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Author Topic: Birth of a Deity: Turn 17, Multitudinous Failures of Words  (Read 26019 times)

Harry Baldman

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 8, The World's Most Comfortable Bed
« Reply #180 on: July 27, 2014, 10:00:54 am »

I'd like to get at least one more player in here, to be honest.
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Arkansan

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 8, The World's Most Comfortable Bed
« Reply #181 on: July 27, 2014, 07:50:55 pm »

Brennus will make a quick check of the room for anything out of sorts. A life on the run has instilled at least some basic caution in him. If he finds things to satisfaction he will stretch out and get some sleep for the night.
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Harry Baldman

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 9, Fools And The Dead
« Reply #182 on: July 31, 2014, 08:19:15 am »

Turn 9, Fools And The Dead

Edwin, disappointed that his old man tricks appear to have failed him, drops the pretense and tries to solve the problem more conventionally.

"Well, damn me, now I'm lost. Again. I'm not sure where Orange Pekoe is sending me, but I'm bloody well not converting anyone in the forsaken swamp. Come to think of it, I never actually saw the people in that ruined town. If this is some kind of test, then I'm just handing it in pro-forma, thank you very much. This is no place for a certified old mantm like myself to be," he narrates his thoughts helpfully, and then looks up at the sky to gauge which direction might be south. He guesses it's the one about sixty or so degrees from where the sun is now, and promptly leaves in that direction, trudging through the swamp more confidently (if not happily).

Unfortunately for him, it appears that what lies southward is yet more swamp in all its glorious wetness and grassiness, and this remains the case for at least the next four hours of walking, at which point Edwin becomes a bit too tired to move along at a reasonable pace. He guesses he could really use some sleep right about now.

* * * * *

Emilia, not sure she likes the sight of Yungor, looks around for any signs of fire, jumping off the cart to take a look. Walking onward, she detects no such thing - absolutely no ash, no damage to the buildings, no burnt bones, not even any soot - the buildings that are here look to have collapsed entirely on their own, possibly through neglect. As she nears a certain one to take a look, she is met with a shrill cry.

"Ha-ha! Are-you-sneaking-up-on-me?" it asks in a definitely not human voice. Sounds more like an imitation, if anything. "You-will-find-my-wares-most-adequate-for-all-of-your-needs!"

"Hah! Stupid birds!" Reen laughs from the cart. "Ziph, Erta, off you go! There has to be loot left here somewhere!"

Ziph and the girl both grumble, but seem to comply, walking off to take a look at the nearby houses. Ziph kicks in the door of one place, causing a couple of birds to take flight from within the hole in a roof. After a minute or so, they emerge.

"Nothing in here, dammit! Why are we even here? Who'd actually leave something valuable behind here?"

"Fools and the dead, my dear! There has to be something, I'm sure of it!"

Ziph and Erta promptly split up, and go looking for more promising places to loot.

* * * * *

Brennus, not entirely deprived of a fugitive's instinct in all this hospitality now offered him, takes a look around the room to see if there is not anything out of the ordinary around. He supposes it's a little odd for the room to have so little furnishings, but, on the other hand, this is a guest room, so he supposes it's okay. Having found nothing overtly suspicious, he falls asleep.

During this time, he dreams of the path that lies south, an insistent voice reprimanding him intensely as he does not walk it, criticizing his lack of progress in a manner reminiscent of what he imagines his mother would sound like, had he ever met her. As he proceeds along the whining grows in intensity until it feels like the very stars are berating him for not going much faster. The whining slowly mounts in its abusive potential, at first an insistent urging, then attaining the character of a barrage of insults, which he decides he cannot take lying down, and wakes up.

Surprisingly, he believes he's never been this rested his entire life. The sun's up already, and it seems like there's some activity currently happening outside his room.

* * * * *

Derek carefully ponders his next move, staring cautiously back at Sweetie, whose eyes peer into his very soul. He wonders what she wants from him - there's the gift of Karse he has already demonstrated, after all. But it does not impress her for some reason, and it begins to occur to Derek why exactly. The look of her, he recognizes, it's a similar look to his own, though you wouldn't guess so from comparing the two. The gift of Karse he's got, she knows already, because she's similarly blessed. What she wants to see, he realizes, is not him at all, for the fire he summons at will is his.

