Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

6381/Death In New Form

2019-02-16T07:10:28Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/02/15 |Location=Metastasis England |Synopsis=A group of Paladins make their way to the Scotland/England border and come across a new face on t..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/02/15
|Location=Metastasis England
|Synopsis=A group of Paladins make their way to the Scotland/England border and come across a new face on the Metastasis/Earth, and end up recruiting her in the process.
|Cast of Characters=6917, 6384, 7, 940, 6864, 6660, 6746
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:6917|Ereshkigal (6917)}} has posed:'''      It was ... it's been a day.      That's an understatement.      A young woman, blonde, with her hair shaped into slight drills, is clad in red and black dress, off-set thigh-highs, and metal heels. She's staring at a young man clad in a white robe, who is looking helplessly between the woman, what seems to be a mobile phone, and a entry sign that reads, quite simply, 'Welcome to England'. Behind her, a ways- 'Welcome to Scotland.'      "Well?" She demands. "This is not the place we saw, was it? That was some sort of... mark. Denmark, yes. That is where we need to go. How do we get there? Can you ... drive one of those ... things?" Meanwhile, a house beyond the signs shows some curious occupants, simple citizens of good England wondering who in the world is standing in a farmfield.      The man in the robe tries to soothe her. "No, Goddess, these are not things I am familiar with."      "Well figure it out!" She demands, sharply. 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      Between one thing, another, and a third thing, (helping clean up Gilgamesh's discarded weapons, being mailed to Denmark, and checking out an ad on craig's list. No, really) Orchid is in the area. Specifically, she was in Scotland, and is on the way back towards the warp-gate, riding a hovering motor-cycle. Honestly, while it seems odd locally, they've had even more odd things going on. Still, something about this tablau makes Orchid come to a stop at the boarder. For a moment she watches, then dismounts. "Hey! I gotta say, I like those boots!" she manages by way of greeting. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa had been out on some time off, taking her Knight Class Motorcycle out for a spin, when she got tipped off about what was going on. It didn't take too long for her to change the way she was going to take the nearest road to the field and get off. One might notice after she takes off the helmet she pulls cables out of cycle which slides back into her neck. She dusts herself off and heads towards the strange woman waving a bit as she gets closer. "An interesting outfit you have there though do you need anything you look a little lost." 

:'''{{#var:940|Mairead Sandilands (940)}} has posed:'''     "Home," Mairead thinks as she walks the roads of England and looks off to the north to her true home but she does not go there. She looks around, "How I miss ye," she adds as she kneels downa nd picks up a flower and smells it. As she stands, she looks aorund, and is glad she has an advantage with Clota who is not active right now, but Mairead is able to see everything and is aware of where she is located. Slowly, she walks, her legs move through the grass as her shoes press it down along the side of the road.     Stepping into the road, she walks and sighs as she smiles as she remembers walking not far from here, well a place similar to here as a wee lass with her mother and father. "I miss the two of ye," she states as she looks up at the sky and knows that her parents are watching her. Doing the sign of the cross she walks on and stops as she sees someone she knows. Walking/jogging over she slows, "Oi, Orchid. How are ye...." and she spots two people... Not knowing these two, she is on call now, and ready at a moments notice. As she studies the person, she nods to Kotone, "Hello Kotone," she adds as she nods, "Interesting attire," she says and she does have a very heavy Scottish accent when she talks. Currently, she is wearing a simple sundress that is lavender in color and reaches to her knees, simple shoes, an armlet on her left bicept and a pair of simple green stud earrings. 

:'''{{#var:6864|Rhongomyniad (6864)}} has posed:'''     Ever since the emergence of Vortigern, England has had a hotline to alert the authorities of any strange goings-on. Most reports are monsters, of course. Wolfmen, the odd wyvern, maybe a zombie or three, drawn out of hiding by the White Dragon of Britain and not having the sense to go back into hiding when said Tyrant was banished.     Oddly dressed people arguing in a field? Yeah that's also gonna prompt a hotline call from the family owning that house.     And, being in the area to survey a local power station with a certain comrade of hers, the resident guardian King Arthur sees little wrong with investigating personally. Although it is not one who is easily recognized as the King of Knights who crests that hilltop-- Today's Goddess Rhongomyniad is clad in a sharp black suit with a dark blue undershirt and tie, a fur-lined mantle about her shoulders. She still wears the distinctive crown, and her eyes glow like jewels even at this distance.     "Mm," she intones. Turning slightly, the King of the Britons gestures while addressing her companion, "I see before me misplaced travelers. What do you make of this sight, King of Inventors?" 

:'''{{#var:6660|Thomas Alva Edison (6660)}} has posed:'''     Edison, as always, is dressed like...Edison.     Standing next to Rhongomyniad, as he observes the odd travelers. The large barrel chested man, with a face of a lion and body built as if he lifted everyday for years takes a thoughtful look, hand coming to his chin as he gives a long 'hmmm'.     "I do not think we're dealing with ordinary adventurers...given the outfit of those assembled here." he says, and taking a look at Ereshkigal's companion, "Religious, I'd say." He says, with a slightly disdainful tone. "They do not look threatening, but appearances can be decieving. We should probably figure out why they are here, and help them get to where they are going...or handle it as needed." He says, bringing his hand down. "Diplomatically, of course."     "So, I suppose we should say hi." 

:'''{{#var:6746|Archer (6746)}} has posed:'''      A grey shirt, black slacks, and a pair of stylish glasses. This is the ensemble of the Heroic Spirit who may or may not be known as Emiya Shirou. Even his normally slicked back hair is different, left untouched as if he just got out of bed. It is an aggressively casual look, but a casual look is what one should have when doing mundane chores like grocery shopping.      In one hand he holds a styrofoam cup of what is presumably coffee, in the other, a bag full of assorted vegetables and fruits. Food shopping here has become a bit of a hobby for Archer, given that the place is the closest to what he remembers when he was alive. Granted it's not exactly the same, but it beats the pale imitations in Moon Cell.      As he passes Ereshkigal and the strange white robed man, Archer comes to a stop. He probably shouldn't. He should probably just keep on going and pretend he saw nothing. But a power beyond his control compels him. Compels him to comment. Compels him dig himself a grave right here and now.      "Nice outfit, I assume you're heading to some sort of cosplay convention considering there's no way someone would dress like this here."      Archer takes a sip of his drink, feeling better now that he's said this. 

:'''{{#var:6917|Ereshkigal (6917)}} has posed:'''      Ereshkigal looks at the crew imperiously, although her shorter stature means most of them are taller than her. Her gaze falls on Orchid's motorcycle, a puzzled look then filling her red eyes. Behind her, the young man in the robe steps forward, even when Archer mentions cosplay. Affronted - in a sense - Ereshkigal responds to him directly. "What is a cosplay? I am dressed as I always am. There are those that should be glad they are like me."      "My goddess..." The man cuts in. "Please, I am sorry. We are lost - and I am her messenger, Namtar. This is my lady, queen of Kur, goddess of the underworld, Ereshkigal."      "Why are so many of you funny looking?" Ereshkigal inquires, even as Namtar sighs. "That's a walking lion. We never had walking lions. There are many mysteries of the divine, though. Ishtar would probably do something silly looking like that, although she'd probably use something ..." A snort as she looks up to the sky. "Why are they talking to me, anyways?"      Namtar just has this look that says, 'ah, here she goes.' "My lady, please. They can hear you." 

:'''{{#var:940|Mairead Sandilands (940)}} has posed:'''     Blinking, MAiread raises an eyebrow as she looks at everyone, "Ereshkigal? Goddess of the Underworld?" she asks. "Never heard of ye," she responds as she looks at the man in robes, "Ye are a man of the cloth yes?" she asks him. "Namtar right?" she adds. "If ye ar elost, what are the two of ye looking for? 

:'''{{#var:6864|Rhongomyniad (6864)}} has posed:'''     "Mm," Rhongomyniad makes that thoughtful noise as she processes Edison's response, "Diplomatically it is. It would seem that Gan Jiang and a handful of others from within our organization have already engaged in discourse. Shall we, then?"     The besuited King does not wait for a response, and simply descends the hillside into the field with a smooth gait. As she approaches, she spreads her hands to either side, "Welcome to England, travelers. I am the goddess Rhongomyniad, the Tower that Shines at the End of the World. Should you wish for direction, I may be of assistance." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa says "Hey Mairead." She now pauses looking at the woman for a moment even as Archer and Edison arrives. She looks to Ereshkigal and her companion for a moment. "I see Namatar." She bows slightly given the multivese there is a decent chance when someoner says they are a god they might be. Given this earth the odds are even higher of that and politeness costs nothing. She looks to Ereshkigal for a moment trying to size her up. "We can see you Ereshkigal, it would be rude to talk like your not here, when we can see you." 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      Okay, it looks like a bigger crowd than Orchid expected has gathered... She nods in turn to those she knows; Kotone, Mairead, Edison, Archer, and Rhongomyniad.      "Goddess of the underworld?" she muses. Is there another Other Side to this world? Still, the robot shakes her head a little. "Well, you looked interesting," she answers Erreshkigal's retorical question. "Judging by place names... Hmmm." As far as she's concerned, 'god' is just someone with much more power than she currently has. Due some respect, unless they turn out to be a jerk. "As for funny looking, did you want one of these?'      Orchid pulls out something. Something possibly horrible.      A clown spider. Complete with little red nose. 

:'''{{#var:6660|Thomas Alva Edison (6660)}} has posed:'''     "Mm.." He responds to Rhon, but does not dally walking beside her.     "Yes, I have a lion's head," Edison says, not skipping a beat, "I am Thomas Alva Edison, Presiking of the United States of America and King of Inventors. Do not worry about the head, I am still every bit the genius I was in life." he says, hearing the name.     "Ereshkigal? Goddess of Death..?" Edison says, thinking. Pulling out a phone he types something in, before releasing a sigh. He was right, and he knows where THIS is going.     "Sumerian Goddess of the dead, specifically." he says, with a very measured tone.     "Yes hello, welcome to this world, you appear to be new. What, if I can ask, are you doing here?" 

:'''{{#var:6746|Archer (6746)}} has posed:'''      "Kur...Ishtar...Ereshkigal...Ah. So it's like that. I understand now."      Archer, being the helpful individual that he is, doesn't exactly explain WHAT he understands. Just that he does. And whatever it is he understands causes him to just take an even longer sip from his cup that nearly borders into full on chugging.      Edison is quick to figure it out though, so thankfully it seems he doesn't need to explain anything after all. 

:'''{{#var:6917|Ereshkigal (6917)}} has posed:'''      Ereshkigal sniffs. "Of course not." She says, irritably. "Most heard about my ... sister..." She practically snips the word- "Ishtar, goddess of the sky. She was allowed to roam as free as what she was named for, but I was restricted to my land - the land of the dead. For I am the queen of those that have passed, their caretaker. I judge those that have passed, and strip them of all they were, for in the underworld, in death, there is none higher than myself."      Orchid distracts her as Ereshkigal sweeps in to examine the clown spider.      Namtar sighs. "Yes, we were trying to go to Denmark... Mother says the name of one she knows, that of their ruler, Gilgamesh, was one she saw, although she could not get the screen open on this... thing to show me what she did see." A pause. "Ah, yes, I should note: I am the messenger god and child of Ereshkigal."      "If we could be shown the way, that would be kind and generous of you." 

:'''{{#var:6660|Thomas Alva Edison (6660)}} has posed:'''     Edison, during all of this holds his phone up to take a picture of Ereshkigal, specifically to send to Gilgamesh.     Hearing all of this, and eventually putting the phone away, he frowns a little. He does /not/ like most gods. Rhon and Gil are the most exceptions he can stand, but this one is proooobably not an exception to the rule.     "I am not particularly concerned with your title," he says, after a moment, "However, I am sure most of us can do more than point you to Denmark, but we can take you there ourselves. Gilgamesh is part of the Paladins, and we have regular contact with him. Infact, he is already aware of your existance." 

:'''{{#var:940|Mairead Sandilands (940)}} has posed:'''     Looks, "I know King Gilgamesh. Well we all know of him. Nice fellow," she mentions as she curtsey's,"Welcome to England Ma'am," she adds as she looks at the two. "Denmark is a wee distance off," she comments.     Nodding, she looks, "Aye, I could fly ye there if necessary," she mentions. "But there is a warp gate nearby that can take us there as well." 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      The clown spider waves cheerfully at Ereshkigal. There is a high pitched squeaking, as it forms a teeny-tiny baloon animal, a sumatran tiger.      "Yes, I know Gilgamesh," Orchid adds in. "But I am curious, have any robots wound up in your kingdom yet?" At this range it is more clear that Orchid is a reploid. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa looks to the goddess Ereshkigal and listens intely she's clealyr trying to show a measure of respect here. "I think we can help with that as Mr. Edison has said, I could likely give us a ride there if I had a moment to call my ship." She notes, and then Orchid asks about robot souls, she can't help but smile faitly she should have guessed that was coming. 

:'''{{#var:6864|Rhongomyniad (6864)}} has posed:'''     "Mm," Rhongomyniad makes that thoughtful noise once more, lowering her hands to her sides. The mantle closes in around her shoulders, obscuring her body down to her thighs in white fluff, "Yes, this is something that each of us is capable of assisting with. I maintain a strong alliance with the King of Heroes. He has been invaluable to me."     In more ways than just banishing a dragon tyrant or quashing an uprising.     "Transport can be arranged, as many have offered. Contact may also be offered, as the PresiKing states. But I must inquire, Goddess Ereshkigal-- Why do you seek the King of Heroes?"     If her voice wasn't that level monotone and her face that impassive stare, the context of that question might have come off as hostile. 

:'''{{#var:6746|Archer (6746)}} has posed:'''      "Well while the other people help you get situated with meeting with the King of Denmark, mind if I see your phone for a second? Your incompetency with electronics personally offends me."      Archer's voice is extremely dry and devoid of any real emotion outside of sarcasm, but he probably means what he says, given that he's currently placing his bag and cup on the ground and motioning for them to place the cellphone in his hand.      "Come on now." 

:'''{{#var:6917|Ereshkigal (6917)}} has posed:'''      Ereshkigal blinks a bit at the picture, but Edison mostly just gets a confused look. She doesn't really get what that was for, but doesn't seem to care. A pause as she looks at Namtar, who looks just as confused. They both, however, turn to look at Mairead in near eery unison. The look says '... did she just say Gilgamesh was nice? */What?/*      A pause, then Namtar explains to Rhongomyniad. "Ereshkigal knows of Gilgamesh, and Ishtar is not very fond of him, so as a result, Ereshkigal likes him, as much as she likes anyone she's never actually met due to her restriction to the underworld. Mother and Lady Ishtar do not get along very well."      "After all, Lady Ishtar got the whole world under her feet." A sigh. "This is the first day Ereshkigal has ever seen the sun." Namtar does hand over the phone to Archer, though, neither he nor Ereshkigal thinking much of it. 

:'''{{#var:940|Mairead Sandilands (940)}} has posed:'''     Blinking at this, "Ye mean that ye have never seen the sun?" she asks as she looks at the two of them "Than we must take ye on a tour of the world above. Correct King Rhongomyniad and Presiking Edison."she asks them as she looks at the two. "I find that hard to believe that ye have never looked to the sky or the sun," she adds. This is new to her, so she is going to make remars like this. Plus, Ereshkigal is probably close to Mairead's height, as Mairead is 5'6" tall. 

:'''{{#var:6660|Thomas Alva Edison (6660)}} has posed:'''     "So the enemy of my enemy," Edison says, shaking his head. Great, a goddess, and apparently a /dangerous/ one at that. Though, hearing this is the first time she's seen the sun is...actually kinda sympathetic. "Really? That is awful. Also, I took a picture to show to Gilgamesh." Edison says, taking his phone out and showing Ereshkigal how it works. Because this will not end awful for everyone involved. 

:'''{{#var:6864|Rhongomyniad (6864)}} has posed:'''     "It stands to reason that a goddess of the Underworld would be involved in her work," Rhongomyniad states to Mairead, "And thus have little opportunity to venture to the world above." Those glowing green eyes return to the goddess and her attendant. Her response is just as measured, "I see. This appears to be a natural way of things."     So Rhongomyniad seems to understand the concept of 'sisters bickering', somehow.     Her eyes travel to Archer when he demands the goddess' phone, and she makes one of those thoughtful noises she's so known for. Head tilting down, she shifts, then pulls a smartphone from a pocket in her own suit, "Oh. Then perhaps when you are through with Ereshkigal's device, I may ask you to assist with mine, Gan Jiang. Its intricacies escape me, although I understand it to be a rather important device in this age with a great many uses."     No, it never occurred to her to ask the electrical genius next to her about it. 

:'''{{#var:6384|Orchid (6384)}} has posed:'''      "First days... yeah, that was an overwhelming day," Orchid says, remembering. The clown spider looks up at its mistress, then back down. A pause of her own. "Gilgamesh is the sort of person you can both love and hate," she admits. "Sometimes helpful, sometimes frustrating. Rarely boring, I can tell you that." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa has made her offer to Ereshkigal and will leave it to let her make her choice of what to do and frowns. "You mean you were never allowed to see the world of the living at all?" She sounds quite sympathetic too. She watches as Archer goes to work likely cleaning up the Goddess phone of who knows what kind of keyloggers or worse that have managed to worm their way on to it. "First days can be overwhelming, it's true. "I think that the most reasonable desception of The King of Heroes I head in a while. "You will be anything but bored hanging around with him." 

:'''{{#var:6746|Archer (6746)}} has posed:'''      Archer slides his fingers across the surface of Ereshkigal's phone. At first he sees what you might expect from some one who doesn't understand modern phones. But it doesn't stop. Pages and pages of worthless apps, more than what would any sane person would need. Does this girl literally just download anything that pops up, or was it all accidental?      Whatever the case, this phone is beyond saving now, the only thing left to potentially salvage it is to just start back at square one. Checking the model of Ereshkigal's phone, Archer quickly pulls out his to fact check something before he begins the process of factory resetting it. He doesn't even bother asking the goddess for her password, opting to use the forbidden black knowledge of skipping that process just to make things go by faster.      "Well, I pray you didn't have anything important on here. Given the fact that you have probably downloaded half the apps in existence though, I doubt you knew what you were doing to begin with."      Archer makes another snide remark as he begins the process of setting up the device again, downloading the basic essentials. Most importantly though however is a map application, which he leaves as the very first app on the screen.      "All right. Now listen to me carefully please, explaining things more than once gives me a migraine. You see this application right here? You push this, insert the address of where you want to go, and it will automatically map out directions based on where you are? That easy to understand"      Not trusting the Goddess of Death, Archer instead explains this to Namtar, as he seems a lot more trustworthy with this information. 

:'''{{#var:6917|Ereshkigal (6917)}} has posed:'''      "... I was not allowed." Ereshkigal says to Mairead, quietly. "It was against the very law they set upon me... it would be dereliction of my duty." AS much as she's pretty chill (and lazy, as she is wont to be), her job is her job, and she does it... even if she grumbles a bit.      Namtar nods. "I am her messenger, since she was not allowed to leave. It is why I am accompanying her now." The more world-wise priest-like god leans in towards Archer, gravely taking in the information. "Thank you. I will teach her this later."      "... perhaps I could work with the Paladins, if all of you are there and so is Gilgamesh. Yes. My skills will be good." 

:'''{{#var:940|Mairead Sandilands (940)}} has posed:'''     Mairead nods, "If ye want, I would be happy to help ye adjust to the world and offer my services as a friend to assist as needed," she states to Ereshkigal. "And I am sorry ye were not able to enjoy life, we will have to figure out a way for ye to have some fun." she adds. 

:'''{{#var:6746|Archer (6746)}} has posed:'''      "Knights of the Round, the ghosts of deceased warships, an American president with a lion head, and now a Goddess of Death. Feels like the Paladins is less of a peace keeping group and more a collection of weirdos at times."      The nameless hero muses to himself for a bit.      "Well anyway, I was going to give my number in case you somehow managed to horribly ruin your phone again, but if you're going to be joining up with the Paladins I suppose that isn't needed." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone is wise to one thing life in the paladins is going to get even more interesting for the Paladins and doubly for Gil, amd she seems okay withj that, though it may come back to haunt her. "Maybe we can later help you get out and enjoy yourself a bit more once your settled in." She looks to Archer for a moment. "Given what crawls about the multiverse a collection of weirdos like us might just be what's needed." 

:'''{{#var:6864|Rhongomyniad (6864)}} has posed:'''     "Mm," Rhongomyniad makes that noise again. Her device is lowered, disappearing back into her mantle and presumably the pocket she had procured it from, "But that law no longer binds you. And I sense no clear urge to bring harm to humans within either of you. This is my endorsement as Goddess of Chivalry, I have no objection to your inclusion within the Paladins. Although the ultimate decision I feel belongs to the Grandmaster, I do not feel that there will be much difficulty in doing so."     Her eyes travel to Archer again. There's the slightest change to the angle of her eyebrows, "...Knights of the Round are strange?" Her gaze lowers, a hand lifting to cradle her chin thoughtfully. She ALMOST looked slightly put off by that comment, although the King's emotional expressions are always so subtle that most are likely to miss them.     "...Mm." 

:'''{{#var:6917|Ereshkigal (6917)}} has posed:'''      Archer does his thing. Namtar will profusely thank him later. "Yes. This is many firsts for Ereshkigal. Sun, sky. Grass beneath her feet... food." The gods' tone is pretty wry as he discusses this with the rest of the group, even as Ereshkigal continues to bounce between conversation and finding Orchids little spider curiously adorable. "However, we should really be headed towards Denmark. It is probably for the best. Thank you all. Where is this... warp gate, and how does it work?"      Once informed, Namtar takes Ereshkigal by the arm and escorts her off, allowing todays' Englandmergency to fade.      Both do say 'goodbye' nicely enough, at least. 
}}

Mercy

2018-04-13T15:02:25Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{CharacterRedux |NameOnMUSH=Mercy |Color=#FDF365 |Char_id=1159 |Img=https://i.imgur.com/MEAPpXW.png |FullName=Angela Zeigler |Gender=Female |Species=Human |Theme=Overwatch-1..."

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Mercy
|Color=#FDF365
|Char_id=1159
|Img=https://i.imgur.com/MEAPpXW.png
|FullName=Angela Zeigler
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Overwatch-1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Guardian Angel
|Faction=Paladins
|Rank=2-Chevalier
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote=We are compassion.
|PAge=Mid-Twenties
|AAge=37
|Aging=No
|Height=1.7 m / 5'7"
|Hair=Blonde
|Eyes=Blue
|Voice=Lucie Pohl
|Profile=Mercy is the name of a internationally known humanitarian healer, a doctor and surgeon of extraordinary skill in a world full of other extraordinary people. Mercy is the alias of Angela Ziegler, a stalwart woman with a reputation for protecting those that cannot protect themselves, and the fact that anywhere she is needed, she will be there. Angela was contracted by the now defunct Overwatch agency, fighting alongside the other heroes of that era and given the code name 'Mercy'. Protected and assisted in her fight to keep the heroes of the world alive with the aid of a combat suit known as Valkyrie, she used science and her own medical knowledge on and off the field to keep her allies alive. Mercy is known internationally for being the only person in her world able to bring back people from death. Her pacifism and lack of actual combat skill, however, notably mark her as an imperfect angel.
|Defining=Guardian Angel:
Resurrection: Mercy is capable of utilizing her own knowledge of the body and restoring beings to life. She has to be within thirty meters of the remains, but does not need to be able to see the remains directly. People revived by Mercy are restored to full health.

Doctor:
Healing (Others): Mercy is a doctor, capable of healing people through normal means, as well as using her amplified staff and skills to heal people more rapidly in the field.
Buffs: Mercy is capable of changing the biotic stream she uses to heal her allies into a buffing stream. She specifically buffs up their damage capability in combat.
Cure: Mercy has undergone significant training and is capable of diagnosing most basic illnesses and afflictions quickly, and even more major or obscure ones with very little work. Due to her understanding of the illnesses, she is able to even quickly come up with solutions to them, even in situations where she does not have access to her normal medical supplies.
|Significant=Ph.D
Skill - Surgery: For a doctor, Mercy is a extraordinary surgeon, capable of doing even the most tricky surgical procedures with ease, even able to restore a nearly dead man back to life through the use of her surgical skills and knowledge of nanotechnology.
Knowledge - Medicine: Mercy went to school to learn how to understand the human body, allowing her to diagnose medical issues and determine the correct way of dealing with the damage that incurred.
Healing (Self): Mercy has tweaked her own biology in order to allow herself to regenerate her own health at combat-speed levels.

Valkyrie Suit:
Flight: While wearing the Valkyrie suit, Mercy is capable of taking flight. She can fly in atmosphere, but not in space.
Environmental Protection: The Valkyrie suit grants Mercy protection against extreme temperatures and crushing pressure.

Overwatch Agent:
Weapon Mastery - Handguns, Incapacitaton: Mercy is trained in basic firearms combat. She primarily utilizes a non-lethal stun-gun in combat, but can use other small-caliber guns if absolutely necessary.
Weapon Mastery - Quarterstaff: Mercy additionally is trained in combat using her staff as a proper quarterstaff. She's very good at blocking basic melee attacks and whacking people with the staff.
|Minor=Applied Medicine:
Agelessness: Mercy has tweaked her own biology to allow her to, bar major injury or strain, live forever.

Learned Skills:
Survival Skills: Mercy has the ability to survive in war zones for an extended period of time, able to keep herself safe, and as well as see to her basic needs in the process.
|Disadvantages=First Do No Harm <DEFINING>: Mercy strongly believes that nearly everyone is capable of redeeming themselves, and thus deserving of a second chance. She firmly promotes defeating villians without killing them, to the point where she attempts to convince her allies not to resort to it whenever she can. Even with those that most people would consider "evil", she does her best to ensure they recover from their injuries with her healing. She'll even go as far as to use her ability to resurrect people on a slain villain if she believes that they can turn over a new leaf. This is a bar that is easy to clear, unless said villian was consistently involved in exceptionally extensive cruelty towards civilians, or intentionally killed civilians.

Aid To All <SIGNIFICANT>: No matter where, or no matter how dangerous the situation may be, if Mercy is made aware of an ally or a citizen in desperate need of her help, Mercy will put everything on the line to grant the aid that the people at risk require. Whether it's braving blazing fires, battlefields across Earth, or even much more mild, Mercy will give it all to protect those around her: even if, in the act, she kills herself from getting into a situation that is not safe for her, or from overworking herself in the process.

Pacifist At Heart <MINOR>: Mercy is deeply pacifistic, to the point that she refuses to learn combat skills outside of the extremely basic firearm and quarterstaff training she was forced to take. Mercy strongly believes that peace is the way to the future, and generally refuses to raise a weapon against anyone, even her enemies. It is extremely hard to push her to breaking her view, as she will only do so if she is cognizant that her own life, or the life of her patient, is in danger.
}}

Atalanta

2018-04-13T14:46:55Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{CharacterRedux |NameOnMUSH=Atalanta |Color=#689963 |Char_id=1138 |Img=https://i.imgur.com/AjWmd0F.jpg |FullName=Atalanta |Gender=Female |Species=Heroic Spirit |Theme=Fate/Ap..."

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Atalanta
|Color=#689963
|Char_id=1138
|Img=https://i.imgur.com/AjWmd0F.jpg
|FullName=Atalanta
|Gender=Female
|Species=Heroic Spirit
|Theme=Fate/Apocrypha-2
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Archer
|Faction=Watch
|Rank=2-Member
|Ranktype=Member
|Groups=[[Die Reisende]]
|Quote=With my bow and arrows, I respectfully ask for the divine protection of the sun god Apollo and the moon goddess Artemis.
|PAge=Late Teens
|AAge=2000+
|Aging=No
|Height=57 kg / 125 lb
|Weight=166 cm / 5'4"
|Hair=Green & Blonde
|Eyes=Green
|Voice=Sayori Hayami (JP) Allegra Clark (EN)
|Profile=Atalanta is a woman of strange morals and even stranger ideas of the world. While technically a princess of a world long gone, her childhood being brought up by the bears after being abandoned has cast its' own issues on her. Protected by the goddess Artemis, Atalanta's life has lent her a strong will, firm resolve, and strange sense of humor and concepts to her. Brash and willing to prove herself, Atalanta is nonetheless often confused by modern concepts, and much of her history haunts her, as being tricked into marriage, and then turning into a lion by the hands of the goddess Aphrodite do shape how a woman acts. Her warrior ways and her ability to stand as a shining star among the other heroes of Greece earned her a place in the Throne of Heroes after her death. Summoned as a Archer-class Servant, she wields her godly bow Tauropolos and calls upon the gods themselves in her fight for the Holy Grail.
|Defining=HUNTRESS OF THE GODDESS: Atalanata is a incredible archer, capable of quite amazing feats of finesse and skill that is beyond a peak human. Her training as a huntress among both humans and animals has given her exceptional athleticism, capable of moving faster than many humans. This also means she is capable of quickly evading attacks or even just obstacles in her way while moving. Additionally, this provides her the ability to track near about any quarry she wishes to hunt.

PHOEBUS CATASTROPHE: A request for the intervention of the gods and goddesses themselves, the act known as Phoebus Catastrophe is used off of the heavenly bow Tauropolos, Atalanta's main weapon, and is a Noble Phantasm, or a trump card. She sends an arrow into the heavens as she utters the name, and in response, Artemis and Apollo themselves send down a veritable hail of arrows from heaven, ranging from a city block wide, to a volley focused down to a finite foot section.
|Significant=ARCHER-CLASS SERVANT: Atalanta is physically superhuman, allowing her to undertake physical feats and actions that surpass that of a mundane human being. She can turn her body intangible, allowing her to bypass barriers, walls, and other types of solid obstructions. She additionally can regenerate from non-fatal injuries in a relatively small period of time.

ENHANCED SENSES: Even among other hunters, Atalanta is renowned for her superior hearing and eyesight, capable of detecting, attacking and killing her enemies from miles away. While not supernaturally based, she is excellent as picking out small details and using what she can visually verify to anticipate or react to situations she might get into.

AGRIUS METAMORPHOSIS: Another one of Atalanta's trump cards, by donning the pelt of the boar that she helped slay, Atalanta is capable of undergoing a temporary transformation, giving her monster-like qualities, including wings and claws. This personally buffs her strength, speed, and endurance, as well as providing her limited flight and the ability to fuse the pelt with her bow to act, to allow her to shoot arrows with her transformed hands. (While transformed, Atalanta is unable to use Phoebus Catastrophe.)
|Disadvantages=Protect The Children <Trouble>: Atalanta has, doesn't, and never will harm a child. To Atalanta, a child is anyone that seems to be eleven to twelve years old or younger. With this in mind, she will protect a child that is threatened, whether it be a physical or emotional threat, and will throw everything she is doing aside in the process, even if she's in the middle of something else entirely. Anyone able to threaten her with the potential of them hurting a child will immediately gain her attention, and that can be used to goad her into doing things she probably shouldn't be doing, and in many times might be detrimental to her other goals.

Dislike Of Men <Significant>: Atalanta, thanks to her mythology, has a strongly rooted dislike of anyone of the male gender. While she won't outright be aggressive towards them or fight them, she is chilly enough towards them as a whole that it is far less likely for her to be willing to work with them, even someone who it might be beneficial to try to be friendly (fake or not) with. However, she is easily pushed over the edge with this - while she will try to be at least tolerable, stupidity, or doing anything that irritates her, will easily push her into anger towards the male provoking her, if not outright combat depending on the situation at hand.

RAISED BY BEARS <Minor>: Atalanta has been set apart from society since her birth. She is distrustful of large groups of people, as generally she is not sure to act with them, and as a result, avoids large groups of people or large communities on principle. She isn't civilized by any real sort of manner, and feels incredibly uncomfortable in civilized society, prefering to be out in the woods rather than cities. This means she is unaware of many social courtesies and often has issues reconciling how she acts versus expectations, leading to frequent faux pas and social issues.
}}

Remember Those Walls I Built? (Blake Belladonna)

2016-02-11T03:46:08Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2016/02/10 |Location=Beacon Academy - Vale, Remnant |Synopsis=Blake Belladonna runs, after trying not too, after a secret is revealed... |Than..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/02/10
|Location=Beacon Academy - Vale, Remnant
|Synopsis=Blake Belladonna runs, after trying not too, after a secret is revealed...
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=917
|Tinyplot=
}}
-- well Yang, they're tumbling down, I didn't even put up a fight-

"*We're* ALL tired of getting pushed around!"

Her own words echo in her head, making it hurt more than it ever did. Blake can feel her Aura getting pushed and strained to deal with the pain, using it as she does as a salve to help her healing, but she was also over-stressing it, dropping Shadow Clones when she realized she may have been getting followed. There was nothing but pain and fear and hurt and anger and everything else throbbing behind her forehead, and Blake stands outside the entrance to Beacon Academy, where she can clearly see the iconic Beacon statue: a male and female huntress on top of a rock, beneath which a Beowolf cowers.

Her chest hurts, and she taps out her scroll, summoning her locker. While she waits for it's arrival - mercifully, perhaps, short, thanks to her proximity to the school - she whispers a series of numbed words to herself; "How am I supposed to be a huntress and kill monsters when I'm just a monster, too?"

The distinct thud of her locker next to her distracts her, and she wheels, pulling Gambol Shroud and the plate from the location, sliding them over her back. With that done, she glances back at the academy, her eyes going for the location of the dorms. She knows where hers is, she knows where Ruby and Weiss probably are, but what about Yang, had Yang heard --

Probably not. Would ... would she even care?

Blake blanches a little. She trusts Yang, how could she be so stupid, how could she be such a terrible teammate, these thoughts run through her head, before she darts off again

She's done this for years, she thinks. Running from the humans. Then she joined the White Fang, and then she ran from them. Then she joined Beacon, and now she's running from them, and is there ever going to be any stop to the pain, to the fear, to the hatred that is between the Faunus and the humans. Blake has forever seen both the good and the bad sides, even within her own team. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, could Blake ever think of returning to them? Probably not...

... whatever would the Schnee think?

As she runs, the tension, the fear, blanks from her mind. Maybe they'll find her. Maybe they'll worry. Maybe they won't. When she finally collapses, a couple of hours later, Blake scrubs the tears that had been streaming down her face from her eyes, whispering nothing but "I'm sorry." For her actions. For what she did for the White Fang, for hurting Yang by running from her, by hiding who she was, but this has who she's always been, this is what she might always be;

a run away and hide;
a scaredy cat /*Faunus*/.

Damita Stark

2015-12-18T01:50:55Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{CharacterNew |NameOnMUSH=Damita Stark |Color=#e55ea2 |Char_id=925 |Img=http://i.imgur.com/PLB5LLz.jpg |FullName=Damita Stark |Gender=Female |Species=Human |Theme=Persona: We..."

{{CharacterNew
|NameOnMUSH=Damita Stark
|Color=#e55ea2
|Char_id=925
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/PLB5LLz.jpg
|FullName=Damita Stark
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Persona: Were the World Mine-1
|Chartype=OC
|Active=Active
|Function=The Lovers Arcana
|Faction=Union
|Rank=A-Ally
|Ranktype=Ally
|Groups=Die Reisenden
|Quote="I won't let my friends down anymore! From my heart, Bone Princess!"
|PAge=17
|AAge=17
|Aging=Yes
|Height=5'0"
|Weight=110 lbs
|Hair=Brown
|Eyes=Brown
|Voice=
|Song=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAiROUocvRU
|Profile=Damita Stark seems to be by all accounts the cheerful, popular type. Her agreeable demeanor and upbeat personality had made her fairly popular among the somewhat cutthroat environment of Drachenblatt Academy, which she attends ever since her family moved to the city. She is a talented archer and loves fashion. However, those who have managed to unleash her temper have found that she can be extremely forceful indeed. A gossip-filled night led to her attracting the attention of the Red Woodsman, and after surviving his Challenge gained the the power to wield her Persona, the Bone Princess, to take on the trials that surround her. Now, with the Multiverse and the Mirror Forest complicating matters, she seeks to find her own path along with her friends and classmates.
|Powers=PERSONA: A Persona is the manifestation of the ego, and is essentially a mask that she dons to protect her. It is based off of her personality, and is empowered by the bonds of friendship. Damita's Persona is known as the Bone Princess, of the Lovers Arcana. A primarily support and healing-type Persona, it specializes in Light and Water attacks, and also enhances Damitas strength, endurance, and general combat capability. It it noticeably weak to Darkness/dark-based attacks.
|Skills=ARCHER: Damita is a competitively trained archer. She has the training, strength, and knowledge to use both a more complex and modern bow such as a compound or crossbow as well as the traditional ones like a longbow.
|Assets=
|NPCs=
|Disadvantages=HEY SHORTIE: For all her calm attitude, crack a short joke and Damita will unleash her full, fiery temper on you. She is well aware of her short stature, thank you very much; and has gotten tired of the jokes, so even if you're a friend, watch out!

NO BOW NO GO: While the Bone Princess has some very basic combat capability and her bow usage has given her some stamina, endurance, and upper body muscle, if Damita finds herself unable to wield her weapon she loses much of her effectiveness. Thus, if disarmed, she loses the majority of her combat capabilities outside of her limited persona usage. (Effectively changes PL 30 -> 25).

PERSONA: Due to the feedback between Persona and User, whenever Bone Princess takes damage, Damita takes that damage as well, as it is not a try-hard shield she can hide behind.

THE PUSHOVER: Damita isn't really good at making decisions for herself; she's working at it. She can be easily talked out of any decision she's made, often to her detriment, emotionally, mentally, and socially.
}}

3464/How Does An Introvert Lead A Tour

2015-12-01T06:04:27Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/11/30 |Location=Remnant <REM> |Synopsis=Blake Belladonna shows Union members Cirra, Sachi, Tomoe, and Twilight Sparkle around Beacon Academy, ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/11/30
|Location=Remnant <REM>
|Synopsis=Blake Belladonna shows Union members Cirra, Sachi, Tomoe, and Twilight Sparkle around Beacon Academy, and have a interesting run in with the Headmaster and Yang.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=6, 411, 675, 715, 881, 906, 917
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      Blake Belladonna is a quiet soul. However, a unique situation has her standing in the field closest to the entrance from the ships that can bring people over from the Remnant Warpgate, a set of books clutched in her arms. There's no teachers around, and Blake pretty much seems likee she's alone, just waiting... waiting for the group of people that are sure to be arriving.      She shifts her weight, before spotting the group of multiversial guests.      "Over here!" She calls out, politely. There's some benches and stuff, and it's a lovely day; blue sky, sun is shining. Seems like a picnic, just without the food, but with all of the good fun of friendships. Help her. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe has arrives in her Eisen Avatar the form that Blake and the others from Becon have met her as. So her rather shot redhead form isn';t hard to miss as she makes it over to Blake whose waving her over. She doesn't oddly seem to be carrying any books however. "Hey Blake! I got the books, just give me a moment." Once she gets over there she puts her hand out, a hovering menus appear generated out of light, She punches a few things in and after a moment there's a book bag in her hand. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra Constantine steps off the transport wearing her Alexander Academ uniform and looks around before spotting Blake waving them over. The white haired girl walks over towards the girl with the books. "I don't think we've met in person, I'm Cirra Constantine." 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     For her part, the trip was spent somewhere between careful observation and all her attempts to appear to be as normal and unassuming as possible. Bumped elbows, nudging into people on accident on the way to her seat, and then, once she arrived on Remnant with the city nearby and the airship ride to Beacon, she was tripping over her own feet-- literally-- to get to a railing to watch from one of the windows, her face nearly plastered against the glass.     Trying to present herself professionally to their student ambassador, she's dressed in a simple and smart button-down shirt, skirt, and a lightweight jacket, though she keeps her favorite pair of loafers on.     Following with the group of other multiversal travellers, the girl with red rings in her eyes presents herself with a short, polite bow of her head with her hands folded in front of her. "Sachi Yuukizura, UGN. Thank you for having me!" 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight Sparkle has been hearing only scattered information about this place. An academy on an otherwise very dangerous and dark world, by all readily available reports. As the purple unicorn steps off the transport ship, she is still reading on a tablet that is hovering in front of her thanks to the magical purple glow from her horn and the same glow around the tablet.      When Blake calls out, Twilight looks up from her reading, then smiles brightly and raises a forehoof to wave. "Hello!" She slips the tablet into her saddlebags, then trots over to the others. "I am Twilight Sparkle. It is an honor to be visiting your academy!" she says, quite sincere. "I can hardly wait to see what kind of information the library of such a prestigeous academy has to offer!" 

:'''{{#var:715|Kenji Kawasaki (715)}} has posed:'''      Kenji Kawasaki doesn't have a lot of free time. Most of it he doesn't use to visit other places, either. He could be called /introverted/ by a lot of standards. Some people would call him *grumpy*. Kenji would say that he has better things to do than interact with people, which, given his job with Shinra, is not necessarily inaccurate - Kenji spends a *lot* of time fighting monsters and dealing with situations of diplomatic and supernatural delicacy. One can hardly blame him for wanting to slack off and not /talk/ to things on his few days off.      But Beacon has things he's interested in. Things he's really interested in, even if he won't personally admit it.      Kenji arrives...well, he's dressed like a punk. Leather jacket, leather pants, white tank-top. He sort of stands out amidst the finery of Beacon, because /he/ looks like your typical Japanese bancho (though lacking the stylish pompadour) among people who look like they just stepped out of a science fairy tale.      Kenji is doing his best not to gawk. He's not doing a great job, but he's doing his best. His hands in his pockets give him a casual look as he walks over to the group, almost not even paying attention to them.      "Uh, hey." 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "Oh, uh, hello, I'm Blake Belladonna, a first year huntress-in-training here at Beacon Academy. I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. Headmaster Ozpin said I could conduct a brief tour of the main public areas of the school, like our training center, the classrooms, and, yes, the library."      Twilight is looked at the strangest, perhaps, but considering the Faunus, well...      She does offer Tomoe her stack of neatly tied books, aiming to sling the other girls book bag over her shoulder. "Does... anyone have any questions?" She asks weakly, giving absolutely everyone a polite nod before heading off across the greenery towards one of the buildings. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     When Twilight steps off the airship and approaches them, Cirra glances over, and then quickly looks straight ahead again. "I would like to know more about how the Hunters and Huntresses became an institution in your world." She says to Blake. "And about your weapons. They seem rather... eclectic compared to Galandia's." 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight just continues to smile through Blake's strange look, though Cirra's reaction causes her to tilt her head in confusion. The little pony gives Cirra a questioning look. "Is something wrong?" she asks Cirra before they start across the academy grounds, but lets it drop when Cirra asks Blake some questions. Twilight didn't even know what to ask, so she just listens for now.      She waves to Tomoe and offers Kenji a friendly smile as they approach. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe had been expecing a few people but many of the people arriving she's not had a chance to meet in person, or as close to in person as she normally gets in the multiverse. The redheadwd woman looks to the arrive group and grins. "Hello! Good to meet you Call me Eisen or Tomoe if you like." She now moves to hand the book bag over and takes the stack from Blake. The stack soon vanishes in a burst of light. She also give Tiwlight a look but she seems used to her honestly. "Hey Twilight and I admit I'm about as curious as Cirra is about a place like this? The Grimn, dust, people who can fight like you? Are just fiction on my world." Reiji and SAchi get a bit of a look from her as she tries to get a good feel for them both. 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     At a glance, it looks like Sachi's almost government issue-- the suit the teenager is wearing is just expensive enough, the shoes just cleaned up enough. If it were cut a little closer, it would probably betray more of her athletic build. Her hair, however, is probably dyed. Her eyes-- the scarlet rings inside the brown irises, those are probably a little weird. There's a lot of band-aids on her fingers, too, and ... she's also looking around, a lot.     Of course she's paying attention to Blake, this is part of her job! But part of her job is making sure of what the United Guardian Network is dealing with now, including some visual documentation-- the students, the teachers, the weapons that they may be carrying around at any given time. Truthfully, she has a particular interest in this 'dust' she's heard about, but that can wait for later.     For her part, Sachi adjusts her glasses and glances over at Cirra for her question. Rather than bombard Blake immediately with inquiries, she holds her own-- she wants to hear all of this just as much. 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:''' "The legend states that mankind were born into this hostile world that was already inhabited by Grimm. The earliest fought the Grimm and they found out about aura, which every living creature except Grimm have, and they found Dust. Dust is triggered by our Aura, and was found to be the most effective way to fight Grimm. Over time, people started training others in how to use their aura."      "However, about eighty years ago there was a Great War. This was a war about individualism and art and self-expression. After this war, there was discussion, and peace was eventually made. In order to protect themselves, the new kingdoms created the academies. Yes, there's more than just Beacon."      "There are four kingdoms in Remnant. First is Vale, which is where Beacon is located. Atlas has Atlas Academy, Vacuo has the Shade Academy, and Mistral has Haven Academy."      Blake weaves the group through one of the classrooms, a empty one, but with drawings and information on the board. "As far as the weapons go, the weapons allow us to use Dust efficently and in a way that complements each huntress or huntsman in the best way possible. For example, I couldn't use Yang's gauntlets because I prioritize stealth and range, so I have a variant ballistic chain scythe instead, which allows us to be effective. Some starter education academies have potential huntsmen and huntresses build their own weapons, or they have them modify bases." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     "Nothing." Cirra says to Twilight as she follows Blake along the tour. She glances inside the classroom. "A war about self-expression?" she blinks at Blake, she knows wars happen over ideals, but something like that?     "IS that somehow related to the amount of colour based names I've heard?" 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      As Blake starts to talk, Twilight already has a notepad and pencil floating in front of her. The pony busily takes notes over what Blake says. Cirra says there is nothing wrong, but you don't become an expert on friendship without becoming a student of expressions. Still, she doesn't press the matter. Another thing she has learned about friendship. Don't force an issue if it is not causing trouble.      "I can hardly imagine a war, let alone one fought over something like self-expression." Twilight comments, then her ears perk at the mention of Dust and Aura. "Interesting. Dust is everywhere? Or is it somehow generated by Aura?" 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     Keeping in stride with the group, Sachi listens to the explanation with a smooth nod, from the brief history of the war and expression to the multiple kingdoms running acadamies of their own. Vale, Atlas, Vacuo, Mistral. Dust and it's use. Aura, that mysterious force. Of course, she's trying to form a few mental bridges of her own to keep things relatable to her own world's particular brand of craziness.     The phrase 'variant ballistic chain scythe,' however, snaps Sachi's head straight back forward to stare straight on at Blake, the more militaristic gun nut side of her immediately clicking to 'on' mode.     Holding it back for the time being, however, Sachi holds her hand up a little, waiting for her own turn. "What kind of organization oversees the activities of graduated students-- of Hunters and Huntresses? Or do many largely become free agents?" 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe is now curious to listen she givesSachi and Cirra another look b efore blake settles into her story about her world's past. She listens thinking about what she's said. "Four nations? Poltical matters must be down right simple compared to say my world with over two hundred nations all jockeying over resources and poltical power." She makes a bit of a face about it but it's mostly in good humor. She looks to Twilight for a moment. "Then your world is forunate Twilight, my world's far too good at it and we don't have any real powers." She looks to Saichi nodding for a moment. "I'm also wondering how is the school taking off worlders like us who can fight the Grimn? There's a lot of weapons for hire out there too on top of that." 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "Got it in one. Those that were on the side about pushing for freedom of individuality and decided that in order to continue promoting it and art, which was another highly fought over thing in the war, decided everyone who supported it would be named or name their children after colors. Like Ruby, for instance, or as I found out, Blake means black."      The mostly black clothing and some white clothing girl grins.      "Post academy, many people do just go off freely. I know some return to the schools to teach, and some even join the militaries of their respective kingdoms. As far as your question Tomoe, well..."      Down they go an outside path, past the cafeteria, which is currently not hosting a food fight. "It's up to Ozpin, I think, and the rest of the headmasters or headmistresses. I can't really say." She leads the way into the armory. "Our lockers. Where we store our weapons." She keys her open with her scroll, tugging Gambol Shroud out and handing it to Sachi. "Safety is on." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra, mns and nods at the explination. "It's a shame sucha wa was fought at all." she glances aside at the food fight in the cafeteria. Ah, just like Alexander Academy.     "Are their profesional weapon smiths that do customizations or is it expected that users would do that themselves?" she looks at Gambol Shroud, thats a pretty strange looking device. 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     As they walk, Sachi seems pointedly interested in the vast size of the cafeteria, pausing for a moment in the tour to lean closer and peer inside. There may not be a food fight going on, but it's still something neat to see! And her question is answered, catching up with a quick one-two step to close the gap. "I see... I'd be lying if I said that the organization I worked for wasn't interested in contractors from other worlds."     False Hearts certainly wouldn't hesitate to recruit, she thinks to herself.     Once in the locker-lined armory, however, it doesn't take the girl more than a moment to stop and take a deep smell of the air: The smell of guns, maintenance oils, and the kind of aura you could only get in a room full of dangerous things. It's not a bad smell, for her-- though with the way her brown-scarlet eyes shift left and right in hopes nobody /saw/ that-- she takes new interest when she's presented with Gambol Shroud.     She may have been a bit of a klutz on the flight and adhere to the insistence that she's a Totally Normal Girl on Union frequencies, but there's something wholly professional and militaristic about the way she looks at-- and handles-- the weapon in her calloused hands, maintaining trigger discipline and giving it a fair look-over: The grip, the magazine feed, the slide's action... and keeping an eye on the blade, too, certainly curious.     "I'm guessing you don't use this for marksmanship with the 'chain scythe' comment you made earlier," she notes absently, offering the weapon back to Blake with a small smile. "I can't really talk. My weaponry is... admittedly a little strange." 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight Sparkle continues to take notes, then pauses to ponder a moment. "So, are all people in Beacon named after colors?" she asks as they walk past the cafeteria. Not hosting a food fight? ..well, to Twilight, that seems normal. "Indeed." Twilight agrees with Cirra concerning war. Weapons are not Twilight's specialty.      She watches Blake takes out the Gambol Shroud and as Sachi looks the chain scythe over. "I wonder if Equestria will need such weapons one day..." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe is thinking over everything that's been sad and she frowns a bit "Seeme every world's got it's problems and I noticed, your weapons are impressive to put it mildy and they all seem to have a firearm mode as well. My world's damn right afraid of stuff like this heck. I hope you never will need such weapons Twilight." 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "Not everyone." Blake informs Twilight. "As far as I can tell, Headmaster Ozpin's name isn't... colour related at all. I hope for your sake, however, that you never need weapons like these." She informs the pony with a soft sigh. "I've always maintained and modified Gambol Shroud myself, but... it's possible there might be weaponsmiths? I'm not sure. Not my area of expertise."      Blake lifts an eyebrow at Sachi. It's vaguely cat-like. "May I have that back, please?" She asks, gesturing to Gambol Shroud. Once she has it back, she leads the way into one of the training rooms. Blake pulls out her scroll, tinkers with something, and a dummy pops up. Blake shifts her weight, and flicks her weapon around ina series of quick movements before she takes aim and fires a single bolt towards the dummy. "Ballistic ... variant chain scythe." She says with a smile at the gun girl. Not gun bunny. That's Velvet. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra stands by and watches the demonstration. "Effective." she nods. "Does it ever give you difficuluties, weilding a weapon like that? It seems like it could make thing chaotic if you're not carefull." 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     "Try in the city proper. The Dust til Dawn shops sometimes provide weaponsmithing services. Mostly around the city center." comes a voice from the opposite doorway.     Yang leans against the doorframe, arms folded over her chest as she watches with a soft little grin on her face. 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     After having handed it back, Sachi is of course a little curious as to what's going to be happening next-- and with the Scroll brought out, she also gets a peek at the portable technology she has at her disposal! The display catches her eye pretty handily, trying to manuver herself with a few exaggerated leans and twists to get even just a /peek/ at the screen.     Then, with quick movements of the Huntress apprentice's weapon, Blake opens fire on a training dummy. Sachi's head twists-- she's not fast enough to see a bullet be shot, of course-- but the effect is something she was hoping to see: The trigger pull, the sound and light, even the smell of Dust as it's being used in a weaponized form!     "That's..." Sachi starts, eyes a little wide. The stars start to twinkle in her eyes. In this world, this is /normal/. A little bit of that facade she's spent so long trying to cultivate just cracks.     "... so cool," the Overed says, eyes narrowing just slightly, staring at the target. Her hand lifts, mouth opening to speak, then cut off-- this time by the arrival of Yang, expression an owlish sort while she glances between both Blake and Yang. The girl squints, hand lowering a little-- but not all the way. "Sorry, I... you sound familiar..." 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight Sparkle nods lightly as the others agree that they hope Equestria never needs such weapons. The dummy being produced and the following attack by Blake is sort of impressive. Then, there is someone else here! Twilight's ears perk as Yang speaks up and she turns her head to look at the new arrival. She smiles to Yang and raises a forehoof to wave. "Hello there!" she says to Yang. 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "When I first started, especially. I was tripping over the ribbon and couldn't get the hang of quick transformations down. I'm much better at it nowadays." Blake admits. Her bow seems to twitch as she turns her head to face the other door.      "Hello, Yang." She says, a touch of relief in her tone. "I got told I could do a small tour. We're headed to the library next, then back out to the quad." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     The Judge turns to look at the new voice and gives ang a small nod of her head, "Yang." She turns back to Blake. "I imagine you'd have to start training for that sort of thing very younge."     Cirra however takes a step back to more easily adress the both of them. "It's been an interesting tour. The similarities and differences to Alexander Academy have all been noteworthy." 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     "That's cool. I was just coming to train a bit." replies the blonde, pushing off the doorframe and pulling her Scroll out and activating some moving/reactive targets before deploying Ember Celica. "Enjoy the rest of the tour!" she calls after the group as they carry on without her. Sorry Blake~. 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight Sparkle watches as Yang deploys some targets, stepping back herself to make sure she isn't in the way. At the mention of a library, Twilight ears perk up and she raises both hooves to clap excitedly. "I love libraries! Especially those from other worlds! They are garaunteed to have books I have never read before!" 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     Just as qickly as she's in, Yang is off to do her own thing. Sachi is, of course, watching as the gauntlets are deployed from the wristlets and as the routine begins. She's heard that voice, she /knows/ it. Oh, wait-- /that/ was Yang! "I have to be honest, I am /very/ interested in the unorthodox weapon designs," the girl says, returning her attention to Blake. She gives her glasses a slight touch to reinforce the totally academic interest in this.     /Totally/.     The libraries are next, eh? A little less exciting, perhaps, but she might be able to pick up more information there. Looking down-- realizing her hand is still up a little-- Sachi brings that arm right back down to her side, the momentary desire to demonstrate her own abilities being pushed aside. Stay cool, Sacchan!     "I really like your school," Sachi finally says, nodding. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "Really, there's a type of movie back home that Hunters and Huntress fighting styles seem to walk right out of you know." She seems to be settled well enough and she looks over to Yang as she leaves giving her a wave as she heads off. "So Blake, just let me know when your done with those books and I'll return these when I'm finished." Given teh subject ofg books is comming up again. "Yes this tour's been pretty neat so far. I think everyone here would just fall asleep at my school I admit. Well the one I went to that is." 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      Blake's hopes are dashed. Ruined. Cast upon the ocean. Catapulted into the Emerald Forest, forever to be lost without a partner, awaiting the day Wilt & Blush return and destroy them to utter pieces, the way Yang Xiao Long just did. There's a rather swift, hopeless look that her amber eyes dash the other huntress-in-trainings way, before she rocks back and forth on her low-heeled boots, exhaling faintly.      Her aura ebbs, sadly.      Anyways, she just gives Yang a little wave and ushers the group into the library... and it's one heck of a library. Gigantic - it arches up and up, with gigantic windows. Striaght down the main line is a row of desks on either sides, with bookshelves all around, and stairs up to the second level underneath the curved roof.      "The Beacon Academy library." Blake says, softly. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra smirks slightly as Yang breezes past. She turns and follows Blake twards the library. "Ah..." she looks up at the ceiling of the Library. "Yes, this is... fairly large." she walks forward and turns, "Is it primarily study material or is there non-referance books as well?" 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight's ears splay as Blake seems to deflate. She smiles gently and holds out a forehoof to touch her arm. "Don't worry. You are doing fine." she says, smiling kindly. "And this school is quite impressive! Even if I am not one for military academies, it seems rather well made, organized, and prestigious."      Finally! The library! Twilight's eyes sparkle as she sees it, and she lets out an excited little squeal before she takes off to start checking the nearest bookshelf. Her horn glows and she starts shuffling through the books, checking what subject they cover and leafing through a few to see how they are written. Narrative or informative? Do the writers tell the facts in the form of a story, or just lay them out for the reader in the most direct ways? Whatever the case, Twilight is now in her element. And she seems quite happy~ 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe smirks s she looks over the Library nd looks ot the others. 5R "I hope it's a mix of both, information is power but sometimes it can be dry as heck to deal with. History's pretty fun I found myself." She takes alook to Twilight for a moment and nods in agreement. "It does look pretty high end, Beacon and Alexander are way better than anything I'd have access to back home." 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     While Sachi's read plenty of books, she still seems a little less enthused about the library. She's not visibly /down/ about it, just... a little /less/ excited. Just a little. There's a lot less explosions here!     Walking a few strides ahead, away from the group, Sachi's eyes fall on individual book spines, taking in the sights and the smell of old paper; a few fingers run along the spines as she paces around, occasionally looking to other walls, windows-- just getting a good mental map of the place.     "I like this," she says, albeit quietly. 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "Mostly study, but there is some non-reference as well. We do live here on campus, and while we are encourage to bring things from home-" Blake's expression *twitches* just the slightest bit again- "We cannot bring everything, so Beacon attempts to fulfill all needs, by allowing us access to the communication tower, books to read, things to do. After all... the teams we make here, they're going to be our family, pretty much. Beacon wants to foster that sort of thinking, as far as I can tell with Ozpin."      She pulls out her scroll, expanding it to show the library layout so people can see where they might want to go and explore. 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      "Would we be allowed to check out any of these books, or would we have to read them only on the campus?" Twilight asks Blake, oblivious to the twitch as she she looks through books. The talk about the team being family makes her stop, though. "Wait...are you unable to regularly contact your family?" Twilight asks, concerned. "Or, do they merely want you to become so used to each other that you are like family, able to predict each other's tactics and actions?" 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra looks at the map and hmns. MAybe she'll check out the military non-fiction section. In the mean time she endeavours to try and commitit to memory. 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     The teams they make will be like family, huh? Sachi's expression goes a little somber at that, her head turning a little low. She's heard talk like that before. It was in a school for training people, but ... not quite like this. After a moment, a few ashen tresses shift with her nod at Blake, hands folding behind her back. "I can understand that."     Kuroda would be interested in this place, she concludes. The higher-ups at the regional office, too, if not going all the way up to the committee...     "Mister Ozpin has a really nice school," the Overed adds, neck craning again. 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "You can check some out, same rules as us. Be careful with them, no taking them on adventures without prior approval, and whatever you do, don't chew on them." Blake says this very seriously. It's unsure how much of the last bit is joking or not.      "Oh, no, we can contact your family, it's just-- yes, they want us to get to know each other. I think it's because fighting in a pair, especially in our world, sort of... it's sort of safer, you know? That way in case something bad happens someone can get you out of there, or something. At least, in my reasoning."      Blake is unsure how correct she is. 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     "You are quite correct, Miss Belladonna. I am so very glad to see that even in these trying times, our students are learning." comes an older male voice from somewhere within the stacks of books.     Ozpin rounds just beside Twilight, smiling softly as he sips from his mug of coffee. "Though I am sure our esteemed guests are above oral fixation." he jests with a quiet chuckle. "How goes the tour? I hope you find our facilities sufficient." 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     C-Chew on the books...     To say that Sachi is taken aback at a thought like that is something of a mild understatement; her hands lift a little toward her mouth, imagination running wild: A group of students, lost in the wilderness, left only with the books to eat...! No, that can't be right. Maybe there are students that truly have a taste for paper? What was paper /made/ of on this world? But-- but--     The voice of Professor Ozpin cuts Sachi out of her wild thoughts. Her head turns, keeping the instinctive glance at him-- sizing up any noticable attributes, that is-- to it's most subtle and hidden from the girl with scarlet-ring eyes. "Oh! Are you Mister Ozpin? My name is Sachi Yuukizura, of the United Guardian Network. We're Union allies, too." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra turns as Ozpin announces his arrival. Cutting her short of studing the map. She nods to the man, unsure yet of his placement here. But if he's wandering around the library with an open mug of coffee he's got to at least be a tenured professor. "Your academy is quiet impressive. I don't want to appear vain by comparing it to openly with Alexander Academy, but they seem to be equals in most respects." 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight seems positively shocked at the prospect of someone chewing on books! Her mouth drops open, she gasps, and she clutches whatever book she is holding as if it is a precious stone. "I would never chew on a book! Nor would I tolerate anyone else chewing on them!" the little pony exclaims. Only to be a bit startled when Ozpin comes around a corner unexpectedly. She smiles after the startle passes, then raises aforehoof in greeting. "Hello there! I am Twilight Sparkle. And, as far as oral fixations, I have never had that problem, so your books are quite safe with me. I am the head of a library in my own town!" 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      It says a lot that Blake manages to avoid bolting out of surprise when Ozpin shows up. She gives her headmaster a polite nod and an exceptionally rare smile. "Hello, Headmaster. I think it's gone well." Even if Yang trolled her. Thanks, Yang. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "I understand, and that makes sense. You need to get used to working as a team and ..." The redheaded woman trials off as Ozpin enters and she looks to them for a moment as she bows slightly for a moment. "It's very high end. I can only think of a few military and civilian schools back home that could match it from what I seen here." 

:'''{{#var:906|Yang Xiao Long (906)}} has posed:'''     "Professor Ozpin, please. Though we are informal, I must adhere to a few given formalities." he gently corrects Sachi. "It is good the Union is taken interest in our school and students. I truly hope we can benefit one another in the coming weeks, months, and years to follow."     To Cirra, he turns and listens. He seems impassive, a stone wall of thought for a moment. "It seems to be a theme. Similarities and differences. Many things the same, but many things also disparate. A confusing thing to be sure."     Twilight receives something not common. He crouches down, and takes the forehoof in a short little 'shake'. "Then I am glad to greet you, Miss Sparkle. You are welcome in our library any time." he smiles, thinly, though it's obvious that's just how he is. "As for the rest of you." he turns to look at them individually. "Even if you are not my students, I expect you to uphold our values within these halls. Beacon is one of the best Huntsmen academies on Remnant, and we have a reputation to uphold. Whatever path you choose in life. Remember to be safe. Remember your training, and remember to always do your very best." he nods to Blake. "Carry on, Miss Belladonna." he smiles softly back. "You are doing well." and with that, he wanders off again, back to the aether from whence he came perhaps. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra nods to Ozpin, "Of course, Professor Ozpin." she practically stands at attention as he speaks about the academy's values. Then watches him walks off...     "Speaking of similarities." she asides to Blake. "I think Academy Headmasters must be cut from the same cloth." 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight smiles happily as the professor shakes her hoof, then she nods emphatically. "Of course, Professor Ozpin! You can count on us!" she says, standing almost as at attention as Cirra. She considers Cirra's words a moment, then hmms. "Perhaps you are right. Queen Celestia is head of the magic school in Canterlot, and while she is not quite the same as Professor Ozpin, there are similarities."      Twilight goes back to looking at books, trying to decide which books to check out. "Nnng...there are so many! How will I ever make up my mind?" 

:'''{{#var:881|Sachi Yuukizura (881)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, I'm sorry! Professor!" Sachi says, face faulting with a hint of worry. The brief slip-up passing, she gives a firm nod. "I do too, sir. Everything that I've seen here has been fantastic. I'm afraid the schools back home aren't nearly as..."     Sachi pauses for a moment, recalling a time that she was not paying attention to her strength during a P.E. class. The crack of the bat against the baseball was ringing and forceful... and the ball shot right over the fences surrounding the athletic field.     The manager of the baseball team clung to her waist for just about two weeks, begging Sachi to join.     The moment passes, now that she's chosen her word carefully:     "Extravagant."     Ozpin's advice is sound. She's heard it a million times in her own training, from the time she could walk and understand spoken word. She nods, again, as the Professor excuses himself, easing herself up to stand adjacent to Blake. Arms folded, she looks toward the near distance in a thoughtful manner. "My school is nothing like this. It's pretty neat here." 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      Blake stares after Ozpin for awhile.      She might be out of it. 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      "It is a rather extravagant school, but I suppose in a world like this they would want to make sure their combat students are getting the best training and schooling possible." Twilight says to Sachi.      Twilight Sparkle continues looking over books. "Blake?" Pause. "...Blake? A little help?" she says, giggling a bit. After all, if there were anyone who could help pick out books, surely it is someone who goes to school here.      But, when Blake doesn't answer, Twilight looks over. "Blake?" she asks, looking a bit concerned. "Are you alright?" She makes her way toward the staring girl. 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:''' Blake snaps back after a few minutes. "Sorry. I'm still... not used to him." The girl mutters. "Book reccomendations? Where do I start." Blake finds pen and paper nearby and starts writing. It takes five minutes. It is a big list she attempts to, uh, hand over to Twilight. "Start there." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     While Blake and Twilight geek out about books - something ashe admitedly likes too, but maybe not to this extend. Cirra turns and walks deeper into the stacks. It's an interesting school, full of interesting people. Yet also different from Alexander Academy. 

:'''{{#var:411|Twilight Sparkle (411)}} has posed:'''      Twilight waits patiently and eagerly as Blake writes down such a long list of books, and once it is finished Twilight picks it up with her magic and slips it into her saddlebag. "Thank you! This list should last me a while, even at the rate I read!" She smiles happily, then looks around. "Hmm...it is getting a bit late. I should get back to Ponyville. Thank you so much for the tour!" She reaches out a forehoof to shake Blake's hand, somehow applying a grip to said hand with what otherwise seems to be a solid hoof.      She waves to Sachi and Cirra, then starts back toward the dock. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "I understand and thank you for dropping in on this little tour, sir." The man seemed interesting, the more she learns she does wonder a bit for a moment as she looks over to Blake.She looks to Sachi for a moment and she nods. "Puts mine to shame too Sachi, the only thing we might got going are the Fulldive labs there and that's about it." She's about to say more hwn when she looks with concern to Blake. "Blake?" 

:'''{{#var:917|Blake Belladonna (917)}} has posed:'''      "I'm fine, I promise." Blake says gently, all the while wishing to go punch something. Or someone. Maybe Cardin. Possibly Yang? She gives Twilight a, uh, 'hoof-shake' politely. She then shows the way back to the airships for those leaving, before coming back to watch the other visitors staying, waving politely. 

}}

Not Somebody Who's Seen The Night (Asuna)

2015-11-29T02:29:17Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2015/10/26 |Location=Asuna's Home, Ancient Forest - Sylph Territory, Alfheim |Synopsis=Asuna deals with some things... poorly, in response to ..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2015/10/26
|Location=Asuna's Home, Ancient Forest - Sylph Territory, Alfheim
|Synopsis=Asuna deals with some things... poorly, in response to revelations about certain friends.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=9
|Tinyplot=
}}
Asuna reeled as she left the medical facility that night. Kurahashi... while he had been a great help, what had helped, and then had broken her very heart and soul, was the nature of the fact that her dear friend, her zekken, the Yuuki she had come to adore as much as she did Kirito, Yui, Tomoe, Fayt, Karian, Sinon, and everyone else, from her fellow mother in Fate, to Iianor and Nathan's assistance in getting the game cleared, and the utter, utter hope that Arthur brought her, and she was at risk of losing her. She at risk of losing the closest thing to her little sister.

::::i used to live alone before i knew ya

'''"Yuuki-kun's condition is terminal."'''

::::and i've seen your strength on the marble arch

Then there had been even more. The revelation that the group Asuna had come to consider a part of her family, more than just Yuuki Konno was living on very slight borrowed time. Sure, Asuna had lost friends in Sword Art Online. The death game, as it were; but she knows what the power of determination can do. She knows the determination she has. She knows the determination, the power that Zekken has.

