>>32112773
Dran would we be able to use an Astra?

>>32112850
What is that?

By the by, I updated the pastebin. You guys can now partial purchase. So if you have LIMIT, you can feed the LIMIT into your spells without needing to save up gross amounts of points.

This also allows me to give rewards of points here and there without necessarily going to the global pool.

>>32112919
>no name
>no trip
>pastebin is the same

Truly you are pure evil, getting my hopes up like that.

>>32112919
Magic nukes.
Seriously.

>>32112938
Sorry, forgot to hit submit

>>32112944
>>32112850
Where from? I need to have myself a look.

>>32112971
Indian Mythology.
Shits like science fiction.

>>32112971
>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_(weapon)
Here's a basic rundown for you.

>>32112994
Wow and lovely.
Would need to get in good with the hindu/indian mythos though.

I already had ideas for the state of India. Now it's even worse.

Sweltering heat from the desert sun heats the white sands of the dune. The sparse shrub makes its presence known in the landscape, standing up to the tyranny of the sun's overbearing presence.
Sweat trickles down your brow as you bear the brunt of the heat, Jackie eyeballing you, Eustene, and Camille in turn as you all look back, standing against her.

With a cruel gleam in her eye, your half-mad instructor draws her gun, pointing it up at the sky, the barrel catching the light and letting out an oppressive sheen. At the sight of her readying her weapon, you and the doctor tense up, while Camille seems a bit out of the loop.
“Like, for starters I'm going to be like, shooting at all of you, so set up your wards, kay?” She points the weapon at you first, her eyes already shining, a sudden grin as she mercilessly pulls the trigger. An invisible blast erupts from before you, slamming into your body and pushing you off of your feet, sending you flying into soft sand, only the blue sky and the sparse feathery cloud in your vision now.

In your daze, you hear Jackie laugh out loud, and turn your head to see Camille approaching to help you up.
“Are you okay Ashe-” Is all she gets out before a wind sends her rolling through the sand.

Unharmed for the most part, you get up, only to see the Doc get blasted next as Jackie's grin suddenly vanishes,”Barriers, wards, like come on people we haven't got all day!

“I wasn't ready,” You say as you shake some sand out of your hoodie. In the next moment, you see her turn the gun on you again, and like a reflex this time, you create a barrier... somewhat.
Jackie's wind knocks it away, though what's left of it at least isn't enough to knock you on your ass again.

“You won't be ready when someone wants to make a space in front of you explode into flames, or when a nerve's intent on sapping all the heat in an area.” Her accent drops, as her eyes flicker between you and the other two as they get up. The gun's instantly pointed at Camille, and she's sent right back down onto the ground. Jackie's expression only gets colder and more detached.
“And we haven't got time or the cause to coddle you. If I wait for you to be ready you could die when you face an over your better. There are many.” Her expression softens back into her usual haughty smirk as she shoots the doc next, pointing the gun back at you.
She pulls the trigger again,”Ready?” said as an afterthought.

Your training progresses as you strengthen the ward, exploring various methods for ceasing her attack. You notice that the blasts of air get more powerful each time she goes through the rounds, yet her telegraph remains the pull of her trigger, even the barest twitch.

At first you create one shield, thinking that good enough, yet then she surprises by striking you from behind, giving you a crash course that nerves don't need to attack from one direction. “Anywhere they can see is a possible attack angle.” Which you take to mean, if you're facing a nerve, the only direction you won't be attacked from is directly behind.

Camille and the doc's progress is slow, though Jackie doesn't let up on them either, forcing them to get good now or go home battered. Your ward improves a little each time, but her increasing force continually overwhelms your attempt to block it fully.
“You keep making it stronger,” You take a knee, panting from more mental exhaustion and burn then anything else. By now, Camille and Eustene are taking a break, getting some water as they nerve their still-glowing nerves.

“No I'm not,” Jackie gives a coy smile, a point to her face as if to say “who, me?”

>>32112919
>>32112955
Did you go with the thing where partial purchase ranks give minor burn reduction? Without it, there's no reason to use the partial purchase ability, since LIMIT points unspent are still useful for saving our ass when over our head. If partial purchase does nothing on its own, then it's actually detrimental.

“Yes you are, each shot you're making it more powerful. How am I supposed to deal with that?” You stare her down hard your own grimace. You've been getting battered by some of the stronger shots, especially the ones that blindsided you. It's starting to get hard to deal with between that and the magical strain.
Hot Rod and Helia carry on training with Noatak, going through their own form of close combat practice. It seems that at the very least that man is giving them a fair training session rather than being a freaking nazi like Jackie.

“I'm not.” She smiles again,”Like, I'm just decreasing the surface area.” She rolls her eyes before the emotion drains from her face again, “Eventually it'll be like getting hit with a bullet. That's what I'm training you to block.”

Staring at her for a moment, you start feeling sick from her stare. Like before, there's a certain of animosity that rolls off of her like a venomous miasma. It makes you meek. It makes you realize that she's absolutely willing to shoot you.

“How powerful are you really?” You stare her down, gathering your courage against her presence. It dissipates instantly with a toothy smile, as though you pressed the correct button to yield a favorable response.
You touched her ego, and she liked it.

Pointing to a shrub in the distance, she makes sure that your eyes follow. She garners Camille's and Eustene's attention to. “Observe. This is the power of an experienced nerve.”
Putting her hand down and simply staring at the shrub it swings in one direction, then another, and another, until its dancing a frenzied jig, bits and pieces of it coming off of it me the tenth of a second, a full radius attack by Jackie's sonic wind manipulation. After a few seconds of her death stare, the shrub is reduced to a single branch of plant-fibers still rooted to the ground, the rest of the shrub's body scattered into the wind.

“I've done that to a person before.” She turns back to the three of you, her eyes rolling as she pushes out a hip, resting her gun at her waist.
You stare on, locking your vision on the mutilated shrub. That spell, you smile, a wicked smile of dark desires, that's something you'd like to learn. The power to absolutely annihilate and with precision. Then a sudden realization comes over you. There are others with that level of power. If you don't learn how to ward off an attack like that, you could be that shrub.

Camille stares at Jackie's declaration with her face draining of color, the doc less than amused yet already well-acquainted with Jackie's homicidal tendencies.
“I think it's safe to say that warding is a good idea.” The man comes back into the training field from his break. “If I may, Jacqu-”

“Jackie.” She cuts off the man, suddenly rather stern, and eyeballing him with a great deal of scrutiny, “Or I'll be calling you Rusty.” The facade fades and she sticks out her tongue. The doctor sweats a bit more, and you know it's not just from the heat.

“Jackie. Is there a way to make a ward stronger?” Euestene asks, eyeing Jackie's gun warily, something all of you have been keen on since her surprise attacks.

“Well duh,” She flips her red hair, orange shimmers running through as the individual strands catch the sun, burning like young embers, “Like, you can totally use an image that's relevant to you. Like a shield, a house, a shell, or like whatever you want. You just need to make it work.” She fires at the dock, from her hip, slamming his shoulder alone with the force, demanding a flinch from him and a shout of pain from the sudden impact.
“We're at about baseball size now by the by.”

