Graded [Frontier] (Highgrove/Caelia Barony) Never too Young to be a Goblin Slayer

[Spoiled Bread]

Aqua

​

---

One way or another, the little alchemist that barely goes out of her house really got appointed as one of the scout. She can imagine a dozen scenarios where they all end up dying from her stupid mistake. Worst of all, she's too scared to admit it and just let things roll. She tried to appear calm but was mentally bashing her head against the wall right now.

Silently dragging herself next to Phoebe, Aqua felts like she just stepped on every twigs on the ground. That of course wasn't actually what happened but the girl had zero confidence on her sneaking ability. Thankfully Phoebe started a bit of conversation with her, that would at least distract Aqua from being drowned in her own negative thought.

"Y-yes, that's true. I have a back up as well." Aqua showed Phoebe the small wand tucked on her belt. "It's only a hobby though, compared to Miss Amanda I'm nothing."

"H-how about you, Miss Phoebe? 100 feet range is impressive. Did you learn magic in school?" She asked back curiously. "My mentor told me to go to a school,"

"But I'm scared.." She added with barely audible volume.

Elvario Clockwork_Magic​

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: Spoiled Bread
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

"[Oh don't put yourself down like that, we all start somewhere right?]" Phoebe said in response to her companion's self-comparison to Amanda while taking a look at Aqua's wand on her belt, assessing their magic grade with [Appraisal E]. "[A wand and a staff, both E grade? It's pretty good for a hobby, if you ask me.]" She flashed Aqua a quick smile.

Then Aqua asked about how Phoebe learned magic. "[No, I never went to any formal magic school, it sounds fun, though. My parents are mages in Ryke back up north of here, they taught me a bunch of things before I started travelling.]" She took a pause before continuing. "[The rest of what I learned after that point I kinda just had to learn myself on the road. I got to take a look at a pretty helpful book in the Magical Dutchy's library after doing a quest with a halfling and a few other humans a while ago. I went to that underwater city in the Continental Lake to take a look at their library soon after too with that same halfling.]" Phoebe let out a little laugh as a smile formed on her face recalling those adventures.

"[Oh, you can just call me Phoebe by the way, without the 'Miss.' I don't mind. Besides, are we not around the same age?]" That last statement was entirely a guess. Aqua didn't look like she was that much older or younger than her, so hopefully she'd be closer to the mark on this guess than the last one. "[Well, anyways. What kind of magic are you looking to do, Aqua? If you want, I can probably teach you a few things here and there when this is all over. It definitely won't beat a magic school level education, but if it's something I do know I can help you out in those areas.]"

 

[Elvario]

Mentions & Character Goals:
Elvario Amice Bellamy – Deal with the goblin nest.
Shatter Shard Thane Embers – Deal with the goblin nest.
Spoiled Bread Aqua – Deal with the goblin nest.
Clockwork_Magic Phoebe Penrose – Deal with the goblin nest.
Develius Flare – Get approved. – Deal with the goblin nest.
Elijay John – Deal with the goblin nest.

Location: Second Continent, Ryken, Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Forest near the Border
From: https://pixexid.com/image/a-mystica...nging-lantern-amidst-ancient-gnarled-wav5s8xf

Tahmuras

Spoiler: full image

The fox nodded along with Phoebe's descriptions. A bit of a smug grin appearing. “I may not be able to reach as far or wide with my magic, but I do know how to be [selective] about who gets hit with it.” It appeared he enjoyed the fact that there was something he'd likely be better at than what had seemed to be the best mage out of all of them thus far.

Amice Bellamy

Spoiler: full image

Languages: Common | {Sylvan}

Meanwhile, Amice was trying to wrap her head around what Phoebe told her about magic skill. “I don't get it.” She concluded. It sounded like a long and complex way of saying some people were just better at magic than others.

Upon what Flare told them, she shook her head. “I'm pretty sure that's now how forests work.” There were no quiet sections. If it was quiet, it was always for a reason.

Amice did overhear the talk between Thane and Flare, as she heard some interesting words again. “What's the difference between a night and a clear-ick?” She asked, as it seemed to be important.

Aqua and Phoebe ended up walking past the tree without noticing anything off about it at all and ended up further ahead without any issue. However, as they casually scouted out further away (it'd take 2 actions to return to the main group), the other part of the group was about to pass the tree...

Combat Rules are now active

• Remember to keep track of your cooldowns.
• Use three actions per post at most. Only 1 post per round is allowed.
• Basic attacks and/or defend actions, talking a lot (more than a few sentences), moving further than a few steps and ability usage all take up an action.
• Don't hesitate to ask questions when/if needed.

It turned out there weren't any goblins ambushing them. In fact, there was a far more 'natural' threat that was awaiting them. The moment they were all close to the tree, it suddenly sprung to action. Roots were sprouting up from the soil and would attempt to wrap themselves around everyone's legs (F grade Area of Effect - Tangle attempt against John, Flare, Thane, Amice, Tahmuras) whilst a sudden burst of thorns were shot out from amongst the treetop (F grade Area of Effect [Continuing/Bleed] attack against John, Flare, Thane, Amice, Tahmuras). Being targetted from both above and below, they'd likely have to carefully consider how to defend in the few sparse moments they'd have due to being unprepared.

Phoebe and Aqua would be able to pick up on what was happening behind them, but it'd take them a bit (2 actions) to return and be in range to aid the others (meaning they'd only have 1 action left to help out).

 

[Elijay]

John

Elvario Shatter Shard Develius​

When Amice replied to Flare about the quiet forest, John had a sudden thought. “Well, surely there’s no way those goblins are hiding in wait trying to set up an ambush for us... Or is there?” As he finished asking his question, he’d hid himself closely behind Flare, his wide eyes darting frantically all over the place.

Amice would ask about the difference between a knight and a cleric, to which John would walk closer to her to pat her on the head. “Oh my dear Amice, seems like you still have much to learn. They are basically the same thing, except a cleric summons holy power from their god or something. Isn't that right, Thane my friend?” He shot a confident look at the cleric, although he didn't really knew much about what he was talking about.

