Fight for Far Kingdom - Muscles & Miracles (IC)

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris
​

Kanon immediately severed her connection with the light orbs when she felt a strong power sucked her energy through the orbs. It felts like someone just stabbed your brain with a needle. She winced as she froze on the spot thinking what she should do.

If the cause of all this mess is here, then we can avoid whatever it is. Or... we can face it and try to beat it.

Something that can slaughter all trained templar in the building must be really dangerous. Did they even stand a chance? Frustated with the current condition, Kanon ran outside and tried to spot that thing through the window. No use.

She decided to went back to the group to report her finding. Running back and forth between the two buildings had left her breathless by the time she reached the group. She was panting heavily for a few seconds before she could regained her breath, she looked at the eyes of the each persons in the room.

"I think I found the source for all of this. It feels more... dangerous. I mean more dangerous than what we usually handle." Kanon pulled out a short iron wand from her satchel. She tighten her grip on its rubber handle as she convince herself that her next suggestion wouldn't make them all killed.

"L-let's try to stop it?" Her tone and stuttering gave away the fact that she didn't really want to face whatever it is. But... let's just say that she didn't want anyone who defile any temple to leave unscatched.

WlfSamurai JusticeCarpenter D. Rex thefinalgirl Alias

 

[WlfSamurai]

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Session 1 - Introduction

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A PARTY OF ADVENTURERS IN A FANTASY REALM CALLED THE FAR KINGDOM. For the past few years they have been seeking adventures, exploring mysteries, and collecting rare items or treasures throughout the land. Their main patron, Socratius the Sage, has been struck down with a strange disease known as Wraith Fever, leaving them out of work and on their own while he recovers in a nearby temple.


It’s evening in Millbury. A calm has fallen over the town as it settles in for the night. The mill has stopped. The market is empty. The keep in the center of town is closed.

The last few worshipers for the day pray in the pews of the chapel where Kanon and Ragra wait. The Temple is closed to the public beyond the chapel in the evening. Brother Maynard had ushered the two adventurers into a pew to wait for Socratius’ to finish with the Temple healers.

And now, Kanon and Ragra sit together until their patron is ready for them.

Spoiled Bread JusticeCarpenter

 

[JusticeCarpenter]

Ragra was sitting quietly, her expression showing that she was stressing out a fair bit.

As she was sitting, she kept her hands busy. A massive flask as tall as a wine bottle and smelling of rum was in her left hand, and she was currently taking a swig from it.

On the side, between Ragra and Kanon, was a handmade ferret plushie that was very real looking, albeit with a longer than average tail, and Ragra was tracing the rune she had stitched into it when she made it. The rune's primary meanings were caution and safety, but it had a little-known meaning that offered Ragra an excellent way to set her mind at ease via some creative use of materials and magic: Stiffen.

Cloth was very interesting when used right. Make it stiffen in just the right way, such as with magic, and it has less give than a wooden pole.

Combine that with a sharpened piece of steel about the length of a finger, and as thin as one of the blades on a pair of scissors, with a base made to keep it from being removed from the plushie, made so that it was only exposed and dangerous when the plushie stiffened.

It would stick out of the tail if the plushie was stiffened.

(Iron Cloth Shell: Basic defensive spell made by Ragra that forces cloth to stiffen to the point of surpassing wood. Does not stop piercing or stabs at all. Only somewhat effective on slashes. Excellent against blunt force.)

(Runes: One method of making an object magical is to carve, weave, stitch, etch, or otherwise semi-permanently mark it with a symbol that has a meaning that can be related to what spell you wish to imbue onto the object. One example is a torch that ignites itself once a word is said, and isn't easy to put out, being marked with runes for 'Fire' and 'Longevity'. )

WlfSamurai Spoiled Bread

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris​

Kanon always carries some cigarettes on her to spent time, but this one instance a nun hastily snatched it from her mouth and threw it out of the window. It's not healthy for Socratius to breath the smoke, she said. She knew it! That's why she light it here!

Anyway, now without a smoke to distract her mind, Kanon found herself paid more attention to her surrounding. Especially the person sitting beside her. She's a halfling, a species that was mostly half the height of another humanoid species, hence their name. Though this one was quite tall and might be able to stands up to Kanon's shoulder. She knew the woman was also working for Socratius but they never had a reason to chat before.

