Ye jest, surely... how can ye speak of heat...? By my troth, *groan* I could perish of cold this very moment... Achoo!
| HP | 82.0 + (2.82*lvl) |
| DEF |
| Trigger | Dialogue |
|---|---|
| Identity Acquisition | Ye jest, surely... how can ye speak of heat...? By my troth, *groan* I could perish of cold this very moment... Achoo! |
| Morning Greeting | Knowest thou this, perchance...? Cold as the dark of night may be... *shiver* 'tis this very moment when the first light breaketh, that the chill is the fiercest... I had hoped 'twould have warmed by now, but alas! *groan* |
| Afternoon Greeting | Wherefore doth every shop about sell naught but cold food? ... Aah! That scent, could it be...?! Even in this season and weather, a whale-bread merchant maketh trade! C-c-coin, coin... Ho, friend... Hast thou any coin to spare, perchance? |
| Evening Greeting | Nngh... the night air chilleth to the bone... At times such as this, naught beats curling beneath a toasty blanket and drifting to slumber... Ahh... must I head out...? V-very well... I shall prepare... But this blanket hath been warmed to such perfection... Prithee, just 5 minutes more... might we tarry but so long? |
| Chatter #1 | Hearken to me. In days of yore, I, too, traversed lands afar and wide. I beheld sights unseen... and faced beasts most fearsome... Nngh! Ever since the Wei Bolus hath wrought these horns upon me, oft do I find my mind in a haze—how had I ever the mettle for such feats? |
| Chatter #2 | Our worth lieth in shattering all that blocketh the path ahead, *sigh* but alas, who among us could perform such frightful toil with a sound mind? When our lord hath need of us, he draweth the leash tight. Then, forsooth, a fretful disquiet taketh hold, as though some unseen burden driveth us onward... and naught doth seem too fearsome anymore. |
| Chatter #3 | ... Eep?! A-apologies... Whenever my mind wandereth, I am seized with the urge to ram whatever standeth nigh... Pray, I have a favor to ask of thee. Couldst thou fetch me a sack stuffed with straw? Th-this habit of mine... Once I begin, 'tis nigh impossible to cease... I would fain not ram thee, lest thy shinbone be broken. P-prithee, make speed! |
| Post-Uptie Chat 1 | A chill... creepeth up my back... Haste ye...! We must break through their ranks and press onward! Come! Forth, Battering Ram Horns(衝破角)! |
| Post-Uptie Chat 2 | Haah... Mine eyes oft grow dim amidst the heat of battle. Be warned and thrash not thus before me, lest I, peradventure, fail to resist the urge to ram thee! |
| Idle | Ho, ye... Whither have ye gone to...? Nngh... To be alone, devoid of company, doth trouble me... Rocinante...? Prithee, spin now a tale most wondrous that mine heart may find solace... |
| Uptying | Turn back not, I say! There, forward ye charge! The pack of sheep shall break and shatter all that standeth before ye! |
| Deployment | Hmm, time for the Wei to join the fray... *groan* 'tis cold... |
| Stage Entry | Whew... Let us go forth! |
| Viewed in Battle | Charge!! |
| Commencing Attack | Topple them ere the battle is afoot! |
| Enemy Stagger | Doth not thy brainpan rattle from within? |
| Staggered | Hrrk...! |
| Enemy Killed | Down they crumble! |
| Death | Gah?! Aah... Is... is this... mine end? |
| Check Passed | Oh... W-was that... a success, perchance? |
| Check Failed | Eeek?! F-f-forgive me...! |
| Victory Cry | *pant* *pant* Is it safe to halt here? A-are there yet more upon my heels...? Whew, my shoulders ache grievously... Let's see... Lo! It seemeth I have swept past these wretches! |
| Extra Conditions Fulfilled | Hark, fellow herd of mine! Tarry not in your tracks, lest the jaws of our enemies close on us! Put your trust in your mighty horns, and charge forth! |
| Defeat Wail | Say... My sight is yet to return. Are those bodies piled yonder the dead of our foes, or...? Ah, I see. 'Tis... a grievous and terrible thing, forsooth... |
Lament of the Lost Sheep [亡羊之嘆]
When activating <<((HeishouCombo))Exalted Command>>, The Lord of Hongyuan Hong Lu gains the following effect as the <<((HeishouComboCountHonglu))Heishou Bolus Contamination [黑獣丸染]>> effect:
- Inflict 1 <<((Sinking))Sinking>> upon inflicting <<((Burst))Rupture>> Potency or Count by using a Skill (3 times per turn)
On the turn this unit Substituted or Returned to the field, gain 3 <<((GrownHorns))Burgeoning of Horns [發角]>>
Flesh-Rending Horn Growth
SHAMROCK x 3
Ally with the fastest Speed: On Hit using a Base Attack Skill against enemies that have 2+ <<((Burst))Rupture>> Count or <<((Sinking))Sinking>> Count, inflict 1 <<((DefenseDown))Defense Level Down>> (2 times per turn)
Breakthrough
Breakthrough
Breakthrough
Breakthrough
Seize the Momentum, Shatter the Wall
Seize the Momentum, Shatter the Wall
Seize the Momentum, Shatter the Wall
Seize the Momentum, Shatter the Wall
Crushing Horns [破碎角]
Crushing Horns [破碎角]
Oh, ooh...!
