ALLOW ME

one

Outside of battle, Alcryst rarely has a reason to summon Lyn. Today, as he fits the ring on his finger, a question burns in his chest and the only way he can think to relieve it is to ask her, "Do you remember anything from the day King Morion was captured?" "No" she responds mournfully. She remembers the cold haze and darkness, remembers clinging to the little warmth that King Hyacinth had left in his heart. Fulfilling her duty, so she thought. "I see." The burning in his heart doesn't stop. "I'm..." Alcryst clutches it, nauseated. "It's not your fault." -- from Alcryst & Lyn drabble series

two

Thankfully Forsyth is upon Python immediately, granting Lukas the chance to hide his ugly reaction into his beer before it shows on his face. Soul of tact, that one. -- from backstreet's back, alright!

three

Lukas runs a hand through his hair. “Yet I think it’s fair to say that we are ill-prepared for whatever dangers might face us. And if all roads lead to death… what truly separates these choices for us? What really matters?” What difference does it make? We have nothing more to lose. But Lukas keeps that to himself. He’s no king, no one of consequence. -- from winners stay winning

four

“…He’s gone?” The gravity of the words, the consequences of this new reality going forward, threatens to knock Alcryst off his feet. His once-invincible brother, the new King of Brodia, breathes no more. To think the day would come… To think the day… would finally come…! -- from ask meme: [diamant] just died, [alcryst] finds out (but make it fell au)

five

Dissolution activates! Terrain changed to Toxic Sludge! [Roll: 2] Camilla 10/10HP is not caught in the Toxic Sludge! Psychopomp activates! [-1HP; Camilla 9/10HP] [-1HP; Alligatorid Husk 49/50HP] Resonance activates! [-1HP; Alligatorid Husk 48/50]

"Yuck!" She makes a face, but out of the corner of her eye she sees Kris struggling. She can't very well move too quickly herself, the slick ground threatens to take all who are standing.

But not those flying.

"Sakura! Lukas!" She calls up to the heavens. Sakura charges forward, the picture of elegance, only to fall to the creature. She can hardly take the time to mourn her as the ground begins to shake, sending the toxic sludge flying as it does. Camilla wretches as some of it lands near her mouth.

Alligatorid Husk 43/50HP uses Quake on all players: Camilla 9/10HP is hit [Roll: 14 + 8 = 22, -5HP + 3RES = -2HP; Camilla 7/10HP]

Ares recovers the quickest, and fires a shot at the creature. The creature howls and roars as he taunts it.

As Lukas sweeps down to help Kris, Camilla aims her canon at the creature.

Camilla 7/10HP hits critically hits Alligatorid Husk 40/50HP with Holy Blast (Range+) [Roll: 17 - 2 = 15; -5HP, Alligatorid Husk 35/50HP] Lifetaker activates!Camilla recovers +2.5HP; Camilla 9.5/10HP

Kris gets caught. A swordsman like him relies on his speed and quick movements. Ares and Camilla are more than capable of wearing this new monster down, so there is no reason not to save their ally. Sakura is of the same mind—good, this will go faster with two hands. If only it were that easy.

Alligatorid Husk 43/50HP uses Quake on all players: Lukas 10/10HP is hit [Roll: 18 + 4 = 22, -5HP; Lukas 5/10HP]

Lukas knows well from the fight with Duma: not even fliers can escape the wrath of Quake. Here the monster flings large chunks of stone, striking Lukas and his mount with enough force to nearly knock him off the saddle. Still, he holds on. Sakura, however...

Death in the arena is only temporary, but witnessing it never gets easier. "You've earned your rest, Sakura," Lukas calls down to the younger girl as she fades from this world. He'll carry on for her. He knows what must be done.

Lukas 5/10HP attempts to end Kris’s 10/10HP Toxic Sludge status [Roll: 1d20 = 11] Kris 10/10HP is no longer stuck in the Toxic Sludge!

Lukas weaves through flying projectiles as he dives to Kris' position. "Hold on!" His hand grabs at Kris' arm, gripping him tightly as his wyvern flies away from the immediate battlefield. There's a clean patch of tall grass that remains untouched by toxic sludge. Lukas drops him off there.

