Gray. Stoat. Gray. Stoat.
With however much of my mind I have control over, I try to focus this violence on a specific target.
[Grasping Tendrils: 2]
You try to find your way around the area, but you can't
see anything. Not really. It is as if a nigh-impenetrable mist is obscuring your sight. You swing around and fly through the courtyard, still unable to stop. You can only hope you ram into your target by sheer luck, you fear, unless you find some way to direct yourself.
"...Wilde got to him, huh. I will have to have words with him. Probably of the unpleasant variety.
My thanks for the answers, well. I admit I had you pegged wrong before, thinking you were some sort of exploitative extradimensional fiend. Now I see you're merely overly literal due to a different perspective. More business can likely be had between us now that I understand this. Now for my fulfilment.
Ahem.
'I desire the ability to absorb connections and sources and transplant them wherever I so wish as we discussed in my first question. The mastery of actually performing this technique so as to increase efficiency would be appreciated but is not strictly necessary.'"
Apologies must also be offered for the previous unhelpfulness of answers provided. It was incorrectly assumed that your intent was to exploit your creator, when you were probably only acting from limited information. More cooperation in the future would meet with correspondingly good rewards.
Your fulfillment comes subtly, a kernel of hungry emptiness worming its way into your skull, settling somewhere between your childhood memories, almost unnoticeably taking its fill, then regurgitating it in a mildly different shape, using irrelevant information to keep it busy. A pulsing numbness builds within your forehead, taking a moment to get used to. Bring it near a source in a moment of vulnerability, and take a connection - or, if trusted completely or utterly helpless, take the whole of their being. Use the same method to swap a connection with one stored, or swap one source with another. Touch your forehead, close your eyes and set your mind to the task to bring a source out from your own self. You may store six connections and three sources.
And if you are interested in more incentives, vary what you bring here. Of interest currently are unintegrated clanfolk, stoatmen and humans of El. Each source will give you the special rate you took advantage of now. Other sources will give two answers each, being of lesser interest. Connections of all kinds will grant one answer each.
Well, I'm probably not unconscious per se as I'm capable of thinking I'm unconscious. Cogito ergo sum. At least I know that what happened apparantly involves that infernal chaos of Ms. Minett - perhaps some order is required.
Well, let's start visualising. An ionic lattice, perhaps? A perfect crystal at 0K, even?
It might not work, but it'll give me something to do until this unfortunate condition abates, at least.
[Imposing Order: 2]
The trouble with visualization, you discover, is that whatever it's supposed to help you with is really quite vague. Is it a meditation exercise? Are you trying to ascertain if your spirit animal is actually sodium chloride? Are you, like many gurus before you, applying crystals to a problem in hopes that the situation will improve?
It is a mystery, of course. Just like it's something of a mystery why you feel like you are repeatedly smacking into an object of stone in an ineffectual manner.
Tulips! Just like Rose, Mr. Munderley's secretary, would bring in on occasion. Very nice.
Wait, wasn't there a fight going on?
Can we get back to the fight, please? It was starting to get enjoyable.
[Focus, Dammit: 5]
Fighting! This seems to speak to you somehow. You repeat the request. Fight! Duel! Yes! Fighting is something you feel very capable of doing. And you feel that this idea is taken under very strong advisement. The stout fellow, you specify. This sows a little bit of confusion. Yes, the gray one, you add insistently. Not any other ones. Hm.
You feel sight abruptly return to you. You're still in the courtyard. And there's some... er, giant clawed masses of limbs and teeth bouncing around? You don't know what those are about. And then there's the stout fellow, who seems to be standing very still. The whole scene looks rather weird, really, with the courtyard looking that much smaller (just like the stout person, in fact, who you seem to be towering over presently, very odd).
Anyway, you decide, the gray fellow's the one you meant. The one right over there. You rumble inwardly at the clarity of the instruction.
