I take further steps to immobilize the wizard, not wishing to kill him after witnessing his power. Afterwards, I head in the direction of the gold with my spear drawn, keeping myself prepared for anything that might throw itself at me.
[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post
The ocean of gold below me is the one Toma mentioned, I am close to my goal. The Lizardman seems to be angry, and I don't care to stick around to find out why. I dive into the stairway and pull the cask facing closed. I inscribe a rune of magical locking on the back of the cask-door. I then descend the stairs.
The burst of light startled me out of a trance. Had the gold mesmerized me? Is that another spell on it or something else? How long had I been there?
Feeling more at unease I head toward the ship. Where else is there to go that doesn't hold more danger? I head toward the study with determination. Maybe Telivar can offer at least some safety or defense from the catastrophe that seems to have erupted around me.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, you force the door open but there doesn't appear to be any scuffle. In fact, the only person in the room is the hedge wizard TELIVAR, seated at a desk across the room.
"Hmm, the paladin. Hello."
You stare at him, perplexed.
"So are you here for the business proposition, to get questions answered, or just looking for the fellow with the katana? If it's the first two I'm happy to oblige. If it's the last, there's the door."
What do you do?
======
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you expect the hedge wizard to make some move against you, but much to your surprise he lets you leave without interfering in the slightest. As you step through the door, you find yourself on the mansion grounds by the front door, rather then back on the warship deck like you expected.
It's snowing. Odd, looking around the scenery isn't what it was when you entered the mansion. Could it have moved? There's a MOUNTAIN to the north, and you can see a village on the path in that direction. To the south is a pair of roads, one going into a FOREST and the other cutting across a PLAIN. The sky is dark but clear, you can see the stars and you notice a LARGE SHADOW cut across the glow of the moon, heading in the direction of the forest.
What do you do?
======
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you jab the wizard's other leg with your spear so that he cannot run off. Then you dive, through the opening and down into the gold, landing with a splash. Peculiar, you can feel the coins but they move as if they have no solidity. The egg on your back twitches violently and cracks. From it emerges an infant dragon--green--who matches eyes with you and smiles. He speaks with the hauntingly familiar and manipulative voice that clawed at your mind earlier.
"Ah, such a veritable ocean of gold. And more than that, so much more. Gold that comes and goes, gold that touches every corner of the world. Yes, this will do quite nicely."
He leaps from the shattered remains of the shell and vanishes into the gold.
What do you do?
======
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you seal the cask and make your way down to the sea of gold. You are standing at a dock in a perfectly cubical room roughly fifty yards in each dimension. The room is halfway filled with gold and there is a WARSHIP in the distance. Near you you see two SHOREBOATS resting near you. Remembering what Toma said, you know that the gold is not solid and you will not be able to cross it safely on foot unless you use the boats or somehow dispel the enchantment on the gold.
Looking up, you see that LIZARDMAN plummet from the ceiling. He lands with a splash in the distance.
What do you do?
======
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you take one of the shoreboats and row your way to the warship. As you travel the sea of gold a lizard figure plummets from the ceiling, crashing into the coins near you. You make haste with your efforts and pull up to the warship, quickly climbing aboard with the use of a handy grappling hook from your cloak. On deck, there is a door to the CAPTAIN'S CABIN as well as a set of stairs going down. Beyond the cabin door you hear Telivar's voice. He seems to be talking to a PALADIN. The soldier from earlier? Perhaps.
What do you do?
I first inquire about the other intruders that I have encountered, however briefly, in the mansion and what he knows of them. The lady rogue and the cloaked man. After that, I inquire about the proposition he mentioned from earlier.
I am not willing to abandon my companions, the paladin and the mage, to whatever this hedge wizard intends. My options outside the mansion are limited, however, and I strongly suspect the door behind me to be locked. I do not believe I will be able to enter the same way I did before, so I circle around the other side that we did not explore the first time to see if there might be another way inside. I intend to not only find my companions, but also this Toma the wizard spoke of to question him about the wraithwood. I also curse myself for foolishly leaving the root ball in the wizard's study.
I swim around and search for a way out of the gold, feeling rather lost as to what my purpose is in life
Dispelling the gold is probably out of my league for now. I expected the lizardman to drop though the hole, I'm just glad it wasn't onto my boat! A boat in the middle of a sea of gold is an odd place for a study, but then again the wizard seems to like strange things. I board a boat and begin to row to the warship.
I try to further disguise myself just in case. I fold in my cloak so it sort of looks like a cape. Pull some leather straps off my boots and bind it around my wrists. The makeshift cape swings back a little showing a scabbard hanging off my belt on the left side but no sword is held in it. I could almost pull off looking like a Ranger that is down on his luck. If anything I look more like an adventurer than a vagrant. I enter the to see what other trouble could be brewing inside the cabin.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, the hedge wizard mentions that he has encountered the LADY BURGLAR before, roughly a month earlier when she made a failed attempt to steal from his treasury. As for the CLOAKED MAN, Telivar admits having shared a drink with him and describes him as a "Wanderer, intellectual, and a good drinking buddy". That doesn't really answer much, but perhaps the wizard doesn't know much about him either.
