Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST


Your first memory is of fire. It burns against your skin. The smoke wraps around you, a terrible, dark chocking thing.

You are but a child. You reach out, trying to scream, trying to cry, but the smoke, the heat, they overwhelm you.

You lie there, feeling only a tightly coiled fear, as the timbers around you creak and fall, the heat grows more and more intense, and there is only one certainty... you are going to die.

Then you awake, panting, you are no longer a child, but that memory, the day your family died, the day you almost died, surviving by some miracle you cannot remember, still clings to you, like a parasite on your subconscious.

You look around, you're in familiar surroundings, you take a deep breath and remind yourself that...

A.) Master Cador saved you. A traveler staying in the tavern, he somehow survived the searing blaze that consumed the village and managed to rescue you from the pile of timbers that would have surely become your tomb. You spent a couple years with him on the road, before you two settled down to live in a cave near the tiny village of Briarthorn. In that time you learned something Cador urged you to keep secret... Master Cador is not just a skilled metalsmith and hunter, he's a mage! And in recent years, he's begun to instruct you in the fundamentals of magic. Why you live in such a remote part of the world, or what he was doing in your village, the man has never explained.

B.) The Witch, Morrigan adopted you, she claims she found you floating down the river, burnt, barely clinging to a smoldering timber. How exactly you got to the river remains a mystery to you, but she healed you, and has made no secret of her mystical skills. She lives in her hut, distant from the nearest village of Daggerfist, but close enough that those desiring her poultices and charms will still visit. As soon as you were healed enough, she begun to "make you useful", and in the years living with her you have learned many things about herbalism, laylines and crafting charms. Its unclear if she expects you to replace her one day, but for now she seems content to impart upon you her ancient brand of knowledge.

C.) Sejin Amir lies nearby, a traveling merchant from a distant land. When he arrived at your village, he scoured the ruins for survivors, finding you, inches from death. Through his mystical arts he managed to save you from death, and in the time since you have traveled with him. He comes from a strange land, and travels the world, selling precious goods, and when the coin is scarce, selling his services as a monster hunter. He has many mystical abilities, which he claims are granted to him by the Dijin. Since you have been his student, he has trained you in the common arts of haggling and combat, and has just recently begun to teach you how to tap into your inner mystical strength.


What is your gender?


D.) Male
E.) Female



WELCOME TO THE GAME!


Welcome to Sword and Sorcery, a Chose Your Own Adventure style game. The format of the game is simple. I will lay out the scenario and offer options to proceed with. You can always propose an alternate path to pick. The most popular choice will be picked. Type as much as you like, but please indicate your vote by bolding your choice like this.

One way this game is different from other Chose Your Own Adventure game is that your adventure is to a degree, a freeform adventure. You chose your path through the world. The world can and will change around you based upon your actions and you will not have a predetermined story to run through. Your path and ultimate fate are not planned. Today, the day we started the game, I honestly have no idea where we may be a month from now, let alone how it might one day end. It is all up to you.

You do not have plot armor. Bad decisions can get you killed or wreak horrible consequences which you did not intend.

(welcome statement shamelessly stolen from Paradise Lost)

TheCog fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Dec 14, 2017

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
I will close voting and subsequently update tomorrow in the evening.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
Voting is closed. Tallying votes, but I think the C's have it

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
You are Clarissa, and you were 9 when your village burned down. Your father was a cobbler, and you were the youngest of three. You still remember them clearly, and in your dreams you can still see their faces. You don't remember much of the night of that terrible fire, and the Sejin who has de-facto adopted you refuses to speak on it.

Your body, like your mind, carries the scars of that night, your arms, above the elbow, and all over your back, bear terrible marks.



You have been traveling with Sejin Amir for three years now, and have visited many strange places. The Sejin often travels as part of a caravan, or with his own wagon, and when that is not the case, and your feet tire from long walks, he carries you. He is a quiet man, often not speaking for hours, but he has not abandoned you in any of the towns along the way, which by itself is a kindness, and your stomach never hurts with hunger, as it had once or twice when you lived in the village. Perhaps you are not aware, but your life is a strange one. Often, on the road, the Sejin will talk you though what he is doing, or tell you stories, of an ancient land known as Ube, and the great city of Ubar, with its thousand doors, and of the adventurers that lived within.

Which were your favorite stories?


A.) The stories of princess and kings, and mighty empires, of how they ruled from glistening towers of glass, and were powerful and wise, and respected by all. Of their quick wit and vast intellect that let them met out justice, and outwit those who would harm their people. The most prominent of these in the stories, is of course Adonijah, who raised the glass towers of Ubar, and swayed the Dijin to his side.

B.) Stories of heroes and adventurers! I loved hearing of the tales of Ekram and Fadi, the mighty warriors of the dune, and their exploits and adventures. Like the time they saved Almodobar from being destroyed by the Amphisbaena, a monstrous two headed dragon that swallowed entired villages! I wanted to be *just like* these incredible adventurers

C.) I liked hearing about the Magi. These were a mysterious group, that knew of a terrible future that was coming. They were all women, and they all worked in secret, unlike the kings and adventurers they were never the main characters of the stories, but they were always there, giving advice to heroes, warning kings of danger, and in a few stories, fighting off terrifying beasts and armies with webs of golden sunlight and storms of sand!

D.) I liked hearing about the common people. Farmers, and craftsmen and potters, and their regular lives. Strangely the Sejin had no scarcity of stories of the regular lives of people. They were not always happy, they were not always sad, but because I enjoyed them the Sejin didn't mind telling them to me.

E.) I preferred it when the Sejin sang. It wasn't often, almost only when i woke up screaming from a nightmare, and it was never in the common tongue, but more than anything i enjoyed the soothing melodies and strange syllables that almost seemed to rock me to sleep.

F.) Stories are stupid! I liked it much better when I could run off and do things!



In your travels you have seen many exotic things, and met many odd people. For your first year, it seemed like you just traveled from town to town, and the Sejin would exchange small boxes for coin, sometimes he'd load his wagon with things and drop them off at the next village. You learned that wherever you went, the Sejin had friends, who would at least offer a warm bed for the night. When you were in these places, the Sejin made you keep close, a rule he didn't enforce nearly as much on the road itself. Then, one night, you overheard the Sejin speaking with a man. Between hushed whispers and the rustling of cloth, you made out "You are in great danger".

After that, you did not stop at any more villages. You traveled north, into the bitter cold, and for the first time in your life you saw snow.



You skirted then, across the icy river, The Ossuary, a place full of giant bones. The Sejin told you stories then, of the Giants that had once dwelled there, and their war with the Great Dragons, in a time long before even the Sejin had been born. He spoke too, of the great dangers that lived in the Ossuary, of how the Giants, knowing their death was approaching, had hidden all their valuables, deep deep beneath the earth, and crafted servants of iron to watch over them.

Crossing the Ossuary, almost a year after the night you hurriedly set off, you arrived in the flat, snowy land of Tormond Vale. There, once again, you begun to travel among villages and towns. But here the Sejin did not trade little boxes, or carry sacks from town to town, instead, he would leave you in town, with one of his "friends", and return a day or a week later, carrying a sack, which he would turn in in exchange for gold. When you asked him what he was doing, he'd simply say "hunting". That is, until you asked one of his friends where the Sejin was. The man explained, seeming to relish your ignorance, that the Sejin was hunting a Manticore. A fearsome monster, half lion, half scorpion, stronger than ten men and who's barbs are as venomous as its tail.

When you confronted the Sejin in tears, he reassured you that he was in no danger, and that when you were older, you could come too. That week he begun to train you. Not the things he had taught you before, like the names of towns and rivers, or how to get a merchant to give you a better deal by telling him about how valuable your goods are, or how to keep an eye out for danger when the fire dies down in the wilderness, but how to fight, how to hold a staff, and parry a blow. Its also then when the Sejin showed what is in the book he always carries with him, a massive tome of golden pages... each page a depiction of a fearsome monster and a page describing how to fight it.

