KalinaQuest: Reflection (Bleach AU Quest)

boyboy180 · Apr 26, 2023

Still need one more vote.

VaguelyLeft · Apr 26, 2023

[X] {Action} Wander the manor and gardens thinking about what happened. Try to do some self reflection about what happened and how we could have done better, what we need to improve on. But not hyperfocus on the fact that we and our (best?) friend almost died.
[X] {Talk} Mariannerie: See how she's holding up. We aren't the only ones who almost died last night, being able to confide in each other over a shared experience might make bearing it a little easier. We're also a still little worried about her, she is our friend.
[X] {Talk} Someone completely new. We met while wandering the grounds and got to chatting. They offered some insightful advice, but did they need to be so cryptic? (QM's discretion)

boyboy180 · Apr 26, 2023

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imjtRgkqA6w

You spent the morning wandering around the flower gardens deep in thought.

What had you done right and what had you done wrong? Well. First off: You should have brought everyone. Granted, you had no way of knowing you'd get into a fight but still…

If you'd brought your entire class, you might have been able to take them down without needing the guards.

Better fighting abilities could also have helped of course. It's like everyone had been saying during your training: You actually needed to get better at spearplay. Sure, you had special moves like your deadly touch that could hurt people but… well. They were normally the sort of technique that you'd just use once per fight. As proven by the intruder, if that one strike failed to defeat them, you needed a backup plan.

Spearplay was simply the best option right now, even as you glanced at the later years' study into Kido.

You'd also heard of a technique generally called either "Mastery" or "Metal-cutting blade" that allowed you to channel your reiatsu through your spear in a way that wouldn't tire you out. That sort of advanced technique was better saved for when you knew how to use the spear better though.

These paths of advancement, these roads that could allow you to fight on par with your allies, they were what you had to follow if you didn't want to fall behind.

The princess… Mariannerie… you wondered if she'd object to a nickname. It had come to your attention that she was probably your best friend, even beyond Hesiodio or Helenria.

You wanted to protect her from threats like this. To do that, you'd need to be stronger. Much stronger.

On the subject of Mariannerie, you went to go talk to her.

She was leading a small group like yesterday. Various noble personages crowded around her. Getting in would be trouble but-

"Kalina?"

Through the throng of bodies, your friend called out to you. Helenria had been talking to the princess and the latter saw you to call you over.

…

You walked over to them as they cleared a way between the nobles for you to squeeze into. Some of the nobles appeared to be annoyed at your sudden arrival but your friends smiled.

Gathering your courage, you asked her what you were worried about.

"Are you holding up okay after last night?"

"Fine." She gave a short answer and smiled at everyone. "Not the first time assassins have come for me after all."

…It was likely the first time she'd had to fight them personally though. She was likely putting on a brave face to prevent the other nobles from seeing whatever she was actually thinking.

That said, you were only guessing at the fear underneath that mask, because even you couldn't see through it.

You wanted to talk to her more privately to see how she was really doing but you didn't really feel it was proper in this context.

Maybe you'd get a chance when you were back at the Academy?

You excused yourself politely and went out to the garden again to wander.

By chance, you bumped into a man who was leaning against a tree on the other side of the flower garden to the manor itself.

"Hey." The man nodded to you "You're one of the first year students, right?"

You blinked, blinked again, and then nodded.

"I am indeed. I am Kalina, pleased to meet you?" The introduction took on a questioning tone of voice at the end. You had no idea who this was.

They were older than you, likely having reached the point that your kind stopped ageing. Because of this he could be anywhere from twenty one to over two hundred or more.

"Ah, where are my manners? I am Meginheri, a Terra Knight. My liege commanded me to keep an eye on the events going on today to ensure no one else got the chance to attack the princess."

You nod, noting the name of the Knight for future reference.

"Umm… if I may ask: Why was there an assassin after the princess?"

Meginheri glanced over towards the manor and sighed.

"Why are there any assassins? Because someone decided that the princess's death could advance their goals."

"But why?" You asked "She's so far down the line of succession. What on earth would be gained from her death."

"Fear." Meginheri intoned, "This wasn't attempted to clear up succession. It was an attempt to spread fear. They wanted to make it clear that even those with royal blood could die."

"But why?" You asked again "What's the point of that? Our lands have flourished under the royal family, haven't they?"

He offered you a smile at that.

"That they have. But some don't see it that way. There are people out there who think our lands would be better if the king and all of his family were dead. Those fools drunk on false freedom…"

He trailed off and sighed, casting a glance at you to see how you'd respond.

"What kind of people are they?"

At your question, he looked up.

"Those who've been blinded by humanity and forget that we are gods, and not men."

He paused again and you got the feeling that he wanted you to ask about something else. You were talking to a full Terra knight, you did have questions.

"I… I'm not very good at spearplay." You explained "And I'm having trouble. There's a bully I want to defeat with my own power. But if we're learning at the same rate, how will I ever surpass him?"

"First: Make sure you get in more training time than he does." The first answer came quickly before he explained "Even if you're not the sort that naturally learns faster, more training will allow you to make up the difference."

"I've already been trying that." You admitted, "But it doesn't seem to be helping much."

