The Acolyte's War: Postnoctis

[Ninjatwist_]

Sky High? impales the last Copper Lich with DEATH, and quickly uses a healing salve to patch up his wounds. ...Maybe this isn't the best idea, but whatever.

~~~
CP: 35/35
Inventory:
2270 Build Grist
140 Malachite
455 Copper
110 Lead
0 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

You deal 10 damage to the Copper Lich, and take 2 damage from DEATH, but you heal back 3 HP with your next action!

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 2868
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 415
Lead [Lv. 3]: 305
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 40

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Action 1 + Cursed Linked Warp Sword: Splashcat unleashes a blistering flurry of blows on the Copper Lich, teleporting its bones around and impeccably reassembling its skeleton into the shape of a Triceratops. He then publishes a scientific paper on his accomplishment, postulating that Copper Liches are in fact a close relative of ceratopsian dinosaurs. The paper attracts widespread renown in the Tyrannosaurus Rex scientific community, and one of them shows up to eat the Copper Lich as a snack.

-----

Action 2: Splashcat crafts Rocket Tube Template ++ Tarnished Valve ++ Mini-Grenades ++ Essence of Creation, attempting to create some sort of weapon whose projectiles explode into large amounts of matter. As an ability, maybe it could create a sort of small fixed-HP buffer around the target it would have to break through to damage anything else, to represent it being buried in stuff?

-----

Entity Orders: The Poltergeist takes up the Tiger-Patterened Stone Axe and chops through the Copper Lich shouting "heeeeere's Johnny!" Cliché, I know, but some ghosts have an appreciation for the classics.

Click to shrink...

Your attack with the Cursed Linked Warp Sword and the subsequent munching by the Tyrannosaurus Rex community deals 15 damage to the Copper Lich! No Disadvantage gets applied, unfortunately.

Rocket Tube Template ++ Tarnished Valve ++ Mini Grenades ++ Essence of Creation == Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3]

Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))

You create the Clutter Bomb Launcher! It's an improvised-looking rocket launcher that can bury its targets in rubble if it gets a direct hit. I've replaced the Void Sword in your inventory with it!

The Poltergeist will do as you say.

Action 1, Storm Pistol -
... Well... despite the above attacks, the Lich still has some HP. I see that balance patch's incoming - as soon as this battle's over, the damage on my gun's gonna drop dramatically. I might as well give it a proper sendoff - so here we go!

Preparing my magic reserves once again for this attack, I quickly cast Mirror Image on the Storm Pistol - I'll need it, and although each one of them only gets one "round" now, I can convert that potential energy into something far more. Preparing a sort of counter on my own attack, I fire both bullets out as the counter activates. The bullets are converted into pure lightning energy and then fed back into the Storm Pistol's weaponry, allowing for a much more direct magic output...

And that's where the fun begins. To make it fair for the Lich, I begin to make small indicators on the ground of where my attacks will land, forcing the Lich into an evasive maneuver combo as bolts of arcane lightning begin to be fired. Though at first going based off solely location relative to the Lich, it finds itself forced into ever more complex patterns - dodging between the bolts as I fire them to either side, forcing it across the battlefield as an electric wall is formed, and eventually combos of the above as well. As one last finale, I throw the replica out, where it launches that same moving slate of electrical energy...

Right into the wall present on the battlefield. Nowhere left to dodge, the Lich is finally forced into the electricity, taking the last full-force attack this thing will ever fire. No seriously, I'm pretty sure the gun's slightly damaged now - I should take a look at that.

Action 2 -
Let's complete my trilogy of consumables, while I've got the time...
Orange Warp Particles ++ Blue Warp Particles ++ Gun Template == Warp Device [LVL 3 Consumable]
- Hey, I wanted my own portal gun. Seems like the charge on it's got some working out to do, with the limited uses...
- Can use to either give 2 allies Advantage or 2 enemies Disadvantage for a turn.

Let me know if this works! I'll replace the Jar of Liquid Food with it, regardless of what happens.

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Just basic attack the Copper Lich, if it's still up by your turn. No point in wasting Chain Lightning on a single enemy.
Hovering Turrets - Again, just damage the Copper Lich if it's still standing.

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,334 [+120]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 255
[LVL 2] Copper - 295 [+60]
[LVL 3] Lead - 155
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 0

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 3/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [3/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [?/? Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to apply either Advantage to 2 allies or Disadvantage to 2 enemies for a turn??

Click to shrink...

Your attack with the Storm Pistol deals a very devastating 24 damage to the last Copper Lich!

After using it a lot, it could benefit from a bit less heavy use... Maybe I should codify rules for the Curse of Repetitiveness?

Orange Warp Particles ++ Blue Warp Particles ++ Pistol Template == Warp Device [Lvl.3]

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)

You craft up the Warp Device! While it can't warp multiple people, it could give a critical buff or debuff to a single entity in the right situation.

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ blasts the Copper Lich with a round of Burstfire, dealing 12 damage to it!

Luke fires off the Alternator SMG at the Copper Lich, dealing 6 damage! One shot misses.
Lyra fires at the Copper Lich with her iRifle, dealing 11 damage!
The Hovering Turrets deal 6 damage to the Copper Lich! Not a good round of shooting for one of them.
The Arcanist finishes off the Copper Lich with a basic cast, which deals 7 damage, which is enough to kill it!
The Poltergeist would have acted, but there are no living targets anymore!

You've beaten this encounter! Now do you head on to try to get to Sky Pipe or progress to the final battle at Mercury Summit?

Sky High's curse is lifted!

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+120 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+60 Copper [Lvl.2]
+0 Lead [Lvl.3]
+0 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 8/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve) Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, 0/2), Weakened (+25% direct damage taken, 1/2)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
240/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
40/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
0/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 69%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 30/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 24/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 66/80.
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 74/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis.

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Copper Lich [SB] HP: 0/144. / BD: 9. / SV: 2. (x1) Soul Blast: [III/III]. Animate Material: [IIII/IIII]. Grist Tierage. Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss, 1/2), Frost (-1 Speed Value, 1/2)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 2988
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 475
Lead [Lv. 3]: 305
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 40

-----

Action 1 + Clutter Bomb Launcher: "I've got a plan to get to the Sky Pipe. Lyra, would you be able to put portals on the south wall of V17 and the north wall of AB24, then pass me the portal gun? I'm going to run at the portal as fast as I can. Torix... is the Sword of Flaming Wind able to do wind without the flaming part? When I jump through the portal, can you give me a tailwind boost? That should help get me extra speed to carry me over the gap to the Sky Pipe, and to make sure I don't fall down, I'm going to rocket jump. Once I'm there I can use the portal gun to put a portal on AB22 to come back, then I can hand it right back to you."

Then I, well, execute the aforementioned plan. Once the portals are up, I run full tilt at the portal, portal gun in one hand and Clutter Bomb Launcher in the other. As soon as I pass through the portal, I shoot the Clutter Bomb Launcher down and backwards at the lower lip of the AB24 wall, just below the portal, the resulting rapidly expanding pile of junk launching me forwards backed by whatever assistance Torix is able to provide. Hopefully that's enough to clear the gap and open the treasure box beyond.

-----

Action 2: I craft Modern Helmet Replica ++ Virtuous Plates ++ Onyx Scales. I bet Basilisk scales make some pretty good armor.

Click to shrink...

LYRA: Alright, I'll see what I can do.

Lyra fires of two portals- one on the wall right beside her, and one reaching up to the Sky Pipeline, then hands her portal device to you. With that, your plan is set into motion! With a rocket jump provided by your Clutter Bomb Launcher and Torix's wind-boosting assist, you manage to make it over to the Sky Pipeline! You also place down a portal at your feet once you reach Sky Pipeline on the available portal platform.

You take 4 damage from the rocket jump as a consequence of your plan, but the rewards are hopefully worth the effort! You claim a Tough Mechanical Frame from the loot capsule, which is a Lvl.4 ingredient! Hopefully you and the rest of the team can put this to good use.

Modern Helmet Replica ++ Virtuous Plates ++ Onyx Scales == Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3]

Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is at or below 60%)

You craft the Brave Onyx Helmet! Aside from the decent chance to reduce your incoming damage, it'll also buff your Base Damage if you've taken damage significantly, encouraging "brave" actions.

Action 1, Sword of Flaming Wind -

Torix - "Yeah, I can give it a shot. You seem to have downward momentum covered, so... let's try this out!"
Torix - "I'll help you recover if things go wrong - we're not gonna engage the boss immediately, anyways. Let's do this!"
Alright, new plan. Focusing internally on the blade, the winds of flame that normally surround the blade die down, becoming harmless on their own - though still about as warm as a breeze in the middle of a desert or something, at least it's not on fire. With that prepped, I move onwards and begin to assist however I can as Splash preps their maneuvers!

Focusing on the run-up at first, Splashcat finds themselves aided by the winds as subdued energy aids their strides and allows them to get through the portal itself far faster than normal - and then they're suspended over a rather large gap. The piles of scrap metal brown to mere shrapnel as Splash fires the Clutter Bomb Launcher, I begin to find a better way to use this sword - why not provide a few platforms instead of just a tailwind?

Detritus mixed with debris rising up, I rapidly begin to compress the thing into a solid pillar using winds and flame, melding and melting the platform together using the wind as additional scaffolding. Splash finds themselves under semi-solid footing as I combine something along the lines of engineering and Sburb logic to make this platform stable enough to hold their weight... and although the upwards wind making everything more floaty probably let them clear the jump anyway, there's that backup just in case. Maintaining the wind to support my makeshift structure until Splash portals out, I let the thing collapse as I do the same from the sustained concentration.

Action 2, Potion of Mechanical Healing -
Torix - "Hey, Sky High. You took a bit of a beating in that last battle..."
Torix - "I'd rather not see what happens when one of us goes down. This... should work on you?"
Torix - "(Are you even considered mechanical at all?) Eh, whatever."
As such, I proceed to throw a dose of the Potion of Mechanical Healing at Sky High! The Metalboon effect it provides will be slightly wasted, but... at least it'll put them on something more than 7 HP.

Bonus Action Roleplay -
One last thing for this turn... moving over to Lyra after everything's said and done, I strike up a conversation.
Torix - Hey, Lyra - quick question for you. Do you think that with some help, you might be able to create another Hovering Turret?
Torix - You seemed to have made quite a few of them on your own before, so... it might be worth a shot at building another.
Torix - It'd be more damage against... well, whatever's ahead.

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Keep recharging your spells. We'll need them when we come to the boss encounter.
Hovering Turrets - Stay on standby. We're gonna need both of you alive...

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,334 [+120]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 255
[LVL 2] Copper - 295 [+60]
[LVL 3] Lead - 155
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 0

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 3/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [3/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [?/? Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to apply either Advantage to 2 allies or Disadvantage to 2 enemies for a turn??

Click to shrink...

Splashcat assisted! Your help has been noted in their action. Good teamwork!

You assist Sky High with a Potion of Mechanical Healing, restoring 8 of his HP! You also grant him Metalboon for the time being, but I'm unsure if it'll have an effect currently.

(Also, I think I forgot to account for one of your uses of the Potion of Mechanical Healing, so it's at one use for now.)

Sky High the Knight simply lays down for a while. His digital eye shuts off - he must be sleeping to heal up.

Click to shrink...

You successfully restore 7 HP to yourself! You should be in good condition to continue fighting.

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ looks down at the platform leading to Mercury Summit and gauging whether or not he could make the jump.

Luke and Lyra chat amongst each other, discussing their mutual friends stranded elsewhere and wondering where they are.
The Hovering Turrets hover at attention, looking for new targets.
The Arcanist and the Poltergeist wait for more orders.

You've beaten this encounter! Now do you head on to try to get to Sky Pipe or progress to the final battle at Mercury Summit?

Sky High returns to full strength, and he is also blessed with Metalboon!

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+0 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+0 Copper [Lvl.2]
+0 Lead [Lvl.3]
+0 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 16/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve) Metalboon (-20% direct damage taken, 1/2), Weakened (+25% direct damage taken, 0/2)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
240/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
40/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
0/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (1/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 69%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 30/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 24/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 66/80.
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 74/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis.

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Sky High the Knight (henceforth referred to simply as The Knight) summons a bridge of bones using DEATH and uses it to cross to the Mercury Summit.

