>>319421
First cast a healing spell on yourself.
Second check what condition you're in.
Third say hello to your host and ask where you are.

No, that was Art's father.
How are you feeling? Anything hurt?

i WOULD say to cast healing but first make sure you are okay. and that using magic is even safe. could disrupt whatever that blue haired chick is doing. wait for her to finish.

Oh, hey, you're awake. How are you? Are all of your limbs still attached? I can't understand what the woman's saying, so if it sounds like a spell to you I'd advise not interrupting her. You're in a strange place and she doesn't seem to have hurt you, so you should probably trust her until you can find out what's going on.

Do you have the watch still? It's pretty damn important too, you know. And your staff I guess.

I don't know what the girl is doing but she hasn't hurt you or run off, so assume she is friendly. Try to sit up, wait a bit to see if she stops whatever she's doing, and then get her attention.

Artemis 2011/06/29(Wed)02:49 No. 319430 ID: f02631
File 130934095293.png - (65.31KB , 303x463 , 761.png )

Uhm... Yeah, I have the watch. Most of my stuff is here, just minus my blade.

"Ne tsu cheram zeroon

Artemis's body glows a soft white. He feels his wounds heal themselves.
The girl turns to face him and wraps her limbs around his blade.

"Awake? Good. Big fall you had. Leg broke off."

wait, leg broke OFF? is it back on? what kind of magic was that?!
ask her what is going on. also you are in the hurrikane mountains. ombra recognizes the symbol on the mask.

Broke off? Is it there now? What the hell kind of healing spell is that? Well thank her, get up and check yourself out better, introduce yourself and ask her name. Speak simply.

Ombra says we're in the hurrikane mountains, no idea how that could be.

Oh, so all of your limbs weren't attached, but are now. That's good to know. Thank her and introduce yourself. The watch apparently teleported us pretty far, though... we're all the way over in the Hurrikane Mountains.

What's Saisai's emotional state right now, Artemis? You should know.

>>319430
Sage Magic. That's rare to see. Ask her who she is, and where you are. Perhaps even ask for the sword back.

Do you have Mimi's bag? We could easily let her know we're alive.

Artemis 2011/06/29(Wed)03:41 No. 319441 ID: f02631
File 130934406213.png - (109.66KB , 600x500 , 762.png )

The Hurrikane Mountains!?
What!? That's all the way across the the nation!

>>319437
Uhm... Worried. Very very worried.

I should just reach into Mimi's bag, that'll let her no I'm fine.

He pulls at Mimi's hair from his bag. He feels her pull back.

"Th-thank you for uhm... Healing me. Who are you?"

"Sandralysolincherum. You?"

"Uhm... Artemis. Artemis Dispo."

"Hmm. Happy you are better."

She stands up

"Thought Eaters all around you. Used sword to fight them off. Very lucky. Very very lucky. Where are you from?"

"The uh.. Dark Elf Forest."

"Very far from homeland. Sharaes tol shi eirdi sai shol o shas cysti"

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry. Shares, to homeland she can carry you. I can take you. In morning."

"Uhm.. Sure. Thank you."

"Food."

She points to a stone plate near Artemis.

.... It's looking at me

>>319441
Err... she is offering you... very fresh food. You should have something in your bag, right? Rather than just turn her down, get your own and offer her some. If you don't send Mimi a note asking for some. Send on about your situation regardless, asking her for an update on the situation with Regulus.

... SHe makes the sword glow.

Can you do that?

or maybe there's a dragon shrine nearby you could take to shorten your journey significantly.

ask her how she likes the sword.

>>319441
Ask her name. Also ask her what she thinks of the sword.

...possibly ask how that food is normally eaten.

>The second thing he notices is a girl sitting in front of him holding his blade.
Score 1 more for euphemisms and a dirty mind

it seems the symbol is of oraes. this is the first time ombra's seen it in 200 years.

anyway eat the thing and ask her how she healed you. knowing that spell would be AMAZING.

Artemis 2011/06/29(Wed)11:51 No. 319495 ID: c91e2b
File 130937350757.png - (33.43KB , 349x472 , 763.png )

>>319451
Ah, she already said her name was Sandralysolalasomethingorother. I'm just gonna call her Sandra.

>>319446
The only dragon shrine nearby was the one to the Lakes and back to Central. Sadly those were both destroyed a while back.

Artemis takes a small bite of the odd food and actually finds it to be tasty. He begins eating it while the girl examines the outside

"Hey, what spell was it that you used to heal me?"

"Old spell. It is Sage Magic. Far stronger then Wizard Spells. Spell is called Zeroon. Used it to heal broken off leg."

She runs her hand along the flat side of Artemis's blade, tracing her fingers along the black lines.

"Hey, uhm... Can I have my sword back?"

"Maybe. I healed you, fed you. This would be good payment."

"i need the sword, it is important. i can do other things as payment. i can pull anything from my bag, but the harder it is to get the longer it takes, tell me what you want to trade for it."

>>319495
"It is a very nice sword, but it has a special purpose. Sharaes created it long ago to keep balance between the dragons and mortals and it is up to me to take care of it. But can hold onto it until we get to the lakes if you like, and I will try to reward you another way."

Hey Art you got any other nice things with Mimi you can offer her? Then send her some notes to find out what is going on with everyone.

Bah, lousy savage! Nobody but civilised people wants to help for free any more.

Argue that the sword is worth more than your leg, and explain you may be able to get some of many things instead. How about potions?

Artemis 2011/06/29(Wed)12:45 No. 319513 ID: c91e2b
File 130937669949.png - (44.80KB , 465x453 , 764.png )

"I'm sorry, I can't give it to you. Sharaes made it and I need it to help protect the dragons. It's a long story."

"I understand"

"If there's anything else I can do for you though please ask."

".... Stay here for a while. I can... Teach you magic. There are few people here. Mostly thought eaters. Do this or I keep sword."

I'm not certain I can stay here..

so, she wants a legacy. someone to pass things on to. find a paper and write down "am fine. was healed by sage magic, leg apparently broke off but put back on. need to stay here for a while in exchange for getting the sword back. do not want to risk confrontation, someone able to reattach limbs with ease can take them back off just as easy"

"I want to, that magic is great. But I can't spare much time, my friends need me and I need to train soul magic quickly so I can save a dragon. That is why I was in the dark elf forest. It would be difficult but I could come back to you when that is done, or maybe you could come with me. My friends and family would love to meet you."

stay and learn.
Remember that ombra is already capable of leaving your body if she so desires.

Your friends will be fine from now, she is lonely, she saved your life, stay for a bit.

sage magic is very powerful, and its rare enough that most people don't know how to defend against it. you can send a note to mimi to let everyone know whats going on, sides combine zeroon with that phoenix feather Morgan has and you have something that can raise the dead.

>>319513
For how long?

>>319513
"Ok, I can do that.
Your mask... Oraes's symbol? I would love to hear more about her."

Ombra, do you see the middle symbol here?
>>316254
What IS that symbol? It seems familiar, but we can't place it.

Wow, we need to start tempting fate more often. This is an extraordinarily rare opportunity, so we could stay and master soul magic later. On the other hand, she might be willing to let us come back later, and as long as we keep the watch safe the king won't be able to get the sword. We'll just tell anyone that comes for it that we left it in the Hurrikane Mountains so that it could never be used for evil. We should take Ombra's opinion into account, too, since she might rather you not be sidetracked from resurecting her.

>>319539
Ombra talks to us via the email field.
She said that the symbol belonged to Oraes, the dragon of "other species" (any but the main 6). Ombra hasn't seen Oraes for 200 years, Oraes just disappeared one day and the other dragons assumed she was dead.

@Ombra: but you know that dragons gain power when one of their kind is slain. Did that happen to you 200 years ago? otherwise she is alive.
Alternatively, she is dead and possessing someone...

Art: Anyways, the watch should let to teleport here and back, so you can leave the sword for safekeeping here and take the watch with you. But DO make sure its understood its for safekeeping. This means for now you stay here and learn her magic for a bit, as thanks for saving you.
Its that or give her the sword... or take it from her by force and its not like you to attack a girl who saved your life.

>>319513
I dunno. As long as you have the watch (or more importantly, as long as the king DOESN'T have the watch) this seems like an ideal place to hide. Halfway across the continent, with no path to trace? If you don't tell people your location through Mimi, nobody will ever find you. Or at least, it'll take a very very long time.
Well, assuming there's no OTHER magical item that can locate anyone.

On the other hand, about the only thing you can really do out here is learn that magic.
Which might still be a good use of time, if Ombra doesn't object, as it also lets things calm down back home. Not to mention with this we could pretty much heal ANYTHING.

I think you should keep the Dragonslayer sword. Not only for safekeeping, but also because you'll eventually need it if you want to confront and defeat the King. Plus, Sage magic is a good bonus.

Make sure to let the others know about the situation, though.

stay. you owe a limb to her.

So, she cannot leave this place.

I deduce this from the fact that she demands you to stay and train with her as payment, as opposed to, you know, going with you and training you.

Send a message to Mimi (If you can - ask for a leaf or something and a small sharp thing, carve message, ask for writing utensils, etc) and let everyone know you are fine. They're probably flipping their shit out there - and also let them know that the DS is fine, and you'll be gone a bit.

