Board 8 > Labyrinth of Ishiene, Topic 3 [CYOA/Forum Game] [ITD8]

(+) Yeah! (+)

for about another 30ish minutes!

although the vote is more or less settled so I can probably start writing now

(it's just a short update anyway)
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I'll toss another vote for Rem, just to seal the deal.
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There was something burning inside of him.
What was that? His legacy? Expectations?
Memories and history and all of that...?
No, those needed to be discarded.
They brought him nothing but pain.
He was swimming, now.

A Phantom among other Phantoms.

But he saw it there, scrawled, backwards in the sky.

'THE WAY BACK'

They were words that no living creature could read.
And he knew it by looking.
They were words that only one Phantom could touch.
If he went home no one else could ever go home again.
Not this way, anyway.
But he also knew that meant something else.
If someone else went home he would lose his chance to go home.

And that... the desire for 'Home'... was burning inside of him.

He scratched on the glass ceiling frantically.
Till his fingers began to scrape away to flesh and bone.
Blood ran down his wrists, blending with his shade.
A world without this 'Red' was nothing but pain, anyway.

"Come on then. Stand up."
Wallace hefted his oversized paddle and took a step backwards.
The Master shifted his feet. He was positioning himself to attack again.
"What are you waiting for?"
The student's eyes darted back and forth.
He was searching for an escape route.
If he moved to regain his feet he'd just be knocked down again.
"You want to teach me something," the student said.
"I should keep my eyes open at all times."
"That if I just get up, you'll knock me d-"

WHAM!

He was struck hard in the side with the paddle which mimic'd a greatsword.
It didn't cleave him in half but it hurt like hell and sent him reeling to the dirt.
"Looks like you didn't learn the lesson then," Wallace said.
"Cause anyone who flaps their gums instead of moving out the way..."
"Is gonna get hit."

"That's just fuckin' common sense."

He was screaming now. Punching the glass.
Kicking the ones below him, forcing them away from his 'Home.'
Those letters would bring him there.
He was melting into the sky now. And through the floor.
The skin that he had once worn had a marvelous sheen to it.
The folds of his armor, the fur on his cloak.
The glint of his blade. All of them humming a pale and yet somehow vibrant 'Red.'

Oh it was inside of him.
Burning.
The desire to KILL. and become WHOLE. again.

Remulel glanced at Mara Raiev.
"Not you," he uttered.

Mara took a step back.
She was holding her Diamond Edge, pointed at him.
She held it in a two handed grip but her hands were shaking.
His killing intent was so strong that it created a physical aura.
It was... not quite burning her, but her hair started to become less straight.
Almost as if she had went outside on a very humid day.
"Rem... you..."

She looked at his corpse, then back at him.
He was there. But he was also here.

Dead, but alive.

Remulel went off in search of the one who had killed him.

[Remulel may now act freely. He has rejoined the roster.]

Remulel, Lvl 19 Phantom [Seeker's Sword]

[Remulel will remain a Phantom for some time, then his form will expire and he will return to nothing.]
[However, if Remulel succeeds in KILLING. he made revive to a fully human form.]
---

Remulel had always known that revenge was meaningless. His master had pounded that philosophy into his head repeatedly over the years. And yet, despite all the warnings, when he had seen the corpse of Remilio - his charge, his companion, his friend - his blood had boiled every last lesson straight out of his head. The revenge he had sought was meaningless and had ultimately cost him his life. But now, granted life anew, Remulel had found a purpose, a driving force behind his actions. Revenge was empty, but vengeance was a sweet, sweet nectar, one he felt could satisfy his deepest desire.

Swiftly, silently, Remulel charges at the Hydramera and slashes the Goat's Head with all his might.
---

Y assists Remulel in attacking the Hydramera by taking off his helmet, throwing it at the goat head, then proceeding to stab it in its face / eyes
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go rem go
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you know the expression 'carried by your team'

Joe literally spent two consecutive turns being carried by teammates while on the verge of death
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final four



HYPE
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Awesome! Will post my action after work. In about 3ish hours.
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MariaTaylor posted...

you know the expression 'carried by your team'

Joe literally spent two consecutive turns being carried by teammates while on the verge of death

He earned it. It isn't like he fled from any Angels or released any Alpha Fiends or anything like that.
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touched up version



masked errors
more detail
less blank space on canvas
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Joe fights
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Anyone going to check the common trait?
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John had fought all his life, whether it survive to the next day, or to halt the advance of the darkness. He fought, and fought, and fought. Too no avail. It seemed like every time he took one step forward, fate pushed him three steps back.