That was when roots came out of nowhere and thorns rained down from above. Before he knew it, they were under attack! “AHHH! What the heck is going on?!” He shrieked in fear. On second thought, maybe he wasn’t cut out for this! However, with little time to lose, he’d recall a special technique he’d learnt back in his days as a servant. Well, to say that he had learnt it would be a stretch, as he simply watched his master perform it. It was a move where he punched hard enough that he could hit far away objects using air pressure, like magic! The problem is that John had never done it before himself, but perhaps this was a good time to give it a try. He punched into the air at the thorns raining down at him with [Attack harder, or something], before throwing another punch at the roots coming at him with [Attack, or something]. Hopefully it worked out well for him.

Actions:
1. [Attack harder, or something] - Fighting style F, ranged F, athletics F, appraisal E - user punches hard enough to hit a target 10ft away with air pressure, while augmenting the attack with sharp eyes to enable the right timing or placement - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown
2. [Attack, or something] - Fighting style F, ranged F, energized F, athletics F - user punches hard enough to hit a target 10ft away with air pressure - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Aqua

​

---

"I see... Learning while traveling, that sounds wonderful. I-I wish I can do that too." Aqua said when she hear about Phoebe's story. Even a recluse like her would occasionally dream of traveling the world, and then a short trip later and her mind would scream at her begging her to go back home. This mission too, once she got back home she would probably spend the next two or three days just shutting herself in her room, sleeping and tinkering.

"I'm fifteen. I thought I would be at least older than Amice..." Yep, she threw away her notion of acting as the gnome's older sister when she heard about Amice's age. In the future she would cringe hard whenever she remember about this, she's sure of it.

"E-Eh..? T-teaching me? W-well," Aqua was surprised at Phoebe's offer. On one hand she thought it would be an interesting opportunity, her mentor was quite traditional when it comes to his thinking of magic and how to interact with the world so it would be a fresh air to interact with younger mage. On the other hand she didn't want more people to see her pitiful state. Once Phoebe see how she lives she would winced in disgust and left her... at least that's how things would play out in her mind.

"I... I... I-" Aqua could feels her heart pounding hard as she gather all her courage to give the other mage a definite answer. What should she do? What was it that she wants? What would other people think about it?

She didn't know.

However, before she can even finish her thought loud rumbles could be heard from behind. She turned around and was horrified when she saw roots and thorns trying to grapple the other people. Rushing in to help, Aqua chanted a short spell to conjure a glowing short blade made of pure mana at the tip of her staff. She then use said blade to try slashing the thorns going towards Amice.

Action:
1) Move
2) Move
3) Mana Slash - Magic F, Focus F - Conjure a mana blade to slash a target within 5 ft radius - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown​

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: Spoiled Bread , Elvario (For the trees)
Mentions: Elijay , Develius , Shatter Shard
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

Damn it! It looks like today was just not Phoebe’s day when it came to making guesses, being 19 herself. But before Aqua got a chance to respond to her offer, loud rumbles erupted from behind them, in the direction of the rest of the party. Turning around to face the direction of the sound only confirmed that bad feeling she got when she heard those sounds. It seemed like the trees themselves were attacking the rest of the party!

It wasn’t long after Aqua rushed off in the direction of the rest of their companions, Phoebe followed suit close behind her. The situation looked pretty bad, with roots coming up from the ground and thorns coming from above. Gotta act fast before it gets even more out of hand! While her fellow mage and scout was charging into the fray with a glowing magical blade at the tip of her staff, Phoebe chose to keep at a reasonable distance a few dozen feet away. If her companion was gunning for the thorns above, she'd provide support for the roots below. She quickly debated with herself on which of her spells to use in this situation as she got into casting position. Half of her spells, i.e. her area of effect spells, were immediately thrown out the window. What use would it do if she blew away both the roots and her party members she was trying to help? That really just left either [Chain Strike] and [Magical Bullets], though that choice was pretty easy too. A lightning bolt strike here in the middle of the dense forest would definitely cause a fire to break out that would quickly grow out of control, which left only one option.

She pointed the wand Amanda entrusted to her at the roots coming up from the ground. She took a deep breath and began reciting an incantation, spheres of concentrated mana forming around her as she spoke."[Come and take form, shoot forth and cut down these foes!]" When the last word was uttered, every sphere that formed around her shot forth at a high speed towards the roots. She opted not to use the full power of the spell, instead opting to reduce the power a bit to better ensure that the bullets hit their intended marks rather than going astray, or worse hitting a party member.

---

Actions:
1) Move
2) Move
3) Cast [Magic Bullets] (Flux) - Magic E, Magic Range E, Magic Targets F, Selective Magic E, Focus F

• Phoebe points her wand in the direction of her opponents and recites an incantation, causing spheres of concentrated magic to manifest around Phoebe that are then shot towards the targets. Targets must be within 100 feet of Phoebe at time of casting. Spell can target up to 5 enemies at the same time.
• Grade D Ability - 2 Post Cooldown

 

[Develius]

​

---

Language Key:
| Common | {Sylvan} |
Mentions:
| Elvario | Shatter Shard | Spoiled Bread | Clockwork_Magic | Elijay |

​

---

"Ahhhh, my bad." Flare apologized to Thane, after he explained what exactly he did. Despite his armor resembling that of a knight, he was in fact a cleric, or more accurately an 'inquisitor apprentice'. They weren't exactly sure what an 'inquisitor' was - they hadn't read much on the religious material - but supposedly this guy was on a mission to enact justice wherever and whenever he can. A do-gooder then. A respectable field no doubt. Though a healer working for an order based on axes seemed very... contradicting? Probably to protect themselves, sure, but still. "To be fair, the armor made me think you were somethin' else." Flare admitted candidly, "I thought clerics would be wearing, you know, robes and like... wielding staffs or books to cast spells." Clearly they hadn't met many clerics on their travels yet, their knowledge mostly stemming from classic stereotypical depictions found books and magazines. That or now they're confusing clerics with mages.

Amice, on the other hand, didn't quite know the difference. John attempted to explain them in a brief, one sentence breakdown, but it only affirmed what Flare believed in the first place. But before they could say anything, the ground shifted underneath them to reveal roots coming up to strangle them! "Uh oh!" Flare exclaimed, as they felt the OVEN's legs being utterly tangled by the killer roots. It was already heavy enough for Flare to walk around in the clanking suit, but now with the extra weight pulling down on them, they were effectively immobile! No matter how much they tried budging! Panic was beginning to overwhelm them.

