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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Tower, Kyleth's quarters Excellent, the link was still active. Time to experiment. He ascended from the first floor to the second, heading to the space allotted for him. A permanent, direct connection between himself and another entity? That was practically doing the hard part already. He conjured components and tools and began working on a discreet armlet to go over the mark, channelling himself into the work. The hand of the giver was always on top, so it was time to alter the heavy hand on the shoulder into a more equitable handshake, turning this one way pipeline into a two-way conduit. Kyleth was not one for unilateral impositions when his very nature was that of one who struck bargains. Trying to make use of the permanent connection, his fundamental nature and an eternal lifetime of making such links to Imbue Trinket [+2] a flexible armlet to sleeve the mark and interface with it on a metaphysical level, through his Incarnate [+2] nature of a being translated from ethereal to physical and aided by powerful Sorcery [+2], with the aim of making it more explicitly two-way, activatable at either end, essentially using it as a medium to gift the trinket to the entity at the other end through the permanent connection, and thus be able to sense what it senses in accordance with his unique ability.
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Feb 19, 2021 12:02
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 The Drosai - The Butterfly Door The Drosai ponders the meaning of the unusual stonework of the Tower as he heads back through the Butterfly Door. It makes its way back to the mountain, first heading up to its makeshift crawlspace, storing away its rations in a nook before he heads toward the mines spotted previously. Clearly, someone has found the means to reliably quarry the 'stone' in this mountain. Perhaps their tools or methods might reveal some new tactic to penetrate the rock. ----- Surreptitiously investigating the mine to observe how they are carving through the 'stone', what tools they use, their methods if visible. Supernatural Stonecunning +2
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Feb 20, 2021 04:16
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Mordin - Cogworld Interesting. "Well, we should get somewhere safe in any case." Mordin mused. OOC: Unless Mick wants to question her further, thinking we can move to the town proper. I'm sure there's more to see than meets the eye.
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Feb 22, 2021 20:34
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Rade - Flower Door The shark man looked at you dubiously from the water, although reading the expression was difficult given how different he was to anything you'd encountered before. "With your strange magics?" The tone told you he was expecting a catch. Either some consequence or drawback to the magic, or that there would be a cost or obligation for the assistance. Kyleth - The Tower, 2nd Floor, Personal Quarters Result: 8 + 6 - Minor Success You had underestimated the strength of the deity or entity that had branded you. Your attempt to remove the branding into an amulet failed, it was intractably bound to you at least for the moment. Trying to force it off more forcefully had resulted in a great deal of pain and an understanding that you would severely injure yourself in a metaphysical way to do so. But you did manage to dampen it making it possible to ignore some of the more coercive effects of the branding if you put your mind to it. But you would need to focus your energy on it each time you wanted to do so. You're not strong enough to remove or control the brand like you wanted to yet. But on a good roll you can block pain or compulsions from the other entity. This won't stop it talking to you but you can chose to ignore that at least. The Drosai - Butterfly Door As it approached the mine, the Drosai spotted one of the guards that it had seen from the manor. A tall creature with a helmet that allowed from a great chitinous horn that came from the head of the guard. A dull red glow came from within from certain places in the armour and it carried a halberd as it watched the surroundings. It was more vigilant than a guard of a simple mine should be, indicating the mine was either valuable or that something unusual was keeping the guard alert. Mordin As a reminder, the clock has now past 4 o'clock, but will still struck another cursed hour at 6 in two hours. It may be extremely difficult for you to make it to the city and find a place to hide in that time, the city is a fair distance away and you will need to climb down to the plains and then up to the city at the other side. Flight would allow you to do so, but on foot you probably won't make it within two hours.
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Feb 24, 2021 10:02
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 Mick Gunn - Cogworld "I think I'm gonna mosey on down to that town and poke around." I said to the others. "Might decide to pick up some work. Been a while since I was in the private sector." I gave my pal the side eye, giving him the opportunity to slip away before something else happened.
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Feb 24, 2021 10:54
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Tower, Kyleth's quarters That had been educational, and it was useful to see the limits of the possible. It had been a goodly long while since Kyleth had been in the company of omnipotent or near-omnipotent entities, Creator notwithstanding, but you never really forgot, and when dealing with a power disparity of this magnitude, it was always wisest not to directly contest over a given matter. But that wasn't a problem. Kyleth was at his element working with such things rather than against them, and so he persevered. Power was relative, after all, and even in absolutes there was much to be learned. He focused his will on the task at hand, conducting experiments as fast as thought could be fueled by magic. Long lives led to patience, his nature meant focus could be applied without consideration for rest or sustenance. It was time to learn. Investigating the brand as thoroughly as possible, learning as much as possible about it and its creator, exploring the limits of possibility, testing every kind of physical, mental or magical interaction with it, an unending cavalcade of experimentation on as many fronts as possible. Not looking to edit or alter but to gather information in myriad ways. Imbue Trinket [+2], Sorcery [+2] and Incarnate [+2] towards that end AJ_Impy fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Feb 25, 2021 |
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Feb 24, 2021 13:04
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 Rade - Flower Door "Yes, with my strange magics..." Rade responds deadpan, before shrugging and adopting a more casual tone. "Look, might as well be upfront about this. I'm not trying to run a charity, and you'd be a fool to believe me if I said I was. Judging by the fact that you're fighting with priests about scraps or your kids'll starve, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you aren't exactly doing great at the moment." He took the man's silence as leave to continue. "As I thought. Now, what I want is a place of my own, someplace to rule. In exchange you get all the benefits my powers can bring you. Your kids will be able to not merely survive, but thrive on less food, I can make you stronger, faster, hardier. So you get all the benefits of my power, and in return you swear fealty to me." Rade pauses to let it sink in for a moment, "If you're interested, that's fine, if not that's fine too."
