"I hope you guys got these bozos under wraps~"

Katsuro dropped back down to a knee after the crackle & boom of his spell was neigh but an echo in the distance, his damage done.

"Yeah..." (huff) "We've got this..." (pant)

His head fell forward and he raised an arm to shoo Denkou away.

"Leave this to me and the scribe." He said between breaths.

It's been a while since I cast Thunder. I need to head out to the wastes and practice that one some more.

He watched Denkou leap into the fog and turned his eyes down towards Simon. He leaped off of the roof and landed gracefully next to him.

"You ready, Simon?", He said just above a whisper. "With any luck, I weakened their numbers..." He looked ahead, squinting his eyes as to see the after-effects of his spell.

OoC: So the way I'm gonna handle Will on a spell is applying however much Will you use to the resist difficulty of one enemy. For group spells, I'll just apply it to whichever creature rolls the highest. Sound good?


IC:

"Sounds easy enough... I hope you guys got these bozos under wraps~"

Shem looked quizically at Denkou as he spoke, and his eyes widened as the thief began running away and Shem realized what he was doing.

"No, wait, I didn't mean right now!" He called after Denkou. "We have to take care of these things fir-" And at that moment, he was cut off by a deafening clap of thunder as Katsuro's spell manifested.

The entire Castle Town courtyard was illuminated in a blinding flash of brilliant light and searing heat as a massive thunderbolt rent the sky and descended upon the group of beasts in spectacular fashion. For a few brief moments, the bright light and loud explosion of the magical attack rendered all sight and hearing completely useless - the party's vision limited to a bright white glare and all sound replaced with a high pitched ringing in their ears. After a few seconds, however, the effects began to fade away and the sights and sound of the world around them once again came back to them, revealing the havok Katsuro had created.

Both Stalhounds were nothing more than charred heaps on the cobblestone streets, having been completely undone by the raw power of the thunderbolt. Both Redead Knights and the Stalfos, however, were still standing - though obviously a little worse for wear as a result of the attack - and had sustained 20 damage each. Smoke rose from the freshly charred skin of the redead knights, and the plate armor on the stalfos held a slight red glow as the conductive metal had absorbed some of the heat of the lighting - but all three monsters kept lumbering towards the party, unfazed and looking more terrifying than ever.

But that didn't stop the three other men from jumping into action. Or at least, trying to. Perhaps still dazed in the wake of the thunder spell, both Simon and Shem failed to cause any damage; Simon's staff went wide and collided with Redead Knight 1's ancient and dilapidated bit of shoulder plate with a clang, and Shem's spear swung around in a wide arc that the Stalfos was easily able to side step.

Denkou, having just barely been out of the range of the thunder spell when it hit, was able to take advantage of the following brief seconds of confusion to leap safely over the heads of the remaining creatures. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground on the other side, his ears were flooded with the excruciatingly loud [Screech of Terror] that was issuing out of the mouth of Redead Knight 2. Denkou's entire body tensed up, momentarily freezing him in place, incapacitated by the terrible sound that berated his thoughts and allowing the undead knight to swing it's rusty weapon with perfect aim. The blade collided into the thief's ribcage from the side in a horizontal swing, throwing the man to the side and dealing 13 damage.

The Stalfos, having been able to dodge Shem's attack so easily, was in the perfect position to land an attack on the knight. With it's signature dark laughter, the skeletal abomination swung it's sword in the perfect arc to catch the small, unarmored area just above his waist, slicing right through the padded under armor and cutting deep into the man's abdomen, dealing a massive 30 damage. (((Crit!))) Shem screamed in pain and stumbled back, clutching his stomach as blood began to soak the fabric of his shirt and leak out around his fingers.

Redead Knight 1, emboldened by the success of his fellow monsters, reared back and brought it's sword down in a vertical slash directly at Simon, but fortunately the creature's slow movements made it possible for the scribe to leap back just in time to avoid the crushing blow.

