Turn 128
Have a slightly closer look at... whatever this was. Was it even large enough to be a worthy opponent? Not that smaller creatures couldn't be good opponents, but if it was wildlife, it probably relied on poison or some such, and he had no antidotes. Looking for a decent fight or no, he'd rather not die quite yet.
Alexander looked more intently in the pit, trying to make out what was causing the movement there. It was gremlins. Wild gremlins. Tiny creatures that were most often found inside mechanical structures, especially magical ones, they were known to wreak havoc inside, inevitably destroying the infested object. The popular theory was that they were an artificial race, created to act as saboteurs in a war long forgotten. This, while not outright refuting the theory, had some fairly serious arguments about Gremlins being just another race that came into contact with large scale magitech at some point in their development, taking up residence and developing around survival within the technological marvels. The ones here were probably of an evolutionary branch that was not affected by magitech of any sort. They were no taller than three inches, which still placed them as possibly the largest found, and there seemed to be a few dozen of them in the walls of the pit. They were still quite intelligent to prepare such traps; they were probably even able to take down some of the larger creatures that inhabited the forest. As Alexander pondered whether or not they would qualify as decent opponents, ground slid from under him and Alexander fell face first into the pit. In moments, he was beset by gremlins.
"Bah! No... no, I think not. There is loot here and I will find it! I WILL FIND IT!"
Pretty much anybody on the duck island could have heard Old King Coal shout that, but he put no thought to what his shout perhaps might have attracted.
Old King Coal choses a random spot somewhere around the lake and begins digging at it with his shovel, making 3 bone essences as he does so.
LUCK [9]
CMP [5+1=6]
POT [3+1=4]
CMP [2]
POT [5]
CMP [3+1-2=2]
POT [6+1-2=5]
Old king Coal decided that if there were no marks anywhere of the treasures he was certain were here, he could begin digging anywhere at all. Satisfied with the deduction, Old King struck the earth with his shovel. Almost immediately, he met an obstacle, as shovel bounced off something hard beneath the earth. Some random stabs later, Old King knew a rough outline of the subterranean object. Several shovelfuls of dirt later, he knew that the subterranean object was rock. That was a bit of disappointment, but King soon realized that the rock had little chance of actually being in a shape it was, that is to say, a square. So King continued to dig and soon found that there were in fact two rocks, separated by a straight line. Soon, before King laid a door to somewhere. Kings watchful eyes compared what little was let of the structure with what he had seen and deduced that these doors were most likely part of a temple, and that they were meant to separate rooms rather than floors, so expecting stairs behind them rather than a straight drop would not be something to bet on.
Cubearc creates another essence and enters the castle.
CMP [4+1=5]
POT [6+1=7]
SPD [(1)/2+1=1.5]
Cuberac stopped for a moment to catch his breath and only then noticed how tired he was and how fast he was moving away from the eldritch tower. He proceeded towards the castle at a somewhat slower pace. That allowed him to see what local sights there were. There was a ball of thorny vines with bits of steel swords sticking out. There were several rocks even outside the castle, as a decent part of the castle was crushed some time before. There was some grass growing on barren rock in places. But it was quiet. Whatever happened here, the causes were now somewhere far away, either physically or spiritually.
"we need guardians.......james I recommend you summon....wait no....I can see that backfiring...."
just give me time and I should be able to make some golems."
go sit in my chair. make 3 essences.
CMP [6+1+1=8]
POT [4+1+1=6]
CMP [5+1+1-1=6]
POT [6+1+1-1=7]
CMP [1]
POT [4]
Flare left the group of mages in the corridor and went back to his throne. Interestingly enough, there was no acid left on it. Just as well, Flare did not like cleaning all that much. This place really needed some guards, even if no one else ever sneaked in, arguments between mages could get heated. Quite literally so, often with lethal consequences. And if the system was created by him, not only he'd get thanks and prestige, he'd have something that he'd be able to trust. Defenses of the tower seemed well and good on paper, but recent swim in acid showed just how wrong such thinking was. Even more recent event of his steel feathers being blocked showed that even when system worked it could mess up. As Flare continued mulling over details, his eyes wandered over someone looking very much like Marcus fiddling with tablet Jase had conjured before.
