[Outside Yvalia] Eastern Outpost

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Aug 2014

939

[Mission NPC]
Celestia Mayer von Rothschild
New information about Celestia Mayer von Rothschild will be added to her profile after it is revealed IC.

Celestia was relieved to finally step into this place. As it was inaccessible to the public, it had required a certain level of exertion of influence to get here. That said, it paled in comparison to the difficulty of hiring the SOULs, whom she was eager to meet. She was painfully aware that the guards were keeping a close eye on her, and giving them a friendly wave hadn't changed that.

She checked her phone, a fairly fancy newer model. After all, she needed it for a variety of things. Stock exchanges and business deals together with keeping in contact with the sparse friends and allies she had around the world. Right now, however, she was glad to see a message that she could expect the SOULs to show up any moment.

That said, she had to dial a certain number first... “Asha, where are you?” … “Come again...?” … “You're kidding me.” … “Did you forget what I said about first impressions? This won't work.” … “Right... Just hurry, please, okay?” With that, she hung up. It seemed like her own employee was running late due to getting distracted. How embarrassing.

Nov 14, 2018 9:29 PM

Offline

Dec 2011

1121

Eukina Watashi

Health: 150 / 150
Prana: 145 / 145
Stamina: 150 / 150
• STR: C • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
• SPD: C • AGL: C • PER: C • REC: E
AG Status: Bow / Dagger
Current Status: Normal
Skills Active: Eagle Eye

After getting to the gate, Eukina saw the VIP her team was expected to escort. She made her way to the woman, Celestia, waiting until her call was finished before speaking, "Miss Rothschild? I am from the group Astraea hired to protect you. Before we leave, I ask you take these-" Eukina said, [b]handing Celestia the items she bought in the shop, including the revival bracelet.

"I don't want our team to seem incompetent, but these are only for added security. Please wear the bracelet now, and if you happen to get hurt, please drink a potion. None of us may get the opportunity to give you a potion during a battle, should it arupt. I'm also not sure about our healer being able to heal you... Anyways, Alexander will explain our plan when he arrives. I think he is the most capable one of making a plan." Eukina said, listening to anything Celestia said, then nodding to her, and summoning her bow, moving to stand a bit away from Celestia, staring out in the distance, waiting for them to move out.

The guard duty had alraedy started.

Nov 15, 2018 1:55 AM

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Aug 2014

939

[Mission NPC]
Celestia Mayer von Rothschild
New information about Celestia Mayer von Rothschild will be added to her profile after it is revealed IC.

Celestia was quite surprised by the first SOUL to show up. It was a particularly blue-haired red-eyed Human, something you didn't see often. More surprising than her appearance, however, was that she handed her;

Minor Health Potion x2
Regular Health Potion x1
Revival Bracelet x1

Celestia accepted it, putting the bracelet on whilst listening to the explanation. Once that was done, she'd reply. “Thank you, and feel free to just call me Celestia.” Having given a good look at the items, she'd follow up. “These look quite expensive though, are you sure you want to hand it all over?” If Eukina was, then she'd continue. “Let's hope I'll be able to hand them back when we're at our destination, in that case~” After all, it seemed like any situation in which she wouldn't need these was the better option.

Short after, the Human summoned a bow, after claiming some Alexander would explain the plan when he arrived. “Alright. That reminds me, what do I call you, miss?” Trying to learn the names of those whom would protect her was the least she could do, after all.

Nov 15, 2018 2:09 PM

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Lucia Flores

Health: 150/150
Prana: 200/200
Stamina: 100/100
AG: Not Summoned
• STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: C • RES: C
• SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: E • REC: E
Current Status: Normal
Skills Active: Sacred Wings (Passive), Blessing (Passive), Angelic Vision (Passive)
Current Equipment: None

Lucia left the mission hall, walking over to the Eastern Outpost. The place unnaturally being a miniature desert reminded her of something unpleasant, but something else distracted her from that thought: the vampire they were supposed to escort. Like most vampires, she had unusually pale skin and disturbing red eyes. And when Lucia tried to get a read on her life energy to see how strong she was...

What..?!

She couldn't see any of the life force keeping Celestia un-alive, no matter how much she stared. She's hiding her power... It was the only conclusion. Just like that one ambiguous looking boy (Senza) who had explained Eden's purpose, Lucia couldn't see her life force at all. It made Lucia even more suspicious than before, which wasn't easy to do. What did Celestia have to hide..?

However, she didn't want the vampire to know what she thought just yet, since she doubted she'd get a truthful answer if she just asked why she concealed her presence in that way. So, Lucia didn't say anything for now, waiting for the others to arrive. It seemed she already had reason to doubt Lysett's optimism in the nature of Unholy...

Nov 15, 2018 2:35 PM

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Edward Durand

Health: 200/200
Prana: 150/150
Stamina: 100/100
AG: Not Summoned
• STR: C • VIT: B • WIL: E • RES: E
• SPD: D • AGL: E • PER: D • REC: E
Current Status: +1 Vitality
Skills Active: Master Guard (Passive), Survival Drive (Passive/Inactive)
Current Equipment: Knight Honor (+1 Vitality)

Edward went to the Eastern Outpost, seeing Eukina who somehow got there first even though she went shopping on the way and Lucia there already, along with Celestia. The maid was for some reason absent, though...

Walking over to the group, Edward introduced himself to their client. "Good morning. My name is Edward Durand, and I am in the group Astraea sent to guard you." He noticed that the divine lady was staying a little farther back, obviously not enjoying working with unholy, while Eukina had no issues with it and was already on guard (not that it was necessary here). He just hoped their healer's poor attitude wouldn't be a problem on the mission...

