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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves, Away from Town Torran talked about people in the village. There was a lot of older people who were afraid that they would waste away due to the meagre food stocks left to the village, but many of them had grown up in the shadow of their own elders who had witnessed the original conflict with the Monarchs. They had internalised a sense that the old would need to sacrifice for the young so that the new generations could survive. Now that Rade had upended this, they were resentful about the thought that they would suffer and their children would fail their own children. As a teenager Torran didn't really have a lot of insights as to what might help with this inherited trauma, but Rade could reason that if the elders felt capable of providing and taking care for the next generation that even if the current generation of adults died in a meaningless war that their legacy would live on. Then there was a small group that had internalised a lot of the suffering and decided that they deserved it, and that the Monarchs were a just punishment for what they saw as their peoples continued sins. They would be harder to work with unless Rade could find a way to replace himself as their object of faith. His attempt at using his powers to adjust someone's mind had some alarming results, but maybe it had been a freak occurrence? Or maybe there was a way to make them believe him capable of a miracle or being the embodiment of some divine providence. Torran's father was definitely included in the latter group. The Drosai - The Butterfly Door, Woodland Clearing Luck Roll: Neutral - Boosted to Fortunate The wolf nodded. "As you wish, I take no offence that you seek your own path. My search for the Subtle Morph continues. If you find a trace of it, I would be indebted to you if you were to inform me of it. It communicated and then it retreated into the shadows. After a few moments the Drosai could no longer follow it. Was it gone or merely too well hidden to perceive? The two people the Drosai sent to the meeting did not accept Hunter's offer in the end, although they did agree to swear an oath of secrecy about it. The Drosai could tell there was a powerful binding magic in the oath, but since it already knew the information there was no harm in it as the oath did not bind the Drosai. The Drosai's newly hired workers had gathered for work the next day. Some of them had brought tools, others had not. It would need to decide what they would do and organise the appropriate equipment and provisions. Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Fein's Pavilion Result: 10 + 4 - Good Success Kyleth was able to use the words of Gornik to hide his own subtle manipulation of Merina's thoughts. The magic would be had to detect unless one knew exactly what to look for, and because it was using the words and arguments of a friend in large the magic would fade soon as well. No one would know of your involvement. "Maybe you're right, Ghornik." Merina reluctantly admitted, to which her companion huffed in triumphant affirmation. "Of course I'm right!" "One issue would be Holarien. He's not a bad person, and I don't think he'd treat me badly, but he sees me more as a trophy than a person..." The elven woman thought aloud. "He looks at you like I look at a raw steak you mean." Ghornik replied sarcastically. "Ghornik!" Merina gasped in mostly mock shock. "Well...I can't say you're wrong..." The conversation continued on further about the son of the lord she would be marrying. Listening in Kyleth got the impression that the lordling was very interested in the marriage as he found Merina attractive, but would be unlikely to pay her any real attention or affection in a marriage.
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Oct 10, 2021 10:33
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 Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves, Away from Town Rade contemplated the information he received. It would appear he had his work cut out for him. As for Torran, they would return together, but he informed his new son about the story he would be expected to share if asked. Namely, that as he was heading for the capital, he had been attacked by Bandits. It was only due to Rade's intervention that he survived. Rade also instructed him that if asked about the attack he was to inform the questioner that Rade cut down the bandits like it was nothing. Rade was also careful to tell him that if it seemed he was in danger he was to return to Rade, even if it meant he would no longer be able to act as a spy. Heading back to the village. Instructing Torran to lie and say he was set upon by bandits which were killed by Rade.
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Oct 11, 2021 23:36
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade's plans for his return to the town were immediately shattered when he reached it. Ganmorrin came to find you straight away, and explained that Torran's father, the village elder, had suddenly been possessed a short time ago. Displaying before unseen and unsettling powers, he had announced that he had been chosen as Monarch Krell's apostle. He had then made his way to the town center, and spoken to an assembled group. His words spoke of an upcoming trial, that the heretical apostate outsider would bring disaster upon the caves. He had been chosen by the Abyssal Monarch to lead those virtuous souls in a righteous struggle of opposition. Those that followed him and the Monarch would be considered to have completed their penance and would be exempt from the Tithe and the consequences of it. Then he had demonstrated his power by striking down two of Rade's followers and leaving, telling the crowd as he departed that he would return for those whose hearts were true and righteous. Torran seemed extremely unnerved by the whole recounting and turned to you. "Dad...I had no idea. I knew my...father...had his issues but I had never thought he would turn to the Monarchs! What do we do?" This earned Rade a look from Ganmorrin that clearly said we will speak more of this later but your lieutenant said nothing and continued with his report. "As far as I and some of the hunters can tell, Fornar must have used some kind of magic to either hide his tracks or open a door to some other place. We cannot find where he has gone, but it seems he plans to return. Should we try to follow him, or prepare for his return?"
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Nov 5, 2021 01:32
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves, Away from Town Rade grimaces, "Based on his demonstration I have no doubt we'd be unable to follow him at this point. No, it appears the Monarch wants a fight in order to amuse itself. What I'm more immediately worried about is the mood in the village. How does support break down between us?" After he received his answer, Rade had Ganmorrin lead him to the bodies of his two followers that the Apostle had killed. He wanted to examine them in detail, both to figure out what powers this so-called Apostle might have, and to see if there was anything he could do about it. Rade's asking about support in the village, then he's gonna examine his two fallen follower to try and figure out how they were killed. Veteran Mercenary[+2] - Rade's seen lots and lots of ways people have died over the years, he knows what various injuries and methods of death look like. Leonin[+2] - As a Leonin, he's got sharper senses than your average human, allowing him to learn more than an average person might. Valhawk fucked around with this message at 23:44 on Nov 12, 2021 |
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Nov 5, 2021 01:41
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HiKaizer posted:Mordin - Cog Door, Mesa Undercaverns Mordin - Cog Door, Mesa Undercaverns Mordin sighed. There were of course back on his native plane horrors or things like these. But those were usually invited into a world by cults or massive high magic rituals. Which often were interfered with by heroes. He scowled. Like his own ritual that landed him a ride through the blind eternities before being plucked out here. He stopped focusing on the negative. This thing was out there, it might not be magical or like one of the clockworks here. Divine or extra dimensional. Shocking it was to have it try for his or other dead's souls. Someone made a barrier against it. Mordin would take his leave with a promise to return. He cast haste upon himself and would go back through the door and when standing before the creator tell the being of his findings. Then ask what it knew off this, and situation on cogworld. Using: Lich [+2] to cast haste upon himself, go back to the creator and converse to ask about this situation. Did he set this up, or was it the denizens of the world's doing. Who or what was the hand grasping for all dead souls in relation to the creator.
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Nov 7, 2021 03:24
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Fein's Pavilion Now, preventing the marriage of convenience and negotiating the end of the grudge from the other end as well. Following the skein of correspondence between the betrothed, the ephemeral conceptual connection between Holarien and Merina. So long as the impression was correct, there was an angle to be pushed: Attraction was ephemeral, the bond of matrimony was not. Visions of Merina turned bitter and shrewish in a loveless cul-de-sac, trying and failing to maintain a veneer of politeness and civility as the years went by, the renewing of the bitter feud with their marital conflict as a catalyst. Then, incepting him drawing the dots, solving the feud alongside Merina and letting her go her own way, letting him turn his eye to the countless other attractive targets that marriage would render off-limits short of damaging scandals. Playing to both the baser, less salubrious drives Holarien was most likely prone to, and the higher ideals in ending the feud pragmatically. Using Sorcery [+2] and Charismatic [+2] to incept the idea of formally ending the grudge in negotiations with his would-be spouse in lieu of marriage into Holarien's mind, so that he thinks it's his idea, whilst Kyleth remains aloof and undetected in avian form, mindful of any defences, using the conceptual connection between the betrothed as the carrier thread to do so remotely.
