Absolution Beyond Cloudburst | Page 4

Haru · May 21, 2018

85 HP

MAX 105 HP

061 EN

MAX 126 EN

-15 EN for healing
+40 HP from source

Haru stands stock still as his wounds begin to cease having opened in the first place. He couldn't really feel anything in his body at all, and he himself refused to move in case something wierd happened to his time or something. Chronomancy was scary.

It was done soon enough so he really shouldn't complain. He was back in fighting shape soon enough and now he had work to do. Who was around that was still bruised up?
-Ah, Corvella.

"Yo! I'm glad you survived. Would've been a shame if that effort I put in went to waste, ha..." Walking up to her side, the mage already has energies trailing from his fingertips to give this woman some more. Apparently she couldn't just be fine with one dose of healing, could she? She went and got battered up again. He calmly requests of his fellow Witch Ops member, "Hold still, I'll fix you up."

Now that the two weren't up in the sky moving at mach speeds he could do many things, the first of which was that he didn't have to walk up and hug someone to heal them. A simple twist of the fingers and focus of the will allowed Corvella's wounds to close once more, further reverting her body to it's proper state as written by the blueprint in her soul.

Now he needed to think of a way to get back everyone together. This city, familiar as it may seem, was totally unfamiliar. If they didn't keep together, they could all quickly die.
And so he brings up his communications bar to try and talk some sense into Yukisa.

Heal @Corvella
9 + 25 + 25 = 59
Tracker / Roll
Corvella: 108 / 124 HP

Yukisa · May 21, 2018

22 HP

MAX 112 HP

104 EN

MAX 104 EN

Currently, Yukisa was faced with quite the hero’s dilemma. That is, if you could call the injured idiot who wandered off alone to scout a “hero.”

After he had wandered down the street, gawking at the strangely familiar yet otherworldly buildings. The structures seemed similar in their form to what a real world city would look like. However, at the same time, Yuki felt extremely out of place as he continued his search for help.

His scouting ended when he came across the loud sound of pistons pumping and other various factory noises. Hearing that made him realize that everything was rather quiet for a city… and in fact, it was rather desolate.

But that meant that the presumably factory building would probably have someone inside!

Though the white-haired male had planned on just wandering in, his common sense (which seemed to have been asleep until that moment) told him that perhaps he should notify his party members first.

As such, Yukisa opened his palm menu, sending out a message in the party chat to notify them of his findings. He only got a response or two, including the one that had set off his contemplation. Portia warned him to be careful, whilst Haru even instructed him to turn back.

Though it seemed reasonable enough to return to the Minerva’s wreckage at this point, the male felt it would be a waste. He could at least check if anyone was inside the factory first, right? After all, who knew if he’d be able to retrace his steps after regrouping with his team?

And so he had decided. After taking a deep breath, he let out a loud, “Excuse me! Is anybody there?!” at the top of his lungs.

BIG SHOUT
71 + 25 (Expert Aeromancy) = 96
Tracker / Roll

Ashifili · May 22, 2018

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

Male friendship truly was a beautiful thing, as @Iván Carl returned the favor of healing back to Haru after he had molested the magitech engine long enough. Diving into the metaphysical realm of time manipulation and Chronomancy, the masked madman grasped the gossamer threads that were Haru’s timeline, and began to slowly drag it backwards. Before his very eyes, the wounds upon the Spirit Mage’s body disappeared, a time lapse video rewinding itself at quadruple speed, and after a few seconds, the bald headed fish-gobbler’s wounds were gone. So were his memories, which made for some really weird moments when he reacted as if he was still moments away from crashing into the buildings on top of the sky whale.

It took a while for @Haru to recover from his time rewinding hijinks, but once he had caught up to the events of the current, semi-darkest timeline, he went quick to work massaging the sores of Corvella as well, a host of ghosts rubbing their ectoplasmic hands over the empress’s bruised body as she dove into the steaming remains of the Minerva. @Portia Ahren ’s extinguishing effect was of much use, but the quick switch between high temperatures to low temperatures had warped the steel wreckage and damaged the supplies further. In the end, all @Corvella could gather was two tanks of what she presumed to be liquefied mana. As expected of something as dubious as the ‘liquid version of a person’s essence’, it definitely smelled odd…but it was all that they had going for them.

