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Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Virtus Arach - Ch. 1a - Bandit Bashing


Dave ST

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The city of Four Winds was a beautiful place to just simply stroll through on a warm summer's afternoon. Despite having actual business to attend to the pair of mages, Crystal and Ryoma, didn't hurry too much as they made their through a busy marketplace and bustling town proper.

All manner of people were out and about taking care of their business, from traders hawking their wares to children finding what sort of trouble they could get into next, to wives and mothers out shopping to the evenings meal. They were only delayed a few moments by the flocks of 'fans' that gathered about the insanely beautiful songstress and her chick magnet companion.

Once they arrived at the barracks of the city guard they were shown in by a low level watchman and taken to the office Captain Hozen. "Ahh!" The portly man greeted them by standing up with outstretched arms and them lowering them to motion to the chairs in front of him. "Wonderful! The mages from the guild. Sit."

"I am Captain Lideer Hozen," He emphasized the introduction as if the mages should be impressed. In truth maybe they were. At nearly three hundred pounds the large man's breastplate looked more like a metallic sports bra to support his moobs. "I am to assume you've taken the bandit bounty I've offered, yes?"

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Ryoma nods and smiles. "That would be a good assumption, Captain Hozen. We came by to let you know we'd taken the job, and also to discuss exactly how you wanted it done. Is this a job where you want us to bring them back alive, or does that matter so long as they're no longer plaguing the area?"

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She stood to the back and let him lead, doing her best to extract herself from the crowds without being unkind or impolite, but finally they arrived at the barracks, and the met the Captain. When he offered them a pair of chairs to sit in, she moved to one of them and took a seat gracefully, waiting for the Captain to explain the situation and respond to Ryoma's question.

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Captain Hozen wheezed a bit, or maybe it was a laugh, it was hard to tell with men his size. "Bah, either or, I care not." He waved his hand dismissively at Ryoma's inquiry. "I do not concern myself with the details, only the results."

"Well," His tone dropped into something that one could consider 'interest'. "No one told me that Virtus Arach had such gorgeous sorceresses among their numbers. You seem like a woman who appreciates the finer things life. I'm a very influential man you know... we should get to know each other better."

Suddenly... Ryoma felt invisible, or this Hozen guy was just a pompous jerk-off...

Click to reveal..
You have two options guys.

1. Stick around and have a laugh screwing with Hozen and his misguided attempts at seduction.

or

2. Blow outta here before swallows your leg whole like an egg roll.

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Inwardly she sighed, this kind of reaction was sometimes a headache, but they were also quite irritating, and she found his arrogance incredibly annoying. Shayla hovered on her shoulder a moment, and waited for what she knew Crystal was going to say, arrogance had a tendency to get a bad reaction from Crystal.

"Captain, you are mistaken, I have no interest in you, or anything you have to offer, other then purely professional matters. You power or influence have little meaning with me, when taken together with your weight and arrogance. A word of advice.. get over yourself."

With that, she stood up and turned her back on him, speaking as though he no longer was present. "Come, Ryoma, let's see to the matter of these bandits." She ignored the Captain now, as she marched out of the room, leaving Ryoma to smooth things over, or not, as he chose.

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Ryoma sighed. This asn't the first time he'd seen this happen. He looked to Captain Hozen. "We'll handle your bandit problem then. You already know the procedures for payment, good day, Captain."

He turned and followed Crystal out, maintaining his stern visage for a few moments then sighing and giving Crystal a look. "You know he's gonna find a way to short us for that right?" we'll both have to be careful out there."

He smiles. "Still, I'm glad you said something, I didn't want to have to teach him proper manners, That's not pressure we need on the Guild."

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  • 3 weeks later...

She looked over at Ryoma and there was still considerable amount of irritation in her eyes. "I can't stand arrogant pigs like that.. " She sighed. "Sorry, Ryoma, I should have let you go up there alone, I don't imagine he'll tell us anything else we need to know, unless I use the Siren Song on him, which really wouldn't be a good idea either, in the long term."

She turned to look at Ryoma directly. "So, now, what shall we do, ask one of the guards here for more info? Disguise ourselves and go out to try and get the bandits to move on us? Have Shayla use an illusion to try and get more information from the Captain?"

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"Well we know they're attacking the east road. "We can get a cart, and have Shayla use her illusionary powers to create the wares in it. We both go in disguise, perhaps Shayla could make us look a little more plain than we are for awhile. Then when the bandits attack we can take them down."

"I might be able to get information from one of the city watchmen, but I don't know that they know much more than we do."

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She considered that a moment, then she glanced at Shayla on her shoulder, then she smiled. "I've an idea, then we'll go, but it depends on you, Shayla." The little faery smiled at that, and few around Crystal a few times. "What do you need me to do?"