John was growing tired of fighting. He could just run and leave them here to deal with the Hydramera, like the demon and scientist did. John really wanted to see the sunlight, to feel the warmth of the sun's embrace one last time.

But running was not his style.

If John left them here to die, he could never live his life in peace. I guess it was what his comrades would say, before they met their demise. Honor. Well, it was a little more than that. He had seen so much death. His loved ones, his comrades, his allies, all dead.

John resolved himself. He would be dammed if he let them die here, not if he could still stand.

John will assist Y and Joe in killing the Hydramera, using the weapons he was used to, his own flesh and bone.

Thinking about it for a bit, investing the common trait didn't seem helpful in the current predicament, I figured ya'll could use all the help you can get.
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I just figured that it may potentially get that demon involved in the fight to help you guys out but a straight up all out attack is fine to. Just thought to mention it in case anyone wanted to try it out.

side note: gotta love how Joe is just broing it up with everyone in the pic
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two person team attacks are optimal, so I'm going with this action order

remulel + Y team attack

joe + john team attack
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Sounds fine.
---

Rem stalked down the hallways in search of the source of NOISE.
It was banging and crashing so loudly. Just like a dumb beast.
Strange to imagine that such a beast was actually such a clever hunter.
Smart enough to kill him, at least.
But he was also back. ALIVE. but not ALIVE. yet.
To do that he'd need to...

The others were in the compass room, where the corpses of slain Demons rested.
The Affixed Demons had turned to nothingness.
A pile of straw. Sugar scattered on the floor as if spilled from the shelf.
A dark pile of gloppy goo. Whatever that had been.

Well, the damn Hydramera had killed two already.
But Remulel intended to stop it here.
The monster had its back turned and was preparing to strike out at the others.
Softly padding. Remulel raised his sword.

"Plague---...." the Goat Head incanted.

From the other side they would see nothing but a brief red shine.
A flash of light.
Then a streak of color as he shot through to the other side.
Accompanied by a spray of blood.
The Seeker's Sword would not FORGET. and it had a GOAL. to achieve now!

But it definitely wouldn't be this easy.
Inflicting a minor wound wouldn't win him the battle.
Rather, here, on this side, he was with his allies.
And they were always stronger together.

Remulel pivoted and moved to deliver a finishing blow.

Y... could not let him go alone.
He had no idea how Rem was still alive.
Or maybe Rem wasn't alive.
Maybe this was all a dream.
Then again, he didn't know that much about this dimension.
Maybe people coming back as glowing red ghosts was a common occurrence?

Y flung his helmet at the face of the monster and then charged forward with his knife bared.
All he knew for certain was that if they worked together they just might win this one.

Rem's short flashed. Brilliant and red.
"I assure you," Master Wallace told him.
"No matter what anyone says you are no prodigy."
"You can only fail. And fail and fail and fail again."

Remulel's sword, filled with Memory and the burden of the past... faltered [1].

"I'll cover you!" Y chimed. He moved around the Compass at an awkward angle and charged.

The Hydramera swatted the incoming projectile out of the air.
Below him, Rem was off balance and easy pickings.
Ahead, the Neonite was charging in but left himself open to be countered.
And how to handle such a situation?

Obviously, Hydramera was ready for just this kind of moment.
The spacing, the the terrain around them, he'd studied it as soon as he entered the room.
It was the newest chess board. He set it up in his head and went over all the possible moves.

That's because Joe, the enemy "KING" was somehow still standing on the other side.
The Goat would never let this go.
He'd placed that KING in check so many times already, and it still escaped.

Now, he was setting up a certain Checkmate.

The Hydramera tumbled forward, crashing heavily onto all four legs once again.
The Lion's face squashed against the ground with a gross thumping sound.
As he pressed his torso against the stone, however,
The tails behind whipped forward.

One of the snake fangs in the Hydras mouth caught Rem in the face, slashing his face open.
He was sent reeling and tumbled away.

Then the Hydramera took a step forward and drove his head into the advancing Neonite.
With a ramming attack he managed to headbutt his opponent.
A knife was powerful but it couldn't even manage to make contact here!
With no space to maneuver around the Compass, Y was pushed back into it and crushed [1].
---

His breath was knocked out of him and he was badly injured once again.

And Joe, the "KING," was finally cornered.
There wasn't a person here who could protect him now.

Only a single pawn without a weapon.

The Goat's eyes studied him carefully and dangerously.

