FOR THOSE WE HAVE LOST | FRAY'S PALACE

[bloodweapon]

Welcome to the Vault. Let your judgment begin.
♫

Comments

PART TWO: WHITEBRIM FRONT

[bloodweapon]

[With the seven stained glass windows destroyed and the dark fire creeping ever closer, it seems there isn't much time left for you here. The next time you look up the stairs toward the only door leading forward, you'll find that the fire has receded, leaving behind a path forward. It looks like your choice is obvious.

Upon opening the door, you're greeted with a blast of freezing cold air. Regardless of what you're wearing, you'll feel a deep, numbing chill that threatens to freeze you solid if you don't keep moving. As your eyes adjust to the light, you'll find that you're no longer in the Vault, but rather out in the open in a fort.

More pressingly, there are several injured people lying around in varying states of distress. They are all human (although some have elf ears) and they look up on you with fear, flinching away if you choose to get close. None of them are in the process of dying; it seems whatever caused this struck with precision.

A familiar face stands in the middle of the carnage, greatsword resting back against his shoulders as he greets you all with a smile. The usual armor is gone, replaced with the dark jacket in the pictures. The cold doesn't seem to bother him at all, despite being underdressed for it.]

So you've finally arrived. Welcome to Whitebrim Front.

[His tone is light, easy, and friendly - a stark contrast to the usual more subdued tones Fray always speaks in.]

I believe a proper introduction is in order, is it not? I am V'rhas Tia, the Warrior of Light. Pleased to meet you.

[V'rhas makes no move to attack, but he doesn't sheathe his blade either. Notably, he's wielding Deathbringer, Fray's sword.]

MECHANICS

[bloodweapon]

Roll a 1d20 for combat. 1-10 is a miss (with 1 being a crit failure), 11-20 is a hit (with 20 being a crit success).

Heals and buffs are a free action, you may use 1 heal or buff and attack, or use 2 heals/buffs.

Please bold your actions and rolls so I can easily see them!

Status ailments will last for three rounds, if not cured.

PHASE 1

When V'rhas's eyes glow red he shrugs off physical damage. Yellow is the opposite.

Shadow Haurchefant is capable of protecting one ally. Shadow Alphinaud is capable of healing. Shadow Estinien deals Curse damage.

PHASE 2

Shadow Wall: When characters successfully hit V'rhas, roll a 1d20. If 11-20, the attack connects with no side effects. If 1-10, characters are automatically inflicted with a status ailment. 1: Forget, 2: Fear, 3: Rage.

If Shadow Wall is in effect on your character, they forget one memory. This can be forgetting about a person, forgetting about an event, forgetting about who they are - anything you'd like! Clearing the status condition will also restore the lost memory, though this can be a slower process to regain the memory if you'd prefer.

[supherb]

[Arven immediately flinches as the cold seeps into him. Another palace threatening to freeze him to death, huh... He huddles close to Mabosstiff and Mafuyu as he takes in the scene. He should be in a battle stance given all the injured people, but it's so...cold...]

W-Wait...your name isn't really Fray, then?

[And what the heck is a Warrior of Light? Isn't Fray a Dark Knight? Though...it certainly sounds like a moniker that Haurchefant would approve of.]

[strawsandals]

[ Cold and confused is such a mood. What in the world is happening here. ]

[beathollow]

( holding his hands in her own. it's okay, she'll warm you up... )

[bloodweapon]

That's the name he's been using, isn't it? It doesn't belong to him.

[Despite the bluntness, there's nothing cold in the words. It is what it is.]

I'm not him. As I said, I'm V'rhas. This "Fray" of yours is my mentor.

[beautifulknight]

[ Well, Argenti isn't in the mood to immediately aggro this guy, especially with...like, everything that he is.

It's extremely jarring to see this person wearing Fray's face, though.

Or, well, he supposes it is the other way around...isn't it? ]

I am Argenti, a Knight of Beauty.

