Spin, Oh Sword of Fate! [Fire Emblem: Fates/M:tAw/Book of Swords]

[Critian Caceorte]

Day and Night. Light and Dark. Two lands, separated by both a bottomless gorge and a terrible conflict. For years the Great King Garon, Ruler of Nohr, Duke of Windmire and Lord of Castle Krakenburg, has waged war against the country of Hoshido for seemingly no purpose beyond his thirst for conquest. As innocent Hoshidans died to blades and shackled fists, and as innocent Nohrians died caught up in eternal politics and warfare, the land itself seemed to cry out for a hero to stop this madness. A hero who could unite the two halves of Dawn and Dusk in peace and harmony.

Of course, the sword currently falling from the sky didn't care in the slightest about this.

To be fair, of course, the sword didn't care for a lot of things. It was, after all, a sword, a tool. To attribute to it human qualities was a task set only for poets, morons, moronic poets and poetic morons, in that order. Oh, and mages too of course, but they were a dime a dozen in this world. What the sword did care about, if indeed a sword could care about such things, were the following:

A) Where would it land? (It's creator, thankfully, had already taken care of the next obvious issue, "How would it stay in one piece")
B) Who were the more... interesting people in this world it found itself rapidly approaching?
C) Who among said interesting people would the sword go to?

Its nonexistent goals established, the sword began to spin lengthwise as it read (again, as much as a sword could read) the tides of fate.

Hmm... 'Interesting'...

It seems a "Chosen One" had been in the making, one destined to unite the two lands before it by either conquest or cooperation using the strength of the dragon and wielding the swo-

'DAMNIT, I hate it when things call dibs before I get there.'

The sword, thinking its brainless thoughts, cursed its luck in an imaginary fashion as it bemoaned it's terrible luck, ironic considering its... abilities. It seemed Yatogami had already claimed this girl to be it's wielder. With one candidate down, the sword went down its list.

'Let's see... Crown Prin- Nope, Siegfried's got him.
Other Crown- Nope, Raijinto.
Not-Crown Prince... a BOOK?! Oh come on!
Other Not-Crown Prince? A bow, well, at least it's a weapon.'

Down the imaginary list the blade went, rejecting more and more candidates until it's metaphorical gaze fell upon one name in particular. Confused, it studied the candidate's fate in depth... before giving an actual, audible cackle, slowly rising in laughter as it adjusted it's course for a quiet village in an area:

[] On the Nohrian Side of the Canyon.
[] On the Hoshidan Side of the Canyon.

%\%\%\%\%

AN: Welcome to my first quest, ladies and gentlemen: "Spin, Oh Sword of Fate!" Having just gotten a new job with an odd and loose work schedule, I've found less and less overall time to write for my other works, so obviously I should start a quest! But seriously, I'm looking to write something a bit more piecemeal, day by day to help with my odd hours, and so I'm starting this up to serve as a creative outlet.

To answer any questions before you ask them, here's a little Q/A.

Q: "Okay, first of all, what is this "Book of Swords" and why haven't I heard of it?"
A: The Book of Swords series was written by Fred Saberhagen and details the conflict caused by twelve magic swords forged by Vulcan and quenched in the blood of man. He made them because the Gods, being the Greek/Roman pantheon, decided to have some fun with the mortals who worshiped them and so had Vulcan make these blades to be used as chess pieces in this little game of theirs. Problem is, Vulcan made the swords too good, and so they could affect the Gods as well with their unique powers. Thus, like a classic Greek tragedy, the Gods themselves were brought down by their own hubris as the people of the Earth slew them one by one.

Q: "Well, that's all well and good, but why have use it as a crossover element? How are you even using it as a crossover element?"
A: I'm using it as a crossover element because I like the swords. That's... about it. Each one is interesting, and has it's strengths and weaknesses (except for Doomgiver, but for the purposes of this story I'm cutting it out, along with Shieldbreaker. There is such a thing as too powerful, after all). Main Character-chan is going to be getting one of these swords (which one it is in particular should be obvious in the first few chapters, though the sword having a "mind" of it's own should be a big hint.) Due note, these swords are indestructible, sharp as a scalpel, and perfectly balanced, not to mention each sword's unique abilities. Also, I will be translating their names into Greek to help reinforce the divine origin. Don't worry, the English names will be used quite a lot more often, I'm just building atmosphere here.

Q: "Okay... but what's with the Mage: the Awakening tag?"
A: To make things more... interesting, I'm going to be giving the Swords an association with a Mage arcana, which they will give their wielder access to in an initially limited fashion. Does this not make sense? It'll be explained later... eventually. Don't like it? Look, I'm trying to create an interesting quest, and sometimes power creep needs to be implemented. *Braces arms against thrown rocks* OW, OW, okay, okay, so I shouldn't have phrased it like that. Just... trust me a little, okay?

Q: "Well, who are we even going to be playing in this stupid game?"
A: You will be taking the role of the Best Fates Girl: Mozu.

OW! Okay, I really need to check what I say before I say it.
Anyways, as Mozu, you'll be joining either the Nohrians or the Hoshidans as a village girl who suddenly acquired a legendary weapon out of nowhere and both unintentionally and intentionally utilizes its powers to become powerful, experienced and (probably) famous! All the while, every one of the major players in the setting will be scratching theirs head wondering where the hell this superpowerful artifact came from.

Q: "Is this quest going to be using roll-playing, or will it just be storytelling only?"
A: The quest indeed will be using dice for actions. Under the advice of my friend @dingbat779 , I'm going to be using a variant of the typical D100 Quest system instead of the Fire Emblem mechanics. Mostly because I find the equations behind them quite confusing. It will have level-ups, it will utilize stat growths and it will be using the following stats and acquired traits. The stats in particular have been shamelessly stolen from various franchises:
Strength: It should be quite obvious what this does. Lift stuff, pull stuff, hit stuff hard, it's Strength, we all know what we do with it.
Agility: How fast, and, well, agile your movements are. This covers dodging, athletics and, surprise surprise, movement. Again, pretty obvious.
Precision: How dextrous your movements are, as well as how good your senses can be. This is your hit/detect things stat.
Intelligence: How smart you are. Note that this does not mean how smart your actions are, as that's up to you guys.
Magic: How good you are at the Oogie-Boogie stuff. This stat is utilized for Mage-magic, Tomes and Scrolls.
Persuasion: How good you are at talking to people, and making them do what you want.
Endurance: How good you are at taking a hit and resisting detrimental effects. It determines your Hit Points, and is rolled together with Strength for your Physical Defense, and Magic for your Magical Defense.
Luck: Oh boy, it's everyone's favorite stat! Nonetheless, it is vitally important for the purposes of this quest. We're going to be diverging from the Canon Timeline quite a bit eventually if all goes well, so this is used to determine how safe things will go for you and your buddies.

These are your 8 primary stats. We'll be determining base growths for these eventually. Your starting class will be Villager, but you depending on your choices as the story progresses you can change to practically any class in the game (Obviously, outside some pretty miraculous events the Kitsune, Wolfskin, Lord and Princess class will be unavailable to you. Dragon Powers take quite a lot more than just a Buddy Seal, you know!)

This leads me to my next point: Village Location. Whatever option you choose determines what side of the conflict Mozu ends up on. I suggest you choose wisely, as Little Miss Canon Protag will be ending up on the opposite side of the one you chose. So, if you choose Nohr, Corrin will be ending up with Hoshido. No matter what, you'll be fighting her. And yes, I do mean her, we're not going to be doing a Rival Romance here, unless a "Revelations"-esque path is created and practically all of the viewers want a lesbian option. Well, when we get there, if you guys don't want Kana to exist... be my guest... I guess.

