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seasonsrpg2024-06-01 10:35 am
seasonsmods) wrote in seasonsrpg2024-06-01 10:35 am
Quest Mingle: June-July
Quest Mingle: June-July
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
Questboard! This post is for playing!
• These quests are valid from start of June until end of July
• Characters don't need to be a member of the guild to do quests and anyone can do any segment's quest! The quests are just marked this way to show where the quests are taking place.
• City Location Details | Segment Location details
• Remember to keep distances (times are calculated as walking times) in mind when planning what quests to do when. You have two full months, so there's no rush!
• For some of the monsters, additional details can be found from the Beastiary.
• Rewards are for one completion of the Quest, but characters can do it multiple times to earn more money from them, as the problems do repeat.
• Please see the guild page for permanent quests.
IC Note
We are very concerned of the increase in danger in the Segments and hope that people take extra caution when going outside. If anyone finds clues about what might be causing all these things, please let any of the power holders know! The quest rewards have been raised to compensate for all the danger you need to face.
A full investigation is going on about the situation. We thank you for your continued support.
City Quests
Even in your city... quests! [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolstering the Defenses | Due to the abnormal amount of danger in the segments, we've decided to start strengthening city defenses. Watchtowers were built near the bridges, on both the segment and city sides. We're currently training natives to take on watch duties, but until we have enough personnel, we ask that you pair up with someone and sign up for guard duty at one of the towers. Any monsters coming too close should be dealt with and if the amount of monsters is too much for two - a warning signal set out into the skies for the other tower to see and spread the message. | Due to the High Risk quests, a lot of different regular monsters are on the move. The numbers they come in range from just a few to even twenty. The more there are of the same monster, the better they work together - but variety makes the groups more chaotic and more prone to fall apart. | 10 000 Moon Coins |
| Sir, There's a Capybara in My Bath | Animal Shelter volunteers have done it yet again. This time the animals that escaped are ones we least expected to. The Zen Capybaras are always so calm and never really go anywhere. They're perfect for keeping other animals in check as their aura calms them down. Now we've heard reports of them appearing in public baths... and even people's private baths. They especially love onsens and can be seen with a mandarin on their head there. We will work on making them suitable baths here at the shelters, but meanwhile, can you help us find them? Be careful, since their aura might render people into a relaxed mess. | Zen Capybaras are like normal capybaras but come in various colors, usually in pastel but other variations exist too. They have an aura that will calm even the angriest creatures down and with regular people the effect is strong enough to make someone feel like their head is full of clouds. Scratching them under their chin will make them stop doing the aura thing, which they sometimes do without meaning to. | 900 Moon Coins, Capybara pet (if desired) |
| We Never Planted This | An experiment between the Tower of Potions and the Botanical Garden has gone awry. They were trying to combine their abilities to create new possible guardian flowers to help with defenses. However, instead of fighting, all the flowers are running around tickling people. They continue to tickle people until they nearly pass out from laughing. We suppose that's one way to fight... but the problem is they do it to everyone. They will likely lose all ability to move and tickle after a while, but new ones will rise, as the potion was accidentally used as a regular fertilizer in various parts of the city. Never leave your experiments where they can be found I guess. At least when they can be find by summer workers. | The flowers can be any type and they grow up to be around 170cm/5.5feet in height. They're very weak to physical violence and magic, but are very sneaky and like pretending to be normal flowers before attacking their victims. | 2000 Moon Coins |
Winter Segment
Lights, Snow, Quests [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Cod On The Block | The Unfrozen Lake has gotten some new species of monster fish lately. They keep eating all of the regular fish in the lake! This is a problem because it's a popular fishing spot, as it's close to the airship station. The hospital has lately seen many fishers return, telling how they were mauled by a fish they pulled up, too. It would be great if the invading species could be fished out - or otherwise removed - from the lake. | There are two types of monster fish: Icicle Piranhas that bite the moment they come up from the lake, usually targeting someone's nose or their ear (causing at least a nasty frostbite) and Octofish that are a mix of an octopus and a fish and they spew poisonous ink at the people fishing them up. The poison is very potent, but can be cured by an antidote made from the Octofish tentacles. | 2000 Moon Coins |