::::and love is not a victory march

Asuna blindly stumbles into her cold, dark room in Japan when she gets home some time later. She's missed dinner, her mother is knocking on the door, but she can't face it, she can't face the fact that there is someone out there she loves that has faced down Death on multiple occasions, and she can't even stand up to her mother about her love for Kirito. It's a strength that Asuna wishes she could have, a strength that Yuuki had started to teach to her, and she was about to lose it.

::::it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah...

Asuna looks around before she waspishly smacks her schoolwork off of her desk, collapsing into the chair, her fingers draped over the sleek lines of her Amusphere helmet. Why was it she couldn't be as brave as everyone else? Where could she find that spark that blossomed with Kiritos love, that returned with the ringing of her blade against Zekkens? She can't. Not in this real world, but...

::::hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Blindly, Asuna pulls her Amusphere over her head, activating her water-blue wings. She takes off into the air from the Undine capital, bolting through the Rainbow Valley as she seeks out a place mindlessly, before she practically crashes into a ... tree.

"Yuu... ki..."

Asuna sobs quietly, resting her head against the Tree of Friendship as she refers to it in her head... the tree where she and Zekken first met... the tree where she confirmed their friendship.

"I'm going... to save you, imouto. I will. I swear it."

Crowned In Water (Cassandra Dolet)

2015-01-14T06:01:11Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2015/01/13 |Location=Dolet Building - Leviathan - Galianda |Synopsis=Cassie has a important and long-awaited conversation with her father, Lyn..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2015/01/13
|Location=Dolet Building - Leviathan - Galianda
|Synopsis=Cassie has a important and long-awaited conversation with her father, Lyndon Dolet.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=671
|Tinyplot=
}}
The storm raged in. That was the important part - it beat down on the glass and crystals and stonework of the Leviathan islands, and engorgeds the streams and rivers. The sea crashed on, higher, higher, but Cassandra Dolet, sitting in her office on the third floor of the Dolet Corporation building, staring across the mahogany desk at her father, Lyndon. The salt and pepper bearded and thinning haired man has a gentle gaze in his blue eyes as he watches Cassie stare out the window as lightning flashes and thunder strikes.

"You are exceptionally distracted today by the weather, daughter. Did you have a easy sail in? You know that I cross-trained Fuu and Sei to assist you if you needed it, especially considering the company you had on board." Lyndon comments.

Cassie doesn't even flinch, which says a lot about how much less she's startled by things that should surprise her lately. "Prince al Cid needed some time to think, considering the potential war we have on our hands, father. It is nothing for me to bring him over on the Drake, so he may relax for a small while."

Lyndon nods. "Is there anything Drake would like to tell me?"

Cassie closes her eyes in her chair. She shifts her weight, then idly turns the chair around, and it stops perfectly right when she opens her eyes to look at her father. "Yes, the Drake would like to report that Prince Landon al Cid of Ramuh has stated his intentions to court one Cassandra Dolet, heiress, and asks that we keep this absolutely silent."

Lyndon is silent, and Cassie exhales. Okay, so maybe not the *best* thing to start out with, but it could be worse. After all, some people out could want their daughter not to be a queen or whatever, so it's -- it's kind of weird. She watches him anxiously, and when three minutes pass, she finally bursts out, "Oh my gosh, daddy, /please-/"

Lyndon lifts up a hand and Cassie chokes down her next phrase, her face flushed. "We are honored by the intention." He says calmly and clearly. "I accept it, as well, and trust that you know what this means you'll be undergoing over the next ... however long it very well may be, yes, Cassandra?"

Cassie ulps. Full name usage. "I do, Father." She says, quietly.

Lyndon nods. "Then I wish you the best of luck, my daughter. The seas rage in your veins, and the storms beat in his. It is a ... interesting match, considering you are not wholly really nobility, but what it works out too, it will work out too. I won't interfere... all that much." He finally smiles.

Cassie slumps down in her seat. "I'm getting more bodyguards, aren't I?"

"Ohhhh yes you are. You are altogether too good at sneaking out from under Fuu and Sei's eyes and watches."

"Well, it's not my fault I'm a good ninja..."

"You're going to be back to wearing bells all the time if you keep it up, young lady..."

"Aw, dad..."

1279/Waterfalls In Crystal

2015-01-13T08:48:34Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/01/06 |Location=Galianda |Synopsis=Cassie, Akurusu, Yaako, Cirra, Kyra, Landon, Lyria, Noiela, Quentyn, and special guest Hero Prinny go out o..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/01/06
|Location=Galianda
|Synopsis=Cassie, Akurusu, Yaako, Cirra, Kyra, Landon, Lyria, Noiela, Quentyn, and special guest Hero Prinny go out on a ship to preview the newest found dungeon in the depths of the Levithan isles.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=538, 575, 626, 635, 642, 647, 670, 671, 675, 676
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' There was one thing to be said about efficency, there was quite another to be said about Cassandra Dolet using her rank to get her father to agree to give her a good sized sailing ship. To be fair, as a Levitani, she was one of the few he trusted to use a ship without one of his personal ship captains... although said captain was on board, just not on the top deck. Instead, having ferried the group through the Great Span and into Bridgeport, Cassandra flashed her ID a few times and the group was ferried onto the 'Lady Alianore'. Cassie herself is standing at the wheel, hands on it as the group sets out on high speed towards the very less well explored but still nominally safe areas of the Tenebrous Deep. "Welcome to Levitani." She tries not to sound smug, sailors drifting around the group as they react instinctively to the sea. 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     The sea! Water, water everywhere! Of course, being a Water Spirit, Ayako loves any sort of large body of water. And while being on a boat isn't exactly her style, she nonetheless still enjoys being around so much water. "Kyaaaa! It's the sea~!" Her hand ball up into fists and are placed in front of her body as she smiles brightly. "I didn't know there was a place like this on Galianda! So much water everywhere! It's so wonderful!" Of course, Ayako at the moment looks like a normal, if cute, hume wearing the Alexander Academy's school uniform. 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     Class trip! And how often is there an excuse to visit Leviathan? Quentyn's probably at the tail end of the group of students as they board Cassandra's vessel, careful to stay out of the way of the sailors... yet he can't help but grin as he watches the ship operations, occasionally jotting something down in his notebook.     But maybe that grin fades just a little as his eyes settle on the deep water, not exactly sharing Ayako's enthusiam. Quentyn looks over to Noiela and asks, "Um... can I try a spell I've been practicing?" On you, probably implied. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Smug Levitani? Not Lyria she's just happy for /any/ reason to get to go back to her plate it's home after all and being on chocobo always put a bit of a damper on her being away from the water. She was perhaps by extraversal standards slightly underdressed until one might uncover that the outfit was inded for both in and out of water use. "Ah it's so good to be back I was starting to get harbour bound on Chocobo. Yes welcone." She pauses looking hard at Ayako. "You really are a water spirit. I can feel it." 

:'''{{#var:642|Landon al Cid (642)}} has posed:'''      Landon al Cid has been to Leviathan before. There really isn't anywhere on Galianda he hasn't visited, as far as continents go. Each of them had its own unique charm, a charm that really can't be expressed anywhere else. Shiva was beautiful for its icy perfection (and one doesn't have to lok far to find out why Landon feels something like /that/), Ifrit was a fiery and tempestuous landscape that felt firmly alive, the view from Bahamut's Aeries is unmatchable, Titan's crawling cities...      ...the less said of Odin, the better.      But aside from Ramuh and Shiva, the place Landon feels most at home is Leviathan. He's spent a lot of time on the open ocean, particularly during vacations with his family when he was younger. A lot of fond memories stir to life as he watches the waves go by.      "Your hospitality is most appreciated, Lady Dolet," the Prince of Ramuh observes gently, a distant smile on his lips. 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' Elbows pressed against the rail, the hooded extraversal spends little attention on the sailors passing by, the cogs in the machine keeping it steady. A book wedged securely and discreetly into the nook of her arm, the little expression she shows is a subtle wonderment quirking the corners of her eyes and mouth into open amazement at the spanning horizon. A steady scrutiny that is disrupted by the quiet askance of Quentyn, in his usual reticence. "Uh, pardon me? I...suppose you may, Westwind." A gloved hand is raised, curling her fingers back to point straight out into the currents and land far below, curving smoothly away like the exposed flesh of an apple to part in graduated shades to deeper water. "Do...do you know much about the reigon?" Unlike Ayako, her enthusiasm is more implied than outright, revealing itself in the concentrated hunch of a person who probably itches to begin jotting the moment it becomes a possibility. From the steady roll of the ocean waves, to the rush of salted air it felt almost like home. 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     A WEIRD monster has been spotted in Leviathan recently. It was a penguin...with two peg legs and a fanny pack. It was easy to spook off...but eventually one with a RED SCARF was noted to have appeared.     However, Prinnies are masters of disguises. Don't let anyone tell you that is a lie (it is), because it is not a lie and even if my fingers say that it is, it is not (it is a total lie).     Why this is important right now is that there is that the Hero Prinny, with a Large oversized mustasche over his beak and a Sombaro is walking along the deck of the boat.     Another Prinny, minus Scarf walks up behind the Hero Prinn-I MEAN TOTALLY NORMAL PERSON. INFACT THEY ARE BOTH TOTALLY NORMAL MUSTCHE AND SOMBARO WEARING PEOPLE. (They aren't.)     "Dood, the only thing we are going to find here is fiiiish. If we wanted fish, we could just work for Master Etna, dood."     "Yeah, dood, that's true, but she told us to find burried treasure under the sea in this world that opened up dood. What more can I do, dood. Just split up, and we can find it...or try and get our money back for that stupid treasure map that was totally fake dood!"     "Geeze, dood, you need to relax...and it was totally a legit strategy dood!"     "Ugh, whatever dood, just go get it, dood!" And the other Pri-TOTALLY NORMAL GUY runs off, leaving the Her-TOTALLY NORMAL GUY standing there after having announced he was totally doing something secret aloud in a normal speaking voice. In a horrible disguise. 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     Quentyn taps his pencil against his chin. "Um... a little. This plate was created by Leviathan, one of our First Gods. Sometimes he's also called the Tenebrous Deep, like this plate, and um..." Quentyn looks around at the others. "Um...Probably some of the Levitani could tell you more..."     Quentyn hesitates just a moment, but then the usual telltale signs of aether gather around the mage and then swirl around Noiela... at first nothing happens, even Quentyn himself looks like he isn't sure it worked. But the Tactician might find her feet more ably leave the deck... and floatingly stay off it when they do. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason looks over to Noiela with a very wide smile on her face she's not met the extraversal before b ut she seemed to be in quite the good mood and noticed she seemed to be liking being on the water. "You seem to be enjoying yourself already. Do you spend much time on the water? I'm Lyria by the way!" the tattooed young woman seems pretty chipper, the totally normal person and not a Prinnies who get looked at but she shrugs. "Quentyn, Cirra." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     A post production text and pointer flashes over Cirra's head as Landon thinks about icy perfection.     The Shivan Judge stands quietly on the deck of the ship with her arms crossed. It's her job to watch out for Landon's safety, but it's also a school trip, which means she's here as a student... this time.     Eyes narrow at sombraro wearing short...people on boat. Hmn.     "Do we have a destination in mind, or are we just...touring?" 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako hums softly to herself, with a slight bounce to her step. Class trip, class trip~. She inclines her head to the side gently as she looks over at Lyria. "Oohh? You can tell?" Her hands move behind her back where her two hands grasp each other. She leans forward slightly. "Eh heh... but I don't know you." Ayako smiles brightly and cheerfully, "I'm Ayako Hasekawa, and like you said, I'm a Water Spirit! Please call me Ayako!"     And then closes her eyes halfway and over to the... totally normal people. Totally Normal. Yes. "Hmm..." And then Ayako mouths the word, 'dood'. Followed by a giggle. She then notices Noiela starting to float and then claps her hands together cheerfully. "Oh oh, look, you're floating you're floating, Noiela!"     "And that's a good question! Where are we going, anyway?" 

:'''{{#var:676|Akurusu Yami (676)}} has posed:''' A door from the lower decks opens, revealing a gaunt looking figure, his skin pale white, dark paint around his eyes and across his face (giving him a vaguely skeletal appearance. He blearilly stares around as he steps up onto the fore-deck, naked as the day he was born, modesty withstood solely by the fact that he's apparently using some variety of snare drum to obscure his shame, or rather, protect the decency of the scene. "...we're on a boat? When the f*** did we get on a boat?! HEY, BOSS! I thought we were trying to not get on the boat!" A tall, dark haired figure, Akurusu Yami, steps up from the lower decks. He gazes at the sun overhead with hateful disdain and raises a hand to shield his eyes, "...for f***'s sake...we slept it off in the damn boat!!" A few groans can be heard from beneath, but a blonde woman steps up, pausing for a moment to stretch in the sun, as she's apparently wearing a bikini designed to resemble skulls... "...you brought a bikini?" Aku intones to his companion. She just shrugs with a dark smile. He steps up onto the deck, pausing to look at the naked man, "Put some f***ing threads on Dysentery. We ain't here to make everyone puke, at least not yet." Metal shod boots crunch on the deck, as he steps up and looks around at the gathering, "So what the f*** are we doing here anyway? Learning about rum, sodomy and the lash? Cause you ain't my type and I don't see no booze." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' Cassie's mouth opens and closes at the Prinnies. On either side of her, everyone becomes aware of two people, both of them clad similiarily, as Fuu and Sei make their way around the heiress, Fuu sticking nearby her as Sei silently trails after the prinnies. He'll make sure nothing goes badly, working with Cirra if he needs too. Cassie glances over her shoulder at the door leading down below deck, a smile crossing her face as she greets Akurusu. "I was going to set us on sail towards one of the unsettled islands nearby." She comments. "My papa mentioned that there seemed to be some ruins nearby it that I could scope out, see if I could make it a big adventure for the DCorps and what Alexander students want to come help clear it out. Papa doesn't mind any of you, um, extraversals either. S'why he gave me the Alianore instead of the Grace." "If there's anyone that doesn't have any swimming gear, trust me, I have plenty available in multiple sizes. Y'don't want to fall off or go swimming in your normal gear, specially if you're in armor or something similiar. You'll just drown. I mean... less it's you, Miss Ayako." She's pretty sure Ayako can't drown. She glances at Landon. "You're welcome, my Prince." She says with a small smile. 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     CLASS TRIP!     Kyra is completely on board with this. Literally. Even in spite of apparently being involved in a fight of some magnitude last night, she seems to be in pretty good spirits right now, having worked through her latent frustration over how the encounter with the Senator's new Grail War had gone down via furious music remixes. She wobbles around on the top deck with her classmates, occasionally checking her phone so she can see how many likes her new remix is getting. Just likes. She doesn't even bother loading the comments because she's not a /moron/.     She doesn't pay all that much attention to anything-including Aku because FUCK THAT GUY!!!!-until Cassie says the R-word. "Ruins, huh? /Unexamined/ ruins that don't have a /rating/ yet?"     She pointedly makes no comments about swimming gear. Maybe she actually came prepared? Then again, she has her hoodie up right now and seems less than interested in soaking up any measure of sun. 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako blinks her eyes quickly as a person with only a snare drum comes up from the lower decks. And then another person. And then a blonde woman wearing a skull bikini. "Uhh..." She then smiles cheerfully at them. "Hello! Are you all alright? Because that's quite a bit of swearing all of a sudden."     She then turns towards Cassandra. "Un. I can't drown. And if anyone is in danger of it, I can help them out of it as well." Followed by a happy smile. "Thank you for letting me come along, Cassandra!"     Ayako's hand then raises up. "If anyone's feeling seasick, please let me know. I have some healing water to help with that, if they need it." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason looks to Ayako and nods grinning a bit. "I'm a Geomancer aside from being a machinest so yes I can tell and no probolem Ayako." A Geomancer a curious thing to call one's self when refering to water. "Humm I'm aready set for swimming, it's been too long since I swam here. That's the worst thing about being at the school, for me." Well yes it's even worse than an Angry Mr. Greene to her. She's also unaware of the metal heads onboard and she then looks over to Kyra with a very bif grin on her face. "Humm the Roadshow's here?" 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' Noiela opens her mouth to demand further details, when her boots are treading cushioned air and it is now a wide circle of surprise. "Uh, you..." An invisible lightbulb reflected in the glimmering depths of her shaded stare turns on, "Float! You mastered it." Lifting her knee gently, the Tactician tests her newfound resistance to gravity in a slow crawl over to where the white mage is situated, sparing a sidelong glance at the conspicuously disguised...completely usual and unremarkable hatted figures on deck, arm raised in a jaunty saltue for the water spirit. "Yes, appears my weight loss regime was a sterling success..." She attempts to call out, delight then rapidly fading at the first ominious crunch of booted trouble slinks on deck, spinning round in slow motion. Eyes widening, she regards the boat crashers with a cultivated blankness of expression, all smiles and colour seeping away unmourned. "Ah...more out of realm people." Over her shoulder, "Thank you Miss Dolet, for the opportunity." Calm, if one overlooks the faint stiffening of her back. Whether it is due to petty emotions over the ease Cassandra manages to interact with the Prince or more their rather blunt spoken horde of newcomers, or even the unmistakable reference to swimsuits and the horror of ditching her coat for other clothes that sound ominiously lightweight is for people to figure out. Clatter, thunk. Her book so neatly squashed in her grasp, falls. Gingerly, the girl attempts to twist and bend on air, feet kicking the air and coat fanning out as she flips on to her belly to retrieve it. 

:'''{{#var:676|Akurusu Yami (676)}} has posed:''' Akurusu Yami rubs his chin, "Ruins, huh? Sounds like it might not be a total waste of my time..." The naked fellow retreats back below, as another pair make their appearances. One of them appears to be somewhat larger and portly, the other is narrow in frame, and despite his yank red hair is somewhat more of a 'pretty boy.' Akurusu just looks at Cassie. He looks at his vaguely armor-like equipment, spikes and all, "I'll be fine. If I'm gonna die or drown, I'm going to look the part while I do it." The blonde scampers back, grabbing her other two compatriots by the shoulder and dragging them back below decks, "I brought something for the rest of you to we... Damnit Dysentery! A hat doesn't count as clothes! Put something on your scrawny ass!" Aku closes the door to the lower deck, before looking at Lyria, "The Altimate Lucavi Roadshow were temporarilly incapacitated last evening and mistakenly took shelter here." He steps over towards the rail, "...Dysentery might want to try getting seasick. He thinks that once he gets a disease, he masters it and it can no longer effect him." He turns to look at the Ayako, "You'll probably have to fix his stupid ass. So I apologize and thank you in advance." 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     It works! Quentyn couldn't look happier, at least for a few seconds. 'mastered' brings back a little hesitance to the white mage's features. When Noiela starts to try to retrieve her book, Quentyn starts to offer a hand the tactician might use as an anchor, but suddenly has second thoughts and pulls it back.     "Um, hang on..." Quentyn starts to cast another spell... this time dispelling the float effect! Or so he tries, anyway.     Quentyn looks over at the others to take in the speech, wincing a little at the swearing, but like he's all on board with exploring ruins, but swimsuits... not so much.     Well, he has Float. 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     The TOTALLY normal dood stares at the guy following him.     "Hola, �c�mo est�s hoy, dood?" The TOTALLY NORMAL GUY says towards the following gentleman.     However there are RUINS of UNDISCOVERED potential. He considers this...but now will he keep his disguise under water?     The Hero Prinny has an idea...but first...     When you look back, the Hero Prinny now has a large fishbowl over his head. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     "I see your band is as ...charming as ever." Cirra turns away from Dysentry with a roll of her eyes. As the topic of the ruins comes up, Cirra raises an eyebrow. Then frowns at the mention of swimming.     "...I don't have any swimming gear with me." 

:'''{{#var:642|Landon al Cid (642)}} has posed:'''      Landon beams behind him at Cirra. "Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Surveying a ruin for Dolet...besides, most of us are all C-Licensees. We ought to be perfectly capable of handling ourselves in these numbers, oughtn't we? I'm certain it'll be alright."      Some might criticize him for his lackadaisical attitude towards something like this, but the truth is that Landon really does believe in the people around him. He offers Noiela a wave. "Ah, Cirra, have you met Lady Noiela?"      He in general tugs on Cirra's hand a bit, dragging her into the group. He's really enthusiastic again, to be out on the open water. It reminds him of vacation days, after all, before he had to care about uppity Shivans (not Cirra) and dangerous factions forming and the Extraversals crisis. He's delighted.      He doesn't comment on Cassie's phraseology, instead just tugging Cirra towards the middle of the group. He bows poliely to Barbie Barbariccia and the others as they walk past, then turns to Akurusu. "Come now, no need to be rude, is there? We're all peers here." 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     Without being prompted, a Prinny near Cirra holds up a bathing suit.     It is made for someone who lives in the underworld, which is to say black with reds, and riske is all get out. "Straight from the Netherworld, dood! That's gona be five hundred Hel." 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako giggles brightly at Noiela's 'weight loss regime' joke. And then curiously watches Noiela try to pick up her book while she's floating.     Her amber gaze then turns towards Akurusu. She quietly mouths the words, 'Altimate Lucavi Roadshow'. So... that's a thing, huh? Ayako then shakes her head slowly while making a gentle sound of disagreement. "Mmm~... It's alright. I don't mind something like this." Her head inclines to the side gently. "So... umm... pardon me being an extraversal, but... who are the members of Altimate Lucavi Roadshow?" 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' Noiela lands with a loud slap on the deck, the dispel having worked with aplomb. Setting off a bomb of pain twanging in her knees, knocking the deck. Minus ten points for any contest that might exist if only in her fevered nightmares between her and other pale haired, ivory skinned women of few colours. Wincing, she staggers upright, book acquired and protectively pinned against her chest. "Hn." Quick yank to cover the hair spilling out from under her now crumpled hood. "In one piece." Belatedly catching the waved greeting from his highness, she signals back a flick of the wrist passing as a wave if one squints, pausing briefly for the rather unusual fishbowl attached to the entirely square and humdrum Prinny. A quiet squeak of amazment however does slide from her parted lips when the swimsuit is brandished, taking one step back. Then another, trying unsuccessfully to escape. Before they come for her. Quentyn is spared. For the present. 

:'''{{#var:676|Akurusu Yami (676)}} has posed:''' Akurusu Yami watches the ocean for a moment... Eventually the rest of the Altimate Lucavi Roadshow make their reappearance. Blud is wearing what appears to be a onesy style swim-outfit, that gives an overall resemblance to a crab or turtle. Buzzsaw's in what appears to be a very tight speedo with five purple splotches on it and Dysentery, at long last has been forced into what appears to be a pair of tattered looking trunks, each with what appears to be representations of zombies clawing at his junk. Aku perks as Ayako questions... "We are the children of a world of darkness." Dysentery grins and steps forward, producing his drum from...somewhere.. "I am dysentery! I drum out the tunes at the end of time, the death rattle of a world!" Blud sidles up, chortling, "I am Blud, I play the keys and the tunes to which the world is compelled to dance, I am a Dominator of musical tone!" Barbie smiles and seems to float into place behind him, "Barbie Barbaccia, back up vocalist and beauty amidst the world of darkness... My song is carried on the winds of devestation. Buzzsaw rises up, now with a flaming red bass guitar, which seems alit by fire, "I am Buzzsaw. I am the Prince with the warm and yet firey line. If the others have struck you down, don't worry, I will stand you back up again to face me." Aku takes his place in front of them, "And I. I am Akurusu Yami. And together, we are the Altimate Lucavi Roadshow." The band immediately kicks into gear, playing a song similar to well (http://youtu.be/Lm0VxM_BE-k) and blocking out the normal BGM until halted. "That, is who we are." He then looks at Landon and nods, looking back to the group, "Its their boat, be f***ing polite!" 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra looks down at the Prinny holding up the bathing suit, her eyes look intently, like she's going to burn through the Prinny.     "I don't have any 'Hel', only GP." Her is pulled by her hand towards the middle of the group, "You don't have to pull-" but Landon is enthusiastic, which means she's getting involved if she likes it or not.     "I havet had the pleasure of meeting her, no." She looks at Noila, "Cirra Constantine, Judge, and the Prince's bodygaurd." 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     Quentyn winces, oops. "Sorry--" he murmurs hastily. "Um, I'll fix..." His voice might get drowned out by the Roadshow but that doesn't stop him. The white mage starts casting another spell! Uh oh. If uninterrupted... a Regen spell is cast at Noiela, albeit a pretty weak one. 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     The Prinny holding the suit near Cirra shrugs.     "That's okay, GP is worth money too, because it's gold." The Prinny doesn't seem to be particularly careing...or smart. 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "You know, I'm ... I'm kind of okay with where everything is going." Cassie says with a laugh. She lifts up her radio device. "Captain, you're free to come up and take the wheel." A older man emerges from down below, the stark image of Cassie, except his white and silver hair has gone salt and peppery, but with the same sort of build and eye color. One of the sailors looks up. "CAPTAIN LYNDON ON DECK!" Cassie offers her father a salute, before she heads into one of the side rooms on deck, coming out in a blue and white striped bikini. The ship by now has nearly made it to the ruin in question, and about five minutes later, "Anchors away!" Is shouted. "Welp, that's my cue." Cassie dives off the side of the boat. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason wathces the whole deal with the totally not a Prinny go down but zhe's keeping back from it for the moment. She grins for a moment she looks to Cassy as she jumps off. She takes a moment and leaps off the deck right after her without a second thought. 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako quietly notes the rather loud way Noiela landed on the deck and winces slightly. She walks over to her and applies some purple healing water to Noiela's legs after noting how Noiela staggered back up.     And then blinks her eyes quickly as she turns back to Akurusu-no. The Altimate Lucavi Roadshow's Introduction. With a capital I. Because wow. Ayako freezes in place as she takes that introduction in. She doesn't even blink. After a very pregnant pause, she resumes blinking-and remembering to breathe. Yes, because that's what humes normally do. "A-ahh." And then (perhaps unexpectedly) claps her hands together happily. "Oohh... very nice!"     And then blinks her eyes quickly when Cassandra and then Lyria dive off the side of the boat. "A-ahh...?" 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     Oh no. Someone asked who the band was. Kyra knows exactly what's coming because she's seen these 'colorful' metalheads around before. Though no bard herself, she does keep a pulse on music trends around campus and there were few more infamous than the Altimate Lucavi Roadshow.     Kyra reaches down into her collar and pulls up from around her neck a big fat set of headphones. It's one of those ridiculously expensive models at that. The headphones go over her ears so she can pipe in the sweet, sweet sounds of electronica through the predicted metal grandstanding.     She crosses her arms over her chest and looks nonplussed for a few moments. Once she believes it's over, her own headphones are removed. "So are swimsuits required?" she calls out after Lyria and Cassie as they leap over the side. 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' Noiela bends deeply at the waist for Cirra, keeping at arms length just on the off chance the Prinny is deaf and on the prowl for suitable buyers when a burning itch builds up sharply in her knee, spreading outwards like a fire to attack her joints so her bow turns into a doubled over wheeze that she just about salvages, pulse thudding noisily to the beat. Standing upright with one arm folded behind to rest lightly on the boats stern, she attempts to smile. A thin thread of red snaking her hairline, drips down to be absorbed by her collar. "I have heard much about your skill and dedication. Good to know the Prince has such fierce defenders. Excuse me, throat dry." Unpinning an inner pocket, her hand plucks out a thin glass bottle and down it goes, gulped with a quiet murmur of gratitude as Ayako applies healing to her scraped knees. That, upon closer inspection seem to be growing worse, like some unseen hand were prodding the ripped skin further apart with malicious glee. 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     "Are you alright?" The Judge asks Noiela as she well...bleeds from her impact with the ship's deck.     Cirra looks torn. She doesn't have a swimsuit and therefore cannot accompany the group, but she doens't have Hel and the Offered swimsuit by the Prinny looks ... a bit bare.     "Ah." she pauses, "You don't have a business liscense, do you? I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate your goods under article twelve paragraph B of the inter-plate trade agreement." 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     The Prinny looks suddenly frightened.     The Hero Prinny stares at Cirra as she extorts the bathing suit out of his friend.     "I thought only demons were that evil, dood." The Helpless Prinny loses x1 Demonic Bathing Suit. 

:'''{{#var:642|Landon al Cid (642)}} has posed:'''      Landon is torn away from Akurusu and the Altimate Lucavi Road Show's performance. He glances at Noiela's cuts and bruises growing along her hand. He frowns. Cirra harassing the Prinny is given a second thought, mainly because this is actually kind of important.      "You seem like you're injured. Is something wrong?" 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra turns towards the stairs down and looks back over her shoulder "I /could/ throw him off."     "The plate, not the boat." and disappears below decks. 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     "Uh, you don't wana throw us dood, that would be bad." A beat, "I mean, I don't know what you are talking about dood, we are totally normal people, senior." 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     Quentyn frowns, only momentarily distracted by those jumping off. But his eyes go back to the tactician. A fall and scrape couldn't be that bad, could it? Well, the white mage, fully clothed and with no apparently inclination to change, simply hangs out near the railing for a few moments... expression a little guilty.     But the boy does work up the courage to walk over to Noiela and Ayako. Hastily but quietly, "Um, sorry I should have given you more warning about the dispel um..." A little less quickly, "Um, I can use a more powerful cure." Quentyn nods. 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako quietly continues to treat Noiela's knees... and then blinks her eyes quickly when she bleeds slightly by her hairline. "A-huh? Noiela, what's wrong?" Her hands cup in front of her body and quickly fill with purple healing water. "You're starting to bleed a lot!" Ayako quickly applies more healing water to Noiela's wounds to try to stop the bleeding. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason bursts out from under the waves a moment or two after she dives in and she's now riding on a pillar of water as she rides up on a pillar of water seemingly calm and collected but she seems concerned about Noiela. "Miss Noiela are you all right?" 

:'''{{#var:676|Akurusu Yami (676)}} has posed:''' Akurusu Yami hrms as he hears the ship has reached its location... He looks at the Roadshow, taking a moment to extinguish Buzzsaw's bass guitar, before he steps over to the edge of the boat. "You lot stay behind. I'm going to go check out these ruins..." He steps off the side of the boat, and promptly sinks like well, like a /heavy/ metal rocker. As he lands, too heavy to be buoyant, he begins to walk towards the island along the ocean floor. His body will need oxygen, eventually, but he continues walking... Its only a bit further to the shore. A razor-jawed iron-spiked sea pike rushes towards him, its maw opening to sample of the Son of Titan. Akurusu glares beneath the salt stinging his eyes, draws Malefessor and with a single almost off-handed blow, shatters the fish's skull. Amidst the aureole of blood that surrounds him, he strides to the beach, a variety of predatory beasts biting into his hard flesh, attracted by his scent and the blood tainting the sea. As Aku strides forth onto the beach, numerous sea creatures remain locked to him, only for him to pull them free, seemingly unminding of his bloodied state, and leaving them to expire gasping on the hot sands. He drops the pike as well. "There. Now we have some f***ing seafood after we check out these ruins." 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' "W...westwind?" Noiela covers up her hand, rapidly turning the colour of a swollen and overripe grape when the white mage scuttles over, invisible tail hanging between his legs. At Landons query, she rattles out a quiet affirmative before twisting round and grasping Quentyn by the arm. A deathly level tone, thickening as the effect of his Regen is felt. "Do not...if you want to live. Now. Dispel your magic." Louder, lifting a hand to discreetly cough. "Everyone, it's...uh, a slight...allergy." In an undertone, audible only to Ayako and Quentyn she mutters very distinctly the word 'thunder'. 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     At first Quentyn looks puzzled but, straightening at the uttered word, he does what he's told first an foremost, aether gathering and then a Dispel breaking the Regen effect. And yet... he keeps looking at Noiela. The sort of look of slowly dawning realization. That leaves him blinking and his mouth slightly open for just a few seconds. Then he looks down and away, murmuring a single word, a question, under his breath. 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako blinks her eyes slowly, not quite understanding what is going on with Noiela. "An... allergy?" Her head inclines to the side gently. 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' Inhaling sharply, Noiela draws another potion to guzzle down as her ears catch his murmured accusation, single word ringing in her ears to bring a healthy amount of blood not decorating her knees and face in full force. Smartly, she rasps out a further explanation for any keen listeners, pointedly looking away from the healer. "Must have...mismatched a few ingredients on the list for a regenerative potion. Thank you for stabilising me, Westwind." Addressing him without once glancing in his direction, voice brittle with forceful cheer. Lightly clapping hands that are scabbing over in accelerated restoration, she plasters on a smile that does not reach the coldly darkened eyes. "Please, I'll explain at greater length after...this beautiful and untamed setting deserves a more focused view, Miss Ayako...everyone." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' As everything goes on, the sun brightens, and the ruins are revealed. Cassie, treading water, doesn't seem to be neither harmed nor much in danger - her eyes are locked onto the sight past Akurusu, and she lets out a breath. On the ship, Lyndon lets out one as well; like father, like daughter - they both know a very, very good view when they see one, especially in these parts of Galianda. Akurusu has 'washed' up on a beach made up of actual white sand that no footsteps have ever seemed to touch; the water here is a beautiful, crystal blue, able to see down in the depths and the people and creatures swimming in it for many, many depths. There are palm and coconut trees that form a large border around the beach area about a hundred feet in, and there are areas that look like paths. More importantly... or rather, more interestingly, is the sight above and beyond the trees. There is what seems to be a large glass and crystal building, nearly a palace, with many parts of it broken, and vines of all types and seaweed crawling across it. There are large mountains that surround the building, with cascading waterfalls, one of which has started destroying adn going through the building itself. There are also the clear and obviously dangerous noises of various creatures and animals in the leading jungle. 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     Quentyn simply nod-nods his agreement to the suggestions. He tries to pull away from Noiela somewhat urgently but, small-statured mage that he is, not with all that much force. His eyes are on the railing, as though he intends to go over. To the ruins! Right? 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako nods her head slowly. "A-alright." She smiles softly and then takes a few steps back and lets Noiela recover on her own. She walks quietly back to the railing on the deck and gazes outwards-although she does give Noiela a glance now and then.     And then the sun brightens, revealing the view. "A-aahh..." Ayako stares at the large glass and crystal building. "W-wow... So... those are the ruins... huh?" 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     Kyra has disappeared for a few moments.     When she reappears, she too is finally in a two-piece white bathing suit decorated with red triangles. She's also decked out in a belt around her waist, which carries a few pieces of her usual gear-potions, two of her guns, stuff like that. The Luna's Resolve is not one of the two guns.     She stops at the railing for a long moment as the ship comes up on the island with the breathtaking crystal ruins. Kyra spends a few seconds whipping out her phone and taking pictures. 

:'''{{#var:642|Landon al Cid (642)}} has posed:'''      Once Landon is quite certain of Noiela's well-being, and the well-being of Akurusu, and he's glanced at Quentyn to make sure he's not going to jump off the side and drown himself over his own self-imagined worthlessness, the Prince of Ramuh bothers to look at the ruins. He's the kind of guy to prioritize other people over himself.      It's breathtaking. Even the waterfall is magnificent. Like Kyra, Landon takes a few moments to snapshot the whole affair.      "Truly a magnificent sight," he observes, "Imagine, an untouched, unlicensed ruins. Although..."      Landon sighs. "Legally, we aren't permitted to go in there. We could be expelled. Or...well, killed." 

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''     Cirra rejoins everyone on the deck of the ship wearing the appropriated swiming suit.     It is more straps then it is solid pieces. the fact that somehow maintains modesty is probably magical in nature.     "This will do. Though next time I'd appreciate some warning that we're going swimming."     "We also have a legal ability to do the initial survey and report the location. So long as we don't enter the ruins themselves."     The Judge dives into the water. Shivan's aren't known for swimming, since all their water is frozen, but Cirra does pretty well. 

:'''{{#var:538|Hero Prinny (538)}} has posed:'''     The Hero Prinny, as if on cue, immediately can be seen swimming towards the ruin, with a giant fish bowl on his head, litterally trying to go deeper into the mysterious ruin with obviously lots of gold!     "Reincarnation here I come, dood!!" 

:'''{{#var:676|Akurusu Yami (676)}} has posed:''' Akurusu Yami looks back at Landon and the others as they appear... He looks at the beautiful, crystaline ruins in front of him. His interest seemingly waning until he gets told he's not permitted to go in. "...eh, you only live once." He starts heading towards the ruins... 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason has no issue with being soaked, she seems pretty happy with that all things considered and she looks over at Kyra with a grin on her face. "Your looking good Kyra!" 5R She pulls a phone out from somewhere and gets a photo, befoire she makes for the ruins. 

:'''{{#var:642|Landon al Cid (642)}} has posed:'''      The Prince surreptitiously takes a shot of Cirra. As the Hero Prinny goes running, Landon groans and strips off his shirt, then dives in after him and Akurusu.      Law Cards are waterproof. 

:'''{{#var:647|Noiela (647)}} has posed:''' Noiela twists round, loosening her hold on Quentyn the moment he begins to struggle in order to fully lean and drink in the view of the crystal ruins, its beauty to be glimpsed in snatches amongst the shattered shards and vines aiming to smother the multifacted 'scales' that glimmer so promisingly. Kyras ensemble causes her to shiver, drawing the heavy folds of her coat closer together, responding automatically to Landons observation with a quiet "Indeed...to think, what treasures lie within kept safe by walls that have stood the test of time...w..." Trailing off, she points to the receding Prinny. "Permission to borrow one of your suits...one that covers the body fully?" Then everyone begins to rush in, she decides modesty is overrated and deliberately glossing over the shirtless image engraved into her brain, sheds coat, undercoat and boots in a flurry of activity to dive in, but not before curtly ordering Quentyn to cast Float. 

:'''{{#var:575|Ayako Hasekawa (575)}} has posed:'''     Ayako smiles softly and hops over the railing of the boat and... there's no splash. And then walks over to the island. That is, she walks on the surface of the water as if it were solid. Why yes, she still is dressed in her uniform. She softly sighs dreamily as she walks over to the beach. "Aahh... such wonderful water." 

:'''{{#var:635|Quentyn Westwind (635)}} has posed:'''     In his haste to get away from the whole situation, Quentyn, still in his full kit and complete clothed, climbs up the railing while aether's already gathering around him... probably to cast Float? But, at the last second as Noiela orders the spell, it's directed to her instead.     Unfortunately, it's a dud! She'll float for a second or two before coming back down to... well, whatever she's over.     This probably gives Quentyn slight pause at trying the spell again on himself. 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' Landon goes shirtless and Cassie is temporarily significantly distracted. On the ship, Lyndon goes :| at his daughter. "Hey, no further than the beach!" She shouts at everyone. 

}}

1319/Barbed Conversation

2015-01-13T08:48:20Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/01/12 |Location=Galianda |Synopsis=Cassandra Dolet and Souji Murasame have a talk. |Thanks= |Cast of Characters=627, 671 |Tinyplot= |Tinyplot2..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/01/12
|Location=Galianda
|Synopsis=Cassandra Dolet and Souji Murasame have a talk.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=627, 671
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' Nighttime at Alexander Academy was more of a 'suggestion' than frequently enforced, unless you were a guy sneaking into the girls dorm or interrupting Landon al Cid (applies if you run into Cirra Constantine only, to be fair.) Also being a good ninja (and as part of the practical applications of not getting seen/getting caught; thanks teachers-) Cassandra Dolet was fond of creeping out of the dormitories at night to head out to the quad area, even now in the cooler months of the year, not that any month isn't Comfortable to any student that may come to Alexander Academy. Sitting out at one of the fountains in a suit that no student has ever seen her before, Cassie has a few books spread around her, a state of the art magitechnology computer device, and either a bunch of homework or the accounting books. Hard to tell at this point. She is ... not being particularly quiet, either, either because she knows the patrol routes of anyone coming through or due to confidence in her abilities. Who knows? It's mainly notable that she's singing a sea shanty softly. Friggin' Levitani. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' And then you run into someone who doesn't follow patrol routes and comes and goes as he pleases. He does not hide his approach. To be stealthy is to be ashamed of your actions. He walks forward with purpose and dignity, stopping to stand over Cassandra and looks down at her with a measured, studied gaze. "Dolet." The name is spoken in greeting, the inflection giving a note of acknowledgement as one of the speaker's peerage, something offered precious few on Chocobo. Those who speak with him out of business operations know he prefers to remain conservative of word when possible, letting subtle shadings of tone speak for him. But the fact remains that Souji Murasame is standing in a dark plaza, looking down at Cassandra. 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' It's almost like the patrol routes are the only thing Cassie is worried about. "Murasame." She doesn't even look up. She flips a page in her book, in the papers on her left, and then types something rapidly in the computer for a few seconds, before it comes to an abrupt, beeping stop as she realizes what she said and *who is standing there*. Cassie looks up, slowly. "... Murasame." She says. The inflection in her voice is a tinge of surprise, but also an acknowledgement of the rank and title of the person she's speaking too. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' There is a nods as Cassandra replies to him. His expression is still intent as he observes her reaction. "I was not aware that you preferred working outdoors here." His tone is curious, perhaps even probing. "I would think a comfortable desk would be more suitable." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "You are correct. A desk would be more suitable." Cassie replies. "However, I do not like being inside much. I am fond of being outside, and here, by the fountains, is calming and relaxing for me, even if the light is problematic." She adjusts her seat, continuing to do her paperwork around her words. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' It's at this point that Souji looks up, over at the fountain as she speaks of them. There is a short pause, and then he replies, "I can see how the flowing water would be to your liking. The trip home must be too long for a daily commute?" 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' Cassie tilts her head up, actually looking at Souji as she considers her words. "No." She says calmly. "But my father is not home all the time. It is lonely there without him. At least here, even if it is not home, where the waves beat upon the sands, I have my friends. I go home to visit with father when I can." Her voice has a gentle, sad edge to it, but she doesn't labor on the point too much. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' "I see." Souji does not press the point. He is cold, not a douchebag. To her. "If I may inquire, what are you working on?" he asks, indicating the computer and the papers with an inclination of his head. 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' That's almost scary. At his question, Cassie silently offers up a piece of paper. Upon quick reading, and then a closer glance down, Cassie has business maths homework going on. Strangely appropriate for her, although she certainly wasn't taking any sort of class like that previously... which explains why to Souji it might be very easy work, but to her, requires one AM homework runs where she won't get disturbed. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' Souji looks over the offered papers with a glance, and then hands them back. "I see you are adding to your courseload." He comments without rancor. "Are you sure you will be prepared?" He asks, his tone not mocking, but inquiring. 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' Cassie shakes her head the briefest bit, but says, "Yes, I think I will be prepared." Nonetheless. Kind of two things at once there, Cassandra. The dancer leans back against the fountain, throwing one arm over it languidly so her fingertips dip into the water. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' Souji looks on impassively as she gives her answer. "I am concerned for you. You were not prepared for the situation and now you are having to catch up from behind. It is a great burden to manage in such a short timeframe." He sits down on the edge of the fountain, looking out across the Academy grounds in a dignified manner. "There are many changes coming in the air. Unusual situations and events never before seen. The order of the places we love are going to be disrupted, changed greatly." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "I thank you for your concern." Cassandra says very politely. She actually does sound thankful; which might be strange, all things considered. "I am doing my best to bear this burden, and I think I am doing well for it. Perhaps not traditionally so, but..." She watches where he's looking, her eyes also gazing out at the darkened Academy. "Correct. Many of us are doing well adapting with the change. Others... are not." 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' There is some silence as Souji seems to consider what next to say. Everything is peaceful with the silence of the flowing water and the competent Ninja and Thieves prowling around the dorms. "Do you believe the Shivans are going to go to war?" He asks. "And how do you think the Academy will respond?" 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "I believe war is being planned, and it is not a pleasant thing that will happen, if it does occur." Cassie answers, honestly. She spots some of her fellow ninja classmates, gesturing slightly to let them know they need to shape up a bit. "I believe that Alexander Academy will remain as neutral as they can be, as we are a collection of students and teachers from every plate... Kamon's Odin, Levitani, Ramuhan, Cirra's a Shivan... and everything else inbetween." 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' "Hmm. We'll see. The Light Warriors have a habit of meddling." Souji grimaces at that. "What are your feelings on that.... club? Surely you don't believe that they are prepared for what they are doing." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "The Light Warriors are a unique and interesting group who have unique methods that have nonetheless caused many interesting things to happen, some bad, some good." Cassie says, neatly sidestepping his actual question. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' "I see." Souji says, frowning again. "You don't want to get involved in the dispute. I suppose I can't blame you." He stands, then, and looks back at Cassandra. "Very well. In that case, I should take my leave from you, Dolet." He looks away. "We all have much to do before we rest." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' Cassandra stares at Souji, smiling slightly. "There is no dispute, I think. The Light Warriors do their own thing, unless you are wishing to petition the Headmaster to shut them down, in which case, I wish you much luck, Murasame." She looks down. "You are asking barbed questions. What is your intent in the extraverse, Souji?" She drawls his name softly. 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' Souji pauses, and looks back to Cassandra. "As always, to utilize the resources and contacts possible in the Multiverse to benefit the Murasame Family to the fullest extent. Through the Family, Galianda will be enriched much as they always have." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "Now that's a 'pretty' answer that isn't an answer at all." Cassie drawls. "Thanks for the insight, though, Murasame." 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' "Unlike yours, the details behind mine are on a need-to-know basis. Why would I reveal our movements like that?" Souji looks (and sounds) irritated at this point. "I would have thought you would understand such a thing, Dolet." He turns away. "Study hard, Dolet. You will have much to adapt to in the future." 

:'''{{#var:671|Cassandra Dolet (671)}} has posed:''' "Oh, no, I found exactly what I wanted, thank you - well, you told me what I wanted to know." Cassie reassures him. "Thank you for your words and kindness, Murasame. Have a wonderful night." 

:'''{{#var:627|Souji Murasame (627)}} has posed:''' He stops again, and turns back to Cassandra. The irritation he revealed is gone, behind the stoic mask he wears almost all the time now. "You are welcome." He says smoothly, and bows to Cassandra politely. "I wish you a pleasant evening as well." It is at this point that he finally takes his leave of Cassandra, letting her get back to her work. 

}}

A Thousand And One Memories (Illya Von Einzbern)

2014-12-14T18:04:45Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2014/12/14 |Location=Fuyuki City - Kiritsugu House |Synopsis=Christmas is a special time; and Illya plans on remembering all of it. |Thanks= |..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2014/12/14
|Location=Fuyuki City - Kiritsugu House
|Synopsis=Christmas is a special time; and Illya plans on remembering all of it.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=641
|Tinyplot=
}}
It stands on Illya's desk, a simple, somewhat strange however circular device. One night, unable to sleep, she leans over and turns it on, watching it click through something - namely, her life that she wished caught on camera. '''''tick.''''' The latest image is massively chaotic, started in the middle of something, with Sella standing over a kneeling Emiya Shirou, something close to rage in the maids eyes. Shirou himself is nursing what looks to be like a nosebleed as Illya's voice can be heard; "H-hey, Sella, don't hit him again--" It's possible she doesn't realize it was turned on. '''''tick.''''' The next image is a half-quirked view, half of Leysritt and Illya on the couch, the TV screen showing a magical girl anime. Phantas-Moon, perhaps. The two girls are enjoying a bucket of something that is probably popcorn. '''''tick.''''' The device clicks back to the first memory - "Thank you papa!" The white-haired girl cries, before the figure of Emiya Kiritsugu, sitting on the couch, is seen enveloped in a hug. Strange, that it is the first memory, until it is looked at again and the wrapping and package, the sure signs that this was a Christmas gift, are visible in the background. The most precious memory is often the first.

Came Through The Fire (Jeanne d'Arc)

2014-08-09T23:00:40Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2014/08/09 |Location=Akita |Synopsis=Shizune helps Jeanne find a church, so she may fulfill a very important need. |Thanks= |Cast of Character..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2014/08/09
|Location=Akita
|Synopsis=Shizune helps Jeanne find a church, so she may fulfill a very important need.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=536
|Tinyplot=
}}
... Someday becomes somehow 
... and a prayer becomes a vow

A talk with Shizune and a introduction to the world of the internet saw Jeanne frowning, due to the lack of a nearby Catholic church. However, Shizune promptly explained trains, and found out that there was a fairly easy transfer from Akita to Morioka, and thus the pair set off on a pilgrimage.

Jeanne was fascinated with the ride in and of itself. Having never ridden anything but horses in her lifetime, she prowled up and down the empty train car they were in, stumbling a few times thanks to the motion, before she finally sits down back next to Shizune for a few minutes. Jeanne seems a bit awed at the speed of travel, before turning back.

"It is very pretty." She says. "Thank you. This is important to me."

That might be a understatement.

The walk from the station to the Church is also filled with information, Jeanne picking up bits and pieces before they come to the gate. "Ah... please." She says, looking at Shizune. "I might be awhile. This is... important, to me. I do not wish to keep you." Whether Shizune sticks around or not, Jeanne moves towards the door oft he church, before crossing herself, murmuring something softly before she enters.

She has found another outfit to wear, a long black skirt and matching boots with a comfortable top. Shopping was interesting for her, and probably funny to everyone that was with them. As such, she enters the church with nary a glance or two from the various others in the room, striding up the aisle quietly before she comes to the place just before the altar and sanctuary.

Jeanne kneels there, quiet in her thoughts for a few moments. Tears come to her eyes. A visit to a place of the true faith, which she had not been in since before her captivity, as she was not permitted to leave to go to Mass, has moved her, and the woman shakes a little bit as she bites back a small noise. She doesn't want to break the sanctity of peace that has fallen upon the others, and she is overwhelmed.

Jeanne's head bows, and she closes her eyes as she starts to pray. She is there for what feels like minutes to her, but is actually a proper hour. What she talked about, she will never tell anyone but Him, and when she stands, it is with a almost noticeable aura of relief. She looks around the church for a few moments, before a young Docent comes up to her, quietly offering her a few objects.

Jeanne takes them with care, before noticing that it is a small rosary, a cross, and a Bible (in Japanese, of course.) She looks at the docent for a long moment, words failing her, before she curtsies as she normally word, whispering a single word of thanks. Holding them tight to her frame, Jeanne moves to exit the church, fingering the rosary between her fingers.

She has once again prayed and given herself to God. Now it is time to settle on her path forward, and help her new friends out, by giving her blessings, her faith, and her hope to them, so that they will not falter, and they will not fall.

She is Jeanne d'Arc, the Maid of Orleans, and she has fought through the fire and flames, and refuses to give up once more.

370/Friends In The Faith

2014-08-09T22:56:37Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/08/08 |Location=Akita-954 <954> |Synopsis=Jeanne d'Arc invites some of her new allies to come meet her in person. |Thanks= |Cast of Characters..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/08/08
|Location=Akita-954 <954>
|Synopsis=Jeanne d'Arc invites some of her new allies to come meet her in person.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=6, 346, 369, 482, 535, 536
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      Jeanne d'Arc was evidently popular.      The saint has slowly walked the streets of Akita, faithfully memorizing where her home... that is, Shizune's place... was, so she would not get lost. After a few frights and scares, she's managed to find a small, out of the way park, where the very confused Heroic Spirit takes a seat on the grass. She has forgone her sword at this time, out of a courtesy and her own personal honor. She is not hard to find.      Jeanne does let everyone know where she is. She expects people will want to come visit her, and as she is not yet comfortable exploring the multiverse, has invited them over. 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      The King of Knights was certainly not going to complain about travel to a much warmer location than D�n Re�lta�. Temporary home though it may be, it was /cold/, hardly the ideal setting for a certain newly-made lord to recover from over five years worth of physical and mental wounds. The previous time she had made a social attempt for Bedivere, it had ended with a bit of disaster, and so Arturia was a tad reluctant to do so again...at least, when it came to planning something like a c�ilidh. However, this time it could simply be said that the two Knights of the Round Table could represent their part of the Union welcoming committee.      For it was a rather unusual occasion to meet a saint, one that they could hardly pass up.      But beyond that, it had been fairly clear that Jeanne was as lost as Bedivere had been, in many respects. And that had kicked her knightly side into overdrive, and by extension, Bedivere was probably feeling much the same, not to mention more than a little empathetic. In all, as good an excuse as any to get him away from work for a little while.      Dressed in her business attire of a black three-piece suit, gloves, and tie with a grey dress shirt and brown loafers, the Servant Saber of the Fourth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki City led her loyal marshal to the appointed place. it was fairly easy to spot the young Frenchwoman, given the nature of the location.      Rendering a proper knightly bow upon her arrival, Arturia hailed her politely as one knight to another, with a faint smile befitting a proper knight. "Greetings, my lady. I am the Servant Saber of the Fourth Holy Grail War. By the dictates of chivalry, I name myself as Arturia Pendragon, King of Britain. It is an honour to make your acquaintance." 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' Much as the king he serves, Bedivere arrives not as a knight in shining armour (in reality his armour is somewhat scratched and scored, and quite a bit dented still, having seen quite a lot of practical use), but in a three-piece suit not unlike that worn by the Servant Saber. Unlike hers, his is more of a charcoal grey, as are his gloves; his dress shirt is grey, but his tie is the same soft blue-grey as the mantle of his knightly cloak; his loafers are polished black. It probably wouldn't do to show up here in mediaeval attire. Bedivere likewise bows, but his is much more stiff and slow, and something about the movement seems as though he's trying to be careful. His right arm is tucked tight against his side as though it pained him, and the thin set of his mouth suggests the same. Still, he straightens once he's shown the proper respect, perhaps following his king's example. She is, as a saint, perhaps one of the very few he would kneel before that were /not/ his king. "And I am Sir Bedivere of the Round Table, also of Britain." It isn't what he actually says, but the multiverse seems to translate into something sensible to all involved. His voice is soft, so soft that some had once mistaken it for a woman's, and his presence seems likewise mild and unassuming; likewise, his hair is long, gathered back in two meticulously half-braided queues, while longer portions frame a face very slightly angular. His left ear bears a round red stone stud in it. In spite of his broad shoulders, he does not seem much a warrior or a knight, by appearances alone. Fortunately, appearances are rarely trustworthy. It seems he's trying to watch Jeanne without actually staring, for that would be rude, but he has never before seen a living saint. She is after his time, or he would have known of her; but she certainly seems unassuming, and certainly has the proper bearing for such a calling. "The honour is mine," he murmurs, head inclining politely. "I thank the Lord God for the opportunity to make your acquaintance, my lady. If there is aught you would wish of us, we are your humble servants." Only not, you know, Servants. He's pretty darned mortal. It's only proper to offer, though. The Knights of the Round were as attentive to clergy matters as they were to the secular... as is proper. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' He'd been sitting there prowling around the place getting the feel for the layout, when Jeanne d'Arc announces that she's at the park. "Hey, someone new just invited people to visit her. Jeanne d'Arc. I'm not up to date on my history, you know, on account of being busy fighting for our lives, but isn't that..." Ziggy comments to his rev morpher communicator. He was close enough to the vicinity that he could walk over, thankful he could remember the general direction of things. Besides, he'd been in this park earlier, hadn't he? "It is safer for all concerned if you remained ignorant," Dr. K replies over the morpher, safe in Corinth, as she keeps an eye on his readings. "Oh come on, I should know..." "Hush up. Just do what you do best." "Prattle on and make conversation? At least you -acknowledge- I can do -something-!" One could practically feel the eyeroll from the rev morpher as Dr. K replies, "That you have a modicum of ability to make foolish running commentary, I have no doubt. Whether it will extract anything useful, Ranger Green, is debatable." Opening his mouth, Ziggy decides to just not pursue that line of thought any further. Instead, he hops over the bench, rather casually where the Frenchwoman is, and seats himself, attempting to apply rule of cool by stretching his arms across the back of the bench and putting his foot on his knee. "Hi! So you're as lost as I am, right? Name's Ziggy Grover. I've heard about you. And uh... Arthuria. Wow, you sound a lot like Sir Gawain, only I would have sworn King Arthur was less... you know... shaped like..." Hands go up to start a gesture, before there was a loud cough from the morpher. "Uh, right, right, alternate universe?" "Very good, Ranger Green," Dr. K says flatly. Perhaps she -didn't- need to build in a Pavlovian electric charge into the morpher, after all... 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe had actually brought some modern clothing that would fit herbody in this form for a very good reason. IT also helped to have a friend such as Frederica. So here she was far less of a diversion however the Salmander would still stand out from being over six feet in height she was a very tall lady. For the moment her ears did stand out but that was about the best she could do at the moment. She seemed casual enough as she comes upon Saber and Jeanne. She looks a bit nervous but she speaks up after she's certain she's not going to distupt Sabre. Also there's several round table knights and a saint here, Tomoe is feeling very tiny today all things considered. "Good day, I'm commonly known as Tomoe." She doesn't even use the title/nicknam she'd ended up with in SAO and ALO. She looks over at Ziggy and looks at him for a moment, she wasn't sure what to make of him. 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      Jeanne stands, then turns. Simply put, she bows back to Arturia, although it's a slight more of a curtsey considering her armored dress. "Greetings, Saber of the Fourth Holy Grail War. I am Servant Saber of the Fifth Holy Grail War, and I name myself as Jeanne d'Arc, Maid of Orleans." She turns, doing that same respect to everyone else. "Greetings, Sir Bedivere, Sir Grover, Lady Tomoe. It is a pleasure to meet you all in person." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      A mild expression of surprise flickered across Arturia's face. "Fifth War, you say? Most curious...in the time-line I had found myself in upon finding myself in the multiverse, the Fifth War had been concluded."      Arturia clasped her chin between her thumb and index finger, her habitual gesture of thought. Her eyes flicked to Bedivere; this was likely a quirk of the multiverse he had yet to encounter, as well. She really didn't fancy giving him even /more/ headaches, but better that she ease him into it now rather than stare in horror as some other oddity presented itself over the band. "This would probably be a good time to discuss the rather peculiar issue of alternative time-lines, where differing versions of events happen in what would otherwise be the same world."      She crossed her arms, contemplating. "As of this moment, there appreat to have been several different Holy Grail Wars occurring at different points in time. Some Servants, such as myself, are no longer competitors in it. For others, it would seem their own respective Wars are either ongoing or have yet to begin."      Saber regarded Ziggy for a moment, briefly internally debated relating at least something of the story of just why history had remembered King Arthur as a man. After a second, she decided that it was best left for another time. "It...is a rather long story." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe actually looks a bit intomdated by Jeanne and all these round table knights. She wonders what Saber means about the a long story she won't pry however unless the ruler of Camelot wishes to share. "Knights of the Round Table, Saints, this is I admit a lot to take in I admit." 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' It seems there are quite a number of Grail Wars! And quite a number of Saber-class Servants among the Union, too. In spite of the confusion, the silver-haired knight seems to be taking this reasonably well, and by his thoughtful expression, he may in fact be wondering if he shouldn't make himself some kind of chart to keep all the variables straight. Blood and damnation, that's a lot of Servants, Wars, and divergent timelines. His right arm remains tucked at his side, hand absently holding the elbow of his left arm; his left hand rises to tug absently at the bloodstone stud in his ear. It seems a gesture of contemplation, as much as Arturia clasps her chin between thumb and forefinger. "Mmn." It's a sound of vague agreement, perhaps acknowledgement, but he seems not to have much to say. It was always his way to observe. Violet eyes flick to Arturia, though, when she mentions her disinvolvement in the Grail War. That may be truth, but he can only hope that the other Servants believe that. It wouldn't do to be drawn into the conflict when neither Servant nor Master had any interest in it. Such would be a war well beyond his formidable knowledge of tactics, and on some level, he knows it... He simply shifts his weight, standing at Saber's left side; the position of the loyal aide-de-camp. Honestly, if one didn't know better, they might assume that the quiet, obedient Bedivere were the Servant, and the regal Arturia the Master... 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' Whatever Holy Grail Wars were, Ziggy knew nothing of, and Dr. K wasn't volunteering information, judging by the blissful silence coming from his morpher. That Sir Gawain had apparently brought him to a place full of holy knights and talking cats... well, this was -fantastic-. The look Tomoe darts at him has Ziggy looking down at himself, uncrossing his legs and lowering his arms to his side. "Well, long stories are excellent," Ziggy responds to Arthuria, holding his hands up in a 'whoa there' gesture. "But, you know, speaking as a newcomer to this whole... multiverse concept, it's like pouring a whole bucket of water onto someone's head. All it does is just get the person wet and it doesn't improve their disposition. So, uh... since you put out a hello and an invitation, I'm guessing you're not looking for answers?" 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:''' "I believe it is the Fifth, as that is what the Grail has informed me." Jeanne says with a nod. "My Master attempted to summon me last night, but unfortunately, there were red-team Magus' that were lying in wait, and the injured him very badly. He would not have been able to sustain both of us, so Assassin of Black did some -- surgery, I suppose the word is, and bound Lady Nakumara as my Master."      "This is a -- concept, I suppose, of a ... multiverse...?" She asks, hedging her words carefully. She has a soft French accent, and speaks French which the Multiverse is translating happily. "I see. I have had to ask my Master to explain many things to myself already, as I seem to have lacked the normal Servant capability to understand the timeline I have come into, as well as the language, but she said that the Multiverse made up for the second."      She then looks at Ziggy. "I have many questions. Some of them you all cannot answer, and I have already put them up to god in my morning Mass and prayers." She responds, simply. "I do not understand this radio, and prefer to have many conversations in person." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Arturia listened, nodding slowly. "Hm... Assassin of Black...I believe that would be...Jack?"      She had encountered the former terror of Whitechapel two times previously, though the second time she was fighting alongside the Assassin rather than against her. And their mutual opponent had been Arturia's own homunculus 'son', no less.      "It is a great deal to take in, admittedly," she conceded, glancing once more at the knight beside her. She did frown in puzzlement, however, at the revelation that Jeanne lacked the usual information that even the British Saber had been granted. "That is quite strange...all Servants should have had some knowledge of the era into which they are summoned, as well as the language of one's Master. it is most fortunate the multiverse possesses this translation effect."      She paused, contemplating once more. "There is a great deal to cover, and even the best of Masters could not divulge it all in a single day."      She bowed again, her right arm to her chest, hand over her heart. "But we of the Union, and the Knights of the Round Table, shall do our best to assist you in this. Ask of me anything; I shall do my best to answer." 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' Bedivere seems unconcerned, regarding the others somewhat obliquely with violet eyes half-lidded. The shadows under his eyes help to paint the picture of a man desperately overworked and under-rested, and it may seem like he's just zoning out... but in reality, he's paying very close attention. Now that he bears that mark on his left hand, it would behoove him to pay attention to these matters. The War of the Holy Grail is not a conflict fought amongst thousands on the battlefield as he may be used to, but more like a game of chess, relying on anticipation and cunning. Fortuantely, he is a frighteningly good chess-player. Keeping ahead if a hostile Servant were to target Arturia would not be beyond his means, though it would require all of his concentration and cunning. Situational awareness, misdirection, underestimation; anticipation... using those skills honourably are his only real advantages in such a situation. He has no hope of standing toe to toe with a Servant, and perhaps little hope of even facing a hostile Master on even terms. So he must make his own advantage. And in this case, knowledge is power. All that to say, damn straight he's listening, even if he looks exhausted. "She is correct, on that point," Bedivere offers softly, to Jeanne. "My king and I speak what some of you would call... Welsh, I think, but we are not misunderstood. But it does not encompass all things. The written word is not included. I can make no sense of things written in the modern era," he admits, with a sigh. His arm drops, both folding over his chest. Rather than standoffish, the gesture seems simply one of contemplation, with the way his head tilts slightly. His focus returns to Jeanne when Arturia delivers her promise; his head bows, eyes momentarily closing. "Indeed. It is our duty to assist those in need of such. Similarly, please; ask of me anything, have you need of an answer, though my king is much more knowledgeable in the matter of the War of the Holy Grail." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "Wait, so everyone speaks different languages," Ziggy interrupts, holding up a finger, before he begins to wrangle his hands. "But the multiverse translates it all?" He tilts his head, before looking back at Tomoe. "It's strange, though... I mean, I hear these things, I get that they're talking about people I probably haven't met, but I'm having a hard time understanding why people do not understand radio. It's just a way of talking over long distances, right, Doc?" There is silence. "Doc?" Ziggy begins shaking his wrist, tapping the morpher. "Hello? Anyone there? K? Doc K?" A frown, then, and Ziggy looks up with wide eyes. "Um... well, I guess I'm going to have a lot of conversations in person for now. So... Saints, knights... and you?" The last statement is addressed to Tomoe. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "Well that's fornate for the launaguue issue. Even if one's used to a time period that may seem more advanced? I found there's always another to make one's home look like your banging a rock and flint together to get fire. She pauses for a moment. Yes Jack the ripper, that had always made Tomoe /squirm/ a little bit and feel more than a little dread but so far nothing had happened. So she's just going to leave things at that and maybe one day buy her ice cream. God only knows if that will happen or not. "I know the feeling, but have you seen some the people who are from worlds where they can play around with matter, go faster than light, or things along that line? "I'm just a lady who got stuck in a death VR game." 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      "Yes, that would be Jack." Jeanne says with a nod. "I am unsure how people deal with names 'round here, not that I see the point in it, but... that is not necessarily here nor there." She gives a low sigh, before she gives a slight nod to Saber. "This is true. I am not sure why such a thing happened, but I will take it for what it is. I have given myself to God, and he shall guide me."      "It is alright, Sir Bedivere. I cannot make sense of writing even in my own era." She informs the knight quietly. "The only thing I know how to do is to write my own name. I had aides and the like that I could ask to write for me when I dictated. I was a peasant - as the word goes - so I was not formally educated like that."      She then turns to Ziggy.      "I was born over six hundred years ago, thanks to the math that someone was able to do for me. In my time, we did not have such things. If I wanted to speak to someone who was far away, I'd either tavel and speak with them, or in cases like myself where I cannot read or write, someone would write a letter for us. Do you understand that? You grew up with such things. I grew up following the faith of God and learning how to be a housewife. A meal I can cook, and I can knit with great skill, and with the blessings of God and the visions of his angels and saints, I turned the tide of a war behind."      "I know nothing but what He has given me to see, and what my mother has taught me, and the little of what I have learned so far. Do not wonder why people are confused, especially when one Lady Saber has explained about multiple time- time lines? and worlds." Jeanne says this extremely softly, her voice warm. "I will be confused for awhile. So be it." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      "Speaking on my own behalf, I was quite careful, at first," Arturia mused. "My own War had ended, but I was, due to some unfortunate circumstances, rather cautious."      She flicked a glance again to Bedivere -- she was sure he would want to know the details at a better time -- before the sea-green eyes returned to the Maid of Orleans. "I maintain some reserve, though in truth, it is probably unnecessary. At least, among the Servants of the Union." In fact, the only reason she had really maintained her caution with the Saber of Silver was because the other Servant had maintained hers.      The King of Knights nodded her assent. "Indeed, my lady."      From what little she could remember of what knowledge had been imparted to her by the Holy Grail, the Holy Maiden had been a simple country girl, just as Arturia herself had been. However, she had been trained and educated by her adopted father Sir Ector, alongside his own son, Kay. In retrospect, it was a rather curious education for an abandoned bastard girl, though she hadn't realised it until her ascension. Once more, her eyes turned to her marshal; the both of them had a soft spot for the common people; and the knight himself had once been a commoner.      Saber nodded to Ziggy. "That is correct, yes. However, the radios are not as common a device as you understand it." The Servant paused for a moment, trying to think of an example, though the best she could come up with was an aspect of their own world. "For example, if your world does not possess magic, I would gather you might find even the most common of spells to be strange, perhaps even unnatural. But for us of the Holy Grail War, magic is what we are, in essence."      And that fact had demanded a lot of patience on the part of her marshal, who distrusted such things on account of her tutor, a most mischievous of wizards. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe says "You left quite the legacy either way Jeanne, and that's a decent way to look at things I think. I'm just nothing special really, it's strnge to hear first hand accounts that we now only have surivoring records to go off I admit. You have a good point Saber, my world doe snot have magic at all, there are no super humans, nothing even like what Ziggy there can do. I and the few like me are abberations caused due to the multiverse and nothing more." 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' As for the marshal, he stands patiently at Arturia's left side, listening in silence to the matters being discussed. Some of the details elude him, such as the time Arturia spoke of. He briefly meets her eyes in silent acknowledgement. He would not have asked her the details here, in any case. He's silent through the other Servant's speech, at least until she confesses to be of common origins. Something in those violet eyes softens. Bedivere, himself, had once been a commoner. Worse yet, he had been a foreigner in King Arthur's court, from the D�l Riata kingdom, northwest of Camelot. He can understand perhaps being viewed through an unsavoury lens; few had afforded him the time of day, and what he had earned, he had earned by his own tenacity. "Would you like to learn?" Those violet eyes settle on the Frenchwoman, and his offer is quiet, spoken just as softly as the rest of his words; softer, perhaps, as though sensitive over any shame she may feel over her lack of education. "I am lettered, and out of necessity learned such skills, that I might better serve my king. I am fortunate enough to have had the education of a noble, but I too am of common blood, and I would be honoured to offer you tutoring, if you should wish it." Well, not quite, as the fili were a step down from royalty and a step up from the lowest classes, but he isn't necessarily lying. Bedivere had never had a very high opinion of himself, at least not when it came to the social strata of his day. The bards and storytellers of D�l Riata were not nobility, however well-respected they may have been in the bounds of their own kingdom. Still, his offer is given quietly; he would not intrude on the conversations of the others. He is quiet and unassuming, which would certainly not surprising at all to Arturia. It was always his way. He even manages a faint half-smile to Jeanne, as though sympathetic to her situation. He had been lost adrift in the multiverse not so long ago, himself... 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "Magic... really?" Now Ziggy's eyes goes wide, before he tilts his head to the side, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish as his hand goes up to make a 'wait-a-minute' gesture, before his hands shakes about. "Whoa. And I thought the stories about Excalibur were just, you know... legends. I mean, there's nothing magic about Jeanne d'Arc, but Arthur..." Bringing his hands to his temples, Ziggy mouths, "Whoa. Do you know what this means? Magic's real -here-!" Mind. Blown. "So, can you do magic tricks?" Ziggy asks, as he makes a gesture with his hands, and then produces... a fake flower out of his hands, which he offers to Jeanne. "I mean, real magic, not this." 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      "It seems my own war has just begun." The Maiden replies to the King of Knights for a soft moment, flicking her own violet eyes to meet Bediveres' for a few minutes. It's a good thing they don't share the same hair color, too. She gives him a smile, her first one since she got summoned.      "Thank you very much for your offer, Sir Bedivere." She bows to him again, as a show of thanks. "I am sure that He has granted me this path so that you may help me learn His teachings even further. You are a blessing, and I greatly honored to accept your offer."      There is a mention of magic and witchcraft and Jeanne stirs, an uneasy look in her eyes. She looks at the flower, then at Ziggy, her mouth tightening. "I do not do /magic/." She says. The last word comes out like a curse, Jeanne lifting her head proudly. "I swore myself to Him, and gave my body to God, so that I would not be accused of witchcraft as well as heresy." Whoops. That's a can of worms. 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Arturia was not surprised that the gentle-hearted Bedivere would offer to teach the Frenchwoman reading and writing, a fact she approved of and nodded her assent. That is, if he could manage to get enough rest between that and his other duties, in which case she would have to step into that role, which she didn't mind either. Jeanne might not have been one of her Knights of the Round, but she was the King of Knights and therefore felt somewhat responsible for fellow knights, especially holy ones. At least, now that she was no longer a participant in Heaven's Feel, anyway.      Saber went back to regarding Ziggy with a shake of her head. "Excalibur very real...it is a holy sword, bestowed upon me by the Lady of the Lake. However, it would take too long to explain what it is to me as a Servant...at least, for now."      Hmm...it seemed the Holy Maiden was wary, and for good reason. It would probably behove Arturia to try to defuse the situation. "Magic is not really the proper term for it, as it is rather superstitious. It is a holy power, the very life-force of the world itself granted by God. We Servants possess bodies formed of this holy power, and we are capable of feats far beyond those of mortals. As Sabers, we are among the strongest of Servants. And among Sabers, Dame Jeanne is among the most powerful; her holy power is without peer."      Like Bedivere, the humble Maid might chafe under such praise, but there it was. Honesty was, after all, one of the Eight Chivalric Virtues, even if she was forced sometimes to obfuscate the truth on occasion. 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' "You are most welcome," the quiet knight responds, inclining his head in humble respect. Truly, to be offering some kind of help to another Heroic Spirit, and one who is a living saint? "The honour is mine. But... please, good lady; you do me too much honour. I serve. No more than that." As expected, he chafes under the praise given to him, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Bedivere falls silent when talk turns to witchcraft. He is of a slightly more open mind, thanks to the workings of Merlin, but he is not much more trusting. He would never let his life depend on such a thing. Better still to rely on the oak and iron of a kite shield, or the solid steel of his blade. He does not presume to add anything to Arturia's explanation, either; while he may have knowledge of such things, he is merely her loyal bodyguard and servant. Of the non-capitalised variety. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' That Ziggy has no real idea what is perturbing Jeanne d'Arc can be traced back all the way to that world history class he failed, before everything went to hell when Venjix attacked. So when Jeanne d'Arc gives him that -look-, and swears that she has given her body to God, Ziggy's face falls. "But it's only a magic trick. Look, see..." Hand moves, and the fake flower disappear, only to re-appear. "See? It's only sleight of hand. I don't mean to insult you or anything." Ziggy's expression now takes on a hang-dog look. And just to add the extra kick to the hang-dog expression... The flower wilts in his hand too. 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      "... Mmm." Jeanne says, uncertainly. She knows what she does is not magic. She, however, accepts it as Saber has phrased it; when it is a gift from God, after all, one cannot truly argue it. So instead, she slightly bows in acceptance of her words and explanation, trying to keep her face calm so she does not start protesting that all she is doing is God's work.      (She does that a lot.)      She flicks Bedivere a look as he goes and chafes under her praise like she just did, before shaking her head slightly. "My apologies, Sir Grover. I have... had a hard lfe with people accusing me of such things as heresy and witchcraft. I do nothing but follow the words of my God and His saints and angels. May the Archangel Michael and Saints Catherine and Margaret look over you as they have so guided me." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe looks at Ziggy for a moment nearly wanting to put her hed in her hands somewhere in another Japan? She may actually be facepalming and not even aware her real body is doing this. She just looks to Ziggy and stares for a moment. "Err Ziggy you might want to back off there." she's lookign quite ... umm nervous, hey it's not too public but Sheena is Catholic and this is ... quite umm the odd situation for her. Though at the mention of meer mortals she kinda shrinks back a little bit. She knows what she really is after all. "Her drive and faith is still well known centuries later on my world." Shje looks at Ziggy for a moment. She knows he doesn't mean any harm but he's hit a hot button. 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Crisis averted for now. Still, there was much work to be done. And that was when it occurred to Arturia; she had recognised the name of Jeanne's Master. "Ah...pardon me if the question is too bold, however...did you say that your new Master is Lady Nakamura? I believe you would be her second Servant, if I remember correctly..."      And the last Servant Shizune had, Saber did not envy her at all. The Holy Maiden would certainly have been far preferable.      Certainly, she never would have genuflected at words spoken by the insufferable and arrogant King of Heroes as she had at Jeanne's piety. "So say we all." The words were in a language that the three knights and Tomoe needed little multiversal translation for, the tongue of their Church: Latin. 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' "So say we all," Bedivere echoes solemnly, in Latin. His words are soft, though, and may even be missed over the words of the others present. He makes little effort to be heard, and does not raise his voice; he has no real need to. He falls silent, though, glancing sidelong when Arturia asks about Lady Nakamura's previous Servant. Curious indeed. Honestly, he seems happiest when he's out of the limelight. 