(((Kasei, assuming you still want Denkou to continue on to the drawbridge, I'm gonna say that this turn he could have gone as far as the gate itself. So he would just be stepping foot onto the wood of the drawbridge. In one more turn he can cross the length of the drawbridge itself and reach whatever is on the other side of it, though it should be noted that at this point he can still hear the sounds of battle coming from the other side of the moat/lake/whatever.)))


<center>~Round Results~</center>
Simon: 28/36 HP, 48/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 28/41 HP, 19/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 64/64 HP, 16/40 SPL, 5 Will Leadership cooldown: 1
Shem: 41/71 HP, 11/11 SPL, 9 Will Shield Bash cooldown: 0

Stalfos: 30/50 HP, 30/30 SPL
Redead Knight 1: 20/40 HP, 1/1 SPL
Redead Knight 2: 20/40 HP, 1/1 SPL, Screech of Terror Cooldown: 1
Stalhound 1: DEAD
Stalhound 2: DEAD

Slowly but sure, the carnage came into view, a successful use of mana yet again. He looked onward to find that both Stalhounds had been reduced to ash.

Two down. I hope you're watching, Dad...

He stood up and examined the remaining foes. They were still animated, but certainly not happy with their current state. The smell of seared flesh hung in the air, an unintended consequence of his handiwork.

"And that's how it's done." He said confidently as he watched the other warriors set into motion. Denkou leaped an impressive distance over the whole battlefield, headed out to help the front lines. Katsuro's eyes followed his jump all the way to the landing, which he stuck flawlessly.

Good. He made it out. Time to get my hands dirty.

He thought as he once again pulled his sword from its sheath and his shield from his back. Then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a Redead Knight inhaling deeply. "Goddesses, no! Everyone! Cover your ears!!" He screamed out before pulling the same maneuver he had before- he pushed his sword into the dirt before poured magic over his ears, nullifying the screech throughout its duration. He lifted the spell after the shriek was but an echo in the distance.

It's not so bad when you're not right next to its mouth.

He thought bitterly, recalling his earlier encounter with the Redead Knight. He lifted his eyes to see Denkou at the mercy of the piercing shout; just in time also, to see the creature take advantage of its immobilized prey, swinging its sword for a direct hit.

"Shit!" He cried out as he plucked his sword out of the ground and dashed into the frey. They're not just going to let him pass... They have orders.

Katsuro dove head-first into a shadow and propelled himself quickly across the battlefield underneath the feet of his foes. With his target within slicing distance, he shot out of the ground and into the air like a human missile with a spin, his momentum carrying his blade with extra power, barreling towards Redead Knight 2.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!" He cried out, his bright blade leaving a luminous purple tail in its arc as it came around right on course for the monster's neck.

OOC: My computer has a virus somehow, so I have to go to the library to respond to this thing. Dedication, bro. I'll respond as frequently as a guy without a computer can.

OoC: Just an FYI, I did change the mechanics of the Redead Knight's screech a bit. Probably didn't advertise that as much as I should have. It's no longer an AoE attack, and it doesn't stun for a whole round - it's a focused attack on one individual, but it lets the Redead Knight get an automatic hit regardless of die roll, like Shield Bash. It also now has a cooldown. Figured that's a bit more like the Redead Knights from the games.
Regular Redead, however, still have the same AoE stun screech.

This has been a public service announcement.

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-28/36; SPL-48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 2 = 17

Simon frowned as his attacked bounced off of the Redead Knight's shoulder plate. He looked to Katsuro. "Yeah, I can only hope you're right. I'm as ready as I'm going to get though," Simon replied to Katsuro's earlier question. Simon kept feeling like he somehow knew the Sheikahn ranger. And Katsuro confirmed that he knew Simon's name by saying it. He just couldn't quite put together why he seemed so familiar. Simon was so distracted with remembering how he knew Katsuro, he only barely manged to dodge the attack of retribution from the Redead Knight he just attempted to strike.

Still observing Katsuro and watching him fight, it occurred to Simon. That's Katsuro. Remember? The one who you met when you saw that Zora street performer. How did that afternoon end anyway? Anyway, this young adult was the son of Dogura; they might stand a chance of winning.

