Nasuverse Fate/Revelation Online - Tales from the Mid-Liners Ideas

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#1
Okay, since I discovered Daniel's fanfic that came to be known as Fate Revelation Online, I found myself interested in the world he's crafted and desired to participate it in myself. From this desire came an idea for a recursive fanfiction, a side-story of sorts, that I hope to bring to life, with Daniel's blessing.
(Update 1/18/16)

Fanfiction Name: Tales From the Mid-Liners

General Idea
The chronicle of the lives of players who aren't front-liners, centered around five who meet due to circumstances and are forced to cooperate for their own mutual survival.

Main Characters
Sanda (Wen Fukazawa)
A Chinese-Japanese student who suffered harassment that got so bad that he attempted suicide by jumping off the school building after hours, but a member of the boxing club stopped him and took him into the club so that he could learn to defend himself. Wen envied him and based his Beta build around him, but even with some lessons in boxing, he was still too afraid to fight. He then dropped out of the club and played the game during the Beta Stage, building his character around the person who originally saved him, and picked up the [Martial Arts] Extra Skill.

Due to the fear of dying and the changes in the game system, he remained inactive during the first two months of the game before trying to live up to the person he modeled is character and username after. He uses the [Martial Arts] Extra Skill to supplement his rudimentary [Boxing] skills in real life along with [Reinforcement]. His element is [Ether] and he laces his hands with it to do magical damage, which later forms the basis of his [Ethereal Fist] along with [Alteration]. S:A build of 2:3 and uses light-armor with [Above Average Circuit Capacity].

Yumina (Yumina Noemi)
A rich girl who had only one friend, Yasumi, she entered the game at the behest of Yasumi and winded up trapped. Due to the nature of danger in which they have been thrust into, there was a falling out after the first month between them and she lived using the [Mutual Aid Organization] support system paying for her needs, as she was not use to working herself.

Once Yasumi contacts her for help she goes to assist her out of their old friendship. She uses a [Spear (later on Naginata?)] for combat and relies on the [Gemcraft] like Yasumi, but with a lower level of skill due to not practicing or advancing. No element has been determined yet.

Endri (Chikashi Mori)
A seventeen-year old student with an interesting in plants and animals who entered the game with his younger brother. Once they became stuck he stayed out of actively playing and forced his brother to do that same because he couldn't risk either of them dying. However, once it became abundantly clear that no help from the outside would come, he became a [Gatherer] about a month and a half into it to support them.

S:A build of 1:4 and uses light-armor, Uses the [Crossbows] and [Daggers] as primary means of damaging, but has other skills as back-ups and relies on [Poisons] to do heavy-lifting. A [Survival Strategist] whose primary focus trap setting and meticulous planning, it could be seen by some as cowardly but efficient. He has [Below Average Circuit Capacity] and cannot [Gather Mana]. His element is [Wood] and greatly complements his [Druid Magecraft] that focuses on using nature and is highly ritualistic, requiring prep-time, but also moderate at [Reinforcement].

Aoili (Yasumi Sakata)
The best friend of Yumina until their parting. She felt guilty over getting Yumina trapped and strives to help clear the game but wasn't suited for combat, so she worked in multiple occupations that assist other players with her [Gemcraft]. When she finds Ken going out alone and can't convince him to turn back, she takes him along with her to the lakes only for them to run afoul of the [Ruin Axolotl].

She uses [Rapiers] in combat when she has to, but specializes in using various precious and semi-precious gems in various ways with her [Gemcraft], such as making amulets and talismans.

Endel (Ken Mori)
The impulsive nine-year old brother of Chikashi, he was forced to sit out of things by his brother. However, he eventually rebelled and started learning magecraft and training in the fields whenever he could as he wanted to not have to depend on his brother or someone watching over him like at the boarding school. When he was caught he fled and met with Yasumi, joining up with her.

He uses [One-Handed Swords] for combat. He has recently begun experimenting in [Rune Magecraft] due to hearing good things about it and the simplicity of learning it initially. He has [Average Circuit Capacity] and his element is [Wind], learned through [Consecration], which is the Western Equivalent of his brother's [Wood] element.

The Ronins
The Ronins are a guild of players who have taken to the guise of being famous figures and warriors in Japanese histories, living out their role as they survive the Death game.
Sakamoto Ryouma
The Leader of the Ronins, a rather laid-back person who acts as the overall leader when on the field. He uses [Katana] for combat, has [Average Circuit Capacity] and his elements is [Wind] with a specialization in [Lightning].

Nakano Takeko
A gentle member of the Ronins who acts as the public and empathetic face of the group, she's rather friendly and cordial to all but there is steel hiding in silk that she brandishes with her [Naginata]. Her elements are [Ether] and [Water], which allows for interesting applications in her fighting style like a [Cutting Ribbon] that follow her blade to add distance to her attacks. She has [Average Circuit Capacity].

Yagyu Munenori
Male Daisho-user

Kagenori
A Kusagari-user who holds the [Metal] element, he uses it and Physical Magecraft to generate [Throwing Picks], [Caltrops], [Claws], as well as use a sash he keeps on his waist as a cloth spear through [Reinforcement] and [Alteration], and thin string he does the same with to make wire. He's basically a ninja.


Magecraft Systems In Use

Gemcraft (Formerly Crystal/ Gemstone Magecraft/ I like Daniel's name better)
Magecraft revolving around crystals and precious stones of all kinds, different from [Jewel Magecraft] as the focus is not exclusively on gemstones but, uses the mystic properties within the crystals and stones that can be bound into spells and protective amulets.
Things to note:

1.) Size of the crystal or stone indicates how much prana it can take and release. Crystals work best at storing or utilizing prana.
2.) When used, the stones and crystals are best for one purpose each, even if they have multiple attributes, so to have more in use would be best for healing and magical purposes.
3.) When making amulets using imagery to invoke the properties needed would be best, or having the imagery on the item being charged around a gem array to help with self-hypnosis.
4.) Gem Arrays are used to bolster and spread effects, some cumulative and others multiple, by taking an arrangement of crystals and precious stones around and using an amplifier to spread it out.

Druid Magecraft
What is it?
Druid Magecraft is a form of magecraft that was made available after the fourth floor was cleared and [Blood is enabled]. It uses an ancient Magic Foundation, taught by a [Wandering Druid NPC] on certain floors, that responds to sacrifice and offerings to receive a service from nature spirits, as well as the phantasmal species known as Fairies. However, as the foundation of the fairies cannot be reached through magecraft and they are no longer found, the act of contracting and working with them has been lost. An attempt by modern druids to regain this lost Art involves taking apparitions and binding them to [Fairy-like Shells], enabling them to inherit a small portion of the lost power as they are recognized by Gaia.

As it is an [Oral Tradition] it is learned via [Conversation] once, as druids were expected to have grand memories, and details natural resources uses in a spell, potion or salve, and ritual each, before prompting the player to seek the next teacher. A guild of Druid players are often called up to assist in gathering by hastening plant growth.

Magecraft Focus
[Druid Magecraft] is heavily situated around nature, trees, rituals, and songs, and by using wood or stone with [Letters of the Ogham] carved onto them, they can be used in a variety of ways. The practice of making medicines and poisons in magic cauldrons was also common, and higher-level spells enable [Presence Concealment] in woodlands and spells centered around reading the flow of and tapping Leylines.

Spell Categories:
Spells fall under a number of categories depending on their uses by the druid.

Siulacht: Material Transmutations Spells
* Huidecht: An [Agility-Boosting] spell, similar to [Reinforce Agility]
* Uinde: An [Sight-Alteration] spell that allows one to see prana.
* Faistine: An [Sight-Alteration] spell meant allow one to see spiritual entities
* Gabhlairdeall: A ritual that enables a state similar to [Mental Partition] and allows for two parallel thought processes to be run at once.
* Reimbrioch: Trap spells prepared in advance and are manually triggered by an incantation.
* Fuireachair: Traps spells that are triggered by conditions, such as boundaries being crossed.
* Ortha: A charming method of using prana to [Alter] a potion or object.

Sruth bhua: Flow and Transference of Power Spells
Spells under this category tend to focus on drawing mana from the earth, including from leylines

* Aithriocht: Transference of Consciousness Spell: A spell to transmit one's consciousness into another object to acquire information from a different perspective.
* Nealadoireacht: Spying Spell: A spell that, by using mediums commonly found in nature, allows the druid to spy on others. Often it is done through the usage of a connection from an organic medium, such as a leaf, to the sensory input with the use of prana.
* Iompchur: Warding Spell: A spell that works to deflect prana.

Mallacht: Curse Spells
Spells meant to inflict a harmful curse upon opposition

* Airbhe: A boundary field that protects those inside through the application of an [Invisibility] spell while also applying a curse effect be crossed, but it inflicts a curse.
* Millteoracht: A spell that brings ruin to organic things, hastening their end.

Éaraid: Mental Interference
Spells that cause some sort of effect on target's mind.

* Tamhneal: A spell that cause hallucinations in the target.
* Aisling: A spell to put a target to sleep.
* Cumhacht: A spell used to assert power or dominance over a target, similar to the [Command] spell.



Endri's Spells

Reimbrioch: Fetters of the Green (Grass Trip Rope)
A Spell that causes long blades of grass that have been sprinkled with the ashes of Apple trees chips that had the Ogham Letter ‘S’ (Sallie) carved into them weave themselves into trip ropes and grow around the leg to tighten hold.

