Oh, definitely--that's what I'm counting on the tent for. My line of decision-making is going "okay, so should we chance ourselves another safe opportunity to rest and recuperate at the town, or not? If we do, then we probably won't need the extra tent."
For the record: I'm assuming camping without one is possible, we would just get more rest with a tent than without. Which is probably going to be important when we're going into a sandstorm!
Speaking of... Uh, now that you mention it, I think I've been operating with the assumption we're going to go to the seaside town first no matter what. If we're going to walk into the sandstorm first... Maybe it'd actually be better to stock up on potions to just push through?
Edit: On a completely unrelated note, I made a SNES FF-style sprite for Alfyn. Pardon the quality, the image uploaders I've found didn't seem to like keeping pixel art crisp, much to my consternation.
I'm thinking we pack along at least 1 Tent and 1 Ether. The other 1/2 fund can be either another Tent or a Phoenix Down, and that would leave us for 1 Fund if we want to either bring along Shadow or save for the future.
If the seaside town is friendly/neutral, I'd be more confident with only getting 1 Tent since we can probably rest there, but that's relying on an "if."
I agree with the tents. The trip will take at minimum 4 days. Being able to sleep without fear of monsters attacking in the middle of night sounds very important. We could use the tent one day, and rotate night shifts to avoid ambushs the next.
My personal gut instinct for expected enemies (abit, with significantly more chance to avoid them and generally less fighting.) is scorpions, snakes, birds, couple of things that can burrow, and a very rare chance of cactaurs.
Gut instinct is to grab everyone save shadow, do both locations, and grab 2x potions, 2x antidotes(I'm expecting basically a decent mix of poison and flat damage from hard to hit enemies, with a small chance of instant death by 1000 needles. [not a proper insta-kill]).
[x] Desert Field Trip
-[x] Goal: Do Both
-[x] Characters: Alfyn, Freya, Basch, Wakka, if Wakka doesn't wanna come along for whatever reason hire Shadow.
-[x] Additional Supplies to grab: 2x potions, 2x antidotes, 2x tents(2x funds total)
-[x] Strategy: Fight Wisely
Vague idea is just Alfyn can identify plants we find so we can use them as supplies on the way, Freya and Basch both wanted to come along for one of the trips, and Wakka/Shadow should be able to help deal ranged damage if we run into things that need it. And my reason for not grabbing an ether right now is I'd be surprised if we don't recover all MP after using a tent and getting some proper rest.
the stingy person in me thinks it's a bit awkward to buy multiple magic tents, since for the purposes of resting we'd only really need the one right? of course bringing two means we get to enhance resting twice, but it'd wouldn't get full utility since we wouldn't need a second mundane tent? so if there's something else that's pretty high priority i'd be happy with that insteadt
I probably should have specified which order you'd be going in if you decided to do both sidequests, or left it up to a vote. To go along with Magewrym's assumptions, let's say Seaside Town first, and Sandstorm second.
The purpose of the consumable Tents is to allow you to rest for the night without worrying about monster ambushes or weather. You can rest without one, but everyone will recover less since you need a night watch, and there's a chance of ambushes without the magic of the tent keeping monsters at bay.
The location Freya is looking for, Cleyra, would make a good place to rest, but there's no guarantee it is what waits for you in the sandstorm.
Since someone brought up the terror of Cactuars... I'd probably make 1000 Needles do something like 10 damage. That might not seem like a lot, but keep in mind that would be enough to instantly kill any member of the party who isn't named Freya or Alfyn.