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Feb 25, 2021 03:12
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Kyleth - The Tower, 2nd Floor, Personal Quarters Result: 9 + 6 - Success Many of the tests that Kyleth did were fruitless and in hindsight seemed pointless. What you did manage to deduce was that the marking did not exist physically. It was a consequence of your essence being altered, which caused the expression in the kind of branding. Mentalics might produce results but without an open connection there was no other mind to try and sense or read than your own. Magic was the closest mortal path of avenue to provide answers but really the answer lay in your own divine origins and that sliver of power you now held on to. With this you were able to probe the intrusion into your essence, a spiritual kind of barb that anchored a connection between you and the other being. You had already determined you were too weak in your current state to remove this anchor or to pull on that connection, but you could follow it for a split second to try and get a peek of the nature of the entity on the other end. The glance was too quick and too imprecise to gain any definitive information such as its location, abilities, power or nature. But it did let you creature a mental impression of the the creature. The image Kyleth formed was that of a great abyssal lifeform, so large that it would have stood over a mountain had it been on the surface. It was not a mollusk but it possessed multiple limbs of a sort. And it hungered. Such a titanic creature had an equally titanic appetite. Rade - Flower Door The shark man paused for a moment, his next words considered carefully to not give offence. "I cannot say that the thought of being able to guarantee my family's survival isn't appealing. But you're asking me to sign my life away to you in service, while you are a stranger who does not understand the way things work here. I'm guessing by the fact you've been unaware of some pretty fundamental things that I must be the first person you've made this offer to, or at least anywhere around here. If you'd talked to other people more you'd know about things. So with this in mind, if you're serious about trying to help my family, and you want me to swear fealty to you, come and see what things are like down below the surface. Then we can both decide what we're going to do." Rade could tell the man wanted hope, but he also couldn't take just your word for it. He needed something more than a chance meeting from a heated argument before he decided on something so important. Then there was the matter of the way that he focused on what you didn't know about the world here. He'd mentioned the Deep Monarchs earlier, some sort of gigantic powerful creature that apparently was being fed most of what they could gather or produce to placate it for their safety. His apprehension about accepting your offer probably came from a fear of them and concern about your ignorance of them. Not a no, not a yes. He'd like to say yes, but also is afraid to say yes for now.
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Feb 26, 2021 08:59
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Rade - Flower Door Rade smiles, clearly pleased that the man was at least interested. "Fine by me. Lead the way."
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Feb 26, 2021 14:37
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The Drosai - The Butterfly Door The Drosai mutters. How tedious. But perhaps this guard could be of use. The Drosai stooped, changing its posture to something more meek and subservient. Less threatening. It stepped out from behind its cover, making its way directly toward the guard. Not quickly. Not cautiously. "Pardon, but I am looking for work. Can you direct me?" ----- Approaching the guard to ask for work
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Feb 28, 2021 15:32
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Mordin - Cogworld Mordin murmered to himself. "Never easy. Is it?" He turned to Mick. "Do me a favor. And I'll owe you one." He pointed at the woman's heart briefly then let his hand drop to his side. Quirking an eyebrow at Mick he asks: "Could you?" He and Mick may need to chat about this world and both of their places in it. The woman could have been an asset, but the timing and another disappearance? That wouldn't sit well with her. She wasn't dumb, just...inconvenient. Plus Mordin would raise her body and get all the answers he wanted. He had no undead bound to him any longer and needed to create an army anyway. The exchange is going to be short. If she beats Mick to the draw I'm going to be shocked. I've never been an NPC keeper. If Mick wants Mordin to owe him one. Shoot her. Mordin will repay with a service similar at any future date. Mordin will then raise her problematic corpse and get all answers from her that way. If somehow she can resist two godlings and being raised as a minor undead yet possesses the will of a master vampire: Mordin is going to torch her. So Lich [+2] either way. If Mick accepts. I am Communist fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Mar 2, 2021 |
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Mar 2, 2021 00:50
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Mick Gunn - Cogworld I gave the old lich the side eye again, just to make sure of what he was asking. I'd killed before, of course, and even the blood of innocents stained my hands. I was no saint, but I'd never thought of myself as a murderer. But this was a different place, a different time, a different... everything. Maybe it was time to embrace the more practical side of my robotic brain. I was fingering the piece in my pocket. As I stroked it I swear it got bigger, probably just a trick of my mind. The little .38 snub I usually was a bit of kit, but it lacked real killing power. What I needed was one of those heavy .44 magnums, like you might see in the movies. Those things could shove a persons head right through their rear end if you fired at the right angle. My course was set, so to speak. With one smooth action I pulled out a much larger revolver than I remember sticking in there. My finger depressed the trigger even as I was still raising the drat thing. I didn't need to even aim at this distance as I fires that huge slug straight at the woman's heart. Using all my stats here. I don't remember what they are at the moment. Im way overtired. I'll update this when I wake up.
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Mar 2, 2021 02:41
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Tower, Kyleth's quarters Hunger? Seriously? Tapped up by an entity that was a slave to base appetites? At least it was a useful lever to bear in mind, and a little leverage could go a very long way despite a massive power differential. For now, though, a return to the world was in order. The initial foray had been informative, but he had no intention of being caught out in ignorance ever again. So, a blanket of spells around and about him. Invisibility and nondetection. Flight and insubstantiality. Wide-area clairaudience and clairvoyance. His intention was to listen in, unseen and unsensed, unhindered by any physical obstacle or distance, to listen, to watch, to learn from every source he could find until he was thoroughly immersed in the culture and baseline background understanding of the societies of the chosen realm. Taking time over a series of spells under whose influence he will return to the flower realm: Flight, insubstantiality, invisibility, nondetection, clairaudience and clairvoyance. Setting himself to go anywhere like a ghost without being detected or traced, listening and watching over a massively extended area. Sorcery [+2] and Incarnate [+2] towards that end
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Mar 2, 2021 15:06
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Going under the surface of the water at first was a strange and unnerving experience. Despite the knowledge that the water should have a pressure in your mouth, when you breathed it in you felt no resistance nor any feeling of drowning. It was as though once you breathed it in it became air itself. Nor did it cause your fur to become sodden and heavy, although you felt as though you were swimming through water that was the same temperature as a mild spring day. The last strange aspect to the water was that you could see through it without distortion, nor did the water sting and strain your eyes. This lake or ocean was clearly made to be fit for surface dwellers to more and live in if they wished. After you adjusted, the shark man swam ahead and made sure you did not get lost. At certain points as you caught up he spoke a little. The second one he introduced himself, his name being Ganmorrin and he normally worked as a hunter gatherer. Without the surface of the water to distort the image you could see a couple of scars on Ganmorrin's body where his clothing did not hide them. Later he explained that although he, his husband and both of his wives could find enough to eat that until his children grew to be a couple of months old that they could not digest any plant matter properly. The eggs of several of different kinds of pearls were rich in nutrients if you could crack them open and would help his children grow. After travelling for a while and with the light from the sun beginning to dim, you had arrived at the bottom of another trench and saw that there were numerous cave entrances leading into the sides of the trench. From a few you saw other aquatic beings of different kin than just sharks, looking at you for a moments with curiosity. Surface dwellers were apparently not uncommon enough to draw stares but you were unlike any they had seen before. Let me know if you want to do anything, look around, investigate or try to find out anything. Otherwise we can move on for a bit. The Drosai - Butterfly Door, Geos Mines The helmet turned slightly and looked down at you. With the guard looking directly at you, the Drosai could see the eyes the guard looked down upon them with were glowing a dark and fiery red like the parts of its armour. This close you could see that the glow came from what appeared to be vents in the armour and that there were ridged sections like pipes through it. When the guard breathed hot smoke came out from the mouth. When it smoke, its voice seemed like it was also on fire somehow. "You. Should not be here. Work only for guards. Or for humans. You are no human. Nor do you look like guard. Begone beggar. There is no Geos. For you to find here." This close to the mine you could see that there were currents of distorted air rising from the side of the mountain at certain places. Given the heat inside the earth, this might be indications of some kind of ventilation system. To be clear you do not have the social knowledge to pass a social check here with this guard. But you can sneak in to the mines or find another way in. Mick & Mordin - Cog Door Result: Mick - 3 + 4 to avoid damage: Minor consequence Result: Mordin - 6 + 2 to raise and bind Laura: Minor success With surprise on your side and in a pistol draw compared to a rifle, Mick shot Laura dead with only a surprised gasp on her lips. She fell forwards onto the ground and died within a single second. Mordin prepared his Lich magics to do their work, but then something strange happened. Due to his magics being in play Mordin could sense as the woman's soul was stolen away towards the clock tower city. At the same time, she got back up and staggered to her feet, managing to lift her rifle unsteadily and shoot Mick in return. However her aim was off and he managed to dodge enough to only get shot in the leg. A painful and slightly debilitating injury but one that could be repaired with a bit of time and know-how. At that moment Mordin managed to bind her before she could try to take another shot, forcing her to put down her weapon and to stand down. Laura still managed an angry and defiant stare at Mordin despite the binding however. "Piss eyes." She almost spat at him. Mick has a minor drawback for [-2] Hobbled until you get a chance to heal. Not sure how you want to play it given your synthetic character but this isn't intended to be more onerous to recover from than a living creature healing from a similar wound. Due to the specific metaphysical laws of death in this world, as well as Other Factors, Laura was raised as an intelligent undead on her own. A complete success would have bound her before she had a chance to shoot Mick. She is however fully under Mordin's control at the moment. She cannot harm you or anyone you specify, nor can she disobey a direct order. In this case I have included Mick under the do not harm category but you can change this if you wish. Additionally you can force Laura to act more compliant and obedient if you wish, but as you limit her free will she will have a chance to break free from your binding that becomes easier the greater the compulsion you force onto her. The current binding, being that she cannot harm you or specified persons, as well as must obey the letter but not necessarily the spirit of any orders you give her, will not have a risk of her breaking free or require any other rolls (unless something or someone were to interfere with the binding). If you have any specific questions or issues with this please let me know. Feel free to order her away on some errand once you have your answers if you don't want to deal with her again or for a while. Kyleth - The Tower, 2nd Floor, Personal Quarters Result: Will be rolled in opposition against next detection check You cast your spells and wrapped the weave of the magic around you like a cloak. However despite your superior arcane craft, you knew without a doubt that you could not hide from the master of the Tower within his domain. Fortunately for you he was not your intended target, and Kyleth had right to feel confident in that few mortals of less than superlative skill would be a match for you.
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Mar 8, 2021 11:48
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Mordin - Cogworld A nearer thing that he would have thought. On their home worlds they were the top of the food chain. Here any random peasant with a pitch fork could maim those chosen by a world spanning over deity/entity. He looked at Mick and noticed the damage to his leg. "Are you unharmed?" Mordin knew how annoying such injuries could be. He could cast a spell to allow the metal man to sort of "hover along" but decided they'd bring too much attention to themselves. "Laura. That wasn't nice. You should apologize to Mick. Now you know what I am. I can see what you, should be. But here, on this world... you're not normal undead. All of your souls, flying off to some...phylactery. Sentient and willful." It felt right to say it. Mordin had accomplished a feat as they were known on his homeworld sacrificing that ability and weakness, but found it ironic now that his own existence was yet again bound to the creator's tower. "Now Laura, you will answer our questions as truthfully as you are able but not if it will destroy you before we are done with you." Mordin had an idea of how things may work if there was someone running things behind the scenes. A precaution. "You are now one of the dead my dear. Nothing personal, but the timing was almost comically bad and we had a choice to make. If you know and if you can answer: When did all of this world's dead start coming back to life? What thing or force is causing all of your dead to come back? [he is not asking who or why]." He pointed to the clock. "What is the significance of the clock towers, times, and freezing the dead? And if known who made them." to mick: You can fly if you want that favor repaid. Or, save it for later. Action: The order is to have Laura answer as truthfully as she is able our questions, but not to answer if she has some kind of self-destruct. Lich [+2] to command her without being too strict, Deception [+2] to weedle out answers. 4 limited Questions to prevent infodumping: When did all of this world's dead start coming back to life? What thing or force is causing all of the dead to come back? [Mordin is not asking who or why]." "What is the significance of the clock towers, times, and freezing the dead? Who made the clock towers?" I am Communist fucked around with this message at 19:44 on Mar 8, 2021 |
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Mar 8, 2021 19:41
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Mick Gunn - Cogworld The shot knocked a good chunk out of my lower leg, which was surprising. Back home nothing short of the kind of firepower the military should put out was able to crack my shell. Fortunately I couldn't feel pain the same way the humans did. Already the repair protocols within my systems had taken note of the damage and were beginning to make small changes to work around it until I could get down there and actually fix it. "Nah im fine," I responded. "I've taken worse. Although now I wish I could kill her twice. So this is what you do, eh? Bring 'em back from the dead? Dark business that, mack, dark business. Not that I'm judging, mind you. I've done similar or worse myself. Now lets get some answers." Using Synthetic Humanoid +2 to mitigate the damage that was done, removing the hobbled status.
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Mar 8, 2021 20:16
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade followed along with Ganmorrin, still somewhat unsettled by the strange properties of this water. When he arrived at the underwater settlement he felt the eyes upon him. That, at least, he was used to. He had spent his whole life as one of the few Leonin in his part of the world. He was used to turning heads, it had a strangely comforting familiarity. Still, this time they weren't the only ones doing observing, if this was to potentially be the base of his kingdom, he wanted to know what it was he was working with. Fortunately, being a Leonin might have caused him to stand out, but it also meant he had always been blessed with especially sharp senses. Combining that with the hard-earned knowledge of a lifetime of mercenary work he began to mentally catalogue all he encountered. He would follow along with Ganmorrin's tour, asking the occasional question, assembling the pieces of what he saw and heard and silently assessing. What conditions were the structures in, what about the people, did they seem gaunt or injured, what weapons or defenses were visible or could be inferred... Of course the man himself had particularly drawn Rade's interest after he'd first noticed Ganmorrin's scars. What sort of man was this that might be his first follower? The town, it's people, and his guide, Rade tried to look at them all with a general's eye. If he wanted to be more than a leader, a warlord, he would need to start to think and act like it. Rade's going along with Ganmorrin's tour, but he's using it to also sort of assess the place and people based on what he's seeing. The idea being if he wants to be a warlord he should start thinking like one. Drawing on his background as an Experienced Mercenary[+2] and the sharp senses Leonin[+2] possess due to being descended from apex predators. He's also quite interested in learning more about Ganmorrin now that he's seen the scars.
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Mar 9, 2021 06:42
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Back through the flower door Unseen and undetectable save by the creator (Who would receive a friendly wave in passing should he be en route), not testing his intangibility in the tower, Kyleth ghosted back through the flower door, levitated towards the upper regions, then began extending his magical senses in every direction as far as he could manage, enhancing his ability to process information. There he would remain, soaking up cultural context, common truths, idioms, languages, anything written, anything spoken within as large a radius as he could manage, looking to accrue as thorough a grounding in as many local cultures as possible, unobtrusive, undetectable, but all-pervasive. Making use of the spells set out last time (Flight, insubstantiality, invisibility, nondetection, clairaudience and clairvoyance). Hovering near the upper regions like a ghost hopefully without being detected or traced, listening and watching over a massively extended area. Sorcery [+2] and Incarnate [+2] if contested/required.
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Mar 11, 2021 03:22
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Mick - Cog Door Result: 12 + 2 to work around injury: Success Hobbled [-2] becomes Jury-Rigged [+0/-2] Mick has managed to work around his current injury, which means that in some situations of high stress it might become a complication but for everything else it won't be a drawback. Mordin & Mick - Cog Door Laura did not think that Laura should apologise to Mick because he killed her. So she did not apologise as she was not ordered to do so. However Laura was ordered to answer Mordin's questions truthfully she did so. 1. The dead around the city, Carnelia, had been coming to life before any of the oldest people she knew. She had never heard any story that gave a date, it seemed like it had always been the case. Laura did not know about the rest of the world. 2. Laura had never thought about why the dead had come back to life. She knew of no thing that could be responsible or had that power. 3. The Clock Tower was a way of keeping the time of people. So that they did not lose it. The cursed hours stole time from the unprotected. The Clock Tower did not protect the undead. 4. Some people long ago made the clock towers. Laura did not know how long. She did not care how long ago. Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 10 + 4 to gather information: Success Namin was a community that was under stress but was yet to fall into decline. It took you a while but after half an hour you had begun to spot clues. Ganmorrin would look at some seemingly natural object and sigh, Rade realising that the object was actually made from resin layered many times and hardened. Or there would be some patches in various places that created small air holes for preserving various things. More things were a bit worn or cracked than there should be for a community of this size, indicating that the labour that normally maintained them was being allocated elsewhere. As you moved around there were many people returning to the town carrying food with them, and many people leaving as well. Defenses in the town were a different matter entirely however. The water turned the battlefield from a flat plane into a situation where you could be attacked from above and below, not just from the front, sides and the rear. Judging by the lack of any kind of fortifications the people of this area at least, tactics and strategy were probably based around flexibility and skirmishing. The caves and the trench were the closest to any kind of defense the people of Namin had by creating natural choke points and funneling threats even in the three dimensional battlescape. Or at the very least it provided a place for non-combatants to hide. At one point Ganmorrin turned back to you and frowned. "You've been looking around with a strange look...or at least one I haven't seen other overdwellers wear. You look like you're looking for things I cannot see. Is this part of your magic? I can take you to see the witches if you want." Kyleth - Flower Door, Florith Pendent Quarter You rose up and past the area where Merina and Ghornik had been, both no longer there however. That area held a few other amphitheaters and parks, but also what appeared to be numerous watch posts that hung from branches and trunks to gaze upon the water below. Each of them was protected by wards and scrying spells to detect less skilled intruders than yourself, but none of them provided any real interest beyond their presence immediately. Avoiding these little alarms Kyleth moved further up, to a point where it was getting hard to see the surface of the water below. In these areas there were many dwellings that were built into the great trees and plants which began to spread out their branches above them. There were many kinds of peoples in this place, people like humans of varying forms, people that had features of avians, reptiles or mammals and more. However it was only the rare person that seemed to posses any kind of aquatic traits or adaptions. Each of these peoples spoke far fewer languages than their diversity would have created, and there were clear trends of fashions and art that became quickly evident. Kyleth could sense similar but much more skillfully created wards and alarms above him, a quick glance up showing much finer dwellings in those sunnier climbs. No doubt this was where the influential and the powerful in society dwelled and mingled. Closer above but outside of the bounds of the magicks were signs of businesses, workshops and temples. Many, many temples and shrines you came to realise. You can investigate freely in and around around the guardposts without detection with your original roll, but the higher heights will be a contested role. These wards are also not made by amateurs or hedge wizards. A poor roll will lead to your detection and the consequences of that. The artisan, merchant and temple district above you as well as the peasant residential quarter are unguarded against your stealth.
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Mar 16, 2021 10:17
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves "Witches?"
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Mar 17, 2021 01:19
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves "Yes, people who use magic. People above have a lot of fancy words for them but mostly we call them witches. Except for a few special cases like the court soothsayer, or the godspeakers."
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Mar 17, 2021 01:44
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade tilts his head. There had been tales of mages and the like in his world, but he'd never seen magic first-hand until he came to this one. Still, the existence of these magic users was something else to note. "Before that, why don't you fill me in on the basics of the situation down here. From what I overheard in your argument with that priest and what I've seen, it's pretty clear the people down here aren't exactly doing well. I assume that's related to the deep-kings, whatever they actually are."
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Mar 17, 2021 03:02
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The Drosai - The Butterfly Door The Drosai skitters off when rebuffed, making the appropriate curses and grumbles. To be expected, given this world's apparent hierarchy. Instead the Drosai circled around and up the mountain, trying to work its way behind the guard, between rocks, and find some alternative means of entering the mine. One way, or another. ----- Using Supernatural Stonecunning +2 to plot a path to some vent or alternative entrance, if one exists.
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Mar 19, 2021 03:20
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves "Well I think it might be easier to show you..." Ganmorrin said ominously and led you. You travelled further along the trench and then started making your way down further. Light began to stop shining through from the surface entirely and it became as though you were swimming through inky darkness. Plants and animals began to become bioluminescent, and you noticed that there were deliberately placed organic lanterns being placed around. Some of these in the distance formed clusters which indicated signs of settlement or some kind usage of the floor of the sea there. It became harder to keep track of time in this sunless sea, but eventually Ganmorrin's lantern stopped and he gently grabbed your shoulder to orient you and indicate you had arived. Then he did something that covered up his lantern and spoke to you. "You don't have to whisper, although it's a pretty natural reaction. Given you have a sensible head and look to you, I think you probably won't scream but try not to. It probably won't even deign to notice us but sometimes people irritate it and then they get...eaten." He held your hand then and pointed it, indicating where to look. Down and forward. Slowly your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you tried to figure out what you were looking for. Then after a few moments you began to realise. That it wasn't a rock formation with a duly glowing crystal growth on it, or some kind of glowing fungus. That wasn't kelp moving. Instead there was an incredibly vast sea creature down there. It was impossibly large. You hadn't even conceived that such a titanic monster could possibly exist. It was probably roughly the size of a mountain you realised with concern (or horror). There were great tendrils that came out of it slowly moving through the sea around, as well as three terrible and humongous softly glowing eyes. "That's Iqxiblon. One of the Deep Monarchs. There are six more of them. Every month we have to surrender enough food to sate their hunger, otherwise they will turn on us. The overdwellers think they were created by the gods to punish us. They told us that they were born at the dawn of creation along with the gods. That they made this world. That they fought the gods and won. That this is why the gods remain distant and in another world. I don't know if I believe it, or all of it. But we have no way to fight against them. You might as well try to bleed the ground itself." Ganmorrin paused to let you take this in and consider this scene. "Did you want to see anything else here, or can we head back? We're probably safe but who knows if it is in a mood and decides to snack on us." The Drosai - Butterfly Door, Geos Mines The Drosai moved away from the guard, who does not even bother to consider it once it has moved away. Travelling over the mountain there was in fact a ventilation system. If the Drosai could remove the cover of the vent on the surface, it could climb down the shaft and make its way into the mine. Sometimes it thought you heard a voice, soft and distant from the vent. But it might have just been the wind, it was impossible to tell. It would be a hot and unpleasant climb down through the hot air being vented up but it wouldn't pose a danger for the Drosai. Well it might become hazardous if it got trapped in there for a few hours but that was not likely to be a risk. The only choice was whether to search for another vent without maybe voices from below or to risk it and climb down this one.
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Mar 20, 2021 14:06
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade looks over the beast, his face an impassive mask. So this was his enemy, the thing he would eventually have to defeat if he truly intended to be the unchallenged sovereign of this world. In fact it was but one of seven. He looked for a time contemplating the great beast before silently signaling to Ganmorrin that it was time to return. He remained silent for much of the return home, grappling with just what a massive undertaking he was planning. Could he really hope to overcome such a creature, would it be better to flee for safer climes. He considered it for a moment, but only for a moment. His resolve was iron, he would not let himself be deterred, he'd wasted one life in mediocrity, he wasn't going to repeat that mistake. He may not have the power to challenge the deep kings and the gods of this world yet, but he would obtain it, and one day even that great beast would kneel or be destroyed. When they were nearly back to Ganmorrin's village, Rade stopped. "So, I've seen what it is I'll have to contend with and I have an inkling into the state things are in. My earlier offer still stands, even knowing what I know now. Swear yourself to me and I will do all in my power to make sure you do not regret it. I will use my magicks and my skill and I will change this world. What say you?"
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Mar 21, 2021 00:15
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Mordin - Cogworld Seeing as Mick had no questions & Laura either had nothing of value to really say anymore, Mordin gave Laura an order: "Follow us, & allow nothing that would cause harm to the group members" (of which she now was one). "I will protect you. Even if you hate us now. You will see, we are at divine work this day. Though you my not believe it now..." Mordin then cast a minor spell. Mage Armor on himself. If something hit him like that fancy flintlock while time stopped he'd at least get some warning. Then another spell onto Laura, Minor Illusion. It would make her look exactly as she had in life. Mordin turned to Mick. "It would seem the clock protects humans. Or living humanoids anyway. Why it doesn't stop you is odd Mick. Does that mean a metal man has life? I suppose we could wax poetic about it but we should get walking. The clock will stop me at some points. If you don't mind waiting." He (& Laura) would lay down prone on the ground before the clocktower enacted its strange magics upon him. No sense in looking the part of a dead man, illusion glamor or not. Ok, since Mordin cannot de-animate her & I'd rather not melt her screaming corpse, she will unfortunately be our Gunga Din. Ordered her to allow nothing to harm the group & follow (I guess like one of those hired mercenaries from the Diablo Franchise?). Casting a bit of mage armor on himself using Lich [+2] then, Minor Illusion on Laura using Lich [+2] and [b]Deception [+2] While piercing damage like bullets isn't great against a lich, he wants to take some punch out of any potential accidents while walking about. Mordin & Laura will lay down prone whenever the clock strikes on the way to the nearest clock tower place. If there's a city involved he will wait the appropriate time to not get frozen in front of people/maimed due to our fragility. Travelling~! I am Communist fucked around with this message at 14:32 on Mar 24, 2021 |
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Mar 23, 2021 06:43
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Florith Pendent Quarter A very useful overview, and he kept his senses spread far and wide to gradually accumulate the local zeitgeist, but the district of temples intrigued him. If he was to treat with the local gods as a peer, then getting the necessary insight into their connection with the mortals was essential. So, towards the temple district, to witness the vignettes of life lived both in broad scale and narrow focus. Zooming in on the temple district, looking for interesting scenes and people to observe up close, as a zoomed in element of the broader collection of information.
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Mar 24, 2021 06:46
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The Drosai - The Butterfly Door The Drosai briefly inspected the surface vent for a moment, studying the 'rock' it was built into and its overall integrity before attempting to simply rip it off if it could, or cut it out if it could not be pried loose. Such obstacles would not be permitted. ----- Using Frightening Strength +2 and Supernatural Stonecunning +2 to access and navigate the ventilation system.
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Mar 24, 2021 07:14
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Mick Gunn - Cogworld I looked at the animated corpse of the woman I had killed and realized I felt nothing. I'd killed my fair share of people, sure, but this was the first dame I'd ever offed. There had been no hesitation, no remorse. And even now, while I was looking at her, nothing. "The question of whether or not I have a soul," I replied to Mordin, "is something best left to the priests. I've got no stock in it either way. We should probably head down to the city there and start poking around."
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Mar 24, 2021 23:22
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Ganmorrin looked at you and laughed. "You're the first person who has seen one of the Deep Monarchs and not just fallen into despair, so either you're a madman, or you think you can actually do something. I'll throw my lot in with you, but you're going to need to be confident you can win before you take them on. Because their vengeance will be swift and terrible if we fail." Mordin & Mick - Cog Door, Beloperone Plains Result: 6 + 6 - Success. I combined them into a single roll as it was roughly all for the utility of protecting yourself. Like with AJ's stealth roll earlier, specific challenges will have an additional roll. The paralysis would no doubt be terrifying and disorienting to most people suddenly become undead, even if Mordin was better prepared and experienced with such things. There was an unpleasant feeling on something trying to tear something out of him, presumably his soul, but being unable to. But it managed to pull it such that it loosened some vital connection until the event was over. You descended down the mesa in the time before the event and began you walk across the rocky and dry plain. As you you resumed your trek after your forced rest, Laura spoke up. It seemed clear that she did not want to, but your compulsion forced her to speak up. "The city has a means t'test people at thar entrance. They will kill any deaders who try un walk in." She pointed at Mick. "He might be okay." Whatever primitive method these people had to test for undeath could probably be fooled by Mordin, but he had no idea what it would be or how difficult it would be. Another option to try for information if he wanted a safer route might be to try to find the minds and whomever they belonged to below. Or there were signs of people in the canyon nearby, it would be easy to change paths towards it currently. Sorry about it feeling like Laura was forced onto you. I just needed to establish this precedent so it sneaks up on you later. If you want to discuss it further hit me up on Discord. Kyleth, the Beguiling - Flower Door, Florith Pendent Quarter Each of the many temples seemed to be dedicated to a different patron and it was quickly apparent that some of them enjoyed more prestige than others. Based off of the iconography and the designs of the temples, the garbs of its priests and other signs Kyleth determined the primary dieties to be a goddess of the sun, a goddess of the sea, a god of the land, a god of fertility, a goddess of flame and hearth, a god of the winds, a god of the moon, a god of healing, goddess of war and of perhaps some use to Kyleth a goddess of knowledge. The Drosai - Butterfly Door, Ducal Geos Mines Result: 9 + 4 - Great Success Cutting around one edge allowed for prying the vent face off. Once this was done the ingress inwards would be simple. As the Drosai started its descent it heard decidedly human voices coming from somewhere below. Not immediately below, but somewhere nearby to where it would end up descending into.
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Mar 29, 2021 11:05
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade smiles, an exhilaration running through him like nothing he'd ever felt before. This man had just sworn his life in service to Rade. In his old life he'd always been doing the swearing, always been the servant, the muscle. Now he was the leader, the one someone else was going to follow. The electric happiness roaring in his heart plays out on his features and he grins. "Oh, don't worry, I'm no fool, but you better believe the day will come when even those monsters will bow down before me or be destroyed. Now, why don't I show you just what I can do. You're gonna be my right hand man after all, you should look the part." He focuses hard, riding the wave of the exhilarating feeling of power flowing through him. He reached out with his power, and just as not so long ago he had deployed it to improve himself, he now did the same for Ganmorrin. He would make the shark-man's body something that would make any other warrior green with envy. Stronger and thicker muscles with denser bones and more powerful organs support it. Tougher skin indistinguishable to the normal eye that would make him harder to injure. Shaper senses of sight, hearing, and smell with the cognitive facilities to handle them without being overwhelmed. Lastly as he had improved his own appearance, he did the same for Ganmorrin, making him look every bit the intimidating and awe-inspiring warrior Rade wanted him to be. When all was said and done, Rade intended not only to reward Ganmorrin for his fealty and demonstrate to the man his power, but to forge him into a symbol of what submitting to Rade would mean, living proof that he wasn't joking when he said he planned to take over this whole world. "How does it feel?" He asks, eager to hear his new right hand's response. Using Fleshshaper[+2] to power Ganmorrin up. Similar to what Rade did to himself, aiming to make him stronger, faster, and tougher, with shaper senses and lastly more aesthetically fitting of his new place as Rade's right hand man.
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Mar 31, 2021 01:37
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Mordin - The Path to Adventure! - Cogworld Mordin smirked at the site. "You take the living, and we." Mordin said while pointing at Laura. "Will take the dead. Let meet back in a few days to compare notes?" [If Mick agrees on time and place]. Mordin cast a spell to [detect dead]. He would find the path down to them and see just what was going on here. "Come along Laura, aren't you curious?" Detect Dead, using Lich [+2]Going down
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Mar 31, 2021 21:23
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Florith Pendent Quarter Fascinating. The deity of knowledge did indeed seem the most promising, but alongside that was a more fundamental question: Were these temples and priests actively connected to their deities? Trying to determine if an active metaphysical connection is extant between the temples and priests and the gods they worship, using Sorcery [+2] and Incarnate [+2] to identify and discern it.
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Apr 15, 2021 17:47
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The Drosai - The Butterfly Door Now that it had access to the tunnels, it was time to take a look around. ----- Using Supernatural Stonecunning +2 to to navigate the tunnels as I search for clues and information on their mining techniques. Sorry for the short post.
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Apr 17, 2021 03:40
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 7 + 2 - Success Ganmorrin sighed as the transformation rippled through him, Rade's magic dulling the senses and giving him a sense of contentment like a strong painkiller. Fortunate as well that it did, as the process would have been painful and unpleasant at the best to live through otherwise. Those scars that might have caused aches or slightly impeded movement were knitted back to health, but otherwise the lines of hunts and victories etched onto the sharkman were left as they were. Ganmorrin was no duelist, nor a dancing on air bloodletter. He was a tool of precise and immense force and the signs of wear attested to challenges won and written into the survivor.  "Hmm...how does it feel?" Your now lieutenant spoke and paused, processing his now slightly more guttural and intimidating voice. He then turned and moved over to a reflective surface to take in his appearance. There was a serious look on his face, the changes you had made to him to match your image of an imposing aquatic warrior making his expressions easier for you to read. "It feels...strange. Not bad. I feel stronger, the world around me is more vivid, smells and sounds are clearer than before...I am more alive than I was. But...it is also strange. I have lived in my body for many years and now in a few moments it is more different than when I was newly hatched." Ganmorrin looked back at you and made a movement that seemed like a shrug. Your alterations did not appear to have had a drastic change if any on his body language. "In time I will grow accustomed to it. I only hope I will not scare my mate when she sees me!" He laughed but Rade could not be entirely sure that it was a joke. Rade's power and altered nature prevent him from feeling dysphoric, but it the greater you change another being or creature, the stronger they will experience it. Ganmorrin is very close to what he originally was so it is not an issue and will not cause future complications. Further alterations may change that in future depending on what they are. Mordin - The Path to Adventure! - Cogworld Result: 8 + 2 - Success Your undead magic sensed the dead below you, but also traces of their passing around you. Slight ribbons of virulent green energy snaked through the air, dozens of disparate and faint threads beginning to intertwine and become easier to see as they approached the entrance. There, in the side of the mesa you had descended from, you could see a cave entrance into which the threads formed a single bright trail to follow. Laura chose not to respond as the contract of her raising did not compel her to. This small and petty rebellion of silence was for now the most she could do to defy Mordin. Kyleth, the Beguiling - Florith Pendent Quarter Result: 11+ 4 - Great Success Kyleth's magic revealed the differences in this world to his own. In the temples you could see certain individuals, or rather the magical outlines of them, who had connections to the otherworldly deities of this realm. Some few of them had open channels, through which divinity flowed into them and then out into whatever spell or miracle they were performing. But most of those around with such connections had them lying sleeping and dormant. No doubt those channels would flow with divinity when they had need of it, but it seemed that aside from when they were called upon those beings worshipped here did not exert their will upon the world. No doubt beings with such power and an interest in intervening in this realm would do so more actively if it were possible which might lend some credence to the claims of the entity that had branded you. Kyleth also noticed another interesting thing, that some few people among the crowds and even fewer in the temples had another sort of connection, close to the divine but noticeably different. If one was to describe it by scent, they might have said that it was somewhat like that of the Creator. But most importantly there was a taste of