>>151373
Honestly, I don't know why you are so hesitant about this.

You and J know eachother, and J clearly feel comfortable expressing her feelings about you. And from how you have interacted with her, it is clear you feel at least some attraction back.

So, you and an old friend have interest in one another, so.... why are you being nervous? You know J, and both of you have these feelings, so no real 'unrequited love' thing to worry about, so....

What ARE you worried about?

Losing a friend? Won't happen, J was the more aggressive one in this, and blatantly stated her feelings.

Lack of assertive tendencies? That doesn't matter eaither, J is happy to take the lead while you get used to this.

So then, what is the hold up? Not all relationships need to be filled with drama and awkwardness, you both have enough familiarity with each other that such is completely unnecessary.

Alchemy...

I'm going to have alot of questions for you very soon, young lady. As for now though, Would you happen to be nervous about any sort of relationship? I know your father was, and it'd explain at least some of your shyness.

Ever had a boyfriend? Or a girl, though that seems less likely.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/03/24(Wed)13:13 No. 151442 ID: e31d52
File 12694615924.jpg - (94.21KB , 839x900 , Corrupted.jpg )

>>151424
N-no...
I've never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

>>151409
I'd rather my first time be because I wanted it, not because we were both drugged on Element. It's simple, I'm... just not ready.

I slip into the tent and go to sleep.

...


My neck... Someone's grabbing my neck...
"Raven told you not to pry, Rosie." murmurs ???. "Raven was right. Sasskass wants more blood, and the city's dead..."
??!?!!?
I can't scream why can't I scream

light your neck on fire!!

>>151447
"Hahaha, you really think that'll work on me, Rosie? You know who I am."
No I don't no I dont no i dont
"Yes. You do." Brother sneers at me. "Now die, for Sasskass."

I wake up screaming, J holding me tightly.

>>151450
Shit. Was Raven telling you not to look for your brother? This is bad... I don't think you can complete your task. He's not in a trance, he's corrupted. By Sasskass. We have no way of knowing where he is. Or even how to uncorrupt him.

Well, actually... You said that demons have become easier to summon. Also, Gerard said that a new layer of Alchemy will be discovered soon. I think these two events are related.

Think about it. The first layer, Base, consists of the basic forces behind reality. The second layer consists of the elemental forces behind the world that spawned from those basic forces. The third layer pertains to what dwells upon the world. The fourth? A further abstraction would be what spawns from Man: The Divine, Demons, Order, and Chaos.

Are there any dangers behind using elements you're not prepared to use? Perhaps he tried to harness the fourth layer before he was ready.

At any rate we should return to Gerard and tell him about this.

>>151452
N-no... That was a dream. A nightmare. It wasn't real, it can't be real. My brother wouldn't do that. He wouldn't!

>>151450
Hold her back, and tell her what happened.

>>151455
I hold her tightly, telling her of my nightmare, and she gently pets my hair, telling me it will be alright. I relax against her, as she gently murmurs into my ear. I feel so... calm...

>>151458
Aw, how nice. She's calming you with Water element.

Now how far away are we from the city? And the vents? We can either go check on the city and tell Gerard about Raven's message, or go to the vents instead.

>>151458

Relax. Get back to sleep if you need to, but if it's time to be getting up anyway, do so, and set out. Be wary. My advice is that if your brother isn't there, don't pry any further. Return, and explain that you didn't find him those places, mention your dream, and the message from Raven. At this stage, I'm guessing Raven's warning is to not go mucking about with forces beyond ye ken and all that. Obviously, we are, but later, after a little more preparation, and possibly some guidance by people who might know more about what's going on.

your brother may not do that, but something using his form may.

>>151466
Then I will save him!

>>151464
Right now? They're the same distance.

"I'll have Zephyr relay it, if you want." J says, snapping her fingers, the tiny humanoid appearing.
"S-sure."
She whispers to him, and it speeds away.
"Listen, Rosie. We'll find him. If he's like that, we'll save him. Together." she hugs me again, petting my hair. Mmmm....

ha, can't blame this on being hopped up on fire.

anyway, if it's day then get going, if it's night then go back to sleep in each-others arms.

>>151480
No, I suppose I cannot.

"Come on. We need to fly." she says, walking outside. I go with her.
Wait... A whole town under thrall? This demon summoning rash is growing very bad...