While Yukisa and Seigi ran off, pursuing different goals, the main group remained stationary, licking their wounds as the world turned around them.

~~~

Despite her long strides and strutting walk, the bombshell fashionista wasn’t all that hard for Seigi to catch up to. Even close up, she was truly a babe, her blonde curls bouncing up and down as much as her buxom chest, while her skintight clothes left little to the imagination and much to men’s desires. Indeed, this supermodel was definitely the sort of person that Sebastian would have lusted over, statuesque and sexy, completely different from the child like Raina.

A sex goddess through and through, weaponized to turn eyes wherever she went, all while having the poise to scare off even the boldest and horniest frat boys. Her Yorkie continued to lap around her in perfect circles, ceaseless and unfatigued. Neither of them responded to Seigi’s heroic shouts, and even when the Sunset Sage went as far as to tap a bandaged finger upon her shoulder, the fashionista didn’t turn back. One step was enough to open up the distance between the bombshell blonde and the out of place martial artist once more, as she continued her walk through the streets.

But that one touch brought forth another relevation, a single raindrop of an idea that collided with a dozen others as it dripped into @Seigi ’s mind.

That shoulder was cold. Not just the cold of cold flesh, but a coldness akin to metal, accompanied by a hardness that was unbecoming of fabric. Her chest bounced too regularly. Her steps were too uniformed. Her Yorkie never tired. Her gaze was too clear. Her speed too stable. Her existence too perfect to exist in the imperfect reality that one would imagine. And each strand of hair…each strand of hair was more akin to spider-thin threads of gold rather than real hair.

What stood before her, what walked away from her wasn’t human.

It was machine.

~~~

Yukisa huffed. Yukisa puffed. And yet, Yukisa could not blow down a building of steel and stone with his wind-boosted voice alone. The windows on the higher stories rattled at the force of his voice, but as he panted, hands on his knees, the aeromancer realized that there hadn’t even been a pause in the rumbling of the gears, the hammering of steel, the hiss of pistons.

Whatever individuals that worked there, it was clear that shouting alone was insufficient to getting their attention. After all, in such a loud working environment, shouts were simply a ‘normal’ means of communicating through plugged and muffled ears, hm?

His shouts unnoticed, @Yukisa stood alone on the perfectly paced streets.

…

No.

Not so alone.

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
[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 22, 2018

Cycle 6: Greater Machinery

Events:
@Iván Carl has obtained the Damaged Engine Core. This can not be carried in your inventory, and halves the movement of whoever's possessing it, due to its impressive weight.

@Corvella has obtained 2x Liquid Mana Tank (Assumed). This can not be carried in your inventory. While holding onto these objects, you may not benefit from any weapon mods. This item can be consumed to either fill up the Damaged Engine Core or to recover 40 EN, with possible side effects.

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.

Retrieve Supplies Dive into the burning wreckage and pull out whatever you can see that may be useful. Roll a d100 and state what sort of supplies you are prioritizing. You may take damage due to this.

Investigate EN Cost 10. Activate Investigation mode and scan your surroundings for details. Roll a d100 and state what you are looking for. Depending on the result, you may receive a DM.

Scout Separate from the group and go off in a direction of your choice. In the next cycle, you will be considered isolated from the others.

Patch Up EN cost 15. Perform a Heal action at half effectiveness, with any mastery modifiers that may apply. If you are Haru or Ivan, the Heal action's effectiveness is not halved.

Shout Scream at the top of your lungs to draw the attention of any resident that may exist in this cityscape. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Heroic Might or Aeromancy. Depending on the result, you may have an impact on the next cycle.

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] ???

Iván Carl · May 22, 2018

114 HP

MAX 124 HP

107 EN

MAX 157 EN

-15 EN [Patch Up] on self
+52 HP from self-Heal

As he healed his fellow Witch Ops member with his time magic, Iván could only stare at @Haru with narrowed eyes. Was he afraid of chronomancy? Maybe. Maybe it was simply smart to be afraid of something you don't know much about. Most people fear the unknown and for good reason. You can't protect yourself from something you don't know much about, can't prepare for an enemy you can't see, know, coming. It was the same reason why he used to wear a mask, cover his face, assume a veil of mystery over his very identity. But things change, people change, and Iván needed to evolve.