ancient inky darkness to it and a slight twisting madness that tainted it. Perhaps the realms of the Creator were not as impenetrable as you one might think. Thinking on it Kyleth could not remember him claiming omnipotence, although his calm assurance suggested an unsaid statement. However Kyleth might have some proof now to doubt that the Creator was truly as almighty as he might have seemed. People are only in contact with the gods when they invoke their power, or presumably if the deity reaches out to them. But it does not seem that happens often. There are also some people with a connection to some sort of eldritch being of power that exists beyond this realm (the world the gods exist in is part of it) but your magic was not suited to get more information on it. Attempting to interact with it directly may draw attention, depending on how that goes may have permanent affects to your character. The Drosai - The Butterfly Door Result: 5 + 2 - Success The mines at first matched the Drosai's expectations as it skittered around quietly. Wooden beams built into supports to maintain the ceiling, hooks for lanterns to be hung to cast light, and cart tracks to move ore around easily. The ventilation was expected given its means of ingress but not common in the Drosai's experience. However stepping into some kind of storeroom suddenly something new and unexpected was found. Glass containers filled with a strange substance. Tasting the air and twitching its antennae, the Drosai could immediately tell the substance was caustic, probably some sort of acid. Was this how the inhabitants of this realm managed to make the stone and earth of the land easier to mine? Applying some kind of substance to it first which caused it to harden and become like regular stone? Before it could consider its hypothesis or the evidence around it further, the Drosai was alerted by the sounds of approaching footsteps. Although it could not pick out the number of people exactly, there were two voices in conversation that gave it a minimum count of heads. Even if the Drosai doesn't find the secret of this substance now, it will be able to recognize if something matches it if you find some later or attempt to make your own.
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Apr 18, 2021 14:41
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade admires his work as Ganmorrin examines himself. He can't help but smile at the improvements and the shark-man's self-description of what he was feeling. When he made his joke, Rade clasps Ganmorrin on the shoulder, "I wouldn't be to worried about that, and besides you'll be bringing her quite the gift." Closing his eyes he once again focuses his power on the shark-man. If Ganmorrin's new body was anything like his own it would require significantly more fuel to keep going than before, and lack of food was the very reason he was down here to help. So, where as before he had improved Ganmorrin's body generally, this time he focused solely on the man's digestive tract. He worked to make it as hyper-efficient as possible, able to extract every last nutrient from whatever the shark-man ate, so efficient that no waste at all would be left behind. Hopefully this would allow him to sustain himself on only a fraction of the food that a similar person would require. Flesh Shaper[+2] to try and improve Ganmorrin, this time aiming to make his digestive system super efficient so that he can get the same amount of energy from a fraction of the food.
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Apr 19, 2021 21:25
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Mordin - Black Mesa - Cogworld Mordin took her silence for what it was, confirmation that her action or inaction wouldn't hurt the party. He continued following the path. Let's see where this leads
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Apr 20, 2021 05:55
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - Florith Pendent Quarter Excellent. Legitimate connections to the divine, and the revelation of that new power, of darkness, of madness and most intriguingly of the creator right there, connected as well. Kyleth opted to leave the power of darkness and madness well enough alone, and turned his attention to the deity of knowledge. Patiently, whenever a connection went up between one of their faithful and that deity, Kyleth tagged on a message of his own up towards the divinity: 'I am not from your world. I have spoken with its creator. We need to talk.' Trying to communicate with the Deity of Knowledge, using Sorcery [+2] and Incarnate [+2] to add a rider to the channels of divine power that open up between that divinity and their faithful.
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Apr 20, 2021 21:14
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 6 + 2 - Success Your changes were effective although unlike before there was no visible change to Ganmorrin. "Is that a weird overdweller euphemism?" He asked clearly missing the intent in your comment with his concerns about his wife seeing him as a monster when they next met. Mordin - Cog Door, Mesa Undercaverns The tunnel led to a series of warrens and caverns which would easily confuse anyone who didn't have a glowing green path visible to them to follow. Your magics and your lich-nature allowed you to see in the dark clearly, but after a moment Laura swore and got out a lantern and lit it. With the light the caverns took on the same reddish orange colour as the mesa itself did but were no more interesting. There were no exotic plants, no strange creatures and fortunately no nests of insects to watch out for. You saw the signs of some kind of creatures that lived in the caves but they were presumably asleep now or avoiding you. Perhaps they had learned from past experience with other travelers... Eventually after a period of time that could have been a few minutes or half an hour you found some kind of a secret door, as the trail of essence continue through a section of the cave wall. It pooled around the face of the wall as well, indicating that people must have stopped here for a moment. As you began to examine it closely a slit opened up and a man spoke through. "Laura Hershbridge, never thought the likes of you would be joining us down 'ere. And who's your friend? Ain't seen or heard of some'n like him before." Kyleth, the Beguiling - Flower Door, Florith Pendent Quarter Result: 3 + 4 - Failure You sensed surprise and confusion from one mind in the connection, and irritation and dismissal from the other. We care not. Begone outsider, this is a private matter. There was the sense of a door being slammed in your face, combined with a slight pain as if a physical door had been slammed in your face. Then you felt the brand you had been given stirring, as the attention of the one who had given it to you shifted onto Kyleth. But for the moment there was no laughter and no comments from the other presence, just a curious and watchful eye.
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Apr 30, 2021 04:54
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade chuckles, "The gift of making sure your children never go hungry again. I think you'll find that I've already made that change to you along with the more obvious ones." He gestures in the direction of the village, such as it was, "Now, shall we go? Considering just how hard you were going after that priest, it sounds like my boon would be useful to them sooner rather than later." Heading the village w/ Ganmorrin.
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Apr 30, 2021 22:47
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