Battle 2: vs Castle Sylvik Lv 7

You were a bit better prepared for the jump this time, and you manage to get a good look at the area from the gate as the castle begins its descent. A thick forest of trees completely obscures the enemy castle, but just above the treeline, you can see wooden battlements, dotted by long-rotten ballistas. Castle High is descending into a clearing in the forest just large enough to fit.

This time, the castles' forces wait until Castle High has landed before jumping out (not wanting to collide with tree branches on the way down), the scent of lush grass and nature wafting through the ranks. Almost immediately upon exiting, however, a piercing cry is heard:  the howl of something feral and large... and soon afterward, several more cries responding in kind. A colossal bear barrels out of the darkness, eyes soaked in primal hatred, as two moose trot out from the sides, already preparing themselves for a charge. A deadly hiss fills the air as well, as a quick, coiling shape moves between the animals' legs, the shape of a dark brown, poisonous serpent. Yet despite the dangerous creatures before you, you manage to catch a glimpse from the corner of your vision: dark shadows, twisting between the tree trunks, predatory eyes and ravenous jaws. More animals, waiting for a good chance to strike.

"Hey, keep your eyes on the prize!" you hear Russel call, his chipper tone in striking contrast with the animosity of the wild, his shining blade in hand. "The animals in these woods might be dangerous, but they've only got brute force and instinct: we'll out-smart and out-maneuver them! Let's push past these guys and get to the castle! C'mon!"

The Environment And You (README):

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Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 10
HP 10000 / 10000

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"So, I suppose fire's out...too much greenery at risk." Seven mumbled to himself, talking more for the sake of talking than to talk to anyone in particular. "And if fire is out..." he thought, "then I suppose I'll just have to make do with the other elements."

Closing his eyes and steadying himself on his staff, Seven reached out with his senses, feeling for any deposits of crystalline earth in the ground below, before calling on his own energy to pull the earth up, up, up, and then to shape it, calling it to take form around the forces of Castle High.

"If this works, ready your ranged attacks - we'll hold them here before advancing!"

Seven: Attempt to erect an earthen barrier, hopefully with crystalline spikes to repel those who would climb over it.

“Hrmph.” Bran frowned, somewhat lost in thought. What was his best option in this situation? His gut said fire, but Bran knew that that was likely to cause an incredible amount of habitat destruction, and likely disturb the history of the place. No, he couldn’t. In that case, other types of burning attacks were out of the question, too. He couldn’t fire lightning at the animals or cause the ground to erupt nearby. Which means that something with no chance to burn and that would cause little habitat destruction was best.

“Hmm…”

Bran: Conjure up a blizzard that crashes down on the two Enraged Mooses.

"Hnn. Forests are nice.... I wonder if I can find anything interesting, here. First, though..."

>Yam: Throw both peppers at the bear, then kneel down to commune with the forest, seeking out hidden treasures or dangers.

"Wellp, it was either a swamp or a forest." He purses his lips, and folds his arms into a solid, interlocked, not-my-day kind of arm cross. "Tch- 'controlled approach,' Almost like they knew something about where we were headed next... BAH, where's the damn castle?!" With a huff, he slung his arms out and grabbed his Blank Rod, the end of which went up in a purple flare.

"Okay, guys, what's a guy like me to do?" He says with a raised voice, turning up the juice on his flaming rod only to emphasize what his one and only job is.

Before Bran finishes casting his spell, Vince speaks up, grinding his concentration to a sudden halt. Turning to Vince, Bran replise weakly.

“Please don’t burn down the forest…” He says, his voice becoming a little stronger. “You can set the mooses on fire, or the bear, but there are hundreds of years of ecological history here and I don’t want to see that disturbed. Oh, and don’t touch the snake. Seven seems to be doing his best to charm it.”

"Ranged attacks?" Arthur repeated, an edge of affected indignance to his voice- "Am I the only one here who doesn't have a drop of a mage's blood in him? That makes me an odd one out, now doesn't it..."

>Arthur: Position self ahead of Seven's barrier (if it exists) and taunt the bear, then prepare to defend against incoming attacks.

"Oy-- come and get some, you oversized rodent!"