"Factory? Propellerman found a factory? In this place? On this whale?" Iván went back to his salvaged engine as soon as he was done healing Guide, giving him a thumbs up to signify that the process was done, that he could finally move again. What met him was the answer from @Portia Ahrens as to the whereabouts of their other member. A factory was odd, but then again, so was a city on the back of a floating giant whale that was also equally odd. Everything was odd. But maybe it was for the better. "Hmm. Well, this engine is pretty much toast, but maybe we can find something, someone, in that factory that could help. What say you, Capta--- Oh, she's yelling at the mystery meat."

Realizing he was already too late to consult with their captain, the unmasked illusionist, chronomancer, turned to the rest of their crew, what was left of them. Propellerman was, apparently, at some sort of factory while their captain, @Seigi, went after that woman and her dog. It was just him, Portia, Haru, and @Corvella now. "Okay... So what do we do now? Do we go after the Captain? Or the Propellerman? Are they coming back?"

Titan was the first to suggest something, which Iván thought acceptable, "Well... Considering that we have two healers, if everyone agrees to splitting in two teams, then maybe Haru and one of you girls can run after Propellerman while the other can stay here with me, and my engine friend, to wait for the Captain. Thoughts?" He had doubts about splitting up, but in this case, in this scenario, it seemed like they would have no other choice. If two teams needed to exist, each would need a healer, and either Portia or Corvella could round each team up. It was the best he could think of at the moment.

Discreetly, Iván began to use his time magic on himself, realizing that if he needed to act the role of a healer, he should probably not die first. Purple god bless Temperance.

Patch Up on self
20 + 20 (Chronomancy) + 12 (Magical Weapon) = 52
Tracker / Roll
Self: 114 / 124 HP

Corvella · May 22, 2018

108 HP

MAX 113 HP

70 EN

MAX 100 EN

"Crap." By the time she reached the inside of the wreckage, most of the supplies were already consumed, or rendered unusable after the extreme quick change of temperature. She did manage to snag two tanks of what she thought were liquified mana, magitech fuel or some kind of that thing. Two words: it stinks. "I could only save those two tanks. This might be important if we want to fuel our engine." She showed her teammates the tanks.

She sat while receiving information from propellerman Yukisa, apparently he found some kind of factory. What kind of things they make here, with buildings alike to the real world in the surroundings? Closing her UI, she stood up and turned to the group. "I'm going to assist Yukisa. He found a factory somewhere down the road." As she spoke, Haru walked towards her and mended her wounds once again. Corvella smiled "It is very nice of you. Want to come along to find Yukisa?" Waiting for her wounds to heal, which isn't that long considering Haru's a top healer by now, she looked around to see if Seigi has gone back. She's not.

"Thanks, that should be enough. Come on, the 'propellerman' must be waiting." Corvella gestured Haru to follow her down the road, turning back and shouted to the rest of the team. "Stay there with third-in-command until Seigi comes back. Be in touch, okay?" Iván's girlfriend has her UI and comms, so they should be fine.

Scouting (Go join Yukisa)
Tracker

Seigi · May 22, 2018

91 HP

MAX 181 HP

116 EN

MAX 156 EN

Cold as steel. She was cold as steel! It was... surprising, but not as surprising as Seigi would have expected it would be. She had explored these other ruins with Lady N just recently, after all. What would she see next? A steel Sebastian? A fake Wendy? Either way, it was obvious that something was not right. Something that was worth telling the others about! They had a mission anyway. The mission to take control of the Sky Whale, yup. They could seek answers to other questions after that!

Clearly, Captain 'The Fist' Ling couldn't leave her crew without a leader for much longer! Hoping they didn't split yet, the orange-hair turned around to... return. Yes... go back but... "Urgh..." Great, here she was, rushing off way too fast. Hey, she used to have a great sense of direction.

"If in doubt... left." Seigi nodded and went left.

