Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 263739 times)

TopHat · « **Reply #1560 on:** September 09, 2016, 12:52:09 pm »

"I'll do my best."
.
"Right, Deirdre. If we're leaving, it's probably best if I can get my bearings first. You wouldn't happen to know if there are any maps in the keep somewhere, would you?"

Follow directions to source of directions. Or just get out the well, otherwise.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1561 on:** September 10, 2016, 03:15:27 pm »

Quote from: penguinofhonor on September 08, 2016, 01:47:51 pm

Well that was unnerving. Pretty tame compared to what I'm used to, but definitely more than I want to deal with right now.

I find the least bloody parts of my robe and tear them into a bandeau and loincloth for myself. Then I discard the rest. Even if they're still bloody, that's less blood on my person overall.

[Improvised Tailoring: 5]

Fortunately, there are a few bits of your robe that remain wholly unbloodied, so you fashion those into a humble, but fortunately quite clean bandeau and loincloth combo. Your new wild woman image firmly established, you toss the remaining bloody rags into the crevice, where hopefully a woodland animal will find them and eat them or something, and slide right out yourself.

Interestingly, your stomach doesn't look quite as horrible as you'd expect from getting stabbed and nearly disemboweled by a horrible night creature. At worst it just looks rather lumpy and irregular with scar tissue, a sunken pit on both the front and back of your waist where the wayward arm of the great gaunt went straight through.

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on September 08, 2016, 02:09:29 pm

"Heh, Hœnir my buddy. Have you even seen the other world? Useless flat land where even Loki would have trouble finding anything fun. Except the canyon. That was unusual, but not in fun way. But fine, you made it through Ragnarök, I'll give you benefit of doubt."

Place Hymir's cauldron somewhere before checking out in the other world if Hœnir was pulling a joke on me.

You're not sure if Hymir's dead, but even if he isn't it's not like he can stop you from putting down his mile-wide cauldron atop a particular atoll in the grapefruit ocean, which wastes no time in sinking into the sea under the massive weight of a cauldron pushing down on it.

That done, you look back into the mortal world.

[Danger On The Horizon: 6]

For one, there is the matter that you were kind of sitting down gormlessly in the middle of a plain there. Who knows what could happen to you if you were not careful and your old buddy Hœnir looking out for you.

More pertinently, though, you see a hunting party of the Stork Clan assembling at the edge of the camp, armed with exceedingly sharp swords, spears and nets, about a dozen of them on the whole. Their feathered shapes start to move quietly into the plains, following along the canyon. Probably looking for the backpack you kindly offered them.

Quote from: Xantalos on September 08, 2016, 02:44:44 pm

"Alright, see ya Wilde. Don't fuck up the local metaphysics for the next hour or so, okay?"

Follow blacksmithy! Given that my strength is unbound, am I capable of just leaping out of the well? Maybe give that a try.

Whatever the case, make my way to the blacksmith's forge, and bring the slab.

[In A Single Bound: 5]

You rush to the edge of the well and, eager to test the limits of your abilities, calculate roughly the force you need to jump out of the well, then bend your knees and jump upward with a force wholly untethered from the movement that put it out. You fly up to the top of the well in a graceful arc, the apoapsis of the jump but a few feet above ground level as you land a little precariously on the edge of the well, using the leftover momentum to launch into a reasonably nice-looking roll that, while not strictly necessary, nevertheless makes you feel professional as hell.

You spend a few moments congratulating yourself on a job well done, then proceed to the workshop, outside of which the slab awaits, still as massive as you remember. So massive, in fact, that you are fairly sure there is no way you'll fit it through the door in its present state.

Quote from: Toaster on September 08, 2016, 10:51:43 pm

"Why not get her some clothes? I don't think she's repeatedly committing indecent exposure on purpose. If you'd just let her get dressed, I don't think there would be any issue! I'll even bring her some clothes if you help me find some."

Continue to misunderstand

[Do It For The Exposure: 5]

Indecent exp- indecent exposure? Is this an issue of clothing? Is that what she wants? Yes, you say, exactly! It's really very simple, and you don't see why such a fuss should be made over the issue when the trouble itself is eminently and obviously solvable.

The lord pauses, thinking. And so if she were to... get access to her clothes, the problem would be entirely solved? Yes, you voice your very reasonable assumption. Now, can he help or not?

