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.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 18, 2015 8:22:05 GMT -6
Rather than take offense, the girl clapped her hands in excitement at Faris' suggestion. “Oh, really? I might just have to think about it then. Maybe I’ll come looking for you some time, for a few pointers." Faris hadn't been certain how she'd take the idea, but it seemed she was easy to please so long as no one was getting hurt. She even added a few ideas herself. "Who knows, maybe I’ll start snatching boats and stealing baskets so well they’ll fear the color pink till the end of days! Though I’ll have to pass on the swords. Those are far too pointy, I’ll just stick with my usual blunt force upside the head approach.”
Faris raised an eyebrow. 'Usual blunt force upside the head approach?' But the woman didn't seem likely to elaborate so he could only shake his head. "I get the feeling I wouldn't like to see the rough end of your bad side," he muttered. For a moment, Faris couldn't help but imagine the woman with a club raised over her head, her braided hair, bow, and pink dress billowing in the wind as she let out a fierce war cry. The thought of it made him grin again, though he wasn't about to tell her why.
The woman seemed to have finally gotten herself in something of a good mood, and Faris would be damned if he was going to break it.
Though Aerith hadn't been the most willing of partners, Faris found that he liked having someone else beside him. Sure, she might have been sharp-tongued, fiery, and prone to acts so stupid that she could've given Bartz pointers, but Faris had missed this. He'd missed the idle banter, the good-willed insults, and even the mild scolding that had made up his life until now. Faris wasn't made for a solitary life, and as Aerith settled herself in the bottom of the boat and looked at him expectantly, Faris couldn't help but smile.
“All good over here, Captain Faris.”
'Captain Faris.' That's what he liked to hear.
"Aye, it'll be a long journey yet." Faris pushed his wet hair over the side of his scarf and settled on the bench beside the rudder. The boat's engine gave a hum of activity, and then they were moving again -- faster than was probably necessary, but slower than the break-neck pace he'd set before. Forests and grasslands blurred past in streaks of brown and green. They'd make it to the sea by nightfall at the latest, and then it was only a matter of searching the coastline.
As Faris settled into the boat's familiar rhythm, the events of the day beat inside him like a drum. It had all started with a simple boat-jacking, and then with this woman -- mysterious in her brazen attitude and liberal use of magic. Faris hadn't meant for anyone to get hurt, and yet as he'd seen those guard ships coming closer...
It was like a power had risen inside of him, not just from he crystals, but as a kind of instinct. As soon as self-preservation had kicked in, it was all over. He'd called Leviathan without even thinking, and had bowled over his enemies with barely an effort. Dozens of lives might have ended, all because Faris had wanted a boat.
What was it that bar-addled cretin had said not so very long ago? 'You're one of them, aren't you? One of those super-powered freaks that dropped from the sky. How do we know you won't be next?'
Looking back on it, maybe the drunken coward had a point. Of course it had seemed ridiculous at the time, even insulting that Faris would ever willingly hurt anyone. But that power was still there along with the temptation to abuse it. Would they be telling stories about him now, along with that pink-haired woman everyone was always muttering about? Would they use his story to turn on another lost traveler and ask, 'How do we know you won't be next?'
Faris took on a hard look as his eyes set on the coming horizon. A dark wind was rising on this strange kingdom of Serentestra. It wouldn't be long now before something terrible took this world.
Faris only hoped that he was still around to stop it.
OOC: ((I think this is the end? xD If you have anything to add, feel free, but it appears to have wrapped up pretty well.))
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 16, 2015 22:55:49 GMT -6
”I haven’t heard of any other pirates around here, and if they make half the scene you do, then they’re bound to be quite the local stars.”
Faris sighed in disappointment. He hadn't been expecting much, but the blow still hurt. He tried to hide the ache behind an off-handed glance to the side. "Well, I'm a bit of a special case. The captain, you know. I make the biggest trouble around here and they know it." Yes, maybe they'd just gone unnoticed. They were all no strangers to foreign lands, after all. Maybe they were just biding their time.
"Can’t say I agree with how you got here, and what you’ve been doing, though,” the woman added, and Faris was so lost in his own worries that it took him a moment to so much as wave his hand.
"I'm a pirate. It's in my blood," Faris said, though he wasn't really paying attention. The boat had some kind of an engine. Though Faris wasn't exactly a master at mechanical engines like this, he'd seen the genius of Cid and Mid in motion, and knew generally how they were supposed to function. They needed all those parts inside of it moving, and they were fed by some kind of liquid fuel. Was there enough still inside this contraption to get him as far as he wanted? Faris couldn't be sure.
