Recreation - The Puppet Master

Name: Recreation: Crow
Rank: D
Type: Defensive
Description: Zenshin spent an entire month testing and retesting this puppet, straining his control over tiny strands of mana to their very limit. Eventually, he was finally able to control it viably in combat, as he went out to field test it against local thugs and vulcans. They were surprised to say the least, as he specifically designed it to look as unsettling as possible, as psychological warfare was also important in a fight. When he was sure, he stored the blueprint in his very being and, with a heavy heart, threw "Crow" into a fire, scorching it until it was nothing but a pile of ash. Crow has four arms that are each detachable from its body and work as blades. A lacrima launcher has been installed in the back of its throat, loaded with three smoke bomb lacrima. The puppet itself if made from a special kind of wood that makes it harder than most trees, but regardless, it's still wood. Zenshin primarily uses this spell in conjunction with a leyline traversal whenever he's about to get struck, leaving his enemy to hit Crow instead of him.

crow:

Strengths:
- Useful for avoiding a single attack
- Great for battling at a range (40 meters max)
- Can easily overwhelm single targets if not used to substitute for an attack

Weaknesses:
- Ineffective against multiple targets
- Flying targets are relatively safe (above 5 meters)
- Zenshin cannot use the blades and smoke bomb launcher at the same time
- Crow is not very good for defense (Cant take anything higher than a D rank spell)

Duration/Cooldowns Variable / 4 Posts (when broken)

Name: Act I: The Rise
Rank: C
Type: Offensive ; Utility ; Defensive
Description: Zenshin creates two more Crows and strengthens his first one by outputting more magical energy into the strings or creates three if he hasn't used his first spell before this one. When he does this, the very design of all Crows accommodates the new magical energy and creates a new mechanism within the mouth of his puppets. Each Crow now has the ability to fire wind bullets from its mouth as well as a stream of fire that spreads out in a cone in front of them up to 10 meters. The wind bullet will travel as quickly as a normal bullet and is the size of a cannon, inflicting a heavy C-Rank spell's worth of damage if it hits. The cone of fire lasts five seconds and deals heavy C-Rank damage for each second spent hit by it, dealing 3rd degree burns if it does hit. Another new addition to the design of Crow is the ability to fire oil from its palms to drench their enemy in a highly flammable substance that will wear off after five posts if they avoid getting ignited for that long. Finally, the blades of Crow are coated in a medium-weak toxin that will reduce the speed and strength of whoever is hit by 20%. The poison can stack up to five times and will wear off after 4 posts.

Strengths:
- Increases the strength and speed of the puppet
- Adds a lot of strength and utility behind his original design
- Projectiles move relatively quick 35 m/s

Weaknesses:
- Each one cannot fight multiple targets at once, however they are effective at fighting one or one each
- Flying targets are still relatively safe (above 35 meters)
- Crows aren't very good for defense (Cant take anything higher than a C rank spell)
- Underground targets are safe

Duration/Cooldowns Variable / 6 Posts (when all are broken)

Name: Act II: Phainopepla
Rank: B
Type: Offensive ; Utility ; Defensive
Description: Zenshin creates 10 of these upgraded puppets if he feels as though he needs a different kind for this battle. Phainopepla has a superior design to crow in the sense that it's more durable, but it doesn't have as many goodies stored inside. This is true, however, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its own design choices specific to it. Phainopepla is capable of absorbing any magical attack that it comes into contact with and send it back at whoever sent it in a burst of wind based magic. This doesn't apply to spells higher than it and it can only absorb one full B-Rank spell at a time (good thing Zen has ten) making this the ideal spell to go on the defensive with. They also have the unique ability of being able to split a spells power between them in case they need to absorb a higher ranked spell, such as an A-Ranked one. Example: Two Phainopeplas will get in the way of the spell and each will absorb half of it or if an S rank spell, six will get in front of it and each absorb a B-Ranks worth of magical power from the attack to dispel it.

phainopepla:

Strengths:
- Excellent for defense
- Can potentially be used for offensive purposes
- Can easily overwhelm an enemy

Weaknesses:
- Doesn't have any nifty offensive augments
- Flying targets are still relatively safe (above 20 meters)
- Not so good at offense
- Zenshin has to focus a little more than normal on controlling ten puppets at once

