FE on the Forums: Colors of Autumn [IC]

[Chevaleresse]

"There's nothing wrong with preferring tea ceremonies and flower gardens to blood and death." Perhaps somewhat incongruously, the girl was slowly falling into sword forms, slowly flowing from one to another. She was restless herself, even if she was reprimanding the other youkai for his own. "The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them."

[Rieki]

“How noisy…”

 

From one of the tree branches arching across the little clearing, Fuefuki watched the gathering below grow more and more raucous, his lip curling with disgust. Long gone were the quiet days with Yoriie and Ivoh’to. While the cat certainly liked to talk - and back then Fuefuki had found him to be more nuisance than companion - hindsight saw him to be a much preferred audience to this rowdy bunch. The incessant bloodlust had quickly lost its novelty.

 

One leg swung rhythmically with the tune Fuefuki hummed, the other was drawn up to be a rest for his elbow, and he leaned his cheek against his fist. His geta had been discarded at the base of the tree, but his flute remained in his free hand, silent as it had been for hours.

 

“Hmph.”

 

His silver eyes drifted away from the group as Yoriie made his fire. Fuefuki couldn’t understand how he could remain so undisturbed within such a crowd, and in fact envied him… just a little. He watched a melting pile of snow slip from a branch in the distance and land with an unheard fwump - a sound that might have otherwise inspired a melody, but Megumi's voice pulled his gaze downward again.

 

"Would it kill you all to contemplate the changing seasons silently? There is music even in the early snow..." And then, under his breath: "If only I could hear it."

[Aurorix]

"Oh... so you don't have any hobbies huh? Wow, you almost sound like a certain SOMEONE I know! Yorrie!" The cat said taking a jab at the swordsman before pondering for a moment. He then gives off a quite, sinister chuckle before whispering into Nil's ear.  "Hey, you see Fuefuki over on that branch over there? Could by chance sneak some light over to his face and then spook him with a flash? He's a jerk sometimes so its okay! Doooooo ittttttttt!"

[rokubiraijuu]

"In the chest," is Yoriie's simple response to Bakudai's inquiry about the tea leaves. In the rudimentary shack he'd called home for years, a makeshift crate of sorts had been magically warded against deterioration from the elements. Within this were the contents that needed long-term keeping, the periodically harvested tea leaves being one of them. Yoriie didn't have much of a taste for it, so it was often his shikigami who made the most use of it, but he didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, something about the smell seemed to repel him slightly.

 

As the venison cooked slowly, he has nothing left to do but observe the crowd. Ivoh'to knew by now that he was free to lick the rest of the unused carcass clean at his own leisure, and oftentimes afterwards Yoriie would drag the skeleton back into the surrounding woods after harvesting whatever bones he might need for tool-making.

 

Ivoh'to had made himself comfortable on Nil, Bakudai would prepare tea, Lord Yama and Kietasenshi were discussing combat, Megumi's easy flow of movement was an art form to watch, and Fuefuki had perched himself on a branch to scold them all. His gaze travels from one youkai to the next, then down to a distant spot on the grassy ground. An air of ease comes over him and his shoulders seem to relax, even as he shoots Ivoh'to a glare for his remark — a look that the feline was used to by now. After a moment, he walks over to Megumi, drawing one of his tachi into his hand. Without disturbing her form, he lightly taps the point of his blade to the end of hers.

 

"This might be more than practice soon."

[RedMageCole]

Fuefuki's comment seemed to make Nil just... feel neutral. They wanted to feel annoyed at being told to keep silent when they have been nothing but silent for as long as they could remember, but they didn't really have the motivation to feel any sort of emotion at that. That carried over to Ivoh'to's request, making Nil tilt their head slightly as they looked toward Fuefuki on the branch. They traced their words to Ivoh'to, trying not to make them so large as to let Fuefuki notice.

 

"..."

 

Why? He's not doing anything wrong.

[Aurorix]

"That doesn't mean he hasn't done wrong before. He's a mega poopy jerk butt. Like, if he had the chance to kill everyone just to get 5 more minutes of time to work on his music I bet he'd do it in a heartbeat." The feline whispered in the spooky lad's ear,  "Come oooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. I've got your back on this, okay!"