| Now This is a Sir Price CW/TW: possession | There has been a report that a very ghost-like group of people has been walking around the Forest of Spirits. That's not the weird thing. The weird thing is that they all looked like the same guy. When a group of researchers when to take a closer look there were more of them, but this time they looked like different people: but there were multiples of the same person! It seems the rumors about 'I think Therefore I Am' was true after all. Please do something to stop people from accidentally creating clones of themselves - or from getting possessed. | Something found from the Underground library has come true: "I think, therefore I am. Never say this out loud near a group of ghosts or they will start thinking they're you and take your form, perhaps even your body. Spoken from true experience. If you see multiple ghosts going by the name of Sir Price, exorcise them for me, please." This means even otherworlders can have copies of themselves walking around. These ghosts are special and can be seen by anyone due to the phrase making them "feel real". The ideal solution is to exorcise the ghosts, but just stopping natives and your fellow power holders will help thin their numbers. | 1600 Moon Coins |
| ❗High Risk Quest❗ Where? Wolf! CW/TW: possible gore | Werewolves have started expanding their territory. While they used to remain in the Wolf's Blood Mountains, they have now started appearing on other areas in the eastern Winter Segment. Not only that, they've started to turn people into their kin, rather than kill them. They've been bold and attacking even areas near the city to get their prey. It's an all out war against them, and we need help! We need to drive them back to their mountain! Be careful not to get bitten and bring some silver with you. | Ferocious wolves that walk on two feet during the nights. Moon gives them power and they're almost invincible during the full moon - but they're not extremely weak during new moon, either. Their bite is poisonous and can turn someone into a werewolf if they survive the attack or the strength of the poison. Being scratched by a werewolf may also end up leaving a minor werewolf curse (partial wolf transformation during full moon, not necessarily any awesome powers). Best way to deal with a werewolf is to get them alone (usually travel in groups of 2-3) and using silver-covered weapons. They have regenerative powers that the metal stops for long enough to matter. | 20 000 Moon Coins |
Spring Segment
Breezing through quests [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon's Favor | Moon Bunnies are creatures that circle around the segments to bring the moon's blessings to all of them. They're originally from the Winter side, so whenever they reach the Summer they need to get help from people. So the people have set up places in the city to make different variations of nutritious and delicious cakes to give the bunnies. You can either help make the cakes or/and deliver them near the Spring Flower Yard (unlike last year when the 'buffet' was held at the Summer's flower yard) for the bunnies to find. You may even get a chance to feed and pet them yourself. The Moon Bunnies are also feeling very generous and giving anyone who gives them a cake a blessing: any item you want will get blessed with the moon's power and will light up the darkness when they wish it. | The Moon Bunnies float in the air as a means of travel and sometimes they sparkle like the moon. They cannot be adopted and if someone tries to take one back with them they will poof into moon dust and reappear somewhere else. The blessing can be received from multiple bunnies and put into multiple items that way. It also works in emergencies (like if the owner is knocked out) even if someone doesn't wish on it, so others may find the person. | 900 Moon Coins, Moon's Favor |
| Thinking About the Immortality of the Crab | A species of monster crabs has been found again from the shores of the Prism Lake. For centuries people have hunted them because legends have said they possesses a gem hidden in one of its many barnacles that was assumed to be the secret to their immortality. However, they are extremely elusive and appear only on nights when moon is covered by clouds. Whenever they're on the surface, they cause a lot of damage to everything nearby - sometimes even further away, as they move faster than normal crabs do. We're really interested in getting the gems to study them. | Immortal Crabs are, as it says on the tin, immortal. They've lived on Ellipsa for longer than people. No one has seen them for three decades, but now they have made their grand entrance. The gem inside their barnacles are magical in nature, but don't grant immortality. Instead they make healing magic thrice stronger than normal. The crabs taste delicious, but don't otherwise do have any special effects. | 800 Moon Coins per Gem, a free crab dinner |
| ❗High Risk Quest❗ Hell's Coming Home with Me CW/TW: possible gore, being eaten alive | A big part of the Cherry Blossom Parks has started to move. The trees look like they might have evolved into living trees, but on closer look they're covered in slimes. Not just any slimes, but the Weapon Slimes that live in the parks. Something has made them possess the trees and made them starts marching towards the city. There's a long way for them to walk, but the sooner they're dealt with the better! They also have weapons attached to the trees, so they're armed, moving trees. | Weapon Slime are a type of slime that dangerous due to them absorbing weapons and making them a part of their body. They're very aggressive and don't like strangers coming near them. Several of them have combined each other to be big enough to absorb trees to use them as ways to attack people. The slime covered trees act very much like live giants, acting with one mind. Like a lot of regular slime, they're weak to fire, but they know ways to shield themselves with items found in the environment - or captured people. Those captured inside a slime have two hours before they start dissolving inside. | 20 000 Moon Coins |