Also, we'll be talking about "Supports and Pairings" later down the line, I'll be laying down a few rules then.

Well, that's all I have to say for now. If you have any more questions, ask away! I'll be answering them as best I can without spilling potential plot events. Regardless, please, vote away, and have a nice day!

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Closing the Vote now... and it's a tie.
*Sigh*
Well, when in doubt, you can always leave things to chance so, 1-50 will be Hoshido, 51-100 will be Nohr. And the Winner is...

20. Guess we're going with Hoshido.
Sorry Conquest Fans, at least your Avatar is canonwise sticking with your favorite route.

Well, now that that's all over, let's get to Character Creation!

%\%\%\%\%

Down in the valley, to the East of the Bottomless Canyon, dwells a small rural village. It doesn't have a name, indeed, it never did have a name, being too small to have ever received any kind of attention outside of the purposes of warfare from Hoshido's administration. The little community there did well enough on their own, they were an agricultural sort, and so had long become used to "roughing it out" in the wilderness. Of course, living in Hoshido territory did mean astounding crop yields, at least compared to some of the other nations (and Nohr in particular), and so the Villagers rarely starved, outside of the rare harsh winter. However, within this small community of farmers there dwelt a Mother and her Daughter, doing their best to maintain the family farm. The Husband, having died as a soldier for the Hoshidan Army in the last days of the previous war, when King Sumeragi still sat on the Hoshidan Throne, had left behind the two people he loved most, and with his death the farm suffered. It was as if even the animals grieved for his exit from the world. However, his wife, Misaki, and his daughter, Mozume, never let his death get in the way of their happiness, having a firm knowledge that their husband and father was in a better place with his ancestors now.

As Mozume, or Mozu as her friends called her, grew and increased in simple wisdom and loving compassion, she began to develop her talents in certain directions that made her stand out from the other children of the village. Most prevalent among these was:

[] The Strength in her Muscles.
[] The Quicksilver in her Feet.
[] The Sharpness in her Gaze.
[] The Refinement of her Mind.
[] The Arete of her Prowess.
[] The Straightness of her Posture.
[] The Marrow in her Bones.
[] The Providence of her Birth Sign.

However, try as she might, the lack of a father in her latter childhood years did have an impact on her, even if it did not dominate her life. This manifested itself as:

[] The Weakness in her Muscles
[] The Lead in her Feet.
[] The Dullness of her Gaze.
[] The Wastefulness of her Mind.
[] The Lacking in her Prowess.
[] The Bending in her Back.
[] The Brittleness of her Bones.
[] The Omens in her Birth Sign.

With these in mind, her life proceeded smoothly... until one fateful morning, when one of the local hunters knocked on their home's door in a panicked manner.

%\%\%\%\%

Welcome to Character Creation! Here we finally get to design Mozu's base stats and eventually stat growths. Each option listed in the "Blessing" and "Flaw" sections (Boons and Banes, for our veteran Fire Emblem players here), corresponds to a stat in the order listed in my first post. So, Strength, Agility, Precision, Intelligence, Magic, Persuasion, Endurance and Luck. You guys can choose one "Blessing" and "Flaw" from these lists (making sure not to take the Blessing and Flaw of the same stat), and these will in turn boost (and lower) your base stats and will influence your stat growths.

What does this all mean?
Well, Base Stats are a character's personal base stats combined with their classes' base stats. Normally the personal base stats are already determined for every character, but since Mozu is our player character we get to choose what these stats will end up being. Now, having been using the D100 system and not the Fire Emblem mechanics exactly, stat growths will end up looking just a little different. Instead of being the chance each level of raising a specific stat, I will instead be using them as a bonus for training rolls in that stat. The higher the growth, the easier training up the stat will be (though you still have to set aside time to train during each segment). As for level-ups, I will be giving you guys 3 points each level to distribute as you want across your stats, with the only rules being no adding multiple points per stat per level-up, and no "saving up" points. Essentially, you can't just put all of your points in Strength in a single level, and you can't stock the points up for later spending.

More on this will be added later, but as it is it's already 10 pm where I am and do need to get up for work in the morning. I will be explaining the rest of the mechanics in full tomorrow. Make sure you get your votes in! I'd rather not have to deal with another tie-breaker as is.

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Let's do this thing! My body is ready!

Click to shrink...

I can only imagine.

Spoiler

>FE:F/Book of Swords
This actually IS the strangest crossover I've seen.

Click to shrink...

Oh, I'm perfectly aware of this, though I'm surprised to see someone else whose actually read the books, I can't even find a copy of any of them anymore at my local library or on kindle.

Coinspinner's an interesting choice of weapon. It's also kind of a giant dick.

Click to shrink...

Yep. This will be made quite prevalent in the next few chapters. The only thing I can guarantee you guys is that it won't just randomly leave you in this story like it usually does, though it will do it's best to be as annoying as possible outside of combat.

Good swords to make friends with: Woundhealer, Stonecutter, Dragonslicer, though whoever gets that one will be pretty worthless outside of being able to solo Corrin and Garon at the same time.

Click to shrink...

Stonecutter's wielder is going to be making a guaranteed appearance late in the story. As for Woundhealer and Dragonslicer, it depends on the dice. Also, remember that this is also a Mage: the Awakening crossover and thus Dragonslicer will provide more for its wielder besides just Insta-Gibbing Dragons. Rather, Corrin, Garon and Diviners will now be instantly rendered useless against it, rather than just the first two.

Townsaver's Shieldbreaker levels of OP, with a downside to match.

Click to shrink...

It also prefers protecting bystanders rather than it's wielder, and I doubt anyone who pulls out Townsaver will be able to do any magic whatsoever.

Word for the thread: if someone so much as suggests they have Soulcutter, RUN.

Click to shrink...

Again, it depends on the dice, but I can say that you won't instantly commit suicide the moment you walk into range, so that's good... right?

Now that I've said that (and having taken a sick day due to illness, uggh.) I can continue my explanation!

Traits

Traits are bonuses and effects (usually positive) related to having high stats. They are "sub-stats" which you can add to a roll if they apply. Each traits is connected to a stat, and you can only use one trait per stat per roll. What this means is that if you have a trait related to Strength which gives you a bonus to rolls involving lifting objects, you cannot also apply another trait related to strength which gives a bonus for general athletics. You can, however, apply a trait related to Intelligence which gives you a bonus to anything related to engineering if that would also apply, since they are related to two different stats. Obviously, this means there is a very, very slim chance of you guys somehow applying 8 traits at once to a roll, one for every stat, but that's like finding a leprechaun at this point.

Circumstances

Circumstances are the little things that either hinder you or help you depending what's going on. Like in the example above, if you were trying to lift something and you had a friend to help you lift it, there's a little bonus for that. If it has easy places for to grab onto, that's a bonus. If however you tried to lift in while it's firmly stuck in the mud, that's a penalty. You always use every circumstance which applies to the roll to add or subtract from it.

Circumstances aren't just related to the environment, however. Equipment is also a "circumstance". If you were trying to dig something out of the ground and you had a shovel, that's a circumstance which benefits you. If you were trying to do so in full plate armor, however, that's a circumstance which penalizes you.

Finally, magical effects are also "circumstances". Let's go back to the example of lifting the heavy object. If you were under an effect which boosted your strength, or if the object were under an effect that made it lighter, that's a beneficial circumstance. If the object were made heavier, that's a harmful circumstance.

While Stats and Traits will make up the bulk of your roll modifiers, it's going to be circumstances which get applied the most.

