Secrets of the World

Jayce appears at Y2!

Sophia appears at Y1!

Rosa appears at X1!

Kiera appears at Y6!

Samuel waits like a cunt-goblin. Bitch.

The Enigmatic Book glows with a strange aura!

Prologue: Opening the Veil

Location: New York City Public Library – The Reading Room / Study Area / Fiction Section

Atmosphere: Shaken Reality (This is like a bad acid trip! Low chance of Hesitation for the Ally Party.)

Objective: Defeat the mysterious enemies!

{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } A
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } B
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } C
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } D
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } {S} { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } J
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } K
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } L
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } M
{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } N
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9--10--11--12-

{W} {W} { } { } { } {W} {W} O
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} P
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} Q
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} R
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} S
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} T
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} U
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} V
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

{r} {r} {r} {r} {r} {r} W
{R} {R} { } { } {b} { } X
{O} {J} { } { } { } {K} Y
{b} {b} {b} {b} {b} {b} Z
-1---2---3---4---5---6-

Enemy Phase

Rah falls on Rosa! 8 Str Damage!

Rosa takes 3 Damage!

Rah is in a toppled state!

{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } A
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } B
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } C
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } D
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } {S} { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } J
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } K
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } L
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } M
{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } N
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9--10--11--12-

{W} {W} { } { } { } {W} {W} O
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} P
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} Q
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} R
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} S
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} T
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} U
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} V
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

{r} {r} {r} {r} {r} {r} W
{R} {R} { } { } {b} { } X
{O} {J} { } { } { } {K} Y
{b} {b} {b} {b} {b} {b} Z
-1---2---3---4---5---6-

Rah is in a Toppled State for 1 turn!

Samuel *-3% Ice Dmg Taken*
SP: 17/20
AP: 35/35
Str: 4
Grd: 3
Img: 8
Mnd: 6
Dex: 3%
Luck: 3
Move: 3 Cells

Sophia *+10% Dmg Output*
SP: 16/30
AP: 8/20
Str: 6
Grd: 2
Img: 2
Mnd: 4
Dex: 9%
Luck: 5
Move: 3 Cells

Rosa *Nocturnal Sect*
SP: 21/30
AP: 40/40
Str: 2
Grd: 5
Img: 5
Mnd: 6
Dex: 2%
Luck: 4
Move: 3 Cells

Kiera
SP: 19/30
AP: 25/25
Str: 8
Grd: 4
Img: 2
Mnd: 3
Dex: 6%
Luck: 4
Move: 3 Cells

Jayce
SP: 21/35
AP: 11/35
Str: 6
Grd: 4
Img: 2
Mnd: 3
Dex: 11%
Luck: 4
Move: 3 Cells

1 *KO*

2 *KO*

3 *PERFECT KILL*

4 *KO*

5 *PERFECT KILL*

Agarrath *PERFECT KILL*

Rah
SP: 10/10
AP: 20/20
Str: 6
Grd: 10 --- 5
Img: 1
Mnd: 0
Dex: 0%
Luck: 2
Move: 1 Cell

{W} – Wall
[No Occupy]
SP: 40/40
Grd: 20
Mnd: 10

{d} – Desk
[No Occupy]
[Trigger Command: Search – Look for something on the desk to use. Range: Adjacent.]
SP: 15/15
Grd: 5
Mnd: 3

{b} – Bookcase
[No Occupy]
[Trigger Command: A Little Light Reading – Take a book off the shelf. Range: Adjacent.]
SP: 20/20
Grd: 8
Mnd: 6

{b} – Enigmatic Book
[No Occupy]
[Trigger Command: Pick Up – What the heck is going on with this thing? Range: Adjacent. Uses: 1]

{d} – Empty Desk
[No Occupy]
SP: 15/15
Grd: 5
Mnd: 3

{b} – Perused Bookcase
[No Occupy]
SP: 20/20
Grd: 8
Mnd: 6

{r} – Turned Over Bookcase
[No Occupy]

Player Phase 11

- - - - -

Samuel nearly swore again as Kiera suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her level – being nearly a foot taller than the girl, his new position was definitely not the most comfortable. She pushed him away almost as quickly, thankfully, although not without berating him about his manhood or lack thereof. He huffed to himself. Bitch, he thought to himself irritably as she went on, listing off the few choices she was willing to give him before she stormed off. As soon as she was out of sight and, presumably, out of earshot, he swore again and kicked the desk. "God damn it!" He turned to leave the room and follow after the feisty little girl. "If we die it's totally on her."

Samuel converges at the Fiction Section!

The Fiction Section of the library is one of the smaller rooms, but clearly marked and obviously the place where all the action is taking place. Colors flying everywhere and a beast made of solid rock sitting inside greet her as Kiera enters the room. A book, from which all this color and wailing and magic is coming from, sits on the floor with its pages flipping madly like a bird lost in flight. A slot on the bookshelf near it is empty, like someone grabbed the book and opened it to read. Then when it started spewing demons from the netherworld, they left it be?

"Oi!" Kiera shouts across the hall, seeing others on the otherside who could move like her. "Who's the cunt-goblin that didn't close the god damned book!?" Regardless of who's fault it is, the book has to be closed, so Kiera steps towards it and picks the thing up without a shred of fear and slams the thing closed as hard as she can.