Summer Segment
Get your hottest quests here [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aserejé ja de je | The Dancing Skeletons have made it to the Summer Segment on their "tour". This time the skeletons they've dragged into their dancing are Hula Skeletons. Mostly called that because they like to dress up in different straw skirts, flowers crowns their heads and leis around their necks. As per usual these skeletons have no sense of personal space or consent, so anyone who happens to come close enough to them is going to be bothered. Otherwise they seem to be pretty harmless this time, other than not knowing limit to how long someone can dance that is. Some people might need rescuing. | Hula Skeletons are the friendliest sort of skeletons who enjoy dressing up and looking nice. They can be easily distracted by showing them different clothes or even make up. The Dancing Skeletons will be annoyed, but won't cause a scene and instead continue dancing. | 1000 Moon Coins |
| Dandelion Dreams Coming True | There's a species of lions that look very much like dandelions. They're usually hard to find, as they blend into the sceneries in the Spring Segment. However, strong gusts of wind have brought a pack of them into the Summer Segment. The environment here is dangerous for this species, so we wish to see them go back to the their original habitat. However... we don't have the courage to approach lions. Even if they look like dandelions they're still predators. | Grandelions are large lions that look like dandelions. They mate with whoever, as the gender doesn't matter. The flowers on their tails turn into seeds and produce new lion cubs when they get planted on the ground. Newborn lion cubs have a bud instead of a flower on the tip of their tails. Despite being large, they're very light and often get carried to places by strong gusts of wind. | 1600 Moon Coins |
| ❗High Risk Quest❗ Bless the Cursed Rain | It's finally raining in the Summer Segment, but that's where the good news end. Dark Albatrosses have appeared in the skies, and they're affecting the rain. Any place they fly in the rain gets mixed with dark energy that drops on plant-life, the soil and creatures alike, making them corrupted. Plants and soil die, creatures turn into abominations and attack people. The Dark Albatrosses need to be dealt with as soon as possible - especially before they fly over the areas with Wyverns and make them even stronger. | Dark Albatrosses are giant birds, with wingspan over 4 metres/13.12 feet. They're all black in color and have horrifying red eyes and their talons are sharp as knives. They're coated in dark energy, making them harder to fight than most creatures and they prefer to stay high up in the air. | 20 000 Moon Coins |
Autumn Segment
Maple scented Quests [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Cleaning | Leech like plants have started destroying the Autumn Airship Station. We've made attempts to chase them away, but more keep coming back. It's very likely that there's a nest (or several) of them somewhere nearby, but we're not brave enough to go check. We're pretty sure the only way the bypassed the barrier is because they're mostly plants. | Leech Vines are plants part of a monster body called a Leech Plant. The monsters themselves aren't able to pass the barriers, but they can send their tendril like vines to eat the material the station is made of. Finding the main body and destroying it will help the problem, but be careful of the vines as they might try to suck anything they can find - even people's blood. | 1400 Moon Coins |
| You Use a Repel | It's a known fact that the Lake of Healing gives someone energy when they dip into it, but also attracts a variety of monsters. Well, we have developed a cure for that. It's still in an experimental phase, so we're looking for volunteers who would bathe in the lake and then spray themselves with the spray we developed. It should negate the effect, making monsters ignore you... but it might be a good idea to keep a weapon nearby if it doesn't work! | Good news! The spray works. None of the monsters approach the person who took a dip in the lake. However, the next morning, after sleeping for at least a few hours, they will find every harmless, fuzzy creature within three mile radius has made their way to them and are either snuggling or sleeping next to them. The spray wears off during the course of day or with a nice, long shower. | 900 Moon Coins, Pets(?) |
| ❗High Risk Quest❗ Rulers of the Skies CW/TW: electrocution, possession | The storms in the Autumn Segment have taken a different form than usual. The clouds above themselves have become sentient, it feels like and they're making precise shots with their lightning bolts at anyone there. Occasionally they even change shape and become more menacing, sucking trees, people and creatures into the cloud with winds. They're either never seen again or return as creatures possessed by lightning that cause havoc all around. We've had to capture and lock away some natives possessed that tried to get into the city to cause havoc there. We're looking for a cure, but something needs to be done to these clouds before things get out of control. | Storm Conquerors are clouds that have traveled through the Darkness and have become sentient creatures of chaos. Whenever one breaks apart they're quickly reformed, but the more pieces it's torn into the longer the reforming takes. Those possessed by lightning will return to normal by having the electricity sucked out of their bodies with different devices. | 20 000 Moon Coins |
NSFW Quests
DO NOT use the Quest Mingle for these quests and instead play them on other posts! This questboard is only unlockable by characters that are 16 or older.
