Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force)
Alice: HP = 40, PP = 42, EP = 98/108, Status = Fine
(Alice gains dirty Lich King Bobblehead)
The other door opened out into a passageway similar to the one she'd just come from, but with a straight passageway that slowly sloped upwards until it hit a T intersection. If Alice went up to the T, she would spot a pale white glow in the distance off to the left, and what looked like sunlight streaming into a chamber off to the right.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force)
Placing the bobblehead into her pack she looked at her pack for a few moments, feeling dirty, "What a tacky thing..." she said, before clasping her bag shut and looking around, walking up the path as she hummed quietly to herself, trying to occupy her thoughts in these dark dark tunnels. Finally, she hit the t-intersection and realized she could see the light coming from both ends, she reasoned with herself that she could check out the sunlight after, since it seemed that in an emergency that was a way she could run... turning towards the pale light, she held her torch up and headed in that direction.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force)
Alice: HP = 40, PP = 42, EP = 98/108, Status = Fine
Heading left towards the chamber containing the pale light, Alice smelled a different sort of stench from the more expected reek of the sewers, and upon stepping into the chamber she realized that she'd stepped onto the site of a very old battle. Several corpses, about seven in total, were littered about the room, all with old bloodstains around and under them. The glow was coming from a series of stones lying on the floor or attached to mounts on the wall like torches, six in total and emitting a dim blue light. There was a table that had been cracked in half in the center-left of the room, and a chair with chains attached to it with blood stains all over it. Across from Alice was another doorway with a rusty portcullis blocking it off, and to the right was a door made up of rotting wooden planks.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force)
Alice had always found a little distasteful to use corpses as puppets, they tended to be ugly and not even close to as beautiful as her dolls, although she wasn't one to waste an oppurtunity to bolster her own numbers, after all, there was little telling what was down here, and whether there was any dangers in allowing the corpses to remain here for another to take. Weaving her hands in the air, as if threading invisible threads around the air and surrounding the corpses with them, she concentrating on animating four of them to do her bidding, deciding that even if it was only four bodies, they would be sufficient enough to provide her enough time to bolster her own dolls in the case that it would be needed... after that, she would try to take the shiny gems, realizing that they were probably either valuable, or could at the very least be used as a light source.
How many times am I going to have to nag you for OOC parts of your posts with the mechanical bits before you start just doing it?
Alice animates 4 corpses for 6 EP each.
Alice gains 6 Dying Lightstones
Collecting the six lightstones from their scones and animating some of the rotted corpses, Alice found that the enchantments on the magical rocks had been nearly depleted of their enchantment. The corpses too showed their age, being practically nothing more than skeletons by that point, though they still moved under her command. After that she was left with a choice of what to do, as nothing had reacted to her actions.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force)
Examining the stones in her hands, she directed two of the skeletons towards the rotting wooden planks, "Well, I guess if I get a few more of these... MAYBE I'll have enough to power my doll, but I would need a bigger stash. Well, at least now I don't have to do the hard work, right?" She looked around at the skeletons, she was a bit worried about how much of her soul she had used to animate them, but at the same time, she assured herself quickly that is was worth effort...
The two skeletal undead, as instructed, walked over to the door made out of rotten wood planks. They then stood there, waiting for further orders.
(You really need to be more explicit. Also, you need to update your sheet. Harmful Spirit isn't a Talent anymore and hasn't been for a loooong time, and you haven't updated any of the items you've found. You're not getting any more updates until that's done.)
Some might have considered Acheron a strange choice for a priestess of the Star God. Though she came merely to help those in need rather than to proselytize, it seemed like the most dangerous place imaginable for a chaste elf with powers like hers, which made her an especially appealing target for demons, but it was where the roads had taken her. The demon city, sitting in the ruins of a factory town in the Southern portion of Badaria, hadn't been hit as badly as much of the fallen empire by the alien invasion, and a lot of refugees had gone there seeking safety.
