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 · Aug 27, 2025

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)

Aldsan · Sep 2, 2025

Voting: [X] [Winter Formal] Dancing
[X] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
[X] [Activity] Church
[X] [Social] Amy Dallon

Gamemaster said:
Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 30/41

"Stop fussing, Ellie. You look great."

"I look adequate. Acceptable."

The dress I had was old, something purchased from before my coma. It had grown tight in some places, loose in others. It was just a bit too short – I'd preferred shorter skirts back then. The girl I'd once been had chased fashion, so I could not fault her knowledge, but my tastes had clearly changed since then.

Objectively, the dress was not bad. However, this would be my first formal event with Amy since we had become a couple. I wanted it to be better than simply not bad.

"You look fine." Dean smiled and placed his hand on top of my head, mussing my hair ever so slightly. I glared at him and reached up to fix it. "I promise Amy will have her socks knocked off."

"Easy enough for you to say. Perhaps I should have dressed like you and worn a suit."

"A suit?" Dean asked, bewildered.

"I believe I could pull it off. Do you not?"

"I –" Dean paused and considered. "Yeah, I guess I could see it. Would you be happy with that though? The whole reason you're upset is because you wanted to show off a bit."

"Cease being so reasonable," I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Else I remind you of how long you spent fussing for your first date with Victoria."

Dean held his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I give up. You look terrible and Amy will hate you."

I punched my brother in the arm. He just laughed it off and went to grab his keys. A short while later, the two of us sitting in his car, he glanced over at me.

"I do mean it, you know. Even if the dress isn't perfect, Amy will still love it on you."

I silently nodded, my lips pressed into a tight line. I knew he was right, but…

Dean gave my shoulder a final squeeze as we pulled up to the Dallons' house before getting out of the car. He'd barely knocked on the door when Victoria burst out, sweeping him up in a hug that had the two of them floating a foot off the ground. Amy was slower in coming out, but I had eyes for nothing but her once she did.

A long red dress hugged at her curves. It left her shoulders and arms bare, exposing a smattering of freckles across her pale skin, her hair falling in waves behind her. The shimmering fabric glistened in the light, looking almost liquid as it flowed with her movements. She stepped up to me, a small, shy smile on her face.

Gamemaster said:
Flirting: 17 | 1 (+8 Bond) = Failure

Words failed me. I tried to say something, only for it to get caught in my throat, heat building in my face.

"Well?" she asked. "Are you going to say anything?"

I opened my mouth again. Closed it when nothing came. I finally managed on the third attempt. "You look stunning, Amy," I said simply, reaching out to take her hands.

Amy snorted softly and leaned in to press a kiss to my lips. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment. Come on, let's go pull our siblings apart and get to the dance," she said, threading her fingers through mine.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Winter Formal

Round 1: Keep Dancing (+1 Geniality)
You are moved or invited to dance the night away.
Unopposed Etiquette

Etiquette: 16 || 8 (+2)
Failure: You'll get it right! You may keep this card until the next Round and play it again instead of drawing a card.
If you do not, or you fumbled this roll, –2 Geniality.

Geniality: 2
Round 2: Keep Dancing
You are moved or invited to dance the night away.
Unopposed Etiquette

Etiquette: 10 || 8 (+3)
Success: Your dancing attracts the gaze of an eligible partner. Flirting ☑.

Geniality: 3
Round 3: A Love Poem (+1 Geniality)
A person is struggling to compose a love poem.
Unopposed Orate

Etiquette: 2 | 6 (+5) = Success
Success: They return the favor. You gain +5 on any one Skill roll during this feast. +1 Geniality.

Geniality: 6
Glory: Gain 60 Glory [(14 Appeal + 6 Geniality) * 3]

Perhaps it was simply a sign of how the night was going that I misstepped and squashed Amy's toes on our first dance of the evening. Amy simply grit her teeth and insisted we keep going for dance after dance. The girl never seemed to tire. I could feel sweat beading my own brow as the night wore on, but not a speck stained Amy.

Eventually the music slowed and she held me close, the more active dancing replaced for a more simple embrace. Amy was not a particularly tall girl, but I remained shorter than her, and my head rested against the crook of her neck as the two of us swayed back and forth.

"You don't need to stress so much, Ellie," she murmured in my ear. "Tonight has been lovely. A few bruised toes doesn't change that."

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Etiquette.

"I know. I just…"

I just was used to holding myself to a higher standard. Anything short of perfection was a failure. I let out a small huff and tilted my head up to look at her.

"I am sorry," I said. "I have been so annoyed with myself that I allowed it to affect our date."

"You're doing it again. Relax." Amy shook her head with a smile and leaned in to kiss me. For a brief instant, my world was contained in those lips.

Then a wolf whistle cut through the moment and we both turned to glare at its source. Dennis sat at a table off to the side, grinning insouciantly at the both of us. His date jabbed him in the ribs, but it failed to kill his smirk – or hers for that matter. A sigh escaped me as I realized her identity. If the whole school had not already noticed Amy kissing me on the dance floor, they would surely know by tomorrow. Megan was an incorrigible gossip.

"Ignore them," Amy said, turning my head back to her. "Who cares what they think?"

She drew me back into another kiss. When it finally ended, I was left light-headed. My thoughts scattered to the winds. I stumbled a bit, weak at the knees – and Amy, with all the smugness of a cat that had been given a bowl of cream, led me off the dance floor.

I eyed her as we sat down. She had certainly grown much more confident than she had been half a year ago. I could not imagine the Amy of when I had first woken up being anywhere near so bold. I did not mind. It was refreshing to have someone who so clearly wanted me for who I was, even if it could be embarrassing at times like this.

Leaning into her side, I let the music wash over me, taking a moment to simply relax.

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Amy increased to 9.

"Hey Elaine, can I ask for your advice really quick?"

I opened my eyes, glaring at the irritant that had joined us, but could not maintain my animosity. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "What is it?"

"Megan is a friend of yours, right?" Dennis asked, having taken a seat at our table. "Do you have any advice?"

"What, you can't manage a date on your own?" Amy asked waspishly.

"Tonight's our first date," Dennis said easily. "So I was hoping to really wow her. End the night with a bang, you know?

"Where is Megan anyways?" I asked.

"She grabbed Chelsea and said they needed to use the bathroom."

Oh good. That meant we at least had a bit of time while they traded tales.

"What were your ideas thus far?"

Dennis smiled sheepishly. "I was thinking poetry? Maybe a song?"

Amy wrinkled her nose. "That's… kind of lame, isn't it?"

"No," I rejoined. "Megan is a romantic. She will appreciate it. So long as the quality is not atrocious, at least. Perhaps avoid music unless you're confident in your singing voice."

"Gotcha," Dennis winked and shot a pair of finger guns at me. "Thanks for the help, Elaine."

"Do try not to break her heart, Dennis. Else I shall be forced to avenge her."

"Haha," Dennis laughed nervously. "I'm sure you don't need to worry about that and gottagobye."

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 18 | 4 (+5 A Love Poem) = Failure

Amy shifted slightly, and somehow, I could just tell that she was rolling her eyes despite not looking at her. The Winter Formal was winding to a close, but there was time left to go. Once again, I leaned into her, content to share this moment.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Achoo!"

My sneeze kicked up the dust, resulting in a second sneeze soon after. I took a moment to come up for clean air before bending back down to scrub the floor once more. It was truly astounding how much dust and dirt could build up in such a small chapel.

It was well that I had decided to 'dress down,' so to speak, for this. A plain t-shirt and jeans, my hair pulled back into a ponytail. Both my clothes and my own body would require a thorough washing after this.

Gamemaster said:
Energetic: 5 | 15 || Lazy: 16 | 5
>Energetic succeeds.

"You may quit whenever you like," the nun had said when I started. I was sure she meant it as well. She held me to no obligation here.

All the same, I planned to finish this task that I had given to myself.

The sounds of an organ playing echoed through the church as I worked, allowing me to lose myself in the work to some extent. For a time, despite the aches I was accruing in pursuit of hard labor, I felt untethered from my body. I existed unshackled from the base clay I had been made of.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;

As with ceaseless voice they cry:

Alleluia.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Spiritual.

The song ended. I was brought back to the present. Letting out a sharp breath, I steadied myself and stood up, only to find Caren there, waiting silently in front of me.

"You are quite skilled," I commented, for lack of anything better to say.

Caren preened at the compliment. "I can boast I am second to none. Refining my strong points is my hobby."

I could not help the smile that crossed my face. Who would have thought this nun had a cute side to her? "Did you have anything else you needed help with?"

"Hmm." Caren looked me over before answering. "No, I think you have done enough for today. Allow me to provide refreshments before you leave."

"I would appreciate that," I said, taking a seat in a pew. Caren just smiled and bustled off, apparently pleased with my answer. I had to wonder if she did not often get the chance to host other people. When she returned, I took a cup of tea from her and the two of us sat in silence.

"-------"

"-------"

Neither of us had anything to say. She had no advice to give and I had nothing to inquire over. I simply sipped my tea until it was time to depart.

"Elaine," she said as I got up to leave. "Christmas is coming soon."

I turned, tilting my head in unspoken question.

"Remember that it is not just a time to receive, but a time to give unto others."

"Of course." My pocket book was thin right now, but I would find a way to make it work. "If I do not see you again before then, have a Merry Christmas, Caren."

"A Merry Christmas to you as well, Elaine."

Stepping out into the blinding sunlight, the Church doors closed behind me.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"So why the focus on the Merchants?" Victoria asked as we flew over the city. Well, she flew. I rode piggyback. "They're not really a major gang."

"In part, it is because they are not a major gang. They do not have the support structure the other gangs have. They do not have the sheer number of foot soldiers. If they are removed, it is not likely to set off a power struggle."

Victoria hummed lightly in acknowledgement. "That's not a bad argument. The PRT would probably like it. What's the real reason?"

Gamemaster said:
Vengeful: 5 | 10

"I would like to repay Skidmark for the humiliation we suffered in our last encounter."

Victoria twisted to smirk back at me. "That makes two of us, Pendragon."

Gamemaster said:
Hunting: 9 | 2 = Failure

Still…

It was a quiet night tonight. For all my bluster, it made little difference if I could not actually find Skidmark. The two of us flew circles around the city for what must have been close to an hour before Victoria's police radio crackled to life.

A break-in at a pharmacy.

Not particularly glamorous, but it was almost certainly someone desperate for drugs. The sort of people the Merchants preyed upon. Victoria landed us outside of the pharmacy and I climbed off of her before we headed inside.

A shower of gunfire greeted us before we even entered the place. Apparently, we had been noticed in our approach. I stepped in front of Victoria and raised my shield, but… Well. Intoxicated criminals proved as poor a shot as they had been in every previous encounter I had with the Merchants. Most of the bullets went wide, some nowhere even near the two of us. Only a handful hit my shield.

Victoria and I shared an exasperated look before advancing together into the building.

Combat

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 16 | 17 = Success

Modifiers: -10 (Multiple Opponents) ; +5 (Inspired)

Round 1: Elaine Brawling: 8 | 15 (-5) || Merchant1 Grapple: 6 | 8 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 13 Damage (15/28 HP)

Elaine Brawling: 10 | 15 (-5) = Critical! || Merchant2 Grapple: 2 | 8 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (6d6+6) = 23 Damage (5/28 HP)
>>Merchant2 takes a Major Wound.
>Gain a check to Brawling.

