Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Egan_BW]

((Fourteen kind of deserves a text color, so suddenly it's navy glow. Also I needed to include the character information at some point despite the fact these are all short updates.))

Henric breaks away the end of his torch, ending up with just the black flame in hand. It sort of hugs his hand in a comforting way. He approaches the shell and reaches out...
"Wait! Don't touch it!"

Spoiler: Shalva, Sole Reminder of Her People (click to show/hide)

Name: Mrush'shalva
Status: Burned face
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: White thread, Human skull, Robe

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: -1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +2
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: -1

Skills: 2pts
   Seduction: +2
   Chemistry: +2
   Weapon: Tail: +1
   Stealth: +1
   Prayer: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221662#msg8221662

Spoiler: Henric, the Henric (click to show/hide)

Name: Henric
Status: Nominal
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Shovel, Black Flame (in hand)

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +1
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   Staff fighting: +2
   Tracking: +1
   Navigating the wilds: + 1
   Guessing what tools do: +1
   Woodcarving: +1
   Climbing: +1
   Magical Theory: +1
   Navigating Tunnels: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221483#msg8221483

Spoiler: ‼Bird, Minor Nuisance‼ (click to show/hide)

Name: <Caw>. Goes by Moldbin. Or just Bird.
Status: ‼Perfectly Intact‼
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Nothing

Attributes: 1pt
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +1
   Strength: +0
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   ‼Vessel Aflame‼: +3
   Semblance of Life: +1
   Mind over Matter +1
   Weapon: Bird: +1
   Literate: +1
   Curiosity: +1
   Geography: +1
   Animal Empathy: +1
   Mind Eater: +1
   DARKSPIRIT CATALYZATION: +1
   Stupid Bird: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221923#msg8221923

[NJW2000]

"I think I may be able to put out the fire that holds this bird. I have my own flame. We should try not to kill something so strange."

Henric waits a few seconds for the priestess to end the spell. If she does not, he reaches through the light anyway. In any case, he resumes his attempt to extinguish the flames gripping the bird.

[Egan_BW]

"Don't touch the barrier. You'll die. How do I know what you mean to do won't just cause more harm?"

[Determination: 11]
[Flame's Determination: 18]

Henric thrusts his arm into the shell. Insantly, the bone wears away, a moment later the lead as well, burning off into absolute nothing.
Yet something remains, glinting dark against the light, shielding the flame in its grasp.

This scene stands frozen for a moment, then the black flame leaps forwards into the shell and Henric is flung back away from it.

[I comprehend...: 12]
A brief, impercievable flash of something, then the entire shell is engulfed in dark flames and smoke, and nobody outside can tell what's happening on the inside.

Henric lies stunned in the dirt, his mind, for a second, overwhelmed by annihilation. He picked himself up, or tries to, at least. Only one arm moves, and when he tries the other arm and every bone he has below the ribcage crumples to the ground, just inanimate, lead-contaminated remains.

Spoiler: Shalva, Sole Reminder of Her People (click to show/hide)

Name: Mrush'shalva
Status: Burned face
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: White thread, Human skull, Robe

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: -1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +2
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: -1

Skills: 2pts
   Seduction: +2
   Chemistry: +2
   Weapon: Tail: +1
   Stealth: +1
   Prayer: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221662#msg8221662

Spoiler: Henric, the Henric (click to show/hide)

Name: Henric
Status: half the man he used to be
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Shovel

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +1
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   Staff fighting: +2
   Tracking: +1
   Navigating the wilds: + 1
   Guessing what tools do: +1
   Woodcarving: +1
   Climbing: +1
   Magical Theory: +1
   Navigating Tunnels: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221483#msg8221483

Spoiler: ‼Bird, Minor Nuisance‼ (click to show/hide)

Name: <Caw>. Goes by Moldbin. Or just Bird.
Status: ... How we built the Ocean ...
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Nothing

Attributes: 1pt
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +1
   Strength: +0
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   ‼Vessel Aflame‼: +3
   Semblance of Life: +1
   Mind over Matter +1
   Weapon: Bird: +1
   Literate: +1
   Curiosity: +1
   Geography: +1
   Animal Empathy: +1
   Mind Eater: +1
   DARKSPIRIT CATALYZATION: +1
   Stupid Bird: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221923#msg8221923

[syvarris]

Rush over to Henric's side!  Inspect the damage hurriedly; is it progressing any further?  Will he be okay?!

