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[piecewise]

"How do vampire spirits interact with other spirits?"
ask

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

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: 15

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."
Recently acquired a second spirit, still learning about it.

Cabal: None at this time.

"Depends. Most predatory spirits are like predatory animals; they work out a hierarchy and territory when in contact. Some might kill others, or they might cooperate."

Jump on down. attempt to gain the material: Gravity.

Spoiler: Felix Testimony (click to show/hide)

The Ascetic Ghost Shepherd

A thin, wiry guy. Hazel eyes. Black hair. Long fingers.

current status: "You drink the liquid. You feel...strange. Its almost like you were sick before and now you're healthy. Like you were operating at less than normal and never knew it, and now you're back at 100%. "

Stats
6 str 
6 spd 
10 End 
8 Know
10 Will 
4 sense

Mana: 5
Materials: Porcelain, Black Flux

Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous. (Current request:?)
Currently hosting a Scarab ghost in muh brains. (Currently wants a religious relic that has been buried with the dead for some time)

One catamaran sailboat

Ghost Charm
Doctor's Kit

Lantern, Rope, Backpack

(1) rolling horse toy

0 gold

Ok so...is the plan to just fall until you hit the bottom or to fall and then try to stop yourself before hitting the ground? One way is just a straight End roll with quite a high opposing die.

Well, there's a lot to know just from that.  They don't seem to be restrained, for instance, and they aren't restricted to cells or specific posts?  Are they allowed to fraternize?

Can I use another Ape spell to make mental contact with someone?  If so, do it.  Pick someone who is awake and moving around, but not someone who is currently really busy with something.  I want to be able to communicate, tap into senses, and cast spells affecting the distant person, including objects touched by the distant person.  I'd like the connection to not be permanent, but with a long enough time limit so it's essentially permanent.  Say, it'd wear off naturally after the next full moon.

Spoiler: Saeko Hirahara (click to show/hide)

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red dress with long gloves and stockings.  Slight sparkle to her eyes.  Missing fingernails on right hand.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4 -> d6
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10+1
Knowledge  d4+1 -> d6+1
Will  d10+1
Senses  d8

Items:

16 mana
94 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
Jade tablets with d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.

Materials: d12 Ape, d12 Grow, d12 Strengthen, d12 Expand, d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.
Location: Lunare
Status: Fine.  Burn scars on arms.  Missing fingernails on right hand.
Temporary Effects: d4 additional intellect buff.  (1 day)  View Ape, to see through lake.

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.

Some aren't moving, but none look to be struggling. Some are together, but not just standing around. If you had to guess they look like they're working or doing some kind of task.

You could try, but doing so over these distances is going to be hard, and APE is more physical than mental so failures might result in brain damage to you or them or even both. There's also the issue of bleed over from any kind of mental control they're under.

It would almost certainly be someplace real and in this world. Creating a pocket dimension is already hard, but then linking it to the real world in a fuzzy and permeable way like was described? That might be straight up impossible. Chances are this is a local area with some sort of localized alterations of reality running in it. Or maybe the time distortion is a result of the spell to link the areas? Hard to say. Either way, its real and its probably relatively nearby.

Could Pan potentially use his 'insect' word to try and locate where the bugs are hiding/coming from in the real world (assuming they stick around after an ambush of course)? This would be a knowledge spell, correct? Could you give us a vague idea of what difficulty it would be (pan has a terribad knowledge stat)?

Take a look at my map as well, can I find some location(s) that sounds like it'd be a good candidate for the bugs to be 'operating' from, so to speak? Compare with our glass maps and map of the old world (eg perhaps there used to be some University outpost near here). Failing these, perhaps our magic picture book can provide us with a hint?   

You might be able to interfere with the right words to sever or weaken the connection, but you'd have to be right up against or in it to do so.

And if we were to, say, chase down the bugs once they start retreating, does it seem like we would end up in that other place?

Spoiler: Darwin Zeppeli (click to show/hide)

Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.

Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6->d8
Endurance: d6->d8
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10

Mana: 7
Ongoing effects: None


Magical materials

Vacuum!
Reanimate
Sharpen
Viscera
Diamond
Rope

Inventory

dissection knife: d4
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
Springy metal halberd: d8
Curved blade: d6
Icepick: d4
gun: d8 [50 rounds left]
9 smokebombs

Ecalir's old armor: d8 (in use)
shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
Medium armor: d6

Alchemist’s Gear
1707 gold 
5 silver
Octopus core

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

book on normal plants and animals
book on magical plants and animals/creatures
handbook on making weapons&armor, including a list of known types
a detailed account of the Artifacter war
map of the old world
good quality book&pen
good history book

Paradox snail (inside jar) and things to keep them happy and fed
Doctor's bag
set of ingredients (plants, chemicals and the like) for making poisons or antidotes (25 uses left)
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
2x Collapsible rod
20 oil flasks
300 feet of really big, thick, strong rope
100 feet of metal chain
box of metal spikes
pair of binoculars
5 boxes of rags

Potentially yes. What it would be depends on how the spell is stated. Ie he might be able to shift it to a different stat via setting up the spell in a different way. For instance is he trying to just know where they are are is he going to do a spell to attune his senses to where they are and follow them?

They could be anywhere, but they'd probably need a fairly large area and it would have to be hidden for no one to have found it. If you had to guess, its probably underground. Caves go everywhere under the kingdom, as you know first hand.

Its entirely possible you might get "Caught up" in their return journey.  Depends how the spell functions but its not outside the realm of believably.

Wizards raiding!?! Turning their gifts to theft and murder? Frick had known on an academic level that this sort of thing happened in remote areas, of course, but encountering it first-hand was a shock. Almost without him realising it, the shock began curdling to cold anger. They wouldn't get away with this, not if he could help it.

Send my familiar ahead to scout, and advance towards the fighting.

Spoiler: Frick Varmer (click to show/hide)

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: 4
Stats:
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6

Ongoing Effects: None

Materials: Alcohol (d12)

Inventory:

Pointy hat (-)
Thick winter clothing (d4)
Stout walking stick (d4)
Hunting rifle (d8)

Backpack
Lantern
Tent
Climbing gear, 200ft rope
Spyglass
Iron rations (6 person-weeks at start of journey)
Fresh thorny devil meat, good amount.
Net
Bear Trap

Box of thaumic junk
Empty book and ink pen
Alchemist's gear
Glass vials, box

Urn w/ ashes, bound for Kaolin temple.

29 Gold
3 Silver
Giant thorny devil skin

Companions:

Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Grant: A mountain trapper who lost his wife and child to an avalanche. He is...withdrawn, quiet, terse and seemingly quick to anger if asked repeated questions.

You send your familiar off to scout. It returns a few minutes later as you work your way through town. The Attackers seem mostly focused on the far side of town, opposite where you entered. They're methodically moving through buildings and burning things, as though looking for something.

Start scavenging, stick close to the other scavengers and keep an eye out for Iron thread. Go deeper with a few scavengers once I've gathered some Iron thread already.

Spoiler: Robert Grant (click to show/hide)

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: Cut palm (treated)

Mana: 5

Materials:
Shrink

Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
141 gold
Shield
Sword d6
Crossbow with 20 bolts d6
Helmet d4
Leather gloves
Crowbar
Rope

[4v3]
You dig through junk for a few hours, discarding bits of broken machinery and metal until you find a metal spindle of Iron Thread. You carefully tuck it into your bag before going off to gather more goods. [4v5] You don't find much else, just some low level mechanical parts that the other scavengers tell you isn't really worth carrying back. As you dig in again, you hear someone shooting nearby.



 

[Ozarck]

Jump on down. attempt to gain the material: Gravity.

Jump should be far enough to trigger material gain. Have Felix go down the stairs a little if you think it's gonna be a straight death roll.