[Chevaleresse]

As if she'd planned the motion that way all along, Megumi flowed into an "attack" on Yoriie after the tap, hoping to initiate a spar.

"Do you really think so? I won't shy away from it, but it's not good to hear that it will be needed." Her voice held genuine concern; while a small part of her did want to fight and nearly agreed with the bloodthirsty soldier youkai, that urge was small and usually just satisfied with a match like her. She believed in what she said earlier; fighting was never a good thing, and one should seek an end to it as soon as one could if it broke out.

[Powder Miner]

Rather contradicting Fuefuki's disdain-driven plea for silence, Kietasenshi proceeded to answer every single person who had addressed him, regardless of whether or not they were still actually listening to him.

 

To the rather angry bird lord, Kietasenshi's response was an intrigued: "I think I'd like to hear that, Lord Yama." To tell the truth, Kietasenshi was never really sure when the bird's stories were true, when they were embellishments, or when they were simply false, but the dead samurai didn't really mind. It was entertaining either way, and as long as it wasn't lying in the service of getting into a nice pretty position of power, or really anything useful, it was fine by him. "Though, heh, if I get my way we're not going to have the time for stories, I'd love to go fight whatever is causing what's going on here."

 

To the sword youkai, Kietasenshi gave a surprisingly emphatic response: "No, there definitely is. Tea ceremony and flower arrangement... I'll tell you what they actually are. What they are is this nice little disguise for people to use in court, to look like they're all genteel, and to give them time to watch you and plot. That's what they're there for, and that's all. Court games. Fighting, or some craft like carpentry that's actually useful for something, that's a different story altogether. These things are honest with their intentions."

 

And, finally, to the thoroughly annoyed instrument: "Nah, fuck that, watching the seasons silently or whatever sounds incredibly boring. Music in the snow, whatever, what really counts is the wind in your hair as it whips through the battlefield, the alertness in the very air, tracking those around you to find the perfect step, or block, or moment to lunge... a lot more dynamic, don't you think?"

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

This was certainly a bunch of unruly children. Yama suddenly remembered why his sense of wanderlust had returned as often as it did these days. It wasn't loud but the ones near him if they were paying attention could've heard what sounded like someone sighing. The Mountain bird wouldn't seem to be the source, after all he didn't have typical human mannerisms and further never seemed to portray much emotion on his face. As it turned out, Bird's faces weren't suited to being emotive, past the emotion of cold dead anger. One guessed it was the result when nearly half your face was a hardened protrusion made for the means of tearing prey and foes apart. 

"Hmmm, l'm glad you wish to hear an old bird's tales Dark Flame." The old grandfather started, puffing up ever so slightly. The emotions of the Mountain Lord were always much more apparent in his body language, the movement of his feathers and the like. He seemed happy as the crest of feathers on his head perked up, and his errant head movements seemed to focus on the samurai in front of him. The Lord was perceptive however, he noticed the young grasshopper's words to the Blade Maiden. It had seemed that something was afoot. Grasshopper was ever the perceptive one, perhaps the youngest of the children assembled and yet he had a wisdom far beyond the years of perhaps all but He, The Lord of The Mountain himself, and The Dream Eater.

He proceeded to tell his story, hopping that tea would arrive soon, he felt the weight of his age... 5000 years at the least, grinding into his form. He supposed it was but natural... especially with the extent of his recent travel and battles. "She was the commander of a young peak it had seemed... a mountain that was new to the world a child in it's eyes, perhaps even younger than me myself..."

[rokubiraijuu]

Yoriie neither responded to Megumi's question nor, customarily, did he relent to her silent request for a spar. His attention was somewhere else, cast out beyond the small clearing, through the thicket of dense trees. Lord Yama had begun one of his long tales, but his old voice was as much background sound as the icy wind that had crept into these woods some weeks ago, rapidly strengthening.

 

As it turned out, the midday meal and gathering didn't last very long. The young onmyoji hardly took a few bites of the cooked venison when a sudden, unannounced gust seared through the forest clearing like an uninvited guest. Letting out a sharp grunt of surprise, he reached up to held onto the pelt atop his head with one hand, bracing himself against the log he was seated on with the other, as a frigid wind wracked the area, shards of ice pricking at his arms. 

