Once and Future (WormxFate)

Aldsan · Jun 8, 2024

Voting said:
[x] [Helm] Don't Buy

Thick fog swirled around the girl's ankles as she walked, the Magus leading her through the mists. It had been a warm morning when they left Pellinore behind. Too warm and too late in the day for fog. Yet, here it was pleasantly cool, the fog thick enough that she could not see more than a few feet.

"Where are you bringing me?" she asked the Magus.

"Patience, good King. All will be revealed in time."

She let out a sharp breath, irritated with the Magus and his secrets. Truly, he would never answer a question when he could pose a riddle instead. However, she trusted him, and so she continued in his wake, treading the uneven ground until it abruptly evened out to a smooth surface. She glanced down, curious, but instead of the stone she expected, she saw naught but water.

"Merlin? What magic is this?"

"We stand now in the domain of the Lady of the Lake. Come."

The girl took a tentative step forward, but found her footing as sure and steady upon the water's surface as any road. More so, even, for there was no unevenness, nothing to catch at her feet or cause her to trip. It was not slippery as wet stone could be, nor did she sink in the slightest.

Suddenly, the fog cleared, revealing a woman that stood before them. Dressed all in white, a veil covering her face, the girl could not help but think the Lady looked almost a bride, if not for the sword she held in her hands.

"Merlin. I've said before that you are not welcome here."

"Come now," the Magus winked. "I've brought someone special with me this time."

"Is that so?" The girl felt the Lady's eyes settle on her. "Arthur. Child of Uther. King of Britain. You certainly are one for jokes, aren't you, Merlin?"

"Here I thought family reunions were joyful affairs."

The girl furrowed her brow, tilting her head to look at the Magus, but he did not so much as return her look, instead staring steadily at the Lady. Finally, the Lady sighed. "Very well then. Arthur. You require a sword, and upon Merlin's urging, I have obtained one for you. It is yours. However, I will ask a boon of you in the future as payment."

"By my faith," the girl said, "I will give you what gift you ask for."

"Very well then."

The Lady gave the girl the sword before abruptly turning and vanishing into the mist, leaving just the girl and the Magus behind. The girl drew the sword from its sheath, marveling at the inner light with which it shone. Caliburn had been the sword of a king, but this was the sword of a warrior – and many battles stood before the girl still.

"Your highness. Which do you like better? The sword or the sheath?"

The girl tilts her head. The sheath was finely made, but who would say they preferred it over the tool it was meant to protect? She answered, "The sword."

"Please make no mistake here. The sword slashes the enemy, but the sheath protects you. As long as you have the sheath on you, you will spill no blood and take no wounds. You should truly value the sheath, not the sword."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 39/39

While the Student Council spent most of its time organizing events for the student body throughout the year, it unfortunately did not have an unlimited budget to do so. In fact, for all that most of our work was done behind the scenes for the sake of the students, very little of our funding came from the school itself. Instead, we had to organize various fundraisers throughout the year to help pay for anything that we might choose to do.

Typically, there were two major fundraisers a year. One in autumn and another in spring, each covering the following semester's costs. So, the costs of Homecoming had been covered by the previous year's Student Council, while we would hopefully cover the cost for whoever was elected next year.

"Personally, I think a car wash could do well–"

"It's freezing outside! You want to do a car wash in this weather? What about an eating contest instead?"

"How many people are really going to pay for that…?"

Sighing, I rubbed at the bridge of my nose. The problem was that my Council did not know what they wanted to do yet.

"What did the Council do last year?" I asked, looking at Vedika.

"We ran an auction," she replied. Like me, she had largely been staying out of the argument, as Austin and Kayla had bantered ideas back and forth.

"Hm." It was an idea. "We do not have any particular assets to auction off at the moment however. Perhaps we can aim for something similar in the spring."

Vedika nodded. "I can think of a few things we could use, but I agree. Better to save that for spring. It'd be a popular Valentine's Day event."

A shiver went down my spine. Vedika's face and tone had been entirely placid and yet… What exactly was she planning to auction? She smiled at me and I quickly turned away. "What about a bake sale? Can we ask the Home Economics class to help with that, perhaps?"

"It should work. We did that two years ago. We'll probably need to chip in with supplies and help with some of the work though."

"We shall go with that then."

Gamemaster said:
Leadership: 18 | 5 = Failure

Vedika began jotting notes down and I cleared my throat to gather the attention of the rest of my officers. They did not listen. I tried again, but the others simply kept talking, their voices drowning my own out. In the end, it was Vedika who stopped the argument.

"Hey!" she said, her voice raised to reverberate through the room. "Quit fighting already! We've decided on what we're going to do!"

"A car wash, right? That's clearly the best idea so far–"

Vedika slammed a hand down on the table. "I said quit it! We're doing a bake sale. That's it. It's decided."

Austin and Kayla both shot sour looks upon realizing that neither of their choices had made the cut. I spoke up and said, "The decision has been made. Let us look at implementing it as best we can going forward. For now, you may retire for the evening. Take the chance to calm yourselves."

Everyone slowly filtered out of the room, leaving only me behind. I allowed myself to sink back in my chair, allowing myself a moment of peace. The Student Council was always fairly busy, but I had perhaps been allowing myself to allow on Vedika a bit too much to keep things in order rather than directing things myself. They respected me, but I was not sure they truly saw me as their leader.

There were simply far too many things calling on my attention. I had not had the time to dedicate to the Student Council that I would have liked. I had not been negligent, by any means, but I knew from Artoria's memories that true leadership required active investment. If she had ever been less than fully committed to her role, her subjects would have felt it.

Sighing, I pulled myself to my feet and left, making my way downstairs. It had been a shorter session than usual, but the sun was setting earlier these days. It would not be long until night fell and I took to the streets once more. Or so I thought. I came to a stop as I saw Victoria and Amy both standing near the school's gate.

Looking between the two of them, I asked, "Is something the matter?"

"We need to talk," Victoria said shortly

She held up her phone. On it was a PHO post discussing the death of the vigilante, Haze.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"It's not your fault."

"If not mine, then whose? If I had spoken better, talked him down–"

Victoria shook her head. "Elaine, stop. He's the one who attacked you, and for what? A couple hundred bucks? If he ran into some trouble afterwards, it's not your fault."

"She's not wrong. You did the right thing, Ellie," Amy said, squeezing my hand.

The three of us sat in Arcadia's courtyard. The courtyard was a popular place for students to gather in the summer, but here in the late Autumn when the air had turned brisk, nipping at our faces, most people preferred to stay indoors, leaving us with the privacy to discuss what we needed to.

I closed my eyes and leaned into Amy. "I just wonder if I could have done better. Who even killed him? For what?"

Victoria shrugged. "Hard to say. The only details we have is what PHO has, and it's not like they're privy to the crime scene. Some posters were saying he'd withered away, looked more like a mummy than someone who just died last night."

Gamemaster said:
Lore: 13 | 2 = Failure
Recognize: 10 | 6 = Failure

An odd effect. I frowned. "Do we know any capes capable of something like that?"

Amy and Victoria shared a look. "Well, Sere probably could," Amy said. "He's a hero though, and operates mostly out in Concord. I doubt he killed Haze."

Gamemaster said:
Lore: 4 | 2 = Failure

"No one in Brockton Bay proper? That means we likely have a new enemy in the city." My voice grew cold. Already, I could feel the guilt of the situation fading as my mind focused on the problem at hand. It would return later, undoubtedly, when I no longer had something to divert my focus, but for now the distraction brought welcome clarity. "We will need to investigate and see if we can discover anything."

Victoria nodded. "I'll reach out to the Wards, see if they know anything."

"Let me know what you find."

"Don't worry. I will. Why don't you go ahead and take the night off?"

I frowned. "I am not so fragile that I cannot go out and continue fighting, Victoria. Besides, what would I even do with my time other than this?"

"Me," Amy said.

"What?" I blinked.

Amy colored. "I mean, erm. Spend time with me. We could relax, just the two of us."

"Well, there you have it," Victoria snickered. I glared at her, but that just sent her outright laughing. "You two lovebirds have a good time. I'll check in with you tomorrow!"

With that, Victoria flew off before I could say anything in response. What a cheeky girl. Turning back to Amy, however, my gaze softened. Perhaps it would not be so bad to heed their advice. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Not really. We could go to the batting cages again?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Here I had been led to believe that you hated exercise."

"Har har." Amy rolled her eyes and poked at my nose. "It's not my favorite thing in the world. But you had fun the last time we went there, right? We did what I wanted last time, so let's do something fun for you this time."

"It is not as though I did not enjoy myself last time," I said, glancing away.

"Is that you asking for a repeat performance?" Amy smirked and twisted to face me. Her brown eyes caught the light of the setting sun, seeming almost crimson as she stared up at me. "I don't really mind providing if that's the case, you know."

Gamemaster said:
Chaste: 9 | 10 || Lustful: 4 | 10

I cleared my throat and glanced away. "We should simply catch a movie for now."

"I get it. I won't push." Amy smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips before pulling away. "There's a movie I've been wanting to see that just came out recently anyways."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"There's this movie about a ballerina that came out recently that's supposed to be good. It's gotten good reviews at least and seemed interesting."

"Mm?" I stood up and slid my hand into Amy's as we walked towards the school's front gate. It was odd comparing us standing to how we'd been sitting just a moment before. Amy was taller than I was. I only came up to her nose. Yet, with how she scrunched up on herself, you wouldn't know it when we were sitting next to each other. "That sounds a bit outside your usual fare."

Amy shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I used to be big into horror movies, but I just haven't really been interested in any of them lately."

I had never particularly seen the appeal in horror as a genre myself, so I would count that as a personal positive. Amy had forced me to sit through The Thing a few months ago and that had been more than enough for me. No matter what Amy claimed, I most certainly had not shrieked while watching it either.

"Well, it does not hurt to try new things, I suppose. The theater over on Sycamore?"

"Works for me," Amy replied and leaned her body into mine.

Later, of course, I would find out that Amy's ballerina movie was not nearly so tame as she had made it sound. A psychological thriller was hardly any better than pure horror. It was worth it, however, to see Amy enjoying herself.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Amor (Amy).
Bond with Amy increased to 8.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 16 | 16 = Critical Success!
Gain a check to Heroism.

Modifiers:
Elaine: Impassioned (+10 to Melee) (-10 Multiple Opponents)

Elaine Melee: 6 | 16 = Success || Goblin10 Knife: 17 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 24
>>Goblin10 is Slain.
Elaine Melee: 14 | 16 = Success || Goblin9 Knife: 20 | 12 = Fumble
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 26
>>Goblin9 is Slain.
Elaine Melee: 7 | 16 = Success || Goblin8 Knife: 19 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 33
>>Goblin8 is Slain.

Elaine Melee: 15 | 16 = Success || Goblin7 Knife: 7 | 12 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 30
>>Goblin7 is Slain.
Elaine Melee: 10 | 16 = Success || Goblin6 Knife: 9 | 12 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 27
>>Goblin6 is Slain.
Elaine Melee: 19 | 16 = Failure || Goblin5 Knife: 14 | 12 = Failure

Elaine Melee: 7 | 16 = Success || Goblin5 Knife: 12 | 12 = Critical Success!
>Goblin5 Damage (2d6+4+2d6) = 15 (13 AR) = 2 Damage (37/39 HP)
>>Knockdown: 11 | 14 = Elaine keeps her footing.
Elaine Melee: 7 | 16 = Success || Goblin4 Knife: 18 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 36
>>Goblin4 is Slain.
Elaine Melee: 8 | 16 = Success || Goblin3 Knife: 20 | 12 = Fumble
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 20
>>Goblin3 takes a Major Wound.

Elaine Melee: 12 | 16 = Success || Goblin5 Knife: 5| 12 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 32
>>Goblin5 is Slain.
Elaine Melee: 2 | 16 = Success || Goblin2 Knife: 11 | 12 = Success
>Goblin2 Damage (2d6+4) = 12 (13 AR) = 0 Damage
Elaine Melee: 11 | 16 = Success || Goblin1 Knife: 13 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 24
>>Goblin1 is Slain.

Elaine Melee: 15 | 26 = Critical Success! || Goblin2 Knife: 4 | 12 = Success
>Elaine Damage (12d6) = 33
>>Goblin2 is Slain.
>>>Gain a check to Melee.

My sword cleaved through a goblin. Another stumbled and I stomped a foot down, crushing its skull. A third leapt for my back and I spun, catching it on my blade in mid-air.

The day after my date with Amy, I had received a text from Erin saying she had finished tracking the goblins down. Their main nest was apparently a scrapyard here in North End. Goblins were inherently creatures of entropy – they despised signs of civilization, especially forged metal. Thus, I had been surprised to find them here. Erin had explained the reasoning.

The metal here was cast off. Unwanted. Rusting. Degrading. It made the perfect home for them.

And the place was swarming with them. Three more lunged for my legs, only for my sword to cleave through them. They were not flesh and blood, not truly, and their bodies soon decayed into nothingness once they had expired.

Two more lunged at me. I swung at them, only to feel an impact on my shoulder blades, a third goblin having jumped down on me from above. I stumbled at the sudden weight, but the goblin's knife failed to penetrate. I grabbed it by the ankles and swung the goblin to the ground, smashing its head against the hollowed out frame of a car.

Erin had stayed outside. Goblins were naturally cowardly creatures, and so I had decided it was best if she maintained a bounded field around the scrapyard, preventing their escape. Those who did flee would find themselves incinerated.

A burst of strength caught another three goblins in a single swing. Their bodies crumpled under the force, magic enhancing the strength of my blow. It was not to the level that Artoria could have once done so, but for all that I had her memories, I did not have her advantages. I did not have a dragon's nature fueling my power as she once had. Perhaps that would change in time. Neither I nor Erin knew.

My phone rang, and I flipped it open, turning on voice as I pinned a final goblin against the ground. Erin's voice came through.

"How's it going in there, Pendragon?" She asked, voice turning amused at the use of my chosen alias. "Not sure how much longer I can keep the barrier up."

"I am almost finished. It occurs to me that you should choose a name of your own if we are to continue working together in the field."

Erin laughed. "It's better for me if no one knows I'm even involved."

"While I am sure that is true, things do not always go as planned," I said shortly, looking around. For the moment, there were no more goblins here. Just piles of trash, stacked high enough to form walls around me. I stalked forward, the area eerily quiet.

"I'll give it some thought. Anyways, there's likely a Queen or a King of some sort in there. If you haven't killed them yet, you aren't finished."

"I have not seen any sign of such. What will they look like?"

"Big."

"How big?" I asked. Most goblins came up to my chest – and I was not particularly tall.

"You'll know it when you see it."

"Erin–" I began, only for a pile of trash to burst down as a massive figure came charging through. It swung a club – actually a car door that had been crumpled into a wieldable shape – down at my face and I hurriedly parried to the side "Nevermind. I see it."

Elaine invokes passion: Station: 11 | 12 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee)

Elaine Melee: 1 | 21 = Success || Goblin Queen Club: 14 | 15 = Success
>GQ Damage (6d6) = 19 (13 AR) = 6 (31/39 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 16 | 14 = Elaine is knocked down.

Elaine Defensive: 17 | 26 (-5 Height, +10 Defensive) = Critical || Goblin Queen Club: 2 | 20 (+5 Height) = Success
>Elaine Defends, gets to her feet.

Elaine Melee: 5 | 21 = Success || Goblin Queen Club: 19 | 15 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 27 (10 AR) = 17 (27/44 HP)
>>GQ Knockdown: 20 | 10 = GQ is knocked down.

Elaine Melee: 7 | 26 = Success || Goblin Queen Club: 3 | 10 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 33 (10 AR) = 23 (4/44 HP)
>>GQ Knockdown: 12 | 10 = GQ is knocked down.

Elaine Melee: 4 | 26 = Success || Goblin Queen Club: 2 | 10 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 29 (10 AR) = 19 (-15/44 HP)
>>GQ is Slain.

