Cycle 5
Battle Conditions

Zone 3 Shulgana's Revenant [499/1300]
Blood Shroud [80/80]
AC [100+]​

Hidden: Skills and Blessings

Skills
<<Guardian>> The foe before you is dangerous, and any diverted effort will spell your doom. The Womb cannot be targeted as long as Shulgana’s Revenant lives.

<<Anti Military>> Outnumbered, the Revenant may be, but outmatched, he is not. The more foes there are, the more actions Shulgana’s Revenant can perform per turn.

<<Gargantuan Might>> An understated size belies an uncommon ferocity, the earth sundered as easily as breaking bones. Shulgana’s Revenant can perform AOE attacks and inflict Physical Debuffs.

<<Master Duelist>> Fury alone cannot overcome your foe, for the patterns within thoughtless violence are read much more easily than controlled strikes. Only two Reckless Attacks can be performed upon the Revenant per cycle. All other Reckless attacks are negated afterwards.

<<Critical Eye>> The difference between life and death is separated by a razor thin line, and one’s ultimate fate is but a skillful thrust or a lucky roll away. At the start of the cycle, a d12 is rolled. If the result is 12, the first attack of Shulgana’s Revenant is doubled in damage.

<<Spell Ward>> Even magic can be slain if the caster stays in range of that wicked spear. Incantations are so easily disrupted, after all. When magic is used within one zone of the Revenant, a d4 must be rolled. On a 1, the spell fails, and the mage’s action is consumed.

Blessings
<<Shulgana’s Revenant>> The title granted to one that had sold their soul to an Outer God. As a medium in which this foreign divinity exercises its might, this Revenant holds both divine might and thaumaturgy. Enables one to receive blessings from the Outer God, Shulgana, as well as the evocation of Deitic Skills.

<<Blood Feast>> The hunger lasts eternal, for the goddess’s demands are eternal, her gluttony the Revenant’s own. His heart pounds not with his own tainted blood, but with the scarlet ichor of his foes.

<<Blood Veil>> The Revenant’s sin, the Revenant’s shield. The fallen embrace their brethren, protecting him from the vicious strikes of his enemies.

<<Lightless>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying an ingenious child. Each spearstrike leaves a trail of crystalline growth, forcing wounds open, forcing the blood to flow eternal.

<<Berserk>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a would-be hero. Fuelled by wrath, each frenzied strike can drive even the greatest enemy back, smashing through all defenses.

<<Ashen>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a proud swordsman. Wreathed in blue flame, each blow sets his foes ablaze, living sacrifices immolated in the name of his goddess.

<<Blackened>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a bipolar illusionist. Dark chains emanate around him, inciting blind wrath in the hearts of all those who venture too close.

<<Desecrated>> ???

<<Predatory>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a feral monster. Sharp eyes find cracks in armor, adventurers turning from predator to prey under his watch. The weakest link will be purged. The lamb will be slaughtered first.

Hidden: The Otherworldly Womb

Having set its roots deep in the forests of Brisshal, the Otherworldly Womb can aid its guardian as well, mutating the surrounding environment and turning it against the adventurers that seek to sanctify the land. At the start of every cycle, the Womb will randomly perform one of four actions.

• ???
  
• Elevate The terrain in two zones rises upwards, knocking people off in random directions and making it impossible to traverse unless one has an Awakened Mastery with a Mobility or Shapeshift tag, and you can not shoot through these zones with Ranged attacks. A normal attack dealing more than 120 is required to level the ground once again, with Geomancy or Bludgeon dealing double damage. If not destroyed, the raised earth persists.
  
• Encased One target is locked in sanguine crystal. They cannot act this cycle unless they have an Awakened Mastery with the Shapeshift tag, or someone deals 85 damage to the structure. At the start of the next cycle, the Encased effect disappears.
  
• ???

The Otherworldly Womb can not be targetted until Shulgana's Revenant is vanquished.

Combat Notes:
Zone 15 remains <<Elevated>> due to the environmental influence of the Womb.

Zone 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are aflame. If you end the cycle in these zones, you will be afflicted with the <<Burning>> status.

<<Blood Shroud>> has been re-activated. The first attack dealt upon Shulgana's Revenant will be reduced by 80 damage.

<<Blood Feast>> has activated. Shulgana's Revenant heals for 120 HP.

<<Berserk>> has activated.

<<Spell Ward>> has been enhanced. Every 1 or 2 on a d4 will cancel magical actions.

<<Critical Eye>> has been enhanced. The Revenant's damage is now doubled if a 10 is rolled on a d10.

@Kaede Hoshi is <<Encased>>. They cannot act this cycle unless they have an Awakened Mastery with the Shapeshift tag, or someone deals 85 damage to the structure. At the start of the next cycle, the Encased effect disappears.

