TURN FORTY-NINE: MAROON SUNSET [END CHAPTER V]
I was going to put this update out earlier, but I decided to postpone it for a little while so that I could rewrite some of the parts. I had to spend time thinking over how this was going to play out for the next couple of turns.
I think I got it now.
Eh Ah
Nothing unusual there. How far along the river am I? Can I see the castle from here?
Moreover, does Magis have any... er... magi to my recollection? Wizards, sorcerers, alchemists, natural philosophers and other such things?
Eh AhYou don't know all too much about the Magis Kingdom. Sure, you know some facts about it, as well as the general culture of the citizens. However, to your knowledge, you don't remember there being any magi of the phenomenal type. Although, you would imagine that even the Magis would have its own array of philosophers and, perhaps, alchemists. You don't believe there is anything that would impress you with fireworks or grand display - at least, not from what you've seen so far. Maybe the Magis will surprise you now, what with the apparent evacuation of the outer rim of the kingdom. All of that will be discovered shortly, however, as it relies on you exploring deeper into the world of the Magis - something that you've never really taken a closer look at until now. It's a shame that you only have the chance to explore it while it is practically in ruin.
As you snake your way along, you notice the quite steep terrain ahead. It appears that you've reached the part of the kingdom that circles around the hill looking over the river, somewhat to the east of your last position nearer to the gate. The structural integrity here seems to be a bit better than what you've seen before. You're also seeing more Theyin soldiers walking around, though no appearance of anybody who looks like they would be a civilian around this area. Perhaps the Magis have placed themselves closer to the castle. Speaking of the castle, from your place near the hill, you can see the dark, smooth walls of the castle, built into and carved out of part of the mountain and the volcano. Above the walls, you can see the small, unadorned palace and the courtyard below, where the royal family of the Magis would be living. You're not sure if they're still there, but you can definitely see some figures moving along the walls and around the courtyard. Whether they are Theyin or Magis remains yet to be seen.
You continue to walk along, trying to find something or someone other than a soldier. To your east, nothing but an empty street and some abandoned buildings lie ahead. To your south, the same. Your north - wait, you think you see someone. There is a woman standing in the entryway to her house. She's facing into the house, so you cannot see her face. She doesn't seem to be moving, apparently preoccupied with something, though you can't hear her talking anything. Perhaps you could ask her where everyone else is?
Other than that, it appears to be approaching noon. You're starting to get a little thirsty and hungry now, noticing that you've had only small portions of rest here or there in the last few days. You're getting closer to the center of the Magis Kingdom, yet a substantial amount of civilians remains to be seen.
Warren Drake
Have a sip of the liquor to get me started on solving whatever problem I seem to be having.
Then start walking back to the beast girl in the woods.
Warren DrakeNow that you've pushed your way through all of the hassle and difficulty that comes with being in foreign territory, it's time to relax and flush the confusion out of your mind with some good, old-fashioned liquor. You've still got a number of things to catch up on and figure out completely, but for now, this should suffice. You find a secluded spot in the village near some of the more forested areas down south. After getting yourself comfortable, you unscrew the cap on the liquor bottle and start taking it slowly. You want to enjoy this quiet time as much as possible, because with the way things are going for you now, you don't think that you'll get much of it anytime soon.
Beginning to work through the liquor, you aim to break down some of the mental problem that has bothered you since, well, that day where everything took a turn for the worse on Atis island. First of all, what caused you to begin to talk to reptilian creatures and interact with them? That seems like a very good question to start off with. You don't ever recall having any mental disorders of any kind, so you don't think it's very probably that you are insane or something. It could be a blessing - or a curse - from a god, but, hell, you were never all too invested in religion. Not like some of the others in your village were, anyways. You had your own beliefs, but you certainly haven't had any communications with deities; unless, of course, Darzenis counts as a deity. If Darzenis, a half-functioning, panic-prone, lisping lizard counts for even a quarter of a deity, Dzive may very well be doomed entirely.
Having consumed enough of the liquor for your liking right now, you decide that it would probably be a good idea to pay another visit to that girl out in the middle of the woods. Despite her seemingly low knowledge of anything beyond her own encampment, she appears like she would probably know more about this magical stuff than you do. Perhaps she'll give you some help in that regards; even if she doesn't, you might be able to backtrack from there and find where the others went. At any rate, it's an idea, of which there seems to be a diminishing supply.
"...okay, what the hell. What the hell is that why the hell isn't it acting like it should why the hell didn't I stay where I knew it was safe why the what the how the..." Jonathon muttered, clutching his knife tightly as adrenaline wore off and panic began to set in. This was way outside of his comfort zone.