Kiera moves to Y-5

Kiera picks up the Enigmatic Book! Close that fucker up already!

Jayce hurried back to the fiction section, with Sophia and Rosa close behind. Another girl that he hadn't seen before was on the other side of the fiction section. The rock-monster lumbering around somehow felt a little less threatening than everything else the drug dealer had fought up to that point. He dodged around it, trying to think of a way to use the environment to defeat it. Maybe they could knock some shelves over?

Apparently the golem had the same idea because it then used itself in the same method Jayce was thinking of using a bookshelf. It toppled over on top of Rosa, showering her with a bunch of heavy rocks. "Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed. He spared a quick glance at the new girl. She was screaming obscenities. Jayce was about to make a comment about the book, but she picked it up and slammed it shut anyway.

With that, he turned his attention to the pile of golem on the ground, pulling back his leg and stomping on a rock in an attempt to free his new ally.

Jayce uses High Kick on Rah! 8 Str damage! (AP: 3/35)

Sophia moves to X3.

So Sophia rushed after Jayce with Rosa behind her and together they arrived in the fiction section to quite a sight. There was a book on the floor spewing out a horrid energy--definitely the source of all this madness. There was no other explanation. Aside from the chaotic book, there was a massive golem right at the entryway, and it did not hesitate to tumble over and crush Rosa.

"Rosa!" Sophia shouted, dashing past Jayce to the other side of the toppled golem. There was another girl in the room who slammed the book shut, and that was definitely a great relief.

"I haven't been here at all today, so it wasn't me," she tossed the comment to the girl who shut the book, and as soon as she had firm ground behind the golem, she pierced her knife with ease into the weakened rock.

Sophia stabs Rah! 3 Piercing Dmg! [5% Crit Chance]

Rosa came into the Fiction Section shortly after Jayce and Sophia had arrived. The two of them were next to shelves just as high as the ones in the studying area and packed to the brim. There was also a violet light that was radiating from behind the large rock golem that was right in front of her. It towered over Rosa, making her feel like a child in front of a statue... and that statue was falling right on top of her! She had no time to move anywhere before the entirety of its weight pinned her down to the ground. She screamed as she heard Sophia and Jayce call out her name. There wasn't much else she could focus on other than the pain she was suddenly in. Even if she wanted to move, everything below her chest was pinned down by the golem and she couldn't move a fraction of an inch. Taking shallow breaths, she grunted and took her right hand, hooking the big book at its head. "Take that!" Rosa yelled at the thing that had landed on top of her, her arm flopping down onto the floor. She couldn't wiggle or anything; she was stuck.

[Rosa is under the mindset of Nocturnal Sect!
Rosa's AP Costs that are higher than 5 are reduced by 1.
Rosa Basic Attacks Rah!
[1+2] (3) Str Damage!
Rosa waits...]

Sam appears at Y6!

The Party obtains the Enigmatic Book! [Inventory Updated]

The Enigmatic Book stops emitting aura... it almost seems comfortable in Kiera's hands...

Rah takes 7 Damage!

SP: 3/10

Prologue: Opening the Veil

Location: New York City Public Library – The Reading Room / Study Area / Fiction Section

Atmosphere: Shaken Reality (This is like a bad acid trip! Low chance of Hesitation for the Ally Party.)

Objective: Defeat the mysterious enemies!

{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } A
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } B
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } C
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } D
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } J
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } K
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } L
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } M
{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } N
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9--10--11--12-

{W} {W} { } { } { } {W} {W} O
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} P
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} Q
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} R
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} S
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} T
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} U
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} V
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

{r} {r} {r} {r} {r} {r} W
{R} {R} {O} { } { } { } X
{ } {J} { } { } {K} {S} Y
{b} {b} {b} {b} {b} {b} Z
-1---2---3---4---5---6-

Enemy Phase

Rah gets back up!

Geomancy places Rah at X4!

Sophia is battered by the moving rocks and takes 3 damage!

{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } A
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } B
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } C
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } D
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } J
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } K
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } L
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } M
{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } N
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9--10--11--12-

{W} {W} { } { } { } {W} {W} O
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} P
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} Q
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} R
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} S
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} T
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} U
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} V
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

{r} {r} {r} {r} {r} {r} W
{R} { } {O} {R} { } { } X
{ } {J} { } { } {K} {S} Y
{b} {b} {b} {b} {b} {b} Z
-1---2---3---4---5---6-

Rah is no longer in a Toppled State!

