Absolution Beyond Cloudburst | Page 2

Yukisa · May 16, 2018

112 HP

MAX 112 HP

104 EN

MAX 104 EN

+10 HP from (a)Rouse

“Thanks a bunch…” Yukisa told @Corvella, giving her a grateful bow for her assistance with his shitty situation. Truly, this entire adventure would have gone down the drain if it weren’t for her help. Hopefully shit wouldn’t hit the fan again.

With the crap(py puns) out of the way, the crew was now ready to get on board and take off on the adventure of a lifetime, though their eagerness to get going didn’t really help with the process of cramping onto the tiny faerin ship. In fact, most of the time they spent on preparations was likely just them trying to get in.

But once they finally managed to efficiently distribute what little space the airboat had between themselves, it was time for lift off. Yukisa couldn’t help but tremble with excitement. He had always looked up to the sky and wished he could have the freedom of a bird soaring overhead. Sadly, he was eternally shackled to the ground, especially after his... “accident”. As such, he was entering this experience with the utmost enthusiasm. Watching his companions act like a real naval crew only caused his eyes to light up with a greater passion.

Surprisingly, everyone managed to coordinate pretty well: Captain Seigi was shouting commands (along with some other nonsense) to her crew, Corvella had determined the paths they could take, Ivan adeptly sailed the ship wherever the captain directed him to, and Portia-

Yuki quickly looked away as her hand came down upon her boyfriend’s back. He knew just how much power his friend had in her limbs (after being subjected to it firsthand), as proven by the loud smacks that resonated from the direction of the pair. He definitely did not want to see the anguished look on Ivan’s face as he was hit - not once, not twice, but thrice.

The intimidating aura around the woman reminded him that he also needed to be playing his part. “Uhh, I’ll be going over there, captain!” he announced to Seigi, before quickly rushing off to the back of the boat where the propeller he had been assigned to spin eagerly awaited his arrival.

As shown before, the white-haired male was not the most intelligent individual. That likely explained why he was given the (fake) job of “Propellerman”, which required nothing but the ability to spin a set of metallic blades.

Somehow, though, he managed to do even that poorly. He did his best, brewing a powerful wind to rotate the propeller at high speeds, yet all it did was weakly spin for a while, letting out creaking noises, then stopping in its tracks.

“Hey, guys!” he called out from his position. “Are we… moving forward? Even just a little bit?” Then, with a sigh, he added, “I’msosorry.”

spin spin spin your propeller gently down the wind
15 + 25 (expert Aeromancy) + 20 (Captain Seigi's Orders) / 2 (because propellers don't get the respect they deserve) = 30
Tracker / Roll
Target: 171 / 400 PP

Ashifili · May 16, 2018

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

Warning: Unnamed Vessel Approaching

Query: Procedure = x

Response: Set x as ‘terminate’
…
Weapons System Online

Salvo One loaded.

Target locked.

Fire.

Catching the updraft, the Minerva soared high, instantly passing the cliffs that once towered above it. The canvas of its sails billowed in the warm air as it glided almost vertically as @Iván Carl and @Haru wrestled for control of the steering wheel while the later also cooked fish with the super basic tools available in the faerin-sized airship. Meanwhile, @Yukisa , ever the hardworking background character, channeled his own aeromancy into the sails, propelling the vessel at even greater speeds. The feeling of the spring wind was pleasant, but that simply couldn’t compare to the sensation of being on an open deck with the wind rushing past your face as you fall into the azure abyss.

Of course, such a rapid ascent meant that the might of gravity pulled down even harder upon you, while the rapid change in air pressure caused one’s ears to pop more rapidly than microwaved popcorn, but that didn’t matter to Captain @Seigi , standing up with her arms crossed as her bandages billowed dramatically in the wind! This was great! Everything was going just as planned! She picked the safe but fast route, getting the best of both worlds as a result!

But they ascended much too rapidly, moving too high up the sky at too fast a pace for them to react in time to @Corvella ’s shouts, to the changes that were occurring at the white, metallic body of the sky whale. At first, it was just a thrumming that went unnoticed beneath the rumbling of the magitech engine, a tension in the air that the magically attuned could sense. Then it was prominence, the sunlight catching upon the white whale’s belly and exposing the innumerable stalactite-esque formations beneath.

And finally, there was fire, magma cracks spiderwebbing over the great whale’s form before a storm of steel bolts descended upon the Minerva.

A shout of alarm, a hurried spin of the wheel, but too late, much too late. Seigi’s Heroic Aura flared, a golden corona redirecting some of the impact of the initial bombardment, but the damage was dealt already. Large holes covered the deck of the airship, while a vicious tear in the starboard sail-wing caused the Minerva to slant sideways. An explosion shook the ship as well, plumes of smoke rising from the bottom as hungry flames ate at the hull. Did one of the magifuel canisters explode? Or were these projectiles naturally explosive to begin with?