:'''{{#var:369|Shizune Nakamura (369)}} has posed:'''     The city of Akita has only a small population of supernatural beings, but they do live in this city; there are about nine of them in Shizune's school alone, so it's not impossible to find them here and there. As a result, while a French-speaking foreigner in strange armor is looked at with some curiosity - especially when she's surrounded by a handful of other foreigners in a public park - she is probably not bothered overmuch.     Those present may even hear murmurs including the words '...that Nakamura girl?...' now and then as people pass.     But it is a far more familiar voice that answers Saber. "You remember correctly," Shizune calls out, her own form of greeting. Dressed comfortably in a set of loose-fit clothes, she looks as if she's been out jogging. "My apologies for being a little late. I was visiting my dojo. Welcome to my city, all of you." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "Oh well..." With a flourish, the flower pops back up, and then is offered to Arthuria. "I promise you, that is not witchcraft. But a good magician should never reveal his secrets." A bright smile crosses the face of the wild-haired young man, before his attention shifts towards Shizune. Oh... finally! Someone who dresses just about normally. "You're from around here?" 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      "Yes, Lady Shizune is around ... somewhere? I believe she might be available soon." Jeanne then pauses, and then smiles again, as she murmurs the words, "So say we all." In soft Latin with the two Knights and Tomoe. She then looks up and over.      "Lady Shizune! I am sorry if I should not have invited them to come visit me, but I was not sure how... to... go anywhere else." Jeanne looks slightly embarassed at this. At least she can admit her embarassment! She's clueless!      Poor Holy Maiden. 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Arturia rendered another proper knightly bow to Shizune. "Greetings, my lady. And I thank you."      When she straightened, however, her otherwise faint smile turned subtly sympathetic. And she would certainly know to whom the King of Knights alluded. "It gladdens me to see that you have taken in a much more pleasant Servant."      Drat. For a split second, jade eyes darted to her marshal. While she had ranted a little about Gilgamesh before in his presence, he still had yet to learn of the full extent of a rage she reserved strictly for the golden Archer.      Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she considered something else, looking back at the other Saber again. "Have you both had the opportunity to purchase clothing appropriate for this era?" 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' Bedivere looks up, his focus suddenly somewhere further distant as he focuses on the surrounding crowd. No, not the crowd itself, but someone's approach. His senses are honed; observation was his singular greatest skill in Camelot's courts, and it serves him well even in the multiverse. Violet eyes flick sidelong as he hears footsteps approaching, followed by the voice of Shizune Nakamura. His head twists to regard her as she joins the gathering, and even as she approaches, his eyes never quite leave her. So, this is the one who had borne another Servant? It seems anyone involved in the War of the Holy Grail is reason for Bedivere to suspect them; but perhaps that is to be expected, given how concerned he seems for Arturia's personal safety. There are other reasons, of course, but that is perhaps the msot obvious. Bedivere is a guest in her city, and he is bound by Brehon Law to show every proper courtesy. He can remain watchful, but he need not be uncivil to do so. Keeping his right arm folded against his side, he inclines forward in a formal bow, though the faint twist of his mouth suggests the movement pains him. "I greet you as a guest in your city, Lady Nakamura." His voice, however, remains even. Thus bound, named as a guest, he would be helpless to raise arms against her even if she did prove to be treacherous -- but something tells him he need not worry. Arturia doesn't seem tense, therefore, neither is her loyal knight. He catches that look from Arturia, but the way his eyes slide away, returning to Shizune, is a simple enough answer for her. /We will speak on it later./ The silver-haired knight shifts his weight, which may or may not be a thinly-veiled excuse to shift a little closer to the shorter knight. Little gestures, perhaps, but Arturia might notice that he seems slightly uncomfortable, flexing his left hand and absently rubbing at the top of it. 

:'''{{#var:369|Shizune Nakamura (369)}} has posed:'''     "You have nothing to apologize for," Shizune replies to Jeanne, first and foremost. "As long as you're my Servant, this is your city as much as it is mine. There's more than three-hundred thousand people living here, after all." Then to Saber, she gives a bow in greeting. "Of course. It's always good to have visitors." And to Bedivere in turn; there's a pause as she listens to his greeting, and perhaps surprisingly, she bows in response, a deeper and more formal gesture for a more formal exchange of words. "And I welcome you as a citizen of Akita, sir." She seems more than distantly aware of the unspoken promise the knight has made.     Ziggy, however, gets a more curious look, tinged with amusement. "I am, yes. Shizune Nakamura. I'm a member of the Union. I don't think we've met." 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe is pausing iat the Latin and she only knows snippies without the multiverse. It's been several generations since a Pope came out and made it so mass was said in the local lanuage of the region of where the Mass was held. So it's kind of a lost thing to her. She's somehow semeing small even when she's over six feet tall. She looks top Shizune and smiles a bit at her. "Thank you for the welcome Shizune." She looks to Sir Bedi for a moment longer. "Shizune I think this is the first time we have met in person. Well kinda of given I'm not entirely really here." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' Checking his rev morpher for a brief instance to see if Dr K was still listening or if she'd shut him off in a fit of pique, Ziggy's attention shifts back towards the others. They're -extremely- polite. So very polite. Huh. Chivalry wasn't dead. Then again, it was more like it time-travelled to the future, so to speak. Being uncertain who the newcomer was, and given that his magic plastic flower hadn't been accepted by Arthuria, he instead spins around and offers it to Shizune. "Ziggy. Ziggy Grover. I'm a visitor here. Sir Gawain brought me over here when I, uh, had a teleporting issue." 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      "Yes, I had... thought you had a second Servant before I, Lady Shizune, but I did not press for details. They were not one from the same Grail War I am participating in, were they? Might I inquire as to whom?" Not that Jeanne is going to know /who/ Gilgamesh is, even with the stories of who he is in her day and age, but... it'll help when people start making references.      This done, her violet eyes flicker back to Arturia and then over to Bedivere for a few long moments, reading their faces, and while most knights can do a pretty darn good poker face - can't let your fellows know that 'dang, that arrow to the shoulder really hurt' - she does understand some subtle things, like the way he shifts closer. Jeanne hmms, tapping her chin with a finger for a moment. "Ah-- shopping? No, no we have not. This is what the Grail provided me with." She admits. "Normally, I would try to make my own clothes, but I am not sure my methods from so long ago would be so well." She steps closer to Shizune herself. 

:'''{{#var:482|Sir Bedivere (482)}} has posed:''' Although he's doing his best to listen, the silver-haired knight is hard pressed to ignore the growing discomfort in his side. Perhaps a Servant may shrug off a near-mortal wound with little to no problem, but he is not a Servant; he, alone among the Round Table, is a mortal man. And being mortal kind of sucks when an angry bard tries to shove a greatsword into the vicinity of your ribs. He's lucky it wasn't a lethal blow, but the end result is that even now, so long after the fact, it still troubles him a great deal. That, and pushing himself so hard to finish repairs in the castle he had had uncerimoniously dumped into his lap... Bedivere is fading, and Arturia is sure to notice that. Perhaps surprisingly, he takes another half-step closer to her, glancing down at her as though he were trying to signal for her attention; a silent entreaty. He's in pain, and the idea of going somewhere warm to lie down for a while is an attractive notion. Also, if he tells her about it before it becomes more of a problem, she won't embarrass him in public fussing over him. Win! He dips his head beside her, murmuring something into her ear, very quietly. Enough so that the others wouldn't notice the content; though it's obvious that he's telling her /something/ in a conspirational manner. Straightening, and still clutching his right side, he offers a slightly strained smile to the gathering. "Please accept my apologies. I... must be going, but I should be honoured to visit with you soon. My lady, you are welcome any time in the lands I have been made steward of, and I should be honoured to offer you tutoring; please, do not hesitate to contact me. But for the time being, I must beg my leave." He offers a faint, abbreviated bow, and the twist of his mouth suggests that he'd be bowing more deeply if it didn't hurt. "Good eve to you all." With that, he moves to take his leave, setting off somewhat stiffly in the direction of the nearest warpgate. 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Arturia understood Bedivere's concerns well; even if he were not her new Master, the two shared an almost preternatural method of communication where spoken words were unnecessary. It made the two knights a deadly cohesive unit both on and off the battlefield. Hence, she caught his unspoken statement fully. She wasn't exactly happy to have to think about Gilgamesh again -- explaining just how insufferably *lewd* he had been would be bad enough -- but more so given that the violet-eyed knight was probably not going to take it well.      She suppressed a reluctant sigh, though he would easily catch that reluctance. /Very well./      Likewise, she could easily notice that those persistent injuries were taking their toll. While she wasn't going to fuss at him in front of others, she would have to find some way to politely excuse themselves so she could help him limp back home to rest. Fortunately, the marshal took care of that problem with about as much elegance as one could hope for in their situation.      One final smile and knightly bow are offered to those present. "It was a pleasure," she added. "I hope that we shall meet again in the near future. Keep yourselves well."      And without further ado, followed shortly after her marshal, making sure he could maintain his dignity to the warpgate. 

:'''{{#var:369|Shizune Nakamura (369)}} has posed:'''     "I believe you're right," Shizune replies to Tomoe, before bowing to her as well. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Ziggy gets another nod, and a warm, "Welcome to the city, then. If there's anything I can help with, let me know."     To Jeanne, she nods her head lightly, her expression growing somewhat sour. "I did. Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. A Servant of the Archer class. He caused me no end of vexation, I can tell you that." She lets out a faint breath. "But at the very least, he meant me well, in his own extremely arrogant way. I..."     It is here Shizune trails off, because Bedivere is asking their leave. "It's quite all right. If you ever have reason to be in Akita again, I'd be glad to have both of you as guests." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "Well, making your own clothes can be a lot of work. I mean, really... needles and me don't get along, and trying to put that thread through the eye..." Shaking his head, throwing his whole body into the shudder, Ziggy winces sympathically, before patting Jeanne on the shoulder. "Finding a tailor can be a little tricky, but I'm sure when you have the multiverse to pick from, you can probably find -someone-. Maybe, uh... hopping through one of these gates, there's got to be like..." Making a hand gesture that roughly looks like he's trying to describe -someone- from 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy', if such a thing existed in -this- universe... "Maybe it'll work for you?" "Ranger Green..." a voice crackles over his morpher. "Doc! You're alive!" Now Ziggy clutches his wrist like it's a lifeline. "What happened?" "I was tending to the other Rangers. And please do not subject Jeanne d'Arc to your unique fashion taste." "Right. So how do I get home, Doc?" "... weren't you listening when they were explaining the warpgates?" FLASHBACK: "... and this is how to use the warpgate to return home." Ziggy... is busy looking at the giant robot going "So let me get this straight, you -don't- have to have a little girl at the keyboard to let you -morph-? Boy, you are -so- lucky..." "...Um. No?" "... how do you -manage- to remember to breathe?" "Um... I have to get going, guys," Ziggy manages a smile, and a wave of his hand, before he starts running for the warpgates, in a considerably -less- dignified manner than the people before him. 

:'''{{#var:536|Jeanne d'Arc (536)}} has posed:'''      Jeanne knows the sign of pain, and she allows Saber and Bedivere to get further away from the group, before she turns. "One moment, please." She requests of her master and the rest before she then moves to catch up with them, gesturing them to stop for the briefest moment. "Please. May I?"      She takes a deep breath, then gestures from Bedivere's head to his chest, then from his right shoulder to his left shoulder. "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, may He watch over you and make your healing swift." She then murmurs something into his ear alone, before she breaks back to the group. Perhaps she shouldn'tve stopped him while in pain, but - part of what she did was for that.      She comes back, then looks at them. "Good by, sir ... Ziggy." Then she turns to Shizune.      "I'm hungry." Oh no. 

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:''' Tomoe looks at Ziggy as he depart and sdhe wves to him. however as Jeanne seems to say she's hungry. Well that's something she cna do for her. "Hungry? I can cover a meal for you if you like." No she has no idea what she's in for, no idea /at/ all. 

}}

A Singing, Flying Blade (Tsubasa Kazanari)

2014-07-25T22:51:49Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2014/07/25 |Location=Symphogear Earth |Synopsis=Tsubasa Kazanari has a discussion with her idol manager on her meaning as a blade in life. |T..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2014/07/25
|Location=Symphogear Earth
|Synopsis=Tsubasa Kazanari has a discussion with her idol manager on her meaning as a blade in life.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=489
|Tinyplot=
}}
Shinji Ogawa leaned against the wall outside the dressing room that read 'KAZANARI'. "The producers from Hollywood called again." The sandy-haired suit-wear comments, adjusting his glasses idly as he looks over the paperwork he holds in his hand.

There's a almost exasperated sigh from the room itself, before Tsubasa's voice can be heard. "I've already told you this once, Ogawa-san, tell them 'no!'. Even with the Union's assistance with fighting the noise, I cannot risk being out of this city for that long, even with ..." Tsubasa's voice falters. "Even with Tachibana-san assisting with the power of Gungnir."

"As you wish, Kazanari-san. However, speaking of Gungnir..."

"I am aware, Ogawa." Tsubasa says shortly.

"You are?"

"Of course I know where I am performing, who do you think I am?" Tsubasa asks gently as the door opens, the teenager gently adjusting the large white flower and ribbon around her one little bit of hair that hangs over her head. "Come, let us go. The wings that fell at this place will once agian rise." Tsubasa briskly walks past Shinji, drawing on a pair of off-side gloves, both fingerless, one just going to her upper arm and the other ending around her wrist.

She is, of course, in blue, white, and sparkles.

Shinji tosses a microphone at her, which she catches without blinking, twirling it around in her hand for a few seconds. "So. Are we going for this live practice, or not?" She asks, as a woman scurries past them pushing a rack full of outfits very similiar to the one she's wearing, including a piece with a single angel wing spanning from the right shoulder.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Shinji Ogawa, one of the two (living) closest people to Tsubasa Kazanari asks.

Tsubasa turns to look at him. "I am a blade that bends in the wind. However far I bend, I will not break. However far I move, I will always return. However much I fight, I will not be dull, for that is who I am. Kanade-chan reminded me of that recently." Shinji quirks an eyebrow at the mention of a dead girl reminding her of that.

"However, I am a blade that is warmth. I am not cold. I am not going to throw myself into the Noise again recklessly. I know what Genjuro-san thought." Tsubasa says quietly, staring out at the wall as the two briskly head off, ascending stairs and winding through corridors until they come to a door marked 'STAGE ENTRY'.

"... I have found the reason to convey my feelings... and how." There's a start of music, and Tsubasa gives Shinji a not-often seen gentle smile. "If you'll excuse me?" She then steps through the door, and as it closes, Shinji smiles broadly.

"Shogyou mujou ya, ya ha-ye ze shoumetsu sou...~" Tsubasa can be heard singing as she flies her way forward.

http://youtu.be/pyQnL83_PLU

User:SpyPoet

2014-07-11T05:04:47Z

SpyPoet:

Dork. Been on MCM for 10+ years.

Currently played:
* [[Asuna]]
* [[Veiled Lily]]
* [[Metta]]
* [[Marie Mjolnir]]
* [[Yumi Musumi]]
* [[Tsubasa Kazanari]]

Former alts:
* [[Keolakupaianaha]] - Union OC
* Ichigo Momomiya from Tokyo Mew Mew
* Rinoa from Final Fantasy 8
* Rena from .hack//Legend of Twilight
* Shae - Confederate OC
* Natasha Romanoff from The Avengers
* Milfuelle Sakuraba from Galaxy Angels
* Dawn from Pokemon

Maintains the [[Scenesys FAQ]] page.

WMAT B2 Asuna vs. Sakura Kasugano

2014-07-11T05:03:27Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/07/10 |Location=WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes |Synopsis=Asuna and Sakura Kasugano face off in an epic fists versus blade both with magic showdow..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/07/10
|Location=WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes
|Synopsis=Asuna and Sakura Kasugano face off in an epic fists versus blade both with magic showdown in their second round in the B Bracket!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=9, 183, 374
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki comes in loooud and prooud over the speakers and the radio alike. "SAL~U~TATIONS again, friends from all corners of this rather sizeable slice of Creation! I, Mizuki, have just finished healing my throat enough to commentate on this, yet another match of the grand and gruelling Wooorld Martial Arts Tournament~! That's WMAT for short, but I believe more people know the acronym than the actual name! But I digress. TODAY, we will bear witness as the prodigal street fighter, Sakura Kasugano, dances to the near death - metaphorically speaking, most likely - with the brutally serene WHITE FLASH, Asuna~! Who will win~? Who will lose~? How will I continually find original ways to ask that same question as this tournament continues?? ALL of these curiosities and more will be answered if you join us in the questionably beautiful Spinach Wastes or radio channel 900.6~!" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' It's been a while since the last round, and Sakura's thankfully had enough time to heal up. It's a good thing too, considering that her opponent is from the same world, meaning the possibility for the same kind of wounds she took against Kirito in this round. At least the environment is nice and calming, green hills surrounding the entire arena as they wait for the fight to start up. Kasugano herself tries to keep her nerves down, her peppy j-pop theme playing her out to the arena floor as she does a few warm up punches into the air. Swallowing down a lump in her throat as the towel upon her head sways a bit with the breeze, the young street fighter climbs up, making her way to one side of the arena floor and waiting. She gives a few rubs on her arms and her sides as she remembers the sword wounds from her last fight, hoping she can be a little more...nimble this round. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna doesn't relaly walk down into the Spinach Wastelands - instead, she takes advantage of the beautiful way of the Northern WIlderness to fly in, her blue faery wings fluttering behind her as she sinks down to nearby Sakura. She lifts a hand to Mizuki in thanks for commentating, before she turns to Sakura, bowing slightly, a mark of honor from one fighter to another. "Greetings! Let's give it our best!" She says, simply. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "And here comes Miss Kasugano now, accompanied by a song! My, would I be right in assuming that is her personal -theme-? If so, then I must say, she has some class~! And certainly, she has the zeal to match its rhythm - just look at her, punching the air! There is probably no magic involved in those strikes, my friends, but if you concentrate hard enough you just might be able to feel their ~sheer force~ reach your cheeks all the way from the field." "But oh... ooohh~! It would appear Sakura's challenger is not far behind! Asuna soooars in, baffling us all before the fighting can even commence! Is that -magic-? Does she have invisible -wings-? Or is she simply flying on the force of her cool beauty alone? One can only guess wildly, my friends, and as your commentator that is preee~cisely what I am paid to do! But let us see... who will be the first to strike? Who will be the one to press the proverbial button that will make the metaphorical sparks fly~??" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' Smoothing her skirt out as she waits, Kasugano looks back over to the entrance door, watching for her opponent's arrival....at least until she realizes that Asuna isn't walking in, but rather FLYING in. "Ehn?!" Sure, she knows the physics here are kind of wonky, but it's still weird to see her opponent fly in. She doesn't remember Kirito doing the same...guess Asuna might have a lot more tricks that the Ansatsuken fighter will need to worry about. She tries to push down her worries though...she survived the first fight, so she can't be as rusty as she keeps assuming. Bending at the waist with her hands folded in front of her, she returns the bow to Asuna. "Greetings. Good luck to you as well," she says to the swordswoman, before she settles back on her heels. Trying to get herself comfortable, she finally puts up her classic Ansatsuken stance, one fist hanging down to her waist and another held at chin level, bouncing upon the balls of her feet. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Sakura gets comfortable, and Asuna reaches across herself, pulling out Lambent Light, the blue blade glinting in the sun as she takes a lightly poised perch. Her blue wings are flared out behind her, ready as she ever is, although she makes no move- The Flash is watching her, her blue eyes narrowed with focus. 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' Settling in and getting more comfortable in her stance, Sakura waits on both Asuna to get settled into her own ready position as well as some kind of sign for them to start fighting. After all, most fighting tournaments like this have some kind of start signal, right? Thankfully, Kasugano doesn't have to wait too long before she finally hears a signal, a long beep announcing the start of their match. Quickly, the street fighter rushes in, just like she did before against Kirito. However, rather than try to get straight in Asuna's face, she gives a great running leap, trying to sail over the swordswoman's head. Vaulting overhead, her hands are clasped together, aiming to double hammerfist Asuna in the back as she flies over. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "A buzz to sting our ears and deafen us all washes over the field! And that means the fight... has COMMENCED! Without a moment's hesitation, Miss Kasugano -leaps- into action... literally! Would you look at this in~credible acrobatic feet, dear viewers?? Her legs have the might of a flea's! And do you have ~any idea~ how powerful the legs of a flea /are/ my friends? Most likely not, but take ~ my ~ word for it: that similarities are incredible!" A gentle voice interrupts briefly to add, 'Mistress, I don't believe comparing the fighters to fleas is the best idea.' "... erm. FINE! -Not- a flea! She is a veritable LION on the HUNT as she soars over her enemy and delivers a swift hit to her back!" Mizuki quietly adds, 'Are you satisfied now?' and the other voice soon replies, 'Of course, mistress~.' " 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna vaguely heres something - there's the beep! She can tell when her opponent starts moving. However, Sakura is tricky, and Asuna doesn't seem to expect the sudden leap, darting forward with a quick blade flip, which brings her just over enough for Sakura to bring her fists down on her back, sending the breath out of her chest and knocking her down to her feet for a few seconds. Asuna wheezes after a second as things pop back into go - like more air in her lungs. Asuna turns around on her knees, lifting a hand in her air as golden Cyrilic-styled letters suddenly burn in the air around her, before something akin to alarge ice spear forms in front of her, which she flicks at Sakura with a simple hand motion. As it flies, she reaches for her blade and attempts to make it back to her feet. 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' The tricky opening vault with her Sailor Shoot is successful enough to give Sakura some confidence in the start of the fight. Especially with the range disadvantage she'll be facing, she needs to use the element of surprise as well as her quickness in arm's length to keep it up. Unfortunately, the strike wasn't going to be debilitating at all and was meant mostly to keep Asuna off balance. The assumptiong being a strike with the sword....which gets turned on its head when Sakura turns around and sees an Ice Spear being formed and sent toward her instead. "EEP!" she squeals out before the spear strikes out, managing to cut along her side as she finds herself too slow to dodge it. A stumble and a grasp at her side shows how much it hurt her, but she's not daunted yet, brushing the gash off as she runs up to Asuna again, this time trying to get right in her face and do what she does best: rapid chained attacks. A jab, a low kick, then a following roundhouse to the ribs are snapped out, hoping to be a little quicker than Asuna's guard can handle. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Miss Asuna clatters to the ground! But... but... she doesn't even have to get back up off of the ground to return Sakura's strike with one of her own! Upon the rich parchment of the ~air itself~, the Whiiiite Flash draws lovely foreign letters? Is this some form of magical summoning ritual? It... it -IS-! From nowhere visible to me, a massive spear of -ice- emerges! With but a wave of her hand, the swordswoman sends the daunting weapon in the direction of her foe! And... it hits her -head- -on-! Such precision! Such mystical dexterity~! But now all eyes turn to Sakura, awaiting her answer to Asuna's blasts..." "And naturally, she doesn't keep us waiting long! Not backing down even as the spear cuts a wide gash in her side, Sakura rushes up to Asuna and delivers a classical combination of the techniques this competition is known for: martial ARTS~! A hit, a kick, a roundhouse~! She is -RELENTLESS-, my audience! A monster in disguise! And yet, those strikes still manage to be as majestic as a dance, somehow...~" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna unfortunately has range thrice over on Sakura. From her wings, to her blade, and to her magic. Sakura moves in faster than Asuna can follow, causing her to gasp as she takes a series of jabs and a low kick. The roundhouse Asuna gets scraped by as she sucks her gut in and throws her weight backwards, still bruised enough to gasp as she backs away from Sakura. She holds her arms out again, Lambent Light pointing, as she chants again. The letters this time get a bit of a translation effect - it's something like... 'Rain of hail, come from water!' She holds her arms out then in an forward thrust, a circle of spell magic appearing in front of her as hail-like needles suddenly erupt from it towards Sakura. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "But Asuna... takes it! Cringing for but a moment, she soon finds her bearings, wisely putting some distance between her and her more distance-limited opponent! Then, once she finds the opportunity, she calls upon another spell! You can hear her as clearly as I can courtesy of the convenient local physics, can't you, my friends? Hail! Water~! It looks like we're about to see more... oh~! Yes, indeed! Needles of ice emerge everywhere! There's a veritable forest of them, all of them threatening Sakura! They dash in at once, several of them scraping across Sakura...! Oh, that looks -horribly- painful..." 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' Sakura Kasugano tries to keep up the pressure, seeing her quick close-up combos gain dividends. Unfortunately, her roundhouse only barely scrapes by, allowing Asuna to pull away out of the street fighter's operative range. Wincing as she still feels the wound at her side sting at her, she tries to follow up and pressure Asuna before she can try another spell. Unfortunately, the spell comes before Sakura can get in, the hail of ice needles striking her, one barely scratching her cheek, but the others striking into her shoulders and causing her to reel. Thankfully, the needles don't quite stick into her, even if the wounds remain. That makes it a little easier for her to push in. Slowing however, she has to settle for being in kicking range, dropping down to sweep her foot at Asuna's ankles and try to take the magic swordswoman off her feet. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Though even with shards of ice falling on her as if the ~sky ITSELF~ was falling down on top of her, Sakura preserves! From the chaos she comes, fists and feet at the ready! In another impressive dash, she closes the distance yet again, swinging her foot around the moment she's close enough in an attempt to put Asuna back on the ground! But will it...? -CAN- it...? YES! Miiiissss Kasugano's foot comes at Asuna as if it were a claw reaching from the UNDER~world~! This girl must not understand the concept of personal space! Or perhaps she does, and that understanding is part of what is making this impressive display possible? Who can -SAY-, ladies and gentlemen~? Not I~!" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna takes the hit, stumbles a few steps, then goes down face first, Lambent Light flying a few feet away from her into the grass. Asuna let's out a little shriek as she hits the ground face first with a muffled 'whoomph!', lying there with a slight groan for a few seconds. Unseen to everyone else, her eyes flick to the bars that only she can see- her HP read out and her mana points. Asuna rolls over on the ground, drawing her knees up to her rear end as her wings flicker out of existance. She lifts her arms, crossing them on top of her knees, chanting again. The magic takes form, before whirling up into the sky, the golden words spinning brighter and more together, before-- ka*CRACK!* 'By the clouds in the sky, thunder and rain!' 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Rolling out of the way and still fighting to keep her distance, Asuna begins to summon yet another Earth-shattering spell! What will it be this time, my friends? An inferno? A tornado? Perhaps an ~EARTHquake~? No, none of those! It's... it's...! My GOODNESS! Look to the skies, dear viewers! A gathering of terrifying clouds, black as night! Does this mean what I think it does? Because my Authorial Sense is telling me that Asuna has called upon the staggering power of --! LIGHTNING! A bolt of electricity ~crashes~ to Earth! But... where is Miss Kasugano? Don't tell me that strike -VAPORIZED- her? It couldn't! It wouldn't! It -- oh, heavens alive! There she is! It would appear that she was able to get out of the way in time to avoid most of the strike! Unfortunately, though, there was one horrid casualty all the same: just -look- at the poor woman's -hair-! The frizz! It's ~GHASTLY~!" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' Taking Asuna off her feet with that sweep, Kasugano tries to keep up the pressure, not wanting to give up the advantage she's got now. Even as she stumbles a bit with her side still giving her trouble, she doesn't stop running after the magic swordswoman. Even the lightning crackle doesn't daunt her, the bolt striking behind her and just catching her heel. The shock to her foot is more surprising than anything, but it does keep her from simply charging in wildly after Asuna, leaving a good few meters between her and Asuna. Rethinking her line of attack now that she's been brought to a standstill, she instead jumps in the air, high as she can, toward Asuna. Tucking her legs in, she thrusts them outward in a point, arms out for balance as she sails toward Asuna feet first...and then drops right in front of Asuna, trying to fake her out enough to drive a hard right cross toward her opponent's face. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "From the eye storm emerges Miss SAKURA yet again, not even flinching as LIGHTNING crashes down behind her! In spite of any pain she may be facing and the condition of her hair, she struggles onward! Yet again, she capitalizes upon the opportunity to come in close, but this time she proves that Asuna is not the ~ONLY~ one in this arena capable of flight! Sakura rockets into the sky, a leg held out! Is she trying to kick her? Will she...? NO! No, she lands -DIRECTLY- in front of her opponent, close enough for the their eyes to meet, and their burning souls to share their HEAT! But Asuna proves that she has reflexes on par with the SUPERNATURAL! She somehow manages to duck out of the way of Miss Kasugano's palm before it makes contact with her face! But where will things go from here...??" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna misses with the lightning bolt. She considers. Didn't she also miss Gough with that as well? Maybe she might need to ditch that for the rest of the WMAT if she gets out of here. Sakura jumps into the air, and seeing her come down in that dive, Asuna frowns then thrusts herself in a diagonal backwards and towards her blade. The feint nearly works if it wasn't for the burst of speed - Sakura's palm brushes past her ear and onto her shoulder. Asuna winces. For mostly dodging that, she sure packs a powerful punch. Finally, though, she grabs for her blade, and whirls around, settling into a pose. Asuna's blade glows a bright golden for a few second, before she runs straight at Sakura in with her rapier out - not aiming to stab at her, but aiming to slice past her at a extraordinary speed. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "It looks like Asuna is done running! After swivelling her head out of the way of her opponents punch, she rushes right back at her! Her sword glows gold, and...!" There's a brief pause. "My, is that a rapier? I do love rapiers. And the golden coloration she's given it really adds to its allure. I say, she really does have good taste, doesn't sh --" The voice from before speaks up gently. 'Mistress. The fight~.' Then, as if emerging from a daze, "A-Ah. Yes. Her blade is beautiful, but more importantly, observe the elegance as Asuna speeds past her foe! Her sword skates across another of Sakura's sides and Asuna ends on the opposite side of her. My, how exciting...~!" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' The big right cross Sakura tried unfortunately only brushes on Asuna as the swordswoman jumps back. Clearly trying for a big single strike probably wans't as good as a follow up as it could've been. And with her body committed to that big strike, she finds herself off balance enough that Asuna's able to line her up, and do a rushing stab across the street fighter's side, sending her back as both her sides have been gouged and slashed open now. "HIIIghhhh!" Reeling back, Sakura finds herself not really able to muster up her earlier speed, and with her opponent some distance away now, that means she might be at the mercy of both sword and magic now. She's really only got so many options from this point now....and unfortunately, predictable as it might be, she has to lean on one at this point, hands cupped at her side. "Haaa...." Gathering up a small ball of blue energy between her hands, she doesn't let it grow too big before thrusting her hands forward, a small softball sized sphere of blue chi racing toward Asuna at a quick clip. "-DOUKEN!" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "But with those two massive wounds on either of her sides, Miss Sakura will be hard pressed to close the distance now? But still, that's what she -- wait a moment, wait a moment! What is this madness?? What is she saying? Is that some sort of magical incantation too?? I swear, everyone and their relatives -- BWAH!" Pause. "I... my friends, I don't quite understand what just transpired! Was that -magic- that Miss Kasugano just used? Or was that pulsing blue mass sheer, concentrated WILLPOWER? Possibly both? Emotions are frequently called magic, after all! But the sphere of whatever-it-is bursts forth at a breakneck pace! There's no way that Asuna can dodge this, is there...?? Ah! If there was, she didn't capitalize on it! The Haaaa-do-ken ball connects with Asuna, bringing another considerable helping of agony...!" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna's a gamer. She understands the concept of hadoken, because magic, willpower, it's all very familiar to her. Therefore, when Sakura reels back, she watches Sakura gather that energy, and her own blue eyes grow wide as she suddenly flails at a control, her wings bursting into sight and taking to the air - seconds too late as the hadoken takes her in the chest, sending her reeling backwards, skidding to a stop in her metal booted feet. "Hrmph." Asuna flips Lambent Light out again, the blade pointing at the ground in a diagonal angle. she takes a series of swift steps, almost like she's flash stepping as she approaches Sakura. She then darks to the left - but then really feints right, stabbing in a series of swift thrusts at her chest before she sweeps back downwards at her legs. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Even after taking that wicked blue ball to the chest, however, Asuna will not be swayed! She uses the ground to bring herself to a skidding halt, before gripping her blade once more! She step, step, steps up to her opponent in some sort of bizarre walking pattern that would surely be enough throw off yours truly... before she -THROWS- her whole body to the right, delivering a flurry of strikes to her opponent! And yet... and yet...! Somehow, Sakura -AGAIN- manages to move out of the way of most of the strikes! Thankfully for Asuna, several hits -do- connect, but will it be enough to keep Miss Kasugano from retaliating...?" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' It might have been a good thing Sakura used her smallest practical Hadouken, the faster ball of energy managing to catch Asuna just as the swordswoman tried to fly out of the fireball's path. That gives Sakura an opening to push in, moving in at a much slower pace than she did earlier thanks to those big slashes on her side, not to mention the needling she got earlier making her bleed even more uncomfortably now. With her slower advance, she's forced to be a little more aware of what her opponent does, since she can't simply try and attack first and interrupt. That does help a little thankfully when Asuna tries her own charge in. Tensing up, Sakura holds back, watching the feint but managing to recognize which way Asuna's true attack is coming from. Reeling away from the thrusts, a few of them manging to slice up her arms a bit, she's able to leap above the finishing sweeping slash at her legs, immediately retaliating with a spin out of her leg. The rapid rotation of her body with her foot extended outward, she tries to batter the Swordswoman repeatedly through the entire arc of her jump. "SHUNPUKYAKU!" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Evidently not! Sakura comes at Asuna like some sort of human helicopter! 'Shunpukyaku', she shouts as her legs whirl around, delivering punishing kick after punishing kick! And all but one of the strikes connect painfully well! But Asuna isn't done for the count yet, not even close my friends! You truly have to commend her for her endurance -- she may appear delicate, but she must be a veritable BULWARK to withstand so many assaults from the savage street fighter...!" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Shunpukyaku? That sounds painful. Then Asuna is hit with it, and it is painful. After a few seconds, the series of leaps and the spin out of the jump batters her repeatedly, before it finally results in Asuna being sent back onto her butt again, wings fluttering behind her as it helps her keep her balance. Badly bruised, although not bleeding (due to the more concussive rather than slicing or stabbing nature of Sakura), she stumbles to her feet, the magic swirling around her again as she gasps for breath, leaning on her blade. Then she lifts up a hand, and... well, you know those giant laser cannons? It's like this. Only it's a giant *water* cannon - aimed directly at Sakura. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Sakura just isn't going to let Asuna make it back into the air! But when fighting up close gets to be too much to handle, the White Flash always has her fallback -- magic! Yes, I can only assume that's what those flickering, beauteous lights around her mean! They swish, they sway... only ceasing to respond to the raised hand of their user! And then, it all gather together, to -- my GOODNESS. Certainly, this plume of water shall prove once and for all that the fists of the martial artist that stands in opposition to her are not the only things that can bruise! For so, too, can this angry force of nature! This..." Deep, dramatic breath. "WATER CANNON~!" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' Kasugano's version of the classic Hurricane Kick does its job, thankfully, knocking Asuna away and leaving Sakura on her feet as she lands, but just barely as the collected sword wounds still frustrate her a little and make it hard to keep steady. As such, when the water cannon suddenly sprouts up, Sakura just isn't quite able to pivot away. She doesn't take it full out, but it hits her side on enough that she ends up knocked back to the ground, spinning all the while and rolling across the plain with a groan. Pushing herself up a little shakily, she looks up to Asuna from her crouch. The distance is a problem now, and those spells are even more problematic this far away. Cupping her hands together, Sakura seems to charge up and prepare another Hadouken, just like last time. "Haaaaa...." There's a telltale crackle of blue energy....before it suddenly disappates, the street fighter suddenly turning and seemingly sliding forth on one leg, the other sent out in a rapid side kick she learned from a certain mech pilot. "SAKURA KIICK!!" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "But Asuna's small tsunami was not yet able to knock the sailing ship of of Sakura's determination off course! She lands, preparing another of those magical spheres! She charges it up, and... releases! Er... wait a moment. That didn't just... fizzle out, did it? You've got to be kidding me! Is she too tired to - oh! Oh, gracious! My viewers, that wasn't a failure on Sakura's part at all! Rather, it was a FAKE OUT! In one beautiful, fluid motion, Miss Kasugano slides toward her opponent and delivers a bone shattering kick with a... ahem. Fairly curious name! But alas, her now officially trademarked ~Sakura Kick~ does its job in earnest, connecting to leave the already worn down Asuna with yet another bruise!" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' The distance. Asuna wants to keep her distance, even if it's only a foot or so. Any more, great, any less, oh god no. She hauls herself to her feet, still shaking slightly as she tries to watch Sakura coming. THe kick - she then dives to the side, delicately going onto one foot. The kick connects - and it sends her spinning, which she quickly regains control out of with her other foot and wings. "Haiii!" It's the closest thing to a war cry Asuna has as she dives in with the most simplest, but dangerous attacks: A single trio of flicks. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki syas, "With that kick, Asuna goes spiralling out of control! But she swoops! She spins! And eventually, she is able to right herself! No sooner has she got her bearings than has she... released an uncharacteristically loud screech! A... battle call of some variety? It certainly appears to be, as it precedes yet another impressive dive! Her wings outstretched, Asuna falls from the sky as a comet crashes from the heavens to deliver another swift blow to Sakura! And this time, it connects! Not just one, not just two, but THREE swift strikes, my dear audience~! They land solid hits, giving Miss Sakura even more cuts to contend with as she fights on...!" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' The Sakura Kick hits, but not as solidly as hoped, leaving Sakura plenty open for retaliation when Asuna pivots from the attack and starts lashing out with her thin blade. Arching as her back is carved up by the trio of flicks, Sakura cries out as she's covered in gashes again. Squeezing her eyes shut as she tries to block out the pain, she turns over to Asuna. Her moves are clearly getting sluggish at this point (with little wonder considering how many cuts opened up on her body at this rate). But she's thankfully close enough to keep up the attack now and hopefully finish this before she gets into any further trouble. A short dash toward Asuna comes, right fist tightened as she ducks in, then rises up, that clenched fist thrust into the air and trying to uppercut Asuna straight into the air with her. "SHOUHOUKEN!!" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "But with grit to match her opponent at least, Sakura takes the slashes! She stands strong as her body bleeds crimson~! Can any of you imagine the stinging? The throbbing? The immense -pain- that both of these warriors must be in? And yet, they fight on! For glory! For the joy of battle! And for -YOU- dear audience, and. For. You! Let them hear your cries of joy! Let them know how much you love them, appreciate their eternal struggle for strength...!" There is a sudden rise in the crowd's cheers, becoming just loud enough to make a rather bizarre buzzing sound happen over the radio. "-That- is the -SPIRIT-~! Now, Sakura CHARGES her opponent, fists CLENCHING, eyes narrowing in visible expression of willpower we can hardly CONCEIVE OF! She throws her fist out with another noble shout, and it knocks Asuna into the air...!" 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna is happy Sakura is getting sluggish. that's mean, but it means it might be easier to watch her telegraph. However, it's still not enough to help when they're within short range distance of anything. Shouhouken? Such strange words - but they hit, and she takes an uppercut, going flying into the air and backwards a bit, her wings automatically flaring out to stabilize her as the wind gets knocked out of her. The fairy swordswoman is wheezing by now, her chest a bevy of hurts especially considering how much she's faceplanted, been knocked around, and lost her wind today. However, she doesn't give up. She summons the last of her strength, running her hand down the length of the blade, where it starts glowing that same shade of white/gold again as she strikes a pose. Then Asuna dives back in, faster than she ever used before, using the last of her enegy to activate a extreme Sword Skill, but this series of five consecutive thrusts in a star shape against Sakura - they're not just the rapier. Instead, each thrust is also sparked with the light of holy fire itself, the element of the sun, and of life, bound into her blade, to create a neutron of life for an attack. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna drops to her knees after the Sword Skill stops processing. When she sees that Sakura is still sanding strong, she lays Lambent Light over her knees and sighs heavily. "I yield." 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki says, "Asuna does a FLIP in the air in response to Sakura's strike, but even now she's able to right herself! Panting, wheezing, battered, and bruised, she stares down her opponent and runs her hand along her sword! It... isn't having any immediate effects, dear viewers! Will its effect be delayed...? I suppose we will just have to wait ~ and ~ see! Asuna dashes in again, slashing and thrusting in what appears to be -some- variety of significant pattern! If my Authorial Sense is right - and it always is, of course! - this attack is going to be something BIG! Yes... YES! Her sword FLARES with the indignation of HEAVEN, the purifying, righteous flames of Gods pulse across Asuna's cold steel...! All of the strikes come together to create some sort of... bizarre anomaly that I can scarcely PERCEIVE, let alone COMPREHEND! Truly, if this is to be Asuna's final strike, it is wonderful...!" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki pauses for a time... before speaking again. Her tone is detectably more somber than it has been. "... but alas, dear audience, it was not to be. Asuna's final attack is charged with the essence of her soul, and it shows in every ray of light and fire that we in the audience had the privilege of seeing. And yet, just once more, Sakura has the deft reflexes to avoid the brunt of the blast. And... it would appear that, with that, Asuna has had enough. Resting her sword arm, she yields honorably to Miss Kasugano. This means that Sakura is the victor, but let none here tonight forget how awe-inspiring each competitor was here this night. For every time Sakura was able to come hit Asuna with her fists of steel, Asuna stood strong. And for every martial arts technique, there was likewise a blade of ice or a deft strike in return. Truly, congratulations to both of you. And to Sakura, good luck as you proceed to the next round~!" 

:'''{{#var:374|Sakura Kasugano (374)}} has posed:''' The Shououken hits home, knocking Asuna for a loop, but at the same time, leaving Sakura to worry about the drop back down. Falling into a crouch, the jarring landing reminds her of just how much she's been cut up right now, a sharp gasp of pain as she forces herself back up to her feet. At this point, instinct is taking over, and it's all she can do to keep focused on Asuna when that rapier starts to glow. The pentagram shaped thrusts pressure Sakura, but despite her wounds, she manages to find a way to deflect the fierce strikes with the backs of her gloves, holy fire meeting chi as Sakura's instinct manages to push her energy to her fists enough to deflect most of the blows, the holy fire still managing to since her arms as she blocks. When the assault is over, Sakura backs off, huffing for air and looking desperate. She doesn't know how damaged Asuna really is, much the same way Kirito didn't quite show his damage....but before Sakura has to rack her brain for a response, Asuna...concedes? Sakura looks a little dumbstruck when she hears Asuna yield, eyes widening and her stance slackening, as if not sure if she heard it right. However, when the official signal is heard, Sakura ends up falling back on her butt, gasping for air and in relief. "That was....too close..." she says to Asuna, straining to push herself off her bum and extend a friendly hand to the swordswoman. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna concedes. She doesn't want to be knocked out. "That it was. Neuron's tricky to land too - even if the blade connects, the magical power is... tricky. I'm not exactly used to it, so it can be really epic, or, as you saw tonight, it can be a bust." Asuna says, taking the hand and shaking it. "Thank you for the fight." 

}}

Scenesys FAQ

2014-07-11T05:01:40Z

SpyPoet: /* Posting A Scene */ - mistyped a command

So you want to use the scenesys! Good! That's fantastic. It's a wonderful way to keep everything logged and it makes everyone's life a lot more fun because we now have open access to logs to read in case someone takes a emergency vacation in the middle of a major TP!

So, there are four things to the scenesys: Scheduling a scene, starting a scene, posting a scene, and not-always coming up but important other parts of using it.

Notably: '''A 'pose' is defined as anything done, while active in a scene, the scene itself being active as well, and having more than 10 'words' in it.''' If your pose does not follow these guidelines, then it will not be caught by the scenesys!

== Scheduling a Scene ==

There is a very important trio of things to remember when scheduling a scene:
* First and foremorst, the scenesys '''presumes the servers timezone'''. The server is on CDT - Central Time.
* Secondly, whenever you schedule a scene, '''it is always scheduled in 24 hour, or military format.'''
* Last but not least, is that '''everything is required-''' whether it be the title or the description.

==== Basic Scene Schedule ====

'''+scene/schedule/add Month/Day Time Title=Description''' 
Example: +scene/schedule/add 07/13 20:00 Mother's Rosario=Asuna takes a group of people on an adventure in Alfheim Online. This schedules a scene at 20:00 CDT (8 PM CDT, 9 PM EST), on July 13th. 

==== Scheduling A Scene With A Location ====
1) Move to the room the scene will be in 
2) '''+scene/schedule/add/here Month/Day Time Title=Description''' 
Example: +scene/schedule/add/here 07/13 20:00 Mother's Rosario=Asuna takes a group of people on an adventure in Alfheim Online. So, if I scheduled this while standing in WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert, it would schedule a scene at 20:00 CDT (8 PM CDT, 9 PM EST), on July 13th, to be held in the WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert.

When you run these two commands, it will come up with a Scenesys Message that states where you can find it on the schedule, and what the scene number is. You will need the scene number to reschedule or delete the scene.

==== Rescheduling A Scene ====
'''+scene/schedule/reschedule ID=Month Day Time''' 
Example: +scene/schedule/reschedule 97=July 14 19:00 - This reschedules the scene example above for July 14th at 19:00 CDT, so 7 PM CDT/9 PM EST.

==== Deleting A Scene ====
'''+scene/schedule/del ID '''
Example: +scene/schedule/del 97 - When you run this command, it will pop up going 'Schedule ID <ID> has been removed from the system.'

== Starting a Scene ==

Starting a scene requires nothing more than this command: '''+scene/create'''. You do not have to do anything more at this moment, and it's best to keep things simple.

== Posting A Scene ==

First and foremost, make sure everyone is done posing. Then do the following: 
1) '''+scene/finish''' 
2) Take note of the scene ID. This will have been announced at scene creation and in the headers. Alternatively, yo can check +scene/mine/finished for the ID number. 
3) '''+scene/title ID=title''' - IE: +scene/title 97=Mother's Rosario 
4) '''+scene/desc ID=desc''' - IE: +scene/desc 97=Asuna and a group of others has an adventure in Alfheim Online! 
5) Go to the wiki. Make sure you are logged in. 
6) Go to http://multiversemush.com/scene/ 
7) Find the title of your scene. Click that. 
8) Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the log. Click 'Submit Log To Wiki'. 
9) When it loads on the next page, hit save! 

== Other Things ==

==== Pausing A Scene ====

To pause a scene, type in this command: '''+scene/config ID/scene_state=1'''. This moves the scene from Active (0) to Paused (1).

==== Continuing A Paused Scene ====

To continue a paused scene, simply '''+scene/activate ID''' then pose. This will automatically cause the scenesys to reset the scene from Paused to Active.

==== How Do I Join a Scene? ====

While in the room the scene is in, '''+scene/join'''.

==== How Do I Leave a Scene That's Still Going That I Was Participating In? ====

'''+scene/deactivate''' - This will automatically remove you from your current scene, but still retain all of your poses. Useful if you have to leave early or if there's a room split or something of the like.

==== How Do I Rejoin A Scene That I Had To Deactivate? ====

'''+scene/activate ID''' Example: '''+scene/activate 97''' - This will automatically re-add you to the scene that you specified and start recording your poses again.

==== How Do I Leave a Scene That I Did Not Participate In Or Accidentally Joined? ====

While you still have the scene active, just type in '''+scene/leave''' and it automatically remove you from the scene.

==== Help! I made a huge error in my last pose! ====

This is easy! '''+scene/undo'''

This will tell the system to ignore your last pose, basically removing it from the log. You can then re-pose which the system will capture for the log.

== FAQ ==

'''1) What if I don't have a wiki account and I'm the scene creator?! '''

Get one. You'll need it soon anyways with the way our idle stuff is going to work! Until then, see if someone else in the scene has one and is willing to post it after you do the title and desc. If no one is, poke around and see if someone is willing to post it for you.

'''2) Do I really have to give it a desc and title? '''

Desc... technically, no. You can skip that. However, it's really good to give people a quick overview of what the scene was. Title? Yes. Otherwise it'll pop up with the error message: 'Create roleplaying log: no target page specified'.

'''3) What if the scene creator disappears/has an emergency without setting the title and desc? '''

There's not a lot we can do there. I think staff might be able to set things, but in those cases, typically, since it's not like the scene disappears, just poke them to finish it. The scenesys will automatically note the date of the log so it'll autopopulate properly on everyone's wiki pages.

'''4) Any other advice? '''

Yes. Check Homura's amazing FAQ page [[Scenesys_Tutorial|right over here.]]
[[Category:Tutorial]]

Scenesys FAQ

2014-07-09T05:39:41Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "So you want to use the scenesys! Good! That's fantastic. It's a wonderful way to keep everything logged and it makes everyone's life a lot more fun because we now have open ac..."

So you want to use the scenesys! Good! That's fantastic. It's a wonderful way to keep everything logged and it makes everyone's life a lot more fun because we now have open access to logs to read in case someone takes a emergency vacation in the middle of a major TP!

So, there are four things to the scenesys: Scheduling a scene, starting a scene, posting a scene, and not-always coming up but important other parts of using it.

Notably: '''A 'pose' is defined as anything done, while active in a scene, the scene itself being active as well, and having more than 10 'words' in it.''' If your pose does not follow these guidelines, then it will not be caught by the scenesys!

== Scheduling a Scene ==

There is a very important trio of things to remember when scheduling a scene:
* First and foremorst, the scenesys '''presumes the servers timezone'''. The server is on CDT - Central Time.
* Secondly, whenever you schedule a scene, '''it is always scheduled in 24 hour, or military format.'''
* Last but not least, is that '''everything is required-''' whether it be the title or the description.

==== Basic Scene Schedule ====

'''+scene/schedule/add Month/Day Time Title=Description''' 
Example: +scene/schedule/add 07/13 20:00 Mother's Rosario=Asuna takes a group of people on an adventure in Alfheim Online. This schedules a scene at 20:00 CDT (8 PM CDT, 9 PM EST), on July 13th. 

==== Scheduling A Scene With A Location ====
1) Move to the room the scene will be in 
2) '''+scene/schedule/add/here Month/Day Time Title=Description''' 
Example: +scene/schedule/add/here 07/13 20:00 Mother's Rosario=Asuna takes a group of people on an adventure in Alfheim Online. So, if I scheduled this while standing in WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert, it would schedule a scene at 20:00 CDT (8 PM CDT, 9 PM EST), on July 13th, to be held in the WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert.

When you run these two commands, it will come up with a Scenesys Message that states where you can find it on the schedule, and what the scene number is. You will need the scene number to reschedule or delete the scene.

==== Rescheduling A Scene ====
'''+scene/schedule/reschedule ID=Month Day Time''' 
Example: +scene/schedule/reschedule 97=July 14 19:00 - This reschedules the scene example above for July 14th at 19:00 CDT, so 7 PM CDT/9 PM EST.

==== Deleting A Scene ====
'''+scene/schedule/del ID '''
Example: +scene/schedule/del 97 - When you run this command, it will pop up going 'Schedule ID <ID> has been removed from the system.'

== Starting a Scene ==

Starting a scene requires nothing more than this command: '''+scene/create'''. You do not have to do anything more at this moment, and it's best to keep things simple.

== Posting A Scene ==

First and foremost, make sure everyone is done posing. Then do the following: 
1) '''+finish''' 
2) Take note of the scene ID. This will have been announced at scene creation and in the headers. Alternatively, yo can check +scene/mine/finished for the ID number. 
3) '''+scene/title ID=title''' - IE: +scene/title 97=Mother's Rosario 
4) '''+scene/desc ID=desc''' - IE: +scene/desc 97=Asuna and a group of others has an adventure in Alfheim Online! 
5) Go to the wiki. Make sure you are logged in. 
6) Go to http://multiversemush.com/scene/ 
7) Find the title of your scene. Click that. 
8) Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the log. Click 'Submit Log To Wiki'. 
9) When it loads on the next page, hit save! 

== Other Things ==

==== Pausing A Scene ====

To pause a scene, type in this command: '''+scene/config ID/scene_state=1'''. This moves the scene from Active (0) to Paused (1).

==== Continuing A Paused Scene ====

To continue a paused scene, simply '''+scene/activate ID''' then pose. This will automatically cause the scenesys to reset the scene from Paused to Active.

==== How Do I Join a Scene? ====

While in the room the scene is in, '''+scene/join'''.

==== How Do I Leave a Scene That's Still Going That I Was Participating In? ====

'''+scene/deactivate''' - This will automatically remove you from your current scene, but still retain all of your poses. Useful if you have to leave early or if there's a room split or something of the like.

==== How Do I Rejoin A Scene That I Had To Deactivate? ====

'''+scene/activate ID''' Example: '''+scene/activate 97''' - This will automatically re-add you to the scene that you specified and start recording your poses again.

==== How Do I Leave a Scene That I Did Not Participate In Or Accidentally Joined? ====

While you still have the scene active, just type in '''+scene/leave''' and it automatically remove you from the scene.

==== Help! I made a huge error in my last pose! ====

This is easy! '''+scene/undo'''

This will tell the system to ignore your last pose, basically removing it from the log. You can then re-pose which the system will capture for the log.

== FAQ ==

'''1) What if I don't have a wiki account and I'm the scene creator?! '''

Get one. You'll need it soon anyways with the way our idle stuff is going to work! Until then, see if someone else in the scene has one and is willing to post it after you do the title and desc. If no one is, poke around and see if someone is willing to post it for you.

'''2) Do I really have to give it a desc and title? '''

Desc... technically, no. You can skip that. However, it's really good to give people a quick overview of what the scene was. Title? Yes. Otherwise it'll pop up with the error message: 'Create roleplaying log: no target page specified'.

'''3) What if the scene creator disappears/has an emergency without setting the title and desc? '''

There's not a lot we can do there. I think staff might be able to set things, but in those cases, typically, since it's not like the scene disappears, just poke them to finish it. The scenesys will automatically note the date of the log so it'll autopopulate properly on everyone's wiki pages.

'''4) Any other advice? '''

Yes. Check Homura's amazing FAQ page [[Scenesys_Tutorial|right over here.]]

User:SpyPoet

2014-07-09T05:08:45Z

SpyPoet:

Dork. Been on MCM for 10+ years.

Currently played:
* [[Asuna]]
* [[Veiled Lily]]
* [[Metta]]
* [[Marie Mjolnir]]
* [[Yumi Musumi]]

Former alts:
* [[Keolakupaianaha]] - Union OC
* Ichigo Momomiya from Tokyo Mew Mew
* Rinoa from Final Fantasy 8
* Rena from .hack//Legend of Twilight
* Shae - Confederate OC
* Natasha Romanoff from The Avengers
* Milfuelle Sakuraba from Galaxy Angels
* Dawn from Pokemon

Maintains the [[Scenesys FAQ]] page.

Sword Art Online-1

2014-07-08T02:41:43Z

SpyPoet:

{{CastPage
|Desc=This page's purpose is providing all necessary information needed to portray Sword Art Online in the Multiverse, for both FCs and OCs. It will avoid spoilers, and is maintained by Mouvar - current player of Kirito - in collaboration with active cast.

Virtually all of the information on this page was directly compiled from active study of the anime and light novels. Some of it is extrapolated, other bits are common sense, a few parts are adapted to better fit the Multiverse theme, but it stays as true to presentation as possible.

Note that the anime doesn't cover the fine details, and it would be wise to use this as page as a reference for certain game aspects when necessary.

NOTE TO READERS: Please refer to [[Alfheim Basics]] for a simplified version of everything.
|Cat=Themes
}}
= Section One: The Technology=

== FullDive==
FullDive technology overrides the nervous system's usual means of motor control and perceptions to immerse the user in a complete virtual environment. The appropriate brain areas are stimulated and blocked through harmless induction, leaving the user unable to move about or perceive things in reality. FullDive itself is a safe, proven technology - when used properly. One must rememberer to take breaks for bodily needs and the like. Unfiltered VR sensations can have consequences, however: autonomous functions like a flight or response still cause adrenaline surges, increasing heart rate as an example, and intense pain can carry over to reality - hence, most software transmits very little pain as a safety feature.

FullDive has phenomenal potential beyond VRMMO: the ability to directly override the mind could restore sight to the blind (by directly stimulating the visual cortex, linked to a camera) or control prosthetics, override pain reception as a completely safe and generic anaesthetic, as well as providing extremely realistic training, simulations, and commuting opportunities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not the Matrix. Dying in VR cannot directly kill you unless you are stupid and use FullDive hardware that has the power to fry your RL body.

=== NerveGear===
NerveGear stands as the first mass-produced FullDive unit. A bulky and heavy helmet that must be latched into place, it boasts a powerful CPU, considerable battery, high-frequency neural transmitter, huge flash memory storage, and the capability to map I/O to all portions of the brain - including rudimentary emotional detection routines.

Following the Sword Art Online incident and, later, Noboyuki Sugou's released information detailing FullDive-based psychosurgery, NerveGears were banned from shelves and production, regarded by many as 'that devil machine.' Many have been destroyed or hoarded away by various institutions. Few remain in civilian hands - most of those being SAO survivors.

=== AmuSphere===
RCT Progress developed the AmuSphere to restore FullDive technology's future. Compatible with all NerveGear software, slimmer and lighter, and far safer, AmuSphere delivers where NerveGear failed.

AmuSpheres are narrow headbands with a flip-down visor. They have no battery, are easily slipped on and off, and use less power than the NerveGear. The AmuSphere CPU isn't as powerful however, nor is its neural transmission. As a result, there's a small discrepancy between between nerve-VR transmissions, and sometimes perceptions of reality slightly bleed into the VR experience.

The AmuSphere is physically incapable of harming its user. The low-powered transmitter ensures no brain damage, and its limited mapping region limits it to only motor control and perceptions. Its sensors continuously monitor the user's vital signs, watching for abnormal heartbeats and signs of intense stress. If it detects health hazards such as panic attacks, the AmuSphere will warn the user with a few beeps. If they continue, it automatically cuts FullDive.

The AmuSphere is commercially available and about as expensive as a cheap computer or expensive gaming console.

=== MediCuboid===
Created by Koujirou Rinko, the MediCuboid uses much of the same equipment as NerveGear, making it equally as dangerous were it not using a very different firmware and managed entirely by medical staff.

MediCuboids are isolation chambers / beds / FullDive rigs for permanently bedridden patients, allowing better quality of life through an escape into Cyberspace, while hooking directly to medical technology staff can use to enhance treatments through direct nerve stimulations. The interface for a MediCuboid must be surgically installed, and runs down the entire spine. Its reception is far superior to NerveGear, with greater immersion.

Very few units exist, all under specialized institutions.

=== 'Kanto Bootleg' NerveGear===
A custom NerveGear produced by Union R&D in a project headed by Nathan Hall and Amanda o'Connell, and with consultation from Kirigaya Kazuto, the Kanto Bootleg NerveGear was originally made to allow the use of some few dozen unused Sword Art Online license keys for some Union members to join Sword Art Online directly as normal players.

A little lighter and sleeker than ordinary NerveGear, it has all of the same features but with plenty of changes for safety. All FullDive software sees it as a NerveGear, but it is just as safe as AmuSphere. Firmware modules are read-only and must be physically replaced, not flashed. The device silently drops any operation that would 'write' to dangerous portions of the brain (preventing psycho-surgical applications) or cause physical harm, and can be programmed to 'listen' for gestures or phrases that trigger its automatic cut-off. When in cut-off, the user is released from FullDive and the KB NerveGear sends fake signals to the server based on the user 'idling.'

This device is available only to the Union and RATH Inc. Precious few exist. All Union Elites can have one though.

=== ElfIN:===
Created by Taro for Confederate Elites, the ElfIN (Electronic Life Form INterface) is an adapter for most robotic or AI constructs to experience FullDive, and a prime example of Multiversal engineering. While not all users will experience everything equally (as not every electronic life form perceives the world as humans do), it does bypass the organic barrier.

This device is only available to the Confederacy. The Union and other parties could certainly make similar devices. It might be easier than adapting organic brains to it.

== VR SDK 'The Seed'==
Shortly after the Alfheim Online scandal, SOMEONE (*coughKazutocough*) anonymously uploaded a package containing the entire source code, arranged as a Software Development Kit, used to create Sword Art Online and its spinoffs like Alfheim Online. It's marked as Open Source, and may be modified however the user wishes - even used for proprietary works.

The file is massive, easily several terabytes - and that's before downloading the rest of its extensive array of default textures, sounds, smells, tastes, and other essentials.

Although designed for VRMMOs in general, The Seed - doubtlessly the result of over a decade of work - contains a physics engine, sensory library, robust networking core, and amazingly powerful management software unmatched by anything else on the market, and is thus widely used by virtually everything aiming to host a FullDive net application.

=== System Requirements===
Physically, The Seed requires at least a 'modern PC' to run in minimal mode - by its world's standards (for 2026, that means something around 8-core 12ghz CPU with at least 64gb of RAM, and around 12 terabytes of storage minimal). However, The Seed is its own entire operating system (with a keen design towards multi-server architecture) rather than a mere program (although it can be run in a virtual machine.).

