OK. Everyone, please report in, we're going to update again soon. And I'm going to go at this in force, which means weekly updates no matter the cost. This is too precious to die. In the meantime, have a summary with everything we know about the setting so far - and more.
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ROLL TO EXPLORE THE DUNGEON - NOTEPAD
This is for consistency, and because I don't expect you to remember everything either.
*Setting tidbits - taken from the thread, with some supplemental information*
Places- There's a kingdom of Illyria. It's relatively prosperous and ruled by the royal family Kiske, in the sixth generation.
- Map is getting done around now.
KingsfordIt's rather unremarkable, really. On a river, but that's about it.
Buildings: Potions & Herbs Store, Johnny's Grab Bag, Of Magicka And Arcana Obscura, Second hand equipment, HIGH QUALITY LOW PRICE, Pub, Dungeon Hall, Lemongrass General Store, the Adventurer's Severed Head (a pub), the Town Church, the Marketplace, the Riverside Brewery, the Suspicious Ruins...
Ruins layout: Entrance. To the left, you have a dead-end with trapped torches. Straight ahead, a locked door. To the right, a trapped hallway that's now impassable, it leads to a lever room, which has a really really deep pit. Above the lever room (and still accessible), there's an abandoned wine cellar, which has a second exit.
DungeonFirst stratum: Ratman barrows
Second stratum: Waterfall Woodlands
-TBD-
Spells (I used to be serious about this, right?)"Northern Spirit, are you there? I call to thee: raaagh raaagh raaagh! Northern Spirit, turn me unto bear; So yon enemy doth utter arg" - Bear time. Alternatively: IT'S BEAR TIME. ROAAAAAAAAARRRGH
(TBD)
NPCsTerence II. Kiske
- He has passed away at the age of 56 about four years ago, while on a solitary hunting trip. His corpse was found in a log cabin lying on the bed with a serene expression, hands folded over his chest, no visible wounds and his horse Aquileia grazing in front of it. It is commonly believed he died from natural causes, but that is a matter of much contention.
- While he still lived, he was extremely well-liked and just. His legacy might be the main thing keeping Illyria in order, although it is also the main motivation of certain other groups that view Lucia as a threat to this legacy.
- His relationship to his daughter was somewhat disrupted, but still close.
Queen Kiske
- Date of birth, or age, unknown. She was very youthful on the wedding day, which is roughly 22 years in the past.
- Has not been seen since Terence II.'s burial. Reportedly still alive and watching her daughter.
- She was a social outcast before the marriage, rumours of her being involved with black magic were quite persistent. Nowadays, she's loved as much as her husband.
- Very friendly and warm personality, still pretty hot.
Lucia I. "Inverse" Kiske
- 24 years old and already infamous throughout the continent.
- Intelligent, quick-learning and a prodigy of magic, but also hotheaded, selfish and brash. A popular tale tells of her burning down several districts of the capital of the Boar Duchy over a minor insult.
- Why she returned to rule Illyria is unknown, as she never showed any interest in administration or the machinations of diplomacy. However, she, too, might be driven to not let the legacy of her father go to waste.
Elizabeth Voile
- She is a surprisingly young-looking girl, looks around 13 years of age, but something about that youth is a bit off. There are white strains in her violet hair, the unusual color being a somewhat common side effect of magic overuse. She dresses practically and shows little emotion (addendum: Except when Elenor is trolling her.)
- Is an acquaintance of the current queen back from her adventuring days and her knowledge of the world's collected magical and historical lore is matched by few, if any. It is said that she brings a small library worth of ancient books along whenever she moves. For all of her knowledge about the theory, she tends to neglect the practical aspects of magic, but still commands far more skill than the average sorcerer.
- Official title: Chief Minister of Labyrinth Exploration and Magical Artifacts, High Court Magician, Master Of The Library, Spymaster, Elizabeth Voile. Liz for short.
- Is quite proud of her skills and has an (mostly justified) high opinion of herself.
- Terrible at piloting Terran Golems.
- Do not call her flat, unless you have a good plan.
- Swears she's never going to work with adventurers again once this whole thing is through.
- Official text color: Pink.
- Aunt of Maka R'lyeh-Voile.
Town priest
- Huge. Amiciable and buds with Taren. Protective of Kingsford, and has some influence at least.
Phoenix
- Finally, there is a woman sitting in the corner with white hair of improbable length. Her skin is rather colorless, but riddled with scars. She wears a black jacket, chest bandages, baggy red pants and slippers, and is unarmed. Also smokes much to the chagrin of everyone else.
- Has really bad handwriting. Might be drunk all the time.
- Likes to show off. Probably competent.
Other random adventurers
The other adventurers are about as normal (read: weird) as adventurers come. There is one ridiculously buff guy who does not appear to know the concept of "shirts", but wears armor gauntlets, greaves, boots, a scarf as long as himself and pants with a combined codpiece-belt buckle-thing. His stubble is manly. His haircut appears to have forfeited to his hair. The second adventurer sports pale skin, gray hair, is probably female, most likely young and is almost entirely covered by a black cloak with hood which seems to absorb the light. She appears to wear a bell on a chain. The third one is totally a ninja, if his belt buckle is to be believed. He wears baggy clothes and mostly black/grey, his hair is spiked and dyed bright green, and he also wears a scarf in vibrant orange. A blade is attached to his right forearm. Adventurer number four wears red, worn wizard robes with matching hat, looks somewhat undefinable and wimpy, like a scared ferret. He bears a knobbly staff.
Pool cue guy
The fifth one is silent and sits in the corner, his grey hair covering his entire face, dressing in black and white. He bears a billiard cue, and the hair over his face is dyed in such a way that the symbol of an eye is seen.
"Eldritch power should not be pursued by adventurers like you. We of the Guild know too much of it to let it loose. Turn back while you still can."
Ms. Paladin
- Appears to be really stuck-up, even though her intentions might not be bad. Hollow justice archetype - she does what she's told is just.
- Redhead, full armor, eye motif. Belongs to a Holy Order.
- Currently in Liz' party cellar, singing like a bird and/or being high. Has been called a traitor by Liz.
Redhead Key Zombie
(This is basically a wall of text of my own writing, quotes and stuff. Damn, I used to be good at that?)
She looks like a seriously pudgy goth with way too overdone smokey eyes, although that might be excused by the fact that a girl with a key jammed through her head whose primary clothing article is bloody bandages probably really is undead. She has another key sticking out of her chest, has a third one as sort of a belt buckle and is chained to a fourth key, which is bigger than herself and the source of that scraping sound - it's simply too big to feasibly carry. In fact, that key is smeared all over with markers and, possibly, also blood. Someone even doodled a face on it.
"It's always the same. Always the same.", she continues. "Nevermind that I didn't choose to become undead, nevermind that I'm human except for a few small details - no, as soon as any - any damn human or elf or dwarf or what have you sees me they scream Undead, undead! Abomination! Prepare to die, scum!. Like that red-headed bitch there." A quick rattle of the chains confirms that she talks about the fallen paladin. "As soon as she sees me - and I'm really just saying hello, trying to be polite, and what do I get?" Her expression distorts in mockery. "Your mere existance disgusts me, is a pox upon the earth! In the name of that big white thingy in the sky" - at this point, she is miming the entire thing, hugely overexaggerated - "I, the Just Blade of Holiness and Cleanliness and Fordliness, Her Highnessest Paladiness Selfrighteous Stick-Up-My-Ass shall punish you! Get ready!" The following torrent of personal insults and general unfiltered rage shall not be transcribed, but to put a synopsis, apparently the goth zombie does not like paladins all that much.
"No, no, no, no, no. Actually, hell no. While you are the first-- no, scratch that, second guy who treated me as a human being since I was zombified, this was also the most terrible pickup line I have ever had the misery of hearing.
"Er, um... I was really, really, really drunk at that time, and next thing I knew, no pulse, cold everywhere and those keys. I've learned that they are cursed... one of them might be keeping me alive, that's why I didn't check that thoroughly. But, the big one... he drinks blood. Regularily. If he didn't get it..." She shudders. "And he really doesn't want to let go..."
"So." Conclusion?
"Here's the deal. You get the big one off me, or introduce me to someone who can, and in exchange, I'll open that pesky locked door for you." Everyone is suddenly very focused. "And if we just kill you and take your keys right here and now? Hypothetically, of course", Remy is fast to add.
"Well, then I lose my faith in humanity and you get zapped by all kinds of pesky curses as soon as you touch one of those keys that might not bother the undead much, but if you still have a life to lose, they might be a bit more... inconvenient." Her grin is kind of creepy, Apollo notes...
So, whoever did this (to her) was out for a) Science, b) Evulz, c) Pretty screwed up compassion or d) any combination of the above.
"Wait." That's the second time she mentioned that someone helped her. "You had someone help you out? Who is that man?"
"I don't know." The shrug is genuine. "Blond, white and blue clothing, lots of belts. Oh, and he likes tea."
Strange. Wait. "Why doesn't that man, if he's so nice to you, help you get out here? Have you asked him?"
"I haven't thought of that..." She continues: "But, if it weren't for him, I'd be even worse off..."
- She really, really likes words and being wordy.
The Golden Woman
- Is related to chaos. Some sort of divine being?
- Ratherio wanted to get into her pants. Does she even have some? Does he get to tap her ass in the afterlife? Does he intrude her very self?
* A beggar got murdered, symbols written in blood. This is related to some sort of underground ritual, in an Unholy Cathedral. Lots of blood required. There is, reportedly, a city under the city, and the inhabitants wear white cloaks with one belt and iron masks. Apparently the Holy Orders are involved with this.
"Alchemy and Alchemic Magic are similar not only in name. Evidence does suggest they are just two sides of the same coin. Both a capable Alchemist as well as a trained Alchemic Mage understand that the power lies within the matter itself. However, it is rare that an Alchemist uses Alchemic Magic or that an Alchemic Mage learns Alchemy. The reason of this is twofold; one, neither group gets along with the other. Some skilled Alchemists view Magic as a crutch and Mages as amateurs, they are elitists and purists. Many other pursue the legendary Philosopher's Stone, but they are mainly charlatans and deluded fools. Transmutation is a point where Alchemy and Alchemic Magic touch, but it has long since become discredited by those wishing to transform lead to gold but only managing to transform gold to nothing. Anybody with a basic knowledge of economics would see that a way to transform Lead to Gold would only crash the currency in the long term, anyway. The few reputable transmuters that remain have chosen to isolate themselves from the other practitioners. It is rare that you see one of them, but they should not be underestimated.
Of course, (most) Alchemic Mages view Alchemy as a roundabout and overly complicated way of achieving something you could solve by waggling with your fingers, and thus those very similar schools of thoughts are in reality very, very far apart. But unlike most practitioners like to think, Alchemy and Alchemic Magic are not two ways of achieving the same thing the same way. They are not redundant to each other, and there has been an attempt to unify the two, magic and science, in hopes of achieving a result far beyond what either Alchemy or Alchemic Magic could achieve, calling it 'Universal Science'. The person behind this magical, theoretical and scientific effort is only known as 'Kreutzer', and little else is known about him/her. Their motives are unknown. Because nearly every practitioner of Alchemy or Alchemic Magic thinks an unification of the branches to be a fool's effort, there is nearly no books about the subject matter - this might prove to be a fatal mistake somewhere down the road. This development should be watched. For further information, refer to the book 'Of Universal Science' by R. Christofer."
""Of Universal Science?" I don't even want to ask where you got that idea from, but I have to concede that you do have good taste. There just is one problem: The book is on the Index. You're technically not even supposed to know about it. You see, this Kreutzer person - apparently he, or she, or it succeeded in what he/she/it wanted to do, but then apparently they had to stop him/her/it. That incident was a few decades ago, before you were born, and the Holy Orders have tried to purge it from history, so I don't know much about it either. Not even Kreutzer's gender..." She sighs. Not knowing about something appears to nag her.
"Anyway, Kreutzer was defeated - by the late King himself, it is rumored - and world peace was saved. All books, or nearly all of them about the now-forbidden techniques were burned and put on the Index. I know for a fact that a few copies of 'Of Universal Science' have survived... and so has its author." Apollo notes that she grins again, taking delight in her knowledge.
"One copy of Of Universal Science is in the cellars of the Inquisition, in Fjaelling. A second belongs to the scholar Letus Clover in the residence city of Atlas. A third is owned by the Queen and stored in the Black Section of the Royal Library.
There is one interesting tidbit though -- the book claims that the world you access through spirit voyages is the "true" world that has shaped and continues to shape this real one. If that'd be true, you could somehow influence the real world by twisting the spirit world?
Liz quote on this: "Oh, you are talking of the Backyard Theory?" Liz is in her element now. "As the name states it's a theory, not proven, but evidence generally seems to support it. However, that plane is actually a far more resilent one than it appears to be, if you do not know what you are doing you cannot manipulate the real world effectively or at any visible pace. Professor Sunshine, who developed the theory and still is researching the area, thinks that the common astral plane actually is just a hollow mirror of something he calls the true astral plane, which would have all of the properties described by the backyard theory, namely being the origin of all magic. It hasn't been found yet obviously, but whoever could tap into it and manipulate it efficiently would effectively become a god. That is, of course, the dream of every mage. Did that answer your question?"
Notes to self:
* Ratherio as a professional, dead chaser of skirts of creatures with unimaginable power.
* Send the party to a fancy ball.
* Actually update. More than once per two months.
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Topic: Roll to Explore the Dungeon: Ch.2 T.38: Do you even praise the King? (Read 121519 times)