Souls are gained from defeating monsters, yokai, and all sorts of other things and absorbing their life energy. These Souls can then be used for a variety of things:
Upgrading Equipment (If you have a blacksmith who has the appropriate items to do so)
Purchasing Items (Not everyone sells, but those who do always require payment in Souls)
Increasing Your Core Capabilities (Stats)
Increasing Your Personal Capabilities (Skills)
Increasing Your Yokai's Core Capabilities (Stats)
Increasing Your Yokai's Personal Capabilities (Moves)
The Tiers, and amount of Souls needed to reach the next, are as follows:
Disgraceful = 0
Horrendous = 100
Disappointing = 500
Mediocre = 1000
Average = 2500
Impressive = 5000
Elite = 25000
Legendary = 50000
Mythical = 100000
Depending on the tier of enemy faced, the amount of potential Souls gained varies:
Mediocre and Below Enemies (Group Only): 1d25+10
Average Enemies (Group Only): 1d100+40
Impressive Enemies: 1d500+100
Elite Enemies: 1d1000+400
Legendary Enemies: 1d5000+1000
Mythical Enemies: 1d8000+2500
Stats are counted as measured against the rest of a figure's own kind. So if a Rhydon has Mediocre Attack, that is Mediocre for a Rhydon.
They can be raised by spending the appropriate amount of Souls in a given stat to level up.
Introduction to Tamer's Rings
Tamer's Signet Rings are used by the few non-nobles that are permitted by Astoran royalty to capture and/or own a personal yokai. They are used by touching it to a given yokai and channeling some of your own Soul into the jewel on top. The yokai will then be converted into pure Soul energy and become consumed by the ring. This process serves to initiate a synching of the twin souls and if it is effective, the jewel will flash red once and then you will feel a new feeling- different for each person and each yokai.
There's a special technique a tamer can utilize with these rings where, again with either a subdued or willing yokai, they can merely mimic a core trait of a particular yokai without bonding with them.
Risk comes into play when attempting this process on unwilling or resisting yokai, as they can often forcibly revert back to a solid form, disrupting the attempt. Depending on how violently they revert it could even cause damage to a tamer's Soul.
Another risk comes in when attempting to use an insufficiently strengthened Ring to attempt such a capture. The standard Tamer's Signet Ring comes in the +0, +1, and +2 forms. All +3 Rings are considered Concordian Bands and thus exclusively available to the Astoran Royalty. Each tier of strength comes with a broadening of the types of yokai that can be captured safely as well as the yokai's strength themselves.
The final and most dire risk presents itself whenever a warrior has more than 4 Rings with Bonded Yokai (or merely their Abilities) within. Each yokai puts a moderate amount of pressure and strain on a tamer's Soul, to the point where 4 yokai is the most a Soul can safely assimilate without tearing violently and producing a creature known as a Consumed which is completely ruled by the instincts of their yokai, while also experiencing mutations that reflect them as well. 5 Rings is the highest amount that's ever been observed with a stable and sane individual left at the end of the process. Though there have been rumors of legendary warriors who could bond 6 or more yokai, but thus far, it's only known to end in tragedy.
Types and Tier per Ring Strength
All Tiers up to Disappointing | Nature, Fire, Water, Raw +0
All Tiers up to Average | Stone, Steel, Aerial, Frost +1
All Tiers up to Elite | Rot, Deep, Fey, Crystal +2
All Tiers up to Legendary | Lightning, Dragon, Blessed, Chaos +3
Mythical tier captures are theoretically possible with a +3, but this is unproven and untested.
Tamer's Signet Ring +0 [Empty]
Small Dagger: [Horrendous]
Traveler's Cloak: [Disappointing]
N/A
Vitality: [Disgraceful]
Attack: [Horrendous]
Defense: [Horrendous]
Special Attack: [Disgraceful]
Special Defense: [Disapointing]
Intelligence: [Horrendous]
Faith: [Disgraceful]
Guts: [Disgraceful]
Speed: [Horrendous]
Brawling [Horrendous]
Knife Fighting [Disgraceful]
Yokai Taming (General) [Disappointing]
Navigation [Disappointing]
Yokai Habits (Region: Astora) [Disappointing]
Astoran Common (Language & Letters) [Mediocre]
History (Astora) [Disappointing]
Mathematics [Disgusting]
Wait, she actually fights? Holy hell, maybe I should pay more attention to her.
In this land of Light, a closeness to the Gods is carried within knights and children alike.
This is a land of the Chosen. Chosen to share the gifts of the Gods, yes indeed.
A gift of writhing white light, summoned within, to some.
A gift of prodigy with steel to others.
Can you feel it even now, children? Even in so cold a night, as a warmth on your face when you close your eyes, or a spark dancing along the strings of your heart those times when it's full of purpose?
