You are Tristain d’Rusalka, a noble from the United Kingdom of Fodlan born with unique abilities bestowed upon you by the Goddess. You have journeyed across the sea to the desert kingdom of Morfis after receiving an invitation to join a mysterious competition. Though you know little of the trials that lie ahead, the winner of this contest has been promised the hand of Morfis’ Princess, Yulia Xan Phanes, in marriage. Seeking adventures, thrills, and battles that would be worthy of your might, you embarked on this strange voyage with nothing but your trusted axe.The competition for Princess Yulia’s hand has finally begun! Its first stage saw you and your rivals forced to fight through a horde of violent prisoners in order to reach the fabled Tower of Illusion. Teaming up with two of your foreign counterparts, you cleared the goal and were able to advance to the second stage, where a written exam on kingly matters awaited you. You were forced to put your axe aside and rely on your intellect and knowledge to tackle this trial.With the second stage completed, you now await your grading, and the impending third stage, which promises to be your most rigorous challenge yet.>Tristain d’Rusalka>Level 38 Wyvern Lord (EXP: 0/100)HP: 72/72 (130%)Strength: 38 (75%)Magic: 32 (50%)Speed: 28 (40%)Defense: 31 (70%)Resistance: 25 (50%)Luck: 28 (65%) >Skill: Resolve (When HP falls to less than 35%, Strength, Speed and Defense increase by 7)>Dragon-kin Wyvern (SPD based chance for Fionn to launch an ice attack, dealing ½ MAG Damage.)>Weapons: Silver Axe (+16 ATK), Bolt Axe (+14 ATK, Ranged, Targets RES) Hammer (+8 ATK, 3x DMG vs Armor Knights), Devil Axe (+21 ATK, -20 HP when Used) Iron Bow (+6 ATK),>Spells:Fire (+3 ATK, 5 Uses)Elfire (+7 ATK, 3 Uses)Wind (+3 ATK, 5 Uses, 3x DMG vs Flying, 5 Uses)Sacred Fire: (+12 ATK, 3x dmg vs. Terrors. 5 Uses.)>Abilities:Crest of Indech: You are able to make a follow-up attack on one foe, regardless of Speed. (4 Charges)Crest of Macuil: Double the damage of a magic spell. (3 Charges)Combat Art: Earthsplitter: Cleave all enemies standing two rows in front of you. (Cost: 1 Crest of Indech Charge)Combat Art: Throw: (Toss your weapon at an enemy and return it to your hand. Ranged attack.) (1 Crest of Indech Charge)Combat Art: Hit and Run: (Perform an attack that allows you to dodge the next harmful attack. Increases SPD by +7 for 1 turn. Costs 2 Crest of Indech Charges)>Items: Concoction x5 (+20 HP), Light Rune x2>Gold: 1800>Tristain’s Party: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mrlj-c7Oe51qIoat3LJfDSv0Bw2nmExQT2EqlKlWPGw/edit?usp=sharing>Combat Rules:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m_UvIqCmBRzmrlu0mvttVkGRRI8bIkT6iTTrDR_J5zo/edit?usp=sharing>Archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Sorcerer%20Kingdom
>>6306210You stare at Butch, doing your best to hide your surprise upon the bandit’s revelation that he’d been assisted by the mastermind behind the Cult of the Serpent. Marek had boasted that he’d had a man on the inside in this competition. One who would champion his cause, ensuring that Tartarus was opened on behalf of the Cult. You’d expected whoever it was to have been deep undercover, biding his time until the opportune moment. You never expected that he would just up and reveal himself in exchange for some suspect yogurt, the likes of which you’d assumed poisoned.“Heh, you stunned or something, man?” Butch asks you. “Don’t worry. I may be a hero, but I always remember those who do right by me. When I’m ruling this joint, I’ll be sure to pay you back ten times over. You’ll have enough yogurt for a lifetime.”>“That’s good to know. You really are a hero, Butch.”You saw no point in explaining to Butch who Marek really was. He might not be the brightest amongst the bunch here, but you’d seen enough of him earlier to know he definitely ranked amongst the strongest. Better to have him on your side for now. The last thing you needed was this hulking freak of a man coming at you with his Hero’s Relic when you least needed it. There would be time to deal with Butch later, and that would be in the Top 8. Assuming he made it that far, anyway. You didn’t think he answered a single question on the written exam.“Attention class!” Stelios announces at the top of his lungs. The Yasha stands up, carrying a stack of exams in his hands. “Grading has now finished! That means no more talking! I’ll be passing these back to you so that you may review. If you have any complaints about your score, too bad! You should have studied harder, fools! But don’t despair. Those of you with a poor grade may yet have a chance to improve your standing.”Stelios begins patrolling up and down the aisles of the “classroom” as he hands back each exam to their competitor. You wait with bated breath as he draws closer towards you. Tests were never your thing. Frankly, they made you more uneasy than being on the battlefield did. Still, thanks to the endless blathering of your friends such as Cassius and Nadia, you knew there was no way you didn’t at least get some questions right. Stelios places your paper facedown on your desk, and you eagerly snatch it up and turn it over. Elation surges through your body as you find at the very top, the number 9 has been written in red ink, accompanied by a cruelly drawn smiley face, and some scrawling that reads “Nice Job!”