Spoiler: Felix Testimony (click to show/hide)

The Ascetic Ghost Shepherd

A thin, wiry guy. Hazel eyes. Black hair. Long fingers.

current status: "You drink the liquid. You feel...strange. Its almost like you were sick before and now you're healthy. Like you were operating at less than normal and never knew it, and now you're back at 100%. "

Stats
6 str 
6 spd 
10 End 
8 Know
10 Will 
4 sense

Mana: 5
Materials: Porcelain, Black Flux

Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous. (Current request:?)
Currently hosting a Scarab ghost in muh brains. (Currently wants a religious relic that has been buried with the dead for some time)

One catamaran sailboat

Ghost Charm
Doctor's Kit

Lantern, Rope, Backpack

(1) rolling horse toy

0 gold

[Hotfire90]

Check out the gunfire, join in the fight if someone from my group is involved. Otherwise go deeper and continue scavenging there.

Spoiler: Robert Grant (click to show/hide)

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: Cut palm (treated)

Mana: 5

Materials:
Shrink

Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
141 gold
Shield
Sword d6
Crossbow with 20 bolts d6
Helmet d4
Leather gloves
Crowbar
Rope
Iron thread spindle

[Lenglon]

"Okay. And when we find one, what, specifically, is the plan for what we do with them and the person they're in? I know you've been avoiding the question, but it really matters on this."
ask this for... I think the fourth time now?

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

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: 15

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."
Recently acquired a second spirit, still learning about it.

Cabal: None at this time.

[Devastator]

Can the view show me what the person looks like?  I'd like to show people their friends and relatives who are stuck down there, for purposes of holding a rally to earn the mana I need to save them.  If not, try to use another View spell to do so.  I'd also like to see something that isn't a person, even if it's only the equivalent of a spotlight.  It'd be nice to see the area around one of the people who are working, so as to see what is being worked on.

Spoiler: Saeko Hirahara (click to show/hide)

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red fitted robe with long gloves.  Slight sparkle in eyes.  Missing fingernails on right hand.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4 -> d6
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10+1
Knowledge  d4+1 -> d6+1
Will  d10+1
Senses  d8

Items:

16 mana
94 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
Jade tablets with d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.

Materials: d12 Ape, d12 Grow, d12 Strengthen, d12 Expand, d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.
Location: Lunare
Status: Fine.  Burn scars on arms.  Missing fingernails on right hand.
Temporary Effects: d4 additional intellect buff.  (1 day)  View Ape, to see through lake.

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.

[TopHat]

Move towards the raiders, following around the edge of town. Ask my familiar to fly overhead and let me know when any of them are near.

Spoiler: Frick Varmer (click to show/hide)

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: 4
Stats:
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6

Ongoing Effects: None

Materials: Alcohol (d12)

Inventory:

Pointy hat (-)
Thick winter clothing (d4)
Stout walking stick (d4)
Hunting rifle (d8)

Backpack
Lantern
Tent
Climbing gear, 200ft rope
Spyglass
Iron rations (6 person-weeks at start of journey)
Fresh thorny devil meat, good amount.
Net
Bear Trap

Box of thaumic junk
Empty book and ink pen
Alchemist's gear
Glass vials, box

Urn w/ ashes, bound for Kaolin temple.

29 Gold
3 Silver
Giant thorny devil skin

Companions:

Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Grant: A mountain trapper who lost his wife and child to an avalanche. He is...withdrawn, quiet, terse and seemingly quick to anger if asked repeated questions.

[piecewise]

Jump on down. attempt to gain the material: Gravity.

Jump should be far enough to trigger material gain. Have Felix go down the stairs a little if you think it's gonna be a straight death roll.

Spoiler: Felix Testimony (click to show/hide)

The Ascetic Ghost Shepherd

A thin, wiry guy. Hazel eyes. Black hair. Long fingers.

current status: "You drink the liquid. You feel...strange. Its almost like you were sick before and now you're healthy. Like you were operating at less than normal and never knew it, and now you're back at 100%. "

Stats
6 str 
6 spd 
10 End 
8 Know
10 Will 
4 sense

Mana: 5
Materials: Porcelain, Black Flux

Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous. (Current request:?)
Currently hosting a Scarab ghost in muh brains. (Currently wants a religious relic that has been buried with the dead for some time)

One catamaran sailboat

Ghost Charm
Doctor's Kit

Lantern, Rope, Backpack

(1) rolling horse toy

0 gold

You move down the stairs a bit before jumping off.
[4v9]
After several stomach churning seconds of freefall you hit the ground feet first. The good news is that you don't die. You snap both legs like twigs as you hit and crumple, but you survive it. Then something weird happens. First, both broken legs charlie horse like a mother fucker and snap out straight, bones healing with audible cracks and visible steam. It hurts like hell, but after a few moments they seem to be back together. That overwhelmingly good feeling you had fades.