@Bradwynne @Blank are <<Blackened>>. During this cycle, they cannot perform any actions other than Attacking or Recklessly Attacking Shulgana's Revenant, and cannot move out of the Zone they are currently in. This is a Magical debuff.

@Blank receive 10 HP damage from <<Burning I>> and 10 HP damage from ending in Zone 10.

@Seigi is <<Burning I>> for ending in Zone 9. On the next cycle, they will receive 10 HP damage. This is a Magical debuff.

@Bradwynne is <<Burning II>> for being attacked by Shulgana's Revenant twice. On the next cycle, they will receive 20 HP damage. This is a Magical debuff.

@Blank is <<Burning III>> for ending in Zone 10 and being afflicted by <<Ashen>> once. On the next cycle, they will receive 30 HP damage. This is a Magical debuff.

@Blank receives 20 HP damage, and has been moved to Zone 3. @Bradwynne receives 20 HP damage.

@Bradwynne receives 70 HP damage. Due to <<Lightless>>, this damage is dealt to his Max HP as well.

@Bradwynne is being used as a <<Human Shield>>. 1/5th of the damage dealt to Shulgana's Revenant will be redirected onto Bradwynne instead. He cannot perform physical attacks. A d100 Health roll must meet a DC of 200 to remove this effect. Each point of HP damage Shulgana's Revenant takes will reduce the DC.

@Kaede Hoshi is <<Marked>>.

@Gear is dead.

Hidden: Zones

Important Note: Each Zone can only be occupied by a maximum of three players at once.

Zone 1 Muddy and miserable, the dirt beneath is soaked with blood. It squelches beneath your feet, but is of no concern otherwise.

Zone 2, 3, 4 The ground crackles beneath your feet, a crystalline surface providing stable footing. Beneath, one can partially see the ruptured earth, indicative of a violent altercation.

Zone 5, 10 Signs of a brutal fight linger, jagged, broken spikes and shrapnel filling the cracked earth, still sharp enough to cut. When entering or ending a turn in this Zone, receive 10 damage.

Zone 6 Scorched by blue flame, the corrupted vegetation here is naught but ashes now.

Zone 11, 16 Corrupted vegetation writhes aggressively, squirming in search for a heartbeat. Though individually weak, they deter all those that try to escape. When exiting this Zone, consume two movements instead of one. When attacking from this Zone, reduce the damage dealt by 20.

Zone 7, 8 Scorched by blue flame, naught remains of that beautiful flower field.

Zone 12 Against all odds, a field of resilient flowers has bloomed upon the battlescarred land, petals scattering with each attack performed in this Zone.

Zone 9, 17, 21 The remains of a massive crimson spike lies upon the ground, roughly half the height of a human. Ranged attacks targetting those within the Zone are reduced in effectiveness by half. A powerful enough attack specifically targetting the fallen spike may be powerful enough to destroy it, however, removing any cover one may have in the particular zone.

Zone 13 Fragments of permafrost are scattered over the area, while a sanguine staircase rises out of an unfathomably deep pit. It wasn't completely successful last time, but this time around...

Zone 14, 15, 20 Deep craters, as if caused by meteorites, scar the barren earth. Ranged attacks performed in this Zone and ranged attacks targetting this zone are reduced by 15.

Zone 18, 22, 24 The remains of a ruined tower, scattered in three directions. Large piles of rubble partially obscure the Otherworldly Womb, and makes it difficult to approach. When entering this Zone, consume two Movements instead of one.

Zone 19, 25 A forest of stakes, upon which half eaten beasts are skewered, their putrid blood running down the spikes. Ranged attacks targetting this zone are reduced by 10.

Zone 23 The Otherworldy Womb, cradled by what appears to be two sickly green hands. Dark veins rise over the translucent surface, and it pulsates like a heart. A nigh impenetrable sanguine veil shrouds it, protecting it from outside influences.

Hidden: Supplementary Information

Movement Every turn, you may move to one Zone adjacent (diagonal movement is NOT allowed) to your current one for free. If you have a Mastery with the Mobility tag, you can make extra movements, depending what tier that mastery is at. At Trained, you get one extra movement. At Adept, you get two extra movements. At Mastered, you get three extra movements, for a total of four movements per turn. Ending your turn on certain Zones may trigger events.

Range Ranged and Magical attacks can reach up to three zones away, but may have reduced damage due to terrain. Support actions can reach up to two zones away, except for Tinker which is melee range. Melee attacks can only target those within the same Zone as the attacker, but they can opt to roll a 6d20 on a normal attack rather than a d100. If you have the Tinker Mastery, you can change a Melee attack into a Ranged attack, at the cost of expending 5 EN.

