Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Harbingerjm]

Books were rare in his new world. Not as rare as Medieval books from his first life, but only a small handful of people in his town had even one. He wanted it. Perhaps he would find a buyer, and get out of a lifetime of manning a shop in Cow's Hoof. Twelve years on a farm, then he'd finally shown he had a "head for figures" and got an apprenticeship with a shop for the last six years. It was better, but he'd needed out. He'd needed that book. He ran back into the cave, grabbed the book, ignored the small shock he as he picked it up, and moved back outside.

You know, it would probably be fairly easy to carve a set of bone stamps, and once you have a few copies of the alphabet and punctuation, plus the ability to animate bone...

It was unthinkable that he would steal from the store. He could - he suppressed a twinge of guilt, the owner could afford it, and was rude anyway - take anything he could get away carrying. It mostly had food, but it had some rope, various tools, and a few useless trinkets. If he only took a few coins and a few meals, it likely wouldn't be noticed. If he got greedy, they might send out search parties.

What do we own ourself? And similar for our friends?

Having spent 18 years here, he, naturally, has some friends. Unless he decides for secrecy, he will bring Lyssa, who is quite talented at tracking and a natural trapper, and Tammy, who is a dead shot with a crossbow and a skilled negotiator. He trusts both with his life. He has six lesser friends, who have less certain loyalties, to decide on: A brawler, a swordsman, a carpenter, a farmer, a hunter, and a cheese maker. He could pick out one who would at least stick with him past animating the stag, or take as many as he wants. The more he takes, the more likely someone will be to back out and set the Justicars chasing them, and the more desperately the townspeople will search for their missing youth.

A Bay12er making friends with a cheesemaker. How... interesting. Bring them, murder them, and turn their skeleton into a spinning blade trap I guess we should take the carpenter, and maybe the swordsman or brawler. Skilled help that can oversee tasks is most valuable given our incoming labour source, hence the carpenter, and since we have farming ability and probably soon the ability to use skeletons at a distance, the other two have enough hunting-related skills to cover that, and nobody needs a cheese maker, someone to teach close combat skills will likely be most valuable of the remainder valuable; swords are more effective, but getting enough for everyone is likely to be harder, so there's a trade-off there.

Take as much as we can also, we should Summon a skeleton and ask them all to join us. If they refuse, kill them can't have them knowing what we are doing.

-1. Killing "friends" (even if one of them is a filthy cheese maker) is unlikely to go down well with the others.

[~Neri]

Also we should occasionally make prayers to Godcat that are just thanking for things that turned out well, we would not be asking for anything, just thanking, this would make it a tad more likely that godcat will give us help if we ever need it, and when we need it but don't know, godcat may intercede on our behalf or let us know.

Also, I just remembered that Homestuck has a Godcat, another reason to worship the Godcat, there are several Godcats!

ALL SHALL BOW BEFORE THE POWER OF THE GODCATS!

As another action: Thank Godcat for the book and the fun it shall bring, regardless of if Godcat actually gave it.

[mastahcheese]

Also we should occasionally make prayers to Godcat that are just thanking for things that turned out well, we would not be asking for anything, just thanking, this would make it a tad more likely that godcat will give us help if we ever need it, and when we need it but don't know, godcat may intercede on our behalf or let us know.

Also, I just remembered that Homestuck has a Godcat, another reason to worship the Godcat, there are several Godcats!

ALL SHALL BOW BEFORE THE POWER OF THE GODCATS!

As another action: Thank Godcat for the book and the fun it shall bring, regardless of if Godcat actually gave it.

+1 to this entire thing, particularly the action at the end.

[WhitiusOpus]

Begin process of accumulating a rope and food from the shop, enough to fit into a rucksack.

Acquire "Friends" Lyssa and Tammy into party.

Retreat to sacrificial grounds, and prepare Stag summoning ritual.

[~Neri]

Begin process of accumulating a rope and food from the shop, enough to fit into a rucksack.