Rather, what she wants to see is Karse, acting on his behalf, intervening directly. He has not dared invoke Her true power yet, he knows. And he is but a lowly pilgrim of hers, so there is little for him to show off. But perhaps he can ask for Her aid - he has served her faithfully, if less than eventfully, after all.

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IcyTea31

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 9, Fools And The Dead
« Reply #183 on: July 31, 2014, 10:45:37 am »

Divine Knowledge: What is Reen really looking for, and why? What are Reen's true motives?

The "family" clearly isn't one, and Reen seems to be looking for something beyond just regular loot from scavenging. She is keeping up such a facade, she most probably has an answer ready, should I ask her directly, so that is out of the question.

EDIT: Changed wording of action.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2014, 10:31:25 am by IcyTea31 »
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Pancaek

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 9, Fools And The Dead
« Reply #184 on: August 01, 2014, 02:45:58 pm »

"Who knew being a prophet was this kind of dirty work. I thought it was all rethoric and diplomacy, not trudging through bloody swamps."

Find a tree or otherwise relatively safe and dry spot. Get comfortable and take a nap.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2014, 03:17:18 pm by Pancaek »
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Arkansan

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 9, Fools And The Dead
« Reply #185 on: August 02, 2014, 03:14:16 pm »

Brennus will get up and see what's going on outside his room. He has made up his mind to be on his way quick, he feels a sense of urgency to his dreams driving him forward. He will provide some help to the family as he promised he would and in the process he will see if he can find out anything else pertinent to his intended journey.
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lawastooshort

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 9, Fools And The Dead
« Reply #186 on: August 06, 2014, 07:01:57 am »

Derek thought hard – both to prevent himself collapsing in a pile of bodily discharge on the floor, and to attempt to divine the will of this… other, somehow godly, person, as well as that of God.

What else can I do?? he thought, Being all naked and doing all the burning baint be being enough? Is this Sweetie here before me a messenger from God Herself? Should I yearn from more from my career as a Prophet? Should my relationship be based on more than fire and nudity?

It was a question he’d never before asked himself. What man had?

”Mrs Sweetie. It occurs to me that you know about the burning, and the magicking, and all that. You learnt all about it, I imagine.”

Derek wondered. It was possible that the eejit was not worth the trouble that he felt instinctively that he might be getting into, but he thought that perhaps the woman, or being of some sort, was.

”Mrs Sweetie. Karse is a womanly god, and a kindly if harsh and somewhat fascinated with nudity one. I have served her faithfully for some time now, although I sadly admit I have never yet lifted myself above the throng of middling prophets. Would you join me in my quest, if Karse so deems me to be worthy of your aid?”

Derek knelt down, before Ehran and Sweetie.

”If she does not, then I will be right on me way, and won’t be troubling you no more, and I will depart for to become somewhat more worthy, or to learn how, or some such.”

He nakedly held his arms up to the sky, and began to talk upwards, instead of at the magician in front of him.

”Oh Karse, my Wondrous Lady of Burning Righteousness and Naked Judgement! I have served you as thus far I might, and wish to serve harder! Please! Show us a sign of your judgement and power, and show me that I am worthy to become more than just a middling prophet in the herd of other professing gibberers! I know now what befits someone as lowly as I, but please, grant me, grant us a sign!”

Praise thusly upward unto the Lord, begging Her to grant me a miraculous shared vision or other persuasive thing!
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Harry Baldman

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 10, A Glimpse Into Infinity
« Reply #187 on: August 07, 2014, 05:36:47 pm »

Turn 10, A Glimpse Into Infinity

Emilia, sensing that things are obviously not as they may appear to be, looks at Reen. Reen, naturally, does not look back, though Emilia can sense a particular uneasiness about her as the gaze of God settles on her along with that of the prophet's. And by divine providence, Emilia is struck with a sudden insight into the mind of Reen.

Images and words swim through her head, through Reen's head, and Emilia perceives a strange thing within the confines of the woman's mind. There are thoughts of many kind. Greed, to a degree. Love for what she does, which seems to be theft of a sort, or perhaps scavenging. A deep desire for relevance and power over others, which manifests as a constant push she tries to exert on her companions, who seem to acquiesce to her requests, and a steadfast refusal to stop moving around for long. But nowhere, Emilia notices, is there an angle. Her true motives are the same as her apparent motives, she can detect.