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Well, this was an interesting vote. It was voted 4-2 (with one outlier) that Luck is going to be Mozu's Flaw... Interesting. Well, it's a good thing this is Fates and not Awakening, or else you'd guys be pretty low, even starting out at level 1. However, all of you guys who didn't vote for Luck (That'd be the 3 of you) as a Flaw did vote for it as a Blessing, and since we can't have both, I'm going to have to go to the next highest: Agility, at just 2 votes! So, to start things off, let's check out the Villager stats, converted to the stat format I've got going right now:

Strength: 5 (Pretty decent, nothing to write home about; Determined by using the Str value)
Agility: 5 (A surprisingly good number compared to other classes, and once we get to total stats it's only going to get better; Determined by using the Spd value)
Precision: 4 (Yeah, you're okay, but there are people who do it better than you right now; Determined by using the Skl value)
Intelligence: 2 (Yeah, villagers in general aren't the most all-knowing people there are, Determined by Averaging the Mag and Skl values and rounding up)
Magic: 0 (You've been plowing fields and growing crops your whole life, not a lot of potential for wizard shenanigans now is there? Determined by using the Mag value)
Persuasion: 2 (Villagers aren't that good standing up to people above their station, though their okay talking amongst themselves; Determined by averaging the Skl and Res values and rounding up)
Endurance: 2 (Villagers tend to be malnourished and thus their bodies are overworked and underpaid, but this won't be the case for you in a moment; Determined by averaging the Def and Res values and rounding up)
Luck: 3 (It's okay, but it's only going down from here; Determined by using the Lck value)

Now, the above calculations are used to convert are a bit... iffy, I know. I'm trying the stats from a purely shipping-combat-based game into stats more friendly to a Role-playing game, or a quest like this one. I'm only using these conversions on Class stats and Character Base Stats, as points from levels are added purely to the Converted stats and not the original Fire Emblem ones. Speaking of which, before we move onto adding base stats and the stats gained and lost from the Blessing and Flaw respectively, I should talk about Classes and how they are going to play into this.

Classes in this Quest are used to determine three different things: Class Stats, Stat Growths and Traits. When you change into another Class, you switch over to that Classes' base stats. For example, if you were to change into a Mage right now, you would no longer have a Magic stat of 0 (like you do right now) and would instead have a Magic stat of 4 (again, this isn't taking into account Mozu's base stats, stats from levels or stats gained from training). Of course, you would also have a Strength stat of 0 instead of 5, so that's also something to take into account. By necessity, I'm going to be doubling the base Class stats of Promoted classes, because if I don't then they're just a bit underwhelming. Promoted units in Fire Emblem have always been a big deal, and that needs to be apparent here as well.

Stat growths are simple, all it is is Mozu's base stat growths (which the Blessing and the Flaw helped determine) plus the stat growths of the class she's in. These stat growths are used as modifiers for training for training rolls, and if you pass the DC for the training roll, the stat you were training gets increased by 1. The DC's of course get harder the more you train up the stat, and you can only train up a stat up to your current level/2, rounded up.

Finally, Classes provide traits as you level up, which you may recognize as the skills for those classes, plus a few more. For base classes, you get traits at Lv.'s 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 20 (Yes, yes, I stole those markers from Heroes of the Storm, what are you going to do about it?) Some of those traits (with the exception of the ones gained at Lv.'s 1 and 10) are going to be shared by some classes, and some are simply improvements on previous traits. That way, there is more of an incentive to get as many levels in a class as possible, and obviously some classes are going to have more useful traits than others (*Cough*Villagers*Cough). Mozu, being a Lv. 1 Villager, gains the Aptitude trait, which falls under Luck. It provides a +10 bonus to all of your stat growths, as some of you may know.

Be warned, however, that there is a difference between Class Levels and Personal Levels. Class levels are your levels in a Class, and are used to determine what traits you have access to, and Personal Levels are all of the levels you have gained in total so far. The EXP needed to move forward in a level is based on your Personal Level, and not your class level, so if you've been promoted into a class, and then change into a base class, you don't suddenly have an easier time getting EXP. I do not want a repeat of Awakening shenanigans.

If you need me to explain things more in-depth, or better, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can reduce your confusion, as I know this is pretty complicated stuff already. Having said that, we can now move onto adding our stats together!

Strength: 5 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=6
Agility: 5 (Class)+4 (+2 from Base, +2 from Blessing)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=9 (You are right now as fast as some Ninjas. Mozu's base agility bonus is already good but MAN does the Blessing help.)
Precision: 4 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=5
Intelligence: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Magic: 0 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1 (I'm giving you guys +1 Magic just because. Aren't I the best?)
Persuasion: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Endurance: 2 (Class)+2 (+1 from Base, +1 from Choosing Hoshido)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=4 (You guys get +1 Endurance for choosing Hoshido, since it's a land of plenty and so Malnutrition is much less of a worry. If you had chosen Nohr, I would have given you +1 Precision instead).
Luck: 3 (Class)-2 (0 from Base, -2 from Flaw)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1 (Ouch... you really, really are not a lucky person right now, as the coming events might show.)

So yeah. You're going to be a doubling machine right now, with decent strength and precision, but your luck is the worst right now. Again, quite appropriate for what's coming.

This is where I'm going to be ending my explanation now. We'll talk what exactly our stat growths are right now when training becomes an actual thing for us to do. As it is guys, I'm going straight to bed. I'll be posting the first actual chapter tomorrow. (Also, I really should have reserved some posts to put the Character Sheet in, but oh well I'll just have to put it somewhere in the first one.)

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Mozume
Level: 1
Class: Villager Lv. 1
Stats:
Hit Points: 16 (Endurance x 4)
Strength: 5 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=6
Agility: 5 (Class)+4 (+2 from Base, +2 from Blessing)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=9
Precision: 4 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=5
Intelligence: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Magic: 0 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Persuasion: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Endurance: 2 (Class)+2 (+1 from Base, +1 from Choosing Hoshido)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=4
Luck: 3 (Class)-2 (0 from Base, -2 from Flaw)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Stat Growths:
Strength: 10 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Agility: 10 (Class)+50 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=70
Precision: 10 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=60
Intelligence: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Magic: 0 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=40
Persuasion: 5 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=55
Endurance: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Luck: 20 (Class)+20 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Traits:
Forager (Intelligence): Restore 10% of HP every update while in a Forest, Mountain or near a body of water (Character Trait)
Country Girl (Persuasion): +5 to Persuasion rolls while interacting with anyone from the Country. (Background Trait)
Aptitude (Luck): +10 to Stat Growths (Villager Lv. 1)
Possessions: None

Chapter 1: On the Coldest Day in Hell pt. 1
Mokuyobi (Thursday), the 17th of Hachigatsu (August), according to the Wheel of Time
??/??, according to the Wheel of Fate
??/??, according to the Wheel in the Sky

*BangBangBang* "Misaki! Misaki!"

Misaki opened the door to her and her daughter's home, confused as to what was going on. As she opened the door, she spotted an older man in a round, straw hat, fist raised to knock once more (which nearly smacked her in the head, she noticed), a panicked look across his face. She opened the door fully, and asked him:

"Giichi? What is going on?"

He responded in a rapid manner, one not typical of him. "The Village! It's being attacked right now by the Faceless Ones! Goichi's helping to fight them off while I alert everyone and help them evacuate. You and your daughter are the last ones I needed to warn!"