 

He'd hardly had time to begin wondering what to do, though, when it subsided just as quickly as it'd come. And in its place, what was a verdant clearing a moment before looked like it had been winter for several weeks. The ground was newly blanketed in a layer of frost that crunched beneath his feet when he stood up. Everything from the shack to his clothing to the deer carcass was coated in new ice crystals. The shikigami hadn't been spared the effects of sudden wintry blizzard either. It had come in the middle of Bakudai pouring tea, turning the steaming liquid into a frozen stream now jamming the spout.

 

And, of course, it had knocked Fuefuki clean off his perch.

 

Yoriie spared no more time. With a frown, he fastened his tachi more securely about his waist. The gust had done him the favor of putting out the remains of the cooking fire. "Let's go." Without another word, he set off into the trees in the direction of the deepest woods. This was certainly not natural.

 

-----

 

They didn't have to travel far. The further into the forest they ventured, the more evidence of this strange early winter surrounded them. Trees were stripped bare of leaves; the autumn grass turned first to frosted vegetation, then to patches of snow that grew deeper and more expansive as they walked. The temperature rapidly and noticeably dropped. But more disturbing than the physical transition was the sensation of heavy dread. It had been just palpable in the clearing, but now it had become almost corporeal; none of them would be oblivious to the sensation that a malevolent energy that did not belong in this plane had seeped into the woods.

 

"The nether force," Yoriie muttered. "It's— there."

 

He interrupts himself as they come to a place where the thick treeline briefly thins out into an old forest path. He'd been here before, but under the thick cloak of snow, it was hard to recognize. The path split not far ahead, he knew, into three separate clearings. Spirit energy had always been strong here, so perhaps this was no surprise. Another powerful gust of wintry wind buffets them, blinding their vision for a moment. When it lifts again, he can make out shapes moving nearby behind the brush. The aura they exuded was not benign.

 

"Sooner than I thought," he says to Megumi, a continuation of his earlier remark, as he draws his blades. Behind the brush, a pair of demon wolves emerge, their eyes gleaming and jaws slavering. He's fought off many of them before when they've encroached too close to the clearing, but at a glance, he can see that these are different. Infected with nether force, they've lost themselves, and brim with murderous intent.

 

The wind continues to swirl around them, cold as ice, as though threatening a blizzard again at any moment. "Whoever is causing this weather, they're close," he says. "I can feel it. Find them."

 

 

"There are a lot of them..."

 

Yoriie's eyes dart through their surroundings. "Nearby. There should be good places to set up a realm. Where the energy is right. If any of you find one, I can try something. We can't fight them all at once."

 

VICTORY: Find and Defeat the True Boss.

DEFEAT: All Player Units are Defeated.

 

Turn 1

 

Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler

Enemies: Health, Weapons
Demon Wolf 1 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 2 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 3 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 4 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 5 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Kanko 1 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 2 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 3 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 4 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 1 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 2 : (22/22) Heavy Branch (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 3 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Kodama 1 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 2 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 3 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 4 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
??? 1 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 2 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 3 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)

Players: Location, Health, Weapons
Bakudai (P12) : (17/17) Heal (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Fuefuki (Q12) : (19/19) Charming Flute (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Ivoh'to (P13) : (16/16) Chakram (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Kietasenshi (O12) : (22/22) Iron Blade (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Lord Yama (N13) : (21/21) Wind (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Megumi (P11) : (18/18) Slim Sword (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Nil (O13) : (22/22) Swarm (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
 

EXP Tracker: 0/100

 

[RedMageCole]

Nil was more than happy for the distraction from Ivoh'to's requests, because they were quite honestly beginning to confuse them quite a bit. They indifferently followed Yoriie without a word (not that they could give any of the sort) and prepared themselves for fighting when they saw harmful spirits. They... didn't like fighting. But it seemed that they had no choice...

 

Nil walked, his feet dragging into the ground, up to a wolf. They didn't really see who they were fighting, until they looked up. They flinched horribly, backing up and seeming as if they wouldn't attack. For once, they were actually quite obviously scared... but in a fit of desperation, they hurriedly traced words into the air.

