melodiesofeternity | Event || Worldwide Tourists

Event || Worldwide Tourists

Who: All New Arrivals and Curti Center Staff
When: April 15th-30th
Where: All over Vaikuntha, starting outside of the airship hanger
What: Ganeshan, the resident Job Expert, will be taking the new arrivals around the the various Guilds so they can collect their chosen Job Asterisks as noted in their applications.
Warnings/Notes: Guild prompts can be found here

Enter the Master

[Each new arrival's iMog buzzes with a message instructing them to gather for a worldwide adventure to obtain the power of Vaikuntha. If they follow the invitation's instructions, they will arrive at outside of the airship hanger on the morning of the 15th, with their meager belongings packed.

An Enterprise-Class airship, the Ragnarok, hovers outside of the Curti Center. There is a flash of light on the top of the ship.]

"WELCOME!"

[A figure, minuscule at this distance, launches itself off of the ship and hurtles toward the ground. As he draws closer to the ground, he starts to flip, landing with a flourish. An armored figure, sans helm, turns his toothy Zora grin to the crowd. With a shimmer, his armor transforms into a white mage's robe, and he sends a rush of wind through the crowd for dramatic effect.]

"I AM GANESHAN, THE JOB MASTER! GYA HA HA HA! TODAY, YOUR LIVES WILL CHANGE FOREVER."

[Ganeshan shimmers again, ruthlessly abusing the Chemist's Modifier skill to once again shift Job Classes so he can lower the airship's loading dock with a wave of his hand.]

"I BELIEVE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS THE ABILITY TO MASTER THE JOB CLASSES. SOME OF YOU MAY MASTER MANY, OTHERS WILL PURSUE THE PERFECT MASTERY OF JUST ONE. BUT EITHER WAY, YOU'LL BE INCREDIBLE!"

[Ganeshan gives everyone a big thumbs-up. The out-worlders who are not scared off by this booming speech can feel free to enter the airship and prepare for their ride around the world. Hopefully some of the Curti Center's newest hires can serve as ~~non-crazy~~ less exuberant tour guides for the new arrivals.]

Around the World

[The Ragnarok will be stopping at every major city in Vaikuntha, with the exception of those cut off by the Imperial border closing. Characters can create top levels to respond to the Guild prompts and explore the cities themselves as the ship makes its stops. Each Guild provides information sessions, free food and trinkets for potential applicants, and once you're ready to receive your Asterisk, all you have to do is take some introductory lessons and fill out forms. Characters can receive up to two asterisks. Time to get to know your new world!

Questions for Ganeshan can be directed to the Ganeshan top level post.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thankfully, what Connie had once thought of as an abject failure in attempting to create a Magitek Sword ability turned out to be a hidden blessing. Connie spins the chamber of her sword, and the blade is enveloped in a soft, blunting purple light. The failed Moonlight Module was originally Connie's attempt to expand the duration of its ability, but it ended up drastically reducing the power to the point where the blade couldn't inflict any more lasting harm other than some nasty bruises. Connie steps into the arena with Nanamo and gives her a nod. "Ready whenever you are."

((Where's a bard when you need one?))

Drawing her practice foil, Nanamo slid into the combat stance as she bowed. "En guarde," she said as she made a slight step forward and a quick lunge towards Connie's middle.

She was of no illusion that Connie was probably more seasoned for battle, which was why she was planning on learning White Mage first, but having a chance to fight was also a welcome distraction.

Connie bows back, saluting Nanamo before settling into a combat stance.

The heavy armor of the Magitek Knight was one of the few aspects of the class that Connie had trouble adjusting to. She was far more used to wearing nothing but the clothes on her back and wielding a much, much larger sword than the one she was using now. As such, Nanamo's speed catches her off guard... but the practice foil just hits Connie's breastplate.

Now it was Connie's turn to be the teacher, for once. She lashes out at Nanamo with a broad horizontal slash, stepping forward to add momentum to her strike as she says, "The main advantage that the epee and rapier have over other categories of swords is their precision and accuracy. You get a much finer degree of control as to where your blade goes, but the tradeoff is that they have no piercing power. When dealing with a heavily armored opponent like myself, don't attack until you've sure you've got a proper opening to slip your blade between the chinks of their armor, or else you're leaving yourself open at best and breaking your weapon at worst. Good targets are generally the neck if you can reach it, the armpits, and the back of the knees."

