Ronove' - The Fanalis Challenger [Endolf/Merrze/KILL VIABLE]

Endolf watched for a moment as the wolf seemed hesitant and rather uncertain of the food he was offering but the Fanalis quickly felt a surge of joyous pride when the creature began to happily eat. Once finished however the creature took a quick leap back, as if expecting Endolf to try and trap it somehow. It seemed to look past him to his partner and her companion before turning around and heading to the windmill door where it actually nudged it open for them. With a bow of its head towards Endolf it took off back towards the planes, leaving them with clear instructions on what they were supposed to do now. “Thank you.” Were the words he spoke to the already distant animal, knowing it was highly unlikely that he would be heard.

Standing back up Endolf would take the first step towards the now open door to the windmill and would walk through, stopping only to stare in some awe at the giant door against the far side which seemed to defy logic as it appeared to be larger than the actual windmill itself was. Studying it he would see that there were two spots for a pair of hands to be pressed against, but they seemed to be both for the same hand. Was it intended that he have a partner for his adventure into the dungeon? Aside from the gigantic door the only other thing in the windmill was a single table with only a small blue stone sitting atop it. Approaching the table he would take notice of the lightning bolt design etched into the crystal’s surface. They boy’s gut instinct was to take the stone, feeling as if it was something that was supposed to assist them along the way.

It was exactly that instinct that he would act on as well. Calmly he would reach out for the object and wrap his fingers around it so as to pick it up. Should nothing happen he would simply place it into one of the pouches on his belt before turning his attention back to the giant door. Walking up to it he would wait for Mer to approach as well before placing his hand on the spot on the left side of the door.

As the wolf would allow them to pass the girl would give the redhead a reassuring smile. Despite wanting her dead she respected the boy, he was by no means stupid. He still had his fanalis instincts that guided his emotions most likely but that could be worked on. A kind but damaged soul, knowing how she was partially to blame for this. There were many opportunities to come, even if the boy came to hate her more she didn't want him to become someone controlled by his emotions. The feelings he most likely held could destroy him.

With this in mind she would walk inside the windmill following, the structure was simple and so was the inside. The only strange things were the gate and the strange stone, before she could remark saying it might have a future use the boy picked it up. With a slight shrug she walked over to the gate. There seemed to be a place for her to place her hand, it seemed strange but not too much. While on the right side she would place her hand against the gate, her hand filling the slot.

As the pair fit their hands into the gate, the portal would suck them into the next area.


As they rematerialized in the Midway, they would find themselves atop a sheer cliff, clouds scurrying about and making vision a bit more difficult. They had not escaped the lightning of the previous room, though if they stood and observed for a few moments, it mostly seemed contained to the clouds. It would make air travel nearly impossible, but there would be a small path that would wind down the side of the cliff. The rocks showed signs of scarring from being struck by lightning, smudges of black against the mossy stones. The other end of the path would not be visible yet


OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

It seemed as if the door or slab or whatever it was had been a portal of some sorts. The Fanalis team appeared to be in a new place after they touched the object together. Here they stood atop a sheer cliff that seemed to break up into the clouds above them. As the fluffy objects floated about he could seem more lightning flashing through them in bright bursts that made them look alive. Looking down he could see how the cliffs sloped rather dangerously. Looking off to the side however Endolf would notice that there appeared to be a small path, somewhat narrow, that was set by rocks that had seemed to have been charred by strikes of lightning.

The whole path seemed to look that way and it uneased the boy somewhat to think it was such a regular occurrence on the path they would most likely need to take and the idea that they would be more likely to be struck by lightning even more here than before wasn’t reassuring in any way. But the redhead would instead choose to swallow his own pride and take the first steps towards the path himself. If this was to be his decision then it was up to him to lead from here on out.

The fanalis would look in awe as they found themselves in the new area. The area before here seemed amazing, at least of what she could see. As they were high up and there were clouds scattering the sky. It wouldn't be very safe to fly, she had her djinn equip but it was best to save that at this point. She would look over at her partner to discuss what to do but it seemed he had an idea of what to do. There was a small path in which they could travel, it was smart thinking as climbing down would most likely get them struck by lightning. She would follow after but try to offer a word of advice.

"Try to stay down low when walking, and stay near the rocks, if lightning strikes you can possibly get it to pass through you if you're careful. You might feel a jolt but not the full force of the lightning."