Your evening story time became lessons on reading, as the Sejin pulled a seeming infinite amount of scrolls from his bag.

A year l later, you find yourself, along with the Sejin, traveling down the winding road, in the backroads. Its been a long day, and you are tired, the sky is gray and threatning snow, and the path here is lightly wooded. Sunset is still a few hours away, and you know that in about an hour you'll have to set camp. You're immersed in thought, when the Sejin raises a fist, a sign you've both agreed means "Stop and be quiet", and you freeze. Following the Sejin's gaze, you see, among the trees, a horrific thing. Half spider, half man, if you can call the upper half a "man". It stands taller than two horses, and in its eyes lock with the Sejin, there's a pause, for a fraction of a second, before the beast lets out a savage scream, and begins charging, straight at you. You:



G.) Pass out in terror

H.) Stand in frozen terror, completely mute

I.) Call upon my ancient and powerful magics to hex the spider

J.) Call upon the power within me to invoke a firestorm


K.) Let out a horrified scream and run the opposite direction

L.) I actually have a deathwish, I charge towards the spider with my walking staff. It will crush me, and i will die.

M.) Fall to the ground and cover my eyes

N.) Write in

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
Also Sejin question time is open over the three years you've known him

Also question time for me, because 3 years is a long time to try to cover in a post. Obviously you can't ask any questions that are out of scope.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Magnusth posted:

What language are you singing in?
"It is Eurbaa, the tongue of my homeland. In time, you could learn it too, if you wish", he smiles, the same strange smile he wears whenever he's immersed in telling you one of his stories, as if the question pleases him.

Magnusth posted:

Where did you learn those songs?
"My old traveling companion, a long time ago, was fond of these songs. I remember they used to bring me peace, so I sing them for you Sundar."

Magnusth posted:

Did your mother teach you? What was she like?
"My mother taught me many things, but she did not teach me to sing. She taught me of the shifting sands, and how to best find your way by the stars, she taught me how to take a blow without stumbling, and how to make good deals, she was..." the Sejin hesitates here for a second, as if thinking of the best way of phrasing this, "she was not a soft woman, but she loved me, and I loved her, and when our time together came at an end, I felt a great grief."

Magnusth posted:

If someone cheats me in a deal, what should i do?
"It depends" he ponders his next words carefully. "If it causes you no harm, and you will not see the man again, then perhaps it is best to let the serpent rest. However, if word will carry that you are a fool and can be deceived, then you must make it right, if the man refuses to make it right, then whatever justice exists must be invoked." he thinks further for a second, "If justice fails, then you must become justice. When your life relies on being paid, you cannot afford to be seen as a fool."

Magnusth posted:

How did you get so strong?
"The same way you are getting strong. One day at the time, I get up, I walk, I train, and most of all, I keep my ears open and listen to everyone around me"

Cannon_Fodder posted:

"What does your name mean?"

"It means king, or ruler." he smiles as if to some private joke.

Cannon_Fodder posted:

How long have you been traveling?
"Many more years than you have been alive."

Cannon_Fodder posted:

Who taught you where to go and what to do?
"I go where the winds take me, and where I think there will be money to be made. We have to eat after all! I had the fortune of spending a long time traveling with much wiser traveling companions than myself, so when I need to figure out what to do, I try to think of what they would have done"

Cannon_Fodder posted:

What the gently caress is that goddamn animal?
You can't ask this right now.

Cannon_Fodder posted:

Why don't we poop?
You don't ask this, because you do poop, often in holes in the ground that either you or the Sejin have to dig and cover up.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 15:48 on Jan 4, 2018

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Task Manager posted:

Ask what was in the boxes he used to trade for coin.
"It varied, sometimes it was goods people wanted delivered with secrecy, where they would feel better if i could not lay eyes upon them. Other times they were rare items I'd gathered or collected over the years for which a buyer had finally emerged, where the buyer feared others would covet the item or hate them if they were to lay eyes upon it. The people of these northern lands have less need for exotic trinkets, and more of a need for my other talents."

Task Manager posted:

Ask why we've gone north, it's so cold! Can we return to where it's warmer soon?

"Things were getting dangerous to the south, and as unpleasant as you might find the cold, you would have found the trip to the east by sea far more unpleasant, I promise. We still have business here, but when that is concluded, I expect we'll travel southwest... Unless we decide to travel to the glaciers first."

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Prince of Space posted:

^^ Quoting a question I edited into an earlier post, just in case it was missed.

I did miss it!

Prince of Space posted:

Question: What is YOUR favorite story, Sejin?

"The Kidnapping of the Moon" a story he has told you a few times. It talks about a time when Awar, the King of Gehenna, The Kingdom Below, the Land of Demons, commanded his Marids, the most powerful of his servants, to steal the moon from the sky. Indeed, they do so, beguiling the King of Ubar despite the warnings of the Magi to wage war against the moon, so that the sun could reign for ten thousand years. The Marids sequestered the moon to the Kingdom Below, until Abbad, the son of a farmer, who's livelihood was being destroyed by the perpetual day, traveled and begged the king to restore the moon, and with it the night. But the king had been poisoned by the Marids, and he would not listen. So Abbad traveled to the Gate Below the Brass City, to gain access to the Land Below, on the way he met Dijin and Spirits, some helpful, some troublesome, and learned many mystical things. Eventually, Abbad forced open the gate itself and fought his way to the Land Below, tricking the Marids one by one, or using powers gained on his trip to defeat them, until he encountered Awar himself. Awar was mighty, but Abbad's resolve would not break, and after three weeks of fighting non-stop, they agreed to a truce, enforced by a magical oath. Abbad however broke the truce, and freed the moon, which escaped, tearing a hole through the Land Below, but having broken the truce, Abbad was chained to the lowest point in the Lands Below, the Eternal Chasm, and condemned to have scorpions devour his flesh as it grew back, faster than it could be consumed.

The people of the land, hearing of his plight, all sobbed at the loss of their hero, the man who had saved them from the tyranny of a nightless eternity, and those tears filled the hole formed by the moon forming the Lake of Tears.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Dec 6, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

B.B. Rodriguez posted:

Are there maps? Do we have one? Where is all this stuff?
"There are, but we don't need one. I have traveled these paths before"

B.B. Rodriguez posted:

Where are your people from? Why are you not with them?
"They are from a land, far far to the south and across the ocean. As to why I am no longer with them, that is a story for another time, when you are older. Suffice it to say they are not as they once were, although one day we may yet travel there"

B.B. Rodriguez posted:

Who burned me and why?
"I do not know. I found you, and I rescued you, and it is best not to dwell on a past we cannot change." his face is ashen at this question, and its clear its not a line of questioning he finds pleasant.

B.B. Rodriguez posted:

Where did you get your golden book of monsters? Why do you have it?
"It was a gift, from my mother's father, after... after I proved myself to him, it has been the quest of her line to make this book as complete as it can be, as I travel, and I learn, I fill in anything new I discover. I have it, because I was the last person who could have it."

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Jackard posted:

Have you met a Magi?

"Yes, once, a long time ago. I have met many wise and powerful women, but only one who claimed to be a Magi"

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

There Bias Two posted:

Why do you call me Sundar? What does it mean?

"Its a type of flower that only grows in places with little water and lots of wind. Its quite pretty. I use it as a sign of affection."


Faerunner posted:

What is your favorite place in the world?

"Anywhere where you are of course" he says with a small smile. When you press him for his favorite *place*, he replies: "There is a garden, in a city far away from here, that holds the greatest collection of flowers I have ever seen. Flowers that did not belong in that climate, kept alive through great care. I think nothing I have seen has filled me with as much awe as seeing the fruits of the labor of hundred of people working together to preserve life and create beauty. I spent many an evening in those gardens, sitting next to a fountain, breathing in the scents of ten thousand flowers in bloom" he has a faraway look in his eyes, like he's enraptured by some memory.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Magnusth posted:

When will the nightmares stop?

