You have 16 Days Until Your Place of Business is Shut Down

> More requests!! Let's check them out!!!

You head out to the castle to check on what requests are available.

{Syzygy Castle - Azure Your Cause}

After waiting in line for a bit, Stahl givesy ou the list:

1. Slay Alpha Wolf by 2/5 - 1000 Cole
   
2. Bring Milk Chocolate x 3 by 2/7 - 750 Cole
   
3. (From Niko voll Erslied) Bring "Something Strange" by 1/30 - 500 Cole
   
4. Bring Potato Soup by 1/29 - 600 Cole
   
5. Slay 3 Wolves by 2/1 - 750 Cole

It seems like that alpha wolf request just keeps hanging around. Nobody's been able to take it down yet, you guess.
You frown at one particular item on that list. "Um...something strange?"
"That boy gave me the impression that you would already know what he meant," Stahl sighs in annoyance. "He wouldn't leave until I wrote the request down." It's difficult to imagine someone that small bullying Stahl into doing something he otherwise wouldn't. "He indicated he would pay you himself."

>

Date: 1/15
Time: About one quarter

Status & Inventory:

4216 Cole

Location: Syzygy - Sarah's Workshop

Character Status:

SpoilerShow

Sarah Kennigan: Uninjured, Just Okay
Weapon: Basic Staff
Armor: Normal Clothes
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

Ether Light: A self-defense technique from Master. Non-elemental magic attack, any 1 square.

Dave Barrett: Barely Scratched, Just Okay
Weapon: Hatchets
Armor: Normal Clothes
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

• Hatchet Throw: Throw a hatchet in any of 8 directions. Does physical damage to whatever it hits first.
  
• Slice & Dice: Chop-chop-chop-chop! Attempts 5-10 normal attacks, all on the same target, at reduced accuracy.
  
• Quick Feet (passive): Go go go! Instead of the usual 1 move, 1 attack/skill, Dave can choose any 3 actions to perform on each of his turns, each of which can be either kind.

Fee: 0 Cole

Miranda (???): Uninjured, Fine
Weapon: Knight's Sword
Armor: Knight's Armor
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

• Zero Motivation (passive): Eh. Miranda has less energy states than normal (Exhausted, Okay, Fine). It costs energy to perform regular move and attack actions in battle. Active skills require a large percentage of her maximum energy.
  
• Chill (passive): Whatever, it's fine. Miranda regains a small amount of energy anytime she isn't doing anything, regardless of if it's out of town or even in the middle of a battle.
  
• Spin Slash: Gotta respect the classics. Slashes everything in the 8 tiles surrounding Miranda for physical damage.
  
• Lazy Combo: Way too much effort. Performs six normal attacks in a row (which can have distinct targets), and then lacks the motivation to do anything at all for the next two turns (Chill is disabled during these turns).
  
• Slack Off (3/3): Miranda's favorite activity. Doesn't accomplish anything immediate, but restores a moderate amount of energy instead of spending it. Has a 2-turn cooldown and only works 3 times per battle.

Fee: 500 Cole

Miriam Kovich: Uninjured, 10/10 Bombs
Weapon: Crossbow
Armor: Lab Coat

Skills:

SpoilerShow

• SCIENCE! (passive): Nothing can be allowed to deter the march of progress! Miriam's determination to discover the unknown gives her seemingly boundless energy. Instead her skills use up her limited supply of bombs, which can only be replenished back at town or by Sarah giving her items of the category [Bomb Supply] out of the basket and a night to turn them into more bombs. The quality and type of item affects how many bombs it can produce.
  
• Keen Eye (passive): A scientist must always be paying attention! To everything. Miriam's presence in the party increases the probability of finding more items, and of finding a wider variety of items. Some items can only be initially discovered with Miriam in the party.
  
• Observation: Let's see what makes you tick... Miriam can spend an entire turn (both the move and act portions) on observing an enemy and provide tactical data about that enemy type's behaviors, weaknesses, strengths, etc. This data remains available indefinitely after being obtained once.
  
• CrossBomb (1): The obvious combination. Miriam attaches a small bomb to a crossbow bolt. Hits any enemy in normal attack range for normal attack damage, then causes explosive fire damage to the 3x3 square centered on the target. This can also be aimed at empty squares for tactical effect.

Fee: FREE TRAIL x 1 (100 Cole after)

Dual Techs:

SpoilerShow

Sarah & Dave:
Ether Hatchet (Hatchet Throw + Ether Light): Do the thing! Targets any enemy on a straight line from Dave which he could hit with Hatchet Throw. Deals physical damage to the target and then magical damage to anything in the 3x3 square centered on the target.

All other info

> Let's ask more details. Who was this guy??? Who is he???