On a completely unrelated note, I made a SNES FF-style sprite for Alfyn. Pardon the quality, the image uploaders I've found didn't seem to like keeping pixel art crisp, much to my consternation.
one consideration's that if we do X sidequest first, even if we fail before finishing the other we'd still have one of the sidequests completed?
the stingy person in me thinks it's a bit awkward to buy multiple magic tents, since for the purposes of resting we'd only really need the one right? of course bringing two means we get to enhance resting twice, but it'd wouldn't get full utility since we wouldn't need a second mundane tent? so if there's something else that's pretty high priority i'd be happy with that insteadt
I'm not completely sure how days will work here, but i would like to have at least 2 tents since how long the trip will be is not set in stone. The first adventure took less than 1 day to complete, these 2 together will take 4 at minimum. From the description of the tent, it seems we are at risk of monster attack without them.
the stingy person in me thinks it's a bit awkward to buy multiple magic tents, since for the purposes of resting we'd only really need the one right? of course bringing two means we get to enhance resting twice, but it'd wouldn't get full utility since we wouldn't need a second mundane tent? so if there's something else that's pretty high priority i'd be happy with that insteadt
I think for one of the shorter trips one tent is fine, but this is a 4-6 day long trip I'm making a plan for and would like the option of multiple good rests throughout it.
I've been busy so I haven't done all of the bookkeeping quite yet, but I've added Basch's character sheet to the other heroes as a "Guest" I've added Alfyn's to the Heroes tab (and applied his Opinion buff) and I was made aware of a new way to handle spell lists using the Tabs option, so I've put that in place on Aerith's sheet. Wakka's isn't quite done yet. I also have a tentative version of the new combat rules, which I'll be using as a bit of an experiment this adventure.
New Adventure Combat Rules
As much fun as I had with the adventure's Combat last time, it was a bit more intensive than I expected it to be. So, as a bit of an experiment to try and make everything easier on me, I've come up with a different set of rules that will hopefully make things move a bit quicker and smoother.
Rather than having the enemies and heroes make contested rolls, the only one who rolls will be the heroes. Instead of rolling to counterattack, the enemies will have attacks tied to DCs. The higher the heroes roll, the less threatening of an attack the enemy can deal back to them. As an example, a Lightning Elemental might have the DCs 30 [Thundara] 60 [Thunder], and 90 [Attack] as such, everyone attacking the Lightning Elemental who rolls below a 30 would be hit by Thundara in turn, everyone who rolled between 30 and 59 would take a Thunder, and so on.
Every ability or spell that affects defense or evasion will be applied as normal, either by increasing the hero's roll or reducing the enemy's DC
Furthermore, while bosses, minibosses, and other "Elite" encounters will have an HP stat as expected from such a monster, lesser monster swarms won't have an HP stat. They'll be guaranteed to be struck down in one round, the only question is how much damage the party takes in the process.
I understand this might be a bit less dramatic or interesting, but it's easier for me, and I don't think anyone really expects a random encounter to end the party's journey. Unless of course, the party has been worn down through attrition along the way.
if it works for you it works for the quest, my concern just being how enemies only dealing damage in response to heroes attacking might function. does that mean if everyone mobs one enemy they all get hurt, and that heroes not attacking are totally safe? might be a bit unbalanced if so
if it works for you it works for the quest, my concern just being how enemies only dealing damage in response to heroes attacking might function. does that mean if everyone mobs one enemy they all get hurt, and that heroes not attacking are totally safe? might be a bit unbalanced if so
Well, that's why it's "tentative." I'm sure as I use it there will be bugs I have to work out, or edge cases I didn't think of I have some come up with a solution for. If it gets particularly out of hand I may have to come up with something else. To answer these questions though…
For the "everyone moving one enemy" question, I would imagine it depends on the enemy in question. Behemoths and Dragons can fight an entire party at the same time. Lesser foes might only be able to attack one or two a turn, and the rest go uncontested.
Not attacking might reduce your aggro, at least against monsters that cant strategize. But it doesn't necessarily mean you're safe. You may still have to roll to see if you evade attacks aimed your way.
I was thinking of making a plan to hire Shadow instead cause if we hand out with him enough he will (probably) warm up to us but we aren't in any rush.
Ack! Forgot to check back in and write in the ether plan... Though uh, that reminds me, what's the chocobo-renting cost, and what benefits will renting give?
Ack! Forgot to check back in and write in the ether plan... Though uh, that reminds me, what's the chocobo-renting cost, and what benefits will renting give?