Mechanics
• An Apple tree branch is carved into wood chips with Ogham Letter engraved on each one. Because Apple Tree is good for greenery magic, it strengthens the grass and influences growth with the uses of prana.

• Dropped in a small cauldron or bowl of blood, the Letters of the Wood Chips are stained with prana inside the blood. It absorbs the prana over the course of four days and binds the wood chips with the properties of “Flexibility” from the Letter, which is based on the Willow.

• The woodchips are then burned, the prana and properties still inside of the ashes which, when scattered, cling to the grass and plants on the ground. Thus creating a Pass between them and the original prana-source from the blood.

• The incantation is the activation, the self-hypnosis, and as it is said prana flows through the Pass and influence the grass’ growth and strength and movement.

• Incantation: Flourish! I plead the goddess of the earth, Macha! The sprouts of grass shall become fetters and bind!

Airbhe: Bulwark of the Green (Grass Shield) Work in Progress
A Spell that causes long blades of grass to weave themselves into a wall that becomes hardened like stone, allowing it to act as a shield.


Ethereal Fist
A form of Contact-Magecraft using the Ether element in hand-to-hand combat, the Ether is released in a burst during strikes to add magical and spiritual interference or Ether Clumps (Liquid Clay) are made and molded into use to allow for physical interference rather than pure magical damage.

Spells
• Armament: Phantasmal – Lines fists with Ether to cause magical/spiritual damage. However, sufficient Magic Resistance will negate it.

• Armament: Gloves On – Shapes Ether Clumps around fists into boxing gloves and adds [Hardening] property to them with [Alteration]. Allows for physical and magical/spiritual interference at the same.

• Rupture Strike – Sends a burst of prana through his fists as he makes contact with the enemy. He needs the gloves to act as a rigid pathway to release the prana in one narrow direction, since otherwise it would disperse along the surface of the skin. Like a Jet Injector.

• Distance Shot – Releases element and forms it into Ether Clumps and using [Alteration] to give it [Solidity] and then punching it while releasing his prana in a burst to project the punch. Mostly serves as a kiting technique.

• Ether Liner – Release a shockwave formed from Ether Clump along the ground by dragging his fingers along a path, adding [Velocity] to the shockwave to increase the speed. Combined with the mass of the Ether Clump, it can cause physical damage.

Runes & Winds
Ken's personalized use of runes in combination with his element in various ways.

Spells
• Runic Lens: Isa– A lens that holds the rune of cold and stillness, with it he can project prana through to create a billowing wave of hoarfrost to blanket his enemies.



Story Progression
Chapter 2-4 - Versus Field Boss [Ruin Axolotl] (The upcoming section)
• Aoili has Enkel activate a [Formalcraft Circle] on the ground to cut away the useless part of the [Abnormal Agate Stone] to create a [Rough Druzy Crystal] and then inscribe and fill it with prana and runes, explaining that she can’t do it because she has a pitifully low threshold before exhaustion sets in, meaning she can only take in limited amounts and she has to focus on maintaining the shroud. He asks if its really okay if they use them when they came there for them, she tells him that they need to they stood a better chance of doing that anything was necessary. When they receive a message stating they’re almost there she decides that they need to get closer and will move once the Mob passes once more.

• Sanda arrives to find Endri and gets the jist of the situation and tells them he thinks they can disrupts the blasts by punching them while injecting his prana and concentrating their fire on him long enough for him to get close enough to take a shot. Endri has a better plan and has Yumina coat a bunch of quartz in the paralysis poison and toss them. The shrapnel does the work while Sanda darts back, grabs Endri and then runs through the cleared area. They then arrive in time to see the Mob chasing after the two of them.

• Aoili and Ken go back on the move sneaking past the big mob when one of the smaller ones sends out an alert to it as they pass it and then believe the smaller ones will alert it so they both cast Reinforcement and ready themselves, using the bolstered speed to try and cross the bridge. As the smaller ones take shots from the lake, Yumina reinforces her Cloak and uses it as a make shift Shield to soak the damage until they get across when Ken sees the big mob getting ready to use another major water ball. When it fires she throws the ice stone and freezes the ball, the sudden influx of prana and ice making it fall apart before it reaches them as they meet up with the others.

• As the two go past them and the reach shore, she tells them it’s weak point is its eyes and they can’t outrun it, Wen ‘Knuckle’s up’ and hit’s it in the eye, puncturing it, and then unloading a great deal of prana into it to make the eye explode, earning Hate as it hits him hard. Before it could crush him, Ken stabs it in the side and then tries bating it to chase after him.

• It tries to shoot him again when Endri shoots it with a crossbow bolt in the one eye and Sanda tackles it to lower its health to the middle point. The [Ruin Axolotl] begins to suck with vacuum force, leaving Yumina and Yasumi to then toss all the [Explosive Quartz] they have left for it to swallow and stop the attack as it gets pushed into the Red Zone.

• In this state its attack power increases, it gains a long-range attack, and it attacks whoever attacks it, but it loses its regenerative factor. When it goes for Yumina, Wen rams the boss with a [Reinforced Savage Tackle] again and knocks the shot off, but the boss’ tail comes around and he blocks, but the impact breaks his arm and sends him skirting, leaving him in the Red Zone and stunned.

• Enkel buffets it with [Frost Lens] to antagonize it into attacking him again because he doesn’t want to see anyone else get hurt because of his mistakes like his brother and the others. When it comes close to him Endri shoots it in the regenerated eye with his Crossbow Bolt for a Critical Hit, but it counters at his distance with a spout of water like the froglets, only stronger. While it clips him, the force sends him skirting as it prepares to barrel down on him as he gets onto his feet and destroys his Crossbow from a direct hit.

• Before its next shot can hit him Aoili appears in front of him and makes a slab of earth appear to block it, and revealing she has an Earth element while Endri gets back on his feet and draws his dagger as Sanda draws Aggro again by punching it with his good arm and coats it in poison hoping it does something before leaving out of the cover and jumping up and stabbing in the back of the head, the Agility Poison slowing it down after it flings him off and then turns to look at him.

• Sanda tries to intercept it by standing in front of him, thinking he’s going to unleash all the prana he has into a single punch just as it tries to plow through him to cause enough damage that it gets hurt and at least resets the aggro for a few seconds after he dies. He figures it’s better to die a meaningful death rather than live as a coward who ran away and hid. However, that’s when a crystal slams into the side of the [Ruin Axolotl] and he averts his gaze to see Yumina in the distance having thrown it.

• Yumina thinks she’s afraid when she sees the attack charging the [Water Spout] to blast her, but Aoili tosses a freezing crystal as it opens its mouth, gathering prana for its Water Spout, and it freezes on the inside causing spell failure and a [Frozen] status.

• As Wen is the closest and sees its health it at a sliver, he delivers a punch and passes his prana through, causing it to shatter and him to get the Last Attack.

Chapter 4 - The Aftermath (To be revised)
• About a week after the incident Yasumi and Yumina stand outside Endri's home. She feels that she owes both of them an apology given how she thinks Ken got in trouble after everything because his brother dragged him off once they managed to get back to the town. He reluctantly lets them in.

• Yumina thanks him for being willing to put his life on the line when she earned aggro while Chikashi does the same for guiding them and getting ready to try and tank it. He says it was nothing, but is silently grateful that he did something brave for once.

• Yumina then walks along side Yasumi and they talk about the fall out and argument months prior and make up, hugging. Ken and Chikashi also has out their issues, with Ken pointing out that he doesn’t want to simply be confined in a cage and wants to be proactive. Chikashi agrees, hesitantly, but only on the grounds that he come along.

• Once they get back to Starting City, they add each other to their Friend’s List and go their separate ways.

• Cue a half-a-month later, where Yumina is working on her craft to create a charm to weather water, Ken and Chikashi are gathering Wind Wasp Stingers on the Second Floor with him making plans to enter the wastelands to find the Druid NPC, and Chikashi is working on leveling near the cavern where he picked up his skill, learning to Reinforce his eyesight as listed in [Argo’s Guide] in reference to what Shirou taught her on the third floor and perfect his [Rupture Strike] by using [Alteration] to add a pathway where the prana flows out easier on his gauntlets.

• They all receive an e-mail from Yasumi, who gathers them together in a building in Tolbana and tells them that she’s starting a guild as a subsidiary of the Mutual Aid Organization. They provide the building and resources, allowing them to further their goals with better equipment and such, at 15% of what they sell. They can also have a Guild PM that all players can send requests to for customized equipment listed in [Argo’s Guide] and [MAO Catalog]. They all ultimately join up and their guild is named.

Chapter 5 - The Ronins(To be revised)
Summary: Wen gets invited to join [The Ronins] for a quest on the 7th Floor.
Highlights:
• Yasumi teaches him the formation of [Ether Clumps] and the use of [Alteration] to shape it be used as a physical interface for Ether, thus giving him his [Gloves On] spell.
• Kagenori helps perfect his [Rupture Strike] by using [Alteration] to add a pathway where the prana flows out easier on his gauntlets. (He’s trying to inject ether into his enemies as he punches them based on a Jet Injector principle, building pressure up behind a narrow pathway and sealing all the other exits for it)


Time Line
The event takes place after the [Ranged Weapons Patch] is enabled, but before the 25th Floor when Kayaba decides to get serious about the bumps on the logs.