Big server racks are still needed if you want to host more than a few dozen people at once, naturally.

=== Code Architecture===
The Seed is written in a custom programming language building off modern 2026 CPU architectures incorporating many elements of the most successful programming techniques and designs. It features an intensely powerful, modular, and easily extensive high-level API. Its operating system components and layout are presented similar to Linux, although it shares no code ancestry. The code defies most conventions, able to hot-swap components and recompile most of its components without needing reboots or suffering from other such crutches (although running programs may need to be restarted.)

The external GUI (accessed on a computer monitor and similar) is fairly minimal. Default expectations have administrators performing duties within FullDive. Once so connected, menus can be summoned through gestures and one's whole view becomes an expansive registry of options and directives controlled with gestures and speech recognition.

The Seed comes with a variety of cross-compatibility applications, including a Virtual Machine for convenience, though.

=== Physics Engine and FullDive Libraries===
Default Seed worlds roughly mimic real world physics. Although normally the substance of this reality is no more 'real' than in an FPS game - an object isn't made of particles, molecules, elements etc, but instead a 3D model atop which textures are applied and traits like 'weight' and 'material' are defined - the simulation is so realistic that it's very hard to tell the difference at a glance.

The VR world is less dynamic than reality however, with most sensations and perceptions being somewhat exaggerated or less finely articulated. Something may feel 'hot and smooth' or 'rough and cold' but anything much beyond that escapes the rendering power of standard FullDive rigs. Liquid physics are a little funny, and full immersion's said to feel 'off' or 'incomplete.' Tastes, smells, and sounds are quite straightforward, although sound's based on 'distance from source' instead of 'diffusion through a medium.' Gravity is simply a trait applied to a region that pulls objects in one direction or another instead of a phenomenon deriving from mass affecting space-time, and so on. Rendering is minimalistic - if one is looking at something from far away it will seem blurry or indistinct because it's rendered that way to save processing power, but focusing attention on a flower close up triggers the server to render that flower in incredibly fine detail that would've gone unseen from farther away. In short, physics are an approximation, but so detailed it hardly matters for most needs.

The Seed has a number of optional libraries containing countless textures, sounds, smells, tastes, and other resources, and is easily upgraded with additional code.

=== CARDINAL AI and Management===
The beating heart and brimming mind at the core of every Seed installation is a suite of software so advanced and intricate that it can only be called AI - Artificial Intelligence.

The CARDINAL system is a hierarchically organized array of program modules that forms the foundation of The Seed's incredibly versatile API. Unlike true AI, it is not in and of itself a thinking, self-aware being: CARDINAL's goals are nothing more than a collective of directives assigned by an administrator. Its perceptions are simply highly advanced pattern matching and analysis, and its creativity is nothing more than the next level of extremely intricate procedural generation. CARDINAL cannot really be said to have thoughts of its own - it has no face, no presence. It's an amoral force of digital law.

By default, CARDINAL monitors and logs all operations that take place within an installation of The Seed. At the top of its hierarchy are twin processes: the Main Core is tasked with overseeing the functioning of the VR world's physics and rules as set down by the administrator, while the Secondary Core performs constant error checking and control on the Main Core to ensure minimal anomalies. Beneath them an array of sub-routines constantly monitor every inch of the digital world, carrying out the various scripts and world interactions. Within the bounds and patterns set down for it, CARDINAL protects the integrity of design. As an example, for MMORPGs, CARDINAL works to ensure that the in-game economy stays balanced and suffers minimal inflation, that mobs which prove too easily taken out by certain strategies are altered to be a proper challenge and ones which provide too much loot have their loot tables reviewed. CARDINAL can review and revise The Seed code, checking for integrity and suggesting improvements - or performing them itself when necessary. CARDINAL aggressively monitors connections and server activity for signs of threats to server integrity (viruses, hacking, etc) and ruthlessly deals with it whenever found.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although the CARDINAL that appeared during the World of Swords TP arc DID achieve self-awareness (and this was NOT a pleasant process for it or anyone involved,) the brigade of quirks that allowed for this were corrected in the version released in the wild. CARDINAL cannot easily become self-aware, and this should never happen in casual RP. If you install The Seed, don't portray CARDINAL as capable of interpersonal communication and etc. (unless, of course, you modify it in some fashion because you're an AI programmer. You can do that. Please ask first though.)

==== Content Generation====
Beyond maintaining system integrity, the biggest advantage CARDINAL offers is a ludicrously expansive content generation system. CARDINAL's processes are geared especially for this, specializing in narrative techniques and input analysis. The default Seed package comes with over a dozen 'content packages' defining genres, moods, methods, and seed material.

For example, given a genre of 'fantasy, low tech,' restrictions such as the general shape and scale of a world, and given time to analyze given repositories, it can procedurally generate a whole world such as Alfheim. Actual human work's needed to give the result a true artistic touch and polish, but a great pile of the grunt work can be accomplished with such procedural generation - such as basic models of NPCs, generic equipment, basic cultural inspirations, and so on. If you don't like it? Tell CARDINAL to try a few parts again and see what else comes out!

It may take a few hundred tries before something comes out that you'd like to use as a base, but for the financially strapped that's way better than hiring a huge team.

CARDINAL's content generation is not truly imaginative, however. Again, it uses procedural generation within given restraints and models. In order to create a world, it needs to know what kind of world, what sorts of elements to include, what constraints to work within. To make a skill system or combat system, a basic skeleton needs to be defined to start with, and so on.

==== NPCs and Storytelling====
Once cultural boundaries, world aesthetics, and the overall mood, atmosphere, and 'rating' are defined, CARDINAL's content generation is particularly good at creating procedurally generated communities and regions with constantly interacting defined forces. A village might have a number of political parties warring within, and be surrounded by others such as 'the kobold tribe in the forest' or 'the mountain bandits.' Quests will be developed based on the needs, interests, and previous interactions of the created characters. Most follow simple MMORPG style formats, but occasionally a few oddball ones crop up.

CARDINAL can also pull from various real world sources, such as news feeds, movies, and similar for seed material, though occasionally this results in very odd quests that don't entirely fit in the world's aesthetics. (A few SAO veterans might remember a particular quest that involved a bunch of masked ogres armed with chainsaws.)

How NPCs (people types, not monsters) behave is very up to the administrators, but the default MMORPG behavior set down by SAO standards: most NPCs ignore players, but if directly addressed or interacted with may have a few lines to share. Quest NPCs may engage in extensive dialogue, but will expect certain input: specific questions the player needs to ask ('is something the matter?' or 'could you tell me more?') or answers to given questions ('yes,' 'that's fine', 'don't bother me') etc. They will often ignore invalid input, or sometimes just give a quizzical 'try that again' look. One must listen through the entire speech and so and only respond when prompted, and so on.

A good RL example of how NPCs behave can be found in games like Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Certain NPCs for very special big quests that are given much more attention by CARDINAL might be managed directly and constantly updated with dynamically generated content on the spot, responding to questions and situations intelligently as they occur. This is a rarity for most games, but when directed to put its full storytelling power and generative ability to use, CARDINAL is capable of some surprising plot twists and developments. An administrator is UNWISE to let it run unchecked, because without restrictions it will not make preserving the game's world and story for the long term a priority. It may very well think an armageddon plot is called for if the right in-character setting elements are coming into play, for instance.

=== MEMORIAL - The Monument of Life===
The Seed has a half-buried feature within its content generation. Activated by default (though it can be disabled,) it causes the PC names, dates, and causes of death recorded by the Sword Art Online CARDINAL to be represented throughout the world in as unobtrusive a manner as possible. They may appear written on gravestones in an UNDEAD CEMETERY region, or in graffiti for an URBAN WASTELAND, featured on cave carvings, or in other places.

= Section Two A: The Game - Alfheim Online=
Created by RCT Progress after they acquired Argus' assets, Alfheim Online was launched approximately a year after the SAO Incident began, showcasing the new and improved 'AmuSphere' FullDive console. It was recently liberated from RCT Progress and placed into the care of a new company called YMIR.

== Setting and Geography - Alfheim==
Alfheim, or 'Elf Home,' is the land of the fairies, a fantasy world patterned after ancient myths and folklore, particularly Norse Mythology.

Nine fairy races claim the territory surrounding the World Tree 'Yggdrasil,' roughly sharing the massive island-continent equally while leaving about a tenth in the center around the tree as Neutral territory. The capital cities are all roughly equidistant from the center, each situated on coastal territories and stuck between two neighboring territories. In short, Alfheim's racial borders are organized much like the face of a clock.

The southern zones are deserts and rocky mountains inhabited by the Salamanders and the Imps respectively. The Southwest is Sylph territory, mostly grasslands and massive forests. The West is Cait Sith territory, savannahs and more grasslands. The Northwest is simple grasslands and a bit of tundra, where the Puca live. The far north is a land of ice and snow that the Gnomes and Leprechauns call home. The Northeast is Spriggan territory, full of forests and ancient ruins. The East, finally, is wetlands, marshes, lakes and rivers, perfect for the water-loving Undines. Each race's territory is littered with dozens of small towns and villages, in addition to their massive capital cities.

A mountain range seperates the outer rim territories from the inner zone where Yggdrasil sits in Alfheim's center. The World Tree rises high into the heavens, reaching the clouds. Its trunk is as thick as any capital city is wide, and its branches spread out into a generous canopy of green leaves throughout and above the clouds. Curled up within the safety of a half-exposed root is Aurun, the trade capital - neutral territory for all races. Atop the World Tree, supported by its boughs, Yggdrasil City is the shining jewel of Alfheim, the home to enlightened fairies who've gained the power of ALF-hood.

=== Jotunheim===
Directly below Alfheim is the cavernous, dark and gloomy Jotunheim, a land of ice and snow populated by the great and terrifying 'Evil God' class monsters. Enormous, troll-like giants make up half the population of such beings, while animal-types of various sorts make up another. Compared to Alfheim, Jotunheim is very barren - the frozen wastes are home to precious few shelters, with no towns or cities. (There are RUINS, but nothing serviceable as anything besides a hangout.) There are no save crystals or warp points. There are entrances to it at each cardinal direction of Alfheim, with another in a certain building in Aurun. A few unique monsters roaming the plains around the world tree (in particular, one that disguises itself as a whole town) also can send players to Jotunheim.

The stars of Jotunheim are actually icy stalactites, and the great roots of the world tree extend down past the roof, encased in ice and housing a great palace that nobody's yet found a way to reach - for flight is impossible here, even for Imps. All fairy wings wither immediately upon entry.

The Evil Gods of Jotunheim are all boss-type monsters designed to be hunted by large raid groups employing every trick in the book for their rare loot - they're way more than most players can hope to handle by themselves no matter their skill or gear.

Jotunheim is end-game content, and its rare crafting materials are required for Ancient-category gear.

=== Floating Castle Aincrad===
Once the setting of 'death game' Sword Art Online, Floating Castle Aincrad (named such as short for 'an incarnating radius') is a majestic airborne fortress of immense proportions. From the outside, Aincrad appears as a roughly conical floating mountain of black-grey stone and metal, layers and layers stacked together and tapering near the top, whereupon a glorious and great Red Jade Palace crowns the structure. Carved stone protrusions jut from its base, each housing an enormous obelisk shaped like a straight sword pointed skyward. At night, the whole castle takes on an ethereal and luxurious golden glow, lit like a jewel of the heavens.

Aincrad lazily orbits the World Tree, accessible to any Fairy brave enough to soar to such heights - or take Yggdrasil City's teleport gate.

Floating Castle Aincrad has one hundred floors, the last being the Red Jade Palace. Each below it is a world unto itself, though the tapered structure means the lowest floors are the biggest ones. As the bottom floor has a 10km diameter, it's 78 square kilometers of amazing fantasy realm, a little less on floor two, and so on. Enormous pillars sparsely populate each floor, providing structural support for the floors above. Each floor enjoys roughly 100 meters of clear skies open to the air on its edges, although floors not yet unlocked are barred off by impassable grating. The Red Jade Palace cannot be approached at all - a repulsive force gently pushes away any who get too close without earning the right via Aincrad's trials.

Each Floor has a different theme with enemies and towns to match: Lava world, ice world, tree world, lake world, frog world, insect world, flower world, undead world, and so on - many with tons of stories to tell and heroics to participate in. Each also sports at least one wondrous central city choc full of merchants, inns, stores, restaurants, as well as plenty of houses and workshops for sale or rent. They're luxurious and fantastic, to the point where background music is provided via NPC orchestras spread across town. Each floor usually has many small towns spread out about 2 to 8 kilometers from each other (depending on the terrain,) but none really challenge said floor's central city in sheer grandeur. Most are humble farming village sorts, with the occasional centers of trade or odd enterprise (mining towns, lake towns, etc.) Naturally, all of the cities follow the floor's theme: on the forest floor, the cities are constructed within or atop enormous trees; for the insect floor, enormous insect mounds with windows suffice for many buildings. All towns and cities have a Teleport Gate in their main plaza, and when one player discovers and unlocks a Teleport Gate, all other players may use it as well.

Dungeons are everywhere in Aincrad: they're carved into the ground between floors, beneath mountains, within old fortresses, or so on, and some have respawning bosses. All are dwarfed by the true labyrinths that bar the way to the next floor up. These are always carved into one of the massive pillars, and have between 6 and 20-some floors depending on headroom and inner construction. Unique boss monsters await challengers who'd seek to ascend to the next floor. These boss monsters are all end-game challenges, and the first group to defeat one gains fame and unique loot - the names of up to 7 party leaders (or 7 members of a single party, if not a raid group) who defeat a boss are recorded on the Monument of Swordsmen in Floor 1's Black Iron Castle, and bosses drop unique loot when they're first defeated. Differing from the original Aincrad, these bosses DO respawn (or are sometimes replaced with lesser bosses) and are worth re-challenging for quality loot and entertainment, but it pales compared to being the first victors.

Upon defeating a floor boss, after two hours or immediately if a player reaches the Teleport Gate in the next floor's central city - the floor becomes linked to all the others through the Teleport Gates.

Floating Castle Aincrad of Alfheim Online slightly differs from SAO's - many more enemies roam its lands, and now skies as well. Enemies are much harder than before, as the whole castle is now geared as high-tiered, end-game content and a proving grounds for the best of the best. It is also the only place where humans dwell - the Alfheim Online mythos regards Aincrad as a sort of Midgard, with NPCs occasionally referring to it as such. Human NPCs dominate Aincrad's social structures, though a few Fairy NPCs can be found here and there within Aincrad and a few Humans occasionally elsewhere since its inclusion.

== NPCs==
Alfheim Online's NPCs set the standard for how Seed NPCs behave, so see above for most of the details on NPC behavior.

Most NPCs in Alfheim proper are Fairies, and most in Aincrad are Humans. They fulfill all mundane roles and needs of the world, everything from humble villagers to smiths and shopowners, waitresses and trainers. NPCs sell only the basics, however - after a point, player-made goods and services hugely eclipse them (alongside epic loots and the odd badass quest reward.)

Most NPCs have basic personalities, being 'extras' in a world intended to portray PCs as epic adventurers. Some are more unique and prominent within various towns and cities, with more dialogue and polished behaviors. Although Fairy NPCs are indistinguishable from a player by pure appearance, examine windows reveal the truth in a flash. NPCs offering Quests will also have hovering yellow exclamation mark above their heads. 'Is something troubling you?' is a pretty standard way to initiate quests.

NPCs often wander within set zones, and cannot be harmed (although those which join players on Quests may, though 'dying' sometimes is regarded as temporary incapacitation of the NPC is crucial and there aren't story paths that cover them dying - or, in the case of Fairy NPCs, death turns the NPC into a Remain Light) and the system prevents players from interfering with this too much. Attempting to shove NPCs around triggers a harassment warning, repulsing players with a harmless zap and giving an error.

== Player Housing, Economy, and Amenities==
Much of Alfheim's economy depends on a complicated mesh of player interactions. Players with gathering skills will locate minerals, wood, food, and other base ingredients. Crafters will turn this into usable goods. Warriors and other types will use these goods, and bring strange new finds and unidentified goods to players with appraisal skills. Money enters the system when it's generated by quest loot and monster drops, and it leaves it through NPC services like binding to a new respawn point. Virtually all the best goods and services must be provided by players, and player economy drives the slow growth and mutation of in-game towns and cities, with each race's political systems able to spend money on building projects and similar.

The greatest appeal of this system is the ability to rent rooms or buildings, or even purchase plots of land and construct housing, though anything past renting an inn room requires exorbitant expenditures. Many players purchase buildings within cities to then use as shops and/or virtual homes, which must be maintained with periodic rent or taxes. Rented rooms - or pre-established buildings for purchase - evict their dwellers (and any belongings) who default on this upkeep, while those owned and constructed purely by a player will degrade and be destroyed if not renewed. These places make excellent and secure storage areas.

Players can extend or restrict various virtual estate priveleges to others via a thoroughly comprehensive white/blacklist system.

Virtual food and drink doesn't do a thing for a player when consumed, but it does taste good, stems off REAL hunger and thirst (for a time, anyways) but not the need for nourishment, and most importantly sometimes provides buffs.

Although Alfheim (and Aincrad) are fantasy settings, mundane amenities and utilities purposefully resemble modern reality for player convenience. Lightswitches might look a little different for instance (often magic crystal panels on a wall) but do the same thing, triggering lights lit by some cheap and boundless oil or magic power or whatever. Aesthetically wood-fired stoves have digital temperature controls and timers. Indoor plumbing is also a thing even when it makes no sense for it to be... except when it isn't. (Basically, whenever a player is expected to enjoy amenities, they are there and work.)

=== Monsters===
Monsters is a broad term that covers all kinds of Enemy NPCs. Most are random 'spawns' strewn throughout the lands between towns and cities. 'Spawns' are usually about 30 to 60 meters apart, but sometimes they gather in large numbers. Defeat a monster, and another will soon 'pop'(ulate) into the zone again, aka respawn.

Monsters are simple beings, usually violent animals matching the local ecology in some superficial fashion but taken to fantastic proportions. Some represent 'sapient' races in antagonistic roles, like bandits or pirates. Sometimes a quest NPC BECOMES an Enemy as part of a quest event.

Enemy AI is very straightforward. Each enemy has a range of possible actions that it can perform, and it calculates which to use based on a mixture of randomization and situational awareness for a variety of factors (distance to opponents, location of opponents, how much health it has, etc). This makes them somewhat predictable to experienced players.

=== Dungeons===
Dungeons are, very simply, Danger Zones, usually framed as fortresses, caves, and the like. Most are full of traps and tougher-than-average enemies, but are full of awesome loot and treasure chests and sometimes bosses. Dungeons are designed with parties in mind, but can often be solo'd if a player knows what they're doing.

=== Bosses===
Bosses are, put simply, very powerful Enemies. More specifically, bosses are typically epic creatures meant to be tackled by either parties (7 players) or even whole raid groups (49 players). They have phenomenal firepower and defense, making the use of healing, buffs, debuffs, and coordinated tactics a downright necessity. Boss fights tend to be prolonged and drawn out, exhausting endeavors for even the most experienced of players.

Bosses use the same kinds of AI as normal Monsters, but are often armed with unique abilities and special moves, or even transform/skillset change midfight. Defeating them is as much an exercise of brute force as it is learning their patterns to counter and exploit them.

Bosses usually spawn for certain repeatable quests, and drop really cool loot.

== Player Characters, Chargen, Builds ==
Upon first login users are brought to a circular room with a virtual keyboard and configuration screen to create a character, guided by an AI voice. Gender is set as the player's gender - whatever the FullDive device reports. (You'd have to fool the device to crossplay, and the results would feel very weird.) Avatar appearances are randomized on creation within an aesthetically appropriate pattern for that race, with customization available for a small fee.

Note: Character names MUST be pronounceable in Japanese, English, or proto-Germanic style speaking! Leetspeak and bizarre unpronounceable characters aren't acceptable. English and Japanese fonts only.

=== Races and Build Types===
Nine different sub-types of Fairies dominate Alfheim, each race has its own color scheme, wing appearance, hometown, and specialties!

==== Light Races====
The Light races have a lowish base Strength but their light bodies possess insane Agility. The Light races can also wall-Run!

CAIT SITH: Yellow. Recognizable for feline ears and tails, Cait Siths have impressive bonuses to eyesight and overall Intelligence. Their specialty is Beast Taming.
* It does take some practice for a player to control the tail, since humans don't actually have one. And Cait Sith players are in for a surprise when the tail ends up pulled - it feels freaking weird and plain wrong.

SPRIGGAN: Black. Treasure hunters and masters of illusion magic, Spriggans have bonuses relevant to dungeon crawling for spotting traps and locating hidden treasures.

SYLPH: Green. These mighty wind magic masters are considered the fastest of the races, and have phenomenal hearing. Their flight is a good twenty percent or so faster than any other race.

UNDINE: Blue. The aquatic Undines are masters of water and healing magics.

IMP: Purple. The Fairies of the Night, Imps have natural night vision and the unique ability to fly while indoors - until their flight timers run out and their wings need rest.

==== Medium Races====
The Medium weight class races have higher base Strength, exchanged for being heavier so they find it harder to be speedy.

LEPRECHAUN: White. Skilled smiths and craftsmen, the Leprechauns are easily identified by the slightly mechanical aesthetics their wings display.

PUCA: Silver. Masters of buffing and debuffing through mystical music.

==== Heavy Races====
The Heavy races have the greatest Strength but are also the slowest.

GNOME: Brown. The largest of the races, the stocky Gnomes gain bonuses to the Mining Skills and Earth, and their raw stamina exceeds all others.

SALAMANDER: Red. Physically strong and gaining major bonuses to Fire magic, Salamanders are great at straightforward military might.

=== Stats, Skill Slots, and Gear===
Alfheim Online is level-less - avatars don't gain levels via experience. Their HP and MP ranges are under a thousand and only gradually shift up or down based on builds. Stats and build are purely a matter of Race, Skills, and Gear. Characters grow only by leveling Skills to gain new abilities, access to better equipment, new spells, and so on. Each Race has a set Strength and Weight. Heavy races favor heavy equipment while light ones favor light gear loads and speed, but these are simply 'optimal' loadouts - high enough Skills and other bonuses can turn a Sylph into a pretty effective tank, for instance. (The corresponding Gnome might be 15-25% better as one though, come endgame.)

Characters have 12 slots with which to learn Skills, which covers everything from what gear they can equip ('One Handed Swords', 'Heavy Metal Armor', 'Boomerang', 'Medium Shield', etc) to benefits to physical feats and senses ('Acrobatics,' 'Running,' 'Night Vision') to Crafting ('Slash Weapon Forging,' 'Metal Armor Forging,' 'Carpentry' etc) and dozens of other things. These begin at 1 and raise to 1000 as they're used, at which point they're Mastered - gaining a slight bonus on top of the advantages of being at 1000. Growth is slow, though. New characters begin with just One Handed Swords and their race's specific Magic specialty. (Darkness Magic for Imps, Illusion for Spriggans, etc.)

Most skills can be trained from the menu (by assigning the listed skill into a slot) or by finding a trainer in town to set you on the path. Some skills, called 'Extra Skills,' are unlocked via quests or any amount of odd actions. Trained Skills can be deleted at any time to clear up a Slot, and replaced with new ones.

Skills affect hidden Stats, adding modifiers to the racial static values. For instance, mastering Battle Healing can give a small bonus to maximum HP, while having One-Handed Swords increases Strength.

Gear requirements are based on Skills. Trying to use Gear you're not ready for results in unwieldy weaponry, over-encumbering armor (that doesn't provide any bonuses), and similar scenarios. It's rarely worth trying to use something you're not ready for. Light races can equip Heavy gear, but need much higher Skills to do so.

Gear must be equipped to various 'slots,' such as left hand weapon/shield, right hand weapon/shield, right hand ring, right shoulder, shirt, pants, coat, headgear, and so on. Gear cannot be stacked.

==== Canon Skills====
Skills that exist canonly are listed below, to aid with OC creation. This is all of the OOCly known skills, with some others thrown in from extrapolation, and doesn't cover EVERYTHING that actually exists in the game. It should be plenty useful for further extrapolation though.Want to add some to this list? Get in touch with castmates!

WEAPON SKILLS- The higher a weapon skill is, the better weapons can be equipped. (note: there's plenty more that are seen but never directly mentioned, like one-handed spears and two-handed heavy hammers.)
<One Handed Sword>
<One Handed Short Sword>
<One Handed Dagger>
<One Handed War Hammer>
<One Handed Rapier>
<One Handed Curved Blade>
<Katana>
<Two Handed Assault Spear>
<Two Handed Heavy Axe>
<Martial Arts>
<Hand-to-Hand Combat>
<Knife Throwing>
<Boomerang>
<Chakram>
<Longbow>

ARMOR SKILLS- Allows equipping of various kinds of equipment, increasing protection offered and reducing encumbrance.
<Leather Equipment>
<Light Metal Equipment>
<Heavy Metal Equipment>
<Light Shield Equipment>
<Heavy Shield Equipment>

CRAFTING SKILLS- Used to create, maintain, and improve equipment.
<Slash Weapon Forging>
<Thrust Weapon Forging>
<Blunt Weapon Forging>
<Pierce Weapon Forging>
<Light Metal Armor Forging>
<Heavy Metal Armor Forging>
<Metal Equipment Repairing>
<Sewing>
<Cooking>
<Medicine Mixing> - Also covers poisons.

REFINING SKILLS- used to refine and process raw materials gathered in the field into base materials for crafting.
<Metal Refining>
(There are surely many more than this.)

MAGIC SKILLS- Grants Words of Power.
<Wind Magic>
<Water Magic>
<Fire Magic>
<Earth Magic>
<Light Magic>
<Darkness Magic>
<Illusion Magic>
<Sound Magic>
<Holy Magic>

SUPPORT SKILLS-
<Parry> - Allows blocking powerful attacks using a weapon instead of a shield, lowers (and can even negate) penalties and damage taken from the impact.
<Battle Healing> - Bestows auto-regen.
<Acrobatics> - Increases balance to lower chances of knockdown, increases jumping height and aerial mobility.
<Mount> - Lets you skillfully control mounts like horses.
<Sprinting> - Increases running speed beyond that granted by just Agility.
<Searching> - Expands awareness range to show more distant mobs and players, and counters Hiding. Indicators appear from further away, from behind obstacles, etc.
<Tracking> - Branching from <Searching>, allows tracking of players and mobs by showing recent footprints as a path to follow. How far back they go depends on skill.
<X-Ray Vision> - Branching from <Searching>, focusing on detected entities behind an obstacle. Shows what they are in much greater detail.
<Night Vision> - Branching from <Searching>, negates vision penalties from darkness.
<Hiding> - Reduces chances of being detected to avoid player and monster detection by blending in with the background like a chameleon. Has no effect on detection that relies on senses other than sight, such as scent.
<Listening> - Increases detection skills by picking up fainter and fainter sounds as skill increases. Can be used for espionage, such as hearing through doors.
<Extended Weight Limit> - Increases inventory storage space. Trained by walking around with a very full inventory a lot.
<Emergency Recovery> - Lowers the duration of Status ailments like Stun, Stumble, and Poison. Effectiveness increases at low HP.
<Sales Negotiation> - Better prices when selling things to NPCs.
<Purchase Negotiation> - Better prices when buying things from NPCs.
<Equipment Appraisal> - Lets one identify, scan, and analyze the properties of equipment.
<Tools Appraisal> - Lets one identify, scan, and analyze the properties of tools.
<Fishing> - Does this really need explanation? Higher ranks means better fish from more difficult lakes.
<Treasure Hunting> - Increases drop rates, including max Yrd gained from battles and chests. In Wander Mode, can manifest as strange turns of luck finding things.

PET SKILLS- used to support a familiar for those who use them. ONLY LEARNABLE BY CAIT SITHS
<Beast Taming> - Used to tame bigger and stronger monsters.
<Pet Recovery> - Lowers the amount of time it takes for a slain pet to regenerate.
<Pet Communication> - Allows more complicated orders to be given to your pet more quickly and reliably.

==== Beast Taming====
Cait Sith are the only race that can develop a true rapport with monster creatures. While any race may take 'pets' by taming the harmless 'critters' spread across the land, like birds and turtles and the weakest of monsters, simply by offering them food, the Cait Sith-only Beast Taming skill's needed for anything beyond this.

Beast Taming's generally used by attempting to feed monsters instead of slay them, and the higher it is the greater the monsters a player can tame. Pets are a great boon to Cait Sith players. They often possess support abilities like healing magics, status-affecting distance attacks, and the like, and many can fight directly. Pets do not count as Monsters anymore - they have yellow-green cursors, may enter towns and so on. The most stunning example of beast taming in action's definitely the Cait Sith Dragoons, a brigade of dragon riders whose mounts are even stronger than the Cait Siths themselves in many situations.

A player may only have one pet out at a time. The rest are basically stored as special inventory items. A player may have at most a dozen pets stored this way. To make room for more, the only options are trading them away to others with sufficient Beast Taming skill or deleting/releasing them.

Pets may be named, and left to their own devices act autonomously. They'll take the initiative to use support abilities like healing their owner or allies in a party, or debilitating enemies they're fighting. They otherwise behave much like pets, roaming around nearby and interacting with the environment based on what kind of creature it is.

They are also 'intelligent' like NPCs, and so can be ordered into action - or inaction. Simple orders are best. 'Ralph, come here!' is simple, or 'Ralph, attack my enemy!' Just like with NPCs, the more abstract the order the more likely they will not understand it. The higher a player's Pet Communications skill, the more effort the system will put into parsing stranger and more specific orders.

Pets CAN be killed, but unlike normal monsters their deaths are not permanent. Slain pets return to their owners' inventory, and gain a cooldown timer before they can be deployed again. The amount of time is based directly on the overall strength of the Pet (how high Beast Taming must be to control it) and reduced by the Pet Recovery skill. In general, a competetive Cait Sith player with emphasis on recovery can bring their strongest familiars out again in roughly a half-hour, but that time would be closer to 2 or 3 hours without it.

Whenever a player respawns properly (not revived by magic or an item) all pet respawn timers are cleared, so they may be brought out immediately.

=== Controlling Avatars and Movement Speed===
Avatars are controlled as naturally as walking around and breathing in reality. However, Fairy PCs are stronger, faster, and more durable than a human body in reality can ever be - right out of the box.

Basic movement speeds for arms, legs, body, etc, while proportionally modified by relevant weight of equipped gear and avatar weight class, depend largely on how fast the player can command them to move - and when it comes to melee combat and combat manuevering, coordination and honed reflexes are key. While most Players move at human speeds, extremely talented and/or experienced FullDivers accelerate from human-like speeds to blurry movements few onlookers can follow. As a note, while not all Multiversal Elites will necessarily be the best at VR, most can easily grow to be better than casual players.

==== Flight====
All players can summon wings of light to soar Alfheim's skies. They only appear when triggered through an attempt to fly, and are translucent, vaguely insectile constructs made of colored light. Wings only work when exposed to the skies - they are powered by heavenly light from the sun, moon, and stars, and tire after 10 minutes of flight - it's /really/ smart to land before that happens. Imps may fly indoors, but even they must keep to the 10 minute flight timer and only recuperate under heavenly light. Wings recuperate at a roughly 1:1 ratio when not in use. The hum of vibrating fairy wings sounds much like a musical instrument, and groups of different fairies flying together can almost be a kind of song.

Two methods exist for controlling them:

Option One- ASSIST CONTROLLER
Extend your left hand and make a gripping motion, and the Assist Controller appears. Strongly resembling a Wii Nunchuk, the ergonomic joystick = button controls direction and acceleration. Tilting the controller about controls angles, and so on. Assisted flight can't manage any tricky or advanced manuevers, and tops out at about 70 percent of the max speed attainable through Voluntary Flight.

Option Two- VOLUNTARY FLIGHT
Though humans don't have wings, careful manipulation of arm, shoulder, and back muscles grants fine control of the wings, though it takes a bit to manage it without making obvious shoulder motions and arm twitches that would interfere with melee combat or Spellcasting. Voluntary Flight takes practice to perfect as it is literally akin to learning to using a whole new limb, but it offers several advantages. Voluntary Flight users are able to perform intricate manuevers, keep their extra hand free, and tease out leagues more speed.

=== Magic===
All player races can use Magic, which is considered a form of Skills and uses up Skill Slots.

Spellcasting involves adopting a posture the system recognizes, and chanting out Words of Power to complete a spell. Words of Power are gained from increasing Magic Skills and sometimes other Skills. No formalized, official spell lists exist. Instead, spells are created by arranging the Words of Power to combine and define their meanings using Alfheim Online's own magical language. Targeting is handled through a combination of gesturing and focusing vision. (Current proposed target might glow in a player's sight while casting, etc, and change based on who they're focusing on.)

Most spells are elemental assaults and defenses, but spells exist for every task a player can undertake, from recon to communications to stealth or crafting. Others boost speed, strength, endurance, or a variety of other things.

Words of Power are based on germanic language aesthetics (keying back to Old Norse and so on), thus while some words might have meaning in one or more real languages this rarely if ever coincides with their meaning within Alfheim Online. Each Element does have its own aesthetically distinct family of Words of Power however, so Magic-savvy players can often identify spells as they're being cast.

==== Elemental Roles====
The following are the focal points and generic roles of the different elements in Alfheim Online. It's worth noting that this is not what they are LIMITED to. In practice, all Elements have equal usefulness at low levels for range of utility purposes - unless stated otherwise below, ALL have various grades of attack, defense, and minor other effects (such as a basic Ice magic creating a telescope of ice to look through.) It's at the higher Skill levels where the roles of each Magic become particularly prevalent and focused.

WIND: Basic Wind spells are blunt force wind blasts, air darts, and swirling barriers of wind. At higher levels 'razor wind' gales, mystic defenses like anti-magic shells, and lightning based magic are the order of the day. Wind is the most outrageously versatile of the Elements (it has quite decent stealth and many other uses), but like all Jacks of all Trades it is a master of none. Themes: Jack of All Trades, Speed, Permeation

WATER: Basic Water spells include blunt force water blasts, many restorative magics be it for conditions or hp, and a number slow ticking dots. High level spells include area of effect restorative spells, ice magic like ice bullets and ice shields, and some of the most powerful dots in the game. Water Magic is mostly geared towards support, containing plenty of healing spells and crowd control effects that keep monsters or players bound or frozen in place. Themes: Healing, Crowd Control, Cold, Clarity, Pressure

FIRE: Basic Fire spells include the traditional fireballs, intense heat flashes, and heat based debuffs and dots. More powerful fire effects include massive area of effect spells, the most powerful direct damage spells, and the summoning of creatures of flame. Fire Magic is mostly geared towards pure offense and offers little of anything else beyond the basics. Themes: Offense, Heat, Explosions, Destruction

EARTH: Basic Earth spells include mystically flung rocks, earthen barriers or spears, and long lasting defense buffs. Higher levels spells include powerful warding effects that can affect entire raids, manipulating metal for attack and defense, and generating earthquakes and fissues. Earth Magic is primarily defensive, focused on staggering or physically redirecting or blocking opponents, terrain advantages, and toughness. Themes: Defense, Crowd Control, Terrain, Geology

DARKNESS: Basic Darkness spells revolve around debuffing, using solidified darkness to attack and defend, and utility spells for things like communication, tracking, or hiding. Higher level effects allow instantaneous communication over long distances, use of powerful dark magics like curses or sacrifice, and enhanced travel speed under the cover of night. Darkness Magic is mainly focused on utility and the idea of sacrifice for impressive effects. Themes: Utility, Sacrifice, Debilitation, Chaos, Void, Nothingness.

ILLUSION: Illusion Magic lacks even basic attack abilities but has numerous effects to disorient and confuse others. High level Illusion magic can be game changing as the Illusions can take on a certain amount of reality, users can transform into their illusions, or change the very nature of where they are fighting. Illusion Magic is primarily supportive, focused almost purely on manipulating the senses over tangible effects - but some Illusions are themselves so powerful as to become momentarily real. Illusion spells are extremely useful for overcoming sensory issues and changing battlefield conditions in sideways and unpredictable directions. Themes: Stealth, Confusion, Deception, Transformation

SOUND: Basic Sound spells include deafening sound waves, mood altering magic such as lulling things to sleep, as well as intense sound blasts or walls of sound. Higher level sound magic can affect large crowds with these basic effects, create air shattering blasts of sound, or greatly enhancing the abilities of those they are allied with. Sound Magic is primarily supportive, focused on buffing allies with inspirational melodies and confusing enemies. Themes: Buffing, Debuffing, Crowd Control, Sonic onslaughts

LIGHT: Basic Light attacks include spears of holy light and punishing rays. Light magic's roughly balanced, but slightly favors magic defense and support, with offense mostly against spirits and undead. Themes: Spirits, Radiance, Anti-Undead, Magic Barriers.

=== HUD, Menu, Communications, Inventory===
Much like an RL MMORPG, players have HUDs. Instead of looking at a screen for it, it overlays your actual vision. There's displays for HP, MP, buffs/debuffs in the top-left corner, which expands to show those of any party members when in a party. The far right side of one's view shows a customizable shortcut bar for different tasks like view guild status, equip a weapon, configure a Skill, bring up the magic words dictionary, and view local map data.

Focusing on particular players, objects, monsters, and other entities makes the system bring up further details in pop-up windows. These are very context sensitive and extremely informative, showing relevant information. Monsters show names (but not players, until they've introduced themselves or done something noteworthy to reveal their name, like challenge you in a duel), objects show stats (if your appraisal Skill's high enough), buildings show names, etc. All players and monsters have colored indicators above their heads, giving information about them in relationship to you (party, friend, guild member, neutral race, overwhelmingly powerful monster, etc.)

Striking downwards with the left hand's index and middle fingers squeezed together brings up the menu. The Menu is where almost everything important's done. It contains displays and configuration data for your character (skills, equipment, magic, etc), relevant party or guild info, community features like guilds, friend lists or current race politics, the map system, game settings and configurations, and more. Players can only see their own menus, unless another player uses a button to reveal theirs.

Private messages are the only form of long-distance instant communication officially speaking.

The in-game inventory can store pretty much anything you can pick up unless it's a monster, player, or other common sense 'this is not an item' situation. Provided you own it, that is. (ownerless items such as rocks on the ground are immediately marked as owned by you when picked up, while dropped items take 5 minutes to lose their ownership registration.) It's extremely intelligent when bringing things out - it knows to materialize items smartly, like putting a sword in its matching scabbard, and responds to gestures about where and how to materialize it, etc.

=== Crafting===
Crafting Skills are spread across every possible kind of item used in the game. Common ones Slash Weapon Forging (most swords), Thrust Weapon Forging (spears, rapiers), Blunt Weapon Forging (Hammers, maces, staves), Ranged Weapon Forging (Bows, Crossbows, throwing knives), Light Metal Armor Forging, Heavy Metal Armor Forging, Tailoring (clothing, sometimes protective but often just ornamental), Cooking (actually GOOD tasting food, some of which buffs) and so on. Craftmaster NPCs in towns teach these Skills, and also sell basic tools and supplies needed for starting crafting recipes.

Crafting requires many factors working together for best effect. Skill, tool quality, material quality, and (depending on the skill) workshop quality, and luck, all must come together for anything great to be had. This makes crafting a major investment in time and money, especially since the most successful crafters often dedicate over half of their Skill slots just to crafting. Just dabbling in it rarely gets anyone anywhere.

Using Smithing as an example, this article will attempt to explain roughly how crafting works.

John decides to be a smith, so he goes to learn Slash Weapon Forging to make some swords and knives to start off with. He wants to simply buy raw materials (ore, instead of ingots) and refine it himself, so he also takes Metal Refining. John can only afford a Portable Furnace and simple tools, good for lower quality metals and simply making knives and one-handed swords.

Selecting some Copper and Tin ores of low quality he bought from a miner, John brings up his Metal Refining in the Skills Menu and chooses to create 'Bronze Ingots,' and has a moment to pick some of the parameters of what quality metal he's going for - purity, hardness, and other qualities. At his low Skill level however, he only has a few Customization Points to spend on it. He places the Copper and Tin ores in the Portable Furnace and System Assist takes over, showing a progress bar. When it's complete, the Furnace opens to reveal his Bronze Ingot - cool enough to touch against all sense, but still likely steaming hot.

Now he has a Bronze Ingot. He can make a Dagger. This requires a strip of Leather for the grip, which he purchases from a Tanner player for a few Yrd. Bringing up his Portable Furnace (which doubles as a shitty anvil) again, he chooses to make a 'basic Dagger.' (Crafting is arranged by category, 'Dagger' is the option, 'Bronze Dagger' is just the result because he's using Bronze!) The material he's using is Bronze, low class but worthy enough for a newbie.

John picks his parameters by spending from his Customization Points. He wants this sword to focus on speed, requiring it to be light and thin. Durability suffers as a result, though! After he's decided the parameters, he selects 'Craft' in his crafting window and System Assist once again takes over his body. The progress bar begins again, as his body heats the ingot in the furnace using tongs, pulls it out, and starts hammering at it. The ingot glows after eight or so swings and the progress bar fills, the shape filling out and its final appearance decided somewhat randomly based on the chosen length and system. Shittastic quality metals like bronze appear generic... and uninteresting.

Later on, John has increased his Skill to 500-600! Spending several hundred thousand Col he purchases a tiny workshop with a waterwheel and barely enough room for shelving he similarly custom ordered from a carpenter player and equips a Water Wheel to the house using the home control menus.. luckily, this house is right on a river! This water wheeld rives the bellows of his new high quality forge. This new one's suitable to working on all kinds of higher grade materials! It's also hellaciously expensive, but that's what you get. On the other hand, John is now so high leveled in Slash Weapon Forging that if he went back and made a Dagger out of Bronze, his new pool of Customization Points lets him optimize the dagger to an even greater degree...

... but, even so, Bronze is a shitty metal compared to what he can use now, and he quickly hits the ceiling of what that metal can make. Using more high quality materials like Crystal, Adamantite and Mythril, he makes weapons with much more unique appearances and special names. On rare occasion the RNG creates something -especially- grand and high quality, little 'masterpieces.' (In SAO, Kirito's Dark Repulser is one such 'masterpiece.')

Clothes, Meals, everything works off of design blueprints that the players fill out with ingredients of their choice. A coat might be made of dragon leather or cotton but uses the same base design. A 'Stew' could be made with Vegetables or Meat for instance, but this is just determined by 'Main Ingredient' material slot and 'extra ingredient' slots. Advanced customization options exist for every type of Crafting Skill based on the Skill. Cooking gives control of ingredient ratios, for instance, which Asuna used to reproduce Soy Sauce with Aincrad ingredients.

Customization also includes magical enchantments, using extra items, materials, sigils, and all kinds of other add-ons to give special abilities to creations.

LEPRECHAUNS: Leprechauns have a much higher chance of creating stunning, high quality works, and also have access to more top-level designs, particularly when it comes to Ancient tier and similar areas. They have a bigger variety of enchantments and other options available during crafting, and have better chances overall at being awesome with it.

==== Repairing====
Repairing is much like crafting anew, though it uses a different Skill. Though not all items can be repaired (Food cannot, obviously) things like clothing, armor, weapons, and tools will eventually need it.

Repairing may require some materials, and special tools. It is not always represented in a fashion that would make sense, but usually tries to. For instance, grinding wheels may be used to sharpen and polish weapons while also repairing them as part of the animation.

High skills are needed to repair high quality/tier items.

==== Item Enhancement====
Item Enhancement is very similar to crafting anew. Using the appropriate Skill for that kind of item, the Crafter reworks the item using more base materials and enhancement materials. The more and more an Item has been upgraded, up to its maximum possible attempts, the harder and harder it is to get it right again and add more points on. Enhancement Materials used in the effort offset the chance of failure greatly, but over time the cost of bringing a weapon to its full power may vastly outstrip the cost of getting it in the first place, so this often isn't worth it except for top tier gear - where the risk is even greater, on the other hand. For each attempt, one chosen parameter is increased at a time. As an example, for swords the available parameters are: Sharpness, Heaviness, Durability.

On Success, the item's name is appended with a =#, such as =2 if it has been successfully improved twice. Failure, however, drops an enhanced parameter by one, bottoming out at =0 (how it was originally.) Each item, too, can only undergo a set number of enhancement attempts, regardless of what it ends up with. If an item can only be enhanced 8 times, for instance, and it succeeds four times and fails four times, the net gain is 0 - it will forever be a base weapon, and that was a lot of time and materials wasted.

==== Materials====
Crafting Materials are items like any other, but form an important part of the player economy. Some are gathered from 'node' like regions spread across Alfheim in many areas. Bottling water from mystic springs, harvesting wild fruits and vegetables and berries, diving into caves and mines to mine from nodes on the walls where the mineral ore's rich, these are all examples.

Others are acquired from quests, from shops (for lower quality ones anyways, used for grinding), and sometimes from hunting monsters. Monsters may drop anything from meat or bone to skin to horns and claws and stingers to just about any other body part.

Materials are not uniform in quality even among the same category. For instance, one vein of 'copper ore' may not have the same qualities as another. Not every patch of Apples has the same nutritional value - some are higher quality than others, or good for different recipes and different things.

The variations are endless, though they do tend to stick within certain ranges. The general properties and quality RANGE a certain kind of material can have is set, but any specific sample within it will vary. Rare and unique materials may have pre-set values or average much higher quality than lower quality parameters, and most store-bought materials are shitty.

Most Materials are used for straightforward crafting, but others - most of them monster drops - are used to increase the chances of Item Enhancement succeeding. In canon, Asuna needed about a dozen giant wasp stingers to improve her Wind Fleuret with a good chance of success.

As in the Crafting example, Skills are required to process and refine some kinds of materials. metal Ore must be refined and cast into ingots, Skin must be tanned and cured into leather, and so on. Overall, anything used for player equipment will have more costly and involved steps than something like cooking.

=== Combat, Damage, and Resurrection===
Shifting from wandering around to stabbing something is literally as simple as just stabbing that thing. Everything has HP (except system fixtures such as buildings, trees, the ground, etc) and can be assaulted.

The damage calculation compares several things: race strength, impact speed, weapon power, elemental matchups, and how clean the hit was, against the victim's defense skills and armor, etc (an insufficient Strength = Parry combo, for instance, will negate some damage but not perfectly nullify it all.) Mundane attacks are parsed on the fly by the system, their type determined by the weapon's properties and the way it was used and struck between four types of attacks: Thrust, Slash, Pierce and Blunt, which have different effects at breaking different guards, armors, and monster types.

Digital bodies don't really react 'normally' when struck. While weak attacks might leave a weapon embedded in virtual flesh, strong ones to centers of mass often 'pass clean through,' leaving glowing gashes that soon fade in their wake - but inflict damage all the same. Extremities CAN be severed, inflicting a temporary Amputation status effect (the limb, hand, etc, will regrow in a couple of minutes.) Embedded weapons inflict Piercing damage over time.

For players, this damage isn't super painful - pain intensity's capped at a fairly low level. At worst it's just a momentary sharp buzz sensation, enough to communicate whether a hit's occured. NPCs sometimes ACT like they are in pain when struck, but who knows what it really means to them.

The damage engine is extremely advanced. Where things like the weapon damage formulas don't hold sway, it defaults to common sense laws of physics, analyzing kinetic energy, location of injury, severity of environmental hazard, or other factors into appropriate damage that's contested by applicable armor and other defensive measures.

Upon death, avatars become Remain Lights - pyres of colored flame specific to their race. These last for one minute, and during this time the player can still perceive events happening around them. Field resurrections through healing magic or items (World Tree Dew) must target a Remain Light. If no resurrection is performed, they respawn as soon as the timer runs out at their last chosen Save Crystal. A Save Crystal exists in all major towns, and players start out bound to their race's hometown Save Crystal. Changing bindings costs Yrd, however.

There is a Death Penalty, however. In general, Death Penalty resets all progress leveling a single skill back to nothing, with harsher penalties existing for using certain self-destruct moves and other circumstances. Beyond that, being felled in a PK battle nets the victor 30 percent of a player's value in non-equipment items and Yrd. In party vs party fights, a whole party must be wiped out for the victor to gain these spoils, but in the meantime any players killed still lose their items: they're transferred to surviving party members first.

==== Loot====
Upon slaying monsters or other players, a window pops up showing gained Yrd, while loot is automatically placed in a player's inventory. In groups, distribution systems include all the normal methods that a group leader can decide upon - dice rolls, leader chooses, random distribution, and so on.

==== Status Effects====
Many enemy skills and different situations can invite status effects. Positive ones are hard to come by, but sometimes are granted by equipment or eating foods, and tend to be simple stat bonuses, luck bonuses, resistance to a negative status effect, and so on. Negative ones include:

Delay - Slows the movements of the affected player.

Tumble - Disrupts the standing balance of the affected player and knocks them over.

Paralysis - Prevents movement of any sort.

Poison - HP slowly drains.

Hate - Attracts enemy attention, causing monsters to focus their attacks on whoever has this status effect. It's gained by being the person antagonizing the monster the most - typically its predominant attacker in a group.

Amputation - A negative status that prevents use of a limb (and keeps it from being rendered) caused specifically by limb loss (usually a result of taking a powerful sword skill to the arm, and so on.) Ends in 3 minutes, at which point the affected limb regenerates.

=== Sword Skills===
Originally a Sword Art Online exclusive, Alfheim Online recently incorporated Sword Skills, taking them all but wholesale as they were.

Sword Skills are basically weapon techniques, unlocked as a Weapon Skill increases. Using them involves adopting and holding a specific posture while wielding the right weapon. Do it right, the weapon will soon glow a color unique to the skill. Beginning the first motion of a Sword Skill launches it. At this point, SYSTEM ASSIST takes over controlling the avatar, triggering whatever amazingly fast and coordinated, powerful strike(s) the Sword Skill is supposed to do. Any other motion will cancel activation.

Once begun, Sword Skills are impossible to safely stop. Fighting the motion - or encountering an impossibly tough resistance (such as another Sword Skill) breaks the animation, inflicting a moment of stun time. After being used, Sword Skills need several seconds to a few minutes of cooldown before they can be used again - single strike attacks that form the bread and butter of attack styles rarely have any at all.

While SAO's Sword Skills were simple physical blows, Alfheim Online's implementation of Sword Skills are Elemental attacks, imbuing strikes with magical might to inflict flame damage, ice damage, wind damage, etc. Magic resistances can apply, although only the weapon and weapon skills are used for determing damage - you don't have to have any elemental magic at all to use a powerful Elemental Sword Skill to its fullest. Sword Skills have different balances of how much damage is caused by magic vs physical impact, such as 25 percent physical and 75 percent fire for one assault.

Despite the name, Sword Skills exist for all weapons (even martial arts, which is unarmed). Starting Sword Skills are very basic, such as thrusts or single slashes. Advanced ones may even reach around ten blows in a row!

Sword Skills can be browsed and studied in the menu, as well as enabled or disabled (if, say, you don't like a certain Sword Skill and its activation gets in your way.)

==== Original Sword Skills====
The best part about Sword Skills is the newly introduced ORIGINAL SWORD SKILLS system. Players may opt to create their own signature techniques, though this is beyond difficult.

In theory, it's as simple as selecting to register a new attack, then performing the moves. However, the simple-seeming requirements for a valid skill are actually damned hard to manage. Those requirements are:

1) It must be unique. An OSS cannot be a rehash of an existing skill. The sheer variety of standard Sword Skills means that only combo attacks of 4= strikes are all but assuredly unique.

2) It must be performed at great speed comparable to an actual Sword Skill.

3) The Skill must be balanced - not mechanically, but physically. The motions must be of sound footing and balance.

4) It must be given a unique name.

Requirements 1-3 combined makes registering a Sword Skill essentially require performing what is an otherwise impossible manuever WITHOUT the programmed System Assist that makes it possible. For one or two strikes (which isn't very valid design space) this is simply darned hard and a matter of endless repetition. For 4=, it's ludicrous, extremely difficult for even the best of players.

If the system accepts it though, the player gets to decide the elemental balance of the attack, and from then on can generate an endless number of GRIMOIRES, items that can teach the Sword Skill to others - if they so choose.

== The Grand Quest==
The centric quest of Alfheim online is to become a True Fairy, an ALF, with the power of unlimited flight and access to Light Magic. This is far from easy, but the rewards are well worth it.

The original quest before Ymir patched it was rather ridiculous. This is what it is now.

=== The Fairy Seals===
The gate to Yggdrasil's grand elevator has space for 9 seals, Medallions the size of one's open palm bearing the emblem of one of the races.

These Seals are generated every time the Grand Quest is cleared and spread to a random member of each race. These individuals are randomly chosen, but only from those who are rather consistent players.

Bearers of Seals cannot benefit from race zone protections. Additionally...

Should a Seal Bearer log out for longer than 48 hours, the Seal will be removed from their inventory and randomly reassigned to another member of its race.

A Seal Bearer who spends 4 hours logged on while in a safe zone faces Seal reassignment.

If a Bearer's PK'd, any Seal in their possession immediately goes to the one who delivered the killing blow regardless of whether the Bearer's in a party or the PKer's party's looting preference.

=== Ascension Quest===
One raid group (49 players) can undertake the quest by opening the elevator's gates using the seals, causing the doors to open up to a very different elevator than normal. In here, the Guardians of the World Tree assault players as they ascend the tree from within. Breaking the cloud layer and reaching the World Tree's heart puts a player beyond the range of attack. Everyone who breaks through the clouds has won their place as a True Fairy, and after a congratulatory presentation from some quest NPCs, the quest will reset, scattering the Seals all over again.

=== ALF Benefits===
Ascension transforms the player into an ALF variant of their race. The most obvious benefit is infinite flight - wings never tire, so long as they're exposed to heavenly light. Imps still only get 10 minutes indoors, and still, nobody may fly in Jotunheim at all. ALF PC wings keep their original appearance, but glow with a filmy white luminescence.

Additionally, ALF players gain an extra, thirteenth Skill Slot for Light Magic. This special slot can ONLY be used for Light Magic. On ascension, if a PC already has Light Magic it will be moved to this slot. If they don't have it, they'll automatically learn it. ALF players discover that Light Magic has extra effects when combined with anything else, and they have a few more options than other players.

ALF status isn't really that much of a 'race change.' PCs are still considered to be their parent race for race politics and keep their basic benefits.

=== The Reality===
Seals often end up in the care of race leaders (see below) and circulated between their trusted followers on a regular basis to keep them from being randomly reassigned. Then, players who win those leaders' favor can join the groups that periodically make a run on the World Tree. In this way, the Race leaders can keep a friendly competition going while also forming an effective 'ruling council' of sorts. Player politics are a bit thing.

== Community==
What kind of MMORPG would Alfheim Online be without a community to work within?

=== Friends, Guilds, Parties===
Players who become friends can send private messages to one another, see when they're on and offline, etc.

Up to 7 players may participate in a party, and up to 7 parties (max 49 people) can enter a boss room at once. Raid group HUDs display aggregate average HPs and similar statistics.

Guilds are elaborate groupings of sometimes hundreds of players that can define their own politics, rank structure, uniforms, and dozens of other things. They're really quite the same as any other MMORPGs.

=== The Great Fairy War===
Put simply, the player races are political and military entities at war with one another. Each Race elects a leader every so often, who's in charge of managing the race's treasury, tax rates on towns, policies of NPC guards and investments in defenses, and numerous other things, and defining the social structure beneath them. Some players, known as 'Renegades,' stay apart from their race's politics, while some others even end up stripped of their racial rights and exiled from their hometowns. Fairy politics can be vicious.

Races can take over towns and impose taxes in military conquests every so often, causing the power balance to change and granting access to more resources, and it's hardly an uncommon occurence on the borders between racial territories. Taking down another race's leader brings great rewards to the victors, essentially a ten day conquering of the entire territory combined with a massive pillaging of their treasury.

=== Crime in Alfheim===
Crimes are offenses against other players that are within the rules of the game mechanics, but are nevertheless malicious, troublesome, disruptive, or harmful. The system works to prevent this. The Crime Prevention Code attempts to enforce a sense of ethics - for instance, preventing people from running around nude in public, and giving victims of sexual harassment the opportunity to alert GMs. Many lesser offenses will result in system warnings and possibly alert GMs. Since Crime Detection is left up to a Cardinal subroutine, it is very good at detecting what actions are and are not Crimes according to its parameters and recording them for review.

Aside from political shenanigans from the race conflict, player-based crime mostly doesn't exist. Looting and PK'ing is part of the game, for instance, and so Player Killers are not 'criminals' by default, unlike in Sword Art Online.

This doesn't mean that people won't think you're an asshole if you act like one, of course. It's never really considered more than a personal grievance if an instance of PVP conflict outside a town causes vendettas and the like. It's not a problem of the community, though races might decide to 'watch out for that infamous group of folk hunting our race, maybe we should pwn them and take their stuff.'

One particular is touching other players outside of battle. Harmless contact like fistbumps, high-fives, grabbing someone on the shoulder isn't really an issue (unless they're of the opposite gender - and due to the gender disparity of Alfheim Online, the system is more protective of female players) but it shouldn't need to be said what kind of contact will trigger a harassment warning - sexual harassment is an extreme no-no. The victim then gets the choice of whether or not to send a report. If yes, GMs are instantly alerted as the trouble ticket crops up. Players can also choose to add players to an ignore list so the system won't raise warnings about them.

=== Logging out, Rest Areas, and Capital Safe Zones===
Logging out in the field is Soulless - meaning, the avatar remains manifested in Alfheim for several minutes before vanishing, helpless and thoroughly PKable. Certain areas are provided for logouts to be more convenient - known as rest areas, they tend to be inn rooms, rented bedrooms, etc, though certain rooms in dungeons and other locales are also considered them.

Within their capital city (such as Sylvain for Sylphs) a member of that respective race is invulnerable. Attacks are stopped by a purplish barrier - though it does let some physical force through inflicting a very disorienting knockback effect on the victim if the attacker's strong enough. Ordinary contact is fine, provided it's not enough to cause damage - in which case it's treated as an attack.

The only known way to drop protection is through dueling.

Monsters (unless they're pets) will not enter safe zones and treat players in them as though they don't exist. Pets enjoy the same protections as their owners.

=== Dueling===
Dueling can be initiated at any point, though it is often done in cities and other places of relative safety. One player may challenge another, though it must be accepted by the one so challenged, and in these circumstances, any system protection to HP (such as that given by Capital Cities) is overridden. At the same time, it's impossible for other players to directly interfere as long as the duel window remains open as both are protected against others.

Duels have three modes:
A) Normal Mode. Fight to the finish. Unused by any sane players nowadays, because reaching 0 HP will still kill them even in a duel. It is also possible to yield, though.
B) Time Limit Mode. Like the above, but with a time limit imposed - the winner will be whoever has more health at the end. Also mostly unused.
C) First Strike Mode. The duel ends as soon as someone's HP reaches the halfway point, or upon registering the first clean blow. Grazes and nicks will inflict damage, but do not end the duel unless enough is inflicted to lower HP below halfway.

== Import Character - From SWORD ART ONLINE==
Save data between Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online uses virtually the same format.

Ymir has given every Sword Art Online player the opportunity to convert their characters into Alfheim almost seamlessly. This works like so: after picking a Race, the following happens when using an imported account:

APPEARANCE: SAO players can keep their SAO appearances for free (retooled to race aesthetics such as hair color changing to red for Salamanders or blue for Undines,) allow the system to randomize, or pay for customization.

LEVELS AND STATS: Alfheim Online doesn't use Levels or Stats the way SAO did, its racial stats override them.

SKILLS: Save for a few cases where Skills were removed from Alfheim (particularly Unique Skills) all skills map 1:1, although their specific uses and effects in ALO differ here and there.

MAGIC: SAO does not have Magic, so all players start with race defaults if they have an open slot.

MONEY: Col directly converts to Yrd on a 1:1 scale. If you had 1 million Col, now you have 1 million Yrd.

ITEMS: Inventories do not transfer, although Pets do. All characters begin with newbie equipment.

= Section Two B: Gun Gale Online=
PLACEHOLDER! Are there any Sinon appers out there?

= Section Three: The Reality=

== Setting and Geography==
Sword Art Online-1's real world is modern Earth - a bit more modern than modern. When it unified it was 2024, but now it's almost 2026 Technology is several leaps and bounds ahead, with major advancements in fields like robotics, electronics, and neurology. The first advancement to really show promise and change the way people live is the newly conquered - though hardly mastered - field of Virtual Reality.

Beyond this difference, it is more or less identical to reality, save for differences in available fiction (no real source material, etc) universal to all Earths that enter the Multiverse.

== SAO Case Victims Rescue Force and Aftermath==
Kayaba Akihiko, development director and GM of Sword Art Online, distributed clear information regarding Sword Art Online victims to the whole world using all of his available methods to ensure that few players' lives were lost by outside interference. The NerveGear's extensive battery and a 2 hour game service disconnect grace period made hospital transference convenient. Nearly all Sword Art Online players were hospitalized shortly after the Death Game began, and treated as coma victims. They were fed and hydrated intravenuously, and all other bodily needs handled by the hospitals. All suffer from SEVERE muscle atrophy and are being rehabilitated by joint efforts between Japan's medical care and the Union.

Japan's government swiftly created what it calls the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force from volunteers from other divisions. However, their ability to actually help the players beyond organizing their hospitalization was quite limited. While Argus was sued straight into bankruptcy, and all of its assets taken over by RCT Progress, the actual SAO game servers were directly watched over by the Rescue Force and carefully studied... but they were unable to beat Kayaba Akihiko's stunning deployment of military-grade encryption backed by Cardinal's extensive processing power that made it impossible to hack. They deduced the 'public keys' for decryption, gaining access to system logs, but the private key and administrator accounts that would be used with it to gain control of the server eluded them.

Thankfully, with the crisis seemingly over, they have moved on to focusing on reparations. Most of the victims and/or their families have received a fairly generous settlement, and are being provided with mental care. For those of school age, Japan's government (with some help from interested and generous Union assistance) hastily assembled a special remedial school designed to accomodate for the psychological trauma that the SAO case has left most survivors with. Most suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, among other issues, and need plenty of time to deprogram themselves from their Aincrad habits and philosophies to re-enter society proper.

Although the government is technically aware of what players are PKers, as the case against Argus is considered settled trials cannot be held against individual PKers, though considerable animosity's held towards them where players in the school recognize them, and while it's been forbidden to reveal who was a PKer publically, all of them have been receiving CONSIDERABLE mental help. Who knows if it will be enough...

Publically and officially, the victims are being treated the utmost of care and most are expected to recover in time. Privately and unofficially, lots of people think that many victims are just bombs waiting to go off.

Kayaba Akihiko was discovered brainfried in a mountain cabin far from any civilization shortly after SAO was cleared and the protections on the system came down - and the person who claimed to have been forced to care for him, Koujiro Rinko, was cleared of charges due to being implanted with an explosive device she was told would detonate if she didn't go through with it. Close examination revealed that the device was actually incapable of exploding and quite inert, but she had no way to know that.

= Section Four: The Multiverse=

== Unification==
Though this fact is not public knowledge to SAO-1's real world and only recently discovered by governments (who are still studying this bizarre and dangerous phenomena while exploring relations with the Union,) every bit and byte of digital content hosted by SAO-1's real world maps directly to a portion of the Cyber Core. This region is not exactly physically accessible however - it's surrounded by enormous piles of dimensional turbulence and twisted space, making it nearly impossible to just up and walk into it. Even were one to do so, the vast majority of the content is not in a format that typical multiverse-goers can parse. The only regions with 'proper physics' in a fashion anyone can really use are the Virtual Reality zones, of which Alfheim Online's merely one out of thousands (though most definitely among the biggest. The majority are only a few rooms worth of data, or a small school, etc.)

Incredible luck (such as being displaced by the initial Unification or random happenstance - a dimensional disturbance afterwards) or advanced navigation powers (like the ability to open wormholes or teleport through crazy strange zones) are the only ways to travel in or out discovered so far.

Shortly after its discovery by the Union, specialized and secured warp gates were installed in a forgotten corner of one of the lower floors of Aincrad, allowing Elites and other authorized personnel passage.

=== Wander Mode===
When Unification struck, a handful of VRMMO players were displaced through the dimensional remap that placed the digital world in the Cyber Core. Of them, Kirito and Asuna were the first to establish contact with the Multiverse at large. Of the few Alfheim Online players, most think it was a random glitch and ended up respawning without realizing what they stumbled upon - and haven't found any way to repeat the process yet.

It's only recently become apparent just what they stumbled upon.

That this is possible amazes many - even some of the Union's top scientists are baffled at the forces that allow this - but Auric VRMMO players have demonstrated the capacity to support their avatars' existences beyond the realms that define the rules of their reality in the Cyber Core. The current theory explaining it is roughly this: Because of all the time spent invested in building their virtual identities, the player's own self-image changes to incorporate the avatar, and they build up a powerful auric resonance with it. One property of the mysterious 'Aura' is that individuals with an intense Auric field - the Elites - carry some of their own reality with them. This is what allows SAO-1's Elites to travel the Multiverse. This phenomenon has been dubbed 'Wander Mode.' If a non-Elite player attempts Wander Mode, they're in for a surprise: their avatars are struck with effectively infinite environmental damage, and forced to respawn.

SAO-1's real world's governments have discovered and begun studying this abnormal property, but efforts are being undertaken to cover it up (with plenty secretly wanting to exploit it.) Everyone who's able to manifest an avatar's watched by local governments for many reasons.

Sadly this means that Elite players will get in boatloads of trouble for wandering around the real world. Inevitably, the cat will get out of the bag, and the governments know this, but for now it's contained and being studied.

Currently, only Japan's government has access to the database of which player name maps to what real person from Sword Art Online, and Alfheim Online's account database is BEYOND secure. As such, Union SAO-1 Players are encouraged to use their handles as codenames to protect their real identities, as this knowledge could put their real bodies in serious danger.

=== Foreigners in VRMMOs===
Denizens of the Multiverse can enter VRMMOs physically.

By default, Cardinal doesn't really recognize them as players. They are registered as non-system-controlled autonomic entities (which really shouldn't BE there, but it doesn't have a clue what to make of them,) and can utilize environmental advantages and mechanisms (such as Teleport Gates and Safe Zones), engage in fights against monsters and bosses, and so on (without an inventory,) but that's about it. The system can only track their progress and data so much.

However, they retain all of their normal powers and abilities, which the system attempts to parse as well as it can when it interacts with monsters and the like.

==== Alfheim Online====
NOTE: While this is still -possible,- it is heavily discouraged as Alfheim Online is now a professionally run game with no need for crazy, gamebreaking heroics. Generally speaking, of course...

On entry, an individual's presented with a menu window asking them to create an account. They'll then have to pick a Fairy Race to match their account name. Once this is done, the person'll be able to use the menu's basic functions (communication, partying, inventory, etc) and fly using the Assist Controller.

Damage is real and painful, but slightly blunted by the system. Such 'players' do have Health meters, and the system seems capable of detecting when they're in mortal danger and shunting them into the Remain Light form when they 'die.' 'Resurrection' brings with it a wave of healing, but this tends to take the wind out of anyone who experiences it.

The created account is fully valid if logged into normally (pending a subscription, which doesn't apply when 'walking in'), though Skills don't increase while it's being used 'personally.' Equipment can be used regardless of Skills or 'stats,' and the inventory functions for objects brought into the multiverse through a form of pseudo-hammerspace (which always ejects its items out after a player who's leaving if they aren't retrieved, and cannot be used to steal items even if admin wanted to.)

== Reality-to-Virtual Mapping==
Due to the weird reality bleed that's brought the digital world to the Cyber Core, most power and physics between digital and normal natures seem to be interchangeable and capable of affecting each other. For instance, an Undine healer from Alfheim's healing spells can heal someone in reality's broken arm, and a White Mage's healing magic can restore the HP of a Sword Art Online player.

While in Wander Mode, avatars are constructed not just from their digital data, but also the self-images of the players behind them. This apparently allows for a great deal of strange phenomena which doesn't make a lot of sense seperated from the game logic. For instance, avatars can consume food items or actual food, and the latter's handled pretty much the same as eating food in-game would be - never mind the lack of an actual programmed digestive system or any excretory needs.

