelly mess, he could feel a kind of cold that instantly reminded him of another dungeon he had been to not too long ago. It was the kind of cold that seeped into your very bones and made it difficult to move properly, meaning it was a good thing he got rid of the armor when he did. Believing the combination of the two might have made him move backwards instead of forward, he took a look around.
Right now, the room was really nothing more than dark, the low rate of visibility making it next to impossible for him to make out anything that they might encounter in here. So even though he could just feel like his mobility was strained, he added on the additional strain of his Ki, believing the risk was worth it when he could at least sense any additional threats coming. That gave him some time to come up with a strained counter, which was about the best thing he could hope for at this point. Turning towards Hania, the boy began to wonder what they might run into beyond this point. More importantly, since the mage had brought up the owner of this place being a potential hoarder, it made him wonder what kind of being it might be. It couldn’t possibly be another zombified knight, as he had just finished one of those off elsewhere.
“So what kind of owner do you think resides over this place? I bet it’s a vampire, they seem to enjoy the company of bats, though they seem incapable of making up their minds about their residency. So far, the ones I’ve met alternated between fancy mansions and damp caverns underneath ancient ruins. They went from being undead to being unalived though, so we can’t really ask them what their deal was.”
Sending a bright smile and two thumbs up towards the older mage as if showing off his pride in dealing with such a menace on his own, people often forgot that he was still but a fifteen year old boy that ran about the world without any real structure or oversight.
[attr="class","haniascroll"]He watched the younger male, it seemed as though his bringing out his bracelet to allow its light to shine was helping him navigate the filthy floor. In honesty the ice mage understood completely, he was a neat freak and was somewhat of a germaphobe if he was being honest with himself. Again the object in the centre of the room was seemingly attempting to power up, he moved around the place making sure not to step in anything or trip on the items cluttering the ground. 'I'm surprised this place doesn't have cockroaches, mice and rats the size of small dogs running around' he sent to his spirit 'Perhaps the bats keep the pest problem at bay' he sent back stretching his wings a little as if he was shrugging. He didn't even want to hear such a thing, just thinking about it made his stomach turn, luckily like most things it didn't show through.
"It might be wise as this thing is powering up again." he said in return knowing the safest thing for them to get away from whatever it was as they had no idea what it was meant to do. "They seem quite content at the moment." he commented knowing that this was indeed the kind of place bats would feel right at home, but he did agree that killing them just for being there seemed wrong and so wanted to push on before they woke up. As the other got to the door he watched as he moved into the next room, he was still fully aware of the lightning building he'd deal with the fallout if it came to that. He, himself got to the door and just as he passed to the next room he heard it shut down for a second time.
Floor 1, Room 2
As he entered the room the door slammed behind him making him sigh "They really need to get new material, repeating the same thing is just idiotic." he said more to himself than anyone else. "Also it seems whoever they got to create that contraption in that other room don't know their jobs well because it malfunctioned twice." he was not a fan of this place, one of the reasons being that it was dirty the second was due to incompetence of the builders. He watched as the youth started to undo his armour allowing it to clatter to the ground making him internally sigh. They had no idea what they were going up against, they hadn't had a chance to check the area so if there were enemies then they were fully aware of their presence. "I'm glad that you feel better without the armour." he said calmly.
He could have easily instructed him of his folly but he had enough of that recently with his cousin and their friend. "I have to ask, why did you go for something so heavy and restricting." it was something that he was curious about. He was wondering if it was for the same reason he, himself ran with weights on in the morning. It built up stamina and over time was proven to increase speed which had been helpful in the past. He watched as the other fixed his clothing so he was comfortable but he was also quite aware of his surroundings as he began to scan the area slowly after a moment. He remained where he was but observed the candles that shone with a black light normally a person would jump to an ill-omen or necromancy but he honestly believed it was for theatrics.
He had also noticed the pumpkins around the room, they were designed like traditional jack-o-lanterns that would be seen outside houses. Though they gave off light he noted that it was barely stronger than the light the candles came off, he guessed it was to set an eerie scene that they would go no further. He couldn't help but roll his eyes, he had better things to do with his time than deal with parlour tricks that would be played on the children who called his estate home on this night. "I have to wonder who this set-up is for, three year olds perhaps." he couldn't even imagine a toddler being afraid of such things. While looking around the room he noticed the temperature of this place was colder than the last room but gave it no mind as he preferred it this way due to his element but he guessed his current ally may struggle a bit.
"Are you going to be okay with the cold?" he asked, if needed he could bolster the other's speed but he didn't want to assume that the other needed or wanted his aid when it came to this matter. His ice blue eyes still moved around the area noticing what he could only assume were previous adventurers who had ventured into this manor unaware of the trials that awaited and found themselves with a less than glorious death. 'People shouldn't venture where they have no right to be.' Amostia sent to the ice mage 'Perhaps, but if we don't then we'd all die of boredom as life would be stale.' he sent back understanding where the spirit was coming from but curiosity was just within their nature. 'Besides, we have no right to be here and yet here we are.' he said looking at the bird on his shoulder.
'and while we're at it, you don't want to get into it with me when it comes to going where they have no right to go given you invade my mind constantly.' he finished, he honestly felt like he had no privacy when it came to his spiritual partner. Like in the previous room, he allowed his bracelet to be shown this time he would pour mana into it allowing it to brighten so that they both could see the area quite easily. "Let's see there are around a dozen skeletons and two scarecrows, I doubt everything is as it seems here however." he mused out loud, he did believe that some of them would likely be enemies he just didn't know how many at that current time. Hearing the question of the other he thought carefully about the answer, he once again looked around but this time at the architecture.
"Well, it appears to be several centuries old and clearly has seen better days..." he began as he listened to what the other was saying. "It has to be some kind of undead, I doubt skeleton or zombie they are... well... no smarter than your average noble in all honesty." Whether he believed this or not wouldn't be readily readable, but it was something he thought of most people, just nobles tend to be dumber in his mind because they only looked at the here and now and how it would benefit them and theirs which irritated him. "I think that is a stereotype if I am honest." he had read plenty of folklore that had said such a thing so he could understand why he made such a jump. "We don't have too many vampires here in Clover, was it in Spade or another place?" he would ask as the church tended to take care of such issues quickly.
"I'm sure that those you protected from such a plight are eternally thankful for your aid." he would say seeing that he was proud of his accomplishment, he had to admit it was quite a feat for someone so young that seemingly didn't have any guidance "But, I would suspect you are correct, we are dealing with a vampire the only thing as smart as them would be a lich and I highly doubt that they would allow their home to fall into such disrepair as they tend to be more affiliated with the occult and the like." this was speculation on his part and he would readily admit it if asked about it but it seemed as if the two were on the same page in regards to who their main enemy currently could be, only time would tell if that was indeed the case.
With that he decided to start moving towards the door, he was being cautious although with how he was walking it was elegant and clearly with purpose. It was then that 8 of the skeletons started to wake from their slumber, and he noticed that even the two scarecrows had begun to move "This is so cliche." he didn't seem all that amused at the goings on, it was more like a bother to him than anything else. "The dead should remain that way so let's make this quick." he had no patience for the dead as he truly believed that once someone had passed they should be allowed to rest. with that swiped his left hand towards the right in doing so he created what appeared to be a sheet of glass about an inch thick and standing around six feet tall and two feet wide at first glance, but this wasn't the case, it was actually made entirely out of ice.