"Got it," he nodded to Bran, turning his rod on the bear, only to see Arthur challenging the beast. He paused, somewhat dumbfounded...

"Got it," he nodded again, snapping his focus to one of the angry mooses... moo- meese- moosen... moose, and thought about his approach for an itty bitty moment.

Then he got a fun idea.

Vince squatted for a long jump, and uttered one word: "Blastoff."

>Vince: Flame propelled long jump onto Enraged Moose A's back. Ignite just the feet of the moose and hang on tight.

Seven strikes their staff into the ground, and soon, a chest-high earthen barrier is erected around the group! He then conjures a set of crystalline spikes along the outer edge of the wall, which will damage anyone who runs into them or tries to climb over the barrier. (+1 Adv)

Bran calls upon the magical powers inside their tome, and suddenly, a freezing downpour begins to fall upon both Moose! Unfortunately, the thick fur of the moose weakens the effect of the attack, dealing only 31 damage. The ground beneath the feet of the moose seems to get a bit icy, but not enough to impede their stampeding. ( +1 Adv)

Yam begins by throwing their peppers at the Colossal Menacing Bear! The bear manages to swat one of them away, the other impacting it for 96 damage. Spicy juices splash onto the bear's fur, but manage to miss the giant creature's face, having no effect.
Yam then plants their scythe into the ground, attempting to commune with the the forest. Though these lands are unknown to her, the silent voice of the forest says its happy to assist her in removing the trash left within its woods. In particular, the voice of the forest points out a Glistening Telescope caught in a tree branch behind the Moose. It also warns her to be wary of the tall grass just outside Castle Sylvik, for there lays some unseen danger. (+1 Adv)

Arthur leaps over the earthen barrier, throwing an insult at the giant bear. For these simple-minded animals, an isolated target is an easy target: Enraged Moose A, Enraged Moose B, and the Colossal Menacing Bear have been taunted into attacking Arthur this turn!

Vince rides a plume of flame onto the back of Enraged Moose A, perfectly sticking the landing! He then uses Ignite and sets the Moose's feet ablaze. Immediately, the animal begins to panic and buck, running in random directions and trying to throw Vince off their back! (+1 Adv)

Russel, unable to perform any ranged attacks himself, jumps to Arthur's side to help him defend. "I got your back! Let's take these guys!"

Enraged Moose A is running in a panic! It throws back its head and manages to buck Vince off, throwing him to the ground for 116 damage! It then continues to charge around, trying to put out its flaming hooves... before suddenly falling into a Pitfall Trap! The Moose has been immobilized, unable to make melee attacks until it can escape the pit. It then takes 90 damage from the fire burning beneath it. Enraged Moose A becomes Moose A, now desperately trying to free itself and less concerned about the invaders. (-1 Adv)

Enraged Moose B charges straight for Arthur and Russel! Arthur stands there, eyes locked on the charging beast, before leaping to the side just in time! The Moose impales itself on the earthen barrier, taking 144 damage, before Russel counterattacks it, giving it a slash across the side for another 358 damage! (Arthur: +1 Adv, Russel: +1 Adv)

Colossal Menacing Bear throws itself directly at Arthur! Russel attempts to assist, but is simply batted away, taking 194 damage, as the bear takes a nasty bite out of Arthur's shoulder, dealing 426 damage, shredding part of his uniform in the process! (Bear: +2 Adv)

Ravenous Serpent sneaks its way around the barrier, striking out at Seven! However, the magus sees the strike coming and manages to knock the snake away, eliciting an angry hiss as the creature enters a fighting stance.

Suddenly, an arrow flies from the treetops, striking Russel! It only deals 50 damage, causing him to initially shrug off the hit. "Ha, not sure what that was, but no sweat! Hey uh... my eyes feel really heavy... I think I might... just real quuuii--" he says, before collapsing. Russel has been put to sleep! He will be unable to take action next turn unless he receives damage before his action! (Russel: -1 Adv)

An instant later, another arrow sings toward Castle High itself! It strikes the outer wall, and an instant later, explodes, dealing 878 damage to the castle!