The lord taps a servant. Servant person! Get into the old chamber and fetch her clothes! Pack a full bag of them, just in case! Chop-chop! The servant runs off at a quick pace, disappearing into one of the rooms, returning a minute or two later with a bag packed full of rather dusty, faded clothes. The lord nods toward you and the servant hands you the bag.

Now, the lord says, get back there and give these to her. Hopefully that will settle her down well enough, he says in a frustrated tone.

Quote from: TopHat on September 09, 2016, 12:52:09 pm

"I'll do my best."
.
"Right, Deirdre. If we're leaving, it's probably best if I can get my bearings first. You wouldn't happen to know if there are any maps in the keep somewhere, would you?"

Follow directions to source of directions. Or just get out the well, otherwise.

Deirdre seems to have already left - fortunately, she's found up top easily enough, wondering if that egg of yours is safe to be around now. You think for a second, and rather than offer a definitive answer reply with a counter-question - does she know of any maps in the keep?

[Cartographer's Folly: 5]

And it turns out she does! She has one herself, actually. The parchment was quite high-quality, so she thought she'd save it to eat when times got particularly desperate, but since that is quite a bit less of an issue now she- you know, she'd actually love to help you now, but it does occur to her that there is quite a lot of food outside. Would you mind if she left you for a bit to get some? The idea is starting to drive her crazy. She'll get you the map from one of her hiding spots in a moment, of course.

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AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1562 on:** September 10, 2016, 04:01:32 pm »

INEVITABLE out the possibilities where bad stuff would happen to me in near future, and relocate self to position (and a good guru pose) where they won't happen.

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #1563 on:** September 10, 2016, 04:48:42 pm »

Okay, now to find civilization again. If the old trail I followed to these ruins continues past them, I keep following it in case it meets up with a road. If the trail ends here, I trudge into the woods on the opposite side of the ruins.

Toaster · « **Reply #1564 on:** September 10, 2016, 08:41:19 pm »

Thomas flashes his best salesman's smile at the lord of the keep. It's not the best salesman's smile (Fred Lingis at the satellite office has one that's just amazing) but it's passable. "See? We solved this quickly and easily. I'll return these to her straight away and everyone will be happy."

Bring them back to the lady. What she does with them (and with herself) afterwards is up to her.

TopHat · « **Reply #1565 on:** September 11, 2016, 04:11:19 am »

"Of course you can! It'd probably be best if you can get enough provisions for a few days of journeying as well, while you're at it. I'll update the minders regarding what I've learnt about my creation in the meantime. Oh, and this thing's probably safe now. As long as I don't drop it or something."

Find the minders and return the favour. They could probably use the information.

Xantalos · « **Reply #1566 on:** September 11, 2016, 04:17:20 am »

"Welp. Sorry stone, but this edition of Weight Watchers is gonna get a little extreme."

See how well my murder-thought works at cutting the stone down to a manageable size. If it doesn't work all that well, carefully REND it down to a smaller size. Assist my efforts with my strength if need be.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1567 on:** September 11, 2016, 11:32:23 am »

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on September 10, 2016, 04:01:32 pm

INEVITABLE out the possibilities where bad stuff would happen to me in near future, and relocate self to position (and a good guru pose) where they won't happen.

Hard to say what could happen, so why not try and hasten the unfolding?

INEVITABLE

[Word: 3]

You observe the party of Storks head on closer as if on fast-forward, talking to one another in hushed, sped-up voices as they come closer and closer. These are the open plains. You will be spotted regardless of what you do. You stand still in time as they come closer, mark you out and surround you, curious about the find.

[A Thing That You Don't Know What It Is: 3]

They converse rapidly, poke you with their weapons, give a good stab or two, not noticing your rather loud complaint when the extraordinarily sharp steel of one's spear goes straight into your liver, and after about ten more minutes of conference they agree that this is probably some kind of anomaly and they better not aggravate it. Perhaps on the way back. That said, they head out quickly. One of them looks back as they leave, blinking a little at you as any information about what you are fails to take, but seems to decry this as a figment of his imagination as the hunting party head on through.

Time slows down as it stops working double time, leaving you with a nasty wound in your side, but otherwise unmolested. Though you do get the feeling that sticking around here might not be the best idea.

[Clan Business: 3]

You don't particularly see Lee anywhere. You wonder how long she'll be in that camp, honestly. Hopefully not the whole night, at least.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on September 10, 2016, 04:48:42 pm

Okay, now to find civilization again. If the old trail I followed to these ruins continues past them, I keep following it in case it meets up with a road. If the trail ends here, I trudge into the woods on the opposite side of the ruins.

