[Turn 2: Naivete and Paranoia]Sneak up on the whip noise, and see if I can't devise a spell to improve a human livers effectiveness tenfold on the way.
(This would make one resistant to toxins. I'd imagine if it was successful I could drink sewer water with no ill effects. Also no hangovers ever again.)
[Spellcrafting: 3] Hmm. Messing with the metabolic rates of separate organs tends to be unhealthy: liver would get damaged, wrong metabolites would flood the bloodstream... and it hurts like a bitch, too. No, it's best to leave the liver alone; there are many more ways to detox people with magic.
Such as by making them vomit their guts out. The idea seems awfully primitive, but it's actually one of the safest methods out there - something that you definitely won't botch even in your current state.
[Sneaking: 1] You try to get closer and investigate the mysterious whipcrack... and run into a group of dogs doing the same thing.
The dogs look pretty damn feral, seeing as they're skinnier, dirtier and angrier than any other mutt you ever saw in your life. Their leader is a huge, black, ugly-ass half-pitbull with pointy ears and a round, short muzzle. The dogs aren't attacking you just yet, but they seem very willing to do so as soon as they're done trying to find the screaming guy.
Name: Derm
Color: GreenHP: 120/120
Gender: Male
Bio: A new wizard, he scoffs at the human form and desires to surpass its current limitations. He took to jogging during his apprenticeship. and is a little faster and healthier than his comrades.
Suppressed Desire: Wants to ascend to a higher state of existence. (EX: Become genetically perfect, and probably ageless in the process.)
Skills: Apprentice Flesh Mage
Novice Water Mage
Known Spells:Dog SpiceEmergency DetoxTraits:-2 to fisticuffs
+1 to movement
+20 health.
Inventory: Robes of Swag +5Necklace of Bling +1Rings of Bitch-Slapping +2Hat of SwagA book titled 'Guide to the alteration of chromosomes'. Author: R. M.
Ancestral dagger made of magically sensitive metal
100 gp
Annoying, pointless, time wasting thoughts aside-he had to get to work. He had a job to do, after all. Lady Raven demanded it.
Del flipped his long hood over his head, shielding his eyes. He tipped his hat to the Lady, savoring and hating her in equal measure. Then he went out into the storm.
Action: Gather up my equipment and the box, head off in the direction of Marie Linnen with no delay.
You walk out of the room and go down the stairs, passing through a living room. There are three people in here: a woman and a man, seemingly the owners of this mansion, and a butler. Each of them have identical golden rings on their fingers, and none react to your presence. The whole house is eerily quiet, and you try to leave it as soon as you can.
[Travel: 4] You get to Marie's house, a small but cozy-looking two-story cottage, with no problems. A window on the second floor glows with dim yellow light - Marie must be working late. There are two stone statues blocking the door; one of them holds a bronze shield with a small hammer chained to it. Fancy.
You ring on the shield, and an old woman looks outside. Her hair is grizzled red and her face is struck through with wrinkles; she is dressed in a light grey robe of some sort. She has dark bags under her eyes: this woman clearly hasn't slept or gone outside her house in a long time.
Old Woman: "
Can't you youngsters leave an old woman alone? What do you need here?"
[Raven: 5] You feel something faintly pressing onto your head and start talking: it almost seems as if Raven herself has overheard your conversation and put the words into your mouth.
Del Vundi: "
Package from the Duchess, Miss Linnens. Shall I leave it on the porch?"
Old Woman: "
No! They could be watching! Get in here, quick!"
She whispers some words to the statues and they step aside, revealing a beautiful, if old-fashioned, wooden door behind them. You enter Marie's house and proceed up the stairs; it has, no doubt, been a beautiful house a decade or so ago, but something caused it to fall into disrepair. The only well-maintained part of the house was a trail between Marie's room on the second floor and the front door.
Marie's room is made of smooth, black granite; the red velvet drapings on the walls and a cushy armchair in the corner almost make it look comfy... except they're covered with dust and webs. The whole room is in disarray: there is a stack of dirty dishes standing next to the table, a runed chalk circle on the floor with a candelabra within, a pile of half-burned papers next to the fireplace and quite a lot of dust on pretty much everything.
Oh, and Marie is sitting on the bed, pointing a crossbow right at your chest.
Marie Linnens: "
If Duchess sent you, you know what to do."
[Raven: 5] You feel that pressure on your head again, and before you know it, you find yourself making some mockery of a bow, with your left hand's fingers twisted into positions you thought impossible before. Marie seems satisfied and puts the crossbow away, rambling.
Marie Linnens: "
Good! Good. You're the real thing, then. Give me that book. You do know what it is, right? It gives its wielder the power to destroy spirits entirely; with it in my hands, they won't pester me any longer. I am now free - and so is the Duchess. Tell her our contract is now null!"
She gives a gleeful cackle and starts reading the book, paying no attention to you whatsoever. Well... that was awkward.
What will you do now? You're pretty sure the stores are open by now; if you need anything such as, oh, a Remove Curse scroll, it would be best to go there now. [Raven: 6; 5] A silky voice in your head tells you that removing the curse would do nothing but hurt you deeply. For some reason, you are strongly compelled to believe it.
Name: Del Vundi
Color: Light GreenHP: 100/100
Gender: Male
Bio: Del looks to be a medium height male, with bushy brown hair and blue eyes. He seems fairly well travelled-a heavy green cloak and hood covers his fit body, and he carries a roughly mended wooden hilt sword hung on his left hip, and a fiddle on his back. Has all the looks of a vagabond traveler.
Personality-wise, He seems to enjoy debate and wordplay-one could say he has a problem with talking too much, and not noticing his surroundings. Del is also something of a charmer-he always seem to have a flower and a song for a pretty lady.
Suppressed Desire: Love
Skills:Apprentice Earth Mage
Novice Fiddler
Known Spells:StompTraits:+1 Diplomacy
-1 Perception
Inventory:Heavy cloak with a green hood
Open-throated white shirt
Thick leather pants
High boots with wooden buckles
Tri-corner hat
Old sword
Hip-mounted sword sheath
Rucksack
Full waterskin
Runed fiddle and bowCursed Engagement RingOrnate Green Gloves100 gp
Bruce takes very little time to consider the ideas of what could have happend, and instead of going towards the death killing fire mage, He runs in the other direction looking for a pub.
Also he checks everything he has, to be sure.
[Movement: 3+1] After a while of running through rather nondescript terrain littered with ruined buildings, you seem to finally enter some part of town that isn't unconditionally not-nice. There are hovels, hovels, more hovels, an occasional pawn shop and... oh, look, a pub! Sure, it's a rather shitty, cheap-looking pub, but at least it's not abandoned or anything.
When you check your pockets and the gold pouch, you notice that there is no money whatsoever hidden anywhere on your body; you won't be able to buy a drink unless you make some money. Did you have any other plans for what to do in there?
Name: Bruce Grothinime
Color: OrangeGender: Male
Bio: Wears glasses, younger than he looks, lost his love when pushed towards magic though he does love magic too.
Suppressed Desire: his lost true love.
Skills:Apprentice Fire Mage
Novice Air Mage
Known Spells:Fiery LashTraits:-1 to speech
+1 to stealth
-1 with the ladies
+1 to agility rolls
-1 to intuitionish rolls
+1 to intellectish rolls
Inventory:Robes
Glasses
House keys
Unkown address
Frying pan
0 gp
Murkal will gently wake the lady up, to figure out what's going on. Oh, and PUT THE DAMN CANDLES BACK. If there's time, try to create a spell known as "Bzzzzt", which lightly stuns a target on cast. Not very powerful, but costs very little magic, and can be repeatedly cast, sometimes multiple times per turn, depending on the dice. It does a minimal amount of damage.
[Spellcrafting: 2] You don't have time for this! The lady is waking up, and if you don't explain the situation in time, you'll be in trouble!
A quick attempt to plug the candleholder back into the wall fails spectacularly: it simply falls out of its slot, which is not altogether surprising considering that you had to damage the stone a little to tear it out.
The lady opens her eyes and stares, unbelieving, at the ransacked room upon her. [Persuasion: 5-1] Amazingly enough, you manage to convince her that you weren't the one who stole the candleholders; she might just be willing to not call the guards or anything until you've left.
[What Happened?: 3] It turns out that the woman is married, but her husband, an alchemist, is away on an assignment in the New World and won't be returning any time soon. So she was managing the mansion and her husband's shop all by her lonesome, aching for company, when yesterday in a fine tavern she met you, a surprisingly suave, if poorly-dressed, gentleman of many magical skills. One word led to another, alcohol flew in rivers, and the next thing she remembers after tasting the fine drink in your bottle is waking up here in her room, feeling better than she did ever before.
The woman seems a little naive and, if you would pardon the word, dim. Is there anything specific you want to ask her about, or do you want to leave already? There is a big tree sprawling right under the room's windows, rain faintly rustling against its green leaves. You can jump out of the window, falling right into the tree's crown, and get out of the mansion
almost unnoticed.
Name: Murkal
Color: RedHP: 100/100
Gender: Male
Bio: Murkal has the attire and attitude of a beggar. He wears raggedy clothes, and is more than willing to do a dirty deed for a quick coin.
Suppressed Desire: The ability to control the rules of the universe. He wishes to bend things to his will, do the impossible and tear down any barriers in his way.
Skills:Apprentice Air Mage
Novice Soul Mage
Known Spells:Lesser BuoyancyTraits:+2 to Enchanting
Golems May Go Rogue
Inventory:Well-made, raggedy clothing
A book labelled "Advanced Golemistry for the Apprentice Wizard."
GlassesAn empty bottleA stuffed nightingale0 gp
"I might have done that even if you were actually a tax guy."
With that stupid joke, leave the man behind, taking his gear and money. Stop the bleeding from his face first though. Use the money to check into an inn, get information from there and hope the hangover fades away.
You get back on your feet and examine your victim's face. [Diagnosis Lv0: 1] The wound is deep and bleeding heavily. You don't think anything short of cauterizing it can prevent the brute from dying of blood loss. [Fire Magic Lv1: 3] You combust the man's clothes and spray a large portion of his face with plasma to cauterize the wound; you couldn't have gotten any more precise, not with a hangover like this. Fortunately, the collateral damage from fire seems only skin-deep: it will leave a mark, but he'll live.
[Movement: 5] After looting the body, you continue walking through the unremarkable-looking streets. Nobody else seems to interrupt you this time. After a while, you find a meager-looking tavern made of some cheap stone.
The interior of the inn is every bit as unremarkable as its exterior, and a lot dirtier. The only three customers in the tavern are out cold on the floor, and the bartender is sitting behind the tab, snoring, his eyes closed.
[Hangover Cure: 5] You wake up the bartender, put a few gold pieces at the table and order a beer. He nods grimly and pours you a mug of some foul, yeast-smelling potion that only the poorest of the poor would call 'beer'. Nevertheless, the 'beer' seems to get rid of your headache quite well. You can think clearly once again! Huzzah!
Now, what did you want to ask the bartender about?
Name: Mehrik
Color: BlueHP: 100/100
Gender: Male
Bio: Narrow, brown eyes, one of which is obscured by a bad-ass eyepatch. He doesn't need it, he wears it for intimidation purposes. He prefers tighter clothes that allow freedom of movement. He has a generic dark past, and acts generically witty because of it.
Suppressed Desire: Generic vengeance
Skills:Apprentice Fire Mage(1 Lv3 Success)
Novice Flesh Mage
Known Spells:Fiery LashTraits:Dedicated: +1 will
Bull-Headed: -1 negotiations
Stealthy: +1 sneaking
Slender: -1 wrestling
Inventory:Shortsword
Robes
Tight trousers
Flesh spellbook
Badass eyepatch
Cleaver
230 gp
Vira's dreams were pleasant. She'd won! Everyone liked her. Yaaaaaay...!
She should probably go do things, though.
Wake up.
[Consciousness: 4] You wake up in a dark chamber, lit only by some meager fire in one of its corners. There are three people sitting next to you, each chained to a wall by their left leg. You are not yet chained; however, your hands are bound and there is a gag in your mouth.
On a closer inspection, you notice that the fire is not burning for illumination: it is heating a huge steaming cauldron, large enough for a human body to fit into it. There is an anvil standing next to the cauldron, and a few roughly-made golden bracelets lying scattered around the anvil.
Nothing seems to happen for a minute or two; then, one of the walls parts in two and an enormous... figure... crawls out, followed by that cute guy whom you met in the tavern. You know, the one you out-drank? Yes, this one. The figure, however, is anything
but cute: the overgrown muscles, gorilla-like stance, slit-pupiled eyes and chitinous scales on its skin are all but screaming about their owner going overboard with Flesh Magic.
While you are busy staring at the figure, its partner approaches you:
Stranger: "
I have seen your grimoire, my dear. The selection of spells you have chosen to work upon intrigued me quite a bit, for most of them concern the creation of undead. You see, several weeks ago a spell was discovered - an ancient and powerful spell - that allowed people like you and me to gain control over people's minds with barely a thought. My organization - our organization - possesses and protects it from unfitting hands, but an extraordinary witch such as yourself is welcome in our ranks. Join us, and you will have the spell; refuse, and the spell will have you. The decision is yours to make."
He cuts your bonds and removes the gag. You are now free to move and speak.
Name: Vira
Color: PurpleHP: 140/140
Status: Unconscious.
Gender: Female
Bio: A young witch leaning more towards outright necromancy. She's ambitious but cautious, good traits to have given Soul Magic's limitless potential for both weal and woe.
Suppressed Desire: Servants
Skills:Apprentice Soul Mage
Novice Flesh Mage
Known Spells:Conjure WispTraits:+40 HP
-2 Grappling
Notorious DrunkardInventory:Witch Dress
Witch Hat
Gnarled Staff
Black Grimoire of Unpleasant Things
Medical Supplies
100 gp
(( More like SATANIC LISTENING D: Btw, Haidere Orb. I can hear you. ))
I will duck into the hole, just the entrance, trying to be quiet so that the people inside and outside don't hear me, then I will stay there and hide.
You crawl into the hole. It's not as small as you thought it is: there is a big straight section before you, ending in some corridor; you don't see even the faintest light at the end of the hole, but you know it's straight ahead, which probably means that it's pitch dark there.
Seems like the adventurers know about this passage, too, and the heavy one doesn't hesitate to drop down and crawl his way through. [Sneaking: 3] You, however, are already in the room, pressing your back against a wall. You hear muffled clanking coming from the other end of the corridor, and immediately realize that the door is there.
Despite all your attempts to hide and get out as quickly as possible, the big, heavily-armored adventurer notices you the moment someone lights up the torch. He grabs you by your ankles and drags you back from the hole through which you tried to crawl out. As soon as you were out, he pressed a dagger against your throat and whispered into your ear:
Heavily Armored Adventurer: "
Who are you and how did you get here?"
You notice very little anger in his voice; most of the emotions his tone conveys are doubt and puzzlement. This almost seems like a benign chat... if you forget the dagger.
Name: Nathair Siliar
Color: GrayHP: 100/100
Gender: Male
Bio: Nathair is a young-ish wizard, with dark-coloured hair, with a calm personality. He is the typical picture of a whoring, alcoholic wizard, though his does try to keep control of himself and keep a suave front up. He has always had a fascination with golems and Soul Magic, and thus has made it in his interests to study the two things.
Suppressed Desire: Power, Wealth, Social Standing.
Skills:Apprentice Earth Mage
Novice Water Mage
Known Spells:Shape StoneDuck SkinTraits: +1 to social interaction rolls
-1 to movement rolls
+2 to crafting rolls
-2 to grappling rolls
Auditory Comprehension.Inventory:Dark gray robes with green highlights
A toolkit
An empty bottle
20 gp
Ardimis nods. Time for action. He follows a few feet behind and takes a moment to try and craft a new spell. Explosive Fireball. The combustion is accelerated and the containment field weakened. When the fireball nears its target, the weakened containment field breaks, spewing hot plasma in the general direction of its momentum, potentially hitting multiple targets. (My idea is a -1 to hit from the original fireball (bringing it to 0), but it becomes an AOE spell. Of course, you can make it whatever you want, but that was the idea behind it)
He then keeps his head on a swivel, with his ears open. Anything moving through the sewers is bound to make noise that echoes through it.
[Spellcrafting: 2] You probably could think of a way in which to make a fireball's explosion cover more ground, but not right now. Maybe when you're a tad bit more sober.
Eventually, you reach the entrance to the kidnappers' lair: it looks strangely like a rathole, except human-sized - you can even see the claw marks on its edges. Earth Magic isn't precise enough to emulate this kind of detail; it must have been dug by some manner of beast. The Burly assures you that nothing is inhabiting this hole; he scouted it out before, and the only thing he found on the other side was a locked door. You crawl to the end of the tunnel, rise and continue your way through a rough, but magically-created corridor of sorts. The corridor seems to be empty.
After the group reaching the end of the corridor, the Burly gives you an unlit torch and whispers for you to light it. [Spellcasting: 3] You put a spark on the torch; soon, the fire sets in full and lifts the shadows from around you. The door that Burly spoke of is quite a fancy, metal-reinforced piece of work. You now understand why you needed a rogue for this task.
The Lanky kneels before the lock and drags some tools out of his clothes, but some sort of noise erupts on the other end of the corridor, distracting both of you. [Grappling: 3+2] Someone's halfway stuck in the tunnel you came through and is desperately clawing at the ground while Burly is dragging him out by his heels; the poor fellow must think you'd kill him. [Recognition: 1] The fellow's face does seem familiar when Burly drags him into the light, but you can't quite recognize whether he's a good or a bad acquaintance.
Lanky shrugs and goes back to work while the Burly puts a dagger to the fellow's throat and starts whispering something into his ear.
Name: Ardimis Maximus
Color: GoldHP: 100/100
Gender: Male
Bio: Ardimis had always wanted to be a hero. The guy who slays the dragon, frees the town, and has his statue erected in the town plaza. The guy who drinks alcohol all night in the town bar, forms a party that morning, and slays ultimate evil by afternoon, while still under a buzz. He wanted to be that guy.
Unfortunately, he's a little...off. He doesn't always think things through. Old lady's cat in the tree? Burn the tree down. Rat problem? Burn the house down. Insect problem? Burn the field down.
Suppressed Desire: Ardimis wants to be the greatest hero of all, to be admired by all the peasant folk in the land. He wants to slay the biggest dragons, meet with the greatest kings, and overall be known throughout the world for his exploits.
Skills:Apprentice Fire Mage
Novice Earth Mage
Known Spells:FireballSparkTraits:+1 to physical rolls when below 50 HP
-1 to interaction with other people
Inventory:
Blue cape
ClothingA bag of charcoal50 gp
NOTE 1: Terribly sorry about the holdup, guys. I can't say this won't happen again, since you know how it is with flu. From now on, however, I will make as few promises as I can.
NOTE 2: I believe I haven't yet mentioned that you may cast spells at Magnitude Levels higher than their default levels; as such, if you have a Level 2 Fireball and are a Competent Fire Mage, you can say 'cast Level 3 Fireball' and your first roll would be on Magnitude Level 3, not 2. Of course, the limitations of your skills still apply: a Competent Fire Mage cannot cast a Level 4 spell and so on.
Author
Topic: Staggering Wizards RTD: Turn 7: Saving Lives of Rats and Renegades (Read 20997 times)