Oh. So THAT what those are called. My sister is going to have a bad time on these forums. She more net-lingo blind then I am, and that saying something.
Also, opinions/brick/missiles/Divine Busters/Blaster-3 Starlight Breaker (without the adoption) ?
Nah mate, its just this thread's denizens has been around for close to 7 years now, so over time we've built up our own histories, cultures and slangs...
Okay, let start posting in this thread and hope that there are no dumbfuck trolls around!
Also, O hi Meister!
Character name: Chifuyu Andoh
Gender: Female
Looks: Fairly tall, above average but not muscular build. Red eyes and long black hair with a hint of green. Barrier Jacket resemble clothes wear by the character in the card 'Wynnda, the Miko of the Gusta'
Aligment: Good.
Powers:
-Device: Yukihara. Take a form of a small emerald necklace in standby form, a staff with a green crystal in Magic Combat Form (rarely used) and a sword in Melee Combat Form (99% of the time)
-Spell: Orbal Arts / La Gias combat spells (Air Cutter, Clock-up, Aerial, Caloric Missile, Cyflash and Akashic Breaker) and Mid-Childa magic (Sonic Move, Caloric Zanber, Arc Akashic Breaker, Cy-Shooter and Cosmo Overbreak <Cosmo Nova, but fired Starlight Breaker-style>) after training with 14 years old Nanoha and Fate along with a few Belka magic-powered attacks (Discutter-Yukikaze Ranbu, Discutter- Shippu Dottou and Vanity Slashers)after training with Signum.
-Combat style: Rush in with melee attacks at extremely high speed, ignoring the fact that she can't take a hit at all. Rarely use any magical attacks that are long ranged, and even then the medium ones are usually just a side dish, since she isn't very creative with her magic. Value dodging (can be a friend of Piccolo) and is rarely hit.
Personality: Hot-headed, snarky, sometimes a bit too cocky for her own good, CANNOT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT A 99% CHANCE AT GETTING LOST but is good at heart and are loyal to her friends. Have a soft spot for her brother and sister back at Rolent, who are now Bracers.
BGM: Neppu! Shippu! Cybuster (Usual theme that should play during battle)
The Wind of La Gias (transformation theme)
Silver Will (Theme whenever she bust out any finishing moves (Akashic Breaker, Arc Akashic Breaker, Discutter- Yukikaze Ranbu and Cosmo Overbreak )
Background: One of the (forcefully) chosen Magical Knights of the Kingdom of Lagran, Chifuyu is used to being alone as her parents abandoned her and her younger siblings when they were young. Chifuyu only have a handful of friends: Mikasa Kanou, her rival and a future member of the Lagran Army, Hikaru Sakamoto, her beloved onee-chan figure and her teacher on swordwielding and magic and finally Tabane Shirakawa, her childhood friend and also the one that previously OBLITERATED the Lagran Kingdom and killed Chifuyu's parents when they were about to appologize and return to her. Ouch.
(take place between A's and StrikerS)
When Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and the Wolkenritters was forcefully summoned to the world of La Gias via mass summon-spamming, they found themselves entangled in a war between the Kingdom of Lagran and it's ally the Kingdom of Rolent againsts the Empire of Shutedonia. As they cleared the Shutedonian's "welcoming party", Nanoha was almost attacked by Chifuyu due to the fact that Nanoha's voice and "befriending methos" are near-identical to Tabane. Chifuyu reluctantly take them to the Prince of the Langran Kingdom so he can fill them in on the details. It was revealed that this world is actually alien to the concept of TSAB even exsisting, and this is actually the first contact between any Bureau member and this world. After knowing that Tabane's device, the Granzon, is actually a Lost Logia that can creat, manipulate and SPAM graviton particles, SINGULARITIES and BLACK HOLES that are obviously dangerous, Nanoha and everyone accept to stay on this world in order to end this meaningless war, retrieve the Granzon and possibly uncover the mistery behind the Dark Cult of Volkruss and the Black Knights...
Soooo.....Thoughts/opinion/Full-power Starlight Breaker, eh ?
Well, in general, good. But need some work (mostly more originality)
Ah well, now that there's some activity, I never really fleshed out my plans for INNOCENT, did I?
Spoiler for Cayenne Porche:
Name: Cayenne Porche Alias: Saint King of Niflheim CV: Miyano Mamoru Age: 10 Birthday: 12-03 Grade: Belka DeckMeister SSR Hair: Short, blond and unruly Eyes: Blue Gender: Male
Affiliation: Saint Church Magic Type: Belka-type, White-blue. Caster Class: Cleric-knight Proficiencies: Armorstech Equipment: Tausend Kreuz
Background Analysis “The Peerless Hero of the North, is now present!”
Born in Germany but having traveled around much of the EU, Cayenne is a fast-rising player of the INNOCENT cardfight European circuit. He is dubbed by players who know him as the Saint King of Niflheim, though Cayenne feels queasy about being addressed as such. He was first approached by Helena Lokin to be the Ace in her team, <<House of Loki>>, play the Brave Duels and raise awareness of her family’s brand of holographic projection equipment in hope of turning the financial tide. The boy would eventually involve many of his friends, meet new personalities, and create a name for himself.
His team, consisting of [Iron Legion Ace, Samia Daemantius], [Witch in White, Hel of Loki], [The World Serpent, Beatrice Maran-Willsaam - Jormungand] and [Shadowless Rhombus, Mirage Iwasaki], came in a close second during the Euro Open Beta Championship, having lost just barely to Keroko Georashi’s relentless draconian assault. But he did well enough to save Helena’s business, and garnered the interest of the Saint Church Brave Knights, the largest association of Belka-style Brave Duelists in the world.
