Hey, you know what wasn't particularly necessary for this arc - a full tournament bracket with names (and weapon concepts/fighting styles) for everyone in the tournament, instead of just the ten canon characters and the five extra I came up with to round out the numbers.
But I went and did it anyway because I got stuck in a two hour meeting while excel ran a query that freezes it for an hour, so yeah. Here it is with the obvious winners for Round 2 filled in:
Wasn't expecting Penny. Don't have enough info to say whether Oz asked James for a ringer or if James noticed the Invitational expanding and saw an opportunity for a test run.
Wasn't expecting Penny. Don't have enough info to say whether Oz asked James for a ringer or if James noticed the Invitational expanding and saw an opportunity for a test run.
Could always be both. This gives Penny a chance to meet people and become more familiar with interacting with others while doing what Ozpin likely asked of him. James also probably wants an excuse/opportunity to keep an eye on an individual that Ozpin is interested in. Assuming actually was capable before his betrayal, Ozpin does have a solid record for picking capable individuals even if his record at picking trustworthy ones is not great (at least this time).
Could always be both. This gives Penny a chance to meet people and become more familiar with interacting with others while doing what Ozpin likely asked of him. James also probably wants an excuse/opportunity to keep an eye on an individual that Ozpin is interested in. Assuming actually was capable before his betrayal, Ozpin does have a solid record for picking capable individuals even if his record at picking trustworthy ones is not great (at least this time).
I assume Ironwood was generally a great choice to be a general for Atlas, a good choice to also run the school and would have been largely fine until his successor used all the centralised power and huntsmen turned military assets and such to do something terrible, if canon hadn't gone down.
It's also worth noting that Ironwood took Penny to the Vytal Tournament for a reason and I'm 50% confident it was to convince Ozpin to use the aura transfer machines on her and Amber. He also might have been looking to offer Oz a Penny model of his own, taking the opportunity to test her against 'peer' opponents or just showing her off before asking Oz if he had any insights to offer on the whole project. I don't think he cared about socialising her since her team was ordered to put up with her and probably resented being in Vytal just to let someone they don't know do all the work.
Hm, Weiss is the most popular choice? Not what I expected.
I'm still annoyed I ended up drawing the bracket - but you do get bonus experience for every reference in it you call out.
I assume Ironwood was generally a great choice to be a general for Atlas, a good choice to also run the school and would have been largely fine until his successor used all the centralised power and huntsmen turned military assets and such to do something terrible, if canon hadn't gone down.
It's also worth noting that Ironwood took Penny to the Vytal Tournament for a reason and I'm 50% confident it was to convince Ozpin to use the aura transfer machines on her and Amber. He also might have been looking to offer Oz a Penny model of his own, taking the opportunity to test her against 'peer' opponents or just showing her off before asking Oz if he had any insights to offer on the whole project. I don't think he cared about socialising her since her team was ordered to put up with her and probably resented being in Vytal just to let someone they don't know do all the work.
Hm, Weiss is the most popular choice? Not what I expected.
While he likely did not bring her to Vytal to help her learn to socialize, this torunament is much closer to home and did not need to include her entire team the entire time. The Vytal tournament was also post several important events that had soured their relationship/added additional pressume for both himself and anyone from Atlas.
Personally, I think that he intended to offer Ozpin a Penny model of his own that could be used as a backup option were Amber not to recover. Much less risk of Amber/the Mantle of Maiden overwriting the original person if there is none and Ozpin having a Penny model by his side would be ideal for getting his feedback on Penny/the other Penny model.
Ironwood would have done a lot better had he not been in charge of both the school and the military. While having those both under the control of one of the Ozluminati (yes, they aren't malevolant but I haven't found a better catch-all term for the group) is ideal for combating Salem, it also means that once Salem finds his weakness there is little that can be done to prevent her from taking Atlas and Mantle. His single minded focus/dedication is both a strength and a weakness.
Shayla Barakiel – OC, this quest.
Cardin Winchester – RWBY canon.
Nolan Porfirio – RWBY canon.
Rufus Pantagruel – Pantagruel is the name of a ship from Trails of Cold Steel II, and a giant from French mythology.
Huo Liusha – Liusha is a river is the Journey To The West.
Ailill Galloglass – The Gallowglass were elite mercenaries in the 13th century.
Octavia Ember – RWBY canon.
Yang Xiao Long – RWBY canon.
Sage Ayana – RWBY canon.
Briar Hawthorn – …too many possibilities, no obvious standouts. Something plant related presumably.
Ismail Parakoso – Parakoso is a character in 'The Raid 2: Berandal' an Indonesian martial arts film.
Helmut Rutger – …both names are fairly common. Closest I can find is both being used in 'Beast with a Gun'.
Ciel Soliel – RWBY canon.
Tobias Hawker – …apparently there is a RL person with that name. Tobias is common, Hawker is sometimes used to mean a merchant. No clue for any specific reference.
Alviss Blainn – Alviss is a dwarf in Norse mythology. Blainn apparently means 7.
Onyx Khalkedon – Onyx is a colour, Chalcedony is a crystal. No obvious specific reference. From context I would guess at a Steven Universe Gem.
Pyrrha Nikos – RWBY canon.
Echidna Baxter – Echidna are a type of animal but more commonly known as a species from the Sonic setting.
