Light of Amber - Series One

[Snowfire]

Awakenings

Nothingness

You feel it all around you, an oppressive blackness that warps your senses and wraps you in muffles of isolation. There is no sound, not even silence. There is no colour – or absence thereof. Air touches your skin though, letting you know that it is safe to breath. You try to move, but that same air restrains you gently. If you push hard enough, your outstretched hand touches an...edge and the lifeless cold of the void dances on your skin for a moment before your body overrides your mind and pulls back. For a moment, you feel yourself staring into the abyss. And then a voice speaks.


:Watch:

Far ahead of you, light flares into being. An infinitesimal point of Light, burning in the not-blackness ahead of you. Ribbons of the same stream out from it, dancing around you as they pour into the starless void. They dwindle to pinpoints of their own, but do not fade. Each one stops eventually, holding a place in what you slowly realise is becoming a night sky. And still the streams of ribbons come, brushing against your fragile cocoons as they pour ever onwards. Vibration shimmers in the blackness, the beginnings of sound forcing its way through the void.


:Listen:

The voice, neither male nor female yet distinctly alive, echoes through your mind. And with it comes music. The echoes of lost melodies, each more beautiful than a thousand symphonies, permeate the air around you. The point ahead of you pulses, a shockwave of white/gold/silver that washes outwards. You brace yourself as if for an impact but none comes. The light simply passes through you.


:Awaken:

The next word comes with a realisation. It's not passing through you! It's passing into you! Motes of light shimmer and dance around you in intricate spirals, twining themselves into your very being and calling to something locked deep inside of you. Your own light, your own power. Against the radiant nova ahead of you it seems a pale thing in comparison, yet that same blazing Light is calling yours.


:See my Light within You:

Darkness; true, utter darkness stains the starfield, pouring out of nowhere into being around you. Writhing in the light ahead of you, it looses a barrage of tentacles formed of a blackness beyond light, dozens of the things racing across the suddenly far-to-short space separating it from you.


:See Amber:

The star ahead of you flares again, this time so much brighter, carrying with it a piercing tone that is a Power all of its own. The...thing's...attack goes awry, the tentacle-esque spears melting away under the searing Light. A silent scream of rage slams through you, carrying with it alien thoughts and an agonising loss-born fury. And now you recognise the star ahead of you. Amber. The cradle of Light.


:See our Enemy:

The thing – you know it now as a Neverwere – screams again, false-light and not-sound stabbing your senses. A thick section of its massive bulk slides between you and Amber, blocking the radiant light stabbing through it as it lets fly with another barrage. Instinct tries to dodge, is forcibly restrained by subconscious and your eyes fly wide as lances of darkness wider than you are tall hurtle across the void. You see light flare again as it slams into the interposed mass preventing its protection and the Neverwere burns. But not fast enough.


:Know that you are Guarded:

And suddenly there is figure between you and the onrushing tree-trunks that spell your doom. Clad in blue and gold, the air around him shimmering with a bright azure light and wielding two-handed an elegantly crafted blade. His navy cloak billows behind him in an invisible wind, the gold of his helmet reflecting the starlight all around him. Then he moves. And his blade dances in the windless void.


:But that your Light is stronger than His:

The man seems to flicker across the space between you and the Neverwere, deflecting every strike, stopping every onrushing hammerblow on a wall of dancing silver-blue metal. And as the last lance falls to his steadfast defence, he surges forward, blade piercing the darkness. Crimson stains his blade as blood – it must be his own – wraps it in a weave of sacrificial power before he brings it smashing down through the Neverwere's form. Again it screams, but this time you are caught on the edge of the blast. Radiant light envelops its target, the knight in gold, and as it hits he straightens – as if drawing life out of the reality tearing energy focused on him.


:Remember:

The knight strikes again, blade shearing through the liquid blackness that shields the Neverwere's heart from Amber's light. The blackness explodes as he strikes, made brittle by the effort of shielding, and Amber shines forth once more. The blackness retreats, screaming, from the blazing Light, vanishing back through the tiny crack from whence it came as it snaps shut. And when you look, the Knight is gone.


:And never Forget:

The starfield blurs around you, the air cocoon whipping at its edges as you accelerate. Light shines forth, the golden Truth of Amber reaching out with open arms to accept you into its heart. And the light within you, the light that you all knew was there – even if you tried to hide it – blazes into ecstatic life. You marvel as it spreads through you, power that you never imagined shining forth in glorious counterpoint to the majesty of Amber. And you feel your lips moving in silent litany, matching the words of the voice within.


:Stars of the Heavens:
:Reflections of the Cradle:
:It is for them you shine:
:To them is your duty:
:Our eternal vigil:
:And to them we return:

The edges of your vision tears, space burning all around you. Amber embraces you, and everything goes white.


***

Burning. You hear the crackle of flames, the the pungent smell of smoke filling your nostrils as you rise into full wakefulness. Screams and desperate prayers fill the rest of the spectrum, and as you raise yourselves from the ground you realise why.

Around you, a city burns.

Above you, a Neverwere spreads its vast bulk in preparation to feast.

And around you, their silver barriers cracked and fractured, stand the last of Amber's defenders. Five of them, the youngest among them at least as old as the eldest of you. But their experience does not seem to have aided them.

Four are around you, their hands and devices outstretched, desperately maintaining the barriers keeping the flames at bay. The fourth, presumably their leader, is kneeling before you. She shakes herself, as if waking from a long sleep, then her green eyes slide open.

“So...it worked...” She whispers, an edge of awe and disbelief threading her tone.

“Amiya! We can't hold this for long!” One of those at the barriers yells, and the woman – Amiya – shakes herself again.

“I know!” She yells back, then focuses on you. “Please...all of you...Amber brought you here. I know she did. You know our foe and the consequences if they succeed. Please. Help us. We wi-”

“Amiya!” The same girl, you catch a glimpse of red hair, screams. The Neverwere above you has spread out further, and now a sweeping wave of black smashes into the barriers. Amiya rises away from you, her own hands shimmering red as she brings them up to reinforce the barrier of her companions.

“Hold!” She yells. “Just...a little...longer...” Then a second great tentacle sweeps out of the sky, slamming into the shield from the other side. Cracks splay across it, spreading like deadly spider's webs. And then it collapses. The tentacle barely misses you where you are on the ground, the air shaking under its passage. But the five, they don't stand a chance.

The tentacle rises back up, into the Neverwere that spawned it. And you see around you the somehow still breathing – but otherwise unmoving – forms of those who had been trying to explain. Amiya falls from where she was slammed into a wall, and a broken whisper falls from her lips.

“Please...”

The Neverwere in the sky breaks up, bits and pieces descending all across the city to feast. Six slam into the ground around you, uttering howls of hunger-fury as they rise from the craters their passage created and stalk towards the fallen Pentacle scattered before, clearly intending to finish them off.

[Princess Tracy]

A young girl of blue hair and green eyes and regular, if torn, street garb stands among the extradimensional stragglers, though not for long. "Well, I have no earthly clue what's going on, but these things don't seem particularly subtle, so why should I be?" Umiko remarks calmly, cracking her knuckles. Before anyone can stop her, she charges forward, her thoughts of beating answers out of her father tucked away for another time as she smiles, never more at home than in the thick of combat - higher causes are for officers to figure out, a true warrior pounds their opponents to mulch, at least admitting they'll find a good reason for it later - or else apologise. "I'M UMIKO, NICE TO MEET YOU!" she shouts, flinging herself foot first, a flying kick bearing all of her momentum as she aims her very being at the closest thing to a weak point as she can find on the nearest foe.

Initiative [roll0]
Attack (charge) [roll1] -2 to AC, obviously
Damage, unarmed [roll2]

[Snowfire]

Umiko's foot slams into the shadowstuff form of the closest Neverwere, catching it just as its foot begins to rise for another step. A faint light flares around her shoe as the kick impacts, driving into the whirling blackness of the thing's back. It stumbles forward, grunting discordantly in sudden pain and begins to turn, the claws on each of its four arms elongating into vicious blades.

It's hurt. It has to be after its reaction to that kick. But it seems more angry than in pain right now. The other five Neverwere continue slowly towards the members of the Pentacle, as if oblivious to the attack that one of their number just suffered. Or they simply don't care.

[Selinia]

Smoke. Ash. Screams.

"Am I..." Makoto struggled to her feet, fighting off a headache. "Is this... a riot or something?"

Of course not. She wished it was a riot, but that lightshow had made it pretty clear what kind of hell she was going to be dropped into. Which meant... something, but damn if she could remember what exactly. What Makoto did know was that she wasn't about to back down from another round with these things. The redhead gripped the burnished haft of her weapon with white knuckles, desperately wondering how it was supposed to be helping her in that task. As if in answer, Makoto felt a scratching at the edge of her mind.

"Ah, hell no. I am getting seriously sick of you Amber things treating my brain like a ten-cred whore." Makoto grinned as the scratching stopped. "Great, an understanding. Now, in Standard please."

"HUNT." The dull tone echoed at her thoughts - comfortably outside them, to be precise. With a sharp crack, the lance in her hand shattered. Just as before, Makoto held the haft, countless fragments slowly winding around her like some great serpent of iron and brass. She gave the handle an experimental twist, sending the entire array writhing. She regretted that a moment later.

"SEEK." With an audible "CRACK!", the tip of the lance abruptly buried itself in the asphalt behind Makoto... and with equally little warning, snapped the rest of its length like a slingshot, propelling her high into the air, directly towards the greatest concentration of the unearthly beasts. As a gesture of pure reflex, Makoto threw out a hand - downward, to break her fall, though she knew full well that she was probably in for broken bones at least. To her astonishment, the lance reacted once more, yanking its tip from the asphalt behind her... to strike in front of her like a viper, seeming to materialize new links out of thin air as its tip darted towards the umbral aberration meandering into her jump's trajectory.

Makoto couldn't do much to stop things at this point - just close her eyes, hold on tight, and hope that shadowy stuff made for a softer landing pad than it appeared to.

Actions:
Initiative [roll0]

Makoto (involuntarily) launches herself at the nearest neverwere. I'm assuming that the group was dropped in a staggered enough formation that Makoto's nearest neverwere would be different than the one Umiko has assailed. Otherwise, the nearest flat-footed neverwere.

Power attack is active.

Running Long Jump Check: [roll1]
Charge Attack to-hit: [roll2]
Damage: ([roll3] * 3) = 114

Makoto isn't wearing her costume, but she is wearing a rather nice set of red flannel pajamas.

[Serafina]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXkbm6GKjU0)
Fantastic opening by Snowfire:
Cymoril was confused. Admittedly, that was relatively normal for her when it came to most things magical, which was a lot on Mid-Childa, but this was different. She looked down again at the box in her hands, that beautiful golden box that had hurt her so much when she had found out what it contained. To be holding it so close now, to know it was hers when it could have gone to someone who could actually use it, it confused her. She ducked back swiftly at the sound of softly approaching footsteps from the junction ahead of her, blending into the shadows with ease now after so many years of training.

The Sister – no, that was the garb of a Knight – stopped at the centre of the crossroads, looking around carefully for any sign of out-of-bed residents, then smiled and kept walking. Waiting until the footsteps faded was...difficult, but Cymoril managed. Then she popped back out of the shadows and made her way swiftly towards the junction. This was the last one before the stairs. She was almost there.

Then she saw it. A note. Sitting quite innocently. In the centre of the crossroads. Where the Knight had been standing. She looked around quickly, saw no one, then knelt down to read it.

Cymoril,

Happy Birthday.

Have fun, but try not to stay up too late. You will need your rest.

Carim

She blinked in confusion. Carim? It couldn't have...no. Some other Carim. Must have been. She shook her head in amusement at her own notion. She came to her feet, realising it was almost midnight, and ran silently for the stairs.

***

“Mori! You made it!” Cymoril oofed as her friend wrapped her in a bone crushing hug, her dark blonde hair waving around them both before she stepped back. “I was about to start looking.” Her eye's sparkled with amusement, emerald and ruby glittering in the dark as she looked up and down her friend, as if looking for something. “And you brought Sturmbringer!”

“Sturmbringer?” Cymoril asked slowly, opening her mouth.

“Yes. That's his name. I burnt a few favours to get Shari to run a scan on him – off the books.”

“Ok...you got one of the best techs in the TSAB to run a che- Vivio what does this have to do with me?” Cymoril burst out. “Why did you ask me to bring him up here after giving him to me for my birthday. It's not as if I can use a Device. I can't even ca-”

“Hush.” Cymoril stopped as a gentle finger pressed itself over her lips. “It matters because I want to try something.” Vivio smiled at her friend's look. “Oh don't give me those eyes. Look, Mori, I wouldn't have called you out here if it wasn't important. Shari's scan threw up something decidedly weird.

“What do you mean, weird?” Cymoril asked cautiously. “And how does it relate to me?” Vivio didn't immediately reply, instead gently taking the box.

“It was strange, almost strange enough that she called in someone official.” Vivio replied, her playfulness receding. “There was a...a resonance pattern emitting from him. There still is.” Cymoril blinked, green eyes even more confused and Vivio sighed, cracking open the golden case that contained the device. “According to the scans, even without being activated, Sturmbringer has attuned to someone.” Cymoril swallowed a painful lump of sorrow.

“So what, you have a device that's attuned to you and you give it to me? Why? Are yo-” Vivio cut off Cymoril's bitter tone just two things. A laugh, and a four words that set her entire world reeling.

“Not me, silly.” Vivio held out the bracelet that was Sturmbringer. “You.”

“What?” The comment came out flat, but surprise pasted itself across Cymoril's delicate features.

“You.” Vivio repeated gently, slipping the bracelet on to her younger friend's slender wrist. “The pattern running through the scan was a perfect match to your linker core.”

“But...but I can't even cast the simplest spells!” Cymoril stammered, looking down at the device on her wrist as if it was about to bite her. “How am I meant to be able to use a Device?” Vivio shrugged.

“I don't know. But clearly Sturmbringer thinks you can do it. And Intelligent Devices are very rarely wrong.”

“Well clearly this has to be one of those rare cases!” Cymoril shook her head violently, trying to clear it of the thoughts stampeding through it. “I..Vivio...you know...I...I can't-”

“Sturmbringer thinks you can.” The hetrachromic teenager replied softly. “And so do I.” She squeezed her friend's hand. “At least try?” Cymoril narrowed her eyes, pushing back tears, then nodded slowly.

“All right.” She said, and Vivio smiled again.

“In that case, focus on Sturmbringer, and repeat after me.” Cymoril was reluctant to close her eyes, but did so, bringing her hands up so that she could hold the bracelet. And she repeated.

“Starlight and lightning.”

“Rise from my heart.”

“Hold me close in the storm.”

“And show me the way.”

Yellow light pulsed outwards in a pattern of infinite triangles to surround Cymoril and she felt something pulse deep within her. Something lost and hidden, that drew her eyes to with all the pull of irresistible gravity. Green eyes met gold, the latter staring out at her and a word whispered in her mind.

:Awaken:

Her arm, the one with the bracelet around it, rose into the air. Her hand grasped an invisible hilt. And she spoke the final words of activation ahead of her friend.

“Sturmbringer – set up!” The falcon at the heart of the bracelet pulsed bright as it responded.

“Anfang – Schnitterform!”

Cymoril's eyes flew wide at those words, taking in the slowly spinning triangle around her.

“Oh my go-” A pillar of pale gold exploded into the heavens.

Her clothes vanished, crackling sparks replacing it with shining chainmail and armour of the finest steel as Vivio watched in joy. Lightning stabbed through the gap between her fingers, blazing in the heart of the transformation as Sturmbringer rose to his mistress's call. The hilt formed first, the lightning flashing up along the blade to reveal it in all its glory. Falcon's wings decorated the blade's cross-guard, but that detail was lost to the clean beauty of shining steel. Tears of joy streamed from Cymoril's eyes as she felt magic and light pour through her in a rampant torrent.

She lowered her blade. Sturmbringer spoke.

“Dimensionale Übertragen. Ziel Amber.”

“Wh-”

The triange around her pulsed bright, and then started to collapse. She felt herself moving away, and tried desperately to remember her lessons.

Übertragen...Übertragen...Transfer! Dimensional Transfer! No! She tried to move, but found that she couldn't.

:Cymoril!: Vivio screamed into her mind. :What's happening to you?:

:Dimensional transfer. Somewhere called Amber. Can't stop it!:

:No. NO!: Vivo leapt forward, trying to grab her, but her hand simply passed through her. :I won't let you go! I'll come for you. I promise! Do you hear me Mori'. I will find you again!:

:I...I hear...you: Cymoril replied faintly, the last of her energy fading as her vision started to white out. The last thing she saw was Vivio forcing herself to take a step back, her final words lost in the haze of energy. Iridescent patterns swept out around the nineteen year old. Her fists clenched in fury and helplessness. But she wasn't alone. She was never alone.

Cymoril's eyes, seeing nothing but light, flew wide as she felt her friend's presence shatter the world around her. A tightly focused call pierced the dimensions, shattering through the fabric of reality with all the power of friendship behind it. And the voice of Vivio Takamachi-Harlaowan slammed through her like a hurricane blast.

:Fate!: Cymoril stopped breathing for a moment. If she was doing that... No. No way! But apparently Vivio was. The psychic link didn't fade as the first word passed. It strengthened. Cymoril snapped her eyes shut, concentrating desperately on shielding her mind, as the second word burst through the howling energy around her, rising on the edge of a psychic scream.

:Nanoha!:

"VIVIOOO"! Cymorils scream trails off as a large...creature slams into the ground in front of her. Instinct raises the unfamiliar blade into a defensive position, and she tries to assess her position.
"Unknown surroundings. Ten unknown combatants. Four may be allies, six may be enemies. What would Vi-chan do?"

Sturmfalken! a stern masculine voice rings out. Four small birds of prey made of crackling lightning appear around her sword.
"Eeeeh? What's going on here?" Cymoril cries out in surprise. "Now wait just a minute, Sturmbringer! First you kidnap me and then you just start attacking anyone? No!"
She focuses all her willpower on holding her device back. The falcons start to fly straight towards the next creature, but her mental outcry stops them. She pulls them in, a tugging feeling inside her keeping the elemental birds in check. Finally they start to circle around her, and with a sigh of relief she begins to assess the situation around her.


Actions:
Using Homing Shot, withholding 3 of 4 shots.

Dice i have already rolled, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13580926&postcount=4955) though only Initiative is relevant for now.

[Owrtho]

She had asked me to help. To protect the song, the light, from those that threatened it.
Even without vision, Daina could clearly see where the enemies were around her. They were abominations, their mere presence seemed to be a violation of sound and music. Not simply lacking it but destroying it. They needed to be stopped. Around her Daina could hear others getting up, acting to fight them. The girls she had heard upon first arriving seemed to be in the directions the un-sounds, the Neverwere a voice in her head corrected her, were headed. They had seemed kind, and almost seemed to sing with the melody of the light.

Getting up, Daina prepared to intercept the Neverwere. All she needed was to pick a song to dance to. A brief moment of thought during which she adjusted her glasses to make sure they hid her eyes, and she knew which to use. A foreign song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Ubf8Ejk2o) perhaps, but she'd learned what the lyrics meant, and she'd show these Neverwere that they were no match for the music. In an action that seemed almost second nature, a record appeared in one of her turntables and began to play. To the sound of the music Daina danced into the fray, attacking the closest Neverwere that was not yet being confronted.

OOC Actions:
Free action to dismiss and manifest devices with keen and thundering augments (and the required enhancement augment, which I assume is lost to get the other abilities). Also, perform (disc jockey) check to start playing the music, not that it has any effect in this case.
Move action to approach the nearest neverwere not already being attacked. Perform dance check here, again it doesn't actually have an effect.
Standard action to attack the neverwere with both weapons.

Initiative: [roll0]
Perform (disc jockey): [roll1]
Perform (dance): [roll2]

Attack main hand: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] sonic: [roll5]
Crit confirm (15-20): [roll6]
Thundering damage: sonic: [roll7] DC 14 or deafened.

Attack off hand: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9] sonic: [roll10]
Crit confirm (15-20): [roll11]
Thundering damage: sonic: [roll12] DC 14 or deafened.

[userpay]

“Fly. Bring my light home. And save it.”

Temeka can't help but blink distractedly as the waves of images finally cease, leaving her right in the middle of an apparent battlefield. Save... this?

"Good afternoon Temeka." A voice resounded in her head.
"Who-"
"Please save formal introductions for later as we seem to be in danger. For now know that I am Callisto, here to aid you with your suit functions."

At that Temeka finally glances at herself and notices her armor for the first time. Her armor. It was... Different than the original plans, a bit more showy, but even as she lifted her arm to get a closer look Temeka could tell it would protect just as well. Possibly the most untouched portion of her armor, visually at least, was the revolver gauntlet that had been entirely of her own design only... There were now two. Even as she watched the drum spun briefly and clicked into place.

"Ammunition fully loaded and ready. As much as I wish to allow you to further pursue your examination I need to inform you that there appear to be six enemy combatants, four likely allies, and five current non-combatants. What do you wish to do?" Temeka clenches her fist as she looks back over the battlefield, at the things that even she could feel were somehow wrong.
"Bust them up what else? Only..." While there had been few visual changes to her primary weapon one of the most important things seemed to be missing, an obvious firing mechanism. "How?" The mental voice sighed.
"For now aim at the beings you wish to fire upon and I'll assist in the targeting and firing until you become use to it."

As Temeka raised her arms a blur shot past her from behind, resolving into the lunging form of Chisaki. A giantChisaki. While Temeka stares slack jaw after this newest development the guns on her wrists whirled and clicked once more, apparently high enough for Callisto to take over as they spit out several tongues of flame and metal.
I'm going to be revising the armor appearance slightly so I'll post more on that another time.

Anyway, fun fun time. So apparently not only tigers have the grab ability they have it on both bite and claws, quite fitting given the way kitties fight. So Chisaki will charge a currently free neverwere while Temeka blasts at the last free neverwere. Assuming the neverwere's are large or smaller.

Chisaki
Bite
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll]2d6+8
Grapple Attempt [roll1]

Claw 1
Attack [roll2]
Damage [roll3]
Grapple Attempt [roll4]

Claw 2
Attack [roll5]
Damage [roll6]
Grapple Attempt [roll7]

Temeka
Being within 5 range increments revolver attacks resolve effectively as touch attacks.
Attack [roll8]
Damage [roll9]
Sonic [roll10]
Attack [roll11]
Damage [roll12]
Sonic [roll13]

Attack [roll14]
Damage [roll15]
Sonic [roll16]
Attack [roll17]
Damage [roll18]
Sonic [roll19]

[Snowfire]

Falcons of crackling electricity strain in Cymoril's grasp, as if itching to hurl themselves into the fray, but maintain their positions according to her commands.

Umiko hurls herself forwards with all the wild abandon of youth, her attack staggering her target for a moment, but it swiftly turns towards her, the claws on its arms lengthening and rippling strangely.

Then Daina's music blasts out across the battleground, its first notes seeming to startle the Neverwere. Her turntables spin around her, their whirling forms slashing deep into the shadowstuff form seeking to drown out the music she has been charged with protecting. The twinned devices elict a scream of rage from that target, the records atop them releasing waves of pounding sound into the blackness as they cut through them. It also starts to turn, claws following the same pattern the one soon to be facing Umiko.

Further back, Temeka comes to her feet. She stares for a moment, at the burning city before her, at herself, then is seemingly shaken from her confusion. Both arms rise, the snubbed barrels of her weapons flicking around towards one of the non-engaged Neverwere. This one, perhaps due to the sudden attacks on its companions, avoids the first shot from her second weapon. But the rest slam into the writhing not-flesh of her target, each bullet pulsing with faint light as they slam home.

At the same moment, her now enhanced companion springs past her with a roar. Chisaki's bulk, easily as massive as her target's but with a great deal more force behind it, crashes into the Neverwere closest to her mistress and carries it to the ground. Silver claws and crystal teeth, all glowing with a faint radiance, slice and tear at the downed creature. And whilst it may not be dead, it is - for now - contained.

And then the last of their number is catapulted from the ground by her device, her red hair jetting back behind her in the airflow. Her lance reassembles ahead of her, the crimson blade at its head shining as if in anticipation.

The blade's tip sinks deep into the body of the Neverwere, stabbing into and through the black-on-black form. Makoto growls something intelligible, crimson eyes glittering in a vengeful match to her blade and she whispers something to her weapon.

"End it!"

None of you hear it, but you all see the results. Light explodes out of the weapon in the redhead's hands, shattering outwards through the Neverwere's form. It's head spins - all the way around, you notice sickly - and it looks across as the girl suspended by her weapon, then down at the light eating away at its form. Dark teeth gnash futilely in a silent howl of hateful rage and the thing comes apart in a blast of screaming white-on-black.

Makoto's lance stabs into the ground before her as she hits the ground, a resonant CRACK signalling the departure of that Neverwere back into the beyond.

The last Neverwere increases its pace towards its target, the woman who her companion had identified as Amiya. One of its arms writhes, blackness rippling around it, and then the entire limb begins to stretch out towards the unconscious leader, the blades on its end spinning into a bladed whirlwind to shred the one who had brought these new foes here.

One Neverwere is down. One is grappled. Three are hurt. The last one is going for the Magical Girl who greeted you.

[Serafina]

Still resistant to engage in a fight she knows nothing about, Cymoril sees one of the black figures charge a clearly defenseless girl, and her protective instincts kick in.
"Sturmbringer, Kreuzparade!" Jawohl Herrin!
She steps up into a short sprint, and her blade sweeps into a mid-guard that allows her to make a wide forward swing. The sparking birds that surround her move ahead of her path, taking position between the monstrous creature and Cymorils new ward. She readies to strike if it moves even one step further and knows that her Falcons will do the same.

Move action: I position myself in such a way that i am standing next to the charge path of the Neverwere.
Standard Action: I brace my weapon against a charge and ready Sunny Daze. Once the Neverwere moves again i make a 5-foot step into its path, make an attack of opportunity (because it just tried to move out of a threatened square as part of a charge) and then strike with my readied strike-illumination, dealing double damage.
The Homing Shot also strikes as part of the readied action, should the Neverwere not be dead after the melee attacks.

Power Attack is active, and i am using Cornugon Smash for free Intimidate on a hit.
Attack of Opportunity: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2]
Strike Illumination: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] x2 + [roll5]
Homing Shot (Touch Attack): [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]
Intimidate check 1+2: [roll8] [roll9]


Kreuzparade is a Thalhoffer martial arts maneuver that consists of a feint, a sidestep and then hitting the enemy as his footwork tries to catch up with your feint. Which is essentially what i am doing here, only without the feint, exploiting my enemies predictable movement path.

[Owrtho]

Daina hears the others engaging the Neverwere, and then, one of the horrid unsounds vanished.
Heh, I knew these things could be be defeated.
Taking encouragement from the event, she prepared to redouble her efforts. Then it grew claws.
Well, we can't be having that now.
Knowledge filled her on how to use her power to blunt the enemies attacks. Her music strengthend as she lashed out four more times against the abomination.

OOC Actions:Well then, full-round action and a mote to use Heartbreaker strike. Granting a full attack, so 4 attacks. For each that hits, the target gets a -4 penalty to damage rolls (cumulative with itself, but not future uses of the illumination). DC 20 Foritude save at the start of each turn to reduce penalty by 2.
5 motes currently.

Main Hand Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] sonic: [roll2]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll3]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll4] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 1: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] sonic: [roll7]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll8]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll9] DC 14 or deafened.

Main Hand Attack 2: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11] sonic: [roll12]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll13]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll14] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 2: [roll15]
Damage: [roll16] sonic: [roll17]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll18]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll19] DC 14 or deafened.

[Princess Tracy]

Play this a couple sentences in (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8X1_EcPRl8&feature=g-vrec)

Umiko's attacks are sturdy, yet graceless - honed yet without discipline, at once bearing flair yet no real style, and a brutality that would make many demons cringe. She takes her jolt upwards in strength fairly casually, not even missing a beat as she continues her assault. No sooner does the dreadful foe regain its footing than does she sock it as hard as she can with a mad flurry; outstretching a foot in something resembling a dangerously wide stance, she backhands it with the full force of her upper body, hoping to crack its ribs (indeed hoping it has any). Using whatever momentum that put in the thing, wether it sidesteps, recoils, flinches or faints, she spins around, sweeping the thing in a tip with her off-hand, and with an axe-like descent of her leg, drives the thing's skull straight into the ground with al her might, shouting with excitement and at once eerie calmness "When you get to hell, tell them Umiko sent ya!"

Two weapon fighting unarmed strikes! Of doom!
First attack [roll0]
Confirmation roll if a threat [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

Second attack [roll3]
Confirmation roll if a threat [roll4]
Damage [roll5]

[Snowfire]

Cymoril darts across the rubble-strewn square, spinning into place to block the final unengaged Neverwere's attack. Her sword pulses with light, slamming down on the rapidly elongating arm to tear a ragged section free from the whole.

But it keeps going, the tip of the 'limb' flowering out into more lethal-looking blades of nightstuff. Cymoril isn't finished though. She ducks under the oncoming knife-flower and her blade speaks as it stabs upwards.

Donnerschlag!

Sturmbringer flares, arcs of yellow crackling into being around it as it drives into the Neverwere, the tip of the blade erupting from the other side of the lengthened arm. Its owner screams in fury, leaping forward in sudden rage as it seems to notice the limb coming apart in a blaze of pale gold sparks. But even then, it's too late.

Sturmfalken!

The three circling falcons of blazing electrical light spring free of Cymoril's command, slamming into the creature in lethal sequence and its form comes apart as the golden sparks spreading from Cymoril's blow shatter it. Her weapon pulses and speaks once more.

Feind Versiegelt.

The creature facing Umiko seems almost taken aback by the strange blend of power that it's facing, but doesn't have enough time to react before her whirling feet smash it back and then into the shattered pavement. Again, the same bursts of light spread from her blows, and this time it has more effect than simply staggering the creature. Cracks of light splay out across the shadowform, but it does not get the chance to scream as its companions had. Umiko's foot slams down on its skull and the entire entity vanishes in the same whirlwind of nothingness-light.

And at the same time, Daina's whirling timetables flash with sudden light and fly from her hands. They spin out, surrounding the Neverwere before diving in on the aberration. It manages - somehow - to dodge the attacks of the second disc, but by doing so leaves itself wide open for the first. Again soundless agony-rage bursts from the creature, spinning melody ripping through it. More light spreads from the blows, but this time it does not rip it from reality. It coats the creature's claws, burning into their substance.

The thing screeches as light eats at its weapons, but still does not fall. And now it is its turn.

The Neverwere facing Daina suddenly seems to loom above her, then its four arms stab viciously towards her as a scream of sound bursts from the thing's 'mouth'. It washes over the entire group, seeping into their blood and turning it to ice. And then its claws slash at the one who has injured it so badly.

The front arms miss, one being deflected by a whirling turntable and the other dodged by Daina's whirling dance. But the other two strike home, and even with their forms crumbling strike hard.

Claw-daggers stab into the metal form of Chisaki as she holds her Neverwere down, her prey trying to break free through her death. She yowls at the sudden attack, but her grip holds.

And the final Neverwere, still recovering from the sudden death of its companions, fixes its vengeful gaze on the one who destroyed the first of their number.

Its arms flex and ripple, melding into two lances of jagged-edged night. It screams as well, a scream of rage and vengeance that echoes into the sky, before the limbs lengthen madly to strike across the distance between it and the red-haired lance wielder.

Makoto, still recovering from her leap, doesn't even see them coming. She screams as the two lances of utter darkness slam through her, their presence chilling her and filling her with alien emotion - if that is even the right word for it.

OOC stuff
Makoto and Daina, you are both Shaken.

Daina takes [roll0] damage - that is with Heartbreaker's effect factored in.

Chisaki takes [roll1] damage from the in-grapple attack

And Makoto is hit for [roll2]

[userpay]

Temeka bites her lip as she gradually comes out of her surprise. Most of the creatures were now down but the danger was still there, not to mention the one Chisaki was rolling in the dirt with. "I don't want to hit her..." Temeka mutters as she edges closer.

"I can take care of that. Initializing procedure Luminous Rain, targeting mode." Several dots of light streaked from the fingertips of Temeka's suit. Hovering, moving, almost highlighting. "Please fire when ready."

Lifting her hands Temeka takes aim watches carefully, firing when gaps between the combatants became obvious. Chisaki bringing her back claws into play.
Temeka swift action to activate Luminous Rain, +3 to for all attacks vs the enemy Chisaki is grappling.
Grapple check to ensure maintaining grapple. [roll0]

Chisaki
Free Rake attacks due to grapple, I presume they're made at highest bonus attack and str wise. Grapple rules for animals aren't clear whether your limited in which attacks you use similar to humanoids.
Rake Claw Attack [roll1]
Rake Claw Damage [roll2]
Rake Claw Attack [roll3]
Rake Claw Damage [roll4]
Bite Attack [roll5]
Bite Damage [roll6]
Claw Attack [roll7]
Claw Damage [roll8]
Claw Attack [roll9]
Claw Damage [roll10]

Temeka
Shooting into grapple, unsure if any penalties other than for target being in melee which I bypass with Precise.
Attack [roll11]
Damage [roll12]
Sonic [roll13]
Attack [roll14]
Damage [roll15]
Sonic [roll16]

Attack [roll17]
Damage [roll18]
Sonic [roll19]
Attack [roll20]
Damage [roll21]
Sonic [roll22]

[Selinia]

"Aaaagh!" One moment, Makoto had been hurtling downwards through the vaguely tangy residue left by the neverwere - the next, a swat of its companion had sent her bouncing painfully across the asphalt. The girl let out a ragged scream of pain, and was reasonably sure she'd broken at least a few bones, but she felt that somehow she'd be able to keep fighting despite that. In a way, it focused her. Whatever was going on, she had to shape up fast. Lacking any real protection, all Makoto could hope to do was finish off her enemies before they did the same to her.

She was vaguely aware of other combatants. There was an explosion of some melodious sound, and the tell-tale crunches of a skilled martial artist resounded from somewhere nearby. They didn't matter though. They weren't enemies.

"Retract!" Tightening her grip on her weapon's haft, Makoto felt the bulk of its links break away and dissolve into nothing, a new tip forming inches from where she held the lance. "Anchor!" She felt the tip slam into the street, stopping her erratic bouncing almost instantly and letting Makoto find the footing for a low crouch.

"Hunt!" Her weapon liked that command, Makoto could tell. She was a little more ready for it this time, trying to flow with the snapping motion as it catapulted her into the air. She felt the chain drawing in behind her, felt the soft "Clink!" of the links reforming into a single solid shaft. All she had to do was keep her eyes on the target before her - the beast that had dared injure her. Keep her eyes open, and hope her aim was good.

Actions:
Once again, jump-charging (against the neverwere that thought it would be a good idea to beat up the girl in pajamas). This probably provokes an attack of opportunity, being movement in the reach of the nearest neverwere. While Makoto is only going to be ten feet from that foe, I'm pretty sure she can meet the distance requirements for a charge on her downward descent alone - if I'm misunderstanding something, feel free to correct me again.

Anyway,

Jump skill check: [roll0]
Attack to-hit [PA Active]: [roll1]
Attack damage [PA Active]: ([roll2] * 3) = 84

[Owrtho]

Another two cease to torment Daina's ears with their unsound. Her appreciation is cut short though, as the Neverwere she is engaging cuts her with its claws, dulled from her abilities, but still dangerous.
Guh, why won't you die.
Recovering the blow, Daina resumes her dancing. Again her turntables shoot forth to attack the Neverwere as their music continues playing, and again they seek to dull the enemies attacks.

OOC Actions:Once again full-round action and a mote to use Heartbreaker strike. Granting a full attack, so 4 attacks. For each that hits, the target gets a -4 penalty to damage rolls (cumulative with itself, but not future uses of the illumination). DC 20 Foritude save at the start of each turn to reduce penalty by 2.
6 motes currently.

Main Hand Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] sonic: [roll2]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll3]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll4] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 1: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] sonic: [roll7]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll8]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll9] DC 14 or deafened.

Main Hand Attack 2: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11] sonic: [roll12]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll13]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll14] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 2: [roll15]
Damage: [roll16] sonic: [roll17]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll18]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll19] DC 14 or deafened.

[Snowfire]

Chisaki growls fiercely, then sends her claws raking through the Neverwere as it struggles against her hold. Crystal teeth fasten around the thing's throat, tearing deep into the shadowstuff that makes up its 'flesh' as she twists away from the target markers her mistress' suit has created. The Neverwere pushes back, trying to free itself as it feels the light touch its form.

Too late.

Four shots spew from Temeka's revolvers, lines of searing light leaving after-images flashing in the eyes of those around her. Even with the targeting protocol, half of her shots miss. But half of them don't, and the Neverwere comes apart, fading away under the Light.

Makoto recovers, pulling herself up into a crouch and then launches herself towards the Neverwere who attack her, the thing's limbs retracting just ahead of her leap. As it realises her intent, the limbs splay out, dividing into two, four, eight, sixteen - each tipped with a razor sharp spike. And as Makoto reaches the apex of her jump, the Neverwere launches its defensive attack.

"Kill" The command echoes from the weapon into Makoto's mind, and she is sent whirling by sudden movement in her hand. Sixteen dagger-sized blades lance around her, each one trying desperately to turn her aside or impale her. But her weapon spins her around them, its silver chain spreading out ahead of her as a shield, and none of the spikes even graze her.

Then her weapon hits, the tip flaring with that deadly light that proved so effective against her last target. And the already wounded Neverwere simply explodes in a blast of cleansing light.

Across the battlezone, the whirling turntables pulse again with light and fly from their owner's grasp. They circle the Neverwere once, bouncing against its blades then dive in. Once more light blazes, music wrapping around it to silence the scream. And the last Neverwere collapses into nothingness.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko looks around for something else to savage, seeming to notice her team-mates for the first time as she easily fells her initial opponent. "The key is to hit them really hard before they even get a chance to touch you," she remarks sagely, a naughty smile on her face. Having things disintigrate when they're beat is... so cowardly, she thinks to herself. Why, where I come from, when one loses, you have to take it like a warrior, not run away like that, coward. I mean, it seemed pretty dumb, so maybe it didn't even know it lost, but it's the principle of the thing. With those weird flashes, I don't know if I actually made contact with it. The hell is it anyway?

Clearing her throat and remembering she has a bit of knowledge in treating wounds, though not enough to be trusted with a scalpel (at least not on someone else's squishy, non-Valley-honed flesh) she approaches her companions and summoners. "So, who needs a bit of patching up?" she asks somewhat awkwardly as she surveys her surroundings. Wow, that's a lot of fire. Maybe I should do something about that. Is it possible to punch it away? Maybe actually - if I do some impromptu demolition, the rubble may quench the flames... Kneeling down next to the nearest downed girl, she starts trying some odd CPR as she addresses her fellow magical girls. "Nice shiny weapons you got there. Any of you know how we got here? Last thing I know I got assaulted by a tentacle monster and I kind of passed out."

Roll here - natural 20 on check to resuscitate magical girl! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13593601#post13593601)

[Serafina]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJQHxdyrwTc)

As her swirls of motion come to a stop after the last creature goes down, she needs a few moments to gather herself.
Damn it, compose yourself girl. You've been in plenty of practice fights that were harder than this! Calm - breathe in, let it flow trough your lungs and out of your moth. In, flow, out. In, flow, out, In, flow...

A few deep breaths later she focuses on the one things she cares about: Getting home.
The best way to do that is to ask the person who ripped her from her world and brought her here. The person who made her fight against her will. The person who took Vivio from her.

more music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXkbm6GKjU0)
She makes a sharp tern and briskly walks towards the fallen girl she saved earlier. She is unconscious. Cymoril begins to shake her, but to her surprise Sturmbringer reacts: Erweckung!
This time the tug on her is different. Less energetic than before, and more - well, nothing she can describe that fits with her current inner turmoil. Still, she yanks at that feeling and forces all her willpower into it.

After a short while the fallen girl opens her eyes. Cymoril stands up, and Sturmbringers haft moves from the girls chest into her hand - and the tip of its blade rests on the girls throat.
Her voice has a light tremble, but is as cold and demanding as she can manage:
"Stay where you are. You will tell me why you ripped me from my home, and then you will send me BACK!"
The last word shakes with desperation, and she fierely looks upon the girl as she awaits her answer.

Actions: Move to the girl i saved earlier. Cast CLW from wand a couple of times until she wakes up. Start questioning her, Intimidate if necessary (which i presume Snowfire will roll, since its social interaction)
Use Magic Device rolls for CLW (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13593832&postcount=204)
CLW rolls (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13593845&postcount=205)

[Selinia]

Clinkclinkclink. The faint rattling of chains and clanking of metal signaled the lance's apparent return to normalcy. Makoto tried a small mental nudge to see if she could get it to stop - the weapon obliged, stabilizing as a solid shaft roughly as long as its wielder was tall. Said wielder took a moment to wrap an arm around the shaft and lean heavily on the sturdy polearm.

"How did I get here? Well, roughly in order: vandalism, breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon, abduction and conscription by a foreign power, and general dickishness. Though that last one isn't a crime, just an observation." Makoto tried to chuckle, but quickly gave up at a jab of pain from her shattered ribcage. Trying to catch her breath, she really takes in her surroundings for the first time - including the injured Pentacle in their midst. And Cymoril, threatening one of them. The redhead considered readying her weapon again, but opted for a less exhausting approach instead.

"Hey, fellow abductee! Chill for a bit, why don'cha! Apparently you didn't get the memo along with the kidnapping. Long story short, some glowy wizard lady has decided to conscript herself a bunch of dimensional super-mahou-shoujo. Or whatever the hell we are now. Point is, these people," Makoto jabs her lance at the fallen pentacle "are on our side, and we're more or less the reinforcements. I think. Can you do some more of that heal-y thing, by the way? They look like they've been hit by a truck..."

[Serafina]

Cymoril tries to save her anger for those who deserve it as she looks at Makoto:
"On our side? Did they ask? Do they know whom they took, or from where? Do i know what their plans are? How do i know that they are not the villains - given that they kidnapped me? How do you know, unless you are in on their plan?"
Her blade gestures towards one other fallen Pentacle, who is surrounded by a short shimmer of light. Her blade then swishes down to the woman at her feet in a reckless move, and her gaze fixes the woman once more.


Using Beacon of Serentity to grant some temporary hitpoints to another pentacle. Cymoril does notice what she has done, but doesnt particulary care right now.

Remember that Cymoril is from Mid-Childa, so bad people with the powers of Magical Girls are quite a possibility for her. And she got ripped away from an extremely emotional moment with her best friend/crush, just had her first real fight and has no idea whats going on. So yeah, pretty angry, though not yet irrational.