Suggestions
I'm here looking for inputs and thoughts for the first arc, which is the Ajatar's Curse, upon which I will then name the fanfic and expand from there. I'm not married to the names and I'm open to suggestions about what happens after the event, new characters, magecraft suggestions, and so on.

Once everything is sorted out I'll start a Preview Thread where the chapters are posted.

Moderator notice: Changed title of thread by OP's request -chronodekar
 

daniel_gudman

KING (In Land of Blind)
Staff member
#2
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Glad to see this up!

Let's get into it.

Character Designs
Basically, I like what I see.

I like that these three different cats all have different things going on but have a similar theme of "repentence" going on.

There are some minor things I think you should change for their character designs; these are mostly my opinions.

1) Sanda
A Chinese-Japanese student who studies boxing IRL.
Does his ethnicity matter, like he always feels like an outsider or something?
Why boxing? Why did he practice that IRL?
How did he pick up [Martial Arts], which was an Extra Skill that required going on a quest, if he's someone that hasn't been playing the game? Or did he know a [Martial Arts] quest on the first floor that was even more secret than the one on the second floor and immediately charge over to complete it instantly at the start of the game and then get dragged back to the Starting City for the official launch?
Why did he try to commit suicide?

2) Kohime
Heiress to a mega-corporation... I feel like the zaibatsu thing is too much, and maybe also the kidnapped-in-the-past thing. But that's just a gut feel; I'm not really a big fan of the "zaibatsu ojou-sama" characters so that's why I would probably just make her some rich kid.
If I was you, rather than sponging off Yasumi (I'd have Kohime be one of those "pensioners" supported by Thinker's guild), these two had a falling out and words were exchanged and they haven't spoken to each other since.
Rather than "the magecraft left behind by Yasumi," make it "the same magecraft system as Yumi." Gemcraft and minerology is a pretty well-established branch of magecraft so it would make sense for Cardinal to teach it explicitly.

3) Deniat
I think "Deniat" is un-Japanese-like. That is, hard for a Japanese person to pronounce. That's not an impossible thing, but I wonder if you were going somewhere with that.
I wouldn't make the younger brother sickly. It's enough that they wanted to play the game together, and that he feels like he has to protect his younger sibling.
Instead... I would swing it that the younger brother, feeling kind of stifled, has been sneaking out to grind levels and stuff while Big Bro wasn't looking.
I might swap the sex of one of them to a brother/sister pair to bring the "boys protect girls" gender roll thing in. That could go either way (ie, older bro or older sis). That's just something I'd think about, I dunno whether I would change it either way as a result.
Ah, what's the age difference between these two siblings?
Druidism... since they were strongly associated with trees, it really works with "wood", even though it's about as Western as you can get... well, since it was a completely oral tradition, if you go to wikipedia right now to look them up, basically it boils down to "what the Romans said they were like".

How do these three know each other?

Magecraft
This crystal stuff... I'm kindof thinking maybe you should just make it "gemstones", unless you also want to involve metals and most other kinds of rocks. Well, part of that is that "crystals" is a little too new-agey, so in your position I would probably cloak in enough occultism to make it sound a little more... "serious magecraft", I guess?

Well, I would roll it into the Nasuverse gemcraft stuff that Rin does. Not using it as cables to tie yourself down to just what she did, but as a springboard to jump off of.

If it's Druidism, "ley lines" originally refered to the paths in the woods on the British Isles that were caused by people tramping over them since antiquity, so there's that for you to work with.

The Ajatar Queen
Basically, I don't like it. I mean, "Ajatar" is a pretty heavy-duty name to be throwing around for something on the first floor, but really--

Well, the problem is this:
The plot is kinda, contraditing itself.
First off, Kayaba's "theory" isn't explained. I dunno what it is and you can play coy about it in the story itself, but if it's the engine under the hood that's driving the whole show, you as the author absolutely have to have a clear idea of what the theory is; what he's testing, and what the results are.

I don't like having mobs that circumvent [Safe Zones]. It's fine for them to disobey the spirit of them, but having them disobey the letter of the law is too cheap.
I mean, [Safe Zones] boil down to about three rules:
1) Players do not take damage (except in duels, and from Circuit Activation; events that Players explicitly and knowingly opt into with an "Accept" button.)
2) Negative status effects are suspended.
3) Hostile Monsters cannot enter safe zones (Pina could as a Pet, but nothing that has Aggro).

You're having the Ajatar serpents break all three rules: they're hostile mobs that (3) enter cities, (1) damage players, and (2) inflict status effects.

If its a "curse", then it should be curable with curse-breaking magecraft; if it's poison, it should be curable with healing magecraft. Sending people on a "fetch-the-antidote" quest or "kill the curse source" is too game-like. I'm not saying that there can't be "fix it quest", but having it so that the quest is the only solution isn't realistic enough.

And Kayaba's been maintaining a very hands-off appearance. Sure he's changing the rules and updating the game and all that, but he's selling it all as "Cardinal's automatic functions" so the Players are trying to game Cardinal, not him. So he's not going to be making any announcements, he's remaining a completely inscrutable Prime Mover and isn't changing that image.

But really, the biggest problem is this:
If it's an event to force players to play the game, why does it forcibly prevent as many players as possible from doing anything?

Having a level cap on the dungeon is exactly the same thing: it's a crude and obviously game-like way to exclude players for being too strong, which is like the opposite of what Kayaba wants; and it's like the exact opposite of the "set up Bounded Fields and learn to tear them down" thing that Kayaba is also going towards.

And I guess you're trying to make the stakes high, but the problem is, you're also trying to make it so somehow, nobody important (eg, Front Liners) can get involved even though the stakes are high. That's too contradictory.

So first I think you need to establish what you want to accomplish with this, let's call it an [Event Boss], and then come up with stuff parameters that match the criteria.

Like, you probably added that "level cap barrier" to keep Shirou from going "no I must save everyone" and thereby short-circuiting your whole plot, but that's too much of a cludge.

My advice... first, get rid of the Ajatar Queen as the plot stands.

Really, you want an event that will get these three off their duffs and going out into the world and adventuring, right?

Lessee...
My advice would be to have Kohime's friend Yasumi being friends with Deniat's younger brother. Those two are pick-up buddies who level together (maybe they've got some kind of romance going on too that's not really important). Anyway, they get in a pinch, and Deniat and Kohime need to save them.

That pinch...
It can't be so urgent that two functional noobs couldn't be able to rescue them, but it also has to be something they can't self-rescue from. Like, maybe they're trapped on an isolated and island-like piece of scenery (like a flat-topped hill that can only be accessed with the climb skill) with a sleepless relentless mob patiently and ceaselessly circling around that "island" without ever resetting its aggro. (I might also break their weapons to make them even more helpless.)

So Kohime and/or Younger Bro call for help.

This is where Sanda comes in: a Beta Tester who maybe got all the way to level four or so... and then the Official Launch happened.

He gets recruited as a tour guide to take the other two players over, so they can kite the mob enough that the Princess In Peril duo can get down and escape.

So make the stakes serious, but more importantly, personal. This is their first adventure; it's okay if the stakes only affect a few people as long as we care about those people. Maybe what Kayaba is testing is "turn Players who have mostly slackers on their Friend Lists into damsels that need rescuing and see if slackers can be guilted into playing Mario" or something like that.

Story Progression
So I've ripped apart the quest that underpins this, but there's some other stuff I'd like to add.

I kinda like that you're having Kibaou of all people be the one to deliver the inspirational speech.

3.) The Starting Line - The trio practice their magecraft and think back to their lives to this point.
...Don't do a flashback chapter. Especially when you've barely even introduced the characters and what they are in the present, don't muddy it up by adding all kinds of things from the past. Instead, just sprinkle their opinions and biases through as flavor. A little salt goes a long way; light seasoning is good, we're not deer who enjoy a big block of salt to lick.

And don't make Yasumi and Younger Bro into Sleeping Beauties who are as passive and interesting as furniture. If they're trapped but still fully aware, then we can watch them sitting around in their little trapped-in area, bored but unable to self-rescue. If you make them characters with opinions who are trying to keep each others' spirits up, then that will make them naturally more interesting than if they remained MacGuffins.

Hope this helps!
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#3
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Character Designs:
1.) Yes, his heritage played a part of his bullying. His backstory is that the harassment got so bad that he attempted suicide by jumping off the school building after hours, but a member of the boxing club stopped him and took him into the club so that he could learn to defend himself. Wen envied him and based his Beta build around him, but even with some lessons in boxing, he was still too afraid to fight. He then dropped out of the club and played the game during the Beta Stage, building his character around the person who originally saved him, and picked up the [Martial Arts] skill during the Beta so he knew where to go to get it.

The original idea for his character was Yuu from Holyland.

2.) Pensioners? Clarify that for me a bit. I like the rest of the changes, although I want the skill level to be different as someone who jumped into it versus someone who didn't. For instance, let's say the fight happened one and a half month into the game, and this is around day 110, since Yumina stopped advancing in her studies there so only knows how to use, say, Quartz as a [Prana Grenade], offensively and has an [Orgonite Amulet] made by Yasumi when she first began to experiment with the amulet leading up to their fight, something that gave her something akin to a really weak [Presence Concealment] akin to a [Hiding Skill] that works in plain sight as long as it has prana and she concentrates on maintaining the image of being one with her surroundings, but it doesn't shield her from enemies that can sense prana or if she moves to attack, instead of Yasumi, who went on to develop amulets, enchantments, and further her studies.

