[Fire Emblem on Forums: Annaquest: Thirteen Merchants in Search of a Payday (OOC)]

Once upon a time, it was dragonkind rather than humanity who ruled the known world. According to legend, this strange, magical, unfathomably powerful and advanced race could shapeshift between a truly draconic form that let them access their power and a more human-like form, kept watch over the humans beneath them, and did their best to rule fairly and justly over all. Technologically, their reign over the continent of Britince was a golden age, and some of the technologies and magical techniques they practiced have since been lost to time and inaccessible in all but stories. However, every age, good or bad, is eventually destined to end…

 

The end of the Age of Dragons did not come with an uprising of humans, but abruptly with a disease known as the Drakenbane. In humanity, it amounted to little more than a bout of highly dry skin and a week-long flu. In Dragonkind, however, the disease caused a much more severe bout of illness lasting up to a month, and about half of all cases wouldn’t make it that long before expiring. And of that half who survived, a half of those were forever changed by the experience--corrupted or maddened, it mattered not to the humans as much as the resulting violent tendencies and uncontrollable bloodlust it induced in the “Baneful”, as these unfortunate cases were called. With all their advances, the Dragons could scarcely pinpoint if this illness was bacterial, viral or even magical in nature, much less concoct a cure in a timely manner--and with every one of their number that went on a rampage, resentment against the Dragons grew among humanity. Before tensions were to reach their breaking point, this ancient and powerful race simply packed up and left the continent, never to be seen or heard from again.

 

They did not leave humanity with nothing, however. In their old cities, soon to be ruins, they left swords of impossible craftsmanship, shields that could not dent, siege weaponry capable of breaching any gate, gates capable of withstanding any siege weapon. It’s on these ruins that the power vacuum was filled, and the human nations of Leocor and Nobilisse arose from the ashes of draconic civilization. Both countries decided that, actually, they wanted the whole thing, and so they’ve been warring on and off again ever since--even after one nation underwent a dramatic upheaval and regime change, Leocor has simply used it as a pretense to invade again.

 

And so, the meat grinder of war grinds on and on, death, destruction, creeping totalitarianism, revolutions consuming themselves, all that stuff...but, then again, what am I boring you with this history lesson for? You’re not here for that. You’re here to get paid. That’s why you’ve come to work for Anna in the first place, whether you’re a veteran of her ‘company’ or a new hire. The world may grind on in its endless cruelty around you, the man who was free today may be the next on the guillotine tomorrow, but there’s always someone willing to part with their money for the right price, and there’s always something really cool you can buy with that money if you know where to look. Whatever your reasons for joining up, Anna pays you more than well enough to stay on, and usually she’s savvy enough to stay out of trouble even in your shadier ventures. Well, usually...sometimes she slips up. And one of those slip-ups is where our little adventure begins...

 

Hey! Welcome to my first go at running an FEF! My name is Blasbo and this is Jackass. Uhh, I guess I'll be putting a link to the handbook below--but please do pay attention for some homebrew rule changes I'll be implementing down below. Before I get to those though I'll go ahead and give you a better idea of the world you'll be playing in.

Map

Spoiler

 

 

The Continent of Britince

Spoiler

 

It’s not certain how exactly the continent came to be or who, if anyone, created it. What is known, however, is that the continent has stood for five millennia at the very least, and that once upon a time an ancient race known as the Dragons used to call it their home alongside humanity. With their natural might they ruled over the lands until a mysterious malady began afflicting them--a disease known as Drakenbane which caused only a mild, week-long flu and temporary dryness of skin resembling a scaly texture in humanity, but severe illness in the dragons which would last for up until a month. After the illness had passed, about half of the afflicted would come out of it stricken with madness and a violent temperament which necessitated them to be put down. The legend goes that after years of searching for a cure to no avail, the dragons left the continent and have not been seen since, leaving humanity to build upon the remains of draken civilization. Fortunately, they did not leave humanity with nothing, as remnants of their civilization in the form of ancient ruins holding marvels of magical innovation and revolutionary ironcraft since lost to the ages scatter the continent. It’s in such wonders that the ruling families of Leocor and Paysanne found their initial footholds on power that eventually expanded into the kingdoms that persisted nearly to this date.

 

There are several religions scattered throughout the continent, but the most prominent ones are Drakenism, which worships the dragons of old and prays for their return, along with Percivism and Javertism which deifies the first monarchs of Leocor and Nobilisse respectively. However, with the recent revolution and violent seizing of power from the Nobilissian royal family, Javertism has been outlawed within the Republic of Pasyanne as subversive to the revolution and any confirmed to be publicly worshiping are quickly put to trial and then the guillotine--therefore, anyone still practicing do so either in the safety of Leocor or in the utmost secrecy.

 

 

Britince is, generally, an overall temperate continent with accordingly temperate forests and wide, sprawling plains dominating the biosphere wherever there aren’t cities set up. Dotted around some forested areas, however, are tall, treacherous and often snow-capped mountains where only the hardiest of citizens dare try to make their living. Such a lifestyle can pay off, however, as there are often valuable resources hiding in the mountain and more than enough to get by on if one knows where to look, even to the point where there are known to be small villages on the sides of some of these mountains.

