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You’re floating on the Black Sea, desperately clinging to a piece of flotsam. You are burned, broken, weak, and thirsty. You have no hope. You are waiting to die. You won’t. You can’t. There is a fire inside you, bright enough to pull on the winds of fate. It’s the oldest magic, and the strongest. 1. What passion protects you? A. Love B. Hate C. Write in Each breath is agony. Each wave an assault. Yet you endure, long past your limits. You endure, until fate finally deigns to send its rescue: a ship on the horizon. You see it and desperately cry out. This takes the last of your strength, and you succumb to darkness. You find yourself laying on your back shuddering on a deck, hearing snippet of conversation. “…throw it back…” “…already dead…” “…gift of the sea…” You focus on the most forceful voice. It’s high pitched and lisping, but has strength and authority behind it. “… Waste of time, not worth the food or the medicine. Mercy to slit the fish’s throat and give it back to Manu.” Is she talking about you? Killing you? But the Accords… Your eyes focus a flag high above you. Black as night. Well, gently caress. Pirates. With great effort, you turn your head to see your would-be murderer, just in time to catch a spray of spittle on your face. Your first sight is enormous, scarred calves. You slowly raise your eye-line and take in a huge, powerful woman rippling with muscles. Then you get to her face, and you’d recoil if you had the energy. It looks like someone took an axe to her, very literally. A huge scar goes from her right cheek to her left chin, leaving her mouth split and broken. As she speaks, small bursts of spit fly forward to emphasize every point.  “And anger the Goddess? It is an insult to return a gift, all know this,” this voice is deeper but quieter. Your defender is almost as large as the woman. He is covered head-to-toe in tattoos, it’s hard to tell what is skin and what is ink. He’s also dripping wet. He must have risked his life by jumping from the ship to fish you out.  “Bad luck, that!” You don’t catch the shout’s origin, but there’s a general murmur among the crew. Sailors are suspicious folk.  “Shut it!” The woman roars, “ain’t a loving democracy!” “So bring it to the captain!” the tattooed man retorts. The crowd murmurs again, though this time there’s more fear to it. “You want a go?” you see a flash of steel. Oh joy, they’re going to fight right on top of you! You’d like to watch, you really would, but everything is going black again… You jolt back to life a second later, to cackling laughter. You look around and see the giant woman and the tattooed man looking in fear up at the foretop. Laying on your back, you have an easier view of what inspired such terror. An old woman’s face, hanging precariously from the platform on the mast, framed by long, wild hair. She has eyes only for you, and she seems to find you hilarious.  “Let the fish speak,” she cackles. Speak? How? You can barely breathe. But then you feel another strange jolt of strength. Your throat feels less parched than it should, and you find you can slowly rise to a seated position. You should be dead, you know it. At the least, you should be too weak to still be conscious, much less defend yourself. And yet, you can. 2. What do you do? D. Beg the ugly giant for your life E. Thank the tattooed man for saving you F. Appeal to the superstitious crew to protect you G. Insist on seeing the captain H. Ask the cackling old woman to intervene I. Write in 3. What’s your name? Write-in 4. Age? J. Teenager K. Young adult L. Actual adult 5. Gender? M. Man N. Woman Welcome to The Spellbound Seas, a Swashbuckling CYOA. I’m loosely adapting the RPG Spellbound Kingdoms, though I’m changing a lot to make it work as a CYOA and I’ll be inventing most of the setting. A few mechanical notes: 1. So long as you maintain a strong enough inspiration, something you care about with incredible passion, you are immortal. You can still have a very bad time, but your agency cannot be taken away. Some people know this secret of magic, but for the moment your character does not. Your inspirations can also be used for mechanical advantages like re-rolls and maxing dice, I’ll do that automatically when you do something where it applies. 2. You have a mood resource. Mood can be spent to maximize rolls and is restored when you do things that make you happy. If you’re willing to spend mood on an action just put ! after the letter in your vote. You start with 0 mood, as you’ve had a very bad week. 3. We will be raffle voting, but I reserve the right to veto things that would result in a story I don’t want to write. I probably won’t do this at all, but I reserve the right if a write in is creepy or fun-ruining. 