"Marcus! It's been a while! Fake clones of yourself, eh? Classic!"
Put my backpack back together. Create 3 machines essences, then take a walk to the courtyard and admire the magnificent evil eldritch magic circle tower.
CMP [6+1+1=8]
POT [2+1+1=4]
CMP [5+1+1-1=6]
POT [2+1+1-1=3]
CMP [2]
POT [2]
LUCK [9+1=10]
Jiksap collected all the little pieces back into his thaumic resonator, (most of the pieces, the few that fell down through the grate were more decorative than anything anyways), and left. On his way outside, however, Jiksap found something strange. Part of the stairway seemed to had been replaced by a storm of lightning and nonsensical angles. It seemed strange, not in a way that something that shouldn't be is strange, but rather the something is not right strange. Jiksap had seen this sort of geometry before, and knew for a fact that lightning going through affected space would look entirely differently than it did here. Jiksap bent down and poked his hand into the storm. Yep, solid ground underneath, it was just an illusion. Not too bothered by this, Jiksap went out to the courtyard. As he looked back at the tower, it was quite different. It no longer had the previous flowing look, but was rather more solid. Did aether constructions need some time to dry or something?
"Hm... Everything seems well enough. Time to sit on my throne and enjoy the silence."
Five essences. Sit on the ice throne and enjoy my life.
CMP [5+1+1=7]
POT [5+1+1=7]
CMP [3+1+1-1=4]
POT [4+1+1-1=5]
CMP [4]
POT [2]
CMP [5+1+1-3=4]
POT [6+1+1-3=5]
CMP [2+1+1-4=0]
LUCK [2+1=3]
Kahel returned to his throne of ice and casually observed the Council chamber. It seemed abandoned compared to few minutes ago, when majority of the mages on the island had gathered here. Marcus fiddled with the tablet Jase had conjured and the vanished into thin air. Jiksap gathered his mechanisms and just left. Gambler appeared in the doorway, turned around and vanished just as quickly. Mages being mages, nothing new here. As Kahel casually focused his power, he felt his last essence collapse and cold washed over him. Quickly, Kahel moved around all of his fingers to see if anything was lost. Cold was treacherous like that, it could cause great damage with little to no pain. Everything seemed to be fine, however, until Kahel attempted to move his arms and legs. He froze himself to the throne, all parts that had touched the throne, which meant most of him, were now connected to the throne with ice.
((That turned out much better than I expected; your interpretation of looting a chest is far more amusing than what I had in mind.))
3 essences.
Insert the bronze disc into the lock and open the chest.
CMP [6+1=7]
POT [6+1=7]
CMP [1]
POT [1]
CMP [2+1-2=1]
POT [6+1-2=5]
LUCK [4]
Xom inserted the disk into place and spun it clockwise. Invisible gears spun and locks inside clicked. Several magical locks became visible and fell apart. Inside was a strange looking cube and a note. The cube seemed to be covered in scales of bronze and had an extrusion on each side that seemed to be a very simplified flower. The note read:
This is the core of Lotus bomb my agents recovered from Powder lab of Artists. The destructive power it wields is absurd, if the information I have gathered can be trusted. Official notes recommend moving to another dimension after activating to be certain of avoiding damage. Even if that is not true, direct impact should be impossible to survive. As main purpose of the operation was to deny the Bomb to the Artists, I have separated the bomb and its two keys and sent them separately. Either is useless without the other.Hope to never hear of you again, P.
Find a room which is preferably empty and quiet and do some reading there. ((I'd sent you a pm about this last turn; could you pm back the result?))
PM.
Proceed to make 4 essences.
