How's everyone enjoying the 2020 Expansion Pack? Fascist coup attempt on top of the new COVID variant running wild here in the US is not a good look.
"Guys, heads up on the road," Blake called out, stirring the group from their current focus.
It had been several hours since they left Vale, stopping only twice to give the horses a rest. The entire trip had since been uninterrupted. However, Blake's voice stirred Jaune and Ruby from the nap they had fallen into, causing the two to rise and begin scrambling for their weapons. Everyone else was already up and staring over the front of the wagon.
"Eh, don't worry about them, Girlie," the father said, smoking on his pipe. "They ain't gonna hurt a fly..."
Jaune poked his head over the top of the others and found out what they were staring at. There was a herd of four-legged beasts as large as buildings—each bearing two large tusks about five to ten feet long with trunks thicker than Jaune's leg. As they passed by the road, the herds were grazing fruit or leaves from nearby trees at the behest of a group of men leading them around.
What are those?
"You guys haven't seen a mammoth before," the son asked, sitting on the left wall of the wagon. "They're pretty common around here."
"I have," Weiss added. "Though, the ones we have on Solitas are distantly related woolly mammoths. They're not as large as these."
Probably got over there using some sort of landbridge...
It was the only way to explain how two different and closely related species were found on separate continents. There was no way they could island-hop that far. There was the possibility of a herd being brought on ships but given their size, they could sink all but the largest galleons.
"What about those men," Pyrrha asked gesturing over to one of the herdsmen, feeding a baby mammoth a pumpkin. As he noticed the group, he waved back. "Do they use them for livestock?"
Most of those guys looked pretty well armed for herdsmen. Some were decked out in half-plate while others were wearing gear typical for rogues or even magi. Jaune couldn't say anything about their experience, but they were definitely not ordinary guards.
"Kinda, they're gamemasters," the son explained excitedly. "The mammoths were going extinct after the Great War because people were overhunting them for food. Nobody really cared back then, since it was better than starving, but once the Warrior King took over, he placed protections on all mammoths. So, the gamemasters take care of the herds, shear them for wool, milk them, and put the older ones down if they're too sick to move. Every once and a while, the king lets some people hunt them to cull the herd, and they throw a massive feast in his palace. It's what Moutain Glenn's known for now."
Didn't know...
"I wonder what other giant animals are down here," Ruby speculated, staring long and hard at the mammoths. "There's varanasaurs, but there has to be some more really cool stuff too!"
"Giant snakes," Sun suggested, cupping his chin. "I haven't been down here enough to see everything yet. Probably some giant bugs too, but the only thing I've seen was a wyvern flying around..."
Ooooo... How the hell are we gonna deal with that?
Wyverns were going to be the toughest thing around this area. They were the apex predators on any continent. The only place they weren't found was Vacuo due to the biosphere not exactly sustaining large herbivores like Vale or Mistral would. The best thing the group could hope for would be to lose one inside a city or get it bogged down in the trees so it wouldn't be able to move around.
If it was the former, the guards and other adventurers would be able to fight it off with the sheer volume of arrow fire. Jaune didn't know if any ballistae were mounted on the walls, but they would be able to take it down with one or two well-placed shots. If someone tied a wire to the bolt, then they could pull the beast out of the sky like a fish caught on a hook.
If Jaune and the group were attacked outside a city, getting it stuck in trees was the next best thing. Aside from fire or poison attacks, the weight of the dragon was the most dangerous part. Using large trees as cover would let the group surround and wear down the beast from all angles.
"Why do you think I said we don't go south," the son replied to Sun and then to Jaune. "If there are those kinds of monsters down there, what chance do we have?"
"Yeah, Jaune, he's gotta point," Nora agreed, poking the son in the arm, allowing the finger to sink deep into the flesh. "He's kinda squishy. Don't know how you're gonna help us kill werewolves like that..."
The son blushed and moved away from the girl. Though, it seemed it was more due to the pretty barbarian testing his muscles out. Jaune understood it.
"I-I'll let you guys deal with that," the son declared. "You seem to have a death wish. I'm perfectly fine working this job..."