-head in hands- I... forgot. Again. That Chocobo are supposed to be a thing. Please forgive me, I haven't been in top form the last couple of days.
Riding a Chocobo will increase the party's movement speed by 50%, allowing them to reach their destination faster. Lesser monsters can be automatically ignored, though miniboss, elite, and boss monsters can't be ignored. Chocobo can instantly clear some obstructions or skill checks (there's no way a Chocobo can't jump a small gap, climb a hill, or cross a shallow river) and improve the party's chance to escape if a fight gets dicey. However, for every day past the first your party uses Chocobos, they must have Gyshal Greens on hand to feed them, or else they'll run home.
it's 1/2 Funds to Rent initially rent a few Chocobo for a day, and then 1/4th for each additional day. So in total it costs 1 Fund to have them on hand for 3 days. I'll add them to the adventure prep as "Rent a Chocobo" and "Gyshal Green" respectively.
seems handy, but clearing the adventure faster probably won't give us time to do bonus stuff and fighting lesser enemies is probably desirable since it means more exp, so if it's not needed to avoid attrition enough (presumably so, since avoiding it means we can do other stuff) we could probably skip it fine this adventure
At any rate, in that case it seems like chocobos are a little too costly for adventuring right now. Maybe next time, or when we're more secure with funds.
... Or if we can ask them to pull a Chocobo's Crystal Tower for us? /joking
[x] Don't Leave Us Dry
-[x] Do Both
-[x] Ask Alfyn, Freya, Basch, and Wakka's help
-[x] Purchase 2 Tents(1/2 Funds), and 1 Ether (1 Fund) (Total 2)
-[x] Battle Tactics
--[x] Aerith, Wakka: Fight Wisely
--[x] Freya, Basch: Go All Out
--[x] Alfyn: Focus On Support
As a suggestion for the potential future: Maybe instead of Persona-style party commands, it would make more sense for battle tactics to be formations from the SaGa games? Designate a frontline/midline/backline, state which line(s) is/are most likely to be attacked, and what traits being in the different lines will give you.
As a suggestion for the potential future: Maybe instead of Persona-style party commands, it would make more sense for battle tactics to be formations from the SaGa games? Designate a frontline/midline/backline, state which line(s) is/are most likely to be attacked, and what traits being in the different lines will give you.
That is a very good idea but I'm torn. I do like the idea of letting people vote on and form strategies and formations. But I don't want to bog the quest down or make people get their calculators out every time a vote comes along. I worry that too many numbers, bonuses, and modifiers will lead to the quest getting lost in the weeds. I'll have to workshop it a bit, but I'm definitely taking this suggestion into consideration.
I know the vote isn't over yet, but with less than an hour left to go I think it's safe to call it. I'm looking forward to this adventure for sure. I have some events that you're going to love. Or hate. One of the two.
Scheduled vote count started by griffinlw on Nov 24, 2024 at 12:26 AM, finished with 24 posts and 4 votes.
[x] Desert Field Trip
-[x] Goal: Do Both
-[x] Characters: Alfyn, Freya, Basch, Wakka, if Wakka doesn't wanna come along for whatever reason hire Shadow.
-[x] Additional Supplies to grab: 2x potions, 2x antidotes, 2x tents(2x funds total)
-[x] Strategy: Fight Wisely
[x] Don't Leave Us Dry
-[x] Do Both
-[x] Ask Alfyn, Freya, Basch, and Wakka's help
-[x] Purchase 2 Tents(1/2 Funds), and 1 Ether (1 Fund) (Total 2)
-[x] Battle Tactics
--[x] Aerith, Wakka: Fight Wisely
--[x] Freya, Basch: Go All Out
--[x] Alfyn: Focus On Support
Potion [x4]
Antidote [x4]
Smelling Salt [x2]
Phoenix Down [x1]
Ether: [x1]
Tent [x2] [MagewyrmMira spent 5 QP to give the party 5 points of Luck] "Wakka, this is Freya, Alfyn, and Basch." You introduce, pointing out each person in turn. "Everyone, this is Wakka."