Carym Garcia sends Cayenne’s team to Japan for the inaugural {King of Braves Duel} tournament, where they will spend one month chasing the elusive Holy Grail, meet fresh faces, and face down the best Braves in the galaxy!
Personality Check “Yosh, yosh~” - petting his Shi Tzu, Milhiore
He has a cheerful and straightforward personality, always going at his own pace. Athletic and acrobatic, he loves sports as well. Answers favors easily. Like most boys his age, he is big on technology.
Chronological Records
He has come to Japan to participate in the Uminari Cardfight, led there by the spirit of the Tausend Puzzle Box, Kha der Kleriker. What awaits Cayenne in the Far East?
Tactical Analysis [SHOUT NOW]
“ONLY ONE CRASH!”
[PASSCODE ACCEPTED. SET UP.]
“Stand up, my other self! VALKYRJA FORMATION!!”
Kha's deck bears a mecha-Nordic theme built completely using heroes of the Saint Rebellion, a Belka-loyalist splinter faction from the cybernetic world of frost giants called Niflheim. It revolves around divine magics, card searching and machine armors, combining the advanced overtechnology of the Niflem and the lightning crusade powers of Belka Cleric-Knights.
In a set piece battle, Kha is the go-to Ace of the <<House of Loki>>, charging into the fray like the coming dawn. His key strategem is to engage the strongest opposition, hinder their movements and weather their blows. Once Cayenne breaks the momentum of the incoming assault, his allies push on through.
In the Ace position, Cayenne provides several bonuses, usually in defensive aspects, to his allies. His R-rank Avatar improves the Armor and HP of his allies and their summons, and gives them 30% bonus damage against [Chaos] and [Industry] styles. If they are [Borg] or [Giant] creature types, they receive a further boost to Speed, ensuring that they keep up with their fervent Lord. His presence on the battlefield is huge, and the boy is very good at drawing attention to himself, allowing Samia and Tenzou to pick off targets of opportunity, or tar pit something long enough for The Iron Castle/World Serpent to bring steel rain upon. His Avatar is also recognised as the Saint King of Niflheim, and therefore interacts synergistically with the Witch in White. As long as both of them are on the field, any [Borg] or [Giant] summons and Avatars have a 33% chance to resurrect with 33% shields when destroyed for the first time each game.
His trump card is [Slavinnor, Throne of Niflheim], an SSR+ Changequip card with titanic stats that requires a ritual combination of Knight Armor cards [Erik of the Wing], [Baelog, Coat of Niflem], and [Olaf the Endless Plate] using the Innate Skill of Cayenne’s Avatar, [Valkyrja Formation]. This card once equipped and supported by his allies is the only one in his deck able to go toe to toe with Keroko. Guided by Tenzou’s Mark of Shadows or Samia’s Sensor Scan, the Battlelord of the Frost Giants can deliver a massive [Infinite Justice] chainfist attack no matter where they are. For even more firepower, The Iron Castle can jettison her bombardment package, transform it into a buster cannon and let Slavinnor equip it. This combination anti-army attack is named [Nine Realms Breaker]. The attack called out by Cayenne as “Peerless in all above and below Heaven/Tenjyo Tengen Musou” deals massive damage, glasses most obstacles in its path and prevents him from using any other special attack for 1 turn.
But even greater opponents await in Uminari, especially when No 1 in Japan wiped the floor with Keroko...
The battle is worth the conquering!
Allies
Yagami Ringo - Hayate’s fraternal twin. She currently lives in Germany as part of her athletics training and is childhood friends with Cayenne. Her squad was also approached by Carym Garcia and sent to Japan on a “Grail quest”, too. Her deck is built using the sacred maidens of the Ubermensch Convent, a big summons beatdown deck that emphasizes potent magic and fluid combat tactics to bring enough force to break the opponent at his strongest and seize control of the board. She is Sister-Captain of her own team, the <<Sisters of Belka>>, taking after the lay name of the Ubermensch.
Sai Kluger - Semi-antagonistic, half-Japanese, half-Deutch, full of passive rage. He too is on a Tausend Grail quest, but having seen "the worst of Man", he cannot agree with the naivety displayed by Cayenne. Instead, the so-called Inquisitor Saint parts ways with the other Saints soon after arriving, choosing to fight his own way. He bears the Tausend Kreuz, and fights with a Highlander-type deck revolving around tempo control, equipment and self-reinforcement. He fights alone, using NPC characters that he micromanages for backup.
Trivia
Cayenne and his entire team were based on the main characters of Magical Lyrical Kings N’fr.
Yagami’s Sisters of Belka squad was based on the main characters from Magical Lyrical SisterS.
Sai Kluger was based on the titular character of Magical Lyrical Bhalkad: The First Striker.
The small breath’s message was drowned out by the coordinated cheers of vibrant audience pouring down from the spectator stands, as the stadium lights burned brightly in the cool evening hallmark of Zurich in summer. The weather was dry, but it was as hot and stuck as a marsh down on the focii of attention -- two of the best Brave Duelists clashing on a holographic stage so large that the very cards they played dwarfed their figures, and the horseshoe terminals they stood in.
“Not yet,” the player in the West Corner huffed, watching his opponent with a keen eye.
“Skill Card Slash -- Diablo Dagger!” called the player in the East Corner, his avatar mirroring his actions to call out the card. The spell formed around him in clusters of levitant blades, then zinged off at their intended target.
The West Corner player watched the projectiles close a bit more, then leaned off to the right. His avatar above, wrapped in regal fur cloak did the same, shooting off on a contrail of white-golden mana. The Diablo Daggers spiralling in on him as he twisted and dodged, leaving the missiles to chase his randomly arcing smoke.