The Spice [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Vibes Only | Sponsored by Good Vibes is hosting an adult toy contest. Everyone is encouraged to flex their creativity and design a toy toy that could potentially go into production. The winner will be picked by Eiden. People are encouraged to only submit one design - so be sure to put your best, most creative foot forward. | To be considered for the win, please visit here and drop a line. Winner will be randomly chosen. | Rewards (1 per person): Everyone: 50% off coupon to Good Vibes For entering: 250 Moon coins For winning: 1000 Moon Coins + Potential Toy Production |
| Spicy Gacha | A new restaurant has opened as a rival to the infamous Gacha Restaurant. The Spicy Gacha Diner offers similar services, but all the food has a twist: they all have an added effect. Most of them are harmless, (like creating bunny ears on someone's head or changing their voice into a different one) but some of them can cause sexy effects (like a heat like state or a desire to go do some sexy pole dancing) which is why the restaurant is only accepting customers that are over 16-years-old. Come test their restaurant and get paid for it! | The effects range from very silly ones to very sexy ones, but all of them are very harmless and meant to have fun. The food is always delicious and can be either savory or sweet. The best thing? Everything costs the same, no matter what you order. | Free Gacha Meal, 500 Moon Coins |
City Crime Quests
This questboard on an app on the phone and is only unlockable if your character has received a (handwaved) code for it from one of the crime organizations or just criminals of Nightwake. Another way is to hack your way in if you know it exists.
You don't need mod permission to do these, just make sure you find a reasonably way for your character to get there.
Anyone can be a victim of these quests.
Should players doing these quests wish for IC consequences, they may report their character here - or just assume that NPC law enforcement characters are on a lookout for them.
Dark Side of Quests [ Click to Expand ]
| Quest Name | Description | OOC Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirty Fighting CW/TW: murder | Underground fighting rings are nothing new, but I have something that's new and exciting. I'm hosting a fighting ring where I've invited rival gangs to take part in. I want them gone. Break all their bones, maul their faces - kill them. Make it look like it's part of the fight to not rise anyone suspicions. If you manage to kill someone by "accidentally punching too hard", you will get the highest reward. | This quest is all about violence. However, there may be cops in disguise in the audience so it's possible to get your character into huge problems, should you so wish. Though if it looks like an accident, maybe they won't get a long sentence. Feel free to also have been "invited" by this mysterious someone to be a fighter, especially if your character has been involved with dealing with gangs before. | 10000 Moon Coins |
| It's For Your Own Good | We have plenty of debts to collect, but not enough collectors for the job. At least not collectors intimidating enough. We wish to have the aid of power holders so they can use their powers to get a point across: that paying the money is for their own good. And if they don't listen, you're free to break some bones to give them reminders of what happens if they don't come up with the money. | Debts are collected from various different kinds of people from different districts and then brought to a specific drop point to get a reward. Those who try to steal the debt money will get another debt collector after them. | 2000 Moon Coins per 2 debts collected |
no subject
Are you any good at ice magic yet? If so, try freezing these little shits, then we can shatter them. Otherwise, we can try lightning--
[Apparently, the weirdly leech-like vines aren't willing to let them plan their destruction all the way through. They're attacking! On the upside, that means that they're letting go of the airship station. Hijikata quickly steps back from the slithering, snapping things.]
Let's lure them away!
[If they can manage that, they can go significantly more wild... though they should probably still show some restraint, given the building's close vicinity.]
no subject
Mari startles, bud dodges the initial attack with some ease, and takes a few more hopping steps back to avoid the follow up from the other tendrils.
But man she can think of SO many fun ways to use all of that. Thankfully ice magic IS something she's learned, thanks to having to learn temperature control to master steam and mist. So after neatly sidestepping some vines of her own Mari conjures some water from the air, which is thick with that good old subtle autumn storm humidity thanks to the rampaging storm clouds, and drenches the attacking vines with it. The style is reminiscent of waterbending, but the movements are purely martial arts, more like the water is mimicking her movements directly, shadowing her.]
Sounds like a plan!
[She's already forming an idea based on their combined skill sets. She's more proficient with water than her tattoos at this stage, so if they combine that, her ice magic, his electricity, her earth ribbon, and some well placed sword strikes she thinks she has an idea.
But first- she freezes the soaked vines in place. It won't hold! But it should be enough to buy them time to get past them and out somewhere more open. Just to make sure they decide to stay focused on them, though, Mari taps the surface of the ice as she goes and sends a small jolt of electricity through it. Just enough to hurt. TAG, they're it!]
Let's go you slimey slow pokes!
no subject
That's right, you vermin!! You heard her! Or are you going to run?
[He is so goddamn ready! He turns to Mari once more.]
Once we're properly out in the open, freeze them again, and leave the rest to me!
[He's been burning to use his trusty Muramasha after its latest upgrades: Sebonzakura, which he bought for all his longswords, and a sharpening with the Enchanted Whetstone that came with an added status effect ability.