Looking out at the remaining enemies, he saw the Stalfos and the two Redead Knights still needed to be fought, both weakened by the lightning attack. Seeing Katsuro move to attack the second Redead Knight, Simon focused his action back on the Redead Knight that had tried to hit him with his sword. Readied his staff, Simon rushed the Redead again, this swiping to attack the foul monstrosity's head [Attack - Deku Staff at Redead Knight 1].

OoC: Kasei, I know you said you're really busy and what not, but just for the sake of keeping the topic moving, I'm gonna make a standing rule that every round, everyone has to post within a week of my last post, or I'll have to God-mod your character a bit to advance in to the next round. I'm not mad or irritated at you, I understand life can be all-consuming. so sometimes it just might not be possible to get in a post. But in the interest of keeping the topic going, I'm gonna say that everyone has a week from my latest post before I move the topic forward on my own. So Kasei, in this case you have all day tomorrow to post, since I posted on Wednesday last week. If you haven't posted by the end of tomorrow, I'm gonna go ahead and post on Thursday and say Denkou just kept moving along the drawbridge.

Really, you don't even need to post a whole story if you're pressed for time. If you're super busy, and all you can do is get on and literally just say "Denkou attacks Redead 2 with his dagger" or "Denkou keeps moving across the drawbridge", That's perfectly fine. I just need enough to be able to move the story forward. And this goes for everyone, which is why I'm making this a post and not a PM.

Again, not a big deal. I just want to keep this going. Does that sound fair?

OOC: I don't mind at all, I'd actually prefer if this all wasn't held up on my account. Also, I'm posting this under the

IC: Denkou felt the pain of his fall well before he realized his body was slammed to the ground. Turning to see his assailant, the thief cursed his own lack of protection, before using up most of his remaining magical reserves to cast [Thunder].

OOC: That said, a quick post it is!

The air around the courtyard once again hummed and throbbed with pulsing electrical power - this time at the hand of the thief. Unlike Katsuro's spellcasting, however, the chaotic and unpredictable Nature magic took the shape of a large sphere of spinning, pulsing electricity. The hair of all four men stood up on end as the static energy got stronger, making the air feel thick and hot as the sphere grew larger and more powerful. Finally there was a loud crack of thunder as the spell left Denkou's hands and hurtled right into the three undead just as they finished getting in their first swing at Shem, Katsuro, and Simon. It completely engulfed them and Redead Knight 2 let out a final wail as it disintegrated into the powerful blast. The Stalfos also took the full force of the attack, and staggered back, having taken 23 damage - but it wasn't quite down yet. Redead Knight 2, on the other hand, was just able to resist the more damaging effects of the spell, and only sustained 11 points of damage. So even in the wake of such a powerful attack, the Stalfos and a lone Redead Knight still stood tall and menacing in the wake of the fading throb of magical energy.

This would soon be rectified.

Katsuro was the first to go on the offensive after seeing the two monsters survive, but the Stalfos proved to still be quite the opponent, even though it was surely only just hanging on to it's last threads of necrotic life. As Katsuro's blade came in towards the skeleton, it turned and thrust it's shoulder into the blow, letting it's pauldrons take the brunt of the attack, shielding it from any lasting damage.

Simon's staff met with more success - the Redead Knight had some old bits and pieces of ancient armor hanging onto its ragged skin here and there, but it was not quite as well protected as it's Skeletal companion, nor was it as capable at ducking blows. The staff connected hard with the creature's neck, bludgeoning straight through the atrophied, withered muscle and the brittle bone underneath, completely severing it's head from it's body and killing it for good.

"Hey ugly!" Shem called out at the last remaining monster. It turned it's head towards the knight, only to be met instantly by his shield flying through the air directly into the Stalfos' face. [Shield Bash L2] The impact caused the monster to stumble back, leaving it perfectly vulnerable attack - an opportunity Shem did not waste. His spear was there immediately, slashing diagonally across the Stalfos' body, shattering it's bones and causing what remained of the creature to clatter to the road in a heap.

