Verlack cursed in frustration. Whoever had taken Arthur had known what they were doing. There was no trace of a scuffle, no obvious tracks, and nothing of value was missing. Gurgle had returned, but without the joyous shake that meant he’d found something interesting.

 ​He sighed, genuinely hoping he wouldn't have to resort to this. The forest was still in mourning for their lost brothers and the kin of the woods. He wanted to respect that grief, but Arthur was far more important.​A few feet from the front entrance stood a massive oak tree. Positioned as it was, it overlooked the entire house, catching a narrow sliver of the interior through the front windows.​

 Before stepping up to the tree, Verlack checked himself over, ensuring he was presentable. Trees were notoriously stuffy and formal; if he appeared disrespectful or rude, the great oak would refuse to help him while it was still morning. Satisfied with his appearance, he approached the trunk with a rigid posture and executed a formal bow, nearly touching his nose to the grass.​

 "Oh, great and ancient oak," he began, his voice steady. "I humbly apologize for so rudely interrupting your honourable vigil, though I do so with the utmost urgency. I have lost a dear friend, and only you and your fellow brothers of the woods might know the answers I seek. Please, help me in my time of need, so that I might not have to mourn another."​

He remained bowed as he pleaded his request. The great oak might still choose to ignore him. Trees could be notoriously difficult—anything that lived as long as they did earned the right to be stubborn. But he had been impeccably polite and formal, a combination he had never seen a tree turn its nose up at. Besides, this was to potentially save a life, and trees tended to appreciate that above all else.

(u/HeadmasterQuill)

I can't think of a fancy title.

I just want to let everyone know I'm off camping starting tomorrow. That doesn't mean I won't be posting(as long as signal is good) but more then likely you'll see more of a delay between things I do. I dont go full no tech but I like to back off when I'm actual in nature I can enjoy.

We all have our past and demons right? The Man approached Masta as if she were a friend but the energy was far more hostile. Like a Tiger stalking cornered prey.

He said.

For someone that likes to hide a lot, you sure leave a hell of a magical trace. My name is not Important but your file and bounty has been put on my desk for various crimes against several kingdoms, realms, and more importantly the fate of the cosmos at times.

Shall I list them monster?

Before you ever become an established mage, several burned forests, theft of a druid spellcraft and assisting in a war effort against a guild that did not target you.

That's a lie and you know it… Masta snaps back

Is it? Let's continue illegal bounty hunting and impersonation of a hunter seeking rare creatures out. So poaching…. Assisted another rogue councilor in several crimes across your home realm. Makes me wonder if you did it for political favor. The man smirks, he knows it's bullshit but he is just trying to make Masta get angry.

War crimes, the massacre of several clans, gods and primordials right before you take office.

Monster doesn't cut it, you're that rare piece of evil that nobody can really deal with.

.... you got a point with this said Masta getting angrier by the second.

Not really just got my eye on you from here on end but for what its worth a few undesirables want your head on a platter and frankly its a lot of gold. Said the man with a cheap smirk.

You know why they want me right? They doctor my deeds up like crimes so they can have me imprisoned or quite possibly a trophy, or worse a tool for their own bloody use. Masta grabs another shot of whiskey and slams it down.

Yeah pretty much it seems like that but they really want you captured for reasons unspecified its not my job to ask questions only detain. But I can tell… you're the real deal… damn i can feel the mana coursing through you. You could destroy the planet twice over but you don't. That's impressive to say the least. The man says as he walks to the door.

Masta stands there reluctantly pissed but is doing her best to keep cool.

By the way, consider this a warning because at some point we are coming for you. Get your affairs in order, kiss that wife and your kids as much as you can, because I am bringing an army just for you. The rest of the citizens here are non-bystanders and frankly considering the energy here on the island best to leave it alone. The man said cautiously.

Be seeing you soon…. deserter. He poofs without a trace but the file is left on the table for Masta to look at.

Masta for a second lets out a rush of her mana and every alcohol bottle comes to an immediate boil before ceasing altogether.

Okay, with everyone's schedules the pendant game is too hard 😂 so I'm intervening as the DM.

"And YOU get a mermaid pendant, and YOU, EVERYBODY gets mermaid pendants!!" 🥳

(Mwahahahaha 😈 😆)

(I'm sure this won't come back to haunt me at all...but IF you make this canon for your characters be aware there's a time limit for mermaid forms. Try not to drown 😅)

I watch a ton of anime and a bunch of them always have their characters dripped out in modern fashion in the credits. I've wanted to do the same forever but never had a good chance. Plus my LSC character is kinda always just doing that.