[Mountain Glenn]
"All right kids, this is the end of the line," the father said, stopping the horses on the side of the road. "Yer on your own now."
Well, so much for that...
It was currently late in the afternoon now verging on dusk. Jaune figured they had travelled at least eighty-something miles with how fast they were going on a four-horse team. Though, with how reliable the roads were today, they might have gone farther since he did not know Vale and Mountain Glenn's actual distance.
As the team disembarked the wagon, they looked around, taking in the sights this new city provided. Much of Mountain Glenn looked similar to Vale, though, on a smaller scale. This city probably had about a quarter of the population, putting it somewhere around twenty-five to thirty thousand. However, a marked difference was how militarised the town was compared to the capital. There were two sets of walls with a moat between them and one on the outside alongside those barriers being twenty feet thick with another five or so foot skirt around the base. This place was built to hold off the mother of all sieges.
Probably a defence against the Grimm if they ever showed back up in force.
From the writings Jaune found in the library, Vale was purposely built to hold off Grimm coming in from the outside. There was even mention of the use of enchantments along the stone walls to better hold back against the demon hordes. Now if portals opened inside the city for Grimm to pour out, it was all for nought. However, there surely was some sort of contingency to keep that from happening. With how powerful some of the mages were in the city, they could combine their efforts to cast a spell nothing could get past.
"So, what's our next move boss," Sun asked, referring to both Jaune and Blake.
"If we keep walking, we can get a couple more miles down the road and set up camp," Ren suggested.
"Why not find another carriage," Weiss suggested. "We have the money to pay them..."
"Don't think anyone's gonna be dumb enough to take that offer," Yang countered, gesturing to the few carts left in the loading area. "After what they heard about the demons, nobody's going that way. They're probably gonna be shipping stuff along the coast on boats and carting it from the west."
"That's a good point actually," Blake agreed, pulling out another map.
The sheet had some more paths marked out with trade routes along the seas and inland. A majority of those lines went through where Grosche was, and another cluster went along the coast where their intended destination was. However, there appeared to be a few routes from the northwest around a couple of small towns.
"Do you think we could head west and get on a ship, it would cut our travel time down by a few days if the wind is good," she recommended, looking at the other members of the group. "If not, then we might have to walk to the next town and see if we can find something there."
"How much would that cost," Nora asked. "I don't think we should spend all of our money to buy a few days."
"We don't have to pay, just find a spot on the ship and hide out for till we land in port," Sun proposed. "It's how I got to Vale."
"We're not doing that..."
"Fine-fine, I've been outvoted..."
"Then we should find somewhere to crash tonight," Yang continued, directing the conversation to a new tangent. "We can talk about this in the morning when traders are getting ready to head out. It's warm enough we can camp out on the side of the road if we want to, or do we want to pile into a room at an inn?"
"I'm fine with either," Jaune agreed, shrugging his shoulders. "It's better if we stay close to the city tonight. I don't want to keep walking and get stuck outside if anything happens."
Everyone seemed to be in agreement on it. Either that or they didn't choose to voice their opinion in fear of it being shot down. Jaune didn't think anyone would be really opposed to sleeping inside an inn where they would be warm and free from bugs.
"Cool, I'm gonna look around and see if anything's going on, Jaune-Ruby, do you guys want to grab some supplies, Sun-Blake, Ren-Nora, find a spot for us to sleep, Pyrrha-Weiss, see if anybody's willing to give us a ride," Yang dictated, pairing everyone up into groups, leaving her all by her lonesome.
"We should try sweet-talking the lord, see if he can give us a place in the barracks for free," Sun expressed, gesturing for Blake to follow him.
With that, everyone broke off and went on their own way. The few people left were, Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune who stood around thinking about what to do next.
"So, why is Yang looking for something interesting," Weiss asked, watching the blonde walking down the street. "Can't she help us find someone to take us to the next town?"
"She might be looking for information," Pyrrha mentioned.
"Yeah, Yang spends a lot of time in Vale talking to information brokers," Ruby clarified.
Weird... What could she be using it for?
"Why?"
"I don't know, I think she's looking for leads or just wants to know what's going on in Vale," Ruby explained. "She gets a lot of good deals from merchants because of it..."