Hayate Nimbus – Way too many possibilities for Hayate. Nimbus is a type of cloud.
Isabella Walton – actual RL person. Nothing obvious beyond that.
Jasper Khalkedon – Two types of crystal. Probably based on Jasper from Steven Universe.
Reed Montu – Montu is a figure in Egyptian mythology.
Bernado Valance – …something to do with curtains apparently.
Lionel Best – actual RL person. Lion related.
Penny Polendina – RWBY canon.
Isolde Dahlia – something to do with flowers.
Carnelian Khalkedon – Another SU Gem.
Gerik Volkhov – Gerik is a guy from Fire Emblem. Volkhov is a river in Russia. Could be Gerik Barkov from Warhammer.
Arslan Atlan – RWBY canon.
Peleus Plutos – Greek mythology.
Evelina Bebchuk – Another Warhammer thing. Common output for the Kislev name generator. Also the name appeared in Divided Loyalties.
Howtizer Drake – No obvious reference. Awesome name though.
I assume Ironwood was generally a great choice to be a general for Atlas, a good choice to also run the school and would have been largely fine until his successor used all the centralised power and huntsmen turned military assets and such to do something terrible, if canon hadn't gone down.
It's also worth noting that Ironwood took Penny to the Vytal Tournament for a reason and I'm 50% confident it was to convince Ozpin to use the aura transfer machines on her and Amber. He also might have been looking to offer Oz a Penny model of his own, taking the opportunity to test her against 'peer' opponents or just showing her off before asking Oz if he had any insights to offer on the whole project. I don't think he cared about socialising her since her team was ordered to put up with her and probably resented being in Vytal just to let someone they don't know do all the work.
James Ironwood's characterisation shifts a lot between his early and later appearance.
Charitably the disaster of the Vytal tournament broke him. Cynically he just stopped bothering to hide his tyranny.
It is worth noting however that he treated Penny as a person. She might have been a soldier expected to obey orders and a child needing protection but she was always a 'her' rather than an 'it'.
As to her teammates, if Ciel Soliel is any indication they are not the sort to care about winning glory in a tournament.
Shayla Barakiel – OC, this quest.
Cardin Winchester – RWBY canon.
Nolan Porfirio – RWBY canon.
Rufus Pantagruel – Pantagruel is the name of a ship from Trails of Cold Steel II, and a giant from French mythology.
Huo Liusha – Liusha is a river is the Journey To The West.
Ailill Galloglass – The Gallowglass were elite mercenaries in the 13th century.
Octavia Ember – RWBY canon.
Yang Xiao Long – RWBY canon.
Sage Ayana – RWBY canon.
Briar Hawthorn – …too many possibilities, no obvious standouts. Something plant related presumably.
Ismail Parakoso – Parakoso is a character in 'The Raid 2: Berandal' an Indonesian martial arts film.
Helmut Rutger – …both names are fairly common. Closest I can find is both being used in 'Beast with a Gun'.
Ciel Soliel – RWBY canon.
Tobias Hawker – …apparently there is a RL person with that name. Tobias is common, Hawker is sometimes used to mean a merchant. No clue for any specific reference.
Alviss Blainn – Alviss is a dwarf in Norse mythology. Blainn apparently means 7.
Onyx Khalkedon – Onyx is a colour, Chalcedony is a crystal. No obvious specific reference. From context I would guess at a Steven Universe Gem.
Pyrrha Nikos – RWBY canon.
Echidna Baxter – Echidna are a type of animal but more commonly known as a species from the Sonic setting.
Hayate Nimbus – Way too many possibilities for Hayate. Nimbus is a type of cloud.
Isabella Walton – actual RL person. Nothing obvious beyond that.
Jasper Khalkedon – Two types of crystal. Probably based on Jasper from Steven Universe.
Reed Montu – Montu is a figure in Egyptian mythology.
Bernado Valance – …something to do with curtains apparently.
Lionel Best – actual RL person. Lion related.
Penny Polendina – RWBY canon.
Isolde Dahlia – something to do with flowers.
Carnelian Khalkedon – Another SU Gem.
Gerik Volkhov – Gerik is a guy from Fire Emblem. Volkhov is a river in Russia. Could be Gerik Barkov from Warhammer.
Arslan Atlan – RWBY canon.
Peleus Plutos – Greek mythology.
Evelina Bebchuk – Another Warhammer thing. Common output for the Kislev name generator. Also the name appeared in Divided Loyalties.
Howtizer Drake – No obvious reference. Awesome name though.
Since some of these will become more obvious as the tournament progresses and the bonus xp will be rewarded after it, I'm only going to comment on what you got 100% right: Evelina Bebchuk & Gerik Volkov, hailing from Kislev Atlas. Gerik uses a gun-axe like a streltsi, Evelina a staff/bow with ice dust.
James Ironwood's characterisation shifts a lot between his early and later appearance.
Charitably the disaster of the Vytal tournament broke him. Cynically he just stopped bothering to hide his tyranny.
It is worth noting however that he treated Penny as a person. She might have been a soldier expected to obey orders and a child needing protection but she was always a 'her' rather than an 'it'.
As to her teammates, if Ciel Soliel is any indication they are not the sort to care about winning glory in a tournament.