~~~
CP: 35/35
Inventory:
2270 Build Grist
140 Malachite
455 Copper
110 Lead
0 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

DEATH has no such bone-shifting properties, at least as of now, unfortunately, but you do manage to make a bone bridge anyways through player power! It's more of a staircase than a bridge because of how low the platform is, but it has enough structural integrity to support you on your trip downwards.

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 2988
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 475
Lead [Lv. 3]: 305
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 40

-----

I equip the Brave Onyx Helmet and return from the Sky Pipe via the portal on the ground.

-----

Action 1 + Magitech Redstone Staff: I dig a small distance into the ground and put pistons into place, extending them and moving them over until I've shifted the entire top layer of the U18 tile one space to the left, forming a bridge over to Mercury Summit.

-----

Action 2: I switch the Clutter Bomb Launcher to Beggar's Bazooka mode and attempt a shenanigan to charge up a barrage for when the boss makes an appearance, then begin scaling the summit after it.

Click to shrink...

You travel back through the portal and group up with everyone else.

You manage to manipulate the Redstone Staff to move a portion of Platform Highway, but the platform to Mercury Summit is significantly lower in elevation than Platform Highway, so you just kind of end up shifting the top layer of the space slightly to the right, only shifting the ledge.

A risky venture! You load up a rocket into the Clutter Bomb Launcher, which will either fire next turn or explode in the chamber. You'll also take a pretty steep accuracy penalty to both shots once you fire them.

Post-Player Battle:

Lyra summons a blue portal to the bottom of Mercury Summit and walks through it, summoning everyone to follow her.

Luke The Hovering Turrets, and Ninjatwist_ follow suit, readying their weapons for the upcoming encounter.
The Arcanist and the Poltergeist wait for more orders as they enter through the portal and ascend Mercury Summit.

The encounter at Mercury Summit reveals itself...

At the top of Mercury Summit, the Impervious Cobalt Lich reveals itself, with some other scattered, high-powered ground troops. This is going to be a tough fight- give it absolutely everything you've got!

Sky High's Metalboon wears off.

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+0 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+0 Copper [Lvl.2]
+0 Lead [Lvl.3]
+0 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 16/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve) Metalboon (-20% direct damage taken, 0/2)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
240/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
40/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
0/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (1/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 69%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 30/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 24/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 66/80.
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 74/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis.

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: 384/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge). Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and grant 5 HP worth of overheal to up to four Skeletons.
Circle Of Death: Deal 20 damage to five targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

Cobalt Ogres [SB] HP: 64/64. Grist Tierage. / BD: 13. / SV: 2. (x2)

Lead Imps [SB] HP: 14/14. Grist Tierage. / BD: 3. / SV: 2. (x6)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Sorry the last update has taken so long, everyone... college and an unstable sleep schedule have taken their toll.

Sky High the Knight: Let's do this, then...

Sky High empties his charge gauge and fills up with near-unlimited power. He picks up DEATH, and blue flames begin spouting out of it. Then, suddenly, he's behind the Impervious Cobalt Lich. With one powerful swoop, he brings DEATH down on the Impervious Cobalt Lich and tears it cleanly in two.

~~~
CP: 0/35
Inventory:
2270 Build Grist
140 Malachite
455 Copper
110 Lead
0 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

You unload the full 35-charge gauge into the Impervious Cobalt Lich, easily hitting the maximum damage allowed by its passives! The Cobalt Lich takes a massive 77 damage from your attack.

(On a second thought, maybe I should change some of the rules after this episode...)

Just an FYI, using a charge is its own action, so you can do another two actions after you unleash a charge.

Assuming you wanted to do a freeform attack and then attack with DEATH afterwards, you deal an additional 15 damage to the Cobalt Lich, at the cost of 2 damage to yourself!

Action 1, Length of Demonic Chain -
Despite having idled for the last round, I've been awaiting this area - and thankfully, seeing Sky High's charge, I realize the inherent problems with the attack. Due to the Impervious Cobalt Lich's MVP ability, there's currently a 100% chance that the attack will be blocked or deflected in some manner... so the best thing I can do to ensure that this 77 damage from Sky High (Command would lower it to that if it hits) goes through is lowering the chances of MVP activating!

While The Knight finishes emptying the charge gauge, time seems to slow down as the Length of Demonic Chain unravels around my wrist in grand fashion, creating arcs as the seemingly infinite length begins to arc forward. Yet again burying itself into the ground, the chain begins to dissipate before it strikes out, reappearing through one of the barriers of junk separating Mercury Summit from the platform we all started on. Piercing through a Lead Imp's core, it skewers them and renders them stuck on the spiked chain.

It keeps going, the loop repeating itself as a second imp is skewered through the arm. The chain erupts out of the wall again, pinning the third one through... something critical, and effectively weakening it. However, the chain, despite hitting the fourth with an explosive end of fire and brimstone, doesn't dissipate, and instead hits the ground shortly after... pinning all four of them down as the chain, stretched taut between wall and floor, finally slips from my grasp and effectively restrains the four Lead Imps it hit.

Torix - Now's your chance! Let's get some attacks in while the forces are still sidetracked!
... Yet even still, the chance of hitting was only decreased to a 50/50 chance. It's still rather likely that one of the Ogres or the Imps I missed could get through to stop or body-block the attack... but hey, it's a 50/50 as compared to a 100/0. We'll see what happens.

Action 2, Sword of Flaming Wind -
The 50/50 chance that I currently would have to even hit the Lich is concerningly high, and Splash seems to be ready to completely annihilate the Imps - assuming that the grenade doesn't blast him back instead... hm. Actually, you know what, let's try something.

Waiting until Splashcat fires the Clutter Bomb Launcher, I begin to focus and internally control the aspects of both wind and fire within the launcher itself - after all, the wind and fire can't ignite or set off the Clutter Bombs if I'm attempting to control it already, can it? Even if it does explode, there are still things I can do to redirect the attack - namely, utilizing wind walls and powerful gusts to basically make the grenade into one continuous beam of various holiday-related clutter and loot boxes.

The intent here is to prevent the attack from backfiring as easily while boosting its power as well. Though definitely some shenanigans, this could be interesting and also cover our backsides a bit from any misfires.

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Use Firestorm to inflict Burning on both Cobalt Ogres and the Impervious Cobalt Lich.
Hovering Turrets - Finish off however many Lead Imps you can! If they're somehow all destroyed, get the Cobalt Ogres!

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,174 [-160]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 165 [-90]
[LVL 2] Copper - 295
[LVL 3] Lead - 110 [-45]
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 0

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 4/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [1/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [4/4 Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to give allies Advantage (+1 SV, Ranged/Melee Training 2) or enemies Disadvantage (-1 SV, +10% direct damage taken) for 2 turns.

Click to shrink...

You sacrifice the damage potential and weakening of the Length of Demonic Chain to deal a bit less damage and apply Restrained to all your targets, which is a pretty powerful effect, as the chain pins them to the platform!

Assuming Splashcat fires the launcher this turn, you also use the Sword of Flaming Wind to buff its accuracy, removing the penalty it faces!

The Arcanist and the Hovering Turrets will do as you say.

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 2988
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 475
Lead [Lv. 3]: 305
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 40

-----

Action 1 + Clutter Bomb Launcher: I release the charged shots all at once, targeting the barrage at the large group of Lead Imps. The Clutter Bombs explode into huge piles of junk... which is mostly holiday cosmetic and warpaint cases. Seeing how many of those cluttered up my inventory space with no keys to open them, I am entirely unsurprised.

-----

Action 2 + Magitech Redstone Staff: I jab an Ogre with the end of the staff, which extends a slime-block-tipped piston. The Ogre is sent bouncing into the air, and by the time it lands, more slime pistons have sprouted up under it. The resulting contraption juggles it back and forth through the air, eventually dropping it on the other Ogre once it's thoroughly dizzy.

-----

The Poltergeist holds off activating Possession until it's seen the Cobalt Lich act, as right now it's not sure how to make use of its capabilities. Instead, it uses Kinesis and slashes into an Ogre with Famine, infusing it with a hunger for that sweet sweet Tier 4 Grist. Isn't that other Ogre looking awfully shiny right now? All that Grist could be yours with one well-placed rock...

Click to shrink...

You fire off your barrage with the Clutter Bomb Launcher, targeting the Lead Imps! Their Speed Value is reduced to 1, and Torix buffed up your accuracy, so you have a high chance of scoring direct hits! Fortunately, both of your shots hit directly!

These shots do 16 damage each to the Lead Imps, instantly killing two of them, and deal 8 damage to two survivors in the group!

As for your second attack, you deal 5 damage to both of the Cobalt Ogres! No luck on the stun, however.

The Poltergeist will do as you say.

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ fires at the two surviving Copper Imps, who are restrained and cannot avoid the attacks, but Ninja misses one of his shots anyways! One of them takes a lethal 4-damage bullet to the face, however.

Luke saturates the Copper Imps, but one of his shots misses! His other shots kill the wounded Copper Imps and deal 3 damage to another one, however.
Lyra fires a Displacer at a Cobalt Ogre! This Cobalt Ogre becomes Exposed for two rounds!
The Hovering Turrets saturate the Lead Imps with a taste of their own medicine, dealing 8 lethal damage to one of them and 2 damage to the other!

The Arcanist uses Firestorm to afflict the Impervious Cobalt Lich and the two Cobalt Ogres with very heavy Burning for two turns!
The Poltergeist takes control of FAMINE and manages to score a lucky crit against the exposed Cobalt Ogre! The Cobalt Ogre takes 9damage and the Poltergeist recovers 3 HP.

The Impervious Cobalt Lich deals 13 damage to the Poltergeist!

The Cobalt Ogres deal 13 damage to the Arcanist and one of the Hovering Turrets!

The one surviving Lead Imp struggles against its restraints and deals 3 damage to a Hovering Turret!

The Impervious Cobalt Lich and the Cobalt Ogres take 4 points of Burning damage!
One of the Cobalt Ogres is still Exposed!
The Lead Imp continues to struggle against the Length of Demonic Chain!

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+50 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+0 Copper [Lvl.2]
+25 Lead [Lvl.3]
+0 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 14/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
240/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
40/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
0/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (1/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 69%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 24/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 14/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 53/80.
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 64/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis.

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: 288/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge).
Special Actions: Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.
Status Effects: Burning (4 damage taken per turn, 1/2)

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and grant 5 HP worth of overheal to up to four Skeletons.
Circle Of Death: Deal 16 damage to six targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

Cobalt Ogre [SB] HP: 55/64. Grist Tierage. / BD: 13. / SV: 2. (x1) Burning (4 damage taken per turn, 1/2)
-Cobalt Ogre HP: 46/64. Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded, 1/2), Burning (4 damage taken per turn, 1/2)

Lead Imps [SB] HP: 8/14. Grist Tierage. / BD: 3. / SV: 2. (x1) Restrained (Speed Value reduced to 1, cannot evade attacks, 20% chance to miss attacks, 1/2)
-Lead Imps HP: 0/14. (x5)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Action 1, Warp Device -
And yet the Lich still stands. Figures, though: things like that certainly aren't powerful enough to go down in one turn. Turning to the others and wielding the Warp Device, I give both Splashcat and the Knight a quick grin before shouting out a plan of action.
Torix - "I'm going in for this! Try and keep these guys off of me, can ya?"
... Whether they follow that or not, I proceed... and using the Warp Device, cast a portal on one of the nearby walls - and directly behind the Impervious Cobalt Lich. Rolling into it, momentum follows - and I find myself directly behind the Lich, catching him off guard and gaining the Advantage for a couple of turns.

Action 2, Inferno Blade - (S) Showdown.
As I proceed to engage the enemy, music kicks in as the Advantage allows me a heightened strike! Considering everything, I would use the Storm Pistol (1.33x damage is still pretty good)... but the Inferno Blade, glowing red-hot even through the sheath, is... well. I let the thing build up for too long, so drawing the blade, I stand strong and prepare myself for yet another attack. This one's gonna hurt for both of us...
Torix - "Now then. Let's do this."

The blade flashes orange before the firey tempest within unifies with glee, forming a concentrated blade of yellow flames around the more physical version of it... and the inferno takes hold, clawing into everything around it to release the stored energy it built. That includes me, which is painfully evident to... pretty much everyone, as the yellow flames begin to circle around my arms and sear into them as I grimace, still holding my ground. Though the fire has a mind of its own, the sheer elemental will to burn all, I can't let that happen - I have to focus, darn it! Slamming the blade into the ground and projecting my own will on the fire, relatively harmless flames flicker across the ground and form a literal firewall to keep the Lich in here.

Of course, it's having none of it. Firing blast after blast of arcane energy at me and even striking directly with its claws, minor hits seem to be landed as the heat gets to me and it both. A lunge on one end is followed by a sidestep and a counter slash, neither of us letting up or letting the damage we've taken stop us. There's too much on the line here - it's life and ambitions for it, and the mission to actually defeat this dang Acolyte for me. As the flames whittle down at both of us, the realization becomes all too apparent - I can't keep this up forever. I've nearly hit orange health already and need to end this now before I take more damage.

Torix - "... Fine. This might not... oh, who am I kidding?
Torix - "This won't end well, but I've gone too far to stop this.
Torix - "It would've happened sooner or later anyway."
I grasp the sword's handle more tightly before releasing the hold I have on the blade's primal, elemental will to burn. It's been eating away at both of us already, and... well, 4 turns is far too long to leave it be. After this fight, I *need* to balance it out with *something*... but that doesn't matter now! As the blade realizes I've loosened my hold, the flames spread beyond just my arms and wreathe me in an aura of fire that I will not, cannot, dispel until it's taken its course. The metallic ground glows with solar-like heat as the wall of flames disappears and focuses inward, a beacon of flame converging and blazing high into the planet's atmosphere around the center of the platform, where the Lich and I were engaged.

The last thing it sees of me is a strange look of defeat on my face as the flames consume both of us.

... The sword clatters to the ground. The Lich, despite having taken hardly any damage compared to the thing's massive health bar, is charred and burnt. Though I'm alive, I'm at 1 HP. That doesn't matter though. Real heroes laugh at death.
Torix - "It's a bit too early for me to die just yet, right?"
Torix - "Your turn, guys. Use it well."

[Intent: deal all the damage I can with this attack, at the cost of almost all my HP.]

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Use Chain Lightning on the Cobalt Ogres, targeting the more damaged one of the two.
Hovering Turrets - Finish off the last Lead Imp. The other one can fire on the more damaged Cobalt Ogre.

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,234 [+50]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 165
[LVL 2] Copper - 295
[LVL 3] Lead - 135 [+25]
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 0

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 1/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [1/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [3/4 Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to give allies Advantage (+1 SV, Ranged/Melee Training 2) or enemies Disadvantage (-1 SV, +10% direct damage taken) for 2 turns.

Click to shrink...

You give yourself Advantage for the next two turns with the Warp Device!

Taking advantage of your, well, Advantage, you launch a devastating, self-sacrificial, but most of all, impressive and entertaining to read fireball attack at the Impervious Cobalt Lich! Thanks to Melee Training 2, you manage to score a mini-crit, bringing the damage of your strike up to an apocalyptic SIXTY DAMAGE!!!

You do deplete essentially all of your HP, however... with a hit like that, they're sure to try to take advantage of it.

The Arcanist and the Hovering Turrets will do as instructed.

ACTION 1 + WAR

Sky High the Knight comes in swinging and sweeps through the Cobalt Ogres with WAR.

ACTION 2

At the same time, he throws PESTILENCE at the Impervious Cobalt Lich to distract it from Torix's attack.