4. Big, dramatic, swashbuckling actions will usually pay off well. Character Sheet quote:Cassandra Andorai Notable Characters: Captain Theodore Iordanou - Captain of the Smiling Stranger claims to be the scion of a noble house. You've never heard of them, so either they're very minor or fictional. Claims he was educated at the National University of Suleiman. He was not, you know because you were educated there and you keep a list of Alumni. He advocates for sustainable piracy. Abigail Iordanou - Skilled witch. Claims she was once a beautiful lady who secretly used her powers to secure her husband's place in the New Anthen Court. They prospered for many years, until a curse backfired and took her beauty. She was imprisoned by her husband, who announced she'd died of the pox and took a new wife. When her grandson discovered the family secret, he broke her free and took to the sea. Her story sounds a lot like a fairy-tale, and she laughs inappropriately as she tells it. Betty aka "Backbreaker Betty" - First Mate & Bosun. Once captained her own ship, the Scourge. Won't share the tale of what happened to it. Will share the gruesome tale of the stupid woman who asked too many personal questions. Two Eyed Pim - Second Mate & Quartermaster. Says the Stranger and its original crew were his, before Abigail put a curse on him. If he betrays them his skin will melt off his flesh. That was a long time ago, and they're all friend now. It's water under the bridge. Definitely. Adul Alafa- Gunner - Spins a wild tale about being rescued from savages in the Wildlands. Makohanna - Cook - Has not shared his story. So far all of your questions have been about creating your character. You couldn't have really failed at anything. That's no longer true. I will be rolling for most actions and you can definitely fail. You can also succeed, and big, bold actions can come with big rewards. You have 2 mood (+1 for being apprenticed, +1 for reading a new forbidden text). Put a "!" with your letter vote to spend mood on that action. Mood will maximize your roll. You won't need to spend mood when an action is about gaining or protecting knowledge, those actions get -1 to difficulty, maxed, and exploded. You can fail, but you can't die or lose, so long as you never betray your love of knowledge. Mr. Prokosch fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Jul 18, 2020 |
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May 27, 2020 07:36
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A G "This decision is not yours to make! Let me speak to your captain!" Cassandra Andorai K N
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May 27, 2020 08:53
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Hate. I. Sing "A Pirate's Life for Me" as our voice cracks a billion times. Garrow Nup J M
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May 27, 2020 11:11
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jng2058 posted:A This
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May 27, 2020 13:48
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A E Tom sounds like a swashbuckler's name? L M
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May 27, 2020 13:56
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B E J M I'm really digging the Maori dude, he's got sick tats and saved our life, seems like a cool guy.
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May 27, 2020 18:33
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Curiousity D Armitage Ambergris J Non-binary
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May 27, 2020 19:28
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Madness Da Cap'n Ophelia Boucanier Teen Girl
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May 27, 2020 20:30
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B G L M
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May 28, 2020 01:51
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A - LoveMr. Prokosch posted:4. Big, dramatic, swashbuckling actions will usually pay off well. 2. Challenge the axe-woman to a contest of wits Errol Seaborn L M
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May 28, 2020 03:30
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1. C, Greed. Greed for money. Greed for the good things in life. Greed for life, period. I want more. I NEED more. I WILL HAVE MORE. 2. G. As the oaf said, this is not a democracy. I will speak to the captain. Now. 3. August 4. L 5. M
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May 28, 2020 04:27
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Spite. -Universe wants you dead? Sod it! People tell you not do something? Sod 'em! People trying to get in your way? You'll trample 'em just because! -You do what you want, because you want, and if the universe says otherwise it can choke on your old ships main-mast for all you care! -Ye would sunner leap off the mizzen mast blindfolded hands bound together into the briny sea, fingers hoisted up high all the way down than bend the knee! -Yer full of salt'n vinegar and aren't afraid to let it show! Insult the Giant -"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong-end of the hatchet this morning!" -"Were ye born like that or did ya get the scars hesitatin to kill the last fish some soul reeled from the sea?" -"Nah, p'rolly got'em thinkin yer granite heart was as good a whetstone as any!" "My name? It's 'Wrack-Boil' to ya, you sorry lot of used fishbones!" L: Actual Adult N: Woman Arcanuse fucked around with this message at 05:21 on May 28, 2020 |
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May 28, 2020 05:17
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Crazycryodude posted:B Agreed here
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May 28, 2020 05:58
