I've also been updating the first page, in case anybody cares. We've got all the character themes so far and a table of contents up. Go ahead and take a look, if you want.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
A squadron of airships flies into the horizon.
A mysterious figure in black armour stands on the deck of the one in front.
The enigmatic Captain Cecil!
What, you didn't do any stealing, did you? Because that would be wrong.
...Oh.
Yellow means flashback.
And Cecil steals their precious jewel.
"I'm a doctor, not a killer!"
Huh?
"Otac- er, Store! I had that dream again...."
That thing in the distance is the Imperial capital. We want to go there.
But we can't land too close. May as well stop in town for supplies anyway.
...Uh... The holes add a lot to the decor of the town... I guess.
I see.
You're not gonna get anywhere with that attitude.
Screw these people. They make me feel unhappy.
Let's check out the local relic shop.
Silver spectacles prevent the Darkness status effect. There is no more useless item in the game, bar none.
...Wait, what's that noise?
Hey! It's Hefner's group!
So the Empire drugged them and forced them to dance? The bastards!
You're sitting in front of an empty table. You are not busy.
"You're a little short for a stormtrooper."
As she says this, she slips a note into Eunuch's hand and pushes him away, mock-angrily.
The note says:
Please meet me outside. The empire is holding us captive.
Two birds with one stone.
We go out and meet with the woman.
"I'm sorry to make you do this, but these are very tense times. My friends and I used to be part of, umm, an acting troupe. Right. You wouldn't happen to know a man named Hefner, would you?"
"Yes!" we happily respond. We can smell the experience already.
"He was the, umm, manager. So you see, we need your help to get back to him. Most of us are here, but some were taken to the Magitek Research Facility in the capital."
"If you can help them, I can promise you that you'll be greatly rewarded... *wink*"
It's like Mass Effect all over again.
I'm pretty sure we were going to the Research Facility anyway, too.
Let's go tell Hef!
"Geez, remind me not to do anything nice for you anymore. As it is, I'm only staying in for the promise of booty."
Speaking of which.
I kinda just mixed up the first two posts I saw in the thread, so apologies if it was nowhere near popular opinion. I am FUCKING TIRED.
So each character will now start learning spells!
In addition, espers can be summoned during combat for various effects.
Kirin casts Regen on the party.
Regen kinda heals people at random. It's pretty good, normally. Summons still aren't all that great in this game though.
Vector ho!
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!"
Time to kick reason to the curb and do the impossible!
It also helps that the old man hiding in the corner is a spy on our side.
Godspeed!
SPY'S SAPPIN' THEIR SENTRIES!
Gotta love a good spy.
Now to capture the intelligence!
...Or, uh, free people? Free espers? I forget the mission.
Wait! That laugh!
Why so serious?
Who are the Warring Triad? That's a story for another time, children.
And then he throws them in the trash. Foolish clown, Espers are recyclable!
When in Rome...
Wow, lots of skeletons. Wonder where they came from? Because I'm pretty sure Espers become magicite when they die.
...Ifrit is not quite dead.
Nothing a good Raging Fist can't handle!
Aww, feck. I was not expecting that.
Fine, time for Plan B!
BANZAI!!!
"Are you axe-crazy too?"
...No, REALLY?
"No, John! You ARE the demons!"
So... these ARE dead Espers? Why is this not a magicite goldmine?
Oh well. I guess I'll have to suffer for using their dead bodies for fun and profit.
We has some new Espers. Woohoo!
Next stop: wherever the hell the other Espers are!
Oh, you know it, Cecil.