Round 15Scout(3) the room, the pumpmkin, the teacher and everything inbetween
The room is in a state of total chaos! Flows of intense magic fill the air as a living spiritual vortex rips the magic from the teacher as she attempts to cast spells, and incredible amounts of power flow through the magic circle surrounding the bed, fueling the storm.
The source of the magic, however, is unclear. While it appears to be coming from the circle, a closer look reveals that it is actually using the circle as a gate of sorts. The actual source is somewhere far off. Something incredibly powerful, somewhere in the world, is spiritually bound to this magic circle and may depend on it for survival.
Examining the flow of magic, you notice it forcing its way through the "Stop" rune. It seems that whatever is bound to this circle does not want to be stopped!
You also examine the teacher's staff. It is above average thickness and has sufficient weight to double as a physical bludgeon in its own right, and tapers outward slightly so the tip is slightly thicker than the base. It is tipped with an icon resembling an eggplant. It seems to be intended for powerful Creation and Transformation spells, but is not designed for magic requiring great amounts of finesse or precision; rather this is a weapon for placing easily-broken but temporarily debilitating curses.
You examine the objects on the walls. Most of their purposes elude you, but some are, at least in principle, close enough to staves and wands that you are able to understand them!
There is a ceremonial dagger with a blood-red jewel in its hilt. It seems that the dagger is used for some kind of powerful Blood Magic, drawing life energy from its victims in order to give it to the user.
5/5 13/13 9/14
Bound to: A pen in the possession of Kevin, a first-year (Aspiring Green).
Unique Abilities:
Danger Sense: You passively gain a bit of knowledge about the future as it pertains to danger.
Manifest (5): You may briefly manifest a physical form. (Eye made of ink)
Scout (3): You may fly around freely and observe things while intangible. [Active]
Analyze Wand (3): You gain extra insight when examining wands, staves, or similar items.
Continue last action.
You continue to siphon the energy out of Professor Aubergine's spells. The pumpkin has stopped attacking though, and is forcing its way out of the room through the doorway. The walls around it splinter as it pushes its way through.
Something was left over. Something from long ago. I'll have to deal with this myself.Professor Aubergine is now focused on you - or rather, the point in the air where the flows of magic have knotted themselves into a visible, whirling vortex. She stands up and points her staff at the center of the vortex.
"What are you? A memory of the events that took place here? A reflection of the drive for power that drove the people who made this place? A spirit of revenge for the atrocities they committed to attain that power?"I am going on a short...trip. This should take no more than a few minutes. It may, however, be a trick by my enemies, so make sure the area is well guarded in the meantime."I saw what took place here. But that was hundreds of years ago. The people who created you, or those you seek revenge against, are long dead. Leave this -"TOTAL POSSESSION.Professor Aubergine's body suddenly goes rigid. The shape of the mana flows warp and change, no longer coming through the circle, but from Professor Aubergine herself. A brilliant violet light shines from her eyes and a powerful anti-magic shield forms around her.
"Of course. How foolish of me to not realize this might happen. Well, it is a problem easily corrected."Professor Aubergine?: 47/50
325/6 3/3 148/7
Unique Abilities:
Analyze Runes (3): You gain extra insight when examining runes.
Create Runes (5)(3): You can use runic magic. Using unknown spells may have unexpected effects.
Propel (10): You may propel an object in a straight line at high speeds.
Direct Energy (??)(??): Direct the energy flowing through you toward one or more targets. No telling what it might do...
The pumpkin creature pushes itself through the doorway, then turns towards the Blue hallway, where students are running away.
The monster gives chase! It's a lot faster than it looks, using its long vines to fling itself down the hall towards them.
I don’t have any kind of combat abilities, so I’m just going to Soul Bond Esme and use Speech encourage her to look around to make sure everyone is alright before heading out.
As you bond with Esme, she takes on foxlike agility and is able to run faster!
You realize that while she doesn't have much in the way of direct combat, she does have access to some Green abilities. Maybe one of them may be useful in this situation?
16/16 20/32 16/16
Bound to: Esme, a first-year (Aspiring Green).
Unique Abilities:
Soul Bond (5): You spiritually empower a believer, enhancing their senses and physical abilities. [Active]
Manifest (5): You may briefly manifest a physical form. (Fox)
Speech (5): You may speak verbally to a human.
Mana Boost (Green) (?): You may increase another spirit's Green mana up to 5 points. The cost is twice the amount boosted. You may overcharge the target, but it will return to their maximum value on the next turn.
Esme's Abilities:
16/16 53/53 22/22
Plant Growth (5): Infuses plants with energy, making them grow healthy and strong.
Commune (5): Enables the user to understand and communicate with spirits.
The Fool simply Suggets (3) Corey that he should take this opportunity to run away unnoticed while everyone is focused on the monster. He might be foolish, but he certainly isn't stupid.
Corey does just this. As the monster charges down the Blue hallway, Corey dodges to the side and heads off down the Red hallway.
As he is running, he nearly crashes into a tall, spindly man in a dark cloak. You don't recognize him, but Corey does. The man seems to be talking with someone who isn't there.