Samuel *-3% Ice Dmg Taken*
SP: 17/20
AP: 35/35
Str: 4
Grd: 3
Img: 8
Mnd: 6
Dex: 3%
Luck: 3
Move: 3 Cells

Sophia *+10% Dmg Output*
SP: 13/30
AP: 8/20
Str: 6
Grd: 2
Img: 2
Mnd: 4
Dex: 9%
Luck: 5
Move: 3 Cells

Rosa *Nocturnal Sect*
SP: 21/30
AP: 40/40
Str: 2
Grd: 5
Img: 5
Mnd: 6
Dex: 2%
Luck: 4
Move: 3 Cells

Kiera
SP: 19/30
AP: 25/25
Str: 8
Grd: 4
Img: 2
Mnd: 3
Dex: 6%
Luck: 4
Move: 3 Cells

Jayce
SP: 21/35
AP: 3/35
Str: 6
Grd: 4
Img: 2
Mnd: 3
Dex: 11%
Luck: 4
Move: 3 Cells

1 *KO*

2 *KO*

3 *PERFECT KILL*

4 *KO*

5 *PERFECT KILL*

Agarrath *PERFECT KILL*

Rah *CRITICAL*
SP: 3/10
AP: 20/20
Str: 6
Grd: 10
Img: 1
Mnd: 0
Dex: 0%
Luck: 2
Move: 1 Cell

{W} – Wall
[No Occupy]
SP: 40/40
Grd: 20
Mnd: 10

{d} – Desk
[No Occupy]
[Trigger Command: Search – Look for something on the desk to use. Range: Adjacent.]
SP: 15/15
Grd: 5
Mnd: 3

{b} – Bookcase
[No Occupy]
[Trigger Command: A Little Light Reading – Take a book off the shelf. Range: Adjacent.]
SP: 20/20
Grd: 8
Mnd: 6

{b} – Enigmatic Book
[No Occupy]
[Trigger Command: Pick Up – What the heck is going on with this thing? Range: Adjacent. Uses: 1]

{d} – Empty Desk
[No Occupy]
SP: 15/15
Grd: 5
Mnd: 3

{b} – Perused Bookcase
[No Occupy]
SP: 20/20
Grd: 8
Mnd: 6

{r} – Turned Over Bookcase
[No Occupy]

Player Phase 12

- - - - -

Sam arrived on the scene only to see three other people, none of whom were familiar to him in the slightest, attempting to combat some large rock monster. Kiera also stood just in front of him and held some weird old book in her hands. "Is that what caused all of this?" he asked directly, crossing his arms in front of him. Green eyes remained locked on the book. Where the hell had it come from? It didn't look like any book he'd seen in the library so far and he spent a lot of time here. Maybe if he took a closer look?

Look who decided to join us after all, Kiera thought to herself once Sam appeared. The book didn't put up much of a struggle after she collected it. Putting it down is not a viable option, not when it might open up again. Leaving it here in the library is also not an option, not anymore. If some random passerby came around and opened the book, then took off, then it needs to be kept safe. Kiera cradles the book against her chest and looks at the golem the others were taking good care of. She will keep the book and maybe put it somewhere safe. A strongbox might do the trick. Take the book and bury it somewhere.

Wait, if the book is closed, will the world even return to how it should be? Kiera takes a glance around. The golem is still here but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is still the same way. There isn't anyone else up here either. If the world is still frozen in time, then they need to figure out how to break the spell. "I wonder if this is anything like those old Disney fairy tales," Kiera says aloud, though she hardly even realizes she's talking. "Fixing the world with a kiss would be easy. But I suppose it's too much to hope for this to be easy, huh?"

Kiera waits.

Sophia got a pretty damn good look at the rocks as they rolled past her, some of which buffeted her a bit. The spots where they hit would probably bruise but for the moment that was the least of her concerns given the state of her arm at the time. The examination of the rocks revealed that they were rather weathered. Was it from their attacks? They hadn't seemed impacting at all. Taking a deep breath, Sophia turned around with knife outstretched and dealt a heavy slash into the golem, waiting for the outcome.

"Please...let this be over..."

Sophia slashes Rah! 3 Piercing Dmg! [5% Crit Chance]

Sophia waits.

Still in shock from the immense weight that had kept her pinned down, Rosa was overwhelmed by the sudden rush of feeling that poured through her body when the golem moved away. Overhead, a few unattached rocks flew through the air like magic, levitating towards the big rock golem. She couldn't stand yet, but perhaps she could do something while she was down for the count. Rosa crawled towards the bookshelf on the other side that wasn't toppled over and pulled a volume out at random, hoping to use it in a similar fashion as she had earlier in the study section to help bring down the giant from afar.

[Rosa is under the mindset of Nocturnal Sect!
Rosa's AP Costs that are higher than 5 are reduced by 1.
Rosa moves crawls to Y1! (X1 -> Y1)
Rosa activates Trigger Command: A Little Light Reading on Bookcase (Z1)!
Rosa waits...]

Rosa takes a book off the shelf...

Something falls out of the book!

The Party obtains Cracked Pendant x1 [Inventory Updated!]

Rah takes 5 Damage!

SP: -2/10

Rah KO!

Prologue: Opening the Veil

Location: New York City Public Library – The Reading Room / Study Area / Fiction Section

Atmosphere: Shaken Reality (This is like a bad acid trip! Low chance of Hesitation for the Ally Party.)

Objective: Defeat the mysterious enemies!

