Odd Jobs

DC: 30/60
Roll: 21+ 16= 37
Tier 1 Success!

---

Although it was a good sign for Rabanstre's recovery, it was unfortunate for you that some odd jobs seemed to be drying up.

You can't be mad that some Lowtown residents who were once hiding in the shadows could return to the light with their heads held high. It was wonderful for them and wonderful for Rabanstre. But it did cut into your coin purse a bit. There was nothing you could do about it, and it was ultimately a good thing, so you shrugged it off and got to work.

You helped someone moving out of Lowtown carry boxes and furniture, you helped an older man with his rooftop garden (You wanted one. You wanted one so bad!) A kid scraped his knee so you helped them get home, which turned out to be at Migelo's Sundries. You wonder what the kid was doing so close to the Garamsythe Waterway. Doesn't he know it's dangerous down there?

The old Bangaa (stout lizardlike folks) thanked you profusely and offered you lunch. He seemed nice. His shop has half converted into an orphanage full of kids, war orphans he told you.

That reminded you too much of the Leaf House back home, and without thinking much of it, you offered to help him out for a day.

For a few hours, it really felt like being back at the Leaf House. You helped some kids with their homework (homeschooled by Migelo mostly), served as a referee during a game of theirs, and sat with them during lunchtime.

Being 'big sis Aerith' for a while felt nice.
[+1 Funds.]
[Met Migelo and his kids.]

---

Look For A Place To Stay (Below Ground)

DC: 30/70
Roll 67+ 16= 83
Tier 2 Success!

---

It felt kind of odd to own a house. It wasn't your mother's house, or an inn, a campsite, some temporary place to lay your head. It was your house.

Well, it wasn't quite a house. Most houses weren't underground with walls carved out of stone, but this one was. The house's previous owner gave you a good deal. With their criminal record wiped away by the princess's pardons, they had no reason to live underground anymore and didn't understand why you wanted to.

Your new place was nestled in the corner of a side street, with a sturdy wooden door separating it from the outside. Instead of glass windows, you had little square holes in the stone with shutters you could open or close.

The most important thing is you had a little chamber with a crack in the ceiling that led to the surface. It was too thin for something to climb through, but it was large enough to let some light in during the day. It wouldn't be enough for anything that preferred full sunlight, but you knew of plenty that preferred the shade. Still, if you wanted your own little garden bustling with life, you would either need to plant it elsewhere or find some kind of grow light.

The little stone house was odd but somehow suited you. You had a bedroom, a bathroom, and a room that you could convert into whatever you wanted. It was smaller than your old house, but more than enough for you to live in alone comfortably.

Well, once you bought some furniture. The previous owner naturally took most of it when they left. Day one you bought a bed, and some chairs, the previous owner was nice enough to leave a table, and a stove was built into the building (with a little chimney so you don't fill the house with smoke.)

Even with all of that, your little stone sanctuary feels a bit cold and lifeless. But that's probably because it's new. You just have to break it in. Pot some houseplants, let it get cluttered, make it feel lived in.

It's a work in progress.

It would never feel like home without your mother.

[-3 Funds]
[Aerith has moved out of the Inn. She will no longer lose 1 Fund each turn]
[Additional actions have been unlocked]

---

Hire Shadow to Spy

DC: None
Roll: 2+ 16= 18
[Auto Pass]
[Good thing you're not the one going...]

---

You find Shadow at the same bar you found him in the first time. Figuring he's not a man for pleasantries, you sit down next to him and skip to the part where you hire him.

"... You really have a job for me?" Shadow's face is hidden, but his tone tells you that he's honestly surprised that you're hiring him.

"Sure do." You slap a big stack of coins in front of him. "You can count it if you want."

He does, and you sit there sipping your drink and letting him confirm your payment. It'd be nice if he trusted you, but you get the sense he doesn't trust easily. Much like Cloud (Or a cat) it was best to slowly ease your way in.

"It's all here." Shadow confirms, putting the money back on the table. "What's the job?"