The Backstreets of Hongyuan, where buildings crowd and cave into one another, leaving only the narrowest gaps through which the artificial sky above can be glimpsed.
The child turned her gaze upward, locking her twinkling eyes on the distant firmament.
However, in her vision entered not only the sky, but also a towering castle that had devoured countless stacks of rooms and walls to amass its bulk.
Dost thou see that, O Adept of Hares? The castle yonder, how glorious it is!
Verily, 'tis the semblance of the bourne our lord hath spoken of... Thither we must make our way...!
Then it is a relief there is no need for us to search the perimeters to find it.
The Psychoment user our lord commanded to retrieve must be located inside the castle.
Yet 'tis... 'tis... Aaah...
Achoo! *snuffle* 'tis none other than the Backstreets of Hongyuan.
The castle that standeth before us—'tis built so broad and high, meant to make a show of its magnificence!
Verily, I misdoubt the champion of justice our lord doth seek would dwell in an abode so sumptuous!
... What does it matter if they are just or not? Our lord has spoken. We but obey.
Our lord also commands that we bear 32 palanquins full of treasure there.
Surely there is someone in that castle whose worth matches the weight of the burden on our backs.
The Heishou might, from time to time, question their leash-holder's orders, but the idea of disobedience is the one thing they would never entertain. This applies to the vast majority of them.
They also tend to be indifferent to their own Packmates, much less inclined to engage in a friendly conversation with other Heishou Packs.
Perhaps that is why these cold-eyed Heishou were so aloof and unresponsive to one another even though they were tasked to travel together.
Hehe... Rocinante, yet again do I place my faith in thee on this adventure!
The child, who seemed used to the attitude of the other Heishou, started chatting up her shoes instead...
Until the Mao Branch Adept, who cleared her throat lightly to draw the child's attention, chose to grace her with an explanation.
Even those who have never walked in justice will be enlightened in the Way of humanity and righteousness under the banner of our lord.
...!
By my troth, ye noble Adepts see farther than the rest of us! Prithee, I have heard tell that all who heed our lord's teachings are tempered into paragons of justice... Is this, in sooth, the tru—aaah... aaah...
Aeee... aaah... *sniff* that sneeze got stuck.
.......
Anyhow... didst thou speak the truth?
Yes. Follow our lord's Way, and justice will be found in due course.
Hmm... I recall that our lord assembled the Heishou and delivered his teachings the other day, albeit in simpler language.
Oh... Thou speakest of that time... when we of the Wei heard naught.
The bitter frost of that day did freeze our ears red, and not a word did we manage to hear...
... I am aware that sheep are vulnerable to cold, but with so many layers of clothing in this weather, don't you feel overheated?
The Backstreets of Hongyuan trap the heat of the great fires that are lit to produce the Boluses, as well as the body warmth of the passersby that walk through the alleys.
Of course, asking a hundred people on the street won't all yield the same answer, as what counts as hot or cold varies depending on the person, after all.
But here where the heat gathers, the child would probably be the only one to say it's freezing cold—like her Packmates who were all cooped up in their quarters.
'Tis cold... 'Tis so, so very cold.
The chill doth seize my bones... Verily, I fear I shall be turned to a frozen statue ere long...
The child continued to shiver as though she were dropped in the middle of a snow field.
And that... is one of the effects of the Wei Bolus, the same trait shared by an enigmatic Outskirts creature that Hongyuan's Pack of Sheep stems from.
The creature in question, you see, can suddenly grow—or rather, <i>burst out</i>—heavy layers of fleece from its skin due to its sensitivity to the cold.
And along with that trait, another of its physical features was woven into the effect of the Wei Bolus: the tough, sturdy horns that the child and her Packmates possess.
... I have come to discover that the Wei's tolerance for cold is far lower than I had expected. I am learning something new every day.
I give thanks for thy fellowship in my misery... Oh, I would not deny a warm cup of tea on a day such as this...
The child, busily surveying the flashy signboards along the Backstreets, paused in her tracks when one of the shops caught her eye.