The way he had condensed his mana allowed the normal non-reflective ice to come across almost like a poor man's mirror. It couldn't really give any major detail but a person could be able to see themselves within it. The edges of the ice were clearly blackened almost as if it were to frame it. Once completely formed he brought out his fingers and clicked them, the mirror shattering instantly into four shards of white and black that floated around him before he thrust his left hand forward the shards aiming at the furthest away enemies of the two scarecrows and two of the skeletons. Given the speed of the spell they easily hit their mark going right through the heads of both kinds of enemies. "Take out as many as you can and continue forward, I'll take out what you can't and follow." he said taking control of the situation.
There were six enemies left and where he could take everything out on his own he was quite sure that the youth wanted to show off what he could do so he'd not cause a fuss and try to play protector, he hated it when someone did it to him when he was younger after all. With that he with little effort ran to a skeleton doing a roundhouse kick he knocked the skeleton's head clean off its brittle shoulders before following up with a side kick to the chest causing it to finally fall before deciding what he should do next after all there were now five enemies left for them to deal with.
Combat Summary
[attr="class","haniascroll2"]
TL;DR Using mapmaker (-6% of the wc needed per room) Using sensory reduction (-25 words from Gawain -130 from Hania)
2/2 Strawfright dead 3/8 Bone-Strikers dead leaving 5/8 remaining
Room 1, floor 1 Word Count: complete Room 2, floor 1 Word Count: complete
Name of Spell: Shattered Reflections Elemental Type: Ice Rank & Spell Type: Senior ¦ Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80 meters ¦ 40 m/s Mana Cost: 30 ¦ 15 Stats Effected: +9 power (self) Applicable Perks: Apex predator, Battle Knight, Elemental oddity Description: Hania swiped his left hand towards the right in doing so he creates what appears to be a sheet of glass about an inch thick and stands around six foot tall and two-foot-wide on first glance but this isn't the case, it is actually made entirely out of ice. The way he has condensed his mana allows the normal non-reflective ice to come across almost like a poor man's mirror. It would give any major detail but a person would be able to see themselves within it. The edges of the ice are blackened almost as if it was a frame for it. Once completely formed all that is required is for him to click his fingers shattering the would be a mirror into several shards, the number of shards would fall under the ammo rules. These shards would float around him thanks to the way he can control and manipulate his mana, thrusting his hand forward allows him to send the shards towards an enemy in the hopes to hit them. This spell will give Hania a +9 to his power while the spell is active. Those that are hit with this spell find themselves feeling moderate frostbite and the first stages of hypothermia.
Rank & Element: Junior ¦ Light Class & Type: Relic ¦ Accessory (bracelet) Magic Specializations: Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Appearance & Lore: A simple bracelet made out of reinforced glass with an opalite charm dangling from it almost like a pendulum, that gives off a dull light during the day and a bright light during the night preventing any natural shadow from forming.
There is nothing of major historical importance or deep story into where this item came from. The white-haired heir of the Ravencrest family has suffered from terrible day and night terrors since he was young and still does to this day. When asked what is wrong he brushes it off telling people not to worry it was a condition he had. He will never go into the terrible things he sees, in fact, he personally wishes he could forget he quickly realized that his perfect memory was a double edge sword and at times he truly wished he didn't have it.
His elder sister Lydia was the first to realize that it happened more when he was in an emotional state or surrounded by darkness. She also realized that he refused to sleep unless every light source he could find was active or he would sleep outside under the sun during the day, this wasn't optimal as he was to be trained to take over the family if anything were to happen to Lydia. Still, there wasn't much anyone could think to do to help him as he refused to open up but even if they could that came with a different set of hurdles they had to get over. Hania earlier in his life wouldn't take things from people due to his treatment before being adopted.
It took a while but Lydia finally found a way to help her younger brother, she had a crystal made with light inside and told him to use it when he sleeps. She said it was hers and she just wanted to see if it would help. He was reluctant but she said it only had to be a few days so he accepted. Throughout those few days, he slept somewhat peacefully so it was clear that it helped but not enough, she could only guess that the light wasn't strong enough. She realized this would be fine for a normal child afraid of the dark but it was clear to the pink-haired woman that this wasn't a normal situation.
She personally designed what she believed would help him the most, she chose the materials, their appearance even the opalite that dangles from it. As the bracelet was being made she slowly started to imbue her own element into the glass beads and the opalite as the former was created and the latter was shaped. It took close to a year to complete but Lydia seen it as something that should be done slow and steady, this was to make sure that it was done right the first time and that no matter what it would be near indestructible for whatever he may face in life.
On what is now classed as Hania's eighth birthday after a certain incident happened, she gave him a box, within it laid the bracelet. He was told to keep it with him always as she would be there to keep the darkness at bay and watching over him so he could be at peace while he rested. From that moment he has always kept it with him even if he hasn't always worn it.
Type & Uses: Trigger ¦ 4 Uses Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 mana per trigger ¦ 15 recharge Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10 m/s Stats Affected: +4 Control Description: The pendant starts to pulsate and hovers into his hand, holding almost as if it was a pen or calligraphy brush he writes the name of the person he wants to heal in the air as if he was writing on paper. It seems to stay for a few seconds before disappearing, the moment it does a gentle and warm light forms around the person in question healing them for junior rank damage. With the use of ammo rules, additional peoples names can be written per trigger. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds
Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 uses ¦ 2 cooldown Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10m/s Stats Affected: +2 Speed (wielder only) Description: Runes of light appear up the outside of the user's legs and arms this allowing them to move 2 m/s faster than they could naturally. The runes give off a warmth that is able to heal for junior rank damage, with the use of ammo rules, the wielder need only hold the pendant and speak a person's name to have it be able to heal them. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds.
Type & Uses: NA Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement Mana Cost: NA Range & Speed: NA ¦ NA Stats Affected: -- Description: In the beginning, this ability is inactive, it is only with the use and bonding of the item itself a deeper understanding allows the hidden secret left by a sister wanting to protect the younger brother they've treasured for close to thirteen years. This ability will become an imbued speed buff when it ranks to intermediate.
Finding it somewhat interesting that this Hania guy shared his point of view when it came to the owner of this place potentially being a vampire, he imagined that the man had met one or two throughout his life as well. Claiming they did not have a whole lot of vampires in the land of Clover, he was asked whether he had met this creature in the land of Spade. At this point in time, Spade, Heart and Diamond were among the places his eyes had never seen, his travels having been limited to the land of Clover and Skjaergard, the latter being very much against his will. Just as he was about to answer the question, the setting seemed to change as their direct surroundings grew more eerie. Strange candles were lit, dark in nature that did not illuminate the room in the slightest.
What did happen however was that various piles of bone rose up to form a variety of undead creatures. But before he could actually respond himself, Hania said a word or two about how the dead should remain that way before dispatching a good number of them. Telling Gawain to take out as many as he could on his way out of the room, part of him almost scoffed at the seeming lack of faith in his abilities. Sure, he had nothing in the form of a title to fall back on, nor did he have any real notable achievements under his belt that would signify his greatness at this point. What he did have however was a very large amount of mana, a four-leaf grimoire and a very rare type of magic at his beck and call. That at least had to count for something.
Moving forward to the band of skeletons, his approach seemed like a mad dash at best, one that hadn’t been thought through in the slightest. Though that was exactly the way he liked it, underestimation was what made him both shine and thrive. When the skeletons prepared to attack him, the boy stopped in his tracks, putting his hands together over his chest and releasing a pulse of pressurized air. The sudden burst pushed the impending attack back, sending the skeletons flying across the room and heaving them up against the walls with a hard thump that caused bones to crack left and right. But finish them off, it did not. More was required, though that was not entirely unsurprising. He had been inside of places similar to this one before, he knew that the beings that dwelled within these magically altered spaces were normally not the kind he could blow apart in one hit. Not yet.