“Leutendes Licht!” West Corner swiped another card from skywards to floorwards. His avatar followed in the same action, bringing up a faint chime and a triangular magic array spreading out from his feet. As the image backthrustered, a hail of sparks scattered from the array, catching each dagger in sequence and erupting them into a blinding rage of mana explosions.
“There’s still more!!” East Corner roared as he closed in fists glowing. “LION’S RAKE!!”
“Not yet.”
The East player cast off another card into the graveyard, and the avatar grew claws of cackling blue lightning. West Corner raised another array of the same shape and blocked, sending sparks screaming throughout the stadium and rocking the bass as each slammed into the perimeter field. West’s shield held for a while, then shattered with force, putting space in between the duelists. This was met with a crescendo of enthralled fans.
[CRITICAL TRIGGER!] declared an unseen announcer. [What a comeback! Even with 30% shields left, Gaul the Great has managed to push Cayenne from 50 to 18%! The Saint King of Niflr cannot withstand this much longer! What will the Prodigy Lion do next?]
“You’ve got less than 20 life left, and your deck is almost empty,” his opponent taunted then raised his claws.
“Is that all you’ve got, Saint King?!”
The West player kept his eye on his opponent on his opponent, then reached for his deck.
“Draw!”
Cayenne flipped up the card that he just received, and looked up with confidence.
“Right now!”
“...Heh?” the silver-haired Gaul watched on in surprise as the West Corner cast his first ceremonial spell in several turns.
“Big Damn Arrival!” Cayenne called. “I return three Summon Armor cards from my exhaust pile, Erik, Baelog and Olaf, to the playing field.”
At the command of their lord, three massive hulks of metal materialized between Gaul and Cayenne.
“Che! After all that effort to destroy them...!”
“I’m not done yet! As a price of Big Damn Arrival, I discard a card from my Data Cartridge.”
Cayenne tossed the next piece into the graveyard face-up, and Gaul turned pale.
“Fenrir?!”
Cayenne is grinning now. “Yes, I discard the Primoptimus of Niflr and use Fenrir’s Discard Trigger - ONLY ONE CRASH!”
“YES, MY LORDO!” The three giants huffed, then blasted into the sky as mana from Fenrir’s command formed a tornado of power, sweeping Gaul aside.
His avatar mirrored the soulful scream, then darted into the tornado, giving off a tremendous blast of Light that drowned everything out, grounding Gaul in this thundering wake and forcing much of the onlookers to shield their eyes. It died down soon after, leaving just a shining titan floating effortlessly in the sky.
“The Fearless Hero of the Frozen North,” Cayenne threw a punch, then another before whirling around and firing off all verniers as his visors lit up. “Is now present!”
[IT’S HERE!!] Roared the announcer over en mass hysteria. [THE THRONE OF NIFR, SLAVINNOR, IS HERE!!]
“One-hit sure kill!” The boy followed up with power fed into his fist, forming a giant Belkan cross around it. He then swung forward in a hard-driving straight punch.
“INFINITE JUSTICE!”
The maximized avatar, now a good six times the size of Gaul, did the same, laser lines tracing out an ornate kreuz of refined power. Rockets around the mechanical fist burst to life, and launched the shimmering cross-fist, trailing forever-extending steel coupling as it roared towards Gaul at jet-stream speed.
“Like hell I’m just standing here!”
Gaul took off in a different direction, and the Belka cross swerved after him. Magic power grew with each passing second, and the punch-cross accelerated, matching the Prodigy Lion turn for turn, closing in all the while, before finally enveloping him in golden flame.
“You got to be kidding...!!”
Another supernova erupted across the animated battlefield as the massive hit smashed all three of Gaul’s shields most graphically. Slavinnor turned, silhouetted by the explosion, and coolly retracted his arm.
[VICTORY!] echoed the overly-enthusiatic commentor. [THE HOUSE OF LOKI CLAIMS THIS ROUND!!]
Half the crowd roared with cheer as the other half clapped humbly for the victor. Cayenne jump up with a whoop of his own, waving to the cheering half and bowing to both sides of the stadium.
“Hey, Gaul!!” He yelled into his mike. “Good game!!”
“Yeah, that was fun!” Gaul waved back. “Enjoy your victory this time, I’ll get it back next season!!”
“I’ll be waiting!!”
“Cayenne!!”
“Porche-kun!!”
“Onii-chan!!”
“Helena! Samia! Papri--”
Cayenne only had a bit of time to acknowledge before a flurry of frock and sundress collided bodily into him.
“You were totally awesome out there, Cayenne!” Squealed the taller girl cuddling the hero deep within her chest. “I never doubted you for one moment!!”
“Onii-chan is the best!!” The other tiny girl with hair as red as a paprika chilli squeaked from his waist.
“Popular as always, aren’t you?” Samia who stood further back, deadpanned at Cayenne with a faint smirk.
“I’m noth enfjoypt this toop much!” The Duelist complained while being smothered by Hel.
“O’ really...”
“Very well done, Sir Cayenne,” spoke another voice as the boy righted himself with the two glompers still piled on him. “You have made the Church Knights Council proud.”
“Don’t mention it!” Cayenne said, scratching the back of his head in humility. “I was just out there having fun, Miss Carym Garcia.”
“I see,” Carym nodded all-knowingly. “Well, I think you won’t mind what happens next then.”
“What is going to happen...?” Cayenne asked as the Cardinal produced an envelop with a Brave Duel seal.
“Please answer the next request with Yes or Jah.”
Carym intoned as she shoved the sealed letter into his hands.
“...eh?” Porche quipped as his mind strove to catch up with the events.
It's not really a "character", but this thread looks like the closest thing to a proper section for this (if it isn't, please don't just delete and not tell me; move it to where it "should" go, or at least tell me where it should go).