There had to be patrons coming in despite the hot weather,
because the dumpling joint was adding to the heat with steam rolling from its wide-open doors.
*sniff* Ooh! That's...!
Entranced by the sight of steamers stacked above head height, the child happily skipped across the road...
Uh... Um...
... only to trudge back looking dejected, her hand awkwardly fumbling over her padded clothes.
P-pray, might any soul here purchase for me but five dumplings...? Only five...
Purchase them yourself.
... These clothes bind me so. I am unable to reach my pocket.
Verily, should I cast off but a single layer... I shall perish of the bitter cold forthwith...
.......
I can buy some for you, but I doubt it will help you feel any warmer.
Any heat your meal provides will immediately be extinguished by the effect of the Wei Bolus.
*shiver* Aye, I know... yet my spirits will surely... Achoo!
By the way, whither goest thou, Sir Rooster?
... I'm goin' back to the inn. Call me when the mission starts.
There's no fun where there's no fight.
I don't think all the dumplings the shop has to offer could sate the hunger of us oxlords.
We'll get our own dinner at a kezhan somewhere and return to the inn.
Ehhh...? Cold as winter's breath, every one of you... Our quest beginneth in the dark hours of the night. We shall meet then...!
The ox and the rooster left without an answer.
As soon as the two were out of sight, the child, timid as she was, shamelessly begged the Mao Branch Adept:
... Ahem. Lady Adept... I beseech thee this favor, then...
.......
If... if five be too many, then perchance two...? N-nay, one! Buy me but a single dumpling, and my thanks are thine!
I... am not a cheapskate. Please have as many dumplings as you like.
After some time...
Ooh, the castle! It doth exceed mine expectation!
A-and 'tis yet too cold, forsooth...
P-pray tell, am I alone in feeling this... chill?
The weather is so hot that even a short walk feels suffocating... and then it's suddenly snowing now.
I know our venture doth begin at nightfall... but is it wise to bring down the castle <i>now</i>?
It should be fine. This castle... is not an approved residential area.
It won't be considered a breach of the City's Taboo.
Verily, 'tis a comfort that the roosters shall keep the Sweepers at bay...
Yet such a mighty castle as this... 10 sheep alone cannot hope to cast it down apace.
Not to worry. You don't need to destroy the entire castle. The Mao Branch will guide you to the walls that need breaking.
And, should the need arise, the Chou Branch will assist you with your task.
... Can't deliver the palanquins without a way ahead.
These walls... we're pushing, but they won't budge.
X Corp.'s alloys and P Corp.'s construction technology.
The City's protective technologies have progressed in tandem with its destructive ones.
However... only those in the uppermost echelons of the society, with enormous wealth and influence to match, can enjoy the benefits of these technologies.
... 'Tis fashioned merely of snow and rock... yet it withstandeth our blow like structures shielded by Singularities.
To think that one with no station in any Wing nor companies should own such a castle and bend weathers to their will... How is such a thing possible?
Precisely. That is why our lord has need of them—
Psychoment users.
And that is also why E.G.O and Distortions were able to cause such a sweeping change in the City.
Simply by heeding the call of their hearts... even those without a single coin to their name could gain the strength to protect themselves.
But...
... Will you be able to handle this?
Hmm...
Hmmmm...
Unfortunately, the human will cannot always overcome the heights of technology.
... I think so. Prithee, let us hear our lord's commandment!
Very well... This is the decree of our lord.
"The Heishou of the Wei Branch... are to submit to the leash-holder's command and open the way."
...!
No sooner had the words fallen on the child's ears than horns started to force their way out of her arms with a sickening crack.
Hrrk... Gah...!
The horns then extended, spiraling and digging into the siege weapon in the child's hands, binding it tightly to her arms.
Even as her face twisted in pain, the child's eyes darted restlessly around her...
The same way her Packmates' did.
Our lord's commandment... approacheth.
H-hark...! It draweth nigh! W-we must hasten!
When the leash-holder issues a command, the sheep are gripped by the sense that something is chasing them from behind.
The command <i>must</i> be obeyed. The approaching terror <i>must</i> be eluded.
Only when those two thoughts alone remain to drive their minds can the pack of sheep finally stampede ahead to crush and shatter all that stands in their path.
Forth... Battering Ram Horns(衝破角)!
Battering Ram Horns! Forth!
Shatter...! *slam*
Crush...! *slam*
A tremendous force focused on one spot brought the wall crashing down. With heavy breaths, the child advanced slowly...
While her horns continued to snake under her skin.
The tougher the obstacle, the more their strength surged. Nothing could impede the march of the Wei.
I must hurry onward...
Farther, farther onward.