The Sejin seems troubled by the question, but nonetheless he replies "In time, all wounds heal, you went through a terrible thing, it will take time for those wounds to heal. But heal they will."

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Slaan posted:

Are any of the monsters in your book tameable? Could we ride them like horses or have them take our belongings like mules?

"Some, I'm sure, the sand-wurms are monstrous and terrible foes for example, but some have tried to tame them with mixed results. This book is more concerned with how to slay them. Most if not all the beasts here can only be tamed in exceptional circumstances, and only at great risk to the one taming them, and only if the individual beast is suitable. These are creatures that are threats to people. They are creatures who, if they ever settle too close to a village will result in death, without exception." He spends almost an hour then paging through the book with you, pointing at beasts he thinks might be possible to get under control, giant scorpions, a strange half horse covered in scales and with six sets of eyes, a tentacled beast that crawls along the ground, seemingly made entirely of peusopods.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Slightly Lions posted:

Did you know my parents?
"I did not"

Slightly Lions posted:

Why were you visiting my village?
"It was on my way, I was delivering a trinket to the next village over"


Slightly Lions posted:

What's the fearsomest thing you've ever fought?

The Sejin opens the golden book, and turns pages, until he comes upon an image



"An Abyss Dweller, in the shadow of the Brass City. I spent weeks recovering after the fact." He rolls up his sleeve, revealing a curious spiral scar that runs under his shirt. "This is a reminder of that fight."

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Magnusth posted:

What's the Brass City?

"It is... was, the crowning jewel of the achievements of the Great Wizards of Sylthous, a towering city of bronze, nested in the mountains" grief flashes across his features for an instant, "It no longer exists." He takes a deep steadying breath. "Some things are best left in the past. Of the Brass City, of Sylthous, I will not speak. I'm sorry Sundar"

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Prince of Space posted:

Question: Where is the Lake of Tears?

"Its far far to the south, near my homeland, but further north. There's a city perched on the edge of it. The water is so salty that a man can just float on it, without needing to swim."

Prince of Space posted:

Question: Which one is my favorite of the Marids?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Marids are servants of Awar the King of Gehenna, the greatest of all the Demons, and by and large when they show up in a story its as a baddie. The exact count of them is never resolved, but they come in all shapes and sizes, from beguiling shapeshifters, to storms of fire the size of cities. In these stories, the Marids *never* win.

Magnusth posted:

Say: "It's okay!" and hug him.

You share a tender moment with the Sejin. If you had supernatural narrative abilities you'd even notice he tears up a little. But since you're just an eleven year old, you don't.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Prince of Space posted:

Of course - the Marids are never the good guys. Allow me to rephrase:

Question: In "The Kidnapping of the Moon," which of the Marid encounters have I requested to hear the most times?
Ah, well, that's open to debate, I certainly wouldn't pick for you.

Minivote:

My Favorite Marid challenge in the Kidnapping of the Moon is:

1.) Abbad and the Marid of Many Faces. Abbad beats the Marid of Many Faces in a contest of riddles. Depending on how rushed the Sejin is this part can take a while, as new and interesting riddles show up. It always ends with the traditional riddle, "What is hotter than the blazing sun, more deadly than the bite of the sandsnake, crueler than man, worse than death, and more swift than the Dijin?" the answer, if of course, "Nothing"

2.) Abbad and the Great Serpent. Abbad fighs a Marid who's flesh keeps mending itself back together no matter how many times it is torn apart and which spits poisonous venom that can slay any mortal instantly. Abbad eventually defeats it by stabbing it with one of its own fangs, pinning it to the wall, where its regenerating flesh keeps it pinned.

3.) Abbad and the Endless Staircase. Seeing Abbad is making too much progress, one of the Marids, Ismat ad-Din (who shows up in other stories, always as a trickster demon of illusions), enchants the stairs so that they seem to go on forever. Fortunately one of the spirits Abbad befriended had given him the power to discern reality from lies, and he manages to find the hidden door and escape.

4.) Abbad and the Demons of His Mind. One of the Marids poisons the water Abbad has to swim through to progress. As he swims, he sees terrible visions of how his people need him, and his village being destroyed because he's not there. Abbad realizes he has a greater duty, and pushes through.

5.) Abbad and the Wheel of Destruction. The Wheel of Destruction is a Marid that takes the shape of wheels within wheels, and is made entirely of bronze. Abbad battles the Wheel, and is forced to use his whole array of mystical powers, including the ability to use the wind to move from place to place, and the ability to summon lightning from his hands.

6.) Abbad and the Prophecy: Abbad runs into Nabiin, the only Marid to ever show up as not completely evil. Nabiin warns Abbad that if he continues, he will never leave this realm and return to the surface,but that if he leaves now he'll live to a ripe old age and sire many children. Abbad has a long debate with himself, in which he recalls the suffering he has seen in the surface world, before deciding to push on.

7.) Abbad and the Treasure Chamber: Desperate to stop him, one of the Marids guides Abbad to the treasure chamber. Abbad finds himself in the biggest chamber he has ever seen, filled wall to wall with incredible treasures. The path forward is barred by a wall of gnashing teeth that will consume him. He learns, using his mystical powers, that he can only leave this chamber carrying one item. He further narrows it down to six items, but there his magic fails him. Each item gives a single clue, and Abbad must figure out which one to use to get past the wall of teeth. This is a traditional logic puzzle, and the Sejin often changes it up on you on retelling. It also features Abbad imagining all the good he could do with each of the items if he took them instead of recovering the moon.

8.) Actually my favorite part is when he battles Awar for three weeks and eventually sacrifices everything to save the moon!

EDIT: These are the Marid challenges that always show up in the story, depending on the Sejin's mood, there are others.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Dec 6, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Slaan posted:

Can we get a doggy?
"I do not think a dog would do well with the pace we're traveling at and some of the places we will go. For right now, no."

Magnusth posted:

Has the Sejin every shown any religious tendencies or done any religious rituals? have anyone else in the villages we've traveled through?

The Sejin enjoys quiet meditation in the morning, while it is still dark, but you have not seen him do anything else you would consider to be of religious significance. He has some tattoos, but as far as you know those are not religious.

There are plenty of cults and religions you've been exposed to. Most of the villages to the south had small temples and shrines, to Eos, god of the Sun, and to Zeme godess of harvests. Other smaller shrines to saints and deities, too many to number. You have seen priests and religious festivals, although you have never attended one directly.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

JosephWongKS posted:

Are any of the monsters in your book edible? Could we make a career out of hunting and cooking monsters and selling monster meals to discerning gourmets?

"Some. Some are poisonous, others would not taste very good. I suspect you'd struggle to find a decent clientele, and that you might not be able to carry your creations very far without them spoiling. Could you try though? Certainly" the Sejin seems... bemused by this question


Blasphemaster posted:

How do you fight such horrible monsters?

"Carefully" he grins, as if he's the funniest person on earth, when you press him for a more detailed answer: "It depends. You pit your strength against their weakness, you're not going to be faster, stronger and smarter than every enemy, so you study them, find what their weakness is, and then strike at it. It is very rare that you want to take a monster head on, its an easy way to get killed"


Blasphemaster posted:

What is your favorite way to hunt?
"I prefer hunting where my prey doesn't see me coming and doesn't have time to react before things are over"

Blasphemaster posted:

Do you ever hunt bad people too?
"I try very hard not to hurt people. There have been times when I have had to become justice, because there was no other path, but I do not like it, and I do not do so lightly. Certainly never for coin."