Extending his arm and pointing the palm of his hand towards the skeletons, a blast of wind was shot forth. Enveloping the remaining skeletons with the initial shot or the resulting blow, their already battered bodies were brought low as shards of bone and sections of limbs were shot across the room as a result. Taking a deep breath as his foes had been returned to the grave once again, part of him wondered how long it would take before someone would reconstitute the bones and make them rise once more. It made it rather important for them to find the owner of this building, the entity they both believed to be a vampire, so they would be able to keep him from doing just that. Believing necromancy to be among the most vile forms of magic, putting another necromancer down wouldn’t exactly deprive the world of anything but filth. Keeping that thought between his ears, Gawain moved onwards.
FLOOR 2 | ROOM 1
Passing through the door and pushing his way into the next room, the boy was somewhat bothered by the fact that there was nothing in there. It was an empty room with a simple, straight forward stretch towards what was likely to be the way deeper inside, and closer to the vampire. When things appeared this easy however, especially in a place such as this one, it was usually some sort of trap or just a way of putting trespassers in a false sense of security. So while he was still quite the greenhorn when it came to being a magic knight or a mage, the young teenager already had many notches on his belt when it came to delving into dangerous territory and coming out alive, learning a bit here and there whenever he did so. It was the only way for one such as himself to remain alive and kicking, to constantly evolve and adapt to whatever life threw his way.
Taking the first steps into the room to see whether or not they’d end up getting jumped, a thick smoke began rising from the floor, falling from the ceiling and protruding from the walls. It was clear straight from the get-go that this was no regular kind of smoke or dense mist, it was magical in nature. Closing his eyes for a moment and letting his breathing sync with the pacing of his heartbeat for a couple of seconds, as everything inside of his mind became still, the boy opened his eyes again to allow an altogether fresh outlook on things. Through the use of his Ki, he became more capable to perceive the path through this place, as aside from the fog itself blurring his vision, the room itself hadn’t changed. The layout remained the same, and the door should still be in the exact same location. That was, unless the building had some magical means of changing its interior on such a scale as to move doors and entire rooms around without anyone noticing.
Continuing to press forward, part of him felt like he could see shapes within the dark mist, people he remembered from his past as well as faces he wished very much to forget. Gawain knew that if he focused on them, he would be able to make out their shapes and see them for what they were, though he wouldn’t allow himself to do that. Instead, he would keep his focus on the way forward, on making his way out of this place. The images he was seeing, the fog that had been called into being, all of it was nothing more than some kind of trick to keep him from venturing out and keeping him lingering within this room. But with someone like Hania being here as well, Gawain was not about to make himself look weak or feel like a liability. He had come here to become stronger and learn more about his magic, about where he would need to improve to grow as a combatant.
“The one I met was in Clover, actually. He’d been here for what seemed like a very long time, dwelling within a mostly buried elven ruin while taking on a prominent position within Kiten. The man had a house there, which he spent most of his time, though he’d disappear for years whenever he had been caught, resurfacing when an entire generation had passed and his face had been forgotten.”
Finally responding to Hania’s question as to whether he had seen this vampire in the land of Spade, Gawain decided that it was best to focus on these questions and this conversation rather than on the images that surrounded him, tempting him to get distracted and get caught up in it. Still remembering it all quite vividly, there was still a large amount of regret and shame clinging to that whole situation that he had honestly never expected to feel to this extent.
“I was lucky to find the man whom the mayor had framed as the vampire, or the local militia more than likely would’ve killed him. It wasn’t so much the mayor’s fault since the vampire tricked him, flashing some fancy jewelry and a made-up title. He was an idiot like that.”
Through it all, the mayor had constantly been hounding and threatening him, all while the man who turned out to be the vampire himself was whispering in his ear to take matters into his own hands. As it were, they had the vampire’s latest victim in their care, a woman who had been bitten and would turn into a vampire herself before long. Had it not been for the contradictory statements coming from another noble, one who had been quite well versed in alchemy and herbology, the woman would more than likely have been killed. But thanks to Gawain being paid handsomely to risk his own limbs and life by heading into the forest of witches to retrieve a bunch of herbs and flowers, the man was capable of creating a cure for her vampirism, allowing her to eventually wake up from her death-like coma. It was only after she woke up and the supposed vampire had been saved that the actual culprit turned tail and ran for the actual hills so as not to get cornered and killed within Kiten.
“With his help, we found the ruins the vampire had returned to, trying to head back into a state of hibernation so he could try again some twenty or fifty years from now. Turns out the sick bastard had several women there… as well as children younger than me, people he had taken from their homes over the years and turned into vampires themselves. It seemed to be his way of making or recreating a family of his own, all while the people of Kiten believed these people to have gone missing or killed.”
Remembering the sight they had encountered once they reached the lower levels of the ruins, the sheer amount of withered corpses that had been bled dry in order to sate his new family was staggering. But not as staggering as the way in which these feral children lashed out at them in defense of their sire, or the sounds they made when they and their brothers, sisters and mothers were put to death. Sounds like that, they seemed like the kinds of things one would never truly be able to forget. Back on Skjaergard, he himself had put a rusty blade to plenty of necks and guts, killed plenty of men including those twice his size. The main difference was that they had in some way deserved it, they were truly despicable people who deserved to have their blood spilt on the streets and their bodies tossed into the mire to be desecrated and consumed by corpse-eaters.
“In the end though, the entire coven was put down, and the elder vampire himself was thoroughly destroyed. It seemed like a mercy at the time, though the more time moves on, the more I regret killing those people. They had their choice taking from them when they were forced to change, and then they had their choice between freedom and death taken as well. To me, that doesn’t seem quite right.”
Perhaps it was the people he had killed on the archipelago that the black mist wanted him to see. Perhaps it was his mother that had ended up dying over there, or his father that had been killed by raiders. Perhaps it was the feral vampire women and children that it wanted to show them. It didn’t matter at this point. Because for how goofy and tone-deaf as he might at times be, Gawain was by no means an idiot or devoid of emotion. He felt everything incredibly well and took a good deal of things quite hard. However, as things would often have it for orphans, life had never pulled any punches when it came to him and the way he had to live out his life, so he never had the choice to remain soft or curl up and cry in a corner for days. No matter what he’d do or what he’d still need to do in the future, for him, there was no reprieve. He had to continue on to get stronger and build up his renown. If he quit now, all of the things he had done would have been utterly and completely pointless.
With the end of the room being in sight, Gawain reached for the door and placed his hand upon the doorknob. Hoping that if he opened the door now and pushed on through, the fog would remain in this room and keep from following them through, he waited for Hania to catch up so they could both make their way into a place that was hopefully filled with carnage and bloodshed. That would at the very least take his mind off of the images he saw within the smoke filled room, pulling it back towards his sole reason for getting here. Self-improvement.
Name of Spell: Thrust Elemental Type: Air Pressure Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 20m AoE | 25 m/s Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: - Applicable Perks: Overpowered | Quick Shot Description: Releasing a burst of air pressure to aggressively push away threats, this spell moves into all directions with Gawain at the epicenter. Activated by holding the hand horizontally, the back of the hand facing downward while pushing the tips of his index finger, middle finger and thumb against one another, the burst follows up straight after. The attack itself is non-lethal, unless direct contact with one’s vitals is established, though capable of causing painful bruises and breaking through most unreinforced walls, dealing Intermediate rank damage. Utilizing a fairly powerful knockback effect to blow back the aforementioned by up to nine meters + an additional 5 meters for every 10 Power, those who do not possess at least 20 sensory will be unable to see the spell itself. Those that do will see a wispy green dome coming into their direction before forcefully shoving them back.