Whatever the answer, the crew had to decide quickly, even as their own bodies sported scorched wounds from the sudden attack. Press on, or rise further, beyond the endless array of weaponry attached to the sky whale’s form?

The thrumming sounded once more, the second salvo preparing to unleash its fiery might with even greater force than before.

Time was ticking.

...

The weight upon @Portia Ahrens 's mind exponentiated, that odd sense of despair increasing. But in the eyes of @Ivan Carl , the hellfire that rained down so freely reminded him of liberation and perfection, of that impossible truth once witnessed within that incomprehensible Spire.

OOC
@Iván Carl @Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Portia Ahrens @Haru

Maximum 500 words, minimum 100 words. Any more or any less will mean that I smite you AND your post will be ignored. Brevity is the spirit of wit, after all.

I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.

If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.

If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!

If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!

Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!

Playtime's over.
HTML:
[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-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]

Ashifili · May 16, 2018

Cycle 2: The Steel Rain

Minerva’s HP: 350/500
Progress: 171 + 30/400

Damage:
@Seigi @Haru @Portia Ahrens @Yukisa @Corvella receive 20 HP damage from the bombardment. @Iván Carl due to the HP shield already being expended, receives 30 HP damage from the bombardment.

The Minerva receives 150 HP damage from the bombardment.

The Minerva is inflicted with the Burning status. On the next cycle, it will receive another 50 HP damage.

The Minerva is inflicted with the Ruptured Sails status. On the next cycle, Progress will be reduced by 50.

With some weird telepathic communication ability, the Justice Crew has assembled with the following roster.

Captain [Seigi Ling Ling]

Helmsman [Ivan Carl]

Lookout [Corvella]

Armsmaster [Portia Ahrens]

Medic [Haru]

Propellerman [Yukisa]

Do note, however, that it is possible to take actions for a role you are not assigned to.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

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.

Helping Hand [Everyone] Extra help is always appreciated, even if it's by untrained hands. Roll for any other action, but without modifiers or buffs, in order to help out with the task of getting places.

Extinguish the Flames [Portia and Haru Only] EN cost 20. Shoot out geysers of water to put out the raging flames on the side of the ship's hull. Removing the Minerva's Burning status.

Patch the Sails [Everyone] EN cost 10. Climb up onto the sails and do your best to cover up the hole in the canvas. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Acrobatics, excluding Beginner. If the final score is higher than 80, you succeed. If it is lower than 80, you fail, receiving 20 HP damage due to falling off the sail and onto the ship's deck. Upon failure, you can try again, as many times as you want, provided you can pay the EN cost.

Captain's Orders [Seigi Only] With great power comes great responsibility, for a crew is not a democracy but a dictatorship. When the Lookout vocalizes what they see in the distance, it is the captain's duty to tell everyone else what to do. If they follow the captain's orders, the rest of the crew gains a +20 modifier to all rolls. If they disobey the captain's orders, the rest of the crew gains a -20 modifier to all rolls.

Helmsman's Duty [Ivan Carl Only] Read the wind, roll up your sleeves, and get down and dirty with the wheel and sails of the ship. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Riding mastery, as well as any relevant buffs, and add the final score to the Progress DC.

Do a Barrel Roll [Ivan Carl Only Free Action. EN cost 10. Put your Riding skills to the test, and do fancy evasive maneuvers in order to dodge the incoming fire. Reduce Progress by an amount of your choosing, up to a maximum of 50. On the next turn, the damage that the Minerva will receive is reduced by 50.

Crow's Nest [Corvella Only] Narrow your eyes against the sun's glare and determine what lies ahead in the vastness of the skies. Roll a d100, as well as any relevant buffs. The score will be divided by 30, rounding up, and the resulting value will be the number of paths in the sky that the DM will alert you of.

Taskmaster [Portia Only] Scowl menacingly at others and make them work harder. Select a single individual. Reduce their HP by 10 and give them a +60 buff to their next action.

Not Just A Bully [Portia Only] Show your manly side and risk your own body in order to shield your crew or your ship. Take all damage that would be dealt to others onto yourself for the next round.

Propellerman is a Fake Job [Yukisa Only] Spin the propellor really fast and make the ship go even faster. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Aeromancy, as well as any relevant buffs. Divide the final score by half and add to the Progress DC.

Reckless Boost [Yukisa Only] EN cost 20. Spin the propellor even faster and make the ship go just as stupidly fast. Roll 2d100 + 5 per tier of Aeromancy and add to the Progress DC. On the next round, the Minerva receives double damage and a random status affliction.