[Selinia]

"They're not made of living darkness intent on killing us all? Probably not the most solid evidence in the world, but I'd definitely say they're better than the alternative." The redhead accentuates her point by gesturing upwards at the ravaged sky.

"Also, this is a wild guess, but they're probably not behind your abduction any more than they are mine. That would be that goddamn sunshine lady - Amber, I think her name was. If she shows her face again, by all means, let's trash it. I'll even let you have first swing! But these poor morons are probably bystanders at worst. If you're going to talk like an army grunt, get your act together and scrape up some professionalism!"

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko finishes 'healing' her own patient, mostly just a quick jab to the ribs taht seems oddly effective as the girl stirs. Content, she gets to her feet, hearing out the shouting match between her would-be team-mates, looking quite amused.

"Don't be such a coward," she says with sudden seriousness (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/23b22ce951.png) to Cymoril. "What is this, your first real battlefield? Only cowards brandish weapons at the weak, and they don't come weaker than knocked out. I'm not happy to be here - first thing I'll be doing is walking home, no matter how many rifts in reality is. But that's after conflict is resolved." She points up. "Or did you forget about the giant shadow monster and the burning city? If you're going to fight like a child, at least don't die like a dog, rookie!"

[Serafina]

Cymoril just ignores the other women, desperate for some answers.

[Snowfire]

Soft yellow light capers across Amiya's dress-clad form, streaming from Sturmbringer into her and her eyes flicker open. She blinks at the swordblade at her throat, but does not flinch or immediately reply. Instead her gaze goes to her fellows, emerald eyes flicking to each of them before returning to meet Cymoril's glare.

The girl whom Umiko is tending coughs as the teenager runs through CPR, and then her eyes also slide open, returning her to the world of the conscious. She shakes her head gingerly, red hair sliding from side to side. And it is only then that Amiya speaks.

"I...am sorry, my lady Knight. But I am not the one responsible for your appearance here." Her voice is soft, the cracks of fatigue and exhaustion making it very clear that she likely is finding even this level of volume hard to maintain. "I was simply the channel." She pushes herself up and back, holding herself carefully at the same distance from Sturmbringer's tip. "And as for why you were brought here, your companion has already answered that question. But as I likely know more than she - no offence meant - I will try to answer as best I can." She coughs suddenly, the motion throwing a small spray of blood from her mouth and she doubles over - coming dangerously close to the tip of Cymoril's weapon. She shakes her head. "And yet, as I am, any answers will take far too long in coming." She raises her right hand, and you all see the ring glimmering on her finger, restrained light shining from stone set into it.

Restore

Cool rose light flashes across the square at the ring's command, flowing over all within it and washing their wounds away.

Everyone heal [roll0]

Colour fills Amiya's face again, replacing her pale, pain-filled visage. And then she continues, her voice once again soft but with underlying strength that wasn't there before.

"It was Amber who brought you here, Cymoril Maruyama. As she brought all of you. And whilst I know she would be sorry to you all for your confusion, it is to you that I believe a great many of her apologies would go to." She stops for a moment, mouth twitching as she tries to find the right words. "You...were so far away from her. And yet so important. And she could not give you the introduction that she was able to give to these others. Not without opening herself to attack from those that would make the Neverwere you just fought seem like little but playful kittens."

The girl who Umiko revived struggles to her knees, face clenched in utter concentration.

"Amiya...we...don't have much time." She chokes out eyelids flickering to reveal glimpses of swirling patterns of colour where normally an iris and pupil would be. "Our...survival has not gone...unnoticed." The ground rumbles from off to one side of the square. Amiya winces.

"Try to confuse them for as long as you can, Mica." She replies, before turning herself back to face Cymoril fully. "I will answer what I can, but we must be quick. And to preempt you, no, I cannot send you back. I do not know where you came from, and I was not what brought you."

[Serafina]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmBEroBDvVI)
Cymoril collapses onto her knees and her blade clatters on the ground.
Vivio...

She remains frozen for a few eternal moments, before her body begins to shake with silent sobs.
I can't go back? No...no, no, no. That can't be. I must! She's lying. I must go home! I have to see her again. I..I....I.....

A small wail escapes her lips before she goes silent and still again. Slowly her body follows her will and she sacks to the ground in a limp heap.

Herrin
Sturmbringer! HE brought me here! HE is responsible. HE took me!
"YOU BROUGHT ME HERE! BRING! ME! BACK!"
She screams at the device with all her rage, and the air begins to crackle with static electricity. She escalates into a true crescendo, before her rage ebbs away and she collapses once again.
Gefahr im Verzug
She ignores the device, numb to the outside world.

Gefahr im Verzug=Danger approaching.
Which it probably does, and it doesn't say how far it's away.

Any attempts to calm her down during this time probably don't even register, but they might after she breaks down again.

[Selinia]

"Hey, hey, heyheyhey!" Makoto had started to formulate a proper response to Amiya's revelations, but Cymoril's breakdown took precedence. Catatonic despair had no place on a battlefield. Unsure what to do, the redhead defaulted to her catch-all solution to life's most difficult problems.

Blatant lies.

"Look! Listen to me for just a second, and stop yelling at your damn beatstick! I know a way to get you back to where you came from, but we have to get through this first, okay? If we all die because you're crying your eyes out on the tarmac, she'll never even hear from you again! Think of that for a second, and suck it up!" To emphasize the point, Makoto roughly grabs her counterpart's chin and engages in a staring contest, desperately hoping that this girl didn't have a knack for spotting lies.

Actions:

Bluff Check: [roll0]

[Snowfire]

Around them, the rest of the Silver Pentacle rises to their feet, clustering around the prismatic-eyed Mica. But Amiya reaches out to the collapsed Cymoril, and the blade clutched in her hand.

Bright yellow sparks crackle and arc around the blade as he reacts to the pain of his wielder - pain that he never meant to bring but somehow had to - and Amiya hisses in pain as the electricity jolts through her. But, even injured as she is, she continues reaching. A veil of rose rises around her hand, absorbing the rage pouring through the device.

Cymoril feels something in her head. Faintly, almost lost in the raging storm she has created around her, but there. Light spreads out from it, calling the rage to order, the pain to calm. And a fading, lost echo resonates.

:Hold me close to your heart
And you shall rise from the storm:

OOC
Said in Vivio's voice. Through Sturmbringer. Did you honestly think I would be this cruel? :smalltongue:

[Princess Tracy]

Yeah, total rookie. Umiko grunts as she goes to Cymoril's side. "Crazy, ain't ya? When this is over, you're coming with me and we'll be training you up to be a little thicker skinned. If you want to hold a weapon like this, you're going to have to grow up." Lending no more thought to the girl at the moment, knowing fine well that cowardice is treated as a defective warrior's cry for attention (in her battle-oriented culture), she turns to the Silvers. "Judging from the sound of things, we don't have long. Fine. Tell me, strange women. Where can we find the gal who called us here in the first place, and what's the fastest way out of here? And how big a fight did we just get dropped in the middle of? Oh, and how come those things didn't seem to have regular parts for me to smash - it made fighting one kind of confusing. I'll figure out the rest from there." She remembered the other girl, Makoto was it, mentioning something in the way of a wizard calling them to be magical girls. Thinking back, she could quite recall such a thing, but it made sense. Flexing her muscles, she felt a little more potent somehow.

[Serafina]

music (http://vimeo.com/37437265)
music, instrumental, if the above does not work (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R0iFjNjlWw)

Cymoril stares with dead eyes at Makotos face. She believes her - she HAS to believe her. But it still hurts, and the rough actions only make it hurt more.
She knows she has to get up, she knows that she has to fight, to fight the whole world for a way home if necessary - but she can't. She just can't. She finds herself unable to even form a coherent thought. She can't even find the will to rest, to regain some small measure of strength - and the flimsy shell that protected her from the cruel, battering world just got shattered.
Now she knows that there is a way back - and that she is too weak to take it.


Vivio...
Its the first thought Cymoril had for minutes. She heard Vivios voice. She can be strong for Vivio, if not for herself. Maybe not strong enough, but she can try. She breaks away from Makoto and slowly stands up.
She is still weak, and her stance is shaky. But a stance it is, even if she feels like she'll throw up and hadn't slept for a month. She takes a look at her surroundings and readies herself for the next battle.


Okay, i hope that wasn't too heavy on grief for anyone. That should conclude Cymorils first personal character piece, time to show some of her positive, team-oriented sides!

[Selinia]

"Awesome, on your feet. After this, ice cream for everyone - you'll feel right as rain, promise. Time for chatter later though - I think we're about to run into some more murderous jerks." Makoto awkwardly claps Cymoril on the back, turning her attention back to the Silvers - and the loud girl conferring with them.

"Let's call that a little more specifically - what the hell is setting you lot on edge? Something is coming, and it's giving you all the jitters. Those clawed monstrosities broke enough bones to kill me, I'm fairly certain, so if there's something worse on the way I'd like some heads-up at the very least." The redhead crosses her arms, and something seems to flare in her head as she surveys the others in attendance. "Also... where did you lot get your armor? And where can I get some of my own? I don't think flannel is going to keep my guts from spilling out if I get hit again. That might though." At the last, Makoto points to Temeka and her mechanized power-suit.

[Princess Tracy]

"Heh, armour's a bit unnecessary isn't it? Certainly with these foes" Umiko asks tauntingly verbally butting heads with Makoto, a clear challenge being ushered. "I'm wearing street clothes and I just beat my one to death with my bare hands. I'd ask you where you got that lance of yours, but I don't want ya thinking I'm at all envious. I won't say that cowards wield weapons, but it takes a special kind of idiot to wield something they can barely control, as you clearly can't. You might as well have just set yourself on fire and hugged the thing for all the self-preservation YOU have."

Rule number 1 of being a Cliffcrush: treat every encounter, even social, like a battle. Against any opponent, never bow until beaten and never lay off until receiving a surrender.

Translation: Umiko's trying to assert herself in front of new people. By being mean and effectively calling Makoto weak, she's taking her measure. If she rises with equal or greater aggression, well... you'll just have to find out.

[userpay]

Temeka finally looks up at the group from where she'd gone to her knees next to the purring Chisaki, a wand in hand that was fixing some of the damage the mechanical cat had taken. She focuses on the pointing Makoto. "While I probably wouldn't mind trying to design one for you I don't think we have the months it takes just to make the power crystal, much less the armor." She glances down at her form. Disbelief evident in her eyes. "That said most of this isn't even of my own doing... Whoever brought me here managed to finish the construction I'd been laboring over for two years and that's just the tip of the iceburg. For crying out loud Chisaki wasn't even a quarter of this size!" The cat looks back at Temeka as if to say so what before she gets up and stalks to the side. Evidently wary of whatever it was that was approaching.

As Temeka stands as well the transparent visor of her helmet slides open, allowing her to reach up and pinch the bridge of her nose. "I can't help but think my suit was leverage to get me here though I'm still not sure whether I'm pleased or irritated. Probably both." Glaring at the Silver Pentacles she continues. "I'm very much so for a full explanation but it'll probably have to wait till we're away from here." Curiously the voice, Callisto, doesn't chime in but Temeka gets the feeling that the entities attention is directed elsewhere.

Temeka's gaze switches to Umiko. "Funny. I'd say almost the same thing about people who rush in unarmed and unarmored against a completely unknown foe."

Armor Description
Think of it similar to Yukine Chris from Senki Zesshou Symphogear when in Symphogear mode except minus the massive guns (for now), and more heavily armored kinda along these lines (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs27/f/2008/112/a/d/ACS_armoured_combat_suit_by_Valhein.jpg). Essentially arms/hands are fully enclosed with a revolver drums on the forearms, legs are mostly enclosed, and the armor extends around her chest and upper back. There is a fist sized crystal embedded in the middle of the breastplate.
Wand
Wand of Repair Light Damage attempts, looking at getting one repair but multiple attempts in case of failure.
Use Magic Device
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
And the repair for whichever one works
[roll4]

[Owrtho]

As the Neverwhere before her falls defeated, and she hears the others remaining silenced, Daina pauses a moment, allowing the music from her turntables to fall silent as she stops to simply appreciate the sound of the world without the Nerverwhere around.
She's called out of her reverie when the sound of voices, angry ones, reach her from across the battlefield, followed by a wave of healing energy.
That seems to be the direction I heard the girls from before get knocked toward.
Carefully, Daina approaches, checking to make sure her sunglasses are still properly in place after the fight. Listening to the conversation as she makes her way over, Daina thinks on what she hears.
So, it seems not everyone was given a choice when they were called here... Still where is here, is it really another world?
At last Daina reaches the others. She pauses a moment, debating whether or not to play something, if she want's to expose her lack of voice to these strangers without need. They seem to be asking most of the important questions after all. Eventually, the choice to communicate won out.
It's not like I would be able to hide it for long anyway.
♪Let me intruduce myself♫You can call me♫Daina♫Who are you♪
As she asks, Daina finds knowledge of how to record their names with her turntables coming to her.

[Princess Tracy]

"Eeeh?" Umiko turns on the mecha-girl with a stomp of her foot, cracking the pavement as she does so. "Hey, I KNOW how to use my body to fight," as a point, she crashed her foot into the ground again, drilling about 5 inches through the concrete, " - and what would I need of armour? I'd fight weaklings like that in the nude if need be. And you know what, that's some mighty big talk coming from someone tha-" The sudden musical chime throughs Umiko off somewhat, though she seems happy to see Daina. "Heh, cool. Make yourself useful and drop me a beat, and I'll let everyone know jsut who I am. I need to school someone here, you see!"

[userpay]

Temeka rolls her eyes at Umiko's brash display, though she can't help but wonder how the girl manages to do it without any obvious augments. A moment later she gets a startled look on her face before a streak of silver soars through the air from the side at Umiko.

(assuming no issues/no ability to aoo while flat footed)

After a rather loud thump said streak of silver resolves itself into the form of Chisaki, grinning as only a cat can from her seat atop Umiko.

ooc
So remember when Chisaki stalked off to the side? While I hadn't thought of this when I did it it would fit the mischievous cat to a T.

If you want to turn this situation into rolling...
Stealth [roll0]
Grapple [roll1]

[Princess Tracy]

"AH! Get off me you mangy cat, I don't like being grabbed!" Umiko shouts in the things face - quite casual about the fangs and claws, but struggling to free herself from its grip. "You know I was just getting to the part where you're a weakling for letting this thing do all your work for you!" She casually socks it in the mouth, and odd sign of acknowledgement between the mecha cat and the animal Umiko seems to behave like.

Actually I do have an ability to AOO while flatfooted, but I'm withholding it because I'm not a big fan of rolls between players.

[userpay]

Temeka can't help but double over laughing at the antics of her companion. Relieved that despite her change in size it was the same old Chisaki. And then something else altogether happens.

"You clearly not know much of cats if you think Temeka had anything to do with this. This fun!" Temeka's eyes bulge as Chisaki follows up her statement with a casual lick to Umiko's face.

"Sh-she c-can talk now..." Temeka gives an exaggerated groan. "One would think this wouldn't even phase me after all this that's happened..." Chisaki merely stretches in response before clambering off Umiko with a flick of her tail. A look of bemusement about her.

Okay good I was kinda worried for a moment there since I was railroading your character. It was just to good of an opportunity to pass up.

[Owrtho]

Heh, throw down a beat? Now this was something Daina could do. As she prepares, she realizes she can optimize her turntables to work even better for playing music at the loss of some combat effectiveness. In a moment the adjustments are made, and ignoring the large cat leaping at the girl who requested the beat, Daina starts.

Actions OOC:Free actions to dismiss and re-manifest the turntables trading the thundering for Augment skill bonus (Perform (Disc Jockey)) to gain a +5 to perform disc jockey checks (I assume the level mentioned in thee augment is manifestor level rather than character level). Daina then makes a perform (Disc Jockey) check to play something akin to this (http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/anbroids-v20) (if allowed, trying to grant a bonus to perform (freestyle) checks rather than perform (dance)).

Perform (Disc Jockey): [roll0]

[Princess Tracy]

Well, if you're afraid of railroading my character, can we say it just kind of regularly grappled with say with some odd robo-hug rather than instantly pinning me? I'm pretty sure th latter is impossible anyway

And now I've lost my sense of flow with that stupid cat. It isn't even a cat! It's a human-thing, 'cause it can speak! It's a perversion of catdom - the domain of scratching the hell out of things. It come near me again, I'm breaking its throat, I'm serious... Then the beat starts playing. Ooh, I have an audience. Cat or no cat, I can hardly disappont my adoring public. She shakes herself, clearing her throat. "Ahem..."

Gonna go pass out now. Rap in the morning. Expect it to either be offensive, intentionally bad, or awesome.

[Snowfire]

A smile tugs at the edges of Amiya's mouth for a moment, as she watches the verbal sparring. But it flattens quickly as her gaze moves back to the shaking Mica.

"As much as this would be a good thing in any other situation, I am afraid that here it is not." She rises to her feet, the rose light around her hand fading into the stone of her ring, and turns to Makoto.

"The things that you just fought are not nearly the worst of our enemy's creatures. And the destruction of those meant to kill us has drawn the attention of those far more powerful." She smiles tightly, almost sadly. "And I am afraid that if you do not fight with us, we most assuredly shall fall.

"As for defences like your companions, focus on the idea of protection. Or simply ask your Device. Either should trigger the creation of armour of your own.

"I am sorry, I know this is not enough. But even if it does not feel like it, this is a fight that all Gifted must fight. For if we fail, then everything you know and love falls." Her attention flicks to Umiko.

"The one who called you here is all around you, hey'shala. Amber brought you to herself." She manages a smile, an almost peaceful one. "This world is Amber. As for your other questions, I-"

"Amiya!" The green-eyed woman spins towards the call coming from her Pentacle. "They...they broke the..." Mica whispers, the swirling patterns fading from her eyes, shoulders drooping - then straightening in something approaching sudden realisation. "Shield!" She screams, as bolts of malevolent darkness erupt from one side of the square.

Protection

The command rings in your hears, three different devices chorusing it as one. Blazing patterns wrought of silver, aquamarine and violet flower into being around the targets of the blasts - the four clustered members of Amiya's Pentacle. Their impacts send dust whirling, but when it clears the four are still standing.

But you are no longer alone. And the blasts concealed the Neverwere's advance.

Four stand upon rooftops, the ribbons of shadowstuff leaking away from their hands marking them as the ones who unleashed the shadow-bolts. Umbral wings spread behind them, and they scream in fury as they see their failure.

Image
http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss106/Spazguy55/Wrath.jpg

Then their wings sweep out to full extension, and they launch themselves upwards, fresh patterns of darkness whirling around their hands as they prepare to fire once more.

Amiya yells, command cracking through her tone. "I am sorry, but I must leave the ground-bound to you. We are better in the air, blocking the Wingwraiths." She concentrates for a moment, magenta light rippling around her, then leaps. "Silvers, with me!"

She shoots upwards, her own companions nodding in regretful acceptance before following. Their weapons rise in flight, light building around the hands of those without.

But they do not hold your attention. For something far more pressing moves forward out of the shattered remains of what was once a coffee shop. It scuttles forward on its long legs, spreading massive arms wide and something utterly inhuman glints behind the shadow where its eyes would be.

It looms over you, towering to twice your height, and somewhere deep inside you feel that it is somehow smiling. And not a nice smile. This one does not scream or rage, but a booming, malevolent chuckle - if that is even the right word for it - echoes out from it.

Image
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4OYGjUrdllo/SlqloRgMv0I/AAAAAAAAYr8/WU_Q0patKV8/s400/Shadowhunter_Springborg_Beast02.jpg

OOC
Those who didn't now know how to summon their costume. The creature is on the other side of the square from you and seems to be...waiting.

[Serafina]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP-Mm_CN-Vs&t=0m18s)
Fond memories of the Aerial Mages of home fill Cymorils mind as the Silvers take to the air.

Okay, i can do this. I was always the best at magical theory, not that it did me any good - but now it might. And i have seen more than enough demonstrations by Vivio. I know all about Intelligent Devices. I can do this!
She snaps into a shooting stance and directs the tip of her device straight at the dark monstrosity. A loud triumphant shout rings trough the air
"Sturmbringer - DIVINE BUSTER!"

Nothing happens. Cymoril is puzzled, then tries again:
"Alright, Divine Shooter" Again, nothing happens.
"Damn...Shoot!"
"Feuer!? Angriff? Trommelfeuer?"
After a few rapidly shouted commands, she moves the device back into guard position.

Damn it, i don't know what sort of device i even have. And i have never done any magic on my own. Come on, think. Just think, think think...okay, if i don't know then i have to ask. Sturmbringer is clearly intelligent, and it's the only option i have right now. I just have to respect it - somehow, because i'm still pissed off. But everyone always told us to do that with intelligent devices...alright
"Sturmbringer - can you hear me?"
Ja, Herrin.
"Okay, um...good. Listen, i am really angry at whoever brought me here, and i know you had something to do with that. I think you had a good reason, but i don't care - all i want is to go home. If you can promise me to help me with that, i will help you achieve your goal - can you do that for me?"
Jawohl Herrin! Kontrakt besiegelt. Blut und Seelen für meine Herrin Cymoril!
Blood and Souls? Oh, right, ancient Belkan device..
"Yeah, i don't want those - i just want to go home. But thanks, Sturmbringer - lets do this together! Now then, what can you do for me?"

An avalanche of pictures, sounds and emotions hits her mind. But the techniques she has always used to sort knowledge in her mind works, and she even remains vaguely aware of her surroundings.
Wow...that's a lot of knowledge. Okay Sturmbringer, lets see what you can do for me right now...
Vaguely aware that the others are already moving into position, she still has to sift trough her newfound options.
Yes! Now THAT i can do!

With a smirk on her lips, she orders "Sturmbringer - Cartridge Load! Sturmschnitterform!"
Jawohl Herrin! EXPLOSION!
Brilliant lightning explodes from her blade, and she grins as she storms into combat.

Translations: "Yes Mistress. Contract sealed(signed?) Blood and souls for my Lady Cymoril!" (kudos if you get the reference)

Okay, so i totally botched my Initiative - thus, a long introspection, which explains why i act so late.

Actions: Cartridge boost as a swift action for +2, which i use for Shocking and Keen Upgrades.
So, um - can i move to the front of the group and ready an attack action? That'd be nice, though it may count as a "offensive action".

rolls (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13596704&postcount=254)

[Owrtho]

With the arrival of the new foe, Daina cuts off the music she'd started playing. There would be time for that later, after this was dealt with. Readjusting her devices back to the previous combat oriented forms, she pauses a moment to recall what the girl had said.
focus on the idea of protection.
Trying to do so, Daina felt her body garbed in a more durable material, though she couldn't tell if it looked any different. This done she turned to face the direction that seemed to hold the other girls' attention, hoping her guess that this was where the enemy waited was correct.

Actions OOC:Free actions to change the devices back to having the thundering property. Full round action to activate costume.

[userpay]

"Temeka front and center." Callisto warning comes an instant before the huge enemy announces itself, drawing Temeka from watching the Silver's take off.
"Umm.... Right uh anything to prep for this?"
"I can release self guiding projectiles that wi-"
"Good enough, do it."
"Very well. Initializing procedure Homing Shot, holding." Temeka's armored skirt flares briefly and several pieces seem to shoot off. Each one made of light, angular, and seemingly razor sharp. After a moment one fades away though two remain orbiting.
"Right! Chisaki up front, lets show this thing what we can do!"
Using Homing Shots and holding the charge. Temeka will move to be about 10-15 ft behind the front lines and Chisaki will move to the frontline though off the side somewhat, starting a semicircle.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko cracks her knucles, striking a stance as she ponders how best to tackle her new foe. It waits for them, an odd gesture that the battle ready girl can't quite rap her head around. Heh, armour, eh? I think I can handle this without it, but that thing IS fairly large... A small internal struggle breajks out as she considers her options - not wanting to seem like a hypocrite in front of the people she just accused of being weaklings for needed armour, but then again... why is she even wandering what these guys think of her? She just hoped whatever she ended up with wasn't embarrassingly protective...

"Now, ah, how do I do that again...?" she mumbles. Shaking herself, not wanting to keep her opponent waiting any longer, she envisions being slashed by those claws - or whatever they are. She.. truth be told, didn't want to touch the thing. She'd jumped naked into bogs and wrestled with rabbies-infected wolves, but the beast skeeved her out...

"Screw it! Cliffcrush Discipline, Stance 18: Endzone Defence!" She strikes an odd defensive posture - her fists still gripped and lacking any poetic flare, but her muscles twitched with readily apparent dexterity, ready to dodge and riposte. Somehow, her wish rings out...

A flash of light, brilliant green, turning to a sky blue, then darker, and darker still. Dissipating, she is left standing, a newfound confidence in her eyes and clearly different. Her hair lengthened and a shaggy dark, a few inches taller and a little more matured around her curves. A navy blue suit and big red boots - though they seem to end at the ankle, leaving her barefoot. A general's coat, it's sleeves' unfilled, hangs over her back like a cape, and seems a few sizes too big - especially for her previous form - and on closer inspection her nazy suit is lined with what appears to be steel plating (subtly painted over to save her the embarassment, making it just seem like bulgy clothing), and the coat nearly an inch thick and far heavier than it should be, though it doesn't seem to affect her much. She's armoured without seeming it, and her new form is more physically domineering - a little better suited to being on the front lines by army standards. Crossing her arms as her coat still manages to find a breeze powerful enough to make it blow - likely born of her own spirit - she stares down the thing.

A new few emotions seem to enter her as she uses her powers for the first time. An odd loyalty and kinship - feelings alien enough to her usual behaviour that she consciously rejects them, instead capitalising on aggression, a devious smile playing at her face almost in mimicry of her opponent. She points at it, and says in a breathy voice a little deeper than usual [BI"Bring it."[/B]

[Selinia]

"Heh, armour's a bit unnecessary isn't it? Certainly with these foes" Umiko asks tauntingly verbally butting heads with Makoto, a clear challenge being ushered. "I'm wearing street clothes and I just beat my one to death with my bare hands. I'd ask you where you got that lance of yours, but I don't want ya thinking I'm at all envious. I won't say that cowards wield weapons, but it takes a special kind of idiot to wield something they can barely control, as you clearly can't. You might as well have just set yourself on fire and hugged the thing for all the self-preservation YOU have."


"Actually, you mentioned a coward? Yeah, sure, guilty as charged." Makoto simply smirks in response. "The most cowardly coward you're ever like to meet. You've got me pegged right there. One of the perks of cowardice: you learn that a lot of stuff stops being scary if you just suck it up and sidestep." The redhead gives her weapon a twist, setting it circling lazily around her. She let a few links slip through her fingers, feeling the tension in the chains.

"Like here. All I see is a pissed-off, angry dog. Dumb muscle doesn't frighten me. Only thing I need to do is stay out of the dogs' way." Makoto shrugs, smile fading. "Let's chat more thoroughly when we're out of mortal peril. Or not. I glubbin' hate bullies."



At last Daina reaches the others. She pauses a moment, debating whether or not to play something, if she want's to expose her lack of voice to these strangers without need. They seem to be asking most of the important questions after all. Eventually, the choice to communicate won out.
It's not like I would be able to hide it for long anyway.
♪Let me intruduce myself♫You can call me♫Daina♫Who are you♪
As she asks, Daina finds knowledge of how to record their names with her turntables coming to her.

"Makoto Hoshi. My pleasure." The girl tilts her head slightly, crimson hair shifting over her shoulders. "Can't talk or something? I'd ask if you needed help, but hell if you seem to need it. Shout if you need something. Or... beatbox or something."


A smile tugs at the edges of Amiya's mouth for a moment, as she watches the verbal sparring. But it flattens quickly as her gaze moves back to the shaking Mica.

"As much as this would be a good thing in any other situation, I am afraid that here it is not." She rises to her feet, the rose light around her hand fading into the stone of her ring, and turns to Makoto.

"The things that you just fought are not nearly the worst of our enemy's creatures. And the destruction of those meant to kill us has drawn the attention of those far more powerful." She smiles tightly, almost sadly. "And I am afraid that if you do not fight with us, we most assuredly shall fall.

"As for defences like your companions, focus on the idea of protection. Or simply ask your Device. Either should trigger the creation of armour of your own.

"I am sorry, I know this is not enough. But even if it does not feel like it, this is a fight that all Gifted must fight. For if we fail, then everything you know and love falls." Her attention flicks to Umiko.

"The one who called you here is all around you, hey'shala. Amber brought you to herself." She manages a smile, an almost peaceful one. "This world is Amber. As for your other questions, I-"

"Amiya!" The green-eyed woman spins towards the call coming from her Pentacle. "They...they broke the..." Mica whispers, the swirling patterns fading from her eyes, shoulders drooping - then straightening in something approaching sudden realisation. "Shield!" She screams, as bolts of malevolent darkness erupt from one side of the square.

Protection

The command rings in your hears, three different devices chorusing it as one. Blazing patterns wrought of silver, aquamarine and violet flower into being around the targets of the blasts - the four clustered members of Amiya's Pentacle. Their impacts send dust whirling, but when it clears the four are still standing.

But you are no longer alone. And the blasts concealed the Neverwere's advance.

Four stand upon rooftops, the ribbons of shadowstuff leaking away from their hands marking them as the ones who unleashed the shadow-bolts. Umbral wings spread behind them, and they scream in fury as they see their failure.

Image
http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss106/Spazguy55/Wrath.jpg

Then their wings sweep out to full extension, and they launch themselves upwards, fresh patterns of darkness whirling around their hands as they prepare to fire once more.

Amiya yells, command cracking through her tone. "I am sorry, but I must leave the ground-bound to you. We are better in the air, blocking the Wingwraiths." She concentrates for a moment, magenta light rippling around her, then leaps. "Silvers, with me!"

She shoots upwards, her own companions nodding in regretful acceptance before following. Their weapons rise in flight, light building around the hands of those without.

But they do not hold your attention. For something far more pressing moves forward out of the shattered remains of what was once a coffee shop. It scuttles forward on its long legs, spreading massive arms wide and something utterly inhuman glints behind the shadow where its eyes would be.

It looms over you, towering to twice your height, and somewhere deep inside you feel that it is somehow smiling. And not a nice smile. This one does not scream or rage, but a booming, malevolent chuckle - if that is even the right word for it - echoes out from it.

Image
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4OYGjUrdllo/SlqloRgMv0I/AAAAAAAAYr8/WU_Q0patKV8/s400/Shadowhunter_Springborg_Beast02.jpg

OOC
Those who didn't now know how to summon their costume. The creature is on the other side of the square from you and seems to be...waiting.

"Protection, huh? Easy enough. I guess." Closing her eyes, Makoto took a deep breath. What did Mahou Shoujo wear? Stupid costumes, that's what. Glitzy dresses and jewels and who knew what else. She briefly entertained the idea, but tossed it away within a few heartbeats. Screw mahou shoujo. Makoto was something different. Like it or not, she was a soldier, not an actor.

"Armor!" The whispered word sent the circle of chains into a maelstorm of activity. As they constricted around her, Makoto worried for a split-second whether she'd messed up somehow - whether her weapon was about to flay the skin from her body. As it turned out, it was simply after her clothes: she'd not been particularly attached to the flannels, but there was still a measure of indignation as she felt them sliced away with razor precision and lay down something else in their place. At least, until she caught a glimpse of her own reflection.

"Damn. Not bad." Makoto gave a small tug at the high-end military fatigues. This was... probably the most sensible thing her weapon had done thus far, and she had to admit it had earned the device some points in her book. The street urchin had never cared much for fashion - clothes were clothes, and you were lucky if they fit - but even Makoto had to admit she looked pretty badass. She was even sporting a patch over one eye without impeding her vision... somehow. She chalked it up to magic, which bugged her slightly but was farely trivial after having been dragged half a multiverse away to fight someone else's war. She could feel that the outfit had power of some sort. Makoto wasn't quite sure what yet, but she figured that if she kept taking her cues, it would come.

"Five years of training, huh?" The redhead dropped her lance's tip behind her, bracing herself for the maneuver she knew was coming. She was starting to wonder what percentage of a mahou shoujo's training consisted of teamwork exercises... but there was all manner of nastiness popping up now, which left remarkably few options in the field of idle thought. "Well then," Makoto forced a grin. It wasn't as hard as it might have been. "Let's see what five minutes can do."

Actions:
Don Costume!

Initiative: [roll0]

[Serafina]

Cymoril catches a glimpse of Umikos transformation as she rushes forward and smirks
"Heh, you call that armor? Well, i am glad to know that you have some protection at least. Let's go get that thing!"

[Owrtho]

Now properly equipped, Daina wastes no time in attacking this new foe. Running in the direction she believes it to be in, her hearing soon confirms its location. Upon reaching it, she lets loose a quick pair of attacks with her turntables. Hopefully this can be ended quickly and more information about this place can be gained.

Actions OOC:Move action to move 40 feet in the direction of the new Neverwere. Once next to it, standard action to attack once with each turntable.

Main Hand Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] sonic: [roll2]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll3]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll4] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] sonic: [roll7]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll8]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll9] DC 14 or deafened.

[userpay]

"Release!" Temeka shouts as she trots slowly after Diana.
"Initializing Homing Shot subroutine, firing." The twin jagged pieces of light that were orbiting Temeka shoot forward, unerringly darting around anything in their path to impact the Neverwere.
"Target!"
"Initializing Luminous Rain, targeting mode." Beads of light follow the jagged pieces, hovering near the Neverwere.
"Chisaki go!" Temeka finally orders as she brings her own weapons to bear. Chisaki charging after Diana and leaping at the enemy.
Free action to set loose the homing shots. [roll0]
Swift for Luminous Rain for to hit bonus.
Temeka will move to within 20ft and fire.
Attack Touch [roll1]
Damage [roll2]
Sonic [roll3]
Attack Touch [roll4]
Damage [roll5]
Sonic [roll6]

Chisaki charge and pounces.
Attack Bite [roll7]
Damage Bite [roll8]
Attack Claw [roll9]
Damage Claw [roll10]
Attack Claw [roll11]
Damage Claw [roll12]

And grapple attempts if attacks hit.
[roll13]
[roll14]
[roll15]

[Snowfire]

The Neverwere doesn't even seem to react to your preparations, nor to the challenge issued by Umiko. It simply waits, crouching close to the ground, and its 'face' twists in something that only the most charitable could call a smile as Daina charges forward, her turntables floating just beneath her hands.

"Fool."

The single word echoes across the square, devoid of any emotion except perhaps an icy contempt. And as Daina closes on the abomination, its arms lash out in lightning-fast succession. And whilst yes, there are not as many attacks as the last creatures you fought, this thing is apparently more capable.

Six times the shadowstuff limbs lash out. But apparently either it is not much more skilled or Daina has the luck of a god.The mute girl's turntables flash in the firelight, sending two of the blows spinning aside. One slams into the ground just ahead of her step, punching straight through the concrete of the square and evoking a faint tremor. And the last of the four misses does so only just. As Daina spins to catch her turntables, the bladed fingers snap past her, through where her head had been only a moment before. An outstretched claw traces a hairline across her face, but does not draw blood.

Unfortunately, even luck and skill have their limits. Two strikes do connect, the first of them carving a slender line of red across Daina's side and the second, the backhand from the almost-hit, knocking her almost off her feet as it pushes her forward into the creature's 'embrace'.

And yet she keeps coming, a testament perhaps to the mute girl's inner strength, and her weapons fly from her hands as she comes close enough to strike. The first misses, likely a result of the somewhat brutal way in which she had been propelled the last few steps. But the second cuts deep, light flaring around it, and only just avoids one of the night-thing's arm joints.

It rises up before her, towering above the far smaller girl, and two razor edged bolts of light smash into it before it can act. Its gaze rises, tracking the source of those bolts back to Temeka as she moves forward. The air around it seems to swirl, sending one of the power-suited girl's shots awry, but the other strikes truly, burning into the blackness of the creature's form.

Chisaki bounds forward, dodging around the oncoming spikes and yowling in pain when two of the hand blades gouge through her plating. But they don't penetrate, and she hurls herself at the things throat, claws outstretched.

Her claws slide away, finding no purchase on the beast's shadowy substance. But her crystal teeth shine with a luminescent flame as they tear through it. But still the Neverwere makes no sound. It shakes its neck quickly from side to side, dislodging the troublesome construct and dropping her back to the ground.

And then it moves.

For a flickering moment, it seems to consider its options, the almost tangible gaze sweeping the battlefield and fixing its targets. Then it slams its hands into the ground, black pulsing into the earth and that same flat hatred assaults your ears once again.

"Bleed."

Nameless instincts scream in sudden warning, and those not engaged in combat with the thing step, twist, jump or hurl themselves away from the majority of the upward thrusting spikes that would have impaled them. But none of you are quite good enough to have avoided them entire. And, against your will, your bodies obey the Neverwere's command.


Daina, take
Chisaki, take [roll 2d6+10 (Remember, hardness counts against the damage taken.)

All others take [roll1] damage each. And be very glad you all made your reflex saves.

[Selinia]

"Crap." Makoto spit a mouthful of red fluid along with the curse. She tried to think of something worthwhile as a counterpoint, but damn it, this pile of ink and spite wasn't worth it. So the best she got was, "No, you bleed! Hunt!"

With its characteristic alacrity, Makoto's lance launched her upward. But... it wasn't just the lance this time. The mahou shoujo felt a motion coursing through her, guiding her body - she didn't like the feeling, but she knew better than to resist it at this point. Makoto felt herself tumble and... for lack of a better term, land on a link of her own weapon. Sailing not at, but over her enemy. At first she assumed that her weapon had simply overshot the mark, but realization of the maneuver being suggested overtook the girl within moments.

With a string of murmured commands, Makoto recalled her weapon into a solid shaft - then elongated it as she fell, driving the shaft downwards to simultaneously impale her foe and tether her own jump. As the redhead hit the ground, she simply detached the extended portion, letting it dissolve as a new shaft lightly tapped the ground to send her skidding away from her enemy. The new boots seemed to practically glide, almost as if on wheels.

Actions:
Ride-By Jumpcharge Attack on the Neverwere Behemoth! Jump up, over, land on the other side, attack, use remaining movement to put Makoto 40 ft (or as far as she can get) on the far side of the monster. No AoOs, because ride-by attack and all that good stuff.

Power Attack is active.

Jump Check: [roll0]
To-Hit: [roll1] (Luminous Rain included)
Damage: ([roll2] * 4) = 112


Status:
Hit Points: 50/62
Motes: 5/7

AC: 21 | CMD: 25
Fort: +6 | Ref: +9 | Will: +5

[Princess Tracy]

(Umiko goes last in her initiative group to prevent disruption, but her actions are as follows)

Umiko doesn't seem to mind much the piercing of the spikes, toughing them out well enough; she flinches as any living person would, but to say she bleeds would be far too charitable as she quickly finds her footing, remarking simply "Quite the reach, haven't ya?" Seeing the dragoon charge into the thing's face, she smiled, not even that annoyed at the glory stealing occurring. In uncharacteristic patience, Umiko finds herself observing her opponent, getting a feel for the new powers coursing through her, though relying mostly on instinct. With a deep breath, she plants one foot forward, speaking quickly a word of power as it occurs to her. "Kenpachi Sealing Method: Fragile Shell!" A wall of pure light springs up between herself and the monster...

Swift Action
Use Fragile Shell illumination, 1 mote, swift action. Creates 10 foot high wall up to 30 feet long; use to surround the beast; it creates it in a straight line perpendicular to the line between herself and the beast. This should lock it off from engaging in direct melee, depriving it of assumed trading of blows that comprise the openings that atacks of opportunity are assumed to have - in other words, he shouldn't (I hope) get any attacks until her makes to consciously attack the barrier, such as by a regular attack on his own turn. Although, breaking the barrier may not be necessary...

She doesn't even flinch at her new power, rolling with it, feeling it a part of her no different to using her fists. Feeling her slightest movement subtly more powerful, she charges forward - jumping as she gains momentum into a flying front kick, trying to veer her foot forward for anything that looks squishy and, landing, forces her fists upwards into the thing's underbelly. Of course, she makes to charge straight through her own barrier, safe from reprisal for her approach as she ironically pours everything she has into busting through the odd material she just made - and of course to causing the thing damage

Actions
Charge action with two weapon fighting. The barrier has 18 hit points; Umiko makes to attack through a single 5-foot square section of it - excess damage is dealt to the monster itself. Doing so will open up the gap for the monster to attack her in return, but at least she got her own hits in first. I may get cover bonuses though, I'll leave that to your discretion.

Flying kick
Attack! [roll0]
confirmation roll if I roll a 20, [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

Double fist cannon!
Attack! [roll3]
confirmation roll if I roll a 20, [roll4]
Damage [roll5]

Status at end of turn, if not attacked;
4 temporary HP, 4 motes, 57 HP, 19 AC

[Serafina]

Cymoril sees how the other girl get hit by the monstrous creature in front of her.
Good thing that i practiced for that - lets see if i can do this now!
She runs toward the enemy, drawing a trail of lightning behind her, weaving from side to side, using her sword as both a counter-weight and a means to cover herself against attacks. She is not prepared for the spikes exploding from below, but manages to evade most of them nonetheless.

She stops in front of the enemy, forgoing the momentum of the charge for a certain hit. The lightning-trail behind her swirls between Sturmbringer and the Neverwere, until it rebounds into the blade as it strikes.
"Fury of Lightning, Sound of Thunder - Thundersmite!"
Donnerschlag!


If i can actually reach the enemy that way (i already moved closer in my last round after all), i make an acrobatics check to move at half speed and avoid attacks of opportunity. I also spend one of my own attacks of opportunity to protect myself against any AoO i might provoke, and i will spend the others if anyone else gets attacked.

I start my round by triggering Vigil of Candles
Then i move adjacent to the enemy (via Tumbling if possible).
And then i execute Sunny Daze.
Rolls: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13612751#post13612751
Status: 52 HP, 2 Motes left .Less HP if i take damage from an AoO

[Owrtho]

Close to the neverwere, Daina's music rings out as she unleashes attacks it, shifting slightly to help take advantage of fighting with the others whiel being on guard for attacks. She focuses to gather her new powers on her attacks, granting them the same ability to weaken her opponents as before. If anything needs to be made less dangerous it is this foe.

Actions OOC:Full round action and a mote to use heartbreaker. Also a 5 foot step to the left (or if that's where most of the others are to the right), so as to slowly work toward flanking the neverwere. The music Daina's been playing since charging the foe is akin to this (http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/atomyk-ebonpyre-2).
7 motes remaining.

Rolls, with luminous rain factored in.

