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Holy shit yes

0 (0%)

Slightly less long-winded would be better.

0 (0%)

No, it's fine as it is.

6 (60%)

I am dangerously insane and demand an excess of words. Double the length of each update.

4 (40%)

Total Members Voted: 10

[ShadowHammer]

So far you have:
Silver Disc: Undetermined (Summon Rift, Rift Beam, and Teleport were suggested)
Marble Tablets: Undetermined (Might of Stone and Stoneskin were suggested)
Wood Tablets:
- Animate Wood
- Purify Water
- Undetermined (Warding against evil was suggested)
Parchment:
- Create Local Map
- Impart Wisdom
- Eagle's Vision
- Blessing of Icarus
- Undetermined (possibly a second Create Local Map)

I've only just started drawing the next update, so you still have some time, but it'd be great if someone could cast a deciding vote (or suggest another option) for the silver disc, marble tablets, the last wood tablet, and the last piece of parchment. Otherwise there'll be one marble tablet of Stoneskin, one of Might of Stone, and I'll choose the others out of the suggestions.

Voting for the bolded orange ones.

[Andres]

Have the last parchment be a more zoomed out map. It'll help to navigate whatever caverns or mountains we come across. Finding passes and stuff, you know?

[Fallatus]

Technically, Might of stone and stone skin is the same thing, Might of stone can be used on any object and people are technically objects, Or at least, Their clothes are.
Also, How about if the silver disc is inscribed with rift beam on one side and rift portal on the other. Or in other words they are the same spell. Depending on which side is used it will create a different effect, with beam being focused use and portal being without focus.(Pointing it towards target v.s just throwing it at our target.)

[Andres]

Technically, Might of stone and stone skin is the same thing, Might of stone can be used on any object and people are technically objects, Or at least, Their clothes are.

Might of Stone also gives an object the strength of stone, slowing it down. If we cast Stoneskin on ourselves, our skin becomes as hard as stone and our movement is unaffected. If we cast Might of Stone on us, all of our body becomes hard as stone, we get a strength boost, but we also gain a movement penalty.

Also, How about if the silver disc is inscribed with rift beam on one side and rift portal on the other. Or in other words they are the same spell. Depending on which side is used it will create a different effect, with beam being focused use and portal being without focus.(Pointing it towards target v.s just throwing it at our target.)

That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

[Fallatus]

Technically, Might of stone and stone skin is the same thing, Might of stone can be used on any object and people are technically objects, Or at least, Their clothes are.

Might of Stone also gives an object the strength of stone, slowing it down. If we cast Stoneskin on ourselves, our skin becomes as hard as stone and our movement is unaffected. If we cast Might of Stone on us, all of our body becomes hard as stone, we get a strength boost, but we also gain a movement penalty.

Hmm, Yeah that does make sense.

Also, How about if the silver disc is inscribed with rift beam on one side and rift portal on the other. Or in other words they are the same spell. Depending on which side is used it will create a different effect, with beam being focused use and portal being without focus.(Pointing it towards target v.s just throwing it at our target.)

That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

I was under the impression that to activate these trinkets you had to say a specific chant or complete an unfinished rune or something. If that is the case, Then you would always be able to choose how the disc works. Of course rift magic has sometimes a way of messing up regardless of your intention, It is raw chaotic energy after all.

[Andres]

I vote for teleportation because it's unlikely to accidentally gib us if we point the thing the wrong way. Worst case scenario it teleports our enemy away instead, which isn't that bad.

[flame99]

I vote for teleportation because it's unlikely to accidentally gib us if we point the thing the wrong way. Worst case scenario it teleports our enemy away instead, which isn't that bad.

Teleportation seems like our best bet. +1

[Araph]

"I wish passage through the mountains. Might I earn my way through by dealing with whatever seems to be harassing you?"

"I wish passage through the mountains. Might I earn my way through by aiding with whatever seems to be harassing you?"