And worse yet... a burst of sharp thorns came piling down on them from the canopy! Even with the OVEN's steel-based exterior, they were far from invincible. And something about these thorns seemed different than your garden variety. Their helmet quickly began to glow bright with surging heat, flames licking out of the grated helmet like flickering fingers. Focusing on the thorns right above them, Flare raised their head upwards and unleashed a bright torrent of flame like a furnace from hell, trying to incinerate them mid-air before they could hit them. They tried to be careful NOT to accidentally set any nearby trees ablaze, but no promises could be made.

They nearly attempted to set fire to the roots right underneath them, but paused at the very last second. While they may survive the flame unharmed, their companions would most certainly not. That and they would start a ravenous forest fire right there and then, putting everything in jeopardy! Flare then attempted to try and rip the roots from their legs, but feel like it wouldn't be enough. Still they tried. And if that failed, all they can do is hope Phoebe and Aqua, who were just on their way now, would be able to free them.

---

Actions:
1). Struggle to get loose
2). Cast Flamethrower F - [Magic E, Range F, Continuing F] - Flare fires a ray of fire from the OVEN suit's helmet, allowing them to hit a single target, up to 30 feet away.
3). Attempt to rip thorns with their hands

• Cooldown: +1

 

[Elvario]

Mentions & Character Goals:
Elvario Amice Bellamy – Deal with the goblin nest.
Shatter Shard Thane Embers – Deal with the goblin nest.
Spoiled Bread Aqua – Deal with the goblin nest.
Clockwork_Magic Phoebe Penrose – Deal with the goblin nest.
Develius Flare – Get approved. – Deal with the goblin nest.
Elijay John – Deal with the goblin nest.

Location: Second Continent, Ryken, Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Forest near the Border
From: https://pixexid.com/image/a-mystica...nging-lantern-amidst-ancient-gnarled-wav5s8xf

Combat Rules are active

• Remember to keep track of your cooldowns.
• Use three actions per post at most. Only 1 post per round is allowed.
• Basic attacks and/or defend actions, talking a lot (more than a few sentences), moving further than a few steps and ability usage all take up an action.
• Don't hesitate to ask questions when/if needed.

Whilst punching at entangling vines and thorns was surely not the most common option, it did seem to work. With the air pressure reducing the speed of the thorns to mere annoyances and avoiding the vines from being able to wrap around him, John managed to keep unscathed.

Tahmuras and Amice (sitting atop him) were targetted by both the vines trying to entangle the both of them and the thorns heading their way. Luckily enough, Aqua managed to slash away some of the thorns heading for Amice, though she didn't manage to get all of them, leaving Tahmuras to fend for himself.

Phoebe managed to join in as we. (Normally, Focus D would be needed to cast D-grade Magic and move in the same post, I'll allow it to work without here.) Targetting the vines aimed at John, Flare, Thane, Amice and Tahmuras, she was able to halt them from entangling any of the targetted allies.

Flare's attempt to struggle turned out to be unneeded, as Phoebe's bolts had taken care of the vines. That allowed them to focus on burning away the thorns heading their way. That said, the [Continuing] on the ability was a tad more powerful than they would've wished, as it now sent burning thorns falling all around them. Luckily enough due to their careful aim, they weren't showering the rest of the party in burning thorns, but someone might seriously want to start stomping those out sooner rather than later.

Thane, sadly enough, was not able to defend against the incoming thorns. Whilst he'd at least be able to get an arm up to shield his eyes and face, the thorns caused him to gain a few scratches and some thorns got caught in his light armour. Overall, the damage to him or his armour wasn't too bad, but it wasn't an ideal start to this adventure.

Tahmuras

Spoiler: full image

With the vines taken care off by Phoebe and the thorns heading for Amice taken care off by Aqua, the fox could focus on the throns heading in his own direction. He gave a yelp, as a Fireball was shot from his mouth.

Fireball!

Fireball – Magic School [Fire] (Range, AoE, Duration, Targets) F , Selective F – Fires a ball of fire at enemies. - E grade – 1 Post Cooldown

The fireball managed to cleanly burn away any thorns heading his way, fizzling out almost immediately (selective). With a bit of a smug grin, he'd look at Flare, as if to say 'that's how it's done'.

However, amidst it all, Amice had suddenly frozen up. She was staring in a panic at something she'd spotted being weird about the tree (survival F), which she'd slowly raise her hand to point at.

Amice Bellamy

Spoiler: full image

Languages: Common | {Sylvan}

“T-t-there...” Among the hollows of the tree, the remains of various forest animals were soon revealed. However, they weren't normal. They'd been carved up and into, turned into grotesque forms in some sort of ritual. The longer one would look at the tree, the more of them they'd spot and the more horrifying it'd look. Even if it were just birds, squirrels and other small forest critters, it was a rather gruesome sight with how many mutilated animal corpses there were.

“Don't look at it, dear.” Tahmuras quickly stated, upon realising what Amice had spotted. He gritted his teeth. “So that's why they warned us about the goblins having a shaman.” That was the most likely option, as with some arcana (F) knowledge, the fox could at least conclude this was some dark magic ritual, even if he didn't know much more about it.

Asuka

Spoiler: full image

“What happened?” Asuka asked, upon landing next to the group. She was quick to spot what they were looking at. “Oh no...” She uttered. “Can... can we undo that?” She'd ask.

As she did so, the vines among the tree moved a bit, seemingly readying something. For now, however, it seemed the tree was dormant. How long it'd stay that way was a different question, as it looked like it might attack them again at any moment.

CD's
John E 0/1
John F 0/0

Aqua F 0/0

Phoebe D 0/2

Flare E 0/1

Tahmuras E 0/1

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: Spoiled Bread , Elvario , Elijay , Develius , Shatter Shard
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

A small wave of relief washed over Phoebe as her projectiles stopped the tree's roots from tangling her comrade's legs. Looks like the rest of the party took care of the thorns just fine too, aside from the burning thorns spread across the forest floor a la Flare. Although relieved that her party members weren't seriously harmed from the initial barrage of attacks, Phoebe didn't let herself drop her guard, keeping her wand at the ready in a defensive stance for a few more moments. For the time being, it looks like the tree went back to being... well... just a tree. She cautiously started approaching where the rest of the party was standing, a feeling of concern rapidly growing as it looked like Amice was petrified from fear by something. From the way she was frozen in place, her gaze into the woods unchanging, this 'something' might just be the kind of thing that makes people want to look away with every fiber of their being but simply can't, instead having their eyes glued on it due to terror.