You have gained the word "Force"

Check out the gunfire, join in the fight if someone from my group is involved. Otherwise go deeper and continue scavenging there.

Spoiler: Robert Grant (click to show/hide)

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: Cut palm (treated)

Mana: 5

Materials:
Shrink

Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
141 gold
Shield
Sword d6
Crossbow with 20 bolts d6
Helmet d4
Leather gloves
Crowbar
Rope
Iron thread spindle

You look around. The shooting is coming from a bit off. You listen and watch, seeing the puffs of smoke down the hill, maybe 300 feet away where two small groups are fighting over something. You mark that down as not your problem and keep scavenging.

[1v6]

You stick a hand into some metal and feel something tighten around your wrist. In an instant it has dragged you elbow deep into the metal scrap and is still pulling.

"Okay. And when we find one, what, specifically, is the plan for what we do with them and the person they're in? I know you've been avoiding the question, but it really matters on this."
ask this for... I think the fourth time now?

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

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: 15

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."
Recently acquired a second spirit, still learning about it.

Cabal: None at this time.

"Like I said, we remove the spirit and place it in an object. Killing the host or transferring the spirit to another living entity will just prolong the cycle.  Though if you're asking about what you should do, you should come get me, unless you think you can handle it on your own."

Can the view show me what the person looks like?  I'd like to show people their friends and relatives who are stuck down there, for purposes of holding a rally to earn the mana I need to save them.  If not, try to use another View spell to do so.  I'd also like to see something that isn't a person, even if it's only the equivalent of a spotlight.  It'd be nice to see the area around one of the people who are working, so as to see what is being worked on.

Spoiler: Saeko Hirahara (click to show/hide)

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red fitted robe with long gloves.  Slight sparkle in eyes.  Missing fingernails on right hand.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4 -> d6
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10+1
Knowledge  d4+1 -> d6+1
Will  d10+1
Senses  d8

Items:

16 mana
94 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
Jade tablets with d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.

Materials: d12 Ape, d12 Grow, d12 Strengthen, d12 Expand, d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.
Location: Lunare
Status: Fine.  Burn scars on arms.  Missing fingernails on right hand.
Temporary Effects: d4 additional intellect buff.  (1 day)  View Ape, to see through lake.

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.

The view you're seeing is your own, you'd have to place the spell on someone else to let them see it or do some sort of projection system or something. As is, you could describe it but thats it.

As per that other spell, [5v3] What you think would work best is enchanting something like a spyglass with the capacity to see through the rock. Your vision would be limited to a small cone but it would let you peer through and see whats in there clearly rather than just highlighting certain things. You could bind the depth of penetration to the focusing mechanism.

Move towards the raiders, following around the edge of town. Ask my familiar to fly overhead and let me know when any of them are near.

Spoiler: Frick Varmer (click to show/hide)

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: 4
Stats:
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6

Ongoing Effects: None

Materials: Alcohol (d12)

Inventory:

Pointy hat (-)
Thick winter clothing (d4)
Stout walking stick (d4)
Hunting rifle (d8)

Backpack
Lantern
Tent
Climbing gear, 200ft rope
Spyglass
Iron rations (6 person-weeks at start of journey)
Fresh thorny devil meat, good amount.
Net
Bear Trap

Box of thaumic junk
Empty book and ink pen
Alchemist's gear
Glass vials, box

Urn w/ ashes, bound for Kaolin temple.