{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } A
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } B
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } C
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } D
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } J
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } K
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } L
{W} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } {d} { } { } M
{W} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } N
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9--10--11--12-

{W} {W} { } { } { } {W} {W} O
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} P
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} Q
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} R
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} S
{ } { } { } { } { } { } {b} T
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} U
{ } { } {d} { } {d} { } {b} V
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

{r} {r} {r} {r} {r} {r} W
{R} { } {O} { } { } { } X
{ } {J} { } { } {K} {S} Y
{b} {b} {b} {b} {b} {b} Z
-1---2---3---4---5---6-

The strange enemies have been bested and the enigmatic book has been closed!
PROLOGUE COMPLETE!!

EXPERIENCE:

+3 – Betwixt Soul KO x3
+3 – Viperhead Stalker Perfect Kill x1
+2 – Young Golem KO x1
+2 – Betwixt Soul Perfect Kill x2
+2 – No Items used
+2 – No Player KO
-2 – Enigmatic Book open for > 10 turns

TOTAL EXP GAIN: 12

Samuel: 0/12 --- 12/12
LEVEL UP!
+5 SP, +5 AP, +1 Img, +1 Mnd, +1 Luck
Next Level: 0/16

Capability: 0/25 --- 6/25

Sophia: 0/12 --- 12/12
LEVEL UP!
+5 AP, +1 Grd, +1% Dex, +1 Luck
Next Level: 0/16

Capability: 0/25 --- 13/25

Rosa: 0/12 --- 12/12
LEVEL UP!
+5 SP, +1 Img, +1 Luck
Next Level: 0/16

Capability: 0/25 --- 12/25

Kiera: 0/12 --- 12/12
LEVEL UP!
+1 Str, +1 Grd, +1 Mnd, +1% Dex
Next Level: 0/16

Capability: 0/25 --- 11/25

Jayce: 0/12 --- 12/12
LEVEL UP!
+1 Str, +1 Grd, +1 Luck
Next Level: 0/16

Capability: 0/25 --- 13/25

The Party finds 59 Cash!

Items Found:

--- Poisona Herb x1

[Edit your profiles please~]

As Sophia dealt her final blow to the golem, the strange book in Kiera's arms released an azure light. Instantly the golem's falling figure burst into a puff of dirt-colored smoke, all of which flew toward Kiera as if by magic. The book, still glowing, forced itself open and absorbed the smoke into the confines of its aged and weathered pages. As soon as the five youths were alone, the book snapped shut – with it the shelves which had been toppled over righted themselves as if willed to by an invisible force.

Samuel blinked. Whatever had happened with that book, there seemed little doubt in his mind that it caused everything that had happened so far. He quickly checked around the corner to an adjacent aisle. "Shit." A woman and a young girl remained frozen in time still – their unmoving eyes trapped in the middle of scanning the shelves. Did this mean the book had not undone everything? How were they supposed to fix this then? He rejoined the others with a grimace firmly fixed on his face. "Everything's still frozen," he announced, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What the Hell is going on here?" he asked for the umpteenth time, green eyes focusing first on Rosa, then Sophia, and finally settling on Jayce – the guy looked the sketchiest of the three newcomers, perhaps he had something to do with this.

As the golem exploded into a cloud of dirt-colored smoke and flew into the strange magical grimoire that was the root of the group's troubles, Jayce heaved an enormous sigh of relief. He scanned the unfrozen people that were around him. He'd met two--Sophia and Rosa--but there were two others that he hadn't seen until the golem showed up. He hadn't introduced himself during the battle, of course.

I thought once we got that book closed, everything would sort of just...go back to normal, he thought, staring at the frozen body of a woman looking for a book on the shelf. Suddenly he was aware of a pair of eyes focused on him. The guy that showed up late was looking at Jayce as if expeceting an answer.

"I'm just as at loss for an answer as you are, pal," he replied. "Whatever is going on has to be from that book. That's the only  explanation I can think of. Unless there's another book?"

"Okay, stop." Kiera holds up one of her hands to stop anyone else from talking in that moment. She keeps her other hand grasped tightly onto the magic book, unwilling to let go of it. It would take some considerable force to remove that object from her arms. "Let's slow down for a second here. We will get nowhere asking each other if they know what is going on. None of us do, and we have no way of finding out right now. All we have is this dumb book." Still, they couldn't just leave the world like this, although that might not really be a choice at this point. Kiera glances down at the book under her arm and then to the others in the room with her. She already had an encounter with Sam and she did not like him. Hopefully these others will be a little more bearable.

"Let's start simple: My name is Kiera Riley, though friends call me Kate." Introduction out of the way, Kiera puts her hand on her hip and frowns a little. "I remember feeling a cold wind, as if the winter came inside for a moment, though no windows or doors were open. I expect everyone else felt something similar? We came across those odd creatures, I've been calling them Ghouls. Did anyone see or feel anything different?"

Sophia watched as the golem had exploded into dust and was drawn into the book the girl who was not Rosa was holding. She looked oddly irritated and pissed off for some reason, granted an ordeal such as this would be extremely troubling. Adrenaline gone, Sophia began to feel the pain of her wound coursing through her body. Her arm was tender, and moving it resulted in shots of pain. She kept it as still as possible. Hopefully her skin would mend itself and stop the bloodflow. The scarf was on there extremely tight.