The 'Beacon' System, the star system which (in my works) Midchilda belongs to. Beacon is a Type-G2V star just like Sol, but 800 million years younger and about 3-4% smaller. The system has five planets (two terrestrial [Mid is the second], three gas-giant) compared to Sol's eight, and an asteroid belt between the first and second giants. And Midchilda's diameter is 11,947 kilometers - approx. 93.7% Earth's diameter. Midchilda has [undecided] either 2 or 3 moons, whose combined mass is almost but not quite equivalent to our Moon's (upon discovering "UA97", the Bureau was surprised to find a moon so proportionately huge compared to its parent planet... though Venus also caught their scientists' eyes, being the highest-temperature, highest-pressure "pressure cooker" planet yet discovered by the TSAB, beating the previous record-holder by about 75 degrees C and 17 atm).
I still haven't thought up any specs for Midchilda's 'sibling' planets (or decided if I'm even going to).
Character's name: Yuuko Takamachi (yes Takamachi and yes she's related to Nanoha)
Gender: female
Yuuko has long auburn hair she usually keeps loose and purple eyes, she usually wears the black enforcer's uniform with black boots. her barrier jacket is black, it resembles Hayate's barrier jacket or Nanoha's (in strikers) a little.
Personality: Yuuko's usually serious about most things, and she's friendly. she's the type of girl who would usually smile even if she's feeling hurt or angry.
Powers: her device is called Windfall, it can turn into twin swords or one huge sword her but it's usually like a staff. her fighting defers according to the situation she either uses bombardment magic and shooting magic or she fights with her sword
Background: Yuuko is Nanoha's sister who's 14 years old, Yuuko used to be a very adventures girl although she tends to be shy around strangers, when she was 3 a close friend of hers died in an accident while helping her which changed her forever, Her friend was actually from Midchilda and in her last breath she gave Yuuko windfall (her device). after the death of her friend Yuuko started training with Shirou and Kyouya, her personality changed and she started showing more confidence and even though she was still friendly to people around her she started to be distant After 2 years Yuuko ended up helping a bureau member and discovered about magic and the truth about what her simple jewel her friend gave her, she went to Midchilda and started to learn magic with her family thinking she's just studying abroad in a far away country. she ends up meeting Chrono who later becomes her friend and combat partner, after years of training she becomes an enforcer.
Last edited by lyrical dark mage; 2017-03-25 at 07:34.
I think I've got the non Bitrotted versions of Kyral's pictures in the right place here. (Thanks for those Kyral.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kyral
I'm talking about a general survey of TSAB uniforms.
I went and looked into official art work to figure out what branch of TSAB may use what Uniform.
I had to make some guesses about some higher ranking uniforms (I'm coming back to that later.) and it is pretty much unfinished, so some help if possible would be appriciated.
For my own convenience I listed the 3 'levels' as: Enlisted, Officer and Command.
Ok... just to show you what I'm talking about, let's start with the most easy one:
The GAS (Ground Armaments Service):
Enlisted:
Officer:
Command:
Nothing much to talk about this... we saw people in these uniforms a whole season long.
It gets a little more harder now.
The Fleet:
Enlisted:
Officer:
Command:
The uniforms for the enlisted and the officers were pretty easy to figur out (even though they have only a minor difference.), what I had trouble with are the uniforms for command, and after some research I decided that the uniforms of Clyde and Auris might be the ones I'm looking for.
I got further proof after I figured out that Ami is wearing the same uniform as Auris in the A's epilogue. The uniform Clyde is wearing is not an admirals uniform but something similiar, the same type of uniform can also be seen on Regius (during the flashback in which Zest got killed.).
The next batch is incomplete, because we never saw more than two kinds of these uniforms (Command is missing.).
The AAS (Air Armaments Service):
Enlisted:
Officer:
We can see Griffith, Shario and Teana wearing these uniforms in the epilogue of StrikerS (as well a whole bunch of people getting drilled by Nanoha.).
I took a pretty bold guess with Hayate's uniform being an AAS officer uniform.
Actually we only see Hayate and Reinforce wearing that type and that's the problem. As both of them are Special Investigators, it pretty simply could mean the white stripe on the sleeve indicates thier special position.
For people who have trouble to spot the differences of Fleet and AAS I made this one.
Spoiler for Fleet vs AAS for dummies :3:
Kyral points out below thius should be
The difference on both uniforms are the "buttons" or whatever this is called on the upper sleeves.
On the AAS uniform they are round, while on the Fleet uniform they are hollowed.
The tie on the males is not different.
But AAS has this small piece of cloth covering the tie (the male version of the GAS uniform jacket has this two).
The fleet one has this piece of cloth missing (but only on the male uniform, females still have it).
(I checked this, every fleet male is missing it.)
The skirts of the female uniforms are slightly different two.
AAS has a normal, one colored skirt.
But Fleet has the skirt two colored, there is a darker edge on the lower part of the skirt.
[/SPOILER]
Noticibly Uno's blue and whites don't have the shoulder fittings
The same as Suberu's rescue squad greys.
Runessa's Enforcerment blacks do, plus Voltz gets away with being casual about his uniform.
Vice is in the pilot's fatigues we see Alto wearing in the epilogue.
Post Strikers
Leads me to disagree with Kyral slightly and suggest Vita and Nanoha are in Airforce Officer and Hayate and Rein are in Naval Investigation uniforms (based on them still being in variants in Force)
Last edited by dahak; 2020-02-21 at 11:43.
Reason: bitrot
Nice! But I just realised that I missed uploading the "Fleet vs AAS" pic. Instead of Nanoha and Tiida in thier uniforms it should be this one here:
That makes more sense
Nanoha and Tiida are wearing White Jackets. I'm not sure if that distinguishes anything.