Eustene rubs his shoulder sorely, that one's going to bruise.

>What will your image be?
>Will you use a physical medium for the ward? This is not exactly necessary.

>>32113294
>bubbles
>caeser zeppelin a gogo

>>32113294
Also accepting any questions that Asher might want to ask the oh-so-wise Jackie.

>>32113313

>Cantrip that makes use of water bubbles that store Devil's grin minisplosions on contact.

Could be cool.

>>32113320
>y u so mean

>>32113294
>What will your image be?
Aegis + a frozen wasteland. Imagine a huge, arctic hellhole that saps the magic right out of the air as it comes at us and then rolls harmlessly over our badass shield. Shooting magic at us should be like trying to invade Russia in winter.

Use fire to glass a circle around us in the sand. We don't have real ice, so just pretend the glass is ice. Our circle of icy no get it.

>>32113294
>Adamantine
>The legendary unbreakable substance

>>32113294
A shield
>>32113313
Go with this if no one else votes to speed this along.

>>32113294
I say we ask jackie what different kinds of magic she knows, or if it's just the air stuff

>>32113320
Tell her about the mechs and the roller-blade ninjas, ask her about possible weakpoints and vulnerabilities.

>>32113335
>>32113294
Ask her if she knows how to summon at all.

>>32113294
>What will your image be?
A mirror. Don't just block it, bounce it back.

>>32113294
If I were Asher I would think of the sun. I don't know why, maybe it's because I like that it's a metaphor for truth, righteousness, pride, Lucifer, and is the source of power all life on earth depends on.

>>32113406
That I like.

>>32113294
>What will your image be?
Black hole. Jackie was talking about them earlier, so use that image for our ward. Magic hits it, magic don't come back out. Magic don't get through. Ultimate stop.

>>32113406
this sounds interesting

>>32113294
Can't we like experiment around?

>>32113487
That's what Asher's going to do with all these ideas.

>>32113493
So you're going to just include all the usable ones in the next update, kinda give a vague idea of how they all differ from eachother, and then have us vote on the one we like best? Coolio.

>>32113294
It's probably a good thing to use images that are relevant to the spell being thrown at you.
So use the bottom of the ocean. Ain't no air down there to shoot at ya.

>>32113294
>The Armor of Achilles that was said to be impenetrable.

>>32113541
Space would be better.

>>32113570
I just said the ocean because Asher kinda has a water thing going on.

We could also probably use FIRE as our image, since it eats air and just gets bigger.

And use multiple rings of fire all slanted at different angles so that it's kinda like a sphere almost.

Dran knows what I'm talking about. Do it like the guy did in Psyren I can never remember Japanese names. Ever.

>>32113294
Do the thing I just said in this post. With the fire rings.

>>32113619
You mean girl, Angelica I think. Damn, Psyren was so long ago maybe a read through for ideas

>>32113861
I meant the thing the main guy did with his black sphere thing where he'd make a bunch of little ones and they'd all orbit him and kill any psi that got near.

Except make it out of fire.

>>32113861
There's Melschee's orbit that Ageha used, it was the destructo-spheres bound by a ring that destroyed everything that came near.

Then there's the fire queen that you're referring to. For some reason i'm remembering her name as elizabeth, likely wrong though.

Incidentally, it's possible to use an ability like hers, full radius control into an avatar form.

>>32113904
>Incidentally, it's possible to use an ability like hers, full radius control into an avatar form.
WANT.

I WANT IT SO MUCH.

How many points I gotta throw into Pyromancy to work it?

>>32113904
What about the 'program' that Marie(?) had, I bet those can be helpful in not being Jackie's bitch. Probably not

File: Fuu_Salamandra.png (162 KB, 783x926)

162 KB PNG

>>32113917
Next level should be a good start to sustaining that, though it could be attempted now.

>Pic related for what we're talking about.
And I looked it up, Frederica is her name.

>>32114003
>'program
Can already be used with Cantrips.

>>32113335
>>Cantrip that makes use of water bubbles that store Devil's grin minisplosions on contact.
Would be an example.

>>32114005
Would mixing it with Summoning to make it a pseudo-thoughtform make it more or less stable?

>>32114070
A mindless, programmed thoughtform would actually be rather stable. I'd have the "program" be done by asher in the background if you wanted it.
With any extraneous details you guys'd like to include in there too.
A mindless thoughtform would basically be a VI instead of an AI if we're talking about the difference.

>>32114070
You mean to summon a Salamander?

>>32114113
a VI?

>>32114113
That's exactly the kind of thing I've wanted out of summoning since we got it.

Next chance we get, I would like to make a not-Salamandra.

>>32114137
Virtual intelligence. Pure program. Only as smart as you make it, stifled ability to learn.

>>32114005
Oh yea, Tsun-moe. Melschee's gate was OP.

>>32114113
Excellent

>>32114113
That sounds perfect.

>>32114113
Wait are we make a familiar here?

Taking a breath, you decide to try out a few ideas for wards. That said though, you've got some things to talk about.

First thing to try, you weave a bubble around yourself, even if it doesn't truly exist, you keep the image in mind and focus on trying to have magic either slip around or bounce back. Hell, if it bounced it'd be better than a full stop after all.
“What other kinds of magic do you know?” You speak before the other two, Camille shutting her mouth instead of saying something just as she takes another muffled hit with a bit of a whine.

Jackie doesn't look at any one of you specifically as she chooses her next target, “Like, I know speed and wind. I've told you that, like duh,” she rolls her eyes and shoots at doc again. He takes it like a champ, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. Like a champ.
“And well,” She shoots at you without looking, the condensed shot spears right through your bubble and hits you. It feels like a goddamn pitching machine just hit you in the stomach. You hold steady, even as your legs tremble a bit. You feel the bubble ripple, as though it tried to resist. Maybe this attack is too small for it now? Or you need to increase the surface tension?
Nah, better to scrap it, try something else for now as the next round gets smaller still.
“I'd like, keep some of my tricks a secret. I can get by like, awesome with just these two spells anyway.” She shrugs her shoulders with a playful grin as she shoots Camille again. The painter's ward actually manages to block the spell, much to her surprise and Jackie's amusement.
“What'd ya use?”

“Uh,” Camille laughs nervously, still pretty beat up from the earlier abuse, and especially apprehensive under Jackie's glare. “A statue.”

“Huh, whatever works.” Jackie shoots again, striking Camille in the kidney from the back. “Like, get it all around. Come on, kay?”

Camille remains standing like a real trooper. Euestene's still kneeling, next shot is your turn you anticipate.
Next test, you weave the mana around you to resemble an arctic waste with you shielded at the epicenter. A chill crawls up your spine as you feel the arcane cold all around you. Jackie turns her gun on you, another shot fired, this time it comes in at the back of your knee.

You feel the energy from it slip away from the resistance of the soft ward, finally coming into contact with a shield that's become like a bear's hide on your actual body.
Your leg buckles, but it only stings. Despite the effect, you feel like this one takes a bit more out of you. Practice might make this a strong one though.

“What'd you imagine?” Jackie smiles at you with a keener interest than Camille's attempt.