"Hey." Wakka greeted, grinning widely.
"I will not complain about extra hands but…" Freya frowned as she gave Wakka a critical look, seemingly unimpressed by his 'weapon' of choice. "Why are you coming exactly?"
"A lotta places went missing after the… thing." He vaguely opened his arms as if to encompass the entire situation.
"I've started calling it the Upheaval personally." You chime in.
"Good name for it. Anyway, my home island went missing. Not the people on it, or the village, the entire island! But I did some thinking while I was stuck here. This has always been a desert town, ya? And even after the Upheaval, it's still a desert town. Besaid was next to the ocean, so it should still be next to the ocean now, ya?" Wakka reasoned
"So when I hear there's a town next to the sea up north, I have to see if it's Besaid." Freya didn't seem completely convinced, but her expression did soften considerably. She was looking for her own familiar settlement afterall.
Basch quietly took you aside. "This assignment was supposed to be a secret, was it not?"
"… Was it?" You ask honestly. Ashe didn't say anything about it being a secret right?
"I thought it was implied. After all, you would be traveling with a disgraced knight and former prisoner."
"Oh, right. That." You suppose that's true, especially considering the Dalmascans have been a bit on edge lately because of him. "Well, the rest of us already know you're a good guy, and Wakka's an outsider so he doesn't know. Once we're out on the road does it really matter?"
Basch raised his eyebrow, giving you a skeptical look "Does my status as a former prisoner not bother you?"
"Well…" All the original members of AVALANCHE were terrorists who Shinra imprisoned temporarily, Nanaki was captured for science just like you, you don't know if Yuffie was ever really imprisoned but considering her actions they probably would have if they could. So…
"No, not really. I think most of my friends have been in jail at least once." You reply flippantly.
Basch looked slightly concerned. Before he could say anything, Alfyn caught his attention and quickly started divvying out supplies.
A few minutes later, you were all ready to set out.
Day 1
Smooth Passage
The desert wasn't nearly as bad to traverse as you initially thought it would be, partly due to the Ice Magicite in your pocket, partly due to Alfyn's cooling presence, and partly because at Basch's suggestion, you traveled along the bank of the Nebra River.
It was still quite hot, but it was nowhere near as bad as you expected. In terms of monsters, it was downright peaceful compared to your jaunt through the Waterway. There were a few wolves, fat round birds called cockatrices, and squat little cactus monsters Basch identified as 'cactoids'
You weren't sure if they were related to 'cactaurs' or not but they seemed quite a bit less dangerous than them. Most of them saw your party of 5 and quickly scattered, or cautiously observed from a distance.
Nothing attacked your party, and after the first hour passed everyone relaxed a little. You were making good time, and nothing had jumped out at you
[The party makes excellent progress]
[HP loss from the heat is prevented by the Ice Magicite and Alfyn]
Treasure On The Banks
"Hey, I see something!" Wakka called out, pointing out what looked like a wreck beside the river.
"Do people use boats down this river?" You ask Basch.
"They used to. Nomads and traders would stop at villages along the bank of the river. After the Upheaval, many of them went missing."
You got closer to investigate the beached boat, a small vessel that probably would have been able to hold a few people at most. Large parts of it had been broken off, and the edges were jagged like they had been ripped apart violently. Some of the edges looked like they had been… chewed on.
"I couldn't find any tracks. Whoever's ship this was, it's been abandoned for a long time." Freya reported.
"Tracks don't last long in the desert, there's no way to know how long this has been here." Basch considered for a moment before adding. "We should check the ship for anything useful and leave the rest."
"Are you sure? What if someone comes back for it?" Alfyn asked
"There's no point. It would be simpler to build a new boat rather than reclaim this one. Besides, I would rather we use anything we can find than let it be lost to the sands."
Unable to argue with that, you quickly search the beached boat for any supplies. Most of what was inside was ruined, but you managed to find an unopened box with a Phoenix Down inside.