~~~
CP: 0/35
Inventory:
2270 Build Grist
140 Malachite
455 Copper
160 Lead
0 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

Your assault on the Cobalt Ogres with WAR deals 5 damage to both of the Ogres! The Exposed Ogre takes an additional point of damage!

You also deal 6 damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich with Pestilence! No luck with status effects, except for Scared, which it's immune to!

Yvonne

"Let's see, I am in this world, and I would die if I don't have any weapons, definitely. I don't want to die now."

Seeing this platforms and the mountains of grey all around me, a weapon sprang out of my idea.

Action 1: Process 3748
"If it's grey scale, it usually has enough metal components for me to craft a magic wand. After all, one of my practical exam was to go to such a landscape and kill the dragon without carrying any gear in."

I craft a process and implant this in the world. Having no preparation, it looks like a ghost with 1 eye.

"Process 3748, listen. Your code word is "Beginning" said by Yvonne only,
1: start:
2: ore closest_mine = me.search(mine);
3: mining
4: me.mine(closest_mine);
5: if me.mine.previous(mined) is false then goto mining
6: if me.inventory.status == full then go back to Yvonne and await Yvonne's instructions;
7: goto start."

Then I gave Process 3748 a pickaxe and it goes away mining. As it has only 9 slots of inventory, it should return pretty quickly.

Action 2: Bare-Handed
I then see my process going to collect materials for me to craft my Staff. I then go to find or alchemizes a component that the process won't be able to mine, the "Impure Command Block fragment" (Lvl 3, Materials) - Left by the old builders who have world changing capabilities, it is a crucial ingredient in any manipulation magic items. Although in an Impure form, it is already powerful enough to plow through invaders if used by a expert Mage.
I then use all my second action to find a piece of the Impure Command Block fragment.

Click to shrink...

Welcome back to the game! Your PC has been added.

You manage to extract some Forgotten Metal Scraps from your environs! It's been added to the crafting ingredient list.

Your second creation, an Impure Command Block Fragment, has also been added to the crafting ingreidents list!

Both of these are Lvl.3 ingredients, but you can craft up to Lvl.4 Ingredients if you have the resources.

It costs you 45 Lead and 150 Build Grist, however... I'll just say you have it.

(I should probably codify how much Grist new players start out with...)

(This is for the previous update, sorry)

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 3038
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 475
Lead [Lv. 3]: 330
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 40

-----

Action 1 + Fulmigold Laser Burner: I take aim at the Exposed Cobalt Ogre, using the laser to flash dizzying strobe lights at it until it falls over, allowing me to take as long as I need to line up a perfect headshot.

-----

Action 2 + Cursed Linked Warp Sword: I take some of the Hovering Turrets' spare bullets, toss them into the air, and slash them out of the air with the sword, portaling them inside the Cobalt Ogre's body to bypass its tough hide and drop them directly in its heart.

-----

The Poltergeist, not wanting to wait around for the Lich to activate its special abilities, decides to go ahead and use Possession on it. The Cobalt Lich's limbs spasm, splaying out in all directions, and its head makes a full 360 degree revolution. It seems to regain control of itself after... but the Poltergeist is in the driver's seat. The Lich reaches down and unhooks its ribs one by one, hurling them down the side of the mountain to stick into the piles of jagged scrap beyond like stakes. It then leaps down the mountain after them, tumbling and banging itself on the slope until at last it reaches the bottom and impales itself on the ribs.

Click to shrink...

You deal 16 damage to the exposed Cobalt Ogre with your Fulmigold Laser Burner!

Targeting the other Cobalt Ogre, you deal 13 damage and apply Disadvantage to it with your unique Cursed Linked Warp Sword tactic!

The Poltergeist will do as you command.

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ finishes off the last Lead Imp with his Shortsaber, dealing 8 lethal damage to the thing!

Luke fires his Alternator SMG into the Exposed Cobalt Ogre, dealing only 4 damage! His accuracy isn't the best this round...
Lyra shoots the same Cobalt Ogre with her iRifle, which is more successful than Luke's barrage of shots, dealing 13 damage!
The Hovering Turrets finish off the Exposed Cobalt Ogre with 7 lethal damage, and deal 4 damage to the other one!

The Arcanist uses Chain Lightning on the last Cobalt Ogre, dealing 11 damage to it due to Disadvantage!
The Poltergeist uses Possession on the Cobalt Lich, hijacking its body and going on a gruesome joyride for 22 damage!

The Impervious Cobalt Lich expels the Poltergeist from its body and uses Sickening Scratch on it! Not only does it take 13 damage, it gets afflicted with Sick and cannot recover HP for the next turn!

The surviving Cobalt Ogre deals 13 damage to the last Hovering Turret, leaving it with one hit point!

A lone Copper Lich who must have heard the trashing you gave to the others has arrived to Mercury Summit, probably eager to avenge its kin!

The Impervious Cobalt Lich and the Cobalt Ogre take more 4 points of Burning damage before their flames go out!
The Cobalt Ogre recovers from its disadvantage.
The Poltergeist will remain Sick until it has taken another turn!

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+50 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+0 Copper [Lvl.2]
+5 Lead [Lvl.3]
+20 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 1/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 2/2)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 14/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Clary Au/Yvonne [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
340/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
70/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
20/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or yourself or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (1/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 69%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 24/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 1/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 53/80.
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 51/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis. Sick (Cannot regain health, 1/1)

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: 198/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge).
Special Actions: Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.
Status Effects: Burning (4 damage taken per turn, 0/2)

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and grant 5 HP worth of overheal to up to four Skeletons.
Circle Of Death: Deal 16 damage to six targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

Copper Lich [SB] HP: 96/96. Grist Tierage. / BD: 9. / SV: 3. Soul Blast: [III]. Animate Material: [IIII].

Cobalt Ogre [SB] HP: 19/64. Grist Tierage. / BD: 13. / SV: 2. (x1) Burning (4 damage taken per turn, 0/2), Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value, 0/1)
-Cobalt Ogre HP: 0/64. Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded, 1/2), Burning (4 damage taken per turn, 1/2)

Lead Imps [SB] HP: 0/14. Grist Tierage. / BD: 3. / SV: 2. (x1) Restrained (Speed Value reduced to 1, cannot evade attacks, 20% chance to miss attacks, 1/2)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Inventory:
200 Lvl 0 Build Grist - 160(A1) = 40 Build Grist
50 Lvl 3 Lead - 45(A1) = 5 Lead
20 Lvl 4 Cobalt

1x Impure Command Block Fragment Lvl 3
1x Forgotten Metal Scrap Lvl 3

Charge Gauge: 35/35 (0 in reserve)

Seeing Torix burns like this, she is compelled to
do something. Anything.

Action 1: Alchemy

After the process returns, it pulls itself out of the system and leave me with a Forgotten Metal Scrap.

"You have done well, Process 3748."

The Impure Command Block Fragment can be made better, by solidating some of it's brittle parts and increasing it's receptiveness to code being inputted.

I then do the following alchemy process:

Inpure Command Block Fragment ++ Forgotten Metal Scrap = Ingredient ?? (Lvl 4)

It requires 160 Build Grist and 45 Lead, and I used them to alchemizes the two.

Action 2: Magic
Seeing that I will not be able to craft the weapon soon due to insufficient Grists, I knew I wouldn't be able to use the staff to help Torix. I need to devise a better plan.

Then injection happened to me. Although I only knew Torix due to his name tag, I still don't know the actual ID that represents Torix. Yet, it doesn't matter.

I used a clean, smooth stone tablet and inscribed magical commands to return nothing when a gargantuan entity or such entity's teammate command themselves to attack anything. Whether the Liches attack Torix or not, they would have 1 more moment to fight.

I then elevated my permissions to administrator privileges and inserted this magical command into the runstack. If the Liches want to exist and fights, they would still need runstack permission to do so.

"Nope. In my watch, you don't get runstack permission."

Denying runstack permission via direct elevation of permission burns the mind and is a difficult task, and it is usually a last resort. But seeing anyone on fire and heavily wounded, I would do this all again.

"Quick! Take your chances and deal damages onto the Liches, for they can't attack or counterattack in this moment!"

[Intent: Via removing permission for the Liches to initiate an attack, Yvonne prevent them from making any attack at the cost of serious exertion and possible damages to her body.]

Click to shrink...

You create a Metallic Command Block Scrap with your alchemical process! Grist spent.

You would have inflicted a fairly bad debuff on the two Liches, but they're unfortunately immune to any effect that would either debuff their attack rates or their Speed Value, through their Command passive keyword!

...After specifying that you meant Liches, you inflict the Copper Lich with Low Priority for the turn! The Impervious Cobalt Lich remains unaffected.

ACTION 1

The Knight strikes the regular Cobalt Lich with DEATH, tearing away at its very core.

