Fantasy Grand Ultima [The Ultimate Reboot] (Still recruiting new expeditionists)

[Scattered Ambitions]

"Ah. That's no good, is it?" Ember chuckled slightly. She then jumped up from where she had been previously sitting, and ran towards Xenia. She grabbed him, and was pulling his half frozen body back to the log/sled thing they had managed to rig up, when her hold on him slipped, and he went shooting forwards. She cursed under her breath, then ran back to the group. Ember stood next to Xenia, placing her hands to either side of him, warming him up with her fire. As she was doing this, she glanced up, and saw the Lich coming at them, blue fire ablaze in his eyes. "Hey, Ivi, come with me. We need to deal with that," she gestured at the skeleton approaching them, "and you, Maiko, stay with Xenia."


@Pandorian @Silsa @Seikaze

 

[Silsa]

"Oh for the love of all that is Holy!" She cursed as soon as she laid eyes on the abomination of a man that rose from the depths. Xenny was the only one to jump forward, he was the only target at the moment but at the speed at which the demon approached them, that wouldn't be true in a few seconds. A full blown lich, maybe even a user of void magic was before them, sealed enough at first, true, but if this went on then there was no telling how much it would destroy. Never mind failure of a mission, some people were going to die if it even reached the town they stayed in. She would not let anyone die, not before she went out with a bang first.


"What do you need from me?" Ivi asked quietly, throwing caution to the wind to bring about e the full brunt of her magic energy to bear. Fill the place with mana, it doesn't have to be holy, just purify the darkness to limit his release. I'm going to have a headache after this Ivi poured her soul out, using whatever mana she could muster to change what was dark energy to something more neutral, preferably inactive fire mana to bring about an attack if needed. From the looks of Ember, they would have to strike this thing down now.


It was just a matter of seeing who burns out faster.


@Scattered Ambitions


@Seikaze


@Pandorian

 

[Seikaze]

After the frost wave from the spear cleared up, the Lich saw Xeina running away towards the group with Ivi and Ember standing, ready to fight it. Upon being rescued by Ember, Xeina settled on the log. The fire helped warm his body up, thawing the ice and helping him recover from exhaustion. Moving proved difficult as it felt like his lower body would break anytime. There was no choice but to watch everything from the log. "We've gotten ourselves in a sticky situation.." He sighed and rested to recover the lost mana from before.


On the other hand, the Lich noticed the aggressive stance of Ivi which provoked it. A ghastly scream came from its mouth that echoed throughout the whole crater. Day became night, and it was so dark only the glow of the Lich's body were illuminating the area. The scream slowly faded and it faced down to get a better glimpse of the girl, then it ghosted towards her with its hands clustering with dark ice similar to the comet.

"The king is back.. Back to reign the kingdom of ice!"

​

 

[Silsa]

What is Holy, Ivi? It's the only element you two share after all, the only connection you share with your sister aside from blood, therefore you must know it intimately, from far reaching past til now. Understand this, and then, maybe you'll be able to see her again.



​

The words of her mother echoed within her mind when her eyes found themselves staring deep into the depths of blue flame that light the sockets of the charging skeleton. She recognized the history behind such a being, a mage of ice wielding extreme power, but he was restrained and furthermore, he was fallen. He was darkness, and darkness even until now, was the total opposite of Holy.

Light



​

In the world as it was now, the first thing one thinks about when Holy magic was mentioned was always light. Offensive, defensive, or supportive, Holy magic had a tinge of light in everything it did and while that wasn't exactly wrong, it was somewhat lacking. From beams of light to smite opponents to shields that defended against even the strongest of enemies, Holy magic was something other than light, it was the crystallization of an idea, and emotion, something closer to Arcane and yet not fully mana, unchanged by man's psyche. Other than light, it would be better to say it was man's ideals made manifest.

Deserving of Worship and Set apart



​

From time past to current present, Holy was something else, something always different from the original elements, or the absence of all things. Runes were the script of the world, the elements were the stuff of creation, darkness and void were the shadows casted and Arcane was the force that held all things together. The light was Holy, the part of the universe that exalted and revealed. It was one, not only of radiant beauty, but unmatched wisdom and foresight.

Pure



​

More than Arcane, Holy was something else entirely. Not pure in the usual sense, it was the amalgamation of ideals made into one substance, a power that something rigid, something unchangeable could never comprehend. Arcane and the elements were as they are, the first being the original substance, while the later were the substances of transformation, Holy was an idea, it was thought, it was opinion, it was truth given light, given substance. It was sentience.