You may keep running as you have done before.
That will lead to a Stalemate. Or, worse, I will corner you and kill you.
You may try to fight but it will be hopeless.
You won't be able to win against me.
You can rely on your allies but I will continue to crush them.

Joe was truly a cornered King in that moment.
There wasn't a single intelligent move he could make.
He wasn't in Checkmate yet, but there was no move he could make.

Any move that he made would put him into Checkmate.

Joe, in a last act of desperation... well...

One might expect him to run, but that's not what he did.
Joe advanced. The KING advanced forward, hoping to push back the enemy tide.

His whip came free and cracked against the ground at his side.
His leg went high, his boot touching the Compass.
He stepped forward and climbed onto it while lunging ahead.

"Are we going now?!" John lamented.
But if they were going then he was going to go, too.

This was the move of the Rallying King.
And it wasn't a move that you used in Chess.
This was a move you used in real war.

Joe grabbed the Chess Board and threw it off the table.
He ran forward and inspired the ones standing beside him, and behind him.

He ran forward...

... right into the mouth of madness.

CRUNCH

The Goat's Mouth caught Joe inside of it.
This time he wasn't letting go.
He'd already lowered his head, but it was no trouble to shift his posture again.
He crushed Y under him while tilting his Goat Head upward over the Compass table.
To catch the interloper coming his way.

Throw the game board aside?
Ha!
What kind of shitty logic was that?
They were playing Chess.
They had been playing Chess.

Just because a "sore loser" flips over the table doesn't change the fact that they've lost.

Joe howled in pain as his bones and his body was crunched in the mouth of the enemy [1].
Y pushed upward, trying to break free of the heavy weight on top of him.
He was struggling to push to the surface.
But he rested there, weak and helpless, as blood began to drip down from above.
It was like a light rainfall.
Warm, though. Not cold like rain.

John couldn't advance this time.
The strength had been beaten out of him.
He halted just in time to avoid a swipe of the Goat's claw [2].
And then fell back, wondering about how to keep fighting from this insane position.

They were... losing. It was a losing battle.

The eyes of the Goat shined.
And a cloud of death erupted from nothingness.
The power to summon DEATH from nothing.
The kind of magic that couldn't be denied.
Couldn't be resisted.

Joe's corpse was spit aside as vapor rose from the floor.

John raised his hands in front of him. How to attack next? How to-

The cloud rose beneath him.
A wild swipe? That easy to dodge?
As if.

All he'd done is retreat one square,
Right into the line of fire of a waiting Bishop.

The Plague Cloud rose, catching him, and consuming him.

John opened his mouth to scream but nothing would come out.
The cloud of death was eating at him.
Eating even the air that came out of his lungs.
His mouth, his throat, his insides.

They were all stripped away.
---

And beings who came from Sea-Quartz would do well to remember it.
From here on out, remember it.

The power of the Alpha Fiends.
Creatures that resist even the corruption of DARKNESS.
Something to fear, even more than the power which had destroyed the world that John and Joe came from.

Hydramera had marked them for death.
It was as simple as that.

[Note: At this point there is really not much else to do other than attack again]
[For that reason, similar to the Clarine fight, I'm going to proceed to the next round right away]

"PETRIFY!" the Goat cried out.

"We can't let him-" Remulel began.

Y popped out from under the Goat at exactly that moment.
Bloody and beaten, he somehow rolled to his feet. "No, not again!"

If this incantation finished, the two were dead.
That was all there was to it.
It really came down to this final moment.
In a series of reckless gambles.
A chain of what seemed liked rolls of cruel dice, that decided their fate.
There was really only two outcomes.

VICTORY. and DEFEAT.

And somehow it really all did come down to one final roll of the dice.

"For Esland!" Remulel declared. His blade burned brilliant, like fire.

"Sea-Quartz!" Y chimed in. They were fighters from different lands.

Brought together by a common cause.

Survival.

Master Wallace appeared there, on the back of the Hydra.
Protecting his flank.
He wasn't holding a paddle anymore.
Today he held a Greatsword.
A real blade.
He meant to cut Remulel in half.
His eyes crackled gleefully.
His fingers twisted around the haft.
The blade rose.

Remulel dashed in.
Lightning struck the ground between them.
Red embers erupted.

The creature spun, tails flickering.

Y saw flashes of death and loss.
He stared into the forest of memory.
And between the trees he saw them.

Fool.

His hand wrapped around.

Sylvester.

His arms extended.

Remulel.

No, that guy was still alive?

IG-59.