Two others were caught up in this ordeal. The girl with the book was apparently Kiera, or Kate as she preferred to be called. She had brought up a good point about not being able to get answers from each other. For as much as Sophia knew, they were all just dragged into this. Was there an outside force acting on them? If so, who or what was it?

"I know the ghouls, but there was also the chimera-like creature that assaulted me, Jayce, and Rosa," Sophia noted aloud. "It wasn't there initially but later on it just popped out of nowhere. The golem came later too now that I think about it. We didn't feel the heavy thud and the toppling of bookcases until a bit after the chimera showed up."

Sophia was able to draw a simple conclusion. Maybe not a helpful one, but it was something.

"The longer the book remained open, the more monsters that appeared from...within it?"

How was it possible that monsters could emerge from a book? Sophia still wanted to believe this was some elaborate prank but this had gone too far. A flashback of the chimera chomping into her arm brought a shiver to her spine.

Rosa still felt terrible as she grabbed a book off the shelf that she crawled over to. Inside the book was a small trinket that looked as if it had seen a lot of wear. Pocketing it, she looked up as the large golem statue burst into a cloud of dust. It snaked its way over towards a book that glowed purple which was held by another girl that wasn't frozen. Was that girl responsible for these monsters appearing? This somehow couldn't be true... and yet she was hurting all over. If she could feel real pain, chances were that she wasn't in a dream; unfortunately, things were no longer even remotely in a good state. She cringed as she stood, leaning against the bookshelf for support.

Rosa took a moment to survey the new situation. As the cloud of dust seemingly was vacuumed into the book, it snapped shut and the foreboding presence that had been present since that cold wind blew through the library seemed to go away. Even if it was just for a moment, Rosa was relieved that she was able to breathe easy and let out a huge amount of breath that she hadn't realized she was holding since she got smashed. She moved her leg and tried to step forward, but just tumbled to the ground. She couldn't walk in these shoes. Leaning towards her feet, she slipped her shoes off and stood with the weight on her left side since it seemed to hurt less, letting her shoes hang from her left hand.

Rosa limped over to the small, unfrozen group to join the deliberation about the book and Ghouls and chimera-like creatures. It was surreal. She was certain that these sorts of things only existed in books and video games, not out here in the real world, and that got her looking back at the book Kiera... Kate was holding. Cringing as she rested her weight on the bookshelf, Rosa eyed the book that Kate was holding. Although it wasn't spewing out a purple light, Rosa still distrusted the book, and to an extent, its holder. Trying to ignore her pain, she took a nod at the book.

"You're right, Kiera..." Rosa shook her head and corrected herself.  "Kate. Although I would normally suggest reading the book, I'm not sure any of us would want that thing back open. I also have a feeling that it's not in a language any of us could understand anyway." Rosa's calculating eyes shifted from the book to Kate. "Why should we even keep this book? What if more things come out as Sophia suggested? We're not any better than an average person, so with enough Ghouls spawning out of that thing, we'd just get overrun. I'd really rather just leave it here so we're safe for a little while longer."

Sam looked around at each person as they provided their own input – as much as he hated to say it, Kiera was right. All they had now was the dumb book that had caused this mess. If creatures were popping out of it when it opened then the only choice they had was to ensure that it remained closed. "If we leave it here, who's to say that it won't open again and cause more trouble?" he reasoned pointedly. "Besides, everything is still frozen. If we leave it here we might be stuck like this forever – not to say I don't appreciate your company, but this is probably the last place I'd rather be in any light."

Samuel turned to Kiera. Although he didn't quite care for her attitude and temper, he had to admit she thought and spoke logically. She had to know that leaving the book here wouldn't change a thing for the better. "I'd say we have two options. On one hand, we take the book with us and try to figure out whatever the fuck is going on here. Between the five of us, we can make sure it stays closed so no other monsters appear." He shot each person in the room a very serious look. He didn't quite trust any of them, but if they went that route then he knew all of them would keep the book shut – it would be in their best interest as a group to do so. His eyes fell to the book, however, as he continued, "our other option is to burn it. It can't open at all if it's not a book anymore. Maybe that will fix this mess."

"No! We can't burn it!" Sophia exclaimed suddenly. She had been calm before after providing her input, listening to the others that needed to speak, but she instantly became alarmed at the latter suggestion that the boy offered up. There was no way that anything good would come from burning the book.

"I know...I know this is weird but I feel like a whole new hell would be unleashed if we did harm to the book," Sophia explained her hesitance to that option. "Whatever force is inside the book...well, if it has no vessel, where would it go? Theoretically of course, but still...we all know there is something in that book. What it is remains a mystery but it is there."

At this point Sophia wasn't apt to find out. Normally her curiosity might have kicked in and she would want to stick with it an investigate, but she would have a grim reminder in the form of scars upon her arm as to the danger involved with the book.

Kiera hated to be the bearer of bad news, but someone is going to have to speak up about it eventually. Sophia seems to understand the nature of the book like Kiera does, and Sam knows that the book should not be left alone. Burning it was not the best of his ideas, but they all seem to be on the same page, more or less. A bunch of strangers caught up in the middle of a calamity centered around a tiny little book in a library. The chances of something like this actually happening are astronomical, and if anyone knew anything about those kind of odds, it would be Kiera Riley.