"You heard about the visitors, right? The envoys that are supposed to be meeting with Princess Ashelia. I want to know who they are. Just, as much information as you can safely get."

"I see." Shadow scooped the Gil up, stood up, and started to walk away. "I'll meet you in a few days."

"Wait, that's it? You don't have any follow-up questions?" You have to ask.

"No. Not really. As long as I get paid."

"Oh."

With your conversation done, Shadow exits the bar.
[To Be Continued in "Crossing Paths"]

---

Ask Alfyn About Plants

DC: 40/80
Roll: 90+ 11= 101
Tier 2 Success!

---

"Where I come from medicine is mass-produced and sold by the bottle. Or, well weaker medicine is at least." You explain to Alfyn, who seems part intrigued and part horrified at your description. "So I never really learned any herbal remedies or how to make my own medicine."

"I'm still hung up on the 'mass-produced' medicine part. How do you keep people from making themselves sick?"

"The bottles are labeled by purpose, telling you what the medicine does and how much to take. That kind of thing."

"That's wild..." You can't help but giggle at the look on Alfyn's face. You never thought you'd see someone who was so entranced by the idea of medicine before. Of course, you were once awestruck at the idea of the sun, so maybe you don't have any room to talk.

"So how do you do it back home?"

"Well, as an apothecary I more or less have to handle every step myself. Diagnose the patient, find plants to turn into medicine, prepare them, and then administer it. Sometimes I get help with a few steps, but in smaller places, there might not be anyone to help except for me. I have to be self-sufficient." Alfyn explained.

"Wow... You're an admirable guy Alfyn."

"Aww shucks..." Alfyn ducked his head to hide his bashful smile.

"Can you teach me how you make medicine? I've always loved flowers and gardening, I had an herb garden at my house too. But I never really considered making medicine out of them."

"Well... There's a lot to teach. I can't make you an Apothecary overnight," Alfyn hedged "but I'm sure I could teach you a few basic tinctures and salves."

"Thank you Alfyn, that's more than enough."

"Alright then, let's get started."

---

You spent the rest of the day with Alfyn, learning about plants and their uses in medicine. He had this huge tome full of pictures and exhaustive descriptions of all kinds of flora. Some you recognized, others were foreign to you.

You had no idea you could make burn salve out of Foxtails, or that herbal teas actually had health benefits.

Despite his easygoing nature, Alfyn was deadly serious when it came to safety and responsibility. It took a week before you got to touch any of his components, and he kept any potentially dangerous ones under lock and key. But he eventually agrees to let you try your hand at making a potion.

It's surprisingly delicate work, but not quite as difficult as you expected. With Alfyn's guidance, you managed to measure out the correct ingredients for a mild painkiller/energy booster and brew it into a usable form.

Alfyn stresses that you are not to start picking up random plants and trying to make medicine with them. It's one thing to brew a potion using ingredients picked by someone with knowledge of herb lore, and another to do it on your own with random plants you picked yourself. Only work with ingredients you know.

You agree.

[Aerith can now home-brew Potions as a Personal Action!]
[Gain 1 Potion]

---

Help Amalia Explore the Garamsythe Waterway

DC: 50
Roll: 21+ 12= 33
Failure…

---

The Garamscythe Waterways reminded you (sadly) of the sewers beneath Don Corneo's mansion. Though thankfully they were cleaner, wider, and populated by smaller, less threatening monsters.

For the most part all you had to do was bat aside some aggressive rats and bats, and the occasional flan. The little beasties were no trouble, and while the flan was a bit tougher thanks to it's gelatenous body, breaking it's guard was easy enough with your spells.

You weren't sure what to think of Amalia as an explorer at first, your first impression of her was running away from a monster after all. But after being with her for a little bit, you learned she was pretty competent in her own right.

She was light on her feet and a deft hand with a blade. Her sword was an utterly generic piece, the kind you saw some of the guards wearing, but it was still well-made and more than sharp enough. She also had a keen sense of directions and a map, although she kept making corrections to it. Apparently, the tunnels changed positions too.

