[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post

[Tamamo]

I needed something else to happen here, so I made some adjustments. Here's what really happened:

Granberia,
Granberia: "I prefer disgruntled thank you. And I'm a she don't let the short hair fool you kid"
Erasmut: "I know you’re a lady! I was talking about that other guy. He was like you, but different. Different-er?"
You’re nonplused by this development. What other guy? Is he talking about some other dragonkin?
G: “What other guy?”
E: “He was like you, but more like me too. With a shiny green stone in his chest.”
Not a Dragonkin. A Dragongnoll… with Cecette’s Pearl!
G: "I need to find this guy. I guess we can't play together. Take care Erasmut, enjoy your play time."
You prepare to leave, but Erasmut starts to talk again.
E: “Toys I’m not playing with have to go into the box.”
Before you can react, you feel yourself plummeting through a wyrmhole. It’s… different, though. There aren’t walls protecting you like you’re used to, and you can feel a strange energy bombarding you like sunlight from all sides. In an instant it is over, though, and you find yourself in a cubical room--fashioned out of limestone--waist deep in briny seawater. Graveblossom weeds hang all around the walls. There’s one other person here with you… it’s one of the crew of the Katrien’s Glory.
Crewman: “Oh, it’s the swordswoman! Thank god, you’ve got to get me out of here?”
You feel the spirits of water gathering around you. This is a holy place, despite its employment as a toy chest by the juvenile dragon.
What do you do?

(Read 10-16-15)
-C

[CJC]

===========================
Setting Elaboration
The dimension in which this game is set does not have any inherent magical properties. Therefore, anyone practicing magic is actually borrowing laws of physics from other dimensions. That said, very few wizards are actually aware that they are doing this; the art of the practice has obscured the power’s origin.
There are several dimensions from whence magic is being drawn. We’ve already seen two of them; one is full of dragons and the other has celestial beings. This does not mean these are the only two dimensions that are used as sources for magic, or even that the same spell draws from the same dimension each time it is cast.
The art of magic is divided into schools, which can each be classified by their primary energy source and primary element. Schools that have similar flavor are grouped into the same School District; a mage can more easily learn the practice of other schools in the district.
The first such district is Rend. It has four categories of magic: Prayer, Phantom, Scry, and Math.

Mages: Executing Magic by School (Part 1: Rend)
Prayer
Primary Energy Source: Void
Elemental Affinity: Cryonic
School District: Rend (+Phantom, +Scry, +Math)
Practitioners: Evokers

Prayer Magic is will given force by faith. Belief bends the rules of reality to make the impossible possible. Prayer Magic is most notable for its oral component; an incantation or ‘prayer’ is necessary to trigger the magic’s effect. The potency of Prayer magic comes from the evoker’s faith; the more belief that can be mustered the more potent the effect. This can make Prayer magic quite powerful, but can also be its downfall, as a crisis of faith effectively nullifies its effect.
Prayer magic achieved both offense and defense spontaneously as a gift from above.

Of particular note in this category is Mangetsu Zataka, a paladin dimensional traveler. The source of his prayer magic is the faith that his crusade will bear fruit. No dragons as of yet have utilized Prayer magic.
I assigned prayer magic to Zataka primarily because he was described as a paladin and prayer is the closest equivalent to divine magic in this setting.

Phantom
Primary Energy Source: Wood
Elemental Affinity: Cryonic
School District: Rend (+Prayer, +Scry, +Math)
Practitioners: Shamans

Phantom Magic is built on the principles of animism. Every object in the world is inhabited by thousands of tiny spirits. By communing with these spirits, a Phantom shaman can entreat them to act, thereby affecting a change in the object they inhabit. Phantom Magic also connects with the spirits of passed beings, meaning it gains powers in places of great spiritual energy like graveyards and holy grounds. There are also PINNACLE SPIRITS which act as ministers to the smaller spirits of individual objects. If a Phantom shaman can obtain the favor of such a spirit, their ability to commune with and control spirits under the pinnacle’s purview will increase greatly.
Phantom magic imbues a shaman with great power to manipulate the environment favorably. From an offensive stance, a Phantom shaman creates dangerous attacks by convincing spirits to behave in a manner which--while individually harmless--are fatal when performed in unison.

Currently only one character has expressed prowess in Phantom Magic: Granberia. She encourages the spirits of fire that linger in the air and in flammable materials to ignite, thereby creating great blasts of flame. Her prowess with fire specifically comes from her blessing by a flame pinnacle spirit SALAMANDER, with whom she made a pact at a very early age.
Likewise, Goldleaf practiced Phantom magic in his creation of a cone of cold. He entreated the spirits hanging in the air to rapidly decrease their temperature, thereby creating a blast of cold.
Granberia was assigned as a shaman primarily because her magic was based in animism. Goldleaf’s cone of cold was phantom magic because it involved both a vocalization and material components (offrendas). The cone of cold also could have been Prayer magic, but I felt in that case that Phantom was more appropriate.

