Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
at adventu, we believe that colorful story and plots far outweigh the need for a battle system. rp should be about the writing, the fun, and the creativity. you will see that the only system on our site is the encouragement to create amazing adventures with other members. welcome to adventu... how will you arrive?
year 5, quarter 3
Welcome one and all to our beautiful new skin! This marks the visual era of Adventu 4.0, our 4th and by far best design we've had. 3.0 suited our needs for a very long time, but as things are evolving around the site (and all for the better thanks to all of you), it was time for a new, sleek change. The Resource Site celebrity Pharaoh Leep was the amazing mastermind behind this with minor collaborations from your resident moogle. It's one-of-a-kind and suited specifically for Adventu. Click the image for a super easy new skin guide for a visual tour!
Final Fantasy Adventu is a roleplaying forum inspired by the Final Fantasy series. Images on the site are edited by KUPO of FF:A with all source material belonging to their respective artists (i.e. Square Enix, Pixiv Fantasia, etc). The board lyrics are from the Final Fantasy song "Otherworld" composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by The Black Mages II.
The current skin was made by Pharaoh Leap of Pixel Perfect. Outside of that, individual posts and characters belong to their creators, and we claim no ownership to what which is not ours. Thank you for stopping by.
"Greetings adventurers, mercenaries and tough guys and girls abound!
Whether it be the thrill of adventure, the shine of gil or simply the chance to look tough that has made you read this message on this here notice board, I thank you for entertaining my words! I, the great adventurer and explorer known the world over as Kahlil -- is intending to explore the unexplored. Yes! The Reikin Sands have parted with the wind and unveiled a set of ancient ruins yet untouched! Text on one of the walls has dubbed it "Knash".
I intend to explore these great Ruins of Knash in hopes of retrieving a great treasure that I have heard has slept within the sands for all these years! In my hopes that these Ruins of Knash are what I seek, I have need for able-bodied warriors who are willing to put themselves on the line to ensure my safe passage -- of which I will pay very, VERY handsomely for doing so! My only requests are to protect dear Kahlil and to allow him access to any treasures that might be found. Your payment will be well worth the concession, Kahlil promises you!
If this offer interests you, meet Kahlil at these coordinates at this time and day -- of which Kahlil has written below. Kahlil does hope to see a great turnout!
- Sincerely, Kahlil"
Caius had yet to truly step into the Reikin Desert. Nor had he experienced a desert in his life. The Kingdom of Lucis was quite lacking in the desert department. But he'd done his research before venturing out about just how dangerous a desert could be and prepared accordingly. He had decided against bringing Vordun this time, knowing that if resources were depleted, then Caius would put the dragon's well-being over his own. Not that Vordun was going to fit very easily into ancient ruins anyway, he was getting too big for that now. Begrudgingly, he left Vordun with Celes.
While it would have been nice to score a piece of possible treasure, it sounded like the payment for this job would be high -- and Caius knew it was time to establish himself outside of his comfort zone areas of Zephon anyway. So the Reikin Desert, he went. As he would trek through the desert, having forgone his armored glaive uniform (Which he had also left at Celes' place, since he didn't have a place to call his own. He hoped she didn't mind) in favor of a simple red tunic with his arms exposed. He felt almost naked with this on, but he knew he'd never survive the desert in a jacket like that. The heat blistered his skin a bit and he wasn't comfortable having his arms exposed in combat, but he knew that it would be better than the alternative.
At the least, he could breathe a little better in this he supposed. A muscular frame pressed under a jacket threatened to push against the jacket and destroy it at any point. He had thought he had stopped growing by the time he'd joined the glaives. Apparently he was wrong seeing as his appearance changed when he was no longer malnourished. But he'd never bothered to ask for a bigger jacket. It was just the arms that bothered him, the damned sleeves were too tight. So this tunic had its... Benefits, he guessed. But he would be happier when he was in something that he was confident would protect him.