Sakura 10/10HP hits Titanus 15/15 with Stunner (Ranged) [Roll: 15 + 2 = 17, hit! Titanus 15/15 is stunned! Beak of Gofannon activates! Titanus 15/15 is afflicted with Toxic Poison! Aegis activates! [Roll: 10 + 2 = 12, success!] Damage is halved = -1.5 HP ; Trample activates! -2 HP! Titanus is 11.5/15 HP Titanus 11.5/15 HP cannot counterattack!

With a very firm movement, she took out the bow and with firm decision, she took aim and she shoot a perfect electrical arrow, which solidly pierced through the armour and stuck in a small portion of its body, leaving the monster momentarily paralysed. But that wasn’t it: attached to the arrow, a tip of poison to caught the enemy off guard… and it actually worked!

As the eerie armour-like creature seemingly suffered the poison and the stun, Sakura bravely stood still on her steed, turned towards her companions and timidly asked: “Who’s next?” with a very dainty smile on her rosy lips, knowing for sure she did manage to do some good for the starter of the combat.

I’m sure he would be proud of me—

Ares wasn't sure if he'd actually passed out.

The last thing he remembered was the gleam of shattered glass blending with the dullness of the horizon's dirt and decay, whilst he hissed breaths between clenched teeth and squinted vainly to keep a clearer picture of it.

Of course he knew there was no getting back up now, though; nothing was left to salvage this battle. To have no choice but to accept it only quickened the rate at which his shock and shame over falling to kill a glorified training dummy soured. It became something festering in the base of his throat, mixing with his bubbling blood and bile, but no matter how much he wished to carve the feeling out with a swing of his sword, he couldn't. He had no such thing here, and he squandered what he did. The only way left to get rid of the venom was to swallow it himself rather than spit it out, let it sear a pit into his stomach as bitter medicine...

That was why it was a mistake to keep him in the arena rather than throw him back out of the portal. With time to better digest things, he might have had the chance to learn something deeper beyond the surface-levels. Dissect the teamwide tactics...and perhaps he might still later.

Instead, the world had spun him back on his feet, put a new enemy in front of him, and a portable cannon in one of his stiffly curled hands.

“Who’s next?”

Ares 10/10 HP hits critically hits Titanus 11.5/15 HP with 1 use of Holy Blast (Range+) [Roll: 13, -5HP]

Sakura's dainty voice was answered -- eclipsed -- by cannonfire. A hefty round soared past her and buried an explosive blast of light magic in the golem's plate mail.

Aegis activates! [Roll: 15 + 2 = 17, success!] Damage halved [-5 / 2 = -2.5 HP, Titanus 9/15 HP] Titanus 9/15 HP cannot counterattack!

Shields flew up as it approached, but they were much too frail to soak all the magical grapeshot that showered it. Its knee had no choice but to creak and drop from the force, but nothing further. Sparks flew from its metal and stone seams, but it still found a way to stand tall above the smoke again.

"Tch." Emerging from the smog cloud in black armor that somehow covered less but weighed more, he nevertheless made wearing it look easy as he drew closer to the Titanus. Ares' glare was double-edged, digging into himself as much as it was the golem. "Built for no more than punishment, aren't you?"

Seal Movement activates! Titanus 11.5/15 is inflicted with Taunt against Ares 10/10 HP!

Could a metal man hear, let alone think?

This one seemed to, for its artificial lights where eyes would be flashed at Ares' barb, swiveling to stare back at him.

"Hmph," Ares spat beneath his breath, icy and unflinching. "So you've something of a brain then?" Immediately, another cannonball was loaded into the chamber, building heat and magic that rode up the barrel. "Pity it's too small a target."

Though, they lost against the last one… Lukas sincerely hopes he isn’t making a habit of dying at least once in the arena. Hopefully they can end this on a good note.

Sakura’s strange weapon paralyzes the beast, and a powerful blast from Ares brings it to its knees. Lukas dives down on his wyvern, aiming for a finishing blow.