 

 

 

 

The Kingdom of Leocor

Spoiler

 

Leocor is a monarchy with a line of royalty dating back as long as humans have been the ruling species on Britince, and they’re proud of it. Since time immemorial, the kingdom has had a rigid class structure wherein everyone has a place and would do very well to remember that place and not step outside of it; if you’re the son of a blacksmith, your place is to become a blacksmith yourself. If you’re the son of the king, you’re destined by birthright to rule. And if you’re the son of a peasant, your job is to stay where you are and not even think about advancing your station. This highly immobile system is enforced both by hegemony, with traditionalists tending to rally around the idea of ‘This Is How It’s Always Been’ regardless of whether ‘how it’s always been’ is actually any good for them or not, as well as the knowledge that military force is always ready to quell anyone who would challenge the system. To be sure, Leocor is a relatively functional state and most have enough to scrape by without starving at the least--but this stability comes at the cost of a great deal of freedom for the majority of citizens. Speaking out against the monarchy has been named ‘subversive’ and deemed to be illegal in Leocor, Percivism is not only the country’s official religion but the only one allowed to be practiced within its borders, and even minor infractions of the law are often punished with brutal efficiency. Of course, as often happens with these sorts of systems, the latter problem is more frequently visited upon those with a more modest income than nobility and the wealthy.

 

As of late, the kingdom of Leocor has been taking on a more nationalistic and authoritative tone--even more so than usual, with the ban on criticism against the king being expanded to a ban on criticism of the government in general and the current war against Paysanne being glorified as one being ordained by Percival himself. There is one weirder turn that the government has been taking, however--while Leocor flags and banners flying in the streets has been common for centuries, the government has also taken to flying flattering portraits of the current king, Siegfried, staring heroically into some unknown horizon. Stories of his feats of strength and tales of derring-do about the king both in his youth and in the present crossing into the realm of absurdity have been circulated among the public as rumors, and just recently the national anthem has been changed to add a few lyrics glorifying not just the nation or Percival, but Siegfried as well. Such efforts haven’t worked on everyone, but they have nonetheless taken root among a percentage of the population.

 

 

Siegfried, and by extension Leocor, has refused to recognize the new government of the Republic of Paysanne, and has started the latest war against the country on the pretense of re-establishing a more legitimate government. In public, this is the only line of thought that may be expressed, but in private there are whispers among the people that it’s just an excuse for Siegfried to either install a puppet monarch or sieze the country altogether, and either way extend his rule across the entire continent.

 

 

 

 

Locations of Leocor

Spoiler

 

The capital city is Impericum, and it does a lot to embody the nation as a whole--tall, imposing buildings, at least a decent standard of living all around, and monarchist and pro-Siegfried propaganda plastered almost wall to wall throughout the city. It’s a good enough place to live in, so much as you agree with everything the government wants you to believe--if you don’t, however, then such close proximity to the powers that be prompts one to walk on eggshells all their lives and stifle what they truly believe--the King keeps some of his best guards on duty in the capital, after all, and those who have made it to the top tend to be the ones with the most brutal approach to rulebreakers. It’s little wonder that at this point, most of the people left in there are true believers, can’t move out for whatever reason or have the secret aim of subverting the government.

 

Further north is a center of commerce named Prospero, where merchants from all over the country congregate to sell their wares and make a tidy profit. As a merchant town, Prospero has a fittingly high standard of living--so long as you're not in the servant class, of course. For those who are, however, violence and abuse from their masters is not only condoned but sanctioned by the Leocor government, and such jobs are often lifetime affairs bound by an unbreakable contract they have little choice but to sign onto. Any noble house worth their salt has at least a residence if not a shop in this town, and a not-insubstantial amount of them made their very fortunes here in this town. In any such merchant town, however, no matter how clean it looks, there develops a seedy criminal underbelly. Such is still true for Prospero--but rather than a mafia-esque organization of hits and robberies, the underbelly of Prospero takes the form of gambling rings and a rank infestation of con artists and charlatans among the ‘respectable’ shops.

 

 

 

The Kingdom of Nobilisse The Republic of Paysanne

Spoiler

 

Formerly known as the Kingdom of Nobilisse, this region was formerly plagued with economic inequality rivaling and even surpassing that of Cape Capital. Everyone who’s lived in the Republic back when it was still Nobilisse still remembers the hard times, and these times are remembered in two ways--as the Good Old Days™ if you were among the 1% who belonged to the higher classes who paid little to no taxes and enjoyed more or less complete freedom from the law which in turn allowed them to unscrupulously accumulate more wealth, and as a poverty-ridden hellscape if you were anyone else where to afford so much a loaf of bread was nearly unthinkable for a common peasant and yet those same peasants found most of their income taxed to support the government and constantly felt the brutal eye of the law on their backs. Naturally, such a system proved unsustainable in the long term, and what followed was the Nobilissean Revolution.

 

This was a violent uprising four years ago that saw the peasantry banding together and taking control of the country over the course of a year, putting to the guillotine any member of the upper-class they could get their hands on and searching high and low for those they could not. These are known as the Bloodied Days within the nation, and after the dust was settled and the stream of blood flowing through the streets was finally stemmed the Republic of Paysanne was formed in its ashes. All is not well in Paysanne, however--the rivalry they’ve long held with Leocor still burns strong even with the recent change in leadership, no doubt fueled by the refusal of Leocor’s monarchy to recognize the legitimacy of Paysanne as a state, and paranoia about leftover nobility and nobility sympathizers hiding amongst them and undermining the revolution has led to rumored show trials followed by the old guillotine being brought out for use once more. There are monarchists and others within who do not agree with the revolution, certainly, but just as many are those who have begun to fear the same revolutionaries who set them free. These doubts, bubbling up over the fledgling nation's two years of relative stability before Leocor's declaration of war, have been stifled, or at least agreed to be left unspoken, by the aggression of Leocor against them in what the monarchy says is an attempt to reinstate a legitimate government, but everyone else sees as a transparent land grab--the doubts and fears are still there, to be sure, but they can be resolved when the invaders are pushed out of their lands.