Reworded to seem somewhat more humble. After all, these guys seem trigger-happy, and we don't need to piss them off any further.

Reworded to seem somewhat more competent. After all, these guys seem trigger-happy, and we don't want to seem worthless to them.

Keep in mind, we also don't want to seem like we're insulting them by claiming we could do better than them. While that may or may not be true, we don't want them to think we're just some barbarian who's gotten too full of themselves.

That's why we're offering to aid them - to help them fix the problem rather than solve it ourselves.
...
We really should've paid attention in Dwarven Culture class.

Perhaps we could subtly put the emphasis on their harassement rather than our need to cross. For example.

"You and your kinsmen are known for your skill in crafts, and yet i see that your equipment has suffered from the wear of battle, something i doubt such a proud folk would tolerate if there wasn't need to stay vigilant. I intended to cross, but perhaps your needs are greater than my own? I would be pleased to offer what help i may, to show my good faith."

"I only wish passage through the mountain pass to the east. Might I earn my way through by dealing with whatever seems to be - I mean, aiding whatever see- no, aiding you against- wait, wait let me start over."

You take a deep breath and reflect on how poorly countless hours of magical training translates into diplomacy.

"Um. You and your kinsmen are known for your skilled craftsmanship, yet your equipment shows the wear of battle; something I doubt a proud people such as the dwarves would tolerate unless dire circumstances forced your hand. If I could help in any way - not that I would just assume you need help - in exchange for passage east, I would gladly offer any aid I could provide."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The commander looks nonplussed. The crossbowdwarves hesitantly lower their weapons. You hear a strangled snort of barely restrained laughter erupt from the dwarf on the far left. After a moment, the reaction spreads to two of the other dwarves as the patrol stands down. A third shakes his head and rubs the bridge of his nose. The captain mutters something in a language you don't understand before taking a deep swig from a flask.

"And what sort of aid do you think you could offer, little elf?" He asks in a less confrontational (but slightly condescending) tone.

"The magical kind."

He snorts. "If there's anything the dwarven legions can't handle, you can be damn sure a prancing elf wizard can't handle it either. However..." He barks out an order in his native tongue and the squad straightens itself out. "Since your ridiculous attempt at being inoffensive made us laugh at a time when we desperately needed a pick-me-up, we will escort you through the pass and to the eastern border. You're lucky it's on our way back to the fortress."

All things considered, that could have gone worse. You follow the patrol as they march into the mountain, down a dimly lit tunnel. After a few minutes of walking, the only light around you comes from two torches carried by the dwarves, illuminating a small patch of stone around you in the face of the darkness stretching out in either direction.

"Once at the eastern border, you're on your own, elf. Continue on your way and do not return to the mountains. If, by some cursed chance, you are a spy or saboteur, another patrol will find you and you will be crucified. You seem harmless enough, magic or not, and I tend to trust my gut on these matters."

After what felt like an eternity of quietly walking through a slightly curving tunnel, you feel a breath of fresh air on your face. The night sky comes into view as you emerge from the mountainside and the ice-cold air hits you like a giant's hammer. A dirt path winds its way down towards the snowy forest below while the tunnel road hugs the mountains and leads north towards the only non-natural source of light you can see: pinpoints of orange light coming from a massive web of buildings carved into the mountain peaks.

"You'll be wanting to follow this path. About two hours by day thataway you'll find another barbarian village." He turns and looks you in the eye with a serious expression. "A few words of warning. The foothills are littered with all manner of caves and hideaways and the forests are treacherous these days. Foul creatures spring forth beneath the moon's light, and their hunters are friends of neither elf nor man nor dwarf."

A prickle of uneasiness runs down the back of your neck. "What sort of creatures and what do you mean by 'their hunters'?"