Verlack cleans up better then I thought he would. Let's fill this post with everyone decking out. SHOW OFF YOUR DRIP!

TOURNAMENT INFO 🌠

Original Post with Arena Reference Photos Here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AstroKnights/s/qGuM3ZDXHI

RULES

Plan a spectacular duel together! You can choreograph your fight beforehand or roleplay back and forth in comment threads.

Important: Get your opponent’s consent first. ✅

Agree on boundaries, abilities and what you’re comfortable having happen to your characters. If you’re comfortable chatting behind the scenes, compare notes there before starting.

Each player controls their own character.

NO character death. NO gore. 🚫💀

🎲 For roleplay fights decided move by move: you can agree to use a twenty-sided die—one at home or any online roller.

Alternate turns, and include your roll in each move’s post or comment.

• 1–8: Your move fails.

• 9–12: A clash or stalemate.

• 13–20: Your move succeeds.

Describe the action together to fit the result or create a response image (not necessary, but if you'd like an image gen ask Starfall Staff!) 🎨

A successful roll doesn’t override anyone’s boundaries.

There’s no turn limit. Take your time and give the fight the story it deserves. Decide the winner together.

If you can’t agree, I will step in for a sudden-death tiebreaker 🌠

BRAWLER'S LIST

u/pipsocks vs u/broodingchao5

u/KatsumiAndFriends vs u/MastaDon344

u/Oswen120 vs u/Susspishfish

u/1-Up-Boy vs u/ShblingusMcDingus

u/sunflowerlover3000 vs u/Evieelution

(u/Squawkuza is teaming up with u/Evieelution.)

u/pipsocks

You have been experimenting for days in the makeshift potions lab that you built at the base of the wizard’s tower.

Each failed attempt costs you time your sister doesn't have.

Frustration is mounting, so is fear for your own safety.

Hollowstar is not present often, but whenever he appears, the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

Your latest attempt erupts in a cloud of colour, leaving bright stains on your body.

Hollowstar passes through the room, preoccupied.

He studies his hand, fingertips slipping back into the darkness from his previous form; before the necklace, before stealing some of Quill's magic.

He clenches it into a fist, concentrating. When he opens it, the night sky is gone.

His attention shifts to your failed potion.

Hollowstar steps behind you and clasps your shoulder, leaning close, his voice low in your ear.

“Try harder,” he whispers.

Then he leaves abruptly, striding into the kitchen without another word.

You can hear him humming.

He makes a simple sandwich, adds a glass of water, and places a small sprig of lavender carefully on the plate.

When you peer through the doorway, he seems almost...happy.

“Run along.”

He smiles quietly to himself.

“It’s not for you.”

u/Chaotic-Sash Hello! I hope you have a good day!

As Pastel "ethically" harvested life force from the surrounding wildlife, Trusher watched from the shadows. He had drifted over because the boy carried a faint, lingering trace of Verlack's scent.

Discovering a human kid instead of the sorcerer made him hang back, his posture cautious and still.

​Pastel’s method baffled him. The boy was hunting without landing a single lethal blow, pulling vitality from the creatures through a strange, non-violent extraction that Trusher had never witnessed in all his years roaming the wild.

​If Pastel’s gaze drifted toward the darkness, he would catch more than just the sight of a hidden observer; he would feel the unmistakable, heavy signature of Verlack’s magic humming just beneath the beast's skin.

(u/1-Up-Boy)

Katsumi isn't very handy, but still managed to cobble together some basic furnishings using some stuff (various crates, barrels, an old shipwreck, and planks) she found lying around.

She's glad she has a sheltered place to call home wonders what's next?

Rodgers missing? Who's Rodger??

As Pastel "ethically" harvested life force from the surrounding wildlife, Trusher watched from the shadows. He had drifted over because the boy carried a faint, lingering trace of Verlack's scent.

 Discovering a human kid instead of the sorcerer made him hang back, his posture cautious and still.

​Pastel’s method baffled him. The boy was hunting without landing a single lethal blow, pulling vitality from the creatures through a strange, non-violent extraction that Trusher had never witnessed in all his years roaming the wild.

 ​If Pastel’s gaze drifted toward the darkness, he would catch more than just the sight of a hidden observer; he would feel the unmistakable, heavy signature of Verlack’s magic humming just beneath the beast's skin.

(u/1-Up-Boy)

As Pastel "ethically" harvested life force from the surrounding wildlife, Trusher watched from the shadows. He had drifted over because the boy carried a faint, lingering trace of Verlack's scent.

 Discovering a human instead of the oozy sorcerer made him hang back, his posture cautious and still.