The gates of the city were manned but open, and Sharte could opt to simply enter and join the crowd of people in the market near the entrance or ask a guard for directions to... Wherever she'd like to go really.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Sharte approached the city gates with a positive smile on her face, wrapping her fingers around the oversized sleeve edges of her Priestess' Habit to keep them warm. The first town of my journey and first opportunity to do the good work of the church. Hmm... this city is so run-down and dreary... it must be the will of the stars for me to bring light to such a place. She was extremely optimistic, and discernibly sheltered by both demeanor and appearance... most notably her perfect posture and milky pale skin.
In that light she gave an elegant and respectful bow to the gate guards, with one hand clutching her Sacred Text and the other open-palmed and lightly resting on less-than average sized breasts. "H...hello! I am a traveling Priestess from the Grand Cathedral, I am here on a mission of charity. Perhaps you have sick that require treatment in this town?" Her Naïveté was apparent in her tone of voice, and in the pristinely clean clothing she wore.
"All races and creeds are welcome to receive healing and blessing. The happiness of the people alone is all that I desire, as the radiance of the heavens belongs to all under the sky."
If directed, she would head over immediately to offer her services to the citizens after thanking the guards for their kindness.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Waiting around a little for the zombies to finish disassembling the makeshift door, she ordered them forward, with two in the front, and two to stay behind her, as she handed one of the stones to the zombies in the front to hopefully at least try to provide herself with some light. She also picked up the scraps of wood, her time in the forest had taught her the important of ensuring that she always had a cache of fresh materials to work with, lest she run into a problem again like the previous night. Having her own personal doll by her side as a precaution, she moved through the doorway, led by the animated corpses, holding her own light source with one hand as she looked around, wondering what was so important down here that they had decided to board off the entryway.
"Hm... alright, let's see how far this goes.. you two in front, the ones behind keep an eye behind us as we move, that of course doesn't mean I want you two to walk backwards! Just... well, I guess every five paces take a look back to see if there's anything behind us! I don't want to be attacked something randomly coming at us at the darkness!" She did feel a little silly ordering the undead around like this, but at the same time, it felt... good? That she was able to boss these things around without having to worry about them yelling back at her... it reminded her somewhat of her days back in school, before all this happened...
(It was just a wooden door of shoddy construction, not boarded up.)
Having her zombies pull the wooden door off its hinges and then apart, Alice got some rotten wooden planks to possibly use in the future and then headed through. Her journey was brief, as it took her up a set of rickety stairs and into a pile of rubble. Her zombies pushed the rubble aside and caused Alice to be briefly blinded by sunlight, as she'd arrived back out onto the surface. Specifically, she'd returned to the surface in an area that looked as if it had been blasted flat a long while ago by some tremendous force. The area all around it was little more than a crater, not a single building in the radius of the blast having withstood it, and what it might have been caused by was unknown, though the devastation was clearly very old. So far her two undead that she'd set to guard their backs hadn't noticed anything coming up behind them, and there didn't seem to be anything hostile up here either, but whether Alice wanted to explore the seemingly deserted area or move somewhere else, or even go back into the sewers was her decision to make.
"The Grand Cathedral? What's that?" the guardsman that she'd approached asked curiously, his voice warped slightly by his full head covering helm and his features hidden, though Sharte could plainly see that his hands were covered in scales. He'd interrupted her halfway through her schpiel, but after she was done he nodded sagely and said; "Ahhhh, another of those religious types then? Well, we've had a few of you come through, and you're as welcome to do whatever you like as anyone else that comes to Acheron! I, ahhhh, would be careful about going for converts though..."
The man would glance about suspiciously before leaning in to whisper; "Some of us locals - not me mind you - still try to cling to the old ways, and they're a bit hard to sway from worshiping the Devourer." Leaning back again, he continued in a louder tone; "If you're looking for places to heal people though, there are plenty of hospitals set up, and regular clinics that you could volunteer at. They'd even pay you for your services - as much to keep you from competing with them as anything else mind - but some are better than others." He stared at her through his helmet for a moment before glancing aside, seemingly contemplating something.