"I want to use your illusions and size to sneak in up there, and see if the Captain has any files on the bandit's, and bring them back to us, or read them and then tell us about if, the you can."

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Guest Shayla

The little fairy swooped off her perch on Crystal's shoulder and fluttered about in front of her musical companion. Crossing her arms she huffed. "Crystal! I'm ashamed you'd even ask me to do such a thing!"

Her finger flailed wildly as she scolded. "I'm not going to commit a crime against the state! H-how could you?! We're supposed to be stopping bandits, not becoming bandits! We're the good guys! Nuh uh, no way! Count me out of your little heist Missy, I'm not going to be part of any of your diabolical schemes! Oh, sure it starts a little breaking an entering but before you know you have a secret lair in a volcano somewhere and your pulling the wings off fairies as you giggle maniacally and start the count down for your death ray!"

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"Your overreacting, Shayla, I'd have had you put it back." She sighed. "And really, if that overfed, arrogant bastard is the state, then I don't care for the state at all." She responded, then she held out her hand to the little fairy. "But fine, I'll do this the hard way then, for your sake. Let's go get a cart, Ryoma"

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Ryoma sighs. "Unless you've got a good sum of money that's not going to work."

He smiles. "I do have an idea that might work."

A walk later, they were at the Merchant's guild, and Ryoma was hiring the both of them on as boddyguards for the next eastward bound run. It was really a win-win scenario. The Merchant's got free bodyguards, The Magi got their transport, and they got paid by the city to take down the bandits. He'd even managed to get them cloaks which made them look more the part of your everyday Caravan help, as opposed the Magi they actually were.

"See, Crystal, sometimes it's easier to just be nice even when you don't want to. We'd have been screwed on this if we'd have pissed the merchants off."

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"The merchants weren't arrogant bastards, who just wanted to get into my pants, or under my dress, so to speak. Of at least, if they do, they are being more subtle about it." She responded, as she looked over the caravan a moment, then back to Ryoma. "So, first, are we getting paid for this as well, and what's the plan? Do we try to keep a low profile, or what?"

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"Not all guys are after that Crystal, just most." He smiles. "We aren't getting paid for this trip no. The city's paying us to hunt bandits. Before you get mad, we aren't paying for the trip back and forth though, which would be substantial. The Merchants agreed to provide food if need be, and a "rental" horse if we are attacked, provided we do ou jobs and protect them so we can go back and report our job finished, in addition to any food and water we need while on this little trip."

"We are keeping a low profile, hence the garments over our regular ones. If the bandits show up we take them down hard, with no damage to the caravan preferrably."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Less than an hour later the small caravan was setting out for it's destination, a small port city about two days down the road. Ryoma was rather shocked at the lack of security the caravan possessed but until recently they really didn't need any, so mercenaries and men-at-arms were not something the local merchants were calling for.

The clear, sunny day made travel easy and they quickly covered ground passing the time with small talk between each other and the small amount of other guards that were in attendance. The constant questions about magic were bearable, but it was soon frustrating answering the same things over and over. Crystal didn't fare any better either. Although some of the men were polite, most were just pigs and they never seemed to cease fawning over her in one way or another. She didn't mind the attention, but an excessive amount grated on her nerves just like it would anyone else.

Soon however the merchant's trail lead into the forests not far from Four Winds. The sunlight was dimmed, but in an enchanting way that beamed yellow trails of glimmering light down through the canopy bathing the travelers in an occasional warmth.

Although everything seemed quiet there was still a long way to go...

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Sense most of them weren't being arrogant and conceited, she had to deal with them differently then she had the Captain. Although, she did lose patience with one of the more arrogant ones, when he made a insulting statement about her looks earning her way as a mage in bed.

She demonstrated to him, and everyone else in the caravan, how he was mistaken, and how one shouldn't insult a mage, when she had the tree grab him and hang him upside down for a hour or so.

"I don't mind the occasional complement, but you best learn to be polite, at least, or next time I'm not going to be as nice." With that said, she moved on.

The fawning though was getting tiring, and finally she asked Shayla to hide her with illusions for a while, so that no one would recognize her.

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When Crystal vanished leaving him alone with the merchants he chuckled. He figured she'd be used to her having men fawn all over her. As they entered the woods, he tensed slightly, looking around trying to keep a ready eye for any bandits.

He nods to the merchants. He spotted Shayla and nodded, his eyes shifting, telling her to watch the blindspot to the right and rear of the caravan.

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Caravan's don't leave their guards behind, so when the caravan was delayed for an hour while Crystal bullied its men earned her a swift and lengthy reprimand from the Caravan Master. It was true that his men had no right harassing her, but that was an issue she should have brought to him. Assaulting them with magic was something he was not keen on permitting. He sounded like Hideki, going off on her about responsible use of magic and how she could use a lesson in how to be polite to people.