With a movement of foliage, a shape leaps from the treetops, landing on a branch nearby. It's revealed to be a woman, perhaps in her early thirties, cloaked in a mesh of leaves and mossy colors that drapes down her back and makes her difficult to spot against the forest background. In her hands is a slender bow with two arrows nocked. Her brown eyes are barely visible against her camouflage, but you see them narrow, as she speaks in a well articulated tone, "You may be the biggest group of bandits to attack our castle, but you'll fall or flee like every other. When you do, spread the word: the Sauer sisters and the beasts of the wild won't let any looters win." She throws out a hand, motioning to both the woods and the castle behind her. "This place is our home, so as long as we're standing, we'll protect it to the end. I'll see that you don't even make it to the clearing."

With a quick movement, she pushes off the branch, grabs hold of another overhead with her free hand, and tosses herself back into the foliage above, her shape disappearing. Her voice calls out, "Gnasher, gnash 'um!" Moments later, a large wolf runs from out of the woods, bearing its teeth. One of its legs appears injured, wrapped in bandages and hovering off the ground, yet it doesn't seem to slow the animal down a bit. It gives an aggressive growl as it stalks around the front of the earthen barrier.

Elite Enemies (README):

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Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 10
HP 9122 / 10000

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Bran frowns. He should have known that mooses would be resistant to the cold. Cursing to himself, he started to reconsider his plan of attack.
Casting multiple spells in a short period of time could be tricky… but we need to continue pressuring the enemy… and our castle needs to be protected too… The risk might be worth it, in this situation.
Bran: Send a wave of water crashing down on the Enraged Moose B and Ravenous Snake. Then create a barrier out of magical force in order to protect Castle High.

Seven admired his handiwork for a moment, allowing himself a brief twinge of pride - before grimly turning towards the distant and hidden Castle Sylvik, surveying their forces, and noting the sleeping Arthur.

"Hiding indicates your weakness. You say you're sisters...you've given us your plan already. Divide and conquer - admirable work so far."

Seven gestured to the castle behind him.

"Trickery and animals won't win you this fight, Sauer Sisters. You face the Seventh Sage."

And Seven threw back his head, opened his mouth, and sang. As he sang, he gestured, bringing clawlike hands up - the split focus was difficult, making him unsure this would work...

Seven: Sing a Note of Pain to damage all creatures within range, and try to cast Crystalline Prison on the enemy bear, trapping it within thick spires. Hopefully burn off the current 1 Adv to aid in this.

"Heheh, ow..." Vince picks himself off the ground and brushes dirt and grass off his jacket. "Was fun while it lasted. Alright, let's go moo-" His ears are caught off guard. He scratches his chin scruff. "You're singing... right okay. Well, I've seen weirder. The moose can wait- If you want to serenade her to death, I bet I can help." Vince gave a toothy smirk, and pointed his rod overhead.

>Vince: Burn 1 Adv to heat a large radius of surrounding air, causing the speed of sound to increase.

"Forecast calls for a heat wave to move in immediately."

"Tch..!" Arthur bit back a hiss of pain, gritting his teeth-- that beast came and went like a flash, but he knew better than to pay any mind to the point of contact... Rather than try to nurse his wound, the swordsman flashed a wild, nearly threatening grin in the beast's direction and...!

"Tearing up a poor man's only set of clothes now, are you? Well then, have it your way!"

...tore off the rest of his shirt, throwing it to the ground behind him before taking up his sword again with an even greater vigor than ever.


>Arthur: Throw off rest of shirt in a display of courage(?), and drawing on adrenaline, put forth all energy into standing guard by Russel until he wakes up.

PREPARE TO R A S S L E


Blood streamed down his arm and chest in a steady stream, and holding his blade in position with a whole bite out of his shoulder... well, it wasn't like he had any other options. That man was more important than any of the other nobodies pulled against their will from wherever road they had been traveling and dropped into this forest here -- and he was fast asleep on the grass.

"Sleeping on the job-- some Commander you are. Hope I get a bonus for this service later, but I'm not counting on it... heh heh."

A wave of energy surrounds Bran, as a sudden deluge of water strikes Enraged Moose B and Ravenous Serpent! The Moose not only takes 116 damage, but the water, on top of the ice the Moose was struck with earlier, causes it to lose balance and slide across the ground, loosing its Advantage and inflicting Immobilized!  The ravenous serpent, meanwhile, takes 81 damage.

Bran then tries to erect a magical barrier around Castle High, but he can't quite muster the power to create anything more than a disturbance in the air. (Enraged Moose B: -1 Adv) (Bran: +1 Adv)

Seven's voice strikes out against the sounds of nature, sending a wave of power out to strike all enemies...

Just as Vince fires a wave of flame through the surrounding air! It makes the cool forest air feel more like a furnace for a few seconds, just as Seven's song soars! With a force akin to a shockwave, all the beasts of nature are knocked backward, each taking 272 damage!!
Enraged Moose B is defeated!

A stark moment later, the sound of whacking tree branches heralds Emilia, falling from the trees above and slamming into the ground, taking an additional 60 damage and removing her Stealth! She staggers back to a stand, her eyes a mixture of pain and absolute bewilderment at what exactly just happened.

Seven then focuses their power to create a series of spires around the Colossal Menacing Bear! It succeeds, but the creature's massive size causes its arms and upper torso to be free of the prison: it won't be able to move, but it can still attack Russel and Arthur!

Both Seven and Vince are tired by the attack... (Seven and Vince: -1 Adv)

Arthur rips off their shirt, exuding a manly aura! The bear seems taken aback by the display for a moment, before returning his gesture with a mighty roar! Arthur gains the Pumped Reflexes status! He gains +1 Adv to defending against the next attack, and can then proceed to counter-attack!

Russel manages to rouse himself, quickly jumping back to attention. "Sorry guys, what did I-- Arthur what the hell happened to you!?"

Moose A manages to wrench itself free of the pitfall trap, giving an annoyed snort to the defenders and trotting off into the woods.

The Colossal Menacing Bear charges directly for Arthur! The defender tries to block with their sword, but the massive bear bats it out of his hands! The Colossal Menacing Bear goes for a double-paw swipe... but Arthur grabs hold of the massive creatures' paws, blood still running down his shoulder, as the two fight for dominance! Arthur begins to feel his knees buckle before the giant creature's raw might... but with a mighty burst of adrenaline, Arthur repels the creature for an instant, rolling to the side, and slashes it with his blade, dealing 159 damage and knocking it into the crystal spikes, dealing another 92 damage! (Arthur: +1 Adv) (Bear: -1 Adv)

Ravenous Serpent sprays Bran and Seven with a noxious poison! The two are unable to avoid the attack, each feeling a burning sensation begin to fill their bodies! Bran and Seven are now Poisoned: they will receive 150 damage at the start of each of their turns! (Serpent: +1 Adv)

Emilia Sauer takes a second to marvel at the individuals before her, her eyes wide with astonishment as she looks between the attackers. "Just who in the hell are you people? Raiders don't usually fire off sound waves that hit like punches, and I've certainly never seen someone stupid reckless enough to try and wrestle a Keranthin Stone Bear." She then catches herself staring and gives her head a shake, regaining her composure. "Ugh, whatever, it doesn't matter!"
Emilia knocks an arrow with a bulge at its head and fires it at Castle High: it strikes and explodes, dealing 812 damage to the castle!
She then turns her eyes back down to the combatants and fires an exceptionally quick arrow straight at Bran! It lands, dealing 244 damage!
She then pulls yet another and fires, this time at Vince! He nearly manages to avoid it but fails, taking 128 damage! (Emilia: +1 Adv)

Gnasher howls, rushing at the mages... only to skewer one of its good paws on the earthen barrier, taking 130 damage! It yelps in pain, leaping backwards and licking at its wound, eyes still burning with anger! Emilia takes a single step toward the wolf, then stops, returning her attention to the attackers.

Castle Sylvik is now within sight! It loses its Concealed and Distant statuses!

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Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 10
HP 8310 / 10000

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“..” Suddenly. Bran felt a little bit weak at the knees. A natural poison… Fortunately, he still had the strength to stand. He knew a poison curing spell, so he should be able to cast that... and then, he could get right back to work.
Bran: Cast a poison curing spell on yourself and Seven.

"...Hn. Something feels fishy..." Yam mumbled, rubbing the shaft of her scythe. Her home? She thought they were bandits? ...Wait, were they bandits...? She hoped not, she didn't like bandits all that much... well, at least not the sorts who preyed on the weak... and these "sisters" - hadn't the scouts only seen one woman? And she was friends with the animals... well, it wasn't like they couldn't be brainwashed or forced into things, but when animals had free will, they usually had good intuition. Maybe this woman wasn't a bad person? Yam grimaced. Well, it wasn't like she hadn't killed good people before, but... the Nameless God was being less strict with her than he usually was, so... she'd rather not, if she could help it.

"...Spirits of the land... what is this place's story...?"

>>Yam: Consult with the spirits of the earth to learn the history of this place, and the people (person...?) and animals which now rule it. If possible, show it in its truth to everyone here.

"Russel, it's been thirty minutes! Gods, I thought you were dead!" Arthur, feigning a look of bewilderment at Russel's awakening (he wondered if that would shake him up a little, ahahah), bent down to pick up his sword again after the blood slick on his hands let it slip. "Come on, then, let's... keep at it-- gwuh..."

Alright, maybe he could try to rest for a quick second. With the Colossal Dire Bear behind him and Russel now awake, the mercenary took an opportunity to pull into the relative cover of the barrier, taking a knee to try and recover some of his stamina.

"Ahahah..! Oh, not quite a regular band of thieves, my dear... Truthfully, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around it all, but that's the draft for you... or whatever circumstances that ended in them rescuing me from the side of the road. Now, you wouldn't happen--" (he had to take a moment to discretely spit out some blood, and maybe a piece of one of his teeth,) "--to live in that castle over there, would you?"

>Arthur: Take a moment to disengage from the fight and rest, taking a knee between Gnasher and the chaos. Then, try warming Emilia up to conversation.

"We were told this place was unoccupied... and trying to protect the country with these weird, plastic sticks isn't exactly easy. You surely understand the rest... we're a bit, ah, underequipped, as you can... plainly see."

He gestured with his chin towards just about everything below his face in general-- his lack of armor (or any clothing on his torso whatsoever, currently), his weapon, the age in his hands. In spite of all his wounds, Arthur managed to flash a brief but pleasant smile.

"Now, perhaps we could fix up your dog's foot and start untangling this mess... I certainly have no intention to charge in uninvited into a lady's home, and neither does that man over there," He pointed out Russel, "...or any of the gentle folk gathered here today. Yes?"

"Nice! Hahah! That's what I like to see. Like Wham! Heheh... uh oh." Vince's short-lived victory was met with an arrow meant to make him short-lived. He staggered to dodge it, but despite his effort it grazed his arm.

"Oww! Dammit!... Ffffff-- ahh, that's my jacket and my arm!" Vince grabs his arm and hisses off the pain. As he's dealing with his wardrobe malfunction, he looks around at his allies to spy Arthur getting calm and chatty with the archer.

"Oh- oh no, HEY! SHE JUST SHOT ME AND WE'RE DOING BRUNCH NOW?! Cool! Great! Geez..."

He stared at Arthur with a very 'W-T-F' stare, fumed, but ultimately let Arthur do his thing hoping he was cordial enough to make sure Vince wouldn't get stuck with the arrow next time.

Vince: Rest this turn, but prepare a handful of pocket embers for any monster damn stupid enough to mess with cranky Vince.

Bran raises their hand to conjure a poison-curing spell, but the painful toxin manages to break his concentration, and the spell fades. Bran takes 150 damage from the poison.

Seven grants Arthur the Guidance status, focusing the warrior's mind and allowing them to avoid the next source of damage they would take this turn! Seven then gathers up energy, gaining Charged Magical Circuits. Their next action will have +1 Adv and a slightly greater effect, if it works. Seven takes 150 damage from the poison. (+1 Adv)

Arthur takes a moment to rest, catching his breath and recovering 50 HP. As he does so, he strikes up a conversation with Emilia. She appears to relax a bit, her grip on her Heirloom Bow loosening. "I would happen to live there, yes. The name's Emilia. And while I can certainly see your--" she raised an eyebrow at his exposed chest, "...predicament, if your planning to loot the castle, I'm going to keep standing squarely in your way." She draws back her bow, a resolve in her eyes. "This place is my birthright, and as long as I live, I'll defend it, and everything and everyone it stands for! Even to my last breath."
Despite her proud words, she certainly doesn't seem as hostile as before. Perhaps she is warming up... (+1 Adv)

Vince takes a moment to rest, recovering from his previous action and creating some Pocket Embers. (+1 Adv)

Training Mission - Set 3 different entities on fire! (3/3) - Completed!

