Turn 3: Thousand CutsWoodcutting!
Mining! Well, quarrying, but the principle is the same.
[9, Poor] More roughly cut wood is added to the pile.
[9, Poor] Some roughly quarried stone is added as well.
+19 Rough Local Wood
+10 Rough PearlstoneFarms!
Architect: Forget the bungalow, design a stone manor
[5, Poor] More soggy farmland is trenched out. Now if only there was something to actually grow in it.
[10, Poor] The architect begins work on a Size 8 stone structure. It's looking okay.
+100 FarmlandStone Manor Design 2/8More hunting! Maybe with the soldiers this time. Some of the soldiers this time.
Have some tea with the mages, see if I can get them working together!
[18, Bonus] The hunters encounter and then bring down a giant mushroom crab thing. It's pretty impressive, and the captains have a few meetings to figure out what to do with it beyond butchering it for meat and parts.
[16, Good] The mages are all corralled into the hold of Bollwheel's former ship, now Blacktongue's. There's tea!
+88 Mushroom Meat
+Giant Crab-Thing Carcass
Hunters: +2 Hunting
Bollwheel: +2 LeadershipMajor Action: Fix the rainward. Somehow. Failing that just deconstruct the bloody thing.
Major Action: Create a Pearlstone golem
[7, Poor] You fix the rainward the only way you know how: By raising it off the ground. It's a terrible solution that's probably destabilized it further, but it does create a space beneath the rainward that's free of rain. You know, until it gushes out the sides and then some flows underneath.
[20, CRIT!] You begin by carving out a barrel-shaped chunk of stone for the chest. The angle is all wrong, so you throw that out. Then you try to carve a faceplate, but the cheek angles are hideous, so out it goes. Limbs, digits, runes, everything is crafted and discarded as beneath you a dozen times.
By the end of the week, visibly perspiring under any circumstances that allow (so under your rainward), you finally take a step back and realize your creation is done. Mainly because she speaks.
"Papa, when are we going to crush the fools that defy you?"She's perfect. Also a six-foot tall siege engine in the form of a beautifully sculpted female dwarf.
+4 Golemancy
+Sapient pearlstone golem of devoted crushingYou find Blacktongue tazing the shit out of a shrieking girl in her cabin. You wait for her to finish, as is polite.
[2, Malus] Blacktongue tastes a sample, then grimaces. "Eugh, peasant food. I'm not growing this chaff."
Mongo takes his leave as quietly and quickly as he can, trying not to make eye contact with his electrified colleague.
"Another quest! Yes, I'll help! I'll totally help! Unless Malacent-Senpai needs me for something else!"
"The art of healing requires dedicated focus, and cannot be learned who are distracted .. Although I may have a simpler use for you."
Major action: Healer duty, again.
Major action: Craft time! Create a waterproof living cloak for myself from leaves and vines, and try to get it to push loose water that gets inside to the outside. Use that helpful channeler if nobody else has grabbed them.
[13, Good] Sure enough, those idiots have managed to apply themselves directly to the pointy bits of the local beasties again. Shockingly there's no major colonist injuries, at least. You also treat Sjig-Nak further for their curious parasite problem, but are delayed from completing the treatment when you mention it'd be theoretically possibly to goad them into a specific bowl rather than kill or drive them out haphazardly.
You also somewhat awkwardly treat that girl from earlier for dark magic burns. It wasn't serious.
[8, Poor] Your work is mediocre at best, but between you and the channeler there's a
lot of it. The cloak actually rasps a bit against bare skin in its attempts to siphon water out of it, but otherwise actively pumps water off and from under itself strong enough to create visible currents when you submerge it. It's about as dry as you're going to get outside, and best of all it's self-maintaining!
+TurboDry Living Frond CloakMajor: Debate Mining out Housing With Bollwheel: My Arguments:(See Below)
-If Housing was moved underground, The Carpenters Could Work on Furniture, Bedding, And other necessary things of that nature.
-Having those things will improve Moral.
-The Underground is Dryer.
-Being Dryer will improve Moral for the Poor sods that came here.
-If housing was moved underground, the Serface could be reserved for Farming and Woodcutting.