Misaki's wrinkled eyes widened, before she ran as fast as she could to the barn. Opening the door in a time sure to set records in another world, she yelled out to her daughter, who was at the moment feeding the family mule, "MOZU! The village is under attack! We need to run!" Her daughter quickly dropped what she was doing, untied the mule from the barn post in it's stable, and said, "Here, Mother! You can ride Ken!" Nodding thankfully (for in her old age she was beginning to develop pain in her joints, which in another world would be called arthritis, which slowed down her ability to run), she grabbed a saddle, placed it onto the Mule and with an ease which almost defied her old age, jumped up onto the horse's back. Mozu in a rush grabbed her mother's [Bamboo Yumi] and handed it off to her. She then brought out her own bow...

...Which she had forgotten to make a new string for.

Quietly cursing her own lack of preparedness, she quickly searched the barn for anything that could be used as a weapon, before Giichi called out to her. "Mozu!" He had grabbed a [Brass Naginata] from his mount's saddle and handed it to her. "This is a spare one I have, use it to help the two of you escape!" With that, he got onto his Kinshi and flew off back towards the now-burning village.

Mozu called out to him desperately, "But I don't know how to use it!" It was too late however, he had long since sped away from hearing range. Shaking her head to help her refocus, she saw her mother galloping out to the nearby river. Misaki called out to her, "MOZU! THIS WAY!" Rushing to catch up with her, the two of them ran across their now-useless crop fields and into the heavily wooded area as they journeyed to get to the river.

Mozu: Roll for fatigue, DC 30: 49+4 (Endurance)+5 (Adrenaline)-10 (Heavy, unfamiliar weight)-10 (Sprinting)=38, Bare Success!

Panting for breath, Mozu looked around the area around the familiar river. Her mother tugged on her shoulder, pointing towards the edge of the river. "We need to cross if we're going to escape! Keep going, the water's not deep over there!" Nodding, she got into the water, which only went up to her knees, and began to jog in order to save her breath.

Mozu: Roll for fatigue, DC 30: 50+4 (Endurance)+5 (Adrenaline)-10 (Heavy, unfamiliar weight)-0 (Jogging)-5 (Minor Fatigue)=44, Success!

It helped, and by the time she and her mother had crossed the river onto the other shore she had caught her breath at least a little. Picking up the pace, the two of them hurried past trees and bushes...

Mozu: Contested Roll for perception: 16+5 (Precision)+5 (Adrenaline)-3 (Babbling Brook close by)=23
Misaki: Contested Roll for perception: 86+5 (Precision)+5 (Adrenaline)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-3 (Babbling Brook close by)=88 (Whistles)
???: Contested Roll for stealth: 47+5 (Precision)+3 (Babbling Brook close by)-30 (Is the Stay Puft Marshmallow man here?)=25
Mozu: Bare Failure, Misaki: Critical Success! (Man, Momma does not miss a thing)

"MOZU! WATCH OUT!" Whipping to look at her mother, Mozu gasped in astonishment as her mother immediately shot an arrow...

Misaki: Contested Roll to hit: 83+5 (Precision)+2 (1/2 of Luck)+10 (I GOT MY EYE ON YOU!)-5 (It's literally made out of Bamboo)=95 *WHISTLES HARDER*
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 76+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)-10(!)=72
Result: 95-72=23, Success!
Misaki: Roll for Crit, DC 77: 6+3 (Luck)+3 (1/2 of Precision)+0 (Weapon)=12, No Crit...
Damage Dealt: (d6: 3)+4 (Weapon)+5 (Strength)-1 (The Wonders of Old Age)-9 (Target's Defense)=2 Damage Dealt!
Faceless HP: 18->16

...Which sunk into the flesh of the Huge Monster behind the bushes. Holding out her naginata before her, she watched as the giant began to move towards them...

%\%\%\%\%
A/N: Aaaaand that's where I'm leaving things off for now! *Gets rocks chucked at him* Ow, ow, look, these posts take time! I have to do exposition, dialogue, dice rolls, adding up dice rolls, it all takes time. Don't worry, we'll be getting a lot more of combat done next time. Though I do have to say, man is your Mom awesome. I was not expecting such good rolls for a woman of her age. And as for those "Wheels" at the top... we'll get to them eventually.

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Mozume
Level: 1
Class: Villager Lv. 1
Stats:
Hit Points: 16 (Endurance x 4)
Strength: 5 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=6
Agility: 5 (Class)+4 (+2 from Base, +2 from Blessing)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=9
Precision: 4 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=5
Intelligence: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Magic: 0 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Persuasion: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Endurance: 2 (Class)+2 (+1 from Base, +1 from Choosing Hoshido)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=4
Luck: 3 (Class)-2 (0 from Base, -2 from Flaw)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Stat Growths:
Strength: 10 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Agility: 10 (Class)+50 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=70
Precision: 10 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=60
Intelligence: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Magic: 0 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=40
Persuasion: 5 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=55
Endurance: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Luck: 20 (Class)+20 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Traits:
Forager (Intelligence): Restore 10% of HP every update while in a Forest, Mountain or near a body of water (Character Trait)
Country Girl (Persuasion): +5 to Persuasion rolls while interacting with anyone from the Country. (Background Trait)
Aptitude (Luck): +10 to Stat Growths (Villager Lv. 1)
Possessions:
[Brass Naginata]: 4 Might, -5 Accuracy, +1 to Endurance for purposes of Damage Mitigation, +10 Critical Evade, Cannot Trigger Critical Hits

Chapter 1: On the Coldest Day in Hell pt. 2
Mokuyobi (Thursday), the 17th of Hachigatsu (August), according to the Wheel of Time
??/??, according to the Wheel of Fate
??/??, according to the Wheel in the Sky

Holding out her naginata before her, she watched as the giant began to move towards them...

Click to shrink...

...And swung it's fist towards the enemy which dared to strike it.

The Rider... or the Horse? Rolled: 2, the Horse is targeted.

Or at least, the closest thing it could reach.

Faceless: Contested Roll to hit: 50+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)+2 (Blood For Blood)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=47
Mule: Contested Roll to not be hit: 73+3 (Agility)+5 (1/2 of Luck)+1 (In honor of Fire Emblem Horses)-10 (He's a Non-Aquatic, Four-Legged Mammal of Inaction)-10 (Panicking)=59
Result: 47-59=-12, Failure!

In a moment of athletic ability rarely seen by those of it's kind (A/N: Unless you're a Fire Emblem horse like here, in which case we salute you.), the mule jumped out of the way, in a manner both fast and which did not somehow make Misaki fall off. Which was miraculous in of itself. As for the Faceless...

Faceless: Roll to not pull a derp, DC 30: 23+0 (Intelligence)-10 (They don't make them like they used to...)-2 (Blood For Blood)=11
Result: Failure!

...It just stood there dumbly as it's fist hit the ground where the mule should have been. Taking the opportunity for what it was, Mozu leapt in, her naginata thrusting forward...

Mozu: Contested Roll to hit: 86+5 (Precision)+1 (1/2 of Luck)+10 (It's like smacking a Gazeebo)-5 (Weapon Accuracy)-10 (Heavy, unfamiliar weight)=87
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 39+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)-10 (Standing around at the speed of ground...)=35
Result: 87-35=52, Critical Success!! (Trumps Brass Inability, A/N: Brass weapons don't trigger critical hits, here, they don't roll for them. Doesn't mean that one can't pop up based on how well someone did.)
Damage Dealt: (d6: 1)+4 (Weapon)+6 (Strength)-9 (Target's Defense) x 3 (Critical Hit)=6 Damage Dealt!
Faceless HP: 16->10

...And hitting the bewildered foe expertly, smashing the dulled edge into the monster's face and destroying it's mask. Exposed, the abomination's surgically altered visage gave it a terror-inducing countenance as it roared in anger.