Scouting, kind of? I just rolled because. Bring Seigi wherever you need it for your narrative. Group with one of the two groups by accident or whatever else. I'm your puppet.
58
Tracker / Roll

Yukisa · May 22, 2018

22 HP

MAX 112 HP

104 EN

MAX 104 EN

Yukisa’s Aeromancy-boosted voice echoed through the skyscrapers that lined the streets, before fading away into the air. Moments without response turned into minutes, the only sounds reaching his ears being the ambient of the factory. It seemed that, regardless of his efforts, nobody was around to hear his shouts. He truly was alone in this city.

‘Then… why do I feel like there’s someone around?’

A shiver went down the white-haired male’s spine at the eerie thought. If there was something he had trouble with, it was horror movies. And though he didn’t quite realize it, this definitely felt like a horror movie. Those who split off from the group are always the ones to die first.

Yuki bit his lip, followed by a deep breath. Maybe it was time he head back. Clearly, there was nobody eager to help in the area, considering his voice carried pretty far, and his injuries wouldn’t get any better if he just stood there.

‘Yeah, I should definit-’

His thoughts were cut short when he heard footsteps approaching from behind, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand.

Someone was behind him.

He froze in place, fearing that any sudden movements would mean death.

The footsteps came closer and closer, until he could practically feel the person standing behind him.

‘Please don’t kill me… please don’t kill me… please don’t kill me…’ he repeated in his head while slowly turning his head to peek over his shoulder, his skin practically glistening from the amount of liquid he was sweating out in a panic.

“Eep!” screeched the boy when he finally fully turned his head, and was immediately met by an individual who was too close for comfort. Instinctively he jumped back, his body pressing against the metallic factory wall.

It took him a few seconds to realize it was @Corvella standing there.

Panting, he stared at her with pink eyes as wide as golf balls. “... O-Oh,” he mumbled in recognition. “You’re… Corvella, right?”

Slight embarrassment washed over him, realizing he had nearly mistaken the female for some monster. Following the humiliation was a sense of guilt, for thinking of an ally as someone hostile.

“Sorry about that…” he apologized to her profusely, lowering his head in shame.

Soon after Corvy’s appearance, @Haru also joined, turning them into a proper trio. By then, Yukisa felt relief more than anything (even if he should have been slightly concerned as to whether or not Haru saw that embarrassing reaction). The crippling loneliness that haunted him vanished.

“Thank you both for coming,” he told them gratefully, giving the two a smile. “I was a little scared I’d be alone forever, haha…”

Clearing his throat, he went on. “A-Anyway, I’m kind of doubting there’s anyone inside the factory. I tried calling out, but no one answered... “ he reported, glancing back towards the heavy metal doors. “Do you two want to try going in, by chance?”

Tracker

Haru · May 22, 2018

085 HP

MAX 105 HP

061 EN

MAX 126 EN

He felt like resting for a bit, but Corvella had motioned for him to come along... Oh well, he didn't like the thought of another person going on their own in this place again. Hopefully the two of them would find Yukisa quick so he could be lazy.

It wasn't quick. The road down to his coordinates just so happened to feel like the longest route physically possible to their destination- just like a GPS!

They had found Yukisa, too, who held a proposition as soon as he got there. "Perhaps. It could be a good lead to- oh god..."

Haru finally looked at the state of his teammate. He curses under his breath and closes the distance between them, barking out frustrated, "Damn it, why didn't you look for one of us when you woke up? Surely you can feel that you're going to die with any more effort! And yet you're all the way out here on your own! Are you suicidal?! Hold still, we need to get you patched up..."

Scouting (Joining Yukisa)
Tracker

Portia Ahrens · May 22, 2018

74 HP

MAX 154 HP

106 EN

MAX 136 EN

Although her spell allowed their second-in-command to return from the wreckage unharmed and with two strange colored tanks in her hands, most of what they brought with themselves to the expedition had been lost due to the poor timing and execution of her abilities. Still, as the glyphs disappeared and the water stopped flowing from them, she returned to where the group stood, hearing the explanation of what they were supposed to use the tanks for.

''It's a pity... Guess we'll have to scout for supplies when we need them, but now we wait,'' she said and sat down with the rest of their party, pulling up her menu as she awaited more updates on her friend's situation, her anxiety growing stronger as time passed and not a single message was received. Eventually, the idea to go looking for him popped up inside her head, as did the possibility of danger finding them at a most unfortunate time if they decided to split their numbers even further.

