Tales of a Dreamer - Iceweed Addiction

They had made it to the summit at last. Of course, the wind had to be acting crazy. Vance held onto Nanaro, not to warm her up, but to warm himself up. "Come now, Vance. Be a man. You'll get used to it in due time. We might be here a while," she stated bluntly and hastily removed his arms from her. She walked up next to Marigold. "Do you think he's around here somewhere, or has he already descended?" she asked, tilting her head a bit. Where would he even go? It was quite a dilemma. And it seemed Marigold asked something impossible of Fu.

"From what the bears said, the guy couldn't be too far ahead of us if he did move on," Vance said, holding his arms tightly against his chest, shivering. He didn't know what to think about the situation...except that he was rather chilly. And the wind was not helping.

Marigold walked further ahead into the snow, scanning the area with her expert eyes. She was the only one of them that felt perfectly normal in the weather. Her sight was diminished by the swirling wind and snow around her, but she needed not shield her eyes from the drops of ice that pelted the skin of her and her friends.

"What do thine ice maiden eyes see?" Fu called to her, Marigold rolled her eyes.

"Bugger all," Marigold replied, her voice laced with poison. She wasn't angry at Fu, she felt anger for the puppeteer, who hid him or herself away and used mannequins and elementals to do his dirty work. Marigold turned and made her way back to Fu and the others. "I doubt that this puppeteer would be stupid enough to stay up here for very long," she told them, "So either the puppeteer is descending the mountain, frozen, or is properly equipped to wait out the storm."

"We won't get anywhere by staying up here ourselves," Fu mentioned with a glance at Vance. It was obvious the ninja would succumb to hypothermia much quicker than any of the others. "I say we reach the trail to descend the other half of the mountain now. If we run into the puppeteer, then we'll take care of him then. If not, then we can assume that he or she froze to death."

"Yes, I agree," Marigold turned back around, looking back to make sure that the others were ready to follow her, "It would be dangerous to look for trouble here at the summit. We will descend the mountain."

A shift of snow startled the group, the sound drowned out by the storm, but the movement was close by and very much noticeable. A hand seemed to rise above the surface of the thick layers of frozen water, but the color of the hand nearly matched that of the snow, so it was hard to tell. The hand continued to rise, and a black sleeve confirmed the group's suspicions, there was actually something under the snow.

"Who goes there?!" Marigold shouted at the hand, Fu gave her a look. When she gave him a questioning look, he shook his head and began to walk over to the hand.

"That's rude of you, Marigold," Fu stated blandly, continuing to walk closer to the hand until he caught something moving around his peripherals, and jumped out of the way, just as a large block of ice came hurtling past where he stood. If he had stayed for a second longer, Fu may not have had a head.

"I agree, that is rather rude," a muffled voice spoke from beneath the snow. The hand that belonged to this person pushed down on the snow, causing it to sink deeper, but eventually assisted the rest of the body up and out of the snow. The man, for it was a male body that had risen up from beneath the snow, brushed off the white powder of ice that covered his black jacket, which was tightly buttoned. The man had shiny silver hair and red eyes that seemed to glow with an inner fire. Fu was certain that this man was similar to Marigold, and did not feel the effects of the extreme cold. Upon further examination of the man, Fu discovered that the man ws only slightly taller than Marigold, and no shorter than an inch below Fu.

With an elegance not so much different from Marigold's, the man swept his left hand through his silver hair and whipped it back, getting all of the excess snow and ice out of the thin strands. At last, the man spoke again, his voice filled with pride and confidence. "I do believe it is rather rude to just leave a freezing man down in the snow, not even offering him any help."

Fu walked backwards cautiously, back to where Marigold, Vance, and Nanaro stood. Marigold frowned, her gaze not on the strange man but elsewhere. She had caught the caster of the ice, an elemental, in her sights, but now she couldn't find any signs of the elemental. Still wary of the ice elemental's presence, Marigold replied to the man, "You didn't seem to need help." The man frowned.

Watching Fu back away from the man, Vance raised his hand. "Can I be the first to call puppeteer on that guy?" he asked rhetorically, a disgruntled look upon his face. Who else would be at the top of a mountain right at this very moment after they had just caught wind of some idiot laying out elementals everywhere. And this guy had back up. Something had fired a block of ice at Fu and nearly decapitated the guy. Fu looked much more handsome with a head than without one. "I have to say that him freezing to death would have made things a lot easier."

"Agreed," Nanaro replied menacingly. There wasn't anything good about the appearance of this fellow from beneath the snow. She reached into her coat and pulled out her little bell. The winds blew upon it and caused it to ring against her will, but it couldn't do anything unless she put effort into it. It was she that possessed the power to make it hurt people, not the wind.

Vance walked up to Fu and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Be a bit more careful next time. I admire how nice you are, and your manners can hardly be matched by anyone I know, but...it's not worth losing your head over, you know?" he said and smiled uneasily. "So what do we do with this guy if he's the one we're looking for?" He looked back to Marigold and Nanaro, seeing a very displeased look on the young girl's face.

Fu ticked, he knew Vance was right. He should have approached with more caution. "I suppose there could only be one other person up here that we know of," Fu admitted his folly, and frowned. He didn't like admitting his own faults, but his pride wouldn't let him not do such a thing. A controversy that also unsettled him.

"What do we do with him?" Marigold repeated, her aura pressure increasing in the immediate area around her. "I say a thousand frozen years on this summit would do wonders with this puppeteer's hair." The puppeteer recoiled from Marigold's harsh words, an unsettled expression playing across his face as he looked up and felt his hair with a hand.

"I disagree wholeheartedly," the man said, not denying his role as a puppeteer. Instead, he looked seriously worried about what Marigold said about his hair. "I don't think a thousand years encased in ice would have any beneficial effect on my hair. It might have negative effects instead."

The puppeteer looked back down at Marigold and the others, his expression becoming dissatisfied, but not angry, not yet at least. "Since you four don't seem to want me to leave alive, I'll have to defend myself." Before the others could react, the puppeteer brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled. A high pitched sound that vibrated through the air powerfully. Two figures appeared behind him, revealing themselves to be elementals. One of them was teal, an ice elemental. The other was a grayish color, a wind elemental.