The next strike hit me head on, and though I blocked with my sword, I was still sent flying backwards. I rolled through trash and refuse, my ribs bruised from the blow. The Goblin Queen did not give me time to recover however, its club swinging down towards my head before I could find my feet.

I hurriedly blocked it and rolled away, taking a moment to look at my opponent. It was large, but not a giant. Perhaps three times the size of a normal goblin. Perhaps as large as a particularly tall man. No one would mistake it as such however. Its corpulent visage was ugly in a way that only goblins could be, twisted and malformed. It drooped and sagged, as though a candle had been left next to a mask made of wax.

She swung her club for me and I dashed in underneath her blow, my sword darting out to strike her knee. It was not the most honorable method, but then, this was not an opponent for whom honor mattered. She fell with a thunderous rapport. Before she could rise to defend herself, my sword came down, a mirror of her earlier strike.

She raised her club to defend, but my sword still found purchase. It only took her shoulder instead of cleaving open her head, but it was still a grievous blow. A second strike found my sword biting deep into her arm. Either of these blows would have disabled a normal person, but one could not expect the same of faeries. I struck a third time, and this time my sword found its mark.

The Goblin Queen burst as my sword drove through her heart. For a moment, I was surrounded by noxious fumes, the stink of mold and unwashed sweat, and then even that was gone. All that was left was the scrapyard itself, no sign of any goblins remaining.

"Elaine? Are you okay?"

"Fine." I sniffed myself and grimaced. The unnatural stink of goblins aside, I had fallen into actual trash. "Mostly. I need a bath."

"You can borrow the bath at my house if you need to. Ready to get out there?"

"More than ready."

I let my sword disappear. These goblins had not been much challenge. There had been a great many of them, but they were almost all individually weak. It worried me however. If this many had come through from faerie, then what else could have slipped through as well?

Gamemaster said:
Gain 100 (10x10) Glory for killing Goblins.
Gain 50 Glory for killing the Goblin Queen.
Gain 50 Glory for completing The Goblin Nest

A quick bit of housekeeping. Parahuman Studies has been renamed to Lore and will also cover knowledge of various faerie creatures going forward.

It is November of 2010.

We have hit a new Glory milestone.

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions.
[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:
[ ] [Power] Chivalry (C)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and increase Major Wound threshold by 3.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (D)
>Gain an additional +1d6 Weapon and Charge damage and +3 to Movement checks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -3 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Knockdown Threshold increased by 3.
[ ] [Power] Charisma (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10. On a success, gain a +5 threshold bonus to any Social roll.
[ ] [Power] Magic Resistance (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10 opposed to parahuman powers that target you. On success, the effect is negated.

Where are you patrolling with Glory Girl:
[ ] [Patrol] North End
>Arguably the poorest part of the city. Not much concentrated gang presence, but lots of crime. Supposedly some gang called the Merchants here, but they aren't a big player.
[ ] [Patrol] The Docks
>ABB territory.
[ ] [Patrol] Midtown
>Arguably the safest part of the city, has the most patrols by New Wave and the Wards.
[ ] [Patrol] Downtown
>There's supposedly a villain called Coil with mercenaries in the area. Heavily patrolled by the Protectorate.
[ ] [Patrol] Stratham
>E88 territory.

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Morgan.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Father DiMaggio at his church.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Aug 10, 2025

Voting said:
[x] [Glory] Size
[x] [Power] Magic Resistance (E)
[x] [Patrol] North End
[x] [Activity] Church
[x] [Social] Victoria Dallon

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 37/40

The cold of November had begun to set in, and even with the many layers I wore as part of my costume, I found myself shivering as I roamed the streets under the night sky. Victoria had reported back that the Wards did not know anything more about Haze's killer than we did ourselves, and so she had cautioned me to refrain from patrolling for a time.

I took her advice, for at least a few days. I soon found myself restless however. It was not in my nature to just sit back and do nothing.

So it was that I found myself pushing Victoria to come patrol with me in the northern end of Brockton Bay, among run down apartments and foreclosed businesses. I knew it was reckless with a murderer on the loose, but I needed to be doing something. I could not simply cower away in the shadows.

It was not as if we did much in the end anyway. The streets were quiet at this time of night. Even criminals liked to sleep. A few homeless people dotted the alleyways, but none doing anything that seemed illicit. In the end, flew me to the roof of a business and we simply sat on the edge of the building, staring up at the stars.

Come to think of it, when I had first started patrolling a few months ago, I had come to this same area. It was odd to think on how much had changed in but a few short months.

"Penny for your thoughts, Ells?"

"I… am unsure what my thoughts even are. Frustration, I suppose. It feels as though I've made little difference in the time since I've woken up." I was simply too weak. I didn't have the power or the skill that Artoria did. I was just a failed copy after all. "Instead, I am simply treading water."

Once again, I reflected on my failure with Haze. What could I have done differently? If I'd been faster, stronger, could I have stopped him from running away? If I'd been a better leader, could I have convinced him? How much of the boy's death could be laid at my feet?

Victoria squeezed my shoulder. "I get it. I feel the same way all the time. No matter how many gangbangers I help put away, it doesn't ever feel like I've made a dent. The gangs are still there. Crime's still there. It does make a difference though. Even if only to the people we save in the moment."

That… wasn't what I meant, exactly. No, my concern was that I knew I had the capacity for improvement. I had the capacity to be more than I was. I just wasn't improving quickly enough. A sharp breath escaped me.

Had I made the right decision in staying Independent? The Protectorate would have been able to provide resources. Arms and armor and allies in my fights. Even my parents could have helped provide equipment.

I'd had my reasons for not approaching either. The Protectorate would have limited what enemies I could fight as a Ward. I would always be subject to their rules and not my own decisions. My parents might even be worse. They'd acted like I was something fragile after I awoke from my coma. They might have opposed my heroism altogether.

I'd had my reasons, but was that just selfishness on my part? If I was failing to save people I could have otherwise saved, then perhaps I'd made the wrong decision.

"Could I have done more if I'd joined the Wards instead? As my brother has?"

"Mm," Victoria hummed a response, folding her arms across her chest. "Hard to say. There is something to be said for having the strength of a large organization like that behind you. It's why I patrol with them from time to time, even when Dean isn't there. But I've heard the Wards complain too, that most of what they do is PR, not actually fighting people."

"How so?"

Victoria shrugged. "They patrol, but only in safe areas. They fight, but only safe villains who are known to hold back. They spend a lot of time doing meet and greets with the public. They make a difference. They do. But I think you and I both want to do more than that, right?"

"I do." I took a deep breath and met her eyes. "Thank you, Victoria. That was helpful to hear."

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Victoria increased to 2.

"Any time, Ellie. You about ready to pack it in for the night?"

"Yes, I think – Do you hear that?"

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 1 | 3 = Success

The faint sound of sirens split the night, steadily coming closer. A loud thumping and the roar of an engine beat an alternating staccato to the siren's scream. A car tore around the corner, blasting music with the bass turned up enough to rattle the windows of the buildings it passed by, its occupants yelling in delight as they swerved wildly through the road. A moment later, the distinctive green and white lights of a PRT vehicle followed.

One of the car's occupants stuck his head out the window, shouting something back at the PRT van, but whatever it was he said was lost to the sheer noise. What wasn't lost was the shimmering field of blue that spread across the road. The van hit the the light and suddenly flipped over, skidding off into the sidewalk.

Gamemaster said:
Merciful: 16 | 12 || Vengeful: 8 | 10
>Vengeful succeeds.
Strategy: 11 | 4 = Failure

I sucked in a sharp breath. That sort of sudden stop was bad – The PRT agents had no doubt been injured. They needed someone to tend to them, to pull them free of the wreckage and help stop any bleeding until an ambulance could arrive. However, leaving these criminals to roam free would only allow them to hurt more innocents.

There wasn't time to think through my options. I had to make a split second decision either way.

"Victoria. Drop me on their vehicle. We need to stop them."

Victoria shot me a sharp look, but whatever reservations she had with my plan, she also knew that there was no time to argue about it. She scooped me up under my arms and the two of us streaked forward. Fortunately, while the criminals in the car were certainly watching for followers, they weren't looking up. As we approached, Victoria spun before lobbing me forward at the vehicle.

Gamemaster said:
Dexterity: 19 | 14 = Failure

Falling Damage (2d6) = 12 (6 AR) = 6 Damage (31/40 HP)

I hit the roof of the car – and then kept going, the momentum carrying me off to the side. Fortunately, I fell behind the car and not in front of it, or I'd truly be having an unpleasant night. The car swerved, slowing as the men inside were startled, but after a moment they realized what had happened and began laughing. The laughter stopped when Victoria took their distraction to slam through the car's engine block.

"Shit! It's fucking Glory Hole!"

The sharp bark of a gun rang out. Victoria took a moment to look distinctly unimpressed before smashing her fist through the car's windshield and pulling the man who had shot at her out of the car, tossing him down the street. Then, a violet line formed beneath her and she was flung back, following the man who she'd just tossed.

The rest of the men spilled out of the car and I took a moment to assess. Four men, plus a fifth wearing a cloth mask covering the top of his head. All of them had guns tucked into their waistbands and none seemed particularly steady on their feet. The cape spun around and screamed, "You fuckers think you can fuck with Skidmark? I'll fuck both of you up!"

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 19 | 6 (+5) = Failure

Who? I squinted my eyes. That name sounded familiar. I'm sure I'd heard it before somewhere. However… no, he must not be that important. Shaking my head, I got to my feet and met his eyes.

"This is your chance to surrender. I suggest that you do so."

"Bitch, you've got another thing coming if you think I'm surrendering to a couple of snot nosed brats like you!"

Listening to him was already becoming tiresome. Well, let it not be said that I had not offered mercy. I allowed my baton and shield to form in my hands and stepped forwards.

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 4 | 16 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (-10 Multiple Opponents)

Elaine Brawling: 4 | 10 = Success || Merchant1 Brawling: 3 | 8 = Success
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 12 Damage (16/28 HP)
Elaine Brawling: 16 | 10 = Failure || Merchant2 Brawling: 15 | 8 = Failure
Elaine Brawling: 10 | 10 = Critical || Merchant3 Brawling: 12 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (4d6+6) = 15 Damage (13/28 HP)
>>Merchant3 takes a Major Wound.
>>Gain a check to Brawling
Skidmark Power: 8 | 16 = Success
>Elaine Knockdown: 6 | 14 (-5) = Success

Victoria rejoins the fight.

Elaine Brawling: 6 | 10 = Success || Merchant1 Brawling: 12 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 9 Damage (7/28 HP)
>>Merchant1 goes Unconscious.
Elaine Brawling: 16 | 10 = Failure || Merchant2 Brawling: 17 | 8 = Failure
Elaine Brawling: 18 | 10 = Failure || Merchant4 Brawling: 9 | 8 = Failure

Victoria Brawling: 9 | 16 = Success || Skidmark Power: 6 | 16 = Success
>Victoria Knockdown: 15 | 16 (-5) = Failure
.>>Attack fails, Victoria is knocked down.

Elaine Brawling: 4 | 15 = Success || Merchant2 Brawling: 18 | 8 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 13 Damage (15/28 HP)
Elaine Brawling: 14 | 15 = Success || Merchant4 Brawling: 6 | 8 = Success
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 18 Damage (10/28 HP)
>>Merchant4 takes a Major Wound.

Victoria Brawling: 16 | 16 (-5) = Failure || Skidmark Evade: 7 | 17 (+5) = Success
>Skidmark Flees.

Merchant2 Valorous: 16 | 8 = Failure
>Merchant2 Surrenders.

I was immediately glad that I had, for bullets quickly began pinging off of my shield. My lips thinned, but I could deal with this much. The brigands' aim was so bad to begin with that most of the bullets were hitting the street behind me instead. Skidmark himself was busy laying whatever his power was over his own body, each piece of his clothing lighting up in a vivid blue.

No matter. I'd leave Victoria to deal with him for now. I dove into the unpowered gangsters that surrounded him, swinging my baton. At this distance, they couldn't shoot at me without possibly hitting one of their allies. That left me to attack with abandon. A strike to the wrist. Another man attempted to punch me, only for his blow to be pushed wide by my shield. I drove my baton into another man's sternum.

Then Victoria was among us again. The men around me quailed, even for a brief moment, as every eye was drawn to her. She rocketed in, throwing a punch towards Skidmark. I saw it connect – and then Victoria went tumbling down the street once more and the moment was broken.

I huffed as I kicked a man's knee, his leg snapping as he went down with a cry. Really, Victoria, this was growing embarrassing to watch. Another man attempted to strike me from behind, only for my elbow to drive into his gut. I finished by sweeping his legs out from under him and slamming my baton into his temple.

That left only one. The man looked around at his fallen friends before suddenly throwing his hands in the air. He quickly called out, "I surrender! I surrender!"

"Kneel and place your hands behind your head." He did so and I took a moment to survey the field. Skidmark was missing. He must have used the chaos of the moment to run away. He could not have gotten far, but it would be difficult to track him in the dark of night.

"That… could have gone better," Victoria said, floating up alongside me.

"You don't say," I replied, raising an eyebrow and staring at her. She at least had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"Not every fight goes well, especially with unknown Parahumans involved," she said defensively. "We'll learn and do better next time."

Sighing, I nodded and began using zip ties to secure the captured criminals. "You should check on the PRT contingent and make sure that none are injured."

Victoria placed two fingers to her forehead and saluted. "You got it, Captain." With a wink, she flew back the way we came, leaving me alone to brood.

Had I done the right thing pursuing these criminals over helping the wounded first? It was what Artoria would have done. She had been able to discard individuals to secure the ultimate safety of her nation. Even if I – Even if she acknowledged the individuals mattered, it was still immaterial to her duty as the King.

Gamemaster said:
Modest: 3 | 10 || Proud: 1 | 10
>Modest succeeds.

However, I was no longer the King. No, I had never been the King, had I? Perhaps it could be enough to be satisfied with simply protecting the people I saw in front of me. After all, even for all the sacrifices she had made, Artoria still failed to protect her kingdom in the end.

King Arthur does not understand human feelings.

A strange disquiet rose in me. Was I truly any different?

Perhaps… Perhaps I should turn outside of myself for answers.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 60 (15x4) Glory for defeating Merchants.
Adventure discovered: The Merchants of Death

Gamemaster said:
First Aid: 14 | 15 = Success
Recover 5 hit points. HP: 36/39

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The small chapel was as I remembered it. A silence lay over the space, seeming almost sacred in its totality. The faint rainbowed hues of light filtered through stained glass and scattered across the pews, casting the room into unearthly relief. There was no sign of any people, not even Father DiMaggio.

'Hello?' My lips began to form the question, only to falter, as if to break the silence here would be wrong. Instead, I simply knelt in front of the cross and bowed my head.

There was an urge to pray, but if I were honest, I did not even know what I would pray about. I felt lost. Untethered. I did not know who I was in truth. Erin's revelation had unmoored me. Nor, if I were honest, did I even know who I wanted to be.

The King.

The Hero.

The Girl.

All of them? Or perhaps none of them.

"What is this? A lost lamb returned to the fold?"

A soft voice broke the silence. My head snapped up, looking for its source. A girl wearing a nun's habit sat in the pew behind me. She hadn't been there when I came in, I was certain, and I hadn't heard her approach. She seemed fragile at first glance. Doll-like, almost. Pale, porcelain skin. Snow white hair despite the fact that she couldn't be much older than I was, her early twenties at most. Even her eyes seemed lifeless, a dull amber that stared through me.

Her fragility didn't mean she wasn't dangerous however. I tensed, shifting to a position where I could easily rise to my feet if needed.

"Oh? To immediately leap to thoughts of violence while visiting the house of the Lord. You must be a great sinner indeed."

Gamemaster said:
Religion: 3 | 4 = Success

"All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," I answered, allowing my weight to settle back down on my knees. "I am no greater nor lesser than any other in this regard."