-If you don't believe that it is dryer Take a Look at the cave that I started to dig out.
-Digging underground Will (Hopefully) make the miners more industrious.
-You also Don't have the problem of Miss acting Rain Resisting Spells underground, Do you?
Minor: Ask around about what happened to the remains of that one Lumberjack that died.
[17, Bonus] Bollwheel listens to your arguments carefully, and seems deep in thought for some time afterwards.
"Tell you what," he finally says,
"You find us a good place to dig into, and I'll start setting up the miners clearing it out.
But I'll remind you, we can't dig straight down. That cave of yours is dry because it's dug into a cliff; it doesn't have to worry about water flowing into it. The parts of this hill above ground level aren't big enough for the whole settlement, so we can't just follow suit there. Even if we could, we know this hill isn't as stable as we hoped; I don't want to risk collapsing the rest of it on top of the colony.
So what we need is a good spot to dig into and expand without trying to go in and then straight down, in a spot we're pretty sure is stable. If you can find someplace like that, I'll give you the first room."[9, Poor] A mason says yes, but only if he gets to live in there too. You consider this offer.
[14, Good] Apparently he was dragged screaming into the trees by... "stubby centipedes," is the closest simple explanation you can get. They were buglike but not obviously beetles, flies, crabs, or some other easy to recognize critter. Bollwheel apparently led a search for them afterwards but wasn't able to find them, so presumably the body was eaten.
+2 Persuasion
Now +0 Dabbling PersuaderMajor Action: Put more Mind-Control in the leash.
Major Action: Catch an interesting (ideally magical) beast from the pit.
Minor Actions: Continue reading.
[12, Good] The leash now positively sizzles with mind control. No, really, it's crackling with blue electricity-stuff. You're a little afraid to grab the handle, but it seems not to transfer into you.
[3, Malus] You're ready for this. You are so ready for this. You have your leash, you have your pit, now you just need to go into one and apply the other to your quarry.
Then the screaming starts.
The creatures you're after are considerably bigger than wolves and obviously insectile. They're mostly orangish, with distinctively broad heads with broad mouths filled with hundreds of tiny, tiny little teeth. Their bodies are fuzzy but tubular, like bee larvae with long bug legs.
Oh yes and they attack you en masse.
When you finally stagger out of the pit, you've been thoroughly,
thoroughly gnawed upon, and are not at all convinced the disoriented bug-thing you drag through your own ward was worth the trouble.
Leash now volatile but effective
+Bug-Thing"What are your skills beside channeling and recognizing my obvious greatness?" Malacent asked the strange and bulbous reptile-thing.
Major Action: See if the rain ward can be fixed with Sculpting, by reverting the change and making it into a protective mushroom once more.
Major Action: Provide Channeling assistance to anyone who needs it for useful projects. In case there's none, see if Blacktongue can teach me how to fling black lightning like she does.
Ano's Action: Cheer up, train harder at the banjo.
She coughs.
"I uh, that is, I write poetry?"[11, Good] It'd be a rough job, but the trial run you do seems sound; just squish them up together and the problem is messily solved. It'd still "leak" weirdly, but water flowing within the two halves really isn't that different from flowing over the top.
The problem at this point is the channeling involved; you'd need to custom-shape most of the ward, possibly not including your "lip."
Your efforts at channeling help an insane dwarf make a giant siege machine daughter. Success?
[14, Good] It's slow going, but Ano is picking up again. He's gonna be the best banjo player ever!
+4 ChannelingSomewhere in an appropriated tent lab.
"Hum heh heh heh! Yes! This is certainly ideal and perfect four my work and will inevitability become a creation known far and wide!" Sjig cackled insanely to himself as he worked over the glistering viscera of the Snakipede, the beast stretched over and staked to a plank of wood with thin silver needles from Sjigs pitiful lab. It's carapace carefully pulled upward to reveal it's inner workings. "Yes. Pain is ideal." Sjig muttered, running a thin claw along a section of nerve endings, a spark of magic detaching them and curling them along his finger, before he stretched them over to another part of the body and reattaching them with all the care of a mother fondling her child. The beast let lose a terrible sound as unimaginable pain raced though it's body. "Yes yes! This will do very well my pet! Verrrrry well indeed!"