>>6306211Nine out of ten! Yes! You knew you could do it! But what was the question you’d gotten wrong? Examining your test closely, you see a red “X” crossing out question number 3. That was that ridiculous question about the two mothers arguing over the parental rights of a child. You’d answered that you’d banish both women, claiming the baby for yourself, but evidently, the correct answer had been to award custody to the mother that happened to be a mage. What a preposterous notion! You knew this country placed emphasis on those with the ability to use magic, but that they were able to just freely claim children seemed absurd, even for them.Butch is the final competitor to receive his exam. Rather than checking his score, he instead folds the paper into some sort of crude bird shape, and throws it across the classroom. The paper bird flies rather impressively, straight into Thomas’ head, causing the man to nearly jump out of his desk in shock. Stelios looks on disapprovingly, before heading towards the front of the classroom and beginning to scrawl something on the black chalkboard. You quickly conclude that he was announcing everyone’s test scores.>10: Gyles, Leonora, Elric, Arios>9: Tristain, Crowley, Adalbert, Hansel, Rainer, Norbert, Timmy>8: Uriyan, Thomas, Homer, Simon, Isaac, Lucien, Rudolf, Bernhard>7: Adam, Nathaniel, Herman, Carl>6: Oleg, Trent>5: Conrad>4: Shea>2: Saoirse>0: Butch“These are your current scores.” Stelios says, tossing the chalk over his shoulder. “You can consider these your ‘starting points’ for the next stage.”“Starting points?” Leonora asks, raising a hand as though she were an actual student.“That’s right.” Stelios replies. “Your next goal is to ascend the Tower of Illusions. All 40 of its floors. And those of you who actually bothered to learn something about our country will be enjoying a nice headstart. Along with some other ‘fringe’ benefits. Take a good look at this chalkboard. You’ll get an idea of who will be starting on the same floor as you. I’m SURE you’ll work together with your peers here to make it to the top.”The Yasha snickers. After the disaster of the first stage, there was slim chance of that happening. What you were looking at were the rivals you’d likely come into conflict with on your floor. Most of the heavy hitters of this competition seemed to either get a perfect score or a completely shitty one. You, meanwhile, were near the top, sharing the same score as a bunch of nobodies you’d never heard of. Not a bad place to be. You recognized none of the names that scored a 9. The only one you’d have to look out for was Crowley. He was one of the three Dagdans that had avoided the massacre in the first stage, carving out their own path to the finish line. You had no doubt he would be a dangerous fighter to come up against.
>>6306213“Another Yasha will be down here momentarily to explain the intricacies of the third stage.” Stelios says. “But before we conclude here, how about we have a bit more fun?” He smiles mischievously. “This stage was a test of the intellect and wisdom you would call upon as king. With millions of lives at your disposal, you must always act with clear logic and rationale. That is the duty and responsibility of a true monarch. However, there will of course be times where such things are impossible. You may encounter disasters or issues you have no control over. An unknown disease ravaging the country. A sudden influx of Terrors. Natural disasters that displace thousands of your citizens. In such cases, you may have to act with nothing but your instinct. However, instinct is just as important for a king. Perhaps even more so! The doctrine of our country is to pursue the unknown, no matter the cost. So, I present you with such a conundrum!”Stelios raises a finger, more so for dramatic effect than anything. “I have one more question. This is strictly optional. If you’d rather not participate, then by all means, sit there. You’ll progress to the third stage with your current score and starting floor. If you can answer this optional question correctly, then you will receive one extra point. If you fail however…”The Yasha mimics the motion of a slit throat.“Then it’s down to zero for you. You’ll be keeping our good friend Butch company on the climb up. Assuming he doesn’t eat you first.”“Ridiculous” A competitor mutters. He was a white-haired, older man that had the stylings of a mage. “Who would risk their entire score for such meager gain?”…Who indeed? All you needed was one extra point to be on the same floor as Gyles and Elric. Two people you needed to deal with as soon as possible. But failing Stelios’ question carried monumental risks. >A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus question.>B): Decline. You’ll catch those two on the way up.
