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[Weirdsound]

Status:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Journeymage Shay Masters

Physical State: Healthy
Mental State: Nervous

Magical Capacity: Brimming with Mana

Memory Storage:
x10 Fear (Brother's Safety)
x5 Pride (Graduated the Academy)

Inventory:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Travelers Clothes (Worn)
Hooded Surgical Mage's Robes (Worn)
Utility Belt (Worn)
     -Crossbow
     -Pouch of 15 Bolts
     -Combat Knife
     -Grapple Hook with 25 Feet of Sturdy Line
Surgical Mage's Bag (Slung over shoulder on stick, Enchanted: Extra Space, Enchanted: Refrigerated)
     -Surgeon's Knife Set (Enchanted: Self Sharpening, Enchanted: Painless)
     -Surgical Forceps
     -10 Bronze Needles
     -5 Thick Spools of Unicorn Hair Thread
     -Steel Bone Saw (Enchanted: Self Sharpening)
     -Surgeon's 'Living' Cloth Wipe (Enchanted: Cloth consumes bodily fluids it absorbs to produce more of itself)
     -Journeymage's Diploma from The Lower Fenwick Academy of Surgical Magic
     -Final Letter from Brother Clancy

Magic Talents:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

General Mage Skills:

Subschool of Memory Manipulation (20)
Extract Memory - Extracts the power from a specific memory, forming it into a drop of magic the size of a poker chip that mages use to barter with. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Consume Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a specific subschool. The spell learned will relate to the memories burnt. The amount of memories that must be burnt to cast this spell is listed in parentheses () next to the subschools' name under the magic talents spoiler, and increases each time this spell is used for a given subschool. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Read Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a book/scroll/ect. To learn a spell this way often requires memories of a specific type, such as memories related to medical practice to learn a new surgical spell for example. You may also have to meet other requirements as well, depending on the book or scroll you are using. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

The School of Surgical Magic:

Subschool of Diagnostic Magic (15)
Diagnosis Target Area - Cast with a weapon in hand and target in mind. Choose the type of injury you wish to inflict (broken arm, crushed brain, pierced heart, ect), and the spell will highlight the area you should strike, while guiding your next shot or blow towards that area for a bonus to accuracy. Can be easily cast in the heat of battle.
Family Diagnosis - Cast with a visible target in mind. The spell will look into the deaths of the target's ancestors going back ten generations, and highlight on the target any bodypart or organ whose failure was the main cause of an ancestor's death. Deaths on the target's mothers side will be highlighted in red, deaths on the target's fathers side will be highlighted in green. This spell makes no effort to differentiate between violent deaths and natural causes.
Tumor Vision - As long as you maintain focus on the spell, all growths, tumors, moles, ect belonging to anybody in your field of view are highlighted in your vision. A simple benign mole is highlighted in white, and the color darkens as the growth becomes more and more serious; Terminal cancer is highlighted in pitch black.

Subschool of Body Manipulation (10)
Replenish Blood - Cast with a visible target in mind. Target's blood supply is restored to normal levels, and minor injuries to the target's major blood vessels are healed. Draining to cast, especially if cast on self.
Set Bones - Cast with a visible target in mind. Targets bones are returned to their normal position, and small breaks are repaired. Spell is painful enough to make most targets pass out. Trying to set more than two bones at once, or repairing large breaks, is very draining, perhaps dangerously so.

Subschool of Transmutation (10)
Reconfigure Blood - Cast with a target in mind. Target's bloodtype becomes AB+. Target's immune system is completely reset, rendering the target prone to infection, but also ensuring that any organ you might have just put into the target is not rejected. Very draining.
Mutate Abnormality - Cast with a target tumor, growth, or infection in mind. This spell extracts the power of a chosen memory within your memory storage, and converts it into a powerful beam of mutagenic energy to be focused on the target. The target will mutate rapidly for weeks, often gaining interesting magical qualities related to the memory used. This spell is often a death sentence for the person carrying the target tumor, growth, or infection, but can be used as a last resort on already terminal infections or tumors. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

This is not your intended destination, you think as you survey the gloomy dock. You had been sailing to Deltaport, a major trade hub within the nation of Terminal Woods and the last known location of your missing older brother Clancy, but your ship had been turned back by the local navy; Apparently your homeland of Fenwick has done something to anger the King - you didn't pick up on all the details.

