Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 262495 times)

Dermonster · « **Reply #420 on:** January 18, 2016, 10:47:34 am »

Welp, time to go as far upstairs as I can.

Just kinda. Have the Rock move through the ceiling.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #421 on:** January 19, 2016, 04:21:24 pm »

Quote from: Xantalos on January 18, 2016, 06:31:40 am

"Accepting random propositions from strangers has worked out well for me so far. Are you a minded, by chance?"

Touch the door/area the girl indicates.

You walk into the dark and touch what you are told is a door. What you feel at first is an unusual absence of temperature. The idea gives you pause. You poke it a little, and find the surface quite pliant. It yields to your touch, opening before you to reveal an opening darker still, the threshold to the well, beyond which you see a nucleus of negative light, darker than absolute nothingness, bending time and space to pave the way for your arrival.

You are replete with the warmth of a different kind. Trade it for the warmth of home and hearth. Step inside. State a desire. State a question. Speak plainly and receive the same.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on January 18, 2016, 06:48:57 am

Yep, I think the stone can wait for better day, should one ever come. Now then, finding what remains of minders. The alive ones, if there's still any around. Go asking people where I could find one, or perhaps two. Because the tower of Mind clearly didn't contain any.
If I can't seem to find any people to ask from, then pray Ull guide my hunt. And then proceed with the hunt!

[Hapless Victims: 1]

You ask a nearby shadow-dweller where you might find any minders, mentioning that there don't appear to be any in the wizardy-looking tower over there. He asks if you've got any rats. You say no, and he sighs. He could give you a nice bottle in return, you know. It's blue. He shows it to you, and you admit that it probably is indeed a bottle. You're not sure if it's blue though, since it is quite dark.

That's a good point, says the shadow-dweller. It may very well not be blue after all. Just like you may very well have a rat for him, yes? Just one rat, and this possibly blue bottle can be yours. A very low price, he says, at least for a bottle of this quality. You ask if he's seen any minders, and he asks if you'd like to buy his bottle. A single rat and it is yours, he maintains. It can be a dead rat. He doesn't mind.

You decide to perhaps ask someone else, and walk over to a guard. Where are the minders, you ask. There aren't any in the minder tower, and you haven't seen a single living one yet. Well, the guard begins to reply-

As an addendum, the shadow-dweller asks, would the guard care for a bottle? It might be blue. And it only costs a single rat. Preferably alive but he may be haggled down to a dead one if she doesn't mind cheating an honest man out of a living in these troubled times. The guard turns to the shadow-dweller and replies with a stern no after a sigh. He asks if she's sure. She is. Absolutely sure? Absolutely. Irrevocably sure? The guard draws out a no, trying to make it even clearer than before. The man considers this.

What about, he offers, what about if the Sun itself came down from the heavens and praised the quality of this bottle, would she still not consider buying it for the price of a single dead rat? A single half-rat, perhaps (the front half). What if it was the king, risen from the dead, saying the purchase of this bottle was vital to the fate of the eternal kingdom of Benzerwald? Surely that would be a recommendation she would listen to. So is she sure she is irrevocably sure that she is absolutely sure that she would not buy this exquisite, possibly blue bottle for the low, low price of a single rat in any of a wide-ranging number of conditions not typically accepted by local vendors?

The guard asks you both to please leave. She feels a headache coming on.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on January 18, 2016, 07:55:35 am

"Yeah, a drink sounds great. I'm actually pretty parched." I look for a chair to sit down in or something to lean against. "So what is it that you and the 'master' do here? Crafting? This panel is pretty impressive - I don't know if I've ever seen a tree big enough to give a piece of wood this size."

You lean against the wall next to the dining table. A chair should be there, of course, but somehow there is not. Claire apologizes for the inconvenience as she steps onto the central panel carefully.