He also had something to ask, even if it was a bit obvious. "I remember hearing you had a maid, but she isn't here...Do you know where she is?" There was a chance their plans might have changed at the last minute, but it was more likely that she was just late. There at least didn't seem to be any time constraint for when they needed to arrive, so waiting a little while longer wouldn't be that much of a problem.

Nov 15, 2018 3:51 PM

Offline

Dec 2011

1121

Eukina Watashi

Eukina nodded to Celestia, both confirming she'll call her Celestia, and that Eukina wanted her to use them, "Yes, Celestia, your safety is the highest priority." And after Celestia asked Eukina's name, she replied, "It's Eukina, nice to meet you." Before she went back on the unnecessary guard duty.

It wasn't long before the others showed up: Lucia, who seemed very wary of the Unholy, and Edward, who asked where the maid was, something Eukina hadn't asked because I forgot because she assumed the Maid was going to arrive soon...

Or she got ambushed on the way...

Arona

Health: 100 / 100
Prana: 250 / 250
Stamina: 100 / 100
Barrier: Desummoned
• STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: B • RES: E
• SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: C • REC: E
Current Status: Normal
Appearence: Wearing Dragon horns and a tail
Skills Active: Conservation (PermanentSPELLs require 85% Prana Costs), Static Charge

Arona arrived soon after, ahead of Alex who didn't have S speed, so therefore he was useless, and couldn't get here fast enough, and waited until Edward was done talking with the Vampire, before sticking her hand out to shake Celestia's if she offered hers. Arona would cover Celestia's hand with her own and smile at the Unholy, "Hello dear~, my name is Arona, I'm a fan of what your organization does~, especially Carita~, I so adore her singing~. Anyways, I'm a part of the group escorting you, so please let me know if you need anything~!" Letting out a little wave before going to join Lucia, poking her in the cheek, "And why do you look so down dear? It's just a vampire, you needn't worry about those~, the dragons are the ones to fear for~."

Nov 15, 2018 4:14 PM

HeiJ

Offline

Aug 2013

1250

Lysett Blythe

Health: 150/150
Prana: 200/200
Stamina: 100/100
Astral Gear: 0
STR: E VIT: E WIL: C RES: E SPD: E AGL: E PER: D REC: E

Status Effects:

Conservation (Permanent)
Levitation(Permanent/Active)

Lysett reached the gate shortly after the others, where Celestia was already waiting for them. The Unholy lady was pale as would be expected from a vampire, but with all the elegance that would be expected from her position. Introducing herself, Lysett greeted Celestia. "Good morning, Ms. Celestia. I'm sure the other have told you already, but we're here as your bodyguards. I'm Lysett Blythe! Nice to meet you."

HeiJNov 15, 2018 4:36 PM

Nov 15, 2018 8:15 PM

Canaas

Offline

Oct 2014

478

Alexander Reinhardt

(Armor unsummoned)

As they were in the Mission Hall talking about the plan Lysett pointed out something that in combination with Eukina's issue earlier, convinced him it probably wasn't going to work to try the portal strategy that way. "That, and you could get picked off first if you're found before the rest of the group, without any of us being able to support you. I suppose it might not be that safe of a plan after all to keep you separate at a distance, even if it could allow more stealth. We probably can't rely on any reinforcements, and we'll not have any safe base to retreat to as we did in the ambush mission. But if Eukina can scout out any CS in the distance a long while before they see us, we should still have better control over the situation." Getting more information in advance, whether a fight was mandatory or not, could help a lot, or just let them bypass unnecessary CS fights by taking the long way around.

After arriving at the outpost:

Everyone was busy introducing themselves, including Edward, Eukina, Arona(very enthusiastically), while unsurprisingly, Lucia didn't. Alex didn't know much about Celestia beyond what the mission had said, but it did say she was capable of defending herself somewhat. Unfortunately, since vampire hunters were among her potential enemies, they couldn't be too sure it'd be impossible for her to suffer some mortal wounds, so they'd need to be careful. With that in mind, Alex would try to explain to her how they were going to protect her from harm. "Good morning, Miss Rothschild. My name is Alexander Reinhardt. Would you mind if I explained how we're going to escort you?" Assuming she didn't for some reason not want to hear the details, Alex would go on to say how.

Defense Group:

"Edward and I will be guarding you directly, with Edward's large barriers providing the most area coverage against any attacks enemies try to use on you or your maid. Both of us are defensive knights, so we should be able to handle the defense for you and the group."

Next there was the ranged attackers, who'd be doing the most damage.

Ranged Combatants:

"Eukina and Arona can both attack at range. Eukina's accuracy should also help us scout out anything approaching from the distance whenever we can find high ground."

Finally there were the supports.

Supports:

"Lucia can use her light magic to heal everyone. Lysett could teleport you if our direct defense doesn't stop all the attacks from getting through. She also has portal magic with quite a long range. However, it might be impossible to use it for any stealth purposes like teleporting you or you and everyone safely out of sight, due to the lack of visibility obstructions in the terrain. So, Lysett will stay with Lucia, behind everyone else and closest to you. Her paralysis spell should also help if we need to focus down an enemy who tries to go after you." It was really a shame Lysett likely could not offer them an instant victory condition this time around, but they'd just have to deal with it.

Alex didn't have much else to explain, so he would just stop there."In all, that's essentially the plan if we have to fight." This all would have been much easier if they had just been given Vanibos by Astraea, but apparently she didn't have the money, for whatever reason.

CanaasNov 15, 2018 8:22 PM

Nov 16, 2018 1:40 AM

#10

Offline

Aug 2014

939

[Mission NPC]

Celestia Mayer von Rothschild
New information about Celestia Mayer von Rothschild will be added to her profile after it is revealed IC.

Currently wearing a Revival Bracelet.

It was strange to be told that her safety was of the highest priority, even though that was what she was paying them for. That said, she nodded, going over the name Eukina a few times in her mind in order to memorize it. As she did so, the rest of the team arrived.