Jonathan EridisYes, you are where you
thought you were safe, but apparently, this animal has bested you and has trapped you. The question still remains, however: What
is that thing? The low light situation does not help at all, but you swear that you cannot even make out any of the identifying features of the animal. It seems like it might be some sort of wolf or other canine creature, but it could also be a fox or some other medium-sized predator. Regardless of its true figure, you know that it has the potential to harm you if you get down from there.
Let's talk about your condition right now. You're heavily injured, as far as fighting is concerned. You have no idea what animal is below you or even if it is truly hostile - though, by the way it has been sitting at your tree for a long while, you'd imagine so. This animal probably has either sharp teeth or some claws that it can use to take you down. You only have a knife with you. You're also at the top of a tree which would take a while to get down without hurting yourself. Even if you do manage to get down, you would probably be mauled long before then. All in all, you are probably screwed with any choice.
It would probably be best to stay there and wait for the animal to get bored. At any rate, you're not leaving this tree any time soon. You sit in place for another ten minutes, thinking of some sort of escape plan if you need to take one; at the same time, you keep your eyes on the animal, watching for any movements. Finally, the canine-like creature looks away from you and towards the tree. You hope that he's about to decide to go away. Sadly, your hopes are unfulfilled. The creature appears to lift one of its paws from the ground and places it on the tree. After a few seconds, it takes back its paw and repeats the same motion. A third time, it repeats the motion yet again. This time, however, you hear a cracking sound, and then what sounds like something
slimy being moved around. You lean in for a closer look and find that the animal is now..
climbing the tree. Yes, it is climbing, though with what, you do not know. It seems to almost be merging with the tree where its paws touch, and it uses this to climb, one paw after the other.
You don't know what this thing is, but now you know that it is no wolf, or dog, or anything of that sort. But if it's not a canine, then
what is it?
jack weasly walks to his dresser and retrieves the photo of when he went hiking with olias and metter. he takes a long look at it and stashes it in his shoe, he places his money there as well. after checking the size of the window he places the yo-yo in his pocket and quickly peeks out the door.
Jack WeaslyIt cannot be said enough that this is an opportunity, one that you are not going to miss. You decide to take only your valuables - despite how few they are - along with you for your venture: Your small amount of money, the yo-yo, and.. ah, yes, the photo of you with Olias and Metter. Both coworkers and friends, they are. Though Olias is a bit rough and distant sometimes while Metter is often hopeless and tired, you know that the two of them are the only ones who could stand to be with you for more than five minutes. You have somewhat of an aura around you that seems to repel people; though, that shouldn't be surprising, considering that many people in this town seem to be rather abrasive and hostile to strangers. Still, it is nice to have at least two people by your side.
As you prepare to move, you continue to hear hushed whispers outside and some shouting from the staff members. It appears that there is some sort of commotion, but they can't figure out what is going on around the city. You can see other kids peeking their heads out of their doors from across the hallway, though no one dares yet to leave. Sometimes, the night falls silent before more gunshots or voices are heard echoing around the city. You still have no idea what's happening, but that's not going to stop you here. You look back at the window leading outside, a simple frame containing dirtied glass. You would be able to fit in there, but the window is unfortunately covered with a diamond-patterned metal screen, which would be incredibly tough to break for someone of your physique. Put simply, there's not much room to escape from there, unless you found something to tear the screen out of the window with.
You take a look out of the door, searching for where everyone is relative to you in the building. Like you saw earlier, most of the kids are still inside their rooms, peeking out occasionally as you are. You can hear mutters and whispers of people asking why they're on lockdown and why there seem to be gunshots throughout the city. It seems that the staff members have moved out of your hallway and have consolidated either in the center of the building - where the halls meet - or near the far wing, to your right. At least, that's where you can hear some of the voices coming from.
Another howl and, this time, a scream echo off the buildings not too far from the orphanage. You're starting to get a little worried now. What the hell is happening around town? Are you being invaded, or is there another natural peril? You can't tell right now, and nobody is giving you an answer.
"Shelter is one thing we've found and in good luck, it at least has a roof." Eleri pointed out, already wondering how such a building would mirror the same ones she found herself in several days before the trip. She had little experience with island life, but she had the inkling that this meant the inhabitants--or at least the history of the island itself--had a long time with expanding civilization in the area.
Pondering on why such structures would be abandoned in what she assumed was a simple society, she began trudging onwards towards the structure. "Flynn, I'd like you to search the place when we get there--find a nice spot to hole up in facing towards the rising sun, better surrounded by walls or giving a clear view of the room. Whatever danger has spooked you before: I'd at least like to see it if it comes hunting for us in there. In the least, our supplies will last us another day, and by tomorrow I really feel confident that we'll reach your destination. I can always get more, anyway, later."
Check out that house! Search it for things we may use to 'upgrade' our equipment [or...basically make improvised tools; a spear as an example upgrade or a real knife for general purpose use]...then check around for things we can use to make a fire.