Name of Spell: Force Elemental Type: Air Pressure Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80m | 45 m/s Mana Cost: 30 | 15 Stats Effected: - Applicable Perks: Overpowered | Quick Shot Description: By extending the left hand and pointing an open palm (stop motion) and holding a half-ox sign with the right hand, Gawain's eyes flare up with a wispy green hue as a means of initiating the spell and as a vocal point for the release of mana, a blast of wind is released into the chosen direction roughly nine meters wide and tall. Aiming to envelop the target and blasting them and everything else caught up in the blast back, the spell uses a fairly powerful knockback effect capable of tossing targets back up to thirteen meters + an additional 5 meters for every 10 Power. The attack itself is potentially lethal upon direct hits, capable of breaking bones and can easily tear through non-magical structures, dealing Senior rank damage. To those without at least 30 sensory, this spell will be invisible, appearing as a flat wispy green square to others.
[attr="class","haniascroll"]The white-haired ice mage noticed how the other had reacted when he said to take out as many as he could and he would take out what the youth couldn't. This wasn't insinuating that the other was incapable of doing so, despite how he saw everyone as an idiot more often than not it didn't mean that they were unable to hold their own. He was merely wishing to push through but it seemed as if his comment had offended the other, what happened next made him roll his eyes internally as it seemed as if the other was attempting to show just how powerful he was. 'I have to wonder if he wants a prize for that' The ice spirit sent to his partner via their link 'Most likely not but it is clear that he has the wrong kind of mentality as he feels the need to show off.' he sent back.
This wasn't to say he felt the need to be showy in the traditional sense, but more he felt like he needed to prove something to those around him. It didn't sit right with the senior magic knight but he was not part of his section of the circus and so like the rest of the silver eagles, he was not his clown. He did nothing to aid the other but watched the other's magic as it did its job "Oh, you have air pressure and your mana is jade, It's quite auspicious in my culture." he said his tone calm as it always had been "You may wish to talk to Alyssa Lilygate, she possesses the same magic as yourself and might be able to give you pointers." with all enemies defeated he moved forward without another word heading into the next room already over this damned place and wanting to head home.
Floor 2, Room 1
The moment that he passed the door's threshold to the next room he winced a little as it felt as if his breath had been knocked out of him. His eyes went around the room as he attempted to catch his breath in an attempt to find out what exactly could have caused this effect within the room. It was abnormal but the vice-captain pinged out his magic to see if there were any enemies hiding or a hidden reason for this feeling but nothing came back so it confused him even more. It was then the thick smoke attempted to rise from the ground, this is what had caused such an issue, he was over this place and would happily destroy it if it meant he could be rid of it sooner. That being said he knew that this could cause unknown outcomes and he didn't want to have to explain anything like that.
He watched as it started to come from the walls and ceiling "If this damages my clothing I am going to be far from happy." he quietly complained to himself, he hated the foul stenches and smokes they lingered and he couldn't stand them. Luckily this wasn't the case and his eyes quickly adapted to the magical mist "Interesting trap." he would say tilting his head a little, he could tell it was an illusion of sorts but as he had seen right through it he had no way of knowing what it was meant to do, perhaps their host would be kind enough to let them know before he breathed their last breath, only time would be able to tell on that one. His eyes went over to the air pressure mage who seemed to be coping.
He had noticed that he was able to see things he, himself couldn't "There's no shame in showing if you are struggling Gawain." he said patting the other on the shoulder as he took the lead "It takes a stronger person to ask for aid than attempting to do everything on your own and suffering due to pride." it wasn't a dig at his inexperience merely a friendly piece of advice as it was a lesson he had learned the hard way. "After all, a single tree doesn't make an orchard." he finished for once showing a small smile. as he moved towards the exit only stopping as he heard the other speaking. It was completely new information to him, it hadn't even shown up in records from the past so he was curious as to how the other stumbled across him but remained looking neutral and didn't ask.
"It was very much the mayor's fault as he was dazzled by the promise of riches and power." he said simply, he hated how so many people were greedy and would put their selves in front of anyone or anything else. He listened to everything before turning and looking at him directly in the eyes "Did you take their choice from them?" he would ask the youth already knowing that the answer would be no "No? Then why do you feel guilty? You gave them a piece that they had been denied due to the fate that their sire forced upon them and made then suffer within day after day." he paused "If anything, you should be at ease with giving those suffering people peace, that their families too may have closure. It's the horrible side of this job, but we do it so that others may find peace." he said softly hoping he would understand.
Floor 2, Room 2
He put the former room behind him as he passed the threshold into the next without thought. He had only taken a few steps within the room when he noticed the place was cluttered with jack-o-lanterns, some of them had candy clearly coming from the tops as well as mouths, noses and eyes. 'Well, that isn't creepy.' he thought to himself, it was almost as if it was a dare to eat some and as much as he enjoyed his cake he didn't have too much of a sweet tooth, besides, this was a dungeon so who knew what exactly what it could or would do. There was also the fact that he didn't eat anything that he himself didn't cook or he couldn't watch being cooked due to his self-imposed diet. He looked to Gawain "I know this should be common sense..." he began.
"But I have found to some, common sense isn't so common. I request that you refrain from eating any of this candy, you do not know how it was made, what it is made of or what the potential effects or outcomes could be." his tone was neutral but just by the fact he had to comment on this showed that he likely had to deal with something similar in the past. He personally had never been put into this particular situation but he had dealt with a number of people who instead of taking a moment to think things over went on impulse making things that much more difficult for everyone else involved. He also had to deal with people on a daily basis who believed 'it'll be fine' because they knew better for one reason or another, it irked him to no end.
He turned his eyes briefly back to the door ahead and noted something he initially missed, before he could say anything they had been rushed by would-be enemies. There were eight of the miniature goblins and four jack-o-blaze by the door, he didn't seem all that concerned as when he pushed out his mana senses he got a general idea of their strength, he knew it wouldn't be as exact as a map spell but he didn't feel the need to waste mana on such a thing. As one of the gobs attempted to strike him with his sword which he avoided with ease with a sidestep to the right as he swept it off its feet by kicking it in the head before bringing his foot down on its chest, it was clear he hadn't put much effort into it. "Moderate strength." he said as if he had tested just how strong they were.
The thing was he felt stronger mana coming from the four by the door, the fact they were stationed there showed that they were vanguard to whatever lay ahead. "One final push I would believe Gawain, I leave these pests to you." He said as he watched the mirror once more form, he hadn't stopped the spell from when they had first fought so didn't need to do its activation which saved time in the long run. He watched as the mirror shattered into three pieces before he moved his hand towards the enemies, they attempted to dodge, and one even attempted to clash with the spell with the use of its axe, but it was still no good as three of the four were struck down without much effort. "Pathetic." he commented as he weaved amongst the smaller enemies punting them into a wall, he hadn't noticed that their blades had cut through the fabric and even grazed him turning parts of his outfit red due to it.
As he approached his final enemy he watched as its axe dripped with molten lava as it swung it. Hania reacted quickly dropping to his hands and feet before low kicking the jack o'blazes feet, causing them to stumble, as he did he almost seemed to springboard back to his feet. He wasn't one to allow an unneeded fight to draw out and walked briskly to the head of the enemy avoiding the axe that it attempted to swing at his legs to chop him down to size by jumping over it. At the head of the beast, he brought his left foot down crushing the pumpkin it used for a head. Now he awaited to see what Gawain had up his sleeves to deal with the last seven goblin-like creatures, although, three of the remaining seven were hurt and picking themselves off the ground groggily thanks to meeting the wall at quite the speed.