There were dozens of reasons one would be using information brokers, but looking for good deals on merchants was a poor one. It would be more understandable if she was looking for quests options or wanted to know what was really going on in Vale. Blake would be the right person to go to them since she was a thief and could make a living like that.
"Well, it's her business, so we can't say anything about it, but if she can find something to help us out, then I won't complain," Jaune expressed, beginning to walk off to the market. "But I'm going to see if we can get some rations. You guys gonna be all right without us?"
"Yeah, we'll ask around, and see if one of the merchants would be interested in us coming with him."
...
Jaune and Ruby made their way into the marketplace, perusing the available goods. Most of them were typical of what you'd find in Vale like weapons and armour, or items from other continents not found in Sanus. Given the city's size, it was not surprising, though the variety suffered due to it not being the capital. However, there were a few exotic pieces like mammoth cheese but was more expensive than the generic stuff that it wouldn't be worth it.
"Ruby, what do you feel like eating for the next two weeks," Jaune asked, looking at some fruit for sale. "We can go with some dried lamb, beef, or maybe... bison?"
"Mmmm, those sound really good..."
Jaune stepped up to the fruit vendor while Ruby thought it through. There was an assortment of produce here not grown in Vale usually. Jaune couldn't recognise most of them, but the apples, oranges, peaches, and pears were ripe and plentiful. They were the cheapest items here too. However, another fruit caught his eye.
"I'll take a pound of these," Jaune asked, pointing to the desired fruit. He and the vendor exchanged some lien, dumping the leathery fruits into a burlap sack. "Thanks."
Jaune pulled one of the fruits out and offered it to Ruby. The girl gave him a weird look as she took the wrinkled fruit from him.
"What's this," she asked, inspecting the date.
"A date, try one, they're good," Jaune encouraged, taking a bite from one and removing the seed. "Just don't bite into the middle, there's a huge seed that'll break your teeth."
"Okay..." Ruby bit into the date and began chewing the flesh. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up, and she swallowed the piece. "That's really good, it tastes like caramel!" Soon after, she ate the rest of it, depositing the seed into a nearby grass plot.
"Yeah, my sisters and I used to eat them all the time in Bar," Jaune explained, going for another. "They're usually grown in Vacuo, but one of the mages in town was able to make them grow in a greenhouse. Joan, my twin's, actually apprenticing under him and trying to become a horticulturist."
She really wanted to dedicate herself to growing crops all throughout the year. Joan had it in her head that she could prevent the late winter famines if they could produce enough inside a greenhouse. Jaune liked the idea since he personally hated having to eat the bare scraps towards the beginning of spring. Even with the mage's greenhouse, the entire town felt the lack of food.
"That's cool," Ruby expressed, taking another bite from a date. "Yang and I would pick fruits and vegetables from one of the orchards on Patch. My dad set one up after he got out of Beacon, but he's really into gardening."
He's got a hobby. That's nice. Everyone needs one.
"Does he sell anything to the other islanders, or do you guys just grow them for yourselves," Jaune asked, going for another fruit.
"A little bit of both," she clarified, gesticulating to give emphasis. "He gets enough to feed us through the winter and a little extra just to be safe, but the rest he either pickles, turns into wine, or gives away. We don't really need the money since my dad works at Signal and he's got a bunch leftover from his quests."
My sister would probably like him. They would have a field day discussing how to best grow beans or something like that...
"If we can get our own house and some land, we could probably start up a greenhouse and grow ingredients or food," Jaune suggested, polishing off another date. "With all nine of us or how many decide to come with, we could do it pretty easily if someone wants to spend a few hours a week making sure everything's growing fine."
"That's gonna cost a bunch of money though," Ruby pointed out lowly. "We're already planning out the trips and buying a house is gonna be a lot too."
"Yeah, I feel you," Jaune agreed with a sigh. "But hopefully we can find something down there. We just need one ancient mage staff or some super rare artefact, and we could be swimming in lien!"