ACTION 2

At the same time, something happens inside The Knight's augments, and a pill shoots out and lands in Torix's hand. It should make him feel better if consumed.

~~~
CP: 0/35
Inventory:
2320 Build Grist
140 Malachite
455 Copper
165 Lead
20 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

You swing DEATH at the Cobalt Lich, but the strike hits the Copper Lich instead! 11 damage dealt, at the cost of 2 of your HP.

You also grant Torix a quick 3-HP heal!

Seeing the pill fly out towards me, I swiftly catch and consume the pill. Despite the assist, the Inferno Sword's still drawn and my gaze is firmly on the Impervious Cobalt Lich. At least I'm not at 1 HP anymore...
Torix - "Thank you for the assist, but don't worry about me! Focus on the Lich while we can!"

I focus and give a quick nod through the damage I've sustained. There's no time for a delay here, and I need to use the advantage I have while it lasts. As the Inferno Blade begins to recharge from the grand attack that was unleashed, I switch my selected item over to the Storm Pistol...

Action 1, Storm Pistol -
Torix - "Alright. Focus."
Again focusing in on the battle at hand and trying my hardest to ignore the incredibly shaky half a heart (probably more) above my hotbar, I focus before launching a series of attacks and seeming to mutter something under my breath... yet my avatar continues to control smoothly. Raising a charred arm, I begin to fire the Storm Pistol's attacks... straight up.

After unloading several dozen bullets, a bit of independent magic allows me to create a box of lightning bolts to restrain the Impervious Cobalt Lich to a specific range of movement - specifically, moving left, right, and jumping. The bullets from before, however, begin to rain down lightning bolts... and as the tempo of the attacks increases, faster and faster, the Lich finds itself further and further pressed to simply dodge. Eventually, the bolts seem to be falling as frequently as rain, and there's no way to truly avoid all of them - only skim by, and the Lich would be hard-pressed to even do that.

Action 2, Sword of Flaming Wind -
Without a moment's pause, I switch yet again to the Sword of Flaming Wind. Though not as specialized as the Inferno Blade, it can provide me with something the Storm Pistol currently doesn't - direct and focused control over small amounts of wind and air. That's all I need. A warm wind blows around the Impervious Cobalt Lich as I point the sword at it, and proceeding to wield the sword with two hands, I swing it. Instead of the sword-beam-like blast of wind the blade would normally produce, however, the Lich begins to be forced dramatically towards the side of my vision.

And yet, disregarding the internal dizziness, I begin to spin in place and continue to swing the sword, a small cyclone being produced from the perpetual motion. The Impervious Cobalt Lich finds itself being hurled in a gigantic circle around the battlefield, reaching uncomfortably high speeds as some sort of wind wall prevents centrifugal force from sending it flying out of the arena. The cyclone continues until I slam the sword down into the floor, bringing it over my head and leaving a large crack in the ground. The Lich, though on a large nature, does the same - and it goes flying over my head, it crashes down directly into the Copper Lich that seemed to try and assist it. I say something, and although muttering under my breath, the Copper Lich, in particular, hears the words crystal clear...
This is not your fight to win. If you value your life, run while you still can.

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Use Ray of Frost on the remaining Cobalt Ogre. It won't be enough, but... well, hey. It'll be something.
Hovering Turret - Finish off the Cobalt Ogre.

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,234 [+50]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 165
[LVL 2] Copper - 295
[LVL 3] Lead - 135 [+25]
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 0

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 2/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [1/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [3/4 Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to give allies Advantage (+1 SV, Ranged/Melee Training 2) or enemies Disadvantage (-1 SV, +10% direct damage taken) for 2 turns.

Click to shrink...

Your Storm Pistol assault deals 18 damage to the Copper Lich, which takes the brunt of the attacks in place of the Impervious Cobalt Lich!

The Lead Ogre steps up to tank your Sword of Flaming Wind blow in the Cobalt Lich's stead! It still crashes into the Copper Lich, though, dealing 7 damage to both targets! The Ogre doesn't get afflicted with Downwind, but the Copper Lich does.

The Arcanist and the Hovering Turrets will do as you say.

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 3088
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 475
Lead [Lv. 3]: 330
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 60

-----

Action 1 + Magitech Redstone Staff: I summon a wall of pistons on either side of the Copper Lich and crush it into bone meal.

-----

Action 2 + Cursed Linked Warp Sword: I slash off one of the Impervious Cobalt Lich's arms, then dual-wield the arm and the sword, portal-stepping around it to slap and slash it from all directions.

-----

The Poltergeist points Schroedinger's Twinstaffs at the Impervious Cobalt Lich. It suddenly becomes both a cat and not a cat at the same time. While it's trying to figure out exactly what that entails, animal control comes and picks up the cat-which-it-is, leaving the not-a-cat-which-it-is behind. The resulting state of affairs is so nonsensical that the Lich just collapses into a paradox.

Click to shrink...

Your attack with the Magitech Redstone Staff deals 10 damage to the Copper Lich! You also succeed in Stunning it for a turn while it reconstitutes from your attack.

Your second flurry of slashes with the Cursed Link Warp Sword deals 12 damage to it! It also gains Disadvantage for the turn!

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ fires at the Copper Lich with his pistol, using a Burstfire on it! The shot, however, is a total miss! Ninjatwist_ slaps his gun in frustration.

Luke keeps shooting the Cobalt Ogre with his SMG, dealing 9 damage to it!
Lyra gets at a different angle and fires at the Cobalt Ogre, dealing 9 damage to the Ogre! She's been doing considerably more damage than her stats suggest.
The Hovering Turrets fire upon the Cobalt Ogre, finishing it off, then try to attack the Copper Lich for 4 damage!

The Arcanist uses Frost Ray to deal 13 damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich! It shakes off the Cold debuff due to its immunity.
The Poltergeist uses the Schroedinger's Twinstaffs on the Impervious Cobalt Lich, dealing 9 damage to it!

The Impervious Cobalt Lich casts Soul Blast on the Arcanist! This deals 16 damage to it and inflicts Weakened to boot!

The Copper Lich is entirely incapacitated this turn due to a variety of debuffs, including stuns!

The Arcanist begins to feel Weakened!
The Poltergeist recovers from sickness!
The Copper Lich's priority is restored, the wind effect around it fades, and it regains focus!
The Impervious Cobalt Lich shakes off its Disadvantage!

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+40 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+0 Copper [Lvl.2]
+0 Lead [Lvl.3]
+20 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 4/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 1/2)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 12/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Clary Au/Yvonne [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
340/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
70/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
20/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or yourself or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (1/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 69%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 24/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 1/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 37/80. Weakened (+25% direct damage taken, 2/2)
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 51/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis. Sick (Cannot regain health, 0/1)

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: 177/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge).
Special Actions: Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.
Status Effects: Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value, 0/1)

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and grant 5 HP worth of overheal to up to four Skeletons.
Circle Of Death: Deal 16 damage to six targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

Copper Lich [SB] HP: 46/96. Grist Tierage. / BD: 9. / SV: 3. Soul Blast: [III]. Animate Material: [IIII]. Low Priority (Speed Value reduced to 0, 0/1), Downwind (-1 Speed Value, 0/1), Stunned (Misses actions, 0/1)

Cobalt Ogre [SB] HP: 0/64. Grist Tierage. / BD: 13. / SV: 2. (x1)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Inventory:
80 Lvl 0 Build Grist
5 Lvl 3 Lead
40 Lvl 4 Cobalt

1x Lvl 4 Metallic Command Block Scrap
Charge Gauge: 35/35 (0 in reserve)

Okay, the battlefield is a little bit more settled down, and I can resume crafting. I couldn't process that much power so I default to maintain and grow my Inventory for me to ably fend for myself.

Action 1: Alchemy
To make a wand, I need more than it's core. A Command Block Core is literally the best choice you can have - you get nearly all choices at the expense of a little bit of power. To remedy that, I start to find items that charge themself and can be discharged at will - and I try to find some Minecraftian Redstone and a fair bit of Fulmigold Ore and some random things for allowing the Wand to autonomously charge and discharge at my will - yet I cannot determine how much I've got until I rest and checked my Inventory.

Finding these Ore is a little bit of hard work, you need to dig a bit down and the magic will then start to happen. They sometimes converge and disperses at will, so I keep a close eye on what I've got and not throwing any waste away.

Action 2: Alchemy
I see I needed a lot more Grists for me to combine the things I've got into a workable weapon. Although I am unable to do permission jumps and simply give myself Grists, I need to be creative in order for me to have a simple weapon for this fight. I try to exploit a bug where some of my items can be duplicated using a Shulker Box and the like. Via mining the Shulker Box and taking items away the instant the Shulker Box is mined, sometimes it is possible for an item to exist both at the Shulker Box and at my Inventory, which means the items are duplicated. As this requires me to take something out quickly, it is limited to small amounts of item duplication. I put in some of my Grists and Build Grist to start the process, hoping to duplicate some of them and allow me for more Grist to bootstart the crafting of my weapons.

Click to shrink...

I don't know if it's the mental fog I've been suffering from, but I'm having a hard time understanding what you'd like to do here. Do you want to craft the wand or its core as a weapon or as another ingredient? Either way, it's likely to cost you some amount of Grist.

Speaking of Grist, the phantom Grist you get from trying to exploit this Shulker box method vanishes upon realizing that it shouldn't exist! It seems you'll have to earn this Grist the hard way.

If you want to craft a weapon or other alchemy, there's a formula outlined in the first post that should give both you and I a good idea of what to craft.

(Also, it's on you to keep track of your current Grist stores and spending!)

Despite my low HP, I can't help but smile at the fact that we have literally stunlocked the Copper Lich and defeated the Copper Ogre. That's already a great amount of progress, and it leaves us in a... alright position to damage the "Impervious" Cobalt Lich further! The only problem is that we're nearing the 40% HP mark on it, and the rage charge that it has could prove a major problem. Might as well try and warn everyone about this...
Torix - Everyone, keep in mind that this thing seems to possess a good bit of counterattack potential!
Torix - It's likely that it'll fire off the Circle of Death this turn, if we get it down there.
Torix - Although we're gonna lose the third Hovering Turret, let's make sure none of our other DPS options are set to go down!

Action 1, Potion of Mechanical Healing -
While everyone seems to try and recover from the series of blows dealt, I take a moment to uncork my Potion of Mechanical Healing and throw it at the Arcanist. That'll offset the added damage it takes and give it a little bit more survivability (29.6 effective HP to 41, if I have my math right), so it's an investment well worth it.

Action 2, Inferno Blade -
Alright, let's try this again. With the sword's abilities generally recharged, I'm left with the Impervious Cobalt Lich and the Copper Lich to focus on. If the others end up taking a break turn, then both of them are likely to get a hit off if I do nothing.

... Hm. You know, all of my attacks have been on the actual entities so far, sure - but how about I make something else manage the damage? Focusing on the area beneath the platform we're standing on, I slam the blade into the ground, leaving a solid gash in it and allowing the fire the blade posesses to pass through to the broken shrapnel below. Lifting it back up, those same flames fire outwards and downwards, landing on the exact space beneath the Copper Lich. Once it's there, the fire, despite having no solid kindling, persits and grows hotter rapidly, blazing beneath the platform and crackling wildly.

The Copper Lich, despite being directly above the flame, seems to be unable to notice the fire burning beneath it between the vestiges of my Downwind and the newcomer's inflicted low priority, and that serves me great as the platform proceeds to melt underneath it. Dropped into a spire of flame and a mix of molten metal and shrapnel below, the Copper Lich finds itself taking heavy damage and even melting slight amounts from the sheer heat - left to become yet another mark on the broken landscape.

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Use Cure Wounds on the Hovering Turret at higher HP. This gives it a better chance at surviving the Circle of Death.
Hovering Turrets - Deal some more damage to the Copper Lich, or the Impervious Cobalt Lich if the Copper one is dead!

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,274 [+40]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 165
[LVL 2] Copper - 295
[LVL 3] Lead - 135
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 20 [+20]

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 3/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [0/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [3/4 Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to give allies Advantage (+1 SV, Ranged/Melee Training 2) or enemies Disadvantage (-1 SV, +10% direct damage taken) for 2 turns.

Click to shrink...

You use your last Potion of Mechanical Healing on the Arcanist, gifting them with Metalboon as well as restoring some of their HP! The HP they gain is reduced because they were targeted last turn, but it still pushes them closer to survival.

Your second attack with the Inferno Blade deals 16 damage to the Copper Lich! Being next to a pit of molten shrapnel isn't great for one's structural integrity, so both Liches start taking Burning damage!

The Arcanist and Hovering Turrets will follow your instructions.

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 3128
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 475
Lead [Lv. 3]: 330
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 80

-----

Action 1 + Clutter Bomb Launcher: As the Launcher runs off of whatever random junk you shove into it, I shove one of the Impervious Cobalt Lich's arms into the loading port, then pull the trigger, sending the arm sailing off into the sunset. Wait, sorry... that's not a sunset, that's the clutter bomb going off. Hope the Lich wasn't too attached to that arm.

-----

Action 2 + Magitech Redstone Staff + Entity Orders: I extend a giant tower of pistons underneath the Copper Lich, lifting him high into the air. Seeing how he's now the tip of a tall pole and made of copper, Minecraftian physics mistakes him for a lightning rod...

The Poltergeist takes out the Storm Pistol, and the Copper Lich is struck by lightning.

Click to shrink...

Your first attack with the Clutter Bomb Launcher deals a reduced 11 damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich! Unfortunately, it seems like it wasn't particularly attached to that arm.

You also deal 11 damage to the Copper Lich! No Stun, but you do manage to put it in a precarious position for the Poltergeist to shoot at!

The Poltergeist will do as you command, and has a higher chance to hit to boot, considering the positioning of its target.

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ hacks at the Copper Lich with his Shortsaber, dealing 8 damage to it!

Luke throws Lyra a Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit! She recovers 10% of her Health Vial and flashes Luke a thumbs-up.
Lyra heeds Torix's warning and decides that the Copper Lich needs finishing off. She takes aim with her iRifle and fires, dealing 9 damage!
The Hovering Turrets combined do more than enough damage to finish the Copper Lich off, even if they only do a meager 4 damage.

The Arcanist casts Cure Wounds on the strongest Hovering Turret, recovering 8 HP! Considering the party's barely been resting, they should have ran out of spell slots by now.
The Poltergeist uses the Storm Pistol to light up the Impervious Cobalt Lich, but it only hits one shot for 6 damage!

The Impervious Cobalt Lich claws at the Arcanist with one of its remaining arms, dealing 14 damage!

The Arcanist is weak, but it still has Metalboon on its side!
The Impervious Cobalt Lich takes 2 Burning damage, then nullifies the rest of the status effect!

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+120 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+60 Copper [Lvl.2]
+0 Lead [Lvl.3]
+0 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 4/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 1/2)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 21/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 12/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Clary Au/Yvonne [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
340/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
70/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
20/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or yourself or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (0/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (2/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 79%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 30/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 1/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 25/80. Weakened (+25% direct damage taken, 1/2), Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction, 1/2)
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 51/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis. Sick (Cannot regain health, 0/1)

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: 158/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge).
Special Actions: Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.
Status Effects: Burning (1 damage taken per turn, 0/2)

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and restore 5 HP to up to four Skeletons, which can overheal.
Circle Of Death: Deal 16 damage to six targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

Copper Lich [SB] HP: 0/96. Grist Tierage. / BD: 9. / SV: 3. Soul Blast: [III]. Animate Material: [IIII]. Burning (1 damage taken per turn, 2/2)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 3248
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 535
Lead [Lv. 3]: 330
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 80

-----

Action 1 + Cursed Linked Warp Sword: I feign teleporting behind the Impervious Copper Lich, and flicker briefly out of reality. It turns around, expecting the trick, but I warp back in right where I left and backstab it while it's looking the other way.

-----

Action 2 + Fulmigold Laser Burner: I reflect a shot off a glinting piece of metal, bouncing it around the area a half dozen times before striking the Lich in the head from an angle it'd never expect.

-----

Entity Orders: The Poltergeist draws DEATH, and slashes it at the lich. It is an undead being, an affront against the natural order of death. The Poltergeist is too, of course... but it knows all too well how souls cling to this world when they should not. The scythe threatens to consume its spirit, but it pushes onwards, finding the threads holding the Lich anchored on the mortal plane... and severing them one by one. Then it rests, slowly pulling its ectoplasm back from the beyond it nearly fell into as the cost of wielding that cursed scythe.

Click to shrink...

A nice strike! Your trickstab with the Cursed Linked Warp Sword deals 12 damage to the Impervious Copper Lich! It immediately gains a charge due to its Rage Charge!

Your second attack with the Fulmigold Laser Burner deals 7 damage to the same Lich! Unfortunately, it seems the ricocheting buffeted the laser pistol's effectiveness more than you would expect.

The Poltergeist will do as you say.

Sky High dual-wields PESTILENCE and FAMINE, using PESTILENCE's peculiar shape and FAMINE's ever-changing shape to deliver troublesome wounds across the entirety of the Impervious Copper Lich's body.