Connie calmly circles around Nanamo as she instructs the lalafell, focusing on defense and parrying so as her opponent will have an easier time getting the lesson through her head. It was rather hard to listen when you were also dealing with a flurry of slices, stabs, and pommel-bashes. Connie had learned that from experience.

Nanamo stepped back from the horizontal slash, nodding as she spun around and struck again, aiming for a jab at the arm. "I see. It would make sense, especially if one is meaning to disable or kill."

She stepped around, her footwork surprisingly sound as she said, "One foot before another as well, footwork is needed so thy will not stumble during a battle."

Connie beams at Nanamo. She was certainly a sharp pupil. Rather than attempt to block the speedy rapier with her comparatively clumsy gunblade, Connie turns her shoulder so that her plate armor takes the brunt of the attack. "Exactly! As my old teacher used to say, 'Keep you stance wide, keep your body lowered, as you're moving forward,'" Connie lunges at Nanamo with the tip of her gunblade, "'balance is the key!'" She says the words with a musical lilt to her words.

"One of the defining advantages of rapiers and epees is pure, raw speed. As I've just demonstrated, though, somebody who's quick on their feet can redirect the attack to a place that's far less damaging. Which is why," Connie makes a quick swipe to the left with her gunblade, "you need to use," and immediately follows up with a roundhouse kick to Nanamo's side, "misdirection to land the hit you want! Make them brace for the attack they think is coming, then strike in a completely different location!" Although her kick doesn't have the raw power or finely-honed technique of a Monk's martial arts, it does have enough force behind it to knock Nanamo off balance at the very least if she gets hit.

Nanamo stumbled from the kick and rolled with the attack, skirting towards the edge as she nodded. "I see! That would make sense. In that case..."

Invoking her fast reflexes, she ducked in and went in low to tag Connie's ankles with the tip of the weapon as she skidded about with a quick motion. "The trade off being a Red Mage is that unlike other mages, we are not stationary. We are quicker, thus the rapier."

Now that was smart thinking! Turning a disadvantage into an advantage. Connie could already see that Nanamo was on the path to becoming a true swordswoman. "Precisely! And good thinking there, Nanamo. Your size may make it difficult to target some of the vital areas on a larger opponent's body, but it makes it easier to cripple them in other ways. Go for the knees and ankles, like you just did. Regardless, first touch goes to Nanamo Ul Namo!"

Then Connie unleashes a flurry of slashes and jabs on the lalafell, this time intending to put pressure on her sparring partner to test how she responds.

Nanamo had no time to react as she was thrown backwards from the jabs and slashes, her arms crossed. Landing, and breathing heavily, she shook herself off. "A point to you Miss Connie," replied Nanamo with a smile.

The advanced agility and her already prodigious jumping height however helped as Nanamo vaulted up and around in a fancy flip as she landed behind Connie and tagged along the shins. An effective hamstring if needed be.

Connie had to admit, she had not been expecting that. Nanamo hardly seemed to have the leg muscles required for those kinds of acrobatic maneuvers. Then again, Connie had never taken a single course in Magitek Theory or Applied Runes, but her brain was stuffed with an entire graduate's degree worth of knowledge on that subject. The asterisks were almost terrifying in their power.

When Nanamo slices Connie's ankles, she retaliates with a swift elbow jab to where she estimates the lalafell's face is followed by a spinning cut aimed at her torso.

Nanamo was struck and she fell backwards onto her back. She tried to roll to her feet but laughed and collapsed. "The match goes to you, Connie," said Nanamo with a laugh.

"But I am not done yet, I will petition for round two." said Nanamo with a bow.

Connie knew how patronizing it could come across as when asking a trainee whether they really wanted another match. Of course they did. If they had a cool head like Nanamo and thought they could take the punishment, they probably actually could. Of course, overtraining was a problem, but practice makes a quantity approaching perfection, and that's what Soin and Cure potions were for. She trusted Nanamo to know her own limits, anyways.

"Alright. Round two it is, then!" And Connie settles back into her combat stance.

After two more matches, Nanamo's body ached but in a good way.

Applying white magic to the worst of her bruises, she smiled up at Connie. "I think that was a productive day," said Nanamo, walking over to apply magic to Connie's own bruises. She had tagged her a few times and it was probably smarting even with a blunted epee.

Connie was well used to training aches by now. Getting hit by a blunted sword at precisely the level of force that would give her a nasty bruise but would barely stop short of actually breaking anything was, unsurprisingly, a good motivator for learning how to dodge and parry properly. Still, she accepts Nanamo's offer of healing with a smile and a "Thank you."