 

SWARM

 

These words didn't light up, but instead stayed black and immediately turned into a swarm of flies that rushed after the wolf.

 

Nil moves to M12, attack Demon Wolf 2

[rokubiraijuu]

As the magic wrought by Nil surrounds the wolf, it yelps in surprise and pain, snarling.

Spoiler

(Nil is at zero!)
(Demon Wolf 2 is daunted by Nil!)

 

Nil:
Attack: 11
Hit: 86%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 2:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --

 

Nil's attack, 86, hit!

 

Demon Wolf 2 takes 11 damage!

(Demon Wolf 2's Hit is reduced by 10!)

 

Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler

Enemies: Health, Weapons
Demon Wolf 1 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 2 : (10/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 3 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 4 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 5 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Kanko 1 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 2 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 3 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 4 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 1 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 2 : (22/22) Heavy Branch (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 3 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Kodama 1 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 2 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 3 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 4 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
??? 1 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 2 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 3 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)

Players: Location, Health, Weapons
Bakudai (P12) : (17/17) Heal (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Fuefuki (Q12) : (19/19) Charming Flute (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Ivoh'to (P13) : (16/16) Chakram (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Kietasenshi (O12) : (22/22) Iron Blade (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Lord Yama (N13) : (21/21) Wind (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Megumi (P11) : (18/18) Slim Sword (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Nil (M12) : (22/22) Swarm (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
 

EXP Tracker: 2/100

 

[GodofGamingRWBY]

???

 

"Please... Just leave. I know you mean well, but I..."

 

... What was she doing here? This forest wasn't her home. Or was it? She couldn't even tell anymore. At least here she could get some peace and quiet... From what, she didn't know. She had already taken noticed some dark shapes flicking in and out of her vision, but since they didn't approach, she didn't really register them. She was just lost, lazily drawing an incomprehensible picture within the snow with the blunt end of a naginata. The question of why she was here, sitting upon this long in a forest she didn't recognize, still remained in her mind, refusing to leave her alone until-

 

"Wait, wait no calm down, please just take a second to-" BREATHE

 

The Yokai let out a sigh, causing another large gust of frozen wind to blow into the forest, unnaturally weaving its way throughout the trees in order to maximize the area it froze. Now she remembered. That man... He had rejected her. After all she had done to help him, she was just cast aside, just like that. Why did he do that? What had she done wrong? The Yokai couldn't tell anymore. Was it even her fault? It didn't matter. As long as she was left alone, she'd be fine. She always had been... Now was no different.

[Rieki]

Fuefuki had been keeping an eye on Ivoh’to and Nil, well aware of the cat’s penchant for mischief, so when he found himself thrown from his perch, his mind first reeled with the idea that Ivoh’to could be in two places at once. He righted himself and alighted gracefully on the freshly snow-covered ground, but fury etched lines into his brow and he held his flute as if to give someone - a cat - a solid whack.

 

The gravity of their new situation fell upon him suddenly though and his arm lowered. His expression, however, remained dark and smoldering.

 

“Seems even fate is intent on disrupting me today.”

 

When he said he wished to hear the music in the snow, this wasn’t what he meant, and now wolves had come to shatter what tenuous silence had fallen over the party as they all tried to make sense of the forest’s transformation.

 

“Fine then.”

 

Nil was already on the move toward the snarling beasts, and Fuefuki followed after him.

 

“This is for not listening to that idiotic cat.” He put his flute to his lips, closed his eyes, and played a few somber notes. “Now, hurry up and get rid of this thing!”

 

Fuefuki moves to N12 and performs for Nil

[RedMageCole]

Nil honestly seemed like a better reward would be getting away from the wolves; they were happy to see they were doing some sort of damage, but at the moment they were really nervous and afraid of the canine, despite their otherwise stoic nature. When they were performed for, however, they didn't see reason to reject Fuefuki's... gift, for not listening to Ivoh'to. Nervously, they conjured up the same words and the same spell.

 

Move to L12 and attack Demon Wolf 1

[rokubiraijuu]

Spurred by Fuefuki's music, Nil launches another attack at the second wolf, this time doing a fair bit more damage.

Spoiler

(Nil is at zero!)