Blasphemaster posted:

How old are you?
"Old. Old enough" no matter how you phrase the question you can't seem to get a number out of him.

Blasphemaster posted:

Where do you learn how to violence at bad things?
"Violence can be learned anywhere, the world tends towards it. I learned it from people much wiser than me, that taught me how to use my strength responsibly. Learning how to fight? You can do that anywhere. Learning how to fight responsibly, now that is the journey of a lifetime. Violence is not a tool to be used lightly, it can be the most sublime moment for a person or the basest degradation, depending on the cause they uphold."

Blasphemaster posted:

Can I have a pony?
"I'm afraid a pony wouldn't do very well in the winters up here, and we'd have to carry grain to feed it. When we go further south, if you still want a pony, we can talk"

Blasphemaster posted:

Can the pony be made of Fire?
"I don't think I've ever seen a merchant selling a pony made of fire." the Sejin seems very amused by this question.

Blasphemaster posted:

What made you decide to take care of me when you found me?
"You were hurt, there is a duty to people, to help them when they need it and no one else can. Once you were better, you were simply much too sweet to leave behind, Sundar" annoyingly he pinches your cheek as he says this last part.

Blasphemaster posted:

What's your favorite food?
"You know Sundar, I haven't given it that much thought. I suppose the best meal is a warm meal after a day of hard travel"

Blasphemaster posted:

Where are we going?
"Right now we're checking on a few things, then we're going to meet up with an old friend of mine, depending on what he tells me, we'll figure out where were going from there"


Blasphemaster posted:

Why is it so cold here but warm back where I'm from?
"The weather gets colder the further north you go, and if you go south enough, it gets warmer for a while, but then it starts to get colder. This part is actually colder that it should be, because the Ossuary makes things north of it colder."

Blasphemaster posted:

Where do monsters come from?

"Many many places. Some are the spawn of other bigger monsters. Some dwell in the deep recesses of the earth. Others come through from other worlds, where the Veil is thinner. Yet others are the results of humans doing things they shouldn't, or the remains of ancient civilizations"

Voting for everything but the mini-vote is closed

CH wins in a landslide

TheCog fucked around with this message at 21:28 on Dec 6, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
Death is coming for you, and you freeze. Time seems to slow down as you take in all the details of your impending doom. The crimson, glowing eyes, the fanged teeth bared in a horrifying grimace, the sounds of the beast stampeding forward, its massive, monstrous arms raised, ready to grab and tear. Your heart beats fast. You are unable to move a muscle, to utter a word. This is it. In a second, maybe two, the beast will be to you. You are not looking at the Sejin, you are looking at your impending doom, but you hear him shout something, and there's a small flash of blue to your right.



Something has hit you on the side. Hard. As you fly through the air, surprised that you don't feel a tremendous pain in your side, you see the Sejin, putting his leg down, and assuming a stance as the beast comes upon him. Did he... kick you out of the way? For a second your thoughts are interrupted as you smash into a tree



As you hit it, it caves backwards, branches flying everywhere as the trunk of the tree smashes into bits. It hurts, but it hurts a lot less than it has any right to. The monster has the Sejin by the arm. There's a loud *snap*, as the horror sends the Sejin *flying*, his arm looks... bad, its bleeding, and you can clearly see bone sitcking out from several places as it hangs at an unnatural angle. You can't make out his face from here, but he must be grimacing in pain as he flies through the air. He's going to smash into a tree. Fast. You have the certainty that he won't survive. You see his left arm, the unbroken one, tracing lines in the air, they leave behind a faint green glow, and then the Sejin smashes into the tree... but he doesn't smash, so much as bounce off it, like a rubber ball thrown against a wall. The tree itself shatters into a million splinters as the Sejin almost flies away from it. At a dizzying speed, faster than you would ever expect, you see the scimitar he always carries strapped to his back emerge from its sheath, drawn one handed. It is big. Bigger than it has any right to be given the size of its sheath, but you don't have time to dwell on this, as the Sejin somehow, with miraculous precision, dodges the grasping claws of the beast and lands on its back, an impact that causes its many jointed legs to buckle.

The blade swings in a lethal arc, a decapitating blow, but the beast is faster, it raises an arm, a chitinous, armored claw... there is an audible, mushy fleshy sound as the scimitar cuts clean through the arm, sending it flying, a spray of purple blood. The Sejin, in a blur of motion, draws back his blade, and PLUNGES it into the beasts chest. It lets out a terrible scream, as its chest EXPLODES outward, covering the ground in purple ichor. The monster stumbles for a second... and then falls.

The Sejin pulls his blade out of the beast's chest, and look towards you, his right arm, a mangled, bleeding mess hanging to his side. "STAY THERE" he shouts, as he turns north. You hear it then, coming from the trees, up the hill, a skittering, scuttling noise. More monsters? The sound is getting louder by the instant, they'll be upon you and the Sejin momentarily. You:


A.) Heed the Sejin's advice. Stay exactly where you are. Partially because this impact *should* have broken your legs, and you're not sure you want to test if they work.

B.) Stand up. Recover my staff, or find a big branch or something, and stand here looking as menacing as possible while trying not to quiver like a leaf.

C.) Run to the Sejin. He's hurt! He needs my help!

D.) Run to the Sejin. Whatever is about to happen, he can protect me!

E.) Curl up into a ball and weep. I am just a child, and this has been an orgy of terror and violence, and its only going to get worse.

F.) Write in.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Dec 6, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
You choose to remain where you are, as the Sejin turns north, where the skittering sound of dozens of legs is rapidly approaching. Maybe half a second later, you see the source of the sound



Three giant... beetles? They're massive, armored things, shorter than the spider monster the Sejin just eviscerated, but longer too. Their chitinous black exoskeleton looks harder than any armor you've ever seen, and their legs are covered in spikes. Their eyes glow a deep dark red, as they focus on the Sejin with insectile precision. Most of all, they're fast. Its taken them maybe a second to make it half way down the hill, they'll be upon the Sejin in another few seconds at most. You're too far away to hear what exactly the Sejin is saying, but from what noise the wind carries it sounds like he's... singing? He's planted the scimitar in the ground in front of him, and his free hand is tracing symbols in the air once again.

The Sejin is... floating. He's half an inch off the ground, and you can feel static electricity crackle in the air around you. The Sejin is glowing. A faint blue glow as electricity arcs across the air, wrapping his good arm in a current of lightning that coils around him like a snake. He lifts his hand, and points at the leading scarab.



A bolt of lightning shoots from his hand, arcing through the air. It hurts your eyes, and the leading scarab's head explodes in a shower of gore. Its legs keep propelling it forward for a second, before it stumbles, flipping head over heel and comes to a rolling stop. With lightning, comes thunder, and you hear it, almost at the same time the scarabs head is exploding, a loud *crack*, you reflexively clap your hands over your ears. The Sejin did not stop to appreciate his handiwork, as the first bolt was in the air, he was already turning to face the leftmost scarab, sending another arc of lightning directly at the beast. This one didn't impact in its head, instead hitting right where the head joined with armored carapace.

It hit like a hammer hitting a walnut, a giant jagged crack running through the chitinous exoskeleton, as the massive scarab cracked open, its innards covering the ground as it comes to a screeching halt. Even through your covered ears you can hear the second peal of thunder. The Sejin has already taken aim at the third scarab, now only feet away from him. The bolt arcs through the air, hitting the scarab on the upper part of its armored plate... and arcing off, leaving a scorch mark on the chitin, but not much else.

You are not sure what happens next. Your eyes hurt from the lightning. The beetle is about to ram into the Sejin at full speed, its grasping forward arms reaching for him as he lays a hand on his blade, drawing a quick symbol in the air, that flashes with a strange, dimly red light. The Sejin arcs the blade forward, taking a step in an impossibly foolish move. There is no way his strength can be greater than that of the charging beetle. But as he steps, you can feel a rush of wind, as if the Sejin were the center of a storm. The wind buffets you back, you are blinded, when you blink, and look again, the Sejin is still standing, still holding that pose, blade held forward, stepped towards the charging beast... but the beast is no longer there, instead, to either side of the Sejin there are two halves of the scarab, its green guts and ichor covering the ground around the Sejin.