EleriFlynn gives you a solemn nod after you tell him what to do, saying,
"I'll do my best." Without further ado, you continue on to the house. It's not too far from you, and once you get there, you move as planned, leaving Flynn to check the house for a good spot to hold down the fort for the night. Meanwhile, you search around for some supplies; anything from food to materials and equipment, all of it could be of use to you and Flynn. Stepping into the first floor of the building, you notice that the building has the smell of age, telling you that it's been abandoned for a while, having been without care for a long time. Observing this first floor, you notice that there is no furniture. In fact, the whole place seems to be completely devoid of anything that would inform you that someone even lived here. Only the rotting wooden floors and the empty fireplace stand, the rest of the house looking more like a ghost's residence than anything.
Flynn ventures upstairs as you exit the building and search the perimeter, attempting to seek out some abandoned materials, or maybe some broken-down equipment nearby. It strikes you odd that a single building would be out in the middle of nowhere, with no roads leading here or any sign that it was actually inhabited. It can't really be a farmhouse, considering that the wooded areas show no signs of agricultural development. It could be used as a ranch, considering that you've found a small fence enclosure on the other side of the house. If it was a ranch, however, it'd be a pretty poor and oddly-placed one. Perhaps it was a vacation house? That would make sense, considering the proximity to the ocean and the distance from the any other portion of civilization. Whatever the case, it seems like the owners had no use for it a long time ago, and have taken everything that they owned with them. That's quite unfortunate, really, as it leaves less things for you and Flynn to improvise with.
You search around the enclosure, looking for something in the ways of materials, or maybe even a tool. It's proving to be incredibly difficult for you, however. Besides the grass and the poppies, you see nothing as you walk around the enclosure. Disappointed, you make your way back to the front of the house. Calling to Flynn, you check in to see what he has found.
"I think you'll like this." You climb the stairs to the second floor and find him sitting down next to a table. However, that's not what surprises you. You're more shocked to see what else lies in the room. Next to the table is a simple wooden chair. Across the wall, floor, and table is a trail of very, very faded blood. It's almost indiscernible from any other ordinary stain, but there is a telltale, maroon hint to it. It traces from the middle, far end of the room up to the table and out the window. You peer out the window and find nothing below, though that may be because the grass hides any signs of what happened. On the table itself is a survival knife in surprisingly good condition, other than the fact that it appears to be stained black and red on the blade. Apart from that, there is also a forest-green plastic water bottle knocked onto the floor - one of the reusable types - as well as a broken pencil. Flynn holds out a note with what appear to be some stains from drops of blood on it.
"There's a knife over on the table that feels pretty sharp, we might be able to use it. I also found this note. At least, I think it's a note. I can't read it though, can you? This room also seems perfect. It's protected and has a window to the sun, just like you wanted."The note reads:
Elijah:
Take care of your mother and sister. I'm sorry for staying behind. I didn't know this would happen.
Some animals are trying to break into the house. They mean to kill me. They sound like nothing I've ever heard before, and they've much strength.
If you happen upon my body, then I am sorry. There is nothing I could do. I will try to meet up with you if I escape. If not, the box is hidden in the compartment in the wall. You know which one.
Take it and leave.
Please pray for me.
Dad
Create a more insectoid golem. All six legs will constantly be on the ground. No hands. It will have a mouth similar to the mandible of an ant. If I have spare time, refine more metal. With my golems of course. I don't want to run the risk of becoming !!Me!!
RuneRoll for focus: 2 + 2 = 4, succeeded!
Domain bonus applied due to focus.
Roll for intelligence <creating new design>: 6 + 1 = 7, 100% success --This essentially counts for how well the mold will be made, and how it looks. Only done for first-time molds that are more complex than simple four-limb humanoids. Simply put, it determines how easy it will be to make future molds.
Make golem mold <insect>: 5 + 3 = 8, Exceptional quality
((What would you like to call this class of Golem? Or will it be a one-off specialty?))
It's time to start diversifying your assets. Now that you have the base of your golem army completed, you might want to start branching out and designing some newer golems that will fulfill your special roles. Crawling golems, climbing golems, heavier "hulk" golems - all of these might be needed for your future journeys. It's important to make sure that you can face any threat and problem that you come upon, regardless of how difficult they may be. For this, you're going to take some inspiration from insect-like beings. An ant would be a good starting choice: ants are known to be particularly good colony workers. Perhaps you could take a page out of their book and use them for hauling tasks, or maybe exploration.
