Moghorn agrees to go with them, expressing interest in the Muck and asking them about it. He tries to come across as simple but not impractical, not totally stupid but easily led. He keeps his weapons concealed.
If at any point the twelve are sufficiently far from him and close enough together to catch in one burst, he fires the flamesprayer at them until all are alight, then takes out his crossbow and fires on any that escape or come towards him. If they have ranged weapons (e.g. crossbows) he will flee to cover rather than engage.
If they give him no real chances, he will simply go with them, except to certain death.
Btw, would it be a "senses" roll to magic up a covering of mud (dirt) over one's entire body, as if one was a magical earth creature of some kind?
Name: Moghorn the Journeyman
Appearance: Fiftyish and very weathered. Moghorn spent his youth, adolescense, and adulthood travelling according to the voices in his head and the strange compulsions he felt. Then he stumbled across a magical spirit and gained magical powers.
Magic path: Servant Sculptor
Mana: 5
Strength: d6
Speed: d12
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8
Ongoing effects: Has a spirit in him
Needs:Some Black Flux (Fuel in Fearce, also naturally sourced), a lot Human blood, Alchemist's tools (just buy), A gallon of mercury (free near Pillars of Lead), Contained lightning (Fearce Battery), a fist sized crystal (Try science crystal before magic)
Inventory:
Lodestone
24-13=11 gold coins
Camping Gear
Five days of supplies
Mundane: Backpack, 100 feet of rope, Lantern
Great: Marsh Hog Leather Armour (d6 protection), Marsh Hog Bone crossbow (d6 ranged damage)
Grand: Spirit (Wants stone guide from the towers around Kaolin)
Cheap Alchemist's Tools, ample Black Flux urn, fist-sized raw crystal, fist-sized lightning battery.
Sculpture:
Flamethrower RodMaterials: "Grand Lode Stone" or rare earth magnet in our terms
Wax
Copper
Dirt
Fire
Snake
You fade back until the group is all in front of you and then immediately whip out the flamesprayer. You fire out a tight cone and sweep it across the group several times. They don't scream like you would expect, instead they simply turn to look at you, faces more confused than anything, and then take a few steps in your direction as the flame consumes them. They don't say anything as they fall and as soon as they hit the ground there is a gout of steam as cold murky water seems to replace their flesh. In the end all thats left is a burning pile of clothing for each member of the party.
I guess it would depend on the use for that spell. Are you trying to hide yourself or shield yourself or what?
If that man is awake, try to hug him to restore mana, otherwise find someone shocky who needs to be calmed down, and do the same while trying to help. After that, look for someone else who needs spell-healing.
Basically, repeat the process for the duration of the emergency.
Saeko Hirahara
Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red dress with long gloves and stockings.
Invoking Empath
Str d4
Speed d8
Endurance d10
Knowledge d4
Will d10
Senses d8
Items:
Extra Material
//
3 Mana
113 coins (gold)
//
Backpack
100ft Rope
Waterskin
Compass
Hat
Sun Goggles
Light Armor: The outfit, naturally.
You drain some mana from the man via a hug [8 mana] and then move on to the next injured man. You do this several times down the row, restoring flesh as best you can and stemming the flow of severed arteries. Several men die while waiting on you due to the fact that you have to stop between each attempt to restore your power, but you manage to save most of them. By the time you're done the Inn is mostly burnt down and the source of the flame seems to have disappeared. Men are mostly just standing around now, hands on their hips or behind their heads, silently wondering what to do.
Well, not much to do then. With a worried expression, ask my escort to keep an eye out for more men like that. Then, as I said before: "ask my guide about the local council of elders that actually leads the town. I very much would like to speak with them, and would appreciate it if he could lead me to whichever one he thinks might lend me their ear."
Name:Zruril Zaszurs
Appearance: Zruril is a tall, middle-age man, with thinning gray hair and a calm, warm smile that never seems to leave his face. He wears heavy robes that look much like what a priest might wear, and a perceptive individual might notice the glint of a small handgun carefully hidden in their folds. He has the appearance of one from Litharge, which to most rural people makes him difficult to distinguish from a native of Alkahest.
Magic path: Empath Invoker
Mana: 5
Strength: 1d4
Speed: 1d8
Endurance: 1d4
Knowledge: 1d12
Will: 1d12+1
Senses: 1d4
Ongoing effects: None!
Inventory:
Heavy robes (d4 light armor) (worn)
Pocket springpistol (d6 ranged)
Jade bead necklace, inscribed with mystical mumbo-jumbo
A backpack, containing:
Magical gold coin (Powerful bound fire spell; unknown effect)
Small knife (d4 melee)
Rope
Collapsible 10-foot rod
Book & pen
Bandages
Several concealed money pouches.
291 gold coins
6 silver coins
Another d4 robe with a concealing hood is currently being made, but will take a couple days.
Words:
Shrink (d6)
Light (d8)
Gas (d8)
Chemical (d10)
He tells you that the elders are rather distrustful of outsiders, even those not from Alkahest. However, he says that the best way to get in their good graces would be to either show that you are united with them or that you are doing things for the town. He tells you that there are currently 5 members of the council and that if you're trying to get in good with them the best bet is to talk to Mother Shab, one of the oldest and most kind of the group. He offers to take you to her.
Pay 10 Gold for the limbs, then go make my sculpture. Make sure to hand the money over after I get the limbs.