"And your momma dresses you funny." Shem spat at it's remains.

<center>~AREA CLEAR~
Simon: 28/36 HP, 48/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 28/41 HP, 7/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 64/64 HP, 16/40 SPL, 5 Will Leadership cooldown: 0
Shem: 41/71 HP, 11/11 SPL, 9 Will Shield Bash cooldown: 2

Stalfos: DEAD
Redead Knight 1: DEAD
Redead Knight 2: DEAD
Stalhound 1: DEAD
Stalhound 2: DEAD</center>

Shem gripped his spear and peered into the mists rolling in from the drawbridge, expecting to see more monsters staggering towards them, but to his relief, he saw no such thing. The courtyard was finally still and quiet. The only sound they could hear were the faint sounds of battle on the other side of the water. He relaxed a bit and turned to the other three men.

"Well. It looks like we've got the opportunity we were waiting for." He commented. "But we would be foolish to not take a moment and recover before diving back into the fray." He reached into one of his pockets and retrieved three small vials, one containing a red liquid, one containing a green liquid, and one containing a blue liquid. "Here," He said, handing them to Katsuro. "Take these potions - I don't know who you want to use them, I'll leave that up to you. But use them wisely; that's all I've got. The red one will completely restore one person's strength, the green one will completely revitalize one person's magical reserves, and the blue one will completely restore both at once."

Shem glanced down the street, back towards the castle.

"Our cavalry should be arriving any minute now - we'll use their arrival to cut a path through the monsters on the other side of the drawbridge and try to find out what's really at the heart of this attack." He looked grim. "And believe you me, whatever we find on the other side is not going to be pretty. Anything that can raise and command this many undead has to be immensely powerful, and taking it down isn't gonna be a cakewalk.... I can't guarantee your safety. With the men that are on their way, we should be able to handle ourselves. If you want to leave now and see to your friends and family, I won't stop you. You have all handled yourselves with courage and honor fitting even the finest knights in the service, and for that I commend you. But I don't want to put anyone else in harms way unnecessarily. Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked meaningfully, looking at all three of them in turn.

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-28/36; SPL-48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 2 = 17

Simon watched as the lightning spell struck down one of the Redead Knights and severely wounded the other two. What a potent attack. Grendel could smell the seared fleshed of the undead and the strong smell of toasted bones. It would not be a scent he would soon forget - partially because it smelled so vile but also because it called to mind the destructive nature of the lightning spell. I'm sure glad both Katsuro and that other fighter have such smooth control over their attacks, otherwise I'd be the one dead right now.

He watched with satisfaction though as his attack was hugely successful. His eyes followed the head as it flew through the air and rolled across the ground. He almost wondered if the now defeated undead opponent was going to drop any restoratives. To his disappoint, it seemed that the Redead Knight didn't want to provide him with what he sought.

Turning to observe Shem, he was able to see the captain slay the Stalfos. He gave some applause to the man's prowess before chuckling slightly at his humor. Then, Simon realized that they had cleared out the entrance-way of the Courtyard. And, to further the matter, nothing else was coming across that bridge. All Simon choose to do now was listen to Shem speak before he would give his reply.

First, he spoke some words to Katsuro, who the vials were being given too. "Hey, Katsuro, it's good seeing you again. Listen, I didn't expend any magic in those fights back there, so I think if I should be given any of those potions, the red one would probably be best for me. But, I also think I might wait until I'm a bit more damaged to drink it, so I can make the best use out of it. Would that be alright? Also, did you want me to hold it in the interim?" Letting Katsuro speak his reply (sorry if that's a little on the god-mod side, but I realized he needs to give Katsuro a chance to reply before he speaks to Shem), he then turned to Shem to address the captain's most recent point.