{Maybe tomorow, for a given value of tomorow, as it has technically been tomorow for almost two hours by now.}
CMP [1+1+1=3]
POT [6+1+1=8]
CMP [1+1+1-1=2]
POT [3+1+1-1=4]
CMP [6]
POT [4]
CMP [3+1+1-3=2]
POT [2+1+1-3=1]
Ilium, deciding that outside of the tower did not have all that much charm, returned inside and went down one of the many side passages, into a calm looking room. It lacked any furniture, but that was not all that bad, walls gave off enough light and ground was as clean as it could possibly get. Ilium got comfortable next to a wall and continued reading about intricacies of goblin life.
Using a single +1+1 knowledge essence, cast a spell to determine a course of action which will keep me as safe as is physically possible, from all dangers I may encounter in the next turn or two. Follow it to the letter.
Ask Biomatrix to get rid of my ears. Deafness is inconvenient, but it work wonders against sound-based attacks. Obviously, don't have him do anything he can't fix later.
If I still have time, try and get the attention of the mindwipe field. Sure, it's low on power, but there's got to be something left. If at all possible, do this with the fortress' animation, without the use a spell.
If I have time, make 5-(the number of spells I cast this turn) knowledge essences.
CMP [6+1+1+1=9]
POT [1+1+1+1=4]
CMP [2+1+1-1=3]
POT [1+1+1-1=2]
CMP [3]
POT [5]
CMP [4+1+1-3=3]
POT [4+1+1-3=3]
CMP [4+1+1-4=2]
POT [4+1+1-4=2]
Viznor was sitting in his chair within the Council chambers and thinking about the development of the situation. Future was becoming more and more uncertain. Dwen was dead but Marcus was around and the white flowers were becoming more and more unnerving. To lighten his troubled mind, Viznor cast a spell forth to divine a favorable course of action. His paranoia only increased when magic called for descending down the tower through one of side passages and then leaving the tower territory. Without delay, Viznor got up and left. As his magic failed to reach mindwipe field as if it wasn't even there, Viznor felt that he had made the right choice. His hearing soon disappeared and world turned silent just as walls grew faces which seemed to be speaking.
Shias the druid
Pick up Dwen's head. Craft 4 essences. Leave these insane mages and head to the forest if possible, non-violently.
"I got what I needed and I have no desire to spend more time with mages. I will leave and I ask you to not prevent me from doing so."
CMP [2+1+1=4]
POT [4+1+1=6]
CMP [2+1+1-1=3]
POT [4+1+1-1=5]
CMP [4]
POT [5]
CMP [3+1+1-3=2]
POT [6+1+1-3=5]
LUCK [3]
DEX [2-1=1]
END [5+2=7]
SPD [(4-1)/2+1=2.5]
Shias finally had what he came for. Dwen was dead and his head was now Shias'. Plant juggernaut left other mages; it had better things to do than to hunt a megalomaniac. Namely, returning to the forest and collecting his reward. Yet as he was walking down the stairway he was met with an unexpected obstacle. Part of the stairs seemed to had been replaced by warpspace. Shias had no desire to even touch the stuff, so he figured a plan. It was a simple plan, but it was fast. The warp seemed to cling to the walls, leaving a clear tunnel in the center. Jumping through it would lead Shias outside without needing to search for a way around. Shias bent his legs and jumped forward. He sailed through the air with all the grace of a brick. Shias had underestimated his strength, crashed against the ceiling and slid down the stairs all the way down. To his great relief, the event had not damaged him in the slightest; his new form was both tough and flexible. Shias left the castle and went off towards the forest. Once there he placed the severed head on the ground where roots dragged it underground. A voice, seemingly an echo, came from all sides.
"you have served the forest well, friend. Know, that wherever you would go, the forest will not obstruct you, and that if you need help in your quest, you merely need to call out."
Hunt for Marcus
Numerous faces rise seemingly at random from all walls and begin speaking gibberish, in all languages, including those that humans can't use due to lacking certain organs and those that humans were not meant to hear. Through the windows, gate that separates courtyard from outside wall can be seen opening and grid surrounding the tower can be seen folding. Mages rush, separately and in teams to find and do horrible things to Marcus.
