Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 258121 times)

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #1530 on:** September 02, 2016, 04:39:19 pm »

Okay now let's try not to get killed by something that I've already destroyed.

I scan the edge of the clearing for a spot where I don't see living gaunts, and run that way looking for a hiding spot. If it seems like I'm still completely surrounded, I see if there's any debris that's stopped moving that I could hide under.

Toaster · « **Reply #1531 on:** September 02, 2016, 04:42:39 pm »

"I don't really meddle with affairs of the heart; I've been told feminine wiles are wasted on me. But I'll look for a spot."

Misunderstand more. See if there's a spot that matches what she wants; indicate if so.

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1532 on:** September 03, 2016, 01:44:10 am »

"Huh, talking bush which burns without being burned. Feels mildly familiar. Say, do you have any cousins or like in similar profession?"

Leif has seen enough weird shit. Talking bush doesn't suprise him anymore. And the fire is suitably abnormal for Lee to follow.

TopHat · « **Reply #1533 on:** September 03, 2016, 03:36:14 pm »

"Interesting. Very interesting. While we're on the subject, do you have another vial I could use? There's something else I'd like to try sampling."

Take vial if provided and head down to the well. Oh, and tell Deirdre about the whole made of rats thing.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1534 on:** September 03, 2016, 04:08:55 pm »

Quote from: Xantalos on September 02, 2016, 04:04:00 pm

"Suggested to - no you're trying it on stone. I have ways to do what you've described already, I don't need you trying it with an imperfect method and possibly screwing something up. Believe me, the consequences for mistakes with our substrate aren't pretty."

The blacksmith rolls his eyes. Try WHAT on stone? It's just stone! Mundane, ordinary stone! Hardly untethered from possibility at all. You might as well just wear a SACK OF BRICKS on your torso. The only material interesting enough to do something unusual and most likely unusually powerful with on your person is your own flesh! That's most likely why the first attempt at a weapon even did anything, he nods knowingly at the murder-thought.

If you're merely interested in loading yourself up with a stone suit rather than something legitimately useful, why not bother the actual MASONS about it? The little one should be easy enough to compel to do your bidding, especially since you threw his more assertive and cleverer brother down a shaft where he has likely been dismembered by one of the many subterranean traps. Or even the DRUNKEN one - mention the man beneath the boards, and he'll assuredly listen.

That being said, the blacksmith decides to follow Mr. Wilde, who seems to be heading down to the well.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on September 02, 2016, 04:39:19 pm

Okay now let's try not to get killed by something that I've already destroyed.

I scan the edge of the clearing for a spot where I don't see living gaunts, and run that way looking for a hiding spot. If it seems like I'm still completely surrounded, I see if there's any debris that's stopped moving that I could hide under.

[Cheesing It: 3]

The gaunts don't seem like they'd see you as a terrible concern, and you think you see a clear path, but you'd need to run straight through the storm of bones, the power of chaos uttered three times filling them with an idiotic, malevolent energy as they strike at anything and everything within convenient range. You take a deep breath and sprint for cover, prepared to dodge for dear life as you try and flee through an opening.

[A Bone To Pick: 6]

You sprint out along the wave of bones, weaving and ducking from strikes all around, some from bones, some from gaunts trying to ward the bones off. It goes really quite well as your acute sense of very much impending death carries you forward and through the worst of it, putting you right ahead of an incoming storm front of violently expanding debris and fleeing creatures of the night. You jump through the undergrowth and tumble between trees, desperate to put some distance between yourself and danger, with limited success as the storm ebbs in expansion, then flows out cataclysmically at times, obeying no real rule in its behavior. The gaunts aren't much better, their noises confused and arms swinging all about, and even now some rip past you with no regard for your health and safety.

You reason, however, that you'll most likely be safe on one condition, which is that you keep running, increase your pace and don't look back, oh my god, it sounds like nearly literal hell is breaking loose right behind you. You try not to look back. Rather predictably, this comes back to bite you as a gaunt with a head like some skeletal effigy of a goblin shark comes flying after you with the sound of a blacksmith's forge.