"Well, Captain Shem, I'm Simon Grendel. I'm a student of one of the adventurers that helped defeat Gohma in the pass. It would be dishonorable to turn away now. You might tell me honor is a foolish construct in the face of possible death, but I disagree. And even still, returning home and leaving you lot to fight on your own would be too selfish of me. Besides, what if despite your skills, you fail to defeat your opponent without me. Your deaths would be on my hands, and the dead would surely overwhelm the city - meaning it would be no safer within these walls. No, it's much better to go out and fight. Whose with me?" he called out, looking out at his comrades-in-arms.

Denkou broke out in sweat as he felt his magic drain away, the [Thunder] spell he cast destroying one of the Redead Knights and leaving its' allies looking severely injured. The thief only let out a sigh of relief, however, when the last of the monsters was destroyed by the other fighters.

Turning back to the ominous fog, Denkou focused on listening to the sounds of battle beyond his sight. If there's too many more tough guys on that end, I won't stand a chance, and besides... He turned back to the regrouping party, and made his way back to the group, counting his knives as he went.

With the group together, Denkou listened to the guard captain evaluate the situation and claim that reinforcements were on the way. And, then...

If you want to leave now and see to your friends and family, I won't stop you. You have all handled yourselves with courage and honor fitting even the finest knights in the service, and for that I commend you. But I don't want to put anyone else in harms way unnecessarily. Are you sure you want to do this?

Denkou counted up his remaining stock. I've only lost one dagger, but my magic stores are basically spent, I'm out of big spells for sure...if its' a larger battle, I'm not going to be effective... he mused, as one of the adventurers, Simon Grendel, introduced himself and asked again who would charge into the fray.

"Hehe, if we're doing introductions...I'm Denkou." He said, turning to Captain Shem with a proud look, "And I'm a cutpurse here in town. And while this is certainly a noble cause, I'm just not up to risking my neck any more today..." he trailed off, thinking back.

"Still, it'd be a shame to duck out now...hey, o' captain my captain. There's other adventurers here in town, we might still have time to gather a few. I know a guy, his names Kasei, and I'm pretty sure he's still in a bar not too far from here..." He began to explain, looking around to the others.

OOC: Talking is a free action, and so is posting on my one day off~

OoC: Just a quick heads up guys, I'm actually going out of town and away from my computer for the next week. Leaving Sunday at about noon and coming back the next Monday night. Since I don't have a laptop, the only way I'll be able to reply will be from my phone.... And I much prefer keeping track of stats and rolls and everything in the cheat sheets and other files I've got set up on my computer, so I'm not sure how in-depth those posts will be... So it's kind of a good thing that we've just hit the lull in combat so I won't have to do a lot of dice rolling and math for at least another few rounds. So I may be able to get in some simple posts just to keep the story moving. As the DM, I'd prefer to go more in-depth, but we'll see what I'll be capable of the further we get into the week, I suppose.

Anyway. Just thought you all should know!

Katsuro felt the electricity surging around him as he sailed through the air. He watched the current jump around, expertly avoiding Katsuro. So I'm not the only one with a grip on magic here... That's actually kind of a relief. He turned his eyes back to his target, narrowing in on the impact point.

The monster managed to move in time to allow its armor to absorb the bulk of the damage. The reverberation from the clash of iron ran from the man's blade all the way down through the hilt and the rest of his body as he turned his body sideways through his descent. He tucked and rolled reducing the impact of his landing before turning himself upright, his shield ready to intercept an inevitable counterattack.

"Hey Ugly!"

The creature turned its back on Katsuro. Big mistake. The son of fortune thought as he pivoted his weight to his right side and prepared to leap forward and finish what he started- however that would prove unnecessary, as Shem dispatched the creature with the kind of expertise one would come to expect from the Knight. Katsuro rose to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Hey, Shem... I had that y'know." His lips lifted to a smile as he put his sword away, the battlefield cleared yet again. "But thanks anyways. I guess I owe you one." He let a heavy sigh escape his chest as he regrouped with everyone.