"Hmm~" Alfyn hummed to himself as he carefully cut a few herbs along the river bank. While the desert was still pretty barren, even next to the river, there was more than enough for him to be excited by.
"I've never seen these before," Alfyn admitted cheerfully, holding up a stalk with several 3 pronged leaves on it. "But it seems pretty common around here."
"I believe that's an echo herb," Basch said.
"Huh, where'd the name come from?"
"They're commonly used in medicine to prevent silencing or sealing of magic, though they can also be used raw. I don't understand how exactly, but I'm sure an apothecary back in Rabanstre could tell you."
"Well, that settles it!" Alfyn took out a few empty bottles and began picking up sprigs of echo herbs. "I'll grab a few just in case. Won't use 'em in mixtures yet obviously, I'll have to test them first. But preventing the sealing of magic sounds good."
You all mill around and rest for a while while Alfyn picks his herbs, but eventually, Freya gets impatient, drags him to his feet, and insists you keep going.
[Echo Herbs x1]
[Alfyn Obtains Echo Herb Alchemy Sample]
[HP loss from the heat is prevented by the Ice Magicite and Alfyn]
Entering: The Shattered Lands
By this point, you were starting to get a bit antsy. It felt like things were going too smoothly and you were waiting for the other shoe to drop. So far it hasn't though.
You found a shallow part of the river the party could cross without resorting to drastic measures, and crossed to the other side.
The sun was starting to dip in the sky, but rather than slow down or stop, it actually encouraged you to keep going. The desert would rapidly cool as the sun set, meaning the evening was one of the best times to travel.
An ambush never seemed to manifest, but something else happened to put you on edge.
The Eastersands ended. Not with a smooth transition, but with a rough and sudden shift from sandy desert to savanna/grassland. It was like someone had forcefully slammed together two puzzle pieces that didn't fit together.
It was unsettling, to say the least, and only became more so as you looked ahead and saw the environment change again a mere half mile ahead. It reminded you of your first trek toward Dalmasca, loopy with exhaustion as you pushed through the odd patchwork the world had become.
"So the cartographers weren't exaggerating. The Eastersands should continue for several miles, before eventually leading towards the Highwaste. This is… different." Basch frowned, looking at the rough map he brought. "According to the map, the terrain will change several times before we get close to the town by the sea, then it should stabilize into a lush forest."
"Stabilize? So the areas around cities and towns are stable, but the wilderness isn't?" You guess.
"It's impossible to know for sure, but the region around Rabanastre is unchanged for several miles. From the sound of things the same holds true for Midgar, Padarak, and Bevelle. It seems likely that the regions around large settlements are mostly unchanged, but it may be a coincidence." Basch pondered out loud.
"At the very least it lends credence to my theory that Cleyra will still be hidden by a sandstorm." Freya reasoned, briefly looking to the horizon.
"Don't worry, we'll look for it on the way back." You reminded her.
"I know. I am simply… impatient."
[The party makes excellent progress]
[Leaving Dalmasca Eastersands and entering the Fractured Lands]
[Traveling Takes its Toll. Everyone loses 1 HP]
Ambush!
The only warning you got was a violently loud screech.
A massive black feathered bird seemed to descend from nowhere, its dark coloration making it hard to spot in the encroaching gloom. Everyone drew their weapons as soon as they heard the screech, but no one was ready for the creature to crash down next to Alfyn and Basch.
Basch was knocked back by an errant kick of the bird's talons but quickly recovered. Alfyn cried out as one of its large claws tore into his shoulder. "Why is it always me?"
The bird hovered mere feet above the ground, beady eyes full of malice as it prepared to strike again.
(DCs increased by 20 in the surprise round)
Zu: 2 Attacks Per Round. Targeting Basch & Alfyn
Claws DC: 70. Attack DC: 100
Basch tries to Evade!
D100= 45+ 30 = 75. Takes 3 damage from Attack
Alfyn tries to Evade!