"The crow has the corn. The scorpion is in the cup."A strange voice replies, as if from a great distance.
Pedris, you and I both know that we don't have codewords. Has she taken the bait or not?"Like a moth to a flame, my lady. Everything is going according to plan. My man will make his move soon."And you are sure this thief of yours can handle the job?"Oh yes. I know him to be an individual of great skill and character. He will retrieve the package or die trying. With any luck, both."Very well. Make sure you are in position to retrieve it. I cannot afford to be discovered, at least until I am well out of the Kingdom's borders."Of course, of course. Just make sure you are in position for your part."The man turns around, spotting Corey.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little thief." He chuckles.
"Still have my map?"Corey reaches into his pocket and pulls out a map of the school. Notably, the hidden room is visible on the map. Corey bunches it up and puts it back in his pocket.
"You know, I was a bit worried when you pinched that off me. That room can't be easily accessed without the map, you know - at least, it couldn't before. But I see that things turned out all right in the end. And look, you even found my old puppet! Well, keep it as a souvenir. I won't be needing it anymore."You may now
suggest Corey's ability:
Puppeteer 7/7 2/7 10/10 Bound to: A puppet in the possession of Corey, a first-year (Aspiring Magenta). (HP 4/5)
Unique Abilities:
Unseen Movement (5): You may move your puppet body under your own power, but only when not being watched.
Spells Learned:
Viscosius: causes things to stick together.
Oculobscurum: creates momentary partial blindness.
Tentaculigo:
(Cannot use verbal spells until you find a way to speak!)
Corey's Abilities:
18/18 3/3 32/32 Puppeteer (5)(5): Grants the user telekinetic control over an object for several seconds.
Zalathin worrying for Komori decides to Examine(3) the area for danger then suggest(3) which way to go to avoid an unfortunate outcome
A bunch of students run past Komori in terror!
Komori spins around to see what is chasing them and sees the galloping gourd barrels toward him at a high speed! His eyes widen in shock, and you sense a surge of
blue mana merge with your own
examination -
A razor-sharp vine whips out like a thrown spear and impales Komori through the chest!Komori steps to the side -
A razor-sharp vine whips out like a thrown spear and passes right through the space where Komori was a fraction of a second ago!
What?
Implicitly, you understand the nature of Komori's ability:
Second Sight! You may
Suggest he use this ability.
Don't let anyone find out!You also gain a new ability:
Danger Sense!
Komori reaches into his pocket, where there is a small cylinder containing a spool of thread, and a pair of dice. His hand closes around the spool of thread, but he hesitates.
It's a weapon, and he doesn't want anyone to see him using it. 2/2 3/6 4/9
Bound to: Komori, a first-year (Aspiring Blue).
Unique Abilities:
Danger Sense: You passively gain a bit of knowledge about the future as it pertains to danger.
Komori's Abilities:
22/22 5/5 48/65
Second Sight: When active, allows the user to see about one second into the future, and take an action to change this future. Drains (5) per second. May have other limitations...?
Inside the Academy's library, a fourth-year student was studying. Despite having been there for more than three years already, he wasn't a calm, cool.headed guy. No, he was always nervous and fidgety.
But for once, he had found some concentration, with a cat sleeping on the same table as he had his book on. The cat would on occasionally purr and press her head against the student's left hand. Quite an ordinary cat really, with pure white fur and light blue eyes. She was a regular guest at the academy and almost no one paid her any mind. She behaved well enough.
The student's focus was cut short and the poor guy almost suffered a heart attack when the alarms rang. While everyone ran screaming out of the library and toward the green classrooms wing, the student was still recovering from his shock. After he regained his composure, he peeked out the door, toward the giant, gourdy monstrosity. He then looked back into the library, to see the cat, standing on the table, apparently totally unconcerned.
The student walked toward the cat, with his arms stretched out, intending to pick her up and hug her. Nearly having reached her, he blurted out a question:"Oh, What are we gonna do,Iris?".Of course, the student expected no answer. But suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks when within his mind echoed the voice of a young girl:"All demons can be banished.". Iris looked around, apparently scanning her surroundings. "This... may help you.", The voice echoed in the student's mind again as a book tumbled from the bookshelf onto the ground...
Surely, it was just his imagination, right?
Monster? Eightfold knew that word! She learned it!... It meant bad things. Eightfold did not want to be here if there was a Monster here.
Suggest (3) that if the man is going to evacuate, he take the Eightfold book with him. If Eightfold gets close enough to the monster, Examine (3) it.
Stumbling towards the door, the student freezes as the sound of loud thumping comes from outside the library! He scoops up the fallen book and hides behind a desk, hoping that whatever is out there doesn't come in.