The two Fanalis challengers would find the pathway slick and dangerous and it would not take long for them to come to the first true issue with the path. Along the narrow way leading them, an apparent rock slide had taken out a large portion of the walkway. For a 40 meter span, the rock was missing, the drop beneath it so steep, the bottom could not be seen. Across the path were hanging vines, slick with moisture, but strong and thick, that could probably be used to swing from to get across the pass, but with Merrze’s pet, it would be nearly impossible for him to make the trip. The clouds stayed a few meters above the pair of adventurers, leaving them seemingly safe for the time being, but the missing path would remind them that their current standing zone might not be safe for long.

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

As they walked Merrze would try to give End some advice about dealing with the lightning strikes. Of course the redhead wouldn’t waste his energy on giving that advice even a second of consideration. Walking with her at his back he would imagine she wouldn’t be able to see him grit his teeth. She was beginning to get on his nerves again, acting like she was still his teacher when she had nothing to back up the logic of why he should listen to her. His problem shifted to the path they were walking on and the giant hole that had appeared in it.

A rockslide seemed to have triggered at some point and as a result it caused the path to become compromised. He could see vines hanging over the gap in the path that seemed strong enough to be able to swing across on. However End actually had second thoughts about using the vines, especially as close to the electrically charged clouds as they currently were. He had experienced the unpleasantness of being hit by lightning when they first entered the dungeon and he wasn’t in any mood for experiencing it again. Turning his back on the hole he began to walk away from it. “We’re looking for another path.”

Muscling past Mer he started scanning the path they had came along for some other way they could go.

Merrze would keep and on her partner, if he managed to find a path she would follow but, this was most likely the way to go she thought. She would Grab fluffy by his saddle and then use her open arm to try and grasp some vines. She would make sure to grasp them tightly and make sure they were firm by giving a slight tug. Once she had tested their strength she wold try to swing across if they were strong enough. She knew she was strong enough to hold her pet but the issue was the vines. They looked sturdy, and hopefully their momentum would be enough to get them across without incident.

Endolf’s attempt to find another path would be interrupted by Merrze’s direct violation of his wishes, the woman attempting to swing across the vines with her pet instead of look for another path as Endolf suggested. The woman would find her attempt to swing with one hand from vine to vine a foolish attempt, as two arms were necessary to keep swinging. The vines were too far apart to reach with only one hand, especially while juggling a massive pet.

Merrze would find her grip sliding on the vine, everything too slick to maintain the weight of the Fanalis woman and her pet with no other vine in sight. She would slip, her hands burning as it ran down the vine and she tried to stop herself. If she applied too much more pressure to the vine, it would snap, but if she let herself fall, an uncomfortable landing would be felt. The only way to return the way she came was either magic or hope her partner would save her.

If Endolf chose to go after Merrze, he would find it difficult but not impossible to try and rescue the woman, though hauling Fluffy as well would be out of the question. The vines were strong, but not that strong. If, however, he chose to look around, he would see a very narrow, almost invisible path nrach off right near the edge. While it had also been affected by the wash out, it had carved a narrow channel down that the water had bounced off of between the two makeshift walls of the divot, creating an awkward but efficient ladder down to the platform Merrze was likely to land on. The bottom platform was wide enough to comfortably accommodate everyone, once they found a way down.

Environmental Details:
If Merrze chooses to fall, she and Fluffy will suffer C-tier damage to their legs. If she chooses to hang on and wait for rescue, the vine will begin to break, though it will give Endolf just enough time, if he acts immediately, however a vine will not support all three of them.

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

Once Mer decided to take her chances with the vines End decided to stop paying attention. At that point whatever went wrong was something she deserved as far as he was concerned. Instead he would continue to look until he found the small, almost hidden path close to the edge. That was the path he was going to take. He began moving along the hidden path, studying the way the rock and soil had been carved away by the water as he walked. Sure enough the path lead to what he could only describe to be a natural “ladder” of sorts leading down. He’d scale down the ladder until he came to a platform, most likely where Mer and fluffy would land or had already landed.

As she hung above she knew it would hard to avoid damage, her partner would arrive below her before the chance to fall would come. The damage from this fall wouldn't be too much, but she wanted to avoid damage so she tried to think of a solution as easily as possible. She would make sure she was at the bottom of the vine, she knew there was no way to avoid damage unless there walls she could reach for. The fanalis would let go, dropping herself from the vine, as she feel using her mechanical. If there was any of the rock by she would thrust her hand into to hopefully cause some drag as she fell downward. This was her mistake as the vine wasn't long enough. She would reaped what she sowed but she wasn't going to let things happen without looking for a solution, she could;ve chosen to fly but the fanalis preferred to save her Djinn equip for later.