"Less talk, more looting!" she commands from atop the cart, and Ziph and Erta only grumble in response, going onward to the next house. Ziph kicks the door, Erta standing right behind him.

The house, in turn, responds by collapsing toward them. The two yell and try to move out of the way, and do indeed escape much, but not all of the falling building, ending up in a pile of rotten, broken wood, groaning in pain.

"What was that? Did the entire building just land on you?" Reen asks incredulously as she listens in on the pained sounds emanating from within the collapsed facade.

"Er, not the entire building," the boy corrects. "Maybe we should go help them?"

1 MP spent!

* * * * *

Edwin, still mightily peeved by the way things are currently working out, locates a dry, relatively safe spot atop a dry, relatively low alder in the area, and gets quite comfortable on its mossy branches. Sleep comes easily to one as tired as he is, and he dreams fine dreams as he rests.

Well, not fine dreams, exactly. Dreams of a mighty voice in the heavens, in the air, in the earth, within and without his own head, just about everywhere around, screaming to him about his stupendous lack of progress and his unspent divine favor that gives him absolutely no excuse - the nagging becomes bothersome to the point that Edwin wakes up at one point, his unconscious dignity evidently having had enough of the great and merciful Orange Pekoe's haranguing. He feels slightly drowsy, and it's currently sundown, but he can move onward, he thinks - he probably won't get any more lost at night than he would during the day, anyway. And with the setting sun to initially orient him, further travel should be as simple as the swampy terrain allows, which is to say not very.

* * * * *

Brennus, after getting up and looking at the things happening outside his room, finds everything to be in a state of preparation - the gravedigger seems to have prepared a rather full breakfast along with her father's help, and Brennus finds the food inoffensive, if not entirely palatable just like at dinner. And after that bit of food, he goes forth to help with the digging of graves for money, though the urgency of his greater task does not elude him one bit.

Over the course of the first half of the day, Brennus already manages to partly exhaust himself both physically and emotionally as he digs several graves and stands by several funerals, one of which, amusingly enough, seems to be for a stabbed relative of somebody he remembers killing several towns away. Small world, he supposes. Nobody recognizes him, it seems, though he also finds that grave digging lends itself to very little information gathering. In fact, he is no richer in intellectual resources now than he was this morning. In fact, with this fatigue descending over him, he may in fact be poorer in them now. And there's still lots of work to be done, if the gravedigger woman speaks truly.

* * * * *

Derek, thinking hard about his future prophetic prospects, considers Mrs. Sweetie, himself, Ehran and Karse, and where one ended and the other began, and what each could give the other, and how burning nudity figured into all of it.

"Mrs. Sweetie. It occurs to me that you know about the burning, and the magicking, and all that. You learnt all about it, I imagine," he begins, causing Sweetie to incline her head and smile. "Mrs. Sweetie. Karse is a womanly god, and a kindly if harsh and somewhat fascinated with nudity one. I have served her faithfully for some time now, although I sadly admit I have never yet lifted myself above the throng of middling prophets. Would you join me in my quest, if Karse so deems me to be worthy of your aid?" he asks, kneeling, lifting his arms up to the sky, speaking to the heavens.

"Oh Karse, my Wondrous Lady of Burning Righteousness and Naked Judgement! I have served you as thus far I might, and wish to serve harder! Please! Show us a sign of your judgement and power, and show me that I am worthy to become more than just a middling prophet in the herd of other professing gibberers! I know now what befits someone as lowly as I, but please, grant me, grant us a sign!"

As Derek speaks, Sweetie begins to draw closer to him, extending a giant hand toward his kneeling form. And, as Derek beseeches the power of God, he gets a strange urge to grab Sweetie's outstretched hand, and this he immediately does. And as it often is with sudden impulses like this, something unexpected happens. Derek, for his part, feels nothing at all. But Sweetie, from the looks of it, does seem to be experiencing something entirely strange to her - the beckoning smile on her face has disappeared, and she appears to be staring up at the sky in silent wonder, and Derek wonders for a moment what it is she sees, but then he realizes that to wonder is foolish - from the look of her, it is obvious that she now sees Karse where she once did not.

