Deciding that we really should be getting along, the group gathers their things, including their late treasures, and crosses the stream towards the Oldway. Derry wanted to bring the box along, but Alex and Jack insisted that it would be too heavy to carry between them, especially amongst the ruins.
The forest begins to thin, and through the brush can be glimpsed the crumbling stone wall that stretches around the Oldway. You reach the face of the wall, its height looming over a dozen feet over your heads. Alex, a frequent visitor, knows a way through, and leads the group along until they reach a small portion that has fallen apart completely. You pick your way to the peak of the mound of rubble, then slide back down the other side. The massive stone maze of the Oldway greets you on the other side.
You've all heard stories. A myriad of twisting alleys, byways and bridges, so many turns you'll starve before you can finish counting them, some so long you could walk them for days and never see the end. Everything is made of stone. The ground, the walls, the homes. Some say the stone lives, that the buildings can talk, and that the paths change every day. Nothing lives inside it. No one knows why its here. No one knows where it came from. Its been around as long as the Sky has, some say. Most of your great-grandparents remember the days when people still went inside to try and map it. Of course, none of them ever came out.
Alex motions for you to follow, leading you into a nearby alley. You look up, and the sky above is but a thin ribbon between the towering stone buildings on either side of you. Alex tells you to stay close to him, and you can't help but huddle closer to one another as the young alchemist leads you confidently.
You walk for over an hour, Alex keeping a relentless pace as he carves a path through the winding streets. Most of the time the alleys are so thin that you have to walk single-file, and at more than one terrifying point you had to head through sidelong. Wells got stuck once, and he was on the verge of panicking when Jack slipped his sword off of his back, allowing him to squeeze through. Beth found a small hole in the wall once. It was neat, perfectly square, and pitch black inside. Everyone took turns looking inside, but no one could see a thing. Derry was brave enough to reach inside, and he got all the way up to his waist, with Jack and Wells hanging onto his belt, and felt nothing but air. Everyone was weary, and scared, and more than once you begged Alex to turn back. But each time he insisted, without breaking his stride:
Just a little bit further.. And as he drew further into the maze, Alex's walk steadily quickened, and his manner seemed more and more distant.
The alley began to widen into more of a path, and even though none of you are claustrophobic, everyone was grateful to escape that narrow maze. Alex breaks into a run for a moment, before stopping dead in his tracks. He motions the rest of you over, and you all gather around him warily. He motions towards the door set into the wall, the only one you've seen in the entire city.
There. No one moves. No one says a word. The entire door is covered in symbols. Just like the ones on Kyle's disc.
Name: Alex
Gender: Male
Age: 12
Appearance: A fairly short, skinny kid with old burns on his face and one eyebrow. What hair he has is unkempt and brown. He wears simple clothes that are also scorched.
Role: Alchemist
Goal: To learn all one can learn, know all one can know, and make some discoveries along the way.
HP 8/8
MP 10/10
SPD 6
Job/AbilitiesTrainee Alchemist - Can use items on others, as well as identify most basic chemicals, metals, spices and herbs. Can make remedies and other concoctions.
Book Smart - You can read.
GearHooded Robes - Rough blue robes you found in an old chest while exploring the Oddway one night. They're a little big on you, and you wear three large leather belts (also too big) around your midsection to keep them from trailing. You've taken to hanging pouches and gourds from them to keep your remedies safe, as well as hold the many trinkets and oddities you find [+7 Inventory]. There's a hood, and you like to keep it bunched up around your neck to keep you warm.
Runic Crossbow - BLANK
Inventory (2/10)
2x Dabbat Leaves [restore HP steadily; makes
Dabbat Tea]
Name: Wellington
Gender: Male
Age: 13
Appearance: Wellington is a reserved sort of boy, who almost never left the house as a kid. This is due to his unnatural purple eyes. He has short black hair that is rapidly graying and pale white skin.
Role: Paladin
Goal: Be loved by the people.
HP 11/15
MP 8/8
SPD 6
Job/AbilitiesBulwark - [Select an allied target, and absorb any damage or effects that were meant for that friendly character. You can change your target for this ability at any time. Activation is free, and doesn't cost you your action. You only need to notify me when you are activating, deactivating, or switching your target for this ability. No need to remind me every turn that you're protecting the same person.]
Hidden Strength - You're stronger than you look, though it only emerges in the most dire of situations [if an ally is in fatal danger, you gain +2 damage for your next attack].
GearOaken Shield - A thick, round piece of wood that Guardsman Lyle gave you. A simple shield with a crude likeness of a fire-breathing dragon carved onto the face. Welly often gets to play the Knight whenever the others can actually manage to drag him outside, which lends to his quiet, protective nature. [if your opponent rolls a hit on you, roll 1d6. if the number is even, you block the strike and any damage it could have inflicted]
Blue Longsword - BLANK
Inventory (0/3)
---
Name: Derry
Gender: Male
Age: 13
Appearance: Very pale blue eyes, messy brown reddish brown hair. Lightly tanned skin, unnaturally straight, white teeth and a crooked nose which he earned after one of his many "climbing incidents". Broad (for his age) shoulders and whipcord muscles, his winning smile and sharp features come together to give him a sort of roguish charm.
