It took a few days until we reached Orleans, our arrival was very flashy given we came right as Seigfried spamming his sword at Wyverns, Fafnir's corpse through a burnt and broken wall slowly fading away. Leaving Napoleon to have his fun in shooting down Wyverns with the Jacks as they've already bolted and started using falling corpses to reach the other dragons with echoing laughter. Leaving me, Jalter, and Elizabeth free reign to just walk to where the kid group was without any fanfare really. Except for one Wyvern that I dominated through both Dominate Beast… which actually was effective on a conceptual Beast in the universe, and well using my fists to pummel it into submission.
The oddly colored wyvern that looked very malnourished, covered in scars, and seemed to be more intelligent than the ones trying to dog pile everyone just to eat them. Plus this one had a very obvious letter (flag) tied to its tail as if someone purposely sent it here. Plus it wasn't a FATE Wyvern, no it looked like a hybrid of two DnD Wyverns… Which is possible given anything can happen in the Coast given what all lives there, how often someone or something is trying to end the world, how often freak accidents happen, and many more strange happenings. Taking the letter the size of a flag from its tail as we walked through where the fighting had destroyed, I checked the new pet stat sheet I had been given.
The mastiff puppy was still listed as well although I haven't seen her since the accidental Flashpoint caused by the Undying.
[Cave Burst Wyvern
Large dragon, any alignment(Chaotic inclined)
— — — —
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45)
Speed 25 ft., fly 80 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 50 ft.
— — — —
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 13 (+1) 6 (-2)
Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +5
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., blindsight 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.,passive Perception 15
Languages: Draconic, Common
Challenge: 9 (5,000 XP)
— — — —
Keen Sight: The wyvern has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Flyby: The wyvern doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Blind Senses: While deafened and unable to smell, the wyvern's blindsight is reduced to 10 feet.
Hold Breath: The wyvern can hold its breath for 6 hours.
Keen Hearing and Smell: The wyvern has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
— — — —
Actions:
Multiattack: The wyvern makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the wyvern can't bite another target.
Tail: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Phlegm (Recharge 4-6): Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d10) poison damage, and the target has its speed reduced by 20 feet until it or another creature within 5 feet uses an action to remove the mucus.
Stinger: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus (7d6)poison damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking the poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Stinger Shot (Recharge 1-3): Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/60ft., one creature. Hit: (2d6+4) piercing plus (4d10)poison damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking the poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.]
The big guy was honestly impressive even though he was looking malnourished and oddly colored due to having white and bronze scales because of his heritage. Shrugging I looked at the large letter that was clearly a flag to confirm a hunch as nothing from the Coast had come here until summoned as a servant or naturally. I regret it immediately because of the bullshit it reeks of.
'Your guess is correct if you've found my gift. I originally was going to give up on this timeline just as Alya had, accepting my death quietly along with this timeline's demise. Then you came into the picture while I was losing hope in trying to save this timeline from its demise. While Alya couldn't do anything to you, I certainly would have removed you from the picture after you replaced your counterpart. While you will certainly die or sacrifice much in helping to correct the timeline to prevent Chaldea from failing to correct the errors in Human History. Goetia in this timeline certainly notices your existence and will change many things to kill you should you keep actively interfering as you do pose a more prominent threat.
While challenging you alone could very well stall or kill certain Gods of our universe, do not deny it or downplay your strength. The fact that you have stalled or killed an Adult Beast in several variations of the timeline even with Goetia's interference proves it. So as I am a very generous old man, for your help in this endeavor to save Humanity I and my alternate counterparts have decided to send you a gift. A word of advice, Tiamat will be expecting repayment when you visit the Swords Coast for giving one of her lesser children to you after being tricked into a bet with me. Your demiplane isn't limited to being small or allowing medium sized entities into it. It's your territory after all.
-Zeltrech, Wizard Marshal'
I burn the damn letter flag in m hands with a growl because the fucker made me owe a Divine Favor for something I didn't need! Yet… fuck making that armor infusion finally would be a good thing so in a way Zeltrech caught me on the back foot with this favor from him.
"You look like you just ate a pile of horse shit. What's got you so worked up huh bastard?"
Looking at Jalter I just said a name.
"Zeltrech."
"Even in the timeline I helped save before I died to Zephyr at the temple, the old bastard was still pranking everyone even after having been killed before reviving with those ungrateful shit stains from what Alya told me. Damn True Mage…. So what are you going to do with your new pet he "gifted" you?"
Snorting I have to begrudgingly give it to the old bastard as I was technically level forty-eight. Meaning I could actually do that given how much mana I frankly have. I could cast Demiplane as a tenth level spell even if it would hurt my body since it's following most of the rules of the level I'm supposed to be. Unless… Territory Creation… he called it my territory…. Fucking Zeltrech!
Stopping in a hallway that was blown out, I created my Demiplane's doorway, without a higher spell level, upon the remains of a wall. The spell's doorway was larger than it should be, big enough for a large creature to enter freely while a Gargantuan one would struggle. Stepping into it to check it out quickly I noticed the difference immediately due to multiple underlying factors. It was a one to one replica of Chaldeas when it's intact, I could sense that as it was also my Noble Phantasma even though I'm alive, Last Bastion: Chaldeas. However, it was also slightly different with how much larger in size it was from what I could feel.
Certain rooms such as the atrium and its surrounding gardens were modified into one larger room. With a relatively deep pond big enough to house a wyvern… oh God fucking damn it! This place is tied to my soul because of its nature of existence, and pet companions in a lot of places are typically tied to the soul, so of course it'd fucking make modifications to suit them! I could also hear and feel the puppy in another modified room. Grumbling, I stepped out of the Demiplane, the doorway fluctuating behind me. Sending the Wyvern through it I closed the Demiplane off from everything else.
Elizabeth and Halter looked at me with curiosity after I settled that whole matter.
"I have my own private dimension, however, it seems that by attuning to a world within a world my dimension, that should be small, has become an exact replica of that. I also have the Territory Creation ability so by magic, my attunement, and territory ability my private dimension is frankly unusual. Just with what seemed to be slight modifications to it to house tamed creatures, people visiting would just see a copy of Chaldeas."
Only Elizabeth looked confused, Jalter looked at me with mild amusement. They didn't comment on it any further as we walked in on the fight against Gilles, the mad Marshal looking at us confusedly for a second. That second cost him his life while he seemed to short circuit mentally, and Eldritch Blast ripping through his skull. A flag spear piercing his heart, a microphone crushing his neck, and a bullet exiting his chest. He died rather quickly due to his confusion over seeing Jalter when he knows Jalter is behind him in another room.
Looking at Billy I just shrugged as he joined us in heading to the others. Less said about Jalters confusion seeing us is for the better, even more so about the fact that she used her anti-unit ability on me. Only to scream at me shrugging it off the better, especially since I was butt naked after getting essentially burnt to death at the stake to everyone else's point of view. I was still buck ass naked when I hugged the confused Avenger and cast Sword Burst. The spells skipped the usual given her proximity and just impaled her body without pause until she disappeared.
"Damn you're a cruel bastard…"
"She is just a confused kid made by the twisted wishes of a man who lost the woman he loved, and was then played with by the only other person who supported him. So figured I'd hug her to distract her, and just end it quickly. That spell killed her instantly before she knew she died and started fading."
Next we all knew we were back in Chaldea with me and the Jacks already leaving quickly. Entering my room after Misty Stepping the entire way to it, I put on a shirt and pants only before slipping on some socks and boots. After getting no redressed in clothes once more, I walked to my closet where I began moving things around. Once that was taken care of I began to get work in setting up a more permanent doorway to my Demiplane within the closet to hide it. Stepping into it with my gaggle of Jacks, I got to moving everything in my room into one of many empty workshops.
Once that was done I went to find Gond to see if he could help with making the Arcane Propulsion Armor. I found him testing out the simulation chamber that now fully functional it would seem, the Artifice God looking pleased with his work. Although there was a comatose employee at his feet which required some sort of an explanation. The God smiled evilly when he looked down at the body.
"Oh this mortal? They're some annoying parasite that wouldn't stop trying to trap me in an illusion. Their soul was pretty old and stubborn when I grabbed its metaphysical existence since souls can be good crafting materials for certain objects. Didn't trust it though, given how strong its illusions were, so I burnt away everything that made them up. Then recycled it a few times into a new soul until it couldn't restore itself to that horrible personality. I made sure there were no traces of that horrid original self left, before I even thought of using it to bring this beautiful spell tech to its full potential finally."
Blinking at the rather dangerous statement, and glossing over the concerning fact. I was just glad that Gond finally killed off a certain asshole permanently since he was a root cause for the France singularity. May have even been alive during it, encouraging it just to enjoy the drama. Shaking off that disturbing thought as both living and Servant versions are enough to fool the world and cause endless death and madness. Getting to what I sought him out for, the God smiled and practically vibrated upon hearing about the armor.
"You're saying this armor increases the wearer's walking speed by a multiplier of five times, essentially propelling them to move faster at five times their normal speed. That's not all either; the armor's gauntlets, each of which is a magic melee weapon by themselves, can be wielded only when a hand is holding nothing. A reasonable restriction if nothing else given the strength the blows would possess.
However, like you said that isn't all! The wearer becomes proficient with the gauntlets, almost as if the armor downloads that information into the wearer, and each one deals significant force damage on a hit. Enough strength and sheer destructive power that those hit by them can be launched across a field like folded paper. What's more when thrown, when a gauntlet detaches and flies, for a distance of twenty to sixty feet away from the wearer, at the attack's target. Wheather or not the target is hit they'll then immediately return to the wearer and reattach itself to where it should be.
Then you have the gall to tell me that the armor can't be removed against the wearer's will. Furthered by that if the wearer is missing any limbs, the armor replaces those limbs - hands, arms, feet, legs, or similar appendages. With the replacements functioning identically to the body parts they've replaced."
"Yep it's essentially a force weapon and walking prosthetic should the user be crippled. I know it can also be built in purely limbs as just a prosthetic as well, just also with a weaker version of the force damage it can cause."
"Simply marvelous! I knew that when I walked the path of artificing, to prove that items imbued with magic or spells weren't inferior to regular magic, that such things could be possible. I know it's been done due to my station, but I've never seen it, I've never personally helped create it. So I would be honored, no, forever in your debt if you let me help in this endeavor, let me improve it even! Artificing has been my purpose for so long, to see and create even a fraction of what I've dreamt possible, means more to me than some stupid cup, world, or words."
Gond's divinity was practically leaking out of him from how serious he was, that if we weren't in the simulation chamber I had little doubt people would die. Shaking my head with a grin I reached a hand out and the god grabbed my wrist in turn with an almost feral grin on his face. We didn't even leave the room, his reality marble activated without warning and we were suddenly in his personal workshop. There was mountains of materials throughout it, various tools and stations to go with reshaping them into what he desired. Gond moved with a purpose as he gathered various materials that could be found in the entirety of the Swords Coast and Forgotten Realms.
Following him as he moved about I was repeatedly dumbfounded at how many rare it exotic materials he had. He never seemed to run out either as new ones replaced what he took, almost as if eagerly offering more to the God. When we finally moved to the various crafting stations I could only stare at what all he gathered. Because fuck he only grabbed one extremely common ingredient while using excess of the good stuff since he was fired up about this.
Gond helped me compound or alloy some of the items together, all but forcing me to feed my magic into the entire process. He laid it out in no uncertain terms that as this was to be my armor I needed to truly lay claim to it. I need to actually remember every grain, every texture, every ounce of work and effort put into it because he wasn't willing to let me with half assed work. No he was serious in wanting me to remember how to make each piece individually, even if I were to ever permanently lose my sight. So Gond pushed and prodded me the entire way, demanding I redo even the tiniest of mistakes if so much as a hairline fracture happened.
Losing track of time I didn't realize how long it took before Gond was satisfied with my work. I was SATISFIED and FULFILLED as I wore the finished product. Even if it was slightly weird on my Wendigo arm and claws, it fit just right, it was MINE in every sense of the word. Decapitation had also become less of a concern for me. Solely with how much my muscles themselves were worked, tempered in strength and control due to Gond's grueling crafting demands, much less with the armor now covering my neck. I pulled up solely my physical stats and their abilities on my character sheet. I felt like crying because it reflects how bad and tortuously effective Gond's methods were.
[Armor Class: 20 | Proficiency +13
Strength: 24, +7(mod), +7(save) | Intelligence: 34, +12(mod), +25(save)
Dexterity: 40, +15(mod), +15(save) | Wisdom: 26, +8(mod), +8(save)
Constitution: 40, +15(mod), +28(save) | Charisma: 22, +6(mod), +6(save)
— — — —
Abilities:
Strength: Athletics 7
Dexterity: Acrobatics 15, Sleight of hand 15, Stealth 28
Charisma: Deception 6, Intimidation 6, Performance 6, Persuasion 6
Wisdom: Animal Handling 34, Insight 21, Medicine 21, Perception 21, Survival 8
Intelligence: Arcana 25, History 12, Investigation 25, Nature 25, Religion 12]
"Gond, while I'm thankful, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T CRAFT FOR TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT WITHOUT PAUSE! You'd kill a normal person if they tried!"
"Good thing then neither of us require rest, sustenance, or feel exhaustion then. Because creating a masterpiece and ingraining the process into you was a must! Sure that thing that keeps track of your growth gives you the information and some experience. However, I can with certainty that after this you've truly become an Artificer in even name now. You've finally understood the core of it all even with my guidance, you've finally stepped completely into the role. If needed could you craft any part of that armor without so much as a conscious thought now?"
"Yes."
"Then I've done my duty, I've also experienced a portion of my lifelong wish with this. So I've left some things for you in that Demiplane you're hiding in your closet. Don't even get snappy with me, you know that I could man all of these stations at the same time ALONE. So me putting stuff inside your hidden realm isn't out of the question while I'm also simultaneously here with you. Being a Servant is rather convenient but also inconvenient I must say."
Grumbling at the Gods reasoning we left his reality marble and got back to our lives in Chaldea. People were surprised to see me around once more, saying that I was finally free of the mad inventor. The Jacks clung to my arms and legs for an entire week, refusing to let me out of their sight. During that week I put Gond's teachings into practice and turned Winston into a singular dual body Homunculus Servant. His newer abilities and stats reflect the stats of a Lesser Warforged in all but name. A seraphim over my right shoulder and a more demonic one over my left shoulder, both with their own roles.
Both in the end though were meant to be primarily assistants in my daily life. Their slight sentience also surprised everyone, even the Servants as the two floating homunculi weren't afraid to show anger or amusement. Their intelligence and wisdom are high enough now that they could show some actual life instead of being robotic every time. While being purely robotic in behavior isn't bad, I'd prefer more lively homunculi as assistants. Although I feel as if it was nearing time I left, because while I've certainly helped everyone here, I also needlessly increase the danger.
I made sure to help them clear the endless ocean singularity, but after that I could tell if I did anything else. Everyone would die just so that Goteia could remove me from the picture permanently. Changing everyone's, but Jack's contracts were rather easy. No one could change my mind and the Sword Coast Servants were on board with my reasonings. After all, antagonizing the Demon God's further with my presence wouldn't end well.
My Demiplane doorway was hidden further as I and Gond made a one use World Gate that would send me to a random place due skipping a one year construction. Me and Gond speculated that because of my ties to Chaldeas itself, if I left a Demiplane door here and made another elsewhere, then I could drop in whenever I wished. It's not a good theory, but it is one just in case they ever needed my weird dysfunctional ass once more. Hell I never even revived most of the staff simply because their spirits wouldn't let me. They were more concerned with fueling Chaldeas to help hold back the incineration. So I never tried, no one could pressure me into it either so it wasn't ever suggested.
Refocusing my mind I waved goodbye with my Jacks sitting on my shoulders before stepping through the gate. We fell into a vortex of cosmic light before we were hitting the ground violently in a new world. Getting new CYOA choices for it clued me into where exactly we landed and I screamed at the sky. Declining any of the skills and abilities and instead just picking only a single occupation. Being the future Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor, and an identity because I was going to fuck up some shits for landing here of all places! Then I came up with an idea, an idea that would derail so many things.
"Jackie's, let's go adopt a boy and kill the soul fragment of a pedophile living in his scar! You even get to murder some very horrible people that mistreat him!"
""""INSIDES! INSIDES! INSIDES! LITTLE BROTHER! INSIDES! LITTLE BROTHER!""""
With the deranged chant of Jack the Ripper, our small group moved with a purpose. Dumbledore and Voldemort have no idea what's coming for them even with Divination. Because frankly Divination in this universe is so damn underdeveloped that it's insulting to call it that. It's more Probability half the damn time instead of true Divination. If it were true Divination that's normally set in stone for people still tied to fate or the world's whims, then I'd worry, but really these wizards don't know how to properly do it…