At a loss, he glances at the book. It's a technical manual on the history of golems.
rendering the constructs, if not completely harmless, at the very least predictable. However, a golem created with no instructions at all can be extremely difficult to predict. Usually created due when an inexperienced crafter is interrupted during the creation of a proper golem, these entities are technically a form of Bound spirit. Since the physical object they are bound to is Animated on its creation, it is common for them to rapidly acquire mana, usually of the same chroma as the spell that created them. However, since they have weak Identity compared to a spirit that acquired corporeal form naturally, their behaviors typically respond to the actions and expectations of those surrounding them in the few minutes after creation, responding to fear with aggression, questions with wisdom, and so on. Sadly the nature of such constructs are poorly documented, since anyone with the skills to create one will generally have the presence of mind to give it instructions during the creation process.He looks next to him. There is another student sitting there, holding a book called
Eightfold in his arms. They look at each other.
The sound of thrashing vines comes from outside.
2/3 3/3 4/5
Bound to: A cat, also named "Iris"
Research (3): Seek out information that is relevant to solving a particular problem.
1/1 4/7 6/6
Bound to: A blank book, titled "Eightfold".
Unique Abilities:
Ghostwriter (5): When unobserved, text may appear in your book.
Demitra pushes (1) the pumpkin creature away from the group then goes towards the green wing and examines(1) any rooms it goes past, to try and learn more about the building
Your push has no effect!
Students filter out of the classrooms and head toward the front of the school. A teacher in cyan robes surrounds the students with a calming aura, keeping everyone under control despite the circumstances.
Some familiars, most of them small in size, run, float, or ride among the students. One student stands out from the rest, being carried on the shoulders of a hulking troll. It seems his legs don't work.
It seems as though the school's layout is physically built to reflect the philosophy of its creators, with the main classrooms for each color clustered together.
Gray-robed first year students are scattered throughout, though it seems that the older the students are, the more likely they are to be in the classes reflecting their own color. It looks like students get more freedom to pick their own classes as they get older.
Many older Yellow robed students are slowly moving against the crowd, making their way toward the Blue hallway. Some of them are carrying weapons. Though they are coming from the wrong side of the school, they seem to be interested in fighting the monster instead of running away.
1/3 3/5 0/3
Unique Abilities:
Mana Boost (Green) (?): You may increase another spirit's Green mana up to 5 points. The cost is twice the amount boosted. You may overcharge the target, but it will return to their maximum value on the next turn.
I'll take Spectral fangs.
Examine (2) Zume's mind some more. I need more information on this boy's background, what motivates him, if I am to ally with him.
A picture, drawn on a scrap of paper.
"This is the secret sign of the Midnight Eyes. They use to identify each other, and they will kill anyone else who knows of it."
"If they'll kill anyone who knows about it, why are you showing it to me? Do you want me to get killed?"
"No! Don't let them know. It's just that...whoever hired them to kill Father is still out there. And since you'll probably inherit the company, he'll probably send them after you, too sooner or later. You have to be able to recognize your enemies immediately."
"I'm twelve! And besides, you're the older child. Father left the company to YOU."
"I'm not going to run the company, Ardera. I'm going to train myself until I'm able to fight the Midnight Eyes. And then I'm going to get back at them for what they have done."
"You can't fight the Midnight Eyes. One of them can kill ten men and walk away unscratched."
"I will become stronger than ten men."
"You're going to die, Zume."
"Maybe. But I can't rest until I have paid them back."
5/7 7/7 4/6
Soul Bond (5): You spiritually empower a believer, enhancing their senses and physical abilities.
Spectral Fangs (3): You may inflict edged damage on a target.
Amy and Ardera are between the Red and Blue halls. Cole is still in a classroom nearby.
The Pumpkin Monster is heading down the Blue hallway, standing outside the Library. Komori is right in front of it.
Esme, Kevin and Zume are between the Blue and Green halls.
Corey and the strange robed man are in the Red hallway.
4/4 5/6 3/5
Bound to: The Broken Blade, a recently created Relic currently in the possession of Ardera, first-year (Undecided).
Unique Abilities:
Possess Arm (3)(3): When activated, you can control the arm and hand of your wielder directly, attacking or blocking with extreme levels of skill, or pulling them in the direction you want them to move. Lasts several turns.
Combat Sense (2): Passively gain an awareness when there is a fight going on nearby. When activated, allows you to determine the approximate location of the fight.
15/15 3/3 16/16
Bound to: A book, Unbound Mortality, currently restrained in the Forbidden section of the Library.
Unique Abilities:
Mindsurf (2): Allows you to jump directly from one inhabited creature into another, provided you, or the creature you are inhabiting, can see them. The further away you get from the book, the weaker your influence becomes. Current host: Amy, Magenta Mage. [Disabled by mental shield!]
Unseal Page (1): You make it easier to open the book to a particular page.
Devour Spell (5) (10): You can absorb a spell cast in your vicinity. It seems you can only use this (2) times, however.
10/10 12/12 10/10
Bound to: Cole, a first-year (undecided).
Unique Abilities:
Soul Bond (5): You spiritually empower a believer, enhancing their senses and physical abilities.
Scout (3): You may fly around freely and observe things while intangible.
Author
Topic: Chromatic Spirits RPG: Ghosts to Gods: Round 16: Battle against a Pumpkin (Read 21202 times)