1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.
Dismiss Notice
Vote for us!

Remember to vote for ZEJ at our Top RP Sites page! You can vote only once daily, so make sure to do so and help us reach the top!

Northern Winds (Re-Re-Remake)

Discussion in 'Statistical Roleplays' started by Irouk Inverse, Feb 13, 2014.

  1. ((Continued from: http://eternaldream.forummotion.com/t1191p15-northern-winds-re-remake#101052 ))

    With herself in Alla's comforting embrace Cordelia's weeping slowly quieted down and came to a halt. Now only the occasional stifled whimper came from the young priestess. The older woman's embrace felt just as warm and safe as it had several years before. Cordelia shut her eyes, squeezing the last of her tears out. For a moment she felt at ease, until another girl's voice spoke up. The voice had belonged to a complete stranger, though from her words she had likely been looking for her, with this talk of completing a mission. She had commented on her excessive crying and Cordelia detached herself from Alla. This girl whom she had never met before was right, whoever she was. It was unbecoming of the future ruler of Balmamusa to be seen weeping like a child. "No, it's quite alright Quentin." Cordelia spoke, wiping the tears from her eyes "Come, we return to the capital."

    -----------------------------------

    Balmamusa's capital city and the centerpiece of the theocracy that rules the land, Randgriz, is located near the southeastern boundary of the small island nation. Surrounded by castle walls stretching two kilometers in diameter, the massive city stands as a citadel and contains the seat of Balmamusa's politics, economy, and culture. Unlike the harsh frozen wastelands that seem to endlessly cover the nation Randgriz, as well as the small town-like settlements near its periphery, are all much better off. The walls towering over the outer edges of the city keep the harsh northern winds out and there is only slight snowfall, enough for children to play in but never to the point of being an issue as it is outside of the city.

    The officials of Randgriz seemed to all be on edge since Cordelia's disappearance, so there was rejoice within the city upon her return. People had gathered along the main road all the way from the main gates to the cathedral at the center of the city, lined up along both sides to welcome the young priestess. Cordelia seemed to be quite bothered by the crowds, however, as she bit her lower lip and kept close to Alla as she walked, glancing side to side with a distressed expression. Only when she had stepped into the cathedral did her features soften to be less frightened.

    "We are pleased to see your return, Priestess." A middle-aged man greeted Cordelia in the main hall of the cathedral. He wore a red pointed hat with a white cross as well as a red and white robe, the dress of a cardinal. "You must be cold and hungry after being out for so long. The sisters at the chapel has prepared a change of clothes and a meal for you."

    "Thank you." was all Cordelia spoke before dismissing the cardinal and turning to Alla. "Thank you for rescuing me, Sister. You may now return to your duties as before."

    Chapter Complete!

    Party obtains 300 Gold

    ---------------------------------------

    Weapons:

    Holy Symbol - Sounds fancy, but really it's just a wooden staff with a silver cross at one end, the silver works quite well to detect poison though. [+2 INT; Resist Poison] (Equippable by Alla; 350 Gold)

    Armor:

    Cotton Robes - Robes fashioned out of the finest cotton fabric to keep the wearer warm while out in the snow. [+1 DEF; +1 SPR] (Equippable by Alla; 250 Gold)

    Items:

    Potion x5 - Is labeled "Not Poisoned". Restores 10 HP upon use [Type: Liquid; Quality: F] (30 Gold)

    Herb x3 - Also a mild hallucinogen Restores 5 MP upon use [Type: Plant; Quality: F] (50 Gold)

    Elixir x1 - Removes status ailment upon use. [Type: Liquid; Quality: F] (100 Gold)

    Yggdrasil Dew x1 - Bottled dew from the leaves of the great World Tree. Revives fallen ally with 20% max HP [Type: Liquid; Quality: D] (200 Gold)

    Quests:

    Quest 01: Unexpected Aid

    Quest 02: A Swift Message

    [LOCKED] Chapter 01: A Priestess's Coronation (Requires: A Swift Message)
     
  2. Alla walked alongside Cordelia as they entered the city of Balamusa. Cheers erupted from around them. There wasn't really much to tell, and Alla felt Cordelia lean into her as she walked. She didn't necessarily have a grimace on her face but she seemed to be pursing her lips from what she could see from the corner of her eyes. There were certainly a whole bunch of people around them, so much so that even she was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

    Behind her, though, was Sarah, who seemed to be absolutely enjoying the attention she got. She responded to the cheering crowds with a smile on her face, waving as she went along the main lane to the cathedral. There just wasn't anything that was going to put her down. She had done all that work so therefore she thought she deserved what applause she had gotten. She laughed and blew kisses to all those members of the crowd, who seemed to also respond favorably to that. "It's about time we got back from that freezing wasteland! I expect payment, you know."

    Alla sighed. Why had she ever agreed to travel with this girl? All she had been was sheer trouble. There was absolutely no benefit to having her with Quentin and herself, seeing as Lilliana was there to help support the team as well. She really had half a mind to tell the girl to go elsewhere, but she knew that she must stay pure, that she must not unjustly lash out at those who angered her without extremely good reason. That is what she had been trained to do as an archbishop of the Church of Balamusa. She was relatively high in power, not as much as Cordelia, but she was still a respected individual across the small kingdom.