Phoebe was hesitant herself to look in the direction Amice was pointing, but her morbid curiosity won out and looked at what Amice was pointing at. The moment she laid eyes on that... abhorrent amalgamation of animal remains, a sick feeling rose up within her gut, looking away after a few seconds of gazing at it. From what she did see, the way those animals have been carved up and arranged, there was no doubt it was some sort of dark magic ritual. While her knowledge in the [Arcane] field was not extensive enough to know what exactly what kind of magic ritual that mass of animal remains is, that didn't stop her from speculating.

Seeing how a seemingly normal tree attacked them, the presence of the animal ritual site couldn't be a coincidence. There was probably no doubt that the animal ritual site was manipulating the nature around them somehow. How it does so, however, is an entirely different question, one that she did not have any solid guess on. In any case, if what she's theorizing is true, then they are all still in danger where they were standing. "We're not in the clear yet." She said to the group. "That... thing is probably making the flora attack us. We need to disrupt the ritual, get the caster, or get out of here, otherwise... there'll probably be no end to this..." If they stayed there, they'll probably eventually be worn down by attrition from the flora around them. She had no idea how far the ritual site's reach extended, but it's best to play it safe. Phoebe kept her wand at the ready and stood in a defensive stance, readying herself to possibly do an evasive maneuver or another spell in case that tree decides to strike again.

---

Cooldowns:

• D Grade Abilities: 1/2

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Aqua

Elvario Clockwork_Magic Develius Elijay Shatter Shard​

---

Aqua let out a long relieved sigh when the trees finally stopped attacking them. Thankfully, no one seemed to be seriously hurt. Though soon the gnome pointed to something inside a tree, a gruesome sight from a shaman's rituals. While Aqua knows nothing, seeing Amice being horrified like that pushed her to make some initiative.

"M-maybe I can burn it...?" She said with a rather doubtful voice. Slowly she approached the tree while pulling out a glass-like cylinder filled with water from her hip bag. Most people might see it as a glass vial, but careful inspection would reveal that the material for the container wasn't actually glass, and instead of plugged by a cork the lid was covered by the same material with different color that she remove by twisting it.

Standing in front of the tree, Aqua squirmed uncomfortably as she looked a bit too much of the inside of the tree. She then performed a short chant while staring at the water inside her container. The water let out a few bubbles as Aqua used her transmutation to change it into pure alcohol. The transmutation would only last a few seconds so she immediately poured the alcohol into the tree's hollow, followed by throwing a lit matchstick into it, creating flame that would burn the tree from the inside.

Action:
1) Approach ritual tree
2) Use Magic F, Focus F and Transmutation F to turn water into alcohol
3) Burn the tree from the inside​

 

[Elijay]

John

Elvario Shatter Shard Develius Spoiled Bread Clockwork_Magic​

After successfully fending off the thorns, John heaved a sigh of relief. Somehow, he was able to emerge unscathed. The same could not be said for his ally, Thane, who had gotten a couple of scratches in the end. He also noticed the scouting party had regrouped with them, which made him wonder what was the point of having a scouting party in the first place. At least their magic did prove to be useful. That was when Amice pointed at something within the tree. Squinting hard, he’d spotted… a bunch of mutilated animal corpses?! They were almost added to the collection too!

“Holy moly…” John gulped as his heart started racing in fear. “This tree must not like animals very much.” The tree did seem like it was preparing for another attack too, but Aqua still decided to approach the tree all by herself. As much as John wanted to stay far back in the safety of their comrades, he couldn’t just leave her be. “Hey, it might be dangerous!” John followed closely alongside Aqua, his eyes watching the tree for any sudden movements. He tensed his body up, as he prepared for any incoming attacks.


Abilities:
Watch carefully - Energized F, insight F - user watches the target carefully to determine their true intentions - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown
Block, or something - Energized F, athletics F - user tenses their body, preparing for any incoming attacks - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown


Actions:

1. Follow alongside Aqua
2. Watch the tree using [Watch carefully]
3. Prepare for any incoming attacks using [Block, or something]

 

[Shatter Shard]

Thane Embers
"Cleric of the Axe"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

{ C }
{ F }
{ F }
{ F }
{ D }

E

Active Titles:
Human | Mundane | Holy Order of the Axe Apprentice | Law Cleric

-Ryken-
Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Faeremeadow

Code by: Shatter Shard

Thane, momentarily distracted, didn't see the tree begin its assault on the group. He belatedly raised his guard and drew his great axe, but was already entangle when he regained composure. "Damn it!" He gritted his teeth as he struggled to grasp his great axe with both hands. As the firebolt came down to free the group from the vines, Thane finally managed to get a good grasp of his weapon. "Thanks!" He hastily exclaimed. His eyes looked up at the warning of others, and his pupils dilated from the scene. Although they were just mere critters, woodland creatures, the injustice done upon them set his heart ablaze. If such creatures were to be killed, at least grant them respect with their corpses.

[Attack: Firestarter]
"Cursed monsters!" His bellow was accompanied by him uncorking a flask of flammable oil, before splashing its contents into the vines. "Step aside!" He exclaimed, "Blaze!" before swinging his axe, manifesting a spark of golden fire at its blade and igniting the oil.

[Attack: Normal]
With gritted teeth, he raised his great axe, and then began hacking away at the stray roots and vines. He intends to chop the problems before they become a concern.

[Defend]
Afterwards, Thane choose to reserve his energy by defending against incoming attacks or the troublesome thorns.

Used Abilities:
{F} Firestarter (CD: 0 Posts) | {F} Fighting Style [Hellkite], {F} Blight [Divine Flame], {F} Gear [Oil Flasks]
Thane takes out an Oil flask. He can either pour it and set it on fire with his Divine Flame, or stuff it with cloth and make a makeshift molotov.

SCROLLABLE

Mentions: Shatter Shard Elvario Develius Elijay Spoiled Bread Clockwork_Magic

 

[Develius]

​

---

Language Key:
| Common | {Sylvan} |
Mentions:
| Elvario | Shatter Shard | Spoiled Bread | Clockwork_Magic | Elijay |

​

---

Before Flare could find themselves entangled by the vines underfoot, Phoebe would be quick to eliminate them via their magic bullets. The fire elemental gave a sigh of relief before dealing with the thorns above them, but not before hearing a fiery "yelp" and seeing a fireball completely vaporize the ones heading for him. In contrast, Flare's flamethrower did scorch a good majority, but a few weren't immediately vaporized and would fall to the ground. They immediately squelched a burning thorn that landed right next to them, hoping others would do the same. And all while the fox looked at them smugly. For a relatively new born fire elemental, there was still much they needed to get right. Flare clicked their tongue and grumbled, "Show off..."