I assume there has to be some drama happening with Penny's team, partly because Penny latched onto Ruby because no one else ever called her a friend and partly because all the explanations I can come up with imply drama to me:
Ironwood choose Ciel as Penny's handler early and rigged it so she ended up in charge of a team with only 2 other people, who only found out about Penny just before the Atlas students went to Vale.
Ironwood rearranged the teams just before the tournament to fit in Penny.
Ciel's team had someone drop out for any number of reasons and Ironwood used them for the Penny showcase.
Ciel might be okay with all of this because Ironwood making her Penny's handler implies he's already looking at her to be a specialist after graduation or because her family is career Atlas military and she's cool with anything Ironwood orders, but that still leaves two other teenagers that could be insulted at only being in the Vytal Festival to show off someone else, that could be annoyed at Penny for replacing their friend or mad that they've never had a normal team which is going to screw with their education and potentially career.
I assume there has to be some drama happening with Penny's team, partly because Penny latched onto Ruby because no one else ever called her a friend and partly because all the explanations I can come up with imply drama to me:
Ironwood choose Ciel as Penny's handler early and rigged it so she ended up in charge of a team with only 2 other people, who only found out about Penny just before the Atlas students went to Vale.
Ironwood rearranged the teams just before the tournament to fit in Penny.
Ciel's team had someone drop out for any number of reasons and Ironwood used them for the Penny showcase.
Ciel might be okay with all of this because Ironwood making her Penny's handler implies he's already looking at her to be a specialist after graduation or because her family is career Atlas military and she's cool with anything Ironwood orders, but that still leaves two other teenagers that could be insulted at only being in the Vytal Festival to show off someone else, that could be annoyed at Penny for replacing their friend or mad that they've never had a normal team which is going to screw with their education and potentially career.
I always figured there were no other team members and it was always just Penny and her handler. Cinder's team got into the Vytal Tournament despite only numbering three and no one really made mention of that so I just figured Ironwood sent Penny as part of a two person team.
Since some of these will become more obvious as the tournament progresses and the bonus xp will be rewarded after it, I'm only going to comment on what you got 100% right: Evelina Bebchuk & Gerik Volkov, hailing from Kislev Atlas. Gerik uses a gun-axe like a streltsi, Evelina a staff/bow with ice dust.
Partial answers will get credit though.
I assume there has to be some drama happening with Penny's team, partly because Penny latched onto Ruby because no one else ever called her a friend and partly because all the explanations I can come up with imply drama to me:
Ironwood choose Ciel as Penny's handler early and rigged it so she ended up in charge of a team with only 2 other people, who only found out about Penny just before the Atlas students went to Vale.
Ironwood rearranged the teams just before the tournament to fit in Penny.
Ciel's team had someone drop out for any number of reasons and Ironwood used them for the Penny showcase.
Ciel might be okay with all of this because Ironwood making her Penny's handler implies he's already looking at her to be a specialist after graduation or because her family is career Atlas military and she's cool with anything Ironwood orders, but that still leaves two other teenagers that could be insulted at only being in the Vytal Festival to show off someone else, that could be annoyed at Penny for replacing their friend or mad that they've never had a normal team which is going to screw with their education and potentially career.
Given the large percentage of Atlas trainees who become specialists, I would imagine that the others would be ok with this because doing something for the head of the academy as well as the general is likely to be good for their careers. Even if they didn't plan to join the military, James is implied to have a great deal of influence/solid reputation which would be a positive. If James never indicated that being friendly with Penny was a goal/a positive and only emphasized that they were to guard her/serve as handlers/just watch her in some fashion, I could see them not caring. I could also seem them not being particularily impressive as not only would that make them more likely to take James's offer (they need the help/rec more) but it would also minimize the odds that they would care about not progressing further into the tournament.
I always figured there were no other team members and it was always just Penny and her handler. Cinder's team got into the Vytal Tournament despite only numbering three and no one really made mention of that so I just figured Ironwood sent Penny as part of a two person team.
We see Cinder's team with Neo in disguise as the green eyed gothic lolita for their fourth. I think Neo's disguise only showed up for like 10 seconds so not blaming you for forgetting. Though Penny as part of just a pair is a possibility that makes sense with how Ironwood doesn't care about the system Oz set up and why it's like it is.
Given the large percentage of Atlas trainees who become specialists, I would imagine that the others would be ok with this because doing something for the head of the academy as well as the general is likely to be good for their careers. Even if they didn't plan to join the military, James is implied to have a great deal of influence/solid reputation which would be a positive. If James never indicated that being friendly with Penny was a goal/a positive and only emphasized that they were to guard her/serve as handlers/just watch her in some fashion, I could see them not caring. I could also seem them not being particularily impressive as not only would that make them more likely to take James's offer (they need the help/rec more) but it would also minimize the odds that they would care about not progressing further into the tournament.
I guess my issue here comes down to the only Atlas teams we see are FNKI - I doubt any of them would become Specialists since they're normal Huntsman students most of the time - and Penny's team, which isn't a real team. Am I wrong and FNKI are perfectly normal for Atlas? Or did Weiss end up against the only Atlas team that'd make her immediately wrong?
[X] in a carry case stowed next to the locker, with plenty of water, snacks and a book borrowed from Blake to entertain her. When disguised as a squirrel, cat or rat she'll be an extra set of eyes in the arena, hopefully capable of warning you of foul play without revealing herself.
[X] Safely back at Beacon, apparently planning something with Amber and Coco. You didn't really try to uncover what she's up to, instead feeling relieved you won't need to worry about her safety when you are inevitably attacked.
[X] Head to the contestant-only area and talk to…
-[X] Yang, the changeling you met on your flight in.
-[X] Pyrrha Nikos, the reigning champion who's standing alone as she watches the fights
[X] Go and explore the seating area for the audience and…
-[X] talk to Ruby, the enthusiastic sister of Yang
-[X] get approached by a short girl in a white dress with a splash of blue.
I assume there has to be some drama happening with Penny's team, partly because Penny latched onto Ruby because no one else ever called her a friend and partly because all the explanations I can come up with imply drama to me:
Ironwood choose Ciel as Penny's handler early and rigged it so she ended up in charge of a team with only 2 other people, who only found out about Penny just before the Atlas students went to Vale.
Ironwood rearranged the teams just before the tournament to fit in Penny.
Ciel's team had someone drop out for any number of reasons and Ironwood used them for the Penny showcase.
Ciel might be okay with all of this because Ironwood making her Penny's handler implies he's already looking at her to be a specialist after graduation or because her family is career Atlas military and she's cool with anything Ironwood orders, but that still leaves two other teenagers that could be insulted at only being in the Vytal Festival to show off someone else, that could be annoyed at Penny for replacing their friend or mad that they've never had a normal team which is going to screw with their education and potentially career.
James could likely have picked three Specialists-to-be as Penny's handlers rather than just one with no great difficulty. Not a friendly setup, but hardly drama educing.
Also I feel it is worth pointing out that the most likely explanation for a team to be short a member is that one of them died fighting the Grimm. Beacon, the 'bright and friendly' academy, makes it very clear that survival is by no means guaranteed during your education.
Being put on a team mourning the loss of a friend would explain why Penny wasn't befriended, and why her teammates weren't all that bothered about phoning in their Vytal performance.
On the subject of 'only being in the Vytal Festival to show off someone else', that problem is as much a result of the moronic tournament setup than anything James had a hand in.
Wait, when was it stated that Oz decide the setup? I always assumed it was some deranged comity of corrupt politicians being bribed into a non-functional compromise.
Important to remember: No matter how old he is Oz is just one guy and he can't be responcible for everything.
Wait, when was it stated that Oz decide the setup? I always assumed it was some deranged comity of corrupt politicians being bribed into a non-functional compromise.
Important to remember: No matter how old he is Oz is just one guy and he can't be responcible for everything.
I always got the vibe that Oz's last incarnation was the Last King of Vale who won the war and set up the Huntsmen Academies , since the Last King definitely had the sword of destruction and the creation of Menagerie as the 'faunus kingdom' is exactly what I'd expect Oz to do without realising how badly it could go (makes me wonder if he's ever been a faunus).
So old Oz would be very involved in why Huntress teams are two pairs chosen at random and all that, though I think part of it was him pushing for teams of elite warriors with no inherent loyalty to a kingdom instead of large armies to settle conflicts in the future. Then Ironwood creates Specialists, who are huntsmen beholden to one kingdom, specifically that kingdom's military, over any other, has his elites form a team of 5, is the direct superior of Winter, the one major character who's weapon we don't know the name of despite her being introduced in volume 3 (I feel like there was a cool story behind her not naming her weapon that's been forgotten) and places a massive focus on Atlas' military, to the point of thinking its a good thing to bring an armed contingent to another kingdom despite all the reasons that should sound terrible
Ironwood fundamentally thinks he knows better than Oz, especially after the fall of Beacon and the failure of Oz's methods (partly because of exploiting Ironwood's army and the magic of hacking). And he really doesn't, at least as far as the show says. It might play out different here, because disagreeing with Oz is going to be a recurring thing with Shayla and Ironwood is thematically similar to the crusaders of Mendev before the Knight-Commander came along and reminded them of how great they can be and that the enemy can be driven back and beaten.
It takes you a few minutes and several attempts to emerge from the passages beneath the arena and find yourself surrounded by the other contestants. The waiting area is a wide open room, littered with chairs and tables. Large scrolls are mounted to every wall and hang down from the ceiling but a superior view is available to anyone willing to stand and look out the curved glass wall that faces into the arena.
You receive more than a few evaluating stares from the other competitors, but most are too preoccupied to pay attention to those who come and go. You recognise Galloglass by his distinctive white and green clothing and return the nod you get from a man wearing orange gauntlets and an oddly shaped helmet over dark red clothing before he turns to speak to his companions, one a man with nearly identical features, black and blue clothing and a coiled whip on his belt and the other a girl in similarly red clothing and no weapon you can identify - perhaps she left it in a locker? You'd have done the same if you didn't know about Ozpin's plan. It's been years and you still aren't entirely comfortable with how your hammer hangs on your back.
A sudden lull in the constant chatter emanating from the contestants and scrolls draws your attention to the arena and you stride to the window to obtain the best view of the second match of the tournament. Whoever wins this will be your next opponent and hopefully provide more of a challenge than Winchester.
The announcers identify the two competitors as Nolan Porfirio, a human from Vacuo armed with a slim baton and dressed in a sky blue jacket and red pants, and Rufus Pantagruel, a gigantic snake faunus from Mistral wearing a jacket made of brown reptilian leather over dark green clothing and wielding a technological weapon you're shocked to recognise - a chainsaw, similar to the ones wielded by the mightiest warriors of Numeria.