Worthy of Awe



​

With all these in mind, the result of her research into the past and experiments towards the future, she looked at her antithesis without a shred of hesitation. In this valley of death, she was Holy, and that thing was not, it has her total opposite. It was Darkness. It deserved ridicule, a part of the stain of the world. It was corruption. It only garnered disgust. Her eyes changed, glowing with ethereal white as soon as the surroundings darkened, as if all the light in the area was not eradicated, and instead was gathered and infused within bright crimson eyes. The power she had was cycling, taking the strength form the surrounding darkness and returning the assimilated power to her body. The monster was dealt with witches in the past, and now two little girls stood before it. She could sense its power, its hatred and its hunger, and she denied it.

Holy was the power to be Feared

​

The power she exerted ebbed from the surroundings, disappearing completely as the darkness took over, bathing the area in black for but a short while before the sun made its appearance before the little girl. In the midst of the darkness, it had shrunk, it had weakened, but it was there, the glorious monarch of the skies dwelling among mortals. It's glow had waned that one could stare into it without being harmed, its warmth so weak that it could even melt the ice around it, but one would lie if one were to claim it was not there. That was the original light generations looked to, the first dawn it was present and it will only fade after the final twilight; A star from the heavens, though reduced, in its undeniably magnificent splendor.


Even the skeleton paused as he spent a moment to gaze at the impossible before him.


"Disappear." The massive beam that flew forth from the sphere produced no sound, though in the silence of the blast, within the radiance of such power was the sound of a little girl falling to her knees. The moment all that power was released, she could only feel the numbing cold crawl over her limbs and pray the skeleton was no more. It's up to you know Ember. She thought bitterly, as she watched the form of the skeleton writhing as the Holy light flowed over it like a cascading current.

 

[Seikaze]

The darkness rendered Xeina unable to see anything but the aura of the Lich who was rushing towards Ivi. He gasped as though he thought that Ivi would fall in the hands of the Lich but the unexpected happened. The Lich stopped and gazed at the heavens and so Xeina also did. Light faintly shone upon the ground which blinded the Lich in place. "What.." As a soundless beam of light smited the Lich, he was held in awe. It writhed in pain like it burned its very soul, and so he thought Ember would be able to end everything. The darkness had gone and its blazing eyes disappeared, falling on the ground like a resting corpse it should've been. A brief silence filled the whole area except the harshly blowing blizzard that howled tirelessly.


"Ember! Burn the skele-" Xeina's voice was interrupted by a cold voice and a dark, deep laugh.

"I can hear your heart speak.. Darkness is the condensation of pain anguish and every little sin. You who thinks yourself holy must know the best. You are being self righteous.. everyone has darkness.. None is pure.. You dare trample on my pain then I shall let you experience what I experienced!



​

Again, the corpse rose from its deathly slumber, its eyes ablaze once more. It flew towards Ivi's weakened body and raised both of its hands. Purple light shone from the ground and filled the area around Ivi to form a pentagram marked with ancient symbols. Xeina wasn't able to get a grasp of what just happened, but there was nothing he could do but let out a small gasp and a shout. "IVI!"

"Suffer my curse!"



​

It was the end for everything. He had no more hope for their team was obliterated by a high ranked monster unexpectedly. Or so he thought.. Dark ice rose from the expanded from the icy ground, but before it encased Ivi, her chest glowed brightly showing a blue line of raw mana leading southwest. Apparently, Xeina remembered something. This was when that old man's ability was put to one of its real uses. Long distance mana projection is not something just any mage can do. "Swap!"


The Link shone as Ivi's body disappeared and was replaced by old man Meldor. He immediately latched a link on the Lich and raised his staff. "SOUL DRAIN!" The link grew in size and turned phantom in color. The Lich had no time to react to what happened and instead focused on resisting the link, but it struggled to get away from its grasp. The link had begun absorbing not only its life force, but also its soul. "No! Impossible! Not by a measly human!" The blaze in its eyes twinkled seemingly losing its life. Meldor slammed his staff down and concentrated for a while. The soul he absorbed made him glow with excess mana, but he struggled to keep it inside him and avoid being possessed. "Exorcise!" Meldor put his hands together and released the soul onto his hands, crushing it with both of his palms.