Before she could say anything, one of her partners stood up and stated her purpose of joining their crewmate, motioning to the bald healer to follow her. ''Update us as quickly as you can if anything happens, we'll keep the engine safe and wait for Seigi. Do keep him safe and scold him if the opportunity comes, please.'' Her hand went up in the air to wave the pair who left them and went to search for Yukisa, leaving both the illusionist and her behind to hold the fort.

Tracker

Ashifili · May 22, 2018

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

Despite @Haru ’s scolding and @Yukisa ’s critically low levels of HP, the cityscape before them, foreign and familiar as it was, held no distinct threat at the moment. @Corvella helmed the vanguard, Yukisa stayed in the center, while Haru took the middle, and with that, they approached the great doors to the seamless factory. As the intrepid trio drew closer, the rumbling of machinery could be felt through the core of their bodies, bones rattling within the flesh as their brains trembled within cranial fluids. But the empress’s spine was steel, and whatever apprehension they may have had was countered by the fact that they were all immortals, individuals that would respawn upon death.

With that, the ironclad knight grasped the handles with gauntleted hands and pulled.

The hinges were not rusted, and the doors were not heavy enough to deter the superhuman tank. Without a squeak, the doors were flung open, and a blast of cold air rushed out, as if they had just uncorked a bottle containing a blizzard. Almost immediately, frost began to form over the pavement beneath them, while white mist surrounded them. But a blast of air from Yukisa was more than sufficient in dispersing it, and what they saw were…

Rows upon rows upon rows of human factory workers working against a backdrop of massive machinery. The only illumination in the dark room was from the neon lights that traced up and down the engines within, while the windows that could be seen on higher floors from the outside turned out to be mere forgeries, painted upon the exterior walls. But even with those obscurants, it wasn’t difficult to see what was off.

Some of the workers had no legs, because they did not need to move.

Others put together bits and pieces with fingers that were broken.

Still more were naught but broken, mangled messes collecting in a pile, no longer functioning.

And, no matter where the trio looked, they all had the same face. Repeating the same tasks. No words. No smiles. No breath. No beat. No soul.

Even with the door pushed open, the skylight bursting into the dreary sweatshop, none of them bothered to look up at the colorful trio. They simply continued on, creating more and more and more and more and more and more of those massive metal pieces with their gargantuan apparartuses. Like jigsaw pieces, for a picture that no one here could understand.

For a moment, the trio simply took it all in, the cold air and the darkness that masked an incomprehensible scene.

