Honeyhome was a peaceful little hamlet, with distinctive red shingles that stick out from the surrounding greenery, that first-time players often found themselves in. Devi had called this place home a while back, during her first few days playing the game. It has a small bakery, a general store, and even a temple, all of which welcomed her with open arms while she was just starting out.
It was the very same reason that had her agreeing to meet the man who saved Alderein a while back, the same man she was so afraid of before. Things changed, however, and she was no longer afraid of men. Devi was only afraid of one thing, and that was not getting paid properly, so in a way, yes, the massive mountain man did teach her a thing or two about the world, and in a way, yes, he was her new Honeyhome. To an extent, of course. Devi wouldn't go as far as to actually tell him she was grateful for his intervention. At least, not again. Not now. Not while they were on a job.
"So, you're telling me that the captain of the town guards married the baker's daughter?"
Devi chuckled. She had not expected such turn of events. Then again, she had not thought about this place for a while. As they made their way through familiar roads, the pyromancer shook her head, thinking about what else could have happened while she was gone, what events could have unfolded while she was busy elsewhere, all while crossing her arms over her chest as sunlight shone over her and the massive greatsword on her back.
Chrys found his companion's new-found confidence a little strange albeit an appreciated strangeness and a welcomed respite from the landers' sourness toward him these days. The first time they met, @Devi seemed afraid of him, wary of the gentleman who had come to their tiny faerin friend's aid. In retrospect, Chrys didn't have to answer the call from their mutual associate, but he was in the area anyway and thought otherwise. He didn't expect that weeks later, he'd be traveling with her on a makeshift supply run. Better company than hostile Ayna, though the jury's still out on always-positive Kamala.
"Funny how life tends to surprise us, eh?"
Soon, they were next door to a poultry house, in front of four identical single-story stone buildings that ran back from the street in a line. Like perfect little soldiers. The front building had a painted sign of a pie being served on a silver platter, but there were no words that accompanied the imagery. Hope they're still home.
Chrys carefully rapped his knuckles on the door of the baker's daughter. If he remembered correctly, the second building was previously a makeshift café, where she served coffee and tea with her freshly baked bread. It seemed closed now, probably due to the change in her marital status. The third building had wash hanging by the clothesline outside, the home she now shares with the captain of the town guards, Harrold Burke the Third.
"I'm surprised you alone agreed to accompany me, Devi. I thought you and Aika always came together."
If she remembered correctly, Honeyhome didn't have a jail or court. Wherever the captain of the guards stayed, that would be the closest thing, Devi reckoned. Of course, it has been a while since she was last here, so things could have changed. Heck, she wasn't even sure that whole thing was correct in the first place. She could be misremembering stuff here and there. Honeyhome was a good place to her but it wasn't a place she thought about every now and then,
"Well, we're not always joined at the hip. A girl's gotta do her own thing every now and then."
Devi chuckled, winking at the massive mountain man. Before more words could be shared between the two, the door in front of them opened and out came the baker's daughter, Jessica, with a wide grin and a tight hug for the both of them. "Oh, my gosh! Visitors! How are you?" The young, easily excitable woman greeted them like they were old friends, though it was obvious she didn't remember them like such. Otherwise, she would've mentioned their names and not just referred to them as visitors.
"The Captain's out in the back with the boys," Jessica gestured for them to go inside and proceed to the back. Once they went in, she closed the door behind them and lead them to where the lawmen were, which was closer to the fourth building than where they had entered. Devi was even more surprised to see the supposed boys working with flour and dough. "Captain! You've got visitors!"
After announcing their presence, Jessica gave the two adventurers one final look, a smile throughout, before walking back to the front building. The boys all stopped what they were doing, with the Captain eyeing the two newcomers with his thick, luscious handlebar moustache. "Howdy," he sniffed at the air before nodding at Devi and then shaking Chrys' hand. "You the folks from that there mining company in Lyrwick? Heard you were adventurers. Town could also use some help with...adventurer stuff, if you can be bothered."
"He's the guy from the mining company, owns it, too, but yeah, we're both adventurers. What seems to be bothering the town?"
Devi heaved a sigh, shrugging as both hands found their way to her hips. She turned to Chrys with a raised eyebrow, a little unnerved that there seemed to already be a quest waiting for them but at the same time relieved that this was going to be more exciting than just a simple supply run. After pointing at the mining company owner to emphasize her point, she crossed her arms over her chest, ready to hear what else was waiting for them in Honeyhome.
The once-meek, now-confident girl had a point. He, too, had been in her shoes, joined at the hip with select others. In particular, he was part of Team A.C.K.! with Ayna and Kamala. Unfortunately, after the events of Szofrit's little tantrum party, with Ayna disappearing to gods know where and Kamala focusing more on her farm in Pormont, their little team had temporarily taken a much-needed hiatus.
"Hmm. I suppose that is very fair. One must branch out if one wants to experience more than they ever will. In this game and in real life, of course. Mostly in real life, but still fair."
When Jessica came out, offering hugs to everyone, Chrys put a hand forward to decline the unnecessary physical contact, instead offering a nod and a smile to the guard captain's wife. As they made their way to the captain and his "boys," the massive mountain man couldn't help but quip as to what they would be discussing, to which Jessica nonchalantly revealed the right answer: "Oh, Harry's always talking about law stuff with the boys. Peacekeeping is his life, he always says! Just wish he'd take more time sleeping, you know? He's always busy either keeping the peace or working here at the bakery. Only takes naps now instead of a full night's sleep."
If Chrys could have, he would have declined the handshake from Harrold Burke as well. But the latter's hand was faster and firmer, and even before the armored adventurer could say anything, the handshake was already done.
"Yes, I am Chrystopheles of the Golden God Mining Company. I've traveled far to your bakery to take back home to Lyrwick supplies, but as I am indeed an adventurer, with my good friend Devi here, I suppose we can help you and the town while we're here."
On one hand, Chrys was annoyed that his supplier was basically asking him to do something else for him, outside of their negotiated deal with the supplies. On the other? If he does this for them, whatever this was, and succeeded tremendously, then he could get paid and/or rewarded by the thankful townsfolk, right? Sounded like a win to his greedy self.
"There are rumors and tales of banditry on the road south of town," Harrold heaved a sigh, shaking his head and lamenting the negative aspect of such stories. "And I think I know of several potential hideouts, but as you can see, I," The guard captain paused to gesture toward himself and the rest of his boys, emphasizing how they're currently hard at work at the bakery."We don't really have the time to wander around the countryside on what could just be a wild goose chase, so if you two would like, I can provide you with directions to these hideouts and you can check them for us." When he noticed the two didn't seem like they'd help for free, he added something that would ensure their interest, as adventurers often are interested in one important thing. "The town will pay you for your time, of course."
Chrys smirked, turning to @Devi with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, Captain Burke, it seems that the town can count on two goose chasers. That is if my companion here would agree as well?"
Of course, Devi would agree. Chrys did not doubt that for one bit. But he had to make a show of it, to offer the girl her own limelight, an opportunity to haggle or deal further. That and she deserved to make her own promises and commitments known. A man should only do so much. A woman should be her own person.
Devi crossed her arms over her chest, smirking playfully at @Chrys. Of course, she was going to agree. This was the best thing to ever happen to her, or at best, the most interesting thing to ever happen to her during this whole thing. Chrys had only asked her to accompany him for a supply run, and everyone knows supply runs are boring as fudge, so this new development was a welcomed respite from the doldrums.
"This companion definitely agrees. The captain had me at banditry. This town helped me a lot when I was starting, so it's good to be able to pay it back. Plus, it's a paying job, so how can a girl decline?"
Devi hoped that last line made Chrys proud, as she chuckled to herself, giving the lawmen a nod. If she's learned anything from the man, it's that to always get paid for whatever you do in this game. It wasn't a bad mindset. After all, it's just a game. Secondly, she did need a few things to buy, and she can't buy those things without gold. In any case, she'd be willing to return the payment should these bandits turn out to be more than just a goose chase. Those guys always had spare gold lying around. Waste not, want not, right?
"What are we waiting for then, Chrystopheles of the Golden God Mining Company? The sooner we deal with these bandits, the sooner we can put these lawmen's minds at ease!"
More importantly, the sooner they would both get paid.
And sooner than later, they did! The pair of adventurers departed the premises housing the lawmen and the baker's daughter, immediately embarking toward the southern area, where Captain Burke had pointed them to. On their way, however, Chrystopheles couldn't but make small talk.
"So, I see you've learned a lot from me... I don't, however, remember you so confident. The last time we met, you were a shivering girl in front of a towering man. What changed?"
Soon, they arrived in a brush-choked valley, a short distance from the main road, where a makeshift camp stood guarding the front of a cave. Four surly and burly humans sharpened their blades around the fire. Nearby is a wagon with a wooden cage atop it. Inside the cage, what seemed to be an albino black bear pawed at the bars.
Instinctively, Chrys grabbed @Devi and dragged her behind some overgrowth, a pair of trees and some bushes. He squinted as he scouted the area with only his eyes, raising an eyebrow. There were few of them, barely a handful. Chrys could take these all without breaking a sweat. He'd survived Szofrit, barely encumbered. What threat do these four bandits pose to someone like him?
"All right, I see four men... Clearly, bandits. You want to take point or should we talk strategy first?"
He whispered the words to the dark-skinned woman with neither fear nor concern. As already mentioned, Chrys was a fucking tank and Devi? Well, she didn't look like a fragile flower anymore. These bandits are going to get themselves deader than Chrys' ex-relationship. Oh, wait. Spoiler alert.
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 3 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
Devi was indifferent to most small talks. By default, she never makes any active effort to try and start one. However, if the topic was interesting, or if she had something she thought was good enough to share or just say, she usually just goes with it. She's worked with a lot of different people, employers and allies, since the last time they'd talked. She knew some people just can't stand the peace that silence, and often their own thoughts, brings with it.
"A lot, man. Like, a lot. What happened to us back then? It taught me that I just couldn't stay like what I was before. I needed to change. I needed to be better. Bolder. Tougher. So here I am. Not bad, right?"
Devi added a few flexes here and there to emphasize the growth she had undertaken, mostly with her now more impressive biceps and deltoids. From the meek, shy girl that she had been before, there was no doubt that those who had only met her then would not even realize she was the same girl. Truly, a change for the better! Or for the worse, as @Chrys would soon find out.
"Don't worry, I got this!"
Without even waiting for the geomancer to finish his thought, Devi sprung into action, leaping out of the overgrowth, where they had concealed themselves, and straight into the fray! The arbalists were caught surprised by the Amazonian woman who suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, her fists flaming hot!
Devi wasted no time punching one of them out cold (or out hot?) with her blazing fury, screaming an unintelligible battle cry, before punching another one, though the second one managed to keep themselves upright! Such was the way of the Red Fist, the Raging Flame!
Devi was too hyped by the fight, she didn't even notice that the arrows that had pierced her flesh! Or the fact that the albino black bear had escaped its cage! So hecking metal!
Bonus Action: ❰ Duelist ❱!
+20 bonus damage when you attack an enemy in melee. Devi
Free Action: ❰ Area Effect ❱!
Divide your damage between the target and all enemies adjacent to them. Take retaliation damage (if any) from each enemy you damage. Devi
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 3 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
-25 HP from Bandit Arbalist -20 HP from Surprise Bear? Attack +5 Damage Mitigation from self Guardian +25 to a Save Roll next cycle from self Savior
❱
Chrys screamed @Devi's name but he was already too late. She was already punching the bandits unconscious. He wasn't too late to keep the surviving arbalist from taking her out, though, as he was able to quickly manifest his Thousand Sparkling Gold through his Auric Geomancy and hurl jagged shards of the earth beneath his very feet at the enemy. The impact actually forced the man's body to do a nonconsensual backflip in place before he landed on his face, out cold.
"I see you've also changed your temperament! No strategy? No tactics? Just bum-rush the enemies and hope they don't shoot you in the throat, eh?"
He's never seen that happen before, but to be fair, he himself was wearing plate armor from head to toe. Well, neck to toe. A full-on helmet just didn't seem fair to the ladies. But he digressed. After mocking Devi's instinctive fighting style, Chrys addressed the Bandit Leader, pointing at him rather ferociously.
"Cease your illegal activities, swine! Honeyhome won't have any more of your banditry! Surrender yourself to the guards or—GAAAAAH!!!"
Before Chrys could continue his paladin-esque monologue, which was totally out of character for him, but you know what they say about surprising yourself every now and then, right? You can't always stick to what you know. Sometimes, you've got to do new things. Like making a paladin-esque monologue, even though it was completely unnecessary.
That said, Chrys had to cut that monologue short after the gods-damned albino black bear from before, which had apparently escaped from his cage during Devi's Leroy Jenkins moment, tried to attack the massive mountain man. If he wasn't wearing heavy armor, it would've probably taken him down. But Chrys was anything if not fucking strong, so once he managed to regain his footing, he just chucked the bear off of him. What. The. Fuck?! IS THAT A FUCKING BEAR?!
"Devi! Watch out for the bear!"
He wished someone else had done that for him, warned him about the fucking bear. Stupid fucking barrow bear.
Free Action: ❰ Alter Hinder ❱!
You may distribute HP and SP damage however you'd like when you use Hinder and Ultra Hinder. Chrys
Bonus Action: ❰ Savior ❱!
Give 3 targets within range 25 to a save roll next cycle: self & @Devi Aura | Chrys
Free Action: ❰ Guardian ❱!
Mitigate 15 damage from yourself or allies when you target them via an action or a BA: @Devi gets 10 damage mitigation, self gets 5 damage mitigation Aura | Chrys Note: If AoE was used, distribute the reduction in multiple of 5s.
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 3 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
-25 HP from Arbalist -20 HP from Bear +10 Damage Mitigation from @Chrys' Guardian +25 to a Save Roll from @Chrys' Savior
❱
Devi was already fighting to even pay attention to @Chrys' words. Something about tempers or whatever? Bah! Who talks and listens when there are heads to be bashed, faces to be crushed? Certainly not Devi!
"More punching, less yammering, okay?"
Devi shouted at him without even turning his attention to the massive mountain man. He had begun to launch into some sort of weird monologue, but it seemed to devolve into some sort of primal screaming. As Devi was more focused on her fight, she didn't realize he was in danger. She actually thought he was getting into the spirit of things.
"That's more like it, Chrystopheles! Roar! Let us hear your battle cry! Just like a—bear?!"
Devi was quick to notice the danger. Well, it was hard not to, when your ally was screaming that there's a hecking bear in the fray and it just tried to swipe at you. Devi was forced to take a step back but managed to tank most of the bear's power in that paw. Scowling, she shook her head, before lighting her fist on fire. That caught the bear's curiousity but then she caught him further with a straight punch to its stupid furry nose!
"Bad bear! Sit! Stay down! Stop! Play dead?"
Another thing that was caught...on fire? The remaining arbalist who screamed as they panicked to put out the flames that had engulfed them but to no avail, accidentally knocking themselves out in the process. All the chaos was enough to send the Bandit Boss scurrying away, much to Devi's annoyance.
"Chrys! Get that guy! I'll handle the bear!"
Or will the bear handle her? Only one way to find out, as Devi pumped up her "guns." Time to put up or shut up, bear. Womano-a-bearo!
Bonus Action: ❰ Duelist ❱!
+20 bonus damage when you attack an enemy in melee. Devi
Free Action: ❰ Area Effect ❱!
Divide your damage between the target and all enemies adjacent to them. Take retaliation damage (if any) from each enemy you damage. Devi
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 2 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
-60 HP from Bandit Arbalist +5 Damage Mitigation from self Guardian +25 to a Save Roll next cycle from self Savior
❱
Chrys had already taken a step, maybe two, to help @Devi with the bear since greatsword wielders need to stick together and stuff, but her directive confused him enough to make him stop. Did she just say she was going to handle the bear on her own? It doesn't even look like a regular bear! But she was right about one thing: Their guy was escaping, and they probably needed the guy to help the town stay crime-free and stuff.
With a quick nod to the bold barbarian, Chrys ran after the Bandit Boss, screaming at him to heed his words, though to expectedly no avail. Why the fuck would the guy even stop? He was running from two greatsword-wielding adventurers and there was a goddamned bear around. There was no way in hell he'd go back there, with him no less.
"You! Stop! In the name of the law...or whatever, I command you to— Ah, fuck this shit!"
Chrys manifested his Thousand Sparkling Gold through his Auric Geomancy, powered up by his intense annoyance at having been made to chase some asshole while his companion was left alone to fight a goddamned bear.
With a glare that should have seared the man's back, he willed jagged shards of the earth beneath his very feet to start a revolution, inciting a contained earthquake that rushed forward toward the man's feet, taking him down. The sheer force swept the Bandit Boss off his feet, his bones and muscles colliding with solid earth. Needless to say, it was more than just the clumsy fall this writer had to endure earlier in the day.
"There's nowhere left to run, bandit. I am Lord of the Earth. You cannot fly. You will succumb to my divine ruling!"
Yeah, that was probably going too far, but he had to discourage the idiot from running away again. Not when Devi was back there wrestling a bear on her own. Chrys still saw her as that shy little girl from way back when, even though she was now confidently punching people with fire in their faces. And even volunteering to wrestle that bear alone. What a goddamn champ!
As Chrys neared the Bandit Boss, however, he could hear him laughing maniacally. Did he concuss him that bad? Or maybe he just lost it at the sight of the escaped bear? Why did they even trap that bear in the first place then? Dumbass. "You'll never take me alive, copper!" The man screamed like hell before kneeing Chrys in his face from out of nowhere. The attack sent the massive mountain man teetering back, as his face was not armored. Still, he had his aura protecting him, so it was still just relatively effective.
"Ow! You asshole! You almost broke my nose! What the fuck, man?!"
The man just continued laughing at Chrys, proving the dark thought in the latter's head to be right. Oh, this guy needs to die.
Main Action: ❰ Ultra Hinder ❱!
2d100 (95 + 23) + [50] + 25 + 20 = 213 213 SP damage (Altered to HP damage)
You are Vulnerable. Aura | Chrys | 1849
Free Action: ❰ Alter Hinder ❱!
You may distribute HP and SP damage however you'd like when you use Hinder and Ultra Hinder. Chrys
Bonus Action: ❰ Savior ❱!
Give 3 targets within range 25 to a save roll next cycle: self & @Devi Aura | Chrys
Free Action: ❰ Guardian ❱!
Mitigate 15 damage from yourself or allies when you target them via an action or a BA: @Devi gets 10 damage mitigation, self gets 5 damage mitigation Aura | Chrys Note: If AoE was used, distribute the reduction in multiple of 5s.
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 2 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
-20 HP from Bear Retal +10 Damage Mitigation from @Chrys' Guardian +25 to a Save Roll from @Chrys' Savior
❱
Catching a glimpse of @Chrys running off to chase the bandit boss, Devi grinned. Now it was just her and the bear. It tried to swipe at her companion before he left but missed. Now Devi was going to make it miss something else: Being alive. I'm gonna eat it alive!
"Yo, bear! Your opponent's right here! Time to force your hibernation, you furry son of a bear!"
Punching her own palm, a trademark of brawlers before they get into a fight, Devi approached the bear with neither fear nor concern. She was wearing heavy armor, so that helped, and Chrys' weird sand shield was still protecting her, so there was no real reason for her to be worried one bit. Sure, she has never fought a bear before, especially an albino black bear like this one, but it was something she'd always wanted to try. Both in the game and in real life.
"Ready or not, here I come!"
Announcing her attack was definitely not the smartest tactic, but she really wanted to see how the bear would square up against her. So, she did. Lighting her fist up, she threw a punch that clobbered its snout, only for the bear to roar in anger and swipe at her in turn.
Devi managed to take the blow with relative ease, owing not only to the geomancer's defensive tactic from earlier on but also to her real-life proficiency in the art of mixed martial arts. Through that latter skill, she could easily gauge the fact that her next attack would finally take down the bear, as the bear was most likely tired and unprepared from having been trapped in that cage and without any idea it'd be facing a fiery fighter like herself.
"Sorry, bear, I know you're just trying to survive, but I need to knock your butt out to keep you from randomly hurting people. Don't worry, though: Once we're done here, you'll wake up to your freedom. We just need to haul these bumholes back to the town."
Easier said than done? Nah, Devi has full confidence Chrys would come back with that bandit boss knocked out of his ass. She might not have seen him in full power elsewhere, but the dude was a walking, living, breathing mountain. What fight would a bandit, even a boss, have against a freaking mountain? Zero, bozo.
Bonus Action: ❰ Duelist ❱!
+20 bonus damage when you attack an enemy in melee. Devi
Free Action: ❰ Area Effect ❱!
Divide your damage between the target and all enemies adjacent to them. Take retaliation damage (if any) from each enemy you damage. Devi
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 1 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
-30 -15 HP from Bandit Arbalist +15 Damage Mitigation from self Guardian +25 to a Save Roll next cycle from self Savior
❱
As the bandit boss continued maniacally laughing at an increasingly agitated Chrystopheles Harderthanyourmom, agitated mostly because of that punch in the nose from earlier, the geomancer just stood there, a look of placid calmness on his face. Closing his eyes, he moved his hands around, palms downward, facing the earth. Almost immediately, the ground started to shake, the man stopped laughing, and jagged shards of earth began to rise up, hitting him in the face, as the very earth beneath his feet crumbled and disappeared.
With a scream, the man fell. Chrys didn't even bother to take a look, instead, he simply heaved a sigh. A loud thud followed soon after, and then a groan. Chrys took a few more moments, just standing there, appreciating the sky, before willing the missing earth to reform once more, elevating the unconscious fool that he dropped in his makeshift pit. It had been a while since he was creative with his magic, having just relied heavily on throwing rocks at people.
"Things need to change. "
With his fucked-up strength, and despite already being tired of it all, Chrys easily grabbed the man and plopped him on his shoulder. He then began walking back to where @Devi and that albino black bear should be. Chrys expected his companion to already be done with the bear. Despite the worries and concerns he had earlier about leaving her with the savage animal, he was pretty sure she'd be able to down it with a single punch. They were made of stronger stuff.
"Devi? Please don't tell me you decapitated the bear."
A gruesome thought Chrys wished did not become a gruesome reality. An annoyed Traveler would have done more when pushed to the limits of their patience. What was the stereotype about pyromancers again? Hotheaded idiots? Sounds about right.
Main Action: ❰ Hinder ❱!
1d100 (28) + [15] + 25 + 20 = 88 88 SP damage (Altered to HP damage) Aura | Chrys | 1849
Free Action: ❰ Alter Hinder ❱!
You may distribute HP and SP damage however you'd like when you use Hinder and Ultra Hinder. Chrys
Bonus Action: ❰ Savior ❱!
Give 3 targets within range 25 to a save roll next cycle: self! Aura | Chrys
Free Action: ❰ Guardian ❱!
Mitigate 15 damage from yourself or allies when you target them via an action or a BA: self gets 15 damage mitigation! Aura | Chrys Note: If AoE was used, distribute the reduction in multiple of 5s.
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 1 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
The bear did not seem to care about Devi's words. Why would it? It had been trapped in a metal cage by creatures like her. It would never trust another one of them for quite a while, maybe even forever. It was hard to tell with bears, and Devi was certainly not someone who knew a lot about bears, especially an albino black bear. She did know a thing or two about taking bears down, and this right here, would be another lesson for nature not to mess with the fiery fighter.
"All right then, bear! Show me what you've got..."
Devi grinned as she prepared for the final fight, going into a boxer's stance. She did the thing that boxers often do when the round was starting, which was to make tiny hops on the balls of the feet, switching between said feet for the dominant step, moving her shoulders up and down, her arms to and fro, with her fists balled up into knuckles.
As the bear just watched her with murderous intent, she put those fists up in front of her face, ready to shut this bear up, egging the apex predator on for the decisive finish, to which it let loose with a blood-curdling roar.
"Come on, man! Mommy don't got all day!"
That seemed to be the last straw as the bear immediately rushed toward her, snarling like a mad murderer, which it probably was at that point. The only problem was, Devi had fought the same kind of bastards before, in the real world, where she's won top championships in this very field. This bear wouldn't know what hit it, and it didn't.
Devi threw herself back as the creature made a massive swipe at her face. She hurled a straight right to its face but the bear unintentionally moved so that she could only catch its shoulder. The impact annoyed the creature, the mild pain motivating it to make another swipe at her.
This time, the bear's paw made contact, though Devi managed to take the hit. The bear couldn't do the same, however. and almost immediately, right after her defense, Devi sent her opponent to sleep with a forceful uppercut underneath its exposed jaw. The bear's eyes rolled backward as it teetered backward, unable to keep its balance. Sooner than later, it fell on the ground backfirst, no longer conscious.
"Oh, shit, did I overdo it?"
Devi rushed to check on the bear, worried that her explosive attack might have taken it out for good. She heaved a sigh of relief when the bear groaned, though still unconscious. It'll live. The bear was too OP to die that easily. But it wouldn't wake up for a few more hours. By then, they would be gone. Speaking of they... Devi turned around with a grin and thumbs up after hearing @Chrys' speak her name.
"Yo! I see you've got our man. Wait, what? I would never!"
Devi shook her head, offended by Chrys' assumptions. But the battles were over, the war was won. Now all they need to do was return these bandits to the guards so they could do their job, so the pair could get paid. The bear would be left on its own, waking up hours later alone and free. Unless Chrys had other plans? He better not try to eat the bear. Devi would not have that.
Bonus Action: ❰ Duelist ❱!
+20 bonus damage when you attack an enemy in melee. Devi
Free Action: ❰ Area Effect ❱!
Divide your damage between the target and all enemies adjacent to them. Take retaliation damage (if any) from each enemy you damage. Devi
Retaliation Damage: 30 DC: 35 Morale Break. Upon defeating a Boss, one person may attempt a Presence Check of DC 40. On success, any remaining enemies flee!
Bear?
Bear?
❰ 0 / 3 ❱
Retaliation Damage: 20 DC: 30 Lunar Crash. Those without steeled hearts and steel armor tremble against the Moon Bear. Anyone wearing Light or Medium Armor must make a Fortitude Save of DC 30 or take an extra 10 Retal from being thrown by the force of their attacks.
Chrys squinted at @Devi as he nonchalantly approached the bandits' own wagon, where the stout iron cage that kept the albino black bear was loaded, swung the same cage's door wide open, and threw the unconscious Bandit Boss in there. He did the same for the remaining bandits, just chucking them into the cage, before closing it and locking the damned thing the same way the criminals did for the bear: spiked shut with an iron piton.
"Mm-hm. It's not gonna suddenly jump-scare us, is it? I mean, I wouldn't get jump-scared, but I'm concerned for you since, you know, you fought it one on one and such traumatic stuff."
Chrys was lying. Well, he wasn't lying about not getting jump-scared. The last time someone tried to jump-scare him, he instinctively threw a fist and broke her nose. Fortunately for him, it was just an ex. Otherwise, he might've been sued.
What he was lying about, however, was the whole traumatic stuff bit. He knew Devi wouldn't get that easily traumatized. Well, this version of her now anyway. Maybe if she was still the unsure, small girl from before, always quivering in his presence. This version, however, probably even enjoyed the goddamned fight. Things change, and people do as well.
What didn't change was Chrys himself. As he noticed the entrance of the cave, where the camp had been made, his eyes and his ears perked up. Not unlike a pet dog whose owner just mentioned food or had brought out food. Turning to Devi, he feigned ignorance, though his ulterior motives were obvious.
"You gonna check the cave with me?"
What do bandits do with nearby caves? Stash their goddamned stolen shit, of course! Chrys may not be a bandit himself, but he's worked with bandits before, mostly in the real world, so he knew a thing or two about stashing treasure and stolen hoards. He could've just run in there and kept what he could before Devi could follow, but Chrys wasn't that douchey. He'd wait for her to decline his offer instead, so he could take everything for himself. Easy peasy.
Devi took one look at the cave and went nope! in her head. She wasn't afraid of anything, especially not more bandits that could be hiding in that hole, but she'd rather not risk it after taking down that albino black bear. Besides, she was pretty sure there'd be no more bandits in there since none of them came out to help their buddies while the latter idiots were getting bodied by Devi's fiery fists and @Chrys' hard rocks.
"It's sleeping peacefully, man. It'll be unconscious for a while, so you're safe from jump scares. As for the cave... Have at it. I'll keep those bandits company just in case any of them wakes up."
Yeah, none of them was gonna wake up. At least not for a while. Her fists were professionally certified as knockout weapons and Chrys, well, his rocks are hecking hard. You get hit in the head with his rock, as with any rock, with that much force and it's night night, darling, until a few hours later. She was pretty sure that was the case with them.
Shooing Chrys into the cave on his lonesome, Devi then approached the bandits' wagon, specifically the cage that served as their makeshift prison. With a grin, she watched their quarry, all helpless like corpses. Heh. These guys didn't even know what hit them. She then moved her hands from her hips, set one of them aflame, and nonchalantly melted that iron piton into the door. Try escaping from that, boys.
She then began patching herself up back to full health while she waited for Chrys to finish up with that cave. No screams yet, but if he needed her help, which she doubted he would, considering there would no more bandits inside that cave, she'll be ready for another round. Just another day in the life of an fiery fighter!
Shrugging at @Devi's refusal to go with him inside the dark hole, Chrystopheles proceeded on his own inside the aforementioned dark hole, leaving the dark-skinned diva on her own with the unconscious albino black bear and the equally unconscious bandits trapped inside the cage on their own wagon.
It didn't take the God of Rocks that long to gather all the treasure he could find in the bandits' cave. Most of them were divided among several coin purses while the rest were 100 gold coins worth of numerous weapons. There wasn't anything of note, just a bunch of regular stuff that a businessman like Chrystopheles would find easy to account for. Using his mastery of Geomancy, he dumped all of it on a massive crater he created on the ground and moved that crater with all the stuff like a wheelbarrow back outside.
"I'm done. These are all the stuff I found in there. Come, let's share them between us equally before we dump those bandits back at the guards' place. You good to go?"
Chrystopheles announced his return with a yawn before dumping all the treasures he's found on the ground between him and Devi. The thought of just taking everything for himself and feigning not finding anything in there did cross his mind, but Devi did most of the fighting, including soloing a gods-damned bear, so Chrystopheles thought it'd be fairer to divide the spoils equally. Plus, it would gain him some friendship points from the fiery fighter who definitely would be a good ally to have in upcoming battles.
@Chrys didn't have to tell Devi twice. She immediately walked to him, informing him what she had done while he was gone, which was to make sure the bandits were trapped in that cage by melting the iron piton into the door with her pyromancy, and then collaborated with the massive mountain man to equally divide the spoils of the battle between the two of them. Strangely as easily done as it was said.
Once they were ready, however, it was time to go back to the guards. The journey back to Honeyhome was less interesting than before, with Devi even finding herself yawning every now and then. At last, however, they were in front of the baker's daughter's door. Devi gave it a quick three taps to signal they were outside before calling for the people inside.
"Delivery for the town guards! We've got your bandits, fresh and fried!"
Probably not the best callout, considering they were outside a bakery, but the pastries were baked, not fried, so it's all cool. When Jessica opened the door, she gave them both hugs again before ushing them inside, where the rest of the guards were waiting for them, a few of them covered in flour from all the baking. Devi hauled the wagon with the cage containing the bandits inside and left them proudly to the side, showing the guards how it was done while waiting for Chrys to arrange for their payment, all while wearing a huge grin on her face.
Chrystopheles had to give it to @Devi: She was a mighty firecracker. Both in a fight and outside of it. Never in his adventuring career has he met someone like her, someone who took charge in fighting their enemies and delighted in ultimately doing most of the work. She was a far cry from the scared little girl he had met all those weeks, maybe even months ago. Definitely someone he should bring whenever he finds himself in another fight.
When his eyes met that of Captain Burke, Chrys walked closer to him, as the captain of the guards did the same. The massive mountain man offered Burke a hand to shake, which he did, and immediately went to discuss the business before them.
"We've got your bandits for you. Seems like they were an isolated case. No employers, no puppeteers, but perhaps when they wake up, surrounded by your men, they'd be more honest. The job's done then? We'll just take my company's supplies and of course the reward for this extra job."
Captain Burke simply nodded at Chrys, eyeing him and then Devi and finally the unconscious bandits inside a cage. He smirked at the latter side, taking two pouches of gold from his person and surrendering one to Chrys and tossing the other one at Devi. But then, when he turned his attention back to Chrys, his smirk turned into a frown, as he discussed more serious matters with him. "Hopefully you two stick around for a bit longer. Or at least return as soon as possible. I fear Honeyhome has turned sideways. More trouble here than before since the...you know. We could really use some extra helping hands around town, yours and the girl."
Chrys gave Devi a look, signaling for her to come closer to join in the conversation. Just in case she had some things to say.
"Of course, Harrold. You know I'll always have this place's back. You folks helped me when I was starting out, though I believe Ms. Devi should speak for herself on this matter."
The last thing Chrys wanted to do was deprive the strong, independent warrior woman of her right to speak for herself. He would not decline an opportunity to work with her again. Not after the fearlessness she's shown him. But he wasn't sure she would feel the same. After all, she had a mind of her own, and perhaps, more people that wanted to work with her. Better people.
Devi was showcasing the unconscious bandits in their cage to the other guards, highlighting how she melted the steel piton to keep them trapped and even sharing how she managed to defeat the albino black bear from before, when she noticed @Chrys gesturing for her to come closer. She already had an ear open to their conversation, so after a quick wave to excuse herself from the unconscious bandits and the other guards, she nonchalantly walked closer to the geomancer and the guard captain.
"Yeah, I'd be down! Anything you guys need, I'm just a message away!"
There was no need to sugarcoat it, she reckoned. She was a mercenary, an adventurer-for-hire, and while she hadn't yet officially pursued a membership with the Adventurers Guild, she was more than qualified to already be one. It was just a matter of time until that happened. As most things tend to do around her. Wherever the winds take her, Devi would always be ready with her claymore and her fiery fists.
"That's good to know," Captain Burke heaved a sigh of relief. When he turned to them again, he had a quiet smile on his face, as if he had just shared something personal with close friends, or maybe friends he hadn't talked to in a while. That last bit felt appropriate for Devi, considering it had been a while since she was around these parts. "Anyway, we should be able to host you for dinner and food. Talk to Jess. Maybe she has rooms here she can spare. Honeyhome is lucky to be able to count on adventurers like you two."
Devi smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest, turning to Chrys with a sly smile. Was he going to tell him or what? Seemed that Captain Burke forgot they were both there to just get paid, though to be fair, free accommodation and meals wasn't a bad reward. She did feel like getting a good night's rest finally. Maybe Chrys should start the negotiations with the baker's daughter?
Once their payment was given, Chrystopheles simply gave Captain Burke a nod before turning to @Devi and then leading her out of there to go find the baker's daughter. Jessica was a friend, but he wasn't quite sure he liked the idea of staying at her place for free. Chrys thought it might burden the girl some more, considering she was already housing the guards. Sure, they help around the house and the bakery, but Chrys and Devi would not be as helpful. Besides, he could pay for alternate accommodations.
Once they were out of the guards' earshot, he revealed his intentions to his companion:
"Let's find a place elsewhere. I'll pay. Jessica already has many...tenants at the moment. Let's not burden her further."
While he waited for the fiery fighter's reply, Chrys was already thinking about the next step in this partnership. She was formidable but also hotheaded, short-tempered, and basically reckless. She reminded him of someone else prior to the recent events involving the magia. Things change, and people do as well. Perhaps, however, this change could be to his advantage? He does enjoy the idea of having a body guard.
