Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 259309 times)

Toaster · « **Reply #585 on:** February 11, 2016, 08:53:09 am »

"Ah, yes, it is always wise to verify your options before making a choice. It's why Sureness Assurance offers a comprehensive review of your insurance situation; so you know you're getting the best coverage possible. Speaking of which, now that you're settling in, perhaps you or someone you know could direct me to Albany? I'll help you mark your fire exits before I leave."

That whole Albany thing? Got an idea?

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #586 on:** February 11, 2016, 10:11:21 am »

"Oh damn it, such low quality service. I guess I keep all those delicious connections myself. Farewell."

Last bait. Then get out and sulk.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #587 on:** February 12, 2016, 02:26:08 pm »

Quote from: Xantalos on February 11, 2016, 06:31:42 am

"Well then. Perhaps I am wrong. A shock. Ah well, another location it is then."

Locate the nearest wall and create an opening in it that I can get through. Then go continue looking for the blacksmith.

If reality's going to be so disagreeable all of a sudden, you think you'll just be leaving then. You walk in a direction, and find a wall. You decide that even if reality can be said to have won this round, you'll be damned if you'll let topography give you any shit today. You give the wall a little love tap to teach it a valuable lesson.

[Best Construction Practices: 5]

It concedes your superiority by letting your fist pass through unimpeded. You pull it back in and peel back the wooden walls until you've got a comfortable enough exit hole, the house creaking and complaining throughout, but remaining mostly in one piece. You step through without further trouble. Now then, where were you?

[Fumbling in the Dark: 4]

Now, since you clearly don't remember where the blacksmith is, that leaves you with one good option.

Blacksmith! Blacksmith! Blaaaacksmiiith!

You think you hear a noise in the distance. Sounds like an exclaimed "what". Excellent! You go in that direction, and eventually come to what you think is a door. There's an adolescent boy standing in it, if your cursory feel of his general features has not steered you wrong. He smells considerably off. He's wearing an apron. And he asks what the meaning of this is in an indignant, slightly pompous tone. You're not one to jump to conclusions, but you think you have your man.

Quote from: Dermonster on February 11, 2016, 08:00:37 am

Wipe all the gore off me into a neat little pile. Crows are smart man, do crow buddy a solid.
Then rest some more cause I'm not heading out when I'm still 2 hits from dead.

[Crow's Appreciation: 6]

The crow jumps off as you wipe off the gore, observing intently as you put it into a tiny gore pile. You think it nods at you in polite appreciation and digs into it right away. You nod back and continue resting. It finishes up pretty quickly, wipes its beak on your nightgown delicately, then bows before flying off once more. Now altogether less coated in stoat, you rest more easily.

[Lounger's Fortune: 4]

After this, you are mostly unbothered by either the elements or any stray crossbow fire. At least in the physical sense.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on February 11, 2016, 08:17:46 am

Well if that's the way this is going to go, I might as well try to make it a convincing apocalypse.

I remember a noise, the tumultuous sounds of chaos, and mentally amplify them into a disorienting roar. I then shout at the guard, "It is the only way! If the queen does not pray with her people, all will be consumed by CHAOS." I beckon to the roar to fill the air.

Maybe you need to impress the gravity of the situation upon these people. They don't seem to be taking you seriously. That means it's time for some

CHAOS

[Word: 3]

A distant background of white noise begins to rise as the walls start to scratch. The air tingles lightly, a grayness crawling up the walls. Your ears fill with a droning din of confusion, the room feels like it's swaying a little. The guard stumbles, and the queen looks his way. What is it, she asks. The doomwraith's doing something, the guard claims. Er, the queen says, could he ask it not to do that?

The guard looks at you.

[Advanced Negotiations: 3]

Don't do that, he says, drawing his sword. Or he'll get right cross with you, he will. The queen frowns with concern, rising from her bed a little. Perhaps they should move to a different room, then. The guard seems a little disoriented, she remarks. Is something happening? The guard looks around. Well, he says, it's getting a bit on the unreasonably spooky side. He's quite sure this is not a strictly natural turn of events. He thinks the doomwraith's responsible. It said something weird and now everything's gone all strange.

Quote from: Toaster on February 11, 2016, 08:53:09 am

"Ah, yes, it is always wise to verify your options before making a choice. It's why Sureness Assurance offers a comprehensive review of your insurance situation; so you know you're getting the best coverage possible. Speaking of which, now that you're settling in, perhaps you or someone you know could direct me to Albany? I'll help you mark your fire exits before I leave."