[The Untamed Green: 2]

You resume your path, heading on deeper into the woods, the noises of the wilderness not abating as a variety of nocturnal birds sing and the woods twist and turn, with you walking on and on through them as you are serenaded by the occasional scattering forest creature. It's a long walk, and the woods get low and damp as you head on, the vegetation changing as mosses start to line the trees and a dank layer of green starts to squelch coldly under your bare feet. As you head onward the woods get wetter still as parts begin to sink lower and lower, the forested environs giving way to deep swampland.

You've been walking for many hours now. The sky is starting to get bright again as the sun begins to rise... in roughly the direction you've been going. Which means, you think, that you may be as much as 10 to 15 miles off-course. Crap. You rest your back against a nearby tree, the revelation taking a bit of the spirit out of you, and spend a few minutes looking into the sky. This really isn't going according to plan. Maybe you should-

-hm. Is that a smoke plume a little ways northeast? A bit thin, but certainly there.

Quote from: Toaster on September 10, 2016, 08:41:19 pm

Thomas flashes his best salesman's smile at the lord of the keep. It's not the best salesman's smile (Fred Lingis at the satellite office has one that's just amazing) but it's passable. "See? We solved this quickly and easily. I'll return these to her straight away and everyone will be happy."

Bring them back to the lady. What she does with them (and with herself) afterwards is up to her.

The lord nods intently and repeatedly as you leave. Yes, yes! Solving problems! Now solve this problem quickly! And that's exactly what you do, trotting back over to the dungeon's entrance. You're back! Did anything happen while you were gone?

[Terrible Incidents: 4]

Oh, not at all, says the lady of the castle. She's been quite fine in this corner. Suppose it's good the jail doesn't have rotating shifts, right? The joys of having a turnkey willing to live in a squalid basement. Poor fellow. She wonders how he doesn't catch consumption down there, the way he's carrying on.

Anyway, you have her clothes! Quite a few of them. The lady emits a very pleased noise at this. Wonderful! Slide them over, will you? She's honestly forgotten what it's like to have clothes. A strange thing, you must agree, a strange thing indeed - you head on over to the doorway and hand the bag around the corner, and the lady takes it readily. You hear the sound of the bag being rustled and searched. Ooh, you hear, she loved this gown! Oh, but this one! And that. So many ones to choose from!

Oh, but she's lost so much weight, could she - oh my, she could! She hasn't worn this since she was but a girl! And it fits! She nearly squeals with delight. So lovely! You hear the tapping of the lady's feet as she twirls around in her new gown before fetching a set of fine slippers to match it (similarly met with a few moments narration of an anecdote about her younger days - apparently she was quite the dancer).

Her excitement does not at all subside as she gets her things in order, hefting the bag audibly. Yes, she says. Yes! Are you quite ready, Mr. Minstep? She is about to come out.

Quote from: TopHat on September 11, 2016, 04:11:19 am

"Of course you can! It'd probably be best if you can get enough provisions for a few days of journeying as well, while you're at it. I'll update the minders regarding what I've learnt about my creation in the meantime. Oh, and this thing's probably safe now. As long as I don't drop it or something."

Find the minders and return the favour. They could probably use the information.

Solid idea, Deirdre says, and she's even gladder to hear that she probably won't get eaten by horrible creatures from the beyond. She agrees to chase up some supplies - provided, of course, that the war camp hasn't been completely looted yet. You do your thing in the meantime.

And you do, heading inside of the keep to find the ever-convenient room of the minders, where the remaining children stand around the mistress of the tower, who appears to be floating up behind a stoatman chained up to a chair, her fingers on his temples. Her eyes are closed, and the stoatman is looking forward, eyes bugging out, sharp-toothed mouth slightly open. As you open the door, the children look in your direction all at once, and the stoatman jerks his head in your direction, tilting it slightly.

Why are you here, Mr. Wilde, he mouths, why are you here, why are you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here? No sound escapes his mouth, but the words ring out clearly in your mind.

Quote from: Xantalos on September 11, 2016, 04:17:20 am

"Welp. Sorry stone, but this edition of Weight Watchers is gonna get a little extreme."

See how well my murder-thought works at cutting the stone down to a manageable size. If it doesn't work all that well, carefully REND it down to a smaller size. Assist my efforts with my strength if need be.