Bloody hell though, the desert was far worse than he could have ever imagined. Who the hell even came out here willingly? And they expected an expedition here? By the Astrals, he may very well have taken a job assigned by a madman. But Caius trudged on, ensuring he stayed hydrated as he wandered the desert and following the map he'd taken until he found a rough idea of where the coordinates were... Up ahead, in front of a ruined building that was only half-emerged from the sand, he noticed a scaggly fellow wearing glasses and a large pack. He supposed that was probably his guy.
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
"Kahlil does hope to see a great turnout!
- Sincerely, Kahlil"
The sign as it was held no appeal to the young man. After all, why would it? He would never dream of going into an unexplored ruin. Much let alone with a band of strangers - whom he could only imagine would be nowhere near as charitable as he. Especially not out so far from any other settlement in such an arid and harsh environment. And without a faithful aeon to protect him? That's crazy talk!
All of it screamed out far too much risk. And yet, compelled by how insane Kana-Ei thought the leader of this expedition was: here he was, walking to certain doom. The only rational explanation for this the Spiran could come up with was a man so blind to the risk he was putting himself in would not have the foresight to plan ahead if he - or one of the party -did get injured. Using that logic Kana-Ei could not in good faith turn his back on the sign. The man would surely perish! It was not the Yevon way.
Despite having no experience in wandering in a desert, the youth had some common sense. He never dared to head to the heathen capital of the Al Bhed. Before leaving, he bought a parasol to shield him from the sun and plenty of water. He dressed in a lightweight, light reflecting robe that was only loosely tied around his waist. As confident as he could be given the impending danger he was going to be in - he set out to meet the clearly insane Kahlil and whatever cut throats and glory-chasers would accompany him.
Kana-Ei decided to stop for a moment near a rock that looked as though it would service passably as a chair and have a water break. Thankfully he knew ice magic, so was able to regulate the temperature of the water to keep him cool. The tow-headed man didn't want to begin to fathom how someone else less prepared would be coping. While leisurely fanning himself from underneath the protective parasol he noticed a blond haired man walking purposefully. Surely he is headed the same way. Rather than address the man then and there, he followed at a distance.
And surely, the man stopped in front of a half buried ruin. In front of it stood a dishevelled man in glasses with a ridiculously large bag. That must be Kahlil - I wish I could say I was surprised.
Happy to let the clearly much stronger blond handle the initial ice-breaker, Kana-Ei continued to gently fan himself from beneath his parasol. He might have looked very mysterious if not for the fact that this parasol was designed to look like a Moogle - complete with ears that poked out and a bright red pom-pom sticking up from the top.
Amarant stood silently as he clutched at one of the help-wanted posters, staring at it silently. All efforts to locate a trace of his former group had turned up for naught, as well as his efforts to find a way out of this world. In his mind, the only thing he could do now was go back to the basics and do what he did best. Escort jobs were usually never his thing... They never saw too much combat as most common thugs and beasts were put off by the typically copious amounts of guards, the one they were guarding was either the one not paying them or was far too cheap in the rewards he was offering... This was, however, one of the only jobs promising battle, however, venturing into a dangerous sea of sand and exploring ruins...
Hmph. Amarant had no interest in whatever fancy rocks or carvings his employer might bring... but ruins were always a great source for conflict. He might yet have purpose once more.
_____
The Mercenary rested against one of the pillars surrounding the ruins within the appointed desert, his presence subdued and quiet as he watched the other soldiers arrive. Most of them...? Hardly worth his time, covered up from head to toe in order to protect themselves from the blinding, soul-sapping heat. Not Amarant. He had felt worse temperatures when he was a child. To him, weather meant next to nothing. Even with his pale, bluish skin seemingly more vulnerable than the darker tones of some, the man simply rested there quietly,his long, sanguine dreadlocks ruffling gently in the desert winds.
His rune-claws were hooked tightly onto one of his hands, his arms folded across his broad chest as he towered over the rest of his fellow guards. None of them looked all that tough... Hardly worth going back for if they ended up falling behind. Amarant couldn't help but judge quietly as he peered over the latest two arrivals... One a man... The other a moogle of all things. The man smirked despite himself.
THAT was going to be protecting someone...? What a joke.
