Aeromage wrote:
With more kids than can comfortably be carried and the Chancel being kept out of the equation, it's considerably slower going getting back to the city, especially across the rough, unpaved terrain that forms the top of the chasm's edge.
By the time the group reaches the wide, smooth white-stone road leading to the bridge, the sun has already sunk below the far horizon, wan streamers of red and gold light giving way to the deeper hues of late dusk. High above, the rippling surface of the green moon remains oddly bright, beginning to tint the land below with similar verdant hues.
The bridge is closed off from the outside world by a large, ornamental gatehouse, its doors firmly shut and green-armoured guards weilding spears standing alert before it.
"Halt! Identify yourseeaaaaiiii mean welcome, great and honoured Tamers of the Order!" The guard closest to the group, upon seeing them, goes through a complicated series of poses starting out as 'menacing' and ending in 'deferential'. "Please, allow us to open the gates for you-- the GATES, open the GATES you idiots, there are members of the Order here waiting!"
A hurried series of frantic hand-gestures is followed by the huge doors creaking open to allow access to the bridge.
"We'll send word to ensure the gates to the city are held wide open for you, honoured Tamers of the Order! Please, don't let us impede your passage!"
Lucern mutters to Zwei as they pass through to the wide bridge and out of earshot of the guards. "We should probably hurry. If they hear at the Academy that a group of us have come back, they'll put two and two together, and we might end up in something really complicated. Or you will, anyway. If you can get us as far as the Ascension Chambers at the base of the pillar, we can get to the Jade Gate easily from there. It's the big glass-roofed set of buildings at the end of the central road. You can't miss it."
Draconics wrote:
"A-affirmative," Zweirugi works to balance the load. He is mentally itching for a drag.
He will nod approvingly and continue to accompany them to the Ascension Chambers as per the plan.
Aeromage wrote:
The last dregs of sunlight continue to sink below the horizon, mostly blotted out by the huge central pillar and plethora of other supports holding up the vast structure that is the upper layer of the city. Tall, stone lamps lining the bridge flare to life, casting pools of white-green light across the well-worn flagstones. In the city beyond, similarly-hued light begins to fill the street and limn the rooftops as more of the same presumably activate, contrasting with the warmer tones of lamplight from the multitude of windows and the fading edges of sunset.
As promised, the far gates of the bridge are open and flanked by more guards standing to attention. Several pedestrians and citygoers with business at the city's edge are also present, standing around and staring at the odd parade making its way towards the city. Open staring quickly turns into deferentially-bowed heads as the onlookers realise the exact makeup of the group, but it certainly seems like Zwei's party is starting to garner some attention.
The kids have gotten into some sort of dual-line formation in front of the sword-man swordsman and are hurrying in a manner in which the hurrier is trying not to look like they're hurrying with some semblance of dignity. The long robes are somewhat helping to disguise the frantic legwork going on underneath, and the sudden spate of respectfully averted gazes is probably doing the rest of the work for them, but it still, to Zwei's eyes, looks awkward as all hell. They've probably got appearances to uphold, but still.
The group hurries down the main road beyond the entry bridge, passing important-looking businesses and hotels, across bridges that open out to views of the lamplit streets and rooftops of the layer below (with large patches of near pitch-black darkness intersperced between where the lower layer's bridges cross the void of the Clavia Chasm), and into a huge, open area as the buildings split off and give way to a huge piece of parkland split by a wide road bearing a cloud-and-tree pattern, the green space large enough to contain small woods and artificial hills, as well as lakes and streams. Emerald banners bearing a keyhole-and-crossed-keys motif flap fitfully in the evening breeze, hanging from poles affixed to tall, extravagant stone lamps that march along the roadside. Directly ahead lies an even wider and more extravagant avenue, lined with long rows of archways bearing similar green banners, bedecked with brilliant floral displays and wispy, flower-bearing trees in full blossom, and dotted with elaborate, gilded lamp-posts set with glittering green stones. The entire road is floodlit green, painting the opulently-set flagstones that spread their way further towards the centre of the city and a well-lit low, sprawling building crafted from green-tinted white marble, jade, glass and gold filigree. A great set of four square pillars erupt from the centre of the complex, interlaced with intricate designs in gold filigree on some form of glass or crystal enclosure, an extravagant array of green-and-gold galleried staircases and viewing pavilions climbing the structure's sides like extremely expensive ivy. The entire thing is lit up like Walrusfest night. This, presumably, is the Ascension Chambers mentioned.