“I'd like to keep some of my tricks a secret.” You snark, causing Jackie to smile at you dangerously.

She fires off five more shots at you, making you twitch and dance a little from the stinging impacts. You maintain your focus through the onslaught, knowing that it'll hurt a hell of a lot more if you don't.
“Fun. You get points Asher.” She shoots at the doctor again, finding that he too has got something going for him now, even if not perfect.

You weave your next experiment, a black hole. Though your mind begins to race with the details of what a black hole really is, your power begins to subconsciously feed into creating the hyperdense matter and you find that you need to cut the connection as the burn starts to take its toll.
That. That is a dangerous one. You'll need to be careful with that idea.
Scrap it for now, try that later.

Last test. You encircle yourself with streams of flame, real flames and stabilize the ward through mana, keeping the fire steady and making the ward connect between the streams. The burn is decent for this one, though you find that it presents a visibility issue.
You see Jackie smirk, and raise her gun to you. A burst of her sonicbooms explode around you, the flames flickering brighter as they eat the sonic air. You can feel the ward physical and mana bend around you as her attacks attempt to breach.
She lets up after you lose count of the explosions and you fall to your knees breathing heavily from the sustained assault along with all the other botched attempts.

As your flame flickers away, you can catch Jackie absolutely beaming for a moment,”Now that's like, TOTALLY how you ward. You even like, figured out that you can burn the air.” Jackie shakes her head, clapping with her gun in hand and that pleased smile still on her face, “Totally fucking pass.”

>Which do you like the best?
>[] Bubble, it just needs more work... If you can bounce a spell...
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.
>[] Rings of fire. It's good against wind magic at the least, and it's consistent even if it's a bit flashy.*
*Out of the four, this is the one that's visible in the physical.

>>32114380
>[] Bubble, it just needs more work... If you can bounce a spell...

>>32114380
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
I like this one the best. I think it has potential.

>[] Rings of fire. It's good against wind magic at the least, and it's consistent even if it's a bit flashy.*
But I realize that this one was the most immediately effective...

I'd still like to work on the black hole some later though. It seemed like it might be able to really fuck shit up.

>>32114380
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
I like the ice theme we got, maybe we can tweak more?

>>32114380
>>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
would it be possible to
>increase the overall area
>decrease the temperatures to insta freeze temp without killing Asher
>at some point fill the area with VI thought forms that will A. auto attack foes within the area B. auto defense for Asher by deflecting/taking hits

>>32114380
>[x] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
When we combo that with our standard Ice Shell thing, we'll be golden.

>>32114436
>>increase the overall area
Yes.
>>decrease the temperatures to insta freeze temp without killing Asher
y increasing ice into Cryokinesis. It's current effect is pure astral right now.
>>at some point fill the area with VI thought forms that will A. auto attack foes within the area B. auto defense for Asher by deflecting/taking hits
Yes.

>>32114380
>>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.
NOBODY EVER SAID BECOMING AN UNKILLABLE BADASS WAS GOING TO BE EASY OR SAFE.

or you might as well count my vote towards
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
because I feel like it's the best anyways, and it's also most likely going to win.

>tfw all of those except the bubble were my suggestions
>tfw almost guaranteed to get my way, one way or the other.

>>32114380
depending on the situation
>Bubble- blocking/bouncing simple attacks and spells
>Frozen Defense Territory- area shield, still needs work
>Black Hole- taking out big targets/spells we need gone not just blocked
>Rings of fire- in terms of solid shield this is our best bet when engaged in combat

>>32114380
>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114380
>>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114380
Actually, let me adjust this.

>[] Bubble, it just needs more work... If you can bounce a spell...
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.
>[] Rings of fire. It's good against wind magic at the least, and it's consistent even if it's a bit flashy.*

You can pick two. Asher will focus on stabilizing two wards. And yes, there are improvements that can be added onto them to make them branch out into more offensive defense tactics

>>32114549
>Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114549
>[x] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>[x] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114549
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114380
an idea for later might an outer layer of frozen defense territory to weaken the spell with rings of fire on the inside to take what's left.

>>32114549
>>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>>[] Rings of fire. It's good against wind magic at the least, and it's consistent even if it's a bit flashy.*

>>32114549
>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.
>[] Bubble, it just needs more work... If you can bounce a spell...

>>32114549
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114549
>>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>>[] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.
No contest. Hell, we could even probably set it up so that the frozen energy sapping feeds it into the black hole so that we don't have to put our own energy towards it.

You want to shoot magic at me? Ok, you're powering up my ultimate attack.

>>32114549
>[] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely
>[] Rings of fire. It's good against wind magic at the least, and it's consistent even if it's a bit flashy.*

>>32114549
>[x] Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>[x] Black Hole. It's dangerous, but there's something there.

>>32114579
I feel like combining the two will cause a hell of a lot more burn though, we should try to keep whatever we focus on something simple and powerful that can always be relied upon in a pinch.

>>32114600
That sounds incredibly tidy and efficient, and I support it 100%.

>>32114600
You do realize how expensive those spells are?

>>32114549
>Frozen Defense Territory. Taking a weakened spell might be possible, and if improved it might just nullify something entirely.
>Rings of fire. It's good against wind magic at the least, and it's consistent even if it's a bit flashy.*
fire and ice

>>32114634
That's the point. We don't use our own energy to make the black hole; we use our enemy's attacks to fuel its creation.

>>32114678
They require a shitton to start.

>>32114634
If Asher can get it to work as intended, it should only be around middling expensiveness, and it would get less expensive the more powerful the attack we blocked. The tradeoff would be of course the physical danger hyperdense matter poses if we let it get out of hand.

Since we seem to be picking up Frozen Defense Territory I'd suggest we get Ice up to Apprentice with our 2 Limit Points so we have Adept level defense that can be supplemented with even better ice walls and the like.

>>32114712
We'll get better at it.

>>32114723
I'd much rather grab geokinesis so we can finally have all our cardinals down, paving the way for dat gud alchemy.

>>32114723
I can second this. We need better defenses anyway.

>>32114723
That's not how it works.

>>32114716
>physical danger hyperdense matter
It currently only exists in the astral domain.

>>32114821
What if we were to attempt to make it into a thoughtform?

>>32114821
Dran could we power our spells with material components?

>>32114850
You can try. A little sacrifice for a spell.

>>32114850
What?

>>32114870
Make sacrifice power spell.
>>32114866
Maybe we could sacrifice some rubies to power our fire magic...

In the next moment she shoots you again, a stabbing pain lancing up your arm as you stifle an agonized scream, clutching the wound.
A check on it, and you find an already forming bruise in the size of a sliver dollar, no blood.

“I'm taking a break,” you say with a bit of anger, bowing out to catch a breather. Jackie lets you go, obviously done with you as she works the other two harder. You catch her expression though. Her glare's gotten a bit harsher and nerves are pulsating around her eyes in a steady throb, trickles of sweat beading on her brow. She's working hard too... You suppose that's some relief.

The bottle of water is like a little bit of heaven on earth. You swear you can feel steam pour off of your brow as you splash a bit on your forehead and hair, pushing back your locks as you watch everyone train.