"Well. It looks like we've got the opportunity we were waiting for. But we would be foolish to not take a moment and recover before diving back into the fray." He reached into one of his pockets and retrieved three small vials, one containing a red liquid, one containing a green liquid, and one containing a blue liquid. "Here," He said, handing them to Katsuro. "Take these potions - I don't know who you want to use them, I'll leave that up to you. But use them wisely; that's all I've got. The red one will completely restore one person's strength, the green one will completely revitalize one person's magical reserves, and the blue one will completely restore both at once."

The man's eyes moved towards the others. Katsuro struggled to come up with a reason why he was chosen above the others to distribute the vials. It became quite clear as he surveyed his team- they'd all sustained injury one way or the other. Shem, himself had sustained a pretty grievous looking wound. All of them had tasted of their enemy's ferocity save for Katsuro. The man smiled thinking back fondly on his training with his father and uncle Darkin.

"The goal to victory is more simple than you'd think. Don't get hit." Dogura stated as he appeared from the doorway to his shack. He was holding two swords made from bamboo, and he tossed one to Darkin. "So you're going to develop eyes on the back of your head today." Katsuro looked at the two of them, "Where the hell is my sword?" He fussed. The samurai smiled a sinister grin, "You don't get one."

The man chuckled to himself as he accepted the vials. Those bamboo swords hurt. He thought as he thumbed over the vials. But I suppose it's why I'm unscathed right now. Thanks again, Dad.

"Hey, Katsuro, it's good seeing you again. Listen, I didn't expend any magic in those fights back there, so I think if I should be given any of those potions, the red one would probably be best for me. But, I also think I might wait until I'm a bit more damaged to drink it, so I can make the best use out of it. Would that be alright? Also, did you want me to hold it in the interim?"

Katsuro looked him over before stuffing the three vials in his pocket. "You don't look to be too badly wounded at the moment. Trust in yourself and in your comrades. I won't let you fall here; the moment I see you in peril, you'd better believe I'll drop whatever I'm doing to get this vial to you." He turned his eyes back towards the wound Shem was hiding. "But until I see that someone really needs it... I'm going to hang on to these. My shadowmeld gives me the unique ability to get across the battlefield quickly and uninterrupted. If I'm not mistaken, that's one of the reasons Shem trusted me with these medicines."

"Well, Captain Shem, I'm Simon Grendel. I'm a student of one of the adventurers that helped defeat Gohma in the pass. It would be dishonorable to turn away now. You might tell me honor is a foolish construct in the face of possible death, but I disagree. And even still, returning home and leaving you lot to fight on your own would be too selfish of me. Besides, what if despite your skills, you fail to defeat your opponent without me. Your deaths would be on my hands, and the dead would surely overwhelm the city - meaning it would be no safer within these walls. No, it's much better to go out and fight. Whose with me?"

"Aye." Katsuro raised his fist. "Your mentor would have been allies with my father. You look familiar, actually. I might have been in the same room with you once when I was a child. Did you know Dogura Shadowclaw by any chance?"

"Hehe, if we're doing introductions...I'm Denkou, and I'm a cutpurse here in town. And while this is certainly a noble cause, I'm just not up to risking my neck any more today... Still, it'd be a shame to duck out now...

"It would. Your mastery of spellcraft would definitely benefit us further. Who knows how many lie in wait..." He turned his eyes back towards the wall of fog.

"Should you duck out however, I'd pass no judgement. By the way, the name's Katsuro. Katsuro Shadowclaw. I belong to The Overwatch, a group of sailors whom have taken it upon themselves to uphold the Captain's justice wherever we go. And right now, my Captain would keelhaul me if I left this down to its necro-doom. Count me in for the long haul."

"I know a guy, his names Kasei, and I'm pretty sure he's still in a bar not too far from here..."

Katsuro whirled around, his mind racing. "Kasei!? You mean... Certainly you don't mean the Kasei." His mind wandered back to a time when he fought Kasei not far from where they were standing right now. "If we're talking about the same guy... He's immensely powerful, and could tip the scales on this whole thing! I agree with Denkou, if there's any chance he's nearby, we should send someone to find him right away!" The urgency in his voice was a new tone for the night. "I haven't seen that man in years... I wonder if he's still as sharp."

