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Author Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written  (Read 264178 times)

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1395 on: August 01, 2016, 11:46:44 am »

"You know, I'm not actually sure. Various synonyms for 'aquaintance' or 'friend', I think. Anyway, I was going to ask what life was like here before the stoat war? I'm assuming that's a fairly recent development."
You know, I should probably learn a bit more about this new world.
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I would ask why fire can burn two men to death without getting hot enough to burn a book, but then I read "INEXTINGUISHABLE RUNNING KAMIKAZE RADIOACTIVE FLAMING ZOMBIE" and realized that logic, reason, and physics are all occupied with crying in the corner right now.

Harry Baldman

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1396 on: August 01, 2016, 03:44:03 pm »

Thomas shrugged.  He could use the nap, but he did suppose that now wasn't the time.  "Fine then, we'll do it your way.  Mrs. Worm-Knight, I'll follow your lead."

Follow her lead.

You amble on after the Worm-knight as your scouting party returns to the riverside, where you proceed to face down ostensibly the last obstacle before your work here is done, which would be the river.

The possibilities are clear enough - the same plan that got you over this way could work in reverse, but there are several problems. First of all, there does not appear to be much on the other side (at least not at the point on which you arrived) for the hook to latch onto. And secondly, as the Worm-knight mentions, there is the problem of delivering a mostly unconscious man to the other side, which is slightly more difficult than climbing over on one's own.

Ah. Human-stoat tensions might be high right now. Let's take this carefully.

"Just a traveller from far away, trying to see the world. I won't bother you for long. I was just wondering if anyone here could tell me about the surrounding area."

From far away? The stoat eyes you carefully. Where exactly are you from? And how did you-

[Excellent Reception: 6]

Shut yer gob, says the stoatman having a generous dinner, and let the lady have a seat! That's an order, by the way. You know, he almost forgot he can make those. Hah! The stoat by the bar gives the drunken one a glance, then glares at you mistrustfully. Okay, you say, you were just wondering about-

Hush, says the stoatman! Have a seat over here with him, for goodness' sake! And enough with the grim looks, there's a celebration going on! Come now, plenty of dinner for everyone, eh? Innkeep, he shouts, bring more dinner! She didn't make any for her, the innkeeper retorts. Well then, says the stoatman, why doesn't she just bring you hers, then? Customer's always right, eh?

She sneers at you, then heads behind the bar and into one of the further rooms - the kitchen, you'd guess from a glimpse. The stoatman motions you to sit down opposite him, nodding with a drunken, not particularly encouraging look.

"You know, I'm not actually sure. Various synonyms for 'aquaintance' or 'friend', I think. Anyway, I was going to ask what life was like here before the stoat war? I'm assuming that's a fairly recent development."
You know, I should probably learn a bit more about this new world.

Well, uh, Deirdre stops to think a little. On the whole, livable, she guesses? These are the borderlands, after all. Northern borderlands, but that just changes the nature of the boredom - life's boring because the alternative might not make physical sense. Though to be fair, the weirdness did take an upswing when the fever did, and then the siege had already started.

She looks over at the chapel. You know, the one in town was nicer. Friendlier. And the priestess wasn't a lunatic (though she really got around), and didn't really mind if you basked for a while on a summer's day. Pews were built for that, actually. Didn't have the nice windows, of course, but hey, neither does this one anymore, she shrugs as she glances toward the enormous stained glass window propped up in front of the blacksmith's residence. Still, it had the exact right kind of churchy feel, it did. Not like here, with the minder tower looming and the chaplain or whatever he is talking shit all the time.

She kind of misses living in the town, to be honest. It wasn't really exciting, sure, but it still felt like something was happening there day-to-day. Being cooped up in this damn castle is an uphill battle against madness from boredom alone. One that pretty much everyone else seems to have lost. Is that the first sign, she wonders as she looks at you, that you're going mad yourself? The feeling that everyone else is crazy?

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AoshimaMichio

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1397 on: August 01, 2016, 03:47:52 pm »

I wait what? A Word?