Noatak's got Helia meditating now as he spars with Hot Rod, the two of them moving with an almost blurred motion as they contact, though the results of the clashes are apparent, Noatak's winning every time. He waits for Hot Rod to get back up, sparing words to Helia during the brief reprieve, and then they get right back to it.
“Hey Jackie, I've been wanting to talk to you about something.” You speak to her loud and clear, hiding the fatigue in your voice. The drink definitely helped.

“Huh?” She responds a little dismissively as she sends Camille through a little assault to test the Doc's new defense. One or two hits make him dance a little, but he seems pretty alright now, getting the hang of the course.
“When we came here, we had a run in with mech suits and roller blade ninjas,” You take another drink from your water bottle, “They're apparently called wraiths over a radio, didn't catch the mech's official name but, you know of any weaknesses they might have? I get the feeling we'll be seeing them again.”

Jackie lets up on the other two, suddenly paying attention to you, “Never seen them before. First heard of them with you coming here.” She's gotten serious, and rather thoughtful. It's kind of unlike her. “You two scrubs, take a break, I'm sick of shooting you.”

After they get some waters from the cooler, she shoos them off with a wave of her gun, getting them to sit a ways away. Camille casts a glance to you, but eventually she and the doc start talking.

Jackie sits next to you with, the two of your hanging your feet out of the open car doors as you guzzle some water to ward off the heat.
She's refreshes herself before she starts talking, “I was surprised when I heard Eshe died.”

“Surprised? You just about ridiculed her.” You say with a passivity that's unbecoming of those words. Losing Eshe hurt, but a lot's happened these past few days. This is your first chance in a bit to calm down and think. “So you don't know who they are or where they come from?”

“Well, it's likely that they come from an Over. The question is like, which one though.” She kicks a foot, popping off a flip-flop and wiggling her toes in the air, “We didn't know that they could deploy things like that... Noatak and HR gave me a rundown of what they did, but you're smart, smarter than you look anyway Asher.” She looks over to you, obstructed by frame, seat, and seatbelt. She's being oddly nice and attentive, or rather more professional than usual.

“The wraiths had a sonic emitter,” You start, resting your elbows on your knees as you think back to it, “I got hit with it and it blew out my eardrum. Hurt like a motherfucker and I couldn't do anything without my spell quivering and falling apart. Could barely even walk.” You meet her eyes with yours,” Those are the dangerous ones. Eshe was killed after getting it with that.” You face forward again, watching Helia meditate on the desert sand, “They're fast, quick enough to dodge a bullet and can see behind themselves too. When they move with that speed they build up heat though, from what I saw. They have these little vents that they spit the hot air out of.” You stand and give Jackie a few points to the locations.
“Aside from the sonics, they had claws and no other weapons from what I could see. I figure that they're not really made to kill but disable.”

Jackie nods, taking in the information,”And the mechs?”

“The mechs... They have miniguns. And whatever they hit Helia with. It looked like they arm themselves differently from mech to mech. Can't really give too good detail there.” You scratch your wet hair, noting your lack of information.

Jackie slips her foot back into a sandal and stands beside you,” Good to know. So they use sonics. I can probably neutralize that. The miniguns too.”

“With your speed?”

Jackie smirks, looking at you with her haughty grin returning, “Yeah.”

“Do you have power over metal?” You raise your eyebrow, rubbing at your growing stubble.

She shakes her head,” My power over speed is power over speed.” She chuckles at the redundancy, you groan, “So long as it's in motion, I can add to it or stop it.”

“Huh. That's interesting. So the shots earlier?”
“I make a little movement, with my air elementary, and then enchant speed into it. Simple.” She takes a deep breath now, noticing that you're still staring at Helia.
You sense a change in her demeanor, different from the one before.

“Asher, I've been meaning to ask, about that one.” She doesn't point, but she looks on, Helia shifts in her position.

>[] “Yeah, we're an item. Sorry I'm taken.”
>[] “What of her?”
>[] “You're more my speed, if you catch my drift.”
>[] Say nothing.
>[] (other)

>>32115217
>[] “What of her?”

>>32115217
Here we go.

>[x] “What of her?”
I really don't want to deal with this shit, but there's no way in hell Asher would say the first choice.

Rolled 33

>>32115217
>[] “Yeah, we're an item. Sorry I'm taken.”
Did the doc get around to healing her ears yet?

>>32115217
>[] “What of her?”

>>32115238
We're gonna say yes.

>>32115217
>[] Say nothing.

File: 139165163626843.jpg (137 KB, 597x900)

137 KB JPG

>Quest runs for the first time in 2 weeks
>5 minutes of in-quest time
>Back to Drama About Helia and Other Potential Waifus

>>32115217
>[] Say nothing.

>>32115217
>>[] “Yeah, we're an item. Sorry I'm taken.”
Waifu Helia. Will cause problems with Jackie.
>>[] “What of her?”
Attempt to go for the dbag Asher option. This is going to explode in our face, I just know it.
>>[] “You're more my speed, if you catch my drift.”
Waifu Jackie in the form of a hahalarious joke. Will cause problems with Helia (will be worse than the problems with Jackie that the first option would cause).
>>[] Say nothing.
What I would do in this situation, which means it's the thing we don't want to do.

These are all awful. Can anyone think of a brilliant writein in the next few minutes? Cause I got nothing.

>>32115217
>[] “What of her?”

>>32115411
>Attempt to go for the dbag Asher option.
might as well stay true to character

“What of her?” You ask a bit dismissive of what you think that this is about, still staring at Helia for a moment before looking at Jackie.

“She's off.” She crosses her arms. “Something's contaminated her and it isn't leaving. She was awakened the same day as you, right?”

“Close enough,” You shrug, suddenly feeling a knot twist up inside your gut. You can feel your pupils dilating, your eyes widening, hands getting clammy. You clench a fist. No.

“I've been watching her. I didn't really want to train her till I knew what it was, and it wasn't important when I was going to off her.” Jackie shrugs, and looks up at you. The sinking feeling in your gut gets a bit heavier under her gaze.
“Tell me what you know.”

It isn't a question.

Off to your peripheral you catch Camille practicing her own magic, a glance reveals that she's drawing things in the sand. You feel a slap across your face before Jackie grabs you by the chin and stares into your eye.

>Talk Asher, what is it?
>[] “Nothing, she must just be bad at cleansing.”
>[] “Maybe I cast a few spells to close to her? I don't know.”
>[] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It was supposed to be gone. Looks like it's not.”
>[] (Other)

>>32115494
>[x] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It went berserk and Helia helped me kill it. Looks like it's not really gone.”

>>32115494
>[] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It was supposed to be gone. Looks like it's not.”

>>32115494>[] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It was supposed to be gone. Looks like it's not.”

No choicre here.
Jackie will definitely talk sensible now.

>>32115494
>[] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It was supposed to be gone. Looks like it's not.”
And it disappeared around the time she started being useful.

>>32115494
>>[x] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It was supposed to be gone. Looks like it's not.”

Fara's still on our list of summons. I wonder what would happen if we were to set up a big warded fire circle and try to summon her into it.

>>32115494
>[] “There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision. It was supposed to be gone. Looks like it's not.”