According to the Captain of the boat you have been sailing on, you are now in an unnamed fishing village in the savage wildlands north of Terminal Woods. He had advised you to sail back home with him, noting that he doesn't have a map of the area for you and that you lack the provisions or fire-making capability to safely explore the wilderness, but you are determined to find Clancy and bring him home alive. All you should have to do is follow the coast south until you find civilization... it shouldn't be too hard. Although your entire life to this point has been spent around cities and roads, you figure that survival and navigation should be a cinch for a clever Surgeon Mage such as yourself.

Although you carry no money, you are sure you can still barter for whatever you might want or need; The memories of a mage are a potent source of magic, and can usually be sold for a fair amount.

There are few people about, as it is just before sundown on a foggy and gloomy day, but those that are make no attempt to hide the fact that they are stareing at the stranger in their midst. Two older men watch you intently as they unload their catch for the day, a rich bounty of red crabs, from a large canoe. A group of children standing where dock, water, and dryland all meet whisper among themselves, pointing in your direction. An old woman, dressed in some sort of ancient faded mage's robes, watches you from her rocker in front of a nearby house while working on some sort of knitting project.

Three strange figures with leather armor, bronze tipped spears, and equine bodies stand on the main road leading into the center of the village, where you might find an inn or place to purchase supplies. You figure they must be centaurs, and this realization makes you a bit nervous; You have heard the horse-folk of the wildlands have no qualms about forcing themselves upon beautiful young women such as yourself. You pull your hood on to appear less girlish and more like the important mage you are.

For all intents and purposes the quest of Shay Masters, Surgeon Mage, begins now. What do you do?

[Roboson]

(I really really really like this idea).

Go and talk to the old mage knitting. See if she can tell you a bit about the area.

[Prophet]

(I really really really like this idea).

Go and talk to the old mage knitting. See if she can tell you a bit about the area.

+1

[Xvareon]

(I really really really like this idea).

Go and talk to the old mage knitting. See if she can tell you a bit about the area.

+1

((Also, digging the idea myself. ^^  Surprised I didn't think of it.))

((Also, question:  Is it possible to 'dissolve' those memory poker chips in liquid, like water, and have them get absorbed by drinking? I bet Mages can play pranks on each other like that. Imagine spiking someone's drink with "That One Embarrassing Thing you did in Freshman Year" (tm).))

[Weirdsound]

Status:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Journeymage Shay Masters

Physical State: Healthy
Mental State: Nervous

Magical Capacity: Brimming with Mana

Memory Storage:
x10 Fear (Brother's Safety)
x5 Pride (Graduated the Academy)
x2 Knowledge (Un-named Village)

Inventory:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Travelers Clothes (Worn)
Hooded Surgical Mage's Robes (Worn)
Utility Belt (Worn)
     -Crossbow
     -Pouch of 15 Bolts
     -Combat Knife
     -Grapple Hook with 25 Feet of Sturdy Line
Surgical Mage's Bag (Slung over shoulder on stick, Enchanted: Extra Space, Enchanted: Refrigerated)
     -Surgeon's Knife Set (Enchanted: Self Sharpening, Enchanted: Painless)
     -Surgical Forceps
     -10 Bronze Needles
     -5 Thick Spools of Unicorn Hair Thread
     -Steel Bone Saw (Enchanted: Self Sharpening)
     -Surgeon's 'Living' Cloth Wipe (Enchanted: Cloth consumes bodily fluids it absorbs to produce more of itself)
     -Journeymage's Diploma from The Lower Fenwick Academy of Surgical Magic
     -Final Letter from Brother Clancy

Magic Talents:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

General Mage Skills:

Subschool of Memory Manipulation (20)
Extract Memory - Extracts the power from a specific memory, forming it into a drop of magic the size of a poker chip that mages use to barter with. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Consume Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a specific subschool. The spell learned will relate to the memories burnt. The amount of memories that must be burnt to cast this spell is listed in parentheses () next to the subschools' name under the magic talents spoiler, and increases each time this spell is used for a given subschool. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Read Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a book/scroll/ect. To learn a spell this way often requires memories of a specific type, such as memories related to medical practice to learn a new surgical spell for example. You may also have to meet other requirements as well, depending on the book or scroll you are using. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

The School of Surgical Magic:

Subschool of Diagnostic Magic (15)
Diagnosis Target Area - Cast with a weapon in hand and target in mind. Choose the type of injury you wish to inflict (broken arm, crushed brain, pierced heart, ect), and the spell will highlight the area you should strike, while guiding your next shot or blow towards that area for a bonus to accuracy. Can be easily cast in the heat of battle.
Family Diagnosis - Cast with a visible target in mind. The spell will look into the deaths of the target's ancestors going back ten generations, and highlight on the target any bodypart or organ whose failure was the main cause of an ancestor's death. Deaths on the target's mothers side will be highlighted in red, deaths on the target's fathers side will be highlighted in green. This spell makes no effort to differentiate between violent deaths and natural causes.
Tumor Vision - As long as you maintain focus on the spell, all growths, tumors, moles, ect belonging to anybody in your field of view are highlighted in your vision. A simple benign mole is highlighted in white, and the color darkens as the growth becomes more and more serious; Terminal cancer is highlighted in pitch black.