"We definitely need to stick together," Kiera says after Sophia finishes speaking. "I agree that destroying the book would be a bad idea, if it can even be done. This is magic we are talking about here. And there's something else that is bugging me. This may not be the only book." If there is one, that means that the existence of "one" is within possible odds. If the possibility of "one" exists, then, by extension, the possibility of "two" also exists.

"It doesn't even have to be a book," Kiera goes on, glancing down at the book under her arm. It could be any kind of vessel for what they know; anything that could be opened or closed. "When this book opened, it could have triggered more books or vessels around the world to open. If that is true, the world won't go back to normal until those are found and closed. Maybe." It is a long shot to being right, but even if Kiera is right, it would be impossible to find all of the vessels by themselves. And those vessels will be leaking their contents out without end. The idea sends a shiver down her spine.

"The girl speaks the truth," a woman's voice rang from seemingly everywhere at once. The book in Kiera's arms seemed to vibrate in response to the voice. Samuel immediately steeled himself, green eyes darting to and fro. As far as they knew, whoever had chosen to speak to them could only be considered an enemy. After all, the only other beings unphased by the magic the tome had unleashed had sought to end their lives. The voice echoed further, "the Grimoire is but one of many artifacts that bridge this world and its true self." Sam's fists grew tight. The voice had lingered ever closer and yet felt incredibly far away – as if the speaker communicated from within each of them while at the same time speaking from a dimension none of them could hope to comprehend. Although it did not seem antagonistic or malicious in nature, none of the youths could say for sure the disembodied voice came from a benevolent source. There seemed a kind of detachment to it that weighed on every syllable.

The book, or Grimoire as the voice had called it, began to struggle in Kiera's grasp – still vibrating, it felt as though pulled by its own volition, not by that of the voice. The covers squeezed open just enough and the pages within began to flutter. Instead of the violet glow which accompanied the book last time, a rush of warm air burst from the paper. It washed over each of the five youths and immediately the library seemed far more peaceful – more so than it did even prior to the events of the past minutes.

The lights in the library began to dull. Color appeared to drain from the world replaced by hues of silver and gold. The invisible pull on the book removed the book from Kiera's hands and it merely floated, still closed, over to a spot none too far from the gathered strangers. Barely a three seconds passed after it situated itself; the front cover opened up to reveal a fanciful signature written in the strange glyphs and runes which littered the other pages they had seen prior. "It is an object of great power," the voice resonated from the symbols, "as are the others placed within your sleeping world." At this the runes swirled on the page before lifting – a violet-colored aura shone once more, but this time, no creature or ghoul reared its head. Instead, the figure of a woman composed of the floating symbols hovered over the book. It took a moment to look at each of the gathered youths before elegantly stepping off the pages of the Grimoire. A burst of light flooded the room.

Samuel had squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the figure before the light had a chance to blind him. When it faded, green eyes quickly met a pair of faded hazel ones. Standing in the figure's place was a woman or what appeared to be one. Glowing with an ethereal radiance and beyond beautiful, her porcelain skin possessed absolutely no imperfections and her eyes invited all welcomingly. Her long, raven-black hair fell like a waterfall around her, bangs held back by a golden circlet. Her form seemed both physical and spiritual at the same time – the dress she wore, of the richest purple hue and shimmering like a million diamonds, billowed gently as if tugged by a breeze but no air flowed in the library any longer. She remained, if only slightly so, hovering above the library floor just in front of the Grimoire.

"The Grimoire was created as a means to awaken the souls the poets speak of – those which have the power to return the world to itself." Her voice fell upon the ear now like placid waters, the words crooned like a lullaby. "It belongs to me."

"Who are you?" Samuel dared to speak, drawing her gaze and an intensity the likes of which he had never known to himself. He forcibly drew a breath.

"My name is Morgana and I have long awaited this day," the woman responded easily. Her lips quivered upward. For a moment, a tear trickled down her cheek. "Today I meet our Champions."

The word tugged at their hearts.

A disembodied voice that was so distant from this place and yet so near confirmed Kate's speculation as reality. Then again, this was a disembodied voice. What even was reality anymore? Sophia could not fathom it; she was starting to get a headache. At least the pain in her arm had dulled a bit. A moment of silence had passed, Sophia realized, but more incredible occurrences were coming. Just as the wind had been chill prior to the attack, so now did a warm wind fill this place, and the library returned to its original feel--as a sanctuary, even now it was moreso akin to that. The solace was surreal, and it filled Sophia's body with tranquility and wonder. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes to bask in this magnificence.

When Sophia opened her eyes, she caught sight of an amazing sight that came not as a surprise to her after all she had seen today. A beautiful, positively astoundingly radiant woman hovered above the library floor in front of what she called the Grimoire. She spoke, and her words caused Sophia to shiver. She spoke of strange things like poets and the world returning to itself. It didn't make any sense to her, especially when the woman finally introduced herself and deemed them all 'Champions', a word that carried so much force that Sophia clutched her heart to keep it in her chest.

"But...but I don't understand..." Sophia spoke softly, afraid to be too loud in this quiet. "What does a Champion do? What does this mean for us?" she inquired. She thought about her finals and how her last minute studying was probably the least of her worries now. Was she in an elaborate dream? Maybe she had fallen asleep while studying?