[Interruption: 3 vs. 6]
However, before that you hear a rather well-enunciated order to
CLEANSE FLESH
[Words: 6+1]
The stout fellow vibrates and bubbles a little, thinning noticeably as you bear down on him, turning slowly to face toward you. He seems a little surprised. But altogether more ready than moments ago.
[Wave of Flesh and Blades: 3 vs. 2]
You move detachedly, giving orders rather than getting feedback, and you think what you observe is kind of a mixture between smashing into the poor man and trampling him underfoot, the liquid sword swinging over one's head as one is rather furiously stepped on with reckless abandon. You sail right over one's form and rebound off a wall, bouncing over the courtyard in a manner best described as somewhat implausible.
"By Thor's mighty hammer, that was nice interference! You see, she accidentally gained control over my limbs and made me dance like a fool. I wouldn't mind if she can't do it again. Ahm, let's skedaddle somewhere safer now?"
Now, finally steal the spear and follow Lee's lead. After moment of "peace" ask if she wants the spear. Because it was technically she who dealt with the stoat.
[Quick Disarmament: 3 vs. 5-
1]
You go for the stoat guard's spear, but she dissuades you from this course of action with a surprisingly solid stab in the gut, being still very much alive and unwilling to let go of her only other advantage over you.
[Running Interference: 5+1 vs. 6-1]
Lee looks in the guard's direction as you reel back and moves in, driving her trusty knife into the woman's shoulder through the armpit a couple of times while the guard tries to fumble her spear to try and stab her. She struggles for a little longer before pain and blood loss get to her. Wasting no time as you recover, Lee handily removes the spearhead from the weapon and tosses you the shaft.
[Making A Run For It: 6+1]
You follow Lee as you weave through alleyways. She seems to be rather experienced in evasive maneuvers of this sort. And also apparently erring on the side of caution as you spend a good half hour evading what may or may not be pursuers until you're well clear of the town and, in fact, well clear of the outlying plantations and wineries as well, standing at the edge of the woods.
Hm, she thinks. Maybe you should start over. This went unexpectedly poorly.
Leif Erikson, Miner
- A Word: INEVITABLE
- Wounds: 1
- Improvised Quarterstaff
- Body Count: 1
- 4 large red berries
- Damp and moldy fuel
- The Queen's Guard: A Roaring Good Time
- Reappropriated, Clean Skirt
- Inscribed Wooden Stylus
- Iron Spearhead
- 1.03 gp
- Anglefork Castle: A Free Man
- The Box: ?
- Tower of the Mind: Convenient Relocation
- Induced Inebriation: Comfortably Drunk
- Induced Lucidity: A Concert For The Gods
- Elongated Affairs: Cheerio!
- Compatibility: Minding
- Tricks of the Mind: Cormick's Condescending Riddle
- Tricks of the Mind: Perceptual Rebuke
- Tricks of the Mind: Erikson's Inexplicable Grapefruit
- Tricks of the Mind: Speak With The Mob
- Tricks of the Mind: Headfirst Dive
- Tricks of the Mind: Lend Them Your Limbs
- Party in the Courtyard: Celebration in Earnest
- Never In: Swallowed By The Pit
- Gods of the Underground: Did You Just What
- Labyrinths of Anglefork: Tunnel-Literate
- The Voracious Dark: Two Deals Made
- The Voracious Dark: The Promised Sixth
- Moth's Flight: Reflections on the Mission
- Troubles In Anglefork Town: More Lethal Than Anticipated
- The Secret Life of Stoats: Harnessing Potential
Eileen Minett, Vinyl Collector
- Wounds: 1
- Marvels of the Substrate: Pinball of Flesh and Bone
- Traces of Mischief: A Bubbling Scar
- Reclaimed Hooded Robe (worn, torn)
- Giant White Mushroom
- A Word: SEA
- A Word: HUNGER
- A Word: CHAOS
- A Weapon: Explosive Cysts
- Rat Pantheon: Disliked
- Origins: Witness to Dissolution
- Tower of the Mind: There's Something To Remember
- The New Queen: And Something To Forget
- The Queen's Guard: Bringer of Doom
- Touch of Flame: the Secrets of Flammability
- The Voracious Dark: Three Connections Given
- Stone's Glory: An Uncivil Disagreement
- Body Count: 1
- Never In: Change of Priority
- Labyrinths of Anglefork: Tunnel-Literate
- The Flip Side: Crippling Indecision
- The Impromptu Prophecy: ?
