I agree to work for the guy for a bit making boats and taking one as payment. I'll try to get him to throw in a kitten or baby chicken as part of the deal. Maybe a plush toy if a live animal isn't available. If this takes more than a day, I'll spend my off time poking around the ol' sawmill, trying to pry up anything of value, like unrusted saw blades. I'll start with the smaller things i can find though - a four or six foot shiny sawblade is neat and all, but not really something I can haul about or use. Unless I can find a buyer. In which case, I will focus entirely on getting the most expensive pieces of machinery out as I can.
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
Mana: 0
Materials: Porcelain
Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous. (Current request: a cute animal)
Ghost Charm
Doctor's Kit
Lantern, Rope, Backpack
You stay in town for a month, living in the man's workshop and helping him with his work. During that time you attempt to scavenge the old saw mill but can't get much from it that people will pay for. In the end you mostly end up stripping it of nails and wood and other simple fixtures. You make two gold out of selling them and at the end of the month the boat maker throws in 3 more gold along with your newly made boat as thanks.
You manage to find a baby chicken during your time there, with another family still in the town, and showing it to the shepherdess is enough to net you 5 mana.
Frick's familiar begins to get agitated at the mention of 'specimens', though he is quick to shush the bird and reply.
"A remarkable endeavour! I've no specimens I'm afraid, though I'd be happy to make a trip to collect some for you. As for knowledge, hmm, let me think..."
Recount anything I know which she might find interesting.
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
Stats:
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6
Ongoing Effects: None
Materials: Alcohol (d12)
Inventory: pointy hat (worn), box of thaumic junk, empty book and ink pen, alchemist's gear, 100 coins. (Carrying: alchemist's gear, book and pen)
Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8
[3]
You recount what you know. Its not a lot and she only jots down one or two things. Once done she tells you to go and get something. A creature. Hopefully something novel.
Lets begin with the surgery, then.
Lay the patient on the slab, and use a hug to try and calm the patient and drain her slightly so that she is less anxious and doesn't fidget. Then begin by examining the foot again. This time, I want to use a reverse enlarge word to temporarily narrow or pinch off the main artery bringing blood to the foot. That should make things a bit easier. Then, use a tourniquet to cut off blood flow after that.
Second, use a reverse strengthen word to temporarily soften up the bones slightly were I need to shave and manipulate them. This should make it easier to actually perform the procedure.
Note that temporarily means I want the spell to have a limited duration, which should make it easier to cast, and save time because I wouldn't then need a second spell to revert things.
After this, hug the patient again, this time aiming to leave her unconscious or semi-conscious for the actual surgery.
Then, perform the procedure, cutting into the foot and shaving the bones, as planned, along with forcing the other bones back in the right position. After that, use magic to regrow the flesh around the bones.
If successful, wait for the spells to expire and the patient to come out from things see if further work needs to be done.
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:
10 mana
37 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
Surgical Tools
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.
[-3 mana, -1 mana][+9 mana][+10 mana]
You greet the patient with a hug and draw the fear out of her as magic. There's a lot and she almost collapses once you've finished. You lay the patient down and then work some minor, temporary spells on their flesh, tightening the vessels and hardening the bones. That done you bend down and hug her, telling her that you're going to put her to sleep and it might feel unpleasant or uncomfortable. You draw more magic out and this time she does pass out, looking quite pale. Draining someone into unconsciousness like this to sedate them is effective but dangerous: you might need to give her some magic back if the surgery goes on too long.
[3v1]
You preform the surgery as you planned it, carefully whittling away bone and forcing things back together in the right position. Its a delicate process but you manage to do it well. Once you're done you attempt to regrow the flesh [4v6] but the magic rebounds out of the flesh with a spray of blue sparks.
During healing practice:Test on my own arm of course. If it goes well then ill test on his burn when he gets back to the boat.
Here and now:
"Take the sword! Maybe ice spears coming up to
skewer it from the water would work?"
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, waterskin (air), hammer, 2 silver, air bladder, white robes.
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: Petunise
Cabal: None at this time.
[5v5]
(Sometime in the past)
You use the sword on yourself. You feel your flesh move as though it has a mind of its own and the swelling slowly flows out, along with the pain. Its still sore and you're pretty sure it didn't fully heal the injury so much as just advanced it to maybe the 80% mark, but its better than nothing.