Merciless activates! Lukas 10/10HP hits Titanus 9/15HP with Solemn Confiteor [Roll: 12, -3HP]

Pavise activates! [Roll: 12 + 2 = 14, success] Damage halved. [3 / 2 = -1.5HP, Titanus 7.5/15HP]

A spray of blood and ice magic punctuate his first hit. Yet in spite of the flashy display, Lukas can tell he hardly punched through that tough armor. He tries another hit,

Lukas 10/10HP misses Titanus 7.5/15HP with Solemn Confiteor [Roll: 6, -0HP]

Titanus 7.5/15 HP cannot counterattack!

Trample activates! [-2HP; Titanus 5.5/15HP]

The other creature was very similar to an ancient dragon, but with a pretty scarce body, revealing all the internal caves and bones, though no seemingly in pain of that condition, nor caring that much about the possible transformation of its shape after an attack of any kind. What did scare Sakura the most though, was the glance on its snuzzle: cadaveric yet so vivid, the blood boiling in its eyes was clearly visible and it could be sensed on the skin, as if it was somewhat ethereal but concrete and tangible through the eyes.

The scare feeling raptured the petite princess from the very beginning and that sensation intensified as soon as the giant creature with the familiar face approached her team with a ferocious scream.

Areadbhar 15/15HP* attacks Everyone with Atrocity! Slaughterer activates! [Roll: 1 & 2, -0HP; Sakura 10/10HP]

The terror spread among them and Sakura truly was afraid for her companions: with a swift movement, she somewhat managed to avoid the massacred attack unleashed from its claws, but the other teammates weren’t so fortunate in that occasion: Camilla was nimble enough, Sir Ares did manage to avoid the major damages, but Sir Kris and Sir Lukas…

“Noo!!” she shouted, but soon after this sudden attack, the atmosphere around them began to felt somewhat heavy and the pink shards emanated a strange lighting that surrounded each one of them, even the enemies.

SEA OF ROSES activates! Sakura 10/10HP [Roll: 1 = Buff, 2 = MAG; +0.5MAG]

The petite sniper felt magic running through her veins, but sadly for her, she wasn’t using a spell-book nor a staff, but a mere bow –though she was pretty proud of the fact that maybe her brother Takumi would be so happy and proud to see her handling such a powerful and difficult weapon like that. She stared at it a little longer than it should, while her teammates were dealing a good amount of damages: as a matter of facts, the giant creature – the one with a seemingly human face – was trudging a little, since most of the attacks got to the point and actually managed to make it kneel on the ground. Its nape was uncovered at that moment and she suddenly realized that she should act as well; with a small run, she pointed the arrow towards the giant enemy, the one already targeted by the others and with a chirurgical precision, she tried to hit the spot.

Sakura 10/10HP hits Areadbhar 2.5/15HP* with Guard Bow (Range+) [Roll: 18 - 4 = 14, -2.5HP; Areadbhar 0/15HP*] Multi Healthbar activates! Areadbhar 0/15HP* loses 1 *, clears all debuffs and statuses, and is restored to full HP!

“We did it!” she exclaimed, rising her right arm in the sky with the bow in her hand, a firm grip as she happily grinned and she turned to celebrate with the others, but as she saw their faces, she suddenly realized it was a big mistake turning towards them.

Unbeaten activates! Areadbhar 15/15HP uses Atrocity on all players! Slaughterer activates! [Roll: 11 & 12, -3HP & -3HP; Sakura 4/10HP] Sakura is debuffed with [Roll: 7, 8, 5, 6; -2DEX -2LCK -2SPD -2AVO] through next combat.

With a piercing shot, the creature unleashed a powerful blade and cut through the air, finely slicing Sakura’s hair and tearing a portion of her armour, leaving fresh blood spilling from her open wound. She fell down on her knees, definitely feeling the urge to cry, but she put her hands on the shattered pink shards, feeling the humble sensation of weakening.

If only. For the next time he sets his eyes on the monster, he sees that the mortal wound has become nothing more than an old scar. It stands tall and proud once more. Recovered, revived. And its first act is to release that horrifying energy that nearly killed them all again.

It's like the Emblems, huh? The wounds they've suffered are too serious, and with no healer among them—

Unbeaten activates! Areadbhar 15/15HP uses Atrocity on all players! Slaughterer activates! [Roll: 9 & 15, -2HP & -3HP = -5HP; Lukas 0/10HP]

Knocked off his wyvern, hurtling towards the ground, there was no way he would survive this one. There was nothing to be done. Lukas tries to make his peace with that as he makes impact with the sea of roses.