Their battle is a study in contrasts, the agile and swift Porfirio delivering numerous strikes with his baton while dodging the mighty swings of Pantagruel. You've seen similar battles before, nimbleness pitted against raw strength with the winner determined by endurance more than anything else. You're again surprised to recognise Nolan's weapon as a Numerian stun baton, a favourite of the Technic League's slavers because of its ability to swiftly render someone incapable of fighting back without killing them.
Rather than ponder the nature of technology you focus on the battle, seeing that while Pantagruel is obviously affected by the electrical discharge he never lets it slow him down, constantly advancing and keeping Porfirio from getting any room to think of a better strategy.
Eventually Porfirio strikes at the chainsaw, causing it to smoke and spark as electricity courses through it and into Pantagruel. The faunus responds by dropping his weapon and lunging forwards, wrapping his arms around the much smaller Porfirio too fast for the human to react.
The fight eventually ends when the buzzer sounds, Porfirio having failed to escape Pantagruel's grip but Pantagruel having failed to properly crush or suffocate his opponent - not that deliberate suffocation would have been allowed. It's only as Pantagruel picks up his weapon do you notice his dramatic increase in height, the man having somehow gone from being a head taller than Porfirio to more than twice that.
A gigantification semblance is the best explanation - likely an instinctive recreation of the Enlarge spell though the effects were much slower. You aren't sure what triggered it either, though it's possible he simply started to grow the moment the match began.
He should be well within your abilities to handle, though you'll have to avoid being grappled like Porfirio was if you want to keep as many of your capabilities hidden as possible. Perhaps you should use Runic Impression to mark a Returning rune on your hammer and wear him down from a distance? Or maybe you should take advantage of how he didn't particularly bother to dodge or block most attacks to try and lay him low as fast as possible? Separating him from his weapon obviously doesn't render him helpless, but you could use Heat Metal to do so without surrendering your own, which should be all the advantage you'd need to win.
The next match is between Aillil Galloglass and Huo Liusha and once more you're surprised to be immediately reminded of Numeria. Galloglass' blade glows similarly to a plasma sword while Liusha wields a monk's spade that singes Galloglass' clothes where it touches them, extremely similar to the Starfall Spades of the guards of the Palace of Fallen Stars.
To most on Golarion Numeria is a distant curiosity, yet another land of Kellids that defied all attempts to conquer them but repeatedly refused to unify for longer than a generation, best known for the fireball that struck the land in the last years of the Age of Darkness, the bizarre monsters that seem to be the result of that fireball and the absurd bounty of skymetals that can be found within its borders. Those who paid attention would know of the rumours of advanced technology that was fiercely hoarded by the Technic League, of the living constructs called androids that were enslaved by the Technic League and the many bizarre concoctions the Technic League sold as drugs.
Numeria provided little aid to the Mendevian Crusades beyond granting those travelling to Mendev safe passage, the Technic League only ever caring to maintain their control of the nation's technology. That all changed two years before the Fifth Crusade began, when the Technic League was shattered by an alliance between the Black Sovereign Kevoth-Kul and a band of explorers and the unexpected ascension of the Iron Goddess Casandalee.
When you left Pulura's Falls to join the Fifth Crusade you were more shocked to see a contingent of Numerians wielding technological arms and armour than you by the angels. Palace guards with Starfall Spades, half-orcs with chainsaws, ysoki with inferno pistols and advanced constructs that obeyed the Numerian's leader, an android priestess named Meyanda. You'd been one of many that had listened to Meyanda's stories of Casandalee, a newly ascended goddess of artificial life, free thinking and intellectual advancement and had given the matter little thought beyond that.
But now you watch images of advanced constructs march across the screen of a giant scroll in a daze, connecting the dots of the past few months as you curse your past inattention. The circuitry covering your spellbook is an undeniable technological motif, the symbol at the centre of the sihedron almost perfectly matching what you remember as Casandalee's holy symbol, that as a goddess restricted to the most northern regions of the world only a nearby god would bother to ask Pulura for her aid and maybe even the failure of the assassin's technological legs when he pursued Blake.
The sacrifice of one enriches the whole as the new is born. Safeguard the child and ensure the coming dawn.
Casandalee is the patron of all artificial life, a category which obviously includes androids, awakened golems and the few Jistkan automatons that remain, but other possibilities come to mind with only a moment's thought - poppets, basic constructs intended for simple tasks and often given to wealthy children on Absalom as toys and companions have a reputation for spontaneously 'coming to life' and wyrwoods, a race of wooden constructs that were built by the ancient Azlanti, only to rebel against their masters and flee to Arcadia with the secrets of their creation.
You consider the leshy, a primal nature spirit given physical form by primal magic but dismiss them as from what you've heard they can recall what they did in their spirit form. An intelligent skeleton or zombie created by a necromancer could be part of Casandalee's domain but you doubt the goddess has said anything on the matter.
And now you have a third possibility, the 'robots' of Atlas. Technological constructs produced in massive numbers to fight the Grimm. From what the advertisements display you'd assume them to be roughly as capable as the clockwork enforcers you've heard Absalom employs, though armed with firearms and deployed in far greater numbers.