Elaine Brawling: 17 | 15 (-5) || Merchant3 Grapple: 14 | 8 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 11 Damage (17/28 HP)
Round 2: Elaine Brawling: 3 | 15 || Merchant1 Grapple: 20 | 8 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 14 Damage (1/28 HP)
>>Merchant1 suffers a Major Wound

Elaine Brawling: 19 | 15 || Merchant3 Grapple: 11 | 8 (-3)
Round 3: Elaine Brawling: 2 | 15 || Merchant3 Grapple: 8 | 8 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (2d6+6) = 12 Damage (5/28 HP)
>>Merchant3 Falls Unconscious.

Glory

Gain 45 (15

Merchants) Glory for defeating the Merchants.

Six men awaited us inside. I stood in the entryway, guarding Victoria, until the gunshots stopped, their pistols clicking empty.

"You take the ones on the right, I'll take the ones on the left?" Victoria asked.

"Do try not to have too much fun with them," I said dryly.

"No promises! First one done has to call the PRT!" Victoria called out, already launching herself in that direction.

That left three for me. Perhaps I was managing to gather a reputation, because from the fear on the mens' faces, they knew this was a lost fight already.

It did not stop them from trying. With their guns emptied, they had naught but their fists, but these were at least smart enough to realize that fists would do little good against my armor. Instead, they lunged to try and grab hold of me.

It was more clever than I had given them credit for. An armed and armored knight could be defeated even by peasants should they bear that knight to the ground and hold him there. I had not thought they were shrewd enough to have come up with it though, inebriated as they clearly were.

Ultimately, it did not save them. One lunged to grab my dominant arm, only for me to turn and bash my shield into his face. I ducked under the arms of another, turning to bring my baton cracking into the knee of the third. He went down in a heap. Undeterred, the first tried to grab me again, blood streaming down his face from the broken nose I'd given him. I allowed him to close before locking his arm beneath my axilla, holding it tight to my body as I turned, swinging him around to smash into the final remaining brigand.

They went down in a heap. The final man scrambled out from beneath the ruffian I had thrown atop him, half running, half crawling to try and grab his gun. I brought my baton down upon his head and the man went still.

Glancing over at Victoria, I saw her looking smug, all her opponents already beaten.

"My win, Pendragon," she grinned.

I had not agreed to her contest, but… "Fine. I will call."

Victoria began dragging the men out to the sidewalk and binding them while I called the PRT. It was not a particularly burdensome process. A simple matter of stating my name, location, and the number of criminals that needed to be carried away. The truly onerous part was the report we would need to give once they arrived. Unfortunately for Victoria, there was no deferring that. They would want both of our perspectives.

While I was speaking with the operator, the men began stirring. Closing my phone, I crouched in front of them.

Gamemaster said:
Intrigue: 1 | 10 = Success
>Gain +5 to next Hunting (Skidmark) check.

"Good evening. Where is your boss?"

"Wha? What boss?" A man groaned.

"Skidmark."

"Oh man, we ain't Merchants. Skidmark don't talk to us. We just needed a fix, y'know?"

"Man, shut up! Don't talk to cops!"

"I can assure you," I said, "I do not care enough to repeat what you say here to the actual authorities – so long as you tell me what I wish to know, that is."

The men shared a look between each other. "Look… Word is Skidmark stays mobile for the most part. He visits his dealers, they don't visit him. Only time he's sure to show is if he's throwing a party."

"A party?" I asked.

"Sure. Get lots of product in one place. Invite a bunch of people who wouldn't normally be interested, show them a good time. Try and get them hooked on the stuff."

My nose wrinkled in disgust. "Thank you. Your assistance is appreciated."

"So does that mean you're letting us go?"

I looked at the man bewildered. When had I even implied that?

"No?"

"But we're just small-fry. We don't matter, right?"

"You still attempted to rob this store," I rejoined.

"But…"

"Man, just let it go. Feel lucky it's not some vigilante dropping you off a building once they're done."

The man slumped in defeat.

Later, after the PRT had come and collected the men, I sat on the edge of the pharmacy's roof with Victoria, staring up at the stars. It had become a pleasant way to end a patrol with Victoria as of late. The temperature had been swiftly dropping as of late, but Victoria's forcefield and my cloak warded away the worst of the cold.

When the first snowflake hit my nose, I blinked in surprise. This would mark the first snow of Winter. Brockton Bay always got at least a light dusting, though we generally escaped easier than our surroundings. Something about the ocean currents in the area and the nearby mountains led to a relatively mild winter climate.

There was something prickling on the air though. A tinge of something foreign. Cold winds whistled down from the mountains, heralding the season. More snow steadily fell around the two of us, dancing through the midnight air.

Victoria laughed in surprise and opened her mouth, trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

"Victoria," I said, interrupting her fun. "I had a question I have been mulling over."

"Hm?" Victoria spun in the air to face me, floating to hover just over me. "What is it?"

"I have been giving thought to what you said before. Regarding the importance of being backed by an organization."

"Sure…" Victoria began. "I wasn't trying to push you to join the Wards or anything though."

"I know. I was not planning to. Rather… I thought perhaps I could reach out to Independents in the area. Start my own team, as it were."

Gamemaster said:
Adventure discovered: Recruitment.

"That's great!" Victoria said. "Did you have anyone in mind?"

"I have at least one who would be interested," I said, placing Erin upon the sacrificial altar. "The question is, would you?"

Gamemaster said:
Leadership: 15 | 6 (+2 Bond) = Failure

"I… I don't know. I mean, I'm already part of New Wave."

"You are the only member actively patrolling however."

"The others still respond in emergencies. I… Look, I'm not saying no, but I need to think about it. Okay?"

I let out a slow breath and nodded my acceptance. "Okay. I understand."

Victoria sank down to sit at my side again and the two of us watched snow fall to gently blanket the city in white.

I have decided to remove Stealth as a skill. Any sort of stealth rolls will be covered either by Hunting or a straight Dex check depending on the situation. I have instead added back in Politics and given you a few free points in the skill to compensate.

It is December of 2010.

Semester Finals: Midterms are here. You currently have two relevant passions to be used, but six classes to pass. You'll need to decide which classes to use them on. Choose TWO options:
[ ] [Finals] English Literature
[ ] [Finals] Math
[ ] [Finals] Biology
[ ] [Finals] History
[ ] [Finals] Computer Science
[ ] [Finals] Physical Education
Christmas Gifts: It's time to begin thinking about what you want to buy people for Christmas. This will be a two part vote. This stage is just to generate ideas, so please write-in as many as you can think of, and who you would like to give the gifts to.
[ ] [Gifts] (Write-In)
Team Name: It's time to begin thinking about what you want to name your future team. This will be a two part vote. This stage is just to generate ideas, so please write-in as many as you can think of.
[ ] [Team] (Write-In)
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] Recruitment
>Reach out to other Parahumans about joining your team. More possible recruits may become available based on progression of other quests.
[ ] [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)

Aldsan · Sep 5, 2025

Voting: [X] [Finals] Biology
[X] [Finals] History
[X] [Adventure] The Sealed Apartment
[X] [Activity] Modeling
[X] [Social] Erin
Healing: Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 35/41

Snow continued to fall over the weekend before finally stopping on Monday. In the end, it lay feet deep, the most snow Brockton Bay had received in decades. It left the city scrambling to try and get roads cleared, and already the news was talking about another storm set to hit near Christmas.

Of course, even record snowfall could not keep Arcadia from administering our end of semester finals forever. Once the roads were cleared, we were called back to school to finish our testing.

Semester Finals: Elaine invokes passion: Honor: 1 | 15 = Success
>Inspire Biology.
>Gain a check to Honor.
Elaine invokes passion: Station: 8 | 12 = Success
>Inspire History.
>Gain a check to Station.

English Literature Academics: 19 | 14 = Failure

Math Academics: 6 | 14 = Success
>Gain a check to Finance.

Biology Academics: 5 | 14 (+5) = Success
>Gain a check to First Aid.

History Academics: 1 | 14 (+5) = Success
>Gain a check to Strategy.

Computer Science Academics: 12 | 14 = Success
>Gain a check to Technology.

Physical Education Energetic: 4 | 15 = Success
>Gain a check to Energetic.

Gain 50 (10 * 5 Successes) Glory.

Most of the day went well enough. No particular difficulties. There was just one exception.

I stared at the essay question, trying to will words onto the page. Come to think of it, I had flubbed my English test during Midterms as well. Was I just bad at English?

Surely not. It was my native language. That would be…

My cheeks burned as I scribbled in an answer that I knew would not pass muster. How could I be bad at my own language? It should not be this difficult to write a simple essay.

When the bell finally rang, I turned in the page and fled in mortification.

This was not an acceptable state of affairs. I was supposed to be the Council President, setting an example to the rest of the school. I could not do that if I was producing such mediocre results. I had to make time to study before our next batch of tests in March.

"Whew, I'm glad that's over," Chelsea said, the three of us walking past the front gate towards the parking lot. "That math quiz was way harder than I thought it'd be."

"Tell me about it," Megan laughed. "But hey, Christmas Break! You guys doing anything fun?"

"Nothing in particular," I answered idly, watching my breath mist in front of me. "My parents seem to be planning a stay-in Christmas this year."

"Boring~. My family is going up to a ski lodge in Colorado," Chelsea bragged. "You're welcome to come along if you can get away. I'm sure I can get them to buy another ticket."

Megan looked as though she ardently wished to accept, but shook her head no. "I've already made plans. Dennis is taking me out on a date for Christmas Eve."

Chelsea whistled. "You go girl. You'll have to tell me all about it when I get back. What about you, Elaine?"

"Perhaps next time," I said simply.

Chelsea blew a raspberry at both of us. "Well, fine. Guess I'll just enjoy the Rockies by myself then."

"How about we all plan something for Spring Break instead?" Megan asked.

"Yeah? What'd you have in mind?"

"I dunno. Maybe hit up Florida? Get a little wild on the beaches?"

"Do remember that you have a boyfriend now," I said dryly.

"I'm not a nun. I can still party a little. Besides," she added slyly, "maybe he'll want to come with and join in the fun."

"Hey! This is supposed to be a friends trip, not a bring your boyfriend along trip. Or, uh, girlfriend," Chelsea added, looking at me.

"Pfft, you're just saying that because you don't have a boyfriend yet."

"I could totally get a boyfriend if I wanted one. I'm just waiting for the right guy."

"Uh huh, like who? Someone tall and blond, maybe?"

"Haha, no one. Now shut up," Chelsea said. She shot a glance at me. "But uh, if you wanted to invite your brother, that would be cool, Elaine."

"Let me know what you decide on. I cannot promise that he will be available, but I will ask."

"Great!" Chelsea brightened up. "I'll message you the deets."

The three of us parted ways. Megan and Chelsea both already had their licenses and their own vehicles. I had the misfortune to be born on Christmas Eve, something I had long complained of prior to my coma. It meant that my birthday had always just been combined with Christmas, rather than getting to treat each as its own separate event. I did not care so much anymore, but in this case, it also meant that I would not be able to test for my license until the holiday was over. For now, I had to use my own two feet.