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jng2058 posted:A You're well acquainted with death at this point, and the giant's blustering doesn't impress you much, you look her right in the eye: "This decision is not yours to make! Let me speak to your captain!" You hear a general murmur of agreement from the crew. The giant scowls, her face twisting ghoulishly, "you ain't worth losing his beauty sleep!" But you can see the old woman moving before you finish speaking, she darts with surprising speed to the cabin door and pounds, "wake up, lazy!" she screeches. The giant glowers at her but makes no move to stop it. After a beat, the captain emerges, yawning... Does he sleep in that?  The captain affectionately pats the old woman's hair as he stumbles, blurry eyed, towards you. He stops by the giant to peck her cheek, he has to stand on tip-toes and she has to hunch to manage it. He looks you over. You protest, "Your crew wanted to kill me! I'm more valuable alive. I'm skilled! I can work!" He cocks his head, "A gift of the sea? What luck, what luck... Open her mouth." The giant happily complies, seizing you roughly and forcing your mouth open. "Mmmm, impressive. Sometimes our recent troubles can obfuscate our potential. But the teeth, oh yes, they will tell a life story if you know how to read it." 1. What do your teeth say about you? A. All are present, though there is decay from sweets. You have lived a life of high luxury. B. Missing teeth have been skillfully replaced, cracks have been filled in with the latest medical science. You have lived a life of violence and privilege. C. Shockingly pristine. Your life has been peaceful and disciplined. D. Cracked and disgusting. You've scrambled in the gutter. E. Write in[/b] He backs away and gestures at the giant to let you go. "In my estimation, an investment in you will provide acceptable returns. If nothing else, we can sell you at a profit." The old woman chimes in, "There's a storm in her. I'll take her. But only if she's willing. My tricks aren't for slaves." The captain raises his eyebrows, "and so your value skyrockets! I am an indulgent grandson. Congratulations, you are a free woman. I hope your 20 seconds of indentured servitude were not too arduous. I must insist you pay for passage however, and you do not seem to have coin. Work in trade, then." "It must be a choice. A real choice," the old woman titters. The captain rolls his eyes, "A real choice, yes, of course. You may work as my attendant." You notice the giant's eyes narrow at that. Looks might not kill, but that sword she's gripping might. "Or, perhaps you are foolish enough to enjoy the simple, backbreaking labor of the deckhand? That is most certainly an option available to you. I would be most pleased, however, if you decided of your own free will to entwine your fate with my grandmother." 2. What do you do? F. Apprentice yourself to the strange old woman G. Become the captain's attendant H. Join the crew as a simple deckhand I. Write in You are a young adult, so you will have a fairly defined background, a set of skills, and inspirations before your experience sailing with pirates. We'll introduce them a bit at a time. We'll start with the most important bit, your defining inspiration. Love won, but we need to narrow it down. 3. What do you love with a terrifying passion? J. A person or group of specific people- Write in who (ex. My distant lover in the clutches of a cruel noble!) K. Something concrete - Write in what (Gold, beautiful glittering gold!) L. Something abstract - Write in what (Justice! Communism! Exploring!) Mr. Prokosch fucked around with this message at 21:09 on May 29, 2020 |
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May 29, 2020 19:43
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A F L for luxury
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May 29, 2020 20:00
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BFL-My country! Oh how I long to defend it from [list that contains basically everyone].
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May 29, 2020 20:02
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D F K Gold, beautiful glittering gold!
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May 29, 2020 20:13
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C F L - Knowledge! I will become the greatest scholar the world has ever known!
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May 29, 2020 20:24
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B F J- the twin teenagers I offered to work for me at the inn I owned after I caught them stealing from my larder. His hands were skilled at running a card game, house always winning eventually. She was good with a song and tending bar. I hope to pass the place on to them some day, got no family of my own after all
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May 29, 2020 20:32
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B F L- Knowledge
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May 29, 2020 20:47
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Toughy posted:B This
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May 29, 2020 20:49
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B F L- Exploration We may have hit some snags on the last expedition, but a convenient new exploration vessel has arrived
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May 29, 2020 20:57
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B F L - Knowledge! The forbiddener the better! Especially if it let's me do magic stuff. I'll sell my entire family to be able to move stuff with my mind.