~~~
CP: 0/35
Inventory:
2480 Build Grist
140 Malachite
515 Copper
165 Lead
40 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

Your two attacks with PESTILENCE and FAMINE deal 8 and 6 damage, respectively, and Famine scores a lucky crit! The Impervious Cobalt Lich takes 14 damage in total, but it's immune to any status effects that would proc on it, and the ones that it's not immune to don't proc! You do restore 3 HP to yourself, however.

Inventory:
120 Lvl 0 Build Grist
5 Lvl 3 Lead
60 Lvl 4 Cobalt

1x Lvl 4 Metallic Command Block Scrap
Charge Gauge: 35/35 (0 in reserve)

Yvonne

"This confirms my theories..... Grist is considered "valuable" but is also "temporarily duplicable"..... which means it is an entity that follows the alchemy of gold: a temporary generation is possible but is considered "worthless" so they despawn.... So a Grist bomb, by generating lots of worthless Grists but forces the server to account for it, therefore reducing the speed of the other "legitimate" entity is possible? Yet I have no further Grist to test the execution of a Grist Bomb."

Nevermind, she got to make her wand soon or be dead.

Action 1: Gathering
Yvonne tries to find a piece of Gold Ore and a Fulmigold Ore. She shouldn't aim for too much, otherwise, she wouldn't be getting anything, just like that last mine.

Action 2: Smelting or Crafting
Assume if Yvonne get the ore she needed, she still need to smelt them. She made a temporary blast furnace, intending on smelting both of the ore into Ingots.
If she didn't get the ores, she continue on finding the ores.

Click to shrink...

Both Gold Ore and Fulmigold Ore are in the Crafting Ingredients Index, so you retrieve them without hassle!

You try smelting the two ores into more refined ingots, but you lack the proper grist to upgrade them into more refined forms! Thankfully, in their base forms, the ores seem to work just fine.

I've gotta figure out how much Grist to give to new players...

Alright. It's almost definitely enraged by this point. If this were a normal enemy without Command, this is about the point where I'd be throwing down all sorts of debuffs to reduce its lethality, but Command exists. The only thing we can do at this point is focus all the damage we have at it.

Action 1, Length of Demonic Chain -
Right as the length of chain recharges, I unravel it - and yet it doesn't launch out from my arm as it normally does, but rather forms a handle around my wrist and hand as the rest of it drops limply to the ground.

The Impervious Cobalt Lich looks very unimpressed before I begin to drag the chain up, lifting it with supernatural ease from the sorcery powering the chain... and lash it backwards, wielding it like a massive profane whip. As I move my arm forward, the chain moves on it's own, making a massive arc through the sky and and ending with the tip of the spiked chain converging on the point of the Impervious Cobalt Lich. 6 damage.

However, there's no other targets for the chain to fire at, and so pulling it back again, the process repeats. 6 damage. The Cobalt Lich, expecting the third strike, attempts to dodge sideways but gets caught by the chain, guiding my hand and landing another devastating hit. 6 damage, this time with Weakness as the chain cuts into its flank, but it shakes it off through it's ability for Command. For the last bit of damage, then, the chain proceeds to launch from my hand, arcing forward and lashing around the Impervious Cobalt Lich, restraining it tightly. Still tied to me, the Lich is crushed as I will it's destruction before the chain itself seems to explode into infernal flame...

12 damage. The chain reforms around my wrist, but it seems like it might take a little longer to recharge than usual due to bending the rules a lot with this attack. No matter.

Action 2, Warp Device -
With my damage dealt for the turn, I'm going to buff Splashcat with the Warp Device and give them Advantage for the next two turns. Speaking of that, I'm pretty sure my status effect should've worn off by now...
"Use it wisely! We can do this!"

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Don't forget about your basic attack - smacking the Impervious Cobalt Lich with the quarterstaff still hurts!
Hovering Turrets - Continue your fire at the Impervious Cobalt Lich.

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 2,394 [+120]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 165
[LVL 2] Copper - 355 [+60]
[LVL 3] Lead - 135
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 20

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 0/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [0/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [3/4 Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to give allies Advantage (+1 SV, Ranged/Melee Training 2) or enemies Disadvantage (-1 SV, +10% direct damage taken) for 2 turns.

Click to shrink...

You unleash the Length of Demonic Chain on the Impervious Cobalt Lich! It's the only entity in its group, so it only deals 6 damage, but that damage is a critical hit and increased to 12 damage! It's also immune to Weakened, but you did some extra damage to it.

Your Advantage also peters out, as you noted, but you use your Warp Device to grant Splashcat some measure of Advantage!

Post-Player Battle:

Ninjatwist_ fires twice at the Impervious Copper Lich, but both of his shots miss their mark! He curses and holsters the gun, making a mental note to have Luke check the thing out.

Luke sprays down the Impervious Copper Lich with his own gun, dealing 6 damage! One of the shots goes wide...
Lyra blasts the Impervious Copper Lich with her iRifle for 9 damage!
The Hovering Turrets keep their fire on the Impervious Copper Lich, dealing 12 damage to it with a lucky group of shots!

The Arcanist defiantly smashes the Impervious Copper Lich with their basic attack for 7 damage!
The Poltergeist uses DEATH, dealing 11 damage to the Copper Lich in exchanging for taking 2 damage itself!

The Impervious Cobalt Lich, fed up with taking all this damage, uses the benefits from its Rage Charge and uses Circle of Death! The lich points, and a sphere of destructive and deadly energy explodes into being, enveloping the Arcanist, the Poltergeist, both Hovering Turrets, Ninjatwist_, and Splashcat, who all take 16 points damage! One of the Hovering Turrets is instantaneously destroyed, but the Arcanist reduces the damage somewhat thanks to their Metalboon.

Splashcat can take advantage of their Advantage next turn!
The Arcanist's Metalboon fades.

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+0 Build Grist
+0 Rust [Lvl.1]
+0 Copper [Lvl.2]
+0 Lead [Lvl.3]
+0 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 4/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 0/2)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 5/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 2/2)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Clary Au/Yvonne [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
340/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
70/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
20/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or yourself or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (0/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
DEATH [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +5, deals 2 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (2/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 79%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 82/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 14/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 0/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 11/80. Weakened (+25% direct damage taken, 1/2), Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction, 0/2)
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 33/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis.

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: 80/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge).
Special Actions: Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.
Status Effects:

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and restore 5 HP to up to four Skeletons, which can overheal.
Circle Of Death: Deal 16 damage to six targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

Copper Lich [SB] HP: 0/96. Grist Tierage. / BD: 9. / SV: 3. Soul Blast: [III]. Animate Material: [IIII]. Burning (1 damage taken per turn, 2/2)

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

Inventory:
120 Lvl 0 Build Grist - 80 in A2 = 40
5 Lvl 3 Lead
60 Lvl 4 Cobalt

1x Lvl 2 Gold Ore
1x Lvl 3 Fulmigold Ore
1x Lvl 4 Metallic Command Block Scrap
Charge Gauge: 35/35 (0 in reserve)

Action 1: Item Collecting
Yvonne recounts. Just how many turns was she collecting items to no end?
But she couldn't head out without some suitable weapons. That would only drag the main party down.
She might also need some armour in order to survive.
She continue to collect items, and wait for Grists from the main party.

She collects Essence of Fire, Essence of Danger and Essence of Invisibility.

Action 2: Fusion

She makes a Wand Template, a Lvl 1 basic shape of a wand that can be used as the blueprint for a magical weapon.
She also makes a Potion Template, a Lvl 1 basic shape of a potion that can be filled in.

Click to shrink...

You can only craft two Ingredients a turn, but you can collect those ingredients without using an action and using a turn. They're in infinite supply once they're in the Crafting Ingredients Index, so feel free to use them without creating new versions of them.

Usually, I'd take your lack of Grist into account, since ingredients take Grist to craft, but considering you started things off with 0 Grist, I'll let things slide.

I'll let you craft the Potion Template, but the Sawed-Off Magic Staff in the current Ingredient pool would fulfill a similar niche, so I'll ask you if you still want to craft it- if you're sure, I'll let you craft it next turn as a free action.