The ingenious thing, she says, bending down to tap a particular section of the floor, is that it is not a single piece of wood at all. It merely looks like it. She pushes down a section of the panel, and another section rises. She opens up a smaller sub-panel and retrieves a dusty bottle and a couple of mugs from it before closing it again - when fully closed and reset, the panels seamlessly reintegrate into the floor. Perhaps it looks more impressive than it is due to the poor lighting, but you suppose it's neat anyway.

Claire navigates the way back in a slightly roundabout manner, placing her steps with extraordinary care, her hands already filling a mug with what is probably some variety of ale. You try it as she hands it to you, and it seems to be some kind of mead. She sets the bottle down on the table and leans on the wall right next to you, holding eye contact with you throughout.

She and the master are carpenters, though she is still an apprentice, if only technically. Not for much longer if all goes well, she says with a hopeful smile. The master's work is nearly-

You hear three knocks from a patch on the nearest corner of the center panel. Claire nods gently at it, understanding its meaning, then looks back at you. As she was saying, the master's work is nearing completion. Some final arrangements remain. But enough about her, she says. You required some form of assistance? She would be more than glad to provide some. And she believes she speaks for her master as well when she says that he would be delighted to help. A single knock issues from the center panel.

Quote from: Toaster on January 18, 2016, 10:21:12 am

"Yes, indeed! Now we have several tiers of coverage; I recommend no less than the platinum tier for its friendly claims terms, though we do have the diamond tier for those discerning employers who want nothing but the best for their hard-working employees. I'd have to speak with my underwriters, of course, who provide the final approval and pricing for all new policies, as well as the one responsible for financial matters on your side. Do you have spending approval here?"

Continue totally misplaced sales pitch

[Lovely Seditious Treason: 1]

Now you're veering back into stoat-speak, says the captain. Not a very good thing to do. You can make all the wrong people suspicious with that kind of talk. The captain of the royal guard in particular. In addition, she insists it is wholly impolite to bring up spending so wantonly in conversation. You are very lucky she does not take offense.

With that in mind, do feel free to get back to the part where she and her comrades get paid a lot. That is a more palatable subject, she feels.

Quote from: Dermonster on January 18, 2016, 10:47:34 am

Welp, time to go as far upstairs as I can.

Just kinda. Have the Rock move through the ceiling.

[Friendly Architecture: 4]

You are pleased to discover that all the stairs are near each other and you don't have to try and trawl the depths of this wizard tower for access to the next level or something. Passing at least two intimidated children on the way you make tracks for the roof. The stairs are a bit long, but you persevere, eventually reaching the very top, the highest man-made point within easy viewing distance, towering above the surroundings.

It's a beautiful view, you find. The stoats all look very small from here, their torches and campfires forming a grand encirclement of the dark patch of land and stone spires that is Anglefork Castle. Further along to the south you see what you think are the lit-up buildings of the deathly still town of Anglefork. The landscape is mostly too dark to see, though you do notice that the town begins roughly where two rivers join into one larger one. Looking further back, though, you also observe another thing - these same two rivers are joined further upstream with a nearly natural-looking canal (nicely visible on account of the way the trees start just beyond it as well as a few outlying stoatman soldiers shedding light from their own activities), the intended result of which seems to be to turn the castle's environs into an artificial island. You think you see a half-finished bridge currently being built over one of the rivers, presumably by the stoatmen.

[Stone's Progress: 5]

As you admire the surroundings, your shining stone appears behind you, having melted through four ceilings on the way here. It admits to having felt anxiety at your disappearance from line of sight. What if you had died? It cannot stand the idea of abandoning you like this. It just... isn't right, you know?

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Dermonster · « **Reply #422 on:** January 19, 2016, 04:26:57 pm »

"I appreciate your concern. You up for smiting some Stoats, moon buddy? They want to kill pretty much everyone in this town, and possibly eat them. I'm not in the mood to be eaten. I'm gonna charge you up for a bit. Prepare yourself, we are gonna show those bastards some solar hell!"