Major action: Use fleshcrafting to rewire the Snakipede for compliance and give that sucker some basic commands.
Major action: More hunting! A snakipede will only be the start! If the first major action was successful, bring that beasty along as a test of my changes and it's abilities.
Minor Action: Refine Nik-Nak's poison berries into a concentrated solution that will kill anything that isn't immune to poison that injests it, then give the result back to them.
Minor Action: Begin taming what I've caught and Nik-Nak's beast (with supervision from an instructor, if there is one available (Miya, perhaps?)).
Minor action: Obviously don't allow ether of these.
Minor action: (If it is one at least) attend the healing tents to try to get my wounds and parasites expelled.
[18, Bonus] With an unprecedented minimum of screaming, ichor, and forearm lacerations, you rewire the centisnake into a remote controlled centisnake with prebuilt actions. You even get it to stop eating you when you're not commanding it explicitly not to! Amazing!
[17, Bonus] Despite not being a very good hunter, you manage to snag some kind of pterodactyl thing in Nak's mancatcher. Apparently the trick was to feign excruciating pain from poking an obvious plant trap, then snag it when it came to try to eat you alive!
You attempt to get your parasites dealt with, but an unexpected complication arises. Apparently, if he was dedicated enough, the healer could force the parasites out and into a specific place, instead of killing or driving them away haphazardly. This interests you enough to delay healing while you consider it.
+2 Fleshcrafting
+2 Hunting
Now +0 Dabbling Hunter
+Wired Snakipede
+Pterodactyl ThingIn a pained quiet voice her eyes beginning to tear up
I'm sorry blacktongue i-i wasent t-trying to hurt you...d-did t-the map h-help?
Head to the player character doctor after blacktongue responds.
"Very. You can rest assured of your continuing usefulness for now."Attempt to get healing from mongo the healer.
You do so. It's apparently a simple procedure, as the black magics inflicted more pain than actual damage.
Oh yeah a week in that case
after medical treatment "dream a very nice dream involving blacktongue"get up and use orb on self Draw Flattering pictures of blacktongue in heroic poses and badass scenes show blacktongue said drawings say this:
Blacktongue i drew you some thing's b-becuase......w-well just becuase so please look at them Blacktongue.
[14, Good] You get some flattering images of Blacktongue; good likeness, nice composition, heroic subject matter.
[8, Poor] Blacktongue compliments your taste but doesn't seem especially interested in the drawings.
~
Near the end of the week, the mages all find themselves in the hold of Bollwheel/Blacktongue's ship. Bollwheel has some tea for them.
"I say! I've brought you all here to discuss the finer points of- I say, who the blazes are you?"Everyone turns and looks in the same direction as Bollwheel- specifically, at Ulfric Stormforged, the obvious dwarf articifer.
"U-Ulfric?" he asks.
"I say, you most certainly are not! Why, you're... let me see, I know I wrote it down..."Bollwheel pops open a nearby crate and begins rifling through it.
[4]
"Tullis Leth, elven biomancer? What in the blazes are you doing here?"Tul coughs.
"I uh, the dwarf couldn't make it, so I figured I could be a dwarf."There's about five solid minutes of silence. Most of those gathered spend them contemplating new and impressive ways to injure themselves in pursuit of power and amusement.
"Well! You're here now, so... I suppose you're in! Yes, yes. As I was saying, I was hoping to combine your talents to accomplish something truly great! Or at least coordinate you all to be working together so as to avoid wasting your talents. What say you to that?"Joseph John Jackson (crazyabe)
-
Shoulder Bandages: Some minor setbacks have left you with doctor's orders not to be bludgeoned about the head and neck areas.
-
+3 Adept Necromancer (0/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (0/16)
+2 Apprentice Anatomist (0/8)
+1 Novice Brewer (0/4)
+1 Novice Surgeon (0/4)
+1 Novice Intimidator (0/4)
+0 Dabbling Spearogre (0/2)
+0 Dabbling Miner (0/2)
+0 Dabbling Persuader (0/2)
-
Soldier Godfather: Apparently the soldiers here are some kind of gang, and you're one of the "hardest mothers" they've ever seen. This grants a great deal of fear and respect when dealing with soldiers in the colony.