 

 

During this most recent war, there's been one man who despite his absence in the Senate has still become a rising star among the people--a general named Naples Durand, a man who can fairly take a good share of the credit for keeping the fledgling nation from being overrun with his military genius and his mighty wyvern. In public, of course, he puts on a perfectly amiable face; however, there are rumors that those who know the man more personally have said he's perhaps a little too into chasing his military glories. That hasn't stopped there from being a growing movement to elect him to the Senate--once the war is over, of course.

 

 

The former main religion, Javertism, has been outlawed on penalty of death, but that does not mean religion in general has been outlawed--one may practice freely, so long as what they’re practicing isn’t Javertism. Further, the revolutionaries have not introduced their own religion as of yet, instead preferring to let the free peoples practice as they will--again, provided it isn’t the ‘subversive’ Javertism.

 

 

 

Locations of Paysanne

Spoiler

 

The capital city is Pureteé, once divided into a larger slum district on the lower side of town bordered by the more opulent and manor-filled upper district. The destruction wrought by the violent revolution, however, has brought the two closer together in appearance and the sudden lack of owners for some of these mansions has either been filled by the new senators of the Republic or taken advantage of by those wishing to squat in opulence. A guillotine where public executions often take place is proudly displayed in the town center, and the blood trails leading into the gutters have rarely been entirely been cleaned up at any given point. Propaganda posters for the revolution are plastered all around the city, and banners of the Republic’s new flag fly proudly in the streets;but, such a thing belies a certain stifling air of fear, fear that at any given point one may be the next up on the chopping block. Still, however, the essentials of life are definitely far easier to come by nowadays than they were during the old days....

 

 

An area close to the center of Paysanne is not a city, necessarily, but a holy site; a particularly large set of ruins, not as sprawling as The Great Ruins by any means but still bigger than the normal sites dotted around Britince, named Le Berceau du Dragon. It is a site of particular importance to those who follow Drakenism, said to be the place where the Dragons sprung into existence to lead the continent on to an eternal golden age, and the place where the Dragons will one day return from. Poaching relics and valuables from this sacred ground is forbidden by Nobilisse law on threat of punishment ranging from the stocks to execution depending on how egregiously one stole from the holy grounds--one of the few that they kept around during the transition to the Republic of Paysanne. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t those who will pay top dollar for people to try, though, and it also doesn’t mean there aren’t those desperate or foolhardy enough to be those hired poachers. Such activity is purely for aesthetic desire; those who built the place all those years ago didn’t see fit to put any military devices in there and instead seemed to use it as a sort of art museum. It also seems to work well as a defensive position, though; it’s currently occupied by the last remaining soldiers of a long-failed push into Nobilisse territory, desperately trying to hold back the forces surrounding them trying to reclaim the holy lands in hopes of another push eventually reaching them. This, along with rumors that Leocor is planning to take all they can get from Le Berceau du Dragon once they’ve solidified their control over the territory to decorate Siegfried’s palace with has served to sour a good amount of Drakenists towards the nation.

 

 

Leocor and Paysanne/Nobilisse

Spoiler

 

Leocor and Nobilisse have had a deep-rooted, bitter rivalry ever since the two countries came into existence--the exact reason why has been lost to the ages, but most theorize that at this point it’s fueled by old grudges both sides have long since cast aside justification for holding, combined with a desire for one country to finally take control of the whole of Britince. Many wars have been fought between the two in the past, and all have come to a bloody stalemate followed by an eventual peace treaty that both sides know will only be temporary. Animosity against Nobilisseans is commonly held by Leocorans, and vice versa--though, there are definitely a fair amount who don’t share these sentiments. This animosity is limited to more non-violent forms of harassment in times of peace, but in times of war it becomes a very dangerous thing to be a citizen of Leocor in Pasyanne, and vice versa. Border security between the two countries is supposedly tight--but, a savvy and unscrupulous individual has always been able easily slip through, so long as they know which guards to bribe. Of course, now that war has broken out it’s become less of a border than a warzone as both sides grapple desperately for the upper hand in this conflict, meaning crossing between the two countries is a much more tense life-threatening endeavor for everyone as both sides are paranoid about spies infiltrating through a guise of innocence and have given orders to their border troops to kill anyone not in uniform on sight.

 

Crossing by sea isn’t much safer recently either--any ship unable to either keep a low profile or defend itself is liable to be captured by the navies of either nation in between their constant clashes, especially so if you make the foolish mistake of flying the opposing nation’s flag.

 

 

The Island of Cape Capital

Spoiler

A small island ‘nation’ off the coast of Leocor formed by a group of both wealthy noblemen from Leocor who have, for lack of a better term, ‘Gone Galt’, as well as some of the upper-class who escaped from the Nobilissean Revolution. Previously uninhabited, the nation is now home to vast social and economic inequality, horrible crime rates stemmed only by oppressive and violent private militiamen, and near-constant squabbling over property rights by those few safely entrenched in wealth and power. It has no tax laws and trades primarily in gold as neither superpower recognizes it as an actual country (or takes it seriously at all, really), though, so Anna uses it as a tax haven. She makes it a point not to actually visit there too often, though, due to obvious reasons, and always makes sure everything she has is locked up tight and strapped firmly on her person. It wouldn't be too bad an idea to follow her example, honestly.