The vines do seem plenty pissed - as soon as the ice thaws and they've taken a moment to reorient themselves, they swiftly slither after the two humans. Even better, more of them are coming from the airship station, apparently hoping for a nice meal!]
no subject
[Orders given, orders received. Just like that. Now it's a race to reach their chosen fighting area before the vines catch up to them!
Thankfully they had a bit of a head start, not enough for the vines to lose "sight" of them, but enough that they aren't at immediate risk of being grabbed, at least. The sight and sound of them slithering around is enough to give her the creeps, and she'll probably have nightmares about this shit tonight, but a job's a job.
The second that they've cleared the building Mari pours on a bit more speed, then turns around while skidding to a stop. She calls on more water and proceeds to "meet" the vines head on as they lunge.
There's no way she'd do this if she weren't absolutely confident in her agility, but between martial arts and dance training she's sure enough. She moves out of the way of snapping vines with enough ease to dodge- sometimes only nearly -being grabbed, countering with a splash of water each time one is within range, and then solidifying it into ice until its formed a bizarre sculpture on the spot. As the last vine's movements slow to a frozen halt Mari is quick to back away to give Hijikata space. She's not sure exactly what he plans to do next, but she wants to be sure he won't have to worry about her.]
All yours!
no subject
Once she's out of the way, he charges at the frozen vines that look like a strange oversized coral structure, and delivers powerful strikes as he moves along. Each hit is a veritable explosion: Not only does his blade shatter the enemy creatures into chunks of ice that go flying everywhere, but each impact comes with a storm of shard-like cherry blossoms that further chip away at the ice sculpture.
Eventually, the vines are decimated, and Hijikata strikes a cool pose. Hell yeah, he's still got it!! But of course, there's no time for them to bask in their glory yet.]
Let's go around the station to lure another batch!
[Of course, there are stragglers that weren't caught up in the destruction just now, but they can just dispatch those as they go! He's in full killing machine mode now.]
no subject
She's always considered herself her siblings support, and when it comes to combat in general she feels herself best suited to backing others- like Hijikata -up from the rear or shadows. Doing so, however, means that she needs to be ready to fight when she's inevitably targeted. Typical RPG logic: Target the healer or the buffer first, not least of all because they're often the weakest link. Mari has taken what precautions she can to avoid that, and keeping a level head and having a certain level of boldness was a must.
Still, she's quite floored by the amount of power that Hijikata outputs, shielding herself with her arms instinctively from the blow back of frozen tentacle bits- "Holy shit!" -and staring a bit after as she lowers her arms.
She's good??? Bloody freakin' hell. Next to him she looks more like she was playing a harmless game of keepaway! So this is the difference between a rookie and a veteran in this world.
There's no time for praise right now, but Mari can't help the hopeful swell, that sense of peace of mind that comes with feeling like she's in good hands. He also exhibits experience with taking control and leading the charge, so she has no problem following his lead, falling into pace beside him.]
Right! How many do you think there are?
no subject
She doesn't know about his
mid-lifecrisis (and thank goodness for that; he'd be embarrassed if she did!), but this quest so far is doing wonders in making him feel in higher spirits about himself and his abilities. If they can take out all the leech vines, maybe he'll soon stop gelling his fringe out of his face, who knows!]It's hard to quantify, but we drew in most of the ones on the western side. There may be more or fewer or equally many eating away at the rest of the building. Let's run all the way around, actually, and pull them all along! That'll save you some mana, won't it?
[Of course it'll also be riskier to have a massive swarm of these things following them, but isn't it worth the chance of taking them all out in one bombastic maneuver? It turns out, however, that there aren't as many on the northern side. All the better... though Hijikata frowns as he sees some other creatures in the distance, out in the Segment, beyond the barrier. What are those..? (They're leech plants, and they're agitated because their dislodged body parts got destroyed over here. Alas, they can't pass through!)]
no subject
It will, and it should help to prevent them from doing more damage while we're busy tied up elsewhere. [She reasons, only to set her sights on the same thing as Hijikata.
Her expression turns grim with a tinge of disgust, but she doesn't seem surprised...]
I kind of wondered if they weren't all attached to something, but that's gnarly to look at. I don't suppose they'll just go away after we deal with all their vines unless we give them a good reason not to want to come back.
no subject
[He surveys the creatures' numbers for a moment... as far as he can see, the group contains about a dozen human-sized plant monsters with thick, leech-like leaves.]
I'd wager that if we went out there and kicked their asses, the associated vines here would die off. Are you okay with that?