3.) I just used a Name Generator when I picked out his username, I wasn't married to it. The age difference is about eight years, the younger one being 9 and the oldest one being 17.

4.) The three didn't know one another until the quest, but I guess they meet here. Yasumi and the Younger Bro were going to join later on, but since the two of them will be trapped on an island of some kind I guess I can arrange that they met while she was gathering stones and he was soloing after running out of the city from his brother and she kept him in her party to keep him safe while telling him she needed someone to watch over her. Not romance though, Yasumi was originally in love with Yumina but didn't tell her because she was unsure of how she would react.

Magecraft
1.) I originally called it [Gem Magecraft] since I was hesitant on using [Jewel Magecraft] as Rin did. Since Jewels and Gemstones can be crystals but not all crystals can be jewels or gemstones, I settled on crystals even though it does sound a little new-agey though...well, maybe it can be a subset of it.


2.) As for Druidism, I'll look into that ley line thing. I wanted to be unique in that he originally learned it from a Wandering NPC within a forest clearing that only appeared at a certain time, so he became eligible for it through hearing it passed on from a Druid from the Northwest Part of the region where the forest is, as part of the Oral Tradition.

I was working on something where the proper incantation and action (such as burning a specific type of wood engraved with letters form Olgham) would call to the Magic Foundation and tell it to do something. He would also be able to influence plant growth and have a sort of scrying ability where he would be able to hear the voices of the fairies or nature spirits.

The Event
Mostly, the Level Cap was because we don't want Shirou going in. Let's face it, the quest would be over in 5 minutes tops. But you're right, if the story is centered on these five initially then there's no need for a major event and Kayaba would be hindering them as an opposite of his goal.

I like the rescue ideal though, more personal, but I'd like it if the five could get something like a [Field Boss] to fight as the mob circling them, like the [Worm Disciple], with some Adds.

There's a lake region to the northeast of Starting City, so it wouldn't be too unbelievable for them to get stranded on a small island there, but the Mob would need to have a way to prevent them from leaving and be capable of landing, so I'm thinking an Axolotl or Frog with some water and poison based magecraft? Maybe they secrete some kind of durability posion that rusts the weapons upon contact but not flesh? Or a specific anti-weapon curse that only affects Metal and shatters them on contact?

And I do want to have some sense of urgency...actually, at this point boundary fields could be enabled right? One of the Crystal Grid (Gem Arrays?) effects could be that she managed to orchestrate one that would have the [Presence Concealment] effect of the Orgonite Amulet, only more advanced since she has progressed, but because of what she had to work with and her prana reserves, it would only last a set amount of time and once it passed the Boss would find them and kill them.

Since they are functional newbies and the level cap is gone, I can change what they can do. In that case...

The Story Progress: Initial Meeting Arc
1.) Prologue: A Meeting of Five - We have the younger brother getting into an argument with his brother in Starting City about him catching him out leveling in the northwest woods (Chikashi goes there to collect herbs that he can use to make potions or salves to sell) and his brother runs out late that night while he's making it.

At the same time Yasumi would be heading out to go retrieve a certain type of stone that she's working to make for a client upon hearing about some of the monsters on the current floor and learning they could only be found in one section in the First Floor. She can't go during the day since she has her shop, so she decides to go that night and runs into him. Seeing that he's young and feeling hurt and stubborn and won't go back to his brother, she tells him she needs a guard despite being at level 10 or so (mostly from her advancement in magecraft rather than combat) and believes that it would give him enough time to cool his head off before he ran off on his own.

However, once they get their the Axolotl activates because they are there at night and maybe the boy earned aggro by tossing a rock into the lake by accident, and thus they get stuck because the number of Adds in the water prevented them from crossing despite being weak and the [Hate] Aggro won't go away until it receives enough damage like Kari-Ya. So they send their PMs.

Switch to Yumina thinking about Yasumi and how she missed her but still blamed her, and when she gets the PM telling her to bring her a spare weapon or crystals or something from a vendor, she agrees but thinks she can't make it there at her level. At the same time Chikashi is looking for an escort there for whoever will take him since even with a map he's not at an appropriately level to take on the adds and his magecraft will be limited, even though he can possibly kite the boss with his crossbow.

That's when Sanda volunteers to take them, having been a recluse until now having finally come to terms with being in the game and having decided it was what the person he's playing as would do rather than being a coward.

2.) Main Chapter - The trio make as much haste as they can, but the Stamina Bar limits how fast they can move and they have to deal with more active mobs at night and navigating the grassland. It's this way we see how their magecraft work compared to the Younger Brother and Yasumi. When they cross to the lake they have to deal with the Adds and when they earn enough Hate and damage the boss does a new type of magecraft after losing a health bar, making the adds evolve to a new and more dangerous form (Like going from tadpoles to toad knights or something).

They work together and then manage to kill them (Last Attack goes to Sanda), before heading back as morning breaks.

3.) Epilogue - Yasumi and Yumina meet up and talk about everything, making up. The Younger Brother and Chikashi have a talk about the younger brother wanting to be less dependent on his older brother and Chikashi says only if he goes along with him or someone else dependent. Sanda is alone, thinking to himself when he receives a PM from one of the others to meet with them. It's there they form a guild of sorts.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#4
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

How could Deniat even use a crossbow?
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#5
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

The [Ranged Weapons Patch] is installed at this point. It was going to be added into the main fanfic after the current arc, and this takes place before the 25th Floor, but after the fifth, at around 110 days or so inside the game.

If I recalled correctly they would spend about 3 years in the game, 1095 at minimum, and at present it takes the Front-Liners around 14 days to clear a floor, or half a month give or take some days, in accordance to the timeline here, so at 110 days they should be around the 8th or 9th floor provided there wasn't an unexpected challenge or the floor wasn't too easy.

I'm assuming at this point enough time has passed so that the guilds are getting set up and the progress of their magecraft via entire research divisions are expanding to the point that the exploration will rapidly advance so they clear the floors faster before hitting a SNAFU or three.

If it's not installed at that point then I can push back the dates and if Daniel decides against adding it I can use throwing picks instead. Crossbows simply pack more of a punch and since his character and magic is based more than a bit off Archer from F/E it would match in contrast to a regular bow like Shirou or EMIYA would use.

First Spell of Druid Magic: Fetters of the Green
Description: A Trap spell that causes blades of grass to weave themselves into trip ropes and grow around the legs to tighten their hold.

Incantation (Aria): Flourish! I plead the goddess of the earth, Macha! The sprouts of grass shall become fetters and bind!

Mechanics:
• An Apple tree branch is carved into woodchips with Ogham Letter engraved on each one. Because Apple Tree is good for greenery magic, it strengthens the grass and influences growth with the uses of prana.
• Dropped in a small cauldron or bowl of blood, the Letters of the Wood Chips are stained with prana inside the blood. It absorbs the prana over the course of four days and binds the wood chips with the properties of “Flexibility” from the Letter, which is based on the Willow.
• The woodchips are then burned, the prana and properties still inside of the ashes which, when scattered, cling to the grass and plants on the ground. Thus creating a Pass between them and the original prana-source from the blood.
• The incantation is the activation, the self-hypnosis, and as it is said prana flows through the Pass and influence the grass’ growth and strength and movement.

On Ethereal Fist
Description: A form of Contact-Magecraft using the Ether element in hand-to-hand combat, the Ether is released in a burst during strikes to add magical and spiritual interference or Ether Clumps are made and molded into use to allow for physical interference rather than pure magical damage.

Spells (In-Progress)
Armament: Phantasmal – Lines fists with Ether to cause magical/spiritual damage. However, sufficient Magic Resistance will negate the Ether-laced prana.

Armament: Gloves On – Shapes Ether Clumps around fists into boxing gloves and adds [Hardening] property to them with [Alteration]. Allows for physical and magical/spiritual interference at the same.

Rupture Strike – Sends a burst of prana through his fists as he makes contact with the enemy. He needs the gloves to act as a rigid pathway to release the prana in one narrow direction, since otherwise it would disperse and spread the strike around.

Distance Shot – Releases element and forms it into Ether Clumps. Using [Alteration] to give it [Solidity] and then punching it while releasing his prana in a burst to project the punch. Mostly serves as a [Kiting] technique.

Ether Liner – Release a shockwave in the shape of a Shark's Fin formed from Ether Clump along the ground by dragging his fingers along a path, adding [Velocity] to the shockwave to increase the speed. Combined with the mass of the Ether Clump, it can cause physical damage.

I'm trying to figure out how to make Ether Clumps since I have two options:

1.) Psychogenesis - Generate the Ether element using Psychogenesis, which is Daniel's method for conjuring elements with Nature Interference. The problem with this is that you use it to generate your raw element, but Ether doesn't have a solid element, its why its the fifth element in Nasuverse and considered the Void element.

2.) Failing to Combine - Generate Ether using the method you would another element, such as trying to combine it with an element you don't have and thus failing to do so. This creates Ether with a mass in a clay-like form (Liquid) that's easily manipulated by prana as a conductor. This is what I gleamed off the wikia.
 

Prince Charon

Well-Known Member
#6
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Interesting.

Leidolf said:
First Spell of Druid Magic: Fetters of the Green
Description: A Trap spell that causes blades of grass to weave themselves into trip ropes and grow around the legs to tighten their hold.

Incantation (Aria): Flourish! I plead the goddess of the earth, Macha! The sprouts of grass shall become fetters and bind!