Zwei hears distant shouts over the evening sounds of the city and the rushing and whistling of the gathering wind. Having been somewhat trained by his prior excursion below, he believes he can also hear the sound of a carriage rattling along in the distance at speed. It might be getting closer.
Draconics wrote:
"All right, I think it be best I part ways as mentioned here. Lest I need to fight more of the school staff. Please give Tristan his charm back, here," He'll hand the thing, with whatever he managed to stick on it, to the nearest kid.
"I'll watch from the night sky for a bit in case, signal if you need me." The Swordsman, still awkwardly balancing the load with his three hands, will row his enraged wings and take off upward into the cover of night. He taps into this Lord Owl's Iron-Rimmed Glasses to help watch through the darkness to make sure they cross to the Jade Gate.
Aeromage wrote:
One subtly-lucked-up talisman is deposited on Molen, who seems to be on board with giving it back to Tristan when he can.
"Thank you, Mister Zweirugi," Lucern offers by way of parting, "I'll... find some way to repay you for helping us!"
An almost-complete chorus of agreement and farewells follow (absent from the still-grumbling and presumably hurting Ferroc) before the children turn and hurry down the opulant road towards the Chambers.
Zwei, awkwardly balancing his box-stack and assorted other spoils, takes to the sky with the speed of rage! Tapping into his eyewear's greatly vision-enhancing abilities, he finds he has no trouble keeping watch on proceedings from the air.
The gaggle of mini-tamers hurry their way towards the extravagant structure, which appears to have a considerably large number of guards presently posted around it. They do nothing to impede the children, however, respectfully standing to attention at their approach and opening the heavy doors to the Ascension Chambers' interior to allow them entry.
A minute or two later, movement within the tall glass-and-gold tower catches the swordsman's attention. Ornate chains rise and fall, and a fancy padoga-style platform emerges from within the complex to ascend the tower- some sort of overly-fancy elevator contraption, by the looks of it. The children are all present, along with one or two guards that presumably double as lift attendants.
The sound of rattling wheels draws Zwei's attention back to the 'ground' of the layer below, an official-looking black carriage with white accents pulled by odd-looking horses hurrying up towards the complex proving to be the source.
An officious-looking woman in an elaborate black-and-white shrine maiden's robe steps out and hurries over to the guards, who are far less accomodating than they were with the mini-tamers. They seem to be having something of an argument.
Meanwhile, the pagoda-lift swiftly makes its way further up the tower, vanishing from sight for a moment as it passes through the thick base of the House Layer and into a delicate confection of a translucent, domed jade-and-crystal rotunda set amidst elaborate gardens, just before the huge walls marking off the main body of the layer. Set into them is a gigantic door, several stories in height and made of two solid slabs of shining green stone, depicting four great entities- a dragon, a robed woman, an armoured knight, and a hooded figure in a robe of stars- encircling the now-familiar and ever-present keyhole-and-keys symbol of House Clavis. That, given the sheer scale and apparant importance of it, must be the Jade Gate.
The mini-tamers, accompanied by the guards, make their way through the gardens along the white-dyed-green-by-moonlight path to the huge entrance, where a few words are exchanged with yet more guards at its base. A minute or so later, the enormous portal begins to ponderously open inwards.
The shrine maiden(?) below, now joined by others in shrine priest's robes in similar colour schemes, has finished arguing and has entered the complex. Given the pagoda-lift is still up at the House Layer, however, it seems unlikely she or her companions will be likely to interfere in any sort of fashion. If they're part of the Spiritual Defense Force Tristan mentioned, it's likely Zwei has succeeded in preventing things from getting too complicated by letting the children get taken to the Academy by them.
Draconics wrote:
Zweirugi nods approvingly and will jostle the load to get himself a cigarette in triumph.
"Right, now just the last task of flying out of here, hopefully without too many more abomination maids and shit."
He will turn and start with a reasonable pace off into the distance, back towards the gate to Nexus at a pace much less breakneck but just as purposeful as his arrival.