[Get Outta My Way: 1 vs. 2]

Its massive hand sweeps upward as it tries to get you out of the way in the middle of its sprint for dear quasi-life, and simultaneously you duck to dodge, its stunted foot catching on you as it tries to brachiate along, the whole thing shrieking wildly as it tumbles over and into a tree at high speed, wrapping itself around it with the sound of breaking and snapping bones, its voice terminating with a strangled mechanical noise.

Quote from: Toaster on September 02, 2016, 04:42:39 pm

"I don't really meddle with affairs of the heart; I've been told feminine wiles are wasted on me. But I'll look for a spot."

Misunderstand more. See if there's a spot that matches what she wants; indicate if so.

[An Assessment of Weakness: 5]

Well, you suppose there is. Right behind the corner building, actually - you think that if one got up to the tower, then went down the wall from there (which should be a plausible enough proposition if one had, say, a bit of rope), they'd have a clear shot until the river. It's on the other side from where the guards are constructing the bridge (on the other side of Anglefork Town, even), and the scavenging civilians do not appear to have made their way over there yet either. If ever there was a clear path, this would most certainly be it.

That said, you look down from the wall and notify the good lady of this rather ideal path. Brilliant, she says! You are an incredibly helpful man, Mr. Minstep. Luckily nobody has stepped down or up the stairwell either. So close your eyes for a moment, and she'll be right over the wall in a moment. Thank you again for your assistance.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on September 03, 2016, 01:44:10 am

"Huh, talking bush which burns without being burned. Feels mildly familiar. Say, do you have any cousins or like in similar profession?"

Leif has seen enough weird shit. Talking bush doesn't suprise him anymore. And the fire is suitably abnormal for Lee to follow.

This bush comes from a long line of apocalyptic imagery of salvation. Most of this line is appropriately hyperbolic and steeped in a satire of the times, and some of it no doubt would be subject to modern misinterpretation.

But that's not terribly important. What he brings is only the freshest in dire prophecy, and it goes a little like this, the bush says and clears his flame with a subtle oscillation of its heat - eyes among the stars have beheld the fate of the unintegrated clans, and would like them to know that if they were ever into reclaiming their not particularly ancestral homeland, now would be the time to do so, especially if they can get a guy like you to help.

You might wonder what he means by 'a guy like you', but the bush feels it better to peace out after having said all that rather than stick around to answer questions, and just as the fire came, so does it now flicker out of existence.

Quote from: TopHat on September 03, 2016, 03:36:14 pm

"Interesting. Very interesting. While we're on the subject, do you have another vial I could use? There's something else I'd like to try sampling."

Take vial if provided and head down to the well. Oh, and tell Deirdre about the whole made of rats thing.

Not ON him, Nately says, but there should be one that's easy enough to steal somewhere with so few guards about. He could go and look for one if you really need it, certainly.

You turn to Deirdre, who's a bit closer than you recall, and start relaying your- yeah, she says after you start telling her, she kind of heard all that. Crazy shit, she's got to say. Made of rats. But hey, wasn't it pretty clear you weren't human anyway? She thinks the minders said something like that, yeah?

Anyway, you start heading off to the well. Both Nately and Deirdre decide to follow, the former intrigued and the latter mostly interested in not losing track of you.

The bottom of the well is... surprisingly clean. Only a small puddle of viscera begins to form from the residual drip as you collectively climb down the chain, the rest of the floor looking absolutely spotless in that regard. You notice a great deal of clay pots around the edges of the room, a good amount of them smashed to pieces, but some still in decent enough shape to hold water. Would THOSE do as vials, Nately asks.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Xantalos · « **Reply #1535 on:** September 03, 2016, 04:59:03 pm »

"...
Fine. Not like I can't reverse it if it goes badly anyhow. Let's give it a go soon as Wilde's done whatever he's trying."

Follow them down into the well. Nonintrusively ask where Diedre's from.

Toaster · « **Reply #1536 on:** September 03, 2016, 09:05:07 pm »

"Close my... ohh, I see, you are immodestly dressed. Of course! Do you need this dress? It's not really my size."

Offer the dress. Regardless of response, avert eyes and let her do her thing.

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #1537 on:** September 03, 2016, 09:50:58 pm »

Oof. Let's hope that's happening to most of these guys.

I keep running away. This storm has to run out of steam eventually. Or maybe that's assuming too much.