"Don't give up." He advised "Just keep at it. Close the gap through hard work. More options will open up to you in the future. You're a commoner right?"

"Right." You confirm.

"You're in the first quarter of your first year right now. At some time around your second to fourth year, you'll likely unlock your unique powers. Those, if utilised properly, can close the gap with an opponent stronger than yourself."

But that's… well. Two to four years away. You wanted to deal with it this year so it wasn't a problem for your entire academy experience.

"And if I want to get it done faster?"

Meginheri looked away, deep in thought.

"Are you thinking about learning Kido in the later years?"

"Yes." You admitted "I feel it could make up for my weakness."

"There's actually another branch." The man revealed cryptically "One that we can learn sooner. It's not often discussed in the Academy. It's on the elective lists in your later years. It's not as powerful but it can teach you tricks you can use to close a gap. Even then, I doubt you could learn it to any degree of usability until your second year at best."

"What's it called?" You asked.

"Blade Arts. Or Blade Magic. Maha( 魔刃) if you want the original Japanese."

"Maha…" You sounded out the foreign word.

The knight nodded and advised "One of your classmates is looking into it actually. Sigubert. You might be able to pick something up from him if you can get him to trust you."

Huh, it might be worth discussing with him… Wait.

"Why do you know that? And so specifically."

But instead of answering. The man just tipped his head to you and vanished in the sound of a flash step.

…

He was helpful, but did he have to be that cryptic?

You returned to the party and enjoyed it until its end was called at sunset. You went back to the Academy in the same carriage as the rest of your classmates. It was larger than the last one and that meant that Mariannerie was happy to travel with all of you.

The rest of the weekend passed fairly normally and the next week of schooling soon began.

How did you plan to improve during the start of this week? (Pick three)

[ ] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
[ ] {Spar} Write in (Who do you want to ask for a spar?)
[ ] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)

I actually really like the freeform voting style for things like this. It feels like you're playing a Persona game and choosing what you're doing each day. Talking is for social interaction, sparring is for training and earning XP, Extracurricular is if you want to learn the lore around any specific subject I've brought up but not explained in detail (I intend to put an XP bounty on Omakes in the future and learning more about the world could help with that)
I should have offered you a few ideas in the chapter itself though.
Meginheri is definitely getting a character sheet. I had the idea for his character before this chapter but basically just shrugged and said "Sure, he can be here right now."
Anyway, I have realised I need to give you a battle you can win in order to get you to level up at a decent rate so the week after the one you just started will have the class's first field trip. More details will be given in the next chapter.

Dragonmaster150 · Apr 26, 2023

Sorry for the late comment, had a busy day today.

boyboy180 said:
the week after the one you just started will have the class's first field trip. More details will be given in the next chapter.

Field studies? What is this, Trails of Cold Steel? (very good game series, highly recommend)

As for activities, from what I understand we have three slots for any of them. So here's my plan, nice and balanced.

[X] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
- [X] Take up that knight's advice and seek out Sigubert. Blade Arts aside, at the very least he can probably offer some helpful advice at the very least.
[X] {Spar} Write in (Who do you want to ask for a spar?)
- [X] Dio. You gre up in the same town, but you don't really know him that well. Maybe a friendly spar will help you get to know each other?
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] So what if you can't take a Kido class until later? See if the academy library has any books on kido, basic magic or reiatsu control. At the very least, knowing about the basics will help build a foundation for later.

VaguelyLeft · Apr 27, 2023

[X] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
- [X] Take up that knight's advice and seek out Sigubert. Blade Arts aside, at the very least he can probably offer some helpful advice at the very least.
[X] {Spar} Write in (Who do you want to ask for a spar?)
- [X] Dio. You gre up in the same town, but you don't really know him that well. Maybe a friendly spar will help you get to know each other?
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] So what if you can't take a Kido class until later? See if the academy library has any books on kido, basic magic or reiatsu control. At the very least, knowing about the basics will help build a foundation for later.

Yeah our build has... yet to pay off let's say. Hopefully we get at least something we can use from this.

boyboy180 · Apr 27, 2023

Dragonmaster150 said:
Field studies? What is this, Trails of Cold Steel? (very good game series, highly recommend)

...Maybe
I've actually played through CS1 and most of CS2. I'm putting off the ending until I finish Azure.
Please don't spoil.

But yes, it is basically a field study. Only in this case it's a single quest instead of fully going to another area. Those sorts of trips are for later in the year.

Dragonmaster150 · Apr 27, 2023

boyboy180 said:
...Maybe
I've actually played through CS1 and most of CS2. I'm putting off the ending until I finish Azure.
Please don't spoil.

But yes, it is basically a field study. Only in this case it's a single quest instead of fully going to another area. Those sorts of trips are for later in the year.

I'm currently playing through the series in release order, so I'm only about halfway through CS1 so far. No worries about Azure spoilers, my lips are sealed.

Makes sense to learn how to walk before running. Aside from the assassination attempt on the princesses life, I haven't really picked up on any circumstances that might require the students to be thrown off the deep end.