Scry
Primary Energy Source: Stone
Elemental Affinity: Cryonic
School District: Rend (+Prayer, +Phantom, +Math)
Practitioners: Oracles

Scry Magic uses second sight to observe distant phenomenon, study the past, and predict the future. It is tactile; simply making contact with an object can trigger flashes of events long gone or events to come. Scry magic is difficult to master as a Scry oracle must learn to differentiate the past from the future. However, proper mastery of the discipline can be a tremendous boon.
Scry magic is inherently passive. To be used in combat, a Scry oracle must predict where blows will occur and then lure their opponent into the strike range of those blows. This severely limits the school’s access to elemental attacks, though a Scry oracle may use the environment and their predictions (or the spells of other wizards) to achieve similar results. This makes the discipline most effective in tumultuous areas, such as storms or crumbling structures. Alternatively, Scry magic can be used to prepare for a fight in advance, laying traps and arranging for convenient battle placement so that the outcome is more favorable (read: ret-con capacity)

Goldleaf is the only oracle thus far. As his primary specialty he is able to predict a multitude of incoming danger, though he has yet to redirect that danger to his own purposes.
As of yet, no dragon has performed Scry magic.
Goldleaf was categorized as an oracle by my discretion as TheDarkOne introduced him to identify magical phenomenon for the party. A seer seemed appropriate and allowed me to give direction to the chase for the Veridian Pearl.

Math
Primary Energy Source: Metal
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
School District: Rend (+Prayer, +Phantom, +Scry)
Practitioners: Mathemagicians

Math Magic exploits improbable alternatives to nudge reality in the mathemagician’s favor. Its primary function is to make nearly impossible events guaranteed (law of large numbers) or to blur facts in the past with plausible deniability (the small chance that THIS actually happened).
Math magic has great utility outside of combat, and its most expressed form is that of retroactive continuity. It is limited only by the raw power of the caster: the more improbable the event that is changed, the more energy required to nudge it into plausibility.

The unnamed Gnomish innkeeper, who was intended to be a character for Ctrl-Alt-Delete to play, was a Mathemagician. He used his power once, to replace himself with a cardboard cutout when the pursuit of the ogres turned sour.
Additionally, D’Arsonius is a practiced Mathemagician and has used the ability several times against Granberia, first to release his other two pearls back into the wind and second to nudge facts about her past… though the latter might not have been math magic at all.

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

[CJC]

===========================
Setting Elaboration
The second district is Shred. It too has four categories of magic: Gourmet, Hedge, Dance, and Toon.

Mages: Executing Magic by School (Part 2: Shred)
Gourmet
Primary Energy Source: Void
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
School District: Shred (+Hedge, +Dance, +Toon)
Practitioners: Gourmands

Gourmet Magic works off the assumption that the stomach is the ‘sea of chi’, through which all power is absorbed into the body. Gourmet Magicians infuse edibles with energy, which imbue living beings with their magical benefit when ingested. While any consumable is a viable host for this magic, alcohol and other beverages are a favorite for practiced magicians in this school.
Favored offensive spellcasting within the Gourmet school involve potions of elemental breath. Fire is particularly potent; it can be augmented by casting on spicy food and utilizing the resulting discomfort. Gourmet Magic’s greatest strength, though, is its ability to enhance the natural abilities of the consuming subject. It is also very portable; a Gourmet magician can make a potion which will hold its potency for years and can be sold, traded, and transported. Even a complete stranger can benefit from the magic within the concoction.

The vampire Carmilla (Red) was a Gourmand and her vampirism was a direct result of using the discipline in excess. The dark energies comprising the magic eventually corrupted her body, turning her into a creature of the night. Similarly, other vampires either inflicted their undead state with Gourmet magic or had it inflicted by someone already exposed to the darkness.
Of note, though, is that D’Arsonius is NOT a Gourmand. The source of his vampirism and the implications of its variation are mysteries which will be revealed later.

Hedge
Primary Energy Source: Wood
Elemental Affinity: Electric
School District: Shred (+Gourmet, +Dance, +Toon)
Practitioners: Topiarists

Hedge Magic pours energy into the ground to shape and manipulate plants in interesting ways. A topiarist grows plants which reach maturity in record time, perform bizarre and even nonsensical functions, and even move at their whim. Telivar has demonstrated several of these practices, such as growing victory topiary, revitalizing a forest, and even cultivating pumpkin patch clones of himself.
When used for offense, Hedge magic traditionally involves the growth of fruit ‘grenades’ which erupt in elemental bursts after being thrown.