 

The Great Ruins

Spoiler

 

A peninsula on the northeast corner of Leocor’s territory, the environment here is unnaturally cold as a contrast to the more moderate, temperate environment of the rest of the continent. In fact, a sign that you’re nearing the Great Ruins is a thickening layer of snow beginning to gather upon the ground, and the sudden advent of white fur on the wildlife to blend in with their surroundings. Snow can regularly pile up six inches deep in this environment, and storms can whip up without warning, so it’s a good idea to dress warm if one plans to traverse this environment. This isn’t the most notable thing about the area, however--that honor would go to the numerous draconic ruins populating the area, almost unceasingly spanning the length of the peninsula. The lands here are inhospitable enough and far enough away from Leocor’s center of power that they have decided not to claim this land as their official territory, and for the former reason not many humans in general settle here either. Neither Nobilisse nor its new government in Paysanne is in any position to sneak around and claim it for themselves, so as of today the Great Ruins are a neutral, unclaimed territory, and no one knows quite how many wonders are stored here just waiting to be discovered...

 

 

Anna's Company (The Players)

Spoiler

 

The war between the Kingdom of Leocor and the newly established Republic of Paysanne has been raging for almost a year now, and the toll it’s taking on the continent of Britince is highly visible in the sheer amount of blood that’s been spilled alone. Although neither side has gained any ground for a good month now it’s clear that neither side is willing to concede anything. And so, the meat grinder of war grinds on, unimpeded until the two nations see sense and craft a peace treaty…

 

Anna, however, does not care about this. No matter who wins, there’s going to be a market somewhere, a way to turn a nice profit, and at the end of the day that’s what she’s in it for. Times are dangerous, though, so she’s decided to hire on some ‘fellow travelers’, some ‘mercantile collaborators’, some ‘company employees’--in other words, mercenaries who can also help create and sell her wares (or, in some cases, steal them from others). Hey, what’s the difference between mercenaries and merchants at a certain point, right? This company is made up of you, the players--some having worked with her for years, some being relatively new hires, but all promised and (often) delivered a paycheck big enough to make it worthwhile to look the other way when her dealings often turn some form of shady. Anna is pretty straightforward about what she’s after as a businesswoman--no great moral crusades to bring balance to the world, no rising up as a third underdog faction to end the tyranny of both sides, none of that nonsense. No, what she--and, by extension, the players--are after is a nice, fat payday, and the party is here to help her get it by whatever means necessary--and, of course, to pocket their own little slice of the pie when all’s said and done. Some will be in her employ at the start, some will be hired later on, and some might just end up getting roped in.

 

Other Annas will be in the running to get accepted, of course--if the family wants to help out, who’s she to say no? Any reason for them joining up is fine, it’s not like she’s going to ask--whether for a business opportunity, simply to help out a family member or maybe to investigate why Anna-Carnation hasn’t been attending family gatherings recently. I mean, huh? What?

 

 

 

Rule Changes

First thing's first, before I introduce the changes to the rules I'll probably have to give you what exactly the base rules are to begin with. So, here you go. Now, without further ado:

General

Spoiler

 

All supports, rather than giving +5 Crit or +5 Dodge, now all give +2.5 Crit and Dodge.

 

When you reach Level 10 in First Class, you choose one weapon subcategory, either already ranked or from general category, and it gains 1 rank up. The same happens when you reach Level 10 in Promoted Class.

 

Every extra point in HP on character creation counts as +2 HP, for a maximum of +4 HP.

 

New formula for Ailment staves: Staff%= Staff Hit + [(User MAG - Target RES) * 3] + (SKL * 2) - (Distance between user and target * 5)

 

 

 

Skills

Spoiler

 

Existing Skills:

Stillness, Provoke and Discipline are removed.

Luna is now Free.

Savior, in addition to its other effects, gives the user +3 Aid.

 

New Character Skills:

-Aegis (Free): When suffering an attack from Bows, Hidden Weapons, Tomes and Dragonstones, there is a (SKL+LCK)% chance to reduce the damage dealt by half.

-Desperation (Free): When making an attack, if you are < or = 30% HP, you may make any followup attacks immediately before your opponent counterattacks.

-Dragon Ward (Free): When an adjacent ally suffers an attack, there is a (SKL+LCK)% chance, based on your stats, to reduce the damage by half.

-Pavise (Free): When suffering an attack from Swords, Lances, Axes and Monsters, there is a (SKL+LCK)% chance to reduce the damage by half.

-Rend Heaven (Free): During an attack, you have a (SKL+LCK)% chance to deal damage equal to half your enemy’s STR or MAG stat based on the type of weapon you are wielding. (lf using a physical weapon, calculate with enemy’s Strength. If using a magical weapon, calculate using the enemy’s Magic. Weapons capable of both use the stat that targets the same defensive stat as they do.)

-Trailblazer (Free): Penalties for moving into forest, desert, deep snow, and hills tiles are reduced by 1. No ill effects from Weather are suffered as well.

-Vengeance (Free) – During an attack, you have a (SKL+LCK)% chance to add half of your missing HP to your attack.

 

Characters may also instead opt to take one of these three previously-Cost versions of these Skills in exchange for the usual 30% Progression:

-Celerity+ (Cost): Gives +2 MOV.

-Desperation+ (Cost): HP threshold is 50% maximum or less.

-Vantage+ (Cost): HP threshold is 50% maximum or less.