Kanon also found the doll beside her to be interesting. Why ferret though? She rarely saw ferret doll, mostly just rabbit or bear but that might be halfling thingie.

"You'r a puppeteer? That doll looks very well made."

JusticeCarpenter

 

[JusticeCarpenter]

Kanon Lumiaris​

Kanon always carries some cigarettes on her to spent time, but this one instance a nun hastily snatched it from her mouth and threw it out of the window. It's not healthy for Socratius to breath the smoke, she said. She knew it! That's why she light it here!

Anyway, now without a smoke to distract her mind, Kanon found herself paid more attention to her surrounding. Especially the person sitting beside her. She's a halfling, a species that was mostly half the height of another humanoid species, hence their name. Though this one was quite tall and might be able to stands up to Kanon's shoulder. She knew the woman was also working for Socratius but they never had a reason to chat before.

Kanon also found the doll beside her to be interesting. Why ferret though? She rarely saw ferret doll, mostly just rabbit or bear but that might be halfling thingie.

"You'r a puppeteer? That doll looks very well made."

JusticeCarpenter

Ragra finished her...rather long swig, after which she closed the flask, which was about three and a half times the height of the average one, and about twice as thick.

She stiffled a small burp into her upper left arm, and then began speaking.

"Puppeteer? I mean, I could probably pull that off with a bit of practice..."

As Ragra trailed off for a moment, she pulled out a small white book and opened to a blank page near the front. The tip of her right index finger simmered faintly, and as she started moving it about, the letters she was tracing in the air appeared on the book in a dark blue ink. Note to self: Attempt to create spell for controlling dolls, puppets, and similar things. Could be useful in all sorts of situations. Also, learn how to throw voice without using magic.

"There is sooo much potential for something like that. Thank you for the idea, Miss...?" Ragra lead the thanking into the question of the woman's name. Based on the robes, Ragra figured the woman was devout to some degree. Of course, that wouldn't explain anything about her name and/or identity, but the more you know about someone, the more you could predict their actions to some degree.

(Inkless Writing- one of the most basic of basic spells, messing it up only makes it a little sloppy and might change the color to something you don't want. Used by many magic-capable adventurers, often due to frugality, being in a hurry, or having to write on something that isn't paper)
Spoiled Bread

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris​

"Oh, you are a rune magus." Kanon watched silently as the woman's fingertip traced some invisible letters in the air. "Useful stuff. I guess."

"Anyway. I am Kanon. A regular priestess of Ishtaria, at your service." Kanon introduced herself with a slight bow, her right hand pressed horizontally across her abdomen while the other hand was held out from her body.

Ah, crap. I used the noble's greeting again.

Kanon's last mission was to help some noble librarians sorting the books in their library, an entire three stories library! It's not a job that really needs her particular skill or anything, but the payment was too good to pass. Along the 7 weeks of working there it seems a few of their habits had been rubbing on her.

"Anyway, let me know your name too, miss." She asked back the halfling name. It's only fair they know each othet's name.

JusticeCarpenter

 

[JusticeCarpenter]

Ragra chuckled. "Heh. I do know some runic magic, but it's not my specialty. Fabrimancy is my shtick."

Ragra reached, with her left hand, into one of her greatcoat's many pockets and pulled out a worn out, dull red scarf.

Ragra had a small grin on her face as she held up the scarf with her left hand, and all five fingers on her right hand started glowing.

After they started glowing, Ragra touched each of her right hand's fingers to the scarf, one at a time. As she drew her hand back, there were faint yellow lines of arcane energy coming from each finger to the scarf. She then let go of the scarf, but the magic connecting her fingers and the scarf kept it floating in the air. Her fingers started twitching and moving in seemingly random ways, but the scarf started shrinking while becoming less worn out and a brighter shade of red.

"Fabrimancy is fairly simple, but the applications are much more than being a very successful tailor or seamstress. Imagine how many people perish because a healer was either too far away, or they couldn't seal up the wounds fast enough. To be fair, I take it a step further by making the body heal properly and very quickly, but even the basics could save so many lives."

Once she finished manipulating the scarf, it had become the perfect size for what she intended, so Ragra wrapped the scarf around the ferret plushie's neck.

