[PolarStarQuote]

@phreezey

The Dealer would raise brows upon the entrance of Isonus, His face stern, Showing little emotion, Except a bit of joy. The Dealer had met the Half-elf when he first entered Li, And he had sort of become a Tool, to help his Game reach a few more through word of mouth. It was quite nice indeed. He had to admit, This was exciting for him, To play this game once more, With the one most excited to play. And, Much as the portrayal above said, The Dealer would repeat, as the cards fluttered through the air, Becoming shuffled in the midst of magic...

"You know...It would be so easy to make a game that merely defeats you, Or a game in which you stand no chance. Completely unfair...But that is not how this works, Is it? No...I refuse to play in such Manner. Our Game is Fair. And you will be defeated. Fairly." The Dealer would say, Seeming quite intent on his victory. Certainly a Rivalry they had, Before the Dealer would send the Four cards forward, for Isonus to take his pick.

"Select your Ace of these three..."

"The Ace of Masochists. A Man with a dark history, yet he smiles maniacally through it all..."

(Ace of Masochists will make your Ace  Dark Mage Henry (No Transformations). As well, you gain the 'Masochistic' Status. Henry starts with 50 MAX HP. But, for each enemy killed, He is healed to full health, and gains 10 MAX Health.)



"The Ace of Magic...He has stronger magic than any should have a right to. However, With that, He has a high opinion of himself..."

(Ace of Magic will make your Ace Black Mage (No Transformations). As well, You will gain "Mana Charge" as an item. Three times, You may drink this surging potion, to Restore all cooldowns, and remove all debuffs.)



"The Ace of Blaze. A Great Sword of Legend upon his back, His battles are only as legendary as the fires he casts."

(The Ace of Blaze will make your Ace Eliwood. As well, you will gain 'Durandal's Opal', A Gem embedded into your great sword, Which has the power to remove all Burn Status ailments.)


"And now, The Enemy of my choosing..."



"The King of Stalwart. A Knight who chose to disgrace himself, To keep the Line of Order, And to plunge the world into a Fiery Chaos...Defeat Garland, If you can."




"Now...Cut the deck. We shall play with what you leave below."




Cut the Deck low??

(The Game will be shortened, And will not feature as much Post-Game Loot to obtain. Means a more immediate reward, however.)



Cut the Deck in the middle??

(Standard Game Length.)



Cut the Deck High??

(Game will be much longer, and have rarer, Even grander loot, But will make the game take longer, and have more, and Wider maps. With more chance to lose everything, However...)

[Deleted]

The hollow pulses in clicks of class-having footsteps approached the internal of the room after his instated challenge, Isonus was ready to take on this maniacally beautiful game's many challenges, and perhaps have a proper duel of the minds with the Dealer. Many-a-day went by where Isonus was sorely disappointed by the stock of one's mind, where the fruition of those many who claimed intelligence were no more than bantering cavemen posing a high vocabulary with little else. It ached in the outer reaches of his brain when this occurred, but not with the Dealer. This man understood the thrill of the games, and the promise of victory. "Do not be so sure of yourself, Dealer. Fairness breeds equal chance at success, and placing us as we are - equals. The Game will help decide this factor between us. Shall the world overtake the man, or will the man conquer his world?"

For now, the thaumaturge entered with a platter of various 'modern' foods, fried meats namely, to treat his host while they played. Surely, Isonus remembered the Dealer's remarks of his yearning for modern foods. "These are not sweet like candied cotton, spun sugar, but they are savory, fried meats made with modern implements and breadings. Poultry, beef, and fish. Eat slow, and use the napkins I've given you. I'd hate this game to cut short for any reason." Isonus insisted, laying the food to the side of the table, away from the tokens or cards, and out of the playing space. His pulse raced as he watched the cards come out, eyes dilating in sheer excitement.

The Aces, there they lay, housed before him in a neat, vertical order. "Ah, each one possesses such power, and at such a price." His eyes kept wandering back to the Ace of Masochists, feeling the alluring draw of dark magic, but again, to the other two Aces equally so. It would be ten minutes of self muttering and squinting at each card, pondering all possible choices. Finally, he tapped his finger twice to the Ace of Masochists.

"Give me the Ace of Masochists, dear friend. Though his initial weakness is... off-putting, I'm sure his combat potential and scaling strengths will prove fruitful." Isonus's cocky smirk, and careful examination of the board were obvious to his yearning to not beat this game, but play it, fully and with fairness abroad. As for the cutting of the deck, Isonus removed a single card at random using his own magic. Cutting the deck high it seemed. "Challenge and reward are hand in hand in this game. Let both come in great amounts."