- Sweet Little Children: Fond Farewell
- The One They Fear: Three Magic Words
Jack Daniels, Karate Man
- Naked
- Powers of the Beyond: Gardener of Thoughts
- Dusty Wooden Speaking-Trumpet
- Crossbow Bolt (in throat)
- A Word: REND
- A Word: SILENCE
- A Weapon: Murder-Thought
- Traces of Mischief: A Bisected Left Kidney
- Traces of Mischief: Ruined Left Hand
- Uncoupled: Strength
- Wooden Door (held)
- The Majordomo: ?
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: the Armor of God
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: A Master's In Chemistry
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: A Sliver of Perfection!
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: The Beauty of the Material
- Tower of the Mind: Endless Well of Mystery
- Induced Lucidity: A Garden Well-Tended
- Elongated Affairs: Enemy of the New State
- Doomstones: ?
- A Place In History: Vastly Unreliable
- Anglefork Castle: the Great Serpent
- The Obsolete Class: Suggested Victims
- 2 rats, crushed
- 1 rat, strangled
- 1 rat, live
- Touch of Flame: the Second Degree
- Travels In The Fourth Dimension: Sunday ± 2 Days
- The Impromptu Prophecy: There's A Mountain Higher Than We Knew
- The Voracious Dark: A Source Provided
- The Voracious Dark: More Specific Requests
- The Good Doctor: A Recommendation
- Labyrinths of Anglefork: Suspended Above
- Body Count: 3
- Wounds: 2
Thomas Minstep, Insurance Agent
- A Word: ABSENCE
- Marvels of the Substrate: Superficial Management
- Sea-Sword
- Traces of Mischief: Nausea's Depths
- A Bowl, Black and Knobby
- Anglefork Castle: From Another Time, Another Land
- Gross Incandescence: Partly Illuminated
- Tight Leather Pants (worn, wet)
- Incredibly Tight Blue Dress (worn, mutilated, mildly provocative)
- Travels In The Fourth Dimension: Saturday, July 24th, 409 S.D.
- The Majordomo: Busy Morning
- The Good Doctor: House Call
- The Queen's Guard: Space Among The Ranks
- Make A Man Out Of You: a Test of Worth and Skill
- The New Queen: Strategic Meeting
- Tower of the Mind: Advice Given
- The Obsolete Class: Let Them Be
- Cruelty-Free Foods: Treats Survived
- The One They Fear: Asymmetrical Warfare
- Body Count: 2
Oscar Wilde, Chemistry Teacher
- A Word: REVELATION
- Marvels of the Substrate: Enemy of Walls
- Wounds: 2
- 1 rat, skinless and smoked
- 6 gp
- Poor Misshapen Dice
- Lock of Hair (unidentified)
- Iron nail, unused
- An Inauspicious Key
- Burlap Foot Wrappings (worn)
- Burlap Hand Wrappings (worn)
- Moth-Eaten Hat (worn)
- Respectable Brown Skirt (worn)
- Old Brown Waistcoat (worn)
- Bright Yellow Tunic (worn)
- Blue Shards of a Probable Bottle
- Blue Glass Shiv
- A Wealth of Burlap Ribbons
- An Obsolete Class: Trustworthy Individual
- The Flip Side: A Strange Day In The Making
- The Doom Guard: the Inquisition
- Tower of the Mind: An Interruption
- A Frightening Door: An Understanding
- The Voracious Dark: Backed Away
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: The Measure
- The One They Fear: Unthinking Bystander
If one side of a fight outnumbers another, provided the combatants are at least somewhat comparable in ability, each attack directed against a single target after the first gets a cumulative +1.