((We know who Niko is; he's the witch kid))

> Oh!!! I didn't realize Stahl meant Niko.
> Might as well take the Alpha Wolf request, and snag the milk chocolate request.

> Might as well take the Alpha Wolf request, and snag the milk chocolate request.

{Syzygy Castle - Azure Your Cause}

You accept the request for (more) chocolate, and say you'll do the alpha wolf quest. Stahl gets a shocked expression, a foreign look for him. "You?"
"Well..yeah. I'm getting used to fighting, and know some people who might be able to help take it out," you say.
"Hmn. Promise me you'll at least try to get Miranda's help with it," he says, returning to his usual stern expression. "I've seen enough people come back severely injured by that thing as it is." Apparently there is some concern for others hiding under Stahl's usual sullen demeanor.
"Okay." Well, with this request's prize you could hire her for one day and still make a profit, you guess.
"Is there anything else?"

>

Date: 1/15
Time: About one quarter

Status & Inventory:

4216 Cole

Location: Syzygy - Sarah's Workshop

Character Status:

SpoilerShow

Sarah Kennigan: Uninjured, Just Okay
Weapon: Basic Staff
Armor: Normal Clothes
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

Ether Light: A self-defense technique from Master. Non-elemental magic attack, any 1 square.

Dave Barrett: Barely Scratched, Just Okay
Weapon: Hatchets
Armor: Normal Clothes
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

• Hatchet Throw: Throw a hatchet in any of 8 directions. Does physical damage to whatever it hits first.
  
• Slice & Dice: Chop-chop-chop-chop! Attempts 5-10 normal attacks, all on the same target, at reduced accuracy.
  
• Quick Feet (passive): Go go go! Instead of the usual 1 move, 1 attack/skill, Dave can choose any 3 actions to perform on each of his turns, each of which can be either kind.

Fee: 0 Cole

Miranda (???): Uninjured, Fine
Weapon: Knight's Sword
Armor: Knight's Armor
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

• Zero Motivation (passive): Eh. Miranda has less energy states than normal (Exhausted, Okay, Fine). It costs energy to perform regular move and attack actions in battle. Active skills require a large percentage of her maximum energy.
  
• Chill (passive): Whatever, it's fine. Miranda regains a small amount of energy anytime she isn't doing anything, regardless of if it's out of town or even in the middle of a battle.
  
• Spin Slash: Gotta respect the classics. Slashes everything in the 8 tiles surrounding Miranda for physical damage.
  
• Lazy Combo: Way too much effort. Performs six normal attacks in a row (which can have distinct targets), and then lacks the motivation to do anything at all for the next two turns (Chill is disabled during these turns).
  
• Slack Off (3/3): Miranda's favorite activity. Doesn't accomplish anything immediate, but restores a moderate amount of energy instead of spending it. Has a 2-turn cooldown and only works 3 times per battle.

Fee: 500 Cole

Miriam Kovich: Uninjured, 10/10 Bombs
Weapon: Crossbow
Armor: Lab Coat

Skills:

SpoilerShow

• SCIENCE! (passive): Nothing can be allowed to deter the march of progress! Miriam's determination to discover the unknown gives her seemingly boundless energy. Instead her skills use up her limited supply of bombs, which can only be replenished back at town or by Sarah giving her items of the category [Bomb Supply] out of the basket and a night to turn them into more bombs. The quality and type of item affects how many bombs it can produce.
  
• Keen Eye (passive): A scientist must always be paying attention! To everything. Miriam's presence in the party increases the probability of finding more items, and of finding a wider variety of items. Some items can only be initially discovered with Miriam in the party.
  
• Observation: Let's see what makes you tick... Miriam can spend an entire turn (both the move and act portions) on observing an enemy and provide tactical data about that enemy type's behaviors, weaknesses, strengths, etc. This data remains available indefinitely after being obtained once.
  
• CrossBomb (1): The obvious combination. Miriam attaches a small bomb to a crossbow bolt. Hits any enemy in normal attack range for normal attack damage, then causes explosive fire damage to the 3x3 square centered on the target. This can also be aimed at empty squares for tactical effect.

Fee: FREE TRAIL x 1 (100 Cole after)

Dual Techs:

SpoilerShow

Sarah & Dave:
Ether Hatchet (Hatchet Throw + Ether Light): Do the thing! Targets any enemy on a straight line from Dave which he could hit with Hatchet Throw. Deals physical damage to the target and then magical damage to anything in the 3x3 square centered on the target.