Aeromage wrote:
Job done to his satisfaction, Zwei turns and flies off into the viridian-hued night, leaving the lights of the city- and the events of the city beneath- behind him.
The night is peaceful, and his flight is swift, allowing him to reach the Gate Complex without hindrance. It would seem he's fortunate enough to arrive back during a shift change, too, allowing him to go straight through the portal without any inconvenient questions that might otherwise be asked about his precarious stack of questionably-healthily-gotten-gains.
Summary of items gained (and incoming items from certain involved parties via mail) to come!
It takes some time, but Zwei eventually finds he has letters of thanks in the mail with various important-looking seals, attached to packages! Apparently there's a problem with the mail in Clavia causing the delay. The Universe imploding probably didn't help.
Tristan has sent a letter thanking Zwei for managing to get all the children back safely, relatively unharmed, and without causing too much of a scene. Or at least not causing a scene big enough to not be overshadowed by the shocking revelation that one of the high-ranking members of staff was apparently plotting something sinister that may well have hinged on the death of the children, in any case.
He still has his job, it seems- despite his concerns, it appears most of the children (minus Ferroc) were true to their word, and he was backed up by their parents, all of whom were members in good standing in Houses Gladia, Relicta, Fiora and Clavis. The combined weight of that and the administration's desire to avoid further scandal (and desperately latching on to the convenient narrative of a 'heroic teacher seeking aid to save the day') has seen him come through mostly unscathed. He's concerned a promotion is in his future.
Attached to his letter is a thick, well-organised folder. He explains that he doesn't really have much money to provide by way of reward, but hopes the gift of knowledge might do just as well.
The letter from House Relicta appears to have been written by one of Lucern's parents, thanking the swordsman for saving their son and 'teaching him some valuable lessons that will surely serve him well for years to come' regarding, among other things, the value of others' lives, the treatment of one's spirit companions, the dangers of the unknown, and when curiosity needs to be tempered by sense. At Lucern's suggestion, they have sent him a scabbard from their vast storehouses of antiquities.
The letter from House Gladia thanks Zwei for his service in saving one of their scions, and states that they will be following his future career in Seirei with great interest. At Molen's suggestion, they have provided a sword by way of reward.
House Fiora's letter is, appropriately, somewhat flowery in tone and beats around the bush. It still holds a sincere message of thanks within its pages, however, and comes attached to a small, flowering tree that is apparently extremely good at rapidly binding together crumbling lands and bringing life back to them- it seems it's a specialty of the House.
House Clavis' letter is... somewhat haughty, in a polite sort of way. Perhaps whomever it was that wrote it felt that their children having to be saved in such a manner was an embarrassment to the House. Or perhaps something else was going on. They sent money, instead of a gift.
Summary
Zwei gets:
3 Fame
10,000,000 Gold
134,600 XP
Detachable Head- (Passive Ability, Doombringer) If possessor is a Horror, Undead, Golem, Clockwork, Machine or Robot, possessor may choose to ignore an instance of Wounded: Disassembled or Wounded: Sawn Apart inflicted on possesser at the time of infliction, instead taking up an extra space in possessor's side of battle's Row Formation, with possessor not being able to ignore subsequent inflictions of Wounded in this manner unless the additional row-space effect from this ability no longer applies; possessor may spend an action to remove the row-space effect from this ability
*Zweirugi's Papers from the Seirei Portal- (Bound Accessory, Quest Item, Light & Darkness, 1,000 Gold) +1 SPI
w/ MP Cost Increase- All of possessor's actions that cost MP cost an additional 100,000 MP, Detrimental Effect
Ancient, Partially-Sentient, Spiritually-Empowered Fork From The Old Clavia Tamer District- (Weaponx0, Tool: Kitchenware, Light & Darkness, 40,000,000 Gold) +40,000 Melee Attack, +40,000 Ranged Attack, +20,000 SPI, 180% To Hit, 140% Critical, this item additionally possesses the subtype Spirit, Wielder may gain +15,000 to wielder's turn-order-determining stat for turn-order-determining purposes if they opt to use one of this item's Granted Abilities for their action, Wielder may not have this item equipped if wielder has any other Weaponx0 equipped
Grants Abilities:
Here Comes The Airship!- Caster uses a charge of a Food consumable in caster's (or the possessor of caster's) possession on a target that would be valid for said consumable, actions involving this ability gain +40% To Hit and may not miss targets below Level 60, Air, 20,000 MP
Here Comes The Airship AT RAMMING SPEED!- Caster uses a charge of a Food consumable in caster's (or the possessor of caster's) possession, said Food consumable does not provide its stated effects, +(The amount of HP damage said consumable Heals or Regenerates, to a maximum of +200,000) Melee or Ranged Attack, with this value being treated as a Damage Value and having its maximum cap raised to 400,000 if used by a non-PC entity, this action may instead use the amount of MP damage said consumable Heals or Regenerates and gain 'deals MP damage' instead, actions involving this ability gain +40% To Hit and may not miss targets below Level 60, Air, 200,000 MP
Steal A Bite From Someone Else's Plate- Caster uses a charge of a Food consumable in target's possession on a target that would be valid for said consumable, Air, 200,000 MP
Blade of House Gladia's Honour Guard- (Weapon, Sword: Straightsword, Metal, 50,000,000 Gold) +50,000 Melee Attack, +50,000 STR, +50,000 CON, +50,000 AGI, wielder may choose an ally at the start of battle to gain +50,000 Defense and +20,000 STR, CON and AGI, wielder may choose to become the target for a single action per round that would otherwise target wielder's chosen ally
Fine Procina Blade- (Weapon, Sword: Dueling Blade, Metal & Spatial, 50,000,000 Gold) +50,000 Melee Attack, 160% To Hit, 60% Critical, Weilder may re-roll missed attacks a number of times equal to the number of individuals in battle, to a maximum of 200, weilder counts as weilding a number of additional swords equal to the number of individuals in battle, to a maximum of 100, with this weapon gaining an additional +5% To Hit and +5% Critical for every ten additional swords weilder counts as having equipped from this weapon's effect
Purified, Spiritually-Sealed Prayer-Blade- (Weapon, Sword: Soulblade, Light, 60,000,000 Gold) +60,000 STR, +60,000 SPI, +60,000 Melee Attack, +60,000 Magical Attack, Wielder's 'Melee Attack' and 'Melee Overdrive' actions may use Spirit as their Prime Attribute, Wielder's 'Melee Attack' bonus capping may be based on Spirit instead of Strength, Wielder's actions involving the casting of Spirit Magic cost 60,000 less MP, 100% Inflicts Awestruck: Sealed, this item may not gain the subtype Spirit
Spiritually-Active Book of Ancient Seireian Fairytales- (Weapon, Book: Storybook, Light & Darkness, 100,000,000 Gold) +100,000 MIN, +100,000 SPI, +1,000,000 MP as a non-stacking bonus, Wielder's actions involving the casting of Spirit Magic costs 200,000 less MP, Wielder may spend an action to replicate the ability of a Spirit below Level 70 that is also below wielder's Level, Wielder may spend an action to summon up to 10 Spirits from the Enemy List that are below Level 70 and normally fightable for drops, Max 30 summoned, with said summons having a 50% chance of being uncontrolled unless wielder possesses the abilities 'Shrine Maiden' and 'Binder', this item additionally possesses the subtype Book: Popup, Wielder must be Level 40 or greater
Spiritually-Empowered Scabbard from House Relicta's Vaults Decorated with Moonstones- (Accessory, Container, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 50,000,000 Gold) Wielder gains 1 Weapon Slot that may only contain a Sword, Sword weapons equipped in this weapon slot gain +10% Critical, +10% To Hit, +50,000 Melee Attack as an uncapped bonus, grant an additional +50,000 STR and +50,000 SPI, and the text 'actions made using this weapon may soley become the element Earth, Air, Fire or Water'
18 Ancient Adyterran Apple- (Consumable, Food, 1 Charge, Light & Earth, 24,000,000 Gold) +24,000 SPI, +480,000 MP, does not stack
Lachrima Ater Sample- (Consumable, Lethal Item, Toxin & Agony, 1 Charge, 50,000,000 Gold) 30% Inflicts Plague, Inflicts Confusion: Depression and Diseased: Contagious Ailment, instances of Confusion: Depression and Diseased: Contagious Ailment coming from this item count as Moderate status effects for the purposes of resistance and removal, targets possessing both Confusion: Depression and Diseased: Contagious Ailment effects from this item have a 30% chance of being inflicted with Plague at the start of each round that they possess them
2 Spirit-Capturing Key (Dolor)- (Consumable, Summoning Stone, Unlimited Charges, Darkness, 5,000,000 Gold) Summons 1 Dolor, max 1 summoned, user may spend a charge of this item to unsummon this summon, summons summoned through this item that are unsummoned retain status effects, buffs, debuffs and HP and MP values at their point of being unsummoned, if a summon summoned through this item is killed or counts as dead for the purposes of victory conditions, this item is rendered inactive until the summon is cured, resurrected, or no longer counts as dead for the purposes of victory conditions.