Reorienting his head her way, the guard added; "Look, you look like the type that gets eaten alive around here, so I'll do you a favor. A crowd of fairly weird folk are going to descend on you the moment you head through those gates, looking to show you around. At least half of 'em are scams working for some slaver or another, but there's a guy I know named Paul that does that deal. He's honest, and I know for a fact that he hasn't had a bite yet today. When you get in there, ask around for him and he'll find you. Just... Be patient with him. He's a bit too friendly, particularly around the ladies if you catch my meaning."
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Sharte smiled sweetly, holding up her Sacred Text to her chest, and folding both of her hands over it, "Oh... no no... I'm not here to convert anyone. I'm just here to help any that are in need, but I'll be glad to share the word of the stars with anyone interested. I see... the way of the Devourer is the dominant religion here."
She turned on her toes before giving a short bow, "I would definitely not mind volunteering at a hospital or clinic, especially if they are understaffed. Donations are appreciated for me to continue my journey but payment is not necessary."
She smiled sweetly again, without a hint of a serious look when the guard added additional information, "Thank you for your concern. Surely people cannot be so bad as to try to scam one on a holy mission. As for being a slave, I'm not very strong myself... I couldn't do much manual labor. I also try not to place myself in debt to land myself into such a position," she was oblivious to the more... radical types of slavery and kidnapping.
"What is it that this... Mr. Paul does exactly? Do any of these slaves require healing? As for being friendly around ladies, I am a religious person and my religion teaches chastity. I can assure you I will not sway to his advances," she gave another elegant bow and headed into the city before turning around slightly, "I'll head to the hospital then sir, thank you for your concerns and help!"
She headed for the hospital first, it seemed like the most appropriate place to help people.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Alice placed the wooden boards in her bag as she followed her zombies up... and up... until she had to shield her eyes from the sudden bright sunlight that actually stung her eyes a little, given how long she had been wandering around under the house, and by extension, searching around the sewers for anything that would prove useful as a power source. She was somewhat happy with her collection, but she wasn't exactly sure if she had enough to power her creation yet. Standing at the entrance, she pondered for awhile, before walking out into the sunlight and directing her zombies to follow her into the open.
She looked at her zombies as she started to give them orders, "Alright, I want you to pair off and look for treasure!..." She paused as she looked at them, "Do any of you even know what treasure is...?" She looked amongst the zombies, not even sure if they had any free will, or if she was talking to herself, "Ah! Whatever! If you find something shiny or cool let me know!" She said as she walked off in the north direction, directing two to west, two to east, and having her doll follow her, "Let's see if there's anything around here..."
Her zombies gave no indication that they heard her, having no more free will than her animated dolls did. Her magics only caused the body to move, they didn't return the spirits of the long dead to their rotting physical shells, but they could interpret her intentions through the link created from them to her. She didn't even need to speak to make them obey her, though such was the easiest way for her to make her intentions known since it naturally drew up the idea behind her instructions in her own mind.
Setting off to the North with her doll and sending her undead minions off in pairs together, Alice found little of value in the desolated landscape. There were standing buildings nearby of course, but they too had seen some damage from whatever blast had occurred here, faces crumbling and structures compromised, resulting in a number of them having collapsed into heaps of slag. Nothing had seemingly survived the devastation, as she found nothing that looked valuable and her zombies soon returned to her with empty hands.
It was as she was deciding what to do next that a figure appeared, a man dressed in the uniform of the city guard. He spotted Alice and her entourage immediately, and his helmeted head oriented toward her and paused for a moment before he called out; "Oi! What are you doing in there? Don't you know that this area is abandoned?"
"....Yes. Yes they are bad enough to try and scam someone on a holy mission," the guard replied in a deadpan voice, "Tis only fair to warn you that this is the last place that you can use the word "fair" to describe any interaction that you're likely to have, miss. I know it sounds a bit unwelcoming, but we in Acheron do have a policy of at least being up-front with people at the door. Be careful what you agree to and especially of what you sign. Pay and get paid up front." Sighing, he continued; "Paul's a tour guide. He'll show you wherever you want to go, keep you out of the bad parts of town, that sort of thing. They're cheap, and Paul's both good at it and fairly trustworthy, which is why I recommend him to people. He won't lead you into a slaver's arms, and he won't get you lost and try to scam you for extra money."