All other info

> Noooope! Maybe we could ask Niko by what he means by something strange, though? Otherwise let's heal up if we can.
Are healing supplements the only way we can recover health and energy? 0:

> Noooope! Maybe we could ask Niko by what he means by something strange, though? Otherwise let's heal up if we can.
Are healing supplements the only way we can recover health and energy? 0:

{Syzygy Castle - Azure Your Cause}

You shake your head no, and then get out of the way of the next person in line before Stahl can glare or yell at you to do so. You'd like to ask Niko what his weird request is about, but you don't really know where he hangs out or lives or anything; for now you just make a mental note to ask him if you do run into him.

You feel a little tired right now, but you could make yourself keep going; you're pretty far from what feels like your actual limit. Of course you always have the option of resting to get your energy back.

>

Date: 1/15
Time: About one quarter

Status & Inventory:

4216 Cole

Location: Syzygy - Syzygy Castle

Character Status:

SpoilerShow

Sarah Kennigan: Uninjured, Just Okay
Weapon: Basic Staff
Armor: Normal Clothes
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

Ether Light: A self-defense technique from Master. Non-elemental magic attack, any 1 square.

Dave Barrett: Barely Scratched, Just Okay
Weapon: Hatchets
Armor: Normal Clothes
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

• Hatchet Throw: Throw a hatchet in any of 8 directions. Does physical damage to whatever it hits first.
  
• Slice & Dice: Chop-chop-chop-chop! Attempts 5-10 normal attacks, all on the same target, at reduced accuracy.
  
• Quick Feet (passive): Go go go! Instead of the usual 1 move, 1 attack/skill, Dave can choose any 3 actions to perform on each of his turns, each of which can be either kind.

Fee: 0 Cole

Miranda (???): Uninjured, Fine
Weapon: Knight's Sword
Armor: Knight's Armor
Accessory: None
Skills:

SpoilerShow

• Zero Motivation (passive): Eh. Miranda has less energy states than normal (Exhausted, Okay, Fine). It costs energy to perform regular move and attack actions in battle. Active skills require a large percentage of her maximum energy.
  
• Chill (passive): Whatever, it's fine. Miranda regains a small amount of energy anytime she isn't doing anything, regardless of if it's out of town or even in the middle of a battle.
  
• Spin Slash: Gotta respect the classics. Slashes everything in the 8 tiles surrounding Miranda for physical damage.
  
• Lazy Combo: Way too much effort. Performs six normal attacks in a row (which can have distinct targets), and then lacks the motivation to do anything at all for the next two turns (Chill is disabled during these turns).
  
• Slack Off (3/3): Miranda's favorite activity. Doesn't accomplish anything immediate, but restores a moderate amount of energy instead of spending it. Has a 2-turn cooldown and only works 3 times per battle.

Fee: 500 Cole

Miriam Kovich: Uninjured, 10/10 Bombs
Weapon: Crossbow
Armor: Lab Coat

Skills:

SpoilerShow

• SCIENCE! (passive): Nothing can be allowed to deter the march of progress! Miriam's determination to discover the unknown gives her seemingly boundless energy. Instead her skills use up her limited supply of bombs, which can only be replenished back at town or by Sarah giving her items of the category [Bomb Supply] out of the basket and a night to turn them into more bombs. The quality and type of item affects how many bombs it can produce.
  
• Keen Eye (passive): A scientist must always be paying attention! To everything. Miriam's presence in the party increases the probability of finding more items, and of finding a wider variety of items. Some items can only be initially discovered with Miriam in the party.
  
• Observation: Let's see what makes you tick... Miriam can spend an entire turn (both the move and act portions) on observing an enemy and provide tactical data about that enemy type's behaviors, weaknesses, strengths, etc. This data remains available indefinitely after being obtained once.
  
• CrossBomb (1): The obvious combination. Miriam attaches a small bomb to a crossbow bolt. Hits any enemy in normal attack range for normal attack damage, then causes explosive fire damage to the 3x3 square centered on the target. This can also be aimed at empty squares for tactical effect.

Fee: FREE TRAIL x 1 (100 Cole after)

Dual Techs:

SpoilerShow

Sarah & Dave:
Ether Hatchet (Hatchet Throw + Ether Light): Do the thing! Targets any enemy on a straight line from Dave which he could hit with Hatchet Throw. Deals physical damage to the target and then magical damage to anything in the 3x3 square centered on the target.

All other info

A/N:

SpoilerShow

Semi-in-character reminder that resting is the main way to regain energy, and health is recovered automatically over time while in town. Even items that heal energy give a kind of temporary boost at best that you can crash from if you rely on them too much. See also this post where it says "Resting and Energy".

As a small mechanics spoiler because I've noticed a tendency to panic when it reaches this point, "Just Okay" is actually still pretty far above half energy, much less any level of tiredness you'd need to really worry about.

((authorbump))

> SAY REALLY LOUD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SQUARE, "NIKOOOOOOOOO"
> if you embarass yourself and don't find niko, grab dave and head for forest entrance!