Mechanics:
• An Apple tree branch is carved into woodchips with Ogham Letter engraved on each one. Because Apple Tree is good for greenery magic, it strengthens the grass and influences growth with the uses of prana.
• Dropped in a small cauldron or bowl of blood, the Letters of the Wood Chips are stained with prana inside the blood. It absorbs the prana over the course of four days and binds the wood chips with the properties of “Flexibility” from the Letter, which is based on the Willow.
• The woodchips are then burned, the prana and properties still inside of the ashes which, when scattered, cling to the grass and plants on the ground. Thus creating a Pass between them and the original prana-source from the blood.
• The incantation is the activation, the self-hypnosis, and as it is said prana flows through the Pass and influence the grass’ growth and strength and movement.
I take it that the ashes are the charm for it - that is to say, the component that he carries with him (rather than doing the whole ritual right there)?
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#7
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Prince Charon said:
Interesting.

I take it that the ashes are the charm for it - that is to say, the component that he carries with him (rather than doing the whole ritual right there)?
Oh yes. Since his magecraft is so ritualistic he needs prep-time. Common sense indicates that he prepares things in advance since his craft isn't something that can go off in an instant like Wen's. The downside to this is that if he's thrown into an unexpected situation and doesn't have the necessary components or can't harvest them, he's boned.

For instance, say he can make a one-off charm that gives the player Lightning-Resistance. Great if he has it on him when encountering an enemy, but only if he had time in advance to make it. Hence why his magecraft is unsuitable for Front-Lining, as the territory is mostly unexplored and those who can react spontaneously would be better suited.

Shirou, for example, was hindered because his magecraft was unsuitable for Slimes until combined with Ilya, while the rest were fine after a while. Now, leaving aside that he uses poison (which is surprisingly effective) if he knows in advance about the slimes he can get around it despite his element being [Wood] by some other means.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#8
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

There is literally no point in hiding information behind spoiler tags in regards to this thread.
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#10
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

The first post has been majorly updated with the new Story Progress, Character Information, Magecraft Systems, and so on.
 

daniel_gudman

KING (In Land of Blind)
Staff member
#11
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Leidolf said:
Endri (Chikashi Mori)
A student with an interesting in plants and animals who entered the game with his younger brother....

Enkel (Ken Mori)
The nine-year old brother of Chikashi, he was forced to sit out of things by his brother. ...
Nine is really young. In my head that made me imagine a scene where one of his parents took Chikashi aside and asked him to look after his younger brother and make sure little bro didn't get caught up in anything weird (ie kidnapped by child molesters). Chikashi sourly rolled his eyes and agreed after he got strong-armed into promising he would.

Anyway, you are under no obligation to use that kind of scene, but since Chikashi is kind of being a hypocrite because he's going out as a Player while not allowing his brother to do the same. Well, it makes sense if it's a teenager supporting a child, though.

How old is Chikashi?

I guess my perspective as a full-grown adult would be, "goddam neither of you is going out into danger."



Gem Magecraft(Formerly Crystal)
Gem Elixirs (Crystal Waters) can pass on the magical properties of the crystals by prana being inserted for a long time and then placing near or in water since fluids hold them. Or you can channel prana into the gem while hand is in water.
Crystals and liquids are fundamentally different molecular structures, so to me "Crystal Waters" sounds like pure self-contradiction.

I'd either drop this, or make it really really high level because it's actually tiny crystals suspended in fluid like flakes of ice floating in a glass of cola.



Druid Magecraft
Magecraft that uses an ancient Magic Foundation that responds to sacrifice and offerings to receive a service from Nature spirits, it's heavily situated around nature, trees, rituals, and songs. By using wood or stone with Letters of the Ogham carved in it can be used in a variety of way, and the practice of making medicines and poisons in magic cauldrons were also common.

[Druid Magecraft] is made available after the fourth floor was cleared and [Blood is enabled]. It is taught by a [Wandering Druid NPC] on certain floors. As it is an [Oral Tradition] it is learned via [Conversation] once, as druids were expected to have grand memories... The NPC teaches about the uses of herbs and trees that grow on the floor and how to harvest them along with a pouch containing samples, a spell to use the grass as bindings, a salve to close wounds, and a ritual. He also states that the NPC would only teach you through conversation and once at that, and you received a prompt before it began warning that you would only hear it once. He had managed to type up the information fast enough to record it and had a decent enough memory to record it before the NPC states that he should search out another like him “To the south of the fields where cattle roam and where they earth has died” which Wen states sounds like the wasteland region of the second floor, as he had been there during the Beta.
I don't like this Oral Tradition thing you're getting at.

1) There are no written records by druids because they were in a pre-literate culture that didn't have an alphabet or a papermaking technology... probably. There's a chance that what few documents that made up (using borrowed materials and a borrowed script) were destroyed by Christians. So it's not like they did the "Oral Tradition" thing as a Secret Inheritance, but rather, it's something they did because there were no alternatives.

2) "You can only hear the instructions once ever" is an additional barrier to learning magecraft that's like completely the opposite of what Kayaba's trying to accomplish.

3) You're having the character completely break that rule anyway by having him scramble to write it down while he can... without getting penalized for it.

My advice: because it's an "Oral Tradition", rather than a text transcript being displayed in the Quest Log or whatever, instead you push a little button and it plays back the recording of the instructions. Then I'd make Chikashi someone that learns better from listening than reading, so he "fits" the magecraft in that sense as well. That makes it, like, meaningfully an "Oral Tradition" while also subtly getting at how the Cardinal System is providing different kinds of magecraft to suit everyone, even if it's at the level of "what fits your learning style best".

Yunima asks how Wen could fight with just his Gauntlets, he explains he went to the second floor and was escorted to a place where an [Old Monk NPC] taught him the Extra Skill [Martial Arts] by two members of the [Ronins] who were out harvesting Wind Wasp Stingers that they intended to sell for use as an alternative to throwing picks, since they caused a 2-3 second stun effect. While he originally had the skill in the Beta he couldn’t make it on his own at his level again and the Ronins were a new guild that formed so they agreed as long as he paid for it with his pension from the Mutual Aid Organization, consisting of six members—a bow-user, a naginata-user, a nodachi-user, a kusa-gari user, a katana-user, and a daisho-user (dual-welding a katana and a wakizashi).
It's not really clear to me at all what's going on here with the backstory of Sanda's martial arts. I think you have a pretty good handle on it.

Also I don't get what you're getting at with the "so long as he paid for it with his pension from the Mutual Aid Organization" line. I mean, either (1) he's a player that hasn't been out doing stuff since the official launch, which means he's receiving the "Pension" which is only enough to cover daily living costs, or (2) he's out leveling and earning an income, in which case he's not going to actually be earning a pension?

I just feel like I don't really understand what you're getting at, here.

BTW, is Sanda developing a "personal style" completely based around Ether Clumping or what? That's the impression I'm getting... ah, that's cool in its own way, but I wonder if that's explicitly the case or not.



Re: Story Arc
So this has gotten to be more a story about mostly people who are mid-liners and only Yumina who is, uh, a "Log Bump". Even Sanda is more like "someone who's struggling with the fear of death" rather than "someone who gave in to that fear and doesn't Play." I dunno if that's where you wanted to go.

But, leaving that aside.

I feel like this is a much tighter story; it feels like a more natural plot over which people can grow and develop as characters. It feels more stitched up, more polished, conceptually.

I'm pretty well looking forward to this!
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#12
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

1.) Chikashi is 17, so yeah, he's teenager. I'm thinking Ken originally had a burly guy as an avatar, but I was judging his behavior based on how a nine-year old semi-relative of mine acts given the modern age.

2.) Yeah, that's the high-level stuff. It's suppose to be that since fluids hold prana and magecraft well, she can transfer the healing properties of the stones to the water rather than dissolve the crystal laced with prana inside of it. I need to rename it something else but what?

3.) So the conversation is a recording in the [Magecraft] Menu that can be pressed next to the description of the spell or the salve and the ritual. It would make sense while keeping to the (fictional) accounts matching what was written by the Romans.

4.) He was slumping around and not doing anything until he manned up, but I can just have it so he was escorted by the group for free since they were going in that direction as well. The [Ronins] are going to be another group they interact with and Samurai should have some hand-to-hand skills. And yes, his personal style of utilizing Ether Clumps, something normally considered useless for anything but conducting Prana, although I will probably have someone else use it to make Slime familiars after the learning the familiar system. See the notes below.

5.) Well, it's not what I originally envisioned (what with the Kayaba going biblical with a plague of snakes), but it was always going to be a story about Mid-Liners, I'm just going from piggybacking off the disaster arc to a personal reason to move them. The characters are more defined, the story feels more personal, I managed to at least come up with a plausible scenario, and I worked out an approved magic system from bare roots.

More stuff to go over:

Origins:
Not sure where to go with this. I want it to play a factor, but not too big a factor.

Elements:
Still deciding on Yumina's element(s). She might have compounded ones so it can be stated her lazying around are such a waste when Yasumi determines her elements. I think I may give Yasumi the element of [Water].

Romance:
I'm thinking about it in the later arcs. In my head, Yasumi has an arc on it with Yumina, but the others are unaccounted for. I was thinking of Ken having something of a puppy crush on Silica that doesn't pan out because he's not her type and she's a few years older than him and his brother gives him some tips as a big brother should about rejection. But it can be another character instead. Chikashi and Wen are still something of an unaccounted factor.