Role: Hunter
Goal: To one day have all the people who looked down on him at his mercy and to hunt them like the animals they are.
HP 8/10
MP 0/0
SPD 10
Job/AbilitiesFriend of the Earth - Knows a lot about the physical attributes and habits of animals and plant life, especially that which resides in the forest, though he's never been in one. Wild creatures tend to take a liking to him due to his scent, a combination of rich earth and sunlight, gained from whiling away so many hours dozing amongst the warm grass on the Hill.
Athlete - You can run faster and longer than most of the other kids. And you should after kicking everyone's arses at footraces for so long! [5% chance to attack the same target again]
GearClimbing Gloves - Hard, leather, fingerless gloves with pads on the knuckles and the palms, great for scaling trees and hitting stuff without bruising your knuckles [climb things; 1 DMG].
Leather Sling - A thong made of leather, used to fling stones. You've practiced with it often, though you've never actually killed anything with it [1-5 DMG]
Lugged War Spear - BLANK
Inventory (3/3)
3x Jerky [Yummy!]
Name: Bethany
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Appearance: Tall for her age, and for a girl, but skinny as a rail-and delicate looking. Short, tawny, dark red hair arranged in an artful sheath. Forest green eyes, and a healthy skin tone. Has a pair of russet wings on her back, much like a bird. Her wings and her hair are the same color.
Role: Healer/Support Archer
Goal: To fly high above the clouds, no restrictions...Bethany cannot truly fly, despite her strange gift-agile hovering jumps, and acrobatic swoops being as close as she gets. Living in a city in the sky, this has caused her some consternation. She's always wanted to truly soar, and adventure beyond the boundaries.
HP 7/10
MP 5/5
SPD 8
Job/AbilitiesAcrobat - You can move with more grace and talent than anyone else in the sky! You've even learned to turn flips after practicing for so long! [sacrifice a combat turn to dodge the next two hits; perform minor stunts in fluff]
Good Sense - You seem to notice things that others don't, namely fine details. You always seem to know which way to go, and what to do. You're a natural leader, and the others tend to look up to you because of it [allies gain +1 to hit rolls when following your directions].
GearPerfect Longbow - BLANK
Russet Wings - A pair of small leather wings that you wear on your back. They usually make you play the dragon, and you hate it. You think you're more of a wyvern, personally.
Slingshot - A tiny slingshot that Derry made for you [1-3 DMG]
Inventory (0/3)
---
Name: Kyle Johnson
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Appearance: Kyle is tall for his age (nearly six feet tall) with brown hair and eye. He has dark bags under his eyes and wears a leather wrist band.
Role: Illusionist Rogue.
Goal: To always be happy.
HP 8/8
MP 15/16
SPD 7
Job/AbilitiesSubstitute - You've always known how to do this, though you never knew why. You rarely use it in front of people, and you're rather afraid of this curious power of yours. [create a phantom image of yourself, enemies targeting you will attack it instead for the next two turns until you attack or combat ends; costs 3 MP]
Illusion - [cause an enemy to think he's in mortal danger. enemy will be distracted for one turn until he realises that he's not actually going to die; costs 1 MP]
GearMysterious Artefact - A round, thin metal disc about six inches across with intricate carvings inlaid on either side. You usually keep it tucked away inside your shirt where no one can see it. Sometimes, when you look at it while you're alone, it glows with a strange blue light. You showed it to the others, and Alex claimed to recognise the symbols from something he saw in the Oldway. Everyone came to the unanimous decision that you should all head there in search of it.
Ceremonial Rapier - BLANK
Silver Dirk - BLANK
Inventory (1/3)
1x Sparkers [causes a small, bright flash of light; stun enemies or start fires]
Name: Cromwell Jackson
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Appearance: Cromwell is a lanky kid, and lightweight. He has short brown hair and a constant bored expression.
Role: Storm Mage
Goal: To see the future
HP 6/6
MP 20/20
SPD 4
Job/AbilitiesCommand Sky - You can control the wind to an extent, creating gusts or concentrated blasts to whip at your foes. Naturally you've never actually hurt anyone with this, you just like to play with clouds. [use the wind as a weapon; 1 DMG per attack, SPD is 0 while in use, can attack as many targets as you want for -1 MP each]
Cloudy Day - You love the rain, and you always go outside to let the drops run down your face whenever the sky grows dark. [+2 max HP during inclement weather]
GearMantle - A short coat made of soft, dark brown leather. You always wear it whenever you go romping, to keep the dirt off your clothes.
Large Flask - Its filled with some liquid. You don't know what it is.
Inventory (1/3)
1x Gosa Leaves [restores MP steadily]
Author
Topic: The Land of the Sky: Chapter 0.5 - IC Thread (Read 64539 times)