Name: Aurum
Appearance:
I am the alchemist.Magic path: Alchemist Sculptor
Mana: 3
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d10
Knowledge: d8
Will: d10
Senses: d4
Ongoing effects: None
Inventory: Magical Material (Grand Item)
Alchemist's Gear (Great Item) (Set up at home)
A drop of Thaum
Box of Glass Vials (Mundane Item)
One bug
A large cricket
A large beetle
Another beetle
Several ants
Small albino praying mantis
Bigass worm
Hercules beetle larva
Yet another beetle
A small cricket
Some coins from a no longer existent empire
Empty hourglass
20 Thaum
12 Gold
Backpack (Mundane Item)
You wait outside as the process is completed, doing your best to ignore the screaming. Maybe 30 minutes later a man walks out with a package wrapped in thick paper and leather bindings. You hand over the 10 gold and quickly scurry away to make your sculpture.
You work in a daze and when you've finally finished you are left with something very odd. Its an hourglass, though one lacking any sand. Inside the glass is a piece of human flesh on which countless tiny insect feast. As they eat, they are drawn upwards, almost as though by a gentle suction, off the arm and through the thin space between the chambers of the hourglass. What comes out are not insects but figurines. They resemble tiny golden men who appear to be quite alive. They drift upwards slowly before landing at the top of the glass. There, they melt down into a golden puddle held against the roof of the glass. That puddle never seems to increase in size, no matter how many men rise into it. Likewise, the bugs never seem to run out either.
You have gained knowledge of
Flesh
Insect
Gold
Human
"An artificial lung huh? That might work."
I might actually have encountered such a thing in my line of work, for rescue breathing. I'd need a way to seal it, but do I already know of or have an artificial lung? Also, lets go see about that hammer. Also, I might as well reserve the room at that inn I stayed in before for until the pilgrimage time, to make sure I don't run out of funds to have a place to stay by accident. I'm on a pretty limited budget after all.
Name: Nina Morellis
Appearance: A young, red-haired woman, green eyes, somewhat unkempt. She's had Adam for as long as she could remember, and has a bit of a reputation as a harmless nut. The town guard are okay with Nina though, occasionally getting her help keeping a mage secured by having her drain their mana so they can't cast. Since they don't have a proper magehunter available, having a local civilian channeler they can bring in as needed is a big help. And Nina tries to be on her best behavior with them to keep their relations good. Nina herself works as a healer, living out in the poor part of town, and has an erratic schedule based on the needs of those who want her help. so she has a lot of free time, but also gets woken up in the middle of the night a lot. add in Adam's occasional antics and she doesn't get to have a stable sleep schedule.
Magic Path: Channeler, Invoker.
Materials: Sound
Mana: 5
Strength: D4
Speed: D6
Endurance: D10
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D6
Inventory: Backpack, padded cloak (D4 protection, Light armor), Lantern, doctor's bag, 4 silver.
Inhabited by a spirit which takes the form of a floating disembodied limb that constantly melts and reforms into other body parts. She calls it "Adam."
Location: Phaganeda, a town on top of lake Limus
Cabal: None at this time.
You've heard about divers that carry leather bladders filled with air with them that allow them to dive deeper and stay down longer. Its concievable that having one of those would let you ascend from the bottom of the lake without drowning. You might be able to make one with some materials; though you'd also need some lead weights to make you neutrally boyant, less the bladder just drag you straight to the surface...come to think of it that might be a good idea too. If you could find a way to fill a bag with air from the bottom, it would drag you straight up. Hmm.
You get a hammer for 1 silver before returning to your inn and reserving a room for the next week. When you say you're staying for the pilgramage, they let you have it for free.
You don't sense anything nearby, so you raise your lantern and begin searching for your lost companion. You decide the best way to search is simply to follow the river; if she got out of it she'll be on the bank, and if not she'll be further down river regardless. You walk maybe 20 minutes down the bank, which narrows to a few inches in places, forcing a careful sidle, and finally find Behiar laying on the side of the river, panting and shivering.
Sense for danger, if none seems incoming help Behiar. Be sure to let Écalir be the one to do any up close and personal 'sharing bodyheat to survive' however. Perhaps the lamps could generate some warmth? (unless Rufus advises against making light here)
One she is reasonably out of danger of hypothermia and back on her feet, we move on.
Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.
Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10
Mana:0
Ongoing effects: None
Inventory:
Small or rudimentary weapon (dissection knife): d4
Lantern
small amount of thaum
Alchemist’s Gear
Medium armor: d6
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
several hundred feet of rope
climbing crampons
a grappling hook
iron stakes
Magical materials: Vacuum!
Follow Darwin's instructions to correctly help Behiar back on her feet. I'm assuming a lot of manly hugging is involved.
Name: Écalir Speedwagon
Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Mana: 0
Strength: d10
Speed: d10
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6
Senses: d6
Ongoing effects:None
Inventory:
Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
Medium armour: d6
Quality weapon (Spear): d8
Tattoos:
Arm: "wood"
Light my lamp. Other than that, don't move or make noise. It's very possible that there's some nasty things about.
Name: Behiar the Scribe
Appearance: Green coveralls, blond hair in a bun, dark eyes and pale complexion. Adventure often leads to death and glory! Better than sitting around doing nothing, ehe.
Strength: d6
Speed: d6
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d8
Will: d6
Senses: d4
Ongoing effects: Cold & Wet
Inventory:
100 Coins
Sturdy backpack
Oil lamp
Book & pen
Using lamps and body heat the group gets Behiar warmed up. As they sit around in the glow of the lamps, Darwin notices something. The walls of the cave here are completely coated in fossils. They're interwoven and covering each other, as though they had been walking through the tunnel when some force picked them up and mashed them into the walls. Its difficult to even tell where one begins and another ends; vertebral columns and rib cages and skulls and limbs all overlap and merge. As he looks at the mass of bone made stone, he hears something. It is a slow grinding noise, like a millstone rotating.