Then...

~~~

If she had spoken to Corvella before, noticed what she noticed, and took heed of the innumerable landmarks of reality that were omnipresent within the Sky Whale’s Cityscape, perhaps she would have known.

If she had been more careful about tracking street signs or familiar buildings before running off after the cold, cold mannequin, perhaps she would have returned.

If she had turned skywards, where the last plumes of smoke from the burning wreckage of the Minerva still clung, perhaps she would have found a direction.

But @Seigi did none of those things. Seigi simply chose left, isolated from the rest of the group without the ability to use her Communications Channel. Seigi simply ran, lost in a cityscape that was much, much too large.

A single girl, alone in the city.

Young and perky, at the cusp of womanhood but not quite there yet.

Unarmed, underdressed.

Such exquisite flesh.

As Seigi slowed, her ‘left only’ strategy leading her to yet another dead end within the labyrinth-esque cityscape, a thick, callused hand clamped over her shoulder.

Ḧ̴̻̹̫̣̝̦̝͆̏̑̈́̃͊̍̂͘ų̸͍̗̱͕̣̘̼̱͍̫̟͔̣͆̍̔͒̓͗̆̏̚l̸͓̻̈́̽̆̌͊̈̂͆͘͝ͅl̷̡̡̢̟͖͕̬̺̅͂̓̃̽̇͒̋̅͂̓̚̚͠͝ờ̴̧̰̻̦͇̭̂̿͜,̶̛̩̹̮͈̼̭̫̓̓̿̆͌̊͆̈́͠͠ ̵̧̮̘̟̞̯̭͎͔̗̄̐̌ÿ̷̭͎̦̬̰̞̥̺͚̤̬̣͌̀̓͑͌͊̉̌̈́̑̕͠͝o̴̩̰̘̳͍͉̹̳͖̯̥̦͔̍̏̌̏̇̂̿͒̚ú̶̡̧̨̪͕̖͍̰̣̫̯͈͝ͅn̴͈̺̙͉͓̣̣͛͋̈́̍̈́̃̿̀̒̚͝͝g̷̛̱̘̦̺͓̱̳̪̩̞͂̍̿̿̋̐̌̍̂͒͝ͅ ̵̧̢̡͓͚̝͖͓͍̪͔̑̉̃̓͌͋l̷͉͎̟̱̱͎͙̓͒͒̽̊ȧ̵̟̠̣̓̀̿͜d̸̞̜͚̓͐̏̇͂́̂̊͋͂y̷̡̧͓̼̖͚̗̭̭͙̯͑́̐̇̆̈́̓̈́̐͂̽̕͘̚͜͠.̸̨͎͎͔̪͇̭̹̪̼̫̥̩̪̮̄͋̈̆̆̅́̿́̄͐͐͘ ̷͕̜̙̲͕̽́́͜͠ͅA̸̡̱̻͝ͅř̴̼̌̀ͅe̵̢̪̝̞̳̭̺̊̈́̉̾̅͆͛̀̉͜͠ ̴̫̬̱̯͔̼͈̜̩̗̙͖͒̔̕y̶̙̳͎̭͉̖̙̞̮͍̗̏̅̓͗̄̂̀͠ͅǭ̵̛͈̲̗̗͗͂̌͝û̸̦̰̪̯̬̹͙̯̼̖͖͈̥̦͜ ̴̤̘̠͙̣̞̼͚̩͖̙̼̺͌̈́̃͋͊͐͜͜ļ̸̢̛̗͖̪͔͎̺͍̘͖͖͔̘͋̎́͆̒̐͒̉̊͠ơ̶̤̪͍͉̭͉͔̙̰̤̜̯̆̿̿͂͑͌̑̿͌s̴̛̗̟͖̝̗̾̉̅̏̈́́̕͘t̸̠̯͇̮̩͉̹̠̲̋ͅ?̶̡̘͕̫̐̐͋͗͐̊̅͘”̸̞̯̠͖͍̱̼̟͚͇̎͊̿̓

Eyes dead as a fish. Hair set to dreadlocks, upon a face too large, too pale. Wearing the iconic blue pajamas that he had been arrested in. A carefree smile that exposed too much rotting teeth and bleeding gums. A frame that blotted out the azure.

She recognized this man.

Saw him on the news.

Pedophile. Rapist. Sadist. Cannibal. Serial killer. One of the most notorious murderers of the century.

Deadman Kyle, the madman sentenced to death sevenfold.

For a moment, the fear consumed her, but in the next, her Heroic Aura flared, casting away all indecision.

It didn’t matter how he was here, why he was here. All that mattered was…

ACT!

~~~

Seigi did not come.

Yukisa, Haru, and Corvella had yet to report back.

Atop a flying whale, tasked with its exploration, @Iván Carl and @Portia Ahrens chose to stay in place instead, babysitting tanks of mana and damaged engines, sitting by and passing the time.

Overhead, the azure sky passed by as peacefully as ever.

Nothing at all was wrong. Everything was in place. They could safely heal themselves and continue on at their leisure. None of them had triggered anything at all, and there were no monsters in this empty city. No oddities that they bothered to explore.

Just silence.

And the aberrant sound of police sirens, echoing towards the direction that the factory was.

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!

How is this circlejerk of heals fun.
HTML:
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[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
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Ashifili · May 22, 2018

Cycle 7: Siren

<<Deadman Kyle>>
phantasmorphical anomaly
???/???

Events:
@Iván Carl has obtained the Damaged Engine Core. This can not be carried in your inventory, and halves the movement of whoever's possessing it, due to its impressive weight.

2x Liquid Mana Tank (Assumed) is in the vicinty of @Portia Ahrens and @Iván Carl . This can not be carried in your inventory. While holding onto these objects, you may not benefit from any weapon mods. This item can be consumed to either fill up the Damaged Engine Core or to recover 40 EN, with possible side effects.