"Don't bother running off to look for him, I'm going to try to summon him right here so just get ready to attack. Jase and Gambler, if you could help with the summoning and luck respectively it would, well, help."
Summon the annoying necromancer known as Marcus. Use at least 15/15 worth of chaos essences. If I can try to summon him devoid of his equipment, and in a compromising position like on the running blade of my chainsaw.
Grundar should be ready to smash the moment he can.
How hard would it be to summon people?
"Summon None" or "Summon Kahel" or "Summon Grundar", something like that.
I understand if I'm not able to do that though.
You can do it.
Base x/x where x is distance in hexes.
If they don't want you to +5/+5
If they are trapped by something attached to them(bear traps)/carrying extra weight greater than 20Kg +5/+5
If you don't know where they are +5/+5
If they are on another plane of existence +10/+10
CMP [2+2+1+20=25]
POT [2+1+1+1+15=20]
LUCK [5+1+1=7]
James had his own way of searching for people, arguably a foolproof one, namely, making the universe fold to bring those he wanted to meet to him. Needless to say, it was not a method for everyone. Preparing for the meeting, James refolded his glass cube into a chainsaw and revved it up. As soon as a portal formed and magic began pulling Marcus in, James moved the chainsaw as close to the portal as he could without interfering with magic. As soon as a figure appeared before him, James thrust forward, piercing it through the chest. The figure resolved itself into Marcus, who seemed a fair bit surprised, but not remotely in pain. A bit confused himself, James moved the chainsaw around inside Marcus, only to find that there was no resistance. Grundar slashed with his mighty claws right through Marcus head with no effect. Marcus had somehow become intangible. That new chainmail of Green and Black might had had something to do with this.
The Gambler's eyes once again turn steel-cold.
"Then you shall die, as befits your kind."
He sets off after taking Dwen's knife and feeling out the path most likely to find Marcus.
If he finds Marcus, gut him like a fish and take all of his luck. All of it. Make his body crumble through chance as all his organs fail.
Else, feel for the path again, then make two essences.
CMP [5+1+1=7]
POT [2+1+1+1=5]
LUCK [4+1+2=7]
LUCK [5+2+1=8]
LUCK [7+2+1=10]
CMP [6+1+1-1=7]
POT [3+1+1-1=4]
Gambler grabbed knife that Dwen was carrying and cast a spell to guide him. He saw Marcus go past him, but was too busy carving up Dwen to see where exactly necromancer had ran off to. Suddenly, he felt like it would be a very good idea to check the council chamber. It had no other exit. It had few other mages within. It would make no sense for Marcus to hide there, but that was also the last place they would look in. Just before he actually entered the council chambers, the very same inner voice told him to turn around, which he did, just in time to see Marcus appear right before James. Marcus seemed somewhat paler than before, and now wore a chainmail of some green and black material. This did not stop him one bit, and Gambler charged forward, plunging his scalpel and newfound knife into him. Both weapons passed without any resistance, and Marcus showed no sign of noticing the attack. Ditching the physical option, Gambler returned to his magic, draining what little luck necromancer could still be said to have.
{Marcus -1LUCK, 2 turns.}
Skelliborn
"And now that that's all squared away, time to go kick some necromancer's ass.
Hurry over to the group of mages outside the chamber and act as a body guard to the Gambler. Craft 3 essences and go wherever the Gambler goes.
Gambler you may not need my help but as we're dealing with a hidden enemy, it would be foolish to journey alone. And I swear by my honor that if either of us kill the necromancer, the shards are yours. Besides, even luck has limits and on the off chance that you die there will be no one left to argue with over magic theology. I simply can't take that chance.
CMP [6+1+1=8]
POT [2+1=4]
CMP [5+1+1-1=6]
POT [2]
CMP [4]
POT [1+1-2=0]
Skeliborn was getting a bit worried. Dwen was killed, but now they had a new foe, Marcus. He was in the council chamber, but Skeliborn was somewhat reluctant to just engage him. He opted to team up with Gambler instead. Reliable luck was somewhat rare, even among mages. Gamblers dash toward council chambers was quite expected, but sudden turning around surprised Skeliborn, until Marcus appeared out of thin air next to James. Already he was seeing proof that teaming up with Gambler was a good idea.