"As for my name, I am Ragra Feyral. It is very nice to meet you, Kanon. Now, I want your opinion on something. I've checked four times since I got here, but a second opinion would never hurt. Do you think that big potted plant in the corner is an Orc in disguise?"

(Fabrimancy: A niche form of magic that comes in the form of controlling, and utilizing as a medium, of string, fabric, cloth, leather, etc. Is technically related to Necromancy due to its inability to directly affect things that weren't alive or a natural part of a living creature at some point, such as metal, stone, jewels, and dirt. Is considered 'control of cloth' instead of 'control of life' due to how insane the difference in difficulty of affecting living beings and the deceased versus controlling a leather cord or a bolt of fabric. Requires a medium (often an oversized sewing needle) to control objects at a distance without initial contact. To put the difficulty difference into context, by using D&D, controlling cloth is like a cantrip, while forcing the body to heal using Fabrimancy as a medium would be a 5th level spell, bare minimum)
(Fabrimancy- Cloth Control: The most basic of Fabrimancy magic, it allows the user to manipulate cloth, string, rope, etc. It can be used to cannibalize some of whatever is being controlled in order to restore or repair it, at the cost of making it shrink if the one casting the spell doesn't add any additional material in order to repair the object in question. Without a medium, once the touch link is established, it can still manipulate the cloth so long as it remains within 75 feet of Ragra. The normal reach is 50 feet. With a medium, Ragra can control the cloth from up to 150 feet away. The medium for this is a wooden needle that needs to be piercing the fabric in question, or tied into the eye of the needle if it is a string or cord being controlled.)

Spoiled Bread

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris​

"Fabriwhat? Oh-" Kanon watched silently as Ragra demonstrated her magic. "I see. The magic that let the caster control cloth. Ah, but please don't strip me naked now."

She was a bit dumbfounded when the halfling ask her about the potted plant being an orc, which was a silly question. She just laughed it off. "Of course not l, why would the orc even doing here anyway."

Kanon reached into her pocket and was going to lit another cigarette when she recalled the previous instance. That nun might be here to snatch it again. Maybe she should check it first.

"Wait, I'm going to check something." Kanon said to the woman beside her as she stood up and approached the door to the room where Socratius was being healed. She kneeled in front of the door and peeked through the keyhole.

WlfSamurai JusticeCarpenter

 

[WlfSamurai]

(Mixed success. Cost or a choice.)

Kanon moves through the Chapel door into the hall that leads deeper into the Temple. She kneels down and peeks through that keyhole.

Sure enough, she sees Socratius in bed, blankets pulled down to his mid-section. He had always been a gaunt old man, but the Wraith Fever has stolen even more of him. His dark skin is pulled tight around his bald skull and his cheeks are sunken against his teeth. Kanon may not be a medical expert, but she can clearly see that the man won’t last another fortnight.

Next to the old Sage’s bed, a priestess sits with her hands on his chest. Her black hair is pulled into a loose ponytail and her brown robes have been gathered around her legs. Her plain face wears a solemn expression with her eyes closed. Through the door, Kanon can her the priestess’ muffled prayers to Ygria, The Mother.

She finishes with an, “Amen” and bows her head once to signal the end. She stands, pulls the blanket back up and then heads for the door Kanon is on the other side of.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris​

Kanos step aside as the door she was peeking opened. She had heard the tales about Socratius' deed since she was a little kid and the old man was generous to let her know whenever there's a job that might be suitable for her so she had quite some respect to the old man.

"Can we visit him now?" She asked the priestess. The reason she came here was to visit him anyway, she even aborted her mission early for this. Lucky for her that the noble librarian was an understanding person and only cut a tiny bit from her supposed payment.

WlfSamurai

 

[JusticeCarpenter]

"Kanon, I might be paranoid to a ridiculous degree, but it works to my advantage more often than not. I once discovered, and I'm not joking, a magically augmented, black-feathered chicken, which had gotten a taste for blood, hiding amongst the coals in a forge's furnace that had long since gone cold."

Ragra's right hand clenched tightly around the hilt of a blade that had a hidden sheath within her greatcoat. A ruined heirloom. Once it was used to trim, to clean, to shave. Now it is used to taint, to stain, to cut. After a moment, her hand relaxed. She then got up and walked over to Kanon.

"Thankfully, you have the intelligence to actually bother asking me 'Why', unlike a fair few incompetent fools that pass for guards, and the ignorant, wealthy morons that hired said incompetent fools, that I've had the displeasure of guarding things or places for."

