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[Nirur Torir]

I think we should see if we make get a self-haste spell from the mixed time aspects.

[EveryZig]

Is the rune method the one behind making enchanted items? If so we should definitely pursue that route, because being able to stockpile power in advance means that with preparation you can have more power on hand than someone drawing straight from a recharging capped energy pool.
As for learning runes, are there any inexpensive magic items (such as disposable spell-scrolls or such) you might buy in bulk to test out and attempt to reverse-engineer?

[GreatWyrmGold]

Is the rune method the one behind making enchanted items?

It's one, but it's not the one. The way I read it, it's just a bit more controlled than (say) dumping the ingredients together.

If so we should definitely pursue that route, because being able to stockpile power in advance means that with preparation you can have more power on hand than someone drawing straight from a recharging capped energy pool.

Long-term, I agree. Short-term? We can't.

As for learning runes, are there any inexpensive magic items (such as disposable spell-scrolls or such) you might buy in bulk to test out and attempt to reverse-engineer?

In theory. In practice, I believe we're just about broke.

[dragnar]

((Sorry about the delay! Had a bit of a busy day, just now getting back to checking up on the forums.))

I think we should see if we make get a self-haste spell from the mixed time aspects.

Most likely possible actually, even at my skill. I would theorize that Time permeates the entirety of the world, being responsible for it's flow. If so, increasing or decreasing the concentration of the aspects in the air could change how rapidly time passes for a particular area. This sounds like the kind of thing magic potions are best suited to, but unfortunately pure aspects are rather poisonous - without some way to temper it (Most likely, I'll need some Aqua Essentia. The water of magic: Picture a universal solvent, but only for aspects. Fortunately for me, alchemists are a bit less secretive than most, and I've picked up the base ingredients of such things, if not how most work.)

Alternatively, were I to infuse the Time aspects back into some sand and run it through my hourglass focus, it would probably speed the flow of time until the sand runs out... Though, it would be something closer to a bubble of accelerated time than something that effects only myself.

If so we should definitely pursue that route, because being able to stockpile power in advance means that with preparation you can have more power on hand than someone drawing straight from a recharging capped energy pool.

Long-term, I agree. Short-term? We can't.

As for learning runes, are there any inexpensive magic items (such as disposable spell-scrolls or such) you might buy in bulk to test out and attempt to reverse-engineer?

In theory. In practice, I believe we're just about broke.

Broke? Well... Not completely. I can probably afford just a couple of minor magic items, but bulk purchases are rather beyond me. In short, my conundrum is this: While my lab is reasonably well stocked, it will take some example artifacts of other forms of magic to learn anything much outside of pure mentalist abilities. The only way I'll be able to afford such things, short of taking on mundane work, would be to go dungeon-diving. I don't much like the idea I'll admit - those places are pure chaos, even the ones without any sort of monsters wandering them constantly rearrange themselves as if alive - but there's no denying that it's a good way to make a quick buck for those brave enough to try it.

So. Shall I purchase a couple minor enchanted items (and if so, what? A real wand would likely be my entire reserve on it's own, but access to some other sorts of tools temporarily is possible) and use that to try and research a bit more, or would it be smarter to use the things I buy to make a trip into one of the nearby random dungeons safer?

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'd say the dungeon-delving idea. It is more of a...sustainable and certain wealth-gain.

[Grek]

I think the Dungeon idea is best. But let's prepare:

Use Mentalism to separate out the three aspects. Using a little won't stunt our growth in the long run.
Prepare the Aspect of Past into a reversal potion that undoes the last few minutes.
Prepare the Aspect of Present into a some Stasis Powder that can be flung onto things to freeze them.
Prepare the Aspect of the Future into some Decay Powder that can be flung onto things to rapidly age them.
Also, pick up a club or a knife or something so we can shank people we freeze.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm not sure about using our Aspects of Time on disposable items. It strikes me that Sand of Time isn't exactly...common. Or cheap.

[Grek]

Got to spend money to make money, and we don't have the knowledge to make a permanent item yet. Unless you want that hourglass of time?

[GreatWyrmGold]

Sure! Sounds more useful than a few one-shot items.

[Grek]

I could sort of see it if we get like a crossbow or something. But without some sort of ranged weapon, then the things we're fighting in the dungeon are just as fast as we are whenever we (or they) are close enough to attack.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Getting a crossbow would be good, yes.

Thankfully, we have the money to do so.

So, list:

1. Make the time-accelerating hourglass.
2. Buy a crossbow.
3. Buy armor.
Anything else?

[Grek]

A lantern. Dungeons are dark. Also, a sack to put the loot in. And maybe a sledgehammer so that we can bash doors in?

[GreatWyrmGold]

And a crowbar, if we can afford it.

Sledgehammer also makes an acceptable backup weapon.

[Harbingerjm]

Rope. And maybe a long pole.

[dragnar]

A few failed attempts (which unfortunately wasted another cup of the sands of time) later, I've got the hourglass working - it's not incredibly powerful or anything, but I'd estimate it gives me a little under a 50% speed boost. Basic adventuring gear doesn't cost too much, so one trip into town is plenty to get myself outfitted with a crossbow, plenty of bolts, some leather armor, and a couple other basics - mostly a backpack and hammer, though I picked up some rations and ropes too, just in case.

Now, dungeons. There's a few of the things within a day's travel from town, and while it's impossible to say exactly what to expect when entering one, each does seem to at least tend toward certain things:

First, The Infernal Pits. The way in is apparently a rather terrifying freefall into a bottomless hole in the ground, and the other end is supposed to be a hellscape more often than not. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a bit out of my league.

The next is called The Crystal Maze. Step through an archway of white crystal and you're in. Supposedly monsters almost never show up inside, but there's plenty of stories of adventurers getting lost and never finding the exit.

The last one, out of the closer dungeons anyway, is The Tower. A dull name for a dull dungeon - it's just a building, made of solid rock. What's inside changes every time you enter though, just like every other dungeon. This one tends toward hostile humanoid inhabitants, typically of the goblinoid sort. Dangerous in numbers, but it's usually nothing too hard to deal with.

Spoiler: inventory (click to show/hide)

• One glove of Mage Hand. Gods this thing was expensive, but it's useful for working with dangerous substances.
• One magic-immune hourglass
• One enchanted hourglass(Uses the sands of time to accelerate time in a bubble around it - the sand doesn't appear to be used up by this)
• Eight cups of the sands of time - no relation to Persia
• Five sundials
• A crucible, for rendering things into their base aspects
• Alchemical touchstones - mostly mundane really, but even non-magical folk know how to scrape an aspect or two from things with these.
• twenty varied elemental crystal things I bought off a curio dealer
• Adventuring gear: Crossbow, armor, bolts, hammer, rations, rope, backpack