"Her name was Fara, a Frozen Banshee more or less. Kinda crazy, a bit too insecure and jealous, loving, nice girl. I had my suspicions about her and Helia for a while now, but I couldn't see confronting her about it going well.

I didn't really have the expertise to do much of anything about it, and if it hadn't gone in her we might have all died before even meeting you."

“There was a shade I summoned under Friend's supervision.” You swallow in her grip, her painted nails digging into your skin, “It went berserk just over a week ago and Helia helped me kill it.”
Jackie relinquishes her grip from your chin, her eyes still locked on you, unblinking.
“It dropped its medium and I kept it on my person, though it vanished at some point. Interestingly enough,” You rub at the slightly broken skin on your face, “It disappeared around when she started being useful.”

Jackie nods slowly and deliberately,”And?”

“And now you're telling me that the shade's possessed her, right?”

She smiles sardonically, obviously a little angry as she gives a quick nod,”Yeah, pretty much.”

“How did you know?”

“Like, because she's got two auras mixing around in her stupid little twat, duh.” She rolls her eyes before getting serious, “I can see things like that, and she either hasn't been scrubbing her aura down lately or something hasn't left. There's a part of her that's like a mustard green, while the other is white-blue. When did it change?”

You try to think back... Her aura color? Her vein color... When DID it change?

>I remember...(insert)
>[] I don't know.

>>32115668
I'll add in parts of this in the next post.

>>32115695
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

I really don't want to go through the archives to find this.

>>32115695
>[] I don't know.

>>32115695
>[] I don't know.
I spent most of the time between then and now trying not to get killed.

>>32115695
>I remember...(insert)
Thread 16.

>The thing blasts it a second time, and you're dimly aware of a frozen figure clad in blueish white light stab at the thing with frozen spear, being dodged fluidly before her wrist is taken, arm extended and broken with a quick palm strike.

So that'd be a couple days ago. July 6.

>>32115765
It could have been as early as the 2nd, though, because people were freaking out in thread 15 thinking that she was being controlled by Fara.

The problem is that thread 15 never even makes note of Helia's glowing even once. Not even when she uses her magic.

>>32115765
>>32115804
Looking at the archives more closely, we have a problem.

Thread 14 (when we kill Fara) is listed as July 2.

Thread 15 (when we lose the tear) is listed as July 2.

The problem is that when we lost the tear, Asher says "it must have happened at some point in the past few days". This means that the dates on those threads are probably wrong, because the other option is that there were a few days that happened all on the 2nd..

>>32115695
Thread 12 mentions Helia having blue veins

>>32115902
Oh fuck you're right.

>>32115902
>>32115891
>>32115804
Her natural color is white-blue according to the pastebin.

We're looking for the mustard green color.

File: 1387273256195.jpg (118 KB, 600x613)

118 KB JPG

>>32115902
>>32115908


>>32115930
I typoed. Her original color is mustard *yellow.* That's in the archives.
And technically, it's when it stops being mustard yellow.

>>32115941
Ok, then we want to go with thread 12?

This is weird as fuck, then, since Fara wasn't dead yet then.

>>32115902
>>32115908
>>32115941
>>32115970
Thread 11 her veins flash blue when Friend does the magic telephone thing.

If you're enjoying the hintsearch, here's a major clue:
When did Helia, Emilia Armani, first meet Fara?

Ok, so in thread 11 she's sapphire blue when Friend calls, then in thread 12 she's a bit lighter blue when we're doing Ice Illusions in the desert when we got attacked and Fara broke control, and then in thread 16 she goes full blueish white.

>>32116023
MOTHERFUCKER.

She got poisoned way way way back when the frozen banshee in the foodmart place tore her up.

>>32116023
Damn just found it before the clue. Thread 5. When she she was wounded ot became grey

>>32115941
Thread 11
As she steps up, Eshe leans over to speak with her,”Flow into it, and then separate it. This is what Friend would say to do.”
“Got it.”
Under watch from the entire group, Helia's body glows with a silver-white light as she places her hands upon the wall.

>>32115941
Huh, well motherfucker, it became grey after the Banshee that would be Fara fucked her gut up something fierce, it used to be yellow, it just hasn't done that in fucking ages. Around thread 5.

And it's only been getting more silver/blue/white since then, most notably Thread 11/12. It may have went up more when we offed Fara, some of the dead Fara may have bled into the Fara inside of Helia. Removing all of the Fara from in her seems like a lot of work, I wonder if they can mix together properly.

I figured Friend would've caught something like that, or let us know what was going on.

So I guess we're going with

>Thread 5 it turned grey when the thing that would become Fara hurt her, then it's been changing between different shades of blue ever since, becoming more pronounced after thread 15 when Fara died.
using threads in place of dates because I don't know the dates.

I think her corruption got stronger the more power we fed farrah

>>32116023
Thread 5 for the pre-Fara banshee thing.

Thread 7? I think for Fara our summon.

“I'm not really sure. I noticed it go blue a few days ago. I dealt with the shade, Fara was her name, about a week before that.” Crossing your arms, you try to think on the matter more deeply. You have noticed that her power's been changing lately, while your has only recently gotten a red tint to it.
In any case, you shrug,”I can't really remember more than that.”

“Tell me more about Fara,” Jackie sits back in the carseat, kicking off both of her flip-flops this time, and inviting you to do the same.

You keep your shoes on, “Fara. Well, she was kind of crazy, insecure like a jealous ex and smitten with me after I said something to her.”

“What'd you say?”

“That I'm the only one she needs, that I'm her new family.”

Jackie hisses as if in pain,”Ohhh, that's bad, that's really bad.”

“You know, I figure that, but I'm not exactly sure why. Enlighten me.”

“Shades are empty shells of who they once were. Not like what people think of a ghost, but even more hollow than that. You filled its head with a really dependent frame of mind. They can take that pretty far.”

“You sound like an expert on the subject.”

Jackie shrugs,” I traveled with Susej for a bit...” She seems to get a little sad at that.
“Anyway. So we're dealing with a shade that's been in this girl for a few days and is hyper-dependent and fixated on you,”She points at you with both hands, “Right?”

You groan and try to shrug off the reality of the situation, “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Jackie kicks back, giggling almost madly, “Aw geeze, you are just. You're really playing with fire you know? Wow, like, that's the worst thing I've heard all day, like, totally ALL DAY.”

As she carries on into a fit of laughter, you try to think back to the earliest you can remember Helia's aura color. You think back to the days in the desert. She was blue then.
To the time in San Diego. You definitely remember her being mustard yellow when she first tried out her power. When did that change?
Your first real “Event” with her... You widen your eye at the realization.
Jackie eventually comes down from her fit and wipes away a tear at your expense, finally able to talk seriously again.

“I remember.” You speak slow, it'd been that long? “She hasn't been Mustard Yellow since getting attacked by the original instance of the shade almost a month ago.”
And it makes sense. Why she'd meditate almost religiously since getting that wound mended. It could've even fed into her feelings for you if she and Fara were connected. That's also the time that she picked up ice as her magic and began to encase herself with it before going as far as using her own blood.