Lukas has been defeated!

Ares 9.5/10HP [Roll: 1 = Buff, 7 = DEX; +2DEX]

"So this dream can transform whensoever it pleases --" Hindsight would make such a thing obvious, but the cacophony of electrified roars and piercing screeches drowned out the rest of any thoughts he might have had.

Areadbhar 15/15HP* attacks Everyone with Atrocity! Slaughterer activates! [Roll: 9, 5; -2 + 1.5DEF = -0.5 & 0 = -0.5HP; Ares 9.5/10HP ] Ares is debuffed [Roll: 8 & 2; -2LCK -0.5MAG] through next combat.

Ares' time was too limited to properly look towards whatever it was that made them. They were a blur in his periphery, lasting no more than a split second, and his chosen direction to roll towards was based purely on a reflexive guess. He'd made it with no hesitation, feeling the heat of blindingly fast claws narrowly missing past the back of his neck as they tore past, and yet he still felt a fresh graze burning his cheek.

Ares 9.5/10HP recovers +1HP from Seiros Shield [Ares 10/10HP]

Cool and soothing but minor magic was luckily enough to patch it, but the man he'd just plucked from the sea hadn't gotten off as lightly. He'd seen where his wounds were just a moment ago when there was still a boat, and it was what made him certain that these were not only distinct, but more severe -- and made in the blink of an eye.

He gathered all of this from a sweeping glance, one that kept going until it fell on the forms of giants -- or would nightmares have been the more apt term? They certainly fit the role, what with the grisly, rotten fur and claws of a lion grafted onto the remains of a humanoid, paired with a pile of reptilian bones magically retaining a shadow of its living counterpart's form. The former even had a familiar face, one Ares had seen in his classes and on the lips of students and faculty alike --

"(...) no mater what your eyes tell you that is not Dimitri."

Camilla's cry affirmed his suspicions before he could even finish thinking them -- not that its choice of face mattered above a morbid novelty to him. Not when it and the other stood poised to add another fresh rift to the earth if he didn't act.

"Go for that one first! (...)"

"Understood!" Camilla's pendant marked it, and Ares was in no position to debate the target.

Ares 10/10HP hits Areadbhar15/15HP* with Halahala (Melee) [Roll: 2 + 8 = 10, 2.5 - 0.5 (Atrocity debuff) + 1 (Areadbhar SoR debuff) = -3HP; Areadbhar12/15HP*] Areadbhar’s buffs are inverted for 1 turn! [+6SPD -> -6SPD]

Again his veins thrummed with magic, releasing at the tips of his fingers that same color of inky black as formulae flew by his eyes, but its consistency was different than that of Banshee. Thick as rotten milk, and with an acrid smell that would put a corpse to shame, what he conjured this time was akin to a viscous sludge. It shot from his hands with force and ferocity, concentrated into a messy cone that thoroughly caked the dragon in its toxins.

He knew its nature was Dark, had the information forced into his head, but no explanation would suddenly make him excuse his reservations about this class of magic. The results, however, couldn't be argued.

Areadbhar12/15HP* hits Ares 10/10HP with Retribution [Roll: 7 - 3 = 4, -2 + 1.5DEF = -0.5HP & -1.5HP (flat) = -2HP; Ares 8/10HP]

Where before the ghoul could cut through the skies with one wingbeat, it now could barely unfurl them, looking down at Ares with a baleful snarl. A swing of its sharpened tail was all it needed to shake the slime off, throwing some of it back at Ares as its spines swatted him away.

It was nothing he couldn't get up from, but Ares' frown was still deep and strained as he did so.

One monster keeps its distance for now. The other...

Duma? No, accompanying the leader of the Blue Lions, surely not. But its form is that of a rotting dragon, twisted grotesquely into the shape of a weapon. A creature that defies the laws of nature and lives in spite of it, suffers because of it.

 Areadbhar 15/15HP* attacks Everyone with Atrocity! Slaughterer activates! [Roll: 17 & 10, -3 & -2 = -5HP; Lukas 5/10HP] Lukas is debuffed [Roll: 5, 5, 4, 3; -4SPD-1RES-1DEF] through next combat.