Regardless, you do craft the Potion Template! It's been added to the Ingredients Index.

You have also recieved an influx of fresh Grist from Torix! Would you like to accept it? If not, feel free to decline this offering and not add this new influx to your inventory.

+460 Build Grist acquired.
+110 Rust [Lvl.1] acquired.
+160 Copper [Lvl.2] acquired.
+40 Lead [Lvl.3] acquired.
+20 Cobalt [Lvl.4] acquired.

Alright. 80 HP. We can easily manage that much!
Torix - "Everyone, focus your fire on it! If we do enough damage, it won't be able to attack anyone before it goes down!"
Torix - "Let's do this!"

Action 1, Inferno Blade -
My attacks alone won't kill it, but I can still deal massive amounts of damage using my weaponry correctly. Drawing the Inferno Blade, the blade regains its signature red glow. Using both hands, I give the sword one massive swing directly at the Impervious Cobalt Lich, which... misses, initially. The Lich can't believe its luck - it just missed a blow that clearly would've dealt massive damage due to the two-handed wielding! Giving a macabre laugh, it doesn't notice that the blade's swing left a trail of heated air and energy that then proceeds to strike directly at its gloating frame, knocking it over and off its feet as it hits the platform.

Even then, the attack isn't over. The blade's all-consuming desire to burn is turned fully towards the Impervious Cobalt Lich's will source as that energy wave hits it. It latches on and doesn't let go. The Lich wants to scream as its very will to live is used as a fuel source for the blade's fire as the glow increases in intensity to bright orange. Closing the distance between it, the parasitic bond between the sword and the formerly impervious lich grows stronger... and as I stab the sword into the lich, the cycle continues until the Lich is finally dead. Although I won't have the sword until that destructive cycle is finished, I can hope that sates its need to burn, incinerate, and destroy for a while.

Grimacing, I switch weapons. No time to waste.

Action 2, Storm Pistol -
While the Lich is preoccupied with the sword draining the flame of its will (although even now, it's only comparable to a candle), the Storm Pistol is quickly swapped into... and contrary to the initial short blasts of electricity, seems to charge up for a split-second. Lines along the side of the gun seem to smoothly fill into a yellow, and as some sort of seeming indicator, electricity begins coursing around me.

Out of continuing this analogy, let's compare this to a standard fighting game - Super Smash Brothers, for instance. Guns are known to be a viable weapon, composing the entirety of a certain character's neutral special and being a part of many other's movesets. Characters often gain some sort of indicator when their smash attack is fully charged.

So... sure. For a neutral special, a gun works fine. For a smash attack, especially mine? This works great! Finally releasing the charge as the Lich's invincibility frames run out from the sword's effective stunlock, a massive laser of electricity bolts across the stage and hits the Impervious Cobalt Lich! As the camera zooms in for that iconic shot before the character goes flying into the blast zone, I smirk - and watch the Lich desperately attempt to get back on stage despite the other's incoming attacks. At such a high percent, I doubt it'll be able to get back.

Roleplay with Consequences -


About the time that Yvonne makes these, a mental ping is heard from me...
Torix - Thank you so much. I should have made these a long time ago.
Torix - Hold on just one second... you've been trying to get some Grist, no?
Using some sort of version of GristTorrent, I give Yvonne 460 Build Grist, 110 Malachite/Rust (it's really a mix of both), 160 Copper, 40 Lead, and 20 Cobalt from my own stores. 20 of that LVL 1 Grist and 20 Build Grist goes to fully fund those new templates as LVL 1 materials.
Torix - That should be enough for a Level 3 and Level 4 alchemy each, counting your own Grist amounts.
Torix - ... Also, you can use our materials. We have plenty and they seem to not be used in the alchemy process.
Torix - To make a long story short, you should only need to worry about collecting new ones that we don't already have.
Torix - Hope this helps!

Entity Orders -
Arcanist - Use Chain Lightning, fully recharged, to strike out at the boss!
Hovering Turret - 4 damage could be everything we need. Strike the "Impervious" Cobalt Lich down!

Spoiler: Assets

Charge Gauges -
None Available! All 35 charges were spent on The Arcanist.
Grist -
[LVL 0] Build Grist - 1,934 [-460]
[LVL 1] Malachite, Rust - 55 [-110]
[LVL 2] Copper - 195 [-160]
[LVL 3] Lead - 95 [-40]
[LVL 4] Cobalt - 0 [-20]

Inventory -
Weaponry -
[Unique] Length of Demonic Chain - [llll] 1/4 - A length of chain dropped by Belial. Glows with dark-red energy... when it's charged.
Deals 6 damage to 4 entities in a group, automatically scoring a critical hit on a random one. Also inflicts Weakness (50% Attack Power, 2 Turns) to one foe of my choice.

[LVL 4] Inferno Blade - An intensely powerful sword, the blade itself glowing red with heat.
Bladed Weapon - +4 Attack, -10% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Burning (1 damage per turn, 2 turn duration) to target, and 2 random foes.
[LVL 3] Storm Pistol - A white and gold gun... Using the D&D 5E system, this is basically a +1 weapon.
Semi-Auto Pistol - +3 Attack, +5% Accuracy (effective 85% chance to hit, followed by 75% chance)
[LVL 3] Sword of Flaming Wind - A light sword with a warm wind constantly burning around it.
Bladed Weapon - +3 Attack, -20% Armor Effectiveness, 50% chance of Downwind (-1 SPD Value) to a target, and one random foe.
[LVL 3] Goldenspark Sword - An upgrade to the Firebolt Sword's electrical effects. Enhanced with Fulmigold!
Bladed Weapon - +2 Attack, -15% Armor Effectiveness, 50% Chance of Chain Lightning (1/4 damage to a second foe, up to 3), rolls twice.

Armor -
[LVL 3] Stalwart Valved Chestplate - An ancient metallic chest piece with elements of plumbing embedded. Has excellent control over water flow!
40% chance of 20% Damage Reduction, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2.
[LVL 2] Sylphic Scarf - [lll] 3/3 - Ready! - A translucent scarf with images of the sky. Seems to boost evasion.
Grants Evasion (25% chance to dodge) for a turn after being hit.
[LVL 1] Tiger-Striped Jacket - A burnt-orange jacket with small black stripes. It looks surprisingly stylish.
+5% Dodge Chance, Successful Dodging inflicts Scared for one turn on the attacker.

Consumables -
[LVL 3] Paingale Splash Potion - [3/4 Uses] - Brews up a literal storm of pain on impact with floor or entity.
Deals 6 damage to a target with possible splash damage. Also applies Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss) for two rounds.
[LVL 3] Potion of Mechanical Healing - [0/3 Uses] - A grayish potion. Seems to have replaced its food with nanobots.
Heals for 8 HP and grants Metalboon (20% Damage Reduction) for two turns.
[LVL 3] Warp Device - [2/4 Uses] - Totally just a Portal Gun. Seems to have some charge issues, though...
Can be used to give allies Advantage (+1 SV, Ranged/Melee Training 2) or enemies Disadvantage (-1 SV, +10% direct damage taken) for 2 turns.

Click to shrink...

Firstly, your exflux of Grist is wired to Clarissa Au! She has the option of either accepting or declining the Grist, at which point it will either go into her inventory or return to your inventory, respectively.

As for your attacks...

Your first series of brutal strikes with the Inferno Blade deals 18 damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich! You also inflict Burning on it, as if it wasn't in enough trouble already.

Your second power shot with the Storm Pistol deals 17 damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich as it's recovering from your Inferno Blade assault!

Build Grist [Lv. 0]: 3248
Malachite [Lv. 1]: 140
Rust [Lv. 1]: 275
Copper [Lv. 2]: 535
Lead [Lv. 3]: 330
Cobalt [Lv. 4]: 80

-----

I note that I should be getting a buff from my Brave Onyx Helmet right about now.

-----

Action 1 + Magitech Redstone Staff: I place down an enchantment table, then set up a complicated apparatus of redstone and books around it, conducting its own energy back in on itself. I stand back, then thrust the staff up into the air, a piston launching the Lich directly towards the table. At the same time, I throw a piece of lapis at the table, applying its queued enchantment. It enchants itself with Sharpness V, causing the arcane glyphs swirling around it to become razor-sharp and shred the falling lich.

-----

Action 2 + Cursed Linked Warp Sword: I portal-step high above the Lich, then jab my sword into the air and cut open a long rift as I descend. A great geodesic sphere of rusted metal rolls out: An entire vitrified test chamber, taken from the bowels of Aperture Science. It crashes down on the Lich, crushing him under its weight.

The metal buckles, and the battered lich staggers out into the testing chamber. Immediately, it takes a high-velocity cube to the head. It seems a Repulsion Gel pipe has burst, giving the cube a thorough coating. It takes a few more cracked bones before the lich manages to get a good grip on the cube, but eventually they grab it as it passes by, wash it clean, put it down on a button, and advance into the next room.

No sooner has the Lich taken one step through the door than its feet fly out from under it. The ground here is coated with Propulsion Gel, and thanks to the whole sphere being slightly askew, it's a downhill slope heading directly into a mass of twisted metal. Seems like the chamber's rather fallen apart... that doesn't look too healthy for the Lich. It picks itself up, though, somewhat worse for the wear, and runs along the side of the slope, ignoring the need to portal entirely by using its supernatural strength to leap a gap over sludge and pass through the door into the third section of the test chamber.

...well, will you look at that. This one's full of turrets! In fact, I'd say there are nearly as many turrets in the test chamber as there are bullets in the Lich right now. It made it to the exit, but... oh dear. It's really a shame it had no portal gun, imagine how much easier it would have been if it could have gone around the line of fire instead of through.

-----

The Poltergeist borrows Paradox's Staff of Creation Magics and phases inside Splashcat. Man, their interior organs aren't looking so good... that Circle of Death has knocked them all out of whack. It makes a few adjustments here and there and applies creation magic where needed to patch them up as best as it's able to.

Click to shrink...

You're right- you should. It's also been applied retroactively, as you deal 4 retcon damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich!

That's a great attack with the Redstone Staff! You deal 19 damage in one attack to the Impervious Cobalt Lich! It's immune to any stunning effects the attack may have, but stuns are the least of its issues right now.

Your second one takes the cake. Your test chamber attack deals a positively devastating, combined with your weapon attributes and buffs, 21 damage to the Cobalt Lich! It's one hit point away from death!

Sky High takes a big leap using his mechanical leg, and delivers a powerful slap across the Impervious Cobalt Lich's face.