Duration/Cooldowns Variable / 12 Posts (when all are broken)

Name: Curtain Call
Rank: A
Type: Offensive ; Utility ; Defensive
Description: Used after Zenshin has spent at least a post using Act: I. He will have sent enough mana through the strings to further upgrade Crow's design, mostly for purposes of making him more durable, he will also create six more for a total of ten assuming none have been destroyed by this point. The oil can now be fired and sprayed up to a range of 10 meters. The poison will increase in potency so that it will reduce the speed and strength of the target by 50% and can stack up to four times and the ranked damage of the flamethrower and wind bullet will increase by two, however they will now have a cooldown of one post each. They also have a final ability that Zen likes to call a "Secret Technique" since he doesn't use it that often so not many people know about it. Zenshin will stack one puppet on two others that are a few feet apart and will create a small pyramid before altering the properties of the leylines within the triangle so that everything in front of the triangle in a 50 meter radius of gradually expanding width will be suctioned through the vacuum created and be completely crushed as they come out the back. This goes for every spell or projectile of A-Rank or below. If a mage is sucked through the powerful vacuum, they will feel a painful crushing force on their entire body and sustain A-Ranked damage as well as fractured bones. This technique has a three post cooldown and requires at least three puppets to be remaining.

Strengths:
- Powerful actives
- Poison that can render an enemy immobile if stacked enough
- Wind, fire, and oil that makes a dangerous combination

Weaknesses:
- A lot of focus is required to control and keep track of so many puppets
- Little defensive capabilities compared to Phainopepla
- Abilities now have a cooldown
- They can each be destroyed by any damage over A-Rank

Duration/Cooldowns Variable / 14 Posts (when all are broken)

Name: Act III: The Finale
Rank: S
Type: Technique
Description: Zenshin's final puppet spell, and a magnificent one at that. Zen will have stay in battle for at least five posts in order to use this spell, as it takes time to mentally prepare for, but when he does, his enemies are in for a surprise. He will say the name of the spell and in an instant, one hundred puppets will shoot out of the ground around him and float in the air before he attaches over a hundred strings to them, giving him the ability to control each puppet individually if he wanted to. These hundred puppets are clad in cyan coats like his, but all have the body of crow. They all have the same abilities as previous puppets, except a tad stronger. Their blades inflict poison that reduces the speed and strength of the target by 75% and can stack up to four times. The wind and flamethrower now deal S-Ranked damage although their cooldown is now five posts. The oil can now rain from the sky if he so chooses to use a lot of puppets for that and they can each absorb an S-Rank spell's worth of damage before being broken by an S-Ranked spell unless throwing it right back at the enemy. Finally, he can also use his previous Secret Technique while using this spell and its damage and effects will increase by a rank. Like everything... this spell also has some downsides.


Strengths:
- Puppets are difficult to destroy
- High utility and potential to overwhelm anyone
- Very powerful for offensive and defensive purposes

Weaknesses:
- Can only be used once per fight
- Cannot be cast immediately
- AoE attacks will destroy a lot of the puppets if they have already absorbed their spell
- Zenshin cannot move while using this spell
- Not a very supporting spell
- Has a definite length
- Costs double the normal amount of an S-Ranked spell

Duration/Cooldowns 7 posts / Rest of Fight

Name: Energy Manipulation: Strings
Rank: S
Type: Technique
Description: The whole reason Zenshin can use these puppets for battle is because he attaches his strings made of light blue magical energy to them. But he can also attach his strings to any inanimate or animate object and manipulate them, or at least try to. It's a simple spell, but a potent one if used properly. Zen is also able to choose to make them razor sharp if he wants to grip onto an enemy that will cut deep if not dealt with immediately. Furthermore, the strings are very tough and require an S-Rank spell's worth of damage to be broken. The range of the strings is 25 meters and he can shoot out up to ten at a time, one for each finger.


Strengths:
- Medium range
- Can use to slice, throw, or grab any animate or inanimate object
- Hugh durability and no cooldown/duration

Weaknesses:
- Bottom line, these are glorified pieces of string
- No directly offensive ability
- Doesn't provide any buffs really
- Enemies could potentially use these against him if he misses them or he chooses not to use the razor sharp string