But as soon as the fighting started, it would all end just as quickly. Looking around, it didn't look like the attack caused any major injuries. A few cuts and bruises here and there, sure, especially seen with Thane, but it was nothing. Being responsible for their own actions, Flare attempted to continue stomping out the rest of the flaming thorns before they got out of control. Just as they got the last one out, they noticed a mortified-looking Amice looking up at something, revealing to be a tree marked with mutilated corpses of various forest fauna. Apparently this was most likely the work of a goblin shaman, a means to trap and kill any trespassers. They felt a wave of disgust swell in their core. "Now that's just... gross."

When Asuka asked if they could undo this mess, Flare would be the first to confirm, "Yeah," they said bluntly, beginning to approach the tree, "We burn it." Yet as they attempted to shoot flame from their helmet, only a tiny trickle would barely emerge a foot from their helmet. Perplexed at that blunder, they tried again. No dice. "Erm, uh, just... gimme a minute here." Flare stated annoyingly, banging on their helmet for it to jumpstart back to life, "Come on, come on! Work damn it.". But as they continued generating more flame, the other folks were more than capable of taking care of this dastardly tree cadaver, with Aqua transmuting their water flask into alcohol and pouring it onto the tree before Thane swiped at it with a now flaming axe.

So much for that.

The only thing Flare could do now was watch the destruction unfold, keeping guard against any retaliation that might come their way. Their helmet glowed with fiery anticipation, now ready to unleash more hellfire upon anything that dared interfere.

---

Actions:
1). Stomp out thorns still on fire,
2). Attempt to attack Corpse Tree with Flamethrower F [Can't Due to Cooldown]
3). [Defend]

• Flamethrower F - [Magic E, Range F, Continuing F] - Cooldown: +0 [Ready next post]

 

[Elvario]

Mentions & Character Goals:
Elvario Amice Bellamy – Deal with the goblin nest.
Shatter Shard Thane Embers – Deal with the goblin nest.
Spoiled Bread Aqua – Deal with the goblin nest.
Clockwork_Magic Phoebe Penrose – Deal with the goblin nest.
Develius Flare – Get approved. – Deal with the goblin nest.
Elijay John – Deal with the goblin nest.

Location: Second Continent, Ryken, Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Forest near the Border
From: https://pixexid.com/image/a-mystica...nging-lantern-amidst-ancient-gnarled-wav5s8xf

Combat Rules are active

• Remember to keep track of your cooldowns.
• Use three actions per post at most. Only 1 post per round is allowed.
• Basic attacks and/or defend actions, talking a lot (more than a few sentences), moving further than a few steps and ability usage all take up an action.
• Don't hesitate to ask questions when/if needed.

Amice Bellamy

Spoiler: full image

Languages: Common | {Sylvan}

Amice, still freaked out by the grotesque sight of what was hidden within the tree, nodded at Phoebe. “Ye-yes...” She would very much like to stop that, although she didn't even have a clue where to start with that.

Phoebe's knowledge of the Arcana would be enough to potentially get some basic understandings. The use of animal corpses pointed at the obvious; a type of dark magic. The way they were placed about suggested some type [duration] spell for which the corpses served as the catalyst and fuel alike. Upon closer inspection of the tree, it seemed to have various small runes carved into it, which probably was what made it possible for the dark magic to manipulate it.

Aqua was able to turn the water into wine alcohol, toss it inside the tree and light it up with her Fire Starter Kit. That said, getting close enough to the tree to do so would get her a sense of an overwhelming sense of something unnerving going on here, accompanied by the sickly sweet scent of rotting corpses.

It seemed that John's aid wasn't going to be needed for a moment, but it turned out his foresight to come along wasn't without reason. As the tree started burning, it started to almost 'groan' as if it was about ready to go into attack mode again... yet it didn't.

After all, before the tree could start acting again, Thane doused it in even more flaming liquid. That seemed to burn away enough of the ritualistic set-up to make it impossible for it to start again.

With flare stomping out just enough fiery thorns to avoid them causing a forest fire, the tree itself, lit up by the others, was starting to blaze pretty nicely. It also looked like that fire would spread towards nearby trees...

Tahmuras

Spoiler: full image

The fox looked a Flare even more smugly. “We've all got to catch our breaths sometimes~” He stated, upon seeing their failed attempts at burning the tree.

However, his smug look would fade when the tree decided to give them on last parting gift...

Rather than slowly burning up, it started to seem to heat up and then... Exploded. “{Explosion!}” He tried to call out, accidentally switching to Sylvan upon the shock of the sudden attack.

In second, the entire group was faced with a fairly powerful fiery blast (E grade, fire affinity, Area of Effect) of bark, thorns, vines and animal corpses that'd been set alight previously. Perhaps some counter-spell for when the ritual was messed with had been activated. Either way, they would have a split second to come up with ways to defend themselves and the others against the inbound force of fire, burning materials and blasting power.

CD's (as they are during this post, so next round will 1 round less)
John E 1/1
John F 0/0

Aqua F 0/0

Phoebe D 1/2

Flare E 1/1

Tahmuras E 1/1

 

[Elijay]

John

Elvario Shatter Shard Develius Spoiled Bread Clockwork_Magic​

Thankfully, the team were able to successfully set the tree on fire without it retaliating at them, although John did have his doubts about the idea. What if they ended up burning down the entire forest?! Oh well, if anything he could always claim to be innocent seeing how he had no firestarting capabilities on him. Flare did seem to have some issues working her flamethrower, to which John would smirk at her in a teasing manner. “Heheh, and here I thought spewing flames was your specialty, y’know with being a fire enthusiast and all.”

Just then, the burning tree let out a threatening groan, which made him believe it was too soon to be letting his guard down. His guess was right, as the fox shouted something in a strange language and the tree looked like it was about to explode!

“Get behind me!” John shouted to Aqua as he’d raise his guard up with [Block harder, or something]. If she had some other way of protecting herself she could do that instead, otherwise he didn’t mind sacrificing himself for her sake. Damn it! Truth be told, he never wanted to be a hero that sacrificed himself for others… Had always been just a regular guy trying to survive. He didn’t want to go out like this, but what other choice did he have?! If he was gonna die from the blast anyway, he’d be happy if he could at least tank the blast for someone else in his final moments.