I continued to trudge through the snow, the cold biting at my nose as I made my way south. I wore sturdy boots and a jacket, of course, but the tights and skirt combo were doing less to protect my legs than I would have liked. After a few blocks, I stepped into an alley and allowed my armor to manifest, glad for the sudden warmth that the enchanted cloak provided me.

On reflection, perhaps I should have just asked Victoria to fly me to my destination, but… This was not one of our patrols. It did not help save people. I would not say it was unimportant in itself – maintaining public trust was also a duty of a hero – but… It would have felt as though I were taking advantage of her to ask her to act as my taxi for something so trivial.

Instead, I walked for nearly a half hour through the cold, my cloak wrapped tightly around me, before arriving at a tall office building. I stepped inside and immediately felt the trickle of water leaking into my armor as the heated space melted whatever snow the wind had managed to coat me with during my journey here.

A receptionist sat at the front desk, looking bored as she typed away at her computer. Her eyes flicked to me for a moment, but apparently, even an armored knight did not phase her.

"Hello," I said, stepping up to the desk. "I am here for an appointment with Mrs. Gates."

"Pendragon, right?" The receptionist paused in her work long enough to meet my eyes. "Third floor, fourth door to the right."

Gamemaster said:
Awareness: 7 | 4 = Failure

"Thank you," I said, though the woman had already turned away again. I tilted my head to try and get a glimpse of what she was working on as I stepped past her, but… No, the angle was wrong. Well, it mattered little. I followed her directions up to the third floor.

Gamemaster said:
Recognize: 2 | 6 = Success

The building was… nice. It was not as richly furnished as my father's company was, by any means, but neither was it the plain spartan drywall, plastic, and cubicle farms that was the stereotypical office space. A painted mural decorated one wall, a depiction of Alexandria punching the Mammoth, one of her classic villains from the 90's. At least, he had been until he had managed to collapse an entire building on top of himself. He had supposedly suffocated to death before he could be rescued.

On the opposite wall, a number of posters hung interspersed between various office doors. None of the Protectorate, that I could tell. Instead, it was mostly corporate or Independent teams. New Wave was obvious, but there were some less local names as well. Haven. The Road Wardens. Fractal Unity. The Marvels. The Shinsei Sentinels. Oathbound.

The message was clear. This marketing firm worked with a lot of different heroes and was successful at what they did.

I knocked on the door the receptionist had indicated and waited for Sylvia's voice before entering. Her office was surprisingly spacious, with a large floor-to-ceiling window occupying the back wall. The skyline in Brockton Bay was not anything special, especially on a third-floor office, but it was still high enough to look out at the few skyscrapers we had Downtown without anything else getting in the way.

"Pendragon!" Sylvia called as I entered, standing up from her desk to greet me. "So glad to see you finally! I'd been wondering when we'd get you in here – and I see you upgraded your costume! Definitely an improvement over the last one."

"Thank you. It had been rather long due for an upgrade."

"The cloak is a good addition, gives a bit of flare. Though, if you don't mind me saying, this still looks transitional, doesn't it? Are you still adding to it?"

"You have a good eye," I conceded. "You are correct. It is not done quite yet."

"That works as long as you stick with a theme," Sylvia mused. "Having multiple versions of a costume isn't bad. You should see how many different Armsmaster action figures there are."

"Speaking of which, I did want to know how you planned to use my image before agreeing to anything."

"Of course," Sylvia said, returning to her desk. She pulled out a sketchpad and began doodling a design on it. "I was thinking we would start with something simple. T-Shirt designs, hoodies, that sort of thing. If it goes well, we can start looking to branch out to other products."

"That sounds acceptable. What of royalties?" I asked, taking a seat across from her.

"That's up to you. We can do pay-for-work and give you a lump sum up front, or we can have you receive royalties for sales. Personally, I'd recommend taking the lump sum this time and seeing if things work, then switching to royalties for any future products."

Gamemaster said:
Finance: 4 | 2 = Failure

I frowned and tapped my fingers against the arm of the chair. What Sylvia was saying sounded reasonable, and it was true that I was currently low on funds. I had quite a few Christmas gifts to buy.

"Very well. We shall go with that plan then."

"Great!" Sylvia smiled like a shark. "Let's head over to the studio and get a few photos of your new costume."

"I did want to ask your advice on something while I was here."

"Oh?" Sylvia paused, half-way to standing up, and sat back down. "What's on your mind?"

"I was contemplating starting a team. However, as I am sure you are aware, having a good name is important, not just for public perception, but for recruitment as well."

"That's true. So what was your question?"

"Simply, what makes a good team name? What common attributes are successful?"

Sylvia leaned back in her chair and raised her finger in a pose that reminded me vaguely of someone else. "I'm honestly glad you asked me, Pendragon. A lot of new teams have terrible names and you're absolutely right that it makes a difference. Since we're going to be working together going forward, let's talk a few basics.

"First, try to keep it to something snappy. One to two words. Don't make it a mouthful to say – people are just going to find ways to shorten it if you do – and don't make it something difficult for the average person to pronounce.

"Second, while themes are common and useful for branding, you don't want to be overly married to one. It hurts recruitment, makes it harder for capes to join if they don't match your theme. For related reasons, don't try to make a team focused around Greek gods or anything like that."

"So," I interjected, "Something like the Knights of the Round Table…"

"Rejected. Too long, too themed. Shorten it to the Court and that could work. That does run afoul of my third rule though. Third, be careful of villainous names. This can mean dark, edgy names, but it can also mean names that invoke royalty. A lot of villains like to name themselves after nobility. King. Marquis. The Ambassadors. Court isn't the worst in this regard, but it's something to watch out for. You'll need to be careful with your presentation."

I nodded my understanding and she continued.

"Fourth, try looking at some existing teams for inspiration. Not just for names, but how they organize and market themselves. Team Reach. Eminent. The Sacred Hearts. These are all relatively successful groups. Try to think about why they are successful. What sets them apart?

"Finally, try to think of why your team is special. What's your mission statement? How are you different from the Protectorate? What are you doing besides just fighting crime? New Wave is a good example of this. They wanted to be a symbol that brought a new wave of unmasked heroes. Things didn't work out in the end, but…" Sylvia shrugged. "That wasn't the fault of the branding."

My lips thinned. Beyond anything else, my goal was the salvation of this world. To stop whatever was causing its imminent destruction. I knew, however, there were some enemies you could not defeat through simply swinging a sword. Even if I stopped the thinning barrier between our world and the Other Side, I could see how society was breaking down. Hunger and starvation. The loss of resources. Brigands and marauders abounded unchecked. The loss of order. Men gave up on the future, living only for the hedonistic pleasures of now. The loss of hope.

To be King was not simply to lead on the battlefield, but to lead the hearts of men as well.

"Thank you for the advice," I said, continuing to turn the problem over in my head. "I will surely make use of it."

Modeling: Appeal: 5 | 14 = Success

Gain [(20 + Appeal) x 2] = 68 Glory
Gain Money (Appeal x 20) = $280
Gain a check to Fashion.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Are you sure about this?" Erin asked. "We can wait and come back when we're better prepared."

"I am sure."

This would mark our third attempt at clearing the apartment of the Dead. I was eager to cleanse the sting of failure from last time I had been here. More to the point, if there was any chance that the vampire had left any clues behind, we had to find them. There was no time to delay.

Gamemaster said:
Gain a check to Reckless.

Still… something about this raised my hackles. We went from room to room once again and the place was still. Corpses lay exactly where we had slain them. The sigils Erin had placed were undisturbed. It was as if this place were preserved in time, simply waiting for our return.

"I don't get it," Erin muttered. "The bounded field has been up for over a month and the Dead haven't made any attempts to escape and feed elsewhere in that time. The Dead Apostle must have commanded them to stay here, but then why hasn't it come back for them? A Dead Apostle would have been able to break the barrier and reclaim its familiars."

"Unless it did not need them… or they were serving their purpose here."

Doors on either side of the hall banged open, as if they were waiting for my conclusion and two creatures leapt out. These were not the mere corpses the Dead were, but instead bore long claws and a horrific maw of fangs, their skin pulled taut and pallid. A glimmer of intelligence lurked in their blood-crazed eyes.

"Ghoul!" Erin had time to call before they were upon me, a whirl of slashing claws and teeth.

Combat

Elaine invokes passion: Heroism: 2 | 17 = Success.

Modifiers: -5 (Multiple Opponents) ; +5 (Inspired)

Round 1: Elaine Melee: 16 | 17 || Ghoul1 Claws: 5 | 15 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 36 (-5 AR) Damage (29/60 HP)
>>Ghoul1 Knockdown: 2 | 16 = Success

Elaine Melee: 20 | 17 = Fumble! || Ghoul2 Claws: 15 | 15 (-3)
>Elaine is Disarmed!

Erin Magic: 14 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 22 (-5 AR) = 17 Damage Ghoul1 (12/58 HP)
>>Ghoul1 Knockdown: 16 | 16 = Success
Round 2: Elaine Pick Up: 7 | 14 || Ghoul1 Claws: 17 | 15 (-3)
>>Elaine retrieves her sword.

Elaine Pick Up: 1 | 14 || Ghoul2 Claws: 3 | 15 (-3)
>>Ghoul2 Damage (8d6) = 30 (-30 AR) = 0 Damage (35/41 HP)

Erin Magic: 16 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 23 (-5 AR) = 18 Damage Ghoul1 (-6/58 HP)
>>Ghoul1 is slain.
Round 3: Elaine Melee: 9 (+2) | 17 (+5) || Ghoul2 Claws: 2 | 15 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 30 (-5 AR) = 25 Damage (35/60 HP)
>>Ghoul2 Knockdown: 3 | 16 = Success

Erin Magic: 17 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 21 (-5 AR) = 16 Damage Ghoul2 (19/58 HP)
>>Ghoul2 Knockdown: 15| 16 = Success
>>
Round 4: Elaine Melee: 20 (+2) | 17 (+5) = Critical! || Ghoul2 Claws: 20 | 15 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (12d6) = 52 (-5 AR) = 47 Damage (-28/60 HP)
>>Ghoul2 is slain.
After Action: Gain 50 (50 x 2 / 2 Fighters) Glory for killing the Ghouls.

Claws lunged for me, but I simply tilted my head, letting them pass by as my sword disemboweled one of the creatures. It would be a horrifying injury on any mortal person, but on these undead, it did little more than inconvenience it. Erin's magic flew over my shoulder however, a bolt of lightning striking the ghoul and causing it to stumble back long enough for me to bring my sword up and block my second opponent.

These creatures were smarter than the mere corpses we had fought previously however. The ghoul wrapped its fingers around my blade, unheeding of the cuts to its hands, and pulled the sword from my grasp, sending it clattering across the ground. Hissing in annoyance, I summoned my shield long enough to block another blow as I dove, sliding between the ghoul's legs and sweeping my sword off the ground in a single smooth motion.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Erin finish the other ghoul off with a gout of flame, but I did not have time to deal with that. Instead, I brought my sword to bear. I parried another swipe, drawing my sword's edge along the creature's arm, let another attack pass over my head, then twisted, bringing my sword around from the opposite side to separate the creature's head from its shoulders.