On the plus side, you have someone with you who knows Sage magic, and is capable enough in these mountains FILLED WITH THOUGHT EATERS to survive and not become a stupid zombie.

Ergo: THe sword is safe. You are safe. Everything else is not all that important, or at least, not all that pressing. If Regulus comes for you - again - then he will have to deal with you and Little Miss What-are-clothes.

Besides, you owe her as it is.

So... she wants you to pay her back... by keeping her company. A (presumably) cold, lonely person who has been away for a very long time, who saved your life, is going to return a sword it seems she may have some kind of connection too (glowy magic stuff)... in a place in the middle of no-where, where you can contact your friends, and they can contact you, but the king has no idea where you are... asks as her only favor for saving your life... that she be allowed the pleasure of your company... while she teaches you crazy-awesome powers.

And you want to say no... why... exactly?

Okay, you're worried about your friends, and they you. Understandable. But you have mimi's bag, and can pass notes.

You want to be able to be there if there is an emergency. Understandable. Start feeding mimi more energy when you can, with an instruction specifically to use as much as she can to upgrade the opening of the bag, so that you can get there -fast- if need be.

Who knows, maybe sage magic will let you teleport with a reverse summoning jutsu and a mimic contract. Or some other teleportation effect, so that you can get there just in time for Ichimaru Gin Regulus to reveal he wasn't really a bad guy after all. Sorry if that sounds nasty-snarky. He does remind me of Gin, and I was being playful .

You stay, you learn. At the very least you find out more about the woman before making a decision.

Also, writing surface, writing utensil, and updating back and forth through the bag please.

Artemis 2011/06/30(Thu)01:46 No. 319827 ID: f02631
File 130942357186.png - (71.63KB , 600x500 , 765.png )

"Ah well... I really need to finish my training. I'm trying to learn soul magic. It's to help bring back a dragon. I could come back later."

"Do that and sword is mine. You must repay. Please."

She stares at Artemis, or at least he feels her staring at him.

"... Okay, sure. I'd love to learn from you. Can I have something to write a message to my friends with? I have a bag that lets me send notes to them."

She nods and tosses him two rocks, a flat one and a pointy black one.
Artemis scribbles a quick message to Mimi.

"So, can you tell me m-"

"Sage Magic is not mana. It comes from you. Your... Your life. It powers spells by that. It takes much life from you. Much energy. But spells are very powerful. Sorer ne tu cheram ombraes tandrolar eisryn."

She points her palm into the sky and a blast of energy erupts from her hands.
She wipes some sweat off her brow.

"Tiring but powerful."

"Wow! That's so cool! How can I do that?"

"I told you, energy from inside. You use soul in soul magic, mana in wizard magic, and now you must use you. Your life force is the power."

"Won't that... kill me?"

"No no. Arg, not life force it is... Pal air cyrn si caer pai Ai aezal sor? It is energy in you."

"So, how do I use it?"

"That is what you need to learn on own. I can not teach you. Focus. It is like mana. It is like soul."


How many more things are in my body that I can manipulate..? Anyway this is probably gonna take a bit of time before I learn it. She kinda has her arms wrapped around my sword though so I don't think I'm gonna get that back til I finish this.

I'm just worried about the others. I can sense Saisai is a bit calmer.

The girl sits on the edge of the cave.

"Practice. Focus on energy deep inside. Tell me when you can make hand glow red."

She starts tapping her hand against the stone floor.

>>319827
Tapping your hand against a spot next to you is a universal "Sit here" sign, so do that.
She said it's tiring, so maybe it uses stamina?

"You are host to Oraes?"

So that weird symbol is called The Switch? What does it stand for? What does it mean?

She seemed physically tired after casting that spell.

You know how you can run really fast for a while, but then you get more and more tired, and finally have to stop? It takes energy to run, and you eventually run out.

I think that's the kind of energy she's talking about.

>>319827

>How many more things are in my body that I can manipulate..?

Also, try to ignore the fact that the woman is very nearly naked. I don't think she's got anything under the lioncloth or the top.

Artemis 2011/06/30(Thu)02:20 No. 319833 ID: f02631
File 130942565742.png - (50.69KB , 329x446 , 766.png )

>>319829
I think I get it.

Artemis sits down next to the girl. She turns and looks at him.

"Are you the uh... Host to Oraes?"

"Oraes is dead. Many many years ago. The earth shook and tore at the mountains. It was terrible. Many friends died. Family died. Oraes tried to save everyone. She saved them, but not herself. The earth swallowed her up and she was gone. All the fey are without their god. I am without my god."

"Ah.. I'm sorry."

"You did not do it. Do not be sorry... Can you feel your energy?"

"Ah well.. No, not really."

She grabs Artemis's hand and places it against her chest.

"Feel my heart. That feeling is where it comes from. Life itself."

She presses her hand against Artemis's chest.

"Yours is going very fast. A quick and frightened song. Focus on that."

I can't really focus right now!

>>319830

Not helping!

>>319833
"Can you show me where did she died? I've had one dragon brought back from the dead, and a second will come soon. With a piece of her body I could make it three."

She was killed by an earthquake. Yea, sounds like Myli.

Anyway, focus on putting your excited panic into your hand. Just move it all there.

>>319833
Right, sorry.

Also got a nice tan.

And hey, the outfit matches her hair!

Glad I could help.

Okay. Smile at her, nod, and focus on the beating of your heart (even if you feel it's hard to do). Close your eyes if it helps.

Your heart is beating hard. Try feeling your pulse beating in the areas the blood is rushing too, and then tracing that back to your heart-beat.

Your ears, your face, your throat, your hand, your wrist are all generally good places to start.

Take several deep breaths to clear your mind, and focus on the pulsing of your heart between your lungs, and the changes in the rythem of your body as the deep breaths slow it, and calm you.

Try to focus on your heartbeat. The heart is what keeps living beings alive, right? You could say it's the source of your lifeforce.

close your eyes and concentrate.

*gets a bunch of Guardians together, then grins, and starts to sing*

Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump, pumps your blood.

The right atrium's where the process
begins,
Where the C02 blood enters the heart
Through the tricuspid valve to the right
ventricle
The pulmonary artery and lungs.
Once inside the lungs it dumps its carbon
dioxide
And picks up its oxygen supply
Then it's back to the heart through the
pulmonary vein
Through the atrium and left ventricle."

*the other guardians join in for the chorus*

Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump, pumps your blood.

Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump, pumps your blood.

*just the main singer again*

"The aortic valvels where the
blood leaves the heart
Then it's channeled to the rest of the bod
The arteries, arterioles, and capillaries
too
Bring the oxygenated blood to the cells
The tissues and the cells trade off waste and CO2

Which is carried through the venules and the veins
Through the larger vena cava to the atrium and lungs
And we're back to where we started in the heart.

*the other guardians join in!*

Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump, pumps your blood.

Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump.
Pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump pump-pump, pumps your blood!

Okay, that probably didn't help -too- much but it was fun. Yes. Settle. Relax. Breath, and focus on your heart, and what it does, as it pumps your blood.

when you run hard, your heart beats faster and you tire, what energy do you use to run? that is the power source of these spells.

>>319833
Close your eyes, that should help. Try to feel your drive, your will, what you draw on when you fight. Focus it in your hand.

Artemis 2011/07/01(Fri)03:22 No. 320191 ID: f02631
File 130951575797.png - (61.85KB , 600x500 , 767.png )

Artemis closes his eyes and concentrates on his heart. He tries to push all his energy to his hand. He can feel it heat up a bit.

"Hmm.. Close but no. I will take you out. We go to the place where I learned. That is tomorrow, rest now."

"But I'm really not that tired."

"Rest."

She pokes a spot on Artemis's chest then another on his neck, he blacks out.
-------------------------------------

Artemis wakes up with the sunrise feeling fully refreshed.

Wow, that was an amazing sleep..
Hmm?

He looks beside his leaf bed and notices a message written on the ground.

Huh... well it would seem she isn't nearly naked anymore. Since those are her clothes. Maybe she's taking a bath? I can't read that, I hope you or another of us here can in case it's important.

If you can't do anything else why not pull out that watch? Don't... do anything to it, mind you. We don't need to blow up again. But back before we rewound Regulus was easily able to get it to point at what he was looking for without saying or doing anything to it. So hold it and think about people you know to see if it responds.

>>320191
Pick up that stuff and look around.
I don't have a clue what that says.

How about you, Ombra? You know what it says?

at least she said you were close. i mean, that's better then when you tried soul magic the first time. had to get your soul pulled out a little to even know where to START.

>>320194
nudity is sometimes very important to focusing magic energies... try not to think too hard about it while you study.

You can use the watch to find her. Hold it and speak her name. Or just think it?

That writing could mean "at lake" but that's just a guess.

She left those clothes... it may be that she wants you to wear them.

>>320225
Pffffthahahahahhhaahah

>>320225
More like, she just went to the lake for a bath.

>>320225
Or... she's taking a bath and wants you to bring her stuff to her? Anyway just bring the stuff and try out the watch, if you can use it to find her it should be quick.

>>320191
She will probably arrive back at the cave soon eventually. In the meantime, look yourself over: did her 'spell' leave any marks? any signs of what she did? anything we could learn from?

Artemis 2011/07/01(Fri)21:35 No. 320485 ID: f02631
File 130958132460.png - (43.67KB , 600x500 , 768.png )

>>320339
No, no marks. I look perfectly fine. If she didn't tell me I wouldn't have even noticed.

>>320194
Artemis thinks about various people. The hands on the watch spin around and points in different directions as he does. He thinks about Sandra making the watch point to the north.

I should probably at least check on her..

He gathers up the clothes and heads outside. As he crosses the field he notices an odd rock formation surrounded by fog. the watch is pointing there so he walks over to that spot. Over a rock ridge is a small lake. He can feel heat coming from the water.

"Artemis. Was wondering where you were. Come."

Artemis steps over the ridge.

"Clothes, remove them. It will hurt you in training."

"Uhm... okay.."

He takes off his clothes save his underpants.

"All of it."

"I'd rather not.."

"I can wait."

>>320485
Send a note to Mimi asking for Saisai and Eistia to write down what happened after Saisai stabbed Regulus, how long ago that was, and what happened after that.
Also ask if they killed Regulus.
Also have Mimi tell Saisai you're going to be learning a new kind of magic, and she should stay in her room since you'll probably be completely humiliated and embarrassed the entire time.
Then lose the underwear and get to work.

You really need to work on this. What if the King sends naked girls to attack you? You wouldn't even be able to look their way, let alone fight them!

yeah, saisai should probably know that the MASSIVE surge of embarrassment is normal. the rest can wait.
then take it off and go. only one thinking dirty things will happen is you. she just has no fear about it cause she has lived out here all her life and no one told her otherwise.

>>320485
Haha you might as well, I don't see a way around it. If it's possible send a message to Mimi to hand to Saisai that you are going to learn a new kind of spell and you don't know how it will effect her. I would expect they'd have a pen and notebook handy for you by now.

It's not that I expect our friend here to mean to exploit you, but this is life energy and... well I guess we'll see. If you need to remind our friend that you are soul bound and certain experiences may not be fair to your friend.

Sigh...
[Change Gender]
There, now there's nothing for her to see that she doesn't have. Now finish undressing and wade over to her.

Honestly, modesty's fine and all but you need to get less bashful about this kind of thing. What are you going to do if the king has some woman attack you while you're bathing, waste time trying to keep your bits concealed while she uses lethal force?

>>320491
We do not need to make Artemis a woman in order for him to interact with naked women, seriously. That's a cop-out when what he needs to do is get over his awkwardness.

Business can be conducted in a professional fashion no matter what clothes the parties involved are wearing, or not wearing.

>>320492
indeed [no gender change]

Strip naked, stay male, go train.
Seriously there is nothing shameful or dirty here

>>320496

We aren't going to gender change you Artemis, but it might be a good idea if it becomes difficult for you. Actually female form might just do better at this. I dunno if spells learned like that apply the same to your natural form, though.

Just let us know if you want to, I guess.

Artemis 2011/07/01(Fri)23:24 No. 320512 ID: f02631
File 130958786972.png - (77.18KB , 600x500 , 769.png )

I don't have any paper on me at the moment, I'll just do it later so no message..
Ugh.. I don't want to strip. Well, it's not like she can see me well ...

Fine.

Artemis removes the last of his clothing and steps into the lake. He practically jumps out from the heat.

"Stay in, it is good for you."

Artemis grimaces and slowly lowers himself into the water.

"Good? It heats up your body, lets your heart make a faster song. It helps you focus. This pool is filled with a special mineral that helps people calm down and aware of tiny things. I train here often."

Two red 'flames' appear on her outstretched arms.

"This is lesson one, making the Flame of Life. It is the fuel for your magic. Very limited though. Using it to much will kill. You must make this flame before I can teach you more."

Artemis tries to make the flames appear. His hands feel warm again but nothing happens.

hmmm... sink deeper into the water, relax, listen to your heart beat. try pulsing the push of energy to your hand in time with it.

>>320512
Pulse your pushing with your heartbeat.
Also, walk over and get a good look at her face. (Or lack thereof)

>>320512
I wonder... I think you're too limited by just regular living and not the whole of you. You need to learn to channel your whole life energy. Remember dying and coming back, remember fighting and crying and yelling and kissing and the way your heart raced when you did.

Also, Art, think of how it felt when you used your phoenix rebirth limit break. The energy pouring out of you, the heat and healing and almost dying. It probably isn't the same thing but I bet it touches something close in you.

Think of it all at once and focus it into a single sensation. Make it burn.

Start by closing your eyes, and take slow, deep breaths. Focus on your own body, the heat of the water on your skin, the tension of your muscles, the movement of your chest as you breathe and your heartbeat. Become aware of the energy flowing through your body.

Then, try channelling this energy to your hand until it heats up and the flames appear.

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)00:29 No. 320538 ID: f02631
File 130959176224.png - (11.95KB , 300x258 , 770.png )

>>320514
There is no reason to go any closer to her then I need to!

>>320517
Sorta like my limit break huh?

I can do that..

Artemis focuses again with his limit break in mind. After a minute a tiny flame appears on his hands.

"Good! Good! That is the source of sage power! Do not use it to much. That is enough for now. Relax and let the energy flow back into you."

Her own flames go out and she goes deeper into the water.

relax now. you may be a little tired. mean, you passed out after using your limit breaks before, and this is like a mini one.

get closer to look at her face. don't be a perv now there is nothing dirty about looking at her face. Besides the water will hide anything.

>>320541
Agreed.
We need to find out more about who this is.

>>320538
Haha, it seems phoenix rebirth is a kind of sage magic! Maybe a bit of practice with this power will keep that limit break from hurting you so hard.

Just relax a bit. Then maybe chat with her about what Oraes was like, how things were before she died and stuff like that. Also she said Oraes was her god, so I guess that means she isn't human she looks like a dark elf but without the ears pointed. Ask her what she really is and if there are others.

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)00:58 No. 320550 ID: f02631
File 130959348146.png - (49.63KB , 516x392 , 771.png )

I actually do feel a bit worn out..

>>320541
Fine fine.

Artemis moves a bit closer to her. The fog obscures anything. He moves even closer.

"hmm. Yes?"

"Uhm... I was just wondering what you are. You look like a dark elf."

"It does not matter."

>>320550
"No, it doesn't, but I'm curious about the mask.
Do you hide your face from the world, or do you hide the world from your face?"

>>320551

uhh. I'm pretty sure that sentence has some unfortunate implications in it.

>>320550
Tell her the nature of the dragons and their people do matter to you. All you know or will know of Oraes and her people is right in front of you and you really should learn her story. It may actually be very important.

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)01:47 No. 320562 ID: f02631
File 130959645878.png - (75.70KB , 600x500 , 772.png )

"I was just uh... curious about the mask."

"It covers my face."

"Yeah... I kinda wanted to know more about Oraes and maybe your people."

She moves a bit closer.

"Both are dead. There is no use in speaking of dead things."

>>320562
Ok she needs to back of a bit. Put your hands on her shoulders and hold her at that length. "Knowing the past protects the future. What I learn of dragons may prevent what happened to Oraes and your people from happening again. Please?"

Also be very aware that Saisai is feeling how you are right now. What are you feeling from her end?

>>320562
"A thing is only truly dead once all traces of it have faded away; a thing forever remembered is forever alive.
More so now than ever before, as beings that were bereft of life have had their vital essence restored.
The merfolk, Aeryr the dragon of light, myself, all have returned to the living world after the spark had left.
Please, share with me your knowledge of Oraes and your people that we might see them persist in this world."

Sure are a lotta pretty girls when you're around.
What I would do if I weren't just a disembodied voice.

Well, no use trying to live through you, boy.

Trying to take your mind off those boobs? Ask her why you arrived here, of all places.

Why do you wear the mask?
Could I see you without it?

guys, maybe we shouldn't ask her about such a painful topic? I suggest we apologize for bringing up a painful topic. yes there is obviously something going on here, but she is helping us for the plusure of our company, lets not be an ass.

>>320577
A painful topic that will give us good info and hopefully keep her from jumping our bones. For all we know Saisai could be standing right in front of Morgan right now. That would be awkward.

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)02:50 No. 320585 ID: f02631
File 130960020195.png - (62.55KB , 600x500 , 773.png )

"Your people will only truly be dead if they are forgotten. Tell me more about them so they're memory can go on.."

She backs away from Artemis.

".... You are a odd child. Fine. My people were known as the Oli. We do not age. I have been on this planet since the dragon age. We used to... We used to speak to Oraes. She was our god and our mother. On that terrible day many of us died. My whole family died. The rest became something else. They were so sad they pushed all their life energy into the earth and turned into stone and sand. I woke up and they were all gone. All gone... It is just me now. I am the only oli left. I plan on dying someday. There will be no more Oli."

She begins untying her mask.

"Oraes gave all of us these. Man would attack us when they saw our faces. The mask hides it. We look just like man and could trade with them."

She takes it off.

"I look like a demon, don't I?"

Oh boo hoo. Tell her you know actual demons!

>>320585
Shake your head
"No, all the demons I know have two horns. If you wish, I can introduce you to people who would be your friends.
So, is this the resting place or Oraes? And the Oli?""

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)03:58 No. 320597 ID: f02631
File 130960432408.png - (51.72KB , 600x500 , 774.png )

"Actually I know a real demon."

"Really? I have not seen one."

"So these stones... Are they...?"

"My people. Sometimes I rest here and... I can hear them. It makes it less lonely."

......
That is so sad ;-;

>>320597
We can fix this, you know. It's not beyond our capabilities.
No, more than that. It's obvious that this is Myli's handiwork; we have a duty to fix it.

Find out exactly where Orael died. She's the key.

>>320597
I wonder if Morgan's Phoenix Feathers would work?

Hey Art, what's Sasai feeling lately? I imagine you're broadcasting your... embarrassment and she might suspect you're doing naughty things. Sending a more detailed message soon would be wise. Something like "Learning Sage magic from a lady who rescued me. She doesn't wear much. Sorry for the feedback, Sasai."

(should we tell him how to dampen the soul bind?)

>>320598
I think we need tact here...

[Change Gender]
Walk over and hug her.
"There are people who would love to be your friend. I'm one of them, and I want to introduce you to others. You don't have to be alone."

...hmm. I wonder if Orael 'died' like the other two dragons? If this is the last Oli alive then it would make sense for Orael to be possessing her.

Oh, and she said she can hear the ones that turned to stone. Ask her what they say.

It is sad, but maybe it is not hopeless! Don't forget what you've been doing is bringing dragons back to life, there is a chance

"Don't be in a hurry to do that, even without others of your kind you can still have friends and be happy. When balance is restored and the land is at peace again there will be many friends for you to meet. I think those you've lost would be happy if you did."

Art, get out of the water and get dressed, then get your watch and think of Ombra. If it points at you then think of Oraes. If that works then we're going to save another dragon.

"have you master sage magic?"
if not then say "perhaps her soul still exists, ombra is within me, perhaps Oraes is within you."
if she says yes then forget about it.

>>320603
[don't change]
No damn it
You're just doing this to see naked women aren't you

>>320657
Again. I was fairly certain that our change gender no longer worked. I believe it stopped working somewhere in our training. Oombra told us this.

>>320599
Saisai can get used to it. Artemis does not need to constantly apologize for who he is.

>>320603
[Do not change gender]

Tell her that you think her horn is cute.

>>320648
Even if she mastered it it is possible for Oraes to remain within her and refuse to be reborn (like ombra has chosen to remain within Art for now despite being strong enough to be reborn already).

Imagine, ALL of them but one committed suicide when Oraes died... What reason is there for Oraes to be reborn if her only living child is that which she possesses? Perhaps protects and guides.

There are several way to resurrect the dead, but I am concerned about how long ago they died. There is also the fact that with her alive her kind can be perpetuated after a manner if she has children who have children, etc.

Art does have the explicit goal of resurrecting all dead dragons. The problem with Oraes is that she probably doesn't want to come back... we need to give her reason. Well actually first we need to confirm she is really there.

I got it! Use the watch to find Oraes.

How about you just don't expose yourself or get touchy-feely while naked? No need to change gender then.

...Weird, how our perspective was stuck with Arty's eyes for a bit.

>>320791
probably a subconscious control thing. he didn't want anyone to see him without clothes so our perspective shifted to a viewpoint that would prevent us from seeing him. but when she got closer he was startled enough that the control broke.

Because giving a friendly hug to somebody lamenting the death of everybody they ever knew is completely and totally about lesbian sex. Yea, sure.
In the realm of not-stupid, we can't be sure that Oraes went into somebody else. However, we might be able to find her remains and restore her to life through other means.

Ombra, you know how your body was made of shadow? What was Oraes' body made of?

>>320800
it isn't sexual connotations, it's just WEIRD. a hand on the shoulder and a nod would be fine.

>>320800
other means like the <Magic Watch that shows the location of anything we want with perfect accuracy>...

Get the watch, find Oraes. No need for all this what-ifs

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)17:43 No. 320848 ID: f02631
File 130965378084.png - (40.39KB , 600x500 , 775.png )

I'm not going to hug or touch her in any way while I'm naked.

"What do they usually say to you?"

"They tell me to keep going. To keep the Oli alive. It is a tiring job."

She sinks further into the water.

"I... I might be able to bring Oraes back to life. I can try."

"She has joined my people again. The Cycle has taken most of them away and made them into something new. Breaking the Cycle for my own desires would be bad. Thank you though."

"Well... I just don't want you to kill yourself."

"I won't, not until I pass on our way of magic. To you."

I don't have my watch on me right now..
Also she died 200 years ago, I don't know if I can heal that.

>>320848
Use watch on dragon

aww, she is just too cute, and sad.

>Also she died 200 years ago, I don't know if I can heal that.
You don't heal the dragon. The dragon can be reborn on her own if her soul possesses the right person who then learns the right magics. What you need to do is convince said dragon to want to return.

>She has joined my people again. The Cycle has taken most of them away and made them into something new. Breaking the Cycle for my own desires would be bad. Thank you though.
What does she mean made them into something new? And its not just for her own benefit but for balance in the world (although, that depends on what her dragon is right now).

>>320848
>"I won't, not until I pass on our way of magic. To you."
Did she just say that she's planning to commit suicide after she's done teaching you magic?

That seems bad. You should probably convince her otherwise before you learn much more.

>>320848
Are the voices telling her to keep the Oli alive "until you pass down our ways of magic", or what?
If she intends to give up on life as soon as she's done teaching you, would that be going against her peoples' wishes?

...If it's just the loneliness and not having anyone to talk to, why couldn't she make friends with people she trusts (like, say, you, for instance?)
It's just sad for the world to lose an entire race like that.

...And at the very least, she still hasn't met Mimi yet.

>>320848
"Dragons are vital to this world. They aren't supposed to die; they are supposed to watch the circle, not pass through it. Oraes' death has scarred the world in a way that can only start healing if she returns.
My purpose in life is protecting the dragons and keeping them in balance. Your desires, regrettably, are not relevant."

Ombra! What was Oraes' body like?

she is the last. only hope of legacy is her magic or a child. she SHOULD come to the dark elf place. other then the horn she would look pretty close to them and since saisai is a partial human there is a good chance that these are indeed all races not species so she could make a half-breed.

>>320868
I like most of it but I would go with a more tactful phrasing then your desires are not relevant.

>>320869
Or art can seduce her :P.. just kidding of course, besides one child isn't enough, need a lot more than that... although some of the other dragons could help. They can bring back the dead and manipulate time after all

how about.. "it is not just for you that i want to bring her back, it is for he world"

Okay, I gotta ask. What is all this going on about "the balance of the world"?

Any situation that can exist in a relatively indefinite state without expending large amounts of energy to keep it that way is a balance.

A bunch of dragons that want to kill each-other, kept in check only by a mortal line in possession of a magical sword is not a balance.

A balance of powers between relatively equal strength kingdoms is a precarious balance, but it is one. A balance between humans, and all other races together being roughly equal in power, and adversarial in order to prevent one side from growing too strong is also a balance.

There are so many balances that could be obtained, and yet loads of people seem to be acting like there is only one that could possibly be... and they don't even seem to be talking about the same "balance".

Killing loads of people, or allowing loads of people to die for no reason other than power or greed is bad, yes. However the king of the human kingdoms was harmed by his fellow dragons, and from all accounts may be trying to regain his own draconic form... something that has repeatedly been treated as a good goal. And yet his attempts to gain the necessary powers to do so is treated as evil for some reason.

It could well be that the cat-folk or tiger-folk started the war, at the prompting of their highly aggressive red dragon over-lord, but folks seem to be assuming that the human king did that.

So far, it seems like a whole bunch of people are racist against humans. x.x

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)18:59 No. 320884 ID: f02631
File 130965839815.png - (28.01KB , 600x500 , 776.png )

"You can't let yourself die. If you just wait I will bring back Oraes. She can restore balance to the world and even bring back the Ori. Don't let them die out like that."

She doesn't respond, instead she simply sinks further into the water.

In any case, it seems like she wants to die, and the only thing holding her here is her ability to use magic. She seems alone, and isolated, and half mad from that and grief.

I would highly suggest offering, instead, to take her with you, so that she can make a new life with new people that care. Having an expert teacher of this new ability with you is likely to be a good thing.

just sigh and practice making the flame. only in short bursts and wait until the fatigue dissipates before making another.

>>320884
since we are dredging some painful memories here it might spur her to move up her timetable...
What I am saying is, watch carefully to make sure she isn't drowning herself.

>>320884
Wow, you sure found a rather horrible way to phrase that.
Here, try this:
"The cycle is like a mortar and pestle, and dragons are diamonds. Putting dragons in the cycle damages the cycle; she needs to come back.

You were listening to the sword; what did it tell you?"

What material was she? You were shadow, Aeryr is wind, Masil is light. Sharaes was quite solid, which is a break from the pattern.
Also, what properties DID her horn have?

>>320890
This but
[Change gender] for it.
Seriously he only messes up talking when male, I mean his male side is a mage, not a talker.

He is a bit of a clod when a man.

Gender change GP:105 Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)19:39 No. 320897 ID: f02631
File 130966077125.png - (60.46KB , 600x500 , 777.png )

She's not downing, she comes back up for air every once in a while

"The cycle is like a mortar and pestle, and dragons are diamonds. Putting dragons in the cycle damages the cycle; she needs to come back. You were listening to the sword; what did it tell you?"

She pulls up the blade.

"It says nothing, just beats like heart. Very relaxing... I am not sure. I just want to be with my people in the cycle again.. I..."

Artemis 2011/07/02(Sat)19:41 No. 320899 ID: f02631
File 130966087348.png - (60.88KB , 600x500 , 778.png )

"??? You have shaer now... I mean breasts. Odd person."

"What? !?"

Artemis quickly ducks into the water.

>>320899
Okay, I really don't think that was necessary, but I suppose there's no real point in switching back.

Artemis, act like it's nothing unusual and people change genders all the time. Also, you don't need to duck under the water because if she's bold enough to walk around naked in front of you, you can damn well do the same in front of her. You're having serious business conversations now and there is no time for embarrassment.

>>320897
Fae dragon is weird, not big surprise.

I understand you just want to be with your people again. Then we need to bring them and your dragon back.
With the powers of the time dragon, the dragon of life, the artificial phoenix feathers my friend created, our magics. It should be possible. We can at least try.

"we just need to try, i have many allies who can help us. friends in all the species, together they can make anything happen"
and just explain it's a side effect of ombra living in there. she should understand.

>>320897
"You said your people want you to keep the Oli alive; they don't want to be a dead people, and I think that's why so many have stayed here for so long. They don't want you to give up, they don't want you to join them, they want you to live for them.
You're sick of being alone, but you don't have to be alone anymore. I'll be your friend, and I know you'd enjoy the company of my family and friends. You'll never have to be alone again."

So, you two got along pretty well I take it?

>>320892
(I sincerely doubt that is true.)

Eh, you can go ahead and tell her it's a magical ability you have that you don't have full control over. Then change the subject again. Hmm. Ask about what's next in your Sage magic training.

>>320910
[Don't gender change]

You haven't read the quest.

In any case, Art needs to grow as a man and not use his female side as a crutch.

>We can't change gender anymore, something ombra said.
>"??? You have shaer now... I mean breasts. Odd person."

Uh, those two seem to be in conflict. Art now has boobies so that means change gender does still work.

>>320974
This confusion seems to be a result of one small statement Ombra made. "No switching any more." The above poster obviously took this to be in reference to the change gender ability.

However, this response also came after people asked about moving Ombra to someone else, which had apparently previously been an option, and Art formed his bond with Saisai.

As such, it is possible that forming the bond meant that now Art needs to be the one to finish learning how to set Ombra free, and until he does, she is stuck with him.

Since Art has gained breasts, the second meaning seems the most plausible.

>>320991
Yea. I'll admit I was wrong now. It's just we hadn't switched since then. I had made the reasonable assumption. Oh well, my bad.

Artemis 2011/07/03(Sun)13:42 No. 321099 ID: 2d8058
File 130972572921.png - (23.60KB , 507x347 , 779.png )

"Uhm... I sorta have a dragon's soul in me. This happens sometimes."

"Dragon's soul?"

"Yes. When I say I can bring back the dragons I wasn't kidding. I really can do it. And I know plenty of people who would love to be your friends."

She looks away.

"Your people are still here because they want you to live on, not die. If there's even the slightest chance they can be brought back I think you should take it."

"..... I will think. Maybe I will live."

"Good."

"You said there are others out there? More humans?"

"They're human, for the most part. I'm sure they would love to meet you."

"... I don't leave this land. It is last connection to me people. If I leave they will may leave to.."

try using soul heal on the big rock with the symbol.

I'm not sure I quite understand what she means by that.

Well, learn to properly teleport with the watch. Or maybe the water dragon can set up a teleport shrine (although that is risky what with the human kingdom being as it is right now so lets not do that one). Then we could visit her here.

And maybe we can do some more preliminary work before deciding. For example get the watch and find out where the soul of Oreas is.

>>321099
It shouldn't take much. All we need is an alchemist or two, and there have to be some of those who can't or won't fight in the war.
So, do you know how to work the watch? Right now it would really help to be able to teleport.
We'll need a phoenix feather, the help of Morgan and either Saisai or her teacher, and some way to move the ground to uncover the body. I think we should bring Mimi here as well, since she's the most friendly and accepting person we know.
Ask the watch where Ombra is so we can see if it can track souls like that.

Artemis 2011/07/03(Sun)15:50 No. 321168 ID: 2d8058
File 130973343914.png - (30.89KB , 352x374 , 780.png )

"I think this is what they want me to do."

"Maybe.."

"I think I'm done bathing, I'll see you back at the cave."

Artemis gets out of the pool and grabs her clothes. She gets dressed and pulls out the goldeon watch.

She thinks of Ombra, the watch points right at Artemis.
She thinks of Oraes, the watch begins spinning wildly around.

>>321168
Ombra said Oraes was made of silver, so...
"The nearest several-ton deposit of pure silver."

Also, just to be cautious, "The reincarnation of Oraes".

try more specific "the location of oraes right before death"

Okay, news flash for you folks.

1. Art's technique restores the body, not the spirit.
2. It was explicitly stated that the deadline for this is 1 day back when we healed up one of the twins.
3. This world assumes a circle of reincarnation, the period before which the soul is unavailable is 1 day. To try to force spirits that have not departed back into their prior bodies would kill someone out there.

It is quite possible that that dragon was reborn as one of the existing dragons, and that to reincarnate her would kill of the dragon of one of the existing races.

Even if not, it's quite possible that that dragon has lived several mortal lifetimes, and has been reborn many times, and is currently living happily.

That said, healing the bodies of those who are still alive may be possible. However, their current condition is due to not having enough life force. For Art to revive one of them might kill him. At the very least, it would severely weaken him, and require a prolonged rest period before he attempted it again, at his current level of skill.

4. The watch allows for -short- range teleportation. We don't know how short, but it's quite possible it has a range measured in feet, not miles. Making plans based on the watch, before we understand it's range, is premature. That said, yes, Art should test the watch out soon.

>>321177
where does it state it has a 1 day limit? i just looked back and i can't find it.

>>321177
It took Morgan a week to make the phoenix feather that restored Fleur's soul, so it definitely takes longer than a week.

The spinning means she's either in a side-plane or all around us, I'm not sure which. Artemis, Ombra, do either of you know what that symbol represents?

Based on >>295734 I was incorrect. My error.
It was based on when the body decomposed. Apologies. I could have sworn I saw something about the soul departing 'by dawn' or 'in under a day'. I may have been thinking about a different media.

Ok, looking for Ombra pointed at art...

look for:
1. Ombra's Soul
2. Ombra's reincarnation
3. Aeryr
4. Oraes's soul
5. Oraes's reincarnation
6. The exact center of Oraes's/her soul (maybe oraes is "all around you" because of where you are)
7. <something> dragon (what was Oraes the dragon of again?)

>>321277
What if we gender change, then look for Ombra? We should try that.

>>321168
Think of someone you know is dead.

Artemis 2011/07/03(Sun)20:06 No. 321298 ID: 2d8058
File 130974879282.png - (22.82KB , 352x374 , 781.png )

Artemis thinks of Ombra's soul, the watch points at her.
She thinks of Oraes's soul, the watch hands spin around wildly.
She thinks of Aeryr, the hands point off in the distance.
She thinks of a silver dragon, the watch hands spin wildly.
She thinks of the body of Oraes.

The watch hands point ahead.

follow that watch!

Artemis 2011/07/03(Sun)20:11 No. 321302 ID: 2d8058
File 130974911760.png - (29.69KB , 600x500 , 782.png )

[i]Artemis follows the watch through a small forest. The watch leads her to a clearing surrounded by a few mountains.

There is a pointy moss covered stone in the center, the watch is pointing directly at it.

>>321302
Scrape the moss off the stone and tell us what you see.

dig it up! i think it's her horn!

Artemis 2011/07/03(Sun)20:21 No. 321310 ID: 2d8058
File 130974967085.png - (44.39KB , 600x500 , 783.png )

Artemis clears the moss off of the odd stone.
She wipes away a bit at the dirt and dust on it. She can see it's actually a old piece of silver sticking out of the ground.

Woah.. It actually found her.

>>321310
Question is, how do we revive her? Would a Phoenix Feather even work? Would Phoenix Revival? Keep in mind if you use Revival you will need someone nearby to make sure you aren't defenseless.

Or maybe we should ask Masil if this is even a good idea...?

Do you think it's possible to bring Oraes back via this corpse? You have seen the Phoenix Feather and Artemis's Phoenix Revival technique, and we have many different magics at our disposal. Or should we speak to Masil first?

now... how are we gonna dig her up? need a catfolk with good precision. or you can start now and do good ol manual labor. maybe use the soul blades like spades.just need to get her whole head out. then need morgan to work on a feather.

>>321310
Ombra, do you think you could go to Masil and tell her to get over here and revive Oraes?

i am more concerned about her soul. If the soul remains a dragon can recreate their own body... I guess we could start by digger her out. Also we could wait a bit before resurrection attempt, maybe come up with more ideas or information

"Now what?" I'm no magic expert! You should be the one who is experimenting with crazy magics, not me!

Kids these days can't do ANYTHING for themselves.

Artemis 2011/07/03(Sun)21:28 No. 321345 ID: 2d8058
File 130975371822.png - (85.58KB , 467x445 , 784.png )

I have no idea where to even begin digging this out. If this is just the horn then there's a lot more.

Also I almost -died- from just healing an organ, healing this much would surely kill me.

Artemis heres a rustle behind her. She turns to see Sandra walking up to her. Sandra kneels beside Artemis.

"You found her? This is all that is left. Rest is far in earth. I come here often to pray. Is it possible? Can she live again?"

The way she says it.. It's like saying no would hurt her even worse. But I don't know if I can actually heal her.

Just say the truth, it will probably take more than just you to accomplish.

[Minor psionics - Artemis tongue to Oraes' horn]

Oh. Bad news. Masil didn't want her to be brought back. So we probably shouldn't.

Tell her it might be possible, but it would require a lot of work. Also, tell her that we'd need to talk to Masil first.

ask if she is whole. as long as everything is where it should be it wont be too hard.

>>321345
Tell her that you're not entirely sure. It's probably beyond you right now. But you've brought back others, and if she's been dead this long a few months or years of trying to build up your abilities won't hurt.

>>321345
"Possible, but very difficult. It will take a lot of work and cooperation.

You know that spell that regrew my leg? Have you ever tried casting it on this?"

We don't need you to use your limit break. If Saisai teaches Sandra Time magic then we can de-age Oraes' body 200 or so years so it'll be back to being alive.

Now, use the watch to find out where the REST of her corpse is so we can start planning. You'll need to triangulate how far down it is.

Oh, also, tell Sandra that Ombra wants you to lick her horn.

All we need is some alchemists that are unable or unwilling to fight. She could even give us deserters or traitors.

Awww, so cute, so vulnerable...
I would answer with "maybe"

lick the horn. if she asks, that's your way of telling whether you can revive her or not. and answer with "I don't know."

Artemis 2011/07/04(Mon)19:36 No. 321763 ID: d86347
File 130983338348.png - (67.12KB , 416x463 , 785.png )

What? No, I'm not licking anything's horn! Why would I do that!?

"I might be able to. I'll need a lot of help though. That spell you cast to heal me.. Does it work on this?"

"No.. Spell is to weak. Dragons not affected by magic most times."

Time magic, alchemists, Masil...
This is turning out to be very complicated. I don't really have all the time in the world.

what about.. some way of making the spell stronger? lend her your power so she can use both to make it stronger.

We sure have a lot of time.

We can work on this after we bring back Ombra and deal with the king. There's no reason this can't wait.

...she looks like she needs a hug, though. Ask her why she has a horn. Do all the Oli have one?

>>321763
Ok, then look into her eyes and tell her that your duty is too important for you to waste time on silly things like your duty.

Alternatively? Tell her that you can't do much to help right here and now, but you can send word to others and have them start preparing.
Then drop us into Mimi's bag so we can get Eistia to start working on things at her end while you learn Sandra's magic.

>>321763
>I don't really have all the time in the world.
This isn't a project that could be done in a day regardless. It's something that you should be spending time on and thinking about over weeks, months, even years- because ultimately Oraes is probably just as important to the balance of the world as Ombra.

Artemis 2011/07/04(Mon)23:26 No. 321917 ID: aa5c9d
File 130984717549.png - (61.14KB , 600x500 , 786.png )

I'm pretty sure all the Oli had horns. She mentioned her people having to wear those masks because of it.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to heal her then we can put her soul back in."

>>321770
That's... A great idea actually. I'll keep working here while you guys do your thing with my sister.
Come back in a few days okay? See ya.
---------------------------------------------

Greetings Guardians.
Tell me, why has my brother decided to leave two crying, worried sick girls behind while he goes off to train?

she is the last of her people and is holding the sword hostage unless he learns the secrets of the race so they are not lost to time. and he can't take it cause apparently sage magic is UNGODLY powerful. apparently he fell REALLY far and his leg snapped OFF and she just put it back on like it was no problem. and then shot a giant beam of energy into the sky as a demonstration. so yeah.

also we found ANOTHER dead dragon. perhaps having the girls be busy will let them keep their mind of of him, we need one of those resurrection feathers.

>>321917
Hah! "Decided" is completely wrong. Artemis got pulled magically through the miles somehow, and had his leg literally completely torn off. Then the person who healed him grabbed his sword and insisted that he learn her style of magic before she'd give it back to him.

Thinking that he's somehow responsible for the current state of affairs and framing it in such a negative manner is brutally unfair. All he's done is wake up and try not to be a total jackass.

>>321917
The last surviving member of the Oli race took his sword and will only give it back once he's mastered their magic so she can finally kill herself and put an end to her eternal loneliness.
Artemis can't leave the sword, and she refuses to leave the resting place of her people.

Since that all kinda sucks we're going to see about resurrecting Oraes, Dragon of Fae (I think?), slightly ahead of schedule so she can bring back her people and get everything sorted out.

We're going to need Morgan to make another phoenix feather, Saisai to teach the last Oli time magic, and somebody to go hire alchemists to excavate Oraes' corpse.
We're kinda in a rush, since the sooner we get this done the sooner we can get back to resurrecting Ombra and stopping Myli.

OH! Also! What happened to Regulus? Did you kill him, or just dismember him and lock him in a cage?

>>321917
In his defense, he didn't have much of a choice.

Artemis was teleported high above the Hurrikane mountains, and the fall nearly killed him. Fortunately, he was found by the last of the Oli, who saved his life.

The problem is your brother's saviour, being the last of her species, insisted on passing on her people's style of magic to Artemis. She held onto the Dragonslayer sword and wouldn't give it back unless he agreed to learn Sage Magic.

Artemis was saved by the last member of a race known as the Oli, who has decided to keep the Dragon Slayer as payment. She'll give it back if he stays and learns Sage Magic from her, though, so he does have a good reason for sticking around. We've also found out about a seventh dragon that died about 200 years ago and found part of her body, and are going to try to resurect her after digging up more of it. An alchemist would help in that regard, and we'll need a phoenix down to draw back her soul after restoring her body. Don't worry about Ombra getting impatient, she honestly wants Oraes back, anyway.

So what did you do to Regulus? Something suitably horrible, I hope, after making us see a dead Mimi, curled up cradling the box slime Artemis asked her to help take of.

And are Morgan and Saisai still that worried? You should reassure them that he's perfectly safe, maybe buy them some sweets to help cheer them up using Artemis's money.

Eistia 2011/07/05(Tue)02:26 No. 321953 ID: aa5c9d
File 130985800318.png - (45.52KB , 600x600 , 787.png )

Wow... Okay that is a pretty good reason. She should just come here though, that would make things so much easier for us all.

As for Regulus we tried to apprehend him but he managed to escape. It seems the man is a highly advance alchemist. I do not wish to drag my people into unneeded conflict so I'm simply waiting to see if he decides to come by again.

Eistia pats Mimi and heads downstairs.

"sigh..."

"Saisai? Where's Morgan."

"Out.."

"You okay?"

"Not really..."

I tried to convince her he's fine but she won't listen. Morgan's been out pretty much this whole time he's been away.

>>321953
If all he's used is earth powers then it's not alchemy. We believe he has earth powers from Myli, just as you have shadow powers from Ombra.

Anyway, she refuses to leave because she believes the spirits of her people will all pass on if she leaves their presence. Since that would actually make our job harder we're not going to press the issue.

"Saisai, Art has sent word that he needs your help to revive the seventh dragon. How would you like to teach time magic to the last member of a race thought to have long since died out?"

>>321953
>I tried to convince her he's fine but she won't listen.
Can't she actually feel that he's fine through their bond? Why would she need you to tell her?

Ask her if she knows any alchemists that would be willing to help Artemis dig up a dragon corpse.

>>321955
Actually, some, if not most, earth spells are considered alchemy. That's probably because the catfolk and tigerfolk are fond of earth-based magic and are only capable of using elemental and alchemical spells. Incidentally, Oli might not be capable of learning time magic, so don't get your hopes up on that idea.

He wasn't fine, he lost his leg and nearly die.
He has now finally recovered though.

"come on, chin up, you being sad will make art sad and then he will have a harder time raining and so it will take him longer to finish and get back."

Eistia 2011/07/05(Tue)12:05 No. 322024 ID: d86347
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"Don't be sad Saisai, I got the Guardian back and they say he's doing fine."

"No, I know he's fine. I can tell that much. I can also tell he's probably doing something perverted."

Well she has a point there.

"Hey Saisai, would you be willing to teach someone time magic?"

"Huh? Who?"

"Oh this one girl that Artemis is training with. She has quite a few time points and wants to bring back a dragon."

"I guess. How do I get to the mountains though?"

"Dragon shrine of course."

"That one's broken."

Oh, that is a bit of a problem.

>>322024
Yeah, we forgot to mention
The person training Art insists on doing it naked
No idea why

it's a sacred spring deal. no man made objects may enter the spring. also we turned him into a girl before we left. so yeah, while they are naked they aren't going to do anything perverted.

oh and, when it's time we just have art pass the goldeon watch over and you can track him with that. and Ion should have no real qualms with being asked to teleport you to the range.

Art is also training naked. also, they're training in a hot spring. giggidy goo.

do you know anyone capable of long-range teleportation, Eistia?

Art isn't doing anything perverted, it's just that his teacher insists on wearing no/next to no clothing.

Please mention that.

>>322024
Eistia, could you go back to Mimi and give her all our GP? Another few levels and she should be able to have people use her bag to get around.

"I could probably arrange for a guard or two to help you get through the mountains to him. Then you can be perverted together."

Giving Mimi the GP is a good idea.

Say, have we ever found out if Morgan can give her mana/potions to help her level?

>>322264
Isn't GP pretty low on magic? we should find a better source of magic for her to feed than gold, constantly keeping art poor as dirt by destroying lots of gold.

>>322405
GP is not gold. It's Guardian Points.

Eistia 2011/07/06(Wed)19:08 No. 322603 ID: d86347
File 131000448127.png - (49.30KB , 392x398 , 789.png )

"Ah, It seems that his new trainer is naked most of the time, that might be why you're feeling this. don't worry though, he's in girl form so they really can't do anything."

Saisai stares at Eistia.

"You are a bit naive about some things.."

She sighs again.

"Though I guess you're right. This soul bind is such a hassle though. I feel like a part of me is gone.."

"I'm sure he feels the same way. If it's such a hassle you -can- break it"

"... No, I don't really want to."

>>322206
GP?

>>322603
Guardian points. It's the energy we use to do things.

Put up a request for transportation for her and alchemists for Art on the mission board. This shouldn't be much of a problem.

>>322603

Ask Saisai to educate you about whatever it is she thinks you're ignorant about.

>>322603
If she doesn't want to break it, then she should really get used to it. It lets her feel Artemis' feelings- shouldn't she look at that as a perfect opportunity to learn who he really is? Artemis made their soul bind because he couldn't convince Saisai to avoid suicide any other way, but after he did he immediately started trying to understand Saisai better using it. As far as I know, Saisai hasn't done anything to really try and understand and embrace who Artemis is- just moped about or yelled at him when she feels that he's feeling lust towards other women, which is perfectly natural for any man his age and would be frankly unnatural if he didn't.

But maybe I'm just sick of Saisai being so damn needy all the time.

"yep, art took away your self-hate and anger. he took your extreme emotions and gave you some of his calmer ones. you need to try thinking through his point of view."

Eistia 2011/07/06(Wed)20:44 No. 322660 ID: d86347
File 131001025764.png - (51.76KB , 600x500 , 790.png )

She 'is' being rather clingy..

"Artemis is a guy, guys have these emotions. You two are bound so now you can get a better understanding of what he's feeling."

"I know I know."

"And it'll help you mellow out a bit, and maybe help him be a bit more aggressive."

>>322607
Interesting. And I can simply give them away?
And yes I shall put up a notice.

>>322612
"Saisai, would you mind informing me of what it is I am so naive about?"

".... Really? You really don't know?"

"No. What has you so worried about my brother."

"....."
-----------------------------------------------



Oh my. I... I wasn't even aware... I have been ignorant in many ways..

Achievement unlocked: Innocence despoiled

Sorry, got distracted counting the ceiling tiles there for a minute. What was all that?

wait what? somehow we zoned out. which is odd for ALL of us to do at the same time. some magic must be at work or something. maybe we skip over exposition?

Did she just explain sex to you?

>>322671
no, she just explained what lesbian sex is. Because we convinced her to ask

So did Saisai just explain how sex between two women works, or did she cover everything? We've been assuming you know how how it works between people of different sexes, but since your mother left when you were 13 we can't really be sure.

>>322660
Clearly, you should ask her how often she thinks about Artemis and lesbian sex.

We can give GP to Mimi, but we aren't aware of anyone or anything else that can use them.
... what, you didn't think we were actually feeding Mimi SOULS or anything, did you?

>>322660
>Oh my. I... I wasn't even aware... I have been ignorant in many ways..
In your defense, you did have the body of a child until quite recently. There wasn't a great deal of need to know.

Suggestion 2011/07/06(Wed)22:18 No. 322723 ID: 92e5fb
File 131001588841.gif - (11.27KB , 425x78 , achievement.gif )

>>322662

Eistia 2011/07/07(Thu)00:47 No. 322784 ID: 92e5fb
File 131002485338.png - (109.74KB , 600x500 , 791.png )

Ah well no. I understand how people of different genders uhm... Have sex but this is different..
Wait can guys...?
OH GOD

"Uhm S-saisai do you uh... Think about such things often?"

"Huh? Every once in a while I guess.."

Eistia quickly turns around.

Saisai actually thinks about such acts!? But I've never even considered such a thing.
Is this normal!?
What else do I not know!?

Why didn't mom tell me any of this!?!?

"??? Uhm... Are you okay Eistia?"

"F-fine... Just fine. I just had a bit of.. Culture shock.."

>>322784
There is only one answer. Write it out. Write down all the fantasies (or at least, the shocking thoughts) until they aren't... shocking anymore.

Then sell it under a psuedonym and make HUGE MONEY.

dunno, we would need to know what you know to know what you don't know. yeah, it's relatively common in human society. but i don't think art is at risk of doing anything more perverted then being naked.

>>322784
Same-gender relationships aren't... mainstream, but I wouldn't consider them to be unnatural. It's just different.

>>322784
Ok, turn around and ask her if she feels 'that way' about Art's female side.
Also, tell her that if you can find a way to get her to Art then they'll have some time alone to develop their friendship.

Also: Give Mimi GP, write down your most shocking ponderings, etc...

Eistia 2011/07/07(Thu)01:59 No. 322793 ID: 92e5fb
File 131002915443.png - (60.11KB , 446x426 , 792.png )

Yes... I must write down my new discovery somewhere...

"Hey Saisai.. Have you uhm... Ever thought of my brother in that way? When he is a girl?"

".... Well I'd be lying if I said I 'never' thought about it. It's crossed my mind once or twice. Why?"

"Oh... No reason. Just curious."

"Do you think of anyone like that?"

"What!? No!"

>>322789
Of course.. Love truly knows no boundaries then.

>>322793
Ask Morgan if, since she has no interest in women, she would object to Saisai being involved with Art's female side.

Also? Give Saisai a hug. She looks like she needs one.

I think we're done here for now. Go give Mimi all our GP and ask how close she is to letting people use her bag as an entrance. Then go put up the mission board listings. Then find Morgan.

okay just say that she and morgan would probably feel better if they got busy.

Haha, you probably don't want to hug anyone right now Eistia, you don't want to accidently think abou - HNNNNNGH

>>322794

Of course she's going to object, you perv, it's still Art.

>>322793

I do wonder if Saisai thinks of Art's alternate form like that because it's Art, or because she just thinks of other girls like that sometimes? Well, none of your business really unless you're planning on trying to seduce her.

You're not, right? I mean, if you are interested it's totally ok and normal and stuff. But you're not, right?

Just go ahead and tell Saisai that between us, Morgan and their soul bind Art won't be doing anything with the ancient horny woman. Horned woman. A singular forehead horn on the sometimes partially clothed woman. If she was a typical Oli then they weren't exactly a prudish folk.

Also remind her that of course you haven't thought of "anyone like that" because you'd never even considered it. Then stop for a moment to consider it.

>Wait can guys...?
They most certainly can.

now you know why Art would make such a great lover. if you want a guy, poof. if you want a girl, poof.

do you have access to a royal treasury or something? because if you do, you could feed Mimi massive amounts of money until her bag is big enough to let Art pass through whenever he wants.

>What else do I not know!?
Do you mean just as far as things people do intimately with one another? Probably a lot. There's a lot to know.

Enough that it would be faster to cover what you know already than to start listing things, really. If you need a run-down, we can provide.

>>322847

That may not be the most responsible use of the nation's money. It'd certainly earn her new enemies.

>>322894
that would also be embezzlement, and grounds for her dismissal from her position as well as being tried and punished very severely.

Eistia 2011/07/07(Thu)13:42 No. 322993 ID: d86347
File 131007134724.png - (53.52KB , 600x500 , 793.png )

>>322879
N-no... I'm quite fine, thank you..

"Well uhm... I have some things I need to post up. I can assure you that Artemis will do nothing with the horned girl.. I'll see you later then..."

Eistia quickly leaves and begins posting the request for an Alchemist.

>>322801
I don't know what to think about it!

>>322800
What? No. I'm curious but that is all.

Okay poster is up. Not many catfolk travel these lands so I do not know how long it will take to get a reply.

>>322993
>I don't know what to think about it!

Try to imagine how it would work, visualize it and such.

Alright, go see how Morgan and Mimi is doing. Art can't write notes right now so we have to tell her ourselves how he is.

>>322993
Also transportation for Saisai.

yeah let's see morgan now. see what she thinks.

Eistia 2011/07/07(Thu)23:32 No. 323375 ID: 92e5fb
File 131010675480.png - (94.61KB , 444x444 , 794.png )

>>322995
No! I'm not going to let any more vulgar images enter my mind!

>>322996>>323002
I already put that up, should I have pointed you at it?

Anyway I guess I should see Morgan.

Eistia heads over to Mimi's chest and Morgan.

"And done, it looks great."

>"Thanks~"

"Hmm."

Morgan turns and sees Eistia.

"Eistia, what're you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd update you on Artemis."
-----------------------------------------

"I see... Well so long as he's safe then I'm fine.. Did you hear about the tigerfolk?"

"Huh? No... What happened?"

"Their homeland is now being occupied by the humans. It seems the Royal Knights have defeated the tigerfolk."

"But how!? They have the blade of Thasti, there's no way they could have lost!"

"It was the King. He entered the combat field himself. It was a massacre..."

... shouldn't thasti himself of fought if it was that bad?

>>323375
Oh, that's just lovely.

Give all our GP to Mimi while you talk to Morgan.
"Art is trying to recover the 7th dragon's body so he can revive her, and he's going to need another feather of life to do it.
Can you get the raw materials you need from your father?"

>>323378
I'm pretty sure the dragons all agreed not to interfere in those sorts of things. We need to have Artemis change that rule sometime, since he's the one that has the job of making and enforcing those sorts of agreements.

[Give Mimi 60 GP]

>>323375
Tell Morgan... that the Guardians are torn between Arts duty of wielding the dragon blade and his responsibility to revive the dragons and protect his friends. It seemed wise to wait to strengthen Art and weaken the King but this is just too much. She and you and everyone need to be ready in case we come into direct conflict with the king, because us or him will have to act soon.

We're going to give Mimi 50 GP for now, that should be enough left that we can do whatever we need to soon. Have Morgan get some writing supplies for Art and have Mimi make sure her slime doesn't eat them. Then send us back over to Art, we'll be back soon.

>>323375
Oh, here's an idea. Ask Morgan if she would object too much to letting Saisai date Art's female side - and only his female side.
She said herself that she has no interest in FemArt, so it's worth looking into.

well, i suppose something you could do right now is with our help is get a shadowman actually working.

Eistia 2011/07/08(Fri)01:32 No. 323421 ID: 92e5fb
File 131011393248.png - (65.34KB , 419x474 , 795.png )

Sure and right after I ask Morgan that I'll go practice my knitting.

THERE'S AN ENTIRE SPECIES BEING WIPED OUT DAMMMIT.

I'm not going to sit around and do nothing while the other races are being wiped out like this!

Eistia pours 50 GP into Mimi and leaves the room.

"Eistia! Where are you going?"

"I don't know but I'm not staying here. There's got to be something I can do."

I hope.
I may not be an important leader but I do have connections.
I could request assistance from the Dark Elf King.
Or maybe some of our other settlements would be willing to aid the tigerfolk in reclaiming their land.
Hell I'll take on that bastard king myself if I must!

you would be killed instantly if you tried. you need the dragon slayer to beat him. perhaps we can appeal to thasti to help directly. but we need some way to prove the king is myli. would let thasti fight directly

>>323421
NO. No taking on the king himself because HE'S A MOTHER-FUCKING DRAGON.

maybe go outside and call for masil?

>>323421
There's somebody behind you.

I don't like it either, but we need the Dragon Slayer to stop the king.
To get the Dragon Slayer back Art needs to master Sage magic - resurrecting Oraes is a lot quicker, and once that's accomplished we could use that as leverage to get the sword back.

You can't get involved in the fighting. If you did it would drag your people into this conflict, and your duty is to do what's best for them.

If you want to help then start 'kidnapping' Tigerfolk, bring them to some place deep in your territories, and claiming asylum for them. Focus your efforts on non-fighters and children.
Start a rumor that "The Resistance" is smuggling civilians out of combat areas, and employ a mix of races to do the legwork so it looks like all you're doing is offering asylum while somebody else is extracting the civilians.

Dark Elves would be the only people willing and able to accept refugees. Light elves would kill them, Humans are the persecutors, the catfolk are also at war and in no shape to protect others, and the merfolk are both pacifists and mostly dead. Anybody running an 'underground railroad' would conclude the Dark Elves are the only real option.

The problem here is the king can be taken down by the wielder of the dragon blade, none other. He is unstoppable otherwise, especially with Ombra still unavailable. And we do want to stop him and not just kill him, or the world will just burn for different reasons. Thasti himself nearly committed genocide against the merfolk and was about to move onto the other races because Aeryr was killed. He'll still make good on that if we slay Myli.

Now we wanted him to stop the king right after Regulus showed his face, but things got complicated as you know. If you openly set the dark elves against humanity now it'll also be trouble. So we need you to convince the king do things that aren't in the open. But also make it clear to him that the dark elves WILL be attacked sooner or later.

Myli wants to be the only dragon, ruler of the only race.

I think the best way to end this war as quickly and peacefully as possible will be a coup d'état. We'll need a human to defeat the King, take the throne of Central Kingdom, stop the hostilities and hopefully renew the old treaty.

Unfortunately, in order to do that we'll need the Dragonslayer. And resurrecting Ombra and, if possible, Oraes will weaken the King and make the job easier.

Now, let's think of things you can do. Try to contact Kain in Talimere. He's a former Captain of the Knights who was kicked out because he was married to a catfolk. I'm sure he'll be sympathetic to our cause, and maybe he knows of other former Knights in a similar situation that can help. Also, Kain's wife might know alchemy or at least know someone who can help dig out Orae's corpse.

Also, try to gather information about what's going on in other nations. What are the Kings movements, possible allies, and such. Your shadow magic might be helpful for intel missions. An almost invisible shadow man would be perfect for spying or delivering messages.

while you do all that, tell us about the Blade of Thasti.

Eistia 2011/07/08(Fri)16:36 No. 323777 ID: 92e5fb
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The Blade of Thasti is an artifact that Thasti gave his people long ago. It's basically the source of their power and so long as it remains within their land they can do some pretty devastating attacks.

I may as well go to Talimere since there's nothing else I can do..

Eistia goes to the dark elf forest and takes the dragon shrine to Talimere.

Dammit. The gates are locked. There aren't even any guards posted outside.

stand right outside the gates and yell upwards "hello!"

>>323777
Knock on the gate and try to get their attention.
If there's no response, then call out "Masil!" and hope she's paying attention.

>>323777
>I may as well go to Talimere since there's nothing else I can do..
Nothing else you can do? Aren't there prominent dark elven leaders you can tell to go on alert, military types you can have mobilize in anticipation of conflict, and so forth? You're supposed to be acting as leader, here; that means you do NOT go traipsing off personally. It's your job to lead and coordinate; you should have people to send off to do things for you.

>>323789
except she is a MAYOR. not a queen. her jurisdiction ends outside of the city limits.

>>323791

she should still have enough authority to bully a nearby soldier into letting her into the palace, or at least inform her of whatever it is that lets her not go into the castle.

well, at least I think it's worth a try.

Eistia 2011/07/08(Fri)23:46 No. 324042 ID: 7b98e1
File 131019400395.png - (22.43KB , 600x500 , 797.png )

Eistia begins knocking at the gate and calling out. A small slot open up

"Get out, the city is under lockdown."

"Lockdown? Why?"

"The nearby Tigerfolk City fell and we are protecting ourselves. No one is allowed in or out. Leave."

>>324042
"Ah, of course. One moment."
Look up and call out "Masil! We need to talk!"

>>324047
meh, worth a shot.

"i don't think you know who i am, i am ombra the shadow dragon. don't believe me?" then make a shadow ball "dark elves have soul magic but as you can see i have shadow power"

>>324187
now that is a bad idea.

Eistia 2011/07/09(Sat)13:09 No. 324198 ID: 92e5fb
File 131024219717.png - (59.18KB , 265x349 , 798.png )

It's worth a shot

"Masil!"

A bright light appears in front of her.

What.

"your dick's sticking out of your pants."

SIGH

I suppose you should report what the King is doing.

Also, you should ask about Oraes. Why was Masil not in favor of resurrecting her?

>>324198
"A few things.
First, Art is attempting to resurrect Oraes, but needs an alchemist or two to exhume her corpse. A criminal or somebody otherwise useless to you would be made useful and kept away.
A deserter would be best - give us their name and we'll track and capture them ourselves.
Second, my city would be willing to take in refugees, and I shall ask the king to extend that to all our peoples' lands. If you send us non-combatants we will keep them out of harms way.
Third, if you know of any Phoenix could you direct us to them?
Fourth, Art has stated that Myli is the human king, and the treaty does not preclude defending yourself from those who violate it. If your alchemists can cause a clothes-destroying rain or such then you'll be able to easily confirm Myli's identity.
Fifth: Art has discovered strong evidence that Oraes and her Oli were murdered by Myli."

>>324213
Sigh. No.

>>324328
All of this, but we should also find out why Masil didn't want to revive Oraes.