Subschool of Body Manipulation (10)
Replenish Blood - Cast with a visible target in mind. Target's blood supply is restored to normal levels, and minor injuries to the target's major blood vessels are healed. Draining to cast, especially if cast on self.
Set Bones - Cast with a visible target in mind. Targets bones are returned to their normal position, and small breaks are repaired. Spell is painful enough to make most targets pass out. Trying to set more than two bones at once, or repairing large breaks, is very draining, perhaps dangerously so.

Subschool of Transmutation (10)
Reconfigure Blood - Cast with a target in mind. Target's bloodtype becomes AB+. Target's immune system is completely reset, rendering the target prone to infection, but also ensuring that any organ you might have just put into the target is not rejected. Very draining.
Mutate Abnormality - Cast with a target tumor, growth, or infection in mind. This spell extracts the power of a chosen memory within your memory storage, and converts it into a powerful beam of mutagenic energy to be focused on the target. The target will mutate rapidly for weeks, often gaining interesting magical qualities related to the memory used. This spell is often a death sentence for the person carrying the target tumor, growth, or infection, but can be used as a last resort on already terminal infections or tumors. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

You offer the old woman a friendly yet dignified wave, and when she returns the gesture, you decide to approach. As you close in, you consider her robes; Among humans at least, the sort of person who gets into an academy and earns the right to wear a robe and call herself a mage comes from the better-off neighborhoods of a city or large town, and wouldn't be caught dead living in a backwoods hole like this. There is a chance she could have just found, stolen, or inherited a robe - nobody would likely prosecute her for it this far out from civilization. The robe itself is a fadded blue, the color often worn by sea mages, but it is also marked with fey pictographs, indicating that the garment is meant for a druid, or at least the graduate of a magical academy run by one of the more wild races.

Introducing yourself as Shay Masters, a Surgeon Mage from Fenwick, you can't resist but ask about the robes right off the bat. The woman introduces herself as Carol, widow of Dunn, and confirms that she is indeed not a mage, and that the robes belong to her late husband, who graduated from a Storm Magic Academy run by Dryads several weeks travel inland, and that she is simply just not strong or healthy enough to make the trip required to return them so that the school might list her beloved Dunn amoungst its honored dead. A quick and discreet glance with your Family Diagnosis spell reveals that there is a history of lethal heart and lung problems on Carol's mother's side, so that part of the story checks out at least.

Offering your condolences, you explain to Carol that you are trying to head south to Deltaport, and that you had hoped she might tell you a bit about the area to aid you on your journey.

"I would not travel directly south to Deltaport," Carol explains, "The armies of a nasty bandit lord called Cyrus are stationed in Northern coastal region of Terminal Woods. He is a slaver by trade, and the reason we don't have many ablebodied men in this village. Walking through his turf would be a poor idea. You should travel inland before crossing the border unless you fancy being sold to the highest bidder."

Your new friend goes on to offer you a place to stay for the night, and advice for your departure in the morning. "We pay tribute to the Blackhoof Herd in exchange for guards to protect us from Cyrus' raiders, but Dangerberries, the older Centaur with a huge scar on his torso usually stationed at the northern well, has a bad case of wanderlust. If you offer him some memories, he should be willing to desert his post for a spell and escort you to a more established settlement nearby, where you might better plan your trip."

Carol suggests three destinations all within two days travel, first being the Treasure Caves, a series of seaside rock formations to the south that is home to a large family of Ogres. You find the suggestion hard to take seriously at first, as although you have never met an ogre, it is common knowledge that they consider humanity to be little more than a particularly clever prey item. Carol, however, assures you that Ogres, or at least these Ogres, have great respect for mages, and that their leader Toogool was a good friend of her husband's. Before Cyrus' forces cut him off Toogool used to regularly raid the humans of Terminal Woods, and would know the route to Deltaport well.

Fort Three-Grain to the north would also be a decent place to visit, as it is home to a small detachment of soldiers from Terminal Woods who have been largely cut off from contact with their homes by Cyrus. Although there is no guarantee that the army of Terminal Woods will be any more thrilled with you entering their country than their Navy was, you suspect that an isolated band of soldiers will have plenty of need for your talents, giving you plenty of chances to win them over if needed.