The Sejin whips the blood off his blade, and sheathes it, before turning, and *running* towards you. With one arm he picks you up, bringing you close to his chest. He smells of sweat, and blood, and of sulfur. "Are you ok Sundar?" he half speaks, half whispers, holding you tighter than you think he has ever held you before.

What do you do/say?(write in, I'll add as options)

A.
B.

Magnusth posted:

Nod, break down crying, hug him, and don't let go.

C.

There Bias Two posted:

Why'd you shove me? I had that one!

D.

JosephWongKS posted:

"I'm hungry. Are those things tasty? Can we cook and eat them?"

E.

Blasphemaster posted:

OH GODS YOUR ARM! *barf*

TheCog fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Dec 7, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
"Are you?" you manage to ask, even as the Sejin holds you so tightly it almost takes your breath away. He nods, and after a second loosens his grip and puts you down, in the ruins of the tree you just smashed. You look at his arm. He doesn't *look* ok, from all the blood gushing out of it. In fact it may be the single most horrific thing you've seen this close. It makes you a little queasy. "Oh, that" the Sejin says, following your gaze. "Don't let it trouble you Sundar, I've had worse" he smiles at you, still clearly concerned. "I'm going to fix it now. It may be a little strange to look at, but I promise, I am fine." He pulls, from between the folds of his clothes a leather strap, and a small glass bottle. He pauses, hesitates for a second.

"It would be very helpful to me Sundar, if you held my hand for this next bit. I understand its not pleasant. I'm sorry." he says gesturing at the hand at the end of his rather mangled arm. It is soaked in blood, and rather unpleasant to look at

You (are on the honor system, read no further before you decide how you are going to vote)


A.) Hold his hand
B.) Ew. Don't.




Regardless of if you hold his cold limp fingers in your hand, the Sejin takes a long sniff from the bottle, and then utters a short incantation, drawing in the air, in faint red lines. He slides the leather strap between his teeth and bites down, hard. His left hand glows a faint, pulsing red, and in one decisive motion, he grabs hold of his mangled arm. You see him bite down harder into the leather as the wound seems to... bubble, in a disturbing way. You can see bone starting to retract back into the wound, muscles and flesh rippling aside to let the fragments sink deeper into the arm. They slowly, ever so slowly inch into position. You can see the Sejin's face, contorted in an expression of agony.

Then the ligaments and tendons. You can clearly see them. Slithering like snakes. Wrapping around bone. Snapping into place with harsh, clicking noises, as the cracks in the bone seem to meld together. You look away. You see the Sejin, his face screwed in a mix of concentration and agony.

Next comes the muscle, it shudders and stretches, curtains of flesh being drawn over frames of bone. It crawls, like a slow moving tide, or an army of ants, until it seems there is no more place for the muscle to crawl. Beads of sweat cover the Sejin's face. Your stomach feels queasy.

Finally, agonizingly, the skin. The quickest part. It grows, covering the muscle, blooming like flowers in spring, covering the red with the brownish tone you're used to seeing. The fingers, at the end of the Sejin's hand twitch, and if you're holding his hand, you can feel that the warmth has fully returned to them, as he flexes them.


"Sundar, I am sorry. I know that was not... the most pleasant thing you've ever seen." As he says this he does not stop moving, quickly sequestering the small bottle and the leather strap back in the folds of his clothes. "But there is no time. These are just sentries. There is a whole nest, just beyond. If I stop, if I give them time, they will hide their queen, strengthen their defenses, and then it will be very difficult to burn them out. If we just let them be, then they will devour their way out of this valley, until someone sends and army to stop them. I have to stop them." he pauses for breath, and seems to ponder for an instant. "What I am going to do is leave you here. With an" he pauses again, as if searching for an explanation "with a really old friend of mine. She'll watch over you. I can't bring you. Protecting you and killing the queen would overextend me. Is that ok Sundar?" he asks, looking at you with a stern sincerity. It seems he actually wants your opinion.

2.)

C.) Yes. Of course. Feel free to write in why you're ok with this.

D.) Yes. You're lying and intend to sneak off after him. You want to see him defeat the bugs.

E.) No. You want to go where he goes. Not stay here with some stranger. Where's he even getting his friend from anyway? Is he hiding her in his bag?

F.) No. You want to go to a town, and go sleep in a warm bed, and not have the Sejin go and risk dying.

G.) No. You want to come so you can help him kill bugs.

H.) Write in.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Dec 8, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
Your emotions are a conflicted swirl. On one hand you trust the Sejin, and know he'll come back. On the other, you are scared, and he's going to go away and leave you with a stranger instead of bringing you along. Oh and you're trying very hard not to cry. You manage to sneak out a question: "Can... can we hide somewhere where we can watch you squash the bugs?" you ask. The Sejin shakes his head "I'm afraid not Sundar, my friend is powerful but I don't want you anywhere you could get hurt." You just manage to nod. Ok. You'll wait here.

The Sejin reaches in his bag and rummages around, pulling out a pendant, made entirely of a strange green stone you've never seen before. It looks like a snake, wrapped into a cross shape, biting its own tail. The Sejin touches it, and it begins to glow, brightly. He puts it around your neck.



"This is a magical charm" he explains, "if it stops glowing for a long time, take my friend, and head south. Don't stop at the first village you run into, press on until you get to Andorhall, and show this pendant to the Headsman there. Tell him what happened. He'll know what to do."

He then takes a bag of gold coins out, and places it next to you. "Not that I expect the pendant will stop glowing, but if it does, this should help you make it south.". At this point, you're confused. It seems like the Sejin is delaying just so he doesn't have to leave you behind? Or maybe he's afraid of introducing you to his friend? You don't know, but its making you nervous.

The Sejin pulls another strange object from his bag.



It looks like a small glass... obelisk? You've seen an obelisk before, on the edge of the Ossuary. The one you saw was near twenty feet tall and made of black stone, not the size of your clenched fist and made of glass. You can see what looks like water, rippling and swirling inside. The Sejin, in a practiced motion, draws his dagger, and nicks himself on the thumb, letting a drop of blood fall on the glass obelisk.

It shimmers, and ripples, and the Sejin sets it down next to the tree. A translucent shape forms around the top of the obelisk. It looks like a woman, composed wholey of mist. She speaks, in soft tones, that remind you of the gurgling of a stream.

"Why hello Amir, how nice of you to come calling", she says, with a playful smile. The Sejin replies, but not in a language you know. It sounds like... ice cracking, and water burbling, and its very strange. They go back and forth in the strange tongue, for what seems like a small eternity, but in reality is only a minute, maybe two. Then, the Sejin, with a grim expression, slowly drips seven more drops into the Obelisk, which turns faintly red... and then clear again, as the woman made of mist seems to solidify, bit by bit, until she's standing in front of the obelisk, a woman, made entirely of water



The Sejin looks over at you, and as if this were not a weird event out of a fairy tale, makes introductions, "This is my friend, Sundar, her name is Nomia, and we have traveled together for a long time." he pauses, and continues. "Nomia, this is Clarissa my..." he pauses, "my ward, I'm watching over her. You would do me a great favor by protecting her while I go deal with this inconvenience. Please, wait here for me." The Sejin punctuates his sentence with a small bow. He makes sure you're ok one more time, hugs you, and then he's off, bounding up the hill at full speed.



Nomia is friendly, and happy to answer your questions. When you're not asking her questions, she offers to tell you a story, to help pass the time. Do you want Nomia to tell you a story?