Familiars:
Gonna have some in here after the floors with apparitions and ghosts become introduced as the Wikia states they are made of leftover afterthoughts (Apparitions).

Yasumi is going to have Wen go out to capture some, binding them inside small [Onyx] gems to use as the core material for a spell that allows for the formation of the familiar by inserting the possessed gem into any medium (a doll for a living one, the ground to shape a golem, etc), as a mini-arc.

Chikashi is going to bind them to shells shaped like fairies to inherit part of their power by Gaia to serve as part of his magecraft and as scouts, similar to the ones Misaki was using.

Other Groups
They'll interact with a lot of other groups and their guild will expand eventually after the [Disaster] Arc, if it happens. The [Ronins] are one group that needs to be defined more as they will appear as a supporting group, and I would like for Ayako, if she's not appearing in the main story, to be the archer. But that's not likely and will probably conflict with the story if he introduces her later. All of them will be named after Japanese Samurai (fictional or otherwise) who specialized in the weapon they use (Name Tag Quest)

Interactions between Guild Member
Between the initial guild members:
* Chikashi will be sort of the Field Leader since he takes things into consideration on a higher level than the others, while Yasumi is the Guild Leader but doesn't participate in combat as often.
* Wen is the heavy hitter, but he keeps mostly to himself since he's not social to begin with. They'll try to get him to open up.
* Ken and Yasumi have a relationship where she and he work together on their magecraft, finding effective combinations of gemstones and runes to utilize their effects to the fullest. Since she's makes amulets and talismans and adds enchantments, adding in runes will allow for more useful armaments and resistances.
*Chikashi will probably troll Yumina a bit when things aren't serious, call her "Princess" because of her spoiled nature, but ultimately look out for her.

Future Arcs (not in order, not complete, and to be refined later)
1.) Six Ronins - An arc where the [Ronins] and Yasumi's guild are searching for a rare natural item or drop in a Japanese Forest themed floor.
2.) Ghost Hunt - With the introduction the floors with Astral monster and ghosts, Wen is sent to try and gather Apparitions for Yasumi's. It'll be a personal arc where he's forced to confront his past cowardice in the face of the apparitions' mental ability to influence people as well as working more so with others.
3.) The Teachings of the Druids Arc - An arc where Chikashi goes off to find a Wandering Druid NPC and gets separated from his brother in hostile territory.
4.) Lovers Arc - An arc where Yasumi and Yumina come to terms with their feelings while Ken gets a crush on someone and tries to impress her by joining her on a quest, only to be rejected.
5.) Titan's Hand - A chapter or two on the formation of Titan's Hand and Rosalina (if Daniel isn't using her). I have an idea of her using magecraft revolving around manipulating lust and trust, like maybe something similar to Mystic Eyes of Charm, but using a different Magecraft System.

On the Subject of Ken's Element and Rune Magecraft in Chapter 1

The following is a work in progress excerpt from the chapter, where I'm trying to explain his magecraft using his element. Any opinion on the accuracy of it to the main fanfiction's In-Game Magic System?

Taking a step forward, he readied himself as the first of the [Fury Boars] charged him with a simple and predictable charging skill, which he avoided. There would be a small lag before it could charge again, so he paid it little mind and focused on the other one in front of him. It would serve as his test subject for his experimentation into his own brand of spells, the [Runic Lens].

Using [Psychogenesis] he generated his imaginary element. Saying it generated pure wind was wrong, but instead it generated the gases which shifted and formed wind. As it lacked a truly physical form or any damaging properties on its own upon creation, the wind itself held little offensive power at his skill level. However, he had found his own use for it combined with his [Rune Magecraft].

The main issue with using runes was that they needed to be engraved upon a surface as trying to rist a rune upon the world itself without a medium, such as earth or steel, made it easier for the cardinal system to wipe it away unless the prana used was so dense and great that it distorted the world around it. But, Ken wondered what if he used his element as a medium instead. What if he used the gases that formed the wind itself as a buffer against the Cardinal’s effects?

So he compressed the gases, making them denser, until they formed a thin lens that was also a canvas, upon which he could engrave the rune. By setting his finger alight with prana and placing it within the lens, he could engrave it with a rune that would remain fixed in place and allow his magical energy to flow through it. Thus, like light through the image of a projector lens, the mystery of the rune could be unleashed and allowing for even the conversion of imaginary elements.

In this case he decided to utilize the rune of cold and stillness, [Isa]. Engraving the simple line into the center of the lens as the second [Fury Boar] prepared to cross the distance and attack him, the rune simmered and he sent a surge of prana through it. The surging energy flowed into the [Rune Lens] and came out as gale of howling hoarfrost that ran over the grass, making it crystalline and brittle as the frozen winds battered against the charging [Fury Boar].

I was thinking that it could be used as a means of producing elemental effects, such as using a [Isa Lens] he could pour prana through it unleash a chilling blast of frosty wind to slowly encase the opponent, or a [Kennaz Lens] he could produce a flame thrower. Or he could use them as aerial mines, the runes charged like Diabel's land-mines. How does that sound?

Bonus with Druid Magecraft?

As a bonus for learning Druid Magecraft Chikashi gained an exclusive Skill Slot called [Foraging], which let him gather and stock any natural resource in the game, whether an increased rate in drops from mobs (5%) or wood from trees if he has a [One-Handed Axe] equipped.
 

Prince Charon

Well-Known Member
#13
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Leidolf said:
On the Subject of Ken's Element and Rune Magecraft in Chapter 1

The following is a work in progress excerpt from the chapter, where I'm trying to explain his magecraft using his element. Any opinion on the accuracy of it to the main fanfiction's In-Game Magic System?

Taking a step forward, he readied himself as the first of the [Fury Boars] charged him with a simple and predictable charging skill, which he avoided. There would be a small lag before it could charge again, so he paid it little mind and focused on the other one in front of him. It would serve as his test subject for his experimentation into his own brand of spells, the [Runic Lens].

Using [Psychogenesis] he generated his imaginary element. Saying it generated pure wind was wrong, but instead it generated the gases which shifted and formed wind. As it lacked a truly physical form or any damaging properties on its own upon creation, the wind itself held little offensive power at his skill level. However, he had found his own use for it combined with his [Rune Magecraft].

The main issue with using runes was that they needed to be engraved upon a surface as trying to rist a rune upon the world itself without a medium, such as earth or steel, made it easier for the cardinal system to wipe it away unless the prana used was so dense and great that it distorted the world around it. But, Ken wondered what if he used his element as a medium instead. What if he used the gases that formed the wind itself as a buffer against the Cardinal’s effects?

So he compressed the gases, making them denser, until they formed a thin lens that was also a canvas, upon which he could engrave the rune. By setting his finger alight with prana and placing it within the lens, he could engrave it with a rune that would remain fixed in place and allow his magical energy to flow through it. Thus, like light through the image of a projector lens, the mystery of the rune could be unleashed and allowing for even the conversion of imaginary elements.

In this case he decided to utilize the rune of cold and stillness, [Isa]. Engraving the simple line into the center of the lens as the second [Fury Boar] prepared to cross the distance and attack him, the rune simmered and he sent a surge of prana through it. The surging energy flowed into the [Rune Lens] and came out as gale of howling hoarfrost that ran over the grass, making it crystalline and brittle as the frozen winds battered against the charging [Fury Boar].
I don't know if it fits the system, but it looks awesome.
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#14
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Once [Paratopeization] is introduced, he'll start getting really creative with it. Making the spheres solid shells, using them like trampolines, underwater bubble sphere, etc. I get to combine the imagination of a child with the ability to manipulate the air!

On a side-note, I'm 4000 words in and about a 3rd done with the first chapter.

Edit: Yeah, I may just start posting the individual parts of chapters up to a preview thread this week.
 
#15
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

I was thinking about a guy whose element is Armor.

He's not like Shirou. No major traumas, no distortions, no deaths in the family, and no magus background or training of any sort. Nothing that would create a Reality Marble in his soul. Armor-Guy's [Structural Grasp] isn't going to key off sight alone and isn't connected to an internal database that perfectly stores every detail down to history and legend, and he's not going to have a personal, superior form of [Projection]. In short, he's sort of the opposite to Shirou in terms of equipment and starting advantages.

That said, having a Rare Element does help one specialize and focus one's efforts, and he'd have a geeky fascination with the possibilities of the thaumaturgy system.


I don't have any ideas for story arcs beyond hitting the Stations of a Regular SAO player. I might skip the Circuit Activation quest and instead start with Element Identification, since we never got to see what a Rare Element Identification quest looked like in the parent story itself.

From there, it's scenes of "What kind of element is 'Armor'? What does that mean?" and figuring out what to do with that.

For example, realizing that he can't Reinforce swords or axes or even shields for shit. He's really good at reinforcing, inspecting, and repairing armor, and he can even generate replacements when necessary (especially when he needs something lighter or heavier), but hand-held weapons are beyond him. The best he can do is Reinforce metal gauntlets and armored boots.

Then he realizes that worn weapons are close enough to Armor to count. Striking gauntlets, claws, brass knuckles. It's still harder to improve any quality besides durability or toughness, but it's a start.

Naturally, he takes the [Martial Arts] as his primary combat ability from then on. A little real-life Judo experience will help there, too.