The Blackhoof Herd of Centaurs, who are the defacto rulers and protectors of humanity in the wildlands these days, keep a large settlement called Dashing Winds a day and a half to the east. Dashing Winds has the population of a small human city, and if you can stand the thought of being around that many perverted centaurs, it would be the best place to find mercenaries, supplies, and work to aid you on your journey inland.

+Knowledge Memory x2

---

You are lying awake in a small bed in Carol's house, pondering on where you should go next, and if you should trust the centaur Dangerberries to get you there. You haven't slept well since Clancy didn't respond to the letters you sent informing him of mother's death...

Out of nowhere something catches your eye: A thick tome propped up against a chair across from your bed. On the cover are some of the same Pictographs that adorned the robe Carol was wearing... It must be Dunn's spellbook. Although most of the contents will likely be written in the same druidic pictographs, and it is unlikely you could learn much Storm Magic without properly learning the basics of the school first, it is a common addage that no mage's spellbook is ever completely useless to another. Perhaps it may be worth trying to barter or steal the Tome from its owner. If you are heading in-land anyway, she might even agree to letting you have the book in exchange for returning Dunn's robes to his academy.

(I really really really like this idea).

Go and talk to the old mage knitting. See if she can tell you a bit about the area.

+1

((Also, digging the idea myself. ^^  Surprised I didn't think of it.))

((Also, question:  Is it possible to 'dissolve' those memory poker chips in liquid, like water, and have them get absorbed by drinking? I bet Mages can play pranks on each other like that. Imagine spiking someone's drink with "That One Embarrassing Thing you did in Freshman Year" (tm).))

Magical energy extracted from memories doesn't contain specific information, but general ideas and emotions.

[Xvareon]

I'd like to do some research on local legends, superstitions, and religion. It would help, especially if we encounter some impressionable folk in our travels; or those who hold magic in anathema and contempt. We might even get a hint on a Fey or similar magical creature that we'd later meet down the road.

[Roboson]

Ask about the tome. Regardless of the answer, offer to take the robes to the academy. As a mage, it is unquestionable that you'd hope a fellow magician would do the same for you. Then head for the ogres. They are likely to need your services and could probably give you some good advice on how to get to your destination. Those centaurs seem sketchyyyyyyyyyy, best to deal with beings you know to be dangerous than those who you only suspect to be dangerous.

[Prophet]

Ask about the tome. Regardless of the answer, offer to take the robes to the academy. As a mage, it is unquestionable that you'd hope a fellow magician would do the same for you. Then head for the ogres. They are likely to need your services and could probably give you some good advice on how to get to your destination. Those centaurs seem sketchyyyyyyyyyy, best to deal with beings you know to be dangerous than those who you only suspect to be dangerous.

+1

[Weirdsound]

Status:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Journeymage Shay Masters

Physical State: Healthy
Mental State: Nervous

Magical Capacity: Brimming with Mana

Memory Storage:
x10 Fear (Brother's Safety)
x4 Pride (Graduated the Academy)
x2 Knowledge (Un-named Village)

Inventory:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Travelers Clothes (Worn)
Hooded Surgical Mage's Robes (Worn)
Utility Belt (Worn)
     -Crossbow
     -Pouch of 15 Bolts
     -Combat Knife
     -Grapple Hook with 25 Feet of Sturdy Line
Surgical Mage's Bag (Slung over shoulder on stick, Enchanted: Extra Space, Enchanted: Refrigerated)
     -Surgeon's Knife Set (Enchanted: Self Sharpening, Enchanted: Painless)
     -Surgical Forceps
     -10 Bronze Needles
     -5 Thick Spools of Unicorn Hair Thread
     -Steel Bone Saw (Enchanted: Self Sharpening)
     -Surgeon's 'Living' Cloth Wipe (Enchanted: Cloth consumes bodily fluids it absorbs to produce more of itself)
     -Journeymage's Diploma from The Lower Fenwick Academy of Surgical Magic
     -Final Letter from Brother Clancy
     -Dunn's faded blue Mage's Robe
     -Dunn's Spellbook

Magic Talents:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

General Mage Skills:

