Piecewise, I meant to hug the parent, not the child.
Anyway, time to round out the day, just sleep until tomorrow.
The next day I want to find surgical tools and a place that I could do surgery inside. Start with trying to do these two, I'll try to see one more patient after that, but mostly I want to be ready for the surgery on the following day.
Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red dress with long gloves and stockings.
Invoking Empath
Str d4 -> d6
Speed d8
Endurance d10+1
Knowledge d4+1
Will d10+1
Senses d8
Items:
8 mana
72 coins (gold) {paid 10 gold deposit on a cougar/red-tailed hawk griffon familiar and 35 gold for bounties.}
d6 armour: The outfit, naturally. Weighs as if it were d4
Backpack
100ft Rope
Waterskin
Compass
Hat
Sun Goggles
Materials: d12 Ape, d12 Grow, d12 Strengthen, d12 Expand.
Location: Lunare
Status: Fine. Burn scars on arms.
Notes: Improving physical stats with strengthen, d4->d6 is d6, d6->d8 is d12, d8->d10 is d20 or more.
Mental stats are possible, but harder or more complicated.
Ok you hug the parent but don't get any many from it. Apparently they're not that overjoyed about your safe, noncommittal response.
Surgical tools are not too hard to find, though they are somewhat expensive. You can get everything you need for 40 gold. As per a nice clean place, you ask around. You manage to find a priest in a local temple who will loan you a room normally meant for blessings. You inspect it and find a nice clean room with a large marble slab at about waist height. It should work fine as a surgical site; though you also ask for some clean cotton sheets that they wouldn't mind getting blood on.
You head back and see the child with the cold again and find that he seems to be recovering on his own.
Spawn me in Oleum, please.
The Ascetic Ghost Shepherd
A thin, wiry guy. Hazel eyes. Black hair. Long fingers.
Stats
6 str
6 spd
10 End
8 Know
10 Will
4 sense
Materials: Porcelain (yes, PW rolled this one up for me)
Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous.
Ghost Charm (unless redundant, in which case replace this with, i'unno, 100 coins, I guess
Doctor's Kit
Lantern, Rope, Backpack
My my, off the beaten trail aren't we?
Well, Oleum is like most towns around the black flux: its a little place with old and badly dried wooden buildings, the remnant of better times before the Fulminating Sands swallowed up this place and a great deal of land around it. There are plenty of abandoned buildings here in various states of decay and scavenging, with some faded signs hinting at a logging company in the past. Now Oleum is on the edge of sinking into the ever spreading black flux; half of it is already in the tar black slime, with scattered buildings on stilts or sandy foundations held together with the dried tar from the encroaching black sea. There are boats out on the flux, and you can tell that the city now survives on scavenging from the goo. Out to the East you can see the slade colored spires of a ruin sunk into the goo.
You fork over the gold and take the compass. You find a cartographer's stall and buy a decent world map (It looks basically identical to the one on the OP!). You draw out the possible trajectories of the compass as expanding cones from your rough current position and then put everything back in your bag before heading off. You find a nice bench near a waterway and sit down to reac the book.
The historical events you recognize are rather obvious ones: The destruction of the Artifacter armies, the formation of volcano under Alkahest, and the erecting of the two statues around Lake Limus. You weren't alive to see any of them but you recognize them from the history you know. There are other events here, mixed in with them, but you don't recognize them. For instance, after the statues are formed there is an illustration of what appears to be Lake Limus being sucked into a sword? Its rather abstract.
There's no sort of index, no pages with writing at all, actually. Its all illustrations.
How much did the map cost?
Go and collect our winnings from the match (I had 40 gold on Ecalir winning).
Give Ecalir 20 of my mana (not in broad daylight though, if possible, we don't need to broadcast we're wizards), then go to our room in the inn and convert the last of the platinum into mana (should be 20 mana).
Check bounty board or else go somewhere public and listen for current goings on or for something to do.
I have a small errand that needs to be run, so if I notice he's looking for a job, I could provide one.
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: 27
Ongoing effects: None
Magical materialsVacuum!