[PolarStarQuote]

The Dealer would hum a little, Stroking his chin through his Veil as he stared at the plate of crisp looking foods before him. Curious, He raised a Scarred hand to them, Taking what looked to be a Tempura'd Shrimp, Sliding it into his mouth through his veil by some trick of the mind. "Mmm...Quite nice. Gifts will give you no leverage in this game...But appreciated, None the less. Xièxiè." The man would say, Thanking him in Chinese, Before he wiped his hand of the grease the shrimp provided, and took the stack of cards in hand, to begin setting up the Game.

Cards flew off of his hand like a show, Stacking into many decks, and settling together onto a Map, The first card flipping up, as the Golden coin landed atop of it, with a slight ring. "The Game begins once more."

"The Twisted Canyon. All games need a card that truly gets us started, And it seems you've lucked out well."

A Light mist fills the room, as suddenly, Isonus is numb, and taken...






Atop the Canyon, You can see a glimmering light somewhere deep inside of the dusty hole. Perhaps treasure? Something to take advantage of? Regardless, the canyon is steep, And quite Trecherous...Shall you climb down to retrieve it?

(If you chose to climb for the shining object, You will have a 75% Chance to succeed, Via a D100. If not, You will suffer pain.)

[Deleted]

"Oh, now this is incredibly fascinating... I appear to have turned into Henry."

Taking immediate notice of his new form, Isonus would look to his hands, and raise them to the sun for a moment, clasping and opening his palms repeatedly. Hensonus's blood was warm, and his brain without the whispers of the antediluvian, but instead, of something new. Sinister urges to leap from this high cliffside and into the ravine below, to splat so graciously and spread his blood about with a landing so hard that it could shatter bone. Of course, that was but nary a moment that Hensonus felt this urge, before feeling his stark pragmatism overtake him.

"Normally, the owner of this body would leap into danger. I am not the owner of this body."

Lsya0Catp_1d100(Success!)

"Instead, I shall..." Hensonus grunted a little as he gripped the side of the canyon's walls, steadily scaling below. The worst that could happen would be nothing, next up an ambush, and finally, the best could be treasure of some sort to be sold for a profit. Hensonus was going to leave as little to chance as possible. His caution was only for the field, and for boss battles, however. He wasn't going to act so carefully in combat. What fun would that be? "...attempt to investigate safely..."

Isonus seemed skilled at adapting to new bodies, especially those of human shape. Perhaps he's done this before, or a variation of the game. Perhaps Isonus was just naturally brilliant. Regardless, the thaumaturge in the Plegian Dark Mage's body was now trying to scale down whatever the cliffside had posed to challenge him, in an attempt to reach the bottom. Some slips happened, clutching barely at some turns, but Isonus only felt more determined to come to the bottom of this canyon. "...I must insist Henry lift weights after this. his arms are insufferably weak..."

Hensonus
HP: 50/50
Status: Enjoying the new body
Cooldown: None

Enemies Slain: 0
Gold: ??
Food: ??

1d100

[PolarStarQuote]

Success!


Upon scaling yourself down to the bottom of the Cliff, One would find that the glimmering object, which brightly reflected from the Sun's rays. The Sun seemed to beam off of a Lens, made of glass, which would reveal the prize to be...



A Bow and Arrow? A quite stylized one at that-- One that no doubt had quite a legacy behind it. Its craftsmanship was no less than astonishing! It was...

The Great Eagle bow!
So long as this item is in your inventory, you can use;

Great Eagle Bow: Ravli's trademark and specialized weapon that is the tool of the Rito Champion. It is made with air mobility in mind so it's the perfect type of weapon for a flying combatant like a Rito to use on their foes. It can be used to fire either one arrow or three arrows at the same time, allowing quick rapid single shots or a concentrated shot for medium damage as they hit their target at once. [Light to Medium DEX Attack, 8-18%]


With the Bow strapped to your side, You eventually stir from the mist, and arrive before the Dealer, Once more.


"A Card like that, so often ends in failure. Youve gotten lucky." The dealer said, Flicking the Equipment card to Isonus, With the great eagle bow adorned onto it.



"One Direction to go, Which leads to so many possibilities..."

[Deleted]

"I was a bow-t to say..." Hensonus would snicker, lifting that bow high and for a moment, firing an arrow from it just to test its draw and strength. Well now, it was definitely clear that some of Henry was rubbing off on the timeless being, to the point that it physically hurt to make that pun. Masochism in more than one way. "I know how to get arrow-nd. Kehehe... How absolutely fascinating of a sensation this is." Whatever was happening, it was either Isonus was incredibly good at making puns, and fit character well, or his broken soul vestiges were tethering themselves to Henry's Ace in this game. As he felt himself drawn from the game back to the caravan, that thaumaturge snickered a bit.

Rather than respond immediately, Isonus reached over to the fried foods, that plate heating the food still, and retaining their warmth as opposed to the cold outer air. A fish filet. Isonus would crunch and crunch on the piece of soft, flaky white meat, before addressing the Dealer directly. It seemed like a bit of Henry was still lingering in his eyes, a bit of masochistic sorcerer clung to the thaumaturge.