His legs were planted.

Joe.

His knees bent.

John.

Y lunged forward.

Rem's blade sliced through the past, vanquishing that other phantom of memory.
The Seeker's Sword was looking for something now.
Redemption, perhaps? Or just a happy ending?

Either way the point of the blade found what it was looking for [3].

And Y, at the same time, abandoned all of the grief that had been weighing him down.
Rather than mourn the loss of his new friends he had made here.
Instead, he decided, it was time to make sure that he lived on in their stead.
He would honor everything that they gave in order to get him this far [3].

The Compass Table split in half with a cracking sound.

A great X was drawn in stone as the two fighters rushed past.
One blade was buried deep in the hide of the Hydramera and stripped away his skin and flesh.
It was like peeling a leather pelt off of a creature while it yet lived.
And the other, in this moment of pain and weakness, caught time itself on the point of a knife.
Gold and iron. Glimmering blood. The fountain of death.

Remulel spun, landing on the other side.

Y cartwheeled. He flipped. Then skidded across the ground and came to a rest.

He fell to one knee. ".... Huh..."

The eyes of the Goat began to glow brilliantly.
A beam flickered.
Shooting forward.

... then faded.

The weight of the Hydramera crashed to a steady rest at last.

Remulel collapsed.

He wanted to KILL.
He needed to KILL.

He closed his eyes.
Shaking his head.
---

"No... no...."

He didn't want to.

Just to stay alive? He'd have to KILL.?

BUT HE NEEDED IT.

REMULEL NEEDED-


.... The urge faded.

The glow faded.

He felt himself returning to normal.

His chest and his heart came to a rest at last.

He could almost sleep here. Just fall asleep for a week.
And then when he woke up he'd finally go home.

It was over, wasn't it?

[The End]


Don't worry, there's plenty of Results and Epilogue stuff to come.
I will definitely wrap up all of the loose ends of the game.
It's just more dramatic to have it end right this way on a high/climactic note!

That being said there will also be some cool postgame stuff.
If you died a while ago (or recently) and you're still following along, feel free to pay attention!
There will be a chance to submit a fresh batch of characters for the Postgame.

Expect the Postgame to be a more story based thing without any gameplay or rolls.
For that reason you may also feel comfortable submitting a character that you care more about.
Since they won't just die randomly from rolling a 1.

Anyway, firstly, congrats to the winners of this game.

REMULEL, the Level 21 Redeemer. Played by lefty.

Y, the Level 19 Living Wish. Played by pk2k.
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yeah i really shouldnt have pressed that button oops
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Amazingly, for as long as they've been playing, I don't think Lefty or pk2k has EVER won a game. so having them both win a game together is pretty historic.

ProkhorZakharov posted...

yeah i really shouldnt have pressed that button oops

nah, a final battle was incoming regardless. don't blame Joe. choosing to press the button only gave Joe a free surprise attack against the enemy. which actually ended up being important. you dealt 1 damage to Hydra at the start of the fight, and Merchant finished him off with 1 damage later on. imagine if you hadn't done that?

Remulel and Y would still be fighting against Hydra now. or, more likely, everyone would already be dead from the two rounds of extra attacks.
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Holy hell Y actually won!? I wasn't really planning for that

Also Lefty did win back in ITD3 if I recall right (unless I am thinking of someone else)
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special triggers during the final boss fight

pods downstairs - unleash a wave of adds to attack the hydramera. similar to the beta fiends used against Qslvl in the previous fight. not a guaranteed hit or anything but it does keep the player who unleashes them away from harm for a full turn and is basically a 'free' potential attack.

weapon - retrieve the Liquid Light axe. someone did this. this is the only boss fight trigger that I didn't include an action with, because the LL Axe is so good that I feel like just picking it up gave a big enough bonus.

Wilvalken - triggers a turn where Remulel automatically strikes a target for 1 damage without any risk.

turned to stone - this will appear whenever the first target is petrified during the battle. causes the petrified target to be cured and the person who cures them to be healed if they are injured (let's face it, everyone spent this fight injured most of the time)

common trait - triggers a conversation between Vambrace, Patry, and the Examiner. this gets Vambrace to participate in the battle instead of running away. he begins fighting immediately, so triggering him is valuable whether you do it early on or later. however, it's better the earlier you do it.
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Wait actually bigger surprise

WE ACTUALLY "WON" AN ITD GAME!?



been too long (guess it was lucky number 8)
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I submit

Rutherford Hayes - Frantish knight and previously thought dead owner of Aron Rex
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woo!