1.)
G.) Yes, a story about the Sejin
H.) Yes, a story about Nomia
I.) Yes, a story from Nomia's people
J.) No, I want her to do something else (fill in)
K.) No, I'm brooding


Time passes. What feels like a lot. Occasionally, the light in the pendant flickers, but at no point does it go out. Still, its been what feels like hours and hours. The sun has even set. You:


2.)
A.) Go look for the Sejin! Bring Nomia along!

B.) Sneak away to look for the Sejin!

C.) Demand Nomia take you to the Sejin!

D.) Tell Nomia you're going to go look for the Sejin. She can come if she wants.

E.) Wait here. Patiently. The Sejin will be back shortly, surely.

F.) Something else. Write in.


Question time with Nomia is open

Prince of Space posted:

Question: What would you give me in return for a drop of my blood?

"A drop of blood isn't really a drop of blood. It represents... an energy within. For you, young as you are? It would rob you of a year of life or more. It wouldn't buy you much, but I could perhaps, heal those scars of yours. It would be difficult, but it would be doable. Or maybe you're after something a bit more... practical? A charm to bring you luck? A talisman to allow you to breathe water for a time?" she pauses... "but the Sejin, he would be furious, so if we do this, it must be our secret, yes?"

Vote:

L.) I'd like to trade a drop of blood, a year of my life for a good luck charm
M.) For a talisman of water breathing
N.) For a weapon of some kind
O.) For my scars being healed
P.) For... something else, suggest what and I'll let you know if its possible
Q.) No thanks.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Dec 9, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
Modified some of the voting options. Sorry about that!

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

B.B. Rodriguez posted:

So our name is Clarissa?

TheCog posted:

You are Clarissa, and you were 9 when your village burned down.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Crazycryodude posted:

What are you?
"I'm a Naiad. A river spirit."

Crazycryodude posted:

Where are you from?
"A river very very far from here. Across the Ocean, near Sylthous, but not quite there. It was an idyllic little place." she lets out a small giggle that reminds you the pittering of raindrops


Crazycryodude posted:

Do you live in that obelisk? How do you fit in there?

"I do. The obelisk is not as small on the inside as it is on the outside. Its very nice in there, actually. Cozy. Although, I will admit, a tad boring. I spend a lot of my time sleeping. Or singing"


Crazycryodude posted:

"Are you magical?"
"Can I do magic? Yes. Am I made of magic? No. Although I suppose if you wanted a definitive answer you would have to ask a wizard, or a Sejin"

Crazycryodude posted:

How did you meet the Sejin? How long have you known him?
"I'm not sure that's a story for right now. It might frighten you. I wasn't always this nice" she lets out another gurgling giggle, like she's just said something *terribly* amusing.


Crazycryodude posted:

What language were you speaking? Can you teach me to speak it?
"Revma, rivertongue, waterspeak, it goes by a few names. Its the language of flowing water. I'm not sure I could, I was born just... speaking it, and I don't know how the Sejin learned it."


Crazycryodude posted:

Can you teach me how to do any magic?

"I could try! I've never taught a mortal magic, I'm not sure how you humans draw mana, but I could try to show you the feelings I guess?" she seems a little puzzled by the thought, as if its something she'd never really given thought to.

Crazycryodude posted:

What's the Seijin fighting right now? Is he going to be ok?
"You know, I'm not actually sure what those things are." she says, curling her face in disgust at the bisected scarab. "The Sejin will be fine though, he's a pesky little survivor, and I don't think there's a monster on this world that could put him down before he's good and ready" she smiles at you, as she says this, her voice mirthful and full of confidence.


Crazycryodude posted:

What does the word "Sejin" mean? What does your name mean?
"Sejin means.... Sejin, I don't think it has a translation. Its what the Sejin is, traveler, troublemaker, wizard, warrior, scholar." she titters. Again.

"My name is just the name of the river where I was born. Or rather, the original name of the river, not what the mortals who came after named it."

Faerunner posted:

Nomia, tell me a story about your family.

"Family is a... strange concept to me, Naiad's don't really have parents, and I didn't get any siblings when I was born. So I guess I don't really have one, unless all the water spirits count as my big weird family?"

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Chatrapati posted:

Why do you keep laughing? This is scary!
"I'm sorry child, but that is simply who I am. I'm not scared, and you shouldn't be either." she gives you a small smile... stifling a giggle?

Chatrapati posted:

Are you and the Sejin friends?
"We are. Or I like to think so at least. We've gone through a lot of things together"

Chatrapati posted:

Why did he bow to you?
"Why do people do anything?" she giggle again. "I assume as a sign of respect and or gratitude. He's very polite when he wants to be."

Chatrapati posted:

Why did he cut himself? Did you want his blood?
"Essence transference." she pauses, as if puzzling out something. "The obelisk, my house, doesn't require much energy to keep things in, it takes some energy to let me out, with that drop of blood the Sejin was letting enough of me out to talk. The rest of the drops were my price. Being away from a river takes a lot out of me, so the Sejin generously gave me enough to be out, and a little more." she pauses, and adds "with a little convincing, of course" and she giggles again.

Chatrapati posted:

Are you bad?
"It depends on how you define bad" she says with a sly wink.

Chatrapati posted:

Why have I never met you before?
"You have actually. You probably don't remember, you were pretty feverish and burnt at the time. The Sejin is, at best, mediocre at biokinesis. I'm a much better healer. Not to brag. So I helped him out. You're welcome by the way. "

Chatrapati posted:

Were you hiding in the little obelisk?

"Not hiding as much as living. Being away from a river is exhausting, so I need my little obelisk most of the time."


Dr Subterfuge posted:

What would you do if something tried to attack us?
"I would call the rush of water, and the killing frost. Summon the currents and weave the song of destruction" she says, in a sing songy voice, as if she isn't taking the question very seriously.

Dr Subterfuge posted:

How long have you been traveling with the Sejin?
"Since before he had that silly beard, when he was still young and less dour" she giggles. Again.


Dr Subterfuge posted:

Why did the Sejin drop his blood into the obelisk?
Answered above

Dr Subterfuge posted:

What does it look like inside the obelisk?
"Its very different from here. Its like being deep in a warm river, being gently swayed by a current."

Dr Subterfuge posted:

Can I touch you?
"Sure" she giggles as you touch her hand, she feels warm to the touch, warmer than human skin, but its also kind of wet, but firm enough that its not like submerging your hand in a lake.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Prince of Space posted:

Question: What would happen if the obelisk were to break - would you return to your birthplace?

Question: What would you give me in return for a drop of my blood?

"I would die" she says this matter of factly. "Well, unless you broke it in a river, in which case I'd be fine, but the Geas upon me would break, so I'm not sure I'd be the same as I am now."

Prince of Space posted:

Question: What would you give me in return for a drop of my blood?

"A drop of blood isn't really a drop of blood. It represents... an energy within. For you, young as you are? It would rob you of a year of life or more. It wouldn't buy you much, but I could perhaps, heal those scars of yours. It would be difficult, but it would be doable. Or maybe you're after something a bit more... practical? A charm to bring you luck? A talisman to allow you to breathe water for a time?" she pauses... "but the Sejin, he would be furious, so if we do this, it must be our secret, yes?"

Vote:

L.) I'd like to trade a drop of blood, a year of my life for a good luck charm
M.) For a talisman of water breathing
N.) For a weapon of some kind
O.) For my scars being healed
P.) For... something else, suggest what and I'll let you know if its possible
Q.) No thanks.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Prince of Space posted:

A drop of my blood to ensure the Sejin's safe return. Without him we are lost.

"I can't do that... or rather, I could, but he'd know it was me. He'd know a bargain was struck, and I can't risk his wrath. Sorry child. But I'm sure the Sejin is fine, he's survived worse than a few bugs." she looks as disappointed as you feel.