Acquire "Friends" Lyssa and Tammy into party.

Retreat to sacrificial grounds, and prepare Stag summoning ritual.

Yes, also take some money, not too much, but some. Also take any possessions that we own, we must have acquired something in our time living here.

[Nirur Torir]

Take as much as we can also, we should Summon a skeleton and ask them all to join us. If they refuse, kill them

I'm trying to have at least semi-believable characterizations. A group of friends smiling and nodding when one of them goes insane from suddenly using evil magic and starts killing anyone who shys away from that evil magic isn't believable without heavy indoctrination and/or mental domination spells and/or heavy use of drugs.

[metallurgy]

Hmm. Alright, but that's still really wide. I'll allow creating new alloys with that experience, once you get to that point.

You know, it would probably be fairly easy to carve a set of bone stamps, and once you have a few copies of the alphabet and punctuation, plus the ability to animate bone...

Yes. _{"I found a book about evil magic. Wanna run away from home with me so we can make and sell books? They won't be evil books. Double-promise."}

What do we own ourself? And similar for our friends?

That's worth bringing on adventures? Basic tools for their profession, some clothing, simple traveling gear, trivial amounts of money. I guess I'll give each friend your pick of a minor adventuring item (lantern, rope, slight tool upgrade, etc. Drugs do not count as adventuring items).

and nobody needs a cheese maker

Your undead-packed fortress will never be a cultural center with an attitude like that.

[...] and when we need it but don't know, godcat may intercede on our behalf [..]

She's a cat.

[~Neri]

[...] and when we need it but don't know, godcat may intercede on our behalf [..]

She's a cat.

Hey! I have had some very protective cats.

One time there was a rattlesnake in my room and one of my cats ran in and killed it, I wasn't aware it was there until after the fact.

Edit: Crossbow upgrade for Tammy and a trapping kit upgrade for Lyssa.

[Nirur Torir]

  Alex made a quick check that he was alone in the store, then locked the door. He removed his coat and draped a twenty-foot span of rope over his shoulder, moving his arm a few times to test the weight. That done, he takes a rucksack from a nearby shelf. It was a worn, and he his repair of the single strap was barely adequate, but it was serviceable.

   He slowly walked to the other side of the store. 'Biscuits.' Hardtack. He grimaced and tentatively filled the rucksack. It was vile, and had triggered dormant memories of play-dough when he'd tried a piece, but it was marginally better than going hungry when foraging wasn't an option. Taking the much more expensive dried meat would alert the owner that he wasn't planning a harmless journey.

   He put the rucksack on, then the coat. He looked himself over as best he could, frowned, took them back off, and put coat on first. He couldn't afford to look suspicious on his normal trip to the city.

   He returned to the counter and paused before pulling out the basket of coins. He sifted through it, taking a pair of copper coins and a small handful of iron, moving the coins to his pockets before pouring the rest into a small bag. He added a small pair of empty canvas sacks to his pockets, which would become saddlebags if everything went well.

   Alex double-checked that his coat covered the rope, then left and locked the door, bag of money in hand. The store's owner, Mr. Hershal, lived a mere three minute's walk away from his store, on the northern outskirts of town. A quick bought of last minute thinking re-affirmed his plan to act as though he was heading for a festival in the city.

   The aging shop-owner stood from his garden as Alex approached. "Ah, Alex. Planning a trip?"

   "I thought I'd take Tams and Lyssa to this year's archery festival in Hawk's Feather. You'll be fine while I'm gone?" He grinned and handed over the bag of money.

   Mr. Hershal frowned and jingled the bag slightly while looking into it. "Save some girls for the rest of the town. Go, then, leave me to wither while you're off enjoying your age."

   "I'll down a bird for you." He turned to head home. Not so much a home as a tiny shack, barely within the town, but it was his.

