A Reality of a Different Color

[x] Stay and help Kaius and the others fight the monsters. Maybe you'll learn something.
- [x] Let the big guns take the big 'uns. Attack the weakest monster.

There's no way you're going to miss out on your first combat opportunity! Not that you're going to be much help, probably, but you can let Kaius do the heavy lifting and try to get some experience (and experience) by picking off the weakest of the lot. The fleeing player and their entourage are rapidly getting close enough for their information show up in your HUD, and the three players at the other table have noticed the fight and are hurrying over towards you and Kaius.



Based on the enemy EP circles that popped up, the lowest-level of them, the Shade, already took some damage from when the… the green Martialist, you're not going to call her The Boulder, was fighting it. You'd already decided to focus on the weakest monster, so you target it as you back away a few steps from the picnic bench, keeping it between you and the fight.

"Orange and Green are strong against each other," Kaius calls over to the other three, moving a hand in what looks like some kind of arcane gesture, but you realize after a moment must be him using the MRD interface. It looks much less stupid than you were afraid it would.

"What about matching colors?" That was - you're not going to call him Shadowninja either, but Shadow is okay, you guess? That was Shadow, from the group of other level ones.

"Let's do this, Leafy!" Jade, the other Spiritualist, points dramatically at the fiery Elemental. "Ground it!"

You experience a small amount of second-hand embarrassment (and although you wouldn't admit it, envy) over the teenage girl's enthusiasm - but not for long, because the battle is already getting underway. Jade's companion - a leonine creature with rocks for a mane - is running towards the fire Elemental. A bolt of orange lightning crackles down from the sky, hitting the Canoid as it leaps for the green Martialist and knocking it to the ground.

The Canoid is over ten levels higher than you, you realize. The introduction said that anything with a relative level more than ten won't attack you unless you attack it first, so you can probably safely ignore it. One less thing to worry about. Which is good, because right now you're trying to figure out how to attack at all.

You already have the Shade selected, so you glance down at your Abilities. You have Attack, Flare, and Swap. Flare isn't useful unless Nebula is near the monsters, since it's an AoE. Swap, no way that'll be useful with the sprite still right next to you, either. So you tap Attack and hope for the best.

Nebula darts forward a few feet, trailing sparkles, then points its tiny hands at the Shade, shooting a beam of violet light at it. The light beam disappears into the formless shadowy cloud - which immediatelychanges direction towards Nebula and shoots out several tendrils of inky… whatever it is. Nebula dodges, but one of them catches it in the leg and your sprite cries out in a discordant chime.

The Elemental is currently being punched by Shadow - you are impressed by the guts it takes to hit a glowing ball of fire with your hands, even a virtual one. Kaius is leading the Canoid to the side, which is considerate of him, considering how many of you are total newbies, and Green Martialist is doing something that involves being covered in glowing white plates.


What next?

[] Let Nebula do its own thing; maybe the sprite will keep fighting the Shade its own.
[] Make Nebula attack the Shade again. It's almost down, no reason to take chances.
[] Let the shade get within range of Nebula and use Flare.
[] Try to figure out how to make Nebula use Mirage instead of Shine.
[] Write-in

QM note: Combat is not turn-based, but things do take time. A multi-step write-in strategy may not survive the encounter with the enemy, so to speak.