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[Smoke Mirrors]

Chapter 1, Part 1: A good place to begin.

Annabelle Winston: Annabelle sat in the center of a beautiful library hall, with scrolls and books of all shakes and sizes around. She was still dressed in her school uniform, a mystery to why she had kept it on this long, though she didn't quite know how long it had been. But none of that concerned he, she had recently regained her memory, and she knew that those world, was false. Looking outside, she could see buildings as far as the eye could see, as Memphis was a thriving city, perhaps not as large as Alexandria, but one of the greatest. Outside she could see a bakery, a market, and a smithery, along with many people wandering through the streets. What do you do?

James R. Shadan: You're in the desert and you can see the faint outline of a city in the distance.

Louis Blackwater: You're in the desert and you can see the faint outline of a city in the distance.

Jammy Nervermer: Jammy stood in the alleyway, watching as the people walked by. His immediate outburst upon regaining his memory had lost him his job, but he had managed to play it off and avoid the asylum, or worse, Serapis. His tattooed back was warm from the desert sun. He sat their stroking a rat, tame as can be thanks to his powers. Anyone would think he was crazy, funnily enough he was one of the only sane one, he thinks. Whatever the case, he looked out, he was in a bad part of Memphis, nearby he saw a shop he knew traded in stolen goods, and a little way over was a brothel. Of course, he could head to another area. What do you do?

Jason/Octavian Grey: Octavian wandered through the desert, his flock and assistants behind him. Despite his own asocial tendencies, he had decided it would be a good idea to get a team. Other people who remembered the time before Serapis, or BS. I do have to say I like that idea, I should have thought of something like that. But enough about me, back to Octavian. Anyway, Octavian stood with his flock at a pasture a little bit outside of Memphis. There was a checkpoint to get into Memphis, as with most big cities. If he wanted to go in, he would likely have to go on that way, or, he could find another entrance, if he wanted to enter at all. What do you do?

Carter Graham: Carter wandered in the desert, attempting to find a scientific reasoning for the recent events. "This does not simply happen!" He cried out, "this counteracts almost all laws of science!" Unfortunately for him, it did happen, and now he has to deal with it, tough luck, have fun. Anyway, where was I, oh yes. Carter wandered through the desert, red sand matting on the soles of his shoes. Using his cloak to shield his eyes from the sand in the wind. He could see the faint outline if a city on the horizon. What do you do?

[Glass]

I think I'll stay out here. The people who remember are more likely to avoid the areas where they're likely to be caught; I'm more likely to find them on the outskirts. Let's just find a nice patch of grass for the sheep to graze.

[Sir Elventide]

"Hrm?" Annabelle grunted quizzically as she looked around once again. Still a bit confused about where she'd just woke up, Annabelle glanced at the people around her. They seemed to act as if things have always been this way. However much time had actually passed, Annabelle knew that she remembered things being different and intended to find out how and why things changed. However, there were one thing she must take care of first...

GRRRRRRROOOOOWL~

Her stomach growling, Annabelle will search herself for money for food, as well as any useful items.

(Are our characters already aware of their powers or do they learn of them later?)

[Glass]

[Depends, did they figure it out in their backstory? Also, Discord.]

[Madman198237]

Well, if the laws of science are in upheaval, things look different, and everything about the universe has gone upside down, clearly the only solution is to calculate the probabilities of such an insane event.

Carter starts scribbling out math in the sand, desperate to figure out how this might have happened.

Most people would be somewhere between denial and abject terror at the thought of so much math, but with so many calculations of 'normal' as compared to 'not normal' this would surely just be a small permutation from one. How about 'Sudden and Inexplicable Desertification', that involved lots of weird stuff, might as well start there and see what result we get, right? Just a little change to incorporate the confusion, and some amnesia? What else would produce that...

"Oh."

[Sir Elventide]

OOC Thread, Because GM = Lazy x 2

[crazyabe]

I Take a walk around the area, looking for opportunities for some quick cash.

[Smoke Mirrors]

Chapter 1, Part 2: First impressions

 Annabelle Winston:[2] +5: You look around and notice your purse on the ground near your feet. It's full of strange metal coins you don't recognize, as well some things that look like makeup, and several things you aren't even going to try to figure out what they are.

Jammy Neveremer: [9] +2: Jammy wandered around the bad part of town, looking for a job. Jobs aren't exactly sparse around here, but most aren't exactly legal either. Being as he really didn't care about that part, Jammy was a okay. Eventually, he finds a spot next to the brothel. "And stay out!" Yells an armed man, literally throwing a naked man out of the building. He then turns to you. "Hey son?" he asks, "looking for work, we just had to fire an employee." Glaring at the naked man, he continues. "Its security, getting rid of any men who try to get more than they pay for," he turns to you, "one silver a day, and an extra ten copper for every perp you throw out, how's that sound?"

Jason/Octavian Grey: [10] +2: looking for stuff for your sheep: You look around and search for more things for your sheep. You begin by finding a small desert oasis, plenty of water and grass, a perfect spot for your sheep. While searching through the soil around the oasis, you find two things, a large piece of scrap metal, and a scratched up ID card. You can't see the name or image on the card, but the code seems to be in pretty good shape.

