Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 ... 218 219 [220] 221 222 ... 244

Author Topic: The Forgotten Art: Approaching the Nexus  (Read 270977 times)

Harry Baldman

  • Bay Watcher
  • What do I care for your suffering?
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3285 on: January 23, 2015, 07:36:00 am »

John blinks, looks around awkwardly, then clears his throat.

"I...eh...huh, last time that spell was a lot more bombastic. Well, I'm glad that's over." John looks at the yeti "Thanks for coming, mister Yeti, you've been great. Would you be so kind as to get off of Stan?" He then turns to Pilton "So, what'd I win?"

Politely ask the Yeti to get off of Stan, ask Pilton what I've won. Bask in the dubious glory of succesfully squashing someone with a yeti.

The yeti politely rolls off Stan, still keeping its fetal position, allowing the poor injured guy to stand up. He looks pretty banged up.

"You've won access to a leyline! But first, let's have Tracey give the duel a shot as well. Tracey, you need any preparation?"

"Nope!"

"Well then, we can start right away, then. Stan, you ready?"

Stan looks at Pilton miserably for a moment.

"... yes, sir, I'm ready," he says after an uncomfortable pause, clutching his duck blade tightly. The ring of paper orbiting around him shifts inclination a little.

"Okay! Take your positions, then!"

Tracey enthusiastically skips to position, and Stan stumbles over to his spot in a similar manner. Pilton ushers you off to the side. The yeti remains in place, balancing perfectly on its lower back.

"On your marks, go! Let's resolve this quickly, eh?" Pilton says, and the two combatants immediately get to it.

[Finesse - Tracey, Stan: 1+1, 5+1-1]

Or, rather, Tracey stands there a moment, expecting Stan to charge at her, while Stan just uncomfortably looks around. Doesn't seem like he wants to fight her. Tracey shrugs and takes the opportunity to attack.

[Tracey's affinity roll: 4]
[Tracey's finesse roll: 3+1]

A solid, opaque, distinctly sugary bolt covered in sticky hairs is suddenly emitted from her palm, shooting off straight into Stan's center of mass.

[Stan's body roll: 4-1]

Stan, more profoundly unhappy right now than he's probably ever been, half-dodges, getting a shot to the left side of his chest and spinning in place a moment before figuring this'll probably hurt way more if he doesn't move at all. He starts to run toward Tracey, presumably hoping this is over quickly. As he runs, the ring of paper around him explodes into what looks like a cloud, providing a bit of cover to impede his visibility a tad.

[Stan vs. Tracey: 5-1+1 vs. 1]

He manages to get close enough to do a low sweep with the pommel, bringing Tracey down to the ground rather roughly, then smacking her with the blade's pommel in the side. The papers, helping Stan out from the looks of it, immediately leave his body and coat Tracey from head to toe.

"Uh, are we done here? I hope we're done here," Stan says with a measure of regret. "I don't like being mean to girls, Mr. Pilton."

"You don't like being mean to anyone, Stan!" Mr. Pilton says.

"Girls especially, sir. I am also hurting all over. Once again, is this really necessary?"

"I'm certain it is. Otherwise, how will we regulate leyline traffic? You remember the beginning, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but can't you fight the applicants, sir? I'm afraid I'm not very good at it," says Stan. Tracey, tired of trying to say "uncle" as the papers seem to begin suffocating her, starts to just tap out and perform any other gesture of surrender she knows.

"Evidence indicates otherwise! Besides, it'd mean I'd need to get some reasonably fun dueling spells, and that'd be kind of a hassle, since then I'd try to optimize my spell resources, and y'know," Mr. Pilton points out. At Stan's behest, the paper withdraws from Tracey and forms into a ring around him once more, and Tracey draws a deep breath.

"Dang! Need better spells," she says to herself, getting up with a pained groan.

"Quite so, my dear. Now then, John, you get the prize!"

Mr. Pilton fumbles around in his pocket a little and produces a set of keys.

"Entrance to the temple of the leyline!" he says, then ceremoniously opens the back door of the house he's leaning up against. "Follow me, John! Tracey, you stay here with Stan."

"Uh... okay," says Tracey, looking at Stan, who shrugs apologetically, seemingly in quite a bit of pain himself.
Logged

BlitzDungeoneer

  • Bay Watcher
  • heh
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3286 on: January 23, 2015, 09:17:22 am »

The Observer blatantly ignores the man, much more interested in searching for any other magical happenings in this area..
« Last Edit: January 23, 2015, 04:11:00 pm by BlitzDungeoneer »
Logged
Swordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordsword

Pancaek

  • Bay Watcher
  • Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3287 on: January 23, 2015, 11:49:26 am »

"All righty then, sweet. Just give me a second." John goes and picks up the pademelon
"Hey there little buddy, sorry about throwing you earlier. I'll get you some salad or fruit later to make up for it." John says in what he hopes is a soothing voice, and not just a creepy whisper

Go over to the Pademelon and try to pick him up. If successful, go and follow Pilton inside. If unsuccesful, ask Tracy to keep an eye on the pademelon and then follow Pilton inside
Logged

Harry Baldman

  • Bay Watcher
  • What do I care for your suffering?
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3288 on: January 23, 2015, 03:41:43 pm »

The Observer blatantly ignores the man, much more interested in observing the fight.

Fight's over, bud. Check Pancaek's miniturns. Can't go running this stuff across weeks of turnage, you know.
Logged

BlitzDungeoneer

  • Bay Watcher
  • heh
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3289 on: January 23, 2015, 04:11:34 pm »

Whatever are you taking about? <_< >_>
Logged
Swordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordsword

Harry Baldman

  • Bay Watcher
  • What do I care for your suffering?
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3290 on: February 02, 2015, 03:47:28 pm »

Larry, though only barely cognizant of where he might even be right now, tries to get himself over to that crappy hotel he was at a while ago. Fortunately, he seems to be downtown already, and the place he wants to be at is not far off - fifteen minutes proves to be almost enough to get to the Executive Suite.

The suite looks much the same as it did when Larry first visited it - raygun gothic aesthetic, a little messy in places, naked man with a watermelon-like skin pattern and color sitting down, seemingly waiting for something - it's almost like going back in time.

"Hey, man! Was beginning to wonder if you'd show up! Good to have you here. Better be quiet, though, the girls are asleep," the naked man greets him in a partly hushed tone.

* * * * *

Eta heeds the fine fellow's advice, and looks at the FAQ generously posted on the inside of the shutter.


That is a fairly short FAQ. Then again, the target audience is probably unsophisticated and difficult to properly confuse.

* * * * *

THE DUNKER has the ultimate unsophisticated answer to the unseemly thirsts of his friend.

[Affinity roll: 1-->3+2]

That answer, it seems, is to inhale deeply, puff up his cheeks and hold a very rigid position for about a minute as mystical arm flailing fails him for what feels like one time too many.

"That's not a very good watermelon impression!" his ghoulish friend critiques sharply. "Though you do look a little appetizing now. Hm!"

The lawyer lady takes advantage of the vampire's distraction and leaves for nicer areas in the meantime, probably feeling like her luck's been pushed far enough. The potato guy has similarly made himself scarce. THE DUNKER, being appraised like a foodstuff, becomes keenly aware that he is now alone with his new friend.

* * * * *

The Observer decides that these magical barbarians can be safely left to their barbaric devices, and looks for something to better fit his tastes, walking off without another word. Surely there's got to be better magic here someplace, he thinks as he turns away and sniffs the wind for abnormal scents.

Hm. There is something in the air, he determines. Something peculiar. Something earthy. And he can hear a very faint tumbling sound, no less. Something calls to him, of that there can be no doubt. Overtaken by a sudden lack of self-preservation instincts, the Observer moves over to the source of these sounds and smells, finding them to be distinctly unnatural.

And wouldn't you know it, he finds a man. A dirty, unkempt man in the woods where civilization seems to abruptly end. Next to him there is what the Observer suspects, but can't quite prove, to be a tear in the fabric of reality, which appears to be disgorging potatoes at an alarming rate. Next to the man, however, stands what the Observer immediately identifies as some sort of dinosaur, though it could just as well be some sort of Lovecraftian monster - it's got four webbed feet, a long newtlike tail, an elongated body, and a very long mouth full of needlelike teeth. Its yellow, beady eyes flash as it regards the man's current actions, which seem to be to take a potato and place it on a rock found nearby. The man makes a minute gesture, and the potato immediately starts changing, its surface growing agitated. Small roots begin to sprout out of it. It looks to be some slow sort of transformation.

* * * * *

John, up for a bit of cleanup now, walks over to his summoned yellow pademelon and grabs it off the ground. The pademelon, being a loyal shield of its master by design, complies without a fight.

"Hey there little buddy, sorry about throwing you earlier. I'll get you some salad or fruit later to make up for it," John tells it, and the pademelon, code of honor and unshakable demeanor aside, visibly perks up.

Joyous at this much-needed forgiveness and validation, John follows Pilton with head held high, walking into a bare kitchen that has clearly not seen any action for over a decade. The air in the building doesn't seem too stale, though. Pilton immediately locks the door behind them as they move along, going for what is very obviously a basement door. Descending the stairs on the other side of the door, the two men come down into a largely empty basement save for a rack filled with ancient jam jars and a rusty bicycle. The floor is dirt, and considerably damp.

Nevertheless, though, John feels the leyline here - it seems to be underground, just like the one in the sewers, and this time without an obvious access point, though John feels like he could reach out mentally and touch it without even the slightest problem.

"Now then, you feel where the leyline is yet? It can be a bit hard if you don't know where it is," Pilton says. "Not easy to sense from a distance, either."
Logged

Toaster

  • Bay Watcher
  • Appliance
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3291 on: February 02, 2015, 04:48:12 pm »

Larry shrugged.  "Got tied up in Hell.  You know how that goes; demons love to hear themselves talk.  Anyway, you needed me to lead you to Saturn to meet the Oldthinker, right?"
Logged
HMR stands for Hazardous Materials Requisition, not Horrible Massive Ruination, though I can understand how one could get confused.
God help us if we have to agree on pizza toppings at some point. There will be no survivors.

Harry Baldman

  • Bay Watcher
  • What do I care for your suffering?
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3292 on: February 02, 2015, 04:57:58 pm »

Larry shrugged.  "Got tied up in Hell.  You know how that goes; demons love to hear themselves talk.  Anyway, you needed me to lead you to Saturn to meet the Oldthinker, right?"

"I did? I thought you needed me to do something instead. I don't really remember, to be honest. It's been a busy day. But here I am, so feel free to explain."
Logged

Toaster

  • Bay Watcher
  • Appliance
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3293 on: February 02, 2015, 05:03:41 pm »

Larry shrugged again.  "Well, this Oldthinker dude lives up on Saturn and throws chill parties, and he invited you up to one, but you told me you needed help getting up to Saturn, so here I am to help you get up there.  Still in?"
Logged
HMR stands for Hazardous Materials Requisition, not Horrible Massive Ruination, though I can understand how one could get confused.
God help us if we have to agree on pizza toppings at some point. There will be no survivors.

Pancaek

  • Bay Watcher
  • Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3294 on: February 02, 2015, 05:05:33 pm »

"Yea, I feel it. Lemme just concentrate for a sec."

Pet my pademelon buddy, petting cute animals is bound to help me concentrate. Once calm and concentrated, mentally reach out to the leyline
Logged

Parisbre56

  • Bay Watcher
  • I can haz skullz?
    • View Profile
    • parisbre56 Discord
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3295 on: February 02, 2015, 05:14:42 pm »

"Just one question. As you can see, I'm not from around here, I'm actually a tourist. What do I have to do to get a room here? Do I have to pay someone or sign something?"

If there's a paper trail for me to follow, then this would be extremely easy. He'd have to use his proper name to get a room here, right?

Xantalos

  • Bay Watcher
  • Your Friendly Salvation
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3296 on: February 02, 2015, 05:28:59 pm »

I am most certainly not delicious! That belongs to donuts and donuts alone. Anyhow, I think I need to test this new spell out anyhow. Don't move.

Cast Tornado of Self-Replicating Lard near the vampire guy, and if it grows like I expect it to - that is, exponentially - cast Fraction Lard at it once it reaches a height I deem sufficient, ie whenever.
Logged
Sig! Onol
Quote from: BFEL
XANTALOS, THE KARATEBOMINATION
Quote from: Toaster
((The Xantalos Die: [1, 1, 1, 6, 6, 6]))

Harry Baldman

  • Bay Watcher
  • What do I care for your suffering?
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3297 on: February 02, 2015, 05:45:57 pm »

Larry shrugged again.  "Well, this Oldthinker dude lives up on Saturn and throws chill parties, and he invited you up to one, but you told me you needed help getting up to Saturn, so here I am to help you get up there.  Still in?"

"Normally I would be, but I think I'm a bit partied out, actually. Plus I'm not a big fan of strangers, either. Even when they come recommended!"

"Yea, I feel it. Lemme just concentrate for a sec."

Pet my pademelon buddy, petting cute animals is bound to help me concentrate. Once calm and concentrated, mentally reach out to the leyline

Centering yourself through your power animal, you reach out for the leyline, letting it seep into your aching, Stan-abused bones, reinvigorating you, infiltrating the marrow, suffusing your flesh with the finest of magical meshes that tingles and excites virtually every sense to a slightly painful degree. You shiver as the magic settles into a single node somewhere in the insensible depths of your abdomen, annihilating a single small chunk of your flesh to take its place and fill you with powers untold.

You've snagged yourself a second leyline, you have! Good on you, old bugger! Spend one point on your stats! In addition, you can focus on a single element in your research now, such as 'pademelon', for example.

"Just one question. As you can see, I'm not from around here, I'm actually a tourist. What do I have to do to get a room here? Do I have to pay someone or sign something?"

If there's a paper trail for me to follow, then this would be extremely easy. He'd have to use his proper name to get a room here, right?

"You don't want a room here. You can't have a room here. You get assigned here along with the rest of your work unit to ensure synchronized schedules and orderly traffic. You don't do work, so you don't get to live here, either," the shade explains, seemingly not very pleased about you having actual questions not covered in the FAQ. "Be thankful for the privilege of not living here."
Logged

Parisbre56

  • Bay Watcher
  • I can haz skullz?
    • View Profile
    • parisbre56 Discord
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3298 on: February 02, 2015, 06:39:45 pm »

"Aha. So if I were to live here without permission, that would be illegal, right? Or could a friend let me stay with them for a couple of days?" Eta said as she clicked her pen and started taking notes.

Harry Baldman

  • Bay Watcher
  • What do I care for your suffering?
    • View Profile
Re: The Forgotten Art: Disgust and Confusion On The Wizardly Way
« Reply #3299 on: February 02, 2015, 06:46:05 pm »

"Aha. So if I were to live here without permission, that would be illegal, right? Or could a friend let me stay with them for a couple of days?" Eta said as she clicked her pen and started taking notes.

"If somebody wants to let you live in their block and consume their resources and cover your food and cooling expense, they are free to do so. The inside of a block is unregulated aside from dispenser fees."
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 218 219 [220] 221 222 ... 244