Then the woman asked him something he wasn't expecting. “This place, Serentestra—have you ever heard of it? Before you washed up, I mean.” Faris glanced at her in surprise and then recrossed his arms. He'd expected more moralizing, but the woman's voice had changed. No longer was she the sharp-tongued scolder of old, but now she seemed hesitant, even nervous. Faris eyed her carefully, and she quickly added, "You don’t have to answer. I was just wondering where you were from.”
There was more to this, though Faris couldn't imagine what. He clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
"Serentestra? Is that what this kingdom's called? I've never seen a single place like it, and I thought I'd flown the world enough to see everything." No matter what the woman's reasons, Faris figured it wouldn't hurt to let her know something like that. Even if it could, he didn't see a single reason to keep it all to himself. "Me though? I grew up with pirates, so there's not really a 'place' to tell you. Though if you're that curious, I guess you could say I was born in Tycoon." Faris touched nervously at the scarf near the back of his neck. "No one here's ever heard of the place. But I grew up on the sea."
On the sea on a ship full of pirates. That was his home more than anything, and he longed to return to it. Faris didn't need fancy clothes or castle halls or even a roof over his head. He only needed that sense of belonging and the freedom of the open sea.
Faris would return to it soon. He had to.
“I’ll go a little bit further with you. I’m heading to Provo, though, and it’s landlocked. I don’t mind being on a boat as long as it isn’t in a speed chase, or being stolen. It’s pretty relaxing.” Aerith touched the boat and gave an almost girlish giggle. “But I don’t think I can manage being a pirate, though. So I’ll stick to being a flower girl, and leave that to more suited individuals such as yourself.”
For a moment, Faris could only stare at her. Not five minutes ago the woman had been spitting fire, and now she was giggling. It reminded him of Lenna and even Krile. One moment they'd be in a passionate rage and the next they'd be happy as moogles. Aerith had even complimented him in a way, peculiar for someone not fond of his way of life.
Faris was absolutely certain that he'd never understand women.
"I think you'd make a good pirate, though. You have the fire for it." Faris fought back unease from her abrupt emotional switch. He put a hand on his hip and laughed. "You about scared me senseless with that look of yours! That's all a pirate needs. A look like that is worth a dozen swords." Faris hopped over the remains of the broken, scattered baskets and took control of the boat again. As he knelt beside the rudder, he looked to Aerith expectantly. "Provo, eh? I hope that's on the way, because we're sure not getting through the city again tonight." Faris started the engine again and felt its power in his hand. "You might want to sit down to keep your balance. Don't worry, though, lass. I'll take it slow this time."
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 16, 2015 21:53:16 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@nobody
Just testing out templates!
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
[attr="class","itsover"] There was something wrong with this woman -- with this pink-haired fiend who looked too much like Lenna. Faris had charged over to distract her and give the poor, battle-hounded knight a chance at the demon hanging over them, but the woman didn't seem much interested in Faris at all. In fact, as Faris approached, the woman's attention was caught more by the fleeing civilians. They came in droves now from the heart of the beast called "Chaos." They swarmed like ants, running in panicking circles, dragging along children, fleeing both the beast and the flow of lava. The woman's eyes caught one in a sudden snap -- a young man in a half-tucked shirt and glasses. Then, almost faster than Faris could follow, she whipped out her sword.
And sliced the man in half.
Faris' eyes widened at the shower of red. Flesh fell from flesh. Bone cracked from bone. For a moment, the two pieces held steady before they fell like weighted meat, viscera spraying the ground.
The woman did not raise her sword to Faris. She only dodged his swing and then gave him a look like death.
"My fight isn't with you. But if you stand in my way, I will make you regret it."
"What in the blazes is wrong with you? That man...That was a man!" Faris could only stare at the bloody mess before her, partially obscured now by screaming, running people. He had seen death before. He'd killed monsters and watched innocent people die. But this -- this had been emotionless. Quick. The woman hadn't even given it a thought.
Faris felt his hands tighten on his spear.
"Knight!" The woman raised her blade to the man Faris had defended. "After this battle, if you walk away alive, you will answer to me." She glanced to Faris without moving her sword. "And you...Don't make me rethink my mercy."
