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Name: Zio
Age: 26
Sex: Male

Attributes
HP: 180
MP: 190
AP: 240

Skills
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-Guns: 8
-Dodge: 7
-Defensive Stance: 3
-Bluff: 5
-Sleight of Hand: 3
-Endurance: 1 (Harder to reduce Zio's AP)
-Paralyze: 4 (Improved Called shots)
-Fast Reload: 1
-Enemies: -2
-Debt: -1
-Snap Fingers: 5 (Arcane Focus)

Action Keys
-Stop: 3

Target Keys
-Creature: 2

Equipment
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Model 1 Six-shooter
-Ammo: 6/6.
-Range: 50/150/250
-Base Damage: 80
-Moderate chance of jamming.
Snapshot Reload: 35AP.
Reload underfire: 15AP.

Pouch:
-Four Bullet cases (24 bullets)

A Snapshot Reload has a higher chance of the gun jamming, but the reload is basically done quick enough to reload and attack before your opponent does. Its good for emergency shooting.

15AP is to reload when you're under attack. Its free to reload if you have plenty of time and distance between you, or if your opponent lets you (for whatever reason).

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Running from your debtors and your enemies, you've been in the small town of Milton for about three days. You managed to talk yourself into a room, saying you'll pay half at the end of the stay, having given the innkeeper the last coins you had on you. The room is yours for another couple of days, but you're getting hungry and have nothing to buy food with. Your supply of ammunition has gotten down to the rounds in your gun and four spare bullet cases. You seem to have thrown your enemies off your trail for the time being, and haven't seen them since you came to Milton.

Milton is stop over town on several major trade routes. Its a small town, mostly consisting of a large inn, a few shops and some farms. There's maybe four hundred people living in town. The richest person in town owns a magic store that sells minor magical trinkets he buys from people who pass through. Merchant caravans pass through the town from spring to autumn.

You're currently in your room. What do you want to do? By the way, what does your character look like? Just curious.

Ehh, let me think.

'Bout six feet, real skinny. Short, black hair with bangs that are often hanging over his eyes. His usual attire would be a white, open collar shirt with a crimson tie, but most of the time a poncho is over it. Sometimes he'll remove it in a fight, but he doesn't like getting his shirt dirty (he's always on the move, doing laundry is a hassle so he'll go as long as he can without washing his clothes). He also conceals his guns with it.

Aside from that he's got black jeans, a belt, and typical brown leather dress shoes.

He also places smoking as a high priority, whenever he has money on him he will buy cigarettes before he buys something to eat.

I guess he is partially inspired from Spike (Cowboy Bebop), Alucard (Hellsing), and Vash (Trigun).

---

Zio sighed, as he glanced outside the window at the small town. It was fitting, he didn't like crowds, but he didn't have a steady form of income here. At least he he didn't know anybody in the town - It wouldn't right to steal from people you know, right? Besides, it's not like Zio liked stealing. But he needed the income ... That's right, he wouldn't steal from the less fortunate. They don't deserve that. If he only steals ... a little from the rich, that's perfectly fine.

Of course.

Zio left rushed down the stairs, and out the door, and glanced around. Hmm... A bunch of hicks. Ehh, country folk are alright, at least they don't bother.

"Yo." He said, addressed to whoever might be listening.

"Tell me, if I were to walk in a random direction, where'd I end up? I don't plan on staying long, I need an idea of where I'm heading.

Heh, as if I know."

The man you stop speaks with a strong country accent, but the way he speaks makes it sound like he knows what he's talking about.

"Well... if you head north you'll hit a bunch of towns like Milton until you get to the Royal Palace and Cair Valdune (big city famous for its large cathederal). That'd be about three weeks on foot. There's nothing to the east 'side from the mountains and the prison fort Avi Reis. West leads to Port Crossroads. Takes about a week on foot. South splits into several of the major trade routes and you could travel pretty much anywhere from there.

(You came from the Cair Valdune.)

"I see...Thanks, you've been a big help."

Zio had already thought of what he was going to do, his mind was always working.

He entered the Magic Shop.

The shop is pretty small since he doesn't usually have a large inventory. There's a few clothes racks, some glass cases, weapon and armor stands, and a shelf with a few books and a bunch of scroll cases.

There's a man dressed in fine clothing, and two other large men with swords on their belts. The well dressed man is small but well groomed and refined. He doesn't speak with a country accent like the other people in the town. The two other men watch you carefully when you enter.

The well dressed man says "Welcome to my humble shop. I am Kalvin Melchior, the owner of this store. I haven't seen you before... Well, I sell a variety of magical trinkets gathered from merchants from all around the world. I have no artifacts of power, but all of the trinkets I have here can make your life and travels easier. Is there some kind of enchantment you are looking for? Or perhaps you would like to sell me something of your own? I am always interested in buying new trinkets."

"Cool. You like buying trinkets, huh."

He nervously eyed the two guards, swallowing before he continued.