Endolf would find himself in a stable but damp area, the rocks slick and the moss on the rocks making walking dangerous. He would still be in a more stable position than his partner, who found herself at the end of a vine with little chance of reaching the rock. If she swung hard enough to hit the rock wall, Fluffy would be slammed into the stone but the damage to herself would be reduced. If she chose to fall completely, she and her beast would take equal part in the punishing fall. It would be up to the Fanalis woman to decide which was more important to her.

Meanwhile, Endolf would find himself on the open area, the exit path easily visible and seemingly unobstructed, though the crackle of lightning in the air would remind both of them that the danger of being shocked was still very real.

Details:
If Merrze chooses to allow herself and Fluffy to fall straight down, both will suffer C-tier damage. If she chooses to swing to the rock wall, Fluffy will suffer B-tier damage while Merrze will only suffer D-tier damage.

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

As she was unable to cushion her fall the female knew there was only one thing that she had to do. There was the smart things and then there was the right thing, at least that's how she viewed this situation. She would allow both her and her pet share the damage so that fluffy would not be taking the brunt of the damage. Sure it wasn't the wisest choice but she wouldn't willing cause a creature that was like family to her more harm. They would both crash into the ground taking slight damage to their bodies. It would hurt but it would take a lot more than that if they were going to be incapacitated, hopefully the chance to heal would come later.

OOC: C-tier damage to Merrze and fluffy's legs

It was an easy enough trip down the path to the platform below for Endolf. The redhead made it down unharmed, unlike his partner who decided to try to do things the hard way. While Mer and Fluffy were up dangling from the vines above End had started making his way to the opening of the exit path from the platform. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as the air continued to crackle with the electric charge of lightning. Taking a breath he would make his decision to continue forward while his partner still recovered from her fall.

As Endolf went to exit the area, he would find himself victim of a crack of lightning that reached down and struck him, disorienting the Fanalis man. He was far enough from Fluffy and Merrze that his companions would be safe from the shock, though they would easily see and feel the residual effects as the air vibrated from the strike. For now, however, there would remain no visible enemies in sight and they were welcome to continue, though Endolf would need to be extremely careful not to tumble off the side of the cliff in his disorientation.

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

As Merrze would manage to make it down she and her pet would try to move towards Endolf. He was most likely unable to focus properly so the fanalis would do her best to guide him. Offering a helpful hand but keeping her distance she would try to lead the boy towards where the path lead. Hopefully he would accept her assistance, she may be accompanying him but right now it was here job to assist the boy the best she could. OF course the white haired girl would listen to where he wanted to g. She would also suggest where she would think they should go when new paths arrived.

"Come one, make sure to stay close to me, we dont need you falling off like I did."

She would say this but there was a sharp pain in her legs, this would provide a hindrance later on in their journey.

OOC: C-tier damage to Merrze and fluffy's legs

The redhead would feel the effects of the lightning striking his body after the flash of light. He would first wake up face down on the ground before realizing he had even passed out. His hair smoldered again, his clothes appeared singed and his entire body tingled and ached. His vision was blurry and his head felt light and dizzy. He could barely get to his feet on the path before he found himself swaying from one side to the other while searching for his footing. He could feel a hand reaching out and grabbing onto his arm, pulling him back from what could only have been the edge of the trail.

Merrze would help the thunderstruck boy, leading him along the path while helping to keep him from stumbling over the edge. She would tell him to stay close to her so that he could avoid the mistake she made and fall. “I-I told…” The boy wouldn’t be able to finish his sentence as he would find himself vomiting to the side, a side effect of his dizziness and light-headedness as he was cautiously lead along by his partner and her pet.

Merrze was careful about leading Endolf, keeping the other Fanalis on the path as they moved. It would not take long for them to come to a clearing 15 meters across, one side walled in by a steep cliff, the other side a sharp drop off. The only exit to the clearing was guarded by three wolves, all standing aggressively at the exit, making it obvious that intruders were not welcome. Along the ground at the entrance, vines and foliage would be scattered, making it impossible to see the stony path below, but as the clearing expanded, the leaves and debris cleared up slightly, allowing one to see there was firm stone between the trio and the wolves.