Hedge magic was the first school of magic to be devised when I was constructing the world. Its function and its primary practitioner Telivar are based on a character from an Xbox 360 indie game Hedge Wizard by Zombie Bonsai. Here’s a quote from the game:

“It is a love greater than any other in the world… the love of a wizard for his gold. Cities across the world suffer from fires, floods, hordes of zombies, and poor civic planning. You can help them, and in exchange they will give you gold. Gold you could never get yourself. Gold that is more than an arm’s reach… from your recliner.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJpyT6uLxOM
I happened upon this game years ago and found it absolutely hilarious. I felt I needed to honor it somehow, and I have done so in the creation of the key topiarist Telivar.

The dragon Bankraz was also a practitioner of hedge magic, which is one of the reasons why he attacked Telivar in the first place. He did not, however, utilize hedge magic at all during his brief appearance in the plot. If he returns later in the game, he will likely demonstrate his power in this capacity.

Dance
Primary Energy Source: Stone
Elemental Affinity: Electric
School District: Shred (+Gourmet, +Hedge, +Toon)
Practitioners: Astaires

Dance Magic converts kinetic energy into magical energy to achieve various forms of reality manipulation. The most common form of Dance magic controls weather, though it can be utilized for many other applications including the raising of undead minions.
Combat with Dance magic involves the Astaire using bizarre body movements to confuse the opponent while calling down storms, chills, or spirals of fire from the feet.

There have been no examples of Dance magic thus far.

Toon
Primary Energy Source: Metal
Elemental Affinity: Electric
School District: Shred (+Gourmet, +Hedge, +Dance)
Practitioners: Cartoonists

Toon Magic, like its name implies, is a cartoony expression of power. It functions on a refusal to accept the established laws of reality. Gravity? Who ever heard of gravity?! As long as you don’t look down, you won’t fall.
Toon magic is immensely powerful but depends on a firm disbelief in how the world works. When challenged with actual facts, a Cartoonist who cannot refute them will watch their magic crash back into the boring harshness of reality. As such, it is often combined with other forms of magic to create distance between the Cartoonist and their work, thereby ensuring the durability of the spells.

Telivar used Toon magic to enchant his sea of gold, making it like water (when clearly gold is solid and can’t be swam in as one would a lake, let alone drown in).

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

[CJC]

===========================
Setting Elaboration
The last district of magic is Tear. It has--you guessed it--four categories of magic: Darkspace, Paper, Lycaon, and Psionic.

Mages: Executing Magic by School (Part 3: Tear)
Darkspace
Primary Energy Source: Void
Elemental Affinity: Electric
School District: Tear (+Paper, +Lycaon, +Psionic)
Practitioners: Darknaughts

Darkspace magic works off the principle that a section of space can be encapsulated, transported, and displaced into a new position in the universe. In essence, it is the creation of a wyrmhole to connect two otherwise disjoint points in space. It is dependent on conservation of mass; however much space is compressed in one spot must be expanded into another spot (so connecting two points in space disconnects two other points in space). Darkspace magicians usually take space from the air above them to avoid complications such as the resulting wyrmhole spewing unfavorable material, creating a vortex, or otherwise making a mess.
Still, such careless wyrmhole positions can sometimes prove useful. By inserting space from the sea, for example, between two points, the Darkspace magician can make a disastrous and sudden surge of water to launch at an opponent. Borrowing space from an inferno can spurt gouts of fire. The highest pinnacle of offensive expression with Darkspace magic is to tap into space currently occupied by a thunderstorm, thereby launching great bolts of lightning at the wizard’s command.

There have been no notable Darknaughts yet, but Telivar was capable of great feats with Darkspace magic. This is significant as he is by practice a Hedge Wizard and Darkspace is in a different school of discipline.
As for Darkspace dragons… that would be Erasmut.

Paper
Primary Energy Source: Wood
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
School District: Tear (+Darkspace, +Lycaon, +Psionic)
Practitioners: Escribes

Paper Magic defines itself in the act of granting power to words. An escribe (no, it’s not a typo, it’s a mathematical term) writes a word of power and gives the letters the capacity to ‘cast’ spells when read, or permanently impose a magical property upon the paper. Paper Magic is also the primary means through which magical equipment is constructed; runes are inscribed on a weapon or garment and fill the material with magical potency.
When in combat, an escribe will use glyphs to lay traps, which trigger when the runes are seen. Conversely they might inscribe a rune on a piece of paper, ball it up, and launch it at an opponent, wherein the magic would trigger as soon as the paper hits another object.