The puppeteer shoved his hand down into the snow in front of him and began to pull up what appeared to be another human body, but it's limbs were too shiny, and it wore nothing but an apron covered in blood. The mannequin shook as the puppeteer attached his strings to it and gave the puppet a large butcher knife. Seconds later, the mannequin stood, as life-like as could be, and chattered at the party.

"Shall we dance, then?" The puppeteer grinned, keeping his hands up, thin wires wrapped around his fingertips.

Objective:
-Defeat Nellion the Puppeteer

Achivement Opportunities:
-Ignore Nature; Win Battle - Defeat Nellion without attacking the elementals. (20 AP)
-Bury Him Again! - Catch Nellion in an avalanche. (40 AP)

Atmosphere: Cold Weather; Thin Air (-10 EN to all characters not affiliated with the ice-element; Doesn't affect the mid-boss character)
Soundtrack: ~Nellion Main Theme~


(r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (r) (I) (N) (W) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) ( ) ( ) (M) ( ) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) (M) ( ) ( ) (F) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Marigold (Ice Manifestation)
Lvl 2
EN: 50/50
HP: 42/42
MP: 51/51
Atk: 0
Def: 4
Int: 11
Spr: 6
Move: 2
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 46/46
HP: 41/41
MP: 37/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Nellion (Puppeteer)
Lvl 5
EN: 60/60
HP: 70/70
MP: 55/55
Atk: 14
Def: 7
Int: 4
Spr: 6
Move: 2
Evade: 7%
Morale: (//////////)

Marionette
Atk: 14
Move: 3
Trigger Command: Call Back - Allows the puppeteer to recall the puppet to an adjacent cell at any time. (Nellion Only)

Ice Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 30/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 23/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

Wind Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 20/20
HP: 10/10
MP: 23/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

(r) - Frozen Rock - There might be something cool inside. Pun intended.
Trigger Command: Smash Open - Smash it open with your powerful fist! (Fu or Vance only)(Chance of Item Get)

(~) - Shifty Snow - It might fall if you aren't careful.

*Secret Command Available This Battle*

~Player Characters may start in cells H-I~

Objective:
-Defeat Nellion the Puppeteer

Achivement Opportunities:
-Ignore Nature; Win Battle - Defeat Nellion without attacking the elementals. (20 AP)
-Bury Him Again! - Catch Nellion in an avalanche. (40 AP)

Atmosphere: Cold Weather; Thin Air (-10 EN to all characters not affiliated with the ice-element; Doesn't affect the mid-boss character)
Soundtrack: ~Nellion Main Theme~


(r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (r) (I) (N) (W) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) ( ) ( ) (M) ( ) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) (M) ( ) (V) (F) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Marigold (Ice Manifestation) *Frozen Entropy*
Lvl 2
EN: 50/50
HP: 42/42
MP: 51/51
Atk: 0
Def: 4
Int: 11
Spr: 6
Move: 4
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 46/46
HP: 41/41
MP: 37/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja)
Lvl 2
EN: 40/40
HP: 41/41
MP: 32/32
Atk: 9
Def: 4
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage)
Lvl 2
EN: 40/40
HP: 23/23
MP: 58/58
Atk: 1
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 8
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2
Morale: (//////////)

Nellion (Puppeteer)
Lvl 5
EN: 60/60
HP: 70/70
MP: 55/55
Atk: 14
Def: 7
Int: 4
Spr: 6
Move: 2
Evade: 7%
Morale: (//////////)

Marionette
Atk: 14
Move: 3
Trigger Command: Call Back - Allows the puppeteer to recall the puppet to an adjacent cell at any time. (Nellion Only)

Ice Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 30/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 23/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

Wind Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 20/20
HP: 10/10
MP: 23/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

(r) - Frozen Rock - There might be something cool inside. Pun intended.
Trigger Command: Smash Open - Smash it open with your powerful fist! (Fu or Vance only)(Chance of Item Get)

(~) - Shifty Snow - It might fall if you aren't careful.

*Secret Command Available This Battle*

Player Phase I

Marigold moves to F-3

Marigold moved forward slowly, cautiously, each of her steps bringing her closer to the odd puppeteer. She didn't want to rush into this battle, like she had with Ira and the elementals further down the mountain. Plus, the majority of her strength was lost, so she was much more vulnerable than ever before. It wouldn't be good to risk her life, not yet at least. "Stay calm, Mari," Marigold whispered to herself, calming her own nerves. She was feeling too much anger, her body temperature was rising and would throw her off her game. "Focus."

Fu moves to F-6

Fu was too far away for him to get close enough to do any sort of damage to the puppeteer or the elementals. He approached slowly, but he was sure that Vance would do no such thing as waiting. Knowing the ninja, Fu immediately assumed that he would rush into battle and get the first hit off on the puppeteer, using his superior speed and agility to get close. Fu counted on that. While Vance gathered the puppeteer's attention, Fu himself would aim to get a bit closer, all the while healing whatever Vance suffered. Fu was confident in his abilities to keep everyone alive. No need to worry.

Objective:
-Defeat Nellion the Puppeteer

Achivement Opportunities:
-Ignore Nature; Win Battle - Defeat Nellion without attacking the elementals. (20 AP)
-Bury Him Again! - Catch Nellion in an avalanche. (40 AP)

Atmosphere: Cold Weather; Thin Air (-10 EN to all characters not affiliated with the ice-element; Doesn't affect the mid-boss character)
Soundtrack: ~Nellion Main Theme~


(r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (r) (I) (N) (W) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) ( ) ( ) (M) ( ) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) (M) ( ) (V) (F) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Nellion takes 2 DMG! (Vance)

~

"Bah!" Nellion scoffed, moving his threads in a way so that they deflected the needles Vance threw at him. He couldn't afford to take any direct hits, that would be dangerous for his health. However, his threads served the purpose of blocking any attack, with the exception that they could be broken after awhile, and he would be useless. Nellion eyed the damages done to his fibers with care. They didn't seem to damaged. With a flick of his wrist, Nellion continued to watch the party while making his marionette move closer to them.

As soon as the puppet butcher was close enough, Nellion raised its butcher knife and slashed it down on Vance, catching his left shoulder and cutting through his clothes and his flesh. Blood spurted out of the wound, but it soon froze over the wound, stopping more blood from coming out.

Marionette moves to E-5

Marionette attacks Vance! 14 Atk DMG!

Ice Elemental moves to C-4

Ice Elemental waits.

The ice elemental to Nellion's right hand hovered forward slightly, but it did not attack. The ice-block simply hovered without doing a single thing.

The wind elemental also moved forward, but this time formed a gust of wind within its body, causing the entire thing to whirl around in a confusing pattern, and shot the burst of wind at Fu.

Wind Elemental moves to C-6

Wind Elemental casts Air on Fu! 6 Int Wind DMG!


(r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (r) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) ( ) (I) ( ) (W) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (M) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) (M) ( ) (V) (F) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Experience Table:

Vance did 2 DMG to Nellion!




Marigold (Ice Manifestation) *Frozen Entropy*
Lvl 2
EN: 48/50
HP: 42/42
MP: 51/51
Atk: 0
Def: 4
Int: 11
Spr: 6
Move: 4
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 44/46
HP: 40/41
MP: 37/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja)
Lvl 2
EN: 32/40
HP: 31/41
MP: 32/32
Atk: 9
Def: 4
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage)
Lvl 2
EN: 38/40
HP: 23/23
MP: 58/58
Atk: 1
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 8
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2
Morale: (//////////)

Nellion (Puppeteer)
Lvl 5
EN: 54/60
HP: 68/70
MP: 55/55
Atk: 14
Def: 7
Int: 4
Spr: 6
Move: 2
Evade: 7%
Morale: (//////////)

Marionette
Atk: 14
Move: 3
Trigger Command: Call Back - Allows the puppeteer to recall the puppet to an adjacent cell at any time. (Nellion Only)

Ice Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 29/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 23/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

Wind Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 15/20
HP: 10/10
MP: 17/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

(r) - Frozen Rock - There might be something cool inside. Pun intended.
Trigger Command: Smash Open - Smash it open with your powerful fist! (Fu or Vance only)(Chance of Item Get)

(~) - Shifty Snow - It might fall if you aren't careful.

*Secret Command Available This Battle*

Player Phase II

Marigold suddenly sprinted forward, her right hand high in the air as the snow and ice converged to a single point, creating an elongated javelin of ice, which she shot towards the puppeteer. The ice split into multiple pieces due to Marigold's magic, and struck the puppeteer. "What's the matter?" Marigold taunted, "Isn't the man supposed to lead the dance?" Nellion's eyes narrowed at her.

Marigold moves to C-3 (3 EN).

Marigold casts Stabbing Icicle on Nellion! 14 Int DMG! Chance of Piercing! Ice Elemental. (9 MP; 7 EN)

Fu raised his hands towards Fu, it would seem that he'd be on healing duty for this battle. Vance took quite the heavy blow. It was a good thing that Fu now had this power to heal injuries. He was very much glad that he spent the time to learn it beforehand. "Be healed," Fu commanded, his voice echoing with power. A golden light then wrapped around Vance's injury, the blood merging back into the ninja's skin and the wound sealing shut. A slight scar was left where the wound closed, but other than that, no sign remained of Vance's injury.

Fu casts Healing Wounds on Vance! 11 Int Healing DMG! (8 MP; 6 EN)

Objective:
-Defeat Nellion the Puppeteer

Achivement Opportunities:
-Ignore Nature; Win Battle - Defeat Nellion without attacking the elementals. (20 AP)
-Bury Him Again! - Catch Nellion in an avalanche. (40 AP)

Atmosphere: Cold Weather; Thin Air (-10 EN to all characters not affiliated with the ice-element; Doesn't affect the mid-boss character)
Soundtrack: ~Nellion Main Theme~


(r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (r) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) (M) (I) ( ) (W) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (V) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) (N) (M) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (F) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Nellion takes 14 DMG! PIERCING!! (Marigold)

Nellion takes 2 DMG!

Nellion evades Burn. (Vance)

Vance restores 10 HP. (Fu)

~

Nellion's threads couldn't stop every attack aimed at him, and he snarled in anger when he felt the cold ice betray his threads and hit him, and when the hot fire singed his body, the threads unable to completely stop the burning heat. When the attacks finally stopped, he saw that the monk was healing the injuries that his puppet inflicted on the ninja, and grew even angrier.

"Arise!" Nellion bellowed, slapping the snow on the ground with his thin fibers. With an exchange of mana, the snow on the ground swirled up into the air and reformed to make chunks of ice, like the ice elemental. When he was finished, an ice elemental stood in front of his body.

Nellion casts Summon: Elemental on C-5!

Ice Elemental is summoned to C-5!

Ice Elemental casts Iceball on Marigold! 6 Int DMG! Ice Elemental.

Ice Elemental (2) casts Iceball on Marigold! 6 Int DMG! Ice Elemental.

Wind Elemental casts Air on Marigold! 6 Int DMG! Wind Elemental.



(r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (r) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) (M) (I) (C) (W) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (V) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) (N) (M) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (F) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Experience Table:

Marigold did 14 Piercing damage to Nellion. (7+4)
+11 EXP

Fu healed 10 points of damage on Vance
+5 EXP

Vance did 2 DMG to Nellion!
+1 EXP.

Totals so far:
Marigold: +11
Fu: +5
Vance: +2
Nanaro: +0


Marigold (Ice Manifestation) *Frozen Entropy*
Lvl 2
EN: 48/50
HP: 39/42
MP: 51/51
Atk: 0
Def: 4
Int: 11
Spr: 6
Move: 4
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 44/46
HP: 40/41
MP: 37/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja)
Lvl 2
EN: 32/40
HP: 31/41
MP: 32/32
Atk: 9
Def: 4
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage)
Lvl 2
EN: 38/40
HP: 23/23
MP: 58/58
Atk: 1
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 8
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2
Morale: (//////////)

Nellion (Puppeteer)
Lvl 5
EN: 44/60
HP: 52/70
MP: 49/55
Atk: 14
Def: 7
Int: 4
Spr: 6
Move: 2
Evade: 7%
Morale: (//////////)

Marionette
Atk: 14
Move: 3
Trigger Command: Call Back - Allows the puppeteer to recall the puppet to an adjacent cell at any time. (Nellion Only)

Ice Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 25/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 17/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

ICe Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 26/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 17/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

Wind Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 11/20
HP: 10/10
MP: 11/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

(r) - Frozen Rock - There might be something cool inside. Pun intended.
Trigger Command: Smash Open - Smash it open with your powerful fist! (Fu or Vance only)(Chance of Item Get)

(~) - Shifty Snow - It might fall if you aren't careful.

*Secret Command Available This Battle*

Player Phase III

Marigold moves to A-5

Marigold flew over the snow, sneaking past the elementals and the frozen rocks to reach a space behind the puppeteer. She immediately reached out and touched his neck, her slim, white fingers touching only the hairs on the back of his neck. Marigold began to release a freezing aura around her, making the cold that already buffeted them seem tame. The puppeteer's silver hairr that Marigold touched began to freeze over. Marigold left her hands like that, on the puppeteer's neck as her aura slowly coated his body in ice.

Marigold uses Frozen Embrace on Nellion! Chance of Freeze!

Fu moves to E-6

Seeing nothing of great importance to attend to, Fu moved a bit closer to the puppeteer. He wanted to get a hit in as well, considering that this man was endangering his allies. Fu would not stand for this violence, someone had to put an end to it. Or at least, he thought. This man was truly evil...

Objective:
-Defeat Nellion the Puppeteer

Achivement Opportunities:
-Ignore Nature; Win Battle - Defeat Nellion without attacking the elementals. (20 AP)
-Bury Him Again! - Catch Nellion in an avalanche. (40 AP)

Atmosphere: Cold Weather; Thin Air (-10 EN to all characters not affiliated with the ice-element; Doesn't affect the mid-boss character)
Soundtrack: ~Nellion Main Theme~


(r) (~) (r) (~) (M) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (~) (~) (N) ( ) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) (V) (I) (C) (W) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (M) (F) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Nellion evades Freeze. (Marigold)

Nellion takes 5 DMG! (Nanaro)

Vance destroys Frozen Rock at B-3!

Orb of Stamina is obtained! (Ultra-Rare) *Added to Inventory*

An avalanche occurs!

Nellion is buried in the avalanche!

Nellion is Frozen!

Vance is buried in the avalanche!

Vance is Frozen!

...

ACHIEVEMENT GET! +40 AP

~

Nellion is Frozen!

Nellion definitely couldn't stop the avalanche of snow from crushing him and putting him a few inches under a heavy layer of snow. The puppeteer could still see the party that opposed him through a small opening in the snow. No doubt they would be attacking him while he was down. Such annoyances, was this all really necessary? Nellion frowned, glaring as much as he could at his four attackers.

Ice Elemental uses Iceball on Vance! 6 Int DMG! Ice Elemental!

Ice Elemental (2) uses Iceball on Nanaro! 6 Int DMG! Ice Elemental!

Wind Elemental uses Air on Nanaro! 6 Int DMG! Wind Elemental!



(r) (~) (r) (~) (M) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (~) (~) (N) ( ) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) (V) (I) (C) (W) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (M) (F) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8


Experience Table:

Vance was responsible for burying Nellion in an avalanche, but was also caught in the avalanche.
+2 EXP.

Nanaro is responsible for 5 damage to Nellion.
+3 EXP.

Totals so far:
Marigold: +11
Fu: +5
Vance: +4
Nanaro: +3


Marigold (Ice Manifestation) *Frozen Entropy*
Lvl 2
EN: 29/50
HP: 39/42
MP: 38/51
Atk: 0
Def: 4
Int: 11
Spr: 6
Move: 4
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 44/46
HP: 40/41
MP: 29/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja) *Frozen -3-*
Lvl 2
EN: 26/40
HP: 29/41
MP: 32/32
Atk: 9
Def: 4
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage)
Lvl 2
EN: 32/40
HP: 22/23
MP: 51/58
Atk: 1
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 8
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2
Morale: (//////////)

Nellion (Puppeteer) *Frozen -2-*
Lvl 5
EN: 44/60
HP: 47/70
MP: 49/55
Atk: 14
Def: 7
Int: 4
Spr: 6
Move: 2
Evade: 7%
Morale: (//////////)

Marionette
Atk: 14
Move: 3
Trigger Command: Call Back - Allows the puppeteer to recall the puppet to an adjacent cell at any time. (Nellion Only)

Ice Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 21/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 11/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

ICe Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 22/30
HP: 10/10
MP: 11/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

Wind Elemental
Lvl 1
EN: 7/20
HP: 10/10
MP: 5/23
Atk: 0
Def: 1
Int: 6
Spr: 4
Move: 2
Evade: 1%
Morale: (//////////)

(r) - Frozen Rock - There might be something cool inside. Pun intended.
Trigger Command: Smash Open - Smash it open with your powerful fist! (Fu or Vance only)(Chance of Item Get)

(~) - Shifty Snow - It might fall if you aren't careful.

*Secret Command Available This Battle*

Player Phase IV

"Now! Get him now!" Marigold shouted towards Nanaro, ignoring Fu. Fu would be busy healing Vance, she and Nanaro would do as much damage as they could to the puppeteer while he was down. Marigold raised her hand, forming another spear of ice, and slammed the magic weapon down towards the puppeteer, the ice splitting from the magic and embedding itself into the man in multiple places.

Marigold casts Stabbing Icicle on Nellion! 14 Int DMG! Chance of Piercing. Ice Elemental (9 MP; 7 EN)

"Awaken and repent, for the gods have decided to give you a second chance," Fu chanted, waving his right hand through the air towards Vance. A green mist flew from his hands and wrapped around Vance, providing the warmth that would release Vance from his frozen limbs. Fu shot a glance at the elementals. They were providing an annoyance, but they were surprisingly weak. He shouldn't have to worry too much about them unless they attacked one with low magical resistance, like Vance.

Fu casts Lifting Spirits on Vance! Target: Frozen

Objective:
-Defeat Nellion the Puppeteer

Achivement Opportunities:
-Ignore Nature; Win Battle - Defeat Nellion without attacking the elementals. (20 AP)
-Bury Him Again! - Catch Nellion in an avalanche. (40 AP)

Atmosphere: Cold Weather; Thin Air (-10 EN to all characters not affiliated with the ice-element; Doesn't affect the mid-boss character)
Soundtrack: ~Nellion Main Theme~


(r) (~) (r) (~) (M) ( ) (~) (~) A
(r) (~) (~) (~) (N) ( ) ( ) (~) B
(~) (r) ( ) (I) (C) (W) ( ) (~) C
(r) ( ) (V) (N) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (M) (F) ( ) ( ) E
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) F
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) G
( ) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Nellion takes 22 DMG! (Marigold)

Vance's Frozen status is cured! (Fu)

Nellion takes 11 DMG! (Vance)

Nellion takes 16 DMG! (Nanaro)

Nellion is KO'ed!

Experience Table:

Marigold is responsible for dealing 22 damage to Nellion.
+11 EXP.

Fu healed Vance's Frozen status.
+3 EXP

Vance is responsible for dealing 11 damage to Nellion.
+6 EXP.

Nanaro is responsible for dealing 16 damage to Nellion.
+8 EXP.

Nanaro's dealt a finishing blow!
+3 EXP

Objective has been completed successfully!
+2 EXP All.

Achievements have been got!
+4 EXP All. (Easy Difficulty x2)

Marigold, Vance, and Nanaro have all attacked one of the 4 enemies.
+1 EXP

Nanaro is responsible for the finishing blow on Nellion.
+5 EXP.

Fu is responsible for healing status and health conditions, one each.
+4 EXP.

Totals so far:
Marigold: +29
Fu: +18
Vance: +17
Nanaro: +26


Marigold
Level 2
Progress: 9/50---48/50

Fu
Level 2
Progress: 8/50---26/50

Vance
Level 2
Progress: 9/50---26/50

Nanaro
Level 2
Progress: 25/50---51/50
Nanaro, Level Up!
1 Skill Point Get!
2 Stat Points Get!
*1 Action Attribute Point Get!*
HP and MP are increased!
HP: 23---26
MP: 58---66
Level 3
Progress: 1/50

*Action Attribute Points, or AAP for short, is a point that can be allocated to a single A-Ability in that character's arsenal to improve that ability. To use it, simply message me or post in the appropriate thread the ability you want to improve, and place a single (1) desired improvement along with it. You can add an element, give it a status effect, ask for a decrease in mana required, increase the range (by one cell), or otherwise. Improving an ability with AAP will not cause the mana or energy required to increase. However, this only applies for the first change. The next improvement that does not involve decreasing mana or energy will cause the cost to go up.*

Update your profiles, please.

Items Obtained:
+Fire Pouch (x4)
+Golden Key
+169 Shards

Inventory Updated!

~Update coming shortly~

The frozen puppeteer appeared to have gone unconscious, either that, or he was dead. Marigold couldn't tell by just looking. The man's white limbs gave him the appearance of a stiff, cold corpse. She turned to face Fu, who was also looking at the puppeteer, a set frown on his face. After a moment's pause, Fu removed his gaze from the puppeteer and met Marigold's stare.

"He's not dead," Fu answered Marigold's silent question, which was surely bugging Vance and Nanaro as well. "But if we leave him like this, he will surely die from the cold." Fu looked back down at the puppeteer. Marigold knew what was going on through the monk's head. She walked closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, to comfort him.

"I know that you are fighting against your pride as a monk, but think seriously," Marigold began an attempt to comfort Fu. "Your job started as a cleric. Your moral obligations merely dictate that you save every soul that you can, but believe me; the only way to save this soul and the souls of many others is for him to die. Leave it be."

Fu didn't answer, he just continued to stare down at the puppeteer's barely-living body. Internal conflict was surely raging inside him, Fu's body was trembling ever so slightly, and the lines on his forehead were clearly visible, his concentration so narrow a falling rock might give him a heart attack.

A bell.

Nanaro had moved forward and slipped her free hand into one of his own. The movement she made was silent, but once she had stopped, she rang her bell clearly such that it seemed to pierce the tension. "I think we should make sure he'll be okay before we leave," she stated as if what she said wasn't crazy in the least bit. To be honest, she wanted to leave. Right then. To turn her back on the bastard that wanted to...hell, who knew? He was disrupting nature with his actions, and that in and of itself was horrible. But Fu was able to see through the hatred. He valued every human life which was something to be admired.

"Nanaro, stop talking like a lunatic. Leaving this guy living isn't going to do anyone any good," Vance scolded, his tone not as carefree as it normally was. It was a serious matter after all.

"I pray that you don't tell me what 'is' or 'isn't' anymore, Vance, when you have absolutely no clue," Nanaro shot back at him coldly. "If we leave him alive, maybe our mercy will rub off on him, and he'll re-evaluate his ways and move on with his life. I know that it is looking at it optimistically...but, well..." she stated more gently and looked up at Fu. "We can be optimists this time right? And if he ever tries to cause trouble again, we know we can torch, freeze, or do anything else to his ass, but we won't give him mercy next time...we can't afford to then, knowing he won't change," she concluded, shaking her head solemnly.

"Thank you, Nanaro," Fu spoke quietly, a slight smile gracing his lips. He moved forward and knelt down next to the frozen puppeteer. "Take heed," Fu said to him, "Your sins have been forgiven on this day." Fu raised both of his hands, a golden mist beginning to escape from his hands and fall slowly and attach to the puppeteer's limbs. Already, the cold white limbs of the man began to regain their color. "Repent from your actions and turn away from temptations of the flesh,"

The puppeteer didn't seem to react to Fu's healing magic. Instead, his eyes rolled up to the top of his head, as if he cared not for the party's antics.

Marigold redirected her attention to the trail the group had come from, where the snow bears were still hanging about. She wanted to keep an eye on Fu and the puppeteer, but something distracted her, caught her attention. Frowning, she focused her eyesight, attempting to see what was going on beyond her vision.

A white, furry head rose over the edge of the mountain, slowly bobbing up the trail followed by a long and muscular body. The snow bear spotted the group and, more importantly, Fu healing the puppeteer. With a mighty roar, the snow bear shook the mountain, drawing the group's attention to himself.

"Humans!" The beast roared, "You dare heal an enemy of the Snow Bears!? You will pay dealy for your treachery!" The bear stood on it's hind legs, its forelegs high in the air. With a mighty roar, the snow bear slammed its heavy legs on the ground in front of him, causing the mountain to shake even more violently.

"Watch out!" Marigold shouted, throwing herself over to Vance and Nanaro, just barely touching them before the mountain began to buck them off, the snow from the mountaintop shifting and sliding towards the edge of a cliff. Marigold acted quickly, summoning her dormant powers and surrounding both Vance and Nanaro in a thin covering of ice that attached to their skin. Marigold ran over to where Fu was, but it was too late, the ground gave out beneath them and sent them flying off the mountain.

The last Marigold saw of Fu was of him falling towards the bottomless pit that was the mountain floor itself.

~

Marigold woke up, her eyes fluttering as she came back into consciousness. There was no snow on the ground, but sand. Around her immediate area, she could see only a few rocks. Of all the things she could feel, Marigold felt warmth. She was startled by the feeling of warmth, there was nowhere in Krephu, to her knowledge, that held a warm atmosphere. Marigold clenched her fists in the sand, gathering the grains in her hands as the soreness of her muscles finally came to haunt her. She struggled to her feet, her legs nearly giving out beneath her, and took another hard look around.

From where she stood, Marigold could see in the distance a large grouping of trees, ones suited for warmer climates. Behind her was a massive, mountain wall. Straining her neck to look up, Marigold could not make out the top of the mountain, nor any sign of trails or flat land that she could climb up onto.

Frowning, Marigold turned her gaze away from the mountain, but a double take found her a small figure hanging on an outcropping of rock on the mountain. It was a familiar form. Marigold immediately jumped up onto the mountain and began scaling it, as if her hands and legs were made of magnetic material that sprung her up the cliff side.

Marigold reached Nanaro, the small girl's form intact and alive, MArigold could hear faint breathing, which relieved her. If Marigold's protection saved Nanaro, then Vance was safe as well, though where he was, she couldn't tell. Marigold picked Nanaro up and brought her back down to the sand.

"Nanaro, wake up," Marigold whispered, putting her cold palm on Nanaro's forehead, creating ice over the girl's brow to cool her body temperature and assist the waking process.

It had been a frightening sight. The snow bears they had just helped had turned against them just because they had compassion. The mountain began to shake and she screamed. She felt something cover her; it was a layer of ice undoubtedly conjured by Marigold. As she fell, she closed her eyes, awaiting what would most likely be imminent death.

...

A feeling. It was something Nanaro had not expected. To be able to feel at all...it meant that she was still alive. Marigold's magic had most likely saved her. Thoughts. She was thinking. Thinking about what was happening now. She had to open her eyes. The cold touch. It had to be Marigold. Nanaro opened her eyes slowly and looked around. Marigold was near her, giving her treatment in an attempt to wake her up. She couldn't help but notice that Vance and Fu were nowhere to be found. What happened to them? She felt a few tears well up in her eyes...

"I-I'm....s-sorry...," she managed to say. Her whole body trembled a bit. It hurt. A lot. With a fall like that, she shouldn't have been able to say anything at all. Or think. Or feel. "You....c-can't help....e-everyone, I assume..." she continued on, dismissively, her voice incredibly quiet and weak. She hated feeling weak. It was something she was feeling a lot lately.

"Shh," Marigold hushed Nanaro, bringing the girl's head to her chest in an embrace. "Everything will be okay, don't worry your little self about this. You survived, and if that is true, then Vance also survived." Marigold purposefully left out Fu's condition. She didn't know what had become of the monk, only that she wasn't able to reach him in time to conjure a shield for him. Though the monk was made of tougher material than herself, a fall like that wasn't very survivable. Marigold was still shocked that she and Nanaro survived, even with protection.

"You're safe now, I've got you," Marigold spoke in a hushed voice, to calm and soothe Nanaro. It wouldn't be good to head out with tension, especially in this part of the continent, where Marigold had never before visited. In her mother's embrace, Marigold began humming a gentle tune, a lullaby of sorts. Marigold was unsure as to why she was humming, Nanaro wasn't a child, though she was very young.

Soundtrack Unlocked: ~Marigold's Lullaby~

Then she realized. Marigold was humming for herself. Her own tears couldn't manifest because the water in her eyes was frozen. When she realized this, Marigold swallowed the lump in her throat and shook ever so slightly, but continued to hum the tune, trying to calm herself down. It wasn't like her to get so out of control of her emotions.

Marigold was unsure of what to do next. Her powers as a Manifestation were all but gone, Fu was likely dead, Vance was nowhere to be found, and Marigold had no idea where they were.

Nanaro blinked some of the tears out of her eyes, letting them roll down her cheeks. Marigold's song was soothing, but it didn't quell her sadness. It was her fault. She sought mercy for the puppeteer, who was probably not likely to repent his ways at all. Then again, he might have been dead as well, for he was sure to have fallen from the mountain just like the rest of them. She cried silently, but realized that there was no point. Who was she crying for? They weren't dead. Vance. Fu. They were out there. Somewhere. Wherever 'here' was. She wasn't familiar with the geography of the continent at all.

"M-Marigold....where are we?" the young girl asked, wiping some of the moisture from her face and eyes. Some of her strength returned, but she really didn't feel like moving at all. It still hurt so much. "We....we have to find.........them...," she explained, pointing out to the distance...to nowhere in particular, yet everywhere and anywhere at the same time. She'd scour the world to find Vance...and Fu, as well. She had come to respect greatly the man's strength and morality. Calling him but a mere ally would be an understatement by this point. They had gone through so much in so little time. These guides....they were so much closer to her. Marigold, with her lovingness and care, greater than she had seen in any other soul during the course of her existence. She was greatful to have the woman by her side at this point. Alone, she'd have no idea what to do...or if she would have even survived.

Marigold brought herself together, her humming coming to an end as she listened to Nanaro. She felt like crying herself, but knew that she couldn't even if she tried, and that only hurt her more. Marigold had a sinking feeling that Fu was not okay, and Nanaro's talk of finding him scared her, almost. Marigold put a smile on her face despite her out-of-control emotions, and began to stand, adjusting her embrace on Nanaro so that she could carry the girl.

"We'll find them," Marigold promised, steeling herself, "I promise you that we will find them. Vance and Fu." Adjusting her hold slightly, Marigold started for the forest, not really knowing if that was the correct way to go, but knowing that if she stayed in that spot, they would only be at the mercy of whatever beast lurked towards them.

~

A slight groan and a flicker of light, the monk who lay on the hard, unforgiving ground slowly awoke. Fu's golden eyes scanned the dark grey ground beneath him. It seemed to be made of stone, though the material seemed to be lighter than ordinary stone. Fu lifted his head, to look around more, but an external force slammed on the back of his head, hitting his face back against the ground and cracking his nose.

Fu gasped in pain as blood shot out from his broken nose, his body shivered as the pain racked through his body, activating yet more wounds all along his form, likely from the fall that he suffered from. He was surprised that he was still alive, though it would seem that he had been saved by...something. And this something seemed to dislike him at that.

A loud snap echoed and Fu howled, his nose had snapped back into place, the bleeding halted. Again his face met the stone, cutting off his voice. Slowly a drawl filled Fu's ears, "Qoit moving aboot, hooman." The voice was unfamiliar to Fu, and it seemed to gnash and snarl at him, as Fu heard the clashing of teeth and gums.

"Who are you?" Fu barely managed to finish his question before another sharp intake of pain racked his body from his fingers. The being that was with him had snapped Fu's fingers with his own hairy fists. Fu howled again as his fingers snapped back into place.

"Yoo trespass on Galckik territory, hooman! Yoo have no rights here!" the being snarled. Fu felt the cuff of his robes grabbed, and the being that held him there began to drag him somewhere. Fu wasn't sure where he was going, but the stone floor soon changed to dirt, and he found himself able to see a row of trees in the distance, as well as...

"Vance!" Fu called towards a figure on the mountain. It was slumped over the edge of a cliff and seemed to be unconscious. Fu was met with a kick and grunted in pain.

"Qoit!" The Galckik shrieked, throwing Fu with a single arm onto the ground, causing Fu even more pain. Fu groaned and looked back, as he was finally able to see the creature. It was disgustingly inhuman. The Galckik stood around 7 feet tall with massive arms and legs, bulging muscles hidden by a thick coat of brown fur. Two long, curved teeth pierced upwards from the Galckik's bottom teeth and tiny red eyes glared at him through a transparent visor that covered most of the creature's face like a curtain would a window. Instead of fingers, the creature had long, fleshy claws with pointed green tips. The otherwise-brown-colored creature glared at Fu with intensity not unlike an angry Marigold.

Fu swallowed once, this didn't seem to be going very well for him. He looked back up at where Vance's figure was. If only the ninja would wake up...Fu's hands and legs were tied, albeit in really bad knots.

He heard it. Someone shouted his name. Vance turned over on the cliff. "L-leave me alone....just need...m-more sleep...," he grumbled subconsciously. He didn't know how long he had been out, but he didn't care to know. All he wanted was rest. His body was still in horrible pain, and a mixture of unconsciousness and sleep had saved him from having to feel it. But the voice. It had been so anxious. It knew his name for that matter. The ninja opened his eyes which widened instantly as he realized he was at the edge of a cliff. One more reckless roll and he might have tumbled off. It was then that he caught a glance of his surroundings.

For one, he thought he was on a different continent. This can't be Krephu... He wasn't that cold. Hell, he wasn't cold at all. Though slightly alleviated, he was also perturbed by this fact. The fall. Nanaro. Marigold. Fu. Bears. Everything started flooding his mind giving him a slight headache. "Gaaaah, go away thoughts..." He swatted at the air in vain. Where was everyone else? He dared not look up into the sky from where he supposedly fell. It would wind up making him sick to the stomach. He straightened himself up and crouched, scanning the area quickly.

With his sharp vision, he pinpointed the sound of the voice. It was Fu. Now he knew why it had sounded familiar. Unfortunately, Fu wasn't doing well at all, for he seemed to be in the grasp of some hideous monster. "Damn...right now? After....everything," he muttered. He felt horrible, but took a deep breath and sucked it up. He had to be tough. Doing a few stretches that hurt like shit, Vance used his immense agility to scale down the cliff, his feet lightly touching upon the ground with a final jump causing him to hiss in discomfort. The two figures were getting farther away; he couldn't risk losing sight of them. So, he broke off into a run, staying low and out of sight.

"Time for some pro ninja stylings," Vance whispered to himself as he drew dangerously close to the duo. Fu knew he was around, so he hoped the monk would know that the following events were his doing. "The Art of Distraction," Vance said, reaching into one of the pouches at his side to pull out a few smoke bombs. With expert motions, he hurled them with great speed so that they flew past the monster without being seen. The distance they traveled was great, and as they landed on the ground quite a few yards away, they exploded into giant clouds of smoke. It was at this instant that Vance tossed some senbon from his position, the needles piercing through Fu's bonds. It took a hell of a lot of concentration to pull it off, but this was something at which Vance excelled. "Time for events to unfold."

The smoke bombs. The moment they hit the ground and exploded, Fu felt relief unlike any other. His bonds were cut by the needles Vance had obviously thrown, and Fu could move again. The monk immediately bolted upright, ignoring the vast quantities of pain that vibrated throughout his being, and jumped towards where the monster had last been seen. Fau pulled back both his fists as he entered the smoke.

"Soul Threat!" Fu cried, his battle-cry as he slammed his open fists at the demon. A loud thunk emanated from Fu's fists as he hit the beast, causing the creature to double over in pain. Fu quickly retreated out of the smoke and sprinted towards Vance, his robes flying about in an almost hysterical manner.