The sheer force of Areadbhar's atrocious spell sends Lukas and his mount flying back, weak and shaking as dark magic saps at their strength and energy. His eyes widen. What power! And without a healer in their midst, there's no doubt these two will make quick work of their team given the chance.

They'll need to play it smart. So when Camilla and Ares place their efforts and curses on the dragon, Lukas sees no reason to deviate. "Understood!" He calls out to Camilla. Axe in hand, Lukas spurs his wyvern onward, seeking retribution.

Lukas 5/10HP hits Areadbhar 12/15HP* with Vengeance [Roll: 15 + 6 = 21, -2.5HP + 1 (Vengeance bonus) = -3.5HP; Areadbhar 8.5/15HP*] Areadbhar 8.5/15HP* is Broken! Cannot attack, counterattack, or use abilities until next combat/current phase ends. Trample activates! -2HP, Areadbhar 6.5/15HP*

Sophrosyne uses Crushing Waves: Roll d4: 4. Kris: 8/10HP -> 4/10HP. Kris is inflicted with Drowning.

There's a sort of irony to what happens next after sacrificing his attack opportunities to rescue the two women from drowning only moments earlier. The air knocked clean from his lungs with the force of being dragged down by the waves, vision blurred by the renewed burn of seawater in his eyes, Kris flails blindly in an effort to return to the surface; the pressure of being unable to breathe only worsening each second with the franticness of his movements. Wishing now that their battleground had been anywhere but the sea if this was all it took to throw their group into disarray, struggling against not only the creature designated their foe but the environment itself.

Sophi A attacks Kris with Bite: Roll 2d20: 8 — Hit! 6 — Hit! Kris 4/10HP -> 3/10HP. Sophi D attacks Kris with Bite: Roll 2d20: 18 — Hit! 5 — Barely hit! Kris 3/10HP -> 2.5/10HP.

Something—he can't see what exactly—clamps around his forearm and digs in, not especially painful but enough that a few precious bubbles of air slip free as he shakes it off. Right, there were a bunch of smaller turtles too... Another nips at his ankle following the reminder, similarly dislodged before long with a good kick; increasingly aware of the need to hurry as he cannot hold his breath indefinitely. He's far from afraid of dying at this point, and this is a training simulation besides, where neither of his past lapses into unconsciousness had been final. Suffered plenty of injuries over the course of his life, from training accidents in childhood to wounds from his first war—some leaving scars he has accepted bearing for the rest of his life.

Despite this, he's not so sure he wants to find out firsthand what drowning feels like.

Kris attempts to free himself from Drowning. Roll 4d4: 1, 1, 1, 4 — Failure!

Not that his wants matter much when he doesn't appear to be any closer to resurfacing than before, lightheaded and weakened by the lack of air until the Altean can endure no longer. Forced to expel the remaining dregs of it as the sea seizes its opportunity to invade, flooding his airways and choking him in the fleeting moments before everything goes dark.

Kris has fallen unconscious!

To made matters worse, the tiny creatures began to target her from underwater, probably due to the fact she was an easy spot for them and for their tiny teeth, quite sharp actually, but the damage dealt wasn’t truly painful in Sakura’s opinion, since she was far more concentrated on surviving with her last breaths.

Sophi B 3/3HP hits and misses Sakura 3/10HP with Bite [Rolls: 6 & 4, -0.5HP & -0HP; Sakura 2.5/10HP] Sakura 2.5/10HP cannot counterattack

The bow was still firmly pressed inside her right hand, but the fatigue to keep swimming and hold the breath was exhausting, till the point she was pretty sure she couldn’t keep on going any longer than this.

Sakura 2.5/10HP attempts to end her DROWNING status [Roll: 4d4 = 4, 2, 2, 2] - Failure!

She suddenly felt the heaviness of her arms, the doziness of her eyes and the utter melancholy of being in a place that didn’t belong to her: she felt lost, tired, desperate and the more she agitated to reach the surface, the more she felt fatigued and the pressure in her head and in her stomach grew higher and higher, making her feel worser and worser… till, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, a hand reaching for hers, touching the feeble limbs and dragging her with force towards the surface, once again.

