[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post

[Xyvol]

The Thesis reminds me of my own work, "Leaving Your Mark: Expanding Beyond the Limitations of Paper," in which I explain that runes can function on a variety of materials other than processed paper. I turn my attention from my own nostalgia back to the book topics. Hedge Budding, Darkspace Bypass, and 1000 Crane Cuts are the topics that seem to be most relevant. The first two are magic I've seen around the mansion, and the last is my own school.

[bigjoe]

Name:Jerias
Class: Dragoon
Race: Lizardfolk (Dragon Corrupted Human)
Weapons: Enchanted Lance.
Armor: Tattered cloth garments covering lightweight battle worn armor.
Motivations: Protecting and transporting a small egg of unknown origins, which is always kept somewhere on his person or nearby.

Further Character Description: Past shrouded in mystery and amnesia, a lizard man whose only intention is the safe keeping of a small egg in his possession. He has wandered from place to place, in search of the proper magical fortifications to create a den and protect this egg until it matures and hatches. He remembers little of his life prior to corruption by dragon radiation. He was once a fiercely trained warrior, and his training and instincts remain intact. He remains capable of communication, but speaks with a snake-like affliction. Not trusting of those who would potentially seek to interfere with his motivations, he maintains an apprehensive approach to strangers.

[CJC]

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Setting Elaboration

Dragons: Dragon Corruption
The theory about dragon magic being a corruption of other magics is not as far-fetched as it seems. Dragons have a tendency to twist everything they touch. Plants, animals, and even humanoids mutate from prolonged proximity to dragons. The most blatant example of this is seen in the Dragoons--dragon hunting knights who dedicate their lives to the eradication of dragons and their ilk. To haphazardly quote Nietzsche: "He who fights dragons will become one himself." In this setting as opposed to our world the phrase is more literal.
It's not unreasonable that such poisoning would also translate to the very fabric of magic in the world. Perhaps a wizard has done research into the matter... Hint Hint.


Humanoids: Dominant Physical Characteristics
In this setting, terms such as "Elf" and "Dwarf" refer to the presence of particularly prevalent dominant physical characteristics.
Having possession of any of these traits does not in any way impact a character's humanity (and if you play it otherwise YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!).

Dwarves
The Dwarven co-dominant gene (not to be confused with Achondroplasia) triggers a shorter, stockier build coupled with thicker, darker hair and a more prominent chin relative to the average 'litmus human'. Two copies of the gene intensify these traits.

Elves
The Elven co-dominant gene triggers a taller, wiry build with thinner and lighter hair relative to the average 'litmus human'. Facial features are sharpened, particularly in the ears and brows. Two copies of the gene intensify these traits.

Gnomes
The Gnomish co-dominant gene results in a proportionally smaller build, intensely bright hair, and a more prominent nose relative to the average 'litmus human'. Because their hair is consistently bright it takes to dyes well. Two copies of the gene intensify these traits.
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(There's a lot that's going to happen in this update, and I need some extra time and space to prepare. The prompt will be in my next post, which I will try to have up by the end of the night)

[CJC]

@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, ZATAKA tells you that Malichor is reading in the library and it could be a while; it would be best to proceed without him and meet up later. You approach the three statues, each of tremendous stature and presence, to take a closer look at the RED ORBS that are so prominently displayed upon them. As you investigate you feel an incredible surge of heat in the back of your mind, as if a beast is whispering into your subconscious.
The sensation is like the pulse of energy you might feel from another Aasimar, yet it feels... sinister. You are eager to attribute this feeling to the Hedge Wizard whose mansion you now occupy, but alas it is altogether distinct from his own aura.
As you draw closer, you hear a poem in your head.
"A Dwarven soul is made of stone.
It is strong and rigid. Stone is easily shaped by chisel, but such is always a process of subtraction.
An Elven soul is made of wood.
It grows without bound, reaching for the light. There is always ample raw material, but too rigorous a touch risks its demise.
A Gnomish soul is made of metal.
Strong and durable, but easily shaped with the addition of heat. It is always in a state of flux.
A Human soul, however, is that of the man's own shadow.
It cannot be shaped directly, but can be grown or diminished in the right light.
Ah, but the soul of a dragon is the raging fury of flame.
Fires swallow stone, reduce wood to ash, warp metal into slag, and force shadows to flee.
Flames cannot help but consume everything; it is their nature."
You feel a shiver creep down your spine, and then it is silent once more.
What do you do?