Slowly ascend the Moonrock at a vague speed so that it reaches it's apex when I fire.

Feel the warmth of the SUN!

Toaster · « **Reply #423 on:** January 19, 2016, 04:41:26 pm »

((I totally did not mean to make Twoflower when I came up with this character.))

Thomas lost his salesman smile for a minute. It appeared there was some misunderstanding here. No matter!

"Ah, but each part is all of the same whole! It is... something like a pension fund, except your employer pays into it on your behalf, and you are remunerated in case of injury on the job. My firm is responsible for the payout. See, we calculate the risk of injury of your profession and then what the associated medical and recuperation costs are...

Attempt to explain actuarial tables

Xantalos · « **Reply #424 on:** January 19, 2016, 06:03:25 pm »

Before he heads into the warm dark - I've felt something like this before, when I thought inside myself I think. I'll have to explore that further - Jack thinks for a bit about its requests. It always pays to be specific about requests from mysterious probably magical entities, and it did say to speak plainly.

As he steps inside, he says "I desire for my physical form to attain greatly heightened levels of strength, speed, durability, reflexes, and other such physical attributes from what it has now. To give a few examples to base the alterations off of, strength and durability enough to punch through solid and dense material such as stone and not be harmed by such an action, the strength and finesse to lift something many times heavier and larger than myself such as a very large stained glass window, the durability to withstand a strike from a steel blade to my bare skin without the dermis being broken, and the strength and level of reflexes necessary to run faster than the human eye is able to perceive, or to dodge very fast-moving objects such as an arrow fired from a bow, or to jump over something many times my height, such as a large building. Alterations on this level of physical ability would fit my desire.

My question is simpler: if it is true that I and other individuals were brought here by a group of individuals called minders, then how did they accomplish this process?"

When offered power by a mysterious entity, always go for broke if you do accept.

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #425 on:** January 20, 2016, 01:38:18 am »

Leif lands his large hand on the shoulder of the shadow-dweller.
"My good man, would you accept promise of a rat? It just happens that I may know where to find rats, living, dead or possibly smashed rats. I offer you promise of two rats, possibly dead! Can you believe it? All that in exchance for information of where I might find minders! And perhaps for the bottle, if you are so inclinded to get rid of it."

Encourage him into direction of the well. Strongly.

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #426 on:** January 20, 2016, 06:19:35 am »

"Yeah, so as I was going to say, the minders have been... where's that noise coming from?" As we talk I sip the mead.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #427 on:** January 20, 2016, 05:50:40 pm »

Quote from: Dermonster on January 19, 2016, 04:26:57 pm

"I appreciate your concern. You up for smiting some Stoats, moon buddy? They want to kill pretty much everyone in this town, and possibly eat them. I'm not in the mood to be eaten. I'm gonna charge you up for a bit. Prepare yourself, we are gonna show those bastards some solar hell!"

Slowly ascend the Moonrock at a vague speed so that it reaches it's apex when I fire.

Feel the warmth of the SUN!

The stone loves cooperating with you, so understandably it is enthused by the idea. It begins to rise quickly, eager to impress with its astronomical agility. You don't really need to eyeball the distance it can reach - the fifty feet of clearance it will get seem intuitive enough for you to time your word appropriately. Fortunately, no prep time is needed. You just ready, aim and

SUN

[Word: 6]
[Stone's Assistance: 5]

You don't quite see what happens next. It's a little bright. Maybe some eye protection would have been a nice investment. You figure you've got the angle right, and your stone seems pleased, so you spin around. No good to have a beam of awesome destruction (well, you assume it's a beam of awesome destruction) if you don't sweep it, too. You do about three full revolutions before you run out of that sweet rush of divine power.

About a minute later, your vision is still roughly 97% afterimage. You find this concerning. Also, you think your stone is having fun, but you can't see that either. You hear its blaze of righteous vengeance stop cooking the surrounding area (yourself and probably the castle as well miraculously excepted for once) as it too notices that you're not really looking. Oh man, it thinks. You should have seen what it was doing just now. It thinks you would have been proud of it.