Combat Summary
[attr="class","haniascroll2"]
TL;DR Using mapmaker (-6% of the wc needed per room - 120) Using sensory reduction (-25 words from Gawain -130 from Hania)
4/4 Jack O'Blaze Dead 1/8 Gob dead leaving 7/8 Alive 3/7 Gob have had intermediate damage
Room 1, floor 1 Word Count: complete Room 2, floor 1 Word Count: complete Room 1, floor 2 Word Count: complete Room 2, Floor 2 Word Count: 769/1725
Name of Spell: Shattered Reflections Elemental Type: Ice Rank & Spell Type: Senior ¦ Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80 meters ¦ 40 m/s Mana Cost: 30 ¦ 15 Stats Effected: +9 power (self) Applicable Perks: Apex predator, Battle Knight, Elemental oddity Description: Hania swiped his left hand towards the right in doing so he creates what appears to be a sheet of glass about an inch thick and stands around six foot tall and two-foot-wide on first glance but this isn't the case, it is actually made entirely out of ice. The way he has condensed his mana allows the normal non-reflective ice to come across almost like a poor man's mirror. It would give any major detail but a person would be able to see themselves within it. The edges of the ice are blackened almost as if it was a frame for it. Once completely formed all that is required is for him to click his fingers shattering the would be a mirror into several shards, the number of shards would fall under the ammo rules. These shards would float around him thanks to the way he can control and manipulate his mana, thrusting his hand forward allows him to send the shards towards an enemy in the hopes to hit them. This spell will give Hania a +9 to his power while the spell is active. Those that are hit with this spell find themselves feeling moderate frostbite and the first stages of hypothermia.
Rank & Element: Junior ¦ Light Class & Type: Relic ¦ Accessory (bracelet) Magic Specializations: Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Appearance & Lore: A simple bracelet made out of reinforced glass with an opalite charm dangling from it almost like a pendulum, that gives off a dull light during the day and a bright light during the night preventing any natural shadow from forming.
There is nothing of major historical importance or deep story into where this item came from. The white-haired heir of the Ravencrest family has suffered from terrible day and night terrors since he was young and still does to this day. When asked what is wrong he brushes it off telling people not to worry it was a condition he had. He will never go into the terrible things he sees, in fact, he personally wishes he could forget he quickly realized that his perfect memory was a double edge sword and at times he truly wished he didn't have it.
His elder sister Lydia was the first to realize that it happened more when he was in an emotional state or surrounded by darkness. She also realized that he refused to sleep unless every light source he could find was active or he would sleep outside under the sun during the day, this wasn't optimal as he was to be trained to take over the family if anything were to happen to Lydia. Still, there wasn't much anyone could think to do to help him as he refused to open up but even if they could that came with a different set of hurdles they had to get over. Hania earlier in his life wouldn't take things from people due to his treatment before being adopted.
It took a while but Lydia finally found a way to help her younger brother, she had a crystal made with light inside and told him to use it when he sleeps. She said it was hers and she just wanted to see if it would help. He was reluctant but she said it only had to be a few days so he accepted. Throughout those few days, he slept somewhat peacefully so it was clear that it helped but not enough, she could only guess that the light wasn't strong enough. She realized this would be fine for a normal child afraid of the dark but it was clear to the pink-haired woman that this wasn't a normal situation.
She personally designed what she believed would help him the most, she chose the materials, their appearance even the opalite that dangles from it. As the bracelet was being made she slowly started to imbue her own element into the glass beads and the opalite as the former was created and the latter was shaped. It took close to a year to complete but Lydia seen it as something that should be done slow and steady, this was to make sure that it was done right the first time and that no matter what it would be near indestructible for whatever he may face in life.
On what is now classed as Hania's eighth birthday after a certain incident happened, she gave him a box, within it laid the bracelet. He was told to keep it with him always as she would be there to keep the darkness at bay and watching over him so he could be at peace while he rested. From that moment he has always kept it with him even if he hasn't always worn it.
Type & Uses: Trigger ¦ 4 Uses Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 mana per trigger ¦ 15 recharge Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10 m/s Stats Affected: +4 Control Description: The pendant starts to pulsate and hovers into his hand, holding almost as if it was a pen or calligraphy brush he writes the name of the person he wants to heal in the air as if he was writing on paper. It seems to stay for a few seconds before disappearing, the moment it does a gentle and warm light forms around the person in question healing them for junior rank damage. With the use of ammo rules, additional peoples names can be written per trigger. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds
Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 uses ¦ 2 cooldown Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10m/s Stats Affected: +2 Speed (wielder only) Description: Runes of light appear up the outside of the user's legs and arms this allowing them to move 2 m/s faster than they could naturally. The runes give off a warmth that is able to heal for junior rank damage, with the use of ammo rules, the wielder need only hold the pendant and speak a person's name to have it be able to heal them. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds.
Type & Uses: NA Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement Mana Cost: NA Range & Speed: NA ¦ NA Stats Affected: -- Description: In the beginning, this ability is inactive, it is only with the use and bonding of the item itself a deeper understanding allows the hidden secret left by a sister wanting to protect the younger brother they've treasured for close to thirteen years. This ability will become an imbued speed buff when it ranks to intermediate.
Still quite content with having been able to leave the darkness behind, the room they found themselves in next truly became a scene of carnage rather quickly. With the amount of peculiar beings popping in to greet them, some of them seemed familiar. Goblins. He had seen these greenskins once before outside of Kiten, just moments before he ventured into the tomb of the lord of blades. When he arrived, all of them had been cut down and were laying in a puddle of their own blood and excrement, though they seemed like a rather interesting species to say the least. They too appeared to be scavengers, raiders and opportunists, just like the majority of people living on Skjaergard. From the looks of it, they were just as brutal as well, if not physically weaker by many, many leagues.
Simply taking in the sights as he tried to get a handle on what he should do, as well as what he ‘could’ do, Hania being the first to dive into the fray made it seem like his presence here really wasn’t all that needed. In truth, that much was something he had realized from the start, as the boy hadn’t managed to live as long as he had by being a thick-skulled idiot that couldn’t take a hint. He was here mostly as a courtesy, to see how one of the real big shots handled a place such as this one, allowed to do a few things here and there as a means of carrying his own weight and sharing in some of the wealth and riches after all was said and done. He knew this because he had been on the other end of the spectrum several times, and would more than likely be on it plenty more times as well.
Before he became a magic knight, it was something that bothered him, as him being a regular old graverobber and adventurer meant that he had no jurisdiction or rights to call dibs on any delves or dungeons. Now that he was a knight though, he had such rights and perks over the common folk of the country as his title meant that his words and actions were backed by law in most cases. While obviously something he still needed to get used to as he was still prone to cussing those out that deserved it or showing his bare cheeks to people that annoyed him while calling them assbutt. But as it were, he was still very much just a teenage boy that hadn’t received his grimoire that long ago. So in a sense, it was a miracle that he was adjusting to being a magic knight in a land that still felt foreign to him so quickly.
Simply watching the fighting go down, the boy took mental notes by the dozens. It was a skill he picked up several years prior to this point, it being one of the reasons he had been called a prodigy. Whenever there was an example to be studied or learned from, that was exactly what he would do, believing the best thing one could do was to copy something successfully, rather than trying something on your own and failing. Obviously whatever was copied would need to be trained and picked apart before being added to ones own repertoire, but watching, learning and remembering it all stood at the forefront. With his Ki, it was less difficult for him to pick apart the movement choices Hania made, though still not easy. In time, he was confident that he would be able to do this kind of thing with greater ease, though the struggle made it more fun.