"You vile, dirty-handed..." Faris started, but no. For once, there were no words. He had watched that man die in the blink of an eye, and this woman had the gall to talk about mercy? But before Faris could show her what he thought of her mercy, she was already dashing down the street, past (thankfully ignored) civilians and rushing full-force at the beast above them.
"Get back here, you yellow-livered murderer!" Faris let out a cry of rage and started after her, spear held tightly on his shoulder. Wrath was in every beat of his heart. It strengthened him like a spell, this desire to beat the woman senseless and dole out every pain she'd inflicted ten-fold. But the woman was fast, and before Faris could even begin, she'd already launched herself into the air and began a flurry of swordstrikes onto the demon. The fiend bellowed in pain as it was blinded-sided by light, blade, and magic.
Then the demon turned its attention down to the street. And the situation changed.
The citizens of Torensten hadn't yet evacuated. There were still plenty of them, rushing, fleeing, and screaming below the great monster itself. Even with their commotion, the beast didn't seem to have noticed them in the fray. But as its attention wandered down, something changed in its eyes. They widened slightly, and then narrowed in predatory focus.
Faris knew what was going to happen a moment before it did. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The beast ignored the swordswoman. It ignored the mage. In that split second, its attention switched, and suddenly it was swooping down like a hawk. The earth shook with power as it hit the street. Innocent bodies were sent flying with the force of an explosion. It reached out a clawed hand and swiped up a woman like a ragdoll. There was a crunch, an oozing cry, and then blood. The beast whipped out its giant sword and swung it effortlessly into the remaining crowd. Screams were silenced in steely crashes. Guards were halted in a stomp of horned feet.
In less than fifteen seconds, the plaza was stained in red.
Faris' mind jolted back to action. His body was moving on its own. It was the hardened instincts of a warrior. Ignore fear. Ignore rage. Suddenly, Faris felt nothing but the movement of his body and the bursts of adrenaline. He had fought hundreds of battles before this, and this was just another to add to the list. Or at least, that's what he told himself.
The monster's arm swept the street and picked out one of the last survivors. There was a scream -- high-pitched. Young. The demon bellowed out a challenge: "If you wish for as swift a death as she will have, then come to me, O courageous souls... Come to your inevitable end." Faris ran until he'd positioned himself directly before the beast and then jumped in a great, leaping bound. As he traveled through the air, he saw her. A young girl, maybe Krile's age, crying and beating her hands against the twisted creature's fist. He rose above the beast, and there was a flash of light. A barrage of sword rained on the demon's grip like throwing daggers. The monster's grip loosened and the girl fell. Faris' eyes widened at the movement. He was going up -- not down. He'd never catch her in time. She was going to-
The girl was taken in a streak of purple. That furry mage. Faris banished the worry from his heart and let his momentum take him to his jump's peak. As his movement slowed, he saw the creature from a bird's eye view. He saw great, curling horns, red-streaked eyes, and a mouth of snarling, jagged teeth. In that moment, Faris let his rage build and leave him in streamlined focus. As the knight struck from below, Faris aimed his lance from above.
He thrust himself down with all of his might, spear outstretched and projected towards the back of the monster's yellowed neck.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 16, 2015 20:51:14 GMT -6
I would LOVE a longer plot, but I'd be afraid to get involved in one going longer than 2-4 months. A lot can happen in 2-4 months, particularly on a roleplay site. People leave. The side could go on hiatus again. I think that 2-4 months is the perfect amount of time to plan for.
Also THIS IS A REALLY COOL IDEA AND I APPRECIATE YOU. =DD
Love, Fan
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 15, 2015 18:13:16 GMT -6
A look at the woman proved that she'd gotten as drenched as Faris himself. Her dress hung off of her in dripping tugs and she'd unbraided her hair to ring it out over the side of the boat. Personally, Faris didn't mind the water and felt just as comfortable dry as sopping wet, but he could tell this woman didn't feel the same. She had a cross look to her like a bristled cat. When Faris introduced himself, she gave a heavy sigh and slowly rose to her feet.
“Aerith Gainsborough, Flower girl.” She gave a girlish curtsy, but from her smirk, Faris could tell it was all an act. “I could say the same for yourself, honestly. Summoning that in the middle of the city, what if someone had gotten hurt, or died?”
This Aerith had a sharp mouth -- that was for sure. Faris would have thought the girl would be quaking after the escape they'd just made, but no. It seemed she had the weathered fortitude of a warrior and the mouth of an irritable bar maid. That courage was something worth respecting, even if it set them at odds. Faris put a hand on his hip in reply.