Certain Skills can accomplish strange things independent of System Assist or game calculations - for instance, equipment appraisal might not be able to actually display specific stats of foreign weapon, but the Appraiser might glean an instinctive impression of its abilities just the same when using the Skill. Smithing can still construct normal things out of actual metal with a bit of practice to work out the different feels. Everything constructed from Skills however, counts as a digital item native to the respective game and not a real one. 'Taunt' Skills can pressure targets mentally to draw aggressive attention - with the appropriate OOC consent, of course.

It's best not to think about the details too much.

== Government Reaction==
As it does many worlds, Unification has thrown the entire world into a social explosion. Thankfully, public panic is minimal. Sure, there's the occasional riots, weird conspiracy theories causing massive piles of confusion, and people who aren't paying any attention, don't care, or just plain don't get it. The governments do care, however, and are doing their utmost to maintain order. Save for some particularly unsavory third world countries and a few oddball nations however, none are denying the Multiverse's existence. Members of the United Nations - and the UN in general - are exploring the inevitability and ramifications of long-term Union relations, and are engaged in hashing out the details.

Japan's government is currently the only one with Union ties with the SAO situation - seeing as it's run by a Japanese company and the vast majority of its victims are Japanese citizens. A man named Kikuoka Seijurou (a member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Technology, Second Seperated Advanced Network Division - aka the Virtual Division) has been appointed main spokesperson and representative of Union / SAO Case Victims Rescue Force relations.

Other nations' governments, and a few particularly unique individuals have also discovered the digital mapping effect into the Cyber Core and are engaging in other secret (and in other cases, not-so-secret, but still regarded as a bit hokey, and too much to believe on top of normal Unification - which is already disorienting) projects.

Now, with actual access to the virtual world of Aincrad and contact with the Union and access through the Union's established warp gates, a few particularly brave and stealthy members of the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force are secretly snooping around to get a better feel for what's going on, though most are quite happy to leave it up to the Union's own task force that seems to be assembling mostly out of Elites. For the moment - a period which may not last more than a few months, most likely - they are studying the situation and working to figure out how to best make use of this in helping the players - and their nation - without causing the massive social hoobaloo that they're sure will erupt if news got out that just anyone could waltz in (while only a few can just waltz out.)

= Section Five: OOC Considerations and Concerns.=

== Hacking==
Hacking Alfheim Online from within it is generally impossible. At the minimum, it requires GM access, access to a control console and similar. Externally, Alfheim Online's encryption is comparable to that what banks use, protecting its connections, transactional data, and player database, and as it is technically hosted outside of the normal space time continuum by the Noble Horrorterrors (see Homestuck-1) hacking it really just doesn't work. Talk to cast if you wanna do anything like this.

== Mass Chaos==
As always with cast rooms and areas, please do not cause mass chaos ICly without first consulting with active cast members. Things in Aincrad or Alfheim don't necessarily work the way you think and the cast will have to accommodate how it affects the playerbase socially, and so on.

== On Capital City protection and the Punching Principle==
Casually inflicting or suffering harm to characters protected by their race's city effect is basically impossible (unless they have been stripped of their rights and exiled): the rules of the local reality simply disallow 'injury.' Though Auric individuals can overcome this through the punching principle given by their Aura, the shield is still incredibly tanky and can absorb several intense attacks before local reality's rules get worn down to allow harm through.

OOC note: Please don't abuse Protection for shenanigans that will make people OOCly mad.

== Geographical Damage==
While it's possible to inflict cosmetic damage to the landscape (cracks, digging, chopping down trees and so on) it is not possible to create long-lasting changes (such as creating a massive volcano from nowhere, or a crater the size of a city block.) When such damage happens, Cardinal will get around to repairing it.

Buildings, doors, mountains, and so on are 'Immortal Objects' with system protection too, and cannot normally sustain damage or be moved. While overwhelmingly powerful attacks from Elites may circumvent this, Cardinal will also replace these (and be much faster at doing so, and may consider it an assault against the system's integrity.)

== Clarification on Monsters and Players Threat Level==
Most of the monsters and players are not considered Elites in any sense of the word. They have stats, certainly, but no Aura. In a direct contention with an Elite, they will probably lose. An extensive analysis by Cardinal would probably uncover irregularities in such an event, but there's not much it can really do about this. Major Boss creatures and a small handful of players, of course, prove an exception to this: they do have Aura as any Elites do (though where monsters are concerned, only a few of the toughest bosses can pose a threat to heavy hitters of the Multiverse). Elite natives generally APPEAR to fit within the limits of the system and rarely invoke errors, but things have gotten a bit screwy since Unification... so mileage can vary.

== Mecha and Giants==
They have plenty of room to move around outdoors, though some tunnels and all dungeons will prove problematic. Also the fact that many players will think they're bosses with phat loot.

== FullDive Compatability==
FullDive works by interfacing with the human nervous system. The technology expects certain structures to the brains it's interfacing with, and certain reactions in specified areas to specific stimuli in order to function. It was never designed for alien physiology, which means many non-human races will be shit out of luck if they try to use it. For the vast majority of 'alien' types of races, it will simply fail to establish a brain link and error out. For a rare few, it might create a link that gets green lighted but ends up being strange or utterly bogus when subtler parts of differing brain function come to light.

Races similar to humans in body shape and behavior (especially those capable of interbreeding) stand a very good chance of being able to use it more or less fine. (For example: Saiyans, certain kinds of Elves, Star Trek-style aliens, etc.)

The Superfactions are capable of creating 'converters/adapters' that would let unusual races enter FullDive, if really needed, but this would also require a custom FullDive rig.

== Foreigners and Wander Mode==
There is nothing really stopping anyone from getting ahold of an AmuSphere and starting up a new Alfheim Online account. However, non-native VRMMO players have it much harder if they want to use Wander Mode.

ICly, this requires the time and effort for serious character development - because Wander Mode depends on a powerful self-image incorporating one's online existence as an integral part of oneself, a level of dedication and belief that doesn't come easy to casual players.

OOCly, it requires an upgrade app.

== Collaborative Nature of Theme==
This page will be updated as new circumstances and concerns arise, to maintain cohesion in the Multiverse. Additionally, while it follows the straightforward story of Sword Art Online, active cast can collaborate to hash out things that might have happened or not happened, or happened differently, to make way for new developments or past developments - this is particularly helpful to the applicants of OCs who might wish to have ties to events. Of course, post unification, all future developments are going to be very different than what happens in canon... though this is normal for the Multiverse, it bears noting that this theme will be very different from normal canon due its special nature of making the virtual into reality far beyond what the official canon ever does.

== Themelist Powers ==

The following is the direct list of +advantages taken from +themelist/powers Sword Art Online-1.

PLAYER CHARACTER: VRMMO characters can traverse 'cracks' in digital reality to enter the Multiverse as physically-manifested digital entities. The processes aren't well-understood, but relate to deep psychological attachments to VR and powerful self-images - and an Auric 'resonance' with the avatar. Slain PCs forcibly dematerialize if not restored from any game-applicable revival periods via healing powers, losing their 'resonance' and respawning in-game to recover it over healtimes. Completed logouts return PCs to game-appropriate positions (respawn point, last known valid location, etc) while FullDive interruptions leave PCs inert and invite timeout countdowns, etc.

Wandering VRMMO characters have benefits common to MMORPGs. The menu grants customizable friend/party/guild organization and tracking/communications, and an inventory capable of managing in-game items and equipment. PCs have blunted pain reception, require no nourishment, while exchanging biological vulnerabilities for digital ones. Advanced PCs are superhuman forces with basic forms of enhanced strength, speed, resilience, regeneration (even from loss of limbs, after several minutes), and so on. Active stealth aside, observers will always see game-appropriate displays such as player indicators and health bars hovering about them.

'''Alfheim Online''' 
(RACE) HERITAGE: Alfheim Online players pick one of Alfheim's several fairy species (each with a unique color scheme) and fly upon gossamer wings powered by light from the heavens for 10 minutes before needing rest. When taking this +power, substitute Race for a name below (Salamander Heritage, Gnome Heritage, etc):

* CAIT SITH: Yellow. Recognizable for their cat ears and tails, they have bonuses to eyesight and intelligence and can tame beasts into Pets.
* GNOME: Brown. The largest and most defensive race, Gnomes have bonuses with Earth magic and mining skills.
* IMP: Purple. They have natural night vision and can fly indoors until their wings tire as normal.
* LEPRECHAUN: White. Skilled smiths and craftsmen with an affinity for Enchantment magics.
* PUCA: Silver. Masters of buffing and debuffing through mystic music.
* SALAMANDER: Red. They have the greatest physical strength and bonuses to Fire magic.
* SPRIGGAN: Black. They have bonuses relevant to dungeon crawling and locating hidden treasures, and to Illusion magic.
* SYLPH: Green. The fastest of the races, and masters of Wind magic with acute hearing.
* UNDINE: Blue. They are masters of water and healing magics.
* ALF: Quest-Ascended players of Alf-(Race) may fly indefinitely where normally allowed and gain an affinity for Light Magic.

MAGIC: All races are capable of powerful spellcasting - elemental blasts, sense enhancement, transformation, buffs and debuffs, conjuring familiars to scry on distant areas and targets, befuddling illusions, defensive shields, healing, etc. Each specializes, performing off-type spells with reduced potency. Spellcasting drains MP and needs a few uninterrupted seconds for players to chant out the words on the fly, thus spells can be easily identified.

SWORD SKILLS: Sword Skills are fanciful and powerful weapon strikes and combos done with speed and skill nigh-impossible to execute normally, begun by assuming a Skill's special posture and starting the first motion. Each weapon has different Skills, and they often inflict mixtures of physical and elemental damage. The Original Sword Skills System allows player creation of custom ones, and creating grimoires that teach it to others. Players have minimal control of Sword Skills beyond guiding them for better effect, but being struck hard mid-Skill, moving against the System Assist, or parrying another Sword Skill breaks the animation and invokes stun time. Their televised nature and a brief moment of immobility post-completion are critical flaws.

[[Category:Themes]]

User:SpyPoet

2014-07-08T02:31:09Z

SpyPoet:

WMAT B1 Gough vs. Asuna

2014-06-24T00:08:11Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/06/23 |Location=WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert |Synopsis=Asuna the White Flash takes on Gough the Hawkeye in the first round of WMAT 2014's B Brac..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/23
|Location=WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert
|Synopsis=Asuna the White Flash takes on Gough the Hawkeye in the first round of WMAT 2014's B Bracket in the Diablo Desert!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=9, 182, 268, 396
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' Welcome to the desert. The Diablo Desert is about as pleasant as one might expect with a name like that. It's hot, it's dry, and it's bright. Stepping out onto its sands is about as enjoyable as stepping into a blast furnace. Heat waves distort everything in sight. This is what the challenge is all about, though. A true warrior must be able to function even in the worst circumstances! After all, he's not just proving his strength as a warrior against fellow opponents, but strength against the elements, too! Ha-ha! There is a giant sitting atop a boulder, in the shade of a rock outcropping. No, really, he's a literal giant. The guy is probably between twenty-five and thiry feet high. His armour is a mishmash of hardened leather, chains, fur lining, and a big steel greathelm that obscures his face completely, leaving only a star-shaped guard over the slots in front. He is busily carving a piece of wood, and the scraping of his huge knife (which could be a sword to an ordinary man) echoes eerily far across the desert. Gough the Hawkeye can wait. He is, after all, very patient. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' He is not made to wait long. There's a soft sigh that echoes across the field as Asuna comes to the starting spot. The young woman has two blades, one strapped onto each hip, and her light blue hair hangs down to her back, for Asuna has showed up as her wandering VRMMO Avatar from Alheim Online. "Greetings!" She calls out, giving a polite bow. "I am Asuna. You must be Gough." The size difference between the two registers as a brief look of amusement on her face as she ducks down into a bow. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' Artorias's relatively tiny announcer's desk is currently situated under one of those mushroom trees. He looks as comfortable as he can be, under the circumstances. It must be sweltering in that armor. "And here we begin, fair audience! Our combatants hath entered the arena and are offering their greetings. In contrast to the fight I spoke of just the other day, I believe this shall be a rather polite match. Both Sir Gough and Lady Asuna are surprisingly well-mannered, and I doubt there shall be any dirty fighting to be concerned with. What an excellent change, is it not? Still, Lady Asuna must find her height vastly outstripped by Hawkeye. I believe she may have some difficulties today, though perhaps the same could be said for Sir Gough. 'Tis difficult to hit something so small, as I know myself!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' The helmeted head raises at the sound of that sigh, and whatever his features may be, one can imagine the giant blinking behind that greathelm. With surprising grace, he climbs to his feet, spilling a cloud of sawdust and wood shavings from his lap as he does, tucking the half-finished carving into his belt, standing to face his opponent. Then the giant lets out a jolly belly-laugh. "Little human!" His voice is VERY DEEP and his words are KINDA SLOW, as one might expect of such a very large creature. "But thou art not exactly human, are thee? Still, it is good to see thee. I accept thy challenge." One can imagine a big ol' grin on his face, though all that's visible is that helmet. Oh yeah, and he's wearing an ENORMOUS BOW over his back, which he takes down, planting the end into the dust and holding it upright as one might a staff. It's almost taller than he is. And the quiver of arrows over his other shoulder look like freaking /spears/. Welp, Asuna's got her work cut out for her. "If you are ready, then..." A cheerful rumble, which sounds a lot like boulders ground together. "I believe this will be enjoyable." And somewhere along the way, Gough's bow made it into his hand, and there is a really big arrow lancing through the arid air straight for Asuna's feet. That, however, is just a warning shot. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Oh god that arrow is /gigantic/. It impacts into the area around her feet, sending her head over heels backwards from the impact, landing on her rear end and sliding back a few feet. Never one to be deterred, though, Asuna immediately pops right back up to her feet, grinning at Gough. "It is going to be enjoyable!" She says, girmly, already a bit bruised, but what did you expect from Big Gough Vs. Tiny Asuna? Then she laughs, a soft noise as she races towards the nearest small mushroom, leaping on top of it, and then off of it - and as she does, blue wings shimmer into the air behind her, and she flies up into the air, before she sticks her hand into the air and says a line of soft words, it all wrapping around her - Before a large ice bolt suddenly comes from her general area, a ice arrow flying for Gough. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "There we go! The duel hast begun, ladies and gentlemen, as Sir Gough openeth with a warning shot of his greatbow. Ooh..." Artorias visibly winces and leans back at the impact. "/That/ is not an unexpected result of an arrow that hast felled dragons. Lady Asuna is hit, but in a testament to her durability, she riseth to her feet once more and offereth her own counter. Ah, how agile! She hast chosen to use the mushrooms as leverage to help her ascend to greater heights, producing her wings to fly up higher and launch a large bolt of ice toward Sir Gough! Will this be a ranged battle that we see today? 'Twould certainly be engaging, considering the skills of both our combatants!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' #-1 FUNCTION (PSACE) NOT FOUNDThat arrow was meant for killing dragons, not human-sized opponents. So it is that Gough looks on in something akin to horror as the arrow flies more truly than even he had anticipated, slamming into the ground uncomfortably close to Asuna and bowling her over backwards through the desert. He almost looks like he's going to call time-out just to see if she's okay! He doesn't, because she gets up a minute later and seems mostly fine. Well, alright, then. More than fine, actually, because she comes back swinging at him. He expected it, but not the wings, or the javelin of ice. Well, it's more like a needle, to him, but it's still something wielded by another Elite and that makes it something that hurts. Gough staggers back in surprise, the sound of his snort of surprise and pain muffled by the helmet. "Well," he says, still cheerful by all accounts. "That was unexpected!" He seems to be gauging the distance, helmet fixed in Asuna's direction... and then he nocks two arrows to his ridiculously large bow, aiming carefully for a moment, forefinger outstretched to point the way-- With a tremendous, reverberating -THWANNG- of the bowstring, which is probably made of /dragon sinew/ or something, both arrows are fired at the same time. One flies straight for Asuna. One is fired slightly /above/ her, where he must be anticipating that she might dodge the first one. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Okay, so the good news is that Gough has good aim. The bad news is that GOUGH HAS GOOD AIM. The second one flies over her head, mainly because the first one crashes into chest and sends her reeling before smacking against one of the giant mushroom trees with a audible thunk. Oooh, that one is gonna bruise in the morning. Asuna lets out a huff of air, before she rips out the arrow, taking to the air again for the briefest of moments, mostly just to dart through the air in a blurr of blue before she lands right next to him, blade withdrawn as she lands, the tip glowing blue. "Hnah!" She cries, before she reaches out in a feint to his chest, before bringing the blade around to his knees. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "Oh, 'twould seem Sir Gough was not expecting such a small opponent to hit quite so hard! The giant is sent staggering back, but he too recovers in time, and in good humor to match. Little seemeth to be able to bring our combatants down this day! Oho, but 'twould seem Sir Gough is attempting to fire upon Asuna with /two/ arrows simultaneously! Maybe that will be enough to bring her down in a more literal sense?" "Ooh, indeed 'tis! Lady Asuna hath found herself struck dead-on by the first arrow, knocking her into a nearby mushroom tree! At least the strike of the first saved her from the second, as it flyeth past harmlessly. Still, our White Flash will need to close the distance if she desireth victory from this match - ah, and that is precisely what she does! A slash of her blade is sent down to Hawkeye's knees, no doubt attempting to shorten his height advantage!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' Oh, dear. Gough looks visibly distressed when his next arrows strike home, clutching at his helmet like a person might clutch their head. Oh no! Poor Asuna! He didn't mean to hit her so hard-- --and she gets up from the mushroom tree, pulling out the arrow and tossing it aside. She then proceeds to swoop down in a blaze of blue, slashing at him with a glowing blue sword. Fortunately, glowing blue swords are not too out of the ordinary for a strange place like Anor Londo. Oh, hello. He's also being slashed at. Not at the chest as he'd expected, having already committed himself to trying to swat her away with his bow (like a baseball bat, and it's probably about as solid as one), but at his knees. Gough staggers back with a grunt, even as his blood spatters the sands, sizzling where it lands. Curiously, it's not red. Well, maybe it is -- but it's so dark it looks almost black. "Well played," he affords her, still insufferably cheerful. Does nothing bring his mood down? "Well played." And then he brings his bow down on Asuna like a freaking /club/. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna looks up, blue eyes wide as the bow itself gets brought down on her hea,d and she takes a quick, instinctive five foot step forward - and the bow goes striaght over her head, so she's standing on the inside of it, framed by the wooden curve and the dragon sinew string. She looks down, then up, then gives a brilliant smile followed by a laugh! "Oh, I wasn't even expecting that one! Good try!" This being done, Asuna draws her blade back, and then, while he's still hopefully blink in confusion, just thrusts her rapier straight forward, a single, linear strike. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "'Tis a clean strike! Lady Asuna hast cloven into Sir Gough's legs, but 'twill take more than that to bring the giant down! Immediately Hawkeye gives his retort, with..." Artorias pauses for a moment, then sounds a little baffled. "...with the use of his greatbow as a club. W-well, 'tis certainly sized for such a task! Lady Asuna is spared the brunt of it, however, as a moment of quick thinking sendeth her rushing forward between the bow's frame and string! The quick-thinking swordswoman followeth through a moment later, thrusting her rapier forward to catch Sir Gough while he is recovering from his attack!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' Gough may be a gentle giant but he's no dummy. He doesn't waste time staring in befuddlement when Asuna sidesteps his greatbow. At the same time, he's not /fast/, either, so while he sees her attack coming, he doesn't have much choice but to suffer the consequences. And suffer he does. Gough's black blood stains the sand one more time, and Asuna might hear a grunt echoing from inside that greathelm. Ow. Once he's recovered, though, Asuna is still standing pretty close by. She's still pretty close. So Gough simply makes a MIGHTY LEAP. He is surprisingly good at jumping. His GREAT SHADOW falls over Asuna. And he simply tilts forward and free-falls, attempting to LAND on her. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Gough makes a MIGHTY LEAP. Asuna says something highly inappropriate very quietly so no one else can hear her. She immediately tosses her arms out, dodging to the side- and while it saves her blade, it doesn't save her so much, the much larger and taller giant landing on top of her with something close to a 'crunch'. She lays there, staring up at the sky. See, there are two things about this... the first is that it hurts. The second? It makes you easier to target with a giant magical water laser cannon. Speaking of which, Asuna has the capability of makinga giant magical water laser cannon. Fwoosh. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "Another solid strike from Lady Asuna! If she keepeth to these tactics, she may yet win against the mountain of an archer! Still, those muscles art not simply for show, and Sir Gough hast plenty of options even at such a close range. To combat Lady Asuna's grace, he..." Another pause from Artorias, before the dark knight suddenly finds himself trying to hold back laughter. "...he...he hast leaped into the air to...drop directly upon Lady Asuna from above, belly-first!" And he loses it for a couple of seconds. Still, he gets himself together after a brief spat of laughter, holding his stomach as he looks out over the desert. "Oh, my apologies. Ah...Lady Asuna unfortunately did not manage to avoid that blow. She is still in one piece, however, and she hast chosen to make use of Gough's close proximity as she unleashes a blast of water magic upon the giant!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' One probably does not expect a giant of Gough's stature to do something like belly-flop on his opponents, but it's a surprisingly effective tactic, as proven by the crunchy sensation of Asuna below. What he wasn't expecting was a water cannon. It's one thing to get hit by a hose, but it's another entirely to be hit by pressurised water. That hurts! It is in fact pretty similar to being hit by a hammer. A hammer that /keeps on hitting/. Needless to say, it makes Gough back off pretty quick, but he's not wasting his time. No, he's firing two arrows as he goes; not two at once, like earlier, but a quick one-two staccato, both aimed in Asuna's general direction. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' It's almost like Asuna's from a MMO game and she has access to both amazing spells /and/ great weaponry! The first Arrow takes her in the abdoment, sending her staggering to the side which allows the other one to sail past her harmlessly, thank goodness. She grits her teeth and breaks it off again, knowing far too well that she shouldn't leave it sticking out like that, although she does let out a pained exhalation. This done, she picks herself back up again, shaking her head still with a smile on her face. She's enjoying herself, which is unusual as of late considering Kirito's node and everything else. "Niii-nya!" She cries out, a strange battle cry, but her blade glows again and this time Asuna engages Gough in a acrobatic dance, using her light frame and wings to flip herself around him with a series of bruising rapier hits. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "Durable though our giant may be, that jet of water is no laughing matter! Sir Gough is forced to move away and give Lady Asuna some space, but such is where the archer's strengths lie. Once more he fireth upon her with twin arrows, one after another to cover his retreat! One findeth purchase against her abdomen once more, but its strike is enough to make the second fly past again! 'Twould seem Sir Gough need'st space his shots out more if he would like to strike this sprite more than once!" Then some more applause from the great knight, each clap rattling with armor crashing against armor. "And yet more excellent footwork from Lady Asuna, her blade shining as she danceth with Sir Gough to deliver thrust after thrust of her rapier! Hawkeye certainly must find himself outmaneuvered today by this graceful swordswoman!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' Breaking the arrows is probably a necessity, even putting aside practical concerns. The arrows fired from that greatbow are literally the size of spears. Getting hit by one is like getting transfixed by a polearm. She probably wouldn't be able to move if she didn't snap them off... and even eating just one of those bad boys means she's probably going to get to know the medics after this. That's okay, so will Gough. It looks like he's still bleeding, the black ichor-like blood steaming wherever it patters against the sand. She must have cut pretty deeply. The greathelm cocks slightly to one side at the acrobatic dancing and hopping about, and one can practically see the question mark floating over Gough's head, turning this way and that to try and face his opponent, let alone counter her. She scores deeply, even if he manages to block a few blows by holding his greatbow like a staff. He grunts with every scored blow, more of that black blood spattering against the desert sand. Finally, he seems to have had enough with this dancing and hopping about. When she gets close for another blow, Gough simply smashes his greatbow down like a club again. Asuna can't be a problem and keep stabbing him if she isn't conscious or able to move, now, can she? Right? 

:'''{{#var:396|Ciaran (396)}} has posed:''' Ciaran's little pennant goes wild whenever Gough makes his move. It's hard to tell how excited she given the blankness of her mask's expression, but her body language makes it pretty clear how wholeheartedly she is behind Gough. She's sitting upright, one hand clenched in a fist that sometimes pumps, her other waving the flag. Of course, she doesn't ignore Asuna's accomplishments, either. Ciaran has an eye for fine swordplay, and Asuna's skill is astounding enough to get a few fist-pumps, too. It's hard for Ciaran to separate herself from her loyalty to the Four Knights, but it's just as hard not to root for a tiny thing like Asuna, the fight's definitive underdog. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Well, that's technically correct. If Asuna is unconcious, or very badly broken, then yes, she'll be unable to stab him. Theoretically. Unless she's learned telekinesis and can wield her blade that way. Hrm - that's an idea. Perhaps for the future. However, first off, Asuna has to deal with getting clubbed. She drops like a sack of potatoes, a mess of blue and white and silver and /red/ on the ground for a few seconds, before she woozily makes her way to her knees. Her hand is gripped tightly around the hilt of Lambent Light, before she staggers to her feet, her wings coming back in to flap just to help keep her balance. She blinks sweat out of her eyes, whirling back to face Gough. She sets herself into position, locking her knees. "Kiiii/yah/!" She declares, before she moves in, the blade whirling in a single, hard to follow feint-like flourish. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "Again and again Sir Gough findeth himself scored by the blade of Lady Asuna! Is this to be it, then? Shall the giant find himself felled by the grace of quick footwork and agility? No, 'twould seem not! Again his greatbow cometh down like a felled archtree to crush Lady Asuna! The White Flash is laid low...is she going to rise once more? Ah, yes, there she is!" Artorias gives an excited pump of his fist at that. "Even repeated crushing is not enough to douse her spirits! Immediately she cometh in once more, whirling with her glowing blade to deliver a single powerful strike to Sir Gough!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' It should be mentioned that there is not a significant desert that Gough has visited recently. He isn't used to this kind of heat or arid climate, and it's clear that the desert sun is starting to sap him. (Having his head wholly encased in what amounts to a metal bucket with eyeholes probably isn't helping at all.) Maybe his greatbow isn't hewn from the trunk of an archtree, but it may as well be. It's extremely solid, for a bow, and it's extremely heavy. It makes a very good club, evidenced by the way Asuna drops like a string-cut puppet. Once more Gough looks concerned, worried perhaps that he'd gone a little bit too far. Once again Asuna pops back up to her feet, though a little less solidly than before, and Gough looks relieved; inasmuch as a giant wearing a greathelm covering his face can look relieved. Just in time to get stabbed again! That is getting kind of annoying, and he is getting pretty cut up by this point. So is Asuna's sword, stained black by the giant's blood. "Thy swordsmanship leaveth nothing to be desired!" the giant says instead, laughing jovially. "I must commend thee for that!" Even as he brings his greatbow around to fire on Asuna, point-blank, with an arrow the size of a freaking ballista bolt. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' "Your own bow work, my good ser, is amazing! Both with a bow and arrows and with the bow itself!" Asuna can't help but give the gentle, teasing jibe about his use of the bow as a club, even though it really is a valid tactic. He moves the bow around, and Asuna can't help but /gawk/ at the sheer SIZE of that bolt. "Oh gods." She can barely be heard saying that before she suddenly throws her weight backwards, wings fluttering frantically once in order to help with the assist. The bolt impacts right against one of her feet, and in a almost deja vu like moment, sends her backwards again, just like his very first attack of the night, except this time, it's a bit more dangerous due to sheer /size/. Asuna stabs Lambent Light into the sand/dirt of the desert, using it to haul herself back up, her knees shaking a little bit. However, she doesn't let it stop her from just - going. She's been here before, in thte pit of battle, with things on the line, before, her life twice over before. She shifts her weight, pulling the blade up to chest height, holding it there for a few seconds, before she just thrusts it forward in a series of stab-flick-stab-flick-stab-flick. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "Lady Asuna is truly a masterful swordswoman! No strike falleth short from her target! Though, in truth, her target is so large that I would worry for her ability if she /did/ miss at that range." A good-natured laugh from the dark knight. "Ah, after that strike, Sir Gough findeth himself compelled to compliment his opponent's skill, moments before firing upon her once more with yet another shot from his greatbow! At such close range, as well! Lady Asuna is struck, though at least not directly this time; still, those arrows art not something to be scoffed at, and she is sent quite some ways away! Her endurance is remarkable, however, and she rises once before again assaulting Sir Gough with a flurry of strikes and stabs! What speed!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' Most of the time using a bow as a club is a really, really bad idea. They're not made to take that kind of blunt trauma, and their fine balance means clubbing somebody upside the head with it will break it in two. Gough's bow, however looks like it IS a club. Or at least started life as one. It might look crude, but it's surprisingly devastating in his huge hands. The giant laughs good-naturedly in the face of those compliments, and the laugh gets all the more louder when Asuna expresses her dread in the face of that dragon-slaying arrow. All of his are like that. They're made for pinioning the wings of beasts like that old bat, Kalameet. He felled his fair share of dragons in the before times; alongside his fellow Four Knights. Gough is as accomplished with a bow as his fellows are with their respective techniques -- Anor Londo's finest. And suddenly he is being stabbed again. Stab-flick-stab-flick-stab-flick. Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow. Gough staggers back, bleeding, finally falling to one huge knee with a grunt, examining her handiwork in carving him up even more. He plants the greatbow against the ground, holding it straight upright as one would hold a staff. The greathelm cocks to one side, as though he were considering something. Perhaps Asuna might be letting her guard down, with him staying there on the sand (which by the way is very hot and kind of burns). Which is precisely why she might not expect the sudden -WHOOSH- of air as Gough swings his bow like a baseball bat again, big clubby knobby shaft aimed right for her torso. (Anything more specific would necessitate a much smaller weapon! Like maybe a telephone pole.) 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' Asuna is, indeed, letting her guard down by the act that Gough is using. She's worried she might have done a bit too much but then the whoosh of the bow has her closing her eyes, shoulders slumping as she goes limp, before the bow catches her and tosses her. There's a blue and white blur that goes and goes and ... she's going to stop before she lands in the next arena, right? ... Right? Eventually, though, her wings pop back up again, slowing her down just enough for a rough tumble down to the ground, rolling a few times, Lambent Light glittering in the sand as she goes down a few more feet. Finally, though, she stands, her wings a 'keep up' aid as much as a agility aid. She glances down at herself, and brushes sand out of the skirt by shaking her hips for a second, before she limps over to her blade, picking it up. Asuna turns around til she spots Gough, then nods. Then she starts running, picking up speed with every step she takes until she's something closer to a blur as she dives right on past him, a steam roll of a train with drawing her blade down across his side as she goes. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' Artorias sounds honestly shocked now. "Sir Gough has finally been forced to fall outside of his own control! Only to one knee, but such is certainly no small feat, especially for one so...well, small. 'Twould seem Hawkeye hast decided to use that moment to his advantage, however, as he suddenly lasheth out with his greatbow once more as if 'twere a great /club/ instead! Her guard lowered, she is sent flying through the air, away and away..." Pause. "Ah, there she is again. 'Tis a moment before she reclaimeth her weapon once more, but off she goeth again, building speed faster and faster - ah, she hast passed him, and struck in passing!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' The giant stands there, still as one of the mushroom trees, raising a big broad hand to shield his eyes as he watches Asuna's far-flung flight. "Oh, dear." His admission is quiet, which is to say, not very much for a being of his stature. His tone is wretched and apologetic and quietly horrified again. "I did not intend to hit thee half so hard..." Aw, he's such a gentle giant. Gough finds himself squinting against the desert glare and the mirage-like heat waves, even as a flicker of motion suggests Asuna charging forward at tremendous speed. He blinks in puzzlement as she flashes right on past him; so keen is her blade, it actually takes him a few seconds to realise he's even been cut. And then there is blood washing down the side of his leg, which is probably all she can reach from the ground. His head lowers as though he were regarding the wound and frowning. "Ah, bother," the giant rumbles in disappointment. His voice is a little slower than usual, though, and it's clear that the desert sun and the numerous bloody wounds are beginning to wear on him. Asuna's gotten too far away for him to waste strength on any sort of pursuit, and his dragon-slaying arrows seem to have mixed results. So Gough simply reaches over, snaps off a smaller mushroom tree (which means "it's only about the size of a telephone pole") at the ground, nocks the thing, and /shoots it from his bow/. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' What. Asuna whips around after a few seconds as the Sword Skill resolves, watching him nock a BLOODY TREE TO HIS BOW, and if there was ever a look of shock on Asuna's face, it is both back and /hilarious/ now on her face, the little swordmistress mouth something silently, her voice having left her out of shock, surprise... what have you. "what." She breathes, but then there is no time, just instinctive reaction, and Asuna dashes forward, before she throws herself to the sand, landing on her facde as the tree goes over her head. Asuna gets back up onto her knees, huffing some sand out of her mouth and brushes it off of herself as she stands again. Then she twirls around to face Gough Again, this time her blade striking out a single stab, using it much less like a rapier and something more like a polearm. 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' Artorias can't help but laugh a little. "The cut was so quick, 'twould seem Sir Gough did not even know it hit him! He seemeth to be beginning to struggle, as both of our combatants find themselves worn to their limits. For her size, Lady Asuna hast been a skilled and determined fighter. Ah...and 'twould seem Sir Gough is uncertain about his choice of ammunition! He is going to one of the trees nearby for some reason...oh. Oh, he is plucking one free and nocking it to his bow! Lady Asuna is shot by a mushroom tree!" Artorias is on the edge of his seat then, but he suddenly pumps his fist in an 'aw, darn' manner when Asuna dodges. "Ah, and he missed. I suppose trees art not as fitting for arrows as his usual. Still, Lady Asuna has risen from her evasion and is rushing ahead to once more strike Hawkeye with a single thrust of her sword!" 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' The Hawkeye can't help but laugh a jolly laugh at the sheer befuddled expression on his opponent's face. It's a good laugh; a good-natured belly-laugh. "Why so surprised? Didst thou not expect me to use the landscape to my advantage? A warrior, nay a knight; must use every advantage he has!" His voice booms across the desert. Apparently he is weak against polearms, because he keeps getting skewered by that little rapier. Gough is very bloody by this point, but he seems to be doing his best to ignore the pain. Harder to ignore is how slick it makes his footing, or how infirm his grip on his bow from the blood, his own blood, on his hands. Gough takes the blood once more with a grunt, dropping again to a knee. This time he takes the rather large, unfinished carving he'd stuck in his belt at the beginning of the match, clutching it in hand and attempting to smash it down over Asuna as one would with a rock. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' "No, I understand that! But I cannot pluck a tree and use it as a blade, nor as a arrow for a bow! And my bow, if used as a club, would do very little!" Not that Asuna uses a bow and arrow, anyways. She tilts her head up to him - and then she sees the carving come down at her, and she immediately ducks down, hands over her head as she gets smashed into the ground. There's a rather nasty crunching noise, and there's silence from the small blue and white and definitely red frame as she huddles there in her little sand hole for awhile. However, stand she does, almost blindly stumbling over to her blade where she had dropped it when she saw the carving, so it wouldn't break. Her wings disappear as she picks it up - her energy for her acrobatic flight actions is just /gone/. She then turns back to Gough. "Starry Strike." She whispers, her blade glowing /golden/, then she strikes out, her rapier flicking in a series of star-shaped stabs. 

:'''{{#var:268|Gough (268)}} has posed:''' "Thy bow is no doubt smaller than mine." Gough's tone is still jolly, even if he sounds tired. "Hah! Then again, no doubt many bows are smaller than mine." Suddenly the world is made of stars. Gough actually cowers a little under that onslaught, not because of any particular fear, but because it's like input overload. Trying to track that many stars (and stabs) is just too much to do, so Gough does the only thing he can think of. He tanks it through to the end! And wobbles on his feet once the onslaught subsides. "Stop; stop!" He still sounds jolly, but he definitely sounds tired now. "I yield to thee, good Lady! I yield to thee." Again, there's that cheerful laugh. He slumps a little. "You have this round. But I expect thee to go all the way, and I will be cheering for thee through thy progress!" 

:'''{{#var:182|Artorias (182)}} has posed:''' "Ladies and gentlemen, both our duellists seem to be pushed to their very limits in this match! Lady Asuna hast drawn no small amount of blood from the giant, but Sir Gough hast offered just as much damage in return! Whoever may win this match is unclear, but 'tis certainly an engaging duel! Ah...'twould seem Sir Gough is making use of one of his carvings now, producing the large chunk of wood from his belt and swinging it down to strike Lady Asuna over the head with it! Lady Asuna, in her swiftness, ducks...but it doth little to spare her from the impact as she is struck down!" Artorias visibly winces at that hit. "Ooh, that will leave a mark. Ah, but the determined White Flash refuseth to remain embedded in the earth for long! Up she riseth again, brandishing her sword - 'tis glowing /gold/, by the Lord! Stars flash upon her strikes now, and...and he has yielded! Lady Asuna hast claimed victory this day against Hawkeye in a brilliantly spectacular match!" 

:'''{{#var:396|Ciaran (396)}} has posed:''' Ciaran sighs sadly at Sir Gough's defeat. "I suppose the barrels shall be dragged out for less jovial reasons tonight," she murmurs to the big wolf at her feet. A moment later, in a more cheerful tone: "Ah, but to drink to Lady Asuna's success 'tis happy occasion enough! We shall give her the support of all our hearts, shall we not?" Smiling behind her mask, she bends down to ruffle Sif's ears, then hops up to her feet to melt into the crowds. She'll catch up with the others later. 

:'''{{#var:9|Asuna (9)}} has posed:''' "Thank you, Sir Gough! You have given me one jolly fight, and I look forward to moving forward!" Asuna grimaces as she sheathes her blade. "... and rest for a little bit, admittedly, although I am sure we will both be celebrating with our friends and beloved ones tonight for a fight well fought!" She bows again, waits for a response, then starts limping off towards the healers. 

}}

WMAT A1 Neal Cables vs. Yumi Musumi

2014-06-22T05:34:12Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/06/21 |Location=WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes |Synopsis=Neal 'Psycho' Cables takes on Yumi 'The Deckmistress' Musumi in a wonderful battle of fi..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/21
|Location=WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes
|Synopsis=Neal 'Psycho' Cables takes on Yumi 'The Deckmistress' Musumi in a wonderful battle of fire... fire... and /dragons/.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=123, 127, 287
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws4VQ21T2jU loud musics balasts over the speakers as Neal "Psycho" Cables literally charges into the field, as he nears teh center of the area, his ride armor drops to it's knees in an impressive slide as the Red Union's Champion Slams a button on the controls. causing his mech's missle rack to fire off several fireworks in an amazing pyrotechnic display. Neal himself standing up from his controls, spreading his arms wide to let out a laugh loud enough for everyone watching to hear. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Meanwhile, somewhere in the stands, Allan Bodily facepalms. "Oi..." 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Introduction time! For Yumi, who is a unknown in the Multiverse, her introduction is started by the sight of a large golden crane with pink tinted wings, and a pink, blue, and violent, utterly long trail of a tail. It's black legs settle down on a fence post before the Bird of Paradise goes to fly away again, before it abruptly disappears. Yumi pops up behind it, the small Japanese woman setting down a ... table... and a box, pulling out seven cards nervously. "Hi!" 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "Oooohkay." Kilik says, peering at the fighters in the rolling green fields of the Spinach Wastes. "For those who've never seen the fighters, Neal Cables rolls in in some kind of powered armour. And Yumi Musumi flies in on a giant bird and ... uh... Okay, she's challenging Neal to a card game? No wait, she's only got cards for herself. No dice for Neal! Looks like this might be a fight after all, even if it's looking juuuuust a little unbalanced right now!" 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' Neal looks. reved up as Yumi enters, dropping back down into his armor and making it peform a few simple boxing moves all tieh while with that manic grin plastered on his face. "I've been waiting for this! Come on! Come on! Ring the bell! Come on! Come on! Start the show... *Ding!* With suprising speed, Neal charges toward Yumi screaming. "Don't take it easy because it's only the first round! Fight with all you've got! There's a whole audience watching us and they paid to see something big! Come on! I wanna hear some jaws drop! YEAAAAAHAHAHHA!!!" Neal lifts one hand and up and SLAMS it on the controls, causing the canon on his armor's shoulder to fire off a large beam of electricty, Neal Turning himself to sweap the beam across the area in front of him, and possible across Yumi too if she doesn't act Fast! 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Oh crap oh crap oh crap Yumi doesn't have anything out on the field-- Yumi suddenly throws herself on top of the table, shoving her shirt around her hand as the lightning laser beam takes her, sending her jotling, crisping her hat, and sending her wild hair on end. She whimpers. Dragging herself back to her knees, she looks at her deck, then delicately places a card on the table. Yumi plays: Mountain. Then Yumi taps it, sliding it ninety degrees, and puts another card down... which immediately sparks with magical energy, and above the card, a gigantic Spark Elemental sits there. "I play mountain! I tap it! I play Spark Elemental! I tap it! ATTACK PHASE!" The Spark Elemental leaps at the mech, lightning crawling across its' arms as it attempts to screw and overload the systems. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "Well I sure can see how Neal gets his nickname!" Kilik calls out. "He charges Yumi screaming, delivering a blast of electricity. Yumi tries to dodge but takes a hit. She seems calm though, playing... playing cards?! A summon, some kind of lightning elemental to reply to Neal's electrical beam." 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' "Summoning!?" Neal Pauses for a moment as the giant spark elemental pops up. The grin vanishing for a moment to be replaced by a look for shock and confusion. And then the grin comes back, bigger than even! "I LOVE IT! Send an army after me! I'll take on all comers! YEAAA-GAH! Hey!" The laugh get's interrupted by the spark elemental doing it's thing, As Neal's controls, let out a cacophony of angry beeps and buzzes, along with various warning lights glaring up at him. "HA! I like this things spirit! But I spent a lot of time working on this baby, so if you don't mind..." He slams a fist on the controls again, this time causing the missle rack on his other shoulder to turn towards the elemental before firing off a volly of missles. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "With shocking irony, Yumi's minion zaps Cables. And Neal fires off a volley of MISSiles!" comes the commentary. 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Yumi lets out a huff as she stands back up fully. She looks down at her field, drawing another card, muttering to herself faintly as she untaps her mountain and the spark elemental, which draws away from Neal and his mech temporarily, dropping in front of Yumi again as they both slide to the side to avoid the missile. Yumi's table seems to be on wheels so she can be on the run and play. She bites her bottom lip, before she taps a mountain, dropping a Goblin Mountaineer on the table, where it joins the Spark Elemental. Yumi then gestures to end her main turn at the table- then suddenly taps the second mana and throws a card up into the air. A Lightning Bolt crashes out of the sky as the flipped card neatly lands face up in her discard pile. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' There's a flash, and a scream, and Neal suddenly slumps over on the controls. For a few moments, there's nothing, no nose, no laughter, no fighting back.... is the fight over already? "Ye... yeaah..." Suddenly, Neal springs back to life, throuwing his head back as he lets out more mad laughter. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Now we're talking!" and... are those burns starting to heal? There might have been some rumors going around about how the Red Union is full of people who can regenerate, and from the looks of it, that might be true. not one to waste time, Neal surges forward again, aiming to bash the elemental aside with one massive arm of his armor, before charging at the engineer, firing a few more missles ahead of him as he chases after it. "Keep it up! Win or lose, I want them talking about this fight at the finals! YEAAAAAHAHA!" 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Yumi lets out a labored breath - and as the man charges forward, Yumi pushes her rolly table, the cards, and herself out of the way, hastily tapping the Goblin Mountineer card, who promptly explodes as she uses him to block, the card landing in her discard pile afterwards. This done, she stands back up, green eyes widening as she untaps her cards, and plays another mountain. This third one allows her to tap all, and then play a Dragonspeaker Shaman. This creature is strangely dressed, mostly in rags, with a stave at his side. He stands still, though, as Yumi taps her Spark Elemental again, it diving forward to tangle itself with Neal again. "H-hnh..." She breathes unsteadily, worried. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "Oh! That must've hurt!" yells Kilik enthusiastically. "Yumi's magic cards deliver the shock of the match to Cables... is it over? NO! The psycho's up and LAUGHING it off! I think he's even healing the damage!" he yells excitedly. In the announcer's booth, Fire gives Thunder a punch in the shoulder. "Musumi's got another minion on the field now. He goes to batter his way past the lightning - you sure that's a good idea mate? - and he's going for the little creepy-looking minion. Can anything stop the psycho?!" Thunder, of course, turns back around at that and WHAPS Fire's shoulder right back. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' Neal's grin grows larger for a moment as the Engineer vanishes. "YEAAAAHA-GAH! HEY! You again?!" Neal turns to grin at the spark elemental, as his armor start scremaing mor warnings at him. "Just a minion but hanging in there and fighting on! I LOVE IT! Your boss there should be proud! That said..." and then time, Neal leans fforward, shifting his armor about to try and line the elemental up right in front of the missie rack. "Minion or not, I never hold back, FIRE!" he once again slams the controls, firing off antoher volley of explosives. 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' The Spark Elemental decimates in a shower of sparks. However, this doesn't stop Yumi from whimpering, especially when one lands on her rear end, causing her to squeak and jump. She rubs it with one hand, drawing a card and untapping the cards she did tap, then she smiles. Yumi plays another mountain, then taps all four of them in a row. The first one summons another Spark Elemental - she must like them. The second, well... After tapping them, Yumi makes her way to her feet, green eyes blazing as she flicks a hand into the air, a card held between two delicate fingers. "My cards are not minions! I AM A PLANESWALKER! THIS IS /MY/ DECK!" She slams the card down on the table, causing them all to shake, then immediately turns it to attack mode. "STORMBREATH DRAGON!" There is a crackling thunder-like noise, then from the skies above, a long sinous snake-like shape appears, before it descends down, the flared red wings pulling in tight as the dragon descends on Neal. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' At Yumi's declaration. Neal Throws his head back for more laugher "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I knew I could get some fire out of ya! That's the spirit! Get angry! Raise hell! SCREAM TO BE HEARD!" Then the dragon shows up., causing neal to Jerk his head up as his grin widens. "YEAAHAHA! Now we're talking!" Instead of ducking or seeking cover, Neal JUMPS headlong at the dragon, arms swinging into action as he attempts to grab the massive beast and slam it to the ground. Yes, Neal is in fact skipping the beams and rockets in favor of going stright up mano-a-draco with this thing! 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Yumi winces as the dragon ... misses. Okay, it's far. Big dragon, small mech. Still sucks. Neal however leaps up and rockets towards the dragon, barely managing to grab onto it's hind leg, where it shakes him off back to the ground. Yumi, meanwhile, draws, untaps, and starts to laugh. Endlessly. Yumi drags her table and her cards towards the nearest large hilltop, struggling up it as she frantically plays a mountain, untaps Stormbreath Dragon - and then she taps all the mountains, smiles, and then dives off of the hilltop - Right as all of her played cards completely disappear, because of an earth shattering *roar* that can be heard as from the skies, the extraordinarily larger dragon, the Worldgorger Dragon, drops down in front of Yumi, who lands on its' back. "Attack phase." She says, simply, pointing at Neal. Who might be getting eaten. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "Okay, maybe I'm missing the point, but only a crazy man leaps at a dragon like that!" exclaims Kilik, grinning madly. "Still, Neal didn't get hurt and he didn't manage to draggem out of the air, so maybe the madness balances out?" he says, apparently having planned that pun out in advance. "Speaking of balance, Yumi's hauling around a pretty wobbly table there and ... oh. Oh man, that thing is HUGE! And it does NOT look happy to see Neal!" shouts Kirikou, staring up at the Worldgorger. Now is a bad time to be Neal, he figures. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' Neal snaps his fingers as he misses his grab at the Stormbreath Dragon. "BAH!" his quickly distracted by what shows up next though. it's... big, REALLY big, and it's coming at Neal fast. Neals ever growing grin jsut gets bigger. "YEAHAHA! BRING IT!" Nom heparks fly as The Living Legend is now stuck in the dragons mouth, it's controls screaming another series of Warning sirens at him. stragely though, instead of trying to fight his way back out Neal's... forcing his way in?! "Ya Want a bite of this? Well then! If it's a snack you want? HERE! Have your fill!" He reaches an arm on his armor out towards the back of the throat, looking for a uvual, anything to grab, once he's got something, he reaches both fist up, and SALMS the controls. "YEAAAAAAHAHAHHAA!!!" The arm suddenly pulls back, hard as it can manage, while both the beam cannon and missle rack unload in it's throat. If it doesn't spit him out, he'll blast a path out right through theback of it's head! 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Neal and his beam cannon and missiles rip the Worldgorger Dragon apart, Yumi dropping safely to the ground as it explodes into a shower of beautiful sparkles. Her cards reappear, and Yumi draws, untaps, smiles - although she's hurting. She doesn't normally do this much energy and she seems to feel everything at least a little bit. She plays a Mountain, taps everything -- THen points at Neal, and says clearly, "Maximized Enlarged Fireball." ... oh. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' Kirikou says, "Ladies and gentlemen, this fight has been incredible. For those who haven't tuned in, a brief recap. Yumi 'Deckmaster' Musumi has been quite the surprise, summoning creatures that have been keeping Neal 'Psycho' Cables off-balance. But they don't call him 'Psycho' for nothing! Off-balance is just where he likes it! He's torn through everything Yumi's thrown at him, and in this case that's not just a figure of speech! You should see what happened when that dragon tried to swallow him. Eeeugh. Neal's damaged, maybe even brain-damaged, but the Planeswalker's looking somewhat tapped. It's anyone's fight at this point, so tune in on 900.6 or come on down to see what comes next!" 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' Neal drops to the ground with a loud THUD! Turning to stare at Yumi just as the fireball pops up. "Not stopping? Good, Good! Don't let any setbacks stop ya, That's the spirit!" He then attempts to punch the fireball. Yes, really. It ends about as well as you'd expect. There's a loud BOOM! Neal vanishes for a few moments, and when the smoke clears, Neal's slumped over the controls again. Though once again he pops back up, he's burnt and missing some of his hair, and his armor looks like even more of a pile of junk than normal, but he's not done yet! "YEAHHHHAHA!" With a few more sparks form his damage armor, Neal charges at Yumi again, one arm drawing back as he tries to knock her skyward with an uppercut from his armor. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "Oh damn." says Kilik. "Neal just punched a fireball. That worked about as well as you might expect. Good thing he can regenerate huh?" 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Okay, so the Fireball spell didn't go well, which is actually... Kind of what Yumi expected. Then he comes knocking, sending the not-actually-good-at-physically fighting girl rolling head over heels, oofing as she bites down on the cards she was holding to make sure they don't go falling away on her. Yumi hisses tiredly as she pops back up, darting back towards her little table. Yumi draws a card, untaps everything, plays a Mountain, takes a deep breath, whimpers faintly- Then there's another Stormbreath Dragon, this time not moving in phsyically but unleashinga great cone of lightning and electricity. It's like the Spark Elemental, just... maximized. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' Neal Grins at Yumi. "Still going aftrer a hit like? YEAAAHAHA! You're tought than you look! Huh?" He's distracted by the sight of another stormbreath dragon. "Eh?" Then Neal suddenly disapepars inside a cone of lightening. When the coast is clear, Neal looks, stunned, literally. He's covered in burns, the warning sounds from the Living Legend are starting to glitch out into soemthing that sounds almost dubstep. His hair is even standing up on end in a silly fright wig. Shaking his head clear, Neal does the only thing that makes sense to him. When a dragon roars at you? ROAR BACK! Neal slams the controls, fireing off an eletric belam of his own along with a few missiles for good measure. all the while leaning foward in his seat to yell right back at the giant lizard. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' Kirikou says, "Neal knocks Yumi down, but the Planeswalker is back up in no time, calling up a dragon. The Psycho seems to approve, He's all fired up! No wait, that's just the smoke from fireballs and summoned lightning attacks. Yumi's dragon blasts Cables, Cables blasts back with missiles and beams!" 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' The Stormbreath Dragon disappears again. Yumi's discard pile is gathering up nicely, and Yumi is getting tired of running around avoiding Neal and his mecha while trying to play the game, because while he can act freely, Yumi is very much bound to her game. She bites her bottom lip, letting out another noise. One chance, one opportunity... Yumi taps her lands. She slams another card down. Then she points at Neal. "As the world ends, so does it." Then a second Worldgorger Dragon eruprs from the lands behind him, letting out a angry schreech, before it spits out the closest thing it's got - a gigantic fireball, following by a series of lightning strikes. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' Neal, in true Neal fashion, spins right around to face hte new worldgorger and screams right back. "I get to fight another one! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAH-ERK!" Once again, Neal disappears under all of that firepower, When the dust clears, Nea's once again a burnt wreck slumped over teh controles of his armor, which is looking progressivly less like armor and more like the reslts of a particulary nasty car crash. Still, he's not done. popping back up into action yet again, Neal charges the dragon, lettingo ut antoher volely of fire as he runs. "I took down your buddy eariler, let's seee how you manage!" 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' Kirikou says, "Neal keeps the pressure on, and Yumi seems to be in desperate shape. Doesn't look like she can hold out if he should catch her cleanly. Then again, Neal isn't in great shape himself. If his regeneration should fail he's done for, and his powered suit's looking more and more like yesterday's lunch! Yumi recalls that monstrous dragon, but the Psycho seems to be happier than ever over it!" 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' The Worldgorger disappears, and Yumi's green eyes go wide out of sheer. Utter. /Terror/. The little Deckmistress worridly picks up another card, untaps her six mountains, adds a seventh, and considers her options. Okay. She figures this is a long shot, but long shots have gone a lot worse, and hey, at least in this case it's not a full on battle, just a tournament fight. (she'll probably be having nightmares about Neal for ages though). "R-right!" Fwoosh. 

:'''{{#var:123|Allan Bodily (123)}} has posed:''' "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Neal lets out more mad laughter as te oher worldgorger goes down. He's stopped for a moment however, as the fireball slams into his back. "Still at it? Awesome! That's the spirit!" Immeadtly he charges at her, fireing off a few missles before jumping into the iar a second later, lifing his arms heay arms over his head as he aims to slam into teh groud moments after the missiless impact. "YEAAAHAHA!" 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' "Call Neal the Dragonslayer. He tears down yet another one of those monsters, and Yumi's looking desperate." Kilik calls out, pounding the desk. Fire and Thunder cling together, apparently forgetting their rivalry in sheer terror. Not Kilik though, he's merely excited. "Her dragon fired on him just fine, and I'm sure it hurt, but Cables can't be brought low by that kind of damage it seems! He's coming for her now. The Deckmaster just conjured up a monstrous fireball and flung it at him, but she seems nervous. I gotta be wondering what's going through Yumi's mind right now. Hopefully it won't be Neal's fist!" 

:'''{{#var:287|Yumi Musumi (287)}} has posed:''' Missiles impact, and Yumi's ploy fails. The missiles strike through, and the girl crumples to the ground, whimpering faintly. Ow. That all /hurt/. She's done for. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:''' Kirikou's on his feet, dancing around and cheering. "Yumi's last ploy fails her. Her dragon is defeated, her fireball more encouragement than deterrent. Any other man taking that much damage would be down or dead, but Neal 'Psycho' Cables just laughs through it and finishes Yumi 'Deckmaster' Musumi with a missile barrage!" he calls excitedly. Not without sympathy for Yumi, but ... can you blame the guy for getting so fired up? 

}}

WMAT C1 Beelzebumon vs. Marie Mjolnir

2014-06-21T01:02:52Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/06/20 |Location=WMAT Arena - Yunzabit Heights |Synopsis=In the first round of WMAT 2014, C Bracket opponents Beelzebumon and Marie Mjolnir (ac..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/20
|Location=WMAT Arena - Yunzabit Heights
|Synopsis=In the first round of WMAT 2014, C Bracket opponents Beelzebumon and Marie Mjolnir (accompanied by her Meister, Dr. Franken Stein), fight in the Yunzabit Heights to great acclaim with enthusiastic hosting done by Mizuki.
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|Cast of Characters=132, 183, 315
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' Oh HAPPY DAY! After weeks of waiting after signing up, twitching with barely contanticipation, the day has finally arrived for the WMAT Tournament to officially start! The strongest fighters in the Multiverse, all lined up ready to get punched! It is the day Beelzebumon, now an old hand at the World Martial Arts Tournament, eagerly awaits all year. Already he is on the scene, standing atop one of the high plateaus of Yunzabit Heights, oblivious to the chilling wind that forever blows through this cold landscape. As he paces back and forth awaiting his opponent, he pauses to twist his head around and is rewarded with the cracking of his neck. This is gonna be goooooood! 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Marie Mjolnir knows Stein well. That's why, even though she's somewhat of a pacifist, she managed to cajole him out into joining the WMAT Tournament, allowing him to bring her with him to work as his weapon (and his Weapon.) The Meister and Demon Hammer eventually scale a platform, before Marie waves a hand and waves it cheerfully at Beelzebumon, Stein putting out his cigarette and sliding it into his box of smokes as he reaches out to take Marie's hand, who, after her wave, immediately disappears in a burst of electricity/lightning themed yellow energy, turning into a tonfa in Stein's grip. "Heh." Stein says, giving Beelzebumon a nod. It's the closest thing he'll get from the doctor-meister as they wait for the fight to get started. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' The roar of the crowd is already overpowering as Mizuki strides to a red and gold, throne-like seat brought in by two women in maid uniforms that now stand to the left and right of it. She gets into position in front of her future resting place, accepting a hand held microphone from the girl on her right. After a few taps of the device and a clearing of her throat, she begins. "Goooooooood afternoon, ladies~and~gentlemen~!" She raises her hands up toward the crowd, eliciting a shrill cry from the audience and a cacophony of clapping hands. "TODAY, we are gathered here to watch the fiery fallen angel BEELZEBUMON give his all in a stunning duel against MARIE MJOLNIR, a death dealing death scythe~! When two mythical figures collide, WHO will emerge the victor, and WHO will go home with their proverbial tail tucked between their proverbial legs~?? My dear audience members, we are about to find out~!" There is another roar of the crowd, and several large groups fly out of their seats. On one side of the stadium, Marie would hear her name being chanted. On the other, Beelzebumon! The chanting fuels the fire, creating the psychological boundaries on either side. Already, the energy of competition is forming two huge spheres on the playing field, creating an electric dividing line in the heart of the arena. Eventually, though, the chanting calms, and Mizuki begins again. "ARE YOU READY... to see these two decimate this arena with their quaking hearts and cataclysmic strengths??" The crowd roars a 'Yes'! "ARE YOU READY... to see these historic names carve themselves into another golden slab of legend??" The crowd roars again! "Then hold on to your SEATS, dear viewers! Sparks will FLY! Blade and bullet will CLASH! AND NOW, contestants!" Mizuki pauses, looking down at the field with a fist on her hip. "GET READY," Pause. "GET SET!" Another pause... "BEEEEGIN!" 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' Beelzebumon smirks a mirk as he sizes up his opponent, then reaches down to pull the shotgun strapped to his leg out of it's holster and assumes a very loose fighting stance. Then the announcing begins, and a big old vein pops out of Beelzebumon's forehead as he turns, then yells up at Mizuki. "HEY! I ain't no fallen angel! I'm a demon, god damnit!" Stein won't have a better opportunity to get the first shot in than this. 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' "Of course they forget me." Stein mutters. Marie's voice emanates from the tonfa, somehow, similiar to the way an Abstractum talks. "To be fair, I did sign us up under my name..." However, even while the pair is arguing (and they argue a lot, mind-) Stein is moving, showing a almost unbelievable burst of speed for someone who is built to be tall and somewhat big. He slides off of the platform, landing nearby Beezlebum before she aims to slide down in and under his arm, in anticipation of a potential shot from his pistol. "Demon weapon versus demon. How appropriate! Hah! Hah!" Stein laughs as he brings Marie-tonfa around in a swift motion, aiming for his gut. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki plops down into her seat and crosses her legs, putting her hands together. When Beelzebumon shouts back up at her, she narrows her eyes slightly and brings the microphone back to her lips. "What's THIS, ladies and gentlemen? It seems the DEMON GOD Beelzebumon has taken his eyes off of his opponent? And what is the first rule of war, ladies and gentlemen??" She rockets back out of her seat, lifting her arms again. "NEVER turn your back on your opponent~!" As Mizuki finishes her statement Beelzebumon is SLAMMED in the gut by blow from Marie! The crowd emits a low, disappointed 'Oooohhh...' on one side and a loud cheer on the other. "Loooooks like a rough start for Beelzebumon, but this battle is just getting started! WILL the demon lord be able to put the demon blade and her wielder back in their place??" The audience resumes their chanting, the side shouting for Beelzebumon louder than ever. "BEELZ-BU-MON! BEELZ-BU-MON!!" They pour their zeal into him in an effort to give him the burst of strength he needs to make an early comeback! Meanwhile, Marie and Stein's side is too busy clapping and shouting to do anything so cohesive as a group chant. 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' Beelzebumon knows better, but damnit! Some things you just gotta speak up on, and he ain't gonna let anyone confuse him for a bloody pussy-whipped angel! That's for pansies like Lucemon. After giving Mizuki a piece of his mind, Beelzebumon turns back to the fight, right in time to see Stein slip under his guard and smack him good and hard right in the gut with enough force to send the demon lord skidding back. Snapping his arm out, Beelzebumon quickly digs his claws into the earth and stops short, then stands up with a grunt. "Alright. That one you got for free. From this point on, you're going to have to /earn/ it!" And then with a sudden surge, the demon lord comes charging forward and leaps into the air as his leg snaps out to catch Stein in the face. But even as the first kick lashes out, Beelzebumon twists around and unleashes a follow up kick with the heel of his other foot. And as a final punctuation to his opening assault, as Beelzebumon lands, he ducks down and snaps up his shotgun, unleashing a blast of fire and lead. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' The crowd goes wild! People jump up out of the stands, cheering loud! The chants for Beelzebumon cease, but the cheers only intensify! Claps resound, and voices ring high enough to bounce off of the gates of heaven themselves! Mizuki gives a nod of her head, returning a hand to her hip. "WHAAAT A COMEBACK! Did you SEE that, my friends~? A KICK, a SLAM of the heel, and a final BLAST from his gun!" Marie's side of the stadium, but even they continue to watch with interest. "Have you ever SEEN such a flourish of unmitigated FINESSE, ladies and gentlemen? Could you even contemplate the AGILITY, the DEXTERITY, and the sheer force of WILL required to execute a maneuver so profoundly elegant??" Her hair does a dramatic swish as she turns to look at Marie. "Buuuuut what do Stein and his death scythe have ready to give the SHOTGUN TERROR in reply?? Will it be another diabolical slash? Perhaps a jab in the HEART? The suspense is eternal, dear viewers!!" 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Sometimes, you have to just go for it, and technically the match was started, so both Meister and Weapon felt they were justified in taking that hit. Marie doesn't respond to the comment, although Stein gives his sort of robotic, a bit off of a laugh even as he promptly takes a boot to the face. Then another one, although this one doesn't hurt quite as much as the first, but it still sets them up perfectly for a couple of bullets to graze the tonfa and a few to impact Stein directly, sending him staggering backwards before he digs his boots down into the ground, skidding to a stop. Stein dips his finger to the hole in his coat, before he looks up, glasses glinting. "Althight." He says, equably. "Marie?" There's no audible response, but whatever he does, he suddenly moves in for a feint - he swings Marie-the-tonfa around in a swift motion, but in reality, she shifts his weight at the last minute, attempting to bring his hand up against their opponents chest again, although this side, instead of being purely physical, things get a bit metaphysical, as a soul built on lightning and love, mixed with one of blood lust and madness both lash out at the same time against the other demon in a concussive soul blast. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' The people in the stands let out another long 'Ooohh', but this time it isn't low at all! There is excitement, there is wonder, and there is surprise! No one had seen /that/ coming! Mizuki spreads out her hands. "What WAS that, ladies and gentlemen??" She pauses a moment. "Was it MAGIC? Was it LIGHT? Or was it the pure, unrestrained power of WILL rocketing forth from the man's palm?? Whatever it was, it looked STRONG~!" The audience is in obvious agreement, their boundless cries of awe emanating from the stands in endless waves. "WHAT ELSE does Stein have hidden underneath the sleeves of his labcoat?? WHAT OTHER horrifying techniques does Marie have hidden away?? I think I speak for all of us when I demand a DEMONSTRATION~!" Mizuki's words elicit yet another rise in the voices of the crowd. "BEELZEBUMON may have his work cut out for him here! Neither Stein nor Marie show any signs of going down easy! But whatever will he do next, dear viewers?? Will he throw the rusted manacles of HELL upon Stein's WRISTS?" 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' The Demon Lord righst himself as he gives his shotgun a twirl, then holsters it back onto his leg before pausing to crack his knuckle... then with a grin of glee, he charges in, aiming to get close up and person. The feint briefly catches him off guard, but a quick sweep of his hand swats Marie-the-Tonfo away from him as he leans into a fierce right punch, hurtling down his fist towards Stein's face even as he swings up with his palm. The palm proves to be a hair faster though, as the blast of soul energy sends Beelzebumon hurtling back head over heels mere moments before his own blow could land.. and before he can get himself under control, he disappears over the edge of the plataeu. Clinging to the side of the cliff face by his claws, the demon lord finds himself shaking the ringing out of his ears and looking down at the scorch on his chest, before taking a moment to think... then he grins as he pulls back his hand. Many seconds pass as the demon lord doesn't come back up over the edge of the cliff... when suddenly the ground directly behind Stein erupts as Beelzebumon pops out of the earth like some hellish gopher and reaches out to grab Stein, "PEEKABOO!" And then once he has a grip on Stein's shoulders, he yanks the man back off his feet and drops him directly onto a waiting knee. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' As Beelzebumon bursts from the ground, people in the crowds burst from the seats! People clap, people yell, and some people even turn around to smack /eachother's/ hands! As the fight heats up, so do the applause! The bubbles of will, excitement, and ferocity are pushing up against each other from both sides, but neither one is ready to burst! "WHAT WAS THAT, ladies and gentlemen? WAS that even LEGAL~?" Mizuki looks to the crowd, swivelling about before clicking her heels together and standing stiff. "BEELZEBUMON may not have put SHACKLES on his hands, but he may yet drag Stein and Marie to TARTARUS! We shall have to wait and see, my friends!!" 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Marie has a lack of true senses when she's in her Demon Hammer form, and indeed, she takes a deep breath as she focuses on Stein again, checking how he's doing as the tall man moves around in a slow but wandering circle around the ground that he can tread on considering the strangeness of the area their WMAT fight is in. Stein's back gives an audible crack, but he seems to be OK, not actually 'broken', just... in pain, because oh god, /ow/, does a backbreaker hurt. Even Marie goes "oooooh!" audibly when she hears it, giving a wince that seems to cause the tonfa to shudder across her. Stein, however, laughs again... followed by one large hand reaching up to crank the large screw that resides in his head. This done, he stands back up again, slowly turning around in one metal plated bolt, before he shifts his weight again, making a surprise move by hurling the tonfa at Beezlebumons' face, but in reality using her as a brief distraction to be able to move in under his guard again, slamming both of his hands against his chest again, this time just a pure energy soul of madness coming to play, lacking that sense of lightning. 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' After landing the backbreaker, Beelzebumon quickly backs away, grinning all the while... and then Stein proceeds to screw in the bolt sticking out of his head, and Beelzebumon can't help but pause. "Okay, dude. No offense, but that is creepy as fuck." With a startled cry of "WOAH GEEZ!" Beelzebumon ducks the hurtling tonfu and throws up his guard as he takes the double fisted blow, but guarding can only do so much when your opponent's fists are covered in lightning and SOOOOOOOOUUUUUUL energy that scorch his arms something fierce. "Ah god damnit! That's gonna sting..." Beelzebumon replies with as smoke comes off his arms, but he bites back the pain and straightens up, rubbing his nose, "Alright, warm up's over. Let's dance for real now." And then witgh lightning fast reflexes, he slips a hand down and snatches up his Berenjena Shotgun once more before unleashing a blast straight at the center of Stein's chest. "HEARTBREAK SHOT!" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' People in the audience raise their hands above their heads to clap, and now, people start chanting Stein's name too! After a while, Marie's name gets added into the chant, making both chants overlap in a way that makes it sound almost like they're chanting in rounds. "STEIN! (MARIE!) STEIN! (MARIE!)" Whatever the case, they responded pretty well to that last, powerful slam! "My friends, I don't know about you, but I'm starting to wonder whether that man NEEDS a weapon! Marie is a GODSEND for him and it shows, but this is the SECOND time he's knocked Beelzebumon's analogical BLOCK OFF!" The people in the stands go at it, those in favor of Marie and Stein shouting while the others try to beat them out in the LOUD department! But both sides quiet in unison in appreciation of Beelzebumon's HEARTBREAK SHOT! "Oh, that HAS to sting, my friends!" Mizuki herself claps her hands together for that. "I don't know if my heart is broken, but it is most CERTAINLY quivering in awe of that CATASTROPHIC hit! Let's just hope that Stein has some OTHER way of pumping blood to carry him the rest of the way!!" People in the audience stomp their feet in the stands. When Beelzebumon says that things are finally going to get real, People vault forward to watch as close as they can! Noticing this, Mizuki adds, "This fight is giving EDGE OF YOUR seat a NEW, much more LITERAL meaning!" 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' "Look, if you think that's creepy, just wait til he-" Stein takes the Heartbreak Shot to the chest, turning at the last second so that the shot, while it does hit him and sends him back onto his back, definitely hurt now, and visibly so (Marie is flinching), he still stands back up with that sort of half insane smile on his face, and he gives a low laugh- "Heh. Heh. Heh." As he cranks his screw again - clockwise, as always. "... does that." Marie finishes off wearily as she gets picked up. Stein seems to lack some of the energy he had at the start of the fight, but... that's not too much of a surprise. Stein flips the way he's carrying his partner (the tonfa), in his grip, before she moves in again, swinging her up as his other hand comes out in three direct blasts again, his hand crackling somewhat with electric and lightning. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki bends forward a bit herself, eyes going a little wide. Everyone in the crowd joins her, going dead silent and staring! "For the love of CREATION," Mizuki begins, dramatic as ever, "for the love of the HEAVENS, for the love of every last molecule and fiber making up our wide, wide, MULTIVERSE!" Mizuki raises her hands and bows her head, theatrically resting her eyes. "I did not come here today expecting LIGHTNING to strike this arena, but low and BEHOOOLD, ladies and gentlemen, it would appear that is what has just happened!!" She claps her hands a few times! "Things are getting INTERESTING! I can FEEL the heat of that strike from HERE! My only question is how in the WORLD is Beelzebumon still standing?? It would appear he has the ENDURANCE to back up his CELESTIAL TITLE!" 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' Welp, Beelzebumon certainly was looking for a fight. Looks like he got one. Staggering back as he's struck, Beelz nearly stumbles and falls as electricity wracks his body, but he manages to dig in and stay on his feet, electricity crackling over his body and he steadies himself. Then he takes in a deep breath and shakes his entire body, "Bbrrrrraaah! Man, that'll clear your sinuses right quick, that's for sure! Looks like I found me a tough one right from the get go..." The Demon Lord grins wildly as he tenses up, then suddenly launches himself skyward as he pulls the second shotgun from his back holster. As he soars through the air, he inverts himself and begins to spin, laughing aloud as he unleashes blast after blast in every direction... except towards Stein. Shots begin to ricochet off of cliff faces, whilding zipping around in a frenzy which could very easily lead to getting perforated with bullets if one makes even a single wrong move. And then almost all at once, all those bullets ricochet together and head /straight/ for Stein. 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Well, that is absolutely correct, Beelzebumon did ask for a fight, and Stein and Marie seem intent on giving him one. Although the pair can't do much when he tenses up and launches himself into the sky, both of them lacking a Grigori soul and thus the capability of making themsleves fly. Marie lets out a gasp as all the bullets start ricocheting - and then they all zoom in on Stein, who merely smiles again, and then moves - although not enough, getting peppered with a series of bullets that leave him reeling, leaning against the lay of the land for a few minutes. "Stein!" Marie says, her voice thin with worry. "Stein?" She knows him, there is no way... then he cranks the screw again. "Right." He intones. "Marie!" "Right, let's go!" "SOUL RESONANCE!" The two chorus. Thin ropes wrap around Stein's wrist from the tonfa, which then start seem to glow yellow and spark a little bit. Stein twists the Tonfa around properly again, before he suddenly speeds up again, swinging Marie around for a direct hit... at the head, because hey, if he falls unconcious, then he feasibly can't fight, right? 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' The eyes of the audience follow the bullets as they strike and bounce off of the walls of the arena. Parents hold their children close, ready to guard them if the bullets make it into the stands, while the more brave and zealous clap their hands together! A few curious people even stick their heads -into- the arena to get a better look! "When Beelzebumon said that he was ready to get this dance started, he WASN'T KIDDING!" Everyone claps their hands together waits with baited breath! "Just look at those BULLETS fly! But watch out - if you put your hands over the line, they might get BURNED! SPARKS - ARE - FLYING~!" And then all of the bullets converge, coming together for an especially punishing strike on the poor doctor! "My GOODNESS, folks," She smirks, "if you thought he had a few screws loose before, he REALLY might now! Let's just hope those shots didn't do any permanent damage to the man's SKULL~!" But just then, Marie and Stein start talking amongst themselves. The whole crowd quiets again, determined to eavesdrop... before they say something together that -everyone- can hear! As the two decisive words echo across the field, everyone is watching, frozen in anticipation as they wait to see what will happen... Stein and Marie... ... miss! There is an improbably loud 'Awwwwww!' from the audience, some more roudy male voices throwing in a 'Hell no!!' here and there. "My GOODNESS, what a twist~!" Mizuki's eyes are wide. "It would appear Stein and Marie have MISSED with their SIGNATURE MOVE! What a catastrophe! What a horribly ironic quagmire!" The back of her hand is on her forehead and she's bending back in lament for dramatic emphasis "-how- will they -EVER- come back from this??" 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' Gracefully, the Demon Lord lands from his aerial display, his arms crossed and the barrels of his twin shotguns smoking from the unloading of ordinance. Then with a smirk, he opens his eyes and stands up, pausing to blow the smoke from the ends of his guns before holstering one. This time though, Beelzebumon is prepared for Marie and Stein as they come charging in with a sweeping swing at his head... only for him to throw himself back like an expert limboer, bhefore backflipping away. And then no sooner does he land from his flip than Beelzebumon springs forward, seeking to grab Stein's head between his legs, before backflipping and using his hold on Stein to throw him across the arena. That's right, Beelzebumon just hit Franken Stein with a Frankensteiner. 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Whoop. And there they go. Good bye, Stein and Marie. Stein crash lands on the other side of the arena, not that this bothers him... too much... because it gets them a chance to really show up... although Marie /will/ be picking bits of rock out of his injuries with Nygus later, she almost guarantees it. "Ow." Marie vocalizes. "Marie." "Oh, right!" The tonfa distorts, before it disappears completely, and up in the air nearby Beezlebumon's head, a triquetra symbol appears - before it crashe down towards him in a destructive lash of lightning and electricity, because she /is/ Mjolnir the hammer. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Everyone in the audience vaults together in unison! Parents uncover the eyes of the children just in time for them to see Beelzebumon LEAP over The Mad Doctor, nailing him with a FRAKENSTEINER! "Is there any acrobatic feat this man can NOT accomplish, my friends??" She lays her palms out flat, gesturing to demon lord. "The GRACE! The STYLE! The crippling PAIN! Just when you thought Stein might have had him, he makes one of the most incredible comebacks this Multiverse has ever seen!!" She puts her hands together and claps, causing the entire audience to do the same. "Bravo, bravo! You have EARNED it, God of Demons! But Stein and Marie aren't done yet, and they most certainly won't let Beelzebumon slide without another dose of BONE BREAKING in return~!" And then, Stein gets up, grasping Marie. The audience's eyes train on him again, and just moments after the mystical symbol appears on the ground, lightning goes flying! But when the dust has cleared... Beelzebumon is nowhere to be found! Mizuki gasps, holding her mouth to convey her shock! "Can it BE? Did Beelzebumon dodge Stein's attack AGAIN?" She lays her hands out in a shrug. "It would appear that the DEMON GOD has received a SECOND WIND!! His momentum and grit? Astonishing, ladies and gentlemen! But where did he go? And what will he do next??" 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' The mighty blow comes swinging down, full of lightning and thunder, but Marie hits nothing but the earth beneath her as Beelzebumon launches himself backwards in a series of backflips, before vaulting himself up onto a heigher plateau. "There we go, /now/ I'm starting to hit my groove. Sometimes it just takes a bit to find a good rhythm." Then with a grin, he launches himself off the egde of his vantage point and comes hurtling towards Stein horizontally, his elbow poised to land. 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Marie and Stein miss... twice in a row. And Stein gets elbow dropped. Ooooh. That one hurt, considering how much he's been tanking with his upper half today. But you know what? That brings him into much closer physical contact... And Stein slams upwards with his hands again in that same motion as before, bringing his and Marie's wavelength to bear to throw the Demon off of them. 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' The one problem with high flying moves like that is that the recovery time is always a little on the slow side, especially this late into a fight where the rigors of combat start to make themselves known. Such as this case, where Beelzebumon is just getting up on one knee when he gets blasted off of Stein and is sent crashing down several feet away. After a moment to clear the spots from his eyes after that blow, the demon lord rolls to his feet and stands up with noticable effort, then digs in his boots and tenses up like a wild animal ready to pounce... And then with a sudden surge of speed and fury, he charges and swings his arm out straight, aiming to clothesline Stein as he rises from the earth. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Beelzebumon lands another, strong hit... with his elbow! The crowd barely has time to recover and clap before Stein nails Beelze with Marie's TWIN SPEARS! People on both sides of the stadium are going wild, and the the friction between the opposing sides might just have reached a fever pitch! "One SMACK," Mizuki throws out a hand, "and one STAB! These competitors are relenetless, my friends! It just goes to show, sometimes a nice, conventional swing of a scythe works better than flamboyant lightning strikes, and sometimes an elbow to the face can be just as biting as a bullet!" The crowd's roars rise and fall, but the cheering is constant! "But they're both STILL STANDING! Just how much can these warriors take?? Something tells me we'll find out before too long!!" Mizuki looks to Beelzebumon expectantly... before he leaps up! "... but not just yet! Beelzebumon isn't about to let the bell ring before he jumps up! But what does he have in store for the gooood doctor~?" She pauses, narrowing her eyes... when he throws a clothesline punch! When it makes contact, the audience "Oooh!"s again, watching Stein stagger back. "There is no END to his strength, my friends! No matter how long the fight goes on, he never stops! But they're still neck and neck! Toe-to-toe! Who will win? Who will lose?? Or will this be one of the WMAT's very first TIES??" 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' A tie? Not on Stein's watch. He gets clotheslined, staggering back slightly and landing on his rear end with a harsh 'oofh' of breath. Stein is definitely hurting and staggering a bit as he hauls his lanky body back up, and Marie makes a extraordinarily quiet worried noise from her tonfa shape. "Marie." Stein says with a gasp. "That one thing..." "But--" "Now!" The little ropes wrap round his wrist again, and the triquetera symbol reappears in the air, but this time there is no immediate direct shot - instead, Stein suddenly bolts across the field at Beezlebumon, as there's a cracking noise and suddenly the bolt emanates, launching down at him - and no matter where it hits, causing a minor explosion. 