That whole Albany thing? Got an idea?

[A Helpful Answer: 1]

Ah, she says. If she's pieced this together correctly, you seem to be from some kind of different universe. You immediately have doubts that she's pieced this together correctly. Honestly, it's getting a bit tiresome. You ask her which way to Albany, then. Or at least where the highway is. She says 300 miles to the west. Funny, you've heard that one. You sigh. Maybe a simpler approach, then. How do you get to civilization from here? This is civilization, she retorts, but then relents upon seeing your expression.

She gets your meaning, so to speak. If you can get through the stoatmen, she offers, Anglefork Town's just down the river. The north-south road's likely to take you to a variety of places. Albany's... probably not among them, unfortunately, but who really knows. You seem the type to find your way into the unlikeliest of places.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on February 11, 2016, 10:11:21 am

"Oh damn it, such low quality service. I guess I keep all those delicious connections myself. Farewell."

Last bait. Then get out and sulk.

No worries, you've already pledged one sixth of all your future ones. This, while not as high as it could be, is an acceptable overall return if you choose to end your cooperation.

Nevertheless, the well would be glad to help you in the future in return for some others. Thank you, and do come again.

You head out and take a pick of the damp corners available for your sulking experience - you choose the one with the cozy fire so that you are not distracted by the cold and the dark. Good conditions really bring out a man's inner sulk, you believe.

[Inner Depths: 4]

You rest your chin in your hand as you curl up on the ground discontently, glaring at the door with powerful disdain. How dare it cheat you like this. Bloody well thinks it's so smart, doesn't it. Well, shows what it knows. You don't need it. So far it has been only mildly helpful at best. And you suspect it delights in disappointing you. It'd probably tell you it wasn't capable of feeling such a thing. Then you suspect it would snicker to itself impishly as it sends you on its way. It really thinks it's put one on you, doesn't it? Well, it knows nothing!

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Toaster · « **Reply #588 on:** February 12, 2016, 02:32:43 pm »

"Ah. Well. I suppose I will have to try that route, past the... stout men?" Odd choice of words. "If nothing else maybe I can hitchhike. Well, as I said, I will help you label your fire exits. Do you have any stiff paperboard or similar paper? Sharpie or other good marker? You'll want a good professional sign for lasting use, but this will get us started."

Discuss egress, both general and specific. Label fire exits with best available materials.

Xantalos · « **Reply #589 on:** February 12, 2016, 02:38:26 pm »

"Ah, good, you're not dead. Do you know what happened here? Why the sun's out and all that?"

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #590 on:** February 12, 2016, 03:13:35 pm »

She even ignores my magic. It's like she's completely cut off from me. I'll have to get someone else to do this.

I hiss at the guard, then leave the room to look for anyone who seems out of place. Maybe because they are a tubful of rats animated with the soul of a person from another world. Yes, perhaps someone like that.

Dermonster · « **Reply #591 on:** February 12, 2016, 04:12:21 pm »

"Right... that was nice. let's see if I can get my buddy back."

Yo Moonstone, where you at, bro?

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #592 on:** February 12, 2016, 04:29:18 pm »

Sulk right off into my booze dimension. INEVITABLY work it more like Valhalla's proper summer resort. Except with a lot more of booze. And vodkafruit ocean.
I will NOT comfort myself with vodka yet.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #593 on:** February 13, 2016, 04:41:41 am »

Quote from: Toaster on February 12, 2016, 02:32:43 pm

"Ah. Well. I suppose I will have to try that route, past the... stout men?" Odd choice of words. "If nothing else maybe I can hitchhike. Well, as I said, I will help you label your fire exits. Do you have any stiff paperboard or similar paper? Sharpie or other good marker? You'll want a good professional sign for lasting use, but this will get us started."

Discuss egress, both general and specific. Label fire exits with best available materials.

[The Art of Signage: 3]

No paper, unfortunately. Or paperboard. Or markers, for that matter. Minders don't tend to keep notes, the girl explains. And when they do, they engrave them into the walls. Perhaps not the most practical way of doing things, but at least you can't lose your notes that way. And there's great incentive to make them look good as well, given that you'll look at them whether you want to or not.