   Once there, he stuck his recently purchased knife into his belt, and what little remained of his savings with the stolen money. His old knife had needed replacing even before the deer. Trying to ineptly butcher it with a worn, badly chipped blade finally convinced him to buy a new one. He drew it and stabbed the air a few times, pretending to fight an invisible foe, before replacing the knife. 'Hopefully it won't come down to that,' he mused while removing his belt.

   Alex sorted briefly through his two boxes of clothes, before changing into feminine traveler's clothing. It wasn't much different from what male travelers wore, but it had a shawl and a strange skirt-like piece over the pants. He completed the outfit by separating one ponytail into two.

   He usually wore masculine clothes, but his body type made it quite easy to amuse himself by passing as a girl to visitors. (He really missed modern entertainment.) From what he could tell, female wizards were rare and looked down on. Playing the part would help him be underestimated.

   He looked outside. It was late afternoon, and his friends would be meeting him in the woods soon.

Spoiler: Alex (click to show/hide)

Health: 6/6
Mana: 8/8 [+1/night] [0 upkeep/day]
Minions: 0/2

Temporary Modifiers: None

Traits:
Feminine
Rainbow eyes and long rainbow hair Soon.

Magic Skills:Necromancy
  Bone 1: Initiate

• Command--  May reliably control 3 undead
• Projection Awareness of minions is limited to mundane senses
• Speed---

  Blood 0: Unknown

• Minion Upgrades
• Speed

  Shadow 0: Unknown

• Minion Skill
• Warding
• Speed

General

• Speed 0
• Capacity 8
• Recharge 1
• Mage Sight 0

Mundane Skills:
Architecture 0[1]
Military Logistics 0[1]
Farming 2
Clerk 2

Stats
Strength 6
Dexterity 4
Constitution 6
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 7
Charisma 8
Karma 5

Spoiler: Spells (click to show/hide)

Bone

Animate Skeleton 1 - Animate an already prepared skeleton, under your command. They will obey commands literally, to the best of their ability. They are roughly as powerful as a typical farmer.
Loosely limited to human-sized skeletons.
Costs 1 mana.
Casting time of 30 minutes.
Upkeep of 1 mana/skeleton/day.

Call Spirit 1 - Summon a deceased person's soul. Targeting requires a person, place, or object of great sentimental value. This will fail if the soul has been claimed by a deity, and alert said deity. The spirit can only interact with the mundane world through dreams. Summoned spirit is not bound.
Casting time of 30 minutes.
Costs 1 mana.

Tammy and Lyssa each get one extra minor item, or a slightly better existing one.
If there's any way in particular you feel they should be introduced to the idea that their bestest friend is about to become a necromancer, or if you want to spend the rest of Alex's money before he gets rather unique hair, now is the time to say something.

[mastahcheese]

I have no idea what to suggest, but this is hilarious.

[~Neri]

Crossbow upgrade for Tammy and a trapping kit upgrade for Lyssa.

Can we have an inventory list?

Also can we have a what can we buy list?

And I'm busy sorta currently, I'll write up the introductions I think would be amusing in about 30ish minutes to an hour.

[Armok]

What qualifies as a skeleton? How might can it be carved, modified, and things attached to it? Does exoskeletons or cartilage count? How complete must it be?

[Yourmaster]

Tell them that if they help us they can become gods

[Harbingerjm]

Tell them that if they help us they can become gods

-1

We can tell them they'll become extremely successful book sellers, though. Think of the money!

Can we have an inventory list?

Also can we have a what can we buy list?

+1

Also, we've been wanting to leave this whole for so many years and we didn't prep anything? An adventurer is very much not you.

[~Neri]

Wait, I just realized, the GM said that they will come with regardless of what we do, so why would we need to think of a way for us to inform them that we are a necromancer?

[Harbingerjm]

Wait, I just realized, the GM said that they will come with regardless of what we do, so why would we need to think of a way for us to inform them that we are a necromancer?

We might not have to to get them to come along, but that doesn't mean there might not be advantages or opportunities for characterisation in specific approaches.