[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post

[Tamamo]

CJC let's make the book silent. "It's all in her head as it's psionic manage okay. ;)

Rose
Rose: "Do you have a name? What are you doing in this book?"
Book "Ah yes, Yuri, and this book is my vessel. I am a psionic mage." (ooc: You sure you want a girls name?)

Good point, changed from Yui to Yuri.
R: "In otherwords this is all in my head right now."
Y: "In a way, but i am a psionic mage. Perhaps we can make a trade."
R: "What kind of trade?"
Y: "I need a new body, a living body and you must interested in arcane archery, I can teach you Psionic Magic in exchange."
R: "You have yourself a deal."
I pocket the diary grab WALLACE and return to the warship.

ACQUIRED DIARY

Granberia
Granberia: "Be sure to tell sylph I owe you girls once we get out of here."
Wyrmkiller: "So that's what it was, I could of sworn I sensed a dragon on the moon."
G: "Please you common sense Wyrmkiller, they need air too."
W: "Says the girl who turned a beach into a glass sculpture and most likely made Undine moody."
The spirits dance around me, giggling and recycling their oxygen in a bubble as I begin exploring for wooden objects to use as a means of assimilating so I can slam into the earth like a meteor, again.


(Read 10-20-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

CJC
Seven Pinnacles
There are 7 pinnacles (technically six, one of them serves as there boss) residing in this dimension. Acquiring a pinnacle grants access to these abilities, if your a Mage you can control their district much more then a normal shaman could. You might gain improved abilities also. Undine might increase scrying with a water mirror for example.

Sylph, Fairy Queen of Wind
Energy Source: Gas
Elemental Affinity: Electricity
District: Air Spirits
Pros: Increases Agility and Evasion. Can hear the voice of the wind.
Cons: No Combat Experience
Personality: Carefree and Playful
Appearance: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pWwdUtFJmP4/UosXnai6i5I/AAAAAAAABh0/WocQ2pReWqE/s1600/Slyph.png

Undine, Priestess of the Ocean
Energy Source: Liquid
Elemental Affinity: Cryonic
District: Water Spirits
Pros: Grants or improves the serene mind ability and underwater breathing.
Cons: She is one of the hardest
Personality: Moody and Sarcastic
Appearance: http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/fairytailfanon/images/0/02/Suina10.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130906113311

Salamander, Woman of Flames
Energy Source: Fuel (Flammable Stuff)
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
District: Fire Spirits
Pros: Increases combat effectiveness. (both mundane and magical), and grants access to flame dash.
Cons: The nature of fire is a double edged sword. If you abuse it, you may burn yourself.
Personality: She is a good teacher, but is temperamental.
Appearance: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/monstergirlquest/images/1/10/Summon_Salamander.png/revision/latest?cb=20120523192546

Bawu, The Ravenous Plant
Energy Source: Wood
Elemental Affinity: VOID
District: Plant Spirits
Pros: Can eat anything, regardless of toxicity or hardness. Can speak with plants.
Cons: Being a plant spirit he hates fire, this will carry over to you making you weak to it.
Personality: Ravenous and Resentful
Appearance: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/venusmcflytrap/images/c/c2/An-illustrated-painting-by-Mike-Puncekar-of-a-plant-monster-from-the-mario-video-games.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121203055017

Songbird, The Bird of Steel
Energy Source: Metal
Elemental Affinity: VOID "some scholars believe it to be air or electricity but there is no proof of this"
District: Metal Spirits
Pros: Can manipulate metal and magnetism.
Cons: Requires concentration, plus the spirit enjoys singing.
Personality: Obnoxious and Stupid. (He is actually quite intelligent, and simply enjoys playing dumb and taking things literal.)
Appearance: http://img00.deviantart.net/8926/i/2009/182/f/4/skarmory_by_shikathefox.jpg

Pygmy, The Child of the Sands
Energy Source: Stone
Elemental Affinity: VOID
District: Earth Spirits
Pros: Increases Strength and Endurance, can speak with stone.
Cons: She almost never says anything, and will simply shake or nod her head.
Personality: Shy and Reserved.
Appearance: http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/eushully/images/b/bf/Aht.png/revision/latest?cb=20140301064501

Shade, Spirit King
Energy Source: VOID
Elemental Affinity: VOID
District: Unknown "he serves as a balance keeper, his true district is unknown. Me and CJC know what it is."
Not much is known about Shade except that he is neutral in both a energy source and element. He rules over all spirits ensuring peace between all the six pinnacles. He is a strange spirit and does not choose to remain hidden but rather searches for 'the one' worthy of contracting him. So far none have been able to meet his expectations. Unlike the others, he has no temple.
Personality: Protective and Brooding
Appearance: http://orig01.deviantart.net/eb82/f/2010/222/4/2/zof_shade_by_jasonengle.jpg


(Read 10-21-15)
-C

[mrz84]

I search my pouch and find some of my personal trail rations and let him have whatever he wants. I turn my focus to Milani's pendant. The reaction is strange as this is the first time I have seen it react since I started my journey. The only other time it has acted like this was when in the presence of my wife, whom had powerful control over water and ice magic. However, she is not here. Which means somebody else is present with access to powerful water and ice magic. I scan the room again for any signs of anything odd.


(Read 10-21-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

mrz84
You notice there is a hole in the ceiling large enough for someone with broad shoulders to fit through, above it there appears to be water unaffected by the laws of physics.

(Read 10-21-15)
-C

[TheDarkOne]

((@Tamamo: I don't want to go that route with Sancireph--his sister and mother are both alive and well. His father died from an illness shortly before he was born. As he is my character I do have the final say on this and I am discarding that idea))

Sancireph:
I climb slowly and carefully, making to distribute my weight each time to keep the ruins from collapsing. I hear Erasmut roaring in pain in the middle of counting ((Goldleaf's attack)) but I can't see him to know what is going on. I concentrate on climbing.

Goldleaf:
I am still too drained to use darkspace magic, so I pull up the hood of my robe to shield my eyes from the harsh sunlight and start out for the town. If I can get my bearings from there and regain some energy, I can possibly teleport back to the location I originally left.


(Read 10-22-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

TheDarkOne, no problem. It's an opportunity. you decide if it happens or not.

Granberia
I eventually come to a greenhouse but it doesn't appear to have any doors.
Granberia: "Why is there a greenhouse on the moon?"
Wyrmkiller: "That means plant material, light her up."
G: "This gonna be good. Aim carefully mom, we only got one shot at this."
I snap my fingers and the Salamander and I reassimilate as the inside of the greenhouse catches fire and rocket towards the earth."
Gigamander: "Time to impale a dragon's skull."
Gigamander rockets back to Erasmute, aiming for it's skull with the wyrmkiller pointing forward."

METEOR STRIKE
CJC
Destroying that greenhouse should have consequences. I also finished the spirit section and sent you a PM on shade.


(Read 10-22-15)
-C

[CJC]

(This is tennis, not an update. There's still time to get in more stuff before the update, which will be tomorrow evening.)

Rose,
Yuri's voice twitches in your head.
Yuri: "Is that chef supposed to be my new host? He looks a little... damaged. And I poked around in your head; he's important to you."
You think-speak, knowing the book can hear you.
Yuri: "Two minds in one body doesn't work. One smooshes the other. Like pressing a flower in a book. You can preserve it, but it's... you know, flat."
This is worrying news. It seems Yuri can't take a body without ousting its former occupant. It's like he's some kind of haunting spectre--a body snatcher.
You run past Erasmut, who has taken to lifting the decks off of ships in pursuit of his playmates. You are able to bring Wallace to the warship.
Wallace (Pulling away from you): "What are you doing, girl? Why have we come this far from the ship? Those blasted frogmen will get us out here, not to mention the giant dragon!"
You point to the captain of the warship, and Wallace just drops his jaw.
Wallace (To the captain): "Uhh... hello there."


Zataka,
You do note a gaping hole in the ceiling. Seawater should be flooding into the chamber, but it remains perfectly sustained above your head. It is as if a powerful force is twisting the water around the temple, preventing more from gaining entry.
...But then where did all of the water that's currently IN the temple come from?
You take the grateful crewman with you out into the hall, which is a straight line of similar chambers leading to a stairwell leading DOWN.
There's nothing particularly interesting about these chambers (the doors are closed, so you can search them if you wish). You notice, however, that the bizarre WEED increases in concentration the further down the hall you look. By the stairs the walls are absolutely coated in it.
As you head in that direction the pendant dances with more fervor.