    Quentin was walking beside Sarah as the four were proceeding to the cathedral. Personally, he knew that he had done his duty as a knight of the Church, but he also knew that there was not much time for him before he was found out by someone. He had been branded as a heretic long ago when he was just a small child when his mother had been convicted of practicing witchcraft. The brand stayed with him this entire time, never healing, never getting better. Instead, the brand was really a form of slow death, as the scars continually released slow-acting poison, making for increased pain and a burning sensation much akin to being burned upon a wooden stake, without the actual physical deed being done. It was truly hell, that's what it was, but he made sure that he proved to himself that he was not like his mother in the slightest, that he would never touch the art of magic for so long as he lived. He wanted to make sure that he died with honor, and not the disgusting stigmata that came with being a heretic. "Sarah, why don't you just try to think about something other than money for a change? I swear, I can almost feel an aura of greed about you. You should be happy that we found the princess in such a good condition."

    "Oh, but I am. That's why I expect payment! I wouldn't ask for pay if I brought home a damaged good~" Sarah retorted with blatant disrespect of authority. In truth, she had never liked the stuffiness of the Church and all its uptight ways. She had been raised in the alleyways of Balamusa, stuffed into dark corners and swept aside and ignored by the powerful folk as if she were nothing but trash. She had expected nothing more when the King had issued a proclamtion to his people, asking for assistance in searching the plains for his daughter. She only agreed to assist because in the end, there would be some sort of reward, not because there was any goodness in her heart.

    However, there were other pressures that came with that, of course. He listened with disgust as Sarah had the audacity to ask for payment in this bountiful scene they were walking in here. He hoped that with all the noise that was being generated by all the cheers and such that there wouldn't be a trace of her voice leaving her lips and that she would stay unheard. Unbeknownst to him, he shared much of the same views about Sarah as Alla did, though Alla knew better than to ever say them out loud.

    After quite a bit of time (and the lane being much too long), the four reached the doors of the cathedral, with Lilliana being somewhere else... Where had she gone to? She deserved just as much of the crowd's praise as the rest of them did... Maybe she just didn't like people. Satisfied with her thoughts, she turned to the large Gothic doors that were swinging open before them. Even Sarah admitted to herself that those doors opening reminded her of the likes of the Gates of Heaven swinging open before them, and filling the air with wonder and bliss. They all didn't let their jaws drop, though, since as soon as the doors were completely opened, there was a cardinal ready and waiting for the princess to return.

    With his fancy red and white dress along with his golden staff, se was sure to feel secure in his position, however, it was known that Alla was one of only four archbishops in Balamusa, and at that, the King's direct advisor. With that came honor and status, which is why she had been sent on the mission to find the princess in the first place. Alla had also had prior relationships with the princess in the past, which made her a more suitable candidate for finding her, seeing as how she had memorized behavioral patterns and mannerisms long ago without realizing it. Not meaning to be curt to the man, though, she gave a small curtsy. "Good evening, Cardinal. I trust that you are doing well." He seemed not to notice as he was dismissed by the princess. Oh well. As Cordelia spoke to her, she turned her head to face the princess, not something everyone would do.

    "Ah, but it's my pleasure." She bowed slightly. "Since that day, I've taken a vow to myself to keep you out of harm's way, no matter what the cost. I won't let something such as a simple kidnapping take you from the people who need you. At this current moment, I am going to treat these two to a meal." She motioned towards the two of them, seeing both their eyes light up with a hungry look. That was to be expected. They had not eaten since the night before, and they left even before daybreak. "After that, a bit of personal business. Would you like for me to come meet you a bit later in your room? I have business with both you and Her Majesty, such as updating you of all that's happened here in the kingdom and informing Her Majesty personally of your safe return. If you would rather not, I can wait, I'm sure that I have many, many things on my to-do list."
     
  3. Cordelia felt a soft smile upon her face as Alla spoke of that day long ago. It was very much like what had happened today. And just like that day several years ago Alla had once again saved her life and asked for nothing in return despite Cordelia owing her life to the woman twice now. "Yes, and I am thankful for you having saved my life once again." Cordelia spoke with a nod, "And yes, I'm sure Mother would be overjoyed to be informed of my safe return. You may take care of whatever business you have first, Mother and I shall await you in the throne room." Cordelia then turned away as the cardinal left through a hallway and followed behind him. The hallway grew silent as their footsteps faded into the further reaches of the chapel.
     
  4. Alla curtsied silently as Cordelia dismissed her and began receding into the chapel. Sarah sighed behind her, looking directly at Alla's back as she was crouched down. Why did she have to just bow down to that squishy woman's will? She was just as much of a person as Miss Goody Two-Shoes back there. Why was there such a stink about this particular person? She opened her mouth real wide as the chapel doors were closing. She began to speak, in a grinding voice. "Well that's enough of that. I'm starving. What is there to eat in this place?" In truth, Sarah had never eaten a fine quality meal in Balamusa, mainly because she could never afford one. It was truly quite pitiful in all honesty, but her abrasive attitude made it hard for people to feel any type of sympathy for her.