Could the fight in the bathroom where Fara died been staged? How deep does this run? Fara, fucking Fara had a contingency plan?
“What do we do?” You whisper low, your eye trained on Helia with a touch of morose fear. She hasn't shown any of Helia's less remarkable traits but... They must lie in there somewhere.

Jackie puts a hand on your shoulder, “That depends on what you want to do. I'm no witch doctor, and Noatak is just as puppeted around by his angry ancestors. Best we could do is let her live and carry on with whatever she is, or...” She gives you a grin, and you know what the grin means from this psycho.
The other option is to kill her.

>[] Nip the bud at its roots. Helia is no more, Helia must die.
>[] Confront Helia about this.
>[] Leave it alone. She's fine the way she is.
>[] (other)

>>32116276

A glance around and you see that everyone's taken to their own state of rest. Hot Rod's collapsed into the sand, and the other two nerves are chatting while experimenting with their magic.

You feel an odd sensation lingering in the tense atmosphere between you and Jackie, hanging ominously as though it could just snap...

Rolled 2

>>32116276
>[] Confront Helia about this.
choosing the dramatic option!

>>32116292
Dran would an Oath of the Apprentice be possible?

>>32116276
>[x] (other)
What about trying to summon Fara? Maybe it would suck her out of Helia at least partially.

>>32116276
>[] Leave it alone. She's fine the way she is.
I feel like telling her would just make her freak out.

>>32116276
>[] Leave it alone. She's fine the way she is.

>>32116336
Explain.

>>32116344
You could try. Kind of expected this to come up.

>>32116276
Summon level one Fara within a ward.

>>32116276
>[] Leave it alone. She's fine the way she is.

>>32116362
>Explain.
Basically create an oath that only affects magic of a certain level like apprentice and below..

>>32116276
summoning her sounds like an interesting idea at least. Let's try it

>>32116276
>[x] Leave it alone. She's fine the way she is.

>>32116364
That sounds good, otherwise I'm fine with it. Fara can have helia as long as she's less crazy now.

>>32116276
>[] Confront Helia about this.

This situation needs a delicate touch, direct confrontation might set her off, and just leaving it alone means she'll probably snap eventually, likely at the least opportune moment.

So, basic plan, talk to her some, guide the conversation towards flattering her some, bringing up the times she's been useful and that we can rely on her to get stuff done. Maybe mention that we consider her a trusted lieutenant or something like that.

Then bring up that we know about Fara and how she's changed.

>>32116364
>>32116433
>>32116443
>we try to summon fara
>she refuses to come
>we create her as a thoughtform
>there are now 2 faras
Yeah great idea guys

This is probably just wishful thinking, but what if it isn't Fara?

Asher's glow changed after he started working for Lucifer. Used to be pure cyan, now it's cyan mixed with red.
Speaking of which, I wonder if Jackie can tell that there's more than just Asher in here.

>>32116498
I think it was from the kiss of pyromancy more specifically

A glance around and you see that everyone's taken to their own state of rest. Hot Rod's collapsed into the sand, and the other two nerves are chatting while experimenting with their magic.

You feel an odd sensation lingering in the tense atmosphere between you and Jackie, hanging ominously as though it could just snap...

You swallow, your eye focused on Helia for more than a few moments. “I'd like...” You think on it a little harder,”I'd like to leave her alone.” Now it's time to justify it, but more for your own benefit than Jackie's approval.
“She's gotten useful. If she hadn't been like this, I'd honestly be dead right now. She's fighting harder and more efficiently than before and she doesn't sweat small details.”

“Because she's just your loyal shade now, right?” Jackie gives that accusation with a teasing smile. She really doesn't seem to care much one way or the other.
“Really, it's fine.” Jackie takes her hand from her shoulder and shrugs her own, before regaining her usual haughty persona, “After all, it's like a bitch on a leash, right?” She bends back into the front passenger-side seat, arcing her back some as she stretches.
“I'm fuck'n wasted. Guess it's time to head back. Need to figure out how to bust the Hoover anyhow.”

The previous conversation's left you more than a little drained as you stroke your temples. Helia. Seriously, what the hell?

Should have killed Helia now. It'll only cause more problems in the future.

>>32116651
And problems give us limit points.

You look up, and feel a strange sensation... A tingling in the back of your neck as though there's someone out there that has the keenest desire to slip a knife through your ribs. At first, you think it's Jackie because, well, hell, it's Jackie. But then you notice a figure standing at a distance in the rolling waves of desert heat.
Clad entirely in black and staring at you with a glossy dome, a grim spectre of death. Your flesh crawls as cool sweat beads from your already perspiring brow. No...

>[] Cast Devil's grin on the figure while rousing Jackie.
>[] Alert the others.
>[] Remain calm and watch the figure carefully.
>[] (Other)

>>32116665
>>[] Cast Devil's grin on the figure while rousing Jackie.

>>32116665
>[] Alert the others.

>>32116665
>Alert the others.
>Put up a ward

Time to take the ward lesson to heart

>>32116681
We're in a building you know.

>>32116699
And?

>>32116696
Wards are antimagic.

Wraiths aren't magic.

>>32116699
Nah, you're sitting in the car with your feet hanging out.
In the middle of the desert out of sight from civilization.

>>32116710
wards are anti-STUFF, we were learning it so we could stop bullets as well as magic

>>32116665
>Alert the others

>>32116721
>Ward(Meta)[0.75]: Pure mana manipulation to create barriers against magical effects. Best used against summons and other nerves. Can be effective against Veins. May be destroyed by either powerful enough magic or a Bone consuming it.

>>32116721
Learned it more primarily to block magic bullets. Though a physical manifestation of the ward could do the job on bullets.
That would be an elementary spell though.

>>32116721
>wards are anti-STUFF
Maybe if we chose the black hole.

>>32116741
The black hole only exists in the magic dimension thing. It doesn't effect the physical world; it prevents magic from doing anything by destroying it in the magic world before it hits us in the physical..

>>32116740
>>32116732
>>32116741
well, I stand corrected. carry on gents

>>32116756
>The black hole only exists in the magic dimension thing
Then how is it even a black hole?

>>32116756
Exactly.

>>32116769
It has a similar effect and makeup. Make of that what you will.

>>32116756
Then it would make more sense to call it an Absolute Zero

>>32116779
so we like concentrated a fuckton of magic into it so all other magic is sucked in?

wow, I'm unhappy we picked that. Sounds like literally the least efficient way we could negate attacks.

>>32116769
Because it's a black hole. Just because it doesn't exist in this physical plane doesn't mean it's not what it is.

>>32116793
No it wouldn't.

>>32116803
>wow, I'm unhappy we picked that. Sounds like literally the least efficient way we could negate attacks.
Yeah well people don't want anything that times time and effort to master. They want quick results.

>>32116803
We picked it because it has the ability to become something much more than just an inefficient ward. Yeah, it's kinda bad now, but it will be better later.

>>32116665
>[] Cast Devil's grin on the figure while rousing Jackie.

>>32116779
Dran is >>32116410 possible?

>>32116410
I'm not sure why that'd be an oath, unless it were to lock a spell at a certain rank indefinitely.