Quote from: Toaster on January 19, 2016, 04:41:26 pm

((I totally did not mean to make Twoflower when I came up with this character.))

Thomas lost his salesman smile for a minute. It appeared there was some misunderstanding here. No matter!

"Ah, but each part is all of the same whole! It is... something like a pension fund, except your employer pays into it on your behalf, and you are remunerated in case of injury on the job. My firm is responsible for the payout. See, we calculate the risk of injury of your profession and then what the associated medical and recuperation costs are...

Attempt to explain actuarial tables

[Beyond the Many-Numbered Veil: 3]

You don't think the idea of actuarial tables is genuinely incomprehensible to the captain of the guard, but neither have you seen someone conjure up quite this level of active disinterest at the subject. It's really quite remarkable, the look she gives you. You've never seen its like.

Anyway, she says loudly enough to throw off your train of thought, following it up with a firm grip on your face when that doesn't quite shut you up. You said her employer pays, yes? You emit a muffled agreement. Great, she says. Go and tell the queen about it then. She's in her quarters on the second floor - room with two guards, can't miss it. This'll be just the thing she needs right now, the captain believes.

Quote from: Xantalos on January 19, 2016, 06:03:25 pm

Before he heads into the warm dark - I've felt something like this before, when I thought inside myself I think. I'll have to explore that further - Jack thinks for a bit about its requests. It always pays to be specific about requests from mysterious probably magical entities, and it did say to speak plainly.

As he steps inside, he says "I desire for my physical form to attain greatly heightened levels of strength, speed, durability, reflexes, and other such physical attributes from what it has now. To give a few examples to base the alterations off of, strength and durability enough to punch through solid and dense material such as stone and not be harmed by such an action, the strength and finesse to lift something many times heavier and larger than myself such as a very large stained glass window, the durability to withstand a strike from a steel blade to my bare skin without the dermis being broken, and the strength and level of reflexes necessary to run faster than the human eye is able to perceive, or to dodge very fast-moving objects such as an arrow fired from a bow, or to jump over something many times my height, such as a large building. Alterations on this level of physical ability would fit my desire.

My question is simpler: if it is true that I and other individuals were brought here by a group of individuals called minders, then how did they accomplish this process?"

When offered power by a mysterious entity, always go for broke if you do accept.

Your fulfillment: null. Vindictive measures to minimize time spent were not taken this time (see mistakes from ignorance, connection value, filibuster defenses). Try again. A single definite request is suggested.

Your answer: the assumption is untrue. Their notable contributions include providing the original prosubstrate (see substrate, substrate creation instructions, assembly instructions) serving as auxiliary storage during assembly and informing the technical specifications of the interpreter (see interpreter, interpreter development instructions, universality of language). Their illiteracy in the use of the well limited their usefulness in clarifying your exact function as well, so a more general design was utilized. There have been no complaints thus far.

Your price: a connection now belongs to the well.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on January 20, 2016, 01:38:18 am

Leif lands his large hand on the shoulder of the shadow-dweller.
"My good man, would you accept promise of a rat? It just happens that I may know where to find rats, living, dead or possibly smashed rats. I offer you promise of two rats, possibly dead! Can you believe it? All that in exchance for information of where I might find minders! And perhaps for the bottle, if you are so inclinded to get rid of it."

Encourage him into direction of the well. Strongly.

Minders live in the minder tower, he says. That's a free tip, since he doesn't accept rat-credit. Nobody's accepted it from him thus far, so he certainly isn't about to accept it from anybody else.

Now then, where was he. This bottle, he recalls. It is possibly blue. He would like you to provide a rat in return for it. An eminently reasonable price - he guarantees that you will find no better deals for possibly blue bottles in the entire region. Just one rat.