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May 29, 2020 21:30
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Toughy posted:B B. Missing teeth have been skillfully replaced, cracks have been filled in with the latest medical science. You have lived a life of violence and privilege. F. Apprentice yourself to the strange old woman L. Something Abstract - Knowledge The Discovery lies in the depths of the Black Sea, and with it your chance to find ancient Anthenia and learn from the Dead Philosopher Kings. Yet, the world is full of opportunities if you keep your eyes open. You know a witch when you see one. The path to knowledge is fraught with danger, but you do not hesitate. “I would love to be your apprentice, Great Master!” you grin through the pain. Your mind floods with questions. But then you remember the almost-dead thing. With the danger past and the course set, darkness takes you again. You spend some time in convalescence. You vaguely remember being force-fed foul smelling liquids. Eventually, you are strong enough to spend more than a few seconds awake. The old woman peers curiously down at you. “I’m Abigail. Don’t call me Great Master. Puts the sailors on edge, and they already think about taking a dip in the Black Sea when I look at them.” Abigail putters around the small cabin. She doesn’t have much room to move about, as it’s overstuffed with two real cots, a luxury on a sailing vessel, and the walls are lined with enough curios (secured with nets and lines, this is the Black Sea after all) to impress a museum curator. Your eyes light on the case of leather bound books. You don’t recognize most of them! Those that you do know are very promising, Richard Albright’s Meditations on Thaumtulogical Energies carries a death sentence for ownership in 6 of the 7 Courts. You’ve read it, everyone whose anyone has. She talks while she fiddles with a primitive set of alchemical tools. “That’s your first lesson. Magic is scary. They’re scared of it. I’m scared of it. You’re not scared of it, I can see it in your heart, but you ought to be. Magic is not science, no matter what that fool Albright thinks. It will never submit to human reason. Someday you’ll try to excise a tumor and you’ll turn your daughter-in-law into a pig. If you can do it without magic, or just do nothing, you should. There’s a Storm in you. Raw power to sink a continent. If I was a good person, I wouldn’t teach you a thing.” She’s finished distilling a cup of black ooze. It smells like liquefied rat. She cackles as you force it down and makes her way to the book. “You’re too weak to really start, but we can build your foundations. Pick one of these. Only one. You can learn them all and more, someday, but if you don’t take the Arts one at a time they’ll melt your insides” she throws you three books, you try to catch them but your arms can still barely move and they end up slamming painfully on your chest. 1. Which do you read? A. A small well-worn, dog-eared book that reads “Storm Magic, a primer.” There are a lot of notes in the margins in a chicken-scratch scrawl B. An oversized, heavy tome with no title. Each page seems to be a reproduction of a stone tablet in Ancient Anthenian. The Ancient Anthenians were known for their powerful star-based divinations… Until that very magic destroyed their civilization. C. A loose bound set of sheets titled 2. You spent the first part of your young life as an action-scholar of some kind. What kind? D. A Monk of the Roja Order. You served the Shining Owl, the Living God of Knowledge, and swore a religious oath to seek lost knowledge for the Great Archives. E. A Rogue Alchemist. You trained under the Guild, until disputes over their hidebound practices led to your exile. You now seek to synthesize the fractured alchemical traditions into a new science. F. A Gentleman Explorer. Yes, you’re a lady, but the Gentleman Explorer’s Society didn’t change their name after they started letting ladies in. You inherited substantial wealth from a noble house but cared little for the luxuries that could afford or the petty politics of the Suleiman Court. Instead, you’ve spent it funding scientific expeditions to the far corners of the world. G. Write-In Mr. Prokosch fucked around with this message at 00:53 on May 31, 2020 |
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May 30, 2020 20:25
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B - We may not have to give up on finding Anthenia after all! F - This explains our self-confidence! jng2058 fucked around with this message at 21:08 on May 30, 2020 |
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May 30, 2020 20:39
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A seems like it's our teachers best subject with notes and such we can speed through it before moving on. F Toughy fucked around with this message at 21:13 on May 30, 2020 |
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May 30, 2020 20:59
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CE
malbogio fucked around with this message at 21:37 on May 30, 2020 |
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May 30, 2020 21:02
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Never mind.
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May 30, 2020 21:07
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A Get a handle on some well-understood fundamentals first. The tome is the real prize though. F Ah yes, Gentlemen Explorer. Dr Subterfuge fucked around with this message at 21:10 on May 30, 2020 |
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May 30, 2020 21:07
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I just realized I repeated ABC in the second question, which isn't the voting pattern I wanted. I'll know what you mean if you have a second set of ABCs, but I corrected the options.