Then, he crafts an item:

DEATH [Lv. 3] ++ Essence of Calamity [Lv. 4] = REAPER [Lv. 4]

REAPER is an upgraded form of DEATH, dealing slightly more damage to the user in exchange for increased base damage.

~~~
CP: 0/35
Inventory:
2160 Build Grist
140 Malachite
435 Copper
165 Lead
0 Cobalt
WAR [Lvl. 3]
PESTILENCE [Lvl. 3]
FAMINE [Lvl. 3]
DEATH [Lvl. 3]
Multiessence Virtuous Plates [Lvl. 3]
Essential Healing Vapors (3/3) [Lvl. 2]

Click to shrink...

You craft REAPER! You spend 80 Cobalt, 160 Copper, and 320 Build Grist to push the damage of your blade through the roof, at the cost of even more self-damage.

Your robot-leap-empowered slap deals 8 damage to the Impervious Cobalt Lich, nevertheless, you kill the damn thing! The Impervious Cobalt Lich disintegrates into Grist, groaning from frustration at being brought low by an attack this simple! After the sound resides, nothing that could be recognized as what was once the Impervious Cobalt Lich remains.

+240 Build Grist acquired.
+120 Rust [Lvl.1] acquired.
+120 Copper [Lvl.2] acquired.
+120 Lead [Lvl.3] acquired.
+60 Cobalt [Lvl.4] acquired.

Post-Player Battle:

With the Impervious Cobalt Lich collapsed into all sorts of Grist, Ninjatwist_ breaks into a resounding cheer, while Luke gives out a more subdued cheer of his own.
Lyra, having previously seen typing furiously on her laptop, approaches the party with graver news.

LYRA: Guys, I just heard back from Cody and Kate.
LYRA: It's a bit more urgent than I'd like, but are you willing to give me a listen?

Total Grist gains for this round are:
+240 Build Grist
+120 Rust [Lvl.1]
+120 Copper [Lvl.2]
+120 Lead [Lvl.3]
+60 Cobalt [Lvl.4]

This concludes the most recent Episode! I know it's taken us a long time to get here, but I appreciate everyone who's stuck around this long. I would like to release a story post sometime during next weekend at least, but this will largely depend on my (packed, at least for the remainder of the weekend) schedule. Stay tuned, I'll get out an announcement via Discord to anyone still interested once things are complete!

Sidequest Events:

The Ender Dragon Whelp manages to strike past your barricade, dealing 10 damage to you! However, it does take 6 damage from the lava around it!

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Steel and Platforms.
A derelict industrial zone that resembles the ruins of a sprawling facility. Some white platforms stand out amongst the gunmetal gray landscape and wreckage. Lyra's home is here, and while it hasn't seen hostility in a while, monster spawns are definitely still present.
Click here to view the map of the area.

Current Areas: Southern Pipelines, Empty Basin.
Access To: Platform Highway, Waste Hill.

Itinerary:
-Explore the Land of Steel and Platforms!
-If you run into enemies, be sure to make sure everyone's okay if you engage them! Only one engagement can occur at a time unless otherwise specified.
-If you need to get to an area only accessible by portals, ask Lyra to put some portals down, or keep them open via the Portal Projector!

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 22/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 4/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 0/2)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 20/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 5/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve) Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2, 2/2)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 23/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Clary Au/Yvonne [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
340/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
70/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
20/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or yourself or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (0/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
REAPER [Lvl.4] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +6, deals 3 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 97%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (2/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 79%. (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 82/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Hovering Turret [AA - Lyra Xandine] HP: 14/30. / BD: 4. / SV: 3. Commandable. (x1).
-Hovering Turret HP: 0/30. (x1)
Weapon: Turret Automatic Bullet Sling (Automatic, -20% accuracy, gain +30% accuracy if commanded)

The Arcanist [AA - Torix]: HP: 11/80. Weakened (+25% direct damage taken, 1/2), Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction, 0/2)
Special Actions: Firestorm: [IIII]. Frost Ray: [III]. Chain Lightning: [III]. Cure Wounds: [IIII].

Spoiler: The Arcanist Stats

Base Damage: 7
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Firestorm: Inflicts Burning (4 damage taken per turn) on up to three enemies for two turns. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.
Frost Ray: Deals 12 damage to a foe, inflicting Frost (-1 Speed Value) as well. Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Chain Lightning: Deal 10 damage to a foe, 60% chance to deal 5 damage to another foe in the same group (rolls twice). Cooldown of 3 turns. Starts empty.
Cure Wounds: Heals 8 HP to one ally. Cooldown of 4 turns. Starts empty.

Poltergeist [AA - Splashcat] HP: 33/84. Possession: [IIII]. Kinesis.

Spoiler: Poltergeist Stats

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Possession: Attack an enemy entity as if it had attacked itself, for 13 Base Damage with a possible Creativity Bonus adding up to a further +13 to that Base Damage.

Kinesis: Can use any piece of non-consumable equipment restricted to T3 or lower from any player's inventory during its attack. Items that use multiple actions (e.g. DEATH) will disable Kinesis for the amount of actions required.

Impervious Cobalt Lich [SB-BOSS] HP: -7/384. Grist Tierage. MVP. Command. Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge).
Special Actions: Sickening Scratch: II. Soul Blast: III. Swift Animate Material: IIII. Empowering Ray: IIIII. Circle Of Death: IIIIII.
Status Effects: Burning (1 damage taken per turn, 2/2)

Spoiler: Refined Cobalt Lich Statistics

Base Damage: 13
Speed Value: 3

Special Actions:
Sickening Scratch: Deal 13 damage to a target and apply Sick (Cannot regain health) for one round.
Soul Blast: Deal 16 damage to a target, and inflict Weakened (+25% direct damage taken) for two rounds. Starts empty.
Swift Animate Material: Take damage equal to 10% of this entity's Max HP, summon four Cobalt Skeletons, then take another action. Can't be used if it would kill the user.
Empowering Ray: Deal 20 damage to a target, and restore 5 HP to up to four Skeletons, which can overheal.
Circle Of Death: Deal 16 damage to six targets.

Passives:
MVP: Allied entities and groups have a chance to block an attack meant for this entity. Chance for blocked attack is (Number of allied entities/groups * 25 / 100). Boss exclusive.
Command: Combined effects of Tenacity, Surefoot, and Fortitude. Boss exclusive.
Rage Charge (40%, 1 Charge): Upon reaching or going below the HP threshold, the entity instantly gains the amount of charges specified to its Special Actions.

[========] Ender's Sidequest [========]
An island of the End, stacked with obsidian pillars around a central portal in the middle. Beyond that is a vast expanse of static.

Ender Smirk [AA?] HP: 15/25. Charge Gauge: 0/35 Spent. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

The Draco Blade [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +4)

End Stone Cover [AA?] HP: 5/5. Fortification (50%, 1 capacity, Housing: Ender Smirk) Counterattack (Base Damage: 6).

Ender Dragon Whelp [???] HP: 60/120. / BD: 10 / SV: 3. Attack Cancelable (Attack is canceled if it takes damage, 94% chance, chance decreases with amount of damage taken, resets to 100% upon dealing damage).

----

Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28

 

[Ninjatwist_]

It's been 3000 years...

After way too long of a time getting waylaid on my art, I've finally buckled down and gotten together a good storypost! Here it is, three months in the making (although it should have been two weeks in the making)...

<STORY POST>

</Episode 2>
<Episode 3="Regained Focus">

Lyra opens up her laptop and quickly runs through some information, as if to double-check.

LYRA: Kate told me that she and Cody found something troubling near his planet.
LYRA: It looks like a spaceship, but it doesn't look all that similar to your typical spaceship you'd see in a video game.
LYRA: Or maybe you would, there's some inventive stuff out there.
LYRA: The bad part is that its path takes it directly to Skaia.
NINJATWIST_: That spaceship looks like a potent target, but what's Skaia?
LYRA: Skaia's a planet that these worlds are orbiting, and it's crucial to our game.
LYRA: Not much has been done on it as of now, and the war there between Prospit and Derse has drawn to a standstill.
LYRA: ...Oh, those are two worlds we go to when we go to sleep and start dreaming. They don't like each other, and Skaia is their battleground.
LYRA: Something tells me the war's supposed to be going one way or another, but ever since the Acolyte's invaded everything's gone to a standstill…
NINJATWIST_: And now that spaceship is headed right towards it.
LUKE: Yep.

LUKE: When I think about it, Kate and I have always seen spaceships near Skaia since the Acolyte started meddling with our session.
LUKE: I haven't seen this most recent one, though; did Kate get anything in particular about this ship?
LYRA: Kate told me that the most recent ship that she saw looked considerably bigger than the ships she's seen before.
LUKE: ...
LUKE: ...That's not good.
LUKE: Something big's about to go down on Skaia, and it can't be good for us.
LUKE: We've gotta stop that ship.
LYRA: I see what you mean.
LYRA: I've gotta get back into contact with Cody to build something here immediately.
LYRA: Everyone, back to my house! I'll meet you back there once I finish talking to Cody.
LYRA: Luke, use my portal gun where you see fit.

Luke takes Lyra's portal gun off her hands, firing a portal down onto Lyra's monster hunting platform and directing the party to jump through it. As you approach Lyra's house, you see a number of extensions rising upwards, reaching a portal in a similar fashion to how you arrived at Lyra's planet. As the structure reaches completion, Lyra hurriedly catches up to you. As before, she signals to her sprite to fling her companions upwards, with Luke volunteering to go next to last. As you ascend to Cody's land through the gate, you see Luke and Lyra discussing something. You can't hear anything discernible, but Luke has a worried expression on his face, while Lyra's is more composed.

You end your journey through the gate, arriving at a reddened, unforgiving-looking land with pale red soil, if you can call it that. Rivers of a grisly, sanguine-looking fluid run throughout the land. Above you hovers a nameplate for this crimson landscape, which shifts in a manner allowing you to read it...

Land of Blood and Ruins

As you gaze upwards at the sign, an energetic, youthful voice calls to you from a medium distance.

????: Hey, we're over here!

Towards you jog a young man and a young woman in sets of armor, sans helmets: the former's taking inspiration from the distant past, and the latter's looks like something out of a more recent past's vision of the future. The blonde young man has a confident expression about his face and square black sunglasses, while the young woman has a distinctly Eastern-looking hairstyle but rounder and transparent glasses. They both beam at the party and lock their eyes onto Luke and Lyra, who have since entered through the portal.

CODY: Hey, you two! It's been a hot minute since I've seen you. What's everyone been up to?
LUKE: It's good to see you, Cody. We recently met these guys. They're a pretty useful bunch, considering they helped me take out the last wave of Mooks that got sent at us.
LYRA: Come on, I'm sure they're more than just a bunch, Luke. These are probably our newest allies! It wouldn't hurt to give them a bit more credit than "just a bunch."
LUKE: I mean, I guess you're right. I called them helpful, at least, which is the truth.
KATE: I'd love to take the time to meet all of them, but there's probably some sort of trouble afoot. Cody, you saw that space-ship looking thing with me, right?
CODY: Yep. I think our next course of action is to try to get aboard that ship somehow to forcefully get it away from Skaia.
CODY: Although question is, where is that ship? It seems to have moved a bit while we were getting things done.

KATE: That's the ship! Over there!

And just in time, as Kate points it out through the gaps in the planet's errant clouds, you notice a gray-looking capsule-like spaceship traveling slowly through the black void of the incipisphere, tinged red by the rusty atmosphere of Cody's Land.



On that very spaceship, a Mook Colonel approaches the observation deck of the ship, which has been restricted to VIPs and cleared of all other presences for the moment. He greets a very critical, very powerful, and hopefully very familiar figure.



MOOK COLONEL: Your Infinity, the Worldforger should be making landfall within the next few hours.
THE ACOLYTE: Wonderful. Gear up the troops and have them readied for arrival.
COLONEL: Absolutely, Your Infinity.

The Mook Colonel turns, then stays for a moment, then turns back around at the Acolyte.

COLONEL: Your Infinity, I have a simple question...
ACOLYTE: I suppose I'll answer. I have time.
COLONEL: On previous missions, you would only have sent a few detachments of our forces, accompanied by one of your Generals.
COLONEL: But now, this is the largest force sent to this place, and you yourself are among them! Additionally, you're at the helm of the Worldforger, among the strongest ships we have built to date!
COLONEL: Why do you need such a strong selection of troops and gear at this moment?




ACOLYTE: I need the scepter.

COLONEL: The... scepter? If you would pardon my ignorance, what is your plan?
ACOLYTE: Belial failed where I thought he would succeed- slaying the denizens of these orbiting planets.
ACOLYTE: No matter... it seems I must spearhead my plans from the front.
ACOLYTE: The smaller units I had sent here were sent to break enemy lines, and then retreat.