OOC: Running out of time to post here :/
Wish I had longer, but I'll have to cut it there. Had a lot to say.

Well, Captain Shem, I'm Simon Grendel. I'm a student of one of the adventurers that helped defeat Gohma in the pass. It would be dishonorable to turn away now.

"Well met, Mister Grendel. Your courage actions have been more than I could ask of you - all of you." Shem said, looking at the three of them. "And you all have the deepest gratitude of the Hyrule Military."

I can't believe I'm saying this... Shem thought to himself as he spoke. Fighting monsters with a student, a cutpurse, and the very leader of the Overwatch... Ah well, desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose. Besides, that Katsuro kid's displayed some outstanding leadership capabilities and an incredible battle prowess. The thief is a little unpredictable... and Simon hasn't displayed any sort of exceptional abilities... yet... but overall they're handling themselves pretty well. I just hope the backup arrives soon.

I know a guy, his names Kasei, and I'm pretty sure he's still in a bar not too far from here...

Shem furrowed his brow at the mention of the Rebel Flame's name.
Kasei... Kasei... why is that name so familiar? Shem could not shake the feeling that he knew who that was; indeed, that he was an extremely important person... but for some reason he could not match the name with any previous memories or knowledge in his head. ]

"Kasei!? You mean... Certainly you don't mean the Kasei... If we're talking about the same guy... He's immensely powerful, and could tip the scales on this whole thing! I agree with Denkou, if there's any chance he's nearby, we should send someone to find him right away!"

Now Shem was sure. There was definitely something important he should know about this Kasei character, but for some reason, he was drawing a blank. He didn't show it, though, and simply looked over at Denkou and said,
"If you believe your friend could be an asset in our fight tonight, by all means, feel free to invite him. Be quick about it, though, I'm not sure how much time we have before the reinforcements arrive. Once they do, we're heading across the drawbridge immediately. I won't waste any time and risk the lives of those men on the front lines any longer than necessary."



OoC: I'm actually not sure exactly what the public knowledge is of Kasei, or most of his history, really. I believe there's been a few evil incarnations of him over the years, but I also know you've had an alternate timeline or two, so I'm not sure what Shem should know or think he knows about Kasei.

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-28/36; SPL-48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 2 = 17

Simon followed Katsuro's line of sight to the injured Shem. He too caught a glimpse of the man's wounds. He had completely forgotten how taxing this battle was on the captain. "Ah, I understand," Simon spoke to Katsuro. "You're right. If there is a need for it, I trust upon you to get me the aid I need. I have some healing magic myself, so I think I'll do alright. And I also see why you're the one who should hold onto these."

After hearing Katsuro speak again though, he suddenly felt a lot more at ease. "Yeah, I know Dogura Shadowclaw; additionally, my mentor did have an alliance with your father. I'm sure they would even be allies now, if Dogura ever needed anything from Orpheous. I haven't seen Dogura for some time though - I trust he is well?"

Then, answering Shem, the scribe gave a brief response. "Think nothing of it. I would live in disgrace if I avoided this burden simply at the sake of convenience. I have the strength and training to help; therefore, I should."

Lastly, hearing Denkou speak of Kasei, Simon perked right up. "As much as your assistance is appreciated - and I truly wish for you to stay and fight if you deem yourself able - seriously, what are you waiting for? By all means, come back and help once you've retrieved him, but we could definitely use the help of the Rebel Flame right about now. Just try to make it here before the cavalry backup arrives."

OOC: I feel like this post was so much dialogue and very little action, but perhaps that is for the best. No need to go into too much detail about posturing and thought processes in this segment. I have a scratchy throat anyways, and I didn't want to spend too long writing out of a fear of growing tired and not getting this response in. Hopefully, you all find it to your likings.

Orpheous(anew) wrote:"Yeah, I know Dogura Shadowclaw; additionally, my mentor did have an alliance with your father. I'm sure they would even be allies now, if Dogura ever needed anything from Orpheous. I haven't seen Dogura for some time though - I trust he is well?"