[Needless to say, it'll be a lot more dangerous. Who knows what these things' strengths and weaknesses are? Hijikata's wearing his Status Lenses, but those will only give him access to information if other users have fought the same type of enemy before, and given that he's never heard of these monsters before, chances seem low. They'll have to trial-and-error this.]
no subject
Jinhai would KILL her (not literally of course) if he knew she was even entertaining the idea of saying yes, but... Hijikata is right. It'd be dangerous to leave these plants alone, and dealing with the vines will only take care of so much. It's a temporary solution at best.]
Alright, it's worth a shot. But if things get too dangerous, we should leave immediately.
no subject
First of all, let me get us some back-up.
[He takes two pokéballs - one regular, one a Level Ball - from his bag and materialises a large pig beast with a flaming mane around its smooth head and a floating broadsword. The former gives Mari a curious look from under its fierce large eyebrows, and the latter also seems to stare at her despite its expressionless form.]
Hinobuta, Maken, this is Mari. We're facing that bunch of plant-like monsters behind the barrier over there. So far, we've had good success using ice, lightning and brute force against their detached appendages.
[He says that as if they could understand him... and they do seem to at least be getting the gist of what he's saying, given their affirmative-looking reactions!]
Hinobuta, if shit hits the fan, you protect Mari as a priority. Got it?
[The Emboar grunts and nods, offering Mari a huge clawed hand - it's learned enough about human customs to know how to greet a new friend!]
no subject
But- focus.
Mari looks at the two, recognizing the Emboar for what it is right away, and listens to him giving a very short briefing.
She'd thought so earlier, but he really does carry himself like someone who's used to being in charge. She wants to ask him about that later, VERY much so.
Part of her wants to argue that her life isn't more important than Hijikata's- and it isn't! -but she also recognizes that between the two of them he has more battle experience. She doesn't take offense, nor does she rail against the suggestion that she needs protecting, she simply recognizes it for what it is.
She really hopes she doesn't end up becoming a burden here.
For now, though a little surprised by the gesture she does reach out to accept the proffered clawed hand for a shake.]
Oh, then I'll be in your care. Thank you. I'll try not to slow us down.
CW: Monster Immolation
Alright, let's move! Hinobuta and I take the first charge and burn these crappy things. We can't be sure that they don't have long-distance attack options, so Maken, you stay with Mari and shield her!
[The Honedge tilts forward in acknowledgement.]
Mari, you freeze whatever survives the fire, alright?
[He sure is kinder in "ordering" her around... and with everyone knowing what to do, he draws all three of his swords - two with his hands, one telekinetically - and leads the charge.
It seems like the monsters were waiting for that, having crept closer to the barrier around the airship station - but they probably didn't anticipate the sheer brute force of the attack that immediately greets them. Evidently, Hijikata and his Emboar have experience enmeshing their fire powers, and they unleash a flaming inferno on the leech plants, along with their blades and claws.
Generally, fire is a reliable method against plant enemies, and this holds true once again here as the monsters writhe and squirm in the flames. That being said, they seem to contain a good amount of water, making it so that they don't burn to crisps right away but rather boil and burst. It's a good thing that the Emboar and its trainer are both fire-proof!
While they have a good handle on the creatures and those indeed don't seem to have any ranged combat abilities, the tendrils come to the main bodies' aid from the airship station behind, something Hijikata didn't necessarily expect - and naturally, their first targets are Mari and Maken. While the Honedge, having unsheathed itself, delivers strong swings with its blade, it can only handle so many vines!]
CW: Creature transformation!
Now if she and her friends can just avoid being given the Red Shirt treatment...]
Understood!
[It's a little nerve wracking, but it was always going to be, as her first time going up against monsters of this caliber. Better that than over confidence on her part, right? That and she's lucky enough to have a veteran with her, so she won't back down over something like nerves! It would be different if her gut was screaming that this was a bad idea, or if she could see more risks than rewards. No, this is doable. They just have to be careful and- failing the ability to do that, be ready to adapt.
That's just what it comes down to in the end, too. Mari doesn't really have much to do at first, Hijikata and Hinobuta hit the plant monsters hard enough they don't know what hit them. She was just thinking that this was going much better than they expected (with the lack of ranged attacks), probably too well, in fact, when the familiar noise of slithering, slimy vines draws her attention behind them. Ah. Shit. If they don't manage to hold the line here and now, not only would they be sitting ducks, but Hijikata and Hinobuta would be dealing with the monsters on two fronts AND worrying about them.
She joins in, drawing on what she thinks is her new mana pool to repeat her trick from earlier. She's being as conservative with it as she can afford and no more or less, but perhaps because of the proximity to all the firepower, the ice isn't holding like it was before...! It's melting too fast for her to replenish! For just a moment it seems like between Maken and Mari they're just barely able to keep pace with the onslaught, but with Maken having its "hands" full and Hinobuta and Hijikata both being preoccupied with the main bodies it doesn't take long for Mari herself to be caught off guard.