The hallway fell still again and I idly nudged the fallen ghoul with my boot. They were smarter than the corpses had been, but still not truly intelligent. It had been the cleverness of a wild animal, all savagery and strength. Yet, just as last time, they had laid a trap, something I was sure was not inherent to this thing's nature.

The hand of their Master at play again, no doubt.

It raised the question however. If their Master knew enough of our activities to set up traps for us, then why had they not stepped in personally? Why were the threats slowly escalating instead of trying to overwhelm us all at once? It was as if…

"They're testing us."

"Who is?" Erin asked.

"The vampire. They must be trying to gauge our strength. It is the only explanation I can think of for how convenient this building has been."

"I'm not sure I'd call the fights we've had so far convenient," Erin said skeptically.

They had been. Exceedingly so. The difficulties we had were reflective more of our own weakness than any true strength of our opponents.

"We have a single sigil left to place. Would you care to wager on what we will find waiting for us?"

Erin's expression soured. "No. I wouldn't. I get it."

I let out a slow breath and closed my eyes. Now was not the time to doubt. "It does not change anything. We still need to finish clearing this place."

Erin grimaced but nodded. Wiping the blood from my blade, I swept out of the room and she followed in my wake, the two of us making our way up to the fourth floor. For completeness' sake, we still checked each room, but as I had I expected, we found nothing but blood and viscera in each.

We paused outside the central room of the floor, the one intended for Erin's final sigil. If this was truly a test then our final opponent would surely be waiting here. I hesitated for a brief moment before placing my boot to the door and kicking it open.

Combat

Elaine invokes passion: Amor (Amy): 6 | 14 = Success.
>Gain a check to Amor (Amy).

Modifiers: +10 (Impassioned)

Round 1: Elaine Melee: 20 (+7) | 17 (+10) = Critical! || SpiderGhoul Pincer: 3 | 18 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (12d6) = 44 (-15 AR) = 29 Damage (46/75 HP)
>>SpiderGhoul Knockdown: 11 | 18 = Success

Erin Magic: 14 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 19 (-15 AR) = 4 Damage SpiderGhoul (42/75 HP)
Round 2: Elaine Melee: 1 (+7) | 17 (+10) || SpiderGhoul Pincer: 10 | 18 (-3)
>SpiderGhoul Damage (10d6) = 29 (-27 AR) = 2 Damage Elaine (33/41 HP)
>>Elaine Knockdown: 9 | 14 = Success

Elaine CON: 18 | 16 = Failure
>Poison Damage (2d6) = 5 Damage Elaine (28/41 HP)

Erin Magic: 6 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 18 (-15 AR) = 3 Damage SpiderGhoul (39/75 HP)
Round 3: Elaine Melee: 18 (+7) | 17 (+10) = Critical! || SpiderGhoul Pincer: 17 | 18 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (12d6) = 41 (-15 AR) = 26 Damage (13/75 HP)
>>SpiderGhoul Knockdown: 7 | 18 = Success

Elaine CON: 11 | 16 = Success
>Poison Damage (1d6) = 3 Damage Elaine (25/41 HP)
>Poison ends.

Erin Magic: 3 | 18 = Success
>Erin Damage (5d6) = 24 (-15 AR) = 9 Damage SpiderGhoul (4/75 HP)
Round 4: Elaine Melee: 20 (+7) | 17 (+10) = Critical! || SpiderGhoul Pincer: 12 | 18 (-3)
>Elaine Damage (12d6) = 33 (-15 AR) = 18 Damage (-14/75 HP)
>>SpiderGhoul is slain.
After Action: Gain 50 (100 / 2 Fighters) Glory for killing the Spider Ghoul.

Elaine descends into Misery. (-2 to all Skills and Passions).
Gain 10 Glory.

Erin First Aid: 7 | 10 = Wound (2) Success = Heal 2 (27/41 HP)
Erin First Aid: 15 | 10 = Wound (5) Failure
Erin First Aid: 7 | 10 = Wound (3) Failure

The monstrosity that awaited us was more terrible than I'd anticipated. Our opponents until now had largely kept to the human form. This thing forwent that entirely. It was an amalgam of corpses blended together. Limbs stuck out at odd angles, like some twisted spider, their pale flesh twitching as the bodies writhed in silent agony.

One corpse stuck out from the rest. A girl, her naked torso rising from the center mass. Long brunette hair hung down limply, hiding the freckles that dotted her skin. Fury burned in my chest, a sudden urge to see this abomination destroyed.

The girl was not Amy, but the resemblance was close enough to make the provocation clear. The bloodsucking parasite responsible for this clearly thought it was being clever. I would see it burn for the temerity.

I snarled and charged forward, bringing my sword down with all my might upon the monster. It cleaved through one of the creature's limbs, a thing shaped like a crab's pincer made out of human teeth. Despite looking like naught but pale flesh and bone, there was resistance as I cut, the creature hardier than it appeared at first glance.

A bolt of fire flew from behind me, but it simply splashed against the creature, the damage superficial at best. A part of me expected a roar or a snarl, but the monster was strangely silent, simply moving with mechanical precision. A passionless puppet, though that made it more dangerous than the mere animalistic fury displayed by the previous ghouls.

I parried another claw, ducked under a swipe, and slammed a gauntleted hand into the beast's face. It reared back from the blow and I moved to follow, only for a sudden instinct to cause me to jump back instead. Unfortunately, it came just a bit too late, just a bit too slow, and a stinger made of sharpened bone slid through a gap in my armor to pierce into my thigh.

It did not pierce far. I would hesitate to even call it a flesh wound. However, the flesh where it had pierced began to burn fiercely, fire spreading through my veins.

Poison. Hissing, I snapped the needle and brought my sword down, severing another of the thing's limbs. The conjoined flesh of multiple human arms broke apart and the monster stumbled, no longer able to support its weight entirely. A third limb saw it fall and my sword quickly followed through to carve the beast's torso in twain.

For a long moment, I stared down at the creature's remains, my body trembling with a rage that no longer had an outlet. As the adrenaline faded and I finally stilled however, it was replaced simply with a bone deep weariness. I wanted to leave this place and no longer look upon this parody of the girl I loved.

"Place the final sigil."

"El –" Erin began, before catching herself. "Pendragon. Are you okay?"

"I am fine," I bit out. "Let us be done here."

Erin drew the final rune, and with a wave of magic, every bit of bone, blood, and dead flesh was scoured from the apartment, all of the evidence wiped clean. Once we were clear, she would trigger a secondary function, making the building collapse in what would appear to be a structural fault.

Gamemaster said:
Gain 100 Glory for completing The Sealed Apartment.

Adventure Discovered: Vampire Hunting.

Later, when the two of us were alone, our costumes discarded in the safety of Erin's manor, I allowed myself to to sink my head into my hands. How many people had been hurt, how many were still being hurt because of my own weakness? Because I was not strong enough yet to kill this vampire.

Erin set a cup of tea in front of me and I took it thankfully, letting the heat warm my fingers up.

"I think," I said, looking up to meet Erin's eyes, "That we need to talk about the other Pseudo-Servants."

"What did you want to know?"

"My progress has felt… slow. At least to myself. How have your other projects fared?"

"Again, they're not all my projects," Erin complained. "It varies though. For the most part, the other people like you all obtained a portion of their Heroic Spirit's power on summoning. In that respect, I would say you've actually had the fastest growth of all of them; they just had a head start. And before you ask – No, I don't know why."

"There were no differences in the summoning technique that could have caused it?"

"Of course there were differences. We're working as a group, insofar as we have a common purpose, but we all chose our own way of going about things. Every one of you is a unique project in a sense. Why the differences in strength or skill or ego? I don't know. Individual compatibility? Maybe how closely you align with the given Heroic Spirit? I don't have a good answer."

I frowned. "There was something else. I have noticed an ability to summon and dismiss items. It feels similar to how a Servant might conjure their weapons and armor – except these are mundane items. Even as a full Servant, it should not be possible for me to spiritually manifest any weapon I come across."

"I – No, you're right, that's weird." Erin scratched at her jaw, her brow furrowing in confusion. "None of the others have reported anything like that."

"None of them?"

"None." Erin smiled apologetically. "I wish I had better answers for you, but this is all kind of experimental. We're flying by the seat of our pants, as it were."

"It is fine. I was simply hoping…"

"I get it." Erin reached out to gently squeeze my hand. "Things have been stressful lately. We'll figure it out though. I promise."

Gamemaster said:
Bond with Erin increased to 6.

"Thank you." I meant it. For all that our relationship had begun on a lie, Erin had stood by me all this time. I squeezed her hand in return. "It has been some time since we last spent time together that was not chasing some monster or another. I believe we should rectify that."

Erin's eyes lit up. "What'd you have in mind?"

"There was a new shop on the Boardwalk that I had not yet visited…"

Bad luck on the Finals rolls. If you'd inspired English, you could have had a crit this time. Just a word of warning, do not fail English a third time or there will be consequences.

Modeling gave a decent windfall this time, but that formula will change. In the future, each modeling gig will make less money upfront, but will increase the Donations your Team receives for that month. On that note, you will begin both receiving Donations and needing to manage your Finance roll each month starting in January. (It is possible to ask someone trained in Finance to assist you with this in the short-term).

This is our first encounter with the Misery status. It is similar to Melancholic in function, but triggers off Amor instead. It has some differences though. Unlike Melancholic, it does not only trigger on Passion failures, but anytime you trigger Amor while outside the presence of your Beloved (Though it does not set in until after you have completed the task you Impassioned). It only imposes a (-2) on skill and passion checks, but it lasts longer, persisting until either the end of the subsequent section (7.4 in this case) or until the next time you see and spend time with your Beloved.

It is December of 2010.

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 (D)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -5 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.
Hate: You have the opportunity to generate the Hate (Vampires) passion, if you would like. The usual warnings about passions, particularly conflicting passions, apply.

[ ] [Hate] Yes
[ ] [Hate] No
Team: Team vote will continue to remain open for one more chapter to continue generating ideas. Keep in mind some of the advice given in this chapter for submissions.

[ ] [Team] (Write-In)

Ideas so far:
-Court
-Brockton Knights
-Paladins
-Round Table
-Grand Order
-Grand Company
-Dawnguard
-Carador
Christmas Gifts: Time to vote on what you want to purchase for your friends and family for Christmas. You are allowed to go into debt for this vote.

Parents
[ ] [Parents]
-[ ] [Framed Photo] Yes.
>Buy a nice frame for a family photo. $20
-[ ] [Framed Photo] No.
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
>Buy a set of fine clothes. $50
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] No.
-[ ] [Jewelry] Yes.
>Buy a nice jewelry set. $100
-[ ] [Jewelry] No.

Dean
[ ] [Dean]
-[ ] [Coffee] Yes.
>Buy premium coffee grounds. $20
-[ ] [Coffee] No.
-[ ] [Video Game] Yes.
>Buy the latest video game. $50
-[ ] [Video Game] No.

Amy
[ ] [Amy]
-[ ] [Jewelry] Yes.
>Buy a nice jewelry set. $100
-[ ] [Jewelry] No.
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
>Buy a set of fine clothes. $50
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] No.