>>151600

Don't worry, you're with us. We'll totally make you awesome. Speaking of that, can you think of a good way to make it so you can snap your fingers at something, and have it burst into flames?

>>151600
Yes, it is. I wonder... if it wasn't your brother that Raven was referring to... perhaps it's the town. Should we avoid it? Could we even do anything about it? I wish Raven was more specific! Why do Gods love vague warnings so much?

Wait, I have an idea. It should be safe for us to look around this area for the other two knights. Then we can ask them for more information, without getting involved.

Just a quick side trip before going to the vents.

>>151606
Oh, I can already blast Fire fairly well. In fact, it's what I'm best at. Some joke and call me Firebug.

We take off.

I think It's best to just name my spells.

Fire Body: Lights body in flames, burning through most protective equipment sans steel. Inflicts the Berserk status, and inflicts random emotions on those nearby.

Earth Body: Increases hardiness, pain resistance, and persistance.

Fire blast: Induces a large incendiary blast in the rough area of the target. The more fire already present, the more powerful the blast.

Pyrotechnics: Allows me to control flames already present. Some functions involve directing it, enlarging it, and snuffing it.

Earth Churn: Causes a local sinkhole.

There's more, but I've never named them.

>>151608
Never named them? I bet we could come up with some good names.

well if the demon does put things in a thrall then that's another good thing about us. since we are technically a demon and already in your head another demon getting at it should be 99.9% impossible.

never say 100% about something, then you just ask for yourself to be proven wrong.

>>151661
Maybe you could...

"Something isn't right here." J says, stopping the spear in midair. "All the Wardens are missing..."

We're near the foothills to the mountains that house the vents.

>>151672
Wardens? Well, regardless it sounds like we've found something interesting.

We should be very careful. Stealthy if possible.

>>151676
Wardens gaurd elemental foci that normal folk do know of. We land carefully. It is eerily quiet: not even our footsteps make sound. When I try to speak, nothing comes from my lips.
I'm frightened...

...Anasi? Is that you?

try kinetics to force the air to move again.

>>151687
I can breathe. There's just... no sound.

J motions for us to move ahead.

We found the Wardens.
Well, we can't really .... really tell, heheh... if it's one or... or a lot...

Wh.... what's g-going on here....

>>151689
...perhaps this was what Raven was warning us about? I don't know. Uncertainty abounds...

How tough are Wardens? Could we fight whatever killed them? Maybe we can sneak a peek by taking advantage of this blanket of silence.

Wait. How fresh is the kill?

How do I shot Trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/03/24(Wed)23:35 No. 151701 ID: e31d52
File 126949893687.png - (227.38KB , 1152x718 , ???.png )

>>151697
Wardens are about my level, but this.... carnage is incredible.
J is backing up slowly and I look up.

Wh-wh-what
What is
What is that

>>151701
Ah, a being of chaos, change and strife.

Haven't seen such for some time....

>>151701
That's a demon! Can't quite remember what kind it is...

If J can get her spear in the air you'll have an advantage, since if Harumda was a good indication demons can't fly in the mortal world. You may need to buy some time. Earth Form, Earth Churn under it then Fire Blast it.

>>151707
I take Ear-
Whwhat?! My connection...
No, I have to try again...
I take earth form, bolstering my mental and physical defenses, slapping my hand on the earth as I kneel. The creature wobbles, it's movement odd, like a badly made flip book. Two more jerkily step forth, some of the peices disappearing as they do. Their.... 'hands' and arms reach forth, moving oddly like the rest of them, and I bat them away with bits of stone launched from the earth.

Their reactions are slow, as if they are underwater, but I feel the airt change slightly and detect workings of Fire in the air as they move thier hands together as if in strange prayer. J spears one with a strong toss, and it turns to smoke, something clattering to the ground.

How resistant are you to fire? You may have to redirect some very soon, prepare for it. J already took one down, keep his attention and hope she can get this one too.

>>151711
Soulstones! They're dropping soulstones!

Can you use rune magic at all? Those things are pretty powerful for rune magic, according to Antares.

Hey. You heard the soulstone clatter on the ground? Strange that the blanket of silence is gone now. Also, that fire magic they're using is worrying. Look around to make sure they aren't summoning fire to blindside you.

Otherwise, keep knocking them away with earth while J handles the killing. Unless you can make spikes out of stone to kill them with?