[Bluff]
"I know a magician down the road a bit, names Glint. I try to help him where I can, and, well, he caught word of your little shop here, I came down to check it out. This could be your chance to make big bucks, pal! Show me one of your more fabulous items, and I'll take it to Glint. Y'know, he's a busy guy, it's a shame he couldn't come down here on his own. Nice place you have, honestly. So, yeah, you show me one of your more fancy items, and I will take it with me to show it to him. If he likes it, he'll come down here himself and check out your shop, possibly supplying you with some of his own magical creations, since he's currently looking for a source of income, and a shop keeper like you would do just fine. If not, I'll just bring it back. I mean, you can trust me. Do I look like I'd lie to you?[/Bluff]

Kalvin plays with his the cuff links on his shirt sleeve for a moment, adusting them. He looks you in the eyes and a faint smile appears on his face for a second.

"You do look like I can trust you. However, I also don't know you and you aren't from the town. I'll agree with your request, if you allow one of my bodyguards to escort you to this man, Glint. Nothing personal, but I've been ripped off by thieves before, and as an honest buisness man, I'm sure you'll have no problem with my request.

He makes a slight but gracious bow. He has a polite smile on his face.

"Oh, yeah. Sounds fine, I can understand why you'd want to protect it, especially if it's really valuable."

Zio cricked his neck, and took a few steps forward, waiting for the item, and the body guard that followed.

"Hold on for one moment. He goes over to a drawer and rummages through it for one moment, and pulls out an amulet. He motions over to one of the bodyguards and whispers some instructions. You try, but can't make out what he's saying.

"My bodyguard will explain the uses of this item to Mr. Glint when the two of you arrive at his home, and he can take his response back to me with any offers to buy or sell Mr. Glint may have. If Mr. Glint decides to buy or sell from me, I will pay you a referral fee of 10gp. Does that sound fair?"

(10gp could pay for about two weeks of room and board plus meals in a big city, or about a week if you wanted to do some heavy drinking and smoking)

"Alright, cool."

He strolled out of the shop, and went southward until they were outside of city limits, at least 75 Yards. He stopped walking, and glanced about.

"Would you like to hear a joke?"

A pause.

"Hahah, heh...Stop Creature."

(180 AP into 'Stop Creature', targeting the Body Guard)

The bodyguard stops in his tracks. He appears to be completely paralyzed by your spell, aside from his breathing and the fact his eyes are moving frantically.

How long did you want to paralyze him for?

10 Minutes. Unless that's incredibly unrealistic, ... then 5 minutes.

Nope, that's fine. 60 MP for a 10 minute paralysis. Its possible he can break out sooner, especially if you aren't around to strengthen the spell.

Oh, and remember, your focus is snapping your fingers, not your voice. Just for future reference.

So what do you do now?

Take the Amulet ... Run Southward until I find a town ... or get exhausted.

Also, it's unfortunate I used my voice. I thought I had to combine them into a sentence anyway, but I forgot to mention using my Arcane Focus, so it's alright anyway.

Sorry if I didn't explain it very well, I've had this in my head as a vague idea for a long time, but I've never written it out clearly. Keys need to make a sentence, but you don't need to say it out loud, you can think it too. The focus determines how the spell takes effect. Snapping your finger would work on potentially anyone who can hear or see the snapping fingers. Now, they don't actually need to hear it or see it (so it can be done stealthily) but that determines its range. So anyone within hearing or with a line of sight to you. The primary advantage of snapping would be near instaneous casting time. Someday I mean to actually write out this system but for now its a bit arbitrary and vague, so I apologize for that.

-------

You run for a few miles, until you can't keep the pace up, but you haven't reached a town yet. The spell must have worn off by now, but you don't see any signs of pursuit yet.

Surroundings?

SephirothKirby wrote:Surroundings?

The man you spoke to earlier was right. There are mountains off in the distance to the east, The terrain around you is mostly hills and grasslands, with the occassional patch of woodland. There's a long paved road travelling south, at the top of the next hill it forks, continuing south but also going south east.

Go about 10 yards into the woods, sit down and rest for roughly an hour.

Assuming nothing happens, leave the woods and continue southward along the path, waiting for a town.

After resting about fourty minutes, some people on horses approach. It's the two body guards, Kalvin, and four armed men you aren't familiar with. The armed men look like they're a part of a garrison. Their mannerisms, and they way they carry their weapons and armor show them to be soldiers. Very sharp and professional looking.

Kalvin motions to the others to stop. You can't make out what they're saying, but they talk for a couple minutes, than Kalvin points at the woods you're sitting in. Two of the soldiers are armed with halbreds, one with a pole axe, and the fourth with a large crossbow. Kalvin, the body guard you paralyzed, and the soldier with the crossbow remain mounted. The other three, plus one body guard begin to approach quietly, but not directly towards you. There doesn't seem to be any indication they know exactly where you are, and they haven't called out to you. However, if they do come into the woods, there's a good chance they'll find you, since these woods aren't large.

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Since these towns don't have the numbers, weapons, or training to defend themselves from attack, there are various forts with garrisons that provide soldiers for police and military defense. You're not sure where the local garrison fort is in the area, but apparently its close to Milton, or they have a wizard capable of teleporting four others.

Aww, how depressing.

Equip Amulet, do I feel any different?

Spend all AP on Move Silently, going deeper until I reach the other side, then continue running.