happy that one of the original party (or at least the first floor party) ended up winning
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Final Scores

Remulel: 26,000
Y: 21,000

FULL DEATH LISTS

Floor 1:
1. Revilio saw the Five Fingers of Death. Just a glimpse is enough.
2. Esme was ambushed by the Five Fingers of Death. Lowered her guard for only a moment.
3. Ishiene was melted by some projectile acid. Should've used her sword. Er, Adams' sword.
4. Bones died from overwhelming sadness. Can a skeleton weep?
5. Tabi was slain with the Wand of Vaporization. Died saving Adams...
6. S was killed while protecting the others from Social Anxiety Kobolds.
7. Sanders tried to negotiate with monsters and got killed. Too good for this world.
8. Dust was impaled by the Imperishable Knight. Moon Presence...
9. Isildur had his head smacked against a wall. Wear a helmet, next time.
10. Spider-Mana was killed by Red Wizards [Inactivity]
11. Steveth was killed by Red Wizards [Inactivity]
12. Batiri was killed by Red Wizards [Inactivity]

Floor 2:
1. Torun was killed by the Hyper Insect Swarm. These are not your run of the mill generic mobs.
2. Dee challenged Short to a battle over the Demon Soul. Short wanted it more.
3. Lionel was killed by the Hyper Insect Swarm. His story ends here.
4. Morris died making a defensive stand against the enemies.
5. Morgan died while trying to avoid the fighting.
6. M was hit with an Arrow of Fate from YUKI ENMA. It was her destiny to die here.
7. Gorbachev became a victim of Clarine's power of Reversal. Lakanito!
8. Kasia was hit from behind by a Super Clumsiness Attack. How do you defend against THAT?
9. Smith died just as he was introduced. Fell to the ultimate Error.
10. Luna was cut to pieces by Kaguya's claws. The first Sheep to perish.
11. Vendrix fell before the might of the Soft Block. Lost to the Queen of Failure.
12. Grigorov was taken out by a jump float serve. Get the hell off my court.
13. Aron Rex was eaten by Kaguya. It's the new wolf-eat-dog world.
14. Carl put his life on the line to save Kaguya. But he failed, and therefore...
15. Larrington sacrificed himself to give Carwen a chance at victory.

Floor 3:
1. Carwen. Smashed to pieces by the Proto Fiend. Fast!
2. Gil. Died to Qslvl. There was Nothing he could do about it.
3. Stunt. Found life, but all living things eventually die. Purged by Qslvl.
4. Quovadis. The Angel was not stupid enough to turn his back on this guy again. Killed him instead.
5. Fool was crushed by Sylph for being a stupid, dumb, stupidface. Ha!
6. Sylvester was killed by Sylph. Guess all those books didn't help him figure out how to survive.
7. Remulel was ripped apart by the Hydra Heads. Marked for death by Hydramera.
8. IG-59 was disintegrated by the Goat Heads. You win some, you lose some.
9. Joe finally walked into a Checkmate. Killed by the Goat Head.
10. John was swallowed by a Plague Cloud. Instant Death came for him.

Looks like Floor 2 was technically the most deadly floor, although I'd hazard a guess that Floor 3 had the higher concentration of deadly enemies and more deaths in a short period of time.

Strongest Enemies

Clarine: 5 Kills
Hydramera: 4 Kills (High Level)
Kaguya: 4 Kills
Hyper Insects: 4 Kills
Qslvl: 3 Kills (High Level)
Five Fingers of Death: 3 or 4 Kills (Low Level)
Imperishable Knight: 3 or 4 Kills (Low Level)
Sylph: 2 Kills (High Level)

The level of players they killed is noteworthy and was used to break ties. I also felt Slyph was the only 2 kill source worth mentioning because lets face it, had she lived she would have gone on to kill many more players. Focus fire on her to take her down quickly was a very key move to prevent her from getting an insane killstreak.

