The first one to try anything is
Larry.
"Um... anyone getting this? Where's fatty, anyway? Maybe it's one of those osmosis things they ramble on about in those GED classes."Lacking options, he plants his face right into the book. He finds that he can see the abstract art rather nicely now. In fact, it seems to almost leap at his eyes, worm its way into his brain.
[Larry's mind roll: 4]
To be perfectly honest, he feels quite close to the book in more ways than one - it does seem to be... joining with him, somehow. The diagrams - for that is what they are, are no longer within the pages. They are now on his retinas, and burning their way ever deeper.
And it feels wonderful. Larry starts to involuntarily giggle with the power flowing into him as it becomes clear to him - he has two choices, two spells - he can choose one, no more. At least, that's what the book seems to be telling him. He isn't sure how else he could interpret
"TWO POWERS, CHOSEN MORTAL! CHOOSE ONE!"1. Storm of Filthy Fans
2. Commune With Mucus
TWO POWERS, CHOSEN MORTAL! CHOOSE ONE!
offers. She looks over at Larry, his face literally buried in the book, the sound of laughter coming from him. Okay. That's... interesting. She looks at the book, looking for any meaning amongst the shapes within. She, very much like Larry, feels a sense of the shapes leaping out to her, so to speak, but, unlike Larry, she has the privilege of physical distance that means she merely shuts the book, drawing her head back instinctively. Yeah, there's certainly something dangerous in there, she thinks.
Halesey mumbles as he starts to get a really weird feeling about this. He still leafs through the binder, of course, trying to figure out what's going on here. Eventually, he finds a page that looks... particular? Aesthetically appealing? Intriguing? Or more familiar than the others? Nevertheless, he examines the page, then closes his eyes and tries to picture it.
[Halesey's mind roll: 4+1]
Only to find that he doesn't actually need to - his eyes are now closed, but the binder remains even while all else goes away. He stares at the binder. The binder stares back, the familiar picture drawing closer, expanding until it seems to envelop his head like some sort of net, pressing into his brain. His mind wanders through what he can only describe as mental corridors so dusty, he isn't sure God himself has trod here. It's like when you renovate a house and find out that there's an ancient civilization buried underneath three feet of dirt in the basement - it's incredibly surreal, sure, but you're also kind of glad you found this out when you did and not, say, ten years later, for instance. As his mind is pulled on a journey within itself through some unknown means, he comes to a certainty affirmed by what seems to be an external voice - he is to be granted something. Three choices he has, and each holds power of its own.
1. Displace Beans
2. Transmute Clothespin into Enchanted Canned Goods
3. Enrage Wig
Choose a spell, dear mortal, and proceed with caution.
, unclear on whether she's been had or whether this is some kind of eldritch mystery right there, decides to go for the latter, trying to analyze the contents of the tome. She flips through the book, looking for anything resembling a pattern or a language aside from acid-induced, photocopier-magnified visual gibberish.
[Elizabeth mind roll: 5+1]
She concentrates on the shapes, trying to find any rhyme or reason to them, anything at all to hold on to. After a moment of thought, she realizes that there isn't anything at all in the book. Nothing whatsoever to hold onto.
This, she understands, is because the book seeks to hold onto her to make sense. Find context. Of course the diagrams make little sense to anyone. All she needs is to open her mind, and it will all fold together as easily as can be.
~very astute.~ she hears in her head.
~you are ready.~At this point, the binder enters a predatory lunge, it seems, though it also doesn't move at all. It pounces on her mind, salivating precious knowledge into the confines of her consciousness, the soft trickle of secret understanding filling her senses. The voice's tone rises monotonously, until at last there is a ding somewhere in her brain. Or the mental equivalent, anyway. A portion of magical power has been served.
1. Bountiful Portal of Fragrant Licorice
2. Conjure Fragrant Lottery Tickets
3. Bolt of Alcoholic Beans
choose any you like, dear, or none at all. or all of them. you deserve a treat.
Back in Room 303 and not some freakish mindscape, Kat observes that her compatriots appear to be slightly absent in the mental sense. She wonders whether that's a good thing for either them or her.
So, from here on in, I want you all to post a spoiler after each action that contains your current name, inventory, stats and spell list, if you'd be so kind. Pay attention to the spell list in particular, as that will change rather drastically over time.
Once again, your spell list is limited by your mind - hence, Kat has 4 spell slots, Larry has 5, Halesey and Elizabeth have 6 each. Each slot holds one spell, and you can replace existing spells with new ones, but the old ones are lost in the process and you cannot get them back in any way other than by chance during more magical research.
Also, this is the turn where the game concept reveals itself at last.
Author
Topic: The Forgotten Art: Approaching the Nexus (Read 271963 times)