Victoria
[ ] [Victoria]
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
>Buy a set of fine clothes. $50
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] No.
-[ ] [Academic Journal] Yes.
>Buy an Academic Journal subscription. $30
-[ ] [Academic Journal] No.

Erin
[ ] [Erin]
-[ ] [Jewelry] Yes.
>Buy a nice jewelry set. $100
-[ ] [Jewelry] No.
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
>Buy a set of fine clothes. $50
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] No.
-[ ] [Hawking Book] Yes.
>Buy a book about Hawking. $20
-[ ] [Hawking Book] No.

Megan
[ ] [Megan]
-[ ] [Cosmetics] Yes.
>Buy a set of cosmetics for Megan. $30.
-[ ] [Cosmetics] No.
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
>Buy a set of fine clothes. $50
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] No

Chelsea
[ ] [Chelsea]
-[ ] [Cosmetics] Yes.
>Buy a set of cosmetics for Chelsea. $30.
-[ ] [Cosmetics] No.
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
>Buy a set of fine clothes. $50
-[ ] [Fine Clothes] No

Caren
[ ] [Caren]
-[ ] [Book of Organ Music] Yes.
>Buy a book of Organ Music. $20.
-[ ] [Book of Organ Music] No.
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] Recruitment
>Reach out to other Parahumans about joining your team. More possible recruits may become available based on progression of other quests.
[ ] [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] Vampire Hunting
>Hunt for clues about the vampire that is haunting the city.
[ ] [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)

Aldsan · Sep 12, 2025

Voting: [X] [Glory] Melee
[X] [Power] Chivalry (B)
[X] [Hate] No
[X] [Adventure] Explore the Woods
-[X] [Woods] With Erin
[X] [Activity] Dating
[X] [Social] Parents
Gifts: [] [Parents]:
-[] [Framed Photo] Yes.
-[] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
-[] [Jewelry] No.

[][Dean]:
-[] [Coffee] Yes.
-[] [Video Game] Yes.

[] [Amy]:
-[] [Jewelry] Yes.
-[] [Fine Clothes] No.

[] [Victoria]:
-[] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
-[] [Academic Journal] Yes.

[] [Erin]:
-[] [Jewelry] No.
-[] [Fine Clothes] Yes.
-[] [Hawking Book] Yes.

[] [Megan]:
-[] [Cosmetics] Yes.
-[] [Fine Clothes] No.

[] [Chelsea]:
-[] [Cosmetics] Yes.
-[] [Fine Clothes] No.

[] [Caren]:
-[] [Book of Organ Music] Yes.
Healing: Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 32/41

Snow danced on the night wind, spinning and twirling as if ballerinas in miniature, finally settling down to cover the road.

Snowfall had not been heavy the last few days, just a light dusting at any given time, but neither had it ceased. A constant flurry, just enough to feel ever present, slowly coating the city in a deepening frost.

Amidst the sea of white, the lights of the Dallon house stood out like a beacon in the night.

"There's no need to be nervous," Dean said as we pulled to a stop. "It's not like it's your first time visiting."

"I am not nervous."

"Ellie, I can literally see that you're nervous."

"You are supposed to allow a lady her fictions, Dean," I said, directing a gimlet eye in his direction.

"Sorry, sorry, my mistake!" he laughed. "You're not nervous, you're very dignified."

I punched him in the arm before stepping out of the car, careful not to let my heels slip on any ice. My clothes tonight leaned towards the conservative. A simple white blouse with a blue skirt, a light jacket thrown on top. They were not the same clothes that Rin had given to me in another lifetime, but there was still a faint nostalgia to the outfit. A similarity that could be mistaken if one squinted, like a reflection in distorted glass.

The outfit was very much like my own self in that regard.

My brother and I walked up together and Dean knocked on the door. There was a moment of us just standing together, waiting in the cold, before I finally heard multiple locks slide out of place and the door opened. Carol stood in the entryway, her gaze lingering sternly on the both of us.

"Hello Ellie. Dean. Come on inside. Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes."

"Thank you Mrs. Dallon," Dean said. "I'm looking forward to it."

Carol just scowled at him and turned away, allowing us in.

I was not sure what the reason for it was, but Carol had always disliked Dean. She always seemed to find some flaw in what he did. I would have thought it was just her being an overprotective parent, since my brother was dating her daughter, but I had not suffered similar treatment after I started dating Amy.

Some people just did not get along.

Victoria and Amy were both waiting for us in the living room, wearing matching Christmas sweaters. Victoria grinned and jumped up to hug Dean. Meanwhile, I found myself watching Amy, drinking in every detail of her features. Lost in her eyes.

I knew intellectually that nothing had happened to her, but after the encounter with the ghouls, it was reassuring to see her in person. To see that she was safe.

Misery is cured.

"Merry Christmas you two!"

"Or Merry Christmas Eve, rather," Amy added sarcastically.

"We're celebrating Christmas, so it's Christmas," Victoria stated, sticking her tongue out at Amy. "One day hardly matters."

"Well, I can hardly argue with that logic," Dean said, pressing a quick kiss to Victoria's cheek. "Merry Christmas."

"Come on," Victoria said. "Let's go talk up in my room for a bit."

With that, she began leading Dean up the stairs, only for Carol to call from the kitchen, "Leave the door open, you two! I don't want any funny business in my house!"

Victoria just rolled her eyes and kept pulling Dean along behind her, leaving me and Amy behind. Amy frowned at their retreating backs for a moment before muttering under her breath, "Like it'd be the first time."

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing." She sighed and looked back at me, a tremulous smile forming. "You want to come up to my room until dinner is ready?"

I met her smile with one of my own and reached out to thread my fingers through hers. "I would like that."

She led me up the stairs. No similar call came from Carol about keeping her door open. In fact, as soon as we were in her room, Amy closed the door and then shoved me up against it. Time dissolved, replaced with a smear of sensation. Her tongue in my mouth. Her fingers in my hair. Her breath on my skin.

When Carol called that dinner was ready twenty minutes later, I was laying on the bed, my clothes thoroughly disheveled. Flushing, I quickly began trying to put myself back together into a semblance of respectability, while Amy just watched, radiating smug satisfaction.

Gain a check to Lustful.

"Well," she said," I think this might be the best Christmas I've ever had."

"You mean Christmas Eve?" I asked archly. That set her off into a fit of giggles, as though it were the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"Yeah. Best Christmas Eve."

"And here, you have yet to even receive your gift."

"You mean that wasn't it?" Amy smirked and leaned in, stopping just short of kissing me.

"Cease tempting me, woman. We still need to go downstairs soon."

"So you're saying you are tempted then?"

"Of course I am. You are the one tempting me, after all."

Amy blinked and looked away, suddenly shy in the face of my honesty. I took the opportunity to slip her gift from my pocket and put it on her. She flinched at the touch of the cold metal before looking down, staring at the pendant that now hung from her neck.

Her gift was a heart-shaped locket. Silver filigree formed an intricate cage around a small garnet, the gemstone glinting blood-red in the under the light.

She lifted the pendant to look at it, her eyes widening. "Elaine, this is too much."

"You have my heart and my love," I said simply.

Bond with Amy increased to 10.

"I – You shouldn't – I'm not –" Tears welled at the corners of Amy's eyes. Suddenly, she lunged forward to wrap her arms around me. "You should find someone else. I'm not worth this. Not worth you."

I stilled, my embrace of tightening. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"...No. I'm too selfish for that." She pulled back, her smile crooked as she stared into my eyes. "...but Ellie – I'm not good for you. I'll only hurt you in the end."

I raised a hand to stroke her cheek, watching her brown eyes catch the light in a way that turned them red. "That is my decision to make. Now, what do you say that we join the rest of your family for dinner before they start wondering what happened to us?"

She nodded tremulously and I took her hand in mine, leading her back downstairs. Dean shot me a look as we entered, but Amy shot him a glare so fierce that he quickly turned away, whatever question he had left unsaid. Victoria must have noticed something though, because she shot both of us a wide smile.

"You took your time coming down," Carol commented.

"Sorry," Amy replied meekly, ducking her head down.

"Just sit down. Your food is getting cold."

Amy did so and I followed and everyone began eating. No one prayed. The Dallons were not a religious family. Instead, I cut into my slice of ham, looking around the table.

Trusting: 14 | 10 || Suspicious: 7 | 10
>Suspicious succeeds.

There was a strange current of unease to the table as we ate. When Carol would ask Victoria questions about school and about her patrols as a hero, there was a warm tone to it, the gentle inquiry of a parent. Yet, when she asked similar questions of Amy, somehow it turned into sharp criticism of Amy for spending all of her time inside on the computer.

Nothing she said was obviously untoward, but… There was a difference in treatment. Nor was I the only one to notice. Victoria's smile grew increasingly strained as dinner wore on and Dean looked as if he'd rather be anywhere else.

Mark, Amy and Victoria's father, seemed to barely pay attention, only bothering to talk when someone directly asked him a question.

My lips drew thin. If she acted this way in front of guests, then how did Carol behave when it was just the Dallons and no one else?

When dinner finally finished, we all moved to the family room to open presents. Amy practically shoved her gift into my chest, muttering, "It's not as good as what you got me, but I hope you like it."

I carefully undid the wrapping, trying not to tear the paper as I uncovered the present. Inside, lay a glass phial, filled with clear liquid. A golden band ran around the top of the phial, stamped with the company's logo. Curious, I unscrewed the top and sniffed, taking in the scent of vanilla with a hint of something else I could not place underlying it.

Perfume added to equipment.

"I love it," I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I shall be sure to wear it for you from now on."

Amy just blushed and ducked her head. I pulled her into a hug before sitting down with her to watch the rest of the proceedings.

Victoria had ended up sitting in Dean's lap as the two opened up each other's presents. For Dean, Victoria had gotten a leather jacket, something that was entirely too stylish for my brother to pull off. Victoria, on the other hand, received a bracelet that looked like a series of linked diamonds at first glance. The gemstones in question were actually zircon, which I knew purely because Dean had consulted with me on which jewelry to buy.

When it came my turn again, I undid Victoria's present to find a shimmering, white dress. It was soft to the touch – silk, or perhaps satin. I was not sure without checking the tags, but… "This is too much, Victoria."

"Don't be silly. You need something to wear next time you take Amy to a dance, right? Just think of this as me chipping in."

Fine Clothes added to equipment.

I huffed but accepted her reasoning. "Very well. Then go ahead and open my gift. Gifts, I should say. I was not sure if you would like the first one, so I got two."

Victoria raised an eyebrow curiously but opened her first gift, revealing a blouse and skirt combo. It was nothing on the level of the dress she had gotten for me, but she seemed happy enough with it. "This is great, Ellie. But if this is the first gift, what's the second?"

I passed her an envelope. "I'm aware you've been enjoying your college courses. I was not sure if it would help or not, but I purchased a subscription in your name, for an academic journal that studies parahuman psychology."

Victoria's eyes widened. "That's… Wow. I mean… Thank you, Ellie." Her smile lit up the room. "You wouldn't believe how much of the dumb blonde stereotyping I get from people. It's really special having someone remember that I have a brain too."

She floated over to hug both me and Amy, squeezing the both of us tight.