Dr Subterfuge posted:

How much life was in those drops of blood from the Sejin?

"Roughly a month each. So eight months in total"

TheCog fucked around with this message at 04:06 on Dec 10, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

JosephWongKS posted:

I'm hungry. Can you make a tasty meal for me?

"I'm afraid I don't know how to cook. I don't really... eat" she lets out a burbling giggle, like its some form of punctuation.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Jesus is colourblin posted:

Have you ever met one of the magi?

"I don't think I have. If the Sejin's tales are true though, they're a boring bunch. Although maybe I have? I've met a few boring people."

Slaan posted:

Can you make me some really, really, really tasty water?

"Sure" she says with another giggle, she cups her hands, and they fill with water. The water starts clear, but she concentrates, and it turns into a foul smelling brackish thing, tinted a disturbing brown-red color. You smell it, and it smells like swamp water. Feeling especially brave, you try it. It *tastes* like swamp water, and you hurriedly spit it out. The taste of rot lingers in your mouth for the next few hours.

Magnusth posted:

What's your favorite joke?
"A man is taking a boat along a river, when he sees what he thinks is a constricted wave, but as he approaches, it looks more and more like an eddyline... when he gets to it, he realizes its a Jiao!" She laughs, and her laughter reminds you of nothing more than water rushing down a stream.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Magnusth posted:

What's mana?

"Mana is the fundamental unit of magic?" she half says, half asks, as if fearing a trick question. Seeing you befuddled, she adds "Magical energy can come from a variety of sources, but at its core, all magic is created by consuming magical energy, which is called mana."

SniperWoreConverse posted:

Ask her if she could live in a raincloud, imo

"Now that's an idea" she giggles, as if you said something funny. "No, I don't think so. Only rivers really, not even a lake or pond. Certainly not the ocean."

UppaTree posted:

What's a geas? How would breaking it..Change you?

"A geas is..." she screws her face in concentration, as if trying to solve a difficult problem "a type of spell, that alters the behavior of a being, usually by imposing a task or forbidding a behavior" she smiles again, as if terribly satisfied with herself. "I'm not sure how it *would* change me, only that it would. I probably wouldn't be as nice anymore" she giggles.

JosephWongKS posted:

What would happen if I drank you instead of water created by you? How much of you could I drink in exchange for a drop of my blood?

She lets out a long peal of laughter at this suggestion. "You can't drink me. Not that I wouldn't let you, its just... I'm not really made of water,." she giggles again

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
Doing both of these because no one really opposed and they seem harmless. Generally speaking we're playing under the rule that you need to get some support for non-question actions.

the_steve posted:

Also thank her for helping us before and now.
"Of course child. Its not like I did it for free!" she lets out a little titter.

There Bias Two posted:

Please sing a song

She sings a song for you, it reminds you of softly flowing water and waves lapping against the side of a boat. Its nice. You feel sleepy... but then the song ends.

Voting is closed. IEQ wins. Working on the update.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Dec 11, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST
You decide not to give Nomia a drop of blood in exchange for anything. A year of your life is a lot to sacrifice for a minor boon. Plus you don't know how the Sejin would react if he were to find out, but you know it wouldn't be good, for you or Nomia. Instead you ask Nomia to tell you a story of her people. You were tempted to ask her to tell you a story about the Sejin, but you can always ask the Sejin, and this might be your only chance to ever talk to a real life Naiad.

"Tell me a story of your people?" you ask, politely, and Nomia smiles, lets out another giggle, and says "Of course child. I heard this story from a bird, who heard it from a sea spirit, who heard it from a Naiad far away." she takes a deep breath, and the giggling laughing figure melts away to a serious, serene face. Her voice deepens, and the world shrinks as she speaks, the trees, the hill, everything vanishes, as you sink into the waves of her words. "In the ancient times, before men learned Magick, and before the Forests of Illia were no more, when the Spirits ran wild, and the Covenant was unbroken, there lived a Naiad. Her name was Dryope, and she dwelled in the river, deep in the forest"



You can hear the forest rustle around you, and smell the tropical flowers. "Dryope, was not just a Naiad, she was a daughter of the moon. She shimmered and glowed with the white moonlight that gave her form. She lived in the river, and the birds and the trees were her sole company... until a tribe of humans moved nearby, sheltered by the high cliffs they set their wagons down, and plowed the land, settling what would one day become a city. But for now they were but a handful, weak, isolated, alone in a wilderness that rejected them. Dryope watched them with care, for in those days the Covenant demanded but one thing of the spirits of water: they must remain hidden from man, on the terrible pain of Exoria"

Exoria... that word sends shivers down your spine.



"She watched them struggle, and their fight to live. There was one woman, especially, whom the spirit often saw. Aishe. An orphan among her people. She had a hard life, and many a night would end with her crying by the side of the river, or explaining her woes to the seemingly uncaring waters. But Dryope heard. Dryope heard all. She was fascinated by the strange tan skinned woman, so alien to her, and her pallid lunar radiance. When Aishe looked in the water, to straighten her hair, or to wash her tears, Dryope studied her from beneath the waters, and she ached on her behalf. For you see, once, long ago, Dryope had had sisters, and she had not been all alone. One by one her sisters had given in to the call of the ocean, and one by one they had abandoned the forest river that was her home. Bithynia, Mysia, Arethusa, all gone forever. But Dryope could not make herself abandon the river that had nurtured and loved her, from which she could see the moon that birthed her. So she remained, and when Aishe hurt, she hurt, when Aishe rejoiced, so did Dryope, like twins from different mothers."



You can feel your heart ache with loneliness, and feel the moon play over your skin as you hear the sobs of Aishe. "So Dryope toyed with disaster. When Aishe hungered, the river would provide food. When others scorned her, they would suffer the lash of misfortune. Slowly Aishe's life turned for the better... until one day, Dryope found her, by the river again, sobbing as she never had again. All for a man. You see, the man would not have her. He was tall and tan and strong, and were he to wed Aishe, she would have nothing but joy. Or so she thought. Dryope burned with a need to do something. Anything, but also with a new feeling... jealousy. If Aishe married this man she would never need the river again... Dryope would be alone forever."



The pang of jealousy in your heart is enough to almost bring tears of frustration to your eyes. Unfair. How... unfair. Alone... again. Forever. "But every night, for weeks Aishe returned to the river, crying, begging for anything to change. Dryope could take it no more. So she hatched a plan. A plan born of jealousy and sadness and love. She took the greatest risk, toeing the edge of the Covenant, risking not just destruction, eradication, Exoria" you feel a shiver of fear.

"Dryope spoke to Aishe, and she spoke such" Nomia's voice turns soft and smooth, "'Aishe, I am the moon, and I have watched over you, all this time. I have seen you struggle and suffer, rejoice and live, and I will grant your wish, but I demand a price.' so spoke Dryope, and Aishe, amazed and paralyzed with surprise, looked to the moon and listened to the spirit speak, unseen. "I will give you your man, but in exchange, I want the first child you bear. You will bring him to the river, and he will be mine" the spirit spoke, and Aishe, trembling, kneeled before the moon... "If I have my man, I'll hardly want the child! Take the child, give me the man!" and she sealed the covenant, putting a drop of her blood in the river. "



The power of the covenant thrums in the air. Its the type of deal that upsets fate and turns the dagger of destiny... but the dagger of destiny is sharp, and vengeful

"Dryope was as good as her word. She wove a spell of will and fortune, and within the month, Aishe and her man were married. As Dryope predicted, Aishe no longer came to the river, and Dryope consoled herself, thinking of the child that would soon keep her company. Her very own child. Soon Aishe's womb swelled with child... Dryope was overjoyed, soon, soon her perpetual loneliness would end."