"Trust me, dealer, I am more than aware of how many ways that situation could have been ended, and most were in the death of my character.." Isonus remarked as he felt himself drawn from the adorably small Henry figurine on the table, before moving it up the next card. Of course, he used a napkin to clean his hands first, letting the magical cloth fade into nothing afterwards. "This game is fun, enthralling, but... I fear that even in 'long' it may end too soon. For this sake, I may explore every single card."

[PolarStarQuote]

The Dealer himself was currently munching upon, what looked to be a Fried Chicken tender as the Mage across from him stirred from Slumber, The Dealer would reach behind him, Producing an Incense stick, and lighting it with a touch of his finger, and setting it upon a Holder, as the smell of Lavender filled the room, Cutting through the smell of the Fried Flesh that they were partaking in. 

"Mmm...You worry too much, My friend. The joy of Games, is that they may be played over and over. Should this not work, Or you have yet to get your fill, More than happy to reshuffle the deck for another game, Hm hm..." The Dealer would say, packing away the strip of chicken, Before flipping the card over once more...

"The Sick Child...Few things are as Sacred, as the Ill, and the Young. And none are more terrifying to lose, than both at once...Im more than happy to Wager on this. I wonder if your Morality will get the better of you." The Dealer would say, Digging into his Token Bowel, and letting a Purple, Red and Black coin circle in the air, with a distinct 'V' On its symbol, Representing no doubt the world from which this reward hails.


And so, The world fades once more...



A Striking world of Red befalls you, as you walk among a hidden path, The crunching of the Debris of Autumn's folly no doubt making you think it time to cozy up home, and ready for a long nap come winter. You continue walking, with no clear goal in mind, Until you hear what sounds to be...Coughing? Hacking, Wheezing, Sniffling and all. Strange sounds, to be sure. As you turn to find a Tree, You see a Young boy, With long, Dirty blonde hair, Dressed in the warmest, coziest clothes possible.



"W-wah!! V-velvet, Im sorry, I-i wont....O-oh, Wait, Y-your...Your not Velvet..." The strange boy would mutter, his face pale of some sickness. He would gulp, Shaking...

[Deleted]

Once again, back to the recesses of a new world, and a new body. Isonus was growing ever more adapted to Henry's body as well as his own in this constant tandem back-and-forth. Now transitioning to Henry's body, Isonus prepared to walk along this land as per his usual instincts, wary 'eyes' glancing about and scanning with unusual fervor. This body was incredibly frail, after all, and Hensonus felt a need to safeguard it. Now, the setting was something unlike anything he'd seen before. Peace for once, autumn clearly had fallen to this place.

"Hmn? Who goes there? Oh! Hello there, little boy."

Hensonus leaned over, examining the boy's face, examining him very carefully, like he were livestock. In truth, even Hensonus wasn't very socially acclimatized to this world. His youthful appearance betrayed his age, and it was clear that this... thing was just inhabiting a human body. Isonus, that is, not the child. The child was human. "Ill... frail... frantic." Hensonus, without any lack of... kind appearances, kept his eyes trained on the boy.

"Don't worry, child. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm a passerby. By your expression, and how frantically you've been coughing, it seems as though your illness requires bed rest, though you've shirked this for the autumn season."

With that, Hensonus laughed and his new cackle was that of Henry's. The high pitched tittering and constant notes hit felt... natural to him. He rubbed his hands together, tucking his tome close and raising a finger...

"In fact, little one, may I be so devious as to perhaps take you home, and prevent this "Velvet' fellow from being mad at you? I could cover should they turn up by the time we're home. My name... is Hensonus. Might I get your's? A child of your age, and of your frailty should have nary a placement in conditions such as these. Autumn begets winter, and winter is no place for men without good health or coverage of one's body."

Hensonus
HP: 50/50
Status: Worried for the kid
Cooldown: None

Enemies Slain: 0

[PolarStarQuote]

The Sickly boy would tilt his head, clearly a bit curious as to the nature of this strange man, but seeming not to mind it as much. He did know the golden rule to avoid strangers, but Hensonus gave off the aura to be trusted. He simply nodded, standing up weakly, Coughing again with a hoarseness that felt full of illness. "I...Uhm...O-okay." He said, walking closer to Henry.

"M-my house is...Its a long way away from here. T-thank you...I just wanted to study the leaves here, You see. A-anyway, My name is Laphicet, I-im an Exorcist in training! I-i can heal you in a fight if you need it, a-as payment for taking me!" Laphicet would say, smiling, a bit excited to travel with a new character! Laphicet moved behind Hesonus, and lifted up his Cloak to hide inside for Warmth of the Autumn season. My, how nice!

The mist fades away....

"Cards related to the Quest you've undergone have appeared on this Map. How do you pursue them? Entirely up to you."

Where shall you head now?