-
1 Unit of Pearlstone: This unit of stone was carved out by you fair and square. You're not sure if you should dump it in the collective piles or keep it stored safely in a jumbled pile outside your hole in the wall.
Bladed Shovel: This ornate runed silver shovel repels hostile undead.
Frankenholder: This rotting patchwork ball of flesh and eyes has some interesting powers. Note that interesting does not mean useful or potent.
Small barrel of Mossrot Beer: Better than it sounds, but that's not saying much. Rougher necromancers are known to appreciate the low-class taste of decay in it.
Bag of "Holding": This bone-sewn sack grips its contents tightly. While a transdimensional space is a much better way to carry things, sometimes you have to make do with evergripping skeletal hands.
Three simple black linen robes; cloth-wrapped dagger collection; mystery bone bag
Sjig-Nak (Criptfeind)
-
Infected: Apparently it's not poison, it's parasites. They don't have a cure.
Bandaged Arm: Good as new! Can hardly tell you were repeatedly and grievously stabbed.
-
+3 Adept Fleshcrafter (2/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (2/16)
+2 Apprentice Dark Mage (2/8)
+1 Novice Doctor (0/4)
+1 Novice Alchemist (0/4)
+0 Dabbling Herbalist (0/2)
+0 Dabbling Hunter (0/2)
-
Remote Controlled Snakipede: This four foot long, eight inch wide thing looks like a carapaced snake with several tiny legs. It likes biting things. It's been rewired to obey commands, including a few prebuilt complex ones it might not be able to figure out on its own.
Pterodactyl Thing: This thing tried to eat you, but the tables have turned! It's got a big beak-like snoot and a crest-thing, and seems able to fly. It's also not some kind of bug, making it sort of rare in these parts.
Oops Berries: These deep purple berries are highly poisonous, if Sjig-Nak's current nausea and pain are any indications.
Nak's Mancatcher: This oversized hoop-on-a-stick looks sturdy enough to pin down creatures considerably larger than a man.
Portable Lab: Imagine a dresser somebody thought was a carrying trunk, and you've got the basics. Folds out into a "lab," complete with tools for manipulating biological reagents and rags that are either for sopping up acid or wearing to fine parties.
Emergency Naksnaks: These reddish balls are wrapped in dried leaves, and serve as an incredibly potent source of energy and protein. They're also somewhat expensive and taste terrible, but it's still better than Nak when he's desperate.
"Dark Shrimp" Malacent (Caellath)
-
+3 Adept Splicer (0/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (0/16)
+2 Apprentice Sculptor (4/8)
+1 Novice Dodger (0/4)
+1 Novice Doctor (0/4)
-
Bladed Blackwood Staff: Too large for Malacent, not that that's ever stopped him.
Ano: This scrap-and-corpse ball with limbs is not very large or impressive, but makes up for it with a ruthless dedication to playing the banjo. Currently despondent.
Medicine Kit: From bone needles to obsidian scalpels, this ominous-looking box has everything an aspiring doctor needs to maybe commit some forms of medicine.
Two simple black linen robes; survival kit; reference booklets; spare parts for Ano; backpack
Miya the Pathetic, (AbstractTraitorHero)
-
+3 Adept Charmer (2/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (2/16)
+2 Apprentice Holy Mage (0/8)
+1 Novice Animal Friend (0/4)
+1 Novice Drawer (2/4)
-
Crude Tree-Dot Map: This map of the surroundings is a bit odd and overly specific, but does list major landmarks and terrain features.
Sky's Eye: A blue gemstone pendant with white speckles in it, reminiscent of a star-speckled sky. A gift from Miya's mother, who assured her it'd keep her safe whenever things got really rough.
Orb of Happiness: This glowing golden orb invokes happiness in people. It works slowly, requiring physical or very near contact for a while to really build up.