Clarine, being the only one to wipe a party, has the highest kill count.
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color version
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Keaton Spade (Not recognized by the Spade family)- A young member of the clan of beastkin (can't remeber if this is what they're called) that claims to be of Spade blood. Just like his cousin before him, he seeks to prove that his clan is decended from great swordsman while looking for his missing cousin.
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Was bored so made a quick thing. Lets have a look back on the games as part of 8th finale on b8

(as summarized by single spongebob pics)


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1: tower of mind flayers
2: not sure? maybe a loose reference to Ugly Annie's 3 summons
3: truman's golden hand?
4: not sure? franchise fatigue maybe? hahaaa
5: ANGELS
6: traitor girl miri EVIL
7: ALIENS (sums it up pretty well)
8: LABORATORY

the first one is obvious, last four are pretty straightforward. I struggle most with 2-4
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Yeah some were kinda hard to find good pics for but my view was

1. Tower. Obvious

2. Couldn't think of a good ref for Annie and that one was more of a "general dungeon adventure" from what I recall (that and Banshee)

3. Underspire (and Snow Black shenanigans hence the ADVANCED DARKNESS pic choice)

4. Our feel by the end. Patrick is Kanon. (had hardest time thinking of something to fit it)

5. ANGELS

6. Not just that but like a lot of stuff during that game in general? Like the other NPC with us who also tried to screw everyone over combined with the Age of Villains thing

7. "ALIENS"

8. LABORATORY
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Hey look Aron made the picture
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Rainn - deadbeat golemancer (does not pay golem support)
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[Aftermath]

"... Ugh..."

Remulel was holding his side in pain. He was badly injured. All over his body felt hurt.
It seemed like dying and being brought back hadn't really improved his health all that much.
Plus has face felt warm and stung from the fresh blood running freely.
That must have been a deep cut he received just a moment ago.

"Is this it? Am I going to bleed to death here?"

"No," a voice answered him from the darkness.
It was Mara Raiev. She was kneeling beside him.
Just where the hell had she come from?
Watching this entire time?

"I suppose your chance to land a decisive blow never came?"
Remulel half taunted her. But he couldn't blame her for not acting.
"Waited too long again..."

Mara took out a phial of elixir that she had looted from the laboratory below.
"Well, I figured I would let you land the finishing stroke."
"It was in your best interest to look cool here."
"For me..." Mara paused for a moment, letting the magic do its work.
Remulel felt a slight burn but his wounds were mending.
He'd at least survive long enough to go and receive treatment.
"I'm fine if no one notices my contributions."

Y looked at the two there, hesitantly, and tried to work up the courage to say something.
Being hot blooded in battle was one thing.
But having a conversation with beings from another dimension could be a bit nerve wracking.
Was he really built to handle this kind of social anxiety?
"Um..."

Remulel curled up in a ball for a moment, seeming to shudder the pain away.
Then he slowly unfurled himself and crawled to his feet.
"Y, I think we did it there. Didn't we?"

"Yeah." Y was still in disbelief himself. "I guess so."
Had he really helped all that much, though?
Maybe. He must have.
Maybe victory could not have been seized if it was Remulel fighting alone.
Who was to say?

"Do you think... " Y hesitated.
His eyes drifted to the corridor that led east.
"Do you think I should return home?"
Honestly, this place was scary as hell.
Just what kind of world had he stumbled into.
With monster like that lurking around seemingly every corner...

Mara thumped him on the head.
"Come outside first. There's something I want you to see."

The trek down the Long Passage was darker than the first time.
There were no more flares or torches left.
They felt their ways along the wall and moved toward the sources of light that came from the first floor.
The chambers here were lit.
The signs of battle and struggle were still visible in the halls above ground.
Kobolds and heroes, the Imperishable Knight, all corpses now.

Then, the group approached the Large Gate.
This is the Seal that had been broken.

A Seal is meant to separate the 'Inside' from the 'Outside.'

Since coming here, then, Y and the others had only spent time on the 'Inside.'
Y stepped across the threshold. His eyes were burning as he looked up.
This kind of brightness was not something he was used to.
The light of the full sun, shining down on him.
Shining down on the world.
Filling it with brightness and a vibrancy that he had never known before.
This was it.
This was John's dream, and Joe's dream, that he had lived on to experience.

And, a little bit, it felt like... maybe...

Y had fulfilled some wish of his own by seeing it.

He lit up. Glee ran through his body.
The mood of the Neonite escalated. All of his emotional signals spiked.
Then, he pushed his fists into the air and let out a shout.

"WAAHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
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The Broken Order : The Knights of Frantz who had departed on this journey were all vanquished in battle. It was all Remulel could to do return the cloak of Adams to the Iron Knight and Queen Mina. Though their strength had diminished, the Frantish Kingdom could always rely on their allies in Esland to support them. The bonds between the two countries grew stronger than ever. While an opportunistic ruler might see this as a chance to seize power, rather, instead, Queen Lana of Esland saw this as no different from helping any other friend in need.