All he had on him was his villager clothes… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt that badly if he actually had some armor on like Thane did. You know what? Maybe it was just a weak blast that wouldn’t even kill him! Yup, that’s gotta be it. No way he was gonna let some dumb explosion kill him! “Bring it on!” He thought to himself, a confident grin forming on his face.

Abilities:
Block harder, or something - Athletics F, appraisal E - user raises their guard up, augmenting the move with sharp eyes to find the right angle to block - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown

Actions:
1. Use [Block harder, or something]

 

[Develius]

​

---

Language Key:
| Common | {Sylvan} |
Mentions:
| Elvario | Shatter Shard | Spoiled Bread | Clockwork_Magic | Elijay |

​

---

The smug remarks coming from both Tahmuras and John was enough for Flare to roll their head in a sigh of frustration. Especially the boy's cocky attitude. "Hey look," they barked back, now looking at the two with their back facing the grotesque tree. They'd first point a large metal finger at John, "First of all, that's FIRE elemental to you." Then their glance would include the fox's fiery figure. "Secondly, I'm still getting properly used to this suit in actual combat. Dunno why my suit decided to act up now, but I swear this never happens." They were just as confused about it as everyone else. Probably should probably have Fraust check it out once they come back from this quest. Hopefully it was just a loose screw and nothing too bad. A broken pipe or interior cog would be a much more serious issue.

As Flare waited for one of them to reply, they noticed the fox's smug grin suddenly fade into something dower. "What?" they asked curiously, "Was it something I said?" Being lost in their defensive retort, they'd be too distracted to notice that the corpse tree behind them was starting to groan and wheeze. That's when they heard Tahmuras warning them of an "{Explosion!}" in Sylvan. Instead of panicking however, Flare blankly turned to see what he meant, just muttering out in common, "Explosi-?"

And then it exploded.

---

Actions:
1). ["Defend" Stands There] - [Fire Resistance F] | [Elemental {Fire} Affinity F]

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: Spoiled Bread , Elvario , Elijay , Develius , Shatter Shard
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

Phoebe watched on cautiously, wand at the ready, as Aqua and John approached the ritual tree. Dealing with the ritual site itself was indeed the only guarantee that the attacks from the tree would stop. With the initial attack over, the tree not making any sudden moves in the past few minutes after the fight, now would be as good of a time as any to get rid of the ritual site. While Phoebe still stood ready to counter whatever attack the tree threw at them, Thane took a more… proactive approach to dealing with the tree. When he threw a bottle of oil at the vines, she was a bit alarmed. Didn’t they agree to not set the forest on fire?! “Hey! Wai-“ But she couldn’t get her word in before Thane struck the oil covered vines with hitting it with a spark of fire.

Before she could have the time to worry about the vines being set on fire, Tahmuras cried out in Sylvian, making her jump. It only took a short utterance from Flare for the gravity of the situation to hit her, triggering her fight-or-flight instincts. Casting a spell was out of the question, all of her spells were offensive! That left only one thing for her to do in this situation. She instinctively dove for cover behind whatever she could hide behind that was close to her, a tree, a big rock, anything, shielding her head with her arms and hands. Not again… not this time! The memory of her final day alive in her previous world flashed before her eyes, feeling a similar feeling of terror and panic that she had felt when bombs were dropping all around her before one claimed her life.

---

Actions:

• Dive for Cover - Speed E

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Aqua

Elvario Clockwork_Magic Develius Elijay Shatter Shard​

---

Despite the dreadful sight inside the tree Aqua was feeling a strange sensation of joy while she watched the fire spreading. Why? Because she's not doing it alone. It feels like she's back in her previous world, stacking firewoods in the school's yard with her friends, and then creates a big bonfire for an outdoor party... That was a memory she never had.

However, her fleeting daydreaming would abruptly ended when she felts something weird. She wasn't sure what's that weird feeling was until Tahmura screamed something in Sylvan, it made Aqua realized the spike of magical energy within the tree. Snapping into survival mode, Aqua immediately freeze on the spot, as if not moving would make the explosion ignore her. John's yell bring her back though, and she just did what she's told and jumped behind him. Her mind was racing with countless thought of what she might possibly do, so she draped her cloak in front of John and then transmute it into wooden material, creating an improvised shield for him before.

Action:
1) Freeze
2) Jump behind John
3) Use Transmute Cover - Magic F, Transmutation F, Focus F - Aqua temporarily transmute an object into harder material (F Grade) for a cover - F grade ability - 0 Cooldown​

 

[Shatter Shard]

Thane Embers
"Cleric of the Axe"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

{ C }
{ F }
{ F }
{ F }
{ D }

E

Active Titles:
Human | Mundane | Holy Order of the Axe Apprentice | Law Cleric

-Ryken-
Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Faeremeadow

Code by: Shatter Shard

Thane's thoughts burned inside his mind, with a furious focus on felling the tree. His eyes were wide, as if staring at a contemptible villain. He prepared another strike, but his senses blared in alarm as cries rang around him. He couldn't understand Tahmuras, but their stare caused his own gaze to swivel into the tree. It was starting to glow, and from the fox's panicked exclamation, it wasn't something nice. His instincts took over his body as his eyes dilated.

[Move - Speed D]
He immediately dove into cover, in this case right behind Flare, before staggering up.

[Defend]
He leaned heavily behind Flare, using his own body to try and counteract the force from the explosion and cushioning the elemental in case they topple down.

Used Abilities:
None Currently

SCROLLABLE

Mentions: Shatter Shard Elvario Develius Elijay Spoiled Bread Clockwork_Magic

 

[Elvario]

Mentions & Character Goals:
Elvario Amice Bellamy – Deal with the goblin nest.
Shatter Shard Thane Embers – Deal with the goblin nest.
Spoiled Bread Aqua – Deal with the goblin nest.
Clockwork_Magic Phoebe Penrose – Deal with the goblin nest.
Develius Flare – Get approved. – Deal with the goblin nest.
Elijay John – Deal with the goblin nest.