Since there are so many different forms of armor and so much magic to experiment with, Armor-Guy wouldn't focus on production skills like Lisbeth. He'd rather buy steel armor from Lisbeth for experimentation and improvement, while also buying leather armor from another merchant and cloth armor from a third. He'll soon equip an Armor Making skill, but he'll buy Steel, Leather and Cloth from merchants rather than make it himself... and he can off-set the costs by selling the armor he makes from those materials to others, as well as enhancing the armor that people are already using.

The Divine Dragon Alliance would naturally be interested in recruiting Armor-Guy, and I might even go with that. He might have been one of the guys working on (and failing at) "Reinforce the 'lightness' of armor" trick that led to their Gravity manipulation spells. Not that he'd be able to do gravity tricks himself, but at least he could make heavy armor light as a feather.


If there's any reason for him to not join the DDA, it would be the sticking point of Runes. Basically, he wants to pursue Runes as a way to grant his armors various additional abilities. Even if a few DDAs are practicing runecraft in secret, including Lind herself, Armor-Guy would want to practice them freely.

So maybe he joins the guild, and then officially leaves the guild over the matter, while unofficially working with a few DDAs in secret to share what he's learned from other rune-users.

Which would be a good thing for him to be doing during the Slime Level, since he would be COMPLETELY useless there. Even as a tank, a heavy suit of armor isn't much good against slimes that can swallow you whole and suffocate you.


One of the end-game goals for this guy is making magical power-armor, and perhaps even armored vehicles. Also, enchanted leather and cloth suits for those who can't afford heavy protection, and who appreciate battle-costumes that provide tricks like speed-enhancements or partial invisibility.
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#16
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

It's not a bad idea, but Kayaba is having Ilya gather up people with Rare Elements like Pokemon in the main fanfic and she can make a fairly heavy argument that it would be in his best interest to align with her faction as they specialize in bringing out the attributes of those involved, such as what she's doing with Silica, and they have better resources and references.

As for the Runes thing, the Paladins aren't the only ones doing it since it was a basic magecraft system gained upon completion of the circuit activation. They're just the most proficient at it. Not to mention there are probably similar systems throughout the world of Nasu like I do in my Kariya's Legacy with Fuwen

I'm trying to minimize the overlap because I'm not sure how Daniel would go through with it, at least right now. It's why so many of the arcs and character ideas I have are left up here for him to view and comment on since I'm working within the the constraints of his world and his laws without stepping on toes.

On another subject, what's stopping people from learning Guild Secret Arts and then just quitting, taking them with them. It's not like they can subject people to some kind of binding contract at this early in the game, right? That's plot material right there for me to exploit depending on Daniel's answer.
 
#17
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Leidolf said:
It's not a bad idea, but Kayaba is having Ilya gather up people with Rare Elements like Pokemon in the main fanfic and she can make a fairly heavy argument that it would be in his best interest to align with her faction as they specialize in bringing out the attributes of those involved, such as what she's doing with Silica, and they have better resources and references.
But if he's already joined a guild by the time she goes recruiting, there's not much she can do.

Besides, Silica wasn't the only name on that list, but she's the only Rare Element that Ilya has recruited. If Ilya has approached anyone else, she has not succeeded in convincing them.


As for the Runes thing, the Paladins aren't the only ones doing it
Of course not, but the Paladins -- and especially Diabel -- are the reason why the Divine Dragon Alliance have a problem with runecrafting.

And I said nothing about Armor-Guy joining the Paladins after leaving the DDA. Though he might approach some of them for apprenticeship in runecrafting, as a business exchange for working on their armor.

None of the Paladin's REAL secrets, of course, because none of them would agree to that. But there's got to be stuff they're willing to share for the right price.
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#18
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Well, it's not a bad idea an [Armor] guy, although is [Reinforcement] affected by element? Shirou has [Sword] and can [Reinforce] just about anything, so it's shouldn't play a real factor. Also, I don't want him to be exclusively [Martial Arts] when we have Wen already there. If we can outline it further, I'll see if I can give him a chapter in the spotlight, starting with him going on a Rare Element quest, after the current arc is over.

In-story explanation for [Gemstone Magecraft] with [Consolidated Magecraft Development] (1000 words):
“But this one was bigger and a higher-level,” she pointed out as she held a strange pendant to just above the wound and slowly transferred her prana through it, the colorless energy being transformed and tainted as it passed through the pendant and then onto her skin. “It has more HP and the size means that you have more area to cover to get to the same results. And, while I’m a layman when it comes to the use of runes, didn’t that use up a lot of prana to pull off?”

Ken nodded somberly. He knew that already when he experimented on it back before his brother caught him. It was only his second time using that spell, but he wanted to impress the person he was with using more than his sword like he did until now. “I just wanted…”

She laid a gentle hand on the top of his head and ran in back and forth soothingly. “I’m not saying it was a bad thing to do, just that you should be more careful. Okay?”

“Kay,” he said, his eyes rising as she turned her back on him to continue forward. It was there he noticed the wound was gone from the tear in her cloak and shirt beneath it. “You healed it?”

She nodded. “I’m a [Amulet Crafter] by trade, although I do [Talismans] as well, and [Gemstone Magecraft] is my specialty. It’s a system where the properties of the stone and crystals are utilized. Some stones, for example, have properties that can be bestowed upon spells channeled through them, such as [Opal] having [Anti-Spiritual] properties. The pendant I used was designed for healing purposes by combining various ones that deal with different types of healing needs that have occurred with all the recent patches, such as closing wounds, stimulating the creation of blood and stemming the flow, mending broken bones, and so on…”

“So that explosion thing from before was part of your magecraft?” he asked.

“It’s the only real offensive use I have for any of the gemstones at this point,” she claimed. “I typically fill them with prana until they can’t hold anymore and then create a Pass so that I can remotely add more at the right time. Anyway, once the threshold is breached it ruptures, like a balloon filled with too much air, the prana and fragments making it like a grenade.

“The properties of most of the stones can be imparted onto other things and beings, which is how I make the amulets and talismans I sell, but that’s about all I can do with gemstones and crystals themselves at this point…although, I’ve been curious about something and wondered if you can help?”

“Sure!” he exclaimed immediately. If it would make up for his mistake, he would do whatever she wanted.

“You should at least wait until I say what it is I need help with, but…” She opened her menu with the unique gesture and surfed through her inventory before materializing a single [Small Rough Quartz] and [Engraving Pick]. The cloudy-white, rough crystal fell into her opened palm and she handed it to him. “Here you go.”

Ken looked at it, noting it was a smaller version of what she threw, and the pick. “What is it?”

“A basic and unrefined [Cloudy Small Quartz],” she told him. “That what you’re holding has no other purpose or quality except that it can store prana inside of it. And, because its unrefined and cloudy it can’t hold as much volume as it could otherwise. I want to change that.”

“How so?” Ken asked.

“Basically, the runes work by accessing a system already in place through pouring prana into shapes that fit the pre-set templates, right?” she inquired, to which he nodded. “Then what if you do like how you do with your element and engrave the rune into the crystal?”

He nodded slowly in understanding as he sketched the [Dagaz] rune he was studying before the battle onto the stone and then forced as much prana into the small crystal and rune as fast as he could. “So if we place the rune on the crystal that serves as a source of prana then the crystal should be able to serve as a medium for the rune. So, if I were to use the stone plus a rune that creates light—”

It was at that moment she realized he was overdoing it and tried to stop him. “Wait, that’s too much—”

The rune it was like a newborn star that died in that instant. It shone, generating a pure white light through the conversion of prana into some form luminescence with heat as well, that was quickly snuffed out as the entire crystal was now dust in his hands. Ken shook his hand clean and grimaced at the pain, not noticing his HP went down a bit. “Sorry, it broke.”

She shook her head, instead apologizing to him as she carefully examined his hand. “No, I’m to blame. I underestimated your control when it comes to the transference and flow of prana and how much you would put into it, as well as the fact that the rune would draw out all the power at once and burn out the stone.”

Her face took on a grim expression as she outlined what could have potentially have happened. “It was risky in more than one way because if the rune didn’t release the prana before you managed to reach the threshold of what it could hold, it would have gone off like a firecracker with fragments as shrapnel at that size. Or worse, if your hand was closed it would have blown it off.

His stomach turned at the thought of that and his eyes fell upon his hand that now shook.

“How careless of me not to consider those as possibilities, but….” She materialized a [Medium Clear Quartz], one that was double-terminated, the size of her hand, and clearer than the one before. It was followed by her taking the [Engraving Pick] and using it to engrave something on it while muttering, “If we adjust the flow and transference of the prana so that it can be released when it goes through the first array…”

Ken watched in mild fascination as managed to accurately engrave some sort of semi-elaborate magic circle on it. There were three round layers that were lined through small pathways with one going straight up and out of the multiple layers. She then handed him the crystal and the tool she used to engrave the circle on it.

“This time don’t fill it with prana,” she said.“Etch the rune into the crystal with that in the center of the circle and then give it here.”

“It’s not going to blow up, is it?” he asked, to be safe.

“No, there’s no prana stored inside this time,” she assured him. “The circle’s a basic [Formalcraft] design for handling the output of prana within and object. It was part of my [Gemstone Magecraft Development Tree] after I earned a certain amount of experience in trying to regulate the flow of prana to and from various gemstones. However, since the branch ended there, I would assume any further or more efficient circles would need to be developed or sought out. Just engrave the shape of the rune and this time I’ll handle the process of transference.”