A New Costume : Clarine, having escaped from her post in Sea-Quartz, discovered the Ribbon Dress. She was able to change her costume and her personality to some extent as she needed. Her goal was to act as a Frantish aristocrat and blend in with the nobility there. However, as with all things, she failed miserably at this and became a social outcast instead. Rumor has it that Lady Clarine has gone forth to find new costumes and expand her range of abilities by changing into them.

Scavenging Ravens : Mara Raiev returned to her order with boundless technology, artifacts, and information that she retrieved from the SECRET LAB. With this information they were able to gain a huge advantage over the remnants of the Red Magi Circles and chase them out of the Northern Tundra. Most curiously they made it their goal to seize the tower which had once been held by the Glass Heart Witch. None could yet guess what purpose the Ravens had here, or why they found this a valuable location to capture... or why the Reg Mages had been pilfering the place to begin with.

Now You See It, Now You Don't : Patry and Vambrace were able to escape during the confusion of the final battle. Considering the purpose of the experiments in the SECRET LAB was to destroy human society, Remulel made an important note to track these assholes down later and exterminate them. If nothing else he felt like Short would probably be happy if he squashed that bug and ruined his life's work.

A New Home : Y spent some time in the Frantish Kingdom and was amazed at the culture which humans and fiends had built there. However, he decided to go south with Remulel to the Kingdom of Esland. It was there that he met Dalamar, a Goblin who served as one of the chief advisors to Queen Lana. Dalamar was incredibly intelligent and curious, and was deeply interested in the portal below Ishiene's Labyrinth... as well as the world of Sea-Quartz. Although at times it felt like he was being grilled for information, Y was just happy to have someone that he could talk freely with. Dalamar and Remulel also helped him adjust by finding him a place to live and teaching him that staring was rude, among other important rules of human society.

Journey to High Point : Remulel last went on an excursion to the Shrine of the Wind in High Point, at the southern cape of Esland. Ever since Hepertine, the God of the Winds, made contact here it had become a bustling center for scientific research as well as religious advancement. The nearby school was one which Carwen had attended and then taught at. He figured they may want to know what happened to her. And, on some level, he was also interested in seeing whether or not he could hear Hepertine's voice if he prayed here. However, there was a shrine maiden who told him that's not how prayer worked. She kicked him out of the temple.

My New Friend : Sunday was able to become friends with the Princess of Esland. Although no one is really sure how this happened. Or why so much trust was placed in a stranger. Or what her intentions are. Oh well. There's probably no way this could go badly, right?

[Coming Soon: The Knights of Esland // POSTGAME]
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I think it's somewhat fitting, ending the game with a player from Purgatory and one from Sea-Quartz. One knows the impact of what we've done and can follow up on it, the other gets the chance to really live their life finally.
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The Knights of Esland

In this postgame Lana Lake, the Queen of Esland, will be calling upon a council of those from all the Kingdoms on the eastern continent in order to wage a certain campaign. The exact nature of the campaign has been decided but the objectives have not. It will be up to the members of the council to decide where to best spend their resources.

The members of the council will be made of player-generated characters from different places in the Eastern Kingdoms. These include but are not limited to:

Esland: Essentially all of the eastern kingdoms are ruled by Esland and Queen Lana. Aside from the other large kingdoms worth mentioning, everything else on the map would just be listed within the borders of Esland. Even those other kingdoms are considered to be part of Esland, but they have some measure of independence. Anyway this is a huge area and includes many large noble houses. For that reason, there will probably be multiple people from noble houses in Esland who will be invited to join the council.

Frantz: The Frantish Kingdom is situated at the border of the Northern Mountains and has maintained its independence for a long time. However, they are essentially a vassal of the royal Esland kingdom. Because they just waged a large scale campaign of their own in the North, it's unlikely they'll be able to contribute much. I'd prefer if only one or two characters come from this region since it was already a heavy focus in the last game (Rutherford is a good qualifier if Ed still wants to submit him)

Northern Rock: Once known as the Disputed Kingdom, these are essentially the mountain fortresses that border the Northern Tundra. They rebelled against the crown for a long time but have since come back into the fold. There are a lot of mercenaries and knights here but it's honestly mostly smallfolk just trying to make a living. Still, it's possible they would send some representation to such a council.

Tundra: The areas north of the mountains which are nearly inhospitable. There used to be a dwarvish kingdom here long ago but it has not really existed for quite some time. You largely have nomadic humans, those who camp in the dwarven ruins, and secretive magical societies. If a player wishes to create a representative of the Ravens to send to the Council they may do so. Otherwise, I may just re-use Mara or simply not have them send anyone depending on how crowded the roster is.

