| “ | Pathless. Licentious. Free. Aberrant. We are a group that is not a group, which is why we are gathered.
— Kai Yan
|
” |
Agito is technically a group, though its members tend to act independently more often than not. Nedrick, the former seventh scion of Alberia, gathered the six other members of the "group." All seek to upset the established order in some form: Volk lives to kill the strong, Kai Yan lives to kill the weak, Ciella wishes to dismantle the church, Ayaha and Otoha simply wish to be free, and Tartarus wishes to destroy the world.
Nedrick gathers them together, giving them power through masks. These masks appear to be made from black mana, destabilizing them further. While they are initially left to their own devices, Nedrick summons them as a group upon the defeat of the Other by Euden. They assist him in kidnapping his twin sister, Zethia, and work to waylay Euden and his party as they travel through North Grastea. They then assist Nedrick in assaulting the Fairy Kingdom in order to capture the Dawn Shard, an immensely powerful stone, to reforge Nedrick's dragonpact with Bahamut.
Battle vs. Adventurers (Final Fantasy XIV) (by Leolab)[]
“So you want me to look through Marshall’s eyes and tell you what I see happening? And you’re not going to tell me why you need this? And you think a pot of homemade goulash is going to convince me to help despite your track record?” Skully asks, staring at Leo incredulously, “I mean, sure, we’re friends, but this is real shady.”
“Not that alone, no,” Leo says, “I’ve prepared something extra to show goodwill. Should be coming around the corner any minute now.”
Skully looks behind him, surveying the open-air dining area sprawling one of the 1% Districts malls. As Leo predicted, around the corner came a blonde man in a green tunic and a blonde woman in a skin-tight blue suit walking arm-in-arm with normie smiles on their faces.
“You… hooked Link and Samus up? How?”
“Nothing malicious, really. Just reminded people we have more than one Samus.”
“Well, all right. If you’re going this far it must be really important.”
“Thank you.”
“Still curious why your Adventurer changed from Black Mage to White Mage.”
“Well, I made the switch in Stormblood. Where White Mage got Lilies.”
“That is… oddly convincing. So, when does this start?”
“About five minutes ago.”
“Damnit, say that sooner,” Skully says, vanishing with the pot of goulash. Leo vanishes as well, smiling under his mask as he teleports back to his office. He immediately closes his eyes, linking his vision with an Adventurer.
The Adventurer, also known as Leo, jumps to the side to dodge a lance charge from Volk as he readies Swiftcast. The White Mage flicks his mystical tree branch at the dead Aurifort, throwing a Raise on the Dragoon before pointing it at Marshall, casting Benediction and returning the Paladin to full health.
Marshall parries a flurry from Tartarus’ blade, checking the two portals on the field out of the corner of his eye. Amalia, their replacement for Tee as a Monk, stumbles out of one and activates Mantra as it closes. Marshall looks back, eyes wide as Tartarus brings his sword down, the laser blade engulfed in darkness. His vision flickers green for a split second, and the pair of barriers blunt the impact enough for the sword to be deflected.
Marshall nods at the group’s Scholar, Melisie, in thanks as she and the other healers bathe the party in their magics, the spells finally working as they should. Tartarus staggers, a different explosion of magic and an arrow to the back of the head forcing the dragon to his knees.
“Feral Shroud! Expand!” he growls, and a sphere envelops him, Marshall, Aurifort, the Bard, and the Astrologian before vanishing.
“Where the hells did you take my sister, you…” the Red Mage, A’nashi, says, “Leo, Theobalin, that was similar to how the Ascians move. If we can…”
“We’d have to cast with Lucian instead of Leo,” the Black Mage replies, not interrupting his explosions, “Mel can’t heal ten by herself.”
“Besides, A’libo can take care of herself,” Leo says, casting Glare as he speaks, “And even if she can’t, she’s got Marshall to take the heat and Hanagin to patch her up.”
“Right. And if this works anything like Alexander they’ll probably pop back in after killing whatever that giant tries to sic on them,” A’nashi says, taking a deep breath, “Then let’s see if we can burn down some of Anton’s enemies. He’s probably going to Superbolide any minute.”
“You do that; Mel’s got him covered. I’ll make sure Argasar doesn’t kill himself with Living Dead,” Leo says.
“And Aldwyn?” TTheobalin asks.
Before either Leo or A’nashi could answer, the Warrior in question yells at his opponent.
“YOU CANNOT KILL ME, MUSCLE MAN! I AM TOO ANGRY TO DIE!”
“Well, you heard him,” A’nashi says, grinning, “He’ll be fine.”
And with that, she throws her focus, creating a tether of magic she uses to pull herself towards one of the twins. The follow up rapier thrust grazes Ayaha’s horn, distracting the girl before a human-sized robot shoulder tackles her. The group’s Machinist, Reja'tan, follows up with a flurry of shots, before launching a projectile that binds her in place. He finishes the combo by launching a giant drill at his foe. After it finishes spinning, both twins drop to the ground, panting as Tartarus returns to the battlefield, a bloodied and lifeless lump of flesh and metal. The four Adventurers he had taken with him are battered and injured, but alive.
“Feral Shroud! Expand!” Ayaha and Otoha say in unison. They vanish, this time taking the Gunbreaker, Red Mage, Machinist, and Scholar with them. Leo and Hanagin quickly restore their allies to fighting strength as Marshall provokes Ciella, drawing the bunny-girl’s attention away from Argasar. The Dark Knight has little time to give thanks, as he focuses on weathering the blows from Volk’s lance.
Volk uses Pestilent Wind and vanishes, leaving Leo more than enough time to cleanse Plague. The group’s Dancer, Eljn, uses Shield Samba before Volk reappears behind the team’s Ninja, Artur. He teleports out of the way and casts Raiton, sending the man to his knees.
“FERAL SHROUD! EXPAND!” he yells, vanishing. This time, Leo, Argasar, Eljn, and the group’s Samurai, Dacien, vanish with him.
“Irremissible… IRREMISSIBLE!” Volk snarls, “I am the fangs of the fangless… you WILL taste my resentment!”
He lets loose a blast of wind as he shifts into his beast form: a massive, winged, green-furred wolf on two legs. He charges forward as Leo, Eljn, and Dacien roll out of the way, while Argasar simply casts The Blackest Night to absorb the impact. The adventurers strike him with a flurry of blades, chakrams, and magic as he summons a massive storm, with them at its eye. Leo throws down Asylum, letting the bubble’s passive healing keep the team alive.
As the storm fades, Volk send a whirlwind after Eljn. The Dancer simply runs, not letting the tempest disrupt her attacks. The wolf then roars, casting Lunatic Judgement. A massive, blood-red moon appears over the battlefield, only to be hit instantly with Afflatus Misery from Leo. Dacien sheathes his sword, concentrating before unleashing a devastating strike, following it up with a second. He then leaps into the air, summoning a sword made from his and his teammates’ Aether and strikes, unleashing the second stage of his Limit Break.
The Blood Moon shatters, sending Volk to his knees. Argasar leaps, plunging his sword through the wolf’s snout and holding it in place while Eljn throws a chakram through his throat. Volk collapses, returning to his human form as he bleeds out rapidly.
The isolated space fades, depositing the four adventurers and their adversary back on the battlefield. They look around at the strangely quiet space as Marshall spots them ang jogs towards them.
“There’s nine of us,” Leo says, “The other eight are..?”
“In those strange spaces, yes. Just before you popped back out, too.”
“So there’ s nothing to do but wait, then,” A’libo says, fetching a pair of gloves made of a woven gold-banded metal and matching bag, “Might as well get what we came here for.”
Agreeing with her, the eight adventurers on the field set about gathering the three masks, carefully slicing them off and putting them into the prepared bags. They finish their task once their comrades return victorious and make their way back to the city.
Expert's Opinion[]
TBW