If the Old Valeaens were as advanced as Weiss said they were, mages and collectors were going to be jumping all over the group to get ahold of a piece. These guys were typically loaded too and were willing to pay a blood price for specific artefacts. If they couldn't get a buyer, there was always Professor Ozpin who they could give the piece to. He would let the group exchange it for stuff in the vault which they could then sell.
"What do you want to find, Jaune," Ruby inquired specifically. "I want to find some armour, but do you have any ideas for what to look for?"
Good question, haven't really thought about it...
"Some magic stuff would be nice," Jaune expressed, cupping his chin. "Maybe we can find the master smithy and get ahold of some tools. They're gonna be better than anything we could find in Vale. Other than that... some armour with nice enchantments or some weapons I can use. I really don't have a set plan because I've got most of the stuff I need right now."
Hopefully, it wouldn't be too heavy to carry out. I might have to wear the armour just so we're not bogged down.
"I think the others aren't really sure either," Ruby expressed with a giggle. "Most are probably looking for gold or jewels..."
She stopped as they reached a section of the marketplace where there were several grocery stands. One was a butcher's stand with an assortment of meats on display. Ruby pointed it out, and they agreed it would be their best shot at getting some supplies.
"How much money do we have right now," Ruby asked, looking through the butcher's goods.
"Umm... let me check," Jaune replied as he pulled out a small leather-bound book from his pocket. "Okay..."
Blake: 550
Sun: 600
Yang: 300
Ren + Nora: 310
Ruby: 750
Weiss: 800
Pyrrha: 1000
Me: 250
"A lot," Jaune stated, putting the book away after scrawling some notes in there. "Enough to cover us for the whole trip as long as we don't spend it all like idiots..."
"Then what should we grab," Ruby asked, looking at some of the prices. "We don't have to get dried stuff, but if we want it to last, then that's the best choice."
"Yeah, I agree," Jaune said, leaning over to look at some dried goat. "There's salt pork here. Do we want that? It's cheaper than most of the other stuff."
"Ehhh, no..." Ruby said with a grossed out look on her face. "Salt pork tastes kinda gross, and it takes forever to cook."
"Beef then," Jaune inquired, gesturing over to the piles of cut beef.
"Sure... nothing wrong with it," Ruby agreed, taking off her bag. "If Weiss cooks for us, she's gonna make it good!"
Yeah, she will...
"All right, let's get enough for ten people for five days to add onto our rations," Jaune said, going to the vender. They haggled a little, and the boy managed to get a discount for how much they bought. An exchange of coin went between the two, and Jaune made off with about twenty pounds of dried beef.
"Nice," Ruby complimented as they loaded it into her bag. "Let's grab some stuff to go with it and meet back up with the others!"
As they were going to leave, Jaune spotted a stand that piqued his interest. He pulled the bag back into Ruby's back, who quickly followed him before heading there to check the vendor. Once they got closer, Jaune realised it was a spice merchant. The man had probably the largest selection of seasonings he'd seen even in Vale.
"Grab some of these too," Jaune suggested, pulling out a couple vials from a case on his side. "They'll really set Weiss' dishes off..."
"Sure, I like more flavour."
"Good choice, kids," the merchant said. "These are freshly grown from the south, so they won't disappoint."
Jaune grabbed some spices and threw them into the vials. They were still pretty basic, but would really help Weiss' dishes out. Not that they were bad. Variety was the spice of life.
With another exchange of gold, Jaune and Ruby parted ways with the merchant. Before they could cross the street and get back to the city entrance, a caravan of wagons rolled past. Each carried about ten feet by five feet worth of cotton, spilling over the wagon's side and stacked high above the driver's head. A few other carts passed the pair carrying what appeared to be tobacco, indigo, and sugar.
"That's a lot of cotton," Ruby pointed out, watching the carts go past. "Do you think there's a textile shop around?"
"Probably," Jaune suspected, shrugging his shoulders. "There are not enough people in those farming towns to make cloth out of it, so they gotta sell it."
[City Entrance]
Getting past another diversion, Jaune and Ruby met back up with Weiss and Pyrrha near the gates. The girls were alone and apparently searching for the others as well. It looked as though they had given up on that and decided to wait around.
"Any luck guys," Ruby called out from their side. The girls turned, and Pyrrha waved at the approaching pair.