(Nil was a captive audience!)
(Demon Wolf 1 is daunted by Nil!)

 

Nil:
Attack: 13
Hit: 86%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 1:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --

 

Nil's attack, 49, hit!

 

Demon Wolf 1 takes 13 damage!

(Demon Wolf 1's Hit is reduced by 10!)

 

Lord Yama to M12 and attack Demon Wolf 2.

Following up behind him, a flurry of slicing winds deters the first wolf from coming any closer.

Spoiler

(Demon Wolf 2 is daunted by Nil!)

 

Yama:
Attack: 7
Hit: 92%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 2:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --

 

Yama's attack, 47, hit!

 

Demon Wolf 2 takes 7 damage!

 

Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler

Enemies: Health, Weapons
Demon Wolf 1 : (8/21) Crushing Bite (40/40) Hit -10
Demon Wolf 2 : (3/21) Slashing Bite (40/40) Hit -10
Demon Wolf 3 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 4 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 5 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Kanko 1 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 2 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 3 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 4 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 1 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 2 : (22/22) Heavy Branch (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 3 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Kodama 1 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 2 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 3 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 4 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
??? 1 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 2 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 3 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)

Players: Location, Health, Weapons
Bakudai (P12) : (17/17) Heal (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Fuefuki (N12) : (19/19) Charming Flute (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Ivoh'to (P13) : (16/16) Chakram (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Kietasenshi (O12) : (22/22) Iron Blade (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Lord Yama (M12) : (21/21) Wind (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Megumi (P11) : (18/18) Slim Sword (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Nil (L12) : (22/22) Swarm (38/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
 

EXP Tracker: 8/100

 

[Chevaleresse]

"You've given me no choice." She would leave her response to the warlike youkai for later, instead moving up to deal with the immediate threat.

M11, stab Demon Wolf 2

[Aurorix]

"This ice yokai is so uncouth. There's no finesse, no grace in their act. Quite shameful really." The feline spoke before leaping from tree top to tree top. He formed a finely chiseled dagger of ice before launching it upon one of their foes.

 

Ivoh'to move to N10 and attack D. Wolf 1

[rokubiraijuu]

Megumi's blade pierces the wolf's throat, severing its windpipe and killing it quickly.

Spoiler

(Megumi is in trees!)
(Megumi is shaking off rust!)
(Demon Wolf 2 is daunted by Nil!)
(Demon Wolf 2's Hit is reduced by 10!)

 

Megumi:
Attack: 7
Hit: 82%
Crit: 5%

 

Demon Wolf 2:
Attack: 7
Hit: 56%
Crit: 1%

 

Megumi's attack, 59, hit!

 

Demon Wolf 2 is defeated with 7 damage!

 

The dagger of ice embeds in the second wolf's throat and it reels backwards with a pained snarl.

Spoiler

(Demon Wolf 1 is daunted by Nil!)

 

Ivoh'to:
Attack: 5
Hit: 85%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 1:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --

 

Ivoh'to's attack, 57, hit!

 

Demon Wolf 1 takes 5 damage!

 

Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler

Enemies: Health, Weapons
Demon Wolf 1 : (3/21) Crushing Bite (40/40) Hit -10
Demon Wolf 2 : (3/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 3 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 4 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 5 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Kanko 1 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 2 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 3 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 4 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 1 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 2 : (22/22) Heavy Branch (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 3 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Kodama 1 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 2 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 3 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 4 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
??? 1 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 2 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 3 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)

Players: Location, Health, Weapons
Bakudai (P12) : (17/17) Heal (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Fuefuki (N12) : (19/19) Charming Flute (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Ivoh'to (N10) : (16/16) Chakram (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Kietasenshi (O12) : (22/22) Iron Blade (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Lord Yama (M12) : (21/21) Wind (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Megumi (M11) : (18/18) Slim Sword (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Nil (L12) : (22/22) Swarm (38/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
 

EXP Tracker: 15/100

 

[Bfroger6]

"..." Baku gave the frozen tea a deadpan stare before looking in the direction from whence the wind came. "Ruining a perfectly fine brew." He clicked his tongue three times and shook his head, the chains on his wrists clanking. He jumped after Yoriie, turning into his tapir form with a puff of smoke. His every step crunched the snow, producing a somewhat bouncy sound as his relatively large tapir body moved like a gazelle, matching Yoriie's speed. When the Onmyoji stopped, he jumped and landed back on his two feet, again in a puff of smoke.