"Night terrors and demons, beasts forgotten by time. A band of men hunt them, yes, but those same men also slaughter innocents in the name of the hunt. There's talk amongst the dwarven rangers that they're no more pure than the monsters they fight, but only in stories told around a fire pit in the mountainhome. Trust no one until you reach what passes for civilization amongst the humans. If you truly are a mage as you claim, keep a few spells up your sleeve. And for the love of Magnir, Stanri, and all the spirits of the earth, don't draw attention to yourself out there."

He turns and gestures for the patrol to continue down the main road. You notice that they no longer walk casually as they had in the tunnel. Their weapons are at the ready, their eyes darting back and forth. As the torchlight fades into the distance, you wonder where they acquired the injuries you observed earlier.

No time to waste on that, though. It's late, much too late to travel through an unwelcoming forest. You consider your options.

1. Set up camp along the face of the mountain. You can see an indentation that would protect you from the wind and cover three of your four sides, but you would have no escape route if something attacked in the night.
2. Set up camp on a ridge overlooking the forest. Farther down the path there's an overlook that would let you see approaching threats from all sides, but you would also be exposed to anything coming along the path.
3. Set up camp hidden amongst the roots of the trees. On the outskirts of the forest, you can see gnarled roots that would provide cover from the elements and let you hid from any threats, but you would also be in the forest - and you really don't know what else might be in there.
4. Continue through the forest at night. The faster you reach that village, the sooner you'll be actually safe. Though you are tired, you could stay awake for a few hours if it meant certain safety. On the other hand, you would be stumbling through a dark, hostile forest in the middle of the night.

What, if any, defenses do you set up?


Your finalized spell list:
Silver Disc: Teleport
Marble Tablets:
- Might of Stone
- Stoneskin
Wood Tablets:
- Animate Wood
- Purify Water
- Ward Against Evil
Parchment:
- Create Local Map
- Create Broad Map
- Impart Wisdom
- Eagle's Vision
- Blessing of Icarus

Taliss can carve runes into various objects, so be sure to point out materials for her to collect! In addition, runes can be carved into static objects (trees, the ground, etc.) to create defenses and traps, but setting them up takes time that you may not have in a crisis.

[Andres]

That was really funny. I especially liked the third expression - it reminds me of something I'd see in a Disney movie. Also, Roman dwarves? Genius!

3. Set up camp hidden amongst the roots of the trees

This would probably be safest because it is a forest and we are an elf.

[Prophet]

That was really funny. I especially liked the third expression - it reminds me of something I'd see in a Disney movie. Also, Roman dwarves? Genius!

3. Set up camp hidden amongst the roots of the trees

This would probably be safest because it is a forest and we are an elf.

+1?

[flame99]

That was really funny. I especially liked the third expression - it reminds me of something I'd see in a Disney movie. Also, Roman dwarves? Genius!

3. Set up camp hidden amongst the roots of the trees

This would probably be safest because it is a forest and we are an elf.

+1?

All of these choices are bad, but this one is the least bad. +1

[Araph]

I forgot when writing the last update (the post has been edited to include it now), but what defenses do you set up (magical or mundane)?

[flame99]

Scratch a bunch of runes that make a loud noise when something other than us comes near (Preferably a noise only we can hear). Also, land mine runes, as many as can be considered safe.

[Andres]

Scratch a bunch of runes that make a loud noise when something other than us comes near (Preferably a noise only we can hear). Also, land mine runes, as many as can be considered safe.

Not very wise. We'll be woken up by whatever small animal comes along and it'll probably attract more dangerous beasts that would've otherwise left us alone. A ward that prevents people from moving past it or a ward of indifference - animals who go into its area of effect lose all interest in being in that area - would be better for our purposes.

[3man75]

That was really funny. I especially liked the third expression - it reminds me of something I'd see in a Disney movie. Also, Roman dwarves? Genius!

3. Set up camp hidden amongst the roots of the trees

This would probably be safest because it is a forest and we are an elf.

+1?

All of these choices are bad, but this one is the least bad. +1

+1