Subschool of Memory Manipulation (20)
Extract Memory - Extracts the power from a specific memory, forming it into a drop of magic the size of a poker chip that mages use to barter with. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Consume Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a specific subschool. The spell learned will relate to the memories burnt. The amount of memories that must be burnt to cast this spell is listed in parentheses () next to the subschools' name under the magic talents spoiler, and increases each time this spell is used for a given subschool. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Read Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a book/scroll/ect. To learn a spell this way often requires memories of a specific type, such as memories related to medical practice to learn a new surgical spell for example. You may also have to meet other requirements as well, depending on the book or scroll you are using. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

The School of Surgical Magic:

Subschool of Diagnostic Magic (15)
Diagnosis Target Area - Cast with a weapon in hand and target in mind. Choose the type of injury you wish to inflict (broken arm, crushed brain, pierced heart, ect), and the spell will highlight the area you should strike, while guiding your next shot or blow towards that area for a bonus to accuracy. Can be easily cast in the heat of battle.
Family Diagnosis - Cast with a visible target in mind. The spell will look into the deaths of the target's ancestors going back ten generations, and highlight on the target any bodypart or organ whose failure was the main cause of an ancestor's death. Deaths on the target's mothers side will be highlighted in red, deaths on the target's fathers side will be highlighted in green. This spell makes no effort to differentiate between violent deaths and natural causes.
Tumor Vision - As long as you maintain focus on the spell, all growths, tumors, moles, ect belonging to anybody in your field of view are highlighted in your vision. A simple benign mole is highlighted in white, and the color darkens as the growth becomes more and more serious; Terminal cancer is highlighted in pitch black.

Subschool of Body Manipulation (10)
Replenish Blood - Cast with a visible target in mind. Target's blood supply is restored to normal levels, and minor injuries to the target's major blood vessels are healed. Draining to cast, especially if cast on self.
Set Bones - Cast with a visible target in mind. Targets bones are returned to their normal position, and small breaks are repaired. Spell is painful enough to make most targets pass out. Trying to set more than two bones at once, or repairing large breaks, is very draining, perhaps dangerously so.

Subschool of Transmutation (10)
Reconfigure Blood - Cast with a target in mind. Target's bloodtype becomes AB+. Target's immune system is completely reset, rendering the target prone to infection, but also ensuring that any organ you might have just put into the target is not rejected. Very draining.
Mutate Abnormality - Cast with a target tumor, growth, or infection in mind. This spell extracts the power of a chosen memory within your memory storage, and converts it into a powerful beam of mutagenic energy to be focused on the target. The target will mutate rapidly for weeks, often gaining interesting magical qualities related to the memory used. This spell is often a death sentence for the person carrying the target tumor, growth, or infection, but can be used as a last resort on already terminal infections or tumors. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

Before you drift off to sleep, you consider what you know about local legends, superstitions, and religion of the lands around you. You had researched the Terminal Woods before leaving, but hadn't thought you would need to look into the wild lands to the north. Hopefully things are not too different here than they are at your intended destination...

Unlike your homeland, where mages are relatively common and politically powerful, righteous worship of the Progenitors of Magic is not the most common religion in the country you plan to visit. The common folk of Terminal woods worship the bones of a great iron dragon named Ferrus, who died protecting humanity from a great ogre invasion, while the highborn who are not mages themselves worship Caligula, one of the 12 Progenitors and founder of the royal bloodline, in a monotheistic fashion. The true Progenitor Faith, as you practice it, is well respected but only followed by mages, their families, and those who live or work in and around the nation's handful of Academies.

The one thing you know specifically about the northern wildlands is that supposedly The Codex of Practitioners, a powerful artifact created and first used by the Progenitor Ackountant, is hidden somewhere in the region.

---

The following morning you ask Carol about her husband's book and robe. She informs you that the academy that Dunn attended was called Eye of Storm Lake, and although she dosn't know its exact location, there is a large body of water called Storm Lake that can be found about two weeks to East. She then gives you the Robe and the Tome, but makes you promise to someday return the robe if you cannot find the Academy.

"If they ask how he died, tell them it was an act of unresolved foul play. He left heading south to visit the Ogres, and was found a week later impaled at the bottom of a tiger trap north of town."

---

After Carol cooks you a nice breakfast of fish and baked veggie loaf, and you eat it, you seek out the old centaur Dangerberries, who agrees to escort you to Treasure Caves in exchange for a small portion of the energy stored in your memories of graduating the academy, which you happily provide.

Far from the creep you expected your guide to be, Dangerberries is actually rather polite and fatherly, making only a brief wistful comment that he wishes he were still young enough to properly enjoy your company. When you inquire about this, Dangerberries informs you that he is impotent. "All centaurs like a good wander, lassie! Any one o' the boys would have happily escorted ya, but I get most o' that busniess for meself as the humans know I am the only one around who can be trusted not ta touch em. Dats why sweet Carol sent ya my way."