Leif springs up in reality and lets out a maniacal laugh. "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds!" he shouts and gets back to sleep.

Let's clean up the mess. New world needs to come.
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penguinofhonor

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1398 on: August 01, 2016, 04:22:06 pm »

This guy seems friendly enough. I sit down next to him. "Looks like you're having a pretty great day. Big victory?"
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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1399 on: August 01, 2016, 04:33:07 pm »

Thomas scratched his head.  Well, that was a problem.  Well, shouldn't there be someone on the other side now to help?  "Can't we get someone on the right side of the river to help out?  We could probably float him across?  Or make a sling of some type?  In any case, with someone fixing the rope on the other side, it can't be that hard, right?"

See if someone on the correct side can help us out.
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HMR stands for Hazardous Materials Requisition, not Horrible Massive Ruination, though I can understand how one could get confused.
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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1400 on: August 02, 2016, 03:03:41 pm »

"Hmm. I would suppose so - sanity is relative, after all. Where I come from, they thought you were mad if you believed humans hadn't walked on the moon; here I'm pretty confident no-one would think me sane if I even insisted it was possible. So if everyone else is crazy, you're the crazy one by definition. Doesn't mean you're not right, though. Or even insane by everyone's standards.
Unless I'm just a figment of your imagination, of course, in which case you are objectively off of your rocker. Nothing for it in that case, though."

Ramble.
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I would ask why fire can burn two men to death without getting hot enough to burn a book, but then I read "INEXTINGUISHABLE RUNNING KAMIKAZE RADIOACTIVE FLAMING ZOMBIE" and realized that logic, reason, and physics are all occupied with crying in the corner right now.

Harry Baldman

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1401 on: August 02, 2016, 06:37:40 pm »

I wait what? A Word?

Leif springs up in reality and lets out a maniacal laugh. "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds!" he shouts and gets back to sleep.

Let's clean up the mess. New world needs to come.

[Sleeping Lightly: 6]

You yell out your triumph to your companions. Lee opens her eyes, casting an eye around the chamber you're in, spotting nothing of terrible interest, at which point she wraps herself up a little more tightly. Your backpack, meanwhile, awakens with the strangest grin on his face. He applauds, then falls back down again, comatose once more. With that declaration made, you slip back into your dreamworld.

[A New Beginning: 5]

You make a stick for Hœnir, and tell him that it gives the wielder magical powers of prophecy. He asks what powers would those be, and you elaborate that basically the same thing is going to happen again, only this time he'll realize it's all happening again and hopefully not fuck it up this time. Or at least fuck it up in a different way. Remember, you say, always pay your giant contractors, otherwise they'll wage blood feuds on your clan. And don't irritate the Vanir, because they can and totally will kick your ass again if you provoke them. Hœnir nods, and you instruct him to go toward the others currently playing an invigorating board game of some kind on the Field of Deeds. While he and the deadwood left over after the battle hash out what exactly they're going to do, you restart the sun again, send a couple of grapefruit waves to scrub off all the filth from your stuff, and sow some leeks (alcoholic ones, most likely, though you hold off on the exact content and definition until you've made up your mind) about. They grow pretty nicely! It's wonderful what a little cleaning up can do.

This guy seems friendly enough. I sit down next to him. "Looks like you're having a pretty great day. Big victory?"

Yeah, says the stoatman in between bites as he rips into his food with renewed vigor, several rows of teeth making short work of his sausages, mashed potatoes, steak, yams, peas, bacon and all manner of various greens in a cornucopia of almost assuredly overwhelming variety, yeah it is, he survived! And he even got a new set of clothes for it back in town, he pulls at his shirt, seemingly made of actual silk, with more than a little pride. You notice that it is quite freshly stained with food, and considerably less recently with what you're fairly sure is blood, bravely, repeatedly, but ultimately futilely washed and scrubbed for what must have been days.

But enough about him, he says, leaning forward. He slides one of his three glasses, each filled to varying degrees with what seems to be fine whisky, over to you a little messily and tops it off from a bottle he fetches from under the table. Have a drink! It's a wonderful night to be alive, eh? Wait, where's the wench, he suddenly turns away. Get over here with that food already, he shouts, and the innkeeper returns, presenting a much humbler meal than the stoatman's to you with a stone-faced look before returning back to the bar.