We know that we are Chosen. We know by whom. Will you learn what for?
xxx
The "journey" to check on the Shuckle farms wasn't much to an experienced Astoran warrior, but it was everything to that warrior's younger sibling.
Miria, 3rd tier Riftwalker, found herself with some extra time to spend with her family and so she decided a walk beyond the gates of the self-proclaimed "Blessed City" was a great way to go about it. Miria's sword hung loosely from her hip as she walked along the faint path. She only barely watched where she was going, more focused on making sure her charge—and don't you dare think I can't still tan your hide if they come back hurt, mother had said—kept out of trouble.
"Down from there, Pebbles!" the swordswoman called when she spied the youth climbing just a bit too high up an unstable pile of boulders a ways away.
'Pebbles' groaned loudly before hopping down, obviously still bothered by the nickname. Which just proved that the nickname still had a purpose, honestly.
"This is taking too looooong, where are the beastlies?!" They called the monsters known as 'yokai'. "You promised!"
"Just a little bit further," Miria muttered back. "They're just over that hill there." She gestured to a small hill several miles distant.
'Just a little bit further' was relative, perhaps—she was sure the distance felt much less for her than it did for her younger sibling—but it would only be an hours walk, if that.
The increasingly irksome whining proved that theory correct in short order.
Across the faint trail, the duo passed increasingly craggy terrain studded with occasional glimpses of yokai who quickly scuttled away. Green grass and the light sprinkling of forest faded away. As expected, roughly an hour later, they found themselves surrounded by towering crests of stone on all sides as they crested the 'hill'.
And the sound of scraping steel coming from around the corner where the Shuckle were hidden reached Miria's sharp ears, even if her ward couldn't have been less oblivious.
Miria knew that noise, and she knew Shuckle well enough to know that was not a noise that Shuckle made. She knew, intimately at this point, the sound of a blade. Something was there that shouldn't be.
"Pebbles," she hissed. "Behind me."
She drew her sword slowly, careful not to make a sound. After guiding her charge to cover behind a boulder and giving them The Look that said they would obey their older sister, she crouched down and moved slowly forward. Blessedly, quietly, the young Riftwalker found herself listened to without a second thought. And wasn't it about time. Every step taken sent a jolt of lightning up her spine, wondering if the next step was the one that would see her dead.
Regardless, she continued moving forward, knowing that as long as she wasn't vastly outnumbered, she should be able to take any threat within reason. Besides, she had something to fight for. Someone to fight for.
Finally she was able to peek around the corner, to the small, hidden valley where the Shuckle were 'farmed' for... alcohol. The Shuckle were farmed because, well, they had a shell that was hollow and capable of producing some of the finest alcoholic drinks this side of the Red Royal River. No shame in that, she'd even had a drink or two. She woke up on a rooftop the next day but, that's another story.
It took a moment, for the hidden valley went deep enough into the mountain that it almost became its own cave system, but then she spotted them.
A hulking figure in dark iron armor, crouching towards the back of the cave, doing something with a large, serrated blade. Fortunately, they were facing away from Miria, otherwise she would've easily been spotted. She glanced around and couldn't spot a single one of the drink-producing yokai anywhere. At least not anywhere she could easily see from the awkward angle. The swordswoman hoisted herself up onto one of the many boulders that dotted the area, silently giving thanks for the decision to forgo her full set of armor in favor of just the leather underlayer. She couldn't imagine trying what she was about to try while wearing steel boots.
The ground of the Shuckle farms was covered in a thick layer of gravel—the yokai's preferred bedding, and the result of them smashing their bodies against boulders. Miria could remember how, just a few years back, this farm was so covered in boulders she couldn't see the ground at all. Now she'd have to jump to get from one rock to the next. In a display that managed to be both extremely careful and exceedingly reckless, Miria leapt from one boulder to the next, over and over and over again, doing her best to get close to the figure in the cave without being noticed.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeee
Screeeeeeeeeeeeee
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE
The unexplained scraping sound grew louder and louder, the closer Miria got to the lone knight. Their hunched form was even larger than imagined, and while she didn't quite grow 'daunted', she definitely was more wary. As she approached, with the faint light of the morning illuminating some of the figure, she noted that their armor was shaking in a way that was matching up with the noises, potentially sharpening their blade?
Eventually, the Riftwalker managed to end up on a boulder a short leap away, with the sound of scraping steel amplified to the point where it appeared to echo inside of her head. It was a near-maddening taunt, tugging at her grip on the situation, but she was not one easily rattled. As many times before, she leaned on her athleticism and accompanying bravery. She edged over, attempting to stay out of the knight's presumed periphery. She coiled like a cat...
And plunged, blade first.