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1538 on:** September 04, 2016, 02:35:28 am »

"Did I just get another side quest?"

Eyes among stars... stars are starting sound important. I should stare them some time. Mental note: date with stars.

APOCALYPSE once again, maybe something decides to stick around. Like a guiding pillar of flame and smoke. Oh wait, no, wrong mythology.

TopHat · « **Reply #1539 on:** September 04, 2016, 05:17:30 am »

"Should work just as well. If this'll even work, of course. Hold the Measure for a minute, would you?"
Take two pots, hold them out into the darkness of the Well, then try to catch some air or whatever it is in there between them. Preferably without looking like a complete idiot.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1540 on:** September 04, 2016, 07:44:17 am »

Quote from: Xantalos on September 03, 2016, 04:59:03 pm

"...
Fine. Not like I can't reverse it if it goes badly anyhow. Let's give it a go soon as Wilde's done whatever he's trying."

Follow them down into the well. Nonintrusively ask where Diedre's from.

Having elected to follow the three down into the well, you observe Mr. Wilde go for two pots as his preferred sampling method of the unknowable darkness beyond the inscribed door. You wonder if it wouldn't be simpler for him just to talk to it. But oh well. As the blacksmith nods while intently observing Mr. Wilde's evidently successful attempt to enter the well, you turn to Deirdre, who's looking quite suspicious.

[Nervous Exposition: 2]

Where's she from, you ask quite candidly. Deirdre, quite startled, looks at you for a moment. Oh, uh, she sort of works as a servant in the castle. Probably not so much anymore now that the, er, siege has been lifted? It wasn't one of those, what do you call it, official arrangements? Just that there's not much else to do when the castle's isolated and... why do you wanna know, anyway? Deirdre continues looking at you for a moment, then casts an eye around and oh look, there's Mr. Wilde.

Despite this obvious diversion you do see that Mr. Wilde has caught a bit more than mere air. You sense it from here, the pots in his hand shaping an improvised phylactery. Something behind your eyes stirs a little as you look at it, and you recognize the feeling of your thoughts being pawed at as something within tries very hard to not help itself.

Quote from: Toaster on September 03, 2016, 09:05:07 pm

"Close my... ohh, I see, you are immodestly dressed. Of course! Do you need this dress? It's not really my size."

Offer the dress. Regardless of response, avert eyes and let her do her thing.

Come to think of it, it does occur to the lady that she is not at all dressed. Oh my. That is somewhat troubling indeed. She would like to have your dress, yes, if only as a stopgap measure.

[Disrobing For A Good Cause: 2]

And you'd be happy to remove your dress to help this poor woman at that, but given how you're presently rocking the poured-in look with it you don't think it's feasible to get it off anymore. You are frankly unsure how you put the thing on, but getting it off without ripping it in an overly risque fashion seems to be beyond your ability to do.

Hm, you say. Is there an issue, the lady asks. You say that you can't seem to get the thing off. Oh, she says, oh. You're wearing the dress. Well, er... could she ask you to find a different garment she could put on? Now that you've brought it up it really does feel indecent to wander out there without any sort of reasonable clothing.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on September 03, 2016, 09:50:58 pm

Oof. Let's hope that's happening to most of these guys.

I keep running away. This storm has to run out of steam eventually. Or maybe that's assuming too much.

[We've Got To Get Out Of This Place: 6]

You keep running, and as you put in the distance and effort the square-cube law gets increasingly favorable toward your prospects of survival, the storm slowing down and the gaunts thinning out. That doesn't mean you slow your running, of course. You just keep powering through the wilderness at a flat-out sprint through the undergrowth until there is absolutely no shrieking, gale force winds or indeed anything at all out of the ordinary even vaguely within hearing range.

That takes a while, mind you. You're not sure how long exactly, as you weren't really counting minutes while running for your life. Enough for you to be quite a few miles out, you would think, and for the elevation of the landscape to start inclining a little as you reach the summit of a considerable hill along a particularly overgrown ex-trail that must not have been well-traveled in its prime, let alone now that horrible creatures of the night prowl the area.