Reanimate
Sharpen
Viscera
Diamond
Inventorydissection knife: d4
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
Springy metal halberd: d8
gun: d8
9 smokebombs
Medium armor: d6
Ecalir's old armor: d8
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)
Alchemist’s Gear
250 gold worth of precious gems
Sack of jewels worth 174 gold
BETS:
-40 on Ecalir winning his second match
-25 on Ecalir winning the tournament
5 silver
an ingot of platinum (20 mana)
A glass slab with a topographical map of the kingdom carved into it
a bottle of glowing blue sea water, inside protective box with lock
a glass orb with barely visible lotus inside of it, inside staff assembly.
magic coin
Small book
magic compass
Doctor's bag
High quality backpack
donkey named Yvonne for carrying
Zomboraptor head
Lantern
several hundred feet of rope
climbing crampons
a grappling hook
iron stakes
net made of rope
several vials with imp fat
20 vials
good quality book&pen
AH right. 5 silver.
You go collect your starting 40, plus 55 more. Apparently he wasn't a shoe in like you expected. Nice enough.
You trade mana with a rather overly long, shivery handshake that while it looks...a bit odd to a passer by wouldn't be a direct indication of wizardry. You then convert the rest of your platinum to 20 more mana and head off. You need to see a man about a thing.
Check bounty board or else go somewhere public and listen for current goings on or for something to do.
Name: Venandi
Appearance: A cryptic figure, wearing a solid bone mask, and covered head to toe in furs and leather reinforced with bone, antler, tooth, horn, and all other manner of once living material. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that this figure has hundreds of beads and talismans, again made of bone and like materials, threaded on as well. This person also carries a wicked barbed spear, that seems to inflict pain just by looking at it.
Venandi is a hunter, once scouring the lands for greater and mightier beasts (and men) to fell. Venandi now uses their skills just to survive; but is always looking for path back to glory.
At one time Venandi joined a Cabal, and was known as Zamia the Lost. That time is now as lost as the the rest of the past. And that name is now as forgotten as Venandi once was.
Magic path: Hunting Gut-reader
Materials:
Rope
Mana: 0
Strength: 1d10
Speed: 1d6
Endurance: 1d6
Knowledge: 1d8
Will: 1d4
Senses: 1d10
Ongoing effects: N/A
Inventory:
Barbed spear (1d8)
Hunting trophy armor (1d6)
Atlatl and javelins (1d6)
Backpack
Bandages
Box of thaumic junk
You walk to the local bounty board and are in the midst of scanning through the jobs when an old man in a sealer suit taps you on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you looking for work? I have some errands that need running."
Create a small explosion inside the door's lock.
Name: Zavirius En-Drani Haver, Painter
Appearance: A girl of unknown but apparently foreign decent. She claims to be the last surviving member of a long-dead ancient race, kept preserved in some kind of magical stasis, but this is likely untrue. Though her skin is a strange shade not normally seen on the continent, and her hair is bleached white with a slight green reflective tint. She is not very tall but stout like a dwarf and startlingly strong. The clothing that she wears is very minimal.
Mana: 3
Method: Flesh-Inscribing Channel
Materials: Lightweight, Explosion
Strength: d10
Speed: d6
Endurance: d6
Knowledge: d8
Will: d8+1
Senses: d6
Ongoing effects: Okay?
Inventory:
nothing!
Gonna assume you're doing this with a punch or something to use that d10 instead of your dex.
[3v8]
Your mana drains out of you in an unexpected burst and you dry heave as smoke curls out from the lock. You can hear more feet clomping around in the distance.
"Nina, if you really don't want to go find the exorcist, you can still try to help here with your healing while I go to Alkahest. You can either come or stay, I can't really force you to pick either."
It would be nice to have company, but she can still do things here to help the town, things I can't do. I'm still going to Alkahest, alone or with her.
Name: Randolf Osborn
Appearance: Ugly as hell. Smells like rotten fish. Very brutish.
Magic path: Channeler Ascetic
Mana: 2!
Strength: D6
Speed: D6
Endurance: D12
Knowledge: D4
Will: D12
Senses: D4
Ongoing effects:
Inventory:
Sealer Suit D4
White Robes
Shield
Wooden Club D6
Backpack
Lantern
100 feet of rope
29 gold coins
4 silver coins
Air bladder
Aqua Vitae
Ferry ticket
"... Okay. I'll go, sticking together is a good idea."Go to Alkahest on an exorcist-hunt.