Anyway, says he, it's a wonderful night to be alive, don't you agree? Have a drink. And he'll have another one too, if you don't mind. He has a moment of indecision as he ponders which of his glasses to fill, and elects to just do both, topping them off as well, then putting the bottle down, accidentally nudging a fork off the table as he takes one in each hand and drains them both at once.

Thomas scratched his head.  Well, that was a problem.  Well, shouldn't there be someone on the other side now to help?  "Can't we get someone on the right side of the river to help out?  We could probably float him across?  Or make a sling of some type?  In any case, with someone fixing the rope on the other side, it can't be that hard, right?"

See if someone on the correct side can help us out.

[Help Is On The Way: 5]

The time-honored method of shouting like a lunatic soon produces a few guards on the other end - they seem altogether pleased to see you. You toss them the grappling hook, and after a few false starts they actually catch in this godforsaken darkness, and pull it taut as you tie the rope on the other end securely around a tree. That's that sorted, you figure.

[We'll All Float On Anyway: 2]

The Worm-knight, meanwhile, expresses some doubts about floating the stout fellow across. For one, you'd have to keep making sure he's not floating face-down. And he does seem a bit heavy, although that might just be the armor, let her relieve the fellow of it right quick... and no, he is actually pretty heavy without it as well. Quite literally stout despite those stubby limbs. Guess being 75% torso has its drawbacks.

"Hmm. I would suppose so - sanity is relative, after all. Where I come from, they thought you were mad if you believed humans hadn't walked on the moon; here I'm pretty confident no-one would think me sane if I even insisted it was possible. So if everyone else is crazy, you're the crazy one by definition. Doesn't mean you're not right, though. Or even insane by everyone's standards.
Unless I'm just a figment of your imagination, of course, in which case you are objectively off of your rocker. Nothing for it in that case, though."

Ramble.

Now that's just silly, the captain of the guard could see y- wait, that's not actually a point in her favor. And then there was the minder girl, and... also the guard outside? Bear in mind, you reply, that it is possible that you are just an externalized perception of her own actions. So that might have just been her all along. But then, she shoots back, but then... wait. Hm.

She looks around the courtyard. There is still a considerable bit of it coated in your own surplus viscera from that chaotic episode. Quite a bit of it appears to have drained into the well. With nobody seemingly bothered enough by it to try cleaning it up (especially in the face of packing and such), the smell maturing from merely wildly unpleasant to something potentially extraordinary.

You think this might be imaginary? Deirdre does seem to be entertaining the notion. Could be she's just gone mad. On the other hand, if being mad gets you free, maybe that's where she had gone wrong up until this point.

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penguinofhonor

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1402 on: August 02, 2016, 08:43:11 pm »

"Surviving? I can drink to that. It's a tough world out there." I take a swig of the whiskey. "Speaking of the world, do you know much about this corner of it? I know I'm on the road connecting Anglefork and Speaker's Bridge, but I'm less sure about what's between them. I only stumbled on this cozy inn by chance."
« Last Edit: August 03, 2016, 12:42:31 pm by penguinofhonor »
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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1403 on: August 02, 2016, 11:03:56 pm »

"Well, can we, like, tie another rope around his arms and throw it over the rope?  Then I can push him along while holding on to the main rope?  Sure, let's do that."

Another rope, or a shirt, or something over the main rope, tied to his wrists, to secure him.  Then push him along the rope to the other side while the guard and knight hold the rope on this side.
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HMR stands for Hazardous Materials Requisition, not Horrible Massive Ruination, though I can understand how one could get confused.
God help us if we have to agree on pizza toppings at some point. There will be no survivors.