Sophia pinched herself hard but she felt the pain--just as she had felt the all too real pain of the chimera puncturing her arm with its fangs.

This was no dream.

Kiera nearly fell off her feet when the book started to quiver and open a little in her hands. She was holding onto it so tightly she did not think it would be able to break free, but something pushed on the book from inside and the voice that calls out to them sends warmth vibrating through her bones. Kiera snaps the book shut as soon as the woman is out of the book and glares at her for a moment. She needs something a lot stronger than her iron grip to keep this book closed. Leather straps, perhaps, fastened tightly around the book and backed by strong links of stainless steel.

The word, Champions, brought her chest up into her throat and she shivered. Something here isn't quite clear. Is she actually living in a video game right now, or is the blunt she smoked last night messing with her head several hours later? Either way, that seems pretty solid. Living a different life with video games gets stale after a while, but to actually be a part of something like it? Kiera couldn't have wished for a better day.

"It means, Sophia," Kiera announces, "that we have been chosen for a job whether we like it or not. Pack up your band-aids and brush off the dirt from your jeans, boys and girls. The world sure ain't gonna save itself." She could hardly contain her excitement. The rush of adventuring and living off the wild always interested her, and now she has the chance to actually do it.

Rosa felt a wave of heat reminiscent of a summer's day roll through the cramped space as the book in Kate's hands began to tremble. Contrary to what might have been balieved, she didn't feel scared as she had when the Ghouls had first appeared, but rather, she felt calm and at peace. She slumped down onto the floor so that she didn't keep weight on her legs for as long as she could make an excuse for, and as the small group was becoming acclimated to the humane temperature, there was an omnipresent voice that spoke through Rosa, echoing through her thoughts and the small space, as if it were coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. Rosa's eyes widened as she tried to find the source of the voice, and as she turned her head a few times, she finally settled upon a regal woman in a billowing royal purple dress. The clothing was beautiful, but its wearer was even more so. Black hair billowing down around a flawless face that had a maternal look about it, although emotion was difficult to discern when there was a constant stream of pain rippling through one's legs.

Rosa was speechless as the goddess-like woman had introduced herself and explained the book's purpose. However, as her monologue continued, Rosa was being filled with more and more questions. For each answer that Morgana had provided to the simple things they had all asked earlier, it seemed that there were several branching questions that budded, rendering her more in doubt and confused than when she had first seen the Ghouls. She slowly shook her head as Morgana went on, but snapped her attention back to the floating woman when she mentioned the word Champions. They all certainly couldn't be these Champions that Morgana was looking for. Rosa herself was merely a college student trying to make a means of living and paying her tuition, let alone be successful while doing so. How could she, no, any of them be capable of being a Champion of anything?

Then Kiera suddenly jumped at the proposition of going off into a now seemingly frozen world with no rhyme or reason. This wouldn't do. Something wasn't right. "Wait!" Rosa made a pleading look at Kiera before turning back towards Morgana and unloading a fraction of the questions that had suddenly cropped up through Morgana's monologue. "What do you mean Champions? How could any of us," Rosa said as she looked across the small group, "be Champions of anything? Why the five of us? What about the rest of these people? Why are they not unfrozen? 'Return the world to itself'?" She looked down in confusion. "I just don't understand any of this..."

Jayce folded his arms and shrunk back--there was a lot of deliberating on what to do and at this point the man was at a loss of what to do. His adrenaline was rapidly running out at this point, and maintaining focus was become quite the chore. He continually found himself shooting nasty looks at the girl with the book. Kiera, she introduced herself as. There was something about her that Jayce didn't like, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

It wasn't until the book started fluttering around and vibrating, soon accompanied by a woman's voice that Jayce suddenly snapped to attention, sliding halfway to his fighting stance. His eyes darted around, and he kept checking his back, looking around for the source of the voice. The book then flew from Kiera's hands, bursting open to yet another page of runes that summoned forth another figure.

Though, this figure was different.

Jayce caught himself staring at the newly-appeared woman with his mouth agape. She was so beautiful. Of course, he knew the words to describe the color of her skin, the luster of her hair, the the way her dress moved, but he couldn't put words to how ethereal and elegant she was. He'd barely even noticed the room becoming warmer and cozier.

The divine woman spoke of magic, and artifacts, and the true world. It wasn't until she spoke of meeting her Champions that Jayce felt something pull at his emotions. No, I'm not a Champion. I'm not a hero or anything like that. I'm just a regular guy...Well, I sell drugs but that's hardly an argument for me to be a Champion. He scratched nervously at his arms.

Sophia seemed just as confused as Jayce was. Kiera, on the other hand, seemed all-to-willing to jump into the whole 'saving the world' business. Rosa voiced her concerns as well. Jayce took a deep breath.

"I'm with Rosa. How the hell are any of us 'Champions'? For fuck's sake, I sell illegal substances to people. I'm not exactly a model citizen." He glanced at everyone gathered. "Now I'm not sure what the hell is going on, but I'm pretty positive you've got the wrong guy, Miss Morgana,"  Jayce grumbled. He avoided looking  at the woman for  too long, so he wouldn't start ogling at her awkwardly. He swallowed hard.

