Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 264003 times)

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #1470 on:** August 20, 2016, 03:45:01 pm »

Night gaunt? Great. I pull out my sword and put my back to the stoat's.

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1471 on:** August 21, 2016, 05:28:31 am »

"Storks, eh? Back in home we had this story we told kids who wanted to know where babies come from, that storks bring them to doorstep of expecting parents. Do they happen to have same penchant for human trafficking here?"

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1472 on:** August 21, 2016, 04:01:08 pm »

Quote from: Xantalos on August 19, 2016, 03:27:38 pm

Daniels lazily gazes up at the commander.

"Method for crossing a river? I could probably just jump across. As for infantry support, well, I'm monstrously strong, have a killing weapon, and a few magical words. I don't really use the words that often, but maybe a guy or two could accompany me just to make sure I don't get ganked in the back while killing things. I'm not so high on the collateral damage meter, more specific lethality.

Oh, excuse me for one moment, it looks like my armor's close to completion."

Go observe the unveiling of the silence. If I need material still, point out the stained glass window presumably still by the blacksmith's house.

The commander nods, and you follow Mr. Wilde and the blacksmith's retreat, and you see Mr. Wilde unveil the time-ender's measure! It stares into his eyes with a blinding glow, growing brighter and brighter still as he meets its gaze. For a moment Mr. Wilde glows as well, his shadow disappearing from sight as a very literal light of knowledge bathes him, the skull stops shaking and he, seemingly having extracted some form of insight, puts it back in its protective cloth.

Well, you say, that wasn't nearly as painful as you'd think. Should be enough for armor, right? The blacksmith looks at you. Difficult to say, really. He was somewhat hoping that he could take a look at the SEARING KNOWLEDGE himself, you see, but far be it from him to doubt the instincts of somebody far more learned than he. He's probably in a better position to interpret any relevant information anyway. Eh, you say, as long as you get your armor. And hey, if he needs more material, there's like a whole stained glass window right over there.

The blacksmith looks at the window for a moment, then back at you, then to the window. Well, he says, it's probably hypothetically POSSIBLE he could use that window to make you a suit of some kind. Though what possible practical benefit you hope to gain from wearing easily breakable glass presently escapes him.

Quote from: Toaster on August 20, 2016, 08:47:12 am

Hmm. "Hello? Umm... mother of the lord of the keep, are you in there? I am told you are wise and can help me? I'm looking for Albany?

Ask. Maybe look questioningly at the turnkey if there's no answers.

[Encouraging Replies: 1]

You don't hear anything at all from within the tiny little psychological torture closet that is the solitary confinement cell. The turnkey continues to stare at you unblinkingly, wondering which side of this metal door you're going to be on when he shuts and probably locks it in a few moments.

Quote from: TopHat on August 20, 2016, 03:02:18 pm

"Dangerous to bystanders, you said?"
Rapidly backpedal away from the guards before unwrapping the measure and looking into it. Or letting Nately look into it, if he seems eager to do so. Let's just decide that bit on the fly.

You walk a bit to the side of the chapel before the shaking grows too much, Nately and Mr. Daniels following enthusiastically while Deirdre decides to instead get to cover. That done, you consider which of either you or Nately is better suited to receiving these dire revelations of silence.

[Worthy Eyes: 6]

The clear conclusion, you decide, is that you should be the one to get the juicy intel. After all, Nately doesn't even have a formal education. So you lift the veil and stare into the brightly eyes of the skull, and let the true knowledge of silence wash over you!

[The Funnest of Facts: 3]

Silence, artificial. Imposed by the use of a Word. Extradimensional in origin. Creates inertia, stillness, overrides various impulses. Calls attention. Interplay with other Words likely to produce significant interference. Unstable phenomenon of external provenance, estimated normal duration is a maximum of five cycles. Product of physically compromised, supernatural material. Strong influence of the well detected, sampling of the focusing entity should provide more information. Suggested scenario for duplication: stupefying realization.

Vaguely informative, you suppose as you cover the skull up again as its glow lowers significantly, the shaking subsides and you wrap it up in cloth again. Nately looks at you excitedly while Mr. Daniels stands by.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on August 20, 2016, 03:45:01 pm

Night gaunt? Great. I pull out my sword and put my back to the stoat's.

The stoatman takes a look at your serrated two-handed sword. So that's the reason you feel all right running around alone at night. Huh. He looks at his dagger. Way to make a man feel unimpressive.

[Initial Gambits: 1]

You get back to back, not about to let some night gaunt get the better of you, but nothing seems to advance just yet. The chiming noise returns, louder this time, and the cackling gaunt lets loose a proper guffaw this time, the woods swaying as its unnatural voice reverberates along trees and grass. You hear crunching twigs to your left, to your right... one from behind you.