Ragra seemed like she had about started to rant, but caught herself and stopped.

Spoiled Bread

 

[WlfSamurai]

The priestess looks at Kanon standing to the side of the door. She takes a few moments and then decides something. She nods.

“You can, Miss,” says the priestess. “He should be awake.”

Through the door, Kanon can see Socratius slowly sit up. “Come in,” the old sage says. The priestess turns to leave and nods at Ragra as she does so.

Spoiled Bread JusticeCarpenter

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris
​

Kanon nodded at priestess and turned her head at Ragra on the bench. She tilted her head towards the room to silently invite the halfling into the room with her.

Inside the room, the old alchemist sat on his bed. He looks like a normal sickly old geezer now. Kanon pulled an apple from her pocket and put it on the table next to his bed.

"You look terrible, gramps. Um, here, have an apple. They said an apple a day keep the doctor away, right?"

Well, Kanon didn't really know whether that phrase was true or not, she just happen to overhear it from one of her gambling buddy. Now she looks at it though, she might be supposed to give him a basket full of fruit instead of just this one apple. That apple looks lonely on the table.

JusticeCarpenter WlfSamurai

 

[JusticeCarpenter]

Ragra picked up the ferret plush and walked into the room, placing it next to Kanon's apple. "Hey, Boss. I'd start with the whole 'wishing for a cure' thing, but I dealt with most of my denial last night via enchanted mead and gluing a moron who can't handle his liquor to the ceiling."

There was a barely-there, difficult to notice, shaken quality to her voice.

"That being said, there is something I need to ask. Are there any important documents, projects, or locations that might need to be checked on, retrieved, or dealt with?"

WlfSamurai Spoiled Bread

 

[WlfSamurai]

Socratius tries to smile, despite the pain and the disease eating him. His eyes, clouded with age, look unusually sunken. His skin is ashen and tight around his bones. Several internal blood marks cover his arms and what little of his chest you can see through his rags. The corner of his mouth is yellow from puke. There is a stink of death about him.

"There are many things, Ragra," the old Sage says taking shallow breaths between words. "But, I was hoping you'd be able to help me with this hellish disease, first. I fear I will die within a fortnight if I don't receive something to cure or slow this Wraith Fever."

Spoiled Bread JusticeCarpenter

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Kanon Lumiaris​

"Then, don't worry. Gramps." Kanon put her hand on the table next to the bed and leaned on it. Her left thumb pointed at herself. "You have me here."

"Oh, and Ragra." She then pulled the halfling into a shoulder hug, though it's kinda hard since she must kneel before she did that. "With her ability to strip people and my, um... Ishtar's blessing! We will find you a cure in no time. Then we can continue our life like usual. Just tell us what you need."

WlfSamurai JusticeCarpenter

 

[JusticeCarpenter]

Ragra facepalmed. "Darling, while stripping people midfight is effective, it takes longer than simply strangling them with their own shirt or stiffening the cloth so they can't move properly. That being said, were you even paying attention when I mentioned that I've been creating Fabrimancy-based healing spells?"

It took Ragra a couple moments longer than normal before the hug became uncomfortable. Sliding out of Kanon's grip, Ragra then proceeded to sit on the floor, legs criss-crossed, both hands clenched into fists and pressed into eachother in front of her stomach. "That being said, I need to concentrate. I'm not aware of a confirmed cure or suppressant for Wraith Fever, but I've worked with less."

As Ragra closed her amber left eye, her right eye snapped open, and it was a bright forest green.

"Masruemihr."
"...Oh? You need my knowledge of this matter?"
"Yes, unfortunately."
"...Very well."

As the internal conversation continued, Ragra felt the familiar beginning of a headache forming.

(Speaking with Masruemihr: Conversations with Masruemihr don't happen out loud, they happen in Ragra's mind. Others can potentially speak with Masruemihr, but they need to be connected with Ragra's mind in some way for this to happen. Speaking with Masruemihr for an extended period causes mental strain.
Masruemihr's Knowledge: Masruemihr is not all-knowing. She is limited to her own knowledge and some of the things her two previous hosts experienced after they became her vessel. And Ragra is the only vessel who Masruemihr has been consistently able to see things with.)
WlfSamurai Spoiled Bread