To her surprise, there really was a Divine among them, which was a rather pleasant sight to see. Sadly enough, that didn't seem to be a mutual feeling, as the Divine silently stared at her. Celestia figured it was already interesting enough to just have her aboard, asking for more would be pushing things.

Next up, a Human knight greeted her, and asked her where her maid was. This was where, she imaged, one of her friends from the Society would say 'oh, we just finished eating her, sorry we didn't share' as a joke. That joke, however, could probably get her killed here, so she'd abstain from making it herself. Instead, she'd keep the knight on hold for a short bit, as it seemed like the rest also had something to say to her.

The very peculiarly dressed Elf was up next to introduce herself. Celestia accepted her handshake, as she listened to the Elf's introduction. The points she brought up seemed like they could be replied too immediately, so Celestia would do so. “Well, thank you~ She really has quite the talent, doesn't she? By the way, I love your outfit.” It wasn't uncommon to run into some of Carita's fans, but there were less people willing to publicly support the entire Society.

A purple/pink eyed Elf was up next, sticking with a simple, yet polite, introduction.

It seemed like the second Human knight to introduce himself was Alexander, whom Eukina had already mentioned. He offered to share their plan with her, and although she did wonder why they already had a plan, before even knowing the different optional routes, she was polite enough to nod and listen. The guard, the ranged attackers, and the healer, those all sounded straightforward.

What stood out, however, was the teleportation. “Teleportation? Oh my, how peculiar. I can't say I've seen that in action.” She needed to think for a moment, until she figured she'd straight up ask. “Lysett, was it? I'd like to ask a favour. If you ever need to choose whom to use that teleportation on, please get Asha, my maid, out first. I'm a lot sturdier than her.”

With that out of the way, introductions were long overdue. “That said, thank you all for escorting me. As you probably all know, I'm Celestia Mayer von Rothschild, but just Celestia will do~” She quickly glanced her her phone's screen. “I'm afraid Asha is running late, for which I am terribly sorry.” She said, with an apologetic bow. “That said, I can at least show you the routes I've studied while we wait on her.”

Considering she didn't have a fancy COMB like the SOULs around her, and considering having everyone stare at a phone screen was far from ideal, she had prepared an actual, physical map, which she held up for everyone to see, before starting her explanation. “There are three main routes we can take, so I've taken the liberty to find out what I could about them before you arrived. You'll have to excuse the lack of detail, but I've tried writing it down on a schematic map that I'll elaborate on.

The fastest option is taking the main roads, the route in brown. They lead through the eastern plains and into a place called 'Abberton Village'. From there, they lead to a fairly uninhabited area, and eventually into the Valindral Plains. It's pretty unlikely that we will run into any Calamity Seeds if we take this route, as it is pretty well-guarded by both Yvalia's forces and Valindral's forces. I did hear some rumors that the people in Abberton Village are very superstitious, so we'd probably have to go through that village quickly, unless we want to stir up trouble.

That said, the village itself shouldn't be too much of a problem. What bothers me most, is that any possible ambushes would most likely take place somewhere along these main roads, as my enemies won't expect me to travel through Calamity Seed infested areas. After all, I doubt they know that I've managed to hire people that are capable of defeating Calamity Seeds, which means that they are far more likely to assume that I'd hire regular mercenaries and take the main roads.

The second option is going through the north-eastern plains and into Rihain Forest. If we travel through the deeper parts of the forest, we will eventually end up in Valindral Forest. I've heard there are a fair amount of Calamity Seeds in that area, and that some of the stronger ones are gathered near Valindral. The city itself is fairly safe due to its walls and guards, but the forest outside of it is mostly unaccounted for. All I could find out, was that the paths through it are still maintained somehow, despite the danger. That said, it might still be safer than risking to get ambushed on the main roads.

The third option is going through the south-eastern plains. They lead into a rocky area, up to a landmark called Giant's Fingers. From there, these paths lead into Valindral's Marshes. I've heard a lot of bad things about the marshes, as many people have gone lost in them. They might have just gotten themselves lost or stuck, but I fear they fell victim to some dangerous Calamity Seed.

It's also possible to change routes at some points. There is a path going from Rihain Forest to Abberton Village, as well as a path going from the southeastern plains to Abberton Village and from Giant's Fingers to the main roads.”

With that part of the explanation out of the way, Celestia decided to add one more thing. “Although I will leave it up to you all to decide, I would personally prefer avoiding the main roads. Even if they might be safer, I fear there are people whom despise me enough to risk having to fight the guards that patrol them, in order to set-up an ambush. In general, I'd rather avoid any form of bloodshed. After all, any life we take, even if they are trying to kill us, will be used against me, and might only make more people want me dead.” It was the harsh reality of being a vampire, as even killing in self-defence lead to people blaming her for the lives lost. “On the other side, any Calamity Seed that is defeated will only make the area safer. Even so, those are just my two cents. I'll trust in your final judgement.”

ElvarioNov 16, 2018 1:45 AM

Nov 16, 2018 11:48 AM

#11

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Lucia Flores

Lucia waited while everyone else introduced themselves, all being rather polite. It seemed like she was really the only one suspicious, since Arona even said she was a fan of Celestia's organization (which Lucia didn't know about) and some singer. The dragon cosplayer elf then poked Lucia, telling her not to look so down..."If you say so, but I doubt we have much to fear from dragons. The chance of meeting a dragon is like being struck by lightning..." She'd never seen one herself, and from what the legends said, few people had the chance to meet a dragon and even fewer lived to tell the tale. On the other hand, the chance of encountering a vampire was much higher.

After that there was a wall of text lot of talking to listen to from both Alexander and Celestia. Alexander restated their plan to their client, and she then explained the three main roads they could travel on to get to the other city. She also revealed that she was much tougher than her maid, although by how much Lucia still couldn't tell since she was hiding her presence...

