Turn 12: Monstrous1. I need to keep healing.
2. Slowly and carefully check some of those boxes - maybe using metal magic - and make sure to get away from them if something dangerous seems like it's about to happen.
You sit down and rest a bit.
[4] The boxes appear to be made of a strange alloy. Not strange as in advanced, just weird. You think it's mostly iron, but there's a good part tin and a few other additions. As far as you're aware iron-tin isn't really a thing, and what's to be gained by throwing a fistful of potassium, manganese, and cobalt into the mix is anyone's guess.
Recovered full healthWith a slightly girly shriek, Jeffery immediately summons what appears to be a metal quarterstaff, using one point of summoning for the base effect, and a point of metal to make it out of cast iron.
He then begins to smash the mossy ball with the staff, thrusting it furiously until the blob-thing stops making noises, using his two passion for spears to make this work (as the quarterstaff is effectively a spear but without a sharp tip, and he's using it in the same way he would use a spear). When the blob is dead, he casually dusts off his jacket and tries to retrieve his shard.
[2] In proud tradition, you summon a brittle iron rod.
[2] In prouder tradition, you panic and flail, screaming like a little girl. Finally, in a terrified frenzy you hurl it like a javelin, which shatters into shrapnel as it hits the moss monster.
[4] The moss-thing grips you in tight, ice-cold moss coils and begins squeezing the life and warmth out of you.
-4 HP
Moss Monster suffers from shrapnel damage, lightly wounded
2 Spears Passion Spent: Spears increase from +3 to +4!"I did need suitable porters." Devorae commented, elegantly sitting atop his money chest with legs crossed while the crabs carried it.
Leadership: Have the crabs search for valuables and also scout ahead
Unlock Enchantment using the gem.
[5] The crabs sullenly report that the boxes sometimes have "treasures" in them. Not even the crabs know where they came from or who keeps rebuilding them, but sometimes creatures will smash them open to take their delicious loot. Sometimes this nets them glittering gold, sometimes thrashing tentacles or noxious fumes.
For scouting, they report that one end of the cavern leads to what they call the Moss Halls- winding natural caverns and tunnels coated in green, rich with delicious life and life which considers you delicious. The other end leads to the Water Realms, heavily constructed and waterlogged areas ruled by unpredictable mutants. There are numerous other passages in the walls besides, but casual scouting reports nothing of immediate interest down any that they checked.
[3] With a tinkling sound like glass bits hitting the floor, a burst of sparkling white energy pops free from the gem. It resolves into the form of an unclothed statuesque woman with voluminous eyes and hair that shimmers through colors like oil, four pixie wings that sparkle faintly like rainbows, and a disdainful, sneering expression.
She's like a foot tall.
"Who dares interrupt my luxuriating?" she demands imperiously, in a voice that is nonetheless too high-pitched to not be cute.
+1 Leadership
Enchantment still locked, source located as Stolen By Fairies((Wait, Jeffrey is fighting a moss monster? Oh man, I can help. Ventaro was born for this.))
Go check on Jeffrey. Ventaro can't leave behind the guy who kept him from drowning. If he happens to still be fighting the moss monster, its synergy time. Use my fists to refine the moss monster into a pill that is safe to consume and possesses potent regenerative and healing properties. I'm basing the selected properties on the assumption that the moss monster can grow back any moss that was cut off or damaged, and I want that. 5 Alchemy, 3 Herbalism, 3 Brawling, 1 Alchemy Passion, 1 Herbalism Passion, 1 Brawling Passion. If the moss monster is already dead when I get there, refine its corpse by condensing/squishing/crushing it into pill form. I think that would allow for the same use of skills and passion.
If solely focusing on that action would make it significantly more effective, do so. If not, use my second action to level up Seduction. Unless your explanation of leveling up a skill meant that it could only level up by using the Passion in an action, in which case I'd like to use my Seduction and 1 Seduction Passion to charm my snake into wanting to protect me, possibly through the use of eye contact. I'm gonna be a snake charmer.
[4] You get a good grip on the moss monster and begin refining its juicy alchemically reactive bits off. The result is less damaging but more profitable, and it can't writhe away with your firm hold on... its thick, amorphous goo. Nobody said alchemy was easy.
[4] While doing so, you whisper sweet nothings to the snake that's been intermittently savaging you, but you're infused with her venom already so HAHA WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT? Anyway she digs the macho routine, turns out powerful men overpowering rebellious women is her fetish.
Moss monster takes light damage
+Pure Regenerative Slime!