...Might I ask what happened here?

[ He too is cautious here for once. But, he'd like the full story before proceeding further in any direction. ]

[bloodweapon]

[V'rhas looks around at the scattered knights. They all look away from him fearfully before he lifts his shoulders a bit in a shrug.]

I'm not entirely sure. I think it was "Fray's" doing.

[Though given the confusion... maybe not? It's hard to tell.]

They'll be fine, though. None of them are at risk of dying.

[kandata]

[Kirumi is here! And she can't help but think of things Fray had said to her in her palace...

...so this might be what he meant. Hm...]

It's a pleasure to meet you. You're among friends here.

[Perhaps it's a little cold of her, but she's unfazed by all the hurt people here. They're made up by Fray's palace, after all. She sees no reason to worry about those, when one has to reach Fray one way or another. This here might be a piece of his psyche, so she intends to at least be diplomatic with him]

[bloodweapon]

[V'rhas nods at that, expression going thoughtful.]

Yes, he's quite fond of all of you, isn't he? I didn't think he could be, honestly...

[beathollow]

... I have several healing spells. May I help?

[bloodweapon]

Go right ahead.

[Though...]

They aren't real. You do know that, right? I could make them all disappear, if I wanted to.

[They don't seem to be bothered by the words, or even really registering them.]

[gardenful]

[ Oh, it's cold... she tugs her jacket closer to her, though it doesn't really help much. ]

V'rhas... You and Fray look a lot alike.

[ Identical, even. ]

It's nice to meet you. [ A pause. ] Were we seeing your memories, or Fray's?

[bloodweapon]

So we do.

[At that question, he inclines his head a bit.]

I wonder... I think you all have enough pieces to figure that out. Why don't you try to guess?

[imperiosity]

[immediately goes for a stab because clearly this is Fray's doppelgänger??? if he was this chill he surely would have had friends to discuss important topics such as being naked or whatever--

Okay no fine. Aaron may be wary because this is a palace, but even if the cold is piercing and the sight is desolate, it's not as if they're being ambushed right out of the gate. So he can play along for now as they all try to figure out what's happening, because there's no obvious opponent to fight here anyway.

Not that it means he's going to make introductions easy, apparently!!]

You sure about that? 'Cause it doesn't look like the others here would agree with you.

[There's a glance over at the injured and their fearful looks.]

[bloodweapon]

[thanks aaron x2...

Anyway, V'rhas doesn't seem to mind and his gaze follows Aaron's. The knights flinch away from his gaze.]

I didn't hurt them. I certainly wouldn't have done such a thing... intentionally, at least.

PHASE 1

[bloodweapon]

[It isn't exactly a surprise that the people here are unwilling to listen and are eager to fight - after all, that's how they've solved many of the previous palaces and their shadows, isn't it? So V'rhas doesn't seem all that bothered by this turn of events. He drops into a fighting stance, Deathbringer at the ready and his eyes flash into that familiar red glow.

Three points on the ground below him begin to flicker with that strange dark fire from earlier. Though it burns brightly in three columns of flame, it makes no noise, silently forming into three figures.

The first is a man in very pointy armor wielding a spear - Estinien. The second is a young man with a book - Alphinaud. And the third is very familiar to some of you, as you did just see him die - a man with a shield and sword, Haurchefant. None of the three speak and each have glowing yellow eyes, but they all prepare themselves for battle.

V'rhas starts off, flinging a Taunt at Arven. This will inflict him with Rage! The three Shadows immediately follow up, with Haurchefant swinging his blade at Kirumi (though he misses, 9), Alphinaud casting Marakukaja, buffing their defenses, and Estinien leaping into the air to deliver an attack to Yoon, missing both Celeste and Argenti in the process.]

[strawsandals]

[ Well, he did say they'd be down for fighting, so he probably deserves this.