ACOLYTE: You see, the war going on on this planet is a one-sided one; and without any outside intervention, one side is doomed to lose, and the victor would gain a particular scepter as their prize.
ACOLYTE: This scepter grants control over the asteroid belt in its orbit.
ACOLYTE: Such a victory would prove detrimental to my plans, and make the scepter much harder to retrieve.
ACOLYTE: My plan is to gain the scepter for myself. With total control over these asteroids in my grasp, this universe is mine to dominate, and its resources free to do with as I wish.

The Acolyte does a slow, impatient turn towards his subordinate, half-glaring through his unhidden right eye.

ACOLYTE: Does this answer your question?

COLONEL: Y-yes, absolutely, Your Infinity!
ACOLYTE: Good. Now, I suggest you run along. Those troops won't mobilize themselves.
ACOLYTE: As we both know, if this plan goes off successfully, which it has little reason not to, we will both share in the benefits, because what benefits me will, through some manner or another, benefit you.
ACOLYTE: Isn't that correct?
COLONEL: O-of course, Your Infinity.
ACOLYTE: I thought so, Colonel. Now, I suggest you return to your duties. We have a landing to prepare for.

The Mook Colonel gives a short bow, and then timidly scurries off to fulfill the Acolyte's orders.

Returning to the Land of Blood and Ruins, a tense atmosphere has set upon the party as Luke, Lyra, Cody, and Kate look up at the Worldforger, their goal in sight, yet currently unreachable.

CODY: I'm pretty sure you figured this out already, but I'm pretty sure if that spaceship reaches Skaia, we're all toast.
LYRA: Yep, we're on the same page. Question is, how do we get aboard that ship?
KATE: I'm not sure how we'd get up there... We could try out Lyra's portal gun, but I'm not sure if it'd be just right for it to work.
LUKE: What if our new allies have an idea? They've been beating back the boss of those Mooks, they call him the Acolyte, for quite some time now, and they've gotten good at it.
KATE: Good idea, Luke!

With that, Kate turns to you, the players:

KATE: Well, I think how we tackle the issue of getting up to that ship is up to you.
KATE: Cody's raring to go get on that ship, but he doesn't have any ideas on how to get there.
KATE: Luke and Lyra are busy getting something together with the kit we have, but I'm not entirely sure it's going to work.
KATE: Maybe you could think of a good solution? Luke says you managed to put a beatdown on that. We've barely even seen him thus far!
KATE: With that kind of experience, I'm sure you'll put together something that we can put into action.

KATE: Oh, and if you just want to chat with me, Cody, or anyone else, I'd be glad to help you on that front!

</STORY POST>

Aaand that's the storypost! I'll be responding to peoples' actual posts in a succeeding update, provided that they haven't changed throughout this long hiatus.
I also hope to be implementing a rework to how the story-important NPCs work sometime soon.

Keep in mind that your entities are staying behind through the episode transition.

[========] The Battlefield [========]
Current Location: Land of Blood and Ruins
A planet bathed in deep red, with ruins both ancient and modern-looking scattered throughout the landscape. Cody has his home somewhere on the planet, while Kate has been in his company for some time. Luke and Lyra are somewhat familiar with the planet, while it is an entirely new sight to you and Ninjatwist_.

Itinerary:
- Find out a way to board the Worldforger! Not only does it hold your old nemesis on it, it's an imminent danger to the teenagers' session.
- Chat with Kate, Cody, or Luke, Lyra and Ninjatwist_ if you like. Kate in particular is pretty eager to get to know you.

The Entelarch [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
The Paradoxical Dragon [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Torix [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 35/35. (0 in reserve)
Alastair1 [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Splashcat [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Sky High? [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Bill Nye [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Thegoldenboy [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
KitRougard/Xorm [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)
Clary Au/Yvonne [AA] HP: 25/25. Charge Gauge Spent: 0/35. (0 in reserve)

Spoiler: Player Inventory

Crafting Ingredients that have been collected are listed here.
Ingredients manifest up to: [Lvl.4]
Can manifest [Lvl.5] ingredients if given:
340/1280 Build Grist
40/80 Lvl.1 Grist (Includes: Malachite, Rust)
40/40 Lvl.2 Grist (Includes: Copper)
70/90 Lvl.3 Grist (Includes: Lead)
20/80 Lvl.4 Grist (Includes: Cobalt)
0/125 Lvl.5 Grist

The Paradoxical Dragon:
Aether Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 10% chance to dodge an attack completely)
Magic Aqua Helm [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)
Turquoise Vapor Plate [Lvl.2] (Equipment, 15% chance to dodge an attack completely, halves duration of fire-based status effects on wearer, rounding down)

Voidstaff [Lvl.1] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Staff of Creation Magics [Lvl.2] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Base Heal: +2, 40% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Schrodinger's Twinstaffs [Lvl.3] (Blunt Weapon, Base Damage: +3, Base Heal: +1, 50% chance to inflict Blind (60% miss chance) for 1 turn upon hit)
Paradox Circuitry Wyrmcannon [Lvl.3] (Single-shot ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, 40% chance to deal 3 extra damage to a foe in the target's group)

Torix:
Inferno Blade [Lvl.4] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +4, Target's armor is 10% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and two random foes within the target's group with Burning (1 damage taken per turn) for two turns)
Goldenspark Sword [Lvl.3] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 15% less effective, 50% chance to deal 25% of your attack's damage (Max of 3 damage) to another foe in the target's group, rolls twice)
Storm Pistol [Lvl.3] (Semi-automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +3, +5% accuracy)
Sword of Flaming Wind [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +3, Target's armor is 20% less effective, 50% chance to inflict target and a random foe within the target's group with Downwind (-1 Speed Value) for the turn)

Sylphic Scarf [Lvl.2] [Cooldown: III] (Equipment, wearer gains Evasion (25% chance to dodge attacks) for 1 turn after being hit, three-turn cooldown)
Tiger Patterned Jacket [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, dodging an attack inflicts Scared (Misses actions) for one turn on the attacker)
Stalwart Valves Chestplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, can boost the power of Water-based freeform attacks by 2)

Warp Device [Lvl.3] (Uses: IIII) (Applies either Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to one ally or yourself or Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) to one enemy for two turns)
Potion of Mechanical Healing [Lvl.3] (0/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 8 HP to the target, applies Metalboon (20% damage taken reduction) for two turns, can self-target)
Paingale Splash Potion [Lvl.3] (Uses: 4/4) (Deal 6 damage to the target with possible splash damage, apply Aching (1 damage taken per turn, 10% chance to miss attacks) for two rounds to foes hit)

Length of Demonic Chain [Unique] [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 6 damage to four enemies in a group, critically hit to a random foe, inflict Weakness (-50% damage dealt) for two turns to a chosen foe)

Alastair1:
Iron Boot-Embossed Sword [Lvl.1] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +2)
Tiger-Pattern Stone Axe [Lvl.1] (Bladed weapon. Base Damage: +2, scoring a critical hit has a 75% chance to inflict Scared (Misses actions) on one enemy for one turn)
Build Grist-Forged Shotgun [Lvl.1] (Semi-Automatic, Base Damage: +2)

Iron Boot-Patterned Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%)
Tiger-Pattern Helmet [Lvl.1] (Equipment. +5% dodge chance, bonus is tripled when plant-related equipment is worn)
Tiger-Pattern Pants [Lvl. 1] (Equipment, +5 dodge chance, making a martial arts-focused attack in it triples the bonus, cannot trigger consecutively)

Splashcat:
Cursed Linked Warp Sword [Lvl.4] (Bladed Weapon, Base Damage: +3, has a 75% chance to apply Disadvantage (+10% damage taken from direct attacks, -1 Speed Value) for 1 turn on hit, guaranteed if it deals exactly 13 damage in one attack, 20% chance to nullify enemy armor)
Clutter Bomb Launcher [Lvl.3] (Single-shot explosive, direct hits cause the target to suffer Cluttered (Subtracts 2 damage from the next basic attack of the target, stacks up to 3 times))
Fulmigold Laser Burner [Lvl.3] (Semi-Automatic Pistol, Base Damage: +2, Target's armor is 40% less effective)
Magitech Redstone Staff [Lvl.4] (Blunt weapon, Base Damage: +3, 20% chance to inflict Stun (Misses attacks) for one turn)

Fulmigold Terraplate [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 50% chance to reduce incoming damage by 40%, +10% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Gunmetal Chestplate [Lvl.1] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 25%, +5% accuracy when using firearms in attacks)
Brave Onyx Helmet [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 30% chance to negate 50% of incoming damage, +2 Base Damage when HP is below 60%)

Yin Yang Cluster Bombs [Lvl.3] [Uses: IIII] (Consumable, deals 6 damage to 3 targets in a group)

Sky High?:
REAPER [Lvl.4] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +6, deals 3 damage to the user on hit, cannot be used in the same turn as another item)
FAMINE [Lvl.3] (Bladed melee weapon, Base Damage: +2, Heals user by 3 HP upon a crit instead of dealing extra damage, +5% crit chance, 25% chance to apply Confused (25% chance for attacks to also damage an ally) for two rounds)
WAR [LVL.3] (Bladed weapon, Base Damage: +2, Can multitarget within a targeted group, +1 Base Damage for every entity targeted after the first (max of +3), 5% miss chance for every entity targeted after the first, Armor is 10% less effective, 20% chance to inflict Bleeding on the foe for 2 turns)
PESTILENCE [Lvl.3] (Bladed weapon, 5% increased crit chance, 75% chance to inflict Cursed (+10% damage taken from direct attacks) on target and self for 1 turn, 25% chance to inflict Poison (1 damage taken per turn) for 3 turns, 20% chance to inflict Scared (40% miss chance) for 1 turn, 1/5 chance to upgrade Scared to Terrified (Misses attacks))

Multiessence Virtue Armor [Lvl.3] (Equipment, 40% chance to reduce incoming damage by 20%, 30% chance to inflict a two-turn damage-per-turn effect on attacking foes)

Essential Healing Vapors [Lvl.2] (3/3 Uses) (Consumable, Restores 6 HP to the target and shortens damage-per-turn effects on them by 1 turn)

KitRougard/Xorm:
Huo-Long Heater [Lvl.3] (Automatic ranged weapon, Base Damage: +2, +2 Base Damage against an enemy suffering any kind of Burning, 50% chance to apply Burning (1 damage taken per turn) to melee attackers for a round when used)

Ninjatwist_ [AA] HP: 100/100.

Spoiler: Ninjatwist_ Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 4

Weapons:
-Beretta 93R [Lvl.3] [Burstfire: III]: (Semi-Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: User. Burstfire sacrifices a shot to deal triple damage at -10% accuracy)
-Shortsaber [Lvl.3]: (Bladed Weapon. Base Damage: +2, critical hits make melee armor 50% less effective)
Consumables:
-Cooked Salmon [Lvl.3] (4/4 Foodstuffs) (Grants Regeneration (4 HP restored per turn) for 3 turns when used, strength doubled when used on self)
-Caltrop Blaster [Lvl.3] (3/3 Shots) [Cooldown: III] (Deals 4 damage to six enemy targets, inflicts Slow (-1 Speed Value, +20% chance for ranged weapons to hit) for 1 turn on hit)
-Quick-Place Cobblestone [Lvl.3] (3/3 Builds) (Restores 30 HP to an allied Fortification when used)

Luke Ingram [AA] Health Vial: 100% (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Luke Ingram Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-Alternator SMG [Lvl.3]: (Automatic Weapon. Base Damage: +0, Target's ranged armor is 40% less effective)
-Fire Demon Mace [Lvl.3] [Fireball: III]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Fireball inflicts Burning (50% melee damage penalty, 1 damage taken per turn) for 2 turns)
Consumables:
-Potion of Lead Skin + [Lvl.3] (4/4 Uses) (Gain Lead Skin (100% resistance to ranged damage) for two turns when used)
-Black Mesa Freeman-Grade Medkit [Lvl.3] (2/4 Uses) (Restore 20 HP to the user, or 10 HP to an ally, when used)
-Napalm Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (1/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 2 enemies, apply Burning (2 damage taken per turn, 2/2) to 2 survivors from each strike)

Lyra Xandine [AA] Health Vial: 100% (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Spoiler: Lyra Xandine Stats and Weapons

Base Damage: 6
Speed Value: 3

Weapons:
-iRifle [Lvl.3] [Displacer: III]: (Single-Shot Weapon. Base Damage: +2, Gain a 20% chance to crit if under the effect of a Speed Value-increasing debuff, Displacer deals no damage but gives an enemy Exposed (+20% direct damage taken, cannot be bodyguarded) for two rounds)
-Shower Curtain Rod Staff [Lvl.3]: (Blunt Weapon. Base Damage: +2, reduces incoming melee damage by 25% from attacked group)
Consumables:
-Team Warp Device [Lvl.3] (3/4 Uses) (Grant Advantage (+1 Speed Value, Effects of Melee/Ranged Training 2) to yourself and two allies for 2 turns when used)
-Aperture-Brand Not-Wrangler [Lvl.3] (2/3 Uses) (Allied entities with Commandable gain Wranglersight(+50% damage bonus, Effects of Ranged Training 3) for the round but must attack the same foe or group of foes)
-Portal Strike Coordinator [Lvl.3] (2/2 Uses) [Cooldown: IIII] (Deal 8 damage to 3 groups of 3 enemies, critically hit one chosen enemy from each group)

Cody Crimson [AA] Health Vial: 100% (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

Kate Mabufu [AA] Health Vial: 100% (HV:HP Ratio: 1:1).

(Ender Smirk and his sidequest have been cut for inactivity, and were last seen near the top of Page 15.)

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Acolyte [AC] Progress: 36/100 HP
Acolyte Kills: 28