>>32116803
Maybe if we can find some way to make the magic the NOT-black hole sucked in transfers it to ourself.

Like the NOT-black hole to suck it up and a white hole to spit it back out or something.

Shitty ideas I know.

>>32116811
What? The black hole was literally the option that we have to put time and effort into to make it good.

>>32116848
I know I reread your post the instant I already hit Submit. My bad.

>>32116665
Attack! Then alert our allies. Trust our gut, either way its no friend.

>>32116838
we'd need to pour in so much energy initially just to get it working that anything we absorb wouldn't even be worth a fraction of a percent of what we put in to start it up.

>>32116848
It'll never be good. It requires far too much energy. Even Susej couldn't pull it off.

>>32116882
We aren't making a physical black hole. What part of that don't you understand?

I don't understand how can we create a black hole that DOESN'T exist on the physical plane but the magical one, but we can fucking summon a sand worm for travel.

The fuck is going on?

>>32116890
What part of I understand it perfectly don't you understand?

>>32116882
What thread was this info in?

>>32116835
Can we impose an oath on our magic that we can overcome by leveling up our magic? Basically use the oath as a crutch that we grow out of.

>>32116895
You obviously don't understand it. The black hole ward thing was never mentioned in the quest before we tried it.

What Jackie said was that nobody has made a physical black hole. Using a black hole as the imagery for a ward was never once mentioned in the quest.

>>32116892
All magic exists on the magic plane before it comes to the physical plane. Making something purely in the magic plane is much easier than making something physical.

>>32116906
Something like.

>Impose oath on Novice skill that reduces it to nil.
>If LIMIT is put in to rank it's real rank to adept, the oath kicks in and brings it up to the next level
Is that it?

>>32116903
None of them. It was deduced through logic and reasoning.

>>32116913
You obviously don't understand that creating a magic black hole in the magic realm is the same as creating a physical black hole in the physical realm, only the former uses magic. Just like you need a fuckton of mass before a black hole forms, you need a fuckton of magic before you make a magic black hole. I doubt any human could ever possibly possess that much magic energy.

>>32116838
I was thinking of sucking up a shit ton of energy and then using that energy as a condensed gamma ray beam.

>>32116913
>What Jackie said was that nobody has made a physical black hole
Not sure when Jackie said that unless you're referring to the description of the death layer of the "magic" realm.
If you go past Sight Layer, you get to subconscious/dream layer.
Beyond that, she said, is the death layer that will draw you in if you actually go there.

>>32116942
Creating things in the physical realm is far harder than creating things in the magic realm.

It is not the same thing, we very nearly pulled it off and only stopped because we didn't want to get shot by Jackie when we made the thing and ran out of power.

A physical black hole would have fried our brain before we got anywhere near close to starting.

>>32116934
I was think more
>Oath magic
>If skill for magic is below Adept a special condition is required to use the magic and it receives the boost, once it actually reaches Adept it loses the boost and requirement.

>>32116962
>It is not the same thing, we very nearly pulled it off and only stopped because we didn't want to get shot by Jackie when we made the thing and ran out of power.
Rereading the post where we tried it, I don't see anything that indicates we came close. In fact, it looks like we had absolutely zero effect, and stopped because it was really starting to burn, still with zero effect.

“Hey. Jackie.” You tense up, letting the urgency carry through your voice. When she gets back up, you have her follow your vision to the black figure in the distance, standing and staring with ominous intent.
As soon as she sees it, she too gets wary. “You said they used sonics. How close do they need to get?”

“I've only seen it pretty close. I'd estimate it at like five meters.”

Jackie nods, and gets up, sauntering over to Noatak,”Act normal, call if it moves.”she says as she maintains a casual stride.

You watch the thing, and indeed, it isn't long before it make a move. From the first step it takes, you notice that it's different. Three things are completely off. First, It's not skating, then again, it's on sand. Second? There's a crimson gleam shimmering through its tightly knit cybernetic plate armor. Less like a gaudy LED light, and more like magic. The third? It's headed straight for you, on a straight, reckless charge at inhuman speeds. Then again, what classifies as human anymore, right?

Noatak picks up his spear to intercept, the injun's eyes following the crimson rocket as it sprints across the sand.
Helia and Hot Rod jump up, at the ready, yet they're still ignored as this steamroller comes right for you.

Jackie aims her gun, eyes locked on the thing.

>It looks like you've got yourself a date. Do you have flowers?

>[] No, but I have a grin. [Cast Devil's Grin.]
>[] Bloom some solid flame in its path as a boar spear. Hey, it worked with the mech.
>[] Cast a stream of fire to burn the thing down.
>[] Use water from the waterbottles for something...[Frozen restraints maybe?]
>[] (Other)

>>32117033
>[x] No, but I have a grin. [Cast Devil's Grin.]

>>32117033
>[x] No, but I have a grin. [Cast Devil's Grin.]
Can we put our 2 LIMIT towards either Pyromancy or Aerokinesis so that DG will hit harder / have less burn?

>>32117065
2 in Aero will upgrade it. Want that?

>>32117065
NO
>>32117072
NO

>>32117072
Yes. We need it for Alchemy anyway.

>>32117075
Why do you not want to upgrade our main attack spell?

>>32117072
Yes please. And Grin it.

>>32117072
Sure

>>32117033
>[] No, but I have a grin. [Cast Devil's Grin.]

>>32117072
yes
also cast devils grin

>>32117033
Uhh. Problem.

This thing recognizes us, so that means that the gubmint recognizes us.

>>32117033
>[] No, but I have a grin. [Cast Devil's Grin.]

>>32117225
not really that big of a problem
we've fought gubmint mooks before, they already have a description, this was going to happen at some point.
that point just happened to be now

You focus forward, shirking the idea of using an incantation at the rate this monster is going. You focus on the aggressor as it charges forward. First compress, condense, and force the air to get denser, then...
You ignite space the thing travels through, or at least you tried to, as it eruptes from the plume of solid flame, ignoring the consistency of your attack, looser bits of armor falling off from charging through the brunt of the explosion.

You swear you hit it dead on... Jackie's air shots rip through the air with high force amd precision, and yet the aggressor is only slightly belayed by the hits as they hit home.

As the thing closes the last twenty meters after starting at more than two hundred you hear Jackie yell out, “Bone!”

A flintlock explosion echoes across the dunes, followed by the charging thing getting swept aside moments before reaching you.

Your heart pounding in your chest, you look to Hot Rod, his arm fully transformed into an organic mockery of an AM rifle. His eyes are locked on the thing he just shot.
Jackie doesn't relax, pointing a finger out to direct her magic, initiating that full radius attack she demonstrated on the shrub.

You start to relax when you see that. Nothing could survive that, right?

Jackie lets up after a count to three, and the figure still rises as a bloody mess, its broken body quickly regenerating in the places that are now wholly missing black segmented plates. Through a broken mask, you can see it swallows its own blood in a fanged maw, and smiles with her sharp teeth glinting ruby with slick teeth. The body is fundamentally inhuman with the odd presence of sensual, womanly curves.
“Miss me? I remember you from fucking San Diego.” The thing growls, and you only barely remember her name at the precipice of your memory. Beliala.