In the end, Lucia came to a similar conclusion as Celestia. She didn't care about preserving Celestia's reputation, but she couldn't forgive herself if innocent lives were lost because of them choosing the main route. As for the other two, she knew nothing about the rocky area and swamp, but she'd been to the Rinhain Forest before. Assuming she got a chance to speak, Lucia would say her preference.

"I would prefer if we went on the northern route through the forests. I have been to the Rinhain forest before, so we should be able to avoid getting lost. If we went on the main road, it would be tragic if those poor guards died protecting us..."

She'd seen enough people die already, and it felt like it would ruin the point of the mission if other people died just to protect Celestia and her maid. Lucia waited for the others to talk after saying her preference, remembering that the CS in the forest had only been difficult to defeat back when she was only an E rank SOUL. If they were the same strength as before, it should be easy for them now that they were all D rank SOULs, unless the other forest was more dangerous than the Rinhain Forest...she hoped that wasn't the case.

Sho_the_MageNov 16, 2018 12:24 PM

Nov 16, 2018 12:38 PM

#12

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Edward Durand

Celestia didn't answer his question right away, having to listen to the others first, mainly Alexander who went over what their basic formation was again. Then she introduced herself to everyone and explained that her maid was unfortunately running late. In the meantime, she told them about the three routes they could go on to reach the city.

They all had their downsides, with the two side roads likely involving CS but not Celestia's enemies and the middle road being the opposite. The guards on patrol could end up involved too in case of a battle on the main road, and Celestia wanted to avoid bloodshed. The healer thought the same and preferred the forest route since she'd been to one of the forests before. Edward hadn't decided on a route yet, since he had something to ask first.

"About your enemies: how strong do you think they are? Would they be too much for our group to handle?"

He didn't ask about the strength of the CS, since her vague answers about what CS might be there were probably all she knew. However, it was possible that whatever vampire hunters were going after Celestia might have attacked her before, so she could know what they were capable of. If they were too powerful for their group, it'd be more reason to avoid the main road.

Unless Celestia revealed that the ones going after her were actually less of a threat than the CS, then Edward would end up preferring the southeast route. "I think we should go on the route through the south-eastern plains. The forest would give us cover, but we could also be ambushed more easily as well. We should be able to handle the average Calamity Seed groups, and if we scout ahead we can attempt to avoid anything too powerful." He was pretty confident they could at least handle the average CS in the wilderness now that they were all about twice as strong as they were as E ranks, and they could always attempt to avoid the areas with the more dangerous ones if possible. Besides, he doubted it would be wise to risk fighting vampire hunters with a Divine on their team...

Nov 16, 2018 5:07 PM

#13

Offline

Dec 2011

1121

Eukina Watashi

Celestia Pulled out her diagram of where to go, and stated she herself would rather avoid the plains. While still outlooking the area, Eukina shook her head, disagreeiin the three who had spoken so far, "I'd much rather go through the plains. We have a wider range of view there, and can see threats coming from further away. I wouldn't mind the swamp or the Giant's Finger, but I'd rather go through the plains. In the forest, we'd have to worry about a higher chance of being ambushed due to the dense foiliage."

Eukina then thought for a moment, "You may be right that they would use their deaths against you, but your safety is higher priority than what some lies people might believe."

Arona

Health: 100 / 100
Prana: 215 / 250
Stamina: 100 / 100
Barrier: 60 / 60
• STR: E • VIT: E • WIL: B • RES: E
• SPD: E • AGL: E • PER: C • REC: E
Current Status: Normal
Appearence: Wearing Dragon horns and a tail
Skills Active: Conservation (PermanentSPELLs require 85% Prana Costs), Static Charge

Arona smiled at Celestia, when she commented on her outfit, and said, "Yours looks nice as well, dear~!"

After the introductions, Celestia invoked her routes, seemingly nice. The forest would be a nice place to go, but Arona was an explorer, she spent her life travelling and died that way too, so she would opt to go for something other than that.

However, Arona did not agree with Eukina's route, and instead opted to go with Edward's idea, "I like the idea of traversing the mountains, then through the swamp. There's a high chance that we could encounter some water CS, but if not, then the water on the ground will do nicely~" Arona said, summoning her barrier so that a faint sheen of electricty surrounded her.

Nov 16, 2018 7:32 PM

#14

HeiJ

Offline

Aug 2013

1250

Conservation (Permanent)
Levitation(Permanent/Active)

With Alexander's arrival, the escort group was now complete. He chose to go with a quick rundown of the plan after introducing himself, and Celestia willingly sat through the whole explanation. The formation seemed simple and effective, with a well defined team composition now that Lucia agreed to join the squad. Even better was the fact that Lysett's first impression of Celestia was that of a nice person, both talkative and corcerned with her maid's safety, instead of the devilish image envisioned by Lucia. "Things are off to a good start, thankfully!"

Celestia's request, however, went directly against Astrea's warning about prioritizing the contractor's life before everything else. Both Celestia's and the maid's lives were equally as important for Lysett, who'd consider losing either of them as a failure.

"It's pretty useful, haha. Don't worry, Ms. Celestia; I'll see to it that both of you get safely to your destination!"

Lysett then attentively heard about the possible paths Celestia had studied, checking the drawing she made of the area. "Forest, plains and swamp or a village... " Although the main road was obviously the safest one CS-wise, Celestia had a good reason for them to avoid it. That left the two side roads, and each member of the party presented good pros and cons for each of them. After giving it some thought, Lysett decided to share her opinion on the matter as well.

"I don't like the idea of going through the swamp, but I think the forest might end up getting us ambushed instead... The plains and then the swamp might be a better choice, after all, since at least we could spot the CS from afar. Also, I might be able to cut us a bit of climbing with a few portals here and there. A good chance to try teleportation out, right, Ms. Celestia?"