Carter Graham: [5] +2: trying to find math for this.: You begin your calculations. However, with so many variables missing, you can only figure out a few things. To begin with, you find that anyone who regains their memory gains three magic powers. Never more, never less. Secondly, you find the world has a strange force controlling it that appears to be quite strange, but to better understand, you need more information to fill the missing variables.

[Glass]

Perfect. Pocket the ID, bring the scrap (and my sheep) over to the oasis and set up a small camp.
Time to start waiting for people to show up.

[crazyabe]

"Sounds good"
Accept the job, Get to work immediately if required.

[Sir Elventide]

"Whatever these coins are called, it's safe to say that these are a form of currency," Annabelle surmised as she grabbed her purse. "Now to find a food vendor."

Just as Annabelle was about to leave the library, she paused as a thought formed in her head. She felt as if she are capable of extraordinary things. Sure she remembered how to cook, how to experiment with and formulate chemicals, and how to treat wounds but Annabelle had a feeling that she knew at last three additional skills, skills that seemed to revolve around alchemy or something. However, they continued to elude her.

"I must still be feeling a bit dazed due to 'awakening'. Perhaps they will surface once I clear my head?" she muttered to herself as she:

Leave the library to buy some food and refresh her memory.

[Madman198237]

Carter will begin more scribbling, to determine the magic he has access to.


"That's just freaky. Hey wait...I've got my memories back. I wonder..."

[Smoke Mirrors]

Chapter 1, Part 3: I'd like some material to work with.

Annabelle Winston:[9]: Annabelle gets up, her shoes clicking against the library floor as she steps outside. She attempts to recall her past as she walks over to the vender. She can recall her father, who got her her first chemistry set, her mother, who was slightly disapproving of her more eccentric and non ladylike interest, Natalie, a former bully and complete bitch, and Alex, her thoughts on him were complicated. Well, complicated to her, personally, I think it's pretty obvious, but humans are better at fooling themselves than anyone else I suppose. Anyway,  she walks over to the merchant, drawn forward by the sweet scent of a fresh cooked pastry, and sees a small, flat, and round cake smelling like honey. "Honey Cakes, get your Honey Cakes!" yelled the merchant "just 10 coppers a piece!" You check your bag, and it has 20 coppers, 5 silvers, and a gold.

Jammy Nervermer:[5]: You get the job, but it's for later tonight, so you have to do some things until then. Fortunately, this part of the city is just full of so many illegal activities.

Jason/Octavian Grey:[4]: Jason puts the ID away and walks back over to the sheep, they begin setting up camp, but one of the other Shepard messes up and knocks over Jason's tent right when it was nearing completion.

Carter Graham:[10]: You manage to find all three of your powers, and, using this to fill in a missing variable, you find put two new things, thing one, you learn that proximity to other mages will make you feel warmer, providing a good way to identify other mages, and that the sand beneath your feet, is actually made of the lost technology, transmuted into sand.

[Glass]

...
Thankfully these things aren't very difficult.
Put up the tent again and take a look around for anything of interest.

[Sir Elventide]

"I'd like to purchase a Honey Cake, please!" Annabelle said as she handed the vendor 10 copper pieces. Taking her purchase, Annabelle sat on a nearby bench and savored the tasty treat. Despite the fact that her mother would disapprove of eating sweets in place of a proper meal, Annabelle felt that there were bigger things to worry about, like finding out what became of the world and how to change it back for example.

As Annabelle continued her snack, she glanced over the surrounding area and the people who milled around on the streets and inside the buildings. Unlike her, they seemed to be oblivious of the fact that things were different before, that none of this are supposed to be this way. However, even if Annabelle possessed the charisma to convince them to see otherwise, there's no telling who or what could be maintaining this facade, this... 'wrong" reality. This reality is which people go about their daily lives, some dressed in archaic clothing, dwelling within buildings whose architecture show a combination of friezes depicting soldiers and civilians performing in their roles and columns of the Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic varieties. Seeing obelisks here and there, Annabelle took note of the occasional stela, and finally laid eyes on the irregular stones of the streets. No doubt that they would've been laid using a type of concrete made of volcanic ash, rocks, and calcium oxide or quicklime, as well as other things...

Annabelle quickly shook herself back to her senses. She always have the tendency to lose focus, especially when examining her environment. Taking a deep breath, Annabelle finished the last of the Honey Cake and stood up to brush the crumbs off her pleated skirt and tie. Thinking about the last time things was normal, Annabelle felt as if she knew at least three... special skills that pertained to chemistry. The first one seemed to behave similar to how she imagined alchemy to be. She expected it to be capable of changing a substance to another. The second; however, is a bit less drastic as it would allow her to sense the basic composition and characteristics of a substance, allowing her to easily identify it and anything else that could be included as well. The third skill seemed to defy reality itself as it would allow her to manipulate any substance to behave in whatever way she want them to, even if it should by all rights be chemically and physically impossible. After much deliberation, Annabelle decided to name these skills Transmutation, Substance Sense, and Substance Manipulate respectively. Whether these skills are a result of her 'awakening' or she have had them before this wrong reality first appeared, she didn't know. However, what Annabelle did know is that she must do the one thing that wouldn't actually be surprising if one knew her:

Search for a secluded and abandoned place to experiment with her abilities