"Thank the gods you got here in time," Fu panted as he reached the ninja, who seemed to be dealing with serious pain himself. Fu was mighty impressed by Vance's incredible stamina and agility considering the circumstances. "We should get out of here, before that thing comes after-" A loud roar interrupted Fu's sentence, the smoke clouds quickly dissolving, as if something were vacuuming it away, and the beast revealed itself in all its hideous glory.

"Yoo steel prey from Galckik!" The creature cried, stomping its foot on the ground repeatedly, its tremendous weight causing the ground beneath Fu and Vance to shake. "Now yoo pay! Yoo pay! Yoo pay!"

New Objective:
+Keep away from the Galckik until it gives up the chase!

Achievement Opportunity:
-Defeat the Galckik (Good Luck!)(150 AP)

Area: Galckik Ravine: 50 feet above sea level
Atmosphere: Adrenaline Rush (+1 Move; Unable to self-place character)
Soundtrack: ~Run, Run Away~

(~) (~) (~) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) A
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) ( ) (B) B
( ) (r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) C
(t) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) (~) (t) ( ) D
(B) (t) ( ) (~) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) ( ) E
( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) ( ) (t) F
( ) (t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (B) I
( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) J
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (t) ( ) (t) K
(t) ( ) (t) (V) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) L
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) M
(t) (B) ( ) (t) ( ) (r) (r) ( ) ( ) N
(t) (t) ( ) ( ) (G) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) O
(t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) (r) P
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 56/56
HP: 41/41
MP: 37/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3---4
Evade: 4%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja)
Lvl 2
EN: 60/60
HP: 41/41
MP: 32/32
Atk: 10
Def: 4
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5---6
Morale: (//////////)

Galckik (Galckik)
Lvl 3
EN: 100/100
HP: 86/86
MP: 122/122
Atk: 18
Def: 9
Int: 2
Spr: 10
Move: 4
Evade: 0%
Morale: (//////////)

(t) - Tree (Scenery)(Impassible)
HP: 10
Def: 5
Spr: 0

(r) - Rock (Scenery)(Impassible)
HP: 5
Def: 20
Spr: 5

(~) - Sand Cell (Scenery)(-1% Evade)

(B) - Bag
Trigger Command: Pick Up

Player Phase I

"Not good," Fu muttered under his breath, staring up at the angered beast. "We need to move. NOW!" The overwhelming adrenaline that pumped through Fu's veins sprung him forward more than a few steps, he was shooting down the line as quick as his feet could carry him, away from the Galckik. Fu worried for his own safety, but a part of him forced him to look back to where Vance was. Was the ninja also going to run? Fu hoped so. They did not want to fight that kind of beast without Marigold or Nanaro to back them up.

Fu moves to I-6

New Objective:
+Keep away from the Galckik until it gives up the chase!

Achievement Opportunity:
-Defeat the Galckik (Good Luck!)(150 AP)

Area: Galckik Ravine: 50 feet above sea level
Atmosphere: Adrenaline Rush (+1 Move; Unable to self-place character)
Soundtrack: ~Run, Run Away~

(~) (~) (~) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) A
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) ( ) (B) B
( ) (r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) C
(t) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) (~) (t) ( ) D
(B) (t) ( ) (~) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) ( ) E
( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) ( ) (t) F
( ) (t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) G
( ) (V) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (r) (F) ( ) ( ) (B) I
( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) J
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (t) ( ) (t) K
(t) ( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) L
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) M
(t) (B) ( ) (t) ( ) (r) (r) ( ) ( ) N
(t) (t) ( ) ( ) (G) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) O
(t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) (r) P
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

"No running away yoo!" the Galckik troll roared fiercely, raising it's large wooden club in the air, then slamming it down on the ground in front of him with tremendous force. The ground trembled beneath their feet with such velocity that Fu and Vance couldn't help but have their knees buckle beneath them, distracting them and slowing them down. The Galckik itself took two massive steps forward, it's huge pacing bringing it closer to Fu and Vance, nearly nullifying the previous attempt to escape the huge troll.

Galckik uses Quake! Enemy movements will be reduced by 2 for the next turn!

Galckik moves to K-5


(~) (~) (~) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) A
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (~) ( ) (B) B
( ) (r) (~) (r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) C
(t) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) (~) (t) ( ) D
(B) (t) ( ) (~) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) ( ) E
( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) ( ) (t) F
( ) (t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) G
( ) (V) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (r) (F) ( ) ( ) (B) I
( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) J
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (G) (r) (t) ( ) (t) K
(t) ( ) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) L
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) ( ) M
(t) (B) ( ) (t) ( ) (r) (r) ( ) ( ) N
(t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) O
(t) (t) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) ( ) (r) P
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 2
EN: 52/56
HP: 41/41
MP: 37/37
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 9
Spr: 6
Move: 3---4
Evade: 4%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja)
Lvl 2
EN: 54/60
HP: 41/41
MP: 32/32
Atk: 10
Def: 4
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5---6
Morale: (//////////)

Galckik (Galckik)
Lvl 3
EN: 86/100
HP: 86/86
MP: 114/122
Atk: 18
Def: 9
Int: 2
Spr: 10
Move: 4
Evade: 0%
Morale: (//////////)

(t) - Tree (Scenery)(Impassible)
HP: 10
Def: 5
Spr: 0

(r) - Rock (Scenery)(Impassible)
HP: 5
Def: 20
Spr: 5

(~) - Sand Cell (Scenery)(-1% Evade)

(B) - Bag
Trigger Command: Pick Up

Player Phase I

Fu felt the ground beneath him shake, but nothing could have prepared him for the violent vibrations that made even the bones in his feet and legs vibrate and ache. He buckled, but did not allow himself to fall. The troll was gaining on him, already it gained back the distance that Fu had put between them. Fu stumbled forward, another attempt to get as far away as possible from the Galckik monster. "Urgh," Fu winced as he felt the bones in his legs nearly give way to the powerful quake in the earth.

Fu moves to G-6