It happens in a moment when the mana from her seasonal power runs low, coupled with several vines breaking free of their ice prison prematurely. It's only for a moment, but a look of confusion flickers across her face. She can sense that the magic she'd been using to draw water from the air is drying up, but she's sure she could still keep going, so why...?
In that fraction of a moment of inattention one of the vines wraps around her lower leg and snatches her balance. She lands on her back with a pained wheeze. Thankfully she'd purchased some low level armor before coming here, so it doesn't immediately do any damage, but it sure as fuck knocked the air out of her lungs and knocked her head against the sun-cracked earth.
She's too dazed to even call out, desperately trying to come back from her vision suddenly going black and then back into focus. There's a wave of nausea swelling in her stomach, more vines are rush in to join the fray. There's a sudden surge of fear, not only for herself but for what will happen to the other three if they get distracted trying to rescue her, or if they're overrun by the vines like she was.
There's something else that swells after the fear though: desperation.
The vines that were wrapping around her body suddenly seem to be having trouble holding on, being pushed and pulled away as she grows rapidly in size and her skin begins to grow over with scales.]
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Eventually, it's Hinobuta who first notices that something's amiss, emitting an alarmed squeal that draws Hijikata's attention. Through the smoke and flames, he sees a dark mass of vines assaulting his questmate and sword pokémon. While Maken is relatively safe - the vines can't grab its blade without cutting themselves, nor its handle without having their life energy sucked out - Mari is on the ground and struggling, and the ghost pokémon can't fend the monsters off fast enough to get through to her.]
Shit.
[He causes one more massive flare-up in the fire all around and swings his swords in a circle, combusting a number of already dead and burning leech plants in explosions of cherry blossoms, then sprints towards the girl, his Emboar right by his side. What's happening to her?! Her brother' going to end me--!]
Mari!! Hold out!
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Still, her eyes instinctively move to track him. Disoriented as she is she doesn't really register how fast the reaction time is, but as the seconds pass by details stand out in sharp focus.
The sudden burst of the scent of cherry blossoms, the bright pop of pink against the black-ish green of the monsters, the acrid scent of burning plants swiftly overtaking the floral tones again, and the tinge of anger and worry in Hijikata's face.
But first things first, she needed to get loose.
From between the vines emerged a webbed, black clawed, sea green colored foot emerges, distinctly inhuman and much, much larger than Mari's. It grabbed at a paw full of the vines and those same claws dug into the plants, seemingly unintentional, but the result was the same. The monster they were attached to could be heard shrieking in pain somewhere.
Her head came hissing, snapping, and biting free next, a slender, draconic snout crowned with feathery quills and an intelligent, bright blue eye became visible. Slit serpentine pupils and all.
Gradually more of this new form became visible, a feathery(????) sea serpent (?????) who was feeling very, very, threatened by these very annoying plants.
Just for dramatic effect, she gives the vines a roar of challenge.
Or maybe she's just cursing in draconic, WHO CAN REALLY SAY?]
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That's... Mari, right?
[When he only gets a non-committal grunt from Hinobuta, he steps up to the fray, casually chopping a few vines that come his way.]
Need a hand? Or..?
[He has questions, but first things first!]
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She looks up as Hijikata gets there, then down towards him because she's currently several heads taller-
"Need a hand? Or..?"
-and drops the vine she was holding in her jaws with a wet THUD. They have a moment while the monsters are trying to figure out how to assess this new development, even if JUST a moment.
"Mari" makes what... sounds like an either confused or distressed noise, and after a moment manages a nod. Sir this vehicle is brand new and she only understands the bare basics of how to operate it.]
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Okay, I've got this.
[A motion to the Emboar makes it join him in decimating the vines - without summoning any more fire, because even if Mari could easily keep her head above the smoke, they're not taking the risk of singing her feathers! At this point, their blades and claws are enough, anyway, along with a few well-placed electric charges courtesy of Hijikata's magical tattoo.
Once the carnage is complete, he overlooks the area to make sure there are no further threats lurking, then motions for the group to retreat back behind the barrier.]
Let's regroup!
[With the danger gone, all eyes are on Mari, even the Honedge's singular one...]
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While Hijikata, Hinobuta, and Maken deal with what's left of the vines Mari turns her attention somewhat inward. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! I didn't see DRAGONS anywhere on the list of creatures you could turn into!