...He hoped they'd get this show on the road. The sooner it started, the sooner he could do something worth doing.
A few more arrivals would come around, and Caius wondered if, by the looks of them, if any of them intended on trying to sneak any treasures and run out on this early. But considering they hadn't been paid yet... Maybe not. Though maybe something in here was more worth it than this unspecified amount? Either way, he would gaze around when he noticed a creature of a species he was not familiar with, and another man with Moogle ears. An interesting lot, to say the least.
And then, when he seemed satisfied, Kahlil would call out to them.
"Ah, so you have all arrived! It is finally time for I - the great adventurer Kahlil, and explorer ex-trord-een-aire... To guide you all on a tour of an unexplored ruin, yes! Provided you are willling to do the guarding of course, and dispose of any nasties. Keep yours truly safe from anything nasty and Kahlil promises a hefty reward, yes, yes! Kahlil has had many adventures and amassed many riches, money will be no problem for Kahlil!"
Kahlil would walk from person to person, looking them up and down as if analyzing their use to him. He would look up at Amarant first.
"Oh-ho! A muscular beast of a man! I already know who will be our head muscle here! Good, good! And these dreadlocks, such a beauty! You have to tell me who did your hair!"
He examined Kana-El next. "I love this hat! Or are they actual ears? Do you have Moogle properties perhaps? Can you fly, Kupo? That would be so useful!"
He moved to Caius next and after looking the man over, he would grab his arm.
"Oho! Muscles, muscles! I was wrong to judge that we had just one powerhouse!" He chirped as he squeezed his arm. But as he squeezed, he looked up to Caius' eyes to find the mercenary staring back at him with a cold, sharp gaze that caused Kahlil to let out an "Eep!" as he stepped back frantically.
"Oof! You are a scary young man! Maybe you can scare any zombies away if we find any?"
Caius did his best to keep his composure, letting out a small exhale. "Caius" He spoke calmly, flatly, deciding it best to introduce himself to the explorer and the others. "I think this is everyone. I would rather we begin right away if your preparations are complete, before the heat takes us."
"Yes, yes, of course!" Kahlil would respond, as he would begin to lead the excavation party through the open entrance of the tomb. "Would any of you have a light that can be held? Kahlil can do it, but he would rather be the eyes! My job is treasure hunting, after all!"
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
From his vantage point, Kana-Ei also quickly became aware of a gargantuan man with pallid blue skin and a flaming mop of red hair. The man's body language painted a very vivid story of someone who wasn't to be trifled with. In that moment Kana did feel that perhaps he wasn't far enough away from the man. Though, he supposed if they were on the same side for the time being, he didn't have much to worry about. Who knew, perhaps he was friendly?...
Kahlil made it apparent he wanted the disparate party to gather around him. Acquiescent to this, Kana-Ei approached with a slight amount of trepidation. He positioned himself in between the larger men as Kahlil began to address them. He lorded himself as a some kind of adventuring "ex-trord-een-aire". The man certainly had a way of expressing himself.
It made him thankful he had elected to come out all this way to the ruins. Especially given the way he addressed the hulking blue man. The young Spiran certainly would not have chosen to be so familiar with the man right off the bat. Kahlil clearly needed the protection - especially of the magical variety. As Kana-Ei felt it was a safe assumption that the other two men probably had no healing capabilities. Though maybe he was making assumptions. If either of the men were gifted white mages, he would happily bow out and leave the much more physically intimidating men to make sure the eccentric Kahlil lived to see another day.
The odd adventurer then stood in front of him, beaming as he proclaimed:
"I love this hat! Or are they actual ears? Do you have Moogle properties perhaps? Can you fly, Kupo? That would be so useful!"
Kana-Ei was a little taken aback...so much so his response was an awkwardly stilted:
"K-upo??" This guy didn't really think he was part moogle did he?!
"Ahhh! How fortunate we must be! Please tell me what else you can do, Kupo?!"
Kana-Ei cleared his throat in an attempt to maintain some semblance of face. It was a very bizarre conclusion to come to in his opinion
"I am a," He paused - reminding himself he was no summoner in this world, "A white mage. Though I know a number of black magic spells..."