Heals on Sails [Haru Only] Perform a normal Heal action. Yup. That's it. You went to medical school for this?

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] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???

Haru · May 16, 2018

085 HP

MAX 105 HP

106 EN

MAX 126 EN

-20 EN for dousing
-30(-10) HP from whale

And so, he cooked. He wasn't the best, but decades of living alone tend to put a knowledge of food preparation somewhere along the line for everyone. You'd end up dead otherwise. The salmon was coming out pretty good, too- he had a cedar plank set up and everything! It smelled great.

Naturally, more pressing matters came up in the middle of his silent past-time. The little ship rocked as rounds impacted the sides, blowing wood to smithereens and igniting so much more alongside it. Wooden shrapnel flew by him and dug into his skin, shredding parts of his arms up. Haru almost stumbled from the force of the ship rocking, and again when he had to catch the salmon from crashing into the ground. That was their dinner.

"Ack- Alright, we can't have that." If that fire were to run unchecked, the ship would more likely than not crumble away from side to side. He refused to let this ship go down in such a mediocre way- if they fell, it would be to artillery! With this resolution in mind he hurries outside and over to the edge where the fires began.

Wow, they were really starting to burn already. He couldn't have that spreading around this cute little ship. Gripping the staff on his back, Haru gathers up his will and pushes against the fire's existence. "Begone." He gives a simple command in an unhelpful manner made impressive from the sheer force behind the words. The technique was simple- He willed the fire out of existence.

Banishment. A spell he had unwittingly discovered among the caves below the Bandit King's castle, Haru had spent many of his days perfecting it after finding how incredibly useful it was. He still wasn't exactly sure how it worked, though if he had to guess he simply drew willpower from his soul and brought it out to edit the world.

And he was a lot better at it than he was at the time where he had pitted himself against that abomination's mist. As if he had played a video in reverse, the hungry flames tapered away into little embers and blinked out of the sky.

Extinguish the Flames
Tracker

Portia Ahrens · May 17, 2018

134 HP

MAX 154 HP

136 EN

MAX 136 EN

Using the [Taskmaster] Action once again.

Portia'd given up on the mere chance of Terrasphere ever allowing them not to suffer through one of their journeys. The entirety of her being, though deeply concerned for the safety of her peers and their ship seemed to draw itself in, the memories of the battle against Titanius flashing vividly before her eyes. For a moment, she could've sworn she saw her friends' blood staining her hands.

Knowing the two people she once failed to protect were aboard, the memory of holding onto their lifeless bodies as she tried not to let go of any of them swarmed her mind and clouded her thoughts. Ever so slowly, her somewhat cheerful demeanor faded into nothingness, and her armored hand that was resting on her partner's back after giving him words and light pats of encouragement fell back to her side. She raised them only so they could wrap themselves around her own frame, moving her hands up and down along the exposed skin of her arms to bring the calm she needed.

And she would've appreciated being left with her own thoughts for a long while, pulled out of this predicament by the very same person standing a few meters away from her.

She didn't recognize Iván in the man he saw at the corner of her vision, muttering things known only by him. The ramblings of a madman, of someone who had greeted death too many times and struggled to keep himself in touch with reality. It pained her to see him in such a state, and it only reminded Portia of her own uselessness. Perhaps that's why she'd chosen to accompany him on this adventure: to ask for his forgiveness. It was her lack of skill which ultimately led to his death, wasn't it? Had she been stronger, smarter, swifter... Oh, the possibilities were endless and they only fed the flames of her anger and guilt burning ever brighter inside her chest.

However, as much as she blamed herself for the horrible display of insanity her companion displayed, it didn't stop her from seizing his clothing to turn him around, her other hand immediately coming up to his face to strike him across the cheek. Not once, but twice. Better to be safe than sorry, especially when there was hellfire raining upon them.

''Pull yourself together!'' Although those words she pronounced were meant more for herself rather than Iván, she still said them, believing they fit their current situation. Looking at him now, fighting an inner battle to hold himself in place, a shred of hope appeared in her eyes, and for a moment, she merely appreciated the fact he was still alive. If there was one thing she knew better than anyone in this vessel was that she wouldn't possibly handle having a repeat scenario after Titanius. Gentle hands came up to his both sides of his face, pulling him close enough for their foreheads to touch as she loosed a sigh. ''I-... We need you here.''