AoshimaMichio

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1404 on: August 03, 2016, 04:25:44 am »

Alcoholic plants are good, but I think leeks should be more about taste than being over 50% ethanol. Hmm... Mead of poetry, made of honey and Kvasir's blood. I probably should investigate other mead based drinks too. Like mead mixed with water from Mímisbrunnr. Not gonna sacrifice my eyes for it, though.
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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1405 on: August 03, 2016, 10:50:14 am »

"You know what? I really wouldn't worry about it. Because firstly, there's no way of proving it ether way, and secondly, well, if you're sane thinking about it will probably drive you mad, and if you're already mad why ruin the fun? That's pretty much the main reason I'm taking all of this at face value, to be honest, even if the alternative seems more likely."
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I would ask why fire can burn two men to death without getting hot enough to burn a book, but then I read "INEXTINGUISHABLE RUNNING KAMIKAZE RADIOACTIVE FLAMING ZOMBIE" and realized that logic, reason, and physics are all occupied with crying in the corner right now.

Harry Baldman

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1406 on: August 03, 2016, 05:33:20 pm »

"Surviving? I can drink to that. It's a tough world out there." I take a swig of the whiskey. "Speaking of the world, do you know much about this corner of it? I know I'm on the road connecting Anglefork and Speaker's Bridge, but I'm less sure about what's between them. I only stumbled on this cozy inn by chance."

Oh, this isn't the corner yet, not by a long shot, heh. That's more than three hundred miles north. This is still vaguely civilized. Though, the stoatman laughs, maybe a bit less so as of late. Maybe a lot less so. Depends on how much the gobshites have rebuilt after the pain train gave the countryside a once-over, you know what he's saying? Heh! You have a swig of the whisky as you listen - good stuff, actually, surprisingly so at that.

Also, what's a speaker's bridge, he asks, a little sleepy-eyed. Sounds, er... familiar? It's some 20 miles south, you elaborate. A town, you guess? Oh, he says! Oh, they must have changed the name. Honestly, not sure why! Was a pretty good name. King's Bridge! Could maybe do a sign for it, see, a sign like what you'd have for an inn. Just a big sign, stood up in front of town. And put the king on it, on a pole like the king would be (is he still, though?). Like a billboard, you suggest, having another sip. Yeah, he says, like a billboard. Would take a little wood, maybe some paint, he says and starts to doodle in a bit of sauce on one of his many plates, trailing off in a murmur.

"Well, can we, like, tie another rope around his arms and throw it over the rope?  Then I can push him along while holding on to the main rope?  Sure, let's do that."

Another rope, or a shirt, or something over the main rope, tied to his wrists, to secure him.  Then push him along the rope to the other side while the guard and knight hold the rope on this side.

[Zipline Slingin': 6]

You have the rather clever idea of untying the rope from the tree, then raising it up a bit higher, asking the lads on the other side to be patient and ready to see some serious ingenuity. You drag yourself up the trunk of the tree, rope in your teeth, hugging the rough and uncomfortable bark as you get in touch with your ape-like instincts, and once you're up to a decent height, retie the rope again, minus a noticeable segment that you think the stout fellow will need to be tied with.

Right, you say as you stand about twelve feet up from the ground, wedged in the crevice between two of the tree's largest branches, now do pass the stout fellow up here, and you'll have him over in a jiffy. The Worm-knight lifts him up to about chest height by his armpits, the strange proportions of the stout man reminding you slightly of a cat being held aloft, albeit more unconscious.

[Ensuring Verticality: 3]

The paranoid guard starts to climb after you, stopping at about seven feet up and kneeling down on the branch, figuring a sort of staircase mechanism to be in order. The Worm-knight approaches skeptically, lifting the fellow slightly above her head with a huff of exertion.

[Thrust To Weight: 3]

Hurgh, says the guard as he slowly drags the fellow up to his branch level, wrapping him around the nearby branch like a roll of humanoid tape (credit where it's due - you've hardly ever seen such a stout fellow display this much flexibility). It is at this point that he begins to wonder how he'd possibly lift the man up to your level.

[With A Little Help: 1]

The Worm-knight decides to help with this, spending about half a minute climbing up to the guard's level, at which point they unilaterally agree upon the brilliant plan of just tossing the fellow up to you, confident in your ability to catch him. They seem a little surprised - shocked, even, when your response to a stout man being suddenly thrown to you from below is a resounding 'what' and a panicked, ineffective scramble to capture a humanoid body mid-air.