Faceless: Contested Roll to induce fear: 60+5 (Persuasion)+0 (1/2 of Intelligence)+8 (Blood For Blood)+10 (Frankenstein's Monster's Cousin)=83
Mozu: Contested Roll to not become afraid: 80+3 (Persuasion)+2 (1/2 of Intelligence)-10 (Close Encounter with the Ugliest Kind)=75
Misaki: Contested Roll to not become afraid: 60+3 (Persuasion)+2 (1/2 of Intelligence)+5 (Slightly Jaded)-10 (Close Encounter with the Ugliest Kind)=60
Mozu: Bare Failure, Misaki: Failure!
???: Roll to ???, DC 45: 12+4-10-5=1, Major Failure!
Result: ??? Worsened Greatly

Stunned by both the terrible reveal and earsplitting bellow, the now terrified duo could only watch in horror as the beast swung now at Mozu...

Faceless: Contested Roll to hit: 10+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)+8 (Blood For Blood)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=13
Mozu: Contested Roll to not be hit: 28+9 (Agility)+1 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (On the Edge)=33
Result: 13-33=-20, Failure!

With instincts she didn't know she had, Mozu jumped out of the way of the approaching attack, leaving the creature...

Faceless: Roll to not pull a derp, DC 40: 25+0 (Intelligence)-10 (They don't make them like they used to...)-8 (Blood For Blood)=7
Result: Major Failure!

...once again dumbfounded at it's Lack of Smack (A/N: I am not sorry for that rhyme). While her mother was still recovering from the yell, Mozu once again leaped forward...

Mozu: Contested Roll to hit: 2+5 (Precision)+1 (1/2 of Luck)+15 (It's just standing there... Menacingly...)-5 (Weapon Accuracy)-10 (Heavy, unfamiliar weight)=8
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit Natural 2 rolled, Automatic Major Failure!

...and missed entirely, instead tapping the golem on the upswing, which knocked it out of it's stupor. Fully recovered, her mother took the oppurtunity to fire off a shot...

Misaki: Contested Roll to HIt: 67+5 (Precision)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (It's made out of Bamboo...)=69
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 41+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)=47
Result: 69-47=22, Success!
Misaki: Roll for Crit, DC 78: 79+3 (Luck)+3 (1/2 of Precision)+0 (Weapon)=85, Success!
Damage Dealt: (d6:5)+4 (Weapon)+5 (Strength)-1 (The Wonders of Old Age)-9 (Target's Defense) x 3=12 Damage Dealt!
Faceless HP: 10->-2, Faceless Slain!

(A/N: I had actually forgot to roll for that crit when I did the attack, and that lack of damage led to shenanigans before I fixed it, you can find what I had right here:

Spoiler

A Work in the Making (Endurance) Trait Applied! Bloodied Penalties no longer apply!

...which got the Monster in it's neck, causing it to start spewing black ichor. Crying out in pain, it once again turned to punch out Misaki...

The Rider... or the Horse? Rolled: 1, the Rider is targeted.
Faceless: Contested Roll to Hit: 67+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)+11 (BLOOD FOR BLOOD)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=73
Misaki: Contested Roll to not be hit: 99+7 (Agility)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-10 (Currently Mounted)=93
Result: Natural 99 rolled, Automatic Major Failure!

With a flexibility she lost she had lost, Misaki bent over backwards as the fist flew through the space she once occupied. Quickly getting back up, she immediately nocked back an arrow and let loose a counter attack.

Misaki: Contested Roll to Hit: 13+5 (Precision)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (It's made out of Bamboo...)=15
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 43+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)=49
Result: 15-49=-34, Major Failure!

The arrow missed, as one might expect from having such a short window to aim, both temporally and spacially. The berserker then followed up it's terrible effort of an attack with another blow...

Faceless: Contested Roll to Hit: 19+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)+11 (BLOOD FOR BLOOD)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=25
Misaki: Contested Roll to not be hit: 38+7 (Agility)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-10 (Currently Mounted)=32
Result: 25-32=Bare Failure

...And nearly succeeded this time, barely missing Misaki with the attack. This time, Mozu tried to intervene by lunging at the monster...

Mozu: Contested Roll to Hit: 27+5 (Precision)+1 (1/2 of Luck)+5 (It has it's back turned)-5 (Weapon Accuracy)-10 (Heavy, unfamiliar weight)=23
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 99+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)=105
Result: Critical Failure!

...Which only made things worse. The beast grabbed the naginata where the blade met the staff, pulled it (and by extension, Mozu) towards it as it raised its arm back for a counter-attack...

Faceless: Contested Roll to Hit: 3+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)+11 (BLOOD FOR BLOOD)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=19
Mozu: Contested Roll to not be hit: Automatic Major Failure!

Which missed her entirely and set the creature off balance, causing both parties to stumble. Misaki, meanwhile, was eager to end the fight and help her daughter, and so she drew back her bow one more time...

Misaki: Contested Roll to Hit: 76+5 (Precision)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (It's made out of Bamboo...)=78
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 87+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)-10 (A bit of a stumble, really)=83
Result: 78-83=-5, Bare Failure

...Which just missed it by a hair. Having not noticed the projectile, and too busy trying to steady itself (Mozu was having largely the same issue), the monster didn't see Misaki fire off another projectile...

Misaki: Contested Roll to Hit: 50+5 (Precision)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (It's made out of Bamboo...)=52
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 56+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)-10 (A bit of a stumble, really)=52
Result: Tie! d100 Tiebreaker, 1-50 Attack Misses, 51-100 Attack Hits.
d100: 12
Result: Bare Failure

...Which again missed. Having balanced itself correctly, the beast moved to once again attack Mozu...

Faceless: Contested Roll to Hit: 38+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)+11 (BLOOD FOR BLOOD)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=44
Mozu: Contested Roll to not be hit: 8+9 (Agility)+1 (1/2 of Luck)-15 (Tripping over yourself)=3
Result: 44-3=41, Major Success!

Yeah, pretty stupid of me, I know)

Encounter Over!
Mozu gained 32 XP! 68 Until Next Level!

%\%\%\%\%\%
A/N: ...You know what, I just spent four hours on that, I'm going to be doing Author's Notes for this some other time, I need some ice cream...

EDIT: I am enjoying my Mint Chocolate Pimpin' Chip. It eases my soul's suffering.

 

[Critian Caceorte]

I forgot to add the threadmark for the last one, this is to make sure you know the latest chapter is up.

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Mozume
Level: 1
Class: Villager Lv. 1
Stats:
Hit Points: 16 (Endurance x 4)
Strength: 5 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=6
Agility: 5 (Class)+4 (+2 from Base, +2 from Blessing)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=9
Precision: 4 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=5
Intelligence: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Magic: 0 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Persuasion: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Endurance: 2 (Class)+2 (+1 from Base, +1 from Choosing Hoshido)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=4
Luck: 3 (Class)-2 (0 from Base, -2 from Flaw)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Stat Growths:
Strength: 10 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Agility: 10 (Class)+50 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=70
Precision: 10 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=60
Intelligence: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Magic: 0 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=40
Persuasion: 5 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=55
Endurance: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Luck: 20 (Class)+20 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Traits:
Forager (Intelligence): Restore 10% of HP every update while in a Forest, Mountain or near a body of water (Character Trait)
Country Girl (Persuasion): +5 to Persuasion rolls while interacting with anyone from the Country. (Background Trait)
Aptitude (Luck): +10 to Stat Growths (Villager Lv. 1)
Possessions:
[Brass Naginata]: 4 Might, -5 Accuracy, +1 to Endurance for purposes of Damage Mitigation, +10 Critical Evade, Cannot Trigger Critical Hits

Chapter 1: On the Coldest Day in Hell pt. 3
Mokuyobi (Thursday), the 17th of Hachigatsu (August), according to the Wheel of Time
??/??, according to the Wheel of Fate
??/??, according to the Wheel in the Sky

The monster, a Faceless, fell face-first onto the ground as an arrow stuck out of it's neck, the wound spewing black ichor onto the ground. Mozu and Misaki stood still as they both tried to catch their breath.

