#windsheedme

TO HIS GREAT EMBARRASSMENT, Lorenz had put little thought in the decision: his prowess in magic afforded him a great deal of leniancy, and to prove his mastery and earn the high marks he craves, he’d all but selected a spell at random from a pool he’d yet to master, chosen the one that was so far out of his usual range of elemental mastery but whose equations still felt familiar enough that he was not walking blindly without a map. Luna, said the chapter heading; mastered, said the mark he’d earned for it.

He had not touched it since, not to cast in the heat of battle, and not even once to practice since it had been added to repertoire. Neglected for stronger spells and other whims that caught his eye.

Lorenz could consider it accidental, just like the choice of spell. He’s had his hands full, after all, and it stands to reason mastery of Thyrsus comes before all else. But, as following that path has taken—detours, it stands to reason progress could be made elsewhere in the interim, while he’s left chasing rabbit holes of ancestry and the whims of cryptic peers. And so, his attention turns back to other places where his knowledge is lacking.

He cannot truly say he’s mastered it without proper use, but proper use requires swallowing the trepidation he feels. It hadn’t sunk in during the impulse to learn it, but dark magic remains the study of few for reasons—

—Well, reasons that, upon reflection, he can’t quite put to words, other than learning from mentors throughout his life that it is a very fickle, very volatile thing, not usually for the faint of heart to try.

Idly, as Lorenz tucks away old journals of bygone Gloucester ancestors and sets Thyrsus back to rights in its lacquered box of a home—another hour of focusing on Thyrsus’s steep learning curve—he wonders how solid that grasp on the reasons why truly is.

Lorenz elects to linger after his own training is done, journals and Thyrsus tucked neatly in a bag, and elects to lean, just a little, for a time underneath the shade of one of the columns that make the large border of the training grounds, to watch others in their work as he sits with his thoughts.

It pays, sometimes, to lay in wait and observe: as he fusses with pulling the scarf around his neck tighter for the afternoon chill, he observes one man, absorbed in his own training, and a spell that has not crossed Lorenz’s vision before. Advanced, he’d venture a guess, as its caster does not give off any appearance of being an amateur.

Lorenz finds himself enraptured. He watches, for a time, current frustrations melting from his expression as pure curiosity finds a spark within his gaze.

It isn’t long before he is out of the shadow of columns, bag slung over his shoulder and crossing the training grounds. He elects to approach from the side, waiting patiently for a moment where concentration will not be so swiftly broken.

“Pardon my intrusion!”

Jovial as can be, Lorenz offers a smile and a courteous bow of his head before pressing ever-onward, adjusting the straps of his back and straightening himself, first in his eagerness and second for his manners. “But I believe myself to be in possession of a keen eye for recognizing spells, even from a distance, but I’ve yet to see that one cast before, be it in training or in practical application. May I ask what it is you’re practicing?”

Starter for @windsheedme

A reservoir of a sticky, black, oily liquid was recently discovered near your base camp. In an effort to unearth more of this substance for study, the expedition team accidentally causes it to leak into the river that you’ve been using as your water source. With your crew members falling ill from this tainted water, you’re in dire need of fresh water. Dark thunderclouds bring the promise of rain, and you take on the perilous task of flying near the clouds to collect rainwater. [ Grants Flying +1 ]

Soren had some choice words for the rest of their expedition team. Idiots. Contaminating a freshwater river with who knew what was in that oily sludge... aside from harming whatever life was managing to cling to their immediate area, they were running out of water and falling ill.

He took this fuming energy, of which there was a lot, and kept it under his impassive face, fueling him for the task ahead. It was reckless, but had to be done. The idea of gathering rainwater where it was purest and most abundant was the best they had without any use of the river anymore.

There was one person he’d known long enough to consider competent. A fellow wind mage, whose skills might come in handy up in the sky.

Soren rode over to Merric on his pure black pegasus, Nebula. Nebula was usually raring to go the second he got in the saddle, but the storm clouds above had her slightly worried, hesitant to go up there. Soren had to buckets hanging off either side of the saddle behind him and he nodded to Merric.

“We’re out of water, and you’re still able bodied. I have to have at least one hand on the reigns when flying up there-” Nebula tossed her head, as if to imply he didn’t need to tell her what to do, “-and I need someone to help hold the buckets steady, and someone with wind magic might help our plight in this weather.”

The sky was so dark that from the ground, it would be difficult to see either of them and the shadowy pegasus. Were they to get lost of fall, they’d be on their own.

“It won’t be fun, but neither is dying from dehydration. Will you go with me?”

No matter Nessie’s warning, watching Laelaps stroll back into the room under the guise of that frightening woman was enough to give him a start. Did he even want to know how? Not really. Infinitely curious Ewan had other things to worry about. Always-Smiling Ewan kept tucked to a corner, brooding, of all things, while the others played with the strange foreign technology.

Things couldn’t just stay that way though. No. Of course not.

And so they ran into the light.