Hidden: Status Afflictions

As potent as medicine and magic are, not all scars can be removed so easily. In combat, status afflictions earned are divided into three separate categories, each with their own method of treatment. These are Physical, Mental, and Magical.

• Physical Afflictions A broken arm, a blackened eye, a punctured lung. Particularly grisly wounds have a notably negative effect upon an adventurer's aptitude, and can not be merely dispelled. Instead, healing must be applied to fill a quota that is separate from their overall HP bar. If left untended, these grevious wounds may worsen over time.
• Mental Afflictions Fear, revulsion, horror, whether brought up by past trauma, the current situation, or one's Death Afflictions, can not be removed at all in the heat of battle. A pep talk may rouse one's spirit, but the tremors remain eternal. Once mentally afflicted, only a long rest will be able to remove such burdens.
• Magical Afflictions The flames that engulf one's body. The metamorphisis of your flesh. Horrific as they may seem, afflictions of a magical origin are easily dispelled, and rarely have any lingering side effects afterwards.

Actions

Everyone is allowed to perform one of these actions per cycle. RP-wise, you can do a number of things, but the system only counts the action you pick from the spreadsheet. If you have the relevant masteries, there may also be Special Actions or Awakened Actions you can perform. Be sure to check them out~

Hidden: Special Actions

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Destroy the Corpse [Everyone] Direct a normal attack towards Gear's body and completely destroy his corpse.

Call Storm [Blank Only] Quell the flames that devour the landscape by summoning forth a powerful storm. Make a DC of 120 with a d100 Hydromancy roll, excluding buffs. If successful, all <<Burning>> effects will be nullified, and the flames in Zone 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will be quelled. Costs 20 EN.

Remove Blessing [Bradwynne Only] Call forth the holy light that dwells within you and scour the otherworldly blessings that empower this nightmarish creature. Make a DC of 100 with a d100 White Magic roll, excluding buffs. If successful, remove one of the Revenant's <<Blessings>> of your choice. If critically successful, remove three <<Blessings>> instead. Costs 20 EN.

Tackle [Seigi Only] In place of a normal attack action, roll a d40 + mods instead. Tackle the Revenant and take on Bradwynne's <<Human Shield>> affliction in his place.

Hidden: Awakening

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Shadow Dancing
Shroud Passive. Dissolve into the shadows, becoming an elusive phantom, a shattered memory. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Shadow Dancing grants you a stack of Shroud at the beginning of combat. Each stack reduces incoming physical attacks by 20 damage, before being consumed.

Stalk Free action, costing 10 EN. Melt away and reappear within the shadow of another, prepared for a sneaky follow up. Instead of moving regularly, appear in the same Zone as an ally. If the chosen ally attacks and you choose to attack as well, apply Shadow Dancing as Damage Supplementation.

Lurk Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Fully immerse yourself in the underside of reality. Remove yourself from the battlefield, effectively becoming immune to all damage for the duration of the cycle, except in the case of interplanar attacks.

Limit Break [Magi Only] ???

Cosmic Retribution
Predict Passive. Perceiving the seconds between an ally's attack and an enemy's reaction, you ensure that even a miss will hit. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Cosmic Retribution grants you a stack of Predict at the beginning of combat. Each stack negates the AC of an enemy for a single attack, before being consumed.

Divine Free action, costs 15 EN. Dive into the infinite spectrum of alternate fates in order to foresee the near-future. Once half the party has posted, you can use Astral Magic to see one Cycle into the future, before warning your allies of prescient dangers. Note, however, that the future is liquid, and will change in accordance to how you act.

Ascend Shapeshift. Can only be done once per Challenge. Costs 20 EN and 20 HP at the start of every cycle. Leave your mortal body behind and transform into an avatar of celestial wrath. You cannot perform any actions that are not Attack, Critical Attack or Reckless Attack. You cannot be healed or protected. The dice value of your attacks are automatically set to 70, and the range of your attacks is unlimited. Furthermore, you have access to extra modifiers for your attacks.

• Nova Burst Costs 10 EN. Target the Zone, rather than an individual.
• Dimensional Tear Costs 10 EN. Permanently reduce Target's AC by 20.
• Gravity Well Costs 10 EN. Halve the Target's Movement Speed for the next cycle.
• Limit Break [Kaede Only] ???

It takes an action to revert the transformation and return to your mortal body. If you do not have enough HP or EN to pay for the cost of the Shapeshift at the start of the cycle, your soul separates from your body and you die.