Amalia also let her hood stay down this time, either because she trusted you or because fighting with it on would be too hard.

"If you don't mind me asking Amalia, what are we looking for?"

"An underground passageway. The Garamsythe Waterway is what we call the section beneath the city itself, but the tunnels go further than that."

"You're not trying to break into the palace are you?"

"What?!" Amalia startled, nearly fumbling her sword. "No! Why would you think that?"

"No particular reason, it's just a rumor that I heard. That one passage leads to the palace." You say, casual as can be.

"If there is one, I haven't found it. But no, that's not where I'm going." Amalia recovered. "There used to be a fortress north of Dalmasca called Nalbina."

"It was conquered during the war wasn't it?" You ask, trying to remember your studies. "By the Archadian Empire."

"Yes. It was." Amalia scowled fiercely. "They turned the lower layers into a prison, mostly for political prisoners. After the world… shifted, the fortress vanished. Or perhaps it was buried beneath the sands? My hope is that I can find the passage that connects the Waterway to Nalbina Fortress."

"If the fortress is gone… will the passage still even be there?" You ask tentatively

"... I don't know. But when I think about Dalmascan loyalists trapped in a prison with no warden, potentially trapped underground…" She grimaced and shook her head. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone, let alone my people."

You were so caught up in the conversation that you almost didn't react in time.

Your only warning was a terrible, acrid smell. As if melting plastic, toxic waste, and rotting flesh somehow combined into a single horrific sensation. Amalia was just a moment too slow, as the Malboro squeezed itself out of a side passage and immediately blew a thick cloud of green smoke into her face.

Even as you held your breath a burning sensation spread across your face, starting with your nose and eyes. On reflex, you launched a bolt of magic at the beast, knocking it back a few feet. It seemed more angry than injured, rapidly opening and closing its fang-filled mouth as its tentacles tried to find purchase against the rough-hewn stone.

Before you could attack again, Amalia started to sag, staggering into the left wall. Her sword clattered to the ground, and a moment later she collapsed.

That made your decision pretty easy.

You put your staff onto your back, scooped up Amalia, and started running back towards the waterway's entrance. To your immense relief, the Malboro moves quite slowly.

[But you're worried about Amalia…]
[To be continued in "Crossing Paths"]

---

As I'm sure you can tell, there's more to come. I just didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long. Also, who doesn't love a cliffhanger?

You can't help but pace back and forth, even if you know it's a waste of time. An injured friend always makes you anxious, and even if you haven't known her for a long time, you count Amalia as one of your friends.

After the Malboro attack, you quickly rushed her back to your house. You couldn't discern what her condition truly was. She was breathing fitfully, going long periods of time without moving at all before jerking erratically for a few moments, and trying to shake her awake gently didn't help.

By the time you found Alfyn, you were in a bit of a panic. He immediately dropped what he was doing to check on Amalia. For the last few minutes, he's been crouched by your bed, gently poking and prodding Amalia while consulting his journal.

Finally, Alfyn stands up. "Well?" You demand, a bit sharper than you intended. "Sorry Alfyn..."

"It's fine, you're stressed. But don't worry, everything's gonna be okay." Alfyn soothes. "From what I can tell, that Malboro's a nasty beasty. It somehow managed to poison her, put her to sleep, and make her start hallucinating. I reckon that's why she's tossin' and turnin'. Shouldn't be any permanent damage though."

As he spoke, Alfyn started pulling supplies out of his medical bags. A cup, a mortar and pestle, herbs and roots in little pouches and containers. "If I had some mystery bloom I could make a full remedy right now, as is I'll have to tackle these one by one. Mind if I use your stove?"

You don't mind, and a moment later your kitchen has been converted into an apothecary workshop. Sensing your nervous energy, Alfyn gives you a few minor tasks like getting him some water and crushing some noxroot.

"I'll start with a balm made with noxroot to deal with the poison. Once that has taken effect, I can use some addlewort to take care of the hallucinations, and all that's left is to flush the tranquilizer out or let her sleep it off." Alfyn explains every step as he goes.