Bond with Victoria increased to 3.

The night outside pressed dark and cold against the windows, but here, in this moment, pure warmth suffused me.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

For all that I had enjoyed my Christmas Eve with Victoria and Amy, I could not say the same for Christmas Day.

"Elaine, fix your hair. You have a bit sticking up. I want you looking perfect for our family photos."

I bit my tongue and did as my mother said, reaching up to try and tame the stubborn lock of hair, though it resisted my every attempt.

"You should probably wear something nicer too."

"It's a Christmas photo, Mother. A little bit plain is good."

My mother paused before finally sighing. "I suppose you're right. I really wanted to show Evelyn what you look like in your new dress though."

What she meant, I interpreted, is that since Dean and I had declined to go to the Christmas Eve Gala with our parents last night, she felt like she'd missed a chance to use us for social clout.

"I am sure she will see me wear it eventually."

"Fine. There probably isn't time to change anyways. Fix your hair."

With that, she walked off, leaving me to my own devices. I grimaced and gave up on fixing my hair, stalking to our home theater instead and flopped down onto the couch next to my brother.

Dean turned the volume down on whatever show he was watching and glanced over at me. "Mom giving you trouble?"

"Yes," I bit out.

He smiled empathetically and reached over to squeeze my shoulder. "She's just a little stressed out. You shouldn't mind it too much."

"If that is the case, then stress is simply her natural state," I scoffed. "You just escape the worst of it as her baby boy."

Dean gave me a troubled smile. "She does try, in her own way."

"Just turn on the television."

My brother shrugged and turned the volume back up. Why he had chosen to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, I was not sure, but I allowed myself to lose focus and simply vegetate, the colors and sound blurring to background noise.

For whatever reason, the memories of Artoria were far from me today. Usually, they seemed more real than my own of this life, as if the girl I was before my coma had been little more than a passing dream. Today however, I was steeped in the bitterness that girl had once felt.

I stewed in every failure, every missed performance, every broken promise. My assessment was not completely fair, I knew, but a part of me did not care. I was not in the mood to be charitable.

"Hey kids," our father said, poking his head into the room. "The photographer is done setting up. You two both ready?"

"Sure," Dean answered easily. "We'll be there in just a sec, Dad."

Our father gave a thumbs up and retreated, leaving just me and Dean. Slowly, I gathered myself out of my malaise, putting up the walls around myself that I had grown so accustomed to. Dean was watching me, a vaguely concerned look in his eyes, but I simply patted him on the shoulder. He worried too much. I was fine.

"Once more unto the breach?" I asked.

"Once more," he replied and helped me to my feet.

The family photos were exactly as exhausting as I expected them to be. Our mother had hired a professional photographer, but she insisted on looking over each shot and fussing over some perceived imperfection. She would ask for adjustments and then we would need to get into position for the next photograph.

The poor man looked more than a little put out by the time we finished an hour later.

Then came time for presents. There were the usual assortment of gifts, most of which seemed aimed at the tastes of the girl I had once been. A great many pink clothes, cosmetics, and stuffed animals. Had they not even noticed that I was not wearing any of this any more?

Unfortunately, I suppose I was truly their daughter, because I could not figure out what to get Dean for my gift to him either. I grimaced internally as I handed him my gift.

"Hero Fighter IV and… a bag of premium coffee grounds?"

"For when your job has you working late nights," I explained.

Dean snorted softly. "Well, I'm sure some of the other guys at the 'office' would enjoy playing this with me sometime. Thank you, Ellie."

Bond with Dean increased to 4.

"I am sorry I could not think of anything more personal," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it. This is good." Dean smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Anyways, go ahead and open yours as well."

I took the package he handed me and carefully undid the wrapping paper to reveal its contents. A book.

"The Art of Public Speaking?" I asked.

"Figured our Student Council President could make use of it," he winked.

The Art of Public Speaking added to equipment.

"Thank you," I said simply, my chest feeling tight.

With that, there was just one present left. My gift to my parents. I handed it to them wordlessly.

"Oh! It's one of those digital frames that you can load pictures into!"

"It should get some use with how many pictures we took today," my father joked.

"Oh quit it," my mother replied, swatting at his arm. "The picture turned out good, didn't it?"

The two of them laughed, all easy smiles. I swallowed, a painful lump suddenly in my throat. Maybe Dean was right. I was not sure how long it would last, but maybe they were actually trying now.

Gain a check to Love (Family).

"Alright, we've got one last gift. This one wasn't in the pile. Ellie, you want to come out to the garage with me?"

I tilted my head quizzically, but followed my father out, only to come to a stop as we ducked into the garage. Sitting there was a sleek, silver motorcycle. For a moment, my head went blank, and I simply analyzed it dispassionately. It was smaller than the one I had ridden against the King of Conquerors in the Fourth Grail War. Less powerful. Still, it represented something. Freedom. Independence of movement. I no longer needed to rely on anyone else to transport me.

"You actually purchased a motorcycle for me?"

"It's not every day your little girl turns sixteen." My father grinned and dangled a set of keys. "Merry Christmas, Ellie. Why don't you take it out for a spin?"

A wide grin split my face as I took the keys and slid into the motorcycle's seat. It was the work of a moment to rev the engine. Once the garage door finished opening, I was out to the street like a shot from a canon, a laugh escaping my lips as the wind danced through my hair.

Motorcycle added to equipment.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The Hunt

13: Tracking a Supernatural Creature
10: Gargantuan Animal
17: Fox

Elaine invokes passion: Honor : 13 | 15 = Success.

Elaine Hunting: 3 | 2 (+10 Merlin)(+5 Inspired) = Success
Elaine Movement: 15 | 17 = Success
>Position #2

Round 1: Elaine Hunting: 5 | 2 (+15) || Fox Avoidance: 7 (+1) | 21
>Encounter an Obstacle.
>>A fallen tree leaves only a small passage. Roll Hunting to find a way through or move back one position.
>>>Elaine Hunting: 2 | 2 (+15) = Success
>>Elaine maintains Position #2.
Round 2: Elaine Hunting: 18 | 2 (+15) || Fox Avoidance: 16 (+1) | 21
>Move back one position.
>>Elaine falls to Position #3.
Round 3: Elaine Hunting: 17 | 2 (+15) = Critical! || Fox Avoidance: 11 (+1) | 21
>Gain a check to Hunting
>Encounter an obstacle and advance two positions.
>>Thorny bramble bushes. Make a CON roll or take 1D6 damage.
>>>Elaine CON: 4 | 16 = Success
>>Elaine advances to Position #1.
Round 4: Elaine Hunting: 3 | 2 (+15) || Fox Avoidance: 11 (+1) | 21
>Encounter an Obstacle
>>Confusing tracks. Succeed at a Hunting roll, or lose track of the prey and move back one position.
>>>Elaine Hunting: 15 | 2 (+15 Merlin) = Success
Round 5: Elaine Hunting: 16 | 2 (+15) || Fox Avoidance: 9 (+1) | 21
>Encounter an obstacle and advance one position.
>>A fallen tree leaves only a small passage. Roll Hunting to find a way through or move back one position.
>>>Elaine Hunting: 1 | 2 (+15) = Success
>>Elaine finds the Prey.
The Abay: Elaine Melee: 7 | 17 || Fox Avoidance: 6 (+1) | 21 = Tie!
>The prey escapes; return to position #4. Roll Hunting next segment with a +5 modifier.
Round 6: Elaine Hunting: 19 (+2) | 2 (+20) = Critical! || Fox Avoidance: 14 (+1) | 21
>Encounter an obstacle and advance two positions.
>>Hunting horns or barking dogs in the distance! Make an Awareness roll to follow the sounds; if you succeed, move to the quarry's position.
>>>Elaine Awareness: 1 | 4 = Failure
>>Elaine advances to Position #2.
Round 7: Elaine Hunting: 2 | 2 (+15) || Fox Avoidance: 16 (+1) | 21
>Encounter an obstacle.
>>Hidden ditch or sudden precipice. Roll DEX to avoid a fall doing 2D6 damage.
>>>Elaine DEX: 8 | 14 = Success
Round 8: Elaine Hunting: 5 | 2 (+15) || Fox Avoidance: 18 (+1) | 21
>Encounter an obstacle.
>>The prey comes charging back! Advance to "The Abay".
The Abay: Elaine Melee: 10 | 17 || Fox Avoidance: 3 (+1) | 21
>Inflict normal damage. The prey fights next Round unless badly hurt, in which case it Avoids again.
>Elaine Damage (8d6) = 25 (-8 AR) = 17 Damage (24/41 HP)
>>The Fox takes a Major Wound.
After Action: Gain 40 Glory for killing the Gargantuan Fox.

Snow crunched underfoot as I crept through the woods. Despite the bare branches and the ice that hung in place of leaves, the woods had grown thick and tangled in the last few months. There was a wildness to them that had not been present before, a savagery that reminded me of my childhood in the Forest Sauvage.

Magic lingered in the air, twisting the world into its primordial shape.

Crouching, I traced a finger through the snow, following the shape of a paw print the size of my torso.

"A fox, I think, though one far too large. It could be something twisted by magic, or just a faerie assuming the shape of an animal."

"Definitely unnatural though?" Erin asked.

"Without a doubt."

"Best to cull it then." Erin sighed and pulled her gloves tighter. A hawker's bracer covered one forearm, my own Christmas gift to her. I was not sure how much she truly needed it, given her falcon was intelligent, but I suspect she enjoyed the costuming of it. She held her arm up and Merlin landed upon it with a flap of his wings.

Bond with Erin increased to 7.

"My Lady, do you have need of me?" Merlin asked.

"There's a large fox somewhere in these woods. Coordinate with us and help us hunt it down."

"Understood."

Merlin launched himself with a flurry of feathers and we began following the tracks as best I could manage. Funnily enough, while Artoria was certainly a better tracker than Elaine had ever been, even she was not particularly skilled in the art. On the rare occasion I had to go on a hunt, it had been as a King. It had been an occasion with an entire train of people, including my personal Huntsmaster.

Moreover, foxes were notoriously wily animals, difficult to pin down at the best of times.

"The fox must have picked up on something. It's begun to flee."

"Then we must move quickly if we are to catch it."

I sprinted into the woods, but the underbrush seemed to actively fight against me. I ducked under a fallen tree and tore through a patch of brambles, trusting in my armor to protect me. Jump over another log. Overhead, Merlin cast a long shadow across the forest and I tracked him more than the actual fox in chasing after the beast.

Bursting into a clearing, I saw the fox. It was massive, easily taller than I was, even standing on four legs. It had already begun to move to escape, so I surged forward, bringing my sword down to try and cut off its path, only for the beast to spin, jumping to the side with a yowl that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

Hissing in frustration, I leapt after it. If only I had a spear. It had just avoided my sword by a hairsbreadth. A bit more reach and I would have had it.

A sword was not an appropriate weapon for a hunt in any case.

Charging once again through the thicket, I tried to focus on any sound the fox might be making in its haste to escape, but… Yes, there. I ran forward, only to find the ground missing from beneath me. A deep ravine stretched below, disguised by the wild wood. I began slipping down it, only to hurriedly grab hold of a branch, halting my descent.