If one of those constructs has achieved true intelligence then it is the definition of artificial life. And just as the androids of Numeria had been enslaved by the Technic League you're certain many on Remnant would choose not to recognise the protests of a mere machine so they didn't need to risk their own lives in battle.
No wonder Casandalee thought she needed to send someone from Golarion to act - who on Remnant would be able to hear any message she might send, let alone listen to it? Even if the awakened robot isn't one of Atlas' 'knights' you doubt their owner would be happy that their dishwasher was asking why it had to wash the dishes.
You'll find them, wherever they are. You'll give them all the answers you have, guard and guide them as they determine their path. If Atlas or someone else has a problem with that then so be it. Worst comes to worst you can always take them to Golarion where they'll be safe among Casandalee's faithful.
----------
Several matches pass in a blur and you barely note Yang's victory, only turning away from your half baked plans when an image of an utterly titanic construct appears on the arena's Scrolls.
"What is that thing intended to fight, the Tarrasque?" You wonder as the Colossus is joined by images of the constructs called knights and soldiers apparently another advertisement from Atlas.
"The Colossus was initially designed as a super-weapon during the Last Great War but is today deployed as the primary defence for Argus, primarily engaging leviathan class Grimm." Comes the cheerful answer to the question you hadn't intended to ask out loud. You turn to see a red haired girl in a green dress standing surprisingly close to you, choosing not to question why you hadn't noticed her approach.
"So Grimm grow much larger in the ocean." You say, remembering both the stories of Monstra and older tales about kraken, dragon-turtles and other strange monsters that lurk beneath the waves.
"Correct! Seemingly as an adaptation to the ever increasing size of ships or as an imitation of animals like the giant squid and blue whale, ocean-born Grimm grow much larger than those found on the land, though there seem to be fewer of them in both variety and totality when compared to Grimm that dwell on the land or in the air." She explains with an enthusiastic smile.
"Thank you for the explanation. I'm Shayla." You say, offering your hand with a significantly more reserved smile.
"Salutations! I'm Penny and it's wonderful to meet you. Your fight was impressive, I've never seen anyone defeated in a single blow like that." She says, leaning closer to you as she shakes your hand.
"It shouldn't have been." You grumble as you reflect on the fight. Perhaps you'd have expected an instant victory before learning about Aura, but everything you know says Winchester should've taken more punishment before being declared the loser. "I know he didn't drop his Aura but that's what it felt like. I really was expecting more"
Penny tilts her head and stares straight ahead as she thinks, leaving you to consider the girl. She's in one of the last matches to occur, meaning you won't be facing her unless you both reach the finals. She reminds you a little of Talaith when you first left Pulura's Falls, so eager to meet as many people as possible she wound up insulting half of them.
"His Aura dropped before your attack hit him, when he triggered the explosion that accounted for around ten percent of your aura." She declares, blinking and refocusing on you.
"So he did lower his defences right before I hit him, just not visibly?"
"Correct! I believe the explosion was a result of his semblance and has previously allowed him to overpower similar attacks, only for you to ignore it entirely."
"Hopefully he'll learn from his mistake then." You decide, remembering Fethrymil's many lectures on the hazards of pride and the times you saw others fall to them. "You're very perceptive. It should serve you well in the tournament."
"I am certain it will!" She agrees with an even wider smile. "Would you like me to share what I observed about your next opponent? I could give some friendly advice!"
You pause and consider the offer for a moment, mentally assessing Pantagruel once more. Eventually you answer…
[ ] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[ ] No. Relying on someone else's observations to identify a weakness could be considered cheating and feels more than a little dishonest.
----------
You and Penny watch the next few matches together, Penny repeatedly correcting you on the correct names for the weapons and techniques of the contestants. Ayana triumphs over
A dark haired boy with what Penny calls a 'retracting spetum/assault rifle' but you'd call it an elven branching spear, albeit one that extends the branches on command to try and catch the foe off guard. The next match features a faunus with an oddly thick and blunt tail that uses a pair of what you know as orc knuckle daggers alongside a curved tail blade, with Penny identifying Prakoso as a binturong faunus and his daggers as haladies, against a stockily built boy with a mace similar to Winchester's albeit with several guns built in to the head. Similarly Alviss Blain wields a 'dual action dust pickaxe/sword' instead of a kobold's tricky pick, Onyx Kalkedon a 'dust launched chain flail' not a gnomish flickmace and Isabella Walton a 'variable length whip/sword' instead of the Asp Coil that is the signature of the Aspis Consortium.
She eagerly asserts that every weapon and strategy you see in the tournament has value, despite many looking utterly insane. Tobias Hawker's feather like swords seem to be a pointless variation on a normal blade, both Echidna Baxter and Pyrrha Nikos throw their shields with only Echidna having a way to retrieve it with her chain, Hayate Nimbus is using a fan that admittedly summons a mighty blast of wind but has little else to make it better than a club and Lionel Best somehow creates a ball of energy that he kicks at his opponent, trying to avoid making contact with them himself.
Eventually she has to go and prepare for her match and you take advantage of the break before that to go find some food. No sense fighting on an empty stomach.
=================================
The elite predator that is felis catus stalks through the Panoptes Arena, unseen by the blundering giants that stomp around as if they have nothing to fear. Bella knows better, constantly on the lookout for anything out of place as she congratulates herself for choosing the perfect disguise.