"They're not actually called that, are they?" You ask, calming down a little as Alfyn gets to work. "I mean… noxroot to cure poison seems a little on the nose doesn't it?"

"Well, yes and no. They have proper scientific names, the fancy kind. But most apothecaries use descriptive names out in the field. It's simpler that way."

It's only after Alfyn has administered the curative balm and you've fully calmed down that someone knocks at your door. He assures you that he can handle it, and tells you to do what you need to.

When you open the door you're met with the now-familiar black hood of Shadow. You usher him in and shut the door. "Alfyn, this is a friend of mine, his name's Shadow. Shadow, this is Alfyn." You introduce them.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. I'd shake your hand but-" Alfyn wiggles his fingers, covered in a fresh dose of medicine.

"...Hmm." Shadow dismissed Alfyn and turned to you, presenting a few pages of paper. "I did what you asked."

"Oh wow, you made sketches and everything." The sketches weren't colored or anything, but they were highly detailed. Beside each sketch was a name and description.

Shadow made to leave, but you quickly stopped him. "At least stick around long enough for me to ask follow-up questions. I'll be annoyed if I have to track you down because you smudged a letter or something."

The ninja sighed and leaned against a corner. That's one of Cloud's signature moves, so you shrug it off and start reading.

"Kingdom of Padarak: Despite being called a 'Kingdom' Padarak supposedly only consists of a single town. Ruled by the young King Leo and his cabinet, who have come to meet the princess in person. The residents talk about it as a small but charming city protected by a loving king and an army of mercenaries, explorers who are paid and supplied by the king in exchange for their services. They describe the Kingdom as peaceful and idyllic, save for the apparently numerous monsters."

"How do you know what the residents think?" You ask.

"People talk. Especially when they're drunk."

"Fair enough." You turn back to the page.

King Leo is drawn as a short, scrawny-looking kid with a big fur-lined cape and a crown that's a big too big for his head. Beside him is a young woman with glasses, shoulder-length hair, and a frilly dress labeled "Chancellor Chime." On the other side is a short, squat figure who seems to be completely encased in armor labeled…

"Hugh Yurg?" You ask.

"... Yes." Shadow said with a long-suffering sigh. "I have confirmed, that is the Marshal's name."

"Hmm. Well, they seem nice." You conclude, placing Padarak's page to the side and moving on to the next.

"The Church of Yevon. A strange and dogmatic society who's complexities I don't have time to comprehend. The highest of their religious castes seem to be 'Maesters' who command warrior monks and mages known as 'Summoners.' It's unclear if their word is law, or if they are merely highly respected figures. Their envoy is the Maester himself, Seymour"

The sketch for this page is of a man in flowing robes that expose his chest, an ornate staff, and strange hair that was mostly short aside from two long 'tendrils' that framed his back like wings. "Maester Seymour" is his name.

"Anything to add on these guys Shadow?" You prod

"... I don't understand them. A Kingdom or an Empire is simple enough. I don't understand a country ruled by the church."

You nod and turn the page. You don't really get it either. Next is-

"Shinra Electric Company."

"Damn it."

"Pardon?" Alfyn looked up, slightly shocked

"Nothing important." You wave him off. Do you even need to read this one? You lived in Midgar, you know all, or at least most of their tricks Although maybe things have changed?

"The Shinra Electric Company owns an entire city called Midgar and rules it from a position of power. In exchange for money and labor, they offer protection and supplies, much like the classic feudal system. There is no 'Right to rule' involved though, simply money and power. Their current president is Rufus Shinra, after his father's death a few months ago. He sent a man named Heidegger along with a small unit of soldiers as envoys."

The sketch is of Heidegger, a broad-shouldered man in a fancy military coat, surrounded by a mix of normal footmen, SOLDIERs, and an outlier you think may be a Turk. You don't recognize any of them other than Heidegger, but the outfits are unmistakable.

Suddenly you're very grateful you moved underground.