Smacking @Iván Carl
+60 Modifier granted to his next action.
Tracker

Iván Carl · May 17, 2018

84 HP

MAX 124 HP

147 EN

MAX 157 EN

Taking [Helmsman’s Duty], [Do a Barrel Roll]
-10 EN for [Do a Barrel Roll]
-30 HP from the bombardment, -10 HP from Portia’s Taskmaster

Iván failed to hear @Corvella ’s warnings, thanks mostly to the ear-popping rapid change in air pressure, and was unable to immediately steer the ship clear, to dodge, all that fire descending upon them. “What the hell was that?” The words slithered out of Iván’s mouth before he could think them through. If that attack wanted them out of the sky, it would just be the first attempt, considering they were still in the sky. Somewhat. Without turning his head around to face @Seigi, Iván tried to follow their crew’s hierarchy through and through, “Captain, what are your ord---”

It was a flash of brilliance in his head, in his mind’s eye, that cut him off. Iván saw his purple god right in front of him, heard his voice once more, as a strange calm enveloped the savior-obsessed helmsman, shielding him, his senses, from all the chaos and despair that was drowning the rest of their crew, the ship itself, Minerva the airboat. Instead, in his head, Iván was back in that Inverted Spire and the Absolver, his version of him anyway, was standing before him.

Liberation, perfection, freedom, the absolute truth, the impossible truth… The Absolver was calling out to him. He was being enlightened once more. Finally… After all those deaths, you have noticed me once again… My purple god, my Absolver… The maniacal laughter from him was only inevitable, his entire face filled with joy, euphoria.

But then he heard her voice. She screamed something at him just as the purple god extended a hand to his most loyal worshipper. Slowly, carefully, the illusion of the Inverted Spire started crumbling around him. The confused helmsman took a second or two to realize what was going on, even though @Portia Ahrens already had his entire face in her hands. As he struggled with himself, he felt some sort of urgency for him to do something, to get out of there.

He nodded at Portia and softly escaped her clutches, turning to the front of the airboat, the Absolver, his purple god, an image of him in his head at least, still standing, unmoving, just staring at him. Iván swallowed air and forced a grin on his reddened face, “Hang on to what you can, ladies. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Well, bumpier. He cranked that wheel up and laughed in his head with his purple god.

Helmsman’s Duty, Do a Barrel Roll right into the whale
90 + 20 (Riding) + 60 (Portia’s Taskmaster) = 170 - 50 (Barrel Roll) = 120
Tracker / Roll
Progress: 321 / 400

Corvella · May 17, 2018

73 HP

MAX 113 HP

80 EN

MAX 100 EN

Patch the Sails [Everyone]
-20 HP from whale beam
-20 HP from falling

Her warning was too late as the ship shook violently from the blast. Something exploded, but she didn't know what. The most important thing now is to steer away to dodge potential second salvo of assault. Noticing the damaged sails, Corvella quickly climbed the crow's nest to fix and repair it so the ship could maneuver back into safety. "We need to stay away from it! Pull away after I fixed the sails!" She shouted to the crews aboard.

Turns out climbing a pole on a flying ship isn't as easy as it sounds, mostly because the Minerva itself is violently shaking from the damage and the heavy wind from the updraft blowing. It was after a second explosion that Corvella lost her grip high above, crashing down into the deck back first. It was fortunate that the berserk kicked in the right moment, easing the pain and allowed her to quickly recover to try climbing again. "Damned whale."

With the bare-boned tools she had, it took some time for the knight to patch up the holes in the sails. It should definitely fly better now, though. "Sails are ready to go! Let's steer clear!" She shouted.

Fix-it Corvy
83 + 10 = 93
Tracker/ (Roll) Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

Seigi · May 17, 2018

161 HP

MAX 181 HP

126 EN

MAX 156 EN

-20 HP death from above
-10 EN Rouse

Yes! Yeees! Yeeeeeesssss! They were doing it! They were, actually, going up! Everybody listened to her and they were going into the Sky and beyond. Now. THIS. Was. Awesome. Actually awesome. Better than Seigi could have imagined. With a big smile on her face, the girl stretched out her arms as she felt the wind on her small frame. "Weeee~~" Everything about this was just perfect. For a moment, Seigi forgot all her worries and problems. Zoned out enough that even the whispers of the false gods, permanently beckoning her to give in, couldn't be heard anymore. With her eyes closed, Seigi felt like she was floating. Slowly drifting away. Without a care in the world. Without thinking about her pa—

BOOM

"NANI!?" Seigi let out a second time, as something had hit them. An attack meant to obliterate their ship. Their sails, wrecked. The wood, burning. The whale, aggressive. Could a whale even do that? "T-This is not how it's supposed to go! YOU'RE SUPER RUDE, YOU KNOW!" Seigi cried out towards the sky. They had to act quick! So quick, in fact, that nearly everybody seemed to jump into motion.

Haru fixed the fire.
Corvy fixed the sails.
The couple did their thing.
The nameless one propeller like a true master.
All. Good.

