Turn 11: Lore DumpAttention: Experimental rules now in effect. Skill level denotes number of times you can use it between replenishing it through rest, shucking things for mana, and so on.
Continue asking for details. Try to get every bit of -DELICIOUS LORE- out of this conversation as possible.
[6] According to legend, the world was dying at one point- philosophers have since speculated on just what parts were dying in how literal a sense, as on the one hand modern sources are have a decidedly consistent, pro-strength bent, but on the other the power of struggle and sacrifice are well known. In any case, the inhabitants of the world began organizing themselves into cabals ruled by the strongest and largely concerned with gaining further strength and power. This culminated in a grand empire which soon tore itself apart, followed by another empire which soon tore itself apart, followed by the beginnings of a third great empire which was more or less torn apart as soon as everyone figured out it was on its way up and thus clamored for their share, and so on.
Most settlements of the world are monasteries like this one, which you learn from a lengthy tour is built more to provide fascinating combat arenas than anything more economic or leisurely. The energies generated by constant struggles (potentially but not exclusively to the death) provide everything they need. Settlements and individuals that attempt to avoid fighting are said to waste away, though sages point out that there are a number of hard-to-isolate variables regarding this, such as finding "normal" individuals who don't cage fight at every opportunity, are not ruthlessly picked on by those that do, and are not unduly affected by being suspended in a rusty cage and repeatedly poked with a stick by a withered old man hoping to unlock the secrets of ever more power by studying those without it.
Anyway, that's why you're wearing a black cultist robe facing down a similarly cowled individual across a rain-slicked parapet.
+2 Lore
Now +2 Loremaster
Now battling Cowled FigureTalk to the leader, about setting up a trade deal where we give them gladiators, beasts, whatever. Be fairly vague about what we can promise, but hint that our technology far exceeds theirs. Find out what we can hope to recieve from them for our glorious insect overlords.
Also assist with general information-pumping.
If we're on the same page about my stats, I might get a small bonus to this sort of thing?
[3] Unfortunately he's pretty vague in return. He notes that the power of fighting gives him relatively flexible access to things, but since his only real interest is in more struggle it might be hard for you to find anything especially worthwhile.
+1 Diplomacy
Now +2 DiplomatTry and ascertain as much information out of these Fight Cultists as possible, especially regarding other factions on this plane.
[6] Oh, there's all kinds of factions. Vile sorcerors, literal demons, dragonspawn scheming to reclaim their lost empire. The people of this world have very, very little regard for anything except strength, so it's exceptionally odd for people
not to be up to something and eyeing their neighbors greedily.
Plus, there's ancient evils sealed away
everywhere. And not so sealed away everywhere. The constant struggle apparently does interesting things to the concept of death, among other things.
+2 Diplomacy
Now +2 DiplomatNow work to get a stone roof...
You might want to try to hurry this along to the settlement phase for that.
[5] Still, you get a nice mushroom cap over your excessively tall stone pillar. If it weren't for the lip at the edges, it'd be dry in here!
+2 Earth MagicFind someone to ask about where their food comes from, since this place looks to be pretty far from farmland and not guarding anything in particular. Be fascinated by the response.
[5] Turns out they have a garden. It's more of a series of combat arenas than a proper horticulturist patch, but empowered by the constant battle it does the job.
You also learn, interestingly enough, that the mountain does have a fair amount of plant life on it. You couldn't see it because it's black and there's a thunderstorm on, but plants thrive in places of turmoil just as everything else does, making the fortress something of an oasis. Complete with scattered patches trailing off around it, especially in the places corpses are prone to being hurled.
+2 AgricultureTry to glean the Fight Cult's general opinion on giant bugs.
[5] The Fight Cult's opinion on giant bugs is identical to their opinion on everything else- if it makes for good sport, they'll fight it. If it will team up with them to usurp power, they'll join it. If it's a weak, cowardly fool, they'll laugh at it while kicking sand in its face.
Speaking of which, they can't stop laughing when you explain your bug masters can't even leave their perfectly maintained buildings without wheezing uncomfortably.
+2 Comedy
Now +2 ComedianBrian Keens (NJW)
+5/5 Identifier (0/5)
+3/3 Manager (0/3)
+2/2 Doomsayer (1/2)
+3/3 Climber (1/3)
+2/2 Seducer (½)
+2/2 Medic (0/2)
+1/2 Diplomat (0/2)
-
Hardened Climbing Spikes
Small Amounts of Rope
Crude Armor
Baeset Musre (OceanSoul)
+5 Mana Milker (0/5)
+3 Animal Handler (0/3)
+3 Stone Mage (1/3)
Ogneer (crazyabe)
+5/6 Earth Mage (4/6)
+3/3 Stoneworker (0/3)
-
Nice Pants
Assorted Rocks
Nar Azzar (Atomic)
+5 Life Mage (0/5)
+3 Metalworker (0/3)
+2 Stone Mage (0/2)
-
Metalworking Tools
Nice Bellows
Nice Backpack
Suzume (Abstract)
+5 Light Mage (1/5)
+3 Cartographer (0/3)
-
Mapping Tablets
Drawing Sticks
Backpack
Fedelmid Cowhunter (voliol)
[Slightly Naked]: Who says this has a downside, again?
[Tie-Dye Colors]: Is this permanent?
5/5 HP
+5 Hunter (0/5)
+3 Leatherworker (0/3)
Nix (NRDL)
5/5 HP
+5/5 Pyromancer (2/5)
+3/3 Persuader (0/3)
+2/2 Climber (½)
+2/2 Medic (0/2)
+1/2 Diplomat (1/2)
Blu (Blastoise)
5/5 HP
+5/5 Aquamancer (0/5)
+3/3 Medic (0/3)
+2/2 Air Mage (1/2)
+2/2 Climber (1/2)
+4/4 Clubsman (2/4)
+1/2 Comedian (1/2)
-
"Fruit"
Rope
Club
Sairian (Nirur)
[Facial Planter]: It's a long story, okay?
+5 Plant Mage (4/5)
+3 Agriculturalist (2/3)
+2 Brawler (0/2)
Mr. Jane Doe (Dolosus)
+5 Pyromancer (0/5)
+3 Demolitionist (0/3)
+2 Herbalist (0/2)
+2 Architect (0/2)
-
Smoldering Horror Torch
-On Parapet-
Karen (Coolrune)
5/5 HP
+5/5 Stone Mage (1/5)
+3/3 Carbon Mage (0/3)
+3/3 Air Mage (2/3)
+2/2 Fire Mage (0/2)
+1/2 Loremaster (1/2)
-
Crude Armor
Black Cultist Robe
Rope
Cowled Figure
? ? ?
Author
Topic: AU Mission 1 [Turn 13: Diplomatic Solutions] (Read 24691 times)