Nah, just go make my way over to him with my supernatural strength. Maybe jump from the wall over to his roof. Point is, get close enough to talk to him without it being necessary to yell.
"Hey blacksmith! Thanks again for the murder-thought, it's been real handy. Pun not intended. Question! Would you be able to make me armor of some sort? Not that I'm really all that vulnerable as it is, but I'd like for stabby things to not pierce my flesh quite so easily."
You hop on over to his roof - seems like a cozy enough place. A private enough location for two naked friends to converse on the subject of artifice. You pose a question to the blacksmith - armor, you say, pointing to the arrow within your throat. Has he got the metal and, more importantly, the mettle to provide you with some?
The blacksmith definitely thinks a second, looking you over. A manic spark, no doubt left over from your previous engagement, shines briefly. He has some thoughts! Is it possible? Yes! Armor is a possibility! Of course, he is not at all an expert on these matters. Weapons, these he has thought of extensively! More thought has been devoted to these, in fact, than he has devoted to anything else at all. Weapons in the context of probability, destiny, inspiration! Even now his mind is afire with sharpness and blood and untold glories of a never-born age!
NEVER-THE-LESS, however, it is not impossible that some of his weapons may, in fact, be armor instead! Destiny is a shield as much as a blade, don't you know. Ideas are miraculously shapeless like that, he has learned. Had you asked him before this revelation, why, he couldn't have bloody well helped you at all! Too focused on materials, oh yes, when it was in fact the materials that were the crucial flaw, in fact it is when you get the sharpness and the bloodletting into a less corpore- no! Armor! Not weapons!
Truthfully, he finds it a little difficult to think of armor. He does believe he'll need an assistant for this one, oh yes! A worthy assistant! Not an apprentice, mind you! A master of their craft! What craft that may be, well, that he leaves up to you! This is new and exciting ground after all.
But that, of course, is not all. The blacksmith paces along the edge of the roof, increasingly giddy with excitement. To hone you further, an example is required! An unmistakable sliver of perfection, to put it in adequately inspiring terms! He sweeps his arms outward at the thought, nearly falling off the edge as his balance is momentarily compromised.
And finally, he whispers, a glimpse! A look into the unknown, encapsulated! A thing to be seen or heard, then to forever slip his grasp. The frustration! The wondrous frustration. What glories it could lead him to. Hah!
If you'll excuse him, however, he has some things he needs to look at in his workshop! They're a little difficult to see in the light, he mutters and starts to climb down the roof, tittering every now and then as he descends to the front of the workshop.
"I would be interested in that, but I don't know the process quite as well as I do with connections. If I knew a little more about what offering a source entails, I'm sure it would be a lot more feasible."
In the simplest terms, it entails the delivery of a sentient being with at least one existent connection here. The delivery will be irreversible. However, the reward for this will be five answers and one fulfillment. This is sufficiently generous.
Immediate acceptance is not required. Neither is your direct involvement. The special reward goes to the first one to deliver. Subsequent deliveries will be rewarded with three answers and one fulfillment as per usual terms.
"... Thank you. Is there anything else you need a hand with or should we be going?"
Take the rat and enquire aboutfang other errands.
You grab one of the rats. Its flesh crumples a little at your touch. It feels terribly dry. Nevertheless, you ask if he perhaps has any other outstanding tasks to fulfill.
[The Doom Guard: 1]
For his part, the captain affirms that he does. The former stable master has gone noticeably missing, which is a striking disruption of routine. Any hints as to his whereabouts will be met with reasonable incentives. His safe return will be repaid with the highest possible incentives.
Thomas blinked a couple times. He felt he had missed some context from the contest.
"Um... yes, I am, thank you. Had some lunch from the kitchen, and it was... well, it was food. Was your... exchange enlightening? I feel there is something important she is not telling me."
Miss point
[Royal Honesty: 3]
Ah, you see, the queen says, she did rather imply that you were somewhat
unusual. And by 'imply', she means that she rather explicitly warned of several important dangers that you and, er, individuals such as yourself seem to pose if not approached with care. She finishes her tea quickly.
Other than that, well, she also somewhat hinted that the sudden outpouring of supernatural events are indeed, well,
supernatural, despite one's best hopes to the contrary. This is unfortunate, she says, because that somewhat limits her experience in dealing with it. Lucid dreaming is all fine and good, you know, but only as long as what's menacing you isn't very, very real, you must understand.
You can't say you do understand, but you nod along anyway.
Laugh it off and keep floating down the river. Seems easier than actual swimming. Though keep eye on Bruce Lee and help her if it looks bad.
[Which Way The River's Flowing: 3]
Don't worry, you laugh through bits of dark water occasionally flowing into your mouth. Even if things get heavy, you'll all float on okay.
And you do. When rocks get in the way, the stream gets nasty or the wet gets into the bones, you all just float on anyway.
In the near distance, the town of Anglefork looms, the river slowing ever so mildly after the confluence. Lee trails behind you, saying nothing as she concentrates staying above water. Tall docks with no boats tied to them greet you in the distance, the familiar figures of stoatmen, though far less armored standing upon them, going about some form of daily business. Further downriver are the drinkable bits, and further still lie the washing areas. Of course, you're not there yet. You suppose you could try to swim to shore along with Lee. Or hey, just keep on floating on. Water's deep and rapid. But once you stop fearing that, what's going to stop you in turn?
Leif Erikson, Miner
- A Word: INEVITABLE
- Wounds: 3
- Moth Dagger
- The Queen's Guard: A Roaring Good Time
- Reappropriated, Clean Skirt
- 1 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
- 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: Down The River
- Army of the New State: 454 Suspicious Stoats
Eileen Minett, Vinyl Collector
- 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
- The Voracious Dark: A Special Offer, Limited Time Only
- Body Count: 1
- Never In: the Obvious Candidates
- Labyrinths of Anglefork: Tunnel-Literate
- The Impromptu Prophecy: ?
- Sweet Little Children: Fond Farewell
Jack Daniels, Karate Man
- Naked
- 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 of their Craft!
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: A Sliver of Perfection!
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: A Glimpse of the Unknown!
- 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: Emergent Abomination
- 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: Three Connections Given
- The Good Doctor: A Recommendation
- Body Count: 2
- Wounds: 2
Thomas Minstep, Insurance Agent
- A Word: ABSENCE
- 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: Okayed by the Queen
- The New Queen: Disturbingly Informed
- Tower of the Mind: Advice Given
- The Obsolete Class: Let Them Be
- Cruelty-Free Foods: Treats Survived
- Body Count: 2
- Army of the New State: 454 Stout Strangers
Oscar Wilde, Chemistry Teacher
- Wounds: 1
- 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: Appropriately Incentivized
- The Doom Guard: A Missing Person
- Tower of the Mind: An Interruption
- A Frightening Door: An Understanding
- The Voracious Dark: Backed Away