N listened to Nathan's conversation with one ear while keeping his eyes on Ms. Quicksilver.
He had an idea about who she was, something else that he picked up from his stories. It was one of the more recent stories, which was a rarity for him. Most of his more concrete information came from footnotes in textbooks, or the journals of long-dead adventurers that were squirreled away in one of the school's libraries. Recent information required interaction with other students, meaning that he got little of it. The story in question was about...
"You once killed a monster with nothing but your fangs, didn't you? Punctured the throat and suffocated him with your breath."
The girl wiped her mouth with her sleeve yet again.
"Pah. I can't help it if the most direct method is the most effective."
"I'm Ilmenda Elyvilon, master poisoner and self-enchanter, and y-Aghkhehhh, PTEH" her bragging devolved into a brief coughing fit. "Ugh....forget it. You wusses will just drop out after you get past the first floor anyway, I doubt you'll even make it to the Caves."
The Golem, on the other hand, started simply ignoring Nathan.
After a moment of what might have been meditation, Kenneth rose from his seat and produced a pair of dishevelled black knit gloves. He began to walk toward Ilmenda, putting the gloves on as he went, and when he reached a few feet of her, stopped and removed a strangely pristine handkerchief from the pocket of his shirt. He held the piece of fabric out to the coughing girl with an odd expression.
N takes a quick glance at Lucretia. His notes on poisoners doesn't mention insanity as a side effect. However, considering how poison is normally used, it really shouldn't surprise him.
By the time that he looks back to Elyvilon, the shabbyman is already up and walking. He instinctively hops back when the shabbyman reaches into his shirt.
Nathan worked some more on the mech, tightening screws and such. "I'm not too worried. I have fireballs, firewalls, mana burning, and three different summons"
N's eyes glare as he realizes what Kenneth's doing. Charming, the one page that's been torn out of his mental notebook. He hates charmers.
Socialization is a particular science for N. It takes an immense amount of thought to finish a conversation without alienating someone. And yet, this...Kenneth takes center stage without a single crease appearing in his forehead. Must the shabbyman excel in the one area where N is weakest?
"We're not particularly anyone's, to be perfectly honest. The entire group of us has barely said a word to one another," he mutters, not bothering to think about his words.
"You mean you didn't know that? That's the reason they had you all meet. Once you graduate from the purely academic circuit you're grouped into a dungeoneering team." Ilmenda crosses her arms and grins "Interesting little party you've got here."
"...Interesting party indeed". N took a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it. The first rule of conversation is to never say something without thinking about it. The second rule is to never let your emotions cause regret. The third rule is to be as polite as possible under the circumstances. Relax, N. You'll get through this.
He does a little half-bow towards Elyvilon, moving rather stiffly. "N. Lancaster, Barrier/Light Wizard. Pleased to make your acquaintence".
As soon as the fighting had started Belighor had started slowly backing away from the source of the commotion until he had bumped into the wall. He breathed a sigh of relief as the peacekeeping golem showed up, only to be immediately put back on edge when an arrogant girl appeared as well.
After spending a few minutes trying to work up his courage, Belighor unpeeled himself from the wall and started to approach Ilmenda, only for her to leave before he took a few steps. Shrugging, he retreated back to the wall, where he sunk down to the ground and started examining the contents of his pack.
N met Kenneth's stare with a glare of his own, as cold and aloof as he could make it. The fear was still in his eyes, but there was also a sense of loathing.
A charming fire witch, with sharp teeth and shabby clothes and a hard look about him. There's nothing in his actions that has any semblance of human warmth. He's ruthless and decisive and dangerous, dangerous, dangerous.
In short, he was an equal, something that N didn't expect to find among his dungeoneering party. He's also the only competition for control of this group of ragtag dabblers. Very well, Nemesis. Very well.
"Mr. Turk." he said with a curt nod, before turning to Mr. Sydoria.
"Wait a minute, they allow hats at this school?" Lucretia fumed.
How dare that... that... that one-trick mercury Witch who doesn't even have the class to use the basic elements... how dare she have a hat when I don't.
"hundreds of thousands of possible combinations of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, sulphur, sodium, and oxygen; enough elements to be counted on one hand and still fill the universe, and noooo, that's not good enough for her. She has to use mercury."
"H-huh?" Startled by the voice coming from above him, Belighor jumped to his feet, trying to hide in his scarf and cloak, though after seeing its source he relaxed. "B-barrier. W-witch." While normally be would have tried to creep off after answering the question, he was going to have to trust his fellow students if he wanted to get anywhere in the dungeon. Flinching at every statement made was not very productive.
He glanced nervously towards Lucretia. Well, he had to trust most of his fellow students.