Tiida was Naval Investigation I think, but then so is Hayate?
Isis, Lily and Thoma wear a light blue uniform as "cadets" in Force.
Isis is the same as Lily except an orange bowtie and more comfortable shoes.
The black and white pictures (Record 27) show Thoma has nothing on his shoulders like the other two. Though Record 31 has Isis with Airforce Shoulders.
I don't think AAS uses blue uniforms. I think it was pretty clear that white = AAS, blue = Navy, brown/green (I'm bad with colors) = GAS.
Problem might be that our main AAS example is Nanoha who is actually in instructor corps.
Hmmm. Signum was AAS before StrikerS and we see her in her old unit with Vice in StrikerS manga? I wonder what she wears there?
Also, I don't think Gaius and Auris are supposed to be Navy. I think theirs are just Crangan Defence Command uniforms.
Better example of Navy command are Lindy and Leti and Chrono.
We interrupt your sartorial deliberations to bring you NEW! FRESH! UPDATED! content!
It only took, I don't know, NINE years to finish writing another chapter, but at least I have a new installation of TSAB HQ Investigator Nikholl Strandale's tale of espionage for the Bureau to show for it!
Spoiler for Nailing the Gate: Phase 2 - Integration:
If Giulietta ever saw me now, he’d seriously be suspicious of my commitment to the Bureau. Fraternising with the enemy, that’s probably what he would say.
But hey, I can’t say I didn’t expect it to be this easy. After all, people are less suspicious when you are “one of them”, and I’m milking this as much as I can.
That said, there’s still some level of guard most of the Cadre have put against me when I requested not to be marked with the sigil of the Massarol.
“Imbecile,” one of the Cadre had said. “Do you know to whom you have rejected this great order?”
I looked at him, squaring him up. Well-built, he’s certainly the type of Cadre sent to the frontlines, breaking through; but he’s not exactly a mountain of meat. His agility is most probably better than most pugilists with trained eyes would assume at first glance.
I eyed him dismissively, and his nostrils flare at the message sent. Certainly not you. Regardless of how they feel, at least the other Cadre could hold their tongues.
~O’ Merciful Lord,~ I say, now turning back to the Magnate, ~It was never my intention to reject your noble invitation to my humble self.~
“Explain, filth,” the same Cadre uttered under his breath. I ignored him.
~I am a Caracasa, milord,~ I say solemnly. ~I would like to carry on the lost Clan in name at the very least, to keep it alive for as long as my wretched life lives.~
Anger Management Cadre tried to make some sort of snort, but the Magnate stopped him with a raise of his hand. He surveyed me, and I continued my respectful stance. And then he laughed. The surrounding Cadre wore quizzical looks. Even they, the Magnate’s most trusted retainers, had no idea what he was thinking now.
~You are a fine Clansman, Kyne of Caracasa,~ he says. ~A less loyal man would have relinquished his Clan to seek the protection of another.~
No, Jabba, I thought. I just want to avoid being branded as one of your own. I sure as hell did not escape the shackles of the Caracasa clan to hand myself to another on a silver platter.
~You may retain your status as Caracasa,~ the Magnate announces. ~The mark of Caracasa is as good as Massarol to such a fine clansman.~
~O’ Gracious Magnate,~ I say. ~My humble self can find no manner with which to present my gratitude for such an allowance.~
~No need for such modesty, Kyne of Caracasa,~ the Magnate assures. ~I have but a task for you to see to once you have rested well.~
~Revered Sponsor, I would fulfil any request you have of me, you are my Magnate.~
The Clan Leader lets out a laugh that comes out as an odd sort of booming chortle. I can honestly say that I have never heard anything like that until now.
~Very well. Your brands,~ he shifts gears, ~They show you to be Cadre, that is true?~
~Yes, my lord,~ I answer, drawing the form of affirmation, one specific to Cadre identifiable to all clans. I performed it in the Caracasan manner. ~I was trained by my instructor, Master Dhalr, in the covert arts.~
~Women’s work!~ Impulse Control let out a derisive snort. ~Only cowards work in the shadows, too spineless to face a real man!~
This guy really does not know how to shut up - he has offended a few of his fellow Cadre. I spot one, side-eyeing him while idly fingering her whip. Another strokes his right hip, no doubt feeling for his dagger.
Might as well help them make a point, then.
Without warning, my left arm shoots out, flinging a weighted wire towards my insulter. Unprepared for this development, his parry is slow and fails to connect. My garotte does, and wraps itself taut around his neck. There is a lot of neck, so it only winds itself twice.
Perfect. That will hurt.
It certainly looks like it does when I give it a good, firm tug, and he staggers. At least he’s good enough to know not to fight it. If he does, it will draw blood. Away from the Magnate’s gaze, some of the slighted Cadre allow their features to school into an approving smirk. I consider taking a few steps about, to make it look like I’ve taken my dog out for a walk on a leash. My point is already made, so I don’t.
The Magnate does nothing. He knows when someone is trying to make a point, and he must really want this Cadre to get it. So he does have a brain after all. Some of the Magnates in the other clans were nothing but bluster.
I keep the line taut, tugging it once to remind Meathead that I hold the power. I look the Magnate in his eyes. The message is clear. What do you want me to do with him?
~That is an adequate demonstration, Cadre. You may desist,~ the Magnate finally intercedes, smiling. I take it as success of leaving a good first impression.
As my garotte releases its thrall, he turns to his man. ~For what you call mere “women’s work”, you certainly were helpless against it, Jayrn. See to it that you learn from this experience.~
The Magnate’s tone as he delivers the last line is cold. What he’s really trying to say is “Learn to stay your tongue or you have outlived your value to me”.