Nov 17, 2018 2:26 AM

#15

Canaas

Offline

Oct 2014

478

Alexander Reinhardt

(Armor unsummoned)

Alex listened as Celestia explained what routes they had available. Ultimately he had to agree with what most of the others had concluded. The southeast route would be their safest pick. Any number of ambushers could possibly be waiting for them on the main routes, and there was no guarantee they'd be up to the task of fighting the enemies who targeted Celestia, while generally, the combat strength of CS groups was kept down below a certain level by the military. Their current firepower should be enough to fight any individual CS groups, most likely, and they tended to not have the intelligence to coordinate on any overly large scale."I agree with choosing the southern route. We should be a match for any CS groups that appear, and while we're in the rocky area, we'll have the high ground against any CS that show up from a long distance away, which Eukina will be able to see well. The marsh isn't anything we shouldn't be able to get through. "
With any luck, that resolved their problems they needed to solve before going on this mission.

Nov 17, 2018 7:40 AM

#16

Offline

Aug 2014

939

Celestia's explanation had resulted in quite a few reactions, but there seemed to be a general consensus. The main road wasn't all that popular, the forests seemed to be considered second-best, and the plains seemed preferred. The possibilities to switch weren't even debated (at least for now). That said, there had been a few things that warrant a reply or reaction.

The first was Lucia's comment about guards dying to protect them. Considering Celestia wholeheartedly agreed, she'd sent a smile in Lucia's direction. Considering the Divine's general demeanour, she would keep it brief, and try to make it seems as non-vampirely threatening as was physically possible for her.

The second was a question from Edward. It wasn't easy to answer, so she placed a hand underneath her chin, trying to figure out how she could answer it in the clearest possible way. “I'm not sure.” She'd probably need to elaborate on that. “You see, they range from people simply telling me to kill myself on the internet to people trying to set up bombs in locations I visit regularly.” There were, however, a few specific groups of people whom she feared, but at least those be pointed out. “Right now, whom I fear the most would be a group of vampire hunters called The Morning Sun. They've already killed countless vampires, whether deserved or not. It seems like they go after any vampire they find, and considering I'm fairly high-profile, I'm probably pretty high on their list. If they sent some of their strongest, I'm honestly not sure if anyone could stop them.”

Although they were, by far, her biggest fear, they weren't the only ones. “There are also a few other Unholy whom are quite bloodthirsty towards anyone they deem to be too progressive, some of which are scarily strong. I'm not entirely convinced they would leave Maekir just to chase me down, but I wouldn't put it beyond them to hire mercenaries to go after me. The same goes for a few of my business rivals. I'm not sure how strong the mercenaries are in this area, but those that want me dead wouldn't be cheap when hiring them.”

Finally, there was one more thing she figured she'd mention. “Oh, and before I forget, there is this strange Human called Otto von Bismarck. He insists that I damaged his honour when he lost out on buying a collection of diamonds from an Elf in Valindral. I'm going there to collect those, and to see if the papers for them are in order. I wouldn't want to end up dealing in blood diamonds, after all. Last time I met Von Bismarck, he insisted on duelling me, but I refused. I have a feeling he might've been involved in stopping me from arranging transport, and that he even tried to stop me from hiring any of you. That said, I don't have any evidence of this. It's up to debate how far he would truly go with any of this.” She figured the guy was worth mentioning, and had a final note to add. “Oh, and I've got no clue how strong he is.”

Of course the list of her potential enemies wasn't limited to just those people, but she'd have to keep talking for quite a while if she wanted to list them all off. Right now, it seemed like she had already been talking more than enough, at least with regards to this topic.

That said, she still had people to reply to. Next up was the blue-haired archer. “As much as that makes sense, I fear that, even where my current safety would warrant lethal action, my future safety would be more threatened by it. The more need there is to fight, and the more violence is needed in doing so, the more people will blame me for it, hate me for it, and use it to excuse future violence. It is about as much as a curse as the whole vampirism thing itself.” After a sigh, she'd add. “Even so, there is no worrying about my future safety if I die here, so I'll leave the level of violence you deem necessary up to you. All I ask is to try to be conservative with it whenever possible.”

With regards to the return compliment from Arona, she would also sent a smile in her direction. That said, there was one thing she'd have to correct Arona (and a few others) on. “Although it's a rocky area, it would be too much to call it mountains. It's more like a bunch of hills with rocks lying around on it, or so I've heard. The mountains themselves are more to the south-east of Giant's Fingers.” Truth be told, Celestia wasn't eager to go through the swamp, not with the tales she had heard of it, although the idea of going through a 'swamp' didn't really appeal to her in general. That said, she didn't wish to be the kind of person that would complain about such things.

It seemed like Lysett insisted on getting both her and her maid safely to Valindral, which warranted a third smile. As for the teleportation based mountain-climbing, she had already clarified that when replying to Eukina. It (most likely) wouldn't be needed.

With all those having had their say, the plan-maker seemed to be up for the final statement. As such, she'd nod. With Alexander, Lysett, Arona, (Eukina?) and Edward all being in favour of it, only the Divine would be going with a second-option. “The southern route it is.” Now all they needed was to wait on her maid...

…

…

…

…

[Mission NPC]
Asha Roux
New information about Asha Roux will be added to her profile after it is revealed IC.

It took a while, but Asha had managed to make it to the Eastern Outpost, with a backpack that seemed chock-full of something strapped to her back. When she noticed the group, she waved at them whilst walking over to them. [Health amount revealed.]

“Yo, Celes! Sorry I'm late. This shop that my friend from the library suggested was one of the most awesome ones ever. The Sweetest Tooth it was called.”

“Before that, I think you owe them an apology.” Celestia staid, pointing at the SOULs.