Leave the castle with my velociraptors,then summon a large flock of budgerigars(parakeets) to search for the real Marcus
Use all non-chaotic essences
LUCK [8+1=9]
CMP [3+1+1+2+10+3-1=19]
POT [3+1+2+1+3+10=20]
Firmly believing that Marcus was still out of castle and all that they would find here was smoke and mirrors, Seva decided to leave the castle. He could see through a window within the corridor that gates were opening and whatever that grid was, was also disappearing. But as Seva was going down the stairway towards the exit, he found something exceedingly strange. Roughly a third of the stairway had disappeared and been replaced by what appeared to be a twisting mass of lightning and mind-bending geometries. Just as Seva stopped to try to think more about what to do instead of how that figure had three parts on one side and two on the other, one of the velociraptors playing around was tripped by another and tumbled down the stairway and through the storm entirely unharmed. It was an illusion. It still looked rather real, so Seva closed his eyes and finished walking the last steps by feeling out the steps with his feet. Gates finished opening just as he arrived, so Seva walked outside, and conjured a great cloud of budgerigars, which soon scattered to all sides, few even returning back to the tower. Wherever Marcus was, the budgerigars would be able to find him. There was a chance that they would also report illusions as real thing, but that was something he'd have to deal when he came to it.
"Find the real me"
"I see a catch here. Surely, there are an 'fake' Markus, either here or not."
Look around for Markus. Try to touch him if he's real or not(or ethereal). Grab him if he's real and not ethereal.
It hardly took long for Eterna to find Marcus, as he saw him enter the council room he had just left. He was fiddling with the tablet Jase had conjured. Before Eterna could go and grab him, Marcus disappeared, and when Eterna looked around trying to find where to, he noticed that Marcus was now in the middle of the group of mages in the corridor... with James' chainsaw sticking out of him. Yet the thought that this was over before it began was stopped dead in its tracks as Eterna noticed something strange. There was no blood, no bone pieces or chunks of flesh, not even torn cloth. Marcus that appeared was either illusionary or ethereal.
Two force essences while trying to help the others with that they're doing.
CMP [6+1+1=8]
POT [3+1+1=5]
CMP [6+1+1-1=7]
POT [5+1+1-1=6]
Crimson once more waited for others to act, when Marcus appeared before them. As weapons of others were not at all effective, he pierced Marcus with his spear, but his time, he was no more successful than others. Spear went straight through Marcus causing absolutely no damage. It was strange seeing him pierced through in several places, as if he was a steak to be thrown over a fire, but that did not seem to cause any harm or even discomfort to Marcus. Crimson began suspecting that the whole fakes might have had a grain of truth in it.
Stuff
CMP [1+1+2+1+1=6]
POT [2+1+1+1+1=6]
CMP [2+2+1+1-1=5]
POT [2+1+1+1-1=4]
Jase, just like James, waited until Marcus was spat out by the portal but not a moment longer. He had sensed that Marcus was in the council room and now he felt that he was transported here. There was no doubt that this was the original, whether there ever were any fakes was irrelevant. What was strange however, was that Jase could not see the mage in front of him. His magic told him that he was there, yet he saw only air. Other mages seemed to have no trouble seeing Marcus, as they moved in to fill the offender full of holes, his magic had no trouble, as he felt his silence spell cut off magic of someone just in front of him, yet there was nothing. Jase conjured force bindings around where his magic told him Marcus was but they just hung in the air, unmoving. If they were wrapped around a body, they would move at least slightly, but that was not the case. It was troubling.
{Marcus, Silenced, 1 Turn (Ends this turn)}
Poll
19 (46.3%)
Author
Topic: Roll to Magic: Turn 268 The finish line (Read 1274376 times)