The foremost escribe of note is the currently retired character Malichor, who was responsible for the invention of runic magic outside of the paper medium. As such, magical equipment is a relatively new phenomenon (within the last ten years) and is usually unbelievably expensive.
Malichor became an escribe the moment Xyvol had him place runes on the table in the Filthy Rabbit Tavern. Only practitioners of paper magic would have access to magical writing.

Lycaon
Primary Energy Source: Stone
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
School District: Tear (+Darkspace, +Paper, +Psionic)
Practitioners: Druids

Lycaon Magic is wicked, wicked business. It is the magic of the body, and practitioners use it to manipulate their own bodies and the bodies of others. Lycaon magic can be used for personal enhancement or for inflicting curses. The signature application of this school of magic is the curse of lycanthropy through which werewolves are created. It is not the ONLY application, though, and frequently the fame of that particular curse undermines the potency of the school.
A Lycaon druid might make an enemy’s blood boil in their body. A Lycaon druid might transform into a terrifying snake and kill a victim with paralytic toxin. A Lycaon druid might turn the very forces of the wild against an opponent, driving wild animals to tear them apart.

By intention, Lycaon magic is the work of the wicked druid. The connection to nature is perverted into a dark, forceful domination. There has been one instance of a Lycaon druid in the course of the game: Cecette. She utilized the energy of the forest to transform the Audamar elves into ogres and--as a result of their reduced intelligence from this transformation--she was able to deploy them as a personal army. Telivar also plied Lycaon magic early in the plot… he combined it with Hedge magic to make werewolf flowers as a trap against intruders. None of the players fell for this trap but some of the NPCs did.
Cecette is a special case: she demonstrated Lycaon magic both as a human (elf) and as a dragon. As the only dragon to have been dismembered while retaining a physical body she is a rather special case in general.

Psionic
Primary Energy Source: Metal
Elemental Affinity: Cryonic
School District: Tear (+Darkspace, +Paper, +Lycaon)
Practitioners: Psions

Psionic magic projects the power of the mind out of the body. It is force of will made manifest on reality, and it is significant in that it requires no physical motion or incantation to perform; simply having a thought is enough to trigger Psionic magic.
A Psion attacks with terror, driving opponents to believe their limbs have caught fire, their bodies are freezing to death, or even forcing them to believe they’re being electrocuted.

There have been two instances of Psionic magic being performed thus far: the first was Telivar’s inhabitation of the various vermin within his mansion. The second was by Alisia, who used it to communicate with other characters despite her lack of a physical form.
No dragons as of yet have demonstrated prowess with Psionic magic.

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

[CJC]

Summary (since last update):

Frogmen attacked. Granberia tried to impress them with fire, but they caused an inferno by slapping her hands. Goldleaf saved the ship with a blast of cold, which drove the frogmen off in fear.

Various characters set out to scavenge and fortify the Katrien’s Glory for the next night:

Granberia went diving and found a mysterious diary. A burst of cold prevented her from opening it.

Sancireph climbed up into a balanced smuggler’s ship in search of supplies, but found the boat too precarious to navigate.

Goldleaf lowered the balanced smuggler’s ship off the sea stack and onto the ground.

Zataka repaired a fishing net and rowed out with Jons to try it out. They caught an alligator.

Sancireph and Goldleaf caught the attention of the giant Silver serpent ERASMUT, who asked if they were interested in playing a game. Goldleaf is enraged by this beast, but is drained from using his staff.

Rose went walking with Cecette to ask about the blood sample collected. The two got into a fight and Rose fled with one of the frogmen.

This actually foils one of my plans, but I’ll cope and work around it. It might still be salvageable.

Finally, Granberia tried to pick a fight with the serpent ERASMUT.

=====
@Tamamo
Granberia,
Granberia: "I prefer disgruntled thank you. And I'm a she don't let the short hair fool you kid"
Erasmut: "I know you’re a lady! I was talking about that other guy. He was like you, but different. Different-er?"
You’re nonplused by this development. What other guy? Is he talking about some other dragonkin?
G: “What other guy?”
E: “He was like you, but more like me too. With a shiny green stone in his chest.”
Not a Dragonkin. A Dragongnoll… with Cecette’s Pearl!
G: "I need to find this guy. I guess we can't play together. Take care Erasmut, enjoy your play time."
You prepare to leave, but Erasmut starts to talk again.
E: “Toys I’m not playing with have to go into the box.”
Before you can react, you feel yourself plummeting through a wyrmhole. It’s… different, though. There aren’t walls protecting you like you’re used to, and you can feel a strange energy bombarding you like sunlight from all sides. In an instant it is over, though, and you find yourself in a cubical room--fashioned out of limestone--waist deep in briny seawater. Graveblossom weeds hang all around the walls. There’s one other person here with you… it’s one of the crew of the Katrien’s Glory.
Crewman: “Oh, it’s the swordswoman! Thank god, you’ve got to get me out of here?”
You feel the spirits of water gathering around you. This is a holy place, despite its employment as a toy chest by the juvenile dragon.
What do you do?