    Richard, on that note emitted a sound of disgust. "I can hardly believe this is a lady speaking like this. Have you no manners, Sarah?"

    "Afraid not! Why should I?" A girlish giggle and a groan from the holy knight had Alla turning around to face the two of them. The chapel doors shut with a
     
  5. Alla curtsied silently as Cordelia dismissed her and began receding into the chapel. Sarah sighed behind her, looking directly at Alla’s back as she was crouched down. Why did she have to just bot down to that squish woman’s will. She was just as much of a person as Miss Goody Try-shows back there. Why was there such a stink about this particular person? She opened her mouth real wide as the chapel doors were closing. She began to speak in a grinding voice. ”Well that’s enough of that. I’m starving. What is there to eat in this place?” In truth, Sarah had never eaten a fine quality meal in Balamusa, mainly because she could never afford one. It was truly pitiful in all honesty, but her abrasive attitude made it hard for people to deal any type of sympathy for her.

    Quentin, on that note, emitted a sound of disgust. ”I can hardly believe this is a lady speaking. Have you no manners, Sarah? Good lord. I would rather be married to a sty of pigs than to have a relationship with you.” He was absolutely outraged. She was in the presence of the holiest place in Balamusa and yet she still had no respect for its sheer presence. How in the world she made it through her life without being jailed was as mysterious to him as how the entire theocracy had created in the first place.

    However, the two’s bickering had gotten to her for too long and Alla was absolutely tired of it. As the chapel doors were closing, she turned around to face the two bickerers. Her demeanor had changed from one of a pleasant air to one of complete frost. She was sick and tired of listening to the two of them, and she wasn’t sure of whether or not she was going to have her fit now or later. Behind her, the doors shut with a resounding finality that rather sealed the conversation. Her eyes switched between the two of them, Quentin looking more and more meager by the second whereas Sarah was only looking blatantly defiant.

    ”I will not have more bickering between the two of you. Our mission here has been completed, and as such I am entitled to reward you in any way I choose, courtesy of the dowager queen. It is your choice in whether or not to accept this reward, then you are no longer bound by Her Majesty and the Church. You will both be able to part ways and do as you will. Please make your decision before I have to bear anymore of this torture from either of you.”

    The usual bustling of the town had seemed to immediately diminish. It was only the three of them now, and there was an intense tension between herself and the other two. It seemed to be almost visible, really. Quentin, the holy knight, seemed to be the most uncomfortable of the three. A darkness was seething off of Alla as she was speaking, however, Sarah was oblivious to the entire thing. She didn’t want to be with someone so bitchy, especially with someone who wanted to lord their presence over here. ”Fine, if you want to be that way, I’ll just leave. It’s not like I had any real attachment here anyways. See ya.” Though she was one to try and make herself look important, as she started twitching into the crowd, she seemed to have had some sense of deflatement.

    Quentin was still standing shellshocked at the way Alla had just spoken. Certainly he hadn’t heard her clearly. Certainly she hadn’t been so undignified and not... regal. There was a certain air of nobility that was attached to being a royal advisor, and being more powerful than an archbishop. How had she changed her entire persona simply by looking back and doors shutting behind herself? Silently, he turned on his heels and left the priestess. He could not believe his eyes. There was something wrong with her. Something dead wrong.

    Alla watched as the two went away from her. Very well. Money that she could make sure went towards the better good of future royal missions. She knew that her previous equipment would have to be updated, as simple silk robes did not really help against the cold, and perhaps a better means of working her magic. In the end, she knew she needed to go ahead and make sure she would be prepared for the next mission to come. With that, she took off down the side street and began to walk in the crowded bazaar full of people shopping for their next meal or for just odds and ends. There were things of all sorts just everywhere she could see. Through every stall she passed, she received acknowledgement of her position, with a quiet "Greetings, Sister." She hated that. She wished that she wasn't so important. Cordelia was the true royalty here, she should be the one receiving all this praise.

    Regardless, she knew that she needed to get back to the cathedral, so she hurriedly made her way towards a shop that had a large white robe hanging by the side of its awning. There wasn't really much else other than this, that, and a few other things. The shop owner greeted her like all the others. She herself was quite curt and brusque with her words as she was in a press for time.

    Alla buys Holy Symbol! -350 Gold!
    Alla buys Cotton Robes! -250 Gold!
    Alla buys 1 Yggdrasil Dew! -200 Gold!
    Alla buys 1 Elixir! -100 Gold!
    Alla buys 2 Herbs! -100 Gold!
    Alla buys 1 Potion! -30 Gold!

    Party's Gold Total: 0 Gold


    With her goods in hand, she hurriedly made her way back to the cathedral, at this point ignoring the greetings she received. She must make her way back to Her Majesty and Cordelia to make sure that she can begin the report in a timely fashion. She opened the large doors and went inside the cathedral, quickly making a right turn and going down a long set of spiral steps. She went into a small room at the bottom of the steps and put on her new robe and brought the staff she had bought with her. As she resurfaced from the dungeon, she noticed the same cardinal that had brought Cordelia into the cathedral making his way over towards her.