How do I shot Trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/03/25(Thu)00:02 No. 151719 ID: e31d52
File 12695005604.jpg - (149.94KB , 700x800 , Noon.jpg )

>>151713
I sense the workings complete as the creatures hurl forth odd fireballs, which I easily snuff out. They move forth again, and again I lose my connection with Earth. I let out a silent yell and open my palm, letting my frustration, fear, and anger at these murderers bubble forth in pure, pyroclastic, chaos.

The blast of fire roils forth, eating one alove and destrying it, but it hits a strange... barrier? before the other is touched. J runs to her spear, seemingly unable to access the winds to call it back, and I think I'm going to die when a huge, armored man literally falls on it, crushing it beneath his body. He stands, draws a blade, and motions us to leave, as he slays another that had crept out as he appeared.

Tell him his dawn is waiting in Rivermeet for him. Then GET OUT OF THERE.

seems like some are immune to different things, the one that was protected from the fire can most likely be hurt by earth. and vise-versa. also, if you can kill them all then this place would be back to something of it's old self.

How do I shot Trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/03/25(Thu)00:07 No. 151723 ID: e31d52
File 12695008679.png - (346.52KB , 1152x718 , Silencio.png )

>>151720
Strangely, the veil of silence perpetuates...

As the... oh... oh no
that one is
very big

yes, alternate, or combine them and shoot a lava beam.

Something is blocking air. Set it on fire and run.

Wait a second, the points where it contacts the earth, can you use magnetism to keep it locked there?

>>151723
As I try, the creature turns to me, holding up one clawed palm.

?!!?!

I... I feel...
Severed.
I reach for fire. It is not there. I reach for Earth. It is not there. The elements do not heed my call...

The large man gestures harshly to leave, pointing away, batting away the slow and jerky attacks of the creature with his shield. I see one of the strange objects the creatures dropped at my feet, and take it.

[murder][murder][murder]
[kill][fun][fire]

I drop it almost right away, clutching my head. J takes my hand, helping me up, looking between the creature and the man.

I feel my connection snap back into place, painfully.

>>151723
Silencio? It must be what's creating the blanket of silence.

>>151733
Wait. WHAT.

That's not supposed to happen! Soulstones are supposed to be DEAD! What does the object look like? Soulstones look like crystals. At any rate, we're useless here. Grab J and start running.

>>151733
10 bucks says that thing would have possessed you if your noodle wasn't already full up.

on the up side you hi-jacked through whatever it is that they blocked you with.

Hold on to J, imbue the paladin with as much power as you can.

>>151733
I stand. If I cannot craft directly, then...

I point at the man, muttering the mnemonic incantation under my breath soundlessly.
The man is surrounded in a heatless haze of fire, and his blocks and parries begin to stagger the monster, the blows getting through much stronger. It isn't long before he manages to kill it, a larger stone clattering to earth.

But it is not without a cost.
I can see blood dripping from the handle of his sword as he falls to one knee.
"Bl'dy b'stards." he manages, his voice odd through the helm. "A' you l'dies 'lr'ght?" he asks, shakily standing and pulling out a leather satchel, collecting the stones.

>>151738
...Sal'an?

Bring J, heal him. Cauterize the wounds, but let J use the power of water and air to keep it from doing harm. Send earth through his body to strengthen his constitution from the fight.

also ask him what the stones are, he seems versed in them.

>>151744
We quickly tend his wounds, and he thanks us happily.

>>151745
"Demons aren't supposed to show up wholesale here." he says, picking the last up with care and dropping it into the bag. "They need... They need a medium. A person, a host." he gestures vaguely. "These arsewholes subvert that by going through the Weird on the other side of these hills. In the weird, they're more stable, and the further away they get, the odder and less stable they become."
"So they get weaker..."
"No. Noooo... The less stable they get, the worse they are, until they simply detonate with demonic power. And then the stones fall to the ground, waiting for something, anything to pick it up..."
he sighs.
"You get my point?"

>>151748
So then, that dream...

Is it safe to trance here at all? I was hoping we'd be able to work on your fire affinity since we're here anyway.

Ask him if he's seen your brother, or knows anything about Raven.

yep, it attempted to possess you but your brain already has a demon resident so it bounced off.