Shambhala shook. It ached as it crumbled. They ran where they could, their paths inevitably taking them into new territory. But where they might have sought reprieve, they found only the ominous breathing of that which stalked them: some kind of draconic Demonic Beast with a golden mask covering its head and a gaping tear in its back that leaked shadow and darkness like thick smokestacks. And behind it, a brilliant light. . .!

Ewan had spied it but in passing, too busy keeping his legs moving to pause for a good look.

It was hunting them. Its buzz - akin to Thunder magic, if you asked Ewan - hounded them at every intersection, down every hall and twist and turn.

Until one time, it stayed still just long enough for Ewan to fling a spell its way, more so in hopes of shooing it away than anything else.

Ewan used Luna! 1d20 = 6, -1.5 dmg with Merric’s boost. Timeless Husk: 38.5/40 HP // no counter

It worked... for now. As he bolted down the hall after the others, Ewan doubted very much if that was the last they’d seen of it.

Starter for @windsheedme

A flock of winged creatures with beautiful tassel-like feathers have been spotted nesting near monastery grounds. Most have never seen these animals before, but students from Nohr and Hoshido have been calling them “kinshi.” Apparently, these giant birds are common mounts back in Hoshido. Perhaps you’d like to tame one for yourself… [Grants Flying +1]

Visiting strange and unusual creatures were a frequent feature it seemed close to the Monastery. Byleth wondered whether it was the holy magic of the church or simply the bustle and chaos inherent to gathering a large group of adolescents and warriors in one place which attracted them to the area.

Nevertheless, the latest mythical creature to be sighted nesting near Garreg Mach were rumoured to be winged with tassel like feathers. Byleth hadn’t heard of such a thing before but had been informed by some her students from the kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido that they were called Kinshi and were common mounts for their armed forces. Intrigued, Byleth wanted to seek them out for herself, the possibility of taming one for herself a thought at the back of her brain.

No idea what Kinshi might like to eat, she gathered a variety of treats from the dining hall similar to those she would offer to a Pegasus or horse. A rope was added to her pack should the opportunity present itself to gain a new charge. Ready to go, Byleth headed to the main gate of the Monastery and nodded to the gate keeper indicating her desire to leave.

She’d been travelling up the road only a short while when she noticed someone else up ahead of her, a similar looking bag of supplies on their person. Could it be they were heading to the same place? Quickening her pace to catch up with them, she recognised the form of one of her Blue Lion students.

NON-MISSION TASK BOARD: A young girl from town runs up to you, tears streaming down her face. Her beloved cat has escaped and found its way into Garreg Mach! She offers you her favorite marble and a piece of candy as a reward for finding him… You can’t bring yourself to say no, and it seems like an easy enough task, anyway. Until you discover that the cat is some sort of acrobat. Pursue the renegade feline, but try not to slip off the rooftops in the process!

          she sees herself in the little girl.  the timid sway in her steps, the twitching fingers; tine finds that her hands have automatically reached forward to pull the girl into a hug, fingers combing through locks of short dark hair.  it takes only that and a few mutters of comfort that cause the girl to calm down, fists grabbing at tine’s shawl as she sniffles and nods.  the loss of her and her brother’s cat seems almost too hard for her to bear.   (   the girl, hanna, had mentioned something of the cat being rude and running away from them when hanna’s mother let them outside to play.   )

          tine smiles; soft and a genuine curl of her lips,   “   i see... do you need me to help you?   ”   and the immediate smile she’s given is enough to solidify her answer.  tine looks away from the girl, as if recoiling from the hopeful expression.   “   a-alright, well... er, we can—   ”

          “   sissy!   ”   and hanna pulls out of her embrace, small feet kicking up dirt as she rushes past tine.  tine calls after her, scrambling to her feet and following her through the pathway and up to the monastery’s entrance.  there’s a student   —   merric, is what tine remembers hearing in the hallways   —    standing outside, near one of the market stalls set beside a line of storages and small warehouses.  hanna seems to be running straight for him if it wasn’t for...

          “   b-behind you!  grab the cat!   ”   tine yells out at merric.  although the shout is needless when sissy, a pretty little black cat, jumps from the stall’s table and up to its roof.  hanna latches onto merric while tine   (   weigh the issues, consider the problems   )   continues forward.  she yells out an apology to the stall clerk and steps onto the stall’s table. her hand reaches for the thin roof held up by steady wooden pillars, fingers curling around the ledge.  she’s not as agile as she wishes, definitely on the weaker side considering the years she’s been idle with friege business, but despite it, tine manages to pull herself up to somewhat lean her upper body against the roof.

          and it’s now, as she tries to talk to sissy and coax her down, that tine realizes what hanna meant by her being mean.  sissy meows and comes closer to her, nuzzling her head against tine’s bangs before jumping out of reach and preparing to jump onto the roof of a nearby warehouse, its slanted tiles seeming all too easy for the cat’s escape.  tine pulls herself up fully onto the roof and peers down at merric and a starry-eyed hanna.   “   merric, ready yourself t-to catch sissy!   ”

          as if by taunting instinct, tine turns back to see sissy sitting idle at the edge of the roof, turning her head and blinking at her.  tine takes a breath before slowly reaching out and allowing sissy to move into her hold.  it seems easy, almost too easy.