Mozu: Roll for Fatigue, DC 30: 97+4 (Endurance)+5 (Adrenaline)-15 (Finished Combat)=91, 91-30=61, Critical Success!
Critical Success Rolled, Roll to acquire trait: 8, Roll failed, Trait not acquired
Mozu: Roll to acquire Weapon Familiarity, DC 30, 50+3 (Intelligence)+5 (Used in Combat)-10 (No Formal Training)=48, Success!
Heavy, Unfamiliarity Rating reduced to Heavy penalty! (-10 to -5)
Misaki: Roll for Fatigue, DC 30: 16+4 (Endurance)+5 (Adrenaline)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-15 (Finished Combat)=5, Failure!

Renewed with a second wind, Mozu stood just a bit straighter as she hefted her naginata onto her shoulder. Misaki, meanwhile, had her hand on her breast as she began to weeze painfully. Worried, Mozu looked to her mother as she gasped for air. Her mother waved her off. "Don't worry, I'm just not as young as I used to. I'll be fine, I'm only riding a horse anyways." Nodding, Mozu began to run along the rivers edge while her mother followed her on the mule, both eager to not run into any more enemies.

Random Encounter Roll: 21, Major Encounter!

It was not to be, however. The two of them stopped as quickly as they could the moment they say two Faceless mindlessly wandering near the river's edge.

Mozu: Contested Roll for stealth: 81+5 (Precision)+3 (Babbling Brook nearby)-10 (Running nearby)=79
Misaki: Contested Roll for stealth: 76+5 (Precision)+3 (Babbling Brook nearby)=84
Mule: Contested Roll for stealth: 79+1 (Precision)+3 (Babbling Brook nearby)-10 (Panicking)=73
Faceless #1: Contested Roll for perception: 20+5 (Precision)-3 (Babbling Brook nearby)-5 (Reduced Senses)=17
Faceless #2: Contested Roll for perception: 58+5 (Precision)-3 (Babbling Brook nearby)-5 (Reduced Senses)=55
Results, Faceless #1: 79,84,73-17=62,67,56, Critical Success!
Results, Faceless #2: 79,84,73-55=24,29,18, Success/Major Success/Success!
Mozu: Critical Success Rolled, Roll to acquire trait: 12, Roll failed, trait not acquired

Miraculously, the two Faceless seemed to have ignored them as they continued to move along the rocky beach. Jerking her thumb in a perpendicular direction, Misaki guided her daughter away from the river and into the treeline nearby as the two of them with the mule quietly snuck along.

Encounter Over!
Mozu acquired 42 XP! 26 Until Next Level!

Making sure to keep the river within visible distance in order to not lose their way, the little group kept sneaking by at a quick pace as they neared the forest's end. However, they soon came to a halt as they spotted a number of Faceless out farther away from the river, surrounded by rough terrain, large rocks and fallen logs. Closer to the river was a clearer landscape, however, several more Faceless were patrolling that area than out in the roughs. The choice awaiting them was obvious to just about anyone in their situation.

There are two ways out of the woods. Do you

[] Brave the Roughs? (Less enemies, but more roundabout path, with more natural obstacles)
[] Run the River? (Straight, short, but many more potential enemies)

%\%\%\%\%
A/N: Man, those rolls were good. Sadly, however, you failed any rolls to acquire traits due to those crits. Oh well, that's Sage!Dice for you. In any case, the stealth encounter showed off another thing about this quest which is different from Fire Emblem proper: the ability to get XP by *not* killing enemies! Heresy, I know. I figured that allowing peaceful solutions to give you xp would promote a more peaceful/stealthy playstyle to go by. However, peaceful solutions do not give as much xp (about 2/3) as violent ones. There wouldn't be a point to combat if that wasn't the case.

In other news, the vote I just started will last until 7:00 PM Pacific, 10:00 PM Eastern, Sunday Night (the 24th). That way we're not just wasting time waiting for nonexistent votes which was the case in the previous voting periods. Also, it'll give me something to do Sunday night, so that's always good.

In any case, thank you for sticking with this quest so far, I know I've made a few mistakes, and please, don't hesitate to bring them up if more occur! This quest can only be improved with good criticism (Or at least, it'll maintain what makes it good). In any case, I've got Church tomorrow morning so I'll be seeing you guys next time!

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Mozume
Level: 1
Class: Villager Lv. 1
Stats:
Hit Points: 16 (Endurance x 4)
Strength: 5 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=6
Agility: 5 (Class)+4 (+2 from Base, +2 from Blessing)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=9
Precision: 4 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=5
Intelligence: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Magic: 0 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Persuasion: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Endurance: 2 (Class)+2 (+1 from Base, +1 from Choosing Hoshido)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=4
Luck: 3 (Class)-2 (0 from Base, -2 from Flaw)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Stat Growths:
Strength: 10 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Agility: 10 (Class)+50 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=70
Precision: 10 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=60
Intelligence: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Magic: 0 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=40
Persuasion: 5 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=55
Endurance: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Luck: 20 (Class)+20 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Traits:
Forager (Intelligence): Restore 10% of HP every update while in a Forest, Mountain or near a body of water (Character Trait)
Country Girl (Persuasion): +5 to Persuasion rolls while interacting with anyone from the Country. (Background Trait)
Aptitude (Luck): +10 to Stat Growths (Villager Lv. 1)
Possessions:
[Brass Naginata]: 4 Might, -5 Accuracy, +1 to Endurance for purposes of Damage Mitigation, +10 Critical Evade, Cannot Trigger Critical Hits

Chapter 1: On the Coldest Day in Hell pt. 4
Mokuyobi (Thursday), the 17th of Hachigatsu (August), according to the Wheel of Time
??/??, according to the Wheel of Fate
??/??, according to the Wheel in the Sky

[x] Brave the Roughs? (Less enemies, but more roundabout path, with more natural obstacles)

Looking at their options, Misaki came to a decision. Turning to her daughter she said, "We're going to have to go further out into the woods. Neither of us are that good at fighting, and with that many of those creatures by the riverside, we'll be dead before we know it. It's better to take the road less traveled by if it means less chances of us getting into a battle." Mozu nodded, agreeing to this statement. With that, the two of them headed deeper into the rocky area to try and get out of the area the long way.

Random Encounter Roll: 30, Encounter!

They soon stopped as they witnessed a Faceless stomping over fallen logs in their general direction. Quickly running behind some foliage, the two of them Bent down as low as they reasonably could, trying to avoid being detected...

Mozu: Contested Roll for stealth: 95+5 (Precision)+ 10 (Decent Cover, Crouching down)-5 (Walking nearby)=105
Misaki: Contested Roll for stealth: 93+5 (Precision)+3 (Poor Cover)=101
Mule: Contested Roll for stealth: 82+1 (Precision)+5 (Decent Cover)-10 (Panicking)=78
Faceless: Contested Roll for perception: 46+5 (Precision)-5 (Reduced Senses)-5 (Foliage)=41
Results: 105,101,78-41=64,60,37; Critical Success/Critical Success/Major Success!
Mozu: Critical Success Rolled, Roll to acquire trait: 53, trait acquired!
Trait: Little Mouse in the Prairie 1 (Agility): +5 to Stealth rolls against Much Larger targets!