Kenneth wanted very badly to begin snickering. The wizard Lancaster was so easily unnerved and so desperate to have an enemy, so why not humour him? Lying itself was never his strong suit, but he had always been wonderful at controlling his tone, the way that he moved. And even then, he needed to do little but be himself to seem intimidating. The poor fool.
After sating himself with a good long glower, he directed his attention to the heavily cloaked boy sitting against the wall. He had suddenly garnered a great deal of attention from the others, but seemed more frightened by it than anything else. Kenneth was unsure whether he felt pity or amusement at this.
He examined the boy's face, half-hidden in a scarf. Fair, thin. Pretty even.
A very cruel thought ran through his head that he could not entirely dismiss. Neither smirking nor grimacing, he moved forward quietly, delicately, drawing as little attention to himself as he could.
"Sometimes, I regret not being a witch. Maintaining MP is so difficult at this point." N forced himself to crack a smile. Shabbyman or no Shabbyman, he spoke without thinking and it didn't backfire in his face. What's the slang term for it? Jabbing from the mouth.
"Hello again, young dungeoneers!" The Professor from before returned, accompanied by a small, translucent skull floating to her right.
Seeing N. and Nate speaking, she smiled "I'm glad to see you're getting along so well. But! It's now time for you to descend for the first time. I'm merely here to see you off. You'll need to put on your rings."
Kenneth removed a glove and placed on the ring, then replaced the glove. His eyes darted briefly to Sydoria, and the thought recurred to him. He frowned slightly at his own capriciousness, then pressed it to the back of his mind.
The stairs descending into the Dungeon's first floor were relatively innocuous, it was only when you got to the bottom that the dankness in the air really started to become noticeable. It was cold, and humid. The stone was the same type the Academy itself was constructed out of, but here, worn by El'Ruz-knows how many years of decay.
In front of you, a lonely blue, translucent orb rolls along the floor, and your Bestiary copies start to flutter about.
Type: Ooze HP: 1d10 ATK: 10 (1d6+1d4 Corresponding Elemental Damage. Tar Slimes instead have a 20% chance to Slow, Bioluminescent Slimes have a chance to Blind.) DEF: 10 (1d4 Damage Reduction from corresponding element) Mg.ATK: 0 Mg.DEF: 10 Schools: n/a
The Lesser Slimes are all essentially identical, despite having different elemental affinities. Slimes are all vaguely oval-shaped, self-sustaining lifeforms of a magical nature. No one is entirely sure what brought the first slimes into existence, much less their larger, more sinister cousins, but the most commonly accepted theory is that they were first created as a weapon to be used in some long-forgotten arcane war. Since then, slimes have populated the world over, and are a common nuisance in many settled areas (though larger ooze-type monsters are the sole domain of far darker locations).
Slimes can be of a number of elemental affiliations (Fire, Ice [Water], Acid [Venom], Tar [Shadow], and Bioluminescent [Light] Slimes all exist), but are all more or less the same creature, they are all also drawn to magic, and its users.
N walked down the stairs, the Bestiary couched precariously in his arm. He looked at the ooze with a cautious air. There have been tales of overconfident dungeoneers getting utterly smashed by their first foe.
"I suppose you'll take point then, Mr. Coal, unless you want me to soften it up for you."
HP: 20 MP: 60 ATK: 0 (1d4, [you still need to pick a backup weapon of some kind]) DEF: 9 (CHIPPED -1) Mg.ATK: 40 Mg.DEF: 20
-------
Ice Slime
HP: 1d10 ATK: 10 (1d6+1d4 Corresponding Elemental Damage. Tar Slimes instead have a 20% chance to Slow, Bioluminescent Slimes have a chance to Blind.) DEF: 10 (1d4 Damage Reduction from corresponding element) Mg.ATK: 0 Mg.DEF: 10
Kenneth eyed the slime curiously. He wondered if such a creature could be captured with any ease, let alone transported. Such could prove quite useful in one of the lower dungeons, depending on the circumstances. But by the same token, he had no intention of being attacked.
He edged against a wall, away from Coal, and silently prepared himself.
Comments
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
He had an idea about who she was, something else that he picked up from his stories. It was one of the more recent stories, which was a rarity for him. Most of his more concrete information came from footnotes in textbooks, or the journals of long-dead adventurers that were squirreled away in one of the school's libraries. Recent information required interaction with other students, meaning that he got little of it. The story in question was about...
"You once killed a monster with nothing but your fangs, didn't you? Punctured the throat and suffocated him with your breath."
The girl wiped her mouth with her sleeve yet again.
"Pah. I can't help it if the most direct method is the most effective."
"I'm Ilmenda Elyvilon, master poisoner and self-enchanter, and y-Aghkhehhh, PTEH" her bragging devolved into a brief coughing fit. "Ugh....forget it. You wusses will just drop out after you get past the first floor anyway, I doubt you'll even make it to the Caves."