---

Just before Sundown, Dangerberries points to a plume of smoke rising above a natural rock wall. "There be an entrance to the Treasure Caves there, girlie. I'll leave ya to walk the last bit on your own - them ogres will get uppity at the sight o' my ilk, but they should respect yer robe. I'll stay in the area for a few minutes, so if ya get in trouble, just scream bloody murder, and I'll just pop in to save the feckin' day."

You peek around the corner, and see two of the brutes hanging out by a camp fire in front of a cave entrance. One is a seven foot tall female with sickening grey skin and breast piercings made of what appear to be actual human ribs. The male is even bigger, carries a cleaving blade that is nearly as long as you are tall, and has a massive tumor that covers almost the entire left side of his face, including the eye. A quick peek through tumor vision reveals that this facial growth, although not deadly yet, could become malignant at some point down the road.

The question of how to approach these beasts springs to mind. You have been told they respect the robe, but the sheer mass of the ogres in front of you is enough to sap your confidence somewhat. There is also the matter of communication; You are sure the leader will speak some civilized language if he was friends with a mage, but ogres are not famed for their brains, so you cannot be sure about these guards.

How do you proceed?

[Roboson]

Announce yourself as a healer and friend of [insert husband's name if we know it, other wise' friend of wife of dead mage friend]. If anything looks sketchy, show them the robe and ask to be taken to the leader. If they seem nice enough, fix that guys face. Actually, just fix that guy's face, its hard to be a nice guy with a lump growing over your eye. Poor thing.

[Prophet]

Announce yourself as a healer and friend of [insert husband's name if we know it, other wise' friend of wife of dead mage friend]. If anything looks sketchy, show them the robe and ask to be taken to the leader. If they seem nice enough, fix that guys face. Actually, just fix that guy's face, its hard to be a nice guy with a lump growing over your eye. Poor thing.

+1 If we can fix his face that is. If nothing else we should inform him of it.

[Weirdsound]

Status:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Journeymage Shay Masters

Physical State: Healthy
Mental State: Nervous

Magical Capacity: Brimming with Mana

Memory Storage:
x10 Fear (Brother's Safety)
x4 Pride (Graduated the Academy)
x3 Awe (First impressions of Toogool and his throne chamber)
x2 Knowledge (Un-named Village)

Inventory:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Travelers Clothes (Worn)
Hooded Surgical Mage's Robes (Worn)
Utility Belt (Worn)
     -Crossbow
     -Pouch of 15 Bolts
     -Combat Knife
     -Grapple Hook with 25 Feet of Sturdy Line
Surgical Mage's Bag (Slung over shoulder on stick, Enchanted: Extra Space, Enchanted: Refrigerated)
     -Surgeon's Knife Set (Enchanted: Self Sharpening, Enchanted: Painless)
     -Surgical Forceps
     -10 Bronze Needles
     -5 Thick Spools of Unicorn Hair Thread
     -Steel Bone Saw (Enchanted: Self Sharpening)
     -Surgeon's 'Living' Cloth Wipe (Enchanted: Cloth consumes bodily fluids it absorbs to produce more of itself)
     -Journeymage's Diploma from The Lower Fenwick Academy of Surgical Magic
     -Final Letter from Brother Clancy
     -Dunn's faded blue Mage's Robe
     -Dunn's Spellbook

Magic Talents:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

General Mage Skills:

Subschool of Memory Manipulation (20)
Extract Memory - Extracts the power from a specific memory, forming it into a drop of magic the size of a poker chip that mages use to barter with. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Consume Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a specific subschool. The spell learned will relate to the memories burnt. The amount of memories that must be burnt to cast this spell is listed in parentheses () next to the subschools' name under the magic talents spoiler, and increases each time this spell is used for a given subschool. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.
Read Memories - Burns the power of one or more memories to learn a new spell from a book/scroll/ect. To learn a spell this way often requires memories of a specific type, such as memories related to medical practice to learn a new surgical spell for example. You may also have to meet other requirements as well, depending on the book or scroll you are using. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

The School of Surgical Magic:

Subschool of Diagnostic Magic (15)
Diagnosis Target Area - Cast with a weapon in hand and target in mind. Choose the type of injury you wish to inflict (broken arm, crushed brain, pierced heart, ect), and the spell will highlight the area you should strike, while guiding your next shot or blow towards that area for a bonus to accuracy. Can be easily cast in the heat of battle.
Family Diagnosis - Cast with a visible target in mind. The spell will look into the deaths of the target's ancestors going back ten generations, and highlight on the target any bodypart or organ whose failure was the main cause of an ancestor's death. Deaths on the target's mothers side will be highlighted in red, deaths on the target's fathers side will be highlighted in green. This spell makes no effort to differentiate between violent deaths and natural causes.
Tumor Vision - As long as you maintain focus on the spell, all growths, tumors, moles, ect belonging to anybody in your field of view are highlighted in your vision. A simple benign mole is highlighted in white, and the color darkens as the growth becomes more and more serious; Terminal cancer is highlighted in pitch black.