 

And as soon as Yoriie gave his command, Baku was on the move, gesturing for his master to follow and stay safe behind him.

 

"Master Yoriie, chop chop." He said with a smile.

 

Move to P10, leaving it up to Yoriie to activate the Realm

[Powder Miner]

Kietasenshi grinned as he strode towards the remaining wolf, unsheathing his katana with a flick, the lick of soul-fire emanating from the ever-present cut above his eye dancing with his excitement. "Well, I see you all were kind enough to leave some for me, huh? Thanks for that." Kietasenshi lunged at the wolf, his smile wide across his face -- and once he'd done that, his other arm swung out to heartily clap Nil on the back... practically hard enough to knock the poor mute shikigami out of this plane of existence, though no malice was meant. Kietasenshi then positioned himself in front of Nil, his sword held out and at the ready. "Let me take care of things for you now, yeah, little buddy?"

 

L11, kill Wolf 1, Guard Nil.

[rokubiraijuu]

Unfortunately, distracted by Nil, the swordsman's strike swings wide, granting the wolf an opening that allows him to counter twice.

Spoiler

(Demon Wolf 1 is daunted by Nil!)
(Demon Wolf 1's Hit is reduced by 10!)
(Demon Wolf 1 will attack twice!)

 

Kietasenshi:
Attack: 8
Hit: 82%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 1:
Attack: 9
Hit: 67%
Crit: 1%

 

Kietasenshi's attack, 100, miss!
Demon Wolf's counterattack, 47, hit!
Demon Wolf's counterattack, 35, hit!

 

Kietasenshi takes 18 damage!

 

Further back from the fray, Yoriie goes to where Bakudai signals him, footsteps crunching in the frozen grass. The energy swells in the air like a miasma as he draws close, but through the teeming haze of nether force, he can make it out. 

 

"Mm."

 

It's a sound of approval, and he takes out a talisman from between the folds of his robes, focusing on the way the invisible pathways intersect in this space. The ki bursts forth in a rippling wave through the frosted treetops, knocking some snow off branches. In the distance, his shikigami near the front lines of the current battle would hear the groaning of thick tree branches twisting, old wood creaking and cracking as it shifts. Two of the trails seal off with newly-formed flora.

 

"It won't last. Move quickly."

 

Yoriie activates the Realm!

 

[ ENEMY PHASE ]

 

Demon Wolf 1 attacks Kietasenshi.

Once more, the wolf retaliates, bringing the sword spirit to his knees.

Spoiler

(Demon Wolf 1 is daunted by Nil!)
(Demon Wolf 1 will attack twice!)
(Demon Wolf 1's Hit is reduced by 10!)
(Kietasenshi has analyzed Demon Wolf 1!)

 

Demon Wolf 1:
Attack: 9
Hit: 57%
Crit: 1%

 

Kietasenshi:
Attack: 8
Hit: 92%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 1's attack, 35, hit!

 

Kietasenshi is defeated with 9 damage!

 

Kanko 1 to K11 and shoot Megumi.

Advancing up somewhat, the kanko leaps up onto its bamboo tube, firing a cannon-like shot of ki at the other sword shikigami.

Spoiler

(Kanko 1 is daunted by Nil!)
(Megumi is in trees!)

 

Kanko 1:
Attack: 7
Hit: 67%
Crit: 1%

 

Megumi:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --

 

Kanko 1's attack, 66, hit!

 

Megumi takes 7 damage!

 

Jinba-Ittai 1 to N9 and attack Ivoh'to.

A great centaur-like creature charges at Ivoh'to, but underestimates his slipperyness, taking a slash from the ice dagger in answer.

Spoiler

(Ivoh'to's Avoid is increased by 10!)
(Ivoh'to is in trees!)
(Ivoh'to has feline reflexes!)

 

Jinba-Ittai 1:
Attack: 10
Hit: 38%
Crit: 0%

 

Ivoh'to:
Attack: 3
Hit: 82%
Crit: 0%

 

Jinda-Ittai 1's attack, 87, miss!
Ivoh'to's counterattack, 34, hit!