"Er... that's looking a tad strange," Ehran comments as Sweetie stares blankly at the sky, mouth hanging slightly open. The field they are standing in is almost entirely silent apart from the crickets making noise, and maybe a distant owl or two. This lasts for roughly two minutes, at which point the large woman blinks once, then again, and lets go of Derek's hand, lowering her gaze to meet his in a serious manner. One of her hands goes into one of the folds of her robe, producing a tiny box-like artifact, which she pushes a button on, causing a small hook to extend from its surface. Pulling out a chain from another fold of the robe, she creates an impromptu necklace of sorts, which she puts around her neck immediately. And then she takes her robe off, though this somehow makes her look even more strangely dignified than before.

"You're going for it! I knew you'd be going for it!" Ehran triumphantly proclaims, then stops. "Hm. Well, I'm guessing I shouldn't be letting myself be left out now, eh?" he says at last, slurring a bit, then quickly takes off his set of clothes, leaving all three of them standing naked in a field, sharing in the chilly evening breeze.

2 MP spent!
Nudity successfully promoted x2! 2 MP gained!


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Pancaek

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 10, A Glimpse Into Infinity
« Reply #188 on: August 07, 2014, 06:04:07 pm »

"Oh, oh!" Screams Edwin towards the sky, voice full of sarcasm and anger "My lack of progress, He says! Well maybe if you actually send me towards some damned civilisation, I could actually make you some converts, you prick! But no! Instead, I get send down a hellishly long path south! I get sent through the friggin' swamp! What am I supposed to do, convert the trees?!"

Edwin bends over, his hands on his knees, having a coughing fit.

"*Cough**Hack* I'm too old for this. *cough* I bet other prophets don't have to deal with this shit. I bet they all get to start of in nice little towns. Damn it all. *cough*"

Use divine knowledge: "show me the shortest and easiest path to a normal village that lies to the south of where I am now!". Then, follow said path.

((Guess I'm spending all of my divine favor in one go to get to some kind of civilisation. Probably going to be worth it.))
« Last Edit: August 07, 2014, 06:17:14 pm by Pancaek »
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IcyTea31

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 10, A Glimpse Into Infinity
« Reply #189 on: August 08, 2014, 02:16:41 am »

Go help in clearing the rubble.

((Hermes: "That just raises further questions!" At this point, I'm starting to wonder if Reen is a Jungian shadow and this entire trip happened in my head, but that would be ridiculous and this doesn't seem like that kind of a game..))
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lawastooshort

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 10, A Glimpse Into Infinity
« Reply #190 on: August 08, 2014, 03:54:14 am »

((Wow! Yes! I wasn’t really sure how the MP thing worked))

Glancing briefly at his fellow-believers, Derek addresses the sky.

”Oh My Karse; thank you for your blessing!”

He then addresses his fellow-believers.

”Should we be getting going, or do you want to have a rest first?”

When they are ready, depart towards the mountain!

Later, and presumably soberer, and presumably on the road, Derek begins to wonder about his companions.

”So, Sweetie… What do you know about this magicking then? You know, my ultimate aim is to help as my people save themselves from the apocalypse by getting naked, and believing in Karse. I have a great deal of faith in Her, but until now didn’t have so much in myself. So thank you. Now I intend to travel to the mountain, showing whomsoever I can about the merits of nudity, and there I hope to witness a miracle, I think.”
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Playergamer

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 10, A Glimpse Into Infinity
« Reply #191 on: August 15, 2014, 12:46:18 pm »

Bump?
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Harry Baldman

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 11, The Black Path
« Reply #192 on: August 15, 2014, 04:27:25 pm »

Turn 11, The Black Path

Edwin is, quite frankly, sickened, dismayed, flustered, buggered and harried by all this shocking, terrifying lack of civilization on the way to where he is going, and after ranting a bit at God itself, he decides that this whole pathfinding business isn't for him, and that he really could use some divine guidance right about now. Asking the great and merciful Orange Pekoe for guidance mere moments after screaming at the heavens irritably, he is surely going to have the very best results.