Main Hand Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] sonic: [roll2]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll3]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll4] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 1: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] sonic: [roll7]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll8]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll9] DC 14 or deafened.

Main Hand Attack 2: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11] sonic: [roll12]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll13]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll14] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 2: [roll15]
Damage: [roll16] sonic: [roll17]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll18]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll19] DC 14 or deafened.

[userpay]

Temeka twists as the Neverwere's attack becomes evident, somehow managing to avoid the worse of it.
"Maintain targeting..." She mutters as she begins to line up her shots once again. Eying the creature warily as it weathers everything thrown at it thus far Temeka hopes that they'll see results soon as she triggers another volley.

Chisaki on the other hand growls in frustration as she's shaken off. Gamely surging forth once more.
Using Luminous Rain for +3 to attacks again. Both Temeka and Chisaki will full attack. If anyone's flanking for Chisaki add the bonus.
Temeka
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Sonic [roll2]
Attack [roll3]
Damage [roll4]
Sonic [roll5]
Attack [roll6]
Damage [roll7]
Sonic [roll8]
Attack [roll9]
Damage [roll10]
Sonic [roll11]

Chisaki
Attack Bite [roll12]
Damage Bite [roll13]
Attack Claw [roll14]
Damage Claw [roll15]
Attack Claw [roll16]
Damage Claw [roll17]
Grapple Attempts if hit [roll18]
Grapple Attempts if hit [roll19]
Grapple Attempts if hit [roll20]

[Snowfire]

The Neverwere tries to catch Makoto as the girl streaks over its head, but its lancing strikes fail to take into account the speed of the magical girl as she hurtles down through the 'flesh' of the monstrosity. Her lance flashes white, burning away the blackness around her to clear her a path to the ground, eliciting a cry of pain from her target - although that quickly turns to rage.

And apparently, that distracts it much more than the thing's nonexistence expression shows. All but one of the attacks launched against Cymoril go astray, the blonde flicking three of them away with deft movements of her Device and stepping neatly out of the way of the other two. And she barely flinches as the last blow in the sequence - delivered as she raises Sturmbringer to strike - slices into her.

But the weapon continues its path, pain finding no clear purchase on the girl-knight, and lightning blazes out from its blade as it slams home, digging deep - deeper than any of the attacks before it in fact - into the flesh of its mistress's enemy.

Umiko steps forward, light flowering around her wrist as she invokes a wall of sealing light to stand between her and the creature threatening herself, then charges.

The wall shudders as the Neverwere's massive claws hammer against it, pounding on the barrier of manifest Light. And yet it holds - at least for a little. One, two, four, five strikes it holds against, but Umiko was never one to hide behind walls or shields and it shows in the fragility of her creation. The final blow sends cracks spraying out across the barrier, solid night tearing at protective light, and the delicate creation shatters. The final strike continues though, albeit degraded in power, and meets Umiko in the air. It slams into her raised foot, the impact ringing like that of a hammer on an anvil - but it does not stop her.

She spins under the retracting claw-fist, sending her own normal ones hammering up into the 'belly' of the nightmarish creature and it rocks forward slightly, its face less than a foot from hers, and growls menacingly.

Music blasts out across the square as Daina strikes again, her discs whirling around her in deadly pattern. Light blazes all around them, the same light that ate away the deadly sharpness of her last foe's weapons, and they spin free from her grasp once again.

The first two strikes carve smoothly through the flesh of the creature, light pouring from the wounds down its arms to corrode and weaken its claws. But the last two prove that Daina's luck is quite normal - and subject to bad turns just as easily as your own - as the two turntables collide in mid-spin and vanish in a flare of light and disjointed sound.

Yet their jarring discordance is lost in the hail of blasts unleashed by Temeka's suit weapons, and this time the targeting lights finally seem to do their work properly. Each of the four shots punches deep into the Neverwere, flaring with light as they slam home. Chisaki leaps once more for its throat, attempting to pull the thing down so that her allies might rip it to pieces, but all but the final strike fails to do more than slide through flesh that parts before it. One of her claws almost finds purchase, but another shake of the Neverwere's throat sends the construct tumbling away.

The Neverwere rears back, glaring down at the foes now beginning to surround it, and growls something dark and utterly intelligible, the syllables of the words seeming to tear at reality around you as if they are not meant to be spoken here.

Blackness leaks into the air around the thing's head, forming a twisted mockery of a classical angel's halo and it raises its hands, more ribbons of nightstuff twining out of nothingness to weave around the disfigured blade-fingers. The world seems to hush around you, the sound of flames falling away before the dark monolith gathering above you.

Cymoril, Umiko and Chisaki all step forward swinging, their weapons slamming into the shadowstuff form of the creature in an attempt to stop whatever is about to happen. The Neverwere laughs, raucous and malevolent.

"Darkness."

The halo drops, black billowing out from it to cloak the square in night as it hits the ground. Utter darkness surrounds you, pouring from the circle of writhing night laid around the creature's feet.

"Prevails!"

The halo flashes, blacker than even what you thought black could be, the darkness of an utter void. And then that void bursts from the dissipating halo, racing outwards to engulf you all in its icy embrace.


Cymoril, take [roll0]
Umiko, take [roll1] (minimum 1 damage)

There is now a dome of total darkness 30' in diameter around the Neverwere.

Everyone within that dome takes [roll2] damage (no DR against this one). And once more be incredibly glad you made your saves.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko grunts, taking the hit well - unscathed, even, but is deeply annoyed by the dark. She's not built for nighttime combat - opponents should be out in the open! Deceiver, just like Tengu! "Here's what I think of your dark! U-WAAAAAAHHH!"

Deploying theme music. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVaMDPWUquM)

"HEART OF SOUL: ANGEL BUSTER! -PUNCH!" With a great springing of her legs, she brings her fist back, her whole body coiling as she aims her entire mass, and curiously then some, straight at where she knows the thing's heaving mass of a body to have been. Light sprays out of her very being as the blow flies straight for the thing - on a collision, an explosion occurring to shake the thing's bones with the force!

Angel Buster as a strike!
Attack! [roll0]
Damage! [roll1]
confirmation roll if necessary [roll2]

3motes spent. Any hard feelings if I wait until a response post? There was something else I wanted to do with my turn if the punch connected, but you usually make us wait until a turn has passed to see what happened.

[Serafina]

music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbrjyivj0bU)
Yes, that got him! Now i just have to do it again!
Beginne Zielerfassung. Analyse läuft.
Cymoril dodges another attack before she can reply "thanks, Sturmbringer."

She turns a parry into another strike, but this time the blade just slips off the surface. Damn it!
Cymoril readies herself for a proper attack as darkness explodes around her. Her limbs go numb at the freezing cold, but worse yet she can't spot the Neverwere at all, despite standing direct in front of it.

Disoriented in the darkness, a limb painfully slams into Cymorils side.
Daaamn. Light. I need some light. I had a a torchlight with me, maybe its still somewhere? Everything i know about Barrier Jackets tells me it should be...
Taking Sturmbringer into her left hand to defend herself, Cymoril begins to grab around her costume to look for a pocket. She finds a fold and manages to take the Torch out, igniting it to reveal the giant Neverwere in front of her.

Ziel Erfasst. Seelenschnitter!
Her blade rushes towards the target with a brilliant glow.

Swift Action to activate Smite Evil
Move action to take out electric torch, which i had from my trip at night at the beginning
Standard Action for Sunny Daze
1 Mote for Aura, 2 for Strike. Leaves me with 2 Motes
29 HP left. +5 AC due to Smite Evil
Translations: "Acquiring Target. Analyzing." "Target locked. Reaper of Souls!"
rolls (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13626064&postcount=388)

[Owrtho]

Daina grimaces as her turntables clash and vanishes.
A minor setback. I can call them back easily enough.
So reassured, she prepares to bring them back. Then she's hit by the cold. The frigid blast is chills her to the bone, but its not enough to stop her.
So that's how you want to dance. Then lets try something a little different.

Her course decided, Daina recalls her turntables and gathers her energy to once again strike down the foe and dull its attacks. As she does she begins a different song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLi55ngmN7E) than before. As the music begins to play she starts dancing once more and lashes out at the foe.

Actions OOC:Free action to make turntables. Full round action to use heart breaker. 5 foot step to get into move toward a flanking position.

Main Hand Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] sonic: [roll2]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll3]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll4] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 1: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] sonic: [roll7]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll8]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll9] DC 14 or deafened.

Main Hand Attack 2: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11] sonic: [roll12]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll13]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll14] DC 14 or deafened.

Off Hand Attack 2: [roll15]
Damage: [roll16] sonic: [roll17]
Crit confirm (15-20 x2): [roll18]
On Crit Thundering sonic damage: [roll19] DC 14 or deafened.

[Princess Tracy]

The illustrious 2nd part of my turn.

Umiko whips her foot back into an odd solid stance, making an odd throaty noise as she focuses her energy.

Move action
Classic energy charging - making a DC 13 concentration check to regain 2 motes. I'm pretty sure a natural 1 isn't an autofailure, but I'll roll anyway
[roll0]

With a wave of her hand and a sweep of light, she makes to see through the thing's attacks, relying on pure instinct.

Swift Action
Spend 1 mote to use Luminous Rain. It must now make a DC19 will save or all my allies gain a +3 to AC against the beast until the start of my next turn.

[Snowfire]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKXRifFySYg&feature=relmfu)

Umiko's fist blazes a blinding trail through the darkness around her, light spraying out around the girl in radiant fountains to tear at the darkness muffling it. And the blow sends the Neverwere staggering back, a fleeting chorus of notes rising from the remnants of the angelic strike. Across from her, Daina's weapons reform in crackling explosions of soundlight, blazing in the cracked darkness.

The blind girl, unaffected by the creature's attempt to stop them, flings her hands out in the direction of the creature, unleashing her turntables once more. They whirl around the creature, blasting their music out as they track down to cut deep into its form. And this time all four blows strike true, their tones ringing out in victory. Light cloaks the Neverwere, rippling across the night-thing's body and flaring around the gouged remnants of its claws. It bellows in fury, but this time you think you hear a slight edge of pain. Or was it fear?

Light whirls out from Umiko's hand once more, but this time it is more protective in its effect. It spreads out across the Neverwere, joining the flaming light burning away at it, and forming a nimbus of light that flickers weakly against the all-encompassing darkness.

The darkness around the Neverwere is cracking now, light racing across it as the combined efforts of two wielders of Amber pour their radiance into breaking it. But it holds, it holds, it holds. Then Cymoril steps forward.

Her weapon rises in her left hand, her right holding the guttering flare of a torch on the Neverwere's bulk. Sturmbringer speaks, light exploding along the length of the Device, turning it into a white-gold thunderbolt with a hilt. The torch clatters, unheard, to the ground as Cymoril raises her other hand to reinforce the swing.

It slams down, the pain and anger and desperation of a girl who only wants to get home erupting in a raging torrent. And the darkness shatters like glass. The blazing strike seems to extend all the way through the giant Neverwere, sparks of white and pale gold spraying out around the area of the slash. It staggers back once more, slamming into the wreckage of the building from which it came, and Sturmbringer pulses in cool anticipation.

Zielkoordinaten übertragen

The falcon at the centre of the blade's crossguard flashes white, eyes projecting two lines of light into the heart of the Neverwere before you. And you hear a voice in your heads, calling from upon high.

:This is, uh, acting Captain Kalen Mitsuki on the Lightbringer. I don't know how you did it, but you've given us a lock. Whoever you are, get down!:

Those among you who can see look up, your gaze being drawn by that voice far beyond the battling Nightwraiths and Silvers above you. And you see something resembling a star, but much bigger and moving far to erratically, flare into sudden incandescence.

Light!Sound!POWER!

Vision evaporates, hearing ceases, senses fall away in a maelstrom of whirling golden fire. You hear the Neverwere scream in agony, the harsh sound of terror falling into nothingness as it is flung bodily from reality. And then your brain fails, your entire being overloaded by the radiant light pouring down from above.

-Discontinuity-

[Snowfire]

Pentacle's Beginnings

Beep, beep.

The sound pierces the fabric of dreams swirling around you with gentle insistence, sliding through it to the heart of your mind. You stir, the sound coming again through the soft veil of unconsciousness to pull you free of its embrace.

Beep, beep.

Again that insistent sound, but now your mind is coming awake enough to recognise the sound of gentle footsteps around you. The soft swirl of fabric blends with the precise ticking and other esoteric noises that speak clearly of a medical facility.

Beep, beep.

Eyes flicker blearily open, blinking furiously against warm light pouring through the room's windows. A quick glance is enough to take it all in. Each of you has been laid in a bed, dressed in the clothes that you were wearing when you were brought to...Amber, wasn't it? The costumes that had protected you are gone for now. And beside each of your beds is a chair, on which your belongings have been laid.

Beep, beep.

And at the top of each small pile is your Device – if you hold one. For Umiko, it is instead her father's seal. And for Daina, it is her music player. The same one that she had not had in the dream that brought her here. For the others, their devices are collapsed into trinkets, small enough to be carried easily.

Beep, beep.

You look around finally towards the source of that sound, a small device sitting on the opposite side of your bed to the chair. Readouts and charts and the steady oscillation of a heartbeat monitor cover the thing's small screen, and as you watch another heartbeat makes itself known.

Beep, beep.

Fresh summer air pours in through the huge windows arrayed on the far wall, carrying with it the sweetness of flowers, cool water and evergreen. Looking out you can see a city similar to the one you had fought in, except this one is not on fire – or damaged at all. You try to piece together that with your last memories, but a voice you have heard before interrupts your attempt.

“It's amazing isn't it?” Glancing towards the door, you see the woman who introduced herself as Amiya standing there. She is dressed in flowing, colourful street clothing. Something reasonable for the weather at least. She smiles at you. “What their absence allows to flourish I mean.” She steps into the room – and it is just her – moving to sit near the doorway. “I'm sorry about two nights ago, but Mitsuki didn't have much other choice if we were going to be able to reverse most of the echoes.” She shakes her head with a chuckle. “And you have no idea what I'm talking about for the most part. Sorry.” She spreads her hands on her lap, extending them in a gesture of trust. “I promised you answers that I was unable to give two days ago, and the threat that prevented them is passed for the moment. Thanks in no small part to your actions. So please, ask.”

[Princess Tracy]

Feel free to ignore the dialogue not in bold - it's deliberately a play at annoying the person who foolishly said they would answer her questions

Umiko stands, pulling herself from her bed with a mighty leap. She clears her throat, lazily pocketing the seal. Her mouth explodes with a flurry of neverending questions, deliberately trying to put this too calm woman off balance. "What kind of place is this, what's it's creation myth, how did I come her and why, how does one travel back to my hometown, have you seen a seven fingered man, what were those things that attacked us and why did they hardly seem to have any bones to break, who the hell are you, why did I pass out, where am I now, how do I know this all isn't just Tengu screwing with my head for not joining her stupid club, what's the meaning of life, who do you work for, what do I have to do to get an audience with them, what were those things in teh sky destroying teh city, is this the same city that got destroyed, how would you rebuild it in two days, where do I go to learn how to fly - AND WHY did I feel really weird when I did THIS?"

Umiko waves her arms, releasing some minor energy at first, a blue turning green series of flashes that refine, and in a puff of smoke, too late as she realises she shouldn't have done what she did, she stands in her costume - a little more mature looking.
http://ip2.mjv-art.org/jvwall_images/4e6/4e676e386860f4f668824a169c27ab23_bp.jpg

Despite seeming more muscular, she looks oddly more refined, her clothes having, on closer inspection, a regal sort of flair to their design. Her expression looks confused for a moment, bitter, but after a moment it softens. She smiles slightly, adapting a little to her taller frame as she casually sits down. Her eyes become rather... understanding, calm - motherly, even, as she smiles obligingly. "I feel oddly calm," she says, much more slowly, in a deeper voice. Her smile flickers. "I'm not sure I like it." She sighs, her smile returning as she pus her hands on her lap. "Could I trouble you for some tea?"

[Owrtho]

Awakening, to the sound, Daina keeps her eyes closed as she locates her glasses nearby, and also comes across her music player. Only upon dawning her glasses and making sure the hide her eyes does she finally open them and pretend to look around.
After listening to the new speaker and the girl from before, Didn't she shout a name starting with a 'U' when first we arrived?, Daina decided to get a few basic things out of the way.
So we're in the same area as before? It sounds so different.
Looking in the direction of the new voice, Daina plays few pieces of music to ask some basic questions.

♪Let me introduce myself♫You can call me♫Daina♫Who are you♪
♪Breakfast♫Would be♫nice♪
♪Tell me where can I♫Dance♪

OOC: For those curious, the songs are in order:
Let Me Introduce Lyrics by Kasia Klich
You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
a recording of Daina's mother saying her name
Who Are You by the Who
Breakfast by Newsboys
It would be so nice by Pink Floyd
It would be so nice by Pink Floyd
Where Can I Go by Ray Charles
Safety Dance by Men Without Hats

[Princess Tracy]

"Ah, Daina. Everyone is here then. Good to see you're okay. I never did give my name, did I? Umiko, at your service - just Umiko for now." She smiles quite genuinely and carefree, making you wonder what the hell happened to the hyper aggressive girl from last night.

[Serafina]

floating. plishy. squiggly.
Pink. Indigo Yellow. Cyan. Orange. Green. Red.
Triangles. ...No, that won't work.... Pyramids? That's not even the proper term. Try again Vi-chan. Shimattaaaa. This is way too hard. *Sigh* Okay, i'll show you.
..........
Hmmm. So soft, and so big. I am sooo glad you have those, i've never slept better - i wish i had pillows that soft.
Glad you like them Mori-chan. Oh, and Nanoha-mama said you can stay the weekend, after all she constantly scolds me about getting a tutor.
.....
http://miqel.com/images_1/fractal_math_patterns/multi-hyper-dimensional/240px-Schlegel_wireframe_5-cell.png
http://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/h_tetraeder14.gif
...the fractal hypertetrahedron can contain magical power equal to *BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Cymoril blinks into the light.
Kuso..always before the best parts.
An unknown voice snaps her out of her sleepiness.
She listens to the unknown women and two girls who babble on in the beds next to her.
This isn't home...

Then it hits her. She remembers what happened last night No, that was two day ago....
This time she stays calm, the emotional shock had been processed already.

"Okay then. Let's start then. Where is the next TSAB-embassy? If there isn't one, what are our current time-space coordinates? What is the your name anyway?"


Bit of a dream sequence. With four-dimensional math. Well, she's the bookish type, though that dream was clearly going in some other direction ;). Also relevant for her magic, since she helped Vivio study Belkan magic, and that uses triangles and their higher-dimensional equivalents.

This time she isn't freaking out, but shes still trying to go home first and foremost. The promise to Sturmbringer isn't forgotten, just not at the front of her mind right now.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko nods obligingly as Cymoril as she stirs, an odd expression of confusion on her face. "I feel like I'm sorry for being brash last night." She smiles widely. "You did great, really, was that your first battle?"

[Serafina]

"Well - i've been training to fight with my friend for eight years now. And i got bullied a lot, so here were some fights there too. But always without any magic, and never with any real danger - so yes, it was, kinda."

[Princess Tracy]

"Hardly any wonder you had some trouble holding it together then," Umiko beams. "We may be called upon to do battle like that more often. When we are, you must be ready." She looks serious, but not solemn, holding her fist to her costumed form's now well-endowed chest. "If you want, I can teach you what it means to truly fight for one's life before then. There are some things one only learns on the battlefield, but I should make sure you can endure the battlefield long enough to pick them up at least." her expression becomes a bit more lighthearted again, with a joyous demand to their visitor of "Where can one go to get tea?"

[Snowfire]

Amiya shakes her head at Umiko's hail of questions, smile twitching upwards towards becoming a full grin.

"You feel weird because you are channeling the light of Amber. As to your other questions." A tiny muscle at the centre of Amiya's brow furrows in minute concentration. :A place of healing and light. It has none. Amber brought you here to help save it. Depends on where your hometown is. I've seen a few, but not the one I think you're looking for. They were Neverwere and do not have bodies as we understand the term. My name is Amiya. The Lightbringer hit you with part of its bombardment, it was an accident. You are on Amber still, in a place of healing. Who? Forty two, obviously. Amber. I don't know. Neverwere. Yes. We didn't rebuild it, it was simply never destroyed. Depends on the form of flight.: The answers pour out of her mind and into yours in less than an instant and she winks at you. "And working with the Light can have that sort of effect. As for tea - and breakfast for you all," she adds, in recognition of Daina's request, "I will have some brought."

A tiny wisp of light flows from her finger, hovering in front of her for a moment before shooting out of the open door in - you presume - the direction of wherever the kitchen might be.

"My name, and your pardon for I did not give it when we met, is Amiya Tsuendri. I am the...well...I guess you could call me the leader of the three silver Pentacles currently on Amber. And therefore fully responsible for this planet's defence against the Neverwere." She tilts her head slightly at Daina's next question, then beams. "Oh of course! A Piper. My apologies. If you wish to dance, do not feel the need to restrain yourself. Or if you wish to, there are halls where we exercise that you could use. Or outside. It is a beautiful day." Then she blinks outright at Cymoril, clearly confused by the girl's other questions.

"T..SAB..?" She asks carefully. "I'm afraid this is the first time I have ever heard that name - it is a name right? - spoken. I can have Sara look through the archives for you, but I'm not sure if we can help you there.

"And your current time-space coordinates?" She gnaws on her lip for a moment, then shrugs helplessly. "Um...you're on Amber, at the Enclave of Samaniya. It's eleven fifteen in the morning of the sixteenth of May, year one thousand, six hundred and eighty three of the Age of Light?" She supplies, her tone that of assistance - but also with an underlying belief that it probably won't help. "I'm truly sorry if that isn't what you're looking for, but I honestly don't know."

[Serafina]

Cymoril glares at Umiko, albeit with a small smirk on her face
"What, you think i had that breakdown because of the fighting? Shows what you know...and no, that won't happen again. Besides, it wasn't even during the fight."


After hearing Amiyas answer, Cymoril replies incredulously
"Time-Space Administrion Bureau? Never heard of it? And how can you use dimensional transfer magic without knowing the first thing about time-space coordinates? I bet you don't even use calculus in your spells...looks like i'll have to get home myself then."

[Princess Tracy]

"Ah, please don't do that," Umiko pleads as her answers are transmitted. "It's quite disorienting."

Gathering herself and pondering Daina's dancing proposal, she swings her legs back and forth on the end of the bed, quite surprised that her legs now reach the floor. [costumed form - ~6'5" height] "So, what now? We were brought here for a reason, correct? If you're a leader, you'll be in charge enough to know why, correct? I don't think I have much to offer in service to others." Her face darkens a little, as some realisation strikes her. "No, this isn't right..." Fidgeting she bashes the knuckles of her hands together and her costume dissipates with a flash, leaving her in her normal, feisty form.

"Ah, that was weird, I'm not doing that again, I don't care how many times I get slashed by giant monsters - that armour isn't remotely worth it, if it makes me act like someone else..." She shakes herself, the fire in her eyes returning. "I don't work for people who can't beat me up in an honourable fight. So if you wanna be MY leader, you better get to swinging those girly fists of yours." She smiles mischievously, sticking her chin out. "I'll even let you have first hit. Don't be shy - I'm actually pretty groggy, even whatever feeble hit you conjure should at least freshen me up a bit. The day doesn't feel right if I don't spar a little before breakfast. Speaking of, do you have T-Rex around here? My hits seem a little stronger, so I wanna try my luck wrangling one again. So far I've only spit roast ONE in my life, can you believe it?"

She stands, turning to Cymoril. "Hey, weakling, you talking about going home. Feel like giving me a lift? I'm not sure I like it here, far too... pretty. And I don't trust that armour - last time I had something mess with my feelings like that, a crazy bird-girl talked me into thinking walking off a cliff was a good idea, just to prove she COULD."

[Snowfire]

Amiya's face creases in further confusion. "Why would time and space need administrated?" She asks. "And why would you need to use calculus to channel Amber's light?" She gestures around you and brilliant roses formed of magenta light flow into being around the room. Their petals fold back gently, the flowers swirling around Umiko before dissipating . "All you have to do is ask."

"As for what you call dimensional transfer magic, we simply learn to walk the paths between the dimensions. Some worlds even have Portals, doorways through which you can move without the need for anything more than a pair of footsteps. Amber taught the First of us the paths before the Age of Light began, and they passed that knowledge on before they died." She shrugs, her smile dimming slightly as she seems to remember something. "That is how we don't need to know what you call time-space coordinates, Cymoril. How we've never needed them."

"We simply have to know where we're needed. And that is simpler than breathing. As for you," She turns back to Umiko, "that someone else is only you, except further on." Her smile turns to a wry grin. "And I'm really not sure that's a good idea, Umiko. For one thing, Ilsomere would get very annoyed with me if I hit one of her patients. And for another, I would really prefer not to hurt you - even temporarily."

[Serafina]

"But can you build these portals - which are most likely teleport spells that have been anchored in an elastic four-dimensional frame? Can you cross into the space between dimensions, or calculate paths to worlds unknown, simply by finding their numerical influence on other worlds? Don't try to impress me with that "just instincts and talent"-stuff, my gi..best friend probably has the most raw talent of any mage and still profited a lot from knowing the theories of magic."
Cymori is about to go into full-blown lecture mode before she catches herself.
"Speaking of which, i haven't asked you the fundamental questions yet: What, how, and why? What is going on now - and going to happen from now on? How did it happen and how will it unfold from now? And why did and will it happen?"

[Princess Tracy]

"Heh, I'll take that as a boast," Umiko remarks at Amiya's heartfelt non-violence. "What, you're afraid you'll hurt me TOO MUCH, don't be ridiculous. I'm fine, look at me!" She gives a little hop

Acrobatics check to jump vertically.[roll0] - joke roll, though a natural 1 is always a good way to start the day of it comes

"Huh, maybe I just won't be getting any challenge here. Maybe you're all to weak to - AHA!" With a sudden swipe of her hand, Umiko grabs some random, utterly hardless object near her bed, likely her pillow, or a yoghurt tin, deftly tossing it at the Silver as a test of her reflexes.

Attack, for funsies [roll1]

[Snowfire]

"But can you build these portals - which are most likely teleport spells that have been anchored in an elastic four-dimensional frame? Can you cross into the space between dimensions, or calculate paths to worlds unknown, simply by finding their numerical influence on other worlds? Don't try to impress me with that "just instincts and talent"-stuff, my gi..best friend probably has the most raw talent of any mage and still profited a lot from knowing the theories of magic."
Cymori is about to go into full-blown lecture mode before she catches herself.
"Speaking of which, i haven't asked you the fundamental questions yet: What, how, and why? What is going on now - and going to happen from now on? How did it happen and how will it unfold from now? And why did and will it happen?"

"To answer your question in order; Yes, yes, and yes - although not via mathematics." She shrugs comfortably at mention of the theory of magic. "I know how to shape the Light that all in this room wield with less than a thought. I have walked the paths between dimensions, both on my own and through the power of a Lightship. And whilst I do not doubt your belief in mathematics, and am sorry if I appeared flippant, I would ask you to accept at the very least the idea that we do know the theories of magic. We simply have a different version. As for what, how and why, I," her hand flashes up barely failing to deflect Umiko's flung pillow, "was just getting to that." Her attempt does mange to slow it down enough that it only wuffs gently into her neck. She shakes her head and tosses it back to Umiko. Then the wisp of light she sent off earlier darts back through the door and melds seamlessly with her hand.

"Ah, I'm told breakfast is ready." She gestures with her right hand at the table on the other side of the door from her and it fills suddenly - in a multitude of blue-green pulses - with an abundant spread of breakfast foods. ((OOC: Suitable to the world. Have fun with that Umiko :smalltongue:))

"If you wish, I can leave you to eat and discuss among your selves in peace. Or I can continue." She gestures at Temeka and Makoto, who have remained silent thus far. "And what of you? Do you have anything you wish to ask?"

[Owrtho]

With the arrival of the food, Daina gets up and walks toward the table, bracing herself on the edges of the bed to avoid stumbling as she makes her way. Along the way she replies to Amiya.
♪Stay♫I need a♫guide to♫dance halls♪
Once at the table with the food, Daina takes a seat and drums her fingers on the table to help make out what is on it as she selects some eggs, toast, juice, and tea. Carefully arranging everything in front of her along with some silverware she begins eating.

OOC:Songs in order:
Stay by Lisa Loeb
I Need a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
Parents Guide To Living by Lagwagon
The Road by Jackson Browne

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko's stomach growls as she tears her eyes from the food. "Hmph, no thanks. It's a symbol of weakness to eat anything beyond what you earn yourself. That's the responsibility my clan takes on the instant we kill our first rabbit - 'only eat what you kill'. Or, if you're the house-watcher in a relationship, having food brought to you is fine. Ah, why am I explaining this even? Just point me in the direction of the closest THING I'm allowed to kill. It should ideally be bigger than me and carnivorous - I'm starving for some meat." She stands by the window, one leg already hanging over the sill, ready to descend the building as she awaits directions. "If I bother coming back, maybe I'll see what moves Daina has, but don't count on it. It doesn't seem like there's anything here for the likes of me, so I might just 'accidentally' wind up on one of the portals you were talking about, heading back home. Well, i can't head straight back to the valley obviously, but I left all my stuff in the other world. It wasn't much, just a couple of sparring partners and an empty inkwell, but it's home."

[Selinia]

Makoto grumbles and rolls onto her face, tossing up a rather rude gesture with the hand not pinned under her own stomach. She'd been rather hoping to 'sleep' through the Silver's visit, but it seemed her ruse had been uncovered with ease. Still, the disc jockey had invited the annoying older girl to stay, so it was a decision between putting up with some patronizing tones or missing a meal. Which really wasn't a choice at all.

"G'morning to you too, Your Condescension, Miss." The redhead found the bed comfy enough to not leave entirely, tugging a sheet off the mattress and plopping down for breakfast with the benefit of a silky white cloak to ward off morning chills. "And everyone else, I guess. A goddamn nuke and no casualties. Lovely. Nice to see we're all out of breakdown central. Hell, is that..." Makoto deftly snatches an apple off of the center of the table.

"Fresh, too. Even Hotaru had to shell out for these..." She holds the fruit for a few moments before shrugging and biting in. "Not going to get any complaints from me. I think my... colleagues, I guess? That sounds friggin' academic. Whatever, the others hit the big points, though I'd appreciate a less sketchy response on the matter of what happened to the giant city we saw getting totaled."

"Oh, and who all is in charge? Probably ought to establish the chain of command before whats-her-face goes and murders somebody's pet tiger to eat its brains. I'm kinda assuming you're our boss right now, but if not, please fess up so I can kick you out."

[Owrtho]

So it's morning then? Or is he just saying that as she wakes? Either way...
♪Good morning to you♪
Daina plays a short clip of music in reply to Makoto greeting, all the while eating without looking around.

OOC:Song souce is Good Morning from Singing in the Rain

[userpay]

Deep within her pillows as she is Temeka is very difficult to see though as Amiya speaks to her the girl wiggles herself out of her burrow. Curiously Chisaki appears to be absent though there is an orange maine **** cat laying on the bed next to Temeka. "Mainly this, what lead up to this situation with the Neverwere? They seem to be shadows of sorts, and from your own explanations light dominates this place, so there isn't any real stretch as to why they might be attacking. More like how has it reached this point where you have to bring in outside help. And not only help but strange outside help." The last seemed directed at Umiko as Temeka sends a pillow flying in her direction following it with. "Oh shut it and eat. I think you earned it well enough in that fight. Mechanius forbid you kill someones pet just to sate your appetite." Temeka looks back to Amiya. "Anyway it just seems strange that if there was power enough to bring us here and make... whatever those changes were that allowed us to fight like that it couldn't have been used to fight the Neverwere directly."

[Snowfire]

Amiya nods in acquiescence to Daina's request. "As you wish." She re-focuses on Umiko.

"And I would, personally at least, think that the aid you rendered in saving the hundreds of thousands in that city," she gestures out the window at the gleaming towers of metal and glass, "would more than count as earning this meal. However," she sighs, "if you wish to hunt your own meal then there's always the forest." She points through the window in the direction of what looked like an evergreen woods a few hundred meters away. "We maintain it for members of the Pentacles who come from worlds similar to yours. And," her face and tone turn serious, "I would ask that you do not leave us. You were chosen for a reason, Umiko, by Amber herself. If you abandon that, I fear that you will not have a home to return to. Not after the Neverwere are done with it."

"And I would also ask you to stay, if just for now, so that you know the answers to the questions of your fellows." She sits again, takes a breath, then starts.

"You have asked me what is happening right now, and what is likely to occur. Right now, the Lightbringer is sealing the pieces of Silence that escaped into space before she fired on Megera - the city you helped save. That sealing will be complete before this day is over, and mainly is being held up by how far out some of those pieces got. After that, she will be returning to Amber to act as an early warning system against further Neverwere assaults. And I can guarantee you that there will be more. From everything we can tell, the Twinned Gate has been cracked. Not broken – if it had been broken then we would have heard about it long before now – but damaged enough that the Named Nevers can break free. If that is indeed the case, then Silence will be back – with allies. Amber's innate being has so far managed to limit their abilities to manifest in their full strength, but she must have been drained heavily by bringing you here. So we cannot rely on that.

“But Amber brought you here for a reason. And I think I know why – no doubt you know better than me though. When you arrived here, in your raggedness and confusion, I wondered if your coming had been a mistake. But...I heard a whisper in that moment, a tiny thread of Amber's thoughts. She called you saviours. And though it has been over sixteen hundred years since she has acted on the world, I am inclined to trust her. Whilst she does make mistakes, as one of you knows all too well,” her eyes flick towards Makoto, a terrible sorrow flashing behind them for an instant, “I do not believe this was one of them. You already did more than we in less than a minute of arriving. And your connections to the Light would blind me if I did not know how to shade my sight.

“On the subject of why Amber herself does not intervene, the most likely theory is that she can't. Not on the required scale. Bringing you five here as you are now has drained her- of that we are all in agreement – and drained her heavily. If doing that took so much, then it is unlikely that she could simply stop the Neverwere herself. And perhaps far more importantly, this is the first time that she has acted as a conscious entity since the beginnings of the Age of Light.

“As to Megera...when the majority of Silence was banished back beyond the Twinned Gate by the Lightbringer's barrage, we were able to Revert most of the events that took place. Echoes remain, as with any Reversion this large, but they are far smaller than they would have been if not for your coming.” She pauses, as if grasping for the right words. “Reversion is...both very simple and incredibly difficult to explain, so I'm going to go with the simple version for now. No offence intended, but if you want to know the theory I would advise you read a book on it – and we audio or Braille versions if they are needed. Explaining it in detail here and now would take a great deal of time and likely bore a few of you. Anyway.” She shakes her head. “Reversion is something that can occur when a wielder of the Light banishes a Neverwere. It allows them to attempt a controlled reversion of everything the Neverwere did whilst in our reality. However, it has limits. It cannot return to life any wielder of Light that the Neverwere killed. Nor can it seamlessly remove all memory of the event from reality.

“In the cases of Named Nevers, echoes are almost impossible to erase. Bits and pieces of what happened remain in reality. Rarely anything as major as an unreturned innocent. Mainly little things, deja vu and flashes of memory from the time of the attack, but sometimes more leaks in. And the more pronounced and long-lived the influence of the Neverwere, the harder it is to Revert. And again, your presence somehow altered that. The echoes from Silence should have been much greater, even with the short time that it was present above Amber.” She lays her hands out again, her tone turning...not quite beseeching, but close.

“So I would ask you to stay, to learn the ways of your power, and to help us hold this world against the encroaching darkness that threatens to consume it. Because if Amber falls, all magic as you know it will fail. Her Light is the only weapon remaining that can truly harm the Neverwere, as well as the only known way to banish them from this reality."

"You have been given the power to save this world, if not this reality. Please. Help us."

[Princess Tracy]

"Why do people keep assuming I'd eat that blasted grabby-cat? It's clearly made of metal - I lost like 2 teeth last time I tried eating something with a hide THAT hard."


"And I would, personally at least, think that the aid you rendered in saving the hundreds of thousands in that city," she gestures out the window at the gleaming towers of metal and glass, "would more than count as earning this meal. However," she sighs, "if you wish to hunt your own meal then there's always the forest." She points through the window in the direction of what looked like an evergreen woods a few hundred meters away. "We maintain it for members of the Pentacles who come from worlds similar to yours.

"Hmph, earning is about more than just some value, like some useless currency, it's doing things for yourself. Don't you try and tempt me into laziness on some technicality, woman - even if such thoughts weren't against everything I know, I didn't do much last night. I had..." she retches a little, forcing out the word "help in that fight, and even then I've wrangled tougher beasts and lived. But in any case, there's no way I saved that many people. By my count all we collectively did was fight seven big black monsters and save five people. Don't try and instil hubris in me with your deceptions."


"And," her face and tone turn serious, "I would ask that you do not leave us. You were chosen for a reason, Umiko, by Amber herself. If you abandon that, I fear that you will not have a home to return to. Not after the Neverwere are done with it. And I would also ask you to stay, if just for now, so that you know the answers to the questions of your fellows."

"PF-HA! Are you joking? This little army better have stronger members than that or else I'll have to call you a complete liar. I may be a little tougher now, but I'm still nowhere near momma's level - and she's considered weak back in the Valley! Their biggest concern back home would be that they don't seem to leave any meat to cook when you rip them apart! But fine, since you seem determined to have my ear, I'll hear you out, but you better make delaying my breakfast worth my time."


[Exposition]

At the last request about saving magic, Umiko sofs but is given pause for thought as she thinks back to some distantly remembered motherly wisdom. "Heh, like magic is worth saving. It only ever seems to screw me hard, and not in the good way," she mutters.

By the time her explanation is done, Umiko is lying in her hospital bed, waving her legs back and forth rhythmically as she stares at the ceiling. She won't admit it explicitly, but she understood basically all of it just fine - better than someone with no interest ever could. She was a curious soul, deep down, after all. Echoes, Twin Gates, Silence, Named, Lightbringer... it was a bit of a jumble, but she thinks she has the gist of it as she springs to her feet again. "You just erased all of that last night? If you can't bring people back, I don't see the point. Messing with time like that never helped anyone in the long run," she says, sagely - in that possibly 'right for all the wrong reasons' sort of way.

She cracks her neck, doing some odd morning stretches as she removes her top, caring far less for decency than practicality in her morning regimine, leaving her with a sports bra (that could at best be a B-cup). "Ah, I'm so stiff," she mutters. "Lying down for that long - even with all that happened, that's just lazy. Oh, don't mind me." With a jaunty whistle, she gathers her thoughts mid pelvic rotation. "So we've been chosen to help you fight these things. Why US? Clearly it's not for our strength. I mean, look at some of us." She nods towards each of the team members in turn, save for Daina, giving TWO nods for Cymoril. "Hell, I'm not that strong either - I haven't even earned the right to be a Cliffcrush yet. My fault really, I'm just so lazy and weak that momma - NOT THE POINT! Point is, you've got whole worlds full of powerful people already. Why would this Amber chick waste all her energy bringing just us rookies here? Doesn't seem too efficient when we have people that can blow up mountains. With their fists."

[Selinia]

"Hmm..." Makoto taps a bare foot quietly against the floor for a time as she listens to the explanation, mentally piecing it together with what she'd heard from Amber's own soliloquy on the subject. It was starting to fit together, at least.

"So let me lay this out, straight-up so there's no ambiguity. You're at war with something called the Neverwere. Its an enemy you're losing against, because it can just fall back and attack again with impunity, while you either can't or won't do the same to it in turn. Normally, you have some method of nullifying the attrition a defensive war would bring down on you, but these Named Nevers of yours are changing the game - they're not letting you just turn back the clock, so you're actually starting to feel the grind of prolonged conflict. You've even gotten some kind of god-thing on your side, but she's getting beat just as soundly as you lot are." Makoto pauses for a bit, taking a few bites out of her apple and pouring out some juice.

"That's why we're important, isn't it? You're losing the war, so you're banking on us as some sort of instant-win condition. If we go and play our merry little part in this dance, everything goes back to how it was for you before. If you wanted firepower, you'd have grabbed my world's N2 stockpiles, not some bum girl living on the street. For some reason, we're goddamn unique, or close to it - you don't want someone to fight, just someone to stick the plug back in that Seal of yours. Like the shouty one said - we're not exactly commando material, even if we are freakishly strong from a mahou shoujo." The redhead chews, takes another sip of her drink, and swallows with an audible gulp. Pushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes, she levels at the Silver.

"So... am I close? Anything missing?"

[Princess Tracy]

"Hey, I'm not shouty, I'm just expressive," Umiko argues back as she stands on her head with no apparent difficulty. For someone so strong, her body is pretty slim - her muscles are fairly well defined, but not particularly bulky. She looks like an ordinary teenage girl really. Except for the marks - dozens of scars and bruises of all shapes and sizes litter her skin. She is right though - she never seems to raise her voice that much, her tone just tricks you into thinking she does.

Something seems to occur to her as her face flushes red from the blood rushing to it, still standing on her head and hardly seeming affected by it except for a slight straining of her vocal chords deepening her voice. "Hey, you, lance-girl. What's your deal? You said you talked to some wizard before coming here, right? Know anything good?"

[Selinia]

"Just that Amber lady." Makoto shrugs, spreading some chocolate over a piece of toast. "These people seem to treat her like some sort of deity, but she seemed pretty human to me. Although, pfft, human - like any of us are remotely close to that any more. If you lot are from other worlds, odds are you didn't even start that way."

"She didn't seem too keen on explanations though. Just gave me the basics. You know - the universe is in danger, my home is about to be trashed by extra-dimensional hooligans, my roommate is going to be brutally murdered if I don't hurry the hell up and do what she says." Makoto took a savage bite out of the crisped confection in her hands, continuing with a mouth full of bread. "So forgive me if I don't really feel like fitzing about. I'm gonna eat here, then I'm gonna hit the books and figure out what we're supposed to be doing, exactly. No, scratch that - we're all going to hit the books. I'm getting the impression we're horribly under-informed, as a whole, and there's no way we're gonna pull this off blind."

[Princess Tracy]

Flipping onto her feet, Umiko goes about touching her toes as she swings about her body, continually stretching. "So what did this broad look like anyway? I wasn't greeted by anything particularly friendly. Mostly I just got grappled by some ugly thing like the ones we attacked, I think, and wound up here. It's all kind of a blur. For some reason I really want to know how some delicate flower of a benefactor does her hair. Last wizard I met was, like, half-bird or something."