For this, you're going to have to design it by hand instead of relying on one of the golems to do the job for you. As good as your skills may have gotten, you'd feel more comfortable designing this first mold with your own hands. You take some clay and begin molding it to your desire. Attempting to model this golem as close as possible to a regular ant, you model the arching legs and their joints, the different segments of the body, and, most importantly, the mandibles on the head. You decide to also include antennae, as you might possibly figure out a way to emulate other senses from the golems soon enough.
With the mold pretty much finished, you set it to cook and begin working on refining more metal, using your golems to carry out this work for you. However, you stop when you hear what sounds like a couple of voices coming from the top of your cave. They're too distant to make out what they are saying, but it is enough for you to know that there are other humans who have finally found your tunnels.
Well, now's the time to consider security or stealth, you suppose. You didn't figure that you were going to last forever here without being found out by
someone.
((OOC: yes, both I and Lirian remember the gender of my informant perfectly well))
"I've said everything I can think of that would be useful, but I have to protect the identity of my informant. He's been able to verify that he's telling me the truth and isn't crazy, but his information is based on the old timeline so we can't count on it being perfectly reliable."
"If you have further questions for my informant, then say them to me and I'll either answer them myself if I can, or pass them on to my informant if I cannot."
((To be honest, I didn't actually understand what you meant with your OOC text when I first saw it. Perhaps because I was tired. Now that I've come back to it though, I get what you meant.))
Lirian"Alright, I understand." He rubs his chin with his hand for a few seconds, thinking about what he should ask. He seems to get a few questions in his head as his eyes light up.
"Well, I would want to ask this: Why are these Shadows here? What do they have to do with us? How do they go about inflicting these conditions upon people? What can we do to put a stop to it, and what did your informant do before to stop them? Better yet, how can we stop them from coming back again? According to what you're telling me, they have been here before, and there might be a possibility that they would be back in the future. If possible, I want to put a stop to that." He sighs, having asked his fill of questions, before picking up his end of the conversation again.
"You seem to know a good amount about these Shadows. Regardless of where you got this information from, I think Dimikaelo would be glad to get in contact with you over this. The sooner we can put a stop to this problem, the sooner we can get back to our lives here. If you wish, I can call Artemis and see if he'd be willing to meet with you." He looks between you and Cromwell, awaiting an answer.
Cromwell speaks for the first time since this conversation began. Up to this point, he has been quietly observing and listening intently. He addresses you, saying,
"My, uh, friend didn't really point us in a direction yet. I guess we could see if Dimikaelo has some answers. If you want, I can consult with my friend some more, but it's up to you right now."
"O-oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Cecil let out in a rushed blur of words, "I wasn't - Is there anything I can do to help?" He takes a deep breath, centering himself before he continues;
"I apologise, I wasn't looking where I was going, and I should have."
He takes a closer look at the painting.
Cecil G. PalmerShe continues to look between you and the painting, pretty much stammering in disbelief.
"I- I even had the cart in the way, with a sign that CLEARLY says 'DO NOT DISTURB'. Like, seriously. How could you get around that, and screw it up?" Only now do you notice that she did, in fact, have a cart set up on the side of the cafe. After looking around it, you can confirm that it has a sign on it with colorful paint. You only ignored it because you were so lost in thought, and you were able to pass by just enough not to notice it. You fail to find an explanation as to why you did so, and instead ask if you could help in any way.
"Can you magically revert my painting back to the way it was before you pushed me? No? Well then, I don't think you have any way to fix this! She sighs and begins to clean up what she can of the spilled supplies nearby. You take a closer look at the painting in the meantime.
It appears to be a painting of the very same bay that is ahead of you. It features the same green-blue waves of the bay waters, a low sun setting over the horizon and sending orange and purple colors sprawling, and a variety of people walking up and down the beach and sidewalks, going about their days. The scene is vibrant and lively, as well as being so well-made that you impressed. Well, it's not like you've seen too many art pieces in your life (other than that on art exposition that your father took you to when you were ten), but you can definitely see that she has some talent.
It's too bad that it is all wasted due to your bumbling walk. There is a streak of paint across the sky in the painting, which poses a rather ugly outline when compared to what she was working on before.
She picks up the painting, looks at it, and sighs with frustration.
"Ugh. You're going to have to pay for this somehow. I invested too much in working on this. There's no way that I'm just gonna let it go to waste." She looks at you expectantly, waiting for an answer of some sort. You're not sure how you're going to pay, unless she actually means that you must pay with real money. At any rate, you seem to be in a tight spot.
((I'll probably do a half-turn for you soon because this is pretty much dialogue, and because I wish to get you sped up a bit.))
Author's Note: Nothing much to say. There's a little bit of pickup and some slowdown here or there, but the new chapter should allow me to explain some new things, and maybe introduces some new places or characters. It depends on how things flow.
I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the update,
Artemis.
Author
Topic: Roll To Medium: Awakening [Chapter VI] (Read 146365 times)