The largest of the wolves, in the center, gave a howl of warning, making sure the other two in his pack were alert and ready for whatever the two Fanalis challengers might do.

Lightning Wolf:

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

As she held the boy close and guided him she would see the wolves blocking their path, it would be hard to move ahead. These ones were aggressive unlike the wolves they encountered earlier. Enticing these wolves with food was always an option but combat felt more inevitable with these ones. But there was one thing that seemed off about them, they weren't attacking so the aggressiveness was possibly to protect the door. Avoiding combat was hard sometimes but she would approach slowly, making sure to be weary but at the same showed that she meant no harm.



OOC: C-tier damage to Merrze and fluffy's legs

The pair would continue on down the path with Merrze supporting Endolf in his disoriented state. The red haired boy took uneasy step after uneasy step while relying on the woman he hated, bitter about the fact that he was in such a situation. But he knew, at least for the moment, there wasn’t anything he could do about it that didn’t mean the possibility of endangering himself even more. Or even the possibility of outright killing himself. The duo would continue walking together in what seemed to be silence, only the low rumble of the thunder and lightning in the clouds providing any sort of sound to the environment aside from the founds of their feet against the dirt and the large feline or canine creature that had accompanied Mer and Endolf inside the dungeon that walked behind them. Truth be told End didn’t know what to make of Fluffy just yet.

The trio seemed to stop, Endolf being held in place by his former teacher, as the sound of growling started. The growling was followed by a single howl that made the boy’s already messed up head throb with pain. From the sounds of it however the howl was more directed towards someone other than the two challengers. Endolf’s vision was a bit on the blurry side as his body still worked out the remains of the after effects of being struck by lightning a second time. He wasn’t certain if he was seeing nine wolves blocking their way or just three but he had to go ahead and take a guess that the wolf, or wolves, in the front had been communicating with the wolves towards the back with that howl.

He could feel his former teacher begin to approach the wolves herself, pulling him along with her. Slowly they moved, the girl being careful and cautious with her movements as she brought them closer to the beasts. Shakily Endolf would push himself off of her, breaking away from her support and trying to find his own footing once again only to fall to his knees. He remained that way for a moment, gathering his mind and his breath. He knew it was something stupid but a single idea passed through his disoriented mind. As he remained on his knees with his palms pressed against the ground to keep him propped up he would move his right arm and dig the claws of his gauntlet into the ground. The gauntlet’s magic seal, hidden under the plates that protected his forearm, would glow as his magoi was pumped through it and into the earth around him. With the landscape’s current condition it seemed rather simple for it all to lift up, floating around him before forming into what would resemble plates which would then form against his body until it seemed as if he were wearing a suit of armor carved from the very earth.

Wearily he would get back to his feet, his Gravity Armor fully formed, and step between Merrze and the wolves. Nothing about his actions would indicate he had any kind of ill intent towards the beasts, just as with the wolves from before, but rather it would appear as if he were offering himself to them with his open hands held out at his sides. It was stupid, offering himself to the obviously hostile creatures for the protection of the woman who had no ground to be defended. But he had to show these creatures he wanted to move ahead without any kind of violence and if it took a bite or a scratch to get that message through then so be it. Sacrifices would need to be made, at least that was what Endolf believed and he was the one who was willing to both make them and be them.

Gravity Armor:

As Endolf moved forward to try and act as a shield to his companions, his disoriented steps would rustle through the vines, unknowingly triggering the precariously stacked rocks on the higher cliff and causing a rockslide to come crashing down towards the adventurers. The massive boulders that fell, seemingly from the sky, would roll down with a massive crash, covering the entire platform plus part of the path on either side, making it nearly impossible to avoid. Even the wolves were not safe, yelping as the rocks came crashing down and smashed along their paws as they tried to avoid the rock fall.

The entire group, wolves and adventurers alike, would either suffer damage or would need to find a way to block the rockslide from crushing them or knocking them off the cliff. Endolf’s Gravity Armor would encase him in protection, for a short period, but the danger of more of the mountain crashing down or the wolves attacking once the rocks had stopped was a very real possibility.