At Makoto's proposition to hit the books, the wild girl suddenly becomes a bit flustered looking. "I, uh, don't see the point. I can't read - why would you think I did." She was a horrible liar. "While you worry yourself with that, I'm going to go hunt breakfast, maybe stand under a waterfall if I find one. Then who knows what - hit the clubs, find a playmate, do some singing, bring my fists to a knife fight, you know; all those slow-day, default activities one performs when they're too lazy to be original. No one back on the continent has seen the man I was looking for in years, so maybe he wandered in here somewhere. He is a great adventurer from what I hear." She produces the Kenpachi seal, flashing it at Amiya between lunging leg stretches. "Speaking of, you ever see this symbol before? Or a seven-fingered man?"

She yawns loudly. "I seriously need someone to hit me in the face right now, as hard as they can. I won't hit back, I just need help waking up. Can't go fighting dinosaurs half-asleep, you know."

[Owrtho]

Echoes and reversions, I'll need to look into those. She said there were books on them, Braille ones even... Could she perhaps know? Well she hasn't said anything about it yet. I'll read on the subject after dancing.

Almost done eating, Daina listens to the others talk. Makoto's comment causes small tremors in Daina's body as if she had let out a small laugh, though no sound is made. Turning to face the direction of Makoto's voice, Daina plays a question.

♪Makoto♫Do you wanna dance♫I plan to♫Read about♫Echoes♫and♫Reversion♫After♪

Having asked Daina turns back to finish off her breakfast.

OOC:For those curious, the songs are in order:
A recording of Makoto saying her name when she introduced herself before.
Do You Wanna Dance? by Bobby Freeman
Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan
Read About it by Midnight Oil
Echoes by Klaxons
Echoes by Klaxons
Reversion by Rome
Happily Ever After by He Is We

[Selinia]

"You..." The pajama-clad young warrior eyed Umiko with something between incredulity and scorn, before softening slightly as Makoto gave another shrug. "I'm... hoping you're joking, but maybe you're not. My world didn't have spaceships, maybe yours doesn't have writing. Hell, you act enough like a stone-age savage that I'd be willing to believe it."

"But yeah, sorry, you're gonna be reading too - I don't care if we need to get a friggin' tutor and start you with See Spot Run." Leaving it at that, Makoto turned to Daina.

"Heh, sorry, unless you've got an arcade machine to go with it, I can't dance. Never really gotten into music - games let you win at the end, and the arcade is a whole lot cheaper than tutors. As for studies," Makoto glanced out the window at the untouched city. "I'm honestly more curious about the things doing the wrecking. We're going to be facing down some nasty pieces of work, but none of us really have any idea what these Neverwere actually are, or what they're capable of, and that's practically a death warrant if we're going to be fighting them."

[userpay]

Temeka continues to listen, a piece of egg topped toast in one hand and the other petting the small cat at her side. "Well I have to admit anyone who could have finished my suit as fast as it was must have a hell of a lot of power to back them up. And to do the same for four others who have even less of a base..." She takes a chomp of her food, chews thoughtfully, and swallows before continuing. "From what little I know deities rarely directly intervene though whether its personal preference or some sort of rules that even they have to follow is beyond me. This would be in part why we were brought in, an indirect intervention by a third party." Temeka glances at Makoto.

"Unique may be right given that there are those more powerful than any one of us. Of possible note is how much light our attacks the other day generated. Likely a gift from... Amber but it may have to do with why we were chosen as well. I agree that we should try to find what material we can on the Neverwere as well for today and perhaps tomorrow we should dedicate to trying to figure out exactly what we can do and our limits."

[Princess Tracy]

"You..." The pajama-clad young warrior eyed Umiko with something between incredulity and scorn, before softening slightly as Makoto gave another shrug. "I'm... hoping you're joking, but maybe you're not. My world didn't have spaceships, maybe yours doesn't have writing. Hell, you act enough like a stone-age savage that I'd be willing to believe it."

"But yeah, sorry, you're gonna be reading too - I don't care if we need to get a friggin' tutor and start you with See Spot Run." Leaving it at that, Makoto turned to Daina.

Umiko does the splits on the ground. "What's a 'stone age'? There was reading in my world - there was a big old library in this city I went to in my travels that I'm fairly certain was full of books, so I'm guessing SOMEONE back there could write. But..." She twitches, her face flushing a little. "Reading is a sign of weakness, and I'm not weak, so where would I even learn to read?"

Making a quick change of topic, knowing she couldn't maintain even a white lie to save her life, she strikes some odd yoga-like pose, her body curling backwards to put her feet around her head in a way the human spine shouldn't make particularly possible. "Did I mention I had a job at a circus as a contortionist?" she says proudly. "I also helped wrangle the elephants, but I wasn't allowed to eat them, so I left."

You hear an odd cracking as she springs to her feet, facing Amiya. "I seriously don't know why you're so worried, any of you. Like I KEEP SAYING, we fought those things ourselves and they were incredibly weak. Hell, I saw what's her-face, redhead here drop one in a single hit," she nods to Makoto. "And there was that giant ship that blew us up, so what threat is there that we'd really be that much help with? You seem on top of things anyway." She cracks her knuckles. "Or could it be you're not that tough after all? Despite being our supposed leader, are we more capable than you? Back in the Valley they taught us any command structure that doesn't put the strongest on top is based on deception, and is doomed to failure. So I don't see any reason to help if you're stronger than me, and I don't see why I should work under you if I'm stronger. Therefore: I challenge you to combat to knockout for your position of your command!" From her confident yet shaky tone it's clear Umiko is making this up as she goes along; she's really just itching for a fight, she doesn't care with who. "That or you could refuse and I'll just go hunt some breakfast. Anyone want anything while I'm out?" she asks casually, as if merely poping out to the shops and not hunting tonne-weighing carnivores.

[Serafina]

Cymoril begins to pace around the room, gesturing while she speaks.
"Look, i get that you need help. And i'd love to, but i am just an untrained mage who hasn't even graduated from school yet! I didn't even do that much in that fight earlier, most was done by the others. Of course if you had just asked - instead of abducting me - i could have told you that. And referred you to people whose job it is to deal with that stuff, who are much more powerful than me and most importantly have lots of experience with it. Who can match what your ship threw around when it knocked us out."
She pauses to think for a moment, then goes on with her rambling.
"But you know, maybe thats why she brought me here in the first place. So that i could get the help you need. And i am going to do that right now."

Cymoril crosses the room back to the bed she slept in and grabs the bracelet that lies on top of her posessions."
"Sturmbringer, wake up. Sucherform."
Jawohl Herrin.
The bracelet places itself on her left arm and then begins to spread a mesh of silvery steel over her body. Fins and wings begin to protrude from her arms and shoulders, and a halo of steel appears over Cymorils head.
"Begin analysis of the lower magical grid. I think we should figure out whether we're using inner or outer unigraphy here, so analyse the energy density."
Beginne Suchlauf.
Cymoril crosses her leg and goes into a meditative stance, ignoring the commotion around her. A few minutes later the mesh around her body begins to glow with a bright light.
Suchlauf abgeschlossen.
"Display the results, please"
Various monitors pop up in the air around her, displaying complicated charts of waveforms, hyperdimensional geometry and long formulas.
Oookay. We're definetly in the inner multiverse. That's bad, that means i have to cross the great barrier to get home. Which ican't do without coordinates. Damnit! And look at those energy densities...either my device is faulty or they are downright scary. By all means this whole dimension should be a giant dimensional rift!
"Sturmbringer, bitte beginne zweiten Suchlauf. Upper Grid this time. We need to confirm these results."
Selbstverständlich.
I wish i had access to an analysis-device. This data is fascinating as it is scary. I don't get how that quantity of energy can be so stable.
Zweiter Suchlauf beendet. Zeige Ergebnisse.
"WHAT!? That's impossible...how can they be? They're IDENTICAL! Stumbringer, check the results!"
Überprüfe......Alle Systeme arbeiten fehlerfrei.
The upper and lower grid are never identical. That's like saying the inside and the outside of a three-dimensional body are the same. That's...no. Unless we're right in the center of the inner multiverse. But it can't have a center, that's mathematically impossible. Unless.
"Sturmbringer, please display a worksheet"
The screens in front of her move aside and a blank sheet pops up. Cymoril furiously scribbles long formulas on it, and hyperdimensional objects appear as she does.
Okay, either everything we know about the multiverse is wrong...scratch that. Either the results i got are wrong, or most what we know about the inner multiverse is wrong. Assuming the latter, it looks like i am at one of the convergence points of the spatial expansion. Which means...that it should be possible to get home, even past the great barrier! I just need to learn more about it.

Turning to Amiya, Cymoril waits for an opportunity to speak.
"Okay, i admit - i'm stumped. Most of your universe is way beyond me. BUT! I think i know how to get home. And if i do, i can get you way more help than i could ever offer. But i need to learn about the Neverwere to work out the coordinates - do you have a library around here somewhere?"

Translations:
Sucherform=Search/Scan-form. Basically a magical radar sensor, which is achieved by only manifesting part of the armor to form a net that can catch magical waves.
"Yes Mistress" " Starting Search" " Search succesful" "Sturmbringer, please start the second search" [b]"Of course" "Second seach succesful. Displaying resulsts." "Checking...all systems green"
Explanation of all of the above:
Okay, i am mixing cosmology a bit here.
First is that from Nanoha - a multiverse of different dimensions, connected by a dimensional sea. That sea is the underlying space-time, and sufficiently powerful events can cause quakes or rifts which have bad results.

Second is the cosmology from the Cuture-verse of Iain Banks. Basically, the various dimensions are sandwitched by layers of extremely high energy density - the so called grid. There's one "below" and one "on top" (though of course not actually) of each dimension, and you can tap energy from it (which is where the energy for magic comes from, it tapped via linker cores or technology) and it's the dimensional sea you cross to get to other dimensions.

Third is the cosmology from The Open Door. (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4320933/1/The_Open_Door) Basically a giant cataclysm occured a long time ago, and someone sealed off hundreds of universes to protect the rest of the multiverse. Everything within the barrier is called the "inner multiverse", while everything without is called the "outer multiverse". In general the inner multiverse contains a lot of dangerous, high-energy dimensions - where uncontrolled magic runs wild and destructive. Occasionally things from the inner multiverse try to get out, and its part of the job of the TSAB (mid-childa itself is placed in the outer multiverse) to contain those. There are however stable islands in the inner multiverse as well.

I'd say that Amber is one of these stable multiverses - and that the Neverwere are part of the cataclysm that occurred (or even the cause if Snowfire wants, though i dont see a need for that - his call though).

How i think i can proceeed:
Well, Cymoril now needs to learn about the Neverwere - because they represent, as far as she knows, the reason why this universe is a point of congruence. Show her a library, where she will then learn that she needs to learn directly from the neverwere because there isn't enough data. Which means that she has to stick around and fight them!
That also means that you can decide at any point that Cymoril now has enough data to attempt to get home - and that you can decice when she succeeds in doing so.

[Snowfire]

“We didn't...erase anything.” Amiya replies. “A better term would be to say that we simply removed the actions of the Neverwere from the equation. And anyone who is not a wielder of Light – like us – is returned to being by a Reversion. Unfortunately, if one of our number falls, Reversion will not bring them back to life. We are too close to the process and the memory of what is being removed.

“As to why you were chosen, I don't know. Not for certain. But from everything I have seen, you are special. Your connections to the Light are incredibly strong, and are growing more pronounced with every hour you spend here. And those connections are totally natural I might add. You always had the capacity to be this, but we needed you now. I realise how unfair is, and I know nothing I can say will change that, but with the stakes...” She trails off with a quiet sigh.

“And you're close on some point, Makoto, but very wrong on others. The Named Nevers have been trapped since the beginning of the Age of Light, when the First Pentacle gave everything to create the construct known as the Twinned Gate. It locked the Fracture through which the Neverwere escaped into our reality in a field of Light, freezing them in place. It also formed a barrier around a large section of the multiverse, to prevent any Neverwere who managed to slip through the cracks created by the Fracture to escape beyond a certain point. That is where Cymoril came from.

“Amber guided the First Pentacle to forming, aided them in their struggle as best she could and then faded back into slumber about forty years after the beginning of the Age of Light. She is the source of our power, but she isn't really aware most of the time. In fact, she hasn't been anything you'd call aware since she faded, until now at least. The Gate kept the Neverwere contained and stopped the Named exerting the majority of their abilities if they managed to break a piece of themselves away and push it through one of the cracks created by the Fracture.

“And Amber called you saviours, which implies an importance beyond simply re-sealing the Gate. It could be that you see the world differently from us, that your perspective is what we need here. But that is conjecture on my part. What I know is that your raw power is incredible. Your main problem is that you just don't know how to use it. Your devices and instincts can guide you only so far. Beyond that, Cymoril is correct – although I think our theories disagree. You must learn how to use your powers, how to channel the Light, to shape it to protect yourself and defeat the foes that only it can stop. I have no doubt that there is more for you beyond that, some greater task that was the reasons for your being brought here, but if you are to do that then you must understand the power you wield. And be able to control it.” She raises one eyebrow at Umiko's challenge, starts to say something, then stops.

“You know,” she says finally, “if it helps, sure.” She tilts her head slightly, rose coloured light flaring within her pupils. “Cindra?” She asks softly, and her ring blazes with sudden power.

Concordant Restraint!

A field of magenta light snaps into being around Umiko, freezing her body in place but leaving her free to speak. Amiya lets the field hold, her expression and tone apologetic.

“In time, Umiko Kenpachi, you will be able to surpass me. As will all of you. But right now your power is unrefined and unfocused. My Pentacle and I can teach you how to focus the light that flows through you. But I beg of you, do not even consider that strength of arms alone is what allows us to defeat the Neverwere. To truly succeed, to become the Pentacle that Amber brought you here to become, you must learn first to control your powers. And then to work with your fellows.” She waves her hand, releasing the field.


Turning to Amiya, Cymoril waits for an opportunity to speak.
"Okay, I admit - I'm stumped. Most of your universe is way beyond me. BUT! I think I know how to get home. And if I do, I can get you way more help than I could ever offer. But I need to learn about the Neverwere to work out the coordinates - do you have a library around here somewhere?"

“The libraries and training halls of this enclave are at your disposal, as are myself and the others of my Pentacle. Once you are finished here, I will introduce to Sara, our archivist. She should be able to help you with finding any knowledge you seek.” Her smile edges into a grin as she stands and crosses the space between herself and Cymoril. “And if you want something that I suspect will stump you even further, look at the scan results of this planet.” She taps one of the holo-diagrams with her finger, causing text to fill the display in front of Cymoril. “Ah, that was it, wasn't it?”


Environmental Analysis

Current planetary location: Amber (TSAB ID unknown/not found)

Dimensional Coordinates: Unknown. Dimensional shift to world was uncontrolled. Coordinates non-recoverable.

Inhabitants: Primarily human although with an as yet undetermined number of hybrids. Exact specifics of hybrid nature unknown. Additional data required.

Planetary magical aptitude: Majority of planetary population are nulls, although there are small numbers of C to A rank mages clustered in five different locations. Scans also indicate multiple S rank (or higher) potential mages – including the user of this device. Planetary population magic levels averaged as C.

Planetary energy levels: Basic scans indicate standard results for an inhabited planet of its population aptitude, however resonance patterns indicate otherwise. Further scans conducted under standard observation procedures place the planetary energy levels of Amber at far beyond SS+ (highest known achieved rank)

Additional Analysis: Amber contains – or possibly is – a highly compressed well of self-sustaining magical energy, the level of which is orders of magnitude beyond anything previously recorded. Estimated energy value within exceeds total magnitude of all known TSAB assets (personnel included).

The majority of the energy within the well is currently in use, being transmitted across Imaginary Space to billions of sources within both multiverses. Note: User of this device as is connected to this system as well.

Classification: Planet defies conventional classification, its energy levels in addition to the transmission of the majority of that energy across Imaginary Space suggest few conclusions:

Hypothesis: Planet itself is extremely advanced Lost Logia, beyond even the theorised level of Al Hazard.

Hypothesis: Only an option due to the link between the planet and the user of this Device, it is theoretically possible that Amiya is correct in her claim that the destruction of this world would destroy all magic, everywhere. If so, protection of this planet is an overriding objective. Consequences of multiversal magic failure are too horrifying to calculate.

End of Analysis

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko eyes her opponent oddly as the magic springs to life, seeing no problem in letting her go first - she was sure she'd have no trouble countering her momentum. She knew little of magic, clearly, as the field appears ad her whole body contracts uselessly. She makes to move even a little, but nothing comes up - not a sidestep, not a punch, nothing. She instantly starts to panic, her breath unsteady, her heart racing furiously as she tries her hardest to move, even just a little. No no no no no no no, let go, let go please, I'll kill you, let go! Please... "What did....?"

Umiko Kenpachi, she calls her. She tries her best to sock her in the mouth, and still she's stuck in her rough fighting pose, her whole body useless. "Don't...call me... by that... weakling...name!" Her skin flushes red as her sense of vulnerability truly sets in, the knowledge anything could happen to her and she couldn't do anything about it - that the body she'd honed so long was utterly useless to her. When your arm betrays you, cut it off if need be - that was a philosophy she'd followed but that she couldn't even exercise now, helpless and scared. With no recourse, she screams at the top of her lungs in impotent fury, barely any different from any other teen girl's expression of unrelenting pain, until finally the spell subsides and she falls to the floor, feeling utterly defeated as she doesn't even catch herself. he face smashes into the hospital floor, a feat normally instinctively as impossible as sneezing with your eyes open.

She squirms somewhat grotesquely as she realises she has her feeling back, her face flushing more and more as she wells up. Her voice unsteady and bubbling, she tries shouting a challenge in fury at her cowardly aggressor, but no complete words seem to form. Hit her, as hard as you can, do it, you can still save face, a voice rings out in her head, to no avail. She can't even bring herself to meet Amiya's gaze, not daring to look up as she just remains, crouching over the ground with a blooded nose and swimming vision. "I... I hope the monsters kill your stupid mag - AAA-YAH!" Not even able to complete her forced taunt, she brings her fist down, smacking the floor right in a weak point. It creates a decent sized hole. She drives her fist a little furtehr, forcing her hole body down and sure enough it leaves an Umiko-sized hole in the floor as she falls to the next level's room. Before anyone can stop her, she runs off through the door of the room below, leaving only her top on the floor as a sign she was there, now covered in rubble from her rageful demolition of the hospital's barriers.

She keeps on running and running, through a corridor, jumping ten stairs at a time whenever she finds a flight - and as soon as the window looks like it's not specifically deadly to jump from, she crashes straight through it, brushing broken glass aside midair, hitting the ground running. The whole way, tears stream down her face from embarrassment and fright. "Why did I even run? Am i afraid of her, I'm such a coward, more cowardly than he- AH!" she descends into sobs, confident no one hears as she storms through the streets heedless of her surroundings. "DAMMIT! SOMEONE FIGHT ME FAIRLY SO I CAN DESTROY YOU!" she screams to the sky.

On some level aware of her bearings, she finds her way o the forest Amiya had pointed her to, the one full of things she was 'allowed' to kill, not that she cared as she storms into the place. It dawns on her that she left her hunting knife and matches in her bag back in the hospital (along with her myriad of high-class writing supplies, though other's discovering such things was not on her mind), though she pays it little heed. For all her hunger, she didn't care for food, she just needed to destroy a fellow carnivore fairly. She looks around for the first decent sized animal she says and shouts a challenge at it, heedless to danger, her eyes still red from crying. "You. Me. To the death. Now."

[Serafina]

S-rank potential? Eh, Vi-chan had that since she was eight years old, and she only managed to pass her tripple-A last year. Unrefined power doesn't really mean anything in combat.
"Uh, okay. Well that gives at least some support to your crazy hypothesis. I guess. Anyway.."

Cymoril is about to launch a barrage of questions at Amiya as she hears a cracking sound behind her. She whirls around and spots Umiko as she jumps down a hole.
"Uh, should we go looking for - what was her name again? Actually i think we should properly introduce ourselves first, properly that is."

She stands straight, facing the others and takes a bow:
"My name is Maruyama Cymoril. I am 16 years old a student at Mid-Childas Sankt Hilde Academy of Magic. Please call me Cymoril."
she raises her left arm and shows you an engraved steel bracelet
"And this is Sturmbringer, Schwert des Seelenfalken, my device"
Seid Gegrüßt.

So, well - we may have heard each others name somewhat, but nothing like a proper introduction. Also bringing up the option of going after Umiko, though thats up to Trace.

Translations:
Stormbringer, the Soulfalcons blade.
Seid gegrüßt is an archaic greeting, kinda like "hail" or such.

[userpay]

Temeka purses her lips as Umiko gradually becomes more and more agitated then finally snaps and exits the room in a most physical fashion. With a sigh Temeka looks down at the kitty next to her. "Chisaki could you go after her please..." The maine **** looks up, looking nothing like Chisaki had earlier, and meows before rising and leaping down the hole to do as her owner asked.

"Well that was unexpected... Especially coming from the person who had been cracking jokes about breaking down. I suppose we'll deal with her once she calms down." Temeka finishes of her egg toast. "So in short we've always had these abilities but whatever Amber did brought them to the fore? I... Suppose that's simple enough. It also makes it that much more important we take a day to begin training as well."

As Cymoril introduces herself Temeka's gaze snaps up and her cheeks redden. "Oh right... Introductions... Sorry about that with so much going on..." With a cough she begins. "My name is Temeka Blass, a small time inventor and developer. The cat you've seen me with previously is Chisaki who..." Now a confused look passes over her face and she looks to Amiya. "...Was based on a design for a horse machine given to me by an older man... Amiya how often do people leave this place for other worlds? Much less ones that are powerful or have access to powerful items?"

---------
At Umiko
---------

The small maine **** kitty seen earlier in the hospital room comes trotting up from behind Umiko. Sits. And paws at her leg, looking up with all the curiosity a small kitty face can muster and a cute meow.

[Snowfire]

Amiya shakes her head sadly at Umiko's reaction, sudden understanding mixing with sorrow in her eyes. "I am...sorry...that you had to see that." She says softly, lowering her palm in the direction of the hole the teenager had created.

"Sweet light, mend that which pain broke." She whispers, evoking a flare of light from her Device.

Restoring

The hole ripples, the edges seeming to turn liquid for an eyeblink, then seals over a few seconds after Chisaki jumps through it. Seconds later there is no indication that the floor was every broken. Amiya refocuses her attention.

"I...think that we should leave her for now. Noyoki will make sure that she's ok if she ends up in the forest - which I suspect is where she's heading. He's good at that.

"Before the failed Remembrance, members of the Pentacles travelled quite freely. Mostly in groups, but sometimes alone. Travel is a common calling for many of us, exploring the multiverse that we still have not seen all of." She shrugs. "If you modelled Chisaki on a creation of one of our number, I likely would not know it. My speciality is protection and restoration.

"And, if we are doing full introductions, then I think it would be only fair if I revealed as much about myself to you as you have to me. My name is Amiya Tsuendri, current Ward of Amber, and overall commander of the three Silver Pentacles remaining here. I was born on Amber, and have been a member of the Pentacles since I was thirteen. I am also the most advanced specialist in binding and defensive magic on the planet." She raises her hand to show the silver ring glinting on her finger, the small stone set into it glowing with a gentle pink light. "And this is my Device, Cindra."

Good morning

---------
At Umiko
---------

Umiko's yell echoes across the forest, sending birds soaring into the heavens at the sudden noise. For a moment there is silence, a baited breath that is shattered by a screech of vicious rage. And a creature, unlike anything Umiko has ever seen in her life, pokes its upper body around one of the trees a ways in front of her.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/_/rsrc/1266863028512/config/app/images/PZO9031-Owlbear.jpg?height=258&width=400

Even from this distance, Umiko sees its eyes narrow in predatory assessment, then the thing begins to lumber forward, another screech - this one of anticipation - bursting from its beak.

Aaand, initiative please.

[Owrtho]

Having finished eating, Daina gets up and starts moving toward the door to wait for Amiya to guide her to the exercise halls. Hearing Cymoril begin introductions, Daina plays a sort and direct response.
♪Daina Tanzer♪
And my attempts to start introductions weren't proper?

OOC:The response played is a recording of Daina's mother saying her full name.

[Serafina]

Cymoril begins to blush a little and takes and bows deepy to Daina.
"My humblest apologies Tanzer-san. I was too distracted to notice your fair song, it shall not happen again."


She then bows to Amiya as well, but much less apologetically.
"Then i shall consult you whenever i have need of your advice, Tsuendri-sama. For now i would be honored to receive a tour of your ship, if time permits."

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko barely acknowledges the cat - in fact Chisaki is quite sure that in the midst of her fight the girl doesn't even notice her. Umiko barely acknowledges the beast-thing's peculiarities -to her it's nothing more than a bear with a beak, a details she pays no heed as she springs into action. In her classic, graceless way she charges straight for it, pouncing and doing an odd cartwheel of kicks in midair that she makes look easy even in her emotional state. "So be it, die, beast! Something like you isn't even worthy of my stomach!" Even she was somewhat health conscious about eating such a mutant.

Acrobatics check to midair tumble, used as AC against opportunity attacks. (I'm pretty sure I can tumble with a charge, but I can't quite remember) [roll0]

Charge action, two weapon fighting

Punch! [roll1]
[roll2]
crit confirmation [roll3]

Kick! [roll4]
[roll5]
crit confirmation [roll6]

Even her normal determination fails her at the last instant though - her muscles lagging from exhausting sorrow as she fumbles the attack utterly. She tries to recover mid-swing to pour out her full strength, but then an odd thought occurs - remembering the strength she had in the last fight - the borrowed strength she reviled. WIth the concern of weakness in her mind, she crash lands uselessly by the thing's side, flailing uselessly against it's hide.

[Selinia]

As Umiko bashed through the room's floor, Makoto found herself bolting to her feet, fumbling for the triangular badge that seemed to somehow contain her weapon... only to find the gap sealed before she could properly think out her next action. Still, the violent eruptions leaves the redheaded magical girl stunned into silence for long seconds, before abruptly turning to Amiya.

"What the hell was that about? Am I the only one disturbed by the fact that one of your alleged 'saviors' has just bashed through the goddamn floor in a fit of mania? I mean, I like seeing a bully put in her place as much as anyone, but still..." Makoto glances at the newly-repaired spot on the ground once again. "It's on your head if something happens to her. At least give your park ranger a heads-up to hurry - I've seen junkies who were more stable than that nutcase."

"After you do that... I think I'm gonna finish eating somewhere a little less exciting. Take the world-shattering revelations at my own pace and all." As she speaks, Makoto snatches up a few more fruits and baked goods. "Which way is the library?"

[Snowfire]

Amiya smiles sadly at Makoto, shaking her head gently. "And would you not do the same, if it was not your belief that to do so would be wrong?" She asks. "Noyoki already knows to look out for her. He'll let her let go, but step in if she puts herself in any real danger. And all things considered, he can probably help her more than any of us could right now." Her eyes seem to stare past all of you for a moment, before returning to this room. "Sorry, now where was I..ah!" She turns her gaze back to Cymoril.

"When the Lightbringer returns from her current mission, I will see what I can do on that score. For now however, the best thing for all of you would probably be an introduction to Sara. Which is fortunate, as the library is between us and the performance hall. Follow me." She gestures for you to follow and leads you out of the room.

She leads you through the elegant halls, footsteps falling softly on the carpeted floors. Yet as you move through the building, you begin to realise that the silence that had only been broken by medical systems in the room you had come from was not a symptom of it being a medical wing. It's everywhere. Even the most clueless of you can realise that there should be more people here. It feels...empty, like something huge is missing.

Finally though, you follow Amiya through a door into a room filled with bookcases, stretching away ahead of you. There is a desk to one side, as well as several tables scattered across the space between the shelves and the entrance. Upholstered chairs ring the tables, but only one seat is filled. A girl, she can't be more than twelve, sits behind the desk, slowly flipping through the pages of a thin book with one hand, the other holding the base of a truly spectacular weave of soft white light. She looks up as you enter, and snaps the book quickly shut, the weave dissipating as she releases it to stand. She's dressed in a brown robe, with several pockets, but the oddest thing you notice is the fact that she's wearing a scarf. In summer.

"He..hello." She says shyly. "They need my help?" She asks Amiya, and the older woman nods.

"Makoto Hoshi, Temeka Blass, Daina Tanzer, Cymoril Maruyama." She says, indicating each of you in turn before gesturing at the brunette. "This is Sara, our Archivist. She will help you find what you seek." Amiya turns to Daina. "Now, I believe I promised to take you to our performance hall. Come along, it's not much further."

---------
At Umiko
---------

The creature screeches again, rounding on Umiko as she falls to the ground. Its claws swing, and then lash down, cutting into her despite her frantic attempts to roll aside. It tries to grab the teenager as well, but the desperate movement does have some positive effect, preventing the creature.

Take [roll0]

I needed a seven to grapple you. A seven! I got a four!

[Princess Tracy]

Having the beast pulverise her some is just what Umiko needs it seems, as the dizzying hit seems to knock her from her rut. As the beast clambers around grabbing at her, she gets her second wind, springing to her feet in a great swirl, kicking out at the thing's beak with the intent of breaking it. Planting her feet firmly as she regains her footing, she strikes the thing once more in the head with an almighty backfist, sending it careening. She hits it a hell of a lot harder than it hit her.

Rolls in OOC

[Snowfire]

The creature staggers back a few steps, shaking its head as if to clear it. Umiko felt a few bones break when she hit it, but it doesn't seem to care, as it screams a furious challenge back at the tiny human standing in front of it and lunges forward. Its beak stabs down, ursine claws springing forward to gather its foe into a lethal embrace.

The beak hits first, stabbing into Umiko's shoulder. Then both claws tear into her flesh, cutting deep. They catch Umiko as she is recovering, and latch on, pulling her close.

Beak: [roll0]
Claws: [roll1] (it critted on its second attack)

You are also now grappled.

[Princess Tracy]

Her shame over borrowed powers keeps on suppressing her inner light; deprived of her abilities, Umiko is left defenceless from the vicious onslaught of the thing as it pierces and grabs her. She yelps out, the sudden system shock of the pain wiping her remaining sadness away as the breath is knocked from her. Desperately, focussing as best she can through the savaged flesh and bloodloss, she flails out, grabbing the thing's mutant appendage as she garners a moment of steadiness; with a great lunge forward of her upper mass, she headbutts the beast, smashing her own head into the thing's already busted face.

Grappled unarmed strike! I wasn't sure if Two Weapon Fighting would work while grappled. So I didn't bother factoring it in.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Serafina]

Cymoril smiles at the girl in front of her, not surprised by someone her age having such a position.
"Sara-hakase, do you have any books on the Neverwere? Preferably on their history, how they came about i mean. A list of the books you have would be ideal, if its not too much trouble"
"O..okay, i'll give you a list of the books we have and where you can find them, Maruyama-san"

While Sara is working on the list of books, Cymoril becomes obviously exited, almost bouncy.
"So much more stuff to learn. Entire new types of magic! Oh i really hope we can spend some time here! Makoto-chan, what are you going to look for? Can i help you with anything?"

[Snowfire]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgWSJVkS05E&feature=related)

Umiko's forehead slams into the thing's face, just above and to the side of its beak, sending cracks slamming through it. It screeches in pain, the sound distorted by the damage to its beak, blood rage blazing in its eyes. One clawed hand wraps harder around her, pulling her away as the other swings back in preparation for another blow.

Snipe Shot

An arrow of blazing gold cuts through the space between Umiko and the creature, slamming into the beasts neck and releasing a spray of vivid crimson as it punches through. The beast collapses to the ground, battering Umiko into it as a considerable level of its mass hits her before the forest floor.

Her vision blurs, blood loss and exhaustion clawing at her as she sees the origin of that shot lower his weapon.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/128/0/c/archer_by_showmeyourmoves-d4yyryn.png

He moves forward swiftly, covering the distance between himself and the bleeding girl with an easy grace - clearly at home in these woods. He heaves the creature off of her, a kick sending its corpse tumbling away. Then he kneels, his hands gently clasping hers. He shakes his head, the simple motion at once both proud and gently chastising, and chants.

"Grace of the family, flow from my soul."

A whirling pattern of amber light flowers out around him, tracing a pattern in the ground beneath them. The soft radiance washes over Umiko, caressing her wounds and vanishing the pain.

"Let these wounds close."

The light intensifies around the terrible cuts Umiko's foe inflicted on her, sealing them shut - but leaving the scars, she notices. But as her eyes clear, she notices something that wipes all thoughts of killing, Amber, Pentacles, and just about everything else from her mind.

Because in the gentle light, she can see the hands holding hers. They're average, normal human hands. Except for two things.

On the top of man's right hand, a perfect match of the Kenpachi seal glows with a faint golden light.

And, just from the feeling, she can tell that his left has seven fingers.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko lazes for a moment as the owlbear topples onto her, partly in surprise as her energy quickly drained. I was pretty sure that would finish it off. Did I really get saved there? But then who would bother...? She forces herself to look over at him as he approaches, her vision swimming with the adrenaline of battle no longer distracting from her slump - nor, more pertinently, her rather grievous wounds. She barely notices his progress until he's by her side, healing her with that perplexing incantation. Even with the peace it seems to bring, the energy coursing through her does her no good in the end as she flinches from his helpful touch, not sure what to make of him nor his magic.

As she makes the slightest movement with her hand to pull back though, her senses now restored along with her wounds, she feels it, the fingers. Provoking her remaining bruises a little though hardly caring, she springs forward, sitting up as she holds his hands close, seeing the unmistakeable bearing of the one she sought. Of all the places to find him in...

She looks in his eyes for only a moment, before going back to the hands and then to the ground, her mind trying to compose itself from embarrassment and surprise. She goes to say something, but finds her mouth quite dry feeling, stifling a cry of 'Poppa' before it really leaves her lips. The man who knew how to get home, the secret way into the Valley. Her father. Impossible...

"I..." she forces, trying to play it off cool as she stares into space, still feeling around the seven fingers without looking at them to make sure it wasn't some trick of the light or indeed the bloodloss messing with her head. "I wouldn't expect to see so much as a shadow of Zukri Kenpachi in a place like this. There are armies abandoned by his command and families and, it seems, an entire world deprived of the presence of the First Son of King Kuzai. So surely, you could not be him..." Some instinct tells her not to look him in the face, some odd fear that she was off mark entirely. She'd never before seen Poppa Kenpachi - or, while he was in the valley, a Cliffcrush (by rite of being the Defendant [weaker fighter] in a bond of Marriage) - at least not while she was old enough to remember, so how could she be proved wrong from a simple glance? She guessed him to be middle aged (mid-thirties to late forties) and scrawnier than the other men from the valley, but she'd never seen another Kenpachi-blooded up close on account of their nobility, so how would his face be... then again, she thought, she WAS Kenpachi-blooded. But who else had seven fingers and that seal? "S-surely..."

[userpay]

Temeka smiles a bit at Cymoril's enthusiasm. "With luck we might even find out a little about our circumstance that we can put to use no? First things first though I suppose, Neverwere then our abilities."

---------
At Umiko
---------

From her position in the nearby bushes Chisaki continues to watch over Umiko. Certainly the arrival of this strange man had been a boon as even Chisaki understands that Umiko probably wouldn't have been happy with her if Chisaki had interrupted Umiko's fight. Now she wouldn't be mad at Chisaki!

Hide if it matters [roll0]

[Serafina]

Cymoril smiles broadly and then takes a lecturing stance.
"Oh i know all about our abilities. Well, maybe not all there is to know, but certainly a lot. You see, all mages - people like us - have a so-called Linker Core - a special, insubstantial organ in their body that draws energy which can then be shaped for various effects. Sometimes it gets shaped into beams of energy, or is used to move things around, or to achieve more fantastic effects like healing. Some also have special talent that allow them to..."
She rambles on with great enthusiasm until she gets interrupted.

[Snowfire]

"Do things like this?" Sara asks brightly, returning from her rather brief sojourn among the shelves, her long - wow, really long - scarf floating around her. Wait a second...are those books she's carrying with tha-what the hell?

Sara smiles blissfully, looking all of her twelve (or thereabouts) years and holds out a neatly hand-written list of titles and short descriptions. "Your books, Maruyama-san." Her scarf deposits sixteen or seventeen different books onto the nearest table. "I put in a few about how we do magic when I heard you talking about it." She winks, wrinkling her nose in amusement. "You have funny ideas. You should tell me about them sometime." She looks over at Makoto and Temeka. "Do you need anything else? Or can I go back to playing with my lightweave?" She asks, with the utter innocence of a twelve year old.

---------
At Umiko
---------

The man twitches slightly at Zukri, his hold tightening unconsciously as Umiko keeps speaking. He shakes his head again, this time in something approaching controlled disbelief.
"Amiya said that I'd probably be able to help you more than anyone else..." he whispers, the soft words trailing off as he looks down at her. His breath hitches for a moment as he sees the seal, then he locks eyes with her. "Coincidence is one thing, but..." He shakes his head, much faster this time, then nods sharply - as if to himself. "What was your mother's name? And the name of her Hidden Technique? If you are who you seem to be, you'll know."

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko quivers oddly, not sure what to say. She finally looks him in the face, taking him in, not caring if it was some sort of trick any more as she studies his face for falsehood of any sort, moreso than even his features. With a breath she gathers her confidence. "Abigail Cliffcrush had many Hidden Techniques, but the one that sent me on my journey to find.. you. It was... unmistakably, the Galactic Punt!" He voice breaks a little with teh last syllables, as she feels as if standing on a dark precipice, not sure whether her next step will bring her higher or leave her falling. "My only clue was the seal, and the seven-fingered man, so..." she adds, as if trying to catch herself, averting her gaze. "So.. you are him, right? My poppa?"

[Princess Tracy]

An odd thought stirs in Umiko's confused nogin. Amiya sent him? Then how do I know this isn't some sick joke of her's to add insult to injury? I've seen more convincing and harmful illusions by magic users - accursed Tengu... She looks backup at him. "Please, say something, are you really Zukri Kepachi...?" She looks like she's welling up.

[Owrtho]

As Amiya moves to lead Daina to the performance hall, Daina plays a short piece.
♪Wait♪

Moving slightly toward Sara's voice she plays another.
♪Audio♫Book on♫Echoes♫and♫Reversion♫Please♪

Daina waits for Sara's return. Once she brings the audio book, Daina copies it onto her music player and plays a reply.
♪Thank you♪
After doing so, Daina returns the hard copy and leaves with Amiya for the performance hall. Once there, Daina puts on some instrumental music and starts listening to the audio book over her headphones while dancing.

OOC:Songs Daina uses in order are:
Wait by The Beatles
Check The Level by Dirty Heads
You Wrote the Book On Love by Backstreet Boys
Echoes by Klaxons
Echoes by Klaxons
Reversion by Rome
Help by The Beatles
Thank You by Dido

Daina plans to dance for an hour. Here is a roll:
Perform (Dance): [roll0]

[Selinia]

"Well... let's see. Bookwyrm here has the baddies themselves covered, it seems like, but I want to get to figuring out how we're going to actually plan and win this thing. So..." Makoto pauses, thinking back on everything she'd been informed of thus far. "Anything you've got on the creation, composition, nature and maintenance of the Twinned Gate. I don't like the philosophy behind it, and it seems like a stopgap at best, but it's a major defense while it lasts. While you're at it, the basics couldn't hurt either - how much manpower can the pentacles bring to bear, how many of those kickass ships do you have, that kind of thing. And uh... preferably the most concise versions of all that."

"And well," The girl glances around at the piles of information, shuddering as Cymoril makes her offer of assistance. "Anything, really. I've got no clue where to friggin' begin with this kind of thing." Makoto gestures vaugely at the stacks of books. "How exactly does one translate this into useful information without going into a coma?"

[Serafina]

Nice little levitation spell, if maybe a bit fancy Cymoril thinks as she observes Sara carrying all those books.

After thanking Sara, she replies to Makoto with a wide grin:
"Well we read them of course! Well, first we sort and catalogue them, then we read them. Hmm, i wonder if Sturmbringer can do this - i've never seen anyone do it with an intelligent device before, we always used storage devices for it."
She orders the books into several rows all around her, without any apparent order.
"Sturmbringer, can you help me sort this mess? Selection please."
Ja, Herrin. Auslese!
A faint glow appears around Cymoril. Thin lines ark towards the books around her. The books turn upright and flicker open while faint letters swirl around them.
..the Neverwere first appeared...
...only the LIGHT is known to harm...
REPORTS FROM THE WESTERN FRONT SHOW
...my dear Sarina, we have been...
...i never saw anything more beautiful than when the Pentacles...
Every few moments, Cymoril grabs a book and puts it on one of two stacks. The one next to her grows rapidly, while only a few books go into that near Makoto.

After Cymoril is finished, she points at the small staple of books and nods to Makoto:
"Looks like most of these books are about the Neverwere more than the gates, but i hope those will help you."

Basically the same speed-reading magic Yunoo used in the Infinite Library. Just done with a Device. One of the few magical things Cymoril has done before, with the help of storage devices. Naturally shes very proud of it, even though it's not exactly that special.

[Snowfire]

Sara frowns in youthful consternation at Makoto's initial request, eyes going slightly blank. Then she nods, smiling at the second question. "Ehh...I'll see what I can find." She darts back in amongst the shelves for a few moments, then returns with something that looks like a ledger and one extremely old book. Her scarf deposits them carefully on the table, separate to the other books. "Be careful with that one, Makoto-san." She points at the old tome. "It's older than this Enclave, and the only one of its kind." She hands Makoto a note as well. The ledger seems to be a listing of the Luminous Pentacle's assets. But the other one...

Journeys in Light it's called. A record of the First Pentacle, penned by Samaniya Nitoru and passed to her successor before her sacrifice at the Forging. reads the description.

Cover Art
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4904/yukisukuna.jpg

"Oh!" She claps her hands at Cymoril's spell. "That was pretty! I'm definitely stealing you sometime!" She looks back towards the book she left on the desk, a faint wistfulness crossing her expression. "Anything else you need from me?"

---------
At Umiko
---------

At Umiko's answer, the man rocks back, blinking quickly. Umiko barely glimpses a blade sliding back into a sheath on his belt, then he raises his head to look back at her again. And he mutters something at the sky.

"Teach me to think I can wander forever..." He coughs, clearing his throat. "The name that those here know me as is Noyoki," Umiko blinks as the meaning registers. Why would her father take the name 'No one'? But she doesn't get a chance to ask. "I took that name ten years ago, when I left the world you know as home. But for you to be here...and to be here now." He shakes his head before continuing. "Regardless. In another time and place, I was the man known as Zukri Kenpachi. I was the one to find the Valley you came from, and the Defendant in marriage to your mother. So yes, Umiko," he smiles, the gentle parental smile that Umiko had seen only a few times in her entire life - and most of those in dreams, "I am your father."