Having watched Griswold during their sparring sessions and other outings in which they were meant to do battle with others, Gawain had never truly managed to fully memorize and copy that style of fighting. Maybe it was because of how much faster Griswold had been at the time, the fact that he utilized a blade and heightened physical power and a level of Ki greater than that which the boy had been capable of, though the snippets and tidbits he had been able to remember and utilize properly were still very much a part of his own personalized style of fighting to this day. This however was more than likely not something someone else would be able to pick up on for a very single and previously brushed upon reason: Gawain did not wave around one or multiple swords at the same time.
When told to do the final push so he could deal with the rest of the pumpkin-headed monstrosities, Gawain just nodded, mostly because the idea of a ‘final push’ more or less already implanted the thought in his head to do just that. Not altogether worried about the goblins, especially the ones that had already been on the receiving end of a proper beating, he just walked over to them while keeping his eyes on Hania’s battle. Believing it would serve him more to learn from fights like those than it would to get overly enveloped by fighting a bunch of greenskins, he used his Ki to keep track of their movements should they try to leave his direct field of vision. So when the creatures began to gather their wits and rush the boy that seemed to just approach without giving them much thought or any attention for that matter, their spiteful nature showed as they would try to kill the one that seemed both weak and arrogant.
But wrong they were, for when a pulse of compressed air tore forth from the white haired boy, the whole brunt of them were flung across the room, crashing into various obstacles in their way as they got taken out in what felt like an instant. Foes like these were not exactly something the boy felt interested in fighting anymore, which just showed how much he had grown since but two weeks. Believing the blast would have killed those that had already taken a beating, those that hadn’t yet would more than likely just remain incapacitated and unconscious as the boy felt some level of pity for them. When Hania took out the remainder of the pumpkin horses, it was clear to him that there was nothing left for them to do but to move forward. Though through it all, there was still one thing that remained fresh on his mind with regards to some of the things Hania said relating to what he had done.
“When we killed the first of them, we couldn’t even see them. We were inside of an underground elven ruin out in the foothills of Kiten, following the tracks left by the master vampire Aronil. They stuck to the shadows, threatening us from all sides. All we heard were shrieks, the sound of soft steps and the clattering of teeth. When the first of the bodies started falling, we saw that the bodies belonged to women and children."
Strong in the belief that they would more than likely be fighting some kind of vampire sooner rather than later, it was made rather difficult to just outright forget and move on from the massacre within the elven ruins. Right now, thanks to the visions he had suffered within the dark shadows of the previous room, everything had come back to the forefront of his mind. It was as if it had just happened yesterday.
“I’m still not sure whether they turned feral because of how long they had been down there or because they were driven mad with grief, though they seemed more like animals than human beings. At that point, they left the people they were behind a long time ago, so I’m not sure if they… people.. they became truly felt like they were saved. I don’t think they had the capacity for such elaborate thought anymore.”
For as much as he would have liked the knowledge that the people he had murdered alongside the vampire hunter that sought vengeance for his wife would have felt some kind of release, Gawain knew they had long since lost the ability to do so. They were human in form, though most of their reasoning abilities had left them, turning them into true creatures of the night that were good for one thing and one thing only. To hunt and to feed. Killing them had been akin to putting down a dog, an animal that understood more than most people would give it credit for, but not nearly as much as some people believed they might. And all who had owned and lost a pet understood the pain it brought upon their owners, which was most likely why out of all of the things that had happened and out of all of the blood that had been shed, Aronil’s response to his flock’s death was the most vivid memory.
“Thing is, the monster that turned them all, he sought to rebuild a family he had lost, likely long before either of us were even conceived. He claimed he had ‘hand-picked’ all of these children to become his new daughters and sons, as well as a plethora of women he deemed suited to be his wives… He shed honest tears when they were killed, though not for them. It was like a child throwing a tantrum because their tower of blocks fell over. He wasn’t sad for them, he was sad for him.”
At first, Gawain had believed the tears shed by the monster had been because of how he had lost his family. But when it turned out that he was just sad that his project, his remade family had been taken from him like toys taken from an angry child, that was when something inside of him had snapped. With the vampire hunter Waylon shrouding the vampire in a continuous stream of flames, Gawain showering it with blades of pressurized air put the creature in a constant state of pain as its wounds kept trying to rapidly regenerate. Had the fire not constantly been burning and charring it, it very well might have outpaced the rate with which Gawain could hurt it. Luckily, neither Waylon nor Gawain got to figure out just how far Aronil could push his healing factor as his heart eventually gave out. Still, the anger the boy felt towards vampires as a result was also what brought his mind to a dark place right now.
“If it truly is a vampire that lords over this home, and he is anything like ‘Him’, don’t let him die a quick death. Make sure he feels the sensation of every bone in his body breaking, his skin flayed apart from his flesh before that too gets ripped from his bones. Make sure he regrets every months of every year he spent as an ‘immortal’”
WC: 1818 Total WC: 6753 Current Room WC: Completed
Name of Spell: Throw Elemental Type: Air Pressure Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40m AoE | 45 m/s Mana Cost: 30 | 15 Stats Effected: - Applicable Perks: Overpowered | Quick Shot Description: Releasing a burst of air pressure to aggressively push away threats, this spell moves into all directions with Gawain at the epicenter. Activated by holding the hand horizontally, the back of the hand facing downward while pushing the tips of his index finger, middle finger and thumb against one another, the burst follows up straight after. The attack itself is lethal on direct hits, capable of breaking bones and breaking most structures, dealing Senior rank damage. Utilizing a fairly powerful knockback effect to blow back the aforementioned by up to thirteen meters + an additional 5 meters for every 10 Power, those who do not possess at least 30 sensory will be unable to see the spell itself. Those that do will see a wispy green dome coming into their direction before forcefully shoving them back.
The ice mage was a powerhouse there was no arguing that but he had always kept his hubris in check as he knew that there were still people far more powerful than himself. Well, that, and he knew at his age he still lacked a lot of the experience of someone like his captain. It was true for something as trivial as this he didn't require aid, however, he knew that having another with him made sure that there was less chance of things going south and if they did he would be able to hold off the enemy long enough for the other to get out of there and alert the squads of a serious problem. He realized that the other was likely relatively new to the magic knights and even if he felt like he was there only out of courtesy it would allow him to gain additional experience everyone started at the same point after all.
He could have wiped everything out in the room easily but he didn't see the point of that, he wasn't going to play babysitter for inexperienced knights, he had enough of that dealing with politics. No, if he was working with someone they would pull their weight or he would just dismiss them. From what he could tell by the younger white-haired male this suited him just fine as he wasn't looking for a handout but a way to prove himself even if it was a bit misguided in the elder male's eyes, his intentions were at least pure which is more than he could say for some magic knights. He knew previously that civilians who went into dungeons were treated as second-class regarding the division of dungeon assets, but that simply hadn't been the case for a while now.
Now civilians could go into dungeons without magic knights or others lording it over them, they were all aware that they were taking their lives into their own hands and that if they found themselves hurt or killed, it was all on them. There was, of course, pushback from some knights or even nobles but the law had been made and from what he had seen commoners were all the better for it. He knew nothing of the magic knight by his side other than he had a rare element. Many believed that possessing a four-leaf grimoire was enough to be called 'strong' or that their potential was unmatched, the vice-captain had seen first-hand that was rarely the case and just built people to be narcissistic assholes that believed that they had no equal. It just made him want to beat some sense into them, but he just settled for telling them they weren't special and left it at that.