Lukas 8/10HP attempts to end Sakura’s 2.5/10HP DROWNING status [Roll: 4d4 = 4, 3, 2, 1] Sakura 2.5/10HP is no longer DROWNING

The light of the surface hit her strongly, it took her quite a period of time to recover from the obscurity of the depths: she was completely soaked, her armour, her hair, her weapon… but she was alive. She was freed again from that wet darkness and she felt utterly happy to feel the ground with her hands, her limbs, her whole body. She was lying in a pool of salt water and it took her a bit to stand on her feet again, but the happiness of being once again on the boat, quickly faded as someone else actually followed them up from the sea.

Sophi H 3/3HP hits and misses Sakura 2.5/10HP with Bite [Rolls: 17 - 1 = 16 & 4 - 1 = 3, -0.5HP & -0HP; Sakura 2/10HP] Sakura 2/10HP misses Sophi H 3/3HP with Blessed Bow [Roll: 2 + 1 = 3, -0HP; Sophi H 3/3HP]

The first tiny creature popped from behind her back and it managed to hit her lightly, but the petite girl was too slow to even have the chance to hit it with her bow, which was shakingly pressed in her grip, still soaked but still shining with a beaming light.

Sophi I 3/3HP critically hits and hits Sakura 2/10HP with Bite [Rolls: 20 - 1 = 19 & 18 - 1 = 17, -1HP & -0.5HP; Sakura 0.5/10HP] Sakura 0.5/10HP barely hits Sophi I 3/3HP with Blessed Bow [Roll: 4 + 1 = 5, -0.5HP; Sophi I 2.5/3HP]

The other one though, who appeared in front of Sakura, did manage to hurt her badly, since she was still occupied with the one behind her back, but as soon as she turned, she immediately shoot the arrow, lightly hitting the creature, enough to make it retreat a little from her position and gave her the time to breath properly again.

“We have no peace on this boat..” she was breathless, not even having the time to thank her saviour and wondering if the other young man managed to get to safety. She simply turned towards Lukas and faintly smiled, a genuine feeling of gratitude rose from her lips and irradiated around her –her cheerful attitude never left, luckily.

His pegasus dives down, hovering as close to the water’s surface as they can afford to be. Two of the smaller turtles converge on the archer’s position,

Sophi F 3/3HP hits and misses Lukas 8.5/10HP with Bite [Rolls: 19 - 8 = 11 & 4 - 8 = -4, -0.5HP & -0HP; Lukas 8/10HP]

Lukas 8/10HP hits Sophi F 3/3HP with Trident [Roll: 18, -3HP; Sophi F 0/3HP]

Sophi F is defeated!

Sophi G 3/3HP misses and misses Lukas 8/10HP with Bite [Rolls: 2 - 6 = -4 & 6 - 6 = 0, -0HP & -0HP; Lukas 8/10HP]

Lukas 8/10HP hits Sophi G 3/3HP with Trident [Roll: 12, -3HP; Sophi G 0/3HP]

Sophi G is defeated!

Though one manages to break skin, two swift jabs of the trident are enough to dispatch them. Lukas leans down, one hand clutching the reins while the other pushes into the water, searching for his ally. Once he feels her fingers, he grabs her arm tightly. Pegasus beats its powerful wings, pushing up into the sky and soaring over their team’s boat. There’s no time for Lukas to sit her down and make sure she’s okay—he’ll have to rely on the others for that. “I’ll need to drop you off,” Lukas calls down, apologetic. “It would be unwise for me to stay on the boat when our enemy is preparing its next attack… Please be careful, young lady.”

Lukas lets go of Sakura as he flies across the deck, hoping that the pile of sailclothes will cushion her fall. Trident in hand, he tries his hand at wounding the massive beast.

Lukas 8/10HP misses Sophrosyne 8/20 HP with Trident [Roll: 5 -6 = -1, -0HP; Sophrosyne 8/20 HP]

FOLLOW UP: Lukas 8/10HP misses Sophrosyne 8/20 HP with Trident [Roll: 10 -6 = 4, -0HP; Sophrosyne 8/20 HP]

This battle on the sea makes her feel shaky. The ground isn't firm enough in their small boat, they can feel every single wave and have to move with it or be thrown over.