Location: Second Continent, Ryken, Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Forest near the Border
From: https://pixexid.com/image/a-mystica...nging-lantern-amidst-ancient-gnarled-wav5s8xf

John would find himself surprisingly okay after the blast, as his natural armour and vitality were more than durable enough to withstand it so long as he just made sure to put his guard up. With him already besides Aqua, he'd be able to cover Aqua as well, which was a good thing, as the latter had frozen up and then jumped, spending the few seconds of a head-start just getting into cover. By the time she draped the cloak in front of John and transmuted it, the explosion had already come and gone.

Meanwhile, Flare, being a fire elemental, enjoyed the pleasantly warm caress of the the fiery explosion, which would've almost been soothing were it not from the occasional bump and bonk from pieces of bark and wood hitting their armour in mostly harmless (yet obnoxious) manners.

Phoebe, however, had a totally different experience. The closest thing to try dive for cover behind was the recently landed Asuka, who was also faced by the blast.

Asuka

Spoiler: full image

“{Winds, heed my call!}” The Xiānhè called out, using [Master The Skies] and sending out a gust of wind in an attempt to reduce the force of the explosion heading towards them.

Master The Skies – Flight F, Magic F, Air Affinity F, [Direction Awareness], Navigation F – Character uses their combined skills to master the skies. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.

Yet whist this did reduce the force, it did not stop it, as it'd sent both Asuka and Phoebe flying, causing their skin to blister and feathers and hair to burn, with the pieces of bark and wood causing some bruises and scratches on top of it. With some of the force having been negated, they both managed to get off without more serious energy, but the experience was far from pleasant.

Thane had a similar tactic, but he had two things going for him. The first was being slightly faster, the second was having a much larger and more fire resistant person to hide behind. He'd only feel the heat burn his back a bit as he quickly got behind Flare, after which he was alright.

Meanwhile, Tahmuras praised the spirit king for having regained the energy to counter the explosion with a large Fireball of his own, covering both himself and Amice, who'd still been on his back.

Fireball!

Fireball – Magic School [Fire] (Range, AoE, Duration, Targets) F , Selective F – Fires a ball of fire at enemies. - E grade – 1 Post Cooldown

Thankfully, due to being (selective) it'd counter with only the force of the explosion, rather than burning everything behind it as well.

The moment it seemed like the air calmed down after the explosion, he and Amice turned to Asuka.

Amice Bellamy

Spoiler: full image

Languages: Common | {Sylvan}

“{Asuka! Are you alright!}” She shouted, as she ran over. She'd notice Phoebe had been hurt as well. “Miss Phoebe, are you okay?” She'd look at the both of them with concern, though luckily, neither was seriously injured.

“Don't worry dear, we're just a little shaken up.” The bird replied.

As the party would be able to deal with the aftermath, they'd realise the most beneficial part of the explosion was that the force had blown the starting fires out. Whether planned or not, it seemed like they wouldn't cause a forest fire just yet.

(I'm going to time-skip a bit.) After that initial hurdle, the group would find surprisingly little resistance from their surroundings. Perhaps the goblins assumed the tree would've been able to take care of everything and hadn't planned anything else. Or perhaps the tree had simply been the most and the best they could do.

Either way, they'd eventually find what seemed to be the entrance to some cave system behind the waterfall that Amice been told about. Furthermore, they'd been told this place had once been a silver mine, but that it'd been abandoned long ago after all the silver had been mined out. The goblins were supposed to be somewhere in there, but no matter how much they looked, scouted or took care, they would not be able to spot either goblins or signs of goblins.

Assuming they'd eventually be forced to go down the stairs into the (former) mines, they'd find themselves in a semi-natural semi-hand-made cave system, with three paths splitting off in the distance. The area was still dimly lit up by some glowing stones, which were likely what the miners once used.

Asuka

Spoiler: full image

The bird, upon descending, would eventually speak up. “Ehm... would... would any of you forgive me if I were to keep watch outside?” It was clear she was highly uncomfortable, likely claustrophobic, in this space.

 

[Elijay]

John

Elvario Shatter Shard Develius Spoiled Bread Clockwork_Magic​

“AHHHH! IDON’TWANNADIEEEE!!!” John's confidence quickly melted away as soon as the explosion engulfed him. His eyes were shut tight, as he feared having his eyeballs burnt to crisps before his death. Strangely though, it didn’t feel as painful as he thought. Opening his eyes, he blinked a couple of times when he found the wooden shield in front of him. “Impossible… This wooden barricade protected me?” He’d turn to Aqua, who he assumed had created the wood structure. He didn’t know how the wood remained intact and how it didn’t get burnt up or anything from the explosion, perhaps it was just that resilient to fire?

“Thank you… You saved my life! You truly are a great mage.” He bowed before her with tears in his eyes. Looking around at the aftermath, he noticed there were a few who had gotten injured from the blast - Phoebe and the bird. Welp, not everyone was as fortunate to have a great mage by their side. “I really hope that’s all the traps the goblins have laid out for us. Exploding man-eating trees are too much for my heart to handle…” John sighed.

Thankfully nothing much would happen in their remaining journey till they reached their next checkpoint, the hidden mines. Asuka would voice her concerns about being in this cramped up place. “Sounds good to me. Just give us a signal if any goblins are to come.” John replied. Turning to the rest of the group, he'd seek their advice for exploring the cave. "Alright then, shall we split up, or move as a group?"

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Aqua

Elvario Elijay Shatter Shard Develius Clockwork_Magic​

---

Aqua was sure she was screaming when the explosion happened, or maybe not, the noise from the explosion made her deaf for a brief moment. The first thing she heard was John praising her wooden shield. She's not sure if her shield actually works but the shy girl couldn't help but blushing from the compliment.

"I-is it...? Ah, Ehehehe... hehe."

After continuing their journey, they finally arrived at the cave where he goblins were supposed to be. Asuka decided to stay outside, which was understandable, underground for her might be like what sea is for Aqua: terrifying place that made them feel helpless. She nodded an gave the bird a thumb up.

Stepping into the mine, Aqua was amazed by the old dusty sight of the mine. This would be her first time in a place like this. The alchemist kneeled in front of one of the glowing rock. She wasn't sure how well lit the deeper part of the cave would be so she decided to pocket some of the rocks. While she's doing rock gathering, John asked whether they should split up or not.