          “   merric,   ”   tine says, shuffling carefully towards the edge of the stall’s roof,   “   i’m dropping her down now!   ”

          and that’s what was supposed to happen, but when tine holds sissy over the ledge   (   a wrong move on her part   ),   sissy shrieks and claws at her hand.  tine grunts and attempts to pull her back but sissy slips from her grasp and, stepping off her wrist, jumps onto her head.  the sudden shift of weight causes tine to lean forward, arms outstretched to stop herself from falling completely off the roof.  sissy’s claws pull at her hair until there’s suddenly no weight upon her head and that’s what, she thinks, causes her to lean completely off the stall.

          hanna yells out sissy’s name as tine desperately scrambles to pull herself back up on the roof.   “   merric!   ”   sissy jumps away onto the next roof and tine makes a noise that’s somewhat in between a yell and squeak.   “   g-get sissy!   ”

People from all corners of Fódlan and from all walks of life have gathered to the Church for peace and reassurance. It’s part of the Church’s responsibility to administer blessings to these far-flung travelers, but some are more agitated than others, demanding answers that the Church is trying to avoid giving. Their job is to keep the peace. Help the overwhelmed clergy with the crowds however you can. [Grants Faith +1]

Her footsteps would normally echo across the cathedral floor but they’re drowned out by the cacophony of noise. The monastery had been flooded with people from all across Fodlan, confused, scared and desperate for help and reassurance. The clergy seemed overwhelmed, especially the poor junior clerics who were baring the brunt of people’s anger and paranoia. Mercedes felt like she’d arrived just in time, armed with a gentle voice, soft smile and a bag filled with freshly baked cookies.

A tasty snack and calm chat was usually enough to placate most people.

She weaved her way through the crowd, eyes focused on the ground in attempt to prevent herself from stepping on people’s toes. A task much easier said than done. People clustered in large groups leaving only the tiniest of spaces to squeeze her way through. In typical, clumsy fashion, she collided with someone.

“Oh dear, I’m so very sorry--” the apology was already on her lips before she recognised the person in front of her. A shock of bright green hair, accompanied by an easy, friendly smile. “Merric! It’s lovely to see you outside the classroom. Are you here to help out too?” 

Mercedes fumbled in her bag, picking out a cookie that was still warm and gooey on the inside. She pulled it out, holding it in the space between them.

“Here, take one of these. I promise they’re delicious.”

Unsure as to what the best way would be to approach this admittedly awkward situation (in his defense dying, waking up and then having to say hi to his friends is not something he ever expected to do and he feels justified in that), Merric eventually settles on probably the most neutral one available - simply approaching her when he sees her by herself after classes.

For all he knows, she has no memory and idea of any of that. And if she does, well... hopefully he does not scare her.

"Um, hi. It's..." good to see you? That might come off as odd if she doesn't remember.

Ahem. "Are you well?" Still a little awkward, but hopefully a bit more neutral? She does seem a bit pale if one were to look closely, he feels.

The second Hilda sees Merric she tosses the books she had been carrying to the side and charges him for a hug. He was dead. Like dead dead. They'd all seen it, seen him. It was horrible.

Yet here he stands and she's sure it's him not some kind of phantom or illusion. Hilda doesn't know how but she doesn't really care either. That's something for smarter people than her to ponder. She has her new friend back and that's what matters.

This is exactly the kind of game Julius had been hoping for. The thrill of real battle. Not some boring, choreographed back-and-forth in the training hall, but a whole battlefield, and all the unpredictable excitement to go with it.

Truthfully, Julius didn’t especially care about who he supported, but the red tag he picked up during registration matched his eyes (and what was this but a cheap brooch anyway?) so he familiarized himself with his temporary allies on the march to... wherever they are now. The name and history of it doesn’t matter. All that matters is how many opponents Julius can fell this afternoon.

He charges ahead, unafraid of the battlefield and what lurks within the trees. He’d make them taste his magic soon enough, and they’d live only to regret the pain they had invited upon themselves.

Branches snap and Julius spins quickly to face the green-haired mage he had so easily manipulated earlier. He grins and his posture relaxes.

“So you’re to be my first opponent th--.” The spark of magic is the first tell that an attack is incoming. Julius jumps back, narrowly avoiding the strike of lightning that cracks loudly against the earth. The electricity sparks around his left arm, nothing more than a tickling sensation, and he laughs loudly at Merric’s attempt.

Armor boon: -0, 4/4HP

“Is that all you can do? All that studying seems to have trickled from a hole in your head.” Still grinning, Julius draws his hands together and a purple glow illuminates the excitement in his eyes. “I’ll end this quickly to save you future embarrassment.”