:'''{{#var:132|Beelzebumon (132)}} has posed:''' BOOOOOOOOOM! And Beelzebumon is sent flying all the way across the arena, before impacting a cliffside clear on the other side, where he leaves a Beelzebumon-shaped indent in the stop... before slooooowly sliding off the rock face and hitting the ground with a dull thud. "... Fuck." 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' The entire crowd stops, and even the normally haughty Mizuki is struck dumb. She lets the arm holding the microphone hang limp a second as the cheers of the crowd give way to an almost eerie silence. Mizuki holds the microphone to her mouth... but words fail to escape from it. For now, all of the eyes in the entire stadium are on Beelzebumon... and they watch for a good, long time. Though much to the chagrin of his side of the field... Beelzebumon doesn't rise again. A wind of finality blows across the stadium, and without a word, Mizuki leads the crowd in a final clap. The other members of the audience, even those that had cheered for Beelzebumon, begin to clap slowly. As it picks up, some people slowly add whistles, and screams of delight. And then some people start tossing their hats and shirts into the air! H-Hokay, that might be a little much guys! "BRRRRAAAVVVVVOOOOOOOO!!!" It's quite possible that Mizuki has never risen her voice to be so loud, no held a word for that long ever before in her life. "I think I speak for all of us when I say, to Stein and to Beelzebumon alike, JOB. WELL. DONE!" The whistles are renewed! The exuberance is boundless! Some people even jump out of the stands and rush for Stein and Marie... only to be stopped by security! It looks like they have more fans than they might have thought, huh? "That fight was most certainly one for the ages! There was lightning! There were blades! There were bullets! Oh, the magnificence has overwhelmed even /me/, dear viewers!" She begins to clap again. "Truly, congratulations, both of you! And congratluations Stein, in SECURING YOUR PLACE IN THE NEXT ROUND~!" Over all the other voices, the voice of a single man screaming "YEEAAAHHH!!" somewhat comedically can be heard. And are some people out there... crying? Yeah, okay guys. "Thank you, competitors, for the incredible show! And thank you, members of the audience, for making this all possible! In this battle of mythological marvels, ONE has emerged victorious, but we ALL have won! This is your commentator, Mizuki, signing off!" She gives the audience a parting curtsey, crossing one leg over the other and coming low to the ground. Then, quietly, she walks down the stairs, followed by the maids she had come in with. 

:'''{{#var:315|Marie Mjolnir (315)}} has posed:''' Marie finally reappears again, golden hair a bit rumpled. "That was interesting. C'mon." She drags Stein across the field, and after a few minutes, they show up next to Beezlebumon. "That was great. Thank you for giving us a wonderful fight!" Stein grunts something that sounds like 'thanks'. "Now lets get you both to the healers, and no you can't experiment on yourself Stein." 

}}

Archive: Busou Shinki-1

2014-04-01T21:51:05Z

SpyPoet: /* What Shinki are there? */ - added dropped characters section

http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-01.jpg

Shinki are 15 centimeter tall partners created to serve humans.
They are endowed with intelligence and emotion, and serve the one they call 'Master'.
Humans can equip their shinki with whatever armor or weaponry they please, and command them to fight.
Some fight for honor, others to prove their strength, and some simply strive for victory.

These girls who do battle using the weapons given to them by their masters are what we call 'Busou Shinki'.

=Themelist=

The year is 2040. Advancements in robotics have ultimately resulted in the creation of robots called "Shinki". Produced by a variety of companies and sold globally through Multi Movable Systems, shinki have now existed for about ten years and have grown quite popular. They are often purchased as toys, housekeepers, or assistants and share homes with their masters.

Life is good for shinki. The little robots have existed long enough to create their own little microculture--When the Master's away, the shinki will play. Many stores and specialized 'Shinki Shops' have appeared, offering products for shinki and shinki owners. Shinki sporting events, contests, and the like are commonplace in parks during working hours and have become something of a public spectacle.

There's even a rumor of a "Shinki City" underneath a Tokyo park where shinki who no longer have masters live, unwilling to give up the memories of happier times.

The largest public event involving shinki is the battle circuit. Shinki are combat robots by nature and all models come with fully functional weapons, armor, and shielding systems while also being highly customizable. Battles last until one of the fighters can no longer fight back. In the competitive circuits, battle damage is far more common. Street battles are more common, though rarely taken seriously and damage is a lot less frequent.

While shinki can fight in any environ, it's fairly common practice to use a portable holographic device termed a Battle Field, which creates a stage and sets the rules of the match. Inside a Battle Field, damage is simulated rather than real, and disappears when the Field is closed. The most prestigious tournament in Japan is the Busou Shinki Battle Rondo, televised worldwide every year.

=Videos=
* [http://youtu.be/0G3-7-BPDfo Strarf vs Eukrante, from the TV series]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8va7IvZ8Pc8 Battle Masters intro]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pFgebWdD0 Battle Masters MK.II intro]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOB3bIwih7Q TV opening]

=On-MUSH Events=
* [[2014 Battle Rondo |2014 - 10th Annual Busou Shinki Battle Rondo]]

=Frequently Asked Questions=
==What Shinki are there?==
For a list of all types, with pictures, [[List of Shinki |look here.]]

Played on MCM...
* [[Allie]], type Artille
* [[Fuki]], type Fubuki
* [[Kaede]], type Raptias
* [[Kari]], type Howling
* [[Kotana]], Custom type Swords
* [[Lizbet]], type LirBiete
* [[Metta]], type Schmetterling
* [[Miki]], type Mizuki
* [[Tora]], type Strarf Mk.II Lavina
* [[Vervi]], type VerVietta
NPCs on MCM...
* Lilith, type Valona (owned by [[Auron]])
* Muriel, type Harmony Grace (owned by [[The Shade]])
* Saiga, type Grapprap (owned by [[Tesla Armadia]])
* Selena, type Brightfeather (owned by [[Jinxel]])
Dropped PCs on MCM...
* None have dropped.
Dropped NPCs on MCM...
* Lilith, type Valona ([[Auron]] - decided against having a Shinki.)
* Muriel, type Harmony Grace (dropped when [[The Shade]] dropped.)

==What is this?==
In essence, Busou Shinki is a mecha combat genre. Only instead of giant robots, it's small robot girls in various armor, with assorted weapons. The style of combat is just as intense and fast-paced as you might expect from settings with much larger machines. Consider them like tiny super robots. Some shinki are even inspired by mecha from other settings.

==Nature of Shinki==
Shinki are, as has been said before, robots that average 15cm (6 inches) tall and are designed to assist humans. They have a full range of emotions and personalities just as humans do, and the type of shinki has little impact on the personality they might have (Though Maochao and Howling seem to have options for how many awful cat or dog puns they make in regular dialogue).

Most shinki serve their masters loyally, though can get rebellious if they're constantly made to do things they don't like to do. Much the same way as people get tired of doing work they don't enjoy. A shinki who wants to fight will get tired of doing housework all the time, and a housekeeper shinki who's made to fight would be terribly unconfident.

==Virtual Master Program==
A thing in the setting is that shinki whose masters die or disown them are, by law, required to be formatted and repackaged to be sold as refurbished shinki. MMS as a company doesn't actively pursue this, though, for a variety of reasons (The one most often cited is that they can't tell a stray shinki from an owned shinki running an errand). They do, however, recognize that there are stray shinki without masters who might want a new master without being reformatted. That's where the Virtual Master Program comes in.

Via the VMP, a prospective owner can temporarily register as a volunteer shinki's master. This allows the shinki to participate in official events even if they don't have a proper master, and allows the prospective master to interact with a shinki that he or she might choose to adopt more permanently.

Many prospective masters who are unsure if they have what it takes to manage a shinki are directed to the VMP kiosks found in any MMS-sponsored shinki shop. As such, this is the most simple way for Multiverse residents to start interacting with shinki they may eventually own.

The Virtual Master Program can be a great way to introduce oneself to shinki without having to spend a great deal of money. Many citizens who love shinki but can't afford one participate in the program as well, as a way to spend time with shinki.

==What the hell are jelly cans?==
Jelly Cans are small, shinki-sized canteens containing a specialized mix of coolant referred to as Jelly. Contrary to what one might think, this isn't a source of energy and shinki don't actually get energy or sustainence from eating or drinking anything. Jelly is the most efficient way for a shinki to cool herself if she's running hot due to sustained activity or warm weather.

Some reusable jelly cans can be stored in the Slipway but the more common disposable cans cannot. The most inexpensive jelly is plain, and to a shinki is like drinking straight water. There are also a wide variety of flavored jellies which are slightly more costly. Finding a shinki's favorite jelly flavor is a big step towards keeping them happy. Their favorite jelly can be like a reward for doing well, or a comfort if they're sad.

Nitro Jelly is a very lousy coolant. However, it is used more recreationally. The chemical composition reacts with the internal systems of shinki and creates a sensation not unlike being drunk. Thus, while Nitro isn't very good as a coolant, it's still used by some shinki for relaxation in the same way a human would have a beer or wine.
In large enough quantities, jelly can be toxic to humans. Thankfully, the amount found in a typical jelly can is too little to do more than leave a bad taste in your mouth. It's a drink only for shinki.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BS07-91.jpg PLAIN JELLY]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP04-90.jpg FLAVORED JELLY]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP04-50.jpg NITRO JELLY]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP04-53.jpg IS A PRETTY LOUSY COOLANT]

==What is the Slipway?==
The Slipway is a storage system all shinki have access to. Though each shinki's Slipway is separate from any other's Slipway, they all function the same. Think of it as a pocket dimension in which the shinki stores her armor and weapons when she's not using them. Summoning armor from the Slipway calls it onto the shinki's body in a flash of white light and the transition is nearly instantaneous.

Only items that are specifically designed to interact with the Slipway can be put into it or removed from it. Typically, this translates to shinki armor and weapons, though some other personal items for shinki are also configured for the Slipway. The most common accessory is reusable/refillable jelly cans, which fill the same purpose as a thermos or personal water bottle.

Some situations can call for a shinki to pull her armor out of the Slipway without wearing it, such as repairs, touch-ups, or adding new custom parts.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-93.jpg SLIPWAY ARMOR EQUIP]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-94.jpg ARMOR EQUIPPED]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-99.jpg SLIPWAY ARMOR DISMISSAL]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-38.jpg SLIPWAY WEAPON RETRIEVAL]

==What's the deal with shinki names?==
Shinkis can have any kind of name, really. A lot of the ones in the anime have names derived from their type - and you see that in the Busou Shinki cast as well. Vervi is derived from her type, VerVietta. And Fuki is a Fubuki (just cut the 'Bu' kana out). In the anime, this is demonstrated countless times such as Ann the Arnval, Ines the Altines, and Lene the Altrene.

However, while this is common, there are plenty of shinki with more ordinary human names, such as Lizbet (derived from Elizabeth). In-series, there are plenty of examples of this as well - Victoria the Strarf, Hina the Strarf, and Iris the Valona come to mind.
The name is determined during registration, when all the other personality-related customizations can be made. After registration, this data all becomes Read Only unless the shinki is reformatted.

Shinki names are important. The name helps them establish their identity when they're registered and oftentimes the shinki will refuse to change her name even if she changes owners without being reformatted. As a result, those who are ICly using the Virtual Master Program should keep this in mind when coming up with the shinki they intend to play with. These should be handled as developed NPCs in their own rights, with personalities and backgrounds. Shinkis are not faceless dolls without personality; This is Busou Shinki, after all, not Angelic Layer.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP02-06.jpg REGISTRATION]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP02-07.jpg NAME ENTRY]

==I saw 'Monitor' come up in the anime, what is this?==
Monitors are shinki that - for some reason or another - have hightened combat ability beyond what is normal for a factory-released model. There are a variety of reasons why this can happen. It can be unintentional, a unique bug or glitch that winds up being beneficial. In other cases, it is a special one-time factory upgrade typically performed on shinki that are meant to be prizes for national or international tournaments.

In-setting, the only Monitor shown is Hina the Strarf. On the MUSH, Vervi is also a Monitor. Hina is an example of the factory upgraded Monitor, while Vervi is the result of a glitch (Her skill in combat doesn't match her domestic personality).

The term 'Monitor' comes from the MMS Shinki Monitor Program, which...well, monitors these special Shinki. Most of the time, Monitors are discovered during product testing before they're sold. These shinki are set aside and delivered to Masters who apply to the Shinki Monitor Program. Applications are to determine masters who would take the best care of a combat-oriented shinki. Via the SMP and the habit of awarding Monitors as tournament prizes, MMS can be sure they'll be treated well.

Monitors are extremely rare. Some collectors may resort to less-than-legal methods to get a hold of one no matter what model it is.

==How are shinki not destroyed during these fights?==
Sometimes they are! The trick is that the CMS - The core of a shinki's AI which contains all of their read-only personality data and memories - is very hard to damage. Much like the Black Box on an airplane, the CMS is the most heavily armored and protected piece of a shinki. Thus, even if her body is almost completely ruined, a shinki's CMS can simply be transplanted into a new off-the-shelf body. MMS actually produces 'blanks' that could be used for this purpose in the short term.

Some Shinki hobbyists even use the Blanks as a base to build fully custom Shinki, but this is a very difficult thing to do. Such Customs are very rare, and recognized by MMS under the term 'MMS Custom Type'.

The CMS is located inside the shinki's chest, roughly where a human's heart would be.
Replacing a shinki that's been almost completely destroyed is also expensive. This is why MMS has pushed development of Visualizer technology into what is now known as a Battle Field. Used in tournaments, shinki shop competitions, and many street fights, the portable Visualizer Battle Field projects a holographic environment for shinki to fight in. The most important aspect of the Battle Field is that all damage inflicted between shinki is simulated. Sometimes, quite dramatically.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-102.jpg PROPER WAY TO ACCESS CMS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/December/P1130079.jpg IMPROPER WAY TO ACCESS CMS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-103.jpg UN-OBSCURED CMS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP03-18.jpg VISUALIZER CLOSED]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-104.jpg VISUALIZER DEPLOYED]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-105.jpg ENTERING BATTLE FIELD]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-106.jpg BATTLE FIELD FORMATION]

==How do older models keep up with newer models?==
Upgrades are a big thing in the setting. Not just customization, but simple parts upgrades as well as software upgrades. It's a fairly simple task to keep your older shinki current, and as a result, newer models tend to not have such an outright edge over older releases. Shinki shops carry such new parts.

For masters who prefer to keep their shinki "vintage", there are so-called "junk shops" that sell older parts either saved from the inventory of mainstream shinki shops when new upgrades came in, or scavenge them from destroyed shinki bodies that have already had their CMS transferred to a new frame.

It should be noted that there is no advantage to keeping your shinki vintage. It may even be a disadvantage to do this. And keeping your shinki behind the development curve is likely to make her unhappy.

==Can shinki do anything other than work for Masters?==
There is such a thing as "Career Shinki". These are shinki who perform jobs you'd usually see being done by humans. The anime has several examples of this. Though shinki aren't paid much compared to humans, it is concievably enough for them to sustain themselves without having to rely on their master to buy things for them, such as replacement parts or jelly cans.

The most famous in-setting career shinki is Tsugaru, the only shinki of her type. She is owned and employed by the CEO of Multi Movable Systems, and only works one day a year. Her job is to deliver MMS merchandise to children who own shinki on Christmas Eve, free of charge, with the purpose of helping younger children take care of their shinki. This is the reason why Tsugaru is known as MMS Type Santa Claus.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/December/BSEP10-85.jpg I AM SANTA CLAUS!]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-11.jpg MERIENDA CAFE WAITRESS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-35.jpg ARNVAL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-10.jpg BRIGHTFEATHER NURSES IN HOSPITAL]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-09.jpg GRAPPRAP WORKS CONSTRUCTION]

==How does the law treat shinki?==
Law with shinki is a prickly subject, and was when they were initially introduced in-setting. But that was ten years ago. The push of legislation was fairly swift and things have been smoothed out for quite some time now. The main issue is that they are sapient robots with very real human emotions, feelings, and the capacity to form long term memories. In this fashion, shinki are even more of an ethical concern than common housepets like dogs and cats, whose sapience is much more in question.

This was ultimately settled by one of the most widely accepted international laws ever devised, the Shinki Sapience Act of 2031. The basic framework of this law is that shinki are considered "Electronic Merchandise" in their inactive form. The law gives licensed businesses the authority to sell shinki so long as they are inactive. Currently, the only licensed corporation is Multi-Movable Systems, who acts as a distributor for a variety of smaller companies that design and build shinki.

Following the Shinki Sapience Act's law framework, a shinki must be Registered. Registration is the process through which the Act actually begins to affect them as sapient beings. This is the process that activates the shinki, thereby transforming them from "Electronic Merchandise" into a law-protected sapient being. So long as the shinki has a "Master", they are protected and have many of the same rights as humans do, with some exceptions related to the fact that shinki are armed with very real weapons. Most notably, shinki aren't permitted to travel long distances on trains or airplanes without their Master.

The Shinki Sapience Act also outlines that shinki who no longer have a Master must be re-appropriated and formatted. The idea behind this is that they do have very real weapons which can harm humans, and the lawmakers don't want a potential army of tiny, heavily armed robots lurking around. The task of capturing "Wild Shinki" falls entirely on the shoulders of the distributor, Multi Movable Systems. However, MMS has issued statements that enforcing this law is "Unreasonable" due to the difficulty of telling a "wild" shinki from an "owned" shinki who's just running an errand for her master. They do claim to follow the law when they can, but the number of shinki reformatted per year is very low.

==What is the "Shinki City"?==
Despite the letter of the Shinki Sapience Act, shinki that lose their masters through accidents, murder, or abandonment more often than not are not captured and reformatted by MMS. While there are an estimated several thousand such cases (Accident, death, abandonment, or runaway) worldwide each year, the number of shinki reformatted by MMS is less than 100 annually. However, these "wild shinki" are not swarming the streets of the world's cities and towns. So where are they?

The Shinki City is the unofficial name for a section of drainage pipes underneath Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town Park. These pipes were disconnected from the main drainage system during a rebuild some 30 years ago and simply left there, alone and empty and filled with rats and cockroaches. In the 2030s when shinki began to turn up without masters, they sought safe places to live that were where humans couldn't get to them - which eventually led them to clear the vermin out of these pipes. In the modern time of 2040, the Shinki City is a fully developed underground shinki community. Electricity is provided by tapping into the city power grid and many shinki work as Career Shinki to supply jelly cans for themselves and the community as a whole.

The Shinki City is not just a place where shinki hide from the law, though. This is where shinki go who have lost their masters, but do not want to give up the memory of those masters. It is a place created out of love and devotion, and a desire to remember. Even shinki who were abused and wind up here refuse to give up their identity to reformatting and cling to the few memories they have of good times.

Multi-Movable Systems Upper Management and many lower echelons are all aware the Shinki City exists and even know where it is. However, they do not reveal it to outside sources. In fact, the general MMS stance on the City is that the foundation it was formed from - The love shinki have for their masters, even when that master is no longer around - is something beautiful that should be supported. As a result, MMS as a corporation supports the City. In secret. The electricity used by the Shinki City is supplied through a "mistake" during an MMS-funded "repair" in the area. Several charge cradles have been "lost", which have turned up in the City. Inventories of spare parts and jelly cans tend to disappear in transit, also turning up in places where they can be taken to the Shinki City as well.

Denizens of the Shinki City more or less aren't aware of the silent support they get from MMS, and the stance on this is that it's for their own protection. If enforcers of the Shinki Sapience Act found out the Shinki City was real, then proponents in the government would try to force MMS to hunt them down. This is something that no one in MMS upper management is willing to do.

==Where do Shinki come from?==
<strike>First a mommy shinki and a daddy shinki like each other very much...</strike> 
The biggest company in relation to shinki is Multi Movable Systems, or MMS. MMS is the sole licensed distributor for shinki and shinki products. However, MMS is not responsible for the production and design of shinki. That duty falls to a number of small subsidiary companies, who sell their products through MMS.

* Front Line - Front Line specializes in aerial combat shinki and the majority of their designs are well balanced. They have a large number of released models, though several of them are retools of earlier releases.
** Front Line is known for: Arnval, Arnval Mk.2, Arnval Mk.2 Tempesta, Werkstra, Strarf, Strarf Mk.2, Strarf Mk.2 Lavina, Valona, VerVietta, and LirBiete

* Kemotech - Kemotech specializes in ground combat shinki and particularly has an interest in remote drones commanded by maneuverable masters. All of their shinki are based on common house pets and small woodland creatures.
** Kemotech is known for: Maochao, Howling, Pomock, Partio, Gabrine, and Renge

* Vulcan Lab - Vulcan Lab is a military developer which initially used shinki as testbeds for new equipment intended for soldiers. Though they have not designed any shinki in several years, the ones they have released are fairly popular.
** Vulcan Lab is known for: Waffebunny and Waffedolphin

* The Sixth Factory - This manufacturer designs shinki based on the archetypes of ancient soldiers and warriors, favoring the mythology over the history. While their shinki are able to fly and fight at range, they are strongest on the ground and in close range, and are typically heavily armored.
** The Sixth Factory is known for: Benio, Xyphos, Zilvern, Olbern, Altines, and Altrene

* Studio Roots - Studio Roots is a manufacturer directly owned by Multi Movable Systems. This company has only designed one shinki, which in turn has never been made for public purchase. Rather, it is used to distribute parts and presents to young shinki masters during the Christmas season.
** Studio Roots is known for: Tsugaru

* Pocket Arms - Pocket Arms is an American shinki developer on contract with the United States military. Their shinki designs were initially developed as mascots for various military bases. Following the popularity, these designs were published and mass produced to be sold through MMS. Given their origin, Pocket Arms' shinki all have strong military themes.
** Pocket Arms is known for: Fort Bragg, Zelnogrard, Murmeltier, and Asuka

* Plants Planet - Plants Planet started as an environmental awareness concern and developed shinki as mascots for their cause. The proceeds from their sales are donated towards conservation and restoration efforts.
** Plants Planet is known for: Juvisy and Zyrdarya

* Magic Market - Magic Market develops shinki with strong mythological themes. The most prevalent feature in their designs is transformable, multi-functional armor which leads to very versatile shinki.
** Magic Market is known for: Eukrante, Ianeira, Maryceles, and Proxima

* Constructive Tyrant - Constructive Tyrant is a union alliance which stands up for construction workers all across Japan. Their only Shinki design was created as a mascot for public relations, and has since been mass produced and sold due to the design's popularity. The original Grapprap, Rosie, still speaks for Constructive Tyrant at union negotiations after nearly 10 years of service.
** Constructive Tyrant is known for: Grapprap

* Union Steel - Union Steel develops shinki based on wild animals, typically strong or fierce creatures. The proceeds of their sales go towards environmental conservation and restoration efforts. Union Steel itself is a heavy mining concern known for eco-friendly mining operations.
** Union Steel is known for: Tigris, Vitulus, Graffias, Vespelio, Artille, and Raptias

* Ohmestrada - Ohmestrada is a media corporation which currently operates the largest worldwide sports news network. Their channels cover shinki tournaments and races exclusively, in addition to human sports. Their shinki were developed as news anchors, though have become far more popular in the tournaments rather than covering them.
** Ohmestrada is known for: Ach, Yda, Estoril, and Jill Rivers

* Production Fairies - Production Fairies develops shinki performers, specializing in human interactions and particularly performances. They put a much greater emphasis on the shinki's movement and articulation rather than their fighting prowess. While this means that Production Fairies shinki tend to be more fragile, their movements are universally more lifelike than most other shinki.
** Production Fairies is known for: Schmetterling, Baby Razz, Sharatang, Brightfeather, Harmony Grace, Kohiru, and Meirienda

* INSECT Arms - INSECT Arms is a cutting edge developer of multi-functional robotics. Their shinki were initially developed to showcase new technologies being tested in disaster relief and construction robotics, and have since been mass produced for their devoted customers.
** INSECT Arms is known for: Lancamento, Espadia

* Group K2 - Group K2 is a special design group contracted by MMS to develop limited edition shinki. The group consists of top designers from various other companies. Their shinki are only produced in very limited production runs, which makes them a prize in any collection.
** Group K2 is known for: Fubuki, Mizuki, and Nagi

[[Category:Themes]]

Archived: Deckmaster-1

2014-03-06T22:07:14Z

SpyPoet: /* The Deckmasters And Their Decks */

<center>http://i.imgur.com/Pe0r5Ls.jpg</center>

== Themelist ==
Among the infinite planes of the multiverse, there is conflict. Places exist where mages do battle, using magical energy known as mana drawn forth from the land to fuel devastating spells. Conjured armies clash, and the skies fill with fire and lightning, all in the pursuit of inscrutable goals and mystical power. Evidence of these conflicts remain for years after, be it in the form of terrible destruction, or monuments to the victors power.

Or, in the case of one far-off world, a place called Earth, a world that has never seen this conflict touch its soil... it is instead a card game.

DECKMASTER is a variant Magic: the Gathering theme that takes place on a present-day Earth that exists within the Magic multiverse. M:tG is a popular card game on that Earth, either intentionally or accidentally chronicling the events of the conflicts all across the planes. When the game is played by certain people across the globe and combined with an emotionally-powerful event, the dormant Planeswalkers Spark within them ignites, allowing them to use their decks to wield real and wondrous power.
 

=== Regarding Powers ===

The following two entries are the themelist-wide staff-approved infolist files. Please see +info Theo /deckmaster1, /deckmaster2, and /planeswalking on the game; these are copied directly from him.

=== Deckmaster ===

'''Two important notes: First, Multiversal denizens outside of the Deckmaster theme will not be subject to milling or the similar specialized mechanics contained herein. Second, the MUSH's rules for combat and combat etiquette trump a Deckmaster's potential abilities. Consent may be required for many of the spells and powers contained in Theo's decks, and consent will be required to affect multiple opponents. You might be able to throw infinite-damage Fireballs all day long in theory, but in practice, rules for using Uber and Epic attacks in and out of combat should still be observed.'''

Theo is a Deckmaster, a type of spellcaster found on his home Earth who specializes in the use of magic through the medium of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Due to the thousands of unique cards in the game, with each representing a particular spell, Theo's potential power is immense... or it would be, were it not for the serious limitations the game imposes upon him.

As a form of ritualized spellcasting, Theo must observe a number of seemingly strange restrictions to draw any magic, lest his power fail him entirely. Theo's spells are drawn from his deck (or library) which must be legal for play within the context of the game, regardless of the situation he's using it in. This means there is a certain degree of randomness to what he can do at any given time, and a limit to how many different spells he can cast in a given battle.

It's impractical and unreliable to have a big library in most circumstances, lest he risk failing to draw what he needs to save his own actual skin. On a similar note, the cards he uses must be real and official; due to mystical circumstances surrounding their creation, the official cards function as physical, surrogate spell memories for a Deckmaster, effectively replacing his need to actually personally learn a spell. Instead, he uses the card, which is in and of itself a stunningly accurate representation of the spell in question, and combines it with mana to generate an effect.

A Deckmaster must observe the proper order of a game, including timing and turn order, to cast spells. This means that spells that can only be cast during certain parts of a turn still have the same restrictions, and, similarly, that he is restricted to casting spells that he has the mana to cast in-game, regardless of the amount available to him outside of the match. Perhaps most importantly, turn order must be observed, even if his opponent is simply coming at him with a sword drawn.

In short, a Deckmaster cannot take action against an opponent if they have nothing to act against.

The magic does not function when only one person is playing the game with intent to use it against someone outside of it.

There are three notable exceptions to this rule.
* First, if a Deckmaster is playing a solitary game (often referred to as a practice draw), they may cast spells more or less freely, but may not affect others with their spells.
* Second, a Deckmaster may continue to cast spells if they have rendered an opponent unable to retaliate through some combination of spells or effects (often referred to as an act of stasis).
* Third and finally, a Deckmaster may freely act against an opponent if the opponent is deliberately allowing them to build up power (often referred to as a bad decision), though they still must obey personal timing and turn restrictions and allow the enemy to act.

The turn- and reaction-based restrictions on a Deckmaster means that they are generally predisposed to dueling, though fighting multiple opponents is possible. Deckmasters may affect as many opponents as they wish with spell effects that are capable of doing so. If they are openly declared as an ally of an individual and are facing an equal number of opponents, they may share certain spell effects with their ally.

Finally, if they are faced with a number of opponents all working together and have no allies, they gain a greater degree of individual power (sometimes called becoming an Archenemy, though the term has needlessly sinister connotations) for the purpose of fighting on a more even playing field.

Mass combats between Deckmasters and other individuals with no permanent, predetermined alliances are possible, and function as normal; some Deckmasters specialize in such engagements, and adjust their strategy accordingly.

Deckmasters win a duel by defeating an opponent through several means, the most common of which is to physically defeat them. Damage is roughly correlated into numbers affecting an in-game life total for a Deckmaster's ease of manipulation, observed through intuition more than anything else. A Deckmaster may also claim victory by removing all of an opponent's possible means of fighting them (called decking or milling), or through more esoteric means that all effectively translate to a win in some respect.

Deckmasters themselves are meanwhile no less vulnerable to being physically beaten into submission than anyone else. If a Deckmaster is defeated in a manner that leaves them conscious, their magic leaves them until a new fight starts with them, usually through open acknowledgement of the fact and usually with a different person. The specifics can vary by situation.

Lastly, barring things like collateral damage and the like, creatures, objects and lingering spell effects summoned by a Deckmaster in a duel dissipate once the duel ends. Effects that alter another individual once and otherwise cease -- such as the damage from a lightning bolt, or the healing effect of a conjured salve -- still remain.

=== Planeswalking ===

'''Consent is always required to teleport into any area not under the player's control.'''

Using the Spark to walk between worlds is not as simple as visualizing oneself in a different place, saying a couple magic words, and suddenly being there. There is danger inherent with the ability, and though a Planeswalker's Spark mitigates much of it, the careless still risk suffering if they make a mistake.

A Planeswalker travels between worlds by a method unique to each walker. Some draw a circle, meditate upon their destination, and arrive in an identical circle in the spot shortly thereafter. Others sleep and dream about the possible worlds, roaming their own memory until they find the place they want to be, and awaken there rather than where they started. Regardless of the method, the actual transit taking place -- along with the mana required to do it -- is the same.

Two things are required for planar travel: a source of mana, and a destination.

A 'walker's personal ritual supplies the concentration needed to draw mana to them for the plane shift, while their memory typically provides the destination. The more well-known a place is, the more precise the locale a walker can go to, though vague but real destinations function as well. For instance, travelling to a specific room in a specific city on a specific plane is completely possible, though an individual's familiarity with that room would have to be significant to be that precise.

At the same time, a Planeswalker can simply specify "Mirrodin" if they've either seen part of it or been told about it (accurately), though there is no controlling where they'll end up on the plane itself. While Planeswalkers /can/ simply walk "away" and go to a random world, doing so is incredibly dangerous, and typically only done when death is certain if they stay.

In practice, Planeswalking requires tangible details to function. The most reliable details are either precise coordinates or a deep, pre-existing familiarity with a location, ensuring accurate travel. Visual aids such as photographs or other images help; they alone can provide a chance to travel to the right place, but the nature of the Multiverse means that it is more likely to end up with a walker stepping into a parallel world with striking similarities instead of their intended destination.

Notably, Planeswalkers from Theo's Earth may use land cards to go to particular planes with some degree of accuracy -- for instance, using a Boros Garrison card to end up in the desired district of Ravnica -- though doing so does not necessarily guarantee safety like a familiar, pre-determined destination would. This quirk stems from the process by which the cards were created, and should lands identifying Multiversal locations be produced, they would function the same way.

== The Deckmasters And Their Decks ==

Deckmaster PCs all have +info files set with basic information about their decks and links to where they are visibly hosted online so that Admin and others may read them. Listed below are the current and dropped PCs as well as their general deck color-schemes.

'''Currently Played:''' 
* [[Theo Morrison]]: Playing with the aesthetics of Blue and White...
* [[Conor Delany]]: The differences between White and Red, combined.
* [[Yumi Musumi]]: The wild freedom of Red and Green, played.
 

'''Dropped:''' 
No Deckmaster characters have been apped and dropped at this time.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==
=== ''In less fluffy terms, what is this?'' ===
Deckmaster-1 is a theme that takes the overarching meta-theme of the collectible card game "Magic: the Gathering," adds in a healthy dose of style from various card-battle shows, and sets it on a modern day Earth. The player characters are the eponymous "Deckmasters," individuals capable of incredible magical feats that are entirely enabled by the game they play.
 
=== ''I know a little about Magic. Aren't Planeswalkers super OP?'' ===
They used to be, yes. Key words: 'used to be.' Planeswalkers in Magic: the Gathering were formerly beings of godlike power with no permanent physical form, immunity to nearly everything but other Planeswalkers, perfect shape-shifting, and whatever else a given 'walker was written with. Ever since a particular event in-theme, their power has been drastically reduced, making them all powerful (and mortal) mages. No more OP shape-shifting energy beings here! 
They can still take a crazy beating (consider: a Lightning Bolt will instantly kill some of the toughest baseline-human combatants in theme; it takes seven of them to take down a Planeswalker), which Aura represents basically perfectly, and can still walk more or less at will between Planes, but they aren't as OP as you may have heard. Especially when most of the ones in this theme are from places that don't require you to learn how to fight...
 
=== ''I don't know anything about Magic, but I want to learn!'' ===
Great! If you have a few bucks to spend, I highly encourage people interested in the game to check out the Duels of the Planeswalkers games on Steam. Magic 2014 is the newest one, and I'm told it is a solid game and a good way to learn. 
If you don't, most of the people in the theme are well-versed in the game enough to teach it if you ask us nicely, and big enough fans of the settings involved to give you the over-enthusiastic cliff-notes on various planes and thematic elements.
 

=== ''There are things not in this FAQ I'd like answered!'' ===
Ask Theo. It's all his fault.
 

[[Category:Themes]]
[[Category:Original Theme]]

Archived: Deckmaster-1

2014-03-06T22:03:01Z

SpyPoet:

<center>http://i.imgur.com/Pe0r5Ls.jpg</center>

== Themelist ==
Among the infinite planes of the multiverse, there is conflict. Places exist where mages do battle, using magical energy known as mana drawn forth from the land to fuel devastating spells. Conjured armies clash, and the skies fill with fire and lightning, all in the pursuit of inscrutable goals and mystical power. Evidence of these conflicts remain for years after, be it in the form of terrible destruction, or monuments to the victors power.

Or, in the case of one far-off world, a place called Earth, a world that has never seen this conflict touch its soil... it is instead a card game.

DECKMASTER is a variant Magic: the Gathering theme that takes place on a present-day Earth that exists within the Magic multiverse. M:tG is a popular card game on that Earth, either intentionally or accidentally chronicling the events of the conflicts all across the planes. When the game is played by certain people across the globe and combined with an emotionally-powerful event, the dormant Planeswalkers Spark within them ignites, allowing them to use their decks to wield real and wondrous power.
 

=== Regarding Powers ===

The following two entries are the themelist-wide staff-approved infolist files. Please see +info Theo /deckmaster1, /deckmaster2, and /planeswalking on the game; these are copied directly from him.

=== Deckmaster ===

'''Two important notes: First, Multiversal denizens outside of the Deckmaster theme will not be subject to milling or the similar specialized mechanics contained herein. Second, the MUSH's rules for combat and combat etiquette trump a Deckmaster's potential abilities. Consent may be required for many of the spells and powers contained in Theo's decks, and consent will be required to affect multiple opponents. You might be able to throw infinite-damage Fireballs all day long in theory, but in practice, rules for using Uber and Epic attacks in and out of combat should still be observed.'''

Theo is a Deckmaster, a type of spellcaster found on his home Earth who specializes in the use of magic through the medium of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Due to the thousands of unique cards in the game, with each representing a particular spell, Theo's potential power is immense... or it would be, were it not for the serious limitations the game imposes upon him.

As a form of ritualized spellcasting, Theo must observe a number of seemingly strange restrictions to draw any magic, lest his power fail him entirely. Theo's spells are drawn from his deck (or library) which must be legal for play within the context of the game, regardless of the situation he's using it in. This means there is a certain degree of randomness to what he can do at any given time, and a limit to how many different spells he can cast in a given battle.

It's impractical and unreliable to have a big library in most circumstances, lest he risk failing to draw what he needs to save his own actual skin. On a similar note, the cards he uses must be real and official; due to mystical circumstances surrounding their creation, the official cards function as physical, surrogate spell memories for a Deckmaster, effectively replacing his need to actually personally learn a spell. Instead, he uses the card, which is in and of itself a stunningly accurate representation of the spell in question, and combines it with mana to generate an effect.

A Deckmaster must observe the proper order of a game, including timing and turn order, to cast spells. This means that spells that can only be cast during certain parts of a turn still have the same restrictions, and, similarly, that he is restricted to casting spells that he has the mana to cast in-game, regardless of the amount available to him outside of the match. Perhaps most importantly, turn order must be observed, even if his opponent is simply coming at him with a sword drawn.

In short, a Deckmaster cannot take action against an opponent if they have nothing to act against.

The magic does not function when only one person is playing the game with intent to use it against someone outside of it.

There are three notable exceptions to this rule.
* First, if a Deckmaster is playing a solitary game (often referred to as a practice draw), they may cast spells more or less freely, but may not affect others with their spells.
* Second, a Deckmaster may continue to cast spells if they have rendered an opponent unable to retaliate through some combination of spells or effects (often referred to as an act of stasis).
* Third and finally, a Deckmaster may freely act against an opponent if the opponent is deliberately allowing them to build up power (often referred to as a bad decision), though they still must obey personal timing and turn restrictions and allow the enemy to act.

The turn- and reaction-based restrictions on a Deckmaster means that they are generally predisposed to dueling, though fighting multiple opponents is possible. Deckmasters may affect as many opponents as they wish with spell effects that are capable of doing so. If they are openly declared as an ally of an individual and are facing an equal number of opponents, they may share certain spell effects with their ally.

Finally, if they are faced with a number of opponents all working together and have no allies, they gain a greater degree of individual power (sometimes called becoming an Archenemy, though the term has needlessly sinister connotations) for the purpose of fighting on a more even playing field.

Mass combats between Deckmasters and other individuals with no permanent, predetermined alliances are possible, and function as normal; some Deckmasters specialize in such engagements, and adjust their strategy accordingly.

Deckmasters win a duel by defeating an opponent through several means, the most common of which is to physically defeat them. Damage is roughly correlated into numbers affecting an in-game life total for a Deckmaster's ease of manipulation, observed through intuition more than anything else. A Deckmaster may also claim victory by removing all of an opponent's possible means of fighting them (called decking or milling), or through more esoteric means that all effectively translate to a win in some respect.

Deckmasters themselves are meanwhile no less vulnerable to being physically beaten into submission than anyone else. If a Deckmaster is defeated in a manner that leaves them conscious, their magic leaves them until a new fight starts with them, usually through open acknowledgement of the fact and usually with a different person. The specifics can vary by situation.

Lastly, barring things like collateral damage and the like, creatures, objects and lingering spell effects summoned by a Deckmaster in a duel dissipate once the duel ends. Effects that alter another individual once and otherwise cease -- such as the damage from a lightning bolt, or the healing effect of a conjured salve -- still remain.

=== Planeswalking ===

'''Consent is always required to teleport into any area not under the player's control.'''

Using the Spark to walk between worlds is not as simple as visualizing oneself in a different place, saying a couple magic words, and suddenly being there. There is danger inherent with the ability, and though a Planeswalker's Spark mitigates much of it, the careless still risk suffering if they make a mistake.

A Planeswalker travels between worlds by a method unique to each walker. Some draw a circle, meditate upon their destination, and arrive in an identical circle in the spot shortly thereafter. Others sleep and dream about the possible worlds, roaming their own memory until they find the place they want to be, and awaken there rather than where they started. Regardless of the method, the actual transit taking place -- along with the mana required to do it -- is the same.

Two things are required for planar travel: a source of mana, and a destination.

A 'walker's personal ritual supplies the concentration needed to draw mana to them for the plane shift, while their memory typically provides the destination. The more well-known a place is, the more precise the locale a walker can go to, though vague but real destinations function as well. For instance, travelling to a specific room in a specific city on a specific plane is completely possible, though an individual's familiarity with that room would have to be significant to be that precise.

At the same time, a Planeswalker can simply specify "Mirrodin" if they've either seen part of it or been told about it (accurately), though there is no controlling where they'll end up on the plane itself. While Planeswalkers /can/ simply walk "away" and go to a random world, doing so is incredibly dangerous, and typically only done when death is certain if they stay.

In practice, Planeswalking requires tangible details to function. The most reliable details are either precise coordinates or a deep, pre-existing familiarity with a location, ensuring accurate travel. Visual aids such as photographs or other images help; they alone can provide a chance to travel to the right place, but the nature of the Multiverse means that it is more likely to end up with a walker stepping into a parallel world with striking similarities instead of their intended destination.

Notably, Planeswalkers from Theo's Earth may use land cards to go to particular planes with some degree of accuracy -- for instance, using a Boros Garrison card to end up in the desired district of Ravnica -- though doing so does not necessarily guarantee safety like a familiar, pre-determined destination would. This quirk stems from the process by which the cards were created, and should lands identifying Multiversal locations be produced, they would function the same way.

== The Deckmasters And Their Decks ==

'''Currently Played:''' 
* [[Theo Morrison]]: Playing with the aesthetics of Blue and White.
* [[Conor Delany]]: The differences between White and Red, combined.
* [[Yumi Musumi]]: The wild freeness of Red and Green, played.
 

'''Dropped:''' 
No Deckmaster characters have been apped and dropped at this time.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==
=== ''In less fluffy terms, what is this?'' ===
Deckmaster-1 is a theme that takes the overarching meta-theme of the collectible card game "Magic: the Gathering," adds in a healthy dose of style from various card-battle shows, and sets it on a modern day Earth. The player characters are the eponymous "Deckmasters," individuals capable of incredible magical feats that are entirely enabled by the game they play.
 
=== ''I know a little about Magic. Aren't Planeswalkers super OP?'' ===
They used to be, yes. Key words: 'used to be.' Planeswalkers in Magic: the Gathering were formerly beings of godlike power with no permanent physical form, immunity to nearly everything but other Planeswalkers, perfect shape-shifting, and whatever else a given 'walker was written with. Ever since a particular event in-theme, their power has been drastically reduced, making them all powerful (and mortal) mages. No more OP shape-shifting energy beings here! 
They can still take a crazy beating (consider: a Lightning Bolt will instantly kill some of the toughest baseline-human combatants in theme; it takes seven of them to take down a Planeswalker), which Aura represents basically perfectly, and can still walk more or less at will between Planes, but they aren't as OP as you may have heard. Especially when most of the ones in this theme are from places that don't require you to learn how to fight...
 
=== ''I don't know anything about Magic, but I want to learn!'' ===
Great! If you have a few bucks to spend, I highly encourage people interested in the game to check out the Duels of the Planeswalkers games on Steam. Magic 2014 is the newest one, and I'm told it is a solid game and a good way to learn. 
If you don't, most of the people in the theme are well-versed in the game enough to teach it if you ask us nicely, and big enough fans of the settings involved to give you the over-enthusiastic cliff-notes on various planes and thematic elements.
 

=== ''There are things not in this FAQ I'd like answered!'' ===
Ask Theo. It's all his fault.
 

[[Category:Themes]]
[[Category:Original Theme]]

Sword Art Online-1

2014-03-03T03:54:03Z

SpyPoet: added category tag

Sword Art Online-1: Theme Information

This page's purpose is providing all necessary information needed to portray Sword Art Online in the Multiverse, for both FCs and OCs. It will avoid spoilers, and is maintained by Mouvar - current player of Kirito - in collaboration with active cast.

Virtually all of the information on this page was directly compiled from active study of the anime and light novels. Some of it is extrapolated, other bits are common sense, a few parts are adapted to better fit the Multiverse theme, but it stays as true to presentation as possible.

Note that the anime doesn't cover the fine details, and it would be wise to use this as page as a reference for certain game aspects when necessary.

NOTE TO READERS: Please refer to [[Alfheim Basics]] for a simplified version of everything.

= Section One: The Technology=

== FullDive==
FullDive technology overrides the nervous system's usual means of motor control and perceptions to immerse the user in a complete virtual environment. The appropriate brain areas are stimulated and blocked through harmless induction, leaving the user unable to move about or perceive things in reality. FullDive itself is a safe, proven technology - when used properly. One must rememberer to take breaks for bodily needs and the like. Unfiltered VR sensations can have consequences, however: autonomous functions like a flight or response still cause adrenaline surges, increasing heart rate as an example, and intense pain can carry over to reality - hence, most software transmits very little pain as a safety feature.

FullDive has phenomenal potential beyond VRMMO: the ability to directly override the mind could restore sight to the blind (by directly stimulating the visual cortex, linked to a camera) or control prosthetics, override pain reception as a completely safe and generic anaesthetic, as well as providing extremely realistic training, simulations, and commuting opportunities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not the Matrix. Dying in VR cannot directly kill you unless you are stupid and use FullDive hardware that has the power to fry your RL body.

=== NerveGear===
NerveGear stands as the first mass-produced FullDive unit. A bulky and heavy helmet that must be latched into place, it boasts a powerful CPU, considerable battery, high-frequency neural transmitter, huge flash memory storage, and the capability to map I/O to all portions of the brain - including rudimentary emotional detection routines.

Following the Sword Art Online incident and, later, Noboyuki Sugou's released information detailing FullDive-based psychosurgery, NerveGears were banned from shelves and production, regarded by many as 'that devil machine.' Many have been destroyed or hoarded away by various institutions. Few remain in civilian hands - most of those being SAO survivors.

=== AmuSphere===
RCT Progress developed the AmuSphere to restore FullDive technology's future. Compatible with all NerveGear software, slimmer and lighter, and far safer, AmuSphere delivers where NerveGear failed.

AmuSpheres are narrow headbands with a flip-down visor. They have no battery, are easily slipped on and off, and use less power than the NerveGear. The AmuSphere CPU isn't as powerful however, nor is its neural transmission. As a result, there's a small discrepancy between between nerve-VR transmissions, and sometimes perceptions of reality slightly bleed into the VR experience.

The AmuSphere is physically incapable of harming its user. The low-powered transmitter ensures no brain damage, and its limited mapping region limits it to only motor control and perceptions. Its sensors continuously monitor the user's vital signs, watching for abnormal heartbeats and signs of intense stress. If it detects health hazards such as panic attacks, the AmuSphere will warn the user with a few beeps. If they continue, it automatically cuts FullDive.

The AmuSphere is commercially available and about as expensive as a cheap computer or expensive gaming console.

=== MediCuboid===
Created by Koujirou Rinko, the MediCuboid uses much of the same equipment as NerveGear, making it equally as dangerous were it not using a very different firmware and managed entirely by medical staff.

MediCuboids are isolation chambers / beds / FullDive rigs for permanently bedridden patients, allowing better quality of life through an escape into Cyberspace, while hooking directly to medical technology staff can use to enhance treatments through direct nerve stimulations. The interface for a MediCuboid must be surgically installed, and runs down the entire spine. Its reception is far superior to NerveGear, with greater immersion.

Very few units exist, all under specialized institutions.

=== 'Kanto Bootleg' NerveGear===
A custom NerveGear produced by Union R&D in a project headed by Nathan Hall and Amanda o'Connell, and with consultation from Kirigaya Kazuto, the Kanto Bootleg NerveGear was originally made to allow the use of some few dozen unused Sword Art Online license keys for some Union members to join Sword Art Online directly as normal players.

A little lighter and sleeker than ordinary NerveGear, it has all of the same features but with plenty of changes for safety. All FullDive software sees it as a NerveGear, but it is just as safe as AmuSphere. Firmware modules are read-only and must be physically replaced, not flashed. The device silently drops any operation that would 'write' to dangerous portions of the brain (preventing psycho-surgical applications) or cause physical harm, and can be programmed to 'listen' for gestures or phrases that trigger its automatic cut-off. When in cut-off, the user is released from FullDive and the KB NerveGear sends fake signals to the server based on the user 'idling.'

This device is available only to the Union and RATH Inc. Precious few exist. All Union Elites can have one though.

=== ElfIN:===
Created by Taro for Confederate Elites, the ElfIN (Electronic Life Form INterface) is an adapter for most robotic or AI constructs to experience FullDive, and a prime example of Multiversal engineering. While not all users will experience everything equally (as not every electronic life form perceives the world as humans do), it does bypass the organic barrier.

This device is only available to the Confederacy. The Union and other parties could certainly make similar devices. It might be easier than adapting organic brains to it.

== VR SDK 'The Seed'==
Shortly after the Alfheim Online scandal, SOMEONE (*coughKazutocough*) anonymously uploaded a package containing the entire source code, arranged as a Software Development Kit, used to create Sword Art Online and its spinoffs like Alfheim Online. It's marked as Open Source, and may be modified however the user wishes - even used for proprietary works.

The file is massive, easily several terabytes - and that's before downloading the rest of its extensive array of default textures, sounds, smells, tastes, and other essentials.

Although designed for VRMMOs in general, The Seed - doubtlessly the result of over a decade of work - contains a physics engine, sensory library, robust networking core, and amazingly powerful management software unmatched by anything else on the market, and is thus widely used by virtually everything aiming to host a FullDive net application.

=== System Requirements===
Physically, The Seed requires at least a 'modern PC' to run in minimal mode - by its world's standards (for 2026, that means something around 8-core 12ghz CPU with at least 64gb of RAM, and around 12 terabytes of storage minimal). However, The Seed is its own entire operating system (with a keen design towards multi-server architecture) rather than a mere program (although it can be run in a virtual machine.).

Big server racks are still needed if you want to host more than a few dozen people at once, naturally.

=== Code Architecture===
The Seed is written in a custom programming language building off modern 2026 CPU architectures incorporating many elements of the most successful programming techniques and designs. It features an intensely powerful, modular, and easily extensive high-level API. Its operating system components and layout are presented similar to Linux, although it shares no code ancestry. The code defies most conventions, able to hot-swap components and recompile most of its components without needing reboots or suffering from other such crutches (although running programs may need to be restarted.)

The external GUI (accessed on a computer monitor and similar) is fairly minimal. Default expectations have administrators performing duties within FullDive. Once so connected, menus can be summoned through gestures and one's whole view becomes an expansive registry of options and directives controlled with gestures and speech recognition.

The Seed comes with a variety of cross-compatibility applications, including a Virtual Machine for convenience, though.

=== Physics Engine and FullDive Libraries===
Default Seed worlds roughly mimic real world physics. Although normally the substance of this reality is no more 'real' than in an FPS game - an object isn't made of particles, molecules, elements etc, but instead a 3D model atop which textures are applied and traits like 'weight' and 'material' are defined - the simulation is so realistic that it's very hard to tell the difference at a glance.

The VR world is less dynamic than reality however, with most sensations and perceptions being somewhat exaggerated or less finely articulated. Something may feel 'hot and smooth' or 'rough and cold' but anything much beyond that escapes the rendering power of standard FullDive rigs. Liquid physics are a little funny, and full immersion's said to feel 'off' or 'incomplete.' Tastes, smells, and sounds are quite straightforward, although sound's based on 'distance from source' instead of 'diffusion through a medium.' Gravity is simply a trait applied to a region that pulls objects in one direction or another instead of a phenomenon deriving from mass affecting space-time, and so on. Rendering is minimalistic - if one is looking at something from far away it will seem blurry or indistinct because it's rendered that way to save processing power, but focusing attention on a flower close up triggers the server to render that flower in incredibly fine detail that would've gone unseen from farther away. In short, physics are an approximation, but so detailed it hardly matters for most needs.

The Seed has a number of optional libraries containing countless textures, sounds, smells, tastes, and other resources, and is easily upgraded with additional code.

=== CARDINAL AI and Management===
The beating heart and brimming mind at the core of every Seed installation is a suite of software so advanced and intricate that it can only be called AI - Artificial Intelligence.

The CARDINAL system is a hierarchically organized array of program modules that forms the foundation of The Seed's incredibly versatile API. Unlike true AI, it is not in and of itself a thinking, self-aware being: CARDINAL's goals are nothing more than a collective of directives assigned by an administrator. Its perceptions are simply highly advanced pattern matching and analysis, and its creativity is nothing more than the next level of extremely intricate procedural generation. CARDINAL cannot really be said to have thoughts of its own - it has no face, no presence. It's an amoral force of digital law.

By default, CARDINAL monitors and logs all operations that take place within an installation of The Seed. At the top of its hierarchy are twin processes: the Main Core is tasked with overseeing the functioning of the VR world's physics and rules as set down by the administrator, while the Secondary Core performs constant error checking and control on the Main Core to ensure minimal anomalies. Beneath them an array of sub-routines constantly monitor every inch of the digital world, carrying out the various scripts and world interactions. Within the bounds and patterns set down for it, CARDINAL protects the integrity of design. As an example, for MMORPGs, CARDINAL works to ensure that the in-game economy stays balanced and suffers minimal inflation, that mobs which prove too easily taken out by certain strategies are altered to be a proper challenge and ones which provide too much loot have their loot tables reviewed. CARDINAL can review and revise The Seed code, checking for integrity and suggesting improvements - or performing them itself when necessary. CARDINAL aggressively monitors connections and server activity for signs of threats to server integrity (viruses, hacking, etc) and ruthlessly deals with it whenever found.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although the CARDINAL that appeared during the World of Swords TP arc DID achieve self-awareness (and this was NOT a pleasant process for it or anyone involved,) the brigade of quirks that allowed for this were corrected in the version released in the wild. CARDINAL cannot easily become self-aware, and this should never happen in casual RP. If you install The Seed, don't portray CARDINAL as capable of interpersonal communication and etc. (unless, of course, you modify it in some fashion because you're an AI programmer. You can do that. Please ask first though.)

==== Content Generation====
Beyond maintaining system integrity, the biggest advantage CARDINAL offers is a ludicrously expansive content generation system. CARDINAL's processes are geared especially for this, specializing in narrative techniques and input analysis. The default Seed package comes with over a dozen 'content packages' defining genres, moods, methods, and seed material.

For example, given a genre of 'fantasy, low tech,' restrictions such as the general shape and scale of a world, and given time to analyze given repositories, it can procedurally generate a whole world such as Alfheim. Actual human work's needed to give the result a true artistic touch and polish, but a great pile of the grunt work can be accomplished with such procedural generation - such as basic models of NPCs, generic equipment, basic cultural inspirations, and so on. If you don't like it? Tell CARDINAL to try a few parts again and see what else comes out!

It may take a few hundred tries before something comes out that you'd like to use as a base, but for the financially strapped that's way better than hiring a huge team.

CARDINAL's content generation is not truly imaginative, however. Again, it uses procedural generation within given restraints and models. In order to create a world, it needs to know what kind of world, what sorts of elements to include, what constraints to work within. To make a skill system or combat system, a basic skeleton needs to be defined to start with, and so on.

==== NPCs and Storytelling====
Once cultural boundaries, world aesthetics, and the overall mood, atmosphere, and 'rating' are defined, CARDINAL's content generation is particularly good at creating procedurally generated communities and regions with constantly interacting defined forces. A village might have a number of political parties warring within, and be surrounded by others such as 'the kobold tribe in the forest' or 'the mountain bandits.' Quests will be developed based on the needs, interests, and previous interactions of the created characters. Most follow simple MMORPG style formats, but occasionally a few oddball ones crop up.

CARDINAL can also pull from various real world sources, such as news feeds, movies, and similar for seed material, though occasionally this results in very odd quests that don't entirely fit in the world's aesthetics. (A few SAO veterans might remember a particular quest that involved a bunch of masked ogres armed with chainsaws.)

How NPCs (people types, not monsters) behave is very up to the administrators, but the default MMORPG behavior set down by SAO standards: most NPCs ignore players, but if directly addressed or interacted with may have a few lines to share. Quest NPCs may engage in extensive dialogue, but will expect certain input: specific questions the player needs to ask ('is something the matter?' or 'could you tell me more?') or answers to given questions ('yes,' 'that's fine', 'don't bother me') etc. They will often ignore invalid input, or sometimes just give a quizzical 'try that again' look. One must listen through the entire speech and so and only respond when prompted, and so on.

A good RL example of how NPCs behave can be found in games like Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Certain NPCs for very special big quests that are given much more attention by CARDINAL might be managed directly and constantly updated with dynamically generated content on the spot, responding to questions and situations intelligently as they occur. This is a rarity for most games, but when directed to put its full storytelling power and generative ability to use, CARDINAL is capable of some surprising plot twists and developments. An administrator is UNWISE to let it run unchecked, because without restrictions it will not make preserving the game's world and story for the long term a priority. It may very well think an armageddon plot is called for if the right in-character setting elements are coming into play, for instance.

=== MEMORIAL - The Monument of Life===
The Seed has a half-buried feature within its content generation. Activated by default (though it can be disabled,) it causes the PC names, dates, and causes of death recorded by the Sword Art Online CARDINAL to be represented throughout the world in as unobtrusive a manner as possible. They may appear written on gravestones in an UNDEAD CEMETERY region, or in graffiti for an URBAN WASTELAND, featured on cave carvings, or in other places.