Granted, maybe it's a little too dark in here for a written sign to be of much use, she says. Though if you want you could probably grab some drapes, maybe mix some ash with water or something to make ink. Or use some of the pesticide in the well - that makes for a sticky black solution, she thinks she recalls.

Or maybe, she realizes after a moment, there's also a simpler solution. She points at a nearby corner, and you hear a voice remarkably similar to your own say "fire exit" from it exactly once. Trouble is, she doesn't know how to make it permanent. Would probably take some doing. Hang on a moment, she says as her eyes glaze over for about half a minute. You look around awkwardly at the other children in the meantime, who seem to have huddled up into one of the corners. The bloody-nosed child you spoke to before seems to be talking to them in a vaguely soothing manner, but you can't quite make out what he's saying. He's... also not moving his lips, you notice, and yet you do think he's forming perfectly coherent words despite being unable to say what specific ones those would be.

Right, the girl interrupts your examination. The problem is being addressed, she says with quite a bit of confidence. You want to go back to the well? That hole in the ground in the middle of the courtyard? There's likely to be some useful stuff down there if she can't figure out anything better after all. You are about to reply, but are interrupted again when Ms. Minett bumps into you quite rudely and emits a strange and largely inexplicable noise in response. You wonder if she's all right - she's looking a bit on the burnt side. Maybe she needs medical assistance like Mr. Codeburn did.

Quote from: Xantalos on February 12, 2016, 02:38:26 pm

"Ah, good, you're not dead. Do you know what happened here? Why the sun's out and all that?"

[Ad Hoc Mysticism: 1]

Bugger if he knows really, but he assumes because it's nighttime. You look up at the sky. There's no stars, you point out. And the moon's gone too. And everything's pitch black, basically. The blackmith pauses a second. That's not normal? You don't think it is, no.

He doesn't really get out much lately, he points out after a few seconds of awkward silence. He's got more import- ah! There! He's got it! Got what? Nothing that concerns you, it seems. To tell you now would ruin it, he says. Now off with you! Get him his things! He feels an idea brewing!

Quote from: penguinofhonor on February 12, 2016, 03:13:35 pm

She even ignores my magic. It's like she's completely cut off from me. I'll have to get someone else to do this.

I hiss at the guard, then leave the room to look for anyone who seems out of place. Maybe because they are a tubful of rats animated with the soul of a person from another world. Yes, perhaps someone like that.

Your doomwraith impression is capped off as you are warded off by the stalwart righteousness of the guard, retreating along the hallway in search of weak minds who may be pushed to do your evil bidding in your stead.

[Fortuitous Meetings: 1]

You almost immediately hear one Mr. Minstep, who seems to be in the middle of discussing signage with the minder girl just on the other wing of the upper floor. You wander into the complete darkness in search of the man, figuring him to be at the very least hypothetically able to communicate with the queen, and find him rather easily by bumping into him. You emit a low hiss again before your urge to method act is overwhelmed by good sense. You're not sure if he noticed, since the darkness makes it hard to gauge his reaction.

Quote from: Dermonster on February 12, 2016, 04:12:21 pm

"Right... that was nice. let's see if I can get my buddy back."

Yo Moonstone, where you at, bro?

Who knows where a black stone may lurk in the dark of the night? You have a very good lead, however.

MOON

[Word: 6]

Your voice becomes an infrasonic clarion call, fading from the threshold of audibility as it shakes the ground and the forest, spreading outward like thunder. You carry the tone to its conclusion, moon dust and ash falling from the burnt and shaking trees as you briefly pass a resonant frequency or three. The woods reverberate as if in an earthquake as you stand there, falling into deep silence as you wait for a reply. It takes half a minute, you think - the stone must have ranged far indeed as it untethered itself from you. But it reaches nevertheless.

You know it first by the response - an imitated call, instinctual. It sends shivers through your bones as it rises in tone, inverted from your own call, emerging from the silence at the very end as the howl of some nameless nocturnal beast.

[Orbital Capture: 1]

It returns without error, your call an ideal guide to your location, your resonance a way to pinpoint your movements. It comes for you head-on, and slams into you as only a 3-ton boulder going at incredible speed can. You don't quite catch the moment that it hits you. It happens in the blink of an eye. You're standing there. Then you are laid out on the ground, feeling a lot like your skeleton has just been fully and evenly half-broken. What happened between those two moments you try not to question. The speed at which it was going, you think you got off easy.