Edit:

VaguelyLeft said:
Yeah our build has... yet to pay off let's say. Hopefully we get at least something we can use from this.

We forewent the short term gains that would have come from including a melee class and instead invested in long term growth by choosing to be a full caster. Basically, if I'm reading it right, we survive long enough and we have the potential to (eventually, one day) be one of the foremost Kido/magic specialists. We just need to get there first.

Eternal_0bserver · Apr 27, 2023

[X] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
- [X] Take up that knight's advice and seek out Sigubert. Blade Arts aside, at the very least he can probably offer some helpful advice at the very least.
[X] {Spar} Write in (Who do you want to ask for a spar?)
- [X] Dio. You gre up in the same town, but you don't really know him that well. Maybe a friendly spar will help you get to know each other?
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] So what if you can't take a Kido class until later? See if the academy library has any books on kido, basic magic or reiatsu control. At the very least, knowing about the basics will help build a foundation for later.

boyboy180 · Apr 27, 2023

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVP_nCK0tXU

In the next week, studies were the same as ever. After classes though, you made sure to look into a lot of different ways of getting stronger.

On the first day, you followed up on what Meginheri had told you about and went to talk to Sigubert.

As ever, you found him in the library. A majority of the books on his desk were still about history. He was still looking into wars and rebellions from human history.

He sighed when he saw you.

"What, again?"

Rude, but you pushed past that.

"I'm not looking to distract you for too long, I just want to ask some questions."

Diplomacy check: 11+7

He sighed, put a bookmark in the book he was reading, and nodded.

"Go on then."

"Two things." You held up two fingers and counted the first question off by lowering one of them "First, I want some more spearplay advice."

Sigubert's head fell and he sighed "Get better, practice, learn your range. There is no miraculous path-"

"And second." You stopped him as he was saying that "I wanted to ask you about Blade Arts."

Sigubert paused and looked at you again "When did you hear that term?"

"A Terra Knight that was acting as a guard for the princess's tea party over the weekend mentioned them and said you'd be able to help me."

"But who…" Sigubert trailed off and then scowled "Him, of course. But why would he…" As he trailed off again, it looked like he was in deep thought. You gave him some time before he just nodded.

"Very well, Blade Arts. Even they aren't some easily obtained trick. If it was even possible for first years to develop them…"

"You would have?" You tried.

He sighed and nodded.

"Right, theory first. Anyone should be able to use Blade Arts. All it requires is a good grip on some lore- There's a collection of basic stances that can be practised to help you direct your reiatsu down the right paths. I know them, but even I can't actually make use of the actual techniques yet."

Well, that was another thing you'd have to learn.

"How could I learn these stances?"

"Get someone to teach you?" He suggested, waving his hand around in the air.

You tilted your head "Like you?"

"Please." He scoffed, "I'm too busy trying to actually reach the point at which I can even perform the basics of Blade Arts."

Hmm.

"Okay, then what sort of things can Blade Arts do?"

"They allow you to channel reiatsu through your fighting moves. I've seen my father focus on an opponent, figure out their weak points and pierce that weak point in a matter of seconds."

"That's… not the most flashy?" You note.

Sigubert rolled his eyes "But it's effective. If you want 'flashy' though…"

He pondered for a few seconds to try and find a good example…

"When fighting multiple opponents, he can dance between them, defeating each in a single stroke."

…Still not flashy but you didn't want to push him anymore.

It seemed to just be some sort of fancy fighting style. Still, it could give you an edge. You'd need to practise the stances first though.

After you were done talking to him though, you moved on with the day.

The next day was devoted to a sparring match. You had asked Dio to join you for a practice match after lessons were done.

As always, this was to be full contact. There was a nurse nearby to prevent serious damage from the fight.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1tI_idiwnQ

The fight began when you both stepped into the ring.

Initiative:
Hesiodio: 19+6
Kalina: 15+8

He struck first, running up and jabbing at you with his spear.

Attack: 5+6
Defence: 20+8

But your dodge was perfect, it left him open for a quick palm strike.

Touch attack: 18+4
Defence: 14+4
Fortitude save: 13+4, fail.
Damage: 2d6+3, 9

Dio grunted as he was hit by the impact of your spiritual pressure. As he swung back towards you, he noted:

"You know, it's weird you're allowed to do that when we're not allowed to empower our spears?"

Attack: 7+6
Defence: 6+8

"True." You remark as you sidestep his slash and draw out your spear to aim at him "But at the same time, I'm grateful at least."

Attack: 4+3
Defence: 17+6

"…Because it gives me an edge that I'm surely lacking."

He stepped out of the way of your strike as you spoke.

"Then what about this idea-"

Dio's Attack: 7+6
Kalina's Defence: 9+8

"How about allowing me to channel my reiatsu too?"

Kalina's Attack: 4+3
Dio's Defence: 17+6

"Well…" It would be more fair but it would likely mean that you lost your edge over him.

Dio's Attack: 10+6
Kalina's Defence: 6+8
Damage:1d6+2, 5

"Fine, but only if I can too." You made the offer as you swung in.

"Sure!"

Your spear was filled with your spiritual pressure, guiding it to your intended target.