She takes stock of her allies. One of her colleagues flies over head, though if his posture is anything to go by flying is not his typical movement. One of the students, Ares, was dressed in heavy armor but held no weapons... She worried for him, was he thrown into this arena unarmed? Another holds a sword, but his armor is concerningly light...

She hears her name and turns, missing as Lukas dives down for an attack. She smiles warmly. "Oh hello there Sakura, I-" a cry and the roar of water cuts her off.

[Roll: d4-1 = 3; Camilla 7/10HP] Camilla (7/10HP) is inflicted with DROWNING

The sea is cold as her armor drags her down. She sees Sakura tumbling in the ocean She works quickly to shed herself of the pieces on her legs, her throat burning from the salt of the sea she swallowed.

Camilla (7/10HP) attempts to end the DROWNING status [Roll: 4d4 = 4, 3, 3, 1]

Someone grabs her and manages to pull her to safety. The air stings as she gasps and coughs up sea water.

Kris (8/10HP) attempts to end Camilla’s (7/10HP) DROWNING status [Roll: 4d4 = 1, 3, 1, 2] Camilla (7/10HP) is no longer DROWNING

Her hair is plastered all over her face as Kris checks in on her. "Go." She coughs, "Sakura..."

She takes a moment to collect herself, dangling her hand into the cold water. She feels something brush by her hand and without thinking, blasts it away.

Sophi C (3/3) attacks Camilla (7/10) with BITE [Roll 1d20=1 MISS] Camilla (7/10) counters Sophi C (3/3) with LUNA [Roll 1d20=6+6(heartseeker dex)=12 HIT! -1.5 HP, Sophi C 1.5/3]Poison Strike activates, -1HP to Sophi C 0.5/3

With a sigh, Camilla gathers her hair into a knot on top of her head. She just needs a moment more to rest.

All this flitting around really doesn't suit him. Where he truly belongs is down on the boats with the rest of his teammates. And yet... it'd be foolish, right? Flying provides his team with an advantage they might not have otherwise had. And if none of them are able to come up and help him here, then so be it. Lukas will have to do it himself.

The massive monsters slips back into the water, becoming naught but a shadow lingering beneath glittering waves. Lukas squints down, trying to judge his aim. He dives down, net and trident in hand once more. Entangling it in the net again should make it easier to hit...

Lukas 9.5/10HP misses Sophrosyne 16/20 HP with Trident [Roll: 1d20 = 9 - 6 = 3, -0 HP; Sophrosyne 16/20 HP] FOLLOWUP: Lukas (9.5/10) hits Sophrosyne 16/20 HP with Trident [Roll 1d20: 13 - 6 = 7, -3 HP + 1DEF (Immovable check: 2) = -2 HP; Sophrosyne 14/20 HP] Sophrosyne 14/20 HP is inflicted with BIND until Round 2 Player Phase

Only one of his blows manages to strike true, but with the monster bound in ropes once again, Lukas considers it a victory.

Sophi E (3/3) hits Lukas (10/10) with Bite [Roll: 1d20 = 14 - 8 = 6, -0.5HP; Lukas 9.5/10] Lukas 9.5/10 hits Sophi E 3/3HP with Trident [Roll: 1d20 = 13, -3 HP; Sophi E 0/3HP]Sophi E is defeated!

Lukas has never heard of a pegasus in Valentia tha accepted a male rider. So he knows that he's within the arena's dream again when he finds himself on the back of one, a mild creature that listens to his commands with an unnerving obedience that he's not used to from his mounts.

They think and fly as one, a natural extension of himself. Lukas stays aloft above his allies heads, free to move where he pleases while they are limited to their wooden vessels. It'll be difficult to coordinate his attacks with them then... Still, Lukas can find ways to be of use. The trident in his hands is just the tool he needs.

This time their enemy is a giant... turtle? Lukas has seen little turtles swimming through rivers, but never the sea. But given this is a dream, it's only natural that there would be a fantastical element to their enemies. "I'll see if I can restrain it," he calls down to his allies.

[ Roll 1d4 - 1 = 2, Sophis 4 and 5 join the fight ]

Smaller offspring flank either side of the turtle, summoned by their mothers' cries. Lukas focuses his attention on the biggest one, diving down and aiming for its weak spot.