"Wasn't it you that said they'd put up a barricade? If you hadn't slowed me down with that mad stunt of yours, I would have made it before they'd had the time. As it was, I didn't have a single intention of seeing the inside of a jail. I'm sure they're all just fine." Probably. Maybe. But it had been the only option, really. If Faris had taken the time to fight them head-on, then he would have had to ensure they'd all been taken out. As long as the guards could swim...And hadn't been trapped by their own boats...And hadn't hit anything solid, Faris was certain they'd all make it out alive.
Probably.
“No, wait. I must say you are the most reckless man I’ve ever met. Honestly, did you have to steal a boat right from the center of the city and cause such a scene?”
The girl was ringing out her dress -- not a bad idea now that Faris thought of it. He followed her lead and wrung out the end of his tunic before shaking out the shags of his long, purple hair. Water sprayed about him like the splatterings of a wet dog. So long as he dried by nightfall, he wouldn't need to find a change of clothes. He'd prefer to avoid an incident like in the yard of ghost ships. Sometimes Faris swore that Bartz would never understand the meaning of minding his own damn business.
"Aye, I've heard that before, but it got the job done. My wallet was empty, and now that I think about it..." Faris touched the hull of the boat -- still mostly unscathed from their journey. "This boat could take a lot more use before she breaks down. I could probably search the coastline in this. Find my crew..." Faris trailed off in thought. Was it likely that any of the rest had washed up on this strange kingdom? Faris was no stranger to ship-wrecks, but he'd never even heard of Zephon, and with all its strange technology and customs...
What were the chances that anyone else had survived whatever had washed him ashore? What were the chances they were still alive now after nearly a week? These were the thoughts that Faris had been drinking to forget, along with another that he couldn't if he'd tried.
What if he never got home? What if he never saw Lenna or Tycoon again? Faris needed a proper ship and a crew to man it. From there, he only needed his bearings. He wouldn't let this kingdom get the best of him.
"You haven't heard of anyone else like me, have you? Pirates? Men of the sea?" Faris ran a hair through his damp hair and looked up into the sky. "I ran ashore here sometime last week. Can't for the life of me say as to how, but I woke up beached here and that's been it, really. Had to steal a grand sum of gil just to make it to town."
Faris gave the woman -- Aerith -- a short glance. "It's a slim chance, but it's worth trying," he said then crossed his arms again. "If you're looking for somewhere to go, I'll take you if it's on the shore or river. Least I can do after you got yourself kidnapped."
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 15, 2015 1:36:43 GMT -6
“You’re insane!! We’ll never make it out of the city on this, they’ll block off the river or, shoot at us!!”
Faris could barely hear the woman over the roar of the engine and the splash of the waves. Building blocks blurred past in a whirlwind of color and sound. He laughed again. "Let them try! I haven't had fun like this in ages!"
“They’ll sink both of us, do you hear me?! This is really, really not a good idea, not to mention BAD!!”
"Quiet yourself, lass! I'm a Warrior of Light! I'd like to see them try to sink me!" But just as the woman had said, there seemed to be a commotion ahead of them and something of a commotion behind. Faris wasn't sure whether it was from the theft or the rough-housing or because he was now speeding down a busy river-way, nearly crashing into any other helmsman unlucky enough to be on the water. Whatever it was that had caused it, there was certainly something ahead if the hum of engines and shouting voices said anything.
Then there it was -- on the river's horizon. Word must have spread quickly of Faris' high-speed escape because there he saw boats -- at least twelve of them lined up in row. They were high-ridged boats made out of some kind of metal like tiny ships. In other words, they'd be difficult to sink. Faris saw no cannons on them, but lined up like that, they seemed to be operating under the assumption that Faris would stop. After all, if there was no way around them, then that left Faris no other option than to give himself up or to crash straight into a wall of solid metal.
Or at least that would have been the only options had Faris not still had the power of the water crystal at his disposal.
“Don’t make me sink this boat!” The woman was screaming again, though Faris didn't have time for her. If he wanted continue his life outside of the law, then he had to act -- and now.
"If you do, you'll be eating a mighty ton of water!" Faris warned before gripping the rudder tighter and revving down harder on the engine. As they gained speed, Faris felt for the lingering power of the water crystal inside of him. It engulfed him in a flash. White cotton fell over his red coat. Blue edges struck out of his shoulders like pauldrons. His red hat was replaced by a bandanna and a single, jutting horn.