Combat Details:
Rockslide deals C-tier damage to the three wolves. Players may either take C-tier damage, be knocked from the cliff, or try to find a way to intercept/avoid the rocks (Such as Endolf’s Gravity Armor)

Lightning Wolf:

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

The Fanalis boy would realize his mistake, his feet getting tangled in the vines as he moved forward with the dizziness and disorientation fading from his mind as his boots moved against the gravel. His Gravity Armor remained intact and sure enough he was finally beginning to wake up completely and fully grasp his own ideas on what he was doing. The vines at his feet would tug as he tried to move but even when he was fully recovered and his feet could move without mistake it was already too late. The rumbling was an indication of what would happen first. In his moment of stupidity he had triggered a full-blown rockslide from above them that seemed to begin falling over the entire platform and each pathway at both the entrance that the challengers had came in from and the exit behind the three wolves.

His convictions remained firm as he made his next move, the palm of the gauntlet on his left hand beginning to glow as yet another magic seal activated. Setting himself between the falling rocks and the three wolves that had been threatening him and his partners just moments ago the stone clad warrior would become protected by yet another layer of magic as his Barrier Wave formed around him and the beasts to its maximum size. He knew it wouldn’t protect all three of them from the impact of all of the falling boulders and set up yet another layer of protection. The stone plates creating the armor that floated around his body would move away, forming together in front of the redhead until the floating dirt and rocks formed a shape similar to a shield.

In his mind he could only think of the layers of defense he had set up. The Barrier Wave would be the first, the shield formed from what had been his Gravity Armor the second. Himself the third. Endolf’s concern wasn’t his own protection, nor the protection of his partner or her pet. No, he knew that Merrze was more than capable of protecting herself and Fluffy than he could be. No in his mind he knew that he was doing this to protect the creatures that animals that were ready to attack his group just moments ago. He knew this act of valor wasn’t a promise that the creatures wouldn’t attack him after the rockslide subsided and he was bruised and broken but it was a gamble worth taking.

OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 164/214

Sustaining Gravity Armor

Gravity Armor:

Barrier Wave:

As the rocks would head on their way down the fanalis would prepare to protect herself. The rocks and the potential to harm her and Fluffy but she would stand near making sure to stop any rocks that would hit them both. As they came down upon her she would use her curving parry the blade reflecting the attack. While she protected herself she looked upon her teammate, he trying to keep him and the wolves safe. This was an honorable thing, it was something she greatly respected. It was something that not many people would do to her knowledge.

magoi: 270/280

OOC: C-tier damage to Merrze and fluffy's legs

Name: Curving Parry
Tier: D
Cost: 10 | 5 sustained
Weapon Type: Sword
Class: Defensive
Range: Close
Cool-Down: 2 turns + 1 sustain
Description:Merrze parries an enemies attack by using the back of her blade and curving it at 10 m/s to redirect up to a C-tier attack.

Endolf’s attempt to guard the wolves was a noble one, however these creatures were not the docile, curious ones of the previous room. Instead, they were territorial, starving, and angry from being injured. As soon as the rocks stopped moving and the Barrier Wave dissipated, the wolves would act individually but it was obvious they were actually behaving as one entity with three different approaches to ensure survival. The Alpha would use Lunch Bell before lunging forward to snap at Endolf while the wolf to the left would use its enhanced speed to blur past Endolf and go for Fluffy, using Vicious Bite.  The last of the wolves hung back, using Echoing Howl, knowing its opponent’s would not be affecting by the electrical pulse but hoping to deal out damage to everyone else, though the focus was on Merrze.

Combat Details:
Wolves – C-tier damage from rockslide.
Wolf A – Using Lunch Bell and performing basic attack to Endolf
Wolf B – Using Vicious Bite at Fluffy
Wolf C – Using Echoing Howl (AoE) towards entire group

Lightning Wolf:

OOC Note: Players will have 48 hours to respond. If within an electromagnetic field, all movement speed will be halved (this includes with the use of any mounts, biological or otherwise). If struck by lightning, the player will suffer disorientation for two posts (C-tier).

It seemed as if Endolf’s decision to protect the wolves didn’t change the fact that they wanted to attack the trio. It started once the falling boulders stopped, either crashing into the redhead’s barrier or being deflected by his partner’s sword. Though his back was still to the wolves it wasn’t like Endolf couldn’t hear the howl from what he deemed to be the leader of the small pack, causing him to spin on his heels as his shield crumbled back down to dirt and dust behind him. As the wolf would come running towards him the boy would slide out of the way and lash out to grab the beast’s throat with his bare hand. Should he succeed he would then lift the creature up from the ground before slamming it back down. He didn’t want to kill the breasts but it was obvious that they would at least need to be injured even slightly before he could force them to back off.

Magoi/Stamina: 164/214
Countering wolf A with basic attack