~Yes, master. I profess nothing but gratitude that you should provide me mercy,~ I liken Jayrn’s servile tone to that of a hurt, chastised puppy, but the glare he directs towards me suggests anything but. It elicits the sadistic coldness of satisfaction.
~Mere whim, vassal,~ the Magnate reminds him that he really does hold his life to his whims.
~Instead I grant you all the mercy of a welcoming feast for our new friend here. Inform the kitchens!~ he orders. ~While we await them, Loremasters!~
A few of his entourage, including one amongst his Cadre, stand at attention. This allows me to identify the Clan’s consummate chthnomancers .
~Attend to Jayrn, see to it that he is unspoiled.~
~Yes, O’Magnate,~ one of them approaches Jayrn. It is pointless. Apart from an angry red ligature welt and an even more bruised ego, there is nothing to see to. Satisfied, the Plutarch makes his exit.
His Cadre entourage leaves with him, but not before the chthnomancer amongst them speaks to the girl that guided me in. Whatever is being said, she appears to be nodding at her instructions.
Rethka joins me when the entourage leaves.
~Greetings again, brethren,~ Rethka says as she sidles up to me, before catching herself in self-admonishment. ~Apologies, for you are Cadre, and I am to only address you as Revered Kinsman.~
~Please, brethren, there is no need for censure,~ I reassure her warmly. ~I have lived too long outside of our civilisation and am still unused to the old ways. Call me Kyne. If you desire to be formal then you are to call me Vero, to honour my tribe’s name.~
~I thank you, Rev-... Vero,~ Rethka smiles. ~In reciprocation I beseech you to simply name me Rethka when ceremony is not required.~
~You honour me with such an allowance, Rethka. Now, were you sent to mind me?~
Her paling pallour is the answer I need. ~N-... No! I can think of something so wretched as to exert myself over an honou-...~
~There is no need to fret, Rethka, I do not begrudge you. It is understandable that one of the Elders see the prudence to find my self an escort. I could ask for no better than you.~
~You do me great honour with such praise, Exalted Kinsman.~ Rethka, flustered, suddenly seems to find the cracked earth at our feet to be intriguing.
~What is to come next, before the feast?~ I queried.
Rethka returns her attention to me. ~Elder Hifren has graced me with news that he should send along instructions to have lodging arranged for you. When it is deemed to be done, the Taskmaster is to send for a kinsman to lead you to your new abode.~
~I thank you Maestro for keeping me well informed. Now then, if my room is to be awaited, then what of activity in the mean time?~
~I am doing but my instructed duty by my Elder,~ she smiles. ~May I suggest an inspection of the town center to orient you with the markets? You will have need of it.~
~It is a wise and insightful idea, Rethka. I am reassured to be in your guiding hands.~
-----
Rethka spends most of the tour describing life and general social norms of the Marassol community. It isn’t until we are approaching apothecary, before the blacksmiths, that I ask Rethka how the Ward of Whispers is performed in this Gate. She sketches the form, and is delighted to find that I am a quick study. She has me do a test run with her to ensure that I do it right.
~Why do you ask first for the Whisper, Vero?~ when she is satisfied with my use of the Ward.
~I simply wish to reach out to our friends,~ Rethka looks nonplussed by my answer. I decide to elaborate. ~Two of the Master’s Cadre have been been accompanying my tour of the town.~
Rethka is sufficiently surprised. I had no doubt that she had not noticed. They are my true minders. While she timidly looks around, I begin to sketch the form in the air, a trail of ambient mana that follows the path of my finger. Within moments, there is a solid sigil before me.
~Greetings, fellow warrior, is it not a discomfort to locate yourselves in such posts?~
I am greeted with a dirty chuckle. It’s the female Cadre with the whip. ~You have much tongue in you, Cadre Kyne. Perhaps you have spent too much on the outside It is my believe that the outside world refers to such as ‘cheek’?~
~Indeed, you are well aware of the crass tongues of the outside world,~ I lay it on thick. ~If you and your compatriot may find yourselves keen to know more perhaps you should join us on this leisurely stroll?~
The other Cadre appears at my side almost immediately. Dressed in robes of green and blue, I don’t see a weapon. It’s either small enough to hide between the folds or he, like me, specialises in hidden weapons. The woman joins us in no time.
From her expression, it seems like Rethka is unsure what to do in the presence of three Cadre. She offers stiff and flustered greetings to both of them, worried about hierarchy between the two.
The woman, I learn, is Lunq, and I learn that she wields her whip tipped with a poisonous dart. Beuin informs me that it moves like it is a living being in her hands.
Beuin, as I hypothesised correctly, prefers the use of hidden weapons. He shifts one of the folds in his robe, where I see a bandolier of silverish balls. Lunq, as payback, reveals that they move on their own, like spirits under Beuin’s spell.
A satellite-type device, then. I remember my Device Meister working on one of her own design. I suspect that Beuin has more than one bandolier of the stuff.
As we approach the smithy I invite the newcomers to offer their input on the weapons on display.
-----
The Magnate invites me to the seat of honour - I am to be seated on his right. That must put some of the other Cadre’s on edge! I would be too, if I were them. A stranger who possesses skills in wetwork, beside their liege? It is a security nightmare.
Rethka has the honour of sitting on my other side. Shell-shocked seems to describe her currently. I doubt she’s even been awarded the right to sit with her loremaster, let alone one of the Elders, and here she is chewing grub with the Clan’s Plutarch, the various Elders and some of the more respected Cadre. Yours truly not included, of course.
Over the course of the meal, the Magnate probes me on my story, as do the curious Elders. I give them the same spiel I gave Ginshu earlier on my way in, as well a couple of my actual black missions to steal for the Bureau that no one knows they were involved in. The results of some of these ops are known to them and that earns me so legitimate street cred. Already I can see the gears in the Magnate’s head turn as he considers the possibilities open with my addition to the pool. The Elders and Taskmaster eye me speculatively. No doubt there are missions that they wish my participation in.