They were still rising, higher and higher. Maybe if they'd get high enough. "GIVE IT YOUR ALL! Maybe we'll get out of its firing arc! Ivan, lemme help you!" But, how was she actually supposed to help? Only one person could drive the thing. Unless... unless! Personal Captain Session for Ivan! "YOU CAN DO IT, IVAN! GUTS. AND. EFFORT. Believe in yourself! And if you can't do, believe in me who believes in you! No reason to panic. WE'RE GONNA GO WILD! The good guys ALWAYS win." Much like Portia, the girl with mastered heroic might gave Ivan a good few slaps on the back. That he seemed to work better with Portia abusing him didn't go unnoticed for the orange-hair!

Rouse HP Shield | Helping Progress
72 = 72
Tracker / Roll
Progress: 393 / 400 HP

Yukisa · May 17, 2018

92 HP

MAX 112 HP

104 EN

MAX 104 EN

-20 HP from a whale mixtape that was absolute fiah

Poor or not, progress was progress, and the Minerva marvelously soared through the air regardless of how slow their progression might have been.

Yukisa couldn’t help but lean over the railing and watch the clouds slowly go from being the border between them and the heavens to being the border between themselves and the ground. He wasn’t sure just how high they were in the air, but gods, did it put a smile on his face, brighter than anything he could have mustered being shackled to the earth.

For a few moments, he closed his eyes. Wind brushed against his face, and as opposed to before, he could now feel the individual streams of air upon his skin through the power of his expert Aeromancy. It was as though the wind was a living creature moving all around him.

And the Aeromancer himself felt like a bird, freely flying wherever his heart so desired.

Unfortunately, his daydreaming was cut short by an explosion. He quickly opened his eyes as the airboat veered to the side, and was immediately greeted by the mindblowing sight of a flying, mechanical whale blasting fire in their direction. He truly felt blown away by its massive size.

However, the white-haired male had no time to gawk at the robotic flying aquatic… especially not with the fire that his clothes caught. After hastily patting them down, he turned around to check the damage that had been done to their vessel.

‘This is bad…’ he thought as he looked upon the ruptured sails and flaming hull of the ship. Luckily, his crewmates were much faster than him, and with the use of Hydromancy, GUTS, and EFFORT! Managed to restore everything to an operable condition.

Giving both @Haru and @Corvella a supportive thumbs up for their hard work, he rushed off to do his own job: propellering.

The good ol’ propeller was still there, the one friend he could trust to never leave him. Oh, he could just kiss its beautiful, slightly chipped metal blades!

Later, though. Right now he needed to get this ship out of danger.

Once again, he repeated the simple action of summoning a powerful gust to spin the propeller like an extremely deadly yet unspectacular beyblade. And just as occurred last time, the thing spun very strongly… for a few moments, before ceasing its movements.

Yukisa stared at it, eyes glistening with what appeared to be the start of a tearfall. Defeated, he returned to where his companions were, trying to smile but failing miserably, like always.

He turned his gaze towards @Seigi , their honorable captain, and said “I did my best…” in an apologetic tone.

But just this once… perhaps his best was enough?

BEYBLADE BEYBLADE LET IT RIP
13 + 25 (Expert Aeromancy) /2 (Propellers are underwhelming) = 19
Tracker / Roll
Progress: 422 / 400 PP

Ashifili · May 17, 2018

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

Even against the first devastating salvo, shredding canvas and igniting dormant fuels, the entourage remained unbothered. The rain of molten steel did not deter such stalwart hearts as the Justice Crew leapt to action at once. @Corvella steadfastedly patched the holes in the sails, disregarding the many times the needle jabbed into her own fingers, while @Haru , bald as he was, still managed to be a pretty dashing fellow as he bent the world to his command, vapor coalescing over the flames and choking them out. From there, it was purely the @Iván Carl show, as the helmsman, doubly encouraged by @Portia Ahrens and @Seigi , turned on the gas. The shuddering engine began to shake even more, as the damaged hull of the Minerva started to crack under the pressure of acceleration. Everyone held on as best as they could as the stinky chronomancer leveraged the best of his abilities to piloting the airboat. Vapor trailed off the tips of the trembling wings, and they rose meteorically, the tip of the boat turning skywards as everyone clung onto the thick ropes attached to the mast of the boat.

…except for @Yukisa , who was spinning the propeller with magical wind power as well.

Five hundred meters.

Portia’s cheeks were pulled backwards, clenched teeth exposed.

Four hundred meters.

Corvella’s body ragdolled against the sails, buffeted by gale force winds.

Three hundred meters.

Haru clung onto dear life, planked fish held in his mouth.

Two hundred meters.

Yukisa held back disappointment, refusing to let go.

One hundred meters.