[Think Sharp, Think Hard: 4]

You look at the stone, and glare at it intensely in pulses as you squeeze your mutilated hand, the sharp agony coupled with the thought driving into the stone at a massive speed. It chips, it cracks, it breaks under the incisive blows of your mind, large chunks falling off as it partially collapses amid a flurry of somewhat targeted strikes. You start to sweat as the pain begins to get to you, but the stone is cut well, sized down to about the proportions of a large coffin. You go up to it and start to heft it - you do need the strong support of the ground so as to not merely pull yourself toward it, and actually carrying it requires something of a counterintuitive stance on your part, but it does seems quite possible to carry, even if a bit of a tight fit.

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AoshimaMichio · « **Reply #1568 on:** September 11, 2016, 02:50:36 pm »

"Whole god damn clan? That's a bit more than sixth. YOU HEAR ME, BASTARD?! THAT'S MORE THAN PROMISED! FAR MORE!"

It's not like there's any better places to be other than the camp and canyon. Hmph. Check out the canyon closer. Can I climb it down? Is it product of mining operations?

Xantalos · « **Reply #1569 on:** September 11, 2016, 06:00:44 pm »

"Oh blacksmith, I've got the stone!"

Set the stone down, open the door to the blacksmith's place, and shove the stone in ahead of me.

Toaster · « **Reply #1570 on:** September 11, 2016, 06:38:46 pm »

"Yes, yes! Again, I could go with you if you prefer. If not, I will go alone."

Indicate I am ready. Follow her lead with regard to going along/together/any strange "don't look" requests.

penguinofhonor · « **Reply #1571 on:** September 11, 2016, 11:52:01 pm »

I make my way towards this smoke.

TopHat · « **Reply #1572 on:** September 12, 2016, 12:36:06 pm »

"It can wait. I see you're... busy."
Sit down, watch and learn. Probably best not to distract her if she's doing what I think she's doing. Could result in permanent brain damage.

Harry Baldman · « **Reply #1573 on:** September 13, 2016, 12:11:25 pm »

Quote from: AoshimaMichio on September 11, 2016, 02:50:36 pm

"Whole god damn clan? That's a bit more than sixth. YOU HEAR ME, BASTARD?! THAT'S MORE THAN PROMISED! FAR MORE!"

It's not like there's any better places to be other than the camp and canyon. Hmph. Check out the canyon closer. Can I climb it down? Is it product of mining operations?

Perhaps a connection is something vaguer than you were led to believe. Oh well! Hmph! Hmph to all of them, the cheeky fuckers!

But yes, the canyon. It's pretty clearly not natural. You've heard of the earth naturally forming slopes due to how gravity accommodates certain configurations of debris - this is not that by any means. It's a steep 45 degree slope all the way, no deviation or any sign of the earth sliding down, just a wedge seemingly cut out of the ground itself. Smooth all the way through as if the half-mile width of canyon were sliced out by a cosmic surgeon with an unshaking machine-like hand, and untouched by either weather or nature. You feel a little weird standing at the edge of it from about the ankles up, a strange pressure over the whole of your body that makes you feel vaguely uncomfortable as you look down to where by all rights land should be, and yet isn't.

At the bottom of the canyon is something you might confuse for a river at first glance. But no. This is something different, a black gash in the earth where the two opposing slopes fail to meet. You can't make out anything about it at this distance, which is a little troubling. You suppose you could try and climb down to take a closer look, though the slope is definitely very unfavorable, and you're not sure if even if you do get all the way down without trouble that getting back up the other way would be strictly possible without specific equipment.

Quote from: Xantalos on September 11, 2016, 06:00:44 pm

"Oh blacksmith, I've got the stone!"

Set the stone down, open the door to the blacksmith's place, and shove the stone in ahead of me.

You open the door before the blacksmith himself manages it, then carry the slab in like a rather unwieldy several ton cabinet. The workshop is far better lit than you recall, and the blacksmith stands fully clothed before you, eying the slab. Ah, he says, BRIL-LI-ANT! This will work spectacularly! Set it down there, will you. No, not on the side - there, very slablike. Excellent!

Now, the blacksmith says, you will need to lie down upon that. His fingers run along a hammer on his belt, then a chisel. And then an instrument you don't quite recognize. And then he'll have to blindfold you.