He trailed off - unsure of how, and partially unwilling, to try and correct the man's mistake.
Kahlil gleefully smiled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezing it before bounding off to harangue the blond man apparently called Cauis. My, my, my...this man seems to have no concept of personal space. Kana-Ei was almost adamant that at some point very soon this man was going to be on the receiving end of a blow from one of the other members of the group. Especially with the withering look Cauis had just given him.
As they set off Kana-Ei softly uttered "Protect!" to fortify his allies. Though he elected to remain silent when Kahlil asked them if anyone was willing to light the way. That implied he would be leading the party. He had no intention of stepping into the unknown first.
Oh, the bemusement. Amarant couldn't possibly have felt any more apathetic towards this bumbling creature before him. What a fool he seemed to be. The mercenary didn't even spare him a glance as he went about remarking every little obvious detail he could muster on the red-headed man, commenting how he MUST tell him who did his hair! Without missing a beat, Amarant responded, his tone flat as Gaia's planes.
"Me."
Surprised...? What, did he think that he'd waste his money going to someone else's shop just to get his hair done? No, Amarant did his own grooming. He didn't have time to waste, sitting in a chair for a trim he could've done himself in mere minutes. The warrior looked on as everyone else got an uncomfortable probing at their expense, the man pointing out everything so blatantly obvious to everyone else, it might've just been a running gag at this point... A poor one, but a gag nonetheless. Stuff like this made him long for the days where he had been traveling with his group, a time where a certain black mage was constantly evaluating and reevaluating his existence and self-worth. Amarant never liked kids (or adults that acted like them) but children that whined and complained while possessing enough fire-power to destroy the entire Lifa-Tree...?
...That was nothing less than completely frustrating.
...And right now, this was worse than that.
Amarant had half a mind to just walk out of this right now, to find other work... but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, everyone seemed ready to go, gearing up!
"Then what are we waiting for? The sun to burn out? Lets go." The mercenary grumbled, pushing himself off the pillar he leaned against, waiting for this treasure-hunter to start hunting! It wasn't long after he made this remark did the man feel a magical barrier flash around him, a small golden force-field reminiscent of a 'Protect' spell. Amarant's head turned in the direction of their white mage, the mercenary letting out a small snort of acknowledgement before turning back towards the entrance to the cave... This job's end couldn't come soon enough...
"Oh, a white mage! Good! Kahlil is glad to see that we have a healer here! We wouldn't want to lose Kahlil, would we?" Their enigmatic "guide" would chirp when Kana-El would cast Protect on the squad. But at first, nobody seemed willing to light the way. And it was getting darker... "Nobody? Nobody at all?" Kahlil would remark, looking toward the party. "You're not afraid of the dark, are you lot? Well, alright! I, Kahlil, have come prepared!" He spoke up as he would pull a torch from his pack. Striking a match, the man would light the torch and stride forward.
Well, at least he had some use, Caius thought as he remained quiet throughout. He had decided not to offer, as while he could have lit the way, he was here to fight and he moved around too much in a fight to keep proper light on the others if it came to it. Once it was lit, they would find themselves in a tight hallway, that would likely make anyone feel claustrophobic. It was a tight fit, but the group would have to traverse through it - even if it felt as though it might close in on them at any moment.
"This reminds me of when Kahlil ventured into the Great Maze!" Kahlil would chirp as he led the group through the hallway. Eventually they would come into a room that Kahlil would point out to the group had a series of worn torches that could be lit. Lighting each one using his own, the room was revealed to them. They were in a large room now, at the top being a series of crystal murals.
"Hmm... These murals appear to be depicting some sort of message. Or perhaps a story?" Kahlil would chirp as he would raise his torch in hopes of lighting it better to read. On the murals were markings that seemed to resemble that of large blocky figures, standing alongside figures that could be construed to be humans if one looked closely enough. One of the humans appeared to be holding some kind of lined object. As Kahlil moved the torch, the next set of murals showed the giant block things seeming to be holding things up, with the line-holding human behind them.