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Nov 12, 2021 02:53
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 7 + 4 - Success Ganmorrin looked serious as he thought. "Overall, immediately this has helped our position. But I do not know what will happen next, what the elder's plans are and what powers he might employ. We should be wary that he felt safe and confident enough to immediately and publicly show his hand." The bodies of the followers were stiff and starting to turn grey. At a first glance it looked as though they had been killed by blood loss and by impalement. Witness recounted that the now self-styled apostle had gestured and inky black tentacles had shot out and impaled the two killing them in a matter of moments. But Rade felt something was off with this and on closer inspection of the wounds and the bodies noticed something. Only someone who had seen so much death on the battlefield like a soldier or mercenary would be likely to pick it up. The two had not died of blood loss, although there certainly had been blood shed enough for that. That death would have been slower and there would have been more resistance. Additionally the wounds where their bodies had been pierced did not seem to puncture and important respiratory routes or organs. There weren't any brain wounds and no signs of trauma enough to kill from shock. After confirming this with locals to get accurate understanding where Rade was unsure on the physiology of the locals he came to his conclusion. Some kind of vital essence had been drained from the two bodies, which was the real cause of death. There were signs of decay and collapse of the body's functions around the wounds. A dark force or malicious magic had without a doubt been responsible. It made sense, the elder was not in the prime of his life and there had been no accounts of a physical transformation to accompany his status as chosen by the Monarch. Mordin - The Tower, 3rd Floor No need for a roll here The Creator's ancient and worn features seemed almost surprised at Mordin's questions about the strange phenomenon and implied force behind it. Ah. I had not expected this so soon. He began cryptically and after a frustratingly long pause he continued. This Tower and the realms it sustains are suspended in a Void beyond the worlds you all came from. Your souls for various reasons would have sublimated into it and faded. But the original creator of this tower found a way to not only contain a great Power within this Void, but to also shelter it from the corrosive influence and to renew it. Thus the cycle of worlds, the cycle of the ones who create them, and the cycle of the deaths of the worlds, and the cycle of their creators choosing to pass on this power and to fade away. He gestured and the orrery moved in a way that was physically impossible, shifting until there was a focus on one world. After a few moments the Creator muttered as though he had found something and gestured. Then Mordin looked, and after a few moments also saw it. The orrery showed it as a moon orbiting the world, in addition to its existing moon and suns. But this second moon was shadowy and intangible, seemingly invisible unless one knew exactly where and what to look for. Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter Result: 4 + 4 - Drawback Kyleth had an image of Holarien based on the thoughts from Merina's mind but finding his exact location turned out to be less straight forward. The manor of a noble family with such influence and power as Holarien's was in the most warded and watched part of the city. Kyleth's magic was sufficient to give him create a familiar, give it a subtle aspect and send it to the manor to observe. But it turned out after some 15 minutes of inspection by your familiar that Holarien was not in the manor nor on the estate. However your search was not fruitless, as the familiar overheard servants discussing preparing a meal for when the lord and young master returned from their meeting with the High Magi. Although the exact nature of the power structure was unclear, Kyleth's investigations into the lower two quarters, the merchant quarter and the fine artisan, religious and lower arcane quarter led to the assumption that these High Magi must be part of the ruling power structures of Florith and also that it would be dangerous to go unprepared and use enchantments to change the mind and ambitions of Holarien where Marina's family was concerned. If you'd rolled well I would have combined the locating Holarien into the result even though it wasn't mentioned in the action, but unfortunately your roll was on the lower end so I have used that idea to create a roadblock for Kyleth.
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Nov 14, 2021 06:36
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Mordin - The Tower, 3rd Floor Troubling. And...intriguing. "So this great power. Can we...I mean those of us chosen. Wield it?" "Is the hand this 'corrosive influence' ?" "Is the power or this hand on that shade-moon? And can one travel there? Or is that a dying world or realm? That is now a cinder of its former glory? Or an artificial construct?" The cycle of worlds, Creators, and passing it on made a sick kind of sense here. Because maybe they got bored, the energy finite but looped so any new Creator would need to unmake before making a new world. Mordin relayed his understanding to see if he was correct. Using: Savant [+4]. Very interesting thread I am Communist fucked around with this message at 09:26 on Nov 14, 2021 |
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Nov 14, 2021 09:24
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade looked down at the two bodies. Clearly the Apostle would be a formidable foe indeed, to kill them so effortlessly was worrying. If he was to win this conflict he would need to be bold and he would need to win the undivided support of the remaining villagers. Now was not the time for caution, if he was to fight veritable gods he would need to prove he was worthy of the mantel. Looking over to Ganmorrin, he orders, his voice firm and commanding, "Stand ready, what I am about to attempt may be risky." Then, he turns his focus to the two bodies before him. He places a hand on each and focuses his power to its utmost. After all, what was death but a breakdown of the body's normal functioning, if the body was repaired made as though it had never broken then perhaps they could be yanked back from the abyss of death. He knew their bodies after all, he had already changed them once, it was merely a matter of putting them back the way they were, then restarting their organs. If the villagers were looking for a miracle to believe in, then Rade would give them one. Rade's gonna test the limits of his power and try and repair the damage to the bodies of his two followers and restore them to life. Fleshshaping[+2] to repair any damage to the body and brain from the injury and to kickstart their vital systems and brain activity.
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Nov 14, 2021 23:14
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter Patience was required here. Right now a direct approach was a bad idea, so better to spend time watching, learning and investigating Holarien, the medium in which he traveled, the company he kept and their significance. Seeing what sort of opportunities for intervention might present themselves. As ever making sure he remained unseen, undetected and immaterial as he watched and learnt. Using Sorcery [+2] if needed to remain hidden and spend some time thoroughly observing Holarien, his disposition, habits and defences.
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Nov 15, 2021 20:21
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Mordin - The Tower, 3rd Floor If you are imbued with this power then yes, you will have full use of its abilities. This is what I plucked you all from the brink of death, to see which of you would use it most vibrantly. When one is weaving literal worlds it pays to make them worth living in for those you create. It is a power one must master, so I wish to see how you all learn and experience the world around you. You sensed that the Creator could have spoken much more on the nature of things, such as filling in the details like the smell of rain and thunder carried on a late afternoon breeze in spring. Or the touch of a freshly ground flour on the skin as you cleaned your hands after packing it away into a cloth sack. But he turned away this train of thought with his following casual comment. Of course the process of granting such a power will ensure my demise, but I have lived a very long time in and out of worlds of my own authorship. It is time that this torch was passed to another, as it was passed to me, and I fade away into the void as my predecessors have as well. Mordin could glean a bit more from this and intuit some more things. Contemplating on his knowledge of esoteric and forbidden arts he came to a conclusion. There was a reasonable probability that this power was not sheltered from the Void but was drawn from it somehow. This was not the only explanation but it fit the current facts you knew the best out of the other theories Mordin could conceive of. Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Roll: 9 + 2 - Failure Rade exerted the full extent of his power as he knew it and could will it. And in part it did work. The body of the two slain villagers were restored to full vitality as if they had just passed onto death, and their minds seemed to wake but they were just...blank. Something intrinsic, a sense of self, perhaps a soul as some people claimed, seemed to have left the bodies and Rade could do no more. Judging by the results Rade believed there was a good chance that if he had been here at the moment of their death he could have healed them enough to revive them. But too long had passed since their murder and your return to the village. Torran was silent and looked on with anxious nerves, fading into sad disappointment and grief as the finality of death set in. Ganmorrin simply placed one hand on Rade's shoulder, not a gesture that the Neardwellers seemed to do but one that he must recognise as something the Overdwellers did for each other. He spoke simple and calmly. "There are some things in this world we cannot defy. But thankyou for allowing them a clean burial." Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter Roll: 8 + 2 - Success In terms of defences it seemed that Holarien was either shockingly naive or shockingly privileged. He possessed only basic wards against magical and physical assault. It was the kind of thing that would halt a child bully or a desperate and inexperienced assailant, but against any professional aggressor of magical or martial inclination it would have been overcome without much added effort. Then there was little mental training to reinforce rigidity and structure to the mind, even Kyleth's brief encounters with Merina he had realised that she was far more disciplined and aware of the world around her despite the unlikely chance of her being attacked. Holarien was somewhat of a disappointment to high society, which was why he was being married off into a politically expedient arrangement instead of being trained for a more prestigious role. It seemed only an ironic mercy that he himself was unaware of this. However the people around him were more canny and aware. Manipulation of the young elf's mind would need to be subtle to avoid someone noticing the act. Then carrying it out would likely need to be a gradual process, a sudden shift in personality and decision making process would attract investigation that might reveal your involvement. It would be extremely unlikely someone in this world outside of a divinties would be able to trace it back to you if you were not caught in the act, but such a discovery would likely only enflame the feud between the two families. Your best timing for such actions would be when Holarien snuck out of the estate for some private debauchery. It was nothing sinister, but he was a young man with an inflated opinion of himself. He enjoyed being fawned over and had a well established venue where he could indulge in this craving. There was always someone who kept a discrete eye out, but they had grown familiar with the routine and their watch over their ward was less vigilant than it had once been. Such a venue would also be less scryed upon to preserve the face and public dignity of its patrons.
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Dec 4, 2021 08:31
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade suppressed a grimace, finding the limits of his power in this case wasn't pleasant, and it sparked in him a desire to overcome them. However, that would have to wait, there were more immediate concerns that needed to be addressed. He looked over to Ganmorrin, his voice calm, "Gather the villagers, I would speak to them about what has happened, and what is to come." He lets the other man leave to carry out his order then waits quietly for a while as he composes his thoughts. Upon this upcoming moment turned his future in this place. His enemy was powerful, even if this was only a game to them. To fight against a divinely empowered enemy he would need to turn the people into warriors, which would require them to submit to him molding them. If they were filled with doubts or riven with internal divisions, success seemed unlikely, and Rade very much wanted to succeed. When the time came, Rade stepped up onto the stone that would be his makeshift platform. He'd seen commanders giving speeches more times than he could count even if he'd never given one himself. He knew the tone and cadence by heart. As for what to say, he just looked over the crowd and let the words come to him. He was so focused on this process he wasn’t even consciously aware of his power responding to his overwhelming desire to establish his dominion over this place. His own body shifted in subtle ways, his vocal chords adding subtle layers to his voice to make it virtually entrancing to listen to, pheromones starting to be produced and constantly spread that would leave those affected increasingly susceptible to his presence. "People of Namin. You have all seen or heard what happened earlier today. The challenge issued by the man who called himself the apostle of one of the Deep Monarchs, the murder of two of those who placed their trust in me to lead them to a better future. You've seen or heard of his power, the promise he made for those who followed. I have one question for you all to think about, why now?” He pauses to look over the crowd, to let his question sink in and then answers, “It’s because they’re scared.” He looks over no doubt incredulous faces and explains, “For generations they have ground you down, sucked you dry to sate their endless hunger, leave your elderly and your children to starve, leaving each generation weaker and smaller than the last. It’s only when I come, when I offer the real possibility of a better future that this Apostle announces himself, offering promises of relief from their grinding tithe if only you’ll reject me. The only conclusion you can reach is that they are afraid you won’t continue to meekly offer up the crumbs from the mouths of your children. Deep down, at some level they know that my arrival is the herald of their end, even if they will never admit it, even to themselves.” “So I say to you, do not accept the false promises they offer you. Once you reject me, once you give up on a life without them do you really think they’ll keep up their end of the deal? Why would they, once I’m gone what more do you have to offer them. Even if they do, they haven’t offered you protection from the rest of the sea, and what do you think your neighboring villages will do, what will the kingdom do when suddenly their tithe is increased to make up for what you no longer have to supply. If you think they will supinely accept this state of affairs you are endlessly naive. The jealousy and hatred will build and build, until they decide that rather than suffer you to live to take resources they require to pay the tithe and continue to live it would be so much easier, so much better to exterminate you and take your resources for themselves.” “So if you accept the Apostle’s offer, you are doomed. Either the Monarch will renege, or it will merely wait until the others in these lands destroy you for it. If you wish survival, if you wish a future for you and yours where you will never starve again, where you can look forward to tomorrow instead of dreading it, then do what the Monarchs most fear you’ll do, swear yourselves to me. I will take you and I will make you strong. I will ensure you never again fear hunger, that you and your children will know prosperity. I will make you into warriors that will be renowned throughout the world, and I will grant you a future so full of glory and prosperity as your bellies are empty today. In return for this salvation, I ask from you only your obedience and devotion. So long as you remain loyal to me I will protect you from your foes and shower you in blessings. "The time for decisions is now, and the Apostle will not respect neutrality. So make your choice as to where your loyalties and futures lay, with the Monarch or with me." He looked out over them, steely in his determination, ready for whatever was to come next. Rade’s speaking to the entire village and trying to get them to side completely with him over the Apostle. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade has seen many successful and less than successful commanders give speeches, he knows the mannerisms to adopt, the tone to speak at, etc. Intuitive Leadership[+2] - At an instinctual level, Rade can feel what they need to hear, what words to say to move their hearts and get them to agree to his proposal. Fleshshaping[+2] - Subconsciously, Rade is making minor modifications to himself to assist him in getting the villagers to swear themselves to him without reservation, subtle changes to his vocal chords, pheremones, etc.
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Dec 12, 2021 02:02
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter The perfect opportunity offered itself in the midst of one of those corrupt little outings. In particular, in the aftermath of an intimate dalliance, as fervor cooled in the afterglow. The perfect time for some tweaks to perception and realisation, then letting him do the rest. A painful, bitter awareness of his place in the wider scheme of things, a true appreciation of his 'worth', his 'value' in the eyes of those fobbing him off on Merina. Purely the truth, making connections in a moment of vulnerability, both within and without, whilst in a compromising position that belied the formal attachment. And in amongst it, the seeds of desire, a desire to do better, to make more of himself than a dead end, throwaway marriage in which no participants would be truly happy. Using Sorcery [+2] and Charismatic [+2] to beguile Holarien, revealing the truth of his situation and applying the slightest of nudges in the direction of wanting to do something about it, all operating from within, at a moment where the guards are down internally and externally.
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Dec 12, 2021 18:23
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As a Christmas gift I'm giving all the players a Narrative Point, which lets you essentially ensure that one action will be at worst a partial success. I trust the players left to use it in the spirit is intended, but I'll let you know if I have any issues with your actions when you try to use it. This gift also applies to any existing players who may not have posted for many months. You're still welcome to pick the game back up if you are interested at any time! Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 7 + 4 - Success (I did not apply fleshshaping as I felt it was too subtle and subconscious to pull off, but I'd allow it as a preparation) Rade didn't convince the entire village to fight a war, but those that weren't prepared to fight were ready to at least side with him over the elder and the Monarchs. Many of the youths were already on board with Rade's vision, wishing to build themselves a better future than their tired and forlorn adolescence and this was a time for some of the concerns that had brought about the divisions in the village to come out into the open. There were small scenes of elders trying to explain that they just wanted the younger villagers to be safe and for those same youths to be able to explain they wanted their children to have a better future than a slow death or decline to starvation. For others there were issues of tradition and the threat to their treasured values, beliefs and rituals that Rade presented only for it to be explained that they had already had to give up on many of those because of the Tithe. Would they lose more of their identities following Rade or by being forced to move above ground with the Overdwellers, who would certainly force them to conform to their ways and their gods. You didn't win over the hearts of everyone. But those you hadn't would agree to follow and support those they cared about. For now it would be enough. There was a time for words, and there was a time for actions. The future would give Rade opportunities to perform deeds that would prove the truth of the words he spoke today. For now most of the village will follow you and trust you enough to forgive some missteps without needing immediate reassurance or convincing to not leave. Not everyone is fully on board with Rade, but most of the holdouts are the elderly or most conservative and they are giving you a chance for now at least. Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter Result: 8 + 4 - Success You could see the moment where you magic and manipulation all tied together and took effect because there was an immediate change in Holarien's posture and expression. The confidence immediately drained out of his posture and expression, and there were a few seconds where he looked around and seemed to be both evaluating things and seeing things in a new context. He looked at the people around him, bought everyone a round and told them to carry on without him. He'd come down with something and needed to go home to rest. Then once he'd left the venue he practically bolted back to his house and locked himself in his room. To the young man's credit he didn't throw a tantrum and wreck anything, but looking inside the window from outside the ground you could see there was a physical tension and frustration that he practically tried to literally wring out of his body. He surprised the servant the next morning by being polite as they brought up his refreshments and breakfast. Holarien hadn't treated the servants badly from what Kyleth had seen, but he had treated them like a piece of furniture. Suddenly being directly addressed and thanked gave the servant quite a start. Perhaps it was just as well for Holarien that his parents were often already out of the house or conducting business by the time he awoke. It might have prompted some conversations he needed more time to prepare himself for. Holarien's changed his tune, although time will tell whether these new thoughts and attitudes will stick or whether he'll fall back into his old habits. In the worst case, he should be a little nicer to everyone else.
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Jan 12, 2022 07:16
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves His speech had gone better than he feared and worse than he hoped. Still, to win over the rest he would need more concrete proof of his power. The first was obvious. He promised freedom from starvation and hunger, and he required an army that would be able to stand up against whatever the Monarch threw at him. He needed to train those willing to follow, but to be frank they were too weak, too malnourished to even be worth training at this point. No, what came first was to mold their bodies, that would provide him the foundation to mold their minds, and it would have the added benefit of being sufficiently miraculous to begin to wear down the doubters in the village. One by one he would call those willing to follow before him. One by one he would ask them to swear their lives to him. For those that agreed, he would say a few words to get them in the right frame of mind, then he would lay his hands upon them and turn his mind to the task of reshaping their bodies. As with Ganmorrin and the others, he would improve every aspect of their body from their muscles to their bones to their organs to their nerves. They would be bigger stronger, faster, tougher, with better reflexes, sharper senses, than they had ever been before, than they could have ever hoped to have been even if they had devoted their lives to training. They would be the perfect material from which to forge warriors. Their appearance would change as well, they would still be recognizable as who they were, but as with Ganmorrin they would be altered to better fit what Rade had in mind for them: powerful, intimidating, awe-inspiring. The appearance befitting of the soon to be warriors of a soon to be god. Lastly, he would touch their minds, ease them through the change, leave them equipped to handle their new bodies. He would make sure that as he changed them they would be filled with a deep ecstatic sense of correctness. The correctness of their new forms washing away any dysphoria they might have felt, and the correctness of being molded and shaped into what he desired priming them for the training that was to come. Each of his followers would be changed, except for one. The change awaiting Torran would be different, something more befitting the one he had claimed as his son. Rade’s gonna start improving his followers: more and stronger muscles, faster and sharper reflexes, tougher bones and organs, skin that's harder to break, changes to their organs to make them hyper-efficient to allow them to operate at peak performance on a tiny fraction of the amount of food they current need, sharper and more accurate senses, etc. Aesthetically he's aiming to make their appearance closer to the role he intends to mold them into, warriors in his service. On the brain front, he's trying to ease any dysphoria from the change and leave them ready and eager to be trained by him, causing them to feel their new bodies are inherently how they should be and being changed and molded by him is natural and correct order of things. Fleshshaping[+2] - To transform their bodies inside and out. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade's experience means he knows what physical traits are necessary for someone to be a superior warrior, he's planning to imbue their bodies with those traits. Intuitive Leader[+2] - Rade's relying on his instincts to know what to say and do in the leadup to the change for each person to get them into the frame of mind he wants to facilitate what he's trying to accomplish with the transformation.
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Jan 14, 2022 05:30
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 10 + 6 - Success It took some time to make the changes to the rest of the people in the village and Rade began to find it taxing in a way that he had before. It seemed that the more he repeatedly used his power the more it took out of him. Eventually Rade decided to delay the rest of the villagers until the following day, this was for a practical note as well. Torran almost all but dragged you to stay in the house of his father, which mercifully had a spare guest room. While it had been weird sleeping underwater at first, by now Rade was beginning to grow accustomed to it after spending a few days under the water. By the end of the following day Rade had managed to pace himself enough to complete the changes for everyone in the village, all save for Torran. The teen definitely noted his exclusion but aside from looking worried and frustrated (as teens are wont to do) he did not say anything or complain. One advantage to staggering the transformations a bit more was also that there was an increasingly large group of people to help people adjust. The work was done though, Namin Caves was almost assuredly the best prepared community in the remnants of the kingdom to both endure and defy the Tithe. You rolled well so your action goes off without a hitch. Your new son is getting anxious for his turn though.
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Feb 2, 2022 08:51
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves When the time finally came, Rade called Torran to him. "I did not forget you, my son. As I promised now that things are settled for the immediate moment, you can be changed as well, but unlike the others I intend to do more than just grant you improvements to your current body. Rather, as I promised, I will make you as my own flesh and blood." Rade closes his eyes and focuses his power, he feels his own body it's shape, its contents, its appearance. Once he was confident he had it in hand, he reached out to Torran and began to work. Rather than making tweaks and improvements, this was a more total transformation. Torran would be reborn as a Leonin, and go from merely Rade's son in name to becoming just as if Rade was his true biological father. Rade reshaped the near-dwellers body, transforming him into a Leonin. However, he did not stop there. He wanted to make sure that his son had every blessing he could give. With great care and attention to detail, Rade molded his skin, flesh, organs, bones, and blood, making each and every piece the best he was able. His son would be the very best Leonin it would be possible to be, strong, tough, quick, smart, handsome, charismatic to near or truly supernatural levels. He would be the very most Rade could make him, every organ, every muscle a veritable work of art and model of power and efficiency. More than that, Rade attempted to imbue his son's muscles with the muscle memory he had burned into his own over decades of combat, giving the new leonin the benefits of those decades and making him a natural warrior. Once he was satisfied with the insides, Rade turned his attention to his son's appearance. He was careful and deliberate in adjusting every feature including Torran's eyes, voice, and scent. They would be quite fetching, but just as importantly they would be extremely reminicant of Rade. Not identical, but it would be such that anyone who had seen them both would be able to tell instantly and without a doubt that they were father and son. Lastly he turned to the brain. He had already tried to strengthen it, leaving his son smarter and more perceptive than before. However, that was only part of his objective. This change represented a total rebirth for Torran, a new body a new life. Rade wanted to ease that transition into his new role. With a nudge here and there, Rade attempted to weave additional subtle changes into his son's brain. He saught to make it so that his new son would not experience any dysphoria with his body, in fact if Rade was successful it would be the exact opposite. His son would find his new body so natural, so right, so much better than what he had been before he would wonder how he had ever managed before. When it was all over, Rade spoke. "You had asked me to give you a new Leonin name when I made you my flesh and blood. I've given it a great deal of thought, so if you want it from this day forward you will no longer be Torran, rather you will be known by one and all as Kerr, son of Rade. Rade is transforming Torran into a Leonin. Not just any Leonin, but the best one he can make. Extremely strong, fast, tough, smart, the whole nine yards including copying Rade's muscle memory to give him a big leg up on fighting. Also he's gonna be really obviously Rade's son at the level where if anyone even not someone super familiar with Leonin saw them side-by-side or heard them both speak it would be immediately obvious. Also, since he wanted a new name if this succeeds he'll be named Kerr. Fleshshaping[+2] - To completely reshape Torran's body into that of a Leonin and for all the extra upgrades to go with. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Years of battle have lead to Rade having very well developed muscle memory for combat, which he's trying to copy over to his son. Leonin[+2] - Rade is using himself as a model and seeks to fully transform Torran into Kerr.
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Feb 4, 2022 23:33
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 6 + 6 - Partial Success Rade was certain that his power had worked, he could sense that it had permeated into every part of Torran's body...but the teen remained unchanged for now. He looked up at you expectantly waiting for something to happen. But after a few more minutes nothing seemed to change and Torran, or Kerr rather, was confused by the fact that he had yet to change. Rade hadn't used his power to change someone this drastically before, so maybe this was normal for it. That night Kerr had strange dreams that he relayed to Rade in the morning, dreams of being stronger and larger, of moving in ways that were strange and confusing. Based on this Rade's confidence was reinforced, the magic had worked it was just taking time to make all the changes. With this reassurance Kerr was put it ease, mostly, and was excited for the time when the magic would take its final complete effect. Due to the partial success your power is taking a little bit to come into effect. I'll keep a track of it but until it finishes external influences can affect the final outcome, making Kerr's transformed form stronger or weaker potentially depending on what happens.
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Feb 18, 2022 00:42
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Rade is heartened by Kerr's dream, he had feared that his efforts had been in-vain, which would have been more painful that he had realized before hand. He hadn't expected it but he had formed an emotion attachment with his new son fairly quickly. Perhaps the imprinting had not been entirely one-way he pondered. Still, now that that was taken care of, Rade needed to return his focus to the village as a whole. There was no telling how long he had before the confrontation with this apostle, and while the villagers were much more physically imposing now they were still completely green and under-equipped. Years of hard won experience had taught Rade that success in combat depended on numbers, training, equipment, and discipline. There was not much point in starting training without the equipment they would train with, so that would have to be his next area of focus. It was a tricky subject, the village was so poor they had trouble staving off starvation, so naturally they had effectively nothing to work with in terms of equipment of use to a solider. It didn't help that the underwater nature meant that even if he had a warehouse full of plate and pikes they wouldn't necessarily be the most useful things. The normal mix he had learned was a very light armor focused on freedom of movement so as not to impede swimming. However, that offered little in the way of protection to leather or plate. He needed something game-changing, something that offered protection and flexibility and weapons to match. It was a tall order, but Rade did not balk. It was do or die, and he had no intention of dying. So, Rade headed out of the village once more. Using his superior abilities he hunted down whatever he could get his claws into. He would need as much flesh as he could if he was to succeed at this project as he would be pushing his powers to the brink. Once he was satisfied he gathered the flesh into a pile and set to work. Focusing his power to its utmost, he attempted to use the flesh of the various creatures to form something entirely new. He would forge an entirely new species one specifically suited to his needs and desires. He envisioned it in his mind's eye, a creature unlike any he had ever encountered before, imbued with the power to alter its shape as though it were a liquid, it would bond with a host, becoming living weapons and armor. Sustained by its host's body, the creature would act as protector and weapon. This was a complex process, and if he wanted it to succeed, he would need to imbue the symbiotes with an intelligence and consciousness all their own to allow them to help manage the shape shifting process. However, this presented problems of its own, the host and the symbiote would need to operate as a seamless team to truly get the most of the abilities he was trying to grant them. So in order to ensure that happened and to help guarantee the loyalty of those who would partake his boons, Rade was very careful when it came to shaping the symbiotes. First and foremost, Rade made sure his new creations would inately recognize him as their Creator and would be biologically hardwired to be fanatically loyal and devoted to him. They would never allow themselves to be used against him. Secondly, Rade attempted to shape them to bond to their hosts not merely physically but mentally as well. The symbiotes personalities would be designed to ensure that they and their host would quickly establish a deep emotional bond. Over time, the host and symbiote would become more and more in-sync, each picking up traits of the other until eventually they will have effectively merged into a single being. This would allow the symbiote and host to achieve a state of perfect teamwork, and would see the host picking up the symbiote's fanatical devotion to Rade. To ensure that nothing opposed this process, Rade made sure that the symbiotes connections to the hosts would cause this merging process to be extremely pleasurable and fulfilling for both the symbiote and the host on a physical and emotional level. The merging would also allow for more dynamic and complex use of the symbiotes abilities, just as two fighters completely in-sync with one another can use more complex formations and combinations. Rade poured every ounce of his power in the process. These creatures would be his first true creations, and an invaluable resource for his future. When it was finished he would eagerly examine his new creations. Rade is gonna attempt to create venom-esque symbiotes to serve as living equipment for his followers. When active it will cover their full body like armor, and be able to shift its shape and hardness to allow it to form weapons, shields, tools, etc. When not in use it'll retreat inside the host's body. The symbiotes will be sustained by their host's body. The symbiotes will have minds of their own, their personalities are designed for it to be easy for them to get along with and gel with their host though in all cases and regardless of their host they will be absolutely fanatically loyal and worshipful to Rade, their creator. They've got full access to their hosts' body and brain and the longer they are bonded the more synced up they and the host will become physically and mentally. This will be a two-way street, with the symbiote's personality and thought process becoming more like the hosts, and the hosts personality and thought process becoming more like the symbiote, until eventually they'll effectively become a single unified being, two halves of the same mind. This is designed so it's an extremely pleasant process for both the symbiote and host. Both in terms of just feeling good and fulfilling on a physical and emotional level and because the more in-sync the host and symbiote become the more useful the symbiote becomes as their bodies adjust to each other and they develop better teamwork eventually becoming extensions of each other able act together as a single unit seemlessly. Fleshshaping[+2] - To transform the biomass he gathers into a new species of beings and to endow them with shapeshifting powers. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - To imbue the symbiotes with knowledge of how to shape themselves into weapons and armor of various types. Intuitive Leadership[+2] - To help design the symbiotes' personalities to be very easy for people to mesh with while ensuring that they remain fanatically loyal even through the process of fully merging with their host. Leonin[+2] - As his natural skills as a hunter due to his status as an apex predator species allow him to gather the bio-mass to use to create the symbiotes from.
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Feb 22, 2022 04:04
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Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter The touchpaper had been lit, Holarien and Merina potentially liberated from an unwanted, conjoined fate. Now was the time to watch, wait and learn to see if they could both act on the opportunities they had been given. Kyleth kept up a watching brief, only offering the most subtle of assistance in the background, trying to remain undetectable. Using Sorcery [+2] to keep an unseen eye on Merina and Holarien, perhaps offering the subtlest of manipulations to covertly smooth their way. They had been set in motion, it was time to see how well they handled their respective family.
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Feb 22, 2022 16:10
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 9 + 8 - Success The symbiotes were created as Rade imagined, and although they were extremely strange to the Neardwellers of the community it was not the first time they had used a living creature as a tool. Although the creatures couldn't really communicate, those bonded to them did report getting flashes of emotion or feeling while wearing them and looking at certain things. They themselves stirred something that they might call 'Father' in the symbiotes, while Rade caused a feeling like 'Mother' although without the implicit female gendering. Rade was recognised as the being that gave birth to them and they felt a loving familial bond to him. However the symbiotes had areas that Rade could see that they could be improved upon. For example the basic design took nutrients from the water, meaning there was a hard limit on the size they could grow to. If you allowed them to feed from the host then this limit could be broken, but the symbiotes were too childish and naive to be allowed to feed on the host without some control yet. If Rade had a way to impart magic into the creature itself to sustain it, that might also be an option...but that wasn't really within his abilities currently. It was indisputable however that the symbiote armour would give his troops an advantage in combat in an arena where any non-innate protection was a tradeoff of some kind and rare. While it might not tip the scales in a direct confrontation with a Monarch, against the normal denizens of the deep it would be a great boon. Right now the symbiote armour is probably around the effectiveness of leather armour. Good for bladed edges, and helps blunt some crushing trauma. It won't be nearly as effective against anything that is like a crossbow bolt and has no effect for better and worse against magic. Kyleth, the Beguiling - The Flower Door, Pendant's Quarter It took a few days for Merina to begin to realise that Holarien's change of attitude was not just an act or facade. After that she seemed unsure of what to make of it, so much of her internal struggle had been about placing herself as a martyr and now she was faced with the reality that she might have a tolerable or perhaps even happy marriage ahead. Merina's parents for their part were unaffected by Holarien's change of world-view and attitude, they had never cared about him as an individual and only as a piece in their game of politics and power. Holarien's family on the other hand were optimistically suspicious of his change of heart, but they found nothing sinister to suggest that he had been turned against them or their plans; and they certainly never found your tampering. Kyleth had a few angles he could play here. It seemed like the couple would at least be on the track to a healthy relationship, if not happy then at least amicable, but this would be difficult to turn into anything meaningfully useful for Kyleth in the future. You had already noticed that Holarien's father had shared with him a piece of insight that he would not have the week before, suggesting that if the change of personality was not undone in some way that the scion of the house would be taken into more meaningful affairs. This meant that he would be in closer contact with people that would have the power and skill to notice a puppeteer, or at least a shadow watching them, even if they might not be able to immediately react to you. Getting closer to the heart of the city meant physically and socially being accepted. Otherwise there were plenty of smaller schemes in the merchants and artisans that could over time change the shape of the city. Then there were of course the other doors as well... You're going to have to find an in with Holarien and Merina personally if you want to do more stuff with the upper echelons of the city. Otherwise you can play the Sims with less dangerous people in the city, or move on to somewhere else.
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Mar 9, 2022 04:19
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves With the symbiotes bonded to them, the Cave dwellers now had basic equipment. That meant the next highest priority was training. There was lots of ground to cover there, and since he didn't know how much time he had Rade decided to break up the process into stages. For the best results, an army's soldiers needed to know how to fight, needed discipline, and needed drill and experience. He had no doubt that the villagers knew how to hunt, but he knew all too well that though they seemed hunting down a beast and fighting a thinking reactive opponent were very different things. So before he worried about discipline, formation, or anything like that Rade needed to teach them the basics of fighting. After all, he was on the clock, and in battle it wouldn't matter if they had iron discipline if they couldn't wield a weapon. However, first he had to speak to Ganmorrin. He would need officers, and he needed to make sure the man was ready for that. So Rade sets out around Nanmin looking for the the shark-like man. quote:Rade finds Ganmorrin talking to two other villagers. As far as Rade can recall, neither of them are particularly of note and they're not among those who he enhanced with the aim of becoming his soldiers. Ganmorrin noticed Rade approaching and said to the two they would continue the discussion later. They were confused for a moment, but noticed Rade and understood. Nodding they swam away leaving just you and Ganmorrin alone. With that settled, Rade set the wheels in motion. The order was given for his followers to assemble in an open area he had scouted out, one that would serve as an adequate training ground for now. That day and the next several that followed would be very similar. First, Rade would demonstrate a particular technique several times, giving commentary on the motions and principles in play. Then he would have his followers copy the motion as he moved among them, making small critiques, helping to move someone into the correct form, praising them when doing it well. Once they had picked up enough to manage it, Rade paired his followers off and had them spar. When certain individuals performed particularly well he called the group together to watch them spar, making sure to be ample in his praise for hard work and talent. Having the talented students leading smaller groups to assist the others with the what they had mastered. For those with the greatest aptitude, he sparred with them himself. The strength and reflexes that came with being a leonin were helpful there, for he needed to make use of all his advantages in order to allow him to hold back enough to teach without destroying their confidence by over-matching them totally. Though a few had needed a stronger demonstration of his skills to humble them after they started to get cocky. Each day built upon the previous one, with the techniques becoming more complex as time went by and the foundations were laid. He wasn't expecting miracles, he had little doubt that a truly hardened army would be able to lay waste to them if not for the enhancements he had woven into their bodies and their living armor and weapons. Still, every bit of advancement on their part was a crucial gain for him, and he needed every advantage he could get. Each evening, after meeting one on one with those who needed extra assistance and those like Ganmorrin who he deemed to have the making of officers, Rade returned home from the training ground with Kerr. He had made sure Kerr would be included, he was to be a soldier as well after all. Before retiring for the night, Rade would sit with Kerr and lead his new son in guided visualizations. He helped Kerr see his new body, the one that was coming, helped teach him Leonin mannerisms and etiquette, how to use his claws, how to hunt like a Leonin, how care for his fur, his claws, his fangs, so that when the change came, he would be a Leonin truly and completely. All the while, Rade poured every ounce of power he could into Kerr, helping strengthen and accelerate the change. Once he was relatively confident that his followers had mastered the basics, Rade would move onto the next phase of his training, discipline. --- Training montage part 1 - Teaching my followers the basics of combat. At this stage Rade's focusing on basic fighting forms and techniques, trying to provide them with a foundation they can use when the time comes to fight to allow them to make use of the advantages he has bestowed upon them. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade has the experience of a hundred battles. He knows the art and business of combat down to the smallest detail. He's also been called on to train green recruits on a few occasions. He's putting that experience to work, boiling down what his followers need to know into digestible chunks, using training techniques he's seen work before. Intuitive Leader[+2] - Who needs encouragement, who needs a stern rebuke, what will motivate a particular follower, who can be trusted to teach others, questions any teacher needs to be able to answer, and ones Rade can get by feel. He knows instinctively what to do to get the best out of each student and to build their loyalty to him as he does it. Leonin[+2] - As a Leonin, Rade can rely on the strength, reflexes, and endurance that come part in parcel with being descended from an apex predator. This is especially useful when it comes time to spar, as its harder more physically demanding work to hold back just enough to be challenging, especially against students who have been substantially physically enhanced. Also, as per our discussion, Rade's holding back on the use of Fleshshaper[+2] and eating an additional [-2] to this action since he's devoting substantial energy to helping strengthen and accelerate Kerr's transformation.
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Mar 15, 2022 05:27
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Results: 12 + 4 - Great Success While there was challenge teaching an aquatic people techniques and forms intended for dry surfaces, Rade had become familiar enough with living in the water to have already adapted them. Having tested them first himself, he was able to teach them to his students. All the changes he had already made to them had primed their bodies to adapt to the exercises he taught them, and Rade found that his students were adapting to them more quickly than he had hoped. Ganmorring himself was perhaps his fastest learner. At one point Rade had caught him not only flawlessly performing the maneuver he had been teaching him, but also testing adapting the technique to suit his own for and budding style. None of Rade's students had the experience and mastery to overcome him yet, but they would have been offered generous positions had they been duelists looking for an arena or contest back in Rade's world of origin. But even more than Ganmorrin, Rade's greatest pupil turned out to be Kerr. After a few nights of Rade running him through his exercises you thought for a moment that maybe Kerr was no longer listening to you, but running through things on his own as if he was in his own body and not his head. Although Kerr had been eager to continue, Rade had begun to feel a little fatigued and you had to call it an early night. In your dreams you had a strange sensation, like a lucid dream where you could stretch out your budding innate power and change and grow it in a new direction. Although there were many paths you could almost perceive, only three were near enough to metaphorically and metaphysically grasp. As you touched that new form of power, Rade's dream was suddenly broken as there was a loud knocking noise that came through the wall that separated the room that Rade slept in and the room that Kerr was sleeping in. Going to check on the boy, Rade could immediately see the issue. Kerr's transformation had finally kicked in, and it had been far more dramatic than either Kerr or Rade had intended. As a result, Kerr's new Leonin body did not easily fit into his room and he needed assistance managing to extract himself from his room. Once Kerr was free of the unexpected predicament Rade could fully appreciate just how dramatic the change on the teenager had been. Rade could confidently count himself amongst some of the more imposing Leonin in terms of size and physique, but Kerr was nothing less than supernal. Were you not submerged he would have stood roughly a foot taller than Rade and he easily had at least an extra third of Rade's mass extra in muscle. Your son was ecstatic but also confused that he was seemingly stronger than his new father, a situation he had not even thought to consider before that morning. Rade may choose one of the following three options for advancement: 1. Fleshshaper [+2] evolves into Fleshsmith [+4]. This represents Rade's more practiced use of his organic molding powers. While this upgrade does not allow for truly radical transformations it does allow Rade to work with magic, imbuing a body with innate magic to sustain more dramatic abilities than previously. 2. Fleshshaper [+2] evolves into Shapesmith [+4]. Rade has become capable of more dramatic changes of form. Not only is Rade able to alter his own physical form relatively freely, he can change the nature of another creature drastically or make dramatic changes grounded in mundane science. 3. A new sphere, Water [+2]. This grants Rade an affinity with water allowing him to breathe in any water (fresh or salt) as well as to conjure and manipulate water elementally. Additionally it will make water affinity fleshshaping changes easier and allows you more drastic changes as long as the change is aquatic or amphibious in nature. Whether these changes result in some sort of transformation in Rade's default form is optional and up to you. Rade also will gain an increased affinity for the Tower, although he is unaware of this and you will discover what this entails with time.
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Mar 29, 2022 11:22
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Things were proceeding better than Rade could have hoped. First the sheer progress of his followers, then Kerr's transformation. He had felt an almost electric current running through him the past few days, then as he was looking at Kerr's new form it was like the tumblers of the universe aligned as one and unbelievable power flowed into him. His abilities expanded, strengthening his control over flesh, allowing him to take it beyond mundane limits into supernatural abilities. With narry a thought he turned the power inwards. When he first started to shape flesh he had enhanced his own body to its natural limits, now as his powers evolved past old limits, he took his body beyond the old limits that had constrained him. Power flooded into him, expanding his size to more closely match Kerr. His muscles grew proportionally leaving him an adonis-like physique. Energy flooded into every cord of muscle, every bone, every organ taking them beyond merely natural limits. Pound for pound he would be stronger, faster, and tougher. His senses would be sharper than ever, allowing him to not only see and hear more but to do so with perfect clarity. His voice, mien, and eyes all took on a supernaturally compelling quality, imposing and alluring in equal measure. His appearance, his physique, his senses, his mind, even his fangs and claws, across every measure he would be more than he had been before. His form befitting a burgeoning Leonin god. When the change was complete, he looks to Kerr and speaks. "There, that's much better." Upgrading to Fleshsmith[+4]. Rade is using his powers to further enhance his body. Enhanced size, musculature, strength, stamina, speed, reflexes, sharper senses, powerful pheromones, the whole nine yards all beyond merely natural limits. He's even investing his voice and appearance with supernaturally compelling/alluring aspects. Fleshsmith[+4] - To alter himself beyond natural limits.
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Mar 31, 2022 02:37
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 3 + 4 - Minor Consequences As the newly enhanced Rade looked at Kerr, he saw that whatever had linked the transformed Leonin to himself had also linked the enhancements. Kerr was now looking a little alarmed as he could no longer leave the room without tearing down part of a wall. "Whatever you did father, please wait until I'm outside before you decide to do it again." He says with a little bit of alarm.
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Apr 26, 2022 09:35
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves quote:Rade stretched a bit after leading his son outside. It had been an excellent chance to put his newly enhanced strength to the test. Between the pair of them, it had been fairly easy to break Kerr out of the dwelling that no longer really suited them. His body still felt amazing, bursting with power, senses sharper, an intoxicating experience. Looking over to Kerr with a smile on his face, Rade asks. "So, how's it feel, becoming my son in blood as well as name?" Rade sends Kerr on ahead, letting the newly changed Leonin’s return impact first before appearing himself. It also gives him time to focus. The next part of the training regimen would be tough. Imposing order and discipline on recruits normally took time, the resource currently most precious as Rade had no idea when the Apostle of the Monarch’s might be returning with forces to scourge the village. No, if he wanted to compress the work of months into weeks or even days he would need every advantage in his arsenal. Fortunately, his new powers gave him just the boost he needed. Closing his eyes, Rade turned his power inwards once more. Now that he was no longer bound by the restraints of mundane physical ability, Rade sought to grant himself supernal charisma, the sort that made otherwise normal men and women into kings and cult leaders, the kind that would make a mercenary soldier like him into the sort of general who would inspire worship and irrational devotion from his troops. He thought hard about what he would need, what elements would have the greatest impact, where to invest his power. Naturally, as a leader in battle his voice would need to cut through the din of combat, carrying his orders clearly. More than merely loud and clear, though, his voice should be the sort that left listeners hanging on his every word no matter what he might be talking about, that would be tantamount to a religious experience for those who heard it. His appearance would not fundamentally change, but rather it would be invested with supernatural appeal. They would dream about him, unable to help but to associate the sight of him with majesty, hope, salvation, the promise of a better future. His body would constantly pump out powerful pheromones that would further enrapture those exposed to him. Beyond the merely physical, his very presence would be the very image of commanding, bolstering the morale of his allies and damaging the will of his enemies. His own innate senses on how to affect others would be enhanced, with a glance he would know just what words to say and how to say them to impart whatever emotional state he desired. Taken together, he wanted his presence or even the memory of it, to inspire powerful and lasting positive feelings in all those who followed him. The sort of feelings that when combined with a series of strategically granted rewards, would quell any and all dissatisfaction that sort of training might normally create. For so long, an entire lifetime he had been a follower, playing second fiddle. This time though, in this new life he would be the one that was followed. In prep for the next round of training, Rade’s trying to imbue himself with powerful supernatural charisma and presence. Also, forgot to add a mundane rank last round, so I’ll be bumping Intuitive Leader up to +4 to represent Rade having now had much more experience using it since was drawn to the Tower. I might change the quality name if a better one strikes me. Fleshsmith[+4] - Rade is using his power to effect the change and to allow his abilities to transcend natural limits. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade has served under many leaders, and he has a good idea of the sorts of things that inspire men to follow, so he knows what to focus on. Intuitive Leader[+4] - This is building on Rade’s existing natural charisma and leadership talent.
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May 9, 2022 02:44
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 7 + 10 - Success Rade worked his power inwards and although he could feel his body struggling to contain yet further enhancements in so short a time he did manage to wrangle his power to his will. The nature of the pheromones would need to be changed depending on whether they needed to act as an aerosol or be diffused into the surrounding water. Rade worked some minor cosmetic changes into his appearance as well to make himself more imposing and commanding in appearance, although these would not always be effective. While many cultures Rade had heard of valued size and strength as attributes in a warrior leader, these traits were not universally held. When Rade next moved around the village he would notice that people's heads would turn to him even if he hadn't expressly announced his presence, no doubt the effect of his new pheromones drawing his followers to his leadership. Gain situational modifier: Leader's Enhanced Charisma [+2] This effect will only apply to situations where you are acting in a leadership role. You'll need to recalibrate your pheromones depending on whether you're above or below water. I'm also going to fail further permanent bonuses to charisma or leadership until things have changed enough to justify it, just as a balance precaution (And I won't know how to write NPCs if they just start drooling and obeying you once you get within 100ft of them).
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Jun 1, 2022 05:36
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Returning to the village, Rade couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the effects his new pheromones possessed. Rade soon gathers up all his followers and addresses them, he has them gather nice and close so they can get the full force of his new enhancements. “You’ve done very well indeed with the first part of your training. I’ve taught you the basics of how to fight, but that’s only the beginning. When it comes right down to it, you might be excellent individual fighters, but that will only take you so far. If you want to be able to fight off the minions of the Deep Monarchs you’ll need to be more than excellent individual fighters, you’ll need to be soldiers. Now, what’s the difference between an individual fighter and a soldier?” He asks rhetorically. “Two things: discipline and obedience. You need the discipline to control your emotions and your actions, to keep cool even when you’re angry and scared and hurt. You need obedience to be able to subordinate yourself to the unit. A battle isn’t just a series of individual fights, its bigger than that. You don’t know where all the enemies are, how they’re moving, what your allies are doing. You need to fight as one, and that means you need to learn to obey even when you don’t want to or you don’t think it makes sense, even when it means you might be putting your life on the line." “I promised you victory, prosperity, in exchange for your fealty. I will deliver, you’ve already tasted some of the boons I’ve granted. However, to go the full measure you must live up to your part of the bargain as well. You will need to fully give yourselves over to me. I will mold you into soldiers without peer, it will be hard work, but when it's over, any enemy whether it be bandits, the kingdom, or even minions of the Monarchs will tremble at your coming. So, put everything you have into this training. Beyond that, the time is coming soon when I’ll be selecting officers from among your number. If you wish to secure your place in the hierarchy, you should give your all to impress me. You’ll find that there are other rewards waiting for those who prove successful in the training as well.” “Now, one last thing. You’ve no doubt noticed Kerr,” he gestures at his son. “After the betrayal of the man who became the enemy’s apostle, he asked me to take him on as my son. To fully wipe away the stain of the apostle, and with his enthusiastic agreement I made him not just my son in name, but in blood as well. He is my son, and you will treat him accordingly.” He gives a stern look to those assembled, leaving unspoken but present the dire consequences for anyone who dares test him on this point. Once the speech was over, Rade got down to the hard work of training his followers. He had been on the other side of such training, seen it done dozens of times in his career as a mercenary. He knew well the role he would have to play: the strict disciplinarian, the source of encouragement and inspiration, the object of fear and reverence both, all carefully mixed and balanced. Still, he had certain advantages most others taking this role would not. His new pheromones ought to make his followers especially receptive to him, especially susceptible to his attempt to mold them as he pleased. Of course, he had other means of encouragement in mind. Each day would begin before dawn and last into the evening with only short breaks. Opening with an inspection of his troops, Rade admonishes even the smallest infraction and praises those who went above and beyond the requirements. Then, onto training itself. A series of often dull and demanding but repetitive tasks, designed with a double purpose. Often there was a core to them that developed a skill a soldier ought to have: maintaining their kit, learning to move in formation or act as a unit, setting up and taking down camp, etc. However, the main goal was to get them used to following his commands unquestioningly and completely. To that effect he built in mantras his followers were expected to repeat, all designed to subtly and sometimes not so subtly encourage them to revere him and to submit completely to him. Any grumbling, complaining, or dissent of any other flavor was punished, and total deference towards him was both expected and required. Those who quickly got with the program, who clearly put in effort into fully subordinating themselves to Rade’s will were noted and praised. At the end of each day, the best performers were called forwards and rewarded. Rewards varied, it might be a lighter load, exemption from some busywork the rest might face, or an invitation to dine with Rade himself. Besides a chance to win his favor, Rade made sure such an opportunity would be greatly sought after by taking full advantage of his access to the Tower to bring back various delicacies that would survive underwater. For the neardwellers who had mere days and weeks before been on the verge of starvation, forced to survive on the dregs left after the tithe, the promise of high quality food would be irresistible. Of course, this might raise questions as to where Rade got such things, but it was a problem that solved itself because a major purpose of the entire training effort was teaching his followers to suppress and eventually all but completely eliminate the desire to question or doubt him. So even this was used as another prong in Rade’s methods to indoctrinate them. Those who succeeded constantly, soon found themselves raised to higher status. Others were expected to treat them with respect due to a superior and they had the authority to issue certain orders. Those who proved adept at this eventually found themselves with several lower performers in their charge, and were tasked with helping them succeed at training and surrender themselves to Rade. It was in this way that Rade planned to formally instate and legitimize Kerr and Ganmorrin’s roles as his right and left hands, his lieutenants with authority second only to his own. For the troublemakers and the failures, various punishments and additional tasks were prepared. Designed to humiliate and break them down in order to prime them to submit more fully to the training and indoctrination included. They received additional training, additional mantras, oversight by those who had succeeded. The intended cumulative effect was to grind away whatever impediment to the training the person possessed and get them back on track. The truly irrecoverable, if there were any, would be noted and if all else failed eventually confined until Rade could more personally deal with them. It would be a hard few weeks, but Rade had high hopes for the end result. If all went to plan, the villagers of Nanmin would end the process completely transformed mentally and emotionally just as he had changed them physically. Where once they had been meek farmers and hunters, living in fear of the shadow of the monarchs and all but consigned to their eventual death, he would make from them his ideal soldiers: totally loyal, ready and eager to accept his orders, and willing to fight and kill and if need be die for him. He had seen such soldiers in his past life fought alongside them, but they had always been for others. The kings and princes and rich men who could command such loyalties, not a lowly mercenary no matter how experienced. Now, however, he wanted such soldiers for himself and he was damned if he’d pass up such an opportunity. After all, if he was to conquer the kingdom and eventually face down the Monarchs themselves he would need such soldiers. Rade's starting phase 2 of his training program. Turn them from villagers who know how to fight into full fledged soldiers, soldiers who are fully and eagerly subordinated to his will. Think a mix between bootcamp and a cult indoctrination. In support of this, besides just normal drill sergeant stuff and pheromones, Rade is offering various rewards to people who work hard at the training. The most notable are: the chance to dine with him with others on various foods he brings back from his room in the Tower that are stuff they wouldn’t normally have access to, and the prospect of promotion as he sets up various levels of officers as the villagers are organized into a more military hierarchy. Intuitive Leader[+4] - To know when and what to say and do to get his followers to fully go through the training and how to use the training to most effectively mold them into what he wants. Leader’s Enhanced Charisma[+2] - Having pheromones and other enhancements that make you a more compelling leader helps make it much easier to get people to fully commit to the training and push through any discomfort or pain or annoyance it causes as they are made into Rade’s soldiers. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade has seen this done many times, though this is the first time he’s doing it for his benefit instead of some other person who he’s a hireling for.
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Jun 1, 2022 17:35
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 9 + 8 - Success The key to making people truly faithfully serve you was to make you think it was their own idea. Rade had the loyalty of the village already, but people had to truly want to follow you beyond death to know they now considered their own life, goals and dreams subordinate to yours. Rarely had Rade had a chance to indoctrinate this kind of loyalty before, but the desperation of the Neardweller situation combined with his powers had meant that here in Namin it was more of a possibility. After a fortnight of training you had a small force of soldiers, men and women who Rade was confident he could rely on to act within his tactical planning. This was just as well because a scout reported that a force from the capital was moving towards the village. Although their force was less well trained and equipped than Rade's own, they had a small unit of mages with them which would make things more unpredictable. None of the villagers could give you any kind of useful information about what the capabilities of the magi were, none of the villagers had been meaningfully trained in magic beyond a few minor cantrips to help with mundane living. Rade could deduce immediately that the size and composition of the force meant that the elder turned thrall of the Deep Monarchs had almost certainly gone to the capital to 'warn' them of Rade's plans in the village. He had intercepted Kerr while he had still be Torran so there was no one else who could be the culprit. The timing of events meant that the capital would be similarly unaware of Rade and the village's true capabilities as well, as the elder had fled before Rade's power had grown and he had created his living equipment for his troops.
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Jun 28, 2022 06:18
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves The training was hard work, but Rade enjoyed it. He could tell he was on the brink of achieving gis desires. His followers were starting to become genuine soldiers, and were primed to start to truly idolize him as he desired. What he needed now was more than training, he needed to deliver them victory. For that was ultimately the true engine of loyalty, every soldier wanted to be on the winning side, and once his troops started winning in battle, started to really feel the power they had gained, then they truly would be his. Fortunately or unfortunately it was in this moment that the news of the enemies approach reached his ears. The long feared first attack by the Apostle's pawns had arrived. That it took the form of a punitive expedition from the Kingdom was a fortunate twist of fate from Rade's perspective. He had seen and heard enough about the state of the Neardwellers lands to have a general idea of the state of the kingdom and to size up what sort of enemy it would be. He had fought for and against states like the Kingdom before. Lands rotting due to famine, plague, or disaster were rife with mercenary work after all. As the resources dried up, slowly but surely the nobles on top needed to squeeze more and more blood from a stone. This meant the destruction of legitimacy at the same time as existing institutions withered on the vine from under investment. Armies in kingdoms like that quickly degenerated, there wasn't enough money to pay the troops adequately, but they were still needed to keep the peasants in line. This meant that corruption quickly became rampant destroying discipline and good order. Top that off with the fact it had likely been decades since they faced any enemy more potent than a group of starving peasants, and it was a recipe for a force that was a paper tiger. These were troops who had spent their entire career as glorified bandits with outdated and decaying equipment grown used to stramrolling unprepared rabble. Rade smiled, he could not have asked for a more perfect foe for his purposes. When faced with real opposition, real losses, they would fold like a piece of paper, and in doing so signal the Kingdom’s demise. There was still the matter of the mages however. They were an unknown quantity. He simply did not know enough about magic to know how to best contain them. Still, he would gather what knowledge he could and try and make estimates on what they could do and how best to contain them. After all, if they could be taken alive and brought to his way of thinking they could be an incredible strategic asset. Orders were issued for his troops to get ready to move out, and he met with the scouts to work out the best position for an ambush. Once they had that in hand he would inquire for what info he could on magic. How it was practiced, what it could do, the basics he would need for a barebones tactical assessment. Rade’s setting up to ambush the army as they march to Nanmin. He’s using the locals superior knowledge of the terrain and his own experience to identify the ideal spot where they can get maximum effect for a surprise attack. Also, Rade’s inquiring about mages, like what is the process for casting magic, where did the scouts see them in the enemy’s formation, etc. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - To know the sort of terrain that would be conducive to ambushes and how to get forces setup there without being spotted. Intuitive Leadership[+4] - To quickly get a grasp on who he needs to talk to and to get the necessary information as efficiently as possible.
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Jul 1, 2022 05:12
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Rade - Flower Door, Namin Caves Result: 5 + 6 ( - 4 due to magic) - Partial Success Rade's investigations into magic led to a few insights. None of the people in the village were accomplished mages, some had basic civilian magic though and this offered more insight than less militaristically minded people might have expected. For example the magic could be used to sense scents and currents in the water from a distance. With enough training and knowledge this could be used to tell if there were troops or civilians moving in an area. Or the magic that could be used to mildly heat or cool water suggested more extreme applications that could affect the 'terrain' of water. There were rumours of trained magi having access to ice magic, the ability to communicate over distance , shielding spells and even just basic lances and bolts of energy. With this in mind when the enemy began to change their path and watch slightly as Rade set up the ambush, it let Rade know that at least some of his forces had been spotted. This confirmed the ability for them to be able to see without direct line of sight, although fortunately it seemed to only be the mages for now that had this ability. Both sides learn a little of the other, and Rade learns that the mages are the real threat.
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Aug 1, 2022 05:00
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Rade - Flower Door, Ambush Site Rade saw the shift in the enemy's movement. He had hoped to get them all the way into his trap before he sprung it, but he had gained valuable intelligence and while he wouldn't have total surprise, he'd have more than enough to roll up this particular enemy formation. Assuming he took out the mages anyways. That was a task he would handle personally. Whatever the kingdom's troops might have been expecting, they had no idea what they were about to face. Closing his eyes for a moment, Rade wills a small but important change in his body. He enhances his claws with a powerful paralytic agent. A single nick would be enough to knock an enemy out of commission for hours, more than enough time to wrap this all up. The mages were a valuable strategic asset after all, and he'd like them alive if possible. With a signal, the attack began. The order he had given earlier being put into effect. He had no doubt his followers, lead by Kerr and Ganmorrin would cut through the kingdom troops like a hot knife through butter. His men were almost certainly better trained than the sort of glorified bandits the kingdom's army would consist of these days, not to mention much better equipped thanks to the symbiotes his follower had. That mismatch would be infinitely compounded by the fact that the enhancements he had provided his followers left them stronger, faster, and tougher than their opponents. With him handling the mages, his troops maiden battle would be a glorious victory the kind that they had never experienced in their entire lives. A predator's smile crosses his lips as he bellows out, "CHARGE!!!" Then he braces down and in a single explosive motion he launches himself as fast as his supernaturally enhanced body can take him, shooting through the water like a torpedo into the center of the enemy mage formation planning to catch them by surprise. Then it would be a matter of landing as many hits with his claws as he could to neutralize the mages in the opening moments of the battle, leaving the rest of the enemy formation to be utterly crushed by his own troops. Time to attack, Rade's launching a lightning-blitz on the enemy mages, while the rest of his forces try and roll over the main body of the enemy formation. Rade's trying to (where possible) take enemy's alive by paralyzing them with a paralytic venom he's added to his claws, but if push comes to shove he'll go for lethal blows if that's what's necessary to take out the mages in the opening phase of the fight. Fleshsmith[+4] - Rade's physique is beyond natural limits thanks to this power, and he's helping to enhance his ability to hopefully take the mages alive by endowing his claws with paralytic venom (that he himself will be immune to). Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade knows how to fight, he's fought his entire life. Intuitive Leadership[+4] - Rade set up the plans for this fight, gave the orders he knew his men could follow. He knew who could be relied on to do what and how to get the best of out of his troops for their portion of the operation. Leonin[+2] - When it comes to fighting, being born with razor sharp claws and a predator's instincts can be a big help.
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Aug 4, 2022 04:29
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Rade - Flower Door, Ambush Site Result: 5 + [8 + (4)] - 4 = Success While the attack of Rade's forces caught the enemy by surprise, it was not unexpected. The mages barked sensible and prepared orders, but the training too poor to accurately respond. Thugs with delusions of military service were sluggish to react and quickly incapacitated by Rade and his forces. The three magi held out for longer and while they managed to injure some of Rade's troops they delayed the inevitable by a minute. The whole ambush was quick and efficient. Rade was checking to make sure the magi were properly bound and any items that could be fetishes to cast magic when he came across a very notable medallion. As he grabbed the medallion to rip it from the magi's neck, there was an electric shock through his hand for a moment and a bolt of light leapt from the medallion and darted off into the distance. In the second Rade took to recover his composure and be able to react, it had already travelled far enough that Rade could give up on any thoughts of catching up to it if it was possible to meaningfully impede it. No doubt it was some kind of contingency spell to alert the magi's organisation in the event of capture or defeat. But the troops and the three magi were bound and for a while longer paralysed. The troops were also bound and captured, but their morale had broken almost immediately and Rade had little worries that they would try to escape.
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Aug 11, 2022 03:45
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Rade - Flower Door, Ambush Site Turning back to his followers, Rade let out a victorious roar. When the answer from his followers died down, he spoke his voice loud and carrying. "I promised you that I'd make you into soldiers, promised you strength, and most importantly promised you victory. Here it is, the first of many! Today will long be remembered as the dawn of a new era, so enjoy your first taste of victory for our work is just beginning." Rade then saw to the wounds his own troops sustained, minor applications of his power sufficient to banish them as if they had never been. As he inspected his troops, he said a word here and there, commending those who had performed well, offering advice where it was warranted. He wanted his troops to feel his presence, his interest in them, and to spur them to feelings of ecstasy and relief that came with victory on the field of battle. All the best commanders he had ever served with had done the same, and that was a key factor in building up true loyalty from his troops. For each soldier or group of soldiers, he had just the right words to make them really feel this victory and pull them tighter to him, a heady dose of his pheromones serving to enhance the effect of close conversation. When he had spoken to the others, he last came upon Kerr. As he had been raised, the maiden battle, the first blooding of a leonin's claws was a right of passage into manhood. He wanted to see how his own son had fared and was feeling, not to mention to make sure that his other followers were treating Kerr with the respect his son was due. Victory celebration time. Rade's getting his people hyped on their victory, aiming to have them feeling really awesome and motivated. He's also healing any wounds they might have suffered and just generally trying to get morale of his forces up high while he waits for the paralytic to wear off on the enemy captives. Also, checking in on Kerr. Fleshsmith[+4] - Healing up injuries major or minor is just a matter of returning flesh to its proper form. Experienced Mercenary[+2] - Rade is drawing on the experience of all the best commanders he served under or with in terms of what to do after a victory. Intuitive Leadership[+4] - Rade is reading people to know just the words to get someone feeling powerful and happy after a victory, how to keep them motivated and building loyalty from them. Leader's Enhanced Charisma[+2] - Rade's doing closer conversations with his troops both for its own sake and because closer contact will hit them with a bigger and stronger dose of his pheromones which ought to help them get carried away in the mood Rade is trying to build. --- quote:After Rade had spoken to his other troops, helped stoke the feelings arising from their first victory, Rade sought out Kerr. As he had been taught, the first blooding of a Leonin's claws was a right of passage for his people, and he wanted to see how his son had found his first taste of battle, and his first taste of victory. Approaching him, Rade called out. "Kerr, my son, enjoying the taste of victory?" Valhawk fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Aug 25, 2022 |
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Aug 12, 2022 01:35
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Rade - Flower Door, Victory Site Checking in with his troops, Rade could tell there was excitement and he needed to do little kindling to fan it. Most of his troops had been well protected by the symbiotic armour, although one had been unlucky and attacked by three of the enemy rabble and the symbiote had been unable to successfully protect all three locations. Fortunately the wound was not seriously debilitating, and Rade was able to cleanly heal it. The soldier did ask if he could have a scar, purely cosmetic, as a sign of pride and also maybe to seem more attractive. Rade's attention to his troops would pay dividends in the future, and as the paralytic began to wear off the celebration earned him envious and angry scowls from the thugs that had been recruited as soldiers. The magi however were more calculating in their attention, and Rade could tell that they were already evaluating and planning...probably their escape but something nonetheless. However they would be hard pressed to effect their escape in their near future as their fetishes had been confiscated and their hands and arms bound. Even their feet had been bound just as a precaution.
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Sep 15, 2022 04:37
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Rade - Flower Door, Ambush Site quote:Once the mages were awake and he had finished checking in on his own troops, Rade comes over, grabbing their ropes he lifts them up like they were baggage and carries them away from the other troops, to a small room within Nanmin he had prepared for this. The smaller size would offer privacy from those who might overhear and it would also ensure the mages were in close enough quarters to get the full effect of his pheromones. Even moving them had been calculated to intimidate and highlight the difference in power between them. Setting them down, Rade looks over and before he removes their gags matter-of-factly states, "I'm going to ungag you now. If you try anything funny I think you'll find that you'll very much regret it for whatever is left of your lives." Then he removes the gag. In that moment, Rade was using his own power to examine the body of the mage. He still understood so little about the magic of this land, what it could and couldn't do, how exactly it worked. However, if it affected the body then perhaps there was a method to defeat it. After all, it seemed he had little alternative if he wanted to learn much more, and even if he had not, if the Monarch's had control over them they would be useless as followers for him. Rade is attempting to fully understand the body of the mage, see if the spell on him has a physical or biological component he can use to break or alter it. Fleshsmith[+4] - To scan the mage's body and see what's unusual and if there's a physical/biological component to the magic.[/b]
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Sep 24, 2022 06:04
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Rade - Flower Door, Victory Site Result: 7 + 4 - Partial Information Rade used his power to interrogate the flesh of the magi. His power involved needing to understand the body of his target before he could change it, so he tried stopping the power at that first step. While the magi was very similar in many ways to the other villagers he had changed, there were two differences. He couldn't describe them accurately in articulate terms, beyond that one was like a bright and charged power that resided in the body. The second was like an inky black pressure that exerted on the...essence of the magi as well. An immediate conclusion was obviously that it was some tie to the Deep Monarchs, which would fit given the man's deliberately vague comments. But without understanding what it really was it could also be something else.
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Sep 29, 2022 05:16
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Rade - Flower Door, Ambush Site Rade could sense the presences in the mages bodies. They were both unusual, one or both had to be related to the monarchs. The problem was there was no way to know which. There was a potentially straightforwards way to find out, though it might kill or disable the mages. Rade wasn't particularly fussed by that point. After all, if he couldn't identify the source of the Deep Monarch's influence on them they would need to be eliminated anyhow. It wasn't like there was a value in keeping them as prisoners in their current condition. He didn't really have the manpower for prisoners at this stage, so the options when it came right down to it were convert or die. Still, it'd be a waste to kill them for nothing. Maybe there was a way he could learn a bit more. In a seemingly disinterested tone, as though he was talking about the weather and not the state of their souls, Rade mentions. "You have two unusual presences in your body. One or perhaps both will need to be removed. If you have anything to say about it, now's your last chance." Seeing how the mages react before Rade starts cutting their souls open to start excising one or both of the presences.
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Sep 29, 2022 05:51
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Rade - Flower Door, Victory Site The man looked at you warily and replied; "While I fear I am powerless to stop you, I'd really rather you didn't remove anything from me. Do you even know how our anatomy works?"
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Oct 3, 2022 02:48
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Rade - Flower Door, A cave in Nanmin. Rade quirks an eyebrow, amused by the question, his power meant he had a far better understanding of their anatomy than the mage himself had. Still, he proffers no answer. Instead, he extends out his power and attempts to excise the inky-black presence he sensed earlier. It was fortunate that three mages had been captured, as there were only 3 possible answers as to what needed to be excised to achieve the results he desired. Rade's cutting out the inky-black presence from the Mage's soul. Fleshsmith[+4]
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Oct 3, 2022 02:54
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