The ferry up towards Alkahest winds trough low lying mountains, struggling upstream on a pair of paddlewheels powered by a coal burning furnace. Its loud and the smoke is choking whenever the wind shifts and blows it over the boat instead of out behind it. The river is fairly wide through most of the trip and you can sit out on the deck and watch the mountains, with their clearly visible strata, drift past. There are animals every now and again, and the remains of an old town, now burnt to nothing but scattered ruins. You reach Petunise at sundown and the ferry stops for the night. Petunise is a jack of all trades as a village; there's a mine clearly visible back in the mountains, gathered food from the thin line of vegetation around the river, and fish from the river itself. There's even a bit of farming and gathering of river plants; you see them out at the edge of the river in wide brimmed straw hats, cutting down reeds as you disembark. The buildings are the standard wood fare, set up in mild terraces as they travel up the foot hills of the mountain. Smoke from dozens of stacks lifts into the night air like flowing black pillars.
Velis is gonna shanty on over to the tradesmen quarter, looking a bard's guild, musicians, and heck, just about any sort of company of music makers.
While searching around, get the old brainpan churning and see if can come-up with any schematics or blueprints for my "sculpture".
And while I'm at it, check up on my old friend Priscilla the spiritual spectre and see what her needs are.
Name: Velis Yeslerp
Appearance: A man on the cusp of adulthood. His hair is slicken back, his lizard scale jacket, unbuttoned. He walks with an air of confidence.
Magic path: Servant Sculptor
Mana: 0
Strength: D6
Speed: D6
Endurance: D6
Knowledge: D8
Will: D10
Senses: D8
Ongoing effects:
Inventory:
Guitar
Rusty Dagger-d4 attack
Lateran
Lizard Scale Jacket-d6 protection
Ghost Charm
Inhabited by a spirit which he calls Priscilla. It manifests not as a tangible form, but as a presence around Velis. Background noise gains a musical rhythm, people close to Velis may feels a tingling sensation in their extremities, and other spirit related happenings.
Materials: Lightning
There are two groups you find; the Musician's guild and the a collection of professional metal smiths who do nothing but make musical instruments and parts for musical instruments. The Musician's guild is mostly connected to professional musicians who play for nobles and events. They're pretty exclusive, as things go.
Your sculpture needs...wood from a tree that grew in a battlefield, The Achilles tendons from 6 different men, six human teeth, a fragment of sword blade, and a lacquer made from the sap of a Wormwood.
Priscilla wants an instrument. A good one.
Spawn me in Mesothorium.
Name: Robert Grant
Appearance: A stocky, tall man with black hair.
Magic path: Hunter Sculptor
Strength: d10
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d8
Will: d8
Senses: d4
Ongoing effects: None
Mana: 0
Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
Alright. Oh you need a magical material.
Shrink. Thats your magical word. Shrink.
This seems as good a time as any to sign up.
Name: Frick Varmer
Appearance: An enthusiastic, young-middle-aged man. Between his ridiculous magnificent hat, the strange bird always perched on his shoulder, and his unbridled curiosity for arcana in all its forms, he is clearly either a wizard or an eccentric fool. Or, more than likely, both.
Magic Path: Alchemist Invoker
Mana: 0
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6
Ongoing Effects: None
Inventory: pointy hat, box of thaumic junk, empty book and ink pen, alchemist's gear, 100 coins.
Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8
Start at the University (in Alkahest?), if possible. Otherwise just start in a random town or city.
You need a magic too.
Alcohol. Thats yours.
As per the university you can start there if you want but the place has seen better days. Its largely abandoned due to the loss of magic, with a lot of empty wings and just a cadre of hard core scholars and students hanging on.
"Sure does, thanks. Unless the next guy is of a different caliber than the first two, I don't think I'll have much trouble. But, overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer, as they say. So I'm not going to underestimate him."
Recieve Mana from Darwin. Then go back to the Arena for my next bout. DId I recieve any mana from the previous bout, by the way?
Name: Écalir Speedwagon
Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Strength: d10+2
Speed: d10
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6+1
Senses: d6
Mana: 20 (20 received from Darwin this turn)
Ongoing effects:None
Magical materialsleft Arm: wood
Right arm: Insect
Stomach: Strong acid
Chest: White Phosphorous
Left buttcheek: Electricity
Right buttcheek: Lightning
left leg: multiply
InventoryQuality weapon (Spear): d8
Longsword with glowing runes
Springy metal warpick: d8
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
9 smokebombs
Thaumic flamethrower (50 thaum tank, d10 str requirement, armored fuel tank) + extra canisters with compressed gas
Fitted armor: d8
Shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)
Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
250g worth of gems
doctor's bag
Sadly not. You're too damn good.
In any case, your gear for the next round is nothing but a loin cloth and long spear.
If you need to get anything ready, now is the time. Semi-finals after all. Oh and Radio might want to bet...