"Hey Shadow, for future reference, the soldiers with the guns are basically security forces. The ones with the blades are SOLDIERs. Much stronger."

Shadow turns, and although his eyes are hidden you get the distinct impression he's giving you a searching look. "Noted."

"Unhand me!" You heard Amalia's voice coming from the bedroom, followed by a meaty *Smack* and Alfyn yelping in pain.

"Amalia it's okay!" You quickly rushed into the bedroom, where Amalia is sitting on your bed with her fist raised in Alfyn's direction. "You're at my house. You got knocked out by the Malboro, remember? Alfyn here helped patch you up."

For a moment nothing happened, and then Amalia quickly lowered her fist looking slightly ashamed. "My apologies, I just didn't recognize…"

"S'okay. May have had something to do with the addlewort too." Alfyn brushed it off. "'Sides, I've had worse."

"Oh, we were so close to the tunnel." Amalia made a very un-ladylike groan of frustration as she got to her feet. "I have to go back out there-"

"Woah, hey. Definitely not. You may be cured, but you're not at 100% yet. And if the thing that did that to you is still there-"

"But I have to! It's urgent and of the utmost importance." Amalia insisted hotly.

"Amalia, may I make a suggestion?" She gave you a curious glance and nodded. "You've been trying to handle this alone, and I know you're tough, but being on your own is dangerous. If you had been alone when the Malboro attacked…" You trailed off. No need to finish the sentence.

"So you're saying I need a party?" Amalia asked.

"Exactly! Rabanstre's full of hunters and tough guys. I know a guy who's willing, though you'd have to pay him first."

"The fee is non-negotiable." Alfyn startled slightly as Shadow suddenly speaks up behind him.

"Go ahead and count me in." Alfyn jumped in. "I'm worried about what you girls would get into without me."

"I… Thank you." Amalia said, somewhat formally. "I really would like this handled as quickly as possible…"

"I'd advise you at least take a day or two to rest, preferably somewhere with clean air. And shouldn't we stock up on supplies and stuff?" Alfyn suggested

"I'm willing to pay for the supplies we need. But like I said I'd prefer that we get this done as soon as possible. And… I don't know anyone else who I'd trust with this mission." Amalia admitted, looking towards you.

It looks like the chance for an adventure is here, but are you ready for it?

Adventure: Barheim Passage

Goal: Explore Barheim Passage
Team: Amalia, Aerith, Alfyn, Shadow, [5th slot empty]

[ ] "Let's go as soon as Amalia is healthy again."
[Adventure will take place in between Turns 2 and 3. The only preparation allowed will be picking the team's 5th member, and shopping for supplies. Amalia will provide 3 Funds to shop for supplies]

[ ] "I'm sorry, but I'm not prepared yet. Please, give me some time."
[Turn 3's Martial action will be locked as "Adventure." Actions can be used to prepare for the journey, such as gathering money, buying equipment, or training. Amalia will provide 3 Funds to shop for supplies]

[ ] "I'm sorry, but I won't be going."
[Aerith will not participate in the Adventure. The others will find success or failure on their own terms]

[ ] "Amalia, you almost died. I don't think any of us should go down there again."
[Aerith advises the others not to go. The adventure will be canceled, at least until that Malboro is dealt with]

---

I'm putting a short delay on this vote while I prepare the Adventuring Rules, which I will be posting sometime tomorrow. To quickly summarize, since turn-by-turn combat tends to slow down quests a lot, most of the player's input will be during preparation. Deciding on who's going, what items to bring, battle strategies and such. I also must get the other Heroes' sheets ready, so you can plan properly.

Adventuring Rules

I have noticed that focusing on Combat is something that can really drag a quest down. Fights done turn by turn can last weeks at a time, and any failed roll can extend the combat by another vote. That's not to say there won't be any Boss Fights later down the line, but for simpler adventures, I'll be using these rules instead. As these rules are a little untested, they may be subject to change.