Luckily, the monster just walked right past them as it continued to wander aimlessly. Once it had walked far enough away, the two of them began to move again.

Encounter Over
Mozu acquired 22 XP! Only 4 until Next Level!

As the mother and daughter duo clipped along through the woods, the ground beneath their feet began to grow more and more rocky, causing them to have to slow their movements in order to avoid twisting an ankle or damaging the mule. Either of those two scenarios could lead to death in a situation like this. What faced them next however...

Random Encounter Roll: 16, Major Encounter!

...was a veritable forest of massive boulders. Standing at ten, or even fifteen feet high, these monoliths to the earth's power towered over the two miniature (comparatively, at least) women. Luckily, there a path mostly devoid of rocks in between the two largest stones, but Misaki wasn't an idiot. She knew a perfect ambush spot when she saw one.

"Mozu, I'm going to need you to climb up one of those boulders and see if there are any Faceless nearby. The mule can't climb rocks that high, so I'm going to have to take this road, which is perfect for something to jump out at us. Can you do that?" Mozu agreed, "Sure... I can do that." With that, she began to climb the right rock.

Mozu: Roll to climb, DC 45: 64+6 (Strength)+2 (1/2 of Endurance)+5 (Adrenaline)-5 (Heavy Weight)=72, Major Success!

It was a good thing that she had had some experience climbing trees, because while that boulder was difficult to ascend it wasn't impossible for her. Luckily enough, it also had a ridge at the top which was perfect to look at anything from while still hiding behind. Beginning her surveilance, she...

Mozu: Contested Roll to perceive: 91+5 (Precision)+5 (Adrenaline)-10 (Large Rocks)=91
???: Contested Roll for stealth: 60+5 (Precision)+10 (Great Cover)-5 (Walking)-30 (Is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man here?)=40
???: Contested Roll for stealth: 100+5 (Precision)+10 (Great Cover)-5 (Walking)-30 (Is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man here?)=Automatic Critical Success!
Results: 91-45, Critical Success/Critical Failure!
Mozu: Critical Success rolled, Critical Failure rolled, Roll to acquire trait negated!

Seeing a Faceless moving behind a large rock, she squinted to get a closer look before hiding behind the ridge when the Faceless looked in her direction.

Mozu: Contested Roll for stealth: 96+5 (Precision)+15 (Great Cover, Crouching down)+5 (Little Mouse in the Prairie)-3 (Sudden movement)=118
Faceless: Contested Roll for perception: 61+5 (Precision)-5 (Reduced Senses)-10 (Large Rocks)=51
???: Contested Roll for perception: 21+5 (Precision)-5 (Reduced Senses)-10 (Large Rocks)=11
Results: 118-51,11; Critical Success/Critical Success!
Mozu: Two Critical Successes rolled simultaneously, Two rolls to acquire trait: 16, 95. Critical Roll, Trait upgraded instead!
Trait: Little Mouse in the Prairie 2 (Agility): +15 to Stealth rolls against Much Larger targets!

Realizing that the Faceless couldn't even see her, Mozu softly called out to her mother. "There's one over by the rocks there!" Quietly thanking her, Misaki clicked the mule's hind legs with her heels and had it set off at a slow trot so as to best avoid attention.

Misaki: Contested Roll for stealth: 34+5 (Precision)+5 (Decent Cover)-5 (Walking)=39
Mule: Contested Roll for stealth: 82+1 (Precision)+10 (Great Cover)-5 (Walking)=88
Faceless: Contested Roll for perception: 12+5 (Precision)-5 (Reduced Senses)-5 (Rocks in the way)=7
???: Contested Roll for perception: 96+5 (Precision)-5 (Reduced Senses)-5 (Rocks in the way)=91, Automatic Success Rolled!
Results: 44,93-7, 91=Major Success/Critical Failure!, Critical Success/Bare Failure.
???: Roll to alert ally, DC 60: 15+5 (Persuasion)+0 (1/2 of Intelligence)-10 (They don't make them like they used to)=10, Critical Failure!

It was all for naught. A moaning cry came from somewhere Mozu could not see as a second Faceless rushed towards her mother. It's more visible companion, however, didn't seem to hear it as it slowly walked away from the soon-to-be battlefield. Leaping down to join her mother...

Mozu: Roll to avoid fall damage, DC 45: 46+4 (Endurance)+5 (1/2 of Agility)-5 (Heavy weight)=50, Bare Success!

She tumbled a bit, scraping herself a bit but otherwise unhurt. However, she dropped her naginata as she rolled, leaving her scrambling to pick it back up as the monster approached.

Mozu: Next Turn Skipped!
Begin Initiative Rolls!
Mozu: 92+9 (Agility)+2 (1/2 of Intelligence)-5 (Heavy Weight)-5 (Unprepared)=93
Misaki: 49+7 (Agility)+2 (1/2 of Intelligence)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-5 (Mounted)=48
Faceless: 70+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Intelligence)-5 (Heavy Weight)=71
Turn Order Decided! Mozu->Faceless->Misaki

%\%\%\%\%
A/N: And now we begin our new encounter! Luckily for you guys, the one Faceless didn't manage to alert the other, so you only have to deal with the one this time. Also, you have somehow acquired and upgraded a new trait in the same update. Color me surprised. In any case, Mozu has now just become really good at hiding from Faceless. And other things the size of Faceless. Cavalry and Knights are not included in this number, as right now they are only "larger" enemies, and not "Much Larger" enemies. A great system, I know. Enemy sizes are based on your current class and mount arrangement, so if Mozu somehow became mounted or encased in Knight armor, a Faceless would only be a "larger" enemy, and so Little Mouse in the Prairie wouldn't apply.

In addition, I keep having to lament the Tsun!Dice you guys are getting. One moment you're getting crits, the other moment the enemies getting crits, the only thing that's not happening in each roll-off is non-crits. *Sigh* I really should have expected this sort of luck to happen when I started this quest...

 

[Critian Caceorte]

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Mozume
Level: 1
Class: Villager Lv. 1
Stats:
Hit Points: 16 (Endurance x 4)
Strength: 5 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=6
Agility: 5 (Class)+4 (+2 from Base, +2 from Blessing)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=9
Precision: 4 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=5
Intelligence: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Magic: 0 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Persuasion: 2 (Class)+1 (Base)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=3
Endurance: 2 (Class)+2 (+1 from Base, +1 from Choosing Hoshido)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=4
Luck: 3 (Class)-2 (0 from Base, -2 from Flaw)+0 (Levels)+0 (Training)=1
Stat Growths:
Strength: 10 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Agility: 10 (Class)+50 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=70
Precision: 10 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=60
Intelligence: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Magic: 0 (Class)+30 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=40
Persuasion: 5 (Class)+40 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=55
Endurance: 5 (Class)+35 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Luck: 20 (Class)+20 (Base)+10 (Aptitude)=50
Traits:
Forager (Intelligence): Restore 10% of HP every update while in a Forest, Mountain or near a body of water (Character Trait)
Country Girl (Persuasion): +5 to Persuasion rolls while interacting with anyone from the Country. (Background Trait)
Aptitude (Luck): +10 to Stat Growths (Villager Lv. 1)
Little Mouse in the Prairie 2 (Agility): +15 to Stealth rolls against Much Larger targets. (Acquired Trait)
Possessions:
[Brass Naginata]: 4 Might, -5 Accuracy, +1 to Endurance for purposes of Damage Mitigation, +10 Critical Evade, Cannot Trigger Critical Hits

Chapter 1: On the Coldest Day in Hell pt. 5
Mokuyobi (Thursday), the 17th of Hachigatsu (August), according to the Wheel of Time
??/??, according to the Wheel of Fate
??/??, according to the Wheel in the Sky

She tumbled a bit, scraping herself a bit but otherwise unhurt. However, she dropped her naginata as she rolled, leaving her scrambling to pick it back up as the monster approached.

