FOR THOSE WE HAVE LOST | FRAY'S PALACE

[bloodweapon]

Welcome to the Vault. Let your judgment begin.
♫

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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. ]

[supherb]

[After having his little hissy fit at V'rhas, Arven is hit by the energy shower.]

Phew... Th-Thanks, Yoon.

[He doesn't regret his actions while cursed with Angry though.]

[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).]

[beathollow]

-Ah... thank you, Dad.

[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).]

[kandata]

[Kirumi Tojo will fight! And her opponent has stepped up]

How close...!

[She can't get careless. Kirumi swings her axe, aiming to hit Haurchefant's dominant arm with it, but she misses. Looks like disarming won't be easy!]

[beathollow]

( mafuyu immediately casts matarunda, lowering all enemies' attack, and then mapsio for medium psy damage to all enemies, missing fray (6) and alphinaud (4) but hitting estinien (18) and haurchefuant (20). )

[ledbythewind]

[Richard doesn't need a second invitation. He'll start off with Matarukaja to raise his own attack as well as Aaron, Argenti and Mafuyu.

That accomplished, he tries for a Mazio on Alphinaud, Estinien, Haurchefant and V'rhas, but as my rolls were shit he won't be hitting any of them except for V'rhas (17)!]

[moonshaded]

[Time to bully Alphinaud.

Or it would be time to bully Alphinaud, but Kainé's attempt to cut in through the crowd of Shadows and keep the one casting the support spells from buffing them anymore does not go to plan (2). Maybe he just looks a little too...

She sets up her defenses with Rakukaja and tries to kick his Carbuncle anyway.]

[imperiosity]

[It feels like he should've figured it wouldn't be V'rhas alone fighting all of them, so this makes a certain degree of sense even if it does make this more troublesome. Oh well, it's not like he's ever balked at the prospect of getting into a fight, so here he goes! He doesn't have much SP left but that doesn't mean he can't still cast from HP???

So here's a Vicious Strike which... misses on everyone because thanks avrae (3, 9, 2, 2).

]

[bloodweapon]

[The attacks that land do good damage, but Alphinaud isn't letting that stand: he uses Diarama for the whole party. They're not healed back up to full, but he's certainly doing a good job of keeping them alive and healthy enough to keep fighting. Haurchefant blocks with his shield, and a barrier appears around Alphinaud. Estinien launches another skyward dive, missing Kainé, hitting Kirumi, and critting Argenti (6, 20, 14).

Notably, Aerith's Bless damage seemed to do more damage to the Shadows, or at least both Estinien and Haurchefant. As for V'rhas... he didn't actually seem to take any serious damage from the physical attacks this round, but the magical attacks worked well.

V'rhas himself fires off another Taunt, this time at Mafuyu. Enjoy that rage!! He then leaps into battle, slashing sidelong at both Aaron and Richard (12, 3). His eyes are now glowing yellow.]

[supherb]

[V'rhas really likes making Arven mad, intentionally or otherwise.]

You--

[He's been cured of his own rage, so it's time to cure Mafuyu with an Energy Shower. He follows it up with Media for Argenti, Kirumi and Aaron.]

[beathollow]

Ah-

...

That- Oh--

Thank you, Arven.

[beathollow]

( she's at least keen enough still to know that her arrows will do nothing to v'rhas, but...

fuck haurchenfant apparently. she fires right at him unflinchingly, furious- (16) )

Out of the way.

[beautifulknight]

[ Ouch, that hurts. Good grief.

Argenti notices that Haurchefant is being a really good support, and decides to direct the bulk of his attention immediately towards him.

He immediately directs Psiodyne, a heavy hitting psy element upon Haurchefant (18) because he is going to be a huge nuisance, protecting a healer like that! ]

[gardenful]

[ So bless damage does more, huh...

First, she casts Diarama on Argenti. With him taken care of, she goes for another Makouha at the three Shadows and V'rhas (14, 20, 4, 18), hitting all but one. ]

[moonshaded]

[She just got here, and now she doesn't get to bully Alphinaud? This is so annoying. Just like Argenti, she'll be looking to get that barrier down as soon as possible.

Kainé unleashes a Giant Slice with her sword that arcs out across the Shadow party; a crit for Haurchefant, a narrow miss for the man with the lance jumping all over the place, and an abysmal miss for Alphinaud even disregarding the barrier - or perhaps because of it, while he just happens to be in the way of her sword (20, 10, 1).]

[imperiosity]

[There's a grunt as he takes that hit. His clothes are being ruined for the nth time since they started encountering these palaces, but he's certainly had worse even if he's left with an unpleasant, if relatively shallow, gash across his front. Arven's Media helps with that too, so he's here to give it another go with a kick aimed at Haurchefant's chest (11), hoping to dispel the barrier somehow.]

[cirquedesang]

[...Of course they would synergize their tactics.

So it seems like to get at the healer, they have to go through the shield, first - or at least distract him from keeping the shield up? Unfortunately, the Giant Slice aimed at Haurchefant (7) whiffs entirely.

Miss or no, being in closer proximity does give him reason to boost his own defense with a Rakukaja, though.]

[ledbythewind]

[Damn, this is going to be a pain. He's already running low, but he'll use Masukunda on Alphinaud, Estinien, Haurchefant and V'rhas before trying another Mazio, missing Haurchefant (1) but hitting Alphinaud (15), Estinien (17), and critting V'rhas (20).

AVRAE SAYS RICHARD HAS RIGHTS FOR ONE TURN--]

[strawsandals]

[ Thankfully most of the offense and utility are covered, so he will just toss Media at Argenti (for extra heals), Aaron and Richard. ]

Here!

[kandata]

[Oh, not good! Kirumi had been about to attack Haurchefant again, only to get hit by Estinien's skyward dive. Her attention is diverted because, unfortunately, Kirumi's weakness in battle is when there are multiple people involved.

Kirumi is forced to look away from Haurchefant and towards Estinien, readying his axe, preparing a physical attack of Giant Slice.

Whoops! That was a near miss. Rolled a 9]