High Point: The southern cape where the shrine to Hepertine was built. There is a mountain here as well but it's nothing like the northern ranges. These lands were previously undeveloped but they have experienced explosive growth in the last ten years. Alura Badaura, a Priestess, also invited her husband here from Arland. So, in a weird way, High Point also serves as a sort of embassy to the Arland empire which is on the western continent. I'm fine with High Point characters being submitted and if we get like one person from Arland I wouldn't be too unhappy. I don't want the roster flooded with Arland characters and if only a few are submitted I don't think I'd like if one of them was from Arland since this is supposed to be a quest for the sake of Queen Lana. Doesn't make sense for people to come across the ocean just for her sake when they have their own war to fight.

There are really a few major qualifications I'm looking for here in submissions.
1. Mortality. No Devils, Demons, Angels, Outsiders, etc. Normally I don't place restrictions on characters but these really should be typical human and fiend races.
2. Relevance. Your character should not just be some random guy or girl. They need to be a person that would be sent to an important meeting.
3. Purpose. I want to know where they come from and why they came to the council.
4. Scope. Don't submit an overpowered character who can solve the quest in five minutes.

And with that... Let's get some OFFICIAL SUBMISSIONS!
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Oh, quick note:

Remulel and Y can be submitted by lefty and pk2k if they wish to continue those characters into this postgame quest. However, lefty and pk2k are NOT obligated to resubmit these characters. They can introduce something new if they wish.
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Sir Reginald von Bartlesby, duke of the lands of Marietta, hereby joins the campaign.
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@Gatarix

Rainn is workable as well. I don't think the ability to make and control golems is exactly a common ability. though I would like a more official submission which gives at least some more information on where he is from and why he'd be interested in participating.

(obviously when you created him you didn't know the scope and details of the quest, but yeah I'm looking for a little more information here than on a typical submission of a character that just walks into a door, rolls a 1, bites his tongue and dies)
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I'm debating between a researcher from High Point and a noble in charge of large scale logistics from Esland.
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Sen is a knight hailing from the Northern Rocks. He built his reputation on being the strongest knight in the fort he lived in, specializing in unarmed combat where his comrades and competition specialized in their weapons.

The leader of his fort sent him to join the campaign without telling him the details.
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Name: Martin Spade
Race: Human
Relevance: A fairly young tactician and swordsman of the Spade family that has received high marks in almost all courses at the Academy, his only flaw was his rash nature with heading into the fray when it was in front of him.
Purpose: To plan the movements of a small group into conflicts and fight alongside them.
Scope: While he is incredibly adept in a 1 vs. 1 combat his odds of victory diminish as more opponents attack at once. He also wears a ring that dampens the effects of magics cast on him.
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I do still want to submit Rutherford
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Name:Daven Blackwater
Race: Human
Relevance: Older brother to Donovan Blackwater and heir to the legacy of the Blackwater clan- A large family of necromancers that isolate them selves from civilization in the tundra. At a young age, Daven began his practice of the dark arts under the watchful eye of his father. His natural aptitude for necromancy was quickly noticed, resulting in many of the Black water family to view him as a prodigy. As time passed his mastery of necromamcy grew and though he hasn't mastered every aspect of the dangerous magic, he considers himself an expert in the fields he has studied of it.
Purpose: To provide magical assaults/ support whenever possible during combat.
Scope: His magic can easily be adapted to attack a single target or multiple enemies. With so much focus being directed toward his magical prowess left him lacking physically. To combat the various...effects necromancy often has on ones mind, specifically his sanity, Daven has modified his family crest to absorb these effects. This countermeasure would have devastating effects on the wearer if busted.
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Rainn the Golemancer hails from the Tundra, as the representative of the Undercity, a secretive magical society. Undercity was not actually invited to send a representative, but they did so anyway to ensure that their interests are not threatened by the upcoming campaign (or otherwise).
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Name: Jesse Erensworth
Race: Human
Relevance: Kent Erensworth's older brother and the current head of his family. The Erensworth family are famous for having explored and drawn maps for most of the known world. Having studied his father's notes and drawings and assisting his father in many explorations, he is no amateur.
Purpose: To lead and guide members of the council through the lands they will campaign in.
Scope: While he is a natural in finding new pathways and exploring, he isn't completely useless in combat either. Having also been trained close combat techniques with the longsword and his hands to fight against hostiles they would inevitably encounter, he is no master by far but he isn't a novice either.
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