Seigi stood up straight on the deck, her clenched feet enough to prevent her from falling off.

ZERO!

Ivan saw naught but the pulsating spiderwebs of philosophantasia readying the second salvo, and banked heavily to the left. The blood rushed down into his toes, incredible G forces exerted upon his body as the Minerva shot upwards like a rocket, sliding out of the whale’s firing range. They had reached optimal altitude, attaining the same altitude as the great beast, its thousands of magical implements unable to target them.

But such joy could only last for an instant, for they had neglected one major detail: the winds didn’t stop existing merely because they stopped looking for them.

Before Ivan could try to ride counter to the powerful airstream he had unknowingly piloted the vessel into, the sails were caught once more, the Minerva launching itself even higher than any of them could have expected. Thrust into a nigh airless zone, time slowed, and the ship flipped.

They could all see it then, for a transient instance. The city upon the back of the great beast, of steel and concrete, tall structures reminiscent of metropolis. The great horn that stretched out from its skull, a blade that could cleave apart nations. The verdant, abberant forest upon its head, blooming with flowers and fruit that resisted the wind’s pull. The purple brilliance that pulsated rapidly from the blowhole of the colossal creature.

And then, sunlight spiderwebs fractured upon the surface, an arcane aurora spewing out from the sides of the sky whale as it barrel rolled. It twisted, turned, the roar of its own magic drowning out the Justice Crew’s thoughts as its belly once again exposed itself, unleashing a torrent of magical might towards them.

A wing snapped off. Multiple bolts punched through the hull. And yet, Ivan answered with his own maneuvers, the Minerva spiraling rapidly as dozens of ballista bolts shot upwards. The ship was obliterated, but the steel onslaught was unending this time, salvo after salvo shooting destruction unto the azure.

What could they do? Attempt to reach the blind spot of the whale again? Try landing upon the blazing weapons system? Both would be difficult. Both would be harsh.

But perhaps there was a third option.

Because they were still alive.

Because they were still strong.

Because they could still think

What will they do?

OOC
@Iván Carl @Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Portia Ahrens @Haru

Maximum 500 words, minimum 100 words. Any more or any less will mean that I smite you AND your post will be ignored. Brevity is the spirit of wit, after all.

I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.

If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.

If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!

If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!

Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!

Have fun~!
HTML:
[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
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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]

Ashifili · May 17, 2018

Cycle 3: Barrel Roll

Minerva’s HP: 200/500
Progress: 422 + 60/400

Damage:
@Seigi @Haru @Portia Ahrens @Yukisa @Corvella @Iván Carl receive 30 HP damage from the bombardment.

The Minerva receives 150 (Reduced from 200) HP damage from the bombardment.

The Minerva is afflicted with the Snapped Wing condition. Progress performed through Helmsman's Duty is halved.

The entire party is afflicted by G-Forces. All physical actions receive a -30 penalty.

Individual Progress actions can now be used to either add OR deduct to the Progress DC, in order to achieve the number you'd like.

With some weird telepathic communication ability, the Justice Crew has assembled with the following roster.

Captain [Seigi Ling Ling]

Helmsman [Ivan Carl]

Lookout [Corvella]

Armsmaster [Portia Ahrens]

Medic [Haru]

Propellerman [Yukisa]

Do note, however, that it is possible to take actions for a role you are not assigned to.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

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.

Helping Hand [Everyone] Extra help is always appreciated, even if it's by untrained hands. Roll for any other action, but without modifiers or buffs, in order to help out with the task of getting places.

Captain's Orders [Seigi Only] With great power comes great responsibility, for a crew is not a democracy but a dictatorship. When the Lookout vocalizes what they see in the distance, it is the captain's duty to tell everyone else what to do. If they follow the captain's orders, the rest of the crew gains a +20 modifier to all rolls. If they disobey the captain's orders, the rest of the crew gains a -20 modifier to all rolls.

Helmsman's Duty [Ivan Carl Only] Read the wind, roll up your sleeves, and get down and dirty with the wheel and sails of the ship. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Riding mastery, as well as any relevant buffs, and add the final score to the Progress DC.

Do a Barrel Roll [Ivan Carl Only Free Action. EN cost 10. Put your Riding skills to the test, and do fancy evasive maneuvers in order to dodge the incoming fire. Reduce Progress by an amount of your choosing, up to a maximum of 50. On the next turn, the damage that the Minerva will receive is reduced by 50.

Crow's Nest [Corvella Only] Narrow your eyes against the sun's glare and determine what lies ahead in the vastness of the skies. Roll a d100, as well as any relevant buffs. The score will be divided by 30, rounding up, and the resulting value will be the number of paths in the sky that the DM will alert you of.