And then you hear more still. Cackling, but more distant, carrying on the piercing, rising wind. A different, lower sound, significantly less human-sounding, perhaps best approximated as coughing, and an approaching din not unlike that of a blacksmith's hammer. The wild hunt is coming together.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on August 21, 2016, 05:28:31 am

"Storks, eh? Back in home we had this story we told kids who wanted to know where babies come from, that storks bring them to doorstep of expecting parents. Do they happen to have same penchant for human trafficking here?"

They do. But they like equitable exchanges even more, Lee explains, leading you closer to the camp. A particular thing grabs your eye - a pole in the center of the encampment, atop it standing something you took for an ornament at first, but instead appears to be an actual, one wearing a cloak of white and black feathers on his outstretched arms, his features masked with a white leather mask with a long, sharp red wooden beak. He emits a signalling cry, and you notice a few armed sentries rise from extremely inconspicuous ditches between the teepees. Lee raises her hands, and motions for you and the backpack to do the same.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Toaster · « **Reply #1473 on:** August 21, 2016, 05:35:02 pm »

Obliviously step inside the cell to look for someone.

"Hello?"

Xantalos · « **Reply #1474 on:** August 21, 2016, 09:13:42 pm »

"Hmm. How about the sacrificial stone thing over by it?"

Doomstone armor?

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1475 on:** August 22, 2016, 03:56:02 am »

"That guy has pretty good balance."

Following Lee's example Leif raises his hands and gives the welcoming party happy wave. Does the backpack know anything about these folks?

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #1476 on:** August 22, 2016, 08:41:36 am »

"I've got a number of tricks up my sleeve," I mutter. "Watch out, this will be loud."

I create an explosive cyst and throw it into the woods somewhere a night gaunt seems to be. Hopefully that will at least scare it.

TopHat · « **Reply #1477 on:** August 22, 2016, 10:57:21 am »

Relate the insights to Nately and Daniels.
"... I'm slightly confused by the 'sampling of focusing entity' bit, though. I thought you said it didn't work on living things?
Oh, by the by, how did you come by that word, Daniels? I assume it was yours. "

Xantalos · « **Reply #1478 on:** August 22, 2016, 11:26:24 am »

"How'd you get yours? And don't tell me you don't have one, you've been here for longer than an hour which means one's likely popped up in your face."

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1479 on:** August 23, 2016, 12:41:37 pm »

Quote from: Toaster on August 21, 2016, 05:35:02 pm

Obliviously step inside the cell to look for someone.

"Hello?"

You step inside, and the turnkey closes the door behind you, plunging you into near-complete darkness as the door locks, and you are left alone. Or are you? You call out, your voice stifled by the tight quarters, and you feel a little silly for a second. It'd be strange if there was anyone else in here, you alone can hardly fit in-

Hello, you hear a voice reply from above. You were looking for her, yes? You hear something shuffle lightly along the wall, two bare feet planting lightly on the ground slightly in front of you. You were also looking for something else?

Quote from: Xantalos on August 21, 2016, 09:13:42 pm

"Hmm. How about the sacrificial stone thing over by it?"

Doomstone armor?

Could work, the blacksmith guesses. It is fairly decent stone. Though you'd hardly want a coat of it, he suspects. Maybe something else could be arranged, such as-

At this moment Mr. Wilde turns to you and the blacksmith, his information having come in. He tells you that you made some kind of silence, and did it through a Word, that it's unstable and of "external provenance", whatever that means, produced by physically compromised, supernatural material. So far, so much shit you mostly already knew. And then he mentions it being useful to take a sample of the focusing entity.

You don't seem to be the only one slightly underwhelmed by the result. Not the most useful of insights, the blacksmith admits. Probably will need to take that sample, he says as he looks at you.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on August 22, 2016, 03:56:02 am

"That guy has pretty good balance."

Following Lee's example Leif raises his hands and gives the welcoming party happy wave. Does the backpack know anything about these folks?

You raise your hands, and your backpack smiles awkwardly as he does the same. The sentries continue to observe you for a little while longer, then one of them climbs out of the ditch. He's a tall fellow, wearing the same beaked mask and feathered cloak as the man on the pole, who seems to be pointing at you still, performing an excellent impression of a wind vane for intruders. You, your backpack and Lee are collectively sized up, and after a few moments he turns toward Lee. She spreads the pseudo-wings on her dress for a moment, and the man spreads his winglike cloak, and they exchange a handshake. What does she want, the man asks a bit forwardly. To pass unmolested, Lee replies.