>>6306214>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus question.G-g-gggambling
>>6306214>>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus question.WE BALL
>>6306214>>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus question.
>>6306214>B): Decline. You’ll catch those two on the way up.Nah, these mages are some of the scummiest scum. This is probably a trick.
>>6306214>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus question.We have the spirit of Cassius by our side. His yabbering (rank S) will get us through this trust....and if it doesn't then us and our new buddy butch will tear through the levels so it doesn't really matter either way. And we might be able to get a look at what his crest does.
>>6306214>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus questionBy Fortuna's tits we WILL be GAMBLING>>6306353I desire this man carnally and I'm not even gay. I really wonder what our journey would have been like if we'd told Alvin to fuck off and instead followed his lead... Do you know who the artist is?
>>6306353Fuck thats a great Cassius. Damn cute. Would. Ya know I think theres a lost opportunity here. If his mage hood split into two ends to match the way his hair has those two bits, and could rest those on his chest or shoulders. Maybe a bit jester-like, but he does make me smile.>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus question.I wonder if I will regret this, but Tristain gambles on these. Great opportunity to get Elric or Gyles.
>>6306353Nice!! Incredible art. I would think Cassius' portrait is a hard one to make look good because the hood obscures some features but this is an amazing job. Awesome work by the artist here.
>>6306214>B): Decline. You’ll catch those two on the way up.
>>6306353This man is going to be so damn popular when Tristain becomes king. We send him off to Fodlan as ambassador and we might not get him back kek>A): Agree to Stelios’ bonus questionFrom the way he's wording it I feel that the willingness to chase after the unknown when the time comes IS the correct answer to the question. Him bringing up Butch is his way of trying to trip people up into being too safe.Wonder if Crowley actually got a question wrong or if he deliberately flubbed things so he can fly incognito in the middle of the pack.
>>6306214>>B): Decline. You’ll catch those two on the way up.No please god, we have a good score>>6306353Incredible, I love his pointy hood.
>>6306214>214▶>>6306222 >>6306228 >>6306249 >>6306262 >>6306353 >>6306512 >>6306645 >>6306664>>6306524>B): Decline. You’ll catch those two on the way up.Ya know what I'm gonna change my vote from A to B. I think we can catch up pretty easy without risking it a drop all the way down. Its only a one floor difference, and its quite possible Arios might stop Elric or vice versa. Then we can team up to take care of this damn sword.
>>6306666wtf thats weird I swear I had only tagged myself and the vote
>>6306214>B): Decline. You’ll catch those two on the way up.refer to:
>Give Cassius a bajillon different layers>Anons immediately wants to rip them all offkek but I also agree with you, if male S ranks were a thing he'd be my number one pick.>>6306512Artist is DaMy over on vgen! Definitely recommend because the price/content ratio is fantastic and they also went the extra mile on this like with the books!>>6306557Glad you like it! Yeah the cape made me scratch my head a bit of what to do with him until I realized a fanatic would definitely be running about in his best estimate of what people on the dark continent wear instead of the traditional morfis mage robes.>>6306664Thanks for a bit I thought it might be too much until I remembered Cassius wouldn't let something like that stop him.All the pointy bits were stolen from Shadows of Valentia's Guru class because that's the closest I could find a canon version his class I could find.
>>6306778Thanks again for the commission! I'm sure Cassius is enjoying his time harassing the Knights of Seiros while Tristain takes his college entrance exam.A's win. Questionable gambling inbound.
>>6306790I think we're actually in a tie between A and B since one A voted changed to B.
>>6306791(Nope, I'm talking nonsense from double counting. As still win, my bad).