"I'm just not cut out for hero work."

Samuel shook his head. Kiera was crazy. This woman expected way too much of five kids and this whole concept of "returning the world to itself" seemed far beyond anything real. Had someone slipped him a sedative or hallucinogen that morning? His coffee had tasted rather strange. He shook his head again. Not the time, Sam, he reprimanded himself, looking once more to the floating image of the lady before them. Jayce was right. How the hell were any of them supposed to be Champions of anything – even if Kiera was all for some mystical quest into a dangerous, ailing world?

"You can't possibly have the right people here, lady," Sam responded in turn, fists tightening once more. "We're just a bunch of kids," he stated sharply, "I bet the rest of them aren't even through with college yet! Even if we were supposed to be some fated heroes or what not, not one of us is prepared for anything like this quest. Not even miss 'Adventure Time' over here." He shot a quick glare at Kiera – the girl was foolish to think they could possibly take on whatever the supposed Champions would be required to deal with. "Real life sucks enough, frankly," he grumbled, "don't give us any more shit."

Morgana's form wavered for a split second. Normally, it would have gone unnoticed but the questions asked of her and attention focused upon her was far too great for it to pass by so easily. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath – when they opened once more her eyes took on a violet color, one far more mysterious than her dress, and remained locked on something in the ether. Her lips parted and the sound of a thousand voices added to her own spoke as one, "In the realm of sleep, Five ancient youths will find the secret's keep! But fear us all for doubt prevails and fogs the waking mind – five others shall awake as well to thwart their efforts kind. Ten Champions shall fight the war to see the worlds converge. Of Ten, only Five will live to see the worlds scathed or merged." Her eyes closed once more and when she opened them again, they sparkled their usual hazel hue.

"That is the prophecy foretold eons ago – before the world fell into its deep slumber," she responded, sorrowful eyes looking into each of the youths' own. "Although you do not realize it, your souls have lived long before this world. Each one of you remembers, somewhere within the recesses of your minds, the days of old. The days when Magick prospered, monsters did not roam the land, and the worlds were not two but one." Morgana's gaze shifted to Sophia and her figure floated just a little closer to the girl. She placed her ethereal arm upon the girl's injured one and the wound stitched itself together almost immediately. She then waved her hand over to the others and they too felt their wounds disappear by an unknown force. "Sophia, Rosa, Jayce, Kiera, and Samuel," Morgana stated, looking at each one as she spoke their names, "you are the chosen few spoken of in the prophecy who can restore the world and Magick to its rightful place. It is you who are chosen to fight the war spoken of by the poets and seers of old. And I believe it is your destiny to see the worlds merged as one." Morgana's gaze focused intently on Jayce – a sense of knowing passed between the two. "I am not mistaken. The Grimoire would not have reacted to your presence otherwise."

Her form wavered again and she returned to her space just in front of the tome. "I am afraid there is little else I can do for you at this time, my Champions," she added after a moment, her visage falling just a tad. "I shall provide you with a path to take and the means to safely traverse it." With this she made another sweeping motion with her hand and suddenly another light filled the room. When it faded, a chest floated in front of the group.

The Party obtains Morgana's Gift!

Morgana's Gift reveals:

---Pathfinder x1
---Novice's Spellbook x1
---Novice's Scythe x1
---Novice's Scepter x1
---Novice's Blade x1
---Novice's Shield x1
---Novice's Knuckles x1

Inventory updated!!

"Good luck, my Champions. Step forth and brave the world. Our paths shall cross for real sooner than you realize. Have faith!" And all at once, before anyone could say or do anything, Morgana's figure faded into nothingness. The world lost the silver and gold coloring it had taken on and the book snap shut before floating not into Kiera's arms, but Sam's. He looked at it in disbelief.

"This can't be happening," he breathed quietly.

How exciting! No one else is sharing in the excitement of such a glorious task, but that did not matter. Kiera understood the world as it is, at least to some extent better than the others. When Morgana disappeared and left the chest behind, Kiera was the first to approach it and open it, ignoring everyone else for that one moment of her curiosity. Inside sat a small collection of weapons and a small wooden idol with four crystals attached to the thing. Kiera emptied out the chest onto the ground, scattering each weapon out.

A scepter and a book have to be magical items, there's no other way of putting it. Kiera felt them for a moment before putting both aside for someone else to grab. She couldn't feel any sort of connection to the weapons. A scythe and a pair of knuckles sat inside as well, but her eyes caught onto the last pair of weapons in the box. A sword and shield, while perhaps not the best fit for a skinny girl, definitely seemed right to Kiera. She picked those up and turned to face the group.

"I'm going to say this once," Kiera says, her expression now totally serious. She fit the sword around her shoulder and straps the shield to her right arm. "We got thrown into this mess. It might be a lucid dream or some kind of elaborate trick. I don't know. What I do know is," Kiera stops for a moment to point at the frozen girl looking at the bookshelves. "That is not going to fix itself."

Kiera equips the Novice Shield and Novice Blade and unequips Roselia and Handbag.