 

Love and Your Ego

MONSTER. CHAMPION. REVENANT.​

MONSTER. CHAMPION. REVENANT.​

MONSTER. CHAMPION. REVENANT.​

FATHER. FATHER! FATHER!!!​

FARTHER!
.
.
.​

He was no longer there.

He was screaming in agony as his tribe melted away in the hideous death-fog.

He was no longer there.

He was coughing up guts as his mother was pulverized under the weight of obsidian.

He was no longer there.

He was writhing and broken as his sister had her womb torn out by rusted sickles.

He was no longer there.

He was bleeding out as his queen’s brood was crushed under the weight of their boots.

He was no longer there.

He was here.

His body failing. His blood flowing. His bones breaking. His strength declining. His blessings dissipating. His breath fading. His mind numbing. His rage fading. His life ending.

But his desire remained, a candle that lit the way amidst the nightmare conflict. He was naught but a Revenant, naught but a ghost of the past, his life’s goal long fulfilled. He had sated what meager vengeance he sought, had made peace with loss and death, had rested well, knowing that the price of his life alone was enough to ensure the safety of his progeny.

His Goddess had granted him everything, where no other deities would, and he will make sure that her last order was fulfilled.

“wItneSS ME!’

The Sunset Sage wrenched the Guillotine Priest away from his grasp, as the Ascended Astrologian burst out of the crystalline shell, an avatar of cosmic retribution that burned with the light of a thousand stars. Reeling back from the kick, the skull faced goblin snarled, blood converging upon him as steller devastation rained down. Purple, pink, black. Amidst the meteor shower, he exchanged furious blow after furious blow with the swordsman, each vicious swing parried with brute force, the blood flowing, quickening, roaring in his mind. Beneath, the ground cracked, splintered under the continuous cosmic assault, vast echoes of destruction booming all around, punctuated by the infuriated man’s murderous mantra.

Something that he had heard many times before. A curse of destruction that had no effect on one who’s ending already came.

The earth ruptured, three demon-skewers rising, piercing into the flesh of those that still lived. One dug deep into the swordsman’s gut, severing his spine as it lifted him up skywards like some demented trophy. Another pierced through the cosmic spirit’s intangible form, splitting it into two even halves, ending its starfall frenzy. And yet a third pierced through the thigh and arm of the heroic martial artist, the point stopping one inch from her face as she rose up towards the darkening sky.

"Rest in peace. You will not make it into my ending."

No.

He never existed as just a part of someone else’s story.

An arrow wreathed in shadow and madness crossed the burning battlescape in a flash, a true meteor of impossible might, slamming into the goblin at full force.

But it did not go any further. Arcane jets ceaselessly propelled the devastating projectile, and yet, it did not move. Could not move. Even as the flesh of his hands melted off, even as his tendons tore and his bones turned to dust, the monster remained, sanguine might surging around him. How much more did he have to sacrifice? How much further did he have to go? How much, how much, how much?!

One step.

His foot sank into the bloodied ground.

One step.

His foot trampled upon smouldering flowers.

ONE STEP.

The petals scattered, a violet blizzard as the dissonant spell continued to churn, brought all the way back to the one that had fired it. A corona, a blossom, was presented before Magi, pressing closer and closer as the cracks began to show in the spellweave, as even the greatest miracle was slowly being torn into shr-

“That’s enough.”

A crack emerged in the mask.

“You’ve done well to fulfill my request.”

And the Grudeg arrow roared, leaving naught but ashes of the Revenant.

A chime, an unholy bell, resounded.

Scarlet hair danced in the burning wind.

Onyx armor glistened in day’s last light.

A skeletal crown sat upon her head.

Heretic tattoos scarred her pale flesh.

Her right eye opened. The eye of the wise.

Her left eye opened. The eye of the savage.

And as she stood upon the throne of ruination, the ashes of her champion blown away towards a kinder place, the Mother of Monsters, the Traitorous King, the Shatterer of Chains, the Star Eater, smiled.

​

OOC

@Kaede Hoshi @Seigi @Das Ein Magia @Blank @Bradwynne

• No word limit.
  
• 1 post per character per cycle, with DM posts resetting the cycle at 4PM PST daily. If all posts are in beforehand, a cycle may be started ahead of time. Treat 4PM PST as the deadline at your own peril.
  
• All dice must be rolled in this thread.
• If you want to do some extra communication between party members, do so here.

Hidden: Post Template

HTML:

[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[loc=Location:] XX - Zone V [/loc][hr]x[/hr]
Moving from XX to XX
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
[hr]x[/hr]
Post here. Blah blah blah.