Lukas (10/10 HP) critically hits Sophrosyne(20/20 HP) with Trident [Roll 1d20+6 - 6 = 20, -6HP + 1DEF = -5HP / 2 [immovable] = -2.5HP; Sophrosyne 17.5/20HP]

Tough skin and gristle soften the blow for their enemy, but Lukas still pierced flesh unprotected by its mighty armor. The trident's net entangles its limbs, restricting its movements. Yet the monster still fights fiercely. It breaches the ocean's surface, summoning waves to support its ascension.

Sophrosyne (16.5/20 HP) attacks Everyone with CRUSHING WAVES: [Roll: d4-1 = 0; Lukas 10/10HP]

Lukas deftly flies out of range. His allies, however, are not so lucky. And...

There were four of them there. But now only two...

The sight of pink and lavender heads bobbing in the ocean spurs Lukas to action. Those two will be easy targets out here, so he aims to distract the monster again.

Lukas (10/10HP) hits Sophrosyne (17.5/20 HP) with Trident [Roll 1d20 = 13, -3HP + 1DEF = -2HP / 2 [immovable] = -1HP; Sophrosyne (16.5/20 HP)]

“I’m planning to put together a meeting to discuss recent events at the academy,” Lukas announces at the end of his classes. It’s his intention to create a safe space for those looking for community during these uncertain time… but also to create a forum where they could get to the bottom of what’s happening. He knows little of Fodlan’s troubles, as would many other international students and faculty he imagines. Pooling together their shared experiences and finding patterns seems to be a logical path forward.

Lukas takes over a classroom for the afternoon as soon as classes end for the day. Refreshments sit out on the teacher’s desk for anyone to take, tea and snacks he bought from his own pocket. After a moment’s pause, he decides to leave the shades alone. What point is there in hiding the skies they live under? The natural light will do them good anyways.

Despite his hopes, he doesn’t expect many people to join. So Lukas welcomes every newcomer with a warm smile and gratitude. “Welcome. I’d like a few more people to come in before we begin in earnest, but please make yourself comfortable.”

@maeido witch's accord round 3!

With his exchange with a certain someone finished, Lukas rejoins the group in search of his new partner. A young lady with a pink ponytail... ah, there she is.

                so, kindness remains on her smile; sticky like adhesive on plastics.    “  certainly seems like we are!! would you like to ally once more? i don't exactly need an excessive amount of candy but i rather not lose any either. more importantly, i'm just here to have fun with my friends, hehe.  ”  

@eagerfutureflame witch's accord round 2!

With two more candies in his total, Lukas finds himself quite pleased with how things are turning out for him. Forsyth kept his word as promised, but it looks like a handful of pairs that haven't been truthful. For as many people walked away from the last round with an early lead, their victims barely hold onto their last piece.

The young boy here is one of them: his partner last round walked away with Betray on his bracelet, while this one still bears Ally. The same decision as Lukas, but with the opposite outcome.

“Hiya, I’m Ewan! Don’t worry about me, I’m perfectly fine!” He said with a practiced kind of cheer. He had his 5 minutes of sadness, and no more than that. He had to convince his new opponent… no, his new friend, to go with Ally too.

“But while I hate the idea of losing, I hate the idea of betraying someone even more! Exactly because I was betrayed last time- I don’t wanna be a jerk like that!” He replied, earnestly. Calling the other person a “jerk”.. sounds like a little bit of his true feelings coming through. He wouldn’t want to break someone’s trust exactly because of having gone through it last time. Well, he never wanted to betray anyone in the first place.

@eagerfutureflame witch's accord round 2!

With two more candies in his total, Lukas finds himself quite pleased with how things are turning out for him. Forsyth kept his word as promised, but it looks like a handful of pairs that haven't been truthful. For as many people walked away from the last round with an early lead, their victims barely hold onto their last piece.

The young boy here is one of them: his partner last round walked away with Betray on his bracelet, while this one still bears Ally. The same decision as Lukas, but with the opposite outcome.

“Hiya, I’m Ewan! Don’t worry about me, I’m perfectly fine!” He said with a practiced kind of cheer. He had his 5 minutes of sadness, and no more than that. He had to convince his new opponent… no, his new friend, to go with Ally too.