29 Gold
3 Silver
Giant thorny devil skin

Companions:

Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Grant: A mountain trapper who lost his wife and child to an avalanche. He is...withdrawn, quiet, terse and seemingly quick to anger if asked repeated questions.

You and Grant skirt round the town, carefully avoiding the fleeing hordes and the pillaging hordes until you peek round a building and see the latter. They look to be a group of about a dozen wizards, all dressed in combat gear of varying kinds, wielding mundane weapons for the most part. They're not using magic at the moment so you're not sure how anyone can tell they're wizards. There's one with the characteristic tattoos but other than that they all look pretty normal thuggish, stomping around in burning buildings, acting tough, shooting at fleeing citizens.

 

[Ozarck]

Update maps, examine the area, move on down the lit hallway if nothing else presents itself.

Spoiler: Felix Testimony (click to show/hide)

The Ascetic Ghost Shepherd

A thin, wiry guy. Hazel eyes. Black hair. Long fingers.

current status: fine
Stats
6 str 
6 spd 
10 End 
8 Know
10 Will 
4 sense

Mana: 5
Materials: Porcelain, Black Flux, Force

Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous. (Current request:?)
Currently hosting a Scarab ghost in muh brains. (Currently wants a religious relic that has been buried with the dead for some time)

One catamaran sailboat

Ghost Charm
Doctor's Kit

Lantern, Rope, Backpack

(1) rolling horse toy

0 gold

[Hotfire90]

Pull out whatever is grabbing me and axe it.

Spoiler: Robert Grant (click to show/hide)

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: Cut palm (treated)

Mana: 5

Materials:
Shrink

Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
141 gold
Shield
Sword d6
Crossbow with 20 bolts d6
Helmet d4
Leather gloves
Crowbar
Rope
Iron thread spindle

[Lenglon]

"Okay... Adam, are you able to help us find the hostile spirits?"
Ask
"I'm currently the host to two different spirits. one of them, Adam, is completely trustworthy, though constantly cryptic and not omniscient. I've been his host for as long as I can remember, possibly since birth. the other, the vampire spirit we encountered on the way up the river, is currently dormant. If you know a way to get the vampire out without harming Adam, that would be lovely. I didn't tell you until now because the magebreakers in general, and you in particular as well, scare him, and since he's more knowledgeable than me about spirits and magic and such, I've gone by the impression he's given me."
Explain

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

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: 15

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."
Recently acquired a second spirit, still learning about it.

Cabal: None at this time.

[Devastator]

Head back to my patient, the man with apparently some sort of connection to a bottomless pit.  Hug him and observe the waking-up process, as it happens.

Spoiler: Saeko Hirahara (click to show/hide)

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red fitted robe with long gloves.  Slight sparkle in eyes.  Missing fingernails on right hand.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4 -> d6
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10+1
Knowledge  d4+1 -> d6+1
Will  d10+1
Senses  d8

Items:

16 mana
94 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
Jade tablets with d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.

Materials: d12 Ape, d12 Grow, d12 Strengthen, d12 Expand, d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.
Location: Lunare
Status: Fine.  Burn scars on arms.  Missing fingernails on right hand.
Temporary Effects: d4 additional intellect buff.  (1 day)  View Ape, to see through lake.

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.

[Radio Controlled]

Potentially yes. What it would be depends on how the spell is stated. Ie he might be able to shift it to a different stat via setting up the spell in a different way. For instance is he trying to just know where they are are is he going to do a spell to attune his senses to where they are and follow them?

So you mean like an End roll to attune his senses to detecting bugs somehow? Would that need an actual explanation qs to how he'd be detecting these bugs?

Take a look in the magic book to see if it holds any clue or relevant pictures. Then look at the glass map, does it show any large caverns near the operational area of the buggers?

Finally, how much gold to get hire some dudes or dudettes with a weapon to act as some extra muscle?

Spoiler: Darwin Zeppeli (click to show/hide)

Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.

Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6->d8
Endurance: d6->d8
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10

Mana: 7
Ongoing effects: None


Magical materials

Vacuum!
Reanimate
Sharpen
Viscera
Diamond
Rope

Inventory

dissection knife: d4
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
Springy metal halberd: d8
Curved blade: d6
Icepick: d4
gun: d8 [50 rounds left]
9 smokebombs

Ecalir's old armor: d8 (in use)
shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
Medium armor: d6

Alchemist’s Gear
1707 gold 
5 silver
Octopus core

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

book on normal plants and animals
book on magical plants and animals/creatures
handbook on making weapons&armor, including a list of known types
a detailed account of the Artifacter war
map of the old world
good quality book&pen
good history book

Paradox snail (inside jar) and things to keep them happy and fed
Doctor's bag
set of ingredients (plants, chemicals and the like) for making poisons or antidotes (25 uses left)
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
2x Collapsible rod
20 oil flasks
300 feet of really big, thick, strong rope
100 feet of metal chain
box of metal spikes
pair of binoculars
5 boxes of rags

[TopHat]

Keep my distance and find some cover. Then shoot whoever looks like they're in charge before ducking out of sight.

Spoiler: Frick Varmer (click to show/hide)

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: 4
Stats:
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6

Ongoing Effects: None

Materials: Alcohol (d12)

Inventory:

Pointy hat (-)
Thick winter clothing (d4)
Stout walking stick (d4)
Hunting rifle (d8)

Backpack
Lantern
Tent
Climbing gear, 200ft rope
Spyglass
Iron rations (6 person-weeks at start of journey)
Fresh thorny devil meat, good amount.
Net
Bear Trap

Box of thaumic junk
Empty book and ink pen
Alchemist's gear
Glass vials, box

Urn w/ ashes, bound for Kaolin temple.

29 Gold
3 Silver
Giant thorny devil skin

Companions:

Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Grant: A mountain trapper who lost his wife and child to an avalanche. He is...withdrawn, quiet, terse and seemingly quick to anger if asked repeated questions.

[Pancaek]

Stand around while Darwin does his brainiac stuff figuring out how I best use my powers. Me am Ecalir, me am strong.

Spoiler:  Écalir Speedwagon (click to show/hide)

Name: Écalir Speedwagon

Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Strength: d10+2
Speed: d10+1
Endurance: d8+1
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6+1
Senses: d6

Mana: 8
Ongoing effects:None


Magical materials

left Arm: wood
Right arm: Insect 
Stomach: Strong acid
Chest: White Phosphorous 
Left buttcheek: Electricity
Right buttcheek: Lightning
left leg: multiply

Inventory

Mare's Leg: Lever Action, d8, 5/5 magazine, 45 spare bullets.
Quality weapon (Spear): d8
Longsword with glowing runes
Springy metal warpick: d8
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
9 smokebombs

Thaumic flamethrower (5/50 thaum tank, d10 str requirement, armored fuel tank) + extra canisters with compressed gas

Poncho
Sombrero
Fitted armor: d8
Sealer Suit: d4 vs magic
Shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)

Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
199g worth of gems
doctor's bag
Gladiator Badge
Jade tablets (48-number of words)
binoculars

[piecewise]

Update maps, examine the area, move on down the lit hallway if nothing else presents itself.

Spoiler: Felix Testimony (click to show/hide)

The Ascetic Ghost Shepherd

A thin, wiry guy. Hazel eyes. Black hair. Long fingers.

current status: fine
Stats
6 str 
6 spd 
10 End 
8 Know
10 Will 
4 sense

Mana: 5
Materials: Porcelain, Black Flux, Force

Inventory:
Inhabited by a Spirit - a little shepherdess girl. Likes dolls. Adventurous. (Current request:?)
Currently hosting a Scarab ghost in muh brains. (Currently wants a religious relic that has been buried with the dead for some time)

One catamaran sailboat

Ghost Charm
Doctor's Kit

Lantern, Rope, Backpack

(1) rolling horse toy

0 gold

The area at the bottom of this staircase is...well its the bottom of a staircase. They clearly didn't spend a lot of time on making it nice; its just a lot of flat walls with a bit of a nice border around the edge. Eh.  You get up and head down the lit hall. The room it lets out in is a perfect cube. Its perfectly flat on all surfaces, save for the door you got in from, and somehow brightly lit despite there being no visible light source. This is very odd.