Simple purple wool robes; water pouch; small ring; snack pouch filled with assorted glazed nuts
Mongo the Magnificent (Nirur)
-
+3 Adept Healer (2/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (2/16)
+2 Apprentice Livewood Shaper (0/8)
+1 Novice Dancer (0/4)
+1 Novice Herblorist (0/4)
-
TurboDry Living Frond Cloak: This layered hooded leaf cloak rasps against bare skin, but resists and sheds water not only on top of it, but beneath as well. The result is the dryest article of clothing you're liable to get around here.
Emerald and Alder Ring: This pretty, sentimental memento also serves to channel more nature-inclined magics.
Livewood Lures: This set of living wood tools are topped with glowing nodules, and serve to help imprint more refined patterns of livewood shaping and encouragement.
Endless Well of Eternal life: This giant seed pod produces livewood seeds, which are then used to make livewood items from scratch rather than cuttings or buddings from existing plants. Most often used for larger projects, or as a portable startup for where there are no suitable local woods.
Bottle of 315 Wildmelmrelmrikon Blue: This exquisite wine was produced by 315 small earwiglike bugs of the Wildmelmrelmrikon colony, and represents a truly remarkable refreshment that any true elf can appreciate.
Screamsleep Vials: These two bulbous green glass containers are named for the intended series of events involved in their use: The thrower screams, then their assailant sleeps. As with all solutions to difficult problems, these suffer from a variety of complications, but are pretty reliable and expensive.
Fancy spare clothes; ugly abstract picture; shaving kit which elves totally need on hand from time to time
Ulfric Stoneforged (tntey)
-
+3 Adept Matterbender (0/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (2/16)
+2 Apprentice Enchanter (0/8)
+1 Novice Stoneskin (0/4)
+1 Novice Wrathmonger (0/4)
-
Enchanted Iron Anvil: A sturdy magical anvil, built to withstand the rigors of smithing and enchantment.
Stoneforged Iron Greataxe: A masterwork greataxe runed with enchantments of courage. The material of the head is supernaturally sturdy.
Book of Enchantments: This weathered leatherbound tome contains a variety of common and interesting enchantments, though it focuses more on specific enchantments and how to reproduce their trickier elements than on enchanting in general or for beginners.
Playing Cards: These nonmagical, nonrigged playing cards are there to entertain their owner by being used to play cards. Other wizards seem inordinately confused by these facts.
Rugged clothing; hammer; saw; workbench; copper flask filled with whiskey
Omuz (DemonicSpoon)
-
+3 Adept Warder (6/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (0/16)
+2 Apprentice Golemancer (4/8)
+1 Novice Enchanter (0/4)
+1 Novice Blacksmith (0/4)
-
9-Str Pearlstone Golem
-
Leyline Doohickey: This complex brass and steel ball requires constant rebuilding and refinement as it explodes and reveals room for improvement. Its stated purpose is the detection and manipulation of leylines, though minor setbacks seem to get in its way rather frequently.
Trunk of Wizard Hats: This oversized trunk contains entirely too many wizard hats, each gaudier than the last.
Trunk of Tools: This oversized trunk contains an assortment of smithing, enchanting, and warding tools, often in questionable condition or design.
Amulet of Fire Resistance: This garnet-eyed dragon-shaped brass amulet helps protect its wearer from heat-related mishaps.
Ring of Hair Regeneration: What's more important than skin? Hair, of course. This handy horsebone ring studded with turquoise and bristling with spikes of rat claw allows its user's hair to regenerate rapidly, assuring among other things that they will never be without a thick, full beard for long.
Two thick insulated robes; two heavily ornamented belts; jewelry box of assorted beard ornaments; pointy boots; sack of assorted metals; sack of assorted wheels of cheese; walking cane
Otto (ATHATH))
-
Full Body Bandages: Can hardly tell you've been thoroughly gnawed upon. Doesn't even hurt to move! What will healing magic come up with next.
-
+3 Adept Alchemist (2/16)
+3 Adept Channeler (0/16)
+2 Apprentice Prime Channeler (0/8)
+1 Novice Secondary Channeler (0/4)
+1 Novice Tertiary Channeler (0/4)
-
6 Light Essence
-
Bug-Thing: This fairly large animal looks bug-like, but not especially like any kind of bug you're aware of. It's got a LOT of tiny little teeth.