[tracker][d]Action here and target[/d]
[score]Your roll + Modifiers = Total[/score]
Tracker / Roll
Target: 000 / 000 HP
[/tracker]

 

Cycle 6
Battle Conditions

Zone 12 Shulgana's Revenant [Vanquished]
Zone 18 The Mother of Monsters, Shulgana [1/1]​

Hidden: Skills and Blessings

Skills
<<Guardian>> The foe before you is dangerous, and any diverted effort will spell your doom. The Womb cannot be targeted as long as Shulgana’s Revenant lives.

<<Anti Military>> Outnumbered, the Revenant may be, but outmatched, he is not. The more foes there are, the more actions Shulgana’s Revenant can perform per turn.

<<Gargantuan Might>> An understated size belies an uncommon ferocity, the earth sundered as easily as breaking bones. Shulgana’s Revenant can perform AOE attacks and inflict Physical Debuffs.

<<Master Duelist>> Fury alone cannot overcome your foe, for the patterns within thoughtless violence are read much more easily than controlled strikes. Only two Reckless Attacks can be performed upon the Revenant per cycle. All other Reckless attacks are negated afterwards.

<<Critical Eye>> The difference between life and death is separated by a razor thin line, and one’s ultimate fate is but a skillful thrust or a lucky roll away. At the start of the cycle, a d12 is rolled. If the result is 12, the first attack of Shulgana’s Revenant is doubled in damage.

<<Spell Ward>> Even magic can be slain if the caster stays in range of that wicked spear. Incantations are so easily disrupted, after all. When magic is used within one zone of the Revenant, a d4 must be rolled. On a 1, the spell fails, and the mage’s action is consumed.

Blessings
<<Shulgana’s Revenant>> The title granted to one that had sold their soul to an Outer God. As a medium in which this foreign divinity exercises its might, this Revenant holds both divine might and thaumaturgy. Enables one to receive blessings from the Outer God, Shulgana, as well as the evocation of Deitic Skills.

<<Blood Feast>> The hunger lasts eternal, for the goddess’s demands are eternal, her gluttony the Revenant’s own. His heart pounds not with his own tainted blood, but with the scarlet ichor of his foes.

<<Blood Veil>> The Revenant’s sin, the Revenant’s shield. The fallen embrace their brethren, protecting him from the vicious strikes of his enemies.

<<Lightless>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying an ingenious child. Each spearstrike leaves a trail of crystalline growth, forcing wounds open, forcing the blood to flow eternal.

<<Berserk>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a would-be hero. Fuelled by wrath, each frenzied strike can drive even the greatest enemy back, smashing through all defenses.

<<Ashen>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a proud swordsman. Wreathed in blue flame, each blow sets his foes ablaze, living sacrifices immolated in the name of his goddess.

<<Blackened>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a bipolar illusionist. Dark chains emanate around him, inciting blind wrath in the hearts of all those who venture too close.

<<Desecrated>> ???

<<Predatory>> The blessing granted to the Revenant after slaying a feral monster. Sharp eyes find cracks in armor, adventurers turning from predator to prey under his watch. The weakest link will be purged. The lamb will be slaughtered first.

Hidden: The Otherworldly Womb

Having set its roots deep in the forests of Brisshal, the Otherworldly Womb can aid its guardian as well, mutating the surrounding environment and turning it against the adventurers that seek to sanctify the land. At the start of every cycle, the Womb will randomly perform one of four actions.

• Impale Crystaline blades rise up from the ground, skewering three targets and dealing HP damage.
  
• Elevate The terrain in two zones rises upwards, knocking people off in random directions and making it impossible to traverse unless one has an Awakened Mastery with a Mobility or Shapeshift tag, and you can not shoot through these zones with Ranged attacks. A normal attack dealing more than 120 is required to level the ground once again, with Geomancy or Bludgeon dealing double damage. If not destroyed, the raised earth persists.
  
• Encased One target is locked in sanguine crystal. They cannot act this cycle unless they have an Awakened Mastery with the Shapeshift tag, or someone deals 85 damage to the structure. At the start of the next cycle, the Encased effect disappears.
  
• ???

The Otherworldly Womb can not be targetted until Shulgana's Revenant is vanquished.

Combat Notes:
Zone 15 remains <<Elevated>> due to the environmental influence of the Womb.

Zone 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are aflame. If you end the cycle in these zones, you will be afflicted with the <<Burning>> status.

@Seigi receives 10 HP damage from <<Burning I>>.

@Bradwynne receives 20 HP damage from <<Burning II>>.

@Blank receives 30 HP damage from <<Burning III>>.

@Kaede Hoshi receives 20 HP damage and 20 EN damage due to <<Ascend>>

@Seigi @Bradwynne receive 40 HP damage due to <<Impale>>.

@Kaede Hoshi receives 70 (35x2) HP damage due to <<Impale>>.