"You are more conscious of yourself than I would have assumed," the girl said, examining me. "In any case, the Lord's house welcomes all. How may I help you?"

"I was hoping to consult with Father DiMaggio about something. Is he present?"

The girl shook her head. "The Father is away at the moment. I have been entrusted with this church until his return."

"Oh? Where did he go, if you do not mind my asking?"

"Another church required his assistance with a small matter. It is nothing to concern yourself over. I would be glad to act as your advisor until his return however."

I frowned but nodded after a moment. "Very well. I am sure he would not have entrusted this church to you if he had not thought you were capable."

The girl puffed up, clearly proud to receive the compliment. Well, at her age, it was likely her first important posting like this. No matter how skilled she might be, she could not have much actual experience.

"Then, what is your issue?"

"I am trying to decide what path I want to take in the future. I want to help people, but… Is it better to help those immediately in need, or to prevent further harm from coming to them in the future? Is it better to be a chirurgeon treating the symptoms, or the constable removing those causing harm to begin with?"

"To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. The Lord has called you to a purpose. You need only listen and use the talents he has given you."

A dreadful weight settled on my chest. I had hoped for a different answer. After all, I knew where my talents lay. Even if I had inherited them from her. Even if they weren't mine to begin with. The Heroic Spirit in me had granted me her power. She had granted me her strength. Most of all, she had granted me her memory.

A king is the one who kills the most in order to protect everyone.

To live for people. To live with people. To lead people to their future. That's what it means to be in charge of a nation, to bear the proof of a King.

Could I bear to walk that thorny path as she had? The thought terrified me. The thought that I would drive away those closest to me as she had. The thought that my home would be destroyed as hers had. The thought that I would reach the same ruinous end that she had.

She'd made many mistakes. Perhaps there had been things she could have done better or more skillfully. But in the end–

Many people were smiling.

I closed my eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Thank you for your advice. May I ask your name?"

"It is Caren. You seem to have come to a conclusion."

"Sister Caren," I repeated, reaching out to take her hand in mine. There was a jolt of surprise as I realized they were covered in bandages, the faint smell of antiseptic finally triggering recognition in my thoughts. "Would you pray with me?"

"Rejoice Miss Stansfield. For the Lord offers strength in all things. Set your foundations upon him and he shall be your rock, carrying you through even the harshest of storms."

With that, we prayed together. It was only later, after I had left, that I realized I had never told her my name.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Religion.
Gain a check to Spiritual.

It is November of 2010.

What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
>The Archer's Bridge Merchants are a relatively weak gang. If you were to take out their leadership, they may fall apart.
[ ] [Adventure] The Wendigo Spirits
>Spirits of Hunger are stirring things up in the woods.

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Morgan.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Caren at the church.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Aug 15, 2025

[x] [Adventure] The Wendigo Spirits
[x] [Activity] Charity
[x] [Social] Theo Anders

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 40/40

"...and back here is where we store all the canned goods. I'm thinking that we'll have you help with just collecting any used bowls and taking them to the sink to start. If you're still here two weeks from now, we can see about having you do something more difficult."

"Why two weeks?" I asked.

"It's when most people quit," Mr. Sykes said tiredly. The man was surprisingly short, standing a mere head taller than me. Age had stolen the color from his hair, but he still held a youthful vitality in his movements as he showed me around the homeless shelter. "When whatever moral impetus that drove them to help runs out and they realize that volunteering involves actual work."

I nodded in understanding. While I was not one to shy away from work, I understood that it was easy for a person to get wrapped up in life and responsibilities. My own schedule was already stretched thin between school, the Student Council, and patrolling as a hero. I could see all too easily how volunteering for something that I did not have to do could fall by the wayside when my other responsibilities called on me.

That was all the more reason I could not allow it to.

"Very well. Shall I get to it then?"

"Yeah, let me just get one of our other guys to go with you, since it's your first day." Mr. Sykes pulled a door open and stuck his head through before calling out, "Hey Theo! Could you come here a sec?"

Theo? I blinked in surprise as Theo Anders ducked into the room. It was some consolation to see that he was just as flabbergasted to see me, his eyes going wide.

"Theo, you mind showing this young lady around? She's going to be helping out with clean up today."

"Sure, Mr. Sykes," Theo said, shooting me another glance. "Anything I should watch out for?"

"Try introducing her to some of the regulars. Otherwise, just stay out of trouble. I'll be here in the kitchen if you need me for anything."

"Got it."

Theo opened the door and motioned for me to follow him. The homeless shelter we were in was not particularly large. Aside from the kitchen, there was a single large room where the residents could gather to eat and a significantly more cramped room that was lined with bunk beds for them to sleep. There was little in the way of privacy, apart from a few hallways leading to the bathrooms or the singular office space in the back.

So it was a surprise when Theo stopped in one of these hallways and turned to me.

"Did my Father ask you to come here and check up on me?"

"No," I said, and though I tried not to let it color my words overly much, I could not help the searching lilt to my voice. "I had no idea you were working here as well. Why would he?"

"I – Sorry, that was out of nowhere, I guess." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just know he would disapprove if he found out I was working here. He would say it's beneath me."

I felt my opinion of Max Anders immediately ratchet down a few notches. "Helping those in need is beneath no one. Not even a king."

Theo gave me a faint smile. "Thanks. Just… Don't tell anyone that you met me here? Please?"

"If that is your wish. Have you been working here for a long time?"

"About a year now?" Theo shrugged. "I can't be here consistently, because I have to help babysit my sister these days, but it's something to do that I can actually be proud of. What about you? What made you sign up?"

"I suppose I too was looking for something meaningful."

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

After my prayer with Caren, she had left me with those words. It was guidance that I had needed. I had allowed myself to become too wrapped up in concerns over who I was. What did it matter if I was Elaine or Artoria or some mix of both? These people needed my help. Surely that was more important than my own concerns.

"I have had some difficulty with adjusting since I woke earlier this year. I wished to do something worthwhile."

Theo's gaze softened and he lifted a hand as if to pat my shoulder, before awkwardly letting it fall again without having touched me. "I get it, I think. Do you want to go ahead and meet some of the guys?"

I nodded. "I would like that."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Merciful.
Bond with Theo increased to 1.

The dining area of the shelter was packed full, the shelter having long since exceeded the amount of homeless it could sustain. It was not unique in this respect. Most of the shelters in the city were in the same condition. Most of the homeless still wound up sleeping on the streets at night.

It was not so bad in the summer, but in the winter there were always reports of people who froze to death over night. With the temperatures beginning to drop, that pall hung over the crowd here, men and women left enjoying a hot meal and wondering how many more meals they had left.

Gamemaster said:
Energetic: 13 | 14 = Success

I did what small part I could to help them. They would line up at the counter for bowls of soup and I would take their bowls back to the kitchen as they finished. A simple task that anyone could have performed. There was satisfaction in performing it well however. After an hour, things began to slow down and I found myself sitting at a table with several men.

Gamemaster said:
Station: 12 | 12 = Critical!
Intrigue: 7 | 9 (+10) = Success

"Used to be a piano player. Worked at that Jazz bar off of 41st street, you know the one." Joe tapped his fingers on the table, his fingerless gloves exposing chocolate skin as he made a facsimile of playing the piano.

"We've heard the story a hundred times, Joe," another man said. "We know you're lyin'. You got no rhythm."

"I ain't lying! I don't know what happened! One day I got up to perform and it was just gone. All of it was gone. I couldn't remember anything I'd learned anymore. Every note, every chord, all of it was just gone." Joe's voice broke at the end, a choked sob escaping him.

Theo drew in a sharp breath beside me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Victor," Theo murmured. "He's a parahuman in the Empire. He's supposed to be able to steal skills from people."

My eyes flicked back to Joe, a man whose life had been ruined because the skill he had developed had suddenly been gone. Victor, a man whose power could only ever be turned to prey upon the innocent. This. This could not be allowed to stand.

It was not enough to be the sheath, providing comfort to these people. I would need to be the sword and bring justice as well, else there would only be more victims.

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: To the Victor, the Spoils.

I took a deep breath and centered myself. My rage would wait for the man himself. For now, I set a hand on Joe's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Perhaps it calmed him somewhat, but there was little I could truly do in the face of such despair.

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 19 | 9 (+10) = Critical!
>Gain a check to Intrigue.

The conversation eventually turned and Theo and I moved on, rotating between tables. It was a whispered conversation at one of the tables that caught my attention next.

"They say if you win, they'll give you two thousand bucks."

"Man, when was the last time you even drove? You think you're going to win a street race against a Tinker?"

"I got a shot at least, right? Two thousand bucks!"

"I am sorry," I said, interjecting. "What is this about a street race?"

The two men looked at each other before looking back at me. "It's just something some crazy Tinker set up near the trainyard, on the outskirts of the city. Supposed to be some sort of death race, weapons allowed and everything. Which is why I was telling Mikey here that it was a bad idea to participate!"

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: Twisted Metal.

"It does seem… ill advised."

"Yeah… Maybe. Just… I could really use that money, you know?"

I did know. I could certainly see how that money would be useful for myself. Were races illegal? Probably. Most things in this age were. Certainly, it would be with weapons involved. I mentally sighed and resigned myself to trying to shut the thing down instead of winning it.

It was a shame. It had been a great while since I last had the occasion to race. A certain memory niggled in the back of my mind, that of a red-haired conqueror. The memory of the time I had defeated a Rider on their own chosen field of battle. A smile crossed my lips, the joy of anticipation bubbling in my chest.

Maybe I could make an exception.

Wandering off, I continued my rounds until the time came to leave. Mr. Sykes called me back to his office and looked me over.

"You did better than I thought you would today."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Don't make this a one time thing. Come back again and I'll give you something more interesting to do next time."

"I plan to."

"Good," Mr. Sykes said before glancing out the window at the setting sun outside. "It's getting pretty late. Do you need a ride home?"

I shook my head. "I think I should be fine. My brother is supposed to pick me up."

Mr. Sykes nodded. "Good. Try not to be out on the streets too late. There've been a lot of people going missing lately."

"Missing?" I asked.

"A lot of our regulars have stopped coming around. Living on the streets is dangerous at the best of times, but… I don't know. I have a bad feeling about it."

I frowned, my thoughts drawn to Haze's recent death. Shadow Stalker, too, had mentioned some sort of serial killer a few months ago. Was that related?

"I'll be careful," I said, not truly meaning the words.

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: The Missing Homeless.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The buzz of flies was our first lead, soon followed by the smell. The desiccated corpse of a teenage boy laid on the path. The boy's limbs had been torn free, the meat chewed off violently enough to leave tooth marks in the bone. His back had been savaged as well, long claw marks shredding his clothes to pieces. He'd had the chance to run but not to escape.

Beside me, Erin looked faintly green.

"This is not the work of wolves."

"No. I think we found our wendigo," Erin replied.

Nodding, I stepped past the corpse, continuing up the hiking trail. The mountains around Brockton Bay were cold. Unseasonably so. A light flurry of snow blew in my face, but I could spy heavier drifts where the snow had built up over the course of weeks. Or perhaps even longer than that.

Brockton Bay usually had relatively warm winters. It was some quirk of the sea currents surrounding the city. Neither of us expected this cold and failed to dress for it. My jacket offers some protection, but Erin is shivering beside me as we climb higher.

Instinct told me this cold was not natural. There were no spells involved. The influence was more pervasive.

A mere spirit of hunger could not have done this.

"Something else has slipped out into these mountains."

Erin nodded. "You're right. One problem at a time though. We'll deal with the wendigo first."

I hummed an agreement and continued climbing. The sun has long since set by the time we arrive at a clearing, a small, sputtering fire at its center. Four teens huddled close around it, looking nervously out into the night.

Gamemaster said:
Trusting: 9 | 10 || Suspicious: 18 | 10
>Trusting succeeds.

"Hello."

They all jumped when I gave my greeting, stepping into the fire's light. "Who's there?!"

"Be at ease. My name is Pendragon. We are here to see you to safety."

"A hero?" One of the girls exclaimed. "Oh, thank God. We were up at my family's cabin when some sort of monster attacked. We've been trying to make our way home on foot ever since."

"This monster. Could you describe it to me?"

The girl nodded. "The thing was tall and dressed in a patchwork of skins. Its face was split in half with sharp teeth. Chris shot it with a gun and it didn't seem to even notice. I… I think the only reason we escaped is because it stopped to eat him."

Gamemaster said:
Lore: 16 | 2 = Failure

"Where did you see this monster?"

"My family has a cabin up the mountain, but we got pretty turned around when we were running away. I'm sorry, I don't know where exactly we're at."

I glanced back at Erin. "Can you set up wards here and ensure their safety while I hunt this creature?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. I wouldn't mind sitting by the fire for a bit anyway."

"Then I shall return soon."

Gamemaster said:
Hunting: 3 | 2 = Failure

It is difficult to find any sort of trail under the cover of darkness, even with the full moon providing its light. I do not manage to find the cabin. I do find another teenage boy. As expected, he is covered in bites, the meat torn from his flesh. Gone is the muscle from his arms, his legs, the back, and most of his entrails. A hunting rifle lies nearby. However…

There are no signs of defensive wounds. I turn the body and see why. He was struck in the back of the head prior to being devoured.

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 19 | 2 = Failure

The night is silent. There are no signs of the monster that slew him.

I was missing something.

I would need to ask Erin for her advice. Turning, I trudged back down the mountain, the snow catching at my boots with each step. It was not until I was within sight of the camp fire that I realized something was wrong.

Erin stood in the center of a shimmering circle, a look of concentration on her face. Around her stalked four creatures, trying and failing to pierce her barrier. They no longer resembled the teenagers they had before. Their forms had become long and gaunt all white skin and bone. The little flesh they have is pulled taut, like the body of a starved man. Claws tip their fingers and their distended maws are filled with razor sharp fangs.

Elaine invokes passion: Loyalty (Friends): 10 | 11 = Success
Gain a check to Loyalty (Friends).

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (-10 Multiple Opponents)

Elaine Melee: 3 | 16 (-5) = Success || Wendigo1 Claw: 7 | 16 = Success
>Wendigo1 Damage (6d6) = 19 (13 AR) = 6 Damage (34/40 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 6 | 14 = Success
Elaine Melee: 11 | 16 (-5) = Critical! || Wendigo2 Claw: 5 | 16 = Success
>Elaine Damage (12d6) = 46 (8 AR) = 38 Damage (-2/36 HP)
>>Wendigo2 is slain.
Elaine Melee: 4 | 16 (-5) = Success || Wendigo1 Claw: 19 | 16 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 29 (8 AR) = 21 Damage (15/36 HP)
>>Wendigo3 takes a Major Wound.

Elaine Melee: 5 | 16 = Success || Wendigo1 Claw: 13 | 16 = Success
>Wendigo1 Damage (6d6) = 24 (13 AR) = 11 Damage (23/40 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 12 | 14 = Success
Elaine Melee: 9 | 16 = Success || Wendigo4 Claw: 11 | 16 = Success
>Wendigo1 Damage (6d6) = 21 (13 AR) = 8 Damage (15/40 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 13 | 14 = Success

Elaine Melee: 15 | 16 = Success || Wendigo1 Claw: 12 | 16 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 25 (8 AR) = 17 Damage (19/36 HP)
>>Wendigo Knockdown: 2 | 14 = Success
Elaine Melee: 8 | 16 = Success || Wendigo4 Claw: 7 | 16 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 29 (8 AR) = 21 Damage (15/36 HP)
>>Wendigo4 takes a Major Wound.

Elaine Melee: 12 (+1) | 16 (+5) = Success || Wendigo1 Claw: 17 | 16 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 37 (8 AR) = 29 Damage (-10/36 HP)
>>Wendigo4 is slain.

I do not know how much longer Erin's ward can protect her. I cannot afford to hesitate. I summoned my sword to hand and charged into their midst. The surprise of my arrival allowed me to cut down one, my sword cleaving clean through the creature's head, but the others were quick to rally.