= Section Two A: The Game - Alfheim Online=
Created by RCT Progress after they acquired Argus' assets, Alfheim Online was launched approximately a year after the SAO Incident began, showcasing the new and improved 'AmuSphere' FullDive console. It was recently liberated from RCT Progress and placed into the care of a new company called YMIR.

== Setting and Geography - Alfheim==
Alfheim, or 'Elf Home,' is the land of the fairies, a fantasy world patterned after ancient myths and folklore, particularly Norse Mythology.

Nine fairy races claim the territory surrounding the World Tree 'Yggdrasil,' roughly sharing the massive island-continent equally while leaving about a tenth in the center around the tree as Neutral territory. The capital cities are all roughly equidistant from the center, each situated on coastal territories and stuck between two neighboring territories. In short, Alfheim's racial borders are organized much like the face of a clock.

The southern zones are deserts and rocky mountains inhabited by the Salamanders and the Imps respectively. The Southwest is Sylph territory, mostly grasslands and massive forests. The West is Cait Sith territory, savannahs and more grasslands. The Northwest is simple grasslands and a bit of tundra, where the Puca live. The far north is a land of ice and snow that the Gnomes and Leprechauns call home. The Northeast is Spriggan territory, full of forests and ancient ruins. The East, finally, is wetlands, marshes, lakes and rivers, perfect for the water-loving Undines. Each race's territory is littered with dozens of small towns and villages, in addition to their massive capital cities.

A mountain range seperates the outer rim territories from the inner zone where Yggdrasil sits in Alfheim's center. The World Tree rises high into the heavens, reaching the clouds. Its trunk is as thick as any capital city is wide, and its branches spread out into a generous canopy of green leaves throughout and above the clouds. Curled up within the safety of a half-exposed root is Aurun, the trade capital - neutral territory for all races. Atop the World Tree, supported by its boughs, Yggdrasil City is the shining jewel of Alfheim, the home to enlightened fairies who've gained the power of ALF-hood.

=== Jotunheim===
Directly below Alfheim is the cavernous, dark and gloomy Jotunheim, a land of ice and snow populated by the great and terrifying 'Evil God' class monsters. Enormous, troll-like giants make up half the population of such beings, while animal-types of various sorts make up another. Compared to Alfheim, Jotunheim is very barren - the frozen wastes are home to precious few shelters, with no towns or cities. (There are RUINS, but nothing serviceable as anything besides a hangout.) There are no save crystals or warp points. There are entrances to it at each cardinal direction of Alfheim, with another in a certain building in Aurun. A few unique monsters roaming the plains around the world tree (in particular, one that disguises itself as a whole town) also can send players to Jotunheim.

The stars of Jotunheim are actually icy stalactites, and the great roots of the world tree extend down past the roof, encased in ice and housing a great palace that nobody's yet found a way to reach - for flight is impossible here, even for Imps. All fairy wings wither immediately upon entry.

The Evil Gods of Jotunheim are all boss-type monsters designed to be hunted by large raid groups employing every trick in the book for their rare loot - they're way more than most players can hope to handle by themselves no matter their skill or gear.

Jotunheim is end-game content, and its rare crafting materials are required for Ancient-category gear.

=== Floating Castle Aincrad===
Once the setting of 'death game' Sword Art Online, Floating Castle Aincrad (named such as short for 'an incarnating radius') is a majestic airborne fortress of immense proportions. From the outside, Aincrad appears as a roughly conical floating mountain of black-grey stone and metal, layers and layers stacked together and tapering near the top, whereupon a glorious and great Red Jade Palace crowns the structure. Carved stone protrusions jut from its base, each housing an enormous obelisk shaped like a straight sword pointed skyward. At night, the whole castle takes on an ethereal and luxurious golden glow, lit like a jewel of the heavens.

Aincrad lazily orbits the World Tree, accessible to any Fairy brave enough to soar to such heights - or take Yggdrasil City's teleport gate.

Floating Castle Aincrad has one hundred floors, the last being the Red Jade Palace. Each below it is a world unto itself, though the tapered structure means the lowest floors are the biggest ones. As the bottom floor has a 10km diameter, it's 78 square kilometers of amazing fantasy realm, a little less on floor two, and so on. Enormous pillars sparsely populate each floor, providing structural support for the floors above. Each floor enjoys roughly 100 meters of clear skies open to the air on its edges, although floors not yet unlocked are barred off by impassable grating. The Red Jade Palace cannot be approached at all - a repulsive force gently pushes away any who get too close without earning the right via Aincrad's trials.

Each Floor has a different theme with enemies and towns to match: Lava world, ice world, tree world, lake world, frog world, insect world, flower world, undead world, and so on - many with tons of stories to tell and heroics to participate in. Each also sports at least one wondrous central city choc full of merchants, inns, stores, restaurants, as well as plenty of houses and workshops for sale or rent. They're luxurious and fantastic, to the point where background music is provided via NPC orchestras spread across town. Each floor usually has many small towns spread out about 2 to 8 kilometers from each other (depending on the terrain,) but none really challenge said floor's central city in sheer grandeur. Most are humble farming village sorts, with the occasional centers of trade or odd enterprise (mining towns, lake towns, etc.) Naturally, all of the cities follow the floor's theme: on the forest floor, the cities are constructed within or atop enormous trees; for the insect floor, enormous insect mounds with windows suffice for many buildings. All towns and cities have a Teleport Gate in their main plaza, and when one player discovers and unlocks a Teleport Gate, all other players may use it as well.

Dungeons are everywhere in Aincrad: they're carved into the ground between floors, beneath mountains, within old fortresses, or so on, and some have respawning bosses. All are dwarfed by the true labyrinths that bar the way to the next floor up. These are always carved into one of the massive pillars, and have between 6 and 20-some floors depending on headroom and inner construction. Unique boss monsters await challengers who'd seek to ascend to the next floor. These boss monsters are all end-game challenges, and the first group to defeat one gains fame and unique loot - the names of up to 7 party leaders (or 7 members of a single party, if not a raid group) who defeat a boss are recorded on the Monument of Swordsmen in Floor 1's Black Iron Castle, and bosses drop unique loot when they're first defeated. Differing from the original Aincrad, these bosses DO respawn (or are sometimes replaced with lesser bosses) and are worth re-challenging for quality loot and entertainment, but it pales compared to being the first victors.

Upon defeating a floor boss, after two hours or immediately if a player reaches the Teleport Gate in the next floor's central city - the floor becomes linked to all the others through the Teleport Gates.

Floating Castle Aincrad of Alfheim Online slightly differs from SAO's - many more enemies roam its lands, and now skies as well. Enemies are much harder than before, as the whole castle is now geared as high-tiered, end-game content and a proving grounds for the best of the best. It is also the only place where humans dwell - the Alfheim Online mythos regards Aincrad as a sort of Midgard, with NPCs occasionally referring to it as such. Human NPCs dominate Aincrad's social structures, though a few Fairy NPCs can be found here and there within Aincrad and a few Humans occasionally elsewhere since its inclusion.

== NPCs==
Alfheim Online's NPCs set the standard for how Seed NPCs behave, so see above for most of the details on NPC behavior.

Most NPCs in Alfheim proper are Fairies, and most in Aincrad are Humans. They fulfill all mundane roles and needs of the world, everything from humble villagers to smiths and shopowners, waitresses and trainers. NPCs sell only the basics, however - after a point, player-made goods and services hugely eclipse them (alongside epic loots and the odd badass quest reward.)

Most NPCs have basic personalities, being 'extras' in a world intended to portray PCs as epic adventurers. Some are more unique and prominent within various towns and cities, with more dialogue and polished behaviors. Although Fairy NPCs are indistinguishable from a player by pure appearance, examine windows reveal the truth in a flash. NPCs offering Quests will also have hovering yellow exclamation mark above their heads. 'Is something troubling you?' is a pretty standard way to initiate quests.

NPCs often wander within set zones, and cannot be harmed (although those which join players on Quests may, though 'dying' sometimes is regarded as temporary incapacitation of the NPC is crucial and there aren't story paths that cover them dying - or, in the case of Fairy NPCs, death turns the NPC into a Remain Light) and the system prevents players from interfering with this too much. Attempting to shove NPCs around triggers a harassment warning, repulsing players with a harmless zap and giving an error.

== Player Housing, Economy, and Amenities==
Much of Alfheim's economy depends on a complicated mesh of player interactions. Players with gathering skills will locate minerals, wood, food, and other base ingredients. Crafters will turn this into usable goods. Warriors and other types will use these goods, and bring strange new finds and unidentified goods to players with appraisal skills. Money enters the system when it's generated by quest loot and monster drops, and it leaves it through NPC services like binding to a new respawn point. Virtually all the best goods and services must be provided by players, and player economy drives the slow growth and mutation of in-game towns and cities, with each race's political systems able to spend money on building projects and similar.

The greatest appeal of this system is the ability to rent rooms or buildings, or even purchase plots of land and construct housing, though anything past renting an inn room requires exorbitant expenditures. Many players purchase buildings within cities to then use as shops and/or virtual homes, which must be maintained with periodic rent or taxes. Rented rooms - or pre-established buildings for purchase - evict their dwellers (and any belongings) who default on this upkeep, while those owned and constructed purely by a player will degrade and be destroyed if not renewed. These places make excellent and secure storage areas.

Players can extend or restrict various virtual estate priveleges to others via a thoroughly comprehensive white/blacklist system.

Virtual food and drink doesn't do a thing for a player when consumed, but it does taste good, stems off REAL hunger and thirst (for a time, anyways) but not the need for nourishment, and most importantly sometimes provides buffs.

Although Alfheim (and Aincrad) are fantasy settings, mundane amenities and utilities purposefully resemble modern reality for player convenience. Lightswitches might look a little different for instance (often magic crystal panels on a wall) but do the same thing, triggering lights lit by some cheap and boundless oil or magic power or whatever. Aesthetically wood-fired stoves have digital temperature controls and timers. Indoor plumbing is also a thing even when it makes no sense for it to be... except when it isn't. (Basically, whenever a player is expected to enjoy amenities, they are there and work.)

=== Monsters===
Monsters is a broad term that covers all kinds of Enemy NPCs. Most are random 'spawns' strewn throughout the lands between towns and cities. 'Spawns' are usually about 30 to 60 meters apart, but sometimes they gather in large numbers. Defeat a monster, and another will soon 'pop'(ulate) into the zone again, aka respawn.

Monsters are simple beings, usually violent animals matching the local ecology in some superficial fashion but taken to fantastic proportions. Some represent 'sapient' races in antagonistic roles, like bandits or pirates. Sometimes a quest NPC BECOMES an Enemy as part of a quest event.

Enemy AI is very straightforward. Each enemy has a range of possible actions that it can perform, and it calculates which to use based on a mixture of randomization and situational awareness for a variety of factors (distance to opponents, location of opponents, how much health it has, etc). This makes them somewhat predictable to experienced players.

=== Dungeons===
Dungeons are, very simply, Danger Zones, usually framed as fortresses, caves, and the like. Most are full of traps and tougher-than-average enemies, but are full of awesome loot and treasure chests and sometimes bosses. Dungeons are designed with parties in mind, but can often be solo'd if a player knows what they're doing.

=== Bosses===
Bosses are, put simply, very powerful Enemies. More specifically, bosses are typically epic creatures meant to be tackled by either parties (7 players) or even whole raid groups (49 players). They have phenomenal firepower and defense, making the use of healing, buffs, debuffs, and coordinated tactics a downright necessity. Boss fights tend to be prolonged and drawn out, exhausting endeavors for even the most experienced of players.

Bosses use the same kinds of AI as normal Monsters, but are often armed with unique abilities and special moves, or even transform/skillset change midfight. Defeating them is as much an exercise of brute force as it is learning their patterns to counter and exploit them.

Bosses usually spawn for certain repeatable quests, and drop really cool loot.

== Player Characters, Chargen, Builds ==
Upon first login users are brought to a circular room with a virtual keyboard and configuration screen to create a character, guided by an AI voice. Gender is set as the player's gender - whatever the FullDive device reports. (You'd have to fool the device to crossplay, and the results would feel very weird.) Avatar appearances are randomized on creation within an aesthetically appropriate pattern for that race, with customization available for a small fee.

Note: Character names MUST be pronounceable in Japanese, English, or proto-Germanic style speaking! Leetspeak and bizarre unpronounceable characters aren't acceptable. English and Japanese fonts only.

=== Races and Build Types===
Nine different sub-types of Fairies dominate Alfheim, each race has its own color scheme, wing appearance, hometown, and specialties!

==== Light Races====
The Light races have a lowish base Strength but their light bodies possess insane Agility. The Light races can also wall-Run!

CAIT SITH: Yellow. Recognizable for feline ears and tails, Cait Siths have impressive bonuses to eyesight and overall Intelligence. Their specialty is Beast Taming.
* It does take some practice for a player to control the tail, since humans don't actually have one. And Cait Sith players are in for a surprise when the tail ends up pulled - it feels freaking weird and plain wrong.

SPRIGGAN: Black. Treasure hunters and masters of illusion magic, Spriggans have bonuses relevant to dungeon crawling for spotting traps and locating hidden treasures.

SYLPH: Green. These mighty wind magic masters are considered the fastest of the races, and have phenomenal hearing. Their flight is a good twenty percent or so faster than any other race.

UNDINE: Blue. The aquatic Undines are masters of water and healing magics.

IMP: Purple. The Fairies of the Night, Imps have natural night vision and the unique ability to fly while indoors - until their flight timers run out and their wings need rest.

==== Medium Races====
The Medium weight class races have higher base Strength, exchanged for being heavier so they find it harder to be speedy.

LEPRECHAUN: White. Skilled smiths and craftsmen, the Leprechauns are easily identified by the slightly mechanical aesthetics their wings display.

PUCA: Silver. Masters of buffing and debuffing through mystical music.

==== Heavy Races====
The Heavy races have the greatest Strength but are also the slowest.

GNOME: Brown. The largest of the races, the stocky Gnomes gain bonuses to the Mining Skills and Earth, and their raw stamina exceeds all others.

SALAMANDER: Red. Physically strong and gaining major bonuses to Fire magic, Salamanders are great at straightforward military might.

=== Stats, Skill Slots, and Gear===
Alfheim Online is level-less - avatars don't gain levels via experience. Their HP and MP ranges are under a thousand and only gradually shift up or down based on builds. Stats and build are purely a matter of Race, Skills, and Gear. Characters grow only by leveling Skills to gain new abilities, access to better equipment, new spells, and so on. Each Race has a set Strength and Weight. Heavy races favor heavy equipment while light ones favor light gear loads and speed, but these are simply 'optimal' loadouts - high enough Skills and other bonuses can turn a Sylph into a pretty effective tank, for instance. (The corresponding Gnome might be 15-25% better as one though, come endgame.)

Characters have 12 slots with which to learn Skills, which covers everything from what gear they can equip ('One Handed Swords', 'Heavy Metal Armor', 'Boomerang', 'Medium Shield', etc) to benefits to physical feats and senses ('Acrobatics,' 'Running,' 'Night Vision') to Crafting ('Slash Weapon Forging,' 'Metal Armor Forging,' 'Carpentry' etc) and dozens of other things. These begin at 1 and raise to 1000 as they're used, at which point they're Mastered - gaining a slight bonus on top of the advantages of being at 1000. Growth is slow, though. New characters begin with just One Handed Swords and their race's specific Magic specialty. (Darkness Magic for Imps, Illusion for Spriggans, etc.)

Most skills can be trained from the menu (by assigning the listed skill into a slot) or by finding a trainer in town to set you on the path. Some skills, called 'Extra Skills,' are unlocked via quests or any amount of odd actions. Trained Skills can be deleted at any time to clear up a Slot, and replaced with new ones.

Skills affect hidden Stats, adding modifiers to the racial static values. For instance, mastering Battle Healing can give a small bonus to maximum HP, while having One-Handed Swords increases Strength.

Gear requirements are based on Skills. Trying to use Gear you're not ready for results in unwieldy weaponry, over-encumbering armor (that doesn't provide any bonuses), and similar scenarios. It's rarely worth trying to use something you're not ready for. Light races can equip Heavy gear, but need much higher Skills to do so.

Gear must be equipped to various 'slots,' such as left hand weapon/shield, right hand weapon/shield, right hand ring, right shoulder, shirt, pants, coat, headgear, and so on. Gear cannot be stacked.

==== Canon Skills====
Skills that exist canonly are listed below, to aid with OC creation. This is all of the OOCly known skills, with some others thrown in from extrapolation, and doesn't cover EVERYTHING that actually exists in the game. It should be plenty useful for further extrapolation though.Want to add some to this list? Get in touch with castmates!

WEAPON SKILLS- The higher a weapon skill is, the better weapons can be equipped. (note: there's plenty more that are seen but never directly mentioned, like one-handed spears and two-handed heavy hammers.)
<One Handed Sword>
<One Handed Short Sword>
<One Handed Dagger>
<One Handed War Hammer>
<One Handed Rapier>
<One Handed Curved Blade>
<Katana>
<Two Handed Assault Spear>
<Two Handed Heavy Axe>
<Martial Arts>
<Hand-to-Hand Combat>
<Knife Throwing>
<Boomerang>
<Chakram>
<Longbow>

ARMOR SKILLS- Allows equipping of various kinds of equipment, increasing protection offered and reducing encumbrance.
<Leather Equipment>
<Light Metal Equipment>
<Heavy Metal Equipment>
<Light Shield Equipment>
<Heavy Shield Equipment>

CRAFTING SKILLS- Used to create, maintain, and improve equipment.
<Slash Weapon Forging>
<Thrust Weapon Forging>
<Blunt Weapon Forging>
<Pierce Weapon Forging>
<Light Metal Armor Forging>
<Heavy Metal Armor Forging>
<Metal Equipment Repairing>
<Sewing>
<Cooking>
<Medicine Mixing> - Also covers poisons.

REFINING SKILLS- used to refine and process raw materials gathered in the field into base materials for crafting.
<Metal Refining>
(There are surely many more than this.)

MAGIC SKILLS- Grants Words of Power.
<Wind Magic>
<Water Magic>
<Fire Magic>
<Earth Magic>
<Light Magic>
<Darkness Magic>
<Illusion Magic>
<Sound Magic>
<Holy Magic>

SUPPORT SKILLS-
<Parry> - Allows blocking powerful attacks using a weapon instead of a shield, lowers (and can even negate) penalties and damage taken from the impact.
<Battle Healing> - Bestows auto-regen.
<Acrobatics> - Increases balance to lower chances of knockdown, increases jumping height and aerial mobility.
<Mount> - Lets you skillfully control mounts like horses.
<Sprinting> - Increases running speed beyond that granted by just Agility.
<Searching> - Expands awareness range to show more distant mobs and players, and counters Hiding. Indicators appear from further away, from behind obstacles, etc.
<Tracking> - Branching from <Searching>, allows tracking of players and mobs by showing recent footprints as a path to follow. How far back they go depends on skill.
<X-Ray Vision> - Branching from <Searching>, focusing on detected entities behind an obstacle. Shows what they are in much greater detail.
<Night Vision> - Branching from <Searching>, negates vision penalties from darkness.
<Hiding> - Reduces chances of being detected to avoid player and monster detection by blending in with the background like a chameleon. Has no effect on detection that relies on senses other than sight, such as scent.
<Listening> - Increases detection skills by picking up fainter and fainter sounds as skill increases. Can be used for espionage, such as hearing through doors.
<Extended Weight Limit> - Increases inventory storage space. Trained by walking around with a very full inventory a lot.
<Emergency Recovery> - Lowers the duration of Status ailments like Stun, Stumble, and Poison. Effectiveness increases at low HP.
<Sales Negotiation> - Better prices when selling things to NPCs.
<Purchase Negotiation> - Better prices when buying things from NPCs.
<Equipment Appraisal> - Lets one identify, scan, and analyze the properties of equipment.
<Tools Appraisal> - Lets one identify, scan, and analyze the properties of tools.
<Fishing> - Does this really need explanation? Higher ranks means better fish from more difficult lakes.
<Treasure Hunting> - Increases drop rates, including max Yrd gained from battles and chests. In Wander Mode, can manifest as strange turns of luck finding things.

PET SKILLS- used to support a familiar for those who use them. ONLY LEARNABLE BY CAIT SITHS
<Beast Taming> - Used to tame bigger and stronger monsters.
<Pet Recovery> - Lowers the amount of time it takes for a slain pet to regenerate.
<Pet Communication> - Allows more complicated orders to be given to your pet more quickly and reliably.

==== Beast Taming====
Cait Sith are the only race that can develop a true rapport with monster creatures. While any race may take 'pets' by taming the harmless 'critters' spread across the land, like birds and turtles and the weakest of monsters, simply by offering them food, the Cait Sith-only Beast Taming skill's needed for anything beyond this.

Beast Taming's generally used by attempting to feed monsters instead of slay them, and the higher it is the greater the monsters a player can tame. Pets are a great boon to Cait Sith players. They often possess support abilities like healing magics, status-affecting distance attacks, and the like, and many can fight directly. Pets do not count as Monsters anymore - they have yellow-green cursors, may enter towns and so on. The most stunning example of beast taming in action's definitely the Cait Sith Dragoons, a brigade of dragon riders whose mounts are even stronger than the Cait Siths themselves in many situations.

A player may only have one pet out at a time. The rest are basically stored as special inventory items. A player may have at most a dozen pets stored this way. To make room for more, the only options are trading them away to others with sufficient Beast Taming skill or deleting/releasing them.

Pets may be named, and left to their own devices act autonomously. They'll take the initiative to use support abilities like healing their owner or allies in a party, or debilitating enemies they're fighting. They otherwise behave much like pets, roaming around nearby and interacting with the environment based on what kind of creature it is.

They are also 'intelligent' like NPCs, and so can be ordered into action - or inaction. Simple orders are best. 'Ralph, come here!' is simple, or 'Ralph, attack my enemy!' Just like with NPCs, the more abstract the order the more likely they will not understand it. The higher a player's Pet Communications skill, the more effort the system will put into parsing stranger and more specific orders.

Pets CAN be killed, but unlike normal monsters their deaths are not permanent. Slain pets return to their owners' inventory, and gain a cooldown timer before they can be deployed again. The amount of time is based directly on the overall strength of the Pet (how high Beast Taming must be to control it) and reduced by the Pet Recovery skill. In general, a competetive Cait Sith player with emphasis on recovery can bring their strongest familiars out again in roughly a half-hour, but that time would be closer to 2 or 3 hours without it.

Whenever a player respawns properly (not revived by magic or an item) all pet respawn timers are cleared, so they may be brought out immediately.

=== Controlling Avatars and Movement Speed===
Avatars are controlled as naturally as walking around and breathing in reality. However, Fairy PCs are stronger, faster, and more durable than a human body in reality can ever be - right out of the box.

Basic movement speeds for arms, legs, body, etc, while proportionally modified by relevant weight of equipped gear and avatar weight class, depend largely on how fast the player can command them to move - and when it comes to melee combat and combat manuevering, coordination and honed reflexes are key. While most Players move at human speeds, extremely talented and/or experienced FullDivers accelerate from human-like speeds to blurry movements few onlookers can follow. As a note, while not all Multiversal Elites will necessarily be the best at VR, most can easily grow to be better than casual players.

==== Flight====
All players can summon wings of light to soar Alfheim's skies. They only appear when triggered through an attempt to fly, and are translucent, vaguely insectile constructs made of colored light. Wings only work when exposed to the skies - they are powered by heavenly light from the sun, moon, and stars, and tire after 10 minutes of flight - it's /really/ smart to land before that happens. Imps may fly indoors, but even they must keep to the 10 minute flight timer and only recuperate under heavenly light. Wings recuperate at a roughly 1:1 ratio when not in use. The hum of vibrating fairy wings sounds much like a musical instrument, and groups of different fairies flying together can almost be a kind of song.

Two methods exist for controlling them:

Option One- ASSIST CONTROLLER
Extend your left hand and make a gripping motion, and the Assist Controller appears. Strongly resembling a Wii Nunchuk, the ergonomic joystick = button controls direction and acceleration. Tilting the controller about controls angles, and so on. Assisted flight can't manage any tricky or advanced manuevers, and tops out at about 70 percent of the max speed attainable through Voluntary Flight.

Option Two- VOLUNTARY FLIGHT
Though humans don't have wings, careful manipulation of arm, shoulder, and back muscles grants fine control of the wings, though it takes a bit to manage it without making obvious shoulder motions and arm twitches that would interfere with melee combat or Spellcasting. Voluntary Flight takes practice to perfect as it is literally akin to learning to using a whole new limb, but it offers several advantages. Voluntary Flight users are able to perform intricate manuevers, keep their extra hand free, and tease out leagues more speed.

=== Magic===
All player races can use Magic, which is considered a form of Skills and uses up Skill Slots.

Spellcasting involves adopting a posture the system recognizes, and chanting out Words of Power to complete a spell. Words of Power are gained from increasing Magic Skills and sometimes other Skills. No formalized, official spell lists exist. Instead, spells are created by arranging the Words of Power to combine and define their meanings using Alfheim Online's own magical language. Targeting is handled through a combination of gesturing and focusing vision. (Current proposed target might glow in a player's sight while casting, etc, and change based on who they're focusing on.)

Most spells are elemental assaults and defenses, but spells exist for every task a player can undertake, from recon to communications to stealth or crafting. Others boost speed, strength, endurance, or a variety of other things.

Words of Power are based on germanic language aesthetics (keying back to Old Norse and so on), thus while some words might have meaning in one or more real languages this rarely if ever coincides with their meaning within Alfheim Online. Each Element does have its own aesthetically distinct family of Words of Power however, so Magic-savvy players can often identify spells as they're being cast.

==== Elemental Roles====
The following are the focal points and generic roles of the different elements in Alfheim Online. It's worth noting that this is not what they are LIMITED to. In practice, all Elements have equal usefulness at low levels for range of utility purposes - unless stated otherwise below, ALL have various grades of attack, defense, and minor other effects (such as a basic Ice magic creating a telescope of ice to look through.) It's at the higher Skill levels where the roles of each Magic become particularly prevalent and focused.

WIND: Basic Wind spells are blunt force wind blasts, air darts, and swirling barriers of wind. At higher levels 'razor wind' gales, mystic defenses like anti-magic shells, and lightning based magic are the order of the day. Wind is the most outrageously versatile of the Elements (it has quite decent stealth and many other uses), but like all Jacks of all Trades it is a master of none. Themes: Jack of All Trades, Speed, Permeation

WATER: Basic Water spells include blunt force water blasts, many restorative magics be it for conditions or hp, and a number slow ticking dots. High level spells include area of effect restorative spells, ice magic like ice bullets and ice shields, and some of the most powerful dots in the game. Water Magic is mostly geared towards support, containing plenty of healing spells and crowd control effects that keep monsters or players bound or frozen in place. Themes: Healing, Crowd Control, Cold, Clarity, Pressure

FIRE: Basic Fire spells include the traditional fireballs, intense heat flashes, and heat based debuffs and dots. More powerful fire effects include massive area of effect spells, the most powerful direct damage spells, and the summoning of creatures of flame. Fire Magic is mostly geared towards pure offense and offers little of anything else beyond the basics. Themes: Offense, Heat, Explosions, Destruction

EARTH: Basic Earth spells include mystically flung rocks, earthen barriers or spears, and long lasting defense buffs. Higher levels spells include powerful warding effects that can affect entire raids, manipulating metal for attack and defense, and generating earthquakes and fissues. Earth Magic is primarily defensive, focused on staggering or physically redirecting or blocking opponents, terrain advantages, and toughness. Themes: Defense, Crowd Control, Terrain, Geology

DARKNESS: Basic Darkness spells revolve around debuffing, using solidified darkness to attack and defend, and utility spells for things like communication, tracking, or hiding. Higher level effects allow instantaneous communication over long distances, use of powerful dark magics like curses or sacrifice, and enhanced travel speed under the cover of night. Darkness Magic is mainly focused on utility and the idea of sacrifice for impressive effects. Themes: Utility, Sacrifice, Debilitation, Chaos, Void, Nothingness.

ILLUSION: Illusion Magic lacks even basic attack abilities but has numerous effects to disorient and confuse others. High level Illusion magic can be game changing as the Illusions can take on a certain amount of reality, users can transform into their illusions, or change the very nature of where they are fighting. Illusion Magic is primarily supportive, focused almost purely on manipulating the senses over tangible effects - but some Illusions are themselves so powerful as to become momentarily real. Illusion spells are extremely useful for overcoming sensory issues and changing battlefield conditions in sideways and unpredictable directions. Themes: Stealth, Confusion, Deception, Transformation

SOUND: Basic Sound spells include deafening sound waves, mood altering magic such as lulling things to sleep, as well as intense sound blasts or walls of sound. Higher level sound magic can affect large crowds with these basic effects, create air shattering blasts of sound, or greatly enhancing the abilities of those they are allied with. Sound Magic is primarily supportive, focused on buffing allies with inspirational melodies and confusing enemies. Themes: Buffing, Debuffing, Crowd Control, Sonic onslaughts

LIGHT: Basic Light attacks include spears of holy light and punishing rays. Light magic's roughly balanced, but slightly favors magic defense and support, with offense mostly against spirits and undead. Themes: Spirits, Radiance, Anti-Undead, Magic Barriers.

=== HUD, Menu, Communications, Inventory===
Much like an RL MMORPG, players have HUDs. Instead of looking at a screen for it, it overlays your actual vision. There's displays for HP, MP, buffs/debuffs in the top-left corner, which expands to show those of any party members when in a party. The far right side of one's view shows a customizable shortcut bar for different tasks like view guild status, equip a weapon, configure a Skill, bring up the magic words dictionary, and view local map data.

Focusing on particular players, objects, monsters, and other entities makes the system bring up further details in pop-up windows. These are very context sensitive and extremely informative, showing relevant information. Monsters show names (but not players, until they've introduced themselves or done something noteworthy to reveal their name, like challenge you in a duel), objects show stats (if your appraisal Skill's high enough), buildings show names, etc. All players and monsters have colored indicators above their heads, giving information about them in relationship to you (party, friend, guild member, neutral race, overwhelmingly powerful monster, etc.)

Striking downwards with the left hand's index and middle fingers squeezed together brings up the menu. The Menu is where almost everything important's done. It contains displays and configuration data for your character (skills, equipment, magic, etc), relevant party or guild info, community features like guilds, friend lists or current race politics, the map system, game settings and configurations, and more. Players can only see their own menus, unless another player uses a button to reveal theirs.

Private messages are the only form of long-distance instant communication officially speaking.

The in-game inventory can store pretty much anything you can pick up unless it's a monster, player, or other common sense 'this is not an item' situation. Provided you own it, that is. (ownerless items such as rocks on the ground are immediately marked as owned by you when picked up, while dropped items take 5 minutes to lose their ownership registration.) It's extremely intelligent when bringing things out - it knows to materialize items smartly, like putting a sword in its matching scabbard, and responds to gestures about where and how to materialize it, etc.

=== Crafting===
Crafting Skills are spread across every possible kind of item used in the game. Common ones Slash Weapon Forging (most swords), Thrust Weapon Forging (spears, rapiers), Blunt Weapon Forging (Hammers, maces, staves), Ranged Weapon Forging (Bows, Crossbows, throwing knives), Light Metal Armor Forging, Heavy Metal Armor Forging, Tailoring (clothing, sometimes protective but often just ornamental), Cooking (actually GOOD tasting food, some of which buffs) and so on. Craftmaster NPCs in towns teach these Skills, and also sell basic tools and supplies needed for starting crafting recipes.

Crafting requires many factors working together for best effect. Skill, tool quality, material quality, and (depending on the skill) workshop quality, and luck, all must come together for anything great to be had. This makes crafting a major investment in time and money, especially since the most successful crafters often dedicate over half of their Skill slots just to crafting. Just dabbling in it rarely gets anyone anywhere.

Using Smithing as an example, this article will attempt to explain roughly how crafting works.

John decides to be a smith, so he goes to learn Slash Weapon Forging to make some swords and knives to start off with. He wants to simply buy raw materials (ore, instead of ingots) and refine it himself, so he also takes Metal Refining. John can only afford a Portable Furnace and simple tools, good for lower quality metals and simply making knives and one-handed swords.

Selecting some Copper and Tin ores of low quality he bought from a miner, John brings up his Metal Refining in the Skills Menu and chooses to create 'Bronze Ingots,' and has a moment to pick some of the parameters of what quality metal he's going for - purity, hardness, and other qualities. At his low Skill level however, he only has a few Customization Points to spend on it. He places the Copper and Tin ores in the Portable Furnace and System Assist takes over, showing a progress bar. When it's complete, the Furnace opens to reveal his Bronze Ingot - cool enough to touch against all sense, but still likely steaming hot.

Now he has a Bronze Ingot. He can make a Dagger. This requires a strip of Leather for the grip, which he purchases from a Tanner player for a few Yrd. Bringing up his Portable Furnace (which doubles as a shitty anvil) again, he chooses to make a 'basic Dagger.' (Crafting is arranged by category, 'Dagger' is the option, 'Bronze Dagger' is just the result because he's using Bronze!) The material he's using is Bronze, low class but worthy enough for a newbie.

John picks his parameters by spending from his Customization Points. He wants this sword to focus on speed, requiring it to be light and thin. Durability suffers as a result, though! After he's decided the parameters, he selects 'Craft' in his crafting window and System Assist once again takes over his body. The progress bar begins again, as his body heats the ingot in the furnace using tongs, pulls it out, and starts hammering at it. The ingot glows after eight or so swings and the progress bar fills, the shape filling out and its final appearance decided somewhat randomly based on the chosen length and system. Shittastic quality metals like bronze appear generic... and uninteresting.

Later on, John has increased his Skill to 500-600! Spending several hundred thousand Col he purchases a tiny workshop with a waterwheel and barely enough room for shelving he similarly custom ordered from a carpenter player and equips a Water Wheel to the house using the home control menus.. luckily, this house is right on a river! This water wheeld rives the bellows of his new high quality forge. This new one's suitable to working on all kinds of higher grade materials! It's also hellaciously expensive, but that's what you get. On the other hand, John is now so high leveled in Slash Weapon Forging that if he went back and made a Dagger out of Bronze, his new pool of Customization Points lets him optimize the dagger to an even greater degree...

... but, even so, Bronze is a shitty metal compared to what he can use now, and he quickly hits the ceiling of what that metal can make. Using more high quality materials like Crystal, Adamantite and Mythril, he makes weapons with much more unique appearances and special names. On rare occasion the RNG creates something -especially- grand and high quality, little 'masterpieces.' (In SAO, Kirito's Dark Repulser is one such 'masterpiece.')

Clothes, Meals, everything works off of design blueprints that the players fill out with ingredients of their choice. A coat might be made of dragon leather or cotton but uses the same base design. A 'Stew' could be made with Vegetables or Meat for instance, but this is just determined by 'Main Ingredient' material slot and 'extra ingredient' slots. Advanced customization options exist for every type of Crafting Skill based on the Skill. Cooking gives control of ingredient ratios, for instance, which Asuna used to reproduce Soy Sauce with Aincrad ingredients.

Customization also includes magical enchantments, using extra items, materials, sigils, and all kinds of other add-ons to give special abilities to creations.

LEPRECHAUNS: Leprechauns have a much higher chance of creating stunning, high quality works, and also have access to more top-level designs, particularly when it comes to Ancient tier and similar areas. They have a bigger variety of enchantments and other options available during crafting, and have better chances overall at being awesome with it.

==== Repairing====
Repairing is much like crafting anew, though it uses a different Skill. Though not all items can be repaired (Food cannot, obviously) things like clothing, armor, weapons, and tools will eventually need it.

Repairing may require some materials, and special tools. It is not always represented in a fashion that would make sense, but usually tries to. For instance, grinding wheels may be used to sharpen and polish weapons while also repairing them as part of the animation.

High skills are needed to repair high quality/tier items.

==== Item Enhancement====
Item Enhancement is very similar to crafting anew. Using the appropriate Skill for that kind of item, the Crafter reworks the item using more base materials and enhancement materials. The more and more an Item has been upgraded, up to its maximum possible attempts, the harder and harder it is to get it right again and add more points on. Enhancement Materials used in the effort offset the chance of failure greatly, but over time the cost of bringing a weapon to its full power may vastly outstrip the cost of getting it in the first place, so this often isn't worth it except for top tier gear - where the risk is even greater, on the other hand. For each attempt, one chosen parameter is increased at a time. As an example, for swords the available parameters are: Sharpness, Heaviness, Durability.

On Success, the item's name is appended with a =#, such as =2 if it has been successfully improved twice. Failure, however, drops an enhanced parameter by one, bottoming out at =0 (how it was originally.) Each item, too, can only undergo a set number of enhancement attempts, regardless of what it ends up with. If an item can only be enhanced 8 times, for instance, and it succeeds four times and fails four times, the net gain is 0 - it will forever be a base weapon, and that was a lot of time and materials wasted.

==== Materials====
Crafting Materials are items like any other, but form an important part of the player economy. Some are gathered from 'node' like regions spread across Alfheim in many areas. Bottling water from mystic springs, harvesting wild fruits and vegetables and berries, diving into caves and mines to mine from nodes on the walls where the mineral ore's rich, these are all examples.

Others are acquired from quests, from shops (for lower quality ones anyways, used for grinding), and sometimes from hunting monsters. Monsters may drop anything from meat or bone to skin to horns and claws and stingers to just about any other body part.

Materials are not uniform in quality even among the same category. For instance, one vein of 'copper ore' may not have the same qualities as another. Not every patch of Apples has the same nutritional value - some are higher quality than others, or good for different recipes and different things.

The variations are endless, though they do tend to stick within certain ranges. The general properties and quality RANGE a certain kind of material can have is set, but any specific sample within it will vary. Rare and unique materials may have pre-set values or average much higher quality than lower quality parameters, and most store-bought materials are shitty.

Most Materials are used for straightforward crafting, but others - most of them monster drops - are used to increase the chances of Item Enhancement succeeding. In canon, Asuna needed about a dozen giant wasp stingers to improve her Wind Fleuret with a good chance of success.

As in the Crafting example, Skills are required to process and refine some kinds of materials. metal Ore must be refined and cast into ingots, Skin must be tanned and cured into leather, and so on. Overall, anything used for player equipment will have more costly and involved steps than something like cooking.

=== Combat, Damage, and Resurrection===
Shifting from wandering around to stabbing something is literally as simple as just stabbing that thing. Everything has HP (except system fixtures such as buildings, trees, the ground, etc) and can be assaulted.

The damage calculation compares several things: race strength, impact speed, weapon power, elemental matchups, and how clean the hit was, against the victim's defense skills and armor, etc (an insufficient Strength = Parry combo, for instance, will negate some damage but not perfectly nullify it all.) Mundane attacks are parsed on the fly by the system, their type determined by the weapon's properties and the way it was used and struck between four types of attacks: Thrust, Slash, Pierce and Blunt, which have different effects at breaking different guards, armors, and monster types.

Digital bodies don't really react 'normally' when struck. While weak attacks might leave a weapon embedded in virtual flesh, strong ones to centers of mass often 'pass clean through,' leaving glowing gashes that soon fade in their wake - but inflict damage all the same. Extremities CAN be severed, inflicting a temporary Amputation status effect (the limb, hand, etc, will regrow in a couple of minutes.) Embedded weapons inflict Piercing damage over time.

For players, this damage isn't super painful - pain intensity's capped at a fairly low level. At worst it's just a momentary sharp buzz sensation, enough to communicate whether a hit's occured. NPCs sometimes ACT like they are in pain when struck, but who knows what it really means to them.

The damage engine is extremely advanced. Where things like the weapon damage formulas don't hold sway, it defaults to common sense laws of physics, analyzing kinetic energy, location of injury, severity of environmental hazard, or other factors into appropriate damage that's contested by applicable armor and other defensive measures.

Upon death, avatars become Remain Lights - pyres of colored flame specific to their race. These last for one minute, and during this time the player can still perceive events happening around them. Field resurrections through healing magic or items (World Tree Dew) must target a Remain Light. If no resurrection is performed, they respawn as soon as the timer runs out at their last chosen Save Crystal. A Save Crystal exists in all major towns, and players start out bound to their race's hometown Save Crystal. Changing bindings costs Yrd, however.

There is a Death Penalty, however. In general, Death Penalty resets all progress leveling a single skill back to nothing, with harsher penalties existing for using certain self-destruct moves and other circumstances. Beyond that, being felled in a PK battle nets the victor 30 percent of a player's value in non-equipment items and Yrd. In party vs party fights, a whole party must be wiped out for the victor to gain these spoils, but in the meantime any players killed still lose their items: they're transferred to surviving party members first.

==== Loot====
Upon slaying monsters or other players, a window pops up showing gained Yrd, while loot is automatically placed in a player's inventory. In groups, distribution systems include all the normal methods that a group leader can decide upon - dice rolls, leader chooses, random distribution, and so on.

==== Status Effects====
Many enemy skills and different situations can invite status effects. Positive ones are hard to come by, but sometimes are granted by equipment or eating foods, and tend to be simple stat bonuses, luck bonuses, resistance to a negative status effect, and so on. Negative ones include:

Delay - Slows the movements of the affected player.

Tumble - Disrupts the standing balance of the affected player and knocks them over.

Paralysis - Prevents movement of any sort.

Poison - HP slowly drains.

Hate - Attracts enemy attention, causing monsters to focus their attacks on whoever has this status effect. It's gained by being the person antagonizing the monster the most - typically its predominant attacker in a group.

Amputation - A negative status that prevents use of a limb (and keeps it from being rendered) caused specifically by limb loss (usually a result of taking a powerful sword skill to the arm, and so on.) Ends in 3 minutes, at which point the affected limb regenerates.

=== Sword Skills===
Originally a Sword Art Online exclusive, Alfheim Online recently incorporated Sword Skills, taking them all but wholesale as they were.

Sword Skills are basically weapon techniques, unlocked as a Weapon Skill increases. Using them involves adopting and holding a specific posture while wielding the right weapon. Do it right, the weapon will soon glow a color unique to the skill. Beginning the first motion of a Sword Skill launches it. At this point, SYSTEM ASSIST takes over controlling the avatar, triggering whatever amazingly fast and coordinated, powerful strike(s) the Sword Skill is supposed to do. Any other motion will cancel activation.

Once begun, Sword Skills are impossible to safely stop. Fighting the motion - or encountering an impossibly tough resistance (such as another Sword Skill) breaks the animation, inflicting a moment of stun time. After being used, Sword Skills need several seconds to a few minutes of cooldown before they can be used again - single strike attacks that form the bread and butter of attack styles rarely have any at all.

While SAO's Sword Skills were simple physical blows, Alfheim Online's implementation of Sword Skills are Elemental attacks, imbuing strikes with magical might to inflict flame damage, ice damage, wind damage, etc. Magic resistances can apply, although only the weapon and weapon skills are used for determing damage - you don't have to have any elemental magic at all to use a powerful Elemental Sword Skill to its fullest. Sword Skills have different balances of how much damage is caused by magic vs physical impact, such as 25 percent physical and 75 percent fire for one assault.

Despite the name, Sword Skills exist for all weapons (even martial arts, which is unarmed). Starting Sword Skills are very basic, such as thrusts or single slashes. Advanced ones may even reach around ten blows in a row!

Sword Skills can be browsed and studied in the menu, as well as enabled or disabled (if, say, you don't like a certain Sword Skill and its activation gets in your way.)

==== Original Sword Skills====
The best part about Sword Skills is the newly introduced ORIGINAL SWORD SKILLS system. Players may opt to create their own signature techniques, though this is beyond difficult.

In theory, it's as simple as selecting to register a new attack, then performing the moves. However, the simple-seeming requirements for a valid skill are actually damned hard to manage. Those requirements are:

1) It must be unique. An OSS cannot be a rehash of an existing skill. The sheer variety of standard Sword Skills means that only combo attacks of 4= strikes are all but assuredly unique.

2) It must be performed at great speed comparable to an actual Sword Skill.

3) The Skill must be balanced - not mechanically, but physically. The motions must be of sound footing and balance.

4) It must be given a unique name.

Requirements 1-3 combined makes registering a Sword Skill essentially require performing what is an otherwise impossible manuever WITHOUT the programmed System Assist that makes it possible. For one or two strikes (which isn't very valid design space) this is simply darned hard and a matter of endless repetition. For 4=, it's ludicrous, extremely difficult for even the best of players.

If the system accepts it though, the player gets to decide the elemental balance of the attack, and from then on can generate an endless number of GRIMOIRES, items that can teach the Sword Skill to others - if they so choose.

== The Grand Quest==
The centric quest of Alfheim online is to become a True Fairy, an ALF, with the power of unlimited flight and access to Light Magic. This is far from easy, but the rewards are well worth it.

The original quest before Ymir patched it was rather ridiculous. This is what it is now.

=== The Fairy Seals===
The gate to Yggdrasil's grand elevator has space for 9 seals, Medallions the size of one's open palm bearing the emblem of one of the races.

These Seals are generated every time the Grand Quest is cleared and spread to a random member of each race. These individuals are randomly chosen, but only from those who are rather consistent players.

Bearers of Seals cannot benefit from race zone protections. Additionally...

Should a Seal Bearer log out for longer than 48 hours, the Seal will be removed from their inventory and randomly reassigned to another member of its race.

A Seal Bearer who spends 4 hours logged on while in a safe zone faces Seal reassignment.

If a Bearer's PK'd, any Seal in their possession immediately goes to the one who delivered the killing blow regardless of whether the Bearer's in a party or the PKer's party's looting preference.

=== Ascension Quest===
One raid group (49 players) can undertake the quest by opening the elevator's gates using the seals, causing the doors to open up to a very different elevator than normal. In here, the Guardians of the World Tree assault players as they ascend the tree from within. Breaking the cloud layer and reaching the World Tree's heart puts a player beyond the range of attack. Everyone who breaks through the clouds has won their place as a True Fairy, and after a congratulatory presentation from some quest NPCs, the quest will reset, scattering the Seals all over again.

=== ALF Benefits===
Ascension transforms the player into an ALF variant of their race. The most obvious benefit is infinite flight - wings never tire, so long as they're exposed to heavenly light. Imps still only get 10 minutes indoors, and still, nobody may fly in Jotunheim at all. ALF PC wings keep their original appearance, but glow with a filmy white luminescence.

Additionally, ALF players gain an extra, thirteenth Skill Slot for Light Magic. This special slot can ONLY be used for Light Magic. On ascension, if a PC already has Light Magic it will be moved to this slot. If they don't have it, they'll automatically learn it. ALF players discover that Light Magic has extra effects when combined with anything else, and they have a few more options than other players.

ALF status isn't really that much of a 'race change.' PCs are still considered to be their parent race for race politics and keep their basic benefits.

=== The Reality===
Seals often end up in the care of race leaders (see below) and circulated between their trusted followers on a regular basis to keep them from being randomly reassigned. Then, players who win those leaders' favor can join the groups that periodically make a run on the World Tree. In this way, the Race leaders can keep a friendly competition going while also forming an effective 'ruling council' of sorts. Player politics are a bit thing.

== Community==
What kind of MMORPG would Alfheim Online be without a community to work within?

=== Friends, Guilds, Parties===
Players who become friends can send private messages to one another, see when they're on and offline, etc.

Up to 7 players may participate in a party, and up to 7 parties (max 49 people) can enter a boss room at once. Raid group HUDs display aggregate average HPs and similar statistics.

Guilds are elaborate groupings of sometimes hundreds of players that can define their own politics, rank structure, uniforms, and dozens of other things. They're really quite the same as any other MMORPGs.

=== The Great Fairy War===
Put simply, the player races are political and military entities at war with one another. Each Race elects a leader every so often, who's in charge of managing the race's treasury, tax rates on towns, policies of NPC guards and investments in defenses, and numerous other things, and defining the social structure beneath them. Some players, known as 'Renegades,' stay apart from their race's politics, while some others even end up stripped of their racial rights and exiled from their hometowns. Fairy politics can be vicious.

Races can take over towns and impose taxes in military conquests every so often, causing the power balance to change and granting access to more resources, and it's hardly an uncommon occurence on the borders between racial territories. Taking down another race's leader brings great rewards to the victors, essentially a ten day conquering of the entire territory combined with a massive pillaging of their treasury.

=== Crime in Alfheim===
Crimes are offenses against other players that are within the rules of the game mechanics, but are nevertheless malicious, troublesome, disruptive, or harmful. The system works to prevent this. The Crime Prevention Code attempts to enforce a sense of ethics - for instance, preventing people from running around nude in public, and giving victims of sexual harassment the opportunity to alert GMs. Many lesser offenses will result in system warnings and possibly alert GMs. Since Crime Detection is left up to a Cardinal subroutine, it is very good at detecting what actions are and are not Crimes according to its parameters and recording them for review.

Aside from political shenanigans from the race conflict, player-based crime mostly doesn't exist. Looting and PK'ing is part of the game, for instance, and so Player Killers are not 'criminals' by default, unlike in Sword Art Online.

This doesn't mean that people won't think you're an asshole if you act like one, of course. It's never really considered more than a personal grievance if an instance of PVP conflict outside a town causes vendettas and the like. It's not a problem of the community, though races might decide to 'watch out for that infamous group of folk hunting our race, maybe we should pwn them and take their stuff.'

One particular is touching other players outside of battle. Harmless contact like fistbumps, high-fives, grabbing someone on the shoulder isn't really an issue (unless they're of the opposite gender - and due to the gender disparity of Alfheim Online, the system is more protective of female players) but it shouldn't need to be said what kind of contact will trigger a harassment warning - sexual harassment is an extreme no-no. The victim then gets the choice of whether or not to send a report. If yes, GMs are instantly alerted as the trouble ticket crops up. Players can also choose to add players to an ignore list so the system won't raise warnings about them.

=== Logging out, Rest Areas, and Capital Safe Zones===
Logging out in the field is Soulless - meaning, the avatar remains manifested in Alfheim for several minutes before vanishing, helpless and thoroughly PKable. Certain areas are provided for logouts to be more convenient - known as rest areas, they tend to be inn rooms, rented bedrooms, etc, though certain rooms in dungeons and other locales are also considered them.

Within their capital city (such as Sylvain for Sylphs) a member of that respective race is invulnerable. Attacks are stopped by a purplish barrier - though it does let some physical force through inflicting a very disorienting knockback effect on the victim if the attacker's strong enough. Ordinary contact is fine, provided it's not enough to cause damage - in which case it's treated as an attack.

The only known way to drop protection is through dueling.

Monsters (unless they're pets) will not enter safe zones and treat players in them as though they don't exist. Pets enjoy the same protections as their owners.

=== Dueling===
Dueling can be initiated at any point, though it is often done in cities and other places of relative safety. One player may challenge another, though it must be accepted by the one so challenged, and in these circumstances, any system protection to HP (such as that given by Capital Cities) is overridden. At the same time, it's impossible for other players to directly interfere as long as the duel window remains open as both are protected against others.

Duels have three modes:
A) Normal Mode. Fight to the finish. Unused by any sane players nowadays, because reaching 0 HP will still kill them even in a duel. It is also possible to yield, though.
B) Time Limit Mode. Like the above, but with a time limit imposed - the winner will be whoever has more health at the end. Also mostly unused.
C) First Strike Mode. The duel ends as soon as someone's HP reaches the halfway point, or upon registering the first clean blow. Grazes and nicks will inflict damage, but do not end the duel unless enough is inflicted to lower HP below halfway.

== Import Character - From SWORD ART ONLINE==
Save data between Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online uses virtually the same format.

Ymir has given every Sword Art Online player the opportunity to convert their characters into Alfheim almost seamlessly. This works like so: after picking a Race, the following happens when using an imported account:

APPEARANCE: SAO players can keep their SAO appearances for free (retooled to race aesthetics such as hair color changing to red for Salamanders or blue for Undines,) allow the system to randomize, or pay for customization.

LEVELS AND STATS: Alfheim Online doesn't use Levels or Stats the way SAO did, its racial stats override them.

SKILLS: Save for a few cases where Skills were removed from Alfheim (particularly Unique Skills) all skills map 1:1, although their specific uses and effects in ALO differ here and there.

MAGIC: SAO does not have Magic, so all players start with race defaults if they have an open slot.

MONEY: Col directly converts to Yrd on a 1:1 scale. If you had 1 million Col, now you have 1 million Yrd.

ITEMS: Inventories do not transfer, although Pets do. All characters begin with newbie equipment.

= Section Two B: Gun Gale Online=
PLACEHOLDER! Are there any Sinon appers out there?

= Section Three: The Reality=

== Setting and Geography==
Sword Art Online-1's real world is modern Earth - a bit more modern than modern. When it unified it was 2024, but now it's almost 2026 Technology is several leaps and bounds ahead, with major advancements in fields like robotics, electronics, and neurology. The first advancement to really show promise and change the way people live is the newly conquered - though hardly mastered - field of Virtual Reality.

Beyond this difference, it is more or less identical to reality, save for differences in available fiction (no real source material, etc) universal to all Earths that enter the Multiverse.

== SAO Case Victims Rescue Force and Aftermath==
Kayaba Akihiko, development director and GM of Sword Art Online, distributed clear information regarding Sword Art Online victims to the whole world using all of his available methods to ensure that few players' lives were lost by outside interference. The NerveGear's extensive battery and a 2 hour game service disconnect grace period made hospital transference convenient. Nearly all Sword Art Online players were hospitalized shortly after the Death Game began, and treated as coma victims. They were fed and hydrated intravenuously, and all other bodily needs handled by the hospitals. All suffer from SEVERE muscle atrophy and are being rehabilitated by joint efforts between Japan's medical care and the Union.

Japan's government swiftly created what it calls the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force from volunteers from other divisions. However, their ability to actually help the players beyond organizing their hospitalization was quite limited. While Argus was sued straight into bankruptcy, and all of its assets taken over by RCT Progress, the actual SAO game servers were directly watched over by the Rescue Force and carefully studied... but they were unable to beat Kayaba Akihiko's stunning deployment of military-grade encryption backed by Cardinal's extensive processing power that made it impossible to hack. They deduced the 'public keys' for decryption, gaining access to system logs, but the private key and administrator accounts that would be used with it to gain control of the server eluded them.

Thankfully, with the crisis seemingly over, they have moved on to focusing on reparations. Most of the victims and/or their families have received a fairly generous settlement, and are being provided with mental care. For those of school age, Japan's government (with some help from interested and generous Union assistance) hastily assembled a special remedial school designed to accomodate for the psychological trauma that the SAO case has left most survivors with. Most suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, among other issues, and need plenty of time to deprogram themselves from their Aincrad habits and philosophies to re-enter society proper.

Although the government is technically aware of what players are PKers, as the case against Argus is considered settled trials cannot be held against individual PKers, though considerable animosity's held towards them where players in the school recognize them, and while it's been forbidden to reveal who was a PKer publically, all of them have been receiving CONSIDERABLE mental help. Who knows if it will be enough...

Publically and officially, the victims are being treated the utmost of care and most are expected to recover in time. Privately and unofficially, lots of people think that many victims are just bombs waiting to go off.

Kayaba Akihiko was discovered brainfried in a mountain cabin far from any civilization shortly after SAO was cleared and the protections on the system came down - and the person who claimed to have been forced to care for him, Koujiro Rinko, was cleared of charges due to being implanted with an explosive device she was told would detonate if she didn't go through with it. Close examination revealed that the device was actually incapable of exploding and quite inert, but she had no way to know that.

= Section Four: The Multiverse=

== Unification==
Though this fact is not public knowledge to SAO-1's real world and only recently discovered by governments (who are still studying this bizarre and dangerous phenomena while exploring relations with the Union,) every bit and byte of digital content hosted by SAO-1's real world maps directly to a portion of the Cyber Core. This region is not exactly physically accessible however - it's surrounded by enormous piles of dimensional turbulence and twisted space, making it nearly impossible to just up and walk into it. Even were one to do so, the vast majority of the content is not in a format that typical multiverse-goers can parse. The only regions with 'proper physics' in a fashion anyone can really use are the Virtual Reality zones, of which Alfheim Online's merely one out of thousands (though most definitely among the biggest. The majority are only a few rooms worth of data, or a small school, etc.)

Incredible luck (such as being displaced by the initial Unification or random happenstance - a dimensional disturbance afterwards) or advanced navigation powers (like the ability to open wormholes or teleport through crazy strange zones) are the only ways to travel in or out discovered so far.

Shortly after its discovery by the Union, specialized and secured warp gates were installed in a forgotten corner of one of the lower floors of Aincrad, allowing Elites and other authorized personnel passage.

=== Wander Mode===
When Unification struck, a handful of VRMMO players were displaced through the dimensional remap that placed the digital world in the Cyber Core. Of them, Kirito and Asuna were the first to establish contact with the Multiverse at large. Of the few Alfheim Online players, most think it was a random glitch and ended up respawning without realizing what they stumbled upon - and haven't found any way to repeat the process yet.

It's only recently become apparent just what they stumbled upon.

That this is possible amazes many - even some of the Union's top scientists are baffled at the forces that allow this - but Auric VRMMO players have demonstrated the capacity to support their avatars' existences beyond the realms that define the rules of their reality in the Cyber Core. The current theory explaining it is roughly this: Because of all the time spent invested in building their virtual identities, the player's own self-image changes to incorporate the avatar, and they build up a powerful auric resonance with it. One property of the mysterious 'Aura' is that individuals with an intense Auric field - the Elites - carry some of their own reality with them. This is what allows SAO-1's Elites to travel the Multiverse. This phenomenon has been dubbed 'Wander Mode.' If a non-Elite player attempts Wander Mode, they're in for a surprise: their avatars are struck with effectively infinite environmental damage, and forced to respawn.

SAO-1's real world's governments have discovered and begun studying this abnormal property, but efforts are being undertaken to cover it up (with plenty secretly wanting to exploit it.) Everyone who's able to manifest an avatar's watched by local governments for many reasons.

Sadly this means that Elite players will get in boatloads of trouble for wandering around the real world. Inevitably, the cat will get out of the bag, and the governments know this, but for now it's contained and being studied.

Currently, only Japan's government has access to the database of which player name maps to what real person from Sword Art Online, and Alfheim Online's account database is BEYOND secure. As such, Union SAO-1 Players are encouraged to use their handles as codenames to protect their real identities, as this knowledge could put their real bodies in serious danger.

=== Foreigners in VRMMOs===
Denizens of the Multiverse can enter VRMMOs physically.

By default, Cardinal doesn't really recognize them as players. They are registered as non-system-controlled autonomic entities (which really shouldn't BE there, but it doesn't have a clue what to make of them,) and can utilize environmental advantages and mechanisms (such as Teleport Gates and Safe Zones), engage in fights against monsters and bosses, and so on (without an inventory,) but that's about it. The system can only track their progress and data so much.

However, they retain all of their normal powers and abilities, which the system attempts to parse as well as it can when it interacts with monsters and the like.

==== Alfheim Online====
NOTE: While this is still -possible,- it is heavily discouraged as Alfheim Online is now a professionally run game with no need for crazy, gamebreaking heroics. Generally speaking, of course...

On entry, an individual's presented with a menu window asking them to create an account. They'll then have to pick a Fairy Race to match their account name. Once this is done, the person'll be able to use the menu's basic functions (communication, partying, inventory, etc) and fly using the Assist Controller.

Damage is real and painful, but slightly blunted by the system. Such 'players' do have Health meters, and the system seems capable of detecting when they're in mortal danger and shunting them into the Remain Light form when they 'die.' 'Resurrection' brings with it a wave of healing, but this tends to take the wind out of anyone who experiences it.

The created account is fully valid if logged into normally (pending a subscription, which doesn't apply when 'walking in'), though Skills don't increase while it's being used 'personally.' Equipment can be used regardless of Skills or 'stats,' and the inventory functions for objects brought into the multiverse through a form of pseudo-hammerspace (which always ejects its items out after a player who's leaving if they aren't retrieved, and cannot be used to steal items even if admin wanted to.)

== Reality-to-Virtual Mapping==
Due to the weird reality bleed that's brought the digital world to the Cyber Core, most power and physics between digital and normal natures seem to be interchangeable and capable of affecting each other. For instance, an Undine healer from Alfheim's healing spells can heal someone in reality's broken arm, and a White Mage's healing magic can restore the HP of a Sword Art Online player.

While in Wander Mode, avatars are constructed not just from their digital data, but also the self-images of the players behind them. This apparently allows for a great deal of strange phenomena which doesn't make a lot of sense seperated from the game logic. For instance, avatars can consume food items or actual food, and the latter's handled pretty much the same as eating food in-game would be - never mind the lack of an actual programmed digestive system or any excretory needs.

Certain Skills can accomplish strange things independent of System Assist or game calculations - for instance, equipment appraisal might not be able to actually display specific stats of foreign weapon, but the Appraiser might glean an instinctive impression of its abilities just the same when using the Skill. Smithing can still construct normal things out of actual metal with a bit of practice to work out the different feels. Everything constructed from Skills however, counts as a digital item native to the respective game and not a real one. 'Taunt' Skills can pressure targets mentally to draw aggressive attention - with the appropriate OOC consent, of course.

It's best not to think about the details too much.

== Government Reaction==
As it does many worlds, Unification has thrown the entire world into a social explosion. Thankfully, public panic is minimal. Sure, there's the occasional riots, weird conspiracy theories causing massive piles of confusion, and people who aren't paying any attention, don't care, or just plain don't get it. The governments do care, however, and are doing their utmost to maintain order. Save for some particularly unsavory third world countries and a few oddball nations however, none are denying the Multiverse's existence. Members of the United Nations - and the UN in general - are exploring the inevitability and ramifications of long-term Union relations, and are engaged in hashing out the details.

Japan's government is currently the only one with Union ties with the SAO situation - seeing as it's run by a Japanese company and the vast majority of its victims are Japanese citizens. A man named Kikuoka Seijurou (a member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Technology, Second Seperated Advanced Network Division - aka the Virtual Division) has been appointed main spokesperson and representative of Union / SAO Case Victims Rescue Force relations.

Other nations' governments, and a few particularly unique individuals have also discovered the digital mapping effect into the Cyber Core and are engaging in other secret (and in other cases, not-so-secret, but still regarded as a bit hokey, and too much to believe on top of normal Unification - which is already disorienting) projects.

Now, with actual access to the virtual world of Aincrad and contact with the Union and access through the Union's established warp gates, a few particularly brave and stealthy members of the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force are secretly snooping around to get a better feel for what's going on, though most are quite happy to leave it up to the Union's own task force that seems to be assembling mostly out of Elites. For the moment - a period which may not last more than a few months, most likely - they are studying the situation and working to figure out how to best make use of this in helping the players - and their nation - without causing the massive social hoobaloo that they're sure will erupt if news got out that just anyone could waltz in (while only a few can just waltz out.)

= Section Five: OOC Considerations and Concerns.=

== Hacking==
Hacking Alfheim Online from within it is generally impossible. At the minimum, it requires GM access, access to a control console and similar. Externally, Alfheim Online's encryption is comparable to that what banks use, protecting its connections, transactional data, and player database, and as it is technically hosted outside of the normal space time continuum by the Noble Horrorterrors (see Homestuck-1) hacking it really just doesn't work. Talk to cast if you wanna do anything like this.

== Mass Chaos==
As always with cast rooms and areas, please do not cause mass chaos ICly without first consulting with active cast members. Things in Aincrad or Alfheim don't necessarily work the way you think and the cast will have to accommodate how it affects the playerbase socially, and so on.

== On Capital City protection and the Punching Principle==
Casually inflicting or suffering harm to characters protected by their race's city effect is basically impossible (unless they have been stripped of their rights and exiled): the rules of the local reality simply disallow 'injury.' Though Auric individuals can overcome this through the punching principle given by their Aura, the shield is still incredibly tanky and can absorb several intense attacks before local reality's rules get worn down to allow harm through.

OOC note: Please don't abuse Protection for shenanigans that will make people OOCly mad.

== Geographical Damage==
While it's possible to inflict cosmetic damage to the landscape (cracks, digging, chopping down trees and so on) it is not possible to create long-lasting changes (such as creating a massive volcano from nowhere, or a crater the size of a city block.) When such damage happens, Cardinal will get around to repairing it.

Buildings, doors, mountains, and so on are 'Immortal Objects' with system protection too, and cannot normally sustain damage or be moved. While overwhelmingly powerful attacks from Elites may circumvent this, Cardinal will also replace these (and be much faster at doing so, and may consider it an assault against the system's integrity.)

== Clarification on Monsters and Players Threat Level==
Most of the monsters and players are not considered Elites in any sense of the word. They have stats, certainly, but no Aura. In a direct contention with an Elite, they will probably lose. An extensive analysis by Cardinal would probably uncover irregularities in such an event, but there's not much it can really do about this. Major Boss creatures and a small handful of players, of course, prove an exception to this: they do have Aura as any Elites do (though where monsters are concerned, only a few of the toughest bosses can pose a threat to heavy hitters of the Multiverse). Elite natives generally APPEAR to fit within the limits of the system and rarely invoke errors, but things have gotten a bit screwy since Unification... so mileage can vary.

== Mecha and Giants==
They have plenty of room to move around outdoors, though some tunnels and all dungeons will prove problematic. Also the fact that many players will think they're bosses with phat loot.

== FullDive Compatability==
FullDive works by interfacing with the human nervous system. The technology expects certain structures to the brains it's interfacing with, and certain reactions in specified areas to specific stimuli in order to function. It was never designed for alien physiology, which means many non-human races will be shit out of luck if they try to use it. For the vast majority of 'alien' types of races, it will simply fail to establish a brain link and error out. For a rare few, it might create a link that gets green lighted but ends up being strange or utterly bogus when subtler parts of differing brain function come to light.

Races similar to humans in body shape and behavior (especially those capable of interbreeding) stand a very good chance of being able to use it more or less fine. (For example: Saiyans, certain kinds of Elves, Star Trek-style aliens, etc.)

The Superfactions are capable of creating 'converters/adapters' that would let unusual races enter FullDive, if really needed, but this would also require a custom FullDive rig.

== Foreigners and Wander Mode==
There is nothing really stopping anyone from getting ahold of an AmuSphere and starting up a new Alfheim Online account. However, non-native VRMMO players have it much harder if they want to use Wander Mode.

ICly, this requires the time and effort for serious character development - because Wander Mode depends on a powerful self-image incorporating one's online existence as an integral part of oneself, a level of dedication and belief that doesn't come easy to casual players.

OOCly, it requires an upgrade app.

== Collaborative Nature of Theme==
This page will be updated as new circumstances and concerns arise, to maintain cohesion in the Multiverse. Additionally, while it follows the straightforward story of Sword Art Online, active cast can collaborate to hash out things that might have happened or not happened, or happened differently, to make way for new developments or past developments - this is particularly helpful to the applicants of OCs who might wish to have ties to events. Of course, post unification, all future developments are going to be very different than what happens in canon... though this is normal for the Multiverse, it bears noting that this theme will be very different from normal canon due its special nature of making the virtual into reality far beyond what the official canon ever does.