And in a mere moment, he feels himself oriented in a direction a mere ten or so degrees from a direct eastward path. Not one to doubt the directives of divinity, he begins to walk right that way, and spends the rest of the day walking in this direction, right up until the moment he comes upon a path.

It is no ordinary path, this Edwin knows immediately. It is made of pure gnomestone, weathered by age, but untouched by human hands, for these are the deepest swampy woods of the south-southeast of Allochthon, where few dare to tread, and without divine guidance Edwin would surely have not the slightest knowledge of the path's existence, for the woods around it is unusually thick and treacherous, and almost foreboding in its strange silence as he travels through it in the night.

3 MP spent!

* * * * *

Emilia quickly walks over to help free Erta and Ziph from the rubble - with the boy's help, she eventually digs the two out, and they seem very relieved when they finally are freed, although Ziph appears to have broken his leg most unfortunately, though he does not complain at all, merely hopping back to the cart sadly and clambering atop it, sitting down next to Reen without saying anything.

"Sounds to me like Ziph's out of commission, girls! Time for you to do the looting by yourselves, methinks!"

"Go plough yourself, Reen! I'm not going in any other deathtrap around here! No way!" Erta shouts back, and ambles over to the cart.

"Well then, Emilia! It's all on you! Find treasure, and you, me and Birto will split it and take you anywhere you please!"

"I get a share as well?"

"But of course, dear. You're the most useful of us all, in a way! I'd never cheat you out of your share!"

* * * * *

Derek asks if it'd be a better idea to get going now or later - both Sweetie and Ehran seem to have nothing against moving out right now, and so they do, taking to the road in their birthday suits right after Sweetie takes a moment to lock up her lair to avoid interlopers beforehand. Peculiarly, Sweetie insists on leading the way after Derek begins to explain where exactly they're going, and as they travel on, Derek has a question when his mind attains a sufficient state of sobriety to formulate sensible questions.

"So, Sweetie… What do you know about this magicking then? You know, my ultimate aim is to help as my people save themselves from the apocalypse by getting naked, and believing in Karse. I have a great deal of faith in Her, but until now didn’t have so much in myself. So thank you. Now I intend to travel to the mountain, showing whomsoever I can about the merits of nudity, and there I hope to witness a miracle, I think."

Sweetie does not answer his question, but merely nods knowingly and smiles.

"She's from Gersh, see? They are all knowing magic and whatnot. I am thinking she's got some sort of seeing going on, I am."

She laughs and nods once more. Conversations of similar content reoccur several times over the coming days as they proceed south, and rarely do they provide much in terms of information. The path is not difficult to walk, however, though Sweetie seems intent that the group walk in certain odd directions off the road for some reason, and Ehran insists she's trustworthy, so Derek follows without much complaint. Though it does seem to eventually pay off, for the group reach nothing less than the town of Bellstarae, almost at the very bottom of the mountains, within the next month, in a largely unproblematic journey.

Bellstarae, it should be noted, is a riverside town, and not very far from the mountains at all. Only a few days of travel required, by all accounts. The place sounds and looks quite lively despite the general dire straits the kingdom as a whole is experiencing. There's tall walls around the place, combined with tall makeshift towers that are probably a recent addition. The guards at the gate seem to regard the approaching group with more than a hint of suspicion, naked travelers not being a terribly common sight at any given time. They begin to question the travelers in a dialect of Allochthon Derek does not even begin to recognize, the southern accent being so thick that even he can't penetrate it to any significant degree despite having spoken with people who have developed slurring into a language all of its own.

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Kaferian

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 11, The Black Path
« Reply #193 on: August 15, 2014, 07:38:46 pm »

Would it be possible to get on the waitlist?

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« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 07:32:43 pm by Kaferian »
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IcyTea31

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Re: Birth of a Deity: Turn 11, The Black Path
« Reply #194 on: August 16, 2014, 12:08:14 am »

Get a long pole (any hard material, doesn't need to be perfectly balanced) from somewhere and use it to test structures. Search for loot, very carefully. Jewelry boxes might be a good target. If I find any, don't call it out just yet.

"How large of a share for each of us are you thinking about, by the way, Reen? You haven't exactly done a lot."
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