As conversation continues at the table, I am certain that the Elders are discussing what to use me for first while they talk shop. Code words fly about. I could pretend that I don’t know what they’re doing, but that would make me look inept. Waiting for them to come to a decision would make me seem weak and under their thumb.
I interrupt them.
~My lord, O’Magnate,~ I turn to the Plutarch, ~Grateful as I am to be one with the Clan, I am eager to prove my use to the family. Is there a task, however wretch it may be, that your Greatness desires my hand to perform?~
The Magnate smiles indulgently. While the Elders were having their catfight, he must already have made a decision.
~Your spirit is commendable and a model for all that dine with us in this hall, Cadre,~ he praises, ~but I must ask that you live unmolested for the next 2 weeks. You will need to know your fellow kinsmen well, for you are now one of us.~
~Magnate, you are most kind,~ I sketch the Form of Servile Gratitude. ~You are right. If I am to serve Clan Massarol, then it is imperative that I know the kinsmen I bleed for. In my eagerness to you my lord I have forgotten something so important to the way of the Clans.
Did I mention that I can do a good grovel? It comes in handy at times when dealing with an irate Sylphy Trajet.
~Once again you prove yourself a pride of Caracasa, Kyne, and with time, you can let that pride shine in our service.~
~O’Magnate, there is no greater honour! You have nothing but gratitude from a mere lost clansman.~
~Caracasa is a brother to Marrasol. Where a clansman of the Caracasa lives, we honour the Bond.
~Now, partake in this feast tell us more about your journeys.~
-----
Assimilating myself into the people isn’t as hard as I expected. When you’ve successfully accomplished a few missions of acquiring artefacts desired by the Clan, they’d start accepting you. Well, if not you, then the skills you bring to the table.
Take Jayrn, for example, that beefcake that got all aggressive during my introduction. We were assigned to spar against each other, as a test of my abilities in battle. I had proven myself worthy as a thief, but I had yet to prove myself as a warrior. Well, in Cadre-speak, that practically meant fighting full out and doing everything short of permanent damage. No use getting rid of useful Cadre, after all, but grievous harm was acceptable.
I’d successfully assassinated some underground gang lord who was digging too much into the Clan’s business, one of my first assignments from the Clan. Deciding I was indeed useful enough, Jayrn was assigned to test my aptitude in battle. Ickle wee beefkins was still a little hostile towards me, and I wasn’t so keen on making him my drinking partner either. Two birds with a single stone seemed to be the point here to the Magnate. Fight it out like men, and he could gauge me as well.
The match would held in the town arena, as a show for the general clanspeople. A sort of gladiator show for sport. I had dressed myself in the same clothes when I entered the Gate, my battle dress outfit of sorts that the Barrier Jacket of my true device is based on – my black long coat interwoven with multiple layers of wire mesh and has been magically reinforced to cushion even a point blank shot; my gloves, both of which contain magi-electric contraption that discharge electricity; a series of knives made from weaved mana; and a few sets of wires.
Jayrn was a consummate warrior; he had only armor plating on his forearms, his chest and back – the only places that mattered in a fight. Any more was excessive and would get in the way. His weapon of choice was a mace-type device: a large one, in fact. With a metal pommel bigger than my head and large cuboid blocks sticking out, it’d be a bitch to take a hit head on. I preferred the choice of not showing him my weapons first.
~My warriors, my Cadre,~ the Magnate said from the sidelines, overseeing the spar. ~I would expect nothing but the best from you.~
~O’ Masterful Lord,~ both Cadres chanted, ~We would show nothing but that you have requested.~
~Very well then. You may begin.~
The distance between us wasn’t very far. Of course, this would be a close quarter fight. The Magnate wouldn’t have it any other way with his Cadre. Jayrn was waiting for me to make the first move. And I did.
In the blink of an eye, he had blocked the dagger I threw at him, its velocity fast enough to physically penetrate most armors on the standard TSAB Barrier Jackets and slice bone. What Jayrn did not expect was for it to blow up as mana in his face instead.
I had already closed the distance between us and Jayrn knew that, swinging his mace at me in the plume surrounding him, clearing most of the smoke while he was at it. I had paused right outside of his swinging range, and leapt at him while he was counter-balancing his swing.
I was right about his agility – he was indeed more agile than most would expect. Pushing my other hand against his backhanded swing, I barely had time to change my stance before I flew back a dozen feet or so and cushioned my landing.
I heard the cartridges load even before I landed. Glancing at Jayrn to see what he was going to do with the magical load, I determined he was going to go for a close or mid-ranged attack enhancement spell. Even if he missed me in a swing, he could still release it in a wave. At least, that’s what I would have done anyway.
Might as well take the bait then. I doubt Jayrn knew my device was active too, even if he suspected. I charged towards him in a seemingly foolish dash, stepping back just as he swung his mace.
My guess was right – he released the wave of mana as his device cried [Ausbrechen!], a look of triumph on his face. Even if an opponent was strong enough to take the hit straight on, they’d be stunned for a moment. A window of opportunity for him to strike. I gave him none.
“[Jager Rush]”
The wave of mana hit nothing but tarmac of the road junction that made up the large central area of the Clan’s territory and exploded. Jayrn thought he had me. He couldn’t be more wrong.
Using the momentum from my speed spell, I dashed in from his left and placed a well aimed kick at a nerve point on his leg, the force of the kick and the shock from hitting his nerve buckling him over.