The blade jarred violently and suddenly as it penetrated the knight's broad back, but penetrate it did, nonetheless. Miria refused to allow it to slide from her grasp as she bore the intruder to the ground with inertia and gravity on her side, if not weight. With the sudden cessation of the screeching, the cave was plunged into an ominous silence, punctuated by the thud of the collapsing figure.
Miria took a long moment to shake the sensation back into her arm before yanking her sword- it took a few tries, admittedly- back out of the knight.
It gleamed, pristine, in the sliver of sunlight and the warrior found herself pleased with the clean and swift kill.
Miria, in a giddy breathlessness, determined to examine the poacher, used a foot to try to casually flip it onto its back. Its armor was deeply foreign to her, but perhaps it was worth some gold.
"Oh Pebblessss" she sang out, playfully. "Want to see something odd?"
The armor was a bit heavier than she gave it credit for, and she honestly believed it would be fairly solid, but when she finally turned it over, she could only gasp in shock.
Skulls with desiccated faces were embedded periodically across the chest and arms of the blackened armor. Stains that clearly looked to be dried blood were outlining each of the skulls, though. And...
The armor had no hel-
"Are you alright?!"
"Yes mother, I'm fine. Your concern is touching." At some point in her response, she felt her budding concern fade away as confidence shifted into bravado.
She passed her blade into her off-hand and squatted to look closer at the faces, attempting to wrench the odd looking blade out of the thing's grip. She doubted she'd be able to trek the armor back to the nearest city, and something had happened to these Shuckle.
"Why don't you stay back, just for now? I'm gonna check this for enchantm-"
Her mother always told her to pay more attention.
While she was focused on the arm with the sword and the faces across it, the other arm swept up and slammed into her side. Feeling like she'd been run over by an Aggron, Miria was pitched into the ground before sliding across the floor.
She heard a yelp followed by the soft crunch of feet running away as she struggled to rise from the ground. For a few moments her entire world was consumed by worry, rage, and agony. With pain radiating from her sword arm as well as the ribs underneath, she knew without needing to be a Cleric that bones were broken. That thing hit her hard enough with a casual blow that she knew she couldn't take a proper one. And yet, she still had to fight. She wasn't the only one at risk.
Favoring her right side, the young warrior rose before picking up her blade off the ground, only to find the creature looming ominously with a jagged, twisted slab of metal in hand. Awkwardly holding the sword in her non-dominant left hand as the other hung limply at her side, blood trailing down inside of the leather armor, she slowly sidestepped towards the cave entrance. Her eyes didn't leave the unnaturally still form of the abomination but that didn't mean she couldn't project her voice.
"Get back to the city- get the Judiciaries here!"
xxx
Just outside of the cave, peering from behind a boulder, was the child who was most certainly not named Pebbles.
[] Name. Must include the letter "A".
And they had a choice to make.
[] Perform one of the shiny prayers that the elder Clerics use when they need help.
Archetype: Cleric
Sex: Male Demeanor: Anxious but eager, on edge, not quite there, expectant Drive: Moderate High Familial Relationship: Close knit, more to mother than father. Only child. Outlook: I can do it. Things can get better, and I can have an influence if I try Flaws: Often falls to extremes, difficult at finding middle ground. Sore loser. Intention alignment: Low Positive
[] Try to convince Miria to run away with you.
Archetype: Guard
Sex: Male Demeanor: Negative, confident Drive: High Familial Relationship: Very, very weak. Outlook: Is negatively tainted but sloping more positive Flaws: Bravado, arrogance, stubbornness, refusal to accept help Intention Alignment: Low Positive
[] Hide far enough away that you won't be in the way.
Archetype: Blacksmith
Sex: Female Demeanor: Chill, go-with-the-flow, mildly nihilistic Drive: Low Familial Relationship: Imperfect, started close but now distant Outlook: Whatever happens, happens. We can deal with it. Flaws: Indecisive, unable to take action when it can be crucial, sometimes checked out of reality Intention alignment: Low Neutral
[] Cheer your sister on, grab your dagger and go to support her.
Archetype: Deprived
Sex: Male Demeanor: Sarcastic but encouraging Drive: Moderate High Familial Relationship: Wants more than they have. Orphaned, exiled or outcast. Outlook: Self determining, unapologetically optimistic Flaws: Tunnel vision, gets dragged into fights they'd rather avoid Intention Alignment: Moderate Positive
[] Use your dagger and attempt to mimic Miria's plunging attack.
Archetype: Riftwalker
Sex: Female Demeanor: Confident, subtle, quietly assertive Drive: high moderate Familial Relationship: Father split, strong ties to single mother and a couple of siblings Outlook: "If I'm smart and careful, I can change things in my own favor." Flaws: Too hesitant to rely on others. Bad at acting in the moment. Intention Alignment: Low Neutral
[] Throw stones at the abomination to draw its attention.