She gets up and rolls her shoulders, taking her iMog Slate out of the backpack she'd stowed near the training ring and dismissing her armor and weapons with a few swipes of her fingers. "I'm in agreement. It was nice to finally have a live sparring partner, rather than just going through forms and hacking training dummies to pieces. Although..." Connie grimaces. Training, as fun as it was, also had a substantial cost: energy. It inevitably left her starving. "Hey, I have some gil from practicing with my gunblade on geezards. You want to grab some food?"

"Indeed. While I'm still a beginner, I hope to impress later on." said Nanamo as she placed the training weapon on the rack and went over to buckle the actual rapier to her belt.

Her stomach growled and she nodded. "I believe food would be good for the both of us. After exercising for so long, something quickly prepared would be a good idea. What is it called again? Fast food? Or shall we dine somewhere more upscale?"

Connie laughs at Nanamo's second suggestion. As appealing as high-class food could be, she didn't have the gil for it. At all. She'd be lucky if they could afford scones in Lavode, really, considering how upscale the place is. "Yeeeeah, I don't have the money for anything really fancy. Let's look for someplace cheap."

Edited 2018-05-09 20:15 (UTC)

Fortunately for the two of them, Nanamo had earned some gil before the trip and hefted her coin purse. "Very well, let us depart. I think the market might be a good start to find something delicious."

Connie lets Nanamo lead the way, soaking in Lavode's relaxed, refined atmosphere. It felt almost normal in comparison to the last few weeks. Being a tourist, looking for a place to grab some chow, hanging out with a friend. If it wasn't for the fact that she was traveling with a hobbit through a market filled with elves, moogles, humans, and hypellos, it would've almost felt like home.

Nanamo let her nose lead the way, until they came upon a small diner. It was in the local style outside but inside smelled of rich food, and the spices therein. "Here," said Nanamo, heading for the door. "I smell something good here."

Inside was a small diner, with inexpensive food but the quality of the dishes served to the patrons seemed to indicate that the cook was a top of the line chef. "This should serve our purposes."

It smelled heavenly. On board the Ragnarok, Connie was generally up too late practicing, studying, or puzzling over MogNet glitches to grab anything but the scraps remaining from when the horde of newcomers descended upon the ship's poor cooks.

Connie sits down in an unoccupied booth, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair that had come loose during their spar behind her hair as she peruses the menu. "So, um, I know this is probably an awkward question to ask a lalafell, but since we didn't really have any back home and it's hard to tell... how old are you? Definitely older than me, but I'm curious."

"Ah, I am 21 summers, going on 22," replied Nanamo, finding a chair and boosting herself up onto it at the table. "The lalafell look like young children, but in our hearts and bodies are strong warriors, cunning healers and incredibly talented architects and scholars."

"I had the feeling that was the case." Connie sighs, leaning against the back of her chair. She had the feelings that lalafells were slightly more adventurous hobbits. "I'm honestly still curious about what, um, Eorzea was like. Certainly sounds more interesting than most of Earth."

"Eorzea, if you wish to hear it, is a land of adventure and danger. But it is where we make our homes. The Beast Tribes summon their gods in order to keep themselves safe, and the races of man have fought in kind. It is a harsh land, where many factors keep in touch with one another to balance it out." said Nanamo as she ordered some food from the waitress.

"However, it is a land of beauty, and calm when it needs to be. Tranquil and amazing."

Connie orders some food as well, raising an eyebrow as Nanamo waxes poetic over Eorzea. It sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel. Then again, Vaikuntha practically lived and breathed on JRPG tropes, so she supposed that it was only reasonable that Eorzea was allowed to sound like an epic fantasy romp. "Gods? Actual, literal gods? And people fought them?"

"The gods are best known as summoned beings, summoned through the prayers of the supplicants and the crystals of power that dot Eorzea," said Nanamo. "Ifrit, Titan, Ramuh, names similar to the ones here in this world."

"...huh. Maybe there's something connecting Eorzea and Vaikuntha? Or are the Eorzean gods transdimensional memetic agents?" Connie wonders idly. "I mean, it sounds like they already operate on the principle of belief bringing them to life, so it only makes sense that they'd want more worshippers on other worlds."

Event || Worldwide Tourists

Re: Lavode - Red Mages

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Time skip to when both are tired out?

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Better Than a Bare Bulb

Re: Better Than a Bare Bulb

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Good place to stop?