I stopped a few feet away from Jayrn, planning my possible next moves. A wounded animal is far more dangerous than an uninjured one, and that meaning is multiplied tenfold when dealing with Cadre. And Jayrn was visibly pissed. This was good, because it meant that his openings were wider now. Anger has a way of multiplying force, but flaws as well. All I need to do now is to get his device out of the way. In any case, his effectiveness in combat plummeted the moment I maimed his leg, and it would take days to recover from that.
Jayrn had to push himself up with his mace, his eyes burning. He would love to beat the crap out of me now, but he’ll have to play it safe now and fight more defensively. Not that it mattered, since I’ve been the one going on the offensive.
“Mrotung hars,” he cursed. Eskaran swear words are colourful, and often meaning is lost in translation. “You had a device on?!”
“I don’t see why you’re complaining,” I retorted. In a spar, there is no need for the phonetic lilts of ritual speech.
“Underhanded sunnavabitch,” he uttered.
I merely shrugged. “A Cadre’s job is to get job done no matter what, isn’t it? And oh, en garde.”
“Wha-“
Before he knew it, I was going at him again, flinging one of the many metal wires I carry on myself at his device, securing itself tightly around it. I made to pull at the wire to wrench it out of his grasp, but I had miscalculated one thing - Jayrn’s strength.
With one tug of his, I got pulled in his direction, plummeting towards him as he swung his mace back, ready to strike and loading a couple more cartridges-…
[Riot Shield], my device called out, projecting three layered triangular shields right before the mace crashed into it. The hastily erected shield broke before I had the time to break free from the wire secured to my belt, and I took the hit, magically enhanced strike and all.
My wire mesh-reinforced coat absorbed most of the hit, but I still had the wind knocked out of me. It’d leave a bruise, and it hurts like hell now, but nothing was broken courtesy of the coat. At least that meathead can’t have a go at me while I’m stunned now – his leg wouldn’t give let him, after all.
Shaking off the shock, I was contemplating what to do when Jayrn pulled again. I flew towards him again, but I was prepared this time.
[Homing Pendulum], my device called again, unleashing my shooting spell. With his target and a spell coming at him, he’d decided to erect a barrier against the spell immediately.
There’s a reason why I liked using Homing Pendulum – its trajectory is always erratic, independent from my direction, which translated into surprise on Jayrn’s face when the seemingly straight fire-and-forget spell abruptly took a sharp turn right before his shield and continued to make several such turns, rounding up behind him and hitting his bad leg before the large man could even counter it.
Taking this chance while Jayrn’s grip slackened, I pulled the wire again, swinging my body around and using the momentum to wrench his mace out of his hand. Damned thing was heavy as hell, as expected from an unskillfully jerry built device that relied more on physical weight than magical enhancement. To be able to swing this behemoth around this effectively... I’d hate to take a punch from him unhindered.
Throwing another mana dagger at him again which he blocked, I used the resulting smoke to close in on Jayrn from behind. He had guessed that I’ll be attacking from behind, and had swung around the moment I charged into his range.
Anticipating his blow and prepped to use it as a springboard, I pushed myself over him, swerving around when I landed and started hitting at him to pin him down, all the while looking for an opportunity to strike. But Jayrn’s unique style at close quarters combat meant he practically caught every single one of my blows. Every punch and kick was met with an armoured limb or a well placed autoguard. Grabbing a couple of my daggers, I threw one straight for him while the other hit right between his feet. I needed something to distract him, and the explosions from the daggers provided that.
[Homing Missile]
Using a series of shooting spells to distract him, I charged again and slammed a mana enriched fist straight to his gut. It still couldn’t take him down, but I was prepared.
[Carnage…] My device stared casting even before the moment my first landed. Reeling from the hit and letting the smoke clear, Jayrn choked, “You can’t take me down with just that, punk!”
“I know,” I said, appearing from his back. “Which is why I’m doing this.”
“When-?”
[Blaze!] My device announces, firing off the bombardment spell at point blank range.
It took a while for the dust to clear as the crowd cheered, but it eventually did. Jayrn was trying to push himself up, but without a doubt starting to break apart. Between a bum leg and an A+ bombardment spell at zero range, he sure was one hell of a tank to still be able to attempt some fight in him.
Wearing him down as quickly as possible was the right choice. I wouldn’t have the endurance to keep up with him. Time to end it.
“Yo, Jayrn,” I said, as I approached his prone form, still trying to push himself up. Grabbing the back of his head, I whispered into his ear, almost like a lover just to mock him. “Time to sleep, baby.”
Next thing he knew, I discharged the electricity stored up in my gloves, all seven hundred and fifty kilovolts just because I knew he could still fight it if I used the usual four hundred, effectively knocking the meatball out cold. Turning to the watching clan leader, I spoke.
~O’ moste Masterfule Magnate,~ I utter. ~Is this to your satisfaction?~
And then, just for the fun of it, I turned to the crowd. ~Brothers of my sisters! Sisters of my brothers! Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?~
The cheer from the crowd was rousing. The Cadre contingent look amused at my antics to rouse the people. The Magnate, on the other hand, raised his hand to silence the crowd.
~It is most pleasing,~ the Magnate addresses me. ~It pleases me to know that Caracasa has such gifted men still, though itself has been lost.~
~O’Admirable Magnate, ‘tis too much a compliment for a humble Cadre such as I,~ I say, bowing once more. ~For a moment there Jayrn would have won, for he is very much a formidable opponent. It comforts me to know that the Magnate has been in such reliable hands.~
Empty flattery and all that crap, I thought I’d forgotten how to be glib. I’m slipping back into this role far easier than I thought I would. Not that it isn’t effective – there is, after this, without a doubt that I have already received the acknowledgement of most of Cadres who were still suspicious of me, and the approval of the Clansmen.
Their guard is now down. My work is now made easy.