@Blank @Bradwynne are dead.

Hidden: Zones

Important Note: Each Zone can only be occupied by a maximum of three players at once.

Zone 1 Muddy and miserable, the dirt beneath is soaked with blood. It squelches beneath your feet, but is of no concern otherwise.

Zone 2, 3, 4 The ground crackles beneath your feet, a crystalline surface providing stable footing. Beneath, one can partially see the ruptured earth, indicative of a violent altercation.

Zone 5, 10 Signs of a brutal fight linger, jagged, broken spikes and shrapnel filling the cracked earth, still sharp enough to cut. When entering or ending a turn in this Zone, receive 10 damage.

Zone 6 Scorched by blue flame, the corrupted vegetation here is naught but ashes now.

Zone 11, 16 Corrupted vegetation writhes aggressively, squirming in search for a heartbeat. Though individually weak, they deter all those that try to escape. When exiting this Zone, consume two movements instead of one. When attacking from this Zone, reduce the damage dealt by 20.

Zone 7, 8 Scorched by blue flame, naught remains of that beautiful flower field.

Zone 12 Against all odds, a field of resilient flowers has bloomed upon the battlescarred land, petals scattering with each attack performed in this Zone.

Zone 9, 17, 21 The remains of a massive crimson spike lies upon the ground, roughly half the height of a human. Ranged attacks targetting those within the Zone are reduced in effectiveness by half. A powerful enough attack specifically targetting the fallen spike may be powerful enough to destroy it, however, removing any cover one may have in the particular zone.

Zone 13 Fragments of permafrost are scattered over the area, while a sanguine staircase rises out of an unfathomably deep pit. It wasn't completely successful last time, but this time around...

Zone 14, 15, 20 Deep craters, as if caused by meteorites, scar the barren earth. Ranged attacks performed in this Zone and ranged attacks targetting this zone are reduced by 15.

Zone 18, 22, 24 The remains of a ruined tower, scattered in three directions. Large piles of rubble partially obscure the Otherworldly Womb, and makes it difficult to approach. When entering this Zone, consume two Movements instead of one.

Zone 19, 25 A forest of stakes, upon which half eaten beasts are skewered, their putrid blood running down the spikes. Ranged attacks targetting this zone are reduced by 10.

Zone 23 The Otherworldy Womb lies here, shattered.

Hidden: Supplementary Information

Movement Every turn, you may move to one Zone adjacent (diagonal movement is NOT allowed) to your current one for free. If you have a Mastery with the Mobility tag, you can make extra movements, depending what tier that mastery is at. At Trained, you get one extra movement. At Adept, you get two extra movements. At Mastered, you get three extra movements, for a total of four movements per turn. Ending your turn on certain Zones may trigger events.

Range Ranged and Magical attacks can reach up to three zones away, but may have reduced damage due to terrain. Support actions can reach up to two zones away, except for Tinker which is melee range. Melee attacks can only target those within the same Zone as the attacker, but they can opt to roll a 6d20 on a normal attack rather than a d100. If you have the Tinker Mastery, you can change a Melee attack into a Ranged attack, at the cost of expending 5 EN.

Hidden: Status Afflictions

As potent as medicine and magic are, not all scars can be removed so easily. In combat, status afflictions earned are divided into three separate categories, each with their own method of treatment. These are Physical, Mental, and Magical.

• Physical Afflictions A broken arm, a blackened eye, a punctured lung. Particularly grisly wounds have a notably negative effect upon an adventurer's aptitude, and can not be merely dispelled. Instead, healing must be applied to fill a quota that is separate from their overall HP bar. If left untended, these grevious wounds may worsen over time.
• Mental Afflictions Fear, revulsion, horror, whether brought up by past trauma, the current situation, or one's Death Afflictions, can not be removed at all in the heat of battle. A pep talk may rouse one's spirit, but the tremors remain eternal. Once mentally afflicted, only a long rest will be able to remove such burdens.
• Magical Afflictions The flames that engulf one's body. The metamorphisis of your flesh. Horrific as they may seem, afflictions of a magical origin are easily dispelled, and rarely have any lingering side effects afterwards.

Actions

Everyone is allowed to perform one of these actions per cycle. RP-wise, you can do a number of things, but the system only counts the action you pick from the spreadsheet. If you have the relevant masteries, there may also be Special Actions or Awakened Actions you can perform. Be sure to check them out~

Hidden: Special Actions

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Cower [Everyone] Do nothing.

Hidden: Awakening

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Shadow Dancing
Shroud Passive. Dissolve into the shadows, becoming an elusive phantom, a shattered memory. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Shadow Dancing grants you a stack of Shroud at the beginning of combat. Each stack reduces incoming physical attacks by 20 damage, before being consumed.