Kalina's Attack: 8+3+4 (Reiatsu)
Dio's Defence: 15+6

Your reiatsu was wasted though as he evaded that blow as well.

You had more reiatsu to spend but it would have made you tired to use it.

Dio didn't seem to be holding back though.

Dio's Attack: 4+6+4 (reiatsu)
Kalina's Defence: 2+8
Damage:1d6+2+7 (Reiatsu), 14

The hit was heavy. You spat ichor onto the ground as you fell back.

Dio stumbled as he finished attacking. He'd just exhausted all of his reiatsu. That gave you an opening

Kalina's Attack: 13+3
Dio's Defence: 9+6
Damage: 1d6+1, 3

He stumbled towards you and tried to strike.

Dio's Attack: 2+3
Kalina's Defence: 14+8

Repelling his clumsy attack, you struck again.

Kalina's Attack: 17+3
Dio's Defence: 6+6
Damage: 1d6+1, 5

He panted and grounded himself before you heard a rumbling sound.

"Haaa…"

Dio breathed out and power surged within him again. His second wind then?

It was a technique that took a little time to perform and left you open but restored your reiatsu a little. It was too stressful to do multiple times per battle so it was something like a recovery move to get back into the fight after being exhausted by reitasu drain.

It did mean he'd be able to come at you full force again in a second.

Kalina's Attack: 3+3
Dio's Defence: 9+6

But he stopped your strike and replied with one of his own.

Dio's Attack: 17+6+4 (reiatsu)
Kalina's Defence: 3+8
Damage:1d6+2+7 (Reiatsu), 9

You spat ichor again as he put all of the reiatsu he'd just recovered into a single strike.

He stumbled again though, now you might have the opening you needed!

Kalina's Attack: 1+3
Dio's Defence: 9+6

But no, you misplaced your spear and he got the chance to lay into you, weakened as he was.

Dio's Attack: 17+3
Kalina's Defence: 15+8

Dio's Attack: 13+3
Kalina's Defence: 4+8
Damage: 1d6-1, 3

And to your poor luck, that strike was enough to knock you down and call the fight.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OjvDHvDX2A

After the nurse healed you, you and Dio helped each other to the barracks. Your wounds still smarted and Dio was still weak from pouring all of the reiatsu out of his body.

After lessons on wednesday, you took to the library again, though not for Sigubert this time. You were looking for information on Kido.

"Aren't you a bit young for Kido?" The librarian asked when you asked them where the books were.

"Yes." You admitted bluntly.

The librarian raised her eyebrow but nodded "Well, it's never too early to start learning."

She directed you to an area of the library filled with both tomes and scrolls. You eventually picked out a book that was supposedly about the basics of Kido and began reading.

The first chapter was mostly about the difference between reiatsu and reiryoku. The force of spiritual power vs the actual power that made it up.

When you drove waves of reiatsu into a target with your deadly touch, what you were technically doing was controlling your reiatsu in such a way that your reiryoku became a wave of destructive force.

Apparently, the reason that most textbooks referred to the power you held as reiatsu and not reiryoku was simply because it was easier to measure the waves of reiatsu a person held. That said, there were apparently techniques that allowed you to use reiatsu at quantities far higher than your reiryoku should allow. Those would be interesting in the future though.

Regardless, you skipped ahead to the chapters on Kido and began reading.

"There are three branches of Kido practised by Terra Knights; First is Hado- destructive spells that use various elements to damage targets- then there was Bakudo- defensive and sealing spells- and lastly there was Reido- healing and supportive spells."

Okay then… Hado was the most interesting for you. It gave you an offensive option.

In your reading, you did see that Reido wasn't what the nurses used though. That was a separate technique mentioned in one of the other books you found called "Reiatsu healing." The idea of that technique was basically the reverse of your deadly touch.

But… that technique was far more advanced than your touch. It required delicate manipulation of your reiryoku to use properly. It was likely a last year or postgraduate lesson like Kido.

Could you learn Kido early? Probably not. There were specific notes here about why it took so long to learn. The unique abilities that Terra Knights could develop developed using resources that Shinigami could use to develop their reiatsu control. In other words…

"Because of our natural abilities, it takes us longer to learn to direct the flows of energy properly."

You sighed as you closed the book. There goes that plan. Even a natural savant wouldn't be able to use Kido. It wasn't a matter of becoming skilled enough, it was a matter of being experienced enough.

You did take the time to find some books on basic kido techniques. Well, scrolls. You found a collection of scrolls that detailed the most Basic Kido spells.

Bakudo 01: Sai, Bakudo 02: Tamashii Maki No Uchigawa, Bakudo 03: Han no Shokei Shimasu.

Hado 01: Sho, Hado 02: Itami, Hado 03: Yaburimasu.

Reido 01: Tairei, Reido 02: Shukufuku, Reido 03: Shukufuku Kamiwaza No Dageki Oo.

There were diagrams in each scroll that you could barely understand. Proper flow of power, proper incantations and proper intention was apparently key when using these sorts of spells.

Regardless, your week was half done. You had been told though that there would be an extra session on Saturday.

Apparently, after the attack last weekend there had been a decision to give the students more experience. A field trip was being worked on.