 

 

Class Changes

Spoiler

 

Trainee

-Rider Trainee: If promoting into Cavalier or Pegasus Rider, may start with Sword (E) and a Slim Sword. If promoting into Cavalier or Wyvern Rider, may start with Axe (E) and a Hatchet. Relevant proficiencies will carry over to promotions, and Lance (E) with a Slim Lance can be chosen for all three routes.

 

First Class

-Bandit: Reckless Strike’s bonus damage now applies to both hits when doubling.

-Cavalier: Cavalier promotions have the same choice of preferred stats as Cavaliers. Cavaliers can choose between Swords/Lances and Axes/Lances for weapons. Can promote into Great Knight.

-Fencer: Now has proficiency in Light Magic instead of Hidden Weaponry.

-Mage: Can promote into Battle Mage, keeping Anima proficiency and obtaining Bow proficiency.

-Pegasus Rider: May choose between Swords and Lances. Bonuses from Anti-Magic are gained when being attacked by the appropriate units as well.

-Pirate: Rapid Strike is replaced with Opportunist: Gain +20 to Hit against enemies that are suffering from ailments or have 50% or lower HP.

-Scavenger: Can promote into Shadow Sword. Scavenge Gold now only steals 50 Gold from First Tier enemies, and 100 Gold from Promoted enemies.

-Shaman: Ancient Gamble is replaced with Anthropomancy: Whenever this character lands the final blow on an enemy, they gain +10 to Evade and Dodge, +3 to Damage Reduction, and +3 to CON. At the end of every turn one third of the bonus is removed, starting with Damage Reduction and CON, then Dodge and finally Evade. This ability does not stack with itself, but is refreshed when dealing the final blow to another enemy.

-Wyvern Rider: May choose between Axes and Lances.

 

Promotion

-Battle Mage: Archers promoting into Battle Mage can choose between Anima and Light.

-Crusader: Crusaders may use their action to change the designated class type they gain advantage against, with the first time being a free action. This may be used up to 2 times after the first for a total of 3 times.

-Dancing Blade: Sword Dance is changed to: On their turn, can declare an attack against every adjacent enemy, which cannot be countered. Each enemy can only be hit once and each attack must be individually rolled.

-Dark Rider: May choose between Swords and Lances.

-Duke Knight: May have Swords/Lances or Axes/Lances depending on what proficiency was chosen as a Cavalier.

-Great Knight: Trample is renamed to Sturdy and only gives +3 DR against unmounted units, not +3 Damage. Obtains Weapon Mastery: While the character with this skill is equipped with a weapon of a higher class than their opponent, +2 Damage and +10 Hit/Evasion.

-Inquisitor: Miracle has a chance to activate before Benediction, rather than after.

-Paladin: Gains Aegis as a class skill that can replaced with another Free skill if Aegis was already chosen as a Free skill.

-Shadow Sword: Now has proficiency in Light Magic instead of Hidden Weaponry.

-Templar: Gains Rend Heaven as a class skill that can replaced with another Free skill if Rend Heaven was already chosen as a Free skill.

-Valkyrie: Has Sword profiency if Swords were chosen as a Pegasus Rider.

-Wanderer: Bargain is replaced with Pilfer Gold, a direct upgrade and replacement for Scavenge Gold that steals 100 Gold from First Tier enemies and 200 Gold from Second Tier enemies. They also have a (Luck)% chance of obtaining a Gold Bar (see Great Merchant below) when they defeat an enemy if they have a free inventory slot.

-Warrior: Rough and Tumble is reduced to 3 spaces of 3 enemies.

-Wyvern Hunter: Has Axe proficiency if Axes were chosen as a Wyvern Rider.

-Wyvern Knight: Has Axe proficiency and may choose between Lances/Swords if Axes were chosen as a Wyvern Rider.

 

 

New Classes

Spoiler

 

Apothecary

Promotes from Archer Trainee

Promotes to Great Merchant, Nomad Healer

Wields Bow (C/D)

Starting Weapon: Iron Bow

Preferred Stats: LCK, SPD

Class Skills:

Quick Salve: The Apothecary may use healing items on themselves as a free action.

Potent Brew: When using medicine to revive downed players, the healing is not halved.

Base Stats: 20 HP, 5 STR, 0 MAG, 4 SKL, 5 LUK, 3 DEF, 1 RES, 5 SPD, 7 CON, 6 AID, 5 MOV.

Promotion Bonuses: HP +2, STR +1, MAG +0, SKL +0, LUK +2, DEF +2, RES +0, SPD +3, CON +3, AID +3, MOV 5

 

 

Great Merchant

Promotes from Apothecary

Requires: Orion’s Bolt

Wields Bow (A/C), Lance (A/C)

Preferred Stats: LCK, DEF

Class Skills:

Payday: The Great Merchant has a (Luck)% chance during their movement and upon defeating a foe to find a Gold Bar. This is an item that has no effects other than being worth 200 Gold at a shop. Great Merchants have 1 extra inventory slot so long as it contains a Gold Bar and nothing else.

Spendthrift: If the Great Merchant is in possession of a Gold Bar in their inventory they may choose to expend it to deal +5 Damage and gain +5 DR for their next combat. The use must be declared when attacking.

Promotion Bonuses: HP +2, STR +2, MAG +0, SKL +2, LUC +3, DEF +3, RES +0, SPD +0, CON +3, AID +3, MOV 6

 

Malig Knight

Promotes from Wyvern Rider, Shaman, Necromancer

Requires: Elysian Whip

Wields Axes (A/C) OR Lances (A/C), Dark (A/C)

Preferred Stats: STR, MAG

Class Skills:

Wyvern

Trample: Gains a +3 Damage bonus against unmounted units.