A scream was heard, the soul scattered into the air and left a cold voice like before. "I am not yet defeated.. I will return soon!" Everything turned back to normal, the blizzard gone and the snow fell like it once did. Meldor sighed and looked at the heavily exhausted group of expeditionists. "This was not part of the mission. Everyone, head back to hq. We're-" Before Meldor could even finish talking, Xeina's vision turned black and he fell down unconscious.


Xeina woke up with the captain general beside him. They were at the infirmary together with the other three. It was strange to see the the captain's smile at an unusual time. But there was a surprise behind that smile. Leminel opened his hand and placed the piece of the 'comet' there. As soon as Xeina heard those words, his mouth dropped to the floor.

"Congratulations you four. You have passed the debut expedition. I hereby declare all of you.. Members of the MET."

​

 

End Results

​

Type: Debut Expedition


Objective: Retrieve a piece of the comet and resolve the hauntings [success!]


Monsters Encountered:

• Lich - [RAIDMARK] [OBSTRUCTION] [uNKILLED]
  
• Ice Wraith
  

Items Gained:

• N/A
  

Rewards:

• MET Recognition Badge [Purefell Green Division]
  
• MET Recognition Badge [Axeir Violet Division]
  

Overall Rank:

• N/A
  

The Glacial Plainstrides END

​

 

[Seikaze]

"Hey, what's with that face!?" As always, the little kid seemed like she wanted to get this over as soon as possible. After all, she had been handling lots of applicants who've had the same faces. There wasn't anything more tiring for her than to go through something like this all the time. She let out a sigh and stood atop the round table while fixing her skirted plate armor. "Listen well. Let's begin briefing." The world map wasn't needed this time, because it was just somewhere near the fort.


"Have you heard of the rumored Cave of the Lost Souls?" Apparently, it was that cave far below the cape where the fort is currently standing which no one would dare step forth into. It is said to be filled with lost souls of the dead that have been roaming this world for decades. It has been closed down due to countless deaths and missing travelers who have ventured into or even near it. Many have said it is a cursed cave and none even think of saying its name. "Recent research has found that due to the high amount of souls in the cave, the formation of soul crystal clusters might be possible. Rising mana wavelengths have been detected deeper within the cave so we assume that soul crystals are formed at the end of the cave. This will heavily contribute to our research so your unit's task is retrieve a sample of a soul crystal. " Leminel paused and closed her eyes. "The souls who roam the cave are restless. I do not know what you may encounter down there but be on your guard. The briefing is done. I will be handling the blue division recruits as well for now because Jelt is out on a mission so find Teferi and Askare for me and tell them your unit's task. Meet up over at the entrance later." She opened her eyes and slowly went down the table with a glum look, then went out the door without saying another word except. "I bid you the best of luck." There was clearly something wrong with Leminel just by the look on her face. The cave seemed to bother her much.


@Platinum the Trinity


@RandomBomb

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

"Cave of the lost souls huh?" I havent heard of that forsaken place for so long. I remember my father telling me stories about how unholy and defiled that place is. But one thing is for sure going there would definitely enhance my powers. By harnessing the raw magic energy of the souls i can call forth a powerful being to aid me in battle. Summoning is One of the forbidden spells my father taught me. He said that if i cant control and compel the being i summoned it might kill me along with my enemies. But now the time is nigh. This mission will be a perfect stepping stone to achieve this goal. The captain said that i am teamed with 2 people in this mission rather elves as they dont have last names. Teferi and Askare both are in the lightvaliant blue division i might be able to count on them for protection while i invoke Madeleine. The captain seems to be troubled with my placement, but i wont turn back now.


@RandomBomb

 

[RandomBomb]

((Sorry guys, couldn't figure what to write))


"Teferi and Askare of Lightvaliant Blue Division, please meet up with Leminel for your new emission.."


They were both in the same division, which they expected. They walked down to the briefing room with blank faces, but excitement in their hearts. As they were walking through the hallways, they saw the training room. It might be good to go there after the mission for some sparring, but no time for that now. They were able to see that many people here were humans, unlike the mainly elven and drow races in their homeland.


Askare thought that this was going to be difficult, but rewarding, while Teferi thought that they were going to end up defending some (no offense) weak Mage who couldn't take much of a hit. Suddenly, they ran into the person they were trying to meet with... Leminel, was it?