“Right.” She said, after which she gave a deep bow so deep that it almost made her backpack fall off her back. “My most humble apologies.” It didn't sound all that sincere. “I'm Asha Roux. Nice to meet you all~” She said, as she stood upright again. At least her introduction felt sincere.

Now that her maid was there, and now that the route was decided upon, it was time to leave. “Once more, sorry about my maid's tardiness. Shall we go?” Recalling the formation she was told about, she'd wait for the two knights to take the lead. Asha would simply follow slightly behind Celestia.

Intermission

The post continues in rocky terrain of the Eastern Yvalia Plains. The general 'plains' thread will be crossed quickly and uneventfully (read; no posting there). People will have a 48 hours to post in the Southeastern Yvalia Plains thread.

Nov 17, 2018 1:55 PM

#17

HeiJ

Offline

Aug 2013

1250

Conservation (Permanent)
Levitation (Inactive)

At Edward's request, Celestia made a list of the people who'd be most likely to attack the group during their travel. Not only their reasons seemed extremely unfair, but the list was also long... so much that Lysett couldn't imagine living in daily fear of so many different threats. "And all that just because she's a vampire trying to make things better for the Unholy..."

Celestia's maid showed after a few moments of waiting, boasting a large backpack that seemed about to burst. Lysett replied to the maid's introduction by introducing herself as well. "I'm Lysett Blythe! Nice to meet you, Ms. Asha." With the group complete and the route chosen (and after a quick correction about the Giant's Fingers landscape), Lysett assumed her designated position on the formation as the whole group left the area.

Nov 17, 2018 6:41 PM

#18

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Edward Durand

Health: 200/200
Prana: 90/90
Stamina: 100/100
Shield: 40/40
Sword: 20/20
• STR: C • VIT: B • WIL: E • RES: E
• SPD: D • AGL: E • PER: D • REC: E
Current Status: +1 Vitality
Skills Active: Master Guard (Passive), Iron Guard (Passive), Survival Drive (Passive/Inactive)
Current Equipment: Knight Honor (+1 Vitality)

Edward's idea ended up being accepted by a majority of the others, so they decided on taking the southeastern route. Meanwhile, in response to his question, Celestia gave an unusually extensive list of threats she had to deal with frequently, including a group of vampire hunters that didn't discriminate between innocent and guilty, other Unholy who might send mercenaries at her, and a human businessman who might've been responsible for making it hard for her to find transportation. The worst threat seemed to be the vampire hunter group since she didn't think anyone could stop them if they sent their strongest, while she wasn't sure how strong any mercenaries other Unholy sent could be. Overall, it made it seem like a better choice to fight against CS instead of these potentially overwhelming enemies.

After that, the maid arrived with a backpack full of something which she revealed to be candy she'd been buying from a candy store, which must've been what made her late. Edward introduced himself too in response to the maid. "Good morning, my name is Edward Durand. I'll hold off any enemies that attack you two." Then when it was time for them to go, Edward left the area at the front of the group, leading the way on the southeastern path. He also summoned his weapons, ready to deal with any CS they encountered.

Nov 17, 2018 7:44 PM

#19

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Lucia Flores

Celestia seemed to agree about not wanting guards to die for them since she smiled at Lucia after she said that. Lucia had a confused look, surprised that the vampire might actually care about the guards' well being, unless she was just faking it due to not wanting to fight the vampire hunters.

She then went on to list the many enemies who might hunt her, including a group of very powerful vampire hunters, as well as possibly other Unholy who thought she was too progressive. There was also some human who might've done something to prevent her from getting decent transportation. Then she said how she wanted to avoid violence if possible, since if they had to kill people, she'd just be hated and hunted down more often. So she's just doing this to survive... It seemed to Lucia like Celestia was avoiding the main route to help her own chances so she didn't get hunted more in the future, and since the vampire hunters seemed like the strongest enemy from what Celestia said. There was no way a vampire could actually be worried about the safety of unrelated people...

Soon after that, a human girl with red eyes and more plot showed up carrying a backpack full of candy. She turned out to be Celestia's blood donor maid. Unlike Celestia who hid her presence suspiciously, Lucia could actually see her life force, and it worried Lucia a little since it was only around the level of an E rank SOUL. She had to make sure she didn't die in the upcoming battle(s)...

The maid apologized for being late, but Lucia wasn't upset about it and introduced herself. "I'm Lucia Flores, it's a pleasure to meet you~" She smiled a little at the maid, feeling better about their mission now. Then when it was time to leave, Lucia would leave the area with the others, staying in the back of the formation, slightly to the side of Asha at a spot where she would be between Lucia and Celestia.

Nov 23, 2018 1:35 AM

#20

Offline

Aug 2014

939

Valencia Ortiz
Health: 150/150
Prana: 100/100
Stamina: 150/150
Peleg - Astral Gear: Summoned 50/50

Strength: C Vitality: E Willpower: E Resistance: E
Speed: C Agility: D Perception: D Recovery: C

Current Status: Normal
Active Skills: Animal Instinct (Passive) - Aptitude (Passive)

After travelling to the past to tell Miyu that she didn't know how the mission ended due to dying as well, feeling equally awkward about it, but being a little better at hiding it, Valencia travelled back to the future and bought her potions. After watching Alatar and Miyu stock up on potions as well (and maybe someone else if they joined), the group left for the Eastern Outpost, which Alatar had suggested as a meeting point. During this time, she figured she'd ask Alatar a question that had been on her mind ever since Ciela mentioned it. “How do you think someone would go about placing Calamity Seeds into a mine? They don't seem very easy to capture or transport, and in this case it would have to be done in total secret on top of that. It seems like you would need some specialised magic or technology to be able to do such a thing.” She figured asking Amice or Miyu wouldn't result in much, but they were welcome to try giving an answer.