[Polite Welcome: 6]

The man laughs. Glad that's over with. He never could get used to being rude to strangers. In addition, does she want anything else? Food? Drink? A spare infant? Moths are their friends, after all.

Lee maintains a passive expression for the moment. She would like the same privilege extended to the two others with her. The Stork touches his finger to the long beak of the mask. Oh. She means those aren't offerings? That may make for a more difficult pitch, truth be told. Hm. Does she strictly need both of these outsiders, the man asks after a moment in a bargaining tone. Lee looks over at your backpack, who seems to have been trying and failing to understand to conversation happening with a suspicious eye, then checks with you wordlessly, raising an eyebrow and nodding very slightly in his direction.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on August 22, 2016, 08:41:36 am

"I've got a number of tricks up my sleeve," I mutter. "Watch out, this will be loud."

I create an explosive cyst and throw it into the woods somewhere a night gaunt seems to be. Hopefully that will at least scare it.

[A Fistful of Explosives: 4 vs. 5]

There is a traveling chill and tingling, as if your arm were falling asleep as you focus on the creation of an explosive cyst, extruding one on your palm, one handing your greatsword as you loose it into the forest where you hear the cackling and chiming come from - it flies into one of the trees and blows a good chunk of it to splinters, the tree creaking as its balance is upset and the remains of its trunk snap in half.

[Big Bang Hypothesis: 1]

Birds take flight in a mile's radius, and the cackling suddenly stops, as does the chiming. There's a stunned silence as the forest suddenly seems empty of life, only for the stillness to be pierced by a fluting, metallic coo, the curiosity of the gaunts very much piqued by this display of sorcery. Not only their curiosity, mind. The stoatman also seems very impressed. That there was magic, right, he says with a sense of wonder. Feckin' hell, he's never seen anything like that. Though, come to think of it, neither has he seen a night gaunt before. They say you actually don't until they eat you, to be honest.

Quote from: TopHat on August 22, 2016, 10:57:21 am

Relate the insights to Nately and Daniels.
"... I'm slightly confused by the 'sampling of focusing entity' bit, though. I thought you said it didn't work on living things?
Oh, by the by, how did you come by that word, Daniels? I assume it was yours. "

Nately and his questionable associate listen carefully, but seem ultimately less than impressed, having a moment's conference on the results as presented.

And, well, Nately offers, consider a man, a REGULAR man, mind you. Say you lop off his finger, or cut out his heart, even, is the finger alive? And though the heart may beat for a couple of moments if you do it well enough, is the heart alive? The idea is more to not try and stick a whole living person in there. He is fairly sure that might interfere with the internal mental workings of the thing. He certainly saw the great white sea react poorly to the proximity of sentient beings, that's for sure. So you would want to avoid such unpredictable occurrences.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Xantalos · « **Reply #1480 on:** August 23, 2016, 02:04:47 pm »

You can get this fixed later you can get this fixed later you can get this fixed later

"What do you need, like a part of my finger or something, or just a fingernail or part of my hair?"

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1481 on:** August 23, 2016, 03:02:46 pm »

A very slight shrug implying "I suggested him to go elsewhere." Also slightly loosening grip of my spear indicating I can part with it. Mouthing word "inevitable". Whatever she makes of that.

TopHat · « **Reply #1482 on:** August 23, 2016, 03:26:35 pm »

"Why would I suddenly pretend not to have a Word, since I've already told you I have one and how I got it?
Anyway, would a blood sample work? It'll contain any DNA or equivalent if we even have any, and it's certainly less drastic than chopping you up. _{As pleasant as the thought may be.}"

Xantalos · « **Reply #1483 on:** August 23, 2016, 03:42:56 pm »

"Don't go all mad doctor on me, man. Though it might not look like it, I actually enjoy not having to hurt people.

Still, blood sample sounds good. I'd rather not lose another appendage."

Blood sample it is. Into the measure, I assume?

Toaster · « **Reply #1484 on:** August 23, 2016, 08:01:37 pm »

"Er, uh, yes. My name is Thomas Minstep, and I'm not quite sure how I've gotten to this castle. It involved a sack, I believe. That said, I am trying to return home, and your son thought you might know the way. I am trying to go to Albany, you see. Uh. In New York?"

Ask.

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Author Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 264003 times)

penguinofhonor

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

AoshimaMichio

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Harry Baldman

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Toaster

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Xantalos

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

AoshimaMichio

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

penguinofhonor

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

TopHat

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Xantalos

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Harry Baldman

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Xantalos

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

AoshimaMichio

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

TopHat

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Xantalos

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World

Toaster

Re: Our Salvation: To The Four Corners Of The World