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@SUCCESSOR
Reven, the sweet numbing warmth of the alcohol washes over you as you sample the stock. The finger food decelerates the impact slightly, but you remember what you came for and why. Playing with the billiards table you find it has a slight tilt towards the bar; you suspect the table may have been damaged by heavyset barflies in nights long gone.
"Happier days" you hear from behind you as you lean in to look. Flinching, you turn around to see a rat, leaning against a bottle of wine, on the counter of the bar.
"So, what brings you to my not so humble abode on this miserable autumn night?" the rat says, smiling (as if such were possible from a rodent).
You are left speechless. Is this a hallucination? Or some manner of magic? You WERE just thinking about rats and mazes.
"Come, join me in a drink. This is one of my favorites. I've got my own vineyard on the grounds. This one has a nice oak finish."
You take a seat next to the rat.
"You might want to be on the look-out for side effects. The boy likes to test GOURMAND magic on my stuff, and I don't know which bottles he's been fiddling around with."
The rat pours you a glass and you take a sip.
"Well then, share a bit about yourself and I'll return the favor."
He takes a swig from the bottle.
"But don't expect me to keep up with you. This tiny body isn't really equipped to hold the liquor."
What do you do?

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@mrz84
Zataka, you can't shake this uneasy feeling that is creeping down your spine, so you set out to distract yourself by reading the notes on the desk in the aviary. They appear to be some sort of scientific and wizardly hybrid of biological study. The author is trying to quantify the magical capacity of the various species of birds in the aviary; assessing how much magic each is capable of 'housing' (as he puts it) as well as analyzing flight speeds, dietary restrictions, and lifespans. He writes, with much disappointment, that the gutter-birds seem to have the highest magical capacity, and he goes on to theorize that it is their very mundane nature that makes room for more of the 'fantastic'.
The wizard spoke to you in the pumpkin patch through the body of a CROW. Is it possible these notes were his assessment of a potential spy network? The birds... all the birds. They're his eyes. There isn't a single place in the mansion that they HAVEN'T been present.
A pigeon lands on the desk next to you and begins to speak.
"Things are not always as they appear. Try to remember that a book is more than its cover. Oh, and do try to refrain from breaking my walls!"
With that, the pigeon flies back up into the rafters.
What do you do?

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@Xyvol
Malichor, you begin by skimming the chapter on HEDGE BUDDING. The discussion is a little hard to follow because you really only had one Hedge Magic class while apprenticing as a mage, but it sounds like the goal of the ritual is to grow a plant that contains a perfect CLONE of the individual, and then transfer consciousness into the resulting BUD. There are notes in the margins with two different sets of handwriting. The first states simply "Promising. Reliable but requires time and real estate. Dare I put down roots?" The second says "This is hedge magic, yet the transfer requires an act of PSIONIC magic. Cite in the thesis?".
Wait a minute. That SOLDIER said something about finding a body inside one of the pumpkins in the patch. Until now you were working under the assumption that the Hedge Wizard was somehow kidnapping people and sapping their life force. What if it was a clone? What if every pumpkin in the patch is a clone of the wizard?
Clearly he has taken quite the stab at immortality, successfully. There's no way to tell how old he actually is, then, or how POWERFUL he might have become over the years. You thought the mansion was the work of multiple wizards... previous owners and commission works. If this is all at the hands of a single man...
Best not to engage such a man in combat.
You hear pacing and muttering above you. Perhaps TOMA BARTRAND is still in the library. Or could it be TELIVAR?
What do you do?