@Platinum the Trinity

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

"Teferi and Askare if i may presume? The briefing is over and I'm charged with explaining on how we'll get through the mission." Fonso said with a sly smile. The Elves were definitely people he can rely on. As he invokes a creature he has never even seen before he knows there will be 2 shields that will protect him from any aggression. A sense of relief and confidence came over Fonso. He knew this mission is a perfect chance to showcase his still unknown capabilities. "We were tasked to retrieve a sample of a soul crystal in the cave of the lost souls not too far from here. The captain warned me that we should be prepared for everything we may encounter in the cave for it hasn't been ventured for quite some time now. After the 2 of you are prepared to move out meet me at the entrance and we'll officially start the mission." Now's the time. Let darkness guide me.

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

@RandomBomb

 

[RandomBomb]

Teferi and Askare split different ways, as they went to grab their individual things. Askare went to grab the food and supplies for the mission, as well as slinging her weapon over her back. She didn't know yet if any others besides Teferi knew what it did, but she also grabbed a hidden dagger just in case they got jumped. She then put all supplies except for her weapon into her duffel bag that she'd brought from the land of Chaos. She didn't know what to call it, so for now it was a spear... Teferi, on the other hand, grabbed his glaive and some of the regional currency ((._. I forgot what it was called...)) and, assuming Askare brought the rest, brought a small foldable tent that doubled as a bag, and put it on his back. Then, they both walked to the entrance, ready for the mission.


@Platinum the Trinity

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

"Lets be on our way. Time is not something i can afford to waste." But as we were on our way an old man with a staff obstructed our way. I hope this is something important or related to the mission not even the Gods can say how much I've prepared for this moment. However this man has presence. I can feel mass amounts of mana flowing inside of him maybe he works for Celestis and he came to give us extra information about the caves.

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

@Seikaze @RandomBomb

 

[Seikaze]

Just as almost everyone from the third batch of those who will undergo a debut expedition had gone to the entrance, there was a follow-up announcement blaring from the inside. Elder Meldor stood in front of the crowd again and began orienting all of the people like the first.

"Zeri Misiam and Lupus Vermiculus. Head to the entrance immediately and team-up with Unit 19! Ildefonso will brief you with the mission. There has been a confusion with the schedules so I apologize for the trouble. Teferi and Askare please head back to the fort."



​

Apparently, Xeina overheard the crowd in the central hall talking about a messed up list of schedules of expeditionists. He went down from the library and sat on one of the benches near the receptionists with that bothered face always on. Meanwhile, the crowd on the entrance was seemingly fired up this time, different from those on the first batch of expeditionists who were trembling with fear. Elder Meldor had already begun speaking his inspirational words which no one even seemed to mind, and not even he minded those who did not listen. The moment Meldor slammed his staff on the ground, everyone quietly turned to him, startled.


This time there were 60 total applicants with 20 units that had 3 expeditionists each.


Ildefonso Amadeus Ilissia y Everhart @Platinum the Trinity


Zeri Misiam @Mine


Lupus Vermiculus @RedZombieWolf


Unit 19

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

"I guess you really shouldn't expect much from a kid." I scratched my head with disappointment, but I'm sure the captain has her reasons to have changed my unit's members. I stood by waiting there, still anxious. I would have done this by myself if it weren't for the higher ups' decision. How odd that a certain danger awaits me yet i can hardly wait to face it. I shouldn't be itching to face it, I should be running away from it. Everything is a risk after all. Nothing will happen if i continue to withdraw. "How much do you know about the caves.....Elder one? Though i was quite anxious i was able to communicate with the old man in a calm manner.


 
@Mine @Seikaze @RedZombieWolf

 

[Vii]

Zeri's steps were quiet yet noticeable to spot across the halls, given his quick paced walk. The moment he had heard his name, his body had completely moved on its own, no time to think. At long last, the young knight had been given a mission, requested to join a team of skilled warriors in unknown lands. He could feel the nervousness take over his body, the tension building up on his muscles but he tried effortlessly to remained calm. Or at least look calm through his facial expression, that seemed to work. And now here he was, among his fellow comrades of unit 19. Folding his arms in silence, he awaited the briefing and any other details the leaders could spare to tell them. He didn't even think of asking himself of why had he been requested to fill in for someone, why him of all people, nothing of the sort. No, Zeri only needed to follow his orders and accept them, no 'buts', no 'ifs'. You could call it an old habit...