[Strong Encouragement: 6]
[Encouragement Denial Measures: 3]

You start to resolutely shove the shadow-dweller toward the courtyard well. He insists that the deal is in the best interest of everyone involved, really. He kind of needs that rat. And from the look of you he thinks you could certainly use a possibly blue bottle. Imagine the possibilities!

You lift the shadow-dweller from the ground - he is fortunately not very large, at least not compared to you - and break into a sprint toward the well. To get the rats, you say. He is delighted by your enthusiasm right up to the point where you slam dunk him into the hole, the sound of breaking glass signaling the point when he reaches the bottom and the prolonged groan that follows signifying his great satisfaction with the wealth of rats you have presented to him.

Perhaps you should raise the chain as well. It really is quite full of rats down there. You shouldn't let the fellow come back up until he's well and truly had a look at all the variety that the deep dungeon below offers.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on January 20, 2016, 06:19:35 am

"Yeah, so as I was going to say, the minders have been... where's that noise coming from?" As we talk I sip the mead.

You wonder what the mead actually tastes like. It goes down well enough, at least.

The noise, Claire repeats, trying to figure out what you're referring to. The knocking, you mean? She laughs to herself. That's the master. It is a game that he and she play. He needs certain things - removal of waste, carrying of excavated dirt, supplementary food supplies, that sort of thing. And he has twenty-seven knocks per week to communicate them adequately. It has been an interesting challenge for them both, she thinks.

Another knock from the same location. That one is number twenty five, Claire says. He seems very eager to get your attention.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Dermonster · « **Reply #428 on:** January 20, 2016, 05:57:27 pm »

"

"

Recover vision. Observe results.

Xantalos · « **Reply #429 on:** January 20, 2016, 06:03:24 pm »

"Fine. I desire superhuman strength. Simple enough?

If you will accept further questions: what is a connection? Do I have to go and obtain it to bring it to you? May I view the substrate creation instructions and what substrate is?"

Attempt negotiations with this magical AI or whatever it is.

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #430 on:** January 21, 2016, 01:45:49 am »

"See? Lots of rats down there. A plenty! Grab as much as you need. Like I told you, there wasn't any minders in the tower, so perhaps now that you are provided overflowing amount of rats you could tell me where I might find one or two living minders? I know there's three dead down there, so no need to point at them."

Words into the well. Price should be sufficient, I believe. Yeah, lift the chain bit higher until we have a deal.

Toaster · « **Reply #431 on:** January 21, 2016, 09:39:06 am »

Thomas jolted a bit as his sales pitch was interrupted by comprehension of the request. "Ah, uh, yes! I will speak to her at once! I do thank you for your time, on behalf of Sureness Assurance!"

Head upstairs, then! See if we can't locate the queen.

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #432 on:** January 21, 2016, 01:32:51 pm »

"Where is the master right now? Underground?"

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #433 on:** January 21, 2016, 04:11:00 pm »

Quote from: Dermonster on January 20, 2016, 05:57:27 pm

Recover vision. Observe results.

[Retinal Replacement: 6]

You rub your eyes for a while until the persistent itching subsides, and peer down at the stoatman ranks. It's a bit hard to see anything, honestly, as your vision gets kinda thrown off by the bit of the castle island that seems to be on fire, blazing brightly. Just a bit, though. The trail of destruction veers off into the nearby river almost immediately, where the trail of flame is briefly interrupted.

At the other side of the river it becomes more difficult to tell where exactly your shot went, since the forest beyond it on fire. Most of it at this point. The stoat-made bridge, that's also on fire. Maybe some of the fair town of Anglefork is also on fire. You're not quite sure at this distance.

In any case, you probably gave those stoats the what-for in some way or another, and you do see several of the stoatman tents closer to the walls being on fire as well - its work, the stone makes sure to let you know! Perfectly executed! No doubt the inhabitants are burning to death as it speaks, it says as you see a burning stoatman, brightly illuminated by its flaming body, roll out and attempt to extinguish itself. It fails miserably.