[Serafina]

"Oh, i'd love to! But i'm afraid we have a few things we need to do first. Besides, i don't even know how to do it without a Device - i mean, it's possible to do so, but i don't know how."

After replying to Sara, Cymoril starts to read her books in earnest.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko turns away, doing her best to compose herself. She'd thought about the moment of meeting her father for so long, but it still caught her utterly off guard. She turns back to face him, standing as tall as she can. "Then, father... poppa. There's so much I would ask of you. Why you went so far, how to get back, and what on earth you're doing here... But then, it's not like you're going to slip off again any time soon, right?" she asks with a nervous laugh.

She gives herself another good shake. "Momma sent me on the road to find my strength, but all I ended up doing was looking for you. It's been so long, and I don't feel any stronger. I've just been lost for so long and without hope... What are you doing in a place like this? You did not know I was your daughter then how...?" She gets halfway through asking her question in a composed manner before finally breaking down. Her inflamed eyes are done justice by her new tears, though these are not born of humiliation as they stream, but of a feeling quite alien yet overpowering to Umiko. "I've just been so angry for so long, I..." she whimpers, staring at the ground as she leans forward just a little, hoping for her father's embrace, not caring at that moment about showing weakness in her tears.

[Snowfire]

"Wellll, you could always let me talk to your device about it?" Sara says, shamelessly amping up the charm. "I'm sure he'd know."

---------
At Umiko
---------

And Zukri can no more stand the pain of his daughter than any true daughter can. He rises swiftly, strong arms encircling the blood of his blood, and pulls Umiko close. "All questions that I will answer," he says gently, "but for now, let it go. There is no shame in tears, kechara." Umiko convulses slightly as he speaks that last, the ancient word for beloved in the language of her people. "Let it go."

---------
At Daina
---------

"Most prominent in the nature of Reversion is its ability to return those not actively connected to the light to life," the audio book starts, the steady voice speaking over the instrumental as Daina spins and whirls across the exercise hall, Amiya sitting by the door watching.

The voice continues steadily, filling Daina's head with knowledge on the nature of Reversion and how the Pentacles have used it over the centuries. How the memory of the events can be hidden from non-Pentacles as it is on Amber - and Daina's own world, the recording tells her - or allowed to remain on worlds where the Pentacles are safe to be known. How the echoes of what the Neverwere did can remain in reality, sometimes becoming strong enough to break through the Reversion that locked them out.

Of the Named Never's particular effect on the process, how acts of their aspects require far more power and understanding to remove. And, towards the end, the terrible reality that has made Reversion the only way to stop the Neverwere.

"...and although it has been attempted, none have ever been successful in actually destroying a Neverwere. Particularly powerful Pentacles have managed to disperse them for decades - or even centuries - but they have always returned. An-" the voice cuts off, leaving the instrumental still playing. Daina reaches for her music player to check it, but before her hand reaches it another voice whispers through her headphones.

"Yet they have never faced a Pentacle such as yours." The voice whispers, echoes of the music that Daina remembered following in that dream three nights past caressing the words. "When the time comes, shine, my daughter. Shine with the music of your soul, and undo that which has always been invincible."

The player hicups, jumping back to the point where it left off, and the audio books continues playing.

[Princess Tracy]

He speaks the words roughly, but... even momma never called me such a thing, said pampering would make me weak. I'm kechara to him. She sniffs, speaking through her breaking voice as her comparatively tiny arms wrap around him. "D-don't tell anyone I cried, okay?" she asks weakly. Given a minute, she finally calms, having used up the last of the tears she woul shed for a long, long time that morning. She opens her mouth to say something, sure to speak up through her muffled voice with her face buried in her father's chest. "I...!" She's cut off as her stomach growls - roars, even, much as a lion would - easily drowning out her voice with the sound of unmistakeable hunger. She looks over the monster with the arrow sticking out of it. "...We killed it together. Care to share?" she asks, her normal pep returning. "I kind of left my matches and my knife back in the hospital though, so unless you want to eat it raw... Um, I mean. Where are we going and can it wait until I've eaten some? I technically haven't eaten in close to 3 days now."

[Snowfire]

Zukri shakes his head with at her initial words.

"Of course not." He says with a smile. "I would never wish to embarrass you." He says, the remains silent until her stomach's roar calls forth a booming laugh. "Ha! So you are the child of your mother and I." His tone softens, holding something approaching being patronising, but only that which a parent always has over their child. "And of course we killed it. I wouldn't have expect anyone else to go up against an owlbear." He shakes his head again, releasing her and drawing a hunting knife of his own from his belt. "Here, use this. I'll get a fire going. After three days of rest, you must need a good meal."

As Umiko takes the knife and starts hacking away at the beast, he pulls a small stack of firewood from one of the many pouches on his belt and starts to arrange it in a typical huntsman's fashion. By the time Umiko is done, it's ready. He takes the knife from her and winks. "Now, let me show you a magic trick." He snaps his fingers and the blade bursts into flame. He sticks the now burning knifeblade into the heart of the prepared fire, setting it alight. "If you would do the honours with the meal, kechara." He half asks, half states.

[Princess Tracy]

"Well, I think I only slept for 2 days, but I'd ended up going kind of a while when I first wound up fighting these big monsters. They were big and dark and then when i hit them they were all glowy for some reason! The we got hit by a ship and passed out, so they dragged us back to their hospital." With breathless enthusiasm, Umiko proceeds to retell all that had happened since she departed city what felt like only a few hours ago, talking all the way as she absent-mindedly cuts out the best parts of the kill, readying them for a small feast. The beast was mostly muscle after all, and red meat it seemed, an odd discovery of the creature Umiko stored away in the 'useless facts' part of her brain, just to the left of the middle name of her first boyfriend and just behind the indices of whale blubber trade rates, an odd factoid Abigail had been oddly specific in teaching her about the week leading up to kicking her bodily from the Valley. Curiously enough, she had landed in a whaling town, something she, knowing of the nature of the Galactic Punt technique, she knew was no coincidence. It reminded of her misspent year searching in vain, but retelling it as she was about to had an oddly cleansing quality to it.

"So she kicked me all the way into this town where half the people hunted whales and the other half were there families. I didn't have any money and i didn't speak that much English, so I kind of went hungry for a couple of days - there wasn't much land based prey around, certainly nothing as filling as the dinosaurs back home - as I watched what everyone else was doing. Momma taught me the best way to kill and trade whales, a creature I'd never actually seen before, what with there being no, like, sea in the valley, but eventually I broke down a tree and rode it out to sea, mostly following the other hunters, then as soon as I thought I saw a whale after another day or two I just started breaking off branches and throwing it at the thing like improvised harpoons. A couple of dead dolphins and one mutilated hammerhead shark later, I ride back into town with this really weird Blue colours, like, Whale of a Whale and the whole town CHEERS. They used it to make lantern oil and perfume, don't you know; I just took the more edible part of its blubber and rode off into the sunset a giant bag of gold richer. Mind you, I didn't actually know what gold was for back then, so I didn't know it was important enough to guard. But I DID know if it was important enough to steal it was important enough to defend, so when these bandits snuck up on me while I was sleeping and started rummaging through the bags I beat them up and took all their gold to teach them a lesson. Next thing I know it's noon the next day and I don't even clear the woods before running into a whole ambush party..."

She stops for a moment as she sees him perform his magic, not sure what to make of it. She falls silent as she sits, hauling the fresh pickings of raw meat to her side, covering her clothes and nearly-nude upper half [still just wearing jeans and sport bra] in fresh animal blood, though paying it little heed. "You can perform magic then?" she asks, feeling a little afraid. The last kechara though does pull her through it though, calming her as she tries to think on the more positive aspects of magic - finding it a little easier than expected as she thinks further beyond her year of strife. "Momma can perform magic too, a little," she says. "She told me never to tell anyone, but, well, I figured you already knew." She returns to cooking the meat over the open flame, proving quite proficient in basic ways of food - the smoke from her soon to be meal making her belly rumble again. She laughs awkwardly.

As the time passes and the food is finally consumed, prepared a little more cooked than she would make it than when just preparing for herself, she tells him all of her travels. Of her meeting and spending an entire month of her search alongside Magpie Tengu, of her small time romances with a few princes, of the talking tree that seemed to sing of the stars and destiny but that she sadly didn't share a language with so had to leave in the forest, of the demons' rather accommodating bathhouse (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMK_EMscQqk/T0kYthYGzZI/AAAAAAAABuA/rWMWwPXF_-4/s1600/Chihiro---Yubaba-spirited-away-399712_953_516.jpg), of the fortnight she spent as Bandit King of an entire continent before getting bored with no other outlaw lords to oppose her for a mere three days and had the whole clan of bandits liquidised. She tries her best to leave out her disappointment, of the anger at the sense of failure that grew daily, though if Zukri was any sort of wiseman he would detect it about her quite quickly, as well as the facts that the princes interested in her were obviously trying to get a shoe-in to the Kenpachi fortune and legacy without the difficult of war that comes with being an actual family member, and that Magpie Tengu was totally into her that way.

"So that's how I ended up adopting the Shadow's lovechild with the Empress. Of course, the orphanage quickly realised I was just a kid on stilts in a trenchcoat, so they took him back. Don't know WHERE he is now, but he's like 4 years old, how much evil could he really have inherited, am I right? And at the end of the day, Kirisa still gave back the precious thing!" With a hearty crunch from her owlbear steak, she gives another booming laugh. "Ah... so. What did you get up to all this time?" she asks, a little more seriously.

[Selinia]

Sara frowns in youthful consternation at Makoto's initial request, eyes going slightly blank. Then she nods, smiling at the second question. "Ehh...I'll see what I can find." She darts back in amongst the shelves for a few moments, then returns with something that looks like a ledger and one extremely old book. Her scarf deposits them carefully on the table, separate to the other books. "Be careful with that one, Makoto-san." She points at the old tome. "It's older than this Enclave, and the only one of its kind." She hands Makoto a note as well. The ledger seems to be a listing of the Luminous Pentacle's assets. But the other one...

Journeys in Light it's called. A record of the First Pentacle, penned by Samaniya Nitoru and passed to her successor before her sacrifice at the Forging. reads the description.

Cover Art
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4904/yukisukuna.jpg

"Oh!" She claps her hands at Cymoril's spell. "That was pretty! I'm definitely stealing you sometime!" She looks back towards the book she left on the desk, a faint wistfulness crossing her expression. "Anything else you need from me?"


"Eh, it's just a book, right?" Even so, Makoto takes a moment to brush away any errant crumbs which might still think to cling to her in breakfast's wake. It was, after all, an old book. The idea still struck her as strange on some level, but Makoto supposed that most worlds probably hadn't experienced the massive information purges that had come with Unification.

"Aaaand great, I'm justifying historical anomalies with speculation on alien politics..." The girl mutters under her breath as she cautiously opens the ancient tome. As she looks for a table of contents (or at least an opening), Makoto gives Cymoril a small nod. "Whatever. Know Thy Enemy, Victory is Acived When All Others Have Lost, blah blah blah. Everything is potentially useful - let's just try and find the best bits."

[userpay]

Temeka looks over the large pile of books for a moment before taking a short stack for herself to pour over. "Callisto...?" Temeka feels a faint stirring before the voice answers her.

"Initializing... This one can aid yet can only use the users senses as of now. Can speed up overall reading speed and retention."

"Good enough..." Temeka mumbles as she cracks open the first book. Hardly noticing as the translucent visor of her costume forms.

[Snowfire]

The thin paper of the ancient book whispers as Makoto cracks it open and leafs through the first few pages. There's a few things that look like acknowledgements, with four names appearing regularly in all of them, then it gives way to a foreword.

As I write this, my sisters and I are on our way to the Fracture. We've talked, thought deeply on this course of action, and although it goes against so much of what we are, it seems like the only way. Hikari fought against it the hardest, but even then that fight was more against herself than anything else. None of us want to do this, but if it is to be our lives for the safety of the multiverse, then we will give our lives.

Takeo didn't like it. In fact, he's not with us. We left him back on Amber, to guide those that are following in our footsteps. He shall secure our legacy - if we can secure the means for it to exist.

The Lightbringer isn't really happy with us either, yet...she seems to understand. She doesn't like it - no one does - but she'll give everything if only to give us the chance to end this. We couldn't have asked for a more staunch companion - or loyal friend.

A few marks on the paper seem to imply fallen tears.

I am going to leave this record here, to be passed to Eleanor. If we are to leave this coil for another, then our memory must be preserved - if for nothing more than for the continued survival of our legacy. And to those who come after, for those that Amber will call to her at the most grave of times, I leave this.

As Makoto reads the last word, hand reaching for the edge of the page to turn it, gold fills the page in front of her, leaking into each handwritten letter on it before bursting into radiant light. The patterns dance and flow across her face, the script before her dissolving and reweaving into a new entry. And as the light fades, the first words taking shape, Makoto's breath hitches.

Hello, Makoto Hoshi.

You have been a long time in coming.

What do you wish to know?

---------
At Umiko
---------

Zukri listens in companionable silence as Umiko talks, that same gently smile remaining on his face the entire time. There is an occasional chuckle, or gentle squeeze to the hand or wrist when she stumbles over the occasional harsh memory, but apart from that he simply lets her talk. But when she finally finishes, and asks her question of him, his smile quirks slightly before turning serious.

"After leaving the Valley, I returned home to the court of my father, King Kuzai." He says. "I spent little more than a few months there, finding that the intrigues of courtly politics had become even less appealing then they had been before my time spent with Abigail. So I....left again. Took the forces that had always been mine and secured the borders of my father's kingdom. Spent several years on campaign out on the edges of the Empire, fighting against any who would dare mount an attack on the Kenpachi family and their vassals." He sighs.

"Then I received a communique from my father, one that chilled my blood as it has never been before or since. You know, surely, of the Portals between our world and others. They were becoming...unstable is not quite the right word. More correct would be to say that the pathways they formed were being broken into. The mages of my father had Looked into those pathways to find the cause, and most had been reduced to madness. Those who weren't generally spoke only a single word before their heart gave out. 'Neverwere', they said. And we knew what that meant.

"The Kenpachi family are an old one, you must know that. And, like most old families, we have secrets. The one that is important here is that we know of the Neverwere. They came to our world when it was in its infancy, seeking to devour the primal energy that suffuses it and all who are born on it, and were stopped only through the actions of the men and woman of the Luminous Pentacles.

"The people of the Valley tried to stop them then, as did my family and all the others of our world. And whilst we were able to hold back the thing that sought to destroy us, none of us was capable of doing it true harm. Not even your ancestors, Umiko." His tone is very serious now. "But...we were saved. Saved by those who draw from the power that you are very afraid of. I will not say that that fear is wrong - it took time for me to accept even the minor gifts of Magic that I possess. But the power of the Pentacles is the only way that Neverwere can be stopped.

"So when the mages of Kuzai's court uttered that word, he knew that we needed help. Because even with all of our power and talents, there are none on our world with any skill in wielding Amber's Light. And so, as Prince of the Kenpachi, I was sent to find the aid that our world desperately sought. We had time, the Diviners could tell that. But not much. And with the Portals destabilised I could not be sure of my destination on stepping through it. Hopefully I would be able to find another on the world I was sent to and use it to reach Amber swiftly, but if that was not the case then I should be sent as soon as possible." He sighs.

"In the end it took me almost a decade to find my way here, and I was pursued at almost every turn. Yet eventually I made it, only to find that those who I truly needed to speak to had already left for the Remembrance. There was no way for me to follow them, but they would only be gone for a few months." His face twisted in suppressed pain. "At least, that was what we all thought we knew, before the Scream." He shook his head, almost ruefully. "I thought that your mother had taught me all there was to know about pain," he said with a chuckle. "I was wrong."

"I only caught the very edge of the Scream, and it was seven seconds of the purest Hell that I have ever had the luck to never imagine. To be stuck at the heart of that agony..." He shakes his head. "But after that, I remained still. In the hope that maybe it had just been a side-effect. And, I admit, in the hope that if it hadn't been I could help."

"So that is my story, Umiko. Sent to bring help to the world we both hail from only to find the help gone - and seemingly annihilated - before I could even ask for it." He finishes the last bit of the steak and wipes his mouth to clear the juices. "Now, although I would wish to keep you here for a year or more, I think you must return to your companions. If nothing else, you will need to learn the ways of your foes. For a hunter who is not properly prepared inevitably falls." He finishes, the last sentence seemingly a gentle chastisement.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko hangs on every word, nothing really being beyond her understanding except 'Remembrance', the 'Scream' and the 'Pentacles', 'Luminous' or otherwise. Though she did know of the pentacles; she'd kept enough of an ear out to know Amiya back there was one. Her only point of discomfort is the mention that her ancestors are incapable of fighting the Neverwere. As he finishes telling her of his travels, she realises she'd stopped eating. Grabbing the last big steak, she proceeds to almost choke trying to cram it down while barely chewing. Standing in mimicry of her poppa, she quickly finishes eating, gulping down the last of it as she sighs in thought. With a sudden smirk and wipe of the juices from her face, she pumps her fists in the air.

"So even the valley would struggle and lose against these things I was able to beat down last night? Well then, I guess for the sake of showing these things who's boss, and make them see a Cliffcrush doesn't go down without a fight. I'll pound them into paste! Hell, I'll do you one better, poppa! If it's a Luminous Pentacle you want, I'll go ahead and make one on my own, because I don't back down from a fight! I'll be the strongest threat on a battle field they've ever known, how about THAT!?" she speaks victoriously, making a ridiculous vow to attain greatness, and hardly seems done. "Hell, if that Amiya bint is leader of Silver Pentacles, I'll be of the Golden Pentacles! Hell, I'll even lead it into kicking those things right back to where they came from, then finding where they came from and knocking it from existence!"

She gets more and more excited as she talks, thinking she'd do him proud. His advice to return to her companions though seems to cut a little deep as it sets in. "Although, I don't think I left the best impression if those are to be my companions," she states, her energy flagging. "They don't seem to like me very much. But I will go research our foe that you have dedicated so much to defeating. I don't know what I could learn that would give me that much of an advantage, but I'll do what I can. Knowing about the Scream you mentioned and the Remembrance and what a Luminous Pentacle is exactly would be a start... Poppa Zukri. Will I see you again? How will I find you? I can't help but feel afraid if I leave now it will be the last I see of you." I haven't even worked up the courage to ask him how to return to the valley yet - it seemed to rude to bring up.

Gonna post some notes OOC in a second

[Selinia]

The thin paper of the ancient book whispers as Makoto cracks it open and leafs through the first few pages. There's a few things that look like acknowledgements, with four names appearing regularly in all of them, then it gives way to a foreword.

As I write this, my sisters and I are on our way to the Fracture. We've talked, thought deeply on this course of action, and although it goes against so much of what we are, it seems like the only way. Hikari fought against it the hardest, but even then that fight was more against herself than anything else. None of us want to do this, but if it is to be our lives for the safety of the multiverse, then we will give our lives.

Takeo didn't like it. In fact, he's not with us. We left him back on Amber, to guide those that are following in our footsteps. He shall secure our legacy - if we can secure the means for it to exist.

The Lightbringer isn't really happy with us either, yet...she seems to understand. She doesn't like it - no one does - but she'll give everything if only to give us the chance to end this. We couldn't have asked for a more staunch companion - or loyal friend.

A few marks on the paper seem to imply fallen tears.

I am going to leave this record here, to be passed to Eleanor. If we are to leave this coil for another, then our memory must be preserved - if for nothing more than for the continued survival of our legacy. And to those who come after, for those that Amber will call to her at the most grave of times, I leave this.

As Makoto reads the last word, hand reaching for the edge of the page to turn it, gold fills the page in front of her, leaking into each handwritten letter on it before bursting into radiant light. The patterns dance and flow across her face, the script before her dissolving and reweaving into a new entry. And as the light fades, the first words taking shape, Makoto's breath hitches.

Hello, Makoto Hoshi.

You have been a long time in coming.

What do you wish to know?


Well. Magic internet. Unexpected, but plausible given the existence of magic aliens and magic spaceships and magic magic. Presumably it had picked up her name through whatever mental manipulation these freaks seemed so fond of using. It occurred to Makoto that advertising companies would probably pay billions for something that could read the minds of a customer, but she couldn't really do anything with the information but stow it away somewhere.

"Still... couldn't hurt to check." Unsure how exactly to interface with the oddly-shaped console, Makoto speaks directly to the book, feeling enormously silly. "So... first thing's first, I suppose. How do you know who I am? And were you waiting for me, specifically or is that just something that you say to anyone who uses you?"

[Snowfire]

The writing flows snake-like for a moment, spreading over the page and fading into it. The book snaps open on the table and pages fly from one side to the other until it stops as suddenly as it started. And the same glowing script traces writing on the page.

I am an echo of the soul of Samaniya Nitoru, an imprint of memory and thought held within this tome to act as a guide to those who would be called as we were. Called with no warning and precious little explanation into a war that we had never thought ever existed. Called to be the shield for those not Gifted as we were against a foe that could not stop. As for how I know you, the only thing I needed was your name.

My creation was a split-second affair, taken place in the heat of the Forging when Samaniya/I gave herself with her/my sisters to the creation of the artifact that must now be failing for myself to have been awakened. She/I had always been gifted with the ability to see beyond the veil of time - albeit sporadically - and in that primal instant of not-quite-non-existence, she/I saw a fragment of this moment. Stopping the Forging was impossible, too much had already been given, but she/I could give you - her/our successors - something to give you some of the answers that we had on the whole discovered far too late.

I have dreamed since my creation, barely aware of my own existence within this book as it was passed from successor to successor. But I have always known what I was meant to be, and for whom, even when I slept. For you all, I am to be a guide and teacher. But to you...

A strange scribbling mark forms, and Makoto gets the impression of a chuckle.

The Knight has the Sword, the Dancer has the Lady. The Fist has Wanderer, and the Sister has her Suit. You have only the memory of what you fight for. And in that we are very similar. I knew you - if not your name - the moment you entered this room. I knew your name when your hand laid itself on my cover. If you feel it was an invasion of privacy, I apologise for it. And I promise not to do such a thing again to you as long as you desire it.

But my words had a double meaning. They meant both that I had waited a long time for this Pentacle, and that I had waited just as long for you.

I realise that I have left you with more questions than answers, and for that I apologise. But I also would advise you to...well...get used to it for the immediate future. Not quite everything you ever thought about the universe is wrong, but quite a lot of it is.

So I ask you again, Makoto Hoshi. Twinsoul of Danghrest.

What do you wish to know?

---------
At Umiko
---------

Zukri laughs, reaching out and mussing Umiko's hair as she finishes speaking. "Well, if you're set on saving the multiverse - and our home along with it - then I will stay by you through it." He shrugs. "I may not be able to do more than slow the Neverwere down myself, but there are a few things about the Kenpachi family that may be of use to you and your companions in the days to come."

He places his right hand on Umiko's seal, and slender threads of amber light pulsed out from the imprint on the top of that hand, wrapping around the amulet.

"Remember if you can, Umiko, that a team must respect the others within it. If what I think is happening, then many of them are likely as confused as you. Show that, and you will find kinship." He raises his other hand against any protest. "It is one thing to be a power, child. But all the power in the world is worth nothing if you do not wield it for the right purposes. And you will discover the right purposes for you in time. Regardless." The light intensifies around the amulet. "I give you know the means to call me to you if you need me, and to find me if you my aid is not so desperately needed." The streams of light weave closer, tracing the seal's pattern over its surface until the two meld into one collective whole. "Ask it to Guide if you need to find me. And to Call if you need me in that very moment." The light fades, but a tiny glimmer remains within the amulet, sparkling in the shaded forest. "And now, I think it is time for you to return to your companions, along with the one that one of them sent to watch over you." He gestures into the dark. "Come out, firecat." He calls to Chisaki.

A moment later, the red house-cat strolls out of the darkness, looking up at the man. "If you would be so kind as to guide Umiko back to your mistress, my feline friend." Zukri asks. "I would be most grateful."

Chisaki seems to consider it for a moment, then nods abruptly, ears flicking forwards in amused tolerance. She turns to Umiko, meows sharply, and begins to lead her away through the forest. Zukri walks with her to the edge, then gives her hand one last squeeze and fades into the darkness cast by the ancient boughs. Chisaki looks back up at Umiko, meows in apparent amusement and then continues to lead the way back to the Enclave.

[Princess Tracy]

To Chisaki

"I think momma taught me about showing respect a little differently than you would have," Umiko tells her poppa as she accepts his gift. "I'll try not to need you too much. There's another thing or two I want to ask you, but... I guess I'll keep it as a carrot, you know? As in, all the more reason to visit sooner or later, and all the more reason to focus on what I'm doing now."

Umiko grabs the last scraps of the owlbear meat as she rises to her feet, readying to depart by an instinctual grab at the meat before realising all over again she'd foolishly abandoned her bag. Seeing the cat though, she keeps true to the mantra of not wasting any part of the kill, she continually feeds the thing the scraps as they walk out of the forest (thinking better of creating some way to transport the bones, being a rather poor bonesmith in the first place). "You know, I remember you being bigger and more metal-y. What the hell happened?"

As she senses her father making to leave, Umiko gives him a slight peck on the cheek, quickly proclaiming "Don't stray too far this time, okay?"

With him gone, she continues on the path Chisaki lays out before her. "You know, I have a pretty much bottomless stomach. If you go telling your master about my mushier side, I'll be having you for lunch," she says in a rather laid back way as she hands Chisaki the last of the owlbear pickings. "Don't suppose you know where the others are precisely, do you? They kept mentioning the library, but I wouldn't know exactly where that is. I guess I could ask around where to find stuff. Poppa wants me to be respectful, but I don't usually do that. In fact, I don't know if I know HOW to be 'respectful' - not to those guys or to anyone else. But I guess I have the walk over to figure it out. Don't suppose you know any more about etiquette than me, do you?"

If able, Umiko heads straight for the library.

Rolling in advance; diplomacy check to gather information, gaining directions to the library if Chisaki can't sense her way there
[roll0]

[Serafina]

"Wellll, you could always let me talk to your device about it?" Sara says, shamelessly amping up the charm. "I'm sure he'd know."

Cymoril apologizes to Sara "well, Devices are kinda personal, so we don't exactly hand them over like that normally. And i pretty much need them if i want to be any good around here, i couldn't even do any magic before i had Sturmbringer. Maybe if we have some actual downtime, i'll see what i can do."



Cymoril notices how Makoto communicates with the book, though she doesn't notice anything of the actual conservation.
"Oh, hey, an intelligent book? We have some of those too, mostly encyclopedias or for indexing. Well, they are only semi-intelligent and without personality, the others are usually of the soul-eating variant."

[Selinia]

"I'm... not entirely sure. If it's a VI though, it's a very convincing one." Makoto is talking to herself as much as to Cymoril. Maybe it was a VI - she'd never met one of the pseudointelligent machines before, but she'd heard they tended to be rather stupid outside their narrow fields of expertise. Somehow, Makoto doubted that was the case here. Still, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the redhead decided that there would be plenty of time to contemplate the nature of this thing later. She wasn't entirely sure she felt comfortable questioning it here - the bookwyrm seemed nice enough, but this thing could read goddamn minds. For now... she needed information more than anything.

"Well then... erm..." Makoto tapped the open page of the book lightly. "I think, maybe start at the beginning: what exactly does the gate do? I don't just mean keep out those neverwere things, we're talking about something powerful enough to keep a wedge in the the universe. Stuff that big always has runoff, and I get the impression you aren't happy with it. So... explain, I guess."

[Snowfire]

Sara pouts prettily at Cymoril, then grins. "I'll hold you to that, Maruyama-san!" She says. "If you need any help, just ask." She scampers back to her desk, carefully flips open her book, and raises her left hand. A few moments later, the same weave of light that had been there on your entrance sprouts from the young girl's hand.

In front of Makoto, the writing before her flashes gold-black, some unseen force whipping the pages of the book along until it lies open about half way through it. Then once more the flowing golden script dances across it.

The Gate was something that had never been done before, a desperate experiment that we hoped would be able to seal the Fracture for good. And the idea that birthed it was not ours. We were simply the only ones capable of creating such a thing at that moment, and we faced a very simple choice.

We could follow the assumed wisdom of the last child that Amber awakened, or we could fall. We had been lucky in our fight so far, with the Neverwere distracted - and then in disarray following Dweomerheart's Fall. But even with the loss of some of their most cunning and powerful to the Weave's detonation, we knew we could not beat them. Not all of them at once. And that was exactly what we knew we inevitably faced. So we chose. We chose to sacrifice ourselves and give the ones who would follow in our footsteps a chance.

But, as said, the Twinned Gate was an experiment. And one on such a vast scale that it is little wonder that it ended being somewhat...different to what we had believed. It did indeed, as we hoped, create a vast ring of power around the Fracture. That power did contain the Neverwere, freezing them in its grip. And it enforced upon all Neverwere that managed to break through the cracks elsewhere several limits on their power. All of that was expected.

The Barrier that your Knight spoke of was not. Nor was the Remembrance. We made the sacrifice to create it in the belief that none would need make it again. Yet the Gate is a construct anchored by hope and belief. Hope for all that the universe is capable of being. Belief in the sanctity of that universe against the intrusions of those that have no place in it. And to maintain that, the Remembrance was found to be needed.

Another glyph forms, this time bringing with it the feeling of sadness.

We do not think that Takeo realised this - in fact I am certain he would have been horrified. But, truth be told, we did not wait after he told us of this possible way to save all we had come to love. Perhaps we should have...but that is water that passed under the bridge long ago.

The Barrier seems to have - from what very little I now know of it - have contained the cracks that were radiating out from the Fracture. And if I am right, then it is the reason that the Gate is known as Twinned. The Gate itself is a ring around the Fracture. The Barrier is a ring around part of the multiverse. Each one contains the Neverwere in different ways.

And yet, our solution has apparently failed. Not totally, or far more powerful Named then Silence would have descended upon Amber, but enough. And in time, the cracks that have reached into it will spread to release them all.

So. Not exactly a runoff. More several unexpected consequences. And the realisation now that it was not enough.

I am sorry, again, if this does not answer everything. But the Gate was not something we knew would even work when we committed to its creation. It was, as you would call it, a desperation move. One we had little choice but to make.

But whilst I cannot answer that question as well as you might have hoped, I can answer the ones that I suspect will soon be very important for your survival. What the Neverwere are - as best we understand it at least - for one thing. How to use your gifts to their fullest in your fight against them. And most importantly, although it was not us that did it, that they can be killed.

---------
At Umiko
---------

Chisaki flicks her ears again. "Be good to them as your are to Chisaki. Share. Be kind. Do not pounce on weakness as if it is mouse." She says, steadily leading Umiko into the Enclave and through the long empty corridors until they reach a door. "Oh." Chisaki looks up, this time with an expression that is unmistakably a grin. "And feed Chisaki more often." The cat pushes the door open with her head and flows across the floor towards her mistress.

Cymoril and Temeka are both engrossed in their own books, with Makoto currently reading intently from a truly ancient-looking volume placed on the table in front of her.

Chisaki jumps fluidly from the floor to Temeka's lap, curling up under the book to lick her on the nose, and purrs. She pokes Temeka's head towards the doorway Umiko stands framed in. "Caught her!" She announces brightly.

[Princess Tracy]

"So you CAN talk," Umiko remarks at Chisaki simply. "Well, if you want food like that then come hunting with me next time. I saw you wreck those things well enough last night - we could take down something REALLY big next time together, Chisaki."

Umiko stretches, yawning as she enters the room nonchalantly. "Howdy folks. You would not BELIEVE the morning I've been having. Did you know there's bears with BEAKS out there? I do, now, I killed one and ate it. So did the cat. Well, ate it anyway." She laughs as she finds her way over to the table. "So, what you reading? Found what you were looking for?" she asks as she beams at Makoto, Cymoril and Temeka in turn, looking a lot more cheerful than when she left in the morning. You notice her eyes are still a little red, and she has a good few more bruises than when you left her - she never quite bothered washing all the blood off of herself either. She shivers suddenly as she tentatively reaches for a book, still wearing nothing but a bra on her top half. "Anyone know where I can get a t-shirt or something? It's chilly in here and I left most of my things either back in the libr- city, or back in that room. I should have probably asked, ah what did the locals call him again, Noyoki for a cloak when I had the chance." She looks through the pile of books and casually glances over the shelves, muttering her quarry "has anyone seen something in a language I'll understand? A hunter must know his prey after all?" Her sudden quietness bears with it bashfulness, a sense of irritated need to backtrack

[userpay]

Temeka starts in surprise as Chisaki jumps up into her lap, her attention entirely on her book. "Well, that that you have." Temeka sits backs and scratches Chisaki behind the years before looking to Umiko. "And it seems your adventure was quite productive as well. Feeling better already it seems..." Glancing at the blood that still covers the outgoing girl. The, she frowns as the last of Umiko said registers. "I thought you couldn't read?"

[Selinia]

Grabbing a nearby sheet of blank paper and a pen, Makoto quickly jots down a small diagram to keep things straight in her head. This wasn't really as bad as she'd thought it might be. Sure, there were probably advanced principals at work, but they didn't really matter right now. Application mattered here, not theory. More questions than answers indeed, but this thing seemed to be fairly well-informed. Noting Umiko's entrance, Makoto gives the other girl a small nod.

"More or less. Feeling a bit better, are we?" The redhead jerks a thumb at the pile of tomes. "Plenty of intel here. Bound to be something at your reading level. Dig in." Returning her attention to the rather unique book in front of her, Makoto picks up her end of the 'conversation' with it.

"Right then, a couple more questions. One; you mentioned that those things can be killed. That seems pretty important. First law of warfare means that any conflict with an inexhaustible enemy is doomed to failure from the start. Two; it sounds like you had allies back then. What kind of resources were at your disposal, exactly? And three..." Makoto thinks quietly for a moment, pushing an errant strand back behind an ear. "Three... if you can answer it; what the hell is the Fracture?"

[Princess Tracy]

At Temeka's question, Umiko flinches a little, embarassed to have talked herself into such a corner. Makoto's wording of finding something at her level though, now that sounds like a challenge, one that she happily rises to. Rifling through the pile real quick, she pulls out the most complex tome, slapping it on the table in front her as she starts flicking through it. "You guys gotta learn when I'm joking," she says awkwardly, beginning her search. "I can read just fine. Momma taught me in private back at the valley and I spent a lot of time researching recently anyway. The last thing I researched finally turned up, so I'm feeling pretty good about researching now."

She pauses at the index as she listens into Makoto talking to the book. She speaks with the authority of an old war general - truly a Kenpachi in blood and deed. "Actually, one can overcome an enemy with unlimited resources quite easily. Even inexhaustible resources still need to be used properly, and harvested properly. What is inexhaustible? Many things. Human life propagates itself and the new Spring always brings food. Scour the fields and raze the populace to the ground, if one is so brutal and the production of such resources is blocked off. Strike teams and guerrillas are testiment to a good strategy's potential to overcome even a vastly better equipped foe. Inexhaustible resources only really become issues in long, drawn out conflicts - wars of attrition that open must be sure to avoid." She smirks. "Do me a favour and help me look for the life cycle of the Neverwere. If they're hatched, we'll crack their eggs. If they're lain, we'll burn their queen. If they're made, we'll break their engineer's hands. If they breathe, we'll take their very air from them. If they eat, we'll starve them. There are many ways to kill an enemy that propgates themselves to the point of individual conflict being largely meaningless. If they can have no peaceful coexistence, then the basis of their being should hold some key to their eventual destruction."

[Serafina]

Cymoril flies over the pages of her books, only glancing over the pages for anything interesting.
*Yawn* Yet another explanation of inner multiverse topography. At least the claim how the Barrier originted is interesting...but they're again trying to put it into fancy words and pretty pictures - would it kill them to use some formulas, or at least a diagram? Hmm, Sara looks like the person who might be interested in that...

She stands up, streches herself and goes over to Saras desk.
"Sara-san, do you have some time? I noticed that most of your books contain things i already know - and to be honest, i know how to describe them better than these books. Would you mind telling me some stories about the Neverweres history, in exchange for me teaching you about the theories i know? It would be a lot more fun that way, don't you think?"

[Snowfire]

The book's pages rustle, as if uneasy, then flip forward to the next page to allow the golden script space to continue its graceful progress.

I know only that they can be killed, and but a guess at the how I am afraid. As I said, it was not the work of the Pentacle that I was part of. Or of any Pentacle. So I do not know the details of the event. But I can tell you what I do know.

In all the universes and multiverses spread across this nigh-infinite reality, there was one - a multiverse of vast size - that fought the Neverwere with valiant fury before we were even born. It was, in fact, the failing of that reality against the Neverwere that brought Amber to awaken for our Calling.

That reality was known by those who dwelt within it as Realmspace. It contained many worlds across its planes - magic and life bursting from them all. And, unlike so many others, it had Gods that were more than simply belief. Or perhaps, Gods that were a true manifestation of their faithful's belief. Whatever it was, Realmspace had deities that acted on a multiversal level, and that were to a one horrified by the oncoming horde that erupted from the Fracture. They tried to fight them, and for a time were successful. But they met the same problem that we did. They could not kill them. And their magic - even that of their gods - could only hold them back. Except for a handful of the most powerful of their sages, those Chosen by their Goddess of Magic and gifted with the power of her Silver Flame. That flame, born of a universal constant - unlike the Gods - was capable of driving the Neverwere back. Unfortunately there were only seven Chosen. And despite their vast personal powers of magic, there was little they could do against Named who devoured the power of what was a deity to deities. High Lord Ao they called him, to whom the other gods were but children. Yet his power, even as the Gods below him, was based on worship. The worship of the Gods that existed through the worship given them by their faithful.

So the Chosen fell. The Realms fell. Except for Dweomerheart, the home of the Goddess of Magic. Her power, unfettered at last from the bonds Ao had placed upon her, was alone in all Realmspace capable of pushing back the Neverwere. And when they finally descended upon her hearth, Mystra met them wreathed in the furious power of the Weave - which was at once sword, shield, staff and armour to her, its mistress.

The Battle of Dweomerheart's Fall raged for two years, two precious years where the most powerful of the Neverwere were fixed on Mystra. Two years where we laid the foundations of the Pentacles and prayed that the Weave's power would prevail. As you might have guessed, it did not.

Eventually sheer numbers and the split, absorbed power of a being undeniably her greater proved too strong. Dozens of the weaker Named had been banished but one of the Greater Named finally managed to land a killing blow. And Mystra, hardened by battle and desperate to at least save her remaining children the fate that the Neverwere would bring them, detonated the Weave. The explosion decimated the Greater Named, leaving - we believe - only one to survive. But it also annihilated Realmspace, the explosion of raw power erasing it from the heavens.

And yet, we knew the Lists of Named before Dweomerheart's Fall. And there were many...missing. Not banished, but gone. And we wondered. Had Mystra indeed found a way, where we had not? We went to the Forging unknowing of the answer to that question, but I have had all the time of dreaming to process that which we learned only days before our sacrifice. And I have...a guess.

Amber's Light was, I believe, the source of the Weave. Its power was distorted and changed by the way in which those of its universe used it, yet the Chosen wielded it truly. And I believe that at Dweomerheart's Fall Mystra discovered something more. That, perhaps, the power of the Weave - and thus Amber - could do more than simply banish.

We received one message from Mystra before her death, spoken in the instant ahead of the Weave's detonation through the cracks that it broke in the cage around her home.

"They wish for reality, yet that which they seek destroys them."

Her weapons were born of the Weave, perhaps the purest manifestation of Amber's Light ever to be wielded against the Neverwere. And if that is so, then perhaps Mystra's message was literal. If struck truly by reality, by a constant that has always been, then a Neverwere might die. I cannot know this - it is supposition only on my part - but I believe that it is correct.

Of our allies, most will be long dead and gone. The line of Knights hopefully continues, but I do not know who that mantle will have passed to. Other than that, look to your ledger.

And as to the Fracture? I do not know. I do not think anyone knows - although I hope I am wrong. But the simplest way to explain it would be as a...hole...in our universe. A hole through those that were never meant to be and yet somehow still are once poured forth in multitudes unending. I know that it opened approximately seventeen hundred years ago. I know that it is the place from which the Neverwere came. But more then that, I do not know. I am sorry.

Sara jumps as Cymoril speaks, then snaps her book shut again, a fierce protectiveness flicking over her face for a moment. Her lightweave seems to shiver for a moment, as if straining towards the source of interruption, then collapses into the twelve year old's hand. She looks up at Cymoril, face confused, then seems to register what the blonde haired teenager just said and claps her hands, a bright smile spreading across her face.

"Of course Maruyama-san, I'd love to!" She pushes back her chair, leaving the book once again, and gestures towards one of the empty tables. "What can I help you with?" She asks, grabbing Cymoril's hand and pulling her towards the table. "And can you pleasepleaseplease teach me that pretty spell from earlier? Pleeeease?"

[Serafina]

Cymoril smiles at Sara.
"Well, Sara-san, i want to know about the Neverwere. If there are any stories or legends on where they come from, or how people fought them in the past, i'd love to hear about it. But i think i'd like to teach you what i know first. I think you will need to take some notes."

Cymoril lets Sturmbringer project a map of the multiverse, then a long string of formulas next to it. She is uncertain how much math Sara knows, but thinks it best to wait for the girl to interrupt her if she can not follow her.
"You see, the books i had were all trying to describe this" she points at the formulas "like this" she points at the map. "Now this picture is of course much easier to look at, and you don't need to understand much to do that. But it's not accurate - it's like, hmmmm - like drawing a picture of something on a sheet of paper. Sure, you can convey a rough idea, but its not the same. And.."

She notices that Sara is about to interrupt her, and asks "You want to know what that has to do with that spell?" After Sara nods, she continues "Well, you see - we use math for our spells. Yes, i know that you can do it in other ways as well - but i don't know how to teach you that spell without any math. I could maybe show you how to use it with a device, but that would need lots of magical energy - and you don't have the right kind of device as well. It would be like trying to sort books by their author without using their names, i guess."

[Princess Tracy]

I think I may have gotten the timeline a bit screwed up, but it's nothing some creative editing can't fix

Hearing all the talk of magic makes Umiko mull over all she knows of it. It seems to be becoming quite relevant. A small list is composed in her head of every variety of magic user she can conceive of. A deceiver and user of dark magics like Tengu, the court diviners of Kenpachi who shooed her away even after confirming her identity, the tribal shamans back home who spoke to the land, and the old mountain witch that hexed anyone that got close to the border. And she understood very little of any of those things. Diving out of a conversation she woudl look like a fool in between Sara and Cymoril, she notices Makoto looking rather intently at her book and, with extremely poor manners, wander over to read over her shoulder. Through this, keeping up quite well and cataloguing everything, she learns of Realmscape and its fall.