Subschool of Body Manipulation (10)
Replenish Blood - Cast with a visible target in mind. Target's blood supply is restored to normal levels, and minor injuries to the target's major blood vessels are healed. Draining to cast, especially if cast on self.
Set Bones - Cast with a visible target in mind. Targets bones are returned to their normal position, and small breaks are repaired. Spell is painful enough to make most targets pass out. Trying to set more than two bones at once, or repairing large breaks, is very draining, perhaps dangerously so.

Subschool of Transmutation (10)
Reconfigure Blood - Cast with a target in mind. Target's bloodtype becomes AB+. Target's immune system is completely reset, rendering the target prone to infection, but also ensuring that any organ you might have just put into the target is not rejected. Very draining.
Mutate Abnormality - Cast with a target tumor, growth, or infection in mind. This spell extracts the power of a chosen memory within your memory storage, and converts it into a powerful beam of mutagenic energy to be focused on the target. The target will mutate rapidly for weeks, often gaining interesting magical qualities related to the memory used. This spell is often a death sentence for the person carrying the target tumor, growth, or infection, but can be used as a last resort on already terminal infections or tumors. Using this spell removes the chosen memory from memory storage, but dose not actually make you forget anything.

You step out from behind the rock, and offer an exagerated yet still dignified wave to get the guard's attention. "Greetings, foul creatures, I am Journeymage Shay Masters of Fenwick. I come in peace as a healer and friend of your late friend Dunn. Would you be so kind as to take me to your leader?"

The Ogres stare at you for a long moment. It is tough to read them, but you think they are confused. Eventually they start talking hurriedly in a language you don't even begin to understand. After thirty long seconds of this, the female turns to you. "You Maag?"

It takes you a second to process the question. "Um... Yes. I am a mage," you answer with a vigorous nod. The female returns the gesture and approaches, placing a gentle yet firm hand that is nearly the size of your head on your back. You are guided into the darkness.

---

After what feels like an eternity walking through wide yet dimly lit tunnels, you reach a massive circular chamber with a huge statue in the middle. Your escort leaves you alone at the entrace, and enters to announce you. Several minutes later, the chamber lights up with torches, and four massive ogres clad in armor made from a strange white metal arrive to walk you in.

As you enter the chamber, you get a good look at the statue in the middle; It depicts a massive skeletal elephant-headed humanoid, wielding a massive maul. You know the being depicted to be Horgole the Bonefather, one of the wicked old gods who fought the progenitors for control of the wild magic that engulfed early earth. Of all the old gods these ogres could have worshiped, however, you are glad they have chosen Horgole; Most of those who still worship Horgole today, and even a handful of heritic mages, believe that he is actually the Father, Brother, Husband, or some combination thereof to the Progenitor Havarra, divine inventor of surgical magic.

The connection between your magic and his god is not lost on Toogool, the huge mass of fat, muscle, and armor that seems closer to an elephant seal in shape than a humanoid. As you once again introduce yourself as a mage, healer, and friend of Dunn, he observes you intently from his throne. When you finish, he speaks. "Your tongue bears the name of dead-friend Dunn, and your robes the symbol of the Bloodmother Havarra. You are friend to Toogool and the Ogres of the Treasure Caves. Tomorrow, we will slaughter Trollpig for massive breakfast feast in your honor; Then, you may stay and trade your memories and services for our gifts and hospitality for as long as you wish."

+Awed Memory x3

It seems that in forgetting to mention your quest, the Ogres have been lead to assume that you are sticking around for awhile. As you are escorted to your bedchambers, a small casket-sized pit lined with furs off of the main hall, you are bombarded with requests for aid.

A smaller Ogre who claims to be the colony's smith, wishes to procure some of your memories so that he might fire his boneforge and turn his vanquished enemies into arms and armor. When pressed to offer something in return, he proposes making you a better melee weapon and training you to use it.