The summoner class had always been more Lenna's strong-point than his. But with the power of the water crystal at his call, anything was possible.
Gritting his teeth, Faris began the muttered, half-stumbled incantations of ancient spirits. Wind lashed at his face like whips of ice and water. The checkpoint loomed ahead, all metal edges and flashing lights. There were shouts as it became clear that Faris was not stopping. The guards in his direct path were calling out in terror and scrambling over the side. They raised their strange, metal contraptions in his direction. A blast of light loosed itself from Faris as the last word was spoken.
"Leviathan!"
The great sea serpent rose from the waters like a water dragon flying from the depths. It opened its fanged mouth, gave a screech of rage, and the water rose in a great tidal wave. The boat was caught up in the swell, riding the wave from its highest peak thirty feet in the air. The water crashed on wooden docks and then overcame the guard boats in a massive force that toppled steel. Faris rode the wave and then grit his teeth as it began its descent.
"Hang on if you value your life!" he shouted, and then the wave smashed back down to earth. Faris could barely hang on for himself between the boat's rim and the rudder which he kept in a grip like death. He didn't need to rev the engine now. The wave had quickened the river's current to a speed like rocky rapids. It was all he could do to keep the boat from crashing.
Quickly wooden docks faded to murky river-banks. Buildings came more sparingly and then stopped coming all together. Riding Leviathan's currents, Faris was able to steer himself out of the city in record time. Once the city walls had been replaced with the cover of trees, Faris finally loosened his grip on the engine and let the boat drift to a stop.
Then, suddenly, he was laughing.
"Oh gods! I haven't done that in years!" Faris couldn't keep the grin off his face. The speed. The wind. The illicit scent of danger. His heart was racing with pure adrenaline, and Faris couldn't stop laughing. "These crystals are better for pirating than they are for fighting beasts! I should've known to try them!" Faris was soaked from the tossing and turning of the waves. His heavy robes hung off of him in great heaps of water-logged cotton. His hair was tangled and dripping.
"Well, lass, I hope you're still with the living." Faris pushed back the hair that had fallen out of his bandanna. "Give me just a second," he said, and another flash of light dissipated his robes and horn to the depths of the crystal. He stood once again in his blue tunic and green scarf. Faris let go of the rudder and hopped down to meet the woman. He crossed his arms and appraised her with a wide grin. "I'm Faris. Captain Faris Scherwiz of Tycoon. And you must be one of the daftest women I've ever met."
OOC: (( I feel so sorry for Aerith. xDD ))
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 14, 2015 8:47:14 GMT -6
Looking down at the woman before him, Faris could already tell that he'd made a mistake. The woman wasn't intimidated and she wasn't pleading. No, from the slant of her eyes and the dark scowl at her lips, she looked downright snake-like and ready to spit poison. Even as Faris threatened her, the woman just wiped blood from her knee (she must have cut herself on the jump over -- the fool), wiped it roughly on the side of her dress, and straightened her jacket in a manner that almost felt official. “I’m not crazy,” the woman said. “I’m not the one that had stolen a boat. A boat full of baskets of all things.”
Well, Faris couldn't argue that, but he wouldn't exactly say this woman was sane either. She was the one who had hunted down a boat of baskets, after all. A boat helmed by a well-armed thief. Her eyes narrowed, and their sudden intensity sent a prickle down Faris' neck. “I’d like to see you try to put me in the bottom of this river," she said, and the sudden darkness -- the impending threat of it all made Faris laugh.
"You know your way around a hostage negotiation, lass. You've done this before." It wasn't a question or even an insult. Admiration filled Faris' voice and he was suddenly grinning. "You could chill the gates of hell with that look."
Then, despite her rage, despite anything that could be considered common sense, he lowered his sword. The woman had earned his respect, after all. Among pirates and thieves, back-bone counted for everything, and if you wanted any amount of sway, you had to take it by force. In fact, the woman reminded Faris a little of himself. That fire. That spitting rage. That look that gave no regard to differences in strength or, well, gender. Faris would never intimidate this woman, and so he stopped trying.
Such was the way with pirates.
"The one thing I came here for, was a basket. I am not about to let some, some...Some addle brained weirdo make off with them all!”
And then Faris was laughing again, deeper this time. "You came all this way just for a basket? You've got a lot of brass." Faris sheathed his sword at the side of his red coat and hopped back towards the cargo. The baskets had fallen over from the rock of the boat and now scattered in great, woven heaps.