"Hmm... What could this mean?" Kahlil would remark as Caius would step forward and look them over.
"If these small things are people, then what are the larger, blocky things?" Caius responded. "It looks like the block thing is holding something. And the person with that one thing, maybe they're working with the block creature to do something?"
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
Kahlil's excited chirping at Kana-Ei's protect spell confused the young man. Had he not just clarified that he was capable of healing just moments before? Maybe he hadn't heard him properly?
"I'll do my best to keep us all safe."
He felt the need to clarify that to the man.
"Oh yes, yes, yes! Of course! Tell me, kupo, who you don't say 'kupo' very much? Isn't it a tad rude not to say it more often, kupo?"
"Erm...sorry...kupo." Kana-Ei bleated. The moment had passed to raise this with the man. It was just going to become increasingly awkward to bring up the explorer's mistake now. It wasn't as though Kana-Ei was planning on seeing Kahlil after this anyway. It wouldn't accomplish anything to have the discussion. He just prayed that they didn't require any flight during this expedition.
So they set into the ruins, Kahlil lighting their path. The air grew increasingly stale as the remaining light of the day gave way to the darkness of the ruins. The path forward appeared to be quite narrow. Luckily he was not overly claustrophobic...or particularly large. He had a moment of concern where he worried the much larger men would not fit through some of the tinier passage ways. The seemingly arbitrary discrepancies in size made the mage question what exactly this place had been used for when it was still inhabited. It did not seem like good design to have a major city have pathways that could barely allow for two people to walk side by side. Maybe its purpose was defensive?
A few times Kahlil attempted to make conversation - most notably referencing something known as the 'great maze'. Kana-Ei remained silent but began to feel bad for possibly leaving the man ignored. The other two men did not appear to be talkative types. It was clear that the eccentric adventurer was quite sociable. He knew he would have felt bad if he were completely ignored. So he broke his silence.
"That sounds very interesting. I am sure we all would love to hear about this great maze when we are coming out of here. Maybe it's best to be quiet for the moment...kupo?" He replied as tactfully as possible. Yet he couldn't stop the word kupo from sounding laboured.
Eventually the narrow corridors gave way to a larger vestibule. Kana was internally grateful for the additional space to move around. Kahlil stepped into the room, lighting the apparently well used torches one by one. Large crystal murals with rather primitive art came into view. Their slight emerald hue was quite fetching. Kana-Ei viewed them with mild interest. He also noted that there appeared to be no way forward. Placing his hand on his chin, he listened as the other men began to postulate as to what the nature of the art was depicting.
It all felt vaguely familiar. There had been trials he had gone through once. He could not remember what purpose they had served, or what they had involved. But he had managed to get through them. He knew he should be capable of providing some assistance now. How much different could it be?
Kana-Ei then began to step around the room, trying to find anything that might offer a clue as to how to progress. He thought that the line might have been a sceptre or a staff. There was nothing around them that appeared as though it was related to the line wielding figure. Maybe in a pinch, his staff or one of the lit sconces would work? He doubted that the torches would. After all there was nothing in the drawing that would appear to represent fire. He kept it in the back of his mind though.
Nor was there a large figure that appeared to be a helpful presence in sight. Kana-Ei had a temporary feeling of dread. What if that large construct was not friendly? What if the two figures were about to do battle?
Kana-Ei subtly composed himself. Losing his head now would serve no purpose. They were in no trouble. Though the lack of a way forward, and material of the walls made him question whether they were moveable. Turning to the largest of his companions, Kana-Ei offered a polite smile to the redheaded behemoth of a man. If anyone will succeed in moving them, it would be him.
"Excuse me, Mr. ehh, Dreadlocks? Are you able to see if pushing any one of the murals does anything?" Kana-Ei questioned, while gesturing behind him. It seemed like a better starting point than trying to have a guess at the intended artistic expression or cultural significance behind the crystal structures. Which is what it appeared Kahlil seemed to be deadset on doing. Kana hoped that it wasn't annoying Caius, or the blue-skinned man, greatly.