"Yes, we managed to find a caravan going southwest," Weiss stated tiredly. "Though, it's going to cost us around fifteen hundred lien even with us offering to guard their wagons."
"Oohhh," Ruby groaned, hanging her head low. "That's way too much money!"
It is... We can afford it, but none of us wants to spend that much money to get down the road.
"How far is it going," Jaune asked, sighing loudly and kneading his eyebrows. "They better be taking us to the doorstep of the swamps for that much!"
Five hundred lien got us halfway down Sanus.
"Not quite," Weiss expressed, grabbing the map from Jaune's bag. "They're taking us to a town called Poncier." She pointed out the location, an area above the northernmost point of the swamps along the coast. "It cuts the number of visits to towns along the coast to just that. From there, we can head inland and get to the dungeon. It's going to take us two or three days to arrive in Poncier given how slow the train is going to be. However, that is still going to take less time than if we took the original route."
"Well, we were expecting it to take a week to get to the dungeon, so I'm not mad about it," Jaune expressed, looking over the pre-established plan. "I'll have to talk to Blake, but the town's not even on her list. Maybe the shortcut will be able to talk her into it."
"I don't know why she wouldn't want us to go to Poncier," Weiss argued back with some attitude. "We can have more time to explore the ruins or take a break along the way to rest! It's the only move that makes sense!"
Not this again...
"I get it, Weiss, but this is Blake's show, and she's been down here more times than we have," Jaune countered, trying to keep his tone non-confrontational. "She knows the area, and I am deferring to her experience. There's a reason she's running things! If she didn't want us in Poncier, there is an explanation."
"Fine, I'll let you talk to her," Weiss spat, turning away from him. "Sun's here now, so he'll be able to tell us if we have somewhere to sleep tonight."
Sun was making his way through the afternoon crowd, waving to catch their attention. Once the boy realised he had their eye, he pushed past a few townsmen and broke into the square.
"What's up," Jaune asked.
"Well," Sun began, taking a deep breath. "The Lord wasn't around, so that went out the window, but I got us set up in an inn. Flirted with the girl who runs the place and we got it half off plus food and drinks. There's enough room for all of us in there, so some of the girls can take the bed, and the others can sleep on the floor."
"It's better than sleeping outside."
"Definitely," Sun agreed, waving for them to follow. "Come on, I'll show you the place."
...
The inn was rather typical for Vale. Nothing was special about it aside from the people going in and out. You could compare it to the questing house, but one that provided bed and board instead of just the latter. Jaune liked it, it was rather pleasant, and the environment wasn't like the Black Friar in Whiteshale.
"Here it is, follow me upstairs and drop your bags off," Sun beckoned the others. They each went upstairs, while Jaune did not initially follow.
Blake was sitting at one of the tables off in some far corner of the inn. Currently, she had all of her gear laid out on the table and was cleaning it or making modifications. Jaune decided to go sit with her to discuss what Weiss had told him. She needed to hear about it since it was an excellent move to make. Jaune couldn't argue with Weiss' logic, only her attitude. That was a war he didn't want to get involved in, so it was better that he be the ambassador between the girls.
"Blake," Jaune called out, dropping his gear next to the table. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"What," she said dryly, not looking up at him at all. In her hands was a nicely made throwing knife she was cleaning.
"Weiss found us some transportation south," Jaune stated, cutting to the chase. "Goes past all of the stops and directly to some place called Poncier. Know anything about it?"
"You don't want to go there," Blake said, outright dismissing the idea. "It's not a good town..."
Oh... Probably belongs to some robber baron or something. Those guys are kinda common down on the east coast.
Jaune sat down across from her, staring the girl in the eyes. "Blake, this idea is the best thing we have," he asserted, pulling out the map. "If we keep going down the coast, it's going to take us a day to get to each stop. That's four days. The caravan can get us there in two, and we spend a night there on the second. It also puts us in throwing distance of the tomb, which was supposed to take three days to get to on foot from the last stop. Going from Poncier is gonna take two days, and we can take a rest stop on the way there. Whatever's in Poncier, we can handle it if it means getting an extra day or two inside the tomb. That makes up for the lien were gonna spend on the ride there."