A normal ferret stood out too much, apparently not found around the city. Rats and other rodents provoked panic while dogs drew too much attention, even if that attention was drawn from affection or concern. She'd had to be careful to choose the right sort of cat too - a kitten would have people trying to save it, whilst a grizzled tomcat would draw the attention of security. The sleek black cat she was pretending to be was perfect - generic enough to pass uncommented on and confident enough in its movements that people assumed that she was supposed to be here.
She hadn't been able to find much out about the tournament contestants as the locker room had no hiding spots that would allow her to spy on the lockers assigned to the contestants. She'd had a look around when she'd first emerged, but had found nothing worth commenting on beyond the scent of more than four faunus, which probably just meant a faunus was in charge of assigning the lockers.
Exploring the arena had been more informative but not particularly useful. Sadly conspirators in an assassination plot didn't go out of their way to identify themselves, nor did they leave evidence lying around where an inquisitive critter could find it. Bella could easily and swiftly find her way to any given part of the arena, even the hidden tunnels and rooms where the workers stayed.
At least she had easy access to all the food she could eat and plenty of perfect places to watch the fights from. Why would anyone leave so much just lying around? At one point she even found herself returning the gaze of a black bird, not wanting to try and catch it because of her bloated stomach but unwilling to ignore it. The arena's forcefield roof must be down because of the sunny day, considering she keeps seeing similar birds lurking in the arena.
She'll keep moving instead of focusing on some random birds. She'd said hi to Yatsuhashi and his adorable little sister already, albeit without actually speaking or making sure he recognised her. She just needs to get lucky and be there when one of the assassins inevitably screws up to ruin all their plans. A simple enough task.
=================================
Your nose is the only guide you need to find where food is being sold but your plans are immediately foiled by your past carelessness once more. You'd gotten so used not needing to buy things while at Beacon you'd never acquired any lien, the local currency.
Of course you'd noticed that lien isn't based on gold but some form of esoteric governmental debt, hence the name, a concept you're sure the Church of Abadar would spend a century debating before letting anyone try it. There were still metal coins but they seem to be worth less than coppers back home, with most transactions revolving around plastic cards.
Fortunately there are very few people around to notice your mistake, a result of the arena seating being segregated by some logic you didn't bother to look into. If you ignore the workers there's only one other person paying you any attention, a short girl that looks startlingly like a jadwiga - white hair, pale skin and bright blue eyes. Maybe Baba Yaga visited Remnant at some point in the past, or exposure to ice dust replicated the effects of the magic of the winter witches.
You turn to leave, certain you'll be able to find some preprepared lunch in the contestants area. Surprisingly the girl changes course upon spotting you, obviously trying to cut you off before you leave. You slow and let her approach you, her expression changing from surprise to a polite mask of indifference.
"Excuse me, you're one of the contestants? Shayla Barkeel?" She asks.
"Bara-key-el, yes." You correct, trying not to laugh at her mispronunciation. Everyone has their blind spots.
"Barakiel, my apologies. I just wanted to say that was an impressive fight to start the tournament with. I've never seen a mismatch like that before."
"Mismatch is the best description I've heard for it - it's easy to look impressive when set against a fool." You demur.
"Still, even the largest discrepancies in skill turn out like that." She says, pointing at a wall scroll that's displaying Penny's match. What had started as a knight with a sword trying to land a single hit on a monk has escalated as Isolde's sword has become a two-bladed sword and Penny has three swords of her own dancing through the air, connected to her pack by thin wires. "You must have used an unsafe amount of lightning dust to pull that off."
"I didn't use any dust." You say defensively, not liking the judgemental look in the girl's eyes. "It's too expensive for me to have even experimented with."
"You didn't use any dust to generate that lightning?"
"None. Take a look, I can't even put any in my hammer." You say, plucking your hammer off of your back and holding it out to her. She takes it from you with a sceptical look, barely managing to avoid dropping it as she takes the weight.
"This is an old weapon. Maybe you could socket a crystal here, but it isn't designed for it." The girl says, tapping your medal as she speaks, before spinning the hammer and tracing the jagged runes carved into the other side. "I thought these had dust in them at first, but now I'm not sure. Maybe it's a precursor to modern dust forging? Focusing the effects on a single point that propagates across the weapon when aura is added?"
You raise an eyebrow, surprised the girl has been drawn to the Crushing Runes that empower your weapon. "As far as I know there was no dust involved, but I never spoke to the smith or whoever commissioned it. It was a gift. Now what was your name again?" You explain, holding out your hand expectantly.
"Oh, my apologies, I've completely forgotten my manners." The girl says, handing back your hammer and drawing herself up with as much dignity as she can muster. "Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you." You return the girl's expectant look with a quizzical eyebrow, trying to remember where you'd heard that name before. She takes it as a prompt for her to continue. "As in the Schnee Dust Company? The largest dust company in the world and one of the official partners of the tournament?"
"Never heard of them." You say, eliminating possibilities from a mental list. "Oh, Schnee. Your family has the only hereditary semblance."
"Yes we do." Weiss says proudly. "But you've really never heard of the SDC?"
"No. Dust is expensive no matter who you buy it from." You say, wondering how strange it is for you to be ignorant of this. Even the Aspis Consortium, infamous though it is, doesn't enjoy universal recognition. From Weiss' unimpressed look the answer is extremely, but she must be biased. "I grew up in a tiny village in the Vytal Hinterlands and didn't get out much." You offer as an explanation, immediately wishing you'd said it more defensively.
Weiss scoffs in response before pulling a pamphlet from her back pocket. "Well, if your victory wasn't some sort of fluke I'm sure you'll have ample opportunity to learn how to use Dust after the tournament. If you follow these basic instructions you should avoid hurting yourself." She says, forcing the pamphlet into your hands before turning and walking away.
=================================
You can't help but grow anxious as the last matches of round one finish, barely noticing the triumph of what seems to be a Jalmeri monk over an Iblydan warrior with a bident as you consider the next round. In theory it doesn't matter if you win or lose for Ozpin's plan, but part of you wants to win, wants to challenge as many of the people around you as possible to see how you measure up. You don't know it its pride, a need to compare the divergent fighting styles of Remnant and Golarion or something else, but you need to decide before the battle begins.
=================================
Do you accept Penny's advice?
[ ] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[ ] No. Relying on someone else's observations to identify a weakness could be considered cheating and feels more than a little dishonest.
You're in the Tournament to…
[ ] Win
[ ] Draw out the assassins and nothing else
[ ] See how far you can go
What is Shayla's strategy against Pantagruel?
[ ] Hit him hard and fast, not letting up until he falls
[ ] Keep your distance as much as possible
[ ] Wear him down with swift strikes, combining Porfirio's strategy with your superior mobility
Cantrips:
Bullhorn
Detect Magic
Gale Blast
Tanglefoot
Telekinetic Projectile
Studious Spells:
Magic Weapon
Shattering Gem
Second Level:
Hydraulic Push
Heat Metal
Third Level:
Earthbind
Magnetic Acceleration
Conflux Pool: 3/3
Runic Impression
Shocking Strike
Thunderous Strike
Racial Magic:
Bless: 1/1
Humanoid Form: 1/1
Searing Light: 1/1
=================================
This delayed update brought to you by Fire Emblem: 3 Hopes, because what better way to ensure I update as much as I want as a 1-2 release of two games I've been looking forwards to in two weeks?
So probably Penny.
Although the 'coming dawn' is rather odd. Polendina-type droids are not easy to make. Even ignoring the (likely exorbitant) material and manufacturing costs you need someone to permanently sacrifice a significant chunk of their aura. Making any significant number of them would be a herculean challenge.
And just as the androids of Numeria had been enslaved by the Technic League you're certain many on Remnant would choose not to recognise the protests of a mere machine so they didn't need to risk their own lives in battle.
No wonder Casandalee thought she needed to send someone from Golarion to act - who on Remnant would be able to hear any message she might send, let alone listen to it? Even if the awakened robot isn't one of Atlas' 'knights' you doubt their owner would be happy that their dishwasher was asking why it had to wash the dishes.
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
Having an analyst on-hand is just good sense. And I doubt Penny would refuse to help anyone who asks.
[X] Draw out the assassins and nothing else
Eyes on the homicidal assassins.
[X] Hit him hard and fast, not letting up until he falls
More because it is consistent with her tactics in the first match (such as it was) and hides her other capabilities than because it is optimal for this fight.
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating
[X] See how far you can go
[X] Wear him down with swift strikes, combining Porfirio's strategy with your superior mobility
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[X] See how far you can go
[X] Hit him hard and fast, not letting up until he falls
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[X] Draw out the assassins and nothing else
[X] Wear him down with swift strikes, combining Porfirio's strategy with your superior mobility
The absolute worst part about being a DM or running a quest for me is never being sure how obvious something is. Like, when I wrote Casandalee's divine mission part of me was going 'this is too obviously Penny. I need to change the wording'. I'm surprised no one picked up on Casandalee being the goddess before since I gave you an image of her holy symbol, especially when @kelgar04 mentioned Casandalee.
I'm still feeling like that when I look at the previous update and the things I'm setting up i the background. I'm balancing I want to say 6-7 different things I want to be Chekhov's Guns when they actually happen, but only two of them have had proper set up, one could only just now come up and so on.
Although the 'coming dawn' is rather odd. Polendina-type droids are not easy to make. Even ignoring the (likely exorbitant) material and manufacturing costs you need someone to permanently sacrifice a significant chunk of their aura. Making any significant number of them would be a herculean challenge.
I can't imagine mass production is going to happen anytime soon, but there have to be improvements they can make once they better understand souls and such. Probably not what I meant when I wrote the mission and definitely not what I'm thinking of now though.
The absolute worst part about being a DM or running a quest for me is never being sure how obvious something is. Like, when I wrote Casandalee's divine mission part of me was going 'this is too obviously Penny. I need to change the wording'. I'm surprised no one picked up on Casandalee being the goddess before since I gave you an image of her holy symbol, especially when @kelgar04 mentioned Casandalee.
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[X] Draw out the assassins and nothing else
[X] Wear him down with swift strikes, combining Porfirio's strategy with your superior mobility
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[X] See how far you can go
[X] Hit him hard and fast, not letting up until he falls
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[X] Draw out the assassins and nothing else
[X] Wear him down with swift strikes, combining Porfirio's strategy with your superior mobility
[X] Yes. To draw out the assassins you need to stay in the tournament and this isn't even cheating.
[X] See how far you can go
[X] Hit him hard and fast, not letting up until he falls