Upon arrival at the Eastern Outpost, Valencia couldn't help herself from feeling a bit unnerved by the highly trained guards keeping an eye on them and checking their COMBs. She knew it was needed for security, but with the castle-like walls behind her, it brought back some unpleasant memories she'd much rather suppress. That's why she'd rather just keep an eye out for the rest of the party. Once everyone had arrived, she'd give them a quick recap of her fighting style. “It's probably best to quickly go over our abilities. Mine is to fight with my lance and flames. I'm a lot better at countering enemies than at defending others, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to protect the miner that wishes to join us. ” That would probably summarize what the others needed to know about her, although they were always free to ask if they wanted to know more. Once the party was complete, she'd leave towards the mines with them.

Nov 23, 2018 2:01 AM

#21

Offline

Aug 2014

939

Amice Bellamy & Pixies!

Health: 150/150 Prana: 180/180 Stamina: 100/100
Astral Gear: Book of Pixies Summoned 20/20

Strength: E Vitality: E Willpower: C Resistance: D
Speed: E Agility: E Perception: E Recovery: C

Current Status: Normal. Wearing a revival bracelet.
Summoned Pixies: Indigo, Emerald, Tangerine & Chartreuse, Timberwolf.
Active Skills: Enhanced Prana Regeneration (Passive) – Blessing (Passive)

Amice used a quick-travel to the past to greet Miyu with an enthusiast “Good morning!” after having forgotten all about how bad of an onee-san Miyu had been to her. As apparent as the avoiding part might have been, it wasn't Amice if she didn't realise the who, the what and the how of it, so she'd ask. “Are you okay Miyu? Did you not get enough sleep?” After all, she remembered Miyu once completely forgot about her due to getting too little sleep, and although Miyu didn't completely forget her this time around (only demanding her to time-travel), it still seemed like Miyu might be troubled once more.

Back in the somewhat more present past, she'd watch as Miyu and Alatar also bought potions after having been helped by Valencia. That said, one of the potion, the Monster Energy Miyu bought stood out to her. “There are also green ones?” Amice hadn't noticed them, but since Valencia hadn't told her to buy some, she probably wouldn't need them, or so she guessed.

On their way, Valencia asked about luring Calamity Seeds into mines. Amice knew the answer to that. “Oh, I know! If you were fast enough, you could run past them, and then if you keep running, they will follow you, and then you run into the mines, and then you get out, but you make sure the monsters don't get out, so that they'll get lost in the mines, that would work, right?” She'd beam with pride as she gave them her highly advanced theory with regards to the calamity seed placement.

Once they were at the Eastern Outpost, and once the team was complete, Valencia started to talk about what she could do. This, of course, triggered Amice into doing the same, also including her name in order to make it a proper introduction. “I'm Amice Bellamy. This is Tangerine, she can make people faster and more agile, but only if they are close enough and if she's touched them before.” As she said it, as if to put Amice's work into practice, Tangerine would fly around, hopping from person to person, until everyone had been touched by her, unless someone wouldn't let her do so. She'd end up with Ryan Zokkendov, staying atop his head if he'd let her. After all, she had been riding him into battle yesterday as well, and would try to continue the tradition.

After that, Amice would point at Indigo, whom had tried to claim a spot on Alatar's head again (she had done so before, but I forgot when, possibly during the tournament). “That's Indigo, she can restore people's prana by touching them.” After that, she crossed her eyes in an attempt to look upwards to the pixie sitting atop her own head. “This is Emerald, she can make people feel better when they get hurt.” Next up was Chartreuse, whom had been lifting along atop Miyu's head, if Miyu would've let her. “That's Chartreuse, she can make a barrier like Edward!” She was also the pixie most likely to end up dying and getting resummoned a lot, as she'd be in the line of fire every time that her barrier were to break. Finally, there was Timberwolf, whom had chosen the highest vantage point to sit on, Valencia's head. Amice almost needed to point straight up to cover the height difference. “That's Timberwolf, she can make herself and the person she's touching invisible!”

Having introduced herself, and her pixies, Amice remembered to add one more thing. “The pixies can't help me though, because I'm the one that summoned them, so that's why I bought potions to help me if the pixies can't! I also need my book, because the pixies can't be there if I'm not holding my book.” With that all out of the way, Amice would proudly beam excitement, having given a flawless introduction. She felt like she was getting better at it after every time she introduced herself! Once the party was complete, she'd leave towards the mines with them.

Pixie Locations
Indigo – Sitting atop Alatar's head / Fluttering around Amice.
Emerald – Sitting atop Amice's head.
Tangerine – Trying to touch everyone. / Sitting atop Alatar's head.
Chartreuse – Sitting atop Miyu's head / Fluttering around Amice
Timberwolf – Sitting atop Valencia's head.
(Touched by Tangerine: Valencia, the rest?)

Nov 30, 2018 10:27 AM

#22

Valkan

Offline

Dec 2015

980

Ryan Zokkendov

Health: 150/150
Prana: 150/150
Stamina: 150/150
Astral Gear: Not Summoned
- STR: C - VIT: E - WIL: E - RES: E
- SPD: C - AGL: B - PER: E - REC: C

Skills: Aptitude(Passive), Burning Spirit(Passive)
Status: Normal
Equipment: Warrior Heart