Pull out whatever is grabbing me and axe it.

Spoiler: Robert Grant (click to show/hide)

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: Cut palm (treated)

Mana: 5

Materials:
Shrink

Inventory:
War axe D8
Doctor's Bag
Leather armor D6
Bandages
Backpack
Lantern
141 gold
Shield
Sword d6
Crossbow with 20 bolts d6
Helmet d4
Leather gloves
Crowbar
Rope
Iron thread spindle

[10 v 5]
You brace your feet and jerk your arm back, dragging with it an equally humanoid mechanical arm and part of a shoulder. [5] You slam your ax down on the upper arm of the thing and it releases you, retracting back into the debris with a crunch of metal.

"Okay... Adam, are you able to help us find the hostile spirits?"
Ask
"I'm currently the host to two different spirits. one of them, Adam, is completely trustworthy, though constantly cryptic and not omniscient. I've been his host for as long as I can remember, possibly since birth. the other, the vampire spirit we encountered on the way up the river, is currently dormant. If you know a way to get the vampire out without harming Adam, that would be lovely. I didn't tell you until now because the magebreakers in general, and you in particular as well, scare him, and since he's more knowledgeable than me about spirits and magic and such, I've gone by the impression he's given me."
Explain

Spoiler: Nina (click to show/hide)

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: 15

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."
Recently acquired a second spirit, still learning about it.

Cabal: None at this time.

The Magebreaker rounds on you and asks, in a much less bombastic way than before.

"You are currently host to a vampire spirit?"

He then looks away and seems to be considering, tapping the armor on his thigh in thought.

"We might be able to use that to draw these others in, if you would be willing to endanger yourself."

Head back to my patient, the man with apparently some sort of connection to a bottomless pit.  Hug him and observe the waking-up process, as it happens.

Spoiler: Saeko Hirahara (click to show/hide)

Japanese girl with a long black braid and a white and red fitted robe with long gloves.  Slight sparkle in eyes.  Missing fingernails on right hand.

Invoking Empath

Str  d4 -> d6
Speed  d8
Endurance  d10+1
Knowledge  d4+1 -> d6+1
Will  d10+1
Senses  d8

Items:

16 mana
94 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
Jade tablets with d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.

Materials: d12 Ape, d12 Grow, d12 Strengthen, d12 Expand, d8 View, d10 Steel, and d10 Speed.
Location: Lunare
Status: Fine.  Burn scars on arms.  Missing fingernails on right hand.
Temporary Effects: d4 additional intellect buff.  (1 day)  View Ape, to see through lake.

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.

The waking up process is as you suspected: the connection weakens significantly in relation to how awake he is. Once fully awake the connection is barely there, like a pin hole in the bottom of a bathtub,  the suction of it very slight but palpable if you touch it.

Stand around while Darwin does his brainiac stuff figuring out how I best use my powers. Me am Ecalir, me am strong.

Spoiler:  Écalir Speedwagon (click to show/hide)

Name: Écalir Speedwagon

Appearance: barbarian, think Arnie from Conan the Barbarian
Magic path: Hunting flesh-scroll
Strength: d10+2
Speed: d10+1
Endurance: d8+1
Knowledge: d4
Will: d6+1
Senses: d6

Mana: 8
Ongoing effects:None


Magical materials

left Arm: wood
Right arm: Insect 
Stomach: Strong acid
Chest: White Phosphorous 
Left buttcheek: Electricity
Right buttcheek: Lightning
left leg: multiply

Inventory

Mare's Leg: Lever Action, d8, 5/5 magazine, 45 spare bullets.
Quality weapon (Spear): d8
Longsword with glowing runes
Springy metal warpick: d8
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
9 smokebombs

Thaumic flamethrower (5/50 thaum tank, d10 str requirement, armored fuel tank) + extra canisters with compressed gas

Poncho
Sombrero
Fitted armor: d8
Sealer Suit: d4 vs magic
Shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)

Backpack
100 feet of rope
Bandages
Tattoo Kit
199g worth of gems
doctor's bag
Gladiator Badge
Jade tablets (48-number of words)
binoculars

Eclair holds the ground down quite effectively.