Amarant had neglected to bring any dungeoneering gear with him when he agreed to be part of this little adventure... perhaps an oversight of arrogance on his part but he'd never needed it before and he would not start now. Seeing as everyone else had a similar mindset, the rest of the crew seemed similarly defunct in this aspect, leaving their glorious leader to pick up the slack.
...At least he's good for something.
Amarant thought cynically to himself as the group finally began their delve inside! What became immediately obvious, especially to the large, 7-foot+ man was that the walls in here were narrow... Very... VERY narrow. Amarant had to walk at a slight angle directed inwards in order to prevent his broad shoulders from scraping against the rough, sandy stone of the walls! Instantly, the man found this place utterly undeserving of being searched, a waste of space fit only for consumption of the sands outside... and the stale air inside which only served to further enlighten Amarant on the many ways this place was uncomfortable.
...As a ninja, the mercenary was fit for OPEN, WIDE spaces where he could use his speed to fight! In a place like this where there was only one way in or out... and with no space to even TURN AROUND effectively...? Traps were bound to be multitudes of times more devastating! ...And there WOULD be traps. There had to be. Anyone who had any form of education in any part of the world knew that people had a hard time letting go of the dead (or their valuables) and guarded them with various trap-types...
He had done this song and dance before... and he knew what to expect from these places... generally.
FINALLY, just as Amarant was losing patience with with this place... The group came into a refreshingly (but no less stale) chamber, the mercenary letting out a quiet sigh of relief as he readjusted his stance, pulling himself fully forwards! Without a word, he walked up behind the rest of the group as they analyzed the carvings along the walls, small blocks depicting certain scenes or ideas... that had no importance to the mercenary. He was here to fight and to defend. He had no interest in the little carvings some deluded people cut into rockfaces and crystals years ago... Amarant stood, indignant, behind his fellow mercenaries, his arms crossed as he observed their surroundings.
Quiet... dark... not even air seemed to blow through this chamber... at least, not enough to notice if one wasn't listening for it... He wondered... what other-
"Excuse me, Mr. ehh, Dreadlocks?"
...That was a new one. Almost as original as "red-headed man."
"What?" Amarant focused his attention on the little white mage. He directed the red-headed man towards the mirals before them, asking him to... press against them. What, looking for buttons? Go figure. Well... it was something to do other than just stand there and grumble...
Grumbling softly under his breath, Amarant ran his hands along each individual picture, pressing his large, white palm against each one for a moment or two before moving onto the next... He kept an eye on his surroundings... his other hand upon his Rune-Claws in case this all turned out to be a BAD idea.
As interesting as the murals were, the black-haired man was right that they needed to find a way to move forward. Though Caius had to lower his head and stifle a laugh when he called Dreads & Menacing "Mr. Dreadlocks". But Mr. Dreadlocks seemed to agree that perhaps they needed to do something, and as both Caius, Kahlil and the rest of the dungeoning party watched, Dreadzylocks would press one spot after another, hoping for some kind of answer. Some kind of opening. Some kind of key.
And then a loud "CLICK" could be heard as one of the panels, the one of one of the large figures, would press inward. A loud "YEEP!" could be heard as Kahlil would duck. If he had anything, at least it was instincts. Caius realized that likely meant trouble and was grateful for their... Eccentric host's foresight as he would duck his head just as a spear whizzed through golden locks of hair.
"I see a passage opening! We need to get into that opening!" Kahlil would call out to the group as the spears shooting from the walls would begin changing their patterns, now no longer shooting just horizontally from the walls directly in front of them, but beginning to shoot from the floor as well as the ceiling. They needed to find a way out of here and fast. But the passageway that was opening still hadn't opened fully, it was moving incredibly slowly, as if it were testing them... Testing to see just how long they could survive without getting skewered by the spears.
When the spears changed pattern, Caius was forced to go from ducking to needing to roll forward and move as precisely as he could. His survival instincts were on full alert as the mercenary would try and predict where they would come next, as he slowly made his way toward the passageway...