@Seigi is afflicted with the Fear status effect, but is immediately dispelled due to the effects of the <<Stalwart>> passive. One stack remains.

@Seigi loses 30 EN.

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.

Escape [Seigi, Haru, Yukisa, Corvella Only] EN Cost 20. Run away as far as you can, at a very fast speed. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of your highest mobility mastery. Adding in your modifiers is optional. If you have a similar score to those in your immediate area, you stay with them. If you have a significantly different score to those in your immediate area, you fall behind or speed up ahead, separating from them.

Fight [Seigi, Haru, Yukisa, Corvella Only] Perform actions from your WB action list, rolling the appropriate dice and deducting the appropriate amount of EN.

Investigate EN Cost 10. Activate Investigation mode and scan your surroundings for details. Roll a d100 and state what you are looking for. Depending on the result, you may receive a DM.

Scout Separate from the group and go off in a direction of your choice. In the next cycle, you will be considered isolated from the others.

Patch Up EN cost 15. Perform a Heal action at half effectiveness, with any mastery modifiers that may apply. If you are Haru or Ivan, the Heal action's effectiveness is not halved.

Shout Scream at the top of your lungs to draw the attention of any resident that may exist in this cityscape. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Heroic Might or Aeromancy. Depending on the result, you may have an impact on the next cycle.

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] ???

Iván Carl · May 23, 2018

114 HP

MAX 124 HP

107 EN

MAX 157 EN

Iván waited with Deckard the Damaged Engine Core, the Liquid Mana Tank twins, and @Portia Ahrens, but their captain, @Seigi, never came. With @Haru and @Corvella running after the Propellerman, the World’s Greatest Lovers were left alone. Together. Under peaceful blue skies and some much-needed silence. After what happened with the Minerva, Iván appreciated this calm before the inevitable storm. He knew there was always going to be a storm, but tried his best to simply enjoy this moment in time.

"You okay?" he eyed Portia with concern, wondering if she was truly all right. They’ve been through a lot, together and individually. This whole thing with the whale, this was basically another expedition, their second together. Iván wondered if she, too, was having flashbacks of the Inverted Spire. He might have ended up facing his purple god right before his first death but Portia lost an ear, too. Perhaps, it was enough trauma.

"I’m here if you need anything, all right? Always." He flashed her a smile, soft, gentle, a loving moment in the middle of all the uncertainty, but their moment was immediately interrupted…by sirens? "What is that?"

A thousand scenarios flashed through Iván’s mind, variations of alarm. It was coming from the direction where Guide and Titan disappeared to. Seigi was in the opposite direction. Seigi was somewhere else, somewhere they didn’t really know where. Could the pair stay there longer, give Seigi more time to come back to them? What about the other two, three? It was a dilemma that Iván didn’t want to have. The Lovers couldn’t stay there. Not while the rest of their crew could be in danger.

"Hand me that mana tank, darling," Iván tried to flash Portia a confident grin. If they had to move, to chase after the others, they’d need to lessen their load. He could drag the engine on his own, but two of those mana tanks might be too much for Portia who would definitely need her hands in battle.

As soon as he got one of the mana tanks, he quickly poured its contents in the engine. Why carry two mana tanks when they could just simply use that engine as one giant mana container? Two birds with one stone. When the engine thrummed and lit up, Iván stopped, checking to make sure there was no weird smell, an indication of impending doom.

Satisfied that he couldn’t smell anything burning, especially not flesh, Iván motioned to continue his work, only for the damned thing to fully light up before shooting upwards like a rocket. Believing he had aeromancy up his sleeves, to save him should he fall, and of nothing else really, the unmasked tinkerer instinctively made a grab at the engine, finding himself launched along with it, uncomfortably fast, up into the peaceful blue sky.

Using 1x Liquid Mana Tank (Assumed) to fill up the Damaged Engine Core
11 + 20 (Tinkering) = 31
Tracker / Roll

Corvella · May 23, 2018

108 HP

MAX 113 HP

40 EN

MAX 100 EN

-30EN for Going Berserk

The cold blew on the trio as if they opened the wardrobe to Narnia, or that kind of thing. How cold is it? Well, the ground around them start to freeze quickly, and if it was not for Yukisa they all might've been an ice statue. "What's the deal with this place? Did someone have an affinity for freezing server rooms?" She stepped inside, because the lighting and visibility was so mediocre she couldn't make of anything, except that of the factory workers. "Oh, hey. There's the factory workers, maybe they-"

What the hell is this. What the hell are they. "-By the seven heavens."