[Egan_BW]

Shalva coils her torso closer to ground level and inspects Henric more closely. The... only real physical damage is to Henric's hand and the upper part of his forearm. In the sense that they're completely missing. As for nonphysical damage... well, it seems as though most of his bones aren't "animate" any more? Shalva isn't really aware of what that could mean. What is the difference between an animate bone and an inanimate one? The normal skeletons that Shalva have seen tend to fall apart and not retain the same relative position as they would in life, with no muscle or cartalige to hold them together. Henric was an exception to this general rule...
And now he's not. Well, most of him anyways.

Spoiler: Shalva, Sole Reminder of Her People (click to show/hide)

Name: Mrush'shalva
Status: Burned face
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: White thread, Human skull, Robe

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: -1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +2
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: -1

Skills: 2pts
   Seduction: +2
   Chemistry: +2
   Weapon: Tail: +1
   Stealth: +1
   Prayer: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221662#msg8221662

Spoiler: Henric, the Henric (click to show/hide)

Name: Henric
Status: half the man he used to be
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Shovel

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +1
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   Staff fighting: +2
   Tracking: +1
   Navigating the wilds: + 1
   Guessing what tools do: +1
   Woodcarving: +1
   Climbing: +1
   Magical Theory: +1
   Navigating Tunnels: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221483#msg8221483

Spoiler: ‼Bird, Minor Nuisance‼ (click to show/hide)

Name: <Caw>. Goes by Moldbin. Or just Bird.
Status: ... How we built the Ocean ...
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Nothing

Attributes: 1pt
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +1
   Strength: +0
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   ‼Vessel Aflame‼: +3
   Semblance of Life: +1
   Mind over Matter +1
   Weapon: Bird: +1
   Literate: +1
   Curiosity: +1
   Geography: +1
   Animal Empathy: +1
   Mind Eater: +1
   DARKSPIRIT CATALYZATION: +1
   Stupid Bird: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221923#msg8221923

[syvarris]

"Ah...!  No, no!  Uhm, hold still, I'm going to try and help!"

Shalva will lean farther over Henric, then place her hands gently on his skull.  Then... pray for him, and ask for a miracle.  Shalva wishes for his undead body to... regain its animation?  She wants him to be healed, but in the way that's good for zombies, not the usual heals-hurt-zombies type.  (Invest skill if necessary for this.)

[NJW2000]

Henric... tries to survive? He looks over at the bird, to see if he accomplished anything.

[Egan_BW]

Shalva puts her hands on Henric's skull and... hopes? There is no ritual for this, no tradition, but that is not needed. She comprehends, faintly, that prayer is something else.

[Observation + Prayer + S̴͓̦̯̠̟̼͋͂͆̅̈́̊̃̏̕͠h̴̪̳̲̜͈̃̆̎̈́̕ȩ̸̟̣̳̒'̸͉͎͇̋͘ͅs̸̪͎̯͚̋̓̆̋͜͜ ̴̡̗̝͙͆̉̄̃̌̿͠L̸̼̱̖͈̔̽͋́̾̅̎͘͠ḭ̷̢̤͙̩̻͍̗̪͗̈́̍̊̀̇͂͘͜s̴̛̯̄̂͑̽̈́͘t̷̢̹͕̙̣̪̖̻̏̌̆̊̆̆ê̶̛͔͇̬̩̬̏͠n̴͇͔͠í̴̢̧̛͚͉͈͍̍̉̿̕͘n̴̳͂͂ğ̷̘̳͓̏̌͐̇̈́͐̍̂̚: 11]

She... feels nothing, for a moment. Shalva opens her eyes and looks around, confused. Suddenly a sublte ringiing in her ear intensifies into a shout which vibrates her skull.