The Golem, on the other hand, started simply ignoring Nathan.
"Madame Elyvilon. Behave, please."
"Whatever."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
By the time that he looks back to Elyvilon, the shabbyman is already up and walking. He instinctively hops back when the shabbyman reaches into his shirt.
Ilmenda arched an eyebrow.
"Thanks, I guess."
She took the handkerchief and wiped her mouth with it.
"It's retro."
She hands the handkerchief back.
"Perhaps we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Ilmenda Elyvilon, Venom Witch. I lead Quicksilver Company. Are these....acolytes yours?"
Ilmenda shook his hand.
"I think you and I will get along just fine."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
Socialization is a particular science for N. It takes an immense amount of thought to finish a conversation without alienating someone. And yet, this...Kenneth takes center stage without a single crease appearing in his forehead. Must the shabbyman excel in the one area where N is weakest?
"We're not particularly anyone's, to be perfectly honest. The entire group of us has barely said a word to one another," he mutters, not bothering to think about his words.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
He does a little half-bow towards Elyvilon, moving rather stiffly. "N. Lancaster, Barrier/Light Wizard. Pleased to make your acquaintence".
"Hmph. Well, I will leave you all to your....preparation."
Ilmenda does a little mock-bow before departing.
"Good luck."
After spending a few minutes trying to work up his courage, Belighor unpeeled himself from the wall and started to approach Ilmenda, only for her to leave before he took a few steps. Shrugging, he retreated back to the wall, where he sunk down to the ground and started examining the contents of his pack.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
A charming fire witch, with sharp teeth and shabby clothes and a hard look about him. There's nothing in his actions that has any semblance of human warmth. He's ruthless and decisive and dangerous, dangerous, dangerous.
In short, he was an equal, something that N didn't expect to find among his dungeoneering party. He's also the only competition for control of this group of ragtag dabblers. Very well, Nemesis. Very well.
"Mr. Turk." he said with a curt nod, before turning to Mr. Sydoria.
He glanced nervously towards Lucretia. Well, he had to trust most of his fellow students.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
"Hello again, young dungeoneers!" The Professor from before returned, accompanied by a small, translucent skull floating to her right.
Seeing N. and Nate speaking, she smiled "I'm glad to see you're getting along so well. But! It's now time for you to descend for the first time. I'm merely here to see you off. You'll need to put on your rings."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
He quickly went into his rucksack and slipped on his ring.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
The stairs descending into the Dungeon's first floor were relatively innocuous, it was only when you got to the bottom that the dankness in the air really started to become noticeable. It was cold, and humid. The stone was the same type the Academy itself was constructed out of, but here, worn by El'Ruz-knows how many years of decay.
In front of you, a lonely blue, translucent orb rolls along the floor, and your Bestiary copies start to flutter about.
The Bestiary flipped open.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slimes
Level: 1
L: 1-5
Type: Ooze
HP: 1d10
ATK: 10 (1d6+1d4 Corresponding Elemental Damage. Tar Slimes instead have a 20% chance to Slow, Bioluminescent Slimes have a chance to Blind.)
DEF: 10 (1d4 Damage Reduction from corresponding element)
Mg.ATK: 0
Mg.DEF: 10
Schools: n/a
The Lesser Slimes are all essentially identical, despite having different elemental affinities. Slimes are all vaguely oval-shaped, self-sustaining lifeforms of a magical nature. No one is entirely sure what brought the first slimes into existence, much less their larger, more sinister cousins, but the most commonly accepted theory is that they were first created as a weapon to be used in some long-forgotten arcane war.
Since then, slimes have populated the world over, and are a common nuisance in many settled areas (though larger ooze-type monsters are the sole domain of far darker locations).
Slimes can be of a number of elemental affiliations (Fire, Ice [Water], Acid [Venom], Tar [Shadow], and Bioluminescent [Light] Slimes all exist), but are all more or less the same creature, they are all also drawn to magic, and its users.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
"I suppose you'll take point then, Mr. Coal, unless you want me to soften it up for you."
The Slime extended a small tentacle and struck Cole in the face, stunning him briefly.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nathan Coal
Fire/Summoning Wizard
HP: 20
MP: 60
ATK: 0 (1d4, [you still need to pick a backup weapon of some kind])
DEF: 9 (CHIPPED -1)
Mg.ATK: 40
Mg.DEF: 20
-------
Ice Slime
HP: 1d10
ATK: 10 (1d6+1d4 Corresponding Elemental Damage. Tar Slimes instead have a 20% chance to Slow, Bioluminescent Slimes have a chance to Blind.)
DEF: 10 (1d4 Damage Reduction from corresponding element)
Mg.ATK: 0
Mg.DEF: 10