>>6306214You had no idea what climbing this tower entailed. Given the circumstances though, you doubted it was as simple as taking a few flights of stairs. Having a way to ensure that you started next to Gyles and Elric was too good to pass up, and in your mind, well worth the risk of losing your entire score. You’d managed to answer nine out of ten questions correctly. That meant the odds of answering this last one were in your favor. None of the other contestants seem to be eager to take Stelios’ offer of a bonus question. Cowards, the whole lot of them. Hadn’t they been listening to the Yasha? A king must be ready to act on his instinct! And yours were telling you to take this offer. You stand up from your desk, the attention of the entire class suddenly falling on you.>“I’m in. Give me your question.”“Haha! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Stelios cheers, balling his fists up and raising them above his head. “Tristain d’Rusalka! I’d expect nothing less from the man who dealt with Psycho Sid. Clearly a near flawless score was not good enough for you. You’re someone who strives for perfection. A fitting attribute for a monarch. But to risk it all when you already have so much…I hope this pays off for you, my friend.” Stelios scans the rest of the class. “Any other takers?”When no one else seems inclined to take the Yasha’s offer, he beckons you to the front of the class. As you make your way up, you can feel the eyes of every other contestant upon you. If you didn’t stick out before, you sure as hell did now. You now stand before Stelios, towering over him. The Yasha examines you closely over the black lenses of those strange glasses he wore.“No one else? You’re in a category of your own, d’Rusalka. Very well then. As I said, I will offer you one final question. Unlike the others, this will not be multiple choice. I expect you to verbally give me your answer. Succeed, and I will grant you an extra point, pushing you to Floor 10. Fail, and you already know the consequences. Are you ready?”>“I am. Get on with it.” You say, every nerve in your body tensing up. You were ready for anything Stelios threw your way.“Very well.” Stelios takes a deep breath. “Morfisian rubripes is a poisonous puffer fish found just off the coast of Solis. When prepared correctly, it is a tasteful delicacy, described as both savoury and refreshing. However, if handled improperly, its poison can lead to side effects that most commonly include nausea, loss of vision, and of course, death. Please describe to me the proper procedures required to correctly prepare this dish.”You blink.The classroom has fallen into complete silence, broken only by the muffled laughter of Mystletainn, who is in danger of falling out of his seat. “Well?” Stelios follows up.>“I sort of thought that just volunteering to answer the question was the real test.”“What?” Stelios furrows his brow. “Why?”
>>6306861Shit. This wasn’t good. There was literally no way you could answer a question like that. Hell, there was a good chance none of the other contestants here could either. Did this bastard trick you? You didn’t know how to prepare anything more complex than grilled meat. Adeline and May had been handling the majority of the cooking during this journey. In fact, you don’t think you’d ever even seen a pufferfish before. Try as you might to scan your brain for some sort of reference to the creature in question, you unfortunately come up short. There was only one that you saw out of this, and unfortunately, it was to simply guess the answer and hope you were correct. “I’m waiting.” Stelios says impatiently.>“Shut up. I’m thinking. What does this even have to do with being a king anyway?"“King?” Stelios asks. “We’re talking about fish right now.”>A): Take a guess. (LCK Roll: 28% Success Chance)>B): Use Fortuna’s Blessing. (100% Success.)
>>6306863>A): Take a guess. (LCK Roll: 28% Success Chance)We take those odds. I'm saving the Blessing for a real mfing problem
>>6306863>B): Use Fortuna’s Blessing. (100% Success.)Hear me out: We can do that important shit we need to do and get an opportunity for our Hero's Relic if we pop it here. We might not get another chance. And it will be funny.
>>6306881You hear me out for just one word...GAMBLING
>>6306863>A): Take a guess. (LCK Roll: 28% Success Chance)GAMBLING FOREVER
>>6306863>>A): Take a guess. (LCK Roll: 28% Success Chance)Fortuna's blessing is for when we want to save someone's life later, y'know? Also, LET'S GO GAMBLING!
>>6306863>A): Take a guess. (LCK Roll: 28% Success Chance)Fuck yeah all in
>>6306863>>A): Take a guess. (LCK Roll: 28% Success Chance)
>>6306863>>B): Use Fortuna’s Blessing. (100% Success.)Noooooo
>>6306863>B): Use Fortuna’s Blessing. (100% Success.)We fuck up we either lose the bow or Elric. Don't wanna risk it