[9v3]
You try it on Randy's burnt face and this time water leaks from the blade and drips, side ways in one giant droplet, over onto his face. I splashes against him like a water balloon and his burns are just
gone. No scars, no sign of them at all.
Well, the sword was able to easily create ice spikes from water on the club. Try doing that: Create many ice spikes aiming towards the entity moving towards us.
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
2 silver coins
Air bladder
Aqua Vitae
Ferry ticket
[6v3][6v3]
You take the blade and lean over the side of the ferry, dipping the point into the water. You yank the blade up, throwing water forward in the direction of the creature. The splash comes out as a flurry of foot long ice spears that fly forward in a shotgun spray of cold death. The woman attempts to move to the side, drifting like a leaf in the wind, but a half dozen of the spears still hit her. They sink in a foot or more, sometimes piercing straight through, and come out coated in steaming blood. The woman twists under the force of the impact, one arm trapped against her chest where a spike nailed the limb to her ribs, and floats drunkenly for a moment before falling into the water.
Find the safest looking spot, and rock climb down the cliff.
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
Diamond
Mana: 5
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
10 gold
Map
Magic compass
[7v4]
You walk over to the nearest crane and start climbing down the cliff wall, near the metal cable of the crane, just in case you lose your grip. It takes a while to get down but you patiently descend over the course of about an hour until your feet hit the ground. Or rather till your feet hit the wooden planks 2 feet under water.
Head out into the marshland and harvest those mushrooms.
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
Materials:
Shrink
Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
You walk back into the marshland and start wandering around, looking for the mushrooms as they were described to you. Takes a bit but you find a cluster of them under a tree near the bank of one of the small branching rivers of the delta. You pick about 15 of the little fun-guys before you hear something. A heavy snorting noise and the thump of giant hooves on soft ground. You can't place the origin, the sound is echoing all around you.
Buy the book, then read the relevant chapters. If it's too much info to give at once, feel free to split it up over multiple turns.
Well, there are a few ways. The easiest is just to buy them up from places where they're common. Mesothorium for herbs and such, Fearce for chemicals. Alternatively you could go find a pharmacist and buy out his stock.
I meant more in the sense of how we do it mechanically. Should I keep a long list of ingredients and refill those as needed (which might be cumbersome), or can we assume that for a certain amount of gold I can mix a poison or antidote X times from the stock?
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: 22
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 199 gold
BETS:
-50 on Ecalir winning his third match
-25 on Ecalir winning the tournament
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 + map Loaned to Lupanian
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
good history book
The second one, clearly, because I am lazy and don't feel like making up a bunch of ingredients right now.
As per relevant info, I told you what is basically covered about the things you knew, except that yes, those statues are of the mother and sister and were placed there as commemorative grave markers after they died in an attempted coup. The Coup is actually one of the images in the book, along with the emergence of the Black Flux and the Deification of the King. You can account for all the images in the book before a certain page now, but after that, its all unknown to you . Perhaps future events. You notice a glass map like your own in the image of what looks like the arena here burning.
"Wow! A gig! This practically has my name written on it!"
Shanty on down to where this shindig is going down and introduce myself.
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
4 silver
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.
Spirit Quest: Find a nice instrument for Priscilla
Sculptor Quest: 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.
Materials: Lightning
The shindig, as it were, is far out in the noble quarter, basically built into one of the great walls that line the city. A mansion that starts on the paved stones and seems to slide up the wall in a rather fascinating way. There's a large iron fence around the estate and you note that the flier says the musicians aren't needed till this evening. You could try and get in and introduce yourself now or wait a bit and go in when the other guests show up.
"FLEE OR PERISH, WORMS!"
Throw my spear at the center mass of the closest mook.
Then go into a defensive stance. If multiple rush me at once, use "strong acid" to spray them once they get close enough that it becomes a str roll. If only one comes at me, just fuck him up using my two handed sword and great muscles.
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
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
[11v3]
You lunge forward, spear striking out as you use it almost like a rapier, your full weight behind the thrust as you grip the very back end of the weapon. You put the spear straight through the closest thug's head. It exits the back of his head with a wet pop and you twist the spear so that the wide edge catches as you yank the weapon back. The back pull tears the man's head clear off and sheds his body bouncing end over end past you, landing in a heap behind you. You flick the weapon and send the head flying into the wall where it shatters like an egg.
That is clearly the sort of display that places you in the "Above our pay grade" level and the thugs turn and run, vanishing into the bowels of the arena.
[+1 mana]