One of the creatures pounced on me from behind. I quickly turned, trying to deflect its charge, but its claws raked across my bicep. Crimson blood stained the snow and that seemed only to drive the others even further into their hunger-maddened frenzy.

Three were left. Another lunged and I stepped into its reach, my sword carving clean through the creature's arms. There was resistance there – for all that the thing was nothing but skin and bone, it was still something unnatural. My sword did not cut it as it would a normal animal. I let out a wordless shout and pushed my magic into my blows, forcing the mundane steel through to its chosen purpose.

The remaining two were smarter, or perhaps, simply less slave to their instincts. Rather than simply charging me with abandon, they coordinated, working together. One would swipe and when my attention was drawn, the other would leap in to bite. An unfortunately effective strategy.

I stumbled under one creature's weight as he leapt atop me, but managed to keep my footing. I could not stop the scream of pain however as it sunk its fangs into my shoulder, tearing a chunk of bloody meat free. The other took the opportunity of my distraction to attack – but I was not some callow girl to allow mere pain to stop me.

There was a flash of steel and the wendigo was left legless, leaving me to shake off the final one clinging onto me. I slammed my back into a tree, the wendigo squealing and letting go as I squashed it between my body and the wood. A quick turn and my sword separated its head from its body.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 140 (35x4) Glory for killing Wendigos.
Gain 100 Glory for completing The Wendigo Spirits.

The clearing silent, with only my own labored breathing to be heard. Blood soaked through my clothes, freezing in the mountain air. After a long moment, I looked back at Erin. "I believe you said there would be a spirit of hunger? Not four?"

"Mistakes were made," Erin said, chagrined. "This whole ambush they set up caught me by surprise."

I grimaced and lowered myself down, next to the fire. "The teenager they mentioned was real. I suspect the spirits possessed these bodies and warped them."

Erin stepped out of her circle and sat next to me. "We'll need to return and investigate at some point. This is spiraling past just a few faeries."

"You should consider putting together a costume."

"What?" Erin asked. "That came out of nowhere. Why?"

"Not out of nowhere. If this had not been an ambush, if these teenagers had been who they said they were, you would have performed magic in front of them. If we continue investigating like this, there will inevitably be a time when someone will see you and ask questions. Having an established identity as a 'parahuman' will help with that."

Gamemaster said:
Leadership: 6 | 5 (+4 Bond) = Success

"Ugh. I hate how much sense that makes." Erin poked at the fire with a stick, shifting the kindling to allow the flame to grow higher. "That means I'll have to go catch the occasional criminal too just to establish myself on the scene."

"I am sure you can manage the indignity."

Erin rolled her eyes. "It's not an issue of dignity, it's an issue of priorities. I have better things to do with my time than chase after street crime."

"Oh? Such as?"

"Like hunting down monsters for you, you dolt."

"Well, I suppose if it is just that then you must have a great deal of free time."

Erin huffed and nudged me with her foot, but smiled all the same when I nudged her in return. Then I stretched a bit too far and winced as the pain ran through me.

"I do not suppose you know any first aid?" I asked.

"A bit, but I'm hardly an expert. I could probably get you bandaged up at least."

"Good… That is good. I think I shall require it." It was probably better if Amy did not see me looking like this. Especially since it was not the result of a patrol with Victoria. It would likely lead to some… false conclusions.

"Alright, go ahead and take your clothes off. I'll see what I can do."

Gamemaster said:
Erin First Aid: 16 | 10 = Failure
Erin First Aid: 3 | 10 = Success
Erin First Aid: 1 | 10 = Success

Recover 10 hit points. HP: 25/40

During this work's hiatus, the Core rulebook for Pendragon 6E came out. There's not much effect on this quest, but there is a rule change present in this chapter. Passions now are checked whenever you succeed, not just on Crit or Fumble. This means it's much easier to build your Passions. This does not apply to Traits or Skills.

Checks can also advance a skill past 20 now, but requires a nat 20 on the die to do so.

It is November of 2010.

Voters have written in a request to beg your parents for more allowance:
[Beg] Yes
[Beg] No

The Student Council is running a Bake Sale. How do you focus on helping out?
[ ] [Bake Sale] Advertising
>Help with handing out flyers and attracting interest.
[ ] [Bake Sale] Sales
>Run a stall.
[ ] [Bake Sale] Cooking
>Help with the baking.

What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] To the Victor, the Spoils
>Victor is known for stealing the skills of minorities. He must be stopped.
[ ] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
>The Archer's Bridge Merchants are a relatively weak gang. If you were to take out their leadership, they may fall apart.
[ ] [Adventure] Twisted Metal
>A deadly street race is being run on the outskirts of town. You can go shut them down – or try to win for the prize money.
[ ] [Adventure] The Missing Homeless
>Homeless people have been going missing. Try to find out what's been happening to them.
[ ] [Adventure] Patrolling the City
-[ ] [Patrol] With Victoria
-[ ] [Patrol] With Erin
-[ ] [Patrol] With the Wards
-[ ] [Patrol] Alone
>Go on patrol to stop criminal activity.
[ ] [Adventure] Explore the Woods
-[ ] [Woods] With Erin
-[ ] [Woods] Alone
>Search the woods for supernatural activity.
[ ] [Adventure] None
>Hold off on adventures to rest up. Gain a second Activity vote.

Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Morgan.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Go on a date with Amy. Victoria's been trying to get you on a double date for a while now.
[ ] [Activity] Gala
>Your parents want you to attend more high society events.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Caren at the church.
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise and it'd help blow off steam.
[ ] [Activity] Browse the Internet
>Amy spends a lot of time on the Internet. Maybe it'd be worth browsing.
[ ] [Activity] Research Parahumans
>Do more research on Parahumans in the area.
[ ] [Activity] Study the Occult
>It might be good to brush up on your faerie lore.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Madison Clements
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Aug 19, 2025

Some Knights do not settle for the usual norm but continually strive for perfection to fulfill an Ideal. Ideals grant bonuses. Each Ideal has different combinations of Passions and Traits that require certain minimal values to achieve.

It is difficult to hold multiple ideals at once, as they will often contradict in what they hold to be of highest value.

The Heroic Knight

People recognize Heroic knights by their behavior and reputation. It is possible to lose this Ideal even with the requisite traits met if you deliberately engage in acts of Villainy.

The Knight must have a total of 96 points between the following traits and passions:

Energetic
Just
Merciful
Proud
Suspicious
Valorous
Heroism

Benefit: Gain 75 passive Glory.

The Religious Knight

These are knights who follow a religious way of life. Such knights work hard to promote their religions through exemplary lifestyles and are usually treated as embodiments of the virtues of their faiths.

The Knight must have a total of 90 points between the following traits and passions:

Chaste
Forgiving
Merciful
Modest
Spiritual
Temperate
Devotion (Deity)

Benefit: Gain 25 passive Glory and may invoke their Devotion (Deity) Passion in any circumstance, becoming Impassioned on success.

The Romantic Knight
A Romantic knight is the ideal champion of love. A romantic knight must be engaged in a romance to qualify for this ideal, even if the requisite traits are met.

The Knight must have a total of 90 points between the following traits and passions:

Lustful
Forgiving
Generous
Honest
Worldly
Trusting
Amor (Beloved)

Benefit: Gain 4 Appeal and double Glory rewards when your Beloved is present to see your feats.

Aldsan · Aug 21, 2025

[X] [Beg] Yes
[X] [Bake Sale] Advertising
[X] [Adventure] The Missing Homeless
[X] [Activity] Church
[X] [Social] Erin Archelot

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 30/40

"Shut up."

"I did not say a word."

"You were thinking it."

"You pull off the look quite well. If I may just ask–"

"You may not."

"If I may just ask, the entire point was to make it seem like you were not a magus, yes? What made you decide on this costume?"

Erin visibly blushed, her face turning red behind the domino mask that hid the upper part of her face. That part was normal enough for cape culture. The white robes, staff, and pointed witch's hat on the other hand was not a common aesthetic among capes. It evoked a very particular image.

"It's called a refuge in audacity. No one will think I'm actually a mage. Just like no one believes Myrddin when he goes around claiming to be a wizard. I did think this through."

"I did not claim otherwise," I said, though I suspect I failed to keep the mirth from my voice if the sour look that Erin shot me was any indication. "I do hope you thought of a name as well however?"

Erin straightened. "Of course. If you are Pendragon, then I shall be your Lady of the Lake. The ever beautiful, ever enchanting Nimue."

She lifted two fingers up in a peace sign and gave a brilliant smile. I stared at her in return, thankful that my helmet was disguising my own conflicted expression. Intellectually, I knew there was nothing wrong with the decision. History had recorded Nimue as a separate person. It was only I who remembered that she was but one of many masks worn by my – by Artoria's sister.

Erin was not her. I was not Artoria. I knew this. I still could not help the twisted feeling in my chest.

Sometimes it was hard to remember I was not Artoria. The memories felt just as real, just as much a part of me as my own.

"Well, if that is decided, then I suppose we can move on."

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Erin increased to 5.

Erin pouted as I sandbagged her introduction. "Well, I wasn't sure where to start with our local homeless population going missing. It could be something supernatural, but that isn't necessarily the case. It could be a lot of things, really. However, if you recall, my specialty is in the creation and binding of familiars – and so, I've done just that." She held out an arm and a hawk swooped down to land upon it, its claws digging into her sleeves but failing to pierce. Had she enchanted her costume as well? "This is Merlin, the merlin. Go ahead and introduce yourself, Merlin."

The falcon gave Erin a long suffering look before turning and speaking to me with the voice of a surprisingly dignified old man. It did not match the Merlin of my memories at all. "My Lady, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

"A pleasure to meet you as well… Merlin," I replied, faintly bemused. "I take it that Nimue tasked you with scouting the surrounding area?"

"Indeed. I believe I may have found something of note as well. There is a trail of blood leading from a side lane three streets north of here, but no sign of a body within."

There was no evidence that it was connected to what we were investigating. Even if it was not though, it was a clear indication that something was wrong. "Lead on then. We shall follow from below."

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 3 | 3 = Critical!
>Gain a check to Awareness.

Merlin launched skywards with a flurry of wings. I followed his trail skywards before stopping, my eyes settling on a lone raven sitting on the edge of a nearby building. I may not have spied it at all were it not for the exact angle of Merlin's ascent. There was nothing unusual about it. It was just a bird. However, the raven seemed as though it was watching me.

I met the raven's gaze and it simply cocked its head, unbothered by my having noticed it.

Erin had already begun jogging northward. Slowly, I turned away from the raven and followed in her wake.

Gamemaster said:
Hunting: 1 | 2 (+10 Merlin) = Success

It was easy enough to follow Merlin through the evening light. The sun had not yet fallen and warm rays of gold yet cast themselves upon the city. Any time it seemed as though the falcon would outpace us, he would circle, waiting for us to catch up, before finally swooping down towards the location he had told us of.

The narrow alley ran between a pair of apartment buildings, the lane cast into shadow by the tall buildings. The walls stank of blood. The stench was nauseating, overwhelming in its sheer pervasiveness. Death had lingered here. A trail of blood trailed through a side door into one of the buildings.

I allowed my sword to form in my hands. This would not be a fight for the baton.

Erin and I shared a look and slowly, carefully, I pushed the door open. The hallway inside sat dark, only the light from the door illuminating it, and faintly at that. Even then, I could tell. The hallway was covered in blood. On the floor. On the walls. On the ceiling. Viscera was smeared unevenly upon every surface.

[Glow color="Pink"]"Licht." [/Glow]

At Erin's command, small wisp of light floated out in front of us, casting the grisly scene into stark relief. Body parts littered the hall. Arms, legs, entrails. A few corpses sat mostly intact, only the blood leaking from their torn out throats speaking to their demise. Doors in the hall hung off their hinges, broken and battered down.

I suspect a similar scene would greet us within each of those rooms.

Was the entire apartment like this? There was no possibility the residents hadn't noticed a scene like this. Had no one noticed an entire apartment building murdered down to its last resident?

Then one of the corpses stirred.

Gamemaster said:
Merciful: 9 | 12 || Suspicious: 5 | 10
>Merciful succeeds.

I knew it was almost certainly a trap. I knew a single man could not have survived his wounds while others were torn apart. No person was so fortunate as that. Yet, even still, I stepped forward to check his wounds. Even if the slightest possibility existed where this man had survived, then he needed our help.

"Elaine, wait!"

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 1 | 16 = Success

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee)

Elaine Melee: 15 (+1) | 16 (+5) = Success || Dead Claw: 17 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 25 Damage (33/58 HP)
>>Dead Knockdown: 15 | 16 = Success
Erin Magic: 6 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 10 Damage (23/58 HP)

Elaine Melee: 13 (+1) | 16 (+5) = Success || Dead Claw: 8 | 12 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 30 Damage (3/58 HP)
>>Dead Knockdown: 1 | 16 = Success
Erin Magic: 3 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 22 Damage (-19/58 HP)
>>Dead is slain.

The corpse lunged at me. Moving now, I could see the madness in its eyes. The teeth had been replaced with fangs, its fingers with claws. For a moment, I was reminded of the wendigos I had so recently fought.

There were differences. The wendigos had displayed some level of cunning, an ability to set traps and work together. This creature was nothing but crazed bloodlust. There was no technique to its swipes. For all of that, it was faster than the wendigos had been. Stronger too, I noted as I parried its strikes with my blade.

In a group, a creature like this would certainly be dangerous. On its own however, for all of its strength and speed, it would not pose a threat to anyone with a modicum of skill.

My sword carved through the creature's stomach and it did not even stumble. An injury that would have been debilitating on any normal person was ignored entirely. Beheading may be necessary. Then, a bolt of fire flew over my shoulder. It merely grazed the thing, and yet it drew back, shrieking in alarm.

Very well then. I stepped to the side before striking again, driving my sword through the creature's shoulder and pinning it to the wall. Erin did not fail to follow up and her fire caught the creature full on this time, lighting its skin as though it were made of dried paper.

Modifiers:
Elaine: Inspired (+5 to Melee) (-5 Multiple Opponents)
Fire Intensity: 1

Elaine Melee: 14 | 16 = Success || Dead1 Claw: 11 | 12 = Success
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 23 Damage (35/58 HP)
>>Dead1 Knockdown: 8 | 16 = Success
Erin Magic: 1 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 20 Damage (15/58 HP)
Elaine Melee: 8 | 16 = Success || Dead2 Claw: 13 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 22 Damage (36/58 HP)
>>Dead2 Knockdown: 19 | 16 = Failure = Dead2 Knocked Down

Fire Intensity: 4

Elaine Melee: 18 | 16 = Failure|| Dead1 Claw: 14 | 12 = Failure
Erin Magic: 19 | 18 = Failure
Elaine Melee: 12 (+1) | 16 (+5) = Success || Dead2 Claw: 10 | 12 (-5) = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 30 Damage (28/58 HP)
>>Dead2 Knockdown: 20 | 16 = Fumble = Dead2 Knocked Down.

Fire Intensity: 7
Elaine takes 1 Fire Damage (29/40 HP)

Elaine Melee: 7 | 16 = Success || Dead1 Claw: 19 | 12 = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 27 Damage (-12/58 HP)
>>Dead1 is slain.
Elaine Melee: 11 (+1) | 16 (+5) = Success || Dead2 Claw: 18 | 12 (-5) = Failure
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 26 Damage (2/58 HP)
>>Dead2 Knockdown: 18 | 16 = Failure = Dead2 Knocked Down
Erin Magic: 4 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 21 Damage (-19/58 HP)

Fire Intensity: 10
Elaine takes 4 Fire Damage (25/40 HP)

Erin Magic: 2 | 18 = Success | Fire: 1 | 10 = Success
>Fire is suppressed.