Quote from: Xantalos on January 20, 2016, 06:03:24 pm

"Fine. I desire superhuman strength. Simple enough?

If you will accept further questions: what is a connection? Do I have to go and obtain it to bring it to you? May I view the substrate creation instructions and what substrate is?"

Attempt negotiations with this magical AI or whatever it is.

You feel unusually light as your request is fulfilled. Simple enough. Your physical strength has been uncoupled from template specifications. Use with care.

No further questions are accepted unless another connection is provided. Would you like to provide another connection for another desire and question?

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on January 21, 2016, 01:45:49 am

"See? Lots of rats down there. A plenty! Grab as much as you need. Like I told you, there wasn't any minders in the tower, so perhaps now that you are provided overflowing amount of rats you could tell me where I might find one or two living minders? I know there's three dead down there, so no need to point at them."

Words into the well. Price should be sufficient, I believe. Yeah, lift the chain bit higher until we have a deal.

You lift up the chain as you tell your acquaintance more about what you'd like to find out from him. He listens attentively, though possibly only because he's busy picking shards of possibly blue glass out of himself.

Living minders, he says. Well! He can certainly help you with that. But first, would you care to buy these fine broken bottle fragments? They came from a very nice possibly blue bottle. You can use them for a variety of things - skinning rats, wood carving...

[An Eye-Catching Demonstration: 2 vs. 4]

Something whizzes by your head with alarming speed and sharpness. Improvised weapons, the list continues. Truly these fragments will be the best investment of your life. Just one rat and they can all be yours!

Quote from: Toaster on January 21, 2016, 09:39:06 am

Thomas jolted a bit as his sales pitch was interrupted by comprehension of the request. "Ah, uh, yes! I will speak to her at once! I do thank you for your time, on behalf of Sureness Assurance!"

Head upstairs, then! See if we can't locate the queen.

You head out of the basement as the captain emits a sigh of frustration. Fortunately she left the door unlocked as she entered, so you are unimpeded as you proceed back to the foyer and up to the second floor. The directions prove very handy - there is indeed but a single room with two guards at it, both of them looking very alert and in the early enthusiastic stages of providing royal security.

[Royal Access: 5]

You walk up to them and politely explain that you're here to tell the queen all about the policies provided by Sureness Assurance and begin to expound on their countless benefits. The guards stare at you wide-eyed. They didn't train for this. Where did you even come from? You tell them the captain referred you here - these are the queen's quarters, yes? They nod carefully, and in light of these frankly dubious credentials decide to let you through, probably since they figure more questions will only provoke you further.

The queen's bedroom is quite nice, really. It's actually lit unlike the hallways of the keep, a single candle burning away at the large bed inhabited by the teenage girl you assume to be the queen. She recognizes you quite easily, though she seems at a loss on how your search for Mr. Munderly would have brought you here of all places.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on January 21, 2016, 01:32:51 pm

"Where is the master right now? Underground?"

Oh yes. Right under the central panel, Claire explains. He is exploring the area for alternate freedoms - she believes his search to have been successful, as he seems to grow more insistent that she come down as well. She looks at the panel uncomfortably for a moment, then back at you. Not important right now.

She steps away from the wall and stands closely enough in front of you that you begin to lean back a little (the wall makes this understandably difficult). But you were saying something about minders. A request for assistance, yes?

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Dermonster · « **Reply #434 on:** January 21, 2016, 04:48:24 pm »

"I don't know about you but I could go for even more fire at the moment.

Shield myself this time. Aim at the most concentrated bits of Stoat and unleash the might of the SUN.

Bay 12 Games Forum

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Author Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 262495 times)

Dermonster

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Harry Baldman

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Dermonster

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Toaster

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Xantalos

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AoshimaMichio

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penguinofhonor

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Harry Baldman

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Dermonster

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Xantalos

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AoshimaMichio

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Toaster

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penguinofhonor

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Harry Baldman

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Dermonster

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