Blake took a few moments to digest everything Jaune had told her. The thought of more gold was probably enticing her to abandon the original idea and go with what Jaune cooked up. It was a calculated risk, but the payoff was going to be worth it in the end. Every minute counted down in those tombs, and they couldn't lose too many days by just getting there. The sheer size of them demanded it.
"If you think it's a good idea..." Blake put down her knives and took a deep breath. She seemed reluctant to go there. Jaune figured it was due to how bad the town was, and didn't press further.
"Then we let everyone know in the morning and travel with the caravan," Jaune declared, getting up as everyone gathered in the first floor of the tavern.
[Weiss: A few hours later]
The group had sat down and eaten dinner together for the first time. While the meal was filled with banter and conversation about various topics, everyone seemed quick to begin drinking. Soon after, that led to the group growing concerned with having fun, and all of the tables in the centre of the tavern were moved to the walls to make space for the crowd gathering there.
Weiss guessed there were about fifty people in this one room. They had even constructed a makeshift stage so a band could play music. It only added to the alcohol-fueled raucous. Weiss could barely hear it over the chanting crowd.
She and Ruby were playing games off in the corner while the others got drunk. Neither was keen on getting as intoxicated as their friends, which made them the adults for tonight. Though, Dreizehn was more content with tucking himself under the table beneath Weiss' legs. The sound was likely making him weary.
"Weiss, I declare war," Ruby chirped, laying down a set of cards revealing the last one, which was a Jack.
Weiss did the same without the chant, laying down her own set. The last card was a Queen, netting her the cards currently on the field. With that move, Weiss found herself in the lead with a majority of the deck. Ruby wasn't far behind though and would catch up if the cards went her way.
A cheer from the crowd drew Weiss' attention once again. This time she turned her head to find Jaune in the centre of the ring with Yang. The two locked eyes and were circling one another, keeping their left side facing the other. They each raised their left arm and pressed a palm against the others. From her perspective, this appeared to be a sort of intimate dance Weiss wasn't familiar with.
The blonde was making bedroom eyes at the boy as they switched sides, using their right palm now. Yang was outright flirting with the boy, and Jaune was very much responding to it. The Paladin was confidently staring back at the girl, drinking her in through inebriated eyes.
Weiss felt her gut sink as she watched them. These butterflies welled up inside, making her feel sick. She wanted to leave to grab some fresh air, but her legs refused to move on their own. So, she was forced to continue watching from the sidelines, unable to take her eyes off the pair.
Their friends were cheering them on along with the rest of the crowd. Nora and Pyrrha were nearly busting a gut as they laughed so hard, pointing to the pair. Sun and Ren were fervently singing Jaune's praise while Blake smiled as she watched.
It did not take long before the music picked up, changing the dance style to match it. Jaune and Yang quickly moved in close and locked elbows, using each other to skip in circles with several other pairs. The crowds shouted more powerfully, stomping their boots enough to make the tavern shake.
"Weiss, do you want to go dance," Ruby asked loudly, speaking over the music. "We can play later..."
Ooh, she noticed!
"No, I can't dance like that," she confessed, drumming her hands against the table. "What about you?"
Weiss was only familiar with a few styles, but beyond those, she was lost. The girl never considered it an essential skill as she did not expect to travel among lower classes. Grouping up with noble's children or other mages would keep them from going to these kinds of festivities. It was regarded as crude and unbecoming of a princess associating with those, not of the same standing.
However, Weiss saw the appeal of what the rest of their group was doing. Dancing was a much more personal endeavour among them. More lively than waltzing with some other noble who only wanted to seduce you for their own gains.
"I'm not very good at it either, I keep tripping over the other person's shoes," Ruby told, laughing nervously as she did so. "Yang's better at it than pretty anyone I know."
She's right about that...
Jaune and Yang were continuing to dance their hearts out as more members of the crowd joined in. Every few seconds the band would adjust their tune and the dancers would change partners, going in a circle. From where Weiss sat, Jaune and Yang appeared to be masters of the craft compared to their partners. Their movements were fluid and energetic as the others were rigid and lethargic.