The guard gave her a nod when she turned and thanked him, and offered a bit of parting good will; "Good luck lady!"
Upon moving past the city gates, it became readily apparent that the guard had been correct about at least one thing. No sooner had she entered Acheron proper than was she approached by no less than four people. The first, a woman with eerily grey skin, inch long claws on each finger, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, smirked at her and said; "Afternoon lass! You look new 'round these parts, where yah headed? I can show yah anywhere in the city for just a few coins!" Another, a man in flamboyant purple robes and a big pointed hat, and with horns resembling a miniature set of moose antlers and a long white beard, quickly added; "Ahhh, stranger! Greetings! I am sure you would like a reputable guide in your endeavors... You look like a kind woman, a woman of compassion. Might you be heading to a clinic of some sort? Perhaps one of the free hospitals?" The next, a woman in fairly plain white clothing with black hair and bright red eyes, her only unusual features being the tiny horns jutting from her head and the bat-like wings hanging from her back, rolled her eyes as she approached and said; "Don't mind him, he likes to eavesdrop on the guests! Never trust a wizard to get yah anywhere, you'll be lost inside a minute. Never trust a sneak either. Lemme know where yer going ma'am, and I'll get yah there in no time flat." Finally, the fourth to approach her was a man with violet skin and pointed ears, said; "Never trust a demon either, if you want some good advice for your stay here in Acheron. Where are you headed milady, I would be happy to see you there safely for a small commission!"
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Alice looked frustrated as she kicked one pile of garbage over before she began to dig through another, throwing away anything that didn't seem useful and taking anything that would be useful as raw material for her dolls. She watched her zombies as they returned to her empty handed, frustration on her face as she yelled at them, "What do you mean you couldn't find anything? What do I even keep you four around for?"
She stopped as she saw the person approach, and talk to her. Waving to him as he got near, she gave a slightly annoyed look at him as he questioned why she was there, "I didn't find any signs that this place was abandoned, I just... sorta fell down into the basement of a house I was wandering around in, and walked through the sewers, and somehow ended up here!" She of course, was ready to attack at any time, remembering vividly what had happened to her last night when she had let her guard down...
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Sharte cheerfully walked through the main street of Acheron, taking in the 'refreshing' sights. For as long as she could remember she stayed within the Cathedral's Convent, and anything at this point would be 'refreshing' to her. In fact, it wasn't long before she met some new 'refreshing' people.
Sharte tried her best to smile and appear normal, despite the fact that her senses were assaulted by the experiences of meeting people of races she has never seen first hand before. She turned to the first person and gave a respectfully elegant bow.
"How do you do, and good afternoon. I'm headed for... the hospital. Whichever way that may be, I believe I am going in the right direction, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Unfortunately I'm not here for a tour or for sightseeing. I do appreciate the offer though."
She then turned to the next her ears slightly drooping down from being overwhelmed, "Greetings to you as well sir. I am only doing the good work of the stars, indeed I am headed for a clinic, I would like to volunteer my services to those in need. Am I headed in the wrong direction?"
Sharte did her best to give everyone the proper attention, to the next she turned and gave the same elegant bow, "I am a user of magic as well... I'm not sure if that has anything to do with navigational competence... in fact I would assume it would mean more.", she spoke naively.
She then turned to the last person and smiled sweetly, "I thank all of you for your advice, however... I do not have any money to give as I am a travelling Priestess. If I did need a guide I would see this Paul that was recommended by one of the city watch, as he seemed like an honest person... not that I don't believe any of you are honest. If you do require any sort of aid though, I would be glad to assist you in any way I can... I am especially adept at the healing arts."
Sharte then gave the group one last bow with a slight look of exhaustion in her eyes as her ears twitched. If they had nothing else for her she had planned to seek the hospital on her own... however if they did require aid the good in heart would compel her to assist them.