Taskmaster [Portia Only] Scowl menacingly at others and make them work harder. Select a single individual. Reduce their HP by 10 and give them a +60 buff to their next action.

Not Just A Bully [Portia Only] Show your manly side and risk your own body in order to shield your crew or your ship. Take all damage that would be dealt to others onto yourself for the next round.

Propellerman is a Fake Job [Yukisa Only] Spin the propellor really fast and make the ship go even faster. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Aeromancy, as well as any relevant buffs. Divide the final score by half and add to the Progress DC.

Reckless Boost [Yukisa Only] EN cost 20. Spin the propellor even faster and make the ship go just as stupidly fast. Roll 2d100 + 5 per tier of Aeromancy and add to the Progress DC. On the next round, the Minerva receives double damage and a random status affliction.

Heals on Sails [Haru Only] Perform a normal Heal action. Yup. That's it. You went to medical school for this?

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] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???

Seigi · May 18, 2018

131 HP

MAX 181 HP

116 EN

MAX 156 EN

-30 HP death from above
-10 EN Rouse

Higher. Higher. Way higher! Yes. This was it. Exactly. They were MUCH. TOO. HIGH. BUT! Outside its firing arc. There was even a city and all! Wow. Like. Actual people. JUST LIKE IN HER ANIMES.

"Perf-" The Captain was about to proclaim as, suddenly, the Sky Whale did something. Something bad. Something, that made sense, but totally slipped her mind. It turned around. Actually, no. It didn't make sense at all. There was a city on its back, wouldn't they all just FALL?!?

"DAAAMMNNN IIITTT!" Seigi cried out as the Armageddon was unleashed upon them once again. Blind-spot my ass! Blind-spot... waitaminute. Sure, it could do a barrel roll, but, the second they reached they reached its side there was a moment of momentary peace. They were too high, much too high, damn wind, yet they could still do something.

Not to mention they were kinda upside down(?), held onto the back of the ship through pure pressure.

"EVERYONE! GUTS. AND. EFFORT." Seigi cried out. No time to waste. Instead, it was time for the Captain to shine! Channeling her Heroic Aura to the maximum to even put Dad-Goku to shame, the orange-hair blurted out.

"CORVY!(@Corvella) Check out if you find some sky-path that doesn't screw us over to keep the ship steady! Communicate directly with Ivan! @Haru and super-awesome-propeller-person(@Yukisa)! Get the ship lower! @Iván Carl, I BELIEVE IN YOU! Adjust the ship properly again so we don't fall off. Make sure to be on the whale's sides, and height, and keep it steady! ITS SIDES ARE THE BLIND SPOT! @Portia Ahrens! Do what you can do best! WE CAN DO IT. GUTS. AND. EFFORT." There they had it. Seigi's plan that would hopefully not get them killed. Spoken like a true captain that could only yell commands and not lift a finger herself.

Maybe some weapons could reach the sides, but considering its firepower they were most likely too small a target for those weapons to reach them.

Rouse HP Shield | CAPTAIN ORDERS
@Corvella - Crow's Nest
@Portia Ahrens - Taskmaster
@Yukisa - Propellerman (or reckless, his decision)
@Haru - Help progress
@Iván Carl - Helmsman's Duty + Do a Barrel roll to fine-tune numbers.
Get the ship to a precise 400!
Tracker

Iván Carl · May 18, 2018

64 HP

MAX 124 HP

137 EN

MAX 157 EN

Taking [Helmsman’s Duty], [Do a Barrel Roll]
-10 EN for [Do a Barrel Roll]
-30 HP from the bombardment, +10 HP Shield from Seigi's Rouse

With his captain screaming in his ear, Iván did his best to get them out of there. He succeeded. Somewhat. Technically, they were out of there, where they had been, but were they safe? Apparently not. The damned whale really did hate their guts...and effort. Iván found himself left with no choice but to rely on his instincts, despite the fact that the purple god, a version of him anyway, was lingering in his close by. "We're out of dodge, Captain."

They weren't. Not yet. "What the heck is that?" Iván couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. At least for a moment. The whale had a city on its back? How? Why? Who would even want to live on whale? A floating whale..? On the back of a flo--- Yeah, that actually sounded good to him. If anything, it wasn't something that anyone else had access to. Whoever lived there, they must be some sort of elite person, lord, mage, tinkerer? "Oh, it even has a forest," Iván smiled, but not for long, as the damned whale freaking barrel rolled. "OH, COME ON!"

Iván gripped the steering wheel tight, feeling his heart race, fast, faster than before, faster than ever. This would've been easier if he was on the ground, racing some bald-headed, muscled dude who ate his words. But, no. He wasn't on the ground. They weren't on the ground. They were in the air. They were still in the air. For purple god knows how long. Not a single one of them should be wishing to be on the ground at this moment, considering how high up they were. No one should ever wished to splat.