@Seikaze @RedZombieWolf @Platinum the Trinity

 

[RedZombieWolf]

Lupus met up with the others from group 19. They had been given a job, but not many details. As he arrived he saw some of the others had already arrived. So he took a chair and relaxed, waiting to be briefed on what the plan was

 

[Seikaze]

Following the slamming of his staff, blue strings of mana latched onto the chests of all of the sixty expeditionists and became invisible. Holographic magical displays of each unit's members and health statuses appeared on the air behind the elder. Silence filled the atmosphere around them and then elder Meldor began talking. "As some have already heard, I am Elder Meldor, head of operations of the Myrian Expedition Team. I will be monitoring you and determine if you fail or not with my power, Link." He pointed at the magical displays in the air, then rested his hands on his staff again. "This here is the third batch of recruits. So far, only about one-fourth of recruits have succeeded. You know what will happen when you fail.. I bid you good luck." With that ending statement, he raised his staff and shouted.

"Let the determining expedition.. COMMENCE!"



​

Recruits excitedly ran in all directions, each with their own tasks. Some were left behind planning their own things and preparing what they can prepare. Unit 19 was also left, with their task just below the fort, near the sea.


@Mine @Platinum the Trinity @RedZombieWolf

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

"As the both of you know, the 3 of us are the 19th unit and we have been tasked to retrieve a soul crystal from the cave of the lost souls not too far from here. The caves are off limits but since we're expeditionists we were given permission to venture inside. The captain of the Purefell Green Division advised me to be extra cautious inside the caves for it is unknown even to Celestis what creatures lurk inside. The caves have been closed due to numerous deaths and disappearances that occured. We will be using the staircase near the fort and walk up to the long end of the beach. There will be signs that will guide us to our destination. That's all make sure that you're fully prepared once we depart. We don't know what dangers await us." I head to the staircase and I waited for the 2 to get ready. I cradled my tome and I made sure I'm fully prepared for whats about to occur.


 
@Seikaze @Mine @RedZombieWolf

 

[RedZombieWolf]

Lupus shrugged and followed after the time bearer. "Do we have any idea what kind of resistance we are facing? How long will it take us to retrieve this crystal thingy?" He prepared his weapons and armour, all family heirlooms, and waited for his questions to be answered

 

[Vii]

Carefully going over the details of the mission, Zeri could not help but think of how...simple it all sounded in his head. Dangerous, of course, but he felt as if there was more to the plan than he knew. Shaking his head ever so slightly, the blond male refused to follow such thinking. It was just his paranoia talking, no doubt. The mission was clear, that briefing was all he had to keep in mind. Nodding his head quietly at his superior with a sharp look on his face, Zeri headed to the staircase after the others. His hand slowly caressed the hold of his sword, located on his back. It was all good, he had everything he needed with him. A mission of grand risk awaited him and his companions...not only his skills would be put to test but this was also his chance to gain more experience as a knight. He would not let it slip through his fingers.

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

As i and my unit continue walking on the beach i started answering the questions they had earlier with a serious face . "The soul crystals are located at the end of the cave so we must reach that point to retrieve at least one. and for the resistance we might face even to the higher ups it is unknown so we best be cautious."


It just occurred to me now. I was so caught up in this situation i forgot to introduce myself. The lack of communication might put us in the palms of danger so its best to establish a connection right here right now. "Forgive me. I got caught up in the mission I even forgot to introduce myself. I am Ildefonso Amadeus Ilissia y Everhart, you can call me Deus or Fonso for short." I tried to start with a conversation, though it is kind of hard talking to extremely driven people, I had to break the deafening silence that plagues me.

 

[Platinum the Trinity]

@Mine @RedZombieWolf

 

[RedZombieWolf]

Lupus nodded at Deus, "Nice to meet you Deus, my name is Lupus Vermiculus. People back home always called me Red, so you can too. Where are you from by the way?"

 

[Vii]

Cautious, huh? That would not be a problem then. But it felt reassuring to have it said out loud by his superior nonetheless. It gave this odd sense of security on his gut, as if reassuring him that his role would be just as crucail as everyone else among the expedition. Zeri was also caught off guard by the mention of introductions. Of course, they could not embark on a mission like this by shouting "You there!" or something among those lines for days. No, no, introductions were to be made. He felt slightly shameful of having forgotten his own manners but he too was so caught on all this situation that he had too ignored his education and birthright as a noble. "Zeri Misiam. Just Zeri is fine." He had not ever been given a nickname, after all, aside from the insulting ones his older brother would give him whenever he would outsmart him on anything. "Pleasure to make your acquaintnce." He nodded slightly with a calm expression.


@Platinum the Trinity