1 Alchemy Passion: Alchemy increases from +5 to +6!
1 Herbalism Passion: Herbalism increases from +3 to +4!
1 Brawling Passion: Brawling increases from +3 to +4!
1 Seduction Passion: Seduction increases from +1 to +2!
You lucky bastard
1. Transmogrify this thing into water. Its already gotta be close. Hell, even just reduce its viscosity to the point where it can't effectively constrain us.
2. Assuming that don't work to some reasonable degree, use flesh magic and all my fleshy passion (lennyface.png) to rework myself into a shoggoth. You know, thing that doesn't need air and has innate shape shifting abilities.
[4] You transmogrify the part around you into a thick soup. It's viscous enough to be disgusting but not enough to hold you, despite additional watery pseudopods slapping uncomfortably against your... lower body-ish area. Your anatomy's a little nonstandard at the moment.
The main body of the thing continues to recede through the door, leaving a carpet of thrashing but slowly withdrawing pink muck in its wake.
Unstopper the glittering flask and chug that shit.
It goes down smooth, like malicious ice water. Tastes minty, like all the things that were stolen from you. They should be yours! They're yours by right!
[6] Abruptly you begin cackling like a deranged villain. It's all so clear now. Your fingernails and teeth begin to harden and grow, and you know it's because you've been chosen. You're a living weapon, meant to battle gloriously and take what is yours. The delicious, succulent life force of others, the rightful spoils of the victorious.
Mystery liquid drank!
Now Living Weapon of EnvyVentaro Aureus (Beirus)
4/11 HP
[Tsundere Glowing Cobra: Best girl is winning!]
[Snakeblood: You've infused your own flesh with glowing snake venom. Now you don't have to worry about dying from glowing snake venom, and probably don't have to worry about side effects from this!]
[Purple Goo Tongue: It's sorta gelatinous?]
-
+6 Alchemy (1/6)
+4 Herbalism (1/4)
+4 Brawling (1/4)
+2 Seduction (1/2)
[1 Medicine Passion]
-
Slapdash Gumbo 1: You're adept at throwing whatever into a pot and hoping for the best. You can create potions with unpredictable effects out of highly questionable materials.
-
Normal Clothes: Green tunic, brown trousers, black leather boots. Downright mundane!
Everfull Flask: Put liquid in, slowly replenishes that liquid! Empty fully to replace with new liquid.
Glowing Mote: This spherical object glows with a brilliant yellow light. You feel like there's more to it, but aren't sure how you'd check. You've managed to pull a glowing toothpick out with your tongue, though, so that's something.
Dusty Wraith Essence: Refined from Wraiths! Not Nightmares! Nobody said nightmares, it was always wraiths! Perfectly safe, cleans right up.
Strange Elixir: Deep purple sludge with a bit of sparkliness to it. Made from glowing toothpicks and tree goo. Intended to be a potent healing potion, unsure what it actually does. Missing a sip, a quarter, and a drop.
Pure Regenerative Slime: Only the finest of moss-monster essence has gone into this sticky neon green muck. It should prove an exceedingly potent regenerative ingredient.
Devorae the Devoted (Caellath)
11/11 HP
[Melded Taint: A terrible corruption lurks within you, too spread out and integrated to be immediately noticeable. What you can't see still occurs, however.]
[Peasant Mistrust: The peasantry sullenly thinks you don't value them as people. You're not sure how to persuade them to not take so much offense at the truth.]
[Necromantic Thermometer (-1 Necromancy): Keeps an eye on the taint suffusing you.]
-
+6-1 Necromancy (3/6)
+3 Leadership (1/3)
[LOCKED 3] +3 Enchantment (2/3)
+1 Maces (0/1)
[1 Throwing Passion]
-
Shackles of the Grave 3: Those who fall by your hand are cursed to wander the land under your thrall. Creatures you slay with necromancy tend to return as vengeful but enslaved revenants.
-
Noble Crimson and Gold Military Attire: Includes fancy hat so you know who to take orders from.
Fancy Scepter: Hardened to a proper weapon by an enchantment.
Mad Dosh: This fancy-looking chest is filled to the brim with gold coins bearing Devorae's benevolent face.
Prismatic Gem: This smooth crystal shifts through all the colors of the rainbow in beautiful cascades. You could swear the pattern's reacted to you a few times, but you're unable to repeat the event.
Tentacled Wight Crabs
-Fairly resilient
-Mournful tale of opposing the Dark One and falling
-Looking for hero to free them from their curse
Jeffery Kentwood (Coolrune)
4/11 HP
-
+6 Summoning (0/6)
+4 Spears (0/4)
+3 Metal Magic (0/3)
[1 Geology Passion]
[1 Herbalism Passion]
-
Douchebag Jacket: He's presumably wearing pants or something too, but GODS what an asshole.