Rose,
Your mute “Kuo-Toa” leads you to the warship on the far shore of the grotto, opposite Katrien’s Glory. You can see hundreds of them, staring at you with hateful eyes. The one who helped you holds up its arms and gestures and the others retreat.
He guides you into the captain’s quarters of this vessel. They’re a mess; everything has been thrown about and those Graveblossom weeds are growing everywhere. He points to a portrait of a young captain, no doubt the original owner of this ship. Then he points to the weeds, and finally to himself.
You think you understand his meaning.
Hmmm… it would be Lycaon magic and Gourmand magic, then. A curse hanging over this tropical hell. But… the only practicing magicians here are Goldleaf and Cecette, and you’ve burned the bridge with Cecette.
What will you do?


=====
@mrz84
Zataka,
You quickly slash the alligator across the eyes. You try to shove it back into the water but Jons fights you. “It’s good meat! Kill it!”
Taking the blade, which is smaller and much easier to maneuver than your greatsword, you stab the reptile in the gut. It flails a few times before it gives up, slipping into death.
“We eat tonight!” Jons proclaims happily.
The two of you turn back to return to shore with your quarry. Near the ships, you see a GIANT SILVER SERPENT hovering quizzically over several figures of the crew, who you can’t make out from here.
“Maybe we should… just wait a bit before we go back. We might catch something else with the net.”
You frantically row back to shore despite Jons’ trepidation, and within a minute you are back to shore.
What do you do?

=====
@TheDarkOne
Sancireph,
Granberia and the dragon are arguing. You sort of drown out the particulars, but one line catches your attention:
Erasmut: “Toys I’m not playing with have to go into the box.”
As the serpent speaks these words, Granberia vanishes, leaving only a strange diary where she stood.
He turns his eyes back to you.
E: “So… what should we play?”
Goldleaf rises to his feet, then collapses to his knees again. You can sense a terrible rage within him.
E: “I know! Let’s play Hide and Seek!”
He looks around.
E: “…But it’s not really fun with only two people. I guess I could put you in the box for now, and take you out later when everybody’s ready to play.”
You worry he’s going to vanish you like he did to Granberia. There must be some way to stall him.
What will you do?

Goldleaf,
As you take a closer look at this serpent, onto whom you are projecting your rage, you notice that it is the same serpent you saw when you opened the wyrmhole to Siegbert. Was it a premonition, or is this thing following you?
…No, it’s far too naïve to be tormenting you like that. It must just be a beast similar in appearance to the one who hurt you.
Did it just say something about Hide and Seek?
What will you do?

[mrz84]

I leave Jons and the other remaining crew with tending to securing the alligator carcass. I quickly don my armor and grab my greatsword (I keep it sheathed) and rush outside to see what I can from the entry of our ship. I make no aggressive action towards the serpent, as if it meant harm to my comrades, it would have done so already. While out there, I glance around the area for any sign of other threats. In my current state of mind I overhear the serpent mention "Hide and Seek" once I get closer and wonder if I am hearing things. If the serpent notices me, I will attempt to be as diplomatic and polite as possible.

Zataka...
As Sancireph noted, Erasmut has noticed your approach. Simultaneously, Katrien emerges from her cabin with a yawn. The dragon also finally spots Goldleaf in front of him.
Erasmut: "Oh boy, even more playmates! Now we can play hide and seek!"
Sancireph: "But, but the riddles game. We didn't set the prizes yet."
E: "Well, we can come up with prizes for Hide and Seek. Tell you what..."
He gestures at the downed smuggler's ship.
E: "If you win, you can have that ship. But if I win, you have to fix it so it floats again, so that I can play with it."
Hmm... that's actually to your advantage regardless of the outcome of the game.
E: "Here are the rules. I'm the sheriff and you guys are a bunch of cattle rustlers! I'll count to thirty and you all hide. Then, I try to find you."
He gestures to a pile of ruined ships at the center of the grotto. At the top is a sword which you recognize as Granberia's other big sword. What was it called again? WYRMKILLER?
E: "If you can get to this spot without me spotting you, shout out 'I let all the oxen free!' and you win! But, if I do spot you, you go in the toy box, okay?"
He smiles.
E: "The game ends when I get you all in the toybox, or if one of you makes it to the shiny thing I found on the floor."
He coils into a circle and puts his claws over his eyes.
E: "One, two, three..."
It looks like the game has begun. Where's a good place to hide? The partially submerged ship and that Warship on the far shore are clear options, but there may be other places more advantageous to climbing the ruins.