Having honed his abilities, Vince learns a new Technique: Fiery Conflux! Vince may target something (or someone) already on fire and cause them to explode! Doing so deals a large burst of damage, but removes their Burning status.

Yam consults the earthen spirits of this place to learn its history. As her mind presses out, she suddenly feels her conscious -- and the conscious of her allies -- pulled away to a memory, like unearthing a buried cavern... (Yam: +2 Adv)

Memory of Castle Sylvik:

It appears Emilia was pulled into this memory as well, as she recovers along with the rest of the Regiment. Her expression appears confused and hurt, looking between the members of Castle High. "I can't believe it... it was all of you? You and your flying castle? You're the ones who killed my mother and her friends? I..." she reaches into her quiver, drawing three explosive arrows, "I won't let--"

Russel calls out, interrupting her, "Emilia, stop! We're trying to find and defeat that fortress as well!"

She gives Russel a suspicious look, "You honestly think--"

"Here, look at our castle! It's not anywhere near as big, and the stone's a totally different color. Ms. Sauer, we first began these outings of ours because one of our troops saw a vision of that fortress, destroying ours." He plants his sword firmly in the ground, an act on non-aggression. "Like Arthur said, we only came here to get better equipment, so we can fight that fortress and any other threats to the country."

She looks up at the castle, the information registering. "Then... it seems we're both living in the shadow of the same monster," she takes a deep breath and lowers her weapon. She looks back toward Castle Sylvik, nostalgia clouding her features. "My mom and her allies defended the nearby towns from raiders and bandits for years, working together with the beasts of the wild and spirits of nature. I was only twelve when it happened: mom locked me and my sister away in a secret chamber in the castle. Said something big and scary was coming, but they'd kick its butt and come right back to get us. We heard a bunch of scary noises, and then, total silence. When we came back out, their armor and weapons were still here, but... my mom, and everyone else, were all gone. Like they just, vanished. Couldn't even bury her body..."

She turns back to the group, looking at them in a new light. Then, she sighs, shaking her head. "Y'know, I always told myself I didn't want revenge. That I was happy enough just protecting the memory of the brave folks who defended this place. But this isn't revenge, I think." She puts her hand to her chest, "I don't want to just protect their memory: I want to finish their fight." She stores away her bow, crossing her arms. "So how's this deal sound: take my sister and I along with you, let me help you kill the shit out of that flying fortress, and you can have the equipment."

Russel smiles, walking over toward her. Around you, the beasts of the wild seem to calm down. The serpent gives the mages one final hiss before slithering away, and the Colossal Dire Bear gives Arthur a long look before rumbling back off into the woods (respect?) The commander extends his hand, "Emilia Sauer, I would be proud to welcome you to Castle High."

She puts her fingers to her lips and gives a long whistle -- a chorus of howls and roars answer in response, the beasts of the wild disengaging from the Castle's other Regiments. Then, she takes Russel's hand, giving it a firm shake, "Considering how the fight was going, I feel like I should maybe be thanking all you." She looks behind him at Castle High itself, then back at Castle Sylvik. She smiles, "Heh... it almost feels like they're all cheering me on." She gives a nod, "Right then, follow me. Let's get you guys suited up and kicking butt!"

Emilia Sauer has become an Ally!!

Castle Sylvik has been defeated!!

Alternate Win Conditions:

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Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 10
HP 8310 / 10000

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"Hmph..."

Arthur lifted himself from the mud with a grunt; about midway through Russel and Emilia's dialogue, he had disengaged completely from the conversation to find his shirt and slap it on his wound, quickly dyeing it a deep red. While he did make a remark earlier about how it was the only shirt he owned, he really was half-lying-- he had about three more just like it in his bag. Though, they were some nice enough undershirts, and he could do better than waste all of them before the end of the week...