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@bigjoe
Jerias, you awaken atop a pile of rubble. Cold. There is pale light from above; from the MOON, but it comes from an opening no longer large enough to accommodate you. Your memory is blurred. You fell, that must be how you got here. But fell from where? And where is here?
Your stomach growls. You look to the egg at your back. Warmth, warmth and nutrition. But no, you need the EGG for warmth of a different nature. A rat scurries across the floor. You pounce, clenching it in your claws. Exhaling flames you sear it BLUE RARE and it is in your mouth. For a moment you feel the warmth as its faint heartbeat goes silent inside of you. The rodent helps with the HUNGER. Some, but not enough.
You see a flash in your mind, of tableware and seasoned stakes, of little pink sausages at the ends of your hands where your talons should be, of flagons of mead and ale feeding warmth into you. Warmth that wasn't as hungry as the little fire inside of you. The thought makes you cringe; you shake it from your mind.
There is a RUSTY JAIL DOOR before you; old dilapidated bars held in place by weathering mortar. Beyond it is a torch, illuminating a cellar filled with great casks of wines, as large as a man.
SILENCE.
What do you do?

[TheDarkOne]

I recite the poem to myself in my head, committing it to memory. I do not yet know what it means, but my guess is that the red orbs have something to do with fire. Glancing at each statue, I try to draw some connection relating to the placement of the orbs on each. Is there some pattern to it that I can discern (remember my heightened aasimar senses)?

[mrz84]

I commit to memory what I can of the notes on the desk. As for the pigeon's remark, I turn it over in my head for a bit before committing it to memory as well. Still knowing now that the birds are a possible spy network, I will have to be wary of them fro the remainder of our time in the mansion. This, however complicates things more than they needed to be.

I turn to my companion and inquire on what progress he has made with the statues and if there is anything I can do to assist. If not, I will relay what we have found to Malichor before continuing the search for the cloaked man. If I encounter the woman again, I will attempt to persuade her we mean her no harm if possible. If diplomacy fails me, I will try to disarm her without causing permanent damage to her (or the mansion's walls).

[bigjoe]

I notice the wear on the mortar and attempt to smash through the cell door forcefully. This hunger is driving me to near madness, and the taste of rat has attuned my senses to that there may be a larger one nearby. Once on the other side, I plan to survey my surroundings and look for an exit. The wine casks are of no interest.

[Xyvol]

I thought I was alone in the library. With the revelation I just had, hearing the sound of someone else above me creeps me out. I put aside my research and sneak up the stairs to get a look at who it may be. I take great care to do so quietly, I do not want to startle what may possibly be an immortal wizard.

[CJC]

@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, you look to the light sources in the aviary and compare them against the shadows. You figure there is some insight related to the statue of the WOMAN and her shadow based on the poem, and the LIZARD is dragon enough to be the reference to the fire. Still, you cannot figure out how the RAVEN fits into the puzzle. You light a torch. The RED PEARLS seem almost hungry at the introduction of fire to the room, flaring up and almost beckoning to be embraced by the flame. Standing behind the LIZARD statue, you note that the shadows grow long away from the WOMAN. You find a sconce on that wall and place your torch, stepping into the shadows and following them to their end.
Hmm, as the flames flicker, the shadow of the woman appears to swallow the pearl and then be enveloped by the shadow of the lizard. It is almost as if the RAVEN statue exists to facilitate the transition between these two states. You decide to investigate more closely.
There is a BUTTON located at the base of each statue.
Do you press one?