“Who on the planet would steal this stuff anyways! What, are you planning to sell these underground and make such oh so big sum of a hundred gil? Maybe, three hundred if you’re lucky?”
"I wasn't after the baskets, you laggard. I wanted the boat." Faris snatched one of the baskets from the hold and stepped back towards the woman. He held it out to her with a tilt of his head and a smirk. "But if you care so much for a basket, then take it. I wouldn't dare stand between you."
There was a commotion behind him -- shouting, running footsteps, the general sounds of "things Faris didn't want to meet." The woman had stalled him long enough. He grabbed the lever and the rudder again. "Stay down if you know what's good for you. This thing's got a mighty ton of power, and it'll buck you right off into the waves." Faris grinned as the engine hummed beneath his fingers. Then he shifted the lever down.
The boat gave a roar like a behemoth, and Faris lost himself in the exhilaration of movement and the spray of the waves.
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 13, 2015 20:17:30 GMT -6
Faris had missed this -- the rush of law-breaking and the spray of water on his face. Over the past year or so, he'd been forced to take on something of a different persona. The day he'd chosen to accompany Lenna to the Wind Shrine had unknowingly been Faris' last day as a true criminal and outlaw to polite society. With a greater mission in mind, Faris had reluctantly taken up the mantle as a Hero of Light, a title which still didn't suite him at all. From there, it was all good-doing, standing up for the innocent, and fighting down evil. Even after the worlds had merged and the crystals reborn, Faris couldn't stray too far out of his new reputation. He had a very recognizable face now, after all.
But this? Petty thievery? Intimidation? Brute force at the expense of total strangers? Faris hadn't done something like this in a very long time. And his heart was racing.
Someone had called behind him -- someone who could have had a pirate for her colorful vocabulary -- but it only made his victory all that much more satisfying. Faris laughed again -- loudly so that maybe the woman he'd so offended would hear him -- but then stopped abruptly as he felt something flying towards him. In an instant, his arms prickled, Faris glanced to the side, and caught a great blue ball of ice screeching towards the boat from the riverwalk. Faris only had time to shout "What in all blazes-?" before it struck.
It didn't hit the boat, but rather, the water around it. Yet for all the world, it might as well have been a direct attack from a canonball because the boat came to a sudden, flying halt as though it had run ashore sand. Faris gave another violent shout as he was pitched forward to the boat's metal hull. The side of it smashed heavily into his forearm, and he gave another shout of pain. "Why you bastardly, yellow-tongued, son of sahagin!"
The boat teetered again and Faris could only look up in disbelief as a young woman scrabbled at the side, one leg over the hull and one in the water as she struggled to keep balance. "Are you crazy, lass?" Faris' eyes widened as the boat gave another lurch. "You'll send us cap-sizing!" But the woman had a fire in her. As she gritted her teeth and swung her leg over, Faris could see it from the flicker in her eyes -- if she was going down, then she'd take Faris with her.
Faris had seen it a thousand times. Women (or at least women of a more conventional type) were all absolutely insane.
"Ugh. Get on, then! I'd rather not lose the whole cargo." Faris grabbed the woman's arm and helped her, half-steadying and half-dragging her over the side. It seemed she'd made the jump remarkably well for hitting a moving target. Her boots were barely wet.
As she fell into the boat, Faris once again grabbed his sword and held it at the ready. The woman didn't seem dangerous with her long, messy braid, over-fluffed bow, and pink dress cut slightly at the knee, but Faris couldn't be sure -- particularly when he'd clearly been struck by magic of some kind. One of the most dangerous warriors back home was a fourteen year old princess who could talk to moogles. He held his blade over the woman threateningly.
"Don't try anything, now, unless you'd like to see the bottom of this river." In all honesty, Faris would never hurt a woman like this -- in fact, even threatening one felt wrong somehow, like a joke taken too far. But it was Faris' desperately empty wallet which had brought him this far, and he wasn't about to have some half-suicidal idiot take it away from him. "Are we clear?"
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 10, 2015 13:22:44 GMT -6
Over the course of his not-so-long experiences as a Warrior of Light, Faris had faced more monsters than he could count. He'd stared down ancient shrine guardians, extra-dimensional apparitions, and even an evil tree. Still, in all his strange and numerous adventures, he had never encountered anything quite like this.