As the particular passage draws to a close, Umiko returns to her perch, the seat creaking as she throws herself limply upon it. The Neverwere can kill gods and destroy universes, huh? I'll have to get a lot stronger, it seems... She perks up, speaking to Makoto, knocking her from her thoughts. "So, what are we thinking? The book knows little of the Neverwere beyond their effects. which is to say their strength, and speaks of them as a mass of destruction in a fearful tone. It's prose, therefore, tells me it knows little more of their nature beyond common knowledge and that little riddle-like phrase, message from the goddess. 'They seek, to be but being unmakes them' or something like that - I don't know I just remember the feeling of things, not the words, and the feeling I got is that teh best way to deal with them is to hit them with reality. But, everything is reality, so... maybe their own reality...? I'm no philosopher. I don't suppose you are?" She swings back in her chair, seeming to think aloud. "You know, back in the Valley, they taught us that the stars were every little soul to cross by the world - every warrior that fell in battle, every child lost to a disease, every hearty serving of dinosaur. The stars were uncountable, yet some shone brighter and bigger than others. When I got to the city, the astrologers mentioned dark stars, or something similar. It really makes you think..."

She stands, patting herself down a bit. Now I need some ink... and paper and a quill, I guess. "Well, I already promised someone to reach the top and presonally smite these neverwere, so I'll have to figure something out. YOU!" she says, pointing at Sara. "There was a ship in the sky that night, and an existing force, the silver pentacle (that we saved), to combat the horde. Tell me, what moves has the existing armed forces made to defend against the neverwere and in what ways are they lacking? They may have the numbers, but I'd say we may have the coordination. Unless they're like bees - dim, but smart in a hive, then I don't know what we'll do."

[Snowfire]

Sara stares at the equation for a long moment, concentration - not confusion - furrowing her brow. She slowly tilts her head to the right, until her head is almost at the same angle as the equation and then turns it to the left, her eyes fixed on the equation floating in the air in front of her.

"I...I've..." She says, grasping for the words. "I've seen that before!" She exclaims softly. Her eyes flick to Cymoril, to Sturmbringer, back to Cymoril, to the equation again, then return to Cymoril via Sturmbringer and her left hand rises towards the Device, shaking slightly. Soft white light dances at her fingertips as she brushes them against the Device, flickering across the shining steel. And then the slender hand yanks back with a shocked gasp.

"You!" Sara stumbles back a step. "You're...you're from outside the barrier!" Light flares around her, the impression of great wings sweeping from her shoulders for an instant. Then she shakes herself. "Sit."

She runs back to her desk, scoops up the book sitting there. She stops for a moment as Umiko speaks to her, but only enough for a short response. "Look at your books, or ask Amiya when she gets back with Daina. Busy!" She says quickly, rushing back to the table and dropping down beside Cymoril, clutching the thin book in her small hands. And when she speaks next her voice is very soft.

"I have seen that equation before. Well...something similar to it at least." She lays the book on the table, her hands still covering its cover. "In here." She shakes her head. "It's another one which predates this Enclave, that Samaniya found and brought here before the Forging. And whilst you're wrong in your analogy of accuracy, I think I can understand why you say that. You're used to a theory of magic that runs on hyperfractals and equations, with the heart secondary to that. We, from what I've managed to find of previous Archivist's memoires, do the opposite. But this book," she shakes her head again, tone jittering, "this book..."

She moves her hands aside, to reveal the faded golden writing of the title.


Kaiserfarbe
Magic of the Sankt Kaiser

"I think that means something to you that we don't understand, Cymoril-chan." Sara says. "But I've been reading this book, carefully, and I think I get it - sort of. Well enough to understand at least the basics of your way of doing magic, I think. And...perhaps enough that I can explain the differences and similarities in how Amber style separates from Belkan."

[Serafina]

Cymoril stumbles back in shock, jaw wide open.

After about a minute, she manages to speak - sort of.
"How....wha...how did....glah, i can't believe...you...you...HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET THIS?!"
She rambles on with barely increasing coherency, before she manages to gather herself.

"Okay, wow....Sara-hakase, do you have any idea how valuable that book is? The Church would sell a whole planet for this...how could you possibly have it? It's not only old - easily over a thousand years - but how did it land here? We've never even heard of this dimension, and the Kaiserrelikte never leave Mid-Childa - heck, they barely left Belka! I'm sorry i yelled, it's just...wow. Overwhelming. May i...may i read it? I will take the utmost care, i promise!"

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko grabs the books nearby, rifling through the piles, a little annoyed that Sara blew her off - how important a book could that be anyways - as she remembers her father's entire quest. Crumbling of gates and such. She never quite understood dimensional magic, but how hard could it be? She tried her best to remember what he'd said about them. 'The passages to other worlds had been compromised by the neverwere' about summed it up to the best of her understanding. She begins looking for any books and any passages therein relating to that specific malady, wondering if that is an incident exclusive to her own world.

"Hey," Umiko inquires in Cymoril's and Sara's vague directions. "Anything in that fancy book about why the dimensional doors in my world are apparently being compromised by neverwere? Speaking of, is that affecting anyone else's worlds? My world had to send out one of the finest warriors they had - from outside the Valley," she can't resist adding, "just to investigate the goings on, and it took him years just to reach here. I met him this morning. He seemed to have little in the way of good news besides his own survival.".

[Selinia]

Makoto listens to Umiko's tirade. She reads the book's... less than entirely satisfactory explanation. She takes note of Cymoril's stunned reaction. Pieces it all together with the bits and pieces inside her own head, and nods abruptly to the rest of the group. Given that it had said, it didn't really seem like there was all that much time to waste. Surreal as the thought was, these things had apparently leveled a universe before. Keeping the book open in front of her (Makoto still wasn't sure how exactly it listened, and didn't want to take chances), the redhead took to her feet and cleared her throat loudly.

"Ahem!" Makoto looked around for an awkward moment, trying to take in everyone's disparate activities before continuing. "Uh, group! Pentacle, I guess, but also other people! After spending the last few hours trying to get the facts out of this book, and watching the rest of you - barring our resident Barbarian of Strangely Variable Literacy - trying to extract similar intel from this monstrous vault of archaic data, I have come to a very important conclusion!" Makoto flings a hand out dramatically, encompassing the facility.

"This is friggin' pointless! What the hell are we even doing? At first I thought this might give us a clear path forward, but I'm becoming rapidly convinced that everyone else is as clueless on this front as we are. Now, we need research, and we need it badly, but we need to focus it! I get the impression we don't exactly have a ton of time on our hands, and we need everyone on deck. I don't care if we're the five Golden Bananas of Kong Kingdom, or the League of Extraordinary Middle-School Kids, or whatever: this is too much!" Makoto taps the open book. "The people who made that gate thing wanted to keep the universe from having to fight. Sorry to disappoint them, but screw that. We're going to do this with an army."

"Even if could toss mountains and take nukes to the face - I assume we can't, by the way, correct me if I'm wrong because that would be pretty friggin' cool - we can't cover an entire universe at once, and it looks like these things can go places we can't even reach properly. So hey, Librarian!" Makoto gestures towards Sara, waving her ledger. "I'm still going through this list, but I want to get in communication with all of our resources. Any idea how I could set up a meeting or something?"

"Oh, and does anyone object?" Makoto glances around at the group, then back at the ledger in her hand, giving it a deeper analysis than the cursory glances she had offered while waiting on the enchanted tome's replies.

[Serafina]

Cymoril turns around, and positions herself between her precious book and Umiko:
"Umiko? Hey, didn't notice you there! Stay away from that book, it's MINE! If Sara-san allows me to read it, that is....anyway, it's important to me! Also, i can probably figure out why your world is cut off if you describe it to me, we learn that stuff in school after all. Where have you been anyway?"

[Princess Tracy]

"My world? Well, that may be a little tricky. I'm not entirely sure how it's different from other worlds - I don't really know about other worlds except for what they say in stories, so I don't know what to say about it. I'll try my best though.." She clears her throat in thought. "Well, why talk about it when I can RAP about it? Daina, give me a beat!"

After a second or two of it being obvious that there would be no such beat, Umiko looks around. "Where's Daina? She was my favourite, I was going to join her for dancing. Well, guess I'll have to answer this question the hard way. With, like, words and sensibility. Okay, um... well, back in my world I remember it was kind of weird. There were a lot of different things in different places because apparently it was pretty young. The 'youngest yet oldest' place was the Valley - according to a former friend of mine, it was brimming with primal energies, the 'elemental force that one crafts reality from, the canvas of the gods, the paint that can make a mortal a god' to put it as she did. It's why everyone in the valley was so strong apparently - and why it had dinosaurs.

"To be honest, I don't know that much about the world. Even though it;'s been a whole year since I left the valley, I've only explored one continent of the thing, and half of that was as part of a travelling circus until i reached this nifty place called Obria. It's got a pretty big library, and I think it might be divine, though I'm no priest. But there's that, and a few wildly disproportionate settings, and a couple of empires whose armed forces are largely run by House Kenpachi. Ah, but I guess most of that doesn't matter to you. Point is, the world is kind of young, I think, by some standards. I here all this talk of great ages and millions of years, yet my world is only a few hundred years old at best. Uh, let's see, dimensions. Um, well, we have two suns, one way bigger than the other, and 5 moons.

"We also have, like, dimensional gates, Portals they're called, though my knowledge of them is shoddy at best. See, this and my own world are the only ones I've ever been to. But according to a reliable source, for a few years now, something's been 'breaking into' out pathways between worlds. HE cam all the way out here just investigating, it seems... Either way, the neverwere have targetted my world and I intend to show them what for. Now, do you have sufficient knowledge to tell me your evaluation to my inquiry? Perhaps consulting that shiny book or yours? If you don't, I will," she finishes by teasing, making a playful swipe for it. Of course, she isn't exactly malicious and hardly forces her way past teh defensive Cymoril. Though, her definition of force is a little diferent from others', and she essentially heaves herself at Cymoril.

[Serafina]

Cymoril thinks over Umikos response.
"Hmmm...well that's not much, but given your, uh, style of magic, the wild energies you describe, the portals - and of course that your world is young - it really sounds like a polydimensional bubble. I mean, a series of interconnected dimensions, that you normally can't access from the outside. We don't know how they form, but we know that they exist in the inner sea. Now that's really just a wild guess, but i think somehow that bubble got pierced, which should cause all sorts of wild effects..."

She ponders the situation for a short while, before responding to Makoto.
"No, that really sounds good. We have a lot of special forces on our world, really strong, courageous people - but we still have a normal military, because they can't be everywhere. I sure hope they have something like that here."

[Princess Tracy]

"Nothing of what you just said means anything to me," Umiko says in brutal honesty to Cymoril's best guess and evaluation of her world. "If it's any help, I think some bits in my world are younger than others. And the younger it is, the more crazy stuff happens. I spent some time sailing with pirates once - we foudn an island off the coast taht was huge yet on no maps - it just sprung out of the ocean. I'm almost certain I met the deity who forged the island while we were there, though in fairness I was enormously drunk, so maybe that certainty isn't warranted."

You know what, I'm going to just go ahead and consider Makoto's speech to have been said presently. This chronologically confused state has held us up for nearly 2 days.

Umiko seems a bit agitated by Makoto's idea near the end, under the basis of that's what I was trying to get at, concept-stealer. "That Amiya chick is in command. If you want to seize control of her assets, it'll take at least two of us I think, with that crazy magic of hers and if we team up we'll have to split command between the two of us or else duel." She takes a deep breath. "Though I guess commanding the armed forces directly wouldn't be necessary. And she didn't seem like a real fighter to me - I can't imagine someone underhanded like her having what it takes to make a difficult call involving the lives of potentially millions. It takes someone a little less happy.

She takes another deep breath as she stands, stretching as she speaks to the group as a whole, slwoly turning her attention to Sara.. "I promised someone I would try and cease my conflicts with this team, I guess that means dropping my spat with Amiya, though he never said that means I have to like her. I want to see these resources too; how they're used now, why they aren't effective, and how our presence could be effective? Best tell me quick before i fall back on my oldest method of learn by doing; point me in the direction of whatever passes for a front line and I'll go scout out the neverwere for a bit, kill a few dozen while I'm in the neighbourhood. A hunter is best served to know of his prey, but often the best way to do so is to throw down with that sort of prey a few times. I didn't get to be good at killing dinosaurs by using them as sewing machines after all."

Flintstones reference, yay.

Trying o put some fire in Sara, she turns to Makoto, seeming to assume the girl is on the case of finding the ledger already, or at leats implying sh eshould be. "I think our immediate resources count for something though," she addresses to teh whole group. "I wish Daina was here, since I don't like knowing I'll have to repeat myself anymore than i do the process of repeating myself, but so be it. We were all hand picked, right? Possibly by that Amber chick, if this one is to be believed. Makoto, right? But either way, each one of us must count for something. If she wan't lying or stupid, Amiya said we saved a lot of folks, so I'd say we're the scale tippers. It's quite possible we may count for more in the long run than that ship taht blew us halfway to hell. I say figuring out our abilities and those of each other would be of prime importance. Anyone know where there is a training hall around here? We'll pick up that fun weirdo Daina en route and spar for a bit."

She sitson the table, perching oddly mcuh like an owl would. "Uh, bearing in mind I'm trying my bets to be friendly..." she gives as a disclaimer. "What do you folks do? And tell me something about yourself. I'm pretty open with my origins, no reason you shouldn't be. Uh, you!" she points at Temeka. "You've got a cat that's a robot and you kind of act funny, what's up with that? And you!" she points at Cymoril. "What IS so important about that book and what's your deal in general I guess. You fight not too far behind one of our warriors when you put in the effort, but you seem hesitant, and booksmart, the very embodiment of a bit of a superstition my people have." At last she turns to Makoto, leaning in over her book, getting a little too close for comfort yet Umiko hardly seeming uncomfortable herself as their faces nearly smush up against oen another as she seems to stare into the redhead's soul. "What's a magical girl?" is all she seems to think of.

The soul-staring almost face-pressing moment stretches out for a bit of silence, throughout a long few moments. "You don't like me very much," Umiko says with sudden unwaivering certainty. She leans back, sitting 'normally' atop the table. "Eh, I suppose you're not obligated to like me. You seem forthright and good with that lance, so I can't complain to sharing a team with you."

[Owrtho]

The sudden sound of the voice might have made Daina stop her dancing were the act not so ingrained in her nature, as it was she continued performing smoothly until a few moments after it had stopped when she fully realized what had happened and paused to try rewinding her player and confirming that it was indeed not part of the audio book.

What was that? She seemed to be saying me and the others would surpass past pentacles, but I think I'll need to think this through before mentioning it.

Daina started moving to continue dancing while mulling over the occurrence, the book now paused to let her think, before a quick mental counting of the songs she'd danced to already and their playtimes made her realize just how long she had been dancing.

Gah, I should get back to the others. I'd not intended to dance this long but go caught up in the book. Hopefully they're still all in the library and won't think it odd that I've been away this long.

As she moves to leave through the door she entered, Daina plays to Amiya.

♪Let's return♪

Even so, Daina doesn't wait for Amiya, making use of her memory of the path to return to the library without Amiya's help.

OOC:For those curious, lyrics played are from Rose Stained Red by Ari Herstand.

[Selinia]

"So, introductions again, huh?" Makoto shrugs, slipping back into her seat. "Not too much to say, but might as well get this over with. Right then... where to start..." She drums her fingers on the table for a few moments, gathering her thoughts.

"Well, I'm from, uh Danghrest. Damn, that feels absurd to say, but there you have it." Makoto pauses for another moment, apparently at a loss for what to say. When she resumes speaking, her words have a sterile tone to them, like a textbook. "Geologists estimate the planet to be roughly eight billion years old, formed at roughly the same time as our local star. The human population numbers roughly 11.2 billion, all technically citizens of the New Unified Government. Danghrest possesses a standing army numbering roughly 17 million, with the estimated capacity to triple that number in wartime. The largest mobilization ever seen was the Region 089 Suppression Act, deploying 31 million troops to quell the insurgent region in a show of overwhelming military superiority. This place has books on damn near everything, it seems, I bet you could find some histories written by alien spies or something."

"And as for magical girls, umm... let's see... I guess the easiest way to say it might just be to point at us. We're magical girls now, apparently. There's a more complex explanation, but we basically act as natural refineries for Aether. Or radiant energy, to use a different term. As far as any study has shown - at least any public study - mahou shoujo are effectively unique. Artificial generators have never been able to refine Aether to the point of usability, though they can manifest it in a crude state with proper setup. Magical girls, while still mortal, are capable of surviving horrific injuries, displaying inhuman strength and agility, and in rare cases manifesting pure Aether as a weapon in its own right." Makoto glances around, rising to her feet again and shooting a brief glower at Umiko. "Magical girls are soldiers. Done, simple, that's all. We are inhuman entities 'blessed' with an aptitude for violence and a staggering capacity for bloodshed. That's why they operate as part of a larger force - a rogue magical girl is one of the most dangerous things in the world."

"That about do it for you on the friggin' autobiographies? Because I'd like to look into seeing the the commander soon about that meeting. Come if you want, but if you try and hurt her out of some neolithic sense of barbarian bravado, I'm going to have to recommend you stay in that energy cage a little bit longer next time."

[Princess Tracy]

"Hey now, I know how to prioritise," Umiko says simply. "She leads the forces we've been brought into aid and she's too tricky to be stripped of her rank through combat, so we're very much stuck with her. I'll just make up for it later by dropping her out a window or something once this is all cleared up. Or maybe she's like a medusa and I can use a mirror to reverse that paralysis back at her... uh, I mean, no there won't be any battling because I promised 'Noyoki' I'd get on with everyone."

Umiko chuckles heartily, on the fringe of a booming, old-man laugh. "Though you certainly need to unwind, I think. Talking all technical like that really doesn't suit you. I think you said 'roughly' about 7 times in the space of a minute. After we meet our..." Umiko wretches, unable to force the rest of the sentence out. "After we meet THE commander, we gotta find some way to calm you down before you explode. Grab a drink, moralise to someone, join Daina for dancing, kill something stronger than you, rap battle someone's face off? Oh wait, those all things I enjoy, I don't know about you. By the way, what's an energy cage and when was I ever in one? Or are you just bigoted against my people and think we should be locked in cages, huh?" Even her last question seems pretty joking despite the bleakness it implies.

[Snowfire]

An uncontrolled giggle slips from Sara's lips at Cymoril's reaction to the book in her hands, then she shakes herself as the blonde recovers enough to start asking questions.


"Okay, wow....Sara-hakase, do you have any idea how valuable that book is? The Church would sell a whole planet for this...how could you possibly have it? It's not only old - easily over a thousand years - but how did it land here? We've never even heard of this dimension, and the Kaiserrelikte never leave Mid-Childa - heck, they barely left Belka! I'm sorry I yelled, it's just...wow. Overwhelming. May I...may I read it? I will take the utmost care, I promise!"

"It's knowledge." Sara replies simply. "Of course I know how valuable it i-" She stops as the statement about selling a planet registers, eyes widening in sudden shock, but recovers quickly. "Well, it would have to be over a thousand years old. Samaniya found it before the Forging, out in the dimensions beyond the Barrier, just floating in nothingness. There were fragments of a magical signature left, but nothing that she could save." She shrugs, then smiles. "And of course you can read it. But only as long as you help me with understanding some of the more complicated bits of it."

She stays silent through the rest of the conversation, occasionally looking towards the door as the apparent want for a meeting with Amiya becomes more definite. As such, she actually notices Daina enter. She relaxes slightly, knowing that that means Amiya is not far behind, then stiffens as Makoto's last series of comments sails across the room. She waits, fidgeting as Umiko replies, then enters the conversation with a cry.

"How can you think that?" She gestures wildly at Makoto, eyes aghast with pain - but not of her own. "You-" Amiya's voice overlays itself on that word, and Sara cuts off.

"-couldn't be more wrong." The golden haired woman states from the doorway. "We fight the Neverwere, yes. And in that, we are soldiers in a war more important than any ever fought. But that is not all there is. How could it be?" She shakes her head. "What a world yours must be if that is all you see. There is so much more to the gifts of Amber then the power to defend those who need that protection.

"However," she continues, "your comrade-to-be raises a good point in learning of your new abilities - and those of your companions. If you are to be a Pentacle, then you must do that. For a Pentacle is no more than the sum of its parts and if they cannot all work together...well. I'm sure you can guess.

"You have spent much time here, and have apparently learnt much and yet little. So I would recommend food to maintain your strength, and then training to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses. That will be crucial. After that...after that it will be up to you. I would advise against leaving the Enclave until tomorrow, simply so that you can get acclimatised. But tomorrow I'm sure that a visit to the city you helped save would be more than fair."

She looks across you, then nods as no immediate objections are raised.

"In that case, if you would follow me?"

She leads you out of the library, Sara walking with Cymoril and talking the whole way.


End Episode 2

[Snowfire]

Becoming

The meal is short, but filled with conversation as all the knowledge discovered so far is exchanged and absorbed. Amiya stays with you through it, but gives you space, allowing Sara to answer any questions you have.

The younger girl, now firmly attached to Cymoril through the bond of the book that floored the teenager, spends a considerable amount of the meal clarifying answers and giving more of the same. But she seems happy, the knowledge that she has spent years learning and caring for pouring out of her in a steady stream whenever its tapped.

But the lunch is too short to do more than exchange knowledge and confirm basic introductions between you. Once you're finished however, Amiya rises again and beckons for you to follow her to a training room. Sara comes too, fascinated by the possibility of seeing entire new forms of magic demonstrated - and presumably far too within her rights for Amiya to object. And as to any of you asking her to leave, well, the degree to which she has attached herself to Cymoril might not have reached the 'at-the-hip' level yet, but it's getting close.

Amiya leads you through the empty halls of the Enclave, turning here and there until she reaches a door that opens into a large room similar to an exercise hall. She raises her hand to just below her chin and clenches it into a fist after you've all entered, prompting a ripple of light from the walls to wash over you. She nods, and smiles.

"I've had the training systems accept you as a Pentacle, so you'll be able to practice if you want. Sara will stay with you, although I doubt I could drag her away if I tried," at that, the brunette in question sticks her tongue out at Amiya and the older blonde effects a long-suffering sigh, "so if you need any help just ask her." She steps back to the door.

"If there are no immediate questions then, I will let you get to work."

[Princess Tracy]

Let's assume Umiko get's everyone's name over lunch.

Umiko sits quietly throughout the meal, already quite full from her hunt not long ago. Instead she pays ever close attention to everyone else, trying to get a feel for them. Teams, huh? Teams outside of clans tend to be short lived in the valley, but throughout the day the stakes of her situation had been setting in and she was coming to accept the need to keep them close. How is she to treat an ally not from the Valley though? Respect and violence are opposing ideas wherever she seems to go outside home, yet she never had the need to unite before today. She does her best to ignore Amiya throughout the whole thing to keep the peace. If nothing else, she seems a bit pleased to have her top and bag returned to her. She considers dumping the can of worms she has as bait into Amiya's hair and calling it even, but decides to wait until a better time.

When she gets to the training grounds, she becomes a great deal more relaxed, only to have her mood ruined as Amiya uses her foul magic again, forcing her to leap into a defensive posture, not leaving it until well after it is clear the magic is harmless. She finally relaxes a little, wandering to the far side of the room, flexing as her voice booms and she eyes the walls, taking the measure of the room and then her allies. "Start with the basics, I think," she says, taking charge. "Who here has actual battlefield experience? Preferably experience worth a damn - I don't mean playfighting or sparring, I mean desides the other night, who here has fought for their lives before?" She looks over Sara. "Are you in this group too? If not, you can make yourself useful by keeping close by asking my questions when I have them, but try to keep out of the exercise." She is actually more agreeable than the average drill sergeant, not once feeling the need to call them maggots.

[Selinia]

"Well, I have plenty of experience running for my life, if that counts." Makoto hooks her thumbs into the pockets of the snug gray sweatpants she'd borrowed for the exercise. She didn't really have any of her clothes but her pajamas... and Makoto would rather leave those intact, if she could help it. "And yes, some of the time I helped myself out a bit with a lead pipe to the jerk's knees to give me a head start. But nothing formal. I take it you've gotten some form of training yourself, oh slayer of dinosaurs?"

[Serafina]

"If it is training you are looking for, i have plenty of that. My teacher fought for her life when she was eight, but i'm glad i never had to do that.

Cymoril then turns to Sara:
"Could you show me how this training-system works? I know enough about fighting with a weapon, but i'm kinda new to actually using magic. Really new if we are talking about combat magic, since i've never done that before i got here."

[Owrtho]

Daina gives a small shake of her head in negation to the question about combat experience. She held near the back of the group on the way over, listening to the conversations, and now leaned against the wall near the door while waiting for the sure to come information on how to train here. Hopefully the instructions wouldn't require vision to make out.

[Princess Tracy]

"I won't brag - it breeds delusion of one's abilities to be prideful and is the antithesis of strength. The only trophy one needs are the results; I fight for food and for my life. And some other reasons, but none of them are to pat myself on the back or earn a title. However, it is natural the more experienced should rally the less experienced. I've fought more in my 16 years than most soldiers of the Kenpachi battalion ever have to, with nothing more than the clothes on my back and my fists. Bandits, monsters and indeed dinosaurs have tried to take my life. It is often fairly close, for I am, even in my most delusional bragging state, not the greatest of warriors. In fact, I have never completed the Rite of Slaying, so I am not even a woman yet, though I imagine you care little for the battle dress of my people. If we are to fight an enemy that can overwhelm gods, we must all be in the mindset of a warrior; while I don't claim to have it, I do walk the path, and I shall accompany you all. To face down a vastly superior foe is a great duty, but few are prepare dto fall in combat; you must be prepared for anything."

Umiko stops, pondering. Cymoril has never had to fight for her life... at least the other one (Makoto) knows the fear of nearly losing it, for fear is a step to the transcendence that is bravery. But Cymoril... she is a coward for a reason - she fears for her life, as one unaccustomed to nearly losing it. I'll take special care of her then, somehow... Somehow, I'll need her to become brave.

[Princess Tracy]

Somehow owrtho managed a simultaneous post, I just noticed. So here's a little footnote to my previous post.

Umiko cant help but smirk a little at Daina's response. "You fought very readily for one with no experience - and very well, I might add," she tells her, her voice filled with genuinely kind praise. "Rather funky weapons you have there. Could you give us a beat or something, Daina, get our mood on?" She turns her attention on Cymoril. "It's time to learn. You, Cymoril, take your weapon out and show me what you can do." She adds a note as she turns her attention on Sara for a moment. "How complicated could this room possibly be?"

[userpay]

Temeka shrugs as the question of combat experience comes up. "At best driving off the occasional wildlife that wandered to close for comfort. Otherwise its been mostly target practice given how much experimenting I had to do to make my firearms."

[Selinia]

Makoto grits her teeth at Umiko's stump speech. It wasn't who was saying it - no, the barbarian hit a few good points, to tell the truth. It was how she was saying it. Makoto didn't mind advice. She didn't mind guidance, though she had to admit she'd never found many decent sources of it. But she would not let this jarhead talk down to girls her own age like some grizzled war veteran talking to new recruits.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure you'll be there to 'guide' us. You and your friggin' dinosaurs and your armies and boasting and - if I may be so bold - utter crap. For someone who cautions against pride, you do an awful lot of boasting." Makoto puts on a mocking falsetto tone. "Oh my oh me, look at me, I'm nothing special, I just have fought more battles than a veteran warrior, but nope, nothing special about me, just a sub-par, average girl who is still goddamn better than all of you so let me walk you to the friggin' kindergarten and maybe you won't trip." Her voice lowers to a growl near the end of the rant.

"I am sick of this passive-aggressive condescension. News flash - we're all clueless, and yes, that includes you. Unless you had a past life flying around and firing laser beams at people, I think you really need to own up to the fact that you're as clueless as the rest of us. I don't care if you say it out loud - just get into your skull that you're no more fit to teach us than a dung beetle." Just as abruptly, Makoto steps back. "Okay, hell, you may be good at punching things. Great. Awesome, even. Things need to be punched sometimes. But we have teachers for teaching, and I'm guessing they're a lot better qualified than some stuck-up pugilist."

"At least, I assume that's what this room is, right?" Craning her head back, Makoto takes in the entire room. Worth a test, anyway. "Hey, Room! Gives us a training exercise! Co-operative combat exercises, or whatever the equivalent is here!"

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko's expression doesn't waiver, a constant all-analysing gaze focused on Makoto. As she finishes her bit, the warrior girl steps forward, quickly getting all up in her personal space. "Clueless about Neverwere? Sure. Clueless about Amber? Oh, most definitely. But don't be so bold as to compare my knowledge of battle to a civilian like most of you." She nods to Temeka and Chisaki. "That cat of hers has more battle instinct that half of this group, as it stands. Maybe I can't teach you about your abilities, or how to wage this war, but there is one thing I can offer some slight insight into." She lifts her top again, revealing the myriad of scars punctuating her tanned skin.

"We deal with a vastly superior foe, if anything we know so far is accurate. We must be prepared to face those overwhelming odds, to not buckle under pressure," she nods to Cymoril as a quick jab. "To be prepared to fight until the end, do what needs doing, to have the heart of a warrior. If we are heroes, that is what is necessary, and no matter how much power Amber granted you that brings us to the same level can be a substitute for that heart. Once again, I don't claim to be a great warrior, by all accounts I've lived my life as a weakling at the mercy of others, not even fit for womanhood. But I'll tell you this much." Confident you've gotten a good look at the occasional deep gash, she lowers her top. "I've been strung up by treacherous bandits, set on fire, drowned while whaling, trapped under the foot of a T-Rex - just this morning I waivered and my prey nearly got the better of me. And you know what? I don't fear death. Not my death, certainly. And we don't have the luxury for you all to spend a year's fruitless pilgrimage facing endless danger in lands not your own, so you'll have to settle for heeding my advice to bolster you just a little in time for our next conflict."

She backs up a little, chuckling, but clearly genuine as she holds eye contact with Makoto. "I think you might have what it takes to fight, redhead. You have that will. I can tell, you and I aren't that much apart. All you need is a little push to hone yourself." She turns on Daina, beaming. "How about that beat then, Daina?"

[Serafina]

Cymoril just shakes her head at all this in-fighting.
"Sara, is there anything i could use to calibrate my magical output? Once i have done that i should be able to train basic skills using Sturmbringer, and - well let's just hope that the others will be up for training as a team by then."


In the movie, Nanoha uses Raising Heart to set up virtual training exercises. They're pretty obviously mostly for training how to use the device and basic skills, since there'd be no need for other training otherwise, but Cymoril needs to get acquainted with her basic skills anyway.
Also a bit of a setup, for both Snowfire (you should know what i am talking about :smallwink: ) and as a contingency if i can't reply in time for other activities.

[Selinia]

"...fine then. Go ahead." Makoto shrugs at Umiko, palms raised in surrender. "Just don't go beating all the fear out of us poor, meek civilians. Cold terror is the best counter to adrenaline a soldier has - ditching it just makes you stupid, not brave." Dropping into a more relaxed pose and shifting her attention back towards Cymoril and Sera, the redhead appears to be finished.

"Still, this is supposed to be some kind of training facility, right? I would like to get in some team-based exercises, because hell, we need them sooner rather than later... but if everyone would prefer some individual sparring instead, that's cool too. Either way, let's get started - sitting around arguing isn't going to do much to prep us for fighting horrible terrors from beyond space and time."

[Snowfire]

Sara smiles knowingly at Umiko, then nods to Cymoril. "The system is pretty simple really, just ask for what you wa-" Makoto's request cuts her off before she can speak further. "There we go." She says, nodding at the redhead, nodding to herself as if counting. "And...there."

A form swims into existence in front of the group, featureless white light in the shape of an androgynous human.

"Co-operative training exercise selected. Specify level of simulation." A cool, sexless tone requests.

Sara grins. "It's an automated system, allowing all levels of training in a variety of environments as you wish." She steps forward towards the interface. "Configure for unfamiliar usage, step-by-step."

"Acknowledged, system calibrated."

She nods at Cymoril's next question, pauses for a moment, then shrugs and continues - her next words coming out slightly less firm than those before. "Activate Kaiserfarbe translation protocols for Cymoril and Sturmbringer."

"Searching...
"Translation matrix found.
"Initialising...
"Error: corruption in database storage. Repair and recovery protocols active.
"Initialising base translations shards."
A copy of the same figure snaps into being in front of Cymoril, reaching out to lay a 'hand' on the bracelet that is her device.
"Knight Cymoril, apologies. This may be somewhat disorientating.
"Accessing Sturmbringer database.
"Configuration protocols active."
The figure collapses into a stream of light that flows up over Cymoril, sheathing her in a skin-tight aura as her eyes go unfocused.

The first figure turns to Makoto at her repeated request.

"Five combatant team exercise formulated. Please specify opposing force and base location."

[Princess Tracy]

The odd effect the technology has on Cymoril invokes a reaction from Umiko, interrupting her halfway through trying to get the last word in against Makoto. "Is she..." She clears her throat, stepping to Cymoril's side as she squints, making sure not to touch any of the light sheathing her. "Hey, coward, are you feeling okay?" Finding her face suficiently free to take a risk, she give s a 'light' slap to the face in an attempt to bring her back to her senses.

"Heal" check (slap) for a laugh [roll0]

As the figure asks Makoto for input, Umiko flatly advises "Go for something like a pack of wolves, we'll start slow so as to take the measure of these abilities."

[Selinia]

"Let's see... well, no real reason to beat around the bush here." Makoto makes a vague 'carry on' gesture. "Bruiser has it right - just about anything would work. Actually... can you simulate a few of the baseline offensive and defensive techniques of the neverwere and give them to whatever you set up? We've got a decent idea of what we'll be putting this training to use against, so might as well take advantage of that. As for a location, set us up in an urban area if you can. Pretty sure we'll be fighting in a city at least a few more times."

"And uh," Makoto gives Cymoril a curious look. "That's... pretty cool. What's it do?"

[Serafina]

Please read all the spoilers, since they contain translations and important information, i merely put it in spoilers to not disrupt the flow of the text.



Initializing Training Program. Accessing Combatant Information. Establishing Link. Brainwaves Compatible. Fusing in progress.
Cymoril barely notices the programs voice as her mind races over a thousand scenes. Each is filled with smoke and thunder and battle and lightning. She recognizes a few from her history books, and it looks like she is going back in time - further than any history book she has ever read.

She hovers over the ruins of an ancient city. Beings similar to the Neverwere rampage around it. A lone warrior stands in the middle of broken bodies, clutching a grievous wound. She begins to sing, and the air around her begins to swirl into a raging storm. A chant begins to ring around her, strong voices from far away.
Aus dem Dunkel geborgen
ein Sturm zieht auf
der Feind verborgen
ein Falke steigt auf.

Die Seele verloren
die Klinge entfacht
der Krieger beschworen
mit Sturmes Macht

Blut und Seelen
die Herrin ruft
der Feind verschlungen
sie steigt aus der Kluft
Rough translation which i just can't shape into a proper poem in english. Not that it was a very good one to begin with *shrugs* Just to give you an idea what is going on.

Brought from Darkness
a storm is coming
enemies concealed
a falcon is rising

The soul is lost
the blade aroused
the warrior summoned
with tempests might

Blood and Souls
the lady calls
the enemy consumed
she rises from the abyss

a black blade begins to form in the warriors hand, and her body convulses with sparks of lightning. A storm is rising over the whole city, bringing down the neverwere. The chant continues and is soon drowned out by thunder. Cymoril is drawn to the center of the cataclysm, unable to resist with all her might. Her body rushes towards that of the lone warrior.
Sturmbringers voice echoes in her mind.
Kaiserfarbe: Gelber Bernstein
Sturmritterin erkannt.
Beginne Bindung
Kaiserfarbe: Yellow Amber
Stormknight recognized
Bound initialized

Everything explodes into movement too fast for Cymoril to follow. She whirls over the ground and leaps trough the air, unhindered by the raging storm around her. Lightning crashes into the Neverwere, and her blade drains them from existence. Every passing moment of chaos makes her stronger, the ordered center of the storm.
The fight continues. More and more Neverwere show up, an ocean of them ravaged by a raging cyclone. After a fleeting eternity, she passes out.


Where...how..when...how long..
Cymoril blinks. She is surrounded by strange people in an unknown place.
No, wait, one of them...that little girl. She's familiar somehow...i know her. And maybe that one too? Wait...Amber. That means...wait, i'm on Amber! I rember!
Cymoril stares into the training room, recognizing the rest of her Pentacle occupied with various activities.
"How long was i out? And why does everything feel different?"
Not long, only a few minutes at most. Cymoril now feelsvery different for a reason known to Snowfire that will be revealed, but she doesn't actually look and different than she did before.

[Snowfire]

The interface focuses on Makoto for a moment, blinding pinpoints of light in the place of eyes seeming to see through her. It repeats the process on the others in the room - barring Sara and Cymoril - then nods.

"Urban environment confirmed. Nevertouched combat program activated. Initiating scaling combat exercise."

The room around you warps, then everything around you melts away into a new environment. You find yourself standing in an empty city square, very similar to the one you fought in two nights past. It's dusk, the city lights only just beginning to activate. And from around there rises low growls.

Cymoril snaps back into wakefulness, blinking at the sudden transition, and the program seems to take that as its cue. From all around the square they come, wolves - but not like any you have ever seen. Their skin ripples, undulating like some strange obsidian liquid, and malevolent hate glares across the space between you.

Four, seven, twelve of them slink forward, their very presence dimming the lights behind them and menace radiating from their every move.

You have a prep round as last combat. Initiative please.

[Serafina]

Cymoril watches the monstrous wolves circle around her, and commits to her strong protective impulses. She steps towards the wolves at a calm pace, drawing their attention.
"Sturmbringer - let's be the eye of the storm."
Auge des Sturms!
Lightning explodes around Sturmbringers blade, over Cymorils armor and coils into swirling winds around her.

Initiative count 15 (yet another sub-par roll). Also triggering Cartridge Boost (Shocking and Keen) and Vigil of Candles, as well as stepping somewhere i can interecept the wolves from charging the others and make use of Vigil of Candles.

[Princess Tracy]

"Ah good, you're okay," Umiko sighs in what seems to be... relief (?), as she stands on her tiptoes to be eye level with the better-developed girl.

As the battle is clearly afoot, Umiko strongly considers letting the beasts go first to make things interesting. However, she quickly remembers this is a mere training exercise and disciplines herself for trying to be impressive. Just after talking of the folly of pride. "It could have been worse," she chuckles, as she sees the monsters forming. "It could have been pixymphs - little fairies from my world, shot you with arrows to manipulate emotions. Valentines Day was their unholy day of celebration where they entered into the world to mess with the hearts of young maidens and men alike to make them fall unconditionally for one another, at complete random pairings. At least these things just try and kill you."

DM only
No, seriously
How funny would it be if the training room AI happened to take Umiko's unwitting suggestion as the next cued up set of opponents - the dreadful love-pixies? Or if she got hit by an arrow and stumbled around, covering her eyes in fear - knowing sh ewould fall for the first perosn she laid eyes on but not how to remove the effects of their love arrows? Or they randomly shot around other-emotion affecting arrows? Of course, if the effects persisted beyond the training exercise it would be more character-grating than a comical interlude.

She draws the Kenpachi seal from her belongings, taking her eyes off her foes for just a second before snapping her gaze back to the wolves. I'm still relying on Defendant support, huh? Still... it's nice to have met him, to know he cares at least a little. Last fight, when i encountered the neverwere, I shouted out random things that echoed in my soul, among them being the invocation of Kenpachi. I won't... I can't let myself become that THING again, that woman who isn't me, yet... She pockets the seal. "He seemed sad to see me hurt," she says, becoming quite aware of her unhealed wounds from the morning. "Nothing else for it. I'm going to have to use at least some of those powers to keep safe, if only to keep him happy." With a barrier of doubt degraded and disposed of, a great burst of energy echoes out; her soul wreathed in gouts of flame, her being ekes out energy, binding her defences.

Nodding as she sees Cymoril circle around, Umiko tries to synchronise her methods a little; accounting for Cymoril's weapon type and facing, she clasps her hands together, she tries to remember the invocations of last night. Eventually giving up on subtlety, she strikes a stance and exhales strongly, forcing the air out and trusting her own inner light as she pumps her arms out in arc. "I don't like being surrounded, so I suggest some of you stay right back!" A great barrier of light springs up at her command, a great beam shooting from herself, forging itself in midair as a thick little wall. Just as before, sure enough.

Gain 5 motes at start of turn, use 1 to cast Fragile shell; this will be in a semicricle facing the most neverwere wolves, limiting Cymoril's focus to the lesser group to start with. The facing if need be would be ten feet perpindicular to group and a few feet from us, then the other 10 foot square sections of wall at a 45 degree angle to that. She makes sure to bias the wall a bit to make Cymoril and herself the most viable targets.
\_/

That done, the group free to focus their attention on part of the wolves, she breathes in deep, her spiritual energy spiking again as she attempts to gather her energy for personal defence.

1 mote to use Beacon of Serenity on self, for 12 points of temporary HP, trading down my standard action for a swift action, then make a DC 13 concentration check to gain 3 motes (gee I wonder if I'll succeed)
[roll0]

This will bring my stats up to HP 55/62, AC 13, motes 6, temporary HP 18, DR 4/evil at the end of the preperatory turn. I act on initiative 7 so I had to make the most of this turn.

"Come on, you freaks of nature. You embarrassment to wolves, i don't have all day!"

[userpay]

Temeka looks in concern at Cymoril yet the room chance and subsequent introduction of something hostile draws her away from inquiring further. "Um... Callisto?"

"Yes Temeka."

"I think I'm going to need that outfit..."

"Noted, this one will execute it for you. Initializing procedure Protective Light, subroutine Set Up... Executing." Light explodes around the feet of Temeka. As it whirls pieces break of, 'solidifying' into metal, and attaching themselves to the girl in the eye of the storm until she looks much like she did in the last fight.

"This is my cue?" Chisaki cheerfully quips as the housecat exterior fades away leaving behind metal. Growing metal. Panels begin to shift and rearrange making the cat somehow bigger until Chisaki once again resembles a large tiger.

[Owrtho]

So, Umiko wanted Daina to provide a beat while they train? Well, it's not like I won't provide one, but it isn't that simple, the music needs to be properly matched to the type of training we do. And she's asking again...

♪In just a moment♪

I'll play something once we start the training. So, that voice must be the training room controls. Odd how they make it originate from an empty spot in the room... Perhaps there is a visual cue there?

The room changed. Somehow the way the sound moved around has become different. It seems like, the place where we first appeared here.
Hearing the wolves, Daina prepares to fight. Remembering what was said before she calls forth a defensive outfit, while her turntables effortlessly appear in her hands starting to play music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2Bwv64SjQ) already.

Actions OOC:Full round action to summon costume, free action to manifest turn tables with keen and thundering.

Line played is from In Just A Moment Time from the Skullgirls OST.

[Selinia]

"Hm. Well then." Makoto held out a hand in front of her, palm up. "Hound, on me! Weapon and armor, now please!" The soft clanking noise of the materializing lance was still odd, but the redhead was starting to recognize it at least. Makoto caught the crimson and gold shaft deftly, moving it behind her in a 'ready' position as she felt the combat fatigues take shape around her body.

"So..." It was barely a mutter, Makoto speaking more to herself than anyone else. "What else can you do, little stabbystick? Jump, kill, form up armor... gotta be a few other tricks. Let's see if we can wheedle those out now..."

Actions:
Full-round action to summon costume. Equip Device.

[Snowfire]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D4QIf4Ot7o)

Sara, her form gone ethereal and ghostlike, smiles as you draw deep from the endless well of Light that you have been connected to as Amber's newest Pentacle, cloaking yourself in the protection it offers. Weapons blaze against the oncoming darkness, deadly tools crafted to protect the beacons you have now become.

The wolves falter for a moment in their advance as the Light flares outwards from their prospective prey, rippling across the darkness-clad beings. But if they stop, they do so only for the brief moment it takes for fear to be replaced by rage. Rage at those who would dare wield the Light against them, who would try to stop them. And coupled with that was a writhing, hateful, burning hunger. Nothingness flashes where eyes should be, icy hatred removing even black. And they surge forward in one massive wave, howls bursting from their muzzles as the charge the radiant barricade created by Umiko.

That wall hinders their options, but it doesn't slow them down. Three each of the twelve charge each of the three strongpoints of the wall, those who now stand at its center and to each side - enhancing the passive protection of a wall with their ability to strike. The final three wolves slip through unhindered, but that is only a quarter of their strength against equal numbers. The forwards have done their job well. And now they strike out at the wolf-things attempting to overwhelm them.

Lightning blazes around simple Light on the left, Cymoril surrendering utterly to the instincts of protection pouring through her - now amplified by Sturmbringer. They were both of them guards, dedicated to the goal of protection. Neither would allow the other to falter. And, perhaps far more importantly, this was something Cymoril knew. She might not have fought a true battle before her awakening, but this was training. She could do training in her sleep! And with Sturmbringer in her hand and at her side, she would hold.

Her blade flared white and gold, piercing the shadow-flesh of her foes as she struck out at the three trying to surround her. Long, lethal cuts sliced through the monster's, pale golden sparks curling and arcing around them as her blade passed.

At the center of the wall, Umiko sprang forward at the first wolf to approach her, foot lashing out to sideswipe the beast's snout. It slammed first into it, then through it as light pulsed around the source of the blow. The beast recoiled, a snarling yelp growling form deep in its throat.

To the right Chisaki, now grown to her full power, pounced on the first of the corrupted animal's to come within reach, her crystal teeth burning great tears into the phantom flesh of her target.

And behind her radiant music echoed as Daina responded to the threat approaching her. A single disc arced from her hand, tearing a jagged furrow from snout to tail through the wolf she had targeted. Music crashed and blazed against the beast's flesh, biting and tearing at its being.

But, even if many were now wounded, none of the wolves fell. And now it was their turn. They surged forward across the last of the distance, black ichor dripping from mouths full of hungry teeth.

Cymoril, now boxed in on two sides by the wolves and one by the wall she anchored, twisted around the lunging assault of one, Sturmbringer's crackling blade turning aside another. But the last attack landed, it origin ducking under her blade to sink razor teeth in the armour around her ankle. It jerked on the pierced limb, trying to unseat the girl-knight, then withdrew with a yip as Sturmbringer slashed through the space it had occupied a moment before.

Cymoril, take [roll0]+[roll1]

Umiko, apparently unwilling to summon her protections, found herself faring rather worse than her companions, two of the three attacks breaching her defense to sink razor teeth into her. The third, in fact, almost connected, but was deflected awry by a dancing mote of light that stabbed the wolf as it sprang. The two who did hit her tried to pull her down, down to where they could maul and rip her to pieces, but she stood firm against that.

Umiko: [roll2]+[roll3]

Chisaki fared the same as Umiko, although in the cat's case she was able to avoid the third attack by her own skill. And even as the wolves sank their teeth into the metal that composed her form, she shook them off easily. Cats. Didn't. Trip.

And Chisaki takes: [roll4]+[roll5]

Daina however seemed to flow away from the biting jaws aimed for her, the beats of her music sending her this way when the wolves would have wished her to go that way. Her turntables whirled about her, their music singing around them in anticipation for their time to strike.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko grunts more in challenge than pain as she is bitten. This? This is nothing. Those abilities i used seemed sufficient to hold back most of the damage. I can outlast these cretins, easy. I won't go back to being that person who isn't me, certainly not to save my own skin from this slightest pain, no.

She sees Daina being ganged up on, but is thankful to see her dodge well. She doesn't need me to protect her, or anyone else. She considers giving battle advice, but thinks better of it, instead deciding to leave them at their own discretion, however flawed - this is training, after all.

Focusing, she brings out her light. She slams down her head upon the nearest wolf and lashes out with her foot at another. Slamming her foot back into the ground solidly, after her attempt to stop Chisaki she sidesteps to a more favoured position. With a quick flurry of her hands, she gathers the energy to protect herself again as she hones her energy.

Actions
Start of turn; generate two motes, bringing total to 8.

Standard Action; use two attacks (TWF) to attack wolves 10 and 4
Atack against 10, [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Attack against 4 [roll2]
Damage[roll3]

5 foot step; if either 10 or 4 wolf dies, move into their space. If both drop, move into 4's square (N, 11). If neither dies, make sure do dismiss barrier, then 5 foot step to the right.

Swift Action: use illumination at cost of 1 mote to charge defences (12 temp HP)

Move Action: Concentration check [roll4] against DC 17 to bring motes up to 10

End of turn; gain temp HP equal to motes.
Stats
HP 40, temporary HP 22, motes 10, AC 13, CMD 21

Afterthoughts;
Kind of disappointing attack method, taking on two at a time. I should have at least gone for heatbreaker, but I'm not known for good decisions. Think I'll go for the Angel Buster next turn; I predict... 5 of these things dropping this turn.

[Serafina]

Cymoril barely flinches as the wolf snaps past her defenses, and pommels it with the hilt of her sword just like Vivio had thought her a hundred times. To her surprise sparks fly over the length of Sturmbringers blade, and a crescent of lightning forms around the wolves head before the two fields clash into a thundrous explosion.
Donnerschlag!


She hears a cry from behind her, and untrained instincs kick in. While unable to look at Umiko while fending of three wolves, she just knows what is going on behind her. Cymoril leaps back from the stunned wolf and his comrades, and an ancient chant begins to ring in her head.
Ich bin der Wind
ich bin was du atmest
und was dich trägt,
und mein Zorn
fegt deinen Feinden
das Leben aus dem Leib

Sturmflügel!
I am the wind
i am what you breathe
and what carries you,
and my rage
blows your foes
lifes from their bodies

inspired by a poem of Anne BLax

She lands next to Umiko, and a shining bright wing erupts from her left shoulder. Another wing shines next to it, flapping in unison - but attached to Umiko. A strong wind pushes outward, carriying both girls slightly above the ground and pushing the wolves away.

Actions:
Generate two motes
pay one mote as upkeep for Vigil of Candles
Standard Action: Sunny Daze on wolf 1, cost 2 motes
Attack: [roll0]
Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] + [roll3]
5-foot step to L12
Swift-action to activate Loyal Oath, targeted on Umiko

[Owrtho]

A slight grin graces Daina's face as she dodges the attacks of the wolves. These things hum with the unsound of those neverwere. Just that is enough to warrant their destruction. So decided, she lets loose another number of blows on the wolf she had previously harmed.

During one blow, the music seems louder and more sweet, it reaches to Cymoril healing some of her wounds, even as it causes even more harm for the wolf.

Actions OOC:Daina uses heartbreaker on wolf 6, leaving her at 5 motes. Use rolls in this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13782209&postcount=895) post. If the second offhand attack is not a critical, ignore the second paragraph, otherwise the healing goes to Cymoril. If wolf 6 dies, Daina will take a 5 foot step to move into its square.

[userpay]

Temeka glances in concern towards Chisaki yet the encroaching arm of wolves demands her attention. "Lets light them up!"

"Initializing Luminous Rain, targeting mode."

Blips of light fan out surrounds one of the wolves as Temeka brings her arms up. Barrels already rotating. Once leveled small tongues of flame vomit forth as the girl volleys lead at the targeted wolf.

Chisaki on the other hand growls as she lashes out at one of her irritants.
Temeka targeting wolf 9 with Luminous Rain and all four bullets.
Attack
Damage [roll]1d8+1d4
Attack
Damage [roll]1d8+1d4
Attack
Damage [roll]1d8+1d4
Attack
Damage [roll]1d8+1d4

Chisaki attacking wolf 12.
Bite Attack [roll4]
Bite Damage [roll5]
Claw Attack [roll6]
Claw Damage [roll7]
Claw Attack [roll8]
Claw Damage [roll9]
Grapple Attempts
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]

[Selinia]

"Okay Mako, you can do this. Crazy wolf facestab time. This is such a fethin' terrible idea..." Makoto mutters under her breath as she tightens her grip on her weapon. "Hound, hunt!" Even knowing it was coming, the abrupt departure from ground level was going to take some getting used to.

Makoto tumbled through the air, let her lance extend in a lethal downward thrust, landed with most of her momentum intact. She wasn't sure if she'd hit just yet - things were too chaotic right now, and she didn't want to stop and look now that she was behind enemy lines. But before the links of her weapon could retract, a thought struck her. At least, Makoto sincerely hoped it was her thought. With a sharp flick of her wrist, the redhead sent the elogated lance whipping to her left.

"Hound, embed!" At the shouted command, the lance shattered, each piece save the one in her own hands lodging itself in the ground with a sharp 'Thunk!'. A moment later, the shattered pieces of brass and iron glinted, each erupting upwards into a makeshift fencepost of sorts. Chains quickly threaded between them, bisecting enemy lines with yet another barrier.

Makoto, of course, saw none of this until she turned around, some ten yards beyond the point she had landed. As the lance regenerated fully in her hand, she had to admit, it was a damn impressive weapon.

Actions:
Jumpcharge Wolf 3, landing in E4 (Using the R0 block of our map as reference) and moving 30 ft north from there (to a hypothetical E-2). Not going to bother with a Power Attack, since I doubt they can properly withstand a normal one and accurately whittling them down is more important than anything right now.

Jump Check: [roll0]
Attack To-Hit: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] * 4 = 84

Also, expending 1 mote and a Swift action to drop a Fragile Shell on the M|N border, with the south corner linking to the west end of Umiko's barrier and extending directly north for 20 ft.

Status:
HP: 62/62
Motes: 6/7
Mote Upkeep: 1

AC: 21
Fort: +6 | Ref: +9 | Will: +5

[Snowfire]

Cymoril's target rears back as the field of crashing thunder washes over it, light wrapping around the creature and flickering across it in patterns of writhing sparks. It stumbles away to one side, heading towards Temeka, and the other two move up in pursuit of the swordlady.

Temeka unleashes a hail of bullets towards her target, four shining projectile lancing across the space between her and the oncoming threat. Two miss, even with Callisto's assistance, but the others don't - punching into the nightstuff comprising the wolf as it surges forward to attack her.

Across from her mistress, a low growl kindles in Chisaki's throat. These things were threatening her mistress and her mistress's friends. And they tried to hurt Chisaki! She leaps forward at one of the wolves directly in front of her, jaw snapping shut around the thing's torso and hauling it up to be raked by both claws.

Daina's turntables whirl and dive, cutting through the shadowstuff of the wolf before her and pulling a startled yelp from her target as the strikes bleed light across the thing's jaw - softening and in some cases dissolving the deadly teeth within.

Umiko, perhaps flung off balance by the sudden support from Cymoril, misses with her first blow before impacting solidly with the last. Light flares from the descending foot, then it hammers into the beast's skull. Not killing it perhaps, but making it clear that it's about to have a very bad day.

And then Makoto jets upwards and forwards, her lance blasting her up over the barrier erected by Umiko and hammering down onto the wolf right in front of the fist-fighter. The wolf literally seems to explode as a blast of radiance from her lance rips through it. The dragoon hits the ground, her shoes extending wheels from their bottoms just before impact and sending her skating away as her lance tears apart to form a second barrier.

Two wolves move up towards Cymoril, penning her in almost totally in the corner of the barrier created by Umiko, and they dart forward in concert, seeking to overwhelm her defences. But it is not to be. Sturmbringer flashes and whirls again in the teenager's hands, knocking both wolves away from her with the ease of long practice.

The two targeting Umiko - reduced by one thanks to Makoto - clump together before launching their mutual attacks. One lands a firm bite, again failing to trip her, but the other misses - the single wing whirling Umiko away, just out of reach.

Umiko:[roll0]+[roll1]

Chisaki growls slightly as one of the wolves lands another bite on her, but shakes the thing off with ease. It just isn't big enough to gain purchase. The one in her jaw squirms desperately, but fails to do anything more than get itself even more thoroughly caught.

Chiskai: [roll2]+[roll3]

Temeka finds herself hit as well by the single wolf currently able to attack her, and then yelps as the creature yanks hard - taking her legs out from under her.

Temeka: [roll4]+[roll5] and you are now prone.

And Daina...Daina appears to continue her blessed dance. The wolf already targeted by her tries to attack her - now flanking - but finds its jaw not there to deliver the strike when it closes. And a deft side-step to the beat of her music send the dancer neatly out of the second's path.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko holds herself back from complaining about Cymoril's assistance. After all, a real warrior doesn't handicap themselves for glory, but makes the most of their situation to bend it towards their most favourable conclusion. Still though, as the overwhelming force of her inner light, which burns shapelessly around her as she is struck, deflects the entirety of the neverwere wolf's attack, she seems a lot more flustered by the attention from Cymoril and Daina than the battle itself. Daina she felt merely raised her spirits, like a good war drummer, but Cymoril... T-that's weird, don't do that like I need to be protected or anything.

Refocusing herself, she turns her attention on the wolf directly in front of her. How perfect a shot, too - unscathed and in her reach. She was quite tired of letting these things run loose, after all. With a mighty amazon scream, she hops a little forward, feet first, instantly grounding herself as she brings her head down like a hammer, hoping to crack the wolf's skull before she did the same to her own.

Angel Buster! 3 motes, taking me down to 8... Standard action
ATTACK [roll0]
DAMAGE! [roll1]
confirmation roll for crit [roll2]

[Princess Tracy]

Not fully proficient in the use of her light, she stumbles a little as she tries to force so much out of it in a single explosive blow, wasting the attack as she's almost certain despite her momentary daze that she did not connect.

If there were any bonuses from luminous rain or flanking or something, I didn't count them, and maybe this one had a low AC for some reason, who know.

Umiko sees Chisaki getting fairly mobbed - in fact, the beast seemed to be the worst for wear in this battle. Remembering her own protective techniques, she tries to mold them for another; with momentary concentration that she rarely shows, she summons a personalised veil of light to cover the metallic cat.

1 mote to drop a beacon of serenity on Chisaki.
Chisaki gains 12 temporary hit points. Someone may want to give her some more assistance though - Daina, get over there and draw some aggro. You can attack both of those wolves with a single standard action, try dropping at least on of them then swooping around to draw at least one wolf away from our furred friend. That or use an illumination, I don't know I can't play your character for you

Finding it too constrictive to get to where she needs to be, Umiko sees Makoto's own wall touch hers as she gathers an idea. With a simple break of her own focus, she roars at her own shimmering wall and it blinks into nothingness. With a quick hop, brushing past Cymoril, she presses her back against Makoto's wall. She prepares herself to try and drop a wall, reshaping her energy to be a little more useful given the terrain. Her unfocused energy takes on an odd shape as she tries to reform it; using a starting point near Makoto's 'fence', she watches as her energy takes on the duplicate picket formation, the order of the other girl's power exerting itself on her raw energies. Between that and her failure to master her illuminations at all, she seems to flustere dto maintain her usual good sense of strategy as she immediately identifies she should have taken her place by Chisaki's side. Cursing her powers from being so disorienting, she just tires to salvage the situation.

free action dismiss wall
5 foot step NW, between wolves 2 and 4.
Move action traded down, if allowed, for a swift action to use fragile shell. If so, target...
Section 1 of 3; bottom side of E,176and F,16.
Section 2 of 3; right side of F,16
Section 3 of 3: top side of D,16 and E,16 and F,16, thus ending at Makoto's barrier.

Status
motes 7
HP 45+15
AC 13+ Cymoril's charisma

does Cymoril's charisma bonus also apply to CMD?

[Selinia]

The situation was... Makoto wasn't sure what the best word was. Manageable was so banal. But sending a quick glance across the field, the redhead decided that 'under control' would have to do for now. Whatever they were (Neverwere, Makoto reminded herself, albeit simulated ones), these things seemed to be fairly weak as individuals. By and large, everyone seemed to be holding their own - the pugilist had boxed off some of the enemies, the knight was beating the snot out of stuff, and the DJ was... break-dance fighting, as far as Makoto could tell. Huh. Keep the wolves from swarming, and their stopping power seemed fairly limited.

Limited in the sense that they have slavering, rabid jaws that somehow didn't kill you. Makoto was still trying to get over that little tidbit of information.

Kicking off on her new... skates? She honestly wasn't much surprised at this point, and what the hell, skates were useful. It didn't hurt that she felt light enough to balance on a damn cloud or something. Regardless, Makoto made for the oversized mechanical feline, surrounded as it seemed to be. Giving her lance a light tap and launching into a much shorter jump to reach her target, the young soldier finds the split-seconds to wonder whether she should try setting up another wall. Would the first one vanish? Would the device eat her soul for overtaxing it?

"Only one way..." Pulling back from her lunge, Makoto starts to give the chained hilt the sharp flick that would detach it... and then spots what might be an even better opportunity. Turning the flick into a thrust, the redhead sent shattered fragments and chains whirling at a nearby foe, hoping they would anchor as firmly as their predecessors had done.

Actions:
Jumpcharge Wolf 5, ending movement in G13 (Using the r3 map as a reference).

Jump Check: [roll0]
Attack To-Hit: [roll1]
Attack Damage: [roll2] * 4 = 60

Followed by a Swift action to use Chains of Concordance on Wolf 11!

Ranged Touch Attack: [roll3]
Grapple Check: [roll4]

Status:
HP: 62/62
Motes: 5/7
Mote Upkeep: 1
AC: 21
Fort: +6 | Ref: +9 | Will: +5

[Owrtho]

Daina notes the resilience of the abominations to sound as the one yet stands against her after all her attacks. Even so it seems critically wounded. Noting so, she unleashes one last attack against it, before shifting her focus to its companion.

As she rains three attacks on it, light once again gathers on her turn tables, it's glow unnoticed by her, though she alone detects the melody it weaves through the music she plays, by now familiar from her frequent use, et ever changing such that it always seems new. Her weapons rip into the second wolf, the melody tearing its ability to retaliate even as the turntables and their music tear into its body.

OOC actions: Daina uses heartbreaker on wolf 7, though performs her first attack on wolf 6. Rolls made in this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13825808&postcount=927) The attacks against wolf 7 also get a flanking bonus (not accounted for). She has 6 motes remaining.

[Serafina]

Cymoril stands back to back to Umiko, and the whirling blades and wings give her enough time to assess the battlefied.
Most foes are engaged...but that one isn't, and...yes, we have a gap in our defense. Time to fix that.

"Sturmbringer, Cartridge Load!"
EXPLOSION!
The wing on her back bursts into golden sparks as she drops to the ground. They whirl around her, and she switches to a one-handed grip as she streches her left arm towards a far-away enemy, chanting another incantation.
"Once there was a Maiden
who loved to roam the wild
her mind was free and she wandered wide
oh was her journey bright
but Fate circled her
and end bound her with its chain"
Adlerkralle!
the golden sparks fly from her hand in a wide arc, and come crashing down onto the wolf Cymoril pointed at as a great claw pinning it to the ground.

Actions:
Attacking Wolf 8.
Attack: [roll0]
Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] + [roll3]
Chains of Concordance on Wolf 2
Grapple CMB-check: [roll4]

[userpay]

Temeka gimaces as one of the wolves manages to catch her but boy does her eyes go wide when she finds herself falling. "CALLISTO!"

"Unspoken request acknowledged. Initializing Luminous Rain, Protection." The motes of light that had been floating near the wolf now streak towards its face, seemingly trying to blind it. Meanwhile Temeka's revolvers open up at point blank range at the wolf above her.

Chisaki on the other hand growls, crunching on the wolf in her mouth. Her rear claws come up to menace it as well while her forepaws bat out seeking additional prey.

Can't seem to find the map so here goes the best that I can.

Temeka
Swift for Luminous Rain for +3 AC vs the wolf that attacked me. Fire all four shots at it.
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Sonic Damage [roll2]
Attack [roll3]
Damage [roll4]
Sonic Damage [roll5]
Attack [roll6]
Damage [roll7]
Sonic Damage [roll8]
Attack [roll9]
Damage [roll10]
Sonic Damage [roll11]

Chisaki
Bite and 2 rake at caught wolf, other two claws at another nearby wolf.
Bite Attack [roll12]
Bite Damage [roll13]
Rake Attack [roll14]
Rake Damage [roll15]
Rake Attack [roll16]
Rake Damage [roll17]

Claw Attack [roll18]
Claw Damage [roll19]
Claw Attack [roll20]
Claw Damage [roll21]

[Snowfire]

Cymoril's blade slams down bare millimeters from her targets head, but a miss is still a miss. But then, the knight does not seem to even pay attention - her focus switching quickly to one of the two wolves still not engaged. A roiling whip of sparks curls from her hand, then comes crashing down to wrap around the wolf - immobilising it in chains of binding light.

Temeka shots fly wide as she tries to target her enemy while falling - and she lands hard on the simulated concrete. Her familiar's foreclaws lash out at the wolf to one side of her, her back ones raking at the one in her mouth as her teeth continue to crunch and burn through the steadily shrinking shadowflesh.

Daina flicks one timetable towards her almost downed foe, the disc spinning through and releasing the thing's hold on reality, before coming spinning back to continue the assault on the wolf's compatriot - now sandwiched between Daina and Chisaki. They spin relentlessly in, gouging through flesh and pouring light into the wounds.

Umiko's head slams into her foes, light exploding around the impact and then lancing through the beast before her in a blaze of furious light. Form already slightly weakened, it comes apart now, vanishing into nothingness with a rippling scream.

And Makoto leaps back into the fray, grounding early this time and simply stabbing her lance straight through her target instead of her fancier tricks. A flare of light, and the creature ceases. A spray of light and chain reaches out in an attempt to catch the foe on the far side of Chisaki - but the whirling mixture is poorly controlled by the redhead and fails to latch on properly.

Then the - now reduced by a third - wolves leap forward again, two going after the now downed Temeka whilst the others redouble their efforts to keep their foes occupied.

Both the wolf that Cymoril had previously disabled and the one that had always been focusing on Temeka lunge forward, their jaws clamping shut on frantically dodging feet.

Temeka: [roll0] + [roll1]

The one remaining free wolf around Chisaki shoots a glance at the battlefield and...actually starts to fall back. It draws a strike from the mechanical tiger as it does so, but manages a last-second dodge as it moves back beyond Temeka.

Umiko's final remaining opponent leaps, jaw gaping wide, and the wing on the girl's back yanks her aside - leaving the wolf to go flying past and then frantically recover. At her side, Cymoril steps away from the descending teeth of her foe, sword flashing white and yellow in eagerness for another strike.

And luck finally fails Daina - not that it matters greatly - as the wolf between her and Chisaki launches an almost desperate lunge for her leg, this time landing a solid bite. Well...as solid a bite one can when half of your teeth have ceased to exist.

Daina: [roll2]+1 (Heartbreaker is evil, evil I say!)

[Princess Tracy]

"Wah!" Umiko can't help but yelp as the wing tugs at her. Such an undignified technique! Surveying the situation, Umiko decides to assist - "Hang on, metal-girl!" She brings out the full might of her inner light as she tries to smite the wolf in front of her. "Cliffcrush Style!" With a deep breath, she tries to mimic her mother's signature move though knows in her heart it is futile. Yet, if she can't attain such mastery now, she may never. "Hidden Technique: GALACTIC PUNT!" She sweeps the wolf off its feet, launches it and kicks it hard as it descends.

Angel Buster
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

If it drops, she goes to Temeka's side (M,18) by circling around Cymoril. (no AoO for you). If not she charges her energy

Concentration [roll2] vs DC 14 , which will bring my end of turn total up to 7 rather than 4

(regardless of whether of not the wolf drops)
In a flash of inspiration, she decides to use her own protective techniques on Temeka directly. "Eyes forward, rookie," she slags as she focuses her energy on her - a wellspring pouring out of Umiko and enveloping the other girl in it - formless, instinctual and thick.
Umiko uses Beacon of Serenity on Temeka, giving her 12 temporary hit points

AC 13, HP 47+12, motes 4/11

[Owrtho]

A slight grimace forms on Daina's face as she feels the bite. Still, the wound is minor, and she retaliates with another flurry of blows. The first of which strikes true, letting out a pure sound that reaches to Temeka and seems to lessen her wounds. The second however goes awry, and throws off her other attacks causing them to miss.

Actions OOC:
Daina recovers two motes and uses one for heartbreaker against wolf 7 (leaving her at 7 motes remaining). Use these (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13874853&postcount=955) rolls for attacks. First is a crit, so healing goes to Temeka. Second is a fumble, so if anything needs changing there let me know.

[Snowfire]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuWQ1eTpfQk&feature=g-vrec)

Wolves leap forwards, black warring against flaring blasts of light. Blinding radiance shatters through night, burning through and reducing it with every strike. A bladesong whispers its ancient melody through bursts of lightning. A weapon of gold, crimson and silver edges to an impossible point, the links sending its bearer whirling as they strike.

First wolves. Then others. Things like what you first fought. Then the second. And then so much more. Beings formed of rippling darkness that dance and spin in the air around you. You lose track of time, of thought. Everything, all you think you know, falling away in the face of ravenous hatred and fury.

Yet a few things remain. Standing against the hatred and fury. The blackness and the void. You are not alone. You fight together and without holding back. And the light within you...it responds to that. Together you are more than the sum of your parts - although a few of you already guessed at that.

And it comes so suddenly that you don't even realise it until many minutes - or was it hours? - after, when you notice that your mouth is no longer speaking the words that you speak to your fellows. That your ears are no longer what hear the words of those companions.

And you find in that forming link another thing. Strength through unity. When you act as one, your actions radiate with the light of all. In harmony, your melodies playing together, you create something far more beautiful and infinitely more powerful than what you held alone.

Light echoes across your vision, through your ears and from your lips. Spots dance in your eyes, the light weaving across it far too bright and yet perfectly shaded. And before that weave, that endless symphony that one of you recognises, nothing holds. Darkness breaks apart then shatters. Pain and injury falls away. And everything fades, until all you can see is Light.


***

Then it stops. Vision returns, the links between you fading as the realisation that the battle is over filters through it. And you find yourselves all kneeling on the ground of the training room, breathing heavily and just short of utterly exhausted.

And in front of you, a gentle clapping.

"That was incredible." Sara says as you look up, her hands coming together in a final beat of singular applause. "For a newly formed Pentacle, that level of coordination and linking is almost unheard of." She shakes her head. "I can see now why Amiya believes what Amber Whispered." She holds out her hand. "Come then, you must have a great deal to talk about." She waits for you to stand.

[Princess Tracy]

"Within my heart lies naught but honesty," Umiko says in a way that comes quite naturally. As she struggles to her feat, she finds herself nearly two feet taller; at some point in the brawl, she naturally slipped into her transformed state. Sure enough, the Light fills her, a sense of peace as she pats herself off shortly, before helping her companions to their feet. "Temeka, Chisaki, Cymoril, Makoto, Daina, you all performed graciously," she says with a smile.

At Sara's compliments, the now shapely and paler Umiko ruffles her long, black hair modestly. "It cam quite naturally; I think we were always meant to be together." Looking down on her nwo shorter team mates, she tilt sher head and smiles. With a long, drawn out sigh of axhaustion, she shakes herself to try and rekindle her flagging reflexes. "Well, if we could fetch some tea, I would ask you of Amber's Whisper." Umiko hovers a hand over her bulbous chest, indicating to her heart. "I'll tell you if the description fits."

[Owrtho]

Daina stands up on her own as Umiko helps up the others, giving a slight nod in return to the compliment as she does so. The training was exhausting, but she'd experience with many a day of training as much if not more so while growing up and teaching herself to dance without being coddled.
Food will be good. Proper nourishment is important when training like this. Hopefully the food will be easy to recognize.
Standing slightly away from the others still getting up, Daina idly muses over the change in Umiko while awaiting some idea of where to go next. She remembers it happening in their first fight, but after being knocked out at the end, the question of how long it will persist after the fight is left unanswered.

[Selinia]

Makoto let her shoulders slump, breathing heavily. She was a sprinter by nature - prolonged exertion like this was... new. And damn uncomfortable. The redhead didn't trust her device to not murder something if she leaned on it too heavily, so Makoto contented herself with returning the lance to its badge-like storage form and bracing against her knees to steady herself.

"Screw tea. If I'm going to subject my throat to something hot right now, it better be friggin' chocolate." Makoto rolled her shoulders, groaning slightly. "By the way, Bruiser, you're doing that losing-your-mind thing again. If you want to stay a decent, civil human being this time, fine by me. Still, thought you ought to have a heads-up at least. These device things are creepy enough without them crawling in our brains."

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko looks confused for a second before grasping what she says. "I lack a device though, Makoto. And it feels quite comfortable," she says as she offers a hand to the redhead to help stabilise her, her boundless energy seeming to overshadow her own exhaustion, or perhaos her tallness and politeness just hid such things well. "It doesn't feel liek it's going into me, the Light, more like... it was always a part I never let out. I like feeling this way, it's so nice to try new things," she declares sounding quite demure and regal. "I could revert, if you think it would be more honest of me." She lays a hand on the redhead's shoulders. "You were magnificent, you know. A credit to battle itself, and a joy to behold. You might not admit it, but when we were in that sort of trance of light, I could feel your heart standing strong." her smile flickers. "You've been through much, haven't you? Please, you'll have to tell me of your own home when we drink. Oh, but I am parched...." She smiles again, chuckling with teh now much shorter girl

[Selinia]

"Huh. So less mindrape, more therapeutic drug injection. I can buy that, I guess. Pretty sure half the shrinks back home would literally kill and dissect you to get hold of treatment like that. Any reason it throws cosmetic surgery into the mix, or do you just harbor some deep and hidden desire to literally stare down your nose at everyone?" It is difficult to tell how much of Makoto's speech is snide jabbing in proportion to simple jest, but her tired smirk suggests at least a little of both.

"And yeah, you want to hear about Danghrest, I'm fine with whatever. Frankly, anything to get the topic of conversation off of how good I apparently am at murdering the crap out of stuff." Letting the combat fatigues melt back into her casual attire, Makoto looks to Sara. "This place have a... cafeteria or something? Someplace to chill with some food?"

[Princess Tracy]

"What does 'therapeutic' mean," costumed-Umiko asks, genuinely curious. She wears an odd motherly smile that makes her hard to hate. "Appearance-wise..." she looks herself over as if surprised at herself. She traces a hand over her body, trying to compare her OBVIOUSLY different physique. She seems to dwell on her now rather mature bust, her mouth open in fascination as she ooed at herself. "Ah, I do look pretty different, don't I? Perhaps... I am my own device? I can't transform a token into a device to channel the light like you can, so my very body has to do the job. I do wonder why I look a lot more like mother like this though... It doesn't feel at all unlike me though, which is why it seemed harder to notice." She feels at her curves for a little too long for an innocent warrior of the Light. "Although, this IS a useful form. I look like a bit of a knockout like this I'll bet! Although it would be abuse of my power to use my 'costume' to draw attention of potential lovers, although I must thank teh Light for redeeming my otherwise childlike figure."

When talk of murdering things comes up, Umiko shakes her head quickly and repeatedly, her lip quivering as she looks down sadly at Makoto. "No, no, I'm sorry, i didn't mean it like that. I appreciate there's a cultural barrier between yourself and I and I shall work to take it down. In my home village, strength of arms is very important and even a year's pilgrimage outside it hasn't made me unlearn that. I know my very presence offends you, but since I don't have the option of leaving your side to make you more comfortable, I shall redouble my efforts to better myself." She leans in, grabbing Makoto's hands as she bends down to her head height. "I'm sorry I give you so much trouble, Makoto. But I want you to know, I didn't just mean fighting. There was something more there; a valour. Your heart is so strong, it brims with the Light; you were radiant, beautiful and not just because of how impressed I was at your fighting. Although..." she gives a little blush. "I'd be lying if I said that didn't get me a little flustered, having you come to my aid." She chuckles, her usual motherly smile redoubling. "But I sense there is a great truth in you and I wish to know it, to know you..." She looks over the group. "To have met all of you, i feel honoured."

[Selinia]

"Therapeutic is uh, crap, how basic do I need to get..." Makoto taps her fingers together in a rhythmic pattern, thinking for a few seconds. "In this context, it means medical. Healthy. Most mental irregularities can be fixed by just throwing drugs at someone until they get better. Science is awesome."

"And look, let me get this right out in the open - there's nothing personal here. You're a showboating berserker half the time - and an ignorant, condescending twit all of it - but prophet's panties, you are a saint compared to the people I normally deal with." Makoto takes a moment to knock away a strand of crimson hair that had wriggled its way free of her lengthy ponytail. "So don't go buying any self-help books on my behalf, 'kay? I'm pissed at the shining exemplar of dickery who thought it would be a good idea to conscript kids into an inter-dimensional war. I'm pissed at the goopy nonsensical B-movie monsters that kicked the thing off."

The girl tosses her hands in the air, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm pissed at the damn Priest-Kings, if you want to get down to it! Laying the foundations for life like omnipotent jerks - just imagine, if some moron had dumped the vial of 'crap luck, secret superpowers' a few beakers to the left, some other sap would be standing here and I'd be stealing Hotaru's corn chips and beating her senseless at SQ3. But no. Feth take'em, seriously." Makoto exhales loudly, but appears to be done venting. At the very least, she has calmed enough to pick up on the blatantly obvious.

"And, uh, are you hitting on me?" She blinks a few times, difficult to read. "Because... uh, just so you know, I'm pretty sure that's major jail-time for Sexually Deviant Behavior in a Public Setting, even at our age... and in that body, possibly statutory rape as well. No clue what age-shifting does to laws like that." The expression resolves into something halfway between confusion and faint disgust.

"In the interest of you continuing to punch things that want to rip my intestines out, I'm going to just drop this issue without calling the cops... If there even are cops to call. Are we the cops? What the hell, doesn't matter, I'm hungry." With that, Makoto pointedly turns around, surveying the room's exit as if the gleaming metal doors would themselves yield directions if assayed with a sufficiently keen eye.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko listens intently as Makoto speaks, looking apologetic at times and confused at others, generally around what would be (in her world) anachronisms. It's very obvious, for instance, that she wants to ask 'What's a B-movie' or 'What are corn chips', but she lets her speak. "Do I really come across as condescending...?" she sadly asks as she is called such. "I finally feel for other people enough to care for them, but it makes their words hurt somehow... Perhaps the Light has improved my view of your opinion..." She slinks down, not really standing her full height. At accusation deviancy, she opens her mouth, seeming to think better of speaking (possibly out of fear of offence), but as she speaks of age shifting, she looks confounded. "No, this is the figure all women of my tribe have at my age. Except for me, obviously... I'm a half breed with a regular human, so I'm a late bloomer. For some reason this form seems to catch me up. The Valleyfolk reach sexual maturity at a younger age than regular humans due to the primal energy of our homeland (and as an evolutionary advantage since we tend to die quite young if we don't grow strong and fertile fast). But as for hitting on you..."

She thinks for a minute, before concluding Makoto didn't mean physical violence. "As for deviancy... I can't speak for your culture's rules, but defending a wounded ally is a sign of affection in my own," she says simply before beaming, looking a little embarrassed as she scratches the back of her shaggy black mane of hair. "I thought you were the one hitting on me, as a matter of fact. Does that mean you would be the one in trouble, Makoto? I won't tell anyone who would get you in trouble, I swear, although you shouldn't allow yourself to be governed by arbitrary rules. I know that sounds odd coming from me, someone whose upbringing is so contrary to your own, but the Valleyfolk behavior is deeply rooted in our very soul; it transcends upbringing and rules, the codes of battle simply being a part of us. Although in this form... it feels less so. Perhaps that is why I am calm despite this new place. It feels like I have been given a blank slate." She pulls herself back form drifting off as Makoto searches for an exit. "Sorry for my tangent about myself, and I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. Although you are quite..." she holds her tongue for now, fearful for the girl's emotional wellbeing if she so much as calls her cute. "...Endearing," she says, seeming to find the words.

[Serafina]

"You know, Umiko, my girlfriend used to pull off the same trick as you! Having a mature combat form, that is...though she didn't just use it for combat." Cymoril smirks at the other girl, before she heads off to catch up to Makoto - and hot chocolate!

[Princess Tracy]

"You have a girlfriend?" Umiko asks. "That's wonderful, Cymoril. What do you mean other than combat though? Do you mean lifting heavy things, reaching high places, the like, or perhaps she is also calmer like this?" Umiko usually wasn't nearly so innocent - ironic for the patron of honesty.

[Snowfire]

Sara follows the conversation around the room, her eyes snapping from face to face and back again as the occupants converse. At Makoto's question however, she points at the door behind her.

"Second on the left. Should be empty except for food."

As Cymoril leaves the room, she re-attaches herself to the now-Knight and smiles knowningly at her. "So, feel any different now?" She asks.

On entering the cafeteria you find a liberal spread of food, mostly comprised of evening meals. Out the window, you can see that the sun has sunk below the horizon, the first stars beginning to sparkle in the coming night sky.

There is no one else in the room, just Makoto for now. Well, Makoto, food, several cups of hot chocolate, a pot of tea, and...a book.

A very specific book.

Journeys in Light to be precise.

[Princess Tracy]

"I take the lessons of hunters too literally sometimes," Umiko remarks as she helps herself to a platter of salads, vegetables, fruit - anything that was never alive. "The mantras is not 'don't eat what you don't kill' it's 'don't eat meat you don't hunt'; it's support for the strongest hunters and incentive - we are omnivores with a vast appetite for meat in particular, but we can gather vegetables easily enough. They just taste far less satisfying," the cheerful valleyfolk expounds as she chokes down something that looks like a cabbage, her instinctual distaste for vegetable matter showing even now. "Ooh, I have vegetables. Fruit is at least sweet... Would you care to hear of dinosaurs? My months spent in the great Library of my homeworld indicate most people consider them extinct and I am trying to find a novelty to spin a story from for your amusement." It seems she can't help being 'honest' about her train of thought. "Am i talking too much? Perhaps I'll just read (and wash this salad down)." She pours herself some herbal tea, drinking it like an old folk as she grabs the 'very specific' book and cranks it open without a second though - impulsive even now

[Selinia]

"Feth you, that's mine!" Makoto snatches the book from the much taller girl with a glower, much of the vaguely ambivalent warmth from the earlier conversation evaporating in an instant. Left behind was a belligerence of uncertain origin, giving Umiko a look that could only be described as 'wrathful'. Makoto calms back down after a few tense seconds, and makes a show of pocketing the tome with exaggerated nonchalance.

"This is mine." The redhead pats the pocket solemnly. "You want to play with something of mine, take Hound. Damn dogbrain probably wouldn't even be able to tell you from me." Mentally she chimes in 'as opposed to the book', but Makoto holds back on that particular tidbit of information.

Piling a plate high with fresh fruits, meat, and other such novelties (supplemented of course by familiar junk foods - albeit, with unfamiliar brands), Makoto plops down at the cafeteria table with the others and makes an attempt to shift the conversation into less awkward and potentially illegal waters.

"Gonna be honest here - I don't really give a crap about dinosaurs beyond a faint glimmer of hope that I never have to meet one. All the problems of animals, supersized and plated in armor." She shudders, "Bluh, I'll pass." Makoto tries to pass the shudder off as a shrug, failing miserably.

"Still, probably wouldn't be a bad call to toss out some more stuff about our homeworlds. Would go a long way towards avoiding, uh," A sidelong glance at Cymoril, "Cross-cultural misunderstandings, I think the term is. Anything anyone wants to know about Danghrest, I'll do my best to answer - sure as hell don't know where to start, so uh, go with whatever."

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko is taken aback as the book is snatched from her so rudely, spilling tea on herself in the process - showing even she isn't immune to pain as she squints her eyes and yelps sharply. "C-calm down, Makoto, I didn't mean to intrude. I just so love reading and learning, it felt wrong to not take a peak..."

She pouts a little, hiding it poorly that she really wants to know what's in the book. She was still a girl after all, not some enlightened sage who could rise above the impulse to shout 'that's not fair, i want one'. Still, she pours herself more tea and calms down quickly enough as Makoto seems to make her offer to exchange stories. "My world is more feudal and primal than this," she remarks, obviously. "Tell me of yours though, I am curious where you all came from, you people are quite odd," she comments good naturedly, tilting her head to the side and seemingly oblivious to how that criticism might apply to herself.

[Snowfire]

As Umiko flips the book open - in the instant between Makoto snatching it off of her - there is an almost invisible flare of power from the tome. Symbols of power and binding and...something else flower across the empty pages. And then the symbols vanish, quickly as they appeared, at Makoto's touch. But a faint outline of rose and gold remains to Umiko's sight, clinging to the edges of the book as Makoto pockets it.

Sara blinks, looking at the book as it passes between hands, then concentrates for a moment.

"Well," she says, drawing your attention. "That's new. Books generally don't have the capacity to teleport..."

[Princess Tracy]

The glow puts Umiko off balance, all the more curious for it being brought away. "Um, with that glow, I would say it was on fire if I didn't know any better. Is it really a good idea to tuck it away like that? From the way the symbols popped up, it might want to be read. If that makes any sense...?" She seems genuinely concerned.