Sancireph,
After careful scaling, you reach the top of the ship ruins. Victory is within reach!
But... where'd the sword go? It's like it just vanished.
With some quick thinking, you stab one of your swords into the wreck and place your hands on it, shouting "I let all the oxen free!".
Erasmut turns in your direction and sees you.
Erasmut: "Aww man! How'd you get up there so quickly?! I... I..."
He lowers his head sadly.
Erasmut: "Two out of three? Three out of five?"
His eyes are almost pleading.
Erasmut: "...Okay, you win."
Down on the ground, you see a grand symbol of darkness form on the ground. From it, a score of crewmembers appear. Odd... GOLDLEAF and ZATAKA are not among them.
Erasmut flies to the far end of the grotto and curls into a spiral, sobbing.
It seems you've won the ship.


Goldleaf,
You start walking east, towards the port city. The sun is in your eyes, so you turn your vision to your feet, relying on your footprints to guide you.
The desert isn't sandy, but rather an arid plain of cracked rock.
As the sun beats down on you, you begin to see mirages on the horizon. Thankfully your scry magic is potent enough for you to shrug these off as illusions.
It's going to be a long walk, you can't even see the city yet.
Still, something's bothering you. There's a single raven flying in the air above you. You swear that it's following you.


Granberia,
Gigamander plummets towards the grotto like a meteor. However, when she notices the blade in her hand is WYRMKILLER, she flinches and deflects her trajectory with a gout of flame.
She crashes into the sea, creating a giant spherical pocket of steam. At this point, Salamander breaks from you, returning you to the form of Granberia.
Salamander: "Wyrmkiller?! Dammit Beri, do you know what I went through to get that sword away from you?"
Wyrmkiller: "Come now, Salamander. Don't you want to join my crusade?"
Salamander: "Ugh, I almost fell for it too. Get out of my head, beast!"
You finally recognize that the Wyrmkiller has been TALKING to you. That's sort of odd, isn't it? For a sword to have an agenda? Most of them go about cutting things or killing things, but this one's talking about a crusade?
You ask Salamander what she means about separating you from the sword.
Salamander: "Black powder, Beri? You think I wanted you stranded on some island? It was worth it to get you apart from that thing, and now you're swinging it around again!"
You both look around and notice that your pocket of air is being maintained by a thick shell of ice around the edges.
Salamander: "Oh... oh no."
Undine: "I thought I told you to get to work."
The walls of ice erupt jagged spears of frost, narrowly missing you. More are forming to launch.

[Tamamo]

Granberia
Salamander roars at Undine, but then envelops Granberia in flames and whisks her to the safety of her own (Salamander's) temple, an onyx structure within the heart of a volcano. Salamander then departs to get help for Granberia's burns.


-=SPOILER=-
I wrote the update before you changed it, so I changed it back.


Rose
I explain to Yuri with my thoughts that I actually plan to have him consume the captain and introduce Wallace to the the crew. I tell the Captain he is a cook and he brought food with him to cook you guys something to eat as I'm sure you're starving. As for me, I decide to forgo supper and simply drink a vial.

He didn't bring the seaweed, and the captain is still charmed. I have one vial left now btw.


(Read 10-23-15)
-C

[mrz84]

I briefly examine each door along the way, cautious of any possible danger. The increase of the number of weeds concerns me greatly, but I press on towards the end of the hall. I grasp my pendant for a moment before continuing onward.


(Read 10-23-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

mrz84
I was thinking. Since you're in Undine's temple. And your magic has a Cryonic Affinity you might be a good match for Undine. May'be you can do something about this seaweed. But that's up to you and cjc.


(Read 10-23-15)
-C

[CJC]

===========================
Setting Elaboration
Here are all of the established facts about dragons which have been either implied or stated during the course of this game. This list is the most up-to-date; if anything already established before this point is contradicted by this list, then this list supersedes it.
Additionally, up until this point the dimension that houses the dragons has been referred to as the ‘dragon dimension’. To make writing this segment easier, and to tease with intertextual references, this dimension shall henceforth be referred to as “Utgard”, and the dimension the game takes place in shall be called “Nidavellir”.

Dragons: Dimensional Travel
The Rehatching
Dragons are not native to Nidavellir. They travel to this game’s dimension through cracks in reality (Rips, Shreds, and Tears). However, energy in Utgard is much more concentrated than energy in Nidavellir: when the dragon arrives they are forced into a ‘cocoon’ (shell) so that their internal energy can diffuse (increase volume to reduce density) to the background concentration in Nidavellir. This is how dragons are transformed into their reptilian shape by travelling to the dimension and this is what prevents them from going back through the crack to Utgard.

Refugees
Dragons, just like any other being in this universe, possess a metaphysical volume. This means they cannot pass through dimensional cracks which are too small to permit their passage. Think of it this way: a human will not be able to crawl into a rat hole.
As such, the dragons in Nidavellir are beings of small metaphysical volume; they are refugees of Utgard who have fled their dimension and its encroaching cold.
When these dragons refer to the “Big Fish”, they are talking about the rulers of their dimension, beings with large metaphysical volume. These ‘Big Fish’ are not aware of the cracks, but they DO know that people are vanishing from their domains. If they were to become aware of Nidavellir, they would need to find or create a sizeable dimension crack in order to cross over (building a WOUND).
The dragons of the game thus far therefore are hiding from the “Big Fish”; they do not want them to learn about Nidavellir.

The Bad End: Theft of the Sun
Destiny is what comes when we do not act. It is invariably tragic. So believe in destiny, and fight it with every ounce of strength you possess.
In the case of this game, destiny is that the “Big Fish” will learn about Nidavellir (and more importantly about the properties of this dimension) and come to conquer it, eventually stealing the sun and taking it back to their own dimension. The overarching goal of the players--outside and beyond individual plots--is to prepare Nidaviller for such an invasion to repel the “Big Fish” when they do eventually arrive.

Regarding Utgard
As dimensions go, Utgard is very close to elemental chaos. There is a great deal of raw magical energy but that energy has not coalesced into functional form yet. Seas are comprised of ether, volcanoes spew stardust, and even stormclouds rain drops of light rather than water.
Utgard has no stars, and as such has no natural sources of heat. The dimension is cold and unforgiving; dragons survive by infusing their pearls with heat and light. This is done by removing the pearl and allowing a Phoenixi to bleed on it.

Dragon Society
Due to the harsh nature of the dimension, society is structured around access to a Phoenixi and their much-needed blood. Individual nations have ruling bodies who imprison any Phoenixi the society encounters to properly allot their blood among the populace. Dragons not in the ruling body submit their valuables and services in order to get their pearls recharged. This is why dragons are so greedy in Nidavellir; they’ve never had the opportunity to accrue wealth and so in the warmth of a dimension with natural heat they hoard it. This is also what drives them to acts of conquest; they’ve never had power before and Nidavellir absolutely overwhelms them with it.
Like any world, Utgard has several differing nations which are not above warring with each other. Two such nations have come up in passing during the course of the game: Thane and Qinii. Thane is run by a council of five (colloquially called the Tiamat council) while Qinii has an empire with a single female figurehead (the Qin Empress).


Dragons: Anatomy
The scales
Dragons in Utgard are humanoid; in fact they have the same racial distinctions as the humanoids of Nidavellir (Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Humans). In Nidavellir, though, dragons take the form of giant flying quadrupedal reptiles (usually with leathery wings)… essentially the classic fantasy trope appearance. Dragons in Nidavellir take a shape, color, and elemental affinity based on their personality, which is why dragons from similar cultures in Utgard look similar in Nidavellir--they have compatible personality traits.
Dragons do not sprout feathers in Nidavellir; feathers are strictly worn by Phoenixi.

The pearl
Dragons do not manage their body heat through clothes or blood circulation. Rather, they maintain heat through radiating warmth from their PEARL, which is a spherical removable stone in the dragon’s chest. It is removable regardless of which dimension they occupy, but if removed in Nidavellir the dragon will be flagged by the universe as a native and will lose their reptilian features.
In Utgard, without a pearl a dragon will freeze to death.
In Nidavellir, the pearl is what defines a dragon’s personality and shape. Since it imprints these traits during the re-hatching, transferring the pearl into another dragon transplants these traits as well.

Dragon Radiation
Since Dragons are travelers (entities from a dimension different from Nidavellir), they carry with them certain communicable conditions which all travelers manifest to some degree. In the case of dragons, it is a lingering flavor of their home dimension which permeates their magic. This ‘dragon radiation’ causes things the dragons interact with and cast upon to slowly take on a similar appearance.
…This is actually the energy of the dragon ‘inducting’ the object/being into her dimension; Nidavellir things and people subjected to dragon energy slowly become equivalent denizens of Utgard (Draklings).

Draklings
When a natural denizen of Nidavellir is subjected to high levels of dragon radiation, they inevitably become denizens of Utgard (Draklings). However, since the metaphysical volume of creatures from Nidavellir is much less than that of creatures from Utgard, this transformation renders them more animal than humanoid.
There are four types of Draklings, based on the type of humanoid transformed:
Humans become Lizardfolk.
Elves become Dragontrolls.
Dwarves become Dragongnolls.
Gnomes become Dragonogres.
In Utgard, draklings take the form of quadrupedal mammals.
Lizardfolk become wolves.
Dragontrolls become foxes.
Dragongnolls become bears.
Dragonogres become coyotes.
This is significant, as without becoming a drakling any humanoid entering Utgard would take the form of a rat. This suggests that there’s a means of gaining metaphysical volume.
Draklings have pearls like the dragons that make them. They can also be used as casting conduits by the dragons who created them, and an unspoken bond of servitude (between friendship and subordination) forms that inclines the drakling to obey the dragon that created it.

Dragonkin
Dragonkin are genetic descendents of dragons that were conceived and born in Nidavellir rather than Utgard. They bear some of the reptilian features of their antecedents, but due to the low level of dragon energy in their body they have bipedal, humanoid form and they do not emit dragon radiation on others.
Due to their vastly different anatomy and lack of potent metaphysical volume, dragonkin are often rejected by their parents (if not killed outright).
Dragonkin do NOT possess dragon pearls. Utgard’s physics treats them as indistinguishable from humans. However, dragon radiation will not turn a dragonkin into a drakling. Rather, it transforms them into a fully-fledged dragon.

Phoenixi
Phoenixi are humanoids of Utgard that differ from the other denizens. They emit light from their bodies which can vary from a gentle glow to a blinding flash. They also do not have pearls. Rather, their blood is filled with heat and life, and is used to infuse heat into other pearls.
When Phoenixi travel to Nidavellir, they take the form of great orange birds, their bodies wreathed in flames. However, Phoenixi have the greatest metaphysical volume of any denizen in Utgard, so such visits are infrequent.
Phoenixi are born to dragon families, but the occurrence is rare. They are usually rounded up by the “Big Fish” before their fifth birthday.
Of note is the fact that the down of a Phoenixi in Nidavellir has special properties. Simply touching it is enough to remove any level of dragon radiation from the body.


Dragons: The Dragons so far
Atticas
Atticas is a fresh refugee and is only a child. He underwent his ‘rehatching’ during the first arc of the game. Atticas is significant in that he was able to perceive wealth as a connection to other services rather than simply a shiny thing to pursue--his goal was to contaminate Telivar’s riches and spread his influence throughout the world. In this way he is quite similar to the Big Fish, trying to control everything. Jerias talked him out of this action.
Atticas is also the only dragon on record to corrupt something before hatching, having resurrected Jerias’s body unintentionally before even breaking from the egg.

Bankraz
Bankraz has been in the dimension longer than Atticas, but not nearly as long as the other dragons yet encountered. Formerly a gardener, the transition to Nidavellir transformed him into a Hedge dragon aligned with fire. He attacked Telivar out of petty jealousy; the topiarist trivialized Bankraz’s profession by simply making wonderful gardens happen with magic. Bankraz was given some good advice by Reven and so abandoned his assault on the wizard Telivar. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Cecette
Cecette was a scullery maid in Thane, and one of the earlier refugees to flee to Nidavellir. She found a crack behind a tapestry and traversed it, rehatching in the treasury of Audamar mountain. Unfortunately for her, other refugees had made the denizens of Nidavellir wise to the dragon phenomenon; by the time she hatched a team of wizards were waiting to separate her from her pearl and seal her draconic energy away where it couldn’t contaminate them or the wealth.
Stripped of her metaphysical volume Cecette turned to magic, studying the event that had stripped her of her pearl and learning from it. She became a practiced master of Lycaon magic and used it to escape the Audamar prisons. She then hatched a plan to build an army and liberate her pearl, transforming the elves of the region into ogres and scheduling raids on the mountain.
After the last attempt, foiled by Zataka and Sancireph, Cecette was again imprisoned in the prisons of Audamar, until the dragonkin Granberia helped her to escape. Unfortunately, Granberia--being a dragonkin--did not know there was a difference between pearls and gave Cecette the pearl of another dragon. Needless to say bad things ensued.

D’Arsonius
D’Arsonius arrived in Nidavellir shortly after the disappearances started. He is thus the second oldest dragon in the game. In Utgard, he was driven to kill the empress of Qinii and flee to Thane, where he was employed by the council of five to investigate the rash of disappearances. Stumbling on a dimensional crack, he traversed it only to emerge in a strange land with a strange new body. He was quickly overwhelmed by the power and greed of his new state and set about amassing his fortune.
Then he heard of the Princess and the Spire. Recognizing her as Nidavellir’s equivalent of a Phoenixi, he remembered his purpose and decided to send her back to the home dimension (he wanted to help the people, and another Phoenix would reduce the strain on refueling pearls).
To open a dimensional crack large enough to allow the princess through, D’Arsonius overextended his magical energy and tore himself apart. In the process, what was left of his energy coalesced in the shadow of the Princess (burned into the spire) and formed Granberia. The pearl fragmented into three and filled with void energy, transforming the other pieces of D’Arsonius into a ravenous vampire. One witness--a wizard who would later father Telivar--gathered the three pearl fragments and spirited them away. He went on to teach others how to shred dragons in this manner.

Erasmut
Erasmut is the oldest dragon in Nidavellir, but he is the youngest psychologically. A crack opened in the bath when he was just a toddler and dumped him into Undine’s shrine, where he slowly grew into a massive sea serpent. Still believing himself to be in the bath, he began to play with the ships that drifted by, capturing the little ‘toy’ men inside and running games with them.
Despite his youthful naivety he is incredibly powerful, as he is the child of a former member of the Council of Five. He is the reason they opened the investigation.

========================================

[CJC]

Summary (since last update):

Erasmut wanted to play hide and seek. Granberia fuses with the fire pinnacle Salamander and tries to drive Erasmut away, but ends up on the moon.

Goldleaf attacks the serpent out of rage at a similar beast and is swatted away into a desert. Dragon corruption plants a scale in his hand, but he painfully removes it.

Zataka is nearly blasted by the Granberia-Salamander fusion meteorite. Upon seeing Goldleaf swatted away, he tries to attack Erasmut but is placed in the toybox, where he follows a hall towards the source of the weeds.

Sancireph climbs the rickety ruins and wins the game of hide and seek, driving Erasmut to fly away and cry.

Rose collects Wallace the chef and takes him to the warship, where the former frogmen are conducting repairs to escape the grotto. She also comes across a book inhabited by the spirit of a psion, Yuri.

Finally, Granberia recovers WYRMKILLER on the moon and tries to attack Erasmut again, but Salamander deflects the attack into the water (not wishing to obey the sword). Undine attacks, but Salamander whisks Granberia to safety.


=====

mrz84
Zataka,
You check the other rooms, but is seems they’ve been emptied suddenly. You get the feeling they were inhabited just a moment ago, but you shrug and move on. Descending the stairs, you come to an altar with a statue of a woman atop it.
Nearly every inch of the room is covered in the weeds, which sway toxically back and forth--almost breathing. Even more bizarre, though, is what’s behind the statue. There’s a, well… it’s hard to describe. It’s like the air is made of fabric and one of the seams has torn. Water is pouring out of the bottom of this rip into the room. You walk around this ‘tear’ and see that it’s just hanging in the air mysteriously. Milani’s pendant is practically hopping as you lean in.
What do you do?


Katrien looks around, noting that most of her crew has spontaneously appeared in the center of the grotto. She also notices that Zataka is not among them, and neither is Wallace. There’s a ship sitting tantalizingly in the center of the grotto, only partially damaged and heavy with treasure. Hmm…
What does she do?


=====

Tamamo
Granberia,
You wait for Salamander to leave, and then you sigh, pulling out the sharp shard of ice that is sticking out of your gut. You moan quietly; it’s ruptured your spleen and you’re bleeding slowly. You need to cauterize the wound, but you can’t have Salamander coming back; you’re going to need Rivan for more thorough medical attention. What to do, what to do?
…What is that.
Is it…
Yes. It’s one of D’Arsonius’s pearl fragments. It rolls across the floor of the temple, gently tapping your leg before stopping. It’s almost taunting you.
“Go ahead. Use it.”
What do you do?


Rose,
There’s really not much more to do before nightfall. You decide to put your feet up and get some rest while the former frogmen repair their ship.
Still… you might be able to come up with something…


=====

TheDarkOne
Sancireph,
Victory, victory, victory! You won the contest.
…Man, Erasmut’s pretty upset over there. Oh well, you’ve got the ship now.
You descend the piled ruins and look for some crew to help you repair your reward.
Katrien’s wandering around, though, and she’s smiling at your prize.
What do you do?


Goldleaf,
You shrug off the raven as a nuisance and continue to walk. Eventually you come across a caravan heading into the desert. A man looks at you perplexed and asks what you’re doing out here without any supplies. He offers you some water to drink, and you accept. You are slightly refreshed; you could probably cast something now.
What do you do?

=====

[Tamamo]

Granberia: I plunge the pearl into my chest!

[CJC]

(Action Tennis--this is pressing business)
Granberia,
As you insert the pearl into your chest you feel an encroaching darkness wrap around you.
It's cold and unsettling, the void energies of D'Arsonius trying to enter your body. Suddenly, you feel a flash of brilliant light swell up from within you, closing your wounds and soothing your pain. It drives the darkness away.
The temple around you seems to be getting smaller. It's halved in size, or rather you've doubled in size. You feel a comforting wave of heat envelop you, but it is not spirit magic that is forming this shroud. No... it's something more primal.
You launch these flames at the obsidian until it begins to reflect light like clear glass. Looking into the reflection you see not the dragonkin with which you are familiar but a brilliant golden bird, wrapped in white flames.
You're not entirely sure what's happening, but you feel... right. Better than you've ever felt before.
Wyrmkiller writhes on the ground, twitching. It looks like it's trying to crawl away from you.

[Tamamo]

CJC I have a lot of questions, before continuing
1. Am I a pheonixi now because I did something that shocked you and she; Spire Princess's pheonix, saved me?
2. I take it the pearl inside me is gone now? What about Darcy's.
3. Did this restore my true memories?
4. Do dragons have blood? Darsonius sort of needs that to live off other dragons right or is he different?
5. I'm still mortal right? That wouldn't be fair to the others.
6. Red or Blue?


1. You're a phoenixi now because the light of the spire princess filled you and overwhelmed the darkness of the vampiric crimson dragon. The pearl made you a dragon, but the Princess's light made you a phoenix. As for my motivations for making this happen, well... that's my business. : )

2. Yes and no. Technically phoenixi don't have pearls, but they're born what they are. You have become a phoenix, so you possess a pearl. It is yours now, though... the piece of D'Arsonius within it has been eradicated
(It needed to remain so you could remove it and walk around with other humans, if such ever becomes necessary)

3. That's up to you.

4. Yes, dragons have blood. D'Arsonius can use ANYBODY'S blood to sustain him, though, not just dragon blood.

5. Yes, you are still mortal. Phoenixi in this setting don't rise from the ashes, their light is redirected into a new child when they die.

6. Red.

(Read 10-23-15)
-C

[TheDarkOne]

Sancireph:
I ask Katrien if this vessel I have won will do to replace her ship. We will likely have to abandon the old cabin, but it's likely this merchant ship has one that is bigger. A quick look around confirms this--not only larger, but more opulent. The artifacts and money aboard the vessel are of little interest to me--if Katrien wants to claim them for herself, I have no objections. I ask the crew members that have reappeared to assist in repairing the vessel to make it seaworthy. Looking at the crew, I notice that Goldleaf and Zataka are nowhere to be seen. Where could they have gone?

Sancireph,
While Katrien is saddened that her old ship cannot be salvaged, the promise of the treasure within this new vessel catches her eye. She goes back into the cabin to fetch some keepsakes, but when she returns she is distraught.
Katrien: "Has anyone seen Wallace? I thought he was in the cabin, but there's no trace of him. His copper fry-pan is still here, he'd never go anywhere without it."
You mention you haven't seen Zataka or Goldleaf either.
A crewman pipes up.
Crewman: "Yeah, KLARK is missing too. We could hear him when he was in the temple, but he didn't pop back out with us."
Katrien orders her crew to begin immediate repairs on the vessel. She looks distressed, though.
Katrien: "We cannot leave until we find our allies. And even so, I'm not sure we can get this boat into the water without that wizard friend of yours."
You suggest they might be able to dig a channel to the shore, it's only about twenty feet away.
Katrien: "Well, it's a start. Let's fix the ship first."
If anybody knows where your friends are, it'd be that dragon. He's still sobbing on the far side of the island.


Goldleaf:
I explain to the caravan leader that I was forced through a portal to this place--but I do not mention the serpent or from where I came. I ask where they are headed.
"We've just restocked supplies and are heading for town. You're welcome to ride with us--beats walking in this desert."
I graciously accept his offer and climb up inside the wagon.
"You're a wizard, aren't you? Don't look so surprised; we deal with wizards, even occasionally sell some items that they might find useful. I have a few such items now, if you want to take a look. I'll warn you, though, they don't come cheap."
What does he have to sell?

Goldleaf,
Most of the wares are utterly ridiculous. Snake oil promising to turn the imbiber purple and cure their scurvy, various gaudy patterns of woven cloth 'for robes', and a few enchanted objects of marginal utility.
You see a sword similar to the one you gave to that captain for passage: it has an enchantment that illuminates the blade under certain circumstances.
You also see a mace purported to be able to 'split the earth itself'. Reading the runes you notice that there's not an actual enchantment on the weapon; the word is literally "gibberish" and so the weapon likely flings wild magic unpredictably. The paper mage who enchanted it looks to have duped this merchant.
One item DOES catch your attention. It's a carpet with runes embroidered in spiraling patterns. It is the same word over and over again: fly.
"Ah, something's caught your eye I see. A fine piece of merchandise that; it's a steal at 600 platinum."
Is this guy nuts?


(Read 10-24-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

Granberia
I grasp the pearl in my chest and close my eyes.
Granberia: "I see, things have become very complicated."

Memory Restoration
1. Darsonius manipulated my memories.
2. I am a being with multiple souls intertwined.

A: The Spire Princess
B: D'Arsonius "Now Eradicated"
C: Granberia
3. I was frozen in time for several hundred years by Salamander.
4. One Pearl Fragment remains, and this fragment has become my own pearl and if I remove it I can revert to my other form.
5. I have the largest meta-physical volume.

I decide to wait for Salamander to return so she can explain what has happened.

Rose
I go and ask the captain if there is anything I can do to help.

Did becoming a Phoenix foil Cecette's plan?

Of course it did!
(Read 10-24-15)
-C

[mrz84]

---Zataka---
I examine the room a bit more, and decide to remove the weeds from the statue as best I can. I warn the crewman to stay away from the tear before I can investigate it. Once the statue is free of weeds. I turn my attention to the tear, and more importantly, Milani's Pendant. The surge in activity from it lately increasingly worries me. I hold the pendant towards the statue for a few minutes (conventratin as I do so) and then towards the tear (again concentrating).

Zataka,
The amulet dances wildly as you concentrate on the tear. Suddenly you feel a great vortex pulling you in; you fall THROUGH the tear.
You find yourself in a claw-foot tub, drenched in rainwater, in a ruined castle. There's a hole in the roof above you and it's raining on your head.
Around the room you see white roses, placed lovingly in pots around this tub. Their thorny roots have overgrown the entire room and are even curling into the tub. This place has been abandoned for quite some time.
Climbing out of the tub you knock some of the water off your armor and look about. Milani's pendant has gone quiet.

---Katrien---
Gathering her crew, she has them start to load the few belongings from her old ship into the new one and to see to any repairs that need to be made. She looks through the treasures and and artifacts while waiting for news of Zataka and Wallace. She refuses to leave without Wallace at the very least and since Zataka saved her life (despite her protests she could handle herself), she feels an obligation to wait for him as well to repay him for it.


Katrien goes into the cabin to collect a few keepsakes but finds that Wallace has left... without his own treasured object (a copper fry-pan). When she talks to Sancireph, she learns Zataka is also missing. Out of a sense of obligation to the latter she arranges for a search party, though there are few crewmen to spare with the repairs needed for Sancireph's merchant boat. Katrien decides that she's not needed for this work, though, and leads a party of four to the warship at the other end of the island.
Much to her surprise, she discovers an entire new crew of men walking about, conducting repairs on this second vessel.
Does she press on, or go back and share her discovery?


(Read 10-25-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

Rose
I decide to walk through the kitchen and find that Wally is packing his thing.
R: "Going somewhere."
W: "Need to let Katrien know we found a ship."
This angers me greatly as I feel I can replace Katrien in his life so I use my Dominate Power on him.
R: "Whose Katrien? I don't know a Katrien. Perhaps you should stay her and take care of your daughter Rose."

CJC
Let me explain this action a bit. There are two reasons I brought him with me: He's a cook "these men need food, and he brought some with him" and rose likes having him around.

Rose,
Wallace shakes his head. He then pinches his brow.
Wallace: "No, no, no, this isn't right."
He grabs you by the throat.
Wallace: "My mind is not your plaything, girl!"
Shoving you away, he flees.

You tried to erase a relationship with a loved one. Since you're not a psionic mage, your domination was overcome by the cook's force of will as a result of this. He was unwilling to part with his attachment.


Granberia
Salamander appears before me, alone sensing the change in my body and opens her mouth in awe.
S: "Darsonius presence it's gone and your a Phoenix with a Pearl!"
G: "I'm as surprised as you are. I plunged one of his pearls into my chest on instinct and this is the result."
GM Text: Salamanders Response

Granberia,
Salamander stares at you, dumbfounded.
Salamander: "I had always hoped this light within you would surface. I had worried that he snuffed it out."
Granberia: "D'Arsonius?"
Salamander: "No, the Wyrmkiller."
At this moment, you notice that the blade has gone.
G: "Silence, we must head back to Undine, I think I know a way to stop Erasmute from using her temple as a toy box."
I remove the pearl and slash open a temporary tear and return to UNDINES ISLAND and call out to Undine and Erasmute.


As you remove the pearl, you shrink back to what you would presume is your normal size. However, you note that you are no longer a dragonkin. Rather, you are purely elven (Selected based on player preferences and actions, change as necessary). You wonder if anyone will recognize you.
Your tear--ripped open with white flames sent down the blade of the white stone knife--sends you through a storm of primordial chaos before depositing you inside the cabin of the Katrien's Glory. But the cabin is empty; there's no crew around.


(Read 10-25-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

CJC
Retroactive Continuity "description conflicts with Qinii Dragons"

The scales
Dragons in Utgard are humanoid; in fact they have the same racial distinctions as the humanoids of Nidavellir (Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Humans). In Nidavellir, though, dragons take the form of giant quadrupedal reptiles with leathery wings… essentially the classic fantasy trope appearance. Dragons in Nidavellir take a shape, color, and elemental affinity based on their personality, which is why dragons from similar cultures in Utgard look similar in Nidavellir--they have compatible personality traits.
Dragons do not sprout feathers in Nidavellir; feathers are strictly worn by Phoenixi.

Eastern dragons are long and slender and are capable of flight although they lack wings.
Granberia's Sister is one of these.


It's not just eastern dragons; any dragon can take the form of a serpent instead of a drake based on their personality. Admittedly the description was restrictive and I have corrected it.
(Read 10-25-15)
-C

[CJC]

Where could they have gone?
Sancireph,
While Katrien is saddened that her old ship cannot be salvaged, the promise of the treasure within this new vessel catches her eye. She goes back into the cabin to fetch some keepsakes, but when she returns she is distraught.
Katrien: "Has anyone seen Wallace? I thought he was in the cabin, but there's no trace of him. His copper fry-pan is still here, he'd never go anywhere without it."
You mention you haven't seen Zataka or Goldleaf either.
A crewman pipes up.
Crewman: "Yeah, KLARK is missing too. We could hear him when he was in the temple, but he didn't pop back out with us."
Katrien orders her crew to begin immediate repairs on the vessel. She looks distressed, though.
Katrien: "We cannot leave until we find our allies. And even so, I'm not sure we can get this boat into the water without that wizard friend of yours."
You suggest they might be able to dig a channel to the shore, it's only about twenty feet away.
Katrien: "Well, it's a start. Let's fix the ship first."
If anybody knows where your friends are, it'd be that dragon. He's still sobbing on the far side of the island.



What does he have to sell?
Goldleaf,
Most of the wares are utterly ridiculous. Snake oil promising to turn the imbiber purple and cure their scurvy, various gaudy patterns of woven cloth 'for robes', and a few enchanted objects of marginal utility.
You see a sword similar to the one you gave to that captain for passage: it has an enchantment that illuminates the blade under certain circumstances.
You also see a mace purported to be able to 'split the earth itself'. Reading the runes you notice that there's not an actual enchantment on the weapon; the word is literally "gibberish" and so the weapon likely flings wild magic unpredictably. The paper mage who enchanted it looks to have duped this merchant.
One item DOES catch your attention. It's a carpet with runes embroidered in spiraling patterns. It is the same word over and over again: fly.
"Ah, something's caught your eye I see. A fine piece of merchandise that; it's a steal at 600 platinum."
Is this guy nuts?

============



I hold the pendant towards the statue for a few minutes (concentrating as I do so) and then towards the tear (again concentrating).
Zataka,
The amulet dances wildly as you concentrate on the tear. Suddenly you feel a great vortex pulling you in; you fall THROUGH the tear.
You find yourself in a claw-foot tub, drenched in rainwater, in a ruined castle. There's a hole in the roof above you and it's raining on your head.
Around the room you see white roses, placed lovingly in pots around this tub. Their thorny roots have overgrown the entire room and are even curling into the tub. This place has been abandoned for quite some time.
Climbing out of the tub you knock some of the water off your armor and look about. Milani's pendant has gone quiet.



She refuses to leave without Wallace at the very least and since Zataka saved her life (despite her protests she could handle herself), she feels an obligation to wait for him as well to repay him for it.
Katrien goes into the cabin to collect a few keepsakes but finds that Wallace has left... without his own treasured object (a copper fry-pan). When she talks to Sancireph, she learns Zataka is also missing. Out of a sense of obligation to the latter she arranges for a search party, though there are few crewmen to spare with the repairs needed for Sancireph's merchant boat. Katrien decides that she's not needed for this work, though, and leads a party of four to the warship at the other end of the island.
Much to her surprise, she discovers an entire new crew of men walking about, conducting repairs on this second vessel.
Does she press on, or go back and share her discovery?

============



This angers me greatly as I feel I can replace Katrien in his life so I use my Dominate Power on him.
Rose,
Wallace shakes his head. He then pinches his brow.
Wallace: "No, no, no, this isn't right."
He grabs you by the throat.
Wallace: "My mind is not your plaything, girl!"
Shoving you away, he flees.

You tried to erase a relationship with a loved one. Since you're not a psionic mage, your domination was overcome by the cook's force of will as a result of this. He was unwilling to part with his attachment.



G: "I'm as surprised as you are. I plunged one of his pearls into my chest on instinct and this is the result."
GM Text: Salamanders Response
Granberia,
Salamander stares at you, dumbfounded.
Salamander: "I had always hoped this light within you would surface. I had worried that he snuffed it out."
Granberia: "D'Arsonius?"
Salamander: "No, the Wyrmkiller."
At this moment, you notice that the blade has gone.


I remove the pearl and slash open a temporary tear and return to UNDINE'S ISLAND and call out to Undine and Erasmut.
As you remove the pearl, you shrink back to what you would presume is your normal size. However, you note that you are no longer a dragonkin. Rather, you are purely elven (Selected based on player preferences and actions, change as necessary). You wonder if anyone will recognize you.
Your tear--ripped open with white flames sent down the blade of the white stone knife--sends you through a storm of primordial chaos before depositing you inside the cabin of the Katrien's Glory. But the cabin is empty; there's no crew around.

[Tamamo]

It makes sense since the phoenix power needs a counterweight. But why you take wyrmkiller away again, it cannot disappear on it's own despite being intelligent it's persona was never a mage. It's disappearing and reappearing is my own doing using the bond between us which is not easily broken. Also the spirits know nothing about it as this isn't their original world as well ascertain events. They originate from the elemental chaos, which they are responsible for it's current state as mentioned in shade's description.


The pinnacle spirits DO know about it, though, because Salamander has been persistently trying to separate you from the weapon. Since you were siding with Salamander, the reasonable countermeasure was to remove Wyrmkiller as the two are opposed.
I caught a glimpse of a different post the other day, but didn't have time to read the whole of it. I know you're having a crisis of character definition, though, so here are the options available to you.

+Dragonkin, -Phoenix
If you're upset about Granberia losing her dragonkin characteristics, the best course of action would be to seek out Cecette. She has the prowess (with Lycaon magic) to revert you to your former state.
However, she's not going to do this for free. This reopens the mind control plot, and also adds a dangerous complication: Cecette is going to want the phoenix pearl.
Since you (Granberia) were able to take a pearl and reconfigure it to your own personality, Cecette will see it as an avenue to regain her draconic power (It's even worse, though, because it's charged with phoenix energy).
So this option would remove your phoenix traits and restore your dragonkin status, but with the complication of giving Cecette leverage over you (and possibly the entire group).


+Wyrmkiller, -Salamander
Salamander does not trust the Wyrmkiller, and with good reason. She doesn't know the entirety of its dark power (SHADE does) but she knows it is evil and she knows that it is manipulating you (Granberia).
Therefore, if you continue to take up the sword, Salamander will break her pact with you, as shunning is the only way she can hope to help you. She doesn't want to watch you destroy yourself.
Wyrmkiller vanished because of Math magic (again). Who is moving the sword, though, and THEIR motivation, is something I am aware of which will not be revealed to you at this time.
I can bend my plans and return the Wyrmkiller to you, but expect your contract with Salamander to break if you reclaim it.


+Vendetta
I know it seems like D'Arsonius is gone and you've lost your primary motivation. But there's still a free pearl floating around in probability; he's still OUT there. Becoming a phoenix has not broken this plot.
When and if you confront him in his final incarnation is up to you.


You are free to take any of this options, any combination of the three, or none at all.
Follow the development which you feel is most appropriate for your character; I am prepared to handle any of these situations. I only made you a phoenix because I thought it was an interesting twist in a positive sense (like when Cecil became a Paladin in FF-IV) and I thought you would enjoy it. Again, do what you feel is best for your character.

(Read 10-26-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

Rose
REACTION
Wallace tries to grab my throat, but my vampirism increase my alertness, agility, and strength (and the cloak sustains this even in the day light) so I grab his arm and flip him over my head and pin him down to the ground with my body holding him still.
R "Hmm? What was that, I didn't catch it. Feel free to repeat it."
W "GET OFF ME! SOMEONE HELP!"
"Bad move, I guess this is the end for you."
R Wallace screams for help as I plunge my fangs into his neck and drain him to a husk and then rip out his entrails and eat those too. (She's basically a cross between my two favorite mortal combat characters)
Fatality


Rose,
You feel remorse at killing Wallace; you've let your emotions get the best of you and in your rage you executed an innocent man (who wasn't even a vampire) and desecrated his body.
Concerned your actions will be found, you locate an empty barrel, stuff his body inside, and launch it out the window into the low tide surf. You then wipe your hands and face with a washcloth and toss it as well.
It'd take some doing to link you to the murder.
Hmm... where'd the possessed diary go? You set it down to talk to Wallace, and now you can't remember where you put it.
...Can't remember...
Oh shit.


(Read 10-26-15)
-C

[TheDarkOne]

Sancireph:
I doesn't look like I could get any answers from the dragon. He seems unusually upset at losing the game--I wonder if there is some deeper meaning behind his choice of the game, but how to ask him is the problem. And the disappearance of the original sword (Wyrmkiller) worries me. Where did it go, and who now possesses it?


Sancireph,
Despite your reservations, you decide to ask the dragon why the game made him so upset. He looks at you, tearful.
Erasmut: "It's not the game. It's you. You're going to leave now, and I'll be alone again."
Well, he's got you there.
Erasmut: "I hate this place. Everybody yells at me or stabs me or screams and runs away. I want to go home. But I'm too big to fit back through the hole in the toybox."
You ask where this toybox is located.
Erasmut: "In the water, under the grotto."
That must be where he sent all of those sailors before. Could Zataka be there?


Goldleaf:
The sword and the mace are of no interest to me--I am only versed in the use of one weapon and that is my glaive ((OOC: retcon that he closed the blade back into the staff when he first arrived in the desert). As for the carpet, I laugh at his price, stating that I could weave and enchant my own flying carpet for less than a tenth of that price. He will get no coin from me for any of these wares.


Goldleaf,
The merchant seems quite upset at your mockery of his wares.
"Well then, sir, if you're going to be like that you can WALK the rest of the way to town!"
He pushes you out of the cart. Much to his dismay, though, you have already arrived.
There's a massive market, sprawled out over three levels of adobe housing. If you're looking for anything in particular, you can be sure you'll find it here.
It's a little crowded, though. Best to keep a hand on your wallet.

(Read 10-26-15)
-C

[mrz84]

---Zataka---
I get my bearings and take in my surroundings. I keep my blade sheathed, but with one hand on the hilt in case of an attack.


Zataka,
Holding your sword at hand, you wander out of the ruined bathroom into a hall. Windows line both walls, with the wind blowing from left to right. Strangely, no light is coming in from the windows. Because of the storm, probably.
There are torches perched on both walls, but they burn with green flames and generate no heat. What manner of magic is this? Alas, you aren't a mage so you're not sure what to make of these.
There's no one here. You continue down the hall and come to a grand stairwell, leading down to an entryway. From the top of the stairs you can see the doors are boarded up from the inside; could this have been the location of an ancient siege?
Well, if it was, they certainly didn't breach the front door.
There's an identical hall of windows in front of you, as well as a half dozen doors on the story below.
...It's awfully cold around here. Odd... the only thing that feels warm is Milani's Pendant.


---Katrien---
Surprised by the occupants of the other ship, she asks the workers who is in charge and if they have seen Wallace (she gives a brief description of him). She examines the surroundings from the entrance she came in from.


(Read 10-26-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

mrz84
Crewman: "Yup we've seen him he's in the kitchen."
The captain of the vessel approaches you.
Captain: "I'm in charge here. Hello beautiful, my name is YURI."
He winks at Katrien.
What does she do?


Uh oh, looks like Yuri helped himself to a body.

CJC
Requested Dream Arc to keep things moving smoothing PMed you the details.
Eventually: Dragonkin and Salamander/Wyrmkiller (I'll choose then)

Granberia
Amazed at my new form I take off my armor that is too big and put on a fancy dress I fine, almost looks like royalty would were it and head towards a draconic presence.


Granberia,
You emerge from the vacant Katrien's Glory, expecting to see the crew working out in the grotto to prepare for another night's guard duty. Nothing.
The whole grotto is deserted.
It's also unusually dark. Has night fallen already? You can't see the moon or any stars; it's almost unsettling how empty the sky looks.
The only object of note is sitting before you, stabbed into the wood of a ruined ship...
Wyrmkiller.

(Read 10-26-15)
-C

LMAO! You gave yuri the body I was going to give him anyways, this has certainly gotten interesting.

True, but there's something seedy about a guy who lived in a book for years and years. Rose may have bargained for more than she wanted. : P

[mrz84]

---Katrien---
Katrien is taken aback at first by Yuri. However she quickly gathers her composure and demands to see Wallace.


Katrien finds the captain unnaturally charming. She is compelled to accept his glad-handing without question.
Yuri: "Well then, what brings you to my vessel, dilapidated as it is?"
Odd, though, that he's constantly staring at his own reflection in a nearby mirror. What a narcissist! ...But Wallace is nowhere to be seen.
The ship is infested with that Graveblossom weed. It also seems to be in quite the dilapidated state, as if it has been here for years.
Katrien puts the pieces together... this must be where the frogmen were living. But they're men now, not frogmen. How? Why? ...Cecette.
Katrien leaves the ship in a hurry, but before she departs she tells YURI to send Wallace back to her ship when he's done here.

mrz84, I didn't see your post before I started this. It still works, though, because Yuri is a Psion and he could distract Katrien with his magic. If you disagree, we'll come up with a fix next tennis, okay?

(Read AFTER Reply, 10-26-15)
-C

[CJC]

Sancireph,
Despite your reservations, you decide to ask the dragon why the game made him so upset. He looks at you, tearful.
Erasmut: "It's not the game. It's you. You're going to leave now, and I'll be alone again."
Well, he's got you there.
Erasmut: "I hate this place. Everybody yells at me or stabs me or screams and runs away. I want to go home. But I'm too big to fit back through the hole in the toybox."
You ask where this toybox is located.
Erasmut: "In the water, under the grotto."
That must be where he sent all of those sailors before. Could Zataka be there?


Goldleaf,
The merchant seems quite upset at your mockery of his wares.
"Well then, sir, if you're going to be like that you can WALK the rest of the way to town!"
He pushes you out of the cart. Much to his dismay, though, you have already arrived.
There's a massive market, sprawled out over three levels of adobe housing. If you're looking for anything in particular, you can be sure you'll find it here.
It's a little crowded, though. Best to keep a hand on your wallet.


Zataka,
Holding your sword at hand, you wander out of the ruined bathroom into a hall. Windows line both walls, with the wind blowing from left to right. Strangely, no light is coming in from the windows. Because of the storm, probably.
There are torches perched on both walls, but they burn with green flames and generate no heat. What manner of magic is this? Alas, you aren't a mage so you're not sure what to make of these.
There's no one here. You continue down the hall and come to a grand stairwell, leading down to an entryway. From the top of the stairs you can see the doors are boarded up from the inside; could this have been the location of an ancient siege?
Well, if it was, they certainly didn't breach the front door.
There's an identical hall of windows in front of you, as well as a half dozen doors on the story below.
...It's awfully cold around here. Odd... the only thing that feels warm is Milani's Pendant.


Katrien finds the captain unnaturally charming. She is compelled to accept his glad-handing without question.
Yuri: "Well then, what brings you to my vessel, dilapidated as it is?"
Odd, though, that he's constantly staring at his own reflection in a nearby mirror. What a narcissist! ...But Wallace is nowhere to be seen.
The ship is infested with that Graveblossom weed. It also seems to be in quite the dilapidated state, as if it has been here for years.
Katrien puts the pieces together... this must be where the frogmen were living. But they're men now, not frogmen. How? Why? ...Cecette.
Katrien leaves the ship in a hurry, but before she departs she tells YURI to send Wallace back to her ship when he's done here.

mrz84, I didn't see your post before I started this. It still works, though, because Yuri is a Psion and he could distract Katrien with his magic. If you disagree, we'll come up with a fix next tennis, okay?


Rose,
You feel remorse at killing Wallace; you've let your emotions get the best of you and in your rage you executed an innocent man (who wasn't even a vampire) and desecrated his body.
Concerned your actions will be found, you locate an empty barrel, stuff his body inside, and launch it out the window into the low tide surf. You then wipe your hands and face with a washcloth and toss it as well.
It'd take some doing to link you to the murder.
Hmm... where'd the possessed diary go? You set it down to talk to Wallace, and now you can't remember where you put it.
...Can't remember...
Oh shit.


Granberia,
You emerge from the vacant Katrien's Glory, expecting to see the crew working out in the grotto to prepare for another night's guard duty. Nothing.
The whole grotto is deserted.
It's also unusually dark. Has night fallen already? You can't see the moon or any stars; it's almost unsettling how empty the sky looks.
The only object of note is sitting before you, stabbed into the wood of a ruined ship...
Wyrmkiller.

[TheDarkOne]

Sancireph:
I attempt to comfort Erasmut. I tell him that we can't stay, we have an important task to complete, and if we don't complete, the whole world will be in danger. Then there would be nobody left to play with him. As far as him getting home, maybe he can make the hole big enough for him to get back through. He is a dragon, after all, and dragons are known to be exceptionally strong.

Goldleaf:
The first thing I need to do is find out exactly where I am, I carry my money in a secret pocket on the inside of my robes, so there is little chance of someone stealing that (I would certainly notice a hand inside my robes). Once I find my bearings, then I can consider whether or not teleporting back to the grotto is feasible.


(Read 10-27-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

Retro-active-continuity (rose does not feel much of anything anymore, she's been through too much)

I figured she might have sadness because she was reaching out to Wallace as a father figure. But fine, her disposing the body was still justified, just scratch the emotional reaction.

Rose
I approach the captain who is staring at his reflection.
R:" "You sure are enjoying that new body my scourge of the seas, soon your have a warship at your disposal, and with my help perhaps even an entire fleet."
I wink at him.
Y: "Funny, you sure are easily trusting. I projected my presence into your head and you trusted me without a second thought."

-=SPOILER=-
Veto, this is incorrect. You have a mind, as so you are susceptible to mind magic despite your ability to hypnotize others. He has also manipulated you at least once, making you forget the location of the book.
Being undead does not make you immune to magic.
(I believe you have assumed immunity because he was not able to manipulate you while he was in a book. However, he was in a book; the vessel dictates casting prowess as demonstrated by Telivar and with a human body he is a much more serious threat.)
Also, he was not sealed into the book. He put himself there as a life-saving precaution.

R: "Because we both are after the same thing. Revenge... you're after those who sealed you in that book, and I'm after those responsible for who I am which there are three. You and I are very much alike Yuri, and I think we should help each other out."
I wrap my one of my arms around the back of his neck and he raises his voice at me.
Y: "Are you toying with me vampire? There are things!..."
I remove my arm as I put my other's arm finger to his lips shushing him.
R: "...one should not do for there own safety. I have respect for you and I do not have any feelings for you, doesn't me we can't pretend. And we're going to have to. That's the only way your men are letting a vampire aboard this boat. Anyways think about my proposal and come to my room when your ready to give me your answer. Ciao."
I shake my hips as I leave the room provocatively and turn my head to say one less think with a wink.
R: "See you around... Captain..."
Yuri gives rose evil an smile.
Y: "I'll think about it."

Granberia (Dreaming)
I reach for the sword and a voice calls out to me I turn around and see Salamander standing there her eyes tearful.
S: "You pull that stupid sword out, and you will never see me again Granberia..."
G: "Shut up, I'm not a kid and you can't boss me around anymore mom."
I pull the sword out of the wall.
S: "Very well, you are no longer my daughter. And our pact is no more."
CJC Good thinking, this would give me a chance to see what it's like to play without Salamander. :thumbsup:

mrz84
Katrien, on your way back from the vessel your stopped by a wolf, a big wolf. It exhales a plume of icy cold breath.
Snow: "Evening, I need a favor it looks eastwards towards Erasmut."
Katrien gulps and takes a step back.
Katrien: "Umm so that dragon a friend of yours?"

-=SPOILER=-
Neither Snow nor AoTH would know this.

Snow: No, but he is clearly a lost child. Being a parent with many cubs myself this bothers me. I want you to investigate the matter I will reward you greatly."
Katrien: "What kind of reward?"
Snow: "Gold, and a lot of it.

-=SPOILER=-
Let's leave the source of Snow's riches obscure for now.


(Read 10-27-15)
-C

[mrz84]

---Zataka---
With caution, I investigate each of the doors on the lower level. While the place seems deserted, I take no chances and keep one hand on my greatsword's handle and the other clasped onto Milani's Pendant when not using it to open doors.

---Katrien---
The promise of gold lights up Katrien's eyes. She almost forgets about Wallace. Almost. Still, she can't do anything for him at the moment and takes her little party to assist Sancireph with the matter of Erasmut.


(Read 10-27-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

I changed my mind I'm just going to retire Rose.

Here's Granby's current sheet.

-=SPOILER=-

I've updated D'Arsonius' Info (still the same, but has changed a bit).

D’Arsonius
Not all dragons are good, by dragon terms anyways. Some go bad, D’Arsonius was a dragon who went as bad as you possibly could. He wasn’t always like this. After successfully assassinating the Qin Empress he was sent to Nidevallir to investigate the apperances (making him the second oldest dragon in the game), He was quickly poisoned by his own power and greed and began attacking other dragons and stealing their hoards which drove him mad. He eventually discovered the princess of the spire and was fascinated by her beauty after discovering she was this dimensions equivalent of a Phoenix. He offered her everything he had but still she refused it. To open a dimensional crack large enough to allow the princess through, D’Arsonius overextended his magical energy and tore himself apart. In the process, what was left of his energy coalesced in the shadow of the Princess (burned into the spire) and fused with Granberia. The pearl fragmented into three and filled with void energy, transforming the other pieces of D’Arsonius into a ravenous vampire further driving him into sanity. One witness--a wizard who would later father Telivar--gathered the three pearl fragments and spirited them away. He went on to teach others how to shred dragons in this manner.

Shinra
Shenra is the Jade Empress Dragon who is one of the few dragons who has mastered Dance Magic. She is known by her nickname the Dancing Serpent. She is the lost princess of the last Empress and Granberia's Sister.


(Read 10-31-15)
-C

[CJC]

This update ends the chronicle. With it, the game is officially on hiatus for about a month (six to eight weeks, actually!) whereupon I will open a new thread, summarize and revise (truncate) the current rules (in one place so they’re easy to spot), and give a new general update much like the “Filthy Rabbit Tavern”. At that time you as the players are free to reintroduce your characters, change characters, or even join/rejoin the game.


=====

mrz84
Mangetsu Zataka,
As you explore the mansion, you find it gloomily empty. The table is set for dinner, food rotting on the plates. Eleven place settings; it was meant to be an occasion. Everything is tidily in its place, indicating no actual struggle occurred; if there was a siege the attackers certainly did not breach the exterior of the castle. The kitchen sink is filled with dirty dishes; yes, something definitely happened between serving dinner and actually sitting to dinner.
One room is particularly peculiar to you. It seems to be barricaded; you force your way through the doorframe with a powerful strike of your great blade and you see why. It’s a bedroom, darkened with drawn curtains and with a statue of ice lying peacefully upon the bed. Bizarre…
The statue is holding a shimmering white orb; it looks rather similar to the Vermillion Stone of Audamar, but you can tell it is different. There’s a portrait on the wall across for the bed; or rather it’s propped against the wall. No doubt moved from another room. It is a portrait of five women sitting together around a tea table. At the front, one holds her toddling child. Without even thinking about it you recognize this boy as Erasmut, despite the fact he is clearly a human being in this painting. Taking a look at the statue on the bed you note that it isn’t a statue at all; it is the woman from the portrait--frozen solid.
So that’s what happened. This isn’t the site of a battle at all; it is the tomb of a heartbroken mother.
You return to the overflowing tub, realizing now that this must be where Erasmut disappeared into the other world. Noting the flowers growing through the tear in reality, you realize these must be the venomous weeds plaguing that temple; transitioning dimensions changes them somehow. You rip the roses out, pulling their roots through the tear until there’s a pile of them on the floor of the washroom. Satisfied, you step through the tear yourself and return to the underwater temple.
The statue of the water-born woman seems to be smiling this time. That’s odd. You also notice that the great serpent Erasmut is right in front of you.
Erasmut: “Oops, guess I missed one. Up you go!”
Without a second to react, you find yourself back in the Graveblossom Grotto. Several sailors are trying to move a massive ship towards the shoreline, but it is buried in the sand. As you look to the shoreline and then look back to the ship, you notice that the tide follows your gaze and pulls up under the boat, helping the sailors get it to shore. You look up to the deck to see Katrien waving you on, so you and the other sailors board by means of a plank she lowers to the shore.
As the ship puts the grotto into the distance, you can’t help but feel sadness for the dragon who calls it home.


=====

TheDarkOne
Sancireph,
You decide to inspect the ship as the sailors are conducting repairs and trying to get it to the water. As you inspect the hold, you notice the room doesn’t seem as big as it should be. Looking around, you find a patch of moveable wall revealing a fall hull, behind which smuggled goods might be hidden. Scratch that, behind which smuggled goods ARE hidden. The crevice is packed tight with magical reagents, potions, and tools, including a black-tipped fountain pen comprised of an eerily familiar substance. You decide to check other parts of the ship for similar caches, and the same sense of spatial displacement strikes you in the Captain’s Cabin.
Hmm… if the ship is X yards long, and this cabin is… then, where are the remaining X – Y yards? You find a secret door through the fireplace, leading to a secret room. Inside you find an alchemical lab, with books and vials shelved on the walls, left in heaps on the floor, and strewn across the tabletops. The object which catches your eye, though, is the tree in the center of the room. It’s a fully grown Wraithwood tree.
Of note is that the tree does not appear the same way it did when you were trapped in the dimensional array at Telivar’s mansion. The twigs are not fingers and the bark does not have faces protruding. Rather, it looks quite like a normal tree, except the wood is unusually dark and the leaves are red. The tree has bizarre black fruits which bloom on some of the branches. They seem to be in various stages of ripeness, and they each transform from flower to fruit over the course of a few minutes. As a fruit falls it bursts into a puff of smoke, prompting a new flower to sprout.
You reach out to one of these fruit and touch it. As your finger makes contact, the fruit changes from black to white. It feels firm to the touch, crisp and succulent. Could your Aasimar blood be activating something in the plant? You wonder if perhaps the former captain of this vessel was an Aasimar wizard and this was the secret laboratory.
You hear Katrien on the deck. For some reason you do not want her to know about this room, so you exit the way you entered and close the secret door. It seems Zataka has reappeared and it is time to set sail. Still… whatever happened to Goldleaf? As you ponder it, he spontaneously appears in the cabin with you, crashing into the bed and letting out an exhausted sigh. Perhaps he can fill you in on what happened as you sail together to the western edge of the Mael Ocean.

Goldleaf,
Intent on returning to the grotto to rescue your friends from that Silver Serpent, you turn your attention to the market in order to empower your casting prowess, as you are now certain that the grotto is beyond your range as a novice Darknaught. You find a potion shop whose entrepreneur boasts that their wares boost magical acuity two-hundred percent.
One such potion boasts an improvement to darkspace magic and is relatively affordable. You purchase and drink this potion. It tastes… purple. And everything looks purple, too. Uh oh, looks like you’re paying for those discount ingredients in other ways! Dizzy, you begin to trace a darkspace portal into the air. It’s much larger than you are used to. Staring into it you dive head-first, hoping that utilizing the magic will dump the potion from your body. You are partially correct; once inside the wyrmhole the purple-ness fades and you feel a little better, but you’re still dizzy. It doesn’t help that the field is unusually “twisty”, rather like a roller coaster actually. You lose your lunch as you make a turn, watching the contents of your stomach turn to luminescent dust as they touch the sides of the wall. Finally, the wyrmhole spits you out next to your intended target: Sancireph. You crash into the bed in some cabin, exhausted. And the boat rocks back and forth, turning your stomach green. Stupid discount potions!
…Well, at least it seems they’re leaving the grotto.


=====

Tamamo
Granberia,
Suddenly realizing everything you are experiencing is a dream, you startle awake. You are laying in a puddle, somewhere within Undine’s temple. The altar, it seems. There’s a statue of her above you. Floating in the water is the pearl from your dream… or was it a vision? And next to it, stabbed into the ground, is the Wyrmkiller. You take the pearl and pocket it for now; you can decide its fate later. As for the sword, at first you hesitate; you now know taking up the blade will cost you your relationship with Salamander. This does not stop you, though. Grabbing hold of the sword, you feel the spirits of flame around you let out sobs of sorrow and dissipate.
Silence.
Something’s wrong, though. You can certainly feel the heat from the pearl you are holding, but you do not sense heat from Cecette… OR that serpent wandering around the grotto earlier. What was his name? Erasmut? All draconic presences have departed from this place, save your own and the pearl whose fate rests in your hands. Taking up the Wyrmkiller, you slash open a rift and step into it, vanishing.


=====


We’ll resume in a month or two. Thread closed.

[Tamamo]

CJC
Your plans still to continue this C?