With not much else to do, Ryan headed off for the outpost. At some point, he lagged behind the rest of the team a little, along with the stern-looking lady with horns. Said woman caught Ryan's interest, seeing as yet another beastkind with no issues showing her race or so he thought. Personally, he still had his doubts about revealing his true race, he didn't want to be hated for people he liked for such a small detail; he knew he had to do something about it soon, his horns and scales couldn't hide forever... Trying to sweep those thoughts off his mind, and as no one else seemed to want to talk to the pale lady, Ryan decided to try.
He wasn't sure if the lady bought potions for herself, Ryan decided to start there. Ryan told her "Excuse me, Miss? I am not completely certain on if you bought potions for yourself... If that is the case, here, have one of mine." as he pulled out one of his Health potions and handed it to her, if she wanted to accept it, that is. "These are not particularly strong, but still help during an emergency." Ryan would add, if the potion was accepted; if not, he would say "Very well then. Feel free to ask me for one if you happen to need it, then.". As they fully caught up with the rest of the group, Ryan would realize of an important thing he forgot to ask "Oh! In case you did not hear my name from Miss Ciela, I am Ryan, or Agam, if you will. May I have yours?". All the while Ryan was talking to the pale lady, just like with Hiskandaag #2, there were no traces of hostility or ill intentions on his voice.
Ryan decided to not add anything to the conversation the others were having for now. He just broke his silence when one of Amice's pixies sat on top of him again, he greeted her with a small smile on his face "Greetings, Little One! Riding to battle with me again?".
Once everyone was ready to go, Ryan would head off as well, answering any questions regarding his fighting style on the way.

Nov 30, 2018 7:22 PM

#23

Zeno

Offline

Jul 2011

7302

"Alastra Nendarnde"

Passives:

As they made their way, Ryan seemed to address Alastra about her lack of buying potions. She'd look at him and see the potion. ALastra wasn't one to pass up something like this. "That is nice...thank you." She'd take the health potion from Ryan They would then catch up with the rest of the group. He then introduced himself. He seemed to have some kind of secondary name which was odd but he probably had his reasons. Alastra had two names as well but now she goes by..."I"m Alastra, nice to meet you Agam." Having a normal conversation with someone was a nice change compared to all her other interactions that ended sour...then again this one still had the chance to....Alastra didn't have her hopes up. she would leave with him. as they made their way to the mission.

ZenoNov 30, 2018 7:29 PM

Zen💀

I'm level

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Feb 3, 2019 5:45 PM

#24

Offline

Dec 2011

1121

Eukina Watashi

Health: 150 / 150
Prana: 150 / 150
Stamina: 150 / 150
• STR: C • VIT: E • WIL: E • RES: E
• SPD: C • AGL: C • PER: B • REC: D
AG Status: Bow / Dagger
Current Status: Normal
Skills Active: Eagle Eye

After arriving back at the Eastern Outpost after what felt like months, Eukina and Edward finally arrived on two seperate Vanibos, much to Eukina's growing displeasure. Eukina dismounted her Vanibo, and let the guard handle it back to wherever Vanibos came from, "Sooo... You want to go to the Sparring Hall to train, or do you think fighting CS will be a better, more hands-on experience? Personally, I'd like the latter. All I had to fight today was 2 wolves who double-teamed me, and a giant monster we had no chance against." Eukina said, putting her hand on her hip, "Well, and that Otto guy, but we didn't really stand a chance against him."

Eukina said that, but then got a message from Arona from the future, as Arona would send it later after her talk with the gurls

"Heyyy~, hope you guys made it back safely~. Listen, I miiiiight have told Edward you liked him~, use that to your advantage~."

To which Eukina blushed and muttered, "You did what?!" Before clearing her throat and asking Edward, "Hey uh... Did Arona say anything to you?" She asked nonchalantly man, I really am using that word to pieces aren't I?

Feb 4, 2019 2:58 PM

#25

Offline

Jan 2015

533

Edward Durand

Health: 200/200
Prana: 150/150
Stamina: 100/100
Shield: Not Summoned
Sword: Not Summoned
• STR: C • VIT: B • WIL: E • RES: E
• SPD: D • AGL: E • PER: D • REC: E
Current Status: +1 Vitality
Skills Active: Master Guard (Passive), Iron Guard (Passive), Survival Drive (Passive/Inactive)
Current Equipment: Knight Honor (+1 Vitality)

Edward didn't end up needing to pay for the tea after all, since Araki he forgot that the guard would pay for it for them. After thanking for that, he left the area along with Eukina, riding on one of the Vanibos back to the city. It took some getting used to riding these bird-like creatures instead of horses, but he'd already done it once before, and they were more cooperative than he expected.

Once they finally got back, Edward dismounted the Vanibo and gave it back to whoever owned it. Eukina wanted to train like she said earlier, but she thought it'd be better for them to have a real battle against more CS instead of sparring. "I'm not sure if we should. If we encountered groups like the ones in the mission, the two of us alone wouldn't stand much of a chance. Perhaps it would be better to find some others to spar against, since all of the missions we go on require teamwork." It seemed too dangerous to just search the wilderness unless they got more third wheels teammates.

Something surprised Eukina after that as she checked her bracelet, which must have been a message from someone else. Then she asked if Arona said anything to him...It took him a moment to think of an answer. "I remember she told me we might have been able to escape if we retreated sooner...unfortunately we underestimated that monster's strength thinking we could slay it." His response was a little awkward, since it wasn't a lie but not the whole truth either. He wasn't used to having to hide things from people, but it'd probably be rude to say what Arona said about Eukina liking him to Eukina herself. Of course, he wasn't aware that Arona had already admitted that to Eukina.

Feb 4, 2019 10:48 PM

#26

Offline

Dec 2011

1121

Eukina Watashi

Eukina put her chin in her hand after Edward suggested a team sparring match, and listened to what Arona said, "I... See..." She said somewhat haphazardly. She then cleared her throat, "You're right about looking for CS. That could only lead to danger. Who could we even find as sparring partners? Last time I sparred was yesterday, and it wasn't exactly an even matchup as my partner wasn't able to protect me that well. If you're going to be on my team, how will you go about doing that?"

Eukina then started walking towards the gate, "Until then, where should we go? Should we invite random people to come spar with us? Or should we find those who are already at the sparring hall?" She said, and would leave the area with Edward if he too left.

Feb 5, 2019 6:24 PM

#27