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@mrz84
Zataka, you find Sancireph absolutely distracted by the mystery of the statues. He is staring at the red orbs grasped by each statue, almost as if he is being drawn into another world. You try to talk to him, but he does not seem to respond to your presence. With worry, you go back into the LOBBY to speak with Malichor. There are rats running about with masonry tools repairing the damaged lock and wall and grumbling quietly to themselves. No doubt they are under some manner of enchantment. You go to the Library door. It is still locked, so you knock politely. No response. You consider once again hacking a hole through the wall, but decide that Malichor was rightly worried about the valuable books beyond. Considering your host's might, you instead try the last remaining unexplored door in the lobby. It opens out into an ORCHARD COURTYARD, with various fruiting trees and a glass ceiling to let the sun in and keep the weather out. Each tree is surrounded by a THORNY BRAMBLE; clearly the wizard of the mansion prizes these plants more than anything else you have encountered.
You see the THIEF you encountered earlier exit the orchard from the other side. You call for her to wait, but she is already gone. As you consider following her, you hear a rather loud rumbling from the Lobby.
What do you do?

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@bigjoe
Jerias, with the force of your shoulder you slam the prison gate and it crashes to the ground. You rise, dusting yourself off, and taste the air in search of a larger heart to heat your hungry flame. Turning to the RIGHT, you travel down a narrow hallway that runs past several other OUBLIETTES like the one in which you fell; each appears to be long abandoned. Pressing onward, you find yourself in front of a SWIFT RIVER, running through the cavernous limestone that makes up your surroundings. There is a water wheel downstream from you, it seems to be powering a machine that is grinding barley. A pair of RATS swim by, you snatch one and consume it as you have done before. The cold that was enveloping you seems to retreat. There is something comfortable about this place.
There is a path travelling along the river both UPSTREAM and DOWNSTREAM (with the water wheel being downstream).
Which way do you go?

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@Xyvol
Malichor, you very carefully set down the book and sneak up the stairs. On the second floor, standing next to a ladder and paging through one of the books, is a SPECTACLE-SPORTING YOUNG MAN. You catch the title of the book: Phantom Whispers. It is familiar to you, you recall from your own apprenticeship that certain objects can RECORD sensations and, sometimes, even words. The book explains that spirits of the dead cling to things that are familiar.
The young man turns to go to the stairway and, spotting you, gasps.
"Oh my, you certainly startled me. I didn't know we were expecting guests; when I heard the door lock I just assumed the master had come to the library for research materials."
You decide this must be TOMA the apprentice. You ask about the door locks.
"Master is accustomed to entertaining guests but he is aware that they can be particularly reckless around his priceless collections. So he has a standing spell that prohibits access to a room when there are more than two occupants. It keeps people from dragging the party into the wrong places."
You ask how he can host parties when the lobby has a story drop at the front door.
"What? Oh dear, he must have forgotten to open the front door. I'm dreadfully sorry, that is a security measure against burglars."
The young man walks over to a suspicious book and pulls on it. You hear a rather loud rumbling from the LOBBY.
"There, that should do it. The stairs should be out now."
What a curious fellow. He doesn't appear to be antagonistic towards you. He could no doubt answer many of your questions about TELIVAR, the MANSION, and even his THESIS.
Will you carry on the conversation?

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@SUCCESSOR
Reven. as you stare at the RAT trying to decide if he is the equivalent of a PINK ELEPHANT or if he is legitimately talking to you, you notice that the bottle of wine which you and he are sharing begins to levitate under its own accord.
"Ugh, I thought TOMA might have tampered with this one. Telekinesis always seems like a laugh until you fall asleep and break every piece of glass in a twenty foot radius. Don't worry, though, it'll wear off in a few hours."
The rat leaps into the air, grabbing the bottle and trying to anchor it with his body. He floats there rather comically.
"Could you give me a hand?"
You grab the bottle and force down on the counter. The rat pushes it away.
"Well there'll be no more drinking from that vintage. Let me fetch something from my secret stash; the boy doesn't know about it so he can't have tampered with them."
What do you do?

[TheDarkOne]

Before pressing the buttons, I consider--there are buttons on each of the statues, but just pressing them immediately might not be a good idea. This wizard is clever, and it seems to me that whatever functions these statues serve, the buttons on them must be pressed in a certain order. Judging by the shadow patterns, I will start with the button on the woman statue, but will not press any others until I see what the result is from this one.