Nomia's face is serious now, serenity turned into solemnity. "So the child was born. But the pact that had led to his birth had changed him. Instead of tan, he was pale, a son of the moon. Seeing the child, the man looked at Aishe, and demanded, demanded to know which of the pale demons of the forest had fathered the bastard, the half human monstrosity that he had been foisted with. In his rage, he dragged her to the river, and drowned her in the waters, as Dryope watched... helpless, terrified, sick with guilt for what her pact had wrought. Then, the man grabbed the child, and cast it into the waters, to join its mother. Dryope would have none of this."



You feel it, the deep anger, burning in your chest, a sickening type of rage. You hear it, the river roaring in your ears, as you bring down your vengeance. "Dryope swept away the man, drowning him in the waters where he had murdered her friend, breaking his body against the trees, sating her anger on his blood. Then she gently, tenderly carried the child down the river, where she would raise him as her own... Elatha the Moonchild."

There silence hangs in the air as the story ends... you feel as if no time at all has passed, or perhaps an eternity has, the feeling is a little akin to waking from a dream.

"I hope you liked it" Nomia giggles, her demeanor fading from serious to the jovial oddly bubbly personality of before.



You decided to wait, passing the time asking Nomia questions. Occasionally, the necklace flickers, but Nomia assures you its nothing to worry about. "Discharge interfering. Only worry if it goes out for a while"

It is night now. Late. You are tired. Sleepy. Worried.

But then you see it. Running down the hill. As fast as his legs will carry him! Its the Sejin! You jump to your feet! You run towards each other and he picks you up in a massive embrace. "I'm sorry Sundar, but its over now, I promise. You must have many questions. We will make camp, and rest, and I will answer what I can" and indeed you do have many questions. The Sejin approaches the obelisk, bows to Nomia, and thanks her for her help. He invites you to say goodbye to her, for now. She gives you a hug. "I look forward to hearing all about your adventures with the Sejin when I see you next" she giggles at you. The Sejin clutches the obelisk, speaking words in his strange tongue, Nomia fades into mist, and slowly seems to be sucked in by the obelisk. She waves as she fades into the mist.

You make camp, and fall into a deep sleep, comforted by the presence of the Sejin. The next day, the Sejin lets you ask questions to your hearts content... and then makes you an offer. "You Sundar, have the Gift. If you wish, you could learn magic. You could, one day, master all the skills I know, and perhaps others. If you want, I will teach you. But if I am to teach you, you must swear to me, swear on everything you love, and everything you will love, that you will not let *anyone* know of your magic without my say so, and that if any learn of your gift, that you will tell me, so that I can silence them. Magic comes with great responsibility, of which you will learn as you grow older, but this is the first oath you must swear." he looks dead serious. More serious even than when you walked up on the giant spider beast.

You:


A.) Swear that you'll keep your magic secret
B.) Don't agree. You don't want to learn magic.
C.) You agree, but you're lying. Surely you can get away with this.


Question time with the Sejin is open. Question time with Nomia remains open till next update. Voting on the minvote is closed, 1.) won.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Dec 12, 2017

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Magnusth posted:

What's the covenant?

"The Covenant was the deal between the First Spirits to maintain the balance of the world. Or so legend says. They agreed to follow certain rules, so that all spirits could live in harmony with the rest of the universe. But spirits being spirits and mortals being mortals, it was destined to fail." she lets out a small titter, as if the idea of rules being followed was positively ridiculous

Magnusth posted:

What's exoria?

"Unmaking. Utter eradication. The cessation of existence. When a spirit ceases to be, its essence returns to the world, and rejoins the cycle. Exoria breaks this cycle. It takes the essence of a spirit, and simply erases it. Its said that the First Spirits could invoke Exoria, and its threat was what gave them such authority." She does not smile. She does not laugh.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

the_steve posted:

Why did her sisters decide to go to the ocean?

"The story doesn't say. Some Naiads heed the call of the ocean, and leave their rivers and join it. The ocean can be very alluring, but once a Naiad joins the ocean, she is forever changed. I liked my river too much to abandon it for the ocean, but I heard the call." she giggles, as if the idea of leaving the river were truly preposterous.

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

100 HOGS AGREE posted:

Sejin, did you really give up eight months of your life to let Nomia out of the obelisk (ask after she goes back in).

"A little less than that actually Sundar " he says, noticing your apparent worry "about six months, I think. But..." he hesitates, apparently struggling with something "I'm a little more long lived than most men. The why is a tale that I'm forbidden from sharing. If all goes as planned though, one day you'll understand why. "

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

JosephWongKS posted:

"If you can't share the why, are you allowed to share how you acquired such longevity?"

"Clever" he ruffles your hair "But no Sundar. The whole tale, I'm afraid, must remain a mystery. But one day, you might walk the same roads I did. If you do, you'll understand"

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

TheCog
Jul 30, 2012

I AM ZEPA AND I CLAIM THESE LANDS BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST

Dr Subterfuge posted:

Are there many stories about Elatha the Moonchild?
"Many! I know..." she counts on her fingers, muttering to herself "at least seven!" she lets out a giggle.

Dr Subterfuge posted:

Ask him what he thinks about Nomia's story. Has he heard it? Has he heard of Elatha the Moonchild?
"Yes, the story is usually called the Birth of Elatha. Or 'Child of the Moon'. It is one of Nomia's favorites. Its a sad story, but I think there's a lot to learn from it" he doesn't elaborate on what the lessons he thinks should be taken from the story are. Perhaps he wants you to think about them yourself?

"As for Elatha, there are many stories about him. Stories say he was the first elementalists. But not all stories agree on that point. He was a hero in some stories. More of an elemental force in others. I quite like Elatha and the Silver Calf myself. If you like, I can share that story once we're on the road again... although Nomia tells it much better than I do."

Dr Subterfuge posted:

Do all sprits require that kind of blood payment?
"No." he thinks for a second, then with a slight smile "If I train you in magic, we will undoubtedly cover spirits, payments, and essence transference, but no, Nomia and her obelisk are a special case"

Dr Subterfuge posted:

What is a Geas?
"In the simplest of terms, a Geas is a spell that forces or prohibits a behavior. It is complex magic, and often is symbolic, that is bound to an object or specific site. Geas are advanced magic, but something you could learn about in due time Sundar."

Dr Subterfuge posted:

What was Nomia like before he captured(?) her?
"I'm not sure captured is the right term." the Sejin says, frowning slightly, "I would rather not say, I fear it would tarnish your perception of her, if I did not share the full story, and the full story is not suited for one as young as you" he says, "I'm afraid it doesn't necessarily paint me in the best light either" he adds with a bit of a cheeky smile. "Ask me again after your first solo hunt, and I'll share the story."

Dr Subterfuge posted:

How did he learn to speak her language?

"I know many languages. In my youth I loved the different tongues, and the elemental tongues especially were a joy to learn. I'm afraid my brain now is too old to learn new languages well, but I still delight in hearing them, in all their mystery" he smiles a bit at this, a fond memory perhaps?

Magnusth posted:

What's the gift and why do i have it?

"Some people are born skilled at metalwork, or music, or speaking to crowds. You were born with a natural inclination for magic. Its visible in the way you look at the world, much like one can see the agility of one born to be a great runner. Most people can learn magic, I can tell you'll be good at it. You have the natural hunger for knowledge, and the eyes for it. We call that the Gift. You will struggle far less to learn magic than someone without the Gift would. "

There Bias Two posted:

Why must my gift be a secret? What would others do if they knew?

"Because I say so" the Sejin says firmly. You make a face at him. "Not everywhere, not everyone, but there are those who seek magic and those who practice it, to twist them to their own purpose. If others know, they may seek to kidnap you, slay you out of fear, or use you in ways harmful to you. Once you are fully trained, you may be as reckless as you wish, but while I teach you, we will practice discretion. Its a matter of safety" he says quite seriously, and you can tell that for him, this is an important matter.

TheCog fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Dec 11, 2017

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply