However, the fact that I felt something when I attempted to recreate my Gate network is actually super critical. I need to keep working on that. (when rested) The way that my Gate network functioned was based on linked pairs, so it won't let me go someplace I've never been. But if I can make one end of a pair to leave behind us, and then make its match later on, it'll make backtracking much faster.
You keep focusing on that feeling whenever you get some spare time, for now simply trying to make it easier to focus on it.
The Sword feels obliged to remind you how difficult casting outside your primary element can be. Even if you are a special case, it still feels you should be careful about what you attempt. Normally mages start with small spells before moving into things as grand as creating portals. If it was anyone else attempting this it would call them foolish for even thinking they could do this. If you get consumed by the Void then it will be left stranded here instead of being returned to its resting place and that would be somewhat inconvenient for it.
Are the nightly attacks staying the same, getting worse, or getting milder?
You'd say they're not as potent as the first but they are still focused on your location. Something is definitely targeting your group or you specifically. As you approach the town of Traveler's Rest the intensity rises once more.
The corruption is also getting worse the closer you get to the town, to the point where even moving your field forward during daytime feels somewhat like an attack on your extended self. You bet that if you were to ride into town without slowly clearing a path first, it would not feel pleasent.
Yes, I'm willing to heat up metal to extreme temperatures for you, just don't ask me to breathe fumes please, I don't have the body mass to filter out airborne toxins.
She claps her hands and smiles like a little girl.
"You know just what to say to make a girl happy!"Not that it takes much effort, she looks like she's incapabe of spending a moment not being excited about something.
"Oh! Oh! Can you also make the fire make cool designs while you do so? Make lightning bolts come out of the steel, make ribbons swirl around it!""I suppose I-""And make writing too!""Yes, I could-""And have a giant arrow with 'best alchemist ever!' on it, pointing straight at me!""I think-""And a crown with every color of the elements on my head!""That sounds dangerous and-""And a sheet of flame to provide me with some shade from this awful heat. The sun isn't good for my skin, you know!""That's not how-""And maybe put on a little show, some jokes, some stories, act them out! Use the fire to make them come to life!""Well, an old friend once told me the one about the witch in the brothel. Ever heard that one?""No! Excellent! Let's go!"She finds a man willing to follow instructions and get to work shaping the metal according to her instructions. After that she gets down to experimenting. Several exploded guns later, she finally finds a formula that works and gets a working rifle. However it's more of a small cumbersome cannon at the moment, merely enough to demonstrate the principle. She's excited about it nontheless.
regarding how to handle the Traveler's Rest situation, I'm willing to follow other's lead for now. Am open to advice.
You make a standard RTS unit selection sound.
"We have two of those Mercator's mirages. A couple small teams could sneak in with those to do sabotage or kidnapping.
No civilians left? That means we can use heavy artillery with no worries. No worries except for killing the dark mage and destroying the well we need. And destroying the loot."
"No civilians that we can see." one of the mages reminds you.
"We cannot simply assume everyone is gone."
Get our recruits to do some last minute few days preparations in attempt to improve their chances.
Get them to construct crude shields out of whatever scrap wood or other suitable materials they can scavenge. I want everyone with a one handed weapon to have a shield to hide behind.
Get them to build javelins. I don't care whether they use spare arrowheads, knapped flint, or fire hardened wooden points. I want a large stockpile for everyone without a bow to throw.
Get them to make some staff-slings. It is a larger sling on the end of a staff. Gives a lot of leverage so you can throw big rocks very far. It takes very little skill to use or make, but has very little accuracy. Good for attacking or defending a fort.
Get them to make some fire arrows. Arrows wrapped in rags that can be soaked in oil or booze. Usually ineffective but should support Irene well. Also get them to make a stock of molotov cocktails. They can throw them with the staff slings.
Also get the archers to make some monsterbird talon arrows. Because we have a lot of spare monsterbird talons and paralysis arrows are good. Craft a few monsterbird talon bolts for myself.
This might be a bit of a stretch with our available time and resources and tools and skills, but try to get them build a ballista. Or catapult or small trebuchet, whatever siege weapons we can manage. We can never have too much artillery. Make sure they have wheels and can be towed in our caravan.
Oh yeah, plug my signaller into a convenient fox-shaped charging station.
You spend some time helping increase the number of and/or improve the weapons of your soldiers. It goes quite well.
You could probably make a trbuchet if you sacrificed one of the wagons, good sturdy wood is hard to come by.
One quick question. Does the airship look like something I can reasonably tsar, or is it too big? Even if its big it should be made of very light construction so that should make it easier.
Well, its nature should make it somewhat easier to Tsar than other similarly sized things but it won't be easy. You think it's just outside the reach of your abilities.
Ask the Alchemist if she has any potions or anything that can help lessen the effects of overusing my magic. The headaches, weakness, dizziness that comes with tsaring something too big. Specifically to help tsar the airship.[/b]
"I want to sneak in and go straight for the airship and steal it and tsar it and rain down lightning."
"Hmm... I would enjoy having my own airship... Hm. Hmmmmmmm... Hum hum hum. Tell you what. I can give you a potion that should give you enough strength, but it's a one time thing. It will fill you with pure Chaos energy, temporarily stabilized. But you have to make sure to use it right away, every moment it spends inside you is another moment you could explode. Or... you know. Turn into some horrible creature. Or turn into a superhuman. Or develop a proper fashion sense and stop wearing that stupid scarf. I have no idea. But it would probably be bad."Edit: While I'm at it question the alchemist about my magic being chaos element, on the grounds that it can repair things.
"Who ever heard of chaos magic fixing things? Thats the reverse of entropy!"
"Order can be used to destroy things. So why can't Chaos be used to fix them? Chaos is change. Why can't change be for the better? You should try to keep an open mind. It's the only way to get anywhere with magic."Lightweight camo netting cloak is relevant for sneaking at night, yes? See if Lune ever got around to it.
Turns out Lune isn't so good with working with fabrics.
((Nik is Chaos / space aligned. Although nobody has direct overlap but Alan's chaos Irine's fire is adjacent to chaos, and chaos links to space. So in theory she might be able to help.))
Check with trisword about the above theory.
Fire magic can be used to fuel the efects of Chaos magic, certainly. It's not uncommon to do so. After all, the Tower was using Fire-fueled Order-stabilized Chaos to generate the portal that broght you here. The Sword is not exactly certain about how you can use your Fire to aid Nikolai but it's certain it can be done.
<I'm not going to convince any of you of my stance on this. Certainly not Ike, but including the rest of you. Our stated goal here, after all, is not a mission on ethics but rather a retrieval of a fugitive. Whatever long-term impact your actions may have here are ultimately not going to be reviewed by us. This world could end the day we leave and nobody would know the better. So, whatever. There's no need for this conversation. I'd just wax philosophical to no avail.
I'm going on patrol.>
With that, Zechariah gathered his supplies, his armor and his staff, and headed out to consult with another recruit on the current situation regarding the security of the group's location.
Take a bit of water and food and go out on a patrol to guard the group. If I spot anything dangerous, alert the rest of the group and keep an eye on it. Only retaliate if taking direct fire. Try to stay out of the open, if possible.
You stand guard. Nothing intersting happens.
Although Light magic isn't in my nature, I want to spend some time learning at least the basics about it. Both to try to help Theri and to help fill the gap in my capabilities that is holding back Trisword.
((Ah fish, I thought my post went through/I had posted! 
))
Your Renegade score is not high enough to use Intimidate. High Paragon players should use Charm instead.
((I'm still able to be :I to people and that's considered a Paragon act 
Depending on if the receiver are jerks or their personality is like that. I know; I tried in every game also I lack the heart to do Renegade actions until I learned 'Renegade != bad' in second-playthroughs))
Theri decided to let the mercenaries go, with a bit of extra coin on them, and a promise of not being harmed (as well as subtly hinting that she wasn't that really mean, to that one other mercenary who looked like a kind soul but was forced to do tough stuff). She was glad her comm-wire could pick up words from others--in the least, she also spent time telling everyone what she learned, inconspicuously out of ear-shot from those not in their group.
As for the mage...she decides to consult the others; as Irine was busy (but she could contact Theri if needed as she can...see her), Theri goes over to pick up River (who, by now, is an ossum doggo) and passively scrutinizes the importance of the last mage prisoner, letting the mercenaries go out of line of sight from the mage.
Also try and help Irine learn Light Magic! (By comparison and natural observation since I don't understand my magic either!)
Meanwhile...
Although Light magic isn't in my nature, I want to spend some time learning at least the basics about it. Both to try to help Theri and to help fill the gap in my capabilities that is holding back Trisword.
Brief the team and request input!
"Well we've still got a captured mage with us--I released the mercenaries in exchange for the information I told you all (in the link at the start of this post). That mage is very important but I don't know why and the mercenaries didn't either. Can't we- um, use him instead? Also there's placebo instead of mind control, if the receiver does not know what is being used--it's all in the impression if they're coercive enough.
"And on the note of assault or the town, how's about sending in a small team to create either a diversion or an impression of a greater attack (or at least disorganization)? I'm willing to go with them there!"
The mercenaries thank you for releasing them and then start running South as fast as they can. Well, you probably won't be seeing them again.
passively scrutinizes
I'm not sure what that means so I'll assume you and River just glare at him for a long time.
You demonstrate your abilities to Irine and try to convey to her how you think and feel when you do so, how it feels to reach into that part of you that offers its power to you and allows you to do such things, how it aligns with your intentions... By now it's relatively easy to call upon minor magical effects, however talking about how you do so is not, you barely understand how you do it, you just... do. It's like trying to explain to someone how to move their arm by explaining how it feels. You think you did a good job regardless, you think Irine is closer to understanding your abilities, even if she is unable to use them.
((Sorry for the delay in posting, it's been kinda hard to get into the proper mindset to act as Alan for the past week or so for various reasons. All IRL, don’t worry about the game scenario, this is actually somewhat fun.))
Alan, Sensible Princess
"Don't you worry friend Cherubs, I'm going to get you a bunch of food really soon! Just be patient for me, okay? Watch some internet videos with my new guard friend in the meantime, okie? I'll see you soon, byyyyyyyye~"
The guard manages to mumble the beginings of a question before he is cut off.
Alan switches off the phone and looks back to the Sovereign to apply his signature charm. "Hey listen, mister dad," he begins, spreading his arms wide and offering his best charming grin. "All you need is patience! This world's got a lot of stuff to do, and even I can't be in more than one place at a time." He giggles. You saw my friends in the phone call? They're just one of a bunch of cool things I've got cooking up, so don't worry about getting results. The only reason I haven't told you about some of the stuff I've been doing is because I don't want ya stressing out over them when you've got more important things to work on. Like you said, you've got this big war to win, and those take a lot of thinking. I wouldn't be very helpful if I distracted you from that with all the cool details of the stuff I'm working on to help you win, now would I?"
As he talks, Alan makes sure to be really expressive with his body language, conveying how much he wants to be helpful to Dad King Guy. He's pretty sure that's what Ammie would want him to do.
"And what if my enemies in the elector-princes move against me before your...
plans give us victory?" he says, sneering at the word 'plans'.
"If you're having trouble with people trying to vote you out I can always go visit those guys and go convince them what a great guy you are! I'm a very persuasive princess." He flexes his spider legs for emphasis, then caresses his chin with one of them.
"Then go. But if you fail me in this-"
"Yes, yes, my suffering will be great." you finish his sentence while dismissively waving your hand.
"Besides, cutting me loose wouldn't be very helpful to either of us. You're already in a whole war and all that, and you wouldn't be worried about my experiments if you were sure you could win. If I can't help you, the other guys' side probably won't be as nice as a bunch of grumbly statesmen, and your dorfs won't stop getting raided by wandering dubstep artists and eaten by monsters and stuff just because I go away. You need my help to turn this frowny situation upside down, so just let me, pretty please? There's gonna be some neat stuff happening soon, trust me, you won't want to miss it."
"Your assurance leave me cold, Princess."
"Events have proven the results of my experiments useful to you time and time again. You can be certain-""Events have proven you fortunate, Princess! But your luck has run out. Your plan to take over Chizra has backfired. Now the monks mobilize against us, sending their mages to support the resistence!"
"My Lord, these flies are minor annoyances that will easily fall before your impressive might. Besides, I already have a new ally amongst them who is more than ready to betray them. Soon their pathetic little army will walk right into our trap.""You better hope your spy is as good as you think he is. I will be waiting for your detailed report on this. And on anything else you may have done to...
spare me the details. My agents will be sure to report to me if you don't. Now go!"
"Of course, my Lord. I shall not waste any more of your precious time."You exit the chamber. You feel great. Your mom is so proud of you. She can show them what they think they want, but you managed to come up with something they didn't even know they wanted until you showed it to them. Your imagination will make this so much better.
((I love how quickly you adapted your character to this new situation.
Don't worry about the frequency of your posts, I'm not posting that quickly either. Focus on your life, that's the most important thing.))
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