>>151761
I describe my brother to him.
He shakes his head, then pauses.
"Now that you mention it, I did see a fellar like that heading to where I came from." he says, "Mumbling something about control."

>>151764
Where? How long ago?

oh and tell him where his brother is as well, he told you about yours.

>>151765
"Woah, calm down. Me and my brothers were running from the town a while west of here. Dunno where the hell Dusk is."
he pauses.
"Oh, no. You ain't going there. Not a nice young lady like you."

Tell him you have to find your brother, both because he's your brother, and you're pretty much forced to by your instructors anyway.

>>151770
Well so long as we don't have to fight more Alchemy-cancelling demons we should be fine.

If he's so concerned why doesn't he just come with us?

light yourself on fire and say 'i think i can handle myself'

>>151776
"Why not come with us?"
"Er, well..." he mumbles.
"Is it not a knight's duty to escort feeble young ladies?" J asks with a smile.
"You weren't there. Something was..."
he shakes his head.
"Something was very wrong there. The Weird was present, in this town that it had never touched. Demons, everywhere. Possessions, murder, rape... That town, that town is hell on earth. I may be a member of the Order of the Dawn, but we've decided to wall that place off and call it a fucking day. There is no salvation in that place. It's broken beyond repair."

You have to find your brother. Ask him why you felt cut off from the elements.

>>151780
then it will fester like a wound until one day it pops and the puss of death will seep forth. it must be fixed or destroyed.
also ask if he has heard of us, if he has and understands we are good then tell him you got us so you are apparently immune to possession.

>>151780
Weird, popping up in the middle of town? That is NOT GOOD. We need to find a way of shutting it down!

Hey, the opposing element is Lightning, right? Would a big enough surge shut down the Weird?

>>151789
we only have Kinetics and Magnetism which are neutral towards Weird.

>>151791
I know that. Someone else may be able to help though. J might have Lightning, we don't know.

>>151787
"Legion, hrm?" he thinks for a moment. "Oh yeah! Mum said it was responsible for us."
"Mum?"
"Er, we're the sons of Arryn." he says with a smile.
He pauses.
"You're right... I suppose. But I'm not going back there without my brothers."
"He's right, in a way." J says. "Running headlong into a demon nest is a bad idea. We'll need backup."

>>151796
Arryn? Ask her how she's doing. It's been a long time.

What kind of backup?

>>151796
Okay. Then our current goal is to find Dusk.

okay then; primary quest: get brother
secondary: purge demon city.

"What kind of backup?"
"The Brotherhood of the Dawn, first thing. We just need to find Dusk."
"Raltese is back in Rivermeet, Noon."
"Ah, I'll head back right away, then." he says. "I'll see you ladies soon." and with that, he trots off.
"But who else..." she mutters, "would be willing to challenge a den of Demons?"

Other than you? Maybe the knights aren't the only ones that had to flee.

>>151816
What about your father? I assume he's been keeping in shape, yes?

Well, regardless... how about we head to another nearby landmark and see if Dusk is around there somewhere?

Oh you know who would really love to fight demons? Harumda.

>>151820
or if dad doesn't want to help directly how about him giving those knights some good anti-demon runes.

>>151822
!

I bet he would, actually. And my father could be brought to bear on this, as well.

The earth trembles, then explodes between me and J, Gerard walking out of a tunnel that closes behind him.
"A'ight, what's so damn important ye had to send Selphie?"

>>151829
Explain the current situation to him.

I wasn't expecting this. Heh.

>>151831
He groans, palming his face.
"J, send Selphie to the Clan of the Horn." he says. "We will seek out Dusk together, once that task is completed."

>>151912
We make camp here, and Gerard explains a few things.
"First off: If I tell you to do something, do it. Yu'll know what I mean. No matter how absurd, strange, or odd it may seem, sometimes the ways of demons are strange and deceptive. Second: When you are suspect of someone, that they ain't who dey seem, look them in the eye."
"Why?"
"Eyes are the window to the soul. 'S easy to tell when the window doesn't show anything but a brick wall, if you get my meaning. Oh, and last thing, don't touch the damn soulstones. Don't let us touch them. Even though you can't be possessed, they can still influence you. Clear? Now... While we await Harumda and Dusk..."

He rises, tosses away his cane, and puts up a fighting stance, a grin crossing his face.
"We dance."

>>151919
he did tell you to do anything, so dance/fight.

>>151921
Th-that's easy for you to say! This is a man who's wrestled a dragon to the ground with Elemental'd strength!

>>151922
i doubt he will push you that hard. beating the shit out of you and then healing is fine though. try to learn something from this.

>>151922
Then use Earth Form. That should help prevent injury while you spar.

>>151925
"A-alright."
I bring earth into my body, feeling myself grow deeper, thicker, harder.
And then he rushes me, a blast of heat rippling behind him, a kick to the belly slamming me back a good distance...

But not knocking me over.
"You want to dance, old man, then let's dance."
I blast the earth with a concentrated flue of heat, throwing him up and away as I switch to the form of fire.
Wild, consuming strength flows into me, and I follow him up, rising on thermals to reach out and sl-
He grabs my hand, spinning in midair to hurtle me back down...
And I vanish into the earth, letting it swallow me and then spit me back out towards him, scoring a single solid hit on his belly before he knocks me onto the ground and stands above me.
"Yer learning." he says simply, helping me up.

>>151941
Now if only we could do this kind of thing when fighting demons. Better warn Gerard about that phenomenon, too.

Wait. You touched the soul stone before. Tell him that too.

>>151962
"You fought a Silencio and lived? Incredible. Silencios are able to sever our connection with the Elements. A lot of demons are able to manipulate that, but Silencios are some of the best... Don't worry, it's never permanent unless they manage to cut your hair."
"My hair?"
"Yep. It's a symbolic thing."

>>151990
"So you did... not for very long, though, which is good. More powerful ones may override Legion."
Wait...
"How...?"
"You touched the stone and you aren't batshit crazy." he replies simply. "However... because of Legion, you may be able to use the stones as a power source, depending on how hard Legion resists the incursion, and what element the creature used in 'life'."

>>152117
SWEET. A source of extra power! I assure you we will make as much effort as possible to resist if you attempt this. No lesser demon is going to kick US out!

Cut your hair... wow.

How do you feel about being bald?

>>152121
That's... oddly comforting.

"Last thing... there's no such thing as someone being unpossessed, unless it's Legion." he says. "Even death cannot save them. They can only either overcome the demon... or watch as it tears apart everything they loved, with their own body."

>>152127
Well that's bad news... If your brother got possessed then the prognosis is bleak.

Let's just hope he's not actually possessed.

How do I shot Trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/03/25(Thu)18:51 No. 152133 ID: e31d52
File 126956828367.jpg - (178.88KB , 1042x1200 , Dusk.jpg )

>>152130
I hope not...
My brother is very strong, though.

"Ah, I knew you'd show up eventually Dusk. Come on out."

A man gets out a nearby tree, with a sigh.
"How'd you know?"
"The sun glinted off your helmet."

No serious, how do you feel about being bald?

>>152135
yes, if you have no hair to cut then they can't destroy you alchemy. also no i understand when you touched the soulstone you over-rode the anti-magic by channeling pure demon energy.

also, willing to bet we could fight off even a powerful demon if enough of us could agree on something at the same time. most of us simply whisper in the background those of us you here are a bit more vocal about their opinions.

>>152139
>>152135
I'm not going to cut off my hair...I... It's...
It's important to me.

>>152145
Okay, then we're going to have to keep it under something, or tied up so it's harder for them to reach.

How do I shot Trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2010/03/25(Thu)19:38 No. 152158 ID: e31d52
File 126957113378.jpg - (146.86KB , 900x1200 , Asalaolder.jpg )

>>152148
Alright. I'll put it up in a bun.

"Dusk, you still have the orb I gave you, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Smash it."
He does so, and his brothers simply appear out of thin air.
"Harumda should be here in a matter o-"
"I heard there was a war on!" roars a familiar voice, happy and.... somehow large. A tall, hard-haired man crests the hill, carrying an armored woman on his shoulder.
"We heard the news and came as soon as we could." the woman says.

>>152158
Greet both Asala and Harumda.

>>152158
Harumda brought Asala, I see. I'm a little nervous about that, but I guess she must know how to deal with her handicap by now. She might even have some magical item to deal with it.

If everyone knows about the dangers of the soulstones, and the Silencio's ability to sever Alchemy, then we should be prepared to assault the town now.

>>152164
Greetings and introductions are had all around, and we pitch camp.

We assault tommorow.