I slid my sword free, only to bring it up in a desperate parry as another two corpses surged to life. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the still flaming corpse fall to the ground, fire licking from it and catching on the carpet, but there is no time to deal with the issue.

I strike one creature, my sword carving deep into its shoulder. Again, it ignores the wound. The other is not so fortunate. I draw my sword down through its leg and it falls to the ground. Erin must have noticed the fire as well, because this time she does not rely on it. Instead, a bolt of ice pierces through the still upright creature, forcing it to stumble, but failing to finish it off.

The creature grabs for me and Erin's next shard of ice goes wide. I dodge backwards, instead taking a moment to bring my sword down on the fallen undead, making sure it did not have the chance to get to its feet. It still clawed for me of course, mindless as it was, but from its position it did not have the leverage to reach me.

The fire is spreading quickly. Too quickly. If this fight goes much longer we will undoubtedly need to flee simply to escape the flames. A cold, clinical part of me says the building should be burned down regardless, to consume whatever creatures like this remain. However… that carried risks. Risks of the flames spreading to nearby buildings. Risks that the first responders who arrived would be slain by these things. Risks that any survivor that may be trapped, hiding within the building would surely die.

Another step back, letting the still standing undead lunge for me once more – and I twist, my sword separating the creature's head from its shoulders. It falls to the ground, lifeless. Erin finishes off the other, her ice finding a home within its skull.

"Nimue! Suppress the flames!"

"I know! I–!" Erin bit down on her lip. A surge of magic filled the air, her power thrumming audibly. A wave of mana flooded the room, forgoing technique and arias for pure speed. The flames began to recede and then fade to nothing, leaving only the scorched hallway.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 60 (40/2 Fighters) Glory for killing the Dead.
Gain 100 Glory for completing The Missing Homeless.

I staggered outside and slumped against a wall, sheer relief stealing the tension from my body. Erin followed me out a moment later.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

We do not know how many of those things are left inside. We do not have the resources to combat them. By the same token, they cannot be allowed to remain.

"We call the Protectorate."

"Elaine. These corpses were the Dead. That means there's a vampire in the city. We can't spread that to mortal authorities. I can ask the Mage's Association to send Enforcers, but–"

"We cannot wait that long. This entire building must be purged. Spin it if you must. Call them the creations of a rogue parahuman. We need to call in the Protectorate."

Gamemaster said:
Leadership: 15 | 5 (+5 Bond) = Failure

Erin shook her head. "I'm sorry, Elaine. I can't budge on this. I'd get the Enforcers sent after me if I leaked the supernatural to normal people like that. Look. I can set up a barrier, keep them confined here. It won't work on the actual Dead Apostle, but I doubt they're inside to begin with."

Gamemaster said:
Loyalty (Friends): 2 | 11 = Success
>Gain a check to Arbitrary.

I closed my eyes and let out a slow breath. "Fine. We shall do it your way."

"Thank you." Erin gave me a bright smile and reached out to hug me, giving me a gentle squeeze. "I'll get the bounded field set up. I promise anything in this building won't escape until we're ready to deal with them."

"I hope you are correct, Erin. I truly do."

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: The Sealed Apartment.

Erin First Aid: 14 | 10 = Failure
Erin First Aid: 5 | 10 = Success

Recover 4 hit points. HP: 29/40

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I opened the door to the chapel.

There, I saw a nun, affectionately playing a melody on the organ. The music of the organ reverberates throughout the chapel, filling the space with sound. I do not know if she notices my arrival. She does not pause in her performance nor even play a wrong note. Without rising to greet her visitor, the woman remained dutifully at her task.

I quietly closed the door and sat down in the back row of pews. To do otherwise, to interrupt this performance felt as though it would be intruding upon something holy.

It is strange though. I do not recall a pipe organ having been installed in this small chapel when I was here previously.

The performance came to an end. Not surprised at all by my presence, Caren turned and walked briskly to the pew where I sat.

"Welcome again, my lost lamb. What brings you here today?"

The smell of antiseptic reached me as she approached. Fresh bandages were wrapped around her hands and another was peeking just above the collar of her habit.

"Did something happen to injure you?"

The nun shook her head. "Nothing you need concern yourself with. I simply have a peculiar constitution."

"Hm." If she did not wish to speak of it, there was little I could do to make her. Still, it was something to keep an eye on in any future visits I might have. The silence stretched between us, but she seemed to feel no need to fill it. She simply stared and waited for me to say what it was that I came here for.

"...Have you ever felt like you do not know who you really are?"

"You also have an impatient streak, don't you? Just like a certain someone." Caren tilted her head and said, "Aren't you asking the wrong question?"

"What do you mean the wrong question?" I frowned.

A smirk tugged at the nun's lips, sadistic glee dancing in her eyes. "Since when have you ever been defined by who you were?"

I stilled. That was true. I had never been defined by who I was as a person, but by the role I played. The Girl. The Knight. The King. The Servant. Even Elaine had been expected to play a role as the daughter of wealthy socialites.

"Isn't this enough? You've done your best. You fought, even by yourself. So – You have to find your own happiness."

"Ah–"

Elaine or Artoria or some fusion of both. What did that matter? Memories were just that. Memories. Whatever their source, they were now mine. I did not need to torment myself over such trivialities. There was no need to hold the distinction between who I was, who I am, and who I may have been.

"That is twice now that you have leant my troubles an ear, Caren. Thank you."

"It is no trouble. That is my purpose here, after all."

"Even still," I said, the beginnings of a smile forming, "Perhaps next time I could listen to your troubles instead."

"If you have that much free time," Caren said dryly, "Then you are certainly welcome to visit whenever you wish."

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Caren increased to 1.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

My stomach rumbled. I glanced back at where the tantalizing smells of cookies, cakes, and pies wafted from the classroom we had borrowed.

Gamemaster said:
Temperate: 4 | 11 || Indulgent: 7 | 9
>Indulgent succeeds.

Perhaps it would not be so bad to abandon my post for just a bit, just to grab a few treats for myself. Not treats – rations! Yes, rations to keep my strength up in order to continue my task with renewed vigor. Hunger was the enemy, after all. I took a step towards the door.

"Hey! Is this where the bake sale is?"

My smile froze and I turned to face the voice, cursing their timing within the depths of my mind. Standing there were a tall redheaded boy and… Ah, this was awkward. "Hello Dennis. Hello Chris."

The redheaded boy blinked. "You know who I am?"

"I am aware you spend time with my brother on occasion. Besides that, I try to remember the names of as many students as I am able." I gave both of them a warm smile. "This is indeed where the bake sale is. I have a flyer here, if you would like to look over the prices. All proceeds go towards funding various school clubs and activities."

Gamemaster said:
Appeal: 3 | 14 = Success

"I'll definitely buy something!" Chris said, practically snatching the flyer from my hand.

I gave the boy a bemused look. "I did not realize you liked sweets so much, Chris."

"Uh, yeah," Chris stammered, his face turning red. "Total sweet tooth. That's me.

Dennis laughed and slapped the younger boy's back. "We'll have to grab something quickly then, before Chris starts getting the shakes."

"Just kill me now."

"Then I shall not keep you any longer," I said. "Please enjoy your purchase."

"Ciao." Dennis waved and guided Chris to the door behind me, only to stop before entering. He glanced back at me and casually said, "By the way, we were going to hang out with your brother later, all go down to the mall together. Did you want to come with us after you're finished here?"

"Perhaps next time. I will likely be here quite late, assisting with the clean up."

"Next time then!"

Dennis grinned and leaned over to whisper something in Chris's ear, only to suffer an elbow to the ribs in response. He laughed good naturedly and the pair disappeared from view.

Gamemaster said:
Temperate: 15 | 11 || Indulgent: 19 | 9
>No change.

With them taken care of, perhaps now was my chance to secure some sweets for myself as well. I would just need to leave my post for a few minutes…

"Hey Ellie!"

Damnation. I turned to smile at Chelsea and Megan as they approached. "Hello to you both."

Megan smiled and pulled me into a hug. "How's our favorite President doing?"

"Busy, unfortunately. Between this, the Music clubs preparing for their December performances, and the Winter Formal, I have been somewhat swamped recently."

That, of course, was not even mentioning my other extracurriculars as a hero. Truly, there was no rest for the righteous.

"Oh yeah, Stacey was totally bragging about how Brett – You know Brett Rose, on the football team?" I did not, but motioned for her to go on regardless. "How Brett had asked her out for Winter Formal. Can you believe it? That girl's been through, like, three boyfriends just this semester."

"Who'd even want to date her?" Chelsea wrinkled her nose. "Total skank."

"I know, right!" Megan laughed. "Anyways, the bake sale! It smells totes delicious, Ellie! Any chance we could get a friend discount?"

Gamemaster said:
Just: 11 | 16 || Arbitrary: 14 | 4
>Just succeeds.

"I am sorry. It is the same price for everyone."

"Aw, well fine then. Still, you gotta come party with us when you get some free time. Stop being such a stick in the mud all the time!"

"If I have the time for it, Megan, I promise I will."

"I'll hold you to it!" Megan grinned. "You can bring that mystery guy of yours that you keep getting all those hickies from!"

Heat flooded my face and I swatted at Megan. "Off with you. I do not need this sort of impertinence."

Megan just laughed and stuck her tongue out at me before the pair walked off together. "Later Ellie!"

"Honestly…"

I reached a hand up to rub gently at my neck. Even with my accelerated healing, I always seemed to carry at least one bruise there these days, if not multiple. Amy seemed quite insistent on making sure I was marked as hers.

I was not sure how Chelsea and Megan (or the wider school population for that matter) had not realized that Amy and I were dating. It was not as though we were hiding our relationship. Amy and I stole whatever moments together that we were able. For whatever reason though, most people did not seem to connect that she and I were together and not simply friends. Perhaps it was simply because we were both girls.

God forbid we ever became roommates.

"Hey."

A gentle tug on my sleeve turned me to face the very woman who had been occupying my thoughts. She had apparently managed to sneak up from behind me while I had been distracted. For a moment, I lose myself in her eyes.

I finally find my words. "Hello yourself."

Amy snorts an aborted laugh, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "So, a mystery guy, huh? Should I be jealous?"

"Chelsea and Megan are just incorrigible gossips," I scowled. "However… Perhaps it would not be bad to attend something together. Make our relationship clear."

"I'll think about it. I'm not really a fan of parties," Amy grumbled. "But I might make an exception. I got you some cookies from inside, by the way."

I let my eyes fall to the proffered bag of sweets and cannot help the sudden surge of affection I have for this girl. Pushing myself up onto my toes, I press a quick kiss to Amy's lips.

"What was that for?" Amy asks.

"I simply felt like it."

She blinks, bemused, before allowing her smile to turn sultry. The effect was only somewhat ruined by the blush staining her cheeks. "I think the sale is getting close to over. Do you want to sneak off and eat these together? Or… maybe do some other things?"

Gamemaster said:
Chaste: 1 | 10 || Lustful: 7 | 10
>Lustful succeeds.

I find myself studying each of the many freckles dotting Amy's face. "I think… I would like that."

Radiating contentment, Amy took my hand and led me away, my stack of flyers forgotten.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 70 (5xAppeal) Glory for the Bake Sale.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Thanksgiving had traditionally never been celebrated in the Stansfield household. No one had cared enough about eating together as a family to particularly celebrate the holiday. Most of the time, our father went out hunting with his buddies. Our mother might have the cook make some sort of turkey meal for dinner, but that was the barest nod the holiday would receive.

This year was different. Football was playing on the television. My father, brother, and I were all seated on the couch. My mother was cooking in the kitchen. For all my life, I could not remember a time my mother had ever cooked. I did not even know my father liked football.

It was strange. That was the only word I could think of.

"So Elaine. How's school been going?" my father asked.

"Fine," I would answer.

"Anything interesting?"

"Just student council work. December is a busy time for school events."

"Already taking on leadership roles just like your old man, huh?"

"Hm."

"Any new friends?"

"A few."

My brother kept shooting glances at me and trying to include me into the conversation with my father, but… what was I supposed to say? Despite having grown up with this man, he was still practically a stranger to me. Before my coma, he had not even made this token effort to connect with me.

…I needed resources, however. My lack of proper armor was becoming an increasingly troublesome issue. I needed money. I just was not willing to tell my parents about my activities. I was not willing to give them that insight.

That meant I would need to lie.

Gamemaster said:
Deceitful: 17 | 10 = Failure

Guilt squirmed in my gut. I opened my mouth to speak, only to find the words stuck in my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel Dean's concerned gaze resting on me.

No. I could do this. Casually, as casually as I could, I forced the words I needed to say out.

"By the way, I was wondering if I could get some money. I was thinking of going shopping with my friends. A lot of my old clothes don't fit anymore."

My father lit up, latching onto the lifeline I had extended to him. As though he could simply buy my love. "Sure, Honey. I was thinking it was probably time to increase your allowance anyways, what with you being in high school now. Let's call it an early birthday present," he winked.

Fishing out his wallet, he pulled a few hundreds from it and passed them over to me. I took them, feeling vaguely dirty as I did.

Gamemaster said:
Gain $300.
Allowance increased to $200 per month.
Lose 1 Honor.

"By the way, Christmas is coming up soon. Have you thought at all about what you want?"

By then I should have my license, assuming I didn't flunk the driving test. Well, as long as I was asking for things… "A motorcycle, perhaps?"

"A motorcycle? Not a car? Isn't that… a bit dangerous?" My father asked.

My lips twisted. I could play up the persona of Ellie, the spoiled girl I once was, outraged that she was not getting what she wanted. I was certain my father would cave and give me what I wanted if I did. I would not however. I had done enough to put a sour taste in my mouth. There was no need to add to it.

Instead, I would give him a truth, if a somewhat misleading one.

"Arguably less. It would be easier for me to weave out of traffic if there was ever an emergency. Such as a cape fight."

"I… suppose. I just don't like you being so exposed."

I shot a look at my brother, silently asking for his support. Sighing, Dean spoke up, "She'll be fine, Dad. Ellie isn't a reckless driver."

"I'll think about it. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a car? I could get you a nice BMW like the one Dean has."

"I am certain. I–"

A siren cut through my sentence. Its wail rose over the city in a single long note before falling silent again. We waited, but there was no follow up. A moment later, the channel on the television cut out, replaced by a sharp signal tone blaring for our attention.

"We interrupt our programming at the request of the White House. This is the Emergency Alert System. All normal programming has been discontinued during this emergency. The S-Class designation Behemoth has emerged near Tonopah, Arizona. All parahumans willing to stand against this threat are to report to the nearest Protectorate Headquarters for transport.

"I repeat. The S-Class designation Behemoth has emerged near Tonopah, Arizona. All parahumans willing to stand against this threat are to report to the nearest Protectorate Headquarters for transport. This concludes operations under the Emergency Alert System. All normal programming operations may now resume. "

The room went silent. My father looked ashen. Dean… Dean looked determined. He grabbed his keys and stood up, heading for the door.

It is December of 2010.

We have arrived at a rest period.

Checkmarks: Arbitrary: 1 | 4 = No Increase
Just: 14 | 16 = No Increase
Merciful: 15 | 12 = Increased by 1
Spiritual: 11 | 11 = No Increase
Honor: 8 | 15 = No Increase
Loyalty (Friends): 7 | 11 = No Increase
Amor (Amy): 6 | 14 = No Increase
Heroism: 19 | 16 = Increased by 1
Station: 10 | 12 = No Increase
Intrigue: 11 | 9 = Increased by 1
Awareness: 20 | 3 = Increased by 1
Religion: 4 | 4 = No Increase
Brawling: 10 | 15 = No Increase
Melee: 6 | 16 = No Increase
Personality Traits: You will now be allowed to direct your personality traits a bit more actively. Choose two personality traits. Each trait will go up by one.