A chance to test what you'd learned in a real environment. A way to push yourself. Hopefully it would be enough to let you reach a new height.

In the meantime though, you had three more days. Two weekdays and a weekend before that session on Saturday evening.

[ ] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
[ ] {Spar} Write in (Who do you want to ask for a spar?)
[ ] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)

Magic system research and the first honest fight you almost didn't lose.
…*Sigh*
You were close to a win there, if Kalina had been more willing to invest her reiatsu, she might have been able to deal a winning attack.
The problem is that while you had about three times as much reiatsu as Dio, you were both wary of using it and you'd already expended a large amount on the deadly touch.
But yes, on the magic systems. Kido is what it is in canon. Proper magic spells. Generally Kido spells 1-20 are based off cantrips and first level DnD 3e spells if they aren't based on canon Bleach Kido.
Blade Arts on the other hand… Well, if I said "The book of nine swords," Does that help?
Anyway, since @Dragonmaster150 pointed out that the theme of this was similar to Trails of Cold steel, I've decided to use music from the first cold steel game for academy events.
In short: Cold Steel 1 music: Academy, Okami music: The rest of Gaian society.
I mean it fits, Cold Steel 1's setting is loosely based on "Germany as seen by the Japanese" while Gaians are "European Japanese."

boyboy180 · Apr 28, 2023

{Insert funny comment reminding people to vote}
-I've got nothing right now.
...I've half finished making Meginheri's character sheet. I'm two hours in. I'm stopping for now so I don't burn myself out on character creations.
That should make it clear that he's very strong at least.

boyboy180 · Apr 30, 2023

Meginheri's character sheet is now done (Well, it's done to my satisfaction right now). And no more votes have come in.
Don't wait for someone else to make a vote first, show your thoughts.

Dragonmaster150 · Apr 30, 2023

boyboy180 said:
Meginheri's character sheet is now done (Well, it's done to my satisfaction right now). And no more votes have come in.
Don't wait for someone else to make a vote first, show your thoughts.

Whoops, I missed the chapter notification. Don't have much time to read and plan craft right now, I will be back tonight.

boyboy180 · Apr 30, 2023

Dragonmaster150 said:
Whoops, I missed the chapter notification. Don't have much time to read and plan craft right now, I will be back tonight.

Fair enough.
I wonder if it bugged out because I @'d you in my author notes? If that was it... Oops.

Dragonmaster150 · Apr 30, 2023

boyboy180 said:
When you drove waves of reiatsu into a target with your deadly touch, what you were technically doing was controlling your reiatsu in such a way that your reiryoku became a wave of destructive force.

So, basically it's similar to Hado #1: Sho, but as a touch attack?

boyboy180 said:
Okay then… Hado was the most interesting for you. It gave you an offensive option.

Don't neglect Bakudo, the ability to bind and/or otherwise interfere with a target is just as useful on the battlefield. Even Bakudo #1 could catch someone off guard if you cast it at the right moment.

All right, time for plan crafting. If anyone else looking at the thread has changes they want to suggest, feel free to chime in.

[X] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
-[X] You haven't spoken with Helen for a while. Maybe see if she's interested in a casual chat or some other form of social interaction.
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] Now that you know a little bit about what to look for thanks to Siegubert, maybe see if the library has any information about Blade arts? it's worth a try at the very least.
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] Pick a level one Kido and start studying it. At the very least, learning how to better control and manipulate reiatsu and reiryoku can only be a good thing, right?
--[X] Start with Hado #1: Sho. The effects described in the manual seem kinda similar to your deadly touch, maybe that will make it easier?

Edit: I was going to add the dueling club to one of the extra curricular slots, but then I remembered it's a weekend thing. So, unless something more interesting comes up, I was going to suggest we do that on one of our free days.

VaguelyLeft · Apr 30, 2023

[X] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
-[X] You haven't spoken with Helen for a while. Maybe see if she's interested in a casual chat or some other form of social interaction.
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] Now that you know a little bit about what to look for thanks to Siegubert, maybe see if the library has any information about Blade arts? it's worth a try at the very least.
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] Pick a level one Kido and start studying it. At the very least, learning how to better control and manipulate reiatsu and reiryoku can only be a good thing, right?
--[X] Start with Hado #1: Sho. The effects described in the manual seem kinda similar to your deadly touch, maybe that will make it easier?

boyboy180 · May 1, 2023

Dragonmaster150 said:
So, basically it's similar to Hado #1: Sho, but as a touch attack?

Kind of but there's a lot less focus with yours. Meh. I'll go into it in your study.

Dragonmaster150 said:
Don't neglect Bakudo, the ability to bind and/or otherwise interfere with a target is just as useful on the battlefield. Even Bakudo #1 could catch someone off guard if you cast it at the right moment.

Valid, but you need to learn them one at a time. Something like Grade 1 Hado > Grade 1 Bakudo etc. The first level you unlock spellcasting, you'll only get one.