When you ask about the proposition, he clarifies
"Actually, it's two business proposals, a big one and a small one. Considering your friend's reaction, let's start with the small one."
He locks eyes with you.
"You're a paladin, yes? How much do you know about the fabric of magic? The tangible component of it? I'm helping my apprentice do research into such things and scrapings from magical equipment are essential components for such research."
He hands you a bag. Placing a gold coin into an identical bag on the table, it pops out of the bag you are holding.
"What you have there is a magical artifact; a Darkspace bag. I made this. I'm certain an adventurer like you will encounter many items like this in your travels. What I desire is simple: take a scraping off of any magical gear you encounter and send the particles through this bag so that I can examine them. I am willing to pay generously for these research components because I am far too indisposed to collect them myself."
He turns away from a moment, attempting to look dramatic. It's not very effective.
"As for the other proposition, I-"
He halts, startled.
"Wait, you're looking for someone. Who is it that you seek?"
As he asks, the door opens behind you and a RANGER walks in.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, as you walking the grounds you pass a HEDGE MAZE. Considering the mansion owner's specialty you suspect it would be unwise to enter such a place alone. Instead, you ignore it and continue to the back of the grounds. There's a gated section of yard overgrown with ivy; you can't see past it. More importantly, though, you see an enormous crater at the back of the mansion as if an entire wing was blasted off of the building. Was that the rumble that knocked you on to the warship? Surely this couldn't be the wizard's doing; why would he demolish his own house?
The crater dips down into a series of limestone caverns roughly a twenty foot drop down from where you are standing. You can also work your way around its edge to one of two doorways back into the mansion.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, unable to track the baby dragon you swim to the WARSHIP to prevent yourself from drowning in the enchanted gold. You claw your way up the side of the vessel until you are able to reach the deck. There's a DOOR to the Captain's Cabin, as well as a stairway leading down to the belly of the ship. The only other feature of note on deck is a BARREL of salt-packed fish and a PILE OF LAUNDRY.
You have a flash in your head, a memory of that man that glares at you through mirrors. He's on a ship like this. His spear is your spear. He speaks to the crew about his many conquests against the dragon menace. Usually that menacing voice shakes you out of such trances but this time it does not interfere. Was it the baby all along? Was he manipulating you?
A MAGICIAN climbs on deck. When he sees you, he draws a piece of paper from his robes.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, despite the currents of the sea of coins you are able to reach the Warship with little difficulty. Unfortunately you've lost site of that lizardfolk that was swimming in the coins. Upon reaching the warship you take out two pieces of paper, roll them into spikes, and scribe a rune upon them to make them as sharp and hard as metal. These you use to climb to the ship's deck.
As you climb up to the deck, you see that the LIZARDFOLK has beaten you here. He's standing with a spear in hand, staring at the door to the Captain's Cabin. You instinctively reach for your paper shurikens.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, using the odds and ends that you keep in your cloak, you begin to tailor your appearance as that of a troubled ranger, hoping that your rapport with Telivar will even out with your presence as another adventurer to give you an unbiased entry into the cabin. As you are finishing your disguise, you see the LIZARDFOLK that fell near your boat climb on deck. Reflexively you drop to the ground, letting the subtle magic in your cloak disguise you as a pile of laundry. Luckily you don't have to wait long for an opportunity to escape; as soon as you hide the MAGICIAN from the lobby boards the deck from the opposite side. While he and the lizardfolk stare at each other you slip into the cabin.
The SOLDIER from the lobby is inside. Beyond him you see a chubby bald wizard with a great white beard. He's dressed in stereotypical blue robes; almost hilariously so as they even have stars and moons stitched into them. Is he legitimately trying to be a joke, or is he so powerful he can afford to dress like a lunatic?
As you enter the soldier notices you.
What do you do?
I take a glance at the magician and give him a look, a look that is slightly confrontational, but says "I'll mind my own if you mind your own." I am prepared to throw down, but my attention is directed toward the ship and the memories that it evokes.Assuming I am not attacked, I head towards the Captain's Cabin, I believe I may have to try to form words with its occupant.
Quickly looking the ranger over, I don't recognize him as one of my companions. I can only assume that he is the cloaked man, though he looks more presentable than the glimpse I had of him from before. I can only assume from the details I've been told of him that he is not my enemy. I introduce myself politely before turning my attention back to the wizard.
I reveal its less the person's whereabouts I am searching for, but more his origin. I already know where his splintered body and soul reside after his attempt to murder my newborn children was stopped by the gods of my home world themselves. However, I have no idea how to combat him should he ever escape release. That is why I search for any information about him and his dark powers. I reveal that my search thus far on this world has proved fruitless, and I have my doubts he has ever been here before as I would have been able to clearly sense the terrible dark powers lingering here after my brush with death when I fought him.
Realizing that my companions must have made their way to the warship by now, I know I must get back to it. Keeping in mind where I found the entry into the sea of gold (the aviary), I make my way toward whichever door would get me closest to that location. I also keep an eye on the cavern below the crater for anything that might lurking in its depths. If the door I reach is locked, I have a plan, thought it is not one I would use if I had another option.
As I walk in I acknowledge the greeting and boredly reply what pleasure. Looking past the Soldier I say to the Wizard, "Telivar! Been speaking of me, have you? Tales of my daring I hope!" I make my way across the room and lazily lounge in a corner while the Soldier carries on with his conversation wondering if I oversold it.
My mind races as I try to recall if I remember anything about the lizardman species. Do they tend to be hostile? Do they speak the same language as us? I had assumed the blast from earlier came from the lizardman, and have been hoping to avoid him if possible. Now that I am face to face with him, I'm careful with my actions. I want to be ready to defend myself, but not come off as if I intend to attack the creature. Holding my paper stars ready to fling, I careful watch for signs hostile actions. I glance at the cabin door. This is probably where the study is, but how to reach it with a possible enemy blocking the way?
(Due to scheduling issues this will be the last Tuesday update until further notice. Friday updates will continue as before, so the game will run at half speed)
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you launch a challenging glare at the MAGICIAN ON DECK. He recoils slightly, reaching into his pocket as if to arm himself. You lash your tail in his general direction defiantly, as if to say that he isn't worth your effort. You then open the cabin door and enter the study beyond. There's a PALADIN standing directly in front of you; he turned as you entered the room. His sword is enormous, the kind that a soldier might use to kill horse and rider with one swing. A ZANBATO. Beyond him, on the floor, is a peculiar bundle of BLACK METAL that looks like some kind of candelabra or spike trap. Past that is a desk, at which the entity whose essence matches the rat you encountered earlier sits staring at you, his expression locked between the equally potent emotions of TERROR and RAGE. At his side stands a RANGER who is casually leaning against the wall.
The MAGICIAN enters the door behind you.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, the RANGER exchanges idle pleasantries and then goes to the wizard's side, as if to imply that he is in Telivar's employ. Telivar admits he detected you were searching for someone but he could not sense the nature of that quest. After your description he nods and says that such power is in direct defiance of the magical fabric of this reality and he warns that you are not likely to find the answers you seek here.
"How did you come upon this place, paladin? It is odd, the extent of our magic is essentially insular to our dimension, unless... unless it pulled you in as well."
He seems distant in thought. You are unsure of what he speaks but the notion leads you to reminisce about how you came to this world.
The door behind you opens again, and through it walks a sinister looking LIZARDFOLK armed with a spear and dressed in tattered military garb. Glancing to Telivar you see the hedge wizard is visibly shaken by the presence of this creature. Before you can react, though, your ally MALICHOR enters the door behind the lizard.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, as you go to open the door it falls off its hinges, crashing inward into the portrait-lined hallway beyond. You enter. Remembering where you are in relation to the Aviary you turn right and open the pair of doors in your way. Beyond is an ORCHARD with various fruiting trees. You take a moment to study the area: each tree is protected at its base by a hedge of thorns, but each tree appears perfectly mundane. There are no wraithwood trees here. Also, you notice that it is not snowing in the orchard; looking up you find that the area is contained just as the Greenhouse was. With nothing else of interest there you go through the matching set of doors and find yourself back in the LOBBY. A young man is on the ground before you, bleeding, with a gaping hole in the floor adjacent. Both of his legs have been subjected to some kind of piercing weapon. He is pawing around on the ground, unable to crawl as the slick of his blood on the lobby floor prevents his hands from gaining any traction.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you very clearly attempt to project your affiliation with the hedge wizard, but the PALADIN seems more interested in your host than in you. Oh well, more drink for you. You take a swig from your flask and let the warmth fill your extremities. Telivar carries on a conversation with the Paladin about the nature of the man the latter is seeking, but you don't really care for the details. It's entertaining listening to the wizard try to translate his professional expertise out of dusty jargon and you decide to enjoy the show and wait your turn.
You turn your attention to an inkwell on the desk. Feeling the telekinesis still lingering from the other spirits you attempt to lift it with your mind. Indeed it begins to shake at your command. As you settle into the focus of the action, however, the cabin door opens and a LIZARDFOLK enters, dressed in tattered military garb and wielding a SPEAR. He and Telivar share meaningful glares, and you notice Telivar's right pupil flicker bright orange as their eyes meet. Just before they share words, the MAGICIAN from the lobby enters behind the lizard.
If a fight breaks out you are in the best and worst position simultaneously; you are out of reach of the fray but the only exit is all the way across the room, over a desk, and has four people in the way. Then again, you are holding an inkwell with your mind... and it's full.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you swap intimidating glares with the lizard and he shrugs, lashing his tail in your direction and then turning his back on you to approach the cabin. You briefly consider teaching him a lesson for underestimating you but then you hesitate, trying to remember of what a lizardfolk is capable. You had heard rumors that the lizardfolk used to be dragonslayers that were corrupted into service of their quarry, but the implication of the story is only one-directional (he could have been born a lizard). IF he were a dragonslayer he should be able to speak the common tongue, though no one has been able to thoroughly study the condition.
As you are trying to decide if he's feral or not, you notice he has disappeared and so you follow him into the cabin. As you enter you can feel the tension in the air, like the moment before you'd light the cannon fuse. Zataka the soldier is here, along with that vagrant you saw in the Lobby and a wizard in tacky blue moon robes who you assume is Telivar. The latter two are behind a large desk across the room. It is painfully silent. The lizard is directly in front of you and has noticed your entry.
What do you do?
There are far too many serious people in this room. Obviously there is little hope of escape in this current state. Hostile or not if I attempt to blind the reptile and sneak out my actions could be mistaken for Telivars and cause a battle. I imagine I am irking him enough by pretending he and I are familiar causing a bloody conflict could very well damage the good will. The [MENTION=38704]PALADIN[/MENTION] on the other hand looks completely upset that his business is being disturbed. I fling the ink at him. With his attention on the Wizard it is unlikely he will blame Telivar whilst the wizard is intently focused on the reptile. As it makes its inevitable mess I burst into laughter.
I ignore the others and focus in on the entity whose essence matches the rat. He seems to be in command of frightful knowledge,so I get straight to the point. I try to form the words "What do you know of this condition?"
I kneel beside the injured man. I don't know if twelve hours have passed since I healed the man from the tavern, but since the laws of magic seem different here, it may allow for a loophole, even though my healing power is divine rather than arcane. In any case, I try to focus my healing ability. Even if I can't heal him fully, I might still be able to heal him enough to prevent him from dying. The likelihood that my companions will pass back this way is small, but I cannot let this man die. And he may also have information about this Toma the wizard mentioned.
The wizard's words dredge up the memory of my departure from my world. My wife bestowing unto me her pendant, originally a gift to her from me, that she has since enchanted herself to provide protective properties. However she mentions to me that she has since beseeched the gods of our world themselves to further enchant it with the ability to grant me extra-dimensional/planetary travel via specially created magical corridors that I can manifest when I need to travel between worlds and dimensions. To ask the gods of such proves how important my personal quest is. If not for the sake of my childrens' safety, but for the sake of all existence due to the enormous dark powers the threat possesses.
I am snapped out of my recollections though from the sound of the door to the cabin opening. I take in the lizardman's appearance quickly, but cautiously. I can tell that he is formidable, but sense something else. As if he doesn't desire combat, but something else. However, his spear has signs of fresh blood on it. He is certainly willing to go to great lengths to get what he is after. I then see my companion, Malichor enter behind him. The situation is dire and could become violent and deadly. I show no attempt to further provoke the lizardman and keep my blade sheathed. He clearly wants something of the wizard. Should he act in violence against him, I will shield him with my greatsword, if needed. However I shall only do so as a lat resort. My focus right now is to diplomatically defuse the tension of the situation as best I can.
(Starting with this post updates will only be made on Fridays until further notice)
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, as you toss the inkwell the LIZARD begins to speak. "What do you know of this condition?" he manages to growl at Telivar before the inkwell strikes the PALADIN and shatters, spraying ink everywhere. You laugh hysterically as the ink splats into their eyes and faces. The Paladin makes a blind jab towards the source of the ink but does not connect a blow. The Lizard, conversely, sweeps the room with his tail and knocks everyone to the floor. You see a paper shuriken fly up from the tussle and pierce the ceiling as if it was made of steel. The three begin to brawl but then inexplicably vanish. Only Telivar remains in the room.
"Very cute. Here, this should give us some privacy."
You feel strange, as if the world is jello and you're an errant chunk of fruit.
"So, what would you care to discuss? It's got a few minutes before it wears off."
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you are able to release your words in a low growl. As you speak, however, a vial of BLUE INK floats into the air and flings itself toward you, shattering and splashing ink into your eyes. You quickly drop prone, knowing that blinded opponents will attack wildly until they are able to regain their sight, and then you swiftly trip the two men standing next to you with your tail so they don't have an opportunity to attack each other. You place your claws on the paladin and prepare to pin him but then discover that he's gone and you're alone on the floor. Wiping the ink from your face you stand and look around, finding only yourself and the wizard left in the cabin.
Something is off about the air. It feels warm and inviting, and almost inexplicably familiar.
Telivar places his right hand on the table. It is a claw much like yours.
"Oh, I know rather a lot about this condition. But why don't you ask your master about it. Where is the dragon that sent you?"
You do not understand what he means. What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you attempt to heal the man but you feel the connection to your magic fading as you cast your spell. Could your doubt actually be inhibiting your ability? Still, you are able to at least stop the bleeding. With the man stabilized you help him up and walk him over to the couch at the side of the lobby. You ask who did this to him.
"A... a lizardman attacked me. He wanted me to lead him to master Telivar, but his eyes... there was some dark entity pulling strings behind his eyes. I tried to run and he stabbed me."
You ask the man his name.
"I'm TOMA, the-"
Upon hearing the name you instantly throttle him and pin him to the wall. He begins to choke.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, after snapping out of your memories at the sight of Malichor, you turn to the wizard Telivar in hopes of asking him to defuse the situation diplomatically. As you do so a vial of BLUE INK shatters in your face, blinding you. As your training dictates you punch blindly towards the source of the blinding fluid but your blow connects only with the air. You are then tripped by some unseen force. Clearing the ink from your eyes and standing once more you find that you are standing alone in the room, with Telivar as the only other occupant. The air around you feels thin, as if you are standing at the top of a mountain. You remember this sensation but you can't place it.
"Well then, that's much better. It was far too crowded in here."
You ask where you are.
"This place is the INTERSPACE. It's like a membrane between dimensions. It should be very familiar to you, you must have passed through it when you came to this world. I've placed us all in the various folds of this membrane so we can speak privately."
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, trying to calculate what you wish to do to prevent a brawl, you are startled by a vial of BLUE INK which flies up to Zataka and shatters, splashing into your eyes. In your panic you draw one of your PAPER SHURIKEN but you are tripped as you throw it. It sinks into the ceiling. Scrambling to stand, you suddenly notice that a CYAN FOG has filled the air and the other occupants of the room have vanished. Only TELIVAR remains.
Looking around, you see the shadows of DRAGONS in the darkness of the fog. Telivar's right hand is placed on the table, spiraling flames of tiny dragons crawling around it and up his arm. Even your paper shuriken has one on it, methodically dancing circles as it nips at its own tail.
"There isn't much time. There's something you need to know."
What do you do?
I loosen my grip enough to allow him to breathe, but keep my hold on him. He starts to speak but I silence him with a glare. The I speak in a calm but deadly serious voice. "I will ask questions and you will answer them. You are not an aasimar and you do not appear to be a tiefling either. How is it you are able to grow wraithwood?"
Having most of my other questions answered before the interruption earlier, I ask what he can tell me of the lizardman that entered the cabin and what he wants. For my last question, I ask what the other proposal he mentioned was. I also mention that his smaller proposal to get "scrapings" (or whatever he would like to call it) of magical items seems like a reasonable proposition, though some magical items would be harder to get samples of then others (guardians, traps, etc).
SUCCESSOR helped me realize that I took a serious cop-out with the last update. I was concerned that the format we were using wouldn't be able to handle direct player-to-player interaction and in my zeal to prevent a mechanical hiccup I left several players with no real options and effectively ruined the tension of the scene.
So, I'm going to introduce two rules and push the scene back in a direction that will allow player-to-player interaction with a fresh update. The first rule will ensure that players are not penalized for this and future 'early' updates and the second will make player-to-player interaction possible and flexible so that I don't have to mediate between updates.
The rules are in this post, the update to fix the situation will follow in a second post.
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Rule Clarification:
General: Act Medias Res
If an update has a section that has the following construct:
[Act Medias Res]
...
[/Act Medias Res]
somewhere within, the update contains an ACT MEDIAS RES. This is a special section of the update where you may insert actions your character took in the middle of the update's events. Its purpose is primarily to allow you to ask specific questions in a conversation, though you could really do anything you want (if you derail I'll nudge you back into feasibility). In one of your action responses (see Action Tennis below), you may place the term [Act Medias Res] (color optional) at the top of your post to indicate you are inserting the action into the gap provided. This is NOT a requirement; if you do not take an action with Act Medias Res you can fill the gap at any later point by starting the top of your post with an HTML link back to the update that had the gap.
When you use up an Act Medias Res the results of the gap are filled in in the following update. A generic example of how I'll respond to your Act Medias Res is presented below:
You take a moment to recall your conversation with TELIVAR in the study.
[INDENT]~~~~~
Conversation with Telivar
"You see, they're highly unstable."
You ask him to clarify hamster baryon signatures.
"See, two visually identical hamsters could have alternate baryon signatures. If they were to make contact with each other they would cause a TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION that would likely destroy this entire mansion and all of the surrounding villages. They're VERY dangerous."
Telivar clears his through forcefully, effectively indicating he wishes to end the conversation.
~~~~~[/INDENT]
You are particularly stricken by his thorough and almost terrifying knowledge of atomic hamster fusion. You ponder how this information will be useful in the trials to come.
General: Action Tennis
A feature of the game that no player has utilized as of yet is the ability to log more than one action between updates. I believe the feature has been avoided because of a distinct lack of structure, so I present: ACTION TENNIS!
From this point forward, any player may make UP TO THREE posts between updates. Each post represents one action scenario.
That's really the extent of the rule, but here are the implications:
[LIST=1][*] As before, you are free to make assumptions about any character or topic that is NOT LOCKED. As of this post the only topics in the story that are locked in the game are TELIVAR and DRAGON MAGIC. Do note, though, that the characters of OTHER PLAYERS are always locked, meaning you cannot make assumptions about their reactions. [LIST=A][*] Just because you can't make assumptions about their reactions doesn't mean you can't interact with them. Because everyone gets up to THREE posts between updates, you can launch an action at another player, wait for them to react, and then react YOURSELF to their response. This is action tennis.
[*] For a clear example, [MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION] 's character Sancireph is LOCKED, as is [MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION] 's character Jerias. If the two were in a scene with the NPC Toma, either player could control TOMA or THEIR OWN CHARACTER but neither player could control THE OTHER CHARACTER. That is, TheDarkOne cannot dictate Jerias's actions and BigJoe cannot dictate Sancireph's actions, but both can dictate Toma's actions.[/LIST][*] The more you post, the longer my update to you will be. This means the more you do, the more you will get out of the game. Take advantage of this and use Action Tennis to interact with the world and other players. I may even volley quick responses back at you when you are interacting with NPCs, though remember that such is only necessary if the NPC is LOCKED since you have the right to simply state how an unlocked NPC reacts to your actions.
[*] This feature is necessary to allow for the rule above (ACT MEDIAS RES). Filling a gap counts as a post, so you have to make sure that an ACT MEDIAS RES is in a separate post from any actions you are taking currently (Otherwise you will confuse me and then bad things will happen).[/LIST]
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In short, use ACT MEDIAS RES to fill in scenes that are in the gooey center of an update, and use ACTION TENNIS to interact with other players and accelerate the pace of the story.
(Because SUCCESSOR brought my mistake to my attention, he gets top order in this fixer update)
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, Telivar slides a SMALL LEATHER POUCH across the desk and asks you to pick it up.
"Well, you may not be a dragonslayer but you do wander a lot. Perhaps this will interest you."
You pick up the pouch. It doesn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary, until you reach inside and see your hand pop out from an identical pouch on the desk.
"That's a MAGIC ARTIFACT that I made. Part of a set, actually. It lets me pass small things back and forth to my subcontractors. I have a business proposition for you: throughout the world there are other magical artifacts just like this, made by other magisters or lost in forgotten ruins. If you come across such a magical structure in your travels, take a scraping and send it through the bag to me. I'm collecting data on the fabric of magic around the world and these samples are crucial. I'll make it worth your while; if gold isn't your thing I can at least pay you in RARE SPIRITS."
You take the bag and place it into your cloak pocket. Strange, you seem to be acclimating to the strange sensation in the air. It's rather like being drunk, actually.
[Act Medias Res]
Conversation with Telivar (Filled)
[INDENT]~~~~~
Venom Dragons and Darts. Is the Darkspace Bag capable of passing messages, and can Telivar mend Artifacts?
~~~~~[/INDENT]
[/Act Medias Res]
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
Over the course of a few minutes you see what's left of the cabin fill with the PHANTOMS of human shapes. Eventually these take form as the other occupants of the room: the PALADIN, the MAGICIAN, and the LIZARD. The door to the cabin swings off its hinges, but it no longer leads back to the deck. Instead, it opens to the HALL OF MIRRORS.
You feel a shiver down your spine as you look through the doorway. The danger sense in the back of your mind whispers a warning: "Here there be monsters".
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, the apprentice TOMA chokes briefly before beginning to speak.
"I didn't use Aasimar blood, I used my own blood."
This doesn't make any sense to you. You explain that there needs to be a celestial component and he doesn't have the requisite genetics to attain such an effect.
"That was the whole point of the experiment! I have been trying to prove that the rituals and superstitions of magic are entirely unnecessary components to the result."
[Act Medias Res]
Interrogation of Toma
[INDENT]~~~~~
~~~~~[/INDENT]
[/Act Medias Res]
He pushes you away.
"If you're intent to attack me, though, do not expect me to surrender willingly. I will defend myself."
As he speaks, a cloud of gray fog bursts out of the doorways and envelops you both.
"What was that?"
You look around. You're still in the lobby, but something feels... off. You can see shadows moving around in the fog. Toma seems equally nonplussed by the situation.
"There's atomized magical energy in the air. Master Telivar? What could he be casting?"
He looks at the shadows.
"It's almost like he's summoning a ghost world. Why would he do that?"
You notice something else, though, as Toma is trying to work out the situation. You sense an Aasimar presence permeating from him. This is the first time he has projected such energy. Could the fog be the cause?
"This is very bad. Master Telivar said that he feared dragon corruption was infecting his spells. If he's right, we're all getting contact contamination. I'll go to the library and see if I can find a suitable counterspell."
He opens the doors to the library, but beyond them lies a COAL MINE.
"...That's not good."
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, Telivar answers your last question first:
"Anything you come across in your travels is worthwhile to me. I am collecting data and even common magical items have their uses. That said, if you are able to acquire rare specimens I may be able to compensate you more generously. As for the other proposal, it is of a more personal nature. Recently I was attacked by a Dragon. I drove the beast away but not without sustaining significant injury. More distressing, however, is the fact that its attacks left traces of CORRUPTION in my system and the poison has been spreading. I need someone to kill that dragon. Preferably lots of people, actually, because individually nobody really stands a chance. I mean look at that Lizard guy, he's a perfect example of it."
You ask why the lizard is involved.
"He's a DRAGOON. Or he was, anyway. It's their job to go around killing dragons. But inevitably they get killed, or they turn into something like that. He's no doubt here on behalf of his dragon master to recruit me or kill me or some other such act of war."
You ask why the dragon needs to die.
"Ah. This is something I only recently came to realize from my tussle with the thing, and something to which you can relate. You know how our rules are restricting your abilities in this reality? Well, our rules are actually breaking the rules. This dimension isn't SUPPOSED to have magic, so wizards achieve magical effect by snatching physical laws from other reality. Unfortunately, each time we do so we're pulling our existence closer to overlap with that other reality. It's a dragon dimension and the DRAGONS are entities that have ripped their way through the membrane between our worlds. The only way to fix that hole and undo the damage they've inflicted is to kill them."
[Act Medias Res]
Further Discussion with Telivar (Filled)
[INDENT]~~~~~
What would prove effective against the dragon?
~~~~~[/INDENT]
[/Act Medias Res]
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
Over the course of a few minutes you see what's left of the cabin fill with the PHANTOMS of human shapes. Eventually these take form as the other occupants of the room: the RANGER, the MAGICIAN MALICHOR, and the LIZARD DRAGOON. The door to the cabin swings off its hinges, but it no longer leads back to the deck. Instead, it opens to the HALL OF MIRRORS.
You fret the presence of the dragoon. While you can respect that he once served a great purpose in this world he is likely working towards its destruction. But you sense that you are not safe in this cabin and you'll need everyone's help to get out of the INTERSPACE.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you explain that you don't have a dragon master.
"What? No, you must or you wouldn't look like that. Listen, no offense to you, but-"
He stares at you briefly, as if staring into your mind.
"Wait, that's not possible. There's only one voice in there."
You demand an explanation.
"Sorry to tell you, friend, but you died. And some dragon came along and REVIVED you to act as a personal crescent wrench. That's why you look like that, it's the residual corruption of the DRAGON MAGIC."
You ask why a dragon would need humanoids.
"You mean besides the whole totally loyal servant thing? Well, there are certain things a LIZARDFOLK can do that a DRAGON can't. The big scaly beasts are lacking in finesse. Beyond that? I can't say, I've never met one of you that wasn't subjugated and trying to kill me."
[Act Medias Res]
Conversation with Telivar
[INDENT]~~~~~
~~~~~[/INDENT]
[/Act Medias Res]
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
Over the course of a few minutes you see what's left of the cabin fill with the PHANTOMS of human shapes. Eventually these take form as the other occupants of the room: the RANGER, the MAGICIAN, and the PALADIN. The door to the cabin swings off its hinges, but it no longer leads back to the deck. Instead, it opens to the HALL OF MIRRORS.
You're still mad about the INK IN YOUR FACE. You're also fighting your primal urge to attack, your body is shaking as your mind processes these mammals as prey and the FIRE IN YOUR CHEST mewls for fuel. Still, you don't think you can escape this place on your own.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, Telivar begins to speak in a grave, serious tone.
"We're bringing about the end of the world."
You look at him like he's wearing a penguin suit.
"Magic. We're directly causing the dragon crisis."
You ask for an explanation.
"Toma's thesis holds the key to most of it. The rest I figured out after I got maimed by that dragon that attacked my mansion a while back."
He points to his right arm.
"The dragon corruption is actually bleedthrough from another dimension. The one where we snatch our magic from. See, our world isn't designed to handle magic. So our forebears shrouded our theft in rituals so that we wouldn't know what we were doing. We're pilfering physics from other realities."
You shrug and say that doesn't sound like such a bad thing.
"Oh, but every time we do it we punch a hole into another reality. And somebody punched a hole into the wrong one. It's a horrible nightmare world of DRAGONS and they're hungry. And here's the worst part: they started pulling back."
You stare, stunned, as he continues.
"See, they've decided they want to absorb our reality and they have the power to do it. That's why more and more dragons have been appearing in the wilds; they're coming through to drag us back with them."
[Act Medias Res]
Further Discussion with Telivar (Filled)
[INDENT]~~~~~
Toma's Thesis, Darkspace Reality Bends, and Dragons ripping into our reality? How are these related?
~~~~~[/INDENT]
[/Act Medias Res]
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
Over the course of a few minutes you see what's left of the cabin fill with the PHANTOMS of human shapes. Eventually these take form as the other occupants of the room: the RANGER, the LIZARD, and the PALADIN ZATAKA. The door to the cabin swings off its hinges, but it no longer leads back to the deck. Instead, it opens to the HALL OF MIRRORS.
You're still in shock about what Telivar has told you. Staring at the tiny dragon still spiraling around your remaining shuriken, you wonder if it's even safe to use magic here. But how will you escape back to reality?
What do you do?
I ask Telivar if there is anything that would prove effective against the dragon. Any information he can tell me would be of great importance.
After being brought back to the cabin with the others, and seeing the dragon first hand, I realize that things have spiraled downhill quickly.
Realizing the situation is dire, I say to the others that we must work together to survive this day. The dragon must not be allowed to enact its plans to bring this world under its control. I ask the lizardman his name and if he is willing to aid us with his dragon-slaying skills, as they would give us a distinct advantage in combating the dragon. I turn to the ranger and ask him if he will aid us as well, we will need every person capable if we are to survive.
The present situation is taking precedence, but I make a mental note to question Toma further about to aasimar energy emanating from him--if he is aasimar, how is he able to prevent another from sensing it? Seeing that the library door no longer leads where it should, I open the door that should lead into the Aviary (with Toma following me) to see where it leads.
[Act Medias Res]
Conversation with Telivar
"I said I was not interested in the amount of gold one may charge for killing a dragon. I have gold I barter with on a rare occasion. Gold has a way of getting a man's throat cut." I take off my cloak. Interestingly it has no pockets. Neither my satchel or Telivar's bag are anywhere to be seen either. Only the empty scabbard but more notable on my back where it is likely to never be seen slipped between my belt and my tunic is a Kris. The blade is wavy reminiscent of flame and though the edge is fine the sides of the blade are textured with needle like depressions and protrusions thin and long across both lengths of blade. The guard likewise has fang like spurs. Every detail speaks of poison; the weapon itself infamous for human sacrifice. The grip is elegant with a spiral bearing cryptic words and on the end is a large Hell's Opal that appears too black and reflectionless.
"I have a magic item or two in my posession but none I would part with." I turn so the Kris is no longer visible to Telivar. I open the hand not holding my cloak and show him 3 darts each banded with red, amber, and yellow. "I craft these for trade. They are venomous darts and their toxin comes from a small Venom Dragon not of this land. I assume you know that all dragon toxin is magic-based and may help you in your understanding of magic and dragons. They are dosed by the amounts the dragon excretes when wary, aggitated, or fighting for it's life. The latter has a fair chance of killing a man while the former most will only paralyse him a few hours. Most interestingly there is no numbing effect, infact sensation is increased to the point of immense discomfort and vivid halucinations occur. Elf-kind seem immune to the paralysis but their enhanced senses and lucidity seem to make them even more suseptible to the increased sensations and halucinations. If you are capable of the magic of mending I would trade them to you for fixing my cloak. It is more threadworn than even I care to look at. What ever price for artifacts I may come across can be discussed further. I imagine the bag is equally suitable for passing communications as well."
[/Act Medias Res]
[Act Medias Res]
Further Discussion with Telivar
I have three questions to ask Telivar:
"I only scanned Toma's thesis briefly, but I thought it mostly had to do with the schools of magic overlapping, and how more complex spells make use of several different types of magic. Is that what is causing the bleed though of realities, or is that the way to fix it?"
"What does role Darkspace magic play in this disturbance of realities?"
"What do you mean by pulling back, have the dragons found their own way to enter this reality?
[/Act Medias Res]
I check my paper stash to make sure the dragon corruption has not affected the unmarked pages. Assuming the pages are good, I take one in hand and begin folding. As I fold, I recall Toma's words to me about the bartender's herbs and how they are a physical object on which someone places their disbelief. I focus on that idea as my hands mold the paper into a small likeness of a dragon (and to think, people called me a nerd for joining the origami club in school!). Pining my anti-magic talisman to my cloak pin, I then reach out to grasp my shuriken and hope my plan worked.
I also wish to look at the Hall of Mirrors from inside the cabin, to determine if the new space is some sort of illusion, or possibly a fold of Darkspace.