[ ] [Trait] (Trait1)
[ ] [Trait] (Trait2)
Training and Practice: Next is training and practice. You may select any one of the following improvements:

Change a Passion
You can add or subtract one point from any Passion.
-OR-
Change a Characteristic
Players may add one point to any one of STR, DEX, CON, or APP.
-OR-
Train Skills Up to 15
Add 6 points to any number of Skills under 15 in any combination—all points may be added to one Skill, divided between two Skills, or more—as long as the values are not raised over 15.
-OR-
Train a Skill Up to 20
Increase one Skill over 15 by one point, up to a maximum value of 20.

Please structure this vote as:
[ ] [Training] Skills 1, Skills 2, Skills 3, etc.
Glory: We have hit a new Glory milestone.

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions.
[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:
[ ] [Power] Chivalry (C)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and increase Major Wound threshold by 3.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (D)
>Gain an additional +1d6 Weapon and Charge damage and +3 to Movement checks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -3 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Knockdown Threshold increased by 3.
[ ] [Power] Charisma (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10. On a success, gain a +5 threshold bonus to any Social roll.
[ ] [Power] Magic Resistance (D)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -5 opposed to parahuman powers that target you. On success, the effect is negated.
Allowance: Next, you receive your monthly allowance. Given your status as a Wealthy Heiress, you earn $200.
Shop: Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote. Please note that due to Black Friday, all items in the shop are half off for this vote.

[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)
Behemoth: Behemoth has attacked. Do you participate in the battle?
[ ] [Behemoth] Yes
[ ] [Behemoth] No
Adventure: What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] To the Victor, the Spoils
>Victor is known for stealing the skills of minorities. He must be stopped.
[ ] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
>The Archer's Bridge Merchants are a relatively weak gang. If you were to take out their leadership, they may fall apart.
[ ] [Adventure] Twisted Metal
>A deadly street race is being run on the outskirts of town. You can go shut them down – or try to win for the prize money.
[ ] [Adventure] The Sealed Apartment
>Elaine has sealed the Dead into the apartment you found. Who knows how long it will last however.
[ ] [Adventure] Patrolling the City
-[ ] [Patrol] With Victoria
-[ ] [Patrol] With Erin
-[ ] [Patrol] With the Wards
-[ ] [Patrol] Alone
>Go on patrol to stop criminal activity. Roll the random encounter table.
[ ] [Adventure] Explore the Woods
-[ ] [Woods] With Erin
-[ ] [Woods] Alone
>Search the woods for supernatural activity. Roll the random encounter table.
[ ] [Adventure] None
>Hold off on adventures to rest up. Gain a second Activity vote.
Activity: Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Megan.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Go on a date with Amy. Victoria's been trying to get you on a double date for a while now.
[ ] [Activity] Gala
>Your parents want you to attend more high society events.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Caren at the church.
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise and it'd help blow off steam.
[ ] [Activity] Browse the Internet
>Amy spends a lot of time on the Internet. Maybe it'd be worth browsing.
[ ] [Activity] Research Parahumans
>Do more research on Parahumans in the area.
[ ] [Activity] Study the Occult
>It might be good to brush up on your faerie lore.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)
Social: Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Madison Clements
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Aug 22, 2025

Voting: [X] [Glory] SIZ
[X] [Power] Chivalry (C)
[X] [Trait] Energetic, Valorous
[X] [Training] Power 2, Drive 1, Academics 1, Ranged 1, Leadership 1
[X] [Shop] Helm, Partial Plate, Bow
[X] [Behemoth] Yes

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 34/40

"Don't do this."

"I need to help."

"It's Behemoth. What are you going to do there that others can't? I've indulged your play at being in the Wards, but I'm not letting you walk out there just to die."

"I know I can't fight him, but I can at least help with search and rescue. I can help pull people to safety."

My father had grabbed hold of my brother's arm, the two of them fiercely whispering to one another. It was… Well, if Dean had not already told me that he was Gallant, I would certainly know now. Both of them had thoroughly forgotten that I was here. Well, let them argue. I had somewhere to be.

Standing, I quietly left to my room. Kay was curled up on the bed, sleeping soundly. I let my fingers trace gently through his fur, taking strength from the moment. Then, sliding my window open, I vaulted outside.

I jogged a block before letting my armor form over me. I had scraps of metal that I'd managed to put together. Not true, solid plate, but much better than the mere leathers I had worn previously. It was not as much protection as I would like, but it would have to do. Pulling out my phone, I called Erin.

"Elaine?"

"Erin. Could you pick me up? I will need your help in getting to the PRT Headquarters in time."

"What? Tell me you're not stupid enough to be thinking of fighting Behemoth, Elaine!"

"Not directly." I closed my eyes and took Dean's words for myself. "I need to help. Even if it's just to protect people."

"...Where are you? I'll come get you, but we're going to have words before I take you anywhere."

"I will be waiting at the corner of Islington and Bartlett."

"Good. I'll be there soon."

With that, Erin hung up. I was left waiting, trying to constrain my nervous energy as I stared out at the deepening gloom that hung overhead, the edge of the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. Arizona was two hours behind us and a bit further south. That meant two hours or so of daylight to actually fight Behemoth.

Hopefully he was driven off before then. A great deal could go wrong in a fight in the dark of night.

There was a strange quiet to the city. A tension hanging in the air. People knew doom was coming to another part of the country, but it was not here. Here, today, they were safe.

I heard Erin's approach before I saw her. The roar of the engine echoed down the empty street, the tires of her car squealing as she did a hard corner, only to break to a sudden stop in front of me. The back door popped open and Erin's head poked out – wearing the hat of her Nimue costume.

"Get in."

I complied, sidling into the backseat with her. Before I even managed to fully sit, the car shot off again, the door slamming closed from the sheer acceleration. Up front, I could see Erin's shadowy butler holding the wheel. It piloted the vehicle smoothly, without any of the hesitation a normal human would have – though, I was certain it was breaking any number of traffic laws to do so.

Turning to face Erin, I asked, "So. You wished to have words?"

"Yes, like what are you thinking! I'm sure the Heroic Spirit Arthur could take on Behemoth, but you don't have his full power yet!"

"Even if I cannot defeat this foe, that does not mean I cannot act to mitigate the harm it will cause."

Erin pulled a face before sighing dramatically. "Fine. I get it. Just… don't die on me, okay?"

"I will do my utmost to avoid such."

"Good. Now, I've got something for you. I'd meant it for a Christmas present, but with the situation being what it is…"

"I understand," I said simply.

Erin let out a slow breath before reaching down and pulling a bundle of fabric from under her seat. She unfolded it and held it out, the shape of a cloak making itself known. "Go ahead and put it on. I had the idea for it after our misadventure at the apartment the other day. It should help protect you from things like heat or cold. It's not total immunity, though, so try not to get hit if you can help it, especially by Behemoth."

Gamemaster said:
Gain Enchanted Cloak.

I held the cloak in my hands for a long moment before finally swinging it around my shoulders. "Thank you, Erin. I will not let your gift go to waste."

"You'd better not." Erin smiled and gently punched my arm.

Through the window, the roads were a blur. In the distance, I could see the retrofitted oil rig that had been converted into Protectorate Headquarters growing near. The shimmering bridge of hard light that connected it to shore lit up the deepening gloom. That was not our ultimate destination, however. Instead, we turned into Downtown. We were getting close.

"Are you ready?" Erin asked.

I nodded. "One more thing before I go. If you could help allay any of my parent's suspicions as to where I am? Perhaps call them and let them know I snuck out to visit you?"

Erin huffed. "You're really living that teen vigilante stereotype, huh? Fine, I can help be your alibi as well. At some point you'll need to… No, nevermind. Now isn't the time for that conversation. Just come back safely."

I smiled and squeezed Erin's hand. "I promise."

A moment later, the car jerked to a stop and I was out the door. The PRT Headquarters was a nondescript building. Its most interesting feature was the grassy hill that it sat on, isolating it from the surrounding area, and the stretch of beach that I could see beyond it. Besides that, it was all dark brick and dark tinted windows. A plain, utilitarian building that could have been swapped with any office building and no one would notice.

Already, I could see people gathering in the parking lot. People in PRT uniforms stood guard around the entrance, but at the center of the lot were the Protectorate. Heroes gathered to stand against the inevitable. There was a set to their shoulders that I recognized, not from Elaine's life, but from Artoria's. It was the posture of warriors who knew they were about to descend into battle.

Off to the side stood Shadow Stalker and Vista. The only Wards to show so far. I suppose that meant I had beaten my brother here. A selfish part of me hoped he would be late to arrive. I moved to join them and Shadow Stalker nodded at my approach.

"Hey there. Good to see someone in this city's got some balls."

"People are still coming in," Vista opined. "We might still get more."

"No one significant. If New Wave were coming they'd be here by now. The gangs sure as hell aren't going to show."

Vista frowned and looked down.

Gamemaster said:
Orate: 1 | 6 = Success

Shaking my head, I spoke up, "It does not matter. We are here, together. It is not through strength of numbers, but through strength of will that we shall make a difference. When we arrive on the battlefield, work to keep each other safe and we will get through this to the other side."

Vista visibly brightened, but Shadow Stalker just folded her arms and looked away. "I don't need that power of friendship crap. Just don't do anything stupid."

Despite her words, I thought I saw her straighten her spine a bit, standing just a bit straighter.

"So that's a new costume, right?" Vista asked.

"It is still a work in progress, but yes. This should be its first time seeing combat."

"Hell of a test run," Shadow Stalker commented.

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 13 | 6 (+10) = Success

I grimaced and opened my mouth to respond, only for what I was about to say be cut off by a hero in silver and blue armor raising his voice. Armsmaster. The leader of the local Protectorate.

"Everyone listen! Transport will arrive ETA one minute. The battle has already commenced on site, which means we will be dropping in hot. When we arrive, get your wristbands and radiation pills. Make sure to follow whatever instructions Protectorate leadership provides. We believe that Behemoth is targeting the Palo Verde Generating Station, the second largest nuclear plant in the United States. Needless to say, it is imperative that we do not allow him to reach his goal.

"Behemoth is the largest of the Endbringers and is physically the strongest. This is not what makes him dangerous however. He is a dynakinetic. He is capable of producing and manipulating energy in its various forms. This means he can, and will, redirect attacks meant for him into defenders. He can shoot lightning, sound, even just pure kinetic energy. Do not believe you are safe just because you are at range.

"Most importantly, do not engage him in melee. Behemoth can ignore the Manton Limit at a range of up to thirty-two feet. Unless you have a power that grants extreme durability, you will instantly die if you get too close to him. We–"

A clap of thunder broke through Armsmaster's speech and a cape stood in the parking lot who had not been there a moment before.

"Everyone gather close. It's time."

I stepped forward, and with another clap of thunder, we were transported to Hell.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 500 Glory for attending an Endbringer fight.

The Behemoth Fight: Alright, time for mass combat with Behemoth. The way this is going to work, each round, the Protectorate Leadership will roll its Strategy opposed by Behemoth. For each success, you will get closer to driving Behemoth off. Five successes, and he leaves. If Behemoth rolls five successes, he will destroy the Power Plant.

While this is happening, you will have to make the choice for how often you are on the field. Every round that you are on the field will have a percentile chance that you are hit by an attack by Behemoth. Each round that you survive on the field will accrue additional Glory. When you return to the rear, it will be for a single round to rest and recuperate before sallying forth again.

[ ] [Tactics] Cowardly
>Commit to only a single round of combat at a time before returning to the rear. Effectively spend half the battle safe in the rear.
[ ] [Tactics] Prudent
>Commit to two rounds of combat at a time before returning to the rear. Effectively spend one third of the battle safe in the rear.
[ ] [Tactics] Valorous
>Commit to three rounds of combat at a time before returning to the rear. Effectively spend one quarter of the battle safe in the rear.
[ ] [Tactics] Reckless
>Commit to four rounds of combat at a time before returning to the rear. Effectively spend one fifth of the battle safe in the rear.

In addition, write in your strategy for helping in this fight. Depending on how effective it is, you may be able to give the Protectorate a bonus to its rolls. This bonus will only apply for rounds while you are on the field and not in the rear.

[ ] [Strategy] (Write-In)
Glory: We have hit a new Glory milestone.

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions.
[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:
[ ] [Power] Chivalry (B)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and increase Major Wound threshold by 2.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (D)
>Gain an additional +1d6 Weapon and Charge damage and +3 to Movement checks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -3 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Knockdown Threshold increased by 3.
[ ] [Power] Charisma (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10. On a success, gain a +5 threshold bonus to any Social roll.
[ ] [Power] Magic Resistance (D)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -5 opposed to parahuman powers that target you. On success, the effect is negated.

Aldsan · Aug 24, 2025

Voting

[X] [Tactics] Prudent
[X] [Glory] Power
[X] [Power] Magic Resistance (D)

Behemoth Battle

Round 1: Protectorate Strategy: 5 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 13
Behemoth advances one space. (1/5)

Behemoth attacks: 35 = Elaine is not hit.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 4
Round 2: Protectorate Strategy: 16 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 2
Protectorate pushes back. (1/5)

Behemoth attacks: 64 = Elaine is not hit.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 6
Round 3: Protectorate Strategy: 12 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 6
Protectorate pushes back. (2/5)

Elaine withdraws to the rear.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 12
Round 4: Protectorate Strategy: 15 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 6
Protectorate pushes back. (3/5)

Behemoth attacks: 67 = Elaine is not hit.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 14
Round 5: Protectorate Strategy: 5 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 3
Protectorate pushes back. (4/5)

Behemoth attacks: 79 = Elaine is not hit.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 19
Elaine takes 4 Fire Damage (31/41 HP)
Round 6: Protectorate Strategy: 12 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 20 = Critical
Behemoth advances two spaces. (3/5)

Elaine withdraws to the rear.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 20
Round 7: Protectorate Strategy: 1 (+2) || Behemoth Move: 14
Behemoth advances one space. (4/5)

Behemoth attacks: 12 = Elaine is not hit.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 21
Elaine takes 6 Fire Damage (25/40 HP)
Round 8: Protectorate Strategy: 19 (+2) = Critical || Behemoth Move: 12
Protectorate pushes back. (6/5)

Behemoth attacks: 35 = Elaine is not hit.
Fire Intensity: (+1d6) = 26
Elaine takes 11 Fire Damage (14/40 HP)

We arrived to smoke and fire. Lightning flashed in the distance, more red than yellow. We weren't on the frontlines just yet, we'd arrived far enough away to give us a moment to breathe, but there was no telling how long that would last. Pulling the cloak Erin had given me tight around myself to ward off the heat, I took a moment to assess the situation.

There was some fortune in Behemoth's choice of target this time. The Palo Verde Generating Station was located out in the desert, a good thirty miles away from the nearest major city. That wasn't to say there weren't any civilians living out here, but at the very least, there weren't very many.

That was where the good luck ended. The lack of a city meant there were no buildings, no cover for the defenders to hide behind. The terrain was flat, covered with dry scrub brush. A fire was quickly spreading to envelop the landscape. If Behemoth actually managed to reach the nuclear plant, the fallout would cover far more than a mere thirty miles.

The more experienced members of the Protectorate were already on the move. That left only a few of us behind, trying to figure out what to do. I looked at Vista and Shadow Stalker. Both of them looked just as lost as I was. No. More so. I at least had the memories of the King to fall back on. This looked like it was the first time either of them had been in an encounter on this scale.

"We need to come up with a strategy for how we're helping."

"I can try and put some extra distance between him and the station," Vista said uncertainly. "Make a sort of treadmill to keep him from getting closer."

I frowned underneath my helmet. If she kept that up too long, she would definitely get Behemoth's attention. Attention that would be deadly for her.

"I can make my bolts intangible," Shadow Stalker added. "Might be able to do some damage to him if I can get them deep enough."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Prudent.

I pursed my lips and looked out at the field. "Very well. We are going to utilize guerilla tactics. We do not stay in one place. We continue moving. We move in, delay him, get a few bolts off, then move out again. Do we have any supplies, anything I can bring with us to help?"