Stalk Free action, costing 10 EN. Melt away and reappear within the shadow of another, prepared for a sneaky follow up. Instead of moving regularly, appear in the same Zone as an ally. If the chosen ally attacks and you choose to attack as well, apply Shadow Dancing as Damage Supplementation.

Lurk Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Fully immerse yourself in the underside of reality. Remove yourself from the battlefield, effectively becoming immune to all damage for the duration of the cycle, except in the case of interplanar attacks.

Limit Break [Magi Only] ???

Cosmic Retribution
Predict Passive. Perceiving the seconds between an ally's attack and an enemy's reaction, you ensure that even a miss will hit. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Cosmic Retribution grants you a stack of Predict at the beginning of combat. Each stack negates the AC of an enemy for a single attack, before being consumed.

Divine Free action, costs 15 EN. Dive into the infinite spectrum of alternate fates in order to foresee the near-future. Once half the party has posted, you can use Astral Magic to see one Cycle into the future, before warning your allies of prescient dangers. Note, however, that the future is liquid, and will change in accordance to how you act.

Ascend Shapeshift. Can only be done once per Challenge. Costs 20 EN and 20 HP at the start of every cycle. Leave your mortal body behind and transform into an avatar of celestial wrath. You cannot perform any actions that are not Attack, Critical Attack or Reckless Attack. You cannot be healed or protected. The dice value of your attacks are automatically set to 70, and the range of your attacks is unlimited. Furthermore, you have access to extra modifiers for your attacks.

• Nova Burst Costs 10 EN. Target the Zone, rather than an individual.
• Dimensional Tear Costs 10 EN. Permanently reduce Target's AC by 20.
• Gravity Well Costs 10 EN. Halve the Target's Movement Speed for the next cycle.
• Limit Break [Kaede Only] ???

It takes an action to revert the transformation and return to your mortal body. If you do not have enough HP or EN to pay for the cost of the Shapeshift at the start of the cycle, your soul separates from your body and you die.

 

The End

She breathed in the polluted air.

She breathed in the rust and the blood.

She breathed in the smoke and the rot.

She breathed it all in, absorbing all she could of this world in a single breath.

Oh, how she had longed for this.

Yerka truly did deserve to be immortalized upon her Throne, but as he had respected her wish, so she would respect his, letting the last of his ashes fall away between her fingers.

Around her, those immortals squabbled, turning on each other now that they no longer had a ‘true’ monster to fight. One asked for peace. Another sought to renew the carnage. And a third could not bear to let another Wolf exist in this broken, imperfect world.

In a flash of movement, surpassing the natural divining capabilities of the Astral Mage, Seigi wrenched Kaede away from the Goddess, the two of them tumbling down the pile of rubble, ending up in an unsightly heap of stone. The scarlet haired woman sneered. Didn’t they have a power akin to the Eyes of Torzi, capable of determining with crystal clarity how mighty the foe before them was? Were these immortals so cowardly? A lustful soul, a righteous soul, a distorted soul. But none of them held the single-minded, world-ending infatuation that she sought.

In the emerald eye, she did not see the fathomless might to uphold their principles and ideals.

In the ruby eye, she did not see the endless capacity for savagery if it would bring them closer to their desires.

Amorphous and weak-willed, swayed too easily by trauma and regrets. Incomplete existences, formulated by exterior influences rather than the core of their essence. But the potential was still there. So many voices. Whispers from the ghosts of the past. An abominable hunger that was not their own. The hand of a certain cosmic being. All pulling them elsewhere, elsewhere, elsewhere.

How boring.

They hadn’t even taken their first step yet.

She breathed in, her odd eyes ending up at dissonant bolt forming in the bow of that fractured infant.

And, that defiant smirk still on her face, she spread her hands out, exposing her neck, her heart, her head, her lungs.

A flash of arcane light, and it was over.

Crimson seeped upon rubble as the Mother of Monsters fell, the light of her eyes never fading as her gaze ended skywards.

After an eternity within that world transfixed in apocalypse, having a heart that could stop beating was truly the most exquisite of gifts.

Oh, what a beautiful world.

She couldn’t wait to eat it.