Click to shrink...

Swinging it's fist, the Faceless did it's best to hit Misaki...
The Rider... or the Horse? Rolled: 1, Rider targeted.
Faceless: Contested Roll to hit: 34+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=29
Misaki: Contested Roll to not be hit 30+7 (Agility)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-10 (Currently Mounted)=24
Results: 29-24=5, Bare Success.
Cannot Crit due to Bare Success.
Damage Dealt: (d6:4)+8 (Weapon)+5 (Strength)-7 (Defense)=10 damage dealt!
Misaki HP: 16->6
Misaki: Bloodied Condition activated!
Misaki: Roll to remain on Horse, DC 55: 69+5 (Precision)+4 (1/2 of Agility)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-5 (Bloodied)-10 (Panicking Animal)=58, Bare Success!
Bare Success: Misaki's next turn skipped!

And Hit it did. Even just clipping her on the shoulder, it nearly knocked her off of her mount. Just trying to stay on the mule took up all of her attention, and so she was unable to counter-attack. Mozu, having recovered enough to grab her naginata, tried to attack the creature in order to distract it.

Mozu: Contested Roll to hit: 84+5 (Precision)+1 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (Weapon Accuracy)-5 (Heavy Weight)=80
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 95+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)=101, Success!

She missed it's elbow, however, throwing her attack wide. The Faceless, meanwhile, kept up on its attack against Misaki.

The Rider... or the Horse?: 1, The Rider.
Faceless: Contested Roll to hit: 80+5 (Precision)+0 (1/2 of Luck)-10 (Shackled with Chains)=75
Misaki: Contested Roll to not be hit: 26+7 (Agility)+2 (1/2 of Luck)-5 (The Wonders of Old Age)-10 (Currently Mounted)-10 (Bloodied)=10
Results: 75-10=65, Critical Success!
Damage Dealt: (d6:3)+8 (Weapon)+5 (Strength)-7 (Defense)x3=...27 Damage Dealt.
Mortality?: Damage Dealt exceeds remaining health+max hp, automatic death.

And it... it struck home. It smashed right through her mother's chest and out through her back, killing her instantly.

Mule: Roll to not retreat, DC 45:6+1 (Persuasion)+1 (1/2 of Intelligence)-10 (Panicking)=-2, Automatic Critical Failure!

The mule, scared out of it's mind and having already been close to these monsters for far too long, took that moment to run away as fast as it could. Mozu couldn't stop it. After all, her mind was too busy trying to comprehend this terrible tragedy. There was too much grief to deal with consciencely...

Mozu: Where doth thy rage go?: 15, Wrath of the Beast gained and enabled.

And so, unconscious action had to be taken. Charging forward with as much speed as her legs possessed, she swung her polearm's blade towards her mother's killer.

Mozu: Contested Roll to hit: 44+5 (Precision)+1 (1/2 of Luck)+5 (Wrath of the Beast)-5 (Weapon Accuracy)-0 (Heavy weight)=50
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 41+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)=47
Results: 50-47=3, Bare Success.
Cannot Crit due to Weapon.
Damage Dealt: (d6:3)+4 (Weapon)+9 (Strength)+5 (Wrath of the Beast)-9 (Defense)=12 Damage Dealt!
Faceless HP: 18->6
Mozu: Roll to attack once more, DC 20: 82+9 (Agility)+5 (1/2 of Strength)-25 (Bare Success)=71, Critical Success!
Critical Success Rolled, Roll to acquire trait: 81, Trait acquired!
Trait: One-Two (A) (Precision): +5 to rolls to confirm attacking again!
Mozu: Contested Roll to hit: 47+5 (Precision)+1 (1/2 of Luck)+5 (Wrath of the Beast)-5 (Weapon Accuracy)-0 (Heavy Weight)=53
Faceless: Contested Roll to not be hit: 18+6 (Agility)+0 (1/2 of Luck)=24
Results: 53-24=29, Major Success!
Cannot Crit due to Weapon.
Damage Dealt: (d6:6)+4 (Weapon)+9 (Strength)+5 (Wrath of the Beast)-9 (Defense)=15 Damage Dealt!
Faceless HP: 6->-9, Faceless Slain!

Swinging the Naginata blade downward, the enraged girl sliced the monster's arm at the shoulder, biting deep into it's altered flesh. Twisting around, she swung the weapon at a horizontal angle, this time slashing through the creature's stomach and innards, allowing black ichor and putrid juices to flow out as the girl known as Mozume slowly returned to her senses with the shedding of tears.

Encounter Over!
Mozu gained 32 XP! Level up! 82 XP Until Next Level!

Wrath of the Beast cost: 6 Damage Dealt! 16->10 HP. Entered Exhausted State (-10 to all actions until rest is taken)

You have 3 Points! Distribute these points as you like, but you can only put one point at most in a stat per level-up, and you cannot put points into the same stat you put them in last level up! Considering this is your first level-up, the last statement doesn't actually apply.

[] Strength: 6->7
[] Agility: 9->10
[] Precision: 5->6
[] Intelligence: 3->4
[] Magic: 1->2
[] Persuasion 3->4
[] Endurance 4->5
[] Luck 1->2

Trait: Wrath of the Beast (Strength): The anger of losing all that you have loved as coalesced into a terrifying boost to strength! Mozu can now enter into a berserker state which multiplies her strength by 1.5, adds half of her strength to her attack, dodge, damage and agility (for the purposes of extra attacks) and removes all weight penalties due to weapons and exhausted penalties! However, at the end of the encounter, she takes damage equal to her strength, and enters an exhausted state which penalizes all rolls she takes until she falls asleep. She can enter the berserk state again to get rid of the exhausted penalties due to using said state, but if she does the penalties increase to the current penalties+(the previous penalties*1.5), or, to demonstrate, using the state once reduces all rolls by 10 at the end of it, using it a second time reduces them by 25, a third use would end at penalizing by 48, and so on.

%\%\%\%\%
A/N: Yeah... she's dead. I'm sorry, but I can't just give you guys free rerolls for no valid reason. If she had survived escaping the forest, Mozu would have gained an amazing trait dedicated to defending others utilizing one specific stat. So instead of massively boosting her strength like with Wrath of the Beast, she could have temporarily added her strength to a roll to knock aside or catch a blow or projectile. Also, if the rage roll had rolled below 14, no trait would have been acquired. If you had rolled something other than 15, you could have gained a Berserker state which boosted a different stat and added that stat to attack, dodge and so on.

Wrath of the Horse (Agility)
Wrath of the Hawk (Precision)
Wrath of the Machine (Intelligence)
Wrath of the Magus (Magic)
Wrath of the Knight (Endurance)
Wrath of the Jester (Luck)

No, there is not a Wrath of the Village Cryer or something for Persuasion. Though that would be hilarious now that I think about it. But yeah, now's the time to vote for point allocation. You guys have three points, use them wisely! Oh, and if you do boost Endurance, it will of course instantly boost HP using the calculation given above.

Voting Will Conclude at 12:00 PM PST or 3:00 PM EST, I want to have a good balance between leaving things open for people to vote, and expediency for me to write the next update. Now, vote on!

*Braces Arms for Thrown Rocks*