"Local PRT might have some confoam?"

Gamemaster said:
Lore: 4 | 2 = Failure

"Will that help against Behemoth?"

"It's temperature resistant. I've seen troopers use it to put out fires before."

I paused and then nodded. The spreading fire was a danger all on its own. Not just because of the heat, but the smoke as well. "Okay. I'll grab that and then we'll move out."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Flames licked at our heels. Overhead, a group of fliers moved past, only for a flash of actinic light to strike one. The man fell with a scream into the inferno below. I pulled the trigger on the containment foam sprayer, trying to force a path to the man. Vista opened the small path I'd made wider and Shadow Stalker leapt through, pulling the man out to our relative safety.

He was in bad shape. His flesh was seared, both by lightning and by flame, but I could still see the faint rise and fall of his chest.

"Get him back to the infirmary!"

I gave another wide sweep with my containment foam, pushing back the flames that had begun creeping closer to us. The canister ran out half way and I pulled it free, letting another manifest into my hand before jamming it into place.

A Servant's spiritual manifestation should not allow me to do that. Not with mundane objects such as this. No, in the first place, I was not even a true Servant. A Heroic Spirit's power might be flowing into me, but I still had a body of flesh and blood. My ability to banish items away only to summon them to myself later did not make sense.

No. Focus. It was a question for later. There were more important things right now.

Shadow Stalker was already sprinting with the man back to safety, leaving me as Vista's sole protection against the flames. She'd been doing well in slowing Behemoth down. Her treadmill ploy had bought the Protectorate enough time to get other Shakers into position. A stone wall had gone up in the beast's path, getting steadily higher and thicker with each minute we bought.

Legend and Eidolon hounded Behemoth. Legend was a blur in the air, too quick to pin down. Whenever the Endbringer would target Eidolon, the hero would simply teleport away from the blow. Two bolts of continuous electricity cut in a line, and the two heroes were forced to dodge, only to be replaced by Alexandria slamming into Behemoth. Behemoth did not move an inch, as though completely unaffected by her blow, but the ground shuddered and cracked beneath him.

The warped space under Behemoth faltered and then snapped back into place. I looked back and saw Vista coughing, the smoke having grown too much for her.

"We're pulling back."

"No! I can keep going!"

"You need healing. We're pulling back. You can get back out here once your lungs have been looked at."

Vista looked rebellious for a moment, but another hacking cough ended that and she finally nodded. "Fine."

We fought our way back through the flames to where the medics and healers were stationed. I was sweating beneath my armor, the heat having grown past the point of tolerability even with the protective cloak Erin had given me. I was not sure how Vista had lasted as long as she had, but I suspected she would be out of the rest of the right. Both of us were covered in soot, the original bright colors of our costumes painted over with black.

"What injury?" A nurse asked us as we approached.

"Smoke inhalation and lung damage," I answered. The tent was a swarm of activity, the chirurgeons hard at work saving those they could, but the patients were many, too many.

The nurse nodded and motioned to a bed. "Low priority, green. You'll have to wait until we get to you."

I guided Vista to the bed, the girl a bit unsteady on her feet. "Can't believe I'm sitting this out because of a cough," she complained.

"You are not sitting this out. You are simply taking a moment to get healed. In any fight of length, you cannot keep fighters constantly on the frontline. They need to rotate in and out, taking the opportunity to rest."

"Ugh. I know you're right, but…"

"I understand. You have a strong power. You can make a difference. You will not make that difference if you are dead, however. Take the opportunity to heal."

Vista nodded meekly and I reached out to squeeze her hand before turning to leave. Outside the tent, I saw Shadow Stalker looking around. The dark heroine had her own edge of weariness about her shoulders, but she had not hit her limit quite yet.

"Where's the pipsqueak?" she asked.

"I am forcing her to take a break. We will be on our own for a bit."

"I'm not sure how much longer I can go myself. Even with the confoam, this isn't a good battle to be on the ground."

Gamemaster said:
Strategy: 3 | 4 = Success

I nodded grimly. "We have made a good show of things so far, but the defenders are starting to flag. Too many have fallen, and those that are still alive are suffering from the heat."

"So what do we do?"

It was hard to see anything on the field, it had become so thick with smoke. Still… "Let us go reinforce whichever Shaker was putting up that wall. Short of–"

A roar encapsulated the field, so loud I felt my bones rattle. So loud that the smoke was blown away for a brief moment and I could see Behemoth standing there, his single cyclopian eye staring balefully out at us. Then the sound suddenly cut off, vanished as though it had never been, as the Endbringer changed it, converted the sonic energy into pure kinetic force.

The wall the Protectorate had been building shattered. Layer after layer of stone and metal broke. We'd bought time for a ten-layer wall and it had not made a difference in the end. Behemoth advanced through the breach, uncaring for the attacks that hit him, moving towards his target without fail.

A litany of cape names flowed through the communicator bracelets we had been given. People downed or slain by the shrapnel. Taking a deep breath I dove into the flames, intent to rescue as many as I could.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Missy sat in the infirmary, trying hard not to jitter. She should be out there, doing something. She kept hearing the announcements of people dying and she was just sitting here. There hadn't been many from Brockton Bay thankfully. Battery was downed, but not dead. She'd seen the older heroine dragged in. She'd seen Miss Militia pass through briefly before getting back out onto the field.

She'd almost cried when the communicator announced that Shrike had died. The man was young, had only been with the Protectorate for a year. She'd been there longer than he had. He'd always had time to stop in and visit with the Wards though. He didn't treat them as afterthoughts or junior heroes.

He'd almost stopped her from coming. Had known with a look that Missy had been lying when she said her parents had given her permission to come. He'd made her promise to try and stay back and stay safe. Now he was gone.

Her communicator crackled to life again and Missy tensed, dreading whatever news would come next.

"Yahallo! I'm looking for the spatial warper who was on the field earlier. Are you still alive?"

"This is Vista. I'm still alive," Missy rasped. "What do you need?"

"Great! I've got an idea to slow down Behemoth, but I'll need your help. Where are you?"

"The infirmary. I don't think I can help."

"You can! I'll be there in just a second to pick you up."

Pick her up? Missy furrowed her brow, but pushed herself out of bed, hobbling to the entrance, only to hop back as a streak of light descended through the sky like a shooting star. It resolved into a girl riding some sort of Master projection. An animal with the head and wings of an eagle, but the body of a horse.

"What is that?" she couldn't help but ask.

"It's a hippogryph! Vista right?" The girl bounced off the hippogryph, her vividly pink hair bouncing in the wind. Her skirt flared as she spun around, motioning to Missy. "Come on, hop on!"

A wracking cough escaped Missy, but she stepped forward anyway. "What's the plan?"

The girl helped pull her up onto the hippogryph and the pair of them launched into the air. "I've got a Striker ability I can use with my lance, but to use it I need to get close enough to hit Behemoth and I won't survive that."

Missy nodded as the two flew above the battlefield. The projection they were riding was fast, covering the distance in a matter of seconds. "So you need me to make your lance longer, to hit him from a distance."

"Exactly!" the girl chirped.

"Funny. Usually it's guys asking for their lances to be longer," Missy said dryly.

"Well, I guess that works since I am a guy." The girl – the boy?? replied. He turned and struck a pose, his fingers in a V, framing one of his eyes. "Trans-Icon of the New York Wards, Astolfo at your service."

"Eh? But you look so… I mean…"

"Guys can look cute too, silly." The boy bopped her nose. "Now come on. Embiggen my lance."

Missy rolled her eyes. "Fine. Hold it still. It'll be easier if you're not waving it around all over the place."

Astolfo grinned and held their lance out straight. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Missy worked her power into it. She knew it wasn't actually that slow in terms of real time, but it always felt that way when she was in a fight. She always wished she could make things happen just a bit quicker.

Ten feet. Twenty feet. Thirty feet. The lance stretched out and out. Astolfo waited until they hit fifty feet to suddenly dive, his lance thrusting down to hit Behemoth square in the shoulder. Missy felt a pang of disappointment as they flew back up, without even a scratch left on the Endbringer.

Then Behemoth fell down.

"What?"

Behemoth tried to put its hands underneath it, to push itself back to its feet, but every time it tried, it simply fell down again. The Endbringer seemed almost confused by its predicament. The Protectorate did not hesitate to use the chance it had been given. Every bit of ranged artillery they had slammed into Behemoth's back. Missy saw chunks of flesh ripped away from it, scoring lines through the beast.

Behemoth gave up on trying to stand up and simply began crawling his way forward, sinking its claws into the earth and pulling its body forward one lunge at a time. Eidolon hit it with something and for a brief moment all the color in the world seemed to invert. A great smoking crater was left in the Endbringer, where its heart should have been were it a human.

The Endbringer began glowing, his gray skin turning white, going brighter and brighter. Screams came from the capes down below and –

Missy found herself flying through a forest, on the back of the hippogryph. The air was so thick here, it didn't feel like she could breathe. It wasn't like the smoke before, more like she was being filled to bursting, and –

They were back on the battlefield. A massive crater remained where Behemoth had been before. The Endbringer itself was gone. He'd left one final gift, one final bit of devastation before departing.

Down below, Missy could hear cheers begin to go up from the surviving capes.

First Aid: Protectorate First Aid: 14 | 20 = Success > Wound 4 Treated (18/41 HP)
Protectorate First Aid: 14 | 20 = Success > Wound 6 Treated (23/41 HP)
Protectorate First Aid: 14 | 20 = Success > Wound 11 Treated (28/41 HP)
Glory: I was reviewing the passive Glory I previously gave and I think I might have mistakenly been giving you 15 for fair appeal instead of the 10 you should be at for your current level of appeal. I'll leave any past Glory as is, but so that you're aware going forward.

Gain 300 (50x6 Rounds) Glory for participating in an Endbringer fight.
Gain 200 Glory for successfully defending against Behemoth.
Gain 130 [(15 x 3 Famous Traits or Passions) + (10 Fair Appeal) + 75 (Heroic Ideal)] Glory

We have hit a new Glory milestone.

First, you may increase any Trait, Passion, Characteristic, or Skill by one, ignoring any usual restrictions.
[ ] [Glory] (Write-In Increase)

Second, you get another Parahuman Power upgrade:
[ ] [Power] Chivalry (B)
>Gain an additional 3 armor and increase Major Wound threshold by 2.
[ ] [Power] Mana Burst (D)
>Gain an additional +1d6 Weapon and Charge damage and +3 to Movement checks.
[ ] [Power] Instinct (E)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -3 threshold penalty.
[ ] [Power] Riding (E)
>Knockdown Threshold increased by 3.
[ ] [Power] Charisma (E)
>Roll Parahuman Power at -10. On a success, gain a +5 threshold bonus to any Social roll.
[ ] [Power] Magic Resistance (C)
>Roll Parahuman Power opposed to parahuman powers that target you. On success, the effect is negated.

I am redoing your Adventure and Activity votes in case you want to change your mind in light of the damage you took during the Behemoth fight.

Adventure: What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] To the Victor, the Spoils
>Victor is known for stealing the skills of minorities. He must be stopped.
[ ] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
>The Archer's Bridge Merchants are a relatively weak gang. If you were to take out their leadership, they may fall apart.
[ ] [Adventure] Twisted Metal
>A deadly street race is being run on the outskirts of town. You can go shut them down – or try to win for the prize money.
[ ] [Adventure] The Sealed Apartment
>Elaine has sealed the Dead into the apartment you found. Who knows how long it will last however.
[ ] [Adventure] Patrolling the City
-[ ] [Patrol] With Victoria
-[ ] [Patrol] With Erin
-[ ] [Patrol] With the Wards
-[ ] [Patrol] Alone
>Go on patrol to stop criminal activity. Roll the random encounter table.
[ ] [Adventure] Explore the Woods
-[ ] [Woods] With Erin
-[ ] [Woods] Alone
>Search the woods for supernatural activity. Roll the random encounter table.
[ ] [Adventure] None
>Hold off on adventures to rest up. Gain a second Activity vote.
Activity: Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Megan.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Go on a date with Amy. Victoria's been trying to get you on a double date for a while now.
[ ] [Activity] Gala
>Your parents want you to attend more high society events.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Caren at the church.
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise and it'd help blow off steam.
[ ] [Activity] Browse the Internet
>Amy spends a lot of time on the Internet. Maybe it'd be worth browsing.
[ ] [Activity] Research Parahumans
>Do more research on Parahumans in the area.
[ ] [Activity] Study the Occult
>It might be good to brush up on your faerie lore.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)

Aldsan · Wednesday at 11:11 PM

Voting: [X] [Glory] Melee
[X] [Power] Instinct (E)
[X] [Adventure] The Sealed Apartment
[X] [Activity] Study the Occult
[X] [Social] Caren Ortensia

"Clariance of North Humberland, Idres of Cornwall, Cradelmas of North Wales, Brandegoris of Stranggore, and Anguish of Ireland have joined Lot's rebellion. That makes eleven."

Eleven kings who had risen up against her declaring they would not bow to this boy king. Eleven men who were not foreign invaders, but her own countrymen.

Leodegrance grimaced, tracing a finger across the map. "Those are not good odds, Your Majesty."

"They will need to take Bedegraine. The castle there is too much of a threat for them to leave alone. We can use that to our advantage. We ambush them from out of the forest and smash them against the walls."

Leodegrance pulled at his beard. "It could work. It will be bloody business though."

"War always is."

There was a short bit of other conversation before their council broke and the girl stepped away. A part of her wished she could sigh, but that would be beneath the King's dignity. She had to maintain her composure now, always.

Leodegrance was correct. The coming days would be bloody. It was with a heavy heart that the girl wandered into Leodegrance's gardens, hoping for a moment of peace.

She should not have been surprised to find someone else there, and yet somehow she was still taken aback. The garden's other occupant was breathtaking. That was the only word the girl could ascribe to her. A vision so beautiful, she was not sure she would ever see the like again.

"Ah? I'm sorry, I did not think anyone else would come here. I can leave if you wish for privacy."

"No. I am the visitor. I am sorry to have disturbed you." Come to think of it, Leodegrance was said to have a daughter, was he not? "May I have the honor of your name?"

"My name is Guinevere. It is an honor to meet you, my Lord."

Guinevere. The girl burned the name into her memory.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 33/41

My sword cut through another zombie, sending it falling to the floor. I followed up by stomping my foot down upon its head, pulping the mass. Another tried to ambush me from behind and I pulled my blade through its neck, separating its head from its shoulders.

"Clear," I said, and Erin stepped inside, a flashlight in one hand and her staff in the other. She moved to the center of the room and set her staff to the floor, using its tip to draw a sigil upon the wooden boards.

"That makes three," she said.

"Three more to go."

Erin nodded and we moved to the stairwell, climbing to the next floor. Erin glanced at me. "So you never did tell me what happened with Behemoth."

"I do not know that there is much to tell. It was… There was little I could do in that fight. I could only focus on saving each life in front of me as best I could."

It had been Hell on Earth. It had reminded me of a dream. A memory I had once seen. Not my own, but someone else's.

"I heard the defenders drove him off this time though."

"They did. From what I heard, there was only a forty percent casualty rate this time. Low, for a Behemoth fight. Whichever power Eidolon used near the end managed to actually deal significant damage to the beast. Not enough to kill it, but enough for it to retreat."

"Hopefully he can pull that trick out again."

"I did hear something interesting after the battle. Vista said she worked with someone calling themselves Astolfo," I said casually, glancing sideways at Erin. "One of yours?"

"Not mine personally, obviously. He is a pseudoservant though, if that's what you're asking. Sephora's project."

I hummed, filing the name away for later, before turning to kick in an apartment door. I moved in, checking for any corpses, but… None. There was blood everywhere, but no corpses. I moved through the apartment, checking the kitchen, the bedroom, finally the bathroom. It was the final one where I found a zombie, the woman lunging out of the shower at me.