Fortunately for her, Corvella watched a lot of sci-fi films. This doesn't freak her out that bad. "Yeah, they're definitely not alright. Machines, automatons, robot, whatever we can call them." Still, she opened the door that loud, and they didn't react at all. It's possible that they're just meant to do a task, and not mind external interference. Walking closer to them gave her ideas what they might be building with these massive metal plates. Also glancing at the scattered bodyparts made her flinch.

"This metal plate might be of an use to us. Especially that we might need to build something to accommodate the engine we retrieved." She knocked on the big metal piece, making a noise that no workers cared about. No reactions mean she's free to take it, right? Trying to move it caused a screeching noise and also back pain due to how heavy it was. "Crap." The Titanic Empress turned towards Haru and Yukisa, reminded that not one of them is suited to this task. She sighed at the only choice presented to her.

"Uh, guys. I'm going to try something. Just a tip: don't freak out, and don't freak me out, okay? I will be easily triggered. In short, slightest thing would make me angry and you guys won't like that."

Clenching her fist, the woman's skin slowly began to turn dark, really dark. Glowing blue veins appeared and decorated the surface of her skin. Her left foot stomped, making a crack on the floor. Not many has witnessed her transformed into this... thing, but has anyone ever? The transition ended with the woman, now in her berserk state, looking at both male and grunting, obviously hinting at its inability to communicate. With ease, she lifted the massive piece of metal, hauling it around while waiting for the two to do something inside the factory.

Investigating, transforming, grabbing a large piece of metal
61
Tracker / Roll

Portia Ahrens · May 23, 2018

74 HP

MAX 154 HP

106 EN

MAX 136 EN

''You know me,'' she said, nodding her head in acknowledgment of his concern, ''I could be better, but I'll heal. Don't worry about it.'' Those were the words she always spoke whenever the two of them were on a mission, her injuries being minimal compared to the damage the rest of the party and the vessel itself had sustained. Eyeing their lost supplies, still soaked with the water she conjured, she loosed a heavy sigh. Somehow, she always managed to make matters worse for everyone involved, all while still being able to survive herself.

''Of course, always.'' Portia returned the smile he offered, pulling her UI for the third or fourth time in the last minute. ''Still no response...'' Not a single thing had been sent to them, and in her clear discontent with how the others chose to treat communication, she sent a message of her own requesting for the answers they needed. As she finished, her eyes settled on the illusionist's face, words readied at the tip of her tongue but interrupted by the sound of sirens.

Her gaze floated off into the distance along with her thoughts, following the source of the alarming noise that just struck the pair's ears and sent shivers down her own spine. Their crew couldn't have managed to get themselves in trouble in this city so soon, right? The woman drew herself up to her full height, hands doing as she was instructed, immediately reaching out to one of the suspicious-looking tanks and handing it to him shortly after. ''I seriously hope you know what you are doing...''

And Portia made the mistake to trust his knowledge of engineering. ''Hurry up so we can go to them.'' No sooner had she turned back to grab the remaining mana tank at her partner's request, the buzzing noise coming from Iván's direction pulled her attention. Greeting her was a bright light emanating from the damaged engine he sought to repair, and to his side was the emptied tank she previously assumed he knew how to work with. A few seconds later, Iván left the floor while holding tightly onto the damned thing, leaving a very surprised martial artist on the ground to watch him fly.

When realization dawned in, the expression on her features changed to match her concern, quickly working her magic to gather the water from the soaked wreckage site. She ran after him, directing the energy at his body at every chance she got to, seeking to seize his legs and not harm him. Failure followed her initial attempts, leaving her to chase after him and try again until success finally came. When the water whip circled around his feet, she solidified her grasp on the maskless man and turned water to ice, digging her own foot on the ground to work as an anchor and pull him down.

''Dammit, you said you knew how these things worked!''

Trying to help @Iván Carl
93
Tracker / Roll