Starting an Adventure

An Adventure can be started as a Personal Action by the MC or a Hero, with up to 5 total Heroes joining in on the adventure. (Note: If 5 proves to be too many, I may lower this cap later) Every Hero who goes on an adventure will be unable to perform any other Personal Actions for that turn, but will still provide bonuses to Faction Actions they are assigned towards.

This phase is also when the Destination is decided. The Destination is where the adventure will be headed. It's uh... not that complicated.

Just like with Faction Actions, I'll take care to list out the potential rewards for different Destinations, as well as list out some potential risks. Once you've selected the Destination it's time for the Preparation phase.

Preparation

During the Prep phase we need to decide what Supplies to take, and the Strategy for the party.

Supplies is when we decide how much equipment and supplies to take. Obviously, the team can only take so much equipment, and some of it may or may not be useful depending on the trials faced. Items you already own may be pulled from the faction stocks, while others may have to be purchased.

Strategy should be pretty obvious. This is when you'll decide how sparing or aggressive to be with HP, MP, and Items. Should the party Go All Out to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible? Fight Sparingly to preserve MP and Items? Have certain party members focus on specific roles? It's up to you.

Once done with Preparation, we move on to the actual Adventure.

Adventuring

The Questers won't have that much influence over the adventure once it's actually started. The party will move forward and get closer to their destination, denoted by their Progress. As they advance I will roll dice on an Event table for various events to happen. Fights with monsters, traps, discovering treasure, and so on. Some events will deal damage, some events will delay your progress, and if you're lucky you may have good events too.

As the party explores, their HP will drain bit by bit, with the drain increasing from battles and traps. Once their HP gets low enough (as decided by your strategy) they will either use a tent or similar item to rest or retreat.

The vast majority of these events will play out automatically, based on the skills, traits, and abilities of the Heroes you sent on this adventure. Thieves will pick locks, Warriors will leverage their physical strength, Mages will leverage their magical strength, and so on.

That's not to say that the Questers won't get a chance to influence adventures. Some more complicated Events may require your input, and if the Heroes become wounded or find a particularly dangerous opportunity a vote may be called for if the risk is worth it.

Combat

As I said before, Combat is something that can severely weigh down a Quest if it takes too long. As such, normal Combat will be automated and somewhat abstracted. The player's party will fight according to the battle strategy you set up beforehand.

Each combatant will be making opposed Martial checks to attack physically and opposed Magic checks to attack magically. They may also use spells and abilities as described by their Innate and Class Traits.

If the party wins, they will gain EXP and potentially loot based on the enemy they fought. If the party loses, they retreat with injuries. Depending on how severe they were, the adventure may end early. But there's no way that a random rabble can kill a Hero.

There is, of course, one exception to this rule of Combat being automated.

Boss Fights

You know them, you love them, Boss Fights. When the party is fighting a particularly powerful or tricky enemy or group of enemies, one that can't be simply overpowered and has to be engaged strategically, it's time for a boss fight.

Boss Fights are done with turn-based combat. Each Hero in the party who's fighting fit gets to participate, and this time the questers get to choose what everyone does turn by turn. If that proves too slow, I may have it so that each "turn" is 2 rounds of combat, or perhaps do "flash votes" where each vote is called within a day.

I'm going to be sparing with these, they'll only crop up every so often and only against foes that deserve the screen time.

EXP and Leveling Up

Final Fantasy is an RPG series, and of course, leveling up plays a big part in it. But leveling up is much harder to do in a Quest, so I've come up with a bit of a compromise.

The only way to gain EXP is by spending Personal Actions training, certain Martial and Magical actions that involve fighting, and going on Adventures. When a character's EXP fills up, they Level up.

Leveling up does not directly increase a character's stats aside from HP and MP. Instead, upon leveling up a character may gain class traits to represent increased experience. On certain levels, a character may choose to Internalize one of their class traits, turning it into an innate trait they can use regardless of their current class.

Think of it like mastering a skill in the class-based FF games. At first, you may only possess an ability because of your class, but later once you've mastered it, you can use it even when outside of that class.