The guard stared silently at Alice for a moment, his expression hidden by his helmet, before he incredulously asked; "You didn't know.... That this place was abandoned?" He glanced around at the desolate and lifeless area before looking back at Alice, "So... Are you blind? This is a crater. Nothing's going to stay in a crater, and nothing of note survived the blast that caused it. Also, exploring abandoned buildings can be pretty dangerous, you weren't doing it alone, were you?"
The interest of the four strangers vanished the very instant that Sharte mentioned that she didn't have any money, even though it was a lie. The eccentric wizard was the only one to remain long enough to answer her while the rest wandered off, saying; "Oh, him? He's over there, short guy with white hair. Can't miss him. Well, yah can, buuuut, it's a bit tough. Maybe." He had pointed over to the side, and she did indeed see a man with white hair there, standing against the wall idly. "Good luck!" he said, his parting words before he let her be.
If Sharte opted to approach the man, he would greet her with a smile and a bob of his head before saying; "Oh, hello then! Top of the mornin to yah! Yah look new in Acheron, are yah lookin tah go somewhere? I know the place like the back oh' me own 'and I do! I can get yah anywhere in the city, with as little danger as a babe in a crib, for only a small compensation!" Now that she was closer, she would see that his white hair was streaked with silver, stands of it gleaming strangely, and that the curtain hanging over his forehead largely obscured a pair of small, nub-like horns that jutted up from just beside his temples. He was beaming brightly at her with his deep red eyes, but despite his clearly demonic features the man seemed shamelessly friendly.
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
"Well... considering I only arrived at this city what say... three or four days ago? No, I had no idea this place was abandoned!" She looked around for a bit as she shook her head, "What? Search an abandoned building along? No, of course not, I had a dog that was with me... but he decided not to come down with me, and I have these fine folks..." She pointed around at the zombies, "And I also have her." She points to the animated doll, "Anyway, since you're here, what exactly happened to this place?"
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Sharte smiled and continued on in the direction of who she assumed was Paul. She turned once and nodded to the wizard, "Much thanks sir!"
She then continued to approach Paul and gave the man an honest smile and greeting, "Hello. I was referenced to you by one of the city watch. I'm not entirely looking for a tour of the place, as sightseeing is not my goal. Would you be so kind as to point the way to the hospital? I would like to lend any aid I can to the needy, or perhaps do you know any people who are in need of medical aid?"
Sharte did take the time to note Paul's features, but she made a constant effort to ignore any prejudice feelings that would arise inside her and believe in the good in people. After all, her upbringing was filled with honest people... at least as far as she knew.
"I would prefer to not spend any funds if possible, but would you perhaps have or know where I could purchase a map of this city?"
"But... It's abandoned! There's nobody here!" the guard replied incredulously, before shaking his head and explaining; "This place was the sight of a battle two years ago, when we arrived. A being that we refer to as the Destroyer, one that wishes to obliterate all of demonkind, wiped out a city block to kill some of us. Nobody is sure why, but it's not like we can find him and ask him, and nobody survived to tell the tale. We haven't had the manpower to rebuild it all yet, so it's just some ruins right now."
"Ahhh, a healer! Just like I suspected! You'll be pretty welcome 'round Acheron, mark my words! Always work that needs doing in that field, and most will appreciate a pretty face like yours doin it too!" Paul said brightly, "I can show yah to the hospitals easy, whichever one you want. I know all of 'em! Afraid you won't find a map of the city though, or at least not an accurate one. Everything's constantly in flux here, so only the locals will be able to give you accurate directions.
"Anyway, if yer lookin' fer a place to put your talents to work, I can get yah there! If yer lookin' tah keep yer coin, I'd be happy tah negotiate an alternative price. It's pretty common round here, tah be honest!"
Re: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Loli Defense Force and Konpeito)
Alice shook her head as she realized there wasn't much that could be done with the guard around here, well, at least she could keep searching..., "Well... regardless, I have some guards with me..." She motions towards her dolls and the animated dead she had with her, "And I'm still sorta new around here, so is it alright if I keep just poking around for a bit? I'll head back to town as soon as I'm done searching. Oh, and do you know of any creature that's sorta females, has tentacles, tendency to attack elves? I was... sorta chased by one into an abandoned district last night..."