[Stone's Path: 1]

You suspect, however, that this will be far from the only destruction it causes if it keeps its course true.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on February 12, 2016, 04:29:18 pm

Sulk right off into my booze dimension. INEVITABLY work it more like Valhalla's proper summer resort. Except with a lot more of booze. And vodkafruit ocean.
I will NOT comfort myself with vodka yet.

Your booze dimension, unfortunately, does not quite seem to exist anymore. Not that you cannot reconstruct it. With enough time and effort, all things are possible within your own mind. Freed of the constraints of time, space and the laws of physics more than you normally are, there is only so much that can stand in the way of the triumph of your will over the inabilities of your mind.

INEVITABLE

[Word: 2]

What is a Word here, though? Every word of yours bends reality in your mind's little playground. One word is like any other here. That is the appeal, no?

[Worlds Within Worlds: 3]

From SEA, LAND. The SEA, formed of FRUIT. The FRUIT, filled with VODKA.

Perhaps too many words. You are sluggish in forming this reality. It does not come easily. The shapes, the tastes, the feelings - all of these do not form fully, and are lacking in focus. If the minder girl had cooperated, you suspect this would have been much easier. Not that it does not seem easier than before, of course.

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penguinofhonor · « **Reply #594 on:** February 13, 2016, 06:15:28 am »

"Hey, you! Would you mind doing me a favor? Really, you'd be doing everyone a favor and getting rid of this darkness. Just convince the queen to come down to the courtyard and pray with her people. I'd do it myself, of course, but there's some sort of magical force keeping me from talking to her."

Xantalos · « **Reply #595 on:** February 13, 2016, 06:24:48 am »

"Alrighty, be a jiffy. You don't happen to have a light with you, do you? Can't see super well right now."

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #596 on:** February 13, 2016, 08:32:52 am »

Oh depression incoming. Relapse a bit and enjoy single vodka fruit. Just one, no more. Not yet. Keep working the summer resort assisted by alcohol induced focus.

Dermonster · « **Reply #597 on:** February 13, 2016, 08:49:09 am »

MOON buddy pls. pls no destroy town. Or me. Stoats are fine but really come back here. a bit slower, if you would.

Toaster · « **Reply #598 on:** February 13, 2016, 08:48:21 pm »

Huh. Guess this school is for ventriloquism; that explains some of the effects here. Maybe... what? Ugh, can't go five minutes without bumping in to a loony here.

"What? Ugh, fine, I'll play along; I'm not getting anywhere here anyway."

Locate the queen. Ask a favor.

"Excuse me, um, Miss Queen? It appears you are needed in the courtyard for some sort of ceremony."

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #599 on:** February 14, 2016, 06:04:52 am »

Quote from: penguinofhonor on February 13, 2016, 06:15:28 am

"Hey, you! Would you mind doing me a favor? Really, you'd be doing everyone a favor and getting rid of this darkness. Just convince the queen to come down to the courtyard and pray with her people. I'd do it myself, of course, but there's some sort of magical force keeping me from talking to her."

He seems quite well-disposed doing this for you, so you lead him back to the queen's room. The guards don't seem to mind him much, fortunately. Must have been here before. The guard from before does try to ward you off again, and you acquiesce to his attempts. You figure Mr. Minstep has this well in hand as you wait further down the hallway.

Quote from: Xantalos on February 13, 2016, 06:24:48 am

"Alrighty, be a jiffy. You don't happen to have a light with you, do you? Can't see super well right now."

[Blacksmith's Aid: 1]

He says you should not let that stop you. If he were constrained by knowing what he was doing or even basic practical considerations, you can bet he wouldn't be where he is today.

You're not sure if that's actually inspirational, and he doesn't seem to be either.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on February 13, 2016, 08:32:52 am

Oh depression incoming. Relapse a bit and enjoy single vodka fruit. Just one, no more. Not yet. Keep working the summer resort assisted by alcohol induced focus.

You taste a vodka fruit. Its aqua vitae feels a little flat and lifeless. The concept is clear enough. The execution lacks a certain edge, however. You don't quite buy that it's real vodka, and it unfortunately occurs to you in the process of consumption that it technically isn't, which is never a good realization for the fruits of your imagination to produce. This will not do.