[Selinia]

"Teleporting book or not, eating and reading at the same time is just a terrible idea. Eating and reading what is probably a unique copy of an ancient manuscript is just asking for hilarious shenanigains infloving three dogs and entire too much surgery. Trust me, I saw that movie and it wasn't pretty." Makoto shrugs, digging into her meal enthusiastically and continuing to talk between bites. "I'll read it in a bit, so chill. If it wants my attention that bad, superbook can set my steak on fire or something."

"As for Danghrest, well... gah, where to I start." The redhead lets herself fall into thought again for a short time before resuming in a more serious tone than she generally used, "Going to skip the history lesson because for one I'm not a qualified teacher and for another I honestly don't think you people give a crap. Short version is fighting, followed by more fighting, which caused a deadly outbreak of fighting. On occasion, everyone dies to some disease or another. Magical girls began to associate with militant tribes in our version of the feudal era, and have been lending a magically reinforced hand to the bloody murder of their fellow human beings ever since."

"About a century and a half ago, give or take a couple decades, things got bad. War kept cropping up, but weapons just kept getting better, and... crap." Makoto kneads her forehead between two fingers, clearly frustrated, "Look, there are three reasons people fight, ultimately. One is to kill someone. Two is to use the threat of killing someone to extort something from another party. Three is because humans have a sick sense of amusement and we tend to get a kick out of adrenaline. Back in the feudal era, people could pretend there was some crap about honor, or codes or whatever. There was, I dunno, a civility to murder. They kept it personal, stabbing and that kind of thing."

"That... didn't last. Give someone a choice between honorable murder and efficient murder, and they're going to go with efficiency every single goddamn time. If these were decent people they would not be involved in Fething mass murder to begin with. There is no 'honor' or 'heart or 'grace' in battle. Battle is soldiers screaming in agony as poison gas sets their nervous system on fire, and bombs do the same to the rest of them. Battle is people trying to call for help, but ending up vomiting out their organs. It's survivors twitching and frothing in their own bloody excrement because they saw their best friend reduced to chunky red strips scatted across the dirt and their mind just decided the world wasn't worth the trouble of staying sane any more." Makoto seems unfazed by the gruesome subject, continuing on as if with a classroom lecture.

"And yeah, we watched the videos back in elementary. That kind of crap sticks with you, which is sort of the point. Because at some point, our world got its senses slapped back into it. The Prophetess - who, mind you, was a crazy broad and genocidal monster - killed a gaping load of people and basically shocked the world into unity. She was insane, but the thing stuck. New Unified Government. We've had that as our banner ever since, and you know what? Much as I'd like to hate the NUG for generally screwing me over for the entirety of my conscious life, I am forced to grudgingly admit that they do a damn good job. The fighting was over because someone won, full stop, end of story. Nobody else has a stick, and they will beat the living daylights out of anyone who tries to get one. But yeah, if I'm surprised by the uh, lack of restrictions here, remember please that my world had its laws written by a puritanical lunatic, and I'm starting to assume yours... didn't."

Makoto shrugs again, leaning back in her chair a staring at the ceiling.

"And yeah, we have magical girls of our own. About one in ten thousand females has some level of magical potential, and there's a real effort to train them all. Somewhere between five and six hundred thousand, probably, if I had to guess. When I was reading in the library earlier, I was wondering if we had an absurdly high output or something, but my guess is that its just the opposite. In Danghrest, we just...aren't very picky. Most of our 'Mahou Shoujo' probably have less magical power than a civilian from one of your worlds. What we have left over looks a lot like Bookwyrm's stuff - lots of math and crap I've never really bothered trying to understand because it honestly just isn't important for a street urchin to know advanced mathematics. Should... probably get on top of that now, between saving the universe and all." A long drink of soda punctuated that statement, followed by another absent-minded puff of air to clear away crimson strands.

"All gods, I'm rambling. Someone either ask a question or take over, because this is gonna turn into a rant about alien politics or something. I admit though, its kinda nice to have people who gives approximately twenty times as many craps about history as your average bum."

[Snowfire]

Sara's face flickers for a second, something coming very close to pity flashing across it as Makoto speaks, but restrains herself. She waits and listens, going utterly still but for breathing until the teenager pauses.

"Laws on Amber are an...interesting thing." She says finally, seeming to latch on to the one thing that she could easily explain. "And they come down, in essence, to the nature of the society that made Amber the center of Light in the multiverse." She shrugs, then gestures through the window where the lights of Megera can be seen. "This world has never known war. Not anywhere close to scale that yours has." There is a brief stop, the same stillness as before settling over her for a moment. "The last violent conflict on more than a personal level on this planet - other than two nights ago, which only we remember - took place well before our species even existed at approximately thirty-two thousand years ago.

"That conflict ended through the use of a multiversal scale superweapon that drew on all the unused power that Amber creates. That weapon fundamentally changed the way in which the multiverse works, making the Light a constant within it. The race that created it were utterly consumed - willingly I might add - by its firing. Their enemy was similarly annihilated.

"After that...our species and the countless hybrids that arise from different forms of exposure to the Light evolved. As far as we can tell from compiled histories, this evolution occurred within a space of less than a thousand years and was synchronised across the known multiverse. And humanity here, on Amber, seemed to never experience the violence that generally goes with forming a society. People fight, they disagree. Sometimes it even comes to blows. But it never goes beyond that. Perhaps it's messing with our heads, perhaps that's wrong. But if it stops death and destruction on the scale you say your world experienced - and still does likely, just hidden - then I call that a fair trade!" She stops suddenly, almost short of breath, then inhales slowly.

"Sorry I got side-tracked. You asked about the laws of Amber and I gave you a history lesson." She giggled - very obviously at herself. "Well, I guess the Archivist title is sticking then.

"In-jokes you likely won't get aside, the law and justice system of Amber is almost absurdly simple. If a dispute reaches a certain level - which is extremely rare - the parties request Speaker intervention. Speakers are elected from each district of the planet and when intervention is requested three are chosen at random to resolve the dispute. This system has been in place in for about five thousand years - although it only became truly worldwide two thousand years ago. In that time there has been on average two appeals a millennia due to unfair rulings." She shrugs.

"Laws are proposed by the people through their Speakers, hammered into something that actually represents a law by those same Speakers - overseen by the public who elected them if they wish to involve themselves, which many do - and then added to the Libram by planetary vote. And that same populace enforces those laws. Considering the last non-petty crime on records took place three thousand years ago, law enforcement is pretty much a ceremonial position in society than anything else. The only real threat to Amber are the Neverwere. And the Pentacles deal with them.

"On specifics..." Sara shrugs. "Be reasonable, civil, human beings? That's about it." The light in the room shifts subtly in a strange counter to the way the lights are set up. And the beginnings of understanding how Amber works spreads into your minds.

OOC:
So Sara just gave you the knowledge of how Amber works in terms of law, justice and all those other fun things. And it seems to boil down to it just...working. Freedom of expression in all things, from speech to art to love and relationships, seems to be the name of the game. And the only real ironclad laws seem to represent more a set of social guidelines than anything else. Any questions? IC or OOC, up to you. Although OOC likely makes a bit more sense.

[Serafina]

Cymoril listens to Makotos and Saras description while munching on some sandwiches.
After they tell their tales - but before quite finishing her own meal - she starts to tell one of her own.

"Well, i suppose the society i am from is pretty much in the middle. Most people have a small amount of magical talent, and it's pretty much required for a lot of tasks since our technology largely works on magic. We have a large military, which is also our law enforcement - but mostly because we police a huge amount of other worlds as well, and to deal with high-grade magical criminals. The laws are pretty strict in that regard - we try to strictly control any potentially dangerous magic, and if a mage gets out of hand or is too powerful we use magical limiters on them. And other laws regarding public safety - building codes, driving regulations, that sort of thing - are pretty strict as well. But on the other hand we have lots of freedom for our personal lives, and we always try to rehabilitate criminals."

She pauses for quite a while, and a painful look goes over her face before she continues.
"Not that our society doesn't have its faults. It's hard to admit, but if you have lots of magical talent you are pretty much guaranteed to advance quickly no matter what employ you seek. And...well if you have little magical talent it is the other way around. I...have - had - no magical talent at all. That means that adults almost always treated me with some pity, while other children - well most weren't nice. I'm not used to my accomplishments having any meaning - i always tried to be brilliant, i studied a lot - but it just didn't mean anything. All my talents in other areas - even with magical theory - they didn't mean anything in our society because i didn't have magical talent. And every time a teacher complimented me, i just heard them say "its so sad that you are not a mage, you would be so brilliant if you could use your talents"."

She pauses again, and a brief smile vanishes into an anguished look which is quickly replaced by a stern face.
"I only had one person who really didn't care one way or another about my lack of magical talent, and who just treated me like a normal person. She cared for me like no other, and she meant the world to me - but i also was afraid all the time that i am not worthy of her. One day i confessed to her, and..."
she looks at Umiko with a look of utter bliss on her face
"well, she is the girlfriend i was talking about."
after another short pause, she continues with the same forcibly calm face as before.
"And a few days ago, she did the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. She gave me my device - Sturmbringer - which we had found together earlier. And she just trusted that i could activate it - perhaps she knew something, but i think she just knew that i was capable, that i was worthy. And it worked, and i never was so happy - even after she told me she loved me - but then...then i lost her. Then i was here. And i don't know if i will ever see her again. I....sorry for telling you this, i just..."

Cymoril looks over the others in the room, tears welling up in her eyes - and she begins to cry as she storms out of the room.

[Princess Tracy]

As Makoto talks of the reasons for fighting and death, Umiko looks sternly. When she's done, the air it leaves in the room is thick with her despair. She catastrophically decides to raise the mood after that, smiling a little when Makoto is done talking - though not until she gets to the fabled '5th reason'. "Oh, I don't know, I'd say there's at least 5 reasons to fight and kill. A 4th would be in self-defence; that you can spare someone's life is built on the assumption you can kill them - sparing and rehabilitating or whatever else is something you can do after subduing them, and that can be hard if you're using a big pointy stick like you do rather than fists. The 5th reason though," she says, feigning a sarcastic tone "Might be survival. You ever had human meat with barbeque sauce? Some fine eatin' to be had there..." she doesn't get far in her joke before there's a pop of light, and Umiko is left looking a little dazed, 2 feet being lost from her height and her costume vanishing as she returns to normal. "I-it was a joke! Just a joke, not a lie! Stupid transformation, so fiddly..." her aggresive attitude seeming to return, but more moderates, merely annoyed now a her abandoning powers, however minor a setback it may be. "I'm half-human myself, so I wouldn't be a cannibal for real.." She had some more to say, but between losing her costume for the moment and Sara talking, she lost her place in the conversation until Cymoril finished her piece.

Her costume gone, Umiko does seem to have some perspective gained for it nevertheless, listening to Sara and Cymoril. When Cymoril storms out crying, Umiko drinks the last of her tea, looking less blissful as her costumed self does as she stands, short hair bobbing slightly, and scoops up a fistful of her remaining salad. "I'll keep an eye on her." She points to Makoto accusingly. "And you.." She suddenly blushes, her eyebrows clamping together in embarrassed rage - the look of someone who just had their best friend play an obvious but brilliant prank on them, ifthey secretly had a crush on their best friend. "F-forget everything I said earlier, you're ugly and stupid and there's nothing romantically appealling about you!" Umiko had the worst poker face IN THE WORLD, unspoken vow to honesty or not. She shoves the salad in her mouth before she can embarrass herself any further, shutting up as she heads after Cymoril. "And your culture is unworthy of note," she slurs. It was quickly becoming apparent whatever she said might well be the inversion of the truth when she was ever embarrassed, though it was such a rare occurance there were only so many data points to judge that from

[Selinia]

Sera's tale elicits some faint eye-rolling (particularly on the topic of the suicidal maniacs with cosmic weapons of mass destruction), but Makoto listens in with genuine interest. She'd never been terribly fond of school, even when she was small - it was dry, and dull, and crowded beyond belief. But history... that was different. History was stories, and lessons. Terrible lessons, true - nobody studied history to learn what people did right - but it was something tangible and real nonetheless.

And stable. That was a definite plus. Makoto's planned contribution to the conversation was rather abruptly derailed by the sudden breakdown of the relatively cordial atmosphere. Shoving her tray away with a sigh, the redheaded mahou shoujo grabs Umiko by the shoulder as Cymoril flees the scene.

"Oh, hey. You're back. Nice to know I can look forward to some more brilliant inanity. But by the gods, don't go messing with the Bookwyrm right now." Makoto's head tilts as she glares at Umiko. "That girl has, assuming she is not completely fabricating this crap, just lost her best friend and only positive human connection. Since then, she's been in the same crash course of child soldier indoctrination as the rest of us - clumped together with a bunch of Fethin' strangers and told she has to save the universe."

"Now, if you seriously think you can stand in for that person, then congratulations, you are the villain of a cliche romantic comedy, in which case I am sorry to say that wacky hijinks are about to befall you in a rather tasteless fashion." A nod back to the table punctuates Makoto's words. "Otherwise, let's all sit back down and let the girl have some some to get her thoughts in order. Hell, if you want I'll track down a thesaurus and see if we can't get some decent insults into that vocabulary of yours. Whaddya say?"

[Snowfire]

Cymoril

The walls blur past as you run, haphazard turns left and right flowing past in a veil of tears as the loss and the pain and the fear and...everything breaches the bulwark that has been holding back the emotional storm this long. Echoes of gasping sobs are your only company, the Enclave empty to the point that almost all there is of it is deserted a silent. And the running goes on, tears streaming down, until you burst through a final door and find yourself in circular room full of sparkling crystal shapes.

Everyone else

Cymoril vanishes into the depths of the enclave swifter than any of you can follow, the sound of her heartache dwindling away until it is lost to hearing. Sara smiles tightly.

"Well, I had best be heading to rest." She says, stifling a yawn. "There are rooms set up just across the hall for you, with a common room linked to them. Any possessions you left in the ward will have been moved across." She stops for a moment, eyes going unfocused, and then pulls a Thesaurus from her robe. She lays it on the table, nods to you all, and withdraws.

"Good night."

[Princess Tracy]

"Normal people don't cry in front of other people - they hold it in until no one's looking if they want to be alone. Starting to cry then running away - it's a cry for help, befitting one in a mindset of being rescued by their knight in shining armour. She's pretty weak and needy," Umiko states with sudden insight, though one suspects it is hardly sudden so much as it is more likely constant. Makes one wonder how close a series of tabs she's keeping on everyone else's emotonal wellbeing. "I won't bother trying to fix her, but in case she gets in trouble, I'll follow her and try not to be seen. I've got no interest in being her Leader, now get the **** out my way - I go where I please and I know for a fact you're too much of a coward to stop me even if I was doing something wrong." She seems to stop on her way out as Makoto jokes about a thesaurus. "I know plenty of words, you bint. I spent the last year of my life basically living in a library - I daresay my diction is superior to your own command of basic language."

She ignores Sara and the others until the Thesaurus is actually produced. She grits her teeth and clenches her fist, embarrassed as she kicks the ground hard enough upon spinning around to leave a half-intended hole. "Screw this, stereotyping shrew. Rap battle you and me, let's go, I'll hit you with as many big words as your repugnant cranium can muster!" She seems to have forgotten about Cymoril, her pride challenged. "Where was I, oh yeah, Daina - a beat!"

[userpay]

So many things going on at once leaves Temeka a tad overwhelmed. From her close call and eventual triumph in the training room to the outpouring of stories afterwards. Yet it seems just as things start to settle down Umiko evidently begins to prep for yet another showdown. With a sigh Temeka just settles in a little deeper in her chair, Chisaki curled in her lap.

Sorry for being brief, go several tests over the next few days but wanted to put something out at least.

Oh and while I'm thinking about it what has everyone chosen thus far for what Element they represent?

[Owrtho]

Daina followed the others as they moved to the room where the promised food waited. The smell of the many dishes prepared within let her know when they got close.

Entering the room after Makoto, Daina paid little head to the presence of the book, only noting its presence due to the minor squabble that ensued concerning it. Books had never particularly interested her, at least not those that lacked audio or text discernible by touch. Her attention was instead drawn to the table on the far side of the room where the smells assured her food waited.

Reaching the table, Daina stopped to try determining its contents. Moving slowly along the tables length, a finger trailing on the table nudging the various dishes as she passed. Using the smells and sound of the dishes as well as the feel of the plates as she nudged them Daina selected a meal consisting of some meat dish and a salad. Moving to the she placed the two plates, before moving back to the food to obtain a bowl of soup and a formal set of silverware with napkin. Making one more trip back to the food, she selected what smelled like a mug of hot chocolate and a glass of water, before seating herself at her chosen spot and making one last check that everything was located in its proper formal place setting before proceeding to eat, looking the very image of a proper young lady were it not for her clothes and died hair.

Her food now obtained, Daina turned her attention to the conversation of the others. They seemed to have settled the argument over the book, and the topic had changed to describing their homeworlds.
So, Umiko seems to come from some primitive to medieval fantasy land? Well I suppose that explains her tough poser kind of attitude. Makoto comes from a vaguely dystopian world with plenty of laws. Still she seems nice enough. To think they had plenty of magical girls there though. More than can be said for my world. There wasn't even any proof magic existed there.
Hard to think that a society could run off such simple laws.
And the suckup comes from a multi-world spanning empire filled with magic. How sci-fi.
As the others described their homes, Daina realized soon it would be her turn. Wait, how am I supposed to explain Aberash? It was completely normal. Multiple governments, one world, moderate technology, no magic... Not that they'd likely think of that as normal. This is going to be a pain I'd rather avoid.
Cymoril ran from the room crying. Daina tuned out the last bit of what she was saying as she began talking about her personal problems, distracted by her own thoughts. She did however catch that Umiko wanted to look after her and Makoto thought it would be unwise.
Well, perhaps a distraction like this will cause them to overlook asking about my home for now.
At Umiko's request for a beat, a small grin broke out on Daina's face.
Looks like it. So she wants to prove something? Lets see how well she raps to this.
Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRSDgU1G59w) begins playing from the turn table that have now replaced the dishes in front of Daina, her meal finished while the others were talking.
Roll for Perform (Disc Jockey) [roll0]

[Princess Tracy]

Holy crap she actually did it. Seeing Makoto seemed about as ready for such a battle as the night they met fills her with a smidgen of hope as she clears her throat. Stepping back, she stands her full height, though still seems one of the shortest ones there even in this room full of short girls. "Yo, G," she utters, trying to get a feel for the beat and instantly everyone knows this will end poorly for SOMEONE's self esteem.

Perform (rap) check [roll0]

[Princess Tracy]

Yo, coward, you shouldn't insult ma word
Your hair is red but your belly's yellow
Your lance is long but your arms are short,
girl, go back 'til you can throw down with Umiko!

Let me tell ya, o evoker of drama, comfort, illusion,
I'll bring you to your conclusion!
If Daina got my back and the planet is round,
you may find yourself smashed straight through to the ground
-EQUATORS!

Ahem, you should know, you got your laws,
your magic girls, your stupid lowing book,
your flowing red hair, your eyes so... PSYCH!
Uptight, not amorous, you should lighten up,
world's turned tocrap and all you do is whine against your incline,
YO, your a hero right, accept it, if you ever learn some skill
some endurance, some wit, blockhead

You call me a bruiser, but I just take it rough,
you should know I'm owning you all off the cuff,
why don't you tell me more so I can tear you down -
or hell, maybe not, you'd be duller when you frown.

Ha! C'mon what you got?
Obstruct my forward motion, you're gonna need lotion
cause if you stand in ma way, you're gonna get BURNED

With the last word, throughout her series of odd dances, Umiko concludes it all as she crashes her foot into the ground, leaving another cracking hole as the stone gives way a bit and she throws her hands up in a victory pose, her mouth in a mocking smirk before one hand seems to 'give' Makoto an invisible mic in a gesture of clear 'your turn'

When you get to hell, tell them Umiko sent ya!

I feel so dirty...

[Selinia]

Poetry? Makoto wasn't exactly schooled in this kind of thing - it traditionally being the purview of those with enough wealth and leisure time to practice standing around trading insults with one another - but she knew enough to know that Umiko was being more than a little over aggressive. And hell, what did it matter who won a stupid slam like this? The bruiser wasn't harassing the bookwyrm, and that was the important thing.

The redhead smirks, shrugs, and strings together her own 'rebuttal'.

I am afraid, dear cretin, that your syntax is lacking.
Your insults, misguided, beg meticulous smacking.
They are far from alone in meritorious drought -
Your godsawful syntax is quite clear throughout!
I've no clue, quite frankly, how we're both speaking Standard,
But the language is reeling from your vicious attack!
Did it kill your dear mum? Cut the poor thing some slack!
You're slurring your words like some gutternsnipe bum!

You lived in an archive? Were you eating the pages?
If you acted like this, I pity the sages!
Meticulous works just wasted in days!
Though that may be unfair - on reflection now, I know,
You'd have paid great attention to the books on the dinos.
How else would you learn how better to kill one?
I cede you a point, and the thought makes me chuckle,
High shelves must have sucked, with how you drag those knuckles!

If you think you can hurt me, be submitting some testing!
You're just pushing air 'till you prove you can best me!
Because me? I don't care! Your words are damn mellow.
They've the offensive power of a carton of jello!
You wriggle and squirm - rather funny to watch -
But I've gotten worse burns eating sweet butterscotch!
You think that you're wicked? You think that you're slick?
Stick to hitting on girls like some faux-edgy flick!

Heroes are actions, and we've all done jack sh!t,
Save get caught in the blast of a battleship hit!
I doubt we'd still be here, if we weren't soulless meat,
And being inhuman is hardly a feat.
I'll fight in this war, but make no mistake -
It isn't my choice, and its a job that I hate!
I'd leave to you, you bloodthirsty freak,
But my home's under siege, even now, as we speak!

So pardon me princess, if I come off as dull, rather -
If I'm dour, I've reasons, given now as we blather,
My world slips away like hourglass sand!
But now I'm off on a tangent,
I'm sure you get what I meant.

Makoto's dryly sarcastic rhymes are positively laced with venom - though as was often the case with her, it was hard to tell how much was genuine and how much was feigned for the sake of the slam-off. She gestures offhandedly to Umiko as she concludes.

So the floor's back to you, you ignorant hick,
Come back with some barbs that'll actually stick!

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko glares for a moment. I underestimated this one. Did she really freestyle that? hat last dismissive gesture appears to get her attention, she brings her arm back, ready to swing and before anyone can stop her, lunges forward dramatically. But rather than break Makoto's ribs, she instead thrusts forward an outstretched hand to shake that of the other girl as she smiles toothily. "You know what, redhead? You're alright." Putting up a fight in Umiko's second-preferred medium of that magnitude clearly earned her some points. "Come on, let's go find something hard to drink, take your mind off your troubles until you're tough enough to deal with them, whaddya say? Also I don't hit on girls - I just have a natural charm."

[Serafina]

Cymoril almost runs into the crystal walls of the strange room, sliddering to a halt at the last second.

Exhausted, she sits down and cries for who-knows-how-long. How fitting that she would run into a confusing dead-end.
'Just what happened to me anyway. Going on is pointless...but so is staying. Why not end it?'
While she sobs, memories flash before her eyes. First she is alone, and everything appears dark and damp. Colors are bleak, and everything drags on. Pain in Absence.
But thena tune inrudes upon the world, and changes it. Kaleidoscopic fractures form in the darkness, and the Absence cracks. She thinks of Vivio, and she begins to smile as words form in her mind.
'No trouble will break this ever again!'

Once, there was a maiden…
…who was driven from her land.
Great black stags chased her, and their eyes shone blue.
Monsters scrambled after her through the bush, though they found her not.
Stumbling on a log, she fell; and thought to surrender, and end the torment of the hunt; but then, she stood, and stuck out her tongue at the dark woods behind her.
“Love is smiling at your troubles,” she said.

Renewed, she begins to look at the room with some curiosity.

[Selinia]

"Gonna pass on the drinks, I think. See enough boozed-up vagrants and the substance really loses its appeals." Makoto smirks, taking a moment to tuck away a few strands of loose red hair. "Go ahead though, I won't stop you. We are standing in a cafeteria, in case you forgot. Where there's food, there's alcohol - unless this entire organization is staffed by kids... which it might actually be, come to think of it. Ugh, whatever. Just so long as the sober superbeings outnumber the drunk ones, we should be fine." The redhead gives Umiko's hand a firm shake before stowing both of her own in the wide picket of her hoodie and flashing a wide grin and chuckling.

"Heh, of all the random crap to share across worlds - slam poetry? Really, universe?" Makoto shakes her head in bemusement, most of her bitterness diffused by the sheer absurdity of the situation.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko scratches her hair modestly, slamming far more genuinely than normal. "Heh heh, well it's not done that often in my world. But I found it in the library a few months ago, freestylin', and it seemed cool! All it did was confound most people when I tried it though, so I never got any actual practice at it before now. Thanks for that then!" Umiko looks around for about two seconds before giving up. "Eh, forget it, there's no fun to be had in drinking alone I think. It's a social thing, just sad when you do it alone." She stretches, looking towards Temeka and Daina. Slouching against the table, she pats Daina on the head. "How ya doin', Daina? Thanks for the beat, pity it favoured her. Do you drink at all? If not I might have to turn in." Still happy from her battle, she grins at Temeka. "Hey, we all shared a storytime, why don't you?"

[Snowfire]

Cymoril

The crystals shimmer with internal light, shattered rainbows reflecting across the ceiling in a ever-changing swirl of shifting lights. Whispers of sound drift on those currents of light, echoes of echoes of words spoken worlds away. But under the sound and light, the distracting echoes and reflections, there lies power. You can't tell how much, not easily with the whispering light all around you. But it is very clearly there. Focusing in on this room, pulling in the whispers and visions.

And one whisper rises out of the almost soothing hum, a faint, blurry image forming around Cymoril as it does so.

"Damn it Hayate-chan, I don't have time for this! Vivio is -"
"Nanoha, please. We're doing everything we can and I promise you that you'll have the support you need. But you need to hear what Carim has to say."

[Owrtho]

The rap-off complete, Daina allows the music to stop. She pauses a moment in thought upon hearing Umiko's question before deciding honesty works best in this situation. Her hands briefly dance across the turntables playing out a reply.
♪Only the♫rare♫glass of wine♫sorry♪
Only really at events where politeness dictates partaking in some really. A brief apologetic smile shows on Daina's face as her response is heard.

OOC: For those curious, the songs are in order:
Only the Horses by Scissor Sisters
Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera
A Steel Guitar and a Glass of Wine by Paul Anka
Insanity by Oingo Boingo

[Serafina]

Tears start to well up in Cymorils eyes again, but she tries to calm herself and listen as good as she can, silently ordering Sturmbringer to record as much as possible.
'Are they looking for me? Oh please oh pleas oh please...no, that's probably just an echo from the JS-incident...why would they bother someone like Carim for someone like me...i don't want false hope, but...'
She slaps herself before her thoughts derail further, mumbling "damn it, stop that and listen!"

[Snowfire]

The image solidifies around her, shifting gently to show faces that Cymoril knows very well through Vivio. But the expressions...they are not smiling. Not what she remembers of those people from her meetings with them. Nanoha's face is drawn and taut, but she nods reluctantly to Hayate.

"I...fine." She says finally, allowing the Ground Force General lead her into the small drawing room. "But this had better be worth the time away fro-"

"Oh, I think I can safely say it is." Knight Carim Gracia responds from the centre of the room. It is dark, the blinds lowered and secured - and even though it is simply a vision Cymoril can almost feel the weight of the powerful protective magic - as if the room around her is straining to bypass them. Carim crosses the distance between herself and Nanoha, pulling the Ace of Aces into a hug. "I am...so sorry. I should have-" Nanoha shakes her head sharply.

"You couldn't have known Carim-san. No one could have predicted this." Nanoha sighs. "Yes, if Vivio had come to one of us about this perhaps it wouldn't have happened. But from what we've managed to piece together this is old magic. Far older than the TSAB." Carim's shoulders slump, head downcast.

"Except....I did predict this, Nanoha." She replies softly. "Not...not the exact specifics, but the basics. I just never thought it would be so...literal."

"What?" Nanoha's voice was as soft as Carim's, but there was an...undercurrent.

"You...you know my Rare Skill."

"Prophetin Schriften, of course I do. Are you saying that you knew this was coming?"

"No! No." Carim trailed off. "Nothing like this." She stepped back. "But the last one...it is probably better if I simply read it." Nanoha nodded, and the golden cards swept out around her in a ring of glowing knowledge. Carim reached out, plucked a single card from the ring, and held it up, eyes still closed as she recited.

Called to Center of Light,
Forgotten Knight of Storms,
The Blade will release her,
Take her from all she loves,
But not at its own will.

Amber must provide,
The Gate cracks,
The Barrier beside it.

The Guardians of the Child out of Time,
Will find the way,
For the Child and Knight are linked,
By bonds of Love and Duty,
And Oaths stronger than simple death.

The card falls from her hand, back into the dozens whirling around her which fold together back into a deck which she catches deftly. Then she slumps, Nanoha catching her.

"Are you all right, Carim-san?"

"I'll be...fine. That one just took more than usual out of me. I'm not sure why." She shakes her head. "But it doesn't matter. Now do you see why I asked you to come here?"

[Serafina]

Cymoril jumps up in joy. "They are looking for me! Empress be blessed, thy are looking for me! I...i might see Vi-Chan again."

A smile shines from her face, and the confusing room now seems to be filled with brilliant light. She tries to express her joy as best as she can, but no dancing, singing or shouting does it justice.

After a while, her joy winds down to a content, warm feeling - at which point Cymoril notices Sturmbringer whispering to her.

Scripture of the Expectant Maiden
Once, there was a maiden…
…who was always looking forward to the way things would be.
She said, “Someday, I’m getting out of this place.
Someday, I’m going to kill that boy that put me here.
And while I wait, I don’t much mind,‘cause it’s better to dream tomorrow than to be there.”
“I’m holding at bay,” she said,
“what I know to be true.
That I’ll never get out.
I won’t let my dreams die!
I’ll hang on to hope,” she said,
“until Time itself ends". But —
“There’s always an ending,” said Time.

She shivers, but the thought of Vivio keeps her warm despite that dark whisper.
"Okay, that's it - time to put an end to this, and to Sara what this room is, and if these verses mean anything to her."

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko digs around for anything vaguely alcoholic. "Come on, if you guys don't drink you'll make me look like a raging alcoholic." Finding a promising looking bottle and grabbing everyone's cups, she fills each of them with the contents, rather expertly pouring as she offers each of the girls a drink, taking one herself as she holds it up in a toast. "Surely discovering a new world and blowing up a monster or two qualifies as an occassion, right?" If at least one other girl takes her up on her offer, she'll cash cups with them before gulping the entire cup down heartily

[Owrtho]

Hearing Umiko's statement, Daina thinks a moment. While not overly fond of drinking herself, commemorating notable events with a toast of wine at a party or gala was hardly a foreign experience, and this first day of training certainly seemed an event worthy of such things. Perhaps a sip of wine wouldn't be out of line... Still what even is that?
The proffered drink in question was liquid, and had come from what sounded to be a glass bottle if the sound touching the glasses while being poured was anything to go by. Other than that though, Daina found herself unable to make out anything about it without further inspection. Certainly she doesn't want to drink anything that could be considered strong.
So decided, Daina tentatively takes her glass and sniffs the contents, hoping to gauge the approximate alcohol content.

[Selinia]

"Don't mind me!" Makoto slouches down in one of the cafeteria's many chairs. "Go ahead and imbibe all the unknown substances you want! I'll be right here to provide medical assistance. And by medical assistance I mean slapping you to your senses when bugs start crawling out of the ventilation shafts and the air turns fuchsia."

[Princess Tracy]

"Oh, grow a pair," Umiko taunts Makoto, thrusting one of the drinks towards her. "Do you really think this pansy world will have the good stuff? I'm a valleyfolk - I would need to drink nothing less potent than wyvern poison to get smashed form just this dose. I fight T-Rexes! I'm Umiko Cliffcrush!" Already seeming drunk befor eshe even drinks, Umiko gives one last look of challenge towards Daina before downing the whatever-it-is in a single victorious grunt.

[Snowfire]

To Diana, the liquid smells like some sort of tropical fruit juice. As Umiko discovers, it does not seem to contain alcohol. As she quickly discovers moments after swallowing it, that is not to say that it does not have side effects - although the others in the room see the visual one first.

A paper mache crown pops into being on her head, as a little electronic fanfare plays.

Cymoril

Cymoril tries to locate the way out of the room, the walls, anything, but finds that the image around her prevents her from doing so. And so, it continues.

"I understand, Carim-san. But what do you think it means?" Carim smiled weakly, allowing Nanoha to help her over to a chair.

"If I'm right, it means that we were - all of us - wrong about Cymoril." She shakes her head. "I know you looked into it, Nanoha." Seeing her open her mouth, likely to protest, Carim continued quickly. "I'm not objecting to that. I'm just saying that, somehow, we must have been wrong. Devices are powerful, but implanting an artificial linker core is something that we don't think even Al-Hazard could do at the height of its power." Nanoha nodded, but frowned also - this time in thought.

"Except...Carim? Sturmbringer overloaded every magical sensor within fifty miles of the Saint Church orphanage. Their are clerks still going through and replacing all the systems that were closer and got burnt out." She shook her head. "The last activation equal in measure to that level of power was either Hayate-chan, or Vivio's forced activation during the JS incident.

"And the Wolkenritter have now identified Sturmbringer as the first of the Belkan Imperial Guard Devices. There are entire legends written about those Devices - and they were all thought destroyed at the fall of Belka. Who knows what it's capable of."

"Not the point Nanoha." Carim says softly, eyelids drooping. "What matters...is that you find her. And that Vivio goes with yo-"

The vision cuts off suddenly, darkness filling space around her - utter, total darkness. Something wild and deadly batters against an invisible wall around her, sending a chill through racing across her body. And then Light flares all around her, shattering the void and returning the room to its original state - silent but for one final whisper.

Once, there was a maiden...
...who knew her home would find her.
She saw the Fate ahead.
And accepted it as hers.
But Fate was not the only one.
Whose hands danced on the Loom.
And in darkness, laced her thread.
Serenity its deadly gift.

The Empress must endure that which,
Her mother endured for her.
For without -
The ending shall come.

[Serafina]

"Sturmbringer, you got all of that?"
"Jawohl, Herrin! Apokryphen vollständig und verifiziert."
"Good, then let's show it to Sara, because i sure can't make sense of most of this. And i don't want to get Vivio into any trouble if she comes looking for me!"
And with that, Cymoril storms back to the others.

Yes, Mistress. Apocrypha* complete and verified.

*that means a text of questionable authority, but mostly because it is not widely known or referenced, not necessarily because it is inaccurate. Should fit.

[Owrtho]

Studying the contents of her glass, Daina determines it doesn't seem alcoholic. However, the noise that comes from Umiko's head moments after drinking it causes Daina to think better of doing so herself. She carefully sets the glass back on the table wondering about the contents and what caused the noise.

[Princess Tracy]

"Heh heh, wow, why isn't maic used for party tricks more often? Much nicer use." Umiko reaches to the crown on her head, removing it, then gacefully places it atop Daina's worried head. "Ha, anyone know what this even is? Someone else drink, this is fun. Just wish it had more of a kick, this flavour" Umiko casually tilts her drink in offer to Chisaki.

[Snowfire]

Chisaki peers carefully at the liquid in the glass, sniffing tentatively and eyeing Umiko with some suspicion. Then she tilts her head for a moment, seems to smirk, and a pink tongue flicks out, lapping up a little of the substance that has had such strange effects on the person offering it.

Nothing happens.

There seems to be a slight flicker in the air, a strange ripple around the construct-cat's illusory form, but it vanishes so fast that you almost question it was there.

Cymoril

Cymoril finds her way back along the ways she ran blindly so easily that it is almost as if she's being led. She comes through the doors to the sight of Daina wearing a brightly coloured paper-mache crown, Umiko offering a glass of....something to Chisaki, and the disguised mecha-kitty doing something remarkably close to snickering.

The feline notices her first, meowing brightly at the sight of the now dried eyes and fierce confidence shining in them, before jumping down off the table on which she's perched and flowing across the floor to the Knight.

"Cymoril better now?"

[Serafina]

Cymoril just stares at the other girls in disbelief before Chisakis words even register in her mind. As they do, she laughs out and hugs the kitty.
"Yes, i am alright. And i don't really want to interrupt the party, but i think i need to talk to Sara as soon as possible - do you have any idea where she is?"

[Princess Tracy]

"Hey, this one's back," Umiko casually remarks, before snapping her fingers. "Oh crap, I was supposed to follow you and keep you out of trouble. Ah well, it turned out fine I guess. The, ah, Sara girl. I think she's sleeping, through, like, there," she remarks to indicate vaguely to where she remembered Sara going. Really she wasn't paying much attention past the point when she slapped the thesaurus on the table and things snowballed from there.

Umiko thrusts the drink at Cymoril. "Hey, girlie, this is mild stuff but it seems to have some amusing stuff going on. Magic or something, but no one wants to have a sip besides me - and the cat of course. Sure I can't convince you to join us?"

[Serafina]

"Magic drinks? Where do you get this stuff? But no thanks, i'd rather on the weird stuff that just happened to me, it might be important."

[Selinia]

"Great. You know, more cryptic beastleavings." Makoto sighs, scrounging up a pen and piece of scrap paper from her pockets. The sheet was already almost filled with notes taken in the earlier study session, but there was still enough blank space for more. If one wrote very small. And was not overly concerned with legibility.

"So, what's the new intel? Given the fething machine-gun pace of revelations right now, we should probably make sure we're getting everything out in the open. More brains equal less stupid puzzle crap per capita, which is cool with me." The redhead glances sidelong at Umiko. "You... can go ahead. I kinda wish I had a phone to record the moment when this inevitably backfires though."

[Princess Tracy]

"Phone?" Umiko asks, tilting her head, confused. She pouts, resealing the botle and putting it in her bag. "It's no fun to drink by yourself. You gotta do it with the clan, it's a social thing. I guess you lassies ain't much of a clan as it stands," she taunts, not really realising such things would cut them very shallowly, if at all.

Umiko heads for the door. "Fine, I'm heading to 'bed' I guess. Unless..." she turns her head to Cymoril, looking her in the eyes a little hopefully, and asks "What does the night sky look like?" she asks.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko goes outside for a while to enjoy the night sky, particularly if there's a moon anywhere to be seen. Sighing contentedly, her burden of her search lifting a little, she whispers a short prayer of sorts to home before entering again, intending to head off to bed.

[Serafina]

Cymoril is confused by Umikos question "The night sky? I...i wish i knew what you were trying to say here..."

[Selinia]

Makoto, seeing things starting to winds down, grabs a few final bits of food for a potential midnight snack and heads back to her room to sleep. That brawl had left her dead tired, and she was sure the others could avoid blowing up the building in the hours she'd be gone.

...fairly sure, anyway.

[Snowfire]

The Heart of Light

In the end sleep comes easily to you all; your bodies worn out by training, your minds exhausted by a wealth of new knowledge, and your souls finally calm – as if the great danger that had roused them to restlessness has passed, for the moment at least. You all know better, but the calm is seductive, drawing you down to rest in the rooms prepared for you across from the small mess area where you had dinner. None of you are fully sure of when you fall asleep, but your dreams are thankfully quiescent and free of any outside influence. The stars glitter and shine in the dark above, their soft light falling endlessly down on the world that spawned them. The darkness is passed. And a single star of gold hangs in the skies, Lightbringer holding station over the world she has protected for seventeen centuries.

You sleep long, long and peacefully, in the indrawn breath of a Creation that has found itself with one final chance to survive. Emotion calms and fades, rendering your rest utterly dreamless – for the most part. There are flickers, vague splinters of lost darkness and shattered light, but they are muffled. And when you wake, it is as if you had never slept before now.

The smell of food wafts from through doors connecting the common room of your accommodation to the corridor. Apparently it’s in the same place as dinner was – which makes a sort of sense when you think about it. A mess area is generally good for more than evening meals.

There is no one else there when you all – in your own relative time – make your way through to the room in various states of dress. For now, the Silvers seem content to let you come to them in your own time – and once you are ready. There is a note on the table containing the food though, informing you all that Amiya has arranged a visit to Megera and – if time permits – to Lightbringer as well in the evening.

[Serafina]

Cymoril is quite hungry as she wakes up, but more for answers than for food.
She gets dressed and begins to go to the library - but returns half-way, since she forgot to take Sturmbringer along.
Empress, i still can't believe how new all of this is to me...
She actually starts to ponder all those events and her situation - before snapping out of it.
No point thinking about this all by myself. Talk about it maybe, but i already had more than enough emotional breakdowns about this, thank you very much!
With that thought, she goes to the library again.

Alas, the library appears to be empty this early in the morning - Sara not being behind her desk is no great surprise, but Cymoril finds herself unable to locate her anywhere else either.
After a long and fruitless search, she decides to head back - when she spots a door behind Saras desk.
Well, it can't hurt to knock...

[Snowfire]

A knock on the door prompts no response. A second knock results in a soft, sleepy, groan. At the third one, there is a muffled thump, followed by some shuffling footsteps, and then the door opens to reveal a clearly rather tired Sara, wiping sleepsand from her eyes - and currently clothed in a bedsheet.

"Oh..hi...Cymoril-san." She says tiredly, hiding a yawn. "You...wanted to ask about something?"

[Serafina]

The look on Cymorils face is rather akward as she sees that she has woken up the young librarian.
"Uhm...are you okay? If you're still too tired, then maybe i could come back later..."
Sara shakes her head, and Cymoril goes on.
"Well, you see, yesterday, after i ran away, i was in this room. And, well, something happend in there..."
Cymoril begins to tell Sara what happened, supported by recordings from Sturmbringer. After she finishes, she looks intently at the girl, hoping for an answer to all of this.

[Snowfire]

Sara listens quietly, adjusting her bedsheet carefully as she does so, then as Cymoril finishes, motions for her to enter. "Come in." She yawns again, pulling the door fully open and moving back across the small, but well furnished, living area to sit down on her bed. She motions Cymoril over to one of the chairs in the room, then turns away, reaching into a recess in the wall beside her. Her hands scrabble around for a few moments, then withdraw two pottery mugs. She hands one to Cymoril and indicates the pot of tea on the table beside the older girl.

"So," she says, as Cymoril pours, "you ran to the Vision Chamber and it decided to let you see." She smiles wanly. "I would say that to be a good thing in truth. The Chamber shut down about a week ago - before Silence hit the edge of our universe - and if it's back up it means that Amber feels safe, at least for now. So we've probably got a little more time than Amiya thought." She shrugs. "As to the vision itself...there is little I can likely give you except interpretation that you have probably worked out yourself." She wrinkles her nose, sipping delicately. "Although how they intend to bypass the barrier is beyond me."