"Grisly, isn't it? Grisly. Would have preferred if I got a taste myself, it's been too long..."
Something fleshes from one of Mrush'shalva's palms to the other, squeezing through Henric's skull smoothly.
"Can't help you there, love, not really. He'll be fine though, if ineffectual. Have him eat a few undead, get the old unlife force pumping. Oh, I do have something which could help you. Nobody's used Necromancy in quite some time, with my help I'm sure you could figure it out.
Wait, wait, did you mean to reach someone else? I can't do anything directly, but those critters Carlu or Jar could still intervene. If you could get their attention, at least. Maybe not, you're having some difficulty noticing me, if you didn't realize."

The buzzing in Shalva's head subsides, replaced by a migraine. She realizes that the booming voice in her skull had paralyzed her, which begins to subside.

Henric... feels fine? He doesn't feel any particular peril, despite the physical damage. No creeping infection or instability, just... part of him is missing, now.
Fourteen looms over him with a blank face.
"Well, I warned you. Doesn't look too bad, since you're still kicking. If you were a skeleton I'd need a second hit to put you in the ground for real and that was no sloppy shell. Guess you're pretty strong."

The shell still billows with black flame, cutting off any sight of what transpires within. Even in magical feeling, it's a wall.


The bird will be remade. Something new.

I bleed this...

... Floating ...

... Columns ...

... predict ...

Is this acceptable? Will this be your form or will you keep fighting?

Spoiler: Shalva, Sole Reminder of Her People (click to show/hide)

Name: Mrush'shalva
Status: Burned face, headache
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: White thread, Human skull, Robe

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: -1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +2
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: -1

Skills: 2pts
   Seduction: +2
   Chemistry: +2
   Weapon: Tail: +1
   Stealth: +1
   Prayer: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221662#msg8221662

Spoiler: Henric, the Henric (click to show/hide)

Name: Henric
Status: half the man he used to be
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Shovel

Attributes:
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +1
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   Staff fighting: +2
   Tracking: +1
   Navigating the wilds: + 1
   Guessing what tools do: +1
   Woodcarving: +1
   Climbing: +1
   Magical Theory: +1
   Navigating Tunnels: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221483#msg8221483

Spoiler: ‼Bird, Minor Nuisance‼ (click to show/hide)

Name: <Caw>. Goes by Moldbin. Or just Bird.
Status: In-between
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Nothing

Attributes: 1pt
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +1
   Strength: +0
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   ‼Vessel Aflame‼: +3
   Semblance of Life: +1
   Mind over Matter +1
   Weapon: Bird: +1
   Literate: +1
   Curiosity: +1
   Geography: +1
   Animal Empathy: +1
   Mind Eater: +1
   DARKSPIRIT CATALYZATION: +1
   Stupid Bird: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221923#msg8221923

[Devastator]

What happens, happens.

(Of course Bird would keep fighting to remain himself.  Being remade by a god, on the other hand, is something that happens to him, not something that he does.  As such, this seems similar to someone waking up on an operating table having the surgeon say "Quick, do you like the colour green?", whilst having a scalpel in hand.

IOW, there is insufficient information for a meaningful answer.  No, I don't know if it's acceptable or not.)

[syvarris]

Try to respond to the voice, if that's still possible.  Tell it that yes, Shalva would want to learn necromancy, if it can be used to help Henric.  Not that she's totally sure what necromancy is...

[BlackPaladin99]

Can I join?  If my character is uninteresting please tell me what I could do to make it more interesting.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 Name: Nekras Sanguis
Morphology: make half elf half dragon hybrid.
Age at Death: 300
Years Dead: 750 years
Physical Description: he looks like he just died yesterday, with large horns, black, scaly forearms and lower legs, black hair and eyes, pointy ears, and fangs.
Life and Death: He was born as bastard child of a black dragon and a elven mage.  When he reached maturity he was recruited by the Fell Lord when he was in his early stages of immortality.  He quickly became protégée of Fell Lord Aieux, and one of his greatest living generals.  But the Fell Lord thought he was too powerful and, when Nekras was on a campaign, ordered his legions to kill him.  However, Nekras refused to rest and be dead and extended his energies to help the Bright Junct kill the Fell Lord.  When that was over he hungered for a second chance and his soul vowed he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Attributes:
   Determination: +0
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +0
   Strength: +0
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +1

Skills:
  Necromancy: +2
  Melee Weapon Usage: +2
  Defense: +1
  Evocation: +1

[Egan_BW]

Shalva feels the faintest whisper of wind past her ear. Just the slightest shiver...
[Shalva may gain Skill: Necromancy.]