[One's Immersion: 4]

You sharpen the edges of the rocky island, and raise up the shape of the burning church, elaborating on its early Gothic architecture as you shape its spires into airy and elegant constructions, well-grounded and supported in the stone of the isle. With a wave of your hand blue flames erupt from all windows and halls, the doors swinging open and closed as a conflagration shoots out of its halls in pulses of possibly haunted flame. You take a walk around the church. Much better, you think. A great place to catch the eye, which will permit a variety of tricks to be worked elsewhere. The flames howl and roil, and give off an unsettling impression of thrashing sentience. You think that'll do, probably.

Quote from: Dermonster on February 13, 2016, 08:49:09 am

MOON buddy pls. pls no destroy town. Or me. Stoats are fine but really come back here. a bit slower, if you would.

No, no, wrong way, bud! Come back! Come back!

MOON

[Word: 6]

The area starts to shake again as you call for it more urgently. And it responds the very same way, turning on a dime and roaring right back. You suspect this might possibly hurt. Again.

[Orbital Capture: 6]

And it does come straight for you - this time, however, you jump to the side. The stone nearly clips your shoulder, but ultimately misses, turning immediately as it starts to past you. It keeps turning and turning, circling you at a radius of about three feet, making you feel like you're trapped in a whirlwind as you stand there. You wonder if it's going to move along with you.

Quote from: Toaster on February 13, 2016, 08:48:21 pm

Huh. Guess this school is for ventriloquism; that explains some of the effects here. Maybe... what? Ugh, can't go five minutes without bumping in to a loony here.

"What? Ugh, fine, I'll play along; I'm not getting anywhere here anyway."

Locate the queen. Ask a favor.

"Excuse me, um, Miss Queen? It appears you are needed in the courtyard for some sort of ceremony."

You suppose it makes sense for insane people to be wildly dysfunctional, but why does it always have to be you who has to do everything for them? You humor Ms. Minett's request and head for the queen's chamber, the jolly guard accompanying you on the way back, seemingly having obtained enough information for a thorough report on minder activities. As you are let in, you relay Ms. Minett's request to the queen.

[Negotiation by Proxy: 6]

That is, you explain that her presence is required in the courtyard for some kind of ceremony. She seems intrigued. What kind of ceremony, she asks. Something about prayer, you say. Ms. Minett would have told her herself, you explain, but she seems convinced that she is barred from doing so by a 'magical force'. That... makes sense... in a way, she says. You suggest that this may be just the guard intent on chasing her off with a sword, feeling compelled to translate into sensible terms, to which the guard responds that he's just guarding the queen from the doomwraith intent on working foul magicks on the queen. You rest your case.

Well, she says, that does begin to make a little more sense. She turns to the red-haired guard, who reports in addition that the elder minders are nowhere to be found and that the only ones remaining are the students. Their representative - formerly the head girl of the students, now styling herself mistress of the tower, has been delivered along with her charges to the keep's upper quarters, where she ought to be within easy reach of any further questions. The minder tower appears to have been experiencing some structural difficulties, he also reports, which was among the reasons for the relocation. In any case, headway has been made into figuring out what's going on.

Nicely done, the queen comments at both the guard, and he says that truly it was mostly your doing, which seems to please her even more as she commends you on your good sense and well-placed effort.

Anyway, she thinks out loud, she supposes it would be good to talk to the minders herself. Or maybe see what it is that this Ms. Minett wants from her outside - her bedside guard advises strongly against following the advice of a doomwraith, at which the queen frowns, looking to you. He does have something of a point, she says, as she is a little leery of following the advice of some stranger she hasn't even seen or heard of before, especially if it involves wandering into a pitch-black courtyard where anything can probably happen. That, and there's also the third, increasingly attractive alternative of just going to sleep and saying fie to all this business. It's been a long day, and she still has a residual headache, she admits.

What would you advise, Mr. Minstep? You seem a little more... grounded than most, she says, and undoubtedly have some experience engaging certain... special people. Does it help? Or should she not bother?

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Author Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 259309 times)

Toaster

Re: Our Salvation: Freedom's Call

AoshimaMichio

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Harry Baldman

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Toaster

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Xantalos

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penguinofhonor

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Dermonster

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AoshimaMichio

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Harry Baldman

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penguinofhonor

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Xantalos

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AoshimaMichio

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Dermonster

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Toaster

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Harry Baldman

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