As if some kind of signal were given, you feel something suddenly move, and see that Camille and Eustene are pounced upon by small bodies, likely no older than twelve, and instantly put down with the press of something to their neck, robbing them of their consciousness. One hops up on Noatak, yet a moment later his assailant is the one convulsing in the sand.

Beliala turns on Jackie, locking eyes with the other top bitch. Likely after that attack, Jackie's promoted her kill priority just now.

You're about to move when you feel someone slip up from behind...

>[] Send a Devil's grin behind you and run!
>[] Don't look, and run for Jackie!
>[] Establish a ward while on the run.
>[] Turn and face your foe.(Insert attack here)
>[] (other)

By the by, Devil's grin is a cantrip. You can use your other spells too. As of now Fire is like to work best considering the environment, though you also have a supply of water in the cooloer.

>>32117318
How much water?

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24 KB JPG

>>32117303
>arm fully transformed into an organic mockery of an AM rifle
Heeeey, Hotrod finally got his shit together.

>>32117318
>One hops up on Noatak, yet a moment later his assailant is the one convulsing in the sand.
They're machines Summon Gremlins.

>>32117318
>[] Turn and face your foe.(Devil's Grin)

>>32117333
Couple gallons worth.

>>32117318
Think Nora would be able to tamper with things without Belelelel noticing?
I doubt it.

>>32117409
Yeahhhhh You DO have summons.

>>32117303
>Beliala
Who

>>32117318
Where's helia?

>>32117422
That gubbmint chick who fought friend in the followers convention
she 2 stronk 4 us

>>32117420
Hydra a shit and Donner needs a corpse or he results in massive burn. Nora we don't even know what the fuck she does.

>>32117422
The gubmint bitch. She attacked the Followers back before thread 10, we gave a rousing anti-gubmint speech, and people turned on her.

>>32117409
Fae generally have some limited control over fate. I'd doubt she noticed that.

>>32117318
Time to summon donner using Noataks assailants corpse(?)

>>32117422
Alpha-bitch from thread 8.

>>32117432
By Noatak and Jackie.

>>32117439
>Nora we don't even know what the fuck she does.
Nora causes and takes pictures of car crashes to show her friends.

Call Nora
Y/N
You'll be using Devil's grin on your immediate rear-facing threat.

>>32117466
>Call Nora
Y

>>32117466
>Wields the ability of minor suggestion and spells based around misfortune.
I have no idea how she could possibly be useful here. Minor suggestion isn't going to make Beliafat fuck off.

>>32117466
does she take pictures and show her friends?
we have no proof of that
in fact, we have no proof that she even caused the car crashes, they just happened the same night we summoned her. Correlation is not causation. We gotta see it happen dranzy

>>32117497
>does she take pictures and show her friends?
I'm kidding, y'know, since she's an evil little psycho-bitch.

But yeah. ask her to help and see what happens. Could be funny.

>>32117466
>Call Nora
Y

>>32117514
>Could be funny
good enough for me, let's summon her

>>32117514
She's going to insult us for thinking she could do anything in this situation and then she's going to berate us for not calling up Donner and interrupting her in the middle of her afternoon prankfest and then Donner will be all "baka Summoner..." and shake his head at us.

>>32117466
>Call Nora
N

>>32117540
wendigos aren't Japanese you unnerd

>>32117558
That's the point

>>32117514
Dran did you know that the fae were known for their ability to manipulate fate?

>>32117586
It's why one of Nora's powers is misfortune.

>>32117598
And that is why she will be useful.

>>32117466
call nora Y

>>32117466
>Call Nora
Y

By the by, Devil's grin is a cantrip. You can use your other spells too. As of now Fire is like to work best considering the environment, though you also have a supply of water in the cooler.

With a look and a quick turn, you see a tall white man reaching for you, and in the next instant, you let your spell explode in his face, quick and small due to rush, though likely effective nonetheless.

You slide away gaze flickering between the psycho demon bitch stationed somewhere behind you, and the ominous man that's borne the brunt of your explosive magic.
The effect clears even as the flames stick and attach to his skin, leaving him with a lasting incendiary effect from the sticky flame.

You examine the man's face as he stares at you, unnervingly calm even as fire dances across his skin, “So you've really aligned with them. What a depraved soul you are.”

That voice, it's familiar... It's … You look over the man's face, and slowly come to truly recognize him amidst his gaunt, newly emaciated features.
It's the pastor from the night that you joined the followers.

The wind slips by, making the flames on his flesh flicker like the flames of a candle, quivering until they're put out.

You see his glow come from the veins in his eyes, a deep and dark scarlet like old blood. After staring at you for a moment, your own body tensing up to flee, you cast another Devil's Grin on him, larger and more point blank to send him back, his long robes burning as you feel the pain travel through your body. Long day, lots of magic, not getting any better.

You sense that the man should be getting up soon, but you you need to regroup. Helia and Noatak stand at Jackie's defense, though Heli'as eyes flicker over to you, and in the next moment she abandons Jackie, only for Beliala to lunge for her, taking her for an easy target as she take a swift swing during a passing lunge. Jackie's power explodes near Beliala the moment she makes her move, far louder than it probably should have been, and yet you notice that the demon-bitch isn't moving for a goddamn moment.

You call out to Nora within your mind and get an immediate, almost automated response,”Sry, busy. Lrned2text. Tlk l8ter kthnxbai!”
You're stunned for a few seconds, absolutely baffles about why fae need computers. Then you get a real response,”Kidding!”
In moments Nora flits about the battlefield, sizing up the opposition, and getting to work.

Rejoining their defense, the five of you for putting your back one to another to ensure a defensive perimeter.

You're surrounded by enemies as they regroup themselves, the strong lead of Beliala only getting up yet again as she rolls a shoulder, grinning dangerously as though she's gotten stronger, “Oh, oh, I'm gonna enjoy this.” She eyeballs you and Jackie, even as Jackie's smile pulls apart and grows ever more manic at the prospect of killing.

It's time to fight for your life.

>End Thread

Will announce the next on twitter.

>>32117813
>You call out to Nora within your mind and get an immediate, almost automated response,”Sry, busy. Lrned2text. Tlk l8ter kthnxbai!”
Hilarity. Thank Lucifer we bothered to summon this thing.

And now comes the part where we wait a week to learn we have to wait a week.

>>32117794
I thought the Followers killed anyone who walked the path of blood?

>>32117813
Nora's going to be somewhat useful, right? Not gonna be like Hydra2.0 where she immediately gets speared and we wonder why the fuck we ever bothered?

>>32117813
>You call out to Nora within your mind and get an immediate, almost automated response,”Sry, busy. Lrned2text. Tlk l8ter kthnxbai!”
Nora confirmed for best summon

>>32117892
Only when PoB attack or make trouble for the followers.

>>32117893
Nope.

>>32117794
>The priest is teamed up with a demon.
Hehehe

>>32117893
I don't know what gave you the idea that Nora would ever be useful.

>>32117912
Ah, thank you for that clarification.

>>32117893
I don't see why you'd expect her to perform like the hydra.

G'night guys!