Oh, by the way - should you have reservations, NOW would be the time to voice them. And do try to not punch his head off in the middle of all this, will you? It'll be a little difficult to concentrate on unmaking certain things without resistance on your part! Ah, and of course, he mentions, pointing at the exit, check if you can leave that murder-thought outside as well!

Quote from: Toaster on September 11, 2016, 06:38:46 pm

"Yes, yes! Again, I could go with you if you prefer. If not, I will go alone."

Indicate I am ready. Follow her lead with regard to going along/together/any strange "don't look" requests.

[Making Sure: 4]

Go with her? Surely you jest. She's afraid that's not really possible. Not that she wouldn't like company, mind you, or that she objects to you in any possible way - you've been very friendly and helpful, Mr. Minstep. It is simply that she is unfortunately quite unhealthy to view for anyone! Oh, all right then, you say. You suppose she wants you to look away as she leaves? Why yes, she says, many thanks for reminding her!

Very well, you say and turn away. Nobody's looking. She may feel free to make a run for it, then.

You hear the woman come out in long steps, throwing her bag of clothes up on the wall, her hands then catching onto the wall as she climbs straight up with a speed you would not really expect from a proper lady. For a moment you feel an odd sensation as you sense her staring at the back of your head, something strange welling up in your skull for a moment. It's a feeling, an impression. You scratch at it, but it gets only worse. You hear the lady compose herself after a few moments, the height of the wall reminding her of old times and a freedom she thought lost until now.

Thank you for your help, Mr. Minstep. May your days be half as wonderful as you've made hers!

GOODBYE

You shiver, a farewell diamond of thanks crystallizing in the back of your head, a feeling of nostalgia filling you as you continue to try and get at that damnable itch. You breathe out, and you sense the lady has made her way down. You stand a few minutes longer, and feel yourself drawn to the top of the wall, looking out to the horizon. Seems she made it down all right. Looks to be long gone by now. Fast on her feet for somebody who must be at least 80 years old if the look of the lord was any indication.

Quote from: penguinofhonor on September 11, 2016, 11:52:01 pm

I make my way towards this smoke.

You follow along for a while yet, the swamp getting deeper and darker as you come upon a small, long-overgrown lake filled with reeds, its green and thick waters choked with life, the heady scent of thickets of wild rosemary filling the air. The crescent shape of the lake suggests it was once part of a river meander.

Upon the lake is a construction not unlike a beaver dam, sticks jammed together in a continuous wall of mounds jutting a little above the water, extending about halfway across the lake before ending in a rather large structure, in which you can see about a human-sized hole leading down, a lone human skull sitting on the edge of the construction, leering at you with empty sockets. The hole is belching smoke continuously, a little firelight flickering from deep within.

Quote from: TopHat on September 12, 2016, 12:36:06 pm

"It can wait. I see you're... busy."
Sit down, watch and learn. Probably best not to distract her if she's doing what I think she's doing. Could result in permanent brain damage.

The stoatman looks away, and all the children save one turn back to their fascinating subject. The last one continues to stare at you unblinkingly. The stoatman twitches, gurgles, occasionally speaks gibberish and drools from both corners of his mouth as his head lolls to either side every now and then.

[The Split Brain: 3]

The children gasp every now and then as one as the minder girl starts to shake violently and sweat from all her pores, her hair quite wild as she takes on the aspect of a deranged faith healer. The stoatman begins to emit a low tone from his mouth as his sharp-toothed jaw falls open. You have no idea what any of this is supposed to be. An interrogation, you suppose? It doesn't look like it's-

The child watching you walks up, and though she is a scant six years old at best her dewy, shining eyes are filled with dreadful menace as they peer at you. Hush, she whispers. And no, you are not being quiet. Remain still. Remain quiet. Don't think. Don't leave. Look at you. Nucleating like you are. Have you no shame?

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Xantalos · « **Reply #1574 on:** September 13, 2016, 12:27:43 pm »

"I'll try, but I'll note that the thought is somewhat tied to my hand, I think. Leave that alone and you shouldn't be sliced apart too much."

Try to make the murder-thought hang around just outside the door for the duration of the operation. Then strip down (I don't want these clothes damaged just after I got them) and lie down on the slab. Deep breaths. Pain only exists in the mind.

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Author Topic: Our Salvation: It Is Written (Read 263739 times)

TopHat

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

Harry Baldman

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

Toaster

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

AoshimaMichio

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

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