Telephone That Calls Mr. Progression- (Consumable, Invention, Progress, 1 Charge, 500,000,000 Gold) Has RP Effects, this item and its effects may not be altered or replicated by sources below Level 200, this item's charge's consumption cannot be prevented or undone by sources below Level 200
Tristan Doce's Concise Curriculum- (Permanent Consumable, Grimoire, Light & Darkness, Unlimited Charges, 50,000,000 Gold) This item's user, if a willing PC that does not possess the ability 'Has Studied Tristan Doce's Concise Curriculum' gains the ability 'Has Studied Tristan Doce's Concise Curriculum' and 5 Shrine Maiden Bonus Weeks; This item may be used once per month and does not disappear when used.
Has Studied Tristan Doce's Concise Curriculum- (Passive Ability, Shrine Maiden) Shrine Maiden, Binder and Warden abilities (that do not possess Classname-tier or higher abilities as a prerequisite, or abilities descended from abilities with said as prerequisites) cost possessor 1 less Week (to a minimum of 1 week) and 100,000 less Gold (to a minimum of 0 Gold) to learn in the Ability Shop
Ancient Seireian Chancel: Jade Canticle- (Transformation, Chancel, Earth & Wood & Life, 280,000,000 Gold)
Level 65
HP- 20,000,000
MP- 60,000,000
STR- 30,000
AGI- 30,000
CON- 50,000
MIN- 42,000
SPI- 60,000
XP- 0
XP Needed- (Standard Multiplier x3)
Miniumum Level- 65
Defense- 40,000
Defense against Stat Damage- 6,000
Critical Chance- 0%
Resilience- 100%
To Hit- 160%
Dodge- 160%
Resistances and Immunities- Earth Immunity, 80% Wood Resistance, 80% Life Resistance, 60% Air Resistance, 60% Sonic Resistance, 60% Crystal (2) Resistance, 20% Fire Weakness, 20% Light Weakness, 20% Metal Weakness, Pain Immunity, Confusion Immunity, Impaired Immunity, Poison Immunity, Charm Immunity, Diseased Immunity, 120% Minor Status Effect Resistance, 60% Moderate Status Effect Resistance, 10% Major Status Effect Resistance
Prime Attribute- Spirit
Constant Effects-
Seireian Chancel- Possessor may not perform offensive actions, inflict Negative Status Effects, or generate effects that would deal non-Healing damage to targets; this Transformation may be equipped by individuals of any Level, Constant Effect
Ancient and Spiritually-Empowered- Possessor gains +20,000,000 HP, +20,000,000 MP, +20,000 SPI, +200,000 Defense, +20,000 Defense Against Stat Damage, and +200% Resilience, Possessor's Defense may not be pierced by individuals below Level 75, Constant Effect
Summoning Platform- Possessor gains 10 slots that may be used to equip Summoning Stones, possessor may take 3 actions before the start of battle that may not affect any opponents and may only be used to expend charges from said Summoning Stones, with a round that is not part of battle occurring before battle, during which said actions occur; possessor may spend an action to use a charge of a Summoning Stone, Constant Effect
Spiritual Conduits- Possessor may spend an action and pay the required MP cost to cast Spirit Magic or Binder Magic spells held by possessor's untransformed form as if possessor's untransformed form were casting them, provided they are not an offensive action, inflict Negative Status Effects, or generate effects that would deal non-Healing damage to targets, Constant Effect
Mystic Interposition Field- Possessor gains a Mystic Interposition Field that possesses 10,000,000 HP, If possessor would be dealt Damage by a source that is not 20 or more Levels greater that is not a negative status effect or a debuff and the Mystic Interposition Field possesses at least 1 HP, the damage is dealt to the Mystic Interposition Field instead, with remaining damage carrying over to possessor, Constant Effect