Around the three that still breathed, the outer world manifested once more, as cries of victory resounded brightly, the first stars of the night shining over the azure gradient.

~~~
​

With a mighty blow, he bisected the blackened fiend, empowered by afflicted rage.

The battle raged on.

Half-swording, his pommel smashed through the crystalline armor, breaking the lightless sylph.

The battle raged on.

Tossing the spear of a fallen comrade, he tore out the heart of the ashen swordsman amidst hellfire.

The battle raged on.

Wielding the sword from the age of giants, he clashed with the berserker over and over again, the fragments of the massive sword sparking off as men danced with beasts all around, blood feeding budding flowers.

The battle raged…

Ancestral might surged through his veins as he rammed the oversized cleaver through the frothing beast’s chest, finally putting an end to its enraged warcries. Panting, he wheeled around, one arm hanging crippled, in search for the next great foe.

But the cacophony that once encompassed the entire place had silenced, the scarlet fury of the horde dissipating in an instant. Like puppets with strings cut, the entire, abominable army collapsed, reverting to recognizable forms. Humans and beasts, not a ‘real’ monster around them, their life essence seeping away from open wounds.

A crack sounded, then another, those ominous spires crashing down. A few cries of alarm sounded from his men, but more than that, there was a sense of elation, of relief.

They may have lost their brothers, but they have won the fight.

Tonight, their children, their lovers, their parents will be able to rest peacefully, under the assurance that the nightmare that afflicted the forests of Brisshal had been vanquished completely. Their sacrifices were worth it then. Their losses bearable. Their valor rewarded.

Up above, the warmth of the afternoon sky, burning with a beautiful red, filled the man’s heart with a special feeling.

As the twenty-seven who remained began the task of retrieving bodies and treating wounds, Captain Arc strode towards the epicenter of the hellscape, caked in blood and gore. Each step hurt, but all his deeds must pale in comparison to the bravery demonstrated by those adventurers. If these small pains were what it took, then he would gladly bear them in order to be the first to offer these valiants a helping hand.

But as he crested the hill, only somber devastation stood before his scarlet eye.

A body, charred beyond recognition. A body, skewered fully through. A body, lacerated and beaten.

It gave the young man, a mere mortal, pause.

But if not now, when?

So he flashed a smile towards the heroes of the day, waving with his one good arm.

Good work, heroes! I can’t offer my condolences, nor am I able to patch up your wounds, but, at the very least, I’m able to lend you a shoulder.

They lived. This was plenty.

Let’s head back home.

They won. This was more than he had expected.

But the young captain did not know, did not understand. In the face of adversity, the bonds adventurers made weren't strengthened. They were fractured.

Hidden: Loot

One item per player. If multiple players want the same item, roll for it in the thread. If you want none of the items available, you may choose to receive either 600 gp or 350 mp.

Loot

Usurper of Behemoths 1/3
<<Enhancement>>
2. Red lightning crackles over your body, intensifying in brilliance as you receive more hits. 3. Whenever you take damage, gain +5 to your damage (does not affect AC). This bonus stacks. When you are healed from an outside source, remove all stacks.

Loot

Champion's Bloodspear
<<Rare 2H Pierce/Cleave/Bludgeon/Slash>>
Coated in crystal spines and hardened in blue flame, this crudely made weapon still holds a fragment of the otherworldly might. The weapons of man pale in comparison to the pragmatic savagery promised within the barbed blade. By gathering 3 <<Divine Essences>>, this weapon can be upgraded to Ascended tier.

Loot

Limit Breaker
<<Accessory>>
Requires Awakened Mastery. A metaphysical crystallization of one’s heroic deeds, enabling you to access your Limit Break in any of Ashi’s challenges.

Loot

Twisted Deadgear
<<Accessory>>
Half organic, half inorganic, this corrupted contraption pulsates like a beating heart when it attaches itself to a weapon, enabling a great boost in destructive capability at the cost of immense physical strain. Once per challenge/event, you may use Damage Supplementation repeatedly (cost is increased to 5 EN per) up to a maximum of 5 times.

Loot

Emblem of the Revenant
<<Accessory>>
The skull mask of a vanquished champion, one that had defied death so many times before. A hint of that impossible tenacity lingers within this emblem, but should one truly be feeling such admiration towards a monster? Once your HP reaches the negatives, you may continue to act for once more cycle before you die. If you bring this Accessory with you, you cannot be revived until after the event is over.

Loot

Shulgana's Shroud
<<Accessory>>
A scarlet veil, gossamer yet rich, exquisite to the touch. A scarf? A cloak? A cape? A shawl? No matter the form, it will coalesce upon impact, shielding its wearer from harm. Twice per challenge/event. Convert EN to HP directly, up to a maximum of 20, when you receive damage.

OOC

@Kaede Hoshi @Seigi @Das Ein Magia

• No word limit. No post template. This is the last post cycle.
  
• 1 post per character per cycle, with DM posts resetting the cycle at 4PM PST daily. If all posts are in beforehand, a cycle may be started ahead of time. Treat 4PM PST as the deadline at your own peril.
  
• All dice must be rolled in this thread.
• If you want to do some extra communication between party members, do so here.