Yoon grunts at the hit, but he casts Diarama on himself and cleanses Arven with his...rage cleansing ability...sorry I forgot the name. ]

[beautifulknight]

[ Well...

Argenti is going to focus on the three flunkies first (for the most part)! He'll lash out with a severe-damage attack, aiming for those three, Megaton Raid in effect at Estinien (16), Alphinaud (14), but misses Fray and Haurchefant (7, 8) ]

[gardenful]

[ Here's their fight! Taking a breath, Aerith steels herself. Hopefully this will go smoothly and they won't have to fight for too long.

So, Aerith readies herself and casts a Makouha, attempting to deal light Bless damage to Estinien, Alphinaud, Haurchefant, and V'rhas (15, 1, 20, 4). ]

[cirquedesang]

[Of course there's a fight. There's always a fight. It isn't even much of a surprise when the shadow brings backup, honestly.

So, first he'll cast a Rakukaja on Mafuyu, to boost her defense, and then he'll turn a Maeiga on the assembled shadow foes, hitting Alphinaud (18) and V'rhas (11) himself, but missing Estinien (2) and Haurchefant (7).]

[supherb]

[Wow, Arven hates this! And he hates it even more when he's hit by that taunt.]

Don't bring Haurchefant into this!!!

[Haurchefant might have been V'rhas's dear friend, but casting a lifelike illusion of him to be a flunky in a fight just feels like a blight on his memory. Arven rushes at V'rhas with his frying pan and delivers a heavy swing (14).]

PHASE 2

[bloodweapon]

[With his three Shadow companions down, V'rhas's eyes glow red again. There's no point in prolonging this further, so best to make it quick.

He starts with Wage War on Aerith, Argenti, McGillis, and Rutile. Enjoy the Rage status ailment! This is immediately followed by Maziodyne on Yi Sang, Sunrise, Arven, Mafuyu, and Kainé (19, 15, 7, 17, 11).

You'll also notice that there's a sudden subtle shift - a shimmer of some kind of barrier protecting V'rhas. Though he seems to be mostly unharmed since you focused the vast majority of attacks on his allies, his expression is wild and unfocused.]

You'll pay for killing them - you should have left when you had the chance! Now I've no choice but to put a stop to you!

PHASE 3

[bloodweapon]

[V'rhas(?) is suddenly consumed by that dark fire from earlier. It notably doesn't hurt Argenti at all, despite their proximity, though it does vanish just as quickly as it appeared, taking V'rhas(?) with it.

He reappears several feet back, dressed in all-too-familiar armor, complete with his helmet.]

Enough! Enough— This needs to end—

[And yet it seems that it isn't ending, because he's cloaked in that fire again, the crackling flames drowning out whatever it was he was trying to say.

You may have noticed, but this whole time, V'rhas(?) hasn't been using Fray's persona. Well, the Fallen shows up now, arms out as the fire consumes it as well. It slowly, slowly fades away, leaving behind...

A Dark Knight, of course. He immediately casts Diarahan on himself, and then immediately Wild Thunder afterwards. Roll a 1d20 to see if you were hit by the massive burst of Electric damage.]

FINALE

[bloodweapon]

[The hits land true and between Argenti's attack and Aaron's kick, he drops to a knee, leaning on his sword where he's stabbed it into the ground for balance. That dark power courses through him as Living Dead activates again, fully healing the Dark Knight.

The flames grow further, risking consuming him whole and yet he readies his sword for another strike. There is much they have yet to prove if they hope to be good enough, and he is not one to let such things go untested, unproven...]

Enough.

[It's firmly Fray's voice this time. He sounds tired, the exhaustion of all those casts finally catching up to him. The flames fully take hold of him. They burn brightly for a moment before receding, leaving only one familiar set of armor and the knight contained within it behind.]

...That's enough. I do not want to fight you any longer.

[The flames fall away and when Fray looks up at you all, his eyes are back to their usual gold. He releases his grip on his sword as if to prove that he's done - that you all have won.]