Carved of Moonstone- Possessor and possessor's summons may have their actions solely become any non-Null combination of Earth, Wood, and/or Life, Constant Effect
Abilities-
Healing Canticle- 200,000 Damage, 2,000 damage to any three stats, Heals, Life, 0 MP
Jade Benediction- +10,000 to all stats, +500,000 HP, +500,000 MP, stacks 5 times, Earth or Wood or Life, 1,000,000 MP
Mass Jade Benediction- +10,000 to all stats, +500,000 HP, +500,000 MP, does not stack, 1 hit against 10, Earth or Wood or Life, 10,000,000 MP
Purge Malign Influence- Cures one Minor and one Moderate status effect from a source below Level 75, removes one stack of debuffs from a source below Level 75, Light, 2,000,000 MP
Vernal Field Regeneration- Caster gains a buff that causes possessor's Mystic Interposition Field to regenerate 2,000,000 HP at the start of each round, lasts 5 rounds, Life, 1,000,000 MP
Direct Spirit- Caster gives target Spirit that is a summon of caster another action immediately following this action, may only be used once per round per instance of this ability, Earth & Wood & Life, 5,000,000 MP
Green Curtain- Targets gain a buff that may halve damage dealt to them them, prevent the infliction of Minor or Moderate status effects they would be afflicted with, or prevent the application of debuffs that would be applied to them, provided the source of all of these choices is below Level 75, lasts 2 rounds, 1 hit against 10, Earth & Wood & Life, 20,000,000 MP
'Saved a Number of Young Spirit Tamers from the Clavia Undercity in Seirei'
'Helped Uncover Part of a Conspiracy in the Clavia Academy for the August Order of Spirit Tamers in Seirei'
'Has the Gratitude of Certain Members of Houses Relicta, Gladia and Fiora in Seirei'
Summoned from the keys:
Dolor
Level 10
Spirit, Darkness
HP- 20,000
MP- 35,000
STR- 424
AGI- 468
CON- 432
MIN- 580
SPI- 600
XP- 0
Defense- 650
Defense against Stat Damage- 40
Critical Chance- 10%
Resilience- 6%
To Hit- 110%
Dodge- 12%
Resistances and Immunities- Absorbs Darkness, 50% Light Weakness, Diseased Immunity
Prime Attribute- Spirit
Constant Effects-
Spirit of Sorrow- Possessor suffers no ill effects from being afflicted with Confusion: Depression, Confusion: Depression does not have its standard per-round chance of wearing off when on possessor, instead having a 0% chance, Possessor is automatically afflicted with Confusion: Depression at the beginning of battle, Possessor gains +100 to all stats for each individual in battle afflicted with Confusion: Depression, to a maximum of 5 individuals, Constant Effect
Gathers Within Darkness- If possessor is in a Zone of Darkness, possessor has a 30% chance of summoning a Dolor from the Enemy List at the start of each round, to a maximum of 200 such entities summoned across all instances of this constant effect in battle, Constant Effect
Abilities-
Darkbolt- 2,500 Damage, 15% Inflicts Voidstruck, Darkness, 0 MP
Disgorge Sorrow- 120 MIN Damage, 200% Inflicts Confusion: Depression, Darkness, 0 MP
Gathering of Shadows- Caster creates a Zone of Darkness or applies an effect to an existing Zone of Darkness that generates an additional Zone of Darkness at the start of each round, to a maximum of 200 such Zones created across all instances of this effect in battle, Darkness, 6,000 MP
Storm of Silent Sorrows- 2,500 Damage, 120 MIN Damage, +500 Damage and +20 MIN Damage for each entity in the same battlespace afflicted with Confusion: Depression, to a maximum of 10 such entities, Darkness, 10,000 MP