D100= 15+ 21= 36 Takes 5 damage from Claws
Zu is Charging Sonic Boom!
Evade DC: 10+20 (Flying)= 30.
Sonic Boom: Auto Hit (Always goes last)
Basch Attacks Zu with a Debilitating Strike (Wither)
D100= 32+30= 62. Zu takes 5 damage and is afflicted by Wither!
Freya Jumps into the air!
Alfyn uses a Potion on Himself! Alfyn recovers 5 HP!
Aerith spends 1 MP to cast Blizzard on the Zu!
D100= 3 (Critical Failure!) Miss!
Wakka spends 2 MP to use Dark Attack on the Zu!
D100= 71 +23= 94. Zu takes 4 Damage!
D2= 1. Zu resists being Blinded!
Freya Crashes back down!
D100= 11+ 27= 38: Zu takes 6 damage!
Zu unleashes Sonic Boom! All allies take 4 damage!
"That's a Zu!" Freya identified. A moment later she threw herself into the air to get a better angle at her prey. The Zu raised its eyes to watch her sail through the air and seemed to consider trying to follow her.
Basch wasted no time in bringing his greatsword down on the Zu's clawed feet, slashing with the intent to shred the muscles and tendons. Behind him, Alfyn was taking the opportunity quickly down a potion.
Rather than attack the knight ravaging its feet, the monstrous bird landed and opened its wings. Your ears popped as the air pressure changed rapidly and a glow gathered on its wings. Was it charging something?
Ice rose to your fingertips as you called on the Magicite and hurled a spell in the bird's direction. To your dismay, the change in air pressure sent your spell ever so slightly to the side, but just enough to miss and fly into the distance.
Wakka had no such issues, clasping the Blitzball between his hands and shrouding it in a black mist before he hurled the sphere at the Zu's head. With a resounding Thwack! The ball scored a direct hit and flew back into Wakka's waiting arms. "I couldn't blind it!"
A spear lodged itself into the Zu's back as Freya came back down from her earlier jump, doing everything she could to spear the Zu through the spine, but her angle as off and rather than hitting bone she became stuck in the muscle
The Zu roared and flapped its wings, releasing the energy it stored.
A colossal burst of air briefly made you go weightless before you slammed into the ground so hard it knocked the air from your lungs. Nevertheless, you managed to stagger back to your feet, and so did your friends.
Freya & Zu Attack each Other!
D100= 16+ 27= 43
Freya deals 4 damage to Zu!
Zu deals 3 damage to Freya!
Aerith spends 1 MP to cast Blizzard! Zu Attacks Aerith!
D100= 81+ 29= 100
Zu misses! Blizzard inflicts 4 points of damage!
Zu is slain!
Freya is the first to rise, and doesn't hesitate for a moment to throw herself back at the bird and stab it through the wing, eliciting a massive screech of pain. The Zu lands heavily on the ground, and furiously flaps its wings, finally managing to dislodge Freya's spear from the wound and send her sprawling.
You can feel your limit break bubbling to the surface, but before you can use it the Zu's beady eyes landed on you and it quickly charged forward. On instinct, you call another blizzard to your hand, but this time, you don't miss. A tiny shard of ice flew into the bird's open beak and disappeared down its throat.
Once the battle is over, the adrenaline quickly leaves your system, the limit break slips away, and your entire body aches from where the gust of air hits you.
Not that anyone else looks better. Freya is rolling her shoulder from where she hit the ground, Alfyn's bandages are covered in sand, Wakka is hunched over with his hands resting on his knees. Even Basch winces as he puts his sword back in its sheathe.
"I think we're done for the day. Let's set up the tent." You announce.
Not a single person complained.
Camping (Consumed 1 Tent)
The tent is pitched in the middle of what feels like a wasteland. Not quite a desert, the ground is made of barren rock and stone instead of sand, but just as lifeless.
Not the most pleasant place to set up camp, but it could have been worse. And with the enchanted tent, there would be no worries about monsters attacking in the night. So you could put all your energy towards healing your wounds and resting.