He cautiously drew the rune of daylight again and handed it to her. Taking the crystal into her left hand, she brought her thumb to her mouth and bit down just beneath the tip on the underside to trigger the blood patch into activating and filled the drop with as much prana as would afford to spare in this instance. The blood hit the engraving on the outmost pathway and transferred the prana into it, from which she controlled the flow by the circles acting as filters or regulators and only allowing a trickle of the total amount to seep into the rune at the heart of the array.

The rune shone with a light glow, not the overwhelming flare from before, and illuminated the pair’s visage. It was then a window appeared with a minor fanfare above both of them and they received bonus XP for [Consolidated Magecraft Development]. The bonus was marginally higher than when Ken practiced on his own while Yasumi rubbed her chin in thought.

“Interesting,” she said after a moment. “So because we took our own magecraft and worked them into something together, we both receive more XP than if we did it within our own individual systems.”

Anyone see anything that can contradict it with Daniel's story or any faults in it that I need to correct, besides spelling (that comes later)?
 
#19
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

Leidolf said:
Well, it's not a bad idea an [Armor] guy, although is [Reinforcement] affected by element? Shirou has [Sword] and can [Reinforce] just about anything, so it's shouldn't play a real factor.
Rin gave Shirou a huge supply of lamps to Reinforce. He broke them all.

Yet, as Gudman pointed out, Shirou can do ridiculous things like reinforce a rolled up aluminum poster into a metal club that could withstand multiple exchanges with Lancer's legendary spear.

So yes, one's Element really does make a difference. It makes everything regarding that Element easier, and the farther your attempts fall outside of those Elements, the more difficult it becomes, rapidly approaching "impossible."

Gudman even justifies how Shirou is able to so easily employ self-reinforcement, which is usually really tricky for magic-users*. It's not just a matter of Shirou's superior focus and experience, it's also because he sees himself as a sword, with a body made of swords. If he is a sword, naturally he can reinforce himself as easily as he could a katana.

Armor-Guy wouldn't start with Shirou's experience or focus, and he would need to go through a LOT of shit before he began seeing himself as "armor" or "made of armor".

The first and easiest thing for him to reinforce about his body would be his skin (especially for the purpose of resisting damage), because he can rationalize "any epidermis is armor". From there, he can work his way down to muscles and bones, on the rationalizations that "motors and framework are part of powered armor" and "the body is armor/mecha for the mind/soul."


* The fact that the Fumanin guild figured out how to Reinforce their stamina is remarkable, I think. Though this explanation doesn't hold very well for how Shirou could reinforce Argo's eyes, or how Kirito managed to reinforce his own.


Also, I don't want him to be exclusively [Martial Arts] when we have Wen already there. If we can outline it further, I'll see if I can give him a chapter in the spotlight, starting with him going on a Rare Element quest, after the current arc is over.
There seems to have been a misunderstanding.

I did not mean to suggest that you would write for this character, or that this character would interact with your characters. I thought this was a thread for ANYONE's ideas on writing supplemental material to Daniel Gudman's story.
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#20
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

I don't mind if others post their ideas, but it's mostly for mine in the end...

Actually, how do you reinforce your Stamina? I know Kirito managed to extend his somehow, but...anyway, the second part of the first chapter is up and I need to figure out a name for their guild and this fanfiction. I was thinking [Mid-Liner Chronicles] for a title, but that's a rather narrow viewpoint
 

happerry

Well-Known Member
#21
RE: FRO Recursive Fanfiction

If it's mostly for yours, you should have chosen a different name. As is, the title makes it sound like it's for, well, FRO Recursive Fanfiction, not just your FRO Recursive Fanfiction.
 

Prince Charon

Well-Known Member
#22
happerry said:
If it's mostly for yours, you should have chosen a different name. As is, the title makes it sound like it's for, well, FRO Recursive Fanfiction, not just your FRO Recursive Fanfiction.
This is what it looks like to me, as well.
 
#24
Leidolf said:
Actually, how do you reinforce your Stamina?
The same way you Reinforce your Strength, presumably. But Reinforcement is only possible when improvement is possible.

Like, on the first floor, players could Reinforce their Strength parameter to the maximum value possible for their Level. Someone who had invested all points into Strength, and thus already had the maximum, could not Reinforce Strength any further without injuring themselves.

So, on the first floor, it would have been impossible to Reinforce the durability of one's avatar, or one's HP, because those values were fixed.

When the Stamina Meter was introduced for the Second Floor, it must have included some possible range of values determined by other factors. If everyone had the same set value of Stamina, it would be impossible to Reinforce.

The second floor is also where Shirou was able to Reinforce his hand to resist the burn of fire, so presumably that floor patch included a new variation on "avatar body toughness".


Without a possible range of improvement, the only way to improve an object or parameter is to use Alteration. But Alteration was not released on the First Floor.
 

Leidolf

Well-Known Member
#25
Okay, some changes to the rest of the plot for the first chapter I want input on from anyone forth coming:

* [Ruin Axolotl] is now a [Flag Mob] that Ken triggered in the following scene (in progress):
Ken found himself kneeling on the shore of one of the islands that littered the area he found himself in, holding the [Glow Stone] over the ground with one hand as he used the other to pick through the piles of [Fire Agate] that they had retrieved to find the one in specific that they were looking for. The player known as [Aoili] to him had shown him what one looked like, the subtle differences between it and the others, but according to her there was about a 1 in a 100 chance of finding them.

So far they had found only one and he was starting to get bored. This led to him absentmindedly throwing the stones that didn’t match what he was looking for into the lake next to him, as far as he could, to entertain himself. It was purely by accident that he hit a water mob and aggro’d it, pulling an [Lesser Axolotl] from the water to come onto the shore and attack him…the first time.

The mob was weak, but it gave relatively decent XP for the lack of difficulty and the pop rate was fast. So he considered it a means to pass the time and gain some extra experience, spotting the distant makers that lurked in the water and slaying the weak mobs when they came to the shore of the island.

He had no idea that for each one slain it added to an event counter that rose until it reached a threshold and the [Lesser Axolotls] stopped spawning for a moment, leaving Ken to toss the unnecessary stones until he saw one remaining marker and took a shot at it in haste.

That was when things went to hell as the marker shifted to hostile and a shriek emerged from the lake that reverberated throughout the area like a bomb being dropped, the fauna of the island shaking along with the bones in the young boy’s body.

* Rather a boundary field, she uses the improved amulet that gives her [Presence Concealment] to hide both her and Ken, but can't move with it in effect because he has to remain very close to her and it would lose effectiveness trying to clear the area near the bridge while concentrating.

* Sanda went from Level 2 to 8 by spending his time on the Second Floor and trained alongside two members of the [Ronins], as noted here:
“So we’ll part here, said a young woman with a soft voice. With her body covered in a [Light Cloak] that fell to her shins and there was a [Steel Naginata] in her hand. “Will you be alright from here on, Sanda-kun?”

Wen Fukazawa or [Sanda] as he named himself in homage to someone he looked up to nodded. With a [Black Scarf] wrapped in a bundle over his shoulders and neck, hiding his mouth, he spoke reservedly with his voice somewhat muffled. “I…can’t thank you enough for accompanying me…”

“You sure weren’t much of a conversationalist, that’s for sure,” said the second figure, lifting the rim their [Straw Hat] to reveal a face belonging to an older man in his mid-twenties. Stubble was present on his chin and his black hair was in a ponytail. “Honestly, it felt like we were carrying the conversations ourselves.”

“Sorry,” Wen apologized sincerely, his eyes downcast.

The older man set a strong hand on his shoulder and sighed. “I was jesting. Come on, you’ve got to stop being so feeble. Wasn’t the reason you gained this Extra Skill was because you wanted to live up to someone else?”

“Still…” The young woman cast her gaze down at the [Iron Gauntlets] he wore, heavy-type equipment typically belonging as part a set of armor. They stood out compared to the rest of his equipment, which was all light armor, scratches and gouges on the metal around the knuckles. “Using the [Martial Arts] exclusively is a bit reckless isn’t it. Are you sure you don’t want to get a set of claw-type weapons instead?”

Wen looked at his armored fists for a moment and thought. Ultimately, he shook his head. “To be like that person…I need to use my fists. If I hide behind a weapon…well, it would be the same as before.”

The older man scrunched up his chin in thought before smiling pulling down the rim of his hat to cover his eyes. Setting a hand on the [Steel Katana] affixed to his hip, he then said, “It’s not like we can’t understand that line of thought. Falling into the role of someone else was why we entered the game in the first place. All of the [Ronins] can sympathize with that much.”

The young woman nodded as well, “True, but I can’t help but worry. There were a lot of close calls to this point. ”

“He’ll be fine,” the older man assured his companion. “He gained enough experience partying with us and practicing with [Reinforcement] to go from Level 2 to Level 8. Plus, he pointed out some good things that made the trip profitable for the duration of our stay at that hut. Then again, that’s a Beta Tester for you.”

“Well, I guess you’re right…” Her expression of uncertainty vanished, replaced by warm smile again. “Just be careful. You’re on our [Friend’s List] so you can send us a message any time.”

He gave single nod. “Farewell, Sakamoto-san. Nakano-san.”

[Ronins] currently consists on:
* Sakamoto Ryouma – Leader of the group, a single Katana user.
* Nakano Takeko – Female Naginata user
* Yagyu Munenori – Male Daisho-user (and throwing picks)
* Nen Ami Jion – Male Kusagari-user

I'm still looking for a Nodachi-user and Bow-user.
 
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