Amulet of Farsight: Like a telescope but WIZARDS!
[USURPED?] Icy Shard: This bright blue crystal shard is ice cold to the touch. You get strange feelings of enthusiasm when holding it for too long.
Metallic Spearcrabs
-Small but fierce!
Erin Quill (Glass)
11/11 HP
[Maimed: Fallen Hero's Limp: You walk with a limp from that one time a horrifying flesh amalgamation went apeshit on your dramatically billowing in the wind ass. Mobility and inspiration suffer.]
[Protein-Calcium Consulate: You and your skeleton serveas dual consuls in joint rulership of your body.]
[Nine-Toed: You don't wanna talk about it.]
-
+5 Artifice (0/5)
+3 Metal Magic (1/3)
+3 Air Magic (1/3)
+2 Crystalguns (1/2)
[1 Diplomacy Passion]
[1 Statecraft Passion]
[1 Tactician Passion]
-
Trickshot 1: You have a knack for hitting small objects at improbable angles. Not to deal damage or anything, just for knocking cards out of people's hands or lighting their cigar from a distance.
Dramatic Breeze 1: A gentle breeze seems to billow your hair and clothing dramatically. You are more inspiring to allies and more of a target to enemies.
Flenser 1: You're adept at striking across foes rather than through them, shredding flesh and rending soft tissues. You may deal more damage to soft targets.
-
Labcoat: Also pants.
Cloudstopper: This overly crystal-y gun-thing shoots shards of crystalline magic at targets.
Leaf Stone: This brown stone has what looks like an imprinted fern on one side. You're quite certain it's magical somehow, but it seems almost suspiciously unreactive to anything you've been able to expose it to.
Anna Greenbell (Sheyra)
8/11 HP
[Core Husk: Your body is just a husk. Your real essence lies in your heart. You can expand your life force out to restore your body to life, but any damage to your body while doing so will greatly damage your life force.]
-
+7 Vitamancy (1/7)
+3 Destruction (1/3)
+3 Protection (2/3)
+1 Exploration (0/1)
[1 Hammers Passion]
-
Smoldering Core 2: Your life force is concentrated in your heart, rendering you somewhat gaunt but resilient to injuries anywhere but your weak point.
-
Kimono-Thing: Somewhere between a shrine priestess and a vagrant you'll find this alluring number for all your vagrant shrine priestess needs.
Gravity Hammer: A giant rocket-propelled hammer. Shockingly, it's wielded by a mage.
Weight of the First Sin: This red crystal smolders with inner heat. Holding it makes you feel tired, hot, and nervous.
VonNost (pw)
11/11 HP
[Gnawed Cancerous Jackal Ball Broodmother: You're a ponderous but lengthy lump of hideously warped jackalflesh. Jackal-things cling to you like leeches, gnawing mindlessly upon flesh until ordered otherwise by crude impulses, and more of them burst from your flesh from time to time.]
-
+6 Transmogrification (0/6)
+3 Flesh Magic (2/3)
+3 Vitamancy (0/3)
-
Warflesh 1: You are adept at wielding your own flesh as a weapon. You can more efficiently convert and wield your flesh in weaponized consistencies and shapes.
-
White Lab Coat: Lots of good things come from men in lab coats.
"Necessity": An ominous looking syringe, seemingly forged from heavily tarnished iron in an unsettlingly organic design. Eternally filled with potent anesthetic.
Bloody Heart: This pulsing red gemstone is carved into a stylized heart. It's warm to the touch, but the surface feels like liquid blood despite leaving no residue.
Erntrinsticia "From" Frombollywhotsit, Lady-witch of magnificence! (Egan)
11/11 HP
[Living Weapon of Envy: Gain strength from defeating foes and consuming their essence. Must fight and consume regularly or suffer morale penalties. Greatly increased personal combat ability. Sweet green tint to eyes, skin, and claws.]
-
+5 Corvid Magic (1/5)
+3 Death Magic (0/3)
+3 Fashion (0/3)
[1 Haggling Passion]
[1 Animal Handling]
-
Fashionable Witch Outfit: All black, all hat.
Lady Irstivfell the Raven: Very wise! Hence the obsession with shiny objects and tasty food.
Empty Sparkling Bottle: This tiny glass flask used to contain a glittering emerald liquid. Now it's just really classy.
5 Whiskey Biscuits: You think they're made of cactus fruit?