Archetype: Nobleman
Sex: Male Demeanor: Frustrated and weary Drive: Moderate Low Familial Relationship: Controlling father, feud with another family Outlook: Wants to do "the right thing", somewhat expects to be miserable. "I don't deserve what I have, I'm not sure how to make things change. Things need to be just." Flaws: Exhausts self. Is breaking down and won't admit it. Underestimates self frequently. Highly concerned with image. Takes sides for what they think they should do rather than what they want Intention Alignment: Moderate Positive
[] Run to the city to call the Judiciaries.
Archetype: Ringworker
Sex: Male Demeanor: Flirty, irreverent Drive: Low Familial Relationship: Sibling-based. Lots of siblings. Outlook: Non-believer. Crestfallen. Flaws: Legitimately selfish and self-centered Intention Alignment: Low Negative
[] Look for a nearby yokai to capture and use to help your sister.
Archetype: Yokai Tamer
Sex: Female Demeanor: Bright, upbeat, needlessly optimistic, borderline unhinged Drive: High Familial Relationship: All actual family members are dead, Hollowed long ago. Has become unhinged and sees the yokai as her family. Intensely loyal to them and the woman who 'adopted' her as a younger sister. Outlook: Positive but timid, fights at first provocation Flaws: Mentally unhinged, has bursts of violence if pressured. Intention Alignment: High Neutral
[] Toss your hidden stockpile of homemade Firebombs.
Archetype: Boomsmith
Sex: Female Demeanor: Boisterous, arrogant, congenial Drive: High Familial Relationship: Overzealous rivalry with a cousin, neutral with the rest. Outlook: "The world's a sculpture, just waiting to be made" Flaws: Impulsive, reckless, "safety is for cowards" Intention alignment: High Negative
[] Write In
-[] Archetype
Archetype determines your skillset, significant background information, as well as your personal stats (to be revealed later). In short: The path you walk.
Demeanor is how you act.
Drive is how ambitious you are/how liable you are to be proactive instead of reactive.
Familial Relationship determines part of your background as well as who you have as family. (Subject to change)
Outlook is how you think.
Flaws are some driving personality points that might twist how the rest of your personality manifests.
Intention Alignment determines how you come across to others. High/Moderate/Low indicates the scale with High being "very much so" and Low being "somewhat". Positive/Neutral/Negative indicates where on the sliding scale of selflessness and self-centerness you fall.
[X] Look for a nearby yokai to capture and use to help your sister.
[X] Aziel
There was some great advise about not coming here to not catch them all up above. The Z is needed to balance out the A, and because it's a coll letter.
Oh hey, @veekie showed up. Means my quest is official now.
I'd like to note that a sex is listed for each archetype. In case this changes any of the naming options. (A boy named Alicia cracked me up though, @ChildishChimera)
We should be male. It completes the set of sister and brother.
Not gonna change my BOOM vote though. Big boom or big bust, one cannot exist with the other.
Also, you really want to tame a yokai to help sis? That's gonna take way to long! She's gonna die if that wins, you know, mark my words. I'll cuss you all out while crying if that happens!
At least something more immediate!
Don't tell me they all have an equal chance of saving her. One of the classes requires us to just up and run away!
Hey guys, can any of you tell me how excruciating my detail can be of a woman having her skull become part of a sentient suit of armor be, before it breaks the rules of SV?
I'm asking just in case any of the options that get Miria killed end up winning. Figured I'd play it safe.
Hey guys, can any of you tell me how excruciating my detail can be of a woman having her skull become part of a sentient suit of armor be, before it breaks the rules of SV?
I'm asking just in case any of the options that get Miria killed end up winning. Figured I'd play it safe.
Well...I FUCKING KNEW IT THESE YOKAI PEEPS ARE GOING TO GET SIS KILLED and I'll have to revote. Dang it.
Uhmm, write it as you want for now, then send it to me for some editing. I say that gore is fine as long as its nothing sexual, but I'll make sure to edit out the more questionable bits without ruining the spirit of the description. (I know there are some limits on what you can describe, because I now Rapey_Lemons Blood Rose isn't on here, which describes cannibalism and surely breaks some rules)
But others, please, trying to catch a pokemon is simply going to take to much time. She will die, and its going to be all of your fault. I will be very happy if I am wrong, but I have the feeling I'm not.
Sex: Female Demeanor: Bright, upbeat, needlessly optimistic, borderline unhinged Drive: High Familial Relationship: All actual family members are dead, Hollowed long ago. Has become unhinged and sees the yokai as her family. Intensely loyal to them and the woman who 'adopted' her as a younger sister. Outlook: Positive but timid, fights at first provocation Flaws: Mentally unhinged, has bursts of violence if pressured. Intention Alignment: High Neutral