electricwisekid:Maliketh event: Arm wrestling

Art by u/JosephMallozzi "Where anima flows, life flows. The silent architects of reality, shaping what is unseen into what is." Arcane Leech Arcane Leeches ('Soulworms' in Valkia and 'Baku' in Ko'ram), are ethereal beings of pure, living energy that inhabit the Void, invisible to the mortal eye. When found in the Void, they can be seen 'swimming', appearing as faintly glowing, jelly-like eels made of pure magic. They are harmless, skittish, and make noises similar to whale sounds. The information here is what has been propagated by reputable arcane institutions, though many theorize that there is much more to discover about these curious creatures. Whilst they cannot feed upon raw magic found anywhere, they survive by leeching negligible amounts of anima from a mortal soul. It is believed they have 'evolved' to achieve this, since time immemorial, due to the rise of magedom in ancient times. When a mage advances in their craft, there is a small window of time within which an arcane leech can latch onto their soul. To the leech, this is a beacon of energy within the Ether, akin to a sun, which attracts them. Once attached, the leech saps a bit of energy from them each day, and though this is an entirely indiscernible phenomenon, the consequence is a side-effect unique to the mage’s primary discipline (see Hindrances). Where the leech “attaches,” whether it’s on a mage’s shoulder, upon their chest, or even inside their brain, is unique to the individual. The arcane leech lacks higher sentience, and its lifecycle is largely unknown. Leeches are capable of reproducing by sacrificing their consumed anima, splitting into two separate identical beings. This process can only transpire in the Void and never when attached to a soul. Additionally, it’s near impossible to remove a leech once it has latched onto a mage's soul, as it fuses to their very being. When the leech senses a fresher or even more powerful mage through the void, it may leave of its own volition, seeking out that more sustaining source of anima. Whilst connected to a soul, the mage may not always be aware of the parasite - it can be revealed by the following spells or circumstances: Resonance: The presence of an arcane leech is detected on the mage, though it remains invisible.  Greater Resonance: The leech is seen attached to the mage in Etheric shades, clearly visible to the caster.  Abilities or Items: If such a thing is capable of detecting or revealing magic, it may reveal the leech to some extent. The Ether: While in the Void, the leech will be visible. The Nocturne: While in the Nocturne, a ghostly outline of the leech is visible. Due to its lower sentience, the leech has limited interaction with mortals, only capable of "looking" at spellcasters when it has been detected. It will never respond to communication. When two mages are near one another with both their souls infested, the leeches may emit unheard sounds to communicate with one another. Only mages and cats can hear this in the mortal Realm. In the rare instance that an arcane leech is killed, it evaporates, leaving nothing behind.   Written by Wake and Electric

September Defense Update Shield Changes Blocking roll modifiers raised from -2 to +0 for Large Shield and -3 to -1 for Small Shield. Blocking against certain templates (Greatsword, Polearm, Mace, Spellblade, Javelin, Meteor Hammer, and Sling) now incurs an innate -1. Shieldmaster replaced with Stalwart Defender. New action description for Blocking on forums and through /display. Wielding requirements for shields reduced from four skill points to three; parity with Evasion. Shield Bash and Sentinel now have a -1 penalty. Ecranche mechanics for a Small Shield have been added clearly on the forums. Non-Proficiency Shield mechanics have been added. Human shield mechanics remain unchanged. Use responsibly!  Evasion Changes New action description for Evasion on forums and through /display. Quickfooted reworked to remove +3 against certain weapon templates; passive evade added instead.  Other Changes: Polearm removed from Mighty Strike. Mention of “Quickfooted” removed from Hilt Strike and Razor Claws. Mention of “Quickfooted and Shieldmaster” removed from spell Kinetic Array. Spellblade has been given GP damage, and is included in the list of templates shields are weaker against. Volley’s single-target damage has been reduced. Lightning Speed has been clarified to boost “base movement,” which includes flight and swimming (e.g. Touch Of The Twin Birds and Siren's Swimmer). Soaring Leap has been reworded slightly to clarify that the base ability is leaping, not climbing. Martial Discipline renamed to Sword And Board. LW: Elemental removed and its effect rolled into Lineage Weapon. LW: Mastery of the Elements removed and its effect rolled into LW: Flexible Design. Arcane Bloodline renamed to Arcane Affinity with updated flavor. Control has been reworked, with the extra damage applied on the attack that pushes someone against a structure, rather than on a subsequent attack. This is to make the feat less action-costly. The required height of a structure is also defined. Steadfast Defender has been reworded to better explain the mechanic. Death’s Dance has been reworked to add a bonus to Death Saves made after a successful attack, up to a max of +3 total. The feat’s requirement is reduced. Evasive Tactics now exempts all grazing hits, Ripostes, and Parries from Death Saves. Instinct of Beast (Wild Nature) is clarified to not undo self-imposed penalties (such as negative stats or penalties from hindrances).   - September 10, 2026

IGN: electricwisekidCharacter Name: MalikethXP: 200XPGame or Games Entering: Tables (if I can join late), Joust, Grand ChallengeName/Title to be Announced: Ser Maliketh the DourAdditional Notes: hello Torii

Art by @PotatoLion Dirft A small tortoise-like creature, less than half a meter in diameter, the nearly blind dirft can be found in particularly mineral rich locations. Dirfts spend most of their time burrowed under the dirt, using large, mole-like claws to dig underground and uproot and eat plants, dragonflies, and nutrient-rich dirt and clay. There have been reports of dirfts a meter wide or even larger, but these are usually chalked up to be tall tales. Due to their fondness for rich soil, they are often found such locations as flood planes, grasslands, recent eruption sights, and old-growth forests. They stay primarily on the eastern continent, all the way from The Northern Kingdoms to the Southern Reach. For many farmers, finding a dirft in the wild often serves as an omen of good fortune and an indication of ground that could become a homestead. Finding one on an existing homestead, though, is often more akin to discovering a pest due to their insatiable appetite for nutrient-rich soil. They are easily scared away by loud noises and have no real defense aside from kicking up dirt in the face of their pursuers as they make a rapid escape further in the ground. It is rumored that the drift is a distant cousin to the igneous crawler due to being found near thermal vents and bearing a similar diet to them. It is believed a Mistan ship had initially brought a few igneous crawlers from the Ashlands to sell to wealthy merchants and kings for menageries many centuries ago. With many of these 'gifts' escaping into the wilds sooner or later, they began adapting to less harsh climate of the Reach, eventually developing in a different-looking creature entirely.   Written by PotatoLions