"It may not feel like it, but we've made excellent progress today," Basch said looking at the map. "It's hard to measure distance on this map, but we should be more than halfway there."
"I don't mind camping, but it'll be real nice to be in town again soon," Alfyn said absently, not removing his gaze from the mortar and pestle.
Freya and Wakka seem pensive. After a bit, you worked up the energy to ask what was wrong.
"When I look at the land all I can do is wonder what happened," Freya replied, looking past your campsite to one of the jagged edges, where the wasteland you camp on suddenly changes to a field of snow. "What could have done something like this?"
"I know what you mean. It's like the entire planet is… a kaleidoscope or broken glass." You can't even begin to try and contact the planet here. Your connection is fractured. As for what did this… 'Chaos' is the answer that comes to your mind. But how do you explain it? You've never seen it aside from a vision, and don't know anything about it other than the planet seeing it as a threat.
You were about to try anyway when Wakka cut you off.
"Sin," Wakka suggested wholeheartedly
"Sin?"
"Sin is the biggest, baddest monster to ever exist. It's the only thing I can think of powerful enough to do something like this, and cruel enough to carry it out."
Wakka proceeded to spend the rest of the night telling you stories about Sin and Yevon. You tried to listen. You really did! But you were really, really sleepy…
[Rest restored 60% of HP and 20% of MP]
[Alfyn brewed a Potion using ingredients he found along the way]
[No chance of an ambush due to tent]
Potion [x4]
Antidote [x4]
Smelling Salt [x2]
Phoenix Down [x2]
Ether: [x1]
Tent [x1]
Pleasant Breeze
When you set off in the morning, it was with a warm wind at your back and a spring in your step.
It helped that as soon as you crossed the border of the wasteland, you crossed a lovely meadow of long grass and wildflowers.
No monsters attacked, nothing got in your way or slowed you down, it was just… nice.
You nearly cried when you stepped over the next 'edge' and found yourself in desert sands again.
[The party makes excellent progress]
[Delays HP loss from travel]
Battle (Preemptive Strike!)
"Hold. I hear something."
Freya's warning immediately puts all of you on guard. All 5 of you freeze and carefully prepare your weapons.
You could only fairly hear a disturbance, a faint sifting or scratching in the dirt, shifting sand. But it was enough. When they burst out of the sand, you were ready. Instead of springing a trap on you, the monsters ran right into an ambush.
Aerith spends 1 MP to cast Blizzard on Desert Sahagin Prince!
D100= 81+ 29+ 20 (Attacking Weakness)= 130
Aerith deals 8/5 damage. Desert Sahagin #3 is slain!
Wakka spends 2 MP to use Dark Attack on Desert Sahagin Prince!
D100= 44+ 23= 67
Wakka deals 4 damage. Desert Sahagin Prince is Blinded!
It felt cruel, almost. How immediately wrong the ambush went for the poor monsters. Sahagin by the looks of them, amphibious creatures wise enough to use tools but incapable of communication or negotiation.
You wonder briefly how aquatic monsters were found in a desert…
The first rose from the sand with a spear in hand and was nearly cut in half by Basch's two-handed swing. It died nearly instantly.
The second launched itself at Freya, who caught it's spear on her own and nearly broke the arm carrying it, making it easy picking for Alfyn to finish it off with a blow from his hatchet.
You personally caught the third with a blizzard spell and winced a bit as the ice tore through its body effortlessly. That's a temperature shock for you...
The fourth actually landed unharmed and brandished its spear. Primarily because Wakka aimed for the one in the back rather than attacking the fourth.
The fifth was armed with a larger and more ornate spear, as well as appearing quite a bit larger in stature. Once again Wakka clasped the ball between his hands, surrounding it in a black mist before he shot it at his target. This time, after striking the Sahagin in the chest, the black mist lingered in its eyes. Blinding it.
"Those were Sahagin I think. They're usually like, aquatic, and amphibious. What were they doing in the desert?"