[Fingers of Melting Butter: 4]

Fortunately, the guard does catch the fellow on the way down, and the Worm-knight catches the consequently immediately falling guard by the scruff of his neck while holding on to the tree trunk with the other hand, successfully managing to arrest their collective momentum before the stout fellow has an unfortunate meeting with the ground. The chain of three hangs there for a second, at which point the guard decides to set the fellow gently down on the ground, and is promptly let go by the Worm-knight in close proximity as she reassumes a more secure position.

You sigh as you look over to the other shore, where the guards you called over are having way too much fun observing all this.

Alcoholic plants are good, but I think leeks should be more about taste than being over 50% ethanol. Hmm... Mead of poetry, made of honey and Kvasir's blood. I probably should investigate other mead based drinks too. Like mead mixed with water from Mímisbrunnr. Not gonna sacrifice my eyes for it, though.

You resurrect Kvasir out of obscurity, and he asks if you are in need of his boundless wisdom, or perhaps his incredible eagerness to teach all the secrets of the universe to anybody who'll listen. You say nah, just need your blood, man. He seems to have figured as much, and just sighs as you chop his head off with your axe and squeeze all the blood out of his neck stump like human lemonade. You get some bees together in the now-unused head of Kvasir and have them make honey. Out of... well, what's available, you guess, you're not about to get into particulars. You set the head down nearby and make a mental note to get the honey out in a little bit. You collect the blood into a large plastic bag and set it on some glacial ice in the meantime.

As for Mim's well, you do see his head rolling around the fields of Vigrid still. You go and ask him where his well is, and he sort of rolls in the appropriate direction. You thank him for the assistance and head over that way. Yep, well of wisdom is right there. Better not drink too deeply, though. Even if doom is what you're all about, wouldn't want to ruin any surprises.

"You know what? I really wouldn't worry about it. Because firstly, there's no way of proving it ether way, and secondly, well, if you're sane thinking about it will probably drive you mad, and if you're already mad why ruin the fun? That's pretty much the main reason I'm taking all of this at face value, to be honest, even if the alternative seems more likely."

Eh, she says, letting the eh linger a moment. Not really anything to add to that.

She looks up at the sky for a moment. The stars are out, and the moon looms large. Was kind of hoping she'd be out by now. Can't wait to get real food.

You notice you're in somebody's shadow. You look behind yourself, and see the blacksmith, still very presentable. He seems to have something in hand, and appears to have been waiting for a minute or two before you noticed him. He nods at you, fidgeting with something in his hands about the size and apparent weight of a bowling ball, currently wrapped completely in black cloth. The work is done as ordained. As revealed.

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1407 on: August 03, 2016, 07:35:30 pm »

"Okay, I think the idea is there, but let's try again with a bit more coordination, yes?  Let's all get ready first this time."

Everyone get ready.  Then we try again.
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HMR stands for Hazardous Materials Requisition, not Horrible Massive Ruination, though I can understand how one could get confused.
God help us if we have to agree on pizza toppings at some point. There will be no survivors.

penguinofhonor

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1408 on: August 03, 2016, 09:36:33 pm »

Hm, I might have to leave soon. Better get to the point. First, another swig of whiskey. "You sound like you're kind of familiar with the area. Do you know where that old road nearby leads to? I want to know my options before I set out again."
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AoshimaMichio

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Re: Our Salvation: Knights of the Far Beyond
« Reply #1409 on: August 04, 2016, 05:25:09 am »

A gallon of water should be enough. For irrigation. Leeks, like all other plants, need water to grow. Leif isn't much of farmer, so he have to rely on leeks being wise enough to grow on their own.

Check how honey is coming along. High five bees for being such awesome bunch. Leif has all faith they have made enough honey, so he starts working with first batch of mead of poetry. Flavour it with a drop of wisdom water. Sample finished product liberally and share with bees, they deserve it!
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