While he mused to himself about his clothing situation, the conversation's resolution buzzed on in the background. Yes, Emilia wasn't a bad girl, and she had her own perfectly respectable reasons for putting her foot down here-- that truth was bound to come out eventually, what with how reckless and clumsy she was. Good thing the Commander was able to swoop in right before she could nock any more arrows, though-- and that he actually cared what kind of person she was.


With the battle resolved and nothing left to do, the mercenary started slowly back towards the castle without another word. He had to fix his wound, find a new shirt, and get a look at the party loot before all the good materials were taken away...

>Vote for the Smithy.

"Ahem, Arthur," Russel said, giving him a cross look. "That was one mean prank to pull on a guy who just got knocked out! Don't think I'd forget about it in the heat of the battle!" He then couldn't hold it anymore and laughed, giving the fellow a nudge in the shoulder, "Just kiddin', that was a pretty good one, heheh. Thanks for covering me back there, by the way. I feel a bit bad, given you're uh," he pointed at the grizzly wound, "injuries. Tell you what, next time, when you get hit by a sleep arrow, I'll cover you!"

"Oh, about that," Emilia remarked a distance away, "you might want to drink some more liquids today, Russel. Flush out your system. Some fiber might help too. The sap I use for those sleep arrows is also a pretty strong laxative."

Russel laughed again, putting his hands on his hips, "It looks like you'll fit right in! Glad to see everyone's still in good enough spirits to make jokes."

Emilia raised an eyebrow, "...Joke?"

"...Hm. That went... better than I expected," Yam mumbled. "If we're gonna go around attacking castles, we really should be making sure they deserve it, first..."

At least, if they were committed to being good. Yam had been more... neutral, up to this point, out of duty more than natural inclination. If this Castle High committed itself to a sort of "the worthy rise" worldview, where seeking power by any means was justifiable... she wasn't exactly sure what she'd do. Some part of her was pretty sure she'd keep going with it, but... it might be nice not to. You know, see what it was like to be righteous, and stuff. Demand that liberated goods be returned to the oppressed peoples who made them.

Well, it seemed like these folks were decent enough, anyway, but it still begged the question of how and why targets were chosen - they'd known the sisters lived here, so why...? Had they been under the impression that they were evil, or something? The report didn't go into that, but she wouldn't be surprised if people had gone missing around here, with all the wild, territorial animals. Hmm.

Whatever the case, none of the weapons obtained particularly appealed to her - she was very used to using a scythe, after all. Maybe some armor wouldn't be unwelcome, but she wasn't sure if it would restrict her mobility or not. Perhaps she'd have more luck with equipment if she were able to request things...

>Yam: Vote for the Smithy

Vince stowed his embers in a fireproof pouch hung from his belt, and got off the ground with just an ounce of strain. His good arm (and better jacket) got sliced by an arrow not too long ago, and although the fire had died off with the battle, adrenaline boiled his blood like hot coals.

He sneered, and gritted his teeth. "Time to make nice. Tch-" He made his way over to the gather crowd. He passed Seven, dropping any frustration from his face for a second to say something genuine, "Good teamwork, huh? I'll be over here if you need me." His brow furrowed back up, he brushed his hair aside, and placed his hands on his hips as he stopped next to Arthur, Russel, and Emilia.

"Good game, everybody. It was a lot of fun fighting with you all. Welcome aboard, huh?" He stuck out his non-dominant hand to shake Emilia's. Fingerless gloves with singed ends adorned his rough hands. He stared down his nose with a half smile.

>Vince: Vote for Expanded Medical Station

"Excuse me - not to interrupt, but-"

Seven had walked up to Vince, who was greeting their new comrade.

"One, I'd like to apologize for singing you out of a tree".

This was addressed to Emilia Sauer. Then, he turned to Vince properly.

"Two, I believe you could benefit a little from some proper training. I used to be a master of fire, you know."

>Seven: Vote for Smithy, apologize to Emilia, and offer to teach Vince a little about Fire Magic.