Grimacing, I hauled myself to safety. I was allowing my annoyance to get the better of me. I had moved recklessly and almost paid the price for it.

Merlin fluttered down and landed on a branch above me. "My Lady. The target is still nearby. If you move to the north, you should find it."

Rolling to my feet, I followed the bird's instruction and stalked northward. There, the fox had gone still, looking in each direction, trying to determine which way it should run. I tensed, waiting for the moment it moved. As it tried to duck into the underbrush once more, my sword flashed out, catching the fox in the neck.

It fell with a final yelp. Sighing, I sat down, letting my heart calm. It had just been an animal in the end. A clever, obviously supernatural animal, but just an animal.

When Erin finally caught up, I waved tiredly at her.

She grinned and sat next to me. "I was worried it almost got away for a minute there, but perhaps I shouldn't have."

"It was closer than I would have liked. Despite its size, it was not especially dangerous; but it was good at running."

"Mm. It's concerning though. First the wendigos, now this. The Reverse Side is leaking like a sieve here."

"The recent weather has to be related, yes?" I asked.

"Definitely. I suspect all the seasons are going to show stronger effects as long as this continues. More ice and snow in the Winter, more growth in the Spring. Hotter Summers. Any symbols and trends associated with the seasons will become more pronounced."

"Is there a way to stem it?"

"I'm not sure. I asked a friend to come visit, both for the Dead Apostle problem and to take a look at this, but they aren't able to spare the time to come here for another few months."

"I suppose we shall simply have to hold out, then."

"Well…" Erin hedged, "There's likely a faerie associated with the season that's crossed over. A frost giant, or an unseelie. Something like that. Slaying it won't stop things, but it might weaken the season's effects at least temporarily."

Adventure Discovered: The Heart of Winter.

Such a task would be… difficult, to say the least. It would be one that I would need to thoroughly prepare for.

"We can worry about that next time though," Erin continued. "I'll clean up the corpse so that no hunter stumbles across it or anything. Tell me about how your Christmas went while I work."

"That eager to live vicariously through me?" I asked.

"A little," Erin admitted. "I'm living out here alone, away from my family. You're my only real friend that I can be honest with in the area. So yeah, sue me."

"...I apologize. I did not mean to sound judgemental. Where should I start?"

"Just wherever feels right."

So I told her. Of my dinner with Amy and her family. Of my frustration with my own. Of how I had given a small bag of cosmetic items as gifts to Chelsea and Megan before school had let out. The two girls had been completely blindsided by it. They had not had anything to give me in return, not that I minded.

Bond with Chelsea increased to 2.
Bond with Megan increased to 2.
Gain a check to Loyalty (Friends).

I even told her about how I had purchased a book of modern organ music for the nun at a local church. Caren had looked vaguely offended at the idea of playing anything that was not a hymn, but perhaps I was simply projecting my expectations onto her, as she had promised to play from the book the next time I visited the church.

"It is well that you gave of yourself so generously," Caren had told me. "For it is more blessed to give than to receive. The Lord loves a cheerful giver."

Bond with Caren increased to 3.
Gain a check to Generous.
Gain 100 Glory.

It was higher praise than I truly deserved. I had exhausted my pocketbook, but at the end of the day, all that money had been spent on friends and family. People that I knew and was invested in personally. Still, I accepted her approval in the spirit it was given.

"I didn't know you went to church," Erin commented.

"I do not attend mass, if that is what you mean, but I do occasionally visit for advice."

"You said it's just a nun taking care of the place?"

"For now. She is supposed to have visitors arriving in January."

"Hm." Erin grunted as her spell activated, dissolving the fox's corpse into naught but motes of dust. "I hadn't looked into the local church before now. Maybe that was a mistake."

I arched an eyebrow. "How so?"

"A bunch of people from the Church show up when there's a Dead Apostle running around? Chances are that they're Executors."

"Vampire hunters?"

"And mage hunters, when it suits them," Erin said bitterly. "Almost certainly trouble, at any rate."

"We will manage it," I said, projecting confidence for Erin's sake. "Whatever comes our way."

"Yeah," Erin smiled. "The two of us against the world, right?"

"Does that mean you plan to join my team?" I asked playfully.

Leadership: 3 | 6 (+7 Bond) = Success

Erin laughed. "Sure, why not? I'm already playing the part of a parahuman. Adding Nimue to your roster shouldn't hurt. Have you come up with a name?"

"I'm still thinking things over."

"Well, let me know when you come up with something."

"Perhaps I could run a few ideas past you. I–"

I cut off as my phone started ringing. Fishing it out of my pocket, I blinked as I saw the number. Why was my school calling me?

"Hello?

"Miss Stansfield? Sorry to call you during your holiday off, but we're asking for the Student Council to come in if possible. We're in a situation that needs all hands on deck."

"What happened?"

They told me. Taking a sharp breath, I told them I would be there shortly and hung up the phone.

"Well?" Erin asked. "Don't keep me hanging."

"Winslow High School burned down this morning. We're going to have a mass influx of new students at Arcadia this next semester."

Rolling the fox was a bit troublesome. They're not hard to kill, but they do have a really high avoidance that makes them hard to hunt.

It is January of 2011.

We have arrived at a rest period.

Checkmarks: Lustful: 11 | 10 = Increased by 1
Energetic: 20 | 15 = Increased by 1
Generous: 1 | 12 = No Increase
Prudent: 14 | 11 = Increased by 1
Reckless: 2 | 9 = No Increase
Spiritual: 2 | 11 = No Increase
Honor: 4 | 15 = No Increase
Loyalty (Friends): 18 | 11 = Increased by 1
Love (Family): 1 | 12 = No Increase
Amor (Amy): 17 | 14 = Increased by 1
Heroism: 1 | 17 = No Increase
Station: 14 | 12 = Increased by 1
Etiquette: 2 | 8 = No Increase
Hunting: 1 | 2 = No Increase
First Aid: 6 | 4 = Increased by 1
Flirting: 7 | 1 = Increased by 1
Fashion: 13 | 4 = Increased by 1
Finance: 15 | 2 = Increased by 1
Technology: 6 | 1 = Increased by 1
Lore: 12 | 2 = Increased by 1
Strategy: 17 | 4 = Increased by 1
Brawling: 13 | 15 = No Increase
Melee: 20 | 18 = Increased by 1
Personality Traits: 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: Gain 145 [(15 x 4 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 (A)
>Gain an additional 3 armor, 1 Healing Rate, 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 (D)
>Enemy attacks suffer a -5 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.
Team: This will be the elimination round for team names. Top three votes will go on for a final round.

[ ] [Team] Court
[ ] [Team] Brockton Knights
[ ] [Team] Paladins
[ ] [Team] Round Table
[ ] [Team] Grand Order
[ ] [Team] Grand Company
[ ] [Team] Dawnguard
[ ] [Team] Carador
[ ] [Team] Trailblazers
[ ] [Team] Flame Chasers
[ ] [Team] Guardians
Income: 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.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)
Adventure: What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] Recruitment
>Reach out to other Parahumans about joining your team. More possible recruits may become available based on progression of other quests.
[ ] [Adventure] The Heart of Winter
>Travel to the Court of the Unseelie to weaken Winter's hold.
[ ] [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] Vampire Hunting
>Hunt for clues about the vampire that is haunting the city.
[ ] [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~~: You have a job to do this week. You will need to forgo Adventure to participate in any activity other than the Student Council.

[ ] [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)

Aldsan · Friday at 9:40 PM

Voting: [X] [Trait] Lustful
[X] [Trait] Honest
[X] [Training] 3 Hunting, 3 Leadership
[X] [Glory] Melee
[X] [Power] Chivalry (A)

Appleton, Wisconsin was a pleasant little town. Picturesque, even. The sort of scenic place that Jack loved to visit. Small town folk liked to believe in the goodness of their fellow neighbors. Big cities tended to have less illusions about what people were like. There was a certain delight in stripping those illusions away, to show what lay in a person's heart to the rest of the world.

In short, a perfect place to start the new year.

He idly flipped a butterfly knife open and shut in one hand, his other hand on the steering wheel as he drove into town. The group had split up for their initial approach this time. Chuckles had gotten stuck driving the more monstrous of their little crew, and Shatterbird had Burnscar. It was just Jack and Bonesaw in the car, and Bonesaw had long since nodded off, snoring softly in the passenger seat. They'd been driving overnight and the sun was just now beginning to peek over the horizon.

Jack eyed her for a moment, a smile pulling at his cheeks. She was his progeny in a way that no mere flesh and blood could match. He had created her, molded her into what she was. One day, after he was gone, she would continue his legacy. It was enough to bring a tear to the eye.

Laughing softly to himself, he slowed the car, pulling into a gas station. Bonesaw stirred, the change in motion waking her.

"Are we there?" she asked, still half asleep.

"Not quite yet, Poppet. Go back to sleep. Good girls need their rest, after all."

She nodded and closed her eyes again. Jack brushed a hand affectionately through her hair before getting out of the car. Whistling to himself, Jack headed towards the convenience store, the heated air of the interior washing over him as the automated doors slid open. He wandered past aisles of junk food on his way to the counter. He grabbed a few bags of gummy bears on the way past. They were always a favorite of Bonesaw's.

The cashier was asleep on the job. Her head lay across the counter, drool dribbling out of the corner of her mouth. For a moment, Jack reflected on how easy it would be to simply slit her throat. A woman gone to sleep peacefully, only to wake up choking on her own blood.

His knife flashed and the store was painted red.

A minute later, Jack strolled out of the store and used the cashier's own credit card to pay for the gas. Purchase finished and gas tank filled, he slid back into the driver's seat and tossed the bags of gummy bears into Bonesaw's lap. The girl drowsily blinked before suddenly snapping awake as her enhancements kicked in, only to squeal in delight as she saw what he'd gotten for her.

She didn't even look twice at the blood on the packaging as she tore into it. His perfect creation.

With that, he drove off, heading to the forest just north of town. Paved highway eventually gave way to dirt road as he wound his way to the campsite that they had chosen to meet up at.

Only, despite being the first to arrive, the campsite wasn't empty. A tent was sent up at the edge of the woods. A man sat in front of it, stoking a small fire. The man's clothes had obviously seen better days. His coat was worn and threadbare. His shoes had holes in them, where Jack could see yellowed socks sticking through. What skin was exposed was dirty, as though the man hadn't seen a bath in some time.

A hobo living in the woods. How charming.

Jack stepped out of the car and Bonesaw hopped out behind him, a wide smile on her face.

"Hey there, stranger," the man said as Jack approached. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Oh, you know how it is. The family is meeting up to camp out a little. Do a little hunting," Jack grinned.

"Bit of a bad time of year for it. Most of the animals have gone to ground for the season."

"It just depends on what you're looking for," Jack said knowingly. "Some game is year round."

"Well, no skin off my back if you want to go walking around in the snow."

Not a bad idea, that. It'd been awhile since the last time Jack had properly flayed someone.

The hobo shivered – perhaps from the cold, or perhaps some instinctive part of the man's brain was aware of the malice he was seated next to. Jack smiled and crouched near the fire. "It'll be good family bonding."

"Well, keep an eye on the little one if you do. There's a cave system in the area, and it runs pretty deep. Easy for a kid to get lost in."

"A cave system?" Jack asked. "Where's it at?"

"Walk about ten minutes past the ridge in that direction," the hobo pointed. "There's a crevice in the cliffside. You should find it."

Jack nodded and looked at Bonesaw. "I'm going to go take a look. Why don't you keep our friend here entertained while I do?"

"Sure!" Bonesaw chirped. "I'm sure I can come up with lots of fun games for us to play!"

The hobo eyed Jack as he left. Had he realized something was off? Perhaps leaving a child with a stranger whose name he didn't even know was a bit much. It hardly mattered though. Even if the man had grown suspicious, it had come too late. He shouldn't have let Jack or Bonesaw get close to him to begin with.

A scream rang out from the campground behind him and Jack walked on, unconcerned.

Just as the hobo had said, Jack found the cave system easy enough. The entrance wasn't massive, but it was large enough to draw notice. Large enough for two men to walk through together. Large rocks littered the area, having fallen from the top of the cliff above at some point. It would be simple enough to roll one in front of the entrance and block someone inside.

Humming to himself, Jack poked his head in. He didn't have a flashlight with him to explore fully, but the way the tunnel wound and branched off was a good sign. Perfect, really.

What better place to play a game with a mouse, than inside a maze?

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Nearly a week later, their game was ready. Capturing Mouse Protector had been the hardest part. The heroine was a teleporter, one who didn't rely on line of sight. Tricky to work around. She had a limited number of tags she could set that she could teleport to however, and couldn't teleport to them if she was too far away.

In other words, it was simply a matter of having Hatchet Face disable her down before knocking her out. Once the initial capture was finished, she would be too far from her tags to teleport away and the game could begin.

"Wakey wakey," Jack said, injecting the stimulant Bonesaw had provided him with. The heroine came to with a start, reaching for her sword only to find it missing.

"Fuck," Mouse Protector said, immediately looking around to take in the situation. "I'm not dead, so I guess you're playing with your food, huh?"

"Language!" Bonesaw called. It was the sort of thing she always would have said, but something in the tone…

Jack frowned. Bonesaw had been distracted all week, ever since he'd come back from the caves to find the hobo had somehow managed to escape her. At the time, she'd just complained that he'd been faster than he'd looked, and Jack hadn't bothered prying further. The hobo was just a nobody, after all, not worth the effort of chasing down.

Something though was nagging at him. The hair prickled at the nape of his neck.

He eyed Bonesaw for a moment, trying to place what his gut was telling him exactly, but… Well, he could worry about it later. A conversation for after their current game was finished.

"You can think of it that way, if you like. I'd personally like to think of it as giving you a sporting chance," Jack said, tossing a flashlight at her. "It's no fun otherwise."

"And what's the game?" the heroine asked.

"Simple. This is your labyrinth and we are the nine minotaurs who will kill you if we find you within. If you can escape the maze before we find you, then you get to live. Otherwise…" Jack drew a finger across his throat.

Mouse Protector slowly got to her feet, hissing for a moment as she tried to put weight on a leg, only to realize it had been broken. "Seems a bit rigged."

Jack just smiled. "Any injuries are yours to deal with. You'll have a five minute head start." The heroine glared at him and Jack tapped his wrist. "The clock is ticking, by the way, so best get moving."

Mouse Protector scowled. "Minotaurs, huh? Guess I'd better start hoofing it then." With that, she turned and began limping her way into the darkness.

He did so enjoy heroes who had a sense of humor. They tended to last longer but break harder when the time finally came. She was right that the game was rigged, of course, just not in the way she thought. There was no exit, after all. They were all sealed in here. The Nine would harry and harass Mouse Protector until she was too tired to run any more, slowly taking piece after piece from her until their game reached its conclusion.

"Well then," Jack said, looking at the rest of his Slaughterhouse. "Who wants to chase her first?"

Before anyone could answer the twang of a bow echoed through the cave Jack felt an arrow drive through his throat. That wouldn't be enough to kill him, not with the enhancements Bonesaw had made, but it made talking difficult. A second arrow quickly followed, splitting through Mannequin's chest.

Jack hissed and spun, shining his flashlight down the tunnel the arrow had come from, but whoever had been there was gone.

Jack frowned. Mannequin wasn't getting up. His casing shouldn't have been easily damaged, but the arrow had split clean through. Dark fluid leaked onto the cave floor.

Shatterbird began to scream, only for the bow to twang again, this time from a different tunnel. The room went silent as she fell, an arrow through her eye. Jack caught a brief glimpse of a figure ducking away before vanishing into the maze. Hatchet Face roared and ran down the tunnel, chasing after their intruder. Jack tried to call after him, but – The damn arrow through his throat.

Growling, Jack yanked it free and tossed it to the side. He wouldn't be able to shout, but he could at least wheeze instructions to the rest of the Nine until Bonesaw fixed him. Before he could say anything though, the sound of something snapping came down a tunnel and a moment later, Hatchet Face's body came flying past to hit the opposite wall.

A log hung suspended from the ceiling. A simple trap, but not one someone could have set up on a whim. Something was off about it too. Hatchet Face was a Brute. He should have been able to take a simple log to the chest and get up again.

Fire lit up in both of Burnscar's hands, ready to be thrown, only for another arrow to follow. Burnscar fell, the missile lodged in her brain.

The lights, Jack realized. Their hunter was using the darkness to hide his approach and aiming for the lights.

"Lights off and spread out," Jack gurgled.

They were already down four members and had not even properly seen their attacker. That would change. With the lights out, his vision slowly adjusted to the darkness. Bonesaw had upgraded their eyes to see in the dark ages ago. Nominally, it still needed at least a little bit of light – complete darkness was still darkness, but that was easily handled. Jack rolled a flashlight to the end of the tunnel, leaving it illuminated while casting the remaining five Slaughterhouse in the dark.

Jack grabbed Bonesaw's hand and began dashing down the opposite tunnel. They could not afford to stay still if they were being hunted. They had to stay mobile and turn this ambush around on their attacker. Crouching down, he pointed to his throat, and Bonesaw quickly went to work, stitching his vocal chords back together. It was a rush job, but it would serve for now.

For a moment, the cave was still, everyone huddled, hiding in the dark.

"Well, well!" Jack called out, purposefully letting his voice echo. "It's been a long time since someone has gotten the better of the Nine like this. Who are you, stranger?"

A man's laughter echoed in return. "Nobody of import. Just someone with a grudge."

Jack grinned. He wouldn't personally be able to track the man's voice, but Crawler had better senses. The monstrous cape began creeping his way down one of the tunnels, surprisingly quiet despite his size. The Siberian split to go the opposite direction and surround the man from both sides. Jack just had to keep him talking.

"Well, Nobody, what grudge did we inspire? A dead friend? A lover? A child?"

"It hardly matters does it? I doubt you remember the countless faces you've killed. At the end of the day, you're just a rabid animal that needs to be put down."

A bit of aggression there. A child then. Something about the voice niggled at Jack however. He recognized it, but from where?

"You'd be surprised," Jack answered. "I like collecting stories. I like seeing people as they truly are – and people show you who they really are when they're about to die. In that sense, I probably knew your kid better than you ever did. You want to know if he died a coward?"

An arrow flew from the darkness, but Jack had been anticipating it this time. He'd ducked low and the arrow hit the stone just above his head. Crawler surged forward however, having zeroed in on where Nobody was hiding. For a brief moment, Jack saw the man slide under Crawler's body, knife ripping up into Crawler's belly.

Acidic blood poured out, but the man simply flung off the cloak that covered him once he was clear, the cloth quickly sizzling to nothing. Crawler however, groaned. He should have healed up instantly from something as unremarkable as a knife cut. A knife cut shouldn't even have done anything – Crawler's skin had long since evolved to ignore something as mundane as a bladed edge.

Instead, the monster's skin churned and writhed, a constant battle between restoration and decay. It began to bubble up, cancerous growths growing along Crawler's body as his body struggled to repair damage that refused to be mended.

The man didn't have time to celebrate however. He was in the open now. Exposed.

The Siberian lunged from the darkness, her clawed fingers raking along the man's cheek, spattering blood across the stone as he quickly back-pedalled. Nor was Jack stationary. He swung his knife to take pieces off of the man from a distance. Yet, somehow, even between the two of them working together, none of the cuts seemed to ever amount to anything. The man took superficial damage, yet he always managed to be one step ahead, ducking and weaving through the Siberian's attempts to grab hold of him while using her body to block Jack's own hits.

That could only last so long however. Even if he didn't die instantly, he was still taking damage. Eventually he would slow down or get unlucky and then everything would be over.

"Now," Nobody said, turning to shoot an arrow through Jack's hand. Jack growled as his knife went clattering to the floor, but the man had left himself open in order to eliminate one of his opponents. The Siberian's claw descended and – never connected. The tiger-striped woman simply vanished mid-strike.

"That woman almost gave me a heart attack with how long she took to find where the Master was hiding," Nobody complained, slowly getting to his feet. "Still, I have to give her some kudos for the work she did on the knife."

Crawler was still writhing on the ground behind Nobody, moaning in a mix of pain and ecstasy. His limbs had grown bloated past the point of movement. Not dead, but not capable of being a threat any longer. Chuckles – Wait, where had Chuckles gone? Jack snarled. Had that idiot clown run away rather than fight?

"Well, you have me at something of a disadvantage, it seems," Jack said, motioning subtly to Bonesaw. The man was good. Very good. This ambush had been perfect. But Jack still had his trump card to play. No matter how well a man could fight, there was little he could do when his lungs melted from the inside.

"Of course. The game was rigged from the start."

Jack frowned. What did he–?

Jack felt a prick in his thigh and looked down in shock at the syringe that Bonesaw had pushed into him. Before he could so much as utter a word, his muscles stiffened to stillness, paralysis overtaking him. His body fell to the ground like some glorified log.

"I don't play fair, after all."

"Sorry Jack," Bonesaw said sweetly, her eyes strangely empty. "But Mommy and Daddy said it's time for you to go away."

Nobody picked up a flashlight and flicked it on. Jack stared, unable to speak, as he finally saw the man's features. The voice he'd been speaking to this whole time finally clicked. The hobo from a week ago?

That was… Jack wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. He couldn't, of course. His lungs were paralyzed as well. Still. This man had managed to deceive him from the very moment they met. A born liar. He'd even managed to turn Bonesaw into his very own Trojan Horse.

How appropriate. Jack couldn't have wished for a better killer to take his life. Ah, if he had one wish to add, it would be that more people should have witnessed the confrontation. The death of Jack Slash should have been a spectacle for the world to witness.

The man simply tousled Bonesaw's hair, in much the same way Jack had once done, and turned away. "Come along, Riley. Your Mommy is waiting for you."

The girl simply nodded happily, her eyes vacant. The two walked away together, hand in hand, leaving Jack to slowly suffocate to death in the dark.

This one fought me a bit, not going to lie. A part of me wants to scrap and rewrite it, but that way lies writing paralysis, so better to move on.

Team: The final Team Name vote.

[ ] [Team] Round Table
[ ] [Team] The Grand Order
[ ] [Team] Trailblazers

Once and Future (WormxFate)

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