An older female, speaking through one of her children as a translator, also wants your memories as fuel for her enchantments. She makes a vauge offer of 'gifts and friendship' in return, and you don't feeling like trying to haggle for something more specific through a translator.

Nahoosh, the colony's midwife, would appreciate your help with a few upcoming births. Grimla, the most recent mate of Toogool, is due sometime in the next week or so, and Nahoosh fears that she is too small to easily survive birthing one of Toogool's massive offspring. Also due soon is Wor-Rippa, whose pregnancy is not nearly as dangerous, but who happens to be one of the colonies greatest warriors, so extra help to ensure her safety would be appreciated.

The tumor-faced ogre, named Nog, also approaches you, using a small child as a translator. He explains the child, named Hor-Shell, is very smart for an ogre, and that he would like you to teach it the Progenitor Faith so that he might have a shot of entering a Mage's academy someday. While you have Nog present, you enquire about removing his growth. He refuses, stating that when he dies the tumor can be used to make an amazing dish for his funeral feast, but would allow you to at least cut off the bit blocking his vision.

Fornt, a male ogre with a hidiously deformed right hand featuring twelve fingers, introduces himself as the colonies jailor, and asks if you know the Bloodmother's famed technique for making tumors and growths extra nasty. When you respond in the affirmative, Fornt offers you free choice of the gear captured from the troops of Cyrus' bandit army if you would help him transplant and supercharge some ogre sized tumors onto some captured slavers he is fattening up for the slaughter. You are beginning to think that Ogres find their own tumors to be some sort of delicacy...

How do you proceed?

[Xvareon]

((I'm getting a Sealab 2021 feeling here... remember that episode where the guy wound up inside a whale that had cancer, found out it was delicious, and ate it all and I think ate his way out too? x_x))

That smith looks to be a seriously good deal, as we only have a short-bladed dagger for when our crossbow won't do the job -- and given the reload time those tend to have, especially when the user's under pressure, we can't afford to miss if our life's in danger. A spear, ranseur, or maybe a bec-de-corbin would be perfect for keeping enemies at a distance and still dealing damage. Polearms and spears are great for fighting mounted opponents, and centaurs fit the bill for sure. And if we fought an ogre, it'd be far easier to hit them in a vital organ if we had a long weapon and the training to use it. How many memories does the guy need to make a nice Ranseur for us? We have plenty of Fear and Pride, if that makes any difference in the mix.

Probably the best thing after that would be to help Nahoosh with the babies to come, since ensuring the continued goodwill of our host is important, and keeping his mate (and child) alive would be a very good idea. If we have time in between, take Nog up on his offer to tutor his kid a bit. He's a guard at the gate, and getting him on our side could be very useful indeed. Plus this sounds like a more time-consuming task than the others, and starting on it earlier rather than late would be good. Not to mention that it would give this little band of ogres some prestige to have one of their own advance to learn the art of the Mage.

[Prophet]

((I'm getting a Sealab 2021 feeling here... remember that episode where the guy wound up inside a whale that had cancer, found out it was delicious, and ate it all and I think ate his way out too? x_x))

That smith looks to be a seriously good deal, as we only have a short-bladed dagger for when our crossbow won't do the job -- and given the reload time those tend to have, especially when the user's under pressure, we can't afford to miss if our life's in danger. A spear, ranseur, or maybe a bec-de-corbin would be perfect for keeping enemies at a distance and still dealing damage. Polearms and spears are great for fighting mounted opponents, and centaurs fit the bill for sure. And if we fought an ogre, it'd be far easier to hit them in a vital organ if we had a long weapon and the training to use it. How many memories does the guy need to make a nice Ranseur for us? We have plenty of Fear and Pride, if that makes any difference in the mix.

Probably the best thing after that would be to help Nahoosh with the babies to come, since ensuring the continued goodwill of our host is important, and keeping his mate (and child) alive would be a very good idea. If we have time in between, take Nog up on his offer to tutor his kid a bit. He's a guard at the gate, and getting him on our side could be very useful indeed. Plus this sounds like a more time-consuming task than the others, and starting on it earlier rather than late would be good. Not to mention that it would give this little band of ogres some prestige to have one of their own advance to learn the art of the Mage.

+1

[Roboson]

Yes. These people are not only nice, but in need. A week or so here would not make a large difference and while you worry for your brother, you should really prepare for an arduous journey properly. You should help the smith, the enchantress (could learn some enchanting!), teach the kid, and be an assistant midwife for the duration that it takes us to do everything else. This will give us some serious tools and allies to assist us in preparing for our journey.