The thing which emerges from the shell is not Crow, nor Flame. Or necessarily identifiable as undead, though it is one.

Moldbin is a mass a bit larger than somebody's head of pure black vertical cylinders which constantly grow and shrink, giving the slight impression of a crackling fire. Though only slightly.

[Vessel Aflame Severed.]
[New Morphology: Wraith. An intangible undead made entirely from necromantic energies.]

The bird sees itself emerge a few moments before it really happens, which is somewhat confusing. In fact, not having a physical body or normal senses is quite disorienting.
It "sees" the graveyard around it as shadows of light and dark, cast by the creeping darkness which stubbornly moves to cover everything. Undead are abysses of compacted dark, while living things are the opposite, blank spots of white. Though Moldbin isn't particularly magically sensitive, this sensation is somewhat sharpened by the compete lack of bodily distractions. Though perhaps simply having eyes would be more convenient...

Spoiler: Moldbin, Incarnation (click to show/hide)

Name: <Caw>. Goes by Moldbin. Or just Bird.
Status: Intangible
Location: Graveyard
Inventory: Nothing

Attributes: 1pt
   Determination: +1
   Observation: +1
   Influence: +1
   Strength: +0
   Agility: +1
   Manipulation: +0

Skills:
   Predict: +2
   Possess: +1
   Consume Whole: +1
   Weapon: Bird: +1
   Literate: +1
   Curiosity: +1
   Geography: +1
   DARKSPIRIT CATALYZATION: +1
   Stupid Bird: +1

Further Reference: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8221923#msg8221923 http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177648.msg8315518#msg8315518

[syvarris]

Invest one point into Necromancy, going to +1!  Shalva will need manipulation too, but hey.

"...Thank you." Shalva quietly whispers to the mysterious entity.  Then she curls up next to Henric, watching him worriedly.  She'll stay there for a bit, waiting for him to respond or get up; if he doesn't, she'll think of something.

[Egan_BW]

[Gained Necromancy.]

It's an odd feeling, to suddenly know something you didn't before. Odd, but not... anomalous. Such things are known to happen to anybody adventurous enough to seek glory.
As Shalva's god instructed her to.
Perhaps more unusual is the fact that the knowledge which suddenly appears in her rotten head is old, perhaps not known to any person in the world.
But Samsaa is older than the world. The age of the knowledge is irrelevant.

Necromancy is a fairly scholarly branch of magic, focused on sensing, manipulating, and engineering 'necromantic energy', called arosh or dark soul.
Arosh is a naturally occurring magical energy which covers the world in low amounts, though there's a limited amount of it in existence a necromancer will generally not have difficulty finding it. This energy has dark and warm tendencies, where it gathers it will spontaneously arrange into a semblance of life, often sentimentally clinging to corpses, if available.

A corpse so attached to a mote of living arosh is called a zombie (or sometimes a skeleton. both are the same creature, just in different states of decay.) Zombies do not carry the soul they had in life, which has already departed, and hold only a vague sense of attachment to their previous life. Instead a zombie is motivated by sheer hunger and discomfort caused by inhabiting a dead body.
While zombies often occur naturally, a Necromancer may speed along this process by grasping a clump of ambient arosh and tying it to a corpse. After this point, the zombie can be made a magical minion of the necromancer through bonds or diplomacy.


It is known that commonly a deceased creature's soul will leave their body upon death, but this is not always the case.

-----

[Devastator]

Leave.  Get away from the group and from the fire.  It didn't go right, and everything's wrong now.  Do my best to get away from the well-meaning snakelady and the priest who did this.

As for how, I'm not sure.  Use my will and try to see a future in which I'm moving away from these people.

As for where, pick somewhere where a bird would go.