[[Category:Themes]]

List of Shinki

2014-03-03T03:52:27Z

SpyPoet:

== Full Armor Models==
'''Wave 1''' 
Arnval 
MMS Type Angel 
http://imageshack.us/a/img401/3863/w1arnval.jpg
 
Strarf 
MMS Type Devil 
http://imageshack.us/a/img28/1439/w1strarf.jpg
 
'''Wave 2''' 
Howling 
MMS Type Dog 
http://imageshack.us/a/img339/5248/w2howling.jpg
 
Maochao 
MMS Type Cat 
http://imageshack.us/a/img197/5695/w2maochao.jpg
 
Waffebunny 
MMS Type Rabbit 
http://imageshack.us/a/img9/5669/w2waffebunny.jpg
 
'''Wave 3''' 
Xiphos 
MMS Type Knight 
http://imageshack.us/a/img443/9676/w3xiphos.jpg
 
Benio 
MMS Type Samurai 
http://imageshack.us/a/img32/9536/w3benio.jpg
 
Tsugaru 
MMS Type Santa Claus 
http://imageshack.us/a/img59/1180/w3tsugaru.jpg
 
'''Wave 4''' 
Zyrdarya 
MMS Type Flower 
http://imageshack.us/a/img163/8881/w4zyrdarya.jpg
 
Juvisy 
MMS type Seed 
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7913/w4juvisy.jpg
 
Fort Bragg 
MMS Type Cannon 
http://imageshack.us/a/img46/2677/w4fortbragg.jpg
 
'''Wave 5''' 
Eukrante 
MMS Type Seiren 
http://imageshack.us/a/img26/3079/w5eukrante.jpg
 
Ianeira 
MMS Type Mermaid 
http://imageshack.com/a/img198/8799/igfg.jpg
 
Waffedolphin 
MMS Type Dophin 
http://imageshack.us/a/img812/7952/w5waffedolphin.jpg
 
'''Wave 6''' 
Tigris 
MMS Type Tiger 
http://imageshack.us/a/img109/833/w6tigris.jpg
 
Vitulus 
MMS Type Calf 
http://imageshack.us/a/img11/3330/w6vitulus.jpg
 
Grapprap 
MMS Type Builder 
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3115/w6grapprap.jpg
 
'''Wave 7''' 
Ach 
MMS Type High Speed Trike 
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/2022/w7ach.jpg
 
Yda 
MMS Type High Maneuver Trike 
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5476/w7yda.jpg
 
Schmetterling 
MMS Type Butterfly 
http://imageshack.us/a/img820/7932/w7schmetterling.jpg
 
'''Wave 8''' 
Murmeltier 
MMS Type Panzer 
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/7299/w8murmeltier.jpg
 
Asuka 
MMS Type Fighter 
http://imageshack.us/a/img221/8108/w8asuka.jpg
 
Zelnogrard 
MMS Type Firearms 
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2289/w8zelnogrard.jpg
 
'''Wave 9''' 
Lancamento 
MMS Type Rhinoceros Beetle 
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9869/w9lancamento.jpg
 
Espadia 
MMS Type Stag Beetle 
http://imageshack.us/a/img404/3018/w9espadia.jpg
 
'''Wave 10''' 
Graffias 
MMS Type Scorpion 
http://imageshack.us/a/img267/1773/w10graffias.jpg
 
Vespelio 
MMS Type Bat 
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/5489/w10vespelio.jpg
 
'''Wave 11''' 
Altrene 
MMS Type Valkyrie 
http://imageshack.com/a/img546/7889/ynb9.jpg
 
Altines 
MMS Type Valkyrie 
http://imageshack.com/a/img15/7721/2oa1.jpg
 
'''Wave 12''' 
Baby Razz 
MMS Type Electric Guitar 
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/1943/w12babyrazz.jpg
 
Sharatang 
MMS Type Violin 
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6721/w12sharatang.jpg
 
'''Wave 13''' 
Gabrine 
MMS Type Hellhound 
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/5253/w13gabrine.jpg
 
Renge 
MMS Type Nine-Tailed Fox 
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3808/w13renge.jpg
 
'''Wave 14''' 
Artille 
MMS Type Lynx 
http://imageshack.us/a/img441/1564/w14artille.jpg
 
Raptias 
MMS Type Eagle 
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4125/w14raptias.jpg
 
'''Wave 15''' 
Maryceles 
MMS Type Tentacles 
http://imageshack.us/a/img221/8915/w15maryceles.jpg
 
Proxima 
MMS Type Centaurus 
http://imageshack.us/a/img90/758/w15proxima.jpg
 
'''Wave 16''' 
Olbern 
MMS Type Fencer - Pearl 
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2637/w16olbern.jpg
 
Zilvern 
MMS Type Fencer - Obsidian 
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4744/w16zilvern.jpg
 
'''Wave 17''' 
Arnval Mk.2 Tempesta 
MMS Type Angel Custom 
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/843/w17arnvalmk2tempesta.jpg
 
Strarf Mk.2 Lavina 
MMS Type Devil Custom 
http://imageshack.us/a/img507/5959/w17strarfmk2lavina.jpg
 
'''Wave 18''' 
VerVietta 
MMS Type VicViper 
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1811/w18vervietta.jpg
 
LirBiete 
MMS Type VicViper 
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5853/w18lirbiete.jpg
 
'''Wave 19''' 
Estoril 
MMS Type Racer 
http://imageshack.com/a/img801/7379/9wqi.jpg
 
Jill Rivers 
MMS Type Cruiser 
http://imageshack.com/a/img202/2030/kvhp.jpg

== Special Release Models==
Fubuki 
MMS Type Ninja 
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5572/srfubuki.jpg
 
Mizuki 
MMS Type Ninja 
http://imageshack.us/a/img441/9084/srmizuki.jpg
 
Nagi 
MMS Type Mistress 
http://imageshack.com/a/img690/5734/am0k.jpg

== Light Armor Models==
'''Wave 1''' 
Valona 
MMS Type Succubus 
http://imageshack.us/a/img40/8955/la1valona.jpg
 
Werkstra 
MMS Type Angel Commando 
http://imageshack.us/a/img14/9909/la1werkstra.jpg
 
'''Wave 2''' 
Brightfeather 
MMS Type Nurse 
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/4457/la2brightfeather.jpg
 
Harmony Grace 
MMS Type Nun 
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5687/la2harmonygrace.jpg
 
'''Wave 3''' 
Partio 
MMS Type Ferret 
http://imageshack.us/a/img689/4933/la3partio.jpg
 
Pomock 
MMS Type Squirrel 
http://imageshack.us/a/img832/9353/la3pomock.jpg
 
'''Wave 4''' 
Kohiru 
MMS Type Chopsticks 
http://imageshack.us/a/img855/7113/la4kohiru.jpg
 
Merienda 
MMS Type Spoon 
http://imageshack.us/a/img839/2609/la4merienda.jpg

== Custom Armor Models==
'''Wave 1''' 
Wendy 
MMS Custom Type Bouquet 
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9741/ac1wendy.jpg
 
Kuma 
MMS Custom Type Bear 
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3770/ac4kuma.jpg
 
'''Wave 2''' 
Vergrosserte 
MMS Custom Type Witch 
http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/7125/ac2vergrosserte.jpg
 
Fearmarie 
MMS Custom Type Sorceress 
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5561/ac3fearmarie.jpg
 
'''Wave 3''' 
Zemourl 
MMS Custom Type Bigcore 
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/6979/ac3zemourl.jpg
 
Furivita 
MMS Custom Type Stealth Fighter 
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5786/ac4furivita.jpg
 
'''Wave 4''' 
Kyknos 
MMS Custom Type Swan 
http://imageshack.us/a/img341/9717/ac5kyknos.jpg
 
Alastore 
MMS Custom Type Crow 
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/8364/ac5alastore.jpg
 
'''Wave 5''' 
Naion 
MMS Custom Type Crawling Chaos 
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5839/ac6naion.jpg

List of Shinki

2014-03-03T03:52:11Z

SpyPoet: Created page with " == Full Armor Models== '''Wave 1''' Arnval MMS Type Angel http://imageshack.us/a/img401/3863/w1arnval.jpg Strarf MMS Type Devil http://i..."

== Full Armor Models==
'''Wave 1''' 
Arnval 
MMS Type Angel 
http://imageshack.us/a/img401/3863/w1arnval.jpg
 
Strarf 
MMS Type Devil 
http://imageshack.us/a/img28/1439/w1strarf.jpg
 
'''Wave 2'''
Howling 
MMS Type Dog 
http://imageshack.us/a/img339/5248/w2howling.jpg
 
Maochao 
MMS Type Cat 
http://imageshack.us/a/img197/5695/w2maochao.jpg
 
Waffebunny 
MMS Type Rabbit 
http://imageshack.us/a/img9/5669/w2waffebunny.jpg
 
'''Wave 3'''
Xiphos 
MMS Type Knight 
http://imageshack.us/a/img443/9676/w3xiphos.jpg
 
Benio 
MMS Type Samurai 
http://imageshack.us/a/img32/9536/w3benio.jpg
 
Tsugaru 
MMS Type Santa Claus 
http://imageshack.us/a/img59/1180/w3tsugaru.jpg
 
'''Wave 4''' 
Zyrdarya 
MMS Type Flower 
http://imageshack.us/a/img163/8881/w4zyrdarya.jpg
 
Juvisy 
MMS type Seed 
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7913/w4juvisy.jpg
 
Fort Bragg 
MMS Type Cannon 
http://imageshack.us/a/img46/2677/w4fortbragg.jpg
 
'''Wave 5''' 
Eukrante 
MMS Type Seiren 
http://imageshack.us/a/img26/3079/w5eukrante.jpg
 
Ianeira 
MMS Type Mermaid 
http://imageshack.com/a/img198/8799/igfg.jpg
 
Waffedolphin 
MMS Type Dophin 
http://imageshack.us/a/img812/7952/w5waffedolphin.jpg
 
'''Wave 6''' 
Tigris 
MMS Type Tiger 
http://imageshack.us/a/img109/833/w6tigris.jpg
 
Vitulus 
MMS Type Calf 
http://imageshack.us/a/img11/3330/w6vitulus.jpg
 
Grapprap 
MMS Type Builder 
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3115/w6grapprap.jpg
 
'''Wave 7''' 
Ach 
MMS Type High Speed Trike 
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/2022/w7ach.jpg
 
Yda 
MMS Type High Maneuver Trike 
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5476/w7yda.jpg
 
Schmetterling 
MMS Type Butterfly 
http://imageshack.us/a/img820/7932/w7schmetterling.jpg
 
'''Wave 8''' 
Murmeltier 
MMS Type Panzer 
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/7299/w8murmeltier.jpg
 
Asuka 
MMS Type Fighter 
http://imageshack.us/a/img221/8108/w8asuka.jpg
 
Zelnogrard 
MMS Type Firearms 
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2289/w8zelnogrard.jpg
 
'''Wave 9''' 
Lancamento 
MMS Type Rhinoceros Beetle 
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9869/w9lancamento.jpg
 
Espadia 
MMS Type Stag Beetle 
http://imageshack.us/a/img404/3018/w9espadia.jpg
 
'''Wave 10''' 
Graffias 
MMS Type Scorpion 
http://imageshack.us/a/img267/1773/w10graffias.jpg
 
Vespelio 
MMS Type Bat 
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/5489/w10vespelio.jpg
 
'''Wave 11''' 
Altrene 
MMS Type Valkyrie 
http://imageshack.com/a/img546/7889/ynb9.jpg
 
Altines 
MMS Type Valkyrie 
http://imageshack.com/a/img15/7721/2oa1.jpg
 
'''Wave 12''' 
Baby Razz 
MMS Type Electric Guitar 
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/1943/w12babyrazz.jpg
 
Sharatang 
MMS Type Violin 
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6721/w12sharatang.jpg
 
'''Wave 13''' 
Gabrine 
MMS Type Hellhound 
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/5253/w13gabrine.jpg
 
Renge 
MMS Type Nine-Tailed Fox 
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3808/w13renge.jpg
 
'''Wave 14''' 
Artille 
MMS Type Lynx 
http://imageshack.us/a/img441/1564/w14artille.jpg
 
Raptias 
MMS Type Eagle 
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4125/w14raptias.jpg
 
'''Wave 15''' 
Maryceles 
MMS Type Tentacles 
http://imageshack.us/a/img221/8915/w15maryceles.jpg
 
Proxima 
MMS Type Centaurus 
http://imageshack.us/a/img90/758/w15proxima.jpg
 
'''Wave 16''' 
Olbern 
MMS Type Fencer - Pearl 
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2637/w16olbern.jpg
 
Zilvern 
MMS Type Fencer - Obsidian 
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4744/w16zilvern.jpg
 
'''Wave 17''' 
Arnval Mk.2 Tempesta 
MMS Type Angel Custom 
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/843/w17arnvalmk2tempesta.jpg
 
Strarf Mk.2 Lavina 
MMS Type Devil Custom 
http://imageshack.us/a/img507/5959/w17strarfmk2lavina.jpg
 
'''Wave 18''' 
VerVietta 
MMS Type VicViper 
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1811/w18vervietta.jpg
 
LirBiete 
MMS Type VicViper 
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5853/w18lirbiete.jpg
 
'''Wave 19''' 
Estoril 
MMS Type Racer 
http://imageshack.com/a/img801/7379/9wqi.jpg
 
Jill Rivers 
MMS Type Cruiser 
http://imageshack.com/a/img202/2030/kvhp.jpg

== Special Release Models==
Fubuki 
MMS Type Ninja 
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5572/srfubuki.jpg
 
Mizuki 
MMS Type Ninja 
http://imageshack.us/a/img441/9084/srmizuki.jpg
 
Nagi 
MMS Type Mistress 
http://imageshack.com/a/img690/5734/am0k.jpg

== Light Armor Models==
'''Wave 1''' 
Valona 
MMS Type Succubus 
http://imageshack.us/a/img40/8955/la1valona.jpg
 
Werkstra 
MMS Type Angel Commando 
http://imageshack.us/a/img14/9909/la1werkstra.jpg
 
'''Wave 2''' 
Brightfeather 
MMS Type Nurse 
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/4457/la2brightfeather.jpg
 
Harmony Grace 
MMS Type Nun 
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5687/la2harmonygrace.jpg
 
'''Wave 3''' 
Partio 
MMS Type Ferret 
http://imageshack.us/a/img689/4933/la3partio.jpg
 
Pomock 
MMS Type Squirrel 
http://imageshack.us/a/img832/9353/la3pomock.jpg
 
'''Wave 4''' 
Kohiru 
MMS Type Chopsticks 
http://imageshack.us/a/img855/7113/la4kohiru.jpg
 
Merienda 
MMS Type Spoon 
http://imageshack.us/a/img839/2609/la4merienda.jpg

== Custom Armor Models==
'''Wave 1''' 
Wendy 
MMS Custom Type Bouquet 
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9741/ac1wendy.jpg
 
Kuma 
MMS Custom Type Bear 
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3770/ac4kuma.jpg
 
'''Wave 2''' 
Vergrosserte 
MMS Custom Type Witch 
http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/7125/ac2vergrosserte.jpg
 
Fearmarie 
MMS Custom Type Sorceress 
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5561/ac3fearmarie.jpg
 
'''Wave 3''' 
Zemourl 
MMS Custom Type Bigcore 
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/6979/ac3zemourl.jpg
 
Furivita 
MMS Custom Type Stealth Fighter 
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5786/ac4furivita.jpg
 
'''Wave 4''' 
Kyknos 
MMS Custom Type Swan 
http://imageshack.us/a/img341/9717/ac5kyknos.jpg
 
Alastore 
MMS Custom Type Crow 
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/8364/ac5alastore.jpg
 
'''Wave 5''' 
Naion 
MMS Custom Type Crawling Chaos 
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5839/ac6naion.jpg

2014 Battle Rondo

2014-03-03T03:37:10Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "This page contains all logs and information pertaining to the 10th Annual Busou Shinki Battle Rondo, run in 2014. == Logs == * [http://pastebin.com/g5nYZhSt Opening Ceremonie..."

This page contains all logs and information pertaining to the 10th Annual Busou Shinki Battle Rondo, run in 2014.

== Logs ==
* [http://pastebin.com/g5nYZhSt Opening Ceremonies]

=== [http://imageshack.com/a/img196/5562/37up.png Round 1] - Click for bracket ===
* Serena vs Tora
* Saiga vs Allie
* Jen vs Metta
* Sokka vs Zanke
* Kiki vs Serafina
* Fuki vs Gwen
* Vervi vs Lizbet
* Maruko vs Mae

=== Round 2===

=== Round 3 Semifinals===

=== Round 4 Finals===

* Finale
* Closing Ceremonies

Archive: Busou Shinki-1

2014-03-03T03:34:49Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-01.jpg Shinki are 15 centimeter tall partners created to serve humans. They are endowed with intellig..."

http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-01.jpg

Shinki are 15 centimeter tall partners created to serve humans.
They are endowed with intelligence and emotion, and serve the one they call 'Master'.
Humans can equip their shinki with whatever armor or weaponry they please, and command them to fight.
Some fight for honor, others to prove their strength, and some simply strive for victory.

These girls who do battle using the weapons given to them by their masters are what we call 'Busou Shinki'.

== Themelist ==

The year is 2040. Advancements in robotics have ultimately resulted in the creation of robots called "Shinki". Produced by a variety of companies and sold globally through Multi Movable Systems, shinki have now existed for about ten years and have grown quite popular. They are often purchased as toys, housekeepers, or assistants and share homes with their masters.

Life is good for shinki. The little robots have existed long enough to create their own little microculture--When the Master's away, the shinki will play. Many stores and specialized 'Shinki Shops' have appeared, offering products for shinki and shinki owners. Shinki sporting events, contests, and the like are commonplace in parks during working hours and have become something of a public spectacle.

There's even a rumor of a "Shinki City" underneath a Tokyo park where shinki who no longer have masters live, unwilling to give up the memories of happier times.

The largest public event involving shinki is the battle circuit. Shinki are combat robots by nature and all models come with fully functional weapons, armor, and shielding systems while also being highly customizable. Battles last until one of the fighters can no longer fight back. In the competitive circuits, battle damage is far more common. Street battles are more common, though rarely taken seriously and damage is a lot less frequent.

While shinki can fight in any environ, it's fairly common practice to use a portable holographic device termed a Battle Field, which creates a stage and sets the rules of the match. Inside a Battle Field, damage is simulated rather than real, and disappears when the Field is closed. The most prestigious tournament in Japan is the Busou Shinki Battle Rondo, televised worldwide every year.

== Videos==
[http://youtu.be/0G3-7-BPDfo Strarf vs Eukrante, from the TV series]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v==8va7IvZ8Pc8 Strarf vs Arnval, from Battle Masters on PSP]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v==mOB3bIwih7Q TV opening]

== On-MUSH Events==
[[2014 Battle Rondo |2014 - 10th Annual Busou Shinki Battle Rondo]]

== Frequently Asked Questions==

==== 1. What Shinki are there?====
For a list of all types, with pictures, [[List of Shinki |look here.]]

Played on MCM...
[[Metta]], type Schmetterling
[[Vervi]], type VerVietta
[[Fuki]], type Fubuki
[[Lizbet]], type LirBiete
[[Allie]], type Artille
[[Miki]], type Mizuki
[[Kotana]], Custom type Swords
NPCs on MCM...
Lilith, type Valona (owned by [[Auron]])
Saiga, type Grapprap (owned by [[Tesla Armadia]])
Selena, type Brightfeather (owned by [[Jinxel]])
Muriel, type Harmony Grace (owned by [[The Shade]])

==== 2. What is this?====
In essence, Busou Shinki is a mecha combat genre. Only instead of giant robots, it's small robot girls in various armor, with assorted weapons. The style of combat is just as intense and fast-paced as you might expect from settings with much larger machines. Consider them like tiny super robots. Some shinki are even inspired by mecha from other settings.

==== 3. Nature of Shinki====
Shinki are, as has been said before, robots that average 15cm (6 inches) tall and are designed to assist humans. They have a full range of emotions and personalities just as humans do, and the type of shinki has little impact on the personality they might have (Though Maochao and Howling seem to have options for how many awful cat or dog puns they make in regular dialogue).

Most shinki serve their masters loyally, though can get rebellious if they're constantly made to do things they don't like to do. Much the same way as people get tired of doing work they don't enjoy. A shinki who wants to fight will get tired of doing housework all the time, and a housekeeper shinki who's made to fight would be terribly unconfident.

==== 4. Virtual Master Program====
A thing in the setting is that shinki whose masters die or disown them are, by law, required to be formatted and repackaged to be sold as refurbished shinki. MMS as a company doesn't actively pursue this, though, for a variety of reasons (The one most often cited is that they can't tell a stray shinki from an owned shinki running an errand). They do, however, recognize that there are stray shinki without masters who might want a new master without being reformatted. That's where the Virtual Master Program comes in.

Via the VMP, a prospective owner can temporarily register as a volunteer shinki's master. This allows the shinki to participate in official events even if they don't have a proper master, and allows the prospective master to interact with a shinki that he or she might choose to adopt more permanently.

Many prospective masters who are unsure if they have what it takes to manage a shinki are directed to the VMP kiosks found in any MMS-sponsored shinki shop. As such, this is the most simple way for Multiverse residents to start interacting with shinki they may eventually own.

The Virtual Master Program can be a great way to introduce oneself to shinki without having to spend a great deal of money. Many citizens who love shinki but can't afford one participate in the program as well, as a way to spend time with shinki.

==== 5. What the hell are jelly cans?====
Jelly Cans are small, shinki-sized canteens containing a specialized mix of coolant referred to as Jelly. Contrary to what one might think, this isn't a source of energy and shinki don't actually get energy or sustainence from eating or drinking anything. Jelly is the most efficient way for a shinki to cool herself if she's running hot due to sustained activity or warm weather.

Some reusable jelly cans can be stored in the Slipway but the more common disposable cans cannot. The most inexpensive jelly is plain, and to a shinki is like drinking straight water. There are also a wide variety of flavored jellies which are slightly more costly. Finding a shinki's favorite jelly flavor is a big step towards keeping them happy. Their favorite jelly can be like a reward for doing well, or a comfort if they're sad.

Nitro Jelly is a very lousy coolant. However, it is used more recreationally. The chemical composition reacts with the internal systems of shinki and creates a sensation not unlike being drunk. Thus, while Nitro isn't very good as a coolant, it's still used by some shinki for relaxation in the same way a human would have a beer or wine.
In large enough quantities, jelly can be toxic to humans. Thankfully, the amount found in a typical jelly can is too little to do more than leave a bad taste in your mouth. It's a drink only for shinki.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BS07-91.jpg PLAIN JELLY]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP04-90.jpg FLAVORED JELLY]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP04-50.jpg NITRO JELLY]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP04-53.jpg IS A PRETTY LOUSY COOLANT]

==== 6. What is the Slipway?====
The Slipway is a storage system all shinki have access to. Though each shinki's Slipway is separate from any other's Slipway, they all function the same. Think of it as a pocket dimension in which the shinki stores her armor and weapons when she's not using them. Summoning armor from the Slipway calls it onto the shinki's body in a flash of white light and the transition is nearly instantaneous.

Only items that are specifically designed to interact with the Slipway can be put into it or removed from it. Typically, this translates to shinki armor and weapons, though some other personal items for shinki are also configured for the Slipway. The most common accessory is reusable/refillable jelly cans, which fill the same purpose as a thermos or personal water bottle.

Some situations can call for a shinki to pull her armor out of the Slipway without wearing it, such as repairs, touch-ups, or adding new custom parts.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-93.jpg SLIPWAY ARMOR EQUIP]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-94.jpg ARMOR EQUIPPED]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-99.jpg SLIPWAY ARMOR DISMISSAL]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-38.jpg SLIPWAY WEAPON RETRIEVAL]

==== 7. What's the deal with shinki names?====
Shinkis can have any kind of name, really. A lot of the ones in the anime have names derived from their type - and you see that in the Busou Shinki cast as well. Vervi is derived from her type, VerVietta. And Fuki is a Fubuki (just cut the 'Bu' kana out). In the anime, this is demonstrated countless times such as Ann the Arnval, Ines the Altines, and Lene the Altrene.

However, while this is common, there are plenty of shinki with more ordinary human names, such as Lizbet (derived from Elizabeth). In-series, there are plenty of examples of this as well - Victoria the Strarf, Hina the Strarf, and Iris the Valona come to mind.
The name is determined during registration, when all the other personality-related customizations can be made. After registration, this data all becomes Read Only unless the shinki is reformatted.

Shinki names are important. The name helps them establish their identity when they're registered and oftentimes the shinki will refuse to change her name even if she changes owners without being reformatted. As a result, those who are ICly using the Virtual Master Program should keep this in mind when coming up with the shinki they intend to play with. These should be handled as developed NPCs in their own rights, with personalities and backgrounds. Shinkis are not faceless dolls without personality; This is Busou Shinki, after all, not Angelic Layer.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP02-06.jpg REGISTRATION]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP02-07.jpg NAME ENTRY]

==== 8. I saw 'Monitor' come up in the anime, what is this?====
Monitors are shinki that - for some reason or another - have hightened combat ability beyond what is normal for a factory-released model. There are a variety of reasons why this can happen. It can be unintentional, a unique bug or glitch that winds up being beneficial. In other cases, it is a special one-time factory upgrade typically performed on shinki that are meant to be prizes for national or international tournaments.

In-setting, the only Monitor shown is Hina the Strarf. On the MUSH, Vervi is also a Monitor. Hina is an example of the factory upgraded Monitor, while Vervi is the result of a glitch (Her skill in combat doesn't match her domestic personality).

The term 'Monitor' comes from the MMS Shinki Monitor Program, which...well, monitors these special Shinki. Most of the time, Monitors are discovered during product testing before they're sold. These shinki are set aside and delivered to Masters who apply to the Shinki Monitor Program. Applications are to determine masters who would take the best care of a combat-oriented shinki. Via the SMP and the habit of awarding Monitors as tournament prizes, MMS can be sure they'll be treated well.

Monitors are extremely rare. Some collectors may resort to less-than-legal methods to get a hold of one no matter what model it is.

==== 9. How are shinki not destroyed during these fights?====
Sometimes they are! The trick is that the CMS - The core of a shinki's AI which contains all of their read-only personality data and memories - is very hard to damage. Much like the Black Box on an airplane, the CMS is the most heavily armored and protected piece of a shinki. Thus, even if her body is almost completely ruined, a shinki's CMS can simply be transplanted into a new off-the-shelf body. MMS actually produces 'blanks' that could be used for this purpose in the short term.

Some Shinki hobbyists even use the Blanks as a base to build fully custom Shinki, but this is a very difficult thing to do. Such Customs are very rare, and recognized by MMS under the term 'MMS Custom Type'.

The CMS is located inside the shinki's chest, roughly where a human's heart would be.
Replacing a shinki that's been almost completely destroyed is also expensive. This is why MMS has pushed development of Visualizer technology into what is now known as a Battle Field. Used in tournaments, shinki shop competitions, and many street fights, the portable Visualizer Battle Field projects a holographic environment for shinki to fight in. The most important aspect of the Battle Field is that all damage inflicted between shinki is simulated. Sometimes, quite dramatically.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-102.jpg PROPER WAY TO ACCESS CMS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/December/P1130079.jpg IMPROPER WAY TO ACCESS CMS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-103.jpg UN-OBSCURED CMS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BSEP03-18.jpg VISUALIZER CLOSED]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-104.jpg VISUALIZER DEPLOYED]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-105.jpg ENTERING BATTLE FIELD]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/October/BusouShinkiEp01-106.jpg BATTLE FIELD FORMATION]

==== 10. How do older models keep up with newer models?====
Upgrades are a big thing in the setting. Not just customization, but simple parts upgrades as well as software upgrades. It's a fairly simple task to keep your older shinki current, and as a result, newer models tend to not have such an outright edge over older releases. Shinki shops carry such new parts.

For masters who prefer to keep their shinki "vintage", there are so-called "junk shops" that sell older parts either saved from the inventory of mainstream shinki shops when new upgrades came in, or scavenge them from destroyed shinki bodies that have already had their CMS transferred to a new frame.

It should be noted that there is no advantage to keeping your shinki vintage. It may even be a disadvantage to do this. And keeping your shinki behind the development curve is likely to make her unhappy.

==== 11. Can shinki do anything other than work for Masters?====
There is such a thing as "Career Shinki". These are shinki who perform jobs you'd usually see being done by humans. The anime has several examples of this. Though shinki aren't paid much compared to humans, it is concievably enough for them to sustain themselves without having to rely on their master to buy things for them, such as replacement parts or jelly cans.

The most famous in-setting career shinki is Tsugaru, the only shinki of her type. She is owned and employed by the CEO of Multi Movable Systems, and only works one day a year. Her job is to deliver MMS merchandise to children who own shinki on Christmas Eve, free of charge, with the purpose of helping younger children take care of their shinki. This is the reason why Tsugaru is known as MMS Type Santa Claus.

* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/December/BSEP10-85.jpg I AM SANTA CLAUS!]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-11.jpg MERIENDA CAFE WAITRESS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-35.jpg ARNVAL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-10.jpg BRIGHTFEATHER NURSES IN HOSPITAL]
* [http://ghostlysubstance.swgbex.com/Blog/blogpics/November/BSEP06-09.jpg GRAPPRAP WORKS CONSTRUCTION]

==== 12. How does the law treat shinki?====
Law with shinki is a prickly subject, and was when they were initially introduced in-setting. But that was ten years ago. The push of legislation was fairly swift and things have been smoothed out for quite some time now. The main issue is that they are sapient robots with very real human emotions, feelings, and the capacity to form long term memories. In this fashion, shinki are even more of an ethical concern than common housepets like dogs and cats, whose sapience is much more in question.

This was ultimately settled by one of the most widely accepted international laws ever devised, the Shinki Sapience Act of 2031. The basic framework of this law is that shinki are considered "Electronic Merchandise" in their inactive form. The law gives licensed businesses the authority to sell shinki so long as they are inactive. Currently, the only licensed corporation is Multi-Movable Systems, who acts as a distributor for a variety of smaller companies that design and build shinki.

Following the Shinki Sapience Act's law framework, a shinki must be Registered. Registration is the process through which the Act actually begins to affect them as sapient beings. This is the process that activates the shinki, thereby transforming them from "Electronic Merchandise" into a law-protected sapient being. So long as the shinki has a "Master", they are protected and have many of the same rights as humans do, with some exceptions related to the fact that shinki are armed with very real weapons. Most notably, shinki aren't permitted to travel long distances on trains or airplanes without their Master.

The Shinki Sapience Act also outlines that shinki who no longer have a Master must be re-appropriated and formatted. The idea behind this is that they do have very real weapons which can harm humans, and the lawmakers don't want a potential army of tiny, heavily armed robots lurking around. The task of capturing "Wild Shinki" falls entirely on the shoulders of the distributor, Multi Movable Systems. However, MMS has issued statements that enforcing this law is "Unreasonable" due to the difficulty of telling a "wild" shinki from an "owned" shinki who's just running an errand for her master. They do claim to follow the law when they can, but the number of shinki reformatted per year is very low.

==== 13. What is the "Shinki City"?====
Despite the letter of the Shinki Sapience Act, shinki that lose their masters through accidents, murder, or abandonment more often than not are not captured and reformatted by MMS. While there are an estimated several thousand such cases (Accident, death, abandonment, or runaway) worldwide each year, the number of shinki reformatted by MMS is less than 100 annually. However, these "wild shinki" are not swarming the streets of the world's cities and towns. So where are they?

The Shinki City is the unofficial name for a section of drainage pipes underneath Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town Park. These pipes were disconnected from the main drainage system during a rebuild some 30 years ago and simply left there, alone and empty and filled with rats and cockroaches. In the 2030s when shinki began to turn up without masters, they sought safe places to live that were where humans couldn't get to them - which eventually led them to clear the vermin out of these pipes. In the modern time of 2040, the Shinki City is a fully developed underground shinki community. Electricity is provided by tapping into the city power grid and many shinki work as Career Shinki to supply jelly cans for themselves and the community as a whole.

The Shinki City is not just a place where shinki hide from the law, though. This is where shinki go who have lost their masters, but do not want to give up the memory of those masters. It is a place created out of love and devotion, and a desire to remember. Even shinki who were abused and wind up here refuse to give up their identity to reformatting and cling to the few memories they have of good times.

Multi-Movable Systems Upper Management and many lower echelons are all aware the Shinki City exists and even know where it is. However, they do not reveal it to outside sources. In fact, the general MMS stance on the City is that the foundation it was formed from - The love shinki have for their masters, even when that master is no longer around - is something beautiful that should be supported. As a result, MMS as a corporation supports the City. In secret. The electricity used by the Shinki City is supplied through a "mistake" during an MMS-funded "repair" in the area. Several charge cradles have been "lost", which have turned up in the City. Inventories of spare parts and jelly cans tend to disappear in transit, also turning up in places where they can be taken to the Shinki City as well.

Denizens of the Shinki City more or less aren't aware of the silent support they get from MMS, and the stance on this is that it's for their own protection. If enforcers of the Shinki Sapience Act found out the Shinki City was real, then proponents in the government would try to force MMS to hunt them down. This is something that no one in MMS upper management is willing to do.

==== 14. Where do Shinki come from?====
<strike>First a mommy shinki and a daddy shinki like each other very much...</strike> 
The biggest company in relation to shinki is Multi Movable Systems, or MMS. MMS is the sole licensed distributor for shinki and shinki products. However, MMS is not responsible for the production and design of shinki. That duty falls to a number of small subsidiary companies, who sell their products through MMS.

* Front Line - Front Line specializes in aerial combat shinki and the majority of their designs are well balanced. They have a large number of released models, though several of them are retools of earlier releases.
** Front Line is known for: Arnval, Arnval Mk.2, Arnval Mk.2 Tempesta, Werkstra, Strarf, Strarf Mk.2, Strarf Mk.2 Lavina, Valona, VerVietta, and LirBiete

* Kemotech - Kemotech specializes in ground combat shinki and particularly has an interest in remote drones commanded by maneuverable masters. All of their shinki are based on common house pets and small woodland creatures.
** Kemotech is known for: Maochao, Howling, Pomock, Partio, Gabrine, and Renge

* Vulcan Lab - Vulcan Lab is a military developer which initially used shinki as testbeds for new equipment intended for soldiers. Though they have not designed any shinki in several years, the ones they have released are fairly popular.
** Vulcan Lab is known for: Waffebunny and Waffedolphin

* The Sixth Factory - This manufacturer designs shinki based on the archetypes of ancient soldiers and warriors, favoring the mythology over the history. While their shinki are able to fly and fight at range, they are strongest on the ground and in close range, and are typically heavily armored.
** The Sixth Factory is known for: Benio, Xyphos, Zilvern, Olbern, Altines, and Altrene

* Studio Roots - Studio Roots is a manufacturer directly owned by Multi Movable Systems. This company has only designed one shinki, which in turn has never been made for public purchase. Rather, it is used to distribute parts and presents to young shinki masters during the Christmas season.
** Studio Roots is known for: Tsugaru

* Pocket Arms - Pocket Arms is an American shinki developer on contract with the United States military. Their shinki designs were initially developed as mascots for various military bases. Following the popularity, these designs were published and mass produced to be sold through MMS. Given their origin, Pocket Arms' shinki all have strong military themes.
** Pocket Arms is known for: Fort Bragg, Zelnogrard, Murmeltier, and Asuka

* Plants Planet - Plants Planet started as an environmental awareness concern and developed shinki as mascots for their cause. The proceeds from their sales are donated towards conservation and restoration efforts.
** Plants Planet is known for: Juvisy and Zyrdarya

* Magic Market - Magic Market develops shinki with strong mythological themes. The most prevalent feature in their designs is transformable, multi-functional armor which leads to very versatile shinki.
** Magic Market is known for: Eukrante, Ianeira, Maryceles, and Proxima

* Constructive Tyrant - Constructive Tyrant is a union alliance which stands up for construction workers all across Japan. Their only Shinki design was created as a mascot for public relations, and has since been mass produced and sold due to the design's popularity. The original Grapprap, Rosie, still speaks for Constructive Tyrant at union negotiations after nearly 10 years of service.
** Constructive Tyrant is known for: Grapprap

* Union Steel - Union Steel develops shinki based on wild animals, typically strong or fierce creatures. The proceeds of their sales go towards environmental conservation and restoration efforts. Union Steel itself is a heavy mining concern known for eco-friendly mining operations.
** Union Steel is known for: Tigris, Vitulus, Graffias, Vespelio, Artille, and Raptias

* Ohmestrada - Ohmestrada is a media corporation which currently operates the largest worldwide sports news network. Their channels cover shinki tournaments and races exclusively, in addition to human sports. Their shinki were developed as news anchors, though have become far more popular in the tournaments rather than covering them.
** Ohmestrada is known for: Ach, Yda, Estoril, and Jill Rivers

* Production Fairies - Production Fairies develops shinki performers, specializing in human interactions and particularly performances. They put a much greater emphasis on the shinki's movement and articulation rather than their fighting prowess. While this means that Production Fairies shinki tend to be more fragile, their movements are universally more lifelike than most other shinki.
** Production Fairies is known for: Schmetterling, Baby Razz, Sharatang, Brightfeather, Harmony Grace, Kohiru, and Meirienda

* INSECT Arms - INSECT Arms is a cutting edge developer of multi-functional robotics. Their shinki were initially developed to showcase new technologies being tested in disaster relief and construction robotics, and have since been mass produced for their devoted customers.
** INSECT Arms is known for: Lancamento, Espadia

* Group K2 - Group K2 is a special design group contracted by MMS to develop limited edition shinki. The group consists of top designers from various other companies. Their shinki are only produced in very limited production runs, which makes them a prize in any collection.
** Group K2 is known for: Fubuki, Mizuki, and Nagi

[[Category:Themes]]

Archived: Septerra Core-1

2014-02-28T11:10:57Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "= General Information - Septerra = The world's seven continental layers (referred to as "World Shells" or "Shells") shield access to the clockwork computer planetary core. Le..."

= General Information - Septerra =

The world's seven continental layers (referred to as "World Shells" or "Shells") shield access to the clockwork computer planetary core. Legends mention two "core keys" which, during a rare alignment of the shells that allows a beam of sunlight to penetrate through, can unlock the planetary core, releasing the "Legacy of the Creator". This legacy is known as the Kingdom of Heaven. Those living on Shell 1 call themselves "the Chosen". They are descendants of the demigod Marduk, son of the Creator, and have an attitude of superiority over other inhabitants of the planet. Those living on Shell 2 are called "the Junkers", people which make a living out of collecting junk - especially electronic - originating from the upper shell. The main plot is set around members of both shells. The game's main character is Maya, from the Junkers, and the main antagonist, Lord Doskias, comes from a Chosen heritage.

== Story ==
The ancient prophecy says that once every hundred years, the continents will part , shining the light of the sun upon the core and granting the one who holds two special keys great power. This is the Legacy of the Creator. Over a thousand years ago, a Daemon Gemma tried to get the keys and fulfill the Legacy, which would grant him the powers of the Creator; the powers of God. But the Creator sent Marduk, his son, to prevent him from doing this. Marduk defeated Gemma in a battle that lasted a hundred day and hid the keys, saying that the world was not yet ready for such power.

A powerful Chosen, inhabitants of Septerra who strongly believe in their own superiority of knowledge and technology, named Doskias wishes to fulfill this legacy with force. This will be a disaster for all the other people who live on Septerra.

In the meantime a young woman named Maya, an orphaned junker, finds herself in the middle of the conflict, as it was Doskias who orphaned her and her friends. What begins as a quest of revenge, unfolds into a plot to save the Legacy of the Creator and Septerra itself from falling into the wrong hands. Without help she won't stand a chance against the Chosen and other enemies. But who can she trust in a world ravaged with war, a world on the brink of ruin….

=== The Creator ===
The mysterious force that created the world of Septerra to function as a meticulous clockwork on a planetary scale. At the center of this world he created is the Core, believed by many to be the regulator of our planet, forever watching over its master's creation. Many scholars have studied the various clues left behind by the Creator's followers and poured through the ancient texts in pursuit of the nature of this supreme god. Why did he create the Keys that are prophesized to unlock the Core? What is the fabled Gift of the Creator that he who succeeds in communing with the Core is destined to receive? Marduk once prophesized that it would be the grace by which mankind would save himself from certain doom. Many believe it to be a test of ALL mankind on that fateful day, and that the Creator will judge us all, and we shall either receive the hellfires of the Pits of Janaak, or we shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

=== Elementals and Demigods===
'''Thanatos''' 
Death comes eventually for all the children of the Creator, in the form of Thanatos. Thanatos is the giver and taker of the spark of life, the floating and fearsome spectre that is present at every passing to guide our spirits into the next realm. Thanatos does not answer to Marduk, Gemma, or even the Creator; only his eternal love, loyalty and devotion to the angel Kyra keeps him at his job and allows us all to finally sleep after a life fully lived.

'''Humbaba''' 
The guardian of earth and ore. Humbaba is the living personification of a volcano; the body of this one-eyed giant is made of stone, lava, and metal. Humbaba watches over the forest and the land, carefully regulating the ecology of our world. When balance is lost, all suffer Humbaba's fury until he can be quieted and reassured that men are adequate stewards of his lands. Finally, Humbaba's Earth is deadly to Air.

'''Sedna and Pilitak''' 
Sedna is the queen of the ocean, the master of the life-giving sea. Sedna was a girl who was tricked by a demon into marriage; rather than surrender to the unholy and deceitful union, she flung herself into the freezing ocean. She is said to watch over the bounty of the sea, and to bless and reward the people who use their marine resources responsibly and never overtax the waters. Pilitak is the great and loyal creature that watches and protects Sedna in the service of the elements. Finally, Sedna's Water is deadly to the element of Fire.

'''Ouroboros''' 
Near the core of the world there is a cave, a temple to the three-headed serpent of fire, Ouroboros. Ouroboros is as old as the world and his body is long enough to encircle all of Septerra. Through the fury he feels at his lack of unity, Ouroboros generates light and heat to warm and fuel Septerra. Some legends have said that the world will end when the three heads agree on any one thing. Finally, Ouroboros' fire bakes the element of Earth.

'''Simurgh''' 
A mighty bird with wings that span the height of a hundred men. Simurgh is the watcher of air, wind, sky and weather. Every thousand years, the Simurgh nests to lay a single egg. This egg contains her spirit, reborn and refreshed to best serve the elements of the ether. When the egg is hatched, the old Simurgh blows away as dust, and the young hatchling continues the tasks of the guardian of wind. Finally, Simurgh's Lightning is deadly to denizens of Water.

===The Curse of Draxx===

Long ago legend tells of the ancient Necromancer Draxx. Lustful of the immortality of the Seraphim, he furtively studied the arts of the Undead. It is Draxx's Curse that even today darkens the graveyards and pollutes the land. Even the ancient catacombs of Wind City, which once stretched from Mourn Graveyard all the way to the Cathedral of the Seven Winds itself, were sealed to hold back the forces of the dead.

===The Great Conjuction ===

Every one hundred years the Shells of Septerra allow enough light to reach the Core, an event known as the Conjunction. An unexplainable result of the Conjunction is the affect on the creatures of Septerra. One of the oddest examples is the Kahli Crabs of Shell 3. Every one hundred years, during the Conjunction, these deep lake dwellers leave their homes and travel to the shores of their birth, there to spawn, laying the eggs for another generation.

===Core Energy===

The seven layers of continents that orbit our planet, called World Shells, are each connected to the Great Spine. The rotations of the Shells turn the joints of the Spine and create vast amounts of power, which is collected in the Core. Here it is used to run its ancient machinery and regulate every aspect of the planet. Excess energy is radiated from the Core into the world. This energy can be used for many purposes, from running machinery to casting spells. Every living thing has the ability to tap this energy and use it. Humans can replenish their Core energy by sleeping or by using ancient Relics called Core Runes to quickly regain energy. Core Engines are special devices that draw in Core Power from the world and store it for use in machines.

=== Alchemy and Chemicals===

Many natural elements can be used for the benefit of mankind. The Chosen have taken this way of life to the extreme, with bio-engineered ships and armors, far superior to that of the lower Shells. But as strange as they may seem to us, even stranger are the tales surrounding the blood of the Undead. Long rumored to be deadly to the living, some have recently found uses for this foul chemical, using its strong corrosive properties as an acid.

== Fate Magic ==
===Law and Chaos===
The battle between Marduk and Gemma may be long over, but their struggle for the hearts and minds of the people of Septerra will rage quietly for a long time. It is said that combining the Fate Cards of the giver of law and the maker of chaos creates powerful spells, reflecting the intensity of the epic war waged by the two Fates who have shaped our world. Fate Magic is the magic that those form Septerra can use in battle and to help others. There are four decks, and each deck has a specific set of cards and theme.

===Marduk, the Law Giver===

Son of the Creator and the celestial giver of the Law, Marduk is the primary demigod of the Septerran world. Sometime in the ancient past, usually dated as 2145 CR, Marduk was commanded by the Creator to enter into the material worlds of men. Tasked with retrieving the Core Keys and rescuing the Angel Kyra from the Daemon Gemma, Marduk set upon his task and changed history forever. Raising an army of men from every world shell, the Army of the Seven Winds, Marduk discovered the location of Gemma's hidden fortress and began his assault. It was here that he battled the massive Core Creature Daemon that guarded Gemma's fortress, and then did battle with Gemma for a hundred days. The triumphant Marduk destroyed the blasphemer and smote his temple, rescuing Kyra and the artifacts for all mankind. To this day the Guard of Wind City carries on Marduk's Daemon Force technique, wielding mastery over the use of Dimensional gates.

The cards lassociated with Marduk are:
* Summon Bowman - Summons Bowman that inflicts great damage
* Law - Disspells all status changes of target
* Barrier - Decreses damage of target, inflicted by the attack
* Achilles Heel - Shows target's HP

===Dogo, the Trickster===

Dogo is a mysterious and treacherous demigod of folklore and myth. No one really knows to whom this being pays allegiance, and his dark and clever mind is truly hidden from all but the Creator. When Gemma held Kyra the Angel as prisoner in his secret fortress, it was Dogo who made her rescue possible. He convinced the Daemon Lord to allow Kyra to have at least one item of comfort: A mirror. She could use it, he argued, to make herself beautiful for her new Lord. Gemma, ever greedy and lustful, agreed. Dogo created her mirror from the very stuff of the Core and gave it to the captured angel. She used it to reflect her light into the heavens, creating the stars. Marduk, seeing this sign, followed the brightest to Gemma's hidden lair, rescuing Kyra and destroying Gemma.

The cards associated with Dogo are:
* Effect All - Card/ combination affects all allies/ enemies
* Joker - Randomly casts curse, berserk, poison, slow or stun
* Cloak - Decreases the chance to get hit
* Mirror - It changes cards effect on its opposite effect
* Speed - Speeds up the target
* Slow - Slows down the target

===Kyra, the Angel of Light===
Most revered of all the Creator's Seraphim, it is Kyra who is responsible for the light of day and night. So desirable was she that Gemma, the Fallen, took her from the heavens and hid her within his secret fortress of Gehan. After her rescue and the restoration of her light to the world, Kyra became Marduk's bride, ruling Septerra from his side as Queen of the city of Babylon. During this time she brought her healing powers and rejuvenating light to all the peoples of the world shells.

The cards associated with Kyra are:
* Bless - Raises stats by 25%
* Cure - Cures poison
* Heal - Heals target
* Resurrect - Ressurects target with half of its HP

===Gemma, the Daemon===
Gemma was once a Seraphim who stood alongside Marduk and Kyra at the Creators side. But soon, lusting for the power of God, he fell from grace to become a twisted Daemon Lord. Banished to the utter darkness, Gemma swore revenge and found his way into the lands of men. There he built his secret fortress of Gehan, plotting his ultimate rule of all the known universe. To this end, the Daemon recruited an army of spirits from the outer reaches of the element realms, and used them to steal the Creator's Core Keys and even the Angel of Light: Kyra. When Gemma was finally destroyed, his body was thrown into the pits of Janaak, there to burn for all eternity. Marduk then captured the Dark One's evil spirits and trapped them within another dimension, to be called on only by the followers of his Law, to forever be used to battle the followers of Chaos.

The cards associated with Gemma are:
* Vampyre - Drains HP of target and gives it to the one who casted the spell
* Air - Inflicts air based damage
* Curse - Lowers target's stats by 25%
* Water - Inflictd water based damage
* Chaos - Makes the target attack its own party from time to time
* Earth - Inflicts earth based damage
* Fire - Inflicts fire based damage

===Card Combinations===
* Mirror + Law = Casts berserk on target
* Barrier + Water = Reduces Water based damage
* Barrier + Fire = Reduces Fire based damage
* Barrier + Earth = Reduces Earth based damage
* Barrier + Air = Reduces Air based damage
* Barrier + Curse = Protects from Curse
* Barrier + Slow = Protects from being Slowed down
* Barrier + Resurrect = Protects from undead damage
* Barrier + Chaos = Protects from berserk
* Barrier + Law = Protects from status change
* Barrier + Mirror = Removes Barrier from target
* Summon + Water = Summons Sedna and Pilitak for Water based damage
* Summon + Earth = Summons Humbaba for Earth based damage
* Summon + Air = Summons Simurgh for Air based damage
* Summon + Fire = Summons Ouroboros for Fire based damage
* Summon + Heal = Summons Kyra to Heal the target
* Summon + Resurrect = Summons Thanatos for undead based damage
* Summon + Law = Summons Marduk for damage
* Summon + Joker = Creates a random Summon, casts some status effects
* Heal + Mirror = Poisons target
* Cure + Mirror = Removes HP from target
* Bless + Mirror = Casts Curse on target
* Resurrect + Mirror = Instant death (NPCs Only) or some damage
* Cloak + Mirror = Un-cloaks target
* Slow + Mirror = Casts Speed on target
* Speed + Mirror = Casts Slow on target
* Curse + Mirror = Casts Bless on target
* Chaos + Mirror = Disspells all status changes of target
* Law + Chaos = Chaotic damage on target
* Mirror + Law + Chaos = Creates a Black Hole that damages the whole party

== The Shells ==
=== Shell 1 - Shell of the Chosen ===

Shell 1, land of The Chosen, the self proclaimed most important race of Septerra. They don't care about the lower shells and their people at all, they will usualy let them live in peace, except when they decide to fight among themself, then, they may go fight to the lower shells. Nothing is said about that, but I guess they go fight elsewhere so they don't screw their own land. They dump their scrap and junk off the shell, to the lower shells. The Chosen are the direct descendants of Marduk.

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell1.jpg
===Shell 2 - Maya's Home Shell ===
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell2.jpg
===Shell 3 - Wind City Shell ===
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell3.jpg
===Shell 4 - World Bazaar Shell===
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell4.jpg
===Shell 5 - Ankara and Jinam ===
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell5.jpg
===Shell 6 - Pirate Shell ===
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell6.jpg
===Shell 7 - Mold Forest Shell ===
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p341/Septerra-Core/Shell7.jpg

==Characters==

* Corgan: Swordsman from Shell 3. He is in love with the late Holy Guard captain Bowman's daughter, Layla. After Selina's men wiped out his hometown, he swore to destroy her.
* Maya: A rifle-wielding adventuress from Shell 2. Her village was wiped out ten years ago by Doskias's men.
* Grubb And Runner: Male mechanic from Shell 2. A staff-wielding inventor who built the Workbots for the town that Maya and he grew up in, though they are abused constantly by the Mayor. Runner is a giant mechanical dog that is loyal to Grubb, its inventor.
* Led: Female mechanic from Shell 5; A wrench-wielding Ankaran engineer. Led's country is based around a strong military leadership and Led grew up an army brat. Her father is a General, and she has moved from town to town all her life. Her mother died from an enemy-engineered plague when Led was thirteen. This caused her father to become overprotective of Led in which she responds with her rebellious ways. Led joined the Youth Core Army to get close to machinery, which she loves to tinker around with. She has never seen battle (mostly because her father insists on stationing her where she will be "safe,"), and some of her fellow army friends call her "daddy's little girl". She wants to get away from her father, whom she considers too strict. A training injury left her with mechanical legs, ever since her father has been very protective of her. She grows to be very fond of Grubb.
* Badu: Blind Underlost from Shell 7; a knife-wielding savage, he 'sees' with an organic RADAR
* Selena: A Chosen Swordswoman from Shell 1. Former lover of the Chosen leader Doskias, and Corgan's enemy. Even though Doskias left her for another, due to her poor lineage, it is apparent she still cares deeply for him.
* Araym: Male bounty hunter from Shell 4; Formerly a Jinam explosives expert from Shell 5 before losing both arms to a war injury. Now a mercenary with mechanical rocket arms. He knows a lot about explosives.
* Lobo: Cyborg Jinam pirate from Shell 6. Once a slave-soldier of Jinam, his limitation device was removed after he was abandoned, allowing him free will.
* Doskias: A powerful Chosen and direct descendant of Marduk. He destroyed Maya's hometown ten years ago while fighting with another Chosen. Now he is bent on fulfilling the Legacy of the Creator at any cost.

== Other Information & External Links ==

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septerra_Core - Wikipedia page for Septerra Core.
http://septerra.sytes.net/ - Junker's Paradise: A Septerra Core Fansite

User:SpyPoet

2014-02-28T10:26:59Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "Current player of Asuna, Keolakupaianaha, Metta, Marie Mjolnir, and Veiled Lily."

Current player of [[Asuna]], [[Keolakupaianaha]], [[Metta]], [[Marie Mjolnir]], and [[Veiled Lily]].

Alfheim Basics

2014-02-28T10:22:15Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "This is meant to be a shortened, simplified version of the main page's details, 'the basics' on what Alfheim Online entails. = Section One: Login and Character Creation= == ..."

This is meant to be a shortened, simplified version of the main page's details, 'the basics' on what Alfheim Online entails.

= Section One: Login and Character Creation=

== FullDive==
Usable only by humans (or with factional R&D at work, anyone), FullDive overrides the portions of the brain used to control the arms, legs, and other muscles, and all senses, while leaving autonomous functions untouched. FullDive users can't move or perceive the world around them, but are instead immersed in the virtual world - an almost perfectly faithful reproduction of reality with only minor sensory differences. Most FullDive applications, including Alfheim Online, render pain as nothing more than a small 'zap' feeling akin to a static shock, and have difficulty reproducing what full liquid immersion feels like, etc.

FullDive devices include the NerveGear (modeled like a full head helmet), the AmuSphere (a headband), the Union's Kanto Bootleg NerveGear (ensurably safe and includes =gradio access with a mental toggle) and whatever the Confederacy thinks would be equivalent to the KB NG.

== Character Creation==
Upon first login users are brought to a circular room with a virtual keyboard and configuration screen to create a character, guided by an AI voice. Gender is set as the player's gender - whatever the FullDive device reports. (You'd have to fool the device to crossplay, and the results would feel very weird.) Avatar appearances are randomized on creation within an aesthetically appropriate pattern for that race, with customization available for a small fee.

Each race has its own color scheme, wing appearance, hometown, and specialties!

Note: Character names MUST be pronounceable in Japanese, English, or proto-Germanic style speaking! Leetspeak and bizarre unpronounceable characters aren't acceptable.

=== Light Races===
The Light races have a lowish base Strength but their light bodies possess insane Agility. The Light races can also wall-Run!

CAIT SITH: Yellow. Recognizable for feline ears and tails, Cait Siths have impressive bonuses to eyesight and overall Intelligence. Their specialty is Beast Taming.

SPRIGGAN: Black. Treasure hunters and masters of illusion magic, Spriggans have bonuses relevant to dungeon crawling for spotting traps and locating hidden treasures.

SYLPH: Green. These mighty wind magic masters are considered the fastest of the races, and have phenomenal hearing. Their flight is a good twenty percent or so faster than any other race.

UNDINE: Blue. The aquatic Undines are masters of water and healing magics.

IMP: Purple. The Fairies of the Night, Imps have natural night vision and the unique ability to fly while indoors - until their flight timers run out and their wings need rest.

=== Medium Races===
The Medium weight class races have higher base Strength, exchanged for being heavier so they find it harder to be speedy.

LEPRECHAUN: White. Skilled smiths and craftsmen, the Leprechauns are easily identified by the slightly mechanical aesthetics their wings display.

PUCA: Silver. Masters of buffing and debuffing through mystical music.

=== Heavy Races===
The Heavy races have the greatest Strength but are also the slowest.

GNOME: Brown. The largest of the races, the stocky Gnomes gain bonuses to the Mining Skills and Earth, and their raw stamina exceeds all others.

SALAMANDER: Red. Physically strong and gaining major bonuses to Fire magic, Salamanders are great at straightforward military might.

= Section Two: Character Build and Game Controls=

== Stats, Skills, Gear, Speed, Weight==
Alfheim Online is levelless - avatars don't gain levels, and their HP and MP ranges are under a thousand, dependent on Skills, Race, and equipment bonuses. Characters grow only by leveling Skills to gain new abilities, access to better equipment, new spells, and so on. Each Race has a set Strength and Weight. Heavy races favor heavy equipment while light ones favor light gear loads and speed, but it's possible for light races to specialize in heavy gear - and some must, to pick up roles like tanking.

Characters have 12 slots with which to learn Skills, which covers everything from what kind gear they can equip ('One Handed Swords', 'Heavy Metal Armor', 'Boomerang', 'Medium Shield', etc) to benefits to physical feats and senses ('Acrobatics,' 'Running,' 'Night Vision') to Crafting ('Slash Weapon Forging,' 'Metal Armor Forging,' 'Carpentry' etc) and dozens of other things. These begin at 1 and raise to 1000 as they're used, at which point they're Mastered. Growth is slow, though.

As Weapon and Armor skills increase, better gear can be equipped - and even, at high enough levels over the Skill requirements, offset Strength requirements that would make weapons unwieldy.

Basic movement speeds for arms, legs, body, etc, while proportionally limited by relevant weight of equipped gear and avatar weight class, depend largely on how fast the player can command them to move. While most Players move at human speeds, extremely talented and/or experienced FullDivers accelerate from human-like speeds to blurry movements onlookers can rarely follow. As a note, while not all Multiversal Elites will necessarily be the best at VR, they will likely easily grow to be better than casual players.

Combat works identical to reality in that the system doesn't actually teach you how to swing a sword or punch - or do it for you. Actual, real combat skill and tactics means an awful lot in Alfheim Online.

== Magic==
All player races can use Magic, which is considered a form of Skills and uses up Skill Slots.

Spellcasting involves adopting a posture the system recognizes, and chanting out Words of Power to complete a spell. Words of Power are gained from increasing Magic Skills and sometimes other Skills. No formalized, official spell lists exist. Instead, spells are created by arranging the Words of Power to combine and define their meanings using Alfheim Online's own magical language.

Most spells are elemental assaults and defenses, but spells exist for every task a player can undertake, from recon to communications to stealth or crafting. Others boost speed, strength, endurance, or a variety of other things.

Words of Power are based on germanic language aesthetics (keying back to Old Norse and so on), thus while some words might have meaning in one or more real languages this rarely if ever coincides with their meaning within Alfheim Online. Each Element does have its own aesthetically distinct family of Words of Power however, so Magic-savvy players can often identify spells as they're being cast.

== HUD, Menu, Communications, Inventory==
Much like an RL MMORPG, players have HUDs. Instead of looking at a screen for it, it overlays your actual vision. There's displays for HP, MP, buffs/debuffs in the top-left corner, which expands to show those of any party members when in a party. The far right side of one's view shows a customizable shortcut bar for different tasks like view guild status, equip a weapon, configure a Skill, bring up the magic words dictionary, and view local map data.

Focusing on particular players, objects, monsters, and other entities makes the system bring up further details in pop-up windows. These are very context sensitive and extremely informative, showing relevant information. Monsters show names (but not players, until they've introduced themselves or done something noteworthy to reveal their name, like challenge you in a duel), objects show stats (if your appraisal Skill's high enough), buildings show names, etc. All players and monsters have colored indicators above their heads, giving information about them in relationship to you (party, friend, guild member, neutral race, overwhelmingly powerful monster, etc.)

Striking downwards with the left hand's index and middle fingers squeezed together brings up the menu. The Menu is where almost everything important's done. It contains displays and configuration data for your character (skills, equipment, magic, etc), relevant party or guild info, community features like guilds, friend lists or current race politics, the map system, game settings and configurations, and more. Players can only see their own menus, unless another player uses a button to reveal theirs.

Private messages are the only form of long-distance instant communication officially speaking. The superfactions have rigged their FullDive devices to have mentally-triggered radios, but this isn't a feature of Alfheim Online.

The in-game inventory can store pretty much anything you can pick up unless it's a monster, player, or other common sense 'this is not an item' situation. Provided you own it, that is. (ownerless items such as rocks on the ground are immediately marked as owned by you when picked up, while dropped items take 5 minutes to lose their ownership registration.) It's extremely intelligent when bringing things out - it knows to materialize items smartly, like putting a sword in its matching scabbard, and responds to gestures about where and how to materialize it, etc.

== Flight==
All players can summon their wings to fly through the world. Wings only appear when called upon, and are translucent, vaguely insectile constructs made of colored light. Wings only work when exposed to the skies - they are powered by heavenly light from the sun, moon, and stars, and tire after 10 minutes of flight. Imps may fly indoors, but even they must keep to the 10 minute flight timer. Wings recuperate at a roughly 1:1 ratio when not in use.

Two methods exist for controlling them:

Option One- ASSIST CONTROLLER
By extending the left hand and motioning as if gripping something, a player summons the Assist Controller. The Assist Controller resembles an ergonomic joystick with a single pressure-sensitive thumb button. Pulling it back in towards the body means 'ascend,' pushing it forwards is 'descend.' Direction's managed otherwise by moving the joystick about left and right. Pushing on the button is 'accelerate forward,' with speed determined by how hard one presses. Assisted flight can't manage any tricky or advanced manuevers, and tops out at about 200-300 kph based on race.

Option Two- VOLUNTARY FLIGHT
Though humans don't have wings, careful manipulation of arm, shoulder, and back muscles grants fine control of the wings, though it takes a bit to manage it without making obvious shoulder motions and arm twitches that would interfere with melee combat or Spellcasting. Voluntary Flight takes practice to perfect as it is literally akin to learning to using a whole new limb, but it offers several advantages. Voluntary Flight users are able to perform advanced manuevers such as controlling how fast one wing's moving while using the other to brake to perform spins, or execute loop-de-loops or hairpin turns, tease out the maximum speed of fairy wings, and frees up their left hand for other purposes. Voluntary Flight is the mark of an expert player, and allows experienced fliers to reach speeds double to triple that of what Assisted Flight can manage.

= Section Three: The Land of the Fairies=
Alfheim, or 'Elf Home,' is a straightforward fantasy world strongly influenced by Norse mythology, while shamelessly pulling from pretty much everything else however it likes. The island-continent is technically ruled by the legendary light fairies, or ALF, of which Oberon is King. Under the ALF are the 9 'false fairies,' the player races, each having their own hometown and allied towns and cities. These races constantly war with one another, all seeking to climb the World Tree Yggdrasil for an audience with Fairy King Oberon, who legend says will grant the wonder of true, unlimited flight to the first race to make it.

Alfheim Online is a heavy PVP game. The races are openly encouraged to war on one another and politic as they will, competing for resources, prestige, and every advantage they can wrangle.

Alfheim's a roughly circular island, with the 9 race hometowns spread across the coast in a ring. It's a roughly 50 kilometer trip from one capital to its nearest race neighbor - doable in roughly 8-10 minutes of flight for expert fliers - and roughly 75 kilometers to the island's center where you can find the World Tree Yggdrasil. This does mean that yes, the island's around 17,662 square kilometers.

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131019224404/swordartonline/images/b/be/Alfheim_map.png

== Cities, Quests, Housing, and NPCs ==
Each race has a Hometown where the system protects them - and only them - from damage. In the Multiverse, Elites walking in can bypass it with some effort but it does provide about 20-25 HP worth of protection before the protection breaks. For people logging in this defense is absolute, the law of Alfheim's physics. Towns also exist out beyond cities but don't provide any protection. In either case, cities and towns are full of NPCs - system controlled entities that converse in-character, dole out quests, run shops, and fill the streets. NPCs are intelligent to a degree, able to make minor observations and adapt dialogue, but they typically ignore anything not relevant to their purpose and only act 'in character,' pretending that the discussion about websites between two friends happening next to them doesn't exist.

Players can buy housing, though it costs oodles of Yrd. Housing can be constructed ALMOST anywhere, but the pricetag hits insane levels - millions of Yrd - for prime land and good housing. Players more often buy or rent existing areas in towns to run stores out of and similar enterprises, especially if they're higher level Crafters that need kitchens, forges, and similar amenities to ply their trade.

== Wild Lands, Monsters, Dungeons, Bosses, PVP, Respawning==
Outside the cities and towns is the wilderness, an enormous, lawless expanse of differing terrain filled with harmless 'critters' and far less harmless 'monsters.' Like in normal MMORPGs these monsters roam about, attack players based on mathematical algorithms and patterns, and inevitably respawn. Monsters drop Yrd and assorted items useful for all kinds of things, though not always useful to you directly.

Caves, old fortresses, and tons of other locales can be considered 'dungeons,' labyrinths filled with danger and treasure that often house powerful 'boss' monsters that require a concerted effort by small or even tremendously large groups of players to deal with, but are worth very phat loot when slain... and may take days to respawn after being killed.

Everyone is free to engage in PVP however they wish wherever they wish - except race hometowns where foreigners stand no chance - and nowhere is this more prominent than the wilderness. Slaying another player gives you 30 percent (chosen by Yrd value) of a randomly selected assortment of their non-equipment items, and a portion of this will be in Yrd if available.

Whenever a player dies, their body's enveloped in an explosion of light and turns into a small colored pyre called a Remain Light. That's what other people see, anyways. The player now exists in an 'astral state' bound to that location, able to manipulate their menu to log out and use other minimal commands, and look around, but must either await for the respawn timer to finish counting down or someone else to revive them with the item 'World Tree Dew' or a high-level healing magic Revival spell. Respawning invokes the Death Penalty - all progress towards leveling Skills beyond what they're currently at is lost. Respawn points ('Save Crystals') exist in all towns and occasionally some other areas, and binding to one costs a small Yrd fee.

= Section Four: Community=

== Friends, Guilds, Parties==
Players who become friends can send private messages to one another, see when they're on and offline, etc.

Up to 7 players may participate in a party, and up to 7 parties (max 49 people) can enter a boss room at once. Raid group HUDs display aggregate average HPs and similar statistics.

Guilds are elaborate groupings of sometimes hundreds of players that can define their own politics, rank structure, uniforms, and dozens of other things. They're really quite the same as any other MMORPGs.

== The Great Fairy War==
Put simply, the player races are political and military entities at war with one another. Each Race elects a leader every so often, who's in charge of managing the race's treasury, tax rates on towns, policies of NPC guards and investments in defenses, and numerous other things, and defining the social structure beneath them. Some players, known as 'Renegades,' stay apart from their race's politics, while some others even end up stripped of their racial rights and exiled from their hometowns. Fairy politics can be vicious.

Races can take over towns and impose taxes in military conquests every so often, causing the power balance to change and granting access to more resources, and it's hardly an uncommon occurence on the borders between racial territories. Taking down another race's leader brings great rewards to the victors, essentially a ten day conquering of the entire territory combined with a massive pillaging of their treasury.

= Section Five: Miscellaneous=

== Crime in Alfheim==
Crimes are offenses against other players that are within the rules of the game mechanics, but are nevertheless malicious, troublesome, disruptive, or harmful. The system works to prevent this. The Crime Prevention Code attempts to enforce a sense of ethics - for instance, preventing people from running around nude in public, and giving victims of sexual harassment the opportunity to alert GMs. Many lesser offenses will result in system warnings and possibly alert GMs. Since Crime Detection is left up to a Cardinal subroutine, it is very good at detecting what actions are and are not Crimes according to its parameters and recording them for review.

Aside from political shenanigans from the race conflict, player-based crime mostly doesn't exist. Looting and PK'ing is part of the game, for instance, and so Player Killers are not 'criminals' by default.

This doesn't mean that people won't think you're an asshole if you act like one, of course. It's never really considered more than a personal grievance if an instance of PVP conflict outside a town causes vendettas and the like. It's not a problem of the community, though races might decide to 'watch out for that infamous group of folk hunting our race, maybe we should pwn them and take their stuff.'

One particular is touching other players outside of battle. Harmless contact like fistbumps, high-fives, grabbing someone on the shoulder isn't really an issue, but it shouldn't need to be said what kind of contact will trigger a harassment warning - sexual harassment is an extreme no-no. The victim then gets the choice of whether or not to send a report. If yes, GMs are instantly alerted as the trouble ticket crops up. Players can also choose to add players to an ignore list so the system won't raise warnings about them.

== Logging Out==
To prevent abuse, safe logout only works in a few situations: when you are in a town or city claimed by your race (the Capital City of Aurun is considered such for all races), and when you're in an inn room you've rented. Other 'safe zones' where you can safely log out are rare, and mostly restricted to very special dungeon areas.

Logging out anywhere else works fine, but leaves your avatar still manifested and thoroughly vulnerable to attack for about 20 minutes.

Sword Art Online-1

2014-02-28T10:20:06Z

SpyPoet: Created page with "Sword Art Online-1: Theme Information This page's purpose is providing all necessary information needed to portray Sword Art Online in the Multiverse, for both FCs and OCs. I..."