"... Now that you mention it, that is strange…"
Apple Tree/Rest Spot
"We must be getting close. This resembles the forest that surrounded the town." Basch looked up at the forest before you.
The forest seemed fairly dense, but not particularly hostile or hard to navigate. From the outside looking in it was a sea of green, lots of big oak trees spaced just far enough to easily pass between them, but close enough that the canopy provided ample shade.
"This seems nice actually. At least compared to what we had to go through to get here." You lived in Midgar so you were used to barren wastelands, but you definitely didn't prefer them.
Once you crossed the threshold, the delightful atmosphere only intensified. It was warm, but the shade prevented it from becoming too hot, and the brush was short enough for you to walk through with no problem.
"Hey, you guys want some apples?" Alfyn asked. When you looked his way he pointed at a lone tree in a small clearing, its many branches laded down with big red apples.
"Absolutely."
"Hold my bag for me." He carefully pressed his medicine satchel into your hands and jogged over to the tree, where he immediately began climbing. Like any good country boy, he clearly knew how to climb.
A minute later he reached a branch that could clearly hold his weight, only to find Freya already standing there. "How did you get up here so fast?"
"..." Freya silently cocked an eyebrow.
"Right, stupid question." Alfyn grinned and started pulling apples off the nearby branches.
Later when he had safely gotten down, you all had a short break in the clearing and ate apples from the tree. They were juicy and sweet, some of your favorite adjectives to describe a fruit, and felt like a good, energizing snack for the trip.
[Everyone Recovers 2 HP]
[Everyone Recovers 1 MP]
[HP Loss from travel is delayed]
Battle?
The distant sound of combat forced you all to jog forward. With all the trees in the way you couldn't see who was fighting, but the sound of ringing steel was more than enough to spur you on. When you burst through the last of the underbrush and came into a clearing, you saw it.
A man covered head to toe in black armor, with a demonic visage and a jet black sword, surrounded by black mist and dozens of goblins.
Dozens of dead goblins.
The lingering dark magic made you feel uneasy, and you were about to suggest your party sneak around him when the black knight looked up and noticed you.
"Peace, travelers. I am Cecil Harvey, Knight of Lostime. May I ask your names?" He called in a rather refined tone, at odds with his intimidating appearance.
Basch stepped forward. "Basch Fon Ronsenberg, Knight of Dalmasca, and my companions. We seek a town along the coast, to open communication and trade, and to rest and resupply for the next leg of our journey."
"Then you are in luck. I can show you the way." Cecil sheathed his sword and beckoned your party forward. "A short distance from here is a cottage, and just past it is the town of Lostime. We simply follow the river."
The man easily turned his back to you and started walking away, pausing only to make sure you were following.
Without any better ideas, the 5 of you follow him
[To be continued in Interlude: The Lost Town of Lostime] Sorry for the delay everyone, I've been getting destroyed at work these past few weeks. I was going to finish this yesterday, but I got called into work. This new battle system is quite a bit easier for me to handle, though if I dumbed it down more perhaps I could do it quicker.
Well, technically the tent is fine and can be reused. What was "consumed" was the enchantment on the tent that keeps monsters away. In some old FF games you could only use a tent on the world map or specific tiles that had runes on them. This is why in FF15 the campsites are set on stone pillars that glow and have a ton of runes carved into them.
Here, I imagine the tents themselves have been enchanted to prevent monster attacks and weather. But the enchantment wears out after one use.
"I know what you mean. It's like the entire planet is… a kaleidoscope or broken glass." You can't even begin to try and contact the planet here. Your connection is fractured. As for what did this… 'Chaos' is the answer that comes to your mind. But how do you explain it? You've never seen it aside from a vision, and don't know anything about it other than the planet seeing it as a threat.
You were about to try anyway when Wakka cut you off.
"Sin," Wakka suggested wholeheartedly
"Sin?"
"Sin is the biggest, baddest monster to ever exist. It's the only thing I can think of powerful enough to do something like this, and cruel enough to carry it out."