---

You know, originally I was planning to open the vote right now. But considering the near-unanimous decision, I might as well call it right here

[X] "Let's go as soon as Amalia is healthy again."

With the decision made, you all go your separate ways for the day. According to Alfyn it would only be a few days before Amalia was back in action. But it also only left you with a few short days to plan and prepare.

Better make the most of it.

---

Garamsythe Waterway + Barheim Passage

Journey Length: Short-Medium
Terrain: Underground tunnels
Expected Threats: Rats, Bats, potentially a Malboro for the trip through the Waterway. What lies in Barheim is a mystery.

This reminds you a bit too much of your trip through the sewers back home, although with any luck you won't end up in a Train Graveyard right afterward.

5th Member

First things first, ideally you'd like a bit of extra help with this one. Fortunately, there are two people you know who might be willing to help. Although, you might owe them something for calling on them.

[ ] Freya Crescent: The Dragoon you met while hunting. You know she's strong and would be a big help, but you'll definitely owe her a favor for this.

[ ] Waka: You're pretty sure he mentioned something about being a "guardian" of some kind. You don't know him all that well, but it seems like he'd be willing.

Supplies

Amalia was kind enough to pay Shadow's fee and grant the group some Funds to use for your preparation. Everyone is bringing their own gear. But most of you don't have proper traveling equipment. Luckily, Rabastre seems to sell most of what you need.

Current supplies: 2 Potions. Alfyn's medical pouch. 5 Shuriken.
Funds: 3 (4) (Note: Amalia's Funds will be spent first. If less than 4 Funds are spent, Aerith will keep her remaining Fund)

Costs 1/4 Funds

Potion: Restores 5 HP.
Antidote: Cures Poison.
Eye Drops: Cures Blind
Smelling Salts: Cures Confusion

Costs 1/2 Funds

Shuriken x5: Throwing weapon used by Ninja
Onion Bomb: A hand-held bomb that can be used by Mechanists and Ninja.
Hi-Potion: Restores 10 HP
Phoenix Down: A magical feather that can revive a KOed party member, albeit in critical condition.
Tent: A tent imbued with magic that prevents the user from being attacked by monsters while inside. Although the tent can be reused, the magic is only good for a single use.

Costs 1 Fund

Ether: Specially made magical medicine that restores 5 MP
Remedy: A miracle cure that can heal all status effects

(Note: You can get any combination of supplies, as long as it remains under your budget. If your proposed plan has a fractional cost like 2 1/2 Funds, I will round to the nearest whole. So don't waste it.)

Strategy

The next thing to consider is your strategy. You know roughly where you're going, but in such a big group it will be easier to be noticed, and harder to slip away from monsters. So you'll need to be ready to fight.

You're a mage through and through, though right now you don't have any materia to help you shape it... So all you've got is Ruin.
Alfyn is an Apothecary. He fights with a hatchet, which he mostly uses as a tool, not a weapon. That said his medicine pouch is full of potential potions and poison.
Shadow is a Ninja. You've yet to see him use any magical talents like Yuffie, but the blade on his belt and his quiet movements mark him as quick and deadly.
Amalia fights with a blade and magic, hand in hand. She calls herself a "Red Battlemage" though she did sheepishly explain to you that she only mastered the essentials so far.

(Note: Strategy can be set separately for different members of the party.)

[ ] Go All Out: Attack relentlessly without care for the MP and HP cost. Focus on defeating your enemy as quickly as possible.

[ ] Fight Wisely: Think before you act. Heal when necessary, use special attacks when beneficial, and try to keep your MP high.

[ ] Conserve Supplies: Tighten your belt and try to keep your supplies high. That means not using attack items, and trying to conserve MP unless deemed necessary.

[ ] Focus On Support: Rather than fighting yourself, focus on the others. Protect them, keep their health high, cure their status effects, and so on.

---

I learned my lesson, no more trying to hold the votes back. That said, I hope you'll put a bit of thought into these. I'm almost done with everyone's "Guest Sheets" but I've still got some clean up to do before I post them.

Voting will be open until 12:00 CST Monday the 14th