Soon, the song reached a close, and the band quieted down. The dancers congratulated their partners, and the crowd mingled among itself. The pause left an opening for a portly man with a black beard to climb on a table and call everyone to him.
"There once was a man known as Reinhard the Black," he sang at the top of his lungs and heaving a tankard high into the air.
"The greatest of our kings!
He faced demons where other men would freeze!
When the kingdom came under siege and shadows ruled the night,
He rode onwards and fought the demon armies!"
"REINHARD REINHARD REINHARD!" Everyone shouted in sync, throwing a fist into the air as they chanted. Their boots smashed against the wooden floor, shaking the entire tavern more violently than before.
"And on that fateful night, he battled a demon dragon,
Taking his blade and brought it to its knees!
My friends, he plucked the dragon's wings!"
"REINHARD REINHARD REINHARD!"
[Several Hours Later]
Jaune and Yang stood on opposite sides of a table, staring each other down with determined faces. Dozens of others gathered around including Weiss and Ruby to observe this clash of titans. Coin quickly changed hands as they bet on their combatant, shouting encouraging words to the horse of choice.
Between the two were three empty liquor bottles and dozens of shots already taken. However, this was not some drinking competition. It was a slapping contest. Men who faced both Jaune and Yang were found wanting. They could not do battle with either teen and hope to win.
When none were left, the two-faced off. Each was sufficiently boozed up and prepared to beat each other into a bloody pulp.
Jaune cocked his arm back in a manner akin to the tail guard and launched it forth. His flattened palm connected to Yang's face, brutally knocking her head to the side and nearly throwing the girl to the floor. The sound of the slap rang out with the crowd gasping at the force behind it.
Yang stood up regardless of the injury, wiping the blood off her lip and grinning widely. Everyone felt afraid at this moment. The room almost fell silent as Yang cocked her arm back to return the favour.
She smacked Jaune across the face as hard as she could. The boy could not withstand this punishment, crumbling instantly and falling under the table—his mistake, challenging a girl who could kill grown men with a single blow.
The crowd went wild, picking Yang up and hoisting her into the air. She raised a fist, shouting at the top of her lungs while Weiss checked on Jaune under the table.
So, I gave the Warrior King a name. He is Reinhard the Black. It may have some inspiration from Ragnar the Red.
Class: Paladin
"Gather 'round, Paladins!"
"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"
"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"
"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"
Level Twenty Three
Strength 43 (+7)
Agility 23 (+4)
Defence 30 (+5)
Perception 35 (+6)
Constitution 42 (+7)
Intelligence 48 (+5)
Charisma 26 (+3)
Willpower 19 (+3)
...
Abilities
Arclight
A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.
Active Debuff:
Turn and Face The Sun!
Longinuslanze Testament
A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.
It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.
In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.
Active Debuff:
Turn and Face The Sun!
White Hawk
This aethereal hawk shall be forever bound to you. As its master, only you may give direction to this bird of prey. Whether it be scouting the path ahead or distracting your enemies.
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Passive: Magister's Lament
Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.
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Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.
Monster Slayer
Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.
Armour and Weapons Smith
Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.
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Gear:
Jaune's Breastplate
Level Seventeen
Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather
Minimum Stat Requirements:
Strength: 32
Agility: 16
Defence: 22
Constitution: 30
Eagle's Armour
Level Twenty Eight
Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather
Minimum Stat Requirements:
Strength: 57
Agility: 25
Defence: 30
Constitution: 39
Buffs:
This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.
This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.
Necklace of the Bulwark
+25% Bonus to Constitution
Spells:
Infusion:
This spell grants one the ability to infuse the desired object with materials ordinarily unable to be bonded together. The strength of the unaltered item determines how much of an effect can be added to it.
Be warned that stressing the target with too powerful additives can result in the atomisation of the material and, possibly, a sudden explosive decomposition.
Telekinesis:
Casting this spell allows you to move objects with your mind. Within a visible range, anything you can levitate is dependent on your personal strength and willpower. Once, cast upon, the item is subject to your directions and will perform whatever manoeuvre you are capable of imagining.
Be warned that this spell drains magicka rapidly.