[Over The Hill: 3]

Up top you find the collapsed remains of an old stone watchtower amid the collapsed old trees characteristic of long untended wood. The ruins must be at least a century old, you would think, and there is absolutely no sign of people having been here after this particular point. Most of the trees are taller than the tower's remains at this point, and the only things properly inhabiting the place seem to be birds nesting in hollows and foxes that have taken the time to evict some badgers from their former dens. You spot a few yellow eyes within them watch you guardedly as you rest against the remnants of a wall to catch your breath and let your heart pump something other than battery acid.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on September 04, 2016, 02:35:28 am

"Did I just get another side quest?"

Eyes among stars... stars are starting sound important. I should stare them some time. Mental note: date with stars.

APOCALYPSE once again, maybe something decides to stick around. Like a guiding pillar of flame and smoke. Oh wait, no, wrong mythology.

It's less of a side quest and more of a helpful tip, you feel. Maybe you're not really the one who was supposed to see it, hence the lesser urgency, but you suppose it'll be fine anyway.

APOCALYPSE

[Word: 2]

The bush waves in the wind of your Word, but burns no more, the land having exhausted its reserves of meaningful prophecy for you this day. Though you guess you could get a little less literal with it and just bring about mass destruction instead.

Quote from: TopHat on September 04, 2016, 05:17:30 am

"Should work just as well. If this'll even work, of course. Hold the Measure for a minute, would you?"
Take two pots, hold them out into the darkness of the Well, then try to catch some air or whatever it is in there between them. Preferably without looking like a complete idiot.

You grab two of the surrounding pots, emptying them of collected basement dew, cobwebs and droppings, then step over to the door to the well. As always it parts before your touch, revealing deeper darkness beyond, the pure blackness of an event horizon at once unsettlingly close and hopelessly distant.

[Bang Two Pots Together: 6]

You reach into the dark and put the pots together. You don't think you have a hermetic seal there, but you guess a pure sample wasn't really in the cards anyway. Okay, you decide to try again, this time with feeling - pull them apart, then put them back together! Yes, like that. Now once more - third time's the charm, you think you've got it.

You distance the pots again, ready to sprint away with them in hand, and as you snap them together the darkness pulls close, surging forward, an infinitesimal part of it nearly touching you as you catch it with the pots, the tendril-like protrusion bending and disappearing within like a snake in a trap. You hold the pots shut and run right out at a brisk and scientific pace, eyes wide at your sudden and serendipitous find. You're guessing the measure is going to like this.

Your assessment is incorrect, however. A superior recommendation would be to tighten the seal around your improvised holding device. It takes active and intense effort for this projection to fail to escape it. Consider a golden seal. Mr. Daniels has plenty on his person, and his physical abilities mean that he can likely shape it into a vessel by hand (see: containment science, extrauniversal studies, the divine dilemma).

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Toaster · « **Reply #1541 on:** September 04, 2016, 08:25:24 am »

"Well, yes, I suppose that would make sense. There was a lack of available clothing, but I'll see what I can manage."

See if we can find some appropriate clothing. Ask around; maybe the lord of the keep knows something?

AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1542 on:** September 04, 2016, 03:18:20 pm »

"This APOCALYPSE is not living up to its name."

Third time's the charm. Sit down on the so called holy ground and mediate my little personal world. What's up dudes, new world here yet?

TopHat · « **Reply #1543 on:** September 04, 2016, 03:45:24 pm »

It's still alive once seperated. Interesting.
"Daniels, if you would care to press enough gold around this join here to seal the thing inside before it can escape and start eating thoughts or something, I'd be eternally grateful."
Either assist in the sealing if necessary or start swearing at Daniels (as appropriate).

Xantalos · « **Reply #1544 on:** September 04, 2016, 04:42:15 pm »

"You went and trapped a bit of it in there, didn't you? Allow me to warn you ahead of time, not a super idea - this will almost inevitably end up converting whatever place you bring it to into a new access point for the well. What are you planning to do with it anyways?

Oh, and you normies go get some distance. Me and Wilde will be alright, but if this is released here and it gets you I don't quite think you'll continue to exist."

Seal the join with some of my plentiful gold, I suppose.

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Author Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 258121 times)

penguinofhonor

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

Toaster

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

Harry Baldman

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

penguinofhonor

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

Harry Baldman

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

Toaster

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