Eternal_0bserver · May 1, 2023

[X] {Talk} Write in (With who and about what?)
-[X] You haven't spoken with Helen for a while. Maybe see if she's interested in a casual chat or some other form of social interaction.
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] Now that you know a little bit about what to look for thanks to Siegubert, maybe see if the library has any information about Blade arts? it's worth a try at the very least.
[X] {Extracurricular} Write in (After regular lessons have finished, what sort of things do you study)
-[X] Pick a level one Kido and start studying it. At the very least, learning how to better control and manipulate reiatsu and reiryoku can only be a good thing, right?
--[X] Start with Hado #1: Sho. The effects described in the manual seem kinda similar to your deadly touch, maybe that will make it easier?

boyboy180 · May 1, 2023

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK4a14JbjMI

You spent Thursday's afterschool time with Helen. When you had asked if she wanted to chat, she'd apparently been very excited.

You now sat in the common room with her as she poured tea.

It was a tea party. Not one to the scale of the princess's but something calmer.

A pot of tea and a plate of tea biscuits.

You mostly chatted about the lessons you'd had that week. Training was still going well even if you were still one of the worst fighters in class. Kryako and Myrshai were bad too but at least Kryako was strong. She was also the only noble that hadn't awakened her unique ability yet.

Myrshai's problem was a little stranger. He was great at the theory of fighting but he'd freeze up when combat actually started which always let his opponent get the first hit in.

Since these matches were typically to the first strike, that was the main reason for his lack of wins.

Moving away from fighting to subjects you were actually doing well in, your reiatsu control was excellent. Either the best or just part of the top three.

The last subject you discussed was the etiquette classes. While most of the nobles were scoring above you, you had the best marks among any of the commoners in your class.

Once your tea party was done, you helped Helen clear it away and moved on.

On Friday, You continued your library research after the day's lessons had finished

Sigubert had told you more about Blade arts and you were here to look for books about them too.

Another question for the librarian then.

It went much the same as last time. She had no problem with you studying this kind of thing.

There was only a small shelf of books here compared to the two large shelves that had been given to Kido but you were able to start reading at least.

You looked for the closest thing that existed to a beginner's book and began leafing through it when you found it.

Theory first.

Like with Kido's three branches, Blade arts also had branches. Only in this case it was nine. Well, nine with an asterisk. Nine official styles and rumours of other, incomplete styles.

First was "Kōya-fū" or Desert Wind. Apparently it was the first invented. History lists its inventor as being called "The brass swordmaster." It was a free-flowing style that used a dribble of power to do things like lighting the held weapon on fire for empowered strikes.

Next was "Sunao reikon" or Devoted Spirit. Its most basic concept was one of defence and ripostes but it also held a lot of power when it came to certain ideals. The classic story told was apparently a strike that could strike down any evil its user encounters.

After that was "Kongōseki seishin" Or Diamond Mind. It should be noted that while these books did list the original Japanese name for each style, they would quickly move just to using the Gaian's native language once the translation had been explained. Diamond Mind was a style for those who were able to use their cunning and the battlefield against their foes. It was said that for practitioners, time in battle flowed slower.

"Tetsu seishin," Iron Heart was the next. Apparently it was based on pure weapon skill and expert weapon control. It… might be possible to learn while you were practising your weapon skill… maybe. It would still eat up a lot of focus.

After it was "Yūhi" or setting sun. Honestly from what you were reading it sounded like an armed (and reiatsu empowered) version of one of the martial arts you were trying to learn in class. What was that one called again? Judo?

"Yami-te." Shadow hand was next. Terra Knights were not above learning the techniques of assassins. A knight is what his lord requires of him. Shadow hand was that sort of style. An assassin's style that strikes from stealth with shadowy energy.

Now you finally got to a style that had been invented by the Gaians. This book didn't list its Japanese name, only that in your native language it was called "Stone Dragon." It was based on Iron Heart but instead of drawing just from your weapon, you also gain great power, offensively and defensively, from the earth itself. One of its drawbacks was therefore that you could only use it while standing on the ground.

The next one wasn't natively Japanese either, but chinese. "Lǎohǔ zhǎo" or Tiger Claw was a brutal style that channels its user's feral nature to deal devastating attacks that only got stronger as the fight drew out more and more of their bloodlust. Not a nice style but a powerful one.

And finally was the newest style. White Raven was its name in your language but it was unique for having a name originating from many others. It seemed no single group could hold the credit for creating it. It was a style that not only boosted yourself but gave morale to your allies too. The style of one who leads others into battle.

Even with how little you actually read, you still felt tired for the day so you went to rest.

There weren't any lessons on Saturday so you were able to get right back into research. This time it was on Kido again.

You found the scroll on the most basic Hado spell, Hado number 01: Sho.

While you shouldn't be able to cast it, you wanted to investigate it at least as from your light reading before, it had sounded similar in some ways to your deadly touch.

It was meant to be one of the most simple spells in Kido so why…?

You looked at the symbols on the parchment that showed proper reiatsu flow, pronunciations, etc. Everything that you had seen last time.

Even for a spell that should be just a single step further than what you already had.

Starting at the basics though, what was the incantation?

"Push back, repel the vile wrongdoer! Hado number one: Sho."

Nothing happened when you whispered it of course. You hadn't been doing anything to your reiatsu to perform spellcasting.