As Faris plummeted towards his target, spear outstretched, the emboldened demon folded in its wings and barreled out of the way. "What the-?" Faris blinked in surprise as his lance pierced through air. Before he could prepare his landing, the demon had twisted around and thrown out an open palm. Yellowed claws glowed red and Faris registered that he needed to move, and quickly. He tried to spin himself to the left as he fell, but it wasn't quite enough. Magic blasted like a gale force wind and caught him hot in the shoulder. The force of it sent Faris flying backwards, head over heels until he crashed back-first into the adjacent rooftops. Had he not been armed, the trauma of it might have killed him. With the protection of the earth crystal and his sacred, once-sealed armor, it merely dazed him. When his vision had cleared of wood splinters and bits of shingle, Faris found himself partially entrenched into a half-rotten roof.
"You addle-pated, foul-complexioned scofflaw!" Faris groaned out the first curses that came to mind -- a pirate's tongue which always lurked in his subconscious. With a shake of his helmed head, he raised himself from the wreckage and stretched sore muscles in tension-relieving cracks. There was another blast, a scattering of wreckage, and then screams. Wincing, Faris grabbed his lance in time to hear the great fiend bellow.
"Your deaths will be slow and agonizing!"
"You like drawing a mighty lot of attention, don't you?" Faris readied his spear and glanced at his would-be allies before chancing another jump.
They did not appear to be doing well.
The knight was handling his own battle -- a new battle with someone Faris had never seen before. His attacker was a woman from the looks of it, dressed all in black with a leather chest-plate and a loose skirt at one hip. But it was the hair that most caught Faris' attention -- Pink. If Faris hadn't known better, he might have mistaken the woman for his sister, Lenna. But of course, Lenna was one of the sweetest, most caring people in the world and would never attack someone unprovoked. This woman seemed to have a fire in her that would have challenged the devil itself. She attacked the knight mercilessly, and what terrible timing it was. As the great fiend readied another strike, it was all the knight could do to knock the woman aside.
The magic-using girl on the other hand, well, Faris didn't know what to make of it. Suddenly the girl was floating up off the ground like a goddamn hummingbird. Then there was fur. Purple fur that spread from her head down her neck and replaced her dress and tights with neon hair. Faris blinked back surprise, but didn't have time to wonder what was happening. The creature was moving again, and Faris guessed that if he wanted to attack then he needed to act now.
He launched himself into the air again with enough force to send the roof's remaining shingles flying. He flew up behind the monster, about four feet out of reach, before reading his spear for a swing this time (no need to risk another downwards attack) when a sudden and terrible wind whipped at his face and hair. Faris knew that wind, and knew well enough not to ask questions when it stirred. He managed only a single, half-hearted swing before light once again filled his eyes and he let himself fall. Not a foot above his head, the magic struck. It was a terrible kind of magic, the kind he knew that he almost certainly wouldn't have survived. It burst above him like fireworks of purple, red, and most interestingly black as though it were ripping apart the fabric of reality itself. Faris landed hard on the cobble-stone street below. He had barely enough time to orient himself before he heard the girl voice, and a sudden heat erupted above his head. Faris' eyes widened a great beam of light burst from the girl followed by-
Faris jumped a second before the fire crashed down like a wave where he'd been standing. Lava. The girl had summoned goddamn lava at the fiend which now flowed freely into the streets below. Faris landed on a nearby roof and then another farther from the flames. One by one, the wooden buildings were engulfed by the flames. "Watch where you're throwing your spells!" Faris yelled at the furry girl creature. Then, for extra luck, he drew his spear and pointed it in the direction of the pink-haired swords-woman. "And you! Where do you get off holding anyone for dead when the gates of hell have burst open? Don't you see we've got the devil himself bearing down on us?" Faris readied his spear and, because he figured the knight could probably do more good against the monster than he could, charged down the pink-haired madwoman. He swung the edge of his lance in her direction and then, when she was sure to dodge the blow, placed himself between her and the knight.
"I'll help you, lad. Just strike that damned beast from the sky!"
Final Fantasy V
23
YEARS
Trans Male
Single
Pansexual
245 POSTS
Fin
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 4, 2015 12:44:12 GMT -6
It had been almost a month since Faris Scherwiz woke up stranded on the shores of Zephon's western seas. Since then, he'd gained a reputation for drunken bar-fights, boat-jackings, and petty thievery that could hardly be ignored. Between the power of the crystals and the job class changes, these rumors found a way of mixing him with the very worst of the villains that spread in whispers throughout the land. There was a pink-haired demoness who'd slaughtered dozens at the World Sight. Provo was still reeling from a massacre of armed guards taken out by a single woman in green. But in Torensten, the rumors spoke of a purple-haired fiend who held up shop fronts with a flash of light and the whip of a magical sword. Faris couldn't avoid the label anymore than he could avoid the titles of "scoundrel," "thug," or "ne'er-do-well."