 

Jinda-Ittai 1 takes 3 damage!

 

Kodama 1 to O9 and attack Bakudai.

The spirit vanishes among the branches of its native trees and attacks the baku with swirls of cutting wind.

Spoiler

(Bakudai is bound by passivity!)
(Bakudai is enduring through serenity!)

 

Kodama 1:
Attack: 3
Hit: 100%
Crit: 0%

 

Bakudai:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --
Aegis: 10%

 

Kodama's attack, autohit! (Aegis: 54)

 

Bakudai takes 3 damage!

 

Demon Wolf 3 to O6.

 

Kanko 2 to M6.

 

??? 1 to P6.

 

 

Turn 2

 

The Realm lasts for 2 more turns.

 

Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler

Enemies: Health, Weapons
Demon Wolf 1 : (3/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 2 : (3/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 3 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 4 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 5 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Kanko 1 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 2 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 3 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 4 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 1 : (19/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 2 : (22/22) Heavy Branch (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 3 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Kodama 1 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 2 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 3 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 4 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
??? 1 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 2 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 3 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)

Players: Location, Health, Weapons
Bakudai (P12) : (14/17) Heal (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Fuefuki (N12) : (19/19) Charming Flute (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Ivoh'to (N10) : (16/16) Chakram (38/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Kietasenshi (O12) : (0/22) Iron Blade (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3) Downed 3/3
Lord Yama (M12) : (21/21) Wind (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Megumi (M11) : (11/18) Slim Sword (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Nil (L12) : (22/22) Swarm (38/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
 

EXP Tracker: 21/100

 

[Aurorix]

"Wow Kieta, I thought you were some great war spirit or something." Ivoh'to makes an ice replica of the fallen warrior's sword,  "I guess the 'cat that it is unworthy to spar with' will just have to finish the job you so royally screwed up." He then nonchalantly launches the replica at the wolf.

 

Ivoh'to kill Wolf 1

[Bfroger6]

"Thank you very much, Master Yoriie." Bakudai gave the Onmyoji a bow. His hair was a bit ruffled from the wind the kodama blew at him, but otherwise he was quite unimpressed. He hopped over to Megumi, pulling his pipe out. "Now just relax, you'll be good to go in no time."

 

Move to N11, use Heal on Megumi

[rokubiraijuu]

Ivoh'to finishes off the troublesome wolf cleanly, with a blade replica through the skull.

Spoiler

(Demon Wolf 1 is daunted by Nil!)

 

Ivoh'to:
Attack: 5
Hit: 85%
Crit: 0%

 

Demon Wolf 1:
Attack: --
Hit: --
Crit: --

Ivoh'to's attack, 52, hit!

 

Demon Wolf 1 is defeated with 5 damage!

 

Cheat Sheet:

Spoiler

Enemies: Health, Weapons
Demon Wolf 1 : (3/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 2 : (3/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 3 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 4 : (21/21) Crushing Bite (40/40)
Demon Wolf 5 : (21/21) Slashing Bite (40/40)
Kanko 1 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 2 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 3 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Kanko 4 : (20/20) Bamboo Shot (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 1 : (19/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 2 : (22/22) Heavy Branch (40/40)
Jinba-Ittai 3 : (22/22) Antler Gore (40/40)
Kodama 1 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 2 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 3 : (18/18) Cold Talisman (40/40)
Kodama 4 : (18/18) Breezy Talisman (40/40)
??? 1 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 2 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)
??? 3 : (22/22) Iron Lance (40/40)

Players: Location, Health, Weapons
Bakudai (N11) : (14/17) Heal (29/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Fuefuki (N12) : (19/19) Charming Flute (30/30)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Ivoh'to (N10) : (16/16) Chakram (37/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Kietasenshi (O12) : (0/22) Iron Blade (40/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3) Downed 3/3
Lord Yama (M12) : (21/21) Wind (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Megumi (M11) : (18/18) Slim Sword (39/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
Nil (L12) : (22/22) Swarm (38/40)E, Vulnerary (3/3)
 

EXP Tracker: 28/100