Even so you imagined the next steps. You imagined the beam firing out of your extended finger and striking a target before the target was flung away.

There were other ways to use the spell of course. While the incantation called for a target to be pushed away, it could also be used to lift a target into the air or to pull them towards you.

There were so many ways that you could use that sort of thing but you had no way to move your reaistu in the right way yet. Trying to do it anyway just made you feel tired without accomplishing anything.

Well… you tried at least.

Your first guess had been wrong. Sho wasn't a technique like your deadly touch.

A quick check showed that Hado 02: Itami had some similarities… a lot of similarities actually. Requiring contact with your target, sending a destructive wave into them, The main difference was that the waves were organised in a different way… and far more limited.

The quantity of reiatsu that each strike contained was less than your strikes would use up. But you could put more reiatsu in at once.

Hmm… how to explain it.

Cups of water. If you wanted to get someone wet( hurt someone) and Itami was equivalent to throwing a cup of water at them, you could throw three cups in the time that Itami could throw one. Deadly touch was less efficient and each single cup you threw wouldn't get them as wet as Itami, the fact that you threw three while it only threw one made it not that useful for you.

…Hmm. Itami did have a way of allowing you to use it on multiple people at once as long as you were within touching range of both of them. That might be an upgrade? Also if you could strike quickly enough to touch and let go of them within a small window, you could strike them multiple times as if you were striking multiple people… it would be more difficult though.

After you were done though, there was the session late today that you had to go to.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8ytwwfPlzU

Your class gathered in your classroom and sat in your normal chairs as your teacher, followed by two other knights, stepped into the class.

The knights were members of the Guard and the Intelligence units. They were here to tell you about the field trip.

To explain a bit about Terra Knights quickly, once graduated there were three (four) main paths they could take. The Guard protected the capital and the surrounding territories. The Army protected every territory the Guard didn't and the Intelligence unit investigated more serious disturbances. They were also the only unit cleared for full above ground activities. The fourth path was to go freelance. Lordless Knights were also called Adventurers but they weren't well respected. They normally acted as defence forces too but only for specific areas they could maintain. That said, they could also go above ground, though they had a lot of limitations on what they could do up there.

The Intelligence Knight explained that two weeks ago, a hollow infestation had cropped up nearby. When it was determined they weren't blocking a main road, clearing them out had been delayed.

When it had become clear that the classes needed a field trip that could give them experience, it had been pointed out that those hollows shouldn't be that strong without much to feed on.

And so it was determined to send the class. They will arrange transport so all you need to focus on is tracking down when in their territory they are and defeat them.

Did you have any questions for them?
[ ] Write in (Any sort of question you want, you can even ask multiple questions.)
[ ] Nothing.

Wow Magic Exposition. I threw in Itami as you did miss the mark on Sho slightly. To put Itami in more game terms. Deadly touch can cost anywhere between 0 and 90 reiatsu. For each 30 reiatsu, it deals 1d6 damage (so 3d6 at full cost). Itami on the other hand only costs 25 reiatsu but does 1d8+Caster level damage which can't be increased as easily. The two are much the same apart from that.
And there were the nine blade styles too. Sorry for my horrible google translate skills with some of them.
Lastly, the field tip. Ask any questions you feel need to be asked. Multiple can be asked as I said in the vote.

Dragonmaster150 · May 1, 2023

Hey, if anyone has any other ideas for questions, please add them to the que.

[X] Write in (Any sort of question you want, you can even ask multiple questions.)
-[X] Do any of the hollow appear to have special abilities?
-[X] Do we have an exact number, or best approximation, for how many Hollows there are?
-[X] Will the students be under the command of an instructor, or other knight officer, or will we be forming our own chain of command?

Eternal_0bserver · May 1, 2023

[X] Write in (Any sort of question you want, you can even ask multiple questions.)
-[X] Do any of the hollow appear to have special abilities?
-[X] Do we have an exact number, or best approximation, for how many Hollows there are?
-[X] Will the students be under the command of an instructor, or other knight officer, or will we be forming our own chain of command?

Good enough for me.

VaguelyLeft · May 1, 2023

[X] Write in (Any sort of question you want, you can even ask multiple questions.)
-[X] Do any of the hollow appear to have special abilities?
-[X] Do we have an exact number, or best approximation, for how many Hollows there are?
-[X] Will the students be under the command of an instructor, or other knight officer, or will we be forming our own chain of command?

boyboy180 · May 2, 2023

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwHjrdU0DhM

You raised your hand.

"Do any of the hollows appear to have special abilities?"

The Intelligence agent looked happy to be asked as he opened his mouth "I was wondering if anyone would ask, but before that, I see some of you are already confused."

Frisob looked embarrassed to be called out but he nodded.

"I only know stories of hollows. I don't really know what they are."

The agents went over a brief description.

Gaian's are living gods, that means that it is possible for them to die. When a Gaian dies, they leave a plus, much as a human would. Certain things are carried over into death though, The power of a Gaian isn't lessened by death.

As with normal pluses, various stimuli could trigger hollowfication depending on the situation.