He could feel the eyes of the younger male on him, he was used to the sensation it was just part of being a member of the renowned 'Ravencrest' family. He guessed it was him watching the fight that was going on, but, this wasn't his true style and with these enemies being so weak there would be little to learn from it as he would be holding back. He also believed that unless someone had a memory like his own it would be impossible to garner all the information of what was going on and keep it from only seeing it once. There was a reason people spent their lifetimes studying fighting styles. That wasn't to say that he couldn't gain something from watching, just how much would be anyone's guess but he was sure it would show in time.
The ice mage trusted the other to deal with the dregs within the room and so headed forward not waiting for him, he didn't say anything but given the vice-captain's reputation it was clear that he wouldn't leave the air pressure mage alone with the enemies if he believed he couldn't deal with the task at hand successfully. Even as he went ahead he could hear the fighting behind him and believed he made the right choice to leave him to it, part of it being if he didn't see it, it didn't happen allowing the other a bit more freedom to mess around. That was soon drowned out by a pipe organ, it was strange to hear such a thing outside of a Clovian church but this place had a certain aesthetic around it, albeit a filthy one but between the decor and the enemy they believed they were going to fight, by folklore it made sense.
His eyes studied the new area, it was nothing like the rest of the manor. It was clean, meticulously so, if he didn't know any better he would have said his nanny had cleaned the place. In honesty, he was quite sure Winter would have torn this place down brick by brick if she had seen the first room alone let alone anything else. He was also quite sure that whoever owned this place would be getting the beating of a lifetime while getting scolded for letting their home fall into such ruin. The ice mage feared very little, not even daemons but there was just something about the woman who cared for him like a mother that could strike the fear of the gods into him like no other. Eventually, the darkened room turned bright and he could see every minute detail, his eyes wandering over the stained glass windows until he came across a tall, thin man that he would have sworn to be of the noble courts if he knew no better.
He remained silent listening to the music but noticed that there were two of the jack-o-blaze laying dormant, or at least they were until he moved further into the room. They hadn't been all that difficult to deal with when there were four of them and now their numbers were halved, he guessed these two were playing vanguard for the man but that didn't bother him in the slightest as he continued moving forward. The two attempted to attack him but he evaded easily due to his speed being superior "You aren't worth my time." he said simply as they attempted to attack again but again he just avoided them allowing one of them to get their weapon lodged into the wall while he kicked the other's weapon out of his hand.
Hania had heard much of what Gawain had said before he pushed on forward, he couldn't even begin to empathise with what the other had gone through having to end the unlives of people who never asked for a foul fate. As much as the other would want lead vampires to suffer for the pain and misery that they inflict on others he couldn't and wouldn't do such a thing. He had been taught to end battles swiftly as the longer it continued the easier it would be for the enemy to gain the upper hand. "I apologise Gawain." he whispered more to himself than to any other as he wouldn't follow through with the request. Having seen that though the Jack-o-blaze hadn't been defeated but Hania was getting closer the man stopped playing.
Raising he turned with a smile "Are my guards not good enough for you?" he asked the ice mage almost disappointed "Not really. My companion would most likely want to take their heads for all Hallows' Eve lanterns, there is a competition going on for best-made lantern after all so I'll leave them to him." he replied sounding indifferent about the whole thing. "Very well, then I shall bring you the death you so clearly desire." he would say his tone more sinister "Uh-hu... I've fought people far more interesting than you that have promised worse." he would say watching the enemy as he lunged forward, Hania easily deflected the strike and landed an uppercut before roundhouse kicking the man in the head making him stumble back as blood trickled from the side of his mouth. "Is that the best you have?" the ice mage would ask as the ice mirror formed from the spell he had kept active this entire time only to break into several different pieces.
He moved his hand forward and watched as the shards pinned him to the gothic organ he had been playing only moments before. He knew that the damage from his physical strikes and the shards hadn't been enough to end his pathetic existence although he could see he was badly injured. "Let me bring you the death that you so clearly desire." he said mocking him with his own words as the mirror again turned up, he knew that using the same spell for a second time while it was still active would be more taxing on his mana but it wasn't by much. Thrusting his hand forward only a single shard was created which went right through the noble vampire's chest. "All done here. What about you Gawain?" he would ask believing that the other male would have been in the room and be finishing around the same time as him.
Combat Summary
[attr="class","haniascroll2"]
TL;DR Using mapmaker (-6% of the wc needed per room - 120) Using sensory reduction (-25 words from Gawain -130 from Hania)
2/2 Jack O'Blaze Alive Dracula: Dead
Double tap used on shattered reflections
Room 1, floor 1 Word Count: complete Room 2, floor 1 Word Count: complete Room 1, floor 2 Word Count: complete Room 2, Floor 2 Word Count: complete Room 3, Floor 2 Word Count: 1,510/1725
Name of Spell: Shattered Reflections Elemental Type: Ice Rank & Spell Type: Senior ¦ Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80 meters ¦ 40 m/s Mana Cost: 30 ¦ 15 Stats Effected: +9 power (self) Applicable Perks: Apex predator, Battle Knight, Elemental oddity Description: Hania swiped his left hand towards the right in doing so he creates what appears to be a sheet of glass about an inch thick and stands around six foot tall and two-foot-wide on first glance but this isn't the case, it is actually made entirely out of ice. The way he has condensed his mana allows the normal non-reflective ice to come across almost like a poor man's mirror. It would give any major detail but a person would be able to see themselves within it. The edges of the ice are blackened almost as if it was a frame for it. Once completely formed all that is required is for him to click his fingers shattering the would be a mirror into several shards, the number of shards would fall under the ammo rules. These shards would float around him thanks to the way he can control and manipulate his mana, thrusting his hand forward allows him to send the shards towards an enemy in the hopes to hit them. This spell will give Hania a +9 to his power while the spell is active. Those that are hit with this spell find themselves feeling moderate frostbite and the first stages of hypothermia.
Rank & Element: Junior ¦ Light Class & Type: Relic ¦ Accessory (bracelet) Magic Specializations: Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Appearance & Lore: A simple bracelet made out of reinforced glass with an opalite charm dangling from it almost like a pendulum, that gives off a dull light during the day and a bright light during the night preventing any natural shadow from forming.
There is nothing of major historical importance or deep story into where this item came from. The white-haired heir of the Ravencrest family has suffered from terrible day and night terrors since he was young and still does to this day. When asked what is wrong he brushes it off telling people not to worry it was a condition he had. He will never go into the terrible things he sees, in fact, he personally wishes he could forget he quickly realized that his perfect memory was a double edge sword and at times he truly wished he didn't have it.
His elder sister Lydia was the first to realize that it happened more when he was in an emotional state or surrounded by darkness. She also realized that he refused to sleep unless every light source he could find was active or he would sleep outside under the sun during the day, this wasn't optimal as he was to be trained to take over the family if anything were to happen to Lydia. Still, there wasn't much anyone could think to do to help him as he refused to open up but even if they could that came with a different set of hurdles they had to get over. Hania earlier in his life wouldn't take things from people due to his treatment before being adopted.
It took a while but Lydia finally found a way to help her younger brother, she had a crystal made with light inside and told him to use it when he sleeps. She said it was hers and she just wanted to see if it would help. He was reluctant but she said it only had to be a few days so he accepted. Throughout those few days, he slept somewhat peacefully so it was clear that it helped but not enough, she could only guess that the light wasn't strong enough. She realized this would be fine for a normal child afraid of the dark but it was clear to the pink-haired woman that this wasn't a normal situation.
She personally designed what she believed would help him the most, she chose the materials, their appearance even the opalite that dangles from it. As the bracelet was being made she slowly started to imbue her own element into the glass beads and the opalite as the former was created and the latter was shaped. It took close to a year to complete but Lydia seen it as something that should be done slow and steady, this was to make sure that it was done right the first time and that no matter what it would be near indestructible for whatever he may face in life.