"I-I think we should stick together." Aqua said nervously, she didn't like the idea of getting separated from the others in this dark unfamiliar place.​

 

[Develius]

​

---

Language Key:
| Common | {Sylvan} |
Mentions:
| Elvario | Shatter Shard | Spoiled Bread | Clockwork_Magic | Elijay |

​

---

While everyone scrambled to get to cover, Flare would remain stalwart as they stared straight at the erupting explosion with a blank expression. After all, only cool people look at explosions. The bulky armored figure seemed sturdy enough for Thane to use them as a shield, not that the fire elemental really noticed at the heat of the moment. While the rest of the party would be feeling the force of a flaming oven attempting to singe them, Flare would feel something akin to a warm heater on a cold day. It was quite pleasant, soothing even. They wouldn't do anything as much as simply standing there, only wincing slightly at the obnoxious pattering of debris clinking against the OVEN suit.

Once the blast died down, Flare would be among the only person standing unharmed and (mostly) unbothered. "Oh... neat." the fire elemental stated nonchalantly, almost as if it was a delayed reaction. Noticing Thane behind them, the hulking armored figured turned to look down at Thane. "You good?" they asked concernedly, before turning to everyone else. Everyone was generally ok, though they noticed Phoebe and Asuka having taken a bit more than everyone else. Still, they seemed only moderately shaken up; they should be able to walk it off no problem.

Eventually, the party would arrive at their destination; a dark cave. Though before they'd enter, they had to bypass the waterfall that hid it. Flare was terrified... and rightfully so! Getting drenched with enough water oughta reduce the fire elemental to nothing but steam and a pile of loose metal. If only they had an umbrella. Still, that was partly what his armor was designed for; but the intrusive thought that it could all go wrong so suddenly had them on edge. So it was a relief after they sprinted through the waterfall that they weren't dead on arrival.

And down they went, deeper and deeper into the cave system until reaching the abandoned mine. It was pretty dark, aside from the dimly lit glow stones adorning the walls and illuminating three paths of adventure for them to choose. However, with their flaming body, Flare's helmet would act like a beacon glowing in the deep dark abyss for any lost travelers to find. However, this was enough to have Asuka excuse themselves from the scene; not that Flare could blame them. It always felt odd having a flying creature be so confined underground.

John would ask if they split up or stick together, with Aqua already confirming they should stick together. Flare nodded in agreement. "Yeah...." they stated. "Feels like you can get real lost in these tunnels. Who knows what's lurking down there? ...well, aside from goblins anyways." They glanced down the choices presented, despite unable to see exactly where they led. Some ought to lead to dead ends... or towards dirty goblins to kill... or maybe reveal some hidden loot? Still, they were on a mission. Best not to get too side tracked.

Flare then pointed towards Path #1. "How about we go this way first?" they suggested.

 

[Shatter Shard]

Thane Embers
"Cleric of the Axe"

Strength
Precision
Intelligence
Vitality
Speed

{ C }
{ F }
{ F }
{ F }
{ D }

E

Active Titles:
Human | Mundane | Holy Order of the Axe Apprentice | Law Cleric

-Ryken-
Sadek County, Highgroove Barony, Faeremeadow

Code by: Shatter Shard

Thane breathed a sigh of relief as he stood on his feet. He gave Flare's shoulder a pat of acknowledgement and nodded. "I am fine. Thank you." He also nodded at John and Aqua, before his gaze landed on Phoebe and Asuka. "You two, I am glad both of you aren't harmed extensively." His tone was laced with concern. Lamenting on being unable to protect and being partially at fault for the explosion, his expression became gloomy as he stowed his great axe. "Let's move. It seems like a scouting party was a bad decision, given that we don't have any scouting skills at all." He moved forward, holding his chin as he pondered.

The walk on the way to the cave was thankfully less active. There were little hurdles, and the barrier between the cave and the group was simply a waterfall. He was worried that Flare wouldn't be able to enter, but it seemed like the armor protected them from external elements as well. Though just before they delved further, Asuka's reluctance made him give the bird a reassuring smile. "If such an enclosed space is not suitable for you, there is no harm in watching the entrance instead." I nodded at her. His brows furrowed as his mind went to work again. "Aqua is right, splitting up would pose a serious risk, but at the same time it would allow greater coverage." He tapped his chin and made a decision. "We'll go towards the first path, as Flare suggested. Then, if it's a dead end, we split into two and search the remaining paths." Thane gestured at Amice, Phoebe, Tahmuras, and Aqua. "You all should take center. Flare and I will take point, and John will take the rear." He then looked at Aqua, and handed her flasks of flammable oil. "I saw your transmutation ability. If it isn't bother, could you perhaps make makeshift lamps?" After making the request, he also went ahead and took some of the glowing stones and distributed it to the others. "We probably won't need much light since Flare is here, but let's prepare them just in case."

SCROLLABLE

Mentions: Shatter Shard Elvario Develius Elijay Spoiled Bread Clockwork_Magic

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: Spoiled Bread , Elvario , Elijay , Develius , Shatter Shard
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

So as it turned out, taking cover behind Asuka in the rush of the moment was not that good of an idea. The force of the explosion sent her flying a few feet backwards, coming to a stop only after rolling on the ground and hitting a nearby tree. Waves of pain shot throughout her body from blisters, cuts, and bruises from the ordeal, but at least she was alive.

"Oww.... Yea, don't worry. I'm alright, Amice." She winced from the pain as she gradually shifted and got up back to her feet, stumbling a bit once she managed to stand back up. "Nothing that wouldn't heal over time, thankfully." Definitely beats dying in an explosion again. She gave a little nod of appreciation as Thane expressed his concerns to Asuka and herself. “Yea, th-thanks.”

The pain gradually subsided as they continued on their journey to the goblin nest. Thankfully, they didn't face any more ambushes on the rest of the way to the goblin nest. Phoebe felt a sense of nervousness creep up on her as they descended the stairs down to the old mine, her nerves being calmed by the presence of the party. She couldn’t lie that there wasn’t at least a little sense of wonder when exploring abandoned places like this, but that wonder was overshadowed by a heavy sense of unease and dread from the knowledge that this place was where a mass of monsters dwelled. “No worries, we’ll count on you to keep watch outside for us.” She said to Asuka as she expressed her desire to go back out. She couldn’t blame her for wanting to do so, birds and confined places such as these mines don’t mix. “I also think that we should stick together. Better getting through this slower than putting us in even more danger than we need to be.” She nodded in agreement to Thane’s suggestions, taking position as part of the group’s center. She probably would have taken the center position even if no one suggested. With very limited melee skills and spells specializing in ranged combat, that’s the place where she felt the most protected while still being able to dish out her spells.