Crackling Mind Control Leash: This rope leash crackles with blue mind-affecting energies. It's effective but incredibly volatile.
Gauntlets of Construction: These sturdy gauntlets are used to break down or combine two items. They take several minutes to work on most materials, and have a few predictable problems regarding subtlety and user intent.
Alchemical Tools: Advanced and sophisticated equipment mostly consisting of a runed iron cauldron and a gold-rimmed monocle.
The Book of Elements: This book is part sermon on the wondrousness and supremacy of elements, part insightful examination of the nature of elements, and part index of various elements and their properties, including very obscure or less helpful ones.
Basic Alchemy: "Congratulations! If you've done everything correctly, you should now have a bubbling cauldron of Earth Essence. In the next chapter, we will learn some of the various uses for this valuable material!"
Advanced Alchemy: "Notably, Shovels of Digging are known for petrifying if they've been allowed to steep for too long; the Earth essence having saturated the available channels and flowed into the structure of the material. Once an item has been tainted in this manner, it is generally not worth the effort to leech it out again; simply use it or render it to recycle some of your investment."
Master Alchemy: "Assuming the Catalytic Matrix holds, the sphere should be stable and allow safe entry for the time required. Do not touch the centerpiece or allow any undue matters or energies to come into contact with it, as it is fully reactive and may become tainted by any premature contamination. In the centermost row, place the Sigils of Hardness, Sigils of Stone, and Sigils of Value in alternating patterns; the precise order should not matter so long as each Sigil is adjacent to each of the other two kinds. In the middle row..."
How To Tap Into Your Inner Power: A handy guide to tapping into your inner power. Caters to those hoping to realize their full potential as well as those afflicted with demonic possession, supernatural rage, inherited powers, and incident-related infusions.
Eternal Scribing Tools: This tablet and quill can supposedly record infinite data. Its organization could use some work...
100 Farmers [+1 Farmer (0/4)]
44 Hunters [+2 Hunter (4/8)][+0 Bowman (0/2)][+0 Tough Guy (0/2)]
50 Soldiers [+1 Spearfighter (0/4)]
20 Carpenters [+2 Carpenter (0/8)]
19 Lumberjacks [+1 Woodcutter (0/4)]
10 Miners [+1 Miner (0/4)]
10 Bureaucrats [+1 Leader (0/4)]
9 Masons [+1 Mason (0/4)]
9 Channelers [+1 Channeler (2/4)]
5 Blacksmiths [+1 Smith (0/4)]
1 Architect [+2 Architect (0/8)](Stone Manor 2/8)
30 Swaying Rough Local Wood Scale Houses
10 Swaying Imported Wood Scale Houses
JJJ's 1-tile Dry Pearlstone Cave
200 Farmland
?? Supplies
88 Mushroom Meat
19 Rough Local Wood
10 Imported Wood
20 Rough Pearlstone
1 Giant Crab-Thing Carcass
300 Low, mostly waterproof tents
Morale: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
27-unit (+6 lip) Flexible Rainball (Tin-Studded Local Wood Blocks) in settlement (6 units doubled up to a normal rain ward)
6-Strength Flexible Ward over beasty pit, resists weaker specimens
Gruelfist
-
+3 Adept ?? (0/16)
+3 Adept Leader (4/16)
+2 Apprentice ?? (0/8)
+1 Novice ?? (0/4)
+1 Novice ?? (0/4)
Blacktongue
-
+3 Adept Black Mage (0/16)
+3 Adept Leader (4/16)
+2 Apprentice Channeler (0/8)
+1 Novice ?? (0/4)
+1 Novice ?? (0/4)
Bollwheel
-
+3 Adept Tough Guy (0/16)
+3 Adept Leader (8/16)
+2 Apprentice Puncher (2/8)
+1 Novice ?? (0/4)
+1 Novice ?? (0/4)
((I'll get Tul's stats up once Whisperling actually shows up.))
Author
Topic: The Expedition Arcane [ded] (Read 44369 times)