On what is now classed as Hania's eighth birthday after a certain incident happened, she gave him a box, within it laid the bracelet. He was told to keep it with him always as she would be there to keep the darkness at bay and watching over him so he could be at peace while he rested. From that moment he has always kept it with him even if he hasn't always worn it.
Type & Uses: Trigger ¦ 4 Uses Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 mana per trigger ¦ 15 recharge Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10 m/s Stats Affected: +4 Control Description: The pendant starts to pulsate and hovers into his hand, holding almost as if it was a pen or calligraphy brush he writes the name of the person he wants to heal in the air as if he was writing on paper. It seems to stay for a few seconds before disappearing, the moment it does a gentle and warm light forms around the person in question healing them for junior rank damage. With the use of ammo rules, additional peoples names can be written per trigger. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds
Type & Uses: Flow ¦ 3 uses ¦ 2 cooldown Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement ¦ Healing Mana Cost: 8 ¦ 4 Range & Speed: 25m ¦ 10m/s Stats Affected: +2 Speed (wielder only) Description: Runes of light appear up the outside of the user's legs and arms this allowing them to move 2 m/s faster than they could naturally. The runes give off a warmth that is able to heal for junior rank damage, with the use of ammo rules, the wielder need only hold the pendant and speak a person's name to have it be able to heal them. While under the ability of this spell it will actively attempt to cleanse any curses, debuffs, hexes, venoms, toxins or poisons that may afflict the uses as per the clashing rules. As this is only a junior rank spell it can do nothing but close minor wounds.
Type & Uses: NA Rank & Specialization: Junior ¦ Physical Reinforcement Mana Cost: NA Range & Speed: NA ¦ NA Stats Affected: -- Description: In the beginning, this ability is inactive, it is only with the use and bonding of the item itself a deeper understanding allows the hidden secret left by a sister wanting to protect the younger brother they've treasured for close to thirteen years. This ability will become an imbued speed buff when it ranks to intermediate.
Looking forward as Hania made his way out and into the next room, Gawain just lingered for a bit, making sure that every single one of the creatures he had tossed around the place had been taken out properly. The way he saw it, as long as they were all out for the count, that was good enough for him. What he cared about most was making sure the supposed vampire that was sitting behind that door would suffer, though it was quite likely that the suffering would have already started before he could even do as much as lay a finger on him himself. Sighing deeply as he began moving towards the door that was still left open, the boy pushed on through to see that the archmage had more or less ignored dealing with the two creatures that were standing guard. But they were rather lousy at their job, as they just allowed the ice mage to pass.
When Gawain entered however, the two kept him from passing, more than likely imagining him to be an inferior opponent. In a way, they weren’t wrong, as he couldn’t begin to hold a candle to Hania, not yet at least. In time however, he was confident that he would be able to at the very least match him and get down to carrying his own weight in situations such as these. And the best thing he could do right now was to prove his mettle and determination by taking down both of these creatures by himself. Having memorized most of the fight between one of these things in the previous room, the boy had some idea as to what they were capable of in terms of speed. Aside from that however, he had seen very little of what they could do. So when the first of the two guards began approaching him, it didn’t do so with overwhelming physical speed.
Moving at a pace Gawain himself could keep up with rather easily, he evaded the stroke of an axe that went straight into the floor boards before erupting with fire and leaving cinders and scorch marks in its wake. Focusing on one of them, it wasn’t until he heard the galloping of the second guard that another axe could be evaded as it got lodged in the wooden door. Performing a quick barrel roll underneath the weapon, the ashen haired boy landed a blow underneath the horseman’s body, aimed directly at its exposed belly. But as the first of the two guards was preparing to somehow aid its fellow guard, it figured that it was not really able to do so with the boy remaining between the creature’s four legs. If the other guard were to be dumb enough to strike, he’d need to go through a set of legs just to land a blow on him, which it seemed to not be willing enough of.
But that was exactly how Gawain had planned it, being ever the exploitative trickster. With a wide grin on his face, he stuck out his tongue at the guardsman while sticking out his hand. Waving momentarily as he prepared a spell, he more or less considered himself to be a one trick pony at this point. But given the fact that these guards seemed to be half horse themselves, he could more or less appreciate the irony of the situation. Releasing a burst of compressed air from his own position that moved outwards, the guard that was standing over him was pushed up and crushed against the ceiling as the other was flung across the room and crashed into a wall. Immediately killing one of them, the other seemed to still be somewhat alive, if such a thing could be considered alive in the first place. As he reached down, he took the pumpkin with both hands and gave it a good hard tug.
Ripping it off of the torso it had been attached to, the flame within it seemed to keep burning, even though there was no real candle or wood inside of it. Wondering exactly what powered it, he considered it to be a fun little prop to be displayed during this time of year. At least, it would be until someone asked him where he got it. With the pumpkin head under his arm, the boy managed to see the end of the vampire, which was relatively quick, though it had been far from painless. He had missed the initial attack, though watching the creature pinned to his own musical instrument before having a shard of glass pushed into his heart was rather satisfying as far as kills went. Personally, he would have liked to see a bit more dismemberment, or maybe just a prolonged sense of torture by shoving multiple shards of ice deeper in before eventually going for the kill. Hell, placing some of the shards into his eyes would have been very intriguing, but it was not to be.
When he looked upon the corpse of the vampire, he just stared at it with empty eyes. Truthfully, it did not exactly fill him with pleasure to see the former human dead and pinned down, nor did it make him sad. In fact, he honestly felt nothing at this point. The sadness he experienced over the deaths he had caused had already been buried again, hidden behind layers upon layers of nonsense and posture. As it should be. The weakness he had shown in the previous room was something that would never see the light of day again. Because when it came down to it, nobody would ever truly be able to understand all of the things he went through in such a short amount of years as he had been alive for. This particular vampire wasn’t the one that had wronged him, it was just another vampire. And for as rare as they supposedly were, he had more or less seen enough of them, and had been around enough of their corpses for the next week or so.
“Even though it didn’t suffer for long, I wonder whether we did anyone a favor or not by killing him. Also, it makes you wonder, what was the point to having some sort of barrier in place that keeps those out that aren’t wearing a festive attire? Shenanigans upon shenanigans… Well, time to bring this bad boy to the barracks and turn some heads.”
With the pumpkin had lodged under his arm, Gawain had more or less seen enough of this place. It was high time they got out of here, and used another door to do so. He would be goddamned if he had to wade through bat crap a second time, he’d much sooner just leap through the window and make his way down across the roof.
WC: 1149 Room WC: Long since attained Total WC: 7902
Name of Spell: Force Elemental Type: Air Pressure Rank & Spell Type: Senior | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 80m | 45 m/s Mana Cost: 30 | 15 Stats Effected: - Applicable Perks: Overpowered | Quick Shot Description: By extending the left hand and pointing an open palm (stop motion) and holding a half-ox sign with the right hand, Gawain's eyes flare up with a wispy green hue as a means of initiating the spell and as a vocal point for the release of mana, a blast of wind is released into the chosen direction roughly nine meters wide and tall. Aiming to envelop the target and blasting them and everything else caught up in the blast back, the spell uses a fairly powerful knockback effect capable of tossing targets back up to thirteen meters + an additional 5 meters for every 10 Power. The attack itself is potentially lethal upon direct hits, capable of breaking bones and can easily tear through non-magical structures, dealing Senior rank damage. To those without at least 30 sensory, this spell will be invisible, appearing as a flat wispy green square to others.