Combat

Elaine invokes passion: Honor: 16 | 15 = Failure
Passion Crisis: 8 | 15 = Elaine becomes Melancholic.
>Gain 10 Glory, suffer -5 to all Skill and Passion checks

Modifiers:

Round 1: Elaine Melee: 16 | 17 || Dead Claws: 3 | 12 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 24 Damage (34/58 HP)
>>Dead Knockdown: 13 | 16 = Success

Erin Magic: 17 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 16 Damage (18/58 HP)
Round 2: Elaine Melee: 5 | 17 || Dead Claws: 14 | 12 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 20 Damage (-2/58 HP)

The corpse did not make it far. I ducked, allowing its clumsy attempt to charge me to send it stumbling into the wall instead, and brought my sword around to carve through the thing's back. Not a sound escaped its lips, and the grievous wound did not hinder it whatsoever. Even still, it was not long for this world.

Erin's magic struck it in the shoulder, sending it spinning around, and my blade split its head like a melon.

Letting out a slow breath, I looked down at the carnage. This corpse looked fresher than the others we had encountered. Had it been a woman hiding here, trapped with no salvation in sight? Could she have been saved had I not listened to Erin's counsel and acted to clear this place immediately?

There was no way of telling, but a heavy stone hung about my heart.

"You said last time that this was the work of a Dead Apostle. What does that mean?"

"The Apostles of the Crimson Moon. Vampires."

"Yes, but what does that actually mean? What strengths do they have? What weaknesses? What can they do?"

Erin grimaced. "That depends a lot on the Dead Apostle. They vary a great deal in strength. At the minimum, you're looking at enhanced speed and strength, some regeneration. The ability to turn those they kill into familiars to collect more blood for them. That's just the tip of the iceberg though, the things that even the weakest among them can do. Those are the sort that get hunted down by the Church all the time."

"What of the stronger of their number?"

"Those are the ones that you have to watch out for. Pretty much all of them will have developed some sort of esoteric ability, something unique to them that's allowed them to stay alive as long as they have. There's no real predicting what it might be, unless you already know the identity of the Dead Apostle that you're hunting."

That meant discovering the identity of the vampire in question was vital to any strategy you would develop to counter them. It was not too dissimilar to Servants in a Grail War. Knowing their True Name would reveal their strengths and weaknesses, everything that came with their legend.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Lore.

"Do you have any thoughts on who this one might be then?"

"No," Erin shook her head. "Sorry. We just haven't seen enough of what they can do."

I nodded. I had thought as much, but it was worth asking. The two of us moved on. The next apartment was clear. As was the one after that. The fourth apartment on this floor however…

This room was swarming with the Dead. They waited until we were inside, away from the door, before springing their attack, rising from prone positions behind the furniture and closing in on us. I would not have thought them intelligent enough for it, and indeed, I was able to swiftly maneuver to put Erin behind me and present myself as a wall, but that did not simplify my task.

Again, I had to wonder if this was the result of my inaction. If these undead were not smart enough to ambush us themselves, then had the vampire realized what was happening and commanded them to do so?

Combat

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 15 | 17 (-5 Melancholic) = Failure
Passion Crisis: 7 | 17 (-5) = Elaine remains Melancholic.

Modifiers: -10 (Multiple Opponents)

Round 1: Elaine Melee: 14 | 17 (-10) || Dead1 Claws: 18 | 12 (-3)

Elaine Melee: 3 | 17 (-10) || Dead2 Claws: 14 | 12 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 25 Damage (33/58 HP)
>>Dead2 Knockdown: 13 | 16 = Success

Elaine Melee: 12 | 17 (-10) || Dead3 Claws: 8 | 12 (-3)
>Dead3 Damage (8d6) = 29 (-24 AR) = 5 Damage (28/41 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 18 | 14 = Elaine is knocked down.

Erin Magic: 15 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 17 Damage D1 (41/58 HP)
Round 2: Elaine Defensive: 9 | 17 (-5) || Dead1 Claws: 3 | 12 (+2)

Elaine Defensive: 13 | 17 (-5) || Dead2 Claws: 13 | 12 (+2)
>Dead2 Damage (8d6) = 31 (-24 AR) = 7 Damage (21/41 HP)
>>Double Elaine's knockdown. Automatically knocked down.

Elaine Defensive: 10 | 17 (-5) || Dead3 Claws: 9 | 12 (+2)

Erin Magic: 3 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 20 Damage D1 (21/58 HP)
>>Dead1 Knockdown: 11 | 16 = Success
Round 3: Elaine Defensive: 14 | 17 (-5) || Dead1 Claws: 13 | 12 (+2)
>Dead1 Damage (8d6) = 25 (-24 AR) = 1 Damage (20/41 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 5 | 14 = Success
>>Elaine begins climbing to her feet.

Elaine Defensive: 3 | 17 (-5) || Dead2 Claws: 18 | 12 (+2)

Elaine Defensive: 10 | 17 (-5) || Dead3 Claws: 9 | 12 (+2)

Erin Magic: 1 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 22 Damage D1 (-1/58 HP)
>Dead1 is slain.
Round 4: Elaine Defensive: 18 | 17 || Dead2 Claws: 8 | 12 (+2)
>Dead2 Damage (8d6) = 28 (-24 AR) = 4 Damage (16/41 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 5 | 14 = Success
>>Elaine finishes climbing to her feet.

Elaine Defensive: 17 | 17 || Dead3 Claws: 20 | 12 (+2)
>Gain a check to Melee.

Erin Magic: 6 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 20 Damage D2 (13/58 HP)
>>Dead2 Knockdown: 9 | 16 = Success
Round 5: Elaine Defensive: 8 (+2) | 17 (+5) || Dead2 Claws: 11 | 12 (+2)
>Dead2 Damage (8d6) = 25 (-27 AR) = 0 Damage (16/41 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 11 | 14 = Success
>>Elaine finishes climbing to her feet.

Elaine Defensive: 7 | 17 || Dead3 Claws: 15 | 12 (+2)

Erin Magic: 17 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 18 Damage D2 (-5/58 HP)
>>Dead2 is slain.
Round 6: Elaine Melee: 11 | 17 || Dead3 Claws: 11 | 12 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 31 Damage (27/58 HP)
>>Dead3 Knockdown: 15 | 16 = Success

Erin Magic: 2 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 28 Damage D3 (-1/58 HP)
>>Dead3 is slain.

Swinging, I warded off one corpse, only for another to grab hold of my arm, pulling me off balance as another sunk its teeth into my shoulder. I kicked out at the one that had taken hold of me, pushing it away, but it was replaced by another, the bodies swarming over me.

Their sheer weight bore me to the ground and then I was buried beneath a mass of fangs and claws, chunks taken out of me a piece at a time. Time turned into a blur. Everything was a blur of motion and color as I focused simply on defending myself against the onslaught. Claws slipped through my armor to rake against my hip and I could not help the scream that escaped me.

One of the corpses fell away, slain by Erin's magic, and it was enough to buy me a bit of breathing room. Enough to at least gather my bearings. A cut sank into my thigh, but not deep enough to debilitate me. I struggled to my feet, thankful for the armor I'd put together helping to prevent the worst of it.

Another corpse died, blades of air cutting into it. That just left one, and I'd found my feet again. Snarling, I pierced it with my sword, pinning it to the wall long enough for Erin to deal a final blow. A flash of light saw its head pop, much as one would a ripened grape.

In the aftermath, I was left panting, out of breath, covered in blood; both mine and those of the corpses I'd fought. I looked grimly back at Erin. "I think we may have underestimated the force we are up against. We need to retreat for now."

Her lips thinned and she glanced around the room. "You're right. I'll reinforce the boundary field for now, but…"

I knew what she wished to say. If we were having this much trouble with mere corpses, then how would we handle the Dead Apostle itself?

First Aid: Erin First Aid: 13 | 10 = Wound (5) Failure
Erin First Aid: 4 | 10 = Wound (7) Success = Heal 5 (21/41 HP)
Erin First Aid: 19 | 10 = Wound (1) Failure
Erin First Aid: 5 | 10 = Wound (4) Success = Heal 4 (25/41 HP)
Glory: Gain 80 (40x4/2 Fighters) Glory for killing the Dead.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The next day saw me sitting at the Boardwalk, staring out at the ocean. The salt air stung at my wounds, but I did not care. My failure stung worse. I turned the situation over in my head, wondering where I could have done better.

If we had moved earlier… I would not have had my armor. I would have surely perished under a similar ambush. Was there anything else we could have done to prepare? Anything else I could do to improve myself?

I am not sure how long I sat there, simply watching the waves roll beneath the pier. For the King that Was, the ocean had never been a happy place. It had ever brought tidings of invaders to her land. Angle and Saxon conquerors. Irish raiders. Roman arrogance.

My emotions were more complicated. For all that the King was now a part of me, would always be a part of me, the girl Elaine had once been held memories of playing at the beach. Memories of sand castles and jet skiing and splashing her brother in the water. Joy mixed with sorrow and bitter despair.

Another person settled onto the bench beside me. I was not particularly in the mood for company, but I turned to look at who had joined me, only to double take as I realized their identity.

"Caren?"

"Good afternoon, my Lost Lamb."

A smile crept itself onto my face, despite my best efforts. "Is that how you plan to always address me going forward?"

"So long as it remains applicable, perhaps." A ghost of a smirk etched itself onto Caren's features in response. "If you dislike it, perhaps you should work to change yourself."

For a moment, I felt an urge to roll my eyes. It was a behavior so antithetical to Artoria or my current self, that I could only wonder where it came from. Except… It would have been a very Elaine behavior to do so once upon a time. The moment passed and I simply let out a small huff of air.

"Somehow, I am surprised to see you out and about and not sequestered away within your church."

Caren pouted. "Even the clergy still live day to day lives. I do not spend all my time in the church and nowhere else."

Despite her protestations, I did note that Caren was still wearing her nun's habit. Perhaps she might leave the church, but I was not so sure that the Church ever left her.

"I am aware. It simply did not match my image of you. I was taken off guard."

Caren shot me a suspicious glance but nodded in acquiescence. "Then what troubles you today, Miss Stansfield?"

"Elaine."

"Hm?"

"There is no need for formality. I prefer my given name," I said. I was tempted to also comment on how she was still taking confessions despite it being her day off. It was better to let some sleeping bears lie, however.

"If that's what you would prefer, Elaine. You did not answer my question though."

"Of course not. After all, the last time we met, I did promise I would be listening to your troubles instead, did I not?"

Caren's eyes widened in surprise. "So you did, come to think of it. My own troubles… what would those be?"

I sat quietly, patiently waiting for her to continue. Only she could answer that question, after all. I watched as Caren furrowed her brow, thinking over what to say.

"I suppose it would not hurt to tell you. Our church is to be hosting guests come January. They are fairly important, so things have been somewhat hectic in preparing for their arrival."

"Father DiMaggio still has not returned to assist you?" I asked.

Caren twisted her lips into a sour expression. "No. His business is indefinitely delayed due to unforeseen circumstances."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"If you do not mind being put to work, then I am sure I can find a use for you." Caren lifted a delicate eyebrow, a sadistic edge entering her eyes. "If nothing else, the church always needs cleaning."

"Then, if I have time, I shall endeavor to visit."

"Good. That's better than some layabouts I could name."

Gamemaster said:
Awareness 12 | 4 (-5 Melancholic) = Failure

Smiling, I stood up, my mood lifted, only for the flutter of wings to catch my attention. I glanced up at where the sound had come from, but… Nothing. Well, it was probably just a pigeon or some such.

Nothing to worry about.

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Caren increased to 2.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"A little more towards the left, if you would, Austin."

"Got it, boss!"

"We should flip the lights, see how it looks in the dark."

"Elaine, I've got the tables! Where would you like them set up?"

"Just along the wall there, please."

"Do we have all the snacks ready to go?"

"Yes, Kayla said she would be bringing them in later."

"I think this string of lights has burnt out, Elaine. We'll need a replacement."

"We should have extra boxes in the storage room. Take one of those."

The end of the year was a busy time for the Student Council. There were a number of events we had to organize. Various games for the school sports. Performances for the Choir, Orchestra, and Band. Perhaps the largest event though was the Winter Formal. Both I and the rest of the Student Council had been busy all week long setting the stage for the school dance.

Sometimes it surprised me just how hectic it could be to prepare for such a simple thing. As King, I had hosted a Pentecost Feast each year, an event far larger than this small dance. Yet, I had never needed to personally prepare the food or the decorations or the entertainment. I had simply given the necessary orders and turned my attention to tasks of more import.

It gave me fresh appreciation for the common folk of my kingdom.

In a rare moment of peace, I sat down on the edge of the stage, staring up at the dangling paper snowflakes and fairy lights that we had strung up from the ceiling. I became a small island of calm amongst the bustling activity all around me. For this small moment, I could sit back and simply enjoy these few peaceful days.

Well, that was some spectacularly poor luck. Makes up for all the good luck you've had in the quest thus far, I suppose. A few bookkeeping notes.

>I checked the rules for Melancholic, given the move to using the 6E Core book. It no longer applies to combat rolls. Lucky you. It does still apply to Passion rolls and any Skill Checks outside of combat. For this quest, if you incur Melancholy, it will persist until the end of the chapter segment. (So in this case, it will be cleared for 7.2).

>I've updated the rules for Parties and Social Events to be more in line with 6E Core. Please look at the Rules: Parties informational when you get the chance.
>>In line with this, I've removed Jewelry as a purchasable item from the Shop. You have to rely on Fine Clothes for your potential Geniality bonus. Per request, the Fine Clothes bonus can still apply while in costume, should you by chance attend some sort of social function while in disguise as Pendragon.

It is December of 2010.

Winter Formal: The Winter Formal has arrived for Arcadia. As the President of the Student Council, you will need to attend. Given that you are dating Amy, you will be taking her along as your date.

In addition to normal party activities, what would you like to focus on while there?
[ ] [Winter Formal] Gossiping
>Spend time talking with other students for the latest gossip.
[ ] [Winter Formal] Dancing
>Focus on a more wholesome date with Amy, dancing on the floor.
[ ] [Winter Formal] Flirting
>Sneak off with Amy to make-out where no one can see you.
[ ] [Winter Formal] Indulging
>Load up on the available food to chow down.
Shop: Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)
Adventure: What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] To the Victor, the Spoils
>Victor is known for stealing the skills of minorities. He must be stopped.
[ ] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
>The Archer's Bridge Merchants are a relatively weak gang. If you were to take out their leadership, they may fall apart.
[ ] [Adventure] Twisted Metal
>A deadly street race is being run on the outskirts of town. You can go shut them down – or try to win for the prize money.
[ ] [Adventure] The Sealed Apartment
>Elaine has sealed the Dead into the apartment you found. Who knows how long it will last however.
[ ] [Adventure] Patrolling the City
-[ ] [Patrol] With Victoria
-[ ] [Patrol] With Erin
-[ ] [Patrol] With the Wards
-[ ] [Patrol] Alone
>Go on patrol to stop criminal activity. Roll the random encounter table.
[ ] [Adventure] Explore the Woods
-[ ] [Woods] With Erin
-[ ] [Woods] Alone
>Search the woods for supernatural activity. Roll the random encounter table.
[ ] [Adventure] None
>Hold off on adventures to rest up. Gain a second Activity vote.
Activity: Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Megan.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Go on a date with Amy. Victoria's been trying to get you on a double date for a while now.
[ ] [Activity] Gala
>Your parents want you to attend more high society events.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Caren at the church.
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise and it'd help blow off steam.
[ ] [Activity] Browse the Internet
>Amy spends a lot of time on the Internet. Maybe it'd be worth browsing.
[ ] [Activity] Research Parahumans
>Do more research on Parahumans in the area.
[ ] [Activity] Study the Occult
>It might be good to brush up on your faerie lore.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)
Social: Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Madison Clements
~~[ ] [Social] Caren Ortensia~~
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)

Once and Future (WormxFate)

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