Potentially yes. What it would be depends on how the spell is stated. Ie he might be able to shift it to a different stat via setting up the spell in a different way. For instance is he trying to just know where they are are is he going to do a spell to attune his senses to where they are and follow them?

So you mean like an End roll to attune his senses to detecting bugs somehow? Would that need an actual explanation qs to how he'd be detecting these bugs?

Take a look in the magic book to see if it holds any clue or relevant pictures. Then look at the glass map, does it show any large caverns near the operational area of the buggers?

Finally, how much gold to get hire some dudes or dudettes with a weapon to act as some extra muscle?

Spoiler: Darwin Zeppeli (click to show/hide)

Name: Darwin Zeppeli
Appearance: An old medicine man.

Magic path: alchemist gut-reader
Strength: d4
Speed: d6->d8
Endurance: d6->d8
Knowledge: d10
Will: d8
Senses: d10

Mana: 7
Ongoing effects: None


Magical materials

Vacuum!
Reanimate
Sharpen
Viscera
Diamond
Rope

Inventory

dissection knife: d4
Springy metal knive: d6
Springy metal sword: d6
Springy metal halberd: d8
Curved blade: d6
Icepick: d4
gun: d8 [50 rounds left]
9 smokebombs

Ecalir's old armor: d8 (in use)
shield (+1 to protective rolls from armor)
Sealer Suit: d4 (vs magic)
Medium armor: d6

Alchemist’s Gear
1707 gold 
5 silver
Octopus core

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

book on normal plants and animals
book on magical plants and animals/creatures
handbook on making weapons&armor, including a list of known types
a detailed account of the Artifacter war
map of the old world
good quality book&pen
good history book

Paradox snail (inside jar) and things to keep them happy and fed
Doctor's bag
set of ingredients (plants, chemicals and the like) for making poisons or antidotes (25 uses left)
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
2x Collapsible rod
20 oil flasks
300 feet of really big, thick, strong rope
100 feet of metal chain
box of metal spikes
pair of binoculars
5 boxes of rags

Yes, basically. An explanation would be needed but it doesn't have to be super complex, just believable enough.

The magic book doesn't show anything regarding this as far as you can tell. And the map doesn't display underground areas.

Depends on quality but in general you could probably hire a pretty good merc for a gold a day.

Keep my distance and find some cover. Then shoot whoever looks like they're in charge before ducking out of sight.

Spoiler: Frick Varmer (click to show/hide)

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: 4
Stats:
Strength: d4
Speed: d6
Endurance: d8
Knowledge: d12
Will: d8
Senses: d6

Ongoing Effects: None

Materials: Alcohol (d12)

Inventory:

Pointy hat (-)
Thick winter clothing (d4)
Stout walking stick (d4)
Hunting rifle (d8)

Backpack
Lantern
Tent
Climbing gear, 200ft rope
Spyglass
Iron rations (6 person-weeks at start of journey)
Fresh thorny devil meat, good amount.
Net
Bear Trap

Box of thaumic junk
Empty book and ink pen
Alchemist's gear
Glass vials, box

Urn w/ ashes, bound for Kaolin temple.

29 Gold
3 Silver
Giant thorny devil skin

Companions:

Familiar: A small crow, which shares its master's inquisitiveness.
Strength: d4
Speed: d8
Endurance: d4
Knowledge: d6
Will: d6
Senses: d8

Grant: A mountain trapper who lost his wife and child to an avalanche. He is...withdrawn, quiet, terse and seemingly quick to anger if asked repeated questions.

[6v1] [4]
You sit in cover, watching the marauders do their work until you pick out one that looks like the leader, or at least has some power. You take careful aim at him and then fire. You wait only long enough to see his head jerk back and then you're off, scrambling through the back alleys away from retaliation. You can hear them yelling behind you and several more buildings suddenly go up in sudden pillars of flame.