And she SURE hadn't been thinking about one! Yet here she is. Wingless, sure, but judging by the webbing she'd spied between the toes of her paw she would assume that she was meant to be aquatic? And she could see from her tail and snout that she had whiskers, which was more reminiscent of an eastern dragon of lore. So... had this power come with her from home? But how, if magic was sealed, then-
Oh...
Right about that moment the other three were finishing up. Mari feels a little self-conscious about the undivided attention, but it makes sense. Unfortunately she hasn't yet figured out how to start changing back, so she'll have to go like this. The feathers atop her head press back and down, but she nods again and carefully (as carefully as she can anyway, the tail is new, semi-prehensile, and unruly compared to her snow leopard form) rises up. At least she manages not to send anyone flying!
After that, she indicates that she's ready to follow their lead, trying to speak, but unlike her Ellipsa powers- this form can't talk. All that comes out is a strange sort of... chirruping sound, kind of like a dinosaur. She stops that very abruptly and her eye slides away from his. Ha ha ha...
Can dragons blush? She's not sure. LET'S JUST GO.]
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Once everyone's back by the now leech-vine-free airship station, he brushes some soot off his shoulders, and the pokémon likewise clean themselves up - Hinobuta by flaring out its fire mane to simply burn away any monster particles, Maken by rubbing its blade on the grass before re-sheathing itself. Then, all of them finally gives Mari their full attention, studying her new form. No wings, so it's a drake, technically... an eastern one. Definitely not an animal transformation.]
Alright, first things first: You're okay, right, Mari?
[She doesn't look hurt, and she's clearly still able to understand him... that's good. Still, how did this happen?]
Can you change back? If not, let's find a place to rest.
[A good while ago, his friend Xingchen accidentally turned himself into a stag at home, and meditating with him helped him turn back into a human - maybe that'll help Mari too? Hijikata sucks at meditating, being naturally impatient, but he has learned to do it, and that may just come in handy here.]
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Once they've put some distance between themselves and the vines Mari takes a chance to breathe out, a soft snort, and studies her companions as well. They all seem fine, if a bit dirty. Looking herself over she's got a bit of that going on too. No sign of tattered clothes, at least, so she... PROBABLY shapeshifted WITH them on...? She hopes.
Another nod, she's not hurt, just a bit frazzled. Then... would her usual method of changing back work here? She really doesn't want to put him to anymore trouble than she already has in her mind.
Mari settles back to sit on her haunches and then closes her eyes. She tries to picture herself, a feat that is blessedly easier thanks to her having an identical twin sister with similar fashion tastes. It takes a little bit to get past her mind's racing, but gradually she starts to shrink down in size and her human body reemerges. Afterwards, she looks relieved. As amazing as being able to turn into a dragon (drake, sea dragon, sea drake??) IS, a part of her was terrified she'd be STUCK that way forever.
Mari looks herself over, pats herself down a bit to make sure she hadn't missed anything, and then lets out a sigh of relief as she looks at Hijikata again and hurries to explain-]
I honestly had no idea I could do that!
[How is he taking it? Obviously calmer than she had, since she was the one freaking out about suddenly changing like that, but it was a little difficult for her to gage his actual response. Not everyone was a dragon nerd like her, and not everyone distinguished between pokemon, hostile monsters, and dragons. Lots of stories portrayed them as enemies, so it was really a mixed bag. He was obviously worried about her, but would he have been put off by that form of hers?]
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That being said, his experience with dragons very much is a mixed bag. On Prismatica, the dragons were friends and allies, even willing to let otherworlders live in their kingdom with them, and while there were some benevolent dragons on Avalon as well, there also was one that avenged the destruction of its home with the devastation of a settlement, taking many lives in one terrible night. Here on Ellipsa, finally, he nearly ended up as sky wyvern food in the Summer Segment once, but he also heard that other people had pleasant encounters with the lake wyverns of the Autumn Segment.
None of that would, however, dictate how he'd treat a questmate, someone who relies on him. As long as she doesn't lose her mind and turn on him, he'll continue to have her back, no matter what happens to her - and even in such a case, he'd try to find a non-lethal solution. (He knows what it's like; he's a werebeast.)]
So this never happened before? Can you brother do anything like this?
[If such shape-shifting abilities don't run in the family, they'll need to retrace her steps in this world. Maybe she somehow ended up with a spell or curse put on her?]
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No, not as far as we know anyway. My best guess is that it has something to do with our parents, and the fact that magic isn't locked away here like it is back on our Earth.
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[That means...]
Maybe both you and your brother have access to it here. How much do you know about it?
[So much for him being able to be a cool veteran for once... it almost looks like he managed to pick up another supernatural kid who's a million times stronger than him! Granted, Mari clearly has no mastery of her powers yet, but she's a dragon!]
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