(Read 10-17-15)
-C

[Tamamo]

Granberia
?: "So you've finally come, and you have already contracted Salamander as well."
Granberia: "Undine!"
All of sudden the water spirits take the form of Undine.
Undine: "The one and only, as you can probably tell by now the sea dragon Erasmute has desecrated my temple and turned it into his personal toy box as you can already tell."
G: "He is a practitioner of DarkSpace magic. I was not expecting that. His magic is strong too."
U: "You have Salamander with you I see, which means you know of us pinnacles and our contracts."
G: "I've been searching for you actually, I hope to master the four elements and become a PRISM."
U: "That is not a easy task, very well I will grant you a contract. Under one condition."
G: "What's that?"
U: "That foul serpent has turned my sacred temple into his personal toy box, HE DESCRATED IT!"
Undine's once peaceful disposition turns turbelent with rage as the water rages around her.
U: "KILL ERASMUTE, OR YOU WILL NEVER MASTER WATER! NOW BE GONE!"
Undine vanishes into torrent of water that spins itself into a thin wisp of water spirits.

I have to admit you surprised me here. I had to alter Undine's intended plot to fit the story. Now she wants me to kill Erasmute instead of me cleaning up the island.
This gonna be a pain in the ass without my wyrmkiller gonna need my armor and sword back and i'm using my most powerful ability: Assimilate, guess what that does?

UNDINE is LOCKED
SALAMANDER is LOCKED

Rose
Rose: "You're all like survivors! You consumed the cursed frogweed turning into what you are now, and cannot leave can you."
A sad look falls upon the frogman faces as they nod.
R: "I know of one thing that can help us, my other self. The question is, will he oblige."

Back in Audamar a winter wolf sits on the beach staring at the sunset
?: "I can feel your presence Rose, and can't help but wonder if you are alright. Your decision to hunt your own kind now is quite peculiar. Hmm I wonder If you still consider me a enemy or if we can become allies once more? I also wonder what you plan to do about Lady Red? Heh for a old wise wolf like me, I am asking too many questions. I must find my answers."

The winter wolf howls as magic wraps around his body and a pair of snow white wings grows from his back. He takes off in flight towards the island. (ooc: It may take him the entire update to arrive CJC, i'll let you decide)

??? is LOCKED

Undine

Spoiler: show

Salamander

Spoiler: show

Rose's Otherself

Spoiler: show

@CJC
If it's alright with you I would like to request if I may a rewrite on Phantom Magic since the description doesn't quite fit what I had in mind. We can discuss it further via PM.
For now let's discuss the winter wolf. This is the wolf spirit from before he has calmed down a bit and is beginning to remember things more clearly and is quite pissed at himself for not keeping a closer eye on Rose. He views her as if she was his own cub which may cause jealousy issues with WALLACE but I'll hold off on that for a while since he's note quite a fatherly figure yet.

(Read 10-17-15)
-C

[TheDarkOne]

Sancireph: "I know another game, one that we can play with only two of us. In fact, it works better with only two of us."
Erasmut: "Really? What game?"
S: "Riddles. We take turns asking each other riddles. I'm quite good...I know a great deal of riddles."
E: "Hmmm...I don't know this game, but I'll try it. Just one thing...how do we know who wins?"
S: "If one of us asks a riddle that the other can't answer, then they are the winner."
E: "Makes sense. What's the prize for winning?"
Of course, draconic greed. Even if he's a child, it's still in his nature.
S: "Prize?"
E: "There has to be a prize. What good is winning a game if you don't get anything for it?"
The serpent's attention is distracted by the arrival of Zataka, "Oh! Another playmate?"

Goldleaf:
I almost cannot believe what I am hearing. This wyrm wants to play games? A mere child...it cannot be the one who killed Jennica. Using my staff for support, I pull myself into a standing position. Some of my strength is returning and I manage to stay on my feet this time, leaning on the staff. So far, the serpent has paid me no mind...right now, its attention is focused on the paladin who has just arrived.

Sancireph and Goldleaf...
As Sancireph noted, Erasmut has noticed the paladin's approach. Simultaneously, Katrien emerges from her cabin with a yawn. The dragon also finally spots Goldleaf in front of him.
Erasmut: "Oh boy, even more playmates! Now we can play hide and seek!"
Sancireph: "But, but the riddles game. We didn't set the prizes yet."
E: "Well, we can come up with prizes for Hide and Seek. Tell you what..."
He gestures at the downed smuggler's ship.
E: "If you win, you can have that ship. But if I win, you have to fix it so it floats again, so that I can play with it."
Hmm... that's actually to your advantage regardless of the outcome of the game.
E: "Here are the rules. I'm the sheriff and you guys are a bunch of cattle rustlers! I'll count to thirty and you all hide. Then, I try to find you."
He gestures to a pile of ruined ships at the center of the grotto. At the top is a sword which you recognize as Granberia's other big sword. What was it called again? WYRMKILLER?
E: "If you can get to this spot without me spotting you, shout out 'I let all the oxen free!' and you win! But, if I do spot you, you go in the toy box, okay?"
He smiles.
E: "The game ends when I get you all in the toybox, or if one of you makes it to the shiny thing I found on the floor."
He coils into a circle and puts his claws over his eyes.
E: "One, two, three..."
It looks like the game has begun. Where's a good place to hide? The partially submerged ship and that Warship on the far shore are clear options, but there may be other places more advantageous to climbing the ruins.

(Read 10-17-15)
-C

[CJC]

@mrz84 @TheDarkOne
Zataka, Sancireph, and Goldleaf...
As Sancireph noted, Erasmut has noticed the paladin's approach. Simultaneously, Katrien emerges from her cabin with a yawn. The dragon also finally spots Goldleaf in front of him.
Erasmut: "Oh boy, even more playmates! Now we can play hide and seek!"
Sancireph: "But, but the riddles game. We didn't set the prizes yet."
E: "Well, we can come up with prizes for Hide and Seek. Tell you what..."
He gestures at the downed smuggler's ship.
E: "If you win, you can have that ship. But if I win, you have to fix it so it floats again, so that I can play with it."
Hmm... that's actually to your advantage regardless of the outcome of the game.
E: "Here are the rules. I'm the sheriff and you guys are a bunch of cattle rustlers! I'll count to thirty and you all hide. Then, I try to find you."
He gestures to a pile of ruined ships at the center of the grotto. At the top is a sword which you recognize as Granberia's other big sword. What was it called again? WYRMKILLER?
E: "If you can get to this spot without me spotting you, shout out 'I let all the oxen free!' and you win! But, if I do spot you, you go in the toy box, okay?"
He smiles.
E: "The game ends when I get you all in the toybox, or if one of you makes it to the shiny thing I found on the floor."
He coils into a circle and puts his claws over his eyes.
E: "One, two, three..."
It looks like the game has begun. Where's a good place to hide? The partially submerged ship and that Warship on the far shore are clear options, but there may be other places more advantageous to climbing the ruins.

Make lots of assumptions and have fun with this. It is a game, after all. Bonus points if you try to Metal Gear Solid packing box sneak with this!

@Tamamo
Rose,
You wait for the great white ASPECT OF THE HUNT. This is a rather unusual situation for you... before he was a PART of you. You still feel a connection, perhaps even a strong draw to him, but he is distinctly SEPARATE from you.
Quite to your surprise, he arrives with impeccable punctuality, sporting a beautiful pair of eagle wings. He scatters them as he arrives, leaving phantom feathers on the ground which fade as you converse.
AoTH: "Yesh, I'll never get used to that. It almost hurts to look at you like that, my huntress."
You ask if he's going to be difficult.
AoTH: "No... no... while it is true I am losing my identity, it is perhaps for the best that we parted ways. Right before that vampire ripped me out of CECETTE I saw a moment of true love in your eyes, and I knew it was the best."
He looks around.
AoTH: "Where is she, anyway? That RED woman?"
You don't want to answer.
AoTH: "Anyway, you needed something?"
He looks at the frogmen surrounding you.
AoTH: "Oh my. So much Lycaon magic in such a small space. Is there a druid nearby?"
You tell him about the poisonous weeds. He takes a closer look.
AoTH: "That is bizarre. These clearly are not natural growths, yet I feel no magic in their construction. Could they have been transplanted from somewhere?"
You don't know the answer, so you shrug.
AoTH: "Well, I can help these poor souls, but there are a few problems."
He gestures to the island.
AoTH: "Clearly they ate these plants as a matter of survival. While I can remove the magic that is twisting their bodies, it would only be a temporary fix, undone when they ate the plants again. They'll need some source of food or a way out of this place if my work is to have any permanency."
You ask about the other problems.
AoTH: "It's just one, actually. I can't cast on other people without a body. Unless you can find another LYCAON DRUID, I'll need to take one of you as a host."
He looks at the frogman who assisted you as he says this.
AoTH: "You would be able to save your friends, but you would become a lycanthrope. This is not a reversible state."
He then glares at you Rose, and corrects himself.
AoTH: "...Usually."
Hmm... CECETTE knows LYCAON magic, but you just had a fight with her. Also, how would you go about finding her? And would her half-vampiric state make her an untrustworthy accomplice to your goals?

Heads up, Rose cannot volunteer to be a host because the void energy of her vampirism would destroy the AoTH.

Granberia,
Undine's voice echos through the walls of the temple.
Undine: "I mean, look at this place! Filthy humans everywhere, trudging in these horrible WEEDS. Always popping in and popping out, ridiculous.
The door to the chamber opens, revealing a hallway.
U: It has to stop! That sticky little child needs to stop putting his grubby little playthings in my temple!

I'm giving you another avenue of forging the contract with Undine: you can certainly try to kill Erasmut, but you also have the option of driving him off so that he stops mucking up the temple. Hint hint, the later will be more helpful later. Also, Prism shaman = awesome.

[Tamamo]

Granberia
I close my eyes as Salamander takes control and fuses with my fighting spirit, and my consciousness fades.
Undine: "Try not to set the island on fire okay sis."
Gigamander: "No promises, but I'll try my best."
U: "Thanks, and good luck."
I rocket through ceiling and head towards the serpent. (ooc: Undine has control over water and is keeping it flooding.)
U: "There's a door you know!"
Pirate: "You're forgetting someone damn it!"
U: "Wanna talk about fish or something?"
P: "Sure, might as well."

Rose
After playing dumb and volunteering to be the host and being turned down Rose addresses the wolf.
Rose: "Hey wolf."
The wolf turns at looks at me.
Wolf: "She has a name you know."
Rose: "Enlighten me."
All of sudden her voice goes from masculine to feminine. Almost as if she had changed genders.
Wolf: "My name is Snow, like my fur, I freed her from a frost giant and help her rip him apart. Now she is loyal to me.
Rose: "Red is gone now, surely you know why."
Snow: "Yes, you discovered the truth. And now you hunt your own kind. Tell me, what is your stance on lycans however."
Rose: "Until either me and my brother call a truce like we have, I'm still their prey. But I don't feel the same way. I mainly keep tabs on them to avoid them."
Snow: "That would be wise, Surge has always been stubborn. He still sees you as a traitor even if you only hunt animals and vampires."
Snow: "Hey frogeyes. Can this ship sail?"
The frogman I man glares at the wolf for the insult and shakes his head and begins drawing four words with a stick. Need Repairs Supplies Tools
Rose: "She can, but only if they fix it she'll sink as she is now. And be nice Snow.""
The frogman nods.
Snow: "Plus you need your bodies back."
He looks up to me, hopeful.
Rose: "You'll do it right? We'll need tolls though I know of a cabin near bye with ships"
Snow: "Let me think about it for a while."

Granberia: Assimilated Form (Gigamander) unrecognizable "you won't know it's Granberia until she changes back, and then... you'll have to wait to see what happens!"

Spoiler: show

@CJC The wolf spirit has a host already. It's the winter wolf named snow, sorry if I didn't clarify that when I reintroduced him. AotH is the spirit, Snow is the host. Also you now know of three ways to kill the spirit: the other is when rose returns to death it will die, and the other is pure silver "not silvered weapons" to it's heart note that weapon must also be magical while outside a host. So Rose's gear will not effect him so he is not afraid of her. Also I'm going to give the AotH/Snow a symbolism of loyalty "inspired by the totem" Also if the dragon dies WALLACE is gonna be pissed and will probably attack the one responsible with his remaining arm. I think you know why if you recall his magic theory at dealing with Abdul.

This is unfortunate, as it is more mundane than what I anticipated. I can think of no reason why the Aspect of the Hunt wouldn't have taken another host, though, so I will allow it.
Though... I don't see what AoTH would have to offer to an animal, particularly one who is already indoctrinated into the hunt.
As for the frogmen planning an attack on the Katrien's glory, I don't think that's necessary. Since AoTH already has a host, he could simply remove the Lycaon magic from them and they could conduct diplomatic relations with the party
(Granberia's diplomacy failed because the scouts thought she was mocking them)
I haven't decided if I like the idea of AoTH already having a host... I wanted to force you to either go find Cecette or to sacrifice one of the frogmen to him (The captain, probably).
I'll decide in my next action tennis, but I want to wait for the other players to see what they're doing with Erasmut.

Also about eastern dragons. They don't serve the five headed council, they serve the dragon empress in the eastern part of the dragon dimension and use gemstone prefixes for color descriptors. As for suffixes there is a reason Granberia has the emperor Suffix, yup she's royalty and doesn't even know it. Which is also why she has a sacred fang which was given to salamander with her egg by her own mother. Only royalty may have the emperor/empress suffix after their color prefix. She assumes it's a type of dragon, they only seem to come to roam the far east in this plane too. Also Granberia has a older sister, more on that much later.

Dragons have an entire planet in their own dimension. They have more than two cultures, and the five-headed council only leads one nation. I'll elaborate on dragons with the next update.
It has to wait until an update, though, as again it will be a wall of text and the update bookmark needs to be a ready reference to find the information when it is needed.

P.S. I'm going to wait for the riddle game to play out, that is going to be fun to read.