    "Ahh, Sister Alla. Please, come with me. Her Majesty as well as Princess Cordelia are awaiting an audience with you in the throne room."

    She nodded at the cardinal. Together, the two of them, upon reentering the chapel, the two of them went towards the doors leading to the cathedral at the back of the chapel. An ancient text was being read aloud for the evening Mass, so the two of them were as hushed as they could be. They went around the many, many pews that looked up towards a shining stained glass window. The multicolored light made the choir and the bishop seem to scintillate with a holy aura that almost made Alla come into tears. However, she was still stuck within her own world of unholy politics. In the time that she had spent shopping, the bells had somehow rung for the evening Mass. She hoped that neither the Princess nor Her Majesty would be too angry with her. They both reached the back door at the end of the cathedral, and the two of them silently slipped through. The door clicked shut behind them and the two of them went to stand on the long red carpet before the holy throne of Balamusa. There was a person sitting within it, though Alla could not clearly see from the impressive distance that she was away from it.

    The cardinal announced her presence.

    "Your Majesty, Princess, Sister Alla is here as you requested."

    He bowed and slipped out of the throne room. She herself deeply curtsied and stayed in that position until she would be recognized.
     
  6. Upon the holy marble throne sat a woman whose very presence seemed to radiate light, Queen Emelone Rune Artwaltz. Donning a robe of as pure a white as the feather of an angel and with her long hair draping over her shoulder the dowager queen of Balmamusa was a sight to behold. In her right hand she held a ornate blade resting within a sheath of highly intricate design. Among the designs the words "Justice lies with the holy sword" was engraved upon the sheath. "Welcome back Alla."

    Cordelia stood beside her mother after having cleaned herself and changed out of her tattered, dirty clothes. There was a rather expensive-looking rapier with a red jewel embedded into the hilt resting within its sheath beside her. As the queen spoke the young woman remained still and stoic, as would be expected of her in the royal court.

    "Thank you for bringing Cordelia back safely." The queen continued, her lips curling into a smile, "Once again you have saved our daughter's life. We cannot thank you enough for that. You are now free to go about your duties, however we ask that you remain with our daughter for a while longer. The day of her coronation is within three weeks time and we would like for you to protect her until then. After her coronation you may request anything from the royal family, it would be the least we could do to thank you."

    The cardinal, who had stood beside the queen on the opposite side of Cordelia then stepped up. He tapped his golden staff on the red carpeted floor and cleared his throat. "If I may, Your Majesty. While I have confidence in Sister Alla's abilities I cannot help but worry that she won't be able to protect the princess by herself. I ask that you seek out others who may be able to protect the princess." The cardinal suddenly grinned and glanced toward the doors leading out of the throne room. He was certainly excited about something. "There is an acquaintance of mine living outside the city-"

    Before the cardinal could finish the large doors to the throne room burst open with the sound of clanging metal. In came two guards in heavy plated armor and behind them was a detained, pink-haired girl. From her appearance as well as her clothing one could tell she was not native to Balmamusa. "Your Majesty, we found this girl wandering around the chapel's gardens spreading some strange seeds." One guard announced.

    The queen's eyes narrowed as they fixed on the girl and her expression became stern. At times like this she appeared to be much more imposing, as her expression did not change while she studied the girl and her odd clothing. "Well," the queen started after a long moment of silence, "Who are you and what do you have to say for yourself?"

    ---------------------------------------------------

    A few miles outside Randgriz hidden within the endless snowstorm was a small wooden hut. Few manage to find it through the almost blinding snow and of those who do none dared to go near. In fact it was not just humans but even the snow itself seemed to avoid the hut as it was always surrounded with an aura of sweltering heat. It was the only place outside of the cities in Balmamusa that grasses and other plants grew. No one knows what kind of person lives within the wooden building, but most believe it is indeed occupied as those who visit often tell of the sound of fire crackling from within the wooden building and smoke of various odd and unnatural colors rising from the chimney.

    However today was different from the usual days. Today a visitor had been brave enough to step into the building that even the cold northern winds of Balmamusa had always avoided. The sound of snow crunching beneath the visitor's footsteps quickly faded as the snow melted almost immediately, leaving the visitor's footsteps light and barely audible as they moved toward the hut through the field of green grass. The visitor knocked on the door of the hut only three times before opening it, allowing herself in. She was a fair maiden with locks of silver and eyes of sapphire blue. She wore a white court attire with linings colored gold and carried herself with a regal presence. Within her hand she held a slim, elegant blade with its sheath resting beside her.

    "Razella Dazella Guitvich." The visitor called loudly, glancing around the hut as if searching for someone.
     
  7. Although her arms had been fastened together tightly with some rather rough rope, the girl prior captured by the guards in front of her seemed to skip as she followed them. She had not, after all, resisted in the slightest; the bindings that kept her perfectly detained were entirely pointless, but perhaps it was protocol here. Truth be told, it could have been (and probably was) common practice back home, but she had never paid such circumstances any mind. She never had reason to––no one seemed to care if she planted flowers back home. Of course, she should have kept the sensitivities of a foreign people in mind, this was not her home world. Perhaps they preferred the barren iciness of the tundras that surrounded them.