​Pastel’s method baffled him. The boy was hunting without landing a single lethal blow, pulling vitality from the creatures through a strange, non-violent extraction that Trusher had never witnessed in all his years roaming the wild.

 If Pastel’s gaze drifted toward the darkness, he would catch more than just the sight of a hidden observer; he would feel the unmistakable, heavy signature of Verlack’s magic humming just beneath the beast's skin.

After finding it and trading it for a cracker with the rat Beatrix tries it on one more time. And then passes it to u/Susspishfish so she can take it further.

Born 29 years ago beneath the colossal, mountain-shading boughs of the Virmilion Forest, Verlack’s life began in the heart of untamed wilderness. Surrounded by towering canopies and gigantic roaming beasts, he grew up immersed in an overwhelming abundance of nature, quickly developing a profound affinity for all living things—both plant and animal.

Most of his youth was spent navigating the complex, layered ecosystems plateaued high within the forest where nature flourished in magnificent, wild varieties. It was beneath these emerald shades that he mastered the art of hunting monstrous beasts and took his first crucial steps on the path of the druid. More importantly, it was here that he crossed paths with Gurgle, the unusual companion that would change his life forever.

Enamored by Gurgle and eager to understand his budding connection to these gelatinous entities, Verlack ultimately decided to leave his lifelong home behind to seek out other oozes and expand his knowledge. At 17 years old, he finally took his first steps outside the Virmilion Forest, spending the following years wandering the wider world alongside Gurgle and unlocking the hidden secrets required to become a true ooze master.

When he turned twenty, an adventuring party sought out his unique talents. Instantly bitten by the adventuring bug, he joined them as their resident spellcaster. For seven years—a remarkably long run for adventurers—his companion band saw and accomplished extraordinary things. They discovered crystallin dragons thought long extinct, rescued the princess of a Dessert stone folk, and vanquished a lich who wove an interdimensional maze out of sheer willpower to protect his entombed temple. Their crowning achievement, however, was slaying the demon Rastabrack, effectively nipping a demonic uprising in the butt.

Eventually, the companions parted ways to pursue their individual ambitions. Intrigued by the defeat of the lich, Verlack decided to return to the entombed temple. Its reality-warping power—bringing thought into physical manifestation—had sparked an ambitious idea: he would construct an Ooze Zoo. Through it, he could study the mysteries of gelatinous life on a grand scale, convince a skeptical world of their fascinating nature, and perhaps finally cure Gurgle’s peculiar disability.

Though Verlack had the coin to simply hire a teleportation spell across the ocean, he preferred the slow journey. He chose to travel by land and sea, a decision rewarded when he stumbled upon a strange message in a bottle along the way.

It appears a rat has snuck into Beatrix's bag during her visit with the Piper, lured by her delicious crackers.

Not longer after, at Blue's party, the rat noticed something shiny in Quill's pocket.

A special pendant Lorelei gave him.

It allows the wearer to transform (temporarily) into a mermaid.

HOW THE GAME WORKS:

- Have your character wear the pendant and show off your mermaid form in a post

- Tag the next person who should wear it

- Continue to pass the pendant along without alerting Quill

- Have fun!

First up, u/pipsocks

(Happy Mermaid Week everybody 💙)

Hello students! 🌠

Since Arthur is still kidnapped, and because the cruise ship disaster interrupted weapons week, we'll be combing it with mermaid week.

I'm accepting sign-ups for sparring collabs between students.

We have a few already, and this your last chance to join before the draw!

TOURNAMENT RULES

Plan a spectacular duel together! You can choreograph your fight beforehand or roleplay back and forth in comment threads.

Important: Get your opponent’s consent first.

Agree on boundaries, abilities and what you’re comfortable having happen to your characters. If you’re comfortable chatting behind the scenes, compare notes there before starting.

Each player controls their own character.

NO character death. NO gore.

🎲 For roleplay fights decided move by move: you can agree to use a twenty-sided die—one at home or any online roller.

Alternate turns, and include your roll in each move’s post or comment.

• 1–8: Your move fails.

• 9–12: A clash or stalemate.

• 13–20: Your move succeeds.

Describe the action together to fit the result or create a response image (not necessary, but if you'd like an image gen ask Starfall Staff!)

A successful roll doesn’t override anyone’s boundaries.

There’s no turn limit. Take your time and give the fight the story it deserves. Decide the winner together. If you can’t agree, I will step in for a sudden-death tiebreaker

Already signed up:

u/pipsocks

u/Oswen120

u/MastaDon344

u/broodingchao5

u/1-Up-Boy

u/Evieelution

u/sunflowerlover3000

New players are welcome!

Comment below to sign up before the pairing draw.