Katsuro closed his eyes and bowed his head. "No. He isn't. To make a very long story quite short... My dad confided some things to me shortly before his undoing." Katsuro took a deep breath. "My dad died once and went to the underworld... Why the Goddesses deemed him unworthy of their kingdom, I'll never know. Maybe he had dark secrets; he must've." The man folded his arms and looked up into the grey cloudy moonlit sky as if deep in thought.

"He went to the underworld. With Ganon. He wasn't content with staying there however, and bolstering all of his might, made it out of that hell hole, proving that there was an exit. He didn't make it out of there in one piece though. He was fragmented, so to speak. He felt powerless in comparison to his former self, and so against all of his better judgement, he did something really stupid." The wind whipped at Katsuro's cloak as he lamented his father's situation.

"In any case, he ended up under Ganon's servitude as a grim reaper, imbued with Ganon's dark power. Over time, he proved himself of greater use to the dark lord, and became Ganon's instrument of the apocalypse; the end of days. According to Darkin, dad thought that surely the Goddesses would choose a champion to bring him down. However, they never did. Ganon's plan was to send dad into the Sacred Realm to destroy it, so to speak."

The man lowered his hood and looked Simon in the eye with all the seriousness of a dying Goddess, "And Simon... He was capable. With all his ferocity and Ganon's most potent magic surging through his veins, he had a real shot at dismantling heaven." He turned his eyes skyward. "Could you imagine?"

"Here's where the story meets uncertainty... I only had one source for this part, and while I don't trust it, all the pieces fit..." He shifted uncomfortably. "According to my only source, he successfully destroyed the White Wing Order and forced the Goddesses themselves to intervene. Sounds like a bit much don't you think?" He half smiled and shook his head, "But it is dad we're talking about... In any case, the Goddesses made short work of him and flung him back down to earth. He hit the earth like a meteor and barely survived the crash. He lived long enough for Ganon to appear and punish him for his failure. According to my only source..."

Katsuro stared across the drawbridge. "... Simply killing my father wouldn't have been enough... So Ganon transformed him into a redead, forced to walk this earth in hunger of those whom he'd spent his lifetime protecting. The meek. The powerless. Any one of those monsters across the drawbridge could be my late father..." He dropped his arms and shifted his weight to one side. "I've made peace with the fact that my undead father may die on my blade tonight... And if I know my father, he wouldn't have it any other way."

The wind howled in the wake of Katsuro's silence as he said a small prayer inside his head.

"The Goddesses never did choose a champion. Now look at this mess... For all we know, this could be happening all over Hyrule. Ganon could be making his move right now... And still, we're without a hero." He sighed, "That's fine though. We'll fill his place until he's chosen, right Simon?" He extended his arm for a roman handshake.

"Who needs Link when the world's got us, right?" He laughed, breaking the tension even further. "Oh, and Kasei. Someone should go get him." He let go of Simon's forearm and turned to Shem, "In case I neglected to tell you my name, I'm Katsuro Shadowclaw, heir to the Shadowclaw throne and the Left Arm of Captain Crowjack, Captain of the Overwatch. I excel in information gathering, sleight of hand, and remaining under the radar. I'm very acrobatic, and have great prowess in both the bow and the sword, as well as an above average control of magic. I'm not so great with chemicals and engineering like my dad was, nor do I possess his architectural know-how. I'm not one for books or classrooms, but I do well when the learning is hands-on. I can navigate a ship well and I'm a decent astronomer, so I'm rarely lost. I think that about covers it." He turned back towards the drawbridge, "Hey Shem... I'm gonna scout ahead real quick and see if I can't wrap my head around the situation up there." He turned and handed the vials of medicine to Simon, "I'll be back for those." He smiled as he melded into the shadows, "I'll be back in five."

[Awareness Check]

OOC:

I figure as long as we're waiting...

If I need to take a turn to get up there, then that's fine.