    The men that had collected her and confiscated her meager Firebolt Orchid seeds finally came to a halt in the room, the strawberry blonde waterfall that framed her face following suit for all of two seconds. Despite the fact that the woman in front of her spoke with a tight voice and a stern face, the jubilant prisoner rocked on her heels. She appeared almost entirely oblivious to the fact that the Queen could very well sentence her to eternal torture or even death––in fact, the very thought that her actions could garner the label of 'crime' went straight over her head. Silence hung in the air as the monarch stopped speaking, but this too did not bother the young girl in the slightest. Rather than respond, she swayed for a bit before suddenly spinning. The ropes that bound her hands together feel limp from her wrists and a beautiful parasol appeared in hand.

    The girl then settled it on her shoulder, politely curtseying now that her hands were free. "My name is Cornelia, your majesty," she practically sang. As if in response to her name, a warm breeze rushed through the room leaving behind the smell of honeysuckle and lavender. "Cornelia the Terrene, actually," she added with a slight chuckle, "and I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what crime I have committed." At this, her hazel eyes fell to the rope on the ground; she tilted her head to the side slightly and blinked––perhaps. . .

    Before the queen could respond––definitely before the guards could stop her––she snapped her parasol down on the bindings. In an instant the rope sunk into the ground and a small patch of grass sprung up from where it had disappeared to. From this grass, a vine began to grow up and then a bulb, soon a brilliant gold and silver flower sprouted before them all. The beautiful plant then uprooted itself and floated delicately over to the monarch; Cornelia curtseyed once more. "Nevertheless, I seek your pardon. Please accept this as a token of my deepest apology," she spoke-sang again, head tilted downward slightly. "And if I could get my seeds back that would be wonderful..." she added in whisper.
     
  8. An interruption. It was simply a matter of course to her, but to the other members of the court, she was sure that this would be more than a trivial matter. She, however, had to make sure that she was not ignoring the dowager queen, even if her term was coming to an end. When her name was spoken, she rose and looked at the women side by side. By themselves, they were something to behold, seeing as they seemed to radiate power and authority, but when they were coupled together with that Holy See, it was as if there were a tangible aura of light that surrounded them. Perhaps Alla was glorifying the throne too much to clearly look at it, but she knew that there was something more important to that chair than just being a seating position.

    The queen proceeded to shower her with accolades and a request to make sure that her daughter stayed safe for another three weeks merely to set up for the imminent coronation, which would be quite the spectacle. She did not mind, seeing as she had known Cordelia for quite literally almost all of her life, especially so that there was almost a true sisterhood between the two that transcended mortal bounds. Alla did not want to impose this, though, as she was not entirely sure of what Cordelia felt about her, and so she made sure that she kept her mouth shut. Luckily, the interruption was not giving her time to choose her words carefully. She was not the most eloquent person alive, but if she concentrated, she could pull of a few nice sentences, maybe.

    As she listened to the girl beside her explain her case, Alla began to lose herself in the thoughts. It had been a sunny day, one of clearly no other importance, when she had changed her life for the worse. It was a quiet sort of day, one with no snow, and Alla was only a young girl at the time, with Cordelia being even younger than she. She had been a caretaker to the child in lieu of a stiff cardinal for the sake of kinship, though not by blood, to make the young princess's childhood more free and enjoyable. She did not know herself why she had been chosen for this task, but she knew that there was something else at hand to go along with it. Alla had to meet regularly with Cordelia's parents to give them reports on the child's progress, where there was not much sight of her when the country needed to be tended to. The girls were usually left alone to carry out their business as they would, and so they grew closer and closer as friends. Until that one day, it all was perfect...

    The silence around her snapped her out of her flashback however. She was not someone to keep the royal court waiting while it was in session, so she daintily cleared her throat, having some idea of what she wanted to say. "Why yes, Your Majesty, it would be my pleasure. I have known the Princess for quite some time now, and it would be an honor as well as my duty to the Church of Balamusa to make sure that the young Princess makes it to her coronation. As for compensation, I could not ever dream of asking for anything in return. I do what I have because I have a fondness for the Princess, Your Majesty, as well as the late King. I simply could never ask for anything, as I do this out of love. I do hope you understand."
     
  9. The hut, upon being entered by the stranger, seemed to groan and creak, and settled down noisily.

    "Razella Dazella Guitvich."

    Suddenly, the hut started crackling unnaturally—as if the thatch roofing and the wooden beams had caught on fire. At that point, the ground under the stranger began to glow, and the door shut with a bang—and set itself alight, and began to burn merrily, to deter this unwelcome stranger from fleeing.

    "You fool. I enchant the smoke leaving this hut to deter little pests like you from entering the house. It appears you are blind upon being foolish, oh my."

    The voice spoke out of nowhere, but there was a fait crackling undertone to it. Or was that the hut? Or the door? This voice, at any rate, seemed to be coming from the fireplace.

    "Have you no manners? Do you not normally wait for people to open the door afer you knock? Or do you not understand people do not want to be seen? Did not your useless mother teach you never to invade another's house?"

    At this point, the glowing circle below this woman's feet exploded into smoke, and when the smoke cleared, the stranger found herself trapped in a cage made of fine strands of... fire. Following suit, the fireplace exploded, filling air with a mixture of scents and stenches of different things burning. A woman stepped out of the fire place, brandishing something bright and glowing towards this stranger. As the smoke cleared once more, the stranger could see that it was a burning hammer. Razella walked towards this burning cage, keeping the hammer in front of her, and accosted the stranger.

    "Explain yourself! Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
     
  10. Cordelia remained stoic while the queen had showered Alla with praise and the request to guard her until her coronation. Though she was quite happy that she would be spending more time with Alla her expression only showed a slight smile and a nod of approval. She was in court as the next rightful ruler of Balmamusa. She would not be allowed to show any affection for those around her. Under the eyes of the Goddess all are equal and as the ruler she had to make sure she wouldn't be accused of favoritism. However deep inside Cordelia was happy. Alla was someone she could depend on and trust her life with. Ever since she was a child Alla had been taking care of her and teaching her. The two of them shared a bond beyond any sisterhood of blood. But a startled gasp from the cardinal caused Cordelia's attention to immediately focus on the foreign woman who was (or rather had been) detained.

    The rope that had bound her wrists had fallen apart and from it sprouted grasses greener than any would ever be in the cathedral garden as well as a single magnificent flower blooming upon the red carpeted floor. As if that was not miraculous enough the plant magically picked itself up off the floor and floated to the queen. The two guards were staring at the spectacle with mouths agape, too shocked to seize the girl even though she seemed to show no signs of preparing for an escape. However the marvelous spectacle was not enough to shock the cardinal into silence as the old man tapped his golden scepter onto the floor multiple times in trying to gather the guard's attention. "What are you waiting for?!" He barked harshly, "Arrest her once more!"

    As the guards were about to act on the order of the cardinal Emelone held a hand up while the other took hold of the flower presented to her. She held it up and examined it closely, a smile playing about her lips as she did so. It was indeed a beautiful flower. Some may even say its beauty challenged that of the Queen of Ice, Balmamusa's national flower. The queen turned to Alla and gave her a nod of acknowledgement before returning her attention to the girl in front of her. She didn't mean to simply dismiss Alla, however this convicted girl was much more important at the time. "Quite the impressive act you've performed, Cornelia." The queen spoke, still admiring the flower, "We may be willing to provide you with a pardon, however we have one question to ask. What is your purpose in being here? Balmamusa is blessed with an endless winter, as you can clearly see. So it's very odd to find someone of your ability."

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    The woman remained still as the flames danced around her, drops of sweat forming on her forehead only due to the heat generated by the cage of fire. In fact the woman even had a slight smile on her face as the voice taunted and questioned her. Only when the woman in question, Razella, reveal herself did the woman move even a single muscle. "Quite an intricately designed trap you have here." The woman spoke as if making everyday chatter to the fire sorceress, casually placing a hand onto the hilt of her blade, "It may have worked if this were someone else, however..." The woman began drawing the blade from its sheath and as she did so the flames seemed to be attracted toward the slender weapon, leaping toward the blade in thin strands. The flames danced and swirled around the weapon in the woman's hands until they had all dissipated, consumed by the blade itself. The cage was no more.

    With the cage obscuring her path gone the woman took slow, deliberate steps toward Razella. "Razella, the Witch of Flames. Branded as a heathen by the theocracy and forced into exile. There are very few within the Church of Balmamusa who do not know of your name." The woman spoke, her blade still drawn and held firmly in her left hand, "I am here to save you. They're coming for you Razella, the church, they'll be here soon."
     
  11. "Hah, you deign to enter my abode without my permission, and attempt to lure me into a trap with your false concern? I am having none of that. Remain as you are!" Razella barked as this she–hound started to walk towards her, and caused her fiery hammer to explode into a bigger one. The orange fires turned a faint, clean red as memories of the Church flooded her mind. Behind her, the entire fireplace where she had been standing a mere few moments ago burst into white flame, and a good portion of the hut caught on fire. The white flames burnt brilliantly, and were streaked by an occasional black tongue of rage–fire; the fire however cast a soft, eerie glow on both Razella and the she–swine she faced, and in that eerie glow, Razella's face displayed the colours of an all–consuming ire.

    Evidently, the stranger did not seem to think that it was a folly to invade the privacy of someone's home  "Unhand that flame–eater of yours, or you shall find your life in retrocession. If you know me, you know that fire is not the only servant of mine. Do you honestly believe me to be so stupid, do you think I shall merely drop my guard and follow you like a little puppy, the dismal–dreaming dragon that you are?"
     
  12. "What am I doing?" Cornelia repeated as if she had forgotten her purpose in leaving her home. Her right pointer finger found a ponderous stance on her chin; her head tilted to the side. "Well I thought that was quite obvious, your Majesty." she proclaimed aloud, once more ignoring the fact that she was speaking with royalty. A stern growl from one of the nearby guards, however, jolted her back into a very proper stance. She bowed her head, whispering a quick apology, before lifting it to face the Queen once more; her eyes sparkled like the morning sun.

    "As I have told you already, my name is Cornelia the Terrene, and I have come to your world in hopes of spreading the beauty of nature everywhere!" she announced gayly, twirling in a jubilant manner. The flower that she had presented to the monarch blossomed further in response, a flurry of its petals flying everywhere. Once again a gentle breeze drifted into the room, more smells of sweet honeysuckle and lavender danced in the air. "This was the first stop on my tour of the universe, ma'am," she continued excitedly. "Although," she added, her exuberance falling slightly, "it seems I'm going to have to work very hard to get my flowers to grow here. The ice and snow are quite the problem; I'll need to figure out how to make my plants super resistant to the cold! Hmm... perhaps there's something I can study in the garden..."

    Though she dared not leave without permission, lest the guards arrest her again, she seemed quite eager to dash off to the very garden she had been planting in earlier.
     
  13. Alla watched as the queen nodded to her. She was free to rise. She stood and turned to face the newcomer. As she listened to the discussion, she wondered. The queen had charged her to protect the Princess until her coronation, however, her previous help had left her. Perhaps this was a sign. She knew that such a task could not rest upon her alone, seeing as how she was only one person, and she knew that she had failed before. She shuddered. Recollections of that dark day were not to be had. She knew that she could not protect Cordelia alone, and with the newcomer's ability to bring life into the world, she saw a potential use for the girl after all, so why not exploit it. Alla put on a smile and closed her eyes. She held a hand to the cardinal. She had some authority within the castle, and she attempted to only use it when she needed things to spin in her direction. "Stop."

    She looked between the intruder and the cardinal. "Your Excellency, if I may. Your Majesty has charged me with keeping the Princess safe until her coronation date. While I am honored to receive this task, I do not believe I can perform it alone. I need to make sure that I have someone with me that can also make sure that she lives to take the throne." She turned to the intruder now, apparently named Cornelia.

    "Perhaps this girl may be of use. May I have her come with and assist in my charge in protecting the Princess? This way I can keep her in my watch as well as make sure that nothing else out of the ordinary goes awry."
     
  14. "Absolutely not!"

    Before the queen herself could speak the cardinal, who had been glaring daggers at the foreign girl, responded instead. He pointed a crooked finger at the girl as he half-spoke, half-spat out his complaint. "This girl could easily be lying! She could be trying to deceive you, Your Majesty! You cannot trust this lowly commoner so easily! Why, she could be a filthy spy sent from one of the other nations, or an assassin after the princess's life! Guards! Take her to the dungeon-"

    There was a soft, almost silent tap and immediately the cardinal ceased his frantic outburst. The old man turned toward the source of the sound, the throne. The queen who had been silent as the cardinal spewed venomous words at Cornelia now wore an irate expression. The blade she held now rested soundly beside the throne and in her hand she instead held a metallic staff with a headpiece of brilliant silver. "That's enough Excellius." The queen's tone was stern and without any of the softness it previously had, "We will not have you treating a visitor to our great kingdom with such disrespect. Now stand down, we will make the final decision!"

    At the queen's command both the guards and the cardinal Excellius took a few steps back. The queen on the other hand stood as she returned her attention to the girl in front of her, the one who claimed to be "spreading the beauty of nature" as she had put it. It wouldn't be a difficult task to simply grant her access to the palace gardens. And as Alla had just mentioned they would have another pair of eyes watching over Cordelia until her coronation. The queen gave a nod to Alla then stepped forward. "A very noble ambition." The queen spoke, the soft soothing tone of her voice had returned, "Very well, we will grant you permission to the gardens to observe. However in return you will swear to protect our daughter, Cornelia, until her coronation."

    "Your majesty! You can't be serious!" Excellius interjected, "You mean to allow this girl whom we cannot even trust be anywhere near the princess? I beg you to reconsider-"

    "Excellius! Do not make us repeat ourselves." The queen responded almost immediately, her tone of voice changing once again though her volume remained the same, "This young lady is a guest to our kingdom and we shall treat her as such. Do we make ourselves clear?"

    At that the cardinal seemed to almost shrink as he uttered a quiet response. "Yes Your Majesty."

    "Now then, Cornelia. This is our offer, in exchange for swearing to protect our daughter's life you may observe and study the plants in our gardens to your heart's content."

    ---------------------------------

    The young woman's expression remained one of amusement as parts of the hut caught on fire. The only movement she made was a shake of her head coupled with a soft sigh. "Shame. I was hoping to avoid this, but you leave me with no choice. I can't let the church get their hands on you." The female spoke as she held up her blade, "Then I'm afraid you'll have to die here."

    Chapter 00-04
    Location: Witch's Hut
    Objective: Survive!
    Defeat: Razella is K.O.ed
    Conditions: High Temperature - Increases Fire damage by 10%, decreases Water and Ice damage by 10%; This is My House, Get the Fuck Out - Decreases the damage Razella takes by 50%.

    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (f) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) B
    ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) (R) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) C
    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (t) ( ) D
    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (t) ( ) E
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
    ( ) (l) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) G
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) (V) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
    -1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9


    Razella (Blue Flame)

    HP: 25/25
    MP: 40/40
    ATK: 2
    DEF: 4
    INT: 10
    SPR: 5
    Evd: 2%
    Crit: 5%
    Movement: 3

    Valkyrie (Valkyrie)

    HP: 145/145
    MP: 95/95
    ATK: 9
    DEF: 5
    INT: 7
    SPR: 6
    Evd: 7%
    Crit: 7%
    Movement: 3

    f = Fireplace (Cannot pass, Cannot occupy)

    t = Table [20 HP] (Cannot pass, Cannot occupy, Destructable)

    l = Clutter [10 HP] (Cannot pass, Cannot occupy, Destructable)

    Player Phase 1
     
  15. [Razella Moves to E5: {D5—E5}]
    [Razella uses Erasmus on Valkyrie! 125% x INT 10 = 13 base damage! Chance of Burn!]
    [MP Cost: 8. DP: 40 →
    32]


    "Me. Die?! Here, in my own abode?" The woman who barged into Razella's house unsolicited and unwanted clearly exuded an aura of power and confidence—confidence placed in oneself, confidence in being assured that Razella would be felled like a tree by an axe. Clearly this woman thought she was the stronger. Razella did not dispute this. The woman surely seemed to be more powerful than Razella, and capable of more distruction. No—the woman did not think of herself to be solely more powerful. She thought she would victor, reign queen of the battlefield—in the very home of Razella Dazella Guitvitch, Queen of Fire, Witch of the Flames. The home of she who was subjected to trial by fire, and burned at stake—only to be discovered alive.

    Ha. There was the first mistake.

    This was Razella's house, after all.

    Razella let out an uncharacteristically loud, deep belly–laugh. The enemy may have a sword that ate fire, but the cage was the weakest of Razella's tricks. "We shall see, young girl, we shall see." Leaping forward, Razella brought her hammer crashing down on the floor of her house—taking this cue, the house burst into flames, and a violet fireball, smelling cloyingly of honeysuckle, erupted out of the chimney and hurtled towards the intruder. "May we see your sword wave aside this flame!"
     
  16. Chapter 00-04
    Location: Witch's Hut
    Objective: Survive!
    Defeat: Razella is K.O.ed
    Conditions: High Temperature - Increases Fire damage by 10%, decreases Water and Ice damage by 10%; This is My House, Get the Fuck Out - Decreases the damage Razella takes by 50%.

    The Valkyrie takes 4 damage (Razella)
    HP: 141/145

    The Valkyrie evades Burn (Razella)

    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (f) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) B
    ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) C
    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (t) ( ) D
    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (R) ( ) (t) (t) ( ) E
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
    ( ) (l) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) G
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) (V) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
    -1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9


    Enemy Phase

    The Valkyrie moves to cell G-5

    The woman moved not a muscle as the sweet-smelling colored fireball flew toward her. As it came within arm's length she swung her rapier in a quick motion, cutting through the flames with deadly precision. As the blade passed through the flames the fireball seemed to disperse, cut apart by the fire-devouring blade. Despite that it seemed that the edges of the woman's clothing had been singed, as they had turned a slightly darker shade.

    "Is that all?" The woman sounded slightly surprised as she spoke, almost as if she was genuinely expecting more, "You'd think the infamous Witch of the Flames that the church had persecuted for being a danger would be capable of more."

    A soft white glow radiated from the rapier and the woman raised it pointing at Razella. In that instant the glow faded from the blade and was transferred to Razella.

    The Valkyrie uses Banish on Razella
    MP: 86/95

    Razella takes 2 damage
    HP: 23/25

    Razella's INT is reduced
    INT: 10 -> 8

    The Valkyrie gains Blessing of Might

    The Valkyrie gains 5 Shield
    SHD: 5

    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (f) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) B
    ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) C
    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (t) (t) ( ) D
    ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (R) ( ) (t) (t) ( ) E
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
    ( ) (l) (l) ( ) (V) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) G
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
    ( ) ( ) (l) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
    -1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

    Razella (Blue Flame) [Weakened (3)]

    HP: 23/25
    MP: 32/40
    ATK: 2
    DEF: 4
    INT: 10 -> 8
    SPR: 5
    Evd: 2%
    Crit: 5%
    Movement: 3

    Valkyrie (Valkyrie) [Blessing of Might]

    HP: 141/145
    MP: 86/95
    SHD: 5
    ATK: 9
    DEF: 5
    INT: 7
    SPR: 6
    Evd: 7%
    Crit: 7%
    Movement: 3

    f = Fireplace (Cannot pass, Cannot occupy)

    t = Table [20 HP] (Cannot pass, Cannot occupy, Destructable)

    l = Clutter [10 HP] (Cannot pass, Cannot occupy, Destructable)

    Player Phase 2
     

Share This Page