"-And as this student asked," they got back around to your question "Hollows typically have unique appearances and abilities. Though there are often various families that you can say a hollow is in. Beastial, Avian, Biped, etc. In this case we're dealing with hollows that all closely resemble the basic template of the tsuchigumo family of hollows. A family rare among human pluses but relatively common among Gaians."

The agent took a piece of chalk and drew a quick picture. First a humanoid body, then four spindly spider legs that emerged from the middle of their back.

"The basic idea of the tsuchigumo family is the evolution of spider-like traits. Now, can any of you tell me why these traits are so useful below ground?"

Knowledge Tactics: 18+0

…You couldn't remember specifically.

Sigubert's hand shot up though and he gave a clear answer.

"Unlike us, Hollows can't innately see in a pitch black environment. They need to spin webs to detect prey, otherwise a Gaian could just put out their lantern or simply travel without one."

The agent nodded, seeming to enjoy acting as a teacher.

"Exactly correct young man. So keep that in mind when you're hunting. If you're not touching their web, they can't see you. Other than that they often develop poison sacks or the dexterity to use their spare legs as weapons. If they can do that, be careful as they'll hack you apart in a few seconds if they get the chance."

A very morbid thing to say to students.

"The guard will be on watch nearby." The guardsman said "In an emergency, we will be able to support you. But keep in mind that it will take time for us to reach you."

"Anything else?" The agent mused "We don't know enough about the hollows individually. We don't believe that any are Menos-class. They can burrow through earth like all Gaian-born Hollows can though. They could use that to escape from you. Attacking you would be hard though as they are still blind while tunnelling."

He eventually shook his head "There's nothing else I believe. Next question?"

Seoihilda asked the next question you were planning on asking.

"How many hollows are there?"

"Three." The agent answered "Our scout reports were sure. Due to that, it would likely be best if your class were to split into teams of four while hunting."

"On that subject," Adamus spoke without waiting "How is the command structure going to work? Those teams you mentioned, will we be on our own to decide them?"

"Within reason." The guardsman confirmed "This is meant to be a mission to test you, you will have access to communicators to call us in emergencies but this is meant to be a simulation of a normal hollow extermination mission. Granted, for tsuchigumo this young, one full knight would likely be enough for all of them, not three teams of four. The same concepts matter though. Expect no outside help. The most you'll get is emergency medical evacs."

…Wow. This was sounding quite threatening actually.

The fact that it would be up to all of you to determine teams was something though.

While the hunt would begin tomorrow, you had tonight to decide on teams.

When you finally got to the boards with name tags and teams arrange, the teams were laid out as so:

Team A	Team B	Team C
Endymad	Adamus	Sigubert
Mariannerie	Myrshai	Seoihilda
Helenria	Tuilendra	[]
[]	[]	[]

The following hadn't picked their team yet and so had their name tag currently unused and hanging at the bottom of the board
Kalina, Hesiodio, Kryako, Frisob

What would you try to do?
[ ] Join Team A
[ ] Join Team B
[ ] Join Team C

Additionally, you may:
[ ] {Suggest} Write in (Who do you think should take which empty spot, it will be random if you don't have any input.)
[ ] {Chat} Write in (With who and about what)
These are just to flesh out the next chapter.

Wow, this is a lot later than I had planned. Either way, most of the info is covered in this chapter. Suggesting and Chatting gives me more to say next chapter. I can already predict which choice you are likely to chose for yourself but I'm just wandering about the other options.
I think it hasn't come up before but Gaians have Darkvision out to 60ft. They still use light sources for ranges beyond 60ft of course.

Dragonmaster150 · May 2, 2023

Hmm, I don'y think we want to be on Adamus team, too much friction. So, we could either join Team A or Team C.

Both Siegubert and Seohilda are good choices for teammates and this gives us the option to build a rapport with both. It might make Siegubert more likely to help us work through some of the Blade art stuff and having a good relationship with the Duelling club isn't a bad idea (I forgot about that for the weekend slot, whoops).

Conversely, we already know that we can work well with the other members of Team A, so that's a decent choice as well.

For the others, we don't really know about Kryako, and Frisob, so I can't speak to their effectiveness. But, I would suggest Dio go with Team C.

As for who to chat with, I think that speaking with Endymad, who we haven't met with, if we choose Team A, or the other members of Team C if we choose that one.

Thoughts from the thread? Any discussion before I commit to putting this to a full plan?

Eternal_0bserver · May 3, 2023

[X] Join Team A
[X] {Chat} You can keep up the conversation; otherwise, it's best to remain alert and not distracted.

Dragonmaster150 · May 4, 2023

[X] Join Team A
[X] {Chat} You can keep up the conversation; otherwise, it's best to remain alert and not distracted.

Works for me.

KalinaQuest: Reflection (Bleach AU Quest)

Firstborn of Dragonkind

Firstborn of Dragonkind

(Unverified Bookworm)

Firstborn of Dragonkind

Firstborn of Dragonkind

(Unverified Bookworm)

Firstborn of Dragonkind

(Unverified Bookworm)

Firstborn of Dragonkind

(Unverified Bookworm)

Firstborn of Dragonkind