In fact, Faris welcomed the accusations with a shrug and a laugh. He'd never been the type to stick by the laws of morality.
"You! What do you want? Your kind isn't welcome here!"
Faris raised an eyebrow at the curse. He was no longer welcome at his usual bar (something about intimidating the customers), nor was he welcome at the one before that (how was he to know that the ringing in a man's pocket was a "cell phone" and not a monster?), nor the one before that (the witless cur had been asking for it, calling him a murderer like he had). He'd stopped by this most recent haunt on a whim. It was a shadowed kind of place with flickering lamps and a brick storefront. Faris sent the startled security guard a sly half grin.
"Calm yourself, lad. I only came for a drink."
"You're one of them, aren't you? The new people with their swords and their magic? We've had about enough of them." The closest of the bar's patrons were watching them now. Their eyes lingered cautiously on Faris' tunic, bandanna, and thick purple hair. The guard touched the mechanical contraption at his belt. "Wait a second. Aren't you the one from the Hairy Bear? That almost killed a man with a spear?"
"I told them all, he was asking for it! And I could've killed that spineless scofflaw in a second if I'd wanted to. There was no 'almost' about it!"
But the guard didn't seem convinced. In fact, he looked flat startled as he pulled that contraption from his belt and gave Faris a hard look. "Get out," he said. The bar had gone quiet now, and every face -- drunk or sober -- turned to face him. Faris blinked twice without comprehension. Then his eyebrows furrowed.
"I'll give you a fight, if you're asking for one," he said. "I've got a reputation on the line, and I'm not about to let you louts sully it."
The guard made a motion a motion that might have been threatening, holding the weapon out in front of him like a crossbow. The rest of the bar's patrons shied away except for a few of the larger ones near the front. They stood and glared Faris down with the tenacity of bulls. Faris took a step backwards and felt for the light of the crystals.
It was then that it happened. Before Faris could decide whether to fight or flee, the ground gave a sudden shake like the strongest wrench of a geomancer. Faris stumbled, drunken men shouted, then there was groan like rotting wood and a sudden chilling screech. The sound came from outside, and before Faris could think, he'd already barreled out the door.
From outside, there came a wicked wind, the kind that stranded ships and dashed bodies hard against the bloodied rocks of shore. As Faris raised a hand against it, his hair tussled and snatched in the oncoming maelstrom. It was a storm the likes of which he'd never seen with darkened skies and flashes of lightning like blood. Then came the screams, hundreds of them as the skies opened and the city's people let out a primal cry of terror.
From behind the darkness and the clouds and the wind came a form not unlike the devil itself. It fell from the sky on twisted wings and raised its horned head to appraise those beneath it with sharpened teeth. Its howl came as though from the bellows of the earth.
"I AM DISCORD."
For a moment, it was all Faris could do just to stare up at the monster overhead. It felt like another nightmare of old visions -- twisted bodies, screaming demons, and all of it absorbed into a gray mass of cold red eyes on a great horned head. But the beast above him was not the one he had fought so long ago and this was not a memory. Faris felt the powers of the crystal stir inside him.
"All I wanted was a drink," Faris said as the earth crystal awoke in his blood. In a flash of light, sharpened armor formed on slender shoulders. Red metal hardened over his simple cotton tunic and a helm crept up above his head like a creeping tendril. In another flash, he felt the heavy weight of a lance drop into his hand. "But I'm not the kind to back down from a fight!"
As civilians rushed past to safety, Faris took to the sky in great, bounding leaps. The crystal had granted him the power of the dragoon, and he intended to use it. As he landed heavily on the city's rooftops, he saw another in the armor of a knight facing the great beast in the streets below. To Faris' left, a woman also stood against the crowd. She gathered magic about herself like ribbons of power and heat.
"Chaos! Come meet your fate!"
"You do not stand alone against this Chaos. For Chaos has no place here."
Faris didn't know much about their battle cries, but against a beast like that, he wasn't about to complain. "I'll help take this fiend back to the depths!" Faris called to them before readying his lance and launching himself into the sky again. He rocketed above the creature's wings and then angled his spear down. Gravity would do the rest.