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May 30, 2020 21:08
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B D
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May 30, 2020 21:26
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We gonna be magically swole AF
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May 30, 2020 21:29
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Minor request-when you quote the winning vote, if it’s just letters, could you put what the winning option is? It’d help me follow things.
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May 31, 2020 00:47
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Sure, I edited that in.
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May 31, 2020 00:53
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Dr Subterfuge posted:A Get a handle on some well-understood fundamentals first. The tome is the real prize though.
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May 31, 2020 01:19
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B D
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May 31, 2020 02:13
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B E
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May 31, 2020 02:46
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A. Gotta have the ominous lightning strike out of a clear sky when we switch out the local safe flag for the Jolly Roger. F. Never not be an aristocrat of some kind if you can help it.
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May 31, 2020 05:08
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Dr Subterfuge posted:A Get a handle on some well-understood fundamentals first. The tome is the real prize though.
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May 31, 2020 09:02
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Dr Subterfuge posted:A Get a handle on some well-understood fundamentals first. The tome is the real prize though. A - Storm Magic F - Gentleman Explorer You care very little for the hand-written book. It's incomplete, and you suspect that you teacher could just tell you whatever it contains. You lovingly caress a page of the largest book. You've seen a number of these tablets. Some Gentlemen Explorers maintain private collections, and the National Museum has the largest display in the world. Tablets like these, the only remaining evidence of Ancient Anthenia, can be found from Habash to Neko. You were a little girl running wild on your estate when the Roja Order announced they'd developed a complete translation key. The fervor was part of what inspired you to be a an explorer. It was very exciting until they discovered that most of the mysterious tablets described beer allocation. The ancient Anthenians were extremely concerned with the fair distribution of alcohol. Still, you studied the language to prepare for your expedition, and you doubt these tablets are about beer. It's too bad your language expert went down with the Discovery. Anthenian magic... The Inquisition would spare no expense to destroy such a legacy. You glance up to see your teacher watching you a bit too eagerly. You sigh and put it down. Lesson one, magic is scary. It’s untranslated, your Anthenian is far from perfect, and by all accounts their magic was particularly dangerous. Better to get a more solid grasp of the fundamentals before attempting something like that. You pick up the smaller, worn book. Your teacher grins and gives you the cabin. It only takes you a day to read it, you inhale the knowledge like a starving woman, worse than that, truly, because you are also starving yet you refuse to put it down. When Abigail checks on you she gets an endless barrage of questions until she finally she blows some kind of smoke in your face that makes you hungry and then sleepy. You continue like this for two weeks. You study the book and try to perform the training exercises it describes, and you ask a lot of questions. Abigail only answers a few at a time, and only after you’ve rested. Despite your growing theoretical knowledge, you can’t manage to make even the smallest spark. The only advice Abigail will give you on the matter is “sleep more.” Finally, she relents, “the book was written for Spellbound students. Right now, you know it here,” she pokes you in your temple “but not here,” she jabs at your heart. “You need to dig a channel between your soul and the world. I would’ve done that first, but your time as a barnacle left you too weak to survive the two methods I know. You’re not camping at death’s door anymore, but you still look more like jellyfish than woman to me. I’ll show you the path, but only when you can climb the crow’s nest, pump out the bilge, and wrestle Betty. Anything less and I might as well gut you now. By now you should be able to walk, so walk your rear end out of my cabin!” She makes a shooing gesture. You can hear her door locking behind you. You’ve healed faster than you thought possible under her care, but you are still weaker than you’ve ever been. Where do you spend your time recovering, now that you’re temporarily unwelcome in Abigail’s cabin? A. You make yourself useful, and get some much needed exercise, by doing odd jobs for the crew. B. The captain offered to make you his attendant, take him up on it temporarily. C. Seek out the tattooed man who rescued you and help him with whatever he does D. You quickly learn that Betty is the charming woman who wanted to slit your throat. If Abigail is serious you’ll need to wrestle her. Maybe you should get to know her better? E. You exercise alone, listen to the sea, and think. F. You refuse to wait. Pound on the door and demand that she initiate you NOW! G. Write in.
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May 31, 2020 23:06
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