It was during this loud reprimand that Ryoma's hardened instincts caught wind of something ominous. With a cry men rushed from the underbrush brandishing curved blades assaulting the caravan heavily from it flanks...

BANDITS!

Click to reveal..
To arms! The party has encountered Bandits (10)

Initiative:

Crystal:6,6 + 4 = 16

Ryoma:1,5 + 6 = 12

Bandits:1,4 + 4 = 9

Crystal you're up first! Ryoma's scouting prevented the group from being automatically surprised.

Note: Review the VA: Creation Outline and General Rules Thread for the information on combat posts before posting your actions.

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Normally he'd have taken his cloak off, but in this instance Ryoma reached beneath and cam out wielding both blades (Aegis in Right hand, Blood Drinker in Left) He smiled wickedly as he raised the swords up, and chanting the incantation for one of his stronger spells, he stabbed Blood Drinker into the ground.

"The Earth thirsts for the forbidden drink, slake her, my blood- Drenched Carpet!"

Click to reveal..
Ryoma draws his swords activates Blood Drenched Carpet using Blood Drinker. He is only targeting the bandits and this attack affects all of them within fifteen meters of him.

Attack roll 2d6+9 5,3+10=17

(22:37:21) ChatBot: (Ryoma) rolls 2d6 and gets 5,3.

Defense 1 2d6+10 4,3+10=17

(23:11:25) ChatBot: (Ryoma) rolls 2d6 and gets 4,3.

he is at

95 hp

72 ep

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Having done the vanishing trick after the Caravan Captain reprimanded her, something she had sat though in order to keep the peace, but didn't really listen to all that much. Once he was done, she had simply done the vanishing trick, at which point no one could mess with her for a while.

Moving to support Ryoma, she moved behind him, asked her companion to drop the illusion, and spoke up.. "Well, down to business" Even as she spoke, she began to sing, and as her glorious voice passed over the bandits, the very plants around them began to reach out, grass and trees attempting to grasp and hamper them.

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  • 4 weeks later...

An enchanted mist roiled up from where Ryoma stood, Blood Drinker pressed firmly into the earth. The small war waged around them as the guardsmen fought off the brigands with everything they had, making them pay for every foot of ground they claimed closer to the caravan.

Then, at the feet of each bandit, save for a few, a bubbling darkness that seemed obscured by the mists about their ankles gave them a dire portent that magic was here, and Fate was against them. In a flash the darkened blade of Blood Drinker shot up through the Earth having grown massive through the transfusion of Ryoma's magical energy. The blade sheared clean through each bandit it came in contact with cleaving them in two straight up their center with a eerie 'shing' sound like metal sliding through stone.

After a moment the blades all sank back into the earth as the mists cleared.

Soon the foliage began to enclose upon the area and the two remaining bandits saw no need in dying senselessly at the hands of a powerful mage. They turned tail and bolted back off into the wilds of the forest.

Click to reveal..
The Bandits are fleeing, you've won. You may chase them down, or go collect you reward...
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Ryoman nods. He looks to the caravan leader. "I can pursue them, and finish them off, but I don't believe it will be nescessary. We can continue as you like."

He began collecting "proof" that the mission was complete.

He looked For Crystal and when he found her, "That was far simpler than i thought it would be."

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Crystal considered the matter as the two bandit's ran away, and then she swirled her staff in the air, as beautiful music filled the air, and she called to the forest and trees as the remaining two bandit's entered it, asking them to capture the bandit's, to wrap them in vines and tree branches. Of course, they might be fast enough to escape the range of her song, but she wasn't sure of that.

"Actually, yes, it was, if they can get away from that, I imagine they will look at other job's then bandits."

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  • 1 month later...

"Well," The Caravan Master spoke softly. "They must not have expected to encounter mages. They were organized though. They must have a leader or a camp somewhere close by."

He looked around at the horror wrought by Ryoma's sword technique. The blood and the vicera were enough to begin making his men sick. "W-we should press on. We should be fine on our own from here on out, if you'd like to search for their camp and..." he looked about at the gore once more. "Uh, we should be going."

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Ryoma nodded. "Crystal go with them, see it through, I'll hunt down the stragglers, and search for the Leader."

He looks at the Caravan master. "I cannot hunt them and remain with you, so I will Go alone. Crystal should be more than sufficient to handle any stragglers. You can pick me up on the way back if I do not catch up in time."

He looked to Crystal "I'm trusting you to keep these people safe, I'll catch up when i can."

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  • 3 weeks later...

She looked over Ryoma a moment, not liking the sound of them splitting up, but then she nodded. "I don't like us splitting up, makes it harder to watch my partner's back in that situation. But very well, but if you get hurt, because I wasn't there, I am going to be very unhappy with you, Ryoma." She then turned to the Caravan Master. "Alright, lets go keep going."

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