"Captain?" Iván, hands tight on the steering wheel as if it was being wrestled from him by a mixed martial arts fighter who had moved to professional wrestling as a non-defending champion, gritted his teeth, instinctively under the mistaken impression that that would actually help keep them alive. "Your orders, Captain?"

Whether @Seigi heard him or not did not matter. What mattered was that she weathered through the stress and gave each and every one of the crew their orders. Iván heaved a sigh of relief, which lasted for only a few seconds, grateful that their captain was a true captain, but realizing that he, they, didn't have time to celebrate, yet. They had to survive the whale first. "Aye-aye, Captain!"

With everything that he had, the Justice Crew's helmsman, Minerva's helmsman, did what he was commanded. There wasn't much time for anything else. They must survive. They must.

Helmsman’s Duty, Do a Barrel Roll to DEDUCT from Progress DC
71 + 20 (Riding) + 20 (Seigi's Captain's Orders) - 30 (G-Forces) = 81 - 11 (Barrel Roll) = 70 / 2 (Snapped Wing) = 35
Tracker / Roll
Progress: 447 / 400

Corvella · May 18, 2018

53 HP

MAX 113 HP

80 EN

MAX 100 EN

Crow's Nest [Corvella Only]
-20 HP from whale bombarda with Seigishield

The updraft quickly brought the ship into higher altitude, sending Corvella flying into the sails as if they were jetting into the moon with a rocket. As they flew above the whale, safe from the weapon systems, the view of a magnificent city upon its back were presented to them. "Wow.." Corvella froze in amazement, looking down, before realizing they're still in the updraft as Minerva began to pick up altitude again and flip.

The lookout was lucky to grab onto something and got stuck in the sails. If she let go now, there would be no chance in hell that she would survive the fall. Yeah, even if we're upside down like this, at least they cannot shoot upwards.

Then suddenly the flying whale did a barrel roll, quicker than she might expect for a thing that massive, putting them into the view of the weapons again. "Crap, we need to go lower. Enemy fire incoming! Hold on!" Even with the evasive maneuver performed by the crews of the ship, Minerva suffered some heavy fire, wounding the crewmen and had it's wing quickly snapped from the explosion.

Getting her order shouted by the captain of justice crew, she tried to observe the wind even in the middle of a G-pull that sent her blood down below, making her unable to maintain focus. Under G-force, and under fire, there's no way that she could analyze further, but one spot was enough. Corvella quickly reported back from wherever she's hanging out there to captain @Seigi. "I can see a path, devoid of wind over there where the whale's body is. If we steer off we can follow it down, but I am certain that we'll sustain heavy damage in the process. Additionally, this updraft can still bring us even higher, might be safer from the weapon's range."

She concluded her report. "I was going to ask which one we'll be going for, but I guess I didn't have to. Guts and effort." Corvella smiled and braced for the next barrage of fire.

Look for air-path that might help them stabilize along the whale's altitude
1 path
Tracker/ (Roll) Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

Haru · May 18, 2018

065 HP

MAX 105 HP

091 EN

MAX 126 EN

-15 EN for Healing
-30(20) HP from salvos

Another rumble- this one far less forgiving. The ship seemed to spin wildly out of control as a new, unfamiliar wind raced through the pores of the ship, knocking it wildly out of balance and causing it to spin out of control. Haru even bounced around like a pinball for a minute before landing sprawled on his back.

He, of course, tried to get back up immediately and found himself moving quite quickly. It's a wonder the speeds one can run when the sound of your friends panicking plays through the air. Particularly Corvella looked as if she was having a hell of a time up in those sails. "Damn. Hold up, I'm on my way!" He began to run to help out, ignoring his captain's orders.

His opponent was the sheer g-forces that the ship was picking up right now. Artifically steeling his nerves by boltering his spirit, the currently bald man crawls his way over to the mast and starts climbing as if his life depended on it. It was worth that much effort at least because somebody's life very well could be in danger here.

He couldn't exactly pull any of his fancy tricks. Dragging himself up and over to get himself caught in the sail with his fellow Witch Ops member, the only way he can manage to give help is by wrapping his arm around the girl to further latch the two onto the sail and to perform the basics of his magic- take the animating force out of his soul and transfer it into her body, repairing parts that are broken.

The winds up here were incredible. Haru greets her and suggests, "Yo! The view up here's great. I have a feeling that it's going to kill us, too. Let's get you down from here, alright?" If it came down to it, he felt that he would be dying before her up here, so he really wanted them both on the ground. The only question was... how to get down without flying off the ship like undesired goods?

Heal @Corvella
6-20+25+25 = 36
Tracker / Roll