Savage Blow: Has a (SKL + 1/2 LUC)% chance to deal 20% of your attacking stat to the target and adjacent enemies after combat resolves when you initiate combat. This cannot reduce HP below 1.

Promotion Bonuses: HP +3, STR +2, MAG +1, SKL +1, LUC +1, DEF +3, RES +1, SPD +1, CON +3, AID +3, MOV 6

 

Kinshi Knight

Promotes from Archer, Pegasus Knight, Nomad

Requires: Elysian Whip

Wields Lances (A/C) OR Swords (A/C), Bows (A/C)

Preferred Stats: SKL, SPD

Class Skills:

Kinshi (Pegasus)

Amaterasu: At the start of each turn, passively heals all adjacent allies for 10% of their total HP.

Ruler of the Skies: Hit +20 and Avoid +10 against other flying units.

Promotion Bonuses: HP +1, STR +2, MAG +0, SKL +2 LUC +1, DEF +0, RES +3, SPD +3, CON +3, AID +3, MOV 6

 

War Cleric

Promotes from Priest / Sister

Requires: Faith Icon

Wields Staves (A/C), Axes (A/C)

Preferred Stats: HP, LUK

Class Skills:

Countermagic: When taking damage from a tome or other magical weapon, the War Cleric has a (SKL + LCK)% chance of the enemy suffering the damage they took.

Promotion Bonuses: HP +3, STR +3, MAG +1, SKL +0, LUK +2, DEF +0, RES +1, SPD +0, CON +5, AID +5, MOV 6

 

 

 

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

A grimace falls over her face as Owena looks over their combatants on the battlefield--the Pendragon and assorted cronies, as expected, but she didn't expect someone quite so...young on the enemy's team. Then again, thinking about it she doesn't put it too far past Rosanne--if she's willing to use her sister to get what she wants, then what's taking it that step further to her? Speaking of, her gaze fixates on Mercia, standing across the fountain, her sister's gaze turning hard and determined on sight of her. Well...she can't really blame her for that, she supposes. A sinking feeling grows in her gut and a pain shoots through her heart as it starts to fully sink in--they're going to have to fight. Truth be told, she'd hoped she could manage to help end this conflict without ever having to confront her sister...but in retrospect, it makes sense that Rosanne would keep the one Dragonborn supporter she had around as often as possible. To help explain, 'Why, I can't possibly be racist--I have a Dragonborn friend here, you see.'

 

Her head turns slightly to address the other members of her group, low enough that the other side couldn't hear. "There's something else you should know. The dragonborn in their group...she's my sister. I...I'd appreciate it if you didn't hurt her, if possible. She's just...she's misguided. If she won't get out of the way then I'll deal with it." Her eyes turn to the ground for a few moments before she adds on, voice cracking a little, "Please."

 

Owena to L10.

Nicolos to M10.

Vivi to N11.

Brinda to L11.

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

It takes a few minutes for Owena to make her way back to Nicolos, and a little longer to make sure she's not being tailed in the process, but she finally arrives there nonetheless. Approaching, she takes another careful look around to ensure that they're alone or, at the least, in trusted company, before shrugging her hood back off again.

"Nicolos. We...we've probably got trouble. I'm pretty sure Rosanne and her agents are here looking for Lancelot, too."

There's a short pause before she begins staring downwards at the ground. "I...know that because my sister is among them. And given how firmly she's placed herself on Rosanne's side, where she goes it's likely her agents aren't far behind. Hey, um...I need you to listen, okay? My sister...it'll probably be hard to miss her. She has blue hair, blue scales like mine and horns. I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone to hurt her if it comes to a confrontation. If she won't get out of our way then I'll handle her, but...don't hurt her. Please."

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

Her eyes narrow at the reveal that someone's decided to audition to join their team by pilfering their belongings. She sees among them nothing that belongs to her--and good thing for him, or she would be markedly more hostile--but all the same the way he's chosen to 'try out', as it were...doesn't particularly endear him to her very well.

"Famous, really? ...I've never heard of you. I'll leave the decision to people with more authority here than me, but steal my belongings at your own risk." Just from her tone, one can tell that she's...really not joking about that.

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

She pauses for a few moments—Mercia’s doing her self-esteem thing again. Of course, Owena figured following a leader who couldn’t give a damn about her didn’t do wonders for that, but...it still tugged at her heartstrings to see. She shakes her head slightly.

 

“It’s no trouble, don’t worry. And...please, take care of yourself. It’s dangerous out there.”

 

With that, she turns and begins making her way back to Nicolos, keeping a roundabout route in case she’s being tailed. There’s...a few things they’ll need to talk about.

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

Man, she has never wanted to get away from her sister and avoid answering her questions more than she does in this moment. She wanted to see Mercia again, yes, but...when it was all over, when someone who'd treat their people was on the throne, when they had options other than appealing to someone who had no history of or reason to be listening to a Dragonborn's appeals to not treat them like lessers. Not lying to her while she tries to do some shoddy intelligence work about one of the Knights of the Round Table. Why would they be willing to join with Rosanne, anyways...? Didn't they leave because the last Pendragon was an utter shithead?

"That's...a general sentiment around these parts, yes. The status quo hasn't been kind to many here, and a lot of people see Rosanne as representing more of that status quo. 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss'...as the saying goes. As for my opinions..."

She's silent for a few moments before deciding to be honest for once, a pained grimace coming over her face. "I just hope this whole thing is over soon."

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

Owena can read between the lines just a little bit--enough to suppose that if Mercia, a known agent of the monarchy, is looking for Lancelot then it's likely enough that the monarchy is looking for him too. And if they were looking for him, it wasn't just to chat him up about Alexander the Dragon Prince. She can't say for certain that Rosanne wants to find him for the same reason that they do, but either way this is worth reporting back to Nicolos about as soon as she can; the two outcomes she can see with Rosanne meeting up with Lancelot is him either deciding to become an agent of stagnation or being executed after refusing to bend the knee. It...it would probably hurt Mercia a lot if she figured out how they knew, but she just can't allow either of those two possibilities to come to pass.

 

Of course, to report to Nicolos she'd have to disengage with this conversation, which...well, she'll have to do her best.

"...Sorry, I don't know any more than you." She keeps her voice that same level of deep, shaking her head. "Sorry to ask unnecessary questions. There's rumor that the monarchy is interested in recruiting him or removing him if he won't be swayed...not everyone wants things to stay as they always have been. So you might get that question more than once."

Well, not exactly true, but...

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

It's not too long before she comes to the center of the town, and...hm. That's actually a really nice fountain. She'll have to ask Nicolos about it later on...but, she's not really here right now to admire a statue, is she? She's here to ask about Lancelot, and so far not many of the people she's asked have had much of anything to say about him. Which...damn, that's a bummer. But before she can move on to question people in the square, she spots a face in the crowd. A familiar, blue face, one that wouldn't be out here if she had her way, one that would be safe and protected at home, like...like things used to be. But the Pendragons have never been in the business of letting nice things last, have they?

 

It's also a familiar face that's heading right this way. Fuck. Shit. Okay. If she's here then the Queen Bitch's forces probably aren't far behind so it's probably not smart to pull any funny business here. She doesn't want to deceive her--dammit, she's never wanted to hurt Mercia--but at this juncture she doesn't see much of a choice in the matter. ...Fuck, does it hurt, though.

"...W-Why--" Quickly, she clears her throat. "Why do you want to know?" She puts on...just about the deepest fake voice she can muster, and she hopes that's enough to keep Mercia from recognizing her right now. Because if she did recognize her right now there'd be a lot of uncomfortable questions.

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Arena [IC]]

Swampmill, hm...? Seems like a pretty nice place...she just hopes the tavern is just as nice. After all, she still fully intends on holding Nicolos to that promise of drinks later. She doesn't have as much problem going by herself to gather information--she's not exactly a stranger to brawling and, well, most of these people look like they can take care of themselves if they need to as well. So, giving a slight nod, she raises her hood again, enough to keep her face mostly covered.

"We'll meet back here after a while, then, I'm guessing? Don't worry, I won't get anything from the bar until we're all there--but once we are, it's fine if we use your tab, right?"

She doesn't actually give Nicolos much of a chance to respond to her little joke, walking off into the village shortly after. She strolls on through the little hamlet, trying to keep a low profile and looking around for anyone who might know something about Lancelot...

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

"...Father used to have me practice it as a method of anger management. I figured I might as well keep trying at it." She's quiet for a few seconds before, if not changing the subject, then at least moving it somewhere adjacent.

"You don't meditate yourself, do you?"

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

"Anything I want to lay down...?"

To tell the truth, she hadn't thought too much about that. It's not like she planned to be there forever, after all. So really, there's only one thing she can think of off the top of her head.

"...If you see that I'm trying to meditate, don't interrupt me unless it's important."

Granted, none of her attempts to meditate had worked all that well so far anyways, but that's neither here nor there.

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

All of these ground rules point towards this Lenore being someone who's...standoffish, a little guarded, maybe. But that's fine--or, at the least, she has absolutely no right to complain about it. It's not like she's been trying to be the warmest person possible so far herself anyways.

"...Fine, so long as 'your side' doesn't block the door. I don't really have anything left to recognize in your stuff, anyways..."

So long as they were telling the truth about not knowing anything about her goals, anyways--if it turns out they were lying then she'd better have a good-ass explanation.

 

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

Dinner was...hm. She has things she prefers more, but at the end of the day it's being provided for her and it's a lot better than the food they'd been given in prison. So, she is thankful for it. That being said, she doesn't really...talk all that much during it.

 

Afterwards, though, she approaches the person that, as it's shaken out, seems to be the person she's going to be bunking with. Lenore, if she remembers correctly. If they're going to be sleeping together (that is, in the same room), she figures she may want to discuss it or something.

"So...Lenore, right? It seems like we're going to be sharing a room. ...Do you have any ground rules?"

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Infernus [IC]]

Make assumptions? She...well, let's be honest here. Exactly what else is she supposed to be taking from what she's seeing here? Is this a charity offloading of feral Cursed onto someone they're looking at invading, then? But she can also tell that this line of conversation seems like it's making Juliett uncomfortable and...she doesn't want to act like the same assholes she had to deal with daily in the Winelands.

She's silent for a few minutes, glancing towards the ground herself, before speaking up again. "Sorry."

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Infernus [IC]]

Her eyes widen as the implications of the entire thing sink in--'Cursed Warriors'? She didn't know (or care) too much about Tsukiochi, but she has heard of their forces starting to encroach upon Tameloc's lands...and, well, if they can handle Rosanne she's pretty sure they can handle them, so the issue has more or less been at the back of her mind. But this...

"Manufactured...? So, wait, they're...either they're deliberately giving people the Curse to turn them into foot soldiers when they become feral, or they're just shipping whatever they've already got over here? And..."

Her expression turns...remarkably sour as she thinks more on the implications of the reasoning Vivi's laid out for doing that kind of thing. "I'm guessing 'sow distrust' means 'stir up anti-Cursed sentiment'...as if they don't have enough to deal with. Either way, though, they're just throwing these peoples' lives away like they're nothing...that's unforgivable."

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Infernus [IC]]

She's...honestly, she's a little uncomfortable chipping in on this. This seems like a complicated issue, one that she feels would be better off without her interjecting an ignorant opinion into the mix. But, she is a part of the team so she feels she should say...something.

 

"I...look, I understand that they're dangerous, and I understand there's probably a lot I don't understand about this issue, I just...I don't know how comfortable I am killing them. In a way, they're victims too, aren't they? None of them asked for what's happened to them."

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Infernus [IC]]

Well...let's be honest, she wasn't sure Nicolos had to add the whole flourish of 'filthy, diseased claws'. But, as long as she was being honest, she couldn't help but also note that their opponents for the day were generally...let's say, unhygienic. It's fairly plausible it was something of a faux pas more than genuine malice, so...hm. Well, Galen and Brinda probably knew more than her about the issue, so she'll keep an eye out for their opinions before making a final judgement on that.

 

The battle's over now, and she's happy that the majority of them could come to a consensus on showing mercy when possible towards the Cursed. But mainly, she's tired--so, planting her hatchet firmly in the ground and pulling her hood down, she sits herself down up against the nearest tree.

"Drinks, huh...? Yeah, I could probably go for one or two, once this quits stinging...punches, I can take. Magic, though, that shit stings. I'll try and hold you to that, though, Nicolos. Where are we gonna drop off the Cursed that are still kicking?"

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Infernus [IC]]

"Okay...let's finish this up. That last one looks like they're more of a fight than the others, but I'm pretty sure we can take 'em." Owena strolls on upwards and tosses a hatchet at the non-large Cursed.

 

Vivi to M11, heal Owena.

Owena to M14, throw a hatchet at Shaman E.

Nicolos to M15, finish off Shaman E.

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

"...Tch." Well...she's heavily disappointed that Baldur seems to have ignored the fact that Shin just fell down the stairs, but...she can't exactly say she's surprised. She makes her way about halfway down the stairs after him, ready to step in if the current cast can't handle him.

"Hey. Are you okay? That...looked painful."

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

"Well, so long as you don't catch me out hunting something then it's not like I'll be very busy otherwise. So, um...yeah. Whenever you're ready to talk about it feel free to come and find me."

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

She's quiet for another few seconds, seeming to soften just a little bit further before she speaks again.

"It's...it's nothing, really. Don't mention it. And I'd love to hear about your, um...'Manifesto' whenever you've got time."

[Fire Emblem On The Forums: Excalibur Infernus [IC]]

Turning her head, Owena notices Juliett flying in with Nicolos in tow. She thinks she might have it in hand right now, but...well, it's not like she's gonna get pissed at anyone for coming to help out. And the fact that he's over here right now means that there's probably nobody else coming from the west flank anyways.

"C'mon, up you get, Nicolos. We've got a few more to deal with before the villagers are safe, but I'm pretty sure we can take them," She says as she, more or less, lifts Nicolos off of the pegasus' back and places him down in front of her. "Juliett, um...you might want to watch the archer."

Arissell to N11, throw some Wind at the Archer.

After that, Owena to M12, take Nicolos off of Juliett's hands and drop him off at M13.

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

There's a bit of a long pause as Reiko just stares at the floor for a few moments in silence. 

"I...think I understand that. I don't know about the ideology thing...I mean, I literally don't know, not...you know. My point is. I do understand having something that you just...have to see through. That's what I'm doing right now, actually...it's a long story and if you don't already know something about it then I don't really know if you want it on your mind. But...even if my fate is to die trying then I have to go through with it. And I deeply understand wanting to make people pay for their sins. What you're fighting for is a noble thing."

"So...if that's the case, and he refuses to shape up after so long, then maybe we could just kick him out. The important thing would be that we don't have to deal with him being a shithead anymore."

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

She glances towards the ground more than a little awkwardly for a moment, trying to parse exactly what she wants to say before she looks back up at Lizaveta.

"Well...I'm glad you're more or less okay now, physically speaking."

"He doesn't seem like he fits with your whole 'lovable rogue' shtick to me either. Piece of shit, thinking he can slap around someone smaller than him as he pleases...he tries to touch me and he'll be needing a new hand. ...Um, anyways, you don't...you shouldn't have to deal with someone like him. A more competent leader than Phoenix or whoever the fuck would have screened for behavior like that before Baldur got anywhere near representing his group in the first place. And if he doesn't make him shape up, well...I'm planning on leaving when Simeon is done with my new sword anyways. You don't have to follow me, but if it takes that long to get a lid on his behavior..."

[Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)]

Hrm....so that's how it's going to be for the moment, then? Fine enough...normally she'd be okay with being in her own little corner and waiting for everyone to get on with it, but...well, to be honest, it would feel wrong of her not to check on her. The mousy girl with the glasses--Lizaveta, or something like that. So, glancing over everyone until she finds the girl, she walks over